How do you heal?

Chapter 64: Red Herring

Mid September 2016

The day of the September show at Maude's Annie had asked Tony for the whole day off. The twins and Vision were still at Clint's and Sam and Alex would be spending the day looking at apartments, then going to a Broadway show Sam had got tickets for, before staying at a hotel in the city for the night. Alex had offered to sell the tickets so she could be there for Annie, especially considering the date, but Annie declined. "I'll be okay, Lex. Do not miss Hamilton for me!" As that was half the compound, Tony had approved stating the others could take care of themselves.

When Alex had shown up the day before they had gone shopping to pick out an outfit for the show. Annie had protested the need for it but Alex firmly told her, "You are getting it to make Vik and the others look good in front of the label rep." So she relented. Annie had also called Vik's girlfriend, Sadie, and asked if she could tame the mess of curls Annie rarely wore unbound.

So now, three songs into the second set, she stood with Sadie at the merchandise table. Hair still expertly arranged, feeling ridiculous in a black crop top, and flannel with cut off shorts over fishnet tights. It wasn't exactly groundbreaking fashion but the fishnets were making her feel strangely exposed and she had a few drinks to compensate. Luckily Alex had allowed her to wear normal boots and did not insist on the heeled platforms. When she had tried them in the store Annie was pretty sure she would have fallen off the stage if she had to wear them. When she and Sadie had first arrived to help set up Kat was there and had nearly burned a hole through Annie's head with her glare.

"Annie, I think you might have an admirer!" Sadie said as she leaned in to shout over the music and nodded her head to the end of the bar. "That guy came in at the end of the first set and hasn't taken his eyes off you."

Annie didn't turn. She saw Bucky when she was halfway through a cover of Gayle's 'abcdefu' and she saw, half a heartbeat later, Kat run up to him. So much for that break-up. She had actively been keeping her eyes focused on the stage or the customer in front of her since. "Let me guess, tall, dark, the frown hasn't left his face and Kat can't keep her hands off him?"

Sadie nodded. "Uhm, yeah. How'd you know?"

Annie ran her hands through her hair and pulled her flannel tighter. "Because that is my ex."

Sadie's jaw dropped. "THAT is your ex, the one that used to come to karaoke with you?" Annie just nodded as someone came up to the table and purchased a shirt.

"One in the same." Annie said as she began to straighten the merchandise on the table after giving the man his change.

"Girl he is hot!!!"

Annie laughed and flagged down a waitress to order a drink. "Careful Sadie, hot will get you burned. Now wipe the drool from your face before you make Vik jealous."

Sadie tisked. "Vik knows he's the only one for me and honestly he would agree that that guy is smoking but what is he doing here, are you going to talk to him?"

"I'm not sure why he is here. He and Kat had a thing for a few months but last I heard they broke up. And no, I have no desire to talk to him."

"Okay so we hate him, what are you going to do?"

The waitress returned with Annie's drink and she took a large swig as she started to walk toward the small dance floor. "Drink until I forget that he is here and dance like crazy in support of the band."

Bucky had gotten a text from Kat. Over the last several weeks he had gotten a lot of texts from Kat and almost didn't open this one. But when he glanced down to see who it was from he saw Annie's name in the preview.

Annie is at the bar tonight and she's been drinking a lot. I thought you might want to know. 😼

Five minutes later he was on his bike headed to Maude's. He knew Annie wasn't a huge drinker but he also knew that today was Charlie's birthday and she might be struggling. When he walked in he didn't have to search the bar. Annie was on the stage with a band jumping up and down and singing.

🎵"A-B-C-D-E, F-U

And your mom and your sister and your job

And your broke-ass car and that shit you call art

Fuck you and your friends that I'll never see again

Everybody but your dog, you can all fuck off

Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah

A-B-C-D-E, F-U"

Bucky watch, enthralled, as she performed. Smiling ear to ear and moving around the stage and the musicians as if she had been doing it her whole life. After a beat she started to scan her eyes across the crowd and he could tell the instant she saw him. Her face hardened and she came to center stage and held his gaze as she continued.

🎵"You said you just needed space and so I gave it

When I had nothin' to say you couldn't take it

Told everyone I'm a bitch, so I became it

Always had to put yourself above me

I was into you, but I'm over it now

And I was tryin' to be nice

But nothing's getting through, so let me spell it out"

As she began to start the chorus again he felt someone walk up and grab onto his arm. He looked down to find Kat. Irritated, he shot his gaze back up but Annie had returned to moving about the stage.

"Buckaroo. Oh my god, you got here so quick. How are you?" Kat asked as she pulled him towards the bar.

"Kat, you told me Annie was drinking."

She pushed him into a stool on the end and moved back behind the bar. "She has been, she got here early to help the band set up and had like three drinks before she went on stage and in the hour they have been up there she's had like three more. I mean she is clearly plastered. She is never usually that showy when she sings with those guys."

"Usually?" He asked, irritation clear in his voice. He'd rushed here thinking he would find Annie slouched over the bar crying, not smiling on a stage, and he was under the impression that is what Kat had wanted him to think. "As in she sings with them regularly."

Kat seemed flustered at the question as if maybe she had said something she hadn't meant to as she placed a bottle in front of him. "Well, uhm yeah. She's been doing guest spots for them for a couple months now."

Just then a male voice came through the sound system. "Alright ladies, theydies and gentlemen!!! We are January Embers and before we take a quick break we would like you to give a huge shout out to the always lovely A.J. Easton for joining us here tonight!!!"

Bucky watched as Annie waved and took several sweeping bows before high fiving the man who had spoken and jumping off the side of the stage walking towards a table where a girl with bright green hair stood, watching him watch Annie.

"What am I doing here Kat. Why did you really text me?" Bucky said as he returned his icy glare to the woman behind the bar.

Kat puffed out her chest and began to defend herself. "I knew her set was ending and she really HAS been drinking. I don't know how she planned on getting home and I thought you would want to know. Maybe check up on her or call someone for her. I don't know I just...I just knew if she got hurt you would be upset. So I just wanted to warn you. But now that you're here maybe you could hang out for a while and we can catch up?"

Bucky was angry he'd fallen for Kat's manipulation but there was nothing he could do about it now so he picked up the bottle and turned back to watch Annie. If she goes to leave I will just make sure she is okay and has a ride back to the compound.