The Start of Something New

Chapter 5

My alarm went off at 0730, just like clockwork. Another day in the rat race. With Jonathan out on a business trip, I was left in charge of opening the shop for the next week and a half. Yay, more adult responsibilities.

The city was pretty quiet this morning. I didn't have to worry about walking to work. It was nice to get a chance to stretch my legs and pay attention to what little scenery LA has.

The shop was empty for the first few hours of business so I mostly just looked over the instruments and what things we needed to restock and what new items had been introduced. Even though I work here, everyday is something new to me. Even though my boss can be a pain in the rear, the work itself was a blessing.

I put some background music over the speakers and set to sweeping. There were a couple of dirt marks leftover from a customer that I did not like seeing on the ground.

One of Sleep Token's songs came over the speaker and the jazzy part was about to come on. I started to dance with the broom and sing along.

Little did I know, a man had entered the shop and was watching me the entire time.

I turned around and started upon seeing him. "I'm sorry, can I help you with something?"

He gave a sideways smile. "Yeah, could you perhaps show me in the direction of the song you were singing along too? I'm curious as to what could possibly evoke such a powerful performance out of someone."

I felt my cheeks burn. "For the record, I don't typically do that. But here's the album." I walked over to the S section and pulled out the album. "I definitely recommend it if you like nu and progressive metal. They cover a lot of that. Although if you want something softer I suggest going with Sundowning."

I handed both of the albums to him. He flipped them over and looked at the track lists. "My husband has a weird fascination with this type of music. Do you know any other bands like this? More so in particular to the first one you handed me."

I walked over to where we held our Bad Omens CD's and grabbed The Death of Peace of Mind and Catch Your Breath's Shame on Me. "These are both good bands to look into. One's lesser known, but they still have some power in the music industry."

I walked behind the register to check him out. "Would you like to register for rewards?"

After a moment of consideration he said, "Sure, I think I might become a frequent customer if these suggestions turn out to be any good."

"Name please?"

"Markus."

I looked up at him in surprise. "Do you happen to know a Nathan by chance?"

"Yeah, the guy that runs the tattoo shop just a couple blocks from here? He's my husband. He actually recommended this place to me."

I chuckled and typed in the information he gave me. "He's told me a bit about you. All good news obviously. Aren't you part of an acapella group?"

"Yeah, and I was going to ask if you'd like to audition for a spot. We could always use a little more diversity amongst our ranks. You've got a powerful voice on you. It'd be a shame to let it go to waste." He handed me a small business card. "You don't have to give me an answer now. Just let me know what you decide."

I took it from him and inspected the words on the piece of cardstock. "I will. Thank you for shopping. Please come again."

He nodded, grabbed his stuff, and walked out the door.

I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose. Today was going to be a long day.