My Heaven

A soldier

I turn back to her, my heart pounding, and take a hesitant step forward. She stands up, presenting her back to me. She holds her hair out of the way. I reach for the zipper of her red dress, my fingers trembling slightly. As I pull the zipper down, revealing the smooth expanse of her back, I feel the heat of her skin against my fingertips. The intimacy of the moment is overwhelming, and for a second, I forget where I am and why I'm here.

"Thank you," she says softly, her voice breaking the spell. She turns around. The vulnerability in her eyes catches me off guard, a stark contrast to the confident performer I saw on stage.

"You're welcome," I manage to reply, stepping back to give her space. I begin to walk away. But just as I'm about to leave I realize something.

"I never caught your name" I yell back to her. She stops right away, with whatever she was doing. "It's Ashley" she yells back, as she continues with whatever she was doing. "Ashley" I whisper to myself before walking through the red curtain.

I turn back to my makeup mirror. I take the red gloves off. Michael. He is weird. Just a bit. I'll probably never talk to him again. I must get back to my apartment as soon as possible so I can finish my song. I have to write now, so I can sing it tomorrow. I also have to do some work on that dress. It looks hideous. I need a miracle to fix that thing. I take the red dress off and replace it with a loose one instead. I stand up and put my things in a bag. I swing the bag over my shoulder and begin to walk towards the backdoor in the building.

Suddenly Richard jumps out from nowhere. He is the club's owner, and like a father to me. "You did so good Ash" he tells me. "Looks like you will have a bigger paycheck this time" he smiles at me. Richard is a happy man, with brown hair and green eyes. Even though he is getting old he still has some muscles on his body.

I smile back at him. "That would be nice" I tell him. Before I can make another escape for the door, Lacy walks up to me. It's not I don't like her but I'm really tired. "Who was he?" she asks me. Lacy is one of the dancers, she also sings. "Just a soldier" I tell her. His name is Michael, i think. Where did that thought come from? "Yeah, I could see that, but what did he want?" she asks. Lacy has always been very nosey. But I guess she is my best friend when William isn't around. William is the bands leader. He plays the piano and is my best friend, but he is sick right now. God i miss him. everything feels so empty without him. His black hair, hazel eyes, and bright smile. As soon as he fell ill, Lacy saw a moment to become my new best friend. Her dark red hair has curls and sits in a bun. There are a few strands that missed her messy bun. "Nothing" I say tired. "You rejected him, right?" she asks me, looking straight into my soul. "Of course, I rejected him" I say before walking to the door. I wish I could just sleep in my warm bed, but I have stuff to do. I guess its nice being alone and working for a little while. I have to make the best of it.

As I emerged from the smoky backstage of the nightclub, the cool night air hit my face, a stark contrast to the heat and noise before. Someone must have opened a window. I take a deep breath, trying to process what had just happened. Ashley. Her name lingered in my mind; her image burned into my memory. The night felt alive, charged with a new energy, and I walked back to our table where James and Steven were waiting, their expressions a mix of curiosity and amusement.

"So, how'd it go?" James asked, a knowing grin spreading across his face.

I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "Just talked for a bit. She's... different."

Steven raised an eyebrow. "Different how?"

"She's not like anyone I've ever met," I admitted, taking a sip of my beer. "She's real. No pretenses, no games."

James chuckled, shaking his head. "Sounds like she made quite an impression."

"Yeah," I said softly, lost in thought. "She did."

As the night wore on, we stayed at the club, soaking in the music and the atmosphere. The camaraderie among the soldiers was palpable, a sense of brotherhood that transcended the impending challenges. But my mind kept drifting back to Ashley, her voice, her eyes, the way she moved. I couldn't shake the feeling that our brief encounter was just the beginning of something significant.

Eventually, the night came to a close, and we made our way back to the meeting point where Sergeant Thompson was waiting with the rest of the soldiers. He stood tall, his presence commanding respect, as he handed out the keys to the hotel rooms.

"Alright, listen up!" Thompson barked, his voice cutting through the chatter. "I've got the keys to the hotel. Two soldiers per room, except for one of you lucky fellows who'll have to share with someone else since we're an odd number."

There were groans and murmurs of complaint, but Thompson ignored them, continuing to distribute the keys. James and Steven, always inseparable, quickly claimed a room together, leaving me standing alone.

"Looks like you're the odd man out, Michael," Thompson said, handing me a key. "You'll be sharing with Ashley. She's working with us for the next few weeks on some morale-boosting performances."

I blinked in surprise, my heart skipping a beat. "Ashley? The singer from tonight?"

"That's the one," Thompson confirmed. "She's got her own reasons for being here, but you'll have to figure those out on your own. Now get moving, and remember, curfews at 22. Dismissed!"

I pocketed the key, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension. Sharing a room with Ashley? It was unexpected, to say the least. As the other soldiers headed off to their rooms, I made my way to the hotel, my mind racing with thoughts of what lay ahead.

The hotel was a charming, old-fashioned building with ivy climbing its brick walls. Inside, the decor was cozy and inviting, a stark contrast to the rough barracks we were used to. I found my room on the second floor and unlocked the door, stepping inside to find Ashley already there.