It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday
And the manager gives me a smile
'Cause he knows that it's me they've been comin' to see
To forget about life for a while
**
Scarlett came in wearing a red dress among a sea of people. It was odd having more than a few regulars in the bar and Ashton couldn't figure out why they had come, but he figured it must have been the weekend that drew them in.
Ashton found his way to Scarlett without another thought. She was alive, and he had to soak up all of her before she decided to leave another time.
When he got closer, he saw her clutch a crumpled up paper in her hand, assuming it to be the piece that she had been slaving over the other day. In the other hand was her drink. He smiled and inched his hand towards hers holding the song, but she pulled away once his finger touched the paper.
"Nope," was all she said. She trailed over to the piano with Ashton following like a puppy dog. She sat down and patted down her dress, Ashton sliding in next to her. Scarlett and Ashton didn't notice, but a few heads turned at him seating himself. In fact, there was a burst of chatter that died down once the manager had made his way into the room.
All his time at the bar, Ashton had never seen the manager before.
"Play me a song," Scarlett said, leaning her head on Ashton's shoulder. His heart jumped and his fingers twitched. She just needed a place to lie down. Her eyelids shut close and Ashton knew that he had no choice. He had wanted to play her another song for a while now.
There was an air of excitement as he laid his fingers over the keys. When the first chord struck out, Scarlett let out a content sigh. Her shoulders rose and fell as Ashton continued on with his song, reading line after line in his head. The notes were clear there, the bars prominent and the key an easy-to-read instruction manual. His heel tapped on the floor, pushing the pedal down enabling the sound to ring. The song was bittersweet.
In the other corner, low hums made their way throughout the room as if the owners of the calming buzz knew the tune like a familiar one. A few drunk girls were swaying off of their stools and draping their arms around each other in a nostalgic, middle school dance sort of way. Businessmen continued to drool, but managed to remember to wipe off the saliva that dribbled down their chins. Every now and then, they clinked glasses and even laughed hearty laughs. The scene was in no way perfect, but for the time being everything and everyone clicked into place, both beautiful and drab.
Ashton found Scarlett asleep upon finishing. He felt a pin puncture his spirits and his posture went slack, but she looked peaceful with her eyes closed. Scarlett's head rolled forward a bit, but remained on top of his shoulder nonetheless. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting. It was not the girl he gave his whole attention to snoozing away on him, her mind far away in a dream land he couldn't pull her out of.
There wasn't much he could do in the matter, though. She was asleep and Ashton was in no place to shake her awake, no matter how much he wished he could. He had to settle. He had to settle for letting her be for as long as it would take, for kissing her with the lightest lips on her forehead, for remaining still when she stirred. He had to stay calm when she mumbled his name and pulled on his coat, her loose hands burying themselves in the fabric, but he was sure it was a sign that she was coming to. She had to be subconsciously falling in love with him. Her lips brushed against the side of his neck but they weren't nearly as close as he needed them to be.
**
And the piano it sounds like a carnival
And the microphone smells like a beer
