The Promise

Chapter 3

“Hey Spence, you ready?”

I looked up from my guitar, that I had been tuning for the past 2 minutes, at my sister. I flashed her a smile, “Yeah I think so. Anything from Jai?”

She shook her head, “Sorry not yet, but I’m sure they’ll be here, don’t worry.”

I turned my attention back to my guitar and strummed it a couple of times to make sure it was tuned. I let a few more minutes pass by before finally setting the Gibson-Hummingbird Pro Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar, that my Dad had gotten me a few years ago for my 16th birthday, down on the stand next to me. I stood up, stretching my arms into the air, and took a look around me. We were backstage behind the red curtains of Hotel Café.

Hotel Café is a small, secret little hangout spot in Hollywood where you can enjoy some good food, good drinks and good acoustic music. Our older brother Jayson has been working here for a couple years now and he pulled a few strings with the owner so that Sophie, Brooke and I get to play live music a couple of days a week here.

I caught a glimpse of Sophie who was standing in front of a vanity, putting the last finishing touches on her make up. Her hair was half up half down and she was wearing a maroon strapless dress that flares out at the waste and stops about mid-thigh, with gold sandals.

Ugh, I hate how pretty my sister always looks.

I looked at her from head to toe again before turning around. I walked towards the curtain and took a peak. There’s a pretty good turn out tonight. The Café was about 2/3rds full I noticed and there were a few familiar faces in the crowd, we had some regulars who came to Hotel Café every night we played, and they waved as they spotted me peaking out. I smiled at them and continued to scan the room.

Nothing. They’re not here.

“Spence?”

I quickly let the curtain fall out of my hand and spun around to meet my cousin’s hazel colored eyes. I raised my eyebrows at her, “Brooke, yeah?”

Brooke was wearing a black chiffon-laced romper with a pair of red peep-toe heels with her hair pulled back into a messy bun. “We’re on in fifteen.”

“Okay.” I nodded my head at her.

“You all right Spence?”

“Mmhmm…just nervous that’s all.” I replied as I brushed a hand through my hair.

“Nervous? Spencer we’ve been doing this for months now, you think you’d get over the stage freight.” Brooke wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

“Brooke, can I borrow you for a minute?” Jayson interrupted.

She nodded her head and followed him out past the curtain.

I turned around and made my way over to the vanity where my sister was still fixing her make up.

“Nervous?”

I smiled sheepishly at her, “Yeah, how’d you know?”

“You’re all fidgety. You always get fidgety and start to twist your hair around your fingers.”

I dropped my hand from my hair, “Ugh, I don’t know why I get so nervous before going on stage.”

My sister put down her compact and looked at me, “Hey you look good. Is that new?” She gestured to my outfit.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I had decided to wear a blue and brown floral high low dress, a jean vest and brown sandals. I let my dark brown hair run half way down my back. “Yeah, Brooke made me buy it the other day.”