karaoke ➸ janthony

one

THE sky, freckled with dozens of bright, glistening stars, shone above the heads of the three girls. Heels clicking on the concrete sidewalk, they walked swiftly towards the bar, hoping to avoid the cold once inside.

Jasmine followed her two friends into the bar, almost relishing the stuffy air inside, for the cold December air outside was relentless, providing no comfort for her bare arms. The trio headed for a table in the corner, and fell down onto the plush, scarlet seats.

"Drinks?" Renée was quick to the chase, and the cheeky grin on her lips suggested the alcohol was obligatory.

"Obviously!" Phillipa raised an eyebrow, the laugh that accompanied her voice drowned out by the loud music bouncing around the bar.

"I'll get 'em. Same as usual?" Jasmine stood, sliding out past the table to look around for the bar.

After a positive response from the two, she directed herself towards the bar, which wasn't too busy considering the crowd that filler the vicinity. The lighting was better there, and brighter, compared the rest of the room, which was dark, yet vibrant, luminous lights flashing against every wall without hesitation.

"Three vodka and cokes, please."

Without another word, the bartender turned his back on her, grabbing three glasses with ease. Jasmine sat on a stool as she waited to be served, looking around out of interest. She hadn't visited the pub is question before, and she felt some snooping around was required. In fact, the only reason they were here was because of the karaoke night being hosted there. It had been a while, but the girls were desperate to sing together again, and this seemed an ideal opportunity.

Across the room, Jasmine's eyes latched onto a group of guys that surrounded a large table. They were loud, deep laughs echoing off the walls and carrying across the room. She was instantly drawn to one of the men in particular however, perhaps the youngest there, who sat front facing her. Before he could notice her, she turned her head back to the bar, where the barman was tending to another customer.

Furrowing her brows, she sat patiently with nothing to do but wait. She found herself fidgeting, drumming her fingers against the wood of the counter, and humming along aimlessly to the steady pace of the music playing in the background. However, a tap on her shoulder startled her, and she span around to face the same man she'd caught eyes on barely a minute prior.

"So what's a lovely lady like yourself doing alone here, hm? Need some company?"

Jasmine could tell instantly from just his voice that he was overconfident, and she was having absolutely none of it. The smirk sewed to his lips suggested he was often lucky with girls, and he waited, leaning casually against the bar, for a reply.

"I'm not alone, actually. It'd be pretty weird if I was," She looked back up at him. It was undeniable that he was gorgeous, and his eyes, the colour of a stormy ocean, made her fear she would drown under the pressure.

It was then the bartender turned up, three glasses in hand, almost full the brim with the requested alcohol beverages. He placed them carefully on a tray, so the liquid would not spill over the sides, before pushing it in her direction.

"$10.98." The low voice from behind the counter barked, clearly desperate to skip the pleasantries.

It seemed Anthony was striking out in an attempt to impress her, because before she knew it, his hand had swept across the table and pressed the money into the man's palm.  The bartender was gone before she could even protest, shuffling across the floor to the next set of customers.