violentine lemons. 🍋

Your Drink

February was never a favorite for Clementine Marsh.  The insipid remarks in a hastily bought Valentine’s card wasn’t something she enjoyed.  The stores with people jostling each other as they grabbed for flowers and boxes of cheap chocolate made her roll her eyes.  Even the rare occasion when she had a date who made an effort wasn’t enough to make her smile very much anymore.  It just seemed that this time of year dragged by, and she did her best to slug through it as quickly and painlessly as possible.  The upside of the holiday though, was that her band was usually booked solid every weekend.  The extra cash flow was nothing to dismiss, and for that, at least, she was grateful.

             Tonight was no exception when she arrived at the bar, ready for her performance.  She put her all into her playing, relishing in the freedom that music provided.  Normally, when she starts singing, Clementine forgot everything around her.  All of the noise, the pain, and the responsibilities of everyday life simply melted away.  She had just executed a particularly difficult pataflafla when it happened.  She looked up and met the eyes of the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.  It was enough of a shock to the system that Clementine almost slipped in her singing—almost.

            The rest of her band didn’t seem to notice the slip and she continued on, finishing the set with a flourish.  Throughout the rest of the performance, Clementine found herself scanning the bar looking for the woman.  She was on the move, constantly in a new place among the crowd, but Clementine’s eyes always found her.  She seemed to be watching Clementine just as much as the singer was eyeing her.  It was a dance between them, one without words, only silent innuendo from across the room.

            After their final encore, the band dispersed to enjoy the rest of their evening before having to pack up and head home.  Clementine always wanted to get her band's set safely tucked away before heading for a drink though, so she started to work on disassembling her precious instrument.  After laboring for almost forty-five minutes, she wasn’t confident that the woman would still be around, but she decided to take her chances and headed back into the bar.

            She slid up to the counter and offered a smile to the bartender.  They knew each other on sight, but not enough to really say they were friends.  The young man made up a whiskey sour and handed it over to Clementine without a word.  Her band played this establishment with enough regularity that most of the employees knew her usual order.  She reached into her back pocket to pull out some cash when someone slapped down a card in front of her.  Clementine looked up and met the eyes of the woman she had been watching all night.  “Allow me,” the blonde said.

            The breath was knocked out of her lungs as Clementine took in the slim build and bright green eyes giving her an assessing glance.  After a moment of simply blinking, she managed to say, “Thanks.”

            The bartender took the woman’s card and ran it, handing it back a moment later.  Neither of them had taken their eyes off of the other’s face during the wait.  “I’m Violet,” that husky voice almost purred.

            “Clementine,” she replied, looking slightly upwards.  The beautiful Violet was only a few inches taller than her, but she was in lethal looking heels and Clementine felt almost small.

            “I know,” Violet told her.  “I asked around whilst you were playing.  Very impressive.  You have a mesmerizing… voice.  So enticing.”

            “Comes with the job,” Clementine said, not sure how to respond to the blatant flirting from such a stunning creature.

            “I’ve always been fascinated by artists in all forms,” Violet was saying.  “Music is all the more priceless due to the fact that when it’s played live, it’s fleeting and temporary.  There’s no way to get that perfect moment back again.”