Chapter Text
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Different tones of language chattered over music, glasses filled with alcoholic drinks clanked. Bodies grazed against each other as if they belonged. Men who favoured cat-calls. The single who had the premeditation of going home with the married. All of the things one would not be fond of and yet…Here you are. Out over the din, a breathy, sweet rasped voice carried, singing more for herself than any intended or accidental audience.
"You say let it breathe
But this pain in my heart can't let it be
We both can't agree
Tell me what is the point of-"
The people looked upon a woman who wildly careened; She threw her hands above her braided hair and reached out towards the small crowd of people, then she whipped her head back as the tempo picked up.
"Can we talk about us
Like we care about us?
Can we talk about love
Like we care about love?"
She pulled her hand back in and placed it on her chest as she pranced across the small stage in her platform wedges laced with beige cork that complimented the pelican tattoo as it wrapped itself around her calf.
"Give me a reason to love you
Give me a reason to be-
I'm so tired of playing
Playing with this bow and arrow, gonna give my heart away
Leave it to the other girls to play
You know, I know
You knowww"
Euphoria that spreads like wildfire, sweat that drips down the valley of her ceylon coloured chest under the black tank-top she wore. Her hair everywhere. In that moment everything became too loud. Too bright. Her hips rocked to the rhythm, the band behind her conceived as the colourful fringes on her skirt swung. The feeling of heat on her skin turned to chills, as the moment of a lustful atmosphere seemed to calm. She opened her brown eyes, which reflected the shine coming from the lights above, looking at the audience that gave praise though applause.
She smiled as she ran her fingers through her braids. "Thank you, Thank you!", swaying away from the big crowd to the bar.
Her manager, Ben, locked eyes with her. Used to it she continued her way around the bar, back to work. It was after her "little" performance, she couldn't help but feel it would get her in trouble, and sure enough.
The morning after seemed to bring her to the reality of her problems. She'd planned to check in at the bar to fix her schedule despite the nauseating hangover she had, except there was one problem. She couldn't. Instead she was nudged. No. More like shoved out the bar by her manager. Ben shouted, swearing as he spoke. It was too noisy and too smelly. She didn't have time as she would consider, to hear whatever it was he had to say, which seemed pretty important but not to her at that moment. She tried to clear her head and focus on what he was saying. She turned to Ben to get a grasp on through eye contact.
"Huh" She narrowed her eyes
Ben sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose
"I can't do this, you can't work here anymore." A shake of his head.
Her stomach dropped, heart rate picking up,"ohhhh come on Ben, you kn-"
"Yeah, yeah I know, you need this job” Hylan.” He made air quotes.
“Which is why you can't stay, goddamit. That’s final. You need to find somewhere else to work" Ben grabbed her, "Get off of this property, haul ass now!"
He looked at her for the last time before going back inside, leaving Hylan to stare at the dirty building of Frankie's Rust and Rye. The building seemed to always attract people who were just looking for good music and a good time. Forcing a shrug, even as she felt her chest go tight and heavy. She put both middle fingers in the air, then fixed the bag on her shoulder walking away.
When Hylan arrived home, she shrugged off her jacket and put it on the coat rack, placing her shoes near the door. The bottom of her feet made friction with the top of the caribbean themed rug she had in the middle of the floor. On top was a small coffee table with a computer, behind the table a medium sized couch draped in a navy blue blanket. Her bag that previously accompanied her shoulder sat on the floor near the tethered beige fabric. She sat on the couch and opened the computer, searching for jobs online. She applied for two jobs, one at a 5-Star Michelin restaurant and the second a bar that had just recently opened. Afterwards, Hylan closed the laptop and got undressed, heading to the bathroom.
The shower knob being turned, the patter of the water hitting the curtain rang throughout the small space. Her smooth uncalloused feet being placed in the bathtub, she grabbed her washcloth lathering it with a body-wash that smelled floral in gardenia. The suds of the soap running down her wet skin as she washed the day sweat off. Finished, Hylan turned the water off and headed to her room, slipping on an oversized white-tee, switching the lights off and heading to bed.
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