Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
She walked into the bar like any other night, it was a routine for her now as she walked passed the tables and ducked under the bar door. She put on a cute apron to keep her jeans clean as she began serving the drinks. Yet it seems everyone’s eyes were fixated on a gorgeous young guy with dimples.
The room was barely lit, at the request of the star singer of course. Matthew Fong was a lounge singer, he claimed that he’s been singing since he could remember, probably in his mom’s womb. Samantha shook her head as she watched him work the stage, he was such a character. The two met when he came in 3 years before to audition for the opening number. Needless to say with his talent, he was hired on the spot by Ethan, the owner. They quickly hit it off and soon he became her very beset friends.
Matty, well, that’s what he preferred to be called was a great entertainer. Especially at the ‘Opposite’ Bar, the name of the place was what caught her attention. Samantha turned to the stage just like everyone in the bar did when Matty hit a high note. Applauds and whistles rang through the room like a wave “Show off…” she muttered with a smile.
After the performance was done, Matty bounced his way over to Samantha with a grin so wide, his dimples sunk into his cheek “So, how was I, Sammie?”
She laughed “Are you just digging for compliments?”
He took a seat on one of the stools in front of her, crossed his legs and was about to lean his elbow on the counter when he pointed to it with his finger “Is that clean?”
Sammie shook her head “No, that guy over there just peed all over it.”
“Oh! That’s disgusting!” he blurted out with absolute revulsion “Are you sure you’re a girl? How could someone so adorably cute, like myself…” he paused to give her a sweet smile while touching his mid upper chest with his hand “be so…eh…what’s the word I’m looking for?” he snapped his finger while locating the correct word.
“Unclassy?” Sammie helped while she cleaned the glass cups.
Matty raised a perfectly plucked brow and tilted his head “No…that’s not even a word!” He leaned his elbow on his knee as he tapped his chin with the right forefinger “Not feminine.” He concluded with a proud smile that he thought of the word.
She laughed hysterically at his answer making Matty gawk at her with his hands on his hips. She shook her head and eventually cooled down her laughs “Sorry, but you would think 4 years in college with an Linguistics Major, a person would come up with a better word than “not feminine”…you could have said disgusting or repulsive or… my favorite word yucky.”
Matty shook his neck back and forth “Whatever!” He let out a sigh and began twisting in his chair “So…I was saying. How did I sound? You haven’t complimented me yet.” Sammie smile as her eyes moved behind him, suddenly her lips curled downwards “Hello!! Are you listening to me?” he whined “Earth to Sammie!” he waved a hand in front of her face yet she didn’t seem bothered by it.
“I think that’s my friend from junior high…” Sammie’s smile reappeared when Ethan, the owner of the bar walked up with a young girl beside him.
“And this is Samantha, also known as-” Ethan was cut off by the girl next to him.
“Sammie…” Lauren nodded her head with a smile “How the heck have you been?!”
Sammie crawled out of the bar door as the girls hugged like long lost sisters. They giggled and squealed like children with Matty getting up as he began jumping up and down while clapping his hands at the same time “This is so great!!” he said excitedly.
Lauren and Sammie slowly broke apart as they turned to him with a questioning look “Lauren, this is-”
Sammie didn’t get a chance to introduce them when Lauren turned to Ethan “What’s with the queer guy? I thought you said it was a respectable bar. I’m not working in no gay joint.”
Matty dropped his jaw in shock as he whipped his neck left and right “Oh no you didn’t girlfriend!” he was about to start something.
“Uh…hey, how about I show you to that part, you haven’t seen the stage yet…” Ethan began leading Lauren away.
Sammie smiled when Matty growled after the two “If she’s going to be the new manager…I’ll…I’ll…” he was fuming.
“You’ll what?” Sammie teased “Quit?” she shook her head “We both know you love the job, even when you were discovered by that scout you didn’t take the chance.”
“You knew about that?!” he asked in shock.
She nodded “Just because I’m the bartender doesn’t mean I don’t know anything about what goes on. Anyways…Ethan told me.” She returned to her station.
Matty shook his head in disbelief “Wha…what…wait a minute, Ethan told you? Why? It’s none of your business.” He said a matter of factly.
Sammie dropped her jaw “Well! You know who your real friends are huh?”
He rolled his eyes “Don’t pull that on me…I invented that!” he quickly put on a smile as he leaned into the bar counter “So…when did you two start dating?” he asked in a nosy manner.
“We’re not!!” Sammie retorted. She looked around at a few heads that turned their way and quickly lowered her voice “There’s nothing between me and Ethan.” She insisted.
Matty smiled wickedly “Not yet…”
“Oh come on! He’s just my boss…I don’t like him.” Sammie shook her head vehemently.
“Uh huh…tell it to the judge.” He glanced at his pink watch “This is really fun but my number is up.” He giggled at her “Sammie likes Ethan…Sammie likes Ethan…” he sang happily with Sammie blushing and glaring at him at the same time. Matty quickly stopped when Ethan and Lauren were a few steps away. He smiled at Ethan but whipped his head in the opposite direction when Lauren met his eyes “Hmph!” he snickered when they passed by.
“I suggest you give your new manager more respect than that.” Lauren said with a grin.
Matty turned slowly with a look of horror “No!!!” his voice screeched.
Ethan rung out his ears from the high pitched tone “Matty, I’ve made up my mind.” He said firmly.
Lauren crossed her arms with a winning smile “At first I wasn’t going to take the job when I learned that it was a queer lounge/bar. But I figure, it should be interesting to fix up. Make it look classier.” She looked around the place and pointed to certain places that she wanted to change.
“This place…is perfect...the way it is …I…” Matty covered his mouth while his voice quivered “I….I can’t do this.” He ran into the dressing room towards the right corner of the room, his arms swinging from side to side.
Lauren shivered at the sight as she turned to Ethan “See…smooth, just like I said.”
Sammie saw the whole thing as she waved her friend over. Lauren walked over with a confident stride “What was that all about?” she asked.
“Drama queen. He freaked out when I told him I wanted to make a few changes to the stage….” She stopped when Sammie began to shake her head.
“No…oh sweetie…why did you do that? He’s sensitive because when he was young a fortune teller told him that his parents would die due to his bad luck. And maybe it was by chance that they died when they were coming home one night while he was having a fever and the baby sitter called them home. They died from a car crash. Then when he got his life together, the same fortune teller told him that he will find a job he enjoyed and it would be his answer to happiness. But if anything changes…his bad luck will return and bestow upon everyone he loves.” Sammie let out a sigh but Lauren was stifling a laugh.
After a few seconds she could not hold in her laugh as she began cackling with Sammie narrowing her eyes at her friend “I’m sorry…but that is the biggest bull I have ever heard!!”
Sammie let out a sigh “Laugh all you want…but you will be missing out on a great talent. If he quits because you made a change to this bar…this will literally turn into a parking lot.”
“He’s not that good is he?” Lauren was doubting her.
But she didn’t have to guess long since Matty came on stage, still wiping the corner of his eyes “Sorry, everyone. I am in no mood to sing right now.” He heard a few whispers and boos from the crowd. One guy stood up and said if he wasn’t singing, then he’s going to go home. Matty soon was smiling when a few other people began to get up “Oh alright! If you guys insist, I’ll sing ONE song.” He pointed to the pianist “Maestro, hit it!” the beat was an upbeat with a bit of jazzy background.
Lauren raised her brows “Talk about mood swings. He’s worse than a girl on PMS.” She raised her hand and brightened her face “Look, I’m gay.” Then she dropped her face to a sad expression “Now, I’m a sad gay boy.”
Sammie laughed with her head shaking “You haven’t changed a bit…still the same queer hating girl.”
“You know you’re the only one that use me and the word ‘queer’ all in one sentence.” Lauren reminded.
“I know, that’s why I abuse it.” Sammie smiled as her eyes moved over to Matty who was putting on a full show “He’s good isn’t he?”
Lauren turned her head shortly and shrugged “He’s alright…” she nodded to the bar behind Sammie “Got anything to clear my headache?”
Sammie looked thoughtful for a second “Hmm…I’ve got something.” She took out three shot glasses and filled one up with specific liquor “Three Wise Men.” She smiled as she watched Lauren take all three shots “You definitely won’t remember anything tomorrow morning.”
Lauren let out a short yelp “Whew! Wow…why do they call it three wise men? Wait…let me guess…” she began to feel the buzz as she giggled “Uh…never mind. I can’t think right now.”
Sammie smiled “So, why do you have a headache?”
She shrugged “Boyfriend cheated on me with another girl…caught them in bed….he tried to talk himself out of it…you know, the usual.”
“Actually, I don’t know. I haven’t seen you in over 15 years.” Sammie pointed out.
Lauren furrowed her brows while her eyes dazed away “Oh…right…I forgot.” She turned to Sammie with a smile “You were always a good friend…what happened to us?”
“You moved to a different city.” Sammie said flatly “I was left with no one to fend for me. I hung out with the strange crowd and was constantly picked on.” She saw Lauren’s sympathetic face and quickly smiled with reassuring “It’s okay, I’m not bitter about it. See? I turned out fine. I’m a bartender that doesn’t drink and I work in a gay lounge/bar with a gay best friend who sings for a living. And a boss that won’t give me the time of day…yeah…it’s fine.” She ended it on a sarcastic note.
Lauren raised her brows “Wow…someone’s a little wound up.” She looked around and found Ethan watching Matty with admiration “So…you like Ethan?”
Sammie shrugged carelessly “I don’t know…maybe I’m just looking for someone to like.” She saw Lauren dazing away again “So, how did you meet Ethan?”
“Through a friend at the old restaurant I was running. I didn’t get along with the owner, man, he was a jerk…I can’t believe I slept with him!” she muttered making Sammie laugh “Anyways, it was too uncomfortable after we broke up so one of the waitress told me about this bar that was looking for a manager. She knew Ethan…probably one of his mistress.” She snorted “So I came in and he practically handed me the job.”
“I wonder why?” Sammie asked more to herself than to Lauren.
Lauren smiled wickedly “Maybe he wants more time to court his girlfriends?” she teased.
Sammie looked sick to her stomach “I knew I shouldn’t have told you…God, my life is going to be a living hell now.” She saw Lauren turning a bit red as it was harder for her to sit on the stool “What’s wrong?” she notice her friend struggling to sit on the stool.
“These things move…” Lauren stumbled but quickly caught herself “Man, that was a strong drink…” she giggled giddily.
Sammie laugh “You need a ride home?”
Lauren shook her head “I’ll just stay here for the night.”
Matty ended up singing another five songs making the crowd go wild as some guys came on stage to dance with him. It was a strange sight to see and surely it was not the first time Sammie’s seen it. But she couldn’t help but notice why Ethan was suddenly so intrigued with Matty. He was never before.