The Duet

by D'Angelo, Jennifer

  But when she sighed and stood up to dump her tea in the sink, he knew he hadn’t quite accomplished that.

  He sat there for a few minutes, his head in his hands, an inner battle inside. Did he run or did he stay and attempt to trip over the words that had been dying to come out of his mouth for a very long time? Finally, he stood up slowly. Izzy was standing at the sink, looking at him, a look both wary and full of expectation. That glimmer of hope in her eye was what did him in. He knew he would disappoint her – no matter what he did, and no matter what he said. So better to let her down right now than years down the road when he didn’t live up to all that she deserved.

  He calmly pushed his chair back under the table, and then he did what he always did. He ran.

  21

  I died my hair jet black. To match my mood. And also to hide from a world that had gone completely crazy over a silly little duet performed at a seedy little club in Kingston.

  I moved in with the O’Donnell’s. There was no way in hell I could stay in the apartment with Jay after I poured out my stupid heart to him and he rejected me. Again.

  Besides, it was quieter there. Nobody was camped out in front of their house waiting for the perfect photo. And Mr. and Mrs. O’Donnell were out most of the day and were good company when they were home.

  I told Darden I wasn’t opening for the UnAmused anymore. When things died down I told Cooper I may do a song or two – with him – but that I never wanted to sing “Don’t” again. I informed both Darden and Cooper that if they brought it up one more time, I would kick them both in the nuts so hard, they would see stars for weeks.

  They took my threat seriously.

  I stayed out of Kingston in relative solitude for more than a week. But reality set in and I needed to find a job. I had left the outlet store a couple of weeks ago, and now without Darden’s, I had zero money coming in.

  I picked a night when I knew the band was off, and drove to Darden’s, getting there just as they opened. I walked right in the front door without any hassle. There were a few reporters hanging out by the back employee entrance, but they weren’t even on high alert since it was an off night.

  “Izzy!” Kate yelled from across the whole place. There weren’t that many patrons yet, so no one noticed.

  I sat at the bar and waited for Kate to finish up with the customer at the other end before coming over to talk to me.

  “Where’ve you been?” Kate said, giving me an air kiss and a pat on the hand over the bar. “It’s been nuts around here. Darden tripled the cover charge and had to hire an off-duty police officer and two more security to keep everybody calm. We packed in over four hundred this weekend – both nights. I’m pretty sure that’s illegal.”

  I nodded, and swallowed hard. I wasn’t so sure this was a good idea.

  “Want a drink?” Kate asked, moving toward a customer to my left and taking his order. I shook my head.

  I waited until she came back. “Kate, I need a job.”

  “Oh, that’s awesome! You’re gonna play again? I missed you last week – everybody did.”

  “No. No singing. Could you still use someone behind the bar?”

  Kate ducked under the service area and came around to hug me. “Oh my God, girl! You have no idea. You should have seen me and Carl trying to keep up on Saturday. It got so bad, Darden even stepped back here for about an hour; and he never helps out.”

  “I help out all the time, Kate. No one appreciates me around here.” Darden stepped out of his office, where he spent most of his time surfing the internet, and stopped short when he looked at me. “Izzy? Shit, I didn’t even recognize you. Did you come back to…” I gave him a pointed look in the crotch and he stopped talking.

  “I was thinking more along the lines of tending bar, if you could use the help.”

  “You ever tend bar before?”

  “No, but I’m a quick learner.” How hard could it be, right? “And I’m sure Kate is a great teacher. I can start this weekend, if you want.”

  Darden stared at me for a little longer than was necessary. And it wasn’t my face he was focused on. I was just about to give up and walk away, when he said, “No, this weekend will be too crazy to break you in. Can you start right now? Learn the ropes a little while it’s quiet?”

  I nodded and Kate clapped her hands together. I followed her behind the bar and we got started.

  Over the next two hours, I learned a lot. Most importantly, I learned that I was the worst bartender in the history of bartending, and I learned that Kate was quite possibly the most patient individual on the planet.

  “Sex on the Beach and a rum and Coke,” someone yelled from my side of the bar. The crowd had picked up and I was on my own, trying to ease some of Kate’s burden.

  “What’s in a sex on the beach?” I asked, proud of myself that I at least knew it was a drink she was referring to and not a proposition. I had completely embarrassed myself earlier when I smacked a guy who’d tried to order a Screaming Orgasm.

  The customer, who looked like she might have had a little too much sex on the beach, if you know what I’m saying, rolled her eyes and spat back. “Jesus, are you new or something?”

  I was about to make a scathing comeback, when I felt Kate’s hand on my back. “I got this,” she said near my ear. “Pull me two Coors Lights for that guy over there, and take his money.”

  I handled that transaction smoothly, and moved down to the next customer. I breathed a sigh of relief when they also ordered beers; that I could handle. Only they ordered four different beers and once I poured them, I had no idea which was which.

  “Is this the Heineken?” a snooty girl asked, her balance unsteady on the ridiculous shoes she was wearing.

  “No honey,” I said patronizingly. “That’s Coors. This one’s the Heiney, and this is the Michelob Ultra, and that one is the Bud.” Honestly, could they have picked four less creative beers to drink? And they would never know the difference anyway; clearly they had started their party long before the club opened.

  I watched the little prima donna hobble away, and marveled at how she managed to make two trips across the bar without spilling a drop. Her friends – all guys, by the way - stood off to the side, not bothering to help. Who said chivalry was dead?

  “Yo girl!” Came a voice just to my right. I dragged my eyes away from the beers of America party, and focused on the gold chain, pinky ring wearing guy leaning far too close to the votive candle on the bar. He snapped his fingers in my direction. Yes, you heard me correctly – he snapped his fingers.

  “Yeah,” I said gruffly like I was so busy he was just lucky to have my attention for these thirty seconds. I’d seen Kate do this a million times when the club was rocking, and she pulled it off with grace and just the right amount of aloofness to keep the patrons in check.

  “Is that Jay guy and the hot red-head gonna sing tonight?”

  I looked him square in the eye. No recognition, whatsoever. Okay, that was what I wanted, was to be anonymous; but honestly, I was a little stung that he knew Jay’s name, but only referred to me as the red-head, and how could he look right at me and not see I was the girl in that video? I shook it off. This was a good thing. If idiots like this guy figured out who I was, I would never have a moment’s peace.

  “It’s a Tuesday. What do you think?” I said dismissively, then moved on to the next customer.

  “Yo girl!” I heard again, not two minutes later. I narrowed my eyes, but the gesture was completely lost on this guy. “When will they be here?”

  “Who?” I yelled, not bothering to move any closer.

  Someone else flagged me down – not by snapping, mind you – and I happily moved to help them instead of finishing the riveting conversation with used car salesman/Al Pacino wanna be.

  “I’ll take a Lemon Martini!” “Get me a Bay Breeze!” “Two Buds and a gin and tonic, please.”

  I filled the drinks I knew, and may have guessed a little on the one’s I was fuzzy on. No
one complained, so I was either nailing the recipes, or they were too wasted to know the difference. I was really getting my groove on. I hadn’t been hollered at in at least twenty minutes.

  But then I heard that god forsaken snapping again.

  I whirled around. “Look buddy, do you want to order a drink or what?”

  Tall, freckly and obnoxious leaned back and held his hands out in front of him. “Yo, girl, don’t get your panties in a wad. I was just asking about the entertainment.”

  That did it. In two strides, I was over to him. I squirted him in the eye with the soda gun, then leaned in real close. “Listen to me closely, ‘cuz I’m only gonna say this one time. If you say ‘yo girl’ or snap to get my attention again, you will be wearing your ears as seat cushions. Now either pay for a drink or get away from my bar.”

  I chuckled as he walked away, tail between his legs, wiping off his face with his bejeweled hand. But my mirth was short lived when I turned to see Kate staring at me, her arms folded across her chest.

  Not again. I honestly didn’t know if my self-esteem could take another hit. Being fired from Darden’s was the absolute final straw. I should just curl up into a ball and die.

  “Sorry, Kate,” I mumbled. I just hoped she didn’t get into trouble with Darden because I’d messed up. “That guy was pushing my buttons. I should have handled it better.”

  Kate started to laugh. I raised my eyes to look at her, and she was clutching her stomach. “Ears for seat cushions! I love that one!”

  I gaped at her. “You’re not firing me?”

  “Firing you? Are you crazy, girl? I would give you a raise if it were up to me. You’re a natural behind the bar.”

  “But I don’t know any of the drinks, and I’m so slow, the customers will die of thirst before I serve them.” Someone had actually said that to me when I was trying to measure a jigger of absinthe with ultimate precision.

  “Anyone can memorize the drinks, and you’ll get faster when you’re comfortable. But working the crowd like you did – that’s not something you can learn.”

  “I sprayed a guy with ginger ale.”

  “And he deserved it. He wasn’t even a paying customer, just one of those scumbags trying to get a picture of you and Jay for his rag magazine. We can’t have trash like him clogging up the bar. Darden would have applauded if he saw you.”

  “So I can stay?” Already I was feeling lighter. Maybe I had found my niche after all.

  22

  I had thought I would have at least another day or two to get my head together before I had to see Jay. But when I looked up from my spot behind the bar the next night and saw him slide into his seat at the band’s usual table, I wasn’t sure if a day or two would have helped. My traitorous heart dropped hard into my shoes while I watched the busty blonde who usually hung out with Trisha, slither onto his lap.

  My decision to stay with the O’Donnell’s a bit longer was making more and more sense.

  “What are they doing here?” I hissed, not really expecting anyone to hear, let alone answer.

  Kate materialized next to me. She looked over to where I was staring, then back at me with a knowing look. “Ah, Darden has come up with a brilliant marketing strategy to boost mid-week business. He has the UnAmused playing on random, unadvertised nights for a few songs. That way, word will get around and everyone will want to come out just in case they make a special appearance on an off night.” She busied herself washing beer mugs. “At first I thought it was stupid, but it might just work.”

  I grunted, tearing my eyes away from the happy couple and trying to focus on my work. The place was slow tonight, but unless it was my imagination, there was a noticeable hum in the air since Jay had walked in.

  “Izzy!” Cooper came up from behind me and lifted me up in a fierce hug. He helped himself to a beer and sipped it around a giant grin. From the looks of him, the last thing he needed was more beer.

  “If Darden catches you back here, you’re toast, Cooper.” Kate set down the case she was carrying and began emptying the bottles of Corona into the beer fridge.

  “Yeah, yeah. I’m going.” Cooper took a long pull of his beer, topped it off, then walked around to the other side, taking a stool right in front of me. “Izzy, when are you coming home? You can’t hide out at my folks’ house forever.”

  I tried to think of what to say, but before I got a chance to answer, Cooper kept going. “Hey, did you see the article? You’re on the cover page of the Sunday entertainment section. The YouTube video jumped another eight hundred thousand hits after that shit hit.”

  “What article?” I saw Cooper’s eyes dart to Kate, and watched while they exchanged a look I couldn’t discern. I think I even noticed Kate shake her head once.

  “I have a copy of it right here,” Trisha flounced up to the bar and took the seat next to Cooper, giving him a sloppy kiss for all the world to see. Ick.

  I looked down and gasped when I saw my name in the headline, “Where’s Izzy?” Beside it was a photo of me as I fled the club the night of the duet. My face was a mask of shock. They had caught me in my most vulnerable moment without me being aware, and had plastered my image all over the county. The photo was grainy – no wonder no one recognized me with my new hair color – but there was no mistaking the shell-shocked look on my face.

  In the wake of the local phenomenon in the form of the duet gone viral, Kingston can’t help but wonder, where in the hell has Izzy gone?

  The powerful duet, “Don’t”, sung by Jay Archer, brooding guitarist of the local favorite, The UnAmused, and Izzy Delaney, a relative unknown who has recently garnered interest as the opening act at Darden’s Club in downtown Kingston, was recorded at the Club last weekend. It instantly jumped to over a million hits in just forty-eight hours on YouTube, making fans speculate on the relationship between these two talented artists.

  But Jay Archer has been elusive, and Izzy Delaney has not been seen since the night of the recording.

  Is there trouble brewing in paradise?

  Stay tuned to find out.

  I tossed the paper back onto the bar. This just kept getting better and better. Now I had been painted as a lovesick teenager. Terrific. Could I look any more pathetic?

  “It’s great, right?” Cooper was so enthusiastic it was hard to be mad at him. But I didn’t ask for this.

  Something caught my eye across the room. I looked up to see Jay and big boobs locked in a very passionate embrace. Her legs were now wrapped around him, and his hand had disappeared under her shirt. I flared my nostrils and bit my bottom lip, choosing to show disgust rather than any kind of real emotion like anger and hurt. I didn’t quite pull it off though. I caught Trisha watching me, and saw a triumphant look cross her face. She was enjoying my turmoil. What the hell? What did I ever do to her?

  I smiled at her sweetly and turned my attention back to Cooper. “Listen. The black hair seems to be working for me, so if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to remain anonymous for as long as possible, okay?”

  Cooper made no indication that he heard me. Instead he blinked a few times as if he’d just noticed I was behind the bar. “You work here?” he asked.

  I fought back a frustrated groan. “Cooper, did you hear what I said? Don’t tell anyone I’m here, and don’t do anything stupid like announce me from the stage.”

  I took his chin in my thumb and forefinger, and forced him to look at me. “Got it, Coop?”

  He nodded, shaking his face loose from my fingers. His mother did that all the time and he hated it. But it always worked. “Yep, I got it. Izzy’s not here. I have no idea where she is, but did you get a load of that dark-haired beauty behind the bar? She’s hot!”

  I smacked him over the head playfully and smiled. Then, because Trisha was watching me like I was going to steal Cooper right out from under her, and also because I could be mean and spiteful when the moment called for it, I leaned across the bar and gave Cooper a big loud kiss on the mouth. I refilled his beer,
warning him not to ask for any more freebies, and watched as he was dragged back to the table by a very unraveled Trisha.

  I served a couple of customers, all the while keeping one eye on that corner booth. I couldn’t help it; it was like passing a car accident or a drug bust on the side of the road. It was impossible not to stare, even though I knew it would make me sick to my stomach. Jay and his little friend were still groping each other. But when Cooper leaned down to say something to Jay, I felt, rather than saw, his eyes on me. He froze up, but only for a moment. I actually tricked my mind into thinking he might push that tramp off his lap and come striding over to sweep me off my feet.

  But of course he did no such thing.

  The lights dimmed a little, and Darden appeared on the stage. “Ladies and gentlemen. Or should I say tramps and trolls…” I rolled my eyes as Darden laughed at his own joke. He said that one almost every night, and I still don’t know why in the world he thought it was the least bit funny.

  “Tonight, in honor of hump day, and for no other reason than we appreciate you spending the middle of the long work week with us, we have a special treat for you all.” The smallish crowd hummed with anticipation. “Put your hands together and welcome a little band I’m sure you’ve come to know and love, especially of late… Guys, I’m pleased to introduce… The UnAmused!”

  The noise level was definitely not proportionate to the size of the crowd. I thought the roof was going to fall in from the vibrations of the stomping feet and the screaming girls and whistling guys. I looked over at Kate, and she just shrugged. There was no one waiting at the bar for a drink other than a few stragglers here and there, so I was free to watch the show. The band came out strong with some Nine Inch Nails, and as few others could do, they smoothly transitioned back several decades with a Fleetwood Mac favorite. They unplugged for an acoustic version of Billie Jean, then introduced a new original that I recognized as one of Jay’s.

  My heart twisted as I listened to the never before performed song. This one wasn’t nearly as intense as “Don’t”, but the words packed a powerful punch all the same. I watched Jay, but he never once looked my way, didn’t make any indication that he even knew I was in the building. It stung, but I was done holding a candle for this guy who clearly didn’t feel the same about me.