Eros (4 page)

Skye smoothed down her black skirt and gave herself one final glance in the mirror.
She’d already deposited the full tray of cupcakes on the table in the staffroom, managing to transport them all the way to Nemesis without any of them getting too crushed or lopsided.
She was feeling good about this evening.
Joy and Emma had played her numerous songs from Orpheus’s last album and then Chrissie, her other flatmate, had wandered in to join them.
Before long they were sitting in the kitchen using all manner of utensils as makeshift microphones and singing off-key at the top of their voices – until their next-door neighbour had started banging on the wall and shouting at them to shut up.

Despite not having heard of the band until a few hours ago, Skye hoped she’d be able to catch them singing at least one song during her break.
Then she’d still have time to hop into the staffroom and enact her cupcake plan to be more sociable with her co-workers.
She even felt good about her promise to the girls to try and flirt with a mysterious stranger.
Things were definitely looking up.

She headed out, ready for the ambient beat of the chill-out room, when she realised Helios, the club’s owner, was coming towards her.

‘You!’ he said, jabbing a finger in her direction.
‘You’re that new girl, right?’

Skye nodded, her tongue suddenly cleaving to the roof of her mouth.

‘You’re going to be in the Rock Room tonight.
It’s all hands on deck with Orpheus in attendance.
I’ve got a lot of special guests coming in and I want to make sure they’re all happy.
You got me?’

She nodded again, feeling her cheeks heat up for what seemed to be no reason at all.
Damn her inborn shyness.

Helios stared at her.
‘Well, what are you waiting for?’ He shooed her off.
‘Go!’

Skye squeaked out something which might have been a ‘yes, sir’ if it had been audible and scooted off in the opposite direction.
Clouds of nervous butterflies flew around her stomach.
It would be beyond busy and crowded in the Rock Room.
She hoped the crush of people wouldn’t start making her feel claustrophobic, although at least as a waitress she’d be in the slightly more spacious VIP area.

Nervously, she opened the door to the bar of the Rock Room.
The other members of staff were already busy setting up for the night.
Spotting who she presumed was the head barman, she squared her shoulders and walked over.
It was okay.
She could do this.

She cleared her throat and he turned round.
He glared at her. ‘What?’ he barked.

Trying not to let his unfriendly attitude faze her, Skye smiled and stuck out her hand.
‘Hi.
I don’t think we’ve met before.
I’ve been working in the Chill-out Room but Helios told me to come here tonight.’

The barman’s eyes travelled down her body and up again, making her feel rather grubby.
He jerked his head up to the gallery area, the only place where tables and chairs were set up.

‘You’ll be up there.
Tables six to fifteen.
Treat them well and don’t get in my way.’

He turned and walked off.

‘I’ve made cupcakes,’ she whispered after his back.
‘They’re in the staffroom.
Please help yourself.’

‘Hey!’
Emma bounced up.
‘What are you doing here?’

Skye explained and her friend beamed back. ‘Brill!
We’ll have so much fun! Joy’s over the moon too because she’s backstage in the Green Room so she’ll definitely get to meet the band.’

Skye grinned.
‘Lucky her!’
She looked up and realised the barman had turned back and was glowering at her from under his bushy eyebrows.
‘I’d better go and make sure the tables are set up,’ she said hastily.

‘See ya!’

Skye weaved her way up to the gallery, leaving Emma behind.
She straightened a few napkins and made sure all the tables were spotlessly clean.
She might not have bothered; everything was already ready.
She checked for errant pieces of rubbish on the floor or chewing gum stuck under the tables.
She might be nervous about having been moved out of the relative comfort of the Chill-out Room, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t determined to do the very best job she could.

Soon the first customers began trickling in and, although the VIPs in Skye’s section didn’t start showing up until just before Orpheus started their set, she busied herself making sure everyone was comfortable and happy.
There was a definite buzz in the air and a thrill of electricity in the atmosphere that Skye found contagious.
She bounced from table to table, taking orders and ensuring no-one was left without a drink or nibbles.
She even managed a little bit of banter, joking with a group of well-heeled girls about the fact that Oz, the lead singer of Orpheus, was apparently still single.

Despite the fact her feet were beginning to hurt, it occurred to Skye that she was genuinely enjoying herself.
This was better than sitting curled up on the sofa watching soap operas and reality television.
John Keats had once said, ‘Oh for a life of Sensations rather than Thoughts,’ and, for once, Skye realised she might actually understand what he meant.

She’d only just delivered a tray of fizzing cocktails to one table when she noticed that Helios had suddenly appeared and was hovering around the entrance to the gallery.
He was fidgeting with a large ring which sat, squat and heavy, on one of his fingers.
Startled at the thought that the brash club owner might actually be nervous, she sidled over to get a better view of what was going on.

A large group of newcomers was just entering the room.
Every single one of them was dressed to the nines.
Skye gawked at them.
So this was what the other half actually looked like, she thought, suddenly realising how cheap and ill-fitting her clothes were in comparison.
She watched as Helios wiped his hands on his clothes then strode forward to greet them. A large man emerged from the throng, clearly the alpha male of the group.
He was just a fraction taller than the others, with hair which looked like spun gold even in the darkened club.
He held himself with a poise and confidence that screamed of a life of privilege, making Skye wonder whether he was some kind of celebrity.

There were a few gasps and some stifled giggles behind her.
Skye half turned and registered that the group of girls she’d been bantering with were staring open-mouthed in the man’s direction.
She grinned to herself.
It appeared that the band weren’t going to be the only thing providing this evening’s entertainment.

One of the women beckoned her over. ‘Who is that?’ she shouted over the music to Skye.

Skye shrugged, ‘I don’t know.’
Clearly, whoever he was, he wasn’t a particularly famous celebrity after all.

‘He’s so hot,’ one of them shrieked.
‘And he’s heading over in this direction.
Oh my God!’

‘Can you find out his name?’ the first girl asked.

Skye bobbed her head.
Anything to keep the customers happy.
Holding her tray by her side so as not to bang into anyone, she walked over to the stairs, then stood to the side as the man and the rest of his friends came up with Helios next to them.

‘I’m so pleased you made it, Apollo,’ Helios was saying.
‘It’s a real honour to have you here.’

Skye noted something of a curl to the guest’s lip.
‘Well, I hope you have the best table picked out for us.
After all, we don’t want to be bothered by the riff-raff.’

As if feeling Skye watching him, his cool blue eyes suddenly flicked over her then slid away in abrupt dismissal.
She could feel her cheeks reddening in response.
He might look like he could give Michelangelo’s David a run for his money in terms of sex appeal, she thought, but he was clearly a prick in real life.
Somehow it made her feel a bit better about herself.
She straightened up and, once the group had passed, returned to the group of still-staring girls.

‘His name’s Apollo,’ she told them.

‘Ooooh, Apollo!’ The shrieker smiled broadly. ‘Do you think he’s Italian?’

‘Too blond,’ said her friend dismissively, eyeing him up as he settled down in a corner of the gallery.

Noting that the customers at a nearby table had almost emptied their bottle of champagne, Skye left the gaggle of women to it.
From what she’d seen of this Apollo’s character, she rather hoped that none of them decided to get a bit closer to him.
At least they’d be distracted when the band came on.

Busying herself with making sure all her tables had their glasses topped up, Skye forgot about Apollo. There was a single man leaning against the balustrade and staring fixedly down into the crowd.
She was tempted to check whether he was allowed to be in the VIP area, but decided against it when she realised he looked abjectly miserable.
It was the bouncers’ job to worry about trespassers, Skye figured.

The man was wearing a poorly-fitting wig.
She felt a wave of sympathy towards him.
He was probably trying to disguise a bald spot or something.
She asked him if he wanted a drink and he just shook his head, before suddenly grunting as if in pain.
Weird.
Skye decided to leave him to it.

It wasn’t long before it became apparent that Orpheus were about to come on stage.
There was a lot of movement on the darkened dais at the front of the Rock Room and then, abruptly, the entire club was plunged into darkness.
Skye had just collected another tray of drinks from the bar and struggled to keep her balance as the crowd of people surged forward, eager to get close to their heroes.
She was jostled and jabbed from various angles, and had to push her way through to get back up to the gallery just as the stage was flooded with multi-coloured lights and the strum of a bass guitar sounded.

Skye quickly delivered the drinks and moved to the side to watch the band as they plunged into their first song.
It was one that Emma and Joy had played for her earlier that day – and one which the patrons of Nemesis clearly knew well, as they all immediately began singing along to the chorus.
Oz, the lead singer, cupped the microphone with his hands, flexing his tattooed arms with their well-defined muscles as he lifted up the whole stand.

Emma joined her.
‘Aaaaaah!’ she shouted.
‘Aren’t they amazing?’

Skye grinned at her friend, nodding in agreement and watching the audience as they jumped up and down in time to the beat.
She could get used to this.
With the customers at her tables more concerned about watching Orpheus than drinking, she had time to enjoy the music properly herself.
She watched awestruck as Oz leapt around the stage, feeding on the crowd’s energy.
What must it be like, she wondered, to have so many pairs of eyes staring at you with such adulation?
Strobe lights flickered across the room and she could feel her heart beating in time to the music.
The heat was tremendous and, even from where she was standing, she could see the sweat slick on Oz’s skin.
He used the corner of his pristine white wife-beater to wipe his brow, displaying a rippling tanned stomach as he did so.

‘Off! Off!
Off!’ the audience began to chant.

He grinned at them and made a show of lifting his shirt further to reveal more of his body. ‘Is this what you want?’ he yelled into the microphone.

There was a roar of approval.
The singer let go of the microphone and began to pull the top over his head, just as Skye’s view was blocked by someone passing in front of her.
The rather supercilious Apollo, she noted, heading off for the restroom.

Emma nudged her.
‘Wow, did you see that guy?’

Skye rolled her eyes and leaned over.
‘Yeah, he’s a bit of a wanker, though.’

‘Language!’ Emma admonished in mock horror.
‘Although,’ she paused, ‘if you don’t like him, he should be the one you practise your lines with.
It won’t bother you if you get the brush-off then.’

Skye swallowed.
It had been too much to hope that her friend had forgotten about her promise to find someone to flirt outrageously with.
Emma was probably right, however.
She didn’t want to get to know the arrogant Apollo, so it wouldn’t matter when he ignored her and her skin turned flame-red. And at least it was dark.

Sounding much braver than she felt, she heard herself answer, ‘Alright, then.’

Emma punched her arm and beamed.
‘You can do it, girl!
I’d better go check on my tables but I want to hear all the gory details later.’