Mr Thompson's Pub and Cabaret
June 5th
Brendon found himself sitting in Rodger's office, still unclear of why, but Vera Beau was sitting next to him.
Ever since the previous night, they hadn't spoken a word to each other. She wouldn't even look in his direction.
Lady Ellen and Greggory stood in a corner, supervising their little meating as Rodger slowly studied their faces before talking. "Last night after watching both of your performances in the show, we have come to a conclusion to do something we haven't done in a long, long time."
The two young adults looked at him patiently, although both their hearts dropped in their chests, knowing exactly where this was going.
"You both have so much energy and potential to do something amazing for this cabaret. And with the attention you both attract, I think that it would be good for business if you two tried a duet."
The room fell silent as Rodger anxiously awaited their answer. The air was still, and it seemed like everyone held their breath. Almost hesitantly, Brendon glanced at Vera, but she kept her eyes fixated on the Rodger.
"We'll do it," was her only responce. Her voice was quick, as if she thought Brendon would decline before she had a chance to accept.
"Excellent." He dismissed them from the room and once they were out of earshot, Brendon turned to face Vera.
"What was that about?"
She rolled her eyes and stopped walking. "I'm not going to pass up a song just because I have to do it with you. A song is still a song." Vera spun back around and walked towards her vanity and carefully coated her soft pink lips with her signature lipstick.
"I...I don't know what I did to you, or if you maybe just need an extra tampon or something but you need to get over it because I have no plans of going anywhere anytime soon." He walked towards her vanity so the other girls running around wouldn't hear.
She looked at him through the reflection of the mirror. "I said I'd do the song, didn't I? That's about as much as you're going to get from me." She picked up a small bottle of liquid eyeliner and coated the top of her eye with it.
Brendon knelt down so his chin could rest on her shoulder. His eyes caught hers in the mirror, and he held his gaze. "We'll see about that," he whispered before standing up and walking away.
Jon was tuning up his bass as Brendon walked past. "What's going on between you and Vera?" he asked, not even looking up from his tuner.
"She's pissed because she thinks I'm stealing her thunder."
He snickered. "Seriously? Man, that girl is bad news. You know that she got kicked out of her parents' house, right?" he asked.
"Really? Why?" Brendon asked.
"People were saying she was sleeping around and her parents found out and didn't want her to like, spoil their family's name, or something like that. I mean, you feel sorry for her, but there are just some things you don't do."
Brendon glanced back over at Vera who was fixing her loose curls. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he wouldn't have put it past her to have had that sort of reputation. Vera Beau was the sort of girl Brendon's mom had warned him about.
"And one day when I first started working here she came to work with a giant bruise on her thigh and Greggory kept freaking out about how they would need to cover it up with makeup. And when Mr. Thompson asked what had happened she just said her and her boyfriend broke up." He shrugged his shoulders. "It must not have been pretty. But she goes through guys as quickly as she does tubes of lipstick."
Ever since the previous night, they hadn't spoken a word to each other. She wouldn't even look in his direction.
Lady Ellen and Greggory stood in a corner, supervising their little meating as Rodger slowly studied their faces before talking. "Last night after watching both of your performances in the show, we have come to a conclusion to do something we haven't done in a long, long time."
The two young adults looked at him patiently, although both their hearts dropped in their chests, knowing exactly where this was going.
"You both have so much energy and potential to do something amazing for this cabaret. And with the attention you both attract, I think that it would be good for business if you two tried a duet."
The room fell silent as Rodger anxiously awaited their answer. The air was still, and it seemed like everyone held their breath. Almost hesitantly, Brendon glanced at Vera, but she kept her eyes fixated on the Rodger.
"We'll do it," was her only responce. Her voice was quick, as if she thought Brendon would decline before she had a chance to accept.
"Excellent." He dismissed them from the room and once they were out of earshot, Brendon turned to face Vera.
"What was that about?"
She rolled her eyes and stopped walking. "I'm not going to pass up a song just because I have to do it with you. A song is still a song." Vera spun back around and walked towards her vanity and carefully coated her soft pink lips with her signature lipstick.
"I...I don't know what I did to you, or if you maybe just need an extra tampon or something but you need to get over it because I have no plans of going anywhere anytime soon." He walked towards her vanity so the other girls running around wouldn't hear.
She looked at him through the reflection of the mirror. "I said I'd do the song, didn't I? That's about as much as you're going to get from me." She picked up a small bottle of liquid eyeliner and coated the top of her eye with it.
Brendon knelt down so his chin could rest on her shoulder. His eyes caught hers in the mirror, and he held his gaze. "We'll see about that," he whispered before standing up and walking away.
Jon was tuning up his bass as Brendon walked past. "What's going on between you and Vera?" he asked, not even looking up from his tuner.
"She's pissed because she thinks I'm stealing her thunder."
He snickered. "Seriously? Man, that girl is bad news. You know that she got kicked out of her parents' house, right?" he asked.
"Really? Why?" Brendon asked.
"People were saying she was sleeping around and her parents found out and didn't want her to like, spoil their family's name, or something like that. I mean, you feel sorry for her, but there are just some things you don't do."
Brendon glanced back over at Vera who was fixing her loose curls. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he wouldn't have put it past her to have had that sort of reputation. Vera Beau was the sort of girl Brendon's mom had warned him about.
"And one day when I first started working here she came to work with a giant bruise on her thigh and Greggory kept freaking out about how they would need to cover it up with makeup. And when Mr. Thompson asked what had happened she just said her and her boyfriend broke up." He shrugged his shoulders. "It must not have been pretty. But she goes through guys as quickly as she does tubes of lipstick."