Thrown Together

Seems I got to have a change of scene,
Cause every night I have the strangest dreams.

Molly surveyed the crowd at Open Mike's, the coffee bar around the corner from her place. Saturday nights, instead of going out and being tempted by the drink, she usually stopped here after work to blow off some steam and get some music out of her system.

Imprisoned by the way it used to be,
Left here on my own or so it seems.

She did miss singing with the Collywobbles sometimes, but her true passion was food. The sizzle of a grill, the precision of a knife, the joy of feeding people. Butter, bacon, duck fat, a good stinky cheese. It was all its own symphony in her head, a song of taste and sound. But she was still an artist at heart, and sometimes she just needed the unique creative expression that music provided her.

I got to leave before I start to scream,
But someone's locked the door and took the key.

The gravel in her voice was definitely a requirement for the song, hard to sing Joe Cocker without some grit. It definitely hurt her throat more now than it did when she used to sing on a nightly basis with the band. But Cocker just wasn't the same without her growl.

Feelin' alright,
Not feelin' too good myself.
Feelin' alright,
Not feelin' too good myself.

There were quite a few people lounging on couches and loveseats and drinking their coffee. Not too bad of a crowd for so late on a Saturday. It was a little too hipster for her taste, but an audience was an audience, she wasn't going to be picky.

She finished her song with a wave of appreciation for the applause that followed her before exiting the little stage that was setup in the corner. That was one of the great things about Mike's; there was always an open mic waiting for anyone to use it, even at 5am.

"Good one, Moll," Ben said with a smile while handing over her standard tea with honey. After the damage she had done her throat with that song, it was definitely needed. "Gonna do another one tonight?"

Molly shrugged, blowing on her tea before taking a cautious sip. The heat felt good going down her throat and she exhaled a sigh. "Not sure my voice can take another one tonight, Ben." She nodded to him once before retreating into her favorite chair facing the window, legs curled beneath her as she stared into the dark. Molly couldn't help but think about all the prep they had to do for brunch the next day at the restaurant. She pulled out a pen and a notebook, jotting down ideas for some new seasonal dishes as she made her list for tomorrow, sipping her tea.

"Do you mind if I sit?" a soft British voice from beside her interrupted her thoughts. She didn't look up, just shook her head and waving an inviting hand in the vague direction of the other chair. "What are you writing?" he asked.

"Ingredients, dish ideas," she mumbled, trying to remember the last idea she had before she had been interrupted. Was it ramps or leaks? Ramps. "Prep lists, mise that I need for tomorrow." Molly took a sip of tea and finally looked at the man sitting next to her.

"Meez?" he asked, a smile curving his lips.

He was definitely handsome, his eyes piercing. And there was something familiar about him. A small flutter tickled her stomach before she shook it off. Not interested, Molly she chided herself. "Short for mise en place, just the shit I need to get plates out for brunch tomorrow."

"I know you," he said as his eyes lit up. "Molly and the Collywobbles, right?" The words rolled off his tongue, sounding almost lyrical.

"The one and only," she smiled and nodded, taking another sip of her tea. "Well, not anymore, but yes."

"I saw you perform a few weeks ago, at the Valkyrie."

"Oh yeah?" She remembered him now, his friend didn't know how to take no for an answer. Well that was her cue, the company you keep and all. Molly drained her cup, placing the mug on the table in front of them while she gathered her things. "Well, it was nice talking to you-"

"Tom."

"Tom, then."

"It was nice talking to you, Molly." His teeth were a little off, but it didn't detract from his smile. It somehow made it more charming. A tingle ran down her spine. This man was trouble and she was going to stay far away from it.

"Have a good night, then." And at that, Molly deposited her empty mug in front of Ben before walking into the night, feeling Tom's eyes on her as she left.