Stacey was a cute little girl with mousy brown hair and wide blue eyes. She bounded down the stairs just in the nick of time and saved Esme from being inundated with drink requests from thirsty fans and tourists out looking for a fun and easy night.

“You must be Esme,” she grinned as she held out her hand to shake Esme’s while with the other she reached for a bar mop.

“Good to meet you, Stacey,” she smiled back as the girls shook.

“I’m so glad to have someone new working with me,” she said genuinely. “There is so much drama in this place, it was beginning to drive me insane.”

“Oh, really?” Esme asked, surprised.

Stacey raised her eyebrows and half-laughed before she powered forward to the front of the bar and started to take orders. Esme stood and watched her for a moment, trying to figure out where everything was placed, and checking over everything that Stacey did. When she had watched her serve three people, she stepped forward and decided to give it a try. She knew no bar was the same, but she had done it before, and she was sure she would figure it out along the way.

“I want some Lost Creek Special,” one of the customers said to her as he looked at her blankly.

Esme had to laugh, trust her to get someone who wanted something completely specific that she had never heard of.

“Stacey?” she said quietly. “I may need your help here…”

“Don’t worry, doll,” Stacey grinned as she stepped in. “I’ve got you.”

 

By the time the band had started playing and the majority of the crowd were pressed right up to the front of the stage or on the balconies above, Esme finally managed to take a deep breath and lean back against the cold wall tiles.

Stacey sidled up next to her and leaned against the wall too and sighed. “Fancy a beer?” she asked as she mopped her brow with the back of her hand.

“Sure,” Esme smiled.

Stacey reached down to the refrigerators and pulled out two bottles before she twisted off the caps and handed one to Esme.

“Cheers,” Esme smiled.

“Cheers, doll,” Stacey said before she took a long, drawn out sip. “And here’s to the new girl here at The Nowhere Bar.”

“Thank you very much.” Esme may have been thrown into the deep end, but she was enjoying it very much. The hours had hurtled by while she had been there at work, and she just hoped she had done enough to impress and ensure that she held onto the role.

“How often do you work here?” she asked.

“Four nights a week,” Stacey replied as she leaned back in against the bar.

They were watching the band play ahead of them, and even though it was loud and incredibly heavy, it was also kind of relaxing and hypnotic. It had been a long time since Esme had watched any live music, and she was feeling particularly at home in the bar. It reminded her of her long-lost city days, long before she had set off across the country, traveling and seeing as much as she could.

“So, what brings you to our little part of the world?” Stacey asked as she nodded her head along to the beat.

“I was already traveling,” Esme admitted. “I had booked a train ticket… it’s one of the things I like to do, if I want to move on but I don’t have a specific place in mind, I jump on a train and get off wherever I like the look of.”

“No way!” Stacey grinned at her with wide eyes. “That’s awesome.”

“Well, this time, I may have had a little help,” she smiled. “The lady on the train in the bar cart, she told me about this place. She said it was a quaint little town, and whenever people got back on from this stop on one of her trains, they always raved about it.”

“Aww, that’s sweet,” Stacey said with a wistful air about her. “And I have to say, I’m very jealous. I often wish I had bit the bullet and gone traveling.”

“It’s never too late,” Esme told her. “The only reason I’m so comfortable doing it is because it’s all I’ve ever really known. It’s been my way of life since I was younger. But I know plenty of people who are either just thinking about starting out now, or are planning on it a little later in life.”

Stacey seemed to consider her words and she nodded her head before she took another swig of her beer.

“Maybe it’s not all over for me yet then, huh?” she said mischievously.

“Most certainly not,” Esme reassured her.

“And you like it here in town?” Stacey seemed genuinely interested in Esme, and it felt good to talk to someone properly.

“I really do,” she said. “I mean, I literally got here this morning, so it’s all been a bit of a whirlwind, but yeah… I have to admit, this is one of the most amazing places I’ve ever visited. I can’t explain it, there’s just something…” she trailed off and tried to think of the right word.

“Magical?” Stacey offered. “It feels magical here?”

Esme nodded her head.

“Yeah,” she agreed. “It does. I don’t know if it’s the high altitude, and all the happy people, the idyllic setting, or what… But honestly, I’ve felt like I’ve been in a dream here all day.”

Stacey smiled at her warmly.

“It’s a pretty great place to be,” she said, before she kicked back off the wall and moved toward the bar to serve a waiting customer.

Esme looked out over the crowd and at all the people in there having a good time. It was hard to believe the small little mountain town could become so alive once the sun had gone down, but it really was rocking in there, and even though she was working, Esme was having a great time.

She let her eyes skim around the room and she sipped her beer before she placed it down and walked to the other end of the bar. She leaned down on it and looked up to the balconies above, and it was with a rush of nerves that she realized Zeke was standing against the railings and was looking down at her.

A wry smile played on his lips, and those eyes held her there intently.

She swallowed and didn’t dare move. Her heart was racing and she felt something deep within her. He gripped onto the railings and leaned over further, and when she looked up at him she felt both trapped and drawn to him all at once.

There was something about Zeke… Something she couldn’t put her finger on. And when she finally managed to pull her gaze away from his, her heart was thumping so loud in her chest she felt physically exhausted.

What the hell had just happened?

She leaned back against the wall so she had moved out of sight. And she realized her hands were shaking. She looked down at them and she was trembling, but she didn’t feel afraid, she felt excited.

“Are you okay?” Stacey asked her as she rested a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“Yes,” she answered quickly as she looked up to her and smiled. “I’m all good. But can you tell me, where is the ladies room?”

Stacey pointed to the back of the room, and Esme thanked her before she moved off in that direction. Suddenly, the room was red hot, and she had to get rid of the sweater she was wearing. She pushed her way through the crowd politely, and when she found herself in the steamed up ladies room, she sighed and wiped her hand across the fogged up mirror.

As she looked at herself, she was sure she looked different. She didn’t know what exactly, but her skin seemed brighter and more alive, and she was sure her eyes looked changed. Almost as if they had a tint of green to them.

She shivered and rubbed her forehead.

“You’ve worn yourself out,” she whispered. “You’ve barely had any sleep, you’ve been traveling for months, and you’ve gone and thrown yourself into another late night job when really you should be at home resting.”

She rolled her eyes and splashed a little bit of water on her face. She ran the cold tap and dangled her wrists underneath them to cool herself down, and then she pulled the sweater off over her head and tied it around her waist.

As she headed back out into the main body of the bar, the band was still going crazy, and the crowd was thumping along with them.

She looked at the time on the clock behind the counter when she got back to Stacey and she couldn’t believe that it was way past midnight.

“You can head off if you want,” Stacey said to her. “Zeke told me to break you in gently.”

Esme tried not to blush, and Stacey laughed.

“He wants you back here tomorrow,” she said. “If you’re willing to take the job?”

Esme instinctively started to search around the balconies again for him, but he was nowhere in sight.

“Of course,” she replied. “I’d love to.”

“Awesome,” Stacey said as she clapped her hands together. “I’ll let him know.”

“What time do you want me?” she asked.

“Tomorrow we’re back to regular hours, so I’d say get here around six thirty. We usually close earlier too, it’s only band nights where we’re open until the early hours.”

Esme nodded as she reached for her bag and her parka. She could easily have stayed another couple of hours and thrown herself into the mix, but she didn’t want to be tempted by anymore beers, and her weird moment in the restroom was playing on her mind.

She was clearly overtired.

She needed to rest.

“Thanks so much for looking out for me tonight,” she said to Stacey as she leaned in and gave her a hug. “It means a lot.”

“No problem, doll,” Stacey smiled. “We’re a little family here. And it’s good to find someone new who fits in.”

 

As Esme left the bar and started to walk home, she wrapped her arms around herself and smiled. She felt warm inside, despite the intense cold in the air, and she had never felt safer walking through a street alone at night.

She had found a little slice of heaven, and it appeared that things were only getting better. Stacey was a great girl and would hopefully turn into a friend.

And as for the mysterious Zeke…

She had no idea who he was, or what he had done to her… But now, he was all she could think about.

When she got back to her motel room and flopped down on the bed, she looked up at the ceiling and closed her eyes. All she could see was the piercing green eyes. The way he had stared down at her. The way he had made her feel.

It was strange, and it was exciting…

But more than anything, it felt real.