For The Night

For the Night

It was a warm night. James peeled his eyes away from the bathroom window where he could see the night sky donned with flickering little stars and a huge moon that reminded him the night was still young. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and saw the indecision in his eyes. He felt too old to go out and socialize with millenials tonight, yet he can already taste the whiskey in his mouth. He needed a drink. He closed his eyes and imagined what a bar of young people would be like now. It has been ages since he’s been to one, he’d always taken his drinks at hotel lounges or seafood restaurants with clients and fellow marketing strategists. Tonight though, his long time band, The Stokes were invited to a party to play their original songs. He plays mean drums.

At 42, he is self - made with a few light gray hairs peeking at his sideburns. A marketing executive, he is serious, feisty if needed and mostly swamped. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and liked how his royal blue button down shirt conveniently concealed his no - longer - muscled stomach. His shoulders were still broad and his arms and jaws strong. He had his seemingly permanent scowl on, he smiled only at his wife and at good songs. He does have a youthful face, perhaps because of the weed he’d consumed since college. He doesn’t smoke as much as before but he’d toke on one or two as a night cap. He decided to feel confident, after all, his band mates would be there and he won’t be the only middle aged man at a party probably swarmed by young adults. 

He reluctantly dragged himself away from the mirror and went to the bedroom to kiss his wife Mau, goodnight. She had fallen asleep with her glasses on. He looked at her sleeping form and smiled, removed the book from her hands and placed it on the desk beside her. He gave her a soft kiss on the forehead and went down quietly, with Barbie, their bulldog softly panting at his heels. He had asked Mau if she wanted to come but said she’s too old for bar crawls. He could only smile and leave her be. They have been together for 24 years, they met in college at a university fair. It was the first time The Stokes played in public and he saw her in the audience, a beautiful girl smiling shyly at him. While most of the girls had eyes for Paul and Max (the vocalist and lead guitarist) she was focused on him, her eyes admiring his hands deftly pounding drumsticks, bringing life to their grunge music. He’d immediately sought her out after their gig, he was mesmerized with how flawless her skin was and how beautiful her wide, almond eyes were, set on an innocent face with full lips that begged to be kissed. And boy, he indeed kissed her that night, he barely kept his hand from her voluptuous curves and they were inseparable ever since.

She had gone to every gig their band played. He loved her for her energy and loyalty, she’s always pushed him to be best at what he does and he’s been the same way with her. They didn’t have children as one of them was infertile and they had tried every thing medicine and technology could offer, for so many years. They eventually stopped trying and didn’t bother anymore, having spent so much energy and money on IVF. They decided they only need each other, they don’t lack for anything and they had Barbie. They treated their 5 year old bulldog like their own offspring, precious more than anything else. He is content, he has nothing to ask for, Mau was everything to him, she made him happy and he had eyes and smiled only for her.

His mobile phone rang, he assured Paul he was on his way as he pulled their SUV out of the garage.

The bar was packed.

He was tempted to leave the moment he stepped into the bar, it was full of people in their 20’s and 30’s. A small elevated stage was set up in the middle of the spacious room and a solo artist was belting out tunes from her album. It was too crowded to his liking, yet somehow the youthful energy in the room drew him further inside. It wasn’t difficult to find his band mates, their mature confidence and Jack Daniels stood out and contrasted with the younger crowd wolfing down beer and tequila shots. Paul is an immigration lawyer, while Max is a dentist. Cole, their bassist ran their family business. It’s a wonder how they managed to schedule this gig and be available tonight, he thought, as he downed his whiskey while his band mates chatted idly.

Their turn came and the stage manager signaled them to do their tech check while the host engaged the crowd. They were soon ready and Paul introduced the band. James couldn’t help but be a little amazed to receive a loud applause - still couldn’t get it out of his head how their songs have become recognized, maybe too late in the game? He was overthinking. As Paul gave the signal, they played their first song, Dark Blue, a song about unrequited love that they wrote when they were in college. The song had gone through some revisions as they adjusted it to the more modern elements of sound. The crowd was smiling and singing along and the youthful energy in the room was palpable. James drew confidence in that, he felt his body absorb the energy the crowd was generously giving and he drew from it, like a tired old man drinking from the fountain of youth. He felt giddy and electricity shot from his veins into his fingers as he masterfully plucked, pounded and smoothly glided the drumsticks onto the cymbals and drums. He felt the energy of the song and he knew that Paul, Max and Cole were also into it, they made music together, their chemistry ever solid through the years. James gave his all and forgot about his errant insecurities.

They were into their second song when James felt her. Her eyes. As he was pounding into the drums, his eyes opened and fell upon a girl who was shyly looking his way from the bar. She had a beer in her hand and she was standing against the bar deck, swaying graciously to the beat of his drums.

His beat.

He couldn’t take his eyes away from hers, while everyone else were enamored by Paul or Max, instead, she was admiring every movement of his hands, her attention was on him, like he was the only one on stage. She openly, yet shyly smiled at him when their eyes met. James felt invigorated somehow, her open admiration made his skin tingle - she was obviously young, in her late twenties - she was wearing black, skin tight jeans, with dark brown boots hugging her shapely legs, her hair tied in a high ponytail. She was wearing a simple white shirt that showed off the curves of her body. Her large hoop earrings danced as her feet tapped to the beat of his drums and he couldn’t help notice how her hips swayed along with it. Her face seemed small set on a body with voluptuous curves like that, but it definitely didn’t feel out of place. Her thick brows sat confidently above her wide, almond eyes. He smiled at her.

Her obvious admiration, the praise and the attraction in her eyes, her movements, made him feel young again. His heartbeat pounded furiously, drowning out the crowd, the band, his drum beat.

The strobe lights played on her skin and he could taste how her lips begged to be kissed.