...

Reed's band was playing later that night but Lola called at the last minute, saying she couldn't make it. He still thought she was playing a joke on him, April Fools wasn't that too far away. Disappointed that she couldn't make it, Reed drove to the venue at least two hours early. When he got there the largely advertised Open Mic Night, from 4-7PM every Thursday, was almost half-way over and a girl was about to take the stage.

"Heineken." He told the bartender, who took out a green bottle from the fridge behind the bar and put it by Reed's right hand. The bartender looked at Reed expectantly, "Open a tab." Reed responded looking at the girl who picked up a guitar, a fairly new one at that, and sat on the bar stool that was in the middle of the stage. One light shone on her dark hair and her, cradling the guitar.

She strummed the chords gently, as if she was tickling a baby, "This is for all the lonely lovers who've had their lives and hearts broken..." As soon as she spoke those words, she cleared her throat and started strumming the guitar making a beautiful melody.

"She isn't half-bad." A guy behind Reed admitted

"If she isn't half-bad then why is she playing here?" the bartender asked, cranky, while cleaning a beer glass

"She's not." Reed interrupted, slapped two five dollar bills on the bar and walked toward the stage.

"And let's... Just go... Home...." She was almost finished with the song and Reed impatiently stood in a dark corner near the stage's stairs, he lit up a joint and waited. Once she did, however, he pulled her offstage, a startled yelp escaping her lips.

"Who are you and why do you play music so damn good?' He asked taking the smoking joint out of his mouth

"Who the hell do you think you are? Thinking you can just take me off-stage and blow smoke in my face, demanding my business? I don't think so." She yanked her arm away from his grasp and turned toward the back-exit

"You're music is amazing. It doesn't matter who I am. But what I can offer you, does matter. It'll change your life."

She turned, "If you some type of drug-selling prostitute or whatever, I'm not interested. I am not interested in a relationship, a partnership, or even a friendship with you." 

He blew smoke in her face, "I have an idea that I'm sure you'll love." 

She coughed and waved the smoke away, "If it's that I'll kiss your drunken ass, you're widely mistaken." 

"Can you just listen?" He asked, annoyed

"To a complete drunken high stranger?!" She asked amused, "No." 

"Look, I'm in a band." He took another drag of the joint and leaned against the wall, "We need a new guitarist." He blew the smoke at her guitar, "And you need a job..." He trailed off, noticing the bartender was looking at him suspiciously 

"You." She began pissed, "You don't know if I need a job or not or if I have a job-"

"Or not."

"And why would I want to be in your stupid moronic all male pig-ass band? Lead by you out of everyone?" 

"Because you're amazing." He began, "And you know you want to." The bartender was walking toward them now, "Please!"

"There's a lot more out there that are better then me." She admitted 

"Are you in or not?!" Reed asked panicked, worried that the bartender realized that he was

A) smoking a joint

B) looking like he was trying to get her to come be kidnapped by him, when in reality he just wanted her to be in his band

C) He paid with counterfeit money

"Yea. Sure whatever. Now buy me a drink before I regret it." 

He grabbed her arm and dragged her out the back-exit, "At another bar, baby-doll."

"Why are you running from the bar-keep?"

"Tender. Bartender. Because, I have reasons to." He grabbed her arm, "And if you don't want to be arrested, come with me."

She reluctantly followed, "And I thought, strangers were dangerous." 

"They are."