"So hows everything going with that brunette I've been seeing you with?" Ali teased me as I rushed to the bar to refill a customers drink. 

"Great," I answered as I snuck a glance at her from behind the bar. Ever since we started sleeping together she never seemed to leave me alone. I wasn't going to lie, for a guy who'd never experienced the pleasure from a woman before I definitely did like her company. 

But somehow that's all she was to me and no matter how many times she told me she loved me, I could never seem to say the words back. I suppose the reluctance on my side was what drove her to come to the bar every night to watch me work. 

"Must be, seeing as you two have been inseparable ever since," Ali shot me a gap toothed smile and I sighed. 

"Yeah, maybe I should start working in the kitchen," I answered and Ali laughed in response. 

"Boy, she's whipped and if you're not interested, I'll take her."

I burst out laughing at my colleague who was engaged to one of the women who cooked in the kitchen. 

"Yeah, I'm sure Maria would love that," I replied as I balanced a tray of drinks on my shoulder and proceeded to walk out to serve our customers. 

I could feel Josephine's eyes on me the whole time I served a table of ladies and I felt really uncomfortable and slightly annoyed tonight. Why couldn't she just trust me? It's not like I liked any of these girls. 

She didn't have to worry about me falling for someone else anytime soon. The only girl who occupied my thoughts was dead. 

My heart felt heavy just thinking about the one person I truly wanted. Even though these past few months in this new city have been better to me that it ever was in Seville, I still knew that I would give it all up just to see Arabella smile or hear her laugh just one more time. 

Every time I touched Josephine or climaxed inside her, it was always Arabella I saw and felt in my arms. 

I knew it wasn't fair to Josephine but I couldn't help it. Ali told me time healed all wounds, but the wound Arabella left me with seemed to grow larger by the day. Every minute I was left alone with my thoughts, I ended up thinking about her and how things would have been if she lived. 

I imagined if we had both survived and come here to the America's together. I would work at the bar and come home to her when I was done, and we would live together in a cute little house, maybe even have children one day. Foolish thoughts like these made my chest ache so bad that I started working extra shifts just to distract myself.

Josephine was a good distraction at first, but now the effects were slowly wearing off and her persistence was kind of putting me off. 

She was sitting alone at one of the tables away from the stage where a duo were singing blues music and when she caught my eye she quickly waved me over. 

Not knowing if she wanted to order a drink or just ask me if anyone hit on me like she always does, I walked towards her and placed the empty tray I was holding on the table. 

"Hey, you didn't have to come today if your friends aren't here," I said nicely. "Do you want anything to drink?"

She beamed at me and leaned in for a kiss. I pecked her quickly and moved away. 

"You're English is so good now," She praised me and I knew I had her to thank for that. 

I just smiled at her and waited for her to order something. 

"I think I'll have a glass of water tonight. Didn't feel like drinking anything but I missed you," She stroked my arm lovingly. 

"Oh ok." I cursed myself for that pathetic reply. "I'll see you later then."

I rushed back to the bar looking for Ali and was surprised to find the it empty. When I walked into the kitchen I could see everyone standing around our manager with sour expressions on their faces. Ali's fiance was glaring at him while she consoled Stacy, another one of the cooks as she sobbed into her shoulder. 

"What's going on?" I asked Jeremy, a part time bartender who was standing next to me. 

"Our in house singer claims she got food poisoning after eating a dish that Stacy admitted she prepared. She said she won't perform here anymore if Stacy is still working here," He explained angrily. 

"But this is Stacy's lifeline," I said worriedly. I knew Stacy was a single mother with three kids and she worked so hard to support her family, unlike my mother who never bothered about me except when I had money to give her. 

"They said they have to let her go because this witch of a singer brings in a lot of customers," He said grimly. 

"I'm so sorry, Stacy. We have no choice. Ms Parla is performing tomorrow night and she's threatening to be a no show if you're still here," Mr Jensen, our balding manager rubbed his head in frustration. 

"Screw her. We don't need her." Ali was the only person brave enough to speak up against our manager because everyone here knew people came to this bar for his signature mixes more than anything. 

"And you will perform tomorrow night for our fully booked crowd?" Mr. Jensen asked him sarcastically. 

"Unless you want the crowd to run out the doors, no. Zayn will sing, I've heard him sing to himself at the bar. Believe me the kids got talent," Ali replied confidently. 

My eyes widened as everyone suddenly focused their attention on me. My heart thudded in my chest and I looked at the floor. Has Ali lost his mind?

"You sing?" Mr Jensen looked hopeful for split second but when I shook my head his face fell. 

"Not professionally--" I began but Ali cut me off. 

"He hits high notes when he thinks no ones listening. Trust me, he makes Parla sound tone deaf."

"Sing a line for us now," Mr Jensen challenged me and I saw Stacy had stopped crying and she looked at me hopefully. 

I hesitated and looked at Ali helplessly. "I can't."

"Oh come on, Zayn. Stacy's work is on your shoulders now, all you have to do is open that pretty mouth of yours and sing," Ali said.

I glanced at Stacy and thought about her three kids at home. Three hungry kids who relied on their mother for food, shelter, protection. How could I take that away from them when I knew exactly what it felt like? 

I didn't realize that the kitchen was dead silent as I sang the song the three sisters sang when they walked back home from work, after they placed a bottle of milk by my door step. 

My voice deepened as I envisioned Arabella tucking her hair behind her ears as she smiled at me. 

When I stopped singing the entire kitchen staff burst into a round of applause and Mr Jensen was staring at me with his mouth wide open. 

"Okay, you're singing tomorrow. But not that song. Whatever it was, it was too depressing," He said with a finality in his tone and then he left the kitchen. Stacy ran up to me and hugged me tightly. 

"Thank you so much, Zayn. You are an angel," She murmured and I couldn't help but smile in response. 

It only took me a day to realize that I was insane for agreeing to such a thing. 

"I can't believe you made me do this. I've never performed in front of a crowd before. What if I screw up?" I sat on a chair as Ali adjusted my hair with a comb and some hair gel. 

"Just have a drink, you'll be fine. You were great yesterday," Ali muttered as he busied himself with making my hair fall a certain way. 

"I took a huge gulp of the drink he prepared for me and coughed as it burned my throat.

"What the hell did you put in this?" I grimaced. 

"Something strong." 

After a few more of those drinks I stepped out on to the small stage that I used to watch from the bar. I walked up to the microphone and took it out of its holder as I stared at my audience tonight. 

A few tables were empty because some of our customers were expecting Parla tonight, but there were many curious faces staring at me. I spotted Josephine sitting with a group of her friends and I suddenly felt thankful that I had a few drinks before coming up here. 

I nodded at the pianist and when he started playing the melodies given by Mr Jensen I began to sing the lines I had been practicing all day. I sang a slow paced song first and then a more upbeat one and surprisingly I had a standing ovation for the second one. 

People began to fill the bar and soon there were no more empty seats. I began to take song requests and by the end of the night I had couples slow dancing to songs I read from our catalog. 

I enjoyed myself thoroughly throughout the whole night and I realized I didn't mind doing this again. Singing tonight made me feel oddly closer to Arabella and her sisters and the fact that people enjoyed my voice only made me happier.

When I was done, Mr Jensen rushed me to his office. 

"My boy, you were absolutely brilliant. We have customers who want to book your next show. They're asking for the dates right now," His cheeks were pink from excitement as he waved his hands in the air excitedly. "I think this might just be the best decision I ever made."

"That's incredible." I couldn't believe my ears.

"That's not all. We have a very generous donor who gave us five thousand dollars for your performance," He said and I gaped at him in shock. 

"Five thousand dollars?" That how much I would make in a year. "From who?"

"A new customer. Said she might like a private show in the future." I was at a loss for words as he grabbed my shoulders and pulled me in for hug. "Who knew you would be so lucky!"

We finished packing up late and I went out back to throw away some rubbish. I was about to walk back inside when I heard a girl's voice. 

"Nice performance." It was a compliment but I could definitely sense some sarcasm in it. 

I noticed some movement by the wall on my left and out came a girl from the shadows. I was about to ask her why she was standing in a dark alley alone but my breath caught in my throat as I took in one of the most beautiful faces I have ever seen.

Before me stood a tall, slender girl with piercing wide set blue eyes and shiny golden hair that she had tied back. I gulped as I stared at her, feeling slightly intimidated. Unlike Arabella's warmth, this woman exuded an air of something I couldn't quite describe, all I knew was it chilled me to the bone. 

"Thank you. Can I help you?" 

"No, but you can help yourself," She replied coldly. 

"Excuse me?" I frowned at her in confusion.

"I'm just here to warn you not to take the donations. You don't want to be beholden to someone like that. "

"Are you talking about the tip we got today?" My face grew hot as I wondered how she knew about this and why she was warning me. "Who are you and why should I listen to you?" 

"My name is Kayla and yes I'm talking about the five thousand dollars. Don't take it and don't take anymore." 

What? I felt so confused? However, before I could say another word she stepped back into the shadows and disappeared into the night. 

Heyy, who do you think was the girl at the end? Any ideas?