Disclaimer: All song lyrics and titles are the property of their respective owners, not me.
"There was a time that the pieces fit, but I watched them fall away."
Roxy sat at the grand piano, a frown on her face. She pulled the pencil from behind her ear, pressing it against the page of sheet music before her. She moved it back and forth, crossing out an existing note and changing to a new one. She opened her mouth, emitting a clear, lovely high note before stringing the improved verse together. There, she thought, much better.
Her eyes drifted to the antique wall clock to her left; five thirty o'clock. She had to be at Ashmore's to for her job as a waitress in an hour and a half. Roxy made a mental note to leave the house by 6:30; Ashmore's was the favored restaurant/nightclub of Sanitarium's elite, and she doubted that her new boss, Gemma Ashmore, would appreciate her being late after having only worked there a week.
Roxy sighed at the thought of beginning a new job. Her mind wandered back to a time when she hadn't had to worry about her employers. She recalled her late parents, Horatio and Desiree, and the music shop they'd owned. It was where she had spent her childhood. She remembered her sister, Isabella, playing the piano while she sang in the back room, their parents teaching lessons and selling instruments and sheet music. She could never have imagined herself happier.
Everything had changed when both of her parents had succumbed to organ failure, having chosen to die rather than to enter into a contract with GeneCo. Roxy and Izzie had been devastated, having lost both their beloved parents and their cherished music shop in one fell swoop.
Since then, Izzie had finished her schooling and gone on to become a SurGEN. She made a fair deal of money, but not enough to support the two of them as well as her…extracurricular activities.
Almost as though her thoughts had been a summoning, Roxy heard the door to the apartment swing open, announcing Izzie's return.
"Hey, Izz!" She called, welcoming her sister home. Izzie moved clumsily through the apartment, a complacent grin on her face. It was painfully obvious that she'd a decently sized dose of Z.
"Evening, baby sister," The older girl greeted. "Watcha playing?"
"A lullaby," She answered, returning her glance to the sheet music. "An old Irish one that mom taught us."
Izzie stepped closer to the piano, her eyes running over the page. "This song? You haven't played it in years."
"I know. That's why I'm playing it now." Roxy replied, poising her fingers to continue. Izzie moved forward, turning outwards and leaning against the piano while her sister finished the song. Towards the end, she gave a loud yawn, earning her a glare from Roxy.
"Where'd you get the zydrate from this time?" She questioned once she had finished singing.
Izzie grinned at the mention of her favorite drug. "Does it matter?"
"Well, yeah, Izz, it kind of does. We all know what Amber would do if she found out that someone had been stealing from her personal stash." Roxy said coldly.
"Relax, Roxy. I got this stuff from Graverobber." She assured her, spinning maladroitly into the middle of the room.
"Alright, fine." Roxy grumbled. She had encountered Graverobber on several occasions; he hadn't failed to make use of his famed charm on any of them.
"So, what time do you have leave for work?" Izzie inquired, sitting next to her on the piano bench.
"At…" Roxy trailed off, glancing to the clock. 5:58. "Now. Crap." She muttered, standing and running into her bedroom. She stripped out of her shorts and tank top and slipped into her black, off-the-shoulder work dress. The garment barely reached the middle of her thighs, proving that Sanitarium's upper class citizens were no more prudish than those of any other class. Stepping in front of her vanity mirror, Roxy picked up her brush, running it through her hazelnut colored hair. Brushing it could be a chore at times; it was long and lightly curly, reaching down to her waist. Setting down her brush, Roxy picked up a rubber band, pulling her hair into a low ponytail.
"It's three minutes after six!" Izzie called in a taunting voice. Shooting a mental insult at her sister, Roxy slipped into a pair of black kitten heels. She grabbed her purse, walking quickly out of her bedroom.
"Have a clean rest of your night, Izz." She told her before exiting the apartment. She ran past the elevator, instead using the stairs. She rushed outside, smiling at the doorman briefly before she slowed down, walking to the bus stop. It took about three minutes for it to show up, as it generally had no reason to speed; hardly anybody used Sanitarium's public transportation system. Roxy boarded the bus, pulling out a handful of change and paying her due before taking a seat near the front. Only two other people sat behind her; one was an obvious scalpel slut, and the other was a z'd up Goth kid.
It took about fifteen minutes for the bus to stop at Ahsmore's and by that point, Roxy was the only person remaining on the bus. She hopped off quickly, making her way around the back of the building and entering through the kitchen.
"Hey, Roxy!" The head chef, Luke Preston, called. He had taken to her immediately, telling her that she reminded him of his daughter.
"Hey, Luke!" She returned, walking to where the aprons hung. She pulled one down, tying it around her narrow waist. She moved out of the kitchen and to the host's stand, checking to see if any tables in her section were filled.
"Roxy!" A voice called, prompting her to spin around. Gemma stood before her, a lighter in her hand, blonde hair pulled up in a bun, looking smart in a pinstripe pant-suit. "Thank God you're here early. I need you to prepare some tables near the stage. The club is reserved for tonight."
"Oh. Yes, of course," Roxy said, stepping away from the host's stand. "What's going on?"
"Pavi Largo has booked it for some kind of audition."
Roxy's eyes widened. It was common knowledge that Ashmore's was a favorite haunt of all the Largo's, but Roxy had yet to see any of them in person.
"Okay." She said with a nod, accepting Gemma's offering of the lighter. She pulled a basket of napkins and silverware from the host's stand, moving into the more intimate half of the nightclub. She set the basket down on the table before picking up a small candle in its votive, setting flame to the wick. A wave of heat kissed her fingertips, urging her to continue lighting candles. She made quick work of them, placing napkins and silverware at each seat along the way. She glanced over the room once before picking up her basket and returning it to its proper place.
By that point, all of the other waitresses had made it there, and were getting a rundown from Gemma.
"I want all of you girls to be on your best behavior tonight; I don't want to upset Mr. Largo in any way. He should be here at any minute, and I'm going to greet him, so just stay where you are until we start getting him settled in, okay?"
A chorus of "yes ma'm's" and "okay's" met Gemma's speech, and she nodded once, satisfied. Roxy fell into line with the others, standing on the end. She could hear a flurry of voices outside of the club, most of them female. Gemma moved forward, pausing before opening the door.
"Crystal, Ellie, Anya, and Vanessa, come here. You're going to be taking all of the auditioners to their seats." She ordered. The four girls were quick to act, standing to the left of the door.
Once Gemma opened the door, a crowd of women nearly flooded the lobby. The four waitresses herded them all to tables, except for the one closest to the stage. Their chattering and laughter drowned out most sound, and Roxy found it grating ever so slightly on her nerves.
After the women were all seated, a group of men entered…led by none other than Pavi Largo.