Apartment Building in profile. Though I changed the bedroom a bit.
50: New York, New York.
Ryder stopped calling an hour and a half later. Lark was surprised at Ryder calling this much. "He's like a puppy, he misses me." I explained. "It'll be fine, he's going to be alright after tomorrow."
We had a two hour drive before landing in New York City. There was this apartment on Hudson street that Lark's friend was letting him stay at during his time in New York. As long as Lark paid for half the electricity and all of the water, we could stay there the whole time. As we entered the city I sat straight up in my seat and gazed out of my opened window. The people roaming around New York were jamming around having extraordinary fun and astonishment. Most people were riding on their feet instead of all the yellow cabs driving around their customers, finding that the word 'Foot Traffic' did indeed exist. The buildings were taller than I ever dreamed of or even expected and the loud, obnoxious noises from cars and everyone shouting across the streets and down the streets made me laugh. Very different than the little city known as Lima in a small state of Ohio.
We drove to Hudson Street that was located in Tribeca, part of lower Manhattan. We arrived at the apartment and grabbed our bags from the trunk and brought them up to the apartment. We opened the door and the living room came in first. It looked real nice with a fancy carpet and artwork that hung on the walls. Two brown couches and a flat screen TV. Walking forward and taking a left at the corner lead to a small kitchen with a fridge, bat table with bar stools, a microwave, coffee machine and brown cabinets. Right to the right was a low brown table with some weird chairs; they looked like giant footrest things to sit on. Down the hall to the right was the bathroom; toilet, sink and shower right there. And at the end of the hall was the bedroom. A low-ish bed with brown bed sheets and pillows, a fan above the bed, two closets—one big, one small. A long brown chest drawer with a TV placed on top in the middle and a standing mirror to the side.
"Johnny said there's a roof deck too for parties and whatever." Lark mentioned. "Party every night."
"Sure." I laughed. "So when do I start work?"
"Tomorrow. Once you get settled in you should head on over to Spotlight and check it out in person and get the uniform there." Lark said. "I'll get my things organized later, I have to head over to the bar and check things out then head to the park and meet up with my new manager and see how things are done. Funny, thought all I did was check bags and purses before letting people inside." He laugh.
After Lark left minutes later I got ready. I didn't need an interview, as I got it quickly due to the references Lark gave for me, but still wanted to dress nice before getting the uniform. I put on my light blue sleeveless denim shirt dress, added a brown belt to my waist and put on my ankle brown boots, grabbed my bag and left the apartment. It took me a few minutes to get a cab but once settled in the cab and telling him where I wanted to go, I was on my way.
It looked small on the outside but once stepping inside it looked a lot bigger. Still small, but bigger. Tables on the bottom floor and up on a balcony above, a bar to sit at, a jukebox for the music and a stage set for the performers to sing and dance on. This all seemed so magical.
"You have magic in your voice, Marley."
I miss Mom.
I sat up front at the bar area and waited for the manager to come out. I know his name is Gunther and he's a pretty old guy with white hair. That's it. I have no idea what Rachel looks like but I know Finn mentioned she worked here during her Funny Girl rehearsals and when she attended school. Yes, attended. As in past tense. She dropped out to be a Broadway Star. I hope she gets a Razzie before a Tony. Stupid bitch...No, stop with the negative thoughts Marley. You don't know her yet and a lot of famous people dropped out of college and made it big. Alicia Keys, Ashton Kutcher, Bruce Springteen.
I was lost in my own train of thoughts and staring at the bar table that I didn't hear the waitress' voice speak to me. "Hello, my name is Kurt and I will— Marley?" Oh, shit, it was Kurt. I looked up with wide eyes. "Oh, hi Marley." He said.
"Hey."
"What are you doing here?"
"I got a job here. I'm suppose to meet Gunther."
"Oh, he's out of town for a business meeting. And our second manager, Ronny, went AWOL last night after watching some sports game on TV and he gave a message to Geraldine over there saying he was going to be in hiding for a few weeks. Funny, he doesn't seem like the type to gamble. Must of been big. So Geraldine over there is in charge for now until Gunther returns tomorrow."
I turned when he said Geraldine's name. She was a pretty girl, bright blonde hair with pink streaks and bright gray-blue eyes. Almost like a porcelain doll. I turned back to Kurt. "I didn't know he was out of town."
"Don't worry I heard she's nice." Kurt said. "Blaine and Sam and Artie and Finn are coming too in a few days, they're rooming with Santana and Rachel and I back at our loft. Santana isn't too happy about sharing a room with Sam and Artie but she'll have to deal with it. Oh, do you have a place to stay?"
"Yes, a friend of mine. Lark." I said.
"Lark. Interesting name." Kurt mentioned. "How's the eating since Thanksgiving?" Blaine must of told him.
"Fine." I said. "I'm actually hungry for lunch, what's the best thing on the menu?" I smiled.
I ended up ordering a Grace Kelly burger, a Shirley Temple and a small side of Grace Kelly fries. While the order was taking place I walked up to this Geraldine woman and she finished her phone call. "Stupid husband and his dumb sister with her dumb poodle dog. Yes?" She turned to me with a smile.
"Hi, I'm Marley Rose." I said.
"Oh yeah, Gunner was expecting you. My damn cousin had to go out of town and I got stuck here. I'm a celebrity makeup artist, not a frigging diner manager." She told me. "My only real connection here is that if someone makes it big they're gonna hire me to do their faces. I was born in fifty-two and I look young as hell and I was the one who made Michael Jackson's zombie face for Thriller! They cut my name off and put some other bitches name there. I made his face!" She yelled.
"I...I liked it," I stuttered.
"Follow me." She said.
We walked to the back where she showed me where the employee bathrooms were, five stalls cramped next to one another for men and women, the small break room that could only hold two people and a door in the back that lead to an ally where we dumped the garbage for the night. She said if we didn't want to throw the food out, we could keep it. We could also take breaks out in the back ally. She showed me another door to the basement where material supplies were and then pulled out a uniform for me. A small. She made me try it on and I did. It was too big. She got an extra small and it worked.
Was that good or bad?"
"Alright, when you're in tomorrow I'll have you shadow someone lunch to closing time...you seem to know Kurt well." She said.
"We have mutual friends." I said.
"Alright, I'll send you to him tomorrow. You can sing when you want and just say Intermission for breaks for get fined." Geraldine told me. "Paid every Thursday too."
"Thanks." I said.
"Whatever." She replied.
I sat back down with my three uniforms in my plastic bag in my arms. By the time I sat back down my food was ready. "On the house."
"Seriously?" I asked Kurt.
"One time offer." He laughed. "Geraldine showed you everything?"
"Yes, and she said to follow you around tomorrow."
"I'm not on," Kurt said. "She messed up Rachel and I again. She's always mixing our schedules up."
"Oh, okay." I smiled.
I arrived back to the apartment hours later; opting to walk back and take my time getting to know this city. When I arrived back by sunset I saw the lights on which meant Lark was home. I walked up and entered inside smelling the fragrance of pizza.
"Hey Marley, I got take out tonight." He said. "Three boxes."
I tossed my stuff on the chair and joined in on the couch grabbing once slice. "How was your day?" I asked.
"Not bad, bar seems nice to work at." He said. "How's the diner?"
"It seems like fun. And the person I'm shadowing with is someone who I'll meet."
"Who?"
"Rachel?"
"The girl Bitch Satan wanted to be and looks up too?"
"Yup."
"Sounds interesting." Lark laughed.
Later that night in bed Lark was sound asleep. He had to wake up around four to shower, eat something and head out to work long hours at the amusement park. I could sleep in and still have time to get to the place by 5 for dinner until Rachel was too leave at 11.
I wonder how Rachel will be.
