The City of Angels.

"Earth to Fiona. Do you read me?" Tadhg called as he waved his hand in front of my face, a look of worry dominating his own.
"What? Yeah sorry. I just... Tadhg who was that guy?" I asked Tadhg, entirely perplexed.
"Fucked if I know, but he wants me to co-produce his album! Can you believe it?" Tadhg replied as we exited the studio. "I guess I better go and get to work then!" He said as he pulled me in for a hug and headed off to start his first proper job in LA. I on the other hand was still mesmorised and confused.

"Uh hey!" A voice called to me as I was signing out at the reception desk of the studio. I looked up to be greeted by the eyes I had previously fallen into.
"Hello..." I managed to spit out. He rubbed the back of his neck with a shy smile on his face.
"Sorry about Steve shouting at you and your friend! He gets a bit passionate about his studio" the guy said.
"That's okay!" I spat out, entirely baffled as to why this man was stood in front of me. "It was really cool of you to ask him to co-produce. It really means a lot to him." I finished, urging myself to calm down.
"He's obviously got serious balls and an even more serious love for music if he snuck you guys in to record!" He said as he shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. "So you're a singer?" He asked me with an eyebrow raised.
"Oh God no!" I snorted, instantly hating myself. I saw a smile spread across his face. "Just helping out a friend in need!" I said quickly, trying to cover up the involuntary pig like sound I had just made.
"You sure sound like one!" He said with a chuckle. "So what is it that you do?" He asked me with intrigue.
"Uh I work at that Pour 'Em, Play 'Em place just a few streets away!" I said, pointing at nothing in particular.
"I know the place! I buy a lot of my records there! Streets? You mean blocks? You're not American I see!" He said with a smile.
"Irish!" I said with a proud nod.
"That rules!" He said, looking anxiously towards the door where the kids that had been waiting earlier began to congregate around. "I guess I should be nice and go sign some things for those kids waiting around!" He said as he gave them all a small wave.
"They're here for you?" I asked him in awe.
"Yeah our fans are pretty dedicated!" He said with a laugh as he covered his pearly whites with his hand.
"Wow. I better not keep you from them!" I said with a smile. "Thanks again for what you did for my friend. It really means the world to him!" I finished.
"Anyone who is as passionate about music as he is deserves it! We're going to be working together for a few weeks, don't be a stranger!" He said as we walked to the door together and he held it open for me.
"Uh sure!" I said, not entirely catching what he had said as the kids at the door began shouting out a name.
"Austin." He said as he held out his hand.
"Fiona!" I replied as his large hand enveloped my tiny one.

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"That'll be $9.99 please!" I said to the young girl the following day at work as she handed me a $10 bill for her copy of the Arctic Monkeys newest album. "It's a great choice! Enjoy!" I said as I waved her out the door.

I had become more familiar with my surroundings at work and felt more comfortable in recommending customers good music and good alcoholic drinks. As it was approaching noon I decided to give the bar one last wipe down before I was due to take my lunch break.

I began cleaning the Budweiser keg when I heard a deep voice say "Excuse me, I'm looking for some advice on a record?"

I looked up to be greeted with Austin holding up a Garth Brooks record. I instantly broke into a smile and my stomach jumped.

"Great choice. of CD. It's definitely the best we have in stock at the minute." I replied to Austin, trying to contain my smile.
"I'd believe it! Until my new record is sitting in here that is!" He said with a smile dominating every inch of his face. He sat up on the stool just in front of me without breaking our gaze once. He was still taller than me when he was sitting. "Now I've got the music sorted, what can you recommend for me to drink?" He asked. Confidence oozing out of every pore.
"I feel compelled to say either Guinness or Jameson. But that's just me being super patriotic." I said as I flung the towel I was cleaning with away.
"You're the expert!" He said as he took his wallet out and placed it on the counter. I poured him a Jameson and diluted it with a ginger ale.
"It's on me!" I said as I signalled for him to put his wallet away. "For giving my friend the job. Now we can stop buying pasta!" I said as I stuck my tongue out and we both laughed.
"So do they work you super hard in here or are you entitled to a break soon?" Austin asked me.
"I actually get off for lunch in 3 minutes" I said as I looked at the clock behind me.
"Well could I maybe take you somewhere for lunch? No pasta, I promise!" He said with his hands up. The whiskey glass looked like a shot glass in his large hands.
"Uh yeah that sounds great!" I said, trying not to sound too eager.

I wanted to ask him why he wanted to take me out for lunch. Why he showed up at my work place and why he spoke to me the night before as I was leaving the studio. But I didn't want to seem like I didn't want him to do those things. Because there's nothing I could want more. I was beyond attracted to him. His tall, thin tattooed frame, facial hair and well styled hair made me melt the second I had seen him. Something about his brown eyes were what caught me the second I saw him. Not even 24 hours ago. They spoke volumes to me. I couldn't deny getting to know the owner of them.

"So what made you leave Ireland?" Austin questioned me as we left the bar and headed towards a small cafe Austin said he liked to frequent any time he was home.
"Well Tadhg was leaving anyway and truth be told, I don't actually want to work in a record store slash bar for the rest of my life!" I said sarcastically.
"No!!!" Austin said with fake disbelief. "What is it you want to do so?" He questioned me.
"I want to be a fashion designer." I said quietly, waiting for the laughter and mockery I was used to hearing.
"That's awesome!" He replied instantaneously. I snapped my head up to him.
"What did you say?" I asked, making sure I had heard right.
"I said that's awesome that you want to be a fashion designer." He said in a puzzled tone, staring back down at me with his brow furrowed.
"Sorry!" I said as I laughed. "I'm just so used to people laughing or saying something rude when I tell them that!" I said as I waved my hand.
"Really?" Austin said with genuine confusion. "Why?"
"Where I come from, people aren't brave enough to dream I guess!" I replied simply.

Once we arrived at the cafe Austin recommended me a sandwich he would get any time he came here. I trusted his judgement and we got to know each other a little more over lunch. He told me about his Mother and how she passed away when he was young. He spoke about living in an orphanage for a spell, his heart problem and his Father who lives in Costa Rica. He spoke about his tattoos and his love for music and how he became involved with his band. I had never seen someone so animated when they spoke. He spoke about music like it was a part of him. I guess in a sense it was. I could relate. I used music to solve every problem. It was a rare time of the day if I wasn't listening to music. Be it aloud or singing to myself in my head. After much quarrelling about splitting the bill, Austin threw some cash down on the table and told me to put my purse away. It was hard to not like this guy.

"What's your bands name?" I asked as he walked me back to work. A Starbucks in both of our hands.
"Of Mice and Men." He said with pride and that's when I remembered how I knew his face.

"How can you listen to such shit music all the time, Fiona?" My boyfriend Nick asked me.
"This isn't shit, Nick. At least not to me! I don't insult your music so don't insult mine!" I replied and I turned up the volume on the Vera Lynn song I had been listening to.
"It's so depressing, Fi. And it's years old!" He said in exasperation, throwing his hands into the air.
"It's timeless. And it's meaningful." I said, defending my music.
"You should listen to some heavy music like I do. It's gotten me through some tough times you know!" He said as he appeared behind me and wrapped him arms around my middle.
"Well this does the same for me, babe!" I said and I turned around and stretched up to give his nose a kiss.
"Alright alright. I'll never convert you I guess. Just do me a favour and listen to a band called Of Mice and Men some time when you're furiously angry. I promise you'll feel better!" He said and began to spin me around to the music coming from the radio.

Six months after that exact conversation when Nick cheated on me on the night of my 21st birthday party I ran to my room as soon aA I got home, ripped open my laptop and brought up YouTube. I typed in "Of Mice & Men" and clicked on the first song that came up. I opened another tab and logged into Twitter. I created a new tweet including his username and the lyrics;

"Product of a murderer, you stole everything from me
This poison hurts, feels so empty
Fill my veins with this sin, shaking on the ground,
My head's going crazy from within"

I haven't spoken to him since.

"Everything okay?" Austin asked me. We had been walking in silence for a few minutes while I recounted how I came to know Austin's band.
"Yeah sorry! I just... I know one of your songs!" I said with a giggle. "An ex-boyfriend of mine recommended you to me. He told me to listen to you when I'm furiously angry some time. So I did so when he cheated on me. I recognised you from the YouTube video. There was a picture of the band while the track played over it." I trailed off.
"Well he's an asshole with good taste!" Austin said with a laugh as we arrived back at the bar. "Thanks for joining me. I enjoyed getting to know you a lot!"
"Thanks for taking me out! I haven't got any friends in this city apart from Tadhg so it was so nice to chat!" I said awkwardly. I wasn't used to being treated so nicely.
"Well you've got one more now!" Austin said and offered me a hug. I accepted faster than I could have imagined.

We said our goodbyes, vowed to see each other again soon and I went back to work. I laughed to myself when I saw the Garth Brooks CD still sat on the counter top.

Needless to say I didn't do much work for the rest of the day.

Notes

She's a long one!!