#ch: shelby grayson

[dckotajohnson]

special delivery for: @lindseymorgan1x1

Shelby Grayson could’ve been anything she wanted - a doctor, lawyer, a CEO of a company and more. As long as anything she did lived up to her father’s expectation. But no, she wanted to be a singer. She knew from the moment she decided to roll around in the mud with her older brothers after a rainy day when she was just a child, that it wasn’t going to be an easy feat to control her. At a young age, she always lived wildly everyday, like there would be no tomorrow. In her mind, that was the best way to live her life. That way, she wouldn’t have live a life with any regrets, even if that meant she broke every rule that her parents set for her. She was always branded as the wild child and the black sheep of her family; she wasn’t clever like her older brothers, but she had a voice. One that she could sing with. That idea alone never sat well with her father, because there was such a slim chance in his mind for her to succeed. But she loved singing, along with songwriting and playing instruments. So much so that she dropped out of college halfway through her freshman year to pursue a career in music. That was the last straw for her father though; ever since that day, he had cut off her funds, kicked her out of their family home and it led to her being a bartender at Seb’s right now. She needed money for a roof over her head, and Seb’s was the perfect place for this. She found solace in the jazz club; the owner even allowed her to play around and sing before opening and when they were closing up the club. Plus, she got free alcohol whenever she was serving behind the bar, so she couldn’t complain. Not when her music career was going nowhere and she had no money to her name. “Shelby!” The familiar voice the owner came approaching, making her wonder if she was in trouble for taking advantage of the alcohol or turning up to a few of her shifts high on whatever substance she got from her neighbour. “You’re on tonight, Benji got sick and we need a second act. So, you’re going to go up there and sing. I’ll even give you extra money for it.” The brunette stared at him, wide eyed at his suggestion. “W-what the fuck, I can’t do that — I never sang in front of people.” She shook her head, before Seb gave her a look that she could tell so well during the three years she worked here, one that she’d seen when she asked for a pay rise — that he wasn’t going to change his mind. “You have, in front of me and the band, and you will sing. Now go up there before people start to leave.” He began to push her towards the direction of the stage, but not without gulping down another shot of tequila. “Ugh, fine. But double whatever you’re planning to give me,” She uttered before the owner could even say a word, then she was introduced and shoved onto the stage. For a moment, she just stared at the sea of faces. Hell, she could even throw up on stage right now because of her nerves. But instead, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before plucking up the courage to sing as the melody began. “Don’t, don’t, that’s what you say...” As she sang, the sea of people disappeared. Instantly she relaxed, the lyrics flowing right out of her mouth like they did every time she stood on the stage in front of an empty audience. It wasn’t until the applause before she realised the song was over. Astonished by what just happened, it wasn’t until Seb dragged her off the stage before her legs wasn’t feeling like jello anymore and they made their way back to the bar. “I told you, you can sing. You did well, kid.” He sat her down on a stool before patting her on the back and left her to her own device again. Her brain was hardly processing what just happened, but she knew she needed another shot of liquid courage. Waving her co-worker for a refill, she brought the glass to her lips and empty its content. Her eyes scanned across the room, before they stopped at the figure sitting a few stools away from her. She did a double take, before her eyes widened. It couldn’t be. She didn’t know what came over her, but before she knew it, she moved to the empty seat next to the man. “Either you’re a doppelgänger, or you must be lost. Like, really lost. Or my brain is playing funny tricks with me, because if you really are him, then the one and only Theodore Hardy shouldn’t be associated with a small jazz club in Atlanta — at all. That’s just fucking crazy.” God, she prayed that he didn’t hear her sing. That might just push her to the brink of throwing up in front of everyone right now. 

[dckotajohnson]

continuation for : @directionallychallenged1x1

Shelby was still on a high from her performance on stage; a sense of euphoria no drugs could ever make her feel like this unless she was singing. Which was exactly why, this interaction with an award-winning musician seemed surreal right now. Maybe she was really imaging this, because a small jazz club in Atlanta surely could never have been on the man’s radar. Especially on the one night where she was thrusted onto the stage to sing with only ten minutes notice beforehand. She had expected him to pay his attention to the next performance on stage, just like most people did in the room, but no, she had to strike up a conversation with him. The thought of him being in the audience and hearing her sing was enough to make her head spin, and she hoped he didn’t think she was just another fangirl that wanted to just grab a selfie with him. The truth was, she was a huge fan. His music was different to the trash she usually heard on the radio, and that really said something about current music nowadays. Waving over the bartender for another refill, she took a large gulp of her drink as the man spoke. “I guess I’ll have to take your word for it, that you are the real deal here. But still, that doesn’t explain why you’re at this jazz club when you can choose any well-known ones in the city. What are you doing in Atlanta anyway?” She raised a brow at him, before a burst of laughter fell from her lips at his compliment. “Okay, okay. I didn’t know Theo Hardy can be funny. That was just like...bad karaoke, it’s nothing special. I wish you didn’t have to hear it, that’s three minutes you’ll never get back,” She grimaced, before adding. “I’m sure you’ve heard of something far better than that before.” Shaking her head, she waved her hand nonchalantly at him. Having people telling the brunette that she wasn’t good enough for years, she simply refused to take his compliment seriously. Besides, they were strangers, maybe he just had to be polite. Unless people were assholes, it was a rare occurrence for people to be honest to someone straight to their faces. Sitting on the barstool next to Theo, she gathered that being in a small jazz club like this one, it was probably harder for him to be recognised. Even though she noticed him right away, she made a mental note for herself to not make it too obvious she was sitting to a celebrity right now. He probably wouldn’t appreciate a pack of fans bombarding him for autographs. It was then, before she realised that while she, of course, knew the man by name, she hadn’t introduced herself yet. “Oh, sorry! I’m being rude. I’m Shelby, by the way. Can I get you another drink? At least for having to watch me perform anyway, it’s on the house.”