we're classic together [private] like egyptian gold

ryleigh hoying

(( oh my god, i freaking love victoria! she's so cute omg

also, i was going to ask who would get the boys' table, but i came up with something as i was writing luke's post. how about since someone needs to be covering the tables at all times, vic and ryleigh could be given the same tables so one could perform and the other can wait tables and then they switch every so often? if that makes sense? ))

it's around 7:30 in the evening, prime dinner time and also the busiest time of the day for everyone working at avenue 42 (that's so bad but i couldn't think of anything else rip... if you can think of another name for the restaurant feel free to share ideas!). ryleigh, dressed in a cute red dress and her hair was loosely curled, covering her exposed shoulders. one of the good parts about working here is the employee dress code isn't too strict. there's no matching outfits or anything, it just has to fit the aesthetic of the restaurant. because of this, ryleigh and her brother have a lot of fun finding outfits that match, although it's typically ryleigh wearing a colored dress and rhys wearing a black suit with a matching colored tie.

the layout of the restaurant was pretty open. tables were placed all around the main room, with some spots cleared out for performances and even tap dancing platforms. to the side of the restaurant, there's a larger main stage where all the instruments are, and where the band mainly stays. it was a good layout and it was super easy to navigate.

between performing and waiting tables, ryleigh was pretty busy all the time. the only time she really had to herself was when she was changing between her tap shoes and her regular shoes, since the tap shoes can damage the regular flooring and since hearing the constant tapping can be very annoying. but nonetheless, ryleigh didn't really care about getting breaks, she always had fun while working. and it seemed like the customers had a lot of fun too, which was great.

throughout the day, ryleigh couldn't tell who was coming in and who was coming out, everything just happens too quick for her to actually get a hold of. but, about two hours ago, the manager told all the workers that they were expecting a very important group in the restaurant tonight. ryleigh couldn't stop thinking about it. who could it be? it's los angeles, there's so many people that could be. music scouts? actual celebrities? possibilities are endless. although, ryleigh could get an idea of who the manager was talking about when a group of about seven came in, all dressed in dark clothes, manly leather jackets. meeting her best friend victoria at the kitchen, she leaned in to talk to her quietly. "i think that's the group we were told about? they look kinda important." she mentioned. ryleigh couldn't exactly make out who was who, but they had that kind of "hey, we're important" aura.

luke hemmings

after a busy day of working and goofing around in the studio, the boys and their managers decided to go out for dinner at one of los angeles's newer restaurants. they've heard a ton of good things about it, plus there was live music by the staff. that's not really common around here. luke himself did a lot of research about the restaurant beforehand and found out that it's a vintage themed restaurant that covers songs in an older way. he's even seen videos people have taken while they were there and it seemed really cool. honestly, luke was probably one of the more excited ones to go.

since the restaurant itself had this very high class look, luke believed that he needed to dress up, or at least not look like a hobbit. he wore black jeans, a white long sleeve shirt, and a black leather jacket to complete the look. black goes with everything, so at least he won't look too out of place if they actually had to completely dress up. also, leather jackets were pretty vintage, so it worked.

to his surprise, there wasn't really anyone waiting when they got to the restaurant. typically, when you have a super popular restaurant, there's always a long wait. one of the managers checked the group in and luke sat down to wait for a table. he couldn't hear any music yet, maybe they're taking a break? luke also wondered how this kind of thing worked. did someone else cover for the person performing, did the wait tables and perform at the same time? it's confusing, but it they're this popular with no complaints, they must have a plan sorted out.

"this place is pretty cool," luke commented, looking around the area he was sitting in. it was just like an older fancy building, with the decorations and everything. the theme was very important here. after about ten minutes, they were notified they had a table. luke followed the group into the main dining area, quickly taking everything in. it was like he was taken back into time, and he actually kind of liked it. their table was a little bit away from the main stage, but it was also next to a clearing made for a good-sized worn platform. "what do you think that's for?" luke asked as he sat down next to calum and ashton, referencing to the platform. it wasn't more than 5 inches off the ground, but it was pretty unusual to see. another thing he noticed was the employees. they were all really nicely dressed and they all had on different outfits, which was pretty different. usually employees would wear the same outfit. but, that probably added to the atmosphere, right?

ryleigh hoying

grinning sheepishly, ryleigh looked at victoria as she said she would have to handle the table by herself. "okay, i guess i'll be able to handle it." she sighed, laughing a bit after. "good luck, love! you'll do amazing." she said to her best friend before she got ready to leave the area. after finishing whatever she needed to do at the kitchen, ryleigh grabbed her notepad and a pen and headed out, going to her section of the restaurant.

along the way to the table of new customers, ryleigh would check other tables, making sure they're all fine before moving on. it was pretty repetitive work, having to go to each table and ask the same question, but at least they were happy. well, most of the time. other times, they would be needing something, whether it be another drink or something for their meal. ryleigh and victoria did a great job at making sure their customers were happy.

approaching the table, ryleigh was actually a bit intimidated. she's never seen more leather jackets in one place. but, she has a job to do. "hello, i hope you all are having a great evening so far! my name is ryleigh and i'll be one of your waitresses for tonight. you'll meet your other waitress a little bit later on tonight, but i guess you all are stuck with me for now." she said, glad she was able to make the table laugh with her humor. "is there anything i can get you all to get started?" she asked.

one by one they all gave her their drink requests until one of them requested alcohol. "while i'm in no way doubting any of you all or anything, nor am i just trying to know your names, if you order anything alcoholic, i'm legally obligated to ask for some sort of id." she said. they seemed to be liking her so far, which was great. instead of just one showing her their id, the whole group did as well, just in case they wanted to order alcohol later on in the night. and with that, ryleigh was on her way back to the kitchen to get the drinks. on the way, she couldn't quite figure out why their names sounded so familiar, but they did. it's like she knew them from somewhere, but she couldn't quite tell what.

luke hemmings

looking at the platform, luke nodded. it did make a lot of sense for it to be a dancing platform. "maybe you're right, cal." he said, nodding. "man, you sure are smart!" he said jokingly before laughing. man, this place seemed to put luke in a good mood. looking down at his menu, luke searched for what he wanted. he was given recommendations on what to eat that really seemed to help him, but he couldn't quite figure out what he wanted just yet.

looking up from his menu, luke saw the board calum was talking about. hmm, it did seem like a performance was soon. "well then, this should be interesting, huh boys?" he said, sitting up straight in his chair. not long after, their waitress came up to the table. or, one of their waitresses. luke smiled politely, listening to the girl standing at their table. she was super nicely dressed, and she was pretty cool. luke found himself constantly laughing at her comments, as did the others at the table. a funny waitress is a good waitress. when she started taking drink orders, luke was actually the first one to order alcohol. it wasn't anything major, it was probably just one glass he was going to make last the whole meal. plus, he ordered water with it.

after the waitress left, luke was left wondering what she meant by them meeting their other waitress soon. why wasn't she with the first waitress? was she busy elsewhere? no matter what, those thoughts went away when he noticed the music picking up, and a girl getting ready to perform. she was amazingly pretty, and that outfit really made her look like she was one with the restaurant. when she started singing, boy did luke feel captivated. she was incredible, and for such a small looking girl, she had a powerful voice. now he can see what the hype was about.

as her performance kept going, he noticed she would continually make eye contact with him and occasionally wink. this was something even luke did at concerts. he would find certain people in the crowd and they'd be the ones he'd always look at throughout the night. it wasn't creepy or anything, it's like one of those "you can't unsee them" kind of things. but even if luke knew it was merely harmless when a performer did this, it still put a smile on luke's face. the ones at his table could see it, and some even began to teasingly nudge him over it. ah, that's what friends are for.

ryleigh hoying

(( awh, that is really cute! it'll be like, their song omg uwu

also, did you mean like each performance was 30 minutes apart or each individual's performance was every 30 minutes? i was kinda envisioning someone performing every 10 minutes or so so their isn't a lot of dead space, but i don't really know how this would go... ))

ryleigh really wished she could've stayed still and watched victoria's whole performance, but work had to be done. she had tables to tend to, food to help take out, and tables to help clean. luckily there were other staff who handled taking out food and taking in the dirty plates. ryleight didn't bring any spare clothes so if she got this dress dirty, it was kinda it.

as much as she could, she watched victoria's performance. she even danced with a little girl who was dancing right beside her table. that's the kind of interaction she loves at this place. it was one of the main reasons she decided to be a waitress. truth be told, she wouldn't be a waitress anywhere else. either she's working with music or not working at all. at least she gets paid for helping her brother out with his music.

after victoria's performance, the tables began applauding her for her performance, as did ryleigh. her and victoria are each other's main supporters here, or that's what they claim. that's the best part about working with your best friend. actually, the entie staff were really good friends with each other, mainly because they're all musical and theatrical enthusiasts. i mean, who else would you get singing at a vintage music restaurant? but, that's not a bad thing. they get really wild, which always makes the crowd happy. one crowd favorite, besides ryleigh and victoria, was casey. casey was a guy that really enjoyed what he was doing and took "crowd enjoyment" to another level with his actions. every time he performed, the crowd would just be laughing uncontrollably. he sure was talented, but boy was he a comedian. and actually, he was the next to perform. and actually, if ryleigh could remember right, she was supposed to tap dance in one of his songs. yep, that's what they planned today. for today's agenda, it went victoria, casey, rhys, ryleigh, and then the other staff, ryleigh couldn't remember their order. throughout all the performances, they all kinda performed with each other, whether it be tap dancing, singing along, or just being there to sing backup.

when ryleigh was stopped by victoria, the first thing she did was praise her performance. "you did so good! that was amazing!" she said before answering victoria's question about their new table. "oh, they're really cool. i made them laugh a few times, so they're really easygoing. cute, too. but you didn't hear it from me." she giggled as she said goodbye and went to turn in more food orders. they were all really handsome guys, especially one of the darker haired ones. she should've taken the chance to look at their names when she checked their ids. ryleigh did this so many times, she didn't need to search the card for the right place, she already knew where to look. that's where she went wrong.

luke hemmings

luke kept making smalltalk with his friends, especially after ashton commented about him being smarter. boy, does he have a lot of baggage he can use on ashton. well, they all have baggage to use of each other. perks of being together everyday for 7 years?

as the performance went on, luke looked at his table to see some of the guys at their table recording victoria for their instagram or snapchat stories. they really did try to be social media savvy. luke, however, kept his phone down, paying attention only to the music. she was incredibly good and her voice was near angelic. any mysic producer would try to snatch her and get her on their label as soon as possible. he wondered why she hsn't already done that. should he ask? would that be too much? can she even answer that?

luke felt himself being nudged and he looked over at calum, shaking his head. "no way, she probably doesn't even know who i am." he said. slim chance, since they're one of the biggest bands out there, but they still get the occasional people who don't know anything about these boys.

when she stepped off the stage, luke applauded before taking a drink. it was at that point when he felt another nudge from calum, making him almost spilling his drink. that made ashton and michael laugh. "yeah," luke coughed out, setting his drink down. "she was awesome." he continued before looking at the menu again.

it wasn't long until someone else approached their table and luke immediately recognised her as the girl who just performed. victoria was her name. luke ordered his food, going simple with a burger like calum. and once he heard calum compliment their waitress, luke immediately looked at him, then at victoria. should he have said something? "yeah, you did really good." he added. luke thought he sounded awkward, but that's just luke being luke. after everyone ordered, luke chimed in. "excuse me, i don't mean this in, like, a really mean way, but is this the only place you sing? like, are you signed anywhere? i mean, you're really good, we thought you've be signed to a label or something." luke couldn't quite find the words to say, but he made it. he make his managers chuckle a little bit, but at least they didnmg fully laugh at him.

ryleigh hoying

(( oh, i get it! i just kinda wasn't quite sure how to play it out, but that definitely makes sense! also, it's okay if your posts are short! i understand lmao, it's nearly 1 am and apparently this is a prime time for my muse??? i don't get it yikes ))

once she knew victoria was back into the swing of things and that all her tables were taken care of, ryleigh let off to the back to switch her normal shoes for her tap shoes. she wouldn't get the chance any time later, so now was the moment. she also changed her hair, putting her hair in a half-up half-down type of hairstyle with the ponytail near the top of her head. she pulled her bangs out from the high ponytail and made sure nothing was pulling or hurting. working with a ponytail too tight is absolutely terrible, ryleigh would know.

stepping out of the employee's area, ryleigh didn't skip a beat and she went right back into dealing with the tables. she went around refilling drinks for all the tables and then helped serve the food for a bigger table. she even made time to talk to those at other tables, and she didn't even notice enough time had passed that the next performer was already going. casey really did have a good reputation with the crowds here, they were always either laughing, dancing, or singing along. he was a true performer, but he constantly told ryleigh that he'd never actually perform at concerts or anywhere if it wasn't with the staff here or if it wasn't in the same style as he performs here. ryleigh never really understood why he thought like that, but if it makes him happy, so be it.

casey's first song was a blues rendition of attention by charlie puth, a slower song. really set the tone for his whole set. not. around the end of the song, ryleigh made her way back to the leather jacket table, just to check up on them. she did the usual, ask if everything was okay or if the needed anything, and sure enough they reassured her and told her they were fine. she was about to walk away when she was stopped by one, asking her if she was going to perform soon. "like, with a full set? i mean, i'm not next, but i'm after whoever's next." she answered, completely dancing over the fact that she didn't mention that she actually would be performing soon, just for other performers.

they then got on the topic of casey, talking about him, his reputation, and whatnot. they seemed really interested with his character, everyone seemed to be. ryleigh tried her best answering all the questions they had, up until ryleigh felt a hand on her arm, gently pulling her back. "excuse me, but if i could borrow ryleigh for a moment." it was casey, apparently he was beginning his second song. not even trying to be quiet, but just loud enough for the tables next to them to hear, casey spoke to ryleigh. "okay, so do you think you could help me out with this next one? lucille is sick, you know that and she's normally one the girls tap for this song, you also know this, right? you do, that's a silly question. so if you could be so kind and do me this one favor? i'll pay you back for it i promise you, don't you worry!" he spoke quickly, dragging her over to the nearest dance platform. along the way, ryleigh was trying to cut him off, as if she was trying to tell him no. but, he took off for the main stage as soon as he could, leaving ryleigh looking confused and concerned. but, as soon as the music started playing and her cue came up, she started to tap dance in perfect rhythm to the song, as if she'd known the choreography all along. little did the crowd know, that little act was planned all along, and seeing the reactions from the nearby tables to her sudden adjustment to the song made ryleigh smile widely.

luke hemmings

luke as grateful victoria wasn't thinking he was weird or anything for asking, although it just occurred to him that she probably really gets that question a lot. well, if she explains it once, not everyone is going to know. it doesn't excuse the fact he's acting a ton of extremely obvious and repetitive questions that she's probably answered a hundred times. listening intently, luke nodded along as she spoke, signaling that he was understanding what she was talking about. it made sense that she was able to do things on broadway and even in hollywood, gosh dang she amazing. but as soon as she said she wasn't signed anywhere, luke tilted his head, finding the fact shocking. "oh really, that's interesting." he replied, right before she dismissed herself to go tend to other business.

as soon as she left, the table started talking about victoria. she was really cool and talented, she deserved the talk. but that nearly made him forget about ryleigh, the other waitress. luke's seen her at other tables, but now it's like she can't be found. is she gone or something? did her shift end? granted, the staff here do have a lot on their plates already, no pun intended. his questions were solved once he spotted ryleigh at another table, laughing and socializing. she did something different with her hair, is that all she did? was she preparing for something? shaking his head, luke took another drink of alcohol followed by a small drink of water.

in all honesty, luke didn't even notice the next performance going. he was all over the place already, thinking about the waitresses he already met. figuring this place out was a mystery, but luke was sure to do it. about a minute later, ryleigh came up to the table, apologizing for her absence and then asked if we needed anything. they didn't have their food yet, so all they needed would be drinks, but everyone was fine. out of nowhere, ashton spoke up to ryleigh. "hey, my friends and i were talking and we were wondering, when do you perform?" he asked. she seemed a bit taken back by the question, as if she wasn't expecting to hear it. she did perform, right? when she answered the question, luke finally understood, but he was still kind of curious about how this place worked. maybe he was just overthinking. after, they started talking about the current performer. apparently he's really good? well, his vocals are really nice and he's good at making the crowd laugh, but he definitely wasn't as good as victoria in luke's eyes.

time went by and ryleigh was still at their table, answering questions. poor girl, they were sitting there asking question on question, keeping her there. that is, until she was pulled away by the actual man performing. luke was very confused. that was a bit rude, wasn't it? "wait what the," luke said out loud, but not very loudly. other likewise comments were being said as everyone nearby listened to the conversation the two employees had. luke couldn't help but feel bad for ryleigh, she looked absolutely confused. "oh no," was all luke could manage to say, seeing ryleigh's blank face turn to surprise as the music started. luke began to flinch, expecting it to be bad, but he was pleasantly surprised when he figured out that she knew what she was doing all along. "clever plank, i see." luke laughed, taking another drink of water. "oh, so that's what those platforms are used for. you were right, cal!" luke commented, giving his friend a slight nudge, pretending like they didn't already resolve this question when they first got seated.

ryleigh hoying

once she was finished dancing, ryleigh went back to doing her usual thing: serving food, talking to customers, whatever she found herself doing any other time of the day. by the time she was actually done with her little act, she noticed all of her tables had their food out, that kitchen's been mighty busy.

after spending a maximum three minutes changing yet again into her normal shoes, ryleigh was back out in the main room, organizing plates and cups to be picked up by the busboys. there were times when the performance schedules were extremely bothersome, regarding changing into the right attire and whatnot. but, there wasn't much to do about it since the band needed the schedules early in the day so they know what to play. changing things last minute is a band's nightmare.

once ryleigh was sure all their tables were satisfied, she stopped next to victoria, finally able to take a deep breath. "never again am i agreeing to stay in those tap shoes for only one song. it's such a hassle to change them every five minutes." she sighed, fiddling with the clicker on her pen. "oh, how is that table our manager talked to us about? i'm so mad at myself for not being able to recognize them. and i even had the opportunity to catch their names when i checked their ids. i've been doing this for too long." ryleigh laughed, occasionally glancing over at the table she was talking about.

as the girls stood there and talked, rhys approached the girls, acting as if he was a part of their conversation the whole time. "yes! i totally agree! you're so right!" he commented, leaving ryleigh confused and speechless. "nice try, but you'll get it right next time!" she said, patting her brother on the shoulder. it was good rhys had such a good relationship with her and victoria, they were like the three musketeers, except they mainly just laughed at each other every time they're together. "oh, i was told to remind you that your set is being pushed up a couple minutes earlier, so plan for that." rhys told ryleigh. this means that every set is being pushed up. soon after, rhys left, leaving victoria and ryleigh alone again. "i feel like i haven't done any work recently, this makes me feel terrible." ryleigh commented.

luke hemmings

luke had his eyes on ryleigh nearly the whole time she was dancing near their table. she was flying, and it always baffled luke how dancing like that could sound so good, but that must be the fun of it. heck, even just walking sounds good with those tap shoes. "boys, imagine if we did something like that for a concert." luke suggested before laughing. majority of the responses were either "i'd fall straight on my face" or "good luck trying to get us to learn how to tap dance." it was a pretty interesting concept, but even luke himself couldn't see himself doing any of that. maybe as a joke or as something to get a few laughs when he's with the boys, but never professionally. he's too tall for that, his legs probably wouldn't even know how to comprehend something like that.

when the food started to arrive, luke did the usual "clean the table, sit up straight" thing nearly everyone seemed to do at restaurants. he didn't really know why it was just a common response, maybe it's just common curtesy to clean yourself up when someone arrives to the table. when it was time for him to get his food, he met victoria in the middle and cautiously took his plate from her, just so she didn't have to reach so far. he said a small thanks, along with giving a small nod and a smile.

he waited patiently until everyone was situated before even touching his food. when victoria asked if anyone needed anything, luke looked at everyone before looking at victoria. "i think we may be okay for now, thank you so much." he answered for the table, a soft smile still on his face. when she left, luke began to start on his food, his eyes going wide when he realized how good it actually tasted. "oh my god," was all he managed to say. this was probably one of the best burgers he's had in los angeles.

before luke knew it, it was awfully quiet. he's been enjoying the music from the staff, it was too quiet when the conversations from the tables were the only things lighting up the room. "isn't there supposed to be someone up soon?" he asked, not even bothering to look at that board that showed who was performing when. he could only look at the standing information sheet in the middle of their table, which he didn't seem to notice before. it was a sheet of everyone's social media pages. "oh hey, how did we not see this," luke said to the table, motioning toward the centerpiece.

ryleigh hoying

"calum? oh my god that sounds so familiar! this is irritating me so much! why can't we remember?" ryleigh asked, putting her hands on her head. it's like when you're thinking of a word, and you know what that word is in the back of your mind, but you just can't find it and say it. ryleigh hated that feeling, but there wasn't really much it she could do about it. what was she going to do? walk up to them and say "hey, i think i know you from somewhere, do i?" not only was that really creepy, but also unprofessional. sure, a lot of the things the staff here does is comedic, but borderline unprofessional, but there's a distinct line separating acceptable and unacceptable.

when victoria said she had everything under control, ryleigh sighed. "thank you so much, vic. you're way too kind. and i'm definitely ready to kill this. i'm getting tired and that isn't good. i need to get going before i get too tired." ryleigh commented. later on, victoria mentioned the blonde guy at their table. stealing a glance, ryleigh nodded. he did look kind of cute, but not as cute as the one next to him. but ryleigh is way too awkward to just ask for their names straight up. maybe she can work her way around it? maybe she can get rhys to do it? he's good with that kind of stuff. "hmm, i'll see what i can do." she said as the two went their separate ways. victoria went to the leather table and ryleigh went to the others, helping pass out food, refill drinks, the whole ordeal.

since the sets were moved up, ryleigh didn't have as much time as she'd hoped to get ready. she didn't even go back in the dressing room at all, since there wasn't really a need to. while she was refilling a tables' drinks, ryleigh heard a faint drumroll, which was a cue the band and the staff created so they knew when to get on stage. go time. putting away the water pitcher, ryleigh made her way to the stage, grabbing a wireless microphone and a normal microphone stand, placing it in the middle of the stage. some customers noticed this and gave a few hollers for her, which left ryleigh smiling, her cheeks flushed bright pink.

"i was going to say something wild to get your attention, but it seems like i don't have to, was i being that loud up here?" ryleigh started off, getting a few laughs. she knew she wasn't being loud, but it was just a good starter. "well, since i have your attention, i want to ask for your help. it's nothing major, but i think you all will be able to do it. please, don't prove me wrong, okay?" ryleigh asked with a smile. she stepped in front of the microphone and started the crowd with slow paced snaps, pretty simple. when everyone seemed to be catching on, the band chimed in, signaling the beginning of the song. this was one of her favorites.

ryleigh went through the first song with ease, receiving cheers throughout the song for her "rock-eqsue" style of singing. although, since this song called for her to use that tone, she nearly wanted to not look at the table with leather jackets. what if they were judging her for the way she sang? she normally never cared, but they were, as said for the hundredth time, important. they had to be important for a reason. but once the first song was done, she went to the second, a huge crowd favorite. her voice was a lot softer here, which gave her confidence to start looking at the leather table again. after the first chorus, she even felt confident enough to step off the stage and walk around the tables, singing along with anyone she walked past. with the second chorus, she invited people to sing along, and sure enough the leather jacket table was singing along. some where recording with their phones, and others even held up their drinks.

luke hemmings

luke saw calum take a picture of the page and he laughed. "r-y-l-e-i-g-h, that's a new way of spelling it." luke said, reading her instagram handle, which was simply 'ryleigh' (that name's actually not taken on instagram, that's sHOcking). he was surprised she had such a short but original handle, not many people were able to do that, since thousands of accounts are made every day, it's hard to find something like that anymore.

victoria came back with calum's beer, and a beer for him, and luke's eyes widened. he didn't even need to say anything? "oh, wow thank you." he said, still a bit surprised she was so observant. he also didn't even realize he was that low anyways, but he isn't anymore. "everything's amazing." luke answered victoria, smiling at her laughing. she had such a nice laugh and her smile was so pretty, goodness, what's gotten into him? it was like she was the only one he could think about. he's never been this way, why now? sure, she was cool, but he doesn't even know her?

at calum's question towards ashton, luke glanced over his way, seeing the sight to behold. luke laughed out loud, leaning his head back. "ash, you silly guy!" luke said teasingly, going to take another bite of his food. by this time, he was nearly done. that food is just that good. honestly, luke nearly wished he'd gotten more, but he decided to keep his portion on the smaller side mainly because he didn't know what to expect, but also because he wasn't paying. it's still courteous to not order the most expensive thing on the menu when you're not paying, no matter how much money you have. and luke wasn't really the type to order the most expensive item. at avenue 42, it was probably some really expensive steak or something?

luke stayed silent as he finished his food, but the few sudden cheers broke him from the silence, making him shoot his head up, looking around. oh, ryleigh was on stage. "oh hey, look who it is." luke commented, making everyone else at the table look toward the stage. she looked so tiny up there, and almost like she was shy after receiving some applause. but surely this wasn't her first time up there. luke set everything down so he could follow along with her instructions, snapping along slowly. it felt like a poetry slam or something, but it made the atmosphere really cool. soon enough, she started with seven nation army, making their table give some really excited "oohs." when she started singing, luke was impressed. that voice came out of that tiny girl? well, it happened with victoria, it shouldn't surprise him with ryleigh. although, the longer she kept singing, the more luke was impressed. she had a great voice, definitely one she's never heard from a girl before. "i wasn't expecting this!" luke said as the first song was nearly over. when she was talking to them, she sounded so sweet, but up there she sounded powerful, and luke could tell the crowd was definitely feeding her energy.

luke applauded when the first song was over, and the second song was starting. goodness, this girl's song choice was really good. "i'm pleasantly surprised." luke said, quietly so everyone could still hear. she was softer here, and it really fit the song. while she was singing, luke looked over at everyone at the table. michael and ashton were swaying and singing the chorus together, ashton holding his phone and michael holding his drink. smiling, luke shrugged and joined in singing, having fun. they weren't the only table to do so, but boy were they having fun. ryleigh seemed to take note of them, since luke noticed her near their table, smiling at their antics. by the time she sang "what the hell am i doing here?" she was right beside him and calum, her hand lightly grazing the back of calum's chair. it wasn't long, she was there. right at the bridge, she began walking back to the stage. even though she had a mic and she was walking away, luke could still hear her without the microphone, which made him awe. "wow," luke said looking at calum. "she's good, eh?" he nudged his friend.

ryleigh hoying

as the band began their third and final song, ryleigh widened her eyes and smiled as the voice that came out of the speakers wasn't her own. her energy was definitely wearing down, but she tried her best to not let it show. she's been working nearly all day and after this song, she'd at least be done with performing. that's when majority of the crowd seemed to leave too, so it'd start slowing down, thankfully. and performing with her best friend? what a way to end the night.

things were going great, victoria looked like she was having a lot of fun and so was ryleigh. there was a reason those two were so popular, and it showed. as the bridge came along, ryleigh followed victoria down the stairs, but only to sit on the edge of the stage, one leg crossed over the other. she would be lying if she said her feet weren't killing her, and this small bit of relief was what she needed. being a waitress was hard enough, always being on your feet. but adding dancing, especially tap dancing, onto that? it takes nearly twice the effort, which makes your feet twice as tired. call ryleigh weak for sitting, but at least she looked cute doing it.

the crowd really did love them, it was evident when the fancy themed restaurant was filled with people singing along to an old-timely covered rock song. the whole time ryleigh and victoria were separated, she found herself watching victoria the whole time. she was a lot better at "crowd involvement" than ryleigh, any day. ryleigh was always scared she'd embarrass herself if she tried to do anything victoria does, so she normally sticks to distant eye contact and subtle ways of close contact. ryleigh's just always been really bad at close contact with strangers. well, she's just awkward. and when she's awkward, she laughs... a lot.

as the song was drawing to a close, ryleigh made her way back onto the stage again, to give a final goodbye and to give a few waves before putting her microphone and stand away to get right back into her work. once behind the curtain, ryleigh looked at victoria. "you were really bold over there! you must really like that guy." she said in a teasing way. she had a good reason to like him, all the guys at that table were above average in terms of looks, and it wasn't everyday you'd get to see people like that. too bad waitresses will never see any of their customers ever again, most of the time.

luke hemmings

as luke finished his food, he scooted his plate away from himself, cleaning up his area to make it easier on the staff. it was also after ryleigh's second song, so there was a slight amount of time for him to enter the girls' instagram names on the search bar, tapping on their profile and immediately exiting out so they're at least saved on his search history. using calum's picture would've been easy, but luke doesn't want to take the easy way out. plus, if he has spare time, he should use it wisely, right?

the last song started playing and luke nearly jumped when he noticed it was victoria singing. she went back there, and changed her entire outfit, all while ryleigh was out here? this place is a whole different world, goodness gracious. "wait, whoa!" luke exclaimed, placing his phone face down on the table.

at the second verse, a male came around to their table and started picking up their plates. luke helped out a little bit, just by handing him the plates. once he was gone, luke's attention was back on stage, watching the girls perform. there was something different about them that nobody else seemed to have. their aesthetic and aura just felt... cool. like, luke wouldn't mind hanging out with them at any time outside of this place. but that stems another thought. luke really has no clue what they're really like. this could all be a front since this is a job. would he even like them outside of this building? what were they even like? a glance at their social medias later could help.

the song was beginning to come to an end and the bridge has arrived. victoria was out and about and ryleigh was still on the stage, probably to let victoria have a moment. luke also quickly noted victoria was moving over to their side of the restaurant. ryleigh also came to this side, maybe it's because their tables are over here? luke held eye contact with victoria as she neared their table, and she even winked at him, which made him smile. the whole table oohed and teased luke, and he could even hear michael and ashton saying "luke! oh my goodness luke!" he was probably red in the face, but luckily the darker lighting hid him fron even more exposure, for as much as it could.