Re: Reza & Nate
The fact that Nate mentioned music sent a happy little thrill through Reza. Toby had nudged him in Nate’s direction because of music anyway, but not every club owner had a genuine affinity for it, they just cared about what would draw in more drinking customers. “I’m an agent for musicians, actually,” he answered with a laugh. “Kind of on sabbatical right now, obviously, but it’s what I love to do. The club scene in Chicago is amazing, and there’s so much local talent, I stayed really busy. That’s actually how Shane and I met, he co-owns a club there.” Reza glanced back at his boyfriend again, who was in animated conversation with the tall drink of water who’d come with the small blonde lady. “Do you ever do live music nights here or anything?”
“I do,” Nate grinned, his eyes lighting up. “Not often enough. It’s actually been too long. Usually about once a month, I bring in a local band to play, or do an open mic night, something to kind of mix things up. There’s a few bands in the area that almost always jump at the chance, as well as local musicians. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it can be fun.” They didn’t have an actual music venue there in Point Pleasant, so the opportunities for live music were usually relegated to town-wide events, most of them family friendly. Nate was open to taking some of the more alternative music, and if a band had a small following, then it brought those people into Point Pleasant and his bar. He didn’t always make money, if he paid the band, but it brought about the possibility of repeat customers, which was a win in the end. “I don’t know if we’ve got anyone around here good enough to get your attention, but it’d be kind of fun to find out.”
All of that sounded great to Reza, and the way Nate looked excited about it made it even better. “Oh, I’m sure you do,” he said with a light laugh. “I firmly believe that almost everyone has an audience out there, it’s just a matter of finding the right one. But yeah, I’d love to come to one, check out the local talent. I know there’s usually some live music on the pier on the weekends too, but I’m sure they try to keep those palatable to a wide audience.” He chuckled and sipped his drink. “So I’ll keep an eye out for whenever you do the next one.” Reza was sure they would still be here when that time rolled around -- what was happening with the other AIR survivors was a big deal, but it was moving understandably slowly. They had to be cautious. But it meant an extended stay in Point Pleasant, and Reza was eager to catch a live show in the meantime.
“Do you have a card? Or a number I can reach you at? I’ll drop you a text when I get something setup,” Nate offered. It would be more convenient for Reza than trying to track the local events by word of mouth, but it would also give Nate Reza’s contact information, should he ever need it. He didn’t know much about the other witch, but it was always good to have their information, just in case. He wondered what the other man’s skillset was and if he was able to use it on the job. He’d never known a witch to pick a profession that didn’t utilize their skills in some way, but then most of the witches he knew were in Point Pleasant.
Reza set his drink down to pull his wallet out and check to see if he had any business cards left. He’d given out a couple of them since he’d been here, but there were a few left, so Reza pulled one free and offered it over to Nate. “Sounds good, looking forward to it,” he said with a warm smile. Maybe they could work together on something at some point, put together a little music showcase, get to know each other better in the process. The career-oriented part of Reza’s brain was dying for a project to chew on, and it would probably do him some good to have something distracting to do. “I’ll let you get back to it, I know you’re busy,” Reza added, glancing down the bar. “Just felt like time to say hello finally. Give the invisible secret handshake and all.”