It is Friday night, 11am, the time the pubs the busiest. The atmosphere is nice to be fair, it's a shame I'm not drinking. I don't hate my job to be honest, everyone is nice and not many fights happens, one every so often, but that's bound to happen. The Harvest, that's what the pubs called, it's nothing special, but it's probably one of the safest pubs in town, so it's good to work in.  I stand behind the bar, waiting for someone to approach me. Eventually a familiar old man hobbles up, James. James has been up at the pub almost every night since I've started working, and he's the nicest man I've met.

I smile at him as he approaches and he sighs as he pulls himself up onto the bar stool.

"Hello dear," he says, his wrinkled face turning into a smile.

"Hello Sir," I say back, grabbing a glass from beside me.

"I've told you before Jayden, no need to be so formal," he says, waving his hand dismissively.

"Sorry, James, what can I get you?" I ask him, as I gesture to the cabinet with all the drinks behind me.

"I'll have a whiskey please," he smiles as he hands me a tenner, I smile and get him his change, which he leaves on the counter. "You get paid minimum job for doing this shit, I get paid more than enough for doing nothing, keep it dear," he says with a wink and I roll my eyes. Knowing he won't give in, this was a usual routine for us. I pour some whiskey into a glass and put ice into it, before handing him it. I put the money in my black jean pocket.

"Thank you," I say as I put my hand on the man's, he lifts his hand slowly and puts it on top of mine. He just smiles before shaking his head.

"I heard the entertainment pulled out tonight, " he says with a smile, nodding towards the empty stage, a mic standing on its own.

"You know I don't sing in front of crowds," I say with a smile.

"Please Jayden, you have a beautiful voice, anyway, half of these nutcases are that drunk they won't even notice if you mess up," he says with a happy smile.

"If I do it this once, will you stop pressuring me every night to do it," I say with a laugh, he nods with a massive smile, I roll my eyes and accept.

"Just. This. Once." I say pointing at the man. I untie my apron at the back and pull it off, walking towards the stage, flicking on the spotlight as I walk past, I am usually the one that sets up the musicians anyway, so I know how it all works. I plug the mic into the socket and listen as the feedback rings out.

"Hi everyone, you may recognise me as-"

"Your the girl who just gave me a pint," a man shouts from the back.

"Bartender. Yes thanks," I roll my eyes and I plug the speaker into my phone.

"Any suggestions of songs you want sung?" I say nervously into the mic.

"God save the queen!" Someone shouts, getting a lot of cheers in unison. I roll my eyes, I don't wanna sing that for fuck sake.

"Why don't I save that for last, a big finale," I say with a smile, making all the men cheer.

"Sing a One Direction song," a voice shouts from somewhere in the crowd. One direction. Absolutely not.

"One of those kids lived twenty minutes up the road," someone shouted, getting lots of support.

"Fine, I'll sing a One D song, let me get one up," I look through there album and only know the words to one off the radio. I sigh and the familiar beat sets in. Singing One Direction to a bunch of middle aged guys, this will be fun. I look I to the crowd and spot James, giving me a supportive smile and thumbs up. I take a deep breath and focus on my voice.

"Your insecure," I start, I immediately hear someone shout, no I'm not, making a small smile wash over my face, the rest of the verse goes sorta like that.

"Baby you light up my world like no body else," I belt, making everyone look up in surprise and impress.

"The way that you flick your hair gets you overwhelmed," I sing confidently, while flipping my hair behind my shoulder, making a few bald men copy me sassily, making me laugh a bit.

"But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell, you don't know, you don't know your beautiful,"
I sing, making some people stand up with there drinks and sway about with there hand sun the air.

"Na nana na nana na nana na" I sing, tapping my hand on the mic, making everyone clap along to the beat.

After a few lines more, I start to sing the chorus on my own, my voice fills the room easily and pleasently, everyone looking at me is smiling and having fun, "you don't know... everyone..."I point the mic towards everyone in front of me, all over the age of 40 and mostly men, they all shout

"You don't know your beautiful," louder than I've ever heard, I smile as all these men are jumping and laughing with there mates, making my singing shake through my smile, I look over at James who is sitting with the biggest smile on his face.

"That's what makes you beautiful," I say, finishing the song and putting one arm in the air in happiness. Everyone in the bar roars and I drop my head and my hand with a smile as I look at the crowd of about 40 all smiling at applauding.

"Thank you," I laugh and begin to walk off the platform, before getting stopped by a voice.

"Oi, doll, you need to sing God Save the Queen," a voice echos across the room, everyone turns and looks at them.

"Shut up Glen,"

"Fuck off mate, she smashed that,"

"Go sing it outside Glen, your fucking steaming,"

"Glen shut up, no wonder your wife left you,"

"We are singing that song at the footy now,"

I laugh at all the responses to one man asking me to sing a different song. I shake my head with a laugh and walk back over to James, putting my apron on and jumping back over the bar.

"Your something special Jayden,  you have a talent," James says, smiling at me softly. I thank him before jumping up onto the bar unit.

"Who's thirsty," I laugh as I clap my hands, my statements greeted with lots of cheers and thuds on tables. "Someone buy Glen a pint though, his wife took everything apparently," I shout, giving the middle aged man a sympathetic smile. He nods sadly. I jump off the counter and tend to the crowd of people asking for drinks. The rest of the night is full of singing as people are nominated to go up on stage, I laugh as I put the music on, watching people belt out there favourite song, with everyone cheering them on, no matter how shite they are.

When it hits 3am I have to shut the pub so everyone gets kicked out. I stand by the door, waving everyone off, poor Glen walks about trying to find somewhere to stay the night.

I keep the door open as James starts walking towards the door. "Goodnight dear," he says to me, kissing my forehead lightly, I smile at him and hold his hand, helping him down the step at the door.

"Thank you for giving me the encouragement to go up and sing," I say with a smile, he waves his hand dismissing my thanks.

"It was all you sweetheart," I says as he pats my hand with thanks. "Remember, if you every get the opportunity, take it, you could go far dear," he says, giving me a kind wink before walking slowly down the street.

James was just a lonely man, his wife passed away a few years ago, when the pubs quiet he loves to show me all his pictures of her,  he loved her so much, I hope someday someone loves me as much as he loved her. James was the first one to properly talk to me when I moved here and I thank him for it.

I turn round, sighing, walking into the pub again, I walk into the toilets, checking the ladies stalls were empty, I walk into the mens and push all the stalls to make sure no one's in them, I get to the last one and it won't open. The lock says engaged.

"Come on mate, we are closing, beat it," I say, no response. "Glen is that you, how many times have I said-" I say getting angry, then the lock opens and a man walks out. I had never seen the man before but he smiles at me kindly. He walks over to the sink and turns on the tap.

"Sorry love, I was just about to leave," he says kindly, his London accent think. I look at him confused.

"Okay, just let yourself out the doors still open," I say as I go to leave.

"That was quite the performance you done out there," he said, stoping me from walking out.

"Thanks," I say with a forced smile, who was this creep.

"Do you preform often?" He and again. What's with the questions.

"No," I saw dismissively as I start to lift the bin bag out the bin. I'm the only one on shift today so I might as well do it while I'm here.

"Your very good at it, your good at getting a crowd going," he says as he pulls a blue paper towel out and drying his hands before, throwing it into the empty bin frame.

"What the fuck mate," I mutter ask I pick it up and put it in the bin bag.

"Can I give you a card," he says as he pulls out a small card and hand it to me.

"What's it for? If it's some dodgy shit I'm not doing it," I say looking at him serious, he just laughs gently.

"No, it's not, it's ligit, you can look it up," he says, trying to reassure me.

"Yeah it's not like anyone can put something on the internet," I say sarcastically, as I look at the card carefully.

Simon Cowell Personal
073627472837
Business- [email protected]

"Simon Cowell is better?" I say, not believing him.

"Don't, I've told him to change it so many times, he won't listen, thinks it's funny," the man says with a shrug.

"Makes him sound like a stuck up dick," I shrug back.

"He is pal," he reassured me.

"Why would I want to work for him then?" I say confused.

"Cause he can make you rich," he says with a smile.

"I'm sorry who are you?" I asked confused.

"I'm Simons assistant sort of, I go out to pubs and entertainment venues and try find the next big thing, and you darling-" I cut him off.

"Don't call me darling" I say as I continue listening.

"Sorry, and you, are the next big thing," He says with a smile, I cant help but smile back.

"Really?" I ask, excitement bubbling.

"Really. I messaged Simon already and he said that if you want, you could come to his head quarters  right now and see if we could work something out," the man says, as he puts his hands in his bomber jacket pockets.

"Yeah alright, let me just close up here quickly, and take the bins out and close the drinks and turn everything off," I say, listing off the task I need to do.

"You need to do all that?" He says confused.

"Oh and clean everything down, you could get started on that actaully!" I say happily as I grab the man's arm, he is tall and muscular, maybe mid thirties. I drag him into the main pub area, his hands never leaving his pockets. I run over to the bar and grab the cloth and spray from behind the panel and throw it to him.

"Thanks," I chirp as he catches the cloth and spray against his chest, I smile before picking up the bin bag from before and taking it out to the bins.