Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 22:49:17 -0500 (EST)
From: Sean R <seanr_13@yahoo.ca>
Subject: The Missing Piece of a Piano - 10

The Missing Piece of a Piano
By: Sean Roberts

Author's Note: Thanks very much to everybody who has written so far.
I hope you're enjoying -- please send all feedback to seanr_13@yahoo.ca

Bar 10

Never?

Never.

She has never been to the city.  The spring break is now
upon them.  The sun shines more frequently and heavy jackets
with gloves and scarves are no longer needed.  She rings his
doorbell and Mark, who is home for the break, lets her in.

The top of her brown skirt, which falls to just above her
knees, is concealed by her jacket.  For the first time he sees
her legs.  Smooth and tanned and slim.  He wishes her skirt was
higher and he wants her to remove her jacket.  She smiles when
she sees him.  She wears dark red lipstick and her cheeks too
are red, her eyes blue.  But the colours are faint and he cannot
tell that they are not part of her skin until he moves closer.

She thinks he wants to kiss her but instead he hugs her.
She gives Mark a confused look while she is being embraced.

"You look amazing," Daniel whispers into her ear.

The bottle of water they take into the car with them keeps
her talking for three hours.

"I love to dance," she says for the sixth time.  Daniel has
counted the number of times she said it.  The repetition is for
emphasis, like the repeating of an order of notes in a sheet of
music.  He turns to her.  She has taken off her jacket and
underneath it is a white shirt, buttons down the front.
Underneath he sees a white t-shirt and beneath that there is
probably a bra.  It does not show through so it too is probably
white.  The skirt is a dull orange, which barely stands out
against her legs.

"Hey, watch the road!" she says when she sees him staring
at her.

"Fuck the road," he says, quickly pulling over to the side.

She looks worried.  He leans over and kisses her cheek,
once, quickly, the way she has done to him so many times.  "I
have something for you," he says.  A small box containing a gold
necklace comes out of his pocket.

"Daniel what's this for?" she says happily as she puts it
on.

"To make up for the concert.  I know I really got your
hopes up.  And when I saw it I thought of you.  It looks really
nice on you Faye."

"It does, doesn't it?"  She has dropped the vanity mirror
under the sun visor and is looking at the contrast of the gold
necklace and the white of her neck.

Bronze and white and gold.  The three colours move
together, back and forth, to the beat of the rap music blaring
from the speakers at the club.  The first time Daniel truly
listened to rap music he was appalled.  The beats were too
noisy; the rappers were yelling--there was no music--the only
instruments are a drum and a computer.  But he was forced after
Keith's death to listen to it more.  It was either that or
staying away from his new friends.

His appreciation for it came slowly but surely.  The
rhyming of the words; the rhythm of the words conforming
perfectly to the beat in the background; the ability of the
music to make him want to move.  The social commentary is the
part he likes the most.  This is rap.  This is what he dances to
with a drunken Faye, both of them having the time of their
lives.

Suddenly she stops dancing.  Daniel stops too because he
feels foolish being the only one.  She is looking past him, so
he turns around.  Before he sees what she does something grasps
him tightly.  He can not see who it is because his face rests on
the person's shoulder.  Then a familiar perfume reveals the
name.  Ashley.

"What are you doing here?" she asks.

"Let's talk outside," he says after she releases him.  She
looks at Faye, awaiting an introduction.  But instead Daniel
gives Faye money for another drink and tells her they will be
outside.  She does not look happy but he doesn't care.  When
they leave Faye goes to the bar.  Daniel's money slips out of
her hands onto the floor and she pays for her own drink.

"That was Faye," Daniel says as soon as the cool air takes
over the smoky, sweat filled atmosphere of the club.  Even with
the door closed beats from the music outside can be heard.  "My
girlfriend."

"Why didn't you introduce me?"

"Because.  She doesn't know."

"Oh."  Ashley doesn't know what to say.  Daniel takes his
pack of cigarettes from his pocket.  Ashley, with a simple
gesture, asks for one.  Daniel lights them both.

"I can't tell her the truth," Daniel says.  "So I can't say
anything."

"I know this is none of my business, Daniel, but if you
told her about your best friend--"

"But that's not what he is."  Ashley is about to have a
drag but she stops.  The hand with the cigarette drops back to
her side.

"Was, Daniel," she says softly.

"Fuck," Daniel says, turning around and taking a long puff
of his own cigarette.  "Yes.  Was.  But I can't lie about him.
I don't want to lie about him."  He looks at Ashley again.

"How long have you been seeing her?"

"Since about October."

"October Daniel?  I don't believe this.  That's a damn long
time.  If you don't want to lie--which you shouldn't--what about
telling her the truth?"

"I don't think it'll go over very well."

"Daniel it might be a bit of a surprise for her, but I'm
sure she'll get over it."

"We haven't kissed yet."

"What?"  She is confused, she does not know what he means
by telling her this.

"I haven't been able to kiss her.  And she's pissed off
about it.  And every time I pick up a violin I burst into tears.
If she knows why, she'll think I don't like her."

"You haven't kissed her?  But Daniel, all those girls you
had after my brother.  What's different about her?  You really
haven't?" She knows about them because after Keith's death he
told her.  Everything about his life until he moved became
Ashley's.  She remembers it all because for two years it has
been the life of her brother.

"No.  I haven't."

"Why?"

"Because I love her."  The realization comes to him as the
words leave his mouth.

Neither of them knows how to react; they do not know
whether or not this is a betrayal.

"Why didn't you tell me about her earlier?"

"I don't know."

"Daniel you can't feel guilty about this": Ashley coming to
a decision.

"I know I shouldn't, but it's hard."

"It would be easier if you told her about him."

"Who's him?"  Neither of them noticed the door opening.
Daniel and Ashley were watching each other's eyes.  Faye was
getting tired of waiting.  Now she stands in between them, just
in front of the door.

"Nobody," Daniel says quickly.

"Well anyway I'm glad I found you.  It was real nice of you
to just leave me in there.  Some jerk came and grabbed me as
soon as I sat at the fucking bar."

"Faye I'm--"

"Going to first of all tell me who the fuck she is."  Faye
points to Ashley but continues staring at Daniel.

"This is Ashley," Daniel says.

"Good," Faye says, not acknowledging her.  "Now tell me
what you're doing out here alone with her."

"We were just talking," Ashley interrupts.  "In fact we
were talking about the piece of music he's going to be playing
at the concert."

"What piece?" they say together.  Ashley looks first at
Daniel then at Faye.  He does not give her any clue about what
to say.  "That one for the violin, what was it, Chopin I think?"
"Well he's decided he isn't playing it any more," Faye says.
Ashley's eyes remain fixed upon Daniel.


"Anyway," Daniel says, "Faye we should go back in.  It's
starting to get a bit cold."

"Fuck you," she says, disappearing back into the building.
Ashley makes Daniel promise to call her, and she too goes back
into the smoky, musical club.

Daniel finds Faye at the bar ordering another drink.  He
steps in to pay for it.

"I'm sorry about that," he says into her ear.  She has her
drink, quickly, then grabs him powerfully and pulls him back out
onto the dance floor.  For no reason at all she trusts him
enough to know that there is no need for jealousy.



He takes her to the hotel where he has booked two rooms.
He stands beside her while she opens her door, and once she does
she whisks him out of the hallway and closes the door.

"There's a mini bar in here right?"  She lets go of him
immediately and begins to search for more liquor.

"Umm..." He begins to look around, planning to lie.  But
she has already found it and is pulling out beer.  She opens it
by hitting the bottom of the cap against the top of the bar and
then takes a large gulp, the hair she has let down swinging
backwards with the movement of her head.

"Umm, I'm just next door Faye.  You'll be okay right?"

"You're not going anywhere Daniel," she says.  "I have
something to tell you."

"What?"

"Come here."  He walks over to her.  She puts down the
bottle in her hand and collapses against the fridge.  Beside the
fridge is a desk against which he leans when he sits.  He holds
his knees but she moves closer to him.  Her right leg and his
left leg touch.  His legs are slightly spread and she places her
hand lightly on his thigh.  She pulls it towards her.  "I love
you."  She does not look at him.

"What?" he asks, wanting to make sure he has not heard
wrong.

"I said I love you!" she yells.  Then her head collapses
onto his chest.  She squeezes even closer to him.  He can hear
her sobbing lightly.  "I love you Daniel," she whispers again.
He puts his arm around her neck and he sits lower so that she
can be more comfortable.

"I love you too," he says softly.  She too can barely hear
him but she feels the vibrations of his voice through his chest.
Her sobbing stops immediately.

"Hold me tighter," she says.  The arm he has around her now
gives her less space.  A few minutes later he can hear the calm
breathing of sleep.  He sits even lower and he can smell the
mixture of shampoo and cigarette smoke in her hair.  He leans
forward and kisses her forehead.

"Sweet dreams," he whispers, before closing his own eyes.

*

In the morning, the sun pouring through the curtains wakes
them both.  They are hung over and neither of them wants to
move.  Daniel leans his head against the leg of the desk, Faye
against the bar.  They look at each other.

"I had the weirdest dream last night," she says.

"What happened?"

"I told you I love you.  And then you said it back.  But
your dumb arse still wouldn't kiss me except on my forehead."
Daniel swallows.

"It wasn't a dream.  This really happened.  And I kissed
your forehead because you were already asleep."

"Oh."

"Listen if you only said it because you were drunk--"

"Fuck you Daniel!  Who do you think I am?"  Her head moves
away from the fridge but the feeling in it pushes it back.

"No, Faye," Daniel says quickly, "that's not what I meant.
And I didn't say it because I was drunk."

"Well neither did I.  I have to pee."  She stands up and
makes her way to the bathroom.  His heart starts to pound.
Every second beat is because he knows he is in love; every
second beat is because he knows what he has to tell her.