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.