Opus One

Chapter 26: Rhapsody

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The morning was bright and quiet when Richard woke up.  The muted sound of a car passing made him wonder if it had snowed over night. 

From the kitchen, he heard his dad answer the phone.  He couldn’t figure out who it was at first.  When he heard him talking about music, he realized it was Sandra.

He considered getting up, but decided to wait for the phone to come to him.  He checked his watch, surprised at the lateness of the hour.  I guess I have to get up, he realized. 

He made his way out to the kitchen.

“Hey,” he said.

Vittorio turned around, laughing at something Sandra had said.

“Yes, that’s how it is!” he said in Italian.  “Here he is now.  Ciao, Sandra.”

Vittorio held out the phone for Richard.

“Do you want an espresso?” he asked as Richard took the receiver.

“Sure, thanks… Hello?”

“Hi there!  Sleeping in a bit, huh?”

“Yeah.  It’s snowing here.  Guess I was tired.”

“Did you have a good time with your friends last night?”

“I got home a little late, I guess.  It was all right.  We just hung out at Mitch’s house and had some beers, caught up.”

“Good.  Glad you had fun.”

“I can’t talk long.  I have to get to a job with my dad soon.”

Vittorio held out a small cup for Richard.  Richard nodded in thanks.

“Where are you going?”

“Same house we’ve been at all week.  Hold on…  Mmm.  Man, there’s one thing I do miss when I’m back at school.  Espresso.”

“Did you just drink one?”

“Yeah, my dad made one for me.  Just right, half cup.  He has a really nice machine.”

“Cool…  I wish I could come visit.”

“Some time you will, I’m sure.”

“Can we talk tonight?” Sandra asked.

“Um, I’ll call you if I can.  My piano teacher is having a holiday party tonight.  I feel like I need to go and say hi for a while.”

“Okay.  Call me if you get a chance.  If not, we’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Okay, that sounds good.  I miss you a ton.  This has been the longest week of my life,” Richard said.

“I know, me too.  And still two and a half more to go.  Did your Aunt take off already?”

“Yeah, she left last night.  She was different this trip.  Much more relaxed.  I think she laughed a few times, even.”

“Oh, good.  You really didn’t seem like you were looking forward to seeing her.”

“No, I wasn’t.  But she’s mellowed out, it seems.  She wanted to hear me play the piano all the time.”

“Cool.”

“Hopefully she’ll stay like this when we’re there this summer.”

“Are you definitely going to Italy?”

“My parents are, for sure.  They really want me to go, too.”

“How long?”

“The usual, about a month.”

“Nice.”

“Yeah… It would be a long time apart, though.”

“I know,” Sandra said.

“Would you be able to go?” Richard asked quietly, grinning.

“Me?” Sandra asked innocently, although Richard could tell she was waiting for it.

“Yeah.  Wouldn’t it be awesome if you and Emily came out!”

“It would be amazing!  But a month?  I don’t know…”

“You could just come for part of the time.”

“Oh, I don’t know.  It would cost a lot of money, too.”

“Well, let’s think of a way to make it work.  A long time ago, I told you I would show you our place in Italy.  Why not this summer?”

“Wow.  I can’t believe it.  I’m not going to get excited about it, though,” Sandra said, keeping her voice calm.

“Sounds like it’s too late,” Richard said grinning.

“Oh, you’re right!” she cried out.  “But it might not happen, I know.”

“We’ll see what we can do.  I have to go.  My dad’s loading the truck.”

“All right.  I’ll talk to you later or tomorrow.  I love you!”

“Love you too, Sandra.”

Richard hung up the phone and went to put on his work clothes, smiling to himself.

“If I go to Italy this summer, would it be okay to bring my friends that you met the other night?” Richard asked his dad, as they worked on one wall of the living room they were painting.

“Sandra and Emily?” Vittorio asked.

“Yes.”

“Well, why not?  We have plenty of room at the house.”

“I don’t know if they would be able to come.  But I will ask them.”

Vittorio regarded his son carefully for a moment.  “Both of them?”

“Yes.  I can’t take just one of them.  The other would kill me!” Richard said, laughing.

Vittorio nodded.  “Eh, all right.  But what if one is your girlfriend by this summer?”

Richard frowned at him for a moment.  “It won’t matter.  We are all the best of friends.”

Vittorio nodded.  “Sandra is charming.  She must sing beautifully.”

“She does.  You will hear them both play in April.”

“Yes, we cannot wait.”

Richard finished a section and put his roller down on the tray.  He stretched his arms and fingers.

“You do not have to help me,” Vittorio said, watching him stretch.  “Do not strain your fingers.”

“I want to help,” Richard said.

“Take a break.  This room is almost done, and I need to mix the paint for the dining room, so just sit and relax.”

Richard did, watching his dad roll over the last unpainted patch on the wall.  The tape playing a Beethoven Symphony finished, so Richard put in the familiar yellow cassette of Pollini’s Etudes.

“Oh, now starts the serious music,” Vittorio said, grinning.

“I’m learning a few of these for the recital,” Richard said.

“Excellent.  I have heard you practicing them.”

“They’re really difficult to play correctly.”

“Does your teacher play the Etudes?”

Richard nodded.  “Yes, she’s amazing.  She knows how to teach, too.  It took a few months for me to figure out how to practice, but now things are going really well.”

“That is good, Riccardo.”

 “I’ll take the subway tonight,” Richard said.

“You do not want to drive in?”

“No.  I don’t know how late I will be there.  And it could be ugly with the snow.”

Vittorio nodded in agreement.  “That is fine with me.”

“If things get difficult, I’ll stay there, so don’t worry.”

“Just be safe.  You are an adult now; you do not have to let us know where you are every minute,” Vittorio said.

He stepped down from the ladder and scanned their work for any unevenness.  Satisfied, he put his roller down.

“It looks good.  Let’s go clean these up, and then we will work on the dining room.”

Richard helped him carry things out to the garage sink where they could wash the brushes easier. 

“Here, let me wash.  You sit and take a break now,” Richard offered.

Vittorio considered protesting, and then he nodded.  This wouldn’t be as strenuous on his hands.  Despite worrying about that, Vittorio was glad he was able to spend this time with his son.

Richard climbed out of the number six subway stop in the Murray Hill neighborhood around six-thirty.  The air was chilly, and several inches of snow still clung to the sidewalks.  Dirty piles of white adorned the curbs all around.

Richard walked a few blocks to his piano teacher’s building.  He pressed the button twice, and rubbed his hands as he waited.  After a moment the door buzzed, and soon Richard had ridden the elevator to the third floor and was standing in front of Mr. Schatten’s door. 

For some reason he felt nervous.  He wondered who would be present.  Mr. Schatten and his wife, of course, and probably some of the older students he taught.  I wonder if William will be here… Or Arlene…

He knocked, and Mr. Schatten opened the door.  Richard smiled broadly as they embraced.

“Richard!  How great to see you!”

“You too, Mr. Schatten.”

“Come on, you can call me by my first name now.  Now that you’re out in the world, playing!  Come in, come in!”

His wife Marissa came out from the kitchen, dressed in a flowered apron.  She greeted Richard warmly.  Richard always found it funny to hug her, since she was under five feet tall.  That didn’t stop her from being principal cellist of the New York Philharmonic, though.

“Richard, welcome back!  Now the party can begin!”

“I’m the last to arrive?” Richard asked.

“Yes, but don’t worry, you’re on time.  Everyone else was early!” Marissa said, a look of exasperation crossing her face.

Richard was not surprised to hear strains of a Puccini opera floating through the apartment.  He followed his hosts through the narrow corridors and into the smallish living room that was dominated by the large grand piano.  Richard still couldn’t believe that it had fit through the tight and awkward angles of the hallway.  It had to have been built inside the apartment!

Richard recognized four of the six people seated on chairs and couches from his recital days.  He was introduced to the two newer students. 

In the doorway leading to the back room he stepped right into Arlene, who was walking out to the living room.  She managed to keep her wine in her glass, despite its attempt to jump down her cleavage.

“Richard!” she exclaimed, staring at him. 

“Hi, Arlene,” he said, smiling despite his nervousness.  She looks older… Prettier, even.

“No one knew if you were going to make it down, with the snow and all,” she said, smiling openly at him.

“I took the subway instead of driving.”

“Oh, just like old times,” she said warmly.

Richard felt slightly uncomfortable at her physical closeness and unfamiliar forwardness.

“I should say hi to William,” he said, indicating towards the next room. 

“Of course,” Arlene agreed, and she stepped aside slightly to let him by.

“It’s good to see you,” Richard said awkwardly.

“You too.”

Richard thought she looked taller and thinner.  He glanced down as he squeezed by her, and noticed slimmer legs standing on tall heels.  Her dress was not designed to hide very much, he thought.  How strange…

Leaving her behind, he entered the music room, where shelves of LPs covered three walls from floor to ceiling.  On the fourth wall, a pair of windows that opened to Thirty-third Street framed some artwork.  A stereo took up one corner, and was playing Turandot.

He smiled and greeted William with a hug.  William was a man in his mid-sixties who never quite had the physical technique to play the piano at anything more than a solid amateur level.  Richard had always liked his musicality, however, and he was laid back and fun to talk to.  He also had an enormous knowledge of music in general, and his music collection dwarfed the one they were sitting amidst at that moment.

A few other familiar faces in the room greeted him.  He felt slightly like a celebrity, since everyone asked about his lessons with Mrs. Tertychnaya.  He replied in vague terms.  Mr. Schatten placed a full glass of red wine in his hand during one exchange. 

Until dinner, he remained in the back room talking with William.  He felt most comfortable starting the evening chatting with him.  Despite the fact that they had only really spent time together at Mr. Schatten’s parties, the student recitals, and a few gatherings at William’s house, Richard always felt a kinship with the man.  There was a mutual admiration that was never explicitly stated, but clear from the first time they talked in depth.

William had not done much of interest in the last four months, so Richard found himself talking the most, telling him all about his lessons and theory classes.  William was pleased to hear of his plans for a recital, and Richard told him the proposed program.

“I actually know that Britten piece pretty well,” William said.  “I once heard Britten himself playing it with Peter Pears singing it.  The man had a voice, I tell you!”

“That’s really cool!  The piece is interesting.  It’s hard to play the string parts on the piano, though,” Richard said.

“Yes, I could see that.  And you have a soprano singing it?”

“Yeah.  It’s pretty strange, I guess!” Richard admitted.

William smiled and shrugged.  “Why that piece, might I ask?”

“I’m good friends with the horn player and the singer, and we wanted to play something together on the recital to close it out.”

“Ah.  Not too many pieces for horn, piano and voice.”

Richard laughed.  “No, you got that right.  We had to fudge a little to even get the Serenade to fit.”

“You should have picked friends who played different instruments,” William joked.

“Yeah, that would have made things a lot easier,” Richard answered.  “From now on, I’m screening all my friends based on potential repertoire.”

William laughed heartily.  “It’s good to see you, Richard.  Will you play for us later?”

Richard shrugged.  “I guess, if other people are playing.  I’m not putting on a concert, though.”

“You know we all always end up playing something,” William said knowingly.  “Not very well, though, since no one sits at the piano until…” William held up his almost empty wine glass and raised an amused brow.

“Yeah, I suppose that not much has changed in six months.” 

Richard looked at his glass. 

“We should refill before we get dinner,” he suggested.

They adjourned to the kitchen where the guests stood talking as they waited to serve themselves pasta and salad.  Several times Richard found Arlene looking at him, and he felt a strange tingle.  Something’s different about her, he knew, unsure what he thought about that fact. 

Richard spent dinner continuing his conversation with William about things musical. 

“I’m glad to hear you are tackling the Etudes,” William said.

“Well, some of them,” Richard emphasized.  “I’m not ready for the whole set.”

“Perhaps.  But you need to start somewhere.  Many pianists have revisited the Etudes several times throughout their careers.  Deep pieces, they are, for being so short.  It’s a shame your teacher never recorded them.  She could have made a masterful recording of them.  It’s like they were written for her.”

“I know.  But…”  Richard hesitated.  If he went on, he knew what would have to follow. 

But I’ve learned a lot from William…  Richard thought it a good way to repay his friend.

“I found an old live recording of my teacher playing them in concert.  Pretty amazing performance.”

“A lost Tertychnaya recording of the Etudes?  Are you fooling with me?” William said, perking up noticeably.

“Not lost.  Just sitting on an archive shelf at the conservatory.  A faculty recital from about fifteen years ago.”

“What a treasure!” William burst out.

Richard could see the excitement in his eyes.  He knew William was extremely fond of Irina’s playing in general.  William had admitted his jealousy when Richard had told him who he would be studying with at Wexford.

Richard leaned over conspiratorially.  “If you promise to never let anyone else know where you got it from, I’ll make you a copy,” he said.

William sat back, and his eyebrows lifted in surprise.  “Really?  Can you do that?”

“Sure, it’s no problem at all.”

“Wow!  Nary four months at the place and you already have godlike powers!”

“Oh no, nothing like that.  I just work for the audio service, so I have access to the tapes, and the machines to copy them.  It would be no problem.  I already have a copy for myself.”

William nodded vigorously and smiled like a little boy.

“At some point tonight, let me have your address, and I’ll get it to you next month when I go back to school,” Richard said, a warm feeling rushing through him at seeing William so pleased.

“It’s going to be a long month of sleepless nights,” William moaned.  Then he straightened.  “What other tapes are there?” he asked quietly.

Richard laughed.  “Greedy, greedy!”

William relaxed and laughed with him.  “I know, I know.  I don’t want to get you in trouble.  But…  If you see anything else by her, or by Frank Walstone, I swear I’ll put you in my will if you copy it for me.”

Richard grinned.  “All right.  Just leave me something other than the bootleg recordings of my teacher when you die.”

“Deal,” William said, offering his hand. 

Richard shook it, grinning.

“You’d think we were trading spy information,” Richard said.

“In my world, this is just as good,” William answered.

The party had been wilder than usual, for a Schatten affair.  Richard had just finished a somewhat serious performance of his usual Liszt piece for the others, when Arlene slid onto the piano bench, to his right.

“Hello,” she said simply.  Richard could see the wine making her eyes dance.  He assumed she saw the same in his.

“Time for more Liszt,” she said, placing a music book on the piano.

Richard laughed when he saw what she opened it to.  “Just like old times,” he said, echoing her earlier comment.

At the first party they had both attended, they had played a four-hand version of the most famous Hungarian Rhapsody.  It had been nearly disastrous, but it gave everyone a good laugh, including Richard and Arlene.

“Except you’re on the left tonight,” she said.

“Oh!  So that’s how it is!” Richard answered.

“I’ve learned some things at Juilliard,” she said confidently.

Richard suddenly looked around, realizing the room had quieted.  Everyone was watching them with a mix of expectancy and amusement.  He was glad everyone else had drunk their share of wine, and generally seemed to be happy.

This time, the piece started much better than that first time.  Richard, delegated to the easier Secundo part, grinned as he watched Arlene play her part with authority.  Her playing has changed, that’s for sure.

Richard knew that it was completely unfair to judge her on this piece, in this situation, and in his state of inebriation, but he quickly found himself missing her old touch on the keys.  The phrasing and smoothness of her playing seemed to have been replaced by a bolder technique. 

The piano filled the room as they plowed through the piece.  Occasionally, Arlene took huge liberties with her tempo, and the audience laughed as Richard hung on to his notes, trying to follow her through the exaggerated changes. 

More flair, Richard noted.

Suddenly, Arlene smiled at him mischievously.  She then reached over and started playing Richard’s right hand part, displacing his hand.  Reacting quickly, he threw his right arm under her left, and took over her missing part, trying desperately to read the music from two pages now. 

Then Arlene slipped a bare leg over his knee, and started sliding over to sit on his lap.  The students whooped and whistled as the two of them exchanged hands one by one as she moved across him.  Those standing by the end of the piano crowded towards the keyboard to watch, as they realized what was happening.

Richard swore he felt her wiggle her bottom against him when she was squarely on top of him.  Before he could be sure, though, she continued sliding to his left.

A lot more flirt, Richard added to the mental list.

With an understandable number of mistakes in the playing, Arlene finally was seated on the bench again to Richard’s left, and playing the Secundo.  They had kept it together, though, and the moment matched a climactic return of the theme.  Richard hammered it out as the onlookers went crazy with cheers and hoots.  The piano threatened to overwhelm the room with sound.

The piece ended soon after, and the applause was loud and lengthy.  Mr. Schatten grinned broadly, proud of his two ex-students, and amused at the trick.  William was clapping and laughing richly from the couch where he had a clear view of the switch, particularly of the part happening under the keyboard.

Richard found himself staring down at Arlene’s lap, where her black dress was almost completely shirking its duty of providing coverage.  It was still partially draped over his trousers from the exchange of positions.  He laughed to himself as he realized it covered more of his legs than hers.

Arlene caught him looking, smiled, and with one hand moved her dress ever so slightly lower on her naked thighs.  It was absolutely an acknowledgement of his gaze, and in no way a show of modesty, Richard realized.  He tore his eyes away and smiled at everyone as they continued to clap.

Arlene kissed him on the cheek, and then hopped up off the bench. 

“Nice,” she whispered in his ear, as the clapping gave way to laughter and talking again.  She dispersed into the room.

“All right, who’s next?” Mr. Schatten announced loudly, and everyone laughed, knowing that little would top that performance.

Richard stood up, his heart still pounding from the unique technique.  The event had been undeniably arousing, but he still felt strange about how Arlene was acting.  It was not the Arlene he had dated a year ago.

Despite the fact that many of the partiers congratulated him on the fun performance, he dismissed them quickly with vague thanks and managed to plop down on the couch next to William.

“You need more wine,” William said immediately.  He stood and offered a hand to Richard.

Richard followed him wearily into the kitchen, where William filled two cups he found in the cupboard.  Richard had lost track of his glass among the seemingly dozens that now adorned most of the flat surfaces in the apartment.

William turned down the twisty hallway, had them grab their coats on the way, and then they emerged on a small balcony overlooking the street.  A cab passed slowly, and then everything was quiet, for Manhattan at least.

“Cheers,” William said, clinking Richard’s cup against his.

“Cheers.”

“That was interesting,” he said, pulling out a cigar and lighting it.

“Yeah.  Not rehearsed, I can tell you that much.”

“You want one?” he asked, indicating the cigar.  “I know you never have, but maybe you’ve picked up some good habits at school.”

“No, thanks,” Richard said.

“All right, suit yourself.”

William puffed his cigar to life, and then turned to Richard, his cheeks rosy.  “Been in touch with her lately?” he asked.

Richard shook his head.  “Nah.  We broke up long ago, you know,” he said.

“I know.  She’s come to a few other parties in the last few months.  She asks about you a lot.”

“Really.”

“She’s changed,” William said simply.

“Yeah, I noticed.”

“Her playing has suffered, if you ask me.  But that’s what you get, when you pick a bad teacher.”

“I guess.”

“She chose a technician in Smith,” William explained.  “He was always an aberration at Juilliard.  No feeling, no taste.”

“She does seem to be playing stronger, but...”

“Yes, and it doesn’t suit her at all,” William said sadly.  “I always felt she had exceptional touch on the keys.  I’ll be frank, Richard: she was better than you, when it came to phrasing and playing with singing tone.”

“I agree,” Richard said candidly.  “I admired her playing for that reason too.”

“Indeed.  You know, it’s interesting.  You seem to have moved towards each other in your styles.  I could tell from the Liszt – your solo Liszt, not the comedy act – that you have really benefitted a great deal from Tertychnaya’s influence.”

“That was a poor demonstration of what I’ve learned,” Richard protested.  “I’ve had my share of wine tonight.”

“As have I,” William said with a chuckle.  “So we were both on the same playing field!  But I could hear it.  You’ve grown some subtlety, Richard, and it’s wearing well.”

“Thanks.”

“Arlene has gone the other way, though.  She’s gained some technique, I’ll admit, but it’s cost her.”

“She didn’t play anything tonight to really show what she’s learned.  The comedy act was just that.  Silly.”

“I know you want to defend her,” William acknowledged.  “But you could tell, right?”

Richard shrugged, and then nodded.  “All right, it crossed my mind,” he admitted.

“She’s played seriously at the other parties, and earlier in the night, before wine could be used as an excuse.  It’s gone downhill, I’m sad to say.”

“That’s too bad,” Richard said honestly.

“Yes, it is.  Come to think of it, she never drank more than a glass of wine at the other parties.  Tonight, well…”

“I haven’t been keeping track,” Richard said.

“You don’t really need to.”

They stared out at the city for a while.

“What will you do?” William asked suddenly, with an amused tone in his voice.

“Huh?”

“She’ll be looking for you before the night is over.”

“Um…  What do you mean?”

“I saw at least as much as you did, of what was happening on that piano bench,” William said, laughing a little.  “Gave this old man a nice show, she did.  But I won’t complain.  Now instead of thinking of Loony Tunes every time I hear that piece, I’ll have a different bunny to picture.”

“Oh, come on, William, grow up!” Richard said, rolling his eyes.  “It was just a fun musical prank.”

William laughed in earnest now.  “All in the name of music, heh heh!  They’ll beat the altruism out of you yet.  Have you found anyone at Wexford?”

Richard paused.  For some reason, William was suddenly on his very short list of people whom he could trust with the truth of his relationship.  “Can you keep a secret?”

“Of course,” William said expectantly, grinning broadly as he puffed a smoke ring into the cold air.

“Two.”

“Two what?” William asked, confused.

“I found two ‘anyones’. ”

“Oh…  Naughty boy!  That will get you into trouble quite fast, I’m afraid.  Are they musicians?”

“Both in my class,” Richard said.

William whistled and grinned, and checked his watch dramatically.  “Then it’s only a matter of hours now, before one will find out about the other one, and you’ll have neither.  The music world is tiny when it comes to matters of … well, let’s say, the heart.  To be polite.”

Richard paused for effect.  “We’re playing the Serenade together,” he said simply.

William puffed on his cigar and looked at Richard with narrowed eyes.  “Are you, now?”

Richard nodded, keeping his face straight.

William considered him for a long time, before speaking.  “Interesting.  I’d not have guessed.  You fooled me,” he said thoughtfully.  “How goes it, then?” he asked, genuinely interested.

“So far, so good,” Richard said.

“Ah, now he’s clammed up!” William said, chuckling as he waved his cigar in the air.

Richard finally let out the laugh he’d been storing up.  “What’s to tell?” he asked innocently.

“Oh, what’s to tell indeed!  But I’ll not pry.  It’s not the business of an old bachelor to interfere.  Interesting as it sounds...”

“It’s been a great first semester.  Very interesting,” Richard offered.

William leaned in.  “And your horn player:  he, or she?”

Richard looked at him for a moment, before realizing the answer wasn’t necessarily obvious.  “Emily and Sandra.  They’re great.  Roommates.  Makes things easier.  Excellent musicians,” Richard added.

“I’m sure it does,” William said distantly. 

He suddenly turned and looked into the apartment, and then got close to Richard’s ear. 

“What’s one more, then?” he whispered cryptically, and then grinned impishly as he snuffed out his cigar in a plant and went back into the apartment.

Before Richard could follow, a shimmery black dress emerged onto the balcony.

“I thought you had left.”

“No, just chatting with William.  It’s been a while,” Richard said, suddenly feeling awkward at the unfavorable balance of time William had received for the evening.

“It has been a while,” she agreed.

Richard waited, and the expected question came after some moments of silence.

“Why are you avoiding me?” she asked.

Richard mulled a thousand answers in his head, but couldn’t settle on anything to say aloud.

“I wasn’t trying to,” he evaded.

“Richard, come on.  You blew me off when you got here, and then disappeared after we played.”

“William dragged me out here,” he said.  Definitely not the Arlene I dated, he thought.

“And chained you to the chair during dinner, too,” she retorted, laughing a little.  “Don’t be afraid of me,” she said softly.  “I don’t bite.”

Richard looked at her face for the first time since she came out to the balcony.

“I’m not afraid of you,” he said at last.

“Then what is it?” she asked.

Richard paused.  “I’m just not sure what to make of you.”

“Why?”

“You seem different.”

Arlene laughed.  “I am.  So are you.  You look really good.”

Richard ignored the compliment, wanting to avoid talk of the physical.  Otherwise he would have to admit she looked really good as well, and he found that to be a dangerous avenue at the moment.  That can only lead to problems…

“How’s Juilliard?” he asked.

“Great.  Mr. Smith is amazing.  He’s taught me so much these last four months.  Way more than I learned with Mr. Schatten in two years,” she added in a whisper.

Richard nodded vaguely, feeling sad at hearing her words.  “That’s good.  You played the Rhapsody really strongly,” Richard added, giving her the best compliment he could without lying.

“Thanks.  You weren’t bad yourself.  Sorry for that little detour towards the end,” she said, grinning.

“Yeah, that was different.”

“You were right on it.  I knew you could handle it,” she said, patting his chest a few times too many.

“Seemed like everyone loved it.  Even William thought it was fun.”

“Of course he would.  He could see right up my dress the whole time.”

Richard fought off choking on the wine he was sipping, and recovered.  He waved a hand in the air and started to speak, but had no idea what to say.  “I could too?”  No, not a good answer…

“Aren’t you freezing?”

“Not at all.  Have you thought about me much, while you were out at Wexford?” Arlene asked. 

Richard noticed she had moved closer to him.  He turned to her and took a step back, and then found he was cornered between some plants on the side of the balcony. 

“Um, a little,” he said, feeling suddenly claustrophobic and slightly dizzy. 

“Just a little?” she asked, and then reached her arms around him and pulled his head towards hers.  Richard turned his head just in time to avoid her tongue, which instead wet his cheek.  For a moment, she pushed on, but then Richard managed to break free from her.

“Arlene!” he cried out.  “What the fuck are you doing?”

She stared at him for a moment, and then she whirled away from him, her hand to her mouth.

“What was that?” he asked, more softly now.

Arlene remained silent and motionless.

Richard regained some composure and took a step towards her.  He put a gentle hand on her shoulder. 

“I’m sorry,” he said.  “I didn’t mean to yell.  You just surprised me.  Are you okay?”

Arlene turned slowly, and looked at Richard.  Her eyes were watery.

“I’m sorry too.”

Richard sighed.  “What was that about?”

Arlene turned her eyes back to the street and stared off for some time.  “I got desperate.  You weren’t even aware I still existed, all night,” she said.

“I’m sorry,” Richard said honestly.  “I felt a little nervous when I first saw you. ”

“Why?” Arlene asked quietly.

“I don’t know.  Like I said, you’re different.  The heels, and this dress, and the straight hair…”

“You don’t like them?”

“No, you look beautiful,” Richard said.  “Really.  But, what else has changed?  It’s been a while, and you know how weird things were when they faded away.”

“Yeah.  I sure messed things up.”

Richard took his coat off and put it around her shoulders.  “No, Arlene.  We were both… younger, inexperienced.  It just wasn’t the right time.”

Arlene turned to him.  “What about now?”

Richard smiled sadly.  “Now?”

“I’ve grown, Richard.  I’m not stupid like I was.  I’ve learned some things at Juilliard, and not just about playing the piano.  I’m not the prim and proper Arlene you had to put up with last year.”

“No, I can see that,” Richard said, putting his guard back up some.

“So it’s a good change?” Arlene pressed.  “You like my dress?  I picked it out, thinking of you.”

“Me?”  He felt himself backing up into the corner again.

Arlene shrugged Richard’s coat off and hung it over the balcony rail. 

“The shoes, too,” she added.  She grabbed the hem of her dress and pulled it up slightly, as if that were also necessary to see the shoes. 

“Arlene,” Richard said, trying to put some warning in his voice.

“I’ve been thinking of you all week, Richard.  And when you walked in… Oh god!”  Her voice touched on being orgasmic, and Richard took his last step back.  The plants enveloped him again. 

“You look really good, too,” she breathed.  “And you play so well; that Liszt was amazing.  I got chills.  You’ve changed, too.”

“Arlene,” Richard said, his mouth cottony dry.  Richard suddenly noticed her slurred words and wobbly stance, and wondered how best to escape without making a scene.  For a moment, he gauged the distance down to the street.

“I know you feel it, Richard,” Arlene went on.  “I know, because I felt you during the Rhapsody.  And you couldn’t help yourself…”

“I’m…” Richard began.

Arlene put a finger to his lips.  “Just let go.  Let’s do things like we should have done.” 

She looked into his eyes as she stepped back a few paces. 

“I’m ready now,” she whispered.  “Are you?”

The dress moved further up this time, and Richard almost choked when he noticed the lack of undergarments.  William really wasn’t kidding, a voice commented in the back of his head, despite the absurdity of the situation.

“All I have to do is turn around.”  She followed her own advice, and Richard stared at her bare bottom for a moment, before yanking her dress down.

“You’re drunk, or crazy!  I’m not doing this.  I’m seeing someone back at school, first of all.”

Arlene lowered her dress and turned around, but faced Richard with no less determination than before.

“So?” she said.  “So what.  So am I.  But right now…”  She looked into his eyes unsteadily.  “Right now, I really want you.”

Richard threw his arms into the air, banging his hand into a vine.  A few blobs of snow fell down onto him, and he swatted at them.  “Fuck!  This is ridiculous!  I hardly recognize you, Arlene!”

Arlene giggled at the snow, oblivious to his frustrated tone.  She danced around on the balcony.  “But you said you liked the change.  The dress, the…”

“You’ve changed in other ways,” Richard interrupted, “and I’m not so sure about those.”

Arlene stopped, and stared at him.  “Like what?”

Richard groaned in frustration.  Then he saw an opening, a way to distract the situation from the physical.

“Your playing has changed.”

Richard knew the moment he said it, that he had hit home.  Arlene’s body language instantly closed up.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

Now I need to be careful, or I really will end up on the sidewalk, Richard thought.

“Your playing, it’s less… lyrical than it used to be.”

“And you say this based on what, exactly?  From the Rhapsody?” Arlene asked incredulously.

“A little.  And also… I don’t know, William and I were talking out here.  He thinks so too.”

Arlene laughed madly.  “Oh, William?  Willy the Wannabe…  The old man doesn’t like my playing, then?  What does he know?”

“A lot, I think.  I respect – ”

“Respect him?  The same guy who chose the best seat tonight to watch me…”  She glanced around the balcony wildly.  “To watch me make a fool of myself!” she cried out, her voice suddenly bursting apart with uncontrolled emotion.

“Hey, you put the show on,” Richard retorted, regretting his words immediately.

“It was for you!” Arlene screamed out.

Richard took a deep breath as Arlene started to cry.

“Look, I’m sorry that – ”

“You’re just jealous!” Arlene snapped.

“Jealous?” Richard said.

“Of how much I’ve learned.  You feel threatened!  You always said I had the touch.  Now that I’m learning the technique, too, you are worried!”

“Worried?  About what?  Arlene, come on!  This is ridiculous.  Just calm down.”

“I’m not going to calm down!  You and William have fun talking all about me and my playing.  I’m leaving.  Fucking stupid party!  I don’t even know why I came.”

Before Richard could say anything, Arlene had disappeared, slamming the door to the balcony behind her.  Richard hesitated for a moment, stunned, and then he rushed to the door.  He had to chase her down before the emotions spilled out into the party, but he quickly found that the door was locked.

“Fuck!” he cried, spinning around on the balcony in anger.  He knocked on the door, but no one answered it.

His thoughts swirled for a while, as he wondered what had just happened. 

She’s insane, he thought.  Juilliard has driven her mad…

He heard a door open and close, down on the street level, and he leaned over the railing.  He saw Arlene start to walk down the sidewalk, her car keys jingling loudly.

“Arlene!” he called out, suddenly in a panic.

She didn’t respond.

“I’m sorry!  Please wait!  I have something to tell you.  It’s important!”

He saw the momentary catch in her gait, so he pressed on.  “Can you just wait for me?  Please?  Just come back to the building and wait?  I have something to tell you.”

Arlene was probably on the edge of earshot, for the volume Richard risked yelling at. 

“Arlene, please?” he tried one last time.

At last, she did slow and then stop.  For perhaps thirty seconds, she stood there, and then turned around and started to walk back slowly.

Richard let go of his held breath, relief flooding him.

“Just wait,” he called out, more calmly now.  “I’ll be right down, once someone lets me in.  I’m locked out.  Wait, please!”

Now he had to figure out what to tell her.

He thought he’d have a few minutes to think about it, being locked on the balcony, but when he turned around to knock, the door was already open to the apartment.

“Classic New York balcony scene, Richard.  Nice.”  William’s quiet voice came from the dark hallway.

Richard felt some of the tension defuse within him at the witty observation and William’s good-natured voice.

“She’s crazy,” Richard announced, as he entered the apartment again and leaned against the wall to clear his head.

“You don’t have to go after her,” he offered. 

“I know.  And if she wasn’t so wasted off her ass, I probably wouldn’t.  But she can’t drive home like that.”

“I agree.  None of us saw her leave in time.  Then I came to see what you were doing out here, unlocked the door, and heard that last bit of your soliloquy,” William said.  “Ah, young love…”

“All right, quit it with the love shit.  I have to figure out what to say down there.  I promised her something important, just to stop her.”

“What went wrong?” William asked.

“She tried to seduce me on the balcony.”

“God damn it!  How come that never happens to me?” William bemoaned.

“Hey, I’ll send her up as soon as I’m done.”

“Oh, excellent!  Hope she doesn’t mind cigar smoke.”

“Anyway, after I put her dress back on, I told her what we thought about her new playing style.”

“We?” William asked.

“I sort of, uh, used you to soften the blow,” Richard said, wincing.

“Thanks.  Er… On second thought…  Don’t send her up to seduce me.  I don’t want to end up as a splat on the concrete.”

Richard sniffed.  “Funny, I was just wishing for that very fate a few minutes ago.”

“Eloquently put, Richard,” William said with a laugh. 

“I need some of that eloquence downstairs, not up here,” Richard said.

“Tell her what you like about her,” William said, his voice suddenly serious.

Richard laughed.  “Her dress?  I don’t think so.”

“No, Richard, about her playing.  Remind her who she used to be.”

Richard stared at William in the darkness, for a long moment.  Words began to formulate in his head.

“You’re right.  Thanks,” Richard said.

“If you don’t come back up, have a good semester,” William said, embracing Richard.  He pulled a coat of the hangers.  “Here.  It’s Arlene’s.”

“Thanks.  It was really good to see you, despite the drama,” Richard said, waving a hand towards the street.  “Say goodnight to Mr. Schatten and Marissa for me?  I’m going to grab my coat and slip out the door, before Arlene changes her mind about waiting.”

“Of course.  They’re pretty wasted themselves; they’ll understand.  Or, they’ll forget.”

Richard chuckled.  “Oh crap.  I never got your address,” he said suddenly.

“I’ll get it to you,” William said confidently.  “Believe me, I’ll get it to you.”

Richard paused as he gripped the handle to the exterior door of the building.  He wondered which Arlene would greet him beyond, if any.

Bracing himself, he pulled the door open.

Arlene was sitting on the bottom step, huddled up and leaning against the railing.

Richard rushed down to her, and covered her with her coat.  She was shivering and crying quietly.

The step was all wet from the snow, and Arlene was sitting in a puddle.

“Is your car close?” he asked gently.

Arlene just nodded.

“Come on, before we die of cold,” he said, helping her up.

Richard supported her as she walked unsteadily down the sidewalk.

Drunk, cold, rejected… Richard felt bad for her miserable state.

He recognized her car as they approached.  “Keys?”

Soon he had the car running and the heat on full.  Arlene was curled up in the passenger seat, covered by her coat.

Richard reviewed the words he had come up with in his head, but he couldn’t find a good opening.

Then Arlene spoke.

“I hate my teacher,” she mumbled.

Richard looked at her, unsure if he had heard right.

“What?”

“My teacher at Juilliard.  He’s fucked me up.  You were right.”  Her voice came laden with depression.

Richard sighed heavily, suddenly feeling his stomach tighten up.  He wondered how much his earlier critique had hurt her.

“Why?”

Arlene shifted in her seat uncomfortably.  She spoke slowly and sadly.  “I thought he’d be the perfect match for me.  You know how I always had trouble playing the hard stuff.”

Richard remained silent.

“Well, I was wrong,” she said.  “He’s messed me up instead.”

“You’ve only been there for four months,” Richard said cautiously.  “Things can take some time to settle down.  It took me most of the semester to figure out how to work with Mrs. T., you know.  There was a point where I was pretty sure she was going to give me the boot.”

Arlene remained distant.  “My arm is hurting.”

“What?”

“My right forearm, when I play.  I must be tensing up.”

“Since when?”

“It’s started about a month ago.”

“Hmm.  Have you told your teacher?  I mean, sometimes my arm gets tired after I play for a long time, but…  Are you sure it’s not just over practicing?”

“No, this is different,” Arlene said.  “It feels sore all the time, and it’s getting worse.  I did tell him, and he just said it would go away.”

“That sounds weird.  If you don’t like him, maybe you should switch teachers.”

Arlene let out a small sob.  “I can’t.”

“Why?  Is there a rule at Juilliard against that?  I know at least two people at Wexford who switched after their first semester.”

“It’s complicated.  Oh, Richard, I don’t know what to do!  Everything is so messed up!”

She began crying in earnest again.

Richard rubbed his eyes and cleared his head for a moment.

“Just talk to the dean about switching.  Or talk to your teacher about your arm, at least.  But it sounds like he doesn’t give a shit.”

“No, it’s not that.”

“Why is he letting you hurt, then?”

“I don’t know.  Maybe he’s right.  It will just go away, once I get used to playing this way.”

Richard took a deep breath and considered her for a moment.  “Arlene, something’s wrong here.  I can tell.”

“I’m so lonely, Richard.  I should have lived at the dorm, but to save money I’m living at home.  I hardly know anyone at the school.”

Richard felt suddenly very sad.  His first semester experience had been rather opposite from hers, it sounded like.

“I’m sorry to hear that.  And I’m sorry for what I said earlier about your playing.  I wasn’t trying to be mean, but it probably sounded that way.”

“You were right, though.”

“Arlene, back when we played at Mr. Schatten’s recitals together, I remember you playing beautifully.”

“They were all easy pieces,” she said, dejectedly.  “I could never play like you could.”

“You don’t get into Juilliard playing easy pieces.  I know you might not want to hear this, but William always thought you were better than me at making a melody sing.”

She was silent.

“He said he’s heard you play a few times lately,” Richard continued, “and he misses that in your playing now.  That’s all.  I haven’t really heard you play besides the Rhapsody tonight, but even there, I felt the same way.  We weren’t ragging on you, but we were a little sad.”

“I know,” she said quietly.  “I’m just at the end of my rope, and I couldn’t take hearing that.  Not from you.”

“I’m sorry.  I didn’t know you were having arm trouble.  You have a really nice touch, Arlene, and that’s what you should take advantage of.  This physical style you are trying to fit into, I don’t know…  It doesn’t really seem to be you.”

Arlene started crying again.

“It’s not your fault,” Richard said, stroking her hair.  “William says Mr. Smith is a terrible teacher.”

Arlene continued crying even harder.  Richard still had an uneasy feeling.  Shouldn’t she be calming down a little?

“What’s wrong?”

Arlene shook her head.

“You can talk to me,” Richard urged.  “Sounds like you need to talk.”

Arlene pushed the coat off of her body, and he realized he was sweating.  The windows were all fogged up.

“Whoa, I didn’t realize how hot it is in here,” he said, turning the heater down to low.  He took his coat off after a struggle.

Arlene seemed not to hear him, although she regained some composure.  Her face was streaked with moisture, and she looked miserable.

“Talk to me,” he said gently. 

Richard waited for a long time.

“I’m sleeping with him.”

Richard stared at her for a moment, and then closed his eyes, letting his head sag forward.

“You must think I’m an idiot,” she whispered.

Richard didn’t know what to say.  This was territory in which he had no experience.

“God, Arlene, that’s, uh…”

“Messed up,” she said with finality.

“Yeah,” Richard agreed.  “Damn.”

“I’m so screwed, Richard.  I don’t know what to do!”

Richard cracked a window, suddenly feeling like he was suffocating.

“I don’t know what to tell you,” he said.  He felt like crying, too.

“If I try to switch teachers, he’ll flip out,” Arlene said, suddenly getting up in her seat.  She knelt over and looked at Richard with stricken eyes.  “He’ll have me kicked out.  How would that look?  And if I stay, I’m ruined!  I hate playing the piano now.  I hate feeling like this!”

“Drop out – ”

“I can’t leave!  This has been my dream, Richard!  You know that.  You’ve always known that…”

“I know,” Richard said, taking her hand.  “I was going to say, drop out and take a break.  Switch schools, even.  Come out to Wexford.”

“But Juilliard…”

“I know how much you wanted to be there.  And yet…  This doesn’t sound like a dream, to me.”

“It’s a fucking nightmare,” Arlene agreed, as she withered in her seat.  She seemed to convulse as she cried.

Richard looked at her helplessly for a moment, and then grabbed his coat and stuffed it in the area between their seats.

“Lie down, Arlene.  Just lie down for a while.”

He pulled on her, and finally got her to stretch out over his coat and put her head down on his lap.

He spent some time stroking her head, trying to calm her down.  He felt like he was in a trance, as he just ran his fingers along her black hair, over and over again.

After a long time, Arlene finally regained some control of her body.  Then her sobbing slowed and stopped, and all that remained of the meltdown were occasional sniffs.  She almost seemed asleep.

Her dress was little more than a shirt, having been twisted and pulled up by her movements.  Richard was glad it was dark and the windows remained fogged up.  Anyone walking by would probably have called the cops, if they could see inside. 

He flipped the sleeve of his coat over her exposed middle.

“Are you cold? Warm?” he asked, as she opened her eyes and looked up at him.

“Wet,” Arlene said meekly.  “Why am I wet?”

“You were sitting in a puddle when I came outside.”

“Oh…  I have some clothes in the back seat.”

“You should change, then.  You can be more comfortable that way.” 

I’ll be more comfortable that way, too, Richard thought.

“I’ll wait outside.”  Richard opened his door.

“Don’t go,” Arlene said.

“I’ll just be outside.”

“Please, just stay.  I don’t want to be alone.”

Richard eyed her for a moment.  She can’t possibly be going back to her earlier mood, he said.

He closed the door.

Arlene sat up, and cleared her eyes with her fingers for a moment.  She looked down, noticing her nudity.

“I’m sorry, Richard,” she said, her back towards him.  “You must think I’m a slut.  A complete bitch.”

“No, I don’t think that.”

“I’ve missed you.  A lot.”

Richard sighed.  “Nothing can happen between us, Arlene.  Not now.”

“I know, don’t worry.  Otherwise it already would have,” she said dryly.  “I recognize rejection when I see it.”

“It’s not because I don’t…”

“You don’t have to explain yourself,” Arlene said, when Richard trailed off.

“No, I do.  I don’t want you to think I’m not interested because of you.”

Arlene turned to him, her eyes shiny.

“I’m involved… in a relationship at Wexford.  It’s, well, amazing.  If I wasn’t, then maybe things would be different.  I meant what I said earlier.  You look grown up, and really attractive.”

Arlene laughed uneasily.  “Oh, whatever.  I look a mess right now.  But that was a sweet thing to say.”

“Well, you do look a little less put together right now,” Richard said, laughing a little himself.  “But, at the party anyway, I meant it.”

Arlene turned back to face the side window.  Richard watched her shoulders rise and fall gently.

“Who’s the lucky girl?”

Richard paused.  Arlene was not on his short list.  Not yet, anyway.

“She’s.. a horn player,” he said.

Arlene was quiet for a while, lost in thought.

“I’m going to change clothes,” she said.

Richard wiped away a little circle of condensation from the driver’s side window, and turned his head to look out at the street.

Arlene sighed.  “After all that I just put you through, you’re still a gentleman to me,” she said.

Richard felt her hand caress his shoulder, and then he heard the rustling of clothing as Arlene dressed next to him.

“Okay,” she said.

Richard turned to face her.  Her tiny black dress had morphed into a long flowery dress with black tights and a turtleneck underneath.

Richard smiled.  “Hmm, I think I see my old friend,” he said.

Arlene smiled back emotionally.

“I really do like your hair like that,” he added. 

Arlene leaned over and hugged him tightly.  For a long time, Richard just held her quietly.  He felt better now, but also realized Arlene had some serious issues to deal with in her life, and he had not really done much to help.  He had really only fended off an advance and then stayed to pick up the pieces.  She still had a massive problem to confront at her school.

“What now?” she asked, as she sat back in her seat, cleared her eyes, and looked at Richard.

“I don’t know.  I sure can’t drive right now.”  He wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or the emotional exhaustion, but he felt like passing out. 

“No, neither should I,” Arlene agreed.

“Are your parents expecting you?”

“No.  I told them I’d probably be staying here.  I didn’t think it would be like this.”

Richard smiled sadly, knowing what she meant.

“Let’s just rest here until our heads clear up.”

“I have some blankets in the back,” Arlene said, reaching to grab them.

Richard turned off the engine and locked the car.  He covered himself with a blanket, and then reclined the seat.  Arlene did the same. 

“Let me know if you get cold and we’ll fire up the engine,” Richard said.

Arlene smiled and nodded.

“Thanks,” she said.  “I guess what I really needed tonight was a friend.”

Richard smiled back.

Soon they both fell asleep…

“Hello?”

“You don’t know how much I miss you,” Richard said emotionally.

There was a pause on the other end of the line.  “Who is this?”

Richard looked at the phone, and winced.  “Um, is this Sandra?”

“No, this is her mother.”

“Oh…  Sorry.  Is she there?”

“Is this Richard?”

He thought her voice suddenly sounded quite amused.

“Yes.  Sorry, I thought – ”

“It’s all right,” she interrupted.  “People get us confused on the phone all the time.”

“Clearly,” Richard said, still flustered from the mistake.

“Let me find her.  Nice to meet you, Richard,” she said cheerily.  “Sandrine?”

Richard shook his head.

“Hello?”

“You might have some explaining to do, after you hang up,” Richard said apologetically.

“Huh?”

“I thought you answered the phone, and I blurted something out.”

“What did you say?”

“ ‘You don’t know how much I miss you,’ I think it was.”

Sandra laughed.  “Could have been worse.  I think that will pass by innocently.  She knows we’re very close friends.”

“I kind of said it more like a lover,” Richard said, wincing at the memory.

Sandra laughed.  “I’m sure it will be fine.  Don’t worry.”

Richard breathed a sigh of relief.  “Good thing I didn’t start out by reading my love letter out loud.”

“What love letter?”

“Kidding.”

“Oh.  That was a tease…  Hey, let me call you right back in five minutes, okay?”

“I’ll be here.”

A few minutes later, the phone rang.

“Hello?”

“I’m back,” Sandra said.

“So what’s up?”

“Just switched to the phone in my room.  I have someone here that wants to say hi to you.”

“Who?”

“Me,” came the other voice.

Richard recognized it instantly, but knew it was impossible.

“What the hell?”

“That’s the greeting I get?” Emily said.  “A ‘What the hell?’”

“How is…?  What are you doing there?” Richard blurted out.

“We really missed each other, so I drove out.”

Richard was speechless.

“I think I hear him drooling,” Sandra said, and then they both giggled.

“If he knew what we were just doing, he definitely would be,” Emily added.

“What the hell?” Richard repeated, seemingly having been reduced to forming phrases from a ten word vocabulary. 

“You already asked that,” Emily said.

“I want to be there!” he said, in desperation.

The girls laughed. 

“Aw, how sweet!” Emily said.  “He misses us.”

“He misses my mom, too,” Sandra said.  “Told her so a few minutes ago.”

“I can’t believe it.  You are messing with me,” Richard said.

“Nope, no messing around here.  Well, not with you, unfortunately.”

Emily made some suggestive sounds.

“Oh, Emily, don’t stop!” Sandra managed, before she started laughing too hard to continue.

“Okay, okay,” Emily said, when she regained her composure.  “My dad has three way calling in his office.”

“I knew it!”

“No you didn’t.  You were really desperate, for a second there.”

“Well, do you blame me?” Richard said.

“No,” the girls admitted.

“This is cool,” Sandra said.  “Good find, Em.”

“Yeah.  So.  How was your party, Richard?”

Richard groaned.  “Oh, do I ever miss you both so much,” he said.

“Sounds like there’s a story in there,” Emily said.

“You can say that.”

“Tell us, with all the gory details.  Are we going to be mad at you?” Emily asked.

“Um, I hope not.”

“Uh oh,” Sandra said.  “This sounds like it’s going to be another good one.”

“Well, it’s not much worse than the night with Viktoriya,” Richard said.

“Ooh, but it is a little worse?” Emily asked mischievously.

“As long as you didn’t sleep with anyone, I guess we’ll stay calm,” Sandra said.

“Um…”

Richard spent some time giving them the background on Arlene, and then recounting the events of the previous evening.

“Were you hard when she sat on your lap?” Emily asked, when he described Arlene’s Rhapsody trick.

“I was way too busy trying to figure out what parts to play,” Richard said theatrically.

“Right,” Emily said, sniggering.

“It’s true!”

“So was she trying to get back with you, or something?” Sandra asked.

“Oh, wait, just wait.  So I was just chilling with William on the balcony, when he just up and leaves and Arlene comes out.  And she tries to kiss me!”

“Just like that?  She walks out and attacks you?”

“Basically.  I don’t really remember what we said before, but next thing I know, she’s sticking her tongue in my face.”

“I’d say your answer is yes, Sandra,” Emily said.

“I managed to fend her off,” Richard said.

“Was she drunk?”

“Yeah.  I guess I was a little bit, too.  But she was also acting crazy…  I was actually scared of her.”

“Now I’m getting excited,” Emily said.  “What happened next?”

“I got her to calm down, put my coat around her…”

“Aw, what a gentleman!”

“Well, I was getting cold looking at her.  She was in this tiny black dress,” Richard said.  “There was snow all around.  I was freezing, and I was wearing five times the clothing she had on.”

“Hey, you never mentioned a tiny black dress, when you said she was on your lap!”

Richard laughed.  “No, I guess I didn’t.  She was also naked underneath.”

“Richard!” Emily cried out.  “What the hell kind of parties are you going to?”

“Hey, you said you wanted all the details!” Richard retorted.  “I can stop at any time, or start leaving things out.  I’m just telling it like it is.  You asked for it.”

The girls were laughing as he spoke.  “We’re just giving you a hard time,” Sandra said.

“It’s called heckling,” Emily added.

“Do you want us to be quiet?” Sandra asked.  “It wouldn’t be nearly as fun.”

“No, I guess not,” Richard said sheepishly.  “It’s just a little weird.”

“What?” Emily asked.

“You two getting off on my…”

“Flirting?” Sandra finished.

“I was not flirting,” Richard said.

“We just love hearing about how women throw themselves against you, and you just rebuff them like a stone cliff does the sea, for the love of your two mistresses…”

There was a long moment of silence, and then Sandra and Richard burst out laughing.

“All right, then,” Sandra said.

“What?” Emily asked.

“Go on.  Go on, Richard, I should say,” Sandra said with a snigger.  “How exactly do you know she wasn’t wearing anything under her dress?”

“She felt the need to show me.”

“What a tramp!” Emily said.

“It was a little over the top,” Richard agreed.  “She didn’t care that I had just told her that I was taken.  Said she was with someone too.”

“She was just horny,” Emily said.

“I can understand that, right now,” Sandra said.

“After that, I got desperate and basically told her I didn’t like how she was playing the piano anymore.”

“Ouch.”

“Well, I tried to let her know gently, but she didn’t take it too well.”

“I guess that stopped the genital show pretty quick,” Emily said.

“Yeah, she stormed out of the building.”

“Nice!”

“Serves her right,” Sandra agreed.

“Yeah, except she was driving,” Richard added.

“Oh…”

“The plot thickens,” Emily said, and then sang a dramatic theme.

“Richard to the rescue!” Sandra said.

“All right, all right, this is starting to be ridiculous,” Richard said.  “You two need to settle down.”

“Fine,” Emily said with a pouty voice.

“I’m so horny right now,” Sandra announced.

“Me too,” Emily agreed immediately.

“Does your dad’s phone have a three way sex option?” Sandra asked.

“I wish…”

“These next few weeks are going to be brutal,” Richard said.

“Yeah, whose idea was it to not do anything, uh, manual, until we got back?” Sandra asked.

“Come on, it will be all the better when we do see each other, if we let it build it up,” Richard said. 

“But…  Oh well, go on.  We’ll be quieter.  I promise,” Sandra said.

“Well, I went down and found her outside, luckily.  She was sitting on the wet steps, shivering.”

“Let me guess: you had to remove her dress to keep her from getting hypothermia?” Emily said.

“Actually, she did end up changing.  But, I got the gentleman award again, for not looking,” Richard said, laughing.

“You mean you didn’t even help her out of her tiny, wet black dress?  Where’s the gentleman in that?” Emily joked.

“Sorry.  Next time I’ll try to do better.  So, I walked her to her car, and took her keys.  We talked for a while.  Long story short, it turns out I was right about her playing.”

“Huh?”

“She hates her teacher.”

“Oh.  That’s not good.”

“And she’s sleeping with him, too.”

“Ouch!  That’s fucked up!” Emily exclaimed.

“Yeah.  She’s in some trouble.  I feel really bad for her though.  She’s not a mean person, in the least.  I think she’s made a few bad choices, and now she’s freaking out.”

“I’ll say,” Emily agreed.  “I am sorry, though,” she added, her tone softer.  “She can’t be happy to be in that position.”

“Yeah.  It was hard to see her like that,” Richard said, leaving the theatrics behind as he realized he was talking about someone he cared about.

“What happened after that?”

“That’s it.  We smoothed things over, between us, anyway, and then snoozed in her car while we sobered up.  Around six I came to, and then she drove me home.”

“God, Richard, I think we need to ban you from going to parties at your teachers’ houses,” Emily said.

“Why?”

“Every time you go to one, you end up sleeping with some girl!”

Richard laughed with Emily.

“Sandra?  You still there?” Richard asked, realizing she’d been absent from the conversation for a long while.

“Yeah, still here,” she answered, her voice husky.

“Hey!  You bad girl!” Emily blurted out after a moment.

“Sorry, I couldn’t hold out,” Sandra said apologetically.

There was some silence for a second, and then Richard cried out as he realized what she was doing. 

“I think Richard just figured it out,” Emily said, with a chuckle.  “Slowness!”

“Maybe we should rent a hotel room for that first week we’re back,” Sandra said.  “I don’t think Dave or your teacher will appreciate the constant thumping and pounding.”

“Probably not.”

There was a little bit more silence.

“Now what?” Richard asked.

“Sorry, Richard,” Emily said, after a few seconds.

“Oh, not you too!  No willpower!” Richard exclaimed.  “At least one of us is going to make it all the way until the tenth of January.”

“We’ll see about that,” Emily said.

Christmas came and went.  Richard’s days were spent painting with his dad, and practicing the piano.  Nights were usually occupied by talking for hours on Emily’s three way line with the two girls.  Occasionally he went out with some friends, but he found himself drinking and thinking, rather than having fun.  It was a time of just hanging on, measuring the moments until he’d drive back to Wexford.

Arlene called a few days after Christmas to say hello, apologize, and thank Richard again for being incredibly kind to her the night of the party.  Richard thought she seemed much more grounded, but before he could ask about her thoughts, she had to say goodbye.  There was a promise to keep more in touch, though.  Richard made a mental note to call her in a few weeks, to see how things were going with her.

William also called, provided his address, and asked for regular updates from Richard.  He reminded him how much he’d appreciate any tapes Richard could send, even mentioning his will again.  Richard wondered if he was being serious, but didn’t dwell on it.

As New Year’s Eve approached, Richard realized he was now past the halfway point.  That gave him new life, and he poured himself into practicing his repertoire for the recital.  The hours ticked by…

“Hello?”

“Good morning!”

“Well, you’re chipper,” Richard said.  “I was dead asleep, Em.  Was that you who called four times in a row?”

“Yup.”

“Here I thought maybe it was an emergency,” Richard sniffed.

“Nope.  Just had a question.”

“It’s pretty early for questions…  Where are you?”

“Um, just out in my yard.  Down by the road.”

“It’s noisy there.”

“Morning traffic.  You know…”

“Well, now that you got my ass out of bed, what’s up?”

“I need to send you something.  What’s your address?”

“I thought we were doing presents when we got back,” Richard said.

“I know.  But I have a surprise that can’t really wait.  It’s something from my dad, actually.”

Richard paused, his interest piqued.  “Really?  What is it?”

He heard a man’s voice call out Emily’s name amid the din.

“I’m good, dad,” she called out in a muted voice.  “He’s, uh, giving me his address now…  Okay, have a good meeting down at the theater… See you tonight.”

Then she returned to Richard.  “Sorry.  My dad was just leaving for work.  Give me your address so you can go back to sleep.”

“All right.”  Richard told her the details.

“Cool,” Emily said.  “Got it.”

“Can I go back to bed now?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll call you later,” he offered.

“I’m going out for a while.”

“Call me, then?”

“Maybe,” Emily said.  “How long will you be home?”

“I’ll be here all day until I go out tonight with Mitch and the guys for a New Year’s party.  Sitting around, waiting for your call...”

“Okay, good.”

“So I’ll talk to you later?”

“Definitely.  Bye!”

Richard said bye to the dial tone, looked at the phone with a raised brow, and then trudged back to bed.  

That had to be a weird dream… What the hell would Clark Rathbourne be sending to me?

Richard had just started grinding coffee for an espresso, when the phone rang.  He eyed it suspiciously, and then decided to pick it up.  I’m awake now, he thought.

“Hello?”

“Hi!” Sandra said cheerily.  “It’s me.”

“Hey.  Another happy girlfriend,” Richard said evenly.

“Huh?”

“Emily called me at seven this morning like she had won the lotto.”

“Maybe she did,” Sandra said.

“No, she just wanted to pester me.”

“You didn’t have to answer.”

“She called five times!”

“Why didn’t your parents answer?”

“They’re out, buying food at Arthur’s Avenue for tonight’s dinner.”

“Oh well.  Guess she was just really wanting to talk to you.”

“It is nice to be loved,” Richard admitted, laughing.

“What time is it?” she asked.

“Umm, eight thirty-five,” Richard said.

“Okay…  What are you doing today?”

“Helping with cooking, I guess.  Just relaxing really.  I took the day off.”

“Tired of painting yet?”

“No, it’s actually been really nice to hang out with my dad.  It also takes my mind off of not being with the two of you.”

“I know.  I’ve been reading and playing my fiddle a lot, for the same reasons.”

“My dad’s treating me differently, too.  He’s calmed down some.  Maybe now that…  Hold on a sec.  Someone’s at the door.”

 Richard put the phone down and walked over to the entryway.  He pulled open the door, and looked out at the empty patio.

Must be a package? On New Year’s Eve?

He opened the screen door, looked around, and almost fainted. 

Leaning against the house with a giant smile was a very familiar and welcome face.

Forward to Chapter 27

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