2.3.4G: the_bigshow
Remember that odd kid who lived down the street years ago? He just returned to town and looks completely different. Who is he?
It had been a long night and she was on her way out. She didn’t have many nights when the crowd didn’t want to see things her way, but tonight had been one of the worst she’d had in a long time. The people just didn’t seem to want to stop talking. She played two sets before she got fed up, and she and her piano player decided that soft piano music was the way to go with this one. It meant a cut in tips for her, but so long as she stuck around and was charming with the boss, she still got her full pay for the night. So she had stayed at the bar, and chatted with the bartender, just in case they wanted her to go on again, but by the time two AM rolled around and the bar closed, there had been no call for an encore.
She had headed back to her dressing room once the people had cleared out for all of club for the night. She was there for all of five minutes, but by the time she returned, there was soft piano music playing through the empty room, a familiar tune, but one that she hadn’t head played like this in years. She hung back at the stage door, and watched the hunched form of the man at the piano, as he played the song, humming along slightly to the words, smiling slightly as he started to sing quietly.
Quiet please, there's a lady on stage.
She may not be the latest rage,
But she's singing, and she means it.
And she deserves a little silence.
He had a deep, pretty voice, but it obviously hadn’t been put to use in some time. Before he managed to get to the second verse, she had made her way over to him, sliding an arm around his shoulders as she sat down. “I appreciate the sentiment.”
Charlie Monaghan gave her a small wink, continuing to play, but not going into the next verse. “People don’t have much appreciation for a beautiful woman singing on stage anymore.”
He hadn’t changed much, physically speaking. He’d filled out a little more, and the hairstyle was different, but otherwise he wouldn’t have been hard to recognize. It was the personality that had changed though. He still was trying to hard to be charming, but now he had much more of a practiced ease to it, so it didn’t look quite as awkward. It was somewhat refreshing.
Sandy laughed. “Well, you haven’t changed a bit.”
“No?” He gave her a wry grin as the key changed into another one of her favorite songs. “I’d like to think I’ve grown up at least a little bit since high school.”
“You have, you have,” she laughed. “But you still go for women who are clearly out of your league.”
“Oh, I see,” he said, feigning insult. “I think you’re just jealous, because I’m making more money in a week then you’re going to ever see.”
“Oh really?” she grinned. “You’re actually making it on Wall Street.”
“I just moved into a Park Avenue apartment.”
“Well, congratulations,” she said with a nod. “And you’re happy.”
“As happy as I can be when you’re still single.”
“Being single isn’t that bad.”
“Very true. Are you single?”
“I am, in fact.”
“Now, that’s a tragedy,” he said, studying her slightly. “I would have definitely pegged you for having a husband by now.”
“Yeah, well-the engagement didn’t go over so well,” she said hesitantly, before leaning her head on his shoulder as she closed her eyes and listened to the music. She had missed him. He had been one of her best friends over the course of her high school years, as odd as he had been, and it was refreshing to see an old familiar face. He was quiet for a few minutes, and just kept playing, before he spoke up again.
“You know, I’m afraid the bouncer is going to kick us out of here soon.”
Sandy opened her eyes and picked her head up, looking slightly disappointed. “Unfortunately, you’re probably right.”
“You know, the night is still young.”
She gave him a look. “It’s two AM, Charlie.”
“Okay, it may be approaching middle age, but, you work nights, I don’t have to be at work in the morning, and I happen to have a baby grand and a bottle of scotch sitting in my brand new Park Ave apartment.” He turned back to her as he played the final chord of the song. “Whadaya say, Sandy? For posterity’s sake?”
She thought about it for a minute, before giving him a small smile. “I think I’d like that.”
“Good,” he nodded, before getting up, and offering her his arm. She took it with a wider smile, giving the bouncer a quick goodbye and leading the way back out into the busy New York City streets.
825 words
It had been a long night and she was on her way out. She didn’t have many nights when the crowd didn’t want to see things her way, but tonight had been one of the worst she’d had in a long time. The people just didn’t seem to want to stop talking. She played two sets before she got fed up, and she and her piano player decided that soft piano music was the way to go with this one. It meant a cut in tips for her, but so long as she stuck around and was charming with the boss, she still got her full pay for the night. So she had stayed at the bar, and chatted with the bartender, just in case they wanted her to go on again, but by the time two AM rolled around and the bar closed, there had been no call for an encore.
She had headed back to her dressing room once the people had cleared out for all of club for the night. She was there for all of five minutes, but by the time she returned, there was soft piano music playing through the empty room, a familiar tune, but one that she hadn’t head played like this in years. She hung back at the stage door, and watched the hunched form of the man at the piano, as he played the song, humming along slightly to the words, smiling slightly as he started to sing quietly.
Quiet please, there's a lady on stage.
She may not be the latest rage,
But she's singing, and she means it.
And she deserves a little silence.
He had a deep, pretty voice, but it obviously hadn’t been put to use in some time. Before he managed to get to the second verse, she had made her way over to him, sliding an arm around his shoulders as she sat down. “I appreciate the sentiment.”
Charlie Monaghan gave her a small wink, continuing to play, but not going into the next verse. “People don’t have much appreciation for a beautiful woman singing on stage anymore.”
He hadn’t changed much, physically speaking. He’d filled out a little more, and the hairstyle was different, but otherwise he wouldn’t have been hard to recognize. It was the personality that had changed though. He still was trying to hard to be charming, but now he had much more of a practiced ease to it, so it didn’t look quite as awkward. It was somewhat refreshing.
Sandy laughed. “Well, you haven’t changed a bit.”
“No?” He gave her a wry grin as the key changed into another one of her favorite songs. “I’d like to think I’ve grown up at least a little bit since high school.”
“You have, you have,” she laughed. “But you still go for women who are clearly out of your league.”
“Oh, I see,” he said, feigning insult. “I think you’re just jealous, because I’m making more money in a week then you’re going to ever see.”
“Oh really?” she grinned. “You’re actually making it on Wall Street.”
“I just moved into a Park Avenue apartment.”
“Well, congratulations,” she said with a nod. “And you’re happy.”
“As happy as I can be when you’re still single.”
“Being single isn’t that bad.”
“Very true. Are you single?”
“I am, in fact.”
“Now, that’s a tragedy,” he said, studying her slightly. “I would have definitely pegged you for having a husband by now.”
“Yeah, well-the engagement didn’t go over so well,” she said hesitantly, before leaning her head on his shoulder as she closed her eyes and listened to the music. She had missed him. He had been one of her best friends over the course of her high school years, as odd as he had been, and it was refreshing to see an old familiar face. He was quiet for a few minutes, and just kept playing, before he spoke up again.
“You know, I’m afraid the bouncer is going to kick us out of here soon.”
Sandy opened her eyes and picked her head up, looking slightly disappointed. “Unfortunately, you’re probably right.”
“You know, the night is still young.”
She gave him a look. “It’s two AM, Charlie.”
“Okay, it may be approaching middle age, but, you work nights, I don’t have to be at work in the morning, and I happen to have a baby grand and a bottle of scotch sitting in my brand new Park Ave apartment.” He turned back to her as he played the final chord of the song. “Whadaya say, Sandy? For posterity’s sake?”
She thought about it for a minute, before giving him a small smile. “I think I’d like that.”
“Good,” he nodded, before getting up, and offering her his arm. She took it with a wider smile, giving the bouncer a quick goodbye and leading the way back out into the busy New York City streets.
825 words