Read Online Summer Shorts-Four Short Stories by Jan Miller - Free Book Online
Authors: Jan Miller
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his shoulders, and without
ever taking her eyes off of Craig, kissed Phoenix on the cheek. "I
expected to hear Craig playing the guitar; not a lecture." She
mocked disappointment.
Phoenix replied "So you shall hear him,
dearie. But I have pushed it a bit too far today and must rest. Do
stay and give him a listen. Let me know your opinion of his
progress. Your ear is more critical than mine these days." "Craig--
give her a taste, won't you? Maybe the second vamp from 'Fire
Dance'?"
Craig mildly protested "We haven't gone over
that, Phoenix. Maybe I…" Phoenix cut him off with "Don't tell me
you haven't been practicing it, boy-o. Phoenix knows all. Now I'm
off for a nap."
Craig reset the tape machine, put his guitar
back on, and waited to for his cue from the playback. Edon turned a
leather chair to face Craig and reclined back on it. She fixed her
eyes on Craig and never moved them. Her face was expressionless as
if she were fixed in a trance or meditating on the music.
Some say it is Indian…some say it is
Arabic…maybe an agglomeration of both and a bit of Phoenix's own
creation, but "Fire Dance" started slowly and rhythmically
pulsating with Middle Eastern drums and string instruments. Craig
joined in by adding picking a muted chunking triad on the bass
strings of the guitar. He flew into the intro theme of the song as
the dynamic built something akin to Ravel's "Bolero". Opening his
eyes, he saw Edon still in her trance but slowly opening the button
to her black jeans, then unzipping them. The more furiously Craig
played the Les Paul, the more intensely she played along on her own
body, rising and falling with each crescendo. When Craig could no
longer contain himself, he laid the guitar down, scooped up Edon
into his arms, and then carried her to a nearby leather couch where
they furiously made love to the music which replayed on a
continuous loop.
"Was that a test of my power of
concentration?" Craig quipped as he slipped his pants back on.
Rising to her knees on the couch, Edon put her arms around Craig
from behind him and slyly replied "You lasted longer than I
expected…on the guitar. I must be losing my appeal." Craig
whispered "What do you mean---I nearly snapped the neck off of it."
She kissed him one long, last time and said "I'll let Phoenix know
that you are ready. Then I'll make a few calls to set up your
debut." Before Craig could protest, she added emphatically:
" I said you're ready!" Craig smiled at her, then
cased his guitar and left for home.
******
Entering his home through the back kitchen entrance,
Craig brushed past Terri as she was cooking dinner. She did catch
wind of tell-tale smell of another woman's perfume as he passed
with the sixth sense that women have for such things. Needing a
closer examination, she grabbed him by the arm and hugged him in a
familial greeting manner. There was something else in the
air…perhaps the musk of recent sex.
"I have great news" he nearly shouted in her
ear. "Phoenix and Edon think that I am ready to play my first
show…a debut. Isn't that fantastic?" Terri relaxed her grip on his
arm and replied "I think you have been spending way too much time
with those two. What about that article? Is it done? Did you submit
it yet?"
Taken aback by her rebuff, Craig muttered
"It's done. It's been submitted. So I take it you're not thrilled
by the news?" Terri snapped her reply right into his face: "I want
my husband back. Libby wants her father back. Understand? I don't
know this new you. You play that damn guitar from morning tonight.
You're not a kid anymore and you're not that good, whatever Lord
Phoenix may say…or that slut that lives with him."
Craig became defensive "Look, maybe you want
me to become Elmer, our sixty year old neighbor, dress like I'm
going to the lodge golf outing, and get a good post office job.
That's not me…I'm not dead yet. Phoenix believes in me, and if the
greatest guitarist alive thinks so, then that's good enough for
ever taking her eyes off of Craig, kissed Phoenix on the cheek. "I
expected to hear Craig playing the guitar; not a lecture." She
mocked disappointment.
Phoenix replied "So you shall hear him,
dearie. But I have pushed it a bit too far today and must rest. Do
stay and give him a listen. Let me know your opinion of his
progress. Your ear is more critical than mine these days." "Craig--
give her a taste, won't you? Maybe the second vamp from 'Fire
Dance'?"
Craig mildly protested "We haven't gone over
that, Phoenix. Maybe I…" Phoenix cut him off with "Don't tell me
you haven't been practicing it, boy-o. Phoenix knows all. Now I'm
off for a nap."
Craig reset the tape machine, put his guitar
back on, and waited to for his cue from the playback. Edon turned a
leather chair to face Craig and reclined back on it. She fixed her
eyes on Craig and never moved them. Her face was expressionless as
if she were fixed in a trance or meditating on the music.
Some say it is Indian…some say it is
Arabic…maybe an agglomeration of both and a bit of Phoenix's own
creation, but "Fire Dance" started slowly and rhythmically
pulsating with Middle Eastern drums and string instruments. Craig
joined in by adding picking a muted chunking triad on the bass
strings of the guitar. He flew into the intro theme of the song as
the dynamic built something akin to Ravel's "Bolero". Opening his
eyes, he saw Edon still in her trance but slowly opening the button
to her black jeans, then unzipping them. The more furiously Craig
played the Les Paul, the more intensely she played along on her own
body, rising and falling with each crescendo. When Craig could no
longer contain himself, he laid the guitar down, scooped up Edon
into his arms, and then carried her to a nearby leather couch where
they furiously made love to the music which replayed on a
continuous loop.
"Was that a test of my power of
concentration?" Craig quipped as he slipped his pants back on.
Rising to her knees on the couch, Edon put her arms around Craig
from behind him and slyly replied "You lasted longer than I
expected…on the guitar. I must be losing my appeal." Craig
whispered "What do you mean---I nearly snapped the neck off of it."
She kissed him one long, last time and said "I'll let Phoenix know
that you are ready. Then I'll make a few calls to set up your
debut." Before Craig could protest, she added emphatically:
" I said you're ready!" Craig smiled at her, then
cased his guitar and left for home.
******
Entering his home through the back kitchen entrance,
Craig brushed past Terri as she was cooking dinner. She did catch
wind of tell-tale smell of another woman's perfume as he passed
with the sixth sense that women have for such things. Needing a
closer examination, she grabbed him by the arm and hugged him in a
familial greeting manner. There was something else in the
air…perhaps the musk of recent sex.
"I have great news" he nearly shouted in her
ear. "Phoenix and Edon think that I am ready to play my first
show…a debut. Isn't that fantastic?" Terri relaxed her grip on his
arm and replied "I think you have been spending way too much time
with those two. What about that article? Is it done? Did you submit
it yet?"
Taken aback by her rebuff, Craig muttered
"It's done. It's been submitted. So I take it you're not thrilled
by the news?" Terri snapped her reply right into his face: "I want
my husband back. Libby wants her father back. Understand? I don't
know this new you. You play that damn guitar from morning tonight.
You're not a kid anymore and you're not that good, whatever Lord
Phoenix may say…or that slut that lives with him."
Craig became defensive "Look, maybe you want
me to become Elmer, our sixty year old neighbor, dress like I'm
going to the lodge golf outing, and get a good post office job.
That's not me…I'm not dead yet. Phoenix believes in me, and if the
greatest guitarist alive thinks so, then that's good enough for
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