Rhapsody Suite
Fifteen
CARMINE’S CUCINA is a nice Italian place with a noisy, family-style atmosphere. Jack Wade had taken care of reservations and managed to get us a booth in one of the quieter areas of the bustling restaurant. This was a big deal. Not only were we managing the new and somewhat fragile relationship with Melody’s mother, we were adding Lissa’s ex into the mix.
Of course, I was late and they were all seated. Melody jumped up from her chair at the end of the booth and planted a hot kiss on me as soon as I approached the table. Lissa slid out of the booth and as soon as my lips were released from Mel, they were captured by Lissa. Then she turned to the table and introduced me.
“Jack, this is our boyfriend, Tony. Tony, this is Damon and Drew’s dad, Jack Wade.” I noted with pleasure that she didn’t introduce him as her ex, but as the boys’ dad. Jack and I shook hands. He was about the same age as Melody’s mom—maybe just a little older. He was a nice-looking guy, reasonably fit, but definitely showing his age. There was nothing either antagonistic or overly friendly about his handshake. It was the completely neutral grasp that you might expect of two business men being introduced. I didn’t know if I’d ever be friends with him, but something in me definitely wanted to earn his respect.
“I feel like I already know you,” Jack said. “Last week the boys went on and on about how I should read Dr. Seuss like Tony does. I may have to take lessons. How long does this Dr. Seuss phase last, anyway?”
“I’m not sure,” I answered with a grin. “I think I’d outgrown mine by the time I was in high school, though.” Jack groaned.
Apparently, I’d arrived at the restaurant too late to order. Food just started arriving along with a bottle of wine. The waitress looked skeptically at me as she was placing the wine glasses on the table. I waved her off. “I’m in training.”
“I’m the designated driver,” Lissa jumped in. “None for me, thanks.”
“Oh come on,” Melody said looking at the waitress. “Do I look like I’m old enough to drink? Just serve the old folks.”
Our waitress laughed and thanked us for making her job easier. She was cute. Her dark brown hair was curly, chin length, and was streaked with blonde so she almost looked like a tiger. I couldn’t make out the exact shade of brown but with the pink restaurant lighting and dancing candlelight on our table, I knew exactly how I’d paint the highlights in her dark tresses. She wore a scoop neck top that hung open dangerously when she leaned over the table to explain the gnocchi, cuttlefish and bean salad, and beet salad with pistachios. I felt a little pinch on my thigh and looked over at Lissa who was grinning at me mischievously. Busted. A guy can’t get away with anything. But the food was great!
“What are you studying, Melody?” Jack asked as we helped ourselves to the food.
“My first year has been taken up with general studio classes and 2D design,” Melody responded. “If all goes well, when I have my portfolio review, I’ll be admitted to the textile design program.”
“Another member of the fashion industry,” Jack laughed looking at Lissa.
“Sort of,” Melody agreed. “I love dressing Lissa up like a doll. But it’s really the fabric side that I’m interested in and it goes way beyond wearable fashion. I wanted to bring my loom out, but you can’t carry it on the plane. A little big.”
“Well, maybe you can shop for one around here. I could keep an eye out if you’d like,” Jack offered.
“That would be wonderful!”
“How about you, Jack,” Lexi asked. “What do you do for a living?”
“I’m happy to say that I’m officially retired. I do a little consulting on the side, primarily working with the parents of young talent when they come into the agency. These kids come in—sometimes just eight years old—and it’s amazing what their parents expect. We get everything from people who only want their kids to work during spring break to those who expect their kids to be the primary wage-earner for the family. The agency calls me in about once a month to meet with difficult parents and explain to them what the life is really like.”
“What about the boys,” I asked. “Do you have plans for them to start modeling?”
“Not if I can help it,” Lissa broke in.
“I think Lissa and I agree that we won’t intentionally introduce the boys to modeling. I won’t object if they come to me and ask if they can try it, but offhand I’d say they have too many other interests. You are more likely to influence Damon into becoming an artist.”
“Me?” Jack just nodded. I felt a hand on each leg stroking me gently and looked at each of my lovers. I smiled to let them know I was okay. Actually, I was okay. The thought that I could influence Damon and Drew’s lives was a new concept to me and I found that it wasn’t at all unpleasant.
“Speaking of talent, have you seen the mural painting that Tony did of our girls?” Lexi asked. I was a little worried about where this could lead. She’d been trying hard not to be critical of us, even though I knew she was fighting her nature at times. But since the meltdown on Tuesday, we hadn’t actually spoken of the painting. It was the subtlety in her question, though, that impressed me. With just a few words, Lexi had positioned herself and Jack as parents with Lissa and Melody as “their girls.” I wasn’t sure how this was going to play out. But Jack really surprised me.
“Lissa gave me a tour of it this morning. She said I needed to know what I was getting into tonight.” I had no idea that Jack had seen the painting. “I don’t know much about art, but…”
“…you know what you like?” Melody and I concluded for him. We’d heard the old adage so frequently that we automatically supplied the end. Fortunately, everyone at the table laughed.
“Well, yes; there is that. But I also know enough to listen to what people who do know art have to say about it. I went back to look at it again this afternoon after Lissa went to the gym.”
“You did?” Lissa asked. “Why?”
“I took Ben Bowers with me.” My heart started beating in my throat. Ben Bowers is the art critic for the Times. That might not seem like much in a town like ours, but he was highly respected in art circles and had written critiques of work all over the world. He could be a scathing critic or a word from him could make the career of a new artist. Damn! Why had he brought an art critic to see a piece of student art? I grabbed both Lissa’s and Melody’s hands under the table and squeezed so tightly that they used their other hands to pry my fingers loose a little.
“Okay.” I finally managed to breathe out and gasped another lungful of air in. “I guess I’m ready. What did he say?” Jack smiled at me.
“I asked him to write it down for me so I could get the words right,” Jack said. He reached in his pocket and unfolded a typewritten page to read from. “They should take a saw and cut this piece out of the wall on which it was painted.” Jack looked up at me and smiled. I was stunned. The best work I’d ever done and the first critic who sees it hates it. But Jack smiled and it wasn’t the vindictive smile that I expected. “I’m playing with you, Tony. Relax.”
“He didn’t say that?”
“Oh yes, he did. But I read it out of context. Let me give you the full notice. The mural as a whole is a lovely collage of scenes. The flow from focal point to focal point is the obvious work of a master. But one vignette stands out from the rest. This segment is the only thing people who visit will see as the rest of the forty-foot-long mural fades away by comparison. They should take a saw and cut this piece out of the wall on which it was painted. It deserves a place of prominence in a museum without the clutter that surrounds it. Obviously painted by a different artist than the rest of the mural, we can look forward to seeing future works from a student whose art will far surpass that of his master. I think that puts it into better perspective, don’t you?”
I was speechless. Melody’s mouth was hanging open and as Lissa reached to pull me into a hug she shot a chiding look at Jack. It was Lexi who broke the silence.
“Does this Ben Bowers know what he’s talking about?”
“Ben and I go way back,” Jack said. “He’s one of the foremost art critics in the country. He writes a column for the Times on the local art scene, but his critiques of major exhibitions around the world are syndicated in over 100 different newspapers and magazines in a dozen languages. Praise from Ben is something you can take to the bank.”
Lexi smiled at me. “My! I’m so proud of you, Tony.” My relief at what Jack and Ben had said outweighed my surprise at Lexi’s outburst. It didn’t go unnoticed by Melody, though, who beamed at her mother and hugged me again.
The rest of the meal went by pleasantly in typical slow Italian fashion. An hour and a half later we were sipping cappuccinos as a small band started gathering on the restaurant’s little stage. Tables nearby were moved back into more crowded spaces as the dinner service ended and people started coming in for drinks and music. They started off with some big band numbers, reset for the piano, drum, and bass trio. I could tell this was going to be a great end to the evening as the dance floor started to fill. Jack asked Lexi if she would dance with him and she blushed as she accepted his offered hand and he led her away from our table.
“You could dance, I don’t mind,” Lissa said to Melody and me. Melody looked at me expectantly.
“I’d love to,” I said.
“I hear a but…?”
“You have a very nice one.”
“Come on.”
“No. The truth is practice was kind of hard on my ankle and I’d rather not dance on it,” I confessed. “I took a cab to get over here instead of walking. But why don’t you two dance?”
“I don’t see any other girl-girl couples on the dance floor,” Lissa said.
“Maybe you’ll inspire something.” I leaned in conspiratorially and they leaned in next to me as I whispered. “I saw a girl-girl couple last night and it certainly inspired me. They were the two sexiest women I’ve ever seen and they were dancing in bed right next to me. I’d be happy if I could wake up every day of my life to that sight. But right now, I’d love it if my lovers danced together vertically as well.” I got kissed from both sides and slid out of my seat to let Lissa out as she and Melody headed for the dance floor. They were exquisite. Melody was just over chin height to Lissa, the same as she was to me. Her dark mahogany tresses formed a counterpoint to Lissa’s short golden hair. They had a little difficulty sorting out who was going to lead, but Lissa guided Melody effortlessly. I was going to have to take some dance lessons. This looked like too much fun.
My view was temporarily blocked by another nice view in the form of our waitress leaning over the table to put two drinks down. The lights were low, but I could make out every detail of her bright red bra. She stayed there a little longer than strictly necessary as she made herself busy straightening the coffee condiments on the table. Then she slowly straightened and smiled at me.
“I thought sure one of those two was your girlfriend. Does their absence mean you are unattached?” She was just flirting. Just flirting.
“No, afraid not. It just means I’ve got a bruised ankle and can’t dance right now.”
“Oh, too bad. So, which one is it?”
“Which ankle?”
“Which one is your girlfriend? They’re both smokin’ hot.”
“Both of them.”
“Yeah, both of them. But which one is it?”
“Both of them,” I repeated. I looked her in the eye and smiled. The color was rising in her face and her nicely displayed upper chest was nearing the color of her still-exposed bra. She took a couple of shallow breaths.
“Oh shit! Oops… sorry! I just… wow! That just isn’t something I see in here every day. Wow. Uh… your… dad, I guess… ordered the drinks, by the way. I wasn’t trying to put the make on you. Well, not just trying to anyway. I think I’ll go take a break now. Flag down one of the other girls if you need anything else.” She backed up, almost tripped over the table behind her, and scurried to the bar. I looked around the dance floor again and when I spotted the girls, Lexi was dancing with them to a light jazz piece that gave the three lots of room to move as the crowd of dancers thinned. Suddenly Jack was sliding into the booth opposite me.
“Wooo! Lexi is a wild thing when she cuts loose.” He pushed one of the glasses across the table to me. “Courvoisier. I want to have a drink with you and this is a small one. Just sip.” I took a sip and it burned my mouth and my throat, warming me all the way to my stomach. After I got over the initial shock, the aftertaste in my mouth was surprisingly pleasant. “Tony, I want to give you a word of advice, man to man. And before you jump to conclusions, it isn’t about Lissa. I’m scarcely in a position to give advice on unusual pairings—or tri-ings, if that’s a word. Lissa’s a grown woman, no matter how cute and young-looking she is. She wouldn’t choose partners lightly.”
“What were you suggesting, then?” I asked.
“Bob promised he wouldn’t print the critique that I read you. He wrote it in a personal letter of recommendation. You can have it, but I wouldn’t show it around until you really need it. He’ll review the piece before the school’s open house exhibition in two weeks, but it won’t picture you as outshining your teachers. It will be a good review, but I talked to Bob about how some of his words could actually create hard feelings and make your situation harder rather than easier.”
“Thank you. I was a little worried about how Dr. Henredon would respond. His work is really good.”
“Yes, it is. But Tony, no matter how Bob phrases his praise, people coming to visit the piece will be able to see the talent. You are going to need an agent. Don’t accept any position, job, contract, or offer until you have a certified agent look it over and negotiate on your behalf. I’ve been in the business for a lot of years and I’ve seen young talent come in after having signed an agreement when it’s too late for an agent to help. There are a lot of people out there willing to exploit you if you let them.”
“You want to represent me?”
“No. Even if I weren’t retired, my expertise is in modeling, not art. I can introduce you to a couple of possible agents if you’d like, but it won’t be me and it won’t be anyone from the agency I work with. I won’t have any potential conflict of interest in helping you. You’re welcome to talk to me, but I hope you’ll talk to me as a friend and as an influence on my children. I’m offering you that friendship whether things work out long term for you and Lissa and Melody or not.” Jack looked me straight in the eye when he spoke. He was, indeed, talking man to man with me. There was no condescension, jealousy, or manipulation in what he was saying. I nodded.
“Thank you, Jack. Lissa has spoken to me about your sense of honor and the fact that you are a caring person. I appreciate it. I know you said you weren’t giving me advice about Lissa, but would you mind answering a question for me?”
“Shoot. I’ll answer if I can without betraying any confidences.”
“Why did you and Lissa split? I get the impression that it wasn’t entirely her idea.” Jack smiled and took another sip of his cognac. He glanced over to the dance floor where the three women were moving off toward the restrooms.
“It was mostly my idea, in fact,” Jack said. “Lissa is fiercely loyal to those she loves. I’ve known her since she was a baby. I’m her uncle, though not related by blood. Marrying her would have been tricky if we’d attempted to do it in the US. After Drew was born, I was afraid she would shrink into her little world as a housewife and mother and in twenty years—about the time I was ready to die—she’d realize what a terrible mistake she’d made and I would die alone. I looked in the mirror and for the first time I let myself see my reflection openly and honestly. I’m more than thirty years her senior and those years will seem like more and more as time accelerates me into old age. Divorcing Lissa was terribly selfish of me. It was the only way I could think that she would continue to love and care for me into old age as her uncle, father of her children, and one-time guardian. I won’t die alone.”
“You still love her, don’t you?”
“With all my heart, Tony. So much so that you’ll never have to worry about me interfering.” We raised our glasses in a silent toast to each other and polished off the cognac just as the ladies returned to our table. They sat, but began gathering up their things, preparing to leave.
“So, what did you decide?” Lissa asked.
“Huh? Did we decide something? About what?”
“The waitress, silly,” Melody piled on. “We’re dying to know if we have number nine to add to the future Tony models list.” I laughed. All right. If they were going to tease…
“Oh, it was nothing really. She wanted to know if you two were exclusive with each other or if you dated around. I gave her your phone numbers.”
“You didn’t!” I laughed. Melody pinched my chin between her finger and thumb and scowled, leaning close to me.
“Just wait till we get you home, young man.” She grinned impishly.
“Melody,” Jack said. “I’ve just asked Lexi to take in the sights of the city by night with me. Do you mind if I borrow her for a couple of hours?” Melody looked at her mother in surprise. Lexi refused to meet her eyes.
“Well, okay, but what’s your curfew, Ms. Anderson?” We all noticed that Melody had changed her title. For all her embarrassment, however, Lexi responded in kind.
“Would one be okay? It’s a special night, after all. I’m leaving for Boston tomorrow afternoon.” She sounded like I imagined Melody would have when she was dating in high school. Melody looked at Lissa and me as if to get our agreement. Lissa couldn’t stop giggling. Melody looked at her phone to check the time. It was just after ten-thirty.
“Well, since it is a special occasion, I think we could extend curfew till two. Most of the clubs don’t close till then. But don’t you go getting drunk and miss your flight tomorrow.” By this time, we were all laughing and headed for the door. Our waitress was still at the bar, so I tugged Lissa and Melody to a stop in front of her and then leaned in. I spoke just loudly enough so that the two could hear me.
“They say they’d consider adding you if you can pass the tests,” I said. Both Melody and Lissa punched my arm. The waitress, however, grabbed a beer coaster and scribbled on it quickly and handed it to me. On the back it said, “Wendy” and her phone number. There was a heart drawn next to it. She waved as we left.
Jack and Lexi said goodnight as they headed to Jack’s car. As soon as we were out of earshot, both Melody and Lissa started tugging at me.
“That was so cruel,” Lissa said. “That poor girl thinks we’re… What does she think we are?”
“You know you are going to have to call her now,” Melody added. “And I’m going to write the script. You are so going to get punished when we get home.”
“I have some ideas on that matter,” Lissa added. “And we should safely have three hours before your mother catches us again.”
“Again?”
“She saw us Tuesday night,” Lissa said. “I saw her out of the corner of my eye and then Tony was so sweet with her. She kissed you goodnight and then left.” Melody touched her cheek and I remembered Lexi cradling her cheek in her hand as she fell asleep.
“I thought that was a dream,” Melody said. “A beautiful, wonderful dream.”
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