lessons on the guitar,” Rick repeated.
“Why?” asked Erin.
“I don’t know, I guess because she’s been so helpful and nice, I just felt it would be a good way to repay her.”
“So buy her a Coke!” Devon said.
“Yeah, you’re not gonna be able to teach her much in four weeks anyway, actually, less than that,” Randy added.
“How long have you guys been doing this?” Erin asked.
“I don’t know…three or four days is all. Four I think,” Rick said, in an attempt to sound detached. He wasn’t sure why he felt so defensive. “It’s not that big a deal. And I’m not expecting her to be Bob Dylan or anything, just kinda get her started is all.”
Erin chuckled and shook her head. “How did this even start?”
Rick explained how she confided to him that she wanted to be a songwriter, but couldn’t play anything. Shelby was right about not being a singer. He gently persuaded her to sing him one of her songs, and she did sound as though she should be singing in a church choir – too much vibrato in her voice. “You have to relax and not try so hard,” he told her. “If you work at it, you can change your delivery.” He taught her to experiment with the shape of her mouth, and to sing lazy , both of which would change her sound. Her song was good, though. It was a lot like her – naïve and unpolished on the surface, but deep and soulful at the core.
“Well, I think you’re nuts,” Devon said, shaking his head.
“I think it’s sweet.” Erin reached over and scratched her fingers lightly over Rick’s back, but Devon continued to shake his head.
Kostas didn’t say anything up to this point, but finally nodded his head, stood up, looked at Rick and said, “It is good, yes? It is good you do this to her.” As Kostas headed toward the bar, the others snickered at his broken English, but Rick didn’t laugh. Erin and Devon followed Kostas, and Randy left the table, announcing he needed to take a piss.
When they were all gone, Keith came over and put his hand on Rick’s shoulder. “I gotta say, I’m with Kostas on this one. You need to watch yourself.” As Keith followed the others to the bar, Rick could feel his irritation growing. After all, Shelby wasn’t some powerful temptress, she was just a kid, and he was perfectly capable of controlling himself. In fact, it made him angry to think that anyone might get the wrong idea about his relationship with her. They know me better than that, they know I’m not a fucking pervert. As visions of the last young lady he bedded flashed through his mind, he tried to dismiss them, reminding himself that she claimed to be older, and had he been sober, he never would have slept with her. The knot in his stomach remained.
~
When the dance lessons ended, people began to wander into the club. On his way back from the bathroom, Randy struck up a conversation with a German woman who had been learning the Hasapiko. She and her three her friends invited Randy to bring his friends over to their table for a drink.
He rushed to the bar – “Come on guys, I’ve got four hot ones on the line.”
Rick wasn’t in the mood to party with them, but Keith teased him, “Man, you haven’t gotten laid since you got here. Has the well run dry for ya?” Shame made him agree to the drink, so he followed the others.
As they approached, Randy whispered, “The blond in the red top thinks you’re cute, she called dibs on you.”
Randy made introductions, helped by the girls as he went along – Eva (in the red top), Anna, Gretchen, and Christine. The girls all worked at the same hospital in Munich. They were on Paros for two days, then off to the other islands. They all shook hands and pulled stools from neighboring tables, squeezing together to fit around one table.
As soon as Rick sat down, Eva’s hand was on his leg, making her intentions clear. Her long, blond hair draped over her ample bosom, and accentuated her curvaceous body as she moved.
“Why?” asked Erin.
“I don’t know, I guess because she’s been so helpful and nice, I just felt it would be a good way to repay her.”
“So buy her a Coke!” Devon said.
“Yeah, you’re not gonna be able to teach her much in four weeks anyway, actually, less than that,” Randy added.
“How long have you guys been doing this?” Erin asked.
“I don’t know…three or four days is all. Four I think,” Rick said, in an attempt to sound detached. He wasn’t sure why he felt so defensive. “It’s not that big a deal. And I’m not expecting her to be Bob Dylan or anything, just kinda get her started is all.”
Erin chuckled and shook her head. “How did this even start?”
Rick explained how she confided to him that she wanted to be a songwriter, but couldn’t play anything. Shelby was right about not being a singer. He gently persuaded her to sing him one of her songs, and she did sound as though she should be singing in a church choir – too much vibrato in her voice. “You have to relax and not try so hard,” he told her. “If you work at it, you can change your delivery.” He taught her to experiment with the shape of her mouth, and to sing lazy , both of which would change her sound. Her song was good, though. It was a lot like her – naïve and unpolished on the surface, but deep and soulful at the core.
“Well, I think you’re nuts,” Devon said, shaking his head.
“I think it’s sweet.” Erin reached over and scratched her fingers lightly over Rick’s back, but Devon continued to shake his head.
Kostas didn’t say anything up to this point, but finally nodded his head, stood up, looked at Rick and said, “It is good, yes? It is good you do this to her.” As Kostas headed toward the bar, the others snickered at his broken English, but Rick didn’t laugh. Erin and Devon followed Kostas, and Randy left the table, announcing he needed to take a piss.
When they were all gone, Keith came over and put his hand on Rick’s shoulder. “I gotta say, I’m with Kostas on this one. You need to watch yourself.” As Keith followed the others to the bar, Rick could feel his irritation growing. After all, Shelby wasn’t some powerful temptress, she was just a kid, and he was perfectly capable of controlling himself. In fact, it made him angry to think that anyone might get the wrong idea about his relationship with her. They know me better than that, they know I’m not a fucking pervert. As visions of the last young lady he bedded flashed through his mind, he tried to dismiss them, reminding himself that she claimed to be older, and had he been sober, he never would have slept with her. The knot in his stomach remained.
~
When the dance lessons ended, people began to wander into the club. On his way back from the bathroom, Randy struck up a conversation with a German woman who had been learning the Hasapiko. She and her three her friends invited Randy to bring his friends over to their table for a drink.
He rushed to the bar – “Come on guys, I’ve got four hot ones on the line.”
Rick wasn’t in the mood to party with them, but Keith teased him, “Man, you haven’t gotten laid since you got here. Has the well run dry for ya?” Shame made him agree to the drink, so he followed the others.
As they approached, Randy whispered, “The blond in the red top thinks you’re cute, she called dibs on you.”
Randy made introductions, helped by the girls as he went along – Eva (in the red top), Anna, Gretchen, and Christine. The girls all worked at the same hospital in Munich. They were on Paros for two days, then off to the other islands. They all shook hands and pulled stools from neighboring tables, squeezing together to fit around one table.
As soon as Rick sat down, Eva’s hand was on his leg, making her intentions clear. Her long, blond hair draped over her ample bosom, and accentuated her curvaceous body as she moved.
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