“Orrin, I was so impressed with your music the other night. It was beautiful. I’ve never heard music like that. Where did you learn to play like that?”
Orrin was stunned and happy to hear Emily’s reaction and it made it easier to respond. “I’ve been playing since I was twelve and my music is the most important thing in my life. I live to play music.”
“Really? I’d love to hear you play again sometime.”
“Well, I play at Mama’s Café every Friday and Saturday night. You could come there and hear me play.”
He was emptying her wastepaper into the larger recycling trashcan and was about to leave when he turned to her. “I have an idea, I could play for you after work. It’s a nice day. We could go to the park across the street and I could give you a private concert.”
“That would be lovely,” she said. “But I’m meeting my boyfriend, Allen, after work.”
“Oh well, maybe some other time.” He tried not to sound crushed.
A few days later, Orrin composed music that reminded him of Emily. He played it in his room for two nights, and the next day he brought his guitar to work and went to her office and said, “I want to play something that I made up for you.”
She stopped what she was doing and Orrin sat down on a chair in front of her desk and took his guitar from its case. “It’s called, Rhapsody for Emily.”
When he played, his fingers moved gracefully and delicately up and down the guitar strings. He looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes and moved his head from side to side and in his mind he could see Emily's face, her green eyes, her dark hair, her lovely radiant skin. The haunting melody and mystical chords that came from his fingers expressed the love he felt when he thought of her. When he finished and looked at her, he saw tears in her eyes. Gloria had stopped what she was doing, and she looked like she was going to cry too.
“That was so beautiful Orrin, thank you. I loved it. I can’t believe you made that up for me. It made me want to cry.”
Gloria came over and stood in front of Emily’s desk. “Orrin, I didn’t know you could play the guitar so beautifully. I’ve never heard anything like that before.”
Orrin didn’t know what to say, but felt relieved that Emily liked it. He sat there, holding his guitar and tried to think of something to say other than thank you. Emily just looked at him. After a minute or so, Orrin stood up. “Well, I better get back to work.” He put his guitar in its case and left the office.
Once in the hallway and out of their sight, he took a deep breath and leaned against the wall, hardly able to believe he’d had the nerve to play that music for Emily. While he worked, he hummed the melody and thought how she’d looked at him when he played. He was happy and wondered if Emily would go to the movies with him, or for coffee if he asked her, but then he thought about her boyfriend and sighed at how nuts he was to even have such a crush on her.
The next Friday night when he was playing at Mama’s Café, Julie came over and again told him how many people had said they loved his music, and that they’d been telling others about him. She said his playing had helped her business and even her staff commented on how his music added so much to the atmosphere and that their tips were better when he played. Of course that thrilled him, but what really thrilled him was that late that night, about a half hour before closing, with just a few customers in the café, Emily came in by herself. She was wearing jeans, a white peasant blouse that revealed her shoulders and a yellow silk scarf around her neck. She looked very different from the way she did at the office. She sat at a small table in the corner and smiled when their eyes met. She ordered a glass of red wine and listened to him play. When he played, he looked up at the ceiling with his eyes closed as if praying for the music to come to him, but a few times he glanced over at Emily and loved how she was listening with a slight smile on her lips and her eyes gazing at him as if seeing him for the first time.
Orrin knew this would be his last piece before the café closed. Only one couple remained, finishing their dinner. Orrin decided to play the Rhapsody for Emily and could tell she recognized it by the way she smiled and closed her eyes and listened. Orrin played it slowly. He knew he had never played anything more beautifully and could feel tears in his eyes and on his cheeks as he played, even though his eyes were closed.
When he finished, the other couple got up, put some money in his jar and left. Emily still sat at her table and after Orrin put his guitar in his case, he went over. “Mind if I join you?” he asked, carrying his half-finished glass of wine.
“Of course not.” She smiled up at him.
“I’m glad you came to listen to me play.” He sat down.
“I’m glad I did, too. I love your music. It’s really special, and I love the piece you wrote for me. I haven’t stopped thinking about it. No one has ever done that for me before. I was really touched.”
“Thank you.” He smiled and sipped his wine.
He didn’t know what else to say, but was glad that Emily was beginning to see that he was a lot more than a janitor, something he had hoped would eventually happen.
Orrin knew Julie and the others wanted to clean up and close, but they didn’t seem to mind that the two of them were sitting and finishing their wine. While they were talking, Orrin kept looking at Emily’s blue-green eyes, her long dark hair halfway down her back and liked how she looked in the low-cut peasant style blouse and jeans. I don't believe she's here. She's so beautiful.
“When I came here with my boyfriend, I was surprised to see you. I had no idea you played the guitar.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” Orrin said, gradually feeling more confident and sensing her interest in him.
“What else don’t I know about you?” She sipped her wine and looked at him over the rim of her glass.
“Well, I’m not just a janitor. I’m a composer and I’ve been playing the guitar since I was twelve. You already know I’m shy and do stupid things like offering you gum when I don’t know what to say.”
“But you brought me flowers…that was sweet of you.”
“Well, I thought you would like them.”
“I can’t tell you how much I love your music. You're so talented. I came here tonight because I couldn’t stop thinking about the song you wrote for me, but it was something else I felt.”
“What did you feel? I’d love to know. I never get the chance to talk to anyone about my music. Playing here is good and people give me tips so I know they like it, but would you tell me what you felt?”
“Passion, I felt your passion, but when I watched you play with your eyes closed, it’s as if you are someplace else, in another world. It’s fascinating. How did you learn to play like that?”
“You’re going to think this is strange, but when I was twelve, I saw this guitar I play in a music store. There was something about the blue color that made me want to touch it and I knew I had to have it. I wasn’t sure why at the time, but the guy who made it, gave it to me and taught me how to play. His real name was Apollo, you know, like the Greek god of music, but everyone called him Paul, and he said I was meant to have this guitar and that was how I learned.”
“Apollo, that is strange. I’ve never heard of anyone named Apollo.”
“I know. He was a master and he taught me how to play, but I had to stop taking lessons when my mom and I moved. He inspired me, and all I ever wanted to do from the day I met Apollo was play music.”
Emily gazed into Orrin's eyes, seemingly captivated by what she was hearing. She just looked at him and finished her wine just as Julie came over to the table and said the restaurant was ready to close.
“Let’s go for a walk,” Emily said. “It’s a warm evening and I’m enjoying getting to know you.”
“Good idea,” Orrin said, surprised. He sensed her fascination with him and quickly emptied the cookie jar without counting, stuffed the money in his pocket, picked up his guitar case and joined Emily who was waiting for him at the front d
oor. It was late and the streets were empty. They walked down the street for several blocks, then through the park until they sat on a bench overlooking a pond. Orrin couldn’t believe he was actually sitting there with the most beautiful woman he had ever known. He could tell by the way she sat next to him with her arm touching his that something special was growing between them. She picked up his right hand and looked at his long fingernails, then lifted his hand, brought it to her lips and kissed it.
Without saying the words, Orrin knew she was falling in love with him. He was already in love with her. She moved her mouth to his. He turned and they kissed, first gently, tenderly, then she put her hand on the back of his head, pulling him deeper, harder against her lips. Her tongue opened his mouth. Their tongues touched and he tasted the warm wetness. He put his arms around her shoulders and they embraced. Her breasts pressing against his chest thrilled him. Their tongues swirled. His hardness strained against his jeans. Suddenly, she pulled her mouth away and gasped.
“Come home with me. I don’t live far from here.”
When they arrived at her apartment building and Orrin saw the doorman, he could see it was a pretty fancy place. They took an elevator to the fourth floor and Orrin wondered how she could afford to live in such a place, on a secretary’s salary. When they entered, he could see it was a large carpeted apartment with a sliding glass door at one end and a balcony that overlooked the city. A long white couch with light green pillows filled one wall. Several large white chairs faced it. He glanced at the large glass dining room table with six high-backed chairs surrounding it. Everywhere he looked were smaller tables, lamps, paintings. He noticed the fireplace and high ceilings. Orrin felt a little out of place being in such a fancy apartment. When he put his guitar case down, Emily came over to him. “I bet you’re wondering about my living in such a fancy apartment, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am. This is quite a place.”
“My father is quite wealthy and I’m kind of a daddy’s little girl, so this is a gift. He pays for the apartment and my job lets me pay for the utilities. I bought a lot of the furniture on my credit card, but some of it’s from our summer home at the shore.”
Orrin suddenly realized that he might be out of his league with a woman like Emily who was from a wealthy family. They would never accept a guitar-playing janitor.
Emily put her arms around him and they kissed again, before she said, “I think I'm falling in love with you.”
“Well, I’m already in love with you. But you knew that, didn’t you?”
“Not really, but when you played the music you wrote for me, I knew what you felt. Your music stole my heart. I know that sounds corny, and I feel like a silly schoolgirl, but you swept me off of my feet. That’s why I came to the café tonight. I’ve never felt anything like this before. I can't explain it.”
“But you have a boyfriend, don’t you?”
“Yes, that might present a problem, but I have a feeling that Allen will soon be history. I don’t know what will happen with you and me, but right now I know I want to make love with you.”
She put her arms around him and embraced him. He felt her breasts crushed against his chest and he could smell her fragrant hair. They kissed—their tongues touching, dancing, swirling. She took his hand and led him into her bedroom. When they fell to the bed, she pulled him down on top of her and wrapped her legs tightly around his body. They kissed madly. His hard cock bulged in his jeans and her locked ankles gripped his ass, pulling him harder against her jean-covered pussy. They were grinding and humping until she pushed him onto his back and straddled him.
He pushed her onto her back, knelt over her and started unbuttoning her jeans. His cock was throbbing to be in her. She took over and unzipped her jeans. He stood up and rushed to take off his jeans while she squirmed out of hers. He took off his T-shirt while she removed her soaked, pink panties. She sat up and lifted her peasant blouse over her head and revealed her grapefruit-sized breasts covered by a pink bra. When she removed it, Orrin leaned forward and started kissing one soft breast, then licked her hardened nipple, while his hand rubbed her other breast. She arched her back and pressed her dripping pussy against his hard cock.
“Oh please, I want you. I need you.” Her urgent words inspired him to grab his hard cock and place the head at her dripping entrance. Slowly, he moved his cock up and down her wet pussy lips and loved the soft, succulent, petal-like sensation. He felt her hands gripping his ass before he entered her, inching his way deeper, filling her, the tightness squeezing his cock as the thrilling sensation of her warm wetness gripped his hardness. Her moaning was like music to his ears and urged him to thrust harder and deeper while she arched her back, her hands pulling him deeper, their bodies moving faster and faster, their hungry sounds growing louder and louder. He could feel her body tensing, trembling.
“Cum in me. I’m safe. Oh please, please, I want it all!”
Her words excited him and caused him to thrust faster and faster, harder and harder, filling her with each thrust. Just as she convulsed, her screaming, “Oh my God. Oh, yesss! Oh, Orrin!” brought him to the verge of erupting as her tight pussy gripped his swelling cock. His thrusting became wilder and suddenly, in an overwhelming orgasm, hot gushes of his cum filled her overflowing pussy causing her to scream louder. Her screaming became sobbing as tears rolled down her cheeks. When he collapsed on her, he kept his cock in her soothing warmth. Her arms and legs wrapped around his body kept him deep inside her. As they lay there, panting and gasping, unable to move, Orrin could feel their hearts beating against each other and knew that the bond of love that had entered their lives was profound and a gift from the gods to be cherished.
In the afterglow, Emily lay with her head on Orrin’s shoulders, her body half on his, her leg draped over his body. They didn't speak but wallowed in the warmth and peace of their embrace. At that moment Orrin knew that the difference in their lives didn’t matter.
The next day was Saturday and they spent the day together. After talking over breakfast, they stood on the balcony and looked out at the city. They made love again, took a walk through the park and sat again on the bench by the pond where they had shared their first kiss. Later, back in her apartment, Orrin practiced while Emily read, lying on the couch across from him, but she seemed unable to stop looking over at him as he played his guitar, looking up at the ceiling and closing his eyes.
While he was playing, her cell phone rang and Orrin heard her say, “Oh, hello, Allen,” and she went into the other room to talk. Orrin wondered what would happen, would she say they had to talk, would he become part of her history? He stopped playing, and suddenly felt painful pangs that he would lose her. He closed his eyes, feeling vulnerable, and wondered how someone like Emily could have a relationship with someone as poor as he was.
When she came back into the room, she came over to him. He looked up and tried to hide how frightened he was. She kissed his head, his cheek, his lips and told him she was going to meet Allen that night, that he had tickets for a concert at the Academy of Music. She told him that she really wanted to come to the café and hear him play again but couldn’t get out of this date.
Orrin looked away and his fear of losing her rose in him like an approaching storm. He put down his guitar and walked to the big window overlooking the city. She came to him and put her arms around him, pressing her body against his back, then kissed the back of his neck and his shoulder. Orrin was confused and disturbed until Emily said, “I’m going to tell him tonight that I want to end the relationship.”
Orrin turned to face her. Their eyes met and he knew she could see the tears in his eyes which were starting to overflow. She touched the tear on his cheek then kissed him. “I love you, Orrin. You have nothing to worry about. I don’t know what will happen with us, but right now, I know I only want to be with you.”
Orrin swallowed and savored the touch of her finger wiping the tear. He loved how she smiled and could not believe that this was happ
ening to him. It was unbelievable that the woman he loved was saying what he wanted to hear. All he knew at that moment was he wanted to play music because what he felt was beyond words.
That night, just before closing, Emily came into the café and sat at the same table in the corner. Orrin didn’t see her at first because he was playing with his eyes closed, but when he saw her smile at him, looking lovely in a low-cut black dress, a pearl necklace on her throat, her dangling earrings, her dark hair falling over her shoulders, his heart leaped and the music he played was light, happy, and sweet. Just by gazing at each other, he knew she had told Allen it was over, and that she could hear what he was feeling and expressing through the delicate sounds that came from his guitar. It was the music he felt when she’d told him she only wanted to be with him.
Months passed. Orrin had quit his job as a janitor and devoted his time to his music—practicing, composing, most of the time at Emily’s apartment, but he still loved his small room on the third floor of Mrs. Rose’s house. He didn’t require much money and the tips he made at the café came to more than a hundred dollars for Friday and Saturday. The café started serving brunch on Sundays, and he started playing for a few hours during brunch, but then he decided he also wanted to be a street musician. He wanted to play his music at different places around the city. He didn’t want to get an agent and play concerts in theaters or fancier clubs than Mama’s Café, even though many people who listened to his music said he could make recordings and be famous if he wanted to.
He loved playing in the park during the day when there were a lot of people strolling. They would stop and listen and toss coins or dollar bills into his open guitar case. He loved when children stopped playing and came over to listen. He would open his eyes and look at them as they stared at his long fingernails plucking the strings, his other hand moving rapidly up and down the guitar, creating his unique mixture of classical and jazz.
The Blue Guitar Page 3