Luck shrugged. “We’re here every day.”
Dane nodded and shook their hands as a farewell. She went to pick up Crow, who appeared bored out of her mind. Dane noted the two empty glasses on the bar in front of her friend. Hope she’s not drunk.
“Crow, you ready to go?” Dane noted that the bartender was making his way to Crow. She waved him off.
Crow turned around, and Dane recognized the unfocused, glassy look immediately. Yeah, she won’t be driving anywhere. She gave Crow a smile, which Crow returned with a lopsided, goofy expression that could’ve been a smile if she tried harder.
“Dane, sweetie, glad you could join me. They have an amazing drink here that they’re keeping hidden from the rest of us. Horrible people, the lot of them,” Crow declared without slurring a single word. Crow became very articulate when intoxicated.
Dane laughed. “Oh, yeah. I forgot all about the A Train.” It was an exclusive drink to Melody, named because it was accidentally invented while a band played Duke Ellington’s famous composition “Take the A Train.” She knew from firsthand knowledge how good it was.
“I would very much like another one.”
“Maybe later. Right now we need to go to a club you like.” Taking Crow some place that would keep her attention meant she’d drink less.
A bright smile lit up Crow’s face. “I get to pick the club while hanging out with the famous Dane, goddess of rock and roll. How cool is that? Not to mention, the famous Dane, goddess of rock and roll, is my best friend.”
Dane felt proud of that for some reason and smiled down at Crow. “You’re my best friend, too. Now, let’s get going.”
Crow smiled brightly and nodded. Dane made sure to give Crow some support, but Crow wasn’t so drunk yet that she needed the help. They left Melody and Dane followed Crow to get the night started.
***
Nicole heard Danny come in. She had been waiting up, reading on the sofa. Nodding off, she perked up instantly when she heard the door shut. Rubbing her eyes, she missed Danny’s entrance to the living room, but she caught the musician smiling at her.
“You shouldn’t have waited up,” Danny said softly.
“Waited up? It’s only 11:30,” Nicole replied with a tired smile.
Danny decided against pointing out that it was late by their usual standards. Instead, she offered Nicole her hand and the redhead did not hesitate to take it. Danny led them upstairs, pulled back the covers, and helped Nicole into bed.
“You’ll take a quick shower?” Nicole requested.
“Of course.” Danny smiled.
Nicole smiled and settled into bed. She was drifting off when she felt the bed dip and Danny eased up next to her. Strong arms wrapped around her and she snuggled into her freshly showered lover. She automatically returned a kiss when she felt Danny’s lips on hers.
“Nick, I’ve got something special planned for you on Friday. Gonna show you where I went today. You’ll like it,” Danny whispered; if Nicole was sleeping she did not want to wake her.
“I wanna see tomorrow,” Nicole murmured, rubbing her nose in Danny’s shoulder.
“No, I promised you movies for tomorrow. The surprise will still be there Friday.”
Nicole nodded before sleep overcame her. By the next morning, she’d forgotten the conversation. Come Friday, she was surprised that they had a date.
***
“Chem, babe, you’re not going to get ready? Figure we’d leave by eight.” Danny marched into the living room. Nicole was curled up on the sofa with some cookies and a book.
Nicole looked up, her brow wrinkled. “What are you talking about? Go where?” As far as she knew, they didn’t have any plans.
“My surprise. You don’t remember?”
Nicole’s forehead wrinkled, as she squinted and racked her brain. Nothing came up. “Remember?”
“Well, you were half asleep when I mentioned it. I have a surprise for you tonight. Go get dressed. You’ll like it,” Danny promised with a soft smile. She offered her hand to help Nicole off of the couch.
“Okay. How should I dress?” she asked, as she stood up.
“Regular. Just dress regular. Take your time. We can get there whenever.”
Nicole nodded and went off to get ready. She took her time because Danny clearly had to get ready, too, since she was in her house clothes. She showered and dressed for a date, putting on a dark blue dress that fell right above her knees. She put on some light makeup and sling-back heels before going downstairs, knowing Danny would be waiting.
“Don’t you look handsome,” Nicole said as she caught sight of her girlfriend.
Danny was dressed in light blue jeans, without having to be told to put pants on. Her top was a black button-up shirt with a grey vest. Her hair was brushed back and to the left side. She held a rose swirled with red and white in her hand, like a flowery peppermint.
Nicole practically floated to Danny, accepting the flower and giving up a kiss. Danny melted into her and held onto her, even as she tried to pull away. She cooed against Danny’s lips.
“You make me feel so wanted,” Nicole whispered.
“You are wanted, sweet seraph. Now, shall we go?” Danny offered Nicole her arm.
“Is Haydn in his crate?” Nicole took the offered limb.
“Of course,” Danny answered with a smile. “Now, let’s go.”
***
The one thing Dane detested about her injuries, beyond not being able to properly lift Nicole, was the fact that she didn’t trust herself to drive. It meant Nicole had to drive everywhere. It always gave Nicole a chance to deduce a surprise. Dane suspected Nicole knew where they were going, even though they had never been there.
“You can park over there.” Dane pointed ahead of them.
Nicole nodded and parked. Dane took Nicole by the hand and led her to Melody. They got in without a problem or a cover. Dane noted that green eyes scanned the large establishment, as they made their way through the crowd. They ended up at a table by the wall with a good view of the stage and sat down.
“What do you think?” Dane asked.
“I think this surprise is great! Where’d you find this place?” Nicole inquired.
“I heard about the drinks before anything else. It’s actually an old jazz club. One of the oldest in the city, but what gets punks like me in initially are the drinks. They have a lot of exclusive drinks that taste just fucking amazing. Once I wandered in, the music made sure I’d never leave. The talent that’s come through here is nothing short of breathtaking. It’s blues night. So, gonna order the drink of the night, Heartbroken, and we’ll listen to some blues.”
Nicole nodded. “Sounds good.”
“Oh, and just so you know, this isn’t the surprise yet.” Dane smirked.
Auburn eyebrows knotted together, but Dane didn’t explain herself. They listened to the beautiful music the club was famous for. Nicole kept her eyes fixed on the stage, but her hand was wrapped in Dane’s. Every now and then, when a piece got particularly emotional, there’d be a squeeze.
“Hey, Dane, didn’t know you were serious about coming out tonight,” Jewel said, as she and Fingers wandered over. Nicole turned her attention to the pair.
“Of course, I was serious. My girlfriend loves jazz, so I had to let her see this place. I figured I’d surprise her with blues night.” Dane looked at Nicole. “Nick, this is Jewel and Fingers. They’re jazz musicians and managers of this place.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Nicole politely shook both their hands.
“Dane with a single female that she calls her girlfriend? It’s a pleasure to meet you. It’s like meeting a unicorn,” Jewel replied. “Nice to see her growing up some.”
Dane rolled her eyes. “Don’t you two have somewhere to be?”
“Just want to make sure you’re ready. It’s been a while and the place is packed,” Fingers pointed out the obvious.
Dane scoffed and waved the pair off. Thankfully, they left without
saying anything to give away her surprise. She looked at Nicole.
“I played here a few times,” Dane said.
“I figured. They didn’t pay you in drinks, did they?”
Dane chuckled, even though that was a good guess. “No, they didn’t. But, this place became one of my little refuges from my usual scene. Really got outta my comfort zone here.”
Nicole blinked. “You did? I didn’t think you had a comfort zone when it came to music. You seem interested in it all. You seem good at it all.”
“No, but thanks for thinking that.” Dane felt her cheeks heat, which she covered up with a smile. “Jazz I knew, but the blues was new to me. Blues spoke to me, but mocked me as it spoke.”
Nicole’s brow wrinkled. “What do you mean?”
Dane didn’t respond and turned back to the stage. Nicole did the same, squeezing her lover’s hand. Nicole nursed her drink, taking small sips to avoid getting tipsy. After an hour, they got to Dane’s surprise.
“Ladies and gentleman, before we get to the next scheduled performance, we have a special guest, and she’s decided to grace us with her extraordinary talent. If you’re a regular from a while back, then you’re familiar with the extraordinary, wonderful stylings of Dane!” Luck announced.
Emerald eyes went wide as the audience applauded, and Dane climbed to her feet. Nicole watched as Dane made her way over to the stage, grabbing a guitar from Luck on her way up. She sat on a stool and settled the guitar against her.
“Good evening, people. Some of you might remember me, and some of you might remember this song I used to do here, whenever I popped up,” Dane said into the microphone. “For those of you that don’t know, the song is called ‘Smile for Me.’”
The house lights dimmed, almost to the point of being off; things were considerably darker than before. Still, Dane’s eyes sought out the only person that she wanted to hear her. Nick, I know this is going to hurt, both of us more than likely, but I need you to hear it. She strummed an eerie tune; her voice followed like a ghost.
“Hey, there, beautiful child, what are you doing with tears in your eye?
Hey, you, sweet child, you better never let them see you cry.
I know it hurts that life’s so goddamn unfair.
No, you’re not invisible. They simply don’t care.
But, you definitely better not show them your tears.
Then they’ll know they got you, they’ll know your fears.
So, they don’t know you, so they can’t see
You better put a smile on, smile just for me.
You better never let them see you frown.
Better smile, smile sweet, sweet child.
And never ever let them know they got you down.”
Dane strummed the guitar, hoping Nicole could hear what was underneath the notes, the lyrics, and the song. She could feel a difference from the last time she played the blues. It still mocked her, but there was something more. She couldn’t put a name to it yet, but she felt it.
“Even when you’re lying on that floor, bruised, bloody, and hurt
Even after you’ve been screamed on and treated lower than dirt
You better stand up before he sets foot out of the room.
And you throw him a smile, even if it means doom.
Let him know you’re stronger, let him know you’re there
Look him in the eye, you could even stare.
And you throw him a smile; you better never let him see you frown.
Better smile, smile sweet, sweet child.
And never ever let them know they got you down.”
The guitar played its sorrowful melody, getting lower and softer, until it disappeared. The stage lights went out, as if she’d vanished with the music, leaving only the haunting memory of the song. For the first time, Dane actually felt like she hadn’t vanished when the music stopped. At least that little girl can smile for real now.
***
Nicole practically curled into Danny as she came back to the table. Danny leaned down and placed a light kiss to Nicole’s head. They sat silently for a while.
“May we leave?” Nicole whispered. She couldn’t speak any louder. The song had stolen her voice.
Danny didn’t verbally respond, but she got up and helped Nicole out of her seat. Danny nodded her farewells to her friends. They went out into the night air, and Danny started toward the car, but Nicole tugged her hand.
“No, let’s walk around for a bit. Tell me about the clubs around here.” Nicole wanted to know more about this Danny, the Danny who knew history, who sang the blues, and who broke hearts in ways most people didn’t think about.
Danny smiled and put her arm around her girlfriend’s waist. “There aren’t that many left and the ones here are like Melody, really old. During the jazz age, this used to be the party district. By the time rock-n-roll was big, the parties started moving to the west side. Melody stays alive thanks to the popular drinks they serve, but they had such talent go through the doors. I mean, it’s crazy some of the people who performed there.”
“And then there’s you. You surprised me, singing the blues,” Nicole said, a small smile dancing on her face.
A sheepish smile made its way onto Danny’s face, while her hand made its way through her hair. “Yeah, I’m no Billie Holiday.”
Nicole laughed a little. “Your voice doesn’t lend itself well to the blues,” she agreed apologetically. This surprised her. Danny’s voice lent itself well to all other genres Nicole heard her sing.
Danny smiled even more. “I know. Told you the blues mocked me. Shoulda been the one style of music I was good at when I was younger, but I just don’t have the voice for it. So, it mocked me. Not so much anymore, though.”
“No?”
Danny pulled Nicole close to her. “No. I felt different singing that song than I ever have. I don’t have to sing the blues anymore. Before, it would pour out of me, even though my voice isn’t good for it. But, now, I don’t even think about the blues.”
Nicole nodded. “Your guitar sounded like you don’t think about the blues. Your voice, too. The lyrics made me sad, but your voice sort of reassured me that everything was all right.”
Nodding, Danny leaned down and nuzzled Nicole briefly. “I hoped that’d be the case. So, are you all right?”
Nicole put her hand on Danny’s arm and nodded. “I am. It’ll always bother me that you were abused as a child, but life is better now, and we can’t change the past.”
Danny smiled softly. “That we can’t, but life is beyond better. Life is wonderfully beyond description. You’re wonderfully beyond description. Ready to go home?”
Nicole pressed herself closer to her lover. “No, tell me more about the clubs, the music, the history.” She wanted to share this with her beloved.
Danny’s smile spread, and she started up with the club they’d just left. Nicole hung on her every word, even when they returned to the car. Danny held Nicole’s hand on the ride home, smiling and talking. Nicole couldn’t help feeling proud.
“And just so you know, baby, I care,” Nicole said.
“I never doubt that. You chase the blues away.”
Suture
“BABY, ARE YOU READY to go?” Nicole asked, as she came downstairs.
“I’ve been ready to go,” Danny answered while playing tug of war with Haydn. He was getting big enough to really overpower her if she wasn’t careful. Of course, he probably didn’t realize that.
“Did you call your brother? He should be here by now.” Nicole frowned, giving her watch a glance.
The frown didn’t last long when Nicole actually saw Danny’s outfit. She held in a chuckle, as she took in the sight of Danny in a baseball shirt. Despite Danny’s build, she didn’t look quite right in sports clothing, even when she wore jerseys. Maybe her style just suits her, even if it is slightly ridiculous.
“I called him. I don’t know where he is. Are we meeting your dad there?” She gave Haydn’s rope a good y
ank and pulled him forward. He growled and pulled back, yanking her forward in return.
“Do you think he’s upset we’re taking the boys to their first baseball game? That’s something most fathers would want to do with their sons. My dad took me to my first game.”
Dane shook her head. “I don’t think Adam cares about baseball. Sharon might just be giving him shit over it, as usual. I’m sure she’s throwing a huge tantrum over the boys spending time with us.”
Nicole nodded because that made sense. Adam didn’t say much about the situation with Sharon, but the boys blurted things out as children often do. It didn’t help that the boys liked running their mouths in general to Danny and Nicole. They talked about things their mother said about the couple, but they generally didn’t understand most of the things they repeated. They did understand their mom really didn’t like Danny or Nicole. Nicole hoped they never found out why.
“Are you looking forward to your first baseball game?” Nicole smiled as she curled up next to Danny on the couch.
There was a shrug. “Hope it’s better live than on TV.”
Nicole just laughed. Danny had watched a few baseball games with her on television, but had never made it to the end of one. She’d fall asleep, start writing, strum her guitar, play with Haydn, and do just about anything else to stop watching the game. Nicole was just happy that her partner would try to endure the games, because Nicole wanted Danny to watch with her. She doubted baseball would ever grow on Danny, but she was certain Danny would always try to watch with her.
“Have I told you I love you lately?” Nicole asked.
The musician smiled. “Not since last night.”
“Well, I love you. I love you so much.”
“Love you, too.”
A few minutes later, Adam showed up with the boys, who were dressed in baseball jerseys and caps. They hugged Nicole around the waist and then rushed over to their aunt. Nicole turned her attention to Adam.
Bandages Page 25