Star by Eliza Witte - HTML preview

59

‘Of course, you are,’ Jessie said. She was sure now Annie was high and thus talking nonsense.

‘I was so alone…,’ Annie’s sobbing continued. ‘And even my soul didn’t want to be with me. And there was nobody to help me… and… and it's the same with Stu! I know now!’

‘What has Stu to do with it? Oh, he gave you the stuff? I'd better put you to bed now.

You’ll sleep here tonight,’ and with all her love and care Jessie helped Annie to bed and put a blanket over her. She even kept on talking to her quietly just to stop her from falling back to her delirious state until Annie began to grow sleepy. Before she fell asleep completely, however, she managed only to say, ‘My soul walks on the ceiling now but… Stu is wonderful!’

XXXV

Now that she had tried the forbidden fruit herself, Annie was only too happy that her plan worked as she had expected it to. She was keeping an eye on Stu but she noticed that the more he received respect from his peers the less depressed and introverted he became.

Until she finally figured out that it was nothing but Stu’s own self-doubts towards himself both as a person and as an artist that were his worst enemy. He was searching an easy way out with the stuff but for the past several weeks Annie had caught him with it just once when Dian told him that maybe he thought he was a big something now that he played in front of an audience. In fact Stu was working really very hard – there was not a single week that he didn’t come out with new material. He always made the boys try it and then played it at the bar, which, to Louie’s greatest satisfaction, became the most popular place for young people from the entire region. There were also customers coming now from the Medical School nearby and also from the Chemistry Department of a local Research Center. Yes, Annie was glad - she not only had the clear view now on what was going on in Stu’s soul but she also had the opportunity to contemplate him working every single night. However, Annie was not the only one who was busy contemplating. Chris and Jessie began to date as far as their busy schedule of lectures and work allowed them. It was very amusing to observe them in the bar. Jessie – bold and self-confident provoking Chris in every possible way, while he, tied down behind the drums, was unable to respond. He paid everything back to her, of course, during the breaks when he practically crushed her in his arms. One night at the beginning of June, Stu was observing the same scene between them. Jessie was flirting with a client right under Chris’ nose throwing challenging glances at him. He got mad behind the drums and Stu decided to put him at ease. When they finished the song they were performing Stu 60

announced, ‘This was the music request for our guests at table seven. After a short break we'll be back to entertain you.’

Before he finished his sentence, Chris was already off with Jessie. They headed for the staff entrance where they had the habit to talk, away from the noise and Chris spoke angrily, ‘OK, young lady, you are going to be with me now. I’m taking you out.’

‘Out? Now?’ objected Jessie.

‘I don’t want to see you messing around with some men. Tonight you’re mine! Get in the car!’

‘But…’

‘No buts! I’ll handle Stu and Annie,’ he said as he pushed her in the car, locked her in and got back inside. Of course neither Stu, nor Annie minded their friends getting some fun.

Annie gladly took on Jessie’s duties and Stu said they’d have an acoustic night. They had enough material to handle without Chris. The only problem would be Louie, who however, they all hoped, would already be drunk in his office by that time.

Some time later, Annie went up to Stu to inform him that there was a music request from table number nine.

‘They want to hear your best song of your own choice,’ Annie said.

Stu looked above the tables, ‘That's this man sitting there alone, right? The one with the nice suit?’

‘Yes,’ nodded Annie.

‘This is a weird request. I don’t have any idea what to sing. I guess I haven't written my best song yet, have I?’ Stu smiled, ‘Or… hold on! Can you sing?’

‘Me? Ah, no! NO!’

‘I finished ‘Born To Love You’ and it turned to be very good, it's also acoustic so it fits the purposes of our night but I need some female vocals.’

‘No, no! Don’t do this to me!’

‘Won’t you help me? You said you studied singing. Can you read this?’ he handed her the notation.

‘Yes, I can.’

‘Then it’ll be easy.’ And before Annie could object further, Stu dragged her on to the stage. ‘This is the music request for table number nine,’ he announced and hit the strings. It was a beautiful combination of chords in the beginning, which was followed by Stu’s rich deep voice sounding like a prayer but when Annie joined in with her soft melodic soprano, which appeared to be endless at the heights, the entire bar became completely quiet. Both Stu and Annie were doing something unique at the moment together and they could feel it.

And while they kept on singing they made a discovery … they could feel a spark crack in the 61

air. A spark that held them connected in the infinity of the moment… A spark that made them sing this song for each other.

When it was all over the bar stood there frozen in silence after the final chords had died away before it burst into applause which didn’t end for at least 5-6 minutes. Finally Stu managed to out-voice the crowd, ‘May I have the pleasure of presenting you the lady with the celestial voice, Annie!’ he made her bow and then leaned and kissed her. He was excited about their performance together but what was his surprise to see the man who actually had

‘ordered’ that song just rise from the table, make his way to the door and leave. He was even more puzzled by Annie who also saw the gentleman but smiled, all the same, with a big broad smile.

XXXVI

In the car Chris had knit his eyebrows and was driving like mad. He was still unable to figure out what had happened. They had started the night so well. They had sneaked out of the bar without problems and they had caught a late film in the drive-in Movie Theater. At first Jessie was just as happy as him that they had, but then while they kissed and laughed, Chris expressed his appreciation of the girls having helped them out with their arrangement. And although the money wasn’t big it was just enough for small romantic night drives like this one.

All of a sudden Jessie got hysterical, ‘Oh, my God! The money!’

For the next five minutes it was absolutely impossible to talk to her. She acted like crazy begging him to drive straight back to the bar. Immediately! At the 10th minute he stepped on the pedal.

XXXVII

‘Good work, boys!’ said Louie. The guys were taking away their instruments. As they had expected he was slightly drunk and didn’t even notice Chris’s absence. They were waiting for Annie to finish her work in the kitchen so that they could all leave when Stu spoke,

‘Well, yes, another great evening, eh, Louie? Could you pay us now?’

‘WHAT?’ roared the bar-keeper.

Stu was puzzled by this reaction and he repeated his question.

‘Well, won’t you pay us?’

‘I don’t have money!’ shrieked Louie, ‘the agreement was that I don’t pay you, remember?’

‘You must be joking? There must be a mistake,’ gaped Bob.