“Believe in love at first sight?” asked a very familiar voice, as Lynn was fussing with her iPhone, trying to figure out why it didn’t work anymore.
“Huh...what...” she mumbled looking up from her lap.
Ian, only a few feet away and leaning one elbow on the table where she was sitting, looked at her questioningly.
If she’d been paying attention for the past five minutes instead of poking at her iPhone, she would have realized that she’d materialized onto the same bar stool that Susan had been on just three nights previous.
She was in the Dusky Club. It was just past midnight on Monday night, and Ian was subbing in for the lead guitarist for “The Stingers,” and there was a break between sets. Right before the end of the last song, one of the other band members had elbowed Ian and motioned over to where Lynn was sitting.
As the music ended, he said, “Looks a bit like that other American bird that James went so crazy over last Friday and Saturday nights when you were playing. I was back with the bartender, and Sandra was babbling about how the regular girls had fits and starts over his attention to her.”
Ian looked intently over at Lynn.
She was wearing her own June Cleaver-style dress in a pale shade of yellow, which set off her suntan. She stood out like a ray of sunshine in the room, with her golden hair and generously endowed body. She had a yellow ribbon in her hair. Ian felt a familiar stirring in his loins as he took her in from head to toe. Where in the hell had she come from? Was she one of Susan’s fellow students come to meet her for the history tour? Maybe she had just arrived earlier than Susan was expecting her? Susan said the other students would be arriving on Friday and then they’d all be going off to somewhere else for their tour.
The longer he looked at her, her sandaled foot swinging back and forth as she concentrated on something in her lap, the more he felt drawn to her. What exactly was it about these American girls that made them so desirable?
Ian had been the first one to notice Susan last Friday and was ready to make his move on her when James cut him out. No matter. This girl was much more in his style. Susan looked like some frightened bird as James made his attempts to pursue her. This girl looked ripe and ready for the plucking. Voluptuous and just waiting to be caressed.
“Wager on?” asked the other Stinger band member.
“For tonight?” Ian asked.
“Of course! That’s always the wager isn’t it?”
“You’re on then.”
“Good luck, mate. Hope she’s not like that other American bird, flighty as hell and not willing to put out on the first or even second try as I heard.”
Lynn recovered from her initial shock at seeing Ian so close and personal. She quickly shoved her iPhone in her purse and glanced around the club.
“I...I...don’t know what I think of love at first sight,” she said, sounding very innocent and at the same time startled at his question.
“Well...I never really thought much about it either...until now...” Ian said, pulling another stool up to the table and looking at her.
She had the most gorgeous brown eyes. They were like chocolate and reflected a deeply passionate nature. He was very intrigued.
Lynn thought, “Oh geez, I wasn’t expecting this! I came here to rescue Susan from her stupid self, and now here I am confronted with...confronted with...Oh my God...my own silly daydream that I don’t even really care about anymore...my opportunity to know the guy I used to dream about when I was what? Fourteen years old?”
Ian put both of his elbows on the table and tilted his head at her. “Cuppa after the last set, Luv?” he asked.
“Cup of what?” she inquired.
“Whatever you like...tea...coffee...or me...”
She blushed furiously. This was ridiculous! What a trite and stupid pick up line to boot!
“How did I come to be here like this?” she asked herself. Where was Susan? Should she ask? She was supposed to be one of the history students, wasn’t she? She couldn’t remember. She hadn’t paid that much attention to what Susan had told James. Oh geez! She needed to remember!
“You?” she muttered under her breath.
“Well, just think about it, Luv,” he said as he walked back up to the front of the club and slipped his guitar strap back over his shoulder and winked at her.
Winking...what was it that Susan was saying about winking…
Ian started singing, looking at her with an inviting smile on his face.
“I saw her sitting on the bar stool... With a yellow ribbon in her ponytail...”
“Oh my God!” she thought,” her instinctively passionate nature making her feel warm all over. “I came here to rescue Susan, but I think I’m going to be the one who needs rescuing!”
As James began to kiss her, Susan pushed him away and said, “Now look here, sir, I have dinner on the stove and don’t want to be distracted and burn everything. Go twiddle at the piano some more and entertain me.”
He reluctantly let her go then went over and sat down at the piano. “Any special requests?”
“Whatever you want. We’ve got about twenty minutes until everything will be ready,” she said, stirring the chicken again, cutting lettuce for the salad and slicing up the rest of the French bread to make garlic toast.
When she was done, she walked over to a cabinet next to the piano.
“What’s this?” she asked, opening the top of the cabinet to reveal a record player. “Oh, are there any records?”
“I think there’s some underneath in the cabinet.”
She bent over and opened the cabinet doors. “Oh, look! There’s lots of records here! Let’s see what she has...”
He leaned over and looked into the cabinet with her.
“Look!” she exclaimed, “Here’s one of my favorites...”Sleeping Beauty” by Tchaikovsky. Have you ever heard the “Sleeping Beauty Waltz?”
“Why don’t you play it then?”
“No, but I can dance for you to this. I love this music!”
“Ah, are you going to be my personal little ballerina then? Go ahead and put it on and dance for me.”
“First, I need to warm up. You can play me some plie music...slow...an adagio...4/4 measure...four sets of sixteen counts. Think you can do that?”
“Actually, my dad played music for a dance studio once. When he was sick one time, I had to take his place. I hated it.”
“You won’t play plies for me?
“Of course I’ll play plies for you. How’s this?” He started to play.
“Wait, wait...let me grab a kitchen chair...you need a four-count intro...”
She kicked off her sandals, dragged a kitchen chair near the piano and stood in first position, arms in low fifth.
“Okay, go ahead,” she said.
At the intro, she placed her left hand gracefully on the back of the chair and moved her right arm in a port de bras and began. Demi, demi, grand plie, port de bras forward, back bend, move into second position. She moved with poise, her eyes half closed, totally enveloped in the music as he played for her.
He glanced over at her appreciatively, thinking how fluid her movements were. His heart tightened in his chest. What could be more beautiful than watching this?
He continued playing, and she turned to put her other hand on the chair, back in first position. She repeated the movements on the other side, ending in a releve (up on the balls of her feet) in a tight fifth with both arms overhead.
He stared at her silently.
She took the Sleeping Beauty record out of the sleeve, put it on the record player, turned it on and placed the needle on the record.
“Okay, watch...” she said, as the entre to the waltz encompassed the room.
Balance forward, balance back, repeat, soutnou turn. The skirt of the silky green dress swirled outward as she turned. She started moving around the room to the music, totally taken over by the melody.
As the music began to repeat itself, she began to sing...” I love you…
You danced with me once upon a dream…
When I saw you…the sparks in your eyes were so familiar to me…
So I’m sure it’s true…that first love is rarely what it seems…
But now I’m with you…
I know what is true…
You’ll hold me again…just as you did then…
Upon a dream…”
She kept moving, turning, spinning, waltzing until the music ended and she placed her hand on his shoulder in a ponche arabesque.
Memories of being in the Sleeping Beauty Castle when she was sixteen years old and had encountered an older James, rushed through her veins. She remembered singing the same “Once Upon a Dream” song at his insistence and then running away when he proposed they leave Disneyland together. She shivered at the memory.
James was speechless. He pulled her onto his lap on the piano bench and held her close. “That was so lovely,” he whispered in her ear, still astounded.
She kissed his cheek, extracted herself from his arms and jumped up, dragging the chair back into the kitchen with her.
“Time for dinner, sweetheart,” she said.
If Lynn was one thing, she was practical. As Ian sang and threw inviting looks in her direction, she evaluated the situation. Here she was living out a crazy fantasy she wasn’t even sure she wanted to be in. She had four nights to live it. Unlike Susan, who was like a scared little kitten, Lynn always had her two feet planted firmly on the ground. She knew a bet had been made about her and Ian, just like a bet had been made on Susan.
“So what,” she thought, being pragmatic. If she decided to go for it, she didn’t think she’d have to fool around with that virgin thing either. She was pretty sure the preacher’s son had taken care of that; she just didn’t remember exactly when.
The set ended, and Ian came back over to her table. “So, do we have a date then?” He drawled.
“Mmmmm...I suppose so,” she responded coyly. “Any particular place you have in mind?”
“Your hotel room?”
“Well, that’s pretty darn blunt!”
“No reason to beat around the bush, is there? I find you very attractive...much more attractive than your American friend...I assume you’re a friend of the other American bird who came in here Friday night and sent James into a tizzy.”
“Oh! That American girl...Susan...Yes, I’m her best friend. I came here to rescue her...I mean, join her. We’re here for a history tour, I think...I mean, yes, we are here for a history tour.”
“So, are all the students just popping in here one at a time then? Your friend told James that everybody else was to join up on Friday.”
“Um, well, they’re meeting us in London on Friday...the rest of them, I mean...just a little change in plans. I decided to pop in early, as you said because I had a feeling Susan was getting herself into trouble.”
“With James you mean?”
“Um, yeah, with James. She’s a virgin you know.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.
Ian raised his eyebrows. “Well, I doubt she is any longer.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m worried about. It’s something she wanted to save for…oh, never mind! Do you happen to know where she is? When I went to her hotel room, there was no sign of her, and the front desk said they hadn’t seen her since yesterday morning. She had them pack a picnic basket, which I thought was a little odd.”
“No idea where she is, but must be with James, of course. So, about our date?”
“Can we start a little slower, please? I’m not saying ‘no’ to the hotel room for some time later, but I’m not a loose girl, you know. I’m a serious student of history.” She tried to keep a straight face.
“Are you then? Tell me something historic.” She laughed out loud.
“Go back up on stage and play me a song,” she said. “Something to win a lady over to your wicked ways.”
“I’ll do my best,” he said, pushing away from the table and going back on stage.
“Young girl...sweet girl...
Got my head in a whirl...
Can’t get you out of my heart...”
***
Just as James and Susan were finishing dinner, the telephone in the lounge rang. James didn’t make a move to answer it.
“Don’t you think you should answer?” she asked. “It could be your dad or an important call for your aunt.”
James hesitated just a second, then got up and went into the other room to answer the phone. He made it on the fifth ring. He didn’t seem very anxious to talk to his dad if that was who was calling.
“Hallo.”
“Hello, James? This is Dad.”
“Yeah, Dad.”
“So sorry to disturb you, but Derek called a bit ago and said it was important to get a hold of you. Seems some bloke named Ryan Graystein wants to hear you and the boys play tomorrow morning for an hour or so at some recording studio down in South Brighton. Might be an opportunity, you know. It sounds like it’s an audition for making a record.”
“Ryan Graystein? Tomorrow morning?”
“That’s what Derek said. He wanted to make sure you’d be there. 10:00 on South Audley Road.”
“I’ll be there, but say, Dad, can I drop off Susan to stay with you while I’m there? It’s right on the way to South Brighton and her hotel is quite a ways north.”
There was a moment of silence on the other end.
“Of course, I’d be delighted to have her.”
“Something wrong, Dad?”
“You both stay the night together at Annabelle’s last night then?”
It was James’s turn to be silent.
“Yeah, we did.”
“And you’re still there? Staying another night also?”
“Yeah.”
“You heard what I said about her, didn’t you?”
“Yeah; you were right.” He lowered his voice. “She was innocent.”
“But not anymore?”
“No, not anymore.”
“We’ll talk more about it tomorrow, then.”
“Talk about what?”
“I said, we’ll talk more about it tomorrow.”
“Sure, Dad. See you tomorrow, then.”
“Good night, James...and tell Susan good night too.”
“Bye, Dad.”
James went back into the kitchen, sat back down at the table and lifted his wine glass. “This calls for a toast,” he said. “We’ve been requested to audition for a bloke named Ryan Graystein.”
Susan almost choked on the piece of chicken she’d just put into her mouth. She chewed, swallowed and picked up her wine glass, clinking it against his.
“That’s fabulous!” she said. “Oh, James, you’re an incredible talent!! I just know you’re going to be famous! This is just the start; you wait and see.”
He grinned from ear to ear. “I hope you’re right then,” he said. “So, here’s to our being famous!”
They each took a sip of wine.
James looked at Susan tenderly. How wonderful to have someone believe in him so much. She was like a rock, so sure of his future and success. It made his heart melt.
“Thing is, we need to leave early tomorrow morning and you can’t come to the audition. I asked my dad if it was okay to drop you at the house, and he said it would be fine. I should only be gone a couple of hours at most.”
She looked at him across the top of her wine glass. “Well, that sounds fine to me. I like your dad...but...now that we’ve um...you know...and he knows we’ve been here overnight alone...” She blushed.
“Dad won’t hold you responsible. He’ll be blaming me for what happened anyway. What do you say we go do some more ‘you know’ right now?”
“Not before the dishes are done, and everything put away.”
She tipped her wine glass, sipped the last of the wine and got up from the table, carrying her plate. She put it in the sink and turned around to go back and get his, but he was blocking her way. Before she could utter a sound, he’d scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom.
“The dishes can wait,” he said, tossing her onto the bed and pushing Buttons off onto the floor.
She smiled up at him and opened her arms.
***
As Lynn watched and listened to Ian sing, she started thinking back to the time when she had a huge crush on him. “Might as well live in the moment,” she thought. He had a sensitive look about him, and she remembered he’d always been called the “quiet one.”
“Well,” she thought, “He might be quiet, but he certainly isn’t shy with girls!”
She wondered if she was doing the right thing, letting him flirt with her so outrageously and with such bold innuendos. She was giving him back everything he was throwing her way. How wicked of her!
And what fun!
No sign of Susan and she knew she wasn’t likely to come across her tonight, so why not enjoy herself? No one would ever know...Ian was looking at her intently as he sang. Her mind wandered back to the past; she found that she rather enjoyed it.
Sandra came over just then, a tray balanced in one hand, plucked a glass of dark brown stuff off the tray and set it on the table in front of Lynn.
“Compliments of Ian,” she said with a wink.
Lynn picked up the glass and sniffed. “What is this?” she asked. “Why ale, of course. Ain’t you ever had ale before?”
“I’ve had beer, but not ale. Is it the same?”
“Pretty much, but we have small beer too. Hey, you’re an American too, ain’t you? There was another American girl in here Friday and Saturday. Nice girl, name of Susan. I’m sorta getting to be her friend. You wouldn’t be part of her history group, would ya?”
“Yes, yes, I am. In fact, I came here looking for her. She wasn’t in her hotel room, so I thought she might be here.”
“Ha! Not likely...She’s off with one of the blokes who plays in the band Friday, Saturday and tomorrow. Ian plays with them regular-like too, but he sometimes fills in for other bands who need a good guitarist. He’s the best actually...in high demand.”
“No surprise to me!” thought Lynn.
“You wouldn’t happen to know where the bloke from the other band would be with Susan, would you?”
“James, you mean? No clue. Probably has her off somewhere private like.”
“That’s what worries me.”
“No need to worry; he’s a good bloke.”
“Well, I’m not so sure of that, but never mind. Thanks for bringing the drink.”
“No worries, Luv,” Sandra giggled. “Your friend, Susan taught me that phrase. I’ve been usin’ it a lot! Well, enjoy yourself,” she said, walking off to deliver the other drinks on her tray.
Lynn made an executive decision and decided to forget about Susan for the rest of the night. She took a sip of the ale, making a face at the bitter taste, then smiled at Ian, who had finished playing the last set for the night and was coming over to her table. Oh, yes! She was going to enjoy the night...
After Ian packed up his gear, he and Lynn headed down to the pubs by the dock, where they chatted amicably for two hours. They hopped from pub to pub, listening to the music and sharing family history and experiences. It wasn’t long before they felt they’d known each other for much longer than a few hours.
“Time to go to your hotel then?” Ian asked, leaning back in his chair with his booted feet and legs stretched out in front of him.
He looked fabulous to Lynn in his relaxed pose. Very sexy, in fact. The beer she’d been drinking had also most likely affected her vision and perception of him.
“I think I’d like that,” she said.
He stood up, threw some money on the table, grabbed her hand and they headed out the door.
When they reached the hotel, Ian grabbed his acoustic guitar out of the boot of the car’and took it with him into the hotel. Lynn pressed the elevator button for the fourth floor. As soon as they entered the hotel room, Lynn reached for the light switch. Ian put out his hand and stopped her as he closed and locked the door behind them, leaning his guitar against the wall next to it.
“Full moon shining through the window. No reason to waste the moonlight, is there?” he asked softly, putting his arms around her waist from behind and nibbling at her neck.”
“Mmmmmm...” she sighed as he unzipped the back of her dress.
It slithered to the floor.
He pushed the bra straps down her arms, then reached around to tweak the nipples of her breasts.
“Oh!” she squealed breathlessly.
He then turned her around and brought his mouth down on her breasts, suckling her until she felt she would go wild with wanting him. She pushed her panties down over her hips and used her feet to pull them the rest of the way off and onto the floor.
“Let’s get in the bed,” she whispered.
“Yes, let’s,” he said, kissing her full on the mouth and pushing her backward.
She sprawled onto the bed on her back and watched him remove all of his clothes. She could see in the moonlight that he was ready for her and opened her arms to receive him on top of her. But instead, he brought his head to her collarbone and licked his way down her chest to her belly button, teasing and taunting her all the way. His head and tongue went lower, then even lower.
“I plan on pleasuring you first, Luv,” he said in a husky voice. “Lay back and enjoy it.”
As his tongue reached her most private and sensitive nether parts, she let out a moan and grabbed his hair.
A pang of guilt washed over her but only briefly. She was definitely letting Ian win the wager...