Music So Sweet

Elizabeta sighed as she left the office, unbuttoning the top button of her white blouse and slipping off her black high heels. Work was just so overwhelming that it was just taking over her life. She worked opening until closing and sometimes even overtime at that stupid office surrounded by all her male coworkers. Which really, she didn't mind so much as most of her friends, heck basically all but two were males. She always found it much easier to hang with the guys by the water jug and make crude jokes when the boss wasn't in earshot than it was to be getting her nails done with a bunch of girls.

She let out a happy sigh as she wiggled her toes in the brown nylon stockings that she wore once they hit the cold pavement of the sidewalk. She quickly leaned down to grab the shoes before returning to the same old routine she usually did. Walk to the grocery store and then take the bus home. Eat a frozen dinner to only say that she will make dinner the next night. Feed her goldfish and watch her soap operas to laugh and know that life could be worse. Then she would go to bed until her alarm woke her up early for her shower and then she would leave for work, and the whole thing repeats like a vicious circle.

The bell above the door chimed as the old man at the counter looked and smiled at her.

"Right on schedule I see Elizabeta. Long day at work again?" He said warmly as she dissapeared from his view behind an aisle wall.

"Yeah, as usual." She muttered just loud enough so that he could hear and heard him chuckle. She ducked through aisles of various foods and went straight to the freezers in the back. Sliding the door open she was blasted with the cool air as she grasped the frozen dinner before closing it and headed to the small bakery section to grab a loaf of bread. Lazily she placed her shoes on the counter beside the produce that she was buying already pulling out her wallet and digging through for the right amount to give to him. As he was bagging the food she heard something that caused her heart to sink. The slight pitter patter on the roof that casually grew until it was like a hundred pebbles being dropped on the old roof.

"Sounds like you might need to put on your shoes," the owner said before looking over his shoulder and looking out the door. She nodded taking the bag and the change from him.

"I guess so. This isn't my day it seems."

"You say that everyday my girl. If you keep up with that attitude things will never change. Try and be positive. Maybe your bad luck will wash away in this rain. Try and have a good day now." He waved her off as she reluctantly put her heels back on, feeling her feet already begin aching once more. It was pouring, the rain just pounding on the sidewalk outside as people quickly rushed home from the sudden change of weather. Elizabeta cursed under her breath, of course the weather forecast this morning said it was going to be clear all day, and she had foolishly believed the weatherman.

"Dumbass weatherman," she grumbled digging through her pocket for enough change to take the bus. "Screw walking." She clenched the change in her hand and opened the doors. The cold rain almost made her gasp when it first hit her, already sending a cold shiver through her bones. She hugged her body and began the walk to the nearest bus stop. She knew there was one by the park just a ways away. Already she began to feel her body begin to shiver, trying to warm itself as her steps clicked along the uneven sidewalk cement. A cat ducked into an ally as people hurried by with their umbrellas open shielding themselves from the barrage of rain. A couple passed holding hands and laughing as the blond male held the umbrella high over their heads as the cute petite girl clung to him causing the two of them to walk a bit crookedly. He would go to move the umbrella a bit and she would squeal and shake her head, her short blonde hair fluffing up more making him chuckle before leaning down to steal a kiss before continuing on. She felt the heat of jealousy start growing in her chest causing her cheeks to get warm as she turned and continued away in a brisker pace. They looked so happy and she felt like it was unfair. She felt a tear fall from her eyes.

Her last boyfriend had dumped her three months previous after his promotion. He claimed it was because he would have even less time with his new position. And on the fact that he was transferring offices and moving to a different location in a different country. But she knew that wasn't entirely true. She heard through other employees and gossip that it had everything to do with the fact that she wasn't feminine enough. She didn't cook, didn't clean, didn't go out and get all prettied up with makeup and fancy hair and low-cut and short dresses. And probably because there wasn't enough sex involved either. The asshole. She had even heard that within weeks he had already nagged himself a pretty little blond that could cook pancakes. Turned out, he was gay.

She was soaked to the bone by the time she got to the bus shack, moving some of the wet hair that stuck to her skin out of her vision as her makeup ran down her face. Only ten more minutes until the bus came, that was good news at least. She cursed as she realized her blouse, being wet and white, had gone see through and that you could see the outline of her white bra from underneath. She was about to sit down when she heard something coming from the park. A bit confused she tried to focus on the sound and realized it was music. Looking back and sensing that she had time still she went back outside into the rain and walked over to where the music was playing in the park. With each step she felt herself being drawn more and more into the music, now recognizing it as the violin as the music grew faster and faster pace growing in a crescendo. She moved beside a few people that stood with their umbrellas overhead and noticed a man standing as he played the violin under the park's gazebo, out of the rain.

He was as elegant and classical in looks as his music was. Black pants with lace up heeled boots and a deep rich blue jacket that seemed to be made out of velvet and even had one of those penguin tails that tuxes do whatever the correct word was. It was buttoned up with several gold coloured buttons with cuffs that were lined in gold as well. The top few buttons were undone and a cravat peeked through but the most intriguing part of the man was that he was blindfolded. He stood there playing his violin blindfolded. One tuft of brown hair stuck up like a cowlick from out of the blindfold causing her to suppress a giggle. He swayed gently to the music at the soft parts before getting more into it at the more intense parts of the music. He was one with his music, and Elizabeta felt herself getting drawn into his world.

His world of crescendos and decrescendos that gave the notes a tone of voice in their conversations or arguments. With all the tempo changes, that made this strange new world spin as notes knowing their place hustled and bustled knowing that they were each needed for the whole picture and that no one would be left behind. This world filled with emotion, that was so sweet that anyone listening could be reduced to tears or be energized or even overwhelmingly happy. She closed her eyes, feeling this world embrace her as a smile tugged its way across her face. It was only until a bit after he played his final note did she snap out of her trance and felt herself come back to reality, and suddenly very, very cold.

She scrambled to pull out her phone and noticed that she had been standing out there for over an hour and that she had missed her bus. She groaned and looked back up noticing that he had now folded the blindfold and was beginning to put his violin back into its case. She felt herself stare entranced at his beauty. It was odd because she had never seen a man and found that the first word that she would say to describe him was beautiful. Beautiful and handsome. His clean features and violet eyes she felt he would easily be mistaken for an aristocrat from way back. He clipped the case closed and pulled out some glasses from his pocket cleaning them first before putting them on.

"Oh, umm hey?" Elizabeta said quickly jumping up under the gazebo and flashed him a quick little smile. He turned and looked at her and smiled, looking her over quickly.

"Hello, is there something that you wanted?" He asked tilting his head a bit. Just his gaze caused Elizabeta to blush a bit.

"Oh yeah, I was kinda wondering why you wore a blindfold while you were playing?" Hearing the question caused the stranger to smile.

"Well, it's so that I don't get distracted by such a beautiful woman such as yourself." Eliza felt herself turn redder as her heart began to skip a beat as a sudden moment of giddiness flooded her. She was just about to make a comment when a man scoffed from behind her.

"Beauty? I wouldn't use a word like that to describe something like that." The man said looking at her with disgust. The look he gave her, as if she wasn't human anymore. It made her feel more like vermin or something infected that should be swept away out of the public's view to be exterminated. The stranger's smile turned into a scowl and he glared the man down.

"It is also there to blind me of ignorant pricks such as yourself sir. Ones that are truly blindfolded by their ignorance, who will never be lucky enough to have true beauty grace his eyes. Now if you are done harassing a lovely woman like the low life scum you are, you should be going yes?" The stranger said, his voice cold and sharp like metal before looking over at Eliza as the man spat at the stairs of the gazebo before walking away, his snarky mood soured.
"I do hope you do not listen to someone like him." His tone of voice suddenly changed as he smiled once more at her.

"Y-yeah I'm fine. I mean, I won't take it to heart. I actually get comments like that a lot more then you would expect. You really didn't need to stand up for me." He looked surprised at her comment.

"Really? Well, I am sorry to hear that. And it was no bother. May I ask for your name? Mine is Roderich." He bowed as Eliza had to retain all her inner strength to not make a god awful squealing sound.

"I'm Elizabeta," she replied as he took her hand and kissed it.

"What a lovely name for such a lovely woman. Well Elizabeta, if I may be but just a bit rash, may I invite you for a hot drink at the local cafe? You must be freezing." He pulled away opening an umbrella, holding his violin with his free hand.

"Oh, of course, I would love to." She giggled a bit walking out from out of the gazebo. She fully expected the feeling of the cold rain again but it never came. Looking up, she noticed the umbrella was shielding them both and that he was walking close beside her.

"I hope you don't mind me walking this close, I didn't want you to get even more wet," he muttered clearing his throat.

"No, its fine. I really don't mind." And for the few moments that it took to get to the cafe, Eliza could of sworn she saw a rosy hue to Roderich's cheeks.

That man was right, it seemed the rain did wash away all her bad luck.