The year was 1928. It was an extravagant party, but then, Weiss Schnee's parties always were. Neptune and Sun were perched at the bar, liquor in hand, feet tapping to the yellow cocktail music. Sun had one arm draped around a pretty little sheba with a purple bow sitting just so on her jet-black bob. A high, gentle voice spoke from beside him.
"Are you enjoying yourself, Neptune?" The hostess herself, Weiss Schnee, batted long eyelashes at him under her white bangs.
"I think I would enjoy it a little more if I could actually dance," he muttered in reply.
She sniffed. "Not my fault you're a dead hoofer."
"Not mine either, girly. I was born an awkward partner. Nothing I can do."
A small sigh escaped the hostess' thin lips. "You, Neptune Vasilias, are impossible."
He clicked his tongue and winked at the woman. "Exactly."
"Well, since you can't be bothered to carry on normal conversation, I'm leaving. Make yourself comfortable at the bar."
"Already have," he murmured as she strut away.
As Sun and his date headed off to the dance floor, a voice announced a singer with a complicated name that Neptune was too ossified to remember.
The woman's voice carried across the room before Neptune's eyes made their way to its source. The voice was low, husky, and downright copacetic. "Di mi," Neptune whispered. The woman was quite the choice bit of calico. Golden hair curled under her chin in a perfect bob. Her full lips gleamed blood-red, her long lashes barely hiding dramatic lavender eyes. A white and gold dress hugged her curvaceous figure so wonderfully it should have been illegal.
"Bartender," Neptune demanded, "Who on God's earth is that?"
The bartender only laughed. "Don't even bother, fella. That woman's a bearcat if ever I met one. The real McCoy. You get stuck on her, and you'll only get burned."
I was named after a god of water, Neptune thought as he strode over to the makeshift stage, I can handle a little fire.
The golden woman finished her first song and moved into another. Her voice switched between a higher, breath-filled tone and a lower, richer sound, each note hit perfectly as she sang. Her jeweled hands brushed past the faces of lusting men as she glided to the end of the stage.
Now you say you're lonely, you cried the whole night through
Well, you can cry me a river, cry me a river
I cried a river over you
Now you say you're sorry for being so untrue
Well you can cry me a river, cry me a river
I cried a river over you
You drove me nearly out of my head
While you never shed a tear
Remember? I remember all that you said
Told me love was too plebeian, told me you were through with me
And now you say you love me
Well just to prove you do
Come on and cry me a river, cry me a river
I cried a river over you
I cried a river over you
I cried a river
At this point, she was perched just at the edge of the stage, her perfect white legs hanging over the side. She was face-to-face with Neptune, and she swept her long fingers under his chin, bringing his face closer to hers as the last words escaped her mouth.
Over… you…
Even her breath was mesmerizing; it smelled just barely of mint and vanilla. She slowly stood back up and traveled behind the stage, the crowd silent for once, the men hopeless and the women jealous.
Another group came up and played, but Neptune knew that everyone's thoughts were still on the lady of gold. With a sudden need to play some jazz himself, he sought out Weiss and inquired if she owned a piano.
"It's upstairs. Second room on the right."
His footsteps thumped up the staircase as the party mulled on below. The piano he found was an upright, glossy black with keys of cream-colored ivory. For a second, he breathed in the beauty of such an instrument. His piano at home was rather shoddy; only rarely did he get to play on one so elegant. His fingers danced over the keys, constructing the beginning to his absolute favorite jazz tune. His feet tapped quickly to the beat, making music without words. That is, until the vocal part of the song came and a rich, low voice sang along with his playing.
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing…
A shock bolted through his body as he whipped around to find the beautiful blonde singer standing in the doorway.
"You going to keep playing or not?" She demanded, one eyebrow arched high.
He could only mumble out a "Sorry" before he started the song over again.
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing
Doo wop doo wop doo wop doo wop doo wop doo wop doo wop doo wop
It don't mean a thing, all you got to do is sing
Doo wop doo wop doo wop doo wop doo wop doo wop doo wop doo wop
Doesn't matter if it's sweet or hot
Just give that rhythm everything you've got
The woman sang and scatted her way through the rest of the song, even permitting Neptune to sing during the male parts of the duet. The majority of the song was just scat and nonsense, but he was impressed with how quickly she was able to think up the wonderful gibberish. His fingers rested gently on the ivories as the tune finished.
"Well, well. Do you have a name, Piano Man?"
He smiled and rested one arm on the doorframe above her head. "It's nowhere near as important as yours," he murmured, leaning in.
With an eye roll and a purse of her crimson lips, the woman replied. "That was a stupid line."
"Stupid lines are my specialty." He backed away and held out his tanned palm. "I'm Neptune Vasilias."
"Yang Xiao Long," she said, giving a small shake to his hand.
"That's complicated."
"It's three syllables. I beg to differ."
"I'm burning with a blue flame, little lady, any name is complicated right now."
A sigh slipped through her full lips. "You men and your liquor."
"Please," Neptune huffed, "Like you haven't had any on this fine night."
"I have. But at least I'm not roaring drunk."
"Roaring drunk is the best kind of drunk to be, Miss Yang Xiao Long."
She chuckled and started out of the room. "Whatever you say."
"Hold on a moment." His hand clasped around her wrist, pulling her against the doorframe again. He leaned down, staring deep into her eyes, dangerously close to those perfect lips of hers. "Cash or check?"
"Check," she grinned at him.
"Until when?"
"I have two conditions. One, you've gotta be sober. Two, you play a set with me."
"I don't play in public," he whispered.
"Too bad, then." With that, she ducked under his arm and strolled back down to the party, leaving Neptune alone to curse his luck.
Cash or check- should we kiss now, or wait until later
Burning with a blue flame- drunk
Scat- a kind of jazz singing that is just random nonsense
The real McCoy- the real deal
Bearcat- a lively, spirited woman, possibly with a fiery streak
Choice bit of calico- a desirable woman
"Di mi"- "Holy shit"
Copacetic- awesome
Ossified- drunk
Dead hoofer- someone who can't dance
Sheba- a young sexy flapper or lady