Notes: This is a sequel to All that jazz, I really like America/fem!Austria.
Everything falls.
During the last half of a year Austria had already accustomed to the fact that America was usually surrounded by people. The evenings meant Fifth Avenues' rush hours, a social life, when you needed to learn how to breathe with cigarette smoke and guests who took all the seats… or rather they would take all seats if they didn't go from place to place. Indeed, If Fifth Avenue was the busiest street in New York, an apartment on the corner of the Thirty Ninth Street was the busiest in whole USA.
Ironically, here with this people and laughter Sophie realized how crowded Europe was. On the Old Continent, where you lived practically window in window with the other counties, you couldn't have time for befriending humans. Of course there were exceptions. By "society" in Europe was meant rulers, generals and thinkers of the era, people who would be remembered through the ages, not jazz musicians, dancers and rather drunk wives of businessmen. They were just a fashion, and fashion always disappeared.
"Al, baby, maybe I sing something?"
"Delia, baby, do you threaten me?"
"Al baby." Heck, after all, America had to realize that it wasn't and never would be… That was another thing that Austria had to get used to. Until now people called her lady Austria or Austria, and nobody even thought to change it. But here, in New York she had problems with explaining that her name was Sophie not Soph or something else. Austria looked at Delia - short and rounded blonde, not very good singer, twice divorced – took a chair and started singing loudly, what proved why she was not on Broadway.
How lucky can one guy be;
I kissed her and she kissed me
Like the fella once said,
Ain't that a kick in the head?
It was rather average voice, not worse or better than what you could hear during marches in Vienna or Berlin, but Austria frowned in disapproval.
"Al, baby." It really was in bad taste.
O
Jazz was not music, but some specific phenomenon, which Austria really wanted to know better, in this way Sophie explained her trips to America if her Boss or Gilbert or sometimes Ludwig asked. God forbid, it was not for fun! She just wanted to understand this phenomenon. Some kind of researcher's curiosity, you may say.
But the real and unofficial version, for Austria comfort, was not invented. Sometimes when she got off the plane on the other side of Atlantic, she came to sad conclusion that she was here only to get drunk. And sometimes, in moment like this, when she saw a flickering New York and she had jazz and laughing America and in her hand was glass of whiskey, she didn't know if she was drunk because of alcohol, music or maybe… not the third option didn't exist.
The room was completely black
I hugged her and she hugged back.
Like the sailor said, quote,
"Ain't that a hole in the boat?"
Delia was still singing, someone was whistling, someone else was trying to sing with her.
"You know what?" America said with laugh, pulling a singer from a chair. "Come on, end this performance, before the neighbourhoods call the police!"
The problem with American songs was that they were impossible to be stopped. Once someone started and the rest echoed him or her. The song lingered on the tongues like ball of wool, running up the stairs with the whole company. It bounced up and down and no one cared.
My head keeps spinning;
I go to sleep and keep grinning;
If this is just the beginning,
My life's gonna be beautiful.
Stairs seemed to be more tortuous then before.
O
On this side of Atlantic alcohol was crazy long before it blew to the head. Austria swayed slowly with a glass. She saw blue, green, yellow, orange with gold and then another tint of green.
"Of course, you know that it can't last long?" She asked and America answered with surprised smile.
"What can't last long?"
"Your small friendships." Sophie said slowly and suddenly she saw Alfred's face with frontier grimace, which she well knew from Europe. "Try one more step, intruder."
"Sure, I can talk with myself." America said calmly. "Or buy a pet, what you think?"
"You can contact with Europe."
"I would not give a whole Europe for one of these people here. Do you understand me, friend?"
Austria didn't respond, instead deep in thoughts she chewed ice cubes, cold, so cold. Alfred finished his drink quickly and then suddenly smiled and patted her on her shoulder, again in American way, with friendly eyes.
"Don't get me wrong." He said, getting up. "I like you, Austria. You are old fashioned like a shelled stone, but I really like you."
O
The song was with them all time, three, four, five times. From the beginning to the very very last note. America knew the leader of the band, good, black trumpeter known as Satchmo and he sais\d that he was "in a mood for this song".
I've sun- shine enough to spread;
It's like the fella said,
"Tell me quick
Ain't love like a kick in the head?"
"Shall we dance?"
"Maybe later." Austria smiled coldly above the drink. This was fourth cold smile and fifth drink this night. "Sorry, I am waiting for someone."
Sorry she thought, but if jazz was for musician just minor sin, the swing was the ultimate collapse. Especially for the old fashioned musician like she. After all it was two different things, sat at the piano and played some crazy, happy music or went to dance floor and made some strange things with your legs and arms. Sophie was looking at the dancers from her safe spot next to the bar. She saw America dancing with woman who was wearing green dress and she wondered how Alfred could not miss any steps in this crowd, not only steps but also his limbs.
My head keeps spinning;
I go to sleep and keep grinning;
If this is just the beginning,
My life's gonna be beautiful.
Skirts fluttered on the dance floor, liquor flashed in glass next to her stood man in a dark suit.
"I watched you." He said and grinned idiotically. "I know what you miss, you have it in your eyes. You are internally cold, lady, I guessed, right? And you miss someone who will open you frozen heart…"
"If my heart ever freezes over, I will contact with you." Austria offered and ordered another drink, no ice, just in case. She raised a glass to the light, she pretended that she looked at the colours in the glass.
She looked at America.
O
Of course, it had to happen, If the song went around you all night, She's telling me we'll be wed, back and forth, it had finally came to that, she's picked out a king size bed, you are so hopelessly entangled, it is impossible to take a step forward.
I could not feel any better or I'd be sick
"Wow, Austria, you are completely drunk."
"Pavement is icy…"
"I will walk you, just in case you will not kill yourself…"
The pavement was icy, glassy and heels were ringing all around them, these had to be heels not ice cubes and glass of whiskey. America was not buttoned, he was warm and his grip was so strong, good God, when he wrapped his arm around her? He looked like through the glass, so absurdly colourful, but it was only because they were walking under neon lights. It wasn't connected with alcohol, even if Sophie for a moment felt urgent need to drink him in a one gulp and then… Then…
The end of drinking for today, Austria ordered herself and she would be very angry with herself, if only she had not forgotten.
O
How lucky can one guy be;
I kissed her and she kissed me
Like the fella once said,
Ain't that a kick in the head!
Even in American songs existed some rules and rhythm, one of them said, that you should rather sing than scream. But Alfred didn't seem to belong to people who could care about such details.
"You will wake whole hotel!"
"Your fault! I told you to stay with me."
"And let me, I feel better."
They were nearly under the door to Austria's apartment when Alfred caught her again and one, two, three, four, just incoherent parody of swing, one, two…
"Are you crazy?" Austria pulled rapidly and leaned heavily on the wall the plush carpet danced under her feet like the icy pavement. Instinctively she stared down the corridor to check if there was someone who might…
"Come one, no one saw us." America took off his glasses and told freely, hiding his glasses into the pocket. "I wear them to look older, you now?"
"I…"
"I just wanted to say, Austria, I am not blind. I noticed that you were sitting during the whole evening." Alfred flashed his teeth in a smile and leaned closer, so close that Sophie felt his warm breath. For a moment she thought…
Tell me quick, oh ain't love a kick?
Tell me quick, ain't love a kick in the head?
"You were staring at me, my friend."
The next moment was even more insane then the whole evening.