A Vacation
Rachel and Alex were in the pool not far from the floating bar. They each had Mai-Tais in one hand and the other resting lightly on the side of the pool as a gentle tether. Lorelai was in their shared room at the Buenos Aires Four Seasons packing up for the trip home, and had suggested one last cooling dip for her lovers.
It had been a wonderful spring break. After the altogether too exciting events of the previous year, Alex had settled back into college life the next semester with little trouble at UW. He was still going after prerequisites, but had branched out into a Latin class and was looking at two history classes in the fall. If his academic interests could be said to be going anywhere, it seemed that his mind still wanted to make some sense of the (thankfully) quiet milieu of cultures bumbling in the background of his consciousness.
Despite the fact that it was really his first spring break, Alex had found it easy to relax into the quiet by day, party by night, make-mad-monkey-love-when-everyone-else-was-asleep life that the break had provided. Lorelai was almost always by his side, easing the way past restrictive velvet ropes for the rich selfie set, and Rachel had wrangled two sets of two days off at the beginning and now here at the end of the vacation. It was a major wrangle for her, considering the responsibility she held in their home city of Seattle.
Rachel was the Chief Angel in charge of Seattle and its environs. Alex always thought that it should be some kind of grander name, like Angelic Mayor, or Divine Leader… but considering Rachel's suggestion of 'Head motherfucker in Charge', Chief would do. Whatever her position, Alex tried to give it as little thought as possible… not because he was not inherently introspective, but by the specific request of the short blonde angel that he loved. It apparently was just unhealthy for a mortal to dwell too much on the doings of Heaven.
But it was the doings of this heavenly body before him that concerned him now. Alex found himself with not enough hands and polished off the drink in his right, then set it on the side of the pool where it was swiftly scooped up by the urbane waiter like a tennis ball boy. That hand, now free, slid slowly up the arm, caressed the neck, then drifted underwater around the buff waist of a smiling Rachel. This brought him closer to her which he took advantage of by starting a kiss on her neck, sliding his lips gently along the line of her jaw, then jumping from her chin to her lips, like ending a sentence with his tongue. He tasted the rum and lime on her, but it didn't taste nearly as wonderful as the way she kissed back.
Rachel murmured into his ear, "I'd love to go at it again, lover, but you gotta get out and get your shower if you're going to catch your plane." Alex groaned, but broke from her and climbed the ladder beside him. He crouched on the edge and took her hand and kissed it, watching her eyes close momentarily. "I wish I could carry you guys back with me," Rachel said with some regret. "You just wouldn't survive the speed, and I've no way to protect you from it." Fourteen minutes. It was just fourteen minutes for Rachel to make it from Seattle to BA; about seven thousand miles. Angelic wings made short work of miles.
They landed at Sea-Tac airport in the evening and wasted no time retrieving Lorelai's car from secure storage. The trip back was much like the trip down; going down,they had made love once between Seattle and Atlanta, and once just after reaching South American airspace. Coming back, Alex had charmed a lovely Brazilian businesswoman in first class and had retired to the washroom with her for some fun. Lorelai had worked her cloaking magic for them and reclined in her seat with a champagne flute and an enigmatic smile, enjoying the play Alex was getting. It really got her looking forward to getting home behind their own doors. Especially since…
Alex retrieved the car while Lorelai got the bags, meeting him at the curb with a dazed bag runner behind her towing a skid with their luggage. She tipped him with a smile and a twenty and fifty minutes later the pair were standing before their condo door.
Alex was about the unlock it when he felt the breath of his girlfriend on his ear and two arms sliding around his middle from behind. "Master, " Lorelai warmly murmured, "Do you recall our stance on surprises? My promises to aid your acceptance of me? Only the fun or pleasing ones, was it not?"
Alex stood rock still with the key still outstretched. This could mean anything, really. But, like everything else in his weird relationship, it came down to trust, and his faith in his demon was absolute. He slid the key in and unlocked the door. Lorelai's hands slid up from his belly to cover his eyes and said, "Open the door and step forward, my love. I've been looking forward to this."
Her hands fell away once he was fully in the condo. He waited a beat, then opened his eyes to… a different condo? He was momentarily nonplussed as the first thing he noticed was a missing wall, the one that should be opposite him separating the dining and living area. Then the differences settled themselves out and what took the place of that wall lept to view.
The black grand piano had to be at least six feet in length. It occupied a newly open area on a dais behind the chairs and couch in the former living room, and it was obvious that the new setup was designed such that the furniture could easily be turned to give the grand an audience's full attention. Rachel was sitting atop it wearing her standard white sleeveless sun dress, legs crossed, and looking very pleased with herself. "Welcome home, baby! This is from both of us!"
Lorelai raised his hand and slid her cheek slowly along his palm. "My love, most of the things that we have shared or I have given you have, in a way, been selfish of me. This is no different. I love to hear you play. It's just that simple. This is a gift mainly for me, if you will use it." She kissed him softly and said, "It is good that all those men you have been have taught you how to protect the people that you love. I think it is just as good that they taught you how to bring beauty into our lives, joy into our hearts."
The grand was a dead black polished to a high sheen, with the lid raised to expose the reflection of the interior in a gorgeous fuzzy copper. The only break in the dark was the large golden maker's mark on the right side, just before the wall of the piano dipped inward along its' lovely stretching arch. The mark said 'C. Beckstein' with a simple golden crown cresting the top. Alex could believe that the thing was meant for royalty.
Rachel hopped down from the small ledge above the keys and made a slow, inviting motion with both hands. "Come and sit down, Lover. I want to see you banging something besides us." she said with a grin. Alex approached and sat, still unable to speak, and rested his hands lightly on the keys.
He tested the action, fondling out some light chords and feeling for the pedals with his high tops. He closed his eyes and smelled… sawdust? Some perfume and liquor? He shook his head and swung into 'Buffalo Gals". Romantic it was not, but sprightly and fun, it was. Lorelai caressed his shoulder, and as he finished, she placed some sheet music on the rack in front of him. "Let's see how much you can remember, love. Can you read music still?"
Alex leaned forward and studied the paper. LInes, dots, flags on dots, bars between flags… it was a bit of gibberish. He turned his head to say so to the girls, then caught the paper in his peripheral vision. It… meant something. His head snapped back to see that nonsense was back on the paper. He stared at it for a minute, then defocused his eyes a bit. The totality of the piece sprang into his head like a quote from God. His hands started to play, slowly, but with gathering power and flavor.
Lorelai closed her eyes and smiled hugely. Brahms. Lovely.
A Concert
For a miracle, most of the guests were on time, and after Amber came whooshing in everyone was there by the time dinner was served. Alex did some occasional cooking, but had put his foot down for this and the lavish spread was catered. Lorelai had used her connections with her usual aplomb and 'Emerald Eats' had been vetted and hired. Lamb kabobs, deep fried and roasted grouse with pears and grapes in a green peppercorn sauce and seared baby artichokes with caramelized squash, farro and almond gremolata was uncovered, lauded, and consumed before the equally incredible desserts came out on a packed trolley.
The three were perfect hosts; Rachel was in a white strapless dress that seemed to make every position she moved to a collaborate effort between satin and muscle. It draped as perfectly as Lorelai's black number; a lacy bust with semi-transparent panels scaling down in size as they flowed down her skirt and ended just high enough to display the in-your-face red pumps. Alex was dressed just as precisely, with a white piqué bow tie; white piqué vest backing up a formal tailcoat. They were spaced evenly among their friends and Alex's family at the dinner table, laughing and promoting the conversations until the last bit of charred chocolate was consumed.
Alex then rose and invited everyone to drinks in the main room. They really couldn't call it a living room anymore, the space was just too outsized for that now. The guests found that there were exactly the right amount of seating space, on the two couches, th loveseats and comfy chairs to accommodate everyone tonight, all facing the slightly raised piano. The catering staff quietly pulled the temporary heavy blue curtain across the space exposing the dining area and left through the front door.
"Lorelai, Rachel and I want to thank all of you for coming tonight." Alex said quietly. He smiled his 'I've got a secret' smile and added, "We know you all catch a lot of shit by being our friends and this is our way of saying 'Thank You' this holiday season. We'll wait until everyone can fill their hands from these beautiful servers before we come to our next planned bit."
Rachel and Lorelai circulated around the room and got the right drinks in the right hands of everyone before disappearing behind the blue drapes. Alex straightened up, tugged twice on the ends of his tie, and, still smiling, swung over to sit at the grand.
The melody started slow but compelling, a full voice in the receptive room. Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata', melancholy but beautiful washed through the room until, unexpectedly, 'Ode to Joy' was eased into by the smiling young man. Six bars in, Lorelai parted the blue curtain carrying a chair… and a cello. She positioned the former to the side of the piano and leaned in to gently kiss Alex's ear.
She was seated and composed by the eighth bar and joined in with Alex as the music built to the slowly climbing crescendo, the missing instruments being made up for by enthusiasm and sheer talent. Alex had lost the attention of most of the audience, as Lorelai, with undeniable grace and frank sensuality, caressed the lovely music from the instrument between her legs. The piece rose to it's huge height, then there was echos as the cello sang deeply with the opening notes of 'O come, O come, Emmanuel'.
Their friends were enthralled with this. It had a sweetly moving melody and just enough of a holiday vibe without being cloying. They finished as smoothly as they began and accepted some applause by bowing from the neck, waiting for silence. It was broken when, from behind the curtain, a gorgeous contralto sang, 'The water is wide, I can't cross o'er…' and Rachel stepped out and took her place between her lovers on the small dais. They joined in as Rachel winked and continued, 'Nor do I have bright wings to fly…'
There followed a series of traditional ballads, some for Christmas, some not, but highlighted by a stellar performance of 'Mary, did you know'. The instruments and voice were distinct, individual and perfectly harmonious with their partners, sweeping or staccato, melodramatic or light and comedic, they told stories and soothed the souls of their beloved friends.
All of their songs were traditional but the final showstopper, Sia's "Angel by the wings", was as new as last week. It was powerful and moving, and the last note of the piano echoed through the condo like a thread of thunder. The three moved together and joined hands, bowing to the wild enthusiasm of their audience. Alex's mother moved forward and gave him a ferocious hug, tears in her eyes. Lorelai stroked her shoulder and murmured, "I've always told you he has massively hidden depths, Michelle. You've raised a great man."
Rachel's voice was pitched just a bit over the hubbub and said, "This was our gift to you all. You all deserve it, believe me. We love you and support you as much as you do us. Now, who's ready to get their real drink on?" There was a general approving wail, and the party soldiered on.
Later, when those who could drive left, and those who could not had bedded down, to sleep or not, with those they were with; Lorelai gathered her family together to retire into their mostly soundproofed bedroom, where the festivities truly began.
Happy Holidays!