"I'm sorry, James. I don't want to go out with you."
"But, Kirsten..."
"No. I'll see you tomorrow."
As Kirsten left the pool area into the Palm Woods, James sighed and sat on his favorite chair. He had been asking Kirsten out every day for the last week, and she said no every time. He just had to get her to say yes.
He met Kirsten at a Broadway Karaoke club last Saturday night. He had just sung "If I Can't Love Her" from Beauty and the Beast. It was always important to him to have a nice selection of solos to sing whenever auditioning for anything, and he needed to test out his new favorite.
He got lots of applause, but he had been hoping for more. That made him kind of pissed. He decided to stick around for a while to see how they judged other people's performances. That's when he saw her. Her dark skin was perfectly highlighted by the white dress she wore. She did look nervous, but James wasn't sure why. As soon as she stepped on the stage, her presence made itself known. James had never seen that kind of confidence on stage before.
He was intrigued. How could her delicious body possibly radiate the kind of self-assurance he was seeing. It didn't make sense to him. It took James a year to be comfortable on that stage, and he was sure he had never seen her here before.
That was when the host announced her song: "Your Daddy's Son" from Ragtime.
James couldn't take his eyes away.
Daddy played piano,
Played it very well.
Music from those hands could
Catch you like a spell.
He could make you love him
'Fore the tune was done.
You have your daddy's hands.
You are your daddy's son.
James was in love. He knew it then and there. Her voice was his puppet master. The notes were the strings tied to his heart and soul.
Couldn't hear no music,
Couldn't see no light.
Mama, she was frightened,
Crazy from the fright.
Tears without no comfort,
Screams without no sound.
Only darkness and pain,
The anger and pain,
The blood and the pain!
I buried my heart in the ground!
In the ground-
When I buried you in the ground.
James cried. He cried without shame; he wasn't the only one.
Daddy played piano.
Bet he's playin' still.
Mama can't forget him.
Don't suppose I will.
God wants no excuses.
I have only one:
You had your daddy's hands.
Forgive me.
You were your daddy's son.
James stood, and he cheered. He cheered because he couldn't think of anyone else better deserving of applause at that moment, not even himself. He just had know her.
Unfortunately, he could find her afterward. She left almost immediately, so James decided to go home himself. The next day, he saw her reading by the pool.
He couldn't get her out of his head, and he couldn't believe she didn't want to date him. How could something like this happen?
"James?"
He turned his head to look in front of him.
"Hey, Logan."
"What's wrong?"
"It's Kirsten."
Logan sighed, "Do you want some help?"
"Don't you have enough girl trouble?"
"No, actually. Camille and I just got back together. I think it's for good this time," Logan said as he sat next to James.
"Congrats, buddy."
He elbowed Logan's arm.
"Thanks. Now, onto your problems."