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Chapter Two: Dance Until The Morning Dove Sings
"You sang a long gone blues. I loved the way you worked your voodoo."
Jackson Overland:
Pitch kept good on his word: front row seats right in the middle.
"I don't know how he got them," Aster said, plopping himself into place. He crossed his legs and put his drink in the cupholder. "But these are some damn good seats."
"He never fails," Jack told him, smiling as he did the same.
It was turning out to be a good night, and Jack was thrilled with that. Things lately at home had been going rough - his little sister, Emma, was going through some sort of phase, and one he didn't like. She was almost eleven years old - this was no time for rebellion to set in, even Jack knew that.
But no. Tonight was a night for him to relax and unwind. He leaned back in his chair, stopping the idle chitchat Aster and him had kicked up when the lights dimmed to dark.
Over the intercom, someone announced: "Thank you for coming to the 10th Anniversary of the grand opening of the Harlem Apollo! We welcome you all to relax, sit back, and enjoy our opening act..."
Jack dazed off, not particularly caring about the opening guy. He was good, he guessed, but that wasn't the real reason Jack was here. The main event of the night, he heard through the grapevine, just so happened to be some pretty broad singing the blues. And no, he was not here to talk to some good looking singer, he was here for the blues music strictly.
Well, it's what he told Aster earlier.
After a while, close to about a half hour, the guy on stage took a bow and exited, bumping into someone on his way out.
A girl.
Was this the main act?
"Please give a loud cheer and a round of applause for our star of tonight's show, the lovely little miss Rapunzel Persinette!"
Jack sat forward in his chair, mouth dropping open. Well, she was... a bit more than he was expecting the singer to be. Pretty? Please, she was drop-dead. At least. A few looks from her, and the bat of her eyelashes and Jack was sure she'd have the men in this theatre bowing at her feet like she was some sort of siren.
Short, white dress that came up to her knees with a dark purple ribbon around the middle, and four buttons at the top between her breasts coming down. Golden as the sun hair that flowed down her back to about her waist, tied up in a ponytail that adorned the top of her head with two little bangs shaping the side of her face. Her rounded face looked like it had no makeup - maybe eyeliner? It didn't look it, but Jack was never sure with girls now. Some wore it heavily, some wore none, and some wore slim. It was so confusing to him. Tooth was one to wear a lot (and a lot of colors, at that.) But her? 'Little miss Rapunzel Persinette' was stunning without, and Jack grinned a bit, waiting to hear what kind of voice she had.
Rapunzel took a deep breath and it looked like she shut her eyes, getting ready. The band played a deep jazzy music, and it made him want to grab Aster's hand and twirl around and dance. After a moment, she sang:
"I want to be loved by you, just you and nobody else but you."
Jack's grin widened as he heard the song, and the voice that escaped from her lips. God, it was like angels the way she echoed in the Apollo. Her eyes still closed, he snapped his fingers when the first line finished and the trumpet sounded.
"I want to be loved by you - alone." Her eyes opened and she gazed around the room, standing center stage, her mouth practically pressed to the mic as her arms fiddled at her sides. Jack could tell she was nervous, but even with a voice like that, he knew she'd have to give that up to get the crowds full attention. "Boo boo bee doo!" When the cymbals crashed at the end, Rapunzel shook her hips, arms going above her head.
Well, that certainly got every man's attention in the room, including Jack's.
"I want to be kissed by you, just you and nobody else but you." She grabbed the mic and walked away from center stage, moving to her left. She bent down and blew the boys in front a kiss. Walking away towards the middle again, she sang, "I want to be kissed by you - alone."
Her gorgeous olive green eyes raked the front row, skipping right over Jack, and then suddenly moving back to him. They widened some and she smiled at him. "I couldn't aspire to anything higher, then to fill the desire to make you my own." She sat down on the stage, facing him, no more than ten feet away. Rapunzel practically whispered into the mic, "Badum badum bee doodily dum! Boo!"
He was full out chuckling now, watching her feet dangle and kick off the edge as she sang to him. Aster elbowed his side, also laughing. "I want to be loved by you, just you and nobody else but you. I want to be loved by you - alone."
She stared at him for another moment, and Jack could see her chest moving too - he suddenly wished she were closer, so he could hear what was probably a harmonic giggle escape her. And just as he wished it, something flashed in her eyes, and she jumped from the stage, dancing her way across the floor to the sound of trumpets as an instrumental took over. Jack sat back in his chair as Rapunzel came forward and stopped in front of him. "Care to have a small dance with me?" she asked, her voice seeming a little shaky.
"Oh, no, darling, I don't - well, I couldn't..." he stuttered out, and then was suddenly elbowed a bit harder than he had been before by Aster. He took it as a sign. "Well, sure Princess."
Rapunzel smiled and took his hand, hoisting him out of his chair and into her arms. Jack felt awkward at first, not knowing what to do or say, mainly focusing on their feet as she twirled around with him in the aisles. He spun her and she laughed as her dress lifted up slightly.
Eventually the instrumental ended and she let go of his hand, walking back towards the stage. Jack sat back down in seat with a rather large fall. Aster had a grin as big as the Big Apple itself, leaning over to pat him on his shoulder. "You lucky bastard!" he laughed, watching as the singer made her way up the stairs on the side of the stage and placed herself center again just as the trumpet solo ended, and she finished out the song.
"I couldn't aspire to anything higher, then to feel the desire to make you my own." Slowly, as she was signing, Rapunzel reached up and tore the hair tie from her ponytail and let it come down like spun gold silk. If Jack had to be completely honest, he wouldn't deny that watching that made him feel just a little bit hot - especially knowing that they were just touching bodies, even though it was only dancing.
Oh, and what her body against his had felt like. But he would let his mind wander a bit later - in the safety and comfort of his own bedroom. Right now, his eyes were practically trained to her every move like a dog to a bone or it's dinner. "Badum badum bee doodily dum! Boo!"
She traveled back to the mic stand and put the device back, standing and watching Jack with all the focus he was to her. "I want to be loved by you, just you and nobody else but you. I want to be loved by you."
Her eyes never left his.
"Ba deedily deedily deedily dum. Boo boo bee doo!"
.
Jack sat there and listened to the rest of the songs Rapunzel sang with a grin on his face. There wasn't much left for him to do, considering she didn't look at him the rest of the night. Just the thought of that made his smile lessen a bit, but it was still cheery as he watched the pretty blonde singer dance on stage and shake her hair, all the time still having that glorious harmony form between her lips.
After the show was over, she curtsied and left the stage. Aster stood and looked at Jack as he was preparing to stand. "You need to meet her."
"I have," Jack chuckled, brushing off his pants. "I met her when we danced."
Aster shook his head. "No, Jack, you need to meet her. Like really meet her." He started to protest. "Listen to me, mate. I want you to go back there, get a picture as well as a date."
"I'm not gonna get a date with a girl like that," Jack said, starting to walk away. Aster ran up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder to make him stop.
"And why not?"
"Because.. she's... that.. and I'm.. me."
Aster now put two hands on him. "Right. You're Jackson Overland. Eh?" He shook him a little. "Frosty! You old man, winter shut in - you need a woman in your life."
"Who says I need a woman?" Jack asked, giving Aster a look.
"I do. Ya been too lonely the past couple months since... the accident."
The accident.
Jack knew Aster was right, and he couldn't curse him more. He nodded silently, and then took a deep breath. "You're right again, old fellow. You're really right.."
"As I tend to be. Now, go get yourself a date."
GOD YOU GUYS ARE JUST SO AWESOME THANKS A WHOLE BUNCH FOR READING AND YEEEEEEEY :3
I love this chapter. I don't know why, but this one just made me giggle the way it all played out in my head. Yes, it's extremely cheesy, but I need to get all the cheesy in before the angst comes, because trust me, I plan for some angst. I also love the way Aster is at the ending: "Just listen to me Overland. Go in there. Get a goddamn date. nOW."
So, review? Yeah :D Reviews are always awesome - I love getting them.