Piano in the Dark

By

James Doyle

After four grueling, but intensely-fulfilling years at the Zurich Academy of Dentistry, Todd St. Mark returned to his native Boston. His father having sold off the St. Mark Hotel empire upon retirement, he no longer had anything to fear either from him or the Tipton staff. This gave him great joy, as he hoped more than anything to reunite with his beloved London.

Alas, it was not to be. Hoping to surprise London with a visit, the new manager Esteban Ramirez informed him that London was attending school at sea. As she changed phone numbers frequently, he had no way of contacting her. Indeed, he knew that he had to accept the probability that London had moved on.

Unsure of what to do with himself at this point, Todd decided to have a drink or two in the lounge. He'd heard that former rocker Carey Martin was a regular fixture at the lounge. Carey belonged to his mother's generation, so he wasn't familiar with her music, but he had heard good things about her. This, however, left him unprepared for what he was about to see and hear.

Just as Todd's gin and tonic arrived, a tired, annoyed man with bleach blond hair took the stage. After a heavy sigh, he took the mic in hand and introduced the evening's entertainment.

"Good evening, ladies and gentleman," greeted the man with a minimum of enthusiasm in his effeminate, nasal voice. "And welcome to the Tipton. Please give a round of applause for our very own Carey Martin."

The crowd cheered, Todd was sure, for Carey, and not for the emcee. As he left the stage, the lights dimmed, the piano began to play, and the spotlight slowly came down upon the singer's face as the curtain drew back. Todd found himself motionless and speechless as the brunette beauty in a dark red sequined gown came into view, and began to sing.

When I find myself watching the time

I never think about all the funny things you say

I feel like it's dead

Where is it leading me now

I turn around in the still of the room

Knowing this is when I'm gonna make my move

Can't wait any longer

And I'm feeling stronger, but oh

Todd reckoned the singer had to be at least a decade and a half older than he. And yet, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. The subtle movement of her womanly hips as she sang, the gentle blowing of her shoulder-length brown hair, and of course the way her lips moved all had him hypnotized.

Just as I
walk through the door

I can feel your emotion

It's pulling me back

Just a little more time

To love you

But perhaps most captivating of all were her eyes. He couldn't tell what color they were under these lighting conditions, but the sensual energy they transmitted was undeniable. At a moment just before the first chorus, he thought...no, it couldn't be...could it...that she had locked eyes with him.

Oh no

Caught up in the middle I

Cry...just a little

When I think of letting go

Oh no

Gave up on the riddle I

Cry just a little

When he plays piano in the dark

Todd was sure he hadn't moved from that position the entire evening, as Carey put her own personal touch on hit songs and old standards throughout the evening. As she finished her last set, he seriously contemplated going up and talking to her. He thought better of it, knowing that a woman like her deserved a man far more experienced in the ways of love.

Todd paid his tab and headed across the street to his room at the St. Mark. As he prepared for bed, he started thinking about London again. Still disappointed that he wouldn't see her, he began to realize it was probably for the best. In the morning, he would attend the first of many interviews as he began his dental career. For the time being, he felt grateful to have spent an evening under the spell of the enchantress Carey Martin, who helped him to forget his cares for an evening.

That evening, Carey returned to her suite to prepare herself for some much-needed sleep. As she looked in the mirror, she remembered the gaze of a dashingly-handsome young man in the audience. She was sure she'd seen him somewhere before, but couldn't put her finger on where or when.

She'd thought about greeting the young man after the show. She'd also thought about luring him back to her suite and showing him a night he'd never forget. She was certain she could show him things the silly little girls he no doubt caroused with had never even thought of. Of course, she'd decided against it, as aside from her torrid fantasies, she knew she wasn't that kind of gal.

Still, she couldn't help but smile as she thought to herself:

Yep, still got it.

The End

Todd St. Mark was the son of the rival St. Mark hotel's owner, who courted London Tipton agains the wishes of both parties' fathers. He appeared in the Suite Life of Zack and Cody first season episode "Cookin' with Romeo and Juliet". He was played by Ben Ziff.

Carey Martin, the mother of Zack and Cody, a talented singer, mentor to Maddie and London, and all-around classy lady, was a regular character in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and the character from that series to make the most guest appearances (four) in The Suite Life on Deck. She was played by Kim Rhodes.

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Song Credit:

"Piano in the Dark"

Written by Brenda Russell, Jeff Hull, Scott Cutler

Originally performed by Brenda Russell

From the album Get Here (1988)