Chapter 25
"Musicians Needed"
It had been two weeks since Jessie came to stay with Rick and Lily. Lily was feeling much better, even though sometimes she stopped and remembered her daughters were not there with her. But Doug had already appealed the judge's decision and a new hearing would take place in forty days. Doug, by the way, was a more and more frequent guest at the Sammler's house. Nothing had happened between him and Judy yet, though.
"Don't you think things are moving a little too slow, Judy?" Lily asked Judy one afternoon - Jake's day off - when she went to Booklovers. "I don't know, Lil. He seems to be a slower guy." Judy said, as they fixed some books on the shelves. "That's for sure, but it was time you two went on a official date. Why don't you ask him?" Lily asked Judy, while she flipped through a book. Judy took the book from Lily's hands, and said, "Look who's talking. Mrs. Bravery." They laughed. "Shut up," Lily said, as she grabbed a flyer that was standing on a pile in a nearby shelf. "Looking for musicians of any kind for a 3-days-a-week job." It said. "You're looking for musicians?" Lily asked, surprised. "Well, Jake and I thought it would be great at evenings. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays." As they were talking, Lucie, the new Booklovers employee, approached, "You know, Miss Brooks, if you're looking for a musician, I play the violin. I would be interested on this job." She said to Judy. "Don't you think you would get too tired?" Judy asked. "Oh, no. I can handle it. And besides, I need the money." Judy nodded. "OK. Why don't you bring your violin tomorrow and play something for me and for Jake?" She asked. "Oh, thank you so much, Miss Brooks!" Lucie exclaimed happily. "It's Judy, honey. Don't make me feel 90 years old. Lucie smiled and then noticed Lily. "Oh, hi. You must be Mrs. Sammler." Lily nodded. "Yes. Lily. It's nice to meet you." "Same here." Lucie said, as someone called her in the back. "I have to go. Bye, Lily."
"I was thinking about offering this job to Eli," Lily said after Lucie disappeared in the back of the store. "He has been really upset about this whole job situation. What do you think?" She asked. "Well, tell him to stop by tomorrow. But I'm not promising anything." Judy answered. "Thanks, Judy. I have to go to the station now. See you." Lily said grabbing her stuff. "See you, Lil."
Next morning, Eli went with his guitar to Booklovers. He wasn't sure if this was the right kind of gig for his music, but, he couldn't say no to Lily. He was playing to Judy and Jake when Lucie arrived with her violin. She was a very beautiful girl, with stunning blue eyes, and Eli couldn't help noticing her when she walked in. He finished playing a song and asked Judy and Jake if they liked it. "To be honest, we're not sure if a guitar would please our customers, Eli." Jake said. Eli nodded, slightly angry. "OK, I understand it. Maybe next time." He grabbed his things and left, but not before he looked at Lucie again. Not friendly, however. He was sure her violin had cost him the job.
And she actually got the job. But not for the lack of applicants, but because she played hypnotizing music. It seemed as if she and the violin were only one. The opening night was a success, and customers loved the idea of music on the weekends nights. The only upset person was Eli, who wanted that job after all. "My God, Eli, what's wrong with you?" Grace asked when he cursed the whole world after dropping a piece of his sandwich. "I think he's in love with the violin girl," Zoe said giggling. "It's pretty much the opposite." He answered angrily. "I hate her, she took away my job." He said. "Oh, come on, Eli. She auditioned after you." Rick said. "Which side are you all in after all?" Eli said as he got up and went outside.
Eli was outside getting some fresh air. He was very surprised when Lucie appeared in front of her. "I'm sorry," she said. "For what? We don't even know each other." Eli said in a hostile voice. "My name is Lucie Dashwood. It's nice to meet you." She said. "Eli Sammler." He said, still not sure where this was going to go. "I knew you wanted that job." Lucie said. "Well, that's life. You can't win always." Eli said, looking to a faraway point in the dark. "But you hate me." She said, getting in front of him. "Well, a little." He admitted, still angrily. "So, are you working tomorrow?" He asked, trying to change the subject. "I'm babysitting Maddie during the afternoon." She answered. Eli was more angry. "My God! What do you want to do? Take all the jobs in the world??" He asked, almost yelling. "Well, I need to pay my rent! I tried to be nice, but you're just a mama's boy... you don't know what is life." Lucie said, finally getting upset and beginning to leave. But Eli grabbed her arm. "I suppose you know what life is." She smiled sadly. "Yes. For your information, I'm on my own. I don't have a family like you." Eli was taken aback by that. "Oh, I didn't mean to..." He tried to say. "Whatever." She said, leaving. Eli stood there, watching Lucie cross the street and get a bus. He looked at his Dad's car parked in front of Booklovers and sighed.
TO BE CONTINUED...
"Musicians Needed"
It had been two weeks since Jessie came to stay with Rick and Lily. Lily was feeling much better, even though sometimes she stopped and remembered her daughters were not there with her. But Doug had already appealed the judge's decision and a new hearing would take place in forty days. Doug, by the way, was a more and more frequent guest at the Sammler's house. Nothing had happened between him and Judy yet, though.
"Don't you think things are moving a little too slow, Judy?" Lily asked Judy one afternoon - Jake's day off - when she went to Booklovers. "I don't know, Lil. He seems to be a slower guy." Judy said, as they fixed some books on the shelves. "That's for sure, but it was time you two went on a official date. Why don't you ask him?" Lily asked Judy, while she flipped through a book. Judy took the book from Lily's hands, and said, "Look who's talking. Mrs. Bravery." They laughed. "Shut up," Lily said, as she grabbed a flyer that was standing on a pile in a nearby shelf. "Looking for musicians of any kind for a 3-days-a-week job." It said. "You're looking for musicians?" Lily asked, surprised. "Well, Jake and I thought it would be great at evenings. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays." As they were talking, Lucie, the new Booklovers employee, approached, "You know, Miss Brooks, if you're looking for a musician, I play the violin. I would be interested on this job." She said to Judy. "Don't you think you would get too tired?" Judy asked. "Oh, no. I can handle it. And besides, I need the money." Judy nodded. "OK. Why don't you bring your violin tomorrow and play something for me and for Jake?" She asked. "Oh, thank you so much, Miss Brooks!" Lucie exclaimed happily. "It's Judy, honey. Don't make me feel 90 years old. Lucie smiled and then noticed Lily. "Oh, hi. You must be Mrs. Sammler." Lily nodded. "Yes. Lily. It's nice to meet you." "Same here." Lucie said, as someone called her in the back. "I have to go. Bye, Lily."
"I was thinking about offering this job to Eli," Lily said after Lucie disappeared in the back of the store. "He has been really upset about this whole job situation. What do you think?" She asked. "Well, tell him to stop by tomorrow. But I'm not promising anything." Judy answered. "Thanks, Judy. I have to go to the station now. See you." Lily said grabbing her stuff. "See you, Lil."
Next morning, Eli went with his guitar to Booklovers. He wasn't sure if this was the right kind of gig for his music, but, he couldn't say no to Lily. He was playing to Judy and Jake when Lucie arrived with her violin. She was a very beautiful girl, with stunning blue eyes, and Eli couldn't help noticing her when she walked in. He finished playing a song and asked Judy and Jake if they liked it. "To be honest, we're not sure if a guitar would please our customers, Eli." Jake said. Eli nodded, slightly angry. "OK, I understand it. Maybe next time." He grabbed his things and left, but not before he looked at Lucie again. Not friendly, however. He was sure her violin had cost him the job.
And she actually got the job. But not for the lack of applicants, but because she played hypnotizing music. It seemed as if she and the violin were only one. The opening night was a success, and customers loved the idea of music on the weekends nights. The only upset person was Eli, who wanted that job after all. "My God, Eli, what's wrong with you?" Grace asked when he cursed the whole world after dropping a piece of his sandwich. "I think he's in love with the violin girl," Zoe said giggling. "It's pretty much the opposite." He answered angrily. "I hate her, she took away my job." He said. "Oh, come on, Eli. She auditioned after you." Rick said. "Which side are you all in after all?" Eli said as he got up and went outside.
Eli was outside getting some fresh air. He was very surprised when Lucie appeared in front of her. "I'm sorry," she said. "For what? We don't even know each other." Eli said in a hostile voice. "My name is Lucie Dashwood. It's nice to meet you." She said. "Eli Sammler." He said, still not sure where this was going to go. "I knew you wanted that job." Lucie said. "Well, that's life. You can't win always." Eli said, looking to a faraway point in the dark. "But you hate me." She said, getting in front of him. "Well, a little." He admitted, still angrily. "So, are you working tomorrow?" He asked, trying to change the subject. "I'm babysitting Maddie during the afternoon." She answered. Eli was more angry. "My God! What do you want to do? Take all the jobs in the world??" He asked, almost yelling. "Well, I need to pay my rent! I tried to be nice, but you're just a mama's boy... you don't know what is life." Lucie said, finally getting upset and beginning to leave. But Eli grabbed her arm. "I suppose you know what life is." She smiled sadly. "Yes. For your information, I'm on my own. I don't have a family like you." Eli was taken aback by that. "Oh, I didn't mean to..." He tried to say. "Whatever." She said, leaving. Eli stood there, watching Lucie cross the street and get a bus. He looked at his Dad's car parked in front of Booklovers and sighed.
TO BE CONTINUED...