A/N: In answer to all of your questions, the answer is YES, MOST DEFINITELY, I WILL be continuing with this and all of my other stories. However, I find myself in the unfortunate position of having considerably less time on my hands in which to write than I did when I first began so sadly it might take quite a while. Please be patient, and don't worry. I would never leave a story unfinished.
Also, I've taken a small liberty with the song. It's actually from 1950 not 1947 but I just love it so much and it fitted the scene so well that I couldn't resist.
I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT YOU
(Music & lyrics, David Barbour and Peggy Lee.)
I know a little bit about a lot o' things,
But I don't know enough about you.
Just when I think you're mine,
You try a different line,
And baby, what can I do?
I read the latest news,
No buttons on my shoes,
But baby, I'm confused about you.
You get me in a spin,
Oh what a stew I'm in,
'Cause I don't know enough about you.
Jack of all trades, master of none,
And isn't it a shame,
I'm so sure that you'd be good for me,
If you'd only play my game!
You know I went to school,
And I'm nobody's fool,
That is to say until I met you!
I know a little bit about a lot o' things,
But I don't know enough about you.
You know I went to school,
And I'm nobody's fool,
That is to say until I met you!
I know a little bit about a lot o' things,
But I don't know enough about you.
I know a little bit about biology,
And a little more about psychology,
I'm a little gem in geology,
But I don't know enough about you.
I guess I'd better get out the encyclopaedia
And fresh up on from "shmer" to "shmoo", mmmm,
'Cause I don't know enough about you.
x - x - x
Charles studiously avoided his sister for the rest of the day, or at least for as long as he was able. Unfortunately for him, when show time came he had no choice but to face her and as musical director he couldn't even get away with a last minute arrival.
He took his seat at the piano, then glanced down at his watch and groaned quietly. It was three minutes past seven, she would be here any moment. That meant he had the best part of an hour in which to try and deflect any and all hints and suggestions she was likely to make regarding his personal life. It was an awfully long time. And then of course there was Erik. An hour spent worrying about what Raven might do or say next was an hour he couldn't pretend that Erik didn't exist, or at the very least that he hadn't noticed how devastatingly handsome the man was.
He closed his eyes and took a long deep breath which did very little to calm his jangled nerves so he took another. A familiar voice from somewhere to his left forced him to open his eyes.
"Another headache Charles?" Raven asked, stepping out of the wings.
"Something like that." He sighed. "Don't worry, it'll pass."
"I wasn't worried. At least not about your head."
He already knew where this was leading and he decided to head her off, if not for good then at least until he was less harried and there was no one sneaking around who might overhear.
"Did I mention you look lovely this evening by the way? Is that a new dress?"
His plan worked. She beamed brightly. Vanity thy name is Raven.
"Yes. It is. Angel worked her magic on one of my old dresses." She did a twirl so that Charles would get the full effect. "Isn't it simply gorgeous?"
Angel worked at the club as a cigarette girl but she also made all of Raven's dresses, and occasionally when she could scare up enough matching fabric, new vests for the band. This old new dress, just like all of her other creations was indeed stunning. Angel was a genius with a needle and thread, really she could throw together an outfit worthy of a Hollywood starlet from just a length of velvet rope, an old tablecloth and a couple of pieces of broken costume jewellery.
"It certainly is." Charles smiled. "But not as gorgeous as you."
"Oh Charles." She blushed and batted her eyelashes.
"I mean it. You look just like Veronica Lake in 'The Blue Dahlia' only prettier." He told her.
"Really?"
"Really."
She beamed again, if possible, brighter than before, then a gentle chuckle bubbled up from her throat.
"Smooth Charles. Very smooth. But don't think I didn't know what you were doing changing the subject like that." She winked at him then leant forward and kissed him on the cheek. "But I'll let you off for now because you were so sweet about it."
Charles sighed with a mixture of relief and frustration.
"Thank you." He said gratefully. "Now, shall we get started? Show starts in…" He took another look at his watch. "Forty five minutes."
Upstage, one of the boys in the band called out.
"Uh, Boss…"
"What is it Alex?"
"New guy ain't here yet."
Charles suppressed a small smile. It seemed that Erik was unreliable. One possible excuse had vanished but another had graciously taken it's place and he allowed himself a small glimmer of hope that he could still get rid of the other man after all. That glimmer of hope however proved as brief as it was small as once again the front doors swung open and in stumbled Erik, just a little out of breath, like he'd been running.
"Sorry I'm late." He rasped, sending an unwelcome shiver down Charles' spine. "My landlord cornered me as I was leaving, demanding rent money I don't got. I told him I got a new job and he'd have it soon enough."
He looked directly at Charles and raised one eyebrow, confident as well as hopeful.
Temporarily mesmerised, heart thumping erratically inside his chest, Charles finally managed to tear his gaze away and turned to his piano.
"Well." He mumbled, shuffling the sheets of paper on his music rack just for something to do. "You're here now, that's the main thing. Find your place quickly and let's go through the revised running order before we do anything else shall we?"
As usual, Charles kept one eye on the audience during the show. It was the easiest and most accurate way to gage whether a particular number was a hit or not then drop add or rearrange accordingly. Of course, tonight it had just as much to do with not staring at Erik as anything else.
The first couple of numbers were fairly simple, mostly instrumental and received only a moderate degree of applause but this was nothing out of the ordinary as it often took a while for the club to fill and was the reason they left the more popular numbers until at least thirty minutes in. Once all but a couple of tables were occupied, Charles tipped Raven and the boys the wink and the real show began.
Sebastian Shaw, owner of The Harlequin Club, sat at his usual table front row centre with his girl, the long suffering Emma at his side and the gorilla's behind him. While Azazel and Janos leered at the cigarette girls in their tiny outfits, Emma was busy directing her customary scowl in Raven's direction. Charles couldn't help but feel kinda sorry for her, despite her undisguised dislike for his sister. She was clearly hung-up on Shaw big time, but everyone knew the guy had a wandering eye and the hots for Raven. That had to be tough to swallow.
Of course Raven didn't exactly help matters. Whenever Shaw brought Emma with him she found some excuse to hang all over the guy, just to yank Emma's chain. It was payback, she said, for a slap in the face and a torn dress some months ago.
It was no surprise therefore when the first few bars of 'I Don't Know Enough About You' began to play and she flashed him a wickedly playful grin from over her shoulder.
"I know a little bit about a lot o' things, but I don't know enough about you." She sang, fluttering her eyelashes at a gentleman two tables to Mr Shaw's left. "Just when I think you're mine, you try a different line." Her gaze drifted to the man directly to his left. "And baby, what can I do?" She was settled now on Shaw and she remained fixed as she shimmied gracefully down the steps at the edge of the stage. "I read the latest news, no buttons on my shoes, but baby I'm confused about you. You get me in a spin. Oh what a stew I'm in. 'Cause I don't know enough about you." She weaved between the tables, smiling flirtatiously at the men and brushing a hand over the occasional shoulder until she reached the table where Shaw and Emma sat.
Charles looked on, waiting for her next move.
"Jack of all trades." She walked past Emma, swinging her hips a little more than was decent. "Master of none." Ignoring the gorillas she crossed behind the table, aware that Mr Shaw was watching her every move then spun on her heels and sat on his knee, one hand resting on his shoulder for balance, fingertips brushing against his jaw. "And isn't it a shame." Her fingers fluttered gently over his face and she dragged them through his neatly slicked hair, mussing it quite badly. Emma was steaming. From where he sat, Charles could clearly see her kick her man beneath the table but it garnered not even the faintest of reactions. "I'm so sure that you'd be good for me, if you'd only play my game." Raven lent forward and pressed a small kiss to her boss's forehead then stood up.
That, Charles decided, could have been much worse. Maybe she'd used up her quota of mischief for today, teasing him about Erik. Erik. He cast a surreptitious glance in the other man's direction blushing furiously when he saw the other man was looking right back at him. His stomach was in knots as he tore his gaze away. This was just what he'd been afraid of, being caught looking. At this point, it being Erik's audition and all, it was nothing that would seem untoward but if it happened again it could look suspicious. He had to be so very careful.
By the time Charles returned his attention to his sister, she had re-traced her steps between the tables and was now back on stage.
"I guess I'd better get out the encyclopaedia and fresh up on from "shmer" to "shmoo", mmmm." She hummed, flicking back her hair and flashing her smile once again at Mr Shaw. "'Cause I… don't know enough about you."
She took a bow, blew a kiss or two and waited until the applause died down before introducing Erik the way they had arranged.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a very special treat for you tonight. Earlier today a very, very good friend of ours dropped by for a visit. Now, this very good friend of ours is very talented too, but he's also very busy and at first when we asked if he wouldn't mind doing a number with us he turned us down, said he had someplace else he had to be. Can you believe that?" She chuckled softly. "I had to use all of my feminine charms to get him to change his mind." Someone at the back of the club wolf whistled and a ripple of laughter passed around the room. "But lucky for us, and lucky for you, he did change his mind. So please, put your hands together 'cause if you make him feel real welcome maybe he'll wanna stay." She took a step to the side and stretched out one arm in Erik's direction. A spotlight came on. "Over to you Erik." She smiled, initiating a gentle round of applause.
They boys began to play. Slowly, Erik rose to his feet, stepped away from the band and made his way to the front of the stage giving Raven a kiss on the cheek as he passed.
Charles didn't look up, he didn't dare. He just prayed that the audience wouldn't make Erik feel too welcome. His sanity, maybe even his life, could depend on it.
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