Chapter 4
Chapter 4

JaQuon made her so sick. She wished that he wasn’t always trying to pressure her to offer more than she could give. She threw her towel onto the floor, and poured herself another glass of wine. As usual when she felt miserable, all she wanted to do was play the piano.

She walked over to the piano, glancing at lance’s picture on the table beside it. She knew she made an odd picture, her damp hair and dripping wet bikini from the pool, but she didn’t need to tidy up for anyone right now. Alone with her instrument, she had the only audience, the only cheering section she needed.

“This one is for you Lance. You liked when I played this one for you. Baby girl is all grown up now. Famous too. I did it. The same way you said it would be for me. Like a fairy tale I’d be in the right place at the right time and everyone around me would know, they would just know, that I was the new millennium Diana Ross. Or something like that. And I did learn to sight read, not just play by ear. I said I would. Our performing arts school? It taught us a lot. I miss you and I wish you were here with me too,” she sobbed.

The tears spilled from the corners of her lids onto her fingers, and trickled down the ivory and she didn’t even see them fall from her eyes, she wasn’t cognizant of the fact that she was bawling until she felt them on her finger tips.

Lance had been so good looking. He had smooth buttered colored skin, light brown eyes, and the most adorable naughty grin in the world. Good stature was what he had, according to her father, the way he walked, the way he carried himself showed that he was destined for better things.

Why had he been taken away from everyone who loved him in the prime of his life? Three weeks before high school graduation, he swerved into the left lane of the highway to avoid hitting a grazing deer, and didn’t see the oncoming truck in time to save himself. If only he hadn’t been on his way to her house in that instant to take her to the movies, he’d still be here with her. He would have seen it all, and he would be cheering her on. They probably would be married by now. She still couldn’t look through her yearbook without bawling. Not only was there the very long and loving note he’d written in the back of her book, but the yearbook went to press before lance died, and they were voted in the back as the couple most likely to get married, their photo beside the nomination. It was homecoming day, she was in her cheerleading uniform, sitting in his lap and he was wearing his letterman jacket.

She’d wanted to give herself to him for the first time, and never got the chance. Somewhere deep within herself, she’d never gotten over him, and she wanted to save that part of herself. She felt like it belonged to him. Sure, maybe they only went together for the four years they were in high school, but she bonded with him in a way she couldn’t bond with anyone else. And that was why she kept her locket close to her heart. So she wouldn’t ever forget that some day, she would see lance again, and get to tell him that “they” did it. And she vowed, never to give herself to someone that she didn’t love with her whole soul. Lance wouldn’t have wanted that. He would have wanted her to have the best, and someone her family would have been proud of, as they were proud of him.

Now that she’d had a good cry, her mind was clear, and now she was seeing something sort of blue, sort of red, and she tried to recreate the purple feeling across the keys. It was the beginning, a seed of a melody. And she could feel within that melody the resistance she always felt, of wanting to give herself, but not trusting, and the utter loneliness she felt, even when surrounded by legions of adoring people. Because everyone she loved went away somewhere else. Either their job took them some where else, life took them somewhere else, or in the worst case, they left the earth entirely, everyone but Monique, who was her grounding center.

Her anger at JaQuon had all but melted, and she entertained a fantasy about Dylan. She was singing to him, and he was in the center of the stage. He’d dressed up nicely for her in a suit and tie, but he still had that rugged, untamed masculinity about him. She sat on his lap, singing to him suggestively pulling him toward her by the tie, closer, and closer, and as she fantasized, the melody on the keys was beginning to grow insistent, and pounding, in sharp contrast to the gentle careening notes she’d played before. She felt a tingle rise up her spine, and she knew that tingle she’d felt when playing with his big weathered hand, writing her number within was real.

***
A cold shower did nothing to clear his Khrystine Morgan thoughts. He thought surely it would. The two times he’d met her, she’d smelled so sweet, and he wondered what fragrance she used. Or did she just smell like that all the time. And those almond shaped mysterious eyes. The veil of those eyes just pulled them in. They were exotic, oriental perhaps. Then that smooth dark skin reminded him of mahogany. He wondered what her pouty, well defined little lips tasted like, what they would feel like close to his own.

Was she aggressive, or would she be frightened and back away if he dared try to kiss her. He didn’t even know enough about her to want to kiss her, but he couldn’t stop himself from thinking about it. Was Khrystine the video vixen real? The woman that was capable of bringing grown men to trembling knees just staring at her incredible sexiness, coming from both her screen presence and her vocal abilities? Or was she really sweet, and shy, and the whole kittenish sexiness was just an act. With her he couldn’t tell yet. And what did she like for fun, what made her sad, or caused a giggle? He wanted to know her, and he’d never recalled wanting to call someone as badly as he wanted to call her.

He lay across the bed, and tried not to think of her, mindlessly flipping through channels, the crisp sheets invigorating his bare body until as though an omen he saw the words appear in the lower left hand corner of the screen:

Khrystine Morgan
Love me right boy

And the opening chords to her new hit single began to play. Maybe he was meant to call her tonight. And it surely wouldn’t look so utterly desperate if he just happened to be flipping through the channels and her video “happened” to come on and he just “happened” to call her to tell her how much he enjoyed it.

But first, he’d watch the video. God had to have made a mistake when he put that much cute in Khrystine. She wasn’t just sexy but cute. The way she’d wink at the camera, and prance around, and flip her hair. It didn’t look contrived at all. She just had a very cute way even the way she tipped her head back and laughed. And contrary to his initial impression of her, she didn’t seem spoiled rotten. A beautiful video diva that wasn’t ugly to the core on the inside seemed a proposition too good to be true for Dylan. He’d have to wait and see. In the meantime he had to drum up the courage to call her after the song was over.

***

The melody was speaking to Khyrstine, and as so often happened, she heard the music first and then, the words called out to her, as though within a dream sequence. Thoughts of Dylan, returned to her mind. She never imagined herself feeling attracted to someone like him, he seemed rough around the edges, and rebellious even. She knew she had to be very careful with the delicious thoughts that thinking of him could well up. In the end, JaQuon was right, a romance with him could be used in damaging ways by the press. She would go from r&b princess to the girlfriend of an incurable bad boy in the blink of an eye if she gave into feelings for him.


And her father, boy, he would hit the roof. She loved her dear old dad but imagining the look that would cross his dark features if she and Dylan were to hook up almost made her want to go out with him because she could.

That was the teenager that was left in the twenty-one year old adult. It made her chuckle. Still the lyrics were speaking to her, and they kept whispering a tale of Dylan.

Entice me with your Brown Eyes
Then my heart I won’t deny
Let me be your fantasy
And I’ll show you how…
You can be the man I need.

I can’t hang around…
Because I know true love can’t be found..
But I can be yours for the moment
I’ll be the love you won’t forget..

When you come around boy
My feelings I can’t deny
But loving you would be a lie

In two different worlds
One boy, one girl
We can never be
More than just a dream

Entice me with your Brown Eyes
Then my heart I won’t deny
Let me be your fantasy and I’ll show you how
You can be the man I need.

So when it’s over
Undercover Lover
Go your way
And I’ll go mine
And lets always remember our special time

She knew she was onto something because she felt like the lyrics matched the colors that she heard in her head. It was a very moody timber, even though it was sensual, much like the words. She poured another glass of chardonnay, sipping it slowly, waiting for the words to come together. She was so engrossed in what she was doing she didn’t hear the cellphone until the second ring.

Who would be calling her at this time of the evening on her cell? She started not to take the call, she’d already downed four glasses of wine, and was probably not in the best position to talk, but it could be important.

“Hello,” she said softly, conscious of the fact that her voice sounded husky.

“Hello Khyrstine, this is Dylan,” said the voice on the other end of the receiver.

His voice was actually shaking. And the lack of confidence on the other end had the opposite effect of what he may have thought it would have. It made her swoon even more.

“Well what’s up Dylan. It’s nice of you to call me. It’s kinda late though,” she teased.

He brought laughter back into her voice. There hadn’t been any laughter in her voice since the party.

“Did I wake you up? I can call back at a better time. I’m sorry I-“

“No need to apologize Dylan. This is a fine time. I was still up anyway,” she sighed softly.

“Well, I was calling because I just saw your video for Love Me Right Boy on MTV. I bet you see it all the time, but when I saw it I thought of you. That’s a great video. You just look so cool, and relaxed, and yet into the song,” he added softly.

“Really? You think so? I think that you are the epitome of cool in your videos. You’ve got this bad, devil may care attitude, I’m mean I’ve seen all your videos and something about your swagger-“ Khyrstine stopped cold. She sounded more like a giggling teenager than a budding r&b/pop star in that instant and she had to compose herself.

“You think that’s cool? Ant says I look angry, like I have indigestion or something, but thank you,” he teased.

“He’s just jealous,” chuckled Khrystine in spite of herself. Dylan had a great sense of humor. He was so down to earth.

“Ah, nothing to be jealous of. But I liked your style in the video. You are going places, and fast. Don’t forget about me on your way up,” he said chuckling.

“Me? Forget about you? You’re the international rock star,” chuckled Khrystine.

“Ah, Fame is fickle Khrystine. Talent like what you have, and what I have on a good day, that’s what’s gonna stick around. Love me or leave me, I’ll still find a way to do my music some kind of way. It’s my heart Khrystine. I don’t really have anything else. I’m sorry, I’m talking to much,” he added softly.

Khrystine was now sitting on the floor wrapping her towel around herself shivering. She wondered if the low husky tones in his voice were deliberate, or if he always sounded so sensual on the telephone. The way he would gasp for air between each sentence. She squeezed her legs tightly together along with her eyes, breathing deeply to control herself. He was even sexier to her on the phone. This was scary to her.

“You aren’t talking to much Dylan. I think all of us, everyone on MTV is there because there’s some part of ourselves that we can get out in our art that we can’t let go of anywhere else,” she added softly.

And then she felt as though she had revealed too much.

“I’m glad to know we have that in common. I guess you seem larger than life, as though you wouldn’t need art as a means to express things that you are afraid to express otherwise. But I’m glad that you feel that need Khrystine. It makes you human. And maybe god gave you that need to make you human,” he added softly.

”I am human Dylan. You know that. You of all people should know that. Just like you are a human being,” she added softly.

“I know you are human Khrystine, there’s just something about you. I don’t know what it is, and I’m not trying to be phony, I’m not trying to sell you a line, there is just something that is so perfect and sweet about you even as the untouchable glamour queen video diva,” he added with a chuckle.

“Sweet and perfect? Me? Are you talking about me? Remember the deal,” She asked and wondered if he could see her blushing over the telephone.

“Yeah. I am talking about you, and I know the deal. We are friends. But who said something was wrong with two friends wanting to know eachother better. What are you doing tomorrow,” he inquired softly.

“Oh Dylan I’m busy tomorrow. I have got like a crack of dawn photo shoot? I don’t know how they expect me to look good at six am. I’m not presentable until 12 pm,” she said chuckling.

“I find that hard to believe. I bet you look great in the morning. I mean, that came out wrong, I’m saying that you are probably as pretty at dawn as you are at noon. Sorry,” he said softly.

He was genuinely concerned about offending her. He warmed her heart.

“That’s okay. I knew you were sincere. You are really sweet Dylan. Yeah, but I’m busy tomorrow, with the photo shoot. I do like the clothes though, and seeing the outfits should be fun,” said Khrystine.

“How about after the shoot? I can pick you up. We can grab a pizza or something,” he added.

“You wouldn’t mind hanging around if it takes a few extra minutes to wrap? It should be done by like 1:00 PM. And you can look at the proofs with me and see what you like too. You are like a fresh set of eyes, because you don’t hang around with us all the time. Sounds great to me,” said Khrystine brightly.

“Okay. I’ll be there at like 12:45 tomorrow,” said Dylan.

They talked for at least another hour after that mainly about the business. Khrystine really didn’t want to hang up, but she realized if she didn’t hang up, she’d look pretty bad tomorrow morning. Since work tomorrow hinged on her looking her best, she reasoned she better get some sleep and try to counteract the effects that her overdrinking might have on her morning.

“I don’t want to hang up Dylan. It’s really so much fun talking to you. It’s refreshing,” said Khrystine.

“I don’t want to hang up either. Okay this is really silly but lets both hang up on five. Then neither of us has to say goodbye. We can just say hello to eachother tomorrow,” chuckled Dylan.

Khyrstine chuckled until water ran out of her eyes.

“You silly man. We’ve gotta say goodbye to eachtoher,” she murmured yawning.

“My you have a cute yawn. Who says we have to say goodbye to eachother, and you said yourself it makes you sad,” he questioned.

“No I didn’t Dylan I said that I didn’t want to hang up. I didn’t say it made me said. Maybe a teeny bit. But its proper protocol to say goodbye,” giggled Khrystine.

“So lets get his straight, we have to say goodbye because that’s the traditional way of ending a phone conversation?” chuckled Dylan.

“Well yeah,” laughed Khrystine.

“Go with your heart. Trust me on this one. It’s gonna feel silly. It’s gonna feel like we are highschool sweethearts and neither of us want to say goodbye so we devise a silly plan so we don’t have to, so we can just hang up instead, but I want us to do it this time, trust yourself with me,” he added softly.

“Okay I trust you, count forwards or backwards,” laughed Khrystine.

“Backwards, for the dramatic effect,” chuckled Dylan.

Khrystine counted backwards from five but she forgot to click end on her cellphone.

“You didn’t trust in me,” he chuckled making her do it again.

The second time she got it right and they both terminated phone connection at the same time.

That Dylan was quite a character. She was so tired so plopped into bed with her swimsuit still on, a huge grin on her face as she fell asleep.

- posted by Mahogany @ 7:18 PM