*The Blues*

(The story thus far)

The scenario....

You walk into the bar that you always go to. You're tired, worn out from life. You sit and order your drink. And start sipping on it, contemplating whatever is on your mind.

Someone sits beside you and says "Hi stranger. Been awhile."

You almost recognize the voice. You look up from your drink and look into the face of someone who was once very special to you. A familiar scent finds you nose. A scent you once found so comforting it would always bring a ease to your very soul, but at the same time brought a nervous and tense feeling.

You remember her, an old friend that you knew in junior high. Once the hottest girl in school who for some reason found you likable enough to call you a friend. But you at that young age wanted more. You remember how you use to make a point of being where she was after school.

You remember how you talked and laughed as you waited for your parents to pick you up. For the longest time you didn't dare say how you felt. You were one of the ugly kids and just damned lucky she talked to you. Sometimes you'd even get lucky and get a hug, or a gentle, friendly kiss, and you relished it.

Once you even got the nerve to ask her to be your girlfriend knowing what the answer would be. And you were right. She made some excuse about not messing up the friendship, but you knew you were just not worthy of such a beauty. She was way out of your league.

It had been 20 years since you'd seen her last, but here she was, just as lovely as she was then. You get her a drink and you chat for awhile. She still has the same laugh and the ability to bring up that easy, nervous feeling in you. You'd thought of her many times since those days in school. She set the standard for the women you would love. But gradually those thoughts of her lessened with time.

But now here she is talking to you again. She tells you how she is single now, and eventually tries to subtly ask about you situation. She finds you too are single. She mentions having dinner sometime.

Things have changed in those many years though. You not that awkward scared kid anymore. Relationships have hardened you. You've long since been jaded. then the rest of the band arrives, it's time for the show. You tell her you'll talk to her about it on the break as you put out your cigarette, then step onto the stage and pick up your guitar....

The night starts to wind down. The band is finished, last call has been called, and you lock your guitar and amp in your car. You walk back into the bar and your old friend is still sitting there finishing the drink she ordered at last call. She watches you come back in. Your eyes meet. You see the puzzled look in her eye, the hopefulness that you won't just blow her off and leave. You've been avoiding the question about dinner that you promised to answer during the bands first break. All three breaks have past and the band has left. All but you, and you have yet to answer her.

You sense an awkward situation about to unfold. You turn to get the drink the bartender had made for you to sip on while you waited for her to close. It was Saturday night and it was your ritual to wait for her to close. You tried to give everyone the impression that you and the bartender were friends and you were just doing your gentlemanly duty, making sure that she didn't have to close and walk out into the dark by herself. Which was true, that's how it started. But you and the bartender had long since made it a bit more. A friends with benefits type of thing.

Julie, the bartender, like you had been burned by a lot of bad lovers. She was pretty; sweet and caring. Any guy would be lucky to be in a relationship with her. But the two of you just couldn't seem to get past what others had done. The two of you did your thing from time to time and left it at that, managing to remain good friends in the process. She and you liked it like that.

Julie looks into your eyes, then cuts them over to your old friend, then returns her eyes to yours and gives you a wink. You take your crown and coke and sit with that friend you'd lost track of. You finally agree to have dinner with her the next night. She tells you that the person she had came with had left with some guy, and asks if you can give her a ride. You explain that you normally wait for Julie to close and follow her home to make sure she gets in safe. "You're still quite the gentleman aren't you? That's cool. I got nothing else to do." You feel that knot in your stomach wondering how to get out of this situation.

Julie comes over and sits, lights a cigarette and asks about the friend. You tell Julie the situation. She smiles leans into your ear and says "Take her home. I'll be alright." then kisses you on your cheek. She gets up and continues her closing duties. Your friend returns and the two of you catch up as you wait for Julie to finish.

The three of you leave the bar. Julie locks the door and you walk her to her car. She kisses your cheek again and tells you she'll see you next Saturday. You watch her drive off as you and your friend walk to your car. She asks why you're not following Julie home. You lie and tell her that Julie was meeting a guy and didn't want you to screw things up. You drive her home and she invites you in. You sit and talk awhile, then she leans in and kisses you.

You know your past, you know you'd never trust anyone again. You try to make up your mind what to do. You don't want to hurt this woman that you once loved so much. But you know you'll never be any good in a relationship again. You know the most that will come of it will be a few nights of love making, then she'll want more, and you won't be able to give it. But you've always wanted to make love to that girl that wouldn't have you so many years ago. So you continue. You kiss and hold each other, she helps you off with your shirt. And gets behind you rubbing your back.

She pauses and asks you about some scars you have. You tell her the same half truth you've told everyone that's seen them about a fight and a knife. You leave out the part about why you were involved in the fight because that was a time of your life you are ashamed of. She continues to rub, and asks if they still hurt. "No." you answer. Truth is they do, but just the memories of how they were acquired, not a physical pain.

You turn and kiss her and begin to explore each other. You make love then she falls asleep in your arms. You'd often dreamed of making love to this woman. It turned out to be more wonderful than you could have ever imagine it. But now with her snuggled up to you, asleep. A look of gentle innocence about her, you wonder if you shouldn't have just blown her off and walked away. She is likely to get hurt by you, and you know it....

You finally drift off to sleep. But you're not one who sleeps long, you wake before her. You get up and go to the kitchen to get a glass of water. As you're drinking it you hear footsteps, she walks in wearing your t-shirt. She walks to you and lays her head on your shoulder. You offer her the glass and she drinks.
She smiles and whispers how she's missed you over the years. You're not willing to give that much up yet so you just hold her. She asks what your plans for the day are. You answer honestly saying you don't have any. She asks if you'll ride around with her, visiting old tramping grounds. And you find out she's just visiting.
She'll be heading back to Florida in a week. She's just staying with her sister while she visits. Part of you is glad to hear it. You can have a fling for a week and she'll be gone. No hurt feelings, no ties. The other part of you knows how you've missed her too.
She briefly ponders about where her sister is. But it's not uncommon for her sister to stay at a guys house over night. She gets ready, and the two of you are off with a brief run to your place so you can get some fresh cloths.
She eventually asks about the old gang from school, and if you'd kept up with any of them. She'd not been able to find but a couple of them. You tell her that you had contact with a couple, and it wasn't surprising she couldn't track more down. Without going into detail, you quickly pass over the wild times. You explain how a couple are in prison, some had died, and others had just moved on.



You don't want to get too deep into your past. At least not that part of it, so you breeze past it and quickly into another subject. You ask her about what she'd done after school. You listen, hoping she's done asking about those friends of long ago.

You pull into the school that she and you had attended. She comments on how much bigger it was. They'd added on to it a couple times over the years. "Look!" She says, "The woods are still back there. I wonder if they still use the slab." She grabs your hand and drags you along. You tell her you're not sure. After all, you hadn't been behind the school smoking dope in years.
And that's what the slab was. A place behind the school in the woods, far enough back and camouflaged by trees that you couldn't be seen from the school, but you could see the school clearly. There was a big slab of concrete with rebar sticking out of a broken end, the other end was buried in the dirt. It stuck up out of the ground almost as if it naturally poked up out of the dirt and started to rise up, then for some reason gave up.
No one knew what it was there for or where it was from. It was just assumed that it was a wall or something they had screwed up while building the school and it had been torn down and dragged of back there.
And it was still there, and littered around it were cigarette butts, empty cigarette packs, snuff cans, and the general rubbish you would expect to find at such a teenage hangout. She climbs on top of the slab and sits on it. It almost seems like you've traveled back in time seeing her there. Her dark blonde hair shimmering in the light of the day. It takes you back to the day she first spoke to you.
You remember your friends dragging you out there, that was the thing to do, skip third period and head for the slab. That's where the cool kids went. While the wiz kids and the preps where sucking up to their teachers, the kids in the leather jackets and ripped jeans were hanging at the slab.
You remember those first words she spoke, asking if you have a cigarette. You didn't dare admit back then that you hadn't yet started smoking, so you lied. And said you were out. Her friend walked up and sat beside her as she shook the end of a smoke out of her pack and gave it to that beautiful girl. She held the pack out to you and you took one. You still had a bit of nerd in you back then, you were scared but you took the smoke anyway your friend held out the lighter while you lit yours. Your whole family smoked, so you knew how to do it, you'd just managed not to make it a habit until you met her. From that point on you'd make sure you always had some smokes. And you always went out to the slab to smoke one with her.
Before long you'd tried your first joint with her on that very slab. You wake back into now as she says, "Brings back old times don't it?" If she only knew. "Almost a shame we don't have some weed aint it." You smile and offer her a smoke telling her it's the best you can do for now.
You sit beside her. A chill runs through her. She's been in Florida the past few years and she's not use to the January chill that comes in the air where you are. You open up your jacket and put your arm around her and she snuggles in under your arm and slides one hand into the sleeve of your right arm and one in your pocket to warm them. She used to do the same thing all those years ago. But then you were friends, for some reason it feels more special now. You try to fight that feeling. You know it will only lead to another broken heart.
She looks up at you and says, "Shame we had to grow up and couldn't have just lived our lives like this."
You smile and say, "You had another boyfriend back then. Remember? He won't too fond of me as it was. He would of wanted to kick my ass over that."
She chuckles, "Why would you be afraid of that? I seem to remember you beating the hell out of him shortly after we had broken up. Something about him blowing smoke in your face. I hear he didn't even get a swing in." She smiles with a twinkle in her eye as if she knew you picked that fight because he had hurt her, "Besides, I should of tried you out in the sack back then."
"I didn't know back then what I know now." you reply.

One for OT cause I think he can relate to this song just like me.

interesting, your getting thee. Needs some revisions and proofing but not bad, not bad at all. Now finish it and write the song. there are a lot of places that will buy short stories.

Old Timer wrote:interesting, your getting thee. Needs some revisions and proofing but not bad, not bad at all. Now finish it and write the song. there are a lot of places that will buy short stories.

I need to find those places.

She tucks her head back into your chest and says, "So, ya been a hoe dog have ya? Hard to believe. You took forever before you could talk to me without stuttering and without that tremble in your voice."

"I was a fat dork with a hottie willing to actually talk to me. What'd you expect?" you reply. "It's not like I fell in love at first sight or something."

Her head lifts up again and she looks at you with her left eyebrow raised just like it use to back then when she knew you were lying, or you were just about to go to far with something you were saying. "You didn't?".

"I fell in lust. Wouldn't call it love." You are lying, and you are more experienced at reading women. You can tell she knows it. But you won't admit it. She'll be leaving in a few days, you can't let yourself open up to her. You couldn't even if she was staying. Love is nothing but a set up for hurt.

"Really now?" She lowers her head again, "Is there any chance it's more than lust now?" She asks.

"I'm here aint I?" The words pop out. Where they came from you have no clue. You're not that off guard with anyone. What is it she does to you? What is that makes you a bumbling idiot around her. She smiles. Her cell rings. Thank God, maybe it will be something to get her mind off this probing to see if she can start a relationship.

She looks at the caller id, then answers, "Yea mom. What's up?" You can't help but look at her as she talks. Every movement of this woman seems to mesmerize you. Her face grows concerned and oddly you begin to worry. You get a nervous feeling of unease in your gut. Your intuition is telling you something is wrong.
"She hasn't called or anything? She says and then a pause as she listens to the answer. "Ok, I'll be there shortly." She nervously hangs up and asks if you can take her to her mothers.

You naturally agree and ask what's wrong. She tells you her sister was suppose to meet their mother this morning and has never showed up, no call, nothing. She tells you that's not like her sister, the woman is wild, but she always shows up or calls when she and her mother has plans.

"Maybe she just had too good of a time, or still is." you tell her, trying to be reassuring. But that feeling in your gut is strong and rarely wrong. Something bad may have happened. The two of you run to the car and get in. Her knee bumps the glove compartment and the door drops open, and some of the contents fall onto the floorboard. She says, "Opps, sorry about that.", and begins to pick up what had fallen.

"No problem." you say as you crank the car and begin to drive, "That door has been busted for awhile now."
She leans over to pick up what had fallen out, "What do you have in there a brick... oh." She pulls up your Ruger 40 s&w. "You aint in the mob are ya?"

You chuckle and say "Yea, I'm a regular hit man."

She picks up the wallet that had fallen out and laid open on the floorboard. The contents catches her eye. "Well aint that a stroke of luck. Private Investigator. And I thought you were a musician by trade. Maybe you can help me find my sister. How much do ya charge."

You glance at her with a smile and say, "Maybe we can work something out in trade. Playing guitar is great honey, but it don't pay the rent. Yea, that's me. Lonny Dillion P.I."

The Search...

"So is that why you're in here drinking?" the bartender asks. "Bad news about the sister?" She sets another crown and coke in front of you. Wiping the bar with a towel. It amazing how good she is at her job. Every movement fluid and purposeful. Almost synchronized. No move or spec of time wasted. She leaned on the bar in front of me and lifts my chin with her finger. "Hey are you ignoring me Lonny? Come back to this world babe. What happened? Ya know I could get in trouble giving you that drink,. And I'm driving you home. The least you can do is carry on with the details of what has you so down."

The bar was closed and Julie was closing up. I'd been there for awhile and given her my keys as soon as I walked in. She knew something was up when I'd showed up on a Thursday night. So I continued to bother her with my escapades....

Sherry and I got to her mothers and we went in. Her mother was upset though she tried to keep herself calm. "Have you heard out of her mom?" Sherry asked.

"No. I keep trying her cell phone but all I get is that recording." Mrs. Friedman's nerves showed through no matter how hard she tried to remain calm. She looked away from her daughter long enough to eyeball me.

"You remember Lonny don't you mom?" Sherry took my hand as she said it as if to show she had possession of me. That made me nervous.

"Lonny?" Mrs. Friedman said, "That scraggly thing that use to follow you around like a puppy? Some things never change." She lifted her eyebrow and I knew where sherry had inherited it from.

I decided to start asking questions. "Has she been dating anybody or hanging out with anyone out of the ordinary lately?" She glared at me, and her face asked the question without her having to utter a word.

"It's alright mom. Lonny's a private investigator and he said he'd help." Sherry let go of my hand and sat on the couch with her mother and held her hand. Thank God. If her mother had glared at Sherry and my hands much more I think they would of fallen off.

"I really need that sort information Mrs. Friedman. So I'll know where to start looking." the grimiest on her face that showed her disgust of me relaxed a second, then returned when she told me of the sisters friends. I wrote the names down. She didn't know any of their numbers. "I'll look around sister's place later to see if I could find something with their addresses on them."

Mrs. Friedman did not like that. "You don't need to be nosing around her private stuff!" Oh brother, if looks could kill.

"Mom, I'll be with him." Sherry said and stood between us. Normally I don't like hiding behind a woman, but I made an exception in this case.

"Oh no. I'll go with you." Mrs. Friedman said as she began gathering her stuff.

"Somebody really needs to be here incase she calls or comes by or... "I hated the thought of saying what was about to come out of my mouth.

"Or what?" Mr. Friedman said as he walked into the room.

"Or if the police or hospital calls." I said, not sure who I should be more worried of him or his wife. He was a big guy, but I think I'd rather tangle with him.

"Daddy, this is..." Sherry started to introduce me but got cut off.

"I heard who he is.", Mr. Friedman interrupted, "Ma will go with you. I'll be here if she or or calls."

"What is with this family and their eyebrows?" I thought. Mrs. Friedman was ready and we started out.