London Harmony: Feel the Beat (11 page)

He didn't let go of the envelope and avoided her eyes. It was clear who was in charge in the shop. He said in a small voice, “We umm... had a bet going on...” He swallowed. “On who would be first to bed you.” Her eyes narrowed to slits and he swallowed again. “I thought you had this subtle lesbian vibe so I didn't pick anyone in the shop. I figured that since you were doing all that stuff for Miss Addison out of pocket, there might be something there. So I put my money on her.” Out of pocket? I frowned. She told me they were just old parts she had lying around. I'll have to take her to task on the subject later.

She looked between him and me and asked without taking her eyes off me. “Did she know about this pool?” I flinched, it hurt that she asked, but I understood. I tightened my grip on her arm.

Tommy was shaking his head. “No ma'am.”

The corner of her mouth ticked in a restrained smile when he called her ma'am. She loved having that effect on people. She smiled finally and yanked the envelope from his hand and said, “Good. And we thank you for your donation to our Friday date night.”

He looked at her and the envelope and then to Scooter, who was grinning like an idiot and just shrugged at the bloke. I was getting over my embarrassment that everyone knew what Belle and I had done that night as she thumbed through the envelope. She said, “Bloody hell! There's over a hundred quid in here.”

Then she glared at the whole shop. “You all thought you'd get into my knickers?” The shop was suddenly alive with the sounds of everyone diligently working on their repairs suddenly. I loved the wolfish smile she had on her face.

Scooter said, “You should consider a career in management, the way you can handle the...” She glared at him and he held his hands up and then went back to the front. She grinned like a loon and handed me the envelope. There was a hundred twenty quid in it and little slips of paper with the tinker's names on them with their guess. Most of them had their own names on them. Scott had June Harris-West on his; which made me blush since I could see her with someone as glamorous as that and Tommy had put my name. I had never been so embarrassed in my life.

I handed it back to her and she pocketed it, glaring around the room when she noted eyes on us. Everyone went back to work. She crinkled her nose at me then pulled me down to sit on her stool. She grabbed a sheet that was covering something and pulled it off to reveal a case that was roughly the same size as mine but with actual pneumatic tires on it instead of the solid plastic ones mine had.

It was painted in bright pastels and a caricature of me singing taking up the whole front panel with balloon style lettering on the sides that read Abigail Addison with musical notes floating around everywhere.

Then she stepped aside while I blinked at the work of art as she said, “Your new gear. I finished it yesterday. I would have finished it sooner, but the battery pack was on back-order.”

I hesitantly stood and stepped over to it and looked at the work of art. I cocked an eyebrow in question and she smiled. “Danny, my tattoo artist, is also great at freestyle painting.”

I smiled at her as I stepped behind the case to see the artwork on the reverse side. I muttered, “Gorgeous.” I grinned like a mad hatter on the inside as I caught her double-take of confusion about whether I meant the case or her.
The proper answer here is, both!

Then I grabbed the handle to swing it around so I could unlatch it... then stopped. I tilted my head and then grabbed the two lower ring handles and tested the weight of the case. I could barely lift my old equipment case. This one, while heavy, was only about half the weight.

I asked, “Battery not in yet?”

She was nothing but smiles and I could see the pride in her eyes as she stepped forward. “Installed the battery pack last night. It is a lithium ion power pack that is a third of the size and weight and can hold a charge longer and supply twenty percent more power than those clunky deep cycle lead acid marine batteries.”

She pointed to a port on the back and pulled a cord from it that extended smoothly. “I built in the charger, all you do is plug it into a receptacle at home and bob's your uncle.” Then she released the cord and it automatically retracted back into the case. Then she stepped back smiling and nudging her head toward the case.

Just the weight savings and extra power had my head reeling. It was always such a hassle dragging my old heavy case around all day, my arms ached afterward. I pulled this one experimentally and it glided across the concrete like it was on glass rails. The air inflated tires were such a massive improvement to the hard plastic wheels on my old case. Every bump jarred my wrists and elbows and uneven or rough ground always threatened to vibrate my arms off, but I could already tell that this new one would be a dream.

I hesitantly unlatched the lid and pulled it off and the front panel swung away on a hinge instead of having to be removed. The amplifier looked like a custom fit and there was a deck on top that looked like it had a dock for my mobile and two USB charging ports. There were four retractable cords with the spools hidden below the locking drawer for my tips. I looked and there were two mic adapters and two instrument or pedal cords.

Then my brow furrowed. Below the cubby for my pedal assembly the open space, I would normally stow my microphone stand was blocked. She smiled at my confusion then reached over and pulled on a little silk tab and the panel fell away. She unrolled a meter and a half segmented pad and I could see a mic stand and microphone in the hollow with a new set of drumsticks, a tambourine, and I grinned at the cowbell. There was more room since half the space wasn't taken up by the huge marine battery.

As she pulled out the stand to set up she said, “I figured you are standing on concrete for hours at a time, so I built in a memory foam pad for you to stand on.” She placed the mic in the stand and hooked up the cable and motioned to me as she set up my pedal assembly. I stepped on the segmented pad in front of the microphone and it felt heavenly. I hadn't realized that my feet always ached until that moment. I bounced on my toes a couple times and smiled at her in appreciation.

Then she prompted, “Go ahead then, break it on down.” I did as she asked and was amazed. As much time as the makeshift modifications she made on my old case saved me, this went even faster. I noted the pad rolled up easily and was held in place by strong magnets.

I stood and bounced on my toes as I glanced back and forth between my old case and the new. She had that bloody half smile that warmed me in some naughty places as she opened both cases and transferred my laminated permit and a placard to the new case. I said, “It's brilliant! It looks like it came out of some factory somewhere instead of being cobbled together. I wish I were good with my hands like you Izzy.”

She was utterly beaming now at the compliment and I just wanted to kiss her.
Wait! She's my girlfriend!
I kissed her and as the chaste kiss started turning into something a little steamier, someone cleared their throat and we stepped apart giggling and blushing.

Then I remembered Tommy's earlier comment. And I narrowed my eyes at her in a dare as I asked, “What will this set me back?”

She started, “Well really, if we trade in your old gear then...”

I held up a finger to her in a scolding manner and warned, “Don't think I'm not going to take you to task about the original work you did. I'm not going to believe you had more parts just lying around woman. This is excellent craftsmanship and I will be paying for it, is that clear?”

She closed the distance between us with a grinning and smug look on her face. She took my finger and laced her fingers in my hand and all the fire left me. She said in smoky tones dropping down into blue orange satin, “I like it when you take charge.”
Oh dear lord.
I blushed and buried my head in her shoulder.

She held me at arm's length and looked up into my eyes. “Fine, I wanted to do something for the lady I keep falling for – but...”

I melted then straightened suddenly, blurting out, “Hey! No sweet talking! Give me a bill and I'll pay.”

The imp squinted one eye at me and screwed up her face cutely and grabbed some receipts from her workbench and thumbed through them. She said in a bored manner, “Looks like four hundred and five quid. I'm not having you pay for labor or the custom paint. I would have done those anyway for my girl.”

My knees went weak at the “my girl” part. I cupped her cheek and said, “Done.” Then I pulled her in for a hug and whispered hotly in her ear, “Every day I find myself falling for you all over again.” I felt her shudder and noted the goose-flesh on her neck and beamed with pride that I could get that reaction from her.

Scooter came back through the curtain and I swear he didn't even look over as he sat at his workstation with his back to us and he said, “Either you two need to get a room, or Tink needs to get her arse working.” She stepped away from me and threw a plastic screw from her workbench at him. It bounced cleanly off his head. I could tell the tosser was grinning though he never turned around.

She winked at me then pulled my old case beside her workbench. “You busking today? If not, I can drop the new case at your place tonight.”

I shook my head. “No, I'm going to take time to go through the business cards people have dropped me. Ray and I don't have another backup gig for two weeks so I was going to see if I couldn't drum up a gig or two between.” Then I said, “I'll just take the new case with me though so I can run my hands all over it at home.”

She stopped moving and said, “Huh. Never thought I'd be jealous of an inanimate object.” I chirped out a startled laugh and slapped her shoulder while she shot me a cheesy grin. She nodded in resignation and quickly opened the old case and took out all the contents of my cash drawer and transferred it to the new case.

Then she walked me toward the front with Percy in tow. Scooter looked at her as we approached. “Are you letting us charge her this time?” Then he added comically, “Boss?”

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Oh shush you.” She jammed the receipts into his hand and said, “Four oh five you greedy leprechaun.”

He grinned. “I'm Welsh, not Irish, lass.” Then he added, “And labor?”

She glared at him then grinned. “Take it from my paycheck.” Then she turned to me and gave me a quick peck on the lips. “See you tonight?” I nodded emphatically and she handed me off to Scott, who brought me through the curtain and then to the front counter.

He looked at me seriously as he wrote up my bill. “When she came here, she was all no nonsense. Best tinker I ever hired, but all business and sort of scary. Since you showed up, she's been like a different person. She's happy and joking and I even caught her singing one day.” He took a deep breath and furrowed his brow in thought. “I guess what I'm trying to convey here is that, you're good for Tink, Abi.”

I blushed and he smiled. “Looks like she's good for you too.” Then he handed me the bill and I pulled out my debit card for him. When we were finished he walked me out and Percy and I headed to the Tube.

I'm positive I know what heaven is like now. The next week with Belle, I spent most nights at her place. We would talk about our lives all night, sharing our secrets our hopes and our dreams. To my delight, we talked about the future, she seemed to include me in hers. When we weren't talking, she was showing me just why I loved her taking charge in bed. She always made sure to have me take charge in return. She says she believes in balance in a relationship.

One morning, she asked the questions I had been avoiding, but I loved her and wanted her to know everything so I caved in and answered questions about my eyes. I trusted her with everything that I am.

We had been sitting cross-legged in front of each other, holding hands as we spoke when Isabelle tilted her head and asked in a hushed tone, “How did you lose your left eye? You never talk about it, but it seems there is a whole part of your life I don't know about.”

I tried to deflect. “You won't talk about your father.”

She stiffened but then relaxed and gave a sad smile. “Touche.” Then she looked at me almost pleadingly.

I nodded, I'm not sure why. Maybe to give myself permission to speak. “I was nine when my mother had brought me in to determine why I saw things in my vision when hearing sound, and why I had a persistent migraine. The doctors ran possibly a million tests and had determined I had synesthesia. My brain is all wired wrong.”

I shrugged and she just stroked the backs of my hands with her thumbs, her full attention on my right eye. “One of the doctors noticed an anomaly in my eyes and ran a couple more tests. It turned out I had ocular melanoma, a particularly aggressive form of it. It was causing extreme pressure in my eyes and that was what was causing the migraine. He called it an ophthalmic migraine.”

I took a calming breath and continued, “When you are a little kid, cancer is terrifying. You hear all the horror stories and believe that the only outcome is death. A child shouldn't think about such things, I didn't want to die. Another thing a child should never have to endure is chemo. I felt sick all the time and lethargic.”

I thought back and chose my words carefully. “You always hope that you will be the brave one when something like that happens to you. I wasn't the brave one. I spent my time wallowing in self-pity and curled into a ball in my bed crying and felt ashamed of doing so.”

I pursed my lips in the memory. “Meanwhile my vision was failing and the necrotic tissues left behind by the cancer had damaged my eyes, the pressure in the left eye was so great it was constantly rupturing the capillaries. The whites of my eye were actually blood red behind the rapidly thickening cataracts. It was another terrifying experience when they explained to my mother like I wasn't even there that they were going to have to take my left eye and were not sure if they could save the right.”

I swallowed. “I was going to lose my eyesight and that was as frightening as the cancer. I remember closing my eyes and listening to the world and seeing and feeling the sound, even though, my eyes were closed. It was then that I decided that that was how I saw the world without using my eyes, so maybe that would be enough. So I would just sit there with my eyes closed all the time and I felt the beat of the music of the world. It calmed me.”

I fought back tears, I swore I was done feeling sorry for myself. “It was three days after my tenth birthday that they took my eye from me. I was resigned to the fact that my right would soon follow. But it was responding to the treatments. The cataracts had clouded my vision so much that I was virtually blind anyway.”

I closed my eyes for a moment then opened them again. “They had me fitted for a prosthetic eye and gave me some ungodly thick glasses that felt like they weighed a half kilo on my face.”

Then I shrugged at her. “If the pressure in my right eye ever recedes, they can perform cataract surgery and restore most of my vision in my eye; that's what my eye drops are for. But if it doesn't, the cataracts will get worse until I lose my sight entirely. I'm resigned to the fact that I will be completely blind by thirty.”

She squeezed my hands and I smiled reassuringly at her. “It isn't bad, I prefer to live in my world of sound. It is an escape for me. I can see more there than with my glasses on. It's because it is always there, the rhythm of life, the beat of the city... even here. Close your eyes.”

She did. I whispered, “Now just listen, don't try, just let it in then start identifying sounds that you are constantly immersed in that your mind automatically blocks out because you are used to them.”

I smiled, I wanted to kiss her eyelids so I did. Then I asked, “Can you hear the music around you?” She creased her brow and shook her head. I whispered, “Just stop trying to hear and actually listen.”

I started tapping out a slow beat on the back of her hand and she cocked her head then slowly smiled. The sound of the landlord sweeping the hall outside. The sharp purple in the pale blues of the hum of the heater that was like a thousand ants crawling across my skin. She relaxed and took it in and started a syncopated tapping in counterpoint on my hands. I grinned. The scanner and register beeping in the grocery below.

We must have sat there like that for an hour, Belle slowly picking out the sounds that made up my world. Finally, I leaned in and kissed her. I surprised her at first but then she smiled with my lips and then reciprocated in a slow, erotic, snogging session, never opening her eyes. I broke our kiss and said in a hoarse voice, “That's my world.”

She opened her eyes and cupped my cheek, I leaned into the warmth of the touch, never losing eye contact with her. She smiled and said, “Thank you.”

I felt suddenly exposed and self-conscious so I got the focus off of me. “Sir Percival will be my eyes more and more until the day these glasses don't work anymore. He's my knight in shining armor.”

I cocked an eyebrow after her eyes left Percy and returned to me. “Now, about your father.”

She pushed me back slowly onto the futon, straddling me, distracting me by grinding her pelvis against my center. “There will be time to talk about that later. Right now, our jeans are in the way.”

I blushed as her hands slid down my belly to the button of my pants. I squeaked out an aroused, “Okay.” I knew she was avoiding the topic, but what a way to distract me.
Bloody hell, I need her now!

Once I was thoroughly and completely satisfied and distracted. My blue haired imp asked, “So what's the plan today, I got the day off.”

I gave her an evil grin. “Today, my dear love, Ray and I are cutting our demo CDs to send out to scouts and record labels. I booked some time late this afternoon. Though Rayleigh doesn't know it yet. She still thinks I can't afford my half for the recording studio time. I told her to keep her day free.”

She grinned at that, Izzy had been pushing for me to do it, I think she's my biggest fan. Then I said, “Worst case scenario, we have some CDs we can sell while we busk and we can post them online for sale too.”

She smiled and said, “It will be brill, just wait and see.”

I loved her optimism, it made my own aspire to greater heights. Then I said as I laced our fingers together, “Until then, help me look for a flat?”

She hesitated. She hasn't been real keen about helping my hunt for a place of my own. She keeps finding problems with all the apartments and lofts I have checked out the past few days. I thought she would be ecstatic for me to move out. That would give us another place to hang out, mum free.

She suddenly blurted, “Move in with me instead.” Then she fidgeted with our hands, doing all she could not to meet my gaze. My heart started racing.
With her? As in living together?
That was a huge step in our relationship. I could feel my excitement building inside as a new warmth spread through me.

I released a hand and nudged her chin up so I could meet her eyes, even with my glasses on she was so blurry. I realized my eyes were filling with tears. I just nodded like a bloody git. She exhaled sharply and babbled out, “I know it's not much. We can manage. We could find a bigger place with two incomes coming in. I can...”

I shut her up with a kiss then pulled back giggling. “I already agreed you silly bird. You don't need to convince me.”

Then her self-assure cockiness returned and she grinned in satisfaction. She leaned in and whispered hotly in my ear, “Then I can have you all to myself.”

I nodded in earnest. Then froze.
My lord, for the first time in my life I'll be leaving home.
Then I felt that warmth that had been increasing inside and almost sighed. She would be my new home, wherever she was, was where I wanted to be.

Then she added just to make me blush, “And I can do all sorts of naughty things to you.”

I sniffed and tipped my nose up imperiously. “As if I'd let you.”

She shrugged and released my hands and started to stand and turn away, saying, “Well if you don't want...”

I grabbed her hand and yanked her back down onto the futon and straddled her. “Yes, please. All the naughty things.” Then I stared down at her hungrily as she allowed me to pin her hands above her head. “And now our day is free if we aren't flat hunting. What are we to do?”

In one swift motion, I found our positions reversed. She was on top of me pinning my arms I was delightfully at her mercy. She said with that crooked half smile that owned my heart, “I know what to do. I believe I need to instruct you as to why it isn't a good idea to tease me.”

By lunch, I was thoroughly instructed as to why I should always tease Belle if it got those results. I stretched like a cat and would have purred if I were capable. As we ate a light lunch at her tiny table... well I guess our tiny table now. She would exchange heated glances with me as she alternated between eating and sketching out a wiring diagram for a custom audio monitor and amplifier system for a client at the shop.

I almost jumped out of my skin when there was a sudden knock on the door. I think it startled her too because we exchanged glances and started laughing. Belle looked at us, were wearing nothing but oversize t-shirts as nightshirts. She stood and started toward the door, snagging her jeans from the floor as she walked, calling out, “Who is it?”

She had one leg in her pants and one out when Rayleigh's voice slid over us like a satin sheet, “It's Ray. Reporting for duty as instructed.” She had a tinge of humor in her voice.

My girl stopped moving toward the door and just said, “Get in here woman,” as she pulled up her pants. Ray walked in with a large folder stuffed with papers and she grinned at Belle zipping her jeans and me at the table.

She stepped past Isabelle, stopping to kiss her cheek then up to me and kissed my cheek. She sat down in one of the little chairs. She said, much to my embarrassment, “And this is exactly why I knock. I know you say I don't need to, but... the place reeks of sex.”
Bloody hell. I can die now.

Before I could say anything, Tink just said with a deep blue smirk in her voice, “I was just having lunch with my 'roommate'.” She stressed the word roommate.

I thought Ray's face was going to split in half with the smile of realization that bloomed on it. Then she shook her head as if to clear it then she was all business. “So Abbers, why was I supposed to bring all my music with me?” She rubbed Percy's ears when he set his head in her lap.

I smiled and walked to the trail of discarded clothing as a way too smug Belle joined us at the table. I found my bag and pulled out the appointment card for studio time and slid it to her when I sat back down. It was comical really, watching her face go through first confusion, then realization, then excitement. We all squealed like a bunch of girls.

Then we all discussed the upcoming recording session. I knew that having a demo CD was all Ray would need to get signed somewhere, I mean, she had the whole package. Looks, voice, stage presence.

Then before we knew it, it was time to get going. Ray smirked at my girl. “We'll take my car if you don't mind Belle. I can't see the three of us and Percy riding in your wind-up toy.”

I grinned at the thought of how well my best friend and my girl got along as I listened to the familiar, playful banter between them. I grabbed my oversized bag that had my change of clothes, a towel from her stack by the door, and headed out the door as I called back, “I'll get my shower and be out in a flash.”

It took Isabelle a moment to realize what I had just done and beat her to the shower down the hall first. I caught a “Hey!” from her and chuckled to myself.

After we were both cleaned up and ready we all headed out. Ray drove her father's old Ford Anglia that was a rusted relic from a bygone era. He gave her the car when she graduated secondary school. It didn't have much more room than Izzy's Piaggio but did have a back seat. As the car coughed and sputtered to life, I knew why she preferred riding in Randall's modern SUV. Too bad he was still at work or we could have ridden in comfort.

I found myself again wishing that I could drive. With my eyes, it was out of the question. But I got along well enough using public transportation or hitching rides with friends like this. It just seemed like people with cars has so much more freedom.

Percy somehow got shotgun as was becoming usual, I think my best friend had a sweet spot for the little bloke. Tink and I held hands in the tiny back seat. I could feel the apprehension and excitement building as we approached the recording studio.