Page 75 of Only You
‘It was a good rendition,’ Jones said.
‘I guess you would know,’ she said and he could picture her smirking. She was probably remembering his reluctant admission that he was the producer of the song on one of their earlier phone calls. Another thing that bonded them together, even if it was just on the internet. Jones chuckled but said nothing else, the line becoming silent as they both fell into their own worlds. It was almost scary how easy it was to spend time doing nothing with her, letting the day go by…
Not that you have many left.
The thought was chilling and unfortunately common. He had come to terms with dying a while ago, deciding that all he could do was live his life doing what he wanted. He had his music, his friends, and time to have his own little adventures if he wanted. He finally had the freedom that he longed for in all his other lives and it was enough. Then, Dani showed up and it felt like every time he talked to her, something was different. He felt himself lingering on the thought that maybe, maybe, this life would be different.
‘You’ll do a good job,’ Jones said suddenly, remembering to focus on the conversation and not a mere possibility.
‘What?’
‘The solo,’ Jones clarified. ‘Carver doesn’t challenge you for the hell of it. He already knows you can do it. So, just trust him.’
‘You would know,’ she said quietly. After a pause, ‘This is getting too dangerous.’
‘How?’ Jones asked, his voice becoming alert. He hoped she wouldn’t suggest that they didn’t see each other again.
‘You’re like a sedative,’ she told him. ‘You calm everything down. It’s so unfair and is gonna make me go to sleep.’
He felt a flutter in his chest, one that had been lingering there for months as he thought back to Dani’s curious eyes when they first met. If he were braver, he would tell her that she left him a little off balance, making him wonder about things he had given up on a long time ago. That he loved how she didn’t just accept what was happening with them, that she was fighting and made him want to, too.
He had been a goner from the moment they met.
‘That will come in handy for our bass lesson tomorrow,’ he said instead. ‘I doubt you’re a “go with the flow” type of learner.’
‘I’m that type of learner’s worse nightmare,’ she teased.
‘Perfectionist.’
‘Hippie,’ she shot back before giggling.
There were noises in the background suddenly and Dani was saying something away from the speaker. ‘I gotta go,’ Dani said. ‘Going to a concert with my friends tonight.’
‘Same time, next season?’ he said, referencing a quote fromThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, one of her guilty pleasure shows.
‘Same time, next week,’ she said, alluding to one of his favourites,In Treatment.
‘Have fun.’ Too soon, Dani’s voice was gone.
Jones stared at his phone screen, already longing for the next time he would talk to her. He turned on his back, staring at the ceiling as music filled his head. That too had also been happening lately. As the days passed, he craved to create again, notes haunting him after every conversation, begging to bring to life all the things he couldn’t say yet.
He got up from the floor and went to his room to grab an electric guitar he had been gravitating towards for the last few days. He wanted a sound that couldn’t help but fill up the room, brighten even the darkest corners of his mind. He played until the sun disappeared below the horizon, doing everything he could to breathe so much life into the piece that it created a small bit of alchemy. If not to get them to live, then at least to help remember.
Jones’s apartment reminded Dani of an old neo soul music video, with the muted green walls and the wicker chair in the corner that stood out from all the other brown or jewel-toned furniture. It was cosy and a bit overcrowded with the vinyl records piled up around the piano, TV and on the bookshelves. A couple of abstract pieces hung on the living room wall that made Dani think of stormy seas.
While they had talked on the phone every day, whether texting or calling, it took a while for her to find time to visit as her next concert loomed closer. Fortunately, Dr Carver had to leave early that day, resulting in a half day of practice. There was a part of her that knew it would be much more productive to book a practice room, but the thought was quickly pushed aside when she saw the random meme Jones sent the night before. After all, she would be no good if she overworked herself and novelty was necessary for creativity.
Maybe the excuses were flimsy, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care.
She touched the leaf of one of the plants on the windowsill and figured this was what hipsters strived for but could never quite capture. They wanted to look effortlessly cool, but it always felt too clean to Dani, a tad too organised. Jones’s place felt… authentic. Lived in.
‘What do you think?’ Jones asked.
‘You have very good taste,’ Dani said. ‘Although, I do expect Maxwell to come out of your guest room asking if he got any mail today.’
‘I’ll let you know if he stops by,’ he said, handing her a glass of water. ‘How was the concert?’
‘Good but tiring. My friends wanted to go to a hookah bar after and since I’ve been a bit grouchy lately, I gave in. The fun almost makes up for the exhaustion,’ she said. She took a sip, the drink refreshing after hours of practice. She contemplated the drink as she sat down on the floor in front of his coffee table.
