Magpie Tales #80 - "Goin' Home with B. B. King"

Photo from Google Images

"Goin' Home with B. B. King"


John waited.  Her voice was worth the wait; and he’d been a little late getting to Don’t Tell Mama’s Piano Bar due to the rain and inadequate parking.  Good thing he had found an old umbrella under his car seat or his new shirt would have gotten soaked.  Her sexy voice over the phone told him she’d be wearing an Oscar de la Renta.  Good thing she told him it was red.  He had no idea what an “Oscar” actually looked like.  His toe nervously tapped out the Billy Joel tune beneath the table’s white linen.  He squinted through the dimmed, smoke filled room; no, that dress was purple, not red. The big guy at the table next to him eased his arm around a gorgeous brunette.  Wow, he had just watched the guy introduce himself less than thirty minutes prior, and he was already putting on the moves.   

Photo from Google Images(click HERE go to Don't Tell Mama's web site)

How long should he wait?  He knew nothing of his blind date other than it was his cousin’s best friend from college.  “She’s perfect for you!” was the promise.  Well, he did know she would be wearing a red “party frock” and had a lovely, contagious laugh.  

His eyes shifted back to the couple.  She had a cute dimple and lovely arched eyebrows.  If only he could be so lucky, he thought.  She had an understated way of presenting herself.  Less makeup and jewelry than most girls, but it worked as her eyes were what captured one’s attention.  Intelligent eyes.  Yes, that’s what was so different about her.  

Glancing at his watch, John’s disappointment was filled with a bit of relief.  His expectations usually weren’t met anyway when his well-intentioned friends and family intervened.  Trying to not make the whole night a bust, since she hadn’t shown, he ordered his favorite dish, lemon garlic roasted chicken.  He figured it was safe as he needn't worry about his breath anymore.  He leaned back in his chair, lit a cigarette, and waited.  Who needed blind dates? He knew what he liked, he was fine on his own.  

The music filled the room and his eyes gave one last search of the room.  Oh, well, he’d be fine if just one day he could meet someone like ... John’s eyes shifted back to the couple at the table next to him... her.  The brunette seemed to be adding a lot to the conversation, not just giggling.  Boy, she did have a nice giggle.  John’s eyes narrowed and lowered.  Red.  Her dress was red.  As his eyes met hers, she coughed and waved her hand to clear the smoke.  The big guy turned and said

“Do you mind, you're bothering her”.   Stubbing out his cigarette, John asked for his dinner “to go”.  As he walked by their table, he told himself he would have preferred a bit more of a bohemian style dress, anyway.  

Photo provided by Tess Kincaid for "Magpie Tales"

As he puddle hopped south towards his car, the raindrops rhythmically repeated upon his umbrella the last song he heard as he exited "Don't Tell Mama's: "Every Day I have the Blues".   Good Ol' B.B. King was a nice way to end the evening, that's for sure.  But her laugh would have been preferable.

by Margaret Bednar, Art Happens in B&W, August 29, 2011

This is for Magpie Tales #80.  I usually do poetry, but this week the photo prompt led me to this.  Hope you liked it.

This is also for BlueBell Books Short Story Slam, week 9.