[untitled]

....Where from here?

Perhaps you're just searching for your muse...

and it feels so good to be used.

Strip me down to my barest essence, so that I may bow to you,

shamelessly.

As you offer me the gift of your blessing. 

Our union has led to the most beautiful revolution, baby,

and far from the end of my book, you are the sweetest revelation,

in its truest form, lady.

So, liberate yourself from the cold, conservative chains and

let me ratify your independence!

As you prepare verses to rest on your lips so that we may recite them

together with our kiss.

 

As the audience clapped, I couldn't help but to smile.  The first time on stage is a very traumatic experience, yet I seemed to breeze through it without the slightest trouble.  "I'm loving this!", I thought, as I made my way to the "holding area" where the other artists were mingling. 

 

"Landon, Landon!  I am absolutely loving you!  I wish you could've been in the audience to hear the sighs some of those women were making.  You do it every time!"

"Luckily for me, London I didn't have to hear too much.  The looks on their faces said it all.  If I didn't know any better, I might have stopped before I finished because so many faces turned red.  And that wasn't even one of my more risqué pieces."

"I'll bet."

"You better stop, girl.  We got business to handle before the night is over.  So, what's next?"

Before she could pull out her D&G Blackberry, my cell phone rang.

"Hmmm...who you got that ring tone for?"

"Why does it have to be for somebody?  Why can't it just be an official-a*s ring tone?  Hater."

"Whatever, negro.  Look, we got a performance over on U. Street at ten-thirty.  It's only eight-fifteen now, so we have close to an hour and a half before we should be there."

"Cool.  I wanna shoot over to Whole Foods over on P, before we get there.  I'm dying for that strawberry-banana protein shake they got."

"You're funny.  Last week you came over to the crib and made me dinner.  And it had nothing to do with Whole Foods."

"That's because I'm trying to fatten up that booty a little bit more."  I smiled wide at London and she reached over and punched me in the arm.

"Shut up, boy.  You know I'm sensitive about my butt."

"I'm sayin'....

"What?"

"It's nice."

"That's it, just nice?"

"Well...."  I pulled her close enough to me so that her lips touched mine without us actually leaning in and puckering up.  My hands on her waist, I let them slide right over the back pockets of her Rock & Republic jeans.

"It is more than nice, I guess."  Her smile was coy as she turned to walk away. 

"Come on, L.  Let's go have some drinks at the Bistro across from Whole Foods, and then we can make our way to the spot."

"Sounds good.  Let's go."  I looked around the the cold, drab, gray cinder-blocked basement room one last time.  A couple of finished bottles of Kettle One lay next to a stack of playing cards and twenty-five thousand dollars in poker chips.  "I did get paid tonight, didn't I?"  I pulled the string which attached to the light fixture and closed the door behind me.  

 

*****

 

This was probably one of my favorite places to perform on the entire East coast.  The atmosphere was always full of energy.  Beautiful people filled the room in the latest couture.  Women sipped on Mojito's or Long Island's, maybe even Amaretto Sours.  Usually the men just had liquor--any liquor, straight up.  Here I even had my own introduction music.

 

What was it about London?  We were as close as a man and woman could be, without actually being involved.  We'd been intimate a few times, and though the sex was amazing, even from the first time, I always felt guilty afterward.  We’d met a couple of years back when I was doing a show in Providence at the University of Rhode Island.  I was hungry and she took me to a little pizza place that made the best chicken alfredo pizza, with a white sauce to replace the marinara.  We ended up back in her basement apartment that night and we’ve been business partners ever since. 

 

“Yo!  It’s almost time, L.  What are you about to hit them with this time?  If I was you, I’d do that political piece that you’ve been working on all week.”

 

“Yeah, that thing is hot.  I’ve got this other one, though, called M.U.S.E.  Check it out and let me know what you think.”

 

“You always want to put it on a woman, don’t you?  You know they are going to go nuts when you do the tour with Floetry, right?”

 

“I don’t even worry about all of that, though.  You women are….

“Are what?  You’re the one with all of the slick talk, mister poet man.  S**t, you don’t know what that does to a girl, for real.”

“Yes I do.  Have you seen me when I’m singing along to Jill Scott or Floetry?  Jean Grae, Jaguar Wright, Vivian Green, Goapele, Amiel Larrieux?  What I do to you all, they do to me.  So, yeah….I know what you mean.”  I reached into my back pocket and pulled out M.U.S.E.  “Here”, I said.  “Read that while I go take a piss.  I’ll be right back.”

 

 

Author's Note

Okay, so here's the beginning. Landon and London are two different people; but pretty much the same. There will be an awkward moment coming soon; but first I need to get "M.U.S.E." and let "London" read it, lol!!!

Reviews

[J. Hampton]

I like the interaction between London and Landon....the two names sounding close may throw off some.
Nice catchy nuances...such as the sundae ...the scene description in the apt . etc.Nice job on the dialog.Very do-able.... cute and playful...but with boundries of a sort.

You do what I do and start throwing a whole lot of brand names and ...street and local places up in there. That in itself is fine....depending what the goal and scope is for this story. Unless most folks will relate and recognize them and be able to call up a visual...the mentions dont do their job.

One other note ...in the 1st paragraph you said it was your 1st time on stage ...mention of other performances and artists you've done allude to some seasoning.

I'd like some physical notion and description of this pair.
The joint is hot in the beginning too.

blesssssssssss
lemme know when you get up some more.