The Love of Lady Dimitrescu X Female Reader || One-Shots

The Jazz of the Night

[A request from sammyy_ily]

You waited for your single band leader to start the night off in the club. Alcina Dimitrescu took her seat on the piano bench and played a note. The note you and the other members needed to match the right keys, chords, tempo, and style of each song.

Seated in your straight-back chair, you prepared yourself. You wrapped your fingers around your saxophone, resting them on the bottom three keys. You brought the mouthpiece up to your lips and blew. The clear sound you heard indicated that your embouchure was correct, which then allowed you to play comfortably.

Throughout the night, you performed song after song. Jazz had a calming effect on your audience. It lulled their busy minds into a state of relief, reducing their anxiety and evoking more positive emotions. Similarly, you experienced the same. The nights you performed with your band were usually the nights you had the best sleep.

After you performed the last song of the evening, you watched the audience stand and clap. You, along with the rest of your fellow performers, Karl Heisenberg, Donna Beneviento, and Salvatore Moreau — smiled at them and bowed. Then you darted behind the stage to fetch your leader's cane, which was leaning against a spare microphone tripod. You hurried back up onto the stage to offer it to Alcina.

She pushed her piano seat back, accepting her cane from you. "Thank you."

You beamed at her. "You're welcome, Ms. Dimitrescu. Your performance was excellent, as always."

For as long as you knew Alcina, which was about four years since you first joined their band, you knew she had a bad limp. It wasn't something she ever tried to hide from you or anyone else. Years prior, she was involved in a nasty motorcycle accident, which left its lasting marks on her right leg. It left her in a rather unfortunate and permanent condition where she'd always carry that limp with her, no matter what. Therefore, you made it a habit to stay close to her whenever your performances ended. You'd assist her with cleaning up and packing everything away in your travel van, so you could hit the road the following day and move on to the next city or town.

Tonight was no different. While the other members stepped off the stage to mingle with the crowds, you stayed behind and collected the chairs, instruments, and cases. You wrapped up the cords and carried the heavier equipment out of the door and into the back alley of the club. Meanwhile, Alcina helped you as much as she could, carrying smaller items right behind you.

You lifted your case for your saxophone into the van. "Alcina? I forgot to tell you that our group wants to head to a party after this. Karl's got an old friend who lives in this city. He invited us to a pool party at his house, I guess? Something like that. Do you want to go?"

"A pool party?" Alcina grimaced. "No, I doubt that would interest me." She then handed you a small black case, which held all the microphones. "But you should go. You can leave the rest to me."

You turned around to face her, shaking your head. "Nah, I'm not leaving you with all of this. I'll stay with you."

"You really don't have to." Although Alcina loved your company, she felt guilty for holding you back from having fun with the others. She was set on not becoming a hindrance to you.

Admittedly, her words stung you a bit. It almost sounded like she didn't even want you around. You shut the door. "Trying to get rid of me, huh?"

She sighed, bowing her head. "That was not my intention. I just don't want to keep you from going out to enjoy yourself. I'm sure Karl, Donna, and Salvatore would want you to go with them."