The Day the World Turned Blue

Baby Blue

The phone was ringing. Lisa answered it. "Hello?" She said lazily. She was laid out on the couch. Her legs were touching the other end of the love seat.
"Lisa?"
It was Gene's voice on the other line. His voice was soft. Lisa hadn't realized how much she had missed his voice. "Gene?"
"Yeah, I just wanted to talk with you," Gene said.
"What about?" Lisa asked.
"Anything," Gene said.
"Where are you right now?" Lisa asked. She was quite curious. It had been awhile since she had spoken with him.
"France," Gene said. Lisa could hear him clicking him making a clicking noise with something.
"What part of France?" Lisa asked touching her foot on the arm of the love seat. She was dragging her toes across the arm making patterns in the fake velvet fabric.
"I'm in Paris right now," Gene said.
"Is it nice there?" Lisa asked.
"I like it better in California," Gene said.
Lisa laughed. She noticed the pot she had on the stove was boiling. "Hey, give me a moment, I'm making dinner right now," She said.
Lisa could hear Gene laughing on the other line. She set the phone on the table and walked to the stove. She stirred the soup lazily then moved it to a different burner, one that wasn't on. She put some in a bowl for her dinner. She walked back to the phone and picked it back up. "What time is it over there?" She asked.
"Oh, you're back," Gene commented.
"Yeah," Lisa said. "What time is it over there?"
"Oh, I don't know," Gene said. "There isn't a clock in my room."
"What time do you think it is?" Lisa asked.
"Early in the morning," Gene said. "The last time I saw the time it was after midnight."
"Why aren't you asleep?" Lisa asked.
"I couldn't sleep," Gene said. "What are you cooking for dinner?"
"Soup," Lisa said.
"What type of soup?"
"Are you so bored that you have to ask me what I'm eating for dinner?" Lisa asked.
"I'm interested," Gene said.
Lisa rolled her eyes. "I made potato and cheese soup," She said.
"That sounds really good," Gene said.
"You're in France, I bet you've eaten better every night you've been there," Lisa said.
Lisa heard Gene groan. "I would kill for a hamburger," Gene said laughing.
"You have such a refined taste," Lisa said smiling. Her hand was squeezing the phone a little too tight and her knuckles were turning white.
"I miss good American cooking," Gene said.
"Well, if you were here right now I'd invite you over for some of my potato soup," Lisa said.
"Mmm," Gene said. "I wish I was in Portland."
Lisa ate a little of her soup. She scrunched her nose. "No you don't, this soup is terrible," She said.
"It can't be that bad," Gene said.
"I added too much salt," Lisa said taking another bite. "I added too much pepper too..."
Lisa heard Gene laughing on the other line. "It sounds lovely," He said. "If I was there it would be a nice candle light dinner with terrible potato soup."
"I think I have some stale breadsticks," Lisa said.
"Stale breadsticks and bad potato soup," Gene said laughing. "Sounds like a romantic evening."
"It isn't the food that makes an evening romantic," Lisa said taking another bite of her soup.
"Mmm, I like the sound of that. What would you do to make the evening romantic?" Gene asked.
"I dunno," Lisa said. "I'm out of practice. I don't ever take anyone out."
Lisa took another bite of soup. She was so upset that it tasted so bad.
"You still have that love seat right?" Gene asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"Because if I were there after dinner I'd sit with you on the love seat and I'd put my arm over your shoulders," Gene said.
"I guess I'd put my head on your shoulder," Lisa said.
"I'd kiss you on the top of the head," Gene said.
Lisa took another bite of soup. "Actually, this soup isn't that bad," She said. "It just had a lot of salt and pepper at the top. I should have mixed it better."
Gene laughed. "I'm over here trying to make a romantic situation and you're talking about your soup still," He said.
"Aren't you married?" Lisa asked.
"Yeah, and I love my wife," Gene said.
Lisa took another bite of her soup. "Why don't you call her?" Lisa asked.
"She's here with me. I can talk with her whenever," Gene said.
Lisa sighed. "You're impossible," She said.
"What are you wearing?" Gene asked.
"Why?" Lisa asked.
"I want to imagine what you look like right now," Gene said.
"Well, I cut my hair so it's shoulder length," Lisa said. "I'm wearing a blue collared shirt with no sleeves."
"What shade of blue?" Gene asked.
"Baby blue," Lisa said.
Lisa heard him start to hum Baby Blue softly. She smiled. "I'm wearing denim pedal pushers," she said, "and I have no shoes or socks on."
"I bet you look beautiful," Gene said.
"I look decent," Lisa said messing with a lock of her hair.
"Don't argue with me," Gene said. "I know you look beautiful."
Lisa smiled slightly. She ran her fingers through her dark hair. There was a knock on the door of Lisa's apartment. "Someone's at the door," Lisa said.
"I'll wait," Gene said.
Lisa set the phone down on the table and walked to the door. She opened it. There was a man at the door. He smiled at her. He was young, no older than twenty.
"Oh, Tom..." Lisa said. Her voice trailed off a bit.
"I was wondering if..." Tom started to say.
"Now isn't a good time," Lisa interrupted.
Tom saw the bowl of soup and the phone laid down on the table.
"Yeah, I guess you're already having dinner," Tom said looking at the floor.
"Yeah, I'm sorry Tom," Lisa said.
"You want to go out to see a movie with me sometime?" Tom asked looking back up.
Lisa frowned slightly. "I don't really know..." She said looking over at the phone then back at Tom. "There hasn't been any good movies playing recently..."
"Oh... It doesn't have to be a movie..." Tom said with just a little bit of hope in his eyes.
"Tom... You're making this hard for me. I'm not interested in you... I don't even particularly want to be friends with you," Lisa said shrugging.
Tom looked hurt for a moment. His blue eyes flicked down to the floor. He scratched his sandy blonde mop top. Lisa felt bad for a second. He looked back up at her. He smiled at her sheepishly. "Can't blame a guy for trying," He said.
Lisa shook her head. "Bye Tom," She said closing the door. She sighed and walked back to her couch. She laid down and rubbed her eyes wearily. She picked up the phone again.
"I'm back," Lisa said.
"Who was it?" Gene asked.
"This kid named Tom," Lisa said. "He's tried asking me out everyday this week."
"Have you accepted?" Gene asked.
"No, he's too young..." Lisa said. "I'd feel like a cradle robber."
"You're not that old," Gene said.
"I feel old..." Lisa said. "I think I better just face the fact that I'm an old maid."
"You aren't that old..." Gene said.
"I'm getting close to thirty," Lisa said.
"You're making me feel old," Gene said laughing.
"You're a man," Lisa said. "Age isn't as important with men."
"I realize how old I am when I perform," Gene said. "I think I took my youth for granted. My leg hurts a lot when I perform."
Lisa looked down at her legs. "Do you still take pain pills?" She asked.
"More than ever," Gene replied.
"How have you been feeling besides your leg?" Lisa asked.
"Not too bad... Sometimes I catch colds and I've been to the hospital a few times, but it's mainly my leg that ails me," Gene said.
Lisa smiled. "I'm glad you're mostly healthy," She said.
"What about you?" Gene asked. "You haven't been sick have you?"
"No," Lisa said. "I haven't even had a cold."
"That's good," Gene said.
"What are we even talking about anymore?" Lisa asked.
Gene laughed. "I guess we are running out of things to say," He said.
"You should go to sleep," Lisa said. "You can't get much of that on tour."
Gene sighed slightly. "You're right. You're always right," He said. "I'll go to sleep. Have a nice night."
"You too," Lisa said.
The phone made a soft clicking sound as Gene hung up. Lisa looked up at the roof with a sigh. She put her feet up on the couch and stared at her toes. She didn't feel like eating anything else. She rubbed her eyes then stood up and put up the rest of her soup and cleaned up her bowl. She wasn't tired so she started to clean her small kitchen. As she cleaned the stovetop her eyes began to burn so she rubbed the back of her hand under them. Her hand felt wet. She looked at her hand with surprise. There were warm tears on her hand. She had been crying. She suddenly felt a hurt in her chest and sunk down onto the floor and started to cry in her hands.
"Dammit," She moaned softly as her tears continued to fall.

(The video attached is from the movie Hot Rod Gang. Gene Vincent actually got speaking lines in the movie. The movie itself was alright at most, the music was really the only reason to watch it. Johnny Meeks plays a mean blues guitar during Baby Blue. On another note, I watched Love Me Tender, that movie with Elvis in it, and it was actually really good. I wasn't so hot for the Elvis singing parts cuz I don't get the way he danced and I'm not really an Elvis fan [there are a few songs by him I like, but not much by him's ever moved me], but the storyline was really good and I almost cried at the end. To be honest, Rio Bravo was a lot better, but Love Me Tender was good for a non-Duke western. I know that has very little to do with my story, but I felt like sharing that. I think Love Me Tender is on YouTube; it's worth a watch. Ummm... Until next chapter!)