Hallelujah

Try a Little Tenderness

Your playlist for this chapter: Someone to Watch Over Me - Rosemary Clooney; Twistin' the Night Away - Sam Cooke; Try a Little Tenderness - Otis Redding; Come On-A My House - Rosemary Clooney; Red River Valley - Jo Stafford; Let Me Take You There - The Staple Singers.

Try a Little Tenderness

"So let me get this straight." Frank leaned forward on the little couch. He was really processing. "I can just...think up whatevah I want, and...have it."

"In a nutshell," Jude assured, leaning forward beside him.

"Like, says I want a brighter flashlight. I can just -"

"A brighter flashlight?" Jude interrupted. "I'm sitting here saying 'anything you want, Frank,' and all ya can think of is a brighter flashlight?"

Shelley giggled from her dancefloor, softly swaying to the low strains of old soul.

There's a saying old, says that love is blind

Still we're often told, seek and ye shall find

So I'm going to see a certain lad I've had in mind

Frank looked abashed. Maybe a little hurt. Jude shook her head. "Alright, Frank. Nevamind. Ya know what? Brighter flashlight it is." She rubbed his shoulder. "Close yer eyes, and think of a flashlight bright as the sun. Or a collapsed star."

"Kay." He closed his eyes, lips pursing thoughtfully.

"Ya ready?"

"Yeah, yeah. Ready."

"Alright then. Open yar eyes."

Frank opened his eyes. Looked around. "I don't see it."

Jude rubbed her forehead. "Take out yar flashlight, Frank."

Looking everywhere, haven't found him yet

He's the big affair I cannot forget

Only man I ever think of with regret

He reached for his flashlight, flicked it on.

"Ahh, Christ, Frank!" Jude threw her arms across her eyes, shielding them against a sudden blinding flash of atomic flare.

"Shit!" Shelley curled away as well. "Shut that fucker off, fucker!" She shouted.

"Sorry! Sorry." Frank scrambled to shut off the penetrating death ray. "Wow." He breathed. "That worked."

"Great. Now I'm blind." Shelley huffed.

Jude snickered. "So. Now you see?"

I'd like to add his initial to my monogram

Tell me, where is the shepherd for this lost lamb?

"I see." Frank nodded. "In fact, I'll see much better now."

"Glad somebody does," Shelley muttered, coming to stand before the two of them. "Why don't ya try something that won't cause radiation burns?"

There's a somebody I'm longin' to see

I hope that he turns out to be

Someone who'll watch over me

"Huh." Frank considered. "How about..." He blinked softly this time. The jukebox clicked.

Let me tell you bout a place

Somewhere up New York Way

Where the people are so gay