Do You Wanna Dance?

4. Like a virgin

a.k.a. zodiac signs, phone calls and the ways of assholeness

„Jeff, what do you think about this chord change?" I strum a few chords on my acoustic guitar. I'm working on a new idea but I feel somehow stuck, the parts won't fit each other although I can already hear in my head that they belong together. I really appreciate Jeff's songwriting skills; we basically crafted the musical part of Ten together so I often rely on his advice.

"Sounds cool..."

He looks distracted; his thoughts must be somewhere else.

"What do you think about Judy?" he asks out of the blue. Bingo...

"She's a very nice girl." Mike glances around from the magazine he's reading.

"Yeah, she's cute." Dave agrees dropping a chewing gum into his mouth.

We're sitting around the table of the tour bus. The drivers needed a break so we have an hour before setting off again. I feel in my legs that I should take a walk but this new maybe-song doesn't leave me alone tickling my hands to finish it.

"So I thought I could connect the bridge with the last chorus somehow this way..." I play the same chords again.

"I like this version better" Jeff remarks still staring with glazed eyes.

"Because it was exactly the same as the previous one!" I roll my eyes impatiently.

"We should do something together with her to help her get integrated into the team." I could have thought; he didn't even hear what I played...

"Since when has that chick been our only topic?" I start drumming with my fingers on the guitar.

"Stone, what's wrong with you? She's already in the crew, even if you're not willing to communicate with her." Mike frowns at me.

"Should I perform a dance of joy? You know my opinion; I won't pretend to be happy about her. But I don't want to be a real jerk with her either so I rather avoid communication..."

"Speaking of dance, I would be interested in that performance, I've never seen you dancing unless we consider your awkward choreography in Stockholm a dance!" Mike grins.

"And you never will, not in this lifetime, 'Cready. As for Stockholm, it was an emergency situation, my guitar got fucked up, should I have stand there like a puppet?" I hiss between my teeth.

"Maybe it would have been better for mankind... Seriously Stone, what's you problem with her? Okay, maybe she's too shy but she seems lovely and if we got to know each other better..."

"On one hand, she hasn't shown anything from her professional skills. If she screwed something up while we're playing a gig, her loveliness would be a screen door on a submarine. One the other hand, she's no big deal. Karrie talked about a smart, funny girl so I expected someone cooler, not someone who dresses like a nun, behaves like a nun and can't form complete sentences. If she was a babe at least..."

"Hey, she can form sentences!" Jeff defends her not noticing how ridiculously his objection sounds.

"Seriously, I'd bet she's still a virgin!" I announce the verdict. And in this moment a short figure appears from the hallway of the bus.

"Hi guys!" Speak of the devil...

"Hi Judy!" my bandmates greet her in unison.

"Good morning, Judith!" I add with the most plastic smile I can flash. She raises an eyebrow but her usual expression – a special mixture of indifference and boredom – doesn't change.