Life's Like A Piano

A True Gentleman

"Tell u what? How we met and stuff?"

"Yes! Exactly! Tell me about your life with him since the day u first saw him!" 

"Ok, sure! So, I had gone out one night with a few friends to celebrate one of them getting engaged. We were at our usual place, which was where I used to work, playing the piano. The owner had become a friend after all these years, so he was taking good care of us every time we'd go there! As it turned out, their piano player was late so he asked me to fill in for a few minutes. I tried to get out of it, but my friends insisted, so I did it. After about 20 minutes, the owner made me a signal that the musician had come, so I stopped and went back to my friends. As we were taking shots, a man came close, apologized for interrupting us and started telling me how great I was playing the piano. At first, I was so done with him, because over the years I had so many guys doing the exact same thing, but something about him was different, u know?"

"What was different?"

"I don't know! He seemed serious... sincere! He didn't give me the vibe that he wants to fuck me in the bathroom! He really meant that he liked what I did..."

"Alright. What happened then?"

Flashback...

"I'm sorry for hijacking your night, u're obviously celebrating something, but I really had to tell u!"

"Thank u very much. But, as u said, we're celebrating something, so..."

"Of course! I apologize, again! Have fun!" he says and turns to leave

"Excuse me, again. I just can't walk away from u for some reason!" he says coming back, just when I have turned to my friends again, making me look at him sighing

"Let me guess: U want to buy me a drink, pick my brain a little, maybe? Ask me where did a girl like me learn to play like that?"

"Actually, I'd like to know your name and take u to dinner sometime...I'm sure u have men lined up everywhere u go, offering drinks and ephemeral sex, but I don't want that!"

"Dude, u just met me! I don't even know your name!" I say with a raised eyebrow, ready to shower him with my drink

"I'm sorry, I forgot my manners! I'm David Barnes! And truth be told, I'm pretty sure I've seen u before, a couple of years ago? U used to play every night here..."

"I did, actually...Do I know u?"

"No! The bar is close to my work, so I come here very often! After I stopped seeing u I thought u found another job-maybe moved away...I actually can't believe I'm running into u again!" he says smiling

"Yeah, I found a real job! But the owner loves me, so I made this bar my place with my friends...If u had seen me before, why come talk to me now and not then?"

"I was kinda married back then...only in papers, but still, I couldn't come up to u like that! I cursed myself for a long time after I stopped seeing u, though...I don't know what I was thinking, thinking that a girl like u would stay here forever!"

"A girl like me...*leaves glass down* What do u mean by that?" I ask, crossing my hands in front of my chest, with an attitude, as I do to every guy that says that to me. In my surprise, instead of being speechless like others, he starts explaining

"Well, I won't comment on your looks, because I know that in this industry looks come first. What I mean by a girl like u, is that I can't help but understand that u are intelligent and that u're more ambitious than playing the piano in a bar! Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad job, but it's not for u...I'm guessing u were working here while studying?" He explains, making me lose my attitude and look at him with wide eyes, shocked by how well he explains himself.

"Anyway, I guess u're not interested. It's ok. I'm just glad I finally talked to u, I wouldn't live with myself if I didn't! Have a nice night and the best of luck in your future endeavors!" he says after I don't say anything and before he turns to leave again, he gives me a shy smile

"Wait!" I exclaim, putting my hand around his bicep gently

"My name is Olivia...Olivia Davis! I'd love to have dinner with u!" I say when he turns to look at me

"U would?" he asks surprised

"Yes! U're the first one to see past my looks...I've heard some awful comments about how fast my fingers go and what else they can do, so u understand that your words caught me off guard!"

"I'm sorry for these comments, I don't know how some men even think like that!"

"Me neither! Do u have a pen?"

"Yes, of course!" he says and immediately searches his jacket's inside pocket, as I ask for a napkin from the bartender. 

After writing down my number, I give it to him.

"Thank u, I promise to call soon!" he says and flashes me a big smile before finally leaving...

End of flashback...

"A true gentleman!" he comments

"He was! Like the ones u see in movies!" I reply

"And how did u end up together?"

"We went on a couple of dates, we kissed on the 3rd, and then we just were a couple! It came naturally, we didn't even understand falling for each other..."

"And u got married after 3 years, right?"

"Yes! He proposed to me in that same bar on my birthday! It wasn't flashy, but it was meaningful!"

"I bet it was! And how would u describe the years before your wedding and after?"

"No difference, actually! We just didn't live together before our engagement..."

"Were u working before your engagement?"

"Yes, I kept working for that professor, until I realized I was ready for my Ph.D."

"Is that when u became a housewife?"

"Yes, actually...I couldn't be an assistant and study for my Ph.D., there was no time, so I stopped. At first I thought I'd find something else, but David told me that it's ok if I don't work, he didn't have a problem with me being a housewife...But I couldn't just stay home and eat his money, so I found an online journal that was more than happy to pay me for articles and papers, so I did that! It wasn't a lot of money, but it was enough to feel somehow independent!"

"I see...and when did u start feeling trapped and unhappy?" he asks and I look away, trying to pinpoint the exact moment