Dream Weaver

Chapter 4

    Jo sat at the piano studying the music sheet before her. Nervously she gathered the tight curls of her flaming auburn hair together sweeping the long trestles over one shoulder. She drew a deep breath placing her fingers to the keys. Scanning over the notes she ignored the lyrics until she got a feel for the tune. With a sudden burst of instinct, she began to play a bluesy rhythm on the piano.

    She let her hands do the work letting her mind simply relay the notes. She felt the power of the melody churn through the room twisting its way through to the corners of the house. Her body swayed ritualistically against the beat feeling the sound tune into the flow of her thudding heart. She closed her eyes focusing on the emotion of the experience alone finding a set of enthralling blue eyes on the other end. 
                   
     A sensation swept through her core reminiscent of her youth when she desired the touch of someone that was never really there. She could almost sense his hands now running rampant over the tender parts of her body. The shame she felt as a teen still resurfaced in her adulthood. This time her hands did the work, not her tortured brain that automatically turned to prayer.

    Her mind retreated deeper into the dream as the composition seeped into the frame of the house with a vibrating force. She felt free to explore her art, even herself without the nagging conscience of her devout mother. There was another barricading wall yielding her from traveling deeper into her own mind as she felt Greg's presence dominate from the room above. She was lucky, Greg was the first person to come along who had genuinely cared for her. She had stayed dedicated to him even with his past transgressions, surprising herself at how dependent she had become on him.

    She was well aware of his prying ear from upstairs, probably sitting on their bed ripping the shoes from his feet. She urged herself to continue her performance despite the distractions deterring her. She played a few minutes longer until she felt the fastening of lanky arms wrap around her waist summoning her back to the tarter colored walls of the parlor. Her hands fell to her lap as her head lulled momentarily in heated exhaustion.

    "That was amazing…" Greg interjected, "…and sexy."

     He kissed the top of her head as he continued, "I've been meaning to talk to you. I got a job offer a few weeks ago from Elaine Durst with her firm."

     Jo returned to her level posture. "A few weeks, why are you telling me now?" She asked her tone lingering with suspicion.

     "I didn't really take it seriously. I mean it is Elaine she can be hard to get along with." Greg removed his arms from her. He took a seat next to her on the bench in the opposite direction.

     "That's an understatement the woman's a sheer bully, she doesn't even try to hide her –you should be worshipping me- attitude. I can’t stand a woman who lives to make other people cry.” Jo rested her head on Greg’s shoulder feeling an almost awkward tension at the gesture.
    "I'm actually considering it now, I mean taking it, it would be a slight change from Civil Rights but not a far stretch and with Criminal Defense I can still help out a lot of innocent people, you know but with a bigger paycheck?"

    Jo retracted her head from his shoulder, "You know Elaine does not defend the innocent ones. When did you decide all this?"

    "Tonight, actually, just a few minutes ago." He confessed twiddling his thumbs together his eyes fastened to the ceiling above.

    "Just, like that?" Jo questioned in astonishment watching his face for any type of rueful reaction.

    Greg shrugged his shoulders, "I know I should have talked to you about it but you've been overwhelmed with the wedding plans and work I didn't want to put more on you when you already seem on edge."