Haven't You Heard?

Chapter 25: Changes

Wednesday, January 16, 1980, Minneapolis, MN

Here we are, we being Prince and I, and we are talking on the phone even though it is damn near one o'clock in the morning. "How are things with you and Denise?" I ask my friend, who is wide awake.

"Things are going the way that they are supposed to be, I guess. What about you? Seeing anyone?" Prince questions.

"What do you think?" I reply.

Prince hesitates. "Well, I guess there is no need to ask if you are seeing someone because you would have told me by now if you were so never mind." He says before the line becomes silent.

After a long moment of non awkward silence, I speak up. "Why are you so quiet?" I ask inquisitively.

"I am just thinking." Prince quickly states.

"About what?" I retort.

There is a pause on his end. "Sex." Prince simply says.

I don't know what's going on in his head but Prince has been diving into his more sexual side as of lately. Nowadays, on stage, he wears bikini briefs and ripped shirts and sometimes, he is even just shirtless. I have seen pictures of his shows in newspapers and magazines. It is really a controversy, though. To me it is just a whole new side of him, the more bold side versus the shyer side that I'm used to seeing him portray to others, but I honestly don't mind. I kind of like it on him.

It's just funny to me because he is a straight guy but he dresses somewhat feminine and sings in a falsetto, which is a female vocal range, so to speak. That will confuse the heck out of people, won't it?

But any who, I hear that Prince's 40 minute opening for Rick James' Fire It Up Tour is quite the crowd pleaser. It's so good that it is starting to make Rick James look bad. Prince says that whenever his set is over, Rick and his crew boo him and his band. Plus, they are always drinking and on some type of drugs. Prince doesn't pay them any mind, though. For the next month, it's just going to be rehearsals for him and the band until February ninth hits. "Are you, now?" I ask with a silent chuckle, referring to his unexpected, one worded answer.

"Yeah. You ever notice how people never really sing about it in their music?" Prince replies.

I think about it for a second. "I guess so." I respond.

"Why do you think that they don't?" Prince questions.

I shrug as if he can see me. "Maybe it is because they don't want the children to learn about sex through their music." I say unknowingly.

"What's the difference? Wether you learn about it through music or from your parents, sex is sex and there aren't many ways to describe it." Prince says nonchalantly.

"Yeah, well, who knows why they don't mention it. I mean with me, I listen to good music so if it is about that, then I guess it is what it is." I say truthfully.

"Me too." Prince agrees before there is yet another pause. "I am surprised. You are still awake and not cranky. This is new." He says in a shocked tone.

I laugh at his observation. "With you, it is pretty much an everyday routine. It's like you have insomnia or some crap like that." I say while shifting in my chair next to my bed.

"It's just the trick of time. You have like six clocks in your house. I have one and it's not in my bedroom or my studio which is where I am a majority of the time so I rarely keep track of time." He reassures.