Piano Man by Joyce Sweeney

Author:Joyce Sweeney
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781504004268
Publisher: Open Road Media Teen & Tween

9

Deidre had been waiting all week to see what kind of outfit Mr. Maxwell would wear to a picnic. She couldn’t picture him in jeans or shorts, but she knew he couldn’t possibly show up in one of his Italian suits. It turned out to be stone-colored Dockers and a white knit golf shirt. Somehow in these clothes he looked even more precise and immaculate than before. He had brought a bunch of orchids, which Deidre held on her lap in the car. The scent rising from them mixed deliciously with Mr. Maxwell’s cherry cologne. He drove with his right hand only, hanging his left elbow out the window. Deidre, who sat behind him, found herself staring at that clean, strong-looking male arm. He had a trace of sunburn and one lonely freckle above the elbow.

“You want to go to Tradewinds Park or Mullins?” he asked Deidre’s mother.

Mrs. Holland was also appealingly overdressed in an orange sundress with spaghetti straps. “Whichever one you want,” she countered.

“Let’s go to Tradewinds,” he said. “Then, if we want to after lunch, we could go to Butterfly World.”

Mrs. Holland glanced at him. “Butterfly World!”

He glanced back. “Yeah. Haven’t you ever heard about it? They have all these—”

“Yes, I know what it is,” she interrupted, laughing nervously, “but you don’t have to do something like that just to please us women. Surely you wouldn’t want to spend the afternoon looking at butterflies and flowers.”

He glanced at her again. “I grow flowers!” he reminded her. “I love flowers!”

Mrs. Holland looked out the passenger window and did not answer.

Deidre was as baffled as usual by their interaction. However, today she had more important things on her mind. There was a beautiful, unfinished rhapsody burned into her memory. A rhapsody named for her, inspired by her. Deidre. She could still hear every note and chord, exactly as Jeff had played it for her. She knew as long as she lived, she would never forget that hot, still morning in his apartment, the way he looked at the piano, his hair gently stirred by the breeze from the ceiling fan, eyes full of love for the music, fingers caressing the keys.… Some of the love he felt for this composition, Deidre knew, was part of what he felt for her. She didn’t expect him to talk about it yet. It might be years before they really talked about it. But she knew now it was something Jeff felt as deeply as she did.

She felt sorry for other couples. Susie’s whole summer was turning into a struggle with Curt. She called every day with a new episode. All their encounters were alike. They would be getting along fine, then Curt would try something and Susie would stop him and he would either sulk or yell at her and storm off. Then, the next day, he would call and they’d make up and start all over again. Sometimes, listening to Susie tell it, Deidre almost felt Susie was enjoying the turmoil.

“Well,” Mr.

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