[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Progress went once more to the bar for the beers. Slim suspected it was because Progress knew
he didn't have any money and didn't want him to be embarrassed. Slim watched him, saw that Progress
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
r
B
B
2
2
.
.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
m
m
w
w
o
o
w
w
c
c
.
.
.
.
A
A
Y
Y
B
B
Y
Y
B
B
r r
apparently got the beer on the house. On the way back, the old man stopped to talk with a couple
of smiling people, exchanging handshakes and backslaps. Then, he set the beers on the table and sat
down. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a tightly rolled joint.
"Friend of mine gave me this," he said. "You like smokin' herb?"
"What?" Slim said, suddenly panicked. "I mean, yeah, I do. But right, here, in the open?"
"What you mean," Progress said, puzzled. "Smoke it if you like. No big deal."
"Progress," Slim said. "In my world, this stuff is illegal."
For the first time, the old man looked surprised. "This?" he said. "This a weed. Grows all over
around here. They make weeds against the law where you come from?"
"Yeah, they do. Major bad news."
"Son, that's downright ignorant."
"I always thought so. Hey, wait you mean it's okay to smoke it here?"
"Sure thing. Light it up and relax. Fall into the groove."
"Progress," Slim said, "I'm liking this world more and more all the time. What about you? You
want some?"
"Nope." Progress shook his head. "Don't mistake me, now. I've smoked up more than my share,
startin' with Rosie and movin' right along. But nowadays I only smoke if I can't sleep. Puts me right
away. So you go on, now, enjoy yourself. Here comes Nadine on stage."
As Slim lit the joint, he could smell the sticky sweetness of it from all around the club. But his
attention was quickly captured and held by the small figure that was walking around the stage as the
band set up.
She was short, perhaps 5'2", wearing a black leather miniskirt and a purple blouse so sheer that
Slim was sure he could see her small breasts through it. When she smiled, hard white teeth met the
fullest, softest-looking, most inviting lips he'd ever wanted to kiss. She had thin, to-die-for legs and a
small ass that Slim would have sworn was the most perfect, kissable ass that could be found. She was
the most perfect woman he'd ever seen, as if someone had taken every feminine quality he'd ever
loved and lusted after and put them all in one compact package.
He was oddly surprised, as well. He had never before been attracted to a black woman. Not the
way he was to Nadine. But he could almost imagine what her caramel skin would feel like against his
hands, how she would smell and taste and move. The desires and unfamiliar emotions that were
blasting through him came close to making him holler. He knew he should repress it all, should forget
it, or try to. Why would such a beautiful woman be interested in a fat, forty, burnt-out bluesman like
him? But he'd always been a fool for women. They broke his heart every damn time, but he could
never seem to find the strength to just say fuck it and leave them all alone.
Nadine was going to be the worst yet, he could already tell that. He felt as if he'd never been in
love before. Maybe, he hadn't, not really. And maybe Nadine would be different. As he finished the
joint, he decided that, this time, he would be very careful to try to do the right thing so maybe it could
work. After all, if this was a new world, maybe he had a fresh new chance.
Nadine stepped up to the microphone, stood straddle-legged, in control. Slim would have sworn
he could hear the crackling of electricity in her movements. Her eyes were closed and she didn't speak.
The normal audience noises of talking and laughing and clinking glasses and bottles were absent.
Nadine stood ready in a small sea of silence and expectation. Slim was impressed by the control she
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
r
B
B
2
2
.
.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
m
m
w
w
o
o
w
w
c
c
.
.
.
.
A
A
Y
Y
B
B
Y
Y
B
B
r r
seemed to hold on the audience waiting for her to perform.
The band jumped straight into "Come to Mama," and it was the absolute hottest version of the
song Slim had ever heard. Nadine's voice was low and smooth like the brown flow of Texas sugarcane
syrup. It drew him in, reached into his gut and made him want. When the band kicked down on the
whole-step grace note from B-flat, Slim felt his heart skip a beat.
The experience of the music was unlike anything he'd ever felt. He'd played music, seen it, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]