Slapstick

I awoke in Debbie's bed, alone ....She was out in her kitchen with her sister, Delores. Delores was two years younger , but just as much of a looker as Debbie. Delores in addition to be sexy was a hell of a sweet person too...and as cool as a fan. I originally thought when we went to pick her up that her being at Debbie's place would put a cramp on my , our sex life...but it didn't...We'd go in Debbie's room and close the door and Delores would go in the guest room and close her door, or she'd go out and that was that...Didn't slow down nothin...I liked her.

I went in the bathroom, brushed my teeth....I keep a spare toothbrush over Debbie's place for nights that I stay over. I took a shower too....and then got dressed...I had a big day today. As I put my clothes on, I overheard their conversation at the kitchen table...

"Wow Deb....he must have put it on you somethin fierce last night....I heard yall through the walls. Or at least I heard you...You always were a screamer..hahahahahahahahaha." said Delores.

"Was not!" protested Debbie mockingly and then giving a little conspiritorial laugh.

"Anyway.....I only heard yall, because when I came in ,yall was going at it....I didn't hear nothin once we got in the room." said Delores.

"We? WEEEEE.....What's with this we? You brought a guy in here? I guess you did a little screamin yourself." laughed Debbie.

"Nah...nothin like that...He was a perfect gentleman.....I was at Josie's , that place you and Reed
took me that you hang out at and I met this guy....At first ,I thought he was a little nerdy for my tastes, but we sat and talked and he turned out to be nice. He bought me a couple of drinks and then he and I left Josies and walked a few blocks to this nice Coffee shop..We had coffee and a bowl of ice cream...We talked some more....and he was such a gentleman...He followed me here to make sure that I got home alright and so I invited him inside." said Delores.

"And then you screwed his brains out." said Debbie with a laugh.

"Nope..we just talked....He didn't even try anything..He was just a perfect gentleman...He talked a lot about music...We talked until 4:00 in the morning and then he got up and left." said Delores.

"Wow, he didn't try to get none? He must be gay." laughed Debbie.

"Oh shut up..." laughed Delores playfully....

I laughed too ,upon hearing their conversation and then my Blackberry went off.... It was Ricky Rector, the promoter who was promoting "Philly Jazzfest 2010."

"Heyyy Rick my man, what's shakin bacon?" I said.

"You baby....What's goin on Reed? I called to give you the line up for the big concert tomorrow night." he said.

"Rick is this thing as big a deal as you say it is?" I asked.

"Oh yeah Reed...Dig... I'm gonna have Symphony Sam and his Jazz Orchestra open the show."
said Ricky.

"Jazz Orchestra? It's a six piece band..."I said.

"Wellll, he calls it an orchestra....Anyway, he's opening up and then I'm going to have "Deep Six "
play a set...Then that hot guitarist, Brooke Taylor from the West Coast will come on...and she'll be followed by Stephanie Peters...a great new singer...Then Slyde Hyde, the Trombonist is up next.....and after his set...You and "88" and the boys will close the show....Oh and I might have an
encore performance by this new kid...The one in the magazine article.."

"You mean "Downtown" Rob Brown?" I asked dryly...

"Yeah, Yeah...You know him?" asked Rick...

"We've met...." I said.

"Yeah,yeah ,yeah...it's gonna be a stone gas.....I got that Mabel Jenkins gal and her sisters, Corrie, Anita and Vickie to cater the event......Chess and Chris Thompson's company, C&C brothers put the money up for the event and I called Hype Magazine...Kevin Morris, Sean Jackson and Sheila will be covering the story...They promised me a front page...It's gonna be great man!" said Ricky...

"Okay...I'm gonna run the guys through rehearsals and then we gonna take five and chill tonight at Josies." I said.

'That's a bet...See ya tomorrow" said Rick.

"Got'cha." I said.

The next night was Philly Jazz Fest.....Everybody who was anybody was there....Gus and the whole gang from Josie's was there.....Debbie and Delores were sitting right up front...The hall that Ricky had rented from Chess and Chris was huge, but it was still packed to the gills.....

I watched Brooke Taylor ,Slyde Hyde, Deep Six and Stephanie Peters perform....They were all great....I missed Symphony Sam's opener......Tsk Tsk Tsk! and then it was my turn to perform....
I got a standing ovation before I even started...."88" struck up the keys and the drummer set the beat..The Bass player and the Guitarist got to going and I came in with a new number I had
just written about a week ago called "Slapstick"...

I was playing like a demon and the crowd was egging me on...when to my shock and surprise...Downtown Robert Brown walked up on the stage in the middle of our number and started playing his trumpet during the break....

I was stunned....."88" kept playing , but he looked at me kind of funny.....I jumped in and began playing the basic melody....Downtown Rob tried to keep up, but he couldn't....This number was far too complex for a guy like him who was used to playing standards....The crowd thought it was part of the act and they began clapping....I was furious....I got close to him and said-

"Heyyy what do you think you're doing?"

He looked at me and snidely said-

"Hey look, I didn't want to be part of this act, but I was told to come up here."

"You were told?" I asked.

"Yeah,I was told." he said.

"Man, get the hell off the stage." I snapped.

"What?" he said.

"Get the hell off the stage." I repeated myself..

"Gladly." he said and stepped down....

After the concert was over, I was fuming....I barged into Ricky Rector's office...

"Man, did you tell that punk to get up on the stage during my act?" I said.

''Nah...Reed,I swear I didn't.. I told him he was going to close the show...He must have mis-understood.." said Ricky..

Debbie walked back to the office where we were....

"Reed, there has been a horrible mis-understanding." she said.

"I'll say." I said.

"No, you don't understand.....Downtown Rob Brown is the guy Delores went out with last night,
he was over our house." she said.

"Yeah? Well she should have better taste in men." I said.

"He's devestated that you embarrased him like that....Symphony Sam gave him the line up sheet
and see...On it ,it clearly states that he was supposed to sit in with the Reed Nelson band." she said.

"Oh...uh...ruh...well, ahhhh that must've been a typo." said Ricky Rector.


What a mess! I thought.


(To Be Continued.....)