Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop

In the coming two weeks, I performed three gigs with Ralph Carter....I noticed that the other musicians were like me, under contract....and miserable...He docked them pay for the least little infraction...So far,I had escaped his wrath...but I knew, sooner or later, the other shoe was going to drop.

I was able to make the rehearsals on time and make the gigs..We played to a packed house at Josies..

The crowds loved us and my first few checks were good... despite the fact that all of my musician friends had warned me that Ralph Carter was bad news...He at first didn't seem so bad to me...Just a tad stricter than what I was used to..

On the fourth night ,Olivia came to see me..or rather us..

She sat down front and clapped enthusiastically for us when we played...I noticed that Ralph Carter was ogling her a bit too much for my tastes...but he had no idea who she was..She was wearing a very revealing top and a mini skirt that was very form fitting...I liked it...but so did he!

Many times when I had sat in with Reed Nelson or Bone Hampton or Downtown Rob Brown there had come a time when they had let me solo....In fact they often encouraged me to... Maybe I should have asked Ralph Carter first...It was his show....but I saw no harm...My wife was here and I looked right at her and played right to her...She squealed with delight...Ralph Carter's mood began to get funky after that....and I would see the pettiness and vindictiveness that people talked about...

He stepped in front of me and lit into a wild Saxophone solo...I wasn't about to go tit for tat with him over this...It meant very little to me..but I was a bit alarmed that he was staring down my wife's throat and smiling..

After the set was over, he made a bee line for her table...He sat down ,still grinning from ear to ear and called Honey Brown over and ordered two drinks...

Honey Brown looked up at me...I just nodded and smiled...This was going to be good ,I thought.

"Well sweet thang,I couldn't help but notice you ,lookin all good and all...What's your name?" he asked, just grinning..

Olivia looked at me...I nodded and smiled...

"My name is Olivia...." she said.

"Olivia...eh? That's a beautiful name...Beautiful woman, beautiful name."he said...

"Thank You ,My full name is Olivia Bennett-Alexander, Esquire."she said.

"Ohhhhh, you're an Attorney...I like that...Smart woman, sexy woman....That's my type.." he said laughing as Honey Brown bought the drinks over..

"You took your time...Next time a little faster okay? That is ,if you expect a tip" he said to Honey ,who gave him the serious side eye...

"Next time you better adjust your attitude or there won't be a next time..." snapped Honey....Who looked like she was getting ready to cut him...Olivia sensed the tension and continued the conversation she was having with Ralph Carter.

Ralph looked a little taken aback!

''I'm Mrs. Olivia Bennett-Alexander." said Olivia.

His smile turned to a slight frown...

"Oh ....You're married. " he said.

Olivia laughed...

"I am...."she said.

"That's a shame" he joked and smiled...

"I don't think so." said Olivia, smiling...

"Well I do." he said laughing...

"Here comes my husband now!" she said as I came to the table and sat down..

His whole demeaner changed... His jaw dropped

''You two??...Married?" he asked.

''Yes sir, This is my baby."I said and gave Olivia a soft kiss in the lips.

"Donnie Ray Alexander...Olivia Bennett-Alexander...Ohhhh,I see...I should have seen the connection."he said and got up abruptly and walked away...No apology for trying to flirt with my wife or nothing...This guy was a real charactor...He could have at least said goodbye. I just shook my head.

I looked at Olivia and we both smiled.... Honey Brown saw the whole thing and she cracked up...

''What a pompus jerk...I remember him when he was here two years ago....He has no idea that I'm the Manager of this joint now...and I can throw his pompus ass out..Gus doesn't like him at all...Refuses to talk to him...Shine does all of the business talk with him."she said.

"Did you hire him?" asked Olivia.

"No...Gus's guy, Shine, booked him....I'm gonna have a little talk with Shine." chuckled Honey Brown.

Shine was Josie's booking agent...Gus fired Shine every other month over some infraction...Like booking a comedian who wasn't funny or a singer who couldn't sing....but he always wound up hiring him back...It was funny watching those two interact....It was like watching Fred and Lamont Sanford.

II-

We played one more set....As I was packing my trumpet....Ralph Carter walked up to me...

"Donnie Ray...I'm going to have to dock you half of your pay." he said matter of factly...

"Huh? What?" I said.

"You played a couple of off notes in the last number we did ...Made me look bad..and that little show you put on for your wife during the first set?  Not cool...This is my band." he said.

"So I'm being docked in pay for a solo and an off note??, Which by the way I did not play...." I said.

"So you're calling me a liar now? I'm docking you for that...You can't dispute my word.. I'm sorry....That's how it is.." he said.

"Then I quit!!!....It's your band...Get another trumpet player!!.."I said.

"Oh you can't quit....You apparently didn't read your contract.....You still owe me five more dates and five more rehearsals....Come late or fail to show for any of them and I can dock you...Renig and I can sue you in open court...My attorney is very good." he said...He smiled and walked away....

''So is mine!" I grumbled.

Olivia walked up to me....

"Something wrong?" she asked..

"Let's get out of here Livy before I choke the living daylights out of this guy." I said.

He was leaving as Olivia and I were leaving...He tipped his pork pie hat to Olivia...

"Nice meeting you again Mrs. Alexander..." he said and got in his car...

I now had a burning hatred and disdain for the man...A hatred like I hadn't felt for armed killers that I'd taken down when I was a Homicide detective...

Just then...My phone went off!!  It was Beverly...!

III-

"Hey D.R.  I hate to bother you, but could you come pick us up?" asked Beverly...

''Where are you?" I asked..

"I'm ...We are at Bottom of The C." she said.

"I know where that is...It's a bit of a ways from here...It's the place we had dinner with Uncle Ed and his daughter last year."said Olivia...

I was still angry at Ralph Carter...I seethed at just the thought of that arrogant strutting bastard...I passed Olivia the keys...

''You drive...I'm too upset to drive"I said...''Alright Bev..We are on our way...By the way..What happened?" I asked.

"Nelson and I went to Bottom of the C. to eat dinner...We were on our way to that play...and when we came out , the tire on the passenger side and the drivers side was flat...flat as a pancake." she said..."Nelson is just sick" she said.

I could imagine that he was!

Before we got in the car..Olivia gently pulled me to her and kissed me softly for a few minutes...She wouldn't let me pull away...When we finally ended our kiss and embrace she smiled at me..

"Feel better?" she asked.

"As a matter of fact...I do." I said.

"Don't let him get you down....I told you I got you....Just like you always have me and Bev's back...You're my husband...We're family babe!" she said and winked at me...

IV-

Olivia and I drove to the Bottom of The C. restaurant....Where we saw Nelson, Bev and Olivia's friend, Chef Ralph Scallion and the owner...Dollar Bill looking at his two front tires...

"Thanks so much Donnie Ray...I can't believe this...The car was fine when we arrived here.."he said, embarrassed and just plain sick....

Beverly rubbed his back...

"It's okay Nelson...It's okay...Things happen...

Dollar Bill and Ralph Scallion were talking to Olivia who was inspecting the tires...

"Damn kids...They aint got nothin better to do."said Dollar Bill...

"Damn shame...This type of thing has never happened to one of our customers before...Never."said Ralph Scallion..

I took a look at both tires....They had been slashed... I took my flashlight out and scanned the parking lot...

No other car had been touched...I found that odd......

''Ralph...Dollar Bill...you got video cameras out here?" I asked.

"Yeah..." they said..

"Let me see it." I asked..

Nathan East had paid $200.00 to get the boot taken off of his car and $75.00 to the towing company...All for a $26.00 parking ticket that was only a week late!!! I thought this was a bit odd...I told him to fight it..But he just wanted his ride back which I could understand...

Olivia, Beverly,Nelson and I watched the screen and it took us little to no time to see a man dressed in all black....Black ski mask, black turtleneck, black slacks and black sneakers...run up and slash the two front tires and then vanish down a series of back streets into the night!!!

''Damn...Why just my car?" asked Nelson who was nearly in tears...  It was going to cost him $400.00 to get new tires...I felt bad for him....I was also very suspicious...

"Bev...You were right in what you thought about me when you first met me...I am a knucklehead and a lightweight...I don't deserve a quality chick like you..."he said.

"Hey man, don't be so hard on yourself." I said.

"Nelson...this isn't your fault."said Olivia, rubbing his back..

'"Aww, first time I ever took Beverly out, I left my wallet in my other suit pants and she had to pay for the entire meal...and we never got to go the movies...Then the other night we come out of a place and my car gets towed...Now some nut has flattened my tires....and once again..we gotta call yall to come get us...This is an omen...Maybe we need to cool it with the dating." he said...

Beverly finally walked over to him and put her finger on his lips....

"Hush Up Nelson....I'm not mad at you...I don't care about any of this...Your car got towed...So? Somebody slashed your tires..So?  You uh aren't cheating on me are you?" she asked jokingly...

"NO! Of course not!" he said.

"Then what's the problem?  You told me you loved me a few weeks ago...If that's true...You're not going to let a little something like this run you away are you?" she asked...

He hung his head...

"Are you? Because I wouldn't...I'm with you for the long haul...As long as you're with me for it." said Beverly.

"No...I'm just embarrassed that's all." he said.

"Why?  How long we known each other now?  Cut it out...and besides...." she whispered..."I aint had none in four days...I'm as horny as a cat...I was going to ask Auntay and D.R. to drive you over our place...I'll bring you back in the morning."she said..

His eyes seemed to light up...

"Wow!" he said.

"Yeah, I figured that would cheer you up." laughed Beverly...I smiled myself...

"Auntay..could you bring Nelson by our spot? I'll drive him home in the morning."said Beverly...

''Sure , Now do you feel better ?"said Olivia..looking at Nelson sympathetically..

"I-I-I suppose so." he said.

Nelson and Beverly held hands and got in the backseat of my car..

"Those two are so cute" said Olivia ,putting her arms around me and smiling...

I smiled, but I smelled a rat...I was going to look into this a little deeper....

(TO BE CONTINUED)