Glenn Miller

George flashes back 6 years to when he got the news that band leader, Glenn Miller, wants him to play with his band and perform one of his originals.

 

 

 

September 19, 1935 [10:30pm]

 

The saxophones sang and the voice of the trombones swayed to the beat of the drums as the people swung their bodies in the dense night club. The women’s dresses appeared to be flowers when they whirled, and they flowed gracefully when the men flung the them through the air, tossed them over their backs and slid them between their legs. They danced cheek to cheek and snapped their fingers as the band music roared. Jolly, George pounded on the piano proudly gaping at his audience.

“Keep it comin’, Fellas!” A voice cried out.

This encouraged George’s enthusiasm, and he hopped off the bench and battered the piano standing on two feet. The crowd bellowed cheering George and the enthralling music of the band. They laughed from the thrill and glided around more swiftly as if they had been reenergized. When the music finally met its finale, the crowd let out tremendous applauds whistling and screaming for an encore. George and the rest of the band bowed deeply gratified.

“That was Ring-A-Ding-Ding with ‘That Rag Lady’,” a man with a microphone said, “And up next we’re gunna have Johnny Jumbo and his band.”

The crowd applauded as George cavorted off the stage and joined them. A man with a trilby hat walked up to George snapping his fingers to the band who had just begun playing their music. “That was, spectacular, George! Absolutely spectacular!” He spontaneously exclaimed in a deep New York accent. “Say, that was one you wrote, wasn’t it?”

George smiled, “Yeah, I wrote that one a few months ago.”

Two young women in red satin dresses ran up to George. They both linked arms with him and kissed him on his cheeks making his eyes lit up. “Geoige,” the first woman said in an alluring tone. Her accent nearly controlled her language. “Geoige, that was amazing. You’re so talented.”

“Ha-ha, thank you,” George vainly responded with an egocentric smirk.

“Where will you be performing at next?” the second woman said, her voice being almost identical to the first woman’s. “We love seein’ you and the band play.”

“Not as much as I love seeing you two dolls.”

Both women snickered like teenage girls. They cuddled up to him resting their heads on his shoulders. “What can’t ya’ do, Geoige?”

Another man in a trilby hat, however, this one being more petite and less lean, raced up to George with a cigarette in hand. “George! George!” He called out more jubilant than a penniless man who had just won a million dollars. “I’ve got great news for ya’, buddy! Great news!”

“What is it, Charlie? I’m in the middle of a connection here,” George said looking at both girls.

“Come on, I’ll tell ya’ outside.”

“Alright. And I’ll catch up with you two beautiful dames later.”

Both of the women chuckled again as George and Charlie left the night club.

 

The band music was still slightly heard outside on the sidewalk next to the club. The city lights flooded the streets demolishing the night sky, and a cool breeze flowed by gathering the scent of cigarette smoke through the air. A sign that read “Valet Parking” flickered on and off mirroring the lights of the apartment building next to it. Pedestrians strolled by, the men in fine suits and fedora hats and the women with their knee length dresses that hugged their curves and red lipstick that complimented the waves of their hair. Charlie stood next to George huffing on a cigarette as George ardently waited for him to give him the news.

“Now come on, Charlie, I don’t got all night,” George complained.

“You are a lucky guy, George, a real lucky guy. I just got off the phone with some big producers. Turns out Glenn Miller wants to use your song!”

“Gee, you’re not lyin’ are ya’, Charlie?”

“If I were lyin’ would I have come all the way down here to tell ya’? And that’s not even the whole of it,” He puffed on his cigarette. “He also wants you to perform with him and his band in two days. S’gunna be a big show. Every radio station across the nation is gunna be broadcasting you and Glenn Miller’s band playing your song! George, if you thought you were a big man before now you just wait!”

George guffawed exuberant and overwhelmed. “Ha-ha, well, I don’t know what to say! How did this happen? How did he know about my music?”

“There’s a lot of word about ya’. Everybody’s talking about your music and how ya’ play. It gets around. Boy, this sure is happy to hear aint it, George?!”

“Happy to hear?! I’m thrilled!” He paced the ground speechless and avid. “I can’t believe it… me with Glenn Miller!”

George’s enthusiasm engulfed him. His eyes widened in disbelief, and his eagerness obligated him to laugh out loud and wobble; too clumsy to hold himself up. It was as if his sanity had escaped. He shook Charlie around and bounced up and down more giddy and excited than a hyper active child. Charlie chuckled at George’s exhilaration and continued with his cigarette.

“Say, why don’t we go out and celebrate?” He asked disrupting the frenzy. “What do you say we go see a cabaret show at that little club by Steinway’s?”

“Sorry, we’re gunna have to celebrate another time. I’ve got a date with a dame from Brooklyn tonight, and I’m tellin’ ya’ this sweet patootie is not something ya’ wanna pass up on.”

“Where are ya’ goin’?”

“Takin’ her to the pictures, but the fun’s gunna happen afterwards if ya’ know what I mean.”

“Well, if that’s the case, I guess I’ll catch up with ya’ later, George. You have fun tonight.”

“Ha-ha, I will.”

And Charlie walked away leaving George with two zestful things on his mind: The fact that within less than a week his dreams would finally reach the palm of his hands and a date with another naïve woman he’d be able to make a treat out of.

 

 

* * *

 

           

            George’s date was divine. As they exited the theatre late that night, George couldn’t help but gaze at her curvy physique, illuminating red hair, and sea green eyes that were held inside of an almond shape. She wore a long burgundy dress that was tight around her waist but broadened at the bottom, and her red lipstick corresponded with her dark eye shadow.

            “I had a wonderful time tonight, George,” her velvety voice crooned.

            “Me too, Bridgette,” he replied like a gentleman, but his inner intentions were vulgar.

            “Maybe we can go out again some other time.”

            “Yeah…maybe,” but privately, he only wanted her for one night, and then he’d move on to the next girl who was too callow to know the games of men.      

            They walked over to the parking meter in which George’s Brewster Ford was parked, and he opened the door for Bridgette with a polite smile. “Thank you,” she responded, and George got in on the other side. They rode off and Bridgette gaped endlessly at George like a famished carnivore gawking at a large piece of meat. “You really are a handsome man, George. You’re talented and you’re smart. Not every girl gets to go out with a guy like you.”

            Her words filled George up with arrogance, but it was common for women to praise him. His gentle complexion and smiling blue eyes were the attraction to the delicate treat, that being he, and his “gentleman” character was the secret ingredient to making a girl feel special.

            George turned and smiled at Bridgette with full cheeks and a handsome glimmer. “Thanks,” he was too vain to even recognize the arrogance in his tone.

            Bridgette disregarded his haughty mannerism, however, and never took his vanity into consideration. “So you were involved in seven clubs in college, huh?”

            “Uh, huh.”

            “And how many instruments did you say you play again?”

            “Fourteen.”

            “That’s swell, George. To think that you’ve done so many different things. You must be a pretty popular fella’.”

            George grinned.

           

 They pulled up next to her apartment complex. She waited in the car while George got out and opened the door for her. She smiled gazing into his eyes as she exited the vehicle and they walked down to her apartment room together.

            Neither had a word to say when they got to her doorstep. Bridgette just smiled at George internally wishing that he stay longer but fearing to expose that truth not wanting to destroy her lady like picture. “Well, I hope that you had a good time,” George said breaking the silence. “I guess I’ll see ya’ later.” He turned around hiding his cunning smile.

          “Wait!” Bridgette stopped him. “I-I’ve got a piano. Maybe you can show me some of those songs you wrote.”

            George’s half-smile slowly grew into a full grin as he walked into Bridgette’s apartment room knowing that he had won his “ticket” for the night, and Bridgette, simple and easily wheedled, passionately followed behind him.

            “Where is it?” George asked.

            “Oh, it’s right over here.” She led him to the piano and he sat down in from of it. “Uh…you start playing. I’ll be right back. I just have to handle something in the other room.” George said alright, and she ambled to the back room.

           

            After a consistency of rehearsing the same song, George peered up and realized that Bridgette had not yet returned. He called for her, but she didn’t reply. He stood up out of his seat to investigate, and as he walked into her room he saw the shadow of a woman stained against the wall largely visible in the moonlight.

            “George,” a voluptuous voice said.

            George gulped, feeling the tingle of temptation crawl down his spine.

            “Why don’t you turn on the lights?”

            And George turned on the light revealing the enticing woman figure that stood in front of him. His heart stopped for a mere second, and a tickle creep through his veins. Bridgette was wearing a skin tight red dress with a cigarette in her hand. She looked at George, eyes squinting and alluring, and with one wink she invited him to come into her intimate space. “Is this what you want, George,” Bridgette whispered. 

            George was speechless and consumed by the thrill. He just nodded his head and caressed her arm. He turned the light back off so that only the moon lit up the room.

And, like he commonly did when taking a woman out on a date, George received what he desired that night.

           

 

* * *

 

           

             Charlie paced the sidewalk at 8:30pm holding up a large sign:

 

Buy this car for only $100

You help me and I’ll help you

 

The streets, however, were flooded with other vehicles, and the pedestrians that wandered by ducked down and hid their faces with their hats displaying their demand to be left alone. Still, Charlie continued his determination stopping people on the street and begging multitudes to look at the car. Nevertheless, they grunted at him and continued to their destination.

            “Car for sell!” Charlie called, “Austin Harley…one of a kind…only 100 dollars!” They ignored his offer, crossing the street and going the other direction in order to avoid him and go about their day.

 George appeared from around the corner. He had a grin on his face. Maybe it was because of his sudden accomplishment of being noticed by Glenn Miller, or maybe it was because of the passionate time he shared with Bridgette the last night. But what ever it was, George had been blissful that day and he had a delighted smile as he greeted Charlie and sat down on a near by bench.

“Man, this unemployment thing is a real bum!” Charlie complained only wishing to be a content as George was. “If it weren’t for that model T I sold last week I’d be in the dumps.”

            “How’d you acquire a Model T?”

            “It was my Uncle’s. He gave it to me to sell, and boy, it sure saved me a lot.”

            George peered at the Austin Harley. “How about this one?”

            “Well, this one’s mine.”

Two young women, a blonde and a brunette, both of them having angelic faces and an hourglass shape, came out of the small shop behind them smiling and laughing, but ignoring the miniature business Charlie aimed to have. George looked at them and smirked, but was careless to make a move on them having the arrogant thought that he could get any woman he pleased. Charlie’s eyes, however, popped when he saw them, and he quickly interrupted them from leaving sprinting in front of them and putting on a poor flirtatious smile that was more offensive than appealing. The girls looked at him, scrunching their faces as if to have seen something repulsive. “How would you two beautiful gals like to buy a car?” He asked in an attempt to allure them. The women rolled their eyes and continued up the street. Charlie sighed irked from the constant rejection. All the same, however, he continued to advertise his vehicle. “Come on, all you need is 100 dollars and you’ve got yourself a fine vehicle here!”

            “Say, Charlie,” George interrupted, walking up to Charlie and putting his hand on his shoulder. Charlie paid him no mind, however; busy in his continuous effort to gather any customer. “You hear anything from those producers again?”

            “Nuh-uh, I’ve been out here all day trying to sell this car.” He turned back to the pedestrians. “Come on, only 100 dollars people! The best offer you’ve ever heard!”

            George crossed his arms and groaned peeved by Charlie’s stubbornness to sell the car and having no faith that he would. He grew tedious of the useless effort Charlie was making knowing that it was killing his time. “Charlie, why don’t you put that ole’ sign down for a while and how about you and me go do something?”

            Charlie sighed, equally as annoyed as George but for opposite reasons. “Now, come on, George. You got a job. You’re makin’ money playin’ at those clubs. Now other folks like me, we have to sell to make our living.”

            Charlie returned to his position, and George turned and scratched his head pondering a way of persuading him to give up. He bit his lip and then smiled when an idea finally came to mind. “How about one of those cabaret shows you were talking about the other day?” He walked up closer to Charlie and leaned in bending down to equal in size, “I hear they got some new showgirls down there and, man, they’re some real lookers.”

            Charlie froze for one moment then quickly dropped the sign and neglected his post. “Well, why didn’t ya’ say so, George?!” He hurried around the same car he was initially trying to sell and jumped into the driver’s seat. Chuckling at Charlie’s simple and witless character, George got in on the other side.

Author's Note

In this chapter I am trying to set everything up (characters, storyline, etc.) so I will admit that I am not that comfortable with this one, so I ask that you be very kind to leave some reviews. (Please leave constructive critism and not rude comments)

Reviews

[WPChristensen]

I enjoyed the dialog in this, from what I read it sounded very authentic.
Is this all one chapter? If so the flow of it seemed a little jumpy, the jump from outside the nightclub right to the end of the date threw me off a little bit. The transition from the end of the night to the next morning was better, although I'd like to know what business George had out on the street. Was he specifically trying to meet Charlie? Someone else?
Finally, I thought that George's womanizing seemed to be stated a little too bluntly, if that makes sense. I'd suggest instead having George's thoughts reveal so much of what he thinks about woman, make his actions show it a little more subtlety.
Otherwise I really liked it, it's an interesting concept and I wish you the best in finishing the whole thing.