Monday, July 30, 2007

Piano Time at the Y


“Hey! Is that Carol?” (PP’s real name outta the pool.) Damn, PP thought, someone is recognizing her on Broadway St. in front of the Y? How the hell could that be? Well, Oakland, for all it’s thousands of residents, actually was a small town. In an odd way. Though the times it had happened here at the Y, she was actually in the pool or the locker room.

Thank God she’d brushed her hair and teeth before heading to the Pool today. Sometimes she didn’t bother, esp. on a Sunday afternoon. It wasn’t like she was gonna run into anyone she knew.

Or so she thought.

Shielding her eyes from the bright sun with her hands, PP peered round the little tree shading her prime parking spot she’d scored as a smiling, handsome, dark young man came beaming toward her with a pretty blonde woman in tow.

Oh! It was DD, her mostly absent piano student. Thank goodness she recognized him, which really impressed her since she’s only met with him about 6 times in the last 6 months.

“Is that D?” PP called back, as she double-checked that the tow away signs didn’t apply to Sundays.
“Yeah. Hey what do you know? This is my wife, M. M this is my Piano Teacher. Wow!”
PP shook M’s hand, as she shifted her pool bag to the other arm. Her neck was killing her lately—-it was better today, but still the heft of the pool bag was starting to hurt.
“Nice to meet you, M. You guys belong to the Y?”
”Yeah, we do,” DD beamed. “Wow. It’s so cool to see you. We’ve been trying to get a hold of each other on the phone for days and now, well, here you are,” DD addressed his wife, who smiled in a forced sorta let’s get going way. Which was fine by PP. She didn’t really need to stand around chit chatting with her neck hurting. The hot tub was her main destination today.

“Well, who needs the phone when you have the Y!” PP joked, eliciting an amused guffaw from DD and a confused sigh from the wife.
“Yeah!” DD agreed, “Well, I guess we can just get started again in the fall on Tuesdays?”
”That’d be great,” PP nodded, trying to be professional even though she was on her way to work out. “Will Tuesdays work better for you?”
“Yeah, I think so,” he nodded, eyes shining.
“Good, cuz it’s hard to make much progress with only once a month.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. I just have to travel so much. But I’m still really liking Fur Elise. So I’ll just keep practicing on that and the other book….”
The wife did nothing to stifle a yawn.
“Great.” PP smiled as she headed for the stairs. “I’ll give you a call in Sept. You guys swim?”
“No,” DD shook his head. “I mean, sometimes I do in the mornings after my workout, but nah, we do weights and stuff.”
The wife headed up the stairs not entering the conversation whatsoever. Which was fine by PP. Though it was interesting to meet his wife. He was so cute and charming. Wonder what he saw in her? Oh she was cute, in a young blondey way, but personality- wise? Well, PP didn’t give her any Gold Stars.

“So see ya in Sept,” DD called out as he leapt up the stairs to catch up with M.
“Yeah, see you then. Enjoy Beethoven in the meantime!”
Turning and giving her a most charming grin, DD waved at her, “Oh yeah! You know I will!””
And with a final flounce of her ponytail, M opened the door as DD followed her into the dark cavern of the Y to do some weights and thankfully, stay out of the pool! The fewer non-swimmers, the better. PP just hoped she wouldn't see M in the hot tub, but if she did?

Hell, PP grinned as she helped herself to a couple of towels from the check-in desk, she'd just quiz M about how to do weights. Bring her out of her shell. Get some Muscle Mass tips. Oh, and try to find out just what the hell DD saw in her!

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