Baby, I done got wise!
Caroline blinked but kept facing Cox, "Hear that? The man who won all your money is letting you spend some it on yerself even. How generous of him"
Chubby rubbed the back of his neck "Yeah, feels kinda like rubbin' in it, to be honest!" he sighed.
"Now....about that name - I just love the name of Ivanhoe! You should make more use a that one. You know Ivanhoe lived around the time of Joan of Arc, the famous saint. Only he was English and Joan she was French."
"Sure, I read the book: er, about Ivanhoe, not Joan of Arc. She the girl that dressed up like a knight and got burnt to a crisp fer her trouble? Well, I sure sympathise with that little lady, I know what it's like to get burned!" he jested, ruefully.
"Anyhow nice ta meet ya.............Ivanhoe," she beamed
"Nice to meet you too, Joan, er, I mean..."
"I'm Caroline Mundee."
"Well, nice to meet you, Miss Mundee" he corrected himself.
You can call me Caroline or even Cara if ya want." He nodded, wondering what this was all about, and with more than a little suspicion in his mind: after all, the last time he'd spoken to a strange woman, he'd ended up drunk, playing maudlin old temperance song "Father's a Drunkard and Mother is Dead" on a piano in a whorehouse and canoodling with that redhaired painted lady at the bar: definitely not his finest hour: his mother and father would be spinning in their graves if they'd seen (and heard) such a deplorable spectacle.
"Let's take a seat here," she pointed to an empty table and they sat. Or rather he sat, she remained standing, "Now, stay put. What do ya want ta drink? I'll go get it for ya and since you were eager to buy me one, I'll help myself to one also. Then we can sip our drinks and have us a little talk."
"I'll just have a beer" Chubby said meekly: he wasn't going to risk getting blotto again on anything stronger.
When the attractive blonde came back with the drinks, he was more nervous than ever and, wanting to find out what this was all about, he quickly asked: "So... er, what did you want to talk to me about, Miss? Not Joan of Arc, I reckon."
Caroline returned with a foaming mug of beer for the man and a shot glass of her special whiskey for herself. It was colored water but the customers didn't know that. It had just cost Chubby the price of a real shot of whiskey though, it was how the saloon girl stayed sober all night while customers plied her with drinks. She set the glass down in front of him and plopped into the seat on his one side rather than across from him.
"Enjoy!" she beamed.
The man had to be curious what this was all about though, "So... er, what did you want to talk to me about, Miss? Not Joan of Arc, I reckon."
"Oh I could talk about poor Joan all day ya know. She's like my favorite historical figure....next to Lincoln of course. That'd be President Lincoln," she added in case he was not following.
"Not nice endings fer either of them, now that I think about it," she shrugged bare shoulders and got down to business then.
"A little bird told me that you like to play the piano. And that you are pretty damn good at it too, hell anybody can pound on the keys. So I am wondering if just maybe you'd have an interest in playing piano for me in the evenin's? While I'm up there singin' and dancin' my fool head off."
She gave him those big puppy dog eyes of hers too as extra convincing as she now appeared to hang on his every word.
Baby, I done got wise!
The man had to be curious what this was all about though, "So... er, what did you want to talk to me about, Miss? Not Joan of Arc, I reckon." Chubby asked as he sniffed at the beer suspiciously before taking a tiny sip; half wondering if it was drugged or poisoned.
"Oh I could talk about poor Joan all day ya know. She's like my favorite historical figure....next to Lincoln of course. That'd be President Lincoln," she added in case he was not following.
"Always kinda thought Breckinridge would do a better job m'self" Chubby said quietly.
"Not nice endings fer either of them, now that I think about it," she shrugged bare shoulders and got down to business then.
"Best not think about it, Miss. Don't do to dwell on the past too much, in my experience." he answered, taking another ginger sip of the beer. "So...er...?" What the dickens did she want to talk to him about?!
"A little bird told me that you like to play the piano. And that you are pretty damn good at it too, hell anybody can pound on the keys. So I am wondering if just maybe you'd have an interest in playing piano for me in the evenin's? While I'm up there singin' and dancin' my fool head off."
"Little b...?" Chubby looked nervously over at Hettie, wondering how much she'd said! "Er, well, yes that's true. I can play the pia... I mean not like that poor little blind girl what got attacked so awful, I mean, she's got real talent." Something occurred to the plump man "Say, I mean, I don't wanna be goin' and stealin' that poor girl's job away or nuthin'! Er, but sure, I can sit in until she's all better, o' course." He took a big swig of the beer now - now he knew what this was all about.
"How 'bout I play some stuff for you now, Miss Mundee? See if you like it all right?" But before that, he just double checked "Say, this little bird didn't mention nuthin' else did she?" he asked nervously. There were certain things a feller didn't want bandying around town.
Breckinridge? Caroline had no idea of who that was but in truth she was a bit young when President Lincoln was in charge. Nevermind. They moved on to her actual reason to talk with the jovial big man - his piano talent or so it had been told her.
"Little b...?" Chubby looked nervously over at Hettie, wondering how much she'd said! "Er, well, yes that's true. I can play the pia... I mean not like that poor little blind girl what got attacked so awful, I mean, she's got real talent."
"Yeah she does but right now she can't play and I need a piano player who can play," Caroline pointed out the reality of the situation.
"Say, I mean, I don't wanna be goin' and stealin' that poor girl's job away or nuthin'! Er, but sure, I can sit in until she's all better, o' course." He took a big swig of the beer now.
"You ain't stealin' nothin'. Frances would want me to get a replacement til the day comes she can be back in here," Caroline countered.
"How 'bout I play some stuff for you now, Miss Mundee? See if you like it all right?" But before that, he just double checked "Say, this little bird didn't mention nuthin' else did she?" he asked nervously.
"What? Truth of the matter is me n' her ain't normally ever on speakin' terms so no. She just told me you knew how to play," Caroline wanted to get right back on topic, "Sure, there is some sheet music up there but if you know some songs by heart fine too. Not lookin' for Beethoven or anything, my act is lively with old favorites and current stuff too. Go then, Ivanhoe," she grinned.
Baby, I done got wise!
"What? Truth of the matter is me n' her ain't normally ever on speakin' terms so no. She just told me you knew how to play."
The man looked palpably relieved and a smile appeared.
"Sure, there is some sheet music up there but if you know some songs by heart fine too. Not lookin' for Beethoven or anything, my act is lively with old favorites and current stuff too. Go then, Ivanhoe," she grinned.
"Oh well sure, let's try something..." he said and got up, taking his beer with him. He picked up the pile of sheet music on top of the 'Old Joanna' and showed her the top one. "Yellow Rose of Texas?" he asked "Hey, I'm from Texas, well born there, Port Arthur. Maybe it's kismet?" he wondered.
He sat down and played a few bars of introduction, but then stopped and let her choose.
"Oh well sure, let's try something..." Chubby said and got up, taking his beer with him. He picked up the pile of sheet music on top of the 'Old Joanna' and showed her the top one. "Yellow Rose of Texas?" he asked "Hey, I'm from Texas, well born there, Port Arthur. Maybe it's kismet?" he wondered.
"If you say so," Caroline had no idea what kismet was. Must be some Texas slang?
"But yeah, that's a good song. We can do that one in the act, Frances played it for me.
He only played a few bars and stopped.
"Sounded good to me," she nodded then suggested a few other songs she performed regularly. It's not like she presented new songs every performance, besides a lot of the men wanted the old stand bys and the good memories they might produce.
Baby, I done got wise!
"But yeah, that's a good song. We can do that one in the act, Frances played it for me.
"Hmm, wonder what key." Chubby frowned. It was important he modulate his accompaniment to suit Caroline's natural range. Too high and it would strain her voice: too low and she would be inaudible in the noisy saloon and over the plinky piano. He was impressed by how in-tune the piano was, especially for a rough saloon in an out of the way dead-and-alive hole like Kalispell. What he didn't know was that a spanner-toting Frances, who had perfect pitch, had actually tuned the instrument while Arabella, on a rare re-visit to the Stardust, had patiently sat and monotonously played the same key on the keyboard over and over. It had taken an hour to do all 88 keys, and nearly driven the other denizens of the bar insane.
He played a few bars and stopped.
"Sounded good to me," she nodded then suggested a few other songs she performed regularly.
He played a couple of numbers and she sang along with them, and he got a pretty good idea of her ideal pitch.
He laughed a little as he noodled around on the piano.
"I'm a little rusty. I've been working as a carpenter for about a year. Before that I used to cut hair down in Nebraska. I'm going to open up that barber shop down the road here - " he played a little coda on the black and white keys and sang along "Shave and a hair cut, 2 bits!" He chuckled. He had a nice, gurgly sort of chuckle. "Maybe that could be a thing, The Singing barber - but then you'd have to push this old piano down the street and accompany me, Miss Mundee."
The pair spent a little time trying out a few tunes, Caroline joined in then with her part in all this, singing. It sounded good to her. He would do, he would certainly do. Plus it helped that she had already taken a liking to the man. Caroline much preferred to work with folk she liked, even though she could co-exist with those she did not. Her frosty but professional relationship with her boss, Fortner and his toady, proved that.
He told her then a little bit himself, ""I'm a little rusty. I've been working as a carpenter for about a year. Before that I used to cut hair down in Nebraska. I'm going to open up that barber shop down the road here - "
"Oh yeah, that's right, we got us a dead barber don't we?" she smiled, she didn't know the man but had not heard anything good about him. That and the daughter who shot him was gone now too. That part wasn't funny even for a Caroline's dark sarcastic sort of humor.
He played a little coda on the black and white keys and sang along "Shave and a hair cut, 2 bits!" He chuckled. He had a nice, gurgly sort of chuckle. "Maybe that could be a thing, The Singing barber - but then you'd have to push this old piano down the street and accompany me, Miss Mundee."
"Alright now, Ivanhoe, couple of things you need ta know right off. First of all, I never do manual labor. Secondly, if we're gonna be workin' together, you call me Caroline not Miss Mundee," she started out sounding stern but was grinning by the end of it.
"Yer hired as far as I'm concerned. Lemme handle the boss, Mr. Fortner. He'll agree. Oh and you get paid for this of course. Same money the other piano players got, a fair wage for a job done. I ain't one to take advantage of folks," she added.
Baby, I done got wise!
"Oh yeah, that's right, we got us a dead barber don't we?" she smiled, she didn't know the man but had not heard anything good about him.
"That's right, that whole thing sounded like a bad deal all round." he nodded, plinking away quite happily.
Miss Mundee didn't cotton too much to the idea of pushing the piano down the street to the barbers's - or on being adressed as Miss Mundee for that matter!
"Alright now, Ivanhoe, couple of things you need ta know right off. First of all, I never do manual labor. Secondly, if we're gonna be workin' together, you call me Caroline not Miss Mundee," she started out sounding stern but was grinning by the end of it.
"All righty, Caroline it is and manual labor it isn't." he nodded good naturedly.
"Yer hired as far as I'm concerned. Lemme handle the boss, Mr. Fortner. He'll agree. Oh and you get paid for this of course. Same money the other piano players got, a fair wage for a job done. I ain't one to take advantage of folks," she added.
"OK, sure! I ain't hard to get along with, Caroline. Whatever you think best. but er, say..." he glanced up at her looking serious "... I'm gonna go see Miss Grimes, let her know I'm just keepin' her seat warm for her... if that ain't an impolite way of pitchin' it!" he laughed, a little red cheeked when he realised what he'd said. "Soon as that little girl's up and about, she can have it back: I don't want to be known as a feller that, you know, took advantage of a blind girl's misfortune."
He wasn't going to argue with her on her demands, not that they were difficult ones. She would not do manual labor and he would address her as Caroline.
"Good!" she grinned.
Caroline now assured him he was hired and she would see to it that Mr. Fortner not only agreed to that but would pay him a fair wage. Fortner might be a lot of things but he was not stupid, he should realize her act was better with proper musical accompaniment.
"OK, sure! I ain't hard to get along with, Caroline. Whatever you think best. but er, say..." he glanced up at her looking serious "... I'm gonna go see Miss Grimes, let her know I'm just keepin' her seat warm for her... if that ain't an impolite way of pitchin' it!" he laughed, a little red cheeked when he realised what he'd said. "Soon as that little girl's up and about, she can have it back: I don't want to be known as a feller that, you know, took advantage of a blind girl's misfortune."
"Fair enough, you don't need to do that though. I'm sure she'll understand the predicament I'm in. And you ain't stealing her job, she can have it back when she's able to do it regular. I don't believe you are the sort of man to take advantage of a blind girl's misfortune anyhow."
That was it then, looked like they had themselves a deal.
"When can ya start?" was her one question of him.