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Chapter 2
Eventually I pulled away from her embrace, worried that if we were to continue I would inevitably hurt her. I was much too emotional after the brief performance – I needed to take the passion that threatened to consume us both down a notch. Bella took advantage of the break to inhale deeply - she had quit breathing again. I still held her close to me, tucking her head under my chin.
“So you’ve been introduced to Schumann, and his music is to your liking,” I teased. She slipped her arms around me, pulling herself tightly against my chest.
“Very much so. Can you play another?”
“How about something a little less volatile,” I suggested. Something that would allow me to control myself.
“Sure. But I want to hear another piece that you truly love to play.”
I already knew the perfect remedy for the fires of Aufschwung.
“Are you familiar with Chopin’s Etude Tristesse? Opus ten, number three.”
“Um, maybe? Sometimes I get the songs with the same titles but different numbers confused,” she admitted. I chuckled at her honest answer, reluctantly pulling myself away so I could study her glorious face.
“I bet you’ll recognize this one. It’s quite popular and very soothing.”
I took a hold of her shoulders and moved her back so that she was sitting abreast of me, allowing the room I needed to properly perform. I inhaled her mouthwatering scent again before beginning to play.
“I promise this one will warm your heart in a different way.”
And with that I began the delicate and haunting composition. This particular piece had such purity to its consonance that it almost made me feel like my cold heart was aching; not from sadness but rather from the perfection of each note that sang out. Again, I rocked slowly with the ebb and flow of the music, letting the song sweep me up as it built upon each melodic line in both the bass and treble lines. Bella moved with me, as if her body were an extension of my own.
I allowed myself a quick peek at her face as I played, for this song did not require the speed or attention that Aufschwung demanded. Bella’s eyes were closed, her mouth slightly open. She was essentially shutting down one sense to give more attention to another. Again, I felt an overwhelming urge to pull her into my arms and never let go.
As the song slowly played itself out, Bella did not sit up. Instead, she remained pressed against me, leaning slightly forward as I did. This time as my hands left the keys, I reached around to pick her up and place her in my lap so I could indulge the urge to hold her.
She slowly opened her eyes, gazing up at me with a peaceful look on her face. “Bittersweet,” she breathed. I waited for her to explain. “Such beautiful melodies, yet also mournful, like wanting to cry even when you know you shouldn’t.” I bent down and brushed my lips to her forehead. Watching Bella’s fresh reactions to the euphoria of classical music was intoxicating. “The only thing I can imagine being better then sitting next to you as you play would be to perform the songs myself. I wish I would have taken lessons when I was younger.”
“It’s never too late to start,” I whispered, this time allowing myself to kiss her cheek. “I can teach you.”
“Yes, but it’d take me eons to learn to play as well as you.”
A thought flickered through my mind. “Not necessarily. I have an idea.”
I gently spun her around in my lap so that she was facing the piano. “Sit up straight. Place your hands on the keys,” I instructed. I leaned into her, reaching my own hands around so that they rested above hers. “Now for this to work, you can’t be thinking too hard about what you’re doing. It’s probably best if you close your eyes again and let my hands guide yours. Don’t fight it.”
I felt her nod once, then she sighed contently as I felt her relax and lean back against me. I had to be very careful not to exude too much force as I guided her hands over the keys. Remember, she’s breakable. I thought about moving her hands through another Chopin Etude, one that was chord-heavy and slow. But that piece was much too somber for this first lesson. Instead, I chose Debussy’s First Arabesque that I was extremely fond of. It was a simple enough piece, and I should easily be able to lead her hands through the arpeggios and runs flawlessly.
“Are you ready?” I breathed in her ear. She inhaled sharply, and I could detect the hint of a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Again, the urge to kiss her was almost too powerful to fight. But I abstained. “Don’t forget to breathe with the music. It’ll help you internalize the force that drives it.”
I lifted her left hand, placing it on the correct keys. Then I repeated the steps with her right. I pushed down on the first key through her finger, simultaneously depressing the damper pedal. We would have to play more slowly then the piece required, but I was confident the tempo wouldn’t diminish the beauty of the song. I continued to play each key through her, moving her hands gently up and down each run of notes.
Her arms were already relaxed, but they quickly went limp as the first sounds of the hammers striking the strings reached her ears. I could feel her slipping away from the constraints of her body, flowing effortlessly with the melody. This made it even easier for me to guide her hands to exactly the right keys. Also, I was able to increase the tempo slightly.
We played together, but as one. The notes were like soft rain falling on a plush forest, striking wide leaves before sliding down to the soft ground beneath. Her body swayed to each sweeping crescendo with mine. I pressed my cheek to hers, listening not only to the notes, but to her gentle breathing as well. I wondered what it felt like to her in that moment, knowing that it was her fingers that were coaxing each note from the Kawai. Often I was overwhelmed when I thought about how it was me alone that enticed the symphonic euphony out of such a contraption as a piano.
As the song came to its end, I guided her hands through the last ascending run to the final chords. Bella sighed softly. I held the last note with both of our hands until the sound slowly dissipated out of the room. I reluctantly released the damper and our hold on the keys.
Bella kept her eyes closed as I gently removed her hands off the piano and intertwined my fingers through hers. I pulled them back and rested them on her lap, squeezing her into me. Every time I thought my time with her couldn’t possibly get any better, I was amazed to find a whole new level of love and contentment with some new, shared experience. It was like I was seeing the world all over again through her; discovering the mystical power of making music for the very first time.
I didn’t want to ruin the moment with words as we sat quietly together, but I had to know what she was thinking.
“You played very well for your first time. How did you like it?”
She slowly rocked back, simultaneously turning her head towards me and brushing her lips along my jaw. “It was pure ecstasy,” she breathed huskily. I couldn’t agree more. “But credit must go to my prodigal instructor. How many times have you played Carnegie Hall?”
I chuckled lightly. “Never. Public performance just isn't my thing.”
“Really? But you play for me and Esme.”
“That’s not the same. For me, performance is like letting someone else into your soul. It’s a very private and intimate experience. I couldn’t imagine doing that in front of hundreds of strangers.”
“I think you’re secretly afraid that you’d develop a ridiculously large fan club, and you’d be forced to deal with adoring humans seeking you out every minute of the day,” she jested. Her lips were now working down my neck as she spoke, and my skin tingled delightfully. Conversing wasn’t what I wanted to be doing at that moment, but I couldn’t let her get the last word in.
“I only require attention from one human. And that human is making it almost impossible to think right now.” I ran my fingers through her hair. Everything about her was so soft and delicate. I would lock her away from the rest of the world, only to be enjoyed by me if she permitted it. “So we’ve determined that you have discerningly good taste in compositions for the piano. Would you like to expand your horizons?”
It was her turn to chuckle. I felt every vibration of that action against my neck. “Only if you promise me another piano lesson. I want to learn to play Aufschwung.” Her pronunciation of the German word was stunningly erotic.
“Deal. Let us retire upstairs.” I scooped her up off the piano bench, cradling her in a way so that her lips never left my neck. I ran upstairs as quickly as I could, then placed her delicately on my bed.
Eventually I pulled away from her embrace, worried that if we were to continue I would inevitably hurt her. I was much too emotional after the brief performance – I needed to take the passion that threatened to consume us both down a notch. Bella took advantage of the break to inhale deeply - she had quit breathing again. I still held her close to me, tucking her head under my chin.
“So you’ve been introduced to Schumann, and his music is to your liking,” I teased. She slipped her arms around me, pulling herself tightly against my chest.
“Very much so. Can you play another?”
“How about something a little less volatile,” I suggested. Something that would allow me to control myself.
“Sure. But I want to hear another piece that you truly love to play.”
I already knew the perfect remedy for the fires of Aufschwung.
“Are you familiar with Chopin’s Etude Tristesse? Opus ten, number three.”
“Um, maybe? Sometimes I get the songs with the same titles but different numbers confused,” she admitted. I chuckled at her honest answer, reluctantly pulling myself away so I could study her glorious face.
“I bet you’ll recognize this one. It’s quite popular and very soothing.”
I took a hold of her shoulders and moved her back so that she was sitting abreast of me, allowing the room I needed to properly perform. I inhaled her mouthwatering scent again before beginning to play.
“I promise this one will warm your heart in a different way.”
And with that I began the delicate and haunting composition. This particular piece had such purity to its consonance that it almost made me feel like my cold heart was aching; not from sadness but rather from the perfection of each note that sang out. Again, I rocked slowly with the ebb and flow of the music, letting the song sweep me up as it built upon each melodic line in both the bass and treble lines. Bella moved with me, as if her body were an extension of my own.
I allowed myself a quick peek at her face as I played, for this song did not require the speed or attention that Aufschwung demanded. Bella’s eyes were closed, her mouth slightly open. She was essentially shutting down one sense to give more attention to another. Again, I felt an overwhelming urge to pull her into my arms and never let go.
As the song slowly played itself out, Bella did not sit up. Instead, she remained pressed against me, leaning slightly forward as I did. This time as my hands left the keys, I reached around to pick her up and place her in my lap so I could indulge the urge to hold her.
She slowly opened her eyes, gazing up at me with a peaceful look on her face. “Bittersweet,” she breathed. I waited for her to explain. “Such beautiful melodies, yet also mournful, like wanting to cry even when you know you shouldn’t.” I bent down and brushed my lips to her forehead. Watching Bella’s fresh reactions to the euphoria of classical music was intoxicating. “The only thing I can imagine being better then sitting next to you as you play would be to perform the songs myself. I wish I would have taken lessons when I was younger.”
“It’s never too late to start,” I whispered, this time allowing myself to kiss her cheek. “I can teach you.”
“Yes, but it’d take me eons to learn to play as well as you.”
A thought flickered through my mind. “Not necessarily. I have an idea.”
I gently spun her around in my lap so that she was facing the piano. “Sit up straight. Place your hands on the keys,” I instructed. I leaned into her, reaching my own hands around so that they rested above hers. “Now for this to work, you can’t be thinking too hard about what you’re doing. It’s probably best if you close your eyes again and let my hands guide yours. Don’t fight it.”
I felt her nod once, then she sighed contently as I felt her relax and lean back against me. I had to be very careful not to exude too much force as I guided her hands over the keys. Remember, she’s breakable. I thought about moving her hands through another Chopin Etude, one that was chord-heavy and slow. But that piece was much too somber for this first lesson. Instead, I chose Debussy’s First Arabesque that I was extremely fond of. It was a simple enough piece, and I should easily be able to lead her hands through the arpeggios and runs flawlessly.
“Are you ready?” I breathed in her ear. She inhaled sharply, and I could detect the hint of a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Again, the urge to kiss her was almost too powerful to fight. But I abstained. “Don’t forget to breathe with the music. It’ll help you internalize the force that drives it.”
I lifted her left hand, placing it on the correct keys. Then I repeated the steps with her right. I pushed down on the first key through her finger, simultaneously depressing the damper pedal. We would have to play more slowly then the piece required, but I was confident the tempo wouldn’t diminish the beauty of the song. I continued to play each key through her, moving her hands gently up and down each run of notes.
Her arms were already relaxed, but they quickly went limp as the first sounds of the hammers striking the strings reached her ears. I could feel her slipping away from the constraints of her body, flowing effortlessly with the melody. This made it even easier for me to guide her hands to exactly the right keys. Also, I was able to increase the tempo slightly.
We played together, but as one. The notes were like soft rain falling on a plush forest, striking wide leaves before sliding down to the soft ground beneath. Her body swayed to each sweeping crescendo with mine. I pressed my cheek to hers, listening not only to the notes, but to her gentle breathing as well. I wondered what it felt like to her in that moment, knowing that it was her fingers that were coaxing each note from the Kawai. Often I was overwhelmed when I thought about how it was me alone that enticed the symphonic euphony out of such a contraption as a piano.
As the song came to its end, I guided her hands through the last ascending run to the final chords. Bella sighed softly. I held the last note with both of our hands until the sound slowly dissipated out of the room. I reluctantly released the damper and our hold on the keys.
Bella kept her eyes closed as I gently removed her hands off the piano and intertwined my fingers through hers. I pulled them back and rested them on her lap, squeezing her into me. Every time I thought my time with her couldn’t possibly get any better, I was amazed to find a whole new level of love and contentment with some new, shared experience. It was like I was seeing the world all over again through her; discovering the mystical power of making music for the very first time.
I didn’t want to ruin the moment with words as we sat quietly together, but I had to know what she was thinking.
“You played very well for your first time. How did you like it?”
She slowly rocked back, simultaneously turning her head towards me and brushing her lips along my jaw. “It was pure ecstasy,” she breathed huskily. I couldn’t agree more. “But credit must go to my prodigal instructor. How many times have you played Carnegie Hall?”
I chuckled lightly. “Never. Public performance just isn't my thing.”
“Really? But you play for me and Esme.”
“That’s not the same. For me, performance is like letting someone else into your soul. It’s a very private and intimate experience. I couldn’t imagine doing that in front of hundreds of strangers.”
“I think you’re secretly afraid that you’d develop a ridiculously large fan club, and you’d be forced to deal with adoring humans seeking you out every minute of the day,” she jested. Her lips were now working down my neck as she spoke, and my skin tingled delightfully. Conversing wasn’t what I wanted to be doing at that moment, but I couldn’t let her get the last word in.
“I only require attention from one human. And that human is making it almost impossible to think right now.” I ran my fingers through her hair. Everything about her was so soft and delicate. I would lock her away from the rest of the world, only to be enjoyed by me if she permitted it. “So we’ve determined that you have discerningly good taste in compositions for the piano. Would you like to expand your horizons?”
It was her turn to chuckle. I felt every vibration of that action against my neck. “Only if you promise me another piano lesson. I want to learn to play Aufschwung.” Her pronunciation of the German word was stunningly erotic.
“Deal. Let us retire upstairs.” I scooped her up off the piano bench, cradling her in a way so that her lips never left my neck. I ran upstairs as quickly as I could, then placed her delicately on my bed.
