Aftertaste Page #26

Season #1 Episode #1

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While ZEEK amused everyone with his juicy past, MIMI and

GIACOMO escape to the poolside. The night sky begins to appear overhead. MIMI stands out of the warmth of the Jacuzzi and swiftly towel dry’s herself and then snags a semi-sheer cardigan and rushes to the bathroom. She crosses

through the living room, snatches the remote off the coffee

table and inserts an eclectic CD that she’s burned titled

“Uplift Me.” After clicking the remote to set the

television to CD mode and turning up the volume so the

music could be heard outside she flees down the corridor to the main bathroom. After powdering her face, she reapplies lipstick and brushes her frazzled, red hair with a pick, she remembers that she wanted to call Kat. Skidding down the hallway and turning through the opening, she speeds into the kitchen. Eyeing her cellphone lingering near the sink, she leaps forward and picks it up, and with her head down swipes her thumb to unlock the screen. At the distinct moment she pivots to retreat with full speed toward the bedroom, she physically collides head on into ZEEK. As her phone goes flying put of her hand she slips and is forced to clasp onto his arms. She pushes him away and unskillfully fumbles with her cardigan and then clumsily responds.

MELODY RAE:

I...uh, I’m so sorry.

ZEEK:

Nothing to be sorry for.

MELODY RAE picks up her cellphone and nervously reaches into the bottom drawer of the refrigerator where she stores bottled waters and retrieves a couple and offers one to ZEEK.

ZEEK:

Precisely why I came inside in the first

place.

MELODY RAE uncaps the water and chugs almost half the bottle. After she turns around to witness ZEEK

doing the same thing, they simultaneously let out an audible refreshed sound, making them both giggle at their timely mimicry. MELODY RAE leans on the counter and preoccupies herself by stacking the mail into

neat piles.

MELODY RAE:

S-o-o-o, can I ask you how old you are?

I mean, you’re in great shape. My guess

would be. . .forty-three?”

ZEEK:

Funny girl, uh, not even close. I wish I

was still in my forties. More like

fifty-one.

MELODY RAE:

Get out?! Well, you look. . .um,

incredible. And you’re still young.

Fifty-one is a terrific age!

MELODY RAE continues to wipe down the counter, lifting items and wiping under them.

MELODY RAE:

So, when will you be turning fifty-two?

Do you have a birthday soon? Wait! Is

today your birthday?

ZEEK:

You’re a goof ball. . .I like it.

MELODY RAE:

And no, my birthday is not today, little

miss sassy pants. It’s February tenth.

MELODY RAE:

I have to pee.

MELODY RAE opens her birthday book in the bathroom. And the after exhaling read the title of her combination with Zeek: forceful persuasion. Then reads the first line of the paragraph: Because of their unusual natures and special

requirements, these two may recognize each other as

soul-mates. She wipes a tear away and continues to read.

The second line reads: Furthermore, they are both quite likely to have suffered more than their share of rejection and misunderstandings before meeting each other. She grabs a tissue before continuing to read. The title for his week read: The week of acceptance. Their strengths as a couple read: sharing, soulful, risk-taking. Abruptly, she slams the book closed.

Returning to the kitchen, she sees ZEEK standing and leaning back on the counter and smiling with arms folded in a confident but approachable manner, appearing as if he’d been waiting for her. The music radiating from the speakers seemed to be reverberating louder than before.

MELODY RAE:

Did you turn up the volume?

ZEEK:

Maybe.

Eric Clapton’s song “Wonderful Tonight” concludes and Rickie Lee Jones’ “Danny’s All-Star Joint” song comes on setting the idyllic mood.

ZEEK:

Whoa.

MELODY RAE:

What?

ZEEK:

This song. . .Rickie Lee Jones...brings

me back.

MELODY RAE:

Me too.

MELODY RAE tilts her head from side to side with the rhythm, quiet and melodically reciting the lyrics. Zeek begins to sing along with her. Side by side they sing in unison as their voices vibrate together. Then Taylor Swift’s song “22” comes on next.

MELODY RAE:

So, what memory does the Rickie Lee Jones

song stir up for you?

ZEEK:

Oh, well, actually, it’s a pretty cool

story. The first time I heard that song,

I was in downtown Portland having a drink

at Freddie’s, this little jazz club next

door to my mother’s wine bistro. . .um. . .

I want to say circa 1984. It was the Fourth

(CONTINUED)

of July and my brother and I were sitting

near an open window which faced the street,

right? And these two young teenagers are

walking by and they stop and then start,

like ballroom style dancing, right there

on the sidewalk in front of the bar.

Totally, serious! I will never forget it.

The young kids were singing along to this

song “Danny’s All-Star Joint” and performing

what looked to be a well-rehearsed routine.

The bartender even turned up the volume to

the song while everyone in the pub gathered

around the front windows hollering and

applauding. It was really somethin’. I

remember the young girl had gorgeous, thick,

long, curly red hair, kinda like yours; it

caught my eye. She seemed like a real

firecracker layered from head to toe in

patriotic attire. She even wore star

speckled tights.

In shock, MELODY RAE slides off the counter and retreats into the living room.

ZEEK:

Where are you going?

MELODY RAE swiftly obtains a photo album from the cedar chest in the living room, near where my dogs were snoozing, and then sits on the couch and begins flipping through the pages. Zeek follows her into the room, looking at her with

puzzlement. Unable to speak or face him, she continues to flip through the pages while motioning with her left hand for him to sit near her. He does.

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