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Panicked, the first violinist blinked his left eye. He could imagine no worse time to get dust in his eye than before his solo in the Sibelius Violin Concerto. Only seconds remained before the conductor would raise her baton and the rustling of sheet music would cease. His eyes filled with tears, blinding him. Thank goodness this was only the dress rehearsal.
The third flautist glanced up and did a double take. That handsome new first violinist was winking at her, his dark eyes luminous. He had never even looked at her before. Her hands trembled as she brought the flute to her lips.
The orchestra began the throbbing accompaniment. The first violinist, looking through his blurry right eye, bowed his opening G.
The third flautist shivered at the sweetness of the note as it arched above the orchestra. The first violinist’s sweeping strokes were sure and confident. When he arrived at the long A in measure 12 and lifted his eyes from the music, she returned his wink. His eyebrows shot up. She winked again.
Flustered, he almost missed his next note. The charming but shy third flautist had winked at him! Twice! Aware of her gaze on him, he leaned toward the winds section and played just for her, this passage sweet, this one poignant, this one inviting.
Her heart pounded against her ribs as the music caressed her. The first violinist was baring his soul to her as if the orchestra and the audience of retirees and students who couldn’t afford seats at the evening performance did not exist.
Between movements, he loosened his tie while pretending to straighten it. She gave him a slow, knowing smile that made his face burn. Watching her, he stroked the sinuous curves of his violin. A glistening bead of moisture appeared between the curves of her breasts and slithered down her skin into the depths of her black velvet gown.
The next two movements flew by in a blur. All she remembered afterward were his broad shoulders straining against his tuxedo as his strokes coaxed moans from the strings. He watched her rounded lips blowing warm breath across the silver shaft.
When the rehearsal ended, he rushed to her side. “That was wonderful!”
“And that was only the rehearsal.”
“I can’t wait for the real performance.” They smiled and left together.
Forty years later, the first violinist and the third flautist still argued about who had winked first.
Formerly an award-winning medical and science writer, Shauna Roberts is a 2009 graduate of the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop. She has published several fantasy and science fiction stories in anthologies and in periodicals such as Jim Baen’s Universe and Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine. She is also the author of a historical novel, Like Mayflies in a Stream (Hadley Rille Books, 2009). Set in ancient Mesopotamia in the world’s first city, Like Mayflies in a Stream is the story of a priestess of Inanna who risks her life and reputation to free the city from Gilgamesh’s tyranny.
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19 Responses to “REHEARSAL • by Shauna Roberts”
Comments
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April 25th, 2011 at 12:44 am
Absolutely hilarious.
Mills and Boon – but not as we know it!
April 25th, 2011 at 2:47 am
Wonderful! Thanks Shauna for a great read!
April 25th, 2011 at 4:26 am
Loved this, Shauna. Made my day.
April 25th, 2011 at 4:51 am
What a fun read for a Monday morning — I love the musical flirting and sultry buildup!
I also love how it was all a ‘rehearal’ for whatever became of their relationship, and that they’re still together 40 years later, at least in some way, even if only as part of the same orchestra.
Wonderful, Shauna!
April 25th, 2011 at 4:57 am
Pretty story.
Four stars.
April 25th, 2011 at 6:23 am
Great story, hit the right notes with me, still smiling.
April 25th, 2011 at 7:13 am
Nice, easy reading. I bet a lot of work went into making this story flow so effortlessly. Well done.
April 25th, 2011 at 7:42 am
Very nice. Loved it.
April 25th, 2011 at 7:45 am
Lol, I wasn’t expecting this ending at all! Thank you!
April 25th, 2011 at 7:49 am
Love it, love it. Music can be incredibly passionate, thanks for getting that down!
April 25th, 2011 at 8:06 am
Nicely done!
April 25th, 2011 at 8:28 am
great with a great close.
April 25th, 2011 at 9:28 am
What a refreshing story. Sweet and surprising. It’s a great antidote to all the negativity that seems to be swirling around in the world today, and for me, on a rainy Monday morning, it was uplifting. Well done!
April 25th, 2011 at 1:06 pm
Fun, sexy and delightful.
April 25th, 2011 at 1:20 pm
I’d like to echo Rose, “Fun, Sexy, and delightful”. I gave a favourable rating. I just have one nit pick; but that’s me, a nit picker.
Opening paragraph, line 2- “he could imagine no worse time to get dust in his eye…”, three lines later “thank goodness this was only the dress rehearsal.”
… so really, he could, and did, imagine a much worse time, no?
April 25th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
As a shy violinist I just had to give it five biased stars. (Wink, wink.)
April 25th, 2011 at 3:51 pm
Shauna is one of my favorite authors! Another lovely story!
May 2nd, 2011 at 8:47 am
Lovely story, very sexy! And the ending gave me big smile
May 3rd, 2011 at 4:49 am
Wow Shauna, brilliant piece. Fun, romantic and playful. Five stars from me!