The Empty Copper Sea Read Online Free PDF Page B

a basketball court standing on end, facing west. She looked no bigger than a half a minute sitting at her little pink sequined piano at the foot of that giant window. One spot shone down on her from the ceiling fifty feet overhead. She had a platinum natural, a pink sleeveless blouse which matched the piano, and silver slacks which matched the sequins. I sat at the bar, turning to watch her and listen to her. There were a few couples whispering together and groping each other in the shadowed privacy of banquettes. There were some noisy salesmen at the bar, at the far end.
    Billy Jean had a deep expensive-looking tan, a round and pretty face, a button mouth, an amplified piano, and a baritone voice.
    She played a medley of old standards. She did a lot of flowery, tinkly improvisations, moving far away from the melody and then sneaking up on it again. I like a firmer structure, a more emphatic rhythm. Then the improvisation is supported, as with Joe Pass on that incredible guitar of his. But she did well enough. And looked good while doing it. And seemed to sigh at one point, looking around, seeming to grimace.
    I got up and walked over to her. It was a long walk. She watched me arriving, her smile polite.
    She kept the music going with a little bit of right hand and hardly any left at all.
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    "Maybe 'Lush Life'?" I asked.
    "My God, a thousand years ago I used to do that. I'll have to fool around with it and work into it. Sure. And?"
    "And a drink with me on your break?"
    "If you can hum it, I can fake it."
    I went back to the bar. She found her way into "Lush Life" and, with but one stumble, got the words out of the music box of memory, did it very straight, and then moved into it with enough class to silence the salesmen for all of thirty seconds. She closed it off with her theme and came over, standing small at my elbow.
    "As always, Mitch," she said to the barman. "Over there," she said to me and headed for a narrow booth for two. I paid the tab and carried her drink and mine to the booth.
    "Thanks, friend," she said, "for bringing that old one up. I don't know how it fell out of the repertoire. It goes back in. I am Billy Jean Bailey and you are ... ?"
    "McGee. Travis McGee. Been working this lounge long?"
    "Practically forever. Hell, it's all right. Good people own and operate this place. I used to do the resort-tour thing when I was first down here. I started in Youngstown. I used to do the Maine coast thing, and the Catskills and Poconos in the summer, and down the other coast here in the winter. Lauderdale, Hollywood, Miami, and so forth. But that can kill you off before your time.
    Then Danny died. He was my agent and kind of boyfriend. And they wanted me back here. That was three years ago. And here I am. Still. McGee, you drive one of those shrimpers for Hula?
    No? I thought you looked sort of the type. Like around boats and so forth. Jesus, this is one dead night here. Been in town long?"
    "Checked in here this evening. I don't know anything about the town."
    "There's no action, if that's what you mean. Oh, there's a couple of discos like everywhere, mostly all kids."
    "No games?"
    "You've got to be kidding. Oh, they probably play for lots of money over at the Elks or maybe the Legion. But you don't mean that."
    "No, I don't mean that."
    "So you can look at it this way, McGee. We're right at the heart of all the Thursday-night action there is in Dixie County."
    "You're all the action I need Billy Jean Bailey."
    Her mouth hardened. "If you mean what that sounds like, you are in for one hell of a sudden disappointment!
    "Whoa. I meant it is nice to sit and talk and have a few drinks and listen to the piano lady."
    She studied me, head cocked. "Okay. Maybe I keep my guard up too high. But you know how things are. I don't even sit with guys much. I don't know why I did this time. You dint come on strong, and I liked what you requested, I guess."
    "Friends?" I asked.
    "Sure."
    "I'll be around for a while. I'm