Chapter One
1973
The post office was only two blocks from our apartment. And since it was such a beautiful day, I decided to walk. After two homeless men stopped me to ask for money and I saw a hooker get arrested, however, I was beginning to think it was not such a good idea. I was even beginning to think the whole move to New York was a bad idea. Until I walked into the post office.
There was a line to Jerusalem for sending packages. I wasn’t sure if the forms were on a table or if I’d have to wait in line with everyone else. I must have looked lost because the old man at the end of the line asked me if I needed anything.
“Oh,” I said. “I’m looking for the address change forms.”
“Right here,” said a tall guy with long dark hair. He was carrying a large, heavy box and seemed to look like a musician to me. Of course, I wasn’t sure because I didn’t see many people like him in Texas. But if I had ever seen a guy with long hair in my hometown, he was definitely some sort of rocker. He picked up a pamphlet from the table he was standing next to and held it out to me. I walked up to him, took it, and thanked him.
“No problem,” he smiled.
He wasn’t what I would have considered ‘my type’ in the past. I usually went after the blondes. My fiancée had been a blond. But something about this guy made me find him very attractive.
I walked over to an empty table on the other side of the post office to fill out my form. I had just dropped it in the “out” box when I heard a low voice say “So, did you just move to New York?”
I looked up to see the longhaired guy. I couldn’t help but smile. He was too darn cute.
“Yes,” I said.
“I could tell you weren’t from here by your accent,” he grinned.
“My accent?”
He laughed. “You have one, you know.”
“To you, maybe,” I told him.
He looked up as if to contemplate what I had just said. Then he nodded.
“So, where are you from?”
“Houston,” I answered.
“Ah, Texas. I should have known.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked. Then I smiled to make sure he knew I was kidding.
“Nothing,” he said. “Don’t take offense. I like your accent, it’s cute.”
I blushed.
He laughed again and extended his hand. “I’m Paul.”
“Natalie,” I said and we shook hands.
“Nice to meet you Natalie,” said Paul. “Hey, since you’re new here, how about if I show you around? Unless…you’re busy this afternoon.”
“No, that would be great,” I said.
Paul held the door open for me and said, “After you.”
We spent the next two hours walking around the city. Paul showed me some of the hot spots and places he frequented. He told me he was in a band and showed me the place they would be playing at the next weekend. I told him I would love to come see them, and he seemed pleased.
When we stopped in front of a guitar shop, he asked me if I minded going inside.
“Of course not,” I said.
“Hey Paul,” said a man behind the counter as soon as we walked in.
“Hey Tony, how’s it goin’? This is Natalie, she just moved here,” Paul said before Tony could answer his question.
“Oh, where from?” Tony asked me.
“Houston.”
“Mmmmm, been there,” he laughed. “Lots of pretty women.”
Paul raised his eyebrows.
“Didn’t you know the most beautiful women come from Texas?” Tony asked Paul who then looked at me. I giggled.
“Come on back here,” Paul said to me. “I want to show you something.”
I followed him to the back of the store. Along the way I gazed at the walls and noticed posters and flyers of various bands and musicians. Some I had heard of, some I had not. Before Paul stopped at a set of double doors, he grabbed a guitar from the wall next to them. Then he held the door open and I stepped inside. It looked like some sort of rehearsal room, or a room where a student might take lessons. There was a guitar amplifier against the far wall, and an upright piano to the right. Paul plugged the guitar into the amplifier and I sat down on the piano bench to watch him play.
He played a very catchy tune for me, and I could tell he enjoyed it. He looked like he was meant to sing and play guitar. In fact, during one moment I noticed I was even more attracted to him. I loved the way he would swing his hair when he sang and would pout his lips when he wasn’t. I started thinking how I would like to kiss those lips. That’s why I found what he told me next so ironic.
“So, Paul, what’s the name of your band?” I asked him when he put the guitar down.
He sat on the stool next to the amplifier and looked down at the floor as though he wasn’t quite sure what to say.
“Kiss,” he finally said.
“Kiss?”
I must have had a funny look on my face because he laughed.
“Yea, you know. As in lips, smooch.”
Then I had to laugh.
“We even wear make-up.”
“Make-up?” I sounded like an echo.
“Yea. I think there’s a picture of us around here somewhere. I’ll be right back.”
He walked out of the room and I turned to the piano and started playing “Let It Be” by the Beatles. I had taken piano lessons when I was a kid, but that was the only song I remembered.
I hadn’t noticed Paul came back in the room until I felt two hands on my shoulders. I jumped and turned around so quickly, I almost fell off the bench.
“Sorry,” he said. “Didn’t mean to scare you. That was really good.”
“What? Oh, thanks,” I said.
“Well, here’s one of our promo shots,” exclaimed Paul as he handed me a photo of the band.
I looked at it closely. I could tell which one was Paul. He had a star over his right eye. One guy looked like a cat, and another looked a little space-like. I couldn’t quite tell what the fourth man was supposed to be. He looked a little gothic, and almost creepy. Nevertheless, I thought they looked great and I told Paul so.
“Thanks,” he said.
Just then I glanced at the clock on the wall and realized how long I had been gone.
“Oh damn,” I muttered. “Paul, I’ve got to go. I told my roommate I’d be back in half an hour! She probably thinks I got mugged or something.”
“You want to give her a call? There’s a phone at the front desk Tony will let you use, and then I can walk you home if you’d like.”
“Okay.”
I called Simone, who did seem worried until I told her I met someone. Then she sounded more intrigued. I told her I would tell her all about it when I got home. Then I hung up, said goodbye to Tony, and Paul and I headed toward my apartment.
As we turned the corner heading down my street, Paul asked, “So Natalie, are you going to give me your phone number?”
“Only if you’re going to use it,” I said.
He laughed, “Oh, I will. I had a great time today, and I’d really like to see you again.”
“Me too.”
When we reached my building, I stopped and pulled out a pen from my purse. I searched for a piece of paper or something I could write on, but found nothing.
“Give me your hand,” I told Paul.
He held it out, and I wrote down my telephone number on his palm.
He smiled and said, “I’ll give you a call.”
“Okay,” I said.
Paul looked up at my window and noticed Simone smiling at us.
“Is that your roommate?” he asked.
“Yes,” I smirked. “Nosy thing.”
Just then Simone waved to us. “Dinner’s ready!” she shouted.
“Guess I better go,” I told Paul.
“Guess you better,” he said.
I hesitated and then asked, “Do you wanna join us?”
“No, I better not,” said Paul. “My buddies are probably waiting on me too. Maybe some other time.”
“All right,” I said. “Well, it was really nice meeting you.”
“You too,” he smiled. “I’ll see you later.”
“Bye.”
I climbed up the steps to my front door, but when I got to the top, I stopped to watch Paul leave. When he reached the corner, he stopped, turned around, and waved. I waved back, and when he was out of sight, I went inside.
“Oh what a hunk!” exclaimed Simone as soon as I shut the door. “He is far out!”
“Uh huh,” I said as I sat down at the kitchen table.
“What’s his name? How’d you meet him? I want to hear everything.”
I told her about meeting him at the post office and the cute way he introduced himself to me, and about his being in a band.
“Right on!” she said. “What else?”
“That’s all I know.”
“What do mean that’s all?”
“That’s it. I was only with him two hours. He showed me around a little and walked me home,” I told her.
“Are you going to see him again?” Simone asked.
“I hope so,” I answered. Lord, I hope so, I thought.