Charlotte Betts

 

The sound of the flute came from nowhere, the liquid notes of Vivaldi teasing and tantalising, like a call to play. Charlie stood motionless on the snowy cobbles, listening. Then he saw her. Swaying gently as she played, she made a perfect picture, framed by the carved stone window surround, slender figure backlit and her cloud of blonde hair like a halo. He couldn’t see her face but from the way she moved he knew she was beautiful. Rapt, he listened for the next thirty minutes, the music washing over him, transporting him to another place. He didn’t realise how chilled he had become until she ceased playing, leaned forward to close the casements and disappeared.

He blew on his fingers and stamped his feet, feeling like a child who’d had a precious toy snatched away. Depressed again, he pushed open the door of a little café and sat in the fuggy warmth sipping espresso and slivovice, while his thoughts returned to Nancy. He’d been glad of her company three months ago when he’d first arrived to work in Prague.

“Hi!” she’d smiled, demonstrating the USA’s superior quality of orthodontistry. “You new here?”

“I arrived yesterday,” he confessed.

“I work just along the hall. Real estate. Have you gotten an apartment yet?” He shook his head. “I’ll come get you at lunch,” she said firmly. “Now don’t you worry about a thing; you’ll soon be in a darling little apartment of your own.” She patted his arm, flashed her perfect teeth again and walked briskly away.

Nancy turned up at his office at noon and led him into a small restaurant, ordered lunch without consulting him about what he liked and spread out a sheaf of apartment-to-let details. “You’ll like this one,” she’d said. “It’s near the Old Town but it’s expensive. Or this one has better than your average Czech facilities.”

He’d studied her manicured nails, immaculate make up and, just for a second, felt an urge to muss up her shiny hair. So much perfection was daunting. She’d crossed her legs in their short-short skirt and adroitly extracted all information about his prospects, which she seemed to find acceptable. Within a few days Nancy had organised his life. She installed him in a sunny apartment with parquet floors and high ceilings, arranged a laundry service and introduced him to her friends. She made love as efficiently as she did everything else.

Last night, Nancy had talked about moving in with him. He wondered how long it would be until she started talking about flatware and fancy dinner services. He knew he didn’t want to end up living in Minnesota but, in the face of her determination, thought it might be inevitable. Miserably, he stared out of the café window. Hurrying along the pavement was the blonde girl, carrying a flute case. Mesmerised by the swing of her hair, Charlie watched open-mouthed as she pushed open the door.

Without pausing to think, he stood up. “Excuse me,” he said, “May I buy you a coffee?” She looked at him consideringly, blue eyes clear as spring water. “I heard you earlier,” he said, blushing. “You play beautifully.”

She hesitated, pushing the mass of hair off her face. He noticed her fair skin was refreshingly bare of make-up. “Thank you. Cappuccino, please.” She held out her hand. “I’m Anna.”

Charlie sat down beside her, unsure of himself. Silently she looked back. “Have you played the flute for long?” he asked at length.

“Nearly all my life.” She smiled and he relaxed a little. “But it is not always easy to find work. There are many musicians in Prague.” She shrugged. “I will play tonight and tomorrow. Then nothing. I must find other work.” She stared down at her hands. “May I have something to eat?” she asked suddenly.

“What would you like?”

Silently, she devoured the last morsel of her strudel, then smiled as she noticing him watching her. “Sorry, I haven’t eaten today.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” He wondered if she hadn’t eaten because she had been too busy or because she was broke. They chatted about the Velvet Revolution, the tourists and Vivaldi. Her laughter was as captivating as her music and before long Charlie felt he could hardly remember a time when he hadn’t known her.

“What time is it?” she asked suddenly, looking out at the darkening streets.

“Half past four.”

She gasped and began buttoning her coat. “I’m late for rehearsal.”

They tumbled out of the smoky café into the freezing air outside. Charlie took her hand and they ran through the twisting streets, over Charles Bridge spanning the wide Vltava and ducking down alleyways, feet slithering on the icy cobbles, slowing only to let a tram rumble past. At last they stopped outside an ancient church.

“Goodbye,” she said.

He noticed that there were little snowflake diamonds on her hair. “May I see you again?” he asked.

She leaned forward to kiss his cheek but he turned his head and felt her warm lips on his. “Come to the concert,” she said, disappearing through the doorway. He lifted icy fingers to his mouth, which burned with the memory of her kiss.

 

v

           

Chattering, Nancy, Emmy-Lou and Eugene followed him out of the church. Charlie walked silently, hands thrust deep in his pockets as he tried to hold onto the music he still heard in his head.

“Let’s get outta this cold,” Nancy said.

“I’d like to wait and see Anna,” said Charlie.

“He met one of the musicians this afternoon,” Nancy said to Emmy-Lou. “The girl with the flute.”

“She was kinda cute,” said Eugene, giving Charlie a knowing nudge.

“I thought there’d be an orchestra, Charlie,” said Nancy accusingly, “not just a trio.”

Charlie saw Anna exiting from a small side door. “Hello!” he said. “It was wonderful.”

“I’m glad you liked it.”

“Introduce me to your little friend,” Nancy said, firmly taking hold of his arm. The two girls eyed each other, both blue-eyed and blonde but worlds apart.

“This is Anna,” Charlie said. Anna held out her hand and Nancy touched it with the tips of her fingers.

“The others are waiting,” she said, pulling him away.

Charlie looked back over his shoulder. Anna smiled at him and he wasn’t sure if it was with pity or scorn.

 

v

 

The following evening Charlie sat in the church watching Anna play, his heart contracting at her total concentration. Outside, he handed her a bunch of violets and, smiling, she buried her nose in their velvety petals, inhaling the delicate scent. Afterwards, they ate duck, stewed cabbage and dumplings in a nearby restaurant.

“Have you found work?” he asked.

“Not playing music.” She looked infinitely sad and his heart bled as he imagined her working as a waitress.

“You’ll find something soon.”

She shrugged, the flickering candlelight illuminating her melancholy face.

Outside in the dark, arcaded street, Charlie took her in his arms and kissed her.

She clung to him. “Oh Charlie! If only it could always be like this.”

“Why can’t it be?” he murmured.

Entwined, they walked through the echoing streets until they reached her apartment building. They climbed the four flights of crumbling stone stairs, stopping to kiss on each landing. Anna unlocked the door and they fell inside.

“Stay with me, Charlie,” she whispered as he buried his face in her hair.

 

v

 

 

Nancy took Charlie to a new restaurant in the Old Town. Sitting under a vaulted ceiling, they ate fois gras on hot toast by candlelight. Nancy thought it was romantic and so it would have been with the right person, thought Charlie, thinking of Anna. Indeed, she’d barely left his thoughts. He knew it was ridiculous, but people did fall in love at first sight, or in this case, sound, didn’t they?

“Are you listening to me, Charlie?” demanded Nancy.

He was still trying to work out how he was going to tell her he didn’t want to be with her any more. Then he’d be free. “Sorry?”

“I said; Mom and Pop are coming to visit. Won’t that be nice?” Charlie didn’t think it would be nice; he’d heard all about Hiram J Hinkmeyer the third and knew he wouldn’t like him. “They’re dying to meet you.” Nancy smiled coyly, if such a thing were possible. “They thought they should take a look at you, as we’re such an item.”

Charlie chewed his toast, which seemed to have turned to sawdust. Across the restaurant an elegant young woman, blonde hair caught up to show her profile, gazed into the eyes of a fleshy German businessman. Charlie didn’t recognise her at first because of the heavy make-up. This was an Anna he didn’t know.

Nancy noticed him staring at the couple. “Gross! These Czech girls take advantage of the ex-pats all the time.”

Charlie was frozen into silence, watching as the German pinched the bare skin of Anna’s arm, then moistly kissed her fingers, not noticing how she shrank from him. He scratched his fat belly and called for the cheque. Anna rose from the table and made her way down the stairs.

“I just love this dinnerware,” said Nancy. “Perhaps we could find something like it?”

“Back soon,” said Charlie. He hurried down the stairs and waited until Anna came out of the cloakroom. “What do you think you’re doing?” he hissed, grasping her arm, hard.

“Charlie!” She had been crying, even though she’d tried to conceal it with fresh make-up.

“Is this the new job you talked about, going with fat old men?”

 “I have to eat, Charlie!”

“I’ll give you money.”

“Then you are no better than him,” she said flatly. He gasped as if he’d been kicked in the stomach. Tears and mascara ran in black rivulets down her cheeks.

Suddenly he noticed, pinned to the shoulder of her dress, the little bunch of violets he had given her. Gathering her to him, he smothered her with kisses. “Marry me!” he demanded. She stared at him, eyes drowned and huge. “Stay here!”

He ran back up the stairs.

“Are you OK?” asked Nancy. “You ran off pretty quick. I was just asking if you like this cute dinnerware?”

Charlie sighed. “Nancy, I hate the dinnerware. I’m sorry but I’m going to marry Anna.”

“Anna? But Mom and Pop are coming out especially to meet you.” Her eyes were perfect circles of astonishment and for the first time, she looked uneasy.

He stood up and kissed her cheek. “Thanks for everything but it’s better this way. Bye, Nancy.”

Over her shoulder Charlie saw the German drumming his fingers on the tablecloth and glancing at his watch. He ran lightly down the stairs to where Anna was waiting for him. She had let down her hair and scrubbed her face clean. He took her hand and, laughing like children, they made their escape through the kitchens and out into the street.