Fulfillment by Golland, M. (best large ebook reader .txt) 📕

and anyway why doyou think we are staying here while Bryce is gone?”

“Because hetold you to stay.”

She laughed.“Well yeah, he did. But no, you are family now and we help out ourfamily.”

I smiledmeekly at her over the rim of my coffee cup as I took anothersip.

“So what areyour plans today, Alexis, other than your appointment?” Lucyasked.

“Well, I wasgoing to ring Derek and see if he was free to start giving meguitar lessons.” I gave Nic a don’t-even-go-there look.

Lucy did thesame. “Yeah, I heard about that. I think it’s a brilliant idea.Bryce will flip out—”

Nicinterrupted, “Hey about that, Alexis, I really am sorry. I didn’tmean to imply you would deliberately cheat on Bryce with his bestfriend. I was just trying to give you a friendly warning as toDerek’s forwardness.”

“Nic, justforget about it. All I’m going to say is I love Bryce and wouldnever do anything that would jeopardise that. He is not just mylover, he is my soul mate. We belong together. As for Derek, well,I barely know the guy, but from what I can see, he is lovely and agreat friend to Bryce. And anyway, I have plans to set him up withmy girlfriend Carly.”

Lucy laughed.“Yes! They would be a match made in heaven.”

“Not sureheaven is the correct place to match Carly up in,” I responded.

Lucy agreedand laughed again.

***

Afterbreakfast, I gave Derek a call to see if he was available for myfirst lesson. He was a firefighter with the Melbourne Fire Brigadeand worked shifts, so I was in luck as he was not due to start workuntil this evening.

Within an hourof my call, the buzzer to the door sounded.

“I’ll get it,you take it easy,” Lucy said, as she placed Alexander on the floorunder his play gym. She walked briskly to the door and let Derekin, and by the time she got back Alexander had barrel-rolled to theedge of the lounge. “Hey you, Roly-Poly.” She picked him backup.

“I think youmay need to get a kiddy pen?” I suggested.

She cringed.“I think you may be right.”

Derek walkedpast the two of them and sat down on the sofa opposite me. Heopened up his guitar case and pulled out a black shiny acousticthen jogged to the man-cave and returned with one of Bryce’sacoustics for me.

“I’m sure hewon’t mind you learning with this one,” he said with a sly smile ashe handed me the guitar.

Lucy’s eyeswidened and she scoffed. “You reckon?”

“It’s Alexis,Luce. Come on, he’d hand me my balls on a plate if I taught her onanything less.”

“Ha, yeahyou’re probably right.”

“Okay, let’sget into it, shall we?” he said, as he positioned his guitar on hisright leg. “I hope you’re right-handed?”

I nodded tohim, smiling like a kid.

“Okay, holdyour guitar like this, and try to keep the headstock of the guitarhorizontal to the ground, not up or down like this,” he said,demonstrating the movement for me.

“What’s theheadstock?” I asked.

He raised hiseyebrows, obviously trying to suppress an outburst.

“What?” Isulked, suppressing my own outburst.

Lucylaughed.

I dropped myhead and pouted. “Oh my God, I suck already.”

“No, that’sokay. I’ll start from the very beginningthen.”

He took a fewmoments to point out and explain all the parts of the guitar. Ialready knew a lot of them, but the head...well...I didn’t knowthat part was called a headstock. Now that I know, well...yeah...itwas freakin’ obvious.

After Derekhad patiently explained, I was now more familiar with the parts ofa guitar, learning terms like: tuning pegs, position markers andfrets.

“Okay, as youcan see the guitar has six strings starting with number one beingclosest to the bottom and up to number six at the very top. Nowpluck each string to hear its sound.”

I did what Iwas told.

“Do you knowthe basics of sheet music?” he asked.

“Kind of, Itook singing lessons in school. We had to learn beats and rhythm,but I don’t really remember. I remember something to do with facethough, you know f-a-c-e and ‘even good boys do fart’ or was it‘every good boy doesn’t fart’. Shit! I can’t remember.”

Derek lost itand threw himself back on the couch laughing hysterically. EvenLucy lost it and rolled on the floor next to Alexander.

“What now? Oh,I give up. This was a bad idea anyway.” I went to put the guitardown next to me.

“No, Alexis.No, I’m sorry.” He chuckled a little more before he composedhimself. “It’s not a bad idea. It’s a great idea and Bryce willlove it. I just think we will need to practice as much as wepossibly can. That’s all.”

Lucy stood up.“I gotta go. Don’t give up, Alexis.”

She laughedand mumbled something to herself as she headed upstairs.

“Now wherewere we? Oh yeah, the boy who farted.” He chuckled again, so Iglared at him. “What you are referring to is the mnemonic for thenotes and spaces on the treble clef. It’s actually more commonlyknown as ‘Every Good Boy Does Fine’.” Oh, Alexis you stupid,stupid idiot.

“Oh,” Igiggled. “Fair enough.”

He continuedon and cleared up the basics of sheet music including the timesignature, measures, and half, quarter and whole notes.

Before I knewit I was strumming notes in rhythm and in beat, tapping my foot asI went.

“You’reactually a quick learner, Alexis.”

“Thank you. Imight get my mnemonics mixed up but I recover gracefully.”

“You do,” hesmiled.

“What’s thetime?” I asked as I didn’t have my watch on.

“Nearly aquarter past one.”

“Shit! Thatwent quick. Luce should be back soon to take me to my appointment.I’m getting this horrid thing off today.” I pointed to my cast. “Doyou want a drink or anything?” I went to get up.

“Yeah, butI’ll get it. Can I get you one?”

“Yes, please.Just some water is fine.”

He headed overto the bar to pour us a drink.

Just as I wasthinking Lucy better hurry up, my phone rang. I hopped over to mybag to fish it out and speaking of the devil, it was Lucy.

“Hey, whereare you?”

“I’m stuck intraffic. A truck lost its load on the Bolte Bridge. Shit! I’m notgoing to be able to get you to your appointment on time. I’m sosorry.”

“Don’t worry,it can’t be helped. I’ll just ask Danny to take me or get a taxi.It’s no big deal. I’d better go and organise it though, so I’m notlate. I’ll