Chapter 8

It didn’t matter that it was cold, I still hadn’t solidified after the heat of Saudi Arabia, and the Uber driver didn’t mind that I had my window down as he drove me to a nearby jazz bar.

I had summoned a jacket, but it was open and the hoodie had been returned. I had been tempted to summon my clothing and suitcase from wherever they had been stored or whatever, after my departure from company housing, my personal items had certainly not joined me on the plane, but I decided I’d just leave it as it was for now. For all I knew it was in a box being shipped to San Diego.

The Jazz Bar was trendy, new and shiny, and didn’t make the mistake of trying to look old and historic. The piano player was good, the vocalist excellent. She had the deep throaty voice that just drew you in with a catchy mournful song.

I took a small table and ordered a coffee. After being informed that they had a full coffee bar, I ordered a mocha no whip.

I just relaxed and enjoyed the music. When the singer took her break, the pianist kept softly playing. My finger snaps, as she took a slight bow, generated hundreds of points each. Mosquito was proving to be a real trickle compared to what getting out and doing things did.

I waved over a waiter, “How do I tip the entertainment?”

“There’s a box on the piano, and at the bar.”

I handed him the thousand dollars from my earlier mugging, “Stick that in the box for me please.”

He was a little wide eyed at the amount, but nodded and went and stuck it in the piano box. There was a brief whisper between the piano player and the waiter, and a nod in my direction, but I got just over 7000 positive points when he stuck it into the box. Experiment concluded.

I sipped my drink, finding the chocolate too sweet. I like my mochas made with real and preferably dark chocolate, not Hershey’s chocolate syrup. The piano guy finished, and a new group started, no singer, just some peppy brass jazz numbers I vaguely recognized. It didn’t matter, I was free of pain, free of casts, free of hospitals, free of oppressive heat, free of idiots and unreasonable deadlines, and too much else.

This felt good.

With the system I probably didn’t need to go back to work, I was sure I’d get a skill or ten that I could parley into cash. Traveling around picking up undervalued antiques would easily keep me fed and entertained.

I didn’t feel like traveling though. I wanted to be somewhere that had a nice ocean breeze, maybe occasionally saw snow. I don’t want days or months of white, just the possibility that it might happen during the winter.

I looked around noticing that a few women in the place had eyed me back. I was about to smile back at them when she dropped into the chair across from me.

“Thanks for the big tip,”

Her voice was naturally deep and resonant, vibrating me pleasantly. A couple double entendres in reply danced across the back of my mind, but didn’t cross my lips.

I smiled, nodded, “It’s been a very nice evening, best I’ve had in months.”

“That sounds like an interesting story.”

I didn’t want to be the one who talked, her voice was doing things to me that I wanted more of.

“Will you be singing more tonight? I thought your voice was amazing,” I finally settled in as being the best question to ask.

“I’m done, I need to rest my voice for a day. You just caught my last of three sets tonight.”

“Have you been singing long?”