Chapter 6

Ch. 06 song titles

An Unforgettable Melody Ch. 06

Melody awoke around 9:45 on Friday morning. Based on Mike’s wish the night before, she knew that waking him at 10:00 would allow him the perfect amount of rest, while still giving him plenty of time for an unhurried morning routine before work. She lay in bed a few minutes more, stretching her body awake. As the clock hit 9:55, she began the task of awakening him in such a way that would relax him for the day ahead. According to his subconscious, a handjob would best achieve this end. Conjuring up a bottle of lube, she prepared her hands and exposed his morning wood.

Kneeling beside him on their huge bed, she began gently massaging the underside of his cock, spreading the lube over his length. Once he was slick, she then wrapped him in her hand, stroking him at a slow, moderate pace with a perfect amount of pressure applied. As his breathing deepened, indicating his enjoyment, she then deployed part two of her plan.

Gazing at his alarm clock, she flashed her eyes and started up one of his favorite pieces of music, the finale to The Firebird. The music began ever so softly, the horns entering at almost a whisper. Through his subconscious, she knew where the first big climax of the piece was, resolving to bring him to orgasm right at that moment. She increased her pace and applied just the right amount of pressure, all while keeping him asleep.

As she stroked, she used her powers to build his orgasm within him, releasing his eruption right as the music changed to final up-tempo section. Mike moaned in pleasure, his cum spewing from his cock and coating his abdomen as he slowly awoke. Now empty of his seed, Melody laid on her stomach on top of him, savoring his cum as he began rubbing his eyes awake.

“Geez, girl. When I make a wish, you sure as hell deliver,” he said as he awoke.

Licking the last of his cum from his stomach, she giggled and sweetly kissed his belly button. “Sleep well?”

“Absolutely,” he marveled, sitting up in bed.

“Excellent. It’s 10:00, so that gives you plenty of time for a relaxing shower, a slow warm-up, and some lunch and mental preparation before we head downtown for your audition.”

Kissing her as she crawled over his body to his face, he said, “You think of everything.”

Showering alone for once, Mike whistled through all the audition pieces as he shaved and cleaned up, moving his hands to the proper fingerings to make sure he had everything down. Exiting the shower and drying off, he combed his hair before looking through his closet for the appropriate audition attire. As this was basically a job interview, complete with his hero in attendance, Mike wanted to ensure he made a good impression. Deciding on a deep red wine dress shirt and a nice pair of dark blue jeans, he then slipped on his brown loafers and a belt to complete the ensemble.

Letting Melody know that he was done, he watched her shapely ass bounce as she strutted to the shower. He then walked out to his practice studio and unpacked his C trumpet. Mike began his warm-ups, adjusting himself to each note he played as if he were entering a swimming pool one step at a time. After finishing his scales, breathing exercises, and acrobatic warm-ups, he returned to their bedroom to find Melody posing in front of the floor mirror, magically trying on different outfit combinations for the day.

With her lover back in the room, Melody now began modeling her outfit ideas for Mike. Several of these weren’t appropriate to see the light of the outside world, being little more than lingerie. Finally deciding on a pair of form-fitting black shorts and a tight canary yellow tank top, Melody completed her outfit with a pair of red casual sneakers. As Mike whistled his approval, she drew him close and kissed him, moaning in delight.

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” she commented.

After a playful slap on her ass, the duo headed to the kitchen to scrounge for food. Mike opted for a simple turkey sandwich on wheat bread and a bottle of water, his traditional pre-audition meal. Melody made herself a peanut butter and banana sandwich. As they ate, Mike played around on his iPad, listening to his audition music all the while. Melody worked on his laptop, tweaking the photos of her website to try and attract more clients. As the time neared 1:30, Mike packed up his equipment and music and the pair began the drive to symphony hall.

Arriving in the employee parking deck a few minutes past 2:00, Melody turned to him and asked, “Can I come in with you to the audition? Invisibly, of course.”

“Sure,” Mike replied, shrugging. “But no distractions. I’m in the zone, after all.”

“Of course.” A quick, sweet kiss on his cheek, and she vanished. Good luck baby. I know you’ll be brilliant.

Walking into symphony hall, Mike made his way to the green room, designated as the warm-up area for the candidates auditioning. Alone with his thoughts, Mike unpacked his music and the three trumpets he would need for the audition. Before beginning to play, he recited his typical prayer before such situations: Alan Shepard’s prayer.

“Oh, Lord, please do not let me screw up. Amen.”

He began by playing some easy scales on each horn, keeping warm air flowing for optimal temperature. Continuing his slow, easy warm-ups until the audition time neared, he was soon greeted by Janice, the music librarian for the ASO.

“Mike, good to see you. The audition panel is ready for you. I’ll help you bring your equipment in, if you like,” she said.

“Thanks, Janice. That’ll be great. You can take my music and C trumpet; I’ll grab the E-flat and piccolo.” Under normal circumstances, Mike didn’t trust anyone other than himself to carry his equipment. But Janice was a French horn player, and also had training as an instrument repair technician. He knew she could be trusted to handle with care.

Entering the main stage in symphony hall, Mike set his equipment down on a table center stage and turned to greet the panel, seated near the backstage line. The trio rose to meet him. First was Jessica Miller, the principal violinist and concertmaster. Her elegant beauty always struck Mike, with her full lips, lightly tanned white skin, and flowing brown hair. But her true beauty shone through every time she played. Never in his life had Mike seen such joy and passion in the face or mannerisms of any musician like he did in Jessica. He could watch her with no sound whatsoever and still be entranced. Though she was only a year older than Mike, Jessica had been a musical prodigy since elementary school, winning her first symphony job two months before her high school graduation. She had been the Maestro’s second-in-command for almost five years now.

Maestro Robert Spano was next, extending his hand in welcome. The balding man in his mid-fifties was tended to be rather introverted, but always got excited when it came to auditions. He relished the opportunity to evaluate talent, and was always imagining which pieces would sound perfect with a certain player’s sound. Giving Mike’s hand a firm shake, he turned to introduce him to the third panelist.

Philip Smith greeted Mike with his trademark warm personality. His soft-spoken demeanor belied the immense talent and musicianship that lay beneath; Mike knew he was in the presence of a living legend.

Focus, Braxton. He’s just a man, after all.

Though he was now in his mid-sixties, Philip never passed up an opportunity to further his skills and better himself. A year previous, he had surprisingly resigned his job as principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic, one of the best orchestras in the nation, becoming a college professor at the University of Georgia. His reasons were simple: To spend more time with his family, assist the next generation of musicians on a more personal level, and to reconnect with God. In a move that reporters had hailed as him “jumping the shark,” Mike had gained more respect for the man than in any musical performance he could ever give.

“Mike, welcome,” Philip said. “For this audition, we will begin with the concerto you have prepared before moving into the orchestral excerpts. Following that, we will do a short interview with you to close out. Are we ready?”

“Let’s do it,” Mike said, adding a bit of confidence to his voice.

Picking up his E-flat trumpet, Mike began his solo concerto, Johann Hummel’s Trumpet Concerto in E-flat, Movement III. The quick, vibrant finale had always been a favorite of Mike’s, the notes dancing over a comfortable range on the horn. Reaching the final strain, which featured a long, extended trill, Mike shaped the note with grace and beauty, causing Robert to lean over and whisper to Jessica in approval, to which she beamed in agreement.

Raising his eyebrows as Mike finished, Philip simply said, “You sound like you could be shaken out of a sound sleep and still play that to perfection.”

“You’re not far wrong,” Mike replied.

“I’m the same way. Anyway, let’s move on to the excerpts. Of the five you have prepared, we will allow you to pick the first and last ones you play; the order of the other three will be chosen by us. What shall we start with?” Philip asked.

Wanting to play his piccolo trumpet before it got cold, Mike began with Handel’s The Trumpet Shall Sound, intending to save Pines of Rome for the end. He couldn’t help but marvel in irony and nostalgia, as this was the piece that had begun his journey with Melody a week ago. Pushing those thoughts from his mind, he focused on his style and expression as he began to play. Though the notes were not difficult, they required great precision and the right tone quality to blend with a full orchestra, which was the reason the panel wanted to hear this piece.

After he had finished, Mike switched over to his standard C trumpet, and Jessica called out the next excerpt: the Petrushka Ballerina solo. Regaining the ironclad focus he discovered from his preparation yesterday, he danced through the music with as much grace as the ballerina it depicted. All the while, he made sure to keep his tempo rock solid, as this was the most common mistake trumpet players made in this piece: speeding up or slowing down without realizing it.

Robert chose Mike’s next challenge: Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. The opening solo to the piece began with nothing but the trumpet, testing not only the nerves of the player, but also their consistency, as his tempo set the pace for the entire orchestra two measures later. Playing with a pompous elegance, Mike’s performance was effortless, jumping from low to high notes as if they were nothing.

After a moment of silence for his sound to finish reverberating through the hall, Philip named the penultimate excerpt: the opening to Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. Considered by professionals to be the most important classical solo in trumpet music, this piece combined elements from every excerpt Mike had played thus far: the necessary style and blending of Handel, the varying volume and ranges of Stravinsky, and the nerves of a complete solo trumpet from Mussorgsky. Beginning the funeral dirge at a near whisper, he built the music up to the startling climax, engulfed in the orchestra playing in his mind as he did so. Finally closing the solo with a return to the trumpet’s lower range, his sound elegantly faded into nothingness.

At last, they had arrived at the final excerpt, and Mike’s ace in the hole: the second movement solo from Respighi’s Pines of Rome. Mike stepped away from the music stand before beginning; he had no need for it. Closing his eyes, he lost himself in the soothing, lyrical solo, picturing Melody in his mind all the while. Her deep red hair, emerald eyes, and intoxicating laugh were all the inspiration he needed to paint a true masterpiece for the panel. As he finished the haunting melody, the panel sat in wonderment for several seconds to fully appreciate everything they had heard. They said nothing, but it was clear from Philip’s eyes and Jessica’s smile that he had delivered a rare performance for them that day.

Moving into the interview portion, Jessica started by presenting Mike with a scenario in which egos in the section were creating drama and disagreement, asking how he would handle his colleagues in this situation. He replied that he would sit down with the section in a roundtable discussion, emphasizing that they are professionals, each hired to play specific roles in the orchestra. Being sure to never cut anyone down in public, he would remind everyone that, without the role that each trumpet part plays, the orchestra’s quality deteriorates, perhaps resulting in lower pay or less work for everyone.

Robert then asked Mike to tell him the name of the janitor that came in to clean the equipment storage room every Tuesday. Smiling to himself, as he had chatted with the portly man on several occasions, Mike identified him as Jamal Anderson. Impressed, Robert commended Mike for being familiar with all the staff members that help the symphony run effectively, regardless of their position or background.

Thinking for a few moments, Philip then said that he did not have any interview questions for Mike. Rather, he asked if there were any specific techniques he used that helped him prepare for this audition. Mike began with a quick overview of his typical routine. Sensing that Philip wanted more, he then began to describe the fire drill that his friends had set up for him two days previous, leaving out the part about them mooning and flashing him of course. His smile a mile wide, Philip told Mike that he had some dedicated and loyal friends, and that he must never take that for granted, no matter how successful he becomes.

The trio again rose to shake Mike’s hand, and Robert dismissed him so that they could converse and come to a decision on which of the candidates best fit the needs of the orchestra. Thanking them as he left, Mike returned to the green room to pack up his equipment. Reappearing with quiet footsteps, so as not to startle him, Melody applauded his performance.

“You are something else,” she marveled.

Drawing her close with a big smile, he kissed her, stating, “The die is cast. It’s in their hands now.” Sighing, he continued, “Ok, so I’m gonna head outside and chat with Darcy for a bit. We’ll have you walk up during the conversation as if you’re here to pick me up. That’ll be a good way to make the introductions.”

“Sounds good to me.” Another quick kiss, and Melody had vanished once again.

As he walked out of symphony hall, Mike couldn’t help but have the same thoughts he had felt one week ago.

Nailed it!

“There’s the man!” called Darcy from her favorite courtyard bench.

Running up to her with his arms in the air, Mike channeled his inner Rocky Balboa, exclaiming, “Yo, Adrian! I did it!!!”

“So, how do you feel?” she asked with a laugh.

“Excellent. You guys really got me ready to go. Good thing too; Philip Smith was the third panelist.”

“Philip Smith?! Holy crap!”

“Yep. Great guy, definitely my personal and professional hero,” Mike replied. “But hey, if I can ignore your antics, avoiding the intimidation of playing in front of the best trumpet player in the world is no biggie.”

Laughing with a smug look on her face, Darcy shot back, “What? He doesn’t have the rack I’ve got?”

“Not even close,” said Mike, comically gazing at Darcy’s bust.

“You got any plans for the evening? Wanna join me for dinner? I’m glad to drive if you need to down a few beers.”

“Actually, I think my ride’s here now,” Mike said, looking over Darcy’s shoulder.

“Hey baby!” Melody called, walking across the courtyard toward them.

Stunned with a dumbfounded look on her face, Darcy could only ask, “And who ... is that?”

Grinning his trademark smartass smile, Mike replied, “My girlfriend. Come on, I want you to meet her.”

Meeting Melody at a nearby picnic table, she and Mike sat together across from Darcy.

“Darcy, this is my girlfriend, Melody Roberts. Melody, Darcy White, the best bassoonist the city of Atlanta has ever seen!”

“Great to meet you!” Melody said, shaking Darcy’s hand across the table.

“You too,” Darcy replied, glancing at Mike. “Ok mister, what happened to ‘no contact of the female variety’?”

Shaking his head in exasperation, he responded, “Well, the truth is that Melody and I have been communicating for a couple of months now. I just wanted to keep things close to the vest until I was certain of how serious things were, if you know what I mean. We met online, went on a couple of coffee dates...”

“Bullshit!” Darcy interrupted. “I know damn well you don’t drink coffee.”

“ ... Which is why I ordered a Coke! Anyhow, we have similar personalities and interests, and last week, I officially asked her to be my girlfriend.”

Sitting in silence for a minute, Darcy glanced back and forth between them before finally asking, “You guys are serious, aren’t you?”

Entwining his fingers with Melody’s, Mike replied, “We are.”

Smiling, Darcy continued, “Then in that case, you need to join us for dinner,” pointing at Melody.

“That’d be great! Gotta celebrate, after all. I just know he hit it out of the park,” Melody gushed.

“Speak of the devil, and he shall appear,” Mike mused, pointing to the exit to symphony hall.

At the top of the steps, Jessica, Robert, and Philip were saying their goodbyes and shaking hands. Mike was sure he could hear them chatting about “making an excellent decision.”

“Wonder what that means?” Darcy asked with a sly grin.

As Jessica and Philip went their separate ways, Robert spotted Mike across the courtyard and began walking towards them.

“Could they have made a decision already?” Melody wondered.

“I suppose it’s possible,” Mike replied, “but that would be ridiculously fast.”

“Mr. Braxton, I want to thank you,” Robert said as he approached.

“Of course ... but for what?” Mike inquired.

“For making our decision today so easy,” he replied with a chuckle. “Want to know the first words out of Philip’s mouth after you left the room? He said, ‘After that audition, I don’t think there’s any contest’. Jessica and I happen to agree with him. We’ll draw up the official contract on Monday, but it is my pleasure to inform you that you ARE the new principal trumpet of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra!”

As Melody clapped in excitement and Darcy started a victory dance, Mike tried to remain as composed and professional as possible.

“Thank you so much, Maestro. This means so much to me, and I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed,” he replied, his hands trembling with excitement.

“Well, you’ve earned it,” Robert said, before turning to Darcy. “Fire drill, eh? Very creative, and very effective. Nice job.” Darcy beamed with pride in response.

Robert turned to Melody next. “I don’t believe we have been introduced. Mike?”

“Ah, yes ... this is my girlfriend, Melody Roberts. Melody, this is Robert Spano, leader of the ASO, and the most badass conductor in the nation.”

“Second most badass, if you will. I never could overtake Gustavo Dudamel ... Anyway, it’s a pleasure to meet you young lady. I do hope we will be seeing you at some of Mike’s upcoming performances,” he said with a wink.

“Most definitely,” Melody replied running her fingers through Mike’s hair. “I’m a sucker for musicians, after all.”

“Well, uh, Mike, unless you have any further questions for me, I’ll be heading home now. Enjoy your weekend, relax, and we’ll see you first thing Monday.”

As Robert took his leave, Melody smothered Mike in an excited victory hug, almost knocking him to the ground in the process. Once he escaped her death grip, he fist bumped Darcy, and thanked her again for all her help in his preparations.

“All right, that settles it, we’re going to Taco Mac to celebrate! And I’m not takin’ no for an answer,” Darcy stated.

“Sounds good to me, we’re gonna stop by my place and drop off my equipment first, then we’ll meet ya there,” Mike replied.

Just then, Darcy’s phone beeped, indicating she had a text message. Reading for a moment, she then asked, “Is it ok if Stephen joins us? He got off work early today.”

“Uh, sure that’s fine,” Mike replied as casually as he could.

“Great. See you guys there around 6:00 or so, ok?”

As they parted ways, Mike and Melody traveled back to his CR-V in the employee parking deck. All the while, Melody held his arm, excited and happy for his good news.

“You know,” she said, “your boss is quite the dirty old man.”

Cocking his eyebrow, Mike asked, “You were reading his thoughts?”

Giggling, she replied, “The look in his eye was kinda impossible to miss. He ... he thought about doing things to me as I was bent over his podium in symphony hall.”

“Holy shit,” Mike mumbled, a bit dumbfounded.

“Don’t worry, he’d never act on it or anything. He’s well aware of how out of his league he is, but always appreciates a pretty girl when he can.”

As the pair reached his car, Mike popped the trunk to put his trumpet case and music in the back. Closing the trunk, he noticed that Melody had climbed into the back seat of the car, leaving the door open. He walked over to investigate, only to be grabbed by his shirt collar and pulled on top of her, the car door magically closing behind them. Kissing him with passion, Melody had no intentions of letting him out of this one; she needed him, and she needed him now.

In-between kisses, Mike managed to gasp, “You sure this is a good idea?”

“Privacy powers, remember? Nobody will interrupt us. Promise.”

Continuing their heavy make out session, she reached down to undo his belt and unzip the fly of his jeans. He reached to do the same, only to find that she had already removed her shorts and panties. As she slipped his jeans down below his knees, he could smell how wet her pussy had already become.

“Listening to your music today ... it was incredible ... it got me so horny...” Melody managed to breathe. “Take me. I want to be your victory spoils,” she said, continuing to seduce him.

Not one to deny that request, Mike kissed her with ferocity, moving his cock to the entrance of her sopping wet pussy. Melody moaned in sheer delight as his engorged member penetrated her. Finally engulfed in her tunnel, Mike’s thrusts were frenetic and full of reckless abandon. As he pounded her with desire, her incredible breasts heaved back and forth, her tank top and bra barely containing them and only accentuating their bouncing. Even though they were covered, their motion and perfect shape was still mesmerizing. Watching him gaze at her chest, Melody began to fondle them, squeezing and caressing them as the lust in her eyes grew. Getting an excellent idea, Mike made a wish.

“I wish for your bra to be gone, but your shirt still on, so you can play with your nipples while I fuck you.”

Tingle. Flash.

The outline of her bra disappeared, her erect nipples now poking into her yellow tank top. Melody now caressed them with intensity and purpose, before arriving at her first orgasm in force. But Mike was far from done, continuing his feverish pace as her pussy walls contracted around him. As she came back down from her climax, Mike instructed her to flip onto her stomach. She rolled over, pushing her ass up in the air to give him the perfect entrance point.

Mike resumed his thrusting, now penetrating her pussy from behind. He now kept his strokes at a moderately quick tempo, rather than the wild fucking from before. He found this to be quite pleasurable, moving fast enough to keep her in a constant pre-orgasmic state, but slow enough to feel every little crevice of her tight womanhood. Steadying himself on her ass, he loved the feeling of her cheeks jiggling in his hands as he continued to pump his cock into her. Feeling her nearing another orgasm, he tapped her on the back to signal another position change.

Mike now sat on the bench seat as Melody moved to straddle him. As she impaled herself on his stiff rod, she kept a tight grip on the backrest and began to grind against his cock. The desire in her emerald eyes grew with each passing moment, the speed of her humping increasing with it. As she ground her clit against his pubic bone, she finally reached her second climax, moaning with lust as she coated his cock with her juices.

Refusing to slow her pace for even a moment, Melody now bounced on Mike’s cock for all she was worth. She leaned forward, thrusting her jiggling tits into his face, causing his breathing to become more labored. He peeled the spaghetti straps of her tank top down over her shoulders, exposing her hard nipples mere inches from his face. As he suckled her, she ran her hands through his blonde hair, knowing how to send him over the edge.

Moving her lips to his ear, she whispered, “We both know you can’t resist me. We both know you want nothing more than to cum. To fill my pussy.” Moving southward, she kissed his sensitive neck, working back up to his ear with three more kisses. “So do it. Take me now. Claim ... your ... prize,” she purred, nibbling his earlobe as she egged him on.

His eyes bulged, and he grabbed onto her slim waist, pounding his last into her slit. Knowing she had sent him past the point of no return, Melody kissed his lips with force, enjoying their impending dual climax. As he sprayed rope after rope of his cum into her, coating the walls of her pussy, she arrived at her third and strongest orgasm, screaming at the top of her voice in sheer ecstasy.

“Yes, yes, YES YES YES!!! DO IT! CUM FOR ME! MAAASTERRRR!!!”

Their orgasms finally receding, Mike panted and gasped for air as Melody straddled his lap, planting a sweet kiss on his forehead. He gazed into her eyes in admiration, impressed at how fun and fresh she always managed to keep their experiences.

“You are a fun and creative genie,” he managed to say. “You enjoy your little role-play? Being the prize?”

Giggling, she responded, “It’s not role-playing if I really am your prize.”

“Bullshit,” he shot back. “You were planning this no matter what happened.”

She attempted to appear innocent, but they both knew he was right; she loved fucking him anytime and anywhere she could. After a couple of wishes to help them clean up the residue of their juices, the pair climbed into the front seats and started for home. Fighting Atlanta traffic the whole way, it was almost 5:45 by the time they arrived. Mike ran in to drop off his equipment before driving down the road to the restaurant.

Arriving at Taco Mac a few minutes after six, they spotted Darcy waving at them from a square table in the middle of the place. Seated next to her was Stephen, looking somewhat displeased, but Mike couldn’t tell what about. He was tall and lean, though quite muscular underneath his baggy gym shorts and black T-shirt. He had short, dark brown hair and a goatee on his face, though a black baseball cap, which he wore backwards, obscured the hair on his head. Aside from his size and strength, one would never guess that he was twenty-seven years old; he looked about as mature as a college freshman.

Mike didn’t like the sound of that, but ran out of time to inquire further as they sat down at the table, introducing Melody to Stephen. She shook his hand warmly, smiling as she greeted him. By the look in his eye and the inflection change in his voice, Mike could tell that Stephen was attracted to Melody right away, though Mike couldn’t fault him for that. She was, by any measure, a stunning beauty.

As the group ordered, everyone but Melody decided on their poison for the evening. Mike got a Coors, Stephen a Miller Light, and Darcy a Blue Moon. Melody, unsure of how alcohol would affect her, professed herself the designated driver, ordering a Coke. Mike sipped on his drink as Darcy quizzed Melody on her background, wanting to know everything about her. Mike could tell that they were starting to become genuine friends. Showing particular interest in her photography business, Darcy pulled out her phone to friend Melody on Facebook, promising to try and help her establish a few more contacts. All the while, Stephen sat in silence, glancing at Melody every so often and downing his beer in record time. By the time their wings and burgers had arrived, Stephen was almost done with his second pint.