Concession Special This Week
Grilled Chicken Breast On A Bed Of Lettuce
With A Diet Drink Or Iced Tea - $1.75
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Grilled Chicken Breast On A Bed Of Lettuce
With A Diet Drink Or Iced Tea - $1.75
The DJ hit the play button and the sounds of the Kool & The Gang song “CELEBRATION” filled the banquet hall. This was timed to coincide with the end of the main course. He was practiced enough to know when the guests were done and beginning to get restless, wanting to get back out and party.
The guests at the wedding of Phil and Sally Michaels streamed to the dance floor. The DJ, Steve Dixon encouraged the guests over his wireless microphone…”It’s time to party now that dinner is over…let’s get our bride and groom onto the dance floor!”
The guests began chanting “Phil! Sally! Phil! Sally!” until the bride and groom rose from their head table and took to the center of the floor, the guests making a huge circle around them, dancing and clapping.
Steve looked down from the small stage in the ballroom of the local Marriott hotel and smiled both inward and outward. This is where he flourished, bringing his talents for playing the right songs and anticipating the party’s mood at weddings. The guests at this wedding would never imagine that five days a week, Steve Swan worked as an accountant, pouring over numbers 9 hours a day.
On weekends, Steve would don his tuxedo, drive to the local banquet halls and set up his equipment. When he first began, it was turntables. Then he transferred the music to cassettes which also helped the music. Many halls did not have sturdy flooring and when he did his job and brought 100+ guests onto the dance floor the records would skip. He didn’t have to worry about that with the cassettes.
A few years ago, another change was made, as he burned his music collection onto CD’s. As with the cassettes, this also gave him the ability to “mix” two or three songs together allowing him to move onto the dance floor and entertain.
You see, he was not just a DJ, but a party entertainer. He would be out on the floor, leading the group dances throughout the night, the Slide, the Hokey Pokey, the Chicken Dance. He built up a reputation for increasing the fun at the parties he worked.
Dixon scanned the room looking for tonight’s score. He only worked weddings because the guests were more inclined to have a good time and that meant more drinks and a looser attitude. Over near the bar were two bridesmaids downing shots of what appeared to Steve as Kamikaze’s.
His eyes scanned the brunette. Her hair fell to just below her shoulders. Her long neck and shapely legs, feet encased in a pair of three inch ankle-strap heels sealed the deal for him. This would be his target for the evening. Most men would have zeroed in on the blonde standing next to her, but Steve was a brunette man. From his vantage spot he could make out her light hazel eyes and he was totally sure he wanted to bed her that night.
At 35, Steve Dixon had never been married. He owned a small house that he had decorated in a simple style. Sure, there had been women he had considered marrying, but each time, in the end, he decided he liked the single life much more. His ability to control a room full of people seemed to be an aphrodisiac to women, allowing him to satisfy his sexual appetite, without the constraints of a relationship.
If possible, he always ended up at the woman’s apartment or home, so they would not know his address. This was not always possible, but if one who he had taken to his home ever came to his doorstep or called, he would explain that he was not interested in anything long-term. If they still wanted to “play” fine, but as soon as they got too serious, he pushed them off and moved on.
As "CELEBRATION" was finishing, Steve took the microphone “Great night for a party all…now ladies, it is your turn…I have been doing this for years and almost every night as I am packing up I hear the following conversation.” At this point Steve made his voice higher in octave, “FrAnk, all night long the music played.”
As it normally did, this line got the attention of almost everyone in the room and Steve was pleased to see his target turning and looking over at him. He continued, still in the high voice, “You ATE, you DRANK, you TALKED, but the one thing you never did was DANCE. Marty and Nancy danced, but did we? Noooooooooooooo.” The laughs could be heard from around the room as women at the party began to relate. Steve smiled at the brunette, holding her gaze as he went on, “FrAnk, why don't we ever dance?”
Steve’s voice returned to normal, “Well ladies this is now your chance to turn the tables on your ‘Frank’…every man in the room is available. This next song is the ‘Ladies Choice’. OH, and ladies, remember your husband was not going to ask you to dance, so why should you ask him?” The laughs were louder this time and then Steve threw in the kicker, “Oh, and the other part of this dance is, Gents, if you are asked to dance, this is the one time all night…YOU CAN’T SAY NO!”
As Steve said this last, he smiled at the woman at the bar and gave a little wink. As he said the last line, he hit the play button on the CD player and the first notes of the Nat King Cole/ Natalie Cole classic “UNFORGETTABLE” began to fill the room.
The guests at the wedding of Phil and Sally Michaels streamed to the dance floor. The DJ, Steve Dixon encouraged the guests over his wireless microphone…”It’s time to party now that dinner is over…let’s get our bride and groom onto the dance floor!”
The guests began chanting “Phil! Sally! Phil! Sally!” until the bride and groom rose from their head table and took to the center of the floor, the guests making a huge circle around them, dancing and clapping.
Steve looked down from the small stage in the ballroom of the local Marriott hotel and smiled both inward and outward. This is where he flourished, bringing his talents for playing the right songs and anticipating the party’s mood at weddings. The guests at this wedding would never imagine that five days a week, Steve Swan worked as an accountant, pouring over numbers 9 hours a day.
On weekends, Steve would don his tuxedo, drive to the local banquet halls and set up his equipment. When he first began, it was turntables. Then he transferred the music to cassettes which also helped the music. Many halls did not have sturdy flooring and when he did his job and brought 100+ guests onto the dance floor the records would skip. He didn’t have to worry about that with the cassettes.
A few years ago, another change was made, as he burned his music collection onto CD’s. As with the cassettes, this also gave him the ability to “mix” two or three songs together allowing him to move onto the dance floor and entertain.
You see, he was not just a DJ, but a party entertainer. He would be out on the floor, leading the group dances throughout the night, the Slide, the Hokey Pokey, the Chicken Dance. He built up a reputation for increasing the fun at the parties he worked.
Dixon scanned the room looking for tonight’s score. He only worked weddings because the guests were more inclined to have a good time and that meant more drinks and a looser attitude. Over near the bar were two bridesmaids downing shots of what appeared to Steve as Kamikaze’s.
His eyes scanned the brunette. Her hair fell to just below her shoulders. Her long neck and shapely legs, feet encased in a pair of three inch ankle-strap heels sealed the deal for him. This would be his target for the evening. Most men would have zeroed in on the blonde standing next to her, but Steve was a brunette man. From his vantage spot he could make out her light hazel eyes and he was totally sure he wanted to bed her that night.
At 35, Steve Dixon had never been married. He owned a small house that he had decorated in a simple style. Sure, there had been women he had considered marrying, but each time, in the end, he decided he liked the single life much more. His ability to control a room full of people seemed to be an aphrodisiac to women, allowing him to satisfy his sexual appetite, without the constraints of a relationship.
If possible, he always ended up at the woman’s apartment or home, so they would not know his address. This was not always possible, but if one who he had taken to his home ever came to his doorstep or called, he would explain that he was not interested in anything long-term. If they still wanted to “play” fine, but as soon as they got too serious, he pushed them off and moved on.
As "CELEBRATION" was finishing, Steve took the microphone “Great night for a party all…now ladies, it is your turn…I have been doing this for years and almost every night as I am packing up I hear the following conversation.” At this point Steve made his voice higher in octave, “FrAnk, all night long the music played.”
As it normally did, this line got the attention of almost everyone in the room and Steve was pleased to see his target turning and looking over at him. He continued, still in the high voice, “You ATE, you DRANK, you TALKED, but the one thing you never did was DANCE. Marty and Nancy danced, but did we? Noooooooooooooo.” The laughs could be heard from around the room as women at the party began to relate. Steve smiled at the brunette, holding her gaze as he went on, “FrAnk, why don't we ever dance?”
Steve’s voice returned to normal, “Well ladies this is now your chance to turn the tables on your ‘Frank’…every man in the room is available. This next song is the ‘Ladies Choice’. OH, and ladies, remember your husband was not going to ask you to dance, so why should you ask him?” The laughs were louder this time and then Steve threw in the kicker, “Oh, and the other part of this dance is, Gents, if you are asked to dance, this is the one time all night…YOU CAN’T SAY NO!”
Steve watched as the lady said something to her friend and saw the blonde turn toward him and the brunette walking toward his stage.
She came to the side of the stage and Steve moved over toward her, smiling gently. “Hi, would you like to make a request?” he asked.
She smiled up at him and he saw a perfect row of teeth, sparkling white, “Yes, if the request is you dance with me. And remember, you can’t say no…your rule.”
Laughing, Steve placed the microphone on the table and put his hand out. “Yes, that is my rule, and I never break the rules...well, almost never.” Laughing, he took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor.
He slid his right hand to the small of her back and took her left hand in his and they began to glide across the floor. Steve had taken dance lessons when he first became a DJ, just for these occasions. He had mastered the art of leading a woman to any type of music; slow, disco, Salsa, waltz, whatever.
There were times when he knew it was to his benefit to dance with the guests to build his reputation as a complete entertainer, including making sure he asked the grandmothers of the bride and groom to dance once during the evening. He found when he performed this last act; his tips at the end of the evening would be larger then normal.
As Steve began to dance with the brunette he leaned his mouth to her ear and asked, “So, Becky, are you having a good time?” She pulled back slightly and gave him a quizzical look. Ready for this reaction, Steve smiled and said “Remember, I introduced the wedding party when you came in and there was no way I was forgetting your name.”
Becky smiled at him and Steve felt her hand on his shoulder rub back and forth. “So, Becky, are you enjoying yourself tonight?” “Oh, yes, I am. You play some great music and the food was great.”
“Now, tell me why a beautiful woman like you is here all by yourself?” Steve asked as he pulled Becky in a little tighter.
He could feel her relax even more and didn’t really care if it was her reaction to him or the result of the alcohol kicking in. “Well, I am not seeing anyone special enough to fly in with me from Florida where I live.” She did not see Steve smile even wider as he realized she was staying right here in the hotel. He was thrilled that he had selected the perfect target for the evening. A non-local, who lived in an area of the country he liked to visit, so if all went well; he could fly down to Florida in the coming months and have a free stay.
“So, where in Florida do you live?” “Right outside of Naples on the west coast” was the response. “Oh, I love it down there, the beaches are great. I have actually been to a wedding on the beach about 15 years ago for one of my best friends” Steve replied.
“Oh the song is about to end, don’t you need to get back to the stage?” Becky asked. Steve smiled and said “No, the next song will start itself, but I think it is time I went to see if Nana Michaels would like to dance, but promise you’ll save me another dance later?” Steve smiled. “At least one” said Becky and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Steve went over and asked Phil’s grandmother to dance eliciting the expected response of yes from her and ooohs and aaahs from the people close by.
Steve led her out to the dance floor and the next song began…
She came to the side of the stage and Steve moved over toward her, smiling gently. “Hi, would you like to make a request?” he asked.
She smiled up at him and he saw a perfect row of teeth, sparkling white, “Yes, if the request is you dance with me. And remember, you can’t say no…your rule.”
Laughing, Steve placed the microphone on the table and put his hand out. “Yes, that is my rule, and I never break the rules...well, almost never.” Laughing, he took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor.
He slid his right hand to the small of her back and took her left hand in his and they began to glide across the floor. Steve had taken dance lessons when he first became a DJ, just for these occasions. He had mastered the art of leading a woman to any type of music; slow, disco, Salsa, waltz, whatever.
There were times when he knew it was to his benefit to dance with the guests to build his reputation as a complete entertainer, including making sure he asked the grandmothers of the bride and groom to dance once during the evening. He found when he performed this last act; his tips at the end of the evening would be larger then normal.
As Steve began to dance with the brunette he leaned his mouth to her ear and asked, “So, Becky, are you having a good time?” She pulled back slightly and gave him a quizzical look. Ready for this reaction, Steve smiled and said “Remember, I introduced the wedding party when you came in and there was no way I was forgetting your name.”
Becky smiled at him and Steve felt her hand on his shoulder rub back and forth. “So, Becky, are you enjoying yourself tonight?” “Oh, yes, I am. You play some great music and the food was great.”
“Now, tell me why a beautiful woman like you is here all by yourself?” Steve asked as he pulled Becky in a little tighter.
He could feel her relax even more and didn’t really care if it was her reaction to him or the result of the alcohol kicking in. “Well, I am not seeing anyone special enough to fly in with me from Florida where I live.” She did not see Steve smile even wider as he realized she was staying right here in the hotel. He was thrilled that he had selected the perfect target for the evening. A non-local, who lived in an area of the country he liked to visit, so if all went well; he could fly down to Florida in the coming months and have a free stay.
“So, where in Florida do you live?” “Right outside of Naples on the west coast” was the response. “Oh, I love it down there, the beaches are great. I have actually been to a wedding on the beach about 15 years ago for one of my best friends” Steve replied.
“Oh the song is about to end, don’t you need to get back to the stage?” Becky asked. Steve smiled and said “No, the next song will start itself, but I think it is time I went to see if Nana Michaels would like to dance, but promise you’ll save me another dance later?” Steve smiled. “At least one” said Becky and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Steve went over and asked Phil’s grandmother to dance eliciting the expected response of yes from her and ooohs and aaahs from the people close by.
The rest of the evening went as planned. Steve worked the crowd and had them dancing the entire night long.
When he led the cake cutting, he presented the bride and groom a CD he recorded earlier in the evening which included the announcement of the wedding party and their first dance together, “The time we began is listed on the CD, so every year on your anniversary you can start the CD at that exact time and relive the first 10 minutes of your wedding.” This simple gesture had provided Steve with more referrals then anything else.
At the end of the evening, Steve received compliments from the guests as they left. Sally’s father paid him along with a generous tip and then he began to pack his equipment. As he made the three trips to his van he noticed Becky lingering in the lobby even after everyone else had made their way to their cars or upstairs to their respective rooms.
After finishing the packing, instead of heading off, Steve walked back into the hotel. At first he did not see Becky around and was about to turn and leave, figuring he had struck out this evening. He turned and saw her at the bar of the lounge in the lobby and he walked in.
“Well, hi again.” Steve smiled. “I was waiting for you, I thought, now that you were done, you might want a drink.” Becky replied.
Steve ordered a beer and they sat and chatted for 15 minutes, then Steve made his move. “Well, I guess it is time I hit the road.” Becky looked at him and her bottom lip pouted out, “Well, you don’t have to go if you’d like. I have a great big room with the most comfy king bed, do you want to order another drink and come up for a while?”
“That would make my night complete.” Steve smiled and they walked out of the lounge and headed for the elevator.
CREDITS:
MUSIC CODES: Best Audio Codes
"CELEBRATION": Kool & The Gang; Composers: Ronald Bell, George "Funky Brown, Eumir Deodato, Charles Smith, James "J.T." Taylor
"UNFORGETTABLE": Natalie Cole & Nat King Cole; Composer: Irving Gordon
"BLUE VELVET": Tony Bennett; Composer: Bernie Wayne
HEADER: Redkid.net; Customized VEM2007
When he led the cake cutting, he presented the bride and groom a CD he recorded earlier in the evening which included the announcement of the wedding party and their first dance together, “The time we began is listed on the CD, so every year on your anniversary you can start the CD at that exact time and relive the first 10 minutes of your wedding.” This simple gesture had provided Steve with more referrals then anything else.
At the end of the evening, Steve received compliments from the guests as they left. Sally’s father paid him along with a generous tip and then he began to pack his equipment. As he made the three trips to his van he noticed Becky lingering in the lobby even after everyone else had made their way to their cars or upstairs to their respective rooms.
After finishing the packing, instead of heading off, Steve walked back into the hotel. At first he did not see Becky around and was about to turn and leave, figuring he had struck out this evening. He turned and saw her at the bar of the lounge in the lobby and he walked in.
“Well, hi again.” Steve smiled. “I was waiting for you, I thought, now that you were done, you might want a drink.” Becky replied.
Steve ordered a beer and they sat and chatted for 15 minutes, then Steve made his move. “Well, I guess it is time I hit the road.” Becky looked at him and her bottom lip pouted out, “Well, you don’t have to go if you’d like. I have a great big room with the most comfy king bed, do you want to order another drink and come up for a while?”
“That would make my night complete.” Steve smiled and they walked out of the lounge and headed for the elevator.
CREDITS:
MUSIC CODES: Best Audio Codes
"CELEBRATION": Kool & The Gang; Composers: Ronald Bell, George "Funky Brown, Eumir Deodato, Charles Smith, James "J.T." Taylor
"UNFORGETTABLE": Natalie Cole & Nat King Cole; Composer: Irving Gordon
"BLUE VELVET": Tony Bennett; Composer: Bernie Wayne
HEADER: Redkid.net; Customized VEM2007
Smooth.
Good story, Bond. I like this perspective on the cat-and-mouse game that men and women play.
And the music is beautiful.
As soon as I started reading, all I could think about were these lines from "Four Weddings and a Funeral":
Bernard: How's it going, Lyds?
Lydia: Bloody awful.
Bernard: Oh dear, what's the problem?
Lydia: I was promised sex. Everybody said it. You'll be a bridesmaid, you'll get sex, you'll be fighting 'em off. But not so much as a tongue in sight.
Bernard: Well, I mean, if you fancy anything, I could always...
Lydia: Oh, don't be ridiculous, Bernard. I'm not that desperate.
Now I have a BIG question: Is this story any way at all autobiographical???? BWAHAHAHA!!!!
Hugs,
Pia
Lizza's right.. and it's even better when the "mouse" turns into the "cat".
Excellent music Vince... too bad I had to turn Nat off to move on with the story though.
Blue Velvet.. *sigh*
Now about the Chicken Dance... *shivers*
Smooch!
TRAVIS: Thanks
LIZZA: Glad you enjoyed it...it is an interesting game
PIA: LOL...yes, the interactions of a wedding .. interesting...
LOLOLOL could be ..possibly, but which parts?
ANNDI: Darn, thought I had it timed out right this time, guess you read too fast... LOL.... KISSES
I know that people do this sort of thing-heck, I know PEOPLE who do this sort of thing...
But it still surprises me, and I always say to myself, "Who does this sort of thing?"
Guess I've never been that type of girl.
Great story so far!
MAGS: Glad you enjoyed the story...even though you are not that kind of girl... and sorry to say..that is all there is.
Please tell me that there is a riding crop and ball gag involved!!
Just read it again - you could have made Steve a real sleeze and Becky a real slut. I don't see that here, which makes your characters more interesting.
Looking forward to seeing what the story becomes.
MAGS: I know people who do this sort of thing also.. which made it easier to write, I guess...
MATT-MAN: that is left to your imagination on this one my friend
TRAVIS: Just a short character study - with no intention of it going any further....
Nice job Bondbaby--just the right amount of detail--it flows well and you 'get' a good intial sketch of the 'Steve' character in a short period of time.
Well done.
Love it Vince. I gotta agree with Turnbaby. You give enough to the audience so that we can get a clear picture of the night, and of the characters, but not overly descriptive....
Can't wait for next weeks...
Ah! Excellent use of "celebrate"!
I loved this installment of your matinée series.
Thanks for the e-cards, they put a big smile on my face today!
cheers,
mo
Good piece of writing, my friend!! Thanks! :D You really capture the scene in a very engaging way...God knows how many weddings in which I participated where I was a single bridesmaid!!
You're unfortgettable Bond baby!
Veeeery interesting. Although I do wonder how people can have one night stands with perfect strangers! **Shudders at the thought** Call me a prude, if you want, but that just ain't right.
TURN: thanks... i enjoyed this one...
ANGELL: That is my plan moving forward... enough for a quick hit without bogging it down
MORGEN: As soon as I saw the word, the scenario was in my head...HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOU YOUNG'UN
PEG: Thanks... and I watched all of you from the small stage as the DJ
TISHA: Blush dear...
MERI: This day and age they are not recommended fer sure...
Nicely detailed again, Vinny.
Sorry I'm not much for words today. I'm feeling horrible, and just thought I'd stop by for a quick read and comment.
Feel better Songbird
Vince - I throughly enjoyed this, both the story and the music! I met someone, a stranger, at a wedding once and it was instant attraction...we dated for several months. So this story brought back some happy memories for me...thanks!
HUGS!!!
Sorry I'm late but I wasn't able to read anything yesterday... (too much carnival-cocktails...) ;)
Thanks for this story and the wonderful music!
And of course I'm so so SO happy that you offered grilled chicken breast and diet coke!!! *YummY*
Big Hugs and Love,
Sonny
Great story! At first, it looked to long to bother with, but as soon as I started reading, it held my attention all the way through!
Sly smoothie! He sounds like he's had plenty of practise....
Hello Bond - hope you're well... Your writing's good. I enjoyed it.
See you late for next Monday's matinee no doubt!!