Read Rhythm in Blue for Free Online

not since he’d left home.
    Why had Judy’s comment struck him so deeply? He had to wonder, people surrounded him constantly, and if he was alone, then he was alone by choice. He was lucky enough to work with his best friends, and they were usually together. He began to think about the other people who moved through his life, the people he dealt with every day. Rick couldn’t think of anyone he spent time with that didn’t have something to gain from his company. The women he had been with were in it for the spotlight, to fulfill some adolescent fantasy, or just so they could tell their friends they screwed someone famous. None of them were worth seeing more than once. Even Johnny, as faithful as he was, was on the payroll.
    The glassy sea slowly calmed him. He could see the rock and sand covered seabed as clearly as though looking at it through a window. A small school of fish darted around a rock as though of one mind. He watched as they flitted first up, then down and behind the rock, and back again, a drill perhaps, to prepare them for some future predator. A patch of seaweed growing from below the rock swayed as the fish swam past, but the water’s surface never betrayed the activity below.
    Rick lay back on the sidewalk without the small benefit of the towel. He thought of the fish swimming, the seaweed swaying, and he imagined Shelby dancing – her hair floating in the air, all moving to an inaudible yet ever-present rhythm that was the island. Soon, he slept.
     
    ~
     
    It was early at the Islander. They were still playing last year’s disco beats. Rick chose to sit in a far corner of the club, his mood still subdued from Judy’s comment earlier in the day. He leaned back into the cushioned, bench style seat and put his feet up on one of the short stools. Devon, Randy, and Keith had all gone to the movies. Erin was right, Ben Hur was showing, but Rick had no interest in seeing it.
    The DJ had the same repertoire night after night. Around nine o’clock, he started up with the disco, at ten, the sound changed to more contemporary rock and roll fare mixed with classics, around midnight, he transitioned to Reggae and Ska, and as the night wound down, he played all classics. They went out several nights to other discothèques and bars, and while they were flashier and busier, he found them disingenuous, unwelcoming. Rick remembered how he told Erin the place had a homey feel to it that first night, tongue in cheek, but as it turned out, the Islander did feel homey to him.
    Tonight, the club was busy. That was the other reason he chose to sit where he did. He didn’t want Erin to feel guilty about having no time to visit with him. She and Kostas flew around behind the bar, trying to keep up. The two waiters were just as busy on the floor, but Rick’s back corner was calm and he felt outside the chaos.
    He thought he was inconspicuous, but when Shelby walked through the doors, she spotted him right away. After a quick ‘hello’ to Erin as she passed the bar, she headed toward him. She took a seat next to him on the bench and put her feet beside his on the stool and asked, “What are we doing?”
    “ We ,” he said, “are just watching the world go by.”
    “Sounds like fun. Do you mind company or would you rather watch alone?”
    “You’re welcome to keep me company, but won’t the boys be waiting for you?”
    She thought about it. “Let them wait, I’d rather talk to you.”
    He smiled and asked, “Do you want something to drink?”
    “Sure, I’d take a beer.” She gave him a sideways glance to see what his reaction would be.
    “Nico!” Rick called out and waved at the waiter. “Can you bring two beers?” Nico flashed a perceptive smile and nodded.
    “I suppose you want a cigarette too…” he held out his pack. She did a quick check to see if anyone could see her from the bar, and took one. He flicked his lighter for her, making sure she could move to the flame and stay out of sight. He