Knight rode through downtown on Kitty, minding his own business and thinking of what to get his wonderful husband for Valentine’s Day. Mal would be very upset if he missed that very important day.
He knew not to get a book of poetry. In fact, he went back to that bookstore and the woman who had served him was no longer there. The old proprietor didn’t know who he was talking about when he described her.
He parked Kitty in downtown and chose to walk along the shops. It was early in the afternoon, the air was chilly. He gazed in the windows of the stores, but nothing struck him.
He started walking, and then heard the jaunty sound of … a fiddle?
Knight followed the tune, and saw a man in what looked like layered patchwork clothes. He had a small violin case opened in front of him with a few coins in it. He started playing something that got Knight’s feet to tapping, and an idea came to him.
“Hey,” Knight said when the man paused. The man looked up, and in his direction, but wasn’t looking at him.
His eyes were white. “Yes, sir?”
“You know classical shit?”
The man chuckled, and started playing something that sounded classical to Knight’s ears.
“Okay, good ‘nough. I pay you a hundred for a night, could you come serenade my husband f’r dinner and maybe sex after?”
“I won’t join in,” the man chuckled. “I don’t swing that way, but I’ll be happy to play for you for the night.”
“It’s f’r Friday night.”
“Ah, Valentine’s Day. I will play lots of romantic music.”
“That’d be great. Here’s fifty, t’ reserve you.”
Knight took the man’s hand and put the fifty in it. The man brought it up to his nose and sniffed it, smiling. “Thank you, sir, thank you very much.”
“No,” said Knight. “Thank you. I’ll come over here Friday night an’ pick you up.”
“Very good, sir.”
Knight walked away, smiling. No magic here, no sir.
He hoped.