I'm not done with you yet
Things were changing for Tim Wallace. He had accepted a position as Senior Art Director for Hemisphere, a Seattle marketing agency, and was completing his first week on the job.
The job offer came shortly after David Kendall, someone he had worked with at Branson Tanner, another local agency, became the Creative Director at Hemisphere. It was a promotion and a welcome change of pace.
Tim had made a lot of mistakes in the past year, not the least of which was having a one-night stand with his co-worker and good friend, Kelly Forbes. Even though they agreed it couldn't ever happen again, their romantic feelings for one another complicated things greatly. Tim tried to get Kelly off his mind by sleeping with Jeannie, another co-worker, but that only served to make Kelly upset. The confrontation drove Tim into the arms of yet another woman, Marion, who co-owned Branson Tanner.
It was a mess.
So, when Dave offered Tim the job at Hemisphere, he accepted. He hadn't found a way to resolve things with Kelly and wasn't likely to. It would be better to get away from the problem and settle in for a fresh start. He had a new title, a new work address, he had recently turned 33, and for the first time in months, he was adequately distracted from Kelly.
That isn't to say that he was willing to cut all ties to his life at Branson Tanner. He was still in regular contact with Lyra Price, a thick, black Project Manager he had befriended early on. Lyra had known Kelly long before Tim started at Branson Tanner, but quickly became his friend and confidant alongside Kelly. She often called him for a sympathetic ear, especially recently as she was going through a breakup with Derek, her boyfriend of four years.
He didn't mind hearing from Lyra, even if it was just to hear her complain. It allowed him, on occasion, against his own better judgment, to find out about Kelly. Lyra confided that Kelly had also taken a job at a different agency, that things weren't going well between Kelly and her husband, Mark, and that she wouldn't be surprised to see the marriage end.
Such news added to Tim's confusion. After a while, he stopped asking. It was better to leave Kelly out of his life. He had a new group of people in his life now, and it would be wise to focus on getting to know them, this time without making the same mistakes he had before.
The end of Tim's first week in the new job afforded him just such an opportunity. Dave gathered a group from Hemisphere to hit a local bar for happy hour. Tim was invited. Thankfully it wasn't Marty's, Tim's usual bar. He didn't want to risk bumping into Kelly. This was Palley O'Malley's, a bigger bar and one of Dave Kendall's favorite haunts.
Tim walked in and noticed the sign. Karaoke at 8:00, it read. Lyra came to mind. It was one of her favorite things to do. He texted her immediately. "Karaoke at Palley O'Malley's, 8:00."
He sat down with a group of his new co-workers and struck up conversations about work stuff, people's hobbies, and the best things to see and do in Seattle. Dave Kendall had vanished, so Tim was without the only familiar face in the office. He managed small talk as best as he could and even met two or three people who shared his sense of humor, but he was relieved to get a text back from Lyra. "OMG," she said. "I love Karaoke. Sing one for me."
"Why don't you drop by?" he answered.
"I don't want to crash someone else's party," she replied.
Tim didn't want to make Lyra uncomfortable. He would have to seek familiarity elsewhere. He walked near the bar and found Dave, who was chatting up a couple of women. Dave welcomed him over and introduced him to Priscilla and Shannon. They were gorgeous. Priscilla was of latin heritage and had long dark brown hair. Shannon had curly, short blonde hair and tattoo sleeves. Dave pulled Tim aside and explained that he had just met them and that he was well on his way to taking them both home. Tim was impressed and a little jealous. Dave clearly knew how to play the field.
Dave's assessment was accurate. Before long, he was paying his tab and leaving the bar with both women in tow.
It was almost 8:00. By then, there were only about five of his co-workers left in the bar. Tim texted Lyra. "Come by. Almost no one left from party. Time to let out your diva."
Lyra replied immediately. "Put in What's Love Got To Do With It for me. I'll be there in ten."
She was true to her word. At 8:09, Lyra strode in wearing a light-gray sweater-dress and knee-high black boots. Tim stood and gave her a hug. "Ready to rock this party?" he asked.
A haggard looking woman screeched a Journey song from the karaoke stage and Lyra laughed. "I don't know. The competition seems pretty fierce," she replied.
The man running karaoke seemed eager to tear the microphone from the screeching woman. "That was Betty, everyone," he half-heartedly announced. There were sparse pity-claps in random corners of the bar.
"Up next," he said, "Lyra. Can I get Lyra up here?"
"That's me," Lyra winked at Tim. She half jogged her way to the microphone. "Hi everyone," she romanced the crowd, as the first chords of What's Love Got To Do With It rang through the speakers.
She began and it was a stark contrast. Tim wondered if the patrons of Palley O'Malley's saw it coming. "You must understand that the touch of your hand makes my pulse react, that it's only the thrill of boy meeting girl. Opposites attract."
She was at the top of her game. "It's physical, only logical. You must try to ignore that it means more than that."
By the time she got to the chorus, people were on their feet, cheering. Lyra was in her element. She finished the song to a standing ovation and left the stage to join Tim.
He ordered her a beer and clinked his glass to her bottle. "It's been too long since we've had a fun night out," he said.
"Agreed," she replied, "and It's about to get more fun too."
The singer who was up after Lyra was finishing up his song, some crooner Sinatra stuff. "How so?" Tim asked.
"Up next," the karaoke man began.
"No," said Tim.
The karaoke man continued. "Tim. Can I get Tim up here?"
"Yes," said Lyra.
"You'll pay," said Tim as he walked up to the stage. It was a song he recognized, a blues song, Five Long Years. He'd done it before when he went out with Lyra and Kelly a year ago. It went over well. This time was no different. There were some whistles and shouts as he sang his heart out. "I worked five long years for one woman. She had the nerve to put me out."
If anyone from Hemisphere was still in the bar, they were being treated to a side of Tim that he rarely showed. "She had the nerve. She had the nerve. She had the nerrrrrrrve... to put me out."
It was another standing ovation. Tim went back to Lyra and high fived. "The score's tied," he said. "Better put in another song."
That started a two-hour volley for top dog of karaoke. It was just silly enough of an endeavor to keep the two suitably entertained. The crowd, inspired by how much fun they were having, began to get into it, putting in songs to sing. The caliber of singing went up as the time between Tim and Lyra's performances increased.
More of their time was spent laughing and drinking. It had been a while since Tim had so much fun.
Lyra smiled and laughed. The extra weight she carried gave her a formidable bust, which shook beneath her light-gray sweater-dress. She caught Tim looking.
It wasn't as if Tim didn't notice the thick black woman before. She had been there all along. Yet, Tim had spent so much of his time pining for Kelly that he didn't give Lyra much more than a cursory glance, ironic considering it had been she who had been there for him so often, when Kelly's attention drifted to Mark.
"Eyes up, rock star," Lyra smiled.
"What?" said Tim.
"You know what," she said. She turned her head to watch the singer and turned back. "Actually, look all you want. I'm feeling like a total diva tonight."
She pressed her breasts together from the sides and threw her hair back. "I love these puppies," she said and laughed. "More than Derek ever did, anyway."
"Derek isn't into you that way?" Tim asked.
