The Mess that is Tess

Chapter III: Meet François

When he was five, François learned what music was. His parents weren’t wealthy, but the one thing they made sure was for him to get a proper education. His mom was French, which would mean she made everything in her power for him to be classy and full of cultural knowledge. He started studying piano when he was 3, but that didn’t go well, as he hated it so much to the point that he was having a tantrum every time he saw the piano teacher on the door. His mom concluded he is too young and was convinced by his dad to give him a break and try again in a couple of years.

On the day he turned five, his mom gave him his present. He would always receive two presents, one from each parent. That was mainly because the two could not agree on what the child should get. While his mom was all about music, education and basically not so fun stuff for a child, his dad was all about construction, engineering and mending in general. Which was a bit more fun, as he would buy him toys, even if it meant for him to build them before he plays with them. He didn’t mind that. He did mind his mom’s obsession to make him the next Beethoven. While she gave up the idea to start any music lessons with him, she kept offering him instruments as a gift. She was not a musician, to make clear of that. She didn’t have the best voice and she only knew to play Twinkle Twinkle on the piano, but she made a promise to herself that her son will be a musician, because she didn’t get the chance to be one.

The present he got from his mom was a mixed tape. A collection of Vienna Philharmonic concerts. He did enjoy listening to music, so he was happy with that, even if it wasn’t a toy. He listened to the tape over and over again. He was fascinated by the way each instrument complemented the other within a melody. He could clearly hear each of them and all of them together at the same time. It felt like magic.

After a couple of days, he went to his mom and gave her the big news: I want to play like this, mommy!” His mom was delighted, and she asked which of the instruments he would like to play. François answered all. He didn’t want to play a specific instrument, he wanted to know how to play them all, or have someone else play them for him, and he would only organise them. He didn’t know how to express himself properly, but his mom got the idea that he was more into being a conductor… than a musician. But he was determined to learn the “behind the scenes” of each instrument and how you can make them play in such harmony. So he started again to learn how to play the piano, then he moved on to violin, then to cello, then he went on for guitar, and so on and so forth. He was determined to understand how all instruments are played, to be able to harmonize them together and create music.

He didn’t know then when he was 5, but he knew later that his passion was creating music.

When he was older, all the engineering side of his childhood helped him to work around devices, to build one that could transfer music from one tape to another, mixing the songs. He would play part of a tape with new songs, and another system playing the instrument he thought will complement the song. A third device would record the new song on a new tape. So he would hear a song on the radio, and he would think of what instrument would go well with that song. In his head, there were always instruments playing the moment he heard a song. It was like a private symphony, his own orchestra. He loved mixing the pop and rock songs everyone knew and love with some classic elements, with a violin, a piano or even a trumpet.

His teenage years were golden. He became popular for his mixed tapes and he made a lot of money selling them to friends and colleagues. To close friends, he would actually share the mixed ones he was creating, popular songs, mixed with classic instruments. He was very popular as everyone knew about Francis, the guy with the music.

When he was 17, the owner of a local bar and disco club asked him if he would like to play his mixed tapes one evening for a party. He accepted and then a new world opened up for him. He never got the chance to listen to his music on loud speakers, in an open space. He loved it. So much that he asked the owner if he could play every week in the weekends.

His music was so well received that the owner accepted to have him in, even offered him a contract and a salary for his part time job. But he did mention that he needs a generic name, one that would be catchy and easy to remember. He thought about DJ Boom Boom as it seemed fun and accessible. He was known as Francis, and François for close friends, family and of course his mom.

When time for collage came, one year after he was already known in the music industry, writing songs here and there for different artists, he decided to pursue an engineering career, at least to study it. He felt he needed to make his dad proud as his mom was happy enough that he loved music. He studied electric engineer and got a diploma and was offered a job straight away. He took it as he needed money to be able to make his dream come true: having his own club.

Even if for a musician like he was, having a club seemed like he was dreaming small, he wanted his safe space where he could play his music. It took him 3 years till he could have enough to buy the place he used to work in. He had enough money to renovate it and create a community around the club. Everyone knew everyone and he liked the familiarity of the place.

He was happy. He had his own place, he had his music and he still had his engineering job, that he decided to make it part time. He often said he would give up on it, but he liked that part of his life. Liked his colleagues, his boss, and he was good at it.

He had everything he wanted. He wasn’t much after the ladies, but he could have anyone he wanted as he was handsome enough. Since that aquaman guy became popular, the ladies were mad about him, as he was often compared with that Momoa guy. He went to the gym to let off some steam, it was not his fault he would easily build muscles, it was genetics. His dad was broad shouldered and tall, his grandpa was the same, there were just good gens.

He thought he already had the love of his life story. So he wasn’t really into anything else after that.

When he was 18, he was still playing his music at the local club. He was very much into his music, but he did have eyes, and he was still a man, so he couldn’t help but notice the group of young ladies, especially one of them. She was a tall blonde, blue eyed, would have noticed later. She was stunning. Long straight hair, all the way to her fine, fine buttocks. She was in her early twenties, he would have thought. He could not take his eyes of her. She looked like an angel, but her dance moves were not innocent at all. She seemed she has noticed him, as from time to time, she would turn to look at him, but mostly she was dancing with her back at him. And, man, that did not help his teenage hormones at all.

He fell in love with her right there and then, without knowing anything about her. Sure, he was just a teenager, and sure he fell in love with her looks mostly, but he could not help it.

He tried to talk to her, but she acted like she didn’t notice him at all. But now and then he could see her looking at him, flashing her lashes.

At the end of the evening, she came straight to him and kiss him hard on the lips. He did not know what hit him. She went on straight forward telling him she is celebrating her divorce with her friends and she is only looking for a one night stand. Take it or leave it. He took it. He was young, not stupid.

They went to her place and he left the place after 2 nights. She was as wild as her dance moves. There was nothing angelic on her, except for her features. He knew he loved her, but he also knew he won’t tell her that, not now, not ever maybe. She then told him she was 35 years old. She was shocked to know he is only 18. She was sure he is around 25 or so, still too young, but acceptable for a fun night. But they were already in the middle of things, so she could not stop, it was enough he had a legal age. She did not revealed much about herself, except the fact that she was divorced and a surgeon. All she wanted was be with him, nothing more.

He left after 2 days, singing his symphony out loud, as he did not care of anything or anyone. She did ask for his phone number, but she didn’t say when or if she’s going to call. Be he knew she will, for sure.

She called 2 days later, asking if he could come to visit her that night. He went. He knew she might just be on the rebound, but he did not care, not yet anyways. They would meet at her place twice per week, not too much chat, mostly straight into things.

After a month of seeing each other, he tried to ask her more about her, to learn what she likes and what she doesn’t like. But she didn’t want to share much. She explained that for now this is what she needs. Not knowing each other enough to care, to buy flowers or to do things for each other. She just needed him for his body.

He was disappointed and he could not hide it. He was so much more than his body, and he hated when people only were impressed with that, only wanted him for that. But at the same time, he wanted her, so much that he could accept the agreement, no talk, just s*x.

That is why he liked Tess, Tess was all about people’s mind, way of being and way of acting, less about his looks. First time she chatted with him, even if she was just a teenage girl, she asked him all about his music, how is he able to create such beautiful songs, how can he see which song goes with which instrument. She loved “You’re simply the best”, and the way the instruments complemented the song. Not like her friend Mia, who was giggling like a school girl, which she still was, looking at him from head to toe, all red faced, the redness reaching her ears, making her look like Santa’s help.

But back when he was 18, he just thought the blonde angelic woman is his soulmate and he was determined to make her see him as more than a bod. After 6 months into the same relationship, learning little to nothing about her, he decided to open up the conversation about what this meant to her. She was taken aback. She thought she was clear enough with him. She was just getting out of a 10 years marriage, where she was left with trust issues, with her self-esteem as low as it can get, hurt and with all her hopes and dreams shattered.

He was shocked, she, with low self-esteem?! The queen of dancing and flirting, she, who came to him that night and went straight to the point, getting him in bed with her?

Well, the truth was, she saw him looking at her with hungry eyes, so she knew it would be an easy target. She would never dare to ask him anything if she would not see him looking at her all night, and also after she had a few shots of Mojito.

So she was more vulnerable than he thought. He wanted to know what happened with that bastard of her husband that hurt her. He wanted to know what her hopes and dreams were, so he could help and make them true, make them real for her. But he just hold her tight in his arms, as he felt that that was what she needed. No words, just touches.

He tried to learn more about her, casually asking one thing or another for the next couple of months. He wanted to know more. Once he started colleges, they would see each other every weekend, but he would text her the odd funny message now and then to make her smile. She would always reply with a smile face or sometimes with a two words sentence.

He could not wait for the weekend so he could see her, feel her, kiss her, and talk to her more.

Over an year went by. He definitely learned more about her, and things were going well, except with the fact that she wouldn’t ask him anything about himself, especially about his music. He loved his music and he loved her, and he really wanted for her to take more interest in what he was doing, in what he loved to do. But she didn’t ask much about him, except how was your week, how was your day, how is work in the club.

He said he could keep going with that, until one day when he said he will talk to her, openly. They knew each other so well, that he had to know. He asked her what does she want out of this. She said straight into his face that she is just having fun. Sure there are some feelings involved, but she wants a family, she wants a home with kids, a dog and a cat, and he is way to young to give her that. She than said she was dating another man, someone from work, for a couple of months, well, they only got the chance to go on 3 dates, with work and all.

With work and all, all being having s*x with him, having fun with him. He was just fun. Her words sank into his head all the way to his heart. He was just fun. She was seeing another man and she was admitting it so freely.

She also added that they never said they were exclusive. Well, they never said they weren’t either. And after more than a year, he thought this is it, a relationship.

She said he better go and not come back or call her, as obviously this went too far, and he is to young to know what having fun or having an affair is.

He did go and never called and never looked back.

He heard after a while someone telling him that she got married, and a while later that she had a baby, and another one. And a cat, and a dog, and a house and a family. Exactly like she wanted.

She never asked and she never knew. That was exactly what he wanted as well. With her.