“I can see how that applies to me. You truly inspired me and my music, but what about them? They are not musical at all.”
“To you, Tee, I was Euterpe, the well-pleasing Muse of music and lyric poetry. For Zack, I was Erato, the Muse of love or erotic poetry, lyrics, and marriage songs.”
“What about me? How do I fit into this Muse thing?”
“To you, Chris, I was Polyhymnia, the singer of many hymns. The Muse of oratory and rhetoric.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Do you remember the day we met, Chris?”
“I do.”
“You were looking for solution to your problems with business, so I helped you with that.”
“I get it,” Tavarus said.
“That’s good. Maybe you could tell me then.”
“You said it yourself: She taught you how to present yourself to prospective clients. She helped you stabilize your big accounts, and got you new business. That made it possible for you and CJ to bring in me and Zack,” Tavarus said.
“What’s this? You two are joining his business?”
“Made us an offer today,” Zack said.
“Good, ’cause you really needed to be doing something with your talent.”
By that time, the band came on the stage and began turning up. “Look, I gotta get ready; you all stay and enjoy the show.” Tavarus kissed Tyhedra on the cheek and headed for the stage.
I looked at Tyhedra and she looked into my eyes. She turned to Zack. “You’ll excuse me and Chris for a minute,” she said and stood up.
“No problem.”
“Chris, can I talk to you for a minute?”
I got up and followed Tyhedra out of the club. We walked in silence for a little ways. “I want you to know that I meant what I said in there. I really was just trying to be helpful. It’s just that sometimes my own passions get in the way. But with you it was different. I got weak for you. Weaker for you than any man ever had me.”
“Is that why you ran away from me?”
“Now you know why I felt that I had to. If I hurt you, and I can tell from that look that I did, I never meant for it to happen and I definitely never meant to cause you any pain. So I ran. I tried to get as far from you as I could, so this wouldn’t happen. I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”
I stood there and looked at her for a minute. “I do owe you a lot.”
“There was something between you and CJ, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“I could tell every time I talked to her. She gave me the feeling that I was invading on something that she considered to be hers. But neither of you were willing to admit to what you both made so obvious.”
“Right again.”
“The truth was I was just standing in her place, and to you, I began to feel like you could get from me what you really wanted from her. I would have just been in the way of what you really wanted.”
“I guess I could be thanking you, too?”
“Only if you think you have something to thank me for.”
“Come on, let’s go watch the show,” I said, and started walking.