Sonia Harris laughed. "Embouchure!" she said, and she laughed again. Van der Bos had pursed his lips and his face was darkening. She lay her refined hand delicately on his. "How delightful! You must pardon me, Mr. van der Bos. I had never considered that!"
"It's very important with woodwinds," he retorted. It was a stuffy thing to say, but van der Bos was thawing again, nevertheless, under the impact of Ms. Harris's charm.
She had personal charm, and the waiting room had been restrained and tasteful, except for the artworks, perhaps. The office was really quite lovely, and Ms. Harris had put him at ease, until now. Van der Bos was used to good things and educated company; but the chewed pencils on her desk were a false note.
Perhaps she likes to have things in her mouth, he mused.
A sudden thought made her eyes light again with mischief. "And flutes, I imagine!"
Playing the skin flute
was a phrase from her past; she hadn't heard it since the college.
"Technically, the flute is considered a woodwind," the pedantic man offered.
"And it is always hard and long! Oh, please, forgive me if you can, dear man. I am incorrigible with a new idea. Very well! Young and sweet, and very willing to follow direction-- I believe we can accommodate you rather well. Let us turn to the formalities, then. I think you will be entirely pleased, I really do."
* * * * *
Mr. van der Bos was suddenly very warm when he put down the telephone. The pupil he'd arranged for through the "It's Just Sex!" agency was on the way, and so quickly! Oboe, she'd said. The entire idea now seemed disastrously, monstrously wrong. Incredibly risky-- but also incredibly exciting. He trembled, but his shoulders pulled in and his head drooped.
"What have I done, what have I done?" he muttered. He thought about having a drink, but he wasn't enough of a drinker; the stuff affected him too strongly, it would be horrible. He flitted around the room, inefficiently, tidying inconsequential objects. He carried the waste paper basket into the kitchen to empty it. Regrets and anxiety prevented him from even thinking in sentences.
Stepping on the pedal and seeing the steel pail open its mouth broke the spell. As he dumped the paper in his shoulders straightened and he took a deep breath.
"Well!" said he, "What a fool I am; but how much can go wrong?" It's just a young pupil, isn't it?
With calm steps he moved to the front room and replaced the basket by the piano with a firm hand. Another good breath. "And he will surely know what we will do," he told himself.
But as he sat and waited he began to fidget, even to sweat. He checked his watch, but time was moving by no faster. A minute per minute. He wanted to make a reed or something, distract himself, but Ms. Harris had spoken as though the boy would come any moment.
"I'm acting like a schoolboy," he said, frowning. Immediately, the knock came on the front door. Like a schoolboy Van der Bos wiped his palms on his shirtfront as he went to answer it.
"Mr. van--"
"Do come in! Quick! There." Van der Bos shut the door and checked the street for witnesses. Nothing. The sun washed the street and hardly a leaf stirred.
The room seemed dark when he turned again. He saw oxfords and tan khakis. The 18-year-old boy had an oboe case. He was dressed well enough. His eyes continued upward-- such a perfect complexion!
He was beautiful.
He was speaking.
"Is something wrong?"
"I'm sorry, young man; your name again, please?" There, thought he, that's the right note. His own voice returned him his confidence.
"Peter Stockwell, sir."
"Come and sit, please. May I see your instrument?"
The boy's eyes went very wide. He froze and his fist tightened on the handle.
Already? he thought, panicking. I just got here!
But van der Bos was reaching out, low-- for the case. "The oboe! Yes!" He made his arm work and passed it to the older man. He watched the practiced fingers turn each piece, assemble the body of it and flutter the keywork, and slyly evaluated him. Van der Bos was dapper and deft; he had dignity. But he seemed brusque.
I wish he would smile, Peter thought. But it seemed a forlorn hope.
Van der Bos pulled a reed case from his pocket and selected one. He placed the case on the table with the oboe's case and then he did smile. "May I?"
Peter nodded and smiled back.
"It's a good student oboe," remarked the older man. He fitted the reed, fluttered the keys again, and played a phrase, then the same phrase very softly. Peter had never achieved so full a tone, or especially such a controlled soft sound.
"It never sounds that good when I play it."
"It's a real reed. The synthetics are easier to play, but for good dynamics you need reed. And firm embouchure." Van der Bos hiked an eyebrow at him with this word, and he smiled again.
"I know, but it's not easy." Peter liked his smile, and already admired him. He seemed worldly and sardonic. He hadn't yet interpreted the pun, though.
"Embouchure can be learned," replied van der Bos, plucking out his reed and placing it in the little case. He disassembled the oboe, though. Playing had centered him and he was once more the master. "Will you place yourself in my hands?"
Well, yeah! thought Peter. The boy understood the double meaning this time. "Sure, what do I do?"