Chapter Text
Fire Island, 1973
It was one of the first sunny days when it felt like spring had finally arrived and D. L. Townes was in an exceptionally good mood. It looked like his latest plan would work out even better than he had hoped. Roger was home when he came back from work. Townes came up behind him where he was standing at the counter, cutting up vegetables for a stir fry. He put his arms around Roger from behind and kissed him on the cheek. Roger put down the knife and turned around, “You’re in a good mood today.”
“I am. Do you want to know why or would you rather be surprised?”
“Tell me. Then we can both be in a good mood.”
“I have worked out how we can celebrate our upcoming anniversary. How do you feel about a beach vacation at a gay-friendly destination?”
“Provincetown?”
“No, Fire Island. One of the towns, Cherry Grove, is supposed to be gay friendly.”
“That’s really the name?” Roger said, laughing.
“Well, if it is as gay friendly as it is supposed to be there may very well be a grove full of lost cherries there somewhere. I hear there’s a nude beach.” Townes said with a chuckle. “Anyway, I got a call today about writing it up for a new gay lifestyle magazine. The magazine will pay most of my travel and lodging expenses so if you come with me it’ll be a great vacation and it’ll be much more affordable.”
“So your brilliant idea for a tenth anniversary trip is a working vacation?” Roger said with annoyance.
“Come on, don’t be like that. I can get the work parts out of the way in the first couple of days and we can add on a few days to the trip and it will all balance out.”
“I suppose. I just hate the idea of having to share your attention with work when we are supposed to be on vacation.”
“I know. We barely see each other when you are running a show. And I travel a lot. We both make compromises for our life together to work. And you know the reason I do so much freelance work is to have something to fall back on if I get outed at the newspaper and they fire me.”
“I know. I didn’t mean to ruin your good mood,” Roger apologized.
“You didn’t.” Townes kissed him full on the lips to make the point. “I was aware of the trade-offs we would be making when we got together. If anything choosing to be with you now is easier than it was ten years ago.”
“Ten years ago we could barely keep our hands off each other,” Roger said with a glint in his eye.
“I remember. I missed that 9 am Journalism class so many times I had to drop it and retake it the next semester. It’s a good thing we were already best friends and roommates or everyone would have noticed,” he said with affection.
“Do you ever miss those days?” Roger asked with a hint of wistfulness.
“Sometimes. I miss the energy we had. I miss everything being new.” He sighed. “I don’t miss all of it though. I know myself better now and we have so much history together. I wouldn’t go back again even if I had the chance.”
“I miss some of the crazy times we had our first few years together.”
“We did have fun. And if you want to spice things up now I’m open to suggestions,” Townes said with a wink.
“I have a few ideas. But I’d rather show than tell.” Roger replied in the same flirtatious tone. He turned around to wash his hands. “Maybe we can have a late dinner tonight.”
It took the whole day of traveling to shift from their day-to-day lives to feeling they were on vacation. Townes traveled so often for work that sitting on an airplane no longer held much excitement. This trip was a working vacation but he intended to make the most of the vacation part. They sat together on the LIRR train watching out the windows as the land got flatter and the ground got sandier until there was only scrubby underbrush left. They took a shuttle bus to the ferry terminal and got their first glimpse of the Great South Bay. They could smell the salty ocean breeze before they were even on board. On the ferry they stood outside by the rail on the upper deck and felt the wind on their faces. Their hands brushed against each other and only the long-ingrained habit of not showing affection in public kept them from holding hands.
Townes knew from his research that Fire Island was a barrier beach, 31 miles long and only 2 or 3 blocks wide in most places. He knew there were 18 communities on the island and that Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines had been popular gay vacation spots since at least the 1940s. He had his camera and a list of places to visit, photograph, and write about. None of those things prepared him for the extraordinary experience that was waiting when they stepped off the ferry.
Fire Island is just a very large sand bar held together mostly by beach grass and poison ivy. When they stepped off the ferry they could have almost have seen the dunes on the ocean side of the island if not for the houses and shops in the way. The hotel was only a short way from the pier. In the room, they changed into bathing suits to go to the beach.
Townes chuckled when he turned around and saw Roger in his green bathing suit. “I haven’t seen that suit in a while. It’s one of my favorites.”
“It got a little snug and I stopped wearing it.”
“That’s an improvement in my book,” he said looking Roger over appreciatively.
Townes was wearing navy blue swim trunks with an understated white paisley pattern. He somehow still managed to look elegant and put together even in just a bathing suit. “And as usual you went for tasteful over sexy,” Roger responded, the warmth in his voice taking the sting out of the observation.
“I expect you’ll have lots of opportunities to enjoy the view when we get to the beach,” Townes assured him.
“Oh, I enjoy the eye candy but I’m not interested in tasting it. We’re here to celebrate our anniversary together.”
“So let’s go to the beach and start enjoying it. The sunset over the water should be spectacular.” Townes picked up his beach bag, added a towel and his camera, and put on his sunglasses. Roger grabbed his things and followed him out of the room. The hotel was close to the beach but they had to follow a narrow path through the dunes to get to the ocean. They could hear the crash of the waves before they got to the top of the hill and could see the water. Then at the crest of the hill, the view unfolded in front of them: all golden sand, surging blue-green water, and even bluer sky. The beach wasn’t crowded in the late afternoon but the sun was still warm enough for the breeze off the water to be refreshing. Townes stopped at the top of the dune to snap a few pictures and then they found a place to sit. It was early in the season so the water was still pretty chilly. But the rushing water still felt good when the waves broke and surged past their legs as they waded into the surf. Just watching the waves roll in toward the shore and break was relaxing in an almost hypnotic way.
The other part that was relaxing was not feeling like they were standing out in a crowd the way they often felt like they did in other places. There were several other same-sex couples at the beach. It wasn’t always obvious at first but after a brief bit of observation Townes could see the subtle connections, how partners were aware and tuned in to one another, how they were comfortable sharing the same space. Some internal part of himself that was usually tense and watchful when he and Roger were out together in public started to loosen up slightly. Roger was more pleased than surprised when they were lying on their towels after getting out of the water and Townes tentatively reached out for his hand. It was a small gesture, something no one else was near enough to even see. But it marked a big difference in how he normally acted in public.
They stayed at the beach until the last sliver of red sun dipped below the watery horizon and the sky was shaded from peachy pink to lavender to twilight blue. They quickly showered and changed in their room before wandering around town looking for a good place to get dinner. They settled on a seafood place with outdoor seating that overlooked the Great South Bay. It was on Townes’s list of places to review and the seafood was very fresh. The stuffed clams had been happily living in the bay yesterday. And the Bluefish had been caught early the same morning. The corn, tomatoes, and other vegetables had been grown on the East end of Long Island and came across on the ferry that day.
Because summer was tourist season all the shops, restaurants, and bars were open late. They wandered down the main street after dinner and stopped in a souvenir shop. Townes had picked out some postcards and was looking at possible gifts to bring back for friends when Roger came up and said, “I found the perfect thing for you!”
At the back of the store behind the racks of T-shirts and sweatshirts emblazoned with Fire Island or Cherry Grove was a rack of bathing suits. Very small bathing suits. Roger was asking, “Do you like the royal blue or the navy? I like the royal blue; I think it is perfect with your coloring.” The bathing suit in question was a snug-fitting Speedo that made a pair of briefs look modest. And to make things worse the one Roger was holding was a size too small.
“I thought you were going to look at the eye candy not try and turn me into it,” he said, torn between embarrassment and laughter.
“I dare you to wear it.” Roger’s eyes were glinting with mischief.
“If they have my size, maybe.” He went through the bathing suits hanging on the rack and found his usual size. It was a nice shade of blue, his favorite color. “It won’t leave much to the imagination.”
“That’s part of its charm.”
“I suppose I can’t turn down a dare.” He said.
“Consider it a gift. One we can both enjoy.” Roger said, taking the bathing suit and walking towards the register at the front of the store.
After leaving the souvenir shop with their purchases they continued to walk around town. It was approaching eleven so many places were starting to close up even in tourist season. But not the bars and pubs. They eventually ended up at a place called The Seal and Crown that had the style of an Irish pub and a chalkboard sign out front announcing live music tonight. Inside the pub was all dark wood and dim lighting. On one side, opposite the bar, was a group of musicians playing traditional Irish folk music. There were two women with reddish-brown hair and dark eyes who looked enough alike to be related. The woman playing the Irish flute was a bit taller and had wavy hair that fell past her shoulders. The other woman had shorter, curlier hair and was playing a fiddle. The two men in the group looked to be a generation older. One had a guitar and the other was playing a small lap drum.
The band was playing mostly traditional folk songs. Townes only recognized a few. Roger knew several more thanks to his music background. He’d learned to play piano as a child and picked up more music theory later on. Since finishing college he volunteered as music director for a number of community theater productions. He pronounced the group to be “remarkably good for a bar band,” especially when it became clear that at least 2 of the musicians played more than one instrument. They sat and sipped their Guinnesses and listened to the music. Towards the end of the evening, the musicians played songs that were popular enough that the audience was invited to sing along with the choruses. And that was how they found themselves walking back to their hotel trying to harmonize the chorus of Sweet Maggie Malone (“Cockles and mussels alive, alive-o”) and laughing. Fortunately for anyone listening they were both good enough singers to still be on key even when tipsy.
When they passed the path over the dunes Townes had a sudden urge to see the beach by moonlight. But Roger convinced him that there were better ways to end their first night of vacation. And with so many years of practice, they had no trouble pleasing each other in bed. Roger fell asleep contentedly when they finished. But Townes was still restless.
It was late and it had been a busy day but Townes wasn’t sleepy. He still wanted to see the beach at night and take pictures of the moonlight on the water. He got up quietly and dressed in the dark, picking up his camera bag, tripod, and jacket. He didn’t think to leave a note.
Outside in the moonlight was like walking inside a black and white photo. The beach grass along the path that was gray-green in the daytime was silvery gray at night. The gibbous moon was bright and waxing. It would be full before their trip was over and the Milky Way was a wide stripe of stars across the sky. Perhaps the pictures would be better with a full moon but this was a good time to go and get a feel for setting up the best shots. He could hear the waves breaking more than see them even when he was over the crest of the hill. His eyes slowly adjusted to the low light. There was a moon path across the water to where the moon was hanging above the horizon, big and bright. The moonlight caught the breaking waves along the moon path. For a moment he thought he saw someone swimming but it was hard to see between the waves in the dark. And when he next saw a head surface closer to shore it belonged to a seal and not a person. He got his camera out and changed to a faster speed film for the dim light. By the time he had changed the film and adjusted the camera settings, the seal was out of sight. He took several shots of the moon path over the water, some using the tripod to keep the camera steady for a longer exposure. Then he climbed the lifeguard stand to get a different perspective.
As he was climbing down from the lifeguard stand he thought he heard the song of a flute or recorder being played in the distance. But sounds can carry a long way over the water and can seem to change the direction they are coming from every time the wind shifts. He looked around but couldn’t see anyone else on the beach. So he just listened. The flute had a silvery quality that reminded him of the moonlight on water. He thought the song might be an old folk song but he couldn’t quite place which one. The mystery musician played a while longer and he stood there, leaning against the lifeguard stand and listening until the music faded away. When he was sure it was done he gathered up his camera bag and tripod. But as he turned to go he saw he was no longer alone on the beach. A little way down the beach there was a woman dancing naked in the moonlight. From where he was standing it looked like the moon path across the water was her own personal spotlight. Much of the time the sight of a woman’s body didn’t interest him very much. But the way the moonlight was playing on her curves and the breeze was lifting her hair as she lifted her arms above her head appealed to his artistic sense. It was enchanting and he couldn’t look away. In fact, he found himself slowly approaching her. She spun around as part of her dance and caught sight of him.
She laughed, “Well, I suppose you’ve caught me.” Her voice was low and musical and held a hint of an Irish accent. She bent down and picked up her dress from the sand and threw it on over her head in a fluid motion. “There, now I'm dressed to meet you. I’m Selena.” He found himself captivated by her smile.
“D. L. Townes,” he introduced himself.
“Are you going to tell me what the initials are for?”
“Not just now. Only my good friends know.”
“Very wise. Never tell strangers or fae your full name. It gives them too much power over you.”
“If we talk a while maybe we won’t be strangers anymore.” He said with a hint of his usual charm.
“I wouldn’t mind a bit of conversation. Most of the time I’m the only one down here this late at night.” She sat down in the sand facing the ocean and motioned for him to join her.
“I didn’t mean to disturb your privacy. You’re a beautiful dancer.”
“Thank you.” She smiled again at the sincere compliment.
He saw something on the sand behind her and asked, “Are you also the flute player I heard?”
She reached for the instrument and showed him. “It’s more like a recorder or a pipe than a flute but it isn’t exactly either one. It’s carved bone.” She held it out so he could see it better. The moonlight reflected off its ivory surface and illuminated the holes and a design carved on the body of the pipe. “It was my grandmother’s before she passed it on to me but it’s older than that. I don’t know who carved it originally. It’s been in the family a very long time.” She put it to her lips and played a few notes of a melody. Its tone was even more complex and haunting close up.
“Whatever it is, it has a beautiful sound.”
“I can play most of the traditional Irish pipes and flutes but this one is my favorite. Some instruments almost seem to have their own personality. This one does. That’s part of why she’s my favorite. That and all the history. I have wonderful memories of listening to my grandmother play when I was a child.”
Townes tilted his head and looked at her more carefully. “I thought you looked familiar. You were playing at the Seal and Crown earlier tonight, weren’t you?”
“Yes. It’s my uncles’ place. Well, not exactly my uncle, my cousin’s father and stepfather, but close enough. My cousin and my uncles are the rest of the band you saw. Molly and I are here for the busy season to help out. And playing music is much more fun than tending bar or waiting tables.” When she smiled Selena looked barely old enough to be tending bar.
“What do you do when you aren’t here for the summer?”
“I live in a small town on the coast in Nova Scotia. It looks like it could have been transported directly from Ireland when everyone came over 100 years ago. It’s beautiful but it gets awfully dull during the long winters. And of course everyone there is either a relative or someone I’ve known my whole life.”
“I know how that is. I grew up in a little town in Kentucky where half the town is related and they mostly all go to the same church. But I don’t live there anymore. I knew I’d never fit in there so I went away to school and never go back except to visit.”
“Marrying young and having a whole bunch of kids wasn’t your life plan either?”
Townes looked away and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “Umm, not exactly. Wouldn’t have minded being a father but it isn’t likely to happen. And my sister has provided my parents with enough grandchildren I’m probably off the hook.”
She looked at him sideways. “And you aren’t the marrying kind, are you?”
“No, I suppose not.” He said shyly.
She laughed softly. “I won’t say anything but you don’t have to hide so much here. My uncles have been together for years. And most of the folks who spend their holidays here are the same.”
“I know. I’m a reporter and I am supposed to write about all the things to do here on vacation. For a magazine with a very specific audience,” he said pointedly.
“I hope you are enjoying yourself. You and your friend?” her voice went up with the question and she tilted her head slightly.
He nodded. “Yes. It’s lovely here. We only just arrived today though so I haven’t seen much.”
“I can show you around if you want but it’s not a big town. Tomorrow night have to run the open mic night. But the pub doesn’t open until noon and I can sometimes get a break if it gets slow in the afternoon between the lunch and dinner rushes. You can come by and look for me if you like.”
“Maybe we will stop by. Or come to the open mic night. What kinds of acts do you usually get for that?”
“A lot of people sing or play music. We try to encourage Irish and folk music on Tuesdays. Sometimes it just turns into a big jam session and it is good fun for all of us musicians. But Thursdays are more of a mix—more pop music, sometimes some poetry or a drag act. Still a good time though.”
“It sounds like it. I’ll see if Roger wants to check it out. Maybe he’ll even feel like singing. Is there a piano there?”
“There is,” she said with a smile.
“Then there’s a good chance you’ll see us there.”
They talked for a long time about all kinds of things. Townes found her cheerful manner and easy laugh engaging. Selena told him more about Cherry Grove and its unique history and culture as a gay community. Townes told her that he and Roger were on vacation to celebrate their tenth anniversary together. And about how they’d met and become best friends in college. Selena talked about how she and Molly—her cousin who was more like a sister—had been spending summers on Fire Island for almost ten years. Molly had been born here and her parents had lived on Fire Island for the first few years of her life. Then when Molly’s parents split up her mom brought 6-year-old Molly back home and she and Molly had been inseparable best friends ever since. Townes told her about traveling as a reporter and seeing and photographing places all over the world.
The moon had set and the sky was starting to lighten with a grayish predawn glow when they walked up the path through the dunes and away from the beach. Townes offered to walk her back to where she was staying. But Selena just laughed her low musical laugh and said this was a very safe town for a woman to walk alone at night.
He tried to be quiet when he unlocked the hotel room door but the tripod slipped out of his grasp and thunked loudly against the wooden door. Roger turned over just as he came in and asked, “You were out?”
“I couldn’t sleep and I wanted to take some pictures of the beach at night. The moon over the ocean was breathtaking. I hope some of the shots come out.”
“It’s nearly morning. How many pictures did you take?”
“A couple of rolls of film.” Townes thought of not saying anything else. But honesty had always been an important part of their relationship. “I sat down at the beach for a while thinking. And then I heard someone playing music. It turned out to be Selena, the flute player we saw playing at the pub last night. I’ll introduce you to her tomorrow. I guess we talked longer than I realized. I’m sorry for waking you up.”
Roger was irritated at the lack of consideration but it didn’t seem worth arguing over in the middle of the night. Besides Townes’s way of charming everyone and making friends everywhere they went was one of the things he’d always admired. He sighed. “I can’t take my eyes off you for a minute can I? Just come to bed it’s nearly morning already.”
By then Townes had undressed and gotten into bed. He put an arm around Roger in an attempted apology. But it didn’t get the intended result when his cold hand touched Roger’s sleep-warmed stomach. Roger pulled his hand away saying, “Your hand is freezing. What are you doing?”
“Warming up?”
Roger turned over to face him. “Fine. I’m awake now. How do you want to warm up?”
Townes leaned close and gently kissed a line of kisses up his neck toward his ear and breathed into it, “How’s this work as a start?” The rest of the conversation took place without words.
When Townes woke up the next morning the sun was high and he was alone in the room. But when he looked around there was a note and breakfast on the table. The note said:
“If you get up before noon you can come find me at the beach where we were yesterday. If not, I’ll come back and we can go get lunch. I left you breakfast but I expect the coffee will be cold by the time you are up. There is ice and milk if you want iced coffee.
--R.”
In addition to the now-cold coffee, there was a small carton of milk, a tall plastic cup of melting ice, a bowl of fruit salad, and a bagel with cream cheese. By the time he showered and had breakfast, it was after eleven. When he stepped out of the hotel the sun was blindingly bright and the air was quite warm. He put on his sunglasses and thought of how different it all looked by moonlight.
The beach was more crowded near midday than it had been in the late afternoon. But it still wasn’t difficult to find Roger close to where they had been sitting the day before. Roger looked up from his book when Townes got there and said, “I’m disappointed. Where’s the blue bathing suit?”
“It’s so small; you must have overlooked it,” he replied teasingly.
Roger looked at him over the top of his sunglasses. “Really?”
“Really,” he confirmed. “I wouldn’t turn down a dare.” Townes was wearing a blue t-shirt and a pair of tan shorts. He slipped off his sandals and slowly took off his shorts. The tiny blue bathing suit was mostly hidden by the t-shirt of nearly the same color, giving the illusion the shirt was all he was wearing. He looked Roger in the eye and said, “Are you sure you haven’t overlooked anything?” then he pulled the t-shirt over his head.
“Oh, trust me, I’m looking it over closely right now,” Roger said laughing. “It looks good on you.”
“I’m glad you like it,” He said, smiling shyly and blushing a little. “Have you got the sunscreen? I want to swim. Maybe the cold water will help me wake up.” Roger passed him the sunscreen. As he started putting on the sunscreen he added, “Thanks for bringing me breakfast. The iced coffee was a good idea.”
“A better idea than staying up half the night talking to a girl,” Roger muttered.
“I know, I know. Nothing you’d be tempted to do.” Townes said, playfully shoving Roger in the arm. Better to joke about it than argue he figured. But it didn’t make it any less of a sore spot. I wasn’t like either one of them could help who they were or weren’t attracted to. In his opinion what mattered was if one acted on those sorts of casual attractions. And he had no intention of doing that unless they agreed on it together. “C'mon. Let’s get in the water.”
They swam for almost an hour then sat on the beach for a while to dry off before deciding to go get some lunch. As they walked up the path from the beach Townes said, “Listen, I’m sorry about last night. It wasn’t planned but it was inconsiderate. And I’m not sure how to make it up to you.”
Roger turned to him with his usual good humor restored and said, “Well, you did wear the Speedo today. That’s a good start.”
“I wish I’d known sooner that was all it took.” He caught Roger’s eye and they were laughing together as if nothing had happened.
“At risk of things being awkward, I’d like you to meet Selena. I think you’ll like her. If nothing else, you have music in common.” So they went to have a late lunch at the Seal and Crown. Selena was there waiting tables in an aqua polo shirt that said Seal and Crown on it and a black apron over her shorts. With her hair pulled back in a ponytail she looked like she could be a college student waiting tables on her summer break. It was completely at odds with the image in Townes’s head of her dancing in the moonlight. But his pensive mood went unnoticed because of Selena’s outrageous attempts to flirt with Roger. Roger tapped into his own flair for the dramatic and returned her flirtation with more of the same. Finally Roger kissed her hand dramatically and Townes said, laughing, “Enough. I wanted you two to get along but this is ridiculous.” He turned to Selena and asked. “Does this routine really get you better tips in this town?”
Selena laughed and said. “Oh, hardly ever. But it is good fun. And don’t worry, I know he’s yours.”
He looked at Roger fondly and said softly, “For a long time now.”
Roger returned the look and agreed, “Ten years this spring.”
She smiled at both of them and said, “Congratulations. You seem well matched.” She took out her order pad and asked for their lunch orders. She added that they were nearly the last table for lunch and once she brought the next-to-last table their check she could take a break and talk with them until their food was ready. A few minutes later she came back with their iced teas and Townes got out his notebook with the list of places to check out. Selena added a few places to the list and suggested that they also go check out some places over in The Pines, the next town over. Townes was determined to get through as much of the list as possible by the end of the weekend so they could have the rest of the vacation to relax.
After lunch they rented bicycles and rode to the western end of Fire Island to see the lighthouse. Townes took plenty of pictures. For dinner they went to the only oceanfront restaurant in town, fancifully named the Sandcastle. The food was good and the view was even better. After dinner they walked on the beach and watched the sunset over the water. Townes, of course, took more pictures.
Open mic night at the Seal and Crown didn’t start until nine but this time of year it was just twilight at that time in the evening. When they got there Molly had a clipboard with the signup list and Selena had the microphone and was announcing the acts. There were half a dozen acts on the list already. That gave them enough time to choose a song. They settled on the Simon and Garfunkel version of Scarborough Fair. It went better with guitar than piano so they sang it unaccompanied. But they’d had enough practice singing together that their voices blended well. Selena complimented them for their lovely rendition when they finished. Several people took their turns and then retreated to sit in the audience and listen for the rest of the evening. But there were six or eight people who went straight to sign up for their next turn as soon as they were done. Roger and Townes did the same and they had time to sing 3 more songs that night.
When they signed up to sing another song Molly offered to accompany them on guitar or lap harp next time, warning them those were only her third and fourth-best instruments, her best instruments being the fiddle and mandolin. Roger teasingly said that if her fiddle playing was anything to go by then she would sound great even on her third-best instrument. But they did take Molly up on her offer to borrow a tambourine. Townes played the tambourine and Roger played piano and they sang Jim Croce’s You Don’t Mess Around with Jim. It was an up-tempo song and popular on the radio that summer so the audience sang along with the choruses and they got a lot of applause. The next song was Paul Simon’s Kodachrome. As a photographer, it was one of Townes’s favorites. They made sure to change the line about “all the girls I knew when I was single” to “all the boys we knew when we were single” just like they did when they sang it with their friends at home. The audience cheered. The last song they picked was Don McLean’s American Pie. At 8 minutes it was really too long for an open mic night. But they had challenged each other to memorize all the lyrics the summer before and they made it all the way through without messing up the verses.
At quarter to eleven, Selena announced that the open mic program officially ended at eleven, and anyone who wanted one more turn should sign up now. When they went to put their names on the list one last time Molly explained that once the official list was done that most of the regulars would still stay and take turns singing and playing until closing. Once she put away the clipboard she and Selena were free to sing with them. Molly got her guitar from the back and the four of them discussed which songs they all knew. At first, when they started singing they weren’t quite together and it took until partway through the first song before their voices blended. Townes was a little self-conscious as the one in the group with the least musical background. But with the lowest range, his voice tended to be in the background anyway. Molly’s soprano and Roger’s tenor voices were the ones that stood out. He could hear in the way Molly and Selena played off each other’s harmonies that they’d had a lifetime of practice singing together. After a song or two, the details faded away and all that was left was the joy of singing in a group of talented musicians who were all enjoying themselves. Selena’s uncles and some of the other regulars swapped in for some songs. After a while Townes just sat back and listened. It was nearly two am by the time the singing finished for the night. Selena came up to them at the end, still flushed and catching her breath from the last song they'd sung and thanked Roger and Townes for coming to sing with them. Townes couldn’t help smiling back at her obvious pleasure in the music.
Walking back to their hotel Roger said it had been one the most enjoyable evenings of music he could remember having spent anywhere. And he was glad Townes had met Selena if that was the outcome.