Cross My Heart and Hope to Die

Snow was piled up around parked cars as he crawled across town. He felt his tires skidd a couple of times and sat up in his seat for better control. Soft jazz music piped out of the speakers.
He pulled up in front of Oscars music store and got out. The wind bit at his face as he removed the guitar from the back and chimed his way into the old store.
"Oh my goodness, in walks a stranger" said the old man behind the counter.
"What's up old man" Jordan replied with a grin.
Oscar's warm grandfatherly grin lightened Jordans's heart.
"So what brings you in after so many months in hiding?" Oscar asked with a concerned face.
Jordan's smile broadened, sometimes he felt that Oscar could read his mind.
Music posters, some yellowing with age, were wallpapered everywhere. Jordan glanced around and spotted their poster right beside one of himself alone.
"Yeah, its still there kid" Oscar said winking at him.
"Still got these too" he tapped the framed photos behind him. All were of famous people who had patronized his store.
Most of them were signed with the various owners untidy scroll.
"So what did you do to this thing?" Oscar said as he hobbled around the counter and picked up the guitar.
"Don't ask, do you think you can fix it?" Jordan asked.
"Oh I have definitely fixed much worse. All it needs are new strings and it will be good as new!" Oscar said and then he looked into Jordan's face
"Does this mean what I think it does?" Oscar said with a reproachful glance
"Don't get too excited old man, your ticker might quit!" Jordan said with a laugh.
"Not this old thing," Oscar said tapping his chest, "my lovely wife keeps it going daily."
"Gross," Jordan said pulling away from him, "Too much information Oscar"
The both laughed.
"No, I'm not even thinking of going back to that," Jordan said looking at the floor, "I'm just cleaning up some old loose ends."
"Well sometimes cleaning out the loose ends lets you see what really should be there," Oscar said sagely.
"What the fuck are you talking about old man, your brain going loopy," Jordan said as he lightly punched his shoulder.
"Poke fun now son, but you mark my words, you won't stay away from music long."
"Yeah, I think I will. I am going legit. I start work form my brother on Monday." Jordan stated blandly toeing around some dust one the floor.
"What? Your brother the big time developer. What are you doing for him shoveling dirt?" Oscar finished with a hearty laugh like he had just heard a joke.
Jordan couldn't help but chuckle, "no, no dirt shoveling for this pretty boy. I am going to be a project manager, you know, take care of all the little detail."
"Oh," Oscar's bushy green eyebrows raised in amusement, "you're going to be a suit"
"Come on old man, cut me some slack." Jordan said almost offended
"Ok, ok, well," Oscar began and shrugged his shoulders, "at least you are out in public now with more than a whiskey glass in your hand."
"What the hell Oscar, quit busting my chops" Jordan said offended.
Oscar laughed and limped around the counter with the busted guitar.
Jordan glanced around the crowded shop and almost groaned in ecstacy. Oscar who never missed a beat noticed the change in expression on his face, grabbed his cane and made is way over to the corner of the shop where a shiny black grand paino sat. He took his polishing rag out of his pocket and used it to lift the cover on the keys.
"Just got it in yesterday, the ivories have never been tickled," he said matter of factly to Jordan.
Jordan walked around the shimmering piano and ran his hand down the shinny white keys.
"Wanna do the honors of breaking it in," Oscar said with a sly grin as he pulled out the matching black bench.
"well....," Jordan hesitated.
"Come on son, I haven't heard your magic fingers play in ages" Oscar said reproachfully as he patted the bench.
"Ok, Ok," Jordan reluctantly took his seat on the bench and poised his fingers on the keys. His heart seemed to vibrate as he went through the music in his head. His fingers seemed to tremble as they sat perched on the keys. Was he really going to do this, should he do this, he thought.
"Gone on son," Oscar proded seeing Jordan's fingers tremble.
Jordan's stomach flipped has he began playing one of the first ever songs he had written. He flet his fingers glide over the keys as he listened to the music chime gracefully out of the magnificant instrument. He lost himself in the soothing music and closed his eyes and continued the piece as if he had never taken a break from playing music. As he was playing, the door chimed and two big burly guys in suits and overcoats shuffled their way in thorough the door. They paused listening to the music as Oscar made his way through the maze of instruments to greet them. Jordan continued to watch them as he played almost absently now. What are two goons like that doing in Oscar's he thought as his fingers automatically found the right cords. They spoke a little while longer to Oscar, passed him what looked like a business card as the tallest one gestured his dark head over to Jordan and they walked back out into the swirling snow.
Oscar leaned heavily on his cane as he stopped back by the paino.
"So what was that all about?" Jordan asked as he finished up the piece.
"Two representatives from Lucky's," Oscar said with a causious look.
"Lucky's," Jordan said quickly as he stopped playing "what did they want?"
"Well, they came in to request Ronald my son, who is a piano tuner, to come by and work on their paino in the bar"
"I have never been in there, I didn't know they had a piano," Jordan said looking down at the white keys.
"Funny you should say that," Oscar said flexing his bad leg "They liked your playing and wanted you to stop by about a player vacancy they had"
"Excuse me?" Jordan said with raised eyebrows.
"Yeah," Oscar said hesitantly," They know your..er..well...reputation and they wanted to see if you would consider playing for them. Think you could fit it in to your "suit" schedule" Oscar finished trying hard to sound amused as he passed Jordan the business card.
"Oscar I told you before I am not doing that stuff anymore," he said getting up and replacing the key's cover, "i am just not interested, sorry" he finished passing back the unread card.
Oscar held up his hands refusing to take the offered card back like it was covered with some disease. "I don't think its a good idea for you to ignore them," he hesitated shaking his head "don't you know who owns lucky's?"
"No not really," Jordan said shrugging "I have heard the rumors that its tied into the mob, but I have never really heard anything else about it"
"well...," Oscar started "its just not tied into the mob, its run by Tony"
"Tony?" Jordan cut him off, "Not Tony Russo" he finished with pure hatred in his voice.
"The one in the same" Oscar said with concern.
"Well that bastard can go fuck himself," Jordan spat rubbing absently at his wrist "Him and his cronies used to torment Donnie and me, I wouldn't piss in his shoes if he feet were on fire" he finished angrily
"I remeber that,"Oscar said leaning on his cane "but I wouldn't go trying to start up old rivalries with him, he is connected."
"I don't give a fuck who he's connected to, I wouldn't work for him if I were begging on the street." Jordan said menicingly still rubbing at his wrist
"Well.."oscar said shrugging, "I think it would at least be a good idea to decline his offer properly." he finished nodding at the card.
"ok, ok," I will tell the bastard and his goons where he can put his paino.
For a quick second Jordan remember the woman from last night, she had asked where luckies was hadn't she?
"I'll get that guitar ready for you as soon as possible," Oscar called from behind the counter.
"thanks," Jordan said hurriedly as he snapped out of his distraction.
"Take care old man," Jordan called as he jingled out of the store.
"No son, you take care," Oscar said to the closed door as he rubbed his now aching knee. "You have no idea what you are getting yourself into"
He finished as he watched Jordan climbing into his Yukon.