I'm sorry for making you wait so long. Holidays and all, you know. But here you are. Simon (Jayne?!) has his first encounter with Mr. Pink

-beautifool *********************

The doc must’ve got through the guard at the curtain. Next thing Jayne heard after lettin’ out a string of cursin’ that likely woulda made his mama cry was the doc gettin’ introduced ta Mr. Pink.

“A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hanson.”

“Oh, do call me by my first name. I find it to be so much more… intimate.”

Jayne ground his teeth, thinkin’ of all the ways he could kill ‘im.

Mr. Pink sounded like he was smilin’. “Jayne.”

There was a little pause. The doc cleared his throat. Jayne could hear some twinkly music playin’ somewheres.

“Schubert?”

Jayne looked over at Zoe. She shrugged.

‘Pparently Mr. Pink knew what the doc was talkin’ about, though.

“Impressive. You know the masters?”

“I studied ancient humanities as an undergraduate.”

“Ah! An educated man. I don’t find many of those out here, I’m afraid.”

Jayne heard a low grumble from Mr. Pink’s bodyguards. Boyfriends. Whatever they was.

Mr. Pink didn’t seem ta care. He an’ the doc started talkin’ about “Baytoven” an’ “Moatzart” an’ Vivaldi an’ Lennon an’ Elfman an’ a whole bunch of other people who were supposedly real important. Not important enough fer Jayne ta know who the ruttin’ hell any of ‘em were. Or care, even.

Real borin’ conversation, far as Jayne was concerned, but the doc an Mr. Pink seemed ta be enjoyin’ themselves.

Jayne rolled onta his back, layin’ Vera across his belly. Sun was real bright. He laid an arm across his eyes an’ tuned the doc out.

It wasn’t like they’d overheard somethin’ bad. The doc an’ Zoe. Him an’ Kaylee was just talkin’. ‘Bout guns.

‘Course, Jayne knew he weren’t thinkin’ ‘bout guns. Pretty sure little Kaylee weren’t, neither.

Gorram transmitter couldn’t read minds, thought. Jayne was half sure he hadn’t said nothin’ real naughty er revealin’ er nothin’. Not like Zoe an’ the doc had overheard what he’d really wanted ta say.

He thought back ta what they’d actually said. Couldn’t remember the words so much as Kaylee’s face.

Somethin’ jabbed him in the side. He moved his arm off his eyes an opened one eye ta look over at Zoe.

She was grinnin’ an bitin’ her lip like she was tryin’ real hard not ta laugh.

She pointed ta her earpiece.

Jayne sat up an’ tuned back inta what the doc was yappin’ on about.

“I’m not saying that Schubert wasn’t a genius. He was, in every sense of the word. All I am saying is that the magnitude… the power of his works pales in comparison to Bach.”

Jayne blinked an’ looked over at Zoe. “Bock?” He mouthed the words at her. “Like… chicken?”

She snorted and covered her mouth.

Jayne kept listenin’. It was Mr. Pink’s turn.

“But the speed of Schubert’s works! There is irrefutable power in that!”

What the gorram hell was they talkin’ about?

“I’m not refuting that Schubert possessed a certain power. But think of Bach’s ‘Air on a G String.’ The delicacy. The sweeping emotion. The sense of… of… being wrapped up in the arms of someone you love more than life.”

Jayne raised his eyebrows.

Doc wasn’t done yet.

“And then think of ‘Toccatta and Fuge.’ The power. The raw, masculine sublemnity. If ‘Air on a G String’ is love, then ‘Tocatta’ is lust. Pure lust. Being swept up in it. Carried away. Stunned and stoned and gasping.”

Ai ya.

“For a man… one man… to have the power to represent the delicacy and beauty and femininity of love as well as represent the sublime, passionate masculinity of lust… it’s overwhelming. For all of that, for such seemingly opposite sides of the male and the female, to be wrapped up and radiating from one, perfect, warm body…”

The doc trailed off.

Jayne looked over at Zoe. She looked over at him. Her eyebrows were raised.

That was pretty hot talkin’ fer a man who was all against hittin’ on another man.

Someone let out a breath. Jayne figured it was Mr. Pink.

“I stand corrected. Somehow I failed to see the… eroticism in Bach. And I pride myself on being able to find eroticism in everything.”

Jayne could just see the skeezy smile on his face.

“Mr. Hanson… Jayne… let us be honest with one another.”

Jayne did not like his name rollin’ around in that mouth. He reminded himself ta make the doc bleed fer it.

“Yes?”

“You did not come here to discuss the masters.”

Zoe shot Jayne a look.

“Careful, Simon.” Her voice was calm, but she drew her gun as she said it. “Safe word is ‘turtle.’”

Mr. Pink was talkin’ again. “You came to me for something, and as you seem… as I see… to not be interested in any of my girls, I suspect… there is something else you have come to me for.”

Zoe was off the ground now. She untied her horse an’ pulled herself onta it. Jayne followed.

“So. How much are you looking for?”

Jayne could hear the doc stutter.

“I only have a few grams on site. But I can send for more if you’re interested.”

Zoe seemed to relax. “Grams. He’s talkin’ about drugs, Simon. Tell him you’ll take what he’s got on site.”

The doc still sounded too awkward for Jayne’s liking. “How much are you asking for what you have with you now?”

“Two thousand for what I have here.”

Ye-soo. Either he was sellin’ pure gold dust er he had more th’n a few grams.

“Simon, you only have five hundred.”

“I’ll take a quarter of it, then. I only have five hundred on me.”

There was a pause. “I’ll give you half. The other five hundred you can make up by accompanying me to a party tomorrow evening.”

Jayne looked over at Zoe.

The doc had got himself a date.

“Accept, Simon.”

“It would be my pleasure.”

“Good. It will be held here. Arrive around… seven? And come prepared to dance.”