Rachel bit down on her pencil’s eraser, then spat out a few bits. “Okay, this is why I hate crossword puzzles.”
Owen looked up from his newspaper. “I told you that you didn’t have to do that. It’s my homework.”
She glared down at the offending piece of paper. “It was sitting on the table, mocking me. I had to complete it. Now what’s a five letter word that means ‘more than one instrument?’”
Owen thought about it for a moment. “Combo.”
“Perfect,” she muttered, scribbling in the answer. “What kind of professor makes a music-themed crossword puzzle for homework?”
Owen sipped his orange juice serenely. “The kind that doesn’t want to grade 45 papers.”
“Good point.” She frowned at the puzzle. “Okay, instrumental ensemble…?”
“Orchestra.”
“Do we even have one of those around?”
He gave her one of those looks, one that was one part exasperation, two parts good-natured amusement. “Um, yeah.”
“Really?” Rachel chewed on the eraser again. “In Portland?”
“Eugene, actually,” he said mildly. “I went and saw a chamber orchestra concert in Eugene. It was put on by the Oregon Mozart Players. It was really good.”
“An orchestra in Eugene, Oregon?” She stared at him.
“We’re not barbarians,” he laughed. “We have classical music, jazz, orchestras, concertos—the whole shebang.”
“Was it boring?”
He pointed a finger at her. “Orchestras are never boring. Especially when played by really talented and passionate people. The music at this Oregon concert was unbelievable. You would have enjoyed it.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.” Rachel fell silent, and then looked up again. “Okay, six letter word for stringed instrument?”
Tags: concertos, Jazz, Orchestra, oregon concert
