Moon Angel

"Wow, I can't believe it's been so long!"

Ron Huffman immediately recognized Chloe Dooley when she came backstage to see him after his concert at the Hollywood Palladium. Though her hair wasn't as long as it was years ago, it was still a ravishing blonde, the sort of golden hue he would never forget.

"You were terrific tonight," Chloe replied, embracing the jazz icon before taking a seat next to him. "I feel so bad-this has actually been the very first time I've had a chance to see you in concert-things get so busy, you know."

"Not to worry," said Ron. "At least you got to see me play before I'm dead!"

The two laughed before Chloe playfully slapped Ron's arm.

"Hey, I saw what you just did."

"What do you mean?"

"You know," Chloe replied, pointing to the high slit in her black dress that exposed her still-gorgeous legs.

"Oh, so sorry."

"Don't you know you can't do that anymore?"

Ron shook his head.

"Oh, just kidding, babe," Chloe said, playfully slapping his arm again. "I know you've seen a lot more."

"Oh boy!"

It had been forty years since the release of Ron's classic album "Moon Angel," which won a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album; Ron's show at the Palladium was the last stop on a brief tour to celebrate the anniversary. "Moon Angel" was highly controversial-and highly successful-due to its album cover: desperate to improve upon the weak sales of his previous album, 1976's "Deadlines of Destiny," and inspired by the controversies over the risque album covers of the British art-rock band Roxy Music, Ron and the late British photographer Herbert Madden came up with the idea of having a beautiful young woman lying on a field of grass completely naked, illuminated by and enjoying the moonlight, for the album cover.

In the summer of 1978, a year before the release of "Moon Angel," Herbert had been hired by Georgiani Jeans to work on an ad campaign featuring a then-19-year-old Chloe, a native of Esperance, Western Australia whose flawlessly golden hair and piercing green eyes made her an immediate hit in the modeling industry. Herbert and Chloe soon became lovers, and in the spring of 1979, when he asked her if she wanted to be the model for Ron's album, she said yes without hesitation.

The photo shoot took place over several hours on a warm mid-June night in the expansive yard of Ron's southern California home; he couldn't help watching through his window as Herbert and his assistants labored to get the best shot of Chloe's bare body. The sight of her magnificent legs lying on the grass drove Ron into a frenzy; he couldn't believe how jealous he was of Herbert-and how aroused he was by Chloe. She was the Impossible Woman: too blonde, too pale, too beautiful, too young. A 32-year-old black man, even one considered to be one of the finest jazz musicians in the world, seducing a 20-year-old white woman was not exactly a wise career move by 1979 standards.

And so Ron kept his lust to himself, his fantasies never leaving the boundaries of his mind. In early-October, just days before the release of "Moon Angel," Herbert gave Ron an uncensored version of the album cover. Due to record-label nervousness, the album cover released to stores would only show Chloe's nude body just above her nipples and just below her knees; a black bar with Ron's name and the album title would be in the middle, covering everything else. However, the original photo showed the full measure of Chloe's beauty-her tight stomach and cute navel, her wild blonde bush, her very sexy hips, her lovely and soft upper thighs spread ever so slightly. That night, Ron went to see "10" and thought that the director should have cast Chloe instead of Bo Derek.

For many years, it seemed that the original photo would be the closest Ron would ever get to Chloe. Even when Chloe and Herbert broke up in the late-1980s, Ron didn't try to make a move. It just wasn't meant to be, he told himself.

Now, four decades after her beautiful body-or at least some of it-graced the cover of his most successful album, Chloe was sitting right next to him, still so beautiful at 60. She seemed even hotter now than she was in 1979.

Suddenly, she stroked his hand.

"Ron," she said, "I can't tell you how many people have come up to me to ask about that album cover. It has to be the most famous thing I've ever done. Even tonight at the concert!"

"Wow. Who would have ever thought it'd become this big iconic thing?"

"I know!" she replied, and the way the word "know" sounded in her Australian accent was so smoothing to his ear. A part of him now hated himself for having never made the move when he had the chance to, after she broke up with Herbert.

"Well, you certainly helped to sell a lot of albums for me-you should have gotten a cut. How much did you ever get paid for that, anyway?"

"Only $1000. That's all I ever got out of it. Herb got all the rest. They didn't even mention me in the album credits!"

"I know-that was all the record company."

"Yeah, I know it's not your fault."

"Yeah, but it's still a shame. Look..."

Ron stood up. He never felt any nervousness at his concerts, but he felt rather nervous now.

"I never had a chance to thank you for doing that for me. That album made my career, and you were a huge part of it."

"Awww," Chloe replied, also rising from her seat. "No worries. I appreciate you saying that. But I should thank you, too, because it also did a lot for my career."

"I guess we should thank each other, then!"

"Yeah, why not?"

Chloe embraced Ron again and suddenly kissed him on the cheek, a kiss that sent a shock through his body. Her lips were so very soft and so very beautiful. As her lips left his cheek, Ron wished his 72-year-old body could be 32 again, and the realization that such a wish would never come true almost made him tear up.

Suddenly, he heard himself saying, "Can I kiss you?"

"Uh, yeah, sure."

"I mean, on the-"

He caught himself. His mouth was moving way faster than his brain.

"I'm sorry. Like you said, I can't do that anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean..."

"I know what you were going to say."

"Look, Chloe, I didn't mean..."

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't..."

"Yes, you did, Ron. You wanted to kiss me on the lips."

"Oh, God, you're gonna hate me."

"Why?"

"Look, I..."

Chloe placed her fingers on Ron's hand.

"Herb always said you wanted me."

"What?"

"He said he could see it in your eyes."

"Oh my..."

"Look, it's OK..."

"No, it's not..."

"Why not?"

"Look..."

"Ron, look me in the eye."

Ron stared at Chloe's green eyes.

"Did you ever want to?"

"Want to do what?"

"Ask me out."

Ron hesitated.

"Well?" Chloe demanded.

"Yes," Ron whispered. "Yes. I...there were lots of reasons, and...I just never thought..."

Ron looked away from Chloe's eyes and stared at the floor.

"Look, my moment has passed, don't you think?"

"No, Ron," Chloe replied. "It hasn't."

Ron couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"What?"

"Your moment hasn't passed, Ron."

"Oh, wow...Look, I...Oh, fuck it. Look, I really do want to kiss you, and I really do want to go out with you."

"Took you long enough."

Ron wrapped his arms around Chloe's waist and kissed her with as much energy and passion as he could muster. He looked once again at her green eyes and took her hand in his. As they left the dressing room, Ron thought to himself that he was walking with an angel.