Chapter Ten #2
“Why not? It’s my color,” she said, holding out her sweater and looking down at it.
“The color isn’t the problem.”
Harriet gave him a wry grin. “I’m seventy-three. I think I can wear whatever I want.”
“Someone’s going to have a problem with it.” And by someone, he meant Diane.
“I’m just spreading the holiday cheer.”
Julian rubbed his face and fled back to Charlie’s side before he could make a scene. “Try to make sure Harriet stands in the back.”
Charlie frowned. “Why? Oh…” She started laughing. Laughing! She covered her mouth, but both her cheeks turned pink from trying to hold back.
“It’s not funny,” Julian all but hissed.
“It is. A little.”
“Diane is going to kill me if that ends up on TV.”
“Would she really be surprised?”
“God!” Forget murder, Diane was going to fire him.
Charlie covered her mouth again, her shoulders shaking.
Julian glared at her from the corner of his eye. “You’re not helping.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you! We need to be a united front.”
“My job is to make them sound good. You’re in charge of logistics. Why didn’t you suggest matching outfits?”
“Because I…”
“Mm-hmm, I’m listening?”
Because he was too busy thinking about the way Charlie was slowly driving him to distraction. “I didn’t think I had to police their outfits.”
“And that was your first mistake. But I’m sure they’ll block it out,” Charlie said. “Or cut her all together. They’re not about to put that on TV. Let her have her fun.”
“Oh? Look who’s all about the fun now.”
Charlie shrugged. “Someone might have suggested I be less uptight.”
“I can’t imagine who.” They grinned at each other and Julian felt the heady rush of desire sweep through him. “Again, thanks for this. I know it’s for Doris—”
“Not just for her,” Charlie said quickly.
Julian’s heart throbbed in his chest.
“There’s also Frank.”
He snorted, shaking his head. He wanted to kiss her. Here. Now. With the cameras rolling. He didn’t care who saw, and that was a wild thought.
“I think we’re ready to start that interview!” Nate called.
Perfect timing. Charlie stepped away to answer questions about her music experience and the choir, which was just as well. It was easier for Julian not to think about certain activities when she wasn’t standing right next to him.
Bobby had Charlie framed up with the piano in the background, and she looked into the camera confidently as Nate asked about her previous experience.
Charlie mentioned Juilliard and Broadway.
She was polite about it but quick to divert her answer back to the choir.
Julian didn’t know if that was because she was treading too close to Tom or because she was trying to shift the spotlight.
“And what do you hope to accomplish with the choir?” Nate asked.
“We’re very excited to possibly have the opportunity to perform at the Twentieth Annual Christmas Choir Competition. The residents are really looking forward to it.” Charlie crossed her fingers. “So here’s hoping everything pans out with our application.”
She was a natural, making them all look good.
She talked about the music program and mentioned Julian, and though he had no desire to be on TV, he was touched that she’d called him out by name, telling Nate that none of this would be possible without his dedication to the residents.
Julian’s heart warmed hearing Charlie talk about Glendale and bonding with the choir.
Maybe she was a damn good actor, but he thought she looked happy.
Nate paused the interview and asked for a couple resident spotlights. Charlie pointed him toward Doris, as their piano player, and Frank. Harriet gave a sly grin but Charlie opted to add Maggie to the mix instead. Maggie fluffed her hair some more.
When Nate was done with the residents, he turned to Julian. “I think all we need now is a little performance, and we can wrap up.”
“Anything in particular you’d like to hear?” Julian asked.
“You guys choose,” Nate said. “But ideally something Christmasy.”
“‘Jingle Bells’?” Charlie suggested. “It’s easy, quick. Should fit nicely into the segment.”
“It’s like she’s done this before,” Bobby said, grinning.
While Charlie gathered up the choir, Julian moved off to the side, stepping out of the way just as they started with a cheery, “Dashing through the snow…”
Warren snuck into the room as they were singing, standing next to Julian. “I can’t believe we’ve been sitting on all this talent.”
“I think Charlie’s talent brings it out in other people.”
Warren hummed in agreement. “She’s a good fit for you.”
Julian started to nod before the words actually registered. “Er, what?”
“Charlie,” Warren whispered. “She’s good for you.”
Julian bit his tongue. The last thing he needed was for rumors about him and Charlie to start circulating around Glendale before he even knew how to feel about it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You mean you don’t see the way you look at her?”
Julian rolled his eyes. “Give me a break.”
“I’m serious, man. It’s nice to finally see you just… I don’t know, not trying to power through on your own. Trusting someone else to do right by the residents.”
Julian’s jaw tightened. He supposed he clung to this job, this role, a little tightly.
He just never wanted the residents to feel left behind.
He knew what it was to feel like that. And maybe part of him had kind of stagnated here—in this job, in life—afraid to let go of the things he did have, afraid he might get left behind again if he didn’t cling with both hands.
Nate clapped as the choir finished singing, jumping back in front of the camera to close out the segment.
Everyone held their positions as Tyler gave them a silent countdown on his fingers and finally lowered the camera.
Once Julian had said goodbye to Nate and Bobby and Tyler, he and Charlie debriefed the choir—they wanted to know if there’d been any word on the application.
“No change,” he said.
“Well, that’s just not possible,” Maggie huffed on her way out the door to Doris and Harriet. “We’re excellent. Maybe I should reach out to Graham Burbank to inquire. He’s on the Arts Council. We used to be friendly.”
“What kind of friendly?” Doris asked, clearly amused.
Maggie waggled her eyebrows. “The only kind that matters.”
Julian hung back to help Charlie tidy up. He could hear Harriet cackling down the hall.
“So, I’ve been thinking,” Charlie said.
Julian looked up from where he was stacking chairs. “That Maggie is going to try to buy our way into this competition?”
The corner of Charlie’s mouth twitched. “No. I’ll let you worry about that. I was thinking that if we actually get to perform, you should be onstage with us. The choir was your vision, after all. You should get to share in that moment.”
Julian shook his head briefly. “I think we’ve already established that I can’t carry a tune.”
“I was counting on the rest of the voices to drown you out.” She laughed at the look on his face.
“How about I just stand in the wings and clap the rhythm?”
“Can you even keep rhythm?”
He shot her a heated look. “I’ve been known to. On occasion.”
Charlie held his gaze, a flush creeping up her neck. “Guess we could get you a little triangle to ding. In case the rhythm thing proves too difficult.”
“Now that I could definitely handle. But this is your moment with the residents. I’m cool to wait offstage.”
“I just think it would be nice if you were there,” she said. “It’s good to try new things once in a while.”
“Is it?”
She nodded.
What about old new things? he wanted to ask.
He thought about what Warren had said about not powering through on his own.
Maybe if he stopped being afraid of being left behind for two seconds, he’d realize that Charlie made him want to let go.
Made him want to see what else the world had to offer him.
All he had to do was take a chance on investing in something new again.
“We started this together and we should finish it together.”
“Yeah?” he said.
Finish it together. What did that mean? Was there a world where he convinced Charlie to stay long enough for them to figure out what this music program could be?
Long enough for them to figure out what they could be?