Chapter 34 #2
Kelly clears her throat. “I won’t lie, Reese, but you’re one of the reasons my bosses agreed to this proposal. They think your star is going to continue to shine. I did tell them you had offers of record deals. Sorry if that was an unfounded bluff but you were incredible, so I hope it’s true.”
I look at Eli, who says, “No pressure, though, right?”
“No pressure to do it,” Cass agrees. “And if you want to do it but not sing that song, that would be fine too. I’d tell you to think about it, but there’s not really any time, unfortunately. We can give you a minute though?”
Jacques sits back in his chair, smoothing his mustache like an evil villain. Except Jacques is no evil villain. Especially not now, when he says, “She will do it.”
“Hey,” Eli says. “Not up to you, buddy.”
“Am I wrong, Therese? This is what you always wanted. It is like the food, when you say what we are missing, you have that same look on your face, like you are thinking about it. But you already know. And you are always right.”
Then Jacques Leclerc, known asshole chef, winks at me.
I can’t help it—I laugh. “You’re unbelievable,” I tell Jacques.
“No. I am always right too.”
I look to Eli. Today was going to be the day I decided about whether I was going to go for it with singing. It was also the day, I realize, when we were going to decide what to do about us. But I already decided about that, too. “Yes,” I whisper. I’m saying it to him, but it’s for them, too.
“Yes, I’ll do it.”
The next hour is a whirlwind of frenzied activity—getting me, Cass, and Kelly through hair and makeup, and running through the new schedule.
The crew empties the stage, and Eli—thank God for Eli, with his electrical background—gets the stage set up with the best lighting we’ve got, as well as a few extra stage lights.
They keep me in my jeans but stick a velvet jacket over a silky blue camisole and whip my hair and makeup into something that makes me look like a more glamorous version of my regular self. Tousled hair, peach cheeks, a pale gloss.
“Perfection,” Nancy says, when I get up on stage an hour later. The curtains are still drawn, but I can hear the bustle and murmur of a crowd on the other side. Nancy casually mentioned to me ten minutes before that there would be an audience. “Need it to look like a real concert, love.”
I’m nervous as hell, but I remind myself this is TV.
They said if I mess it up, they can cut and reshoot.
But I know I don’t want to do that. I want to sing it with my heart the first time, so it’s nothing like a chore.
Because I believe in what they’re doing here, and I refuse to let any insecurities get in the way of that.
Those went away with Simon, I tell myself. Never to be seen again.
Only a few minutes to showtime, Nancy disappears to the other side of the curtain, along with the sound guy, who’s got a bushy mustache and glasses that sit on the end of his nose.
He fusses with the microphone clipped to my belt.
“Okay,” he says, after showing me what to do.
“We’re going to leave you alone now. In a minute, Nancy will call action, and the curtain’s going to come open.
When she does, make sure that mic is on.
Sound good?” He snorts. “Sound, ha. Get it?”
I laugh, surprisingly at ease. Sure, there are butterflies tickling my insides, but I feel good here. Like it was meant to end this way.
The only thing missing, though, is Eli.
But the moment the sound guy disappears through the curtains, Eli appears in the wings.
Holding Rufus’s leash.
I laugh, standing up as he gets close. I throw my arms around my man, the love of my life. It’s awkward with the guitar between us, but I can’t move it with all the sound equipment.
When Eli leans in to kiss me, I have to press a hand across his lips. “Dijon will kill me if I mess it up.”
“I don’t think I like this whole can’t hug and kiss you thing!” Eli says.
“Soon,” I promise. “Right after I sing.”
Rufus pants, letting out a yip, and both Eli and I shush him. “Jacques would have your head if he knew you brought a dog into the restaurant.”
“He couldn’t miss the show!” Eli exclaims, as if that would be cruel and unusual punishment.
“I guess you couldn’t, huh, buddy?” I crouch down to my little guy, shushing him again when he lets out a little bark. “Don’t get kicked out, okay?”
Outside, we both hear the thud of Nancy’s boots on the stairs. “Reese?”
Eli backs up to the side right before Nancy pops her head in the curtain. “We’re gonna call action in a sec. Just speak into the mic when you’re ready to go, all right?”
I nod. “Okay.”
A moment later, she’s gone, and Eli grins, kneeling next to Rufus. “Break a leg, baby.”
“You better go,” I whisper, my heart so full as I watch him watch me that my eyes water.
“Makeup lady!” Eli exclaims.
I laugh, tipping my head up. “Go! I’ll find you right after.”
“Love you, Reese,” Eli says as he disappears behind the side curtains.
“Love you,” I whisper.
Then I strum my guitar and turn on the mic. “Ready,” I say, my voice reverberating through all the speakers in the house.
I sing the song I wrote when I was in pain, but I sing it with my heart full. Maybe it’s because of that trueness, that authenticity, that the song goes off without a hitch.
I can’t see the crowd while I sing. But as I sing about the seed falling and surviving, enduring the winter and then finding its sun, I feel them.
And I realize, as I hit the highest notes, that this was what I remembered, this was the thing that lay buried so long. It wasn’t just that I’d make them feel, but that I’d feel too.
When it’s over, the applause is thunderous, the cheers going on for what feels like an hour.
“One take!” the crew exclaims as they come swarming onto the stage, unclipping me and patting me on the back. Someone takes Lenny, promising to get it home to me.
Nancy guides me down to the floor, where I’m crowded with people.
All the contestants, brought back for the finale.
“Thank you!” Gratitude Cindy says, squeezing me tight as I pass.
My staff hug me each in turn, and when I get to Sophie, I ask her if she’s ready to be the boss. “How can I top this?” she asks.
“You’ll make it your own,” I assure her. “And you’ll have someone looking out for you the whole time.” I smile at Rufus, who tips an imaginary hat at me.
I look for Jacques, but he’s arguing with Marcel. Except both of them are smiling. When he looks my way, he waves me away, but not before giving me a nod.
There’s Sophie and Rufus, standing closer than they should be.
I hug Cass, Chelsea, and Seamus. Augusta, wearing her winner pin, who hugs me so tight I can’t breathe. Even Kelly, who tells me I’m an inspiration.
But no Eli.
To my surprise, it’s Jude who pulls me aside when I’m leaning on Nora.
“Tell her, buddy,” he says, hoisting his son Cap onto his shoulders.
Cap is like the darker haired version of his dad—twinkling blue eyes and a handsome little smile.
We’ve only met a few times, when Nora’s been looking after him, but he always remembers my name and asks me when he can play with Rufus again. I want to see more of him.
But right now, I need Eli.
“There!” Cap says, pointing behind the crowd.
I can hardly see from here, but just then someone shifts sideways, and I see him. Eli’s at the door of the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe, arms folded. He’s smiling wide, his eyes on me.
My heart grows two whole sizes. “Thanks, Cap.”
Cap grins. “Can we go play in the snow now, Dad?”
“Yeah, buddy. See you guys tonight,” Jude says. And to me, “You were awesome.”
I’m so bewildered by all the attention, I just nod. “Thank you.”
“Nora—” I say finally, throwing my arms around my friend. I want to hold on to her forever. To thank her for encouraging me. For being my friend when I was so lost. For everything.
But when I pull away, she sees the need in my eyes.
“Go,” she whispers, and lifts her camera up again.
Nancy blows a whistle, hollering at the crew. While everyone gravitates to her and the announcement she launches into, I head for the door next to the bar. Eli’s not there anymore, but I know where to find him.
I walk through the empty kitchen, now quiet and dark, save the floor lighting. I can almost hear the clatter of pots and holler of voices echo in my mind. I didn’t appreciate all the noise all the years when I worked in restaurants. But now I realize it was part of what I’ll miss the most.
I think of all the people I served, out on the floor, both here and in all the jobs before. I think of the way my feet hurt when I got home, my ears ringing from the noise.
And I think of the delicious food, the jokes, the high fives and late-night drinks.
This was a good place to say goodbye to this life, I think, as I walk past Rufus’s drawing on the wall.
When I reach my office, the door is ajar, only this time, it’s not because I left it that way.
It’s because when I step inside, I’m not alone.
I find Eli, at my desk, Rufus bounding from his lap.
He stands, this perfect man of mine, arms at his side. On the desk, there are two flutes of champagne, fizzing and frosted, and next to those, a fat bunch of peach roses tied in twine.
“I’d hand them to you,” Eli says, “but then I wouldn’t get to hold you.”
I take a step toward him. “You have the whole rest of your life to hold me.”
Eli closes the distance between us and sweeps me up in his arms. “But the rest of our life starts now.”
He kisses me, long and sweet, deep and tender, while Rufus barks like a wild wolf.
Then Eli presses his forehead to mine. “Are they all going to be like this?”
“Who?”
“Our babies.”
I laugh. “Let’s find out.”