Twenty-Six
When I wake on Saturday morning, it’s to the sound of Brock warming up on the piano. I handle my immediate needs first before pulling on a robe and walking out to him. He smiles at my approach, and I give him a kiss.
“Coffee?” I ask.
“Please.”
I get the pot brewing and pull out a bagel for myself. Brock usually passes on breakfast. When it’s ready, I set his mug down on a coaster on the piano lid. Then I settle on the couch to listen. After he warms up his fingers, he warms up his voice. When he checks the time, I see that we’ve got about twenty minutes before we need to leave.
“Why don’t you shower while I run through it,” he says. “I’ll be right there.”
I nod and do what he asks. I’m just finishing up when he steps into the stall with me. I welcome his warm kiss and wish we had time to make love, but I don’t want to do anything that will take his head out of his preparation. I’m dressed in no time at all, and Brock isn’t far behind me. Then my hand is in his as he leads me down to his car.
We arrive at the theatre with five minutes to spare. After showing his finalist email and his identification, we’re let inside. There are three security checkpoints before we get inside the theatre. We’re just three steps in when none other than Bianca appears in front of us.
“Hey, Brock,” she smirks. “Are you ready for this?”
“I am, thank you,” he nods.
“Good,” she says as she smiles wider. “Looks like I’ll be one of your backup singers, today. See you on stage.”
Then she walks away without another word.
***
My blood runs cold as I watch Bianca walk away. Then Sadie is in front of me, her hands on my face and her expression more determined than I’ve ever seen it.
“She doesn’t matter, Brock,” she says firmly. “And if she tries to wreck your song, she’s going to get called out. If she does anything less than perfect, it will be on her, not you.”
“I know,” I nod. “I just…don’t want her being a part of what I wrote for you.”
“As far as I’m concerned, she’s not,” she snaps.
“You’re right,” I tell her with a smile. “Just make sure I can see you when I’m up there, okay? As long as I can see you, I’ll be fine.”
“Yes,” she purrs. “You will be.”
When I figure out where I’m going, I part ways with her after a too brief kiss. Then we gather together for a rundown of how things are going to go. The session band has run through our songs exactly as we submitted them, so there will be no in the moment changes. Something that doesn’t surprise me in the least. As it goes, I’m the second to last to perform. John is six people ahead of me.
We pass the time chatting with the other contestants and cheering them on. As I follow John onto the stage when he’s called up, someone shouts out from the front row. It’s Lee Smith, the lead singer of Roll With It.
“Excuse me Mr. Adams, but who’s your piano player?”
“Dr. Brock Rush,” he answers.
“Dr. Rush?” he laughs. “Isn’t he also a contestant?”
“He is,” John laughs. “But he’s also my professor. I asked him to be on stage with me.”
“Very well,” Lee nods. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Once he’s set, he counts us in and we’re off. I’m delighted at his performance, which was practically perfect. The crowd roars with approval when we finish, and John happily takes a bow and waves. I clap him on the shoulder when we walk off.
“That was fucking awesome,” I tell him.
“It felt good,” he sighs. “It really did.”
As the others walk out to perform, I’m more than impressed with what I hear. And although I feel like I have an edge because of my profession, that doesn’t mean what I have to offer is what they’re looking for. Even so, I’m going to give it everything I’ve got. Because I owe that to myself, and to Sadie.
When my name is called, I walk out and scan the front row. My sweet Sadie is over toward the left, so I can easily see her when I play. Once I’m settled, I blow her a kiss and wink. Then I count the band in and set us playing. I look away from Sadie only when necessary. As the song builds, I get lost in the sound. Never once tuning in to the backing vocals to see if they’re being sung correctly. No, the only important thing in this moment is me and my goddess.
During the bridge, my emotions get the best of me, and I have to fight back tears as I sing about my love. But when I look out and see tears in her eyes as she holds her hands over her heart, my voice rings out with renewed strength. After I sing the last line and the band lets the final chord fade, I watch with delight as Sadie is the first one to shoot to her feet and scream for me. Laughing, I stand and acknowledge the band first. Then I turn to my audience, barely hiding my shock at the sight of every member of Roll With It also on their feet. I give them a bow before blowing another kiss to my Sadie and walking off.
Cloud nine might be one way to describe this. But whatever it is, I’ll take it. I’m so lost in my euphoria; I never notice Bianca approach. So, I’m caught off guard when she rises up and presses her lips to mine. She slips her hands into my hair but I’m quick to break contact and push her away.
“What the fuck was that?” I gasp.
“That was amazing, Brock,” she breathes. “You have to work with me on my new album.”
“The answer is no,” I tell her. “And it always will be.”
With that, I brush past her and into the green room. With only one more contestant to go, it won’t be long until the waiting game begins. We were told that they’d make a decision today. So, when the last contestant is finished, we’re asked to rejoin our family and friends while the band deliberates. I happily make my way back out to Sadie. But what I’m not prepared for just ten minutes later is to be escorted into a room where all of them are waiting for me.
With Bianca.