Daddy.” Jonno chewed on his cigar. “Come on. I want to see what I’ve been paying for. You’ve had eight months to practise.”
I frowned. What was he talking about?
Eve was shrinking back in her chair. “Please don’t make me,” she said, in this tiny, little-girly voice. “I’m too shy.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Jonno stood over Eve, a smile fixed to his lips. His presence so close was overpowering just like when he’d told me not to go anywhere near Eve.
No wonder Eve’s mum was scared of him.
“You’re singing, Eve. Now.”
Eve stood up slowly. I could do nothing except watch as she followed Jonno onto the stage. I glanced at Chloe and Ryan. They were kissing again, oblivious to Eve’s misery.
Lola slid into Eve’s empty seat.
“Having fun?” She ran a long, pink nail across the tablecloth in front of me.
I nodded vaguely, all my attention on Eve.
She was standing in front of the microphone now, looking absolutely petrified. Jonno and the pianist were standing beside her, deep in discussion. Part of me fantasised about going up there, grabbing her hand and pulling her away. But, of course, I didn’t.
The music started up – a soft tune on the piano, a delicate hiss on the drums. Eve was staring down at the floor. My heart was in my mouth. Suppose she was too scared to make any sound at all?
Then she looked up, her eyes glistening, and opened her mouth. This pure, perfect sound soared round the room. Every note, every word was rich and whole, like gold melting. Or maybe it was just me? I looked round the room. No. The entire audience was on the edge of their seats, silent, eager to catch the next note. Ryan and Chloe had stopped kissing and were staring at Eve, open-mouthed. I could feel Lola beside me, also transfixed.
I looked back at Eve. She hadn’t moved from the microphone and I was pretty sure she hadn’t looked directly at anyone in the audience, but somehow her presence was filling the nightclub through the sad, deep, heartbreak of her song.
She finished and looked back down at the floor. There was a pause. Then the room burst into tumultuous applause. Jonno strode over to Eve and pulled her into an enormous hug. Lola got up and wandered over to them both.
The three of them talked for a minute. Then Eve was back, flushed and happy, at the table.
Chloe hugged her. “You were brilliant.”
“Where did you learn to sing like that?” Ryan asked.
Eve’s blush deepened. “I’ve been having singing lessons since February,” she said. “Dad pays for them. He thinks I’ve got talent, but . . . it’s just . . . I like singing, but not in public like this. . .” she tailed off.
I stared at her. She’d been having singing lessons since before we’d started going out? Why hadn’t she ever mentioned it?
“Is the teacher a man?” I said, suspiciously.
Everyone stared at me.
“For God’s sake, Luke,” Chloe said in a disgusted voice. “Is that all you ever think about?”
“She’s a woman.” Eve looked down at the tablecloth.
Awkward pause. Then Ryan squeezed Eve’s arm. “She’s obviously brilliant, whoever she is.” He stared at me. “Don’t you think, Luke? Didn’t Eve sound fantastic?”
Eve looked up at me, her eyes all innocent and hopeful. In the heartbeat that followed, I opened my mouth. A little voice in my head was telling me just to tell her that she was great, that she’d sounded amazing, that I was so proud of her.
I ignored it.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were having singing lessons?” I snapped.
Eve’s mouth trembled. Then she turned and rushed out of the room.
9
Jealous guy
“You are such an idiot,” Ryan said for the tenth time. “What were you thinking?”
I sat, my eyes shut, my head resting in my hands, wishing he would stop.
The evening lay in ruins.
After Eve had rushed out, Chloe had followed her. That was over half an hour ago. Now the open mike sessions were reaching their climax, and the nightclub was
I frowned. What was he talking about?
Eve was shrinking back in her chair. “Please don’t make me,” she said, in this tiny, little-girly voice. “I’m too shy.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Jonno stood over Eve, a smile fixed to his lips. His presence so close was overpowering just like when he’d told me not to go anywhere near Eve.
No wonder Eve’s mum was scared of him.
“You’re singing, Eve. Now.”
Eve stood up slowly. I could do nothing except watch as she followed Jonno onto the stage. I glanced at Chloe and Ryan. They were kissing again, oblivious to Eve’s misery.
Lola slid into Eve’s empty seat.
“Having fun?” She ran a long, pink nail across the tablecloth in front of me.
I nodded vaguely, all my attention on Eve.
She was standing in front of the microphone now, looking absolutely petrified. Jonno and the pianist were standing beside her, deep in discussion. Part of me fantasised about going up there, grabbing her hand and pulling her away. But, of course, I didn’t.
The music started up – a soft tune on the piano, a delicate hiss on the drums. Eve was staring down at the floor. My heart was in my mouth. Suppose she was too scared to make any sound at all?
Then she looked up, her eyes glistening, and opened her mouth. This pure, perfect sound soared round the room. Every note, every word was rich and whole, like gold melting. Or maybe it was just me? I looked round the room. No. The entire audience was on the edge of their seats, silent, eager to catch the next note. Ryan and Chloe had stopped kissing and were staring at Eve, open-mouthed. I could feel Lola beside me, also transfixed.
I looked back at Eve. She hadn’t moved from the microphone and I was pretty sure she hadn’t looked directly at anyone in the audience, but somehow her presence was filling the nightclub through the sad, deep, heartbreak of her song.
She finished and looked back down at the floor. There was a pause. Then the room burst into tumultuous applause. Jonno strode over to Eve and pulled her into an enormous hug. Lola got up and wandered over to them both.
The three of them talked for a minute. Then Eve was back, flushed and happy, at the table.
Chloe hugged her. “You were brilliant.”
“Where did you learn to sing like that?” Ryan asked.
Eve’s blush deepened. “I’ve been having singing lessons since February,” she said. “Dad pays for them. He thinks I’ve got talent, but . . . it’s just . . . I like singing, but not in public like this. . .” she tailed off.
I stared at her. She’d been having singing lessons since before we’d started going out? Why hadn’t she ever mentioned it?
“Is the teacher a man?” I said, suspiciously.
Everyone stared at me.
“For God’s sake, Luke,” Chloe said in a disgusted voice. “Is that all you ever think about?”
“She’s a woman.” Eve looked down at the tablecloth.
Awkward pause. Then Ryan squeezed Eve’s arm. “She’s obviously brilliant, whoever she is.” He stared at me. “Don’t you think, Luke? Didn’t Eve sound fantastic?”
Eve looked up at me, her eyes all innocent and hopeful. In the heartbeat that followed, I opened my mouth. A little voice in my head was telling me just to tell her that she was great, that she’d sounded amazing, that I was so proud of her.
I ignored it.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were having singing lessons?” I snapped.
Eve’s mouth trembled. Then she turned and rushed out of the room.
9
Jealous guy
“You are such an idiot,” Ryan said for the tenth time. “What were you thinking?”
I sat, my eyes shut, my head resting in my hands, wishing he would stop.
The evening lay in ruins.
After Eve had rushed out, Chloe had followed her. That was over half an hour ago. Now the open mike sessions were reaching their climax, and the nightclub was
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