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“I heard it,” I mumbled.
“Okay! So you know it was just a misunderstanding. He wants to preserve your family legacy. He was only trying to help!”
“By tearing apart the store and making it some big musician’s paradise? That probably means drinking and doing drugs long into the night. He might think Maplewood wants that, but he’s sorely mistaken.”
Liz’s eyebrows bent down in a frown.
“Is that really what you think all musicians are like?” she asked. “I think you have a simplified version. They are people, you know.”
“I know that,” I said, feeling defensive. I had to admit Liz was probably right. I was carrying around some story of what musicians were like, though to my credit it was always perpetuated by the media. I saw people doing drugs to gain their artistic edge and imagined a recording studio lobby filled with girls just waiting for some attention from famous people. I was envisioning my dad’s hardware store like some moralless building where people went for debauchery. I knew it was the worst-case scenario, but I couldn’t shake it from my mind.
“Look, maybe you should talk to him,” Liz said.
I glanced back to the sound table where Callum was standing with another man and showing him some of the knobs and buttons on the console.
“Unless you’re not interested in him. And if that’s the case, Darcy, then it’s time to put the man out of his misery.”
I thought back to earlier when Randy had asked me on a date. Something inside of me had made me say no. Something was telling me that whatever Randy had to offer wasn’t right for me. Was that because I wanted a life with someone else?
The thought hit me hard, and I quickly looked away from Callum. Liz was pushing the costumes back into the plastic tubs and pushing them off to the side. The kids were going to do a run through of the show before eating pizza and then setting up for the performance tonight. As she grabbed another box, she looked at me, waiting for a response.
“I don’t know what I want,” I said; but then, because I needed to try out the words, I said, “I am interested in him.”
“I know you are!” Liz said, smiling at me, and I rolled my eyes at her. She always thought she could read my mind. And, to be honest, many times she was right. “So, get over yourself and see what this could be. If you don’t want him to renovate the hardware store, then tell him that. And if you want a hand in what those renovations look like, then I know he would let you. You have the power here, Darcy.”
I listened to Liz’s words carefully. It was like I could finally see the situation clearly. All along I had had the power to reject his offer on the hardware store. So why did I get so angry about it? Was it because he threatened to destroy my dad’s legacy, perhaps? But some part of me wondered if I was upset about more than that. Was I pushing back against Callum’s attempts to get closer to me?
From the beginning I had assumed Callum was only looking for a fling. I thought he would sleep with me and move on, preparing for his next tour and forgetting all about Maplewood. But when I thought back to all of our interactions, I started to wonder if that was a reality I had pushed onto him. In the same way I was holding on to the worst stereotypes of musicians, had I pushed a story onto Callum that was false?
“Will you be alright?” I asked, looking back at the stage where the kids were lining up for their first number.
“I think we put out most of the fires,” Liz laughed. “It may not be perfect, but they’ll have a show tonight. Thanks so much for your help.”
“Of course,” I said. I kept my eye on Callum, hoping he wasn’t about to rush out of the room now that I had resolved to talk to him.
“Go talk to him,” Liz smiled, giving me a gentle shove on the shoulder. “But make sure you’re back here for the performance. Maggie and Alan will never forgive you if you miss it!”
“I’ll be here,” I assured her. I gave Liz a hug and told her how amazing she was for helping her kids, and all the others, put on this show. Then I was gone, crossing to the back of the room as butterflies fluttered around in my stomach. I had no idea what I would say to Callum, but I forced one foot in front of the other until he noticed me coming and gave me a smile.
“Think you got it?” he asked the man standing next to him.
“I’ll give it a go,” the man said. Callum switched places with him, encouraging the man to take the primary position behind the board.
“Use the run-through as a practice round,” Callum explained. “And let me know if you have any problems. I’ll check back in to help before the show starts.”
“Sure thing,” the man said. He nodded at Callum and then glanced at me to give me a slight smile. Callum grabbed his coat from the back of the chair and led me a few feet away where we could have a bit of privacy.
“Could we talk?” I asked. Loud notes from the piano pounded out across the auditorium and the children thundered onto the stage with loud footsteps.
“Let’s go outside,” Callum laughed. He pushed open the door at the back of the room and we found ourselves in an elementary school hallway. The walls were covered in colorful bulletin boards and children’s art.
“Were you serious about the things you said on the radio?” I blurted out, unable to hold this in anymore. Callum’s eyebrows rose in surprise.
“You heard it?” he asked. I nodded.
“I heard it,” I said. “Was it true? Are you ... looking to settle down, or whatever you said?” My words were dismissive, as if I needed to give him an opportunity to back out of this.
“I meant it,” he insisted, holding my gaze. “Whatever this is between us, it’s different than anything I’ve ever felt before. And I want to see what’s here.”
