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Despite knowing it was coming, Sophie had spent too much time trying to find an alternative soloist instead of thinking of a suitable response for when Liam asked her to step in.
‘I know it’s a bit awkward,’ Liam said. ‘You know, because you didn’t get the solo in the first place.’ He leant forward with his hands on his knees and grimaced.
‘It’s awkward now,’ Sophie said. ‘I’d not even thought of that.’
‘Your audition was great. It makes perfect sense.’
‘The thing is,’ she said, unravelling the braid at the end of her scarf she’d plaited earlier, ‘when I didn’t get the solo before, it felt like a bit of a lucky escape, to be honest. I’m not sure I want to do it any more.’
‘You didn’t want the solo?’ he asked, his forehead wrinkling. He ran a hand through his curls, looking frustrated and sexy.
‘Not really. I didn’t want to do the audition. You know Lulu and Kate made me,’ she said, biting the corner of her nail. ‘They signed me up while I was organising something else, and when you read my name out, I couldn’t think of an excuse not to. You’d just turned up, and I didn’t want to let you down. I didn’t want to let the choir down. I don’t know. It sounds silly now I say it,’ she said, shrugging.
‘But your audition was great,’ Liam said again, smiling at her.
Sophie glanced up to meet his eyes. ‘OK, so there may have been a moment where I thought it might be exciting to do a solo, but it was only for a moment, and now I’m back to not wanting to do it. Besides, you’re right, you gave the solo to Lulu. There must have been a reason why I wasn’t good enough.’
‘I thought that with Lulu starring in the concert we might make more money for your mum’s charity. She’ll bring in the crowds.’ He pulled out a piece of sheet music. ‘Your voice is amazing.’
Sophie swallowed uncomfortably. He’d given Lulu the solo so they’d make more money for the charity. He’d seen how important it was to her. The butterflies in her stomach awoke a little more and hovered off the floor.
‘What about Greg? I didn’t have time to ask him this evening.’
Liam shook his head.
‘I know a music teacher who comes into school on a Thursday who might help us out,’ Sophie suggested, her voice full of desperate hope.
‘There’s really no one else who can do it,’ Liam said, shaking his head again. ‘You know the music, and your voice is strong. I want you.’
Liam was right, and Sophie knew it. She ran through the choir in her head, and there wasn’t anyone else who could do it. Singing the solo might be the only way the concert could go ahead.
‘All right,’ Sophie said uncertainly. ‘Maybe we could give it a go.’
‘Have you got time now?’
He knew she had because they’d expected rehearsal to go on until ten. She couldn’t lie and escape. Reluctantly, she nodded.
‘Let’s make a start.’ Liam settled himself on the piano stool.
‘OK,’ she mumbled, suddenly very aware of the moisture levels – or lack thereof – in her throat. She swallowed again.
‘Why don’t you come and stand over here by the piano? Then you can follow the music as I play.’
Sophie made her way over to where he was sitting and stood slightly behind him. She had her own score and didn’t put it down. It was always good to have something to hold when you felt nervous to stop you from fiddling. And Sophie knew she was a fiddler.
‘OK, so let’s go from bar fourteen, which is where you would come in. Here’s your note,’ Liam said, playing it for her.
He began the accompaniment, but Sophie didn’t come in on her cue. Something stopped her from singing. Her throat felt tight, and her voice was stuck somewhere behind it.
‘Let me just get a drink,’ Sophie said once Liam had paused the music and looked round at her.
He smiled. ‘No problem.’
She walked over to her bag. Sophie’s hand trembled as she opened the water bottle. She knew that from across the room Liam could see she was nervous. The thing was, she didn’t know whether it was because of Liam or because he was expecting her to sing alone. It was probably because she’d had about thirty seconds to consider whether or not she was happy to take Lulu’s place and sing the solo. The audition had been one thing, but things had become very serious, very quickly. She made a mental note to kill Kate for getting her into this – and Lulu too, once she was feeling better. Then, thinking that death might be too serious, she vowed never to make either of them a cup of tea again.
‘Ready?’ Liam asked as she walked back over to the piano.
‘Ready,’ she echoed. She didn’t feel ready.
