Phantom (Tattered Curtain Series) by Greer Rivers

Author:Greer Rivers [Rivers, Greer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-07-18T16:00:00+00:00

Entr’acte

Scene 15

BLACK AS NIGHT

Scarlett

“Sol! What’re you—” I squeal as he practically picks me up to whisk me away to God knows where.

Wait, no… I know where.

The stage.

“Sol, stop!” I hiss as we pass through the throng of dancers. He lifts me up by my waist and plops me onto the stage. I lean in to yell at him and stop in my tracks.

The left side of his face, the expressive side, is so happy. He’s excited about this. But…

“I can’t, Sol—”

“If you’re so worried about disappointing people, what about me? I’ll be disappointed if you don’t sing your heart out right now.”

“I can’t, Sol. I can’t do this,” I insist, wringing my hands and barely resisting the urge to swipe the sweat already gathering there onto my new dress.

His hopeful grin makes my heart race even faster than the prospect of singing onstage right now. “Please, Scarlett? Trust me.”

I want to.

I bite my lip and look out at the crowd. Most are hardly paying attention to me, still swaying and dancing to the house music now that the band has stepped off for a much-deserved drink. But a few are looking at me with curiosity, including Sol’s brother, Ben.

Maggie sits beside him, and I catch Jaime just a table over. I give a timid wave to them both, just now realizing that I haven’t even had my phone since my rehearsal yesterday. It’s usually glued to my hand, but I don’t even miss it.

Focus! You’re about to sing solo in front of all these people…

Jaime is swaying in his seat, obviously drunk already, but he seems subdued, and his eyes are tense as he smiles. Maggie is grinning like a supportive big sister, her tight curls bounce as she nods at me and mouths, “go for it.”

I sigh and look back at Sol. Sincerity has replaced the mirth and he grabs my hand before stepping easily onto the high stage. He bends low and whispers in my ear as his fingertips lightly caress my bare lower back, making me shiver.

“I’ll be with you every note of the way, pretty muse.”

I haven’t even agreed yet but I know before his eyes meet mine again that I’m going to give in. With one final squeeze of my hand, he walks stage right to the speakeasy’s upright piano. I tentatively step toward the old-school microphone, trying my best not to let my wobbly knees topple me over on my heels.

It shouldn’t be so different, singing in front of an audience in an opera performance versus now. But in one, I’m dressed up as a character, with a cast and crew to have my back. If something goes wrong, it wasn’t me, it was Juliet, or another member of the cast. All by myself is completely different.

But so is the rush I have right now.

That’s what I’m thinking about when I wrap my hand around the microphone stand and blink to adjust to the brilliant spotlight. I use the blindness to my advantage and just focus on the thrill racing through me as the house music dies down.

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