"Yup! You know, redhead. I was totally typecast, but I rocked that roll!"
I chuckled. "It's a leading role. I'm sure you did. Would you like to sing a number from the show?"
"How about 'Tomorrow'?"
"Works for me," I said. "Give me a few bars. We're a little short on time. I only need enough to judge your talent."
"I can do that!" Katie said.
"I have a resume too," Rose said, handing me a plain piece of paper. All in Times New Roman font. Not as elaborate a presentation, but her list of credits was no less impressive. "You sang the National Anthem at a Chiefs game?"
"It was only a pre-season game. But yes, it was quite the honor!"
"Is that what you'd like to sing today?" I asked.
Rose winced. "I prepared something a little more on par with what you might perform here."
I smiled. "That would probably be preferable. What will you be singing?"
"'Wrecking Ball' by Miley!"
"I love that song!" I said. "Totally one of my favorites."
"I could sing something more current, too, if you'd like," Katie added. "I can sing 'Titanium' by David Guetta featuring, you know, me!"
I bit my lip. "Sing whichever song you'd like, Katie."
"I'll do a mashup!" Katie said. "That's my specialty!"
I nodded. "How about you, Amelia?"
Amelia bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I didn't bring a resume. I don't have a lot of experience."
"That's fine, Amelia," I said. "Where else have you sung before today?"
Amelia bit her bottom lip. "Mostly in my bedroom. In the mirror..."
I caught Katie rolling her eyes out of the corner of my eye. I chose to ignore it. "That's okay, Amelia. If you have talent, that's all I care about. What would you like to sing for me today?"
"'I Kissed a Girl' by Katy Perry," Amelia said.
"I love it!" I said. "Though, honey, I have to be honest with you. I've never kissed a girl."
Amelia giggled a little. "Well, you're missing out!"
I smiled. "I'll take your word for it. I can't wait to hear it."
Katie jumped up on my stage. Apparently, she was going first. Since she was evidently running the audition. Her resume was impressive. While she was a bit... aggressive... she had a spunk to her that would really fit in well with the Nicky's vibe I was nurturing. Confident women. Like me. Women who are comfortable in their own skin. If the audience didn't want her, they should want to be her. When I took the stage, that's the kind of energy I tried to emanate. It's crazy what confidence can do. Even an average-looking girl with moderate talent, if she has confidence, can have an audience wrapped around her finger in a matter of moments. Why? Because confidence is sexy.
Katie grabbed her microphone. She started singing "Tomorrow," belting out the musical refrain with an undeniable powerhouse voice. Somehow, by the time she got to the second verse, she had morphed her number into "Titanium." It was a bit odd. A little jarring. She should have stuck with the Annie number. Pop songs don't often stand well on their own without a backup track. Sure, her voice was strong. She sang it like she thought she was bringing down the house. She just wasn't.
Rose seemed to enjoy it. She leaped to her feet and applauded loudly. At least I knew Rose was a good sport.
I remained seated. Still, I clapped my hands and smiled. "Thank you, Katie. You have a great voice."
"Thanks, Nicky!"
"I do have one question, though."
"What's that?" Katie asked.
"You're clearly used to being center stage. One thing I see on your resume. These are mostly musical numbers with leading or at least major roles. All characters who have solos."
Katie bit her lip. "Isn't that a good thing?"
I smiled. "Yes! It's impressive. I need to know if you can sing backup vocals. Sometimes to allow one's voice to blend in, to use your voice to enhance the headliner rather than steal the show, that's harder than actually being the star."
"I've sung in choirs! When I was younger, I had some chorus roles."
"Why didn't you include those on your resume?" I asked.
Katie shrugged. "Because it's chorus. I want to be like you, Nicky!"
I winked at her. "I appreciate you saying that! But if you want to be a star, if you want to really shine, the secret is restraint. If you can sing backup, and if you can sing that as well as you can headline, honey, the sky will be the limit for you."
"Thanks, Nicky! I can't wait to sing backup for you!"
I nodded. I hadn't made up my mind yet. Technically, I could take on all three. Gina needed some backup singers, too. And I wasn't looking for pros. I wanted singers with a few rough edges. Singers I could mold. And maybe, eventually, let loose to pursue their dreams. I knew Nicky's was only a pit-stop for girls like Katie. She'd never be satisfied with the limited opportunity I had for her. Hell, I wasn't sure if she'd think singing at Nicky's was worthy of adding to her resume. After all, she wouldn't be the star of my show. But we had a massive internet following. If she was hoping to get discovered, performing on my stage would do it.
"Rose," I said. "Would you like to go next?"
"Yes, ma'am. Thank you."
I smiled. "You can call me Nicky. Ma'am makes me feel old."
In truth, I didn't as much as I pretended. Rose was calling me ma'am as a gesture of respect. Not a signal of my advanced age. And at least she said ma'am, not sir. The way I dressed, how I carried myself, it wasn't like there was any doubt I was a trans woman. If someone called me ma'am, it didn't necessarily mean they embraced my lifestyle. I didn't care what people really thought. Folks are entitled to have their own worldviews. But I did expect they respected my choices and had the courtesy to refer to me in ways that reflected the self I embraced. Calling me "sir" was a petty way people who disagreed with my lifestyle were signaling they thought they were better than me. Those people, well, they could suck it. Secretly, I suspected, most of them wanted to anyway.
Rose was setting the stage. Really, she was probably the prettiest of the three. She resembled a classic beauty, like a young Audrey Hepburn. Yeah, I know I'd only been a human a few years. But I knew my stars. Rose looked the part—if she'd come on the scene fifty years earlier. But she chose a current song. I was curious, to say the least.
With the microphone perfectly positioned and her hands at her sides, Rose started to sing.
Talk about vibrato. Her voice was strong. Haunting, even. But her song choice? "Wrecking Ball" didn't seem to fit. I let her get through the first chorus. Then I raised her hand to stop her.
"Rose, I'm looking at your resume here. You're certainly a strong soprano."
Rose smiled. "I most certainly am, ma'am. I mean, Nicky. Sorry!"
I grinned. "When you sing that, it sounds unnatural. It doesn't fit your voice. And it almost sounds like you just heard the song for the first time a week ago. I don't feel your heart in it. Why don't you try something more in your lane? I'm looking at your resume. I'd love to hear you sing 'Un be di vedremo' from Puccini's Madam Butterly."
Rose cocked her head. "I didn't know you had a thing for opera. Your songs..."
"I know, it's not my style. But I appreciate diversity, honey. Miley isn't really your lane. I want you to do you!"
Rose smiled. "I can do that."
Then she started, and it was like the difference between night and day. A haunting, soul-touching song with a voice perfectly suited for it. Again, I wasn't sure how well she'd work as a backup. But her talent was undeniable.
I applauded when she finished. "That was stunning, Rose. Thank you."
I heard Katie sigh behind me. Clearly, she wasn't the sort who handled others being praised particularly well.
"Amelia, it's your turn," I said.
Amelia stood up, nodded, and took a deep breath. She almost tripped on her own feet as she made her way to the stage. She didn't have a lot of experience in front of people. But that didn't mean she wasn't good. If she'd sent in a sample, and i
f Devin scheduled her for an audition, I knew she had to be talented. But if she couldn't handle performing in front of me and two others, how would she do on stage in front of a thousand people, all packed into Nicky's like sardines?
And her song choice—totally bold. "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry. Not exactly what you'd expect a timid girl to choose to sing. But once she opened her mouth, it was like the shy little caterpillar emerged from her cocoon with a new brand and a bold beauty. She grabbed the microphone from the stand. She worked the stage like a seasoned pro. She didn't have the powerhouse voice, like Katie, and she wasn't nearly so refined and well trained as Rose. But she had something the others didn't. She had an aura—she carried herself as herself. She wasn't playing a role. She was giving us a dose of Amelia. She was precisely the kind of performer, like Gina and me, that my audiences ate up! Not literally—so long as no vampires were in the audience. But you know what I mean. She had the it factor—even if her voice, technically speaking, wasn't as strong as Katie's or Rose's.
I leaped to my feet when she finished. "Girl, you go! You rocked that stage!"
Amelia put the microphone back in its stand and giggled a little. She was back to her reserved, shy self now that she wasn't singing. Some people are like that. When they're "on," they are a totally different person. It was like how Geraldo—a shy gay man and a painter who stuck to himself—transformed into an intimidating diva when he went in drag when Gina emerged.
"Thank you for listening to my song," Amelia said.
"So when do we find out?" Rose asked.
I smiled. "I like to go off my gut. No sense in forcing you girls to go home and stew over it and wonder."
"You're going to tell us now?" Katie asked.
I nodded. "I have to be honest. This is my third round of auditions. I was beginning to wonder if I'd have any luck at all. But you three are the most talented of all the singers I've heard. You're each very different singers. I can see a place here for each of you."
"Are you saying you're hiring all of us?" Amelia asked.
"I am," I said, smiling.
Based on the broad smiles that split each of their faces and the shriek of giddiness Amelia released, they were excited.
"When do we start?" Rose asked.
"How about tonight?" I asked.
"What would you like me to sing?" Katie asked.
"Nothing," I said, smiling. "No offense. But I'd like you all to simply observe the show tonight. Get a good feel for the vibe we've got going here. Think about where you think you'd fit best. In Gina's set, in mine, whatever. We'll meet up tomorrow and develop a plan unique to each of you, something that will highlight each of your talents. How does that sound?"
"Like a dream!" Amelia said. "Thank you!"
"I suppose I'm okay with that," Katie said.
"Me, too," Rose added.
Devin stepped out from the back of the room—from down the hallway where my office was. His hands were stained with blood. Usually, I'd be worried about that. But he and Malinda, by the looks of it, had quite the mess to clean up.
"Hey, Nicky," Devin said.
"What's up?" I asked.
"So Geraldo called. He said Gina won't be able to perform tonight. Had to leave town suddenly. It was a family emergency."
I bit my lip. "Alright, well, tell him not to worry about it. Did he say how long until Gina would be back?"
"He said he hoped no more than a week. It has something to do with his mom. He didn't go into any more details than that. So you know, it might be a little longer than that."
I nodded. "See if you can get an address. Wherever he'll be staying. Send him something."
"Flowers?" Devin asked, raising an eyebrow.
I chuckled. "No. Not that! You know how I feel about flowers."
"I'll figure something out," Devin said, winking at me.
I sighed. "Well, girls. This changes things a bit. How would you each like a shot to open for me the next three nights?"
"That's what I'm talking about!" Katie exclaimed.
"Oh my God!" Amelia said. "Wow!"
"Sounds like a good opportunity. But I'd like a day or so to practice. If one of the other girls would like to go first."
"You'll each get your shot. So no worries. But based on your auditions, Amelia, how would you like to open up tonight?"
"I could do it, too! I have more songs!" Katie added.
"Which I haven't heard," I said. "Katie, put together something you think, based on what you see tonight, will resonate with my audience. You can sing tomorrow night."
Katie huffed. "Alright. I can do that."
I rolled my eyes. Seriously, the girl was going to bitch she wasn't going first after I just told her she'd get to open up the next night?
"Oh my God," Amelia said. "I'm so nervous!"
"Do the same song you did today. I'll get the band to back you up. They'll be here any minute now. You can do a run-through with them before we open the doors for the crowds."
"Thank you so much!" Amelia said. "I won't let you down! I promise!"
I smiled. "I know you won't. And, Rose, like I told Katie. Pay attention tonight. But don't pick something that isn't you. Something that highlights your skill. A short aria would be perfect."
"I can definitely do that," Rose said. "Not a problem at all."
Chapter Four
Amelia paced back and forth in the green room, humming "I Kissed a Girl" to herself as I applied my eyeliner. Rose and Katie were already seated in the audience. I couldn't give them front-row seats. Those were already spoken for. Purchased as a premium. But the back half of the club didn't have assigned seating. The sooner you arrived, the better seat you'd get. For that reason, most nights, the club started to fill from the middle back. Only a scattering of people occupied the front half of the club, typically, until the show began. Those were the folks, generally, who came early anyway for the sake of securing better parking. Rose and Amelia were in the first row in the general admission area. It was fine. Our auditorium wasn't huge. It used to be used to conduct funeral services, after all. The place wasn't built for the kinds of crowds we attracted. That's why we had several shows a week. And the intimacy of the club, really, added to the experience. There wasn't a bad seat in the house.
The rehearsal with the band went well. It probably didn't give Amelia the kind of background track she was used to, having only practiced in her mirror at home, but she adapted well. Everything was ready to go. I was confident she'd do great. Still, stage fright is a real thing. No amount of practice would conquer Amelia's anxieties. The only cure? To go out on stage and face her fear.
All primped up, I decided to leave Amelia to practice in the greenroom in privacy. I made my way through the half-full house to my office. I cracked open the door slowly, careful not to open it so wide that any passers-by who might have been heading for the restrooms at the end of the wall couldn't see in. A blood explosion isn't something you can easily explain away.
Devin was on his hands and knees, a bucket of water beside him, scrubbing a patch of bloodied-pink suds in the carpet. Thankfully, it was a commercial carpet. Getting blood out of anything, though, is a challenge.
Meanwhile, Malinda was sitting behind my desk, her Converse sneakers atop my desk. Predictably, she was on her phone.
"Seriously, Malinda? You're going to let him clean up your mess?"
"It's not like that!" Malinda said. "I was helping."
"She was," Devin said. "I asked her to try and figure out what went wrong with the spell."
I rolled my eyes. "You couldn't debrief with Hailey about it later?"
Malinda shook her head. "She only had a minute. And we're just texting. I'll help finish up in a second."
"Yeah, after he's got the worst of it done."
Malinda shrugged. "We got the worst of it done already before."
I looked around the room. There were still some splatters, now drying, on the walls. "You mean it was worse than this?"
&
nbsp; Malinda giggled. "Much worse. The whole office looked like vampire heaven. Blood everywhere. Totally gross!"
I snorted. It wasn't the first time the office had been showered in blood. This was the room where I first confronted Alice. When I still intended to eliminate her. Stakes were thrown. Hearts were pierced. Most of the time, staking a vampire is accompanied by a spurt of blood. It was a nasty affair. But even then, the office didn't look as bad as it did now. And they'd been working on it for an hour already.
"Well, does Hailey at least know what the problem was?"
"Yup!" Malinda said. "I mean, she has a theory. Makes sense, you know."
"What spell were you trying to cast anyway?" I asked.
"It's sort of a divination spell. It allows me to commune with the soul of the person still lingering in the blood. So I can speak to their spirits."
"And because you were using blood bags..."
"The soul was already totally gone out of two of them. The other one, well, it was still pretty fresh."
I nodded. My former roommate, Donnie, was a pharmacist. She had connections at a local blood bank. I wasn't sure how she went about doing it, but she managed to secure a case of the stuff for Malinda to practice with.
"And you're sure that's what caused the explosion?" I asked.
"As sure as we can be," Malinda said. "The bags are dated. The one that didn't explode had been drawn earlier today. The others were a couple days old. Hailey said it made sense. Without the soul in the blood to react to the spell, the spell has to go somewhere. So. Pop! Splat!"
I snickered. "Pop and splat. That's one way to describe the blood bombs that went off in here."
"Anyway, now I know better. No blood divination on old blood. Hailey thinks I need a wand. My spells aren't as focused as they could be."
"I told her I had a spare she could have," Devin said.
"But she's a blood witch. Doesn't she need like a blood witch wand or something?"
Devin shook his head. "Doesn't matter. All spells are really an emanation of the caster's will. All the wand does is, crudely speaking, help focus or target the spell."
No Shift, Sherlock: A Vampire Hunter Urban Fantasy Mystery (The Legend of Nyx Book 3) Page 3