Composing Love

by Ronni Meyrick

  Okay, it sounds like they’re in trouble again. Get in and out as soon as you can. Grab what you need and make a run for it, before you get caught up in whatever is going on in there.

  An hour later, her car was loaded with two suitcases, her briefcase, her laptop bag, and her Rowland A-800PRO electric piano. Vanessa had taken a break from scolding the kids long enough to see her off.

  “I’ve been thinking,” Billy began, leaning casually against the side of her car. “Since you’ve enforced this hiatus, would you please look for a holiday for me while I’m in Sussex? As long as it’s someplace I can relax for a couple of weeks and enjoy myself, I don’t care where it is.” A vision of a secluded beach in Bali flashed through her mind. The white sands and crystal blue sea would be her only distraction. There’d be a straw hut recessed into the treeline where she could shade herself from the scorching sun. But do I really want to be totally closed off from everything and everyone around me? Bali would also be pretty expensive. Maybe one day. But this time, something not so extravagant. As was Vanessa’s style, she had a tendency to be flamboyant. “Please keep it simple.”

  Vanessa put her hands on her hips. “You’ve more than enough funds and deserve something decent!”

  Billy’s whole body jerked as though she’d been slapped. A heavy sigh left her lips before her shoulders slumped. I detest talking about money. As long as I’ve enough in my account to get me a cup of coffee and a sandwich, I’m fine. However, it’s been a while since I’ve seen my family and I think they all deserve something extra special for putting up with me. “Can you transfer fifty thousand to my personal account please? You can use that to pay for the holiday, and the rest can stay in there to pad it out. We also need to sit down and talk about making more investments. I’ll video call you sometime this week to discuss it.”

  An exuberant smile crossed Vanessa’s lips. “Okay. I promise to find you a suitable holiday within the boundaries you’ve set.”

  The mischievous gleam in her eye told Billy she was going to have a holiday to remember.

  Vanessa tugged on her arm. “Come on, I’m sure you’ve got time to have a cup of tea before you set out.”

  “Sure, but keep me away from any dirt. I want to be presentable when I get home or my mum is going to start fussing.” She followed Vanessa into the house and slammed the door behind her.

  ***

  Across London, in her penthouse apartment on the east bank, Elizabeth Knight sat at her small two-person dining table eating breakfast.

  A half-eaten croissant lay on the small plate in front of her and her coffee mug sat next to the cafetière waiting to be refilled. Spread out in her hands was a copy of The Telegraph. Instead of rushing to the back of the paper where she’d find a review of the performance from the previous night, she took her time reading each article.

  She was nearing the back of the paper when the intercom buzzer rang. A few minutes later, her front door opened and Jane marched regally inside.

  “Oh, I’m glad you got your paper.” Jane bit her lip. A frown creased her forehead. “Why do you torture me so? Save me the slow agony of watching you read the entire thing.” She snatched the paper from Elizabeth’s grasp.

  “Hey! The way I read the paper is no concern of yours. This is the only time I get to relax and catch up with the news.” Elizabeth stood and carried the cafetière into the kitchen to refresh it.

  When she returned, she carried the heavy glass flask in one hand, and in the other was another ceramic mug for Jane. Jane had the review page spread out before her and was pointing to the largest clip on it.

  Elizabeth placed her hands on the table, leaned on her palms, and bent to read it. When she saw the name of the critic she groaned loudly. “This is going to be painful.” Her chair was suddenly underneath her as Jane guided her back into it. “Okay, impatient much!”

  With the paper now in her hands, she took her time. Halfway through, her shoulders shook uncontrollably and she had to put the paper down. She threw her head back and laughed, tears trickling down her cheeks. She wiped them away with her fingers and continued to read. “Oh, Lord, I bet someone is very unhappy this morning!”

  Her gaze landed on Billy’s name and her mind filled with a pleasant image of the tall, athletic woman with the jet-black hair and azure eyes. She licked her lips as she was bombarded with reminders of the dream she’d had the night before. Billy Christian had taken her in her arms and kissed her until she was breathless, and then made love to her with tender touches and more passion than she’d ever felt in her entire life.

  A flush travelled up her neck.

  Jane coughed and tapped her on the shoulder. “Whatever thought just entered your mind, I want to know about it. But first, finish the article.”

  Elizabeth put the paper down a few minutes later and shrugged her shoulders. “It’s an awesome review. However, I don’t think Carlo is going to see it that way. It looks like I won’t have to worry about working with him anymore. After that,” she pointed to the opened page, “he’ll never be asked to perform anywhere important again!”

  Jane sat opposite her and poured them both a drink. She took a sip of her black coffee, then set her cup down and leaned back in her chair. “Now, what had you blushing so early in the morning?”

  Lost in a world of her own, Elizabeth barely registered the question. She folded the paper and pushed it out of the way. “Hmm. I wonder.” She rubbed her chin. “Jane, can you get another copy of this paper sent over to Billy’s manager? Ask her to track Billy down and get it to her as soon as she can.”

  Jane frowned. “What if she’s no longer in the country?” A cheeky smile spread across her lips as she reached into a nearby tissue box and handed Elizabeth a tissue from it. “You have a big black smudge of newspaper ink on your chin.”

  Elizabeth flushed and scrubbed her chin before continuing. “After she fainted last night and had to be rushed to St. Thomas, I doubt she’ll be travelling anywhere for at least a week.”

  Jane hesitated, then shrugged. “Sure, I’m on it.” She rose with her phone in hand and headed into Elizabeth’s study, but poked her head back out. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten my original question.”

  The corner of Elizabeth’s mouth jerked up and she winked. “I don’t think I should share the details, but I wouldn’t mind having another dream like it tonight.”

  Jane strolled out of the office twenty minutes later, a grin curling at her lips. “That was a spot of luck. Apparently, Billy is with her manager this morning.”

  Elizabeth stood from loading the dishwasher. “Brilliant! Can you get a messenger bike to bring the copy here before he goes to deliver it? There’s something I want to send with it.”

  Jane crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot impatiently. “What exactly are you up to, Lizzie?”

  With a childlike giggle, Elizabeth jogged down the hallway to her bedroom. She closed the door behind her and rested the back of her head against it. If only my dreams were reality, there’s no way I’d be having breakfast alone. I’d be naked, in bed, feeding her morsels of food and sharing a mug of coffee with her.

  ***

  After their brief cup of tea, Billy went back out to her car. Vanessa followed her. Before she could climb into her seat, she found herself being hugged around the waist. Her chest heaved with silent laughter as she patted Vanessa on the back.

  “Okay, shorty, time to put me down! I’ll have to get you a stall to stand on for a proper hug. Either that or get down on my knees.” She stepped back quickly to avoid the slap to her abdomen.

  “Screw you, Stretch! Don’t you know that all good things come in small packages?”

  “Yeah, so does ars—”

  The noise of a revving engine drew their attention to the road. A few seconds later, a black motorcycle eased up the driveway and pulled to a stop in front of the house. The silver lettering of the Triumph logo glinted in the sunlight.

  Vanessa stepped forward as the rid
er removed his helmet, and curly brown locks fell down over his ears. “Greg, what are you doing here? Is everything okay at the office?”

  “Hi, Mrs. Gale.” He pulled an envelope out of the courier box on the back of the bike. “We received a call earlier this morning from someone trying to get something to Ms. Christian. Your PA knew you were working from home today and that Billy was going to be with you, so she had me bring it over.” He handed the envelope to Billy, and then gave Vanessa a hand-held terminal for her to sign.

  Billy glanced down at the envelope. No name and no return address. “I wonder what this is.” She turned the envelope around in her hand and squeezed it. “It feels like a sheath of paper.”

  “If it helps, the package was sent by J. L. Bennett Consulting.” Greg placed his helmet on his head. “Bye, ladies. Enjoy the rest of your day.” He kick-started the engine and revved it twice before raising the stand and pulling out into the road.

  Vanessa hummed. “J.L. Bennett Consulting. I’ve heard of them. They represent some of the music industry’s big-shots.” Vanessa walked over, peered at the package, and nudged Billy’s arm. “Go on, open it.”

  Billy’s hand shook while she opened the envelope. She reached inside and felt the corner of a newspaper. She pulled it out. It was a copy of The Telegraph with a piece of paper clipped to the top of the front page.

  I hope you’re feeling better after last night. I thought you would enjoy this. I know I did. I couldn’t stop laughing, and I bet Carlo is spitting feathers. Turn to page 89 and enjoy.

  From Lizzie K. Xxx

  Billy hastily unfolded the paper and flicked her way through the pages. Page eighty-nine, page eighty-nine… Aha! There it was. She scanned the article. It was a review from one of the fiercest critics in the business, Randolph Fox. Everyone in the opera world dreaded spotting him in the audience. He took no prisoners and was brutally honest.

  Laughter bubbled up through her body. She threw her head back and wrapped an arm around her ribs. “Oh, this is precious!”

  Giuseppe Verdi’s La traviata at Covent Garden. A beautiful opera performed to the best of the chorus’s abilities. The leading roles were played by Carlo Giovanni and Elizabeth Knight. The entire cast and orchestra were conducted by the ever-elegant and passionate Billy Christian.

  Ms. Knight earned her reputation as one of the world’s most renowned sopranos. Her performance as Violetta Valéry was one to rival that of Maria Callas. It was mesmerising, passionate, enthralling, powerful, yet heart-breaking. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Bellissima! A first-class leading lady!

  However, the performance of Mr. Giovanni, tenor, as Alfredo left me feeling hollow and unimpressed. His stage presence was abysmal, apart from occasionally flouncing around the stage like a hyperactive puppy. His voice was dry and he lacked the breath to carry himself comfortably to the end of the phrases. There were also more than a handful of instances where I heard wobbly or dud notes. Unconvincing and disappointing. Undeserving of the role, certainly not the great tenor needed to play Verdi’s Alfredo.

  Ms. Christian was outstanding. I know how much goes into one of these performances, and that it’s always the conductor who works the hardest.

  I also found it especially nice that Ms. Knight asked Ms. Christian to join the cast onstage for her own final bow. Well done, Ms. Knight. It’s about time the stars paid tribute to the workhorses of a performance.

  If this production had a different male lead I’d be happy to award it ten stars. But with Mr Giovanni’s presence I can only award it six.

  Vanessa jostled around Billy trying to snatch the paper from her. “What?”

  Billy bent over and coughed and spluttered as she tried to control her breathing. “Oh, I bet Carlo is shitting kittens over this.” Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She staggered over to the car and leaned against it. “Here, read it yourself.” She handed the paper over.

  Vanessa read the article. A grin broke over her face. “Oh, man, that’s priceless! Carlo is never going to live this down, and I think his career has just been flushed down the toilet.”

  Billy grabbed the paper. “I might have to frame this.”

  “I wonder how Elizabeth Knight managed to get this here. Last night she was really concerned about you. She probably knew I’d check on you this morning and had her manager send it to the office.” Vanessa leaned back against the car. “I wonder if she’s a lesbian.” She wiggled her eyebrows at Billy. “Maybe she’s a little sweet on you.”

  Billy scowled at her.

  “I knew it! You’ve got a little crush on our opera star.”

  “I do not!” Her protest sounded hollow to her own ears, so she knew Vanessa wasn’t falling for it. “Awww, shit.” She scrubbed her face with her hands. “Okay, maybe I do. But she’s probably straight. Even if she was a lesbian, it doesn’t mean she’d give me a second look.”

  Vanessa scoffed. “You’re kidding, right? With those big blue eyes, black hair, and muscular physique, she’d be mad not to.”

  Any description of her body always made her a little uncomfortable. She gently pushed Vanessa away from the driver’s door. “Okay, move. I’m going before you can embarrass me further.” She opened the door and climbed in.

  After she hooked her iPhone up to the sound system and queued up some of her favourite playlists, she wound the window down. “Let me know how you get on with the holiday plans. If the film producer calls, patch him through to my mobile.”

  “Will do, but you need to give it a couple of days before you do anything. Go and relax with your family and have some fun. Visit your Aunt Sarah and ride that dreadful beast of a horse that won’t let anybody near him but you.” Vanessa bent into the window and kissed her on the cheek. “Please, Billy, you need to take things easy. I promise, if anything major pops up, I’ll contact you.”

  Billy took her sunglasses out of her bag and slipped them on. “Okay, I’ll be good and take some time off. Now, let me go. I’ll video call you in a couple of days to let you know how things are.”

  “Make sure you do. Drive safely.” Vanessa pulled her body out of the window and took a step back.

  Billy turned the key in the ignition and revved the engine a couple of times. “Yes, Mum.” Her voice was heavily tinged with sarcasm. “Ness, I’m thirty-six years old and I’ve had my driving licence since I was seventeen. I’ll be fine.” She disengaged the hand brake and let the car slowly roll forward. “Love you, Ness! I’d be lost without you.”

  As Billy turned out onto the road, the tight ball of tension she’d carried in her chest for weeks finally started to loosen.

  I’m going home.

  An hour later, Billy pulled into a service station. You’re an idiot! What did Mum always say when we were going anywhere? Always make sure you go before you leave home!

  After running inside and heading straight for the ladies’ room, she stopped and bought a banana and strawberry smoothie and a sandwich. She climbed into the car and settled her things on the seat next to her and the drink in the cup holder.

  She should call Aunt Sarah and let her know she was coming home. Her mind flashed an image of the old farmhouse that stood on the fifty acres of land her aunt owned, and the twelve stable blocks that surrounded it. The fresh smell of the hay and horses reminded her of how she and Katie use to run riot through the yard. We got into so much trouble together… It’s going to be weird being back there and not seeing her…or rather, knowing I’ll never see her there again. A grin crept over her lips as she thought about one of their misadventures as children.

  “I told you not to go so high on the swing.” Katie knelt next to Billy on the ground. The remnants of the garden fence lay around her. “Mum is going to be so mad when she sees this.”

  Billy winced when she sat up. “I don’t feel so well.”

  Katie grabbed Billy’s side. “You’re bleeding.”

  Billy lifted her shirt and saw a shard of wood panelling sticking out of her. “Oh—”
<
br />   “What in holy hell happened here?” A gruff voice rang out from the back deck.

  Katie buried her face in Billy’s hair. “Mum, Billy’s hurt! We need to get her to the hospital!”

  Billy’s head dropped and her eyes closed. The last thing she remembered was being hoisted into her Aunt Sarah’s arms before she passed out.

  She rubbed her left hip and her side where she had a six-inch scar. We used to have so much fun together. Okay, one of us occasionally got hurt. But you were my best friend…you were like my sister, Kate. Oh God, I miss you!

  It was like she was on autopilot. She swiped her phone open to the contacts page and clicked her Aunt Sarah’s number. You should’ve called her earlier to let her know you were coming. She connected the call to her headset, and while it rang she opened her sandwich.

  “Well, if it isn’t the adopted daughter! How the hell are you, kid?”

  Billy’s smile was instant when she heard her aunt’s voice. Her mum and Sarah had always joked about their adopted daughters. When they were younger she was either at Katie’s or Katie was at their house. They were inseparable. “Hey, Aunt Sarah, I’m good. I’m calling to let you know I’m going to be in the village for a little while. Fancy getting together?”

  “Are you joking? I’d love to. When do you arrive?”

  “I’ve stopped to grab something to eat and drink. I should be home in an hour or so.” She turned the key in the ignition and the engine purred to life.

  “Has your old man conscripted you into the quiz team yet?” Sarah’s laughter echoed down the line.

  “Not yet, but I’m sure he will.” She took a sip of her smoothie.

  “I’m on their team and the next one is tonight, so I’ll see you there, Jolly.”

  “Let’s have dinner at the pub before it starts. I think I’ve neglected my duties and not treated either of my mums for a while.” She pulled the sandwich from its wrapping and took a healthy bite. An ice-cold drip of water from the bottom of the plastic smoothie cup fell and she flinched as it soaked through the material of her trousers and onto her thigh. “Damn, that’s cold!” she mumbled as she chewed the rye bread, pastrami, pickle, and sauerkraut.