“Don’t be coy, it doesn’t become you!” Vanessa shook her head. “As you know, there’s been a rumour circulating around the classical music scene that you’re going to be asked to help piece together some segments for the event. It seems they’re true…but also…they would like you to conduct the final night of the whole festival!”
With her news revealed, Billy jumped back and danced a solo around the room.
Her legs turned to jelly and she reached out to hold onto the wall. She stood with her back to it for a few seconds, and then let herself slide down to sit on the polished hardwood floor.
Steve pushed himself off the counter and fell down to sit at Billy’s side. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave them a squeeze. “Well done, Bill! I know how much you’ve wanted this for the last five years, and now you finally have it.” He kissed her on the cheek and shook his head at his wife’s bat-shit crazy dancing.
“Oh. My. God!” Billy pushed up and once again grabbed a hold of Vanessa to stop her from wearing a path in the floor. “Stop, you madwoman!” When she was finally still, Billy took a deep breath. “Say that again.”
“You, Belinda Christian, have been asked to help with The Proms programme, and also have the honour of conducting the last night.”
Billy covered her face with her hands. “Holy fucking shit!” she screamed into them as she jumped up and down on the spot. “I can’t believe it!”
“We can’t leave for another ten minutes. They’re faxing me over the contract, and I want you to take a copy with you to read over. If it’s satisfactory, sign it, and make use of the computer room on the ship and scan it back to me in an email.”
Upstairs, Billy heard a loud whir as the machine in question kicked into life.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t take too long. We need to get going or I will miss the coach.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll get you there on time!” Vanessa patted her on the cheek and ran up to her office.
Billy wrung her hands and paced up and down the kitchen while she waited.
Vanessa appeared a few minutes later carrying a plastic file under her arm that she handed to Billy. “Come on, let’s hit the road.” She slapped at Billy’s fingers when she eagerly popped the folder open. “Leave it alone. Go over it when you get some time. I’ll also take a look at it when I get to the office and pass it over to the legal department to make sure it’s okay.”
Billy’s bottom lip bulged out. When that didn’t work, she poked her tongue out. “Oh, all right, but I hope to have this signed and sent back by tomorrow.”
While Vanessa kissed Steve goodbye, Billy took her precious folder out to the car and slipped it into her briefcase. If it’s in there, I won’t be tempted to look until I get on the coach or aboard the ship. The trip to Southampton is probably not the most private setting to read a contract. I’ll wait until I’m in the privacy of my room.
They were soon in the car tackling the early morning traffic into the city. The navigation system was a godsend and saved them several minutes of tailbacks, as it directed Vanessa to take shortcuts down a few side roads.
Billy remained quiet, taking in every detail of the people they passed as they scurried around to get to their city jobs, all the while maintaining her white-knuckled death grip on the ‘oh shit handle’.
“Why are you so quiet?”
Billy shook her head from side to side. “I can’t believe my luck. You know how much this means to me, and how long I’ve wanted this precise thing. I don’t know. Is it too good to be true? Me? Chief Conductor of The Proms?”
“You think it’s a hoax?” Vanessa snorted back a chuckle. “Billy, we’re dealing with the Royal Albert Hall and the BBC! I hardly think they’re going to screw about with this.”
“It’s a lot to take in.”
“You’ll have a year to work with them. The Proms, the film score, and the Service of Remembrance… I doubt you’ll have much time for anything else.”
“Oh God, can you imagine what my mum is going to be like when I tell her? I think I’ll be deaf by the time she stops screaming down the phone. Maybe I should tell her over Skype. That way I can see her reaction and adjust the volume.” She bounced in her seat when they drove over a hump into the coach station. “Oh Lord! Can I afford to go on this holiday with so much going on?”
Vanessa stopped her car behind the coach that had the cruise tour sign in the back window. She slapped Billy’s thigh hard, causing her to yelp. “That’s enough! You’re going away, for the exact reason you want to stay. Take a break! Do I need to remind you it was two weeks ago you passed out and were diagnosed with low blood pressure? You need to learn how to manage your time better. Remember you have a life outside of work. Live it. Don’t let work dominate it!” She unclipped her seatbelt and thrust it back into the mechanism. “Now, you’re getting on the coach, even if I have to drag you!”
Billy’s mind replayed the thing her Aunt Sarah had told her. Live your life, not only for yourself—but for Katie, too! “Okay, you’re right. My priority over the last couple of years has been my career. I haven’t been able to enjoy what’s around me and savour what the world has to offer.” She climbed from the car and went to the boot to retrieve her things. She took her keyboard out and walked around the side of the coach. The driver turned and smiled.
“Hello, are you on the Princess Royal cruise?” He peered at the long, slender leather hold-all case then at the scissor-like metal stand hanging from her shoulder. “Ah, I was told I’d have some precious cargo and I’ve saved a spot in my personal section for it.”
“Thank you. I hope you don’t find me picky, but I’d like to load it myself. It’s nothing personal. My Rowland is my baby and I’d be lost without her.”
He showed her to the opened metal door and indicated to the space he had made. “By all means, load away. I’ll wait for you at the end of our journey to unload it.”
She turned and intended to collect the rest of her luggage, but Vanessa had taken care of it and was waiting next to the middle loading compartment underneath the coach with the bags at her feet. The driver took her case and stowed it, which left Billy to take her camera case, briefcase, and rucksack onto the coach with her.
Before she picked any of it up, she wrapped her arms around Vanessa and kissed her cheek. “Thank you for setting me straight.” At the slight snigger from her manager, she cleared her throat. “You know what I mean.” She poked her in the ribs. “Without you taking care of me, I’d be lost.” She pulled her sunglasses and baseball cap out of her bag and put them on.
Vanessa kissed her cheek in return and pushed her away. “Damn straight you would. Now, get on the coach and come back a new woman! Don’t forget to send me a postcard from Portugal if you get the chance.”
“Thanks. I’ll call you once I’ve read the contract.” She picked up her things and climbed aboard.
She stowed her backpack under her seat at the front of the coach and put her camera bag in the overhead compartment. Thankfully, the aisle seat was vacant which meant she could stretch her long legs out, and with her briefcase settled across her thighs, she could use it as a table. She glanced out the window and saw Vanessa still standing there. She shooed her away. She waited until the car had passed her and exited the departure area before she peered around at the people already on board. There seemed to be a good mix. At the far end of the coach was a large party of twenty-year-olds, all talking exuberantly and whooping and cheering at something someone had said. In the middle was a mixture of males and females already seated and waiting for their holiday. They all seemed to be couples, and you could see from their facial expressions they were as excited as the party farther back, but less vocal about it.
There were still some vacant seats, so they wouldn’t be underway for a while. Opening her briefcase, she took out her iPod and slipped the buds into her ears. She took out a large, thick folder of sheet music and a pencil, then snapped the lid shut. I may as well get started on
the order of music for the evening Service of Remembrance.
The beginning was easy as it was set in stone. A trumpet fanfare welcomed the queen and members of the royal family, and the second piece was the National Anthem. From there on the presenter took over, and each piece of music was set to a certain time limit. Some would have to be cut down and brought to a successful end in the correct place.
The Radetzky March was the first piece and would accompany the standards into the Royal Albert Hall. Unable to see the music correctly in her sunglasses, Billy swapped them for her reading glasses. She cued the music up on her iPod, spread the corresponding sheet music on her briefcase, and waited with her pencil poised to find the appropriate moment for the piece to end.
Each planned section of music had to be timed with military precision or it’d cause the service to run over and put the two-minute silence after eleven P.M. Although the moment of reflection and respect was observed at the cenotaph the next morning, it was traditionally included in the evening service as well.
Her pencil tapped the top of the music while she listened to the beats. Other passengers boarded while she worked. She was so lost in the lively piece she never once looked up.
The next selection was to mark the entrance of the torch of remembrance and was soft and sombre. The first note sounded just as she felt a touch on her arm and she jumped, startled at the intrusion. She ripped the earphones away from her ears and glanced up. A woman in a black baseball cap and large sunglasses stood next to her.
“I’m sorry to disturb you. It’s just there are no other places to sit.”
Billy gestured to the empty space beside her. She held tightly to her belongings and shuffled herself off her seat to stand in the narrow aisle. “Sure, but do you mind if I keep the aisle so I can stretch my legs?”
“Not a problem.”
The intense heat she felt from the woman’s body and the simple touch of her soft hand sent gooseflesh up Billy’s arms. A static current passed between them.
Billy peered over and watched as the woman took her lightweight tan jacket off. She removed her sunglasses to reveal striking emerald eyes. Her lips curled into a beaming smile when she gazed at Billy. She shoved her jacket into the overhead compartment and then put her small bag under her chair.
Holy shit! No, it can’t be! Billy’s eyes narrowed. She scrutinized the woman.
“Hi. My name’s Bethany Mason. It’s nice to meet you.” The woman held her hand out.
It’s her! What are the chances? The smaller hand slipped into hers and Billy bit her bottom lip to keep from chuckling as she shook it. When they sat down, Billy couldn’t help it. She leaned closer so her words could only be heard by the woman next to her.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you—Lizzie K.”
Chapter Ten
The reaction she expected came as Elizabeth pushed herself back against the window. Her forehead furrowed in confusion.
When Billy made no move to say anything more, she relaxed back into her seat and glanced at her. “How did you know?”
Billy leaned closer and dropped the volume of her voice. The erotic, strong, yet sweet scent of patchouli filled her nose. Do not moan. “There isn’t another person on earth with eyes as green as yours or a smile so breath-taking.”
Elizabeth pulled her baseball cap off to reveal shorter, shoulder-length hair. “You have me at a disadvantage. You obviously know who I am. But you haven’t had the good manners to introduce yourself.”
Billy took her reading glasses off and tugged her baseball cap from her head, then ran her fingers through her curls.
“Billy!” Elizabeth gaped at her. Then she grinned, pulled Billy into her arms, and kissed her cheek. “How? What? Damn! I can’t believe this!”
A grin crossed Billy’s lips when she released her. “I’m as surprised as you are.”
“How crazy is it that we’re going on the same cruise?” Elizabeth sat with her back against the window, so her body was angled toward Billy. “This is so…unexpected, awesome, stupendous!” She stopped talking and covered her mouth with her hand. “Ignore me, I’m babbling. This is so unbelievable.”
Billy related her reason for the holiday and what her plans were going to be when she reached New York. “Plus, Vanessa read me the riot act and told me I needed a break.”
“I remember her. From the brief conversation we had, she seemed like a lovely woman.”
The corners of Billy’s eyes crinkled and she frowned at the comment. “I didn’t realise you’d met.”
Elizabeth patted her on the arm. “It happened back in London after La traviata, when you took ill. I came to check on you and she let me sit with you while the paramedics tried to find out what was wrong.”
“I don’t remember a lot about that night. Well, except for when Vanessa screamed and shouted at me afterwards. That’s why she’s pressed so hard for me to take a holiday. My blood pressure plummeted because I hadn’t been taking care of myself. I’m on medication now, as well as eating and exercising more.” She reached out and touched a wisp of Elizabeth’s hair. “What’s with the new cut? It looks good.”
“As you’ve probably guessed, I’m travelling under an alias so I don’t get recognised.”
“Ah, right.” Her grip tightened on her music as the coach rolled forward. “So, Bethany Mason, how’s that working for you so far?”
“It isn’t, because you recognised me. But it’s not really a fair assessment, as you’re the first person I’ve talked to. Please call me Beth. I’m more likely to answer you that way.”
Billy nibbled the pencil she was holding and stopped abruptly as a thought struck her. “Erm, Beth? You do know this is an LGBT-exclusive cruise, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do.” Elizabeth chuckled as she opened her bag and pulled her own iPod out. “Wait a minute! What are you doing here? Did you not realize?”
“Of course I knew!”
They gazed at each other. Billy held those green eyes for as long as she could. Elizabeth smiled and Billy felt her own lips mirroring it.
“For God’s sake, you two, get a room! We can feel the electricity you’re throwing off from back here!” A teasing male voice boomed from the younger crew at the back of the coach.
Elizabeth blushed scarlet and turned away from her. But after a beat, she turned back and bumped Billy’s shoulder playfully. “Does this mean we’ve just come out to each other?”
The corners of Billy’s mouth turned upwards into a smirk. “Well, I’m a raving lesbian. I don’t know about you.”
“Me, too. Perhaps this trip will be a very, very good thing after all.”
Billy’s lips felt as dry as the Sahara, and her tongue inadvertently slipped out and wet them. Oh God, she’s here, she’s gay—and I have the biggest crush on her ever. This’ll certainly be an interesting trip!
As silence settled around them, Billy picked up her sheet music while Elizabeth rummaged in her bag. About to pop her earphones back in, she jumped when Elizabeth cursed under her breath.
“Shit! Where the hell are my earphones?” The seat wobbled while she continued to search her bag. “Crap, I must have left them on the bed at home.”
“I’ve some spares you can borrow. Can you hold this?” Billy held her briefcase out and waited for Elizabeth to take it before she stood and retrieved her backpack, where her spares were stuffed in an outside pocket.
“Thank you. I’m sorry I interrupted whatever it was you were working on.” Elizabeth handed the briefcase back, took the earbuds, and plugged them into her iPod. She put one in her ear and selected one of her playlists. “Oh, and if I start to sing, can you let me know? I’m pretty sure that would ruin the purpose of trying to hide my identity.”
“Sure.” Billy raised her eyebrows and let her gaze wander down the gorgeous body next to her. A gunmetal grey t-shirt clung to Elizabeth’s curves deliciously. Soft cream-colored cargo trousers outlined her short but heart-palpitation-inducing legs. A teasing flash of tan sk
in poked out from the hem.
No, you can’t reach out and run your fingers down them!
She shook her head to break herself out of the sumptuous daydream filling her mind. It was previewing a matinee, but not the sort you’d see in a cinema. It was carnal, almost feral, and definitely not rated PG. A large, soft canopy bed covered in supple lace and the beautiful woman next to her featured prominently. “No worries.” Her voice was gravelly and low and she had to cough to clear her throat. She turned back to her work, intent on getting on with it, but stopped short of queuing up her own music. “However, I’d like to hear your amazing voice at least once while we’re on the ship.”
“Okay, but I want something in return.” Elizabeth’s left eyebrow arched.
A night of knee-trembling, fast-paced lovemaking? Billy rubbed her hands over her face to silence the voice in her head.
“Are you okay? You’ve gone all pale on me, and your breathing is faster.” Elizabeth put her hand around Billy’s bicep and squeezed. “You’re not going to pass out on me, are you?”
I will if you keep touching me. “No, I’m fine.” Billy waved Elizabeth’s concern off with her hand. “So what deal do you want to make?”
“It’s simple, really. I’ll give you your own personal performance if you return the favour and play for me.”
Billy licked her lips again as the image of exactly how she wanted to play with Elizabeth flashed through her mind. Jesus, you’re such a pervert!
“You’ve got yourself a deal.” Why the hell did everything Elizabeth say sound highly sexual? “Just so you know, I’m not ignoring you. I need to listen to some stuff for work. But I can do that with one earphone in.”
“Thank you. What are you working on?”
Billy’s briefcase slid across her lap when she moved closer and pointed to the sheets in front of her. She explained how she was working with the Royal British Legion and helping with the National Service of Remembrance due to take place in November.
Composing Love Page 9