I hadn’t realised until now how nervous I’d been. Itwasall too much. Could I cope if this was my life day after day?
But I’d be stupid not to at least give it a go.
“A session in the studio sounds great.” I smiled and followed him back to the recording studio we’d been in before. This time, a man sat at the mixing desk.
“You ready to show us what you’ve got? Put these headphones on and enter the booth. A track will play in your ear, and you just need to sing along.”
I’d seen it enough times and knew what to do. I took the headphones and grabbed a bottle of water from the table. My mouth was drier than the bottom of a birdcage.
I put the headphones on and listened.
A voice spoke first. “You could do the song you sang at the festival. It sounded great live, but we can tweak it and make it fantastic.”
It seemed Sully had a favourite word. Fantastic.
I nodded at him through the glass and waited for the track to start.
I sang, but my heart wasn’t in it, and I think Sully realised that. Something was missing; I couldn’t put my finger on it.
“Wanna try that again? Wasn’t quite coming through at our end.”
I bet he was regretting his decision now, but we tried again, and then again.
“Hey, Killian. What made you cry that day when you sang the song? What was going through your head?”
Not a what, but a who. Harvey had been on my mind the whole time I sang, and I realised that was the missing factor today.
I was singing with my head, not with my heart.
“Can we go again?” I asked. “I think I’ve got it this time.”
“Sure thing. We’ll line up the track again.”
I closed my eyes and pictured Harvey in my mind. His shy smile, quiet vulnerability, then his laugh, and the way he’d lit up as we’d talked on Saturday.
The music filled my ears, and I sang, the image of Harvey in my mind. The emotions from Sunday brought tears to my eyes, but I didn’t shout or scream the song. I sang quietly, gave it thereverence it deserved until, finally, the song ended. I opened my eyes and looked through the glass.
Sully was nodding, a smile on his face. Even the guy at the mixer desk looked impressed.
“Fantastic, Killian. Just fantastic. I think you have a great future ahead of you.”
Chapter 18
Harvey
Killian’s train was late.
He’d messaged me earlier to say he was on his way back and could I meet him. He sounded excited.
“Fuck, Harv. I’ve got so much to tell you when I get back. Meet me off the train. I should get in around six.”
“Slow down, Killian. I can barely understand you.” When he talked quickly, his accent became thicker, broader.
“Sorry. I’m so fucking excited. I had to ring you. That dinner we were going to have last night. Let’s do it tonight instead. We are definitely fucking celebrating.”
Today’s meeting must have gone well, and I was eager to hear what he had to say.
I looked down the line and checked my watch again. Nope, still nothing.