Page 53 of Final Serenade

“Thank you for doing this,” Isabella’s mother said. “It’s been really hard to get her music out ever since the deal fell through.”

“It’s a damn shame,” I agreed.

“The music business isn’t about music anymore.” There was a hint of bitterness in Isabella’s voice, but there was also something else I picked up. Determination. Drive.

“If they want me to lose my clothes to sell more tickets, I’m up for it. I ain’t saving this for anybody. It’s mine. I do whatever I want with it.” She motioned at her body, smiling. “But when they want some girl who can’t tell a C from a G instead because the crowd has a better view of her ass, then we’re doomed.”

Isabella had a point. She didn’t shy away from speaking her mind, even if some of the words that came out were harsh. I loved her realness. It was refreshing after interviewing the elite. Bigger names were prone to hold back, though it was usually through no fault of their own, because publicists, managers, labels…or fear dictated the words.

We decided to record the interview in the dressing room to keep the edgy vibe of the conversation. Isabella was great in front of the camera.

The smell of alcohol, history, and rotting wood reigned in The Viper Room by the time we wrapped up. The bar was busy. Music was loud. Lights were sparse. I could feel the clouds of anticipation in the stifling air of the club as I pushed through the barrage of people, looking for a good spot to watch from.

A couple of local acts were slated to play before Isabella’s band. Ten minutes before her set, Levi decided to put Ashton to use.

He dragged me downstairs where the noise level wasn’t as bad to fill me in on his brilliant idea. “Can your brother operate a simple video camera? I brought my backup DSLR. I want him to film from a different angle. Maria said he can sit at their table. All he has to do is make sure the camera is still and the image is in focus.”

“I don’t know. Ashton’s never held a video camera in his life.” Yeah, my brother was good at games, but handling a DSLR was a lot of responsibility.

“Come on. You brought him here to carry your bag around? If he wants in, then it’s in all the way, babe.”

“I don’t want you to complain if he fucks up something,” I warned.

“How about this? You won’t hear a word from me if he fucksthisone up.”

“Okay, deal.”

We shook on it and ran back upstairs to where my brother was guarding our gear.

Levi took him to the dressing room and explained what exactly he wanted. I stayed in the crowd to take notes. The band that had just finished up wasn’t bad. They were also young and very enthusiastic on stage. Maybe even too enthusiastic for a venue this small and an audience this tame. Nevertheless, they went onto my list of acts to check out later.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a text from Levi with the list of songs Isabella was going to perform tonight. I opened the attachment and skimmed through the titles, my eyes zeroing in on the word “Ambivalent.”

I hadn’t listened to a single Hall Affinity song since our infamous late night rendezvous with my brother over a week ago. And I sure as hell didn’t want to hear the song that reminded me of the biggest heartbreak of my life. Especially tonight, when I was trying to forget my two dates with Frank Wallace. In the back of my mind, I hoped that Isabella was singing another song with the same title, but unfortunately, itwasa Hall Affinity cover. I saw the text scribbled in small print next to the title when I zoomed in on the picture.

My heart shrank in my chest and my legs shook. I wanted the bitterness to fall away badly, but the bitch held my feelings hostage. Even when the lights flickered and the crowd shifted toward the stage, my body refused to react. I stood in my spot, motionless, staring at the heavy black curtain, my throat tight with anger and my eyes welling. Getting emotional over a man who I truly didn’t know was dumb. I understood that, yet I couldn’t stop thinking about him no matter what I did. I’d even sent a text message to Jax to apologize for my disappearance because I knew how much disappearance hurt firsthand.

Isabella kicked off the set with one of her originals. It was an energetic, jazzy song. The drums were infectious, the guitars impressive. The wheelchair didn’t seem to limit her eagerness to please the crowd. Her upper body moved to the beat and the audience clapped along. I heard whistling and cheers. It was a solid start to the set. Thrilling and radiant. The promise of a fun night.

As always, I took detailed notes on my phone, but my insubordinate mind kept betraying me and going to what I knew was coming up.

By the time the band reached “Ambivalent,” my heart was sprinting. I couldn’t control my own body. I had to ride this insanity out with panic lodged deep in my chest. My legs quivered and my blood pounded against my eardrums.

Notes weren’t the priority anymore. I put my phone away and tried to concentrate on the music. Isabella’s voice was nothing like Frank’s, but not only did her rendition measure up, it stood tall. Tall and proud. This cover had a rather soulful feel. She added a few pitches here and there. A few quirky notes. A sprinkle of color. The new level of depth blew me away. Everything the song had made me feel before tonight, anger and disappointment, ebbed away, giving way to something new. Something that didn’t have a name yet.

“Crap!” Ashton smacked the back of his head against the headrest of my Honda and drew something from his pocket. “I forgot to give this to Levi.”

And here I thought my brother was going to be on his best behavior tonight. “What’s that?” I examined the SD card in his palm.

“It’s the first fifteen minutes of Izzy’s set.”

“Izzy, huh?” Irked, I grabbed the card and slid it into the pocket of my jacket.

After the show, Isabella’s mother took us to Saddle Ranch for supper. I hadn’t felt like going, mainly because Ashton was with me and censoring him in a public place wasn’t part of my babysitting duties. But I knew it would be the perfect opportunity to get to know the entire band, so we accepted the invitation.

Levi had left before dessert. He wanted to start on the interview as soon as possible. Surprisingly, Ashton wasn’t a total dud. I only counted three embarrassing things that came from his mouth that I was going to discuss at a later date. Isabella liked him, though. I had a suspicion they’d exchanged phone numbers too, but I didn’t bring it up at the table. I didn’t want to embarrass him in front of everyone.

“Why didn’t you give it to him?” I questioned my brother as I started the car. “He’s probably looking for it.”

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