Page 7 of Little Monster
“You ready for the audition?” she asks, and I nod. “Great. Let’s go.”
MY AUDITION GOES SMOOTHLY. I play the piece once, and then they ask to hear the solo on its own. When I’m done, the two women and one man look at one another, smile, and immediately offer me the job. And without much thought, I take it.
“I’m so excited!” Ashton says as she walks me out of the studio. I keep glancing around, looking for any sign of Dex, but I don’t see him. “I swear, I heard you play thatWintersolo, and I knew we needed you on this track.”
“Thanks,” I say as we step into the balmy air. I’m still not quite used to howwarmit is here during the winter. It must be nearly sixty degrees out today. “I appreciate the opportunity.”
She smiles at me like I just said something cute, or funny, or... I don’t know, odd?
“Did you meet Dex?” she asks, and my heart starts its irregular thumping again.
“Tattoos, long blond hair, ripped jeans?”
Ashton laughs. “That’s him.”
“Then yes.”
“Good. I didn’t know he was going to be here today, but I’m glad you met him. You’ll meet the rest of the band in the studio. Can you be here Thursday? Around noon again?”
I mentally run through my schedule of rehearsals and concerts. I’ve got rehearsals on Wednesday and Friday and concerts on Saturday and Sunday.
“Thursday works.”
“Great!” Ashton pulls me in for another sweet-smelling hug, then steps away. “I’ll see you then, okay?”
“Okay.”
She waves, then heads back into the studio, leaving me on the sidewalk.
For some reason, I feel like a tornado just ripped through everything around me, and I’m left standing in the silence and the rubble after the storm has passed.
What have I done?
chapter 4
“I’M SO PROUD OF YOU! You were afraid, and you did it anyway.”
I roll my eyes, but a smile tugs on my lips as I plop down onto the couch. “Thanks, Dad. Is Mom around?”
“Uh, I don’t think so. Hang on. Elaine!”
I hold the phone away from my ear and wince. A second later, Dad gets back on the line.
“I think she left already. She started playing pickleball at the rec center.”
“Pickleball? What’s that?”
“It’s like tennis, I think. Different ball though.”
I laugh and shake my head. “Okay. Can you have her call me later?”
“Of course. Want me to wait for you to tell her the good news?”
“Yeah. Thanks, Dad. Love you.”
“Love you too, hon.”
Wehang up, and I set my phone on the coffee table next to my laptop. Though I know I probably shouldn’t, I grab the computer and open it to my browser, then pull up an image search of Dex.
