Page 25 of The B!tch List

He fluttered his eyelashes at me and grinned. Yes, he was definitely pretty with nice eyes, but they weren’t quite the right sort of blue.

Damn it. Why the hell was I thinking about Shaw?

Talking of which, my attention moved to the steps leading up to the backstage. There was the man himself, looking like he’d lost a dollar and found a dime. He’d been like that the night previous too, at our final rehearsal. So much so that Carter had sent him home because he was dragging down the mood. No one had got so much as two words out of him, even his singing had been lackluster normally he sounded like an angel.

“Go, go, go,” Carter yelled down my ear and pushed me toward the stage. Taking one last quick glance at Shaw, I ran to where the microphone was waiting for me.

“Hello,” Jim Wickerson, our head judge called up to me. “And who are you and what are you going to sing for us tonight?”

The audience, who it had to be said was probably well over half of Dayton, all groaned. He asked everyone who they were, even though we were all locals and most of us had known him all our lives.

“She hasn’t changed her name since she went to school with your grandson, Jim.” It was Henry, Ellie and Carter’s dad. I knew it was him even though the stage lights blinded me. He’d said pretty much the same thing every time Jim had repeated the question.

“Henry, pipe down,” Jefferson called. “Don’t you know that Jim has an important job.” There was laughter in his tone, and I got the distinct impression that the whole thing was a joke to everyone, except for Carter.

“Sush, baby,” that was Kitty. “Just let Nancy do her thing.”

“I’m Nancy Andrews and tonight I’m going to sing Lady A’sCan’t Stand the Rain.”

Jim nodded, Mr. Callahan rolled his eyes and Delphine clapped her hands together like a performing seal.

Once more second guessing how I’d let myself be talked into taking part, I swallowed and opened my mouth to sing. As soon as I let out the first note, I was lost in the music and nothing else existed. The words, the tune, the melody were the only important things. The bank, my weird relationship thingy with Shaw, the fact that I was pretty much alone in the world, floated away into the ether. It was just me and the song.

I’d always loved singing, even as a small child, any opportunity I got to give my family a song I would. It wasn’t like I wanted to be a singer or anything, but I could hold a tune and I enjoyed the feeling it gave to me.

When I finished, the audience applause was deafening, and I couldn’t help but break out a huge grin and do a little bow.

“Way to go, Nancy.”

“Woah, Nancy. Amazing tubes, honey.”

“Go Nancy.”

When the applause died down, all I could hear was my heart thudding. All I couldfeelwas my heart thudding. I glanced to the side and almost peed myself when I spotted Shaw clapping and smiling likenow,he’d lost a dime and found a dollar. He looked handsome and happy, as though I’d just given him the world. I wasn’t expecting to feel my heart swell as much as it did—it felt like it was glowing inside my chest. A little ball of sun underneath my silver sequined vest top.

As the judges all gave their opinion, I didn’t really listen to them. I was too busy trying to figure out what the heat in my chest meant. I glanced back at Shaw, but he’d stopped clapping, he was no longer smiling and was now back to glowering. The thrill I’d been feeling slowly ebbed to a whisper until it finally died, and my own mood turned grey.

“Thank you, Nancy,” Jim said. “Let’s hope the audience vote for you to get through to tomorrow’s semi-final.”

“For Pete’s sake, Jim,” Jefferson hollered. “Of course she’s going to get through.”

People started to chime out their agreement and when I heard Bronte calling for a new head judge, I slunk off the stage.

“Well done.” Carter ruffled my hair and grinned. “Let’s see what Shaw can come back with. Hopefully, it’s better than his rehearsal.”

“I am here, you know.”

We both turned to face a scowling Shaw. He was scuffing his toe along the wooden boards of the stage and there was deep crease between his eyes.

“You sure you’re up for this?” Carter asked.

Shaw glanced at me and then pulled his shoulders back. “You betcha.” He then stormed out onto the main stage, even though Garner hadn’t finished introducing him, and in the next three minutes he absolutely killed it. He sang the first notes ofNobodyand instantly the audience looked up at him in rapt attention. His voice was beautiful, deep and melodic and the way he gripped the microphone stand had me thinking all sorts of things. Leaning into it, his eyes closed, Shaw looked every inch a rockstar. He was good.

He was so damn good in fact that I almost threw my panties on stage.

Expecting him to milk the applause, I was surprised when he simply asked, “Sorry to rush, but am I through?”

All three judges gave him a yes, but while Mr. Callahan was over doing his role and going on and on about melody and timing, Shaw walked off the stage.

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