The Prelude (A Musical Interlude Novel) - By Kasonndra Leigh Page 0,37
You’ve spent your lifetime worrying about our wellbeing. It’s my turn to stand up and prove myself as a man.”
* * *
At practice that evening, I hammer my frustrations out on the players. One of the violas keeps hitting a flat note, and the keyboardist can’t keep up with the drummer. My tuba player keeps arguing with my oboe guy, and the cymbal girl came in complaining about her hangover.
Add to that list of things to drive me insane: Nikolai’s lead dancer called in and said she fell down a flight of steps. Now she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to perform at all over the next couple of months. Our sneak preview happens in a little over a week. And I’m honestly starting to doubt my superhero powers right about now.
I lean over on my podium and take several deep breaths. I need to see Erin. She hasn’t shown up yet. I’ve called her cell phone almost a hundred times. I even know all of the words to the Katy Perry song that plays on her line while you wait for a live voice to answer.
Plus, I want to avoid another run-in with Frederico. He’s guaranteed to come out of the confrontation minus a few front teeth if he starts his criticizing shit with me today.
Even with all of that going on, rehearsal continues and something about the melody in the Ghosts Falling track, an upbeat tune I chose specifically for the dancers, keeps falling flat.
“That’s flat enough to hurt Leonardo Da Vinci’s ears. And he’s a fucking statue,” I scold, referring to the one that sits just outside La Scala’s entrance. “Again.” I lift my baton and motion toward the drummer who has to do a solo before the violins chime in to the Meltdown song. This is the most important part of the pre-show next weekend.
The next attempt doesn’t get any better than the last ten tries. My blood boils, and I’m still in the process of coming down off of an anger high that my brother caused.
I cut my baton through the air, signaling for everyone to stop playing. “I don’t get it. I just do not understand at all. That was weak! Does anyone here realize we have a pre-show next week?” I wait to hear an answer. Silence. I can almost feel the fear rising from within the ensemble. I take a deep breath and wave the signal for the players to start again. The clarinet section now has someone who’s playing too sharply. I can’t take this shit right now!
“Stop! You’re killing me. Take a fucking break!” I storm out of the auditorium, slamming through the doors leading into the hallway. Dmitri always has had balls of steel, but to come here and frighten Mother into tears meant he threw some hard punches before I got there. The enemies he mentioned could be anyone. Father has a string of people that he’s pissed off. Funny how the past never disappears the way people say it does. No, the past is like a ghost, always returning to haunt you, always picking the moment when you’re on top of your game. Ready to make you fall even harder the second time it knocks your ass down, because you have that much more to lose.
Erin catches up with me before I get the chance to ram my fist through a wall. I didn’t even see her enter the building.
“Alek. What the hell is wrong with you? You had the whole group almost in tears?” she says, walking up to me.
“Back off, Erin. I’ve had enough people telling me what to do today,” I snap, regretting my words right away.
“Hey! No problem,” she says and turns around. I reach out, grabbing her by the elbow, and pull her into my arms, embracing her.
“I didn’t mean to snap at you that way. Forgive me for being an ass,” I whisper in her ear, unable to control my gasping breath. She feels sinfully good in my arms. I never want to let her go.
The woman standing here with me is real. There are no hidden agendas with Erin. To find such beauty and talent has been the greatest moment of my life. But she’s guarded and continues to push me away. A small part of me feels rejected which plays a role in the reason why I snapped at her and everybody else today.
We move back and stare at each other. I’m surprised she hasn’t tried to ease