The Treble With Men (Scorned Women's Society #2) - Piper Sheldon Page 0,34
he was met with silence, he continued, “Just have to learn to control that temper. How’s Carla doing, by the way?”
What exactly was he insinuating?
He laughed with a small shake of his head. “Great talk. As always.”
Everything about him was smooth confidence. His face was relaxed, and a loose smile tugged the side of his mouth. But his words were a warning. His parents were some of the biggest donors to this symphony. He was reminding me that for all my power, they considered me to be no more than a lackey.
The urge to warn him away from Kim was right on my tongue. But he’d love that. He’d see it as a challenge. Instead, I brushed past him without another word. Let him think it was a win. Despite my short temper, I knew the long game. There was no way Kim would fall for a tool like that.
“Nice mask, by the way.”
I barely heard the words before he stepped into the rehearsal room.
That pasty son-of-a-bitch. What a fine nose; it needed character. Maybe a surgical reset after I punched it into his skull.
The muscles of my neck and back were rigid. Distantly, the voices of Andy-Dick came from around the corner. They were the last thing I could possibly handle right now. Instead of heading to my office after all, I made my way up to a long-abandoned storage room on the second floor. It was my secret place nobody knew about. The small and dusty room provided a safe space.
I tugged down my mask down and threw my hat on a stack of broken chairs from the seventies. I scrubbed my hands over my face and hair. I hated this shit, but it was necessary. Breathing came freely for the first time in hours.
The punching bag in the corner took the brunt of my frustrations until my knuckles were close to bleeding and the adrenaline faded. Once my breathing quieted and my heart wasn’t hammering in my ears, I stilled to listen. There was another advantage to my secret space. The venting system led directly above the rehearsal room. This was where I first heard Kim playing solo.
I moved to the register in the corner and flicked open the vent. From my position a floor above, the back of the bassists and cellists were just visible. Kim was in her seat smiling at Chagny who squatted in front of her. Her face was deep in the bouquet, inhaling. What a showy way to mark her as his in front of the whole symphony. Carla stood close to the vent talking to her father. Dick had come into the room, as I suspected he would.
“He wasn’t in his office,” Dick said.
His other half was discussing something with a group of musicians in the corner.
“He needed to go pout. He’s such a diva.” This from Carla. She pulled out an e-cigarette and took a long pull blowing the smoke into the air. They were strictly prohibited.
Her father lowered his voice. “I know you don’t like him, but he’ll be out soon.”
I stilled. The room around me hummed as I strained to listen.
Carla rolled her eyes. “You keep saying that, but he’s still here.”
“He can’t control himself. The donors will only allow so much brash behavior. His showcase is going to be a disaster.”
“What about the chair tests? I’m first chair. Everybody knows that. I shouldn’t have to audition again.”
“I know. Don’t worry about it. I will fix it.”
The anger returned inside of me. So that was how it was going to be?
Another musician walked up. “These antics are getting a little ridiculous, aren’t they?” He too pulled out an e-cig and inhaled.
My focus shifted behind them when Erin walked up to Kim just as Chagny kissed her head and made his way over to the group.
I brought my attention back to the gossips.
“He won’t last, even if he pulls off the performance of a lifetime. He’s not worth the trouble. My parents aren’t pleased.” Chagny picked up on the conversation seamlessly.
Carla raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“They wanted him to bring in the revenue, but he won’t last. He’ll burn out. His ego? The antics? The mask? It’s all a little juvenile. He’s a ticking time bomb.”
“The rest of the symphony can’t stand him,” Carla added. “They’re close to rioting. He treats them like children and they’ll only stand for so much. He’s gaining a reputation all right, but probably not the one he wants.”