‘So it’s not a surprise then,’ he said.
‘Pardon?’ Lily wondered if she had just heard that correctly. ‘She might have been ninety-seven but she was still—’
Paul interrupted, ‘Listen, I get you loved her and so on, I do, but understand – these auditions, they don’t happen every day. The directors ofPhantomandLes Mishave committed to seeing you next week and they’re looking forward to it. I’ve been talking you up. This is a huge opportunity for you.’
‘I can’t not be at my grandmother’s funeral,’ she said, feeling firmer in her decision. His voice was exasperated as he spoke.
‘I’m not sure you understand, Lily. If you don’t come to these auditions, then I can’t represent you anymore.’
Lily thought she had been slapped.
‘Paul,’ she said, her voice quivering with restrained feeling. ‘I appreciate everything you have done, but my grandmother was everything to me, so I will be here, not in London.’
She could hear him draw a sharp intake of breath.
‘You know when Jessica told me to come and see you, I said that I was worried you were a flake. I was going to let you go as I heard the rumours aboutLes Mis, but she insisted you were still a talent and she was right. I mean she just wanted you to get out of the village so she could get back with that nurse you’re both fighting over, but I remembered that talent I saw when you left college, and you are talented – unlike Jessica. She can’t sing for shit but now, you want to throw this chance away? I don’t understand it.’
Lily held the phone to her ear, her mind going at one hundred miles an hour.
‘Jessica told you to come?’ she heard herself screech down the line.
‘Yeah, she did,’ Paul said. ‘We dated for a while. I got her some auditions but she’s not very good, terrific in other ways though.’ He laughed and Lily looked at the phone and hung up.
‘What a prick,’ she said to the cat and then she dialled Nick’s number. Her hands were shaking but from anger, and she was so mad, she started to punch the cushions on the sofa.
‘Hey, how are you?’ he answered immediately.
‘I’m in shock,’ she said with a punch to the cushion.
‘I know, it’s hard but it will become more bearable as time goes on,’ he said in his kind way.
‘Not about Gran,’ said Lily quickly.
‘What?’ Nick seemed confused.
Lily was pacing now in the living room.
‘Paul, he wanted me to skip Gran’s service, said I should have seen it coming because she was so old, and come to London for the auditions and act like nothing happened.’
‘Oh my God,’ said Nick. ‘What an absolute prick…’
‘I just said that to the cat, but it gets worse,’ she said.
‘How?’ Nick’s voice was incredulous.
‘He told me he and Jessica used to date and he got her some auditions. That’s why she was atLes Miswhen my voice went, and she wanted him to get me out of the village so Jessica could come back for you.’
‘You can’t be serious?’ Nick’s voice was furious.
‘I am serious and I tell you that woman is such a liar. She’s honestly like the villain in every show ever made.’
‘She is out of control,’ said Nick. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘Don’t be, it’s not your fault,’ she said, starting to calm down at the sound of his voice.
‘So how did you leave it? Are you going to go to London?’ he asked.
Lily laughed, her first real laugh since Gran had passed.
