As people began to stand, Ginny worked her way along her row, hugging every single person who’d come to support her. She’d just cuddled Jessie and Georgie, when Moira took the microphone and made an announcement.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for being here tonight. Now there’s just one last thing for us to do. We’d like the following students to come to the canteen…’ She rhymed off a dozen students’ names and Ginny soon clocked on that it was all the ones whom the audience had just watched as they’d auditioned for parts in the Academy Christmas show. So it was crunch time. They were going to announce the final cast tonight as promised. ‘And students, those of you who were called, are welcome to bring your families with you too. Coaches, we’ll see you all there as well. Other than that, thanks again to all of you for your support – it truly means the world. Oh, and just for info, the filming has ended in this room for now, so you’re welcome to switch your phones back on.’
An immediate chorus of pings reverberated around the room.
Ginny blew a kiss to the row of family and friends that she’d just hugged. ‘Thank you all for coming and I love you all, but I need to dash and go hang out with far more important people now,’ she joked, before racing up the stairs, desperate to return the earlier call from Carl Boddins now that the phone had charged.
Was 10p.m. too late to call a theatre director? Maybe it was. Yes, she should wait until morning. Maybe she should go find Caden, forgive him for earlier, snog the face off him in a non-Harry-Met-Sally-way to celebrate her featuring in the documentary and… The memory of his blank expression when he’d seen her up there on the screen came back into her mind. Sod it, she was calling Carl Boddins.
She dashed out of the theatre, down the corridor and into the canteen, which was still empty, other than Netta, who was pouring Prosecco into glasses. Ginny nearly floored her with the most effusive hug. ‘Netta! How in the hell did I not know you could sing? In the name of Moira fricking Chiles, you were fricking fabulous. Amazing. Incredible.’
Netta blushed the colour of her lippy. ‘Och, yer biased. You were quite the star, yourself, pet, but we knew that already,’ she said, immediately deflecting the attention away from herself. ‘Now, away you go and let me get back to my real job.’ She was feigning impatience, but Ginny could see how truly delighted she really was.
‘Fine, but I’m coming back to make a huge fuss of you later,’ Ginny warned, ‘so brace yourself.’
She nipped into the alcove at the end of the room, and hit the ‘return last call’ button on her phone.
Carl Boddins answered on the first ring.
‘Ginny, thank you for calling me back.’
‘I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long, but we had a show here at the Academy and it’s only just finished.’
A pause. Ginny wasn’t sure if she was supposed to fill it, but for once, she kept schtum.
She heard him clear his throat. ‘Well, this is a bit of an unusual one, but I’m just going to be completely frank with you.’
Oh no. She hadn’t got theJudasgig. Damn it. All her glory from five minutes ago was immediately extinguished.
‘The truth is, when I called you earlier, I was ringing to let you know that on this occasion, we didn’t quite think you were right for the role. We felt we needed someone with a deeper track record in theatre and, quite frankly, we always have concerns when there are personal relationships within the cast.’
Feck. Bugger. Damn. Heart crushed.
‘Oh. Right. Well, thank you for?—’
‘But then, we actually just watched your performance onThe Academy of Dreamstonight. What a heart-warming show – and great for musical theatre, I might add. And, indeed, for you too. We thought your performances were exceptional and have no doubt that you’ll be the subject of much interest over the coming month. As a result, Ginny, we’ve had a change of heart. We think you’re up to the task and we’ve got every confidence that your professionalism will overcome any potential issues in your personal relationships. Congratulations. We’re inviting you to join the cast ofJudas – The Traitor.’
Oh. My. God. Ginny punched the air, jogged on the spot, mouthed ‘Yasssssss!’ and… And then nothing. Except a strange feeling that something wasn’t quite right.
Her inner hard drive of emotional intelligence – usually only in play when watching classic movies and reruns ofGrey’s Anatomy– kicked into gear to give a quick analysis of what she was feeling.
A few seconds later, the answers popped up. She was no longer sure that she wanted to live on the road with Caden for the next year. She wasn’t thrilled that they hadn’t believed in her enough after her audition to offer her the part then. Sure, it happened all the time in this industry – people’s stock went up when they had success – but right now it wasn’t sitting well with her. And finally, more importantly, she wasn’t convinced that she could walk away from this Academy for anything she wasn’t one hundred per cent committed to, because this had been one of the best nights of her life and she adored everyone here.
‘Carl, I really appreciate the offer. It truly is a dream come true?—’
‘I thought it would be. Now, we’ll need you to come into rehearsals with us starting on Monday, when we move to Cardiff and?—’
‘Sorry, Carl – I think my signal dropped there.’ She didn’t want to point out that he’d completely cut her off mid-sentence, so she just went on, ‘What I was going to say was that I really appreciate the offer… but can I take the night to think it over?’
Stunned silence. Then, ‘Erm… well… yes, but I’d appreciate an answer by noon tomorrow at the latest, otherwise I’m afraid we’ll need to go in a different direction.’ He sounded well pissed off and Ginny got the feeling that, quite understandably, that wasn’t a reaction he was used to getting when he called with the offer of a starring role.
‘Thank you. I appreciate the time. I just need to tie up a few loose ends.’
As she hung up, she glanced over at the door, and there, as if it were the end scene from a movie script, she watched as Caden swaggered towards her.
One of her loose ends had just entered the picture.
10P.M. – MIDNIGHT
