Still smiling, he shook his head at the urgency in her voice. “We’ve discussed it, but he hasn’t given me a decision yet. I was waiting to hear from you.”
“Well, you’re hearing from me. I don’t have numbers yet, but I want you to talk to him. Is he there? Can you see if he’ll change his mind? Or at least think about it some more? Then call me back.”
“All right.”
“Fantastic. Talk to you soon.” She hung up.
Mitch put his phone down, took a sip of the water Joyce had brought in, then got up and went to see his son.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Joyce’s stomach was in knots. She’d looked at the clock a thousand times today. She knew the episode went live at eleven sharp. It was all automated once Lucas had it uploaded. There was no stopping it.
Not that she wanted to. Not much, anyway. There was a good part of her that thought this was a lot of foolishness. Her and Beryl acting like bigshots in the kitchen. What had they been thinking?
They hadn’t been, that’s what. Now it was too late, and they were going to be on the YouTube for all to see. What would people back home think? Maybe they wouldn’t see it. Did anyone in the U.K. watch Lucas’s show? She didn’t know.
“Joyce.”
She blinked and looked at her sister, who was cleaning up her baking things. “What?”
“You’ve been standing there, staring off into space for I don’t know how long. What’s gotten into you?”
Joyce smoothed her apron. “The show goes live today.”
Beryl smiled. “I know. Innit wonderful? I can’t wait. Just a few more minutes.”
Joyce’s mouth fell open. She stared at her sister. “You’re excited about it?”
“Sure. Aren’t you?”
Joyce took a deep breath. She needed air. “No. I’m…terrified.”
Beryl frowned at her. “You? Terrified? You must be joking.”
“I’m not. What if we look like a right pair of idiots? What if people laugh at us?” She twisted the edge of her apron in her hands. “I don’t want to be made a fool of.”
Beryl took Joyce by the arms. “You listen to me, now. Lucas is a fine young man. He wouldn’t make us look like fools. No one’s going to laugh at us. You heard what Frankie said last night. People love him. They trust him. They’re already going to be on our side.”
She gave Joyce a little shake before letting go. “What’s gotten into you?”
Joyce swallowed and took in more air. “You’re right. I’m sure you’re right. I don’t know what’s come over me.”
“Stage fright,” Beryl said.
“Maybe.”
“I had a touch of that last night. It’ll pass. Go sit. I’ll make some tea and we’ll have a watch. Bread’ll be in for another forty minutes anyway.” She shooed Joyce toward the table. “Go on now.”
Joyce gave a little nod and went to the table. She’d brought her laptop with her today for just this purpose, but now, she was no longer sure she wanted to see the episode at all. What had come over her?
Maybe she just needed a cup of tea and a biscuit to set her right again.
Or maybe this whole thing was going to be a disaster.
Beryl brought the laptop over and set it in front of Joyce. “You get it ready while I fix the tea.”
Joyce opened it and stared at the blank screen. There was no avoiding the inevitable, she supposed. She pushed the button to start the computer.
