The Audition (Re: WWP #45)

[Wendi S. Harrington]

Kevin Lange wiped his palms on his jeans. Something about this contestant’s face had arrested his attention. He couldn’t put his finger on it.

[caption id="attachment_223" align="alignright" width="300"] When my heart sings.[/caption]

He hoped she could sing. She had the intangible, unexplainable “it” factor so many talented artists lacked. If there was a voice to go with the presence she commanded, she had a bright future ahead of her.

“Kalie Rose, tell us a little about yourself.” Rebecca Jernigan said from the seat beside him.

“Well,” the girl drawled in a thick country accent. “I’m nineteen years old. I was born and raised in Blue, Oklahoma.”

“Really?” Kevin interrupted. “I graduated from Blue.”

“You did?” Rebecca turned toward him. “I thought you were from Texas?”

“I am.” Kevin shrugged. With a nervous chuckle, he continued, “I got in a little trouble my last year of high school, so my dad sent me to stay with my aunt and uncle for a while.”

Rebecca’s eyes danced with interest. “I never knew that.”

“While that little history lesson is interesting, could we get back to why we’re here?” Sammy nodded toward the girl and Kevin felt heat rush up his neck. It wasn’t like him to be so personal, especially with the cameras rolling. “Kalie Rose- beautiful name, by the way. It suits you.” Sammy smiled as the girl began to blush. “Why don’t you tell us about the song you’ve chosen today? I understand it’s an original.”

She cleared her throat and examined her guitar. Wisps of straw-gold hair fell across her face, and Kevin felt a vague urge to cross the space between them and tuck it behind her ear. Something was so familiar, so tangible about her. Maybe because she was from Blue.

“My momma wrote this song.” That thick country accent again. He couldn’t wait to hear her sing. The anticipation heightened as she tuned the guitar and closed her eyes.

“A successful career keeps you far away.” Even with the nervous tremors in her voice, the country twang rang across the room. “And your life’s no place for me.” Kevin remembered when his career began to take off and the magazines dubbed him “Kevin Twang” in response to his accent. “But I keep hoping you’ll change your mind if I wait patiently.” Kevin could already hear the talk show hosts and radio personalities bragging about this girl’s voice. “So sing a song for me . . .” her voice trailed off and tears slid down her face. Her hand rested against the guitar, quieting the strings, and her shoulders trembled.

The pause grew awkward. Sammy cleared his throat gently. “Maybe you should try a song less sentimental for the audition.”

Kevin studied the girl. She bit her bottom lip and gave a slight nod without opening her eyes. She strummed the guitar, slowly at first, and then the familiar tune of Amazing Grace filled the room. Eyes still closed, Kalie Rose belted out the most beautiful rendition of the song he had ever heard. He felt drawn to her, desiring to join her on the platform and harmonize with her.

As the final verse was completed, Rebecca stood up and clapped her hands loudly. “That was beautiful! You’ve got a yes from me.”

A mix of disappointment and gratitude flooded the young girl’s face. Kevin suspected her excitement was dampened by her inability to complete the original song. “Kalie, your voice is amazing. And country to the core. The media is going to have a field day with you. Believe me, I know.”

Rebecca laughed beside him and uttered his nickname between guffaws, “Kevin Twang.” She exaggerated the word twang and clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle further laughter.

He couldn’t hide the smile at her excessive flirtation even though the cameras were rolling. Forty was coming on faster than he cared to admit, and it might finally be time to consider flirting back a little more than he had been. Rebecca was a talented artist in her own right, she understood the biz, she was easy on the eyes, and he respected very few women as much as her. He winked at Rebecca and turned his attention back to Kalie Rose, still smiling. “You have the whole package, Kalie.” Tears began to fall again as the girl heaved a deep sigh of relief. Her face brightened and her cheeks glowed pink radiance. “I believe you can win this thing and go far. It’s definitely a yes from me.”

While most contestants were more concerned about Sammy’s critique of their performance than any other judge, Kalie Rose barely seemed aware that Sammy had begun to list the reasons he was impressed with her performance and confirm that she had three yeses. She still seemed to be basking in Kevin’s remarks, as though his vote was the only one that mattered to her. The sensation wound its way through him, tying knots in the pull she had on him, drawing him nearer still. It was unsettling and strange to Kevin. There were no romantic notions, no physical attraction to the beautiful young girl; but rather a connection that seemed to transcend time and space and make Kevin feel as though their paths had been destined to cross.

 

 

Excerpt from WHILE YOUR DREAMS ARE COMING TRUE

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