Divided Road (The Road to Rocktoberfest 2024)

Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Owen finished the final note of the Bach sonata and lowered his violin. The four members of the Oriolidae Quartet glanced at each other, smiled, and then scribbled notes before their current second violinist spoke.

“Very impressive.” Susie Dayton was taking over as first violin, leaving her current position as second for whomever impressed them enough to win the role. “What made you choose this particular piece?”

“I like the different moods of each movement.” Owen had expected this question and rehearsed his answer until it rolled off his tongue when his mind was too panicked to string words together. “I also thought the final movement, in particular, would showcase my skill.” His response was greeted by silence, and he blurted out before he could stop himself, “and my cat’s name is Bach.”

Shit, that sounded lame. Owen cursed his response, but couldn’t take it back now.

To his surprise, their cellist, Jake Costello, laughed. “I love that, and having a sense of humour is definitely something we’re looking for. Rehearsals, especially leading up to a performance, can get very intense. Humour is a necessary survival skill.”

“Most definitely, although I must warn you that some of Jake’s jokes are particularly bad.” Avril Westin, their retiring violinist, spoke with affection. This group was close and from what Owen had read and already observed, had a strong family vibe.

“Hey,” Jake protested, although he grinned. “Avril’s sad she’s going to miss them after all these years together.”

“We’re not only looking for a skilled violinist but someone who will fit in personality and share our goals.” Sefa Fong had played viola with them for the last five years and was the closest to Owen in age.

Susie and Jake were both in their mid-forties, although there wasn’t a lot of personal information about them online, only the biographic spiel attached to the quartet’s website. Owen didn’t blame them. Being in the spotlight wasn’t easy, although he’d never dealt with it on the same scale, and only in short bursts with Flightless.

Avril had originally been Susie’s music teacher and formed the quartet with an old friend, whom Sefa had taken over from.

“I’ve played in an orchestra for the past ten years.” Owen repeated the information he’d already given them.

“Your concert master speaks highly of you.” Avril smiled. “You’ve mainly played first violin, and this position is for second.”

“I realise that,” Owen assured her, “and the difference between the two. I played second in my first orchestra in high school….” He hesitated and then grew silent.

“And?” Susie prompted.

“I’ve played in another… group… since high school, and often other instruments take the limelight, and the rest of us support them with our own parts.”

“I love classical music, but sometimes I need a change of palate.” Susie seemed pleased with his answer. “It’s not widely known, and definitely not on our website, but I play fiddle for a Scottish music band when their usual fiddler isn’t available.”

“I’ve been to a few of their gigs. They’re definitely worth checking out.” Sefa grinned. “I met my girlfriend at one of them.”

“Wow, that’s cool.” Owen felt a glimmer of hope. If Susie was able to find time to play in a band, maybe he wouldn’t need to completely give up Flightless.

“You should come to a concert sometime.” Susie spoke in a low voice to Avril, who nodded, and then continued. “You’ve more than shown us your skill as a solo performance. We sent you the music for two quartet pieces, but today, we’ll play only one.” She turned to Sefa and Jake. “My vote’s for Mendelsohn, although I’m open to Beethoven too.”

“Mendelsohn works for me,” Jake said.

“Same.” Sefa retrieved his viola and indicated the chair to his left. “This will work better if you take Susie’s spot, Owen, and she can be Avril.”

“I don’t think anyone can be Avril.” Susie chuckled, but something in her voice sounded strained.

Was she as nervous about taking over from Avril as Owen was about his audition? Owen caught the edge of his stand and sent his sheet music flying.

“Shit, sorry.” His face heated, and he gathered his music from the floor. Luckily, he’d secured it in a folder, so he wasn’t picking up individual pieces of paper.

“That’s usually my trick.” Jake caught Owen’s eye and winked. “I think you’ll fit in here well.”

Avril cleared her throat.

“If you get the gig, of course,” Jake added quickly. “You’re our last audition, but we still need to make a decision.”

Susie played an A and waited for them to tune to her violin. Once everyone indicated they were ready, she led them into the piece.

Owen’s nervousness dissolved once the music took over. Susie, Safa, and Jake’s length of time playing together showed immediately, but Owen found it easy to support each of their instruments in turn and become the glue holding their performance together while letting each instrument shine in their time in the limelight.

The piece finished too soon, and Owen sat back in his chair, surprised by how much he wanted to be a part of this. Playing with Flightless definitely filled a hole in his soul, but so did this.

Panic rushed through him at the thought of having to choose. His breathing sped up, and the room spun. He pushed back his chair but couldn’t bring himself to stand.

Fuck, what was he going to do?

An image of Jared filled his mind, his eyes crinkled in a warm smile. Whatever Owen decided would be okay.

But he didn’t want to decide. He’d hoped playing with the quartet would put his desire to rest, or he’d never get this far in the audition. His mum had told him that they’d only ask him to play the second violin part for one of these pieces if they were seriously considering him for the role.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Susie knelt by him, concern in her eyes. “What’s wrong? This isn’t performance anxiety. Not with the way you played so confidently before.”

Owen bit his lip. He needed to come clean. “I’m sorry. I haven’t been completely honest with you…” He took a deep breath. “At the very least, if you still want me, I can’t start in October anyway. I have a gig in the US, and I’ve already promised I’m in for it.”

“A gig in the US?” Jake whistled. “In October?” Excitement danced across his face. “Hang on a moment. I thought your name seemed familiar but then presumed it was because of your mum. You’re Owen Stanton from Flightless, yeah?”

“Yeah. That’s me.” Owen was surprised Jake had heard of them. “My band is playing at Rocktoberfest this year.”

“Shit, man, that’s way cool.” Sufa high-fived him.

Avril looked puzzled. “Rocktoberfest?”

“It’s a huge annual rock concert in Arizona,” Sufa explained. “Bands from all over the world take part. It’s a big deal to get an invite.” His tone grew serious. “And one you totally can’t turn down.”

“Definitely not.” Susie agreed and then frowned. “So… what are your plans if we want you, after Rocktoberfest, of course.”

“My decision to retire in October isn’t set in concrete,” Avril said. “I’m happy to stay a bit longer, as long as Owen’s back for rehearsals for our end-of-year concert in December.”

“I’d definitely be back for that if you want me.” Owen sighed. “I really want to play with you, but I’m torn. I’m not sure I can choose between this and the band. I love classical music, and playing with you just now was amazing, but Flightless has been a part of my life for a long time.” He glanced at Sufa. “It’s also how I met my boyfriend.”

Susie frowned. “Why do you think you have to choose?”

“Mum….” Owen trailed off. His mother had strongly implied that he couldn’t have both and that it was time to put this silly rock band business behind him. Her words, not his.

“I’ll be having words with your mother.” Avril pursed her lips. “Lindsey excels at finding and nurturing musical talent, but she’s a little tunnel-visioned. Many professional musicians have other gigs. Susie loves Scottish music, Jake conducts a couple of school choirs, Sufa teaches music and plays bass guitar in a band on the weekend, and I’ve conducted a few local orchestras in my time.”

“Sufa plays in a band?” Owen couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “So… you wouldn’t have any issues if I did both?”

“Of course not, as long as we were able to sit down at the beginning of each year and make sure our schedules didn’t clash.” Susie squeezed Owen’s shoulder. “As Jake said, we still need to make a decision, so I can’t tell you the outcome of your audition, although you’re one of our top three contenders for the role.”

“Wow, thank you.” For the first time in months, a heaviness lifted from Owen’s soul, the burden having grown worse the closer he’d been to this audition. “Thank you for your time and consideration.”

“Thank you for auditioning.” Avril smiled. “I promise we won’t keep you in suspense for too long.”

“How are our finances looking?” Jared slipped into the seat next to Rachel, hoping he wasn’t reading her demeanour correctly.

“We’re still quite a bit short,” Rachel confirmed.

The Scone was their last venue for their fundraising gigs. The response so far had been great, but not quite enough. Getting to the US from New Zealand wasn’t cheap, and Clay’s hope of contributing more towards his share had hit a huge pothole quite literally when he’d had to replace his money pit of a car.

“Maybe we’ll get some extras through the door this afternoon.”

The Scone was booked to capacity, but with the weather in their favour, they could find room for last-minute door sales and seat them on the grass outside around the edges of the gazebo.

“That will help, but…” Rachel sighed. “I guess I could take out a loan if it came down to it. I’m sure Rocktoberfest will put the band on the rock music map, so I’d be able to pay it back quickly.”

“And what if you can’t?” Jared hated to pour cold water on her idea, but he remembered the early days of The Scone all too well when he and Brigit had worried that they were on the road to bankruptcy. “If we don’t make up the difference today, we’ll all take out loans. Share and share alike. You shouldn’t have to carry the burden for this.”

“It’s not a burden…” Rachel shook her head. “Let’s just see what happens today, okay? Promise me you won’t mention this to anyone else yet.” She paused. “Except Owen, of course. I figure what you know, he needs to.”

“Sure.” Jared would wait until their planned finance meeting the following night before mentioning anything to anyone else. A miracle could happen between this and then, right? He took Rachel’s hand in his and squeezed it. “We’ll get to Rocktoberfest one way or another, you’ll see.”

Brigit waved to him from behind the counter.

“Yeah, we will,” Rachel said. “I’m not doubting the will, just the how. Go see what Brigit wants, and thank her again for her generosity.”

“She’s thrilled to be a part of what she’s calling our road to Rocktoberfest.” Jared sprinted over to Brigit. “How’s it going? Need any help?”

Everything was about ready to go. Phil and Tyler were helping Kaci set up the chairs, and Clay was deep in conversation with Father Elard, who had turned up early to take over the door sales. He’d also offered to help out behind the bar to serve drinks to those who wanted them.

Considering Duncan had donated several cartons of Frays’ wine, Elard would be in for a busy evening. The priest had also sent word out through his large network of friends and patrons about the concert, and sold a few tickets.

“I think we have enough.” Brigit had outdone herself and made several batches of strawberry scones in honour of the occasion. “Gran’s offered to help out when she arrives, although there isn’t much that needs doing.”

“You’ve got this, boss.” Julie had offered to work the afternoon for free, donating what would have been overtime for her.

“ We’ve got this.” Brigit grinned, and Julie flushed, then smiled a sweet smile, and met Brigit’s gaze. “I’m taking you out for dinner tonight after we’re done. You’ve been a rock through all of this.”

“My pleasure.” Julie disappeared out the back into the kitchen.

Okaay… Jared had been away from the Scone for too long. He was seriously missing something. “So, you and Julie?” he asked as soon as Julie was out of earshot.

Brigit looked smug. “I wondered how long it would take you to notice. We’ve been taking it slow, and it’s still very new.” She held up a hand before Jared could warn her about complications. “Don’t worry, we have all that employer/employee stuff sorted. Around the time we realised how we felt, Julie decided she wanted to finish her graphics degree. She’s handing in her notice once that’s sorted….”

“You’re going to need a new barista.”

“I hope I already have one.” Brigit gave him a pointed look, and then her expression softened. “You’ve been talking about how you’re over all the travelling you’re doing. The Scone is both of ours and always has been. I was thinking that perhaps it’s time for you to be more hands-on. If you’re okay with doing that, I already have someone interested in taking on a casual role for when you’re away on gigs and in the States in October.”

“You’ve got all this sorted.” Jared felt a weight lift. “I’d been trying to figure out how to broach the subject but figured you had enough on your plate with today.”

“I’ve only sorted up to a point. I started interviewing to save time, but I wouldn’t hire anyone without your approval first.” Brigit gave him a hug. “And you can talk to me anytime. When have I ever been too busy to listen?”

“Never,” Jared admitted. “I’m really happy for you and Julie.” He’d always liked her. “Who do you have in mind for the casual role? Anyone I know?”

“Claire Weatherby.”

“Ah.” Jared nodded his approval. He’d worked with Claire before. She was capable, good-tempered, and proactive. “You have been busy.”

“So have you, so I didn’t want to bother you with this until you were ready.” Brigit looked up when the café door opened, and smiled. “Owen’s made good time.” She leaned in. “This is going to be great, Jared. You and Flightless are going to rock it, and everything will turn out okay, I promise.”

“Thanks.” Jared greeted Owen with a kiss on his cheek. “Hi, Gran. We’re all happy you’re here.”

“Like anything was going to keep me away.” Gran gave Jared a hug. “I’m going to hang up my coat and see what Brigit needs me to do. Remember to have fun, boys. This is going to be a great afternoon.” She caught up with Brigit, the two of them chatting amicably as they walked together into the kitchen.

“Those two get on a little too well,” Owen said. “Sometimes I wonder if I should be worried about that.”

“Only sometimes?” Jared teased.

“I was playing it down.” Owen chuckled. He’d been sleeping better since discovering he could have both Flightless and Oriolidae, and lost the shadows under his eyes. However, the longer he waited for news from the quartet, the less certain he became that they’d chosen him for the role. “Seriously though, I’m happy that Gran has found a kindred spirit in Brigit.”

“They have a little too much in common.” Jared rolled his eyes in tandem with Owen, and they both laughed.

“Like their determination to make sure we get our HEA?” Owen used the term Brigit loved to bandy around.

“News flash, sweetheart.” Jared pulled Owen into his arms and kissed him. “I already have.”

“Get a room, you two.” Kaci wolf-whistled, a huge grin on her face. “We’ll be opening the doors soon, and we want people to be focused on the main event.”

“You mean we’re not?” Owen mock pouted then pretended to be offended when Kaci rolled her eyes.

“In your dreams.” Kaci peered out the window. “It’s too quiet out there. I thought we’d at least have something of a queue by now.”

“People aren’t going to buy tickets and then not turn up,” Jared reassured her, “and besides, they’ve already paid for them.”

“I need to tune.” Owen indicated the violin case in his free hand, “and I could do with a coffee, if that’s okay.”

“My keyboard’s already set up. I’ll grab you a coffee and meet you there.” Jared wished for a moment that he drank coffee as it might settle his nerves. No matter how many times he played, he couldn’t shake his pre-performance jitters.

“I’ll be waiting.” Owen disappeared into the room they were using to store their gear, leaving Jared alone with Kaci.

“Still nothing from Oriolidae?” she asked.

“Not as far as I know.” Jared figured that meant no news, and hopefully, that was a good thing. “I’m sure he aced the audition. What he said sounded positive.”

“He needs to know sooner rather than later.” Kaci leaned in and gave Jared a chaste peck on the cheek.

“What’s that for?” Jared frowned. Kaci was touchy-feely with Owen and Clay, but not with him. They didn’t have the same history.

“That’s a thank you. You’re good for Owen. He’s relaxed and more himself since you guys got together.” She glanced around and then lowered her voice. “And I don’t mean just about the Oriolidae thing. He’s spent far too much of his life tying himself up in knots, trying to please his mum.” Her nose crinkled. “And I’m not sure anything he did would ever do that.”

“Unless he ditched Flightless and focused solely on his classical career.” Jared hadn’t voiced his disgust to Owen about how Lindsey had used the audition to force Owen to make a choice he didn’t have to.

“Good thing that’s not happening, yeah?” Kaci scanned the room and smiled when her gaze settled on Rachel. “I’m going to get my girl a cuppa. She’s been working way too hard the last few weeks worrying about getting everything to balance and show the result she wants.”

“She told you?”

“Duh. We don’t keep secrets, any more than you and Owen do.”

“That’s good.” Jared hesitated. “I don’t suppose you could make a pot, so I could grab a cuppa too.”

“No problem. Although I suspect your gran’s already onto it.” Kaci took off towards Rachel, leaving Jared to grab Owen’s coffee.

By the time he reached the kitchen, a cup of coffee sat on the counter, along with a pot of freshly brewed tea. He called out his thanks to Gran, poured the tea, and went to catch up with Owen.

“Almost done here.” Owen ran his bow over his A string and then fiddled with the tuning peg. “And totally needing that coffee.” One more tweak of the peg, and he returned his violin to its case. “There’s always one string more stubborn than the rest.” He took the cup of coffee, sniffed appreciatively, and sat on the floor with his back against the wall. “Smells divine.”

“Your gran’s brew.” Jared joined Owen and intertwined the fingers on their free hands. Finding some time together with a decent brew had become one of their pre-concert routines. Usually, that meant a couple of thermoses in a corner of a green room, but today’s location provided the luxury of freshly made in a crockery mug. “Both of them.”

“I figured.” Owen sipped his coffee. “This sounds crazy, but this feels like the end of an era and the beginning of a new adventure for the band. Frays was great, and I’ve enjoyed all these concerts, but wow… I still can’t get my head around being on stage at Rocktoberfest.”

“You’ll have to prop me up to get me on stage,” Jared joked. He stroked Owen’s thumb, the motion calming. “You’d think I’d be used to this by now, but I’m totally not.”

“You don’t show it once we start playing.” Owen brought their joined hands up to his mouth and kissed Jared’s fingers. “When I first started playing in public, I felt like puking. I was so nervous. I didn’t think I’d ever make it through the performance.”

“What happened?” Jared swallowed a mouthful of tea and then rested his head on Owen’s shoulder.

“Gran told me that most of the people listening couldn’t do what I could, and the only opinion that mattered was my own. Focus on the music and play the concert for one person. That’s what I’ve done ever since.”

“That’s why you told me to focus on you at Frays.”

“Yeah.” Owen kissed Jared softly, tasting of coffee and passion. “And instead of thinking about last night, when we were too tired to do anything, that’s a promise for later.” He put down his cup. “A prelude to our very own symphony, sweetheart.”