Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 60487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
“You have to understand. This won’t run without us.”
“That’s a bone you’ll have to pick with your children. Come on.”
One of the mums whirled to the third. “You’ll have to take over as MC.”
The cowering boys threw themselves at their mums. “Please! Please, we didn’t mean it. We’d have returned the bike later.”
The policeman spoke into his walkie-talkie for his partner to come in, then to the boys. “Up you get.”
“Noooo!” The boys yelled and pushed frantically, and in the process, the witches stumbled. It was like dominoes. One fell into the other, who fell into the other, who fell into—
Carl sucked in a sharp breath.
The cupcakes!
Two plates went flying off the counter; green icing rained down on the third witch’s face, her pristine white shirt.
She shrieked and smeared gobs of icing, trying to get it off her. “Look what you’ve done! How can I go on stage now?”
“Quickly, go home and shower—”
“The show is starting. The only person left is . . .”
The witches all stared at one another in horror.
The doors to the main hall swung open and Sage strode out as if summoned. She froze at the incredible sprawling scene at her feet. She blinked a few times, and Carl absolutely caught the quirk of her cheek before she quickly swallowed a smirk. “Are you all right?” she asked, offering a hand to help up the green-frosted witch.
“You’ll have to take over running the show,” one of the mums said tightly. “Our kids’ act won’t take place either. You’ll have to find someone to fill in.”
A head swung Carl’s way. “You. The piano—”
Carl widened his eyes, and Sage stepped in front of him. “I’ll make sure the event runs smoothy. I can take over from here.”
She gestured to the policeman, who inclined his head and frog-marched the mothers and sons out. The last witch stomped on a cupcake and huffed out of the hall after them.
Leo poked his tongue at her back as she left, and Carl nodded. “Let’s not ever tell them the truth.”
“Good. I’ll play in their slot. That’ll give you a few more minutes to find another performance.”
Sage cleared away the smooshed cupcakes, and Carl hurried to help her.
“We lost eight,” he counted. “But thanks to your foresight to make a dozen extra, we still have plenty.”
“I have to get inside.”
“Go ahead. Don’t fret about the extra performance. I have an idea.”
Sage smiled and skipped off to run the show, Leo readied himself to play his piano piece, and Carl made a call.
Carl stood at the side of the main hall, clapping hard towards the neon-lit stage where Leo finished a jolly piano piece and bowed. “En core!” Carl hollered and clapped some more.
Leo came off the stage in an exhilarated rush and zoomed to Carl, breathless. “I did all right!”
“You did awesome! A right Chopin, you are.”
“Do you know Chopin?”
“Didn’t he do Chop—sticks?”
Leo sighed and patted his back. “How you ever fooled anyone . . .”
Sage crossed the stage, enamoured the audience with a few funny lines, and gazed to the side, where the bullies’ replacement act waited in the wings.
Carl bit down on a massive grin and threw an arm around Leo’s shoulders. “This next act should scare the bejeesus out of us.”
Sage left the microphone, music filtered through the speaker, and Grayson made himself visible to Carl for a second time that day. The first time had been a fleeting rush, ushering him into place, barely space to breathe him in; but now . . .
Now, Carl got a very good view, and he sucked in a lot of air.
In gleaming silver shoes, Jason’s jacket that Carl had lost to him in a gust, and a familiar scarf covered in wee mice that shimmered under the stage lights, Grayson tapped his way across the stage.
Carl’s heart leaped with the infectious rhythm and Grayson’s mesmerising confidence. Precision and grace, clappity-clap. Twisting, turning, tappity tap. Grayson danced like he was happy. Like his heart was full.
Like he could feel Carl’s was the same.
From the stage, Grayson’s gaze landed on him, a gleam of those dark eyes . . .
Carl could never get enough. He watched in shivers.
When they were done, when the talents all headed up to the stage for a second bow, Carl slunk out of the hall. On his way to deliver the cupcakes, he paused at the pictures of alumni on the walls. His finger traced over the faces to the one that shared Grayson’s smile.
Carl stepped close and whispered, like Grayson’s mother could hear him. “I like him a lot, Mrs Woods. Rather desperately, actually. But one mustn’t say that too loud. His ego might—”
Warm laughter hit his nape, warmer hands pulled him around, and the warmest smile landed on him.
“You snuck after me rather fast.”
“After you? I’m starved from the flight, I’m after the cupcakes.”