Amelia had dragged herself out of the house. She had thought of telling a white lie and using her babysitting duties as an argument to get out of tonight. She’d heard Cindy’s choir sing before. It wasn’t really something to give up an evening in the couch for. But Cindy was Amelia’s friend, too. And Amelia had barely been out at all this week. She no longer had therapy to go to. She’d only been to soccer practice, which had been an even bigger dud than last time, because this week, even the coach, Kate, had been absent. They’d played a lackluster game of three against three, making Amelia wonder about the future of the team. If the Darlings’ numbers were already dwindling, how could she ever hope to put together a brand-new team?
Nor had Amelia contacted the new psychiatrist yet, even though she knew that she should. Despite being cut short, she had already benefitted from the small amount of therapy she’d gotten. She knew she needed to continue. But the new doctor could only see her next month, anyway. So what was the rush?
It felt strange to be walking to the Pink Bean, which apparently held all sorts of different open mic nights. Tonight’s event was aimed at recruiting new members for The Queer Melodies, the choir Cindy belonged to and was also the leader of. It felt strange because it was also the route to Jill’s office.
As if she’d somehow sensed Amelia was about to arrive, Dawn was standing outside, talking to someone who was half-hidden by the coffee shop door. Amelia waved at her, but Dawn didn’t even see her—so much for anticipating Amelia’s arrival. As she got closer, she understood why. Dawn was in deep conversation with Sophia. Dawn had invited everyone on the team to stop by tonight, undoubtedly to be in Cindy’s good books. But Amelia doubted Cindy knew why she was talking outside to Sophia with such enthusiasm.
Amelia thought she could see Sophia’s eyes light up when she spotted her. She hoped Dawn hadn’t noticed. For crying out loud, she inwardly scolded herself. This was all far too ridiculous. Amelia greeted her teammates.
“However lovely it is to see you,” Sophia said, pushing her legs together, “I’m about to burst. I’ll be back in a jiffy.” She hurried inside, leaving Amelia alone with Dawn.
“Where’s your lovely Mrs?” Amelia asked.
“Inside, preparing the troops. You know what she’s like at things like this.”
Amelia gave Dawn a look but didn’t say anything.
“Hey.” Dawn leaned closer, in a conspiratorial fashion. She pointed at the silver plaque on the wall next to the Pink Bean. “Isn’t your therapist’s name Jill Becket? Is this where, you know—”
Amelia nodded, even though she was no longer seeing Jill. She hadn’t told Dawn they had parted ways. Something told her it was better to keep Jill’s secret safe.
“Do you reckon she’ll be here tonight? And if so, whether she would be up to joining the choir?” Dawn asked.
It wasn’t entirely implausible for Jill to be at the Pink Bean open mic night. For all Amelia knew, Jill lived above her practice and liked to come down for a cup of tea before bed. The fact of the matter was that Amelia knew next to nothing about Jill—apart from Jill’s inappropriate feelings for her. Although Jill didn’t seem the type to join a ladies choir, looks could be deceiving and she might love belting out a tune or two.
“No idea.” Amelia peered through the window to see if she could spot Jill. What would she even say to her? Still, only this morning, the memory of their fingers touching had sprung up on her when she was washing her hands. Amelia spotted the barista who had served her coffee the other day, but no Jill. “But maybe I can recruit for my new team as well.”
“About that,” Dawn said. “If you go ahead with that, it would mean leaving the Darlings. We started that team, Melly. You and me. Are you sure you want to quit?”
“It’s a tough one. But lately, I’ve felt out of place more often than I would like.” Maybe, it dawned on Amelia, this was down to how she had been feeling more than to the current composition and average age of the team. “Do you sometimes feel like that?”
With the corners of her mouth firmly pointed down, Dawn shook her head. “Can’t say that I do. Sure, twenty-somethings like Sophia can run a hell of a lot faster than I do, but they don’t have my experience on the pitch. This isn’t a pro league where you’re forced out after turning thirty-five.” She scrunched her lips together. “Maybe we just need to persuade a few more women of our age to join the Darlings, in order not to feel so old, in comparison.” She followed up with a chuckle. “Although, I’m not claiming we’re old at all.”
Amelia nodded. “Maybe.”
“Think about it, Melly.” Dawn glanced inside. “Sophia never came back.”
“How’s that going?”
“She was quizzing me about you, actually. So, yes, she still has the hots for you.” Dawn sighed. “That’s my only currency with her: information about you.”
“What did you tell her about me?” Amelia arched up her eyebrows.
“Nothing intimate.” Dawn smirked. “I promise.”
Someone from the choir, recognizable by the white blouse she wore, ushered the people from the sidewalk into the coffee shop. Sophia had saved seats for Amelia and Dawn.
“Can we talk later?” Sophia whispered in her ear.
“Sure.” It was time to spell it out in terms that could no longer be misunderstood. Although, perhaps, Amelia had been enjoying Sophia’s attention. Maybe it had contributed to her feeling better—until her shrink had dropped her.
Cindy introduced The Queer Melodies and told the audience that they were always looking for new members. She touted the advantages of singing in a group, a few points of which Amelia had researched for her. She couldn’t have her friend give out information that wasn’t scientifically verified.
As the choir sang, Amelia scanned the Pink Bean. Behind the counter, a mature Asian woman was pouring wine. What a fun coffee shop, Amelia thought, to serve coffee by day and wine by night.
When she glanced outside, she spotted a woman with shoulder-length gray hair and a vest. Amelia’s gaydar pinged. Just as the song was reaching its big climax, Amelia saw how the woman outside waved someone over. From the looks of it, many people had some recruiting to do this evening. Another woman stepped into view. A woman that looked very familiar to Amelia. She wasn’t sure, however, if she wanted the woman in the vest to succeed in her particular audience recruitment. It could make for a rather uncomfortable rest of the night.