7

Until when she was almost giving up, she opted for the classic. A black midi dress with short sleeves. 

She went home and asked her best friend to keep that outfit in her trailer. Although her mother had not yet appeared, Evie still did not trust her. She took her violin case and went to her evening class.

Evangeline hadn’t noticed, but Howard, the Castello driver, had been following her since he left the house this morning. He accompanied her in all her stops and only returned to the mansion when Evangeline returned home after the violin lesson.

"Here are the photos, sir.”

Howard delivers an envelope, which was filled with photos he had taken of Evangeline. Alec passed one by one, delighting in the images he had at hand. He couldn’t stop thinking about Evangeline and the touch of her lips on her cheek.

"Tomorrow her class is playing a recital. I thought you might like to go.”

The driver takes a couple of tickets out of his pocket and puts them on the table. Alec takes the tickets and smiles, with Howard’s cunning. He barely knew that man, as he had just arrived from another country, but felt he had him as an ally. And with those tickets in hand, he could come up with a plan to conquer Evangeline.

[...]

"I don’t want you to be nervous." Jude, the teacher, says. "Act like it’s a private show. You were born for it.”

That advice was of no use to Evangeline. She rubbed her hands together, feeling that sweat make her even more stressed. In order to be more relaxed, Evie walked to the big curtains and peeked behind them. She looked face to face until she found her best friend’s, next to an empty bench. Felippa smiled everywhere and when she found Evie’s face, she smiled even more. That made her feel a little better about the empty chair. The redhead gave her a sign to go there.

"What was it?" Felippa asks, when meeting with Evie. "Are you nervous?”

"Where is my mother?”

"Ah..." the girl looks around, not knowing if she would tell the truth to Evie. "She...”

"Speech.” 

"Okay. As I was leaving, I hit the trailer to see if it was ready. A strange, half"naked guy opened it and then called her. Leah grumbled some things I didn’t understand and asked what I was doing there. I asked her if she wouldn’t get ready to come to the recital and she...”

Felippa swallows dry. She knew her friend would be hurt by the truth. After all, Evangeline had left the ticket stuck in the fridge, along with a note to her mother.

"Rip off the band-aid, Felippa.”

"She said she would not waste her precious time with a shit that would give her sleep." she says, without breathing. "But friend...”

"I’m all right, Felippa.” 

She wasn’t well. And Felippa knew that. Especially when her best friend called her by name.

"Look at all these people." Evangeline opens the curtain again, to look outside. "I will not care about Leah, when...”

Evangeline’s words disappeared from her mouth when she saw the person who had just passed through the front door. 

"It’s him..." Evie whispers, making Felippa curious and approach the curtains. "It’s Alec.”

"The handsome guy who gave you all that money?” 

"Yes...”

"What’s he doing here? Did you invite him?”

"No, but it must be a coincidence.”

As Evangeline tried hard to get it into his head, Alec looked around in front of him, trying to find an empty seat. That’s when Marylin, the school secretary, approached him with great interest.

"Good evening, sir." she murmurs, opening a broad smile and standing with her spine erect, intending to bring her breasts very close to Alec’s face. “You’re a different face around here. First time?”

"Yes.” 

Alec responded with a certain disdain. The last thing he wanted was another trophy woman hitting on him. 

"Can I help you find your place?" Marylin asks, touching Alec’s back. He looks at her sideways and makes a move to move her away. "We have a great view of the cabin and...”

"I’ll be right up front.” 

Marylin wore a tight, low-cut red dress. That choice had been made purposefully, with the intention of winning over rich old men and thus making them the school donor. Alec was a long way from being an old man, but she knew that only a very rich man could wear the kind of suit he wore. So she hurried.

"Our school has a beautiful scholarship program for talented students and families in need." Alec stopped and took a deep breath, impatient with that. "Even today’s recital has an award and...”

"How much is first place worth?”

"Oh... a thousand dollars and a year of free classes. That second prize, the girls don’t know.”

Through Howard’s thorough pursuit, Alec knew that Evangeline lived in a trailer park. He turned to Marylin and put his hands in his pockets.

"Get Evangeline Atkins first place and we’ll talk about a generous donation to that place.”

The ten students were already in their chairs and held their violins when the curtains opened. Evangeline didn’t need any effort to find Alec. He had occupied the chair next to Felippa, who looked at him like a maniac.

Jude enters the stage and everyone stands up to applaud him. He makes a bow and soon they are seated again. 

The first song chosen was a classic. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (Little Night Serenade), by Mozart. It was almost nineteen minutes of that song, which made some people cry and others sleep out of boredom. At the end of that song, it was time for solo performances. One by one he started a song of his choice.

Before the curtains were opened, Jude and Marylin had a conversation by the ear and the order of the individual performances was changed. Evangeline who would be the third, was the last. She and her other colleagues, did not understand why this decision, but accepted.