Midnight Call

The call came a little after midnight. Alana grabbed the phone on the first ring. Her mother was a light sleeper and needed her rest.

“Oh good! You’re still up,” Moira chirped. “Are you still available for that Hong Kong gig?”

Alana’s heart started racing. Was Moira about to answer her prayers?

“Of course!” She replied, a little breathless from the pounding and hope in her heart.

“Well you’ve got it kid, provided you can get everything you need packed in a hurry. You’ll have to get yourself to the airport by this Friday.”

“Oh my God!” Alana wanted to scream with joy but she had to whisper. She needed this gig in the worst way. A chance to perform in Hong Kong? And the money that Moira had mentioned for the three month stint would help so much with the costs of the wedding in October. The wedding. Um. Ryan. Yikes! Okay. She’d have to deal with Ryan tomorrow but she wasn’t going to let that spoil her excitement right now. Moira interrupted her thoughts.

“Alana, you still there? Can you get to the airport by Friday?”

“I could be there by tomorrow if I had to be, Moira. This means the world to me. I can’t wait to tell Mom and Ry… well… I can’t wait to tell mom. She’s had her fingers and toes crossed for me. Just shoot me the information I need in an email, and Moira?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you SO much. You’re the best agent I could ever hope for.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Alana. You’re an exceptional talent and the manager of the venue recognized that. Now get packing, kiddo. You’re off to Hong Kong for three months. I’ll call you again tomorrow with the flight details and send the rest in an email. Night now.”

***

Ryan was pissed off. His pale grey-green eyes were cold.

“Hong Kong? Are you fucking kidding me? Could you get much further away? And three months yet? Alana, what about the wedding?”

“Ryan, calm down! The wedding is over a year away and the most important things are already organized. The banquet hall is booked…that’s what matters most. When I get back we’ll still have more than enough time to do the rest!”

“Yeah, right!” Ryan’s face grew angrier. “And what’s this you said about they have the option of extending your contract for another three months? No bloody way!”

“Ryan, be reasonable. Even if they offered to extend the contract by 6 months I’d still be back in plenty of time! I…we should be so lucky that they’d do that. What I’d earn would cover the full cost of the wedding and then some.”

“We’re managing fine with the costs Alana…!” Ryan yelled.

“Yeah, but it’s my parents footing the bills and there’s a limit on how much they can fork out,” Alana shouted back, her calmness dissolving into panic.

Alana reached for a glass of water. Her mouth felt horribly dry. Her palms were sweaty. Her nerves were getting the better of her. Deep inside, she’d known Ryan would be like this. It wasn’t the first time he’d reacted with hostility to performance opportunities that came her way. When she’d won the summer Scholarship to Berklee, he’d made such a fuss about not being able to survive the summer without her that she’d bailed in the last 24 hours. It broke her heart, but according to Ryan, it proved she loved him and wasn’t that more important? 

And when she told him that rich producer in Atlanta that she’d been recording with for several months had dropped her, saying she needed to decide if she wanted her career or her boyfriend, Ryan was overjoyed. He couldn’t stop kissing her when he picked her up from the airport and it was all Alana could do to stop the tears in her heart from reaching her eyes.

But this time, Alana wasn’t going to give in to Ryan’s selfish ravings. Enough was enough. She had been with Ryan since she was 15…her first and only boyfriend…but singing and performing was what she lived for.

Yes, one day she would be fully ready to be a wife and mother, but she was only 22 for heaven’s sake! Even when Ryan proposed, she’d said “yes” because that deal with the producer had collapsed and she’d given up on ever “making it’. Her lifetime dream wasn’t going to be realized. She’d accepted his ring, but the whole time they’d celebrated with a weekend away in Niagara Falls, she’d felt like she was dying inside. 

No! Not this time Ryan. 

Alana plucked up her courage and walked over to Ryan where he sat sulking on the sofa, flicking his lighter on and off. He looked up at her with a mixture of anger, resentment and sadness.

“Ryan, I would love it if just for once you’d be happy and supportive of my career. A chance to live and perform in Hong Kong doesn’t come along every day. It’s only 3 months, hon. You could even come visit. Can you imagine a week in Hong Kong with me? I’d only be performing at night. What’s your problem this time? You do this every time an opportunity to perform comes my way.”

Ryan put his head into his hands, and when he looked up to reply, he had tears in his eyes.

“I’m just so scared of losing you, Alana. It’s so far away. Every time you go for long periods, I’m afraid you won’t come back. I know your show biz world is so much more exciting than camping in the woods, going fishing, sharing bullshit stories with the gang, but it’s the world I know and love and I want to share all of it with you and those children we’ve talked about having one day, and…”

“Stop, Ryan. Just stop! I always come back and I will this time. But let me have my one last go on the merry-go-round before I trade in my glittery dresses and the audience applause for an apron, diapers, cooking and washing. I HAVE to do this! I’m going to Hong Kong!”

***

The flight was the longest she’d ever taken. She was going to arrive not just jet-lagged, but exhausted, and rehearsals were slated for 36 hours after she arrived. But she’d been so full of excitement and anticipation she hadn’t been able to sleep at all. It didn’t help that Mom must’ve asked her 10 times if she had packed this, that and another thing, in between talking about Ryan’s rudeness during the small farewell dinner with both sets of parents on Wednesday night. 

“Alana, he scowled all the way through dinner and when we raised our glasses to wish you success and a safe trip, he didn’t raise his. He just gave us all the finger. How darn rude!”

“I know, mom. I know. He was just upset.”

“Upset my arse! You know, when he came to ask for your hand in marriage…such a lovely old-fashioned thing to do these days, I must say… well I was thrilled. But I was also concerned. That’s why I told him he has our blessing provided he never gets in the way of your career. I asked him point-blank to promise me that. And he did promise. And now, when such a great opportunity comes up for you, first thing he does is has a hissy fit. Is that the right term? Not sure if it applies to men…”

“It’ll do mom. Let it go. I have. I’m stressed enough right now about what awaits me in Hong Kong. I don’t have time to think about Ryan and his reactions. That’s just Ryan being Ryan. So please just let it go.”

Alana’s mother turned away and stopped talking. The worried look on her face wasn’t about Alana in Hong Kong.

***

“Hey Ryan. It’s me. 

“Oh hey Alana. How’s it going? This time zone difference is making it hard for us to talk at an hour that works for both of us. I’ve got an early start at work tomorrow.”

“OK well I’ll keep it short so you can get back to bed. I just wanted to bring you up to speed. The shows are going really well and the band is fantastic… a great group of guys. We get along like a house on fire and the venue owner told me he’s thrilled with what I’m doing.”

“Oh yeah? How old is he? He’s probably got the hots for you.”

“Ryan, he’s a super nice guy, a father with three children. His wife was even at the show tonight so she could meet me. He’s genuinely happy with  me.”

Alana couldn’t help thinking that after all the years they’d been together, and after how many times he’d seen her performing, he’d realize audiences loved her. She wished Ryan did! He so often had said she needed to get a real Job, a 9-5 that paid a steady wage. He still didn’t understand that singing and performing was her life.

“Well, what about the other guys in the band? How old are they?”

“All except one of them is in their mid 40s to mid 50s, and the youngest one, a guitarist, has just flown in from Australia. The only thing on his mind right now is meeting the manager’s expectations. So please stop worrying Ryan. They all know I’m engaged if that’s what you’re concerned about!”

“Well, you can’t blame me for worrying. You’re a beautiful woman and when you’re around a bunch of men that I don’t know and you’re thousands of miles away...well, you know. Anyway, I’ve got to get back to bed. Thanks for calling.”

Ryan ended the call so abruptly that it brought tears to Alana’s eyes. There was no “I love you”. No “I miss you”. Is this how it was going to be for the next three months? She was the one alone and a bit insecure in an unfamiliar country and situation. And there was Ryan trying to control her and the people around her even now. All Alana’s joy at having succeeded and impressed her boss had evaporated with one short phone call home.

She brushed away the tears and looked at her watch. Was it too late to call mom? Yes, but she knew mom was dying to hear how things were going. She wouldn’t mind being woken up when Alana needed to hear a friendly, loving voice. She picked up the phone.

***

“Ryan, it’s happened. The show has been so well received that Charles wants to extend our contracts by 3, possibly even 5 months! Do you know what this means honey? I’ll be earning several thousands more dollars. Our wedding will be paid in full, especially if I take the 5 month contract. I’m so excited! Er…Ryan?”

There was silence on the other end of the line although Alana could hear Ryan’s breathing. It was uneven as though he was trying to calm himself down.

“Ryan? Are you ok? Please say something…”

When Ryan replied, there was a controlled coldness in his voice. His words were clipped. His delivery tight.

“Is this a definite thing? Like if it is, do you plan to accept?”

Alana grew wary. Where was he going to go with this?

“Well, that’s why I’m calling you. How would you feel if I accepted Charles’ offer to extend the contract and stayed here to earn that extra money for our wedding?”

“How would I feel? Nice of you to ask, but why do you even need to ask? You know how much I’ve missed you and how much I want you back here! I honestly couldn’t give a shit about the money. I earn enough. I just want my woman and wife-to-be with me here and I would have thought you’d feel the same! Don’t you?”

“Yes, of course I do, and I miss you but I’m being practical…”

“Well practical isn’t working for me, Alana. Come to think of it, is that young stud guitarist I saw in the photos you sent working for you…or rather, on you?”

“Ryan, stop it! You’re being gross. Aidan is a perfect gentleman and respects our engagement. He wouldn’t dream of coming between us. He’s a fellow band member, an amazing guitarist and the friend I need when I’m lonely for home. Now, can you just get off this jealousy rant and answer my question about extending my contract? Whether I take three or five months I will still be back in plenty of time to finish up the details on the wedding. In the meantime, I will be earning more money than I could ever earn at home while doing something I love with all my heart, not to mention enjoying the experience of a lifetime. Can you grant me at least that much? I have to let Charles know my decision within the next 24 hours, so I need your answer now?”

Ryan was silent. Alana’s anxiety was spiking. She could feel the blood rushing to her face. Her heart was pounding in her ears louder than the drummer’s drum. 

“Ryan? You still there?” Her voice was meek, scared.

“Yeah, I’m still here and here’s my answer: if you take that extension, no matter how long, we’re done! The wedding is off. You can just stay there and keep enjoying your life. We’re done, Alana!”

“Ryan…for heavens sake. Don’t be ridiculous. It’s only a short extension…” 

“Did you not hear me clearly, Alana? I’ll repeat it for you. If you take that extended contract, the wedding is off and we’re done. Is that clear enough for you?” Ryan slammed the phone down and Alana burst into tears.

In his tiny condo just across the hall, Aidan heard Alana’s sobbing well into the night and for several weeks after. When the band got together for dinner before sound-checking, she would smile, even laugh at their silly banter, but he couldn’t help but notice the puffy eyes that her meticulously applied makeup couldn’t mask. He wanted to reach out, fold her in his arms and help soothe away the pain and heartache. That’s what friends were for. Nothing more, right? Perhaps in a while, she’d let him. But for now, he’d grab his guitar, pluck some strings, lie back on his bed, and fall asleep thinking of Alana.

***

Aidan’s eyes glowed and his heart skipped a beat as Alana began her walk up the aisle. She was still as beautiful, maybe even more so than when he had asked the DJ at the Hong Kong Club to play James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful” 11 years earlier. As they danced, he had believed as the lyrics of that song said, that she would never be his. And now, here she was, ready to begin the next chapter in their lives together as man and wife.

It had often been a hard slog trying to make a living, but as long as they were doing what they loved most, answering music’s call together, they were happy and travelling the world. The last 11 years were rich with the experiences and memories that make life worth living. He was one lucky man.

Alana glided into place beside her handsome groom and passed the bouquet to her maid of honour. As the officiant began speaking the words that would bind her and Aiden together forever, her heart swelled with joy and this time, tears of happiness ran down her face. 

Suddenly, she found herself laughing and crying all at once as a random memory flicked across her mind. The officiant stopped for a second and Aidan looked puzzled, but her eyes told Aiden she’d share the funny story with him later. It was a decade old story about a midnight phone call that had changed a woman’s life forever.