Page 74 of Lyrebird

‘She told me about what happened at the musical.’

She looks at him, ready for another argument, but she doesn’t have the energy. She rubs her eyes tiredly. ‘She was imitating the orchestra, Sol. She kept trying to get the trombone right, over and over again. I didn’t know what to do, so I took her out of there. I didn’t want to tell you because you’d get mad and upset.’

‘That’s exactly what happened,’ he fumes.

‘And what good was that going to do, when you’re away in another country?’ she says gently. ‘I handled it as best I could.’

‘She was upset about it.’

‘I told her that it wasn’t her fault.’ She sighs. ‘She opens up to you more than me, you know that.’

They’re silent. He calms down. He can’t be mad at Bo. He’s angry with himself for not being there.

‘That was a fucking disaster meeting,’ she says finally, putting her phone down and rubbing her face. ‘Jack’s talking about flying her to Australia in the next few days. Melbourne and maybe Sydney. He says he’ll have her back by Monday for the semi-finals.’

‘Australia? For a few days? That’s ridiculous. She’ll be exhausted,’ Solomon says, sitting up.

This seems to occur to Bo for the first time.

‘Why, what were you worried about?’

‘We’re not allowed to go. Some exclusivity deal with the magazine and TV show in Australia. They won’t allow any media that’s unrelated to StarrQuest. We’re supposed to be making a documentary about her and he’s taking her away from us, again.’

He feels that familiar overwhelming frustration when Bo displays cold selfishness. ‘You’re disgusting, Bo.’ He stands up and walks away from her.

‘How’s my Lyrebird?’ Jack asks, taking Laura by the arm and squeezing her tightly. He grins. ‘What a fuckin’ week we’re having, right?’

She nods.

‘Sorry for swearing, it feels wrong to swear around you. You’re too angelic.’ He helps her to her seat and goes to sit behind his desk. He watches her thoughtfully. ‘You’re not one, are you?’

‘What?’

‘An angel?’

‘No.’ She smiles.

He returns the smile and drums his fingers on the table.

She imitates the sound.

‘You’re right. I need a cigarette. Gave them up a week ago.’

‘For Bo,’ she says.

He looks at her in surprise, then he grins. ‘I swear you don’t miss a trick.’

She makes the gum-chewing sound.

‘Good idea. Where’s my gum?’ While he searches his desk drawers, Laura studies the walls.

‘You don’t happen to know if I’m in with a chance, do you? With Bo?’

‘Bo Peep?’ she raises an eyebrow. ‘She’s with Solomon.’

‘Yeah, her long-haired lover. She should leave that loser. Tell me, you live with them, are they happy?’

Laura growls at him, the same way Mossie did when he heard a sound in the trees that he couldn’t identify.