‘There you go, Romey,’ said Tiger. ‘I told you you were in for a treat.’
Romany’s eyes were wide and shining. ‘Oh my God, Leon!’ she said. ‘Where did you learn to play like that?’
Leon shrugged. It was just the same as it had been thirty-odd years ago when Romany’s mother had asked the question, Maggie thought: Leon self-effacing and his friends in awe. But this time there was a greater poignancy to the moment. Now, they were over halfway through their lives and Leon’s talent was still mouldering away in a box, hidden from view.
‘I don’t really know,’ Leon said. ‘I just learned.’
‘Did you play professionally?’ asked Laura. ‘Back in the day, I mean?’
Maggie flinched. They weren’t that old! But then again, to these girls with their whole lives glittering ahead of them, perhaps they were.
Leon shook his head. ‘No. It’s always been just a hobby,’ he said, putting the saxophone back in its case. ‘Right,’ he said decisively, indicating a change in subject. ‘Who wants a drink before the next act?’
Leon wandered off to the bar, despite having bought the round before, and the rest of the group chattered on about how wonderful his playing had been. After a bit, Maggie realised that he had been gone a while and she looked over to see where he’d got to. He was still standing at the bar, chatting to the man who had allowed the encore. He looked lively and animated, his face bright and his hands gesticulating as he spoke. It was nice to see.
Eventually, he made his way back with the tray of drinks and settled himself at the table. The next act, a guitar player, was just getting the mic set up, no doubt feeling a little daunted by what she had to follow.
Leon handed the drinks round, still grinning like a Cheshire cat. ‘The guy at the bar has offered me a gig,’ he said.
‘Nice one, mate,’ said Tiger, slapping him on the back.
‘What kind of gig?’ asked Maggie.
‘At a jazz club in Leeds. His mate runs it, apparently,’ Leon said. He pulled a face that said he didn’t know whether this was a good thing or not.
‘Fantastic!’ said Maggie, just to make sure that he did. ‘What did you say?’
‘I said yes!’
Maggie was delighted. She threw her arms around him and kissed him. When she looked up, Tiger was looking on, his expression wistful.
46
Durham had made Romany an offer. It had arrived when she was at school and had popped up, as casual as you like, when she refreshed her UCAS page at break. Romany saw it, did a double take and her heart paused for a second and then begin to pound. She screamed and then handed the phone to Laura.
‘Does that say what I think it does?’ she asked her.
Laura peered at the screen. ‘Well, if you think it says that Durham have made you an offer of AAB then yes! It does! Well done, Romey!’ Laura threw her arms around her and squeezed tightly, hugging all the breath out of her.
Romany just stood there, not quite able to believe it. It didn’t matter what the other universities did now. She had her offer from Durham. All she had to do was get the grades. Just like that! This thought sent a wave of dread and panic crashing over her, but she told herself that actually having the offer changed nothing on that front. The grades were still within her capabilities. She just needed to keep going as she was doing and not take her eyes off the prize.
‘And when I get in at Newcastle, I’ll just be up the road,’ grinned Laura, and Romany nodded.
That was all part of the plan. The gap between the two towns was big enough for them each to build new friendships, but small enough that Romany had a place to retreat to. They had discussed it at length. Romany wouldn’t be coming home at weekends like most students did. When she left for university, Tiger would leave as well, released from his gilded cage to fly back into the world, leaving the flat standing empty. The thought of returning to an empty place, with all the memories that were woven into every plate or cushion, was more than she could contemplate. The holidays would be a different matter, but she would work that out when it happened. For now, knowing that Laura would be close by in Newcastle was enough.
‘I can’t believe how fast this year is going,’ Laura said, as she scrolled down her phone for what she had missed whilst in class. ‘Mocks coming up and then that’ll be it – the actual exams. End of school! End of life as we know it!’ Laura twisted her face into an expression of mock horror. ‘Shit!’
Then the bell rang and they shuffled off to their next lessons. For now, life went on as it always had done. Romany had to agree with Laura about time racing by, though. It was already over three months since her mum had died. In many ways it felt like forever. Every morning, she woke with a list of things that she wanted to tell her mum in her head, and every night she went to bed with the dull pain of her absence sitting in her stomach like a stone.