The Flautist. Part Six

The flight home from Zurich was uneventful. Michelle put on her headphones, closed her eyes and lost herself in her world. Kate took a seat next to the window. She contemplated the endless white blanket that covered Mother Earth. The sun was setting, bathing the scene in a soft light. 

It was only last night that their final concert had taken place. They only had time for a quick dinner, ran to the hotel to pack their things, and had a quick nap before running to the airport. They did not talk much. The tour had been long and exhausting and the last day was just crazy. They had worked hard for their money, they had had a good time together, and now they were looking for some rest, for a vacation, for a reset.

For some time alone.  

After a soft landing, Michelle started to pack her headphones and Kate checked her passport, money, cards and tickets. The brunette jumped into the aisle and opened the overhead bin. She took off her luggage and headed for the exit. Kate was trapped by the window and decided to wait for the crowd to clear. Then she picked up her things and walked past the tired stewardesses, who thanked her on behalf of the airline for flying with them and offered a faked smile. Kate did her best to put on a honest smile, but she was too tired as well. She looked at the stewardesses and simply thanked them. The younger one sighed with relief and her smile looked natural for a brief moment. 

Kate found Michelle near the carousel, waiting for luggage. According to the information on the screen, their plane was number three in the queue. Gosh. Twenty minutes of waiting. Per plane. 

Suddenly a siren went off and the belt started moving. The screen went black, then came back on. Zurich. Michelle spotted her suitcase and ran for it. Kate stood lazily where she was. Her luggage came slowly towards her. She grabbed it and had a look around. Michelle was not there. Kate went outside. Michelle was on the phone. Kate moved towards her but the brunette waved her hand away. Then she quickly ended her call and approached her friend. 

"I've got a day to do the washing and to repack. Off to the sea. Hope you're getting some rest too."

"Same. See you in . . . October?" 

"I suppose so." 

Michelle kissed Kate on the cheek and disappeared. Kate took a cab and was soon happy to take off her shoes, have a bath, feel the coldness of her sheets. Home at last. There was no place like home.

***

The phone rang. 

Kate answered it and stepped out onto the balcony. The afternoon sun was casting a golden glow over her lightly tanned skin. The wind was still, the day was warm. The trees showed every shade of red and yellow. 

"Michelle?"

"Yes, it is me. Listen, we can play another concert, they pay well. It's in two weeks. Are you in?"

"I guess ... Rehearsal Thursday? And then perhaps next Wednesday?"

"We don't need that many, let's do one on Thursday next week, and if we need more, we'll do one on Wednesday. We should not overdo it."

"If you say so. I am going to overplay everything from now on anyway." 

"You know what you need, Kate. Just stay fresh, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah . . . Don't overtrain and stuff."

Michelle giggled.

"I'll leave you now. See you on Thursday."

Kate shook her head and walked back into the room. She picked up her guitar and started practicing.

***

The rehearsal went very well indeed. Each piece seemed fresh, the exchange of leads in Greensleeves was vigorous, Handel was moving, and Giuliani was as effective as ever. Michelle, in top form after her break, played beautifully, giving meaning to every note. Her leads were confident and purposeful, her accompaniments supportive and reassuring. She was comfortable playing with Kate. She would only look at her partner as she cued the upbeat, and then she would dive into the music with her eyes closed. Her beautiful sapphire eyes . . . 

The concert hall in a nearby town was quite nice and the acoustics were good. They only tried the sostenuto from Giuliani's sonata. Michelle tried to hold back but soon let herself be carried away by the music. Kate played her elaborate accompaniments with ease, wondering how this movement seemed to be a musical portrait of her partner. 

The audience began to arrive. The musicians went backstage. Michelle had a glass of water. Kate tried to sit down but could not. She started pacing the room like a nervous tigress. Ah, there was the organiser. The girl brought in a plate of sweets. Kate and Michelle rolled their eyes. No matter how many times you tell them, they never get it. Sweets before the concert! They would easily put a flautist out of action. 

"What time is it?" 

"We start in five minutes."

"Argh, I hate this moment. Let it start, for heaven's sake!"

Kate tuned her guitar for the thousandth time. Then she inspected her nails. Michelle looked out the window. 

"We'll wait another five minutes, please. We have a few seats left, we should wait for the late ones."

Michelle nodded. 

"Damn stage fright."

"Someone told me it wasn't stage fright, it was responsibility."

"Did it help?"

"Nope."