HAZEL FINE SINGS ALONG (WATTYS 2022 Winner!)

Chapter 41: I Didn't See This Coming

"How do you put out an APB for a bunny you're not even supposed to have in the hotel?" Hazel said to Nick an hour later.

They were in their rehearsal space waiting for Georgia to show up. Hazel had to sing a duet with her in the finale and they needed to do a run through or six, especially since it was a deep country song that Hazel wasn't comfortable with, and she'd never sung with Georgia.

"An excellent question," Nick said. He was sitting at the piano, fiddling around with a score for something pretty that he kept playing small snippets of. He'd traded in his usual black T-shirt for a a soft green sweater that matched his eyes.

"That's not helpful."

Nick rearranged his features. "No, I know, I'm sorry. I'm sure he'll turn up eventually."

"One of the Harry Potter kids probably took him."

"Would that be a bad thing?"

"I love Checkers!"

"Then we'll find him."

"Thank you."

Nick picked up his pencil and wrote something on the paper score in front of him. "I told the desk manager to be on the lookout for him."

"You did?"

"I did."

Hazel felt a beat of hope. "What did he say?"

"He was too busy spiriting away the hundred I slipped him to say anything but 'yes, sir'."

Hazel rushed to the piano and hugged Nick from behind. "Thank you." She let go and stepped back. Was this all her resolve took? A nice gesture?

Nick turned around slowly. "You're welcome."

"Look, Nick ..."

The door banged open and there was Georgia. She was well put together, but Hazel could smell the fumes from whatever she'd been drinking across the room.

"Shit," Nick said under his breath. He stood and walked to Georgia. "Georgia, so glad you could make it."

"Am I late?"

"Not at all. In fact, Hazel and I were just saying we should get some coffee. Does that sound good? I'll have some sent in?"

"Sure, sure." Georgia wove her way to the piano and sat on the bench. She adjusted her cowboy hat to even more rakish angle. "Shall we do shomething on the piano?"

"If you like," Hazel said. "Maybe—"

"What about On My Own? That's always a crowds pleaser."

"I thought we were doing one of your songs?"

Georgia rolled her eyes toward Hazel. "Honey, none of them are my songs."

"Oh, I ..."

"S'alright. You get used to it. You make ... compromises ..." Georgia started plucking out a tune that was both discorded and poignant. "You learn to look the other way. You find coping ... what are those things called?"

"Coping mechanisms?"

Georgia pointed a wobbly finger at her. "That's the one."

Hazel's heart sank. What more could go wrong today? "Are you okay, Georgia? We can do this another time."

"Another time? Hmmm. No. No, I think this is the right time."

Hazel and Nick exchanged panicked expressions. They'd both seen Georgia after she'd had too much to drink, but this was something else.