𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄, damiano david

━━𝟎𝟑.𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬

【𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄】

━━━━ 𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑠 ━━━━

          𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐋 drove together to the Ahoy Arena where the other participants would be. 

     Germany, Switzerland and Italy were each behind us in their own buses, so we were the first delegation to arrive at the arena.

     The day today was just to visit the arena and get to know some of the other participants, plus camera crews would accompany us and conduct small interviews.

     Elle explained to me on the drive to the arena exactly when we should be where. Around late afternoon we would drive back to the hotel, then we had the rest of the day free before the first more important interviews were due tomorrow.

     I had already looked at all the contestants and listened to their songs, so I was not very nervous when we met them backstage in the arena, but my sister was excitedly biting her nails, a habit I had been trying to break for years.

     "Those guys from Finland are kind of cute," Sophia said and I frowned, "Cute wouldn't necessarily be the word I would have used," I said with a grin, "They're a bit scary."

     "I think they're hot," Sophia said firmly, "That's more like it than cute," I agreed, nudging her lightly in the side with my elbow.

     The other musicians were all very friendly and at least as excited as I was to finally be here in Rotterdam. Especially the participant for Norway, TIX, was really sweet.

     Each country had its own little room in the backstage area, ours had a brand new piano, exactly the same model I had at home, and I was as happy as a little kid about it.

      In the final I would also perform on stage with my piano, so it was good that I could get used to the instrument beforehand. 

     Although I had the same model, I noticed the difference when I pressed the keys.

     After about half an hour in our room, someone knocked on the door and we were called outside to the meeting room where most of the other countries were already standing.

     The organiser of the event told us that we would spend a lot of time together here in the meeting room, because the ESC was not just about winning, but about making friends. 

    Sophia and I exchanged a quick glance.

     Because each country had gathered its entire delegation, the room was very crowded and I couldn't see the Italians anywhere. 

     The organiser kept talking, but I wasn't really listening to him anymore because my eyes were wandering around the room.

     There were cosy sofas in the corners of the room, and there were also several instruments, including a piano, and a pool table. 

     Overall, it looked quite cosy and I could well imagine that one would get to know the other participants better here.

     Suddenly the group split up and I looked questioningly at Elle, who was busy scribbling on a notepad. 

     "Why is everyone leaving?", I asked Sophia in a whisper.

     "You're so not paying attention," she remarked and I rolled my eyes, then she explained, "That guy there just said we're going to go look at the arena in small groups now, but I don't think it's our turn yet, we have to wait here until the first group gets back."

     "Who's in our group?"
"The big five, of course."

     "All right," I said and walked towards one of the sofas, pulling Sophia with me. Elle wanted to say something, but then turned to Jared. 

    I flopped down on the blue sofa and sighed with relief. I was totally tired because I had slept so badly last night.

     Sophia sat down next to me for a few seconds, but then immediately jumped up again, "I don't want to sit around, Cora, let's do something," she whined and looked at me with wide eyes.

     "What do you want to do?", I asked and she seemed to think.

     "Play billiards?" she asked. "Whatever," I agreed and let her pull me up.

     "Your dress is pretty, by the way," Sophia complimented me and I grinned, "You gave it to me."

     "I know", she reached for a pool cue and pushed it into my hand.

     We had been playing for quite a while and I was about to lose when suddenly someone came up behind me. 

     I felt his presence even before I saw him or noticed how he touched my arm.

     The hairs on my arms stood up and I looked back, only to see Damiano's face. His eyes were fixed on the pool table, "I thought I taught you how to play," he said in Italian, his voice echoing in my head.

     "I'm afraid Sophia is invincible," I said quickly and tried to concentrate on the white ball I was aiming at with the cue.

     "It's not going to work," Damiano said, and before I could really realise it, he put his left hand on mine, on which I was resting the cue.

     With his right hand he grabbed my back, "May I?" he asked much too late. 

     "Sure," I agreed in a weak voice.

      He repositioned the cue, stroking my palm with his thumb, and my breathing quickened. God, he was so incredibly handsome.

     "Should work", he said and took his hand from mine rather late, the other one remained at my back.

     "Thanks," I muttered and pushed the cue against the ball, sinking the right one and grinning.

     "You see, Sophia, I can do something," I said euphorically and she looked at me sceptically, "That was more Damiano's doing."

     The corners of Damiano's mouth twitched when he saw me grinning. 

      "Vic told me about your conversation," he said more quietly and I put the cue aside, ignoring Sophia's protest.

      "She says you think I'm mad at you?" it was a question, not a statement.

     "You would have every right to," I noticed again how much smaller I was in contrast to him.

     "Coraline, I-", he began, but he was interrupted by Elle, who pushed herself between us.

      "You must be Damiano, I'm Elle, Coraline's manager, nice to meet you," she smiled charmingly at him.

     "Nice to meet you too, Elle," when he spoke in English, his Italian accent came through.

     "Very nice that you two are getting along," Damiano gave me a quick confused look at my manager's words, "I fear that I have to take Coraline with me though, we have something to discuss." 

     "Elle, can't you-" she interrupted me before I could finish, "We're really in a hurry, come now please. See you then, Damiano"

     Damiano looked confused and I gave him an apologetic look, "I'll be at Vic's tonight," I then said to him in quick Italian and he nodded curtly, "I'll see you later then," he said goodbye to me.

     "What's so important?", I asked Elle on the way to the UK room. 

     "We've got kind of a problem. The hotel called, they've had some man in the lobby for hours, claiming to be your father," I couldn't breathe at her words, there was no way my father was here in Rotterdam.