Living In The Shallows (UK Crush #1)

Chapter Fifty-One

I gathered my papers together and stood up for my meeting with Professor Van Dyke. It seemed longer than six weeks since I'd sat in his office and he'd offered me the chance at an amazing job in Japan as an interpreter for a mysterious group of actors who were making a movie.

"Come in, my dear, come in!" He came around his chair to hug me, reminding me as he always did of Bilbo Baggins, from Tolkien's famous books. He was a tiny, wizened old man, who was a virtuoso on the piano, and a genius teacher. I was sorry he wouldn't be my advisor for the next six months.

"So, you have an opportunity to study in England? How exciting, my dear, how exciting! And I've found the perfect advisor for you. His name is Richard Allen, he was one of my protégés right here at Thornton ten years ago. He's a professor himself, now, of course, at the Royal Conservatory of Music in London. He's agreed to be your advisor for the fall semester, and to meet with you once a week in preparation for your audition to Hamilton in January. He's very excited to meet you, my dear. I've told him all about you, and of course he's heard of you and your work here at Thornton. I sent all your contact information to him, and I've just sent all his contact information to you, so he'll be waiting to hear from you. Probably you should start meeting with him no later than September. Have you definitely settled on the Mozart as your piece?"

I nodded. "Why, sir? Do you think something else would be better? I know it's not a very well known piece, but it has sentimental resonance for me."

"No, no, sentimentality has it's place, and certainly no one performs it better, Aileen. You know how I feel about that. You should spend your time tearing it down to its roots and rebuilding it from its foundations with Dr. Allen, as strong as you can. You can sometimes get lost in a lack of confidence, as you know. You need to find your bravery, as I've often told you. You go off to London and find your bravery, my dear, that's all that's standing between you and Hamilton, I'm telling you.

"Oh, you'll do fine, I'm sure of it. And I'll be there in January to be sure, Aileen, it will be one of my proudest moments. You'll be the youngest to ever win the scholarship, I know it." He leaned forward and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Now, you have a plane to catch, right?"

I nodded again. "Yes, sorry to cut it so close, but there aren't a lot of direct flights from Los Angeles to London." I rose.

"No need to apologize, Aileen. Please keep in touch, my dear, and keep me apprised of how your preparations are going, all right?"

"Of course, sir."

Another bone crushing hug, and I was out in the convertible, on my way to the airport.

***************

Teddy had been the one to suggest I try to change my flight to an earlier one on Tuesday. "It's just I miss you so fucking much, Birdie. Please can't you come sooner??"

I had texted back that my meeting with Professor Van Dyke wasn't until 4:30 on Tuesday, so when would the earlier flight be, exactly?

He had found one that left at 8:45 p.m., which I could probably make, even given LA's horrendous evening traffic, so I had agreed, packing up my stuff. I'd found various things he'd packed in my luggage as a joke while we were in Japan, including a box of condoms; I'd texted and asked if he'd left them for me to use while I was alone and received an embarrassed emoji reply. A shirt I assumed was for me that said "Future Mrs. Theo Shelley" with a photo of Teddy with a heart around it. It was quite popular with the pre-teen Crushies, and he had taken the trouble to autograph it, with the words, "I will marry you whenever you say! Kisses, Theo!" I laughed and put it on, and sent him a selfie in it, and even though it was the middle of the night I got a pageful of kisses back from him. I decided to wear it so he could see me in it when I got off the plane. He would laugh his ass off.