We don't want to label it

XLI

"F... I'm so sorry. Yes. Eddy, hi."
"Hi." she smiles. God, she's pretty, even though he hates himself for even thinking about that. He should be admiring her for her playing and nothing else. "Janice."
"I know. I've loved your playing this week. It's been so inspiring."
"Yeah?" she accepts his compliment with a genuine smile. "How long have you been here?"
"Oh, just a couple of years, full time." he says shyly. "Before that as an incidental while I was still at the con. I also make videos, on YouTube."
Whoa. Where did that come from? But look, if he's even thinking about doing Twoset full time, surely he must start taking it seriously? Surely it's worth mentioning? And to be honest, it's a thrill to say it, too. He knows how much Brett admires her.
"Do you?" she says in her European lilt. It's charming. "That's cool! It's a new way of looking at things for sure."
"It is, absolutely. I mean... we're trying to make classical music more relevant to a whole new generation. The channel is doing okay, suddenly, and we're getting messages now, of people who have started learning an instrument, or have discovered new composers. It's pretty cool."
"It is!" She points towards the stage and he starts following her. She's still not brushed him off. He can't believe she's still not brushed him off. Does he... does he dare? It's now or never because they're about to hit the stage door and then it will be her in the wings and him on stage, tuning. They have minutes left before the concert and his heart is in his throat, where it seems to live semi-permanently now. He sees the big wooden doors, he blinks and before he knows he's talking again.
"Um... maybe... would you be interested in making a video with us?"
She halts so suddenly he has to turn around and take a step back.
"For YouTube?" she asks, her voice up an octave.
"Um, yes. Only if you'd like, I hope I'm not imposing."
"No, you're not. But what would we do?"
Eddy shrugs. See, he may be shy but this is where he shines. He always has ideas, they bubble up in him like heat in the Blue Lagoon, they never stop.
"Well... my colleague Brett has a pretty serious musician crush on you. We could play around with that, maybe."
Now she giggles.
"What's a 'musician crush'?"
Eddy laughs too.
"He just really admires you. So it wouldn't be hard for him to act it."
"How many people would see this video?"
"We're close to two hundred thousand followers. So a few." he shrugs.
She glances at the clock on the wall overhead. It's five minutes to show time and he really needs to get his arse on stage.
"Wow. That many, huh? Let's do it." she says suddenly, shocking him so much that he reaches out to brace himself on the wall.
Wait. What did she just say?
"For real?" he says, halfway stupidly, making her grin again.
"Sure, Eddy. Meet me in my dressing room an hour before the show tomorrow? Can your friend come?"
It's a miracle and a half that Eddy manages to keep his voice level.
"I doubt there's much he wouldn't cancel for this."
There's that giggle again. It's a great giggle.
"Cool. I'll see you tomorrow. Well, I'll see you in a minute. Toi toi."
"Thank you, Janice. Toi toi."

One more glance at the world class soloist who is there in the hallway checking her tuning like she hasn't just agreed to be in a video with them, his heart still fluttering wildly, and he's rushing on stage to take his spot in the second violins.
How much longer will this be his spot? Right now he's not sure, especially after what's just happened. He'd better make sure he enjoys it as much as he can, while it's here, while she's here, while he has the chance. He hurriedly sits down, smiles at his deskie like he isn't very late, and just then the orchestra starts tuning.