Page 24 of Benidorm Again

And like a cattle prod, I am jolted into action. I glide onto the stage, relieved to hear the audience erupt into applause.

It’s showtime.

A few hours later, it is all over. We bow to the Royals. They are the only audience members not standing. The thunderous roar of applause rips through the auditorium. We have brought the house down, as they say.

‘Unbelievable. Incredible. Insane!’ Luke is repeating himself over and over to anyone that’ll listen.

Tonight’s performance went ridiculously well. Both of us were on top form and we had the highest recordednumber of standing ovations the theatre has ever seen. It was a massive success.

Adrenaline is pumping through my veins like rocket fuel.

I’m giddy.

Drunk on endorphins.

Dolly is charging towards us as we come off stage. ‘What a performance! It was out of this world. You two have unbelievable chemistry together. I’ve never seen an audience react like that. Connie, you had them in tears again with your lament. In actual tears! I thought even Maestro was going to well up at one point.’

She is ecstatic. I will not burst her bubble and tell her that I have a strong history of reducing my audience to tears, especially at weddings and birthday parties.

‘Thanks, Dolly.’

‘Your mother would be so proud.’

This makes me immediately choke up as we share an understanding look.

‘Your father will be very proud of you, too. Is he coming to see us in Newcastle?’

‘Yes,’ I say, swallowing back my emotions. ‘He’s coming to both performances.’ My father will be in bits. I know he will. He’s also bringing Madge to the final evening, which might be strange. Seeing him with a woman who isn’t my lovely motherwill take quite a bit of time to get used to. But I’m very happy to see him smiling again and doing things that spark joy. Even if it is hiking across lumpy fields and staying in B&Bs with chintzy pelmets. I wish he had been here tonight to see me.

The chorus girls rush up to Luke, all but pushing me and Dolly out of the way. They get busy kissing his cheeks, praising his magnificent singing abilities and trying to drag him away to speak to the paparazzi who are waiting outside. I imagine they will want to be photographed at his side. I will have to think of a way to sneak past them when I leave.

As if sensing my turmoil, Luke bats them away and swoops in beside me. ‘Hurry. Grab your stuff, and let’s get back to the hotel to decompress. I have a private car waiting at the side exit.’

I nod, grateful for the chance to calm my nerves. I still feel like I’m floating on air in some incredible dream.

‘I’ll deal with the press,’ Dolly is telling everyone. ‘No one is to make any comments. There’ll be no attempts to seek a quick buck on my watch. No selling stories or telling lies online just to get more followers. Do you understand?’

‘Wait!’ comes a sharp instruction. ‘Not so fast.’

The Maestro is hurrying towards us. ‘The Royals have requested a private audience with myself and Count Nikolai.Come with me,’ he orders Luke. Luke just has time to give me an apologetic smile before they rush off backstage.

The chorus girls are quick to turn their attention to me.

‘What’s going on?’ Florrie accuses openly.

‘Yeah,’ chips in the one that sings in the middle and whose name I can no longer remember. ‘You know he’s spoken for, don’t you?’

Ah, it’s the one who is hoping to pull on his teat. As opposed to the one who is hoping to ride him like an electric bike.

‘Just because you throw yourself at him on stage, doesn’t mean you can do it off stage. He’d never be interested in someone… so… council estate, no offence,’ Florrie says in her posh plummy accent.

Whaaaat?

I stand up straight. I am the lead female singer on this tour. More than that, I’m a proud Geordie woman, and I don’t give a flying fuck what they think. They can’t tell me what to do. I won’t stand for this kind of attitude. It’s time to put the people-pleasing wimp in me to one side. Besides, I’m high on endorphins and confidence. I jut out my chin, ready to put them firmly in their place.

‘Ladies. Whatever is or isn’t going on between me and Luke is absolutely none of your fuckingbusiness.’

They seem immediately shocked at me standing up to them.

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