Page 4 of Play Our Song

“It’s already done,” her father said. “Now, some sandwiches.”

She thought about questioning that. It wasn’t fair that Gio hadn’t done what he was supposed to and her father had just gone ahead and done it. But that was the way of things. Gio got away with far more than she ever did. She sighed. Maybe she was better off getting some fresh air, she thought, as she pulled on her jacket and made her way out onto the street.

It was because she was a girl. A woman now, not that her father and brother had noticed. Still, with her mum so long gone, she supposed that neither of them had much experience living with a woman. Sophie walked miserably to the pub. Not that she was about to get much more experience living with a woman with her brother watching over her shoulder all the time.

“What can I get you?” asked Jules the barmaid cheerfully when Sophie walked into the pub.

“An axe to dismember my brother?” suggested Sophie.

Jules laughed. “Yeah, can’t say I didn’t notice. Was that her last night? The one you’ve been talking to online?”

“Katie,” Sophie said. “And yes. Not that we’ll be talking again. She’s blocked me now, thanks to that great idiot.”

“He’s just looking after you,” said Jules, wiping her hands on a bar towel. “He’s protective. Your dad too. But you should hearwhat they’re like when you’re not around, dead proud of you, they are. Your dad tells anyone that’ll listen that you went to college. He thinks the world of you.”

Sophie smiled. “Does he really?”

“Oh, they both adore you, Soph, you know that.”

“I know.” She sighed and climbed up onto a bar stool. “I know they do. It’s just… How can I have a life with the two of them looking over my shoulder all the time?”

“Maybe you need to set some boundaries,” Jules suggested. “Talk to the two of them. You’re an adult, Soph, not a little kid.” She started stacking pint glasses. “It’s that or move out.”

Sophie thought about that for a second, then shook her head. “I don’t think so. They need me. You should see the state of the place if I’m not around to take care of the house. When I was at college, they survived on takeout and cans of beer.”

“You’re not their housekeeper.”

“I know, I know.” She sighed again. She wasn’t. But she also knew that her dad needed looking after. He’d not so much as looked at another woman since his wife had died, and that was so long ago that Sophie didn’t even have a clear memory of her mother’s face.

“Don’t look so glum,” Jules said. “Something’ll show up. It always does. You’ll be in here moaning about having no girlfriend one day, and talking about getting married the next. That’s the way it always happens. When you least expect it.”

Given that Sophie was almost out of hope and expecting nothing, she assumed a host of eligible, attractive lesbians would be walking into the pub at any moment. “It’s a small town,” she said instead.

“And you’re being pessimistic, which is drastically unlike you. Pick yourself up, cheer up, and tell me what you want for lunch.”

“Fine, an egg salad sandwich for dad, and two ham and cheeses for me and Gio.” Jules was right, she wasn’t going to get anywhere with a face like a wet weekend.

“There’s only one ham and cheese left,” Jules said. She grinned at Sophie, then unwrapped the sandwich and popped it onto a plate. “Go on, petty revenge is the best kind. Eat it here and I’ll get another egg salad for Gio.”

Sophie munched on her sandwich as Jules put the others into a bag. “Any news?”

“There’s always news,” said Jules. “Old Dave is having his license taken away for driving into that hedge. Oh, and speaking of McKeefe, he’s had his car stolen. That’s the third around these parts this month. You should tell your dad to make sure the ones he leaves outside are alarmed.”

“Will do,” Sophie said, swallowing a mouthful of sandwich. “Billy alright?” Billy was Jules’s wife, a talented musician as well as a music teacher at the local school.

Jules rolled her eyes. “She’s got a new project.”

“Oh yeah?” asked Sophie, brightening up. She liked Billy, and the woman had interesting ideas, if not always successful ones. Her last plan had been to start a Whitebridge orchestra, which was all very well and good until it turned out that the only musicians in town were Billy herself, Ag, the local policeman’s daughter, and Old Dave who played the spoons and couldn’t count higher than four once he’d had a drink.

“Yeah, another one of her village projects,” Jules said, sliding the bag of sandwiches over to Sophie.

“I don’t think anyone’s learned to play anything since the last orchestra attempt,” Sophie said. “At least not anything useful, like a cello or a trumpet.”

“No, this time there’s no instruments required.” Jules leaned on the bar. “This time it’s a village choir.”

“Huh,” said Sophie. “Well, maybe that’s a better idea. Definitely easier on the ears, I’d think.”

“Mmm, I’m not so sure.” A customer appeared at the other side of the bar. “I’d better be off. I’ve put the sandwiches on your tab.” Jules stood up. “And don’t forget, boundaries.”

---