Page 76 of Christmas in Mistletoe
Delilah waved her phone in the air. Her eyes were glazed. She might be more drunk than Fran had first thought.
“But it might be what she needs. When everyone sees this, hears her vocals, they’ll lose their shit.”
It was Ruby losing her shit Fran was more worried about. Especially if Ruby’s big break involved Delilah.
“No posting.” Fran’s tone was stern. “Let me ask her first. I don’t want to rock the boat. Delilah, look at me.”
Delilah squinted.
“This is really important, okay?”
Delilah gave her a slow nod. “No boat-rocking. I promise.”
A tap on Fran’s shoulder made her turn. It was Damian.
“Our girls are on in five. You want to come and stand at the front with me?”
Fran nodded, glancing at Delilah. “Sure thing. Let me just get this one settled on a sofa first and I’ll be with you.” Fran guided Delilah to a sofa on the far wall, then knelt beside her. “No posting any videos, got it?”
Delilah tried to focus by placing a hand on Fran’s cheek. “None at all. Or Fran will be very angry with me. Must not make Fran angry.”
Chapter 31
Ruby always saidDecember was the month she got in shape. Who needed the gym when you had a Christmas tree forest? Add Fran into the mix, and she was getting all the exercise she needed.
She grinned as she walked across the barn and delivered the tree to her mum and the excited family. Ruby went to leave when something pulled her back. When she turned, a small hand had attached itself to the sleeve of her thick coat.
“Were you the singer from Saturday?” The young girl of the Christmas tree family stared up at Ruby.
Ruby squatted down, nodding. “I was,” she replied. “Were you there?”
The young girl nodded. “You were my favourite.” She reached into her small pink rucksack and pulled out a notebook and pen. “Can I have your autograph?”
Ruby glanced up at the child’s mum, then back to the young girl. “Of course.” This wasn’t the first time she’d been asked for her autograph, but it was the first time outside a gig venue. This was significant. “Who should I sign it to?”
“Me,” said the girl, pointing at her chest.
Ruby grinned. “What’s your name?”
“Sophia.”
Ruby did just that.
Sophia gave her a shy smile. “When I grow up, I want to be a singer, too.”
“I’ll keep an eye out for you in a few years’ time, then.”
Ruby said her goodbyes, then slid into the barn office and fired up the computer. She logged into Spotify. Her streams were off the scale. Her sales were up, too. How many did it take to get in the charts? Ruby had no idea. All she did know was this time last week, her numbers were average. Now, they were like nothing she’d ever seen before, and they’dreallysoared overnight.
She leaned back in the office chair. She had no idea what had gone on, but she had a strange feeling in her stomach. Could it be things were finally happening, all from one gig? She found it hard to believe. What’s more, she had a ton of messages to reply to, including a few from labels and venues she recognised.
They weren’t for today, though. Ruby had work to do. Plus, she’d responded to labels too quickly before. She had to remember she was the artist, the one with the gold. If they wanted a piece of her, they’d have to wait.
The office door opened and her dad walked in, whistling. This was a new thing, too, and Ruby loved it. Over the past couple of years, her dad’s worry lines had got more pronounced. But this year, with pre-orders up and the crowds swarming in, he had a new spring in his step.
“Rubytubes! What you up to? I hear you’ve been asked for an autograph in the barn!”
Ruby looked up. “Bit crazy, isn’t it? I just looked at my streams, too. They’ve been going mad since Saturday, and even more overnight. It seems bonkers one gig could do that.”
