‘I told her that it wasn’t her fault.’ She sighs. ‘She opens up to you more than me, you know that.’
They’re silent. He calms down. He can’t be mad at Bo. He’s angry with himself for not being there.
‘That was a fucking disaster meeting,’ she says finally, putting her phone down and rubbing her face. ‘Jack’s talking about flying her to Australia in the next few days. Melbourne and maybe Sydney. He says he’ll have her back by Monday for the semi-finals.’
‘Australia? For a few days? That’s ridiculous. She’ll be exhausted,’ Solomon says, sitting up.
This seems to occur to Bo for the first time.
‘Why, what were you worried about?’
‘We’re not allowed to go. Some exclusivity deal with the magazine and TV show in Australia. They won’t allow any media that’s unrelated to StarrQuest. We’re supposed to be making a documentary about her and he’s taking her away from us, again.’
He feels that familiar overwhelming frustration when Bo displays cold selfishness. ‘You’re disgusting, Bo.’ He stands up and walks away from her.
‘How’s my Lyrebird?’ Jack asks, taking Laura by the arm and squeezing her tightly. He grins. ‘What a fuckin’ week we’re having, right?’
She nods.
‘Sorry for swearing, it feels wrong to swear around you. You’re too angelic.’ He helps her to her seat and goes to sit behind his desk. He watches her thoughtfully. ‘You’re not one, are you?’
‘What?’
‘An angel?’
‘No.’ She smiles.
He returns the smile and drums his fingers on the table.
She imitates the sound.
‘You’re right. I need a cigarette. Gave them up a week ago.’
‘For Bo,’ she says.
He looks at her in surprise, then he grins. ‘I swear you don’t miss a trick.’
She makes the gum-chewing sound.
‘Good idea. Where’s my gum?’ While he searches his desk drawers, Laura studies the walls.
‘You don’t happen to know if I’m in with a chance, do you? With Bo?’
‘Bo Peep?’ she raises an eyebrow. ‘She’s with Solomon.’
‘Yeah, her long-haired lover. She should leave that loser. Tell me, you live with them, are they happy?’
Laura growls at him, the same way Mossie did when he heard a sound in the trees that he couldn’t identify.
‘Okay, okay,’ Jack pops a chewing gum in his mouth.
Laura turns her attention to the walls. Framed discs, awards, artists she recognises, others she doesn’t, his own from his band, Jack Starr and the Starr Gazers.
‘You like music?’ he asks.
She nods. She makes the crackling sound of vinyl, like logs burning in a fire, that comfortable, cosy, memorable sound.
His eyes widen. ‘Jesus. You listened to vinyl?’
‘Mum and Gaga loved jazz. Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Louis Armstrong …’ She hums the tune to ‘I’m a Fool to Want You’, but her humming is deep and gravelly, not the voice of a young woman. ‘Gaga’s favourite song,’ she explains.
He shakes his head, in awe.
Uncomfortable under his gaze, she looks away.
‘I’m guessing you’ve never been to Australia,’ he says.
‘No,’ she smiles.
‘Well, they want you. Boy, do they want you. Biggest talk show over there has invited you. There is no Australian creature, with the exception of the koala, more firmly established in the public regard than the lyrebird. But you couldn’t be more different. The koala is a hundred popstars you could name, all quaint and approachable, but you are elusive, exclusive. Man, you coming along is … well, it’s the best timing for us, for the show. We’ve been trying to get into the Australian market for a while and I think this gives us a way in. The networks wanted to see that we could stir up public interest, and now they have. One hundred million views …’ He checks his phone. ‘One hundred and eleven million views.’ He laughs. ‘Anyway, you don’t need to worry about any of that, you just get to go on a free trip. Go on the country’s biggest chat show. Pose with a lyrebird for the press. Do a magazine shoot. Then fly home for Monday night’s semi-final. What do you think?’
‘It all sounds … incredible.’ She grins, unable to believe it. ‘Are the others coming?’
‘What others?’
‘The other contestants. I don’t think most of them like me very much.’
‘They’re jealous.’ He smiles. ‘It’s a competition, you blew them all out of the water. And no, they’re not coming. This trip is all about you.’
She chews on her lip, concerned about this.
‘Don’t worry, they’re all doing interviews too. They’ve probably done more, in fact, but you’re getting all the coverage. If I were to ask any of them to come on this trip, they wouldn’t think twice about leaving anyone else behind. It’s a competition, Lyrebird. So, you need to get your passport details to Bianca so we can take care of your flights.’