Chapter 22: Nobody Rents to Her

Tilly stopped in front of Beau's row and shook the phone in her fist.

"Say it to them," she said. "Say what you told me in March."

"Not here," Beau said.

"Why not? Everyone else is listening."

He stood up, and he held both hands out, palms down.

"Tilly, honey, you're upset. We were going to tell Marlo together, after..."

"After you had her money." Her voice cracked and went high. "You said you'd marry me. You said I was the one you picked."

"I did pick you."

"You picked your mother's account."

A few people laughed, and the sound was awful.

Marilyn rose beside her son with her pearls shaking.

"That is enough," she said. "Young lady, you will not speak to my son like that in public."

Tilly turned on her.

"You told me to sit still and sing, Marilyn. You said every girl who waits gets a ring."

Marilyn's mouth opened, and nothing came out.

The publisher in the third row picked up his coat. The agent beside him did the same.

They filed out past me, all of them, saying nothing, and not one looked at the stage.

Behind them, the Calloway Room's manager came up the side aisle with a clipboard and his face set.

He spoke to Tilly quietly, and I saw her shake her head.

He spoke again, and she looked down at the floor.

"They're cancelling the rest of the night," the house engineer whispered beside me. "He says it's a safety thing."

Keep reading free with an account. Start He Gave Away Our Wedding Song, So I Ended His Signing Day from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.