over the summer, their smiles and their encouragement. She could do it, she knew she could.
She heard the opening bars and her mouth went dry. She grabbed her water and took a quick drink. Then she started to sing. Her voicewavered at first, and no one took any notice of her, thinking she was just another wannabe singer who couldn’t hit a note. As her confidence grew, and her voice became stronger, they started to take notice. By the time she had reached the first chorus, people in the crowd were exchanging glances of surprise. She could tell they thought she was good. She smiled and shut her eyes, and her voice soared above the crowd as she took the emotion in the lyrics to another level.
Suddenly she felt as if she was on another plane. The crowd swayed and sang with her, raising their fists in the air to show their appreciation. It was the best feeling in the world.
As the closing bars approached, and she gave the final lyrics her all, she looked across the audience and saw Craig standing at the back. His hands were in his pockets as he watched her. She couldn’t read the expression on his face. Her eyes locked with his, and she felt her heart begin to race. Was he going to march up on stage and arrest her? It was what she deserved, after all, but she threw back her shoulders and finished the song, holding the last note for as long as she could.
She finished and there was silence. She met those cool grey eyes defiantly. If he was goingto arrest her, she would walk out with dignity. As she stood there waiting, the audience broke into wild applause. There were whistles and whoops and cheers, ten times more than there had been for the people on before her.
In that moment, he smiled, and as she smiled back he gave an approving nod. She came off the stage and pushed through the crowd towards him. People patted her on the back as she walked past, saying, ‘Well done.’ It was a wonderful feeling.
‘I need to get out of here,’ she told him. ‘I need some fresh air.’
She pushed outside into the cool night air, and he followed her. She stood on the patio outside, the sea breeze ruffling her hair.
‘That was amazing,’ he told her, and she shrugged.
‘Yeah, but what am I?’ she asked. ‘A singer? Or a thief?’
She turned to face him. He smiled at her.
‘You’re whatever you want to be.’
‘You’re not going to arrest me?’
‘I should.’ He looked out towards the shore. The sound of the surf pounding the sand came back at them. ‘But I decided something today. I’m going to hand in my notice. I’m not sure Iknow the difference between right and wrong any more.’
She frowned. ‘What I did was wrong. Surely you know that?’
‘Yes. But there’s a part of me that knows why you did it.’ He looked into her eyes. ‘And a part of me that knows you won’t do it again.’
Someone opened the door and whistled over to her.
‘Oi,’ they said. ‘Come back inside. You’ve won!’
Jenna looked at Craig. She couldn’t believe it. Her heart was pounding as he put his arms round her and pulled her to him, holding her tight.
Jenna went back in and collected her prize money. One hundred pounds, all hers and fairly won. Then she had to go back on stage and sing the song all over again. This time she felt confident, and she looked right over the audience and held Craig’s eyes all the way through. He’d believed in her, she thought, and a warm glow filled her heart.
Afterwards, they went outside and sat on the wall to drink the bottle of wine the Ship Aground had given her as part of her prize.
‘I handed in the money you stole to thebeach office,’ he told her. ‘I said I’d found it chucked behind my hut. They said if no one came to claim any of it, they would donate it to charity – the RNLI. They pay for the lifeguards and lifeboats, so it seemed to make sense.’
Jenna nodded her approval. The two of them were silent for a moment. Then Craig put down his glass and took her
She heard the opening bars and her mouth went dry. She grabbed her water and took a quick drink. Then she started to sing. Her voicewavered at first, and no one took any notice of her, thinking she was just another wannabe singer who couldn’t hit a note. As her confidence grew, and her voice became stronger, they started to take notice. By the time she had reached the first chorus, people in the crowd were exchanging glances of surprise. She could tell they thought she was good. She smiled and shut her eyes, and her voice soared above the crowd as she took the emotion in the lyrics to another level.
Suddenly she felt as if she was on another plane. The crowd swayed and sang with her, raising their fists in the air to show their appreciation. It was the best feeling in the world.
As the closing bars approached, and she gave the final lyrics her all, she looked across the audience and saw Craig standing at the back. His hands were in his pockets as he watched her. She couldn’t read the expression on his face. Her eyes locked with his, and she felt her heart begin to race. Was he going to march up on stage and arrest her? It was what she deserved, after all, but she threw back her shoulders and finished the song, holding the last note for as long as she could.
She finished and there was silence. She met those cool grey eyes defiantly. If he was goingto arrest her, she would walk out with dignity. As she stood there waiting, the audience broke into wild applause. There were whistles and whoops and cheers, ten times more than there had been for the people on before her.
In that moment, he smiled, and as she smiled back he gave an approving nod. She came off the stage and pushed through the crowd towards him. People patted her on the back as she walked past, saying, ‘Well done.’ It was a wonderful feeling.
‘I need to get out of here,’ she told him. ‘I need some fresh air.’
She pushed outside into the cool night air, and he followed her. She stood on the patio outside, the sea breeze ruffling her hair.
‘That was amazing,’ he told her, and she shrugged.
‘Yeah, but what am I?’ she asked. ‘A singer? Or a thief?’
She turned to face him. He smiled at her.
‘You’re whatever you want to be.’
‘You’re not going to arrest me?’
‘I should.’ He looked out towards the shore. The sound of the surf pounding the sand came back at them. ‘But I decided something today. I’m going to hand in my notice. I’m not sure Iknow the difference between right and wrong any more.’
She frowned. ‘What I did was wrong. Surely you know that?’
‘Yes. But there’s a part of me that knows why you did it.’ He looked into her eyes. ‘And a part of me that knows you won’t do it again.’
Someone opened the door and whistled over to her.
‘Oi,’ they said. ‘Come back inside. You’ve won!’
Jenna looked at Craig. She couldn’t believe it. Her heart was pounding as he put his arms round her and pulled her to him, holding her tight.
Jenna went back in and collected her prize money. One hundred pounds, all hers and fairly won. Then she had to go back on stage and sing the song all over again. This time she felt confident, and she looked right over the audience and held Craig’s eyes all the way through. He’d believed in her, she thought, and a warm glow filled her heart.
Afterwards, they went outside and sat on the wall to drink the bottle of wine the Ship Aground had given her as part of her prize.
‘I handed in the money you stole to thebeach office,’ he told her. ‘I said I’d found it chucked behind my hut. They said if no one came to claim any of it, they would donate it to charity – the RNLI. They pay for the lifeguards and lifeboats, so it seemed to make sense.’
Jenna nodded her approval. The two of them were silent for a moment. Then Craig put down his glass and took her
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