His Favorite Masterpiece

Chapter Eleven: Friday Night

By Friday afternoon, Lily Martis had changed her outfit four times.

The first dress was too simple.

The second made her look like she was attending a wedding.

The third was beautiful, but she had worn it to a music event two months earlier, and she refused to let anyone accuse her of repeating outfits.

The fourth was perfect.

At least, that was what she had decided until she looked in the mirror again.

“Absolutely not.”

She pulled the dress off and tossed it onto her bed.

Her stylist, who had been standing near the wardrobe for the past twenty minutes, stared at her.

“Lily, you said that one was perfect.”

“I lied.”

“You cannot keep doing this.”

“Watch me.”

The stylist sighed.

Lily picked up another dress and held it against herself.

“What about this one?”

“It's lovely.”

“Lovely is boring.”

“Then why did you ask me?”

Lily grinned. “Because I value your professional opinion.”

“No, you don't.”

“Not when it disagrees with mine.”

The stylist shook her head and returned to the wardrobe.

By the time they settled on a fitted black outfit with delicate silver accessories, Lily had spent nearly an hour getting ready.

She wasn't nervous about performing. She had sung in front of thousands of people before, and the charity concert was hardly her first major event.

But tonight mattered.

The money raised would support a programme providing educational resources to children. Lily had agreed to participate as soon as the invitation arrived. Music had given her opportunities she couldn't have imagined as a child, and if she could use it to help someone else, she was happy to do so.

Besides, she loved performing live.

In the studio, every note could be repeated until it was right. On stage, she had one chance to make the moment count.

She liked that challenge.

Her phone vibrated on the dressing table.

Caleb: Are you alive?

Lily: Unfortunately for you.

Caleb: Good. I need to know whether I should sell your belongings.

Lily: Touch my things and I'll sell your paintings.

Caleb: You wouldn't dare.

Lily: Try me.

Caleb: What time are you performing?

She checked the schedule.

Lily: Eight-thirty.

Caleb: I'll be there.

Lily smiled at the screen.

Lily: Don't be late.

Caleb: I'm always punctual.

She stared at his message.

Then she burst out laughing.

Lily: You arrived forty minutes late to your own birthday dinner last year.

Caleb: Traffic.

Lily: You were in the house.

Caleb: Internal traffic.

Lily shook her head and put the phone down.

A moment later, another notification appeared.

Adrian.

Adrian: I'll see you there.

She read it twice before typing a reply.

Lily: See you tonight.

She didn't add a string of questions or ask him to promise he would stay until the end.

He had said he would come.

She decided to leave it at that.

For once, she wanted to enjoy the evening without turning every small gesture into something she needed to analyse.

It was a concert, not a mystery she had to solve.

At least, that was what she told herself.

---

The venue was already crowded when Lily arrived.

Cars lined the entrance, photographers stood behind barriers, and guests moved through the doors in carefully chosen outfits. Inside, warm lights illuminated elegant floral arrangements, while tables surrounded the stage. A large screen displayed the performers' names and the organisations supporting the event.

Lily was escorted backstage, where she greeted the organisers and several familiar faces.

One of the other performers, a young singer named Naomi, rushed over to hug her.

“You came!”

Lily laughed. “I was invited.”

“That's not the point. I thought you'd be busy recording.”

“I finished early.”

“Thank goodness. I need someone to tell me whether my hair looks strange.”

Lily examined it.

“No.”

“Really?”

“Really. Although you do look like you fought with a ceiling fan.”

Naomi stared at her.

Lily burst out laughing.

“You're horrible!”

“Your hair looks beautiful. I'm sorry. I couldn't resist.”

Naomi pushed her lightly, laughing despite herself.

They spent the next few minutes catching up before a staff member called Naomi away for a sound check.

Lily was about to follow when her phone rang.

Caleb.

She answered immediately.

“Where are you?”

“Hello to you too.”

“Are you here?”

“I'm outside.”

“Why are you outside?”

“Because the building is inside, Lily.”

She closed her eyes.

“Caleb.”

“I'm coming. Relax.”

The call ended.

Lily stared at her phone.

“I'm going to strangle him.”

A nearby staff member suddenly became very interested in the clipboard he was holding.

Three minutes later, Caleb appeared backstage wearing a dark jacket and trousers, his hair neatly styled for once.

Lily looked him up and down.

“Who are you?”

He glanced behind himself.

“Sorry, did someone handsome enter the room?”

She rolled her eyes.

“You look presentable.”

“Thank you. I worked very hard.”

“Did you dress yourself?”

“Wouldn't you like to know?”

“I'm genuinely surprised.”

He placed a hand over his chest.

“Your faith in me is touching.”

Lily laughed, then looked past him.

“Where's Adrian?”

Caleb raised an eyebrow.

“Good evening to you too.”

She gave him a warning look.

“What? I was just wondering whether your brother has arrived.”

“He's not my brother.”

Caleb paused.

Lily blinked.

Then they both burst out laughing.

“Fine,” she said, recovering first. “Where's Adrian?”

“I haven't seen him.”

“Oh.”

The disappointment was small, but Caleb caught it anyway.

“He said he'd come, didn't he?”

“Yes.”

“Then he'll probably come.”

She looked at him.

“Was that supposed to be comforting?”

“No. I was practising being reasonable. How did I do?”

“Terribly.”

“Excellent. I was worried.”

A staff member approached to inform Lily that she had fifteen minutes before she needed to be ready.

She thanked him and turned back to Caleb.

“Come with me. I want to show you something.”

He followed her down a short corridor to a quiet area beside the dressing rooms.

Lily opened her bag and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper.

Caleb eyed it suspiciously.

“Is that a grocery list?”

“It's my set list.”

“Why is your set list folded like a secret government document?”

“Because I don't want you reading it.”

“You literally just handed it to me.”

“I'm showing you the last song.”

He unfolded the paper and scanned the title.

“Is this new?”

“Almost. I'm still working on it.”

“Are you performing it tonight?”

She shook her head. “Not yet. I haven't finished the second verse.”

Caleb looked at the title again.

“What made you write it?”

Lily considered the question.

“I don't know. I had a melody in my head, and the words followed.”

“That's not an answer.”

“It's the answer you're getting.”

He studied her for a moment before handing the paper back.

“Keep working on it.”

She frowned.

“That's all?”

“What else do you want me to say?”

“I don't know. Something intelligent.”

“Your expectations are too high.”

She laughed and folded the paper again.

Then, more quietly, she said, “Thank you for coming, by the way.”

Caleb shrugged, but his expression softened.

“Wouldn't miss it.”

The words were casual, delivered with the same easy confidence he used when promising to steal food from her plate.

Lily smiled.

“Good. You'd better cheer loudly.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Caleb!”

“I have a reputation to protect.”

“You're an artist. Nobody expects you to have a reputation.”

He gasped.

She laughed, and he shook his head.

Then a staff member called her name.

Lily straightened.

“That's me.”

“Go do your thing, Martis.”

She gave him a quick hug before heading towards the stage entrance.

Caleb returned to the hall and found his seat.

He had barely settled in when Adrian arrived.

Adrian approached the table, greeted him, and glanced around.

“Where's Lily?”

“Backstage.”

“Has she performed?”

“Not yet.”

Adrian nodded and took the empty seat beside him.

Caleb glanced at him.

“You actually made it early.”

“I'm not late.”

“That's not what I said.”

Adrian ignored him and turned towards the stage.

The lights dimmed.

The host stepped forward, welcomed the guests, and spoke briefly about the purpose of the event. After introducing the charity's work, he announced the next performer.

Lily's name filled the hall.

The audience applauded.

She walked onto the stage with a confident smile, greeted the crowd, and waited for the music to begin.

For the first few seconds, she stood still, taking in the room.

Then she started singing.

Her voice carried through the hall, clear and steady. She moved naturally with the music, her confidence growing as the audience settled into the performance.

At the first chorus, several people near the front began singing along.

Lily smiled.

She loved that part.

She loved watching strangers recognise the words, seeing their expressions change when a lyric meant something to them, and hearing a room respond to a song she had once sung alone in her bedroom.

For those few minutes, there was no wardrobe crisis, no unfinished verse, and no teasing best friend waiting to annoy her afterwards.

There was only the music.

When the final note faded, the audience erupted into applause.

Lily laughed, thanked them, and left the stage.

Backstage, Naomi caught her by the shoulders.

“That was amazing!”

Lily grinned. “Thank you.”

“You looked like you were having the time of your life.”

“I was.”

A staff member handed her a bottle of water. She took it gratefully, drank, and checked her phone.

There was a message from Caleb.

Caleb: You were surprisingly tolerable.

Lily laughed.

Lily: Thank you for your kind words.

Caleb: Don't let it go to your head.

Lily: Too late.

Another message appeared.

Caleb: Adrian enjoyed it too.

Lily glanced towards the hall.

She hadn't been able to tell whether Adrian had watched closely, but knowing he had enjoyed the performance pleased her.

She sent Caleb a thumbs-up and put her phone away.

Then she looked at herself in the dressing-room mirror.

Her cheeks were still warm from the stage lights, and her smile hadn't quite faded.

Whatever else happened that evening, she had given a performance she was proud of.

That was enough to make her happy.

---

After the performances, guests mingled around the hall while the organisers prepared to announce the amount raised.

Lily had changed out of her stage outfit into a simple evening dress and was standing near one of the tables when Adrian approached.

“You did well,” he said.

She turned towards him.

“Thank you.”

He nodded towards the stage.

“The audience seemed to enjoy it.”

“They did. It was a good crowd.”

For a moment, Lily wasn't sure what else to say.

She had imagined this conversation several times before the concert. In some versions, Adrian complimented her voice in greater detail. In others, he asked about the new song she had mentioned. She had even imagined him telling her he was proud of her.

But the real conversation was simple.

He had come.

He had watched her perform.

And he had congratulated her.

She could appreciate that without demanding anything more.

“I'm glad you made it,” she told him.

Adrian nodded.

“I said I would.”

“I know.”

Someone called his name from across the hall, and he glanced in that direction.

“I need to speak to someone. I'll see you before you leave.”

“All right.”

He walked away.

Lily watched him go for a moment, then turned towards the table and picked up a glass of water.

“Don't tell me you're about to start writing poetry.”

She nearly choked.

Caleb stood behind her, looking far too pleased with himself.

“Do you ever announce your presence like a normal human being?”

“I could ring a bell.”

“Please do. Preferably from another country.”

He reached for a small pastry from the table.

Lily slapped his hand away.

“Get your own.”

“I'm starving.”

“You've been eating since you arrived.”

“That's how starvation works. It keeps coming back.”

She shook her head, laughing.

They found a quieter corner where they could watch the guests without getting caught in the middle of every conversation.

For a while, they discussed the performances. Caleb had opinions about the stage lighting, the arrangement of the opening song, and one particularly dramatic dance routine.

Lily disagreed with almost all of them.

“You're impossible,” she told him.

“And yet you keep inviting me places.”

“You invited yourself.”

“Details.”

She laughed.

Across the room, Adrian was speaking to a group of guests. He glanced in their direction once, then returned to his conversation.

Lily noticed but didn't dwell on it.

She was too busy trying to convince Caleb that the final performer had not, in fact, looked like a confused flamingo.

“I'm telling you,” she insisted. “It was artistic.”

“Artistic confusion is still confusion.”

“You wouldn't recognise art if it slapped you.”

“I draw for a living.”

“And yet.”

Caleb stared at her.

“One day, I'm going to stop being nice to you.”

“You've never been nice to me.”

“Exactly. Imagine how much worse I could be.”

She laughed so hard that she had to put down her glass.

Caleb watched her for a second, smiling before turning his attention back to the room.

He had watched her perform plenty of times, but there was something satisfying about seeing her enjoy herself after all the stress she'd put into getting ready. He liked the confidence she carried onto a stage. He liked the way she forgot to worry about everyone else's opinions once the music began.

Most of all, he liked being someone she looked for when she came off it.

He kept that thought to himself.

By the time the organisers announced the evening's fundraising total, the hall had grown quieter.

The amount raised was met with enthusiastic applause.

Lily joined in, smiling as the organisers thanked the performers and guests.

It felt good to be part of something that would make a difference beyond the stage.

As the evening wound down, she collected her belongings and said goodbye to Naomi.

Caleb offered to drive her home.

She accepted, partly because she was tired and partly because she knew he would complain if she refused.

Outside, the night air was cool.

Lily slipped into the passenger seat and sighed.

“I'm exhausted.”

Caleb started the car.

“You did well tonight.”

She turned to him.

He kept his eyes on the road.

“Don't look so shocked,” he added. “I can give compliments.”

“I'm documenting this.”

“Please don't.”

“I'm telling everyone.”

“I'll deny it.”

She smiled and leaned back.

As they drove through the city, Lily watched the lights passing beyond the window.

The concert had gone well. Adrian had attended as promised, and Caleb had been there to watch her perform.

It had been a good evening.

A full evening.

One that belonged to her.

When they reached her house, she unbuckled her seat belt.

“Goodnight, Caleb.”

“Goodnight, superstar.”

She paused at the door.

“And Caleb?”

“Hmm?”

“Thanks for coming.”

He smiled.

“Anytime, Lil.”

She waved and headed inside.

Caleb waited until she reached the front door before driving away.

Upstairs, Lily placed her earrings on the dressing table and sat on the edge of her bed.

Her phone buzzed.

A message from Adrian.

Adrian: Good performance tonight.

Lily smiled and replied.

Lily: Thank you. I'm glad you came.

She set the phone aside, changed into her pyjamas, and climbed into bed.

Tomorrow, she would return to the studio.

She would finish her song.

She would probably argue with Caleb about something ridiculous.

And life would carry on as usual.

For now, that was enough.

She closed her eyes, still hearing the applause in her mind.

She didn't know that, for Caleb, the evening had meant more than watching his best friend perform.

And she certainly didn't know how carefully he had hidden it.