The Bea Project - Chapter 9

The taxi pulled up outside the Lowry hotel and the driver got out, walked around to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for me, he then went to the back of the car and removed my baggage from the boot and placed the guitar case at my feet and handed the violin case to me as I handed him a fiver in return to cover my fare.  I picked up the guitar and wandered through the hotel lobby to the reception desk.
 
A young receptionist named Hayley approached me ‘Can I help you?’ she asked.
 
‘Yes,’ I replied, ‘I have a meeting at two o’clock with Niamh Pedersen.’
 
Hayley looked down a list which was placed on the desk in front of her, she looked up nodding her head at me ‘Yes Miss Lovett, please would you take a seat over there and I will ring Miss Pedersen and let her know that you are waiting in the hotel lobby.’
 
A few minutes passed and a well-dressed woman in her late thirties wandered up to me ‘Are you Bea?’ she smiled as she extended her hand towards me. 
 
‘Yes, that’s me.’ I replied and grabbed her hand and shook it firmly. 
 
‘Hello,’ she said warmly, ‘my name is Niamh Pedersen, but you can call me Niamh.  Bea, please come with me.’
 
I followed her through the hotel lobby and up to the Mezzanine Bar which was buzzing and alive with people chattering and generally enjoying themselves on a lovely warm summery afternoon.
 
‘Bea, would you like a glass of champagne, or a refreshing soft drink or maybe something else?’ she asked.
 
‘Ooh, a glass of champagne would be just fine.’ I replied.
 
‘You know, Arty promised me ages ago that he would be able to do this performance as a favour to my business partner and his nephew, Matthew.  From what I can understand that he was quite upset when he realised that he wouldn’t be able to fulfill this opportunity.  He has ensured me that you have what it takes to make the mark and you will be able step up to the plate.  I am looking forward to working with you now and hopefully at some point in the future.’ She told me.
 
She then tried to hand me the glass of chilled champagne but quickly realised that I didn’t have a third hand, so she carried the drinks through to another room which was to the side of the bar overlooking the river at the back of the hotel, and I quickly followed. 
 
Niamh put the drinks down on the table and handed a glass to me which I took from her when I had put my guitar case down.  I took a sip of the cool fizzy champagne from the glass, the bubbles gave me the weirdest sensation as I could feel the bubbles rising in the back of my throat and almost spiralling back down my nose and they almost made me sneeze. 
 
I placed the violin on top of the table next to my glass and released both catches, opened the lid and pulled the instrument and bow out from the blue velvet lined case.  I plucked a couple of the strings before resting it under my chin on a black silk cloth and rubbing my bow gently over the strings.  I walked over towards the back of the room where there was a tiny plinth of a stage and stood in front of Niamh who was by then sitting down next to two hunky looking guys and watching my every move.  I started to play a few bars of “Summer” from The Four Seasons written by Vivaldi.  An enjoyable piece of music, if you have never heard it I suggest you go and listen to it and enjoy instead of me telling you how great it is.