The car ride was silent, and once they reached the studios, the ritual of introductions began: there were so many people to greet, smile at, and respond to. After more than an hour, they were ushered into a huge room where a radio program was broadcast.
"This is your space," Ingrid announced to Belinda, while distractedly running a hand over Tom's shoulder.
She was a very tall, blonde girl, fully dressed, but with a cold air that didn't endear her to him. Tom's attitude was quite the opposite, as he felt flattered by her attention.
Naomi cast a disdainful glance at both of them.
"Excuse me, but I don't understand what space you're talking about!" Belinda exclaimed, perplexed.
"This part of the building is home to the radio station that broadcasts your piece and the instructions for the competition every day. Listen, there are people talking!" and she indicated to them to put on their headphones.
Indeed, the commercial was playing at that moment, and when it reached the end, the DJ's voice could be heard asking the name and theory of the boy on the line.
There were several calls, some funny, some visionary, but everyone was beginning to understand the significance of the event.
"So, are you having fun?" André asked from behind them, accompanied by an elegantly dressed man with a cheeky smile.
"Yes!" they answered in unison.
Belinda lingered with her gaze on the newcomer, studying him.
"So, you're the one throwing tantrums..." the man told her.
"What tantrums?"
"André told me you didn't want the contract."
"You know, sometimes in life what's important to others isn't important to some... But I think we have two different scales of measurement," she replied seriously.
The man burst out laughing, startling her, and held out his hand. "I'd like to talk to you for a moment. May I?"
They took a few steps away from the others, stopping near a window overlooking the studio parking lot.
"My name is Karl Mainer, Belinda," he introduced himself, looking her carefully. "You know, in my circle I'm called Der Sperber because I have no qualms about pounced on anything that offers me the opportunity to earn money. It may seem arid to a girl with moral principles like yours, but I provide employment to about four hundred people with my business."
She nodded but didn't reply, giving him a chance to continue.
"When André came to me about his DVD idea, I immediately rejected it, because Scream fans would buy any product, without the need for further advertising."
"Why did you change your mind?" she asked curiously.
"I saw the footage of your first concert, the one where you sang with Bill, and then the one of your first performance as a robot," he replied seriously. "You have no idea how great your communication skills are, and I'm surprised that, despite knowing you sang in Italy, you haven't found a talent scout willing to offer you a contract."
Belinda sighed. "Unfortunately, it's a long story, but I've had some offers, some good ones, but I turned them down because they wanted me as a solo artist, and I didn't want to leave my band."
"I understand your choice."
"I've had other offers, but something happened that drove me away from music." Belinda shook her head. "Mr. Mainer, I'm not a product you're proud to distribute."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because..." she paused, unsure whether to tell him. In the end, she decided the truth was always best. "I was involved in a news story that caused a bit of a stir in Italy about a year ago."
"And now?"
"The trial is still pending."
"Are you... the defendant?" she asked with all the tact she could muster.
Belinda laughed bitterly. "No, I'm the victim... Does he still want me on his staff?"
"More than ever! I'm sorry for what happened to you." Karl expressed sympathy, squeezing her shoulder. "Even though... Can you imagine what kind of publicity campaign André would have put on if you had skeletons in the closet?"
Despite herself, Belinda laughed, finding the man a little rude, but decidedly nice.
"What do you want from me, Mr. Mainer?" she asked, more relaxed.
"First of all, call me Karl. Mr. Mainer is my father and he's a real ogre." She laughed. "Then I'd like to ask you to be on the radio show tonight... Before you say no, know that I think you'll find it very interesting. You'll just be there listening, and then, if you want, you can answer the listeners live."
"And if I'm not interested?" she asked challengingly.
"You can leave whenever you want! But I'll bet you fifty euros you won't." The man smiled wryly. "If I've got you right, you're a daughter of the great mother music and you'll react accordingly."
Belinda hesitated. She had gone with the specific intention of not getting involved in anything, but she hadn't foreseen Mainer and his tenacity. Maybe he could stop and listen to the phone calls; it wasn't much of a commitment after all.
She nodded and held out her hand. "Gone!"
"Before you go back to Italy, you'll be part of my stable, dear Fairy!" he said, walking away, whistling his song.
The girl followed him with her gaze, smiling amusedly. What a guy!
She turned back and reached Tom. "Don't make any plans tonight: you'll be with me live on the show." He opened his mouth, but Belinda, laughing, closed it with her hand. "You promised me you wouldn't leave me alone, and now I won't take no for an answer!"
Shaking his head and cursing "overly serious girls who demand promises be kept," Tom walked away toward a mineral water dispenser.
Ingrid approached Belinda with a smile. "Will you be on the show?"
She nodded. "Yeah! It's a challenge with Karl. Can you convince that big head?"
With a meaningful look, the blonde reached Tom and, taking his arm, led him away.
Naomi frowned at the girl and turned annoyed to her sister. "Didn't you say you weren't interested? And why are you sending that praying mantis after my Tom?"
"Don't worry, no one's taking him away from you!" Belinda laughed. "But Karl just offered me a spot on the show, with no strings attached. I can listen to the phone calls without intervening... After all the fuss you made to get me to think about the proposal, now I'm really curious to hear what they say. Are you coming too?"
"Fine," the girl muttered. "But I don't like that blonde at all!"
Immediately afterward, Naomi walked off with Annalisa to the bar for a drink, while Belinda realized she was left alone with Bill, who continued to stare at her without speaking.
She didn't know how to behave with him: she was still offended by his attitude, but she also owed him everything that was happening. She might not forgive him on a personal level, but on a professional level, she couldn't humiliate him.
She swallowed the pain and walked toward him, taking slow steps. Her heart skipped a beat every time she looked at him, and she cursed herself for the terrible emotion that was constricting her throat.
Damn, the more she convinced herself that he wasn't the right guy, the more something inside her rebelled.
"It seems like at the end of all this, I'll have to thank you for believing in me," she confessed in a low voice, raising her head to look at him.
Bill narrowed his eyes. "Why do you say that to me as if I'd insulted you?"
"Maybe because that's how I feel, but I can't deny that you were the first to believe in me, ever since that first appearance at your concert."
"And I will always believe in you, in your skill and talent."
"But you can't believe in me as a person, can you? Don't you think I can only want you as a human being? Without all this?" Belinda opened her arms, indicating everything around them.
"The package includes everything: me and everything around me," he replied in a low voice.
"I understand... A kind of take-it-or-leave-it situation," she murmured.
"You don't leave me much choice, Bel."
"Yeah," she replied sadly. "Are you going to take away your friendship too?"
"You have Tom's, right?" he replied sarcastically.
"How stupid of you to do that... But that's not what I asked."
"Do you realize what you're asking?" he snapped. "I can't divide the things I feel for you like that: friendship, respect, affection, anger... Contrary to what you think, I'm not a robot!"
"Would telling you it's not true do any good?" she murmured tiredly. "Leave it alone, Bill, let's get this over with."
He raised his arms. "See? Arguments always end when you say so."
"Could you lower your voices, please?" André intervened, coming closer. "They're live in the studio and they can hear you from the booth!"
"Okay!" Belinda headed for the exit. "You want a showdown, Bill? Then let's get out of here."
She jerked open the door and didn't stop to wait for him.