Karen Kingsbury - Fifteen Minutes

He felt sick. Had he actually said that? Kip gave him one more chance to say something before the show ended. This time the words came from his heart. The heart that remembered who he was before the show, who he wanted to be long after it was over. “I want to thank everyone at Fifteen Minutes and the audience back home.” He looked at Kelly and then at Chandra. “And I want to thank the judges. A few months ago my grandpa told me it’s easy to lose yourself on a stage this big.” He smiled. “Tonight I feel like the winner.” He held Chandra’s eyes for a few seconds and then looked at Kip again. He shrugged, a grin playing on his face. “I get to go home to the people I love.”

The audience cheered as the music played and the show wrapped. Zack went straight to the judges’ table. He shook Cullen’s hand. “Thanks for believing in me.”

Cullen’s disappointment darkened his expression. He shook his head and glanced at his fellow judges. “This is rubbish. You’re the most talented bloke we’ve had. I’ll never understand what happened tonight.” He grabbed his things and headed up the stairs and off the stage.

Zack turned to Kelly next. “Good-bye.”

“You understand, right?” She looked nervous. “I voted for you as a person. Not you as a singer.” Her smile softened her face. “As a singer, you should’ve won the whole thing. Just know that.”

“Thanks. That means a lot.”

She nodded and followed Cullen. Next, Chandra stood and came to him. Zack faced her. “You . . .” He took her in his arms and hugged her. She had become a friend in the last two days. As he stepped back he looked deep into her eyes. This was their moment. Never mind the mass of fans being kept at bay by the bodyguards. “You were praying.”

“I was.” Tears sparkled in her eyelashes. “You were my reason.” She put her hands on his shoulders and grinned at him. “You gave me meaning, Zack.”

They hugged again, and one last time Zack looked at her, into her very private heart. He didn’t have time to say everything he felt, but he sensed she understood. With that he waved to the crowd, and two bodyguards walked him offstage. Before he reached the door, he stopped and looked back.

The crowd was no longer trying to get to him.

Zoey and the other three contestants had come to the edge of the stage, smiling for pictures and hamming it up for the audience, their arms around one another’s necks. The packed house screamed and waved at them.

Zack smiled at the bodyguards. “Looks like they need you more than I do.”

The guys nodded and patted him on the arm. “Take care, Zack.”

“You, too.” He shook their hands. Then he watched them hurry to the front of the stage to help the winners.

In a rush, Zack felt a mountain move off his shoulders. He was free. Ready to go home. He walked backstage, found William Gaines and asked the only question that remained. The one burning in his mind.

“How soon can you get me to the airport?”

The kickoff show played on every television in the airport.

Reese couldn’t get away from it, so she settled in at Gate C21 and watched. Zack and the other remaining contestants performed three group numbers, and Kip Barker showed clips from each of yesterday’s performances. She didn’t look away when they showed Zack’s highlights. She needed to see again who he’d become. She needed that as often as possible.

London beckoned to her, and she had made her commitment. But her life, her future . . . everything she had hoped for was here in Kentucky. Seeing Zack now reminded her she had made the right decision. She could hardly wait to board the plane. Only ten minutes of the show remained. The part where two contestants would be sent home.

Reese had figured Zack would be golden with the audience. At Carnegie Hall that night, girls had practically fainted at the sight of him in a cutoff shirt, and they went crazy for his duet with Zoey. But Reese had spent a few minutes on Twitter earlier and now she wasn’t sure. Overall, his fans seemed disappointed. Apparently she wasn’t the only one who could see how he’d changed.

A voice came over the speaker system, interrupting the show. “This is our first call for Flight 449 to Atlanta. First-class passengers are welcome to board now.”

Reese slid to the edge of her seat. She was in the final boarding group, and now that she had watched this much of the show, she wanted to know if Zack had survived. Zoey and one of the married singers were saved right off, and then one of the contestants was sent home. That left three of them. Kip Barker drew out the drama as he sent another singer to the sofa. Only Zack and one of the remaining women stood on the stage next to Kip.

One would go home and one would stay.

“Attention, passengers. Groups one through three are now boarding at Gate C21 for Flight 449 to Atlanta. Groups one through three, please board now.”

Reese was in the fourth group. She stood and pulled her carry-on bag close to her side, her eyes locked on the television screen. She could hardly believe what she was seeing. Zack was in the bottom two? This hadn’t happened since the live shows started.

Next to her, she heard a man talking to his wife. “That Zack kid’s the most talented of all.”

“Yeah, but he’s changed. You should’ve seen him last night.” The woman shook her head. “Wouldn’t surprise me if he goes home tonight.”

For the first time Reese considered the pressure Zack had been under. Half the country was talking about him, analyzing him, judging him. Declaring that he was or wasn’t worthy of continuing on the show. A commercial break ended and Kip made the announcement.

Zack Dylan was going home.

“Attention, passengers, group four is now free to board. All passengers for Flight 449 to Atlanta, you may now board through Gate C21.”

Reese walked a few steps closer to the TV, her eyes locked on Zack’s face. What happened to you? Where’s the guy you used to be? She searched his eyes, his expression. What was he feeling? Was he devastated after coming this far? Or was this God’s way of rescuing him? If this were the old Zack, she would’ve said he looked almost relieved. Happy, even. But Reese could no longer be sure. She was still studying him, missing him, when Kip delivered a shocking update. The judges were being given permission to save Zack.

“Final boarding call for Flight 449 to Atlanta.”

Reese hesitated. So this was how he was going to stay on the show. She wasn’t surprised. The press had talked often about Zack and Zoey helping ratings. Reese took a last look at Zack as the show broke for another commercial. Then she pulled her bag to the gate and boarded the plane. She was glad she wouldn’t be here to see next week’s show, what songs he would perform and how he would leave a little more of the old Zack behind him.

She took her seat and checked the time on her phone. She had a five-hour layover in Atlanta. Not ideal, but then she’d be on the flight to London. She could hardly wait. But over the next few minutes maintenance workers discovered faulty wiring in the cabin door. A repair team was brought on board, and an hour later they finally pushed back from the gate. But they didn’t move two feet before they stopped and once more the mechanics were called in.

Another thirty minutes passed with occasional updates from the cockpit. Finally the plane seemed to be fixed and they were about to find their place in line for takeoff when the captain’s voice came on. “Sorry for the inconvenience, folks. We’re looking at big storms in Atlanta. I’m afraid we’ll have to sit and wait a while. Thanks for your patience.”