Five songs into his first set of the evening, Jude Kalvert knew the gig was going well. The majority of the audience was paying attention to him. They listened attentively, tapping their hands and feet to the music and mouthing along to the better-known numbers, even laughing at the banter he delivered in between. Jude had them where he wanted them.

With a small degree of confidence, he launched into one of his self-penned songs. It fitted right in with the easy indie pop tunes he had delivered so far. He smiled as he strummed his guitar and sang, noticing how the bulk of the crowd continued to tap their feet as though he was playing a well-known hit.

Yes. This is what it’s all about.

Jude had always enjoyed playing at The Blue Pearl. The pub had a reputation for great live music, with singers and bands performing every night and most afternoons, but it had been about seven months since his last gig here. A lot could change in that time. Thankfully, it hadn’t, and his first forty-five-minute set seemed to go like the click of his fingers.

His sister Ruby was waiting when he stepped off the small stage. “That was bloody brilliant,” she said, throwing her arms around him and planting an enthusiastic kiss on his cheek. “I love that new song. Are you going to record it?”

“That’s the plan.” He grabbed a bottle of water and guzzled greedily. His thirst seemed unquenchable.

It was quite a change of pace for Jude. He had spent the last six months working at sea on the Atlantic Star cruise ship, as part of a ten-member entertainment team. They would regularly put on four big production shows each week, full of choreography and costume changes. It was a lot of fun, but the content of the shows, especially the songs—a mix of show tunes and old time 1970s and ’80s hits—were rarely to his taste. The Blue Pearl was far more his vibe, where he could play the music that meant the most to him. It still required a large repertoire of covers, but he got to perform the music of the singer-songwriters he loved, as well as a smattering of his own tunes.

Being in Blyham, his home city, made it even more special.

“Have you been writing the whole time you’ve been away?” Ruby asked.

“Only when time allowed.” Like many people, Jude’s sister believed that life on a cruise ship was one long holiday. The reality was that he hadn’t had a whole day off in six months, getting just a few hours each day to himself where he could go ashore, hit the gym, or catch up on his sleep. The third option was often the most likely. He had come home with five new songs, though they all needed further development. Something he hoped to achieve in the coming weeks with his best friend and collaborator Vinnie.

“I’m so proud,” Ruby said. “I wish I had a speck of your talent.”

“You got the brains,” he said, only half joking. Ruby had always been the really smart one between them.

“Sorry I can’t stick around.” She picked up her bottle of beer and drained it.

“I’m glad you came. Thanks, sis.”

“Wouldn’t miss it. Though someday I want to come and see you perform on that ship.”

He laughed. Ruby got queasy on the short ferry ride across the River Bly. She had no chance of keeping well on a ship bouncing through a big Atlantic Ocean swell.

“Enjoy your night,” he told her. “Say hi to Craig for me.”

Ruby’s boyfriend was treating her to pizza, followed by a bum-numbing three-hour action movie at the local multiplex. “I’d rather stay here.” She grimaced, before hugging him goodbye.

Jude slipped into the tiny dressing room at the side of the stage. It was cramped and far from comfortable, but he wanted a little peace to prepare for his next set. He had half an hour to kill. He took another bottle of water from the minibar and opened the salad box he had brought with him.

This really was a world away from his life at sea, but he appreciated being home, not having to maintain his balance on an ever-shifting stage, getting to spend time with family and friends rather than work colleagues. Jude also knew that after a few weeks at home he would start to feel the pull of ocean life again. He would miss those busy days, the cheers of a packed theatre, the salty spray of the waves, and the rocking motion of the bed lulling him to sleep.

He’d already been offered another contract, beginning in three months’ time, with the chance of promotion to deputy cruise director. When the offer had been made in his last two weeks on board, he hadn’t been able to consider it. All he’d wanted to do was get home and spend time with the people he loved. It was something he would have to think about in the coming weeks.

Jude was finishing his salad when there was a knock on the dressing room door. Zand Riley, the manager of The Blue Pearl, entered with a smile. “The wanderer returns,” Zand said.

Jude rose to accept Zand’s welcoming hug. Jude had always had a massive crush on the hot older man. Zand was probably about ten years his senior, around forty, he guessed, but he had the eagerness and enthusiasm of somebody half that age. His support for local singers and bands made him doubly attractive in Jude’s eyes.

“You totally smashed that first set,” Zand told him, leaning against the door frame.

“I always get a good vibe from your audiences. It makes the show so much easier.”

“Different from your cruise crowds, I imagine.”

“Like night and day.”

“You’re looking good,” Zand said. “Sea air and travel obviously agree with you.”

“Thanks.” He took the compliment as it was intended. Zand had a real hottie of a boyfriend and Jude knew he had no sexual interest in him. “What’s been happening since I’ve been gone?”

“In Blyham? All the usual shit. Hate crimes, murder, homophobia, transphobia. A bunch of knuckle-dragging bigots got voted onto the city council. The first thing they did was remove the Pride flag from the town hall. How’s that for progress?”

“Shit. I saw bits and pieces on social media when I was away, but I tend to filter out the bad news. It just gets me down.”

“There’s been a lot to filter out. I shouldn’t complain. We don’t get the trouble in here that they’ve been getting up in the pink village. Julie’s had their windows smashed last week. And a couple of guys were beaten up walking home from the New Inn at the weekend.”

“Shit. I really thought things would have improved by now. After they caught the Strangler.”

The LGBTQ+ community of Blyham had been facing issues of violence and prejudice for years. Jude realised he’d been living in his cruise ship bubble where bigotry and intolerance were not accepted. On his last voyage, two passengers had been thrown off the ship for using racist slurs against members of the bar team.

“Some things have gotten better, a little, I guess, but not enough to notice. Take care when you’re about is what I’m saying. It’s not safe to walk around on your own. Hell, it’s not really that safe if you’re with somebody else.”

Jude sighed and wanted to change the subject. It was depressing and he had to get himself in a good headspace for his second set. “I saw the poster for the acts you’ve got booked this month. It all looks pretty cool. I’m going to check some of them out when I’m not working.” There had been a vast array of musical talent on board the ship, but they were all of a type. Solid middle of the road stuff. Jude was dying to hear a more diverse range of music.

Zand nodded. He had always been a champion of local talent. “Yeah, we’ve got some really good acts coming up.” He pulled out his phone. “I don’t suppose you’re free a week on Sunday? My afternoon booking has cancelled on me.”

Jude didn’t have to consult his own calendar. He’d only been home a few days and hadn’t managed to secure more than a handful of gigs. He was doing a show at a café bar near Durham that evening but could easily find time for a laid-back matinee the same day. “I’ll do it.”

“Perfect. Just keep it low key and acoustic. That’s what the Sunday afternoon crowd come in for.”

“Whatever you want.” The Blue Pearl was his favourite venue in the whole city. Jude was even more delighted when Zand booked him for another evening show the following month.

On his time off from the ship, he planned to work hard to secure as many gigs as possible to build up his reputation and develop his songwriting skills. He’d been lucky enough to make his living from music these last few years, and he was not about to slow down.

When Zand left, he prepared himself for the second show, mussing up his hair and putting on a fresh spritz of aftershave. He took a handful of selfies and deleted all but his favourite ones. That was another job on his to do list—to build up his social media following in the next two months. He was not a fan of posting photos or videos of himself, but it was a necessary part of the job these days. It was a not matter of wanting to do it or not. He had to do it.

He had managed to compile a pretty extensive show reel of his performances on the ship, and now he wanted to do the same for his solo gigs.

If people can’t find you online, you don’t really exist. It wasn’t a mantra he completely believed, but he repeated it enough to force himself into making the content.

The bar had filled up a lot during his break. All the tables were occupied, and there was a large pack of people standing around. Alcohol flowed, and so did the conversation. This would be a tougher crowd to command. Undeterred, he stepped onto the stage with his guitar. Jude loved a challenge.

The later show was more upbeat, more raucous and, after covers by The Killers and Sam Fender, he noticed people had started paying attention to him. Pretty soon the room was wild, and they applauded eagerly at the end of every song. Sweat dripped into his eyes and ran down his cheeks as he tore through the setlist and thrummed his guitar. There was nothing better than this.

After two encores, he was absolutely elated. His head buzzed with the excitement. He told the audience when they could catch him playing again and where to find his music online. That was another job on his growing list of things to achieve. He already had one EP of original songs on the streaming services. Before going back to sea—if he went back to sea—he wanted to record and release another. He had a good idea of what the songs would be but was open to creating something new before going into the recording studio.

Zand came over as he was unplugging his gear and patted him on the shoulder. Through it was a purely platonic gesture, it sent a frisson of electricity through him. Jude realised he hadn’t had sex in weeks. The last time had been an unsatisfactory fumble with a crew member from the Shore Destinations team.

Suddenly he was very horny.

But he couldn’t get any ideas about Zand. This hottie was strictly off limits.

“You were brilliant. Absolutely brilliant,” Zand said. “I think you’re even better now than the last time you were here. Whatever you’ve been learning on that ship, it’s working.”

Jude grinned widely. He’d already been charged from the energy of the audience. Zand’s compliments made him feel even better. “It means a lot to hear that. Thanks for saying it.”

Jude had heard a lot of bad things about Blyham of late, including from Zand tonight, but from his point of view this evening, there was no better place to be.

He was so glad to be back.