Prima giornata di prove per i knockout rounds. 

Stavolta, o dentro o fuori, niente recuperi e niente seconda chance. 
Blake l'aspettava alla sala registrazioni, e oltre a lei attendeva la scelta di una canzone opportuna.
A song to win.

L'abbraccio di rito, come fra vecchi amici. Poi, ognuno al proprio posto, il coach sullo sgabellino accanto al pianoforte e lei dietro l'asta del mic.
- Have you chosen the song?
- Yeah. Gotta sing Payphone. Maroon Five.

 Non serviva neanche che lo specificasse. Blake sorrise appena, sotto il sopracciglio alzato.
- Sure? 
- Sure.
- Is there anything I don't know?

Un passo avanti, uno indietro. Raccogliere il microfono e stringerlo fra le dita.
- Ok.. you're my coach, it's right to let you know.
- Have you two had a story or something else?
- Nope.
- So what?
- Ahm.. I work at a Starbuck's point, in NY. But sing from a very young age. It's always been my passion and my dream. So, I trained for years, and then tried many auditions. Been chosen to a position in the backgrounds for Maroon Five tour, about two years ago.
- So.. you know one another.
- Actually.. I thought he'd forgotten me.
- ..But?
- But maybe he couldn't. You know.. I was the last arrived. And team used me for the soundchecks. You know.. 
- When everyone is still in after lunch relax time..
-..I was already at work. But I loved that. Being on the stage, alone. Was fascinating. Had the mic in my hands, and started doing like this.- picchiettò appena con le dita sul microfono, ripetendo la frase di rito - one, two.. soundcheck ok. Right..- spostò il viso a destra, come in attesa dell'ok di uno dei fonici -..ok. Left..- ripeté il gesto -..ok. Let's start. 
Una manciata di secondi, e la sua voce mise le ali.

I don't want a lot for Christmas 
There's just one thing I need 
I don't care about the presents 
Underneath the Christmas tree 
I just want you for my own 
More than you could ever know 
Make my wish come true 
All I want for Christmas is you…

Blake non la fermava, puntato con il mento fra le dita e le labbra socchiuse.
E come fosse stata di nuovo sola su quel palco, Jen diede più forza all'interpretazione, cantando tutto il pezzo.

Questa volta, il battere leggero di quelle mani non la interruppe a metà.

Could you please make me a favour and leave this room?

L'espressione mista fra l'infastidito e il divertito di Blake, la mano tesa verso la porta.
Adam s'era limitato a sorridere alzando le sopracciglia, con fare furbetto.

So what?

- So what, so what.. she's not yours anymore.- Blake gli fece il verso, insistendo sulla direzione della porta - and these are rehearsals for my team.
- But that's one of my songs.
- Thought it was one from Mariah. But maybe the high notes on the end were yours, isn't it?

Ferma di fronte all'asta del microfono, Jen arginò a stento una risata, nascondendo le labbra con le dita.
- Is there anything to laugh? - Blake finse di sbottare - there's nothing to laugh. He's a spy. He came here to spy. He's meant to be at his team's rehearsals.
Adam continuava a fissarlo con tono di sfida e le braccia incrociate.

- You two seem married.
Ecco. L'aveva detto. I due si voltarono contemporaneamente nella sua direzione, spalancando gli occhi e lasciandola ridere sul serio.

- Go away. Vanish, take that door. Or I'll ask for a restraining order.
- What?! - Adam spalancò le braccia.
- Yeah. I want the divorce.

Adesso scappava da ridere anche a lui, mentre il collega ubbidiva e si avviava all'uscita.
Jen incontrò i suoi occhi, e comprese molto del labiale intercettato la sera delle battle rounds. Blake non aveva dato una seconda chance soltanto a lei.

Adam fermò i passi, si mordicchiò appena le labbra, fece un balzo indietro e la raggiunse, circondandole i fianchi e stampandole un bacio sulla fronte.
- Again, thank you. My love.
- Go.Away.
Blake puntò di nuovo l'indice alla porta, mentre la ragazza arrossiva. Poi si alzò dallo sgabello, e con fare deciso andò a chiudere la porta con un giro di chiave.
- So.. let's start from where that beautiful amazing dirty bastard broke the magic. You could sing this.
- This?
- Have you heard yourself while you were singin? You're into it. You may win the knockout. And it has a meaning, isnt'it?
- Well.. yeah.
- Like the others?
- Like the others. Well.. you know..
Blake s'era di nuovo seduto, in posizione di ascolto.
- Ok.. he.. -the beautifulamazingasshole you just sent away- came into my radar space while I was singing this song. Laughing at me because it was july, and I was singing a Christmas song.
- And.. what about you?
- Treated him like the last of stupids. Even if he was the star, and I was the last one of the crew. Instead to get angry and fire me, he started to duet with me.. and to laugh with me instead of at me. We sang every Christmas song we knew.
- And.. then?
- He started to come to every soundcheck. Just was there in the dark, waiting for me to start with this..- il dito a picchiettare sul microfono - to show himself and come to the stage. First times were.. strange.
- What means.. strange?
- New. Unwaited.. strange. I mean.. he was Adam Levine. Girls were outside screaming for him, while nobody even knew about my existence. Then.. then I became used to it.
- Screaming girls?
Lei scosse appena la testa, sorridendo.
- Soundcheck duets. Started waiting for him. Started liking it so much. Started missing him when he didn't come. 
- This is really dangerous..
- Yeah.
- And now I understand a lot of things.
-..Sorry?
- Nothing.- lui fece cenno come a scacciare un moscerino, affrettandosi a cambiare discorso - but.. what about the songs?
-..Songs?
- Yeah. Your song choice. There's a meaning, isn't it?
Jen inspirò ed espirò, lentamente.
- The Rose was the first song I sang without him. When.. when he left me alone for the first time. When he made me feel alone, for the first time. And.. ok, I'll tell you the truth. I chose it for the auditions because I hoped he reminded my voice.
- He did.
- I know. Chose Skyscraper, for the battle rounds.
- He chose it.
- Yeah. The second song without him. Think he's seen me.
-..Seen you?
- Seen me crying. Again. And again I told him I was only tired.
- But you were not.

Un altro sospiro. Gli occhi a terra.
- I'm only a voice.
- A voice is everything.- Blake la stupì usando parole conosciute, costringendola a sollevare il viso e aggrottare le sopracciglia, e sorridendo - voice, and music. There's nothing else, more strong and more important, for a musician. We express through songs everything we want to tell. It's stronger than us. We feel love, we have to sing it. Pain, we have to do the same. We're happy, sad, cry for a loss. Even if we can't speak, and tell how we feel, we write it in a song. There's our story and our soul, in every song we write.. or sing.

Sorrise, si lasciò andare ad abbracciarlo. Come fosse stato il fratello maggiore che non aveva mai avuto. E rimase per un lunghissimo istante ad ascoltarne i respiri.
- Now..- lui si allontanò con un minuscolo colpetto di tosse - you know my secret, I'll have to kill you. If you loose the knockouts.
- And.. what about Payphone?
- Let's do like this.- lui sollevò appena gli indici - new coach, new start. You sing your first song, the one that started your little story.
- But..?
- Keep Payphone for the live shows.