The Show Must Go On, page 20
The band returned to the stage for their second set, and Natalia joined them. She looked much more like a musician now. Her matron of honor dress had been altered so she could wear the top, but she had removed the skirt to reveal matching leggings. Scowling, Rob turned and watched her. She had slipped away before they had gotten their chance to dance and before Rob had a chance to talk with her. She must have done that on purpose.
The lights dimmed, and she stepped up to the microphone. Natalia announced the first dance. Jennifer and Andrew stepped onto the dance floor. The song was one Jennifer had chosen, and Natalia thought seemed perfect for this occasion. Freddie played synthesizer as they swung into the nineteen-fifties, dance hall styled ABBA tune “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do.” When Natalia started the chorus, Rob could have sworn she looked at him. He must have been wrong.
Jennifer and Andrew glided onto the dance floor, swirling together in a flurry of satin and lace. Rob sat at the table with his date, but his eyes never left Natalia.
The second song was a beautiful ballad. Again, Natalia’s eyes seemed to rest on Rob. The poignant words of the love song cut through him like a knife in his heart. He should turn away, tear his gaze from her face, but he couldn’t. There might as well have been no one else in the room but her. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, but it amazed him even more that her gaze met his and held. Usually, the lights made it hard to see the audience, but she tended not to hold eye contact too long with any one person. He didn’t either. But here they were, him in the audience, her on the stage, their eyes glued to each other. His heart almost seemed to stop, and his mouth went dry. Did she mean those words she sang? He wanted to believe that the words were meant for him, but that couldn’t be.
With a fierce frown, he jumped up to get another drink for his date and himself. He had asked Tia to come with him to keep his mind off Natalia. So far, it hadn’t worked. He returned then forced himself to talk with Tia when all he really wanted was to pull Natalia from the stage and love her until she admitted she loved him too. Why had he let these past weeks go by without trying to make her really talk to him? Why hadn’t he tried somehow to get through to her? Maybe he was just a coward. He stared into his glass of wine and sank deeper into misery.
Natalia began the third song, and Rob had had enough. He asked Tia to dance, and they stepped onto the floor. He held her close, but his mind still circled around Natalia. He sneaked a peek, and she didn’t seem to be the least bit concerned that he was dancing with Tia. She just continued singing. His mood turned blacker.
Natalia paused to get Jen and Andrew’s attention, and Rob turned to watch her. “This song is by request of the happy couple.” She started quietly, letting the song build in intensity. Rob recognized it immediately, “I Will Always Love You,” written by Dolly Parton and covered by many artists, most famously by Whitney Houston. He stood and stared at her as she sang. He hadn’t often heard her really belt out a tune, but it was obvious she had the strength and range to rival Whitney Houston, or Mariah Carey, or Celine Dion. If she was still in the band, he would insist she sing lead more often. Her eyes stayed on him, and he felt emotionally wrung out by the end of the song.
She went on to another love ballad, but toward the end of the set, the tempo began to pick up. The guests had started to dance, and they seemed to be enjoying themselves when the band paused for a moment. Everyone turned to look at the stage. Without any warning, Jennifer’s sisters jumped up from their seats and hurried over to join the band. Now, everyone had stopped to watch. Jeannie and Jessica stood beside Natalia, and with a flick of her wrist, Natalia motioned the drummer to start the beat. The band launched into a romantic and very danceable Motown hit, Natalia taking the lead vocal, the bridesmaids singing backup vocals. They ground out the song, Natalia and the girls grooving in perfect lockstep choreography.
Jennifer squealed in delight and dragged Andrew onto the dance floor. Then the guests erupted, and everyone joined them. An old-fashioned love song with a great beat still was a way to get people moving.
Rob didn’t join the frenzy. He just stood and stared. He had no clue Natalia had planned this, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away. He knew she had talent, but now she had a polish he had never seen. Her stage presence shimmered. She seemed so much more confident, and he loved the way she wiggled her sexy little ass to the beat of the music.
Rob’s eyes continued to follow Natalia until he noticed that Eric had helped again on this song. He had helped out on a lot of the songs. Rob should have been the one to help. Jennifer had asked that they work together on the music. Instead, Natalia chose Eric. It was bad enough that Eric threw glances at Natalia that made Rob want to grit his teeth, but when Eric slid his arm around Natalia’s waist and said something in her ear, Rob almost leaped onto the stage. He had to get a hold of himself, or he would do something stupid and embarrassing. When Eric finally left the stage, Rob stopped him.
With a deep scowl, Rob said, “I saw you up there. You were all over Natalia. What are you, a damned suck-up?”
Eric frowned. “You better watch what you’re saying.”
“If you had to choose between working with her and me, you’d choose her, wouldn’t you?”
“Damn it, Rob, don’t start something.”
Rob backed off, although everything inside him wanted confrontation. Actually, everything inside him wanted Natalia. All of this pain and anger was just too much. Taking a deep breath, he struggled to stuff his feelings of hurt and bitterness deep down. His beef wasn’t really with Eric. He apologized and his friend nodded. He just hated the way life was turning out. And this evening was turning out to be terrible.
Natalia
Saturday 7/15
THE BAND TOOK A SHORT break then Rob went on stage to start the third set. He still wore his tuxedo pants but had taken off his jacket, untucked and unbuttoned his white dress shirt, exposing the tee-shirt underneath. IDK. IDC. IDGAF. Finished off with sneakers, he looked more the scruffy musician and less the polished best man.
Natalia sat at a table full of guests, but one by one, they got up to dance. Sitting alone, she tried to ignore Rob, but how was she supposed to ignore him when everywhere she turned, she saw him? She should step outside for a breath of fresh air, so she stood. When she turned to leave, one of the groomsmen asked her to dance. She agreed and after that, several men asked her to dance. She did, mostly to keep her mind off Rob. Unfortunately, it wasn’t working.
With each song Rob sang, he gazed at her, his blue eyes almost seeing within her. She couldn’t move. He held her in his spell. She could almost feel his touch, his warm breath on her face, his lips on hers. She flushed at those thoughts but couldn’t tear her gaze from his. She finally dashed to the restroom under the premise that she needed to touch up her hair and makeup. She stayed there until Rob completed his set.
After Jennifer threw the bouquet and Andrew tossed the garter, the band returned for their fourth and final set. Natalia returned to the stage to finish the reception off with a bang. Now it was time to party. This set would seem the most like a pop or rock concert, but no one complained about the music so far, and Natalia felt good about that. She told herself that she was fine, that she would pull this off, but the time had come to sing the duets. She knew Jennifer expected her and Rob to put on a good show, and she couldn’t disappoint her. She had known this part would be uncomfortable, but she hadn’t anticipated the sensuality that simmered between Rob and her. He joined her onstage. They took their places, and the band started the first song.
They had worked together long enough to make it easy to fall back into their old routine, but this time seemed different. They stood together and blended their voices in perfect harmony, but Rob’s eyes continually met hers, and several times, he gently touched her face. Natalia tried to convince herself that that was just part of the show, but it had never been before. It felt like she and Rob were alone in their own little world, and these songs were meant for them. She reminded herself to be professional, but her heart pounded, and her knees felt wobbly. Seeing the way his hands shook, she couldn’t help but wonder if he felt the same. She managed to finish the set without making a fool of herself but rushed off before Rob could stop her.
She stepped into the cool night air and took a deep breath. Thank goodness the party was almost over. She thought about slipping away then, but that didn’t seem right. She didn’t want to disappoint Jennifer. She would be able to escape soon enough. She heard a voice and looked over her shoulder. Freddie had walked over and now stood beside her.
She pasted on a smile. “It’s going well. Thanks for helping out.”
“Hey, no problem.” He lit a cigarette and studied her. “Brian told me you were really nice and really talented. He was right.”
Natalia stammered as she spoke. “Thanks. You’re rather talented yourself.”
“Thanks.” He studied her for a few more moments, then continued. “You know, I wondered if what I’ve heard about Rob was true.”
Natalia turned to look at him. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve heard he has no talent. I’ve heard he just mooches off the other band members. If the band ever made it big, he would sell out, just take the money and run.”
Natalia frowned. “Where did you hear that?” Not waiting for his answer, she continued. “That’s so untrue. Rob is amazingly talented. He holds the group together.”
Freddie shrugged. “I’d expect you to say that. Everyone assumes you’re sleeping with him.”
What? She sputtered as she said, “I’m married, you know.”
“Whatever. But I see the way you look at him and the way he looks at you. There’s something there.” Freddie seemed oblivious to Natalia’s reaction. He just continued his monologue. “All I know is you left, and the others seem to be moving on. He’s just standing still. He was probably just dead weight.”
In an instant, she knew Freddie had gone too far. “You’re totally wrong about Rob.” Her eyes narrowed to angry slits. “He’s a wonderful person. He has talent and ambition. I have faith in him. If anyone makes it in this business, it will be him.”
“I don’t know why you’re so upset.” Freddie shrugged. “What difference does it make to you anyway? You say you’re not his fuck buddy. Not that he could stay with just one woman.”
For a moment, Natalia’s throat tightened, and she couldn’t speak. That terrible night before her wedding flashed through her mind, the night she found Rob with Christina, the night when that small hope of something more with him died. Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them back. That didn’t matter. Freddie was still wrong to say those things.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m upset because what you’ve said are lies, and I don’t like it when someone lies about someone I... someone I care about.” Someone had once made a crack about Irish tempers, and Natalia had to admit, hers teetered on the very edge of control.
Freddie looked as if he would say more but changed his mind when he realized the depth of her anger.
“Hey, I’m sorry.” He shrugged, then threw his cigarette to the ground, stomped on it, and turned away.
Natalia saw Brian walking toward her, but he stopped when Freddie stalked past. Brian threw Natalia an apologetic glance then followed Freddie back into the reception hall. Shaking, she grabbed the rail in front of her. When she was finally felt less jittery, she walked back inside.
Natalia didn’t see Rob when he walked up behind her. She jerked when he touched her shoulder then heard him murmur an apology.
“Nat, will you dance with me?” Brian had turned on a satellite radio station and had chosen a station playing romantic songs while the band readied to leave.
Surprised, she just stared. He took her hands and pulled her with him. She didn’t resist. He placed his hand at the small of her back as they made their way to the dance floor. Choosing a spot in the shadows, he pulled her close. Still reeling from the unpleasant thoughts dredged up by her confrontation with Freddie, she tensed, but Rob refused to let her pull away. She tried to ignore the chaos in her mind and the tightness in her body. She forced herself to relax.
Rob pressed her body closer to his as they moved to the music, then placing his lips close to her ear, he whispered, “Are you happy, Natalia?”
His question startled her. “What?”
“Are you happy? It’s a simple question. It shouldn’t be that hard to answer.”
She frowned and pulled back to meet his gaze. “I...um, I guess so. I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” he said, a faint mocking tone to his voice. He nudged closer to her.
“How can you not know?”
“Why are you asking me this?” She couldn’t stop the quivering of her lower lip.
“Because I don’t think you’re happy. I know I’m not.”
Her eyes flew open wide. He must have seen right through her. He paused to look at her then pulled her further into the shadows. All of the sexual tension between them tonight was too much.
He again placed his mouth close to her ear. “What do you really feel for me?”
She pushed her hands against his chest, and her eyes met his. “Why are you asking me these questions?”
He grasped her arms and pulled her back. “You say you don’t want me, but your body says you do. Your eyes say you do,” he murmured. His hands moved along her back.
She shuddered as his hands skimmed her curves, tempted by the pleasure Rob could offer. He made her feel so alive, so desirable. He sensed her response and pulled her tightly against him. Natalia moaned as he nibbled at her earlobe, then traced his tongue along her jaw and down her neck. She shivered and gasped.
“Oh God, I want you so much,” he murmured against her neck.
With his words, she came to her senses. She pressed her hands against his chest and said, “Rob, please don’t.” Amazing. She sounded a lot calmer than she felt.
He stared at her as equal parts frustration and desire flashed across his face. He grasped her shoulders. For a moment, both were speechless.
Then he backed away and muttered, “Damn you. You make me crazy. We’re both miserable, and it’s all your fault.” He gave her one last searing look and walked away.
Natalia stared after him, then taking several deep breaths, she rushed from the room. She ran into the back hallway and fell against the wall. She covered her face with her hands and tried to remain upright. Wanting Rob was so totally wrong, yet she did. She tried to focus on Jake, like she should have been doing all along. She had assured him she could handle Rob but obviously that wasn’t true. Jake’s tendency to ignore her didn’t help the situation either. She felt starved for affection but that was just an excuse.
When she finally composed herself, her gaze found Rob one more time. Everywhere she turned, he seemed to be there. Now he was dancing with Tia again and trying ridiculously hard to make sure she noticed. How could she miss it? With that woman all over him, they were making a spectacle of themselves. She scowled and turned away.
Brian stepped over to her. Natalia turned to him, and he said, “It’s obvious he’s crazy about you.”
“What?” Natalia gazed jerked to meet his.
“In fact, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re crazy about him too.”
She stared at him in complete surprise. She took a deep breath, then, as casually as she could manage, said, “He’s just a friend.”
“I heard what you said to Freddie. Nat, it’s more than just friends.”
She looked down and began to pick at her sleeve. “Freddie was wrong to say the things he said. That’s all.”
Brian watched her expression, then softly said, “You know Rob’s not like Joey.”
What in the world was Brian trying to say? She stumbled away from him, unable to come up with a reasonable response.
“Just think about it, Nat.”
When the evening drew to a close, the guests gave their best wishes to Jennifer and Andrew. The happy couple prepared to leave, but before they did, Jen rushed up to Natalia.
“You’re a wonderful friend. Thank you for everything.”
“Oh, Jennifer, I was happy to help. It was a beautiful wedding.”
“Thanks. And you and Rob have done a fantastic job with the reception. I’m glad it turned out so well.” She glanced around, lowered her voice then gave Natalia a sly look. “The heat between you and Rob was scorching. What’s going on between you two?”
“Nothing, absolutely nothing.”
“Yeah, right. You could have fooled me. When you were together on stage, it was like spontaneous combustion. And I saw you dancing with him. It looked like I’d need a crowbar to pry you two apart.”
Natalia sighed. “This isn’t good.”
With a frown, Jen shook her head. “I don’t know how you turned your back on such chemistry.”
“A relationship isn’t built on just chemistry.” Before Jennifer could reply, Natalia continued. “I don’t want to talk about this. It’s time for you to leave for your honeymoon. Don’t worry about me.”
“Okay, Nat, I’ll let you get out of it this time.” Jen hugged her then turned to Andrew. The guests crowded around to wish them a final farewell. Amid a flurry of congratulations, the couple dashed to their car and off to their future together. Natalia was so happy for them, but then her thoughts wandered to Jake and their marriage. She wondered if she and Jake had seemed that happy on their wedding day. Did they have as bright a future as Jennifer and Andrew? She doubted it. He hadn’t come with her. His career was much more important to him than the wedding of his wife’s friend. It was just as well. He would have been quite upset with Rob’s behavior, hers too. Shame washed over her. She needed to get herself under control.
