The Show Must Go On, page 3
She boarded the plane and sat, lost in thought, while the other travelers took their seats. She thought to check her phone and found a text from her sister, Marissa, asking her to come to her house when Natalia got back to Orlando.
How could a few days make such an enormous change in one’s life? She wouldn’t be able to call her mom for a chat, for advice, or even just sympathy. A feeling of loss, of being adrift, overwhelmed her. She almost couldn’t bear the thought that her mother was lost to her. She couldn’t bear to see her mother as she was now. Her tangled emotions caused the pain in her chest to tighten. Why did this have to happen?
She wondered how it would be if she still lived in her hometown. Seeing her mother like she was now would be eternal heartbreak. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was glad to be going back to Orlando and her normal life. Unfortunately, Jake had called to tell her of a delay in his arrival to Orlando. He wouldn’t be able to make it in time for New Year’s Eve. Wishing he was already there, she sighed and rubbed her forehead.
Chapter 2
Natalia
Saturday 12/31
Natalia opened her door on the warm New Year’s Eve night and found Rob leaning against the door jamb. Smiling, she stepped back to let him enter. She planned to attend their friend, Jennifer’s, party with him instead of sitting in her apartment alone and upset about her mother and unhappy that Jake had delayed his arrival to Orlando. Blaming work, he had said he would be there as soon as possible. She hoped he would be there by the end of the week.
Sebastien chose that moment to hop down from the piano and saunter over to Rob. The fluffy black and white cat walked between his feet then wrapped his tail around his leg. Rob reached down to scratch the cat’s head, and Sebastien rewarded him with a loud purr.
“Thanks again for taking care of him while I went to see my mother.” Natalia leaned against the piano and smiled as he and the cat greeted one another.
“No problem.” The kitty rolled over, and Rob rubbed his belly.
She smiled. “He really likes you.”
“He has good taste,” Rob replied, with a glint in his eye.
She shook her head. “My, aren’t we humble.”
Rob grinned, then his smile faded. “So, how’s your mom doing?”
“About the same.” Her voice trailed off as she closed her eyes.
Crouching down, Rob gazed up at her. “I’m sorry, Nat.”
Trying to hold herself together, Natalia walked over and picked up the picture of her mom that was always on the bookshelf. She appeared so strong and vibrant. Natalia swallowed the lump in her throat, thinking of the frail, helpless woman she had seen five days earlier. She told herself not to break down and cry, but she was having a tough time knowing her mother would never be the woman she used to be.
“I appreciated your calls and texts while I was gone.” She turned and gave him a half-smile. Friends had called while she was in Evanston asking about her mother, but only Rob had asked how she was doing.
“Hey, no problem.” He stood, leaving the cat on his back, waiting for more attention.
She nibbled at her lower lip as she attempted to push away her painful thoughts. She would have plenty of time tomorrow to deal with them. Tonight, they had a New Year’s Eve party to attend.
“Hey, is your friend Kaede coming to the party?’
“No, she has other plans. She doesn’t like crowds, loud music and cigarette smoke. Everything I’d expect at this party tonight.”
For the first time that evening, she noticed how Rob looked. His emerald-green dress shirt matched the color of her dress and emphasized his strong shoulders. She glanced down, appreciating his crisply pressed pants that hugged his muscular thighs. Even though he was sharply dressed, he still wore his usual silver hoop earrings. She shook her head in mild amusement. Her parents would take one look at her friend and call him a slacker maybe not when he was as stylish as tonight, but certainly as he usually dressed.
He broke the silence. “You look great.” His eyes moved over her for a moment. “You should always wear your hair curly and loose like that.”
Her face heated as her hands moved to smooth her long strawberry blonde hair. She had fought with it, trying to style it into submission, but had given up in a fit of frustration. “It’s too out of control.”
Rob arched an eyebrow. “Well, I think it’s gorgeous. You’re gorgeous.”
The unexpected compliment made her look down and shift her weight from foot to foot. Was he flirting with her? Well, she could flirt a little too. Raising her head, she said, “You look rather good yourself, so GQ.” She stared at him, surprised he had managed to pull together such a fashionable outfit.
“You like it?” At last, his quirky grin appeared but soon changed into his devastatingly sexy smile.
Natalia stepped back, almost tripping over her own feet. She couldn’t remember ever being on the receiving end of that killer smile, the smile that said he knew he looked good and was ready for some fun. He did look good tonight, maybe too good. Something in her chest fluttered as she studied him for a moment. He stood five-ten, average for a man, but he was lean, sleekly muscled, and absolutely gorgeous. His eyes sparkled a deep, indigo blue and were fringed with long lashes she would kill to have. His dark-blonde hair was cut with the back long enough to graze his collar and the bangs and sides falling forward to curl onto his face. Oh, he looked hot.
Realizing she was staring, Natalia turned to search for her purse, hoping to hide what felt like a sizzling red flush of her cheeks. She reminded herself that she had a boyfriend and should behave herself. As she grabbed her bag and took one more glance at Rob, another thought tugged at her heart. Yeah. Jake, my boyfriend who’s halfway around the world on New Year’s Eve.
“Um, I think I’m ready to go now.” Natalia placed the delicate strap of her new beaded clutch around her wrist and smoothed the dress she had splurged on for the party. Short, dark green, and clingy, she hoped it wasn’t too revealing.
Noticing Rob stealing a glance at her, a rush of heat flashed through her body. Had he seen her staring? Worse yet...was he thinking the same thoughts about her? Shaking her head, the rational part of her brain took over. Of course not. They were friends. So why did things seem different tonight?
Pushing away her growing unease, she ended the silence. “Thanks for going to the party with me. You’re a real friend.”
“It’s better than you sitting here all alone. I know that’s what you’d be doing. You shouldn’t be hiding here brooding about your mother. And you can’t wait around all the time for Jake to show up.”
She frowned at his disapproving tone. “Don’t start that. You sound like Jennifer.” Natalia’s tone of voice was sharper than she had meant, but she didn’t like his comment.
“I’m sorry. I just think you could do better,” he replied matter-of-factly, then tossed her a charming smile. “Let’s get going.”
“Okay.” Nodding, she followed him outside into the humid air that she knew would make her already out-of-control hair even worse. Walking down the path to the parking lot, Rob began humming a tune. He suddenly stopped, turned, and shook his finger at her. “‘The Morning After.’”
Natalia smiled.
“You’ve done it again. You’ve given me an earworm. Now I’ve got that damn song going round and round in my head. You were playing it on the piano when I got here.”
“Also known as stuck song syndrome.” Giving him a devious grin, she said, “Maureen McGovern. Nineteen seventy-three. Twentieth Century.” Their banter made her smile.
“Wasn’t that song from an old disaster movie?”
“Yes. The song is called, ‘The Theme from the Poseidon Adventure.’”
Rob studied her for a moment. “Okay, if I remember correctly, the cruise ship was overturned by a tsunami on New Year’s Eve. The passengers and crew were trapped inside, and a preacher attempted to lead a small group of survivors to safety.”
“That sounds right.”
“Why would you be playing that song? Isn’t it kind of depressing? I mean, a new year is full of new possibilities.”
Natalia shrugged. “It just popped into my mind.”
Rob gave her a mock frown. “Just watch out. I’ll get a song going around your head next time.”
Natalia laughed. “Not if I can help it.”
They walked a little further, and Rob came to a stop in front of a silver convertible Mustang GT. He turned to her. “Do you like my new car? Well, actually, it’s used, but it’s new to me.”
Natalia stopped beside the car. For a moment she stared, unable to push out any words. She knew he struggled to make ends meet, and this purchase seemed so frivolous. Her brows creased but she decided he could choose how to spend his own money. She stepped closer to the beautiful car and slid her hand along the shiny surface. “I like it.”
He must have sensed her concern. “A friend of a friend heard about it. He helped me get a great deal on it. And it’s in great shape.” Rob gazed around then said, “It’s a wonderful night to drive with the top down.”
She raised her eyebrows at his mischievous tone but nodded in agreement. Stepping aside, she waited as Rob retracted the top. Sweet with a hint of orange blossom, the warm air caressed her skin. That scent brought back pleasant memories. By the expression on his face, maybe it did for Rob, too.
Having secured the top, he opened the door for her, then walked around and got into the car. He started the engine, and she turned on the radio to their favorite radio station, WKWL: Cool Pop Rock for a Cool Age.
Natalia slouched in her seat, hoping to avoid the wind as it rushed past. Finger combing her curls, she watched the traffic speed by, noticing a truck towing a boat. The name caught her attention, Knot Working. She could understand that. Everything in her life seemed to be not working: her music career, her crummy day job, her family life. By the time they arrived at the party, she had to make a conscious effort to banish the spiral of negative thinking.
Rob turned into the parking lot of the old but newly painted apartment complex. Loud pop music mixed with laughter poured from the party room. Knowing Jennifer, the music would be a mix of pop, rock, EDM, and hip-hop. When their friend, Jen, decided to throw a party, she went all out.
Making their way into the building, Natalia scanned the smoke-filled room in search of her friend. The enormous room was jam-packed with people. Four old sofas, several loveseats, and many hard-backed chairs were scattered about. A tiny kitchenette filled one corner of the room, and an area for dancing filled another corner. Spotting her friend by the bar, Natalia couldn’t help but wonder what wild story Jennifer was telling everyone standing around. Rob and Natalia started working their way in her direction.
“Nat. Rob.” Jennifer Green squealed as she hugged them. Shouting to be heard over the crowd, she said, “It’s great to see you guys. Let me get you some drinks.” Moving behind the bar, Jennifer handed Rob a glass of white wine and Natalia a diet cola.
Natalia gazed at her animated friend. She had pulled her long dark brown hair into a bun on top of her head and her blue eyes sparked. But she loved the deep blue of Rob’s eyes the best. She watched as Rob and Jen bantered back and forth, both so easygoing and carefree and always the life of the party. Andrew joined them, and Jen’s smile grew.
“Hi, Andrew. Are the other guys here?” Natalia said. No point in trying to find someone in this crowd.
“Eric is here with his date, and Val and Lakeisha are on their way.” Andrew gazed down at Jennifer. “I’m still surprised we were able to take tonight off.”
Rob and Natalia looked at each other, struck by his odd comment. He had specifically asked the band to take the night off. Before either could speak, Jen said, “Well, I’m glad. Your band can take a break for one night. Anyway, I couldn’t have a party without you.” Jennifer gazed up, and her eyes met Andrew’s.
Natalia smiled at them. Anyone could see they were in love. In fact, she couldn’t imagine them apart. They were so perfect for each other. She took a few small sips of cola while they talked.
Andrew and Rob started talking cars, and Jennifer pulled Natalia aside. “Nat, I’m glad you came. When you said Jake wouldn’t be in town, I wondered.”
Truthfully, she probably wouldn’t have come if not for Rob. Plastering a party smile on her face, she decided to try to enjoy herself. “Oh, I wouldn’t miss it. You never know what will happen at one of your parties.” Her raised brow caused Jen to laugh.
“It’s great that you and Rob could come together.” Jennifer shot Natalia a wicked glance. “You and Rob are a perfect team. Have you ever considered getting together?”
Natalia frowned. “What? Of course not. We’re simply good friends.”
“I know.” Jen shook her head. Then, with a naughty smile, she stepped closer to Natalia and dropped her voice. “Haven’t you ever wondered what it would be like if you two, you know, did hook up?”
Natalia stared at Jennifer, not believing she would say such a thing.
“You haven’t thought about it? Not even once? He’s a gorgeous guy.”
Natalia shot a quick glance in Rob’s direction, then breathed a sigh of relief when she saw he and Andrew still immersed in conversation. “What’s gotten into you tonight? You seem to have forgotten that I already have a boyfriend, Jake.”
“You should dump Jake. You’ve only known him for a year, and most of that time, he hasn’t even been here. Long-distance relationships never work out, especially this long distance.”
Natalia started to speak, but Jen interrupted before she could get a word out.
“You and Rob would make a wonderful couple. You’re both from the same food group.”
Natalia rolled her eyes. “What are you talking about?”
Seeming to enjoy herself now, Jennifer’s grin grew. “I read about a study that said couples that belong together look alike. It works for Andrew and me. And it works for you and Rob. You both have light hair and eyes. He’s only about four inches taller than you. You’re both thin. Same food group.” She gave a smug smile as if she had proven her point. “Anyway, you have so much in common.”
“We really don’t have that much in common, only music.”
Jennifer gave her a pointed look. “Maybe you don’t seem to go together at first. You’re more uptight, that’s for sure.”
Natalia furrowed her brow at the harsh assessment.
“But deep down, I think you two fit together fine.”
Natalia threw her hands up and skewered Jen with an pointed look. “He’s a great guy, but he’s just not my type.”
“Not your type? What’s wrong with him?”
Natalia sighed and rubbed her head. Her friend’s attempt at matchmaking just went on and on. Unable to bear another word, she grabbed Jennifer by the forearm and pulled her close. “You know why I won’t date another bandmate, so will you drop this...please?”
“But you’ll go out with an actor like Jake? He’s too...”
Natalia gave her a look that silenced her in mid-sentence.
“Okay, okay. I just thought since Rob and Christina have broken up, you two might...” Jen sobered then changed the subject. “You know, I think I saw your sister and her husband here somewhere.”
“Yeah, Marissa and Charlie said they wanted to come. I think I’ll try to find them, though it’s not going to be easy. Half the darn city must be here.”
Jennifer laughed good-naturedly then grabbed Natalia’s hand. “I’m sorry if I upset you.”
Natalia patted her friend’s shoulder. “It’s okay. No problem.”
Wandering through the crowd, Natalia ran into Eric, and he gave her a quick hug. “Hi, Nat. I’ve got another one for you. Did you hear the one about the stupid pianist who kept banging her head against the keys?” Eric grinned as Natalia shrugged. “She was playing by ear.”
She gave him a mock stern look then said, “What’s the difference between a drum machine and a drummer?”
Eric waited.
“You only have to punch the information into the drum machine once.”
Both dissolved into a fit of laughter. Eric wandered off, dreaming up more jokes, while Natalia stood on her toes, searching for her sister. As she strained to see over the crowd, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning, she found Zane Singer, Jennifer’s distant cousin, and the band’s biggest fan. Everyone called him their super-fan with powers and abilities far beyond those of regular fans. She shook her head at that silly thought.
“Hi, Zane.”
“Hey, Nat. You know that was a great show you put on last night. I especially liked the way you played your part in the song ‘Lithium Neighborhood.’ Kind of EDM.”
Natalia smiled and nodded. She liked Zane, and she didn’t want to seem rude, but she wasn’t in the mood right then to dissect songs with him. “I was looking for my sister and brother-in-law, but maybe we can chat a bit later.”
“Sure, Nat.”
Natalia walked closer to the dance floor and found herself squeezing through the sea of hot, gyrating bodies. Almost trapped, a hand grasped her wrist and pulled her to the side. Val and Lakeisha gave her a smile and a hug. “Happy almost New Year, Nat.”
She smiled back. “You too.”
“Hey, I heard an agent might be here tonight.” He glanced at the dancers then said, “Know anything about that?”
Natalia gulped. “No. Are you sure?”
“Not positive. I just heard a rumor. We should ask Jen and Andrew.”
After gathering the band members, Val told the others what he had heard and asked Jennifer if she knew anything about it. Jen glanced around and shrugged. “As far as I know, I didn’t invite an agent, but who knows who’s really here.”
“If an agent is here, I’m going to find him,” Natalia said.
Andrew raised his hand and insisted he should be the one to talk to the agent because he was acting manager. Not to be left out, Rob reminded the group that he was in charge of promotion, so he should be the one. Opinions flew from every member of the band.
