The Show Must Go On, page 4
“Wait,” Natalie said. “Let’s split up and try to find him. Standing here arguing isn’t getting us anywhere.”
The guys agreed and set off. Natalia didn’t enjoy schmoozing very much, but sometimes it had to be done. Rob was much better at it. She walked through the crowd, greeting dozens of people, but had no luck finding the agent. Ready to give up, she decided to approach the last person on her side of the room. She introduced herself as a friend of the hostess and carefully drew the man into a conversation, making sure she came across as all business and no flirting. When the subject of occupations came up, Natalia explained she was the pianist for the band called RAVEN and that they were hoping to find an agent. Deciding to just go for it, she said, “Are you in the music business?”
The man studied her then said, “Yes. I’m an agent. Tell me about your band.”
Natalia stared at the man for a moment, palpitations going crazy in her chest. She had a real agent standing right in front of her, wanting to know about the band. Her throat went dry, and she hoped she wouldn’t need her asthma inhaler. She took a deep breath then described the band and their music.
“Would you like to meet the other band members?
“No, but do you have any information about the band with you?”
Trying not to hyperventilate, she said, “I do.” She pulled a small band booklet she always carried with her in her purse. She handed it to the man who looked down at it. “We’re kind of old school. We use this to showcase our bio, press, photos, gig dates, and contact details.”
He nodded. “Excellent. Can you upload a demo MP3?”
“Of course.”
He handed her a business card and said he would be in touch. He walked away, and once she could no longer see him, she held the card close to her chest, praying this might lead them somewhere.
Pushing through the crowd, she searched for Rob and the other band members, eager to give them the news.
“Let’s not get too excited. We haven’t even sent him a demo yet,” Andrew said. “We’ll send it tomorrow and see what happens.”
While the others tried to downplay what just happened, Natalia couldn’t squelch the excitement within her. The idea of an agent...oh my goodness. Could things actually be turning for them? What’s the saying...? Hope can be a dangerous thing. But she dared to hope all the same.
WANDERING THROUGH THE crowd, her head in the clouds, thinking of what an agent could do for her and the band, Natalia finally found her sister and brother-in-law in the back corner. “Hey, you two look great.” Natalia hugged her sister and brother-in-law. She stepped back and studied her sibling. “Marissa, you’ve changed your hair.” Her auburn hair was now cut in a short, full, fluffy shag. “I like it.”
“Thanks. I needed a change.”
“Having a good time?”
“It’s a fun party. I’m glad that we could make it. Jennifer makes everything so enjoyable.”
Charlie nodded in agreement while raising his drink in the air.
“Oh yeah, Jen is the life of the party,” Natalia said. She shared the news about finding the agent and her sister and brother-in-law seemed happy for her. Then a hush fell over the room, and they stopped talking. Natalia gazed around to see what was happening.
Rob sidled up to her and pointed to the widescreen television. “What’s going on?”
She shrugged, and their gazes moved to the TV. Natalia drew in a breath. The New Year’s show had been interrupted by a commercial starring Andrew.
The onscreen Andrew spoke. “Jennifer, I love you so much. Being with you has been so wonderful. I can’t imagine my life without you. Will you marry me?”
Jen’s jaw dropped, and for once, she was completely silent. She looked at the screen, then at Andrew, then at the diamond ring in his hand. In a trembling voice, she said, “Yes.” He placed the ring on her finger, and for just a moment, all was quiet, then the crowd erupted into cheers, and everyone pushed forward to congratulate the couple.
Natalia leaned close to Rob so he could hear her over the noise of the crowd. “Did you know about this?”
Shaking his head, he said, “No. But it does explain why he wanted tonight off.” He laughed. She could feel his warm breath on her ear. “But I suspected it would happen sooner or later.”
“Yeah, I did too. This is great. Let’s go congratulate them.” Natalia grabbed Rob’s hand and pulled him to the front of the room with her. They made their way to the happy couple, and she threw her arms around her friends.
“I’m so happy for you both.”
Jennifer tried to respond, but she was laughing and crying at the same time, and nothing coherent came out.
“May I see your ring?”
Jen held out her hand to show off her diamond.
“It’s beautiful.” For a brief moment, Natalia thought about the ring she would want, something unique, not just a diamond solitaire.
“We haven’t worked out all of the details yet, but, Nat, I have an important question for you. Would you be my maid of honor?”
“Oh, definitely.” Natalia hugged her friend again.
Andrew grabbed Rob’s arm and pointed at him. “He’s going to be my best man.”
Rob caught Natalia’s gaze and gave her a flirtatious wink. She blinked then decided she must look like an idiot standing there staring. Rob had caught her off guard. That’s all.
Pushing away her uneasy thoughts, Natalia turned to Andrew. “Why didn’t you wait until midnight?”
A goofy grin appeared on his face as he gazed at his bride-to-be. “I couldn’t wait any longer.”
Grabbing Jennifer’s hand, he pulled her close and kissed her, then the crowd of friends whisked them off, leaving Rob and Natalia together.
“They’re a fantastic couple. They’re lucky to have each other.” She couldn’t stop her wistful smile. Rob glanced at her then slipped his arm around her shoulders. Her eyes on Andrew and Jen, she leaned into him. Her head fell back to rest on his shoulder, and he rested his head against hers. His hand slipped up to play with a lock of her hair, twirling it around his fingers. Then he edged a little closer to her and nuzzled his cheek against her forehead. Natalia sighed. For one perfect moment, time seemed to stand still, then the flash of a camera shattered the bubble surrounding them. The spell broken, Natalia opened her eyes.
“What are you doing?”
Jennifer laughed. “Tonight’s a special night. I want to remember everything.” She closed the shutter on her camera then slung it over her shoulder.
Natalia turned to Rob and said in mock indignation, “I swear, if she doesn’t have that camera in her hands, then it’s the video camera. Professional photographers are such a pain.”
Rob seemed a bit distracted, but he nodded.
Jennifer wandered off with a naughty grin, ready to photograph her next unsuspecting guest, leaving Natalia to wonder what would happen next.
LATER IN THE EVENING, Natalia walked to the back of the room to ask her sister a question. She saw Val and Lakeisha sitting at a small table in a corner. The room was noisy, but Natalia could hear him speak. She stopped abruptly.
Caressing Lakeisha’s cheek he said, “Your skin is so soft. And the color is beautiful. Kind of like burnt sienna.”
Lakeisha’s brows rose as she said, “I know I did not just hear you say I’m a Crayola crayon color.”
Val stopped and stared. “I didn’t mean to be disrespectful. You’re so beautiful.”
After a slight pause she smiled and moved closer to him.
Obviously, they didn’t know Natalia was standing nearby. She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop but seeing her prickly friend getting mushy over his girlfriend made her smile.
Her question now forgotten, Natalia found a relatively quiet corner to escape the crush of people, sit and observe. She could see all her friends, her sister and her brother-in-law but she was somewhat hidden by a post. Her mind started to wander. Some of her friends were in creative fields like her. Rob and the guys were musicians and singers. Jennifer was a professional photographer. Jake was an actor. But other friends and family members were in jobs that required advanced training and critical and strategic thinking.
Lakeisha was a computer systems administrator. Kaede was land conservation specialist. Natalia’s father and brother Will were physicians. Her mother was an accountant. Her sister Marissa was a veterinarian. Her sister-in-law Lauren was a mechanical engineer. Her brother-in-law Charlie was a pharmacist.
She had earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music, but she still sometimes felt inferior. Especially since she had a lousy job at a music store and was in a band that was making no progress. She remembered back to the time Lauren had made a crack that the family members were like the brilliant scientists from the TV show Big Bang Theory. Except for Natalia. She was like Penny. Before she could stop herself, Natalia blurted out “Penny was none too smart.” Lauren had replied, “Well, you’re the pretty one.” That didn’t sound like a compliment to Natalia.
She frowned. Coming up with a way to make things better was not going to be easy.
AS THE PARTY CAREENED toward midnight, Natalia continued to sit and watch. New Year’s Eve was enough reason for excitement, but the news of Jen and Andrew’s engagement had pushed the party into a frenzy. She watched the craziness with some amusement. People danced and drank, and a few couples were getting cozy in the corners. She sipped her diet cola and kicked off her high heels to rest her aching feet. She glanced around the room and spotted Rob in an animated conversation with a group of guys she didn’t know. She observed him for several moments. His shirt was untucked and partially unbuttoned. His hair was tousled, and he seemed unsteady on his feet. He carried a bottle of wine in his hand but no glass. With a prickle of concern, Natalia continued to watch him.
Marissa slipped in beside her and said, “Your friend, Rob, seems to be drinking a lot. You might want to keep an eye on him.”
Natalia frowned. Sometimes, she hated to be the sober, responsible one. Her gaze found Rob again. Now he was dancing, his dress shirt unbuttoned enough to reveal the tee-shirt underneath. Rumor Has It I’m Awesome. He had more tee-shirts with obnoxious messages than anyone she had ever met, and although she pretended to be offended, she actually found them amusing.
“Only five minutes until midnight,” someone yelled. She turned to watch the big-screen television. New Year’s Eve wasn’t the same if you didn’t watch the ball drop at Times Square. The holiday wasn’t the same, with no one to kiss at midnight either. Why did Jake have to be so far away? And why was she with him anyway?
She felt a light touch on her shoulder. Startled, she turned to find that Rob had moved in beside her, unnoticed, while she watched the show. She turned to see him better and asked, “Are you ready for the new year?”
Rob grinned and waved his hand around. “Sure. It’s going to be an excellent year.”
As the countdown began, Natalia hoped he would turn out to be right. Everyone started to count in unison as they waited for the new year to begin. A wave of super charged energy rippled through the crowd and swept her up. Rob had said earlier that it would be a new year with new opportunities. Maybe things would be better. Five, four, three, two, one. Happy New Year! The crowd went wild. Balloons dropped, and champagne corks popped, spilling confetti and champagne everywhere. ‘Auld Lang Syne’ boomed in the background.
Caught up in the excitement of the moment, Rob wrapped his arms around Natalia and pulled her to her feet. She laughed and held on as he twirled her around. After a few turns, he came to an unsteady stop. Standing in front of her, he held her face with tender care. Natalia gazed up at him, curious about the soft expression on his face. Rob raised her chin with his thumb, stepped closer to her, and bent his head.
She should have seen it coming. Maybe she had, but all she could do was stand there and wait. His mouth descended, almost in slow motion, and when his lips met hers, they were warm and sweet. She stood still, too surprised to respond. His gentle lips coaxed her further into the kiss. His taste, scent, and warmth filled her senses. Heat flared between them, and she shuddered as he angled his head to deepen the kiss. She moaned as he became bolder.
His mouth began to explore hers, and a fire raced through her body. She melted into his arms and began to return his kiss, barely aware she had wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his.
He smoothed his hands down to the small of her back. The very air around them seemed electrified. An unexpected passion hummed through her as they grasped each other, lost in that mind-bending, toe-curling kiss. This was so not a casual kiss between friends. This was a kiss to drown in, a kiss spiraling out of control, just as her emotions were spiraling out of control. She broke away with a jerk. Breathing hard, she stumbled back and said, “We can’t do this.”
Rob blinked. “Why not? It felt so right. You feel so right,” he said on a ragged breath.
“No.” Natalia stared at Rob, and he stared back. She rubbed her forehead, having trouble thinking clearly. She never expected that rush of excitement when he kissed her. It was like no other kiss she had ever experienced. All she knew was that friends didn’t kiss each other like that, and they couldn’t do it again.
Natalia’s hand came to her lips. “Jake,” she whispered. Then in a stronger voice, she said, “I can’t do this.” She looked at Rob, and all she saw was heartbreak waiting to happen. Hadn’t she learned her lesson about romance with fellow singers and musicians? Especially ones who seemed so much like her old boyfriend, Joey. No, their relationship needed to remain as friends and nothing more. She already had a boyfriend, Jake. He wouldn’t like knowing another man had kissed her. He would be angry if he knew how she had responded. That kiss was wrong, and she knew it.
Before she could make up her mind what to say or do, friends gathered around to hug them and wish them a happy new year. Natalia responded as best she could, but her eyes kept finding Rob’s. He seemed to be watching her too.
After their friends wandered off, and only Rob stood before her, she realized she was avoiding eye contact. Taking a step back, she said, “I think I’m going to leave now.”
Rob looked at her for a moment longer with a frown on his face.
Running his hand through his hair, he said, “Okay, let me tell Jen that we’re going.”
“No, you stay and have fun. I’ll find another ride home.”
“I’ll take you home.” Natalia started to speak again, but he interrupted. “Nat, I’ll take you home. You know you can trust me.”
Could she really trust him? Could she trust herself?
Before she could respond, he walked over to Jennifer and spoke to her for a moment. He turned back to face Natalia and swayed just a bit but righted himself with a casual air.
Having watched him earlier, she knew he’d had too much to drink. He pulled his keys from his pocket, and she took them from him. “I’ll drive.”
“I’m okay,” he said, but he stumbled ever so slightly.
Natalia stopped, and her gaze narrowed. He was not okay. Regardless of what happened, she needed to be sure he returned home safe and unharmed.
“I’ll take you home, and I think it’s best if I drive,” she said in a firm tone.
Rob paused for a moment. “Maybe you should.”
Outside, the night air was still warm. The awkwardness between them seemed to grow, and they traveled in silence. Natalia scowled. No one should be alone on New Year’s Eve. That was what Jen had told her when she issued the invitation. Don’t stay home and worry about your mother, she had said. So, she attended the party, and now she found herself in this predicament. Her best friend, the one who helped her through all of the rejections from the club owners, agents, and recording companies, the one who coaxed her into helping him write such fantastic songs, the one who protected her when they played in rough bars had now changed on her. Her best friend, the one she counted on more than she ever realized, was the one she was now in jeopardy of losing. Because no matter how much that kiss affected her, she already had a boyfriend, and nothing could happen between Rob and her.
Rob
Sunday 1/1
AFTER THEY ARRIVED at his apartment building, Rob turned to Natalia and looked into her green eyes. “I’m sorry if I upset you.” He tried to project sincerity.
“It’s okay,” she said. Her tone was matter of fact. “I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s get you into your apartment.”
“How will you get home?” His chest tightened at the thought of her leaving. He didn’t want her to go, but he didn’t stop to question why. He had what he thought was a reasonable suggestion. “Stay with me tonight. I can take you home tomorrow.”
“That’s a bad idea. I can call for an Uber.” He noticed she took a wary step back.
Giving her his best contrite look, he said, “I promise to be good.” He meant it too. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her. Her trust and respect meant a lot to him. “A taxi would take forever, and it would be expensive and may not be the best idea this time of night.” He knew she had little extra cash to spend on an expensive cab or Uber ride. He’d offer her money for a taxi but was sure she would refuse it.
She had stayed at his apartment once before. He had stayed at hers too. Their relationship had always been platonic...until this evening. But after seeing the terrified look on her face as she pulled away from their kiss, he knew nothing more would happen between them tonight...no matter how much he might want it.
“I really should go.”
“Please stay. I’ll worry about you otherwise.” He watched her closely, imagining the inner battle taking place in her mind.
She bit her lip then said, “Okay, I’ll stay.”
“Good.” Relief washed over him. New Year’s Eve night could be crazy, and he didn’t want anything to happen to her out on the road. He sensed her nervousness and knew he was the reason for it. Somehow, he needed to fix this.
