The Show Must Go On, page 7
“I missed you too. I wish I could’ve been here.” He took her hand. “Let’s have a bit of dinner and catch up on everything. And I have something to give you.”
As they walked to baggage claim, a song popped into Natalia’s mind. Is She Really Going Out with Him? She could just imagine Rob saying something like that. She finished Rob’s part. Joe Jackson. Nineteen seventy-eight. A&M. She chided herself. Why did her thoughts keep circling around Rob when they should be about Jake?
Jake said he wanted to try a new restaurant and she snapped back to attention. He pulled his luggage from the carousel, and they walked to her Jeep. He loaded his bag and as usual he took the wheel. She didn’t drive assertively enough for him. She sat back as he told her about his latest acting job. Most of his work hadn’t been released in the United States yet, but he was becoming quite famous in Australia. With his drive and determination, she predicted he would become world-famous.
They arrived at Pascal’s, a five-star restaurant that Natalia had heard of but had never seen. The host led them to their table. As they moved closer Natalia saw what had to be two dozen red roses, arranged to perfection in a huge crystal vase and placed ever so elegantly on the crisp white tablecloth. She gazed up at Jake and watched with complete surprise as he slipped a hundred-dollar bill to the host along with his request for a bottle of their best champagne. Why the huge tip? And why did Jake continue to either forget or ignore the fact that Natalia didn’t drink alcohol? Funny. Rob always respected her desire not to drink or do drugs. Even though she was a pop rock musician, and it was more or less expected. Yanking her thoughts from Rob yet again she wondered what the special occasion might be. She sighed. She could always take a sip of champagne, enough to show Jake she enjoyed his extravagance.
The host pulled out Natalia’s chair with a flourish. She and Jake sat, and the server came to take their order. Natalia couldn’t help but notice the woman seemed mesmerized by Jake. That really came as no surprise. He was charming and attractive. Add wealth and success and he was positively irresistible. Natalia watched the woman’s actions. At least Jake didn’t seem to notice her behavior. Natalia would just have to ignore the fawning attention the woman lavished on him.
He ordered their meals then gazed at Natalia. His expression convinced her he had something big planned. She pushed all unimportant thoughts out of her mind, intending to enjoy this evening with him.
“I have a Christmas gift for you. I’m sorry it’s late but I wanted to give it to you in person.” Jake handed a perfectly wrapped box to Natalia.
Opening the package, she found a beautiful frosted green glass bottle of perfume. The name was Jardins des Tuileries. “French perfume?”
Jake nodded and smiled as she removed the fleur-de-lis-shaped stopper and inhaled the heady scent.
“Oh my. That smells exquisite. Thank you so much, Jake. I have a gift for you too.”
Jake had said a gift wasn’t necessary, but she wanted to show him she cared. Little had she known how difficult it would be to find a gift for a man who had everything. Jake was way more difficult to shop for than even her dad or brother. At one point, she had despaired of finding anything for him. A hard-to-shop-for man may be the most dreaded name on anyone’s gift list. But there’s something undeniably satisfying about seeing that same guy open a well-thought-out, unique gift and actually smile. That’s not even to mention the satisfaction of seeing him use that gift again and again. All she had to do is find the perfect gift to make that happen. No problem at all. Yeah, right. She had finally settled on something. She smiled. Her gift for him was also fragrance related.
He opened the box and as he examined the gift he smiled. Yes. She almost did a victorious fist pump.
She had chosen The Art of Shaving Sandalwood Shaving Kit. She knew he preferred to be clean shaven, and this kit was wonderful. The company claimed it gave a perfect shave. It contained pre-shave oil, shaving cream, a luxurious shaving brush and an aftershave balm. She had included a bottle of matching cologne and a high-quality razor as well.
“I love it, Talia. Thank you. I have one more gift for you, but I want to wait until after dinner.”
“Okay.” Her thoughts drifted to the gift she gave to and received from Rob. She gave him a very nice men’s pure copper magnetic therapy bracelet because she knew he liked jewelry. He gave her a string of amethyst meditation beads, an excellent gift.
Darn it, her mind kept wandering. She gazed at Jake. With a shiver, Natalia wondered if she could wait until they finished dinner to find out what else he had planned.
Time passed in a blur for her. The food was wonderful but even after the meal, Jake still hadn’t explained the big occasion. As she wondered what it might be, she felt a bit giddy, and she tingled from her head to her toes.
He took her hands. “A coffee and a sweet?”
His comment about her weight burst back into her mind and she started to refuse, but he went ahead and placed the order. The restaurant had a reputation for their luscious desserts and Jake made a choice for both of them. When the chocolate confection arrived, her sweet tooth deserted her. She picked at it while Jake thoroughly enjoyed his dessert.
Natalia saw a woman enter the restaurant. She was alone, which made Natalia notice. Of course, anyone could go out for dinner alone, but it seemed unexpected for this fancy restaurant.
The server returned and took the plates away. She refilled their champagne glasses then backed away discretely.
The woman who had just arrived came to stand by the table. “Hello, Mr. Masterson? I’m Catherine James.”
Jake nodded as Natalia sat and watched, not comprehending yet what was happening.
The woman took out a camera just as Jake pulled a small box from his pocket, a blue velvet jeweler’s box, secured with gold ribbon, with a tiny gold bow on top. He dropped to one knee and looked into her eyes. “For you, love.”
She heard the clicking of a camera as she studied the box for a long moment, sure she had fallen into some sort of dream, or the Twilight Zone. With trembling hands, she reached for it. She had no doubt what lay inside. This must be the reason for the champagne and roses. She lifted the lid and found a sparkling diamond solitaire ring.
“My goodness, it’s huge,” she blurted out.
“Five perfect carats.” Jake smiled.
Natalia swallowed hard. “It must have cost a fortune.”
“You’re worth it.” Jake took her left hand, gazed into her eyes, and said, “Talia, I love you. I have since the first day I met you. I don’t like that you’re here and I’m somewhere else. You need me. I need you. Marry me.”
The noise of the camera distracted Natalia for a moment. The woman was obviously a professional photographer here to document the proposal.
Natalia’s head turned back, and she stared at Jake barely able to believe what had just happened. Jake didn’t wait for an answer before he slipped the ring on her finger. She stared at the ring. All she could think was how totally over the top it was.
“Jake, I’m...I’m so surprised,” she said. “I don’t know what to say.” She continued to stare at him, then the ring on her finger, unable to think of a coherent response. “We haven’t even known each other that long.”
“It’s long enough for me. I love you. I want you with me. Say yes.” He gave her a purposeful look. “I’ll take the best of care of you. I’ll give you everything you want.”
Natalia could only stare at him, sure she had a stupid expression on her face. He appeared so confident, and she couldn’t seem to find the right words. As she sat, the sounds from the other diners finally filtered into her brain. She looked around and saw a few people taking pictures with their cell phones and other people just blatantly watching.
She sat a moment longer, her thoughts a swirl of confusion. This was so unexpected. And she didn’t like such a public proposal. Among other things, she felt very uncomfortable with the photographer circling the table. Of course, Jake was an actor, and this probably seemed the best way to perform the proposal. She nibbled on her lower lip as she murmured, “I’m not sure.” When she saw Jake’s frown, she hurried to add, “This is a big decision. I have so many things to consider.”
Jake asked the photographer to give them a moment alone. He pulled his chair over, sat and took Natalia’s hand. “Let’s talk about them.”
“Okay.” Natalia paused to gather her thoughts. “I assume we’d live in Sydney. That’s so far from my family. You know my mother is sick. I want to be close if she needs me.”
“I spend quite a bit of time in the States. Even if we were in Sydney, you can travel anytime you want. Money wouldn’t be a problem.”
She hesitated for a moment then continued. “What about my career? I’m just starting to get somewhere.” Well, her career seemed to have come to a virtual standstill, although that agent she had met at the party had seemed interested.
“You’re quite talented. I’m sure you could find work in the music business anywhere. I do have some connections, you know.”
When Jake started dropping names of famous musicians he knew, the best of the best as he described them, Natalia couldn’t help but stare. She wondered what it would be like to work with such great artists.
“Do you have any other concerns?”
She jerked to attention. “I can’t imagine leaving the band. I really enjoy playing with them. I think we could make it big.” Natalia shifted in her seat. “They’re my friends. They’re important to me. I don’t want to just desert them.” She thought of Rob and felt a sharp stab of pain in her chest.
“I know you don’t like living in that dreadful flat. I know you don’t like being down to the bottom dollar. And I know you can bloody well do better than that group of...”
Natalia cringed. She could handle his criticism of her, but she hated when he criticized her friends. She squared her shoulders and looked at him. “Please don’t knock my friends. They’re important to me.” She knew he would say his only concern was her welfare but regardless of his intentions, she spoke up.
“Sweetheart, you deserve better than that, and them. I love you. I can give you what you want.”
She wasn’t interested in the money, and ‘you can have anything you want’ angle. She wanted a happy, lifelong marriage. “But...you haven’t met my family.”
“I’m perfectly happy to meet your family.” He looked down at his hands then his eyes met hers. “It’s a big decision, I know. I can see you have concerns. I understand, but I think we can work them out.” He took a deep breath and seemed to steel himself. “Or do you not care about me?”
Natalia paused, that question throwing her into a further quandary. “How can you ask such a question?”
He took a deep breath. “I need to know. Do you love me? Do you love me enough to marry me? Because if you don’t, I can’t go back to being friends. It would be too painful.”
She thought of Rob. He had said remarkably similar words to her just a few days ago.
“It’s marriage or we end this relationship now.”
Her heart hammered. This was just like Jake. Once he decided he wanted something, he would push and push until he got it. He pushed hard to make her agree to their first date. He pushed hard for their first sexual encounter. Now he was pushing hard for marriage. Was she ready to make this kind of decision? Was she ready to give up being in the band and her dream of being a star? She didn’t want to lose him. She loved him. He made her feel so safe and secure. On the positive side, with him, she would see new places and meet new people. She could try a music career in Sydney. It would be a new phase in her life, a grand adventure. Struck with the impact of his words, she made her decision. “I do love you and I will marry you.”
“Thank God.” Jake waved the photographer to come back, stood, pulled Natalia gently into his arms and kissed her. When he released her, he gave her his movie star smile.
Natalia gazed down at the ring, still bemused at what had just happened. Jake poured more champagne and rambled on about wedding plans and the necessities involved for Natalia to move to Sydney with him. She sat back in a daze and wondered what could possibly happen next.
Natalia
Sunday 1/8
IN THE WEE HOURS OF the next morning, after Jake had fallen asleep, Natalia slipped out of bed. Feeling much too restless to sleep, she sat in the darkened living room, her thoughts in a whirl. Jake’s proposal had surprised her. She accepted his proposal but was she really ready to change every aspect of her life to be his wife? Was she willing to give up her family, friends, career? She wished she could ask her mom for advice, but the woman who was her mother no longer existed. Part of Natalia wanted to be close by if she needed her, but part of her wanted to be far away from the empty shell that once was a beautiful, vibrant woman. At the thought of her mom, tears welled in her eyes. How could she plan a wedding without her? Jake’s practical suggestion to keep the ceremony small and simple did make sense, but it didn’t fill her heart with joy. But why did it matter? Her mother couldn’t enjoy the planning and preparing, so why have a huge affair?
Jake had been quite intent upon an immediate wedding. He only had a brief time until his next project, and he said he wanted her too badly to wait. She brought her legs to her chest, and her head dropped onto her knees. Natalia always tried to listen to her inner voice. At this moment, it begged her to be careful, but she couldn’t place her finger on exactly what was bothering her.
She sighed. She knew her family would be disappointed when they learned the wedding would be so small and so soon. And so would her friends. And Rob! A wave of panic struck her. She had to tell Rob. A sick feeling curled in her stomach. How could she leave him behind? Her best friend, her rock. Her thoughts went back to ‘the kiss.’
Only a week ago, but so much had changed since then. Her hand touched her lips. She should confess to Jake but that might stop the wedding plans in their tracks. She truly didn’t know how to decide what to do. Honesty was important but confessing just to relieve one’s guilt thus causing the other pain didn’t seem right either. If the situation was reversed, would she want to know? Either way, her chest tightened as she realized that once she and Jake married, she may never see Rob again. And if she did see him, their relationship would never be the same.
Sleep proved impossible.
Rob
Sunday 1/8
ONLY ROB AND NATALIA remained after rehearsal on late Sunday afternoon. He watched as she packed her synthesizer, headphones, cords, and pedal into her bag. She leaned the stand against the bag but didn’t turn to leave. He hadn’t talked to her in three days, and he wanted to be with her, needed to be with her. Those three days had been so long and difficult. Never before had they gone that long without texting or talking. And he hadn’t liked the way things ended with them on Thursday. He had to try again to make her see that they deserved a chance for a deeper relationship. Yes, Jake was there, but Rob knew he was busy so maybe Natalia would spend some time with him. He thought of his tee-shirt. I Tried to Be Good, But I Got Bored. He had expected a comment from Natalia, but she said nothing. Her behavior seemed odd today. She had been fidgety, jumpy. Maybe if she agreed to an early dinner or even coffee, he could find out why she seemed so distracted. He smiled in anticipation.
She came up to him, but before he could speak, she said, “Rob, there’s something you need to know.” Natalia’s hand had drifted up to her chest, and she took a deep breath. In a quivery voice, she said, “Jake asked me to marry him.” She looked down and twirled her braid around her fingers.
Rob dropped the sheet music he had been sorting. “What?” His heart seemed to stop, so did his breathing. He couldn’t have heard that right.
“What did you say to him?” Rob struggled for a casual tone.
“I said yes.” She continued to avoid eye contact. “We plan to marry right away.” She took a tiny step back. “I’ll be moving to Sydney with him.”
Her couldn’t believe what he just heard. He shook his head, but he couldn’t seem to clear it. At the same time, his heart started to pound. “Natalia, I... I can’t believe this. I didn’t know your relationship was that serious. You haven’t even known him that long,” he said, tripping over his words.
“I’ve known him long enough.”
“Damn it, Nat, you need to think about this.” Now his heart seemed to beat double time, and his hands began to sweat. How could he have not seen this coming? Why hadn’t he made his move sooner?
Her eyes flashed at him. “I have thought about it.”
He knew how impulsive she could be, so he wondered just how long she had considered her decision. “Nat, you can’t do this. I need you. We’re partners.” He clenched his shaking hands. “I thought you wanted to be a successful musician. I thought you wanted to be a star.”
She frowned. “You know I do. I don’t want to leave you and the band behind, but I can be successful in Sydney, too.” She stared at her feet then shrugged. “Maybe I’m not cut out for a pop or rock musician lifestyle anyway.”
“That’s just Jake talking.” Rob scowled then asked, “What about your family? Your mother?”
Natalia flinched. “Now that’s a low blow,” she bit out. Her eyes filled with tears, but she rubbed them away with a quick swipe of her hand.
He stared at her for a moment, a tight knot forming in his stomach. He didn’t want her to leave. He needed her, but he knew it was more than just need. Her sudden announcement had forced his hand. He knew he had to act now.
“I should have said something before now. I thought I had more time.” He started to shake, but this might be his only chance to say what he suddenly knew with absolute certainty was true. He took a deep breath. “Natalia, I love you. I think I always have.”
