* * *
The show was over, and I was back in my statue costume, chugging a bottle of water before going out to meet the kids. I don’t know why I always said kids. Just as many teens and adults came over to the tables where we would answer questions and sign programs as small children did. I guess I liked the kids better. It felt less weird signing programs for a child than an adult. Also, the children’s emotions were easier to handle—simple admiration and excitement. I took several deep breaths and strengthened my empathic bubble, preparing myself for the onslaught of emotions.
“Ready?” I asked Kayin, who was also back in the skimpy statue outfit. Since we were background for the other acts, Michael wanted us in our statue costumes to help the audience remember us.
“I guess so.”
“Are you headed up?” Miu asked, walking as quickly as the kimono would allow.
“Wait for us,” Taliesin called out.
Sasha nodded. “Strength in numbers.”
The smell of popcorn was stronger in the lobby, and stale yellow puffs crunched under our feet. We stood behind one of the tables Michael had set up. A few security guards were scattered about. Some of the other performers were already there signing programs, answering questions, and apparently giving out their phone numbers. I scowled at the acrobat who was leering at a giggling young woman. Michael must have seen it too, because he came up placing his hand on the acrobat’s shoulder. Michael couldn’t stop them from meeting later, but he didn’t want the flirting to happen in front of other fans.
“Will you sign my program?” asked a little boy with a proper British accent. It was so cute I had to bite my cheek to keep from squealing.
“Of course.” I picked up one the Sharpies off the table. “Did you enjoy the show?” I asked as I flipped to the page my picture was on.
“Oh, it was wonderful. I’ve begged and begged, but mummy and daddy said we can’t come again.” His lower lip stuck out in a pout.
“I’m glad you liked it that much. Maybe you can come the next time we are in London.”
“I shall, thank you.” He shifted, handing his program to Kayin, complaining about his parents once again. His mother stood behind him, shaking her head and trying not to laugh.
I signed several more programs and answered questions from kids. I was about to rescue Taliesin from a fan with a lot of cleavage and grasping hands when another program was set in front of me.
I looked up and blushed so hot I didn’t think the make-up hid it.
“Hello, Sapphire,” Ramsey said, his brogue sending a shiver down my spine.
“Hello, did you, um, did you enjoy the show?” Very smooth. Only I can go from circus superstar to babbling idiot in a second flat.
His gaze traveled over my body. “Oh, very much. I had no idea what you meant when you told me what you did. That was amazing.”
“Thanks. Did you want me to sign this?” I pointed at the program.
“Oh, yes. I want proof that I know you.” He grinned. His dark eyes sparkled.
I chuckled and opened to the right page. Ramsey, thank you for rescuing me. I would have been lost without you. Sapphire
He grinned. “Cheers! I have to go. I have a gig soon, and they will kill me if I’m late.”
“I understand. Thanks for coming.” I saw the lead singer waiting in the back of the crowd, texting someone. I sighed. She was very pretty.
“Oh—my cousin insisted that I tell you how much she enjoyed the show.” Ramsey winked and walked away, his kilt swaying.
“Who was that?” Kayin whispered.
“I’ll tell you later,” I said as another program was set in front of me.
“That was the sexiest thing I have ever seen,” said a breathy voice. I looked up and a handsome man was staring at Kayin, his hunger licking against my shields.
“Oh, thank you,” Kayin said, his fingers twitching as he fumbled with the Sharpie.
Jealousy flowed around us and I looked over to see Shin glaring at the man, who didn’t notice because he was staring at Kayin’s abs. Where was Michael? I looked around, and the little kids were all gone. I guess the adult fans had waited. That was nice. Oh, there he was—keeping an eye on some of the other performers who would encourage the fans’ attentions.
“I would love to learn some of those moves—do you offer private lessons?” the man said.
Wow, he was forward.
Kayin’s brow furrowed. “I’m sorry we aren’t offering classes right now. Did you want me to sign your program?”
“Sure.”
Kayin signed it and smiled as he passed the program back. “I’m glad you enjoyed the show.”
The man grinned and set a business card on the table. “Call me. I’d love to get to know you better.” He licked his lips and walked away.
Kayin squeaked and looked at the card on the table. Shin’s hand darted out and grabbed it. “You don’t have pockets I’ll hold that for you.” His thin eyes narrowed, and he was staring at the man’s back.
“Miss, I'm flattered, but no thank you,” Taliesin said, removing her hand from his arm.
“See, I told you he’d like me better,” said her friend.
“Excuse me. I’ll be right back.” Sinking into performance head space I sauntered over, letting my hips sway and wrapped my arms around Taliesin’s waist. “Is everything alright?”
Taliesin sighed and wrapped an arm around me. “Yes, just meeting the fans. Are things okay with you? No one being rude?”
I laughed, it was cold. “Oh, honey, you are so sweet, but you are the one that has to worry about fans overstepping boundaries. It’s one of the curses of being as lovely as you are.” I glared at the girls who frowned at me and stomped off.
“Thank you,” he said, not letting go.
I took a deep breath. Taliesin’s anxiety scratched against me like sandpaper. “Do you need to go?”
He shook his head. “No, I just need a moment.” Taliesin smiled as the next person asked for their program to be signed, but he didn’t let me go.
* * *
The cold December air felt wonderful as we walked to the pizza place. I let the puffs of wind clean away the sticky residue of lust, envy, and longing that clung to my empathic bubble. I hadn’t been a main performer before and hadn’t been on the receiving end of so much admiration. I was grateful for the people who enjoyed our show, but I needed a shower, and to get away from the groupies a few of the performers had encouraged to tag along.
My stomach growled as soon as the scent of pizza enveloped us. I found the first table with six chairs with a Cirque du Feu Magique sign on it and sat down. No room for lecherous groupies here, so sorry. The warm honey-colored table was already set with plates, water, bowls of olives, almonds, salads, and antipasto platters.
“So, I threw away eight cards with phone numbers on them,” Shin said as he sat down.
Miu huffed. “I got eight, too.”
Were they serious?
“Is it okay to throw them away?” Kayin asked pulling them out of his pocket. “I don’t want to be rude.”
“Do you want to call any of them?” I asked, taking some salad before handing it to Taliesin.
“No,” Kayin said, handing me a bowl of green olives.
“Then, yes, throw them out,” I said.
“Count them first,” Shin said, taking a bunch of salami before handing the antipasto platter to Kayin.
Kayin frowned but counted. “Ten.”
“I threw away twelve.” Taliesin passed the salad to Sasha who frowned at it and passed it to Miu.
“Nine for me,” Sasha said taking the olives.
I shook my head—that was crazy. I couldn’t believe how bold people were. We could be crazy killers for all they knew. Who invites a stranger out with them? And let’s be honest, they weren’t asking to go for a cup of coffee. High-pitched giggles echoed around me. I guess there was your answer. Of course, I should be fair. She could be the psycho killer.
“So, Sapphire, how many cards did you get?” Shin asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t know, not many—maybe one or two. The security guard grabbed them and threw them away.”
“That can’t be right?” Miu said.
“I’ll just have to accept that I’m not as pretty as the rest of you.”
Taliesin snorted. “Yeah right—it didn’t have anything to do with the security guard standing behind you glaring at everyone.”
I would have argued, but I had a mouthful of mozzarella cheese, tomato, and fresh basil. My eyes might have fluttered a bit, so yummy.
“Oh, I saw him,” Shin said. “He was positioned like the others, so I didn’t think he was there just for Sapphire, though.”
“I would bet Gavin paid him,” Taliesin said, popping an olive into his mouth.
The conversation stopped as servers came out offering up slices of different kinds of pizza. I was relieved. The topic had gotten ridiculous, but it was nice of them to come up with an excuse to explain why I didn’t get as many phone numbers.
“So who was the guy in the skirt?” Kayin asked taking a bite of his third piece of pizza.
I blushed remembering Ramsey’s explanation of the different between a skirt and a kilt, no underwear. “It’s not a skirt, it’s a kilt, and his name is Ramsey.”
“He saved Sapphire,” Shin offered.
“What?” Miu demanded.
“He didn’t save me. He helped me find the hotel during Shin’s test.” I snagged another piece of pesto pizza as the waiter walked by.
“That’s cheating.” Sasha scowled at me, and it might have looked scary if he didn’t have pizza sauce on his face.
Shin threw a napkin at him. “You have something,” and swirled his finger indicating his mouth. “And it’s not cheating to find someone to help with directions, or better still, walk with you. It can keep you safe because witnesses aren’t good.”
Sasha’s gray blue eyes narrowed as he cleaned himself off.
“And he just happened to come to the show tonight?” Miu asked.
I shrugged. “I comped him two tickets to thank him for helping me. No big.”
“Who was the girl he was with?” Shin asked.
“Um, he said it was his cousin.”
“You asked him?” Taliesin frowned.
“No, he told me when I signed his program.”
Miu leaned forward. “Are you going to see him again?”
“I doubt it.” I mean we didn’t have any plans to see each other again.
“You have his number, you could always call him.” Shin grinned.
“This is ridiculous, let’s talk about something else.” I took a bite of my pizza. Really, I don’t know why Ramsey was so interesting. And it’s not like I’d ever see him again.
Chapter Eight
“Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” ~ Kahlil Gibran
Tucking my chin into my scarf, I questioned my brilliant idea to go for a walk. The park seemed sinister this morning. Dormant gray branches like fingers blended into a cold gray sky. Cold damp gusts of wind cut through my jeans and wound its way into the holes of my knitted scarf and sweater. I sighed and turned back to look at the hotel, but even its multiple floors of mirrored windows couldn’t brighten the morning. I should go back. Wind whirled around me, and I wound up with a mouthful of black and red curls. There was nothing to do, well nothing I wanted to do, back at the hotel. I’d done the yoga/conditioning class this morning and eaten breakfast. There were no chocolate almond pastries this morning, which might be why I felt moody, and then everyone else took off to do something.
Taliesin and Miu had gone off, whispering to each other. Kayin, Shin, and Sasha left to go play on the trampoline. I had thought about joining them, but watching the trampoline artist made my stomach queasy. I assumed Gavin and Anali were taking it easy in their room. I sent a text letting them know I was going for a walk, but didn’t get a reply. So my choices were limited to walking in the cold gray London or going back to the hotel to do homework.
You know, gray is an underrated color, it doesn’t have to be gloomy. Gray kittens aren’t gloomy; they are sweet and fuzzy. I kept walking. I smiled when I passed the ballet school with the Angelina Ballerina poster outside. Last night I had called Shante, time differences and post-performance adrenaline working in my favor. Shante loved her first grade teacher, but was excited about winter break. Taliesin’s mom, Cordelia, had told her that since this was their first Christmas together as mother and daughter, it was going to be extra special. Shante sounded happy as she talked about her new pink room, all her new pink clothes, and pink shoes, and how much she loved living with Cordelia.
I needed to check with Gavin to make sure he mailed my package to Shante. He said he would, but still this Christmas was important and I didn’t want anything to ruin it for her. Soon I found myself back on High Street, the Christmas lights trying to cut through the gray gloom. I was able to enjoy the holiday decorations as I walked along the street. I stopped at a display of Christmas ornaments. A lush evergreen was decorated with an assortment of crystal snowflakes, origami cranes, Santas from many different traditions, painted balls which reflected the lights, glowing silver bells, animals in bright wild colors, and so much more. Within minutes I had found a perfect ornament for everyone. I moved to go into the store and then stopped. What was the point? We didn’t even have a tree.
Turning, I bumped into a solid wool-covered chest. “Oh, I am so sorry.”
“Shin would be very disappointed,” Ramsey teased.
My face heated up. “Well, it could be our secret.”
“I suppose so.” Ramsey’s dark brown curls fluttered around his face in the wind. A blue scarf wound around his neck. Black jeans hugged his legs, yum. “So what are you doing? Not another test I hope.”
“No, I just went for a walk. What about you? Why are you here?”
“Me and my mates are staying in a flat nearby.” He adjusted the yoga bag slung across his chest.
“Are you going to yoga class?”
He smiled. “It looks like I found something better to do.” He held out his arm. “Come on.”
I placed my hand on his forearm, the dark gray pea coat he wore soft. “How did your gig go last night?”
“I barely managed it,” he groaned.
“Why what happened?”
“I couldn’t stop thinking about how sexy you looked last night. If I didn’t know our songs by heart, I wouldn’t have been able to play.” His dark eyes sparkled. “I’m surprised your partner lets you out of his sight. What if someone snatched you up?”
I was in danger of veins exploding in my cheeks if he kept this up. “Kayin? We’re like siblings. He calls me Little Sister.”
“Brilliant, fancy a cuppa?”
“Um, sure?”
Ramsey laughed. “Would you like a cup of tea?”
Oh, yes, of course. I should have known that one. “A cup of tea sounds lovely.”
We walked to a tea shop that I vaguely recognized—maybe it was the holiday decorations that made everything seem familiar. I looked over the pastries and clutched Ramsey’s arm.
“Is everything okay?”
No, I shouted in my head—they have chocolate almond goodness… make that one chocolate almond goodness. There were four people in line ahead of us and what if one of them ordered it? “I’m fine; it’s so nice and warm in here.” I let go of his arm and took off my scarf.
“Okay.” He didn’t believe me.
I tried not to stare at the pastry, or glare at the others in front of us, but every time a server would reach into the case my stomach would clench. One would think I hadn’t eaten an hour ago. I focused on my breathing as the man in front of us ordered. “A cup of coffee and a pain au chocolat, please.”
“We only have chocolate and almond left sir,” said the server.
He looked at MY pastry.
“No I’m not a fan of almond. I’ll ha
ve a blueberry scone and clotted cream, please.”
Yes, it was all mine! I smiled but forced myself to stand still.
“How can I help you?” asked the server.
“Go ahead, Sapphire.” Ramsey offered.
“Thank you, may I have a tea and the chocolate almond pastry please.” The server placed the food of the gods on a plate for me. Do not snatch that plate up, try and look like a normal person. I waited until Ramsey had ordered and followed him to a table by the window.
I cut a piece of pastry and put it in my mouth, humming in happiness.
Ramsey chuckled. “I take it you enjoy those?”
And I’m blushing again. “I love them, I’d never had them before coming to London.”
“So where else have you traveled? You told me you lived in San Francisco.”
“Yes. Well, we traveled all over the United States, went to South America, Central America, and Mexico before coming here.”
Ramsey rested his chin on his hand. “That sounds amazing, I would love to travel and see the world. Do you have a favorite place?”
“Well, Machu Picchu, and Chichen Itza are both amazing, but London has been a lot of fun.”
Ramsey grinned. “What have you enjoyed the most so far?”
I bit my lip and looked at Ramsey through my lashes. “Well, the British Museum, and meeting you.”
His cheeks pinked and his eyes sparkled. “Is it because I’m so handsome, my sexy accent, or because of this…” Ramsey reached out and touched my hand, and let his power flow. Cool, deep, calm power washed over me. Flashes of seals swimming in the ocean, racing, the water flowing over their thick brown fur as they hunted large silver fish, invaded my mind.
Gasping, I pulled my hand away and resisted the urge to wipe my eyes. I knew I hadn’t been in the water, but the images were so clear.
“I didn’t realize you were that sensitive,” he said.
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