Spotlight on Love

by Maxene Novak

  I shook hands with the stage manager as Sabrina introduced us. Then the stage manager dove right in, explaining how they wanted me to enter the stage and where I should stand. A choreographer joined us to move Sabrina and me around for a while till he decided he liked the look of everything.

  But every couple of minutes, I’d catch my gaze sneaking over to Sabrina. I told myself I needed to watch her, to see where she was for our duet so we could make eye contact and play our parts for the eventual audience. But it was a lie and I knew it.

  She was a damned distraction, end of story. And because of it, this whole tour was going to be even tougher to pull off smoothly. But unlike her, I couldn’t afford the distraction. This was a huge chance at the break my band had been looking for. Either we pulled it off and hit the charts, or we failed and were forgotten.

  They had us perform our duet several times, my bassist Rico on the guitar from the side of the stage, and I was relieved to hear that Sabrina had obviously been practicing the song since our last session together. This time the only uncertain notes she hit were when we were interrupted by the choreographer and stage manager as they rearranged us.

  Then they had us start slowly walking towards each other on the joined chorus, and I could feel it click. This was what the number had been missing…this movement towards each other. At least, that was what I told myself was the reason for my heart rate kicking up and a little ripple of excitement shooting through me.

  As we slowly crossed the stage towards each other, each step timed to the song’s beat, Sabrina kept her gaze lowered, her eyes hidden by those thick, dark eyelashes. Then her gaze slid up to meet mine, and it was like someone had punched me in the gut. My breath hitched, making me grateful she was the one singing and no one heard my reaction.

  “Nice, Shane,” the choreographer called out. “I like the clenched fists. Remember to do that every time.”

  I hadn’t even realized my hands had done it. I gave a short nod to show I’d heard, focusing harder as now I had to come back in vocally and harmonize with her.

  Then we were standing inches away from each other, practically toe to toe as we finished repeating the chorus. Movement out of the corner of my eyes hinted at the dancers moving the mobile steps and other props on wheels off stage, but I barely noticed. I couldn’t look away from those brown eyes right in front of me as my insides twisted up.

  Trouble. That was what I was looking at. Pure trouble. The kind that could kill a career before it even had a chance to really take off. But still, I couldn’t look away.

  The guitar strumming faded away, the stage manager and choreographer working with my band now to work out the timing of getting them set up behind a huge backdrop screen that would be rolled away by the end of the duet to reveal the band. While they were all busy working out the kinks, Sabrina and I kept standing there as if stuck in place, holding our position until told to move again, waiting.

  “How are you feeling?” I heard myself murmur and wondered where that question had come from. Just because I’d been wondering about her for the last few days didn’t mean I’d had to actually show it.

  Too late now.

  She lifted and dropped one shoulder in a half shrug. “Surviving.” Her eyebrows briefly pinched together. “Thanks for asking.”

  I nodded, not knowing what to say next. And then there was no time for anything else anyway as the choreographer and stage manager had us reset at our starting positions and go through the whole song three more times while the rest of my band practiced, getting set up.

  We ended up added another repeat of the chorus onto the end to give the band more time to get into position and ready. And then an idea hit me.

  I raised a hand to stop Rico then turned to the stage manager. “What if we have the band quietly come in on the last chorus repeat? Make the transition more gradual for their introduction instead of just revealing them for the start of the following song?”

  The stage manager nodded. “I like it. Let’s try that.”

  We practiced the duet two more times, the stage manager moving behind the screen to cue the Drakes when to begin. At first, it wasn’t a quiet enough beginning, and I jogged around behind the screen to better explain to the guys what I was envisioning. After years of playing and working together, my guys could almost read my mind after the explanation and quickly got it, and we tried again. The second time was perfect.

  “That’s it! Perfect!” I called to them after the song ended. Sabrina’s lips twitched, prompting me to turn back to her and ask, “What?”

  She shrugged. “Just nice to know somebody around here can earn your approval.”

  Sass. Strangely, I liked it, though usually it just pissed me off coming from others. I fought a smile. “When it’s earned, I’ve got no problem dishing out the compliments.”

  One of those dark eyebrows arched, and she crossed her arms over her chest.

  “For instance,” I added in a quiet murmur. “I can tell you’ve been practicing the duet. It shows.”

  Her eyes flared wide then narrowed. “High praise indeed.”

  Again, I had to fight the urge to smile as I turned away towards the band. “Oh, Princess, don’t be jealous. I’m sure you get compliments every five seconds from your people.”

  “My people?”

  I waved my hand at the dancers, now off stage and chugging water, and the stage crews busy adjusting lights on my band. “Yeah. The people you pay to love you.”

  She sighed long and loud, dropping her head back to stare up at the rigging above us. “You really have a hard time not being a jerk, don’t you?”

  Though it wasn’t the first time I’d been called that among other names, it surprised me to hear it from her. Was that her professional facade cracking again? I opened my mouth to say something, I would never be sure exactly what, but she was already slowly walking off the stage, her shoulders slumped, one hand rubbing the back of her neck like she was tired or something.

  A strange sensation twisted in my gut, something I didn’t understand. We were all professionals here. Wasn’t a thick skin a prerequisite for working in the music industry? And she’d been at this game for seven years now. So why was she acting all sensitive and…well, hurt, for lack of a better word to describe it?

  I watched her leave for a minute, jerking myself back into motion only when I finally realized Rico was yelling my name.

  “Yeah, coming!” I yelled back, shaking my head as I refocused.

  ***

  Sabrina

  The first show of the tour, which was usually the roughest, went pretty well. Afterward, there was a party in the green room for everyone. Unfortunately, by then my body had had enough for the day, so I could only stay a few minutes to show my face, congratulate everyone, and then retreat to my bus for bed.

  Later in the week, I paid for that early retreat when I overheard two of the Drakes talking in the green room before a show. With their backs to the room’s entrance, they apparently didn’t realize I was there.

  “What a stuck-up bitch,” the Drakes drummer said.

  Rico, their bassist, agreed with a nod. “Couldn’t even be bothered to party with her own crew, either. I guess what they say about fame and money is true. Once you make it big, you become too good to hang with everyone else.”

  Clearly, I needed to make more of an effort to hang out at the after parties. Regardless of how much pain I was in every night after each show.

  CHAPTER 5

  Shane

  A few days into the tour, I was surprised when Sabrina showed up on the Drakes’ bus after the show where we were holding a small, informal after party for both our fans and any crew who wanted to join in.

  She arrived all smiles and sexiness, in a blinged-out pink hoodie, skirt, and heeled boots that had to be killing her feet after performing on stage in high heels earlier. I saw all my band mates staring at her too.

  “Um, is it alright if I join you?” she asked, her voice barely loud enoug
h to be heard over the cranked-up stereo.

  Seeing that none of my band mates knew how to react to her arrival, I quickly rolled up to my feet and walked over to her. “Hey! Glad you could make it. Great show tonight. Want a drink?”

  Her lips parted for a moment as if she too were surprised. “Do you have any rum? I’d kill for a rum and Coke, if you’ve got it.” She held out a pink glittered plastic travel cup with a screwed-on lid and straw. I tried not to blink when I recognized the white cat on its side as Marie from Disney’s Aristocats. Not the kind of cup I’d imagine her carrying around at all.

  Then again, I’d pegged her for a cosmo kind of girl.

  I took the cup and headed over to the makeshift bar area. “Rum and Coke, coming right up.”

  Sabrina just kept on surprising me.

  “Hey, Sabrina!” Jessie called out from one of the couches where he was surrounded on either side by groupies. He rose up to his feet and gave her a quick, one armed hug that made both my and Sabrina’s eyebrows rise. But she hugged him back and smiled while tugging her hair behind one ear.

  Seeing them quickly fall into conversation, I backed off, resuming my job as bartender. While I wasn’t big into drinking myself, playing bartender allowed me to cut off anyone who’d had too much or was getting too rowdy. It also helped decrease the chance of anyone getting the wrong ingredients in their mixed drink of the pill variety. None of the Drakes used illegal drugs. I drew a hard line on that. But our bassist, Rico, had some trouble with prescription pills a couple of years ago. And I’d once caught a fan trying to slip some ecstasy into our drummer’s drink after a show. So I liked to keep an eye on things.

  I got busy for a bit making drinks. The next time I got a chance to look up, Sabrina was on the couch with Jessie, who was now ignoring every other female on the bus, much to the fan girls’ dismay. Then I saw her lean forward and say something to Rico on the opposite couch. He gave her a nonplussed look before nodding and waving his hands while explaining something to her, which made her tilt her head back and laugh. I also noticed the very full drink I’d made for her was gone already. She’d sure sucked that one down fast. Unless she had a high tolerance, she’d be getting tipsy soon.

  Suddenly two of the girls in the front lounge area hopped up and started dancing slowly together, earning a hoot from Rico who leaned back on the couch to watch them.

  Jessie gestured at the girls while talking to Sabrina, as if encouraging her to dance with them. She kept smiling and shaking her head, finally pointing to her boots. Jessie tried again, gesturing at her boots too. Sabrina hesitated, then suddenly her gaze popped up to collide with mine for several long seconds.

  Finally, Sabrina unzipped her boots, moved them to the side out of the way of the walkway that was quickly becoming a tiny dance floor, and got up to dance. The two groupies didn’t really let her in to dance with them, but Sabrina closed her eyes, tilted back her head, and danced alone anyway.

  God, Sabrina was sexy. The two fan girls weren’t even close to being in her league. And it wasn’t the clothes she was wearing, or her now removed and probably expensive as hell footwear.

  It was just Sabrina. She was like dynamite, a tiny package of power that had the strange ability to knock the breath right out of you within seconds.

  She swayed and circled her hips to the beat, her arms slowly rising up into the air overhead, dragging locks of shiny black hair up with them. Her hair fell back down in a dark cloud, and it made me think of old stories about powerful witches as they seduced men and put love spells on them.

  Then Jessie stood up and joined her, and I sighed. Damn the player, couldn’t he turn it off for just one night?

  But they looked good together, all copper and dark shine and smooth moves.

  When the fan girls started to pout, Rico hopped up and started dancing with them, making the bus begin to rock slightly. In the tight walkway, the five dancers ate up all the available space and were forced to dance closely together, their bodies rubbing against each other in a slow, seductive, group orgy of teasing. All they needed was to be naked to turn it into a true orgy.

  A strange ache hit me in the gut. I took a few seconds to analyze it, then recognized it for what it was…

  For the first time since moving out of my parents’ house, I felt like an outsider again.

  Everyone on the bus was having a good time, either laughing and hanging out playing video games in the rear lounge area, or dancing together in the front lounge. Everyone but me.

  But growing up within a huge family had taught me that if I wanted to be a part of things, I couldn’t just wait around to be asked to join in. I had to throw myself into the mix.

  Making sure all the liquor bottles were closed and couldn’t fall over and be spilled, I walked over to the dancers and joined in, slowly using my dance moves to ease myself into the center of the group. When I felt someone bumping against my back, I turned towards Sabrina. Her back bumped into me again, this time against my front as Jessie danced before her. We had her effectively sandwiched between us, though she didn’t seem to notice or care.

  My hands itched to touch her. I fought that temptation, though, afraid I’d run her off.

  Sabrina looked over her shoulder, her gaze slowly sliding up to my shoulder height. Enough to know who it was behind her. The curve of her cheek grew as she smiled softly. But she kept dancing, clearly not minding that it was me.

  She swayed her hips again, going low before slowly circling her way back up. A shadow crossed her expression, but she kept dancing, and I wondered what was going through that mind of hers. Was she starting to regret this?

  Jessie’s hands came up, palm up, an invitation to her. She hesitated then placed one hand in his, half dancing with him but keeping her other hand free.

  Free for me?

  Only one way to find out.

  Without touching her, I slowly reached forward at either side of her, offering her a hand. Again she hesitated, looking back over her shoulder at me. Then she placed her hand in mine.

  My skin tingled everywhere we made contact as Jessie raised the hand he held up to his shoulder. She allowed her hand to rest on his shoulder as his fingertips trailed up her arm then dropped to rest loosely on her hip. Damn, he was smooth.

  As if he heard me, Jessie’s gaze slid over the top of Sabrina’s head to catch mine, and he grinned. But his eyes were clear of any shadows or dark intentions. He was just having fun, those bright blue eyes said. Nothing to worry about here.

  And I suddenly got why the ladies fell so quickly for him. Those eyes with their infectious happiness were potent. They made you want to lower your shield, to just let go and have fun. Clearly they’d had their effect on Sabrina and gotten her to let loose a little. Well, that and the drink I’d made for her.

  We danced like that for a few more slow songs Rico kept lining up for everyone since he apparently was having an equally good time dancing with his two groupies.

  But after a few minutes, Sabrina’s hand jerked within mine, then clenched hard around my fingers for a few seconds while she froze and winced.

  “Okay?” I murmured in her ear so I wouldn’t have to shout over the music.

  Her eyes flashed open and up to look back at me. Her lips parted, and her throat worked as she swallowed hard. Her hand slid from mine as she carefully turned away, bent over and sat down on the couch to put her boots back on.

  “Awww, not yet!” Jessie said, bending over to talk to her. But she shook her head, finished putting on her boots and stood up.

  She wobbled, and I grabbed her elbow to steady her. She shot me a grateful but tired-looking smile, hesitated, then leaned in close to me to speak into my ear, “Thanks. This was fun. Maybe I should hang out with you guys more often!”

  I nodded, actually hopeful that she meant it. Strangely not ready to see her go, I followed her to the bus’s door and down the steps to the parking lot outside, intending to walk her to her bus for safety. But of course her bodyguard w
as standing there waiting, and he took over with a nod and an unyielding expression on his face.

  Still, I wished I had a reason to keep walking with her. But I couldn’t find one, so I had to settle for standing outside my bus with a raised hand in response to her wave and soft smile goodbye. She and her bodyguard crossed the few yards between our buses. Then she was gone, hidden behind lit up shades inside her bus.

  I heard a loud sigh behind me and turned to find Jessie standing there in the parking lot behind me with a look of regret. It was the most negative expression I’d seen him display all week.

  “Damn. Wish she could’ve stayed longer,” he muttered, the bus’s loud music just a distant thumping beat now that the door was shut.

  I nodded, crossing my arms over my chest and enjoying the relatively quiet night around us. Too bad the parking lot lights were too bright to see the stars overhead. The view around us was nothing but industrial buildings and a couple of fast food places.

  Suddenly I was hungry. Seeing an all-night diner across the street about a block away, I said, “Hey. You hungry?”

  He turned his head, followed my line of sight and shot me a huge grin. “Oh, fuck yeah.”

  With a quick check for my wallet in my back pocket, I started walking in that direction.

  “You don’t need to let your band mates know you’re going?” he asked, hesitating.

  “They’re my band, not my mother,” I joked. “We keep it loose. As long as I make sound check tomorrow, they’ll never miss me. Especially with all those groupies hanging around right now.”

  We walked in easy silence through the parking lot, exiting the fenced-in lot through the gated entrance with a wave to the guard keeping back the bored paparazzi parked outside at the curb. The paparazzi perked up when they saw us, and a few rushed out of their cars and vans to stop us at the sidewalk before we could cross the street.

  Jessie shot them a dazzling smile, seeming to enjoy being surrounded by the flashing camera lights and questions.