She hurried to the coffee shop where Ramon would pick her up for an early practice. Right as she went to pay for her Danish and cup of coffee, her ride entered.
“I’ll be paying for this.” Ramon elbowed her and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. “Maybe you can let me pay for dinner tonight as well.”
“I can get it.” Though she protested, she did smile at the attention. Ramon was sort of cute in a silly rocker kind of way with blond hair that hung in his blue eyes and full lips. Though he tried to play it down by wearing weathered jeans and vintage concert shirts, she knew Ramon came from money. It wasn’t only the Italian import that gave him away, but the other things like his designer wallet and expensive shoes that betrayed him. Between those little inconsistencies and his kind, round baby face that never possessed a bit of scruff, she always felt as if he were trying too hard to fit into a role he wanted to have in the worst way.
“So can I.” In a flash, Ramon whipped a fifty-dollar bill out of his pocket and tossed it toward the register.
While she had tried to protest him doing this exact same thing many times, her efforts were futile. “Thank you.” She watched him collect his change, and then he guided her out to his little sports car.
“Anytime and I mean that.” He opened the door for her. “I only wish back in high school we were better friends, who knows what would have happened?”
Unsure what to say, she gave him the generic smile and shrug as she slipped into the car. He shut the door and went to his side. As the story went, he was in the cool clique in high school, she was in the arty one, and they only crossed paths a couple of times in school, but many years later he heard her singing at a small club on open mic night and convinced her to sing with them. At the time, she didn’t know they already had a lead singer. She had to wonder why she was needed, but Ramon seemed convinced a backup singer would set them apart when auditioning for the Stage of Stars.
“Ready for practice?” He started the car and zoomed away.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” As of right now she had enough money to get her through the audition in two weeks. If they were selected, they made a small stipend and all would be fine for a time. Of course if they won, she would be more than fine. However, if they didn’t make it, she would have to go get a job. Something just told her she had to take a chance and try this before figuring out the rest of her life. Though it was scary at times, there was something freeing about being out on her own and fending for herself.
“Great.” Ramon drove through the streets of Los Angeles. Thankfully, the band never wanted to return to the theatre, and now they practiced in a loft that belonged to a friend of his father’s, but Christine’s intuition told her he probably paid for the space and used that whole interlude with her theatre as way to look tough and edgy and give their band a backstory of having to struggle for their success.
Finally at their destination, she got out of the car and followed Ramon up the three flights to their all too trendy space.
Already the other guys were setting up, and she waved to Buck, their drummer, and Ulric, their other guitarist and male backup singer.
“Carly texted, said she’s running late with traffic.” Ulric lifted his chin in their direction and continued to tune his instrument.
“Let’s get ready for when Carly gets here.” Ramon picked up his guitar and tuned it. “Maybe Christine can sing lead and warm us up.”
“I’m ready.” Buck took the throne behind his drums. “Didn’t come to just sit here.”
After a week spent singing solo for an audience of one, she felt more than confident, especially with a music backup, so she went to the mic and waited while Buck hit the count off on his sticks and they began to play.
Right on cue she came in, singing the lead.
They made it through the first verse and seemed to hit their stride, but right before she went into the chorus, their bit of music magic was kicked to the curb.
“What is the meaning of this?” Carly shot inside and rushed toward them.
The music stopped.
Ramon came forward. “We were just practicing and waiting for you, baby.”
Carly thrust her hand out. “I’m a little late and suddenly you replace me? This is why you brought her here. It’s all part of your plan.”
“Honey, no one could ever replace you.” Ramon put his arm around her. “You’re the star, we just wanted to be prepped for you when you arrived.”
“You said we needed a backup singer and I allowed this, but this I will not allow.” Carly stomped to Christine and grabbed the microphone stand.
The microphone fell to the floor causing a screech of feedback.
Christine winced and everyone groaned as Ramon rushed forward and pulled the plug on the noisy device.
The room fell silent.
“Get in the background where you belong.” Carly glared her down.
Christine glanced over at the other band members. Ulrich studied his guitar strings, and Buck actually turned away. Ramon went to her side and guided her to her position. “We were just practicing.”
At the moment, this band was her best chance. For someone like her, earning enough at one shot to even try to live a normal life was nearly impossible. She spent years trying to move a notch up in society only to stay right where she started. Though she was much better off than some others, she still longed for more, and the Stage of Stars could help her get there. If they even got past the audition, maybe someone would discover her, maybe she could have a name. Maybe she could get something other than junk mail at a postal store she pretended was a real address.
“Let’s practice.” She took a breath.
Ramon fixed the mic for Carly. “Come on, gorgeous, let’s hear you. Christine was just keeping your spot warm for you.”
“Just remember, no one else can fill my shoes.” Carly widened her eyes at him and took her position. “Remember who I am.”
Finally, they practiced.
For the next several hours they played their music, went over how they moved, inflections in the singing and how they harmonized. Something about Carly’s performance always felt like glorified cardboard to her, as if the woman were simply going through the motions, but Carly had a background in the music industry and Ramon continued to say she was critical to their success.
“I think I need to rest my voice, and I think Christine should work on sounding a little more like me.” Carly swiped her hair away from her face.
Christine forced herself to show no reaction.
“Anyway, I have an event to get to. I’ll be available in two days.” Carly exited the loft in the same whirlwind with which she entered.
“How about I give you a ride home?” Like anytime Carly left, Ramon returned right to her.
“I think I’ll just take a walk, thanks.” One to always make sure she didn’t take anything for free, at the moment it seemed much easier to leave on her own. Plus, she didn’t need Ramon following her to her home.
Her home.
Suddenly, her heart raced. Not only did she want to go home, she had a home to get to. “I have to go. Next practice in two days?” She gathered her things.
Ramon gave her a thumbs-up. “I’ll get you at the coffee shop.”
With a nod, she left. The walk was a little more than she was used to, but she enjoyed the fact she had a real destination. Just before she turned down the block of the theatre, she stopped, grabbed some fruit at a street vendor and smiled at a little rosebush growing between two buildings.
It wasn’t much, and she wasn’t even sure if it was appropriate, but she picked one of the red roses for her benefactor. A little extra thanks for everything. She picked off the thorns and with it and the fruit in hand, made her way to the back door.
As usual, the door was unlocked, and she went inside, through the back and over to her place on the stage.
Today she received her gift a little early in the form of a large envelope on her bed with her name nea
tly written across it. She prayed to god if it was a bill inside, the payment would be one red rose.
She didn’t even realize her hand was trembling until she tore the envelope open and pulled out two pieces of paper.
The first a piece of music.
“What?” She sat down at the edge of the bed and studied the document. This wasn’t the normal run-of-the-mill music printed or photocopied. This was handwritten the old fashioned way with real paper and ink. She ran her fingers over the notes and the words before looking at the next paper.
This one was a note with the handwriting matching that on the envelope and the music.
Christine,
I have now heard you sing for well over a week. You have talent, but as with all talent it needs to be nurtured. I am offering you the chance to train with a true professional, namely myself. I am quite confident that we can get you ready to audition for the Stage of Stars as long as you go in solo without any other encumbrances. Should you choose to accept, I would like you to start with this piece of music and we will go forward from there.
You deserve the spotlight. Never forget that.
Your humble protector.
- E
Someone thought she deserved the spotlight. She put the documents aside and rose in hand, went to the front of the stage. “If I accept, do I get to actually see you in person?”
Nothing but silence answered her.
“You know, if nothing else, it would be nice to hear your voice.” She put her hands on her hips. “How do I even know you know what you’re doing?”
“I wrote the music, little Cricket.” A deep, smooth voice rang around her, but she couldn’t pinpoint where it came from.
“Cricket?” She bit her lip and looked around for someone else. Her heart pounded, a voice was better than nothing.
“You came chirping around in my theatre. I find the name appropriate.” He let out a low chuckle.
“So I ask again, if I accept do I get to see you?” She held her ground. Maybe she should have done that in rehearsal today, but at least she was doing it now. “What’s your name? What does the E stand for?”
“Go make your choice, Cricket, and maybe we’ll hear some real music.”
The lights in the theatre lowered.
She put the rose on the stage and went to her bed and sat down. A voice just dismissed her. Maybe this wasn’t home after all.
Chapter Five
“Will you sit down before you wear out my very expensive rug?” In the theatre office, Erik leaned back in his chair and studied his ceiling. Was there a tiny crack in his plaster work? Impossible.
“You got yourself into quite a predicament.” With a slight limp, Nash Cinder paced the length of his office, before finally taking his seat, pouring himself another shot of whiskey and laughing.
“It’s not a predicament. A predicament would denote that I am in a perplexing situation, one that is difficult. This is a…” Running his finger along the rim of his wine glass, he tried to find the correct word.
Nash pursed his lips and rocked his chair back. “You’re trapped in your own theatre, you want her to stay, you want her to go. Now you’re a wreck waiting to see what she’ll do. Right, it’s not a predicament, it’s a walk through the candy aisle at a grocery store.”
“Now that would be a predicament unless it was Halloween. Then I would fit right in.” Erik stared at the red rose she gave him only yesterday. No one had given him a gift since the accident. He should have stuck to whiskey, the wine was too mild. “I can’t let her see me.”
“Maybe she’s different.” Once more, Nash stood. “From what you described, she seems open minded.”
Everyone was open-minded and different until they had to truly face him. Actually look at him. Then, when they realized they couldn’t handle it, either fear or pity took hold. In truth, he preferred the fear. Pity didn’t work in his world. “Fine, I’m in a little bit of a predicament.”
Nash raised his eyebrows. At least the man had two good ones. “The question is what will you do if she accepts? You can’t only live in the flies and hope you and her never cross paths.”
Yes, he was aware he couldn’t live in the rigging above the stage. Since his chirping cricket came into his life, he had relegated himself to staying in his quarters he built underneath the stage, the flies and his office for fear she would snoop around and come across him.
“I know you try your hardest, but you can’t live your life as a shadow. Better to let her see you so if she proves to be petty and foolish you can move on.” Nash shook his head.
Erik considered his friend’s words and scratched his nails through his scalp. He had to get to work on the restoration and couldn’t spend all his time hiding in his own home. “Only with the mask.”
“You never take it off even when you’re alone, so that wouldn’t be a problem.” Nash faced him. “I’ve never even seen you.”
“What if she figures out who I am?” His stomach jolted, and he gulped down some wine.
“I know who you are and trust me it’s becoming less impressive every day.” Now Nash grinned. “With the mask and the changes, she won’t know, and if she does, maybe don’t hide it, maybe embrace it.”
“Life would have been much easier if I was dead.” If only the accident finished its job.
“Maybe there’s a reason you lived.” Nash shrugged.
No sooner were the words out of his friend’s mouth than Erik spied Christine entering the theatre on his surveillance monitor. “She’s here.”
Nash went to the screen. “She is a pretty one, isn’t she?”
“Beautiful,” he whispered and stood. “Get out of here, I need to go see if I have a student or not.”
“I’ll come by tomorrow, maybe I’ll get to meet her as well.” Nash patted him on the shoulder and limped away.
Erik took the back way, returned to his perch above the stage, and waited. He didn’t know what he would do if she turned him down. Would he be able to kick her out? Since she arrived, it was the first time he felt even a semblance of normal even with their abnormal situation.
She put her items in her corner, took quite a few moments combing out that glorious hair and right about when he was ready to tell her to start chirping, she put her brush on the bed and went center stage. “Are you here?”
He swallowed and took a breath, deciding for the first time not to throw his voice to a different part of the theatre. “Depends on what you have to tell me.”
“If I told you no, would you make me leave?” She straightened up, her hands balling in the little fists of defiance.
The grinding of his teeth scraped through his skull. This woman had nothing to lose, and she had never even seen him and still she was denying him? Unbelievable. He had to be honest. “No. You may stay as long as you like.” Damn it.
A smile danced on her face. “I want to see you.”
“There’s nothing to see, everything in life is a façade.” If she only knew. “Tell me your answer.”
“I accept your offer, but I want to see you.” She raised her chin.
Her words kicked the fight right out of him and breathless, he leaned forward and collected his thoughts. She accepted, and she got rid of the baggage, and now he had to make good on his part. “Well, having a cricket in the house is good luck.”
“It’s the male crickets who do the chirping.” She looked up above her.
“What are you trying to say?” He knew she could at least see his form.
“Will I hear you chirp?” Staring right at him, she bit her lip. “You said you wrote the music.”
“How about we start with you?” He balanced himself as he made his way across the rigging and climbed down.
“I’ve been practicing all day.” At losing sight of him, she turned around.
Thankful he didn’t have to go through warm up exercises at this exact moment, he went backstage and turned on the music that went with the song he gave her. “Then let’s hear y
ou.” The notes filled the space and rather than sing to what would be the audience, she stayed facing his direction and at last put the words to his music.
For a moment he simply stood behind the curtain and let his senses absorb it all. Right as she went into the second verse, he made good on his end, pulled the curtain back and stepped onto the stage with her.
At the sight of him, she faltered on a word, but he shook his head and had to admit it impressed him when she continued.
As if she were trying to take him all in, her eyes widened, but she didn’t flinch as he approached.
For the first time they were face to face, well beautiful face to a semblance of a face, on the same playing field. He took in the gorgeous blush that graced her cheeks, the little scattering of tiny freckles dotting her nose, the pink of her lips and the absolutely stunning clear dark blue of her eyes, a mixture of deep water and the sky right before the sun rose.
While he assessed her, she never stopped singing and he went behind her, put one hand on the small of her back and the other on her shoulder correcting her posture. “Stand up straight.”
The fact she didn’t shudder at his touch earned her the highest regard.
At last, the song ended.
“Now, we need to set some ground rules.” He stepped in front of her.
“Your eyes are golden.” She gasped and reached out as if to touch him, but stopped herself.
Unsure how to respond to the possibility of any human contact, or a comment that wasn’t about his mask or his rules, he remained silent.
“What’s your name?” She inched closer to him.
The air sizzled between them, he almost couldn’t catch his breath. “Erik. Erik Bray.” Yes, he used his middle name.
“Erik.” His name exited her lips, then she leaned in and gave him a hug.
At her willing touch, he stared at nothing, first trying to resist and then giving in trying to absorb everything. Now she owned him, and he would give her everything. Yes, they needed rules.
Chapter Six
Golden eyes, long, layered black hair that framed his face, tall, lean and powerful. When Christine pictured her ghost, never in her wildest dreams, did she think she would conjure a man who was only a little older than her and looked like rock star crossed with a sexy superhero, or maybe even a super villain. Heck, the man even wore a white mask over half his face. All he needed was a cape to go with his tight white button down and equally as tight and much more impressive black jeans.
Facade Page 3