by Sarah Price
Once the elevator doors opened onto her floor, the security guard walked her down the hallway and passed her own door. She was about to point out that they had missed her doorway when another door was flung open and Alejandro stepped partially into the hall. He was wearing a long black robe, and his face looked pale and tired. His eyes were red with dark shadows underneath. She had never seen him look so sickly.
“¡Dios mío!” he said angrily, reaching out to grab her arm and pull her into his room. “Gracias, amigo,” he said to the man before quickly shutting the door to the room. Once it was closed, he whirled around to face her, his eyes glaring as he stared through her.
“Alejandro?” she asked, backing away from him. “What’s . . . what’s wrong?”
“Where . . . have . . . you . . . been?” he said, forcing himself to speak slowly with an even tone.
She didn’t understand the look on his face. She had never seen him look so angry. “I . . . I just went for a walk,” she offered.
“A walk? A walk?” He threw his hands up in the air and turned away from her, muttering in Spanish words that she presumed would be unfit for her ears if spoken in English. “Ay, mi madre,” he shouted and then spun back to face her. “Do you know how worried I have been? Do you, Amanda?”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “You were sleeping,” she whispered.
“Of course I was sleeping!” he shouted. “I didn’t get back here until after four in the morning!” He took a step toward her, his eyes still fierce and glaring at her. “Then I get awoken to find out that you are wandering the streets of Los Angeles at seven in the morning! Alone!”
“I . . .”
He held up his hand to stop her. “No, no more words. I have been worried about you, Amanda. There is no excuse for you to leave this hotel on your own. Ever!”
“I’m an adult,” she said, lifting up her chin defiantly.
“An adult?” he snapped, his eyes flashing as he hissed the word. “Was it not only a week ago that you were living on a farm in Pennsylvania? That you had never flown in an airplane or stayed in a hotel?” He raised one eyebrow at her and reached out to cup her chin in his hand. “You might be an adult in the Amish world, but you are not an adult in this world, Amanda. Not yet. What’s more, you are mine to protect.” He pressed his lips together, grimacing as if the thought pained him. “I promised your father, no?”
“Is that such a horrible thing?” she asked, her eyes wide with fear at his words.
Some of the anger left his eyes but not the fire. For a moment, he didn’t respond but merely looked into her face, his own expression softening. His hand slid from her chin to the back of her neck as he pulled her toward him. “A horrible thing?” he murmured. “To protect you?” He pursed his lips as if thinking hard on the question. “It is a horrible thing, sí,” he admitted.
She gasped, horrified at his words.
But then a hint of a smile crossed his lips. “Horrible because what I’d like to do is anything but protect you and keep you safe,” he murmured, his thumb caressing the side of her neck beneath her ear. “But I made that promise,” he whispered and leaned down to kiss her. It was a soft kiss that countered his anger from just moments ago. When he pulled back, he stared into her eyes and whispered, “Don’t scare me like that again.”
She lowered her eyes, ashamed that she had made him worry.
“Now,” he said, dropping his hand from her neck to reach for her hand. “I need to sleep, Princesa. And you shall stay with me so that I don’t have to worry about you wandering off again.”
He didn’t wait for her answer as he led her toward the double doors that opened into his bedroom. On the way, she released the shoes that she was still holding in her hand, listening to them softly thump onto the floor as she crossed the threshold into the bedroom.
Chapter Eleven
They were sitting outside at a fancy Beverly Hills restaurant on North Canon Drive. Amanda sat next to Alejandro while his manager, Mike, sat on the other side of the table. It was close to three in the afternoon, the lunch date having been postponed because Alejandro had slept until after noon, his arm tucked firmly around Amanda as if to reassure himself that she was still there.
Now Amanda sat there as if on display, a plain white silk blouse and dark skirt the only thing visibly Englische about her. Everything else screamed Amish: the way her hair was pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck, the way she sat next to Alejandro, nervous and rigid, the way she looked at him when a question was asked of her as though afraid to respond on her own. She had even kicked off her uncomfortable shoes under the table.
“So this is the young woman, eh?” Mike said, staring at her, studying her, assessing her. “I see the beauty,” he said, turning his gaze back to Alejandro. “But the shyness . . .”
“She’s right here,” Alejandro said casually, raising one eyebrow as he reached under the table for Amanda’s hand. “And she does speak English.”
Amanda blushed and averted her eyes.
“I wasn’t aware that she spoke at all,” Mike retorted in a not-very-kind tone. “I haven’t heard her say more than two words.”
“Mike!” Alejandro snapped, his tone sharp and his expression suddenly fierce. “Be careful, here.”
The warning hit the mark, and his manager nodded, glancing over at Amanda once again. “I apologize, Amanda,” he said unnaturally. “You must forgive me.”
This time, Amanda rolled her gaze to meet his and narrowed her eyes. She didn’t like this man. She knew that at once. It was his eyes, she thought. They are hollow. “And why is that?”
He shrugged. “I’m not used to seeing Viper with a lady friend.” He reached for his drink and started to raise it toward his lips. “At least, not a serious one.”
No, she thought. She didn’t care for him one bit. He was not a good person and certainly not acting in Alejandro’s best interests. She exhaled sharply and met his gaze, refusing to cower under his steady stare. “As his manager, I imagine you are pleased when Alejandro is pleased, ja?”
Mike looked surprised. “Ja?” He looked at Alejandro. “What is that? Some Amish word?”
Alejandro caught his breath, and quicker than Amanda could see, he reached across the table and grabbed Mike’s arm. He held it in a tight grip as he lowered his voice. “I’m not telling you again, Mike.”
Shaking Alejandro’s grip from his arm, Mike rubbed the spot and shook his head. “Look, I’m all for this, Alex. The media and the fans are crawling all over this story. But I’m warning you,” he said. “Singers that settle down . . . well, you have a choice. Love over fame, my friend. Keep milking the media all you want, but I warn you, amigo, against making that choice. It could be fatal to your career. You are risking it all.”
Alejandro shook his head, lifting his hand to his temples and rubbing them. “Dios mío, Mike,” he mumbled. “You’re really pushing me today.”
Sensing that the lunch was going nowhere fast, Mike tried to salvage it by changing the subject. “On a good note,” he said, clapping his hands together, “sales are up, and we just confirmed next spring’s lineup in Brazil, Bolivia, and Costa Rica. Now we’re working on the summer dates for the US.”
The conversation quickly shifted back onto safer ground as the topic changed from Amanda to concerts and recording dates. Amanda found herself lost, drifting into her own thoughts.
She knew right away that this Mike was not a man who held Alejandro’s best interests at heart. No, indeed, he was definitely more concerned with his own interests, and that probably meant his wallet. Mike was just like the others . . . only wanting things from Alejandro. That tore at her heart, knowing how alone Alejandro must truly feel, especially when traveling away from his friends and family.
Now everything was beginning to make sense. She understood his worry from the morning when he had awoken to find out that she ha
d wandered away from the hotel. She was the only person he trusted to look out for his own best interest, and in turn, she could trust him with the same. His worry had been over the top, but at least she understood why. He cared.
By the time that the lunch was over, Amanda was ready to leave. It was almost four in the afternoon, and despite having a decent night’s sleep, she felt tired. She knew that they were scheduled to fly to Miami the following morning; she was looking forward to some stability for the next few weeks. While she didn’t know what to expect in Miami, she was hoping that it would be a bit slower-paced with a lot less people around.
“It was nice to finally meet you,” Mike managed to say as they were leaving.
She responded with a silent nod and walked behind Alejandro as they exited the restaurant.
Once in the backseat of the car, Amanda turned her face toward the window, hoping against all hope that Alejandro wouldn’t mention that horrid man’s name to her. However, once they were settled and the car was moving, he wasted no time in apologizing for his manager.
“He means well,” he said, although his tone didn’t sound too convincing. “He’s just all about the business.”
“Ja, I saw that,” she said with a hint of sarcasm in her response. Then, embarrassed by the use of the word ja, she looked away again. She had never felt ashamed of her upbringing until she had met that man. With a touch of guilt, she realized that she hoped she wouldn’t have to meet him again.
“I’m sorry if that was”—he paused, searching for the right word—“uncomfortable, Princesa. That was not my intention.”
She frowned and stole a glance at him. She could see the sorrow on his face. Despite the lazy morning spent in bed—his arm tucked around her while she listened to the soft noise of his gentle snoring—he still looked tired. The last thing he needed was for her to make him feel worse, she thought. “I felt like I was on display for his approval,” she finally said.
“You don’t need his approval,” he said, reaching his hand out to rub her shoulder before pulling her close to him so that her head rested in the crook of his arm. “You only need mine.”
A laugh escaped her lips as she tried to pull away, but he held her tight, pressed against his body. “Is that so?”
“¡Sí!” he teased. “No one else’s but mine.” A sigh escaped his lips, and she felt him lean his head back. “And now, I think we should visit Rodeo Drive, shop a little, so that when you return to Miami, you have everything you need.”
Everything I need? She wanted to laugh. In the short time she had spent with him, she had more than she had ever owned in her life. “There’s nothing that I need, Alejandro,” she reprimanded gently. “You know that.”
He kissed the side of her head. “Then let me spoil you, Princesa, and shower you with gifts of beauty, perhaps a pretty necklace to shine as bright as your eyes.” He stopped talking for a minute, then said something in Spanish to the driver, who nodded in response. They exchanged a few more words, then satisfied, Alejandro settled back into the seat. “A necklace, sí. A woman can never have enough jewelry.”
At this, Amanda laughed again. When he glanced at her, she shook her head and smiled. “I don’t have any jewelry, and it never bothered me before.”
One eyebrow arched over his eye, barely visible from behind his glasses. “Well,” he said. “Let’s change that, sí?” When she made a face at him, indicating her distaste for such worldly things, he nuzzled at her neck and lowered his voice. “Let me spoil you, Amanda. It gives me much pleasure to do so.”
“I don’t think we need to buy that, Elias,” her mother said. “It’s so expensive, and we can make do with what we have. Also the upkeep . . .”
Her father shook his head. “Nee, Lizzie,” he said. “With Aaron almost old enough to drive by himself, we should be looking for a new mare that he can handle alone. You know that my horse is too much for him.” He smiled at his son. “Besides, I think Aaron would like to have his own horse, ain’t so, son?”
Amanda smiled as her eleven-year-old brother lit up and nodded his head eagerly. Then, to her surprise, Aaron glanced at her and grinned. “Mayhaps Amanda would like to go along?”
His invitation warmed her heart. She had an especially close relationship with Aaron, despite their five-and-a-half-year age difference. She reached out and touched his arm. “Nee, bruder,” she said. “I think this is something special for just you and Daed.” She hated to turn him down, but she also could tell that her father was looking forward to introducing Aaron to the horse auction, a father-and-son bonding time.
She had attended plenty of horse auctions with her father throughout the years. It was quite exciting to listen to the chant-like voice of the auctioneer and watch the young men lead the horses back and forth along the enclosed aisle. The horses would prance, trotting and pacing, as if showing off for the audience.
Her mother was still not convinced. “I just don’t know, Elias,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s so much money and such a big responsibility, ja?”
Elias placed his hand on Aaron’s shoulder, staring down with pride into his son’s face. “Vell, Lizzie,” he said. “A man can spoil his son a little, ja?” He smiled. “It gives me pleasure to do this for my boy.”
And with that, it was decided. Secretly, while a little jealous of that special bond her brother shared with her father, Amanda was also pleased. Aaron was such a good boy and so obedient to their parents that he deserved a special treat, and with all of the responsibility he faced in years to come when he would take over the farm, having his own horse to tend was a good start. If anyone deserved to be spoiled a little, it was Aaron, she thought, as she watched them walk out the door and head toward the barn to hitch up the horse to the buggy and set out for the auction.
Along Rodeo Drive, Alejandro walked beside her, pointing out and commenting on the different stores. The street was lined with tall palm trees. Each store looked fancier than the next. At one point, he motioned toward a street and told her that he had a condominium down that way, on the outskirts of Beverly Hills.
“You have a home there, too?” she asked. “Then why do you stay at a hotel?”
He shrugged. “It’s easier sometimes when I’m not here for long periods of time. Next month, I’ll be back for a week or so, and I’ll stay at the condo.”
She didn’t understand that. It seemed wasteful to have a place to live in a city but not use it when he was in town.
As they strolled along the street, people were stopping and staring. Amanda tried to ignore them but noticed that they were taking photos, too. However, unlike in the other places they had traveled, people here seemed to respect their privacy and didn’t swarm them. At least that was a relief, she told herself.
“Ah,” he said. “Here we are.” He stopped walking at the corner and gestured toward the white building with tall, dark windows with white shades covering the top half. “Shall we enter, sí?” As if on cue, a man opened the door and gave a slight bow as Alejandro led Amanda through the glass entrance.
Inside the store, Amanda had to pause. The ceiling was high with recessed lights. However, hanging from the center of the room was a crystal chandelier that cast a soft golden glow against the walls. Throughout the room, there were displays of jewelry that sparkled, catching rays of light.
“Good morning,” a woman greeted them. She paused, staring first at Alejandro, then at Amanda. It was clear that she recognized him. “Welcome to Cartier’s, sir.”
He nodded and reached for Amanda. “We’re looking for something for the lady,” he said, smiling pleasantly, his eyes darting around the room. “Perhaps a necklace,” he said and looked at Amanda. “¿Sí?”
She wasn’t certain how to respond. She had never owned a piece of jewelry. Jewelry was worldly and not of the Amish community. Still, she couldn’t help but stare at the different displays, her heart pounding
inside her chest. She had never seen anything as beautiful as the jewelry on display at this store.
The woman led them farther back into the room and away from any prying eyes of other customers. Alejandro locked his hands behind his back as he strolled along the different displays, gesturing toward a couple of pieces that appealed to him. Watching him move through the store, she was amazed at how comfortable he was. She, on the other hand, felt extremely out of place. The opulence of the store with its marble accents and crystal-stemmed sconces hanging from the walls was intimidating to her.
“Ven aquí, Princesa,” he said, gesturing for her to join him at one of the displays. Once she was at his side, he pointed at the necklace that the saleswoman had placed on a velvet board. “That is beautiful, no?”
“It’s eighteen-karat white gold with forty-eight diamonds,” the woman explained. “The two rings symbolize love entwined.”
Amanda blushed and turned her back slightly so that the woman couldn’t hear her as she whispered. “That’s too much, Alejandro.”
But he laughed. “Too much? ¡Ay, Princesa! ¡Qué dulce!” He pulled her close to him and hugged her, kissing the top of her head. “For you, the royal treatment, no?” He nodded toward the woman, indicating that she should put the necklace on Amanda.
The woman walked around the corner and stood behind Amanda, slipping the cool necklace around her throat. The two entwined rings lay against her chest, and the chain pressed gently against her neck. “It’s adjustable,” she explained. “You can make it longer or shorter if you’d like.”
Amanda reached up and touched the two rings. It felt strange to wear something against her throat. Yet, there was something magical about wearing a necklace, something so forbidden among the Amish. She glanced at Alejandro, who was leaning against the counter, watching her with an amused look on his face. He smiled when she turned to face him.
“¡Perfecto!” he exclaimed. Then he motioned toward the mirror. “Go see how beautiful you are.”