Plain Change

by Sarah Price

  Alejandro waved his hand at Mike. “Now it is you who is out of his mind,” he said, laughing. “They will never turn on her nor will they turn on me! She is America’s darling, and you know that.”

  Both of Mike’s hands flew to his face, and he rubbed at his eyes in frustration. He turned his back to Alejandro and paced the room for a few steps, muttering under his breath. Finally, he turned around and stared at Alejandro. “Why marriage? Why so soon?”

  “I love her,” Alejandro stated with a simple shrug of his shoulders.

  “Bah!” Mike retorted. “Love! I’ve seen it before with you. Convenient amnesia, Alex. My advice? Keep her under your wing; sleep with her if you must. Just don’t cross that forbidden line and marry her, Alex. We’ve worked so hard to keep you uncommitted in the eyes of the public, to keep that bad-boy image. Don’t ruin it by becoming a family man.”

  “Sleep with her?” Alejandro said, a sneer in his voice. “Sleep with her? Is that what you think this is about? Sex?”

  Mike dropped his hands to his sides and stared at him. There was an incredulous look on his face. “Isn’t it always?”

  For a moment, the look in Alejandro’s eyes frightened Mike. He glared at Mike, his eyes narrow and sharp. His chest rose and fell in rapid succession as the blood raced through his veins. “She is the only person who asks absolutely nothing of me, Mike,” he said between clenched teeth. “She loves me for who I am, not for what I can do for her . . . which is more than I can say for you!”

  “You pay me to manage your career.” Mike pointed his finger at Alejandro again. “Not to coddle your emotional whims or needs for the ultimate conquest . . . to bed an Amish girl!”

  With that, Alejandro lunged forward and grabbed his manager by the collar, shoving him against the wall. “Don’t you ever talk about her that way again,” he hissed. “And perhaps you should remember what you just said. That I am the one who pays you! You work for me, and not the other way around.” He took a step backward and shoved Mike away. “I can replace you, Mike, and will not think twice of doing so if I ever hear you speak disparagingly of Amanda again!” He shuddered. “That is my future wife you speak of, Mike. I will not have it.”

  Without another word, Alejandro left the room, slamming the door behind him.

  He didn’t return home until later in the evening. She was sitting outside, reading one of her books when he returned. He strolled onto the patio, a bouquet of flowers in his arms and a grin on his face as he greeted her.

  “How is my beautiful fiancée?” he said as he walked down the steps from the kitchen that led to the patio.

  Setting the e-reader aside, Amanda jumped to her feet and ran to greet him, smiling at the flowers. “You’re back!”

  He pulled her into his arms and hugged her, being careful not to crush the flowers. “Ay, mamacita,” he murmured. “You missed me, no?”

  “Are those for me?” she asked innocently but knowing full well what the answer would be.

  “These?” He glanced at the flowers. “No, they are for my other fiancée. Have you seen her?”

  She laughed and took them. “Then we best be getting them into water for her, ja?”

  He followed her into the kitchen and watched as she opened cabinets, looking for a vase. “I need to go to Los Angeles next week for a few days. I’d like you to come along,” he said as she filled the vase with water.

  “Oh?”

  “Sí,” he said. “I am performing live on a show. You will go, no?”

  She made a face at him and laughed. “Of course!”

  “And we will need to make an announcement,” he said quietly.

  At that, she looked up, surprised. “I have no one to announce it to, Alejandro. I already wrote a letter to my parents today. I thought they should hear it directly from me before they hear it from the newspapers.”

  He nodded, understanding the wisdom of her decision to send them a letter. “And we will need to make arrangements,” he continued, his words stilted and sounding odd. It was strange to think of Alejandro speaking about their wedding. It was all so new to her. “What do you think about before the holidays?”

  She realized that by the word arrangements, he actually meant the wedding itself. It dawned on her that her idea of a wedding would be very different from his. She knew that Englische couples often married in churches and threw elaborate parties. The brides wore fancy white gowns with veils. “I . . . I don’t know what to say,” she admitted.

  “During the holidays, I have a busy schedule,” he explained. “Jingle Bell concerts, Times Square for New Year’s. We’ll be traveling quite a bit, and then I have several concerts in South America. It would be better to not wait, no?”

  It was late September.

  “I don’t know anything about Englische weddings,” she said quietly, suddenly feeling awkward. At home, the weddings were announced, and everyone knew what to do. Preparation was usually made in two to three weeks, but it was always the same. Nothing fancy.

  “Hmm,” he said thoughtfully as he studied her expression. “I see where that could present a problem.” The seriousness of his tone made her look up at him, the color draining from her face. To her relief, he laughed and reached out his hand. “Come here,” he commanded, holding his arms out for her. She let him pull her into his arms and hug her, loving the protective feeling of his embrace. “Ay, Dios,” he said softly. “What would I ever do without you, Princesa?”

  “I’m sorry,” she apologized, feeling that it was necessary, but that only caused him to laugh.

  “For what, Princesa? For being you? That is why I love you so much.”

  I love you. Those words sent a thrill through her. She had never imagined hearing those words and especially not from a man like Alejandro. No, she thought, she had never imagined a man like Alejandro in her life, period. He was the fabric that dreams and fantasies were made of, not a man who wandered into the life of a plain and simple Amish girl from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

  “Oh, Alejandro,” she sighed, feeling the too-familiar sting of tears in her eyes. “I . . .”

  He looked down at her. “You what?”

  “I just can’t believe this is happening,” she said, her words choked as she tried to hold back her tears.

  He wiped the tears away and gave her a tender smile. “It is happening, Princesa. And I would have it no other way,” he replied. He pulled her into another embrace, rocking her back and forth gently, still smiling as he held her. “You’ve got mi corazón . . . my heart, Princesa.”

  The moment was interrupted by the ring of his cell phone. He reached into his pocket, and mouthing “I’m sorry” to Amanda, he answered in Spanish. He was animated and his hands began to make gestures as he spoke to whoever was on the phone. Quietly, Amanda returned to the flowers, fluffing the stems, and then she carried the vase to the foyer so that she could set it by the entrance on the bombé chest.

  She looked around, realizing that this was to be her home with Alejandro. She was no longer a guest but his fiancée. The realization struck her, and she caught her breath. This magnificent condominium, ten times the size of her parents’ farmhouse, would be “home.” She wondered if she would ever be able to think of it that way.

  The night before had been magical. After he had proposed to her, they had sat on the back of the yacht, holding hands and staring into the clear, star-filled sky. Neither spoke. There were no words. At one point, he turned to her, smiled, and leaned over to kiss her.

  “What was that for?” she had asked shyly.

  “For agreeing to become my wife, Princesa,” he had replied. He brushed his fingers along her shoulder and smiled softly at her, his voice low as he said, “For making this little chico from Cuba the luckiest man in the world.” Shutting his eyes, he sighed and held her close as he breathed in her scent. “¡Qué tranquilo!”

 
The yacht had pulled into the marina at nine o’clock. Despite the darkness and late hour, Amanda had been surprised to see the paparazzi there, smaller in number than she had grown used to from before, but enough of them to make her shy away and hide behind Alejandro. He had laughed at her and held her hand, teasing her as he helped her disembark onto the deck.

  Now she stood in the center of the hallway, her arms wrapped around herself, feeling completely overwhelmed. How had all of this happened? And so quickly. Oh, she had known that she loved Alejandro during the summer at the farm. When he had left, she had felt that her world had collapsed. Still, she had not imagined that she would walk away from the only life she had ever known to become his wife, a wife to a celebrity in a world that she was still only just beginning to learn about. Would she ever be able to adapt to that world?

  Chapter Nineteen

  They were to spend seven days in Los Angeles, he had told her. Most of these days were spent at the studio, filming another music video and discussing with his team the holiday concerts that he was scheduled to perform. He was also doing some charity work at a local school for Hispanic children. His days were busy, and although he tried to include Amanda as much as he could, she also spent several days alone at the condo.

  She didn’t mind. She was amazed at the size and grandeur of his two-bedroom Los Angeles “hideaway,” as he called it. She realized that it was one of the first times in her life that she had been alone in a house. At the farm, there was always someone there. At Alejandro’s Miami home, Rodriego and Señora Perez were there, as well as the other part-time people who floated in and out during the day. It was nice to be alone, to read her books or write letters.

  But at night, he always came back, took a shower, and changed into a freshly pressed suit, eager to show her the city.

  “Tonight we have a dinner,” he said. “It’s a media event, so there will be lots of photographers there.” He was drinking a cup of coffee that he had made as he leaned against the kitchen counter. At this condo, he seemed more relaxed. Without Señora Perez to pamper him or Rodriego to manage the house, Alejandro had to do more things for himself. It surprised Amanda that he did so with such ease.

  “Oh?”

  He set the coffee mug in the sink as he checked his pocket for his cell phone and glasses. “Sí,” he replied. “And I asked Celinda to take you shopping today. A day of primping and pampering.” He peered at her from behind his glasses and smiled that mischievous half-smile. “Be a true daughter of a goddess for the world tonight, Princesa!”

  He laughed when her mouth fell open, stunned by his words.

  “Besides,” he said, strolling across the kitchen to give her a kiss before he left. “It is good for you to cultivate friendships, no?”

  “I reckon,” she said, not certain how she felt about spending the day with a complete stranger. Although she had enjoyed sitting with Celinda and her boyfriend, Justin Bell, at the awards dinner the other week, she felt uncomfortable shopping with someone as glamorous as that woman.

  He started to walk toward the door but turned around, digging into his front pocket. “I almost forgot,” he said walking back toward her. “Keep this to buy whatever you’d like.” He slid a small plastic card into her hand. “There’s no limit, Amanda, so don’t feel awkward.”

  She looked at the black credit card in her hand. American Express. Under the numbers at the bottom of the card was her name: Amanda Beiler. “I can’t accept this!” she gasped, thrusting it back at him. She had never even held a credit card in her hand before, never mind thought about having one in her own name. The Amish paid for everything in cash, never credit. And to have Alejandro paying for her?

  But he pushed her hand away before she could give the credit card back. “Of course you can,” he said and pointed a finger at her. “And you will. Celinda will know what you should wear tonight, so no arguing with her, Princesa.” He gave her one more kiss, his lips lingering just momentarily over hers. “I want you to look fabulous tonight.”

  The dinner was held at a private dining club. The men wore tuxedos, and the women wore a mixture of gowns and fancy dresses. Amanda felt out of place in the simple, strapless black gown with a rhinestone clasp by her bosom. However, Alejandro had simply stared at her when she emerged from the bedroom where she had changed.

  “¡Ay, Dios!” he whistled and shook his hand. “Celinda is a good shopping companion for you, no?” He stepped forward and reached for her hand. Lifting it over her head, he ordered her to turn around. The lower part of the dress fanned out, exposing her ankles and her rhinestone-studded shoes. “We may have to replace Lucinda, sí?”

  Nothing would have pleased Amanda more than never seeing Lucinda or hearing her name again. But she didn’t say anything of that nature.

  Certainly, she had enjoyed her time with Celinda during the afternoon. People seemed to stop and stare wherever they went. Her composure under such pressure amazed Amanda. During it all, Celinda was oblivious to the photographers and gawking fans. Instead, she spent her time focusing on Amanda and helping her select the perfect dress for a magical evening.

  Afterward, they had managed to find a quiet place to grab a quick late-afternoon lunch. Amanda was increasingly drawn to the young woman and found that, despite their different backgrounds, they had a lot in common. Amanda was looking forward to spending more time with Celinda that evening.

  Amanda smoothed down the edge of the dress and smiled at Alejandro, her eyes wide and hopeful as she asked, “You like, ja?”

  He shut his eyes and smiled, putting his hand on her waist and pulling her toward him. “Ja,” he teased. His voice was low and husky, with a gruffness to it that she was starting to recognize when he was pleased with her. “If only you’d say yes, I’d forget about the dinner and spend the night with you . . .” He nuzzled at her neck.

  She placed her hand on his shoulder and pushed him gently away. “Alejandro!” She knew exactly what he meant, and the insinuation embarrassed her. Not only was that reserved for marriage, it was also something the Amish did not discuss so freely and openly. Yet, her embarrassment amused him and he laughed at her. “Stop,” she whispered but couldn’t help herself from smiling at his teasing.

  There was a limousine waiting for them outside the lobby. The doorman opened the door and nodded as Alejandro and Amanda exited the building. The dining club was nearby, so it only took a few minutes to navigate the streets and pull up out front. As she was beginning to expect, there were crowds at least ten deep, taking photos and cheering at the different people who emerged from the cars.

  Alejandro waved to the crowd, then reached down to help Amanda out of the limo. There was a collective gasp from the people as she stood there, her hair pulled back in her customary bun with the dress that she had bought earlier that day with Celinda. Several people behind the ropes called out her name, and Amanda turned in their direction, blinded by flashes from iPhones and cameras.

  “Now I know why you wear sunglasses all the time,” she said to Alejandro. To her surprise, he reached up and, removing them from his face, handed them to her in a chivalrous gesture. Playing along, Amanda put them on, and to the delight of the crowd, she turned to face the blinding cameras and posed.

  Alejandro laughed, clapping his hands in amusement at her little display for the people. They cheered, too, enjoying this playful side of Amanda.

  “You are simply amazing,” he whispered, his eyes glowing at her as they continued walking into the dining club. It pleased her tremendously to know that he appreciated her teasing.

  Once inside, they were separated as swarms of people began to vie for their attention. Alejandro made his way to the bar to order drinks while Amanda found herself next to Celinda and a group of well-dressed and sophisticated women who made her feel inferior by their style, their grace, their presence. Celinda provided a quick introduction, and Amanda immediately forgot their names.
But she noticed that they were aloof and uninterested, quite different from Celinda.

  “You look stunning,” Celinda said softly so that the other women didn’t hear.

  “Danke for your help,” Amanda replied. “Alejandro seemed pleased.”

  Celinda laughed. “I bet.”

  “Who are those women you introduced to me?” Amanda asked. “Should I have known them?”

  Once again, Celinda laughed. She was a happy woman with a lot of self-confidence. Amanda found herself liking her even more. “In our world, they are rather well known. I think that they were put out by the fact that you didn’t recognize them.”

  At this, Amanda shrugged. “Why should I know them?”

  “Oh, Amanda,” Celinda said, shaking her head but clearly amused. “They are famous!”

  Glancing over her shoulder at the women who were now talking with two men dressed in tuxedos, she shook her head. “Not in my world,” she added. “Just some fancy women, is all.”

  Amanda disliked going to the local market on Saturdays. The Englische tourists were always out, especially in the summer. But her mother needed some items and asked Amanda to harness the horse, ignoring Aaron’s enthusiastic offer to help. “Need to get some vinegar for the beets and more rennet and cheesecloth for the cheese making this afternoon. I thought I had enough but ain’t so.”

  Oh help, Amanda thought. Going to the market would be crazy on a Saturday morning.

  She was standing in line, Aaron bouncing at her side and begging for some candy, when she saw the young girl. She was clearly a tourist and waiting for her own parents to finish shopping. Englische tourists loved to shop at Amish markets, hoping for an opportunity to engage in dialogue with them while buying Amish foods that would probably never be eaten.