Plain Change

by Sarah Price

  Too much work on the farm.

  Father selling the farm.

  Amanda sighed and handed him the letter. She waited until his eyes scanned the few short lines. It was signed “Love, Mother.” But the words did not express any indication that she meant it. To her family, she was a stranger now, having chosen the life of the Englische over the life of the Amish.

  “We can try to visit, no?” he asked as he handed the letter back to her.

  She shook her head. “Nee.” She slipped the folded letter back into the envelope. “Not yet. They aren’t ready.” She met his concerned gaze. “Maybe they never will be.”

  He squeezed her knee, a gesture meant to comfort her as he stood back up. “Come,” he said. “Let’s go out for dinner and dancing, mi amor.” He pulled her to her feet and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Let me show off my beautiful wife to the world and spoil her with attention and love, sí?”

  If only his kiss could quell the sadness that she felt in her heart.

  “One day,” her father said to Aaron, “this farm will be yours, son.”

  Aaron stared at his father, a concerned look on his face. “Where will you and Mamm live?”

  Everyone had laughed at the innocence of his question.

  The music was too loud, and Amanda wished that she could just go home. She was tired, and they had a busy day tomorrow, with leaving for New York City. But Alejandro was in his element, laughing with his friends and buying drinks for some of the pretty women who hovered nearby. Amanda didn’t mind that for she knew it was part of the Viper game.

  But she did mind Maria, who continued to hang around him, her hand on his shoulder possessively. She monopolized Alejandro’s attention, not letting anyone else get close to him. Of course, when Amanda would approach him, Maria would quickly disappear, not even sparing a smile or a single word for Alejandro’s wife.

  “¡Mi amor!” he called out when she walked toward him. He pulled her into his arms and gave her a soft kiss. “You are ready to dance, sí?” He gestured toward the dance floor. Without waiting for an answer, he turned and led her onto the floor where other people were dancing, the lights of the club swirling overhead and the music pounding in her ears.

  At the sight of Viper bringing his wife onto the floor, people cleared a space for him. Amanda watched him as he began to dance, mesmerized as always by the way that he was able to make his body move in time with the music. He loved to dance, and when he did, his entire expression changed. Music coursed through his blood.

  He reached out for her, his arm around her waist. Pulling her close, he helped guide her to move in time with the music. Despite not being comfortable dancing in such a setting, Amanda found herself loosening up as his fingers entwined with her one hand, moving her backward across the floor. Just being near him was overpowering and filled her with energy. His enthusiasm for life was contagious, and when he began to sing in her ear, she found herself laughing, forgetting that she was tired and had wanted to go home.

  The DJ changed up the music and, to Alejandro’s delight, played his most recent song: “Plain Fame.” The crowd cheered and made room for Alejandro to serenade Amanda—their own private concert. She stood off to the side of the floor, her eyes watching his every move as Alejandro transformed once again into Viper, performing for the crowd as he sang to her.

  “Looking at you tonight, your eyes sparkling so bright, your smile and laugh stuck inside my head. When I’m on the road, or in the booth, my heart stays with you instead,” he sang, crossing the dance floor, pausing to dance in front of a group of women in the crowd. Their cheers encouraged him, and he kept singing, dancing along the perimeter of the gathering until he stood before Amanda. “Fame . . . the only name of my game, until that day you came into play.” He reached for her hand and pulled her back into his arms, looking down into her face and ignoring the noise of the crowd behind them. “Love over fame. Without you nothing would be the same.”

  The crowd pulsated with energy as they cheered, dancing to the beat and taking cell phone photos of Alejandro and Amanda as the song ended and everyone applauded. The DJ quickly began a new song, and the dance floor filled once again.

  For a moment, they stood there, neither one moving. He held her in his arms, staring down into her face. From his expression, she could tell that he was pleased. His eyes flashed with that all-too-familiar sultry look as he studied her face, his breathing short and deep. His eyes dropped to her lips, and she knew that he wanted to kiss her, to hold her, to take her home.

  “You ready to go, Princesa?” he asked, his voice husky and deep. She blushed, knowing what that meant.

  “Sí,” she said softly, lifting her eyes to meet his. “Always.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Something was wrong. She could sense it right away. The crowds in New York City were not responding in the typical way. Despite Alejandro having given an amazing early-morning performance at the Today Show and the crowds cheering him on, Amanda could feel that something was off.

  She stood inside the studio, watching through the window. There was a security guard assigned to stand by her, a precaution that Alejandro had insisted upon, although Amanda wasn’t certain she understood why.

  Then she saw the signs: “I Can Be Amish Too” and “A Married Viper Is Just a Garter Snake.” She shut her eyes when she saw those signs and turned away from the window.

  They had arrived in New York City the previous evening. The airport had been crowded, and security had guided them through the corridors to avoid any crowds. Several people had recognized him and called out. Alejandro had waved but didn’t stop for his usual photo-and-chat opportunity. Instead, he reached for Amanda’s hand and led her along with the security guards.

  Amanda had been tired and promptly slipped into bed, barely shutting her eyes before she had fallen asleep. She had thought she heard Alejandro chuckling at her as he switched the light off and retired to the sitting room to work on some music. That’s where she had found him at three in the morning, still poring over his laptop, mixing music.

  “You still up, ja” she had asked sleepily from the doorway. “It’s three, Alejandro.”

  He glanced at her. “Is it?”

  She had crossed the room and slid next to him on the sofa, curling her legs under her and resting her head on his shoulder. “Come to bed,” she had whispered.

  “In a minute.”

  Shutting her eyes, Amanda had fallen back to sleep, sitting next to him while he continued to work. It was four o’clock when he had finally shut the laptop and started to stand, waking her in the process. He took her hand and led her back into the bedroom. He had to leave in an hour, so rather than sleep, he had stripped off his clothes and crawled into bed with Amanda, taking her into his arms and waking her with soft kisses before he made love to her.

  Now, as she stood in the studio, her thoughts flipping between the memory of his love that morning and the obnoxious messages on those signs, she could only sigh.

  “Coffee?”

  She turned around and smiled at the young woman who handed her a warm coffee mug. “Danke,” Amanda said as she took the coffee.

  “I . . . I think . . .” the woman started to say but stopped, averting her eyes. “Never mind.”

  Amanda smiled. Most people tended to avoid her. Their attention was either on Alejandro, or they were too intimidated by her Amish past to approach her. “Nee,” she said, encouraging the woman to speak her mind. “Tell me what you think.”

  The young woman glanced through the window at Alejandro performing outside. “I think your story with Viper is amazing,” she confided in Amanda. Shyly, she glanced at her again. “It’s very romantic.”

  For a second, Amanda looked away. Amazing? Romantic? Those were words she had never associated with any aspect of her life. Still, she felt that familiar rush of emotion when she returned her gaz
e to watch Alejandro as he sang to the crowds. At one point, she thought she saw him turn to look at the window as if searching for her. She smiled, not certain whether he could see her through the tinted glass.

  “I think so, too,” Amanda finally replied.

  Was it only six months ago that she had been returning from Ohio? Less, she realized. How much her life had changed since that time. One accident, and everything had shifted in ways she never could have imagined.

  “They’re ready for you,” a man said over her shoulder.

  Amanda glanced at him, then handed the coffee mug back to the young woman. “OK,” she said, slipping her arms into the Burberry jacket and tightening the belt before she followed the man down a long corridor toward a door that led outside. Once the door opened, she could hear the noise of the screaming fans, some who were now screaming for her. The security guard gently took Amanda’s elbow and led her through the break in the crowd toward the stage.

  Alejandro had wanted her up there with him. He wanted to introduce her to the fans before singing his hit song, “Plain Fame.” He wanted her standing on the stage so that he could serenade her in front of the thousands of people gathered in Rockefeller Plaza and the millions who were watching from the comfort of their homes.

  “Many of you know,” she heard him say into the microphone, “that I just released a new song.” The crowd began to scream, knowing what song he was about to sing. “Many of you also know that I wrote this song about my feelings for one particular young lady.” He paused. “A lady who, with the blessing of God, has become my wife.” More screams and a few hisses from the crowd. He had warned her that might happen. Alejandro ignored them as he turned, gesturing to the side of the stage. “I want to introduce you to Mrs. Viper, Amanda Diaz!”

  Screams. Applause. Cheers.

  Taking a deep breath, Amanda walked up the stairs and joined Alejandro. With his gloved hand, he reached out to take hold of hers. He lifted it to his lips, kissing the back of her skin and smiling when she blushed. “I wrote this song for you, Amanda,” he said into the microphone. “But today,” he continued, waving his arm over the crowd, “I sing it for all of you!”

  The crowd jumped and yelled, waving their arms as he began to sing the song. Amanda felt awkward, standing on the stage, uncertain what to do. She had never been on the stage when he was performing, and it was odd watching him as he sang and entertained the audience. Fans reached up, hoping that he would shake their hands. Their faces beamed, bright and hopeful, full of adoration for this man.

  Amanda understood why.

  She could feel the pulse of the music as he sang. She even found herself swaying in time to the beat, and with the encouragement of one of the band members, she began to clap along with them. When Alejandro turned around and saw her, he grinned and yelled into the microphone, a happy noise, as he pumped his arm into the air. The crowd continued to scream and yell, dancing and clapping with him.

  When the song ended, Alejandro lifted his arm into the air and lowered his head, listening to the final cheers from the crowd before he walked backward a few steps, turned, and reached out his hand for Amanda. Hesitantly, she took it, and to her surprise, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her in front of all of the people.

  One of the morning anchors, Marc Latner, approached the stage, a microphone in his hand as he grinned and reached out to shake Viper’s hand. “That was a great show. As always,” he said. He smiled at Amanda. “And it’s wonderful to meet the new Mrs.Viper. Congratulations on your recent wedding.”

  She returned the smile but stepped backward, hiding behind Alejandro. He laughed and put his arm around her, bringing her back toward the front so that everyone could see her.

  “Thank you, Marc,” Alejandro said. “We couldn’t be happier.”

  “And with a new release song that burned its way to the top of the charts, I can imagine that life is all the way around quite good!”

  Alejandro nodded. “God continues to bless me, first with my success and now with my wife.”

  “You do seem to work a lot. Not a lot of downtime. I understand that you have quite a few shows coming up along the East Coast,” Marc said.

  “That’s right. We’re hitting the major cities over the next few weeks but will be right back here to ring in the New Year with the Big Apple!” The crowd cheered and Alejandro laughed, nodding at the people and pumping his arm in the air.

  “And a new album is being released before the holidays?”

  Alejandro nodded. “Sí, sí. And we’ll begin our spring tour in South America before returning to the States for a summer series.”

  “As always, you are keeping yourself busy. And, as always, Viper, a pleasure to have you here.”

  “Thank you, Marc. It’s always great to be here and to entertain the good folks at Rockefeller Plaza!”

  Thirty minutes later, they were in the back of a limousine, hurrying across Manhattan to their next stop for an interview on a morning talk show. Amanda stared out the window, watching the tall buildings pass by. Next to her, Alejandro was on his cell phone, talking with Mike about some appointments the following week in Miami and Atlanta. By the time he finished the phone call, they were pulling up at their next stop.

  While Amanda was a nervous wreck, petrified about being interviewed by the panel of women, she noticed that Alejandro breezed into the building, stopping to shake hands with several people. All in a day’s work, she thought with both a touch of pride and envy at his composure and confidence.

  “What’s life like, Amanda, married to Viper?”

  She wanted to squirm in the chair, but Alejandro had mentioned to her that it was imperative to pay attention to every gesture, movement, and expression. She glanced at him and he smiled, raising an eyebrow as he waited for her response.

  “It’s rather busy,” she finally said, and the audience laughed. “And there’s always a lot of people around.” More laughter.

  The woman who was asking the questions sat next to Amanda on a sofa. She was an older woman and had pleasant eyes. Amanda knew that she liked her right away and felt comfortable talking to her. It made the blurry faces of the audience disappear. “A lot different from living on an Amish farm, I would say, yes?”

  Amanda bit her lower lip and stared at the woman. She didn’t want to talk about the Amish. She didn’t want to compare the lifestyles. It wasn’t fair. But Alejandro had already prepped her for that question. “Obvious differences, ja,” she admitted. “But there are less obvious similarities.”

  That seemed to catch the attention of the interviewer. “Oh?”

  She nodded. “Ja, like the sunrise in Miami.” She smiled. “I love waking up early and sitting on the back patio, watching the sun light up the sky. The birds are so happy and greet the day in song. Why, I can shut my eyes and could just as well be back at the farm!”

  There was a murmur of appreciation among the audience, and the female interviewers nodded their heads.

  Amanda glanced at Alejandro, hoping that she was saying the right things. When he smiled his encouragement at her, she continued. “And the people. Ja vell, they stare a lot and steal photos. But they did that in Pennsylvania, too.” She turned her gaze back to the interviewer and, with a slight shrug of her shoulders, added, “Guess it’s just for different reasons now.” The audience laughed again, enjoying the innocent banter of the young woman.

  The interviewer turned to Alejandro. “I must say,” she began, “I’ve seen a big change in you, Viper. I think I understand why.” She leaned forward and placed her hand on Amanda’s knee. “They always say that behind every good man . . .”

  The audience chimed in to finish her sentence. “Is an even better woman!”

  Alejandro laughed, holding up his hands in mock self-defense. “¡Ay, Dios! I give, I give!” The audience loved his reaction.

  When the fervor died do
wn, the woman turned to Alejandro. She tilted her head as she smiled at him. “What’s next, Viper? From bad boy to playboy to international sensation to loving husband! The transition is pleasant to see, true, but will the fans feel the same way?”

  “Aw, Barbara,” he said, rolling his eyes and leaning forward so that his elbow was resting on his knee. “My fans and my music are my everything, you know that.” He turned his head to look at Amanda. She saw his eyes, dancing at her, and her mind flashed back to earlier that day when she had found him working at four in the morning. She blushed and he laughed. “Only I’m sharing the victories with someone very special to me now.” Playfully, he leaned over and whispered, “What are you blushing about, Princesa?” which only caused her to turn crimson, to the delight of the audience and interviewer.

  “Your new song . . .” Barbara continued. “It seems to say an awful lot, Viper. You have merged two very different worlds, haven’t you? Yet you admit that you are choosing love over fame. Is that an indication that you might be slowing down a bit now?”

  For a moment, Amanda thought that he was going to squirm. The question took her by surprise, and she immediately worried that people might actually be thinking that he was going to slow down. If only they could see how hard he works, she thought, wishing that she could speak up and say that. But this was Alejandro’s question and she knew better than to respond. Least said, soonest mended, her mother always used to say.

  He remained remarkably composed. “We’re hitting eight cities between now and New Year’s, Barbara. The only slowing down that will happen is for everyone else trying to keep up with me.” The audience approved of his response and clapped, a few whistling from the seats. Alejandro laughed and looked out at his fans, waving his hand at someone.

  “It’s a beautiful thing,” Barbara said, turning toward the camera. “Seems like music might tame the cobra, but it took someone as lovely as Amanda to tame the viper.”