“Well, I’ll make sure we have some water waiting for you, but now it’s time to sing.” He gave her a little push.
Suddenly, she found herself walking out onto the stage or maybe she was floating. The clapping seemed loud, too loud and that water did nothing to quench her thirst. Everything was surrounded by a fog, and she cupped her hands over her eyes searching for Erik. Was he there? Did he leave her? Was she back on the streets?
Off in the distance, maybe miles and miles away, she heard the emcee say her name. Her music started, but it wasn’t the music she wanted, she wanted to sing the Spectre song, not to out Erik, but to connect to him.
Where was he anyway?
Something told her she needed to sing. Her cue barreled toward her, but when she opened her mouth nothing came out. She had to lie down, and her knees gave out.
“Christine!” Somewhere out there was Erik, but her entire world was engulfed in a fire and smoke before everything went black.
Chapter Twenty
“I want to go on record saying that I think you’re an asshole coupled with a total douchebag.” Nash poked Erik with his cane.
“According to your calculations, I’ll have it coming out of both ends then.” Erik shooed Nash away and kept his focus on the stage. He did exactly what he promised he wouldn’t do and sent Christine out there with little practice.
“Maybe you should just go, and I’ll make sure she gets a place to stay tonight, because frankly, you’re useless.” Nash growled at him.
Erik turned. Even in the darkness, he could see Nash glaring at him.
“What? You slept with her, so now you don’t need her anymore?” Nash stepped forward.
“That’s your department.” Erik straightened up.
Nash came closer. “She was crying you know. How do you expect her to sing?”
Honestly, he didn’t know the answer to that question. He didn’t know what he was doing. “She knows who I am. She knows who you are.”
“So? So, what?” Nash lifted his arms. “So what if she knows? Are you that concerned about her or are you that concerned about being outted with your less than perfect face?”
“I don’t see you running back to the woman you love.” Erik went for Nash’s jugular.
Never flinching, Nash continued to stare at him.
“She won’t be seen with me, and then she’ll leave.” The words simply left Erik’s mouth.
“Really? Because right about now, I bet you she would be god-damned proud to be seen with you. It’s your issue with your face, no one else’s. You’re going to make her leave, and when you do, I won’t be there, because you brought it on yourself.” Nash shoved him.
Rage burned though him and Erik grabbed him by the collar.
“After her amazing performance last week, we are proud to welcome back Christine Day.” The emcee announced.
Both men turned toward the stage.
Christine seemed to be swaying on unsteady feet.
Her music started.
“Your mix sucks on this.” Nash pushed him away.
“I know.” He moved closer. Christine tripped and put her hand over her eyes as if looking for someone.
“She’s looking for you.” Nash went to his side. “What’s wrong with her?”
Something was wrong, definitely wrong. Something was wrong with his Christine. His muscles tensed. “This is my fault.”
The music continued, and she grabbed her microphone. Actually, she braced herself on the microphone stand. She was going to fall.
“Erik.” Nash’s tone let out a warning.
No way would he allow her to blow her chance, ruin the competition. It couldn’t end like this. They couldn’t go down like this. “Nash.”
“Do something,” Nash growled.
He gave the area a quick scan. Right when she missed her cue and her knees buckled, he dashed forward toward the pyrotechnic machines, and flipped all the switches. The entire theatre became engulfed in firelight and smoke. “Christine!” He did the only thing he could and ran out on stage, catching his love before she hit the floor.
She slumped in his arms. For both of them, he knew he needed to get them out of there. If they stayed, there would be too many questions and not enough answers.
While chaos broke out in the theatre, he ran back toward his hiding place.
“Get out of here. You can move faster, I’ll get back later.” Nash pushed his car keys into Erik’s hand
With a firm hold on Christine, he jumped down his trap door, rushed out to the car and laid her down in the backseat, checking her twice before he got in the driver’s seat, something he hadn’t done in years.
He had to act fast. All too soon they would shut down the place for security. No time to second guess any of his actions, he drove.
Clutching the steering wheel, he somehow managed to drive them home without breaking every single traffic law known to man, but nothing mattered except getting Christine to safety.
Nothing mattered.
Even if he was caught rescuing her, nothing mattered.
He drove to the back of the theatre and hit the steering wheel. When acting on his own instinct without time to think about his face or being found out, he would risk everything to be with her. “Oh, Christine.” He got out of the car and, using great care, scooped her up into his arms. Before another moment passed, he had to make sure she knew. “I’m so sorry.”
As he entered their home, she stirred at last. “Erik?” Her eyes barely opened, and she reached up.
“I’m here.” He grabbed her hand and kissed it. “What happened?”
“I was so thirsty.” Her voice sounded strained as if she struggled to speak. “And you were gone.”
“I’m here, I’m sorry about everything.” Keeping her in his arms, he took her below the stage, and into her room. He pulled down the blankets and got her in bed, carefully taking off her clothes and covering her up. Did he take her to a hospital? Call a doctor? Whatever was wrong, this was more than anxiety over their relationship, and he started to stand to figure out what to do next.
“Erik!” She grabbed his sleeve. “Don’t go. What if I don’t find you again? I was looking, and you weren’t there.”
In all this insanity, somewhere along the way, he found the one person who wanted him, or she found him. Unable not to give her exactly what she wanted, he lay in the bed beside her, and gathered her up into his arms again. “Tell me honestly, did you take something?” She appeared drugged and unfortunately he had enough experience with Spectre to know the signs.
She turned on her side and held him tight. “I was so thirsty, and you weren’t there.”
“I think we should go to a hospital.” Why he didn’t go there first he didn’t know, but he auto-piloted to the first safe zone.
“No, I just need to sleep. I just need you.” She tried to pull him closer. “I do love you, even if you don’t love me.”
He gave in to her wants and slid down, allowing her to have maximum contact with him. “I love you more than I ever thought possible, Christine.”
“You love me?” Her voice cracked, and she sniffed. “Really?”
“You are my life.” He caressed her. “I loved you from the second I heard your voice, and I’ll always love you.”
Tears collecting in the corner of her eyes, she pressed her palm to the good side of his face, and kissed him before falling asleep.
He lay there wide awake and listened to her breathing.
Chapter Twenty-One
“I spoke with the show this morning. They seemed to think you’d been kidnapped, but I assured everyone that your manager and your lover had you and you were safe.” Erik carried Christine across the stage and gently placed her on a chaise lounge. “Let’s set you down right here. Don’t move.” He adjusted her robe, then held his finger up, and rushed away.
Christine glanced over at Nash, but didn’t dare disobey Erik and move any other part of her body. She never remembered seeing the b
lue velvet chaise lounge, but figured it had to be some sort of prop for something.
Nash wiggled his fingers at her. She couldn’t believe Erik was allowing all of them to be together. Of course, she couldn’t believe he said he loved her. When she first woke up, she swore she’d dreamt the words until he took her face in his hands said he was sorry, and then said he loved her more than anything."
“Anyways.” Erik returned. “The ruckus cancelled the show, and they’re doing a special two-hour double elimination next week. You can do your rock ballad and a country song, if you decide to return to the show.”
She didn’t react. How would Erik feel about her returning to the show? After what happened, could she return to the show?
He unfolded a white cashmere blanket and then took his time wrapping it around her. “Are you comfortable?” He fixed one of her curls, then moved the blanket again.
“Of course I am.” In truth, there was no way she couldn’t be comfortable, since she hadn’t even been allowed to be on her feet this morning.
“Are you sure?” He knelt by her side and kissed the back of her hand.
“I promise.” The best prescription for what ailed her was Erik’s attention, and there was no way she could overdose on that, unlike whatever happened to her last night.
“How do you feel?” He treated her to another round of tucking.
“A little tired, but much better.” She gave him a smile.
Before sitting in a chair by the lounge, he gave her two kisses. “I love you.”
There, he said the words in front of Nash, now she had proof. “I love you.” Her cheeks heated.
“We have decisions to make here. Are you ever going to share with us all your research?” Erik motioned toward Nash.
“I had to make sure you were done with all your…” Nash raised his eyebrows. “All your stuff.”
Instead of speaking, Erik leaned back and let out a little grunt.
“Trust me.” Nash held his hand up. “All your stuff is much preferred.”
Once more, Erik kissed the back of her hand.
“Anyways.” Nash put a stack of papers on the table. “There is a virtual frenzy going on about where and how Christine vanished. There is a very fuzzy photograph circulating of a man all in black swooping across the stage.” He lifted a paper.
Erik stood, took the page, brought it to her, and read the caption. “Chaos broke out on the Stage of Stars last night. Top contender, Christine Day, seemed a little off as her song began, but right after she missed her cue, the pyrotechnics usually reserved for the end of the show exploded in a well-timed fury and one of the audience members caught a mystery man rescuing the damsel in distress. The rest of the show was cancelled, and the fans and the world are now waiting for the appearance of Christine as well as the verdict on the show.”
She took the paper. “I don’t even remember any of this happening. I just remember walking out on stage and then waking up to hearing you say you love me.”
“Speaking of which.” Erik put the page aside and looked back to Nash. “Did you find anything out about what happened?”
Nash leaned down and pulled a water bottle out of his bag and a little paper strip. “I took the bottle over to a friend of mine. As we suspected, someone spiked Chrissy’s drink.”
“Damn it!” Erik shot up, charged over to Nash, and picked up the strip. “That disgusting woman is going to pay!” He threw the strip aside and paced the length of the stage. “This woman won’t live through what I have planned for her.”
“Erik.” She barely whispered his name, but it was enough to make him stop, turn and rush back to her, practically skidding on his knees to get to her.
“Are you all right?” He took her hand between both of his.
“I don’t want you doing anything that will get you in trouble or that could hurt what we have built together. That’s what Carly wants and it’s not worth it.” She laced her fingers in his.
“She could have hurt you permanently, Christine. God knows what could have happened.” He shook his head. “You can’t expect me to let that go.”
“What she did is bring us together faster than we planned. In times of crisis, we tend to act with our hearts and that’s what we needed.” She stared into his eyes. “Promise me that you won’t sacrifice that.”
“She’s right, Erik.” Nash rifled through the papers. “If anything, Carly is getting the exact opposite of what she wanted.”
Erik huffed, then gazed down at their hands together. “All right, I promise.”
“What about the show?” she whispered. This was a decision they had to make together.
“The show almost killed you.” He didn’t look her in the eye.
“I think we have to do it, Erik. If we don’t, Carly wins in a whole other way.” She hooked her fingers under his chin and lifted his face to hers. “The show brought us together, so I feel we have to see it through so we can go on with the rest of our lives.”
“I don’t remember the last time I thought about the rest of my life, but I have one now.” His fingertips grazed her cheek.
Win or lose, she knew they had to make it through the competition to have the rest of their lives.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Security was tighter than normal.” Nash stretched in their cubbyhole behind the stage.
“We got through, so apparently all these people are fools, and I just allowed the woman I love to go traipsing around a second-rate theatre where deranged lunatics can sneak in after a major security breach involving fire last week.” Erik shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He just wanted tonight to be over so they could go home.
“Now you’re calling us deranged lunatics?” Nash chuckled.
The emcee headed out on the stage. “We are pleased to welcome back Chimera’s Dungeon.”
“If the mask fits.” Needing to hear their biggest competition, he held up his hand, silencing Nash.
Chimera’s Dungeon began, and he leaned back. Though they tended more toward edgier music, they owned the perky tune, and even donned coordinating outfits giving them a boy band feel, perfect for this song.
Clearly a favorite, the crowd went into a huge round of applause when they finished and the emcee joined them on stage.
The pop star judge took the lead. “That’s what I’m talking about.” The man made some hand gesture Erik assumed was supposed to be trendy and sat down.
The female judge went next. “You are commercial, and that is exactly what we are looking for.”
Lastly, the song writer weighed in. “Though not your normal genre, you owned this.”
“Excellent work.” The emcee motioned for them to go off stage, and the group took one more bow and left. “We will be back from commercial break with the ever mysterious Christine Day.”
Erik rubbed his hands together and braced himself on one of the props. They were almost done with this double show. “She did good with her country song. The rock ballad should be a no-brainer for her.” They just had to get through the next song and then the eliminations. That would give them the last solo act and group act for the finale next week.
Nash huffed on his knuckles and rubbed them against his shirt as if shining them up. “Yes, thanks to me, she had her twang down.”
“Thanks to me, she’s here.” At least Christine made it through her first performances with no incidents. Still, he couldn’t believe no one had taken any action against Rat Race since he personally delivered the evidence himself. Fine, it wasn’t personally as in he handed it to someone. For all they knew some ghost produced the incriminating proof.
Erik smiled as the lights on the stage lowered. He did notice that tonight there was no use of pyrotechnics. Bonus.
“Everyone, please welcome Christine Day,” The emcee announced, and her music began.
Right on cue, she came in and sang her rock ballad. Originally, she had wanted to sing a Spectre song, but after his reaction she never brought it up again
.
He didn’t even glance at Nash as she sang. There was something missing, that little extra quality she possessed in all the other songs she sang for this competition. Maybe it was only him, the fact he knew her voice inside and out, maybe it was because they didn’t get to practice as they should, or maybe deep down he wanted her to sing his song.
Of course, he was probably the only who would notice. No matter what, she was still head and shoulders above the rest of the competition.
The song ended, the applause rang through the theatre, and Nash came and stood next to him.
The female judge went first. “Christine, you did good, but not great and I think we are so used to great from you.”
Erik furrowed his brow, but couldn’t disagree.
The pop star went next. “You did wonderful, but you didn’t seem happy. This may not be your genre.”
“No, it’s just not her song.” Erik pursed his lips.
At last, the song writer spoke. “These words didn’t resonate with you. You’re definitely an emotional singer and when we lose that with you, we lose the connection.”
Erik balled his fist. She would have nailed the Spectre song, she said she wanted to do it to be part of him, and the audience would have felt that. If she were eliminated now, it would be his fault. Did he sabotage her?
“All right Christine, there’s some food for thought.” The emcee motioned for her to go off stage. “Before we head into the double elimination we’re going to look back on this season thus far.”
“Damn it.” Erik knew she would never forgive herself if she didn’t make it. Bad reviews were never easy, but no matter what, she had to know he loved her, nothing mattered but them. “I’m going to go see if I can speak to her.”
Leaving Nash, he climbed out of his perch and slid along the wall, figuring he could somehow signal to her.
“What are you talking about?” Carly’s distinctive screeching rattled his eardrum, and he stopped, and climbed up on some scaffolding to take a look into a small room close to the green room.
“We are doing a spot check of everyone’s bags. We’ve had some reports.” The director as well as two security guards stood around Carly.
Facade Page 13
