Something True

by Malia Mallory

  The ride into the city offered a spectacular view of the skyline. The gleaming reflections of skyscrapers alternated with historic stone buildings. The taxi sped along and Shelley placed a call to her cousin to let her know she was on the way. She hadn’t seen Faith in over a year and looked forward to the visit. As children, they’d been two peas in a pod, and Shelley still felt a special closeness to Faith, more sister than cousin.

  When the cab stopped in front of her building, Faith rushed out. As Shelley exited the taxi, she enfolded her in a tight hug. “I’m so glad to see you. It’s been too long.”

  The driver placed Shelley’s bag on the curb and she passed him some bills. “I’m glad to see you, too. You look terrific.”

  “Something tall, dark, and handsome is agreeing with me.” Faith winked.

  “You’ll have to tell me all about it.” The news of Faith’s new man thrilled Shelley. She’d been worried about Faith since her fiancé broke it off right before their wedding.

  “I will. Let’s get inside.” Faith picked up Shelley’s suitcase and led her up the stoop.

  Faith’s apartment was small, but homey. Shelley loved the combination of family treasures, soft fabrics, and earthy colors.

  Shelley hugged Faith again. “So, so, how’s the job?”

  “The same. Let’s talk about something more interesting. I do believe I saw a small mention about you and a certain rocker? It might have been more than a small mention,” Faith teased.

  “I know, it’s crazy, right? Who’d think a guy like that would be interested in me?” Shelley still hadn’t gotten used to the idea.

  Faith scoffed. “Who’d think that? Ah, who wouldn’t? You’re beautiful, talented, and va va va voom.” Faith moved her hands in a way that indicated a curvy figure.

  Shelley laughed. “You’re too kind.”

  “No, I’m not. I’m nice, but I’m not going to lie to you. Maybe I’m a little prejudiced, but if you’re giving him your time, he’s lucky. Is he as sexy in person as he seems?” Faith wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

  “Yes, actually. He makes my whole body go haywire,” Shelley admitted.

  Faith sighed. “I thought so.”

  “What about your guy?” Shelley asked.

  “Eh, it’s just a physical thing. Nice, but just sex. Do you think Liam’s the one?” Faith walked to the kitchen and removed two glasses from the cupboard.

  “No, probably not.” Shelley hated saying it. Her heart ached thinking about the end.

  “How come?” The glasses clinked as Faith added ice.

  “He’s got this wild, rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle and I don’t see us fitting together over the long term.”

  “Are you sure?” Faith poured the ice tea and stepped back into the tiny living room, handing Shelley her glass.

  “He says he’s left it behind, but Faith, his life is crazy. Fans all the time. Paparazzi. Tabloids. It’s hard. People are always looking for a compromising picture or a juicy story.”

  “That’s not his fault.” Faith sat on the couch and patted the cushion beside her. “Sit.”

  Shelley sunk onto the cushion. “No, I don’t blame him. I just can’t imagine living like that over the long term.”

  “Hmmmm.”

  “Plus, he’s leaving on a long tour. We’d be spending a lot of time apart. That’s too much for most relationships.”

  “So you aren’t even giving it a chance?” As usual, Faith cut right to the heart of the matter.

  “I’m giving it a chance. Sort of. I mean, we’re going out.”

  “Shelley, either you’re trying or you’re not. What if it’s real? What if it’s true? Are you really going to pass up love because some photographer might take a picture of you eating dinner?”

  “You’re making me sound silly.”

  “I don’t think you’re silly. I think you’re stronger than you realize. If he’s on tour, why not go meet him? Can’t you schedule appearances where he is? They have planes, you know.”

  “Yeah …”

  “All the BS. The fans. The tabloids. They don’t matter. What matters is what’s between you two. What matters is what happens when you’re together. How he makes you feel.”

  Shelley sighed. “He makes me feel wonderful. Desirable. He’s so funny and sometimes sweet. Yet, he has this fierce, protective side… and the sex. He makes me melt into a puddle of quivering pleasure.”

  “You’re going to give up on that because some woman in a bathing suit threw herself at him?”

  “You saw that photo?”

  “I think everyone did. But Shelley, it was pretty clear he wasn’t happy with her. I mean, his scowl was a mile wide.”

  “Yeah, it was. I didn’t think he did anything. Not even for a minute.”

  “See? You trust him, too.”

  “Yes. You know, I guess I’m afraid,” Shelley admitted.

  “Of what?”

  “That he won’t love me. That he won’t love me enough. That I won’t be enough for him. I want the whole thing—something long-term. A home. Children of my own.”

  “Has he told you he doesn’t?” Faith asked.

  “No, he hasn’t.” They’d never discussed the future. Liam had never said where he saw himself down the road. He was good with children, but that didn’t mean he wanted his own.

  “Maybe you should ask him.”

  ~ * ~ * ~

  Shelley walked into the red and gold lobby of Radio City Music Hall short of breath, not from exertion but rather nerves. She was glad she’d taken time to appreciate the murals earlier in the week, because now her focus was elsewhere.

  The rehearsals went well, and Shelley had been thrilled to meet so many fellow performers. She even felt good about the presenting. Vera was right. The producers left nothing to chance. The whole show was tightly timed and scripted.

  Faith took her shopping and she had a brand new dress to wear for her performance. The material hugged her curves, while still being appropriate.

  Shelley dodged the milling guests and hurried through the theater. She was running late. She found a quiet corner backstage and played through Dixie Dog a few times. She listened intently as the show started. The crowd clapped in all the right places and the performers sounded great.

  Shelly wiped her perspiring hand on her skirt and picked up her guitar. Her performance was coming up, and she moved to the staging area. A woman grabbed her skirt and fluffed it out. Another powdered her nose and arranged her hair.

  “We have a special treat for you this evening,” the announcer boomed. “A great up and coming talent is joining us. Please welcome Shelley Taylor!” He gestured toward her and, with a little push from behind, she walked onstage.

  Shelley approached the microphone and looked out. The blinding lights turned the crowd into hazy outlines. She took a deep breath and thought about Liam. He must be getting ready for the party right about now. He believed in her.

  The butterflies settled in her stomach and she began to strum. Her fingers hit every note and her voice filled the auditorium, clear and true. Her love of music infused every word, and the crowd clapped as she played.

  When she finished, she bowed and the audience erupted in cheering.

  The host returned to the stage and reclaimed the microphone. “I think we just heard something special there, folks. I expect we’ll see this young lady back next year.”

  Shelley smiled and waved as she made her way offstage. Her knees trembled with relief. After that, presenting an award was going to be a piece of cake.

  At the end of the night, Shelley was so wired she couldn’t sleep. She wanted to call Liam, but she knew the fundraiser was still going with the time difference between New York and LA.

  She flipped over again, trying to find a comfortable spot on the sofa bed when her phone buzzed. Her hand reached for the table. It was a text from Liam.

  Everything is going great.

  People are opening their wallets!

  She smiled. Why
had she been worried? Liam was charming and capable. He’d probably raise more money than she would have.

  Chapter 10

  Shelley was barely back in LA a week before Liam convinced her to accompany him to New York for the opening performance of the tour. Every venue on the first leg was sold out.

  They flew to New York City two days before the show. When Liam wasn’t practicing with the band, they went sightseeing. Liam enjoyed the anonymity of the city. They walked everywhere they could and took the train when their destination wasn’t close.

  Even the day of the show, Liam insisted on taking the train, wanting to use up his tokens.

  Shelley glanced around the subway platform. “Are you sure this is a good idea? We could take a taxi.” The subway was crowded and people kept bumping into her.

  Liam adjusted his guitar case into a more comfortable position. “It’s fine. This is the fastest way to get to Madison Square Garden. No traffic.”

  “Okay.” Shelley stepped away from the closing doors on the subway car. No one seemed to be paying any attention to them—to him, really. She saw a few surreptitious glances, but no one said a word.

  They took empty seats along the side wall. The advertisements drew Shelley’s eyes, everything from energy drinks to attorneys screamed for her attention in big, bold letters.

  The lights flickered as the train swayed on the tracks, picking up speed between stations.

  “I actually like riding the subway,” Liam whispered in her ear.

  Shelley lifted an eyebrow. “Why?”

  “Look at all these people. Everyone is represented. That guy in the suit, probably a businessman or lawyer. Those girls with their pink leggings and striped socks. Hipsters in the making. You see every manner of person. Rich. Poor. Young. Old. Fashionable. Not.” His eyes strayed to a man with a graying comb-over in a tan sports coat.

  “It’s invigorating. Different from California, where you only see people from the inside of your car.”

  “I guess you’re right.” Shelley never thought about how the driving culture separated her from other people.

  “Exactly. We’re rubbing elbows with humanity.”

  The train jolted to a stop. The doors opened and passengers rushed out while others pushed their way inside. The warning bells chimed and the doors closed.

  The train bumped and clattered along the track. The brakes squealed, and they came to a stop between stations. The lights dimmed. Outside the car, bright graffiti covered the walls of the tunnel.

  Shelley looked at Liam and he shrugged. None of the passengers seemed to find the stop unusual. After a few minutes, people started glancing up from their newspapers and looks of irritation appeared. A teenage girl got up and flounced to a different seat. A middle-aged man pulled open the door between cars and moved to another.

  “What’s going on?” Shelley asked.

  Liam shrugged. “Dunno. The conductor usually makes an announcement.”

  The minutes ticked by. The lights flickered a few times, but the train didn’t move and no announcement was forthcoming. The passengers began to get restless, shifting in their seats with growing frustration.

  Liam flipped open his guitar case and lifted the instrument out. “Anyone mind if I play while we wait?”

  No one answered, but a few people moved closer and a few moved farther away.

  Liam jumped into a song from the new album. “I’m walking down the road … no real place to go …” A few listeners perked up as they realized the music was actually good. A student lifted her nose from her book and gave Liam a long, sideways glance.

  When Liam reached the refrain, Shelley harmonized with him. “Your destiny is me …”

  After the song ended, sporadic applause broke out. The man whistled. “That was great. You should make a record.”

  The student and several others smirked, having recognized Liam.

  Liam played a portion of Stars Rise and the train started to move. He returned his guitar to its case. The train jerked into the station, the doors opened and the passengers carried on with their day, having experienced a tiny oasis in the midst of chaos.

  ~ * ~ * ~

  Everyone rushed to and fro inside the stadium. Two men assembled a drum set on a raised dais toward the rear. Another taped down cords on the stage.

  “Is it always like this?” Normally, Shelley’s own performances didn’t require this kind of preparation. Even the awards show hadn’t seemed quite so huge. The scale of the stadium dwarfed Radio City. Huge video displays framed the back half of the stage and row after row of seating went on forever.

  “Oh, yeah. Sometimes it’s worse.” Liam moved a microphone stand and eyed its position.

  A loud squawk blasted from the speaker system, and Shelley covered her ears. “Do you feel ready?”

  “Yes, I’ve been waiting for this for a while. I love the energy of the crowd. It’s a high you can’t duplicate. You must know what I mean.” Liam picked up the wooden stool sitting in the middle of the stage and relocated it off to the side.

  “Maybe. I’m not sure it’s the same. I get pleasure from my audience. Positive feelings. But I think playing a stadium is a whole other animal.”

  “There’s something to be said for an intimate show. I hope to do a few of those down the road. Small venue. All acoustic.” Liam picked up his guitar from the stand and polished the fingerprints off its surface with the hem of his t-shirt.

  “I’m sure fans would enjoy that.” Shelley’s stomach fluttered and she wasn’t even the one performing. She’d never seen Liam so keyed up. It was a stark contrast to his usual relaxed demeanor.

  “Sometimes I miss it. The pubs.” Liam nudged a cooler filled with water bottles with his toe.

  “Is it hard to connect with a crowd this size?” Shelley scanned the empty seats. They climbed so high they seemed to disappear into the ceiling.

  “Not as much as you’d think. Sometimes I just focus on the front area and it seems to carry through.”

  Liam walked the stage again, checking and double checking everything. A couple hours before the show, he ducked back into the dressing area, where Shelley waited.

  She offered him a cold bottle of water. “Everything look good?”

  “Yeah.” Liam took a long drink and wiped the moisture from his mouth with his hand.

  “You look stressed.”

  “Not stressed. Wired. Always happens before a show. All the nervous energy from everyone. Once the show starts, it’s all cool. It’s the waiting that’s killer.” Liam guzzled the rest of the water.

  Ticket-holders started entering the stadium and the low rumble of their voices filtered backstage. Shelley left to join the crowd, giving Liam time to prepare with Rob and Sean.

  Just before the show started, she relocated to a roped off area on the side, reserved for special guests. The show started off with a bang—literally—and the band exploded onto the stage. Loud, adrenaline-fueled music filled the stadium. Cameras flashed in the distance even though they had no hope of illuminating the stage.

  The band played, the crowd danced, and Liam sang. For two hours, the music entertained the massive throng of fans. New songs and old favorites, they performed them all with barely a break except for water.

  Liam waved his arms at the crowd. “I’d like to bring things down for a moment and sing you something new that isn’t on the album.” Rob and Sean both stepped offstage for a breather.

  Disappointed murmurs drifted to the front.

  “I know. I know. It didn’t make the album because it’s new. But you guys get to hear it first. How’s that?”

  Claps and whistles filled the air.

  “Some of you might know that I have a new lady in my life. A beautiful person and a fellow musician.” Liam gestured in Shelley’s direction.

  Shelley’s hand flew to her mouth. That wasn’t part of the prepared patter.

  “She doesn’t have use for all this.” Liam gestured around the stage. “She prefers to
keep a lower profile. But I need you guys to give me a hand here.”

  “We need you too, Liam!” The shout came from somewhere in the first few rows.

  “I need you guys to help me convince her, that all this is just trappings. What really matters is what happens in here.” Liam thumped his fist twice over his heart.

  The crowd went wild.

  “The title of the song is Drowning in Your Love. I think the lyrics speak for themselves.” His fingers plucked the first haunting notes.

  When you sang your song

  Your sweet voice swept me away

  I’d been lost so long

  No hope for future days

  You’re everything I need

  Despite what I might say

  No matter what I do

  You love me anyway

  When I take your hand—I’m drowning in your love

  When I kiss your lips—I’m drowning in your love

  When I touch your skin—I’m drowning in your love

  I’ll never have enough—of your love

  The crowed swayed, seemingly in unison, a mass of humanity experiencing one perfect moment together.

  Shelley stayed rooted in place as her eyes welled and a tear escaped. She wiped it away, but more kept coming.

  Liam gestured at Shelley, encouraging her to join him onstage.

  She shook her head. The crowd clapped and yelled, feet stomping until the noise fairly shook the stadium. This was it. This was the moment. She had to make a choice. She’d never expected it to play out in public.

  Her feet flew up the steps, onto the stage and into Liam’s arms. The roaring crowd faded into oblivion and there was only Liam.

  Liam released Shelley and turned off his microphone. “I hope you’re not mad.”

  “No, no. I … you put yourself on the line and I didn’t expect that.” Shelley swallowed hard. “I think your fans love the new song.”

  Liam reached toward her but then let his hand drop to his side. “What did you think of the song?”