Round N Around We Go (Has Cupid Gone Mad?)

by Belinda Elkaim

  Stunned by what she heard, Taylor blinks and stares at Samantha. “Excuse me?” She replies defensively.

  “Oh.” Samantha chuckles and elaborates innocently. “You have always been my role model. You appear to be so independent and powerful that I didn’t think you would be the kind of woman who’d settle to move in with a man.”

  Taylor finds her statement baffling. “And what do you think the kind of woman like me would do with her man?”

  Not shy to speak bluntly, Samantha smiles cunningly and replies with ease, “I’d think that you would make your man move in with you instead.”

  Taylor pretends to be unaffected by her bluntness. “You see Samantha, there is no difference. The most important thing is that Ivan and I are together now and this is our home. It is just a matter of what makes more sense. My lease was up anyway.” She sees it unnecessary to further explain herself and walks away.

  So what if she acts like an impolite host, she is merely reciprocating the rudeness of an impolite guest.

  Taylor is now downgrading her opinion of Samantha. From disliking her now she despises her and wonders if she should even consider Samantha as a friend.

  Without analyzing the true motivation behind Samantha’s words, Taylor dismisses the underlying intent and pays her no further attention. She thinks that she is unaffected but Samantha’s cleverly pre-scripted words have already made its impact on her subconscious mind and are playing tricks on her egoistic mechanism.

  Flawlessly disguised under her attractive and polished Barbie doll appearance, malicious and inclinations are well hidden. She finds it difficult to tolerate anyone’s happiness aside her own and definitely does not consider Taylor as a friend.

  Samantha’s spiteful

  Discreetly she watches Taylor walk away looking slightly irritated and defocused. She identifies this as sign of weakness and decides to engage herself in a challenge of creating a fault line between the pair. Games excite her. Nothing thrills her more than being the mastermind of confusion. Naturally and rightfully in her mind, nobody she knows deserve to be happy. ************

  “Bravo!” Amber raises her hands on the stage and gestures to pause the rehearsal as she sees Neyo entering the hall with a skinny brunette by his side.

  He gestures the brunette to sit and wait for him in one of the seats behind Conrad Fallen, the co-producer of the Broadway musical and life long friend of Amber Winters.

  Amber crosses her arms and glares at Neyo as he approaches near. “Well, well, well. Look who is here with us today. Mr. Neyo decides to show up. How lucky are we?”

  From the corner of her eye, she can see the cast gossiping quietly and begins to feel even angrier than before. She glances at Conrad who sits unstirred and rubbing his temples with an odd expression as if he were anticipating a war to commence. She fires a sharp glance at the brunette then fixates a piercing stare at Neyo, who now stands in front of the stage.

  Looking up at Amber, he knows that she is infuriated and asks to speak with her alone. Staring down at Neyo and glaring into his bloodshot eyes, Amber’s patience seems to be spent, “I do not wish to speak with you alone. You walked out of the photo shoot, missed the last four rehearsals, and then completely disregarded all calls from both Conrad and myself. What makes you think I’d like to speak with you after that? And who is that brunette? You know very well that this is a closed rehearsal and we do not bring spectators.”

  “Amber, I just need to speak with you for a few minutes to set things straight.” He tries her patience.

  Amber laughs in a sarcastic manner. “And he wants to set things straight.” She laughs again and walks away to recommence the rehearsal.

  Impatiently Neyo walks up the side steps onto the stage and heads over the Amber. He grabs onto her arm and desperately demands her attention.

  “Hey!” yells Conrad as he rushes up the stage to avoid a possible fiasco. He will not tolerate anyone laying a finger on Amber, nonetheless grabbing her arm. Deep inside yet no secret to anyone, he loves her with all his heart and will always be there to protect her.

  Seeing Conrad coming towards them, Neyo quickly asks of Amber, “Sweetheart, I owe my sister some money and she needs the funds repaid right now. I need an advance.”

  Amber tries to free her arm and in distress she calls out, “Let go of my arm, you’re hurting me!”

  Two of the men from the cast step forward and attempt to pull Neyo away from Amber, struggling to free her from his overly strong grip.

  Neyo lets go and raises his hands in the air then backs off from Amber. “I was trying to ask nicely!” He justifies and raises his voice. “All I need is an advance.”

  Amber tilts her head and stares at him in disbelieve. “Are you high or just plain stupid? Some nerve!” Slowly she distances herself from him and backs away. “You show up after missing for days and create a scene to disturb our rehearsal; I should have security come escort you and your sister off the premises. By the way, your ‘sister’ looks nothing like you and share no resemblance at all. If she truly is your sister, then you have just successfully embarrassed yourself in front of family.” She adds quickly, “And no, you cannot have an advance because you are FIRED!”

  Aggressively he inches towards her, “You can’t fire me! I’m your lead man and nobody can do what I can do!”

  Conrad finally makes it onto the stage and tries to remove him. He grabs Neyo by the arm and tries to pull him backward, but instead, Neyo turns around and swings a punch into Conrad’s face. The punch is so forceful it knocks Conrad off balance and he falls onto the floor.

  Seeing the commotion, the brunette expediently slips out unnoticed and disappears before the security guards arrive. The two men from the cast hold Neyo firmly and wait for the guards to arrive onto the stage to escort him out.

  Fuming in desperation and as if insanity has consumed him, Neyo screams stridently on his way out. “I’m not done with you yet Amber. You hear me? I’m not done with you!”

  Amber pays no attention and rushes over to Conrad. Helping him up on his feet, she looks at him intently and touches the bruise on his face. “Are you okay?” She touches him gently. “Does it hurt? I’m so sorry. We should put some ice on it.” She hurries to the cooler on the side of the stage and brings back some ice cubes wrapped in a napkin.

  Conrad is hurting but does not want to admit it. He wants to appear a hero and is enjoying the attention that she is showering him with.

  Softly she speaks as she places the ice pack on his face. “I simply don’t understand it. Do you remember how sweet a person Neyo appears to be when we first cast him a year ago? He is quiet and diligent. He does dance better than anyone we’ve seen. All of a sudden he turns aggressive and violent. What the hell happened?” She begins to wonder. “What a waste of talent!” She babbles on. “He could have made it but now he’s destroying himself. It’s almost like he hit a wall and went completely insane!”

  Uninterested to hear of what she has to say about Neyo; Conrad takes the opportunity to hold her hand. “Are you sympathizing with his violent and unacceptable behavior?” He pauses. “I don’t want to be out of line but after this incident, I don’t suppose you’d like to sleep with him again, do you?”

  Amber bites her lower lip and looks at Conrad with a bewildered expression on her face. “Please retract that.”

  “Sorry Amber, I know that’s out of line.” Conrad apologizes and holds the ice pack against his face. “So now what? We just lost our lead man and there are only six weeks before we open the new season.”

  Amber decisively remedies the situation. She turns around and faces the cast. Confidently, she announces that there will be an open audition for Neyo’s part as Turbulence and that cast member will get priority audition.

  “If there is anyone in the cast who feels that he can dance just like Neyo, if not better, step forward now.” She moves across the stage. “This is the chance to step up and become the lead man of the show. Anyone?”

&nbs
p; Three cast member step up onto the center of the stage.

  “Very well.” Amber struts confidently back and forth in front of them. “Take a fifteen minutes break to familiarize with the routine then impress us with your best moves. You’ve seen what Neyo can do, so now show us that you can do even better!” She smiles and walks off the stage with Conrad.

  Sitting next to Amber in the director’s chairs, Conrad nudges her playfully yet seriously, “Amber, we need a huge favor from you,” he begins, “do not ever date a cast anymore okay.”

  Amber chokes at his sarcastic humor. “Who would have known that he can turn into a monster?” She chuckles and is actually relieved that he is gone. “Now let’s hope that we can find a replacement quickly enough.” She watches the cast warm up on stage, “otherwise we’ll have a huge problem.”

  Amber and Neyo have been intimate for a little over a year and she still likes him. Underneath her proud exterior she still holds a soft spot for him. Her thoughts drift as she begins to ponder. She still does not understand how he could have changed this drastically from a fun loving, exciting, talented and ambitious man into a vulgar, distracted and violent person.

  She shudders. Something does not feel right and her gut feeling is warning her to be cautious. She has a bizarre feeling that she hasn’t seen the last of him and that this isn’t over yet. Nervously she grabs onto Conrad’s hand and speaks fearfully,

  “Conrad I’m worried. I can’t trust Neyo anymore. I don’t think he would walk away without a fight.”

  Chapter Four.

  “No Taylor I cannot agree to that,” objects Ivan, “Trevor is not a hero and as the editor in chief, I do not wish to portray him in the next issue.” He rubs his chin and begins to feel exhausted with the debate.

  Taylor’s featured article ‘Miami Heroes’ has outranked any other articles within the publication circle consecutively for the past ten months, she feels invincible and that she can never be wrong. However since they moved in together, every subject seems to have become a power struggle.

  Persisting on the subject she further argues, “But why not? He successful resurrected the Miami real estate market from its grave. Look at the fact sheets again, values have been climbing steadily and he can be credited for the positive upturn.”

  Everyone at the round table in the conference room, except for Samantha, is tolerantly enduring their heated argument and silently wishes for a conclusion so they can discuss the next subject.

  Samantha is actually enjoying the spectacle and sees a perfect opportunity to provoke a fight between the two. Camouflaging her true intent under an unsuspicious layer of childlike innocence, she pretends to be just and speaks out assertively. “Sorry to interrupt but this lengthy discussion is obviously going to be inconclusive, so since Ivan is the editor in chief, I think he should have the final say.”

  Silence fills the conference room and everyone seems to be holding their breath. Taylor raises an eyebrow and glares at Samantha in disbelieve. Ivan opens his mouth but is lost with words, studies Taylor’s queer expression then looks at the sweet innocent smile that hangs on Samantha’s face.

  Avoiding trouble with his girlfriend, he leans back onto his chair and tries to calm the situation before Taylor has a change to react.

  “Samantha I thank you for reminding me of my position in the company, but frankly, Taylor is the key writer and associate editor of the publication, her unique perspective is at times difficult to comprehend but that is actually a contributing factor to the success of her writings. She makes readers think. I trust that her judgment is equally as important as mine.” He smiles and continues in his charming ways, “Taylor why don’t we continue this discussion in my office after the meeting?”

  Satisfied and content with his clever response, Taylor nods affirmatively at Ivan and graciously moves on to discuss the next subjects. Discreetly, Taylor throws a few dirty looks at Samantha and fully realizes that she cannot trust her.

  Behind closed doors in his office, Taylor puts the stack of files on his desk and sinks into a chair across his desk. Facing him, she studies his expressions as she complains. “I still can’t believe she said that in front of everyone in the meeting!”

  “Relax.” He tries to soothe the tension, “I’m sure she didn’t mean to offend you in any way.”

  Unsure of why he is defending her, “I don’t care why she said that but I’m just uncomfortable with having her around.”

  Not understanding her reasoning, “Why?” he tries to share her perspective.

  Taylor elaborates her thoughts and shares her honest opinion of Samantha which unfortunately, Ivan perceives as jealousy which she adamantly denies. The conversation quickly escalates into another argument that none of them have any patience for.

  “The day isn’t going too well for us, is it?” she sinks further into the chair, “I think we are both exhausted. How about we grab some dinner and call it a night? I’ll replace the subject for ‘Miami Hero’ tomorrow and I’ll have it ready before the deadline. I Promise.” She calls for peace and smiles at him lovingly.

  “Sure.” He leans forward on his desk and gestures for her hands. Holding them gently in his, “I need a few minutes to finish up and I’ll come get you in your office.”

  Puckering, she kisses him in the air and heads towards the door, “Oh by the way, Amber is wondering when she can find my book in the stores.”

  Quite frankly he is unsure of whether the final proof of her book has been completed.

  “What’s the hold up?” She asks at the door.

  Impatiently he answers, “I’m not sure Taylor, I think you changed the ending about twenty times and each time we send it back for proof reading and each time it goes back to the end of the cue, you should know the process.”

  “Do you think I’ve rewritten it too many times?” She presses for answers.

  Exhaustedly he rubs his temples, “No my love, it’s your book so you can rewrite it however many times you’d like.”

  Disappointed with his evasive answer, “Oh so it’s MY book and just as Samantha implies it’s YOUR magazine so everything should be your solo decision?”

  Misinterpreting her words, Ivan sinks into his chair and tries to avoid any further confrontation, at least for the day. His energy and patience is quickly depleting. “No it’s not like that and you know it. Please don’t be unreasonable ok, it’s like all of a sudden you’re picking a fight. If you think another publisher can better handle your book in a more efficient manner, then by all means, have someone else publish it.”

  Taylor steps towards him and asks with a frown on her face, “Are you picking a fight?”

  “Miss Gibbons, you are the one who is picking a fight, not I.” Ivan crosses his arms defensively. Truly exhausted by now, “You know what, I’m not going to publish your book until you apologize for this erratic behavior. What is this? Just because you’re my girlfriend does not entitle you to speak to me disrespectfully.”

  Taylor gasps, “I was only asking a simple question. I don’t quite understand how I am being disrespectful?” she pauses for a brief moment and continues sadly, “I’ll wait for you in my office, Mr. Solovich.”

  Ivan watches her close the door behind her and sighs. He has always known Taylor to be rebellious, competitive and challenging, he adores her unique qualities and she excites him more than any pretty faces he has seen. He truly loves her the way she is and would never ask her to change anything, but sometimes he finds it difficult to cope with her erratic behavior, especially on an exhausting day as such.

  Overwhelmed by the cruelty of his words, Taylor sulks in her immaculately decorated office. She sinks into her chair, closes her eyes and begins to ponder.

  Samantha might be right after all. Amber has her own Broadway musical, Karina has her independent art collection and is in charge of Theodore’s gallery. She has nothing to call her own but an office in her boyfriend’s company. She mulls over his words, “it’s YOUR book.” Then recount
s Samantha’s words, “it’s his publication.”

  It crosses her mind that it might be wise to branch off and create her own novel collection with another publisher who would respect her work as a priority. Her thoughts are interrupted as Ivan peeks through the door. With a more relaxed tone of voice he flirts with her, “Are you ready Miss Gibbons?” He speaks with his boyish charm.

  Taylor chuckles, tosses her hair back sensually and flaunts, “Of course, Mr. Solovich my love.”

  She grabs her purse and walks towards the door, kisses him tenderly and bites him gently on the lip then teases naughtily, “Unless you want to skip straight to dessert?”

  ************

  She tilts the canister of whipped cream upside down and presses on the spout, filling the bowl of Haagen-Dazs strawberry ice cream to its brim, she reaches for a large silver spoon and walks to the living room. Turning off the kitchen light, she admires the serenity and beauty of the dimly lit room, softly illuminated by gently flickering flames from the scented candles scattered across the coffee table.

  She curls up on the sofa and picks out a movie from the Satellite TV, then indulges in the guilty pleasure of the delectable sweetness by the spoonful. Halfway through the enormous serving, she puts down the bowl and sighs.

  Contradicted and confused, Amber misses the company of her lover Neyo and wonders what he is doing and his whereabouts. She does not love him but enjoys his presence. After all, the original agreement of an unattached relationship was working out beautifully for over a year, until he went a little haywire and turned violently aggressive.

  Amber sighs again and self justifies in denial. She assures herself that it is great to be alone and be able to do anything she’d like without having to consider anyone else’s feelings. She enjoys autonomy but wishes that she has someone to love and to count on. Perhaps she is becoming selfish and is willing to take but not give. Perhaps she is getting used to living alone and being alone. Perhaps she likes the silence and the freedom. Perhaps she does not really know what she wants, and is consumed by self pity that she has not been able to find another love since her deceased ex-husband.