Noelle's Rock: A BWWM Holiday Romance (5 page)

Chapter 7

Noelle

Last Christmas

This time last year, I was in the Christmas spirit since Christmas is, or shall I say was, my most favorite time of the year. Victor and I always decorated the apartment together and picked out our Christmas tree together. It seems that Thanksgiving just blends in with Christmas, which makes it into just one great gigantic holiday.

I know I will be spending the Thanksgiving holiday alone this year. Shelby promised Erick that she would spend Thanksgiving with his family this time around. Of course, they invited me, but I declined. I don’t want to feel like a third wheel. They never make me feel that way, but it’s my own way of thinking that keeps me from accepting their invitation.

Now, here I am in my new apartment feeling all alone with no decorations in site. I know I must get myself together and stop feeling sorry for myself. I should just be thankful that I got rid of that loser before I invested any more of my life with him.

Shelby told me that she and Erick saw Victor out with some other woman at a gathering they were invited to two nights ago. I felt a sharp pain of hurt upon hearing the information, but I soon realized that since we are not together anymore, he has a right to date anyone that he sees fit.

“Me and my baby are all I need,” I say aloud to myself as I stand in front of the full-length mirror attached to the back of my bedroom door, rubbing a hand across my pudgy belly.

My pudgy stomach doesn’t stop me from squeezing myself into the new pair of designer jeans that Shelby and I picked out for me when we went shopping yesterday for tonight’s concert.

My red zipper skinny jeans mold to my bubble butt like a second skin. Even though my stomach has a plumpish look to it, there is still no sign of a baby bump as of yet. My jeans are accompanied by a fitted, V-neck, clingy, silver top with sparkly, metallic ingrain in the flimsy material. I add a red belt to wrap around my waist to finish the look.

I glance at the digital clock on the bedside table. There isn’t much time to finish dressing and I wonder where has the time gone. I think of how Erick arranged a car service to carry Shelby and me to and from our outing. It’s sweet of him to always have Shelby’s best interests at heart, even when he travels out of town on business trips. Shelby is lucky to have such a good guy in her life who not only says he loves her but proves it on the daily. I am waiting for Shelby to tell me that she is engaged and is going to marry this dude.

I can hear the doorbell chiming through my newly-furnished apartment. I slip my feet into my four-inch heel boot shoes and quickly spritz on some perfume before going to answer the door.

Shelby stands in the doorway with her blond hair bone straight with a part down the middle. Her hair frames her artfully, made-up face, which causes her eyes to sparkle like a lighted Christmas tree.

“You look magnificent, Noelle,” she says, stepping into my apartment.

She gives me a hug and a quick peck on the cheek. I return her greeting.

“Thank you. You look gorgeous yourself,” I say, noting how her metallic, blue mini dress fits her to perfection. “Girl, those thigh boots are to die for,” I add as I look around for my purse.

I spot it on the couch where I put it earlier. I grab my keys as well as my cell phone and slide them into my purse. I then grab my leather jacket that matches my outfit before we head out the door. The driver of the car service is waiting patiently for us in the cold, night air beside the back passenger doors to allow us entrance.

A few snowflakes are falling on my head as I wait for Shelby to get in the car first. We both thank the driver for his courtesy before he closes the passenger side door and goes around to the driver’s side to get behind the wheel. He checks to make sure traffic is clear before he merges onto the roadway.

Shelby reaches towards a hidden compartment in the car and slides a door back to reveal small bottles of water. “I wish this were alcohol,” she says before untwisting the cap on the bottle to take a swig.

“I bet you do,” I say to her with a smirk on my lips.

“Here, you want a bottle?” she says as she hands me a bottle of water from the compartment.

“Thanks.” I twist off the cap and take a small sip from the bottle. “Refreshing!” I say and then laugh.

Shelby joins in on the laughter before she speaks. “I feel bad that you won’t go with me and Erick to his parents’ house for Thanksgiving,” Shelby says as she takes a sip from her water bottle.

“Think of tonight as our pre-Thanksgiving celebration. I will be fine alone this year. I promise,” I try to convince her. I don’t want her to feel sympathy for me either, so I fix a bright smile to my lips.

“It just won’t be the same without you.”

“Stop it, girl. Once you and Erick get with his family, you will hardly miss me.”

“That is a false statement. Of course I will miss my best friend in the entire world.”

I laugh at Shelby’s dramatics. We talked so much that I am pleasantly surprised when our smooth ride comes to an end.

We arrive at the venue. The gigantic complex building is packed with lines of people ready to take their seats.

The driver stops at a less crowded side of the complex to let us out.

“I thought we were going to be waiting in line with the rest of the concert goers,” I say to Shelby.

“Aren’t you lucky that you have a best friend with connections,” she laughs aloud at my comment.

“My dad got these tickets for me,” Shelby reveals. “He does business with Mr. Cunningham, who is over the city events committee. He signs off on the entertainment that is brought to the city. He gets first dibs on all the tickets. I’m just thankful that he and my dad are such great friends, and he knows how much I love a good rock concert. He gave me these amazing tickets as well as backstage passes for tonight,” she says, patting the clutch purse she holds in her hand like she has struck gold.

“Wow, your dad has always been amazing. You are so lucky to have Mr. and Mrs. Munroe as parents,” I say, feeling nostalgic.

“Pep up, girly. My parents love you like I do. You already know that they will do anything for you if you ask them to,” she says, peering into my eyes. “There will be no sadness tonight about things that happened in the past. Tonight is our night to let loose and have fun, fun, fun.”

“Well, you better not forget about Erick and have too much fun without him,” I warn her with a laugh. “I will have to thank him for our transportation,” I add.

“There is no way that I can forget about that hunky man of mine,” she states as we arrive at the ticket window, and she hands over two tickets for us to enter through the side door.

Once inside, we find our front row seats. I can’t believe how close we are to the stage. I will be front and center at my first rock concert ever. I take my best friend’s advice and shelve my troublesome thoughts about the past into the furthest recesses of my mind.

The complex quickly fills up with fans as well as some groupies, I am sure. Shelby nudges my arm to get my attention as I look around the building.

“What?”

“I am going back out to the bar we passed by on our way in to get me a mixed drink. Do you want anything?”

I shake my head no because I don’t want to have to get up and pee in the middle of the concert. “I will walk with you,” I offer.

“No, stay here. I will be back soon.” She stands and walks off in the direction we came in.

The crowd of fans are loud and revving up in anticipation for the concert to start. Their excitement must be contagious because suddenly, I was getting antsy for the concert to begin as well. Shelby returns and settles beside me with a large, mixed, fruity drink in a clear, plastic cup. She begins sipping from a red straw sticking out of the cup.

“This drink is delicious.”

“I bet it is.”

A sudden hush comes over the crowd as the lights dim, and the announcer comes out onto the stage.

“Ladies, gentlemen, fans, groupies, and stalkers alike,” the announcer speaks into the microphone as he tries to be comical. “I want you to welcome and give a round of standing applause for Beau Barringer and the Hot Pack Band.”

The applause and the screams are deafening. I can actually feel the building vibrating from the noise. I look around me in bemusement at the excitement pouring from every individual in attendance, which includes my best friend Shelby.

She jumps up and down beside me in unrestrained excitement. She grabs my arm as a curtain lifts, and a band begins to play. The music is soulful and sounds good to my ears. The crowd becomes hushed once again as smoke appears out of nowhere. A stage suddenly comes up out of the floor.

A tall, lone figure in all black appears with his back turned to the crowd.

“That’s Beau Barringer!” Shelby screams loudly in my ear.

I shrink away from the deafening sound of Shelby’s loud voice. I look over at her, and she has a smile a mile wide stretched across her lovely face. I can’t wait to get a look at this Beau Barringer.

I want to see what all of the hoopla is really about. My music usually leans towards the R&B variety. My music playlist consists of Usher, Drake, Beyoncé and Rihanna. The band stops playing except for the lady drummer, who plays low beats.

I have to respect this lady drummer for holding her own in this rock band of men. Suddenly, music comes from the faceless rock star’s guitar that he has strapped to his shoulder. He plays a soulful tune for a few seconds before the figure in all black turns around and faces the crowd.

“I love you, Beau Barringer,” some unknown voice cries out.

“I love you too,” the all-too-familiar voice replies from the stage before it breaks out into song.

Chills go down my spine as I peer at the dimly lit stage. Suddenly, a spotlight hits Beau Barringer dead in the face. A surprised gasp slips past my lips, and my eyes widen in shock.
No!
My mind screams out, but no words escape my mouth.

This is some kind of nightmare. I pinch myself to wake up.

“I told you Beau Barringer is to die for, didn’t I?” Shelby says as she nudges me continuously.

I look at her without saying anything as she continues to stare at Beau Barringer with a starstruck look on her face like all of his other fans. I look back at the stage and blink hard. This Beau Barringer has to be a look-a-like for my Barry. That has to be it.

Wait, where did the words
my Barry
come from? Meeting Barry and the things we did together are like a mystical dream to me. This man performing in front of me can’t be the same Barry that I spent the weekend with a couple of weeks ago. Impossible.

Beau Barringer and his band finish one song and go into the next without missing a beat. I become mesmerized by Beau’s movements as he gyrates across the stage. He definitely has the crowd eating out of his hands, including Shelby who seems to be drooling at the mouth.

My heart beats faster as I sit down on the soft, cushiony seat with a plop. I can feel a flush coming to my face and goose bumps appear on my arms. If it wasn’t for my pregnancy, I would have taken the mixed drink from Shelby’s hand and guzzled it down until it is was gone. Then, and only then, would clarity come to me once again.

If Barry is really Beau Barringer, then why did he lie to me about who he really is? Why did he have sex with me on the pretense of being someone who he is not? I begin to fume to myself. How dare he take my body as if he owns it and not trust me enough to tell me his true identity.

This Beau Barringer is no better than Victor Wallace. If I ever come in contact with Barry or Beau Barringer, I will have more than a few words for him. My anger begins to grow by the moment.

I can see his eyes skimming over the crowd as he performs. I know he will never see me as I glare at him with an angry twist to my mouth. Shelby is so into the performance that she has no idea of the turmoil that boils and rages on the inside of me.

I say nothing to her to thwart her enjoyment of the concert. My chance will come soon because I remember that Shelby has backstage passes after the concert. I breathe in deeply to bide my time because soon Beau Barringer will feel the wrath of me, Noelle Winters. He will most definitely feel my chill soon enough.

*

Shelby and I walk into the brightly lit room where the chosen fans have the pleasure of meeting and interacting with Beau Barringer and the rest of his band. Shelby shows excitement as we look around at several tables arranged with food. There are several waiters with trays in their hands passing out drinks. There is also a wet bar available for the already tipsy crowd.

My eyes wander around the room looking for Beau. He is settled on a big, plush, leather sofa with two stunning women on each side of him. I feel my heart drop to the floor as I take in how he interacts with these two women who look like they could be models.

One woman has long, bone-straight, black hair. She seems to be oriental with her slanted eyes. The other woman is just the opposite of the black-haired woman. This one has blond hair with dark streaks running through her wavy tresses.