Plain Again (12 page)

“Is that home now?”

Home? For a moment, Amanda frowned. Where was home, anymore? She had spent the most time with Alejandro on the road. While she favored Miami, she didn’t necessarily think of the condo as home.
“Nee,”
she said thoughtfully. “Miami isn’t home. You see, home is wherever we are when we are together.”

There was a collective murmur of approval from the audience, and she felt Alejandro lift her hand to his lips, kissing it gently. When she turned her head to look at him, he smiled his appreciation at what she had said. And in that moment, she realized how much she had meant those words. Without Alejandro, her world was devoid of color and meaning. Even if they had to travel the globe, as long as she was with him, nothing else really mattered.

After a busy afternoon of interviews, Amanda had been thankful to return to the hotel. Alejandro had brought her back while he prepared to attend his last meeting of the day. Even if only for two hours, she was glad for the quiet time to relax and gather her wits about her.

Had it only been that morning when she had awoken on the farm? The smell of cows and manure still lingered in her memory, despite having spent so much time in the car, traveling to New York City. She rested her head on the back of the sofa in the hotel room and shut her eyes, reminiscing about the time she had spent with Alejandro earlier, upon her arrival at the hotel.

A blush covered her cheeks at the memory.

His love for her was insatiable, although she had to admit that she didn’t really mind. When he held her in his arms, his lips pressed against hers, she felt complete, as though she had previously been lost, floating through life without any true purpose. When she was with Alejandro, she was truly lost no more.

It had been with great reluctance that she had even suggested being dropped off at the hotel. She had no interest in attending this parade meeting and knew that he would probably finish the meeting faster if she wasn’t there anyway. Besides, she had been simply exhausted.

When he walked her to the elevator, he had given her a gentle kiss before reminding her that he had a special surprise planned for the evening. She would have been just as happy to stay at the hotel, to escape in his arms once again. But she knew that she’d never deny him anything. If he wanted her to dress up and go out in New York City, she would do exactly that. The way that his eyes lit up when he was planning special surprises for her made her realize that the gift of giving brought him great joy.

Glancing at the clock, she saw that she had exactly two hours. She hadn’t slept well the previous evening and longed for a short nap. Instead, she decided to take a long bubble bath, knowing that it would relax her just as much and there was no risk of oversleeping. The last thing she wanted to do was to be late for Alejandro’s surprise. So, instead of napping, she padded to the bathroom and turned on the water, leaning over the edge to sprinkle some colorful and fragrant crystals into the fancy tub.

While the water ran, she unpinned her hair, letting it fall down her back and reach all the way to her waist. Running the brush through it, she shut her eyes and remembered Alejandro’s fascination with her hair. He always liked to be the one who carefully plucked each pin from her bun, setting them aside on the dresser or nightstand before running his fingers through her hair. Even earlier that morning, he had insisted on letting her hair down before he had taken her into his arms in the privacy of the suite’s bedroom.

For forty refreshing minutes, she soaked in the tub until the water turned cool and her fingers puckered like raisins. Then, reluctantly, she stepped out and slid into the robe, once again. Her muscles felt relaxed, and despite still being tired, she felt ready to face the evening. Knowing Alejandro, it would not be over early.

She was still in the plush white robe when he returned to the hotel room. Sitting on a white stool by the dressing area, Amanda was just finishing with the blow dryer, her long hair taking extra time to dry.

It was his image in the mirror that caught her attention. He merely slipped into the doorway, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest as he watched her. She wasn’t startled when she saw him. In a way, she realized that she had half expected him to show up while she was still getting ready. Flipping off the blow dryer, she set it down on the counter and smiled at his reflection in the mirror.

“Come here,” he commanded, his voice soft and husky.

A shiver ran up her spine, and she bit her lower lip, her eyes never leaving his as she continued staring at him. When he raised an eyebrow at her, as if wondering why she wasn’t doing as he requested, she caught her breath. There was no doubt in her mind as to what he wanted.

“Alejandro . . .”

“Come, Amanda,” he commanded once again. “I have missed you for the past three weeks and you are too beautiful right now.” He held out his hand. “Do not deny me,” he whispered.

Nee,
she thought as she stood up and turned to face him. Denying him was not something she could do. Nor did she want to, she realized. She crossed the room toward him but did not take his hand. Instead, she stood before him, the robe falling from one shoulder and exposing her skin.

He reached for the belt and tugged at it, pulling her closer to him. “That’s a good girl,” he teased, his hand slipping inside the robe and pressing against her bare back. The touch of his hand against her body sent another shiver down her spine and her heart fluttered inside her chest. “A very good wife, indeed,” he murmured into her ear as he bent his head down to nuzzle at her neck.

She smiled a soft smile as she shut her eyes, losing herself in his touch.

“Now,” he said as he stepped backward, pulling her along with him as he edged toward the bed, his breath warm on her neck. “We have an hour before we need to leave. I’d say that gives me enough time to show you, Amanda, just how much I truly missed you.” He pulled at the belt to the robe, loosening it just enough so that the robe opened and exposed her to him. He glanced down at her and sighed, placing one hand on her hip as he pushed the robe from her shoulders. “Oh yes, how I have missed you,” he whispered as he pulled her into his arms once again and pressed his lips on hers, unleashing the passion that he felt for her for the second time that day.

The theater was full of people, mostly couples, each and every one of them looking more distinguished than the next. Alejandro wore a tuxedo; the black bow tie perfectly straight after Amanda had fussed with it before they exited the car. Despite the stress of having to dress rapidly after their late-afternoon amorous interlude, she was in unusually affectionate spirits. He had hidden his amusement at her insistence that he needed help with his cuff links and with fixing his bow tie, claiming that it was crooked. Even when she commented about it again, in the car, he hadn’t stopped her from gently twisting the bow tie until she felt it rested perfectly straight against the high collar of his tuxedo shirt.

When they had entered the main lobby, several people had turned their heads to watch the couple that had just walked through the double glass doors of the Metropolitan Opera House. Yet it wasn’t because they knew who the couple was; it was because of how beautiful the woman looked.

She wore a simple, off-the-shoulder Giorgio Armani gown, the black velvet of the material shimmering in the lights from the chandeliers overhead. The bottom of the gown flared out, just enough, to allow only the hint of a peek at her shoes, simple black heels with rhinestones down the back of the heel. With her hair pulled back and the least amount of makeup that she could wear in order to escape Alejandro’s scrutiny, she looked like royalty as she held on to his arm and entered the building.

And, best of all, no one seemed to know who they were.

Most of the attendees to the opera that evening were older couples, people who certainly had never heard a song by “Viper” in their life. She sensed the difference in the atmosphere immediately and almost breathed a sigh of relief. Tonight, she realized, would be one that promised a degree of normalcy that she had not experienced with Alejandro since he had first stayed at the farm.

“You are gorgeous,” he murmured into her ear as he paused to hand their tickets to a man at the door.

She lowered her head and blushed at his words.

They were personally escorted through the crowd and toward a sweeping staircase. He held her elbow as they followed the man, a few heads turning as they passed; people wondered not only who the couple might be but also why they were being personally escorted to their seats.

They sat in the parterre, their seats front and center, looking directly at the stage. Amanda glanced down at the seats beneath them and felt queasy at the open space. He reached for her hand, holding it in his as he lifted it to his lips and planted a soft kiss on her skin.

“Sit back and don’t look down,” he whispered as if reading her mind.

She did as he said, trying to relax in the red cushioned seats as she looked around at the opulence of the theater. The gold-lined ceiling resembled the buds of a flower that had yet to completely blossom around the crystal chandeliers that sparkled like small explosions of light in midair. A heavy curtain hung like a golden waterfall of velvety material from the ceiling to the stage, the orchestra pit just barely visible beneath its edge. And everywhere surrounding the stage were people slowly making their way to their seats, eager for the opera to begin.

“It’s beautiful,” she said softly, leaning over toward Alejandro. “I never knew places like this even existed!”

He smiled at her innocence as he responded, “There are many things, Amanda, which I’m sure you will soon see that you never even knew existed.” He paused and reached out to brush his fingers along her cheekbone. “I will live for those moments,” he added before gently kissing her lips.

Ten minutes passed before the chandeliers began to slowly ascend toward the ceiling. Amanda watched in awe as the lights dimmed during their short journey. Only when they were as high as they could go did the music begin. She shifted her eyes from the ceiling to the orchestra pit, fighting the urge to lean forward so that she could get a better view of the people and instruments seated there.

And then the curtain rose, slowly at first. As it lifted into the air, she was immediately transported, not just to a new world but also into the past. Amanda was mesmerized by the stage, absorbing everything from the costumes and the set to the music from the orchestra and the singing from the performers. She was mesmerized by everything, even if she did not understand the words being sung.

At one point, she turned to look at Alejandro, wanting to thank him for bringing her to such a magnificent place. What she saw stunned her. His eyes were moist, transfixed on the stage, and at one point, she thought she saw his lips moving, ever so slightly. Despite the opera being sung in Italian, he seemed to already know the words. Yet that was not what startled her.

For Amanda, the singing was truly majestic, a hint of God in the voices that sang each word. The beauty of the songs and the performers’ ability to sing them had floored her from the moment the opera had begun. She had never heard anything so amazing in her life. Indeed, she had never even imagined that something so overwhelmingly touching even existed. This experience was a true gift from her husband.

It had never dawned on her that Alejandro would actually be enjoying himself. That he would seem so touched.

His music was so different, so modern and fast. Between singing and rapping, Alejandro sang in a manner that was the antithesis of something as classical and heartfelt as this opera. She had presumed that he had brought her to the opera to treat her to a night out on the town, to expose her to more of the Englische world than just concerts and clubs, paparazzi and screaming fans. But as she stared at him, she realized that he, too, was enthralled with the opera, and it was obviously not his first time attending such an event.

“¿Qué,
Princesa
?”
he whispered when he realized that she was watching him.

She merely smiled and shook her head, treasuring this new, golden discovery about the man seated beside her whom she loved so much. As she turned her attention back to the stage, she said a silent prayer of gratitude to God for everything that he had given to her, for bringing Alejandro into her life and for blessing her with a happiness that she had never known was even possible.

Chapter Eleven

Mike,

What’s the schedule for Los Angeles on Sunday?

Did you make those special arrangements that I requested? Both for NYC and Miami?

Looking for flight information.

Gracias, Papi!

V.

Early in the morning, Amanda found herself standing outside of Rockefeller Center, a white wool coat styled in a flattering princess cut keeping her warm and shielded from the cold air. There were three security guards standing beside her, keeping the crowd that was screaming for Alejandro at a safe distance from her. Despite the cold weather, Amanda guessed that there were close to ten thousand people crowded outside of the studio in the plaza, screaming as they waited for Alejandro to perform for them. She had never seen such a crowd, not outside of the concert stadiums anyway.

The
NBC Today
show was hosting a pre-Thanksgiving concert each morning. With so many tourists in the city during this festive time of year, it was the perfect opportunity to entertain them before the holiday. The street merchants and store owners played along, thankful for the chance to display their wares and get the added business. Viper had been given the top billing spot of performing on Wednesday, the most bustling of days, as out-of-town guests planning a midafternoon matinee at the theater would come early into the city and wait for hours, hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous superstar and, as rumor had it, his Amish wife. They were being dubbed the new royal family of the Americas.

She knew that he was inside right now, being interviewed by the morning news anchors. She could see through the windows and caught a glimpse of her husband as he sat on a tall stool, laughing and gesturing with his hands. At one point, he swiveled on his chair and pointed in her direction. The crowd roared, and it took all of Amanda’s self-control to not cover her ears with her gloved hands to block out the noise.

One of the security guards touched her arm and gestured toward the door. She knew what that signal meant: Alejandro was arriving in a moment. He had requested that she’d wait for him outside the door for two reasons: He wanted the crowd to adore her, and he wanted to have her accompany him when he exited the studio to walk through the crowd and to the stage.

Nodding her head, Amanda let the security guards guide her into position. Although there was a metal fence that separated the crowd from the walkway, several young girls were pressed against it, reaching out toward her, calling her name. She glanced in their direction and they waved their arms, begging her to let them take a photograph with them. Pressing her lips together, Amanda lowered her eyes and took a step farther behind the security guards. She was too aware that telephones and cameras were snapping her photo while she stood there. It made her feel uncomfortable, and without Alejandro beside her, she didn’t want to encourage it.

When the studio door opened, the noise from the crowd was deafening. Alejandro appeared, surrounded by his own entourage of security detail. He stood for a moment, smiling and waving to the crowd; then his eyes fell on Amanda, and he stepped in her direction. Taking her gloved hand in his, he paused, just a moment, before he lifted it to his lips. She flushed and looked away, the demure reaction on her face causing the crowd to roar in appreciation of the gesture.

“¿Listo,
Princesa
?”
he said into her ear, his breath sending a shiver up her spine. Without waiting for an answer, he walked behind the security guards, still holding her hand. She followed behind him, finding herself amazed at how he would wave to people, reach to hold their hands, and occasionally pause, pulling her to his side for a photo for the fans.

She tried to smile, tried to follow his example, but she had forgotten about the mob scenes. Was it was possible, she asked herself, that these crowds were even worse than before their separation? No, she corrected herself: they were worse than before their marriage!

There were five steps that led to the stage. At that point, he leaned down and kissed her cheek, leaving her in the care of the security detail before bounding up the stairs and waving, again, to the crowds that were crammed into the plaza and beyond. Many people were holding signs in the air, waving them frantically as they tried to catch Viper’s attention. Several signs had lights on them, while a few were cut out in the form of an Amish buggy with Amanda’s name in big letters.

For the next twenty minutes, Alejandro did a sound check and graced the waiting fans with two songs as he warmed up for the televised portion of the outdoor concert.

“Coffee?”

Amanda turned in the direction of the voice. A tall, thin man was standing before her, the badge around his neck indicating that he was part of the show’s staff. He was holding a steaming mug of coffee and gestured that she could take it.

“Oh,
danke
,” she whispered, and then realizing that the man hadn’t heard her, she repeated it, this time louder.

“Good crowd here today,” he said, gazing over the heads of the people. “Probably over fifteen thousand.”

Amanda gasped. Fifteen thousand people? Standing for hours in the cold? “So many! Whatever for?”

The man laughed at her question. “Certain celebrities bring a huge crowd,” he explained good-naturedly. “Viper is definitely one of them.”

“Oh, I see,” she replied, although she didn’t. The reaction to Alejandro on the West Coast had been completely different from this. Outside of the arenas, there had been crowds. That had been expected. In Los Angeles and Las Vegas, fans had waited outside the radio stations and, occasionally, at the hotel. In Las Vegas, people had crowded around to see them at the casino. However, she had never seen anything like this. This was different . . . worse.

“And you,” the man added. “It circulated on Twitter that you were in New York City with him. I think that’s why the crowd grew.”

Twitter? She had heard the name before but had never asked about it, figuring it was one of those strange social media concepts that Alejandro always mentioned and she had no interest in understanding. Virtual world? She was having enough trouble navigating the real one that was Alejandro’s life, that was for sure and certain.

When the commercial break was over, the cameramen began to take action and the host of the show stepped onto the stage to join Viper. Amanda watched, her eyes drinking in the transformation of Alejandro, her husband, into Viper the superstar. His entire demeanor adjusted, his words spoken with more of an accent as he used street lingo that he never used with her. He would lower his sunglasses and wink into the camera or smile and wave at the fans as he spoke. He knew how to work the crowd, and the crowd responded by shouting out his name and screaming for his attention.

“I understand you have a special guest with you today,” the host said. The crowd went wild, and Viper laughed, winking and then pausing a moment so that their eager roar could die down.

“If you mean my Princesa, then
sí
, she is here, with me, today!” He looked in her direction and gestured for her to join him.

Amanda felt the color drain from her face. Without her realizing that it was happening, one of the security guards took hold of her arm and led her through the gate, ignoring the fans lining the walkway, toward the steps leading onto the stage. Amanda had no choice but to join him. It was one thing to sit on a stage and be interviewed by a reporter. It was quite another to stand before so many adoring fans and know that it was being televised to millions of people.

Viper crossed the stage and reached out his hand, the gesture one of such chivalry that it caused a murmur among the crowd. She looked up at him, her dark eyes wide and frightened. But one look at his sparkling baby blues that peered at her over his sunglasses and she knew that he would let nothing bad happen to her.

On the stage, Viper presented his wife to the crowd, giving her a slight bow as he gestured toward her. The noise that emitted from the studio audience surprised Amanda, so she took a step backward, pressing her body behind his, which only made the crowd roar louder. He laughed and brought her forward once again.

“Don’t be shy,” he whispered, just loud enough for the microphone to catch. “Just wave and smile. Be yourself, Princesa.”

Reluctantly, she did as he instructed.

“Amanda, you’ve joined Viper for the week after having been home taking care of your father. How is everything back at the farm?” The host thrust the microphone toward her face, and for just a moment, she blinked, unsure of how to respond. With no urging from Alejandro, she decided to answer as he had instructed: by being herself.

“Daed is much better,
danke
,” she said. “And it is ever so
gut
to be back with Alejandro.”

“Congratulations on your first Thanksgiving together,” the host said, a genuine smile on his face. “There’s no place like New York City during the holidays.”

At that statement, she laughed. “There’s no place like New York City, period!”

Her comment brought laughter from the crowd as well as the host and Alejandro.

“I imagine it’s a far cry from having grown up on an Amish farm, isn’t it?” the host said.

“That’s quite an understatement” was her simple response.

The host turned his attention back to Alejandro. “And I hear that Viper has something special for us today. A new release, is it?”

Relieved that she was out of the line of fire from the morning show host and no longer of interest to the cameras, Amanda waited patiently while Alejandro answered a few more questions before it was time for him to perform. Then the host gestured to her that they should leave the stage; she eagerly followed him down the steps and back through the crowds.

“Your autograph! Amanda!”

“A photo! Please, Amanda!”

Young girls were jumping up and down, screaming for her as they leaned over the metal barricade. The host paused and turned toward Amanda, indicating with a nod of his head that she could sign a few autographs with the fans if she wanted to do so.

She felt put on the spot. Turning to the closest group of girls, she tried to smile. “An autograph? You mean just my signature?” She had never understood that. She had seen Alejandro do that on numerous occasions, stopping to sign pieces of paper, shirts, even arms. It seemed to make the fans happy, but Amanda had never quite understood why.

“Please! Here! Sign this!”

The girl thrust a photo at Amanda. To her surprise, it was a photo of her and Alejandro. Before she knew what was happening, other girls were shoving their own similar photos at her and waving their pens. Giving into the pressure, she took the pens and signed her name to the photos, doing her best to accommodate as many as she could. After a few minutes, the security guard began to wave away the young fans before he directed Amanda toward a different area to wait.

“Where did they get those photographs?” she asked the host.

“Hmm?” He glanced at her, then back at the girls. “Street vendors are probably selling them. They try to take advantage of the situation. They always do.”

It caught her by surprise that the host was not as friendly off camera as he was on camera. Most of the reporters and interviewers to whom she had been exposed had been genuinely nice people, regardless of whether the cameras were rolling. What a sad commentary and how it speaks about his true character, she thought wistfully and returned her attention to her husband.

It wasn’t until they were back in the car, headed across midtown to another recording studio where they were scheduled to appear on a midmorning talk show, that she mentioned the rude behavior of the host from the morning show.

Alejandro laughed and leaned his head back on the neck rest.
“Ay, mi madre,
Princesa
,”
he said as he caught his breath. “Nothing surprises me anymore. Nothing except what surprises you!”

She tried to hide her smile at his unexpected display of mirth at her complaint. “I fail to see what is so humorous,” she said, pretending to pout. “There’s no excuse for a lack of manners, I reckon.”

“No excuse,” Alejandro replied. “Only plenty of opportunity, especially in this business.”

She made a face at him, which only caused him to laugh again.

It only took ten minutes to travel to their next appointment. Traffic was not as busy and so they arrived early. Without a crowd waiting outside the building, Alejandro and Amanda slipped through the front door, greeted at the reception desk by a security guard who escorted them to the elevators and upstairs to the studio.

People were bustling around, most of them dressed in casual attire, in sharp contrast to Alejandro in his freshly laundered black shirt and crisp black slacks. He had changed into them after the first performance that morning, always concerned about his appearance for the fans and cameras.

Amanda watched the activity, curious as usual about the cameras, lights, and process. It reminded her of the organized chaos following an Amish worship service: everyone was moving about to set up the room without being directed, as they simply knew what to do, despite the outward appearance of disorganization.

“Viper!”

A man approached Alejandro from the shadows and greeted him with a handshake that spoke of familiarity. He smiled politely at Amanda but focused on Alejandro.

“You ready for the big day, eh?”

Alejandro gave a shrug of his shoulders. “Just another day,
sí
?”

“Big day?” Amanda asked.

Alejandro leaned over. “Tomorrow,” he whispered.

She didn’t understand what he meant but didn’t question him further. Whatever this “big day” was, she’d find out in due time.

“Let’s get you both to makeup,” the man said and led them down a corridor toward a series of rooms where people were waiting to get the couple ready for the interview.

For the next fifteen minutes, makeup artists crowded around her, applying foundation and blush to her cheeks before attempting to work on her eyes. Taking a deep breath, Amanda turned her head away. Too much, she wanted to say but hoped that her gesture was enough to make her point.