Plain Again (18 page)

“She is so unforgiving,” he finally said, exasperated with his mother. “But I do not want that to ruin our evening.” Turning around, he clasped her hand and raised it to his lips. “You, Princesa, are an amazing hostess, even among people you barely know and especially in a situation you did not even know you were hosting!”

“How long were you planning this?” she asked, lowering her eyelids just enough so that she had to tilt her head to stare at him. “It was a
wunderbar
surprise, Alejandro.”

Still holding her hand, he led her toward the living room and gave her a playful twirl as he guided her to the sofa. “Since I knew that you were coming to me for the week.” He smiled at her as she sat down. “I wanted our first holiday to be spent together, at home and with family.”

“We must properly thank Señora Perez,
ja
? She must’ve worked very hard.”

Alejandro nodded as he hurried to the back of the room and fiddled with a piece of equipment that immediately filled the space with soft music. “I agree,” he said. “I’ll give her a week vacation to go visit her family.” He paused as he walked to the sideboard where crystal decanters of liquor were sitting. “No, two weeks.” He poured himself another drink and took a deep swallow.

A slow song came on, and Alejandro made a noise deep inside his throat. With a smile, he set down his glass and reached for her hand. “Dance with me, Señora Diaz.” He pulled her to her feet and wrapped one arm around her waist while the other sought her hand. “I love this song,” he murmured.

“I find that surprising,” she replied, looking up and into his face as he held her. He looked relaxed and happy, even more so than before when he was enjoying the company of his cousins. “Your own music is so fast-paced and . . .”

Lifting an eyebrow, he glanced at her as they swayed to the music. “And what?”

Flushing, she wasn’t certain how to respond without offending him. But he pressured her to answer and finally she blurted out, “
Ja vell
. . . your music is rather . . . explicit.”

If she thought he would be offended, she was wrong. Instead, he laughed and swung her around, raising his arm so that she could dip her head under it, before pulling her back into his embrace.
“Ay,
Princesa
,”
he laughed. “The music I write and sing sells. It’s not that I do not like it.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her even tighter. “I do like that type of music. It’s like poetry, no? But I can still like other types of music, too.”

“I see,” she said in a soft voice.

“When I was younger,” he began. “
Mi tío
would take me to the local bar in our neighborhood. He would have me recite poetry in exchange for money, which we’d split. I kept my half to give to my mother while Tío Miguel kept his for booze.”

“Poetry?”

“
Sí
, poetry.”

She tilted her head as she looked at him. “Can you still recite it, then?”

He paused for a moment, thinking before he smiled. “I won’t recite the whole poem. It’s rather long. But these were always my favorite few verses.” He cleared his throat before he began to recite the poem’s verses, a serious look on his face as he spoke:

I have seen across the skies

A wounded eagle still flying;

I know the hole where lies

The snake of its venom dying.

I know that the world is weak

And must soon fall to the ground,

Then the gentle brook will speak

Above the quiet profound.

While trembling with joy and dread,

I have touched with hand so bold

A once-bright star that fell dead

From heaven at my threshold.

On my brave heart is engraved

The sorrow hidden from all eyes:

The son of a land enslaved,

Lives for it, suffers, and dies.

All is beautiful and right,

All is as music and reason;

And all, like diamonds, is light

That was coal before its season.

I know when fools are laid to rest

Honor and tears will abound,

And that of all fruits, the best

Is left to rot in holy ground.

Amanda watched him with curiosity. The fact that he could remember so many words, written by a man from so long ago, impressed her more than anything else. Yet, as he recited the words, there was such feeling in his voice, emotions that showed how he felt about what he was actually reciting.

“That was beautiful,” she whispered.

“That was the beginning of my career,” he replied. “Poetry, especially Cuban poetry that celebrated the needs of the people, taught me much about songwriting. Before I knew it, I was using that skill to remember long passages and to understand the meter of the poems, which I imitated to create unique rhythms of songs.”

“That’s quite impressive, Alejandro,” she said, and meant it.

He reached out his hand, wiggling his fingers for her to take it. “Come, dance with me again. It’s just us, Amanda, in our home. I want to enjoy this moment for as long as I can.”

They danced to the music, swaying slowly as their bodies were pressed together, moving in time to the song’s beat. At one point, she looked up and saw that they were dancing under the chandelier in the foyer. He clutched her hand to his chest and kept his eyes staring into hers. And then, his feet stopped moving and he lowered his mouth onto hers, his lips pressing against hers, kissing her with a gentle passion that sent shivers up her spine.

“Come,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Enough of this dancing. I want to spend time with my wife, to love her all night long so that when you return to Lancaster, you can do nothing but think of us and this moment. To remember that passion of our first holiday together, spent at our home and full of love.”

He didn’t wait for her response as he headed for the staircase, slowly ascending to the second floor, Amanda obediently following behind him.

Chapter Fifteen

The following morning, Amanda woke up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Opening her eyes, she rolled over and saw Alejandro sitting on the mattress beside her, staring at the wall in a daze. She reached out and touched his leg, smiling when he jumped. “Good morning,” she said softly.

“Sí,
Princesa
. Buenos días, mi amor,”
he replied, leaning down to kiss her shoulder.

“What were you thinking?” she asked.

He took a deep breath and gave a short shrug of his shoulders.

“Tell me,” she urged, sitting up and leaning against the headboard. Something was bothering him. She had never before seen him so pensive.

“It was nice to wake up here,” he admitted, looking down at her. “It’s been a long time on the road and there’s more to come.”

She brushed her hair back from her cheek and chewed on her lower lip. This wasn’t like Alejandro, to complain about the travel. “You love what you do,” she said pointedly.

“
Sí, claro.
I do.” He took a sip of coffee and handed the mug to her. “But I’m getting tired. The holidays are especially tough, and this year is even harder.”

“Why?”

“Because of you.”

“Me?” she asked, surprised that he had said that. The last thing she ever wanted to do was burden him. She tried hard to be positive and supportive. The thought that she contributed to any hardship in his life upset her. “Why because of me?”

He leaned back, stretching out on the bed, and rested his cheek on his hand. The sheets rustled beneath him. “I’d rather be here with you, Amanda, than on the road.”

His words were matter-of-fact and emotionless. It alarmed her, and she felt her heart begin to race. What was he saying? “Alejandro,” she whispered. “You love traveling.”

He shut his eyes and rolled onto his back, his arm tossed casually over his forehead. “I do,
sí
,” he said reluctantly. “But I need some downtime, Amanda. It’s too much.”

“You have months of shows ahead of you.” She knew she wasn’t telling him anything that he didn’t know. Still, she had to state the obvious.

“Sí, sí,”
he mumbled, an edge to his voice. “I know this. But I want some time. Time to cruise the islands or relax on a deserted beach. I want time for us, Princesa. And we have other things to think about . . . the future.”

Future? She raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“What happens when we start a family? I want to be with you, not living apart.”

She felt the color rise to her cheeks at the mention of a family. They had never discussed it. They didn’t have to. Despite the fact that he had no siblings, she had seen how important family was to him. As for herself, she just presumed that they would have
kinner
. Among the Amish, children were never planned or discussed. They were just born and cherished, gifts from God.

“Oh, Alejandro,” she sighed, trying to collect her thoughts. “You can’t think about that right now. You have commitments, and your fans count on you. Disappointing them would be bad.”

“I want you on the road with me,” he said. He opened his eyes and looked at her. “It’s the only way I can do it.”

Ah, she thought. So that’s what this is about. “We’ve talked about this,” she said softly. She didn’t want to disappoint him, and she was unhappy about having to make a choice. Her heart belonged with Alejandro, but she knew that she had a responsibility to her family. A filial obligation to fulfill.

“We have,
sí
,” he said evenly. Sitting up once again, he studied her expression. For a moment, she thought he was going to repeat his argument about the hired man and the nurse that he had arranged to help her parents. Instead, he gave her a soft smile. “Let’s not discuss this now. We have the morning to ourselves. Let’s enjoy it, no?”

They spent the morning hours by the pool, Alejandro drinking in the sun and swimming laps while Amanda lounged on a recliner with her e-reader. From time to time, she would look up and watch him, his even strokes breaking through the water as he swam. She couldn’t help but think about his words, wondering what was truly troubling him.

For years, he had been building up his career for this very moment of fame. He was at the peak of success, and she wondered if he might be burning out. Was it truly too much? Or had she become a distraction to him? That thought worried her the most. What would happen when she did return to the farm? They both knew that it would be temporary; she had to return to him, and she wanted to do just that. However, she knew that her father still needed her. She couldn’t just walk away from them, not after everything they had been through. Not after Aaron . . .

He splashed some water at her, the cool drops breaking her train of thought. Startled, she looked at him, surprised to realize that he had been watching her from the edge of the pool. “You almost ready?” he asked.

She shook her head. “It’s so nice here,” she said, smiling. “So warm! I had forgotten how much I like Miami.”

“Dade County, baby,” he teased, lighting up at her words. “Might not have cows, but we sure do have sun!”

She laughed. His improved mood felt like a weight was lifting from her shoulders.

His cell phone rang from the table next to her lounge chair. He made a face but quickly pulled himself out of the pool, water dripping from his shoulders, chest, and swimsuit. He shook his head as he walked toward the phone, purposely getting Amanda wet, teasing her.

“¿Hola?”
he said into the phone, reaching out to take the towel Amanda handed him. He rubbed it over his neck and chest before sitting down on the empty lounge chair.
“Sí, sí,”
he said, rolling his eyes and leaning back into the warm cushion.

She listened to him speaking in Spanish, wishing not for the first time that she could understand his native tongue. It was a pretty language, musical in nature, especially when he spoke it. Occasionally, he would laugh, a short devious laugh. She always smiled when he laughed like that for she knew that, whatever he was saying or doing, he was being naughty in a way that only Viper could be.

“Ay,”
he said as he set the phone down after the call ended. “It’s going to be a long weekend,
sí
?”

“Who was that, if I may ask?”

“Carlos. About the awards dinner on Sunday.”

She looked away. When she had come to New York, they had agreed that she would return to Lancaster on Sunday when he left for Los Angeles. His disappointment that she would not be attending the dinner with him was apparent, and she still felt bad about that. However, she knew that Anna would need to return to Ohio and she had wanted to see her sister and meet her new husband before they left. While he had been supportive of that arrangement, they had several discussions about when she would rejoin him on the road.

Noticing her averted eyes, he leaned over and touched her arm. “Amanda,” he said gently. “It’s not a problem.”

She nodded but still couldn’t meet his gaze.

“Alejandro!”

They both looked up at the sound of his name. Rodriego was standing in the open doorway. “The car will be here in thirty minutes,” he called to them.

With a big sigh, Alejandro lifted his hand in acknowledgment. He squeezed her knee before standing up.
“¿Listo,
Princesa
?”
Reaching down, he helped her to her feet and paused, just for a minute, before he brushed his fingers over her warm skin. “Soon we’ll be back, Amanda. Between the weekend concerts in the Southwest.”

She shut her eyes, enjoying the last few minutes of sun and her husband’s attention. Once they left for the airport, she knew that it would be back to business as usual: the city lights, the endless nights. But for now, for just this one minute, she had him to herself. The twenty-four-hour escape to Miami had been a tease, a mini-vacation, but it had relaxed both of them. Unfortunately, she could already see the stress beginning to return to his face. When he pulled her into his arms, her cheek pressed against his shoulder, she could hear his heart beating and knew that, despite his embrace, his mind was already on the concert tonight.

The flight to New York seemed quicker than the prior day. Amanda had read her book while Alejandro sat next to her, humming to himself as he scribbled words on pieces of paper. Several times, she glanced over, smiling at the serious look on his face. At the halfway mark of the trip, he pulled out his laptop from his carry-on. She wondered what he was working on but didn’t dare break his concentration to ask.

At five o’clock, they arrived at the airport. After being escorted through the crowds that quickly materialized out of nowhere, security helped them into the waiting car, which took Alejandro to Madison Square Garden. He needed to meet with his staff, conduct a sound check with his band, and talk with different reporters who had requested a quick preconcert meeting with him. He gave her a quick kiss before leaving the car, pausing only to instruct the driver to take Amanda to the hotel and make certain she was escorted inside, in case of fans mobbing her.

Returning to the suite felt a little like coming home to her. They hadn’t packed any bags when they had left for their whirlwind holiday getaway. Everything was neat and tidy, exactly as they had left it. She wandered to the small kitchenette and pulled out a bottle of sparkling Voss water. The tall glass bottle made a hissing sound when she twisted off the large gray cap. Alejandro had introduced her to the sparkling water, and she found it very refreshing. As a result, he had made certain that his staff kept it stocked in their hotel rooms whenever they traveled together.

Her cell phone rang and she looked up, startled at the noise. No one ever called it. She hadn’t even charged it while she was with Alejandro. There was no need. The only person she communicated with on the device was him. He had charged it overnight and made certain that she knew it was working.

Retrieving it from her handbag, she was not surprised to see that it was from him. “Miss me already, then?” she asked teasingly when she answered it.

“Uh . . .” A female voice hesitated on the other end of the phone. “Amanda?”

Amanda sank down into a chair, shutting her eyes in embarrassment. “
Ja
, it’s me,” she managed to say, despite wishing that a hole would open in the floor and swallow her.

“Alejandro asked me to call you,” the woman said. “A car will come for you in two hours. He wanted you to meet with some people here before the show.”

“Oh?” Amanda couldn’t help but wonder why this woman had called her. Why hadn’t he? And why had she used Alejandro’s phone and not her own?

“Someone will come to your room and escort you downstairs to the car,” the woman explained politely.

After thanking the woman, Amanda set the cell phone down on the table.
Two hours?
She couldn’t imagine what she would do for two hours. It was too early to start getting ready. She sighed and leaned her head against the back of the chair.

She missed the farm. That was the bottom-line truth. She liked working the land; she liked the routine of each day. Having returned to the farm so recently had been refreshing. She admitted it. Yet she knew that her place was with her husband.

Without a doubt, she loved being with him. He made her heart soar, that was for sure and certain. A simple look or a simple gesture from Alejandro was all that she needed to make her realize that she was the luckiest woman in the world. Prior to meeting Alejandro, she had never even imagined such emotions. Love had seemed like a fuzzy concept, one that was steeped in the spiritual, certainly not in the emotional or physical. Indeed, her upbringing had not focused on anything but the spiritual for all aspects of life, from a community perspective.

But after she had fallen in love with Alejandro, all of that had changed.

Now, despite the grueling schedule of his international tour, she was looking forward to seeing some of these countries. In her entire life, she had never imagined that she would have such opportunities. It was never something that was even considered. Now, however, Alejandro’s enthusiasm for showing her different parts of the world, exposing her to different cultures, was rubbing off on her.

Still, in the back of her mind, Amanda knew that she needed to temper her immersion into the Englische culture by returning to her roots, even if only occasionally and for short periods of time. Over the past few months, she had seen enough to know exactly why the Amish church leaders were so opposed to their youth and community being exposed to worldliness: it could be, indeed, corrupting, to say the least.

It was almost seven thirty when Amanda was escorted through a secured back entrance into Madison Square Garden and through a long and narrow corridor to the artists’ lounge where people would soon gather to meet Viper during the VIP Meet and Greet. For now however, there was just a lone woman seated on a sofa, a laptop next to her and a pile of papers on her lap.

Confused, Amanda looked around for Alejandro, and when she didn’t see him, she thought that security had perhaps brought her to the wrong room. She was just about to exit when the young woman looked up and saw Amanda standing there.

“Oh!” The dark-haired woman did not seem as surprised as Amanda was. Quickly, the woman placed the papers she had been reviewing on top of her laptop and stood up, smoothing down her navy-blue skirt and approaching Amanda, her hand outstretched and a smile on her face. “You must be Amanda!”

“I was looking for Alejandro,” she said as she reluctantly shook the woman’s hand. The woman was pretty with large dark eyes and olive-toned skin. Her hair was almost jet-black and cut in a bob that curled around her ears.

“He’ll be here in a moment, I’m sure,” the woman said with a confidence that made Amanda suddenly wonder who, exactly, this woman was and why she knew Alejandro’s schedule. Despite the questions that floated through Amanda’s mind, she did recognize that the woman seemed pleasant enough, especially when she asked, “Would you like anything? Coffee? Water? Wine?”