Plain Again (20 page)

Dali almost smiled but tried to maintain her professionalism. “In due time, Amanda,” she said. “For right now, he wants you in the audience. That is public enough, no?”

When the two bodyguards, dressed in suits as opposed to regular security guard uniforms, escorted Amanda to her seat in the pit, the section of the seating directly in front of the stage, a low roar erupted from the audience. Those who had front-row seats in the stands next to the pit leaned over railings and screamed for her attention. Security guards dressed in yellow shirts and black pants lined the way, positioning themselves between the fans and Amanda.

Dali had instructed her to look at the fans and smile, pausing several times to permit them to take her photo. Several of the fans on the floor in the pit crowded around her, and the guards with the yellow shirts stepped forward and tried to clear a path. Amanda glanced at the bodyguard beside her, but he merely stared straight ahead as if surveilling the sea of people before them.

It took almost five minutes for the men to escort Amanda to her seat, located in the fifth row and directly in front of the stage. They sat on either side of her, their heads constantly in motion as they watched the crowd around Amanda to ensure that no trouble was brewing from any direction.

When the lights went down and the music began, the attention shifted from Amanda to the stage. For that, she was grateful. It didn’t matter how many times she saw him perform, she was always amazed at his transformation before his tens of thousands of adoring fans. Even more important, he always looked as though he was enjoying himself, as if the performance was just as special to him as it was to the audience. Between vocals, he would dance, laugh, and even lean down to shake hands with those who stood closest to the stage. There was no doubt that Viper was a performer, born to do what he was doing: entertain others.

It wasn’t until just after his first encore that one of the bodyguards touched her arm as the second man nodded his head, pointing in the direction of the nearest exit. It was time to leave, before the mad rush of fans realized that she was about to do so. Otherwise, once the concert ended, they would have created a mob around her, no longer concerned about being thrown out of the stadium.

Discreetly, they made their way to the backstage area, easily passing through security. Patiently, she waited near the steps down from the stage so that she could be there to congratulate him on yet another amazing concert. When the music finally ended and he emerged, a crowd of people surrounded him, but he merely smiled, pausing for a few quick photographs, before hurrying in the direction where Amanda stood.

“Come,” he commanded. “I want to get showered and changed so that we can enjoy New York City tonight . . . just the two of us,
sí
?”

His words were music to her ears. Following his concerts, she was usually subjected to after-concert gatherings or crowds of people. Those late nights in clubs or at parties were not her thing, but she would never think to complain to Alejandro. So the fact that he had planned a special late night without hordes of people was extra special to her, especially since she knew that their time together was coming to another pause. In just one more day, she would return to Pennsylvania to see Anna and meet her new brother-in-law while Alejandro would fly to Los Angeles again.

As usual, he didn’t waste any time getting showered and changed. She waited patiently in the dressing room, seated on one of the plush chairs and leafing through a magazine that someone had left on the coffee table. There were bottles of Voss water in an ice bucket on a buffet table along with pieces of sushi that she had picked at while waiting earlier. When he emerged from the bathroom, his hair still damp but his clothes changed and the scent of his musky cologne teasing her senses, she set down the magazine.

“It’s cold out, Alejandro,” she said. “You shouldn’t go out with a wet head.”

To her surprise, he laughed at her.

She frowned back at him. “You’ll get sick. I see nothing funny about that.”

He reached down for her hand and pulled her to her feet. “I wouldn’t dream of upsetting you, Princesa. Give me another moment,
sí
?” Planting a soft kiss on her lips, he quickly turned to the dressing table and picked up the hair dryer, turning it on and shaking it around his head.

Wandering back over to the buffet table, she put a few pieces of sushi on a plate and carried them over to him, wordlessly setting it on the dressing table. She knew that he tended to not eat well when he was on the road, either skipping meals or eating too late. It worried her, especially if she was not around to keep an eye on him.

“Voilà!”
He set the hair dryer down and picked up the plate of sushi. “You take great care of me,
sí
? What will I do without you on the road with me, Amanda?”

From the other side of the room, she turned around and faced him. “Need I remind you that you
do
have a large staff. Perhaps you need to have them pay better attention to
your
needs.”

He raised an eyebrow at her and gave her that half-crooked smile. “I much prefer you to pay attention to my . . . needs, Princesa,” he said before popping a piece of sushi into his mouth. Then, setting the plate down on the counter, he wiped his hands on a napkin and headed toward the door. “Let’s go, my amazing wife, for I have something wonderful to show you this evening.” He held out his hand for her before leading her out of the door to the dressing room.

It didn’t take more than twenty minutes for the driver to navigate the streets of Midtown Manhattan and arrive at the Strand Hotel. Amanda gave Alejandro a curious look but asked no questions. When the doorman opened the car door, Alejandro hastened to jump out and assist her to the curb. Quickly, in order to avoid anyone noticing them, Alejandro hurried her inside the small lobby and navigated to the elevator, pausing just briefly to greet the security guard at the entrance.

She wasn’t prepared for the elevator doors to open at the rooftop lounge. Despite it being cold outside, there were tall propane gas heaters positioned around the lounge, especially near the far wall. She looked up as Alejandro led her toward the back of the lounge. The glass roof was open, affording the most magnificent view of the skyline, especially the Empire State Building, which towered over them. It was beautiful, unlike anything she had ever seen before, and she caught her breath as they walked past the bar and toward a small table facing the view.

“Alejandro!” she breathed. “It’s . . . it’s simply amazing.”

He gestured toward a server and said something rapidly in Spanish before turning his attention back to Amanda. “I thought you would enjoy this. I know how much you loved your first visit to New York City, no?” They both laughed at the inside joke, knowing full well that her first stay in New York City, while bringing them together, was spent in a hospital bed, rather than sightseeing.

When the server approached their table, she set two drinks down before them and paused, just for a moment, as she recognized the famous couple seated before them. Alejandro ignored her as he lifted his drink and raised it to toast his wife.

“Here is to our wonderful week spent together,
sí
?”

Reluctantly, she raised her own glass, wondering what he had ordered for her to drink. Champagne. She sipped at it, then set the glass on the tabletop. “It has been a magical week,” she sighed. “I dread thinking about tomorrow.”

Tapping his finger against the edge of his glass, he stared at her as if considering her words. That was when she knew that he had an alternative agenda for the evening. It didn’t take long to learn what it was.

“Aman-tha,”
he began slowly. “I have made arrangements for you to come with me to Los Angeles.”

She greeted his news with silence.

“I want you with me at the award ceremony,” he continued, his gaze unwavering as he watched her, waiting for her reaction. There was none. “We will fly out tomorrow after the concert and have all day Sunday and Monday.”

From the corner of her eye, she noticed a few people stealing photos of them. She ignored them as she considered Alejandro’s request. Or was it a request? she wondered. He hadn’t asked her. Nee, she thought. Instead of asking her, he had
told
her that the arrangements had already been made. Still, he was her husband and, as such, he was the head of their small household. Arguing with him was not something she would consider doing. It simply was not in her character.

“When would I return to Lititz?” she finally responded.

“Tuesday morning, there is a flight. You would get back by supper.” He paused. “Unless you wish to travel with me to Phoenix that day?”

She ignored the last question, knowing that she simply could not travel with him to his next concert stop in Arizona. However, leaving Tuesday morning provided enough time to visit with Anna, she told herself. “I see,” was all that she could think to say. She’d have to find a way to get a message to her parents so that they would not worry. And, she rationalized, it was only an extra two days.

“That’s it?” he asked. “Just ‘I see’?”

Not wanting to ruin his good mood, Amanda lifted her champagne flute and gestured toward him. “It will be nice to see Los Angeles again, I reckon.”

A look of relief washed over his face, and it immediately warmed her heart. Despite his having made the arrangement, he had clearly been apprehensive about her reaction. Seeing him happy and so obviously pleased made the sacrifice all the more worthwhile.

Chapter Sixteen

Dear Mamm and Daed,

Mayhaps I will be home by the time that you receive this letter. Please apologize again to Anna that I delayed my return to the farm. I shall be there soon enough, however. Alejandro has been nominated for an award, you see. It is only proper that I should be by his side at the event.

Amanda

It felt strange waking up in the condominium in Los Angeles. It was the first time that she had slept there as his wife. To wake up and not be surrounded by support staff or hotel security felt odd at first. Slipping her feet out from underneath the bedcovers, she glanced at Alejandro as he slept. He wore a sleeveless white undershirt that accentuated his chest. His tattoos peeked out from beneath the fabric, and she resisted the urge to trace one of them with her finger.

The sun was barely rising from behind the long vertical blinds that hung over the large windows. Golden rays seemed to sparkle against the backdrop of a budding blue sky. It promised to be a beautiful day, and he had mentioned to her it would be a day of relaxation and no appointments. Just the two of them, he had said, after a chaotic week of concerts, events, and travel.

Their last day in New York City had been spent in leisure, until it was time for Alejandro to return to the arena in preparation for the final show before flying out to Los Angeles, immediately afterward. On Saturday, they had slept late and enjoyed a lovely brunch, specially prepared for them by the chef and served in the privacy of their suite. In the early afternoon, Alejandro had insisted on taking her shopping on Fifth Avenue, two bodyguards in tow in case there were any issues with people recognizing them. Fortunately, there were none.

Later, they had enjoyed a quick meal together at Tao, a fancy Asian restaurant. It had felt odd to Amanda to be able to maneuver the streets with Alejandro and not have crowds of people surrounding them. While a few recognized them, most people were too involved in their own lives to even notice the famous couple. Still, as a precaution, the two bodyguards accompanied them everywhere.

After the concert, they had been driven to LaGuardia Airport where the private plane awaited them. Amanda was secretly glad that his manager, Mike, hadn’t joined them. He had left for Los Angeles on Friday before the show, his presence required to make arrangements for the awards ceremony on Sunday evening. A few of Alejandro’s usual entourage accompanied them on the flight, but they remained toward the back of the plane, leaving the couple alone.

It had been early in the morning, California time, when the Gulfstream landed. She had tried to sleep most of the journey, with little success, curled up with her head on Alejandro’s shoulder. By the time they made it to the condominium, she merely crawled into bed and sank into a deep sleep. She didn’t even know whether Alejandro followed her to bed or spent another hour catching up on his e-mails.

They had spent most of Sunday in the condominium, relaxing until it was time for the awards ceremony. It had been nice to do nothing for once. He watched some television, in between phone calls to Mike, Carlos, and several other people who were part of his publicity team. Due to the time difference between the East and West Coasts, the awards ceremony had started earlier in the late afternoon. Afterward, they hadn’t returned to the condominium until well into the wee hours of the morning. Reluctantly, Amanda had accompanied Alejandro to the after-parties. He had clutched her hand, introducing her to endless faces and countless names that she knew she’d never remember. Wherever they had gone, the flashes of photographers greeted them, and eager reporters, hoping to get that thirty-second interview that would get picked up by some entertainment station, shoved microphones toward their faces.

Barefoot, she padded into the kitchen and began to search for coffee. She knew that he’d sleep for a while longer, but her eyes were itchy from her own lack of sleep and she wanted to sit on the veranda with a warm mug of coffee in her hand and watch the morning sun rise over the tops of the buildings. It took her a moment to orient herself to the kitchen and figure out where the small pods were for the fancy coffeepot. Unlike at home, on her parents’ farm, this coffee machine made one cup at a time. There was no boiling water to pour over the instant coffee that her parents often used.

By the time she slid open the sliding glass doors in the living room—a room that was dressed all in white from the carpet and walls to the curtains, adornments, and furniture—the sun had already changed the colors in the sky to pale yellow and orange. She sank into one of the chairs and curled her legs beneath her as she held the coffee mug.

In hindsight, she was glad that she had changed her mind and accompanied Alejandro to Los Angeles and the awards dinner. He had been so pleased with her decision and proud of her presence that she had immediately recognized that she had done the right thing. He had not won the award but had stood up when the announcement was made for his colleague, applauding the entertainer who had won. His public display of genuine happiness for the winner warmed Amanda’s heart and made her proud. The goodness that continually poured out of her husband was something that she had never expected to see in an Englischer.

“You are up?”

She glanced over her shoulder as she felt his hand on the top of her head. As expected, he leaned down and kissed her neck, pausing to whisper, “I love you” in her ear.

Shutting her eyes, she leaned back so that her head was pressed against his stomach. His hand moved from her head to her shoulder, and he massaged it for a moment before reaching down to steal her mug of coffee. “Did you sleep well, Alejandro?”

“Sí, sí.”
He took a long sip from the mug. “I sleep as well here as I do in Miami,” he said. “Or perhaps it is because you are beside me.”

She smiled.

“And you, Princesa?”

How to tell him what she was feeling? She felt as though she were living a dream, sitting on the patio outside of his Los Angeles condo, his hand on her shoulder and her back pressed against him. Like a true princess, she thought, living in a castle with her knight in shining armor. “I slept quite well,
danke
,” was all that she could muster, too embarrassed to tell him what she wanted to say.

He knelt down behind her, his arm wrapping around her throat as he nuzzled her once again. “I think you were too tired, no?” He kissed her skin. “From more than just the award ceremony . . .”

She blushed. He had the habit of teasing her in the mornings, reminding her of the intimacy they shared behind closed doors. “Alejandro,” she whispered. “Don’t tease.”

Laughing, he planted a final kiss on her cheek before he stood up and headed back inside. “Let me refresh your coffee, Princesa. And then we have a busy day today.”

She turned around and watched him, her dark eyes wide and sparkling. The tone of Alejandro’s voice told her that their “busy day” did not entail interviews, meetings, or anything else related to Viper. Instead, she suspected that his “busy day” indicated a day of fun, just the two of them . . . a rare treat before she headed back to Pennsylvania. “We do?” she asked breathlessly, anticipating what he had in store for her.

“¡Sí! ¡Vamos a la playa!”
he called out as he disappeared around the corner.

Inwardly, she hid her smile, knowing that he was using Spanish on purpose, to stretch out the suspense. “You know I don’t know what that means!” she called out after him.

“Then you must wait, Princesa!” he called back. “I read in a book somewhere that patience is a virtue, no?”

A few minutes passed before he emerged, two mugs of coffee in his hands, one of which he handed to her. “The beach,” he translated. “We are going to the beach.”

“Oh help!”

He laughed at her again. “Why ‘oh help’? You have been to the beach before,
s
í
?” Sinking into the chair next to her, he crossed his legs and shut his eyes. She watched as he lifted his face toward the sun. “You will love the California ocean, Amanda. The beautiful water and warm sun . . . it will lift your heart and soul to stand on the edge of the water and look out, seeing nothing but the ocean before you.”

“What will I wear?”

“A bathing suit, of course!” He raised his eyebrows and grinned. “And a small one at that,
por favor
!”

“Alejandro!” But even she couldn’t help laughing at his expression, so playful and relaxed. “I don’t know if I’d be comfortable wearing one of those bathing suits in public. It will make me feel as if I am wearing just my underwear! Will other people be there then?”

“
¡Claro!
It’s the beach!”

“Then I definitely won’t wear a bathing suit!” she insisted.

With a sigh, he gave up. “It’s probably not warm enough anyway,” he admitted. “Perhaps it will get up to the seventies. Not swimming weather. But I still want to go walk along the beach with you. Will you do that, Amanda? Will you go with me?”

She tilted her head and looked at him over the rim of her coffee mug. His blue eyes stared back at her, full of intensity and passion. He seemed to be waiting, breathlessly, for her answer. And that surprised her. For a moment, she didn’t know how to respond. Was he truly asking her? Did he have any doubt she would come? “Oh, Alejandro,” she whispered. “Don’t you know that I would go anywhere with you?”

At first, he didn’t respond. He turned his head away from her, gazing over the side of the balcony, his eyes scanning the sky. Then, slowly, he set down his coffee mug and stood up, pausing to take her hand and pull her to her feet. He set her coffee mug on the table next to his before he wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close, his hand pressed against the small of her back.

“Anywhere?” he repeated.

Her only response was a simple nod of her head.

“Hmm,” he whispered, taking a step toward the sliding door and pulling her along with him. “I can think of only one place where I would like to take you right now.” He glanced over his shoulder, making certain to carefully guide her inside. “And I think you know where that is, Princesa,” he murmured, as he walked backward, his arms still tight around her waist, and led her back to the bedroom.

It was two hours later when they stood on the beach, the white sand warm and soft under their bare feet. She held her sandals in one hand and the crook of his arm in her other. For a long time, they stood there, staring at the enormous mass of water that ebbed and flowed onto the coastline.

The waves broke onto the shore, uphill over the darker wet sand, toward them on the edge of the incline. With each break, the waterline crept closer to them, but never quite reached their toes. Some of the waves brought frothy white foam, while others pushed seashells in their direction.

Farther out, the waves looked gentle and peaceful, a constant motion that kept the horizon alive. In the distance was a ship. It was too far away to know whether it was a commercial or pleasure vessel. But that didn’t matter to Amanda. She was amazed by the sight of the ocean, in love with the sound of the waves and immune to the casual stares of people walking past them just over the ridge.

“I want to feel it,” she whispered.

“¿Qué,
Princesa
?”
He hadn’t heard her and bent down so that she could repeat her request.

She managed to tear her gaze from the ocean to look at him, suddenly noticing that his eyes were almost the same blue color as the water before them. “I want to feel it!” she said, her eyes ablaze with excitement. “May I do that?”

He tilted his head and smiled at her, that half-crooked smile that spoke of his amusement with her innocence.
“Claro,
Princesa
,”
he said. “Let’s go down to the water’s edge together,
sí
?”

To his surprise, she shook her head.
“Nee.”

He lifted an eyebrow, that half smile still on his face. His only response was a simple nod of his head. He understood. It was a magical moment, one that she wanted to feel alone . . . to reflect on the magnificence of the wonder of God’s creation. Reaching down for her sandals, he gestured toward the water’s edge as he took a step backward. “Don’t go in too far,” he said playfully. “I would prefer to not have to rescue you again today.”

She made a face at him before turning back to the ocean. With great reverence, she slowly walked toward it, reaching for her skirt as she approached the edge. Her fingers entwined with the soft material as she crumpled it in her hands and lifted it so that the hemline would not get wet.

And then she felt it: the coolness of the water on her bare feet.

At first, she jumped back. He must have been watching her, amused at her reaction for she heard him laugh from behind her. Ignoring him, she ventured forward again. With her eyes cast down, she watched the water recede away from her feet, back into the great ocean. The sand beneath her feet felt cold and hard. As she walked, little puddles formed beneath her footprints. She almost knelt down to touch them when she saw another wave racing up the incline toward her. She was closer to the ocean this time, and the water wrapped around her ankles.

Lifting her skirt higher, she forced herself to walk even deeper into the water. When it reached her knees, she knew that her skirt would be drenched, but she decided she didn’t care. With each breaking wave, drops of water splashed onto her arms and hands. She released the material and let it get soaked as she lifted her arms into the air; then, swirling around like a little girl, she tossed her head back to feel the warm sun on her face, in contrast to the cold sensation of the rhythmical influx of the waves splashing her legs.

The realization that she was experiencing this for the first time—standing in the sand and staring across the Pacific Ocean. Witnessing the power and beauty of the water—something fashioned by the hand of the Creator—triggered an overwhelming feeling of awe and reverence within her. She wanted to shout “God made this!” Instead, she said a silent prayer, thanking him for guiding her to this moment, a moment that she could feel inside her very core. Only someone as powerful and almighty as the Lord could create something so majestic and poignant as this sight, she thought, and immediately wished she could share it with her
schwester
and her
mamm
and
daed
.