Chapter Seven

 

        “What can I say?” Vivian shakes her head, in a kind way, “It is awesome!”

        “I know, right? I cannot believe he is actually letting me sing and make albums for me! This is gonna be an awesome experience.” I laugh with happiness.

        “But what about Erik?” Vivian suddenly brings Erik up. My face turns white.

       “I don’t know. He’s been . . . ignoring me . . . even when I say ‘hi’ to him, he just nods and walks away . . . I . . . I don’t know what’s going on between us,” I take a deep breath, “maybe he’s got a girlfriend and he doesn’t want to get involved with me. He is twenty-three after all, and he probably doesn’t want to . . .”

        Vivian interrupts me with a sigh.

        “What’s wrong?” I ask, still feeling uncertain.

        “I think you should find out yourself,” Vivian says, “I know you can find it out. I just don’t want to see people suffering for love.”

        “What?”

        Vivian just stays silent, not saying anything more.

        The concert will start around seven-thirty. The only thing I can do right now is working around and doing exactly nothing. Instead of wasting my time, I decide to walk around the mall and buy something.

        Speaking of shopping . . . I haven’t bought a dress for the concert tonight . . .

        Walking slowly, listening to the music in my cell phone, I walk into the nearest mall.

        “May I help you?” The manager comes near me as I walk into the store.

        “No, thank you,” I say, smiling a polite smile.

        I walk through jackets, jeans, tank tops, and then here comes the dresses section.

        A beautiful white dress catches my attention, kind of old-fashioned, but totally my type. It is pure white, nothing more. I touch my necklace subconsciously. I should wear this with the white dress tonight. Maybe I can also add my favorite denim jacket . . .

        “It will look great on your, Rae.” A voice I always hope to hear appears behind me. I turn, and I see Erik standing there, with a little smile.

        “Erik.” I call out. He comes toward my way.

        Together we walk to the cashier.

        “13.5 dollars,” says the manager. I hand her the money.

        Erik walks beside me, hands in his pocket. I can tell he is trying to find something to say. What an embarrassing moment.

        “I hope you will do well on tonight’s concert.”

        “Thank you,” I reply shortly, trying to act cool, all nervous reaction.

        Everything is back to silence. I want to ask him why he was avoiding me these days. But I just cannot do so . . . I am not brave enough to ask.

        He defiantly knows, he knows that I’ve got something to say, and the next thing he says confirms the truth that he had found out.

        “What do you want to say?” He asks. His beautiful, deep eyes look straight into me, straight into my heart.

        “I . . .”

        “Tell me, Rae. It is alright,” he says. His voice softens, there a gentle smile on his face, but I can still feel that he is dying to know.

        “Erik . . .”

        “Rae, please.”

        “Alright, fine!” I say, a little bit angry, and then I feel tears come out. They just come out, imperceptibly.

        “Rae?”

        “Why were you avoiding me these days, Erik?” I ask. I said it out. I said it out!

        Erik looks at me, “I don’t want to step in between you and Richard, plus, he is my boss. I can feel that he really likes you.”

        Wait . . . he thinks I am with Richard? He thinks that I am with Richard!

        “You think I am with Richard?”

        He nods, “You are not?”

        I laugh, “Oh, Erik, I am not! I only see him as a super-star; I only feel him as a fatherly, nice person . . . there is nothing more between us. I believe he feels so, too.”

        We are now by the riverbank, walking along the river, all the way down to the music hall. Both of us stop walking. We just stand there, right at the middle of the street, doing nothing.

        A car drives by and honks at us. We quickly run onto the sidewalk, and then we look at each other and laugh. That is probably when I notice that my hand is in his. His warm palm covers my cold one; the warmth sends some kind of electric current, straight to my heart.

        “Let’s go,” Erik murmurs. He does not let go of my hand.

 

        The air conditioner is so cold that I feel like freezing. Seeing me shiver, Erik, the gentleman, takes off his jacket immediately.

        “Aww . . . Thank you, Erik.” I smile at him.

        “No problem,” he smiles back at me.

        Erik’s jacket is really big, the sleeves are too long. I can smell Erik’s smell from his jacket, the kind of smell that only babies have. I think it is the smell of milk and honey.

        “You smell like milk and honey,” I say.

        “And you smell like chocolate and vanilla, two of my favorite smells.” He replies, grinning.

        I shrug, “Well, I’m glad you like it.” Then we both laugh.

        Richard is on his way toward Erik, when he sees me, he gives me a big smile and a hug. He hugs Erik, too, but more likely a brotherly hug, plus a big hit on the back.

        “Are you guys officially together?” Richard jokes. Erik smiles, looking at me, and then chuckles. I laugh with him. That is when I figure out that my hand is still in his.

        “Umm . . . no?” I murmur, my voice is so low that barely anyone can hear it.

        Erik and Richard turn to look at me the same time.

        Richard raises one side of his eyebrow; Erik pets my head like a big brother, both staring at me.

        Then they both crack up. I blush and turn away, pulling my hand away from Erik’s.

        I notice the differences between the way Richard and Erik look at me. It is obvious that Richard only sees me as a little girl, a daughterly figure; but Erik, Erik . . . when he looks at me, his eyes show that kind of tenderness that no one has ever seen from him. Even though he seems to treat everyone equally and kindly, he only shows the softness when he is with me.

        “Are you nervous?” Richard asks me, handing me a chocolate bar, I smile.

        “Yes, I am really nervous,” I say honestly, opening my chocolate bar and taking a bite, “yum.”

        “Glad you like it.” Richard laughs.

        Then the thought suddenly pops into my mind . . . Am I supposed to eat any chocolate before I sing?

        “Am I supposed to eat chocolate before I sing?” I ask Richard.

        Again, he laughs. He is always laughing.

        “Well, it is alright for only one . . . I’m just trying to calm you down.”

        Erik grins. I smile and decide that I have got nothing to say.

 

        Three minutes before the concert, I panic. I am afraid that things like the day at The Lost Bar might happen again. Carrying the fear, the appreciation, and Richard and Erik’s hugs, I walk onto the stage.

        Sitting in front of the piano, my fingers draw a beautiful and connect the notes. I don’t need music sheets. I can memorize everything from the bottom of my heart. As the prelude ends, I get to sing my first word out. The people start cheering and clapping. That is when I get nervous. The crowed people bring back the memory of that night . . . The dark bar, tables full of people, yelling, shouting, and asking me for more . . . A sudden intenseness overwhelms me and I feel like falling from the stage.

        Do not give up. Concentrate. I tell myself. My shaking fingers touch the piano, and then my shivering voice comes out. The hard beats affect the timbre into rock . . . it sounds terrible, as if the thing I am now playing is no more music . . . as if I am knocking on a stone. My voice hoarsens, and my mouth turns dry. Everything slows down. Now no one is cheering, no one is clapping. Everything, everyone, is as dead as graves.

        “C’mon, kiddo, you can do it!” I hear Richard whispers from the microphone. The sentences is sent straight into my head-sets.

        The sound stops in the middle. It is absolutely silent. No one talks. Not even a blink.

        “C’mon, Rae, sweetheart?” I realize from Richard’s voice that he is really nervous, he really wants me to do a good job.

        Just when I am about to go forward and move on, Erik is on the stage, standing right next to me, a guitar in hands.

        “Erik?”

        “Shh . . .” He whispers, smiling an encourage smile. Then he grabs the microphone, “Hey, friends, it seems like our little friend here is not going to sing unless you guys clap more!” The people start shouting and cheering again, so happily as if what just happened was nothing at all. But truth is that I am still nervous, nervous to death!

        “I . . .” I whisper to Erik, he just smiles and nods.

        “We are going to sing Fly Me to the Moon for you all first, and then Rae will sing her originals.”

        People claps, and then the first few chords are played. I mouth Erik a “thank-you”, but he just smiles.

        I can see Erik’s long, beautiful fingers slide through every note, leaving tender sounds behind all those touches. He is caressing the piano, as if it is a woman, the one he loves.

        “Fly me to the moon, let me swing among those stars, let me see what spring is like, on Jupiter and Mars . . .”

 

        “Erik,” I am now at the backstage, packing my stuff, “Erik, thank you for saving me . . .”

        “It is not a big deal, Rae.” He smiles. His smile is so comfort . . . too comfort that I feel guilty and I start blaming myself again.

        Richard comes and gives me a hug, “You must be so frightened up there, sweetheart.”

        I nod, and then he smiles a knowing smile.

        “Sorry that I embarrassed you all.” I whisper.

        Richard doesn’t say anything, he just shakes his head. Erik looks at me, it seems like his eyes are seeing through my fears.

        “Rae,” Richard says, “you were doing just fine out there. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. I think the only problem is that you were too nervous.”

        Right, the only problem is that I am nervous. I turn and face the two.

        They both give me a smile, almost the same time. Richard opens his mouth to talk, but he is interrupted by a man who is now standing beside us, the four of us form a circle. I have no idea when he appeared.

        “Oh, hey, Louis,” Richard says, looking at me, “Rae, this is Louis Tucker; Louis, this is Rae Landelle.”

        Louis Tucker nods at me, and then he turns back and stares at Richard. He has a cool attitude. I look at him, he doesn't look back at me. Erik seems a bit uneasy when Louis Tucker is around.

        “I need to talk to you, in private.” Louis Tucker tells Richard. His voice is so cool, his blue eyes are beautiful yet so cold that it is like heavy snow that will bury and engulf me. In fact, his eyes see straight through me, as if they want to tear me apart, and throw me into hell, or a place as dark . . .

        Erik and I watch Richard and Louis Tucker walk away. We look at each other for a while and sit down by a tree.

        “I personally think that it was great to sing with you up there. I mean, I really enjoyed being on the stage with you. But the thing is, you little nervous girl, you really need to know what you really want to try hard to grasp it when the chance comes to you. It doesn’t mean you are not trying, but you just need to try a little bit harder, do you understand?”

        I nod, feeling more depressed, even though I know it is nice for him to tell me his advice. I move closer to him and lean on his chest. What I need now is comfort and a pair of warm, strong arms.

Author's Note

Finally . . . Chapter Seven! :-)

Reviews

[R J Askew]

That Erik, he turns up at all the right moments and does all the right things. He ia the perfect dream-boat boy.

And this is THE moment: 'The warmth sends some kind of electric current straight to my heart.'

Yet there have to be obstacles and they are with Rae's performance here where she is 'knocking on a stone'. I know that feeling all to well. Yet even here Erik comes to her rescue.

I like the description of Louis Tucker, who sounds like some flinty money man, or some such.

This is a tennage romance and this line perfectly captures what the reader wants: 'What I need now is comfort and a pair of warm, strong arms.'

It is wonderfully simple really. I read on as I am curious. There is also a clue when Richard is referred to as a fatherly figure.

[Singer-Songwriter - Miya]

Thank you :-)

[Karina]

Wow this is really good I got really into it! Keep writing you have talent :)

[Singer-Songwriter - Miya]

Thank you :-) I am working on Chapter Eight, ha ha!

[Karina]

Good you should continue :)

[Singer-Songwriter - Miya]

Thank you :-)