Face the Music (48 page)

He sat upright on the bench and stretched his arms above his head.  “Okay, Miss Smarty Pants.  What was it?”

“I have no idea.
”

“No?” he teased, a half-smirk tugging at his mou
th.  “But I thought you were an
expert.”

“I honestly don’t know.  What was it?”

He laughed.  “Just a little something I wrote.”

“
You
wrote
that?
”
  I was seriously impressed.  I could read music, but composing it was something else entirely.

He then played another tune.  This one I recognized.  It was from
Phantom of the Opera.
 
He sang some of the lines as he played.

Listening to his rich voice and watching his fingers flow over the keys put me in a trance-like state.  I became absorbed in the music, and when he finished, I simply looked at him.

“Have you heard that one before?” he asked, cocking his head.

“Yes.  I saw the movie a few years ago.”

“You’ve never seen it on stage?”

“
Billy Elliot
was my first
, live,
stage production.”

“We’ll have to remedy that, won’t we?”
he asked. 

“Maybe, someday.”  I looked around the mostly vacant room.  “Where did your mom go?”

He nodded towards the elevator. 
“Upstairs.”

“Is she okay?”  I thought it was odd that she would just leave.

“She wanted to give us some
time.”

Why would she do that?  I’d spent more time with her son lately than she had.  A sudden concern crossed my mind.  “Do you think she liked me?”

“
What’s not to like?”  He reached up and cupped my cheek in his hand, his eyes burning into mine.  I held my breath.  “Don’t worry, she loved you.”

I bit my lip and dropped my eyes.  “I guess I b
etter go.  You need your rest.  B
ig day tomorrow.”

“It’s not that late.  Stay awhile.”

I shook my head. 
“Not a chance.  Tomorrow night is way too important.  I’ve already distracted you enough.”

He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against him.  When he spoke, his lips were only inches from mine.  “You don’t distract me.  You inspire me.”

***

The final
show
was booked at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, and taping was scheduled to begin at seven.  Emily and I arrived a little after six
-
thirty. 

I spotted Jake in a corner, troubleshooting a camera. 

“You look frustrated,” I said when I got close enough for him to hear. 

He looked up at me and dropped his screwdriver.  “Damn
, girl!
  Are you wearing that dress, or is it wearing you?”  He gave me an appreciative stare and then hugged me, careful not to touch my mocha-colored dress with his greasy hands. 

“A
re you rea
dy for this?  Your last show?” I asked.

He shook his head.  “No. 
I’m not ready to go back to Cali yet.” 

“When do you leave?”

“Wednesday.” 

A lump formed in my throat.  “
M
ake sure you come see me
before then.  Don’t leave without saying goodbye, okay?”  My voice cracked a little. 
I was terrible with goodbyes.

“I wouldn’t dare.”  He winked and returned to the camera.  

Emily and I found our seats.  They were near the back of the theatre, but we had a good, unobstructed view of the stage.  A large section near the front had been blocked off and reserved for Chris and Cynthia’s families.  Chris’s parents were seated next to his sister, along with numerous other faces I recognized from the
airport
.  They all looked really nervous.

Bradley McKnight welcomed everyone and explained the venue.  “Each performer will sing two songs.  One must be an original composition.  Cynthia won the coin toss and chose to go first, so, without further delay, I give you Cynthia Strikes, singing
My Heart Will Go On
!”

She looked fabulous and did an awesome job with the song. 
I
t was the best I’d ever heard her sing.  I hoped Chris had something really great prepared.

After a break, our host returned.  “And now, let’s hear it for Chris Knots, with his original piece,
Without You
.”

This song was edgy.  It was full of guitars, drums, and a keyboard, but I recognized some of the melodies from Chris’s piano performance the night before.  The melody started out slow.  Chris sang, very softly, the opening lyrics.

I never knew I could feel this way.

So secure,

So pure.

Please oh please, let me stay.

Just take a moment to figure it out.

I want you to know, I have no doubts.

What will it take
for you to see?

Don’t yo
u know, what you’ve done to me?

The tempo picked up.  Lights flashed and pyrotechnics lit the stage.  Chris played a stanza on his guitar before continuing with the chorus. 

You went in and touched my heart,

I never wanna be apart.

I don’t wanna live, without you.

I can’t exist, without you.

Chris
was intense in
the way he delivered the song
.  His body language, his expressions, and the way he held control
,
even when pushing his range
,
was stunning. 

Stella praised him for his growth over the past couple of months and commented on the passion he displayed in the song.  “You’ve really, really done it, Chris,” she said.  “Regardless of tonight’s results, you have a big future ahead of you.”

Cynthia came out for her second song after the commercial break.  Her outfit was little more than a sparkly corset and bustier. 

Emily elbowed me.  “She’s showing off a little more than her music, don’t you think?” 

It was true.  One wrong turn and
the show would
have to increase
their
content ratings to ‘mature audience
only
’. 

Luckily,
everything managed to stay in place
during her performance
.  Her song had a tee
n-pop, almost flirty feel to it
.

Chris
wore a black and white suit with a silver tie for his last performance.  He looked like something off the cover of
GQ Magazine
. 

“Damn, he looks good,” Emily whispered.  I certainly had no argument.

Bradley
McKnight
appeared, once again, to introduce the song.  “Written by Bob Dylan and performed by many, I’m pleased to present, Chris Knots, singing
Make You Feel My Love
.”

The theatre went dark.  Only a single
,
blue spotlight shone down on him as the opening melody began.

Words could not describe how emotionally powerful his voice was.  I held my breath and looked around at the faces in the crowd.  Rows of people stood and swayed as he sang.  His fans.  His smiling, adoring fans.  They all loved him. 

My head spun as comments from the past
several weeks
assaulted my
memory.

You’re sucking the life right out of me.

Chris had done it.  He was really going to make it big. 

What do you think will happen when the show’s over?

The cheers from the crowd echoed in my ears. 

Let’s just get through the end of the show and see where we’re at.

Chris finished, and Emily nudged me.  “That was incredible!”

You have a different frame of mind, a different perception than he does.

Once the judges finished collaborating, Bradley
McKnight
reappeared and stood between Chris and Cynthia.  “And finally, the moment America has been waiting for.”  He clinched the microphone under his arm and ripped open the white envelope.  Cynthia wore a frozen smile
,
and Chris stood with his head bowed, looking at the stage floor. 

I know you’ll do the right thing.

“Our first ever
Superstardom
winner is…” he took a big breath as we all sat on the edge of our seats.  “Chris Knots!”

The amphitheater exploded with cheers.  Around me, people were on their feet, applauding and screaming their approval.  A blizzard of neon confetti fell from the ceiling, blocking my view of the stage.  My hands trembled as the room started to close in on me.

I’m falling in love with you
.

After a few minutes
,
the paper flurry settled, and people sat back down. On stage, the tuxedo-clad host shoved a mic in Chris’s face.  “Oh, wow,” Chris stuttered as the room quieted down.  “Unbelievable.  This is such an honor…” 

The crowd roared again, drowning him out.

“Em, do me a favor?”  I gave my sister a false smile, knowing she wouldn’t approve of what I was about to ask.  “After the show, will you congratulate him for me?  I-I don’t feel so well.  I’m going to slip out of here, okay?”  I held out my backstage pass.

Emily looked from the ticket to my face, her brown eyes clouding.  “Allie, no!  You can’t do this.”  Her fingers wrapped around my arm as if to hold me in place.  “You just need…”

She was interrupted when someone in the row behind us screamed, “I love you Chris!”

He beamed, his dark eyes sparkling under the stage lights.  “You know, when I first auditioned for the show, I never
,
in my wildest
,
dreams thought this was possible.”  Images from his audition played on a screen behind him.  He was leaning on a stool in a small room, dressed in dark jeans and a black button-down shirt.  A guitar was draped over his shoulder, and a small but confident smile tugged at his lips.

“I have to, Em,” I said, pulling my gaze away from the screen.  “Look around- don’t you get it?  They love him.”

“
You
love him,” she said through tight lips.

I closed my eyes and sucked a deep breath in through my nose.  “It doesn’t matter.  I’ll only be in the way.  I won’t make him choose.”