Blood of the Rainbow (47 page)

When Sara was singing with Jared, she was less stressed. Their voices blended as if they’d been singing together for years, instead of weeks.

Jared seemed satisfied with their audition. Sara was also, but it was hard to see how the people in the control room were receiving it.

Then it was time for Sara to sing solo. She took a couple sips from her bottled water to moisten her dry throat. Her mouth felt as though it had been filled with half the desert she’d left behind in Arizona. She swallowed hard, silently cleared her throat, and waited for the band to play through her intro.

Sara closed her eyes, trying to put herself in the right frame of mind. She imagined the beautiful scenery Jared had shown her from Mother’s Mountain, back in Arizona. To her surprise, she started singing on cue and in the right key too. Sara was mentally giving herself a pat on the back when Andrea signaled for them to stop playing. Sara’s heart jumped in her throat.
What did I do wrong?

Andrea stepped in front of them and looked toward the control room. She said something through her headset, and nodded as she walked next to Sara. “You’re doing great Sara, but you need to relax Honey. Could you start her number over?”

Jared nodded and walked closer to Sara. She was near tears. “Oh God Jared! I’m screwing things up. You should just do this without me. I should never have agreed to this.”

While the intro was being played again, Jared leaned close to her ear. “Ayor anosh'ni Sara. Now stop!” he whispered. “You can do this. Now sing for
me
Angel. Just for me,” he breathed against Sara’s neck as he kissed it. Jared walked back to his place.

That was all Sara needed. The sound of Jared’s soothing voice, and the touch of his lips on her skin zapped every nerve in her body. From that moment on, instead of concentrating on her fear, Sara concentrated on not letting Jared and the rest of the band down. They finished their songs without a hitch.

Andrea stepped back in line with the control booth, said something else through her headset, and nodded again. She walked over to Sara. Sara’s eyes widened.
Now what?

“Honey, they want you to do your numbers again. You did great, but they want to add some reverb to your microphone. Jared, Sweetheart,” she said, gently moving Jared into place. “They want you to move closer to Sara – right about there. And you,” she said to Lucy, “They want you to move, just a little further to Sara’s left,” she said, gently guiding her. “There… that should do it. Now, let’s try it again. And Sara, this time Sweetheart, put your
all
in it – let go.” She smiled at Sara and stepped aside.

Jared gave Sara a reassuring wink, and they went through the numbers again. The people in the control room were satisfied this time. Andrea walked back in front of the band. “That was brilliant,” she said in her mixed American-British accent. “Now, what comes next is the photo shoot. Do you have costumes sorted out?”

Jared glanced at Sara and then back at Andrea. “We really haven’t had time. Sara and I have been out of town for a few days. My Granddad, down in Arizona passed away suddenly.”

Andrea’s voice was sympathetic, but still professional. “Oh, I see... Well, if I might make a suggestion. We have some things in the back you could use, or we could give you a day or so to try and get something together yourself. It’s just that, we need to do the poster shoot. It’s better if you’re wearing the same clothes you’re going to perform in. It also gives us a chance to make sure we’ve got the right lighting for the media cameras.”

Jared quickly glanced at Sara, whose face was already starting to pale.

Andrea glanced from Jared to Sara, obviously sensing Sara’s discomfort. “I
could
put the shoot off for a couple of hours. That would give you time to shop, or like I said, you could see if there is anything you can use in the back. You’ll need some separate clothes for the solo’s and maybe the duets too. You and Sara will need to kind of coordinate, if you know what I mean,” she said, waving her hands around.

Jared nodded. “Yeah, sure. I guess we can have a look at what you’ve got, since we’re already here.”

Andrea smiled. “Of course, if you can’t find anything, we’ll give you a couple of hours to do some shopping, and then you can come back, and we’ll do the shoot then,” she said in an enthusiastic business-like tone.

Jared and the band followed Andrea to the back to the costume room. There were racks of some of the most unusual clothes Sara had ever seen. Some that looked as if they could have come straight out of the thirties and some, that looked like Elvis might have worn them at one time.

Sara scanned through the costumes, and tried on five or six evening gowns, but she honestly didn’t like them, and neither did Jared. Andrea picked out something for Jared, and he flat out refused to wear it. It seemed they weren’t getting anywhere, so Jared decided it was time to go shopping. He told Andrea they would be back in a couple of hours.

Sara sighed, exasperated. “If Andrea is going to be our fashion designer, I’d rather wear a brown paper bag over my head, than walk out on stage in some of the things she picked out for me!”

Jared laughed as they walked to his BMW. “I think to keep from laughing in Andrea’s face; we were all chewing on our tongues.”

Sara watched Lucy and Steve get in the car together. “Steve and Carl aren’t riding together?”

Jared glanced across at Lucy’s car. “I guess not. Maybe Steve and Carl had another disagreement. Steve did seem a little uptight for some reason. Maybe it’s just Lucy. She seemed a little nervous herself….”

Sara chuckled. “I didn’t know Luce got nervous.”

Jared sighed as he started the car, and backed out of his parking space. “She doesn’t… usually. Anyway, let’s grab a quick lunch and get some decent clothes. There’s no way we’re going on stage, looking like a bunch of Elton John rejects.” Jared pulled on the main highway. Steve and Lucy pulled in behind them, and Carl and the rest of the band members behind them. They all headed for Ryan’s Steakhouse.

When they got to the restaurant, Lucy and Steve sat at a table away from the others. Sara went to the buffet bar. Jared glanced across at Steve and Lucy. “Did something happen between those two while I was gone?”

Carl turned and glanced over his shoulder. He shrugged. “Jared, he’s my brother. That doesn’t mean I know every move he makes. He and Lucy have been close for a while. Your guess is as good as mine. Does it bother you?”

Jared scoffed and concentrated on his steak. “No – it doesn’t bother me. It’s just a little odd – that’s all. They didn’t seem any different… until….”

Carl leaned forward, his interest piqued. “Until what…?”

Jared shook his head. “Never mind. I was just curious.”

------------

Sara and Jared were laughing and carrying on with Carl. Lucy was watching. A look of despair and longing on her face. She almost seemed as though she was in a trance.

Steve sighed. “Ok, Luce – out with it.”

Lucy jumped. “Out with what?”

“Luce, it’s me – I’ve seen that look before. You think I don’t know how you feel about Jared?”

“We’re good friends Steve – you know that. I’m… concerned that he might be rushing Sara. I’m afraid he thinks she’s his ‘dreamgirl’. He could be marrying Sara for all the wrong reasons.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Luce, why don’t you just admit it? You’re still in love with him.”

Lucy furrowed her brow. “I most certainly am not! Jared made it quite plain he’s not interested in me. We both decided….”

“No Lucy – Jared decided that.” He laid his hand on hers. “It wasn’t your decision. You can’t kid me. You’ve been feeding this hole in my face for a long time. We’ve had some pretty heavy sessions about you and Jared. Despite how I might – what I mean is - you just need to deal with it. Otherwise, you’re eventually going to feel bitter toward Sara. Love can do some strange things Luce. You might not want to feel this way, but the hurt is there. I can see it.”

“Jared is engaged to Sara! He loves her, and I
know
Sara loves him.”

“Then why are you worried that Jared is pushing her. Carl and I met them in Dallas. It didn’t look to me like Jared was the one doing the pushing.”

“I know. That’s another thing. Jared gives out mixed signals. I just hope that’s not what he’s doing with Sara. If he decides Sara isn’t this ‘dreamgirl’ he’s so obsessed with….”

“He’s put a ring on her finger. That seems pretty obvious to me.”

“It’s not the first time Steve. What about Eve?”

Steve drew in a deep sigh.
God Lucy! Stop creating excuses to hang on to this thing with Jared. Let it go and see what’s in front of you!
“Lucy… you know that’s not what’s happening here. Look, you need more time, and we don’t have a lot of time to discuss this right now. Why don’t we go for a drive - when this is over? I don’t like seeing you this way, and right now, it’s not good for the band or Sara. She’s as nervous as a republican in a room full of democrats. There for a while, I thought she was going to lose it. If it hadn’t been for Jared, I think she might have.”

Lucy sighed. “I know. I wonder what happened. She seemed fine last night.”

“Who knows… will you do it?”

Lucy studied his eyes. Finally, she smiled. “Sure.”

Steve’s eyes lit. He squeezed Lucy’s hand. “Good - It’s a date then. I mean – well anyway. Do you want to change first?”

Lucy looked at Steve’s hand and slowly drew hers away. “I think I’ll change first.”

Steve sighed and laid his hand on his knee. “I’ll pick you up at….”

Lucy smiled and concentrated on her salad. “I’ll walk across after I’ve changed. Thanks Steve, you’re a pal.”

Steve sighed, deflated.
Yeah I know. Always there, and always walked away from.

------------

After the men had congregated, they soon decided on dark, blue jeans, matching dress shirts, and different colored bandanas to wear around their necks. They decked themselves out in black suede cowboy hats, and shiny black western styled alligator boots.

Lucy and Sara bought the same thing, but for Sara’s more romantic numbers, she chose a couple of subtle dresses, one calf-length, and the other to the floor with a full-bodied skirt. Since she and Jared would be doing several duets, Sara tried to match her dresses with the color of Jared’s bandana. Lucy and Sara bought boots and matching cowgirl hats from the ladies section, as well. Sara told Jared she would wear her hat hanging down her back, but she refused to wear it on her head. Jared thought she was being silly, but humored her anyway. He thought Sara looked hot in a cowgirl hat. Sara disagreed.

They finished shopping and hurried back to the coliseum.

------------

‘Raging Storm’ changed into their stage clothes. Andrea was getting impatient. She urged them on as they walked through to the photo-shoot room. “Come on!” she said, glancing over them, and then at her watch. “You have done a really good job Jared. We need to hurry though.”

Jared smiled. “Good. No offense, but we weren’t going to wear anything you’d shown us.”

Andrea laughed unladylike, positioning them in front of the camera. She sighed. “I had a feeling you weren’t going to, but it was worth a try. All right now, I want you to listen, and do exactly as he tells you. These will be for the brochures. Mud, they’re all yours,” she said, pushing a lock of Sara’s hair back in place. “Give me a yell when you’re done here,” she said and disappeared.

Jared furrowed his brow. “Mud?”

The cameraman laughed. “It’s a personal joke. My real name is Dane, but you can call me Mud if you want to. Everybody else does,” he chuckled and walked in front of them. “Enough chitchat. Now, Jared, since you and Sara obviously are a couple – I couldn’t help but see the shiny rock on her finger – I assume that’s from you?”

Jared grinned. “It is.”

“Good, then let’s get some shots of you and her close-up and cozy, and we’ll just drape you guys around behind them in a crescent shape, and I’ll vignette around you. We’ll just angle this softer light, and let’s add just a little breeze on Sara’s long hair, Judy. Yes, that’s perfect. Now Jared, look at Sara as if she were the breath you take,” he said, stepping behind the camera.

“That won’t be hard,” Jared said, moving closer to Sara. “She is the breath I take.” Sara smiled.

Dane smiled. “Oh yes, that’s perfect.” He snapped a couple of shots. “Now, Jared, Sara, if you could face each other, and put your hands around each other’s waist. Now, Jared, take about a half step back, as if you were dancing with her and both of you move to the left just an inch or so – yes, that’s it – hold, please,” he snapped more shots.

“Now, let’s get everybody back, and center. I still want you and Sara out front, and let’s cut the breeze, it’s moving your hats around too much. Sara, Honey, I know you don’t like the hat on your head, but, would you indulge me just this once. It will only take a second, and then you don’t have to wear it again, I promise,” he said, holding his hands out in front of him.

Sara glanced at Jared, sighed and put on her hat, tilting it just a tad to the left. “Will that do?” Sara was slightly perturbed. She was beginning to see Dane as her mother.

“Yes, Sweetheart, but pull the ends of your hair around the front on each side, so they hang down, yes, like that. Now hold still and I promise it will all be over soon Sara. You look
beautiful
, Honey, just beautiful. And three – two – one - and click. Perfect!” Dane was clearly a professional and had obviously done this before.

He repositioned his camera, and some of the lighting. “We just need to shoot Sara’s solo. Sara, would you mind changing into your dress for me Honey, and then come back? We need to get a shot of you in both dresses.”

------------

Sara walked back to the dressing room. She slipped on the elegant of her two dresses and pulled the sides of her hair back, fastening it with hair combs. Jared had insisted on buying her a heart-shaped, diamond wreath necklace, and some earrings to match, so she used those, and went back to the photo shoot room.

“Oh that background will not do with your pretty lavender dress,” Dane said clicking his teeth and frowning. “Let’s try a sunset. No, not the golden one, let’s go for the pink one. Oh yes, exactly what we want. Now, Sara, Honey, I want you to sit on that chair, turn sideways, and look across at Jared. I want you to imagine he’s just said he doesn’t love you anymore, and that he’s leaving you. Can you do that for me? Can you imagine that?”