Facade (17 page)

Christine glanced over at Nash, but didn’t dare disobey Erik and move any other part of her body. She never remembered seeing the blue velvet chaise lounge, but figured it had to be some sort of prop for something.

Nash wiggled his fingers at her. She couldn’t believe Erik was allowing all of them to be together. Of course, she couldn’t believe he said he loved her. When she first woke up, she swore she’d dreamt the words until he took her face in his hands said he was sorry, and then said he loved her more than anything."

“Anyways.” Erik returned. “The ruckus cancelled the show, and they’re doing a special two-hour double elimination next week. You can do your rock ballad and a country song, if you decide to return to the show.”

She didn’t react. How would Erik feel about her returning to the show? After what happened, could she return to the show?

He unfolded a white cashmere blanket and then took his time wrapping it around her. “Are you comfortable?” He fixed one of her curls, then moved the blanket again.

“Of course I am.” In truth, there was no way she couldn’t be comfortable, since she hadn’t even been allowed to be on her feet this morning.

“Are you sure?” He knelt by her side and kissed the back of her hand.

“I promise.” The best prescription for what ailed her was Erik’s attention, and there was no way she could overdose on that, unlike whatever happened to her last night.

“How do you feel?” He treated her to another round of tucking.

“A little tired, but much better.” She gave him a smile.

Before sitting in a chair by the lounge, he gave her two kisses. “I love you.”

There, he said the words in front of Nash, now she had proof. “I love you.” Her cheeks heated.

“We have decisions to make here. Are you ever going to share with us all your research?” Erik motioned toward Nash.

“I had to make sure you were done with all your…” Nash raised his eyebrows. “All your stuff.”

Instead of speaking, Erik leaned back and let out a little grunt.

“Trust me.” Nash held his hand up. “All your stuff is much preferred.”

Once more, Erik kissed the back of her hand.

“Anyways.” Nash put a stack of papers on the table. “There is a virtual frenzy going on about where and how Christine vanished. There is a very fuzzy photograph circulating of a man all in black swooping across the stage.” He lifted a paper.

Erik stood, took the page, brought it to her, and read the caption. “Chaos broke out on the
Stage of Stars
last night. Top contender, Christine Day, seemed a little off as her song began, but right after she missed her cue, the pyrotechnics usually reserved for the end of the show exploded in a well-timed fury and one of the audience members caught a mystery man rescuing the damsel in distress. The rest of the show was cancelled, and the fans and the world are now waiting for the appearance of Christine as well as the verdict on the show.”

She took the paper. “I don’t even remember any of this happening. I just remember walking out on stage and then waking up to hearing you say you love me.”

“Speaking of which.” Erik put the page aside and looked back to Nash. “Did you find anything out about what happened?”

Nash leaned down and pulled a water bottle out of his bag and a little paper strip. “I took the bottle over to a friend of mine. As we suspected, someone spiked Chrissy’s drink.”

“Damn it!” Erik shot up, charged over to Nash, and picked up the strip. “That disgusting woman is going to pay!” He threw the strip aside and paced the length of the stage. “This woman won’t live through what I have planned for her.”

“Erik.” She barely whispered his name, but it was enough to make him stop, turn and rush back to her, practically skidding on his knees to get to her.

“Are you all right?” He took her hand between both of his.

“I don’t want you doing anything that will get you in trouble or that could hurt what we have built together. That’s what Carly wants and it’s not worth it.” She laced her fingers in his.

“She could have hurt you permanently, Christine. God knows what could have happened.” He shook his head. “You can’t expect me to let that go.”

“What she did is bring us together faster than we planned. In times of crisis, we tend to act with our hearts and that’s what we needed.” She stared into his eyes. “Promise me that you won’t sacrifice that.”

“She’s right, Erik.” Nash rifled through the papers. “If anything, Carly is getting the exact opposite of what she wanted.”

Erik huffed, then gazed down at their hands together. “All right, I promise.”

“What about the show?” she whispered. This was a decision they had to make together.

“The show almost killed you.” He didn’t look her in the eye.

“I think we have to do it, Erik. If we don’t, Carly wins in a whole other way.” She hooked her fingers under his chin and lifted his face to hers. “The show brought us together, so I feel we have to see it through so we can go on with the rest of our lives.”

“I don’t remember the last time I thought about the rest of my life, but I have one now.” His fingertips grazed her cheek.

Win or lose, she knew they had to make it through the competition to have the rest of their lives.

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Security was tighter than normal.” Nash stretched in their cubbyhole behind the stage.

“We got through, so apparently all these people are fools, and I just allowed the woman I love to go traipsing around a second-rate theatre where deranged lunatics can sneak in after a major security breach involving fire last week.” Erik shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He just wanted tonight to be over so they could go home.

“Now you’re calling us deranged lunatics?” Nash chuckled.

The emcee headed out on the stage. “We are pleased to welcome back Chimera’s Dungeon.”

“If the mask fits.” Needing to hear their biggest competition, he held up his hand, silencing Nash.

Chimera’s Dungeon began, and he leaned back. Though they tended more toward edgier music, they owned the perky tune, and even donned coordinating outfits giving them a boy band feel, perfect for this song.

Clearly a favorite, the crowd went into a huge round of applause when they finished and the emcee joined them on stage.

The pop star judge took the lead. “That’s what I’m talking about.” The man made some hand gesture Erik assumed was supposed to be trendy and sat down.

The female judge went next. “You are commercial, and that is exactly what we are looking for.”

Lastly, the song writer weighed in. “Though not your normal genre, you owned this.”

“Excellent work.” The emcee motioned for them to go off stage, and the group took one more bow and left. “We will be back from commercial break with the ever mysterious Christine Day.”

Erik rubbed his hands together and braced himself on one of the props. They were almost done with this double show. “She did good with her country song. The rock ballad should be a no-brainer for her.” They just had to get through the next song and then the eliminations. That would give them the last solo act and group act for the finale next week.

Nash huffed on his knuckles and rubbed them against his shirt as if shining them up. “Yes, thanks to me, she had her twang down.”

“Thanks to me, she’s here.” At least Christine made it through her first performances with no incidents. Still, he couldn’t believe no one had taken any action against Rat Race since he personally delivered the evidence himself. Fine, it wasn’t personally as in he handed it to someone. For all they knew some ghost produced the incriminating proof.

Erik smiled as the lights on the stage lowered. He did notice that tonight there was no use of pyrotechnics. Bonus.

“Everyone, please welcome Christine Day,” The emcee announced, and her music began.

Right on cue, she came in and sang her rock ballad. Originally, she had wanted to sing a Spectre song, but after his reaction she never brought it up again.

He didn’t even glance at Nash as she sang. There was something missing, that little extra quality she possessed in all the other songs she sang for this competition. Maybe it was only him, the fact he knew her voice inside and out, maybe it was because they didn’t get to practice as they should, or maybe deep down he wanted her to sing his song.

Of course, he was probably the only who would notice. No matter what, she was still head and shoulders above the rest of the competition.

The song ended, the applause rang through the theatre, and Nash came and stood next to him.

The female judge went first. “Christine, you did good, but not great and I think we are so used to great from you.”

Erik furrowed his brow, but couldn’t disagree.

The pop star went next. “You did wonderful, but you didn’t seem happy. This may not be your genre.”

“No, it’s just not her song.” Erik pursed his lips.

At last, the song writer spoke. “These words didn’t resonate with you. You’re definitely an emotional singer and when we lose that with you, we lose the connection.”

Erik balled his fist. She would have nailed the Spectre song, she said she wanted to do it to be part of him, and the audience would have felt that. If she were eliminated now, it would be his fault. Did he sabotage her?

“All right Christine, there’s some food for thought.” The emcee motioned for her to go off stage. “Before we head into the double elimination we’re going to look back on this season thus far.”

“Damn it.” Erik knew she would never forgive herself if she didn’t make it. Bad reviews were never easy, but no matter what, she had to know he loved her, nothing mattered but them. “I’m going to go see if I can speak to her.”

Leaving Nash, he climbed out of his perch and slid along the wall, figuring he could somehow signal to her.

“What are you talking about?” Carly’s distinctive screeching rattled his eardrum, and he stopped, and climbed up on some scaffolding to take a look into a small room close to the green room.

“We are doing a spot check of everyone’s bags. We’ve had some reports.” The director as well as two security guards stood around Carly.

“It’s illegal to search my bag.” Carly straightened up.

“You signed a contract allowing us to search your belongings should we feel that security or safety has been compromised.” The director crossed his arms.

Carly hugged her bag to her. “What safety or security issue are you looking for?”

The rest of her band gathered around her.

“We have reason to believe there may be drugs in your possession,” one of the security officers said.

“Let them look.” The blond boy elbowed her. “We have nothing to hide.”

Erik tilted his head, the boy had a point. Apparently, they received his message.

“What if I refuse?” Carly didn’t give in.

“We will take that as a breach of your contract and you’ll be disqualified,” the director explained.

She turned, glancing between the security officers, the director and her band mates. “I don’t need this, I don’t need you, I don’t need to be second guessed. My father is in the industry.” Her bag firmly clutched to her chest, she pushed her way past everyone. “I quit this stupid competition.”

“Carly!” The silly boy yelled after her and the rest of the band shook their heads.

As she stormed away, Erik followed her in the darkness.

She came to an exit and tried the door, but with the extra security found it locked.

The woman made it way too easy, and he chuckled to himself. “Careful where you step, the next time you slip up could have much more dire consequences.” He threw his voice.

“Who’s there?” She spun around, looking up, down, left right.

“Heed my words, never doubt I’ll be watching.” He couldn’t stop a smile.

“Help!” She rattled the door handle, then turned and ran the other direction.

The applause through the theatre let him know he wouldn’t be able to see Christine before the elimination, and he rushed back to Nash.

“Something’s going on.” Nash pointed to the side of the stage. The emcee and two production assistants.

“Yes, we may be in for a little surprise.” He waited.

The music started, the audience applauded, and all the contestants made their way on the stage.

“Where’s Rat Race?” Nash asked.

“I think they decided this competition wasn’t for them.” Again, he couldn’t restrain the smile.

The emcee joined the contestants. “Tonight, rather than announce the eliminated contestants, we will be announcing who will be going on to the grand finale. Before we begin, it should be noted that Rat Race has decided to step off the
Stage of Stars
.” The crowd rumbled as he walked over to the two groups left. “However, we’re proud to announce that Chimera’s Dungeon is the judge’s finalist. Congratulations!”

Amidst the clapping, the emcee shook hands with the eliminated group as they made their way off the stage and then went over to the solo acts. “Before we announce the artist who will be moving on to the finale, we want you to know that we’re proud of each of you and you all did amazing.”

“They can get on with it.” Nash stepped forward.

Erik bit the inside of his mouth and kept his focus on the stage. Christine had to make it. She had to for both of them.

“However, only one act can continue on, and the solo artist who will be joining Chimera’s Dungeon in the finale is…”

Erik held his breath.

Nash grabbed his arm.

“Christine Day!” The emcee yelled.

Christine put her hands over her mouth and bent down. When she straightened up, she looked back over in his direction.

Erik’s heart swelled, and he exhaled. “Thank you.”

The crowd cheered.

“Yes!” Nash hit him in the shoulder

As gracious as ever, Christine shook the hands of her opponents.

“Everyone, tune in next week when these two competitors will go head to head, singing the song of their choice,” the MC announced.

“Let me get the car ready.” Nash limped away.

He waited until Christine left the stage then went to his trap door.