Plain Fame (19 page)

“Sí, sí,”
he gushed, aware that others were watching. He nodded toward one of his men, who quickly produced a tall glass of bubbling champagne. “For you,” Alejandro said as he took the glass and handed it to her, his gesture smooth and fluid. He had done this a thousand times and knew how to move so that every movement flowed and screamed sophistication and charm.
“Salud, mi linda,”
he said, his eyes staring at her from behind his sunglasses as he tipped his own glass at her.

“Salud,”
she replied, a sparkle in her eyes. The other women in the VIP section were glaring at her. Under different circumstances, Alejandro would have found it amusing. It had always amazed him that, after just a few hit tracks, his world had changed. From singing at smoky, dark clubs to being the main attraction at the hottest concert halls, he wasn’t certain he would ever understand the shift. Now, wherever he went, there were women vying for his attention, hoping against all odds to be the one in whom he took an interest . . . even if only for a few hours.

Alejandro kept his eyes on hers as he set his glass down on the bar. “Dance with me,” he said, reaching his hand out for hers. She didn’t even hesitate, letting him take her glass from her. She placed her fingers on his palm and let him lead her toward the dance floor. Like the parting of the Red Sea, people moved aside to make way for the famous Viper and the lucky lady he had selected to be his dance partner.

Within minutes, every pair of eyes in the club was on them; people watched and whispered about the erotic dance between Viper and the unknown woman. The cell phones were snapping photos, and for those with strong signals, the social media outlets were being flooded with the images. Viper wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, pressing her against his body as they moved to the beat of the music. She smiled at him and said something that only he could hear. He tilted his head back and laughed. Then, while everyone watched, he lowered his nose to her neck and nuzzled her. More photos. More uploads.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close, their bodies still moving together. He placed his other hand on the back of her head, and knowing full well that the next few seconds would produce the image to flood the entertainment news websites and tabloids in the morning, he lowered his mouth onto hers and kissed her. It was a deep kiss that looked full of passion and lust. Just as it happened, he released her and began dancing on the floor by himself, his arms over his head and his hips moving rapidly. He grinned at her and motioned for her to join him. She did. And when the song ended, he pulled her once again into his arms and favored her with yet another passionate kiss.

Holding her hand, he led her back to the VIP section, and then, despite the throng of people staring at him, he whispered to one of his men so that, within seconds, he was whisked out of the club, his hand clutching the woman, who seemed all too thrilled to be dragged along. The rest of the women in the crowd seemed to breathe a disappointed sigh of resignation while the men watched with guarded envy.

The SUV was waiting for him, and Alejandro, ever the gentleman, held the woman’s hand as she slid inside and disappeared into the vehicle. Alejandro followed and waved just once to the crowd. And then the door shut, the tinted windows blocking him from the people who were busy snapping photos.

He leaned his head back on the seat and sighed. Taking off his sunglasses, he rubbed his eyes.
“¡Gracias,
Maria
!”

She laughed. “Anything for you, Alejandro!”

The driver waited until the bodyguard sat next to him. Then, looking back over the seat, he asked, “Where to?”

Alejandro waved his hand. “Anywhere, but lose the paparazzi.” He hesitated. “If they are aggressive, go back to my place. We can escort Maria home later.” He reached forward to the ice bucket that was built into the side of the door. “Drink?” he asked as he poured himself one. When she nodded, he handed his glass to her and poured himself another one.

“I was supposed to be in New York tonight,” she said lightly. She lifted her glass to him in a silent toast as she added, “My trip was postponed. Mike called me just in time.”

“¿Sí?”
he asked, smiling at her. “How so?”

Maria raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. “Did you think I would be sitting home alone, Alejandro?” She frowned teasingly, her light hair hanging over her shoulder in loose waves. Her dark, almond-shaped eyes sparkled at him. “Really?”

She was too beautiful to sit home at night. He knew that about her. Laughing, he touched her knee. “No, no, I guess not.” He leaned over and planted a friendly kiss on her cheek. “You are good to me,
mi amiga
.”

“Always here to bail you out,” she replied teasingly. “Just like back in Cuba!”

He touched her hair. “I like the new color.”

“You think I look nice as a blonde? I’m not so sure.”

“It’s different. Nice for a change, no?”

Maria shrugged, too busy digging into her purse for her compact to check her hair in the small mirror.

For the rest of the drive, they rode in silence. She stared out the window, and he stared at his cell phone, checking the pulse of Twitter and Facebook. Indeed, speculation was running rampant as to who was this mysterious woman. Tweets were flying over the Internet, links to photos of the dancing scene at the club. Viper was back, and his impromptu stint with Maria was a success, he thought. Within days, the haunting image of Amanda would be forgotten, the paparazzi would leave her alone, and they would both get on with their very different lives.

Yet as he monitored the viral action associated with his abrupt departure from the club, the beautiful Maria photographed hanging on his arm, the gossip, and the Retweets, he wondered if all that was truly what he wanted. Was it possible to truly forget Amanda?

Chapter Sixteen

The overcast sky made the day seem even more gloomy as she stood by the window, peering out at nothing in particular. Her cast had been removed just two days before, and she was enjoying the liberty that it finally afforded her. She knew, however, that her freedom to move around was limited by the people who were still stationed near her parents’ farm. Even when they had gone to the doctor’s to have the cast removed, she had been followed by several cars, and the photographers had taken her picture as she was going into the office and when she left. She had kept her head down and tried to move away from them, but they were too aggressive for her to avoid.

The doctor had smiled at her when she entered his office. “Amanda,” he said, “I see you have your entourage with you.”

“
My entourage?
” she asked, not understanding the word.

He nodded toward the window as he lowered the shade. “The people who followed you.”

Lizzie had merely shaken her head, dark circles under her eyes. No one at the Beiler house had been getting much sleep these past few weeks.

The paparazzi hadn’t left the area. Instead, they seemed to multiply. Their cars and vans were parked alongside the road, and they were constantly snapping photos of any Amish buggy that drove down the road. It didn’t take long for the word to spread among the community, and the locals did their best to avoid the area. The family who lived across the road had repeatedly complained to the bishop, but there was nothing anyone could do. The major concern was when the children returned to school. The parents were alarmed about how to protect the children on their way to and from the schoolhouse.

In the first few days, the police had merely stopped by several times a day, shooing the paparazzi away. But the more they chased them, the more arrived. By the second week, police were stationed at the farm around the clock, trying to keep away the photographers who continued to sneak about the property. The situation caused great anxiety.

“Those people are so intrusive,” Lizzie said wearily.

Amanda had looked at the doctor, her own face gaunt and drawn. “Why are they so interested in me?” She knew the answer from the perspective of why
her
in particular, but not from the perspective of
why
in general. In her world, private lives were kept just that way: private. Clearly, the Englische had a different perspective of what was off-limits to public scrutiny.

The doctor had shrugged his shoulders. “
I don
’t know, Amanda. But I can tell you that there is a lot of interest in you. People have caught wind of your story, and they seem to be quite taken with you, your religion, and your relationship with that singer fellow.”

Now, despite the fact that her cast was removed, her father and mother had insisted that she’d continue to stay in the house. Amanda had protested, but her
daed
was quite firm with her. After all, just the day before, he had found two photographers in the cornfield, trying to approach the house, hoping to get a photograph of the newly healed Amanda. When Elias had tried to chase them off his property, they had proceeded to take his photograph, following him toward the house until Elias had no choice but to flag down the police officer who was stationed at the end of the driveway.

Even the police were annoyed by the media attention. It was a small town with a limited police force. There was no town ordinance about not parking along the side of the road, so the paparazzi and media were within their legal rights to stay there. Yet it was stretching the small town’s law enforcement resources to have a car at the farm every single day to ensure that no one trespassed.

Other than that, the farm was quiet. For the past weeks, no one had stopped into the farm for visiting. It was too stressful to deal with the photographers and videographers who crowded around the visitors, taking their images. So, besides being quiet, it was lonely. The usual visitors who would stop in to chat with Elias or visit with Lizzie and Amanda were nowhere to be seen. It was just the three of them, day in and day out.

Even Lizzie and Elias were unable to leave the house without cars following them, taking photos and videos of their every move. They limited their own excursions to the market just once a week and would never leave Amanda alone. Even on Church Sunday, they had given up trying to attend the service. The first Sunday when they attended, the media had blocked the driveway, and then they were caught recording the service from a window. The Beilers
hadn’t returned since that Sunday.

Amanda tried to ignore the whispers between her mother and father as they discussed how to stop the media from invading their community and private lives. Despite not being included in the conversation, she knew that the discussion focused on Ohio. They whispered that it might be best for Amanda to return there and join her sister, who clearly was not intent on returning to Pennsylvania. Amanda wasn’t happy about the thought of going back to Ohio. After all, it was just going to be more of the same, just at another location.

So, as she stood at the window, it surprised Amanda to see the black-box buggy pull up to her parents’ driveway. “Someone’s here, Mamm,” she called out and moved away from the window. “I can’t see who it is.”

Elias must have heard the buggy’s wheels humming against the driveway for he poked his head out of the barn door. When the buggy pulled to a stop in front of the barn, Elias approached it, wiping his hand on his pants and leaning into the open door. Amanda strained her eyes, trying to see who it was. Her curiosity was piqued. Who would have been brave enough to come to their farm?

And then she saw him.

The bishop emerged from the buggy while Elias tied the horse to a hitching post on the side of the barn. Amanda’s heart fell inside her chest. Clearly, this was no social visit, judging by the way her father’s shoulders slumped as he followed the bishop toward the house.

Lizzie leaned against Amanda, peering over her shoulder. “
Well,
” she said quietly when she recognized the bishop. “I imagine we shouldn’t be surprised.”

Seconds later, the door opened and the bishop walked inside. He wasn’t a tall man, but his shoulders were wide and his presence filled the room. He removed his hat and nodded toward Lizzie. But his eyes bored into Amanda, a piercing look that didn’t bode well for a pleasant discussion.

“Would you care to sit down?”
Lizzie asked.
“Have some tea?”

The bishop shook his head.
“Nein,”
he said, his expression solemn and speaking volumes of what was about to be discussed. “This is not a visit for pleasure, Lizzie.”

The air hung heavy in the room, and no one dared to speak. They stared at the bishop, his hat in his hands and his eyes avoiding contact.

“Then let us get right to business,” Elias said, his voice heavy and sad. “What brings you?”

“It is the people’
s concern,
” the bishop said, getting right to the point. “The Englische are saying some horrible things about Amanda.”

“What?”
Lizzie gasped.

“It’s not true,” Elias said simultaneously.

The bishop held up his hand to silence them. “It is the talk,” he said. He lifted his eyes and stared at Amanda. There was sorrow in his gaze, but he had a duty to his community. “The papers of the Englische say horrible things, Amanda. They say that you have been with this man, this Englischer. The papers say that you have secretly married him.” He paused. “One even claims you are with child and that is why you hide.”

Now it was Amanda’s turn to gasp. “That’s ridiculous!” Her
mamm
clutched at her chest, and Elias hurried to her, holding her up. Amanda’s eyes were large and frightened. She stared at her parents. “You know that is all lies!”

“I agree,” the bishop said, holding his hand up to stop her and her parents from arguing. “No one in the community doubts you, Amanda. But those lies are fueling the fire of discussion and interest from the Englische.”

Amanda moved over toward the table, her leg stiff but her stance fierce. She glared at the bishop, her eyes angry. “I do not know that man in such a way!”

Elias crossed the room toward his daughter. “I can vouch for my daughter. She is honorable and pure.”

Sighing, the bishop waved his hand once again. “That is not being questioned, Elias. At least not by me. What is being questioned is what to do regarding the lack of peace among the community: the invasion by these people has created a disruptive lack of peace.” He took a deep breath and paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. “
I don
’t understand this interest in Amanda. I won’t pretend that I want to even try. But I have spoken to several Mennonites and even Englische men who are more aware of this media craze.”

“What do they say?” Elias asked.

The bishop shook his head. “
You won
’t like it any more than I do,” he replied. “They don’t think it will stop. They think it will continue. The interest in Amanda is now an interest in the Amish. These Englische cannot get enough of it. If we thought we had too many tourists invading our lives before, it will only get worse. The Englische world is pushing those photographer people for more photos of her. They believe the stories.” He shook his head. “It appears that a new generation is enthralled by this . . . this fantasy,” he added, waving his hand dismissively.

Lizzie was the next to speak. Her voice was tight and strained. But there was power behind it. She spoke with strength. “What would you have us do, Bishop?”

“That is the question,” the bishop said, setting his hat down upon the table and pulling the chair out in order to sit. There was silence in the room as he took his seat and sighed. “I have never been in such a situation before, but I do know that time is not making it any better. As I have learned, the Englische are more interested than ever, and as we all know, it’s disrupting our lives. There are news vans in the towns and photographers at every Amish store, taking pictures of Amish, harassing the tourists. It’s just terrible what is happening.” He took a deep breath and looked first at Lizzie, then at Elias. “The entire community is distraught over this situation, Elias. And the only solution is for Amanda to leave.”

Amanda gasped and leaned against the table, both of her hands upon it. “To go where?”

The bishop looked up, his face expressionless. “Anywhere but here.”

She couldn’t believe that she was hearing this. They wanted her to leave her home and her family? She shook her head. “
I won
’t go!” She looked at her parents, pleading with her eyes. “I have nowhere to go!”

Lizzie moved over toward her daughter and placed her arm protectively around Amanda’s shoulders. “We have already lost one child,” she said. “You would have us lose another?”

There was a long pause. The bishop avoided Lizzie’s and Amanda’s eyes. It was at that moment that they all knew the decision had already been made. The elders had decided that Amanda must leave in order to preserve the community. “This was not a decision that we came by lightly,” he finally said, glancing at Elias as if seeking support. “But it is clear that we simply cannot continue with such a high level of interest in our community and such interruption of our lives. It is out of hand and far too disruptive.” He shifted his eyes toward Amanda. “Far too worldly.”

“
I don
’t believe this,” Amanda said under her breath. She met the bishop’s gaze. “I didn’t do anything!”

“You brought that man into the house,” the bishop snapped, obviously unhappy with her insolence.

“I’m not leaving!”

Elias spoke next, his voice strong and firm. “The bishop has spoken, Amanda. You shall have to leave, even if just for a while.”

Lizzie gasped.
“No!” she said and spun around, covering her mouth with her hand and silencing what was clearly sobs at the thought of her daughter being outcast from the community.

“Now, now,” the bishop said, standing back up and moving toward Lizzie. “It’s only until the fervor dies down. The Englische are prone to fancy things for a very limited amount of time.” He looked over his shoulder at Amanda. “Your daughter can return to Ohio for a while, give things time to calm down around here.”

“And what if it doesn’t?” Amanda retorted, too aware that she didn’t want to return to Ohio and too aware that the Englische paparazzi could, and most likely would, follow her there. “Will that solve anything or just relocate it?”

“Amanda!” Elias said, horrified that his daughter had spoken out against the bishop.

“Nee,
Daed
,”
she said, standing as tall as she could on her weak leg. “Mayhaps I am not yet a baptized member of the church, but the community should be supporting me! I did not ask for this to happen!”

“Now, Amanda,” the bishop said, turning toward her, his eyes piercing and dark. “The community did not ask for this, either, and they cannot live with these people . . . these photographers and reporters . . . lurking in their fields and peering into their windows. We have very few options at this point. After all”—he hesitated and leveled his gaze at Elias—“it was not the community who invited the Englischer to stay. I’m afraid the next option would be less pleasant.” The message was clear. Either Amanda left or her parents would be shunned. He looked back at Amanda, leveling his gaze at her with a stern expression on his face. “Would you be so selfish . . . ?”

“Nee!”
she shouted, covering her ears with her hands. Had he truly said the word
selfish
and implied that she was such a vile thing? Did he not understand how much she was suffering? Her heart raced, and her blood boiled. Did he not remember what she had already been through? “Enough!”