Chapter 59

CHAPTER 59

We rested on the couch for a while, then we both called home. Mom said that she was feeling better every day, and asked when we were coming home. I informed her that we hadn’t decided yet, then she told me that Erin wanted to talk to me.

Erin excitedly began telling me about a phone call that she had received from a modeling school. She said that someone was coming to the house to talk with the family about it Tuesday night. I asked her if she had talked with Amy about the proposed deal, and she assured me that she had.

I sat thinking about how Amy had become such an integral part of our family, and how natural it felt to have asked that question, after I hung up. Karen’s dad wasn’t home, but she left a long message about how much fun she was having. We dressed early and went down for a bite to eat, the took a taxi over to the Desert Dunes.

Karen said, “Holy Shit! Look!” as we drove up.

The sign outside read ‘Tonight Only, Kristen Baker, Solo in the Grand Salon’ in letters ten feet high.

We got out of the taxi and the first thing that greeted us inside the lobby, was one of those supposedly life-sized photo cutouts. This one was of Kristen standing next to a lighted sign. The sign read ‘Kristen Baker, the raven-haired beauty with the golden voice!’

I had thought the phrase was just something that the guy in the club last night had made up., It was now apparent even to highly clueless me, however, that this was her key phrase. The sign went on to say that she was appearing for two shows today and would be singing with Tomaso’s full show tomorrow. Karen and I looked at each other then shook our heads.

I realized that the cutout actually was life-sized after we looked closely at it. Kristen had been wearing a white, full-length dress when the original picture was taken. She had a microphone in one hand, with her other hand outstretched as she was obviously singing. She looked amazing -- and amazingly happy. Karen said, “She’s really beautiful, isn’t she?”

There was no use lying. I admitted, “Yes, she is.”

The Desert Dunes is an old hotel. It’s much smaller than the Miracle, and it was built before the huge expansion that’s now going on in Vegas. I remembered that Mr. Mariani said that it has ‘a great deal of charm’, and that a lot of big name performers hang around here while they’re in town when we were here at New Year’s. Karen and I went to the show booth, and the lady handed me a note from Amy when we asked about our tickets. It said to bring the note to the stage entrance and have someone find her.

We went backstage and found Amy talking with four guys all dressed in tuxedos. Amy introduced us when we walked up. Three of the guys nodded, but the fourth guy, a tall, nice looking guy, who looked like he was in his early twenties, stuck his hand out and said, “Hi, I’m Chet. Kris has told me a lot about you.”

I shook his hand, but I was wondering why he and Kris were talking about me, but Amy motioned for Karen and I to go with her before I had a chance to say anything. We followed her to a dressing room with a star on the door. I saw that Kristen was seated in front of a makeup table once we got inside. She was wearing high heels and pantyhose. She had a towel around her neck and that appeared to be all. There was a guy standing behind her, fussing with her hair. I looked at Amy. She merely just waved her hand in a dismissive manner, and said to the guy, “He’s here.”

The guy turned to me and studied me for a long minute, then he nodded to Amy and said, “No problem.” It was nice to hear that I wasn’t a problem, but I did start wondering what was going on, and I might still be a problem if I didn’t like what I found out. We walked to an adjoining room and she closed the door. The room had a large couch and a couple of chairs, and I noticed some robes hanging on hooks. She motioned for us to sit, and she started talking.

“I’m glad that you’re here early. I’ve been trying to reach you at the hotel. Something is happening that could have a real effect on Kristen’s career, but it’ll mean some inconvenience for Karen.

“You both know who Robert DeLucca is, right?”

We both nodded, and Karen said, “Of course. He’s one of the most famous movie stars in the world. Why?”

“Well, he and his girlfriend are here tonight, and we’ve seated them in your box.”

Karen’s eyes grew as big as saucers, and I guess mine did, too. Amy put her hand on Karen’s shoulder, and said, “But that leads to a problem. Every eye in the place is going to be on your box, and I don’t want to have people speculating about who the girl with Pete is. That means we’re going to ask you to watch the show backstage with me.”

It took a minute for that to sink in, then I said, “No Way! I want Karen to sit with me!”

Amy didn’t say anything. She just looked at us, until Karen turned to me and said, “She’s right. I agreed to go along with this, so you should do it. I’ll be fine. Watching this from backstage might be kind of fun.”

I was going to argue, but the door burst open just then. The hairdresser from next door and another guy walked in. The second guy was carrying some clothes on hangers, and within seconds, the first guy dispelled any worries I might have had about him being alone with Kristen. In a high voice, he said, “Hurry up and get the bitch dressed; I’m almost finished with my darling.”

He then swished out and slammed the door behind him. It took me a second to realize that the ‘bitch’ he was referring to was ME, and I was about to go after him when Amy said, “C’mon, Karen, we have to get him ready.” Amy immediately started pulling my shirt off, and Karen began unbuttoning my pants.

I was standing in my shorts and the guy was helping me on with a tuxedo shirt, studs and all the next thing I knew. Next came pants, suspenders, and a tie, and he asked me, “How’s it feel?” It actually fit pretty well, and a special feeling came over me when I slipped the jacket on. I was wearing a crisp, new feeling, real tuxedo for the first time in my life, and I felt very grown up. The shoes were way too tight when I tried them on, however. The guy saw me fumbling with them, and he said, “Size twelve, right?”

“No, thirteen.” He said, “Be right back,” as he took them and ran out the door.

I was standing there in my stocking feet when Karen said, “Wow!”

I turned to face her and Amy, and they were both smiling. Amy said, “Lookin’ good, Pete.”

Karen was staring at me strangely when I looked at her. I asked, “Are you okay?”

“Sure, I’m fine. You, uhh, look very nice.”

Kristen then stepped into the room. She was dressed in a medium length, light blue dress that gradually darkened to dark blue at the bottom. Her hair was a shiny black mane and her eyes seemed to glow. She looked fantastic.

The other two guys then came rushing in. The first guy began nervously poking at Kristen’s hair, and the other guy stepped around them and helped me slip some shoes on. These fit me better, and as soon as I had them comfortably on my feet, Kristen made a circle motion with her finger. I did a full turnaround, and she said, “You look very handsome, Pete,” then she told Amy, “Lance and the gang are here. Why don’t you introduce Karen while Pete and I get our pictures taken?”

Amy nodded, and took Karen by the hand. Karen asked, “Where are we going?”

Amy answered, “You’ll see. C’mon,” and the two of them left.

Kristen thanked the two men. The first one said to me, “Don’t cross your legs when you sit, Dear,” as they left and he flitted away.

Kristen and I suddenly were alone, and we stood looking at each other. She is so beautiful that I wanted to rush to her, but things have changed somehow. She’s no longer the girl I walked through the halls at school with, or the one who stood naked washed by the moonlight in Kate’s bedroom that night. She’s a fantasy. She’s someone who you see in the movies or on TV, and I felt a sense of loss. She guessed there was something wrong, and looked concerned. She walked over to me, put her hand on my arm, and said, “It’s just me, Pete. Don’t give up on me. Please don’t.”

It was like hearing someone else’s voice, when I heard myself say, “Don’t worry, my love. I won’t.”

There was silence, then more to change the subject than anything else, I asked her, “Who is Lance, and why shouldn’t I cross my legs?”

She smiled and said, “Lance, is Lance Howard, of the ‘Sir Lancelot Band’. He’s playing in town, and he stopped by to catch my show. Amy and I know him from the show we did in Texas. He and his guys were on the same bill as we were. They’re a lot of fun, and I thought that Karen would get a kick out of meeting him. You shouldn’t cross your legs because that wardrobe tux is new. You might wrinkle the pants if you cross your legs, and we may need to take some photos later.”

“Will I actually be sitting with Robert DeLucca?”

“Yes. I’ve never met him, but I hear he’s an okay guy.”

“You’ve never met him! Why is he sitting in a box with me?”

“It’s something that Amy and Tomaso arranged. Maybe Dad also had something to do with it. Mr. DeLucca is promoting a new movie, so he’s in town today doing a photo shoot. He goes to LA to do the Leno show tomorrow.”

“But why is he sitting with me?”

“Because everyone knows that you’re in town with me, and you’re sort of a mystery. Tomaso makes sure that nobody knows who you are. He has told the press at least fifteen different stories about where you live and what you do. DeLucca is sitting with you for a couple of reasons. He likes publicity, and he knows that the photographers will be keeping their eye on you. Besides, his people tell him that people in our age group are not going to his movies as much, and being seen with us will give him a chance to be seen by the younger crowd. He’ll come backstage for some more photos after the show, and we’ll pretend to be big pals. To tell the truth, I’m looking forward to meeting him too.”

“Speaking of photographers, let’s go. There’s a bunch of them waiting for us.”

“What should I say if they ask me who I am?”

She looked at me without a smile, and replied, “Tell them whatever you want. Now, let’s go.”

She took my arm and we walked toward the door. She knocked on it -- two taps, a pause, then three more instead of opening it, though. The door opened slightly, and a somewhat familiar voice asked, “Ready, Ms. Baker?”

She answered ‘Yes,” and the door opened all the way. Standing there was the guy from the Miracle who had caught Lu and me. He said, “Okay, stay close,” and he led us down a hallway to a closed door. He motioned for us to wait. He stepped through the door, and I heard him say, “Okay, they’re here.”

I whispered to Kristen, “I thought he worked at the Miracle?”

“He does. His name is Rocky. He’s a friend of Dad’s, and he watches out for me when I’m in town.” I began to suspect that there was probably very little I did in this town that didn’t get reported to either Kristen or her father. I also began to wonder just how many ‘major players’ in Vegas felt indebted to Senator Mariani.

Rocky opened the door all the way, and we stepped inside. We posed by the door for what seemed like a long time. Camera flashes were going off everywhere, and people were calling out, “Turn this way,” “Put your arm around her,” and such, then one guy said, “Hold her by the waist and look at her!” So, facing Kristen, I put my hands on her waist. She put hers on my shoulders, and moved against me right away. She looked up at me with such love in her eyes that it took my breath away. I forgot why we were here for a minute, and I almost kissed her. My desire for her must have shown on my face, because someone said, “Wow, look at that,” and every flash in the place went off.

Rocky then stepped in front of us, telling the photogs, “That’s all for now; she has to get ready. There’ll be another opportunity after the show.” We went back through the door, and Kristen said, “Thanks, Rocky. Would you please show Pete to the box?”

She air kissed me, and I followed him up some stairs to a hallway with doors on one side. A guard was standing at the entrance to the hallway, but he stepped aside as soon as he saw who we were. Two guys in suits stood at the end of the hall near the last door. Rocky nodded when we walked up, and one of them opened the door.

I stepped into a place that I had seen in theaters and movie houses, and always wondered about -- a small balcony that stuck out from the room’s side wall. It looked like it could hold seven or eight people, but ours only had three chairs. A man and woman were seated, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up when the man looked around.

He was Robert DeLucca, one of the most famous movie stars in the world, and I was less than three feet from him! He waggled his fingers at me, and said, “Hi, Kid, have a seat.” I had heard that voice a zillion times in countless movies. Even that crooked smile was the same. Speechless, I plopped down in the chair as he said, “You’re Pete, right?” after a minute of awkward silence.

“Yes, Sir.”

“I’m Bobby, and this is Tyra.”

I tore my eyes away from him and looked at his companion, the most beautiful black girl I’ve ever seen in my life. She was sitting down, but still managed to look tall. Her hair was tightly pulled back against her head, and she wore a snow white, low cut, strapless gown.

She reminded me of Lu in some ways, except that Lu’s skin had been milky white, whereas Tyra’s was chocolate brown. She looked at me and smiled. The brilliance of the whites of her eyes and her teeth contrasting against her dark skin was startling, and I was almost speechless again, but I managed to croak out, “Hi, I’m Pete Baker.”

She then did something unusual; she reached out with a long, beautifully-shaped arm, and held her hand out. I automatically reached for it, and my body tingled as though electricity went through me when I touched her. Her grip was strong, and in a melodious, but heavily accented, voice that was just over a whisper, she said, “It is most excellent meeting you, Mister Baker.”

I had been conscious of a buzz from the crowd when I entered the box. It seemed to me that the buzz now increased as people began to guess who I was, and a big bunch of camera flashes lit us up. Not wanting to stare at either one of my box mates any longer, I pulled my eyes away and looked at the room. It was large with a high ceiling. A series of boxes like ours adorned the walls around the top, but ours was closest to the stage and had the best view. I was looking around at the other boxes, when a camera suddenly flashed, then an arm shot up opposite from us. A box like ours was on the other side of the room, except for the fact that it was jammed full of people. Most of them were guys, but of the ones who weren’t, one was Karen.

Some people in the audience were standing to get a better look at our box and take our picture, so I didn’t wave, I just nodded in her direction. The flash went off again when I did, and I remembered that she had brought her digital camera.

The house lights dimmed in a few minutes, and people got quiet. A man walked onto the stage and started talking about Kristen and how she got her start here in Vegas. He went on about her tour with Tomaso, and reminded people that a full show was scheduled for tomorrow, then he stepped forward and in a louder voice, proclaimed, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Desert Dunes proudly presents the Raven-Haired Beauty with the Golden Voice, Kristen Baker!” He actually sounded proud.

The house lights completely dimmed as the orchestra started playing an overture. They soon changed to the opening strains of ‘Stardust’ and Kristen’s wonderful voice joined in as the curtain slowly opened. She stepped forward into the spotlight and its effect on her was magical. She looked so beautiful that I found it difficult to look at her without staring. I closed my eyes and just listened to her. She went through several ballads after ‘Stardust’, and there wasn’t a peep from the audience until the end of each song when they would loudly applaud. The backup singers were off to the side, and the harmony was unbelievable when their voices joined Kristen’s. It was dark where we three were sitting, and DeLucca and the girl were slightly behind me, so I couldn’t easily see how they were reacting. I glanced at DeLucca at one point when there was a flash of lights from the stage. His eyes were glued on Kristen and his mouth was slightly open. He seemed to be hypnotized by her.

Tyra caught me looking, and stared directly at me. It was an unusual sight -- our area was dark again, so all I could see was her white dress and the whites of her eyes. I kept waiting for her to look back at the stage, but she held my gaze until I was the one who looked away.

Kristen switched to an upbeat rock and roll number that nearly brought the house down after several more ballads. The applause went on for quite some time, and I heard DeLucca say to his girlfriend, “God DAMN!! Is she marvelous or what?”

Kristen’s final number was ‘Sunrise, Sunset’ and the audience began to stand and applaud as the final strains wafted over them. Every person in the audience was standing and wildly applauding by the time it ended, and Kristen was standing in the middle of the stage, with her hands over her face as though she was crying.

The MC had stepped on stage, and he waved at everyone to quiet down after the applause had gone on for a while. He asked her to sing one more once the audience had cooperated. She nodded, said something to the orchestra, then they started into ‘My Guy’, the song I’d heard her sing for the first time yesterday. A small spotlight was trained on me again. She sang it to the audience, but she would occasionally glance at me until the last few bars when she held her hand toward me. I stood up, and she finished the song looking straight at me. The audience gave wild applause again, but the curtain closed this time.

I turned to DeLucca and he was shaking his head. He said, “I gotta hand it to you, Boy. That girl is some fucking terrific.” I had heard him swear in the movies before, but, I was somehow shocked at hearing him say something like that in person.

The theater lights came on and he went to the door and said something to one of his guys. I guess they had been standing there the whole time. The door then opened all the way, and DeLucca said “C’mon,” before he walked outside. I started after him, but I noticed that the girl wasn’t moving. She just sat there looking at me, then held her hand out to me. I took it and she stood up. She was indeed tall. She was almost as tall as I am in her high heels, and we stood there looking at each other for a second. She reminded me of Lu once more. Quietness and poise were traits that I noticed when I first met Lu, and Tyra had them as well. I wondered if they were learned or if people were born with them.

Like Lu, Tyra has a wildly exotic look about her, and I was thinking that we would probably make an unusual looking couple. We are both tall, and she was a black-haired, black girl dressed in white, while I was a blond-haired, white guy dressed in black.

We followed DeLucca downstairs to the photo room, but Amy ran up and grabbed me just as we got there. She said, “Quick, follow me,” so we rapidly walked to Kristen’s dressing room. Kristen was sitting at the dressing table when we got there, and Kristen dropped the top of her dress as soon as Amy closed and locked the door. Now naked from the waist up, she began wiping her face and upper body with some kind of treated towel.

Amy said to me, “Sit. We have to work quickly,” and she went to Kristen. They seemed to be removing some makeup and applying another kind. Amy said, “We’re taking the stage makeup off and applying different stuff. That stage formula doesn’t photograph as well,” when I asked what was happening.

They were working quickly, but seeing Kristen sitting there half naked, got me thinking about her, so I had to say something to get my mind off her. I said, “DeLucca is in the photo room waiting for us. Won’t he wonder where we are?”

Amy said, “He knows what we’re doing. Remember that he’s done it a thousand times and he’ll keep them busy until we get there.”

“So, why did you grab me so quickly?”

They seemed to be finished. Kristen stood up, pulled her dress up, and said, “Because I didn’t want the press questioning you without me being there.”

Then something occurred to me. “What did you do with Karen?”

Amy answered, “I put her with the Lancelot guys. Those guys are a riot. I told them to leave her alone, but they’ll chase her around a little, knowing them, but she can take care of herself.”

I was about to complain, but Kristen grabbed my hand and we hurried down the hall. I asked her, “Are you sure that you want me here?” just before we got there. She didn’t answer me verbally, she just squeezed my hand tighter as we entered the room. Everyone was gathered around DeLucca, but they swarmed toward us as soon as we got there.