Sex, Music and Lies Chapter 9
Whew, it's here.
And yes, it's the explanation chapter. I hope the buildup hasn't caused people to think it's this big surprise cause really it isn't. I just ask that you don't hate me for long. =)
Here is the set list in order:
Ladies and Gentlemen
Devour
Something In Your Mouth
No Jesus Christ
Careless Whisper
Breakdown
Touche'
The video Carlos shows Michelle.
"Michelle!"
She jumped at the sound of her name and tightened the belt of her robe. Kim's band was about to finish their set and then after intermission she'd be on-stage; on-stage in front of 75 thousand people. All day Tony had assured her she'd be fine but she was nothing but a ball of nerves. She'd settled down by the time the show started but watching from the side stage as Tony and Kim performed together had caused her nervousness to return full force. The excitement of the crowd was it's own living, breathing entity. She'd only felt like that one other time in her life and it was when she was with Tony. That had scared the hell out of her too. She breathed in deep and went to her door. There wasn't anything she could do about it. She was performing and that was that.
She opened the door a crack to check who it was and smiled wide. "Checking to make sure I didn't bail?"
Tony smirked and pushed through the door, raking his eyes up and down her form as she shut the door. "I know better." She raised an eyebrow at him and his smirk turned sheepish. "Well, ok maybe a little." She smacked him on the arm and walked back to her counter to start getting ready. He laughed and followed close behind her. "Still nervous?"
She looked at him through the mirror. "Like you wouldn't believe. Why? Does it show that bad?"
Tony shook his head and came up behind her, resting his hands on the edge of the counter and burying his face into the back of her hair. "You look perfect. In fact, I think you should go out like this." They both chuffed and she turned in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Oh really? So you have no issue with me being naked on-stage Mr. Almeida?"
He pulled her lips to his and kissed her softly making her groan. A small smile broke out on his face. "Well, you would be perfect like this for "Something In Your Mouth."" That earned him an even harder smack than before.
"Anthony Almeida! Please tell me you didn't just suggest I dance naked on stage for your hooker song." She ran her hands down his chest and dropped her eyes. "I can't believe you're doing that one."
Tony smirked again. "Why Ms. Dessler, are you jealous?" Her head shot up, ready to deny it when she saw him smiling back at her. She turned a bit red and her eyes skittered around. "No! I mean...was she someone you were, close with?" He pulled her in closer and kissed the top of her head. "Do you really want to know the answer to that?" She bumped his chest with her head and he felt her shake it back and forth. "No, you're right. Forget I asked."
Michelle raised her head and fiddled with his collar. She was going to ruin the mood but she felt he needed to know she'd talked to Carlos. "Tony, I spoke with Carlos earlier. You were on stage with Kim at rehearsal and he came over to talk." She watched his face turn from humor to something harder instantly. He didn't say anything so she went on. "He knows about us." He still didn't speak, looking off into the distance. "I'm going to meet him back at his room at the hotel after the show."
That seemed to pull his attention back to her. "You want me to come with you?"
She shook her head gently. "No. I think this is something we need to talk about alone. Finally finish it." She reached up and ran her hand along his cheek. "I'll meet you back at your room once I'm done."
He searched her eyes before sighing softly and stealing a kiss. "So, is there anything I can do to help you calm down?" He ran his hand down her robed form, pulling his fingers back up once he'd reached the end of the fabric on her thigh. The silk slid along her skin and she shivered.
"We don't have time for that Tony."
"There's always time for that. Sit back on the counter." He pulled the tie on her robe as she stepped back. He watched one edge fall off her shoulder as the sides parted to reveal her to him. She blushed at his concentration. No one ever looked at her like he did.
Tony took a few slow steps towards her, dipping down to his knees as he spoke. "Now open for me baby. I want to make sure I can taste you on my tongue all night."
Michelle took in a deep breath as a wave of applause washed over them. The lights had fallen after the latest song and she had a few seconds to compose herself. She really had no reason to be nervous because once she'd stepped on that stage and they'd started, it'd been something like euphoria ever since. She'd once read a description of performing on stage by a famous rock star and remembers snickering at the time. He had explained it as something spiritual, like a sub conscious awakening. Frankly, like the best trip a drug addict could ever achieve. It had seemed absurd to her at the time but she had understood him a little once she'd taken her first step onto the stage at the symphony. But this, this was unreal. The show had opened with a bang, starting with Ladies and Gentlemen. Carlos sang the opening song with his usual enthusiasm but it was Tony that had her blinking a few times in confusion and awe. His vocals accompanied his brother, as did his guitar, but something was different. He was more vibrant and active, moving all over the stage and engaging the crowd more than usual, even turning at one point to smirk at her. He was enjoying himself and she couldn't help but think she had something to do with it. It was humbling.
The stage had been set up with three large screens and it was surreal to see Tony as well as herself up there from time to time. It didn't help that she couldn't keep her eyes from them when she wasn't needed for accompaniment. A few times she'd almost missed her queue. They had started the song Devour at one point and she was incapable of not watching him. He was fierce, there was no other word for it. He was playing his heart out, singing from his soul and wanting everyone to join him. She'd never seen him so animated before. And the light show just played into the fact that he owned that stage. The strobes and spotlights showing the emotion and physicality in his performance. He was hot and sweaty and she thought she might swoon so loud they could hear her over the music.
A bottom stage light flicked on slowly as the intro to the next song started and she watched as it lit him up from his feet giving him a shadowy presence. They were starting No Jesus Christ. Quite a few of the songs on the set list she'd never seen them perform and this was one of them. As the light came to it's set brightness Tony started to sing, his guitar slung low on his shoulder, his hands coming up almost intimately against the stand. His fingers wrapped around the mic and his slips slid close as he spoke. The air seemed to crackle around her. The few notes he played in between versus were sorrowful and everything built up like his anger in the words. It was a roller coaster ride through his pain; slow, hateful and then slow again. The other band members were lit up at different intervals but Tony stayed in semi shadow. The whole thing was a bit disconcerting which made it that much more effective.
The song had a long solo and she watched as he played, a spotlight finally illuminating him near the end as he went right into the next song and her breath caught a little.
That ass!
She immediately recognized the tune and she blushed. He had teased her a while back when she'd somehow let slip that she was a fan of George Michael.
"What songs? Cause I can't think of anything of his I'm a fan of."
"How can you not like Careless Whisper? You didn't dance to that with some pig tailed girl in high school?"
"Baby I was way past dancing by the time I got to high school."
Her blush deepened as she remembered what had followed that conversation. Now she was sitting at her piano, on stage with him, watching him perform his own version of Careless Whisper. He continued to play, moving around the stage but turning toward her and winking right before he started singing. It wasn't as soft as the original and she loved it even more for that. Tony wasn't soft. He had made it rough around the edges, mirroring himself in the words. She had no idea how he had been able to keep it off the set list and still have everyone ready for it, but it was a welcome surprise.
She straightened up and got ready for her queue to start the next song as Tony played the intro to Breakdown. She had only read the words to the song the day before at practice. She played her part as his voice blended with her chords and she couldn't help the wave of sadness that passed over her. She glanced at the large screen in front of her and wished she hadn't. Bill had told her that he always wrote what he felt. It was clear that this was written in pain. She continued without error but one line from the song kept playing in her head long after it was over; "And yeah I could have tried and devoted my life to both of us but what a waste of my time when the world we had was yours."
The concert had come to it's final song of the night and she moved off to the side stage to watch. They were closing with a song called Touche'. She'd never heard it and it surprised her to see Carlos pull a stool up next to his brother. They both had acoustic guitars and Tony started the lead in as Carlos started to sing. Tony added his voice and once they got to the part they sang as a duet she got a small glimpse of how amazing they were when they actually worked together. It was short lived, however, once she started to capture the meaning of the song. She sighed deeply.
Find a way
A way to be
You're looking down again
Just let it be
And I'd only do for you what you'd do for me
And I only would do for you what you'd do for me
Wastin' time like it was free
Will you ever find where you'll be
And I'd only would do for you what you'd do for me
Oh... don't look back just to lean on me
Oh... it's taken the life out of me
It's not like you'd know
You've never been close enough
Closer than you've been to me
It's not what you say
It's just in the way
You push me away
And I only would do for you what you'd do for me
The song came to a slow close and the applause was deafening. But she didn't really notice it. She was too busy watching Tony stand and graciously thank the audience. And just before she turned to make her way backstage she saw the look of loathing Carlos was giving his brother's back.
Michelle knocked timidly on Carlos's room door. It was late but she was determined to get this over with. She'd put it off long enough and it was time to finish things. She was looking forward to being openly with Tony. No more sneaking around; sneaking that was obviously not fooling anyone.
The door opened and a very somber looking Carlos asked her in. She glanced around as he shut the door, nervousness taking over again. He walked past her and waved for her to follow him into the living room. She sat on the couch and he made his way around to a chair on the far side. He had the TV remote in his hand and she raised an eyebrow at that before focusing on him as he started to speak.
"I guess there's not use it beating around the bush so I'll just come out with it." He took a second to pause. "Tony was married before."
He watched her reaction and didn't see surprise. "I thought you said he didn't tell you about Rachel?"
Michelle fidgeted under his gaze. Something was off. He seemed annoyed that he hadn't shocked her. She didn't hide her confusion at his tone. "I noticed he was wearing a wedding band in an old music video I found on the web. He never told me anything about it."
A small smirk came to his face and went before she'd even noticed. "He married Rachel Carson in the summer of 98'. She was a singer too although not as known as we were. They got married just after we hit it really big."
She watched him swallow and for the first time in a long while she thought she saw real emotion in his face. "I had dated Rachel before Tony. We weren't together long, but I loved her. Everything was going fine until I introduced them. Then, he had to go and steal her from me."
Carlos tightened his grip on the remote till the plastic gave a small squeak at the tension. "One day she just came to me and said things weren't working out for her and that she thought she we should take a break. A few months later Tony tells me he'd like to start seeing her. I was furious at first but in the end, what could I do? They were married a year later. It wasn't exactly the most romantic of relationships. We had started to tour since our first album had taken off and they fought a lot over that. Tony never seemed to care that he was hurting Rachel. He took great pleasure in reminding me he'd won. He started drinking out on the road and then came the drugs. The fights got worse and I finally asked him why he stayed with her if he knew he was making her miserable. He just looked at me and said "to make sure you can't have her.""
Michelle gasped quietly. "You can't...you can't be serious. I don't believe Tony would ever say anything like that, even to you. I know you don't get along but what you're telling me doesn't make any sense."
Carlos gave a sad smile and hung his head. "I know it seems out of character for him Michelle, but trust me when I say my brother hates me. He always has, even when we were little. Any chance he can get to put me down, he takes it. You saw him tonight. What the fuck was up with him closing with that song? You can't sit there and tell me you haven't seen him be vindictive. You're sleeping with him behind my back."
She blushed at that and looked away, embarrassed. "I don't blame you Michelle. I blame him. He's good at what he does. I honestly didn't think he would sink as low as repeating his past mistakes but he has. And I couldn't let what happened to Rachel, happen to you."
Her gaze returned to him and warily she asked him what she'd been dying to ask someone since hearing the woman's name. "What happened to Rachel?"
He raised the remote and flipped on the television. She watched as a music video started. Tony showed up playing a guitar in a beat up car in what looked like a junkyard, wedding ring plain on his finger. He started singing and over his shoulder the blonde woman from the video she'd watched came into view, leaning her head against the back of his. The song continued and she started to sing with him. She was very good and they sounded great together. Her eyes started to water listening to the words of the song.
Carlos watched her reaction. This couldn't be any more perfect. "She and Tony wrote this song together for a movie. They had argued just about all day on the set. Tony was drunk and high most of the day and by the time we finished it was late and he was irritated. I begged her not to get in the car with him but she said he was her husband, she had to go with him to make sure he was ok." He took a deep breath and Michelle saw his eyes fill and a few tears spill out. "Around 2am I get a call from Bill that there'd been an accident. Tony had killed her."
Michelle's eyes grew wide. "What?!"
"Trust me, I was as shocked as you. At some point she had wanted out of the car but he refused and as wasted as he was he hadn't had the reflexes to entirely miss an oncoming car. He'd swerved into the other lane while arguing with her and the other car had hit her side, flipping them several times. It killed her instantly and really messed up his back. No doubt you've seen the scar he has." He watched her blush again at his mention of their sleeping together.
She composed herself quickly. "That doesn't mean--"
"He killed her Michelle. He may not have put a gun to her head but he wouldn't let her out of the car. He knew he was in no shape to drive, he just didn't want her being anywhere around me. If he had let her out, she'd be here today. He didn't love Rachel. He kept her with him to keep her away from me and in turn his hatred of me killed her."
She sat there, his words sinking in. The words from the song on the T.V. a contrast to the story he was telling her. How could she had been so wrong about him?
Carlos slid from his chair and sat beside her slowly. "I didn't want to bring you into all this. I tried to keep you away from him but once we went on tour it was nearly impossible." He watched as the tears started to slide down her face. "He's just using you to get to me. I don't know what he's told you, but trust me when I say he doesn't love you. He doesn't care that I could see you two were sneaking around. He made sure I caught his hints." Carlos reached out and ran one hand through her hair softly. "I still love you Michelle. I don't want him to ruin what we could have together."
She watched in what seemed like slow motion as he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small black box. She didn't dare breathe as he raised it up and opened the lid, revealing a gorgeous diamond ring.
"I know this isn't exactly the best proposal or even the best timing, but I just want you to know I'm sincere. Will you marry me?"
All she could do was stare at the ring. Her heart was racing and her head was spinning. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. She was supposed to come in and tell him she loved Tony. She wasn't supposed to find out she'd been a pawn in some sick game. She wasn't supposed to find out she'd fallen in love with the wrong brother. She had to get out of there and think.
She shot up off the couch and quickly made her way to the door, swiping at her eyes and mumbling. "I, I've got to get out of here. I need to think."
Carlos watched his door slam and smirked, pulling his cell phone out. He dialed and waited.
"Yeah it's me. I did my part, now it's your turn." He flipped the phone closed and relaxed back into the cushions.
Tony was worried and that wasn't like him.
He knew everything would be fine but he didn't trust his brother. Michelle could handle herself but it was Carlos that made him antsy. He took another swallow of his drink and kept pacing. He'd been drinking more lately and he needed to slow down but his nerves wouldn't let him. Anytime he needed to slow down he would just think of Rachel but this time, he needed to calm himself or he'd end up knocking on Carlos's door and he was pretty sure Michelle wouldn't like that. He was already well on his way to being drunk. Michelle wouldn't like that either but once he told her the alternative she'd forgive him.
A knock sounding at his door was not what he was expecting so soon. Still, he rushed to it and didn't bother asking who it was. His face fell when he saw who was on the other side.
"What'dya want Nina?"
"Well it's nice to see you too Tony. Aren't you gonna invite a girl inside?" She gave him a drunken smirk.
"No. There's nothing for you here Nina. Go home. Or at least to whoever's home you're claiming these days." He went to close the door and she reached out her hand to stop it, a bottle of whiskey in her grip. It clanged hard against the wood. "Wait Tony, I'm sorry. I shouldn't just show up like this, I know. I was in the area and I thought we could have a few drinks." Her words were slightly slurred and even though it was against his better judgment he didn't want to send her back to the street in her condition.
Tony sighed heavily and pulled back the door wider to allow her in. She went to walk past, raising the bottle to her lips and tripping in the process sending liquid all over herself and him.
"Goddamn it Nina." He pulled his shirt from his pants and glared at her. She burst out laughing and he pushed her toward the couch. "Just sit down and don't move while I change." He removed the shirt on his way to his bedroom and tossed it onto the kitchen counter. "I'll bring you something to change into."
Nina watched him disappear down the hall and got up from the couch. She headed to the kitchen and snagged his shirt. Quickly she removed her clothes and slipped into his shirt, sighing at the familiar scent of him, even through the alcohol. She smiled, remembering how many times she'd been in nothing but her panties and some shirt of his. She didn't love Tony, but she damn sure didn't like Michelle.
She had just made it back to the couch where there was a knock at his door. She smiled evilly. She knew who that was.
Nina opened the door slowly and took in Michelle's appearance. She was crying, a mess of curls had escaped her ponytail and she was fidgeting. The look on her face when she saw Nina though was classic.
"Can I help you?"
"I'm...I'm sorry I must have the wrong room." Confused, Michelle went to turn.
"Wait...you're Michelle right?" Nina watched the other woman raise an eyebrow at her. "Yeah, Tony has told me about you. I'm Nina."
Michelle opened and closed her mouth. She went to speak when she heard Tony from inside the room. "Nina, I thought I told ya to stay on the couch. I was coming right back with your clothes." He froze when he saw Michelle. His eyes raked down her form taking in how flustered she looked. "Michelle? What's--"
"I've got to go." Before he could stop her she'd made her way to the stairwell.
Nina just smiled.
Carlos had just started to drift off when he heard knocking at his door. He swung his feet down from the couch and stretched. It was near 4am and he hadn't planned on everything taking this long. He honestly thought maybe his plan hadn't worked when Nina had called him after Tony kicked her out. She'd said Michelle had fled the hotel but when she didn't show back up at his place he thought it had just went south. Even if she hadn't shown up now it wouldn't have been a total bust. Nina had told him Tony was devastated.
He opened the door and before he could even offer to invite her inside, Michelle cut him off. "Yes."
"Yes? Yes what?"
She wrapped her arms around herself and when she looked at him he swore her eyes seemed empty. "Yes. I'll marry you."
And yes, it's the explanation chapter. I hope the buildup hasn't caused people to think it's this big surprise cause really it isn't. I just ask that you don't hate me for long. =)
Here is the set list in order:
Ladies and Gentlemen
Devour
Something In Your Mouth
No Jesus Christ
Careless Whisper
Breakdown
Touche'
The video Carlos shows Michelle.
"Michelle!"
She jumped at the sound of her name and tightened the belt of her robe. Kim's band was about to finish their set and then after intermission she'd be on-stage; on-stage in front of 75 thousand people. All day Tony had assured her she'd be fine but she was nothing but a ball of nerves. She'd settled down by the time the show started but watching from the side stage as Tony and Kim performed together had caused her nervousness to return full force. The excitement of the crowd was it's own living, breathing entity. She'd only felt like that one other time in her life and it was when she was with Tony. That had scared the hell out of her too. She breathed in deep and went to her door. There wasn't anything she could do about it. She was performing and that was that.
She opened the door a crack to check who it was and smiled wide. "Checking to make sure I didn't bail?"
Tony smirked and pushed through the door, raking his eyes up and down her form as she shut the door. "I know better." She raised an eyebrow at him and his smirk turned sheepish. "Well, ok maybe a little." She smacked him on the arm and walked back to her counter to start getting ready. He laughed and followed close behind her. "Still nervous?"
She looked at him through the mirror. "Like you wouldn't believe. Why? Does it show that bad?"
Tony shook his head and came up behind her, resting his hands on the edge of the counter and burying his face into the back of her hair. "You look perfect. In fact, I think you should go out like this." They both chuffed and she turned in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Oh really? So you have no issue with me being naked on-stage Mr. Almeida?"
He pulled her lips to his and kissed her softly making her groan. A small smile broke out on his face. "Well, you would be perfect like this for "Something In Your Mouth."" That earned him an even harder smack than before.
"Anthony Almeida! Please tell me you didn't just suggest I dance naked on stage for your hooker song." She ran her hands down his chest and dropped her eyes. "I can't believe you're doing that one."
Tony smirked again. "Why Ms. Dessler, are you jealous?" Her head shot up, ready to deny it when she saw him smiling back at her. She turned a bit red and her eyes skittered around. "No! I mean...was she someone you were, close with?" He pulled her in closer and kissed the top of her head. "Do you really want to know the answer to that?" She bumped his chest with her head and he felt her shake it back and forth. "No, you're right. Forget I asked."
Michelle raised her head and fiddled with his collar. She was going to ruin the mood but she felt he needed to know she'd talked to Carlos. "Tony, I spoke with Carlos earlier. You were on stage with Kim at rehearsal and he came over to talk." She watched his face turn from humor to something harder instantly. He didn't say anything so she went on. "He knows about us." He still didn't speak, looking off into the distance. "I'm going to meet him back at his room at the hotel after the show."
That seemed to pull his attention back to her. "You want me to come with you?"
She shook her head gently. "No. I think this is something we need to talk about alone. Finally finish it." She reached up and ran her hand along his cheek. "I'll meet you back at your room once I'm done."
He searched her eyes before sighing softly and stealing a kiss. "So, is there anything I can do to help you calm down?" He ran his hand down her robed form, pulling his fingers back up once he'd reached the end of the fabric on her thigh. The silk slid along her skin and she shivered.
"We don't have time for that Tony."
"There's always time for that. Sit back on the counter." He pulled the tie on her robe as she stepped back. He watched one edge fall off her shoulder as the sides parted to reveal her to him. She blushed at his concentration. No one ever looked at her like he did.
Tony took a few slow steps towards her, dipping down to his knees as he spoke. "Now open for me baby. I want to make sure I can taste you on my tongue all night."
Michelle took in a deep breath as a wave of applause washed over them. The lights had fallen after the latest song and she had a few seconds to compose herself. She really had no reason to be nervous because once she'd stepped on that stage and they'd started, it'd been something like euphoria ever since. She'd once read a description of performing on stage by a famous rock star and remembers snickering at the time. He had explained it as something spiritual, like a sub conscious awakening. Frankly, like the best trip a drug addict could ever achieve. It had seemed absurd to her at the time but she had understood him a little once she'd taken her first step onto the stage at the symphony. But this, this was unreal. The show had opened with a bang, starting with Ladies and Gentlemen. Carlos sang the opening song with his usual enthusiasm but it was Tony that had her blinking a few times in confusion and awe. His vocals accompanied his brother, as did his guitar, but something was different. He was more vibrant and active, moving all over the stage and engaging the crowd more than usual, even turning at one point to smirk at her. He was enjoying himself and she couldn't help but think she had something to do with it. It was humbling.
The stage had been set up with three large screens and it was surreal to see Tony as well as herself up there from time to time. It didn't help that she couldn't keep her eyes from them when she wasn't needed for accompaniment. A few times she'd almost missed her queue. They had started the song Devour at one point and she was incapable of not watching him. He was fierce, there was no other word for it. He was playing his heart out, singing from his soul and wanting everyone to join him. She'd never seen him so animated before. And the light show just played into the fact that he owned that stage. The strobes and spotlights showing the emotion and physicality in his performance. He was hot and sweaty and she thought she might swoon so loud they could hear her over the music.
A bottom stage light flicked on slowly as the intro to the next song started and she watched as it lit him up from his feet giving him a shadowy presence. They were starting No Jesus Christ. Quite a few of the songs on the set list she'd never seen them perform and this was one of them. As the light came to it's set brightness Tony started to sing, his guitar slung low on his shoulder, his hands coming up almost intimately against the stand. His fingers wrapped around the mic and his slips slid close as he spoke. The air seemed to crackle around her. The few notes he played in between versus were sorrowful and everything built up like his anger in the words. It was a roller coaster ride through his pain; slow, hateful and then slow again. The other band members were lit up at different intervals but Tony stayed in semi shadow. The whole thing was a bit disconcerting which made it that much more effective.
The song had a long solo and she watched as he played, a spotlight finally illuminating him near the end as he went right into the next song and her breath caught a little.
That ass!
She immediately recognized the tune and she blushed. He had teased her a while back when she'd somehow let slip that she was a fan of George Michael.
"What songs? Cause I can't think of anything of his I'm a fan of."
"How can you not like Careless Whisper? You didn't dance to that with some pig tailed girl in high school?"
"Baby I was way past dancing by the time I got to high school."
Her blush deepened as she remembered what had followed that conversation. Now she was sitting at her piano, on stage with him, watching him perform his own version of Careless Whisper. He continued to play, moving around the stage but turning toward her and winking right before he started singing. It wasn't as soft as the original and she loved it even more for that. Tony wasn't soft. He had made it rough around the edges, mirroring himself in the words. She had no idea how he had been able to keep it off the set list and still have everyone ready for it, but it was a welcome surprise.
She straightened up and got ready for her queue to start the next song as Tony played the intro to Breakdown. She had only read the words to the song the day before at practice. She played her part as his voice blended with her chords and she couldn't help the wave of sadness that passed over her. She glanced at the large screen in front of her and wished she hadn't. Bill had told her that he always wrote what he felt. It was clear that this was written in pain. She continued without error but one line from the song kept playing in her head long after it was over; "And yeah I could have tried and devoted my life to both of us but what a waste of my time when the world we had was yours."
The concert had come to it's final song of the night and she moved off to the side stage to watch. They were closing with a song called Touche'. She'd never heard it and it surprised her to see Carlos pull a stool up next to his brother. They both had acoustic guitars and Tony started the lead in as Carlos started to sing. Tony added his voice and once they got to the part they sang as a duet she got a small glimpse of how amazing they were when they actually worked together. It was short lived, however, once she started to capture the meaning of the song. She sighed deeply.
Find a way
A way to be
You're looking down again
Just let it be
And I'd only do for you what you'd do for me
And I only would do for you what you'd do for me
Wastin' time like it was free
Will you ever find where you'll be
And I'd only would do for you what you'd do for me
Oh... don't look back just to lean on me
Oh... it's taken the life out of me
It's not like you'd know
You've never been close enough
Closer than you've been to me
It's not what you say
It's just in the way
You push me away
And I only would do for you what you'd do for me
The song came to a slow close and the applause was deafening. But she didn't really notice it. She was too busy watching Tony stand and graciously thank the audience. And just before she turned to make her way backstage she saw the look of loathing Carlos was giving his brother's back.
Michelle knocked timidly on Carlos's room door. It was late but she was determined to get this over with. She'd put it off long enough and it was time to finish things. She was looking forward to being openly with Tony. No more sneaking around; sneaking that was obviously not fooling anyone.
The door opened and a very somber looking Carlos asked her in. She glanced around as he shut the door, nervousness taking over again. He walked past her and waved for her to follow him into the living room. She sat on the couch and he made his way around to a chair on the far side. He had the TV remote in his hand and she raised an eyebrow at that before focusing on him as he started to speak.
"I guess there's not use it beating around the bush so I'll just come out with it." He took a second to pause. "Tony was married before."
He watched her reaction and didn't see surprise. "I thought you said he didn't tell you about Rachel?"
Michelle fidgeted under his gaze. Something was off. He seemed annoyed that he hadn't shocked her. She didn't hide her confusion at his tone. "I noticed he was wearing a wedding band in an old music video I found on the web. He never told me anything about it."
A small smirk came to his face and went before she'd even noticed. "He married Rachel Carson in the summer of 98'. She was a singer too although not as known as we were. They got married just after we hit it really big."
She watched him swallow and for the first time in a long while she thought she saw real emotion in his face. "I had dated Rachel before Tony. We weren't together long, but I loved her. Everything was going fine until I introduced them. Then, he had to go and steal her from me."
Carlos tightened his grip on the remote till the plastic gave a small squeak at the tension. "One day she just came to me and said things weren't working out for her and that she thought she we should take a break. A few months later Tony tells me he'd like to start seeing her. I was furious at first but in the end, what could I do? They were married a year later. It wasn't exactly the most romantic of relationships. We had started to tour since our first album had taken off and they fought a lot over that. Tony never seemed to care that he was hurting Rachel. He took great pleasure in reminding me he'd won. He started drinking out on the road and then came the drugs. The fights got worse and I finally asked him why he stayed with her if he knew he was making her miserable. He just looked at me and said "to make sure you can't have her.""
Michelle gasped quietly. "You can't...you can't be serious. I don't believe Tony would ever say anything like that, even to you. I know you don't get along but what you're telling me doesn't make any sense."
Carlos gave a sad smile and hung his head. "I know it seems out of character for him Michelle, but trust me when I say my brother hates me. He always has, even when we were little. Any chance he can get to put me down, he takes it. You saw him tonight. What the fuck was up with him closing with that song? You can't sit there and tell me you haven't seen him be vindictive. You're sleeping with him behind my back."
She blushed at that and looked away, embarrassed. "I don't blame you Michelle. I blame him. He's good at what he does. I honestly didn't think he would sink as low as repeating his past mistakes but he has. And I couldn't let what happened to Rachel, happen to you."
Her gaze returned to him and warily she asked him what she'd been dying to ask someone since hearing the woman's name. "What happened to Rachel?"
He raised the remote and flipped on the television. She watched as a music video started. Tony showed up playing a guitar in a beat up car in what looked like a junkyard, wedding ring plain on his finger. He started singing and over his shoulder the blonde woman from the video she'd watched came into view, leaning her head against the back of his. The song continued and she started to sing with him. She was very good and they sounded great together. Her eyes started to water listening to the words of the song.
Carlos watched her reaction. This couldn't be any more perfect. "She and Tony wrote this song together for a movie. They had argued just about all day on the set. Tony was drunk and high most of the day and by the time we finished it was late and he was irritated. I begged her not to get in the car with him but she said he was her husband, she had to go with him to make sure he was ok." He took a deep breath and Michelle saw his eyes fill and a few tears spill out. "Around 2am I get a call from Bill that there'd been an accident. Tony had killed her."
Michelle's eyes grew wide. "What?!"
"Trust me, I was as shocked as you. At some point she had wanted out of the car but he refused and as wasted as he was he hadn't had the reflexes to entirely miss an oncoming car. He'd swerved into the other lane while arguing with her and the other car had hit her side, flipping them several times. It killed her instantly and really messed up his back. No doubt you've seen the scar he has." He watched her blush again at his mention of their sleeping together.
She composed herself quickly. "That doesn't mean--"
"He killed her Michelle. He may not have put a gun to her head but he wouldn't let her out of the car. He knew he was in no shape to drive, he just didn't want her being anywhere around me. If he had let her out, she'd be here today. He didn't love Rachel. He kept her with him to keep her away from me and in turn his hatred of me killed her."
She sat there, his words sinking in. The words from the song on the T.V. a contrast to the story he was telling her. How could she had been so wrong about him?
Carlos slid from his chair and sat beside her slowly. "I didn't want to bring you into all this. I tried to keep you away from him but once we went on tour it was nearly impossible." He watched as the tears started to slide down her face. "He's just using you to get to me. I don't know what he's told you, but trust me when I say he doesn't love you. He doesn't care that I could see you two were sneaking around. He made sure I caught his hints." Carlos reached out and ran one hand through her hair softly. "I still love you Michelle. I don't want him to ruin what we could have together."
She watched in what seemed like slow motion as he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small black box. She didn't dare breathe as he raised it up and opened the lid, revealing a gorgeous diamond ring.
"I know this isn't exactly the best proposal or even the best timing, but I just want you to know I'm sincere. Will you marry me?"
All she could do was stare at the ring. Her heart was racing and her head was spinning. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. She was supposed to come in and tell him she loved Tony. She wasn't supposed to find out she'd been a pawn in some sick game. She wasn't supposed to find out she'd fallen in love with the wrong brother. She had to get out of there and think.
She shot up off the couch and quickly made her way to the door, swiping at her eyes and mumbling. "I, I've got to get out of here. I need to think."
Carlos watched his door slam and smirked, pulling his cell phone out. He dialed and waited.
"Yeah it's me. I did my part, now it's your turn." He flipped the phone closed and relaxed back into the cushions.
Tony was worried and that wasn't like him.
He knew everything would be fine but he didn't trust his brother. Michelle could handle herself but it was Carlos that made him antsy. He took another swallow of his drink and kept pacing. He'd been drinking more lately and he needed to slow down but his nerves wouldn't let him. Anytime he needed to slow down he would just think of Rachel but this time, he needed to calm himself or he'd end up knocking on Carlos's door and he was pretty sure Michelle wouldn't like that. He was already well on his way to being drunk. Michelle wouldn't like that either but once he told her the alternative she'd forgive him.
A knock sounding at his door was not what he was expecting so soon. Still, he rushed to it and didn't bother asking who it was. His face fell when he saw who was on the other side.
"What'dya want Nina?"
"Well it's nice to see you too Tony. Aren't you gonna invite a girl inside?" She gave him a drunken smirk.
"No. There's nothing for you here Nina. Go home. Or at least to whoever's home you're claiming these days." He went to close the door and she reached out her hand to stop it, a bottle of whiskey in her grip. It clanged hard against the wood. "Wait Tony, I'm sorry. I shouldn't just show up like this, I know. I was in the area and I thought we could have a few drinks." Her words were slightly slurred and even though it was against his better judgment he didn't want to send her back to the street in her condition.
Tony sighed heavily and pulled back the door wider to allow her in. She went to walk past, raising the bottle to her lips and tripping in the process sending liquid all over herself and him.
"Goddamn it Nina." He pulled his shirt from his pants and glared at her. She burst out laughing and he pushed her toward the couch. "Just sit down and don't move while I change." He removed the shirt on his way to his bedroom and tossed it onto the kitchen counter. "I'll bring you something to change into."
Nina watched him disappear down the hall and got up from the couch. She headed to the kitchen and snagged his shirt. Quickly she removed her clothes and slipped into his shirt, sighing at the familiar scent of him, even through the alcohol. She smiled, remembering how many times she'd been in nothing but her panties and some shirt of his. She didn't love Tony, but she damn sure didn't like Michelle.
She had just made it back to the couch where there was a knock at his door. She smiled evilly. She knew who that was.
Nina opened the door slowly and took in Michelle's appearance. She was crying, a mess of curls had escaped her ponytail and she was fidgeting. The look on her face when she saw Nina though was classic.
"Can I help you?"
"I'm...I'm sorry I must have the wrong room." Confused, Michelle went to turn.
"Wait...you're Michelle right?" Nina watched the other woman raise an eyebrow at her. "Yeah, Tony has told me about you. I'm Nina."
Michelle opened and closed her mouth. She went to speak when she heard Tony from inside the room. "Nina, I thought I told ya to stay on the couch. I was coming right back with your clothes." He froze when he saw Michelle. His eyes raked down her form taking in how flustered she looked. "Michelle? What's--"
"I've got to go." Before he could stop her she'd made her way to the stairwell.
Nina just smiled.
Carlos had just started to drift off when he heard knocking at his door. He swung his feet down from the couch and stretched. It was near 4am and he hadn't planned on everything taking this long. He honestly thought maybe his plan hadn't worked when Nina had called him after Tony kicked her out. She'd said Michelle had fled the hotel but when she didn't show back up at his place he thought it had just went south. Even if she hadn't shown up now it wouldn't have been a total bust. Nina had told him Tony was devastated.
He opened the door and before he could even offer to invite her inside, Michelle cut him off. "Yes."
"Yes? Yes what?"
She wrapped her arms around herself and when she looked at him he swore her eyes seemed empty. "Yes. I'll marry you."