Chapter Five
“She didn’t know who I was. There wasn’t even a spark.” Nash crossed his arms and stared down his best friend and former Spectre lead singer, Erik Renevant. “It’s really over.”
Once his stepmother and her minions left his cottage, he cleaned some more, vowing the kitchen would be in working order before he finished for the day. Since the place was still uninhabitable, before he drove back to his apartment, he decided to take a break and go visit the lake only a few acres from his property. A lifetime ago, his parents would take him swimming there. Little did he know he would be discovered by a lost angel who called him Knight. After she left, he headed here, to his friend, the one man who would understand his dilemma.
“Christine didn’t know who I was when she broke into my home and moved in.” Erik reclined in one of the chairs of the theatre where he and his wife lived.
“I may have broken in, but you asked me to stay.” Erik’s wife, Christine, stomped out onto the stage. “You even left me gifts.” She put her hands on her hips.
“That’s because I fell in love with you instantly and never wanted you out of my sight,” Erik called to her.
“That’s better.” She rubbed her protruding stomach and picked up a piece of sheet music.
“You wear a mask. I really don’t think it’s the same thing.” Nash took a long drink of his beer. The explosion that destroyed half of Erik’s face caused him to be a recluse until his wife entered the picture. “Even with you and Christine appearing on the Stage of Stars and people talking about Spectre, she had no clue as to who I am.”
Erik tutored Christine, making her quite a musical force to contend with, and she even won the renowned reality competition Stage of Stars. Her success brought Erik back into the light and he performed with her. Though they asked Nash more than once to join him, without the rest of the band it didn’t feel right.
“Do you really think you should be drinking around the baby?” Erik pointed at Nash’s bottle.
“I had nothing to do with this or any other pregnancy. I think I’m safe.” He polished off the drink and grabbed a second one out of the bag he brought with him.
“With your reputation, that is only a miracle of luck.” Erik shrugged.
“It’s only a reputation. I may or may not have embellished the truth on my extracurricular activities over the years.” He gave a sideways glance to his friend.
“I had a feeling.” Erik shook his head. “Why this sudden confession?”
After another long pull of his drink, he answered, “Death brings out truth.”
“Poignant,” Erik said. “Maybe it’s time to face other truths.”
“Such as?” Knowing what came next, he clutched the arm of the chair.
“Laura.” His friend dropped her name with a thud.
Nash glanced over at the bag of rations he brought with him. At the mention of her name, the bottle of whiskey called to him, but long ago he promised himself never to get drunk and think of her again. “Death also brings about other endings.” Erik thought no one could handle his face, but the woman Nash thought he loved couldn’t deal with the loss of fame, or the limp, a daily reminder of what he would never be again. For ten years they stayed in touch and he held out hope. He fulfilled his carnal needs from other sources and earned his reputation, but when the woman didn’t show to his father’s funeral, he knew there would never be a chance for them.
“Understood.” Erik’s voice lowered.
“I wanted to move on. I used to put it on you that I couldn’t, but now I know it’s me.” Nash told him. “I was waiting for a sign and today it came in the form of an angel who didn’t know who I was. Nothing in her eyes even spoke of recognition in any form.”
“Perhaps she simply has poor taste in music.” Erik shrugged. “Also, I quite doubt that she was expecting to see a famous lead guitarist in the middle of nowhere. I’m surprised she didn’t go off running and screaming. You’re a mess, you look like a wild man.”
“Thank you, the whole not recognizing me thing, coupled with telling me I look like a disaster is doing wonders for my ego.” Nash ran his hand over his beard, the same beard he was usually obsessed with, but one he hadn’t tended to in a while. Perhaps his friend had a point. Not that it mattered, a woman like Petals, with her pristine little business outfit, her freshly manicured nails, and long blonde hair that appeared as if a salon followed her around to keep her hairstyle perfect, wouldn’t be returning to the lake. “She asked if she would see me again.”
“What did you say?” Erik sneered at his bottle of water then leaned over and grabbed one of the beers.
“Are we ready to practice?” Christine spoke into the microphone set up on the stage. “The baby is getting hungry.”
“Hold that thought.” Erik elbowed him, then lifted a remote, hit a button, and opened his drink. “Christine needs to sing.”
Light rock music filled the air and right on cue Christine came in. Her heavenly voice filled the theatre.
Nash sat back. Since Erik met his wife, Nash had watched this woman come into her own. A talent in her own right, she was a testament to what could happen with the right collaboration.
Her soprano voice filled the air, her timing perfect, and she hit every note. As she continued her song, he noticed how her actions mimicked Erik’s when he used to take center stage. They were a couple in every way down to creating a new life together.
When was the last time he felt part of another person? Did he ever feel that way about Laura? He didn’t know or remember. With his father gone, he didn’t even have family to anchor him. All he had was a cottage bordering on a shack and a hope he may see Petals again, and that made him more than pathetic.
The song ended and both he and Erik broke into applause.
Christine bowed. “I’ll get dinner on the table. I made Nash’s favorite, roast chicken and red potatoes. Maybe after, we’ll all make some music?” She waved and left the stage.
The only person on the planet who knew his favorite dinner was his best friend’s wife.
“Are you ready to make some music?” Erik asked.
This conversation again. Yes, he played. He played all the time, but by himself, when it didn’t feel like people were missing, and he could close his eyes and be complete. Erik had Christine, his other half, someone to fill in the blanks.
“I was thinking of going to see Upton,” he said. After the accident as reclusive as Erik became, the two of them stayed together, supported each other. Upton, their drummer, wouldn’t ever speak to them. Over the years, Nash had gone to his family estate to see him. The man would bark at him to get away, and would never let himself be seen.
“I think he made his position known.” Erik took a sip of the beer. “Look forward. Christine’s voice healed me.”
Healing could come in different forms. Since he met Petals, he felt invigorated, but it was a temporary fix, not a cure. “She didn’t see me with the cane.”
“It’s amazing when they don’t see it.” Erik faced him. “Maybe you don’t need it as much as you think.”
Nash clenched his teeth. Of anyone, Erik should understand. “Leave it.” Yes, he could walk without the cane as long as he didn’t mind feeling as if he were going to fall over, or having a limp bad enough that everyone on the street stopped and stared. The cane provided stability on a number of different levels.
“Anyway, now tell me, when she left what did you say to this lovely lady of the lake?” Erik asked.
Nash stared up at the ornate ceiling of the theatre. Only a few weeks ago, he helped Erik hoist the intricate crystal chandelier. The enormous lighting fixture completed the theatre. He bet Petals would have liked the jewels. Every detail about her spoke of class and refinement. “I told her she would know where to find me.” He shook his head. “It was only a few minutes, but I felt alive for the first time in a long time. Like I was participating in my life, not watching it fly by.”
“I understand more than you know.” Erik tapped their bottles together. “Are you going to go stalk the lake until she returns?”
“No.” He answered too fast, but he had to face facts. “I won’t see her again. There’s no point. Maybe if I was the rock star, but not like this.”
“You’re still the rock star.” Erik lowered his voice.
Nash stood and grabbed his cane. “Not anymore.”