Syncopated Rhythm (20 page)

I turned to the Roths.  “So, really, why are you here?”

Kim shrugged.  “We told you, we're here because Mandy threatened us with bodily harm if we didn't have you here by two pm and we are here for family.  Sammie is convinced you are one of her endless supply of aunts... so, family.  Thanksgiving, yay.”

Sammie was comically nodding in agreement.  Gawd she was cute, she was going to make someone a fine catch when she grows up.

Skylar was scrunching up her face.  “But no American Football right?  You promised, Flower.”

Kim shook her head and rolled her eyes.  “No.  No football Sky.  That was just one time!  I only made you watch a game one time because Seattle was playing.  You're never going to let me live that down.” Skylar winked at her and everyone laughed.

It was comical really, as we all chatted about various flowing topics, I would catch either one of the Roths or Wanda glancing up at the clock.  What was really going on here? Then at five minutes to two Wanda got on the mic again, “Could I get everyone's attention please?”  We all looked at her and she smiled at the room.

She continued.  “In honor of having Satin Thunder here with us today, we thought we'd give everyone a treat and share the special project they and other talented people have been working on this month.  Today a new holiday album that benefits two local charities was released, and with that release, special music videos were made to help promote sales to farther the reach of the help that can be given to people in need.”

I was getting nervous and shifted around in my seat.  I saw where this was going as they lowered the movie screen at the far end of the room and the projector was starting up with the music channel playing.  I didn't want to be reminded of the project and the job I got kicked off of.  It was too fresh, too painful.  I stood quickly to escape only to be blocked by a semi circle of Roths, like they knew I'd try to bolt.  Kim raised an eyebrow.  “No you don't Kylee.  Sit.”  Sammie grabbed my hand and dragged me back down to the couch.

Jimmy Blaine, the host of 'The Hit List' started announcing a special holiday treat.  “With the release of the Callahan Foundation and the AWK's holiday benefit album with record sales that have already soared off the charts, we'd like to play a marathon of the music videos that had a simultaneous release.  Available as digital downloads.  Critics are raving over the compilations!  So without farther ado, here's Rock the Angels!”

The music started up as the camera was panning across the snowy valley.  Tears were welling up in my eyes. 
I can't do this.
  I stood to bolt again but froze as a powerful, clear, and perfect voice rang out as the first soloist sang.  I stopped my first stuttering step and my eyes snapped to the screen to see someone who had not stepped inside a recording booth since she retired, owned the screen, strutting trough the falling snow.  Mandy Fay Harris was smiling as she sang that song of hope, just like in my presentation.

I couldn't move.  My eyes flicked from the screen to the smiling faces of the Roths, whose eyes were locked on me.  The camera did a cross fade to the choir of all the artists I had come to know.  I had heard the song many times on my iPad, but seeing it on the screen with the love and hope they all shared was emotional.  The next soloist, a young, bald girl in a hospital gown holding on to her IV tree who looked sick and slightly bloated sang out in an angel's voice.

I  felt tears flowing down my cheeks as I watched the song progress, using every suggestion I had pitched.  At the crescendo as the last power note of the choir was ringing out the camera went wide angle and Penny Franklin was there beside them, she arched her back and her trademark “Meeeooowwww!” punctuated the end of the number.  Then the screen instantly cut to black with the song, album, and production company names displayed in the lower left corner.

My hands flashed to cover my mouth as I saw Wanda standing beside the screen and pointing out the fourth line.  “Video Concept by Kylee Nelson”  People were turning to look at me and clap.

Mom looked back and fourth between the screen and me as I collapsed on the couch beside her again.  She held my hand and said, “You did it baby.  You realized your dreams.  I'm so proud.”  I wiped my tears on my sleeve then tried hard not to break down.

I glanced over at Skylar.  “How? ...”

She brought a finger to her lips.  “Shhh... just relax and watch.”

Then I watched as each video from the various artists progressed.  My hands were shaking.  I was getting more and more confused as each one ended with my name credited for the concepts.  They were using
ALL
of my ideas but I had never shown any of my individual artist presentations.  Where did they get them?  MY iPad!  Oh shit, there were things I would never want Art in Motion to see!

Then my worst fear was realized when the final video was announced.   Holiday Cheer by Amber Lee LaLanie.  Amber Lee?  I buried my head in my hands, I think I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.  But then my head snapped up when the music intro started playing and a voice started speaking over it.  Amber's face was on the screen, repeating those words she spoke to me before.

“That's what music is.  The embodiment of fun and emotion.  It shares a connection between people that mere words can't do.  Just listening to the lyrics you can see, feel, taste the emotion of the artist who wrote the song.  We can all empathize, from our own experiences, with the words and make them our own.  That's the magic of music and why it will never get old for me.”  As she was speaking, she was unpinning her pink wig just like in my private video I had made of her.  She flung the wig aside and let her snow leopard hair down and fluffed it up with her fingers.  Then she started removing the makeup from her face.  When she was done with the monologue, she lifted her head, her eyes were glittering and she had a huge smile on her face.  “I'm tired of hiding.  Let's have some fun!”

Then the camera cut to Amber Lee... not Amber LaLanie.. strutting in a holiday wonderland.  Her vitiligo on proud display and that gorgeous mane of hers that I longed to run my fingers through, flowing behind her.

She projected pure fun and seemed to become the music she was singing.  Her joyful movements mirrored the dance I had envisioned.  I was crying again.  My smile almost hurt as she hit that playful rhythm in the middle, closing her eyes and bouncing on her toes in a circle.  It ended with her fist pumping and yelling, “Spread the cheer!”

Her voice spoke as the screen faded to black displaying the music video information.  “Someone I care about shared a simple truth with me recently.  'Show the world who you are and stand proudly.'  I want to share that same truth with you.”  Gawd she was spectacular.  I missed her so much but I was so very proud of her.  I realized I was still smiling in shock.

Then the host was back on announcing the top forty countdown as Wanda turned off the A/V projector.

People were clapping in my direction, including mom and the Roths.  I was blushing profusely.  I looked pleadingly at Kim and Sky as I nudged my glasses farther up.  “How?  When?  Is she ok?”

Before she could reply a guitar started strumming in a playful tune and a voice that I craved rang out singing an upbeat song of treasures found and wonders to be seen and discovered.  Amber Lee was sitting on a stool where Satin Thunder had just played earlier.  Her twinkling eyes were locked on me and her smile was contagious.  I just watched with a hand covering my smiling mouth.

I didn't recognize the song but it dragged us all along for a merry ride.  This was one of the best numbers I had heard her sing.  I was mesmerized by the splotches on her face, neck and arm, they made her look so exotic so... gawd I was getting aroused.  How sexy can one woman be?  Then it hit me, not only was she letting people see her real hair but she was wearing short sleeves!

On the second chorus I thought I was going to blush into the nether realm when I realized this Deep Red she was singing about was me.  I stood on wobbly legs, a grinning Sammie helped me stand.  I made my way quickly to her as she finished to the room clapping at her.

She put the guitar down just in time as I grabbed her into a tight hug.  I realized what I was doing and released her and stepped back quickly looking at the floor.  “Sorry.  I didn't mean...”

She reached out and tilted my head up so our eyes met.  She was smiling.  “Never apologize to me. I sure hope you meant the hug.  Otherwise my plan of coming to date the hell out of you after all that video business was done like I promised, would be ruined.”  I realized the room was silent.

I looked around and leaned in and whispered,  “But you're Amber LaLanie...”

She cut me off with a whisper of her own, “No.  I'm Amber Lee.  A simple girl from Iowa, standing in front of the amazing woman that I hope I can call my girlfriend.”

I was crying happy tears and nodding like a fool.  But nothing mattered but the lips that were now on mine.  I could die happy now.

She was dragging me by my hand back to mom.  Sammie stood and let us sit.  Then the stories began.

I couldn't let go of Amber's hand as Kim relayed how all of this came about.  She started by saying, “It was legendary.  The stuff of heroes.”  Her voice drifted and her eyes seemed far away when she said 'heroes'.

Amber laughed at that and said, “I don't know about that.  Mandy was the hero in this piece.  After I called her when I couldn't find you Ky.  And I...”  She paused and pulled out my iPad from her purse and handed it to me shyly.  “And I saw the amazing ideas you had for the videos...”  She was blushing profusely.  “She almost made me spew the water I was drinking when she ended our conversation with 'Don't worry Amber.  I got this shit.' That woman has comedic timing.”

Kim's stoic look broke as she added. “You should have seen ol' Evan when she showed up at Art in Motion with all of us artists in tow and asked... how did she put it Sky?”

Skylar comically covered Sammie's ears.  “Well Flower, I believe it was 'What kind of a fucked up operation are you running here?'  Then she slid Kylee's iPad over to Evan and said 'I want THESE videos.  Make it happen or we are scrapping this million dollar project with you!'  It was brill.”

Kim nodded with a sly grin.  “Yes, that was it.  Fucked up operation.  Thanks Sky.”  The two exchanged cheesy grins at their sarcastic banter.  Kimi continued.  “She had them sound booth then shoot her for her part that day then left Amber in charge of the project in her stead and she returned to her lovely wife Anabella down in Vancouver.”

Sky smiled at me. “You would have been bloody proud of Amber, Kylee.  I swear there was fire in her eyes and I cried when she took off her bloody wig at Art in Motion and kicked ass and took names.  You are so good for her you know?”  Then she whispered to Amber's blushing embarrassment.  “She made that git, Leanne, fetch the coffee every day.”

I snorted then just stared into Amber's eyes.  I got lost in them and tuned out for a bit.  She was almost giggling when she said more assertively, startling me out of my daydream of her lips on mine.  “Hey Potato?  You listening?”

I squinted an eye and waggled a fist at her.  “Watch it Cornfed!”  To everyone's laughter.

Then Wendy announced that it was now five pm and visiting time was over.  Everyone groaned in disappointment.  I turned to mom as a nurse came up to her.  I smiled.  “I love you so much mom.  I'll see you tomorrow.  Happy Thanksgiving.”

She looked confused as she asked, “Ky-Ky?”

I nodded and hugged her again as she said, “I love you too.” Then my girls. 
Heh, that sounds so odd.
  My girls all gave her hugs and bid her goodbye too before she was led away to her room.

I closed my eyes and just spoke to the universe, “I'm so happy right now.”

Amber gave me a quick peck on the lips.  “Ok, Potato, lets load up Baltar and get to your place for a makeshift Thanksgiving!”

I bit my lip and scrunched up my face,  “Ummm... there may be a slight problem with that, Cornfed.” We all zipped up and made our way outside.

We pulled up to the little two story apartment building in Baltar and shut off the purring engine, which stopped immediately.  I still couldn't get used to Baltar looking and running like he had just rolled off the showroom floor.

I went to nudge my glasses back into place then remembered I was wearing contacts.  I looked fondly at the extremely nervous woman who had asked me to marry her last week.  I still couldn't believe how lucky I was to have such a gorgeous snow leopard as my fiance.  We had only been together for six months but we both knew we were destined to be together forever.  When she was trying to ask me, it took a few tries because I was just interrupting her, repeating “yes” over and over again until she finally got the whole question out.  Then I comically replied with, “I'll think about it.”

Which got me a, “Watch it Potato!”

I smiled at that and said, “Of course I say yes.  I love your Cornfed ass.  Oh, and everything attached to it.”

I'm really not too sure what happened after that.  It is kind of a haze of passion as she made it her sacred duty to make a woman out of me as many times that night as she could.  It was quite possibly the most beautiful, fun, sexy, and erotic experience of my entire life.

Still in the back of my head is this little chibi me bouncing up and down in glee, screaming, “You're friggin' kissing Amber Lee LaLanie!” every time our lips meet. 
Level up!  Achievement unlocked: True Love!