Saturday morning, Ivy knocked timidly on Nuno's door. He opened it seconds later, and she stared. He wore tight black jeans, a loose black shirt, and a blood red vest. Under his long black hair hung a pair of large silver hoop earrings Ivy could have worn as bracelets.
"I didn't know you were going in concert clothes," she stuttered after a minute of dead silence, blushing. He wondered what that meant.
"How can I help you?" he asked.
"Ideas." She had more control. "I wasn't sure how to dress for this."
He smiled at her. "However you want. You'll look great." She absently nodded and walked down the hall, and he watched until she went into her own room. Then he closed the door and sat on his bed. The nervousness didn't go away; he knew how the family felt about him, and wished he had Ivy's innocence because of the language, wished he didn't understand either. He stared into space, trying to set his thoughts straight. Somehow the look Ivy had given him had startled him, probably because he'd never seen her look at him like that before. She had been in his thoughts ever since that day at the diner, when she'd turned white as soon as she'd seen him. He never knew why he'd been attracted to her, but - well, did he need a reason?
He sighed, stood up, grabbed his guitar, and went into the living room. Once there, he sat down on the edge of the couch and tuned the instrument, then began automatically to play, anything that came to his head.
When he looked up a few minutes later, Ivy stood in the doorway, and he stared this time. She wore a black leather miniskirt with a silk khaki blouse, a pearl necklace, and heels. Her red hair gracefully framed her face and her green eyes sparkled, adding life to the picture.
"We're due on pretty soon," he said finally. "Are you ready?"
"About as ready as I usually am to go on stage," she smiled, and sat next to him. "At least I know I haven't forgotten the words. How about you?"
He could see her honest worry for him and let his guitar slip to the floor, then wrapped his arms around her. "Ready enough, I think. You look beautiful."
"Thank you." The slight color in her cheeks was bewitching. "You look smashing." She leaned against him, feeling safe and secure. She hadn't felt that way in far too long.
Nuno didn't want it to end either; he liked it very much, being able to protect her. Unfortunately,... "Ruben and Fatima have already left. They made me promise I'd come."
Ivy laughed and looked up at him, her face inches from his. He gently kissed her.
"I can guess what they were thinking," she smiled. "I guess we'd better follow, then." She stood up, pulled him to his feet, and they left, hand in hand.
No one noticed their arrival. They all watched Ruben and Fatima perform an incredible Latin dance - from the side. The performers faced the parents, which both Ivy and Nuno found to be very odd. As the dancers finished and every one applauded, Ivy began to chuckle. Nuno glanced at her curiously.
"Just think," she whispered in his ear, "you and I are two of the more famous people in the world, and no one even noticed us arrive." He smiled in response, but the stress he felt communicated itself to her, and she got more and more nervous as the next person performed, singing a song in a beautiful voice. She finished, and another woman played her own composition on the piano. After what seemed an eternity, someone announced Nuno's name, and to Ivy's surprise, the crowd snickered. Nuno started forward, his face set in anger, his hand nearly crushing Ivy's.
An aisle opened for them, and as they walked to the stage, silence, then muttering spread through the gathering. Ivy turned at a touch on her sleeve, and Fatima's smile helped her feel much better. On the stage, Nuno handed her the guitar, found two stools, and moved the microphones to face the family. Taking his guitar, he helped Ivy onto one stool, then sat down on the other, putting the guitar on his knee. He tried to ignore the inferiority and uncertainty he felt, and smiled at his family, who looked back at him in hostility.
"Since Ivy sings better than I," he said, leaning forward slightly into the microphone, "I asked her to help me with this. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do." He looked at Ivy, who watched him with a faint look of terror and incomprehension in her eyes, nodded with a smile, and began.
"Saying' I love you..." Ivy's voice did not shake like she thought it would. Two boys broke the dead silence, both teens, who shouted in excitement and pushed their way forward, eyes fixed on Nuno. He relaxed and smiled at them, and Ivy seemed to sing better too, smiling happily.
All too soon they finished, and everyone but Ruben, Fatima and those two boys stood in stunned silence. The boys converged on Nuno, chattering excitedly. Ivy watched them, smiling, and took the guitar Nuno handed to her. She didn't understand a word, but could imagine their excitement to find out their relation to such an incredible guitarist.
A voice came from the porch, and although it sounded irritated, it did nothing to calm the two boys or Nuno, but one of the boys turned to her.
"Manuel," he said, pointing to himself.
"Ivy Jenner," she responded, wondering how the conversation would go on; Nuno had his hands full with the other boy and couldn't translate.
"Twilight Warrior?" he asked next, pointing at her. She nodded, and his smile grew larger. The voice came from the porch again, angrier, and Ivy thought the words had been repeated. Manuel turned and responded, and his grandmother immediately reprimanded him sharply.
Nuno stood and answered softly, his voice tense with anger. The conversation went on for some time, but Ivy never once took her eyes from Nuno. His stress showed plainly in his shoulders; that tense they had to hurt.
For his part Nuno was painfully aware that his whole family listened to him. They had just been told who he and Ivy were, and his parents did not like it. He explained why he had done what he had, trying to keep the anger and bitterness out of his voice. He briefly told them that he and Ivy had met when her band had opened for his, not wanting to go into detail - Only Ruben and Fatima would hear the whole story. They were the only two who deserved to.
He turned to Ivy when he finished, and beckoned to her. She carefully slipped off the stool and walked over to him, her hand slipping unconsciously into his. He didn't notice either, but took the guitar from her and gave it to Manuel, then led her up to his parents.
"Ivy, these are my natural parents, Paulo and Paula Bettencourt." He turned then to the two people in front of them and introduced her, or at least she thought she heard her name. She hoped it meant a real relationship between him and his parents.
That night, after Ivy had gone to bed, Ruben and Fatima pounced on Nuno.
"You promise to explain how you met Ivy," Ruben reminded him. "You just said you were a musician, not in a rock band!" Nuno laughed.
"I had my reasons. You want to know now?" he asked.
"Yes, please," Fatima smiled. Nuno nodded, paused a minute, and took a deep breath.
"It started when Gary suggested we head for Denver for this Battle of the Bands contest a few years ago," he began. "We drove out in Pat's van. That's a long drive from Boston, a little like driving from here to COUNTRY. Gary and Paul, the drummer, got in a fight over some little thing, and it escalated into a huge argument. Neither of them seemed to want to give in to the other. Our second night in Denver, we went to this little local diner. While we were there, four girls came in and sat down behind Pat and Paul, in the corner by the window.
"I think Gary was trying to apologize to Paul, and shoved his fork in Paul's face to make a point. Paul jerked back to get out of the way, and crashed heads with the girl behind him. The conversation was pretty funny; she ended up apologizing for her head getting in the way, and he never did apologize for hitting her."
He paused as Fatima and Ruben burst into laughter. "Do they know each other still?" Ruben asked after he'd gotten control of himself. Nuno laughed.
"Yes. In fact, they're dating. And he still hasn't apologized to her," he added. The two laughed again. "We finished and left, and I was standing next to the van, waiting for the others, I guess, when suddenly this redhead looked out the window. She had to stand up and lean over the table; there was a sign in the window next to her.
"I found out later I scared her to death. I went to see who it was; she'd already sat down, so I had to move to see her. She saw me looking at her, and went white. I didn't move until Pat grabbed my arm to get into the van. We saw them again the next day, at the contest, and she avoided me when possible. I tried to find out why she'd gone white, and really bugged her, I guess. They won the contest.
"We went back to Boston, worked like mad and finally got signed with a record company. In fact, we ended up headlining first, and they opened for us. Ivy avoided me like the plague, probably because I tried too hard to apologize, and after a while I got the message. I left her alone. After about four months touring together, I was in one of the practice rooms, playing, and she came in and sang to me. That's how I knew she could sing.
"She explained to me then why I scared her. A friend of hers had gone psycho on her and spent eighteen months thinking and stalking her, then decided he was in love with her. Two weeks before I stared at her, she'd been threatened by him. That was why she avoided me." He chuckled suddenly. "Gary still hasn't heard her sing."
"What made her change her mind?" Ruben asked.
"I don't know. But from what I know of this guy, even what I was doing was treating her better than he was."
Monday night, the phone rang again, and Nuno and Ivy sighed in unison. People had been calling all day, complimenting and giving back-handed compliments, and both Nuno and Ivy wanted an end of it. They had spent some time with Manuel and his brother Luis, and Nuno said when they left that Ana had better get those two music lessons of some sort. The phone reminded Ivy how much she wanted to go to bed, but as she stood to go to her room, Fatima called her into the kitchen.
"Paula wants to talk to you," she smiled when Ivy reached the kitchen.
Ivy looked at Fatima, confused. "Why?" she asked.
"Because you're dating Nuno, and she wants to know you a little better. I'll translate for you both." Ivy shrugged and nodded. Fatima spoke into the phone, listened, then turned to Ivy. "How do you feel about Nuno?"
The question took her by surprise. "I'm... I love him," she stuttered. Fatima translated and had turned her attention to Paula when Nuno walked into the kitchen.
"Good night," he smiled to Ivy, and kissed her.
Her responding smile seemed a little shaky. "Sleep well," she told him. "See you tomorrow."
Nuno left, wondering why she had seemed a little... reserved. Well, it didn't matter, he'd find out tomorrow. He closed the door behind him, and began to undress. His gesture of peace had done nothing; they still didn't think well of him. He hung up his shirt, fighting the feelings of failure he always seemed to get around his family, then someone knocked on the door. Opening it, he barely caught a glimpse of Ivy's tear-filled eyes before she threw her arms around his neck in a bear hug.
Confused, he held her, wondering why it felt as if she were clinging to him. After a minute, her grip relaxed, but she didn't pull away, like he thought she would. Instead, her left hand slid down his chest, stopping just over his heart. He tried to think, tried to understand what had brought this on as his body reacted, but then her right hand distracted him as she ran it along his jaw. Her thumb gently stroked his lips, then her left hand reached up and she pulled him into a kiss.
The kiss cleared his mind; he knew what she was doing, but he still didn't understand why. He gently cupped her face in his hands and caught her eyes; her hands lightly gripped his wrists. The look of desperation in her eyes surprised him.
"Ivy, what..." She shook her head, cutting him off, and gently pressed her fingers against his lips. He looked at her closely, brushed her hair from her face and smiled, then kissed her, reaching around her to close the door.
Fatima caught sight of the kiss as the door closed, and smiled tiredly. She'd followed Ivy, wanting to apologize for Paula. Her mother-in-law had infuriated her, deciding that Ivy had ruined her youngest son... as if she cared! Well, Ivy had taken things into her own hands, everything had changed between the redhead and Nuno, and Fatima was viciously glad. She turned back to the living room, bent over Ruben, and kissed him deeply.
"Ready for bed?" she asked softly, her hand gently massaging his shoulder. He looked up at her and grinned.
"If you are," he responded, and followed her to the stairs. Halfway up, he paused. "And the 'children'?" he asked, indicating Nuno's door.
"Together," she smiled, and pulled him up the stairs.
Nuno opened his eyes and lay still in the square of moonlight that fell across his bed, thoughts racing like crazy through his head. Ivy lay against him, a comforting warmth and source of wonder to him. He had never expected their relationship to get this far. He shifted, slightly uncomfortable on his back, but he really didn't want to move too much and wake her. Her left arm lay across his chest, and he couldn't resist brushing his fingertips along it, enjoying the feel of her skin. But the desperation he had seen in her eyes bothered him a little, and he really wanted to know what it meant.
He had nearly gone back to sleep when she shifted, then the arm across his chest tightened and startled him awake again. He simply could not understand why she held so tightly. After a short minute, she relaxed and sighed. He brushed her hair from her face and smiled at her.
"What's wrong?" he asked. Ivy reached up and gently touched his face, unable to believe how handsome he was in the moonlight.
"Nothing," she smiled sleepily, her voice surprisingly steady, and snuggled close, just in case he could see her face as clearly as she could his. She didn't want him to see her tears. He wrapped his arms around her, turning toward her onto his left side, and soon slept again. Ivy listened to his heartbeat, his breathing, and hoped his mother didn't have the power over him she seemed to think she did.
Nuno awoke as someone shook his shoulder, and blearily opened his eyes, then blinked a few times to get them to focus. The blurry shape above him turned into Ruben, looking down at him, a broad smile on his face.
"What," he muttered.
"I thought you might like breakfast; Fatima says it'll be ready in five minutes." He stood there a minute and looked at him, then chuckled. "You look much better than you did three days ago."
"I hope so," Nuno muttered with a tired grin. "I feel a lot better. If nothing else comes of this trip but I got to know you and Fatima better, it's been worth it. Thanks for all your help." He carefully stretched, not wanting to wake Ivy just yet.
Ruben smiled. "I suppose this little adjustment in your relationship had nothing to do with it," he grinned as he left the room, closing the door behind him.
Nuno leaned over and gently kissed Ivy. Her eyes slowly opened, and she smiled at him. "Good morning. How are you feeling?"
"I like waking up with you," she said, and smiled as he blushed.
"Breakfast is ready. Are you hungry?" he asked, his voice a little unsteady.
"Actually, yes," she murmured softly, reluctant to get up, still terrified that his mother would find some way.... She pushed the thought from her head with a sigh and moved away from him.
They had a quiet breakfast, although Ivy really wanted to ask Fatima what Nuno's mother had said after she had fled the kitchen. She never had the chance, however; they spent the whole day packing for the trip to the beach, then traveling, and she had no chance to get the other woman alone.
They arrived last at the hotel, and Ana met them outside, speaking unhappily, her two boys nowhere to be seen. Fatima spoke to her as Nuno, Ivy and Ruben checked in, then the two women joined them at the desk. Ivy watched in curiosity, key held lightly in her hand, as Fatima explained the problem, then Nuno spoke to the man behind the desk, took Ivy's key and gave it to Ana, then took Ivy's hand and started off.
"Nuno, what was that all about?" she timidly asked as they waited for the elevator. He glanced at her, then laughed and shook his head.
"I'm sorry," he said. "Ana and her boys asked for separate rooms, and didn't get them. I let her have your room, and you'll move in with me. Do you mind?"
"Actually, no," she smiled as the door opened and they got in the elevator.
They unpacked and changed, then the phone rang. Nuno answered it, chuckling at Ivy's expression of distaste. Abruptly his face changed to a scowl as he listened, then he hung up and grabbed a shirt.
"The beach will have to wait," he said shortly, pulling it on and buttoning it.
"Who was that?" Ivy asked, afraid she knew the answer.
"Paula," he answered. Ivy noticed his shoulders tense up as he walked out the door.
Nuno felt like he would burst. Just being here had put him under incredible stress, then he'd added to it by bringing Ivy. But then, he hadn't known what it would be like, and he would have left long ago if she hadn't come with him. He shook his head at the paradox, then remembered he'd made his own rules. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door and a voice invited him in. Paula sat in a chair, smiling at him as he opened the door. "Sit down." She indicated the bed.
From her commanding tone, Nuno thought this would likely be a short conversation; he would probably leave long before she finished. "No thanks," he responded with a strained smile and leaned casually against the door.
Ivy walked out to the balcony and leaned against the railing, wondering what Paula wanted. She felt she had a doomed relationship with Nuno, and the thought remained, no matter how she tried to banish it. She saw the rest of his family out on the beach, the adults in the sun or shade, the children running in and out of the surf. Some of their shouts reached her. They seemed really happy, and she wondered if the happiness and content was all a show. Nuno would have been wasted, she thought, and silently thanked Fatima and Ruben again for getting him away from the family.
The door to the room closed, and she turned to see Nuno sitting dejected on the bed. Slowly, she walked over, crawled across the bed, and touched his shoulders. They tensed even more, then she began to knead them, trying to get him to relax. After a minute, she reached over his shoulders and unbuttoned his shirt as far down as she could reach, then slipped it off his shoulders, gathered his hair and put it over his left shoulder, and started again on his shoulders. Finally, they loosened, and she smiled a little evilly, noticing the hoops in his ears.
Nuno's thoughts raced through his mind. Just who did this lady think she was? he demanded of them. They never answered; Ivy had begun to try to work his right earring out with her tongue, and it effectively distracted him. He twisted, grabbed her shoulders, and pulled her around in front of him.
"What are you doing?" he demanded with a grin.
"You are going to be a basket case," she grinned back, not meeting his eyes and unbuttoning his shirt the rest of the way, "so I thought I'd help you relax. Do you mind?" He heard the desperation in her voice, and sighed. His smile slipped away.
"You spoke with Paula last night, right?" he asked. She nodded and still didn't look at him. "What did she say?"
"She told me..." Ivy looked up and just looked at him for a minute, and he brushed her hair from her face. "She said she'd pay me to break everything off with you, that I wasn't good enough to date you." The desperation in her eyes made sense now. "I was afraid she could take you away from me somehow, but I love you and I don't want to lose you." Tears steamed down her cheeks, and he pulled her close.
"She tried to get me to break up with you, too," he said. She drew back from him, hands resting on his shoulders. "She told me I was not to see you any more; she's already bought you a ticket for America." Her green eyes did not waver from his dark ones, and he smiled. "I told her she had two days to get used to you or release me from my promise and we'd leave."
"But this is your family," she protested. He smiled, knowing how much it must have taken to say that. Her little confession had not gone unnoticed.
"Actually, my family is in Boston, and with Extreme," he told her gently. "I'm only planning on keeping contact with Ruben, and maybe Ana. I'm not blind; I know how they feel about me, so I'll just go away."
Ivy shifted uncomfortably, trying to understand. "She's trying to make you choose."
"Yes," he responded, "but she isn't expecting to lose. She never has before."
"Wait a minute." She shook her head. "It's not even hard to make the decision?"
"No. If it was between you and the Malone's, that would be hard. But they wouldn't try to force a choice, and that's the difference." He sighed, and decided to try a different tactic. "Ivy, these people are total strangers now. I don't want to be like them or even be associated with them. You are important, and the Malone's, and Extreme. She tried to make me quit and come back here, and I couldn't, I wouldn't have even survived this last week without knowing I could escape and go back and try to make Gary go deaf." A smile slipped across his face. "And I can't give you up," he added. "Especially since I had to fight so hard to get you!"
She laughed and hugged him, trying to hide her flaming cheeks.
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