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I shook myself and looked away from Adam. “I’m kind of busy here, Cooper,” I said slowly. “Can it wait?”

“Honey, I need you to do one more song for me,” he said, seemingly oblivious to the fact that I’d been crying. “For my investors.”

“What?” I said, trying not to get annoyed. “Didn’t they just sit through an entire show?”

“I need you to sing so I can go over the techniques you’re using,” he said. “A couple of them are really interested, and I couldn’t say no when they asked for an encore from the fabulous Charlotte Madison. Please?”

“Cooper, I can’t,” I said, shaking my head. I felt Adam take my hand.

“How about if Charlie and I do something together?” he said, squeezing my fingers gently. “Would that be okay? Then she doesn’t feel like she’s a show dog or something.”

“Of course,” he said, getting even more excited. “You’re Adam Pascal, I can’t see how you singing with my star would hurt. I’ll go tell them to come back into the auditorium.” He hurried out before I could say anything more.

“Adam, I can’t do this,” I said, looking up at him. “Not now.”

“We’re going to do a song we already know,” he said, taking my face in his hands. I saw Orlando clench his fists out of the corner of my eye, but I ignored it. I had to go back on the stage, and I knew my face was a wreck from crying, not to mention my poor voice.

“We’re not doing ‘As Long As You’re Mine,’” I said quickly, dashing my hand across my eyes. I looked over at Orlando, at the tears in his eyes as he watched us.

“No, we’re going to do ‘Written In The Stars,’ since you’ve already done it tonight with Cooper,” Adam said. “I think we need it right now.”

“Wait a minute,” I said, pulling away from him. I went to Orlando. He’d been so quiet while I’d talked to Adam, I didn’t know what he was thinking. “Are you okay with this?” I said, searching his eyes.

He gave me a sad smile. “Don’t worry about me, love,” he said, caressing my face. “Do what you need to do, I’ll be here when you’re done.” He leaned down and kissed me softly. “We have a lot to talk about.”

I quickly re-did my make-up so that I looked presentable, and went with Adam out on the stage. I heard Cooper talking to the investors through the curtains, so we had a minute before we had to go on.

“Are you really okay with this?” I said as we waited.

“With singing with you?” He smirked. “Charlie, I do this every day.”

“No, that’s not what I meant, and you know it,” I said, lightly touching his arm. “I mean about me and Orlando.”

He sighed. “I won’t say it doesn’t hurt, because it does,” he said softly, taking me in his arms. I leaned against him as he spoke, his hands lightly stroking my back. “But I told you before that I’d be fine with whatever you wanted, and I meant it. I’d still like to be your friend, and to work with you. And I promise it won’t be weird.”

I reached up and kissed him gently, what was intended to be just a brief peck, but we deepened the kiss, and before long I felt his tongue slide gently over my bottom lip. Before we got too carried away, I pulled back.

“We can’t do that anymore,” I said, wiping some of my lipstick off his mouth.

“Think of it as a good-bye kiss, then,” he said, taking my hands. “A thank-you kiss, even.”

I smiled, and went to reply, but the curtains opened, and Cooper was standing there, waiting to introduce us. He spent a few minutes making sure we knew what was going on, then made me say something about what a fabulous teacher he was, and finally made his way to the sound booth to tell the tech guys which song we’d be doing.

I made my way to the front of the stage, right in the center, and waited for the music to start. It hit me then how appropriate the song was, and as I felt Adam come up behind me, it struck me that he knew exactly what he was doing.

“I am here to tell you, we can never meet again,” I started, turning to face him. I saw the ache on his face, and knew this was his way of releasing some of it. “Simple really, isn’t it? A word or two and then a lifetime of not knowing where or how or why or when. You speak of me, and think of me, and wonder what befell that someone you once loved so long ago so well.” I reached out and stroke his face as he began to sing, in that rich, beautiful voice that I loved so much.

“Never wonder what I’ll feel as living shuffles by,” he sang softly, taking my hands in his. “You don’t have to ask me, and I need not reply. Every moment of my life, from now until I die, I will think and dream of you, and fail to understand how a perfect love can be confounded, out of hand.”

I turned away from him then, as tears burned my eyes. He wrapped himself around me from behind, still singing. “Is it written in the stars? Are we paying for some crime? Is this all that we are good for, just a stretch of mortal time? For some God’s experiment, in which we have no say, for which we’re given Paradise, but only for a day.”

I spun in his arms and allowed him to hold me against him, rocking gently back and forth. I felt every word that was coming from us, every note, and it rocked me to my very toes how powerful my feelings for him really were. But I knew I had to be strong, that once the song ended, everything would be clear, and I could deal with Orlando, having Adam only as my friend.

“Nothing can be altered, there is nothing to decided,” I sang forcefully, putting my hand on his chest as I stopped moving. “No escape, no change of heart, nor any place to hide.”

He kissed my fingers. “You are all I ever want, but this I am denied. Somewhere in my darkest thoughts, I wish I’d never learned…”

I joined him. “What it is to be in love and have that love returned.” I leaned back, and he kissed my neck softly, slowly.

“Is it written in the stars? Are we paying for some crime? Is this all that we are good for, just a stretch of mortal time?” I sang as we began to sway again. He joined me on the harmony. “For some God’s experiment, in which we have no say, in which we’re given Paradise, but only for a day…”

As the song ended, tears slid down both of our faces, and we clung to each other. Over Adam’s shoulder I saw Orlando watching from the wings, a sad expression on his face. Before I knew it, Adam was kissing me, and I didn’t want to make him stop. Just before my eyes fluttered closed, I saw Orlando turn and walk away.

I came to my senses immediately, and pushed Adam away. “I can’t do this,” I said, backing away from him. “Just friends, remember?”

“I’m sorry,” he said, blushing a bit. “I got caught up in the song.” Neither of us cared that Cooper’s investors were clapping wildly behind us.

“I have to go after him,” I said, starting in that direction. “Tell Cooper I’ll be right back.” I jogged off the stage.

I caught up with Orlando in front of the theatre as he tried to get a cab. Fortunately for me, Kitchener isn’t New York City, and cabs don’t just drive around looking for passengers, so he wasn’t having any luck.

“Where are you going?” I said as I came up behind him.

“To the airport,” he said softly, a sad look on his face. “You’ve made your choice.”

“Orlando, what you saw back there wasn’t what it looked like,” I said, grabbing his arm. I pulled him back into the theatre, out of the cold Canadian wind. “That was Adam’s way of saying good-bye,” I said gently.

“What are you telling me, Charlie?”

“That I love you, you big goon,” I said, throwing my hands in the air. I felt like I was finally free of the indecision, like I’d made my choice and I was happy with it. “That I want to be with you, and only you.”

“And yet you spent last night with another man,” he said, the words clearly causing him pain. “I knew you’d slept with him before, but last night?”

“I know, and I’m sorry,” I said, sadness swelling in me because this wasn’t going exactly as I’d hoped. “But the only thing being with Adam did was make me realize how much I want to be with you.”

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, dislodging it from behind his ears. Instinctively, I reached out to tuck it back. He didn’t flinch away from me, which I took as a good sign. “Orlando, say something.”

“I’m trying to decide whether to be angry right now, or incredibly happy,” he said, his eyes searching mine. “Charlie, it hurts to think of you with someone else, but at the same time, you’re telling me what I’ve wanted to hear for a long time.”

“Then put the rest behind us and we can start again,” I said, wrapping my arms around his neck. He hesitated, then pulled me against him, until my face was only an inch from his. “Orlando, I love you, and only you.”

He leaned down and kissed me, a real kiss, a promising kiss, and I melted right there in his arms. As his hands swept over my back to mould be tighter to him, I tangled my fingers in his hair. It all felt so right, so real, so wonderful, I couldn’t help the tears that slid down my face.

He pulled back after a second, a look of concern on his face. “Love, what’s wrong?” he whispered, reaching his hand up to wipe away my tears.

I smiled and cupped his face with my hand. “Absolutely nothing,” I said softly, taking in every detail of the face I loved so much. He’d lost a bit of weight, but it didn’t matter, he was still my Orlando, and he was still beautiful to me. I kissed him again, harder this time, more urgent. I fit so perfectly in his arms, I could have stayed there forever.

As things got more heated, he backed away. “We can’t do this here, love,” he said, a silly grin on his face. “We need more privacy.”

“Shit.” I froze, remembering that I’d promised to go for drinks with Cooper and the other performers. I told him as much. “I can get out of it, though,” I said quickly.

He smiled and shook his head. “No, we’ll go and have drinks with your friends, and then go back to my hotel room afterwards.” His smile turned into a devilish grin. “The anticipation will be the best form of foreplay.”

I laughed as he tucked me against his side and we headed back into the auditorium, to Cooper and his investors. Adam was nowhere to be found. Cooper told me he’d gone home.

We ended up going to a club a few blocks away, and Cooper repeatedly bought rounds of drinks for everyone. There was lots of music, and laughter, and dancing, and I was able to fully enjoy all of it, being back with Orlando. He stayed by my side for the better part of the night, other than when I was up dancing with my friends. It felt so good to just let go of everything, to have fun, and be truly happy again.

We were just getting our third round of drinks, when Cooper sat down beside us and put his arm around my shoulders. “So,” he said, beaming like an idiot, “Does this mean you’re back together?” He looked from me to Orlando and back to me again.

I smiled at Orlando, and nodded. “Absolutely,” I said, as Orlando squeezed my hand under the table.

“We need a toast, then,” Cooper called, and all of the other performers crowded around and raised their glasses. “Here’s to Charlie and Orlando,” Cooper began, holding his glass of beer high above his head, the contents swirling dangerously toward the edge. “They’ve finally come to their senses, and hopefully there’ll be no more drama for the time being. With that in mind, here’s to true love, and its ability to last, despite some bumps in the road.”

“Here, here,” Orlando and I called, as did everyone else, and we all clinked our glasses together. I smiled at Orlando as I sipped my vodka cooler, and he grinned right back.

We finally got out of there when the club closed at two o’clock, and luckily we weren’t hammered like everyone else, especially Cooper. I’d stopped after two coolers and started drinking water, and Orlando had given up his beer at the same time. Neither of us wanted to be too drunk to fully enjoy our reunion.

After the cab ride from the club to the hotel, Orlando escorted me up to his room. My stomach was dancing with nerves, with anticipation, as though I’d never been with him before. We’d been apart so long, it all felt brand new again.

When he opened the hotel room door, my breath immediately hitched in my throat. There were candles everywhere, burning brightly, with the smell of vanilla permeating through the room. On the small table to one side of the room sat the biggest bouquet of pink roses I’d ever seen. I had to stop a moment to take it all in.

“Do you like it?” he whispered from behind me. His warm breath tickled my ear and I leaned back into him. His arms came around me and I squeezed his hands.

“I love it,” I said, turning my head so I could gently nip his jaw. “But what would you have done if I’d refused you tonight?”

He chuckled. “I didn’t think that far ahead,” he said, his hands kneading my stomach. “I wouldn’t have rung the hotel from the loos at the club to have them light the candles, that’s for sure.” He kissed my neck. “I’ve been planning this for awhile now, and I had hoped to be here for Ramsey’s trial, but shooting was delayed, and I couldn’t get away until this morning.” He turned me in his arms so I was facing him. “I’m all yours for a few months, until promotion begins.” He turned serious. “Is that okay?”

I smiled as I pushed a lock of hair out of his face. “Yes, it’s perfect,” I said, excitement roaring through me at the idea of having him all to myself for a few months.

“Oh, I forgot something,” he said abruptly, and set me away from him. He went into the closet, rummaged around in his bag for a minute, then came back with a CD. He put it in the stereo on the entertainment unit in the far corner of the room, and came back to me, the remote control in his hand.

“What’s this?” I said, gesturing to the stereo.

“Just a little something,” he said, winking at me. He pressed a button on the remote, threw it on the bed, and offered me his hand. As music began to filter into the room, he smiled and said, “May I have this dance?”

I put my hand in his and he pulled me to him. I recognized the song as “Far Away” by Nickelback, a fairly recent release, and gave him a puzzled look. “Do you even know who this is?” I said, smiling at the effort he was putting in. Orlando had no idea of who was popular or what music was mainstream, so him putting in this track seemed a bit odd.

He blushed faintly in the glow of the candles. “I had a little help with tonight,” he said sheepishly. “That CD is part of the help.”

I shook my head and chuckled. “Lisa, right?” I said, my eyes dancing over his face.

He nodded, and pulled me tighter against him. “She said this song was perfect for us, so I gave it a shot,” he said. “It’s pretty good, if you listen to the words.”

I did just that, knowing he was hoping I’d agree with Lisa, the little menace. “This time, this place, misused, mistakes, too long, too late, who was I to make you wait?” Chad Kroeger’s unmistakable voice filtered through the room. “Just one chance, just one breath, just in case there’s just one left, cause you know, you know, you know…”

I looked up at Orlando, at his small, sweet smile, at his dark eyes as he watched me. We moved together perfectly, like our bodies knew exactly what to do with each other, like we’d been dancing together forever.

“I love you, I have loved you all along,” the song continued, into the chorus. “And I miss you, been far away for far too long. I keep dreaming you’ll be with me and you’ll never go. Stop breathing if I don’t see you anymore.”

“I think Lisa got this one right,” I sighed, resting my head on his shoulder.

“I thought so, too, love,” he said, tilting my chin up to look at him. “We’ve wasted so much time, and now we have only good things to look forward to.” He kissed me softly. “I love you so much.”

“On my knees, I’ll ask, last chance for one last dance. ‘Cause with you I’d withstand all of hell to hold your hand. I’d give it all, give for us, give anything but I won’t give up. ‘Cause you know, you know, you know…”

“I love you, too, Orlando,” I said, reaching up to run a finger down his cheek. The chorus of the song repeated softly in the background as I stared at him, as I felt every inch of him pressed against me, as we moved in perfect unison to the music.

“I wanted, I wanted you to stay,” the song went on, and we listened to the words, and felt the music surrounding us. “’Cause I needed, I need to hear you say that ‘I love you, I have loved you all along, and I forgive you for being away for far too long’…”

“I hope you can forgive me for what I did,” Orlando whispered in my ear as he gently squeezed my hand. “I was completely stupid, and I shouldn’t have been such an ass.”

I kissed his cheek softly and twined my fingers in his hair. “The important thing is that you’ve come to your senses now, and we’re together,” I said, watching the candlelight reflect in his dark eyes. I kissed his beautiful mouth and moved myself against him. “Let’s not talk anymore, okay? We don’t need words tonight.”

He stopped moving and wrapped me tightly in his arms, then guided me backward toward the bed. The music continued, “So keep breathing, ‘cause I’m not leaving you anymore. Believe it, hold on to me and never let me go.” He laid me down gently and settled himself beside me, kissing me as his hands reached for the buttons on my blouse. I sighed as my body responded to his familiar touch, his tantalizing taste, his perfect skin against mine. “Hold on to me, and never let me go…” I smiled at the dimly-lit ceiling as I realized I didn’t ever plan to.

The End…

Check out the third installment of the Charlie Madison Series, Expect The Unexpected, to be posted soon!