Authors: S. Cruz

Arizona Skies: The Muse (35 page)

“Wow, you look hot, woman,” Shelly said in her robe with her gown on a hanger. She laid it next to mine and joined me in the bathroom as I dried my hair.

“So what’s it gonna be tonight, long and sleek, or up and seductive?” she said, leaning against the sink as I dried my hair.

“I’m not sure; what do you think will go with my dress?” I asked.

“I think down in the back with long curls, and I’ll pull the front up with this,” she said, holding out a black, sequined peineta (long comb).

“Shelly, that’s beautiful,” I said, taking it from her hand to inspect it as it sparkled in the light.

“It’s an early Christmas present; I saw it in the store when you were trying on the dress. With your long hair, it would look perfect,” she said.

“I love it; thank you” I said, hugging her.

“You’re welcome. OK, let’s get busy,” she said, taking my curling iron and giving me long curls down my back. She put mousse on her
hands and fingered through the curls. Then she sleeked the front of my hair back and put it in a ponytail holder to hold it in place. She put the comb in the elastic of the ponytail holder and fluffed out the curls. She finished with some tendrils around my face, and I was done. The comb stuck up enough so it could be seen; as I moved my head, it reflected the light and sparkled.

“There’s an exotic beauty if I’ve ever seen one,” she smiled.

“You’re a genius,” I said, looking in the mirror.

“You’re going to be the center of attention tonight. I don’t want Jesse to ever forget how breathtaking you are,” she said.

“You’re the best friend ever,” I said, grabbing my makeup bag.

“Damn straight, and don’t ever forget it,” she said, putting the curling iron to her own hair.

I finished with silver teardrop earrings that matched my necklace and silver shoes. We helped each other into our dresses, taking pictures in each stage of getting dressed. I hoped they developed the ones of us in our underwear; I was going to make sure Jesse got a copy of that.

I tried not to think about tomorrow; tonight was all about enjoying our last night on this cruise. Jesse had tried hard all day to keep my spirits up. He warned me that he intended to keep me up all night tonight, saying I could sleep on the plane ride home. I felt incredible as we headed out the door for our last dinner.

I actually got butterflies as we neared the dining room. We stopped to catch our breath before opening the door. Jesse did not disappoint—dressed in black jeans, a black fitted shirt, and a silver vest, he looked so sexy that I stood there just taking him in. He was doing the same thing with me, his mouth open as he walked around me and whistled his approval of my outfit.

Everything and everybody in that room stood still while I watched him take in every inch of my body. His smile lit up my heart; I felt like I was floating on air. He finally took my hand, bringing me back to reality.

“Bailey, you look exquisite,” he said, pulling me into his body. I looked into those green eyes smiling at me and melted into his side.

“Smile,” Shelly said, taking a picture of us looking at each other.

“You wore red; it’s perfect!” he said.

“Mission accomplished,” Shelly said, pulling Scott into the dining room.

“We’ve been invited to dine with the captain tonight,” Jesse said, following behind Scott and Shelly. The captain was already at the table talking with John and Keith when we arrived. The captain stood up to greet us, kissing Shelly’s and my hands very gallantly as we were introduced. It turned out that the captain had been at the band’s first performance and was a fan. He seemed to be very interested in the group and wished them well on their upcoming album. He also played the guitar and had some knowledge about music. He understood all the technical jargon as the guys discussed how they put Jesse’s words to music, coming up with just the right sound for each song.

Of course, the guys were their jovial selves, keeping everyone at our table entertained as we enjoyed our last dinner on board the ship. The captain was very charming and very funny. He told us about some of his adventures through the years sailing the open seas. He seemed to have a never-ending series of stories about his life as a cruise-ship captain. It was the perfect ending to an amazing cruise that I would never forget. Shelly took a lot of pictures and had the captain and crew completely charmed with her cuteness and wit. Jesse never took his eyes off me through dinner, holding my hand for the much-needed connection. The time flew by, and soon it was time for them to leave. We said our good-byes and strolled on deck for the last sunset.

Shelly took pictures as we stood at the railing watching the beauty before us unfold. It was amazing to watch the sun seem to fall into the ocean and disappear. The moon rose, taking the reds and oranges of the sunset along with it on its journey into the sky
as the darkness pushed the last of the daylight out and the blue of the ocean disappeared. The water looked black and ominous. It gave me an eerie feeling to stand there and witness the transformation in front of me, making me want to step back from the edge of the boat as a chill ran up my spine.

“You OK?” Jesse asked as I shivered in the cool night air.

“That change from day to night gets me every time,” I confessed, snuggling into him.

“I know; it’s almost surreal!” he said.

“Surreal is a good way to describe it,” I said.

“You know, there was a time that I never would have taken the time to appreciate what we just witnessed. You have woken up my senses, and through your eyes I finally see the beauty of the world around me. I can’t believe how you’ve changed my life, sweetheart; I want you to know that. Life has a new meaning, words just flow out of me now, and I have you to thank for that,” he said, smiling at me.

“I second that,” John said, watching us.

“We all thank you, Bailey,” Keith said, holding Liza close to him.

“You should see some of the lyrics he has written; we are going to be working day and night when we get back to put music to his words. The producer is thrilled with the feedback I’ve been giving him. I have a good feeling about this album. I certainly hope you and Shelly make that trip out in February,” John said.

“We’ll be there, we’re making arrangements as soon as we get back,” Shelly said.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” Jesse said, stroking my cheek.

“Hell, we all are,” Scott said, squeezing Shelly.

“I feel like I have a new family,” I said to John.

“You do, and we will be there for you,” John said.

“See, everyone loves you, Bailey; remember that,” Jesse said, touching my nose with a wink.

Shelly, Liza, and I waited as the band tuned up and went over the playlist. We were brought a round of drinks and relaxed at our
front-row table, watching our men collaborating on tonight’s performance. I noticed that more tables had been squeezed into the room, anticipating the crowd that would be there for the final performance. Spirits were high as we talked and drank, watching the women pour into the lounge fighting to get front-row tables. It was a preview of what was to come for this band; I had no doubt in my mind that they were going to be famous.

The room came alive with excitement as waitresses scurried around the room to take orders and deliver drinks. The curtain came down when I looked back toward the stage. The noise level escalated as the lights dimmed, and the announcer walked on stage. My heart was beating double time as I realized I was just as excited as the people that filled the room.

“Welcome to the Green Room,” the announcer said, looking out into the audience. Everyone started clapping and yelling. I heard whistles and shouting coming from behind me. It was very exciting, and I wondered how Jesse and the guys could stay so calm listening to the excitement in the room.

“It’s my great pleasure to introduce, for the last time, Arizona Skies,” he said, walking off the stage. The screams were deafening as the curtain went up, revealing this incredible band standing on that stage. Jesse had his back to the audience with his hand in the air. He counted to four, then turned to take the few steps to the microphone.

They started their first set with Foreigner’s “Head Games” and “Waiting for A Girl like You,” which got to me every time he sang it. The sound of Jesse’s raspy voice with Scott and Keith singing backup behind him filled the room. I sat back, just watching my sexy boyfriend perform like he was born to it. He looked so relaxed and happy as he held that microphone in his hand and crossed back and forth across the stage. They transitioned right into the Dooby Brothers’ “Without Love,” which, with the heavy dance beat, had everyone on their feet. The room was alive with the beat John was
pounding out. Scott’s high-pitched voice and the heavy guitar solo really showed off his musical talent.

They switched to newer songs next, “To Close to Love You,” by Alex Clare, and “Am I Wrong,” by Nico & Vinz. Jesse backed up for the next song, and the spotlight fell on Scott. Scott was playing the keyboard and started singing Sam Smith’s “I Know I’m Not the Only One.” His higher-pitched voice was perfect for that song. I reached over to hold Shelly’s hand as his beautiful voice started singing the lyrics, so crystal clear. There wasn’t a sound in the room. He sang it beautifully, pitch perfect; I was impressed. Shelly had tears in her eyes listening to him; I came prepared and handed her a tissue.

Screams sounded when he finished. He smiled sweetly at the crowd and immediately started playing the intro to Bruno Mars’s “When I Was Your Man.” Jesse strutted forward to sing and finished the first set with One Republic’s “Love Runs Out.” Scott was back to jumping around, with his blond hair flying in the air as he danced to the beat. Shelly was laughing and wiping tears at the same time. I felt honored to be sitting with these guys; they were awesome!

I looked around the room and noticed that many of the ship’s employees were standing around the room enjoying their performance too. The applause was deafening when they jumped off the stage to head our way. The waitress was standing there with a tray full of cold beers for them. They were surrounded by appreciative fans; I had to smile knowing that Jesse just wanted to get to me. I didn’t feel so intimidated tonight; he had made his feelings perfectly clear today. I knew I had captured his heart, and even though the future was unclear, I had the satisfaction of knowing I’d had a profound influence on Jesse Greene.

The break was over way too fast and back to the stage they went. As before, Jesse announced each member of the band. Scott got a standing ovation, which had Shelly smiling from ear to ear. We were all proud of our men; it was bittersweet. Jesse announced they would be performing all original songs that would be on their first album
that was due out in the spring. He put his microphone in the stand and took his stool to begin the soulful “Broken.” I knew the story behind the song; Jesse was only sixteen when he wrote about his first heartbreak. For someone so young to have such clarity to put how he was feeling into words was proof of his talent. John noticed that right away and took those boys right out of high school to join his band.

Next was “Crazy Love,” which had the audience on their feet. I wondered which woman in Jesse’s sordid past resulted in that song; she must have been a piece of work. They sang two more very upbeat songs, and then the lights went down, and the spotlight shone on Jesse as he pulled the stool out from the side of the stage to sit.

“Tonight I’d like to sing a new song that I wrote on this cruise about a remarkable girl I met that’s changed my life,” he said. He was strumming his guitar and started humming a tune with his eyes closed. He opened his eyes and looked directly at me and smiled. I could feel the tears starting to form in my eyes as I smiled back at him. Shelly put her arm around me for a quick hug as he hummed the melody to his new song.

“It’s called ‘The Girl in Red,’” he said as Scott and Keith joined in playing their guitars. Jesse sat on the stool as the spot light shone only on him. He started to play the melody, and then he closed his eyes as he sang into the stand-up microphone:

I turned, and there you stood in that little red dress
.

You looked up at me and captured my breath
.

Your dark eyes, they captivated me, and when you smiled
,

I couldn’t take my eyes off you!

Oooooh…oooooh…hmmm…hmmm…

You were the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen
,

Standing there with the sun shining behind you
,

Looking more like a mirage than a real person to me
.

Right then I knew I had to have you
.

Oooooh…oooooh…hmmm…hmmm…

Who is this beautiful girl? I need to know her name
.

The wind was blowing your hair around
.