Plain Christmas (Plain Fame Book 6) Read online

  Amanda recognized the happiness in Lisa’s expression. A mother’s joy. Clearly, she, too, took great pleasure in her children. Amanda thought if given the chance, they could probably share similar stories about their respective children, reveal their hopes, and confide in each other their deepest fears for their future. After all, every mother wanted only the best for her children. It was a universal feeling.

  “If you don’t mind,” Lisa said, “I have something I’d like to give you.”

  Amanda frowned for a second. It was the most uncomfortable part of being a celebrity: receiving gifts. She appreciated the thought behind such gestures, but she still had not grown accustomed to receiving things from people she had just met. Alejandro always tried to convince her that accepting the gift was a gift in and of itself. “They will tell the story over and over again, mi amor,” he always told her. Still, it didn’t help to ease her conscience.

  Lisa reached behind the black computer monitor on the counter of her workstation and pulled out a small red gift bag adorned with silver ribbons on its handle.

  Carefully, Amanda untied the ribbons and looked inside while Lisa waited with a glow in her eyes. Amanda pulled out a candle and admired it. It was tall and red, decorated with diagonal silver stripes. There was a piece of raffia tied around it with a paper note that quoted a well-known Scripture. “‘For unto us this day our Savior is born,’” read Amanda. “That’s lovely, Lisa. I’ll think of you whenever I use it. Thank you so much!”

  “It’s my favorite time of year, and I collect candles,” Lisa explained, a new enthusiasm in her voice. “Everybody loves candles! And they light up every room, and not just because of the flame. I always think of Jesus being the light of the world when I see a burning candle.”

  For a moment, Amanda didn’t respond. She was struck by Lisa’s strong sense of faith. The meaning that she attributed to the gift touched Amanda even more than the kindness of the gesture. Even though it was a small gift, plain and without any frills, it came from the heart of a woman who clearly enjoyed the act of giving without expecting to receive something in return. And the fact that she mentioned Jesus in connection with the candle made Amanda realize that she probably would never look at a lit candle in the same way.

  “I never thought of it that way, but you’re right!”

  “Amanda!”

  She looked up and saw Alejandro approaching her from the far side of the aisle, where he had wandered with Dan and Mark. He greeted Lisa with a smile and handshake but immediately turned his attention to Amanda. “They want to get started, Princesa,” he said, glancing at the candle in her hand. “Pretty.”

  Amanda nodded and turned her attention back to Lisa, noticing that the woman was staring at her husband, a slight blush on her face. Amanda would have liked to spend more time with her. She was a real person, not just a fan or someone who hoped for a quick selfie to post on her social media. In fact, Amanda realized, no one had taken any photos of them since they had arrived. For the first time in a very long while, Amanda felt like a regular person.

  “Merry Christmas, Lisa,” Amanda said cheerfully as she grasped Lisa’s hand in her own. “And thank you so much for such a thoughtful gift.”

  As they walked away, Dan offered to hold the small bag for her, but Amanda shook her head, waving him off, preferring to keep the gift close to her. Alejandro gave her a quizzical look, but Amanda merely smiled. How could she explain to Alejandro how much the candle meant to her? Amanda couldn’t really understand it herself, but Lisa’s words brought her a sense of calm, and she needed all the peace she could muster heading into the recording studio.

  The tour of the building ended in a narrow corridor near the front entrance. Along the hallway were doors with glass panels. Amanda peered inside and saw that each room was divided into two by a large window. In the front room was equipment with so many buttons, switches, and lights that Amanda wondered how anyone could remember what each did. Alejandro’s recording studios had similar equipment, even more of it.

  And, just like Alejandro’s recording studios, the second room had a large microphone. She had seen Alejandro in the recording booth many times, but this was the first time she, not her husband, would be behind the microphone.

  “We have you each scheduled to record separately,” Dan explained. “With the short amount of time we have, we thought it would be more efficient.”

  “I’ve never done this,” Amanda said in a soft voice. She lifted her eyes to look at Alejandro.

  He gave her a reassuring smile. “And I have no doubt you will be a natural.” Alejandro leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Without thinking, she reached over and grabbed his arm as he was walking away.

  “Could you stay, please?” she pleaded with him. Alejandro gave her a thoughtful look, trying to read her expression. He must have seen the anxiety etched across her face because he gave a slight nod and called over his assistant, whispering in his ear, most likely instructions to delay his recording. The assistant nodded and headed out the door. Then Alejandro turned to Amanda and gave her a reassuring smile.

  “I’ll be right here watching you, Princesa,” he offered gently.

  She looked over to Dan, who was waiting for her patiently, and turned her attention back to Alejandro, unsure of herself. She knew she was helping with a very good cause and was aware the audiobook would raise a lot of money, but at the same time, it was overwhelming to her. Even after their many years together, she’d never gotten used to all of the attention bestowed on her just because of her husband’s fame.

  Alejandro, sensing her inner turmoil, leaned over to her, brushing his hand gently across her arm. Amanda felt his hot breath against her skin as his lips pressed again her ear in a whisper. “I’m not going anywhere. All you have to do is imagine that you are telling me the story. No one else, just me.”

  Amanda smiled, feeling the courage well up inside of her. She closed her eyes and nodded. This would be easy to do, if she could imagine reading the lines to Alejandro only, as if he were the only person there with her.

  “And remember all of those children who you are helping. Read to them, Amanda, like you would to our own children,” he reminded her. Of course, she would. Why hadn’t she thought of it that way? So many countless nights of bedtime stories. Endless adventures and magical places. She cherished those quiet moments with her daughters and son and would now read with the same passion for all those children in need.

  Dan accompanied Amanda into the recording room, Alejandro following them at a distance, as if respecting that this was her show, not his. Dan introduced her to John and Sandra, the audio engineers who were seated in front of the equipment that looked so similar to what Alejandro used at the small studio he had at their home. They stood up and greeted her with firm handshakes and awkward smiles.

  The introductions over, Dan ushered her into the isolated recording booth just behind another large glass window. It was a simple room with bare off-white walls. In the center of the room was a small table with a computer and large microphone on top of it. When she glanced up at Dan, her eyes caught sight of the people gathered in the first room. Mark had joined the other two people and Alejandro in the first room. Everyone was watching her.

  She felt uncomfortable with everyone’s attention focused on just her. While she had been the special guest at many events over the years, somehow this was different. With so many people staring at her while she sat alone in the recording room, she felt like a fish in a bowl.

  “Don’t worry about them,” Dan said as he gestured toward the leather armchair in front of the desk. “You won’t even notice them. At least not after a few minutes. You’ll be focused on this. The text that displays here on this screen,” Dan said, pointing to a computer monitor right behind the microphone. “You simply need to read the text in your own voice.”

  She sat down in the chair and looked at the monitor. “And scroll down with the mouse to keep reading?” she asked.


  “That’s right. See? You already know what to do!”

  She laughed, starting to feel a little more at ease. She looked up and saw Alejandro standing and watching her as he promised he would. She could see his assistant’s impatient face behind him as he fidgeted with his phone. He was no doubt upset at the fact that this would set back their already jam-packed schedule, but it didn’t seem to bother Alejandro at all. Instead, he gave her a playful wink, and she felt her heart soar. He always had a way of making the impossible seem possible, the difficult an easy task. He made her feel as if she were the most important thing in his life.

  “And I’m sure you know that you speak into the microphone, but just not too close,” Dan said, interrupting her thoughts. “We’ll go through a few trial recordings to help you unwind and find the proper distance from the microphone. And don’t worry if you make a mistake.” He gestured toward the window that separated the two rooms. Both John and Mark were still watching them while Sandra had turned her attention to a piece of the recording equipment. “It’s their job to edit it.”

  Just like Alejandro’s production team, she thought.

  “There’s bottled water on the shelf right behind you,” he added as he started to head to the door. “You’ll be able to hear us through the headset,” he said, gesturing toward the headphones that were hanging from a large hook on the side of the table. “Just in case we need you to repeat a line or two.”

  She nodded as he left the room. She glanced at the window as he left the booth, keeping her eyes focused on the outer door where Alejandro still stood. He mouthed words of encouragement as she lifted the headphones and began to place them on her head. With everyone staring at her, she couldn’t help but wonder if this was how Alejandro felt when he recorded his songs.

  “Just remember, Amanda,” Dan said over the closed line to her headset. “You have as much time as you need. Get comfortable, relax, and think about the children who will hear this story. Pretend to read it to them.”

  Amanda looked at the computer screen and the words that stared back suddenly came to life. She was no longer doing a project—instead she imagined herself in her bedroom, reading to Alejandro in the still of the evening. She imagined reading to her own children right before bedtime. She imagined reading to the thousands of children who were fighting cancer from hospitals or recovering at home. She saw the face of Sean, the little boy Alejandro had gone to meet in a hospital so many years ago. She thought about her conversation with Lisa, who had been so warm and friendly, treating her like a real person, not a celebrity, as she shared her uncomplicated way of rejoicing during Christmas.

  “You ready, Amanda?”

  She nodded her head, her eyes still staring at the words while her heart filled with the joy of doing something that felt truly philanthropic for the first time in years.

  “Alright then,” Dan said, his voice filled with genuine enthusiasm. “I’m excited! Let the fun begin!”

  And when she heard a beep in her ear, Amanda began to read the lines in her soft but clear voice, the story unfolding in her mind as the words flowed out of her mouth.

  Chapter Eight

  With an unsatisfied feeling, Amanda pressed the red button on her phone, ending her conversation with Isadora. The call had been short. Too short. Whenever Amanda traveled without the children, she called Isadora’s cell phone to check on them every morning and again at night, making certain to call before it was too late in the evening. This morning had been no different. But what had been different was that neither Sofia nor Nicolas seemed very interested in talking with her, a far cry from previous mornings when she had called.

  And Isadora had rushed her off the phone.

  “¿Todo bien?”

  Hearing Alejandro’s voice, Amanda glanced over her shoulder. He stood a few feet away, adjusting the sleeves of his black shirt. Someone had already wired him with the microphone, the small black wireless receiver attached to the back of his belt. He wore a touch of makeup, and his hair had been perfectly styled so that one thick curl cast a shadow over his forehead.

  When she didn’t respond, he looked up and lifted one eyebrow in a silent question.

  She forced a smile. “Ja, todo bien.”

  He laughed, as he always did, when she spoke to him in a mixture of Pennsylvania Dutch and Spanish.

  “Viper!” A man wearing dark clothing and a headset approached them. Like everyone else on the set of the morning talk show, he blended into the darkness just beyond the stage. He didn’t appear concerned that he had interrupted the couple as they shared a stolen moment to talk. Instead, he pointed toward the stage and made a motion that indicated Alejandro was not in the proper spot. “You’re on in five!” He didn’t wait for a response as he hurried away.

  Amanda shook her head and started to comment on the interruption, but before she could, Geoffrey walked over. With an apologetic smile in her direction, he took Alejandro’s arm and led him away to a group of people on the edge of the stage.

  It was almost ten o’clock in the morning, but Amanda still felt groggy. She needed another cup of coffee. The previous day, their flight from Grand Haven to New York had been delayed, and there had been a layover in Chicago. Once again, Alejandro had been recognized, leading to a crowd, and security had to step in, whisking them to a more secure location before escorting them to their connecting flight. Unfortunately, when they had landed, word had spread on social media that they were arriving, and the airline had to divert the plane to a different gate at JFK in order to avoid the awaiting mob scene. And, as usual, Geoffrey had scheduled multiple meetings for Alejandro. By the time they finally arrived at their hotel, it was almost midnight.

  Her eyes followed Alejandro as he interacted with the people standing next to Geoffrey. She recognized two of them as members of Alejandro’s usual entourage, but the others were unfamiliar faces. From the way that Alejandro stood, his shoulders straight and his expression light but serious, she could tell that it was a business discussion. After so many years married to him, she knew when he was “on.”

  As she had many times before, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was tired of it.

  Over the years, he had reinvented his image several times. From wild playboy to international sensation to love-struck protector to devoted family man. The character of Viper seemed to perpetually evolve, adjusting to Alejandro’s needs . . . and sometimes to hers. Yet, she still wondered how Alejandro remained energized enough to transform so perfectly into Viper.

  “Merry Christmas, Amanda.”

  Amanda turned in the direction of the voice. She smiled when she saw a woman approach her. With her shoulder-length brown hair parted at the side and her dark-lensed glasses, there was something familiar about her.

  To Amanda’s surprise, the woman gave her a warm hug.

  “I see that Viper has you back in New York City again for the holidays.”

  Amanda must have frowned as she tried to remember the name of the woman. Shortly after she married Alejandro, they had traveled to New York City during the winter months, first for Thanksgiving and then for New Year’s Eve. Amanda knew she had met her then, but that was all she could remember. It was easy to lose track of the years in the blur of frenzied activity, especially around the holidays.

  “A few years back?” The woman smiled at her, realizing that Amanda was struggling to make the connection. “Amy Church. We met when you first came to The Today Show with Viper for Thanksgiving and New Year’s. And then again the following two summers,” she said to Amanda, hoping to jog her memory.

  Amanda gave a small, embarrassed laugh. “Ach, I’m so sorry.”

  Amy laughed, a delightful sound that put Amanda immediately at ease. Her smile lit up her face, and her almond-shaped eyes crinkled into half-moons. “No worries. I know that you meet thousands of people each year. It’s hard to keep track of names and faces. You can’t possibly remember everyone!”

  Still, Amanda knew that this woman was someone she sho
uld have recalled better, even if they’d only met a few times. There was something peaceful about Amy, a calm that defied the typical atmosphere of live news recording studios, with workers hustling to prepare for the moment when the light on top of the camera turned from red to green.

  Before an uncomfortable silence could fall between them, Amy glanced at a man passing by so quickly that his arm brushed against Amanda’s. She said apologetically, “It’s always hurry up and wait around here, Amanda. Just like the city. People rushing to go somewhere and then just sitting around waiting.”

  “That’s a clever observation!” Amanda replied.

  Amy seemed delighted that Amanda agreed.

  “But that’s no different from any other major city, I reckon,” Amanda said casually. “And the entertainment industry is the same way wherever we go.”

  Chaos. It was always chaos. Equipment to set up. Wires to check. Sound systems to test. People to meet. Paparazzi to avoid. Dinners to attend. It was nonstop commitments that never seemed to end.

  Amanda often wondered if Alejandro even noticed. He seemed oblivious to the constant demands on his time. She suspected he had become immune to it all, but she hadn’t. Still, as she watched the station’s staff members and interns running back and forth with last-minute preparations and adjustments for the live show, the weight of the pressure etched on their faces and in their voices, Amanda realized that Amy did not exhibit any signs of stress.

  “How do you get used to this?” she heard herself ask the woman. “You seem so . . .”

  “Calm?” Amy gave another little laugh. “Oh, I must just be used to it. Every holiday, people seem to get crazier at work. I’m sure it’s like that in every industry.”

  Amanda thought about her answer for a second. Maybe there was a kernel of truth to what Amy said. Christmas was always a stressful time as Alejandro traveled to different cities to perform at holiday concerts and appear at Christmas events, often visiting several cities on the same day. He tried to keep the professional pressure away from his family life. For the most part, he was successful, but Amanda could see through his mask.