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It was Tamara, it turned out, who had publicized the name of the hotel.  She told a reporter that she was going to Rome to visit a friend and asked him if he’d ever stayed at the Bernini Bristol Hotel.  “I usually stay at the Hilton,” she informed him.  Avid Nick-watchers put out the word and that explained the gaggle of girls that awaited them outside the hotel.

Tamara had not been planning to visit Nick, but then a scheduled photo shoot fell through.  She ran into Rafe Ariando the same day on Rodeo Drive, and when she told him what had happened, he generously offered to fly her to Rome.

“Nick’s finishing up the tour,” he said.  “I’m sure he’d love to see you…spend a couple of days together in Rome…”

Tamara accepted because…well, because it was a free trip to Italy.  She hadn’t seen Nick since New York.  She had been busy working, and their schedules hadn’t meshed that well for phone calls.  And there was something she wanted to talk to him about.  So yeah, it sounded like a great idea.  Thanks, Rafe!

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Melody and Nick returned to the backstage area and prepared to go on. 

“Hey, Nick,” said Tom, “Look who’s here.”  Tom Wilson was a short man with a figure tending to pear-shaped.  He looked incongruous on the arm of the statuesque blonde model.

“Tamara!” uttered Nick in surprise.  “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you.  Rafe sent me.  Wasn’t that sweet of him?  We’re going to have a couple of days to see Rome before you go back.  Rafe arranged it all.”

Since they were standing in front of a lot of witnesses, Nick couldn’t really say what he felt.  And what he felt was that he wished Rafe would mind his own business.  And that he didn’t want to spend a few days in Rome.  He was tired, and he wanted to go home.  And he wasn’t sure how he felt about Tamara.  Because he wasn’t sure how he felt about…

Nick didn’t get to think much after that because Tamara glided over and pressed her body against his.  She kissed him thoroughly, unmindful of the presence of the others, or maybe because of it.  When she finally let him come up for air, he looked around.  The others were all studying their hands or fiddling with their instruments. 

Except Mel. 

She wasn’t there any more.

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Melody was in the bathroom, sitting with her head between her knees.  Her equilibrium was shot.  She was dizzy, and she couldn’t breathe.  She couldn’t put a coherent thought together because of the refrain looping through her brain…what have you done?...what have you done?...what have you done?...

She straightened up and sat with her hands over her mouth to hold in the scream that she felt welling up inside her.  She took some deep breaths and splashed some cold water on her face.  She looked in the mirror. 

“It was one little kiss,” she told herself.  “It meant nothing.  It was because of…circumstances.  It would not have happened if the elevator hadn’t got stuck.  And it…will…not…happen…again.  He’s a kid.  He’s a kid with a girlfriend.  Now get out there and be a professional.”

Nick and Melody avoided each other’s eyes for the rest of the pre-concert time.  When they had their little prayer huddle just before going on, they made sure they weren’t standing next to each other, and when they all put a hand into the middle, Nick’s was on the bottom and Melody’s was on the top.

They made it through the performance.  Of course, they did.  They were professionals.  And it really was only one kiss.  And Tamara’s arrival had prevented them from finding out if it would ever be any more than that.  And there was the age difference, after all. 

No one else noticed that there was anything different.  Well, everyone noticed the change in Alias Me.  It was just a little thing…they did the same looking-into-each-other’s eyes bit…nothing new there.   A close observer might have noticed that they were both trying so hard not to blink that they almost lost track of the song, but no one was really observing that closely. 

No, the only difference was there at the end…the bit where Nick sings the last ‘alias me’ to the audience instead of Mel.  Only this time, he didn’t.  And he didn’t really sing it…he kind of whispered it, almost just mouthing it.  Of course, the crowd was screaming at that point, so he could have been singing it out loud.  Only the musicians with their earpieces tuned to his voice knew that he hadn’t.  No one heard Mel’s tiny whimper either, because it was way too loud in the place, and she didn’t have a mike on anyway.

After the performance, they gathered backstage.  The European leg of the tour was over.  They were going home.  But first, they were going to party hearty in Rome.  Toby had arranged it all at a nightclub.  Band, crew, everybody.

Except that Nick didn’t want to go now.  And neither did Mel.  Each waited to see what the other would do.  Nick started to make noises about being tired and maybe not going.  Mel told Blaine that she’d be happy to have a drink or two. 

“C’mon Nicky, I want to party.” 

Everyone else froze at Tamara’s words.  The pouting, petulant tone was something they weren’t used to hearing, and of course…

Nick didn’t even seem to notice.  He was distracted.  He didn’t even feel her fingernails running down the front of his shirt.  But when her index finger circled his nipple and tugged on the ring, he recoiled like she’d set him on fire, flicking her hand away.

“You know what,” said Melody to Blaine.  “I think I’m going to bail on the party.  I’m getting a headache or something…”  She walked over to Toby.  “Hey Toby, would it be too much trouble for you to get me back to the hotel instead of the party?  I’m getting another headache, and…I…uh…I don’t want to leave a trail or anything…you know, for the fans…”

Toby looked at her oddly.  Another headache?  As far as he knew, she’d never had one in her life.  “Sure, you can come with me.  I’ve got some stuff to do there before I head out to the party.”

Everyone expressed regret that Mel wouldn’t be joining them but they could all see that she was out-of sorts.  A headache will do that to you.  Nick’s enthusiasm for the party increased, and they all trooped off in a festive mood to celebrate the successful conclusion of the tour.

Toby got a cab for him and Mel.  At the last minute, Gus joined them, saying he’d help Toby with the final details and then they could get to the party faster.  Toby assured him that it wasn’t necessary, but Gus insisted.

“I’m going to have a bottle of wine sent up to your room,” Gus told Melody.  “A nice Pinot Grigio.”

“Wine won’t help a headache,” said Toby.  “It will make it worse.  I’ll give you some Tylenol instead.”

They arrived, and while Toby was paying the driver, Gus leaned over to Melody.  He picked up her hand and squeezed it.  “I’m sending the wine up anyway,” he said.  “Sometimes oblivion is the best place to be.  You decide which remedy you want, that or the Tylenol.  But don’t take them both together.”

Gus’ astuteness and his kindness were almost the undoing of her.  She had been holding it all in.  Now she just had to make it across the sumptuously-decorated lobby of this beautiful hotel.  It dated from 1870 and was quite luxurious – more luxurious than they usually stayed in, but it had been decided that a treat was in order at the end of the tour.  Of course, Melody thought, a plain old Holiday Inn with a working elevator would have been a better choice!  Nope, not going there, not going there.

She turned to Gus.  “Send the wine,” she said.  “And do you have any bubble bath?”

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“What are you doing?” asked Toby a few minutes later.

“I’m making a Mel repair kit.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I’ve got wine, bubble bath, some scented candles…”

Toby looked over at his protégé.  What was he doing?

“Look,” said Gus, “she’s had to spend the whole tour being one of the guys.  That’s the way she wanted it, and that’s what she got.  No problems with her being a woman, right?”

Toby conceded the point with a nod.  Any problems he’d encountered with Mel had been because she was stubborn and strong-willed, not because she was a woman.

“So maybe she just needs to…find her feminine side again.  There, how’s that?”

Toby looked at the tray.  It was very pretty.  Gus picked it up and headed for the door.

“Wait,” said Toby, and he began rummaging in one of his bags.  “I bought these for my mom,” he said, holding up a box of Belgian chocolates, “but I can always get her some more tomorrow at the airport.” 

Toby tore the wrapping off the box and selected four chocolates.  He took one of the paper lids that hotel maids put over the glasses to assure the guests that they’re clean and turned it upside down, making a little dish of it.  He positioned it on the tray. 

“There!” he announced with satisfaction.

“You want to come with me?” said Gus.

“No, no, you go ahead.”  Toby waved him off.  As Gus was going out the door, he heard over his shoulder, “Tell her I said, ‘enjoy’.”

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Melody put her head back on the edge of the tub.  She smiled to herself.  Oblivion.  She was getting there.  Gus and Toby had made a wonderful gesture.  Gus had made sure she understood that Toby had contributed to it as well. 

Gus had sailed past her when she opened the door for him. 

“Sit!” he commanded, as he set down the tray. 

Melody was already in her bathrobe.  She perched on the edge of the armchair and watched his movements.  He handed her a glass of wine and placed the dish of chocolates at her elbow.

“I’ll just be a minute,” he said, and then he disappeared into the bathroom. 

Melody could hear water running.  Every couple of minutes, Gus poked his head out and make a funny face at her, saying, “Almost there.”  Once, he came out and refilled her glass before he went back into the bathroom taking the wine bottle with him.  Finally, he announced that everything was ready.

“Milady,” he said, reprising Nick’s sweeping courtly bow.  “Enjoy!”  And he was gone.

Melody pushed opened the door of the bathroom and gasped in delight.  The tub, an old-fashioned claw foot monstrosity, was long and deep and full of bubbles.  Tiny candles burned here and there filling the air with an herbal scent of some sort – lavender, she thought.  Where the hell did they get lavender candles this time of night? she wondered as she shrugged the bathrobe off her shoulders and climbed into the tub.

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Melody shook her head.  Omilord, she thought.  She had nearly fallen asleep.  The wine and the warm water had combined to relax her totally, purge her of all the anxiety…damn near drown me, she thought.  She climbed out of the tub and wrapped herself in the thick towel.  She staggered slightly and looked at the level of the bottle.  Oops, she giggled.  Oh, what the hell, she thought and she emptied the last bit of wine into her glass.  She blew out the candles and drained the tub.  She carried the glass to the bed and set it on the night table.  She let the towel drop away from her and climbed into bed without putting on any pajamas.  She snuggled down under the covers and was asleep before she could even turn off the light.

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Out at the club, the band and crew were having a loud and boisterous party.  Everyone was having a good time.  Tofu hadn’t yet selected his lady of the evening from the pretty Italians, but he had narrowed it down to three.  Blaine watched Tofu in action and decided that he was going home to propose to Cathy.  Nick got drunker than he had ever been in his life.

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Up the hall from Melody, Gus and Toby put the finishing touches on the tour.  They made sure all the arrangements were in place for Nick and Tamara to stay three more days.  Jeff would be remaining as well.  Nick felt bad asking him to, but Jeff laughed and said it would make up for the three days in the beginning, when he’d been with his sister.  Toby offered to stay as well, but Nick had told him it wasn’t necessary.

Toby and Gus tidied up the folders and packed them away, keeping out the one with the airline information for the next day.  They set out their clothes for the next day and packed up the rest of their luggage.

Gus zipped his bag shut with a flourish and said, “Well, last night in Europe.  Want to go out and get laid?”

Toby looked startled.  “No, no, that’s okay,” he said, turning away.  “You go ahead.”

An arm went around him, and a voice very close to his ear said, “Well then, do you want to stay in and get laid?”