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As it turned out, we all got together Friday evening at my apartment to go over last minute things, like making sure the costumes fit properly and the music was edited right and stuff like that. The outfits that Brian and Howie had picked out were awesome. Brian, who loves to wear suits, had to beg and plead with Howie to go along with it. Brian was going to be wearing a white suit complete with white hat and white patent leather shoes. The only thing that was different was he would be wearing a black tie. Howie was going to be completely opposite of Brian: black suit, black hat, black patent leather shoes and white tie. Jen was going to be in black jeans, a white men's shirt and a black hat. I, on the other hand, was going to be in this white cocktail dress complete with white high heels.
"Brian, what's the deal here? I figured I would be in white jeans, a black button-down shirt and a white hat."
"Well, I thought you'd look sexy in the dress. Go try it on." I ruffled his hair and walked down to my room to try the dress on.
I came out a few minutes later and said, "I just realized something. I can't do that chair work we do on 'all of your time spent'."
"I know. I was thinking of changing that anyway."
"Brian, the show's tomorrow!"
"Don't worry, just follow my instructions, okay?"
"Okay," I said, hesitantly.
"Alright, Jen and Howie are still doing the same part. On that brief instrumental before the lines, where you normally would be sitting down in the chair, push me back into it. And then come around behind me and run one hand down my chest at a time, the right hand on 'all of,' the left one on 'time spent'."
"Okay."
"Then on 'keeps us alive,' come around and do a backbend kick over my lap."
"So you mean like this?" I did as he said and pushed him down into a chair, did the chest thing and then came around to his left side, did a partial backbend, kicking my left foot towards the ceiling.
"Yeah," he said.
"Okay." We worked on the rest of the routine and the spacing for a while and then decided to call it quits. The performance would be the following day at five in the afternoon.
The next day, Mary, Jen, Dana, Meg, and I arrived early and started setting things up. We lined the outdoor amphitheater benches with butcher paper, set the stereo system up, and finally went and changed into our costumes. By the time we were ready, people started arriving. We collected their money and waited.
I was off in the trees waiting for Brian and Howie. The great thing about this amphitheater was that the little creek that ran through campus ran in between the stage and the audience. I was pacing. I was nervous. Just then, I felt someone's hands come around my waist. There in front of me was a single white rose. I titled my head back and saw those beautiful blue eyes looking at me. I took the rose from his hands and turned around in his arms.
"Brian, you shouldn't have?"
"Yes I should." He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. He then held me at arms length and said, "Girl, you look sexy. I'm going to have beat those men offa you."
I giggled. "Yea, well, I'm gonna have to do some beatin' too. I could marry you in that suit. Where's Howie?"
"Oh, he's setting up the video camera." Apparently I must have gotten a strange look on my face, because Brian said, "Don't ask."
"Okay." Time went by and soon it was time to do our performance to "Larger than Life." Jen, Brian and Howie went out first and sat down in the folding chairs. I came out and started "adjusting" them the way I wanted them. When the music started, they started moving. I joined in the dancing at the start of the first verse. The routine went beautifully. When it was over, I breathed a sigh of relief. As we took our bows, I looked at the video camera set up in the back. I couldn't help but wonder what it was Brian was collecting footage for. I put it out of my mind and headed off stage. No one knew that it was Brian and Howie up there with us. It was perfect.
The next day, I awoke to someone knocking on my door. I rolled over and looked at the clock. It was nine in the morning; my roommate had already left for work. I looked around my room for something to throw on; I had slept topless that night. The first thing I saw that was clean was Brian's sweatshirt. I threw it on and groggily dragged myself to the front door. I unlocked the door and slowly opened it. Brian was on the other side. I yawned and told him to come in.
"I like it when you wear my clothes," he told me. I smiled. "We're going home today, it's Mother's Day."
I crossed my arms over my chest. "I know it's Mother's Day. I don't have to work. And you woke me up early to tell me your leaving," I pouted.
"I know, I'm sorry," Brian apologized. "I didn't wanna upset you yesterday with the performance and all. Are you doing anything on Thursday?"
"My last final is Wednesday, so no."
"Come to Orlando."
"What?"
"Come to Orlando, please? And you can't say no."
"Why not?"
"Because your ticket has already been taken care of." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out an airline ticket. "I only booked it one way because I didn't know when you would want to come home."
"I dunno Brian, it's kinda sudden. I haven't even given you an answer yet."
"Well think about it, okay?" He pulled me into an embrace.
"I will," I said. I pulled away from him and said, "How bout this. Be at the airport on Thursday. If I walk off that plane, consider that a yes to your question. If you don't see me, my answer's no."
"But Becca..."
"No, Brian," I cut him off. "I have to do this. I haven't given my decision much thought yet. Don't worry, no matter what happens, we'll still be friends, right?"
He looked at me. He tried to hide the pain he was going through, but his eyes gave it away. "Yeah," he said slowly. He took me in his arms again and hugged me tighter than he had ever hugged me before. "Whatever you decide, I'll support you," he whispered in my ear. He then let go of me and walked out of the door, unsure of if he would ever see me again.
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