DISCLAIMER: Any characters from the TV show "Fame" belong to MGM Studios. The song quoted here is "Asking Us To Dance" by Kathy Mattea, from the "Time Passes By" album.
"Whaddya mean, she came back?"
"What I say Danny. What was I going to do, go to the school and look for her? Unless she came back to me, I had no way of getting in touch with her. I'm not in the habit of chasing other guys girls."
"So what happened?"
It was packed in Caruso's that night. When Nicole walked in the door, she was immediately greeted by a wall of heat, generated by all the people inside. She stood just inside the door looking down, trying to pick out Bruno in the midst of all the people. She found him at the same time his eyes looked up and met hers, almost as if he was expecting her. He smiled at her, and she moved down the stairs.
"Hey, you came back," he said, half surprised to see her.
"Yeah, and it's a little bit more crowded tonight!" Nicole observed.
Bruno looked around him. "Yeah. Mr Sipowicz from down the block is celebrating his birthday, and he invited five hundred and three of his closest friends here to celebrate with him. It's the busiest we've been since I came back."
"You love it!" Nicole said.
"I do and I don't" Bruno replied, as he rushed off to fill someone else's order. By the time he came back, Nicole had found a seat at the counter and already had a drink in front of her. "Sorry about that."
"Hey, you have a job to do. If I'd known it was going to be this busy, I would have left it for another time."
"I'm glad you came," Bruno began, then was interrupted by an elderly gentleman coming up to him. "Hey Mr Sipowicz! Happy birthday!" he exclaimed, shaking his hand.
"Bruno," Mr Sipowicz said. "We're all having a great time. But we're missing something."
"What can I get you?" Bruno asked, mentally running through the stores that were open this late in the area that sold birthday candles.
"How about some music?" Bruno was taken aback by the request, and Mr Sipowicz took advantage of that to press his point. "I'm sure your young lady here would welcome the chance to hear some of your songs."
Bruno and Nicole both flushed at the mention of her being "his" anything, but it was Nicole who recovered first. "I think that's a great idea. Why don't you play for us?"
If looks could kill, Nicole would have toppled off her chair at that very moment. "Well, I can't refuse the birthday boy now, can I?" Bruno mused, moving around from behind the bar. "But I can't sing on my own. I'm sure Mr Sipowicz would welcome the chance to hear the talents of my young lady?" He held out a hand which Nicole reluctantly accepted as they made their way to the bandstand.
Mr Sipowicz watched them go. "I hope she sings as good as she looks."
Nicole shot her own killing glance at Bruno. "Thanks for this."
"Just returning the favour"
Bruno got to the bandstand and Nicole sat herself up at the microphone. "Any requests Mr Sipowicz?" she asked, smiling.
"Do you know "Bad Bad Leroy Brown"?"
Nicole looked at Bruno and smiled. "I can if you can." Bruno didn't say a word, just started playing. By the time the song was over, everyone was dancing and clapping. "We make a good team" Nicole told him.
"Not bad if I do say so myself" Bruno agreed. "One more?"
"Why do I get the feeling you guys didn't stop at just one more?" Danny's voice broke into Bruno's reverie.
"We meant to. But they kept asking for more. Things would've been fine, but Mr S just had to ask......"
"You got any of your own stuff there Bruno? I always like your slow stuff."
Bruno looked over at Nicole. "You wanna take a look at this?" He handed her sheet music that was left on the stand.
"Is it what I sang the other day?"
"No. I started this a while ago, and got writer's block. I finished it after you went that night." He took a deep breath. "It kinda says how I feel."
Nicole looked at him and read the music. When she looked up, there were tears in her eyes. She nodded once at him, and he took that as a signal to shut up and play.
Nicole closed her eyes as the music started, counting the beats, waiting for her cue. When it came, she began to sing, and the patrons were silenced by the emotion in her voice.
There's a full moon up and rising
And there's a whisper of a breeze
Blowing through the tangled silver
Hanging from the cypress trees
There's a river made of moonlight
Flowing clear across the lake
And there's a million stars just waitin'
To fall for any wish we make.
Darling tonight I am reminded
How much these two hearts need romance
You know it isn't all that often
We get this kind of chance
Why don't we get caught in this moment
Be victims of sweet circumstance
Tonight I feel like all creation
Is asking us to dance.
There'll be time enough tomorrow
To get back to our daily bread
But there's something about this evening
That's put this notion in my head
That heaven and the earth are meeting
Tonight upon this very spot
And all the things in life worth having
Are things that we've already got.
Darling tonight I am reminded
How much these two hearts need romance
You know it isn't all that often
We get this kind of chance
Why don't we get caught in this moment
Be victims of sweet circumstance
Tonight I feel like all creation
Is asking us to dance.
Tonight I feel like all creation
Is asking us to dance.
When she was finished, there was silence for a moment, then everyone applauded. It was doubtful whether Nicole or Bruno heard them. They were too busy looking at each other.
Nicole stayed behind after everyone was gone and helped Bruno clean up. Several times he told her that she didn't have to help. Every time she insisted she didn't mind.
When they were finished, Nicole sat down at a table and Bruno sat across from her. "We need to talk Bruno."
"Talking might be good." Bruno sat patiently, waiting for Nicole to begin. She was silent for a long time.
"Did you mean what you said?" she finally. "About your song?"
Bruno nodded, knowing what she meant. "It's funny Nicole. I've always been able to put my feelings down into music, into song. But that was a melody I'd been trying to put words to for the longest time. And when you left that night, I just couldn't get it out of my head - I couldn't get you out of my head. And that's the result. It's how I feel about you."
"But how can you feel like that after only knowing me for a couple of hours?"
"That's the craziest thing" Bruno smiled. "This is not something that I do...reaching out to someone like this. And I can't explain it. I can't even try. I've been burned before, and I never thought I'd do this again, but there you go. I couldn't help myself."
"Me either" Nicole admitted softly. "But it's not that easy for me Bruno. I have a boyfriend."
"I know."
Of all the things Bruno could ever have said, that was the last thing that Nicole expected. "You know? How?"
"Danny mentioned "Nicole and Jesse" in his letters."
"Jesse and I have been together for two years. How can I love him, and be so attracted to you at the same time?"
"The heart's a funny thing. I can give you a thousand reasons why I shouldn't feel the way I feel about you. But there's only one reason I should. It feels right. I can't explain it, I don't want to. I just know."
Nicole smiled sadly. " That makes sense. Too much sense." She lapsed into silence again.
"Nicole," Bruno began. "I like you. You like me. It doesn't have to go any further than that. I just feel like we're meant to be something to each other, crazy as that sounds. I've never met someone I can talk to and feel as comfortable as I do with you. I don't want to lose that."
Nicole smiled, and then jumped as the clock in the corner struck midnight. "I should go. It's getting late."
"And it's a school night" Bruno joked, the serious tone of seconds ago momentarily lifted. "C'mon, I'll walk you out, put you into a cab." Nicole followed him and smiled as he held her coat out and helped her into it.
"You're quite the old-fashioned type aren't you?" she smiled, turning to face him.
"A little, I guess" Bruno looked at her, and on impulse, bent his head and kissed her lips gently. As he drew away, he looked into her eyes, and prayed that she wasn't going to punch his lights out. The look he found there made him sure she wasn't going to do anything of the sort. Instead she put her arms around his neck,drawing him into another kiss.
Danny stared at Bruno. "I know what you're thinking Danny."
"I doubt that."
"You're wondering how Nicole could cheat on Jesse so easily."
"Guess you do know what I'm thinking."
"It wasn't easy for her Danny. Not at all. She was torn apart over it."
"Then why didn't she stop it?"
"We tried!" Bruno exclaimed. "I told her I'd walk away. She said she should. But we couldn't. There was something between us Danny..."
"A chemistry! You said!"
"It was more than that Danny. It was like we needed to be together. She'd say she wasn't going to come to Caruso's or that she wasn't going to call, but somehow she always would. And I'd always be waiting. And she did feel guilty at what she was doing. But she felt that she and Jesse had been growing apart for a while...she wasn't sure if they wanted the same things any more....."