Dreams

13

Carolina

Carolina is sitting in the green room by herself, a book nestled in her lap. She can't hide in her dressing room; she refuses to do that and make everything more awkward. But she wishes she could.

"Hey Carolina," Lindsey smiles as he pours himself a glass of wine. "Glad to see you back."

She thinks Lindsey might be the dumbest man she's ever met. How he can be so oblivious, how he can be so willingly blind escapes her. She does her best to smile when he sits down next to her on the couch. "You ready for the next month?"

"I am," Carolina smiles, "the week in Mexico was a nice break."

"You know she was really torn up about the whole thing," Lindsey says seriously as he takes a sip of his wine, "I haven't seen her that distraught over someone in a long time."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I wasn't exactly thrilled," Carolina smirks, "but she seems great now. I'm glad she's happier. I was happy to come back on the tour." Its an outright lie - she's more miserable than she's ever been and it's only the first night.

"Yea, she seems glad you're back," Lindsey smiles gently, "you know Carolina... she does this. She gets intense. Don't hold it against yourself. It's a passing phase. She'll come out of it and calm down once she realizes you're around for good."

"Yea," Carolina nods, "we just aren't that close. We don't need to be. I'm her employee. That's all." She's aware she sounds ridiculous. Anyone who sees them together can see their connection.

"Well... thanks for coming back. You made this tour a lot easier on her." Lindsey stands and smiles at the woman and she's positive he thinks he's just done something wonderful and kind by speaking to her on Stevie's behalf. She has to sit on both her hands to keep herself from punching him directly in the crotch.

"Carolina, you're on in two," Karen smiles at her as she walks through the room to the stage.

"Thanks," Carolina nods and drops her book on the table, then wanders to the wings. She can feel her heart pounding in her chest. She knows she absolutely should not do what she's about to... but she's going to do it anyway.

When she steps onto the stage the crowd goes wild with applause and shouts. She can't deny that singing with Stevie has given her a whole new fan base.

"Hello, Dallas," she smiles as she stands at the mic. "Thank you. Thank you! I know y'all are waiting for miss Stevie Nicks, and you've been so patient, so I promise I'll hurry. Tonight I'm going to throw a new song at y'all. You ever get your heart broken by a what if or an almost?"

The crowd claps and shouts back to her call and response. "Sometimes the almost is the worst part. When you think you know someone - when you think they're the best thing that could ever happen, and they turn out to be the worst for whatever reason."

She spots Stevie in her periphery, standing in the wings with her arms crossed. Carolina knew she was listening over the monitors. She was counting on it. She doesn't look in her direction. It's bad enough Stevie will be staring at her dead on when she takes her seat at the piano.

"Anyway, this song is that. Knowing they could be good if they had the courage. Seeing through to the heart, but knowing it will always be an almost."

Carolina takes her seat at the piano and closes her eyes, trying not to look in Stevie's direction. She starts the intro and breaks into the first verse, staring straight down at her piano.

There's a wall around your body
You're scared to love somebody
There's a wall around your words
And that's alright with me
Yeah, that's alright with me
I don't mean to cause no harm
As I sit with you in your car
I don't mean to break your heart
If it's not right for you
I won't fight with you