Mysterious

Chapter 50

"Riss...you look beautiful." Bruno looked at her from behind in the mirror.

"Oh my god. Stop. I can't walk, I have a bright red sling and my chest still hurts a little. Oh, and did I mention I have a huge scar on the nose from where a rock hit me?" Arissa answered his comment.

He stepped in between her and the mirror lifting up her chin to look into her eyes.God, I could melt in those eyes Arissa thought to herself. "You are amazing just the way you are and the whole world will know that after tonight." he kissed her a light kiss on the lips running his fingers through her now chin length straight blonde hair. "Just the way you arrrree." he sang to her.

"Shut up!" she laughed at his singing. "The way you aaarreeeeee." Arissa sang back to him trying to reach up to kiss him. "You're going to have to meet me half way, Brunz. I can't reach your lips with my legs like this."

He bent down a few inches touching her cheek so gently it felt like his finger tips were the only thing near her. "I love you, Riss." he kissed her the same light kiss making her weak in the knees.

Arissa tried to crumble down to her knees to show him that he made her weak, but, instead cried out. "Owwww. Oh my god. That hurt."

"Are you okay?" he asked suddenly concerned.

"I'm fine." she laughed.

"Come on. Let's do this..." he said picking her up flirtatiously taking her to the car.

"Put me down! I have to walk! That's what they said!"

**

"Mrs. Hernandez?" an early twenty something asked her name as Arissa played with her hair in the mirror next to another Earthquake survivor.

"Yes?" Arissa turned around to answer her.

"There's someone from E! That wants to talk to you. Bruno said you would..." the girl told her.

"He did?" she looked at her shocked.

"I'm just the messenger, ma'am." the girl answered.

"No, no. Don't worry. You were just doing your job. I'm sorry.." Arissa gave the girl an empathetic look. "Where are they?"

"In the green room." the girl answered.

"Thank you..." Arissa hobbled into the green room with her leg in a soft cast.

"Hi, Arissa. I'm Heather...please have a seat." a skinny African American girl in stylist skinny jeans and a signature fundraiser shirt told her as she peeked into the room.

"Where's Bruno?" Arissa asked. "Y'all didn't want both of us?" Arissa was confused.

"No, just you. Arissa." Heather answered.

"Oh..umm..okay...It's just..." Arissa's phone buzzed as she expressed her anxiety over the interview.

Don't be nervous. Be yourself. They'll love you.

Arissa smiled at the text looking up at the reporter.

"He always knows what to say..." Arissa smiled at Heather."Ready?"

Heather gave the cameraman a nodded to start recording.

"Arissa...you someone landed one of the most eligible bachelors in recent years. How the heck did you do it?" Arissa looked over the questions before they started recording. She had come up with witty Bruno-esque answers to the questions.

"I went fishing for him. I just had the right bait, I guess."

"Oh fishing...that was a great way for me to ask about the wedding. How was it?"

"It was small and we had a few people there..." I'm a bad liar... "The ones that mean the most to us. I don't think there was a single extraordinary event..." Lies, again. It was the most amazing day ever. "We're so normal. We danced, we sang, we drank...."

"The question most people are asking is how the heck did no one know you two got married?"

"No one will ever know the answer, Heather. I think it was just dumb luck. And he's James Bond and I'm his Bond girl. We're secret agents."

"You would make a great Bond girl! You haven't ever thought about that?"

"Oh goodness no. This makes me nervous. Going to concerts makes me nervous. This is so out of where I am comfortable. A year ago I was sitting in a cubicle in Texas. And now I'm talking to E! about some natural disaster. It's very surreal."

"Surreal for sure," Heather answered. "How are you feeling now?"

"Oh gosh, so much better than two weeks ago. I'm a rock star." Arissa answered smiling.

"You have almost become the spokesperson for the relief effort...how does that feel?"

"Shocking. I am so glad I am able to use my new found face to assist people that really need it. When everyone found out about this, when they found out I was hurt, Bruno's fans were so supportive. The ability to direct that support to those that really need it is just so amazing."

"And you'll be introducing Bruno's performance right? Can you clue us into what to expect?"

"I wish I could. He's James Bond. Don't forget."

**

Arissa was helped to the front of the stage by Travie McCoy who was introducing Arissa's introduction. "I'm gonna smack him when we're done." Arissa told him.

"Why?" he leaned down to ask her.

"They asked me what he was performing..I never know that stuff." Arissa laughed. "Oh, and I didn't know I was doing interviews." Arissa told him.

"Beat the crap out of him, Riss. Do it."

An assistant director caught their attention by waving his hand.

"Ready, Arissa?" Travie asked.

"Yeah..." Arissa closed her eyes saying a quick prayer.

"Arissa Hernandez was driving home from work. She spoke to her husband minutes before it happened. She was pinned against her car suffering four broken ribs, a fractured arm and a broken leg. Her husband thought he lost her. He said, 'She's my angel. My heart and my soul, and I wasn't going to be able to survive without her. I would have switched places with her in a heartbeat....'" They played his voice making her choke up a bit. "Arissa is here today." After showing pictures of the car and of the hospital Arissa paused to read her lines.

"I am a survivor. We are all survivors. And even with a broken arm, leg and sore ribs, I am here today thanks to the help of the doctors, nurses and staff of Cedars Sinai. This is my thank you to them."

"Bruno Mars..." Travie started.

"You can count on me...." Arissa smiled.

"Like 1, 2, 3 I'll be there." Travie and Arissa finished at the same time.

The lights on their side of the stage faded as the lights to the side where he was going to perform came on. In between the fade Bruno began to speak. "We are a family bound by tragedy and triumph. We are friends that have been through things no one can ever imagine. You can count on me to be there."