Running Through The Garden

Trouble In ShangriLa

     Stevie Nicks looked into her vanity mirror, a smile toying on her lips and nothing could take it away.

    Energy surged through her body, coming out her finger tips and wrapping around her core. Her golden hair was curled precisely, flowing down her back in waves against the black chiffon covering her tiny frame. Her sleeves flowed out, her skirt dancing around her as she felt the magical illusion she'd do delicately created over the years.

     "Stevie we gotta go."

     "Hmm?" She raised an eyebrow, not bothering to look away from the mirror as her assistant entered the dressing room. She twirled  the crescent moon around her neck between her fingers, taking a rare moment of vanity.

     "The press conference starts in five minutes."

     "And it takes one minute to walk down the hall to get to it." She turned to face her right aid, smiling. "Relax."

     "You are in a creepily good mood."

     Stevie shrugged, letting out a content sigh. "It's been a good day."

     "Anything to do with the fact Mr. Henley comes back tonight?"

    Stevie's eyes widened and Karen clamped her hand over her mouth, sighing as she saw the excitement already written all over her boss's face. "I wasn't supposed to say anything."

     "He's coming home tonight?"

    "I'm not saying anything else." She brought her hand up to her mouth, mimicking a key locking.

    "Karen?"

     "My lips are sealed." She winced as a squeal escaped Stevie's lips, rolling her eyes. "You can't say anything, or call him. He wanted it to be a surprise."

       Stevie quickly regained her composure, nodding as seriously as she could.  "Got it. I'll act shocked."

     "You're forgetting you can't act for shit."

      "Don't we have a press conference to get to?"

     "Now you're concerned about getting there on time?"

     Stevie was the one to roll her eyes, turning back to the mirror as she gave herself one more look over, nodding in satisfaction. "I'm ready."

.....

     His blue eyes scanned over the decent sized crowd in front of him, his arms crossed as he leaned back against the wall. His stance was tense, his senses alert.

      "You look ready to kill over there."

      "Just doing my job." Lindsey glanced over at his partner, rolling his eyes.

     "Relax, the broad's not even here yet."

      "Michael it's 2001, nobody uses the term broad anymore."

     The taller of the two men shook his head, chuckling. "So how are you and Kristin doing?"

      "We broke up a week ago."

      "Really? Couldn't keep up?"

     "Fuck you." He kept his eyes on the crowd, clenching his jaw as he listened to his friend chuckle.

     "Oh come on man, you've got to admit, she was a bit...obnoxious."

      "Would you pay attention. You have one job, do it." He avoided the subject, diverting the conversation to a different matter.  He heard him sigh, holding back a smile of satisfaction as Michael turned his attention back to the crowd.

    "When does this thing start again?"

      "Relax." Lindsey mocked his words from earlier, gaining a punch on the shoulder, he couldn't hold back a grin this time.

      "Look there she is." Michael nudged Lindsey, gesturing towards the blonde star approaching the stage, a smile brighter than the lights around her on her face. "She's a beauty isn't she?"

    Lindsey just shrugged, mentally agreeing as he admired her momentarily, moving his eyes back to the people that surrounded them. He watched her greet the crowd before gracefully sitting down in a large leather chair, adjusting the microphone in front of her face.

      "Miss Nicks it's an honor to have you here tonight."

     "I'm happy to be here." Stevie smiled at the interviewer.

     "It's been five years since your last album, tell me what can we expect to hear?"

      "Well, I'm always writing, I write everyday. I have so much material that I haven't used yet. I took poems I've had from the seventies and up till now. I never change, but I feel wonderful about every song that's on this new album, and I think the people who listen to it will really enjoy it."

      "That's fantastic to hear. And you had Sheryl Crowe as your producer, what was that like?"

      "It was marvelous. Sheryl's a dear friend of mine, she's such a dear, the whole process was completely different from anything I'd done before, she really did help make this whole thing stronger...."

      Lindsey stood stone still as he felt a bad feeling in his gut, his internal instincts kicking in as he focused more intently on the people around him. A flash of silver caught his eye, the lights from overhead reflecting into his view.

     He didn't hesitate for a second, springing from the wall as he bounded over people and their chairs, reaching the random man about the time he lifted his gun.

     "Get down!" Lindsey screamed in the loudest voice he could muster. The crowd's screams gave acknowledgment to the fact that his warning worked. He plowed into the man, pushing the gun from his hands as it went off. Holding his arms above his head, he kept the man in place on the floor, glaring menacingly down at him. "Move and I'll fucking tear your head from your shoulders." He tightened his grip as the man thrashed, a thousand panicked voices going on around them.

    "Get off of me!" The man's face was beat red, struggling against the strong hold he was in.

     Someone tapped Lindsey's shoulder, and he looked over to see a pair of police men with handcuffs. He nodded, keeping the man in place as one of the officers knelt down besides him, rolling the perpetrator on his stomach as they cuffed his hands together behind his back.

     Lindsey stood, running a hand through his hair as he took in all the commotion around him. His eyes met her dark brown one's that were filled with fear and shock from across the room as she was whisked away, letting out a heavy sigh.