LOOK UP AT THE STARS

CHAPTER 2 - MIRAGE

Camila

I looked around at the hotel in shock. Luxury wasn't the word, with it's gold plated everything, gigantic bed, wall-sized TV and a view that could not be described.

"I hope everything is fine," the manager said with a bow. "We have arranged for you to have rehearsal time tomorrow, then a car will take you to the Souk Waqif in the evening. You will be part of a small group including the other performers, and you will be having dinner at a hotel there and given time to shop."

"That sounds wonderful," I said with a smile. "But for now I just need to shower and sleep and perhaps some room service?"

"Of course, Miss Cabello. Whatever you wish."

He was soon gone and I unpacked, hanging up my performance outfits while I waited for the meal I ordered. I had a standard setlist for this kind of thing, but I hadn't done one for so long, and I needed to practice badly. It was weird doing this kind of thing alone, normally I'd have Mama, my dancers, my whole team. I hoped I didn't embarrass myself.

After my shower and dinner, I lay in the big bed looking out at the velvet sky, dotted with stars, and recalled some lyrics that had once met so much to me.

"When you fall asleep tonight
Just remember that we lay under the same stars"

My fears were unfounded. I was given a conference room in the hotel to rehearse and the musicians and stage manager were British and very kind and professional. They had recorded tracks for all my songs and we went through everything and although it started out a little shaky, by the afternoon when I returned to my room to change for our excursion, I was feeling much better. God, I had missed singing, and performing. I was so excited by the following night's show now.  I could hardy wait.

I showered because I found the heat draining, and I was hot after going outside for a little walk before heading up to the room. I put my hair up and dressed in a circumspect ankle length sun-dress with elbow length sleeves in a light, cool floral fabric. I carried a head scarf just in case but it seemed OK for foreigners at least to be bare-headed as far as I could see.

When I walked outside the hotel, a limousine waited. I knew that there were three other performers, one international and two local Arabic stars. They weren't interested in the souk, being locals, so it would just be me and the other artist, although I didn't know who it was. I thanked the guy who helped me into the car and I sat down with a sigh and turned to smile at my new companion.

Shawn

I watched the woman get into the car with a sense of unease. Her head was down and she was bent to climb in to her seat opposite me. As she sat and straightened with a smile I felt all the blood leave my face and a twist in my stomach.

It was Camila.

"Shawn?"

She was obviously shocked, so she didn't know either. She looked....tired, pale, not her usual self. I was surprised to see her since she had been pretty much a recluse since she had first hooked up with Tyler Nicholson, whom she had later married. It was still a strange feeling to think she had married that guy, left her family who she had always been so close to, dropped out of music....and here she was.

"Mila? I can't believe it." I tried to smile but it was forced, and she could tell.  She looked nervous and uncomfortable.

"Yeah, it's me.  And look, it's you. Is Jess with you?" She could barely keep the loathing from her voice and I didn't blame her. Jess hated Camila, she had been jealous of our friendship even though that had been a casualty of our new marriages.