The Barnstable Chronicles: The Prodigy - 5. New York, Rachmaninov, and Fate

After a long a tearful goodbye—most of the tears were from Charlie—the Project Runway All-Star from Barnstable boarded the Amtrack Acela Express and was soon on his way from Boston to New York’s Grand Central Station.

Charlie was amazed at Noah’s farewell. As Beverly drove to the station, Charlie was both excited and nervous as Hell. On the other hand, Noah was happy as a clam and laughing his way through Toy Story as it played on the SUV’s video player in the back seat.

When they arrived at the station, Charlie’s tears started when he held his arms out to Noah. Without hesitation, Noah walked up and wrapped his arms around his Daddy.

“Noah, you be a good boy for your Nana. And never forget that I love you and will think about you every day while I’m gone.”

“I love you, Daddy. You be a good Daddy. Don’t forget to find your boyfriend so he can be a daddy for me, too.”

“I’ll miss you so much, Noah.”

“Okay.”

Charlie knew that when his boy answered with an “okay,” there was nothing more to discuss. Noah had processed everything he wanted to process. He was done.

“Mama, please give Noah the letters I wrote for him. I wrote enough to last the eight weeks of shooting with a letter on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Saturdays are important since I won’t be there to help him get ready to see Jacob.”

“I know, dear boy. And I promise to read the letters before I put them back in the envelope and seal them because Noah likes to open letters. Charlie—we’ve been through everything. We’re going to be just fine. Don’t you worry about a thing. You go. Win every challenge. Then get your ass into David’s arms. You get to be happy again, okay?”

Charlie began sobbing, “I love you, Mama. Thank you for everything.”

“I love you and am so proud of you, Charlie. Knock ‘em dead!”

Charlie hugged his mother and rested his head on her shoulder. “I can’t believe I’m doing this!”

“And I just know you’re going to do it so incredibly well. I’m so proud of you and know that when the episodes start showing, we’re all going to be there cheering you on.”

“Thanks, Mama. I love you.”

The Danners said their goodbyes outside the station, knowing the crowds and noise inside would probably be too much for Noah to handle.

Charlie heard the announcement for boarding to begin on the Acela Express to New York. He was grateful that he could fit everything into one rolling suitcase and a garment bag for his suit, which the producers told him he needed. With his phone and iPad in his backpack, Charlie made his way into the station and headed to the tracks.

Charlie was happy the producers chose the train for his trip to New York. He preferred the train over any plane. He loved the wide, comfortable seats and free wi-fi. He appreciated that he could walk to the dining car and get a snack or coffee when he wanted—rather than when a flight attendant decided to push a cart down the aisle.

Knowing that he wasn’t going to see any social media or anything online, Charlie spent most of the trip watching YouTube videos of interviews and concert clips of Charlie Puth and Sean Mendes, his two favorite pop musicians. Their music got him through a lot of stress while he was hard at work on a design or just needed time away from the hectic adventures life brought him. Their music also helped him get through the heartbreak of Jacob and the divorce. The fact that they were both hot as fuck didn’t hurt either!

About an hour into the trip, Charlie got up from his seat with his backpack and walked back to the dining car. He found a table and ordered a coffee and an everything bagel with cream cheese. While waiting for his order, a young man walked up to him. “Charlie? Charlie Danner, right?”

Charlie looked up and smiled when he recognized a favorite designer from the previous season. “Eric Daniels! Have a seat!”

Eric smiled and sat across from Charlie, who asked if he had ordered anything yet.

“No, I just came into the car and saw your hair—I was hoping it was you—and it was!”

“You’re doing the show?”

“Yeah. The new producers called me just a couple of weeks ago. Didn’t have shit for time to get ready. But I had no problem with wanting to come back. I can’t wait to work with an entirely new crew.”

“Exactly. I hear Christian Siriano has replaced Tim Gunn. That alone made me excited to come back. I love that guy!”

“Right! So where do you live?”

“I’m in Barnstable—on the cape. You?”

“How crazy is this? After the show, I relocated to Boston. I’m from Indianapolis and figured Boston was close enough to New York if I needed to go there, but I’m not a big fan of the big city.”

“We’re neighbors?”

“Yeah. If we don’t kill each other over the next eight weeks, we’ll most definitely have to stay in touch!”

“I don’t think that will happen. I’ve seen you on the show. You were the sweetest and kindest person I think they ever had—and your work was stunning.”

“Well, I can’t agree with the sweetest and kindest they ever had—not with Charlie Danner sitting in front of me! I’d happily take second place to you on that front.”

Charlie blushed and smiled.

“Awww! There’s the blush! I used to love it when Tim would make you blush with his compliments. And now I can see it was genuine.”

“Eric, you’re too sweet. But hey, if they make us have roommates when we get to the apartment, do you think you might be interested in sharing with me? I mean, I already know I can probably relate to you better than most of the people I’ve seen on the show—”

“Of course! That would be amazing—unless Christian Siriano wants a roomie, which I highly doubt!”

The boys enjoyed coffee and bagels until things went dark as the train entered the underground tunnel that would take them to Grand Central Station. They decided to get back to their seats as their luggage had been loaded into the cars they were sitting in.

“I’m sure I’ll see you in just a few minutes, Eric. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait around for too many others and get settled into the apartments sooner than later.”

“Unless our first challenge is not to meet our fellow designers—and if that’s the case—oh well!”

The boys hugged and headed in opposite directions. Ten minutes after disembarking, both Charlie and Eric found a production assistant holding a card with their names.

“Hi, guys! Welcome to New York! I’m Deb.”

“Hi, I’m Charlie.”

“And I’m Eric.”

“Great. I will take you to a holding room where you’ll find a third designer—Chandra. We have one more arriving here at Grand Central, and his train will arrive in less than ten minutes. I’ve called the production offices for a van to pick us up in thirty minutes—and then we’ll be off to the apartments.”

Eric and Charlie saw their luggage loaded onto a cart, and they were led to a room where they found Chandra, a thin, somewhat avant-garde type with bright blue hair. She was reading a book and barely looked up when the boys cheerfully greeted her.

When Eric tried to engage her in conversation, she set her book on her lap and said, “Look—I’m not here to make any friends. I’m here to win enough challenges to get me into the finals, and then I’ll be done with the lot of you. Right now, I’d like to enjoy my book.”

Charlie looked at Eric and smiled as they sat on one of the vinyl sofas.

Eric leaned into Charlie and whispered, “I guess she’s the biatch they brought in for drama.”

Charlie giggled and whispered back, “It takes all kinds to make an interesting reality show.”

Fifteen minutes later, Deb walked into the holding room with a gigantic black man with long dreds. “Washington, this is Charlie, Eric, and Chandra. Let’s head up to the street. The van will be waiting for us, and we’ll be on our way to Atlas, which you already know is where you will live while filming.

As soon as you get moved in, you’ll need to pick a bedroom with one roommate. At 5:00, we’ll meet in the lobby and board a bus for dinner, where we’ll go over the rules and what we expect of you. Since we are back on Bravo, some of you will find things to be a bit different than when we were on Lifetime.”

The group walked out of Grand Central Station and onto 42^nd Street, where they found a large black van waiting for them. Luggage was loaded into the back, and everyone filed in through the side door. Deb got in and sat in the front passenger seat, and turned around to speak to the four designers.

“No cell phones, laptops, or tablets as we drive to The Atlas. Once we arrive at the apartments, you will be required to turn them in to me, and they will be kept in a safe in the main production office.” She turned to the driver and told him to head to the Atlas.

As they were driving through the city, Washington couldn’t get enough of the sights. “Damn! I miss this city, even though we didn’t get to see much of it the last time I was here.”

Eric looked at Charlie and sighed, “Fuck me. I can already feel the hustle-bustle building in my chest. I guess some would call it anxiety.”

Charlie leaned in and whispered, “Don’t worry, Eric. I got your back here. No reason for stressing out before we even get started!”

“Fuck! I wish I were half as chill as you.”

“You are—way more than half. You just keep the chill part hidden—well, until the cameras are on!”

Eric rested his head on Charlie’s shoulder and sighed, “I’m so glad you’re here, Charlie. This whole thing is going to be fucking awesome!”

Charlie was surprised that Eric felt comfortable enough to rest his head on his shoulder—even more surprised at how it made him feel. It had been over a year since there’s been any sort of close contact with another man, and although they had just met, It took immense strength for Charlie not to rest his head on Eric’s.

As the van turned into the Atlas parking garage, Eric’s hand accidentally fell onto Charlie’s thigh. Charlie’s eyes widened in surprise—he was enjoying the contact from Eric and little too much, and his cock was half-erect and inching down his leg. Unsurprisingly, Eric’s eyes also widened as he found out the nearly-hard way that his new friend was hung like nothing he’d ever seen—or felt—before.

“Sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry.”

“I was just lost in thought.”

“I guess you were. Jesus, Charlie—what the fuck are—”

“Alright, we’re here. Everyone will follow me up to the 5^th floor, where we’ll get you into your apartments. There is an apartment for the men, one for the women, They each have three bedrooms, and you will be required to double up. How you decide roommates is purely up to you.”

The luggage was put on a cart and was taken to the freight elevator while Deb and the four designers went into the regular passenger elevator. When they reached #517, Deb instructed all four to follow her. Chandra rolled her eyes and followed the group into the tidy space.

“Okay—this is the men’s apartment. You’re the first here, so that means you get your choice of bedrooms. As you can see, these are set up like college dorms in that there are three bedrooms—each with an ensuite, a common space, and a kitchen and breakfast bar. Speaking of the breakfast bar, if you would please place your electronics on the bar for me?”

Charlie pulled off his backpack and retrieved his cell phone and iPad, placing them on the counter with the feeling of being cut off from the world—and his family. He sighed and resigned himself to the feelings of isolation. It was the only thing he was not looking forward to.

Each phone, laptop, and pad was placed in a bubble pouch, sealed, and names were written on them with a Sharpie. The luggage cart was sitting in the hallway, and Washington grabbed one of the smaller bags to retrieve his laptop.

Once the electronics were taken care of, key cards were handed out, and Chandra grunted as she was taken to her apartment across the hall. Washington asked if there were any preferences for bedrooms, and Eric spoke up first.

“Charlie and I are going to room together, and I would love the bedroom over there to the left.” That particular room was separate from the other two. The other two men shrugged, and Washington said, “Okay by me! I’ll grab the one on the right.”

The three men went outside to the hallway and retrieved their luggage. They headed to their bedrooms to begin unpacking.

The first thing Charlie unpacked was the framed picture of his mother, with Noah and Timmy standing behind her. The boys were arm-in-arm with broad smiles. Charlie smiled as he looked at the photo before putting it on the nightstand next to his bed.

“Is that your family?”

“Yeah, it’s my Mama, my son, and his friend.”

Eric walked over and looked at the picture. “The boys are so cute! Are they—”

“It’s complicated. The boys grew up being best friends. They are both on the Autism spectrum. When they are together, it’s almost as if all their walls disappear. When Noah—my son—turned sixteen, we let him move into the apartment over the garage. He and Timmy decided they wanted to live there together, and after many long discussions with Timmy’s mom, we both realized that our boys were so much better together than apart.”

“Doesn’t she miss him?”

“It’s not so bad. Noah spends his weekends with my ex-husband, and while he’s there, Timmy goes home with his mother.”

“You’re so young, Charlie. How the Hell can you have a teenage son and an ex-husband?”

“Jacob and I adopted Noah when his mother died unexpectedly. Well, we took him in as foster parents first—the adoption followed as soon as they found no living relatives who could take him in.”

“And Jacob is your ex-husband?”

“Yeah. Shit kinda hit the fan the last time I was here. He couldn’t handle being a full-time single parent for eight weeks, and things deteriorated from there. When I got home, things got worse instead of better. It’s okay, though. He and I have finally talked things out, and he’s doing a much better job with Noah.”

“Do you think you guys will get back together?”

“Oh, no. That’s not going to happen.”

Eric smiled broadly at the news. “I’m glad things are going better for you, then. And Noah’s okay with things now?”

“Yeah, he was my rock when Jacob left. It was adorable how he would hold me while I cried. The role-reversal thing was kind of surreal at times—but he handled it like a pro. Noah would call himself ‘the daddy’ whenever he was holding me, and he would just say and do the things I would do for him when he was the one in distress.”

“That’s so cool.”

“What about you? What’s your family like?”

“I’m all solo. I was living with my parents before I moved to Boston. Being the typical mother, Mom sobbed and carried on about her baby leaving the nest and going to the big, bad city. But as far as relationships go, nothing. I’m kind of shy and am terrified of heading to the bars to meet people. I refuse to put Grindr on my phone. I’m not a support group type of person, so I have ended up with a truly special relationship with internet porn and my right hand—left hand if I want to wander outside the relationship and try something naughty.”

The guys finished their unpacking in short order, and Charlie reclined on his bed with his arms behind his head. He had to admit that Eric had an awfully fine ass as he bent over and put things in the drawers.

Eric turned around and blushed when he saw that Charlie had been staring at him. “What? What are you looking at?”

“Your ass.” Charlie smiled, “Your cute-as-fuck ass.”

Eric smiled, thrilled that Charlie liked something else about him. “Scoot over.”

Eric crawled on top of the bed and faced Charlie with his head propped up on his elbow. “Charlie. We need to talk about the elephant in the room.”

Charlie smiled at Eric and shifted his body so that he was facing his roommate, mirroring him. “Okay, what elephant would that be?”

“Look, I’m not even going to try to deny how attracted I am to you—and I’ve caught you looking more than once already.”

“Okay—yes, I think you’re cute as fuck, Eric.”

“Nice! But here’s the thing. I learned the hard way that there just couldn’t be any kind of sex with another designer while I’m on the show. It was a disaster for me the last time, and I ended up not making the finals.”

“Really? You were with one of the finalists?”

“Well, in hindsight, I was a victim of a jealous rival. I had just won two challenges in a row as we were heading into the semi-finals, and Mike Moscati—”

“Mike Moscati? I remember him! He was the guy who looked like the baseball player—total hottie.”

“Well, we were the only two guys left in the apartment by that point, and one night Mike crawled into bed with me. The asshole seduced me. I was gobsmacked and totally into him. He took my virginity—in everything gay. I was quickly falling in love with him and thought he was falling for me as well. The night before the semi-final challenge, he fucked me for the first time. When we were done, he looked down at me and said he was bored and wanted nothing else to do with me—that he was going to go back to girls. He walked out of the room. I was devastated. Cried the entire night and totally fucked myself over in the next challenge—and I lost.”

“What an asshole!”

“Yeah, I was so glad he came in last place in the finals, but it still burns when I think about it.”

“I promise you I’d never do anything like that to you.”

“Do what? Fuck me?”

Charlie giggled, “No, silly boy—take advantage of you or hurt you in any way.”

“That’s nice to know, Charlie. It’s also nice to know that someday you might fuck me. Jesus, Charlie! That cock is huge!”

“You are a total goofball—and I love it” Charlie reached out and pulled Eric close to him. “But I need to be honest with you. When I’m done here, I promised my son that I would find an old boyfriend. One who I still have it bad for—no names—he’s kind of a major celebrity.”

“Oh.” Eric tried not to be disappointed, but he couldn't help himself.

“Hey. Don’t feel bad. At the very least, you and I are starting on a great adventure that will continue long after we return home. I’m so happy to have you in my life, Eric. Let’s both enjoy it while we’re in this competition, and once we get home, we let things be where they end up being—or going.”

“Are you going to tell me who this man is? Would I even have a chance with him in the picture?”

“It’s not you, Eric—but to be honest, no one would have a chance if I can get Da—him—back in my life.”

“You almost said his name, didn’t you?”

“I promise to tell you before we leave New York, okay? I just don’t want to think about it until it’s time to leave.”

Charlie leaned forward and kissed Eric on the forehead just as there was quite a bit of commotion in the living room. They heard someone announce that everyone was needed right away in the front of the apartment. Charlie and Eric hopped out of bed. Charlie laughed at Eric as he tried to hide his erection.

“Yours isn’t anything to laugh at—just sayin’!” Eric was in a panic, and Charlie calmly told him to pull out his tee-shirt, and they went out into the living room.

Once there, they found the girls and the other four boys standing in a semi-circle, facing Karlie Kloss, the new model-host. Christian Siriano was standing there beside her. There were also two cameramen and lights set up. The show was officially beginning.

Karlie was the first to speak. “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Project Runway All-Stars. My name is Karlie Kloss, and I’m the new host for the show. I would like to introduce our wonderful mentor, Christian Siriano!”

There was enthusiastic applause. Christian is the most successful winner from the show and has made quite a splash in the fashion industry. He spoke next.

“As all of you know, we don’t waste a lot of time getting things started. We will begin shortly with your first challenge. But first, we want you to get all spiffed up in those suits and dresses you were asked to bring.”

Karlie smiled and added, “We’re taking you out to a nice dinner—”

“Quite possibly the only nice dinner you’ll enjoy while we’re filming—”

“While dining, the challenge is not to talk about the show. You are only allowed to talk with and about each other. Once dinner is finished, we have another wonderful treat in store for you.”

“We’ll tell you more about that after dinner. In the meantime, it’s time to get yourselves ready for a lovely night in New York City!”

Everyone returned to their rooms, and Charlie pulled his suit out of the garment bag. “It looks good. It didn’t wrinkle on the way down.”

“Mine’s fine, too. Thank God! I don’t think we have time to iron clothes and get ready!”

Eric showered first, and I hopped in as he was drying his hair and shaving. As Charlie was adjusting the water, he called back, “Don’t worry, I made sure my cum got washed down the drain!”

Charlie stuck his head out and thanked him for being so courteous. Charlie thought he was being funny but was surprised to get an eyeful. Eric had removed the towel from his waist and was drying his hair.

Charlie was pleased to see that the young, nerdy Jewish boy was cute as fuck. His ass looked even better out of clothes, and his cock was still semi-erect. Charlie found his own cock filling out as Eric casually said, “Keep looking at me like that, and I get to watch you bust your nut.”

Charlie smiled and turned off the water, flung open the shower curtain, and looked at Eric. “Watch away! That would be kinda hot!”

Charlie began stroking his nine inches and playing with his smooth balls as Eric turned around with wide eyes and an open mouth. “Holy shit! That’s huge!”

Charlie looked at Eric and admired his hard cock. It was about seven inches and thicker than his own. “Yours is pretty damned nice, too! Wanna join me?”

“Oh fuck!” Eric stepped into the shower with Charlie, and they faced each other as they stroked their cocks. “Jesus, Charlie! Is this okay?”

“I figure as long as we keep our hands to ourselves, we don’t break the no sex rule. But I’m a shooter, and I can’t promise that I’m not going to cover you with my nut!”

“Fuuuuuuuuck!” Eric moaned and was surprised to find himself so close after having stroked out a load less than fifteen minutes earlier. He was even more surprised to find himself shooting harder and farther than he had in years, blasting Charlie’s abs with his load.

“Niiiiiice!” Charlie scooped up the hot cum on his abs and applied it to his cock for lube. His knees began to buckle as he let out a moan and fired shot after shot all over Eric, covering his body from his chest to his knees.

Eric turned the water back on—avoiding his hair—and rinsed Charlie’s cum off his body and down the drain. Once finished, he turned around and smiled at his roomie, “Holy shit, Charlie. You better get the fuck along with me while we’re here so we can take this thing on when we get back to Boston!”

“Yeah, I think that would be cool. I promise to get along with you. That’s the easy part. After the show? It could get kind of complicated—but I promise not to rule anything out. Deal?”

“Deal!”

Charlie and Eric made it to the Atlas lobby just in time. Everyone boarded a bus and headed to dinner. The show hired a private dining room at the Knickerbocker Hotel in Times Square. Dinner was lovely, and the buffet had options for every dietary taste one could imagine.

As dinner was wrapping up, the judges were introduced to the group by Christian. Christian let the designers know that he would never judge a designer’s work and that he was there to encourage, suggest, and discuss options with each of them. He told everyone that having been precisely where each of them was, he was more excited than it was probably legal in New York City.

Karlie was the next to stand up and speak. She announced that the evening was far from over and that they would now head to Lincoln Center for a concert. Nothing more was said, and the group boarded the bus for the short trip.

The bus stopped in front of the famous fountain that sat in the middle of the Lincoln Center Plaza. As they neared David Geffen Hall, Charlie froze in his tracks and felt the entire world around him spin out of control.

“Charlie! What’s wrong?”

“I—I—I need to sit!”

Eric walked Charlie over to the nearest bench and motioned to Christian to come over. The mentor was quite concerned as he sat next to Charlie.

“It’s okay, Charlie. I’m here. What’s going on?”

“I—I c-c-can’t. Can’t do this.”

“You need to talk to me, Charlie. We can figure this out.”

Christian motioned for Karlie, and she was soon there. He handed her all but two of the tickets and asked her to take everyone to their seats. Christian said he would bring Charlie up in a few minutes.

“Charlie, calm down now, okay? We’re all alone. Please tell me what’s going on so I can help you.”

Charlie took a deep breath and pointed to the large portrait covering the three-story windows of the concert hall lobby. “We’re going to see him, aren’t we?”

“Yes. David Chase is performing two piano concertos with the New York Philharmonic.”

“I can’t go! I’m not ready to see him yet!”

“Charlie. Between you and me—and you can not say a word to anyone. We’re going to see the concert because David is our special guest for the first challenge.”

“I need just to pull out and go home. I’m sorry. I can’t do this!”

“Charlie, you have to explain this to me. You have my word that I won’t share anything you tell me unless it affects the show. And then I will only share what is absolutely necessary.”

Charlie told Christian the five-minute version of his relationship with David Chase. Charlie listened and nodded as he began to understand the designer’s dilemma.

When Charlie finished, the tears had stopped. Charlie finished with, “Things ended with so much unresolved. I have no idea what will happen when he sees me. It could be a disaster.”

“Okay—where do I start?”

“Tell me about it!”

“First of all, David has already seen the video clips we have on all the designers that we put together for the first episode. My understanding is that he was quite excited when he finished watching the video. No one said anything more than he was excited. Now—we may know why.”

“See? I should leave the show. Conflict of interest and all that shit.”

“Well, let’s not be too hasty. I know the producers told you they wouldn’t even try to do an All-Star show if they couldn’t get you and Eric. They will do whatever is necessary to make sure you stay with us for as long as possible. But in the meantime, I’ll need you to do me a favor.”

“What? I’m probably going to hate you for the first time in my life, you know.”

Both men chuckled, and Christian continued. “Come in with me. Watch the concert. There will be a meet-and-greet after the show, where we will announce the first challenge. I need you to be the best-damned actor you can be. Go along with everything as if there is no history. I’ll ask the same thing of David so we can go ahead with the planned filming.”

“Okay. Do you think it will work?”

“Well, I have no idea. But while you are watching the concert with the rest of the designers, I will be texting with the powers-that-be, and we’ll figure something out. Can you do that for me? I like you, Charlie. You’re one of the best contestants the show has ever had. I don’t want to lose you!”

“Okay. I’ll buck up and do what you ask. Will you let me know what they say?”

“One way or the other, you will know how we’re going to deal with this before the night is over.”

Charlie took a deep breath and stood, and Christian wrapped him in a hug. “It’s going to be fine—and at the very least, I’ll see if any one-on-one contact between David and the designers is avoided if at all possible.”

“Thank you, Christian. Let’s go see a concert, okay?”

As they walked into the lobby, Christian told Charlie that they would all be in a box, so it would be easier for the crew to film them watching the concert. He also mentioned that the concert was being filmed for PBS. It was likely that they would be seen by their cameras as well.

“Jesus, it never ends, does it?”

Charlie and Christian walked into the box and moved to their seats. Charlie wasn’t thrilled that he and Christian were seated in the front row, but he was at least happy that Eric would be sitting on the other side of him.

Once Charlie was seated, Eric leaned over and asked if everything was alright.

“Yeah, it’s going to be. I’m fucking glad you’re here next to me, though.”

* * * * *

David Chase was at the piano in his oceanfront home, preparing for his Lincoln Center concert that was just three weeks away. About two hours into his work on the Rachmaninov Third Piano Concerto, David was rather pleased to see the call from his management office. He could use the break.

“Hi, Ben. What’s up?”

“David! First off—great job on Ellen! You killed ‘em with that Chopsticks thing. Hilarious, I tell ya. Fucking hilarious!”

“Thanks—but what’s up?”

“We’re all set with the PBS filming. The label will record all three performances, and we’ll pick the best one for the album.”

“Great! Nice work, Ben!”

“That’s not all, David.”

“It never is, is it Ben?”

“Do you know the show Project Runway?”

“Yes—and I probably shouldn’t say, but it’s one of my favorite shows.”

“Great! Then you’ll love this!”

“Says you—”

“Whatever! They want you to be the first challenge for their new All-Star season. They would like their designers to come up with a look for the concert album cover, and you will be one of the judges in the runway show to determine the winner.”

“Jesus Christ! You know I hate doing that kind of shit! Even if it is for my favorite show.” David sighed, and then it suddenly came to him that Charlie had been on the show. “Wait a minute. Do you know who the designers are?”

“They gave me a partial list—I don’t think they have everything finalized quite yet.”

“Is there a Charlie Danner on that list?”

“Yep! At the top of the list. Why?”

“Doesn’t matter. I’ll do it.”

“What? Who are you? You’re not supposed to agree to this so easily.”

“Charlie is—well—he’s an old friend. I would love to see him again.”

“Okay. I’ll let the producers know, and I’m sure they’ll be in touch with more details.”

David ended the call and couldn’t hold back his excitement. He was finally going to see Charlie! It didn’t matter that he was married and had a kid. He just wanted to see the love of his life again. He had to make things right.

* * * * *

The lights in Geffen Hall dimmed, and Jaap van Zweden, the Philharmonic's conductor, entered and took a bow. Charlie took a deep breath as Christian leaned in and whispered, “You got this, Charlie!”

David Chase entered in his classic white tie and tails, long blond curls flowing as he strode onto the stage. He stopped at the piano, turned to the audience, and bowed. When he took his seat, Rachmaninov’s “Third Piano Concerto” began.

The audience was mesmerized throughout the piece. The energy in the massive concert hall was palpable. David somehow gave life to the piano and let the sound pour over every listener. The piece ended nearly forty-five minutes later, and David received his first standing ovation of the evening.

Charlie wanted more than anything to lean over the rail of the box and shout his love to David. He could have sworn that for one brief moment, David glanced up toward him and smiled—but that was ridiculous. He couldn’t have done that!

During intermission, Christian pulled Charlie aside and let him know that everything was okay. The producers were going to alter the challenge, making the runway show anonymous. That way, David wouldn’t know which designer belonged to the different pieces. There would be no contact with the designers until the final three announcement. The winner, which would have already been decided at this point, would be declared. David would only have a brief one-on-one congratulatory moment with the winner—and no one else.

In fairness to the others, the designers would all be told the reason for the change to the runway show is that David knows one or two of the designers and that to be fair and equal, there will be complete anonymity.

The second half of the program was Rachmaninov’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini,” which was the same piece he had performed several weeks earlier in San Francisco. The emotional sections of the masterpiece brought tears to Charlie’s eyes, and he was concerned that he was going to blow his cover. When he glanced over towards Eric, he was relieved to see tears streaming down his face. But when he glanced at Christian, he had to work hard to keep from smiling at the sight of his mentor’s ugly cry.

The ovation at the end of the second piece was even greater than the first. One would have thought they were at a rock concert. After the sixth bow, David walked over to the conductor and whispered into his ear. Van Zweden motioned off to the wings and nodded to David with a smile. A stagehand brought a wireless microphone out to the stage and handed it to David.

“Sit! Sit! Thank you so much! This means the world to me! Now—I realize that this is rarely—if ever—done at a symphonic concert, but I wanted to give you a little something extra this evening. I know, I know—this is rather unconventional. But then, when have I ever not been unconventional!”

Charlie didn’t know what was going on. He had never been to a concert like the one he had just witnessed. Nevertheless, he felt a sense of dread rising from the very core of his being.

“I would like to play a short piece that is my absolute favorite piano solo. This piece has such an emotional connection and means so much to me that I rarely perform it in public. Quite frankly, I’ve only played it for one other person in my entire life—and that particular person happens to be sitting in this grand hall this evening. Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy Chopin’s “Nocturne in E-flat—Opus 9, Number 2.”

Charlie tried his hardest not to gasp out loud and turned out to a dismal failure at that attempt. Eric noticed and looked at his friend. He leaned in a whispered, “Jesus, Charlie—get a grip. He hasn’t even started playing it yet! You’d think you were the person he was—talking—about—”

Charlie stared straight ahead and barely nodded his head. Tears were already flowing as Charlie whispered back, “Help me, Eric. I need your help.”

“Holy shit! It’s you! It’s him! Fate, Charlie. It’s fate.”

Eric took Charlie’s hand. Charlie held on for dear life. Fate can bite.