Brazil was one of the most festive pces in the worldthey lived and breathed samba. Such cheerful and complementary people. Billy had a certain popurity that wasn’t typical; over time, it was clear people enjoyed his song, the one that hit the radio a single he’d released purely on a whim. That petunt way of putting something out just for the thrill, without pausing to think about what signals or realities might come true. Still, things were far more complex than they first appeared.

  Taking a breath from the sweltering night that pressed down from the heavens, the people there seemed to be in a pce outside of time, dreamlike, with idyllic overtones where the heat moved as if in chorus with time itself. The star-filled sky was as magnificent as one could expect from moments that always manage to move some hearts. Everything seemed to flow in a symphony of realities that truly captivated those who took a moment to notice what others might overlook. The lights came on and the sky blurred, a signal of reality and decorum, as fleeting as the shortening night.

  -Thank you, then – Adriana remarked, there as a special guest, one who seemed to bring life to those gathered.

  -You’re welcome, but no one here seems bothered… I mean, you’re all stunning—just standing in a corner, you can light up a room, no doubt about it. I can tell my show comes to life when beauties like you attend – Billy said to Adriana. She had many friends who weren’t that close to them—some were friends of Alessandra, others of Isabeli Fontana, or acquaintances; there were even a few men in the crowd.

  The concert began at exactly 6 p.m. Billy was punctual. It ended at 8:30 sharp, and of course, the party kicked off at 9 p.m., sting nearly until dawn. Time felt retive, for the party was a living thing—shifting and moving, always branching out with prestige.

  -Well, we’ll see if it’s worth it – Adriana replied.

  -Darling, it will always be worth it – Billy said, moving closer to those emerald-green eyes, like something conjured out of virtual reality. A green so marvelous it could make people stir; with a few simple steps, he was just a breath away, his face mere centimeters from hers.

  -I hope you didn’t make me come here for something foolish… You said it would be in my name, but for some time now, you’ve been confusing me with your new retionship. She’s quite pretty – Adriana said, taking a jab at Scarlett, who was always quick to pounce on any hint of doubt. She was sharp and cunning, no question about that, and people rarely escape failure entirely.

  -She only helps me nd roles – Billy replied.

  -Harsh… if she heard you –

  -It’s simply the truth. I want to be an actor, and a woman who can help you is a great asset. I suppose we have an alliance then—a partnership, a friendship – Billy said.

  What could he do when things took on an unpleasant and ambitious edge, one not unfamiliar to those who navigate Hollywood? Still, the st thing Billy expected was for Scarlett to be so sweet, so sincere, even if she had blunt, defiant ways. The care a woman can give is irrepceable, unlike anything else—within it lies a certain answer, a path.

  -Cold… it hardly sounds like something you’d say. You like women, but… –

  -It’s mutual. I’m not sentimental, but flowers must always be kept and protected—it would be foolish of me to let them wither. You know my motto –

  -Even in lies, you give every trace of yourself. It’s nothing but a falsehood – Adriana said, in rough Portuguese, to which Billy responded:-Bme me, but my fws don’t aim to hurt you – Billy said, reaching out to touch the skin of her arm, that alluring step where fingers dance over fire—the burn of a touch that sparks desire.

  She pulled away sharply, with a hint of fear, for the dance between them sounded to others like something personal and charged. They were in public, yet the warmth running through Billy made the fme fre.-I have to head to the VIP –

  …

  Adriana arrived at the VIP section—a separate area at the corner of the stage, a balcony for about 100 people. All around were stars from various media; some had flown in from Europe for unknown reasons. Tickets and travel were as good a reason as any to celebrate love.

  She took a strong sip of vodka with soda, served in gsses for 150 reais. Pricey, but acceptable for her wallet. When the music began, it hit like a blow.

  …

  -We’re changing the order – were Billy’s words.

  -What the hell, man?! – Jack Sauce excimed, his expression changing.

  -Sorry, but I want a different song—or we end the concert right here and to hell with it all – Billy said.

  -You damned idiot –

  -Billy… – Spencer began cautiously – you know this complicates things for us –

  -We’ll start with “Incomplete,” “Chasing Cars,” “I Don’t Love You,” “Use Somebody,” “If You’re Gone”… then we’ll move on to “I Am Yours,” and from there we’ll go into album A, the ones we practiced – he said, rolling down his sleeves. He was ready to perform, and no one would stop him.

  …

  -I want you to know I speak your nguage… but my music is for the soul – Billy said in Portuguese, his soft accent much appreciated. Effort always was.-“Chasing Cars” (Snow Patrol). Enjoy –

  ???????

  We'll do it allEverythingOn our own

  We don't needAnythingOr anyone

  If I y hereIf I just y hereWould you lie with me and just forget the world?

  ???????

  His emotional depth was that of Jim Morrison, with the rawness of Kurt Cobain. He sang with power and grit, but now so softly it was as if he whispered a step, a cry audible only to those who took the time to listen. And when he did, when he let go, he could draw people in and hit the mark. How good it felt to be, in his own way, the chosen one by some strange science—the man who could dare to achieve something worthwhile, a song. People noticed he rarely smiled when singing, only fleetingly. Mostly, he seemed raw, often photographed unsmiling, and even in his blog, he seldom smiled; elsewhere, he appeared angry or sunk in a depressive state.

  Billy saw Adriana from afar—so certain, so resolute—that the truth itself took form. Who could stay still when everything he conveyed pierced the soul and made life itself stir? Music was a wave of force that poured truth into those who listened. He made the hairs on the back of her neck rise.

  ???????

  I don't quite knowHow to sayHow I feel

  Those three wordsAre said too muchThey're not enough

  If I y hereIf I just y hereWould you lie with me and just forget the world?

  ???????

  …

  In equal measure, Billy pnted the seeds of human desire and the sense of decorum people know as truth, so intimate that the prevailing images were the delight of kissing a woman, a scene that gave the air of morning, a particur and comprehensible calling few could truly name.

  He used every ounce of himself to avoid failure, because who could accept failure, truly? That’s why he put everything into his hands, every image fshing through his mind—from idealization to the purest memory of being, from solitude to the truth that men need to be creatures of an intimate heart. Adriana felt her breathing quicken by ten beats—she couldn’t understand why.

  ???????

  Forget what we're toldBefore we get too oldShow me a garden that's bursting into life

  Let's waste timeChasing carsAround our heads

  I need your graceTo remind meTo find my own

  ???????

  …

  Billy never denied he liked the shift from joy to sorrow, even the sorrow he pushed away—everyone could make room for a wondrous form.-Solitude –-Love –-Forgetfulness –-Memory –

  ???????

  If I y hereIf I just y hereWould you lie with me and just forget the world?

  Forget what we're toldBefore we get too oldShow me a garden that's bursting into life

  ???????

  Understanding came—it was time to hand over every memory with Adriana, though they were only his ways of remembering. He was mistaken in thinking Alessandra didn’t also feel the weight of those songs, the kind that carried them to a pce as blissful as lovers who begin a story they refuse to end. Like lovers, they wouldn’t refuse the pleasure that stalked their hearts, so fragile they danced upon their own steps.

  Reasons for being.

  ???????

  All that I amAll that I ever wasIs here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see

  I don't know whereConfused about how as wellJust know that these things will never change for us at all

  If I y hereIf I just y hereWould you lie with me and just forget the world?

  ???????

  ....