The Boy from the Band

The Show

We go to his dressing room so he can change into his stage clothes. I've never been backstage so I've never been in a dressing room before. It's nothing fancy, but it does have a shower so he can wash off the sweat he'll work up during the show.

He strips off his jeans and his shirt and hangs them up in the closet. He puts on a brown suit with a maroon shirt which suits him rather nicely. He looks handsome, dapper until I notice that he's misbuttoned a shirt button.

"Come here," I tell him and start to unbutton his shirt.

"Can't wait to tear my clothes off, huh?" he teases and I tell him to hush.

I have to undo most of his buttons, but get them straightened out. I leave the first two undone and fold the shirt collar over his jacket, then step back to admire my handiwork.

"You look good, you're going to have the women in the audience swooning if women still do that sort of thing. You know, I've never seen you perform before, outside of the studio, this is going to be a real treat."

He picked up his bass and put his arm around my shoulders. "Come on, we've got to go. Ben is going to look out for you. There's a place where the VIP's watch the concert and that's where you'll be. We'll play a ninety-minute set and two encores, then Ben will take you backstage to join me."

"My personal bodyguard, huh?"

"I guess you could say that. People always think that concerts are a lot more organized than they are, it's more like organized chaos."

Ben showed me to a spot where Rick could look down and see me. Unfortunately, the little blond groupie was standing there too. I don't know who she charmed, fucked, or sucked to get there. All I wanted was for her to stay out of my way and not make goo-goo eyes at Rick.

The house lights were darkened, then a man came on stage and announced into the microphone, "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Band!"

The auditorium burst into applause and yells, then the band began to play. I was so close I could feel the music as much as I could hear it. The Dallas audience clapped and stomped their cowboy boots in time to the rhythm and the mood was so infectious I was clapping and stomping my little high heels along with them.

After they finished their first number they took a bow, the first of many. Rick looked down and smiled at me, a smile that was meant only for me. When someone threw roses on the stage, he picked up a couple and threw them to me and winked.

The little blond groupie glared at me.

I could feel the energy coming from the audience. Rick had told me about this, about how the audience put out this energy that the performers quite literally feel. I hadn't believed it because I never experienced it, but I could tell by the way their playing changed that it was real. Their moods seemed to rise, they bantered amongst themselves. Rick told his bad jokes, making the audience laugh.

What was happening was magic and I could not believe how quickly time flew, even with the two encores. As the audience clapped and yelled, demanding another encore, Ben came to get me.

"He wants you backstage now. He's going to shower and change then as soon as he can make his exit, we'll head to the party. Come on, he's waiting for you."

I looked at the little groupie, no one was paying any attention to her, and I hoped I would not see her at the party.

Rick held out his arm when he saw me and nestled me into him. "So, how did you like the concert, babe? I see you still have the roses."

"One of the best I've ever seen," I answered truthfully. Not the best, that honor belonged to the Stones, but this one had an infectious spirit the Stones concerts I'd seen hadn't had. Well, maybe that wasn't the truth but these were different musicians playing a different kind of music. They'd seemed closer to the crowd somehow.