Chapter 76: Mohegan Sun - The Show

We three ladies were ushered to our seats by the nicest guy. He was very helpful and solicitous, and I just couldn’t understand WHY he was being so nice. Yeah right. So, let me tell you what I was wearing. I found this gorgeous clingy black jersey sleeveless zippered minidress. It fell to about four inches above the knee, and zipped from bottom to top, and I had that baby unzipped to approximately mid-chest. Yep, I’m taking fashion cues from Richie, ha ha. I skipped the hat, though.

I had stopped at Galina’s to get a low-strap bra that held the girls firmly, but the thin straps looped around the waist instead of at the chest. I wore the Jimmy Choo’s that went over so well in Chicago, and my Christmas jewelry. This dress is yet another item I will probably never wear again, but dammit, it looked good, and I did owe David a little something for not coming to the show last night.

We were chatting up the women around us, who were eyeing Sam curiously, not sure if they recognized her or not. There had been a few photos of her in some of the glossies, although not too many, but devoted (stalker) fans knew what everyone in the “inner circle” looked like. Wives were definitely in the IC, and these women had the ‘stalker’ look.

When the lights went down and Daughtry came out, I started to smile. This was SO much better than watching from backstage. You get the full experience. And, because we were in the front row, dead center, we got lots of looks and attention from the band. We sang and danced, and flirted with the guitar player, who kept throwing his picks at us.

When Chris asked the crowd if it was OK to dip back into the eighties, and started to sing “Home Sweet Home” as an intro to their own song, “Home”, I got misty eyed. Pretty soon, I’ll be on my way home sweet home to David. Forever. When they were done, Chris winked at me. We had met last week in Chicago (God, was it just a week ago?) and we had hit it off smashingly. Apparently, he remembered that, too. He was remarkably like my brother, all goofy and fun. I’d love to get them to meet.

When the techs came out to switch the stage, Steve was among them, and he looked for us in the crowd. We waved and called out to him, and he jumped down to say ‘hi’. He took hugs from us all, but when he got to me, he looked me up and down and said, “Jesus, Hath” and laughed before hopping back up on the stage.

The women around us just gawped at us. “You KNOW him?” one girl, wearing too-tight jeans and FAR too much makeup.

I shared a look with Lucy and Sam. “Yeah, I used to work for him,” I said breezily.

“You did?” the woman, Christine, asked.

“Yep. It was just one gig, but it was enough. I can check ‘Roadie for Bon Jovi’ off my to-do list.”

She didn’t look like she believed me, and I really couldn’t blame her, but I wasn’t going to explain any more. Let her wonder. We were still talking when finally the lights started to dim again.

Teek came up first, to enthusiastic applause. He was walking gingerly because he had done something to his back earlier. He was determined not to let that stop him though, and you gotta love him for his dedication. I’d’ve been knocked out on pain killers at the hotel. Then Renz, Hughie, and Bobby came out, and they all smiled at us. I could see Hugh’s eyebrows go up behind those shades.

Then David came out, wearing the shirt I had bought him with extremely tight black jeans and a great jacket with a sequined appliqué on the back. He faltered a minute when he saw me, and his eyes narrowed as he tried to see what I was wearing, but it was still dark where we were standing, and the spotlights were in his face, so he ascended his little dais without finding out. Richie and Jon came bounding up to screams of joy, and Lost Highway started the show.

We knew the minute Richie and Jon found their ladies in the crowd, because their smiles lit up brighter than any spotlight ever could. When those lights hit us in the front row, David’s eyes went wide, and I put my hand to the zipper, and lowered it just a little. Jon jumped in front of David to keep him from leaping off the stage, and he shot me a warning look – no more than a split second – and he didn’t miss a note. I laughed, and raised the zipper back up.

A couple songs later, and Jon addressed the crowd asking who was there last night. Lucy and Sam cheered and waved, and David gave me a pointed look. I stuck my tongue out at him. Then Jon asked, “So the rest of you crazy sons of bitches came out in this weather to see us?” and the place went wild. I simply nodded.

A few songs later and Jon talked to the audience again, warning those who were faint of heart that it was going to get good now, and we couldn’t take it, the doors were “right back there.” We three looked at each other, and turned like we were going to leave. We heard Richie laugh a little into his mic before he stepped back, and we turned back to the stage and blew the guys kisses.

When Richie moved front and center to sing “These Days” and Jon disappeared, we shifted so Lucy could be right in front of him. She just watched him with her face so full of love, it was beautiful. I had totally forgotten that Jon was making his way to the other little stage at the back of the floor section until Sam disappeared. During MAM, she was escorted to the side of the mini-stage, and got to watch Jon work his magic.

Toward the end of the song, Richie disappeared down the stairs at center stage too, and Lucy disappeared along with him. Jon and Richie did “I’ll Be There For You” together on the little stage, and I had my eyes glued to David the whole time. He’d lost the jacket by now, and the snowy white shirt all but glowed in the stage lights. Now that I had an unobstructed view of my man (thank-you-very-much) I was able to catch and keep his eye, and I sang the words to him, reaching my arms out for him. Everyone else was turned toward the Dynamic Duo but not me. David winked at me, and I blew him a kiss, and he briefly closed his eyes as he caught it, and I knew that was just for me.

Sam and Lucy came back when the guys did, earning more looks from the women around us. We ignored them and kept up with the guys note for note until we were exhausted. Even Sam, who hadn’t been a fan at the beginning, knew most of the standards, and some of the newer songs. When the stage went dark after Prayer, Sam and I clutched each other’s hands and waited. We knew Hallelujah was the first song in the encore, and that David and Jon were coming out together. Jon looked wonderful in the powder blue, short-sleeved snap up shirt Sam had chosen for him, and David had changed into a tight black tee that did things to me…

Let’s just say that there’s nothing quite like a tall, muscular guy in tight clothes. Mmmm.

Anyway, after Wanted, Jon got a little fun and the band did Twist and Shout. It was one of Sam’s favorite Beatles songs and we three danced and twisted and shouted until we were hysterical laughing. When the boys took their final bows, we waited a few minutes for the place to start to clear out and Steve was sent out to get us.