Backstage

The girls followed the security guard (whose name was Niall) through the barriers, and around to backstage. “The guys are cleaning up,” he said, “and need a few more minutes.” He didn’t see the wide-eyes of the two women as they pictured their particular favorite band members naked and soapy. “You two want to see the quick-change rooms first?”

“Sure!” Jennifer said. Anything to keep her mind off a naked Richie. She was gonna embarrass herself if she wasn’t careful. They went into this sort of tent backstage, and it was clear this was Jon’s space. There were bottles of water everywhere, a director’s chair set up in front of a mirrored table, hair dryers, brushes, and product lined up over top. A copy of the set list was taped to the wall. Jennifer traced down the list, and stopped two-thirds of the way down. Richie was supposed to sing “I’ll Be There For You”. She reached out for Gail’s hand.

“Look, Gail,” she said, pointing a shaky finger at the sheet of paper. “He changed it for me,” she said shakily.

“Aw honey, that was sweet,” she said. “That was a pretty public statement there, Ms. Special Friend. Wonder what the boards are going to say about it?” She started laughing. “Shit, I’ll bet you never thought you’d be the source of speculation did you? Hell, I may just bring it up on the board to see what people say.”

“You wouldn’t!” Jennifer said, horrified.

Gail just gave her a cryptic smile. “Girl, I’ll bet most of them will have already read a review of the show by the time we get back on there.”

Niall led them out of this tent and into a second. Jennifer just stopped dead inside the entryway. This was definitely Richie’s space. Where Jon’s had been neat and orderly, everything here had a slightly strewn, used and lived-in look. Plus there was the rack of guitars along one side. That was a definite giveaway. On one of the tables, an unstrung double-neck sat. “What happened here?” Jennifer asked Niall, trailing a fingertip over the smooth wood. It was a gorgeous instrument, the mahogany gleaming even in the meager lights back here.

“He wasn’t happy with the way it sounded, so he wanted it restrung,” Niall said. “The techs will take care of it when they’re packing up.”

A burst of static sounded from Niall’s hip, followed by a woman’s nasally voice. “Niall, you have the contest winners?”

“Yeah, boss, they’re right here.”

“Bring ‘em back.”

Gail and Jennifer looked at each other and grasped hands. They followed Niall through a rabbit’s warren of hallways until they came to a large room. A bar was set up on one side, and trays of appetizers on the other. Waitstaff were just starting to circulate around a crowd of what had to be a hundred people. “Who are all these people?” Jennifer asked Niall.

“Crew and staff mostly,” he answered. “There are a few personal friends, some local businessmen, some press. The usual.”

Gail and Jennifer looked at each other and rolled their eyes. “The usual,” they mouthed to each other, and giggled. When they made their way deeper into the room, the girls were met by a tall, thin woman with a wide smile. “There you are,” she said, shaking their hands. “I’m Brenda. The band is looking forward to meeting you,” she said with a wink. “Right this way.”

Brenda led them through the crowd, which parted for them as they approached. A photographer trailed in their wake. They came to the middle of a group of people, and Brenda cleared her throat. “Jon,” she said. “I have your winners here. Gail and Jennifer,” she said, indicating each in turn.

He smiled at them. “Well hello there,” he said, smiling widely. He chuckled. “Look at you two,” he said. “You look great.” He extended his hand to Gail. “Nice to meet you,” he said. Gail took his hand briefly and just smiled. Jennifer couldn’t blame her. He really was something close up. His eyes were sparkling and dancing, and his smile was infectious. The tiny laugh lines around his mouth and eyes made him look approachable and kind, and were unbelievably sexy. “So,” he continued. “Did you have a good time?”

The girls started laughing. “No,” Jennifer said. “The show sucked. We’re no longer fans.” She rolled her eyes at him. “What do you think?”

Gail just slugged her. “Shut up, you mad cow,” she hissed.

Jon rolled his eyes right back at her. “Anyway,” he said, with a pointed look. “Here are the others. Rich, Teek, Dave, Hugh, Bobby, and Renz.” Each in turn extended a hand to be shaken, and the girls took them.

“Rich and I have already met,” Jennifer said, winking at Richie, then turning to smile at Gail, who had a shit-eating grin on her face.

Richie grinned widely as he figured out that Jennifer had told Gail about him. “Thank God,” he said under his breath, and hauled Jennifer in for a hug. “Hi, darlin’,” he said, sliding a kiss over her lips. “You look good enough to eat,” he said in her ear, and nipped at her earlobe. “What did you do to your eyes? They look positively…”

“Feral?” Jennifer supplied helpfully. “Contacts. Cat’s eye contacts.”

“Damn, that’s sexy,” Richie growled in her ear.

When he straightened, Jennifer smiled into his eyes. “Thank you for the song,” she said, a light sheen of tears springing momentarily to her eyes. She quickly blinked it away. “It was just beautiful, Rich. You were beautiful.”

“You’re welcome,” he said simply.

A photographer snapped their picture, and Jennifer jumped a little, not expecting the flash. Richie just chuckled. “Smile,” he said into her ear. “This is how it all starts. Look at him,” he said, indicating the photographer. “He’s dying to ask how we know each other.” She smiled at the reporter, then turned and saw Gail sort of just standing there, transfixed by David. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the man.

“Do I have food in my teeth or something?” David asked, turning to Lorenza, who laughed and shook her head.

“God, sorry,” Gail said, blushing. “It’s just that I’ve wanted to meet you for-fucking-ever. I had this nice little speech all planned out, but…” She took a deep breath. “I just wanted to tell you that I admire your talent, and to thank you for turning me on to the piano. I started learning to play because of you and well, just thank you.”

David smiled and leaned in to kiss Gail’s cheek. “Well thank you very much, sweetheart,” he said, then smiled. “I like your tat,” he said, blue eyes twinkling at her.

She blushed and ducked her head. “Thanks,” she said, finally looking away from his gaze. She saw Jennifer, standing close to Richie. He had an arm around her waist, and he was slowly, almost undiscernibly, rubbing a finger back and forth across the tat on her abdomen. She had such a look of contentment on her face that Gail laughed outright.

David followed her gaze and smiled. “She’s been really good for him, and they’ve only just met in person,” he said. “He’s been smiling like an idiot for weeks.”

“She’s been different, too,” Gail said sighing.

“I thought you hadn’t met until yesterday?” David was confused.

“We met in person then, but we’ve known each other much longer than that,” she said, looking back at David. She had to chuckle at his expression. “You don’t understand the Sisterhood, do you?” He just shook his head. Gail chuckled and called over to Jennifer, “Hath, he doesn’t understand about the Sisterhood.”

“Hath?” David asked.

“Tell ya later,” Tico said to him, throwing a wink at Jennifer.

Shit. Jennifer took a shaky breath. “Yeah, the Sisterhood; Sisterhood of the Brotherhood. The woman fans get it.”

Jennifer and Gail looked at each other. “Well, the normal ones,” they said in unison.

Gail picked up the explanation. “You see, most Jovi fans bond instantly. We all have similar stories about how your music has touched our lives in some grand way; helping us to celebrate something momentous, or to mourn something or someone…” she trailed off, and Jennifer went to her and hugged her close for a minute, both women tearing up at the memories that were assaulting them. Gail whispered “thanks” in Jennifer’s ear, and straightened. They kept their arms tightly around each other’s waists, and turned back to the group with shaky smiles.

“Your music, your songs,” Jennifer said to them, “are more than just pretty things to hear on the radio. Your words…it’s like you can see into our minds, our fucking souls, and rip out the emotions we’re feeling, and lay them out in such a way that we know you get it. I don’t know how else to describe it. It’s like you KNOW us.” She shook her head and looked at Gail.

“Pretty heady stuff,” Gail said. “Powerful. It’s no wonder why you have millions of loyal fans all over the world.”

Jennifer smiled. “That and you guys are smokin’ HOT!” Everyone laughed, her remark breaking the tension.

They talked and laughed, and after a while, groups of people started coming to make their goodbyes. Gail and Jennifer stood off to the side with their drinks, chatting while the guys took care of business. Every once in a while, Richie would look over to Jennifer and wink or smile at her, making her sigh. “So,” Gail said quietly, watching the exchanges. “Are you going back to his hotel room tonight?” She had a smile that would have done any gutter-girl proud.

“No,” Jennifer said, smiling. “No, I don’t think so.”

“Why not?” Gail was surprised. She thought for sure her friend would be chomping at the bit to get Richie into bed.

“For heaven’s sake I LIKE him.”

“That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever,” Gail said, shaking her head. “Isn’t this what you have dreamed about forever?”

“Oh hell yeah,” Jennifer agreed. “But that was in the quick-one-night-fling sense. I know him now, and I like him. A lot. I don’t know, I want to get to know him a little better before I jump into bed with him. I don’t want to just use him to ease the ache. Besides,” she grinned evilly. “The anticipation will make it all the more powerful when he comes to Boston, and he’s really good at phone sex.”

Gail choked on her drink, and Jennifer burst out laughing. “Jesus, you slut!” Gail hissed loudly, catching some attention.

“Shhh!” Jennifer said to her friend, trying to cover Gail’s mouth. Gail ducked her hand, and the two of them were laughing and falling all over each other. “Are you going back with David?”

Gail blushed. “No, though he keeps looking at me like that, and I just might.” She sighed. “It was easier when I didn’t know him. Now, shit, he’s real not a figment of my fantasy, and hell…right now I’m just dying to play piano with him. What the hell?” She shook her head. “What’s my problem?”

“You’re being a very mature person, there Gaileepoo; not a crazed fan. Just like me.”

“Fuck you, it pisses me off.”

“I hear you,” Jennifer said, and they clinked their glasses together.

“You girls just about ready?” Jon called over to them.

“Yeah,” Jennifer said, and reached for her blackberry.

“What are you doing?” Jon asked her.

“Uh, calling for my car? I’m sure as shit not walking back to the hotel in these shoes.”

Jon laughed. “You guys can ride with us.”

Gail’s eyes widened. “They’re in the same fucking hotel?”

Jennifer blushed. “Oh, I didn’t tell you? Jon and Tico are across the hall from me, David next door, and Rich the next door down.”

Gail punched her arm. “No, bitch, you didn’t tell me.” She rolled her eyes at Jennifer. “No wonder my usual suite wasn’t available. What else didn’t you tell me, Hath?”

“Stop calling me that,” Jennifer hissed. “Not in front of THEM for Christ’s sake.”

“Sorry,” she said sheepishly. “Well?”

“Uh, I had breakfast with them this morning in my room,” Jennifer said.

“Hell,” Gail said. “I’m staying with you tonight.”