Nineteen

She saw him across the crowded room, immersed in a pool of peroxide dipped piranha.  She almost asked the guys why he didn’t join them, before she noticed that he was in rockstar mode.  The fake smile that he didn’t want to be fake, the fake laugh that compensated for sincerity with volume, and the fake interest in the people surrounding him.  That wasn’t the Richie she cared to spend time with, anyway.

Seeing the direction of her gaze, Tico said.  “I should’ve guessed Rich would be here.  He can’t stay away from the live music gigs.  I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t end up on stage before the evening’s over.”

“I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t end up on the girl with the shiny pink tube top before the evening’s over,” David countered, tongue-in-cheek.

“Is he as much of a womanizer as he seems to be?” She wanted to have her opinion validated.  In the short time she’d known him, there’d been a handful of women.

David surprised her by saying, “Nah, I don’t think so.  Not as much as he’d like to have us believe anyway.  Now he USED to be a self-proclaimed man-whore, but that was years ago – before he got married.”

“I always get the feeling he’s looking for something new in all the old places,” Tico added his two cents.

The waitress arrived then, and they placed orders for sandwiches and drinks.  Allegra had just received a glass of red wine when her back pocket chimed.  She sighed, but tried not to take her irritation out on the guys.  “David, show me how to use this thing.”

“Yes, m’lady!”  He quickly briefed her on the basics of calling and texting, showing her the text that had initiated the chiming noise. 

It was from Jon of course.    Where is my band?

She smirked and played dumb, typing in her reply.  Why should I know?

If you have the phone, you’ve seen them.

She hated it when he was logical.  He was probably just seeing if she would go off on him about the phone.  This  touch keyboard was going to take some practice, so she decided to cut it short.  Ass.  T&D are with me @ High Dive.  R is here too. 

Thx.  Remind them early day tomorrow.  Stay out of trouble.

She did as he requested, and David snatched the phone from her. 

I think you work them too hard.  You should give them the day off.

He snickered, envisioning Jon’s reaction when he found out he’d had one pulled over on him.  All David found out was why Jon was the boss.

Nice try, Joker.  Arena by 10.  Tell A to call Matt.

The stunned expression on David’s face was priceless. 

♫  ♪  ♥  ♫  ♪

Allegra was on her second glass of wine when Richie took the stage to join one of the groups, making Tico a prophet.  He didn’t need to be in the spotlight, seeming quite content to accompany the young musicians from the side of the stage.

She couldn’t help but watch him.  Study him.  His demeanor brought back memories of that morning on the beach.  Richie melded with the guitar seamlessly and drifted into a different world.  Oh, occasionally he’d remember who he was supposed to be and over exaggerate his performance, playing to the crowd, but, for the most part, he played for his enjoyment and in encouragement of the musicians on the stage.  After the first song, both the guitarist and lead singer looked to Richie, who smiled and nodded his head in approval.  Her lips curved into their own soft smile.

“You two ever going to work out your differences?”  Tico asked quietly.  David had gone to the bar for more drinks, and they were alone.

“I don’t know that we have differences to work out.  I’m just trying to decipher who he is,” she replied. 

He nodded in understanding.  “Rich is doing the same thing.”  At her quizzical expression, he clarified.  “Trying to decipher who he is.”

“Why doesn’t he know?”

“He’s had a rough couple of years, and wasn’t happy with how he handled it.  He’s been different since.”

“What happened?”

Tico sighed.  “It’s hard for me to know what the right thing to do in this situation is.  It feels like the whole world knows Richie’s story, and if you’d been a different person, you would too.   So does that mean I tell you, when it isn’t my place, or do I let you find out on your own?”

David slid back into his seat at the table, placing fresh drinks in front of Allegra and Tico.  “Find out what?”

“Richie’s recent personal history.”

“Ohhhh.”  He studied her speculatively.  “I think I’ve got time for a quick computer lesson tonight before I have to check in with Lexi.”  He looked to Tico for approval.  “What do you think?  Let her see what’s out there and then ask questions?”

“Don’t you think we should just mind our own business?”

“As you all keep telling me, she’s family.  Shouldn’t she know as much as Jane Q. Public does about us?”  He shrugged, pushing his curls upward. “I’m going to show her how to Google stuff anyway.  What she chooses to Google is up to her.”

“Guys, I know you all chose to live a part of your lives in a fishbowl when you became musicians.  But there’s a reason they make ornamental stuff to go in the bottom of the fishbowls – even a fish wants some privacy.  I understand the fans want any piece of information they can get about you, but I’m not a fan.  Well, I could become one, but you know what I mean.  I’m in a unique position to get to know you as ordinary people, and I don’t need or want anything different.  I’ll find out anything about Richie that he wants me to know.  The same thing goes for you.”  At the light of respect in their eyes, she lightened the conversation.  “Now, Jon I already know as a person.  HIM I want to search out all the crazy stories on.  So yes, googly me!”

They both burst into gales of laughter at the mispronunciation.  David could barely get the words out, “Legs, it’s Google, not googly!”

Their boisterous laughter coincided with the end of a song, so the momentary quiet made it all the louder, catching the attention of the dark-haired man on stage.  He looked over to find David and Tico with their heads thrown back at something Allegra had said.  Suddenly he had an insatiable curiosity to find out just what.  Standing, he shook hands and thanked the musicians for letting him sit in.  He wove through the crowd, navigating the people patting him on the back and shaking his hand.

Finally he arrived at their table and pulled out the vacant chair to seat himself.  “What’s up brothas?”  He greeted the men with fist bumps.  Allegra gave him a thoughtful look.  “And sista,” He held up his fist for her and she bumped uncertainly it with her own.

“Nice work up there,” Allegra told him.  “It must be nice to know you could get a job as a session musician if you needed to.”

He felt the first genuine smile of the night cross his face.  “A man always has to have a backup plan, Sunshine.”

“What’s with the Sunshine?  You’ve been calling her that all day.”  David demanded.

Allegra had been wondering about that for a while now herself.  She had an idea as to where it had come from, but wanted to hear him confirm it.

Shrugging, he said, “Sunrise just sounds stupid.”  Leaving David no opening for more questions, he looked pointedly at her glass.  “Good wine?”

“Very good.”  She raised her eyebrows.  “Would you like some?”

He shook his head in refusal.  “No, but I do need something.  Those damn stage lights are hot.”  He signaled the waitress to place a drink order. 

“So how long have you been here?  Long enough to have more than one drink?”  Richie directed his question to Allegra.  He knew exactly when they had arrived, but he was trying to gauge if there would be a drunken encore back at the hotel tonight.

Tico watched their exchange with interest.  Unless he was mistaken, there was some subtext going on that he and Dave weren’t privy to.

“Long enough to have three, actually,” she told him with an air of defiance.  Allegra knew she was by no means drunk, but the stress of the day wasn’t wearing quite as heavily on her now.

Richie didn’t have the chance to respond before Miss Shiny Pink Tube Top appeared, draping her pink acrylic nails over his shoulder.   

Allegra idly wondered if it was subliminal messaging that caused her sudden need for Pepto Bismol. 

“I thought you were coming back after you finished your set, baby,” she whined, pursing her lips in a shiny pink pout. 

The need for Pepto intensified.

Richie broke out the fake smile.  “Sorry, darlin’.  Just ran into some friends. Why don’t you join us?”  He moved to get an empty chair from the next table, but Shiny just plopped her backside in his lap.

“Thanks baby,” she purred, walking her fingers up his chest through the opening in his half-buttoned shirt.

How does he not have any more respect for himself than that? Allegra thought furiously.  If I stay and watch this I really am going to puke.

“Tico, Dave, thanks for the invitation to join you, but it’s been a very long day.  I’m going to catch a taxi back to the hotel.  Richie, Jon said to remind you it’s an early day tomorrow.”  Allegra rose from the table, grabbing her jacket, stumbling slightly over the chair leg.  Tico quickly stood, helping her to remain upright.   With murmured thanks, she bid the others at the table goodnight and turned toward the exit. 

Before she could take a step, Tico placed a hand on her shoulder.  “Nina, when I invite a lady out, I always makes sure she gets home safely.  I’ll go with you.  Dave, what about you?”

“Think I’ll stay for a while to see where this train wreck is headed,” David told them, inclining his head toward the blonde squirming on Richie’s lap.  That comment earned a Sambora-style stink eye, but he merely grinned and turned to Allegra.  “Googly you tomorrow Legs?”

She gave him a crooked smile and nodded, taking Tico’s arm.