Thirteen

Okay, this is two - count em, two! - bonus chapters this week.  Hopefully that doesn't mean it will be a month before the muse hits again!  LOL

It didn’t take Allegra long to find Obie right where David said he would be – under the stage.  After securing her laminate from him, she asked about possibly getting a seat for the show that evening.

“I’m not sure what’s still left, but I’ll find out and have a ticket waiting at Will Call by the time you get back to the arena.  Sound okay?”

“Sounds great.  Thanks Obie!”  She paused for a moment, a little embarrassed.  “So how do I get out of here and back to the hotel?”

He laughed.  “Finding your way out is the easy part.  Finding the right door for a driver is a whole different ballgame.”  He pointed her in the direction of backstage.  “I think the door by the dressing rooms is probably where you’ll have the best luck.  A van should be waiting outside.”

Thanking him, she headed back through the maze again.  It was a little creepy this time.  The hallways weren’t deserted, but there weren’t many people around.  Since this was the second night, the preparations were minimal and had mostly been taken care of during sound check.   

Taking note of the time, she hurried.  If she was on vacation, she was certainly going to act like it.  In her mind, that meant getting showered and putting on something with a little more style than her current baggy jeans and t-shirt.   Idly wondering if Lexi would agree to help her with makeup again, Allegra pushed through the door to the outside.

About the time the door slammed shut behind her, she realized there was no waiting van.  And of course the door she had come through was a security door with no handle on the outside. 

Crap.

She pulled out her phone to call Jon, knowing he was fairly close by.  The fact that she didn’t have a number for anybody else who might be in the building also bumped him to first choice. The call went straight to voicemail.

Great.  Now what?

She was just about to call Dorothea and get Tony or Matt’s number when the offending door suddenly swung open. 

“Get locked out?”  It was that guy who’d been working with Montana earlier.  Felix.

Putting her hand on the edge of the open door and smiling gratefully, she said, “Yes.  I feel so stupid.  I was looking for the van back to the hotel.  Obie thought it would be out here.”

He shook his head, looking her up and down while absently rubbing his palm on his thigh.  “Nope, but I can get you to it.  I’m Felix, by the way.”  He offered her that same hand to shake.

Cringing inwardly, she took it.  “Hi Felix, I’m Allegra.”

He held on just a fraction of a second too long for her taste, his sweaty palm finally sliding from hers.  She resisted the instinct to wipe her hand on her jeans. 

Nodding toward the inside with a slight raise of his eyebrows, he said, “There’s a van waiting for the some of the crew on the other side of the building.”

So far she wasn’t a big fan of Felix, but staying out here wasn’t doing any good. 

There are plenty of people inside, it will be fine.

At his invitation, she followed him into the facility.  In just a moment’s time, the passages seemed to multiply as he led her in what appeared to be a random trail through the backstage area.  A strangely deserted backstage area.

Where did everyone go?

Her discomfort morphed into anxiety, and she began quizzing Felix.  “Where is it we’re going?  Wasn’t that the main arena down that last hall?  I can just go find Obie again from there, and not bother you anymore.” 

They were at the end of a deserted hall and he stopped, placing his hand on the doorknob of a closed room. 

“Don’t panic, princess.  I need to head over to the hotel too, but I have to grab something from back here first.”  He turned the knob and pulled open the door, looking at her expectantly.

“I’ll just wait right here.” Allegra told him, planting her feet firmly in the middle of the floor.  There was no way she was going to follow him into a closed room.

Felix shrugged and entered the room, saying, “Suit yourself.  I’ll just be a second.” 

She’d barely had time to entertain the notion of striking out by herself in the other direction when, true to his word, he stepped back out with some type of cord in his hand.  As he passed through the doorway, he appeared to trip over the threshold.  Stumbling, he grabbed her wrist with his free hand to steady himself. 

Allegra gasped at the force with which he pulled, causing her to stagger toward him.  She pulled up just short of contact with his body, their similar heights placing her face straight in front of his.  His instant leer made her wonder if he’d planned the move all along. 

That thought was solidified when he told her, “I knew you couldn’t resist, you slut,” and pushed his face into hers.

She raised her arms and shoved against his chest, but he didn’t budge by much.  “What do you think you’re doing?” 

“Come on baby, you know you want it. Montana told me what an easy lay you are.  I can help you out with that.”  He threw his pelvis forward in an attempt to connect with her. 

The Italian in her came to the surface, and Allegra went from being frightened to furious in the space of a heartbeat.  “Easy lay huh?”  She said, her soft tone deceptive as she placed her hands on top of his shoulders. 

He was evidently taking this as a good sign, and leaned in just little, widening his stance.  Perfect, she thought and abruptly lifted her knee with intent to maim.  The arrogant little man howled and dropped to his knees in pain.  

“Won’t be able to prove it by you, you slimy bastard,”  Allegra informed him before turning to stride back down the hall, looking for a sign of something familiar.

An easy lay??  She snorted to herself.  I ought to get both their asses fired. 

There.  That was the main arena.  She scanned the area, seeing several crew members – but none of which she recognized.  Wait.  There was Rew.

“Mike!” she called, beginning to tremble a little as the adrenaline started to fade.

Seeing that something wasn’t quite right, he hurried over.  “Hey Allegra.  What’s up?”

“Can you tell me how to get back to the damned hotel?”  she asked, laughing nervously.

“Sure darlin’, is everything okay?”  He put his hand on her shoulder and tried to get a feel for what was going on.

She brushed him off.  “Fine.  I just feel like I’m trapped in this place!  I’ve been trying to get back to the hotel for – what? – DAYS now. ”

“Well, I can sure take care of that.   Lemme call and see who’s headed back over and where one of the vans is.”

It didn’t take long for him to find out the necessary information, and escort her out the side door.  “There are a couple of the video guys riding back over too.  I’ll introduce you.”

She looked up to find Montana seated in the vehicle, staring out the window to avoid looking at her.  Her face paled at first, then flushed with renewed anger.  “Are you friggin’ kidding me?!”  She threw her hands up in the air and dug in her heels.  “Don’t bother.  I’m not getting in that van!” 

Allegra began pacing back and forth in agitation.  She looked a whole like Jon on a tear.

Confused, Mike hesitated for an instant, then closed the door and waved the driver on.  “I thought you wanted to get back ASAP?”

She stopped and whirled toward him.   “Does Jon have a personal car around here or something?” 

“Allegra, you’re starting to freak me out.  What’s wrong?”

“I JUST want to go back to the hotel!  Is that too much to ask?” 

Mike looked at her like her cheese had slipped off her cracker.  Hadn’t she just refused a ride?  He quickly and quietly got on his com unit, while keeping a close eye on her.  All she could hear of his conversation was ‘flipping out’ and ‘help’.

She slipped around the corner to the front side of the building, where she found that fans were already beginning to arrive in taxis.  Finally!  “Never mind Mike!  Thanks anyway,” she yelled as she jumped in the backseat of the nearest one. 

“Allegra, wait!”  He called after her, but she’d already gone.

∞∞∞∞∞

 “FINALLY!”  Allegra said out loud to the empty room as she entered.  Noticing that it was already six thirty, she immediately began stripping her clothes off and headed for the shower. 

Her cell phone had rung incessantly since she left Mike, but she continued to ignore it.  She’d talk to whoever it was when – and if – she finally got back to the arena. 

She was just rinsing the shampoo out of her hair, when there came a sudden and frantic pounding on her bathroom door. 

“Frannie!” a male voice bellowed.

Who had the nerve to pound on her bathroom door?  Better yet, how did they get into her room?

“Who is beating the door down and why are you in my room?” she yelled right back.

“It’s Tony!  Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.  Now why and HOW are you in my room?”

“Housekeeping,” was the exasperated answer. “I came to find out what the hell happened to you at the arena.  Mike called me and said you were flipping out on him and then just ran off.  He thought it had something to do with one of my guys.  And then you wouldn’t answer your phone!!”

“Can I finish my freakin’ shower first?”  That would buy her a minute to choose how to deal with his questions.

“Hurry up!”  He gave one more impatient thump on the door.

She turned off the water and thanked God that she didn’t grow up with brothers in the house. 

Wrapping her hair in a towel, she knew there was no real reason to tell Tony what happened.  She wasn’t going to cause problems for Montana because he said something unkind about her.  That was just ridiculous.  And Felix wasn’t going to come near her again anytime soon. 

Allegra folded a towel around her body and opened the door to her agitated cousin.

Now to decide what she WOULD say.

“Are you okay?  Tell me what happened over there,” he demanded again, inspecting her for some outward clue that would explain her behavior.

“Hello to you too, Tony.” 

If he’d had any patience at all when he got there, it was long gone.  “Stop playing around, Frannie!  I don’t have time for this shit.  It’s almost show time.”

“Then go back and do your job!  I’m fine!  I got lost in the arena and couldn’t manage to find anybody to get me back here so I could change.  I was a little stressed and ticked off by the time I ran into Mike.”

Disbelief was written all over his face.  He’d clearly thought that, at the very least, there would be a serious illness or somebody’s ass to kick.  “You’ve got to be fuckin’ kiddin’ me!  That’s IT?”  His eyes narrowed suspiciously.  “Then why didn’t you answer your phone?”

“Because I was in a hurry and didn’t recognize the number.  I’ll add your name and next time I’ll know.”

To say he was pissed off would be an understatement.  Fortunately for her, he didn’t have the time to voice the full extent of his displeasure.  He just glared – first at his watch, then her – and left, slamming the door behind him.

Allegra sighed and pulled the towel off of her head, rubbing a little more moisture out of her hair before tossing it in the general direction of the bathroom. 

She felt bad that he was upset, but she knew she’d done the right thing.  He would realize that when and if she finally decided to tell him about it. 

But that wouldn’t be until some distant day in the future. 

Long after the tour was over. 

NOT today. 

Today, she was on vacation.