Ch 18 ~ Showtime

As soon as the door closed behind her, Jon pumped his fist in victory.  He’d been holding his breath, getting more and more anxious and irritable with every minute that Rachel was late.  If offered the opportunity, he would have made book on the fact that she was going to bail on him.

And it was money he would’ve gladly lost.

He didn’t know what had happened on her way to the venue, but he knew – without a doubt – that she almost didn’t get there.  For whatever reason, she had nearly convinced herself that this was a bad idea.  No matter that Jon had been on his absolute best behavior since storming his way back into her life.  No matter that he had consciously pulled his head out of his ass, hoping that guy would be the one she wanted.  The doubts that he had worked so hard to banish had nearly swooped in and convinced her that they were bigger than anything she might have with Jon.

Take that, he silently crowed to the invisible troublemakers.

And the funny thing was – in hindsight – the work hadn’t been all that hard.  It was kind of like being a musician.  There was a lot of exertion to create the songs, record the album and schedule the tour, but in the long run...  The payoff was worth it. 

A labor of love.

And tonight he fully intended to meld those two loves.

A sharp rap came at the dressing room door and Richie’s dark head poked around the corner.  “Yo man, you ready for sound check or what?” 

A light bulb went on inside Jon’s head and he grinned into his guitarist’s face.  “Richie Sambora.  Just the man I needed to see.”  Looping an arm around the taller man’s shoulders, he guided Richie to the sofa where the setlist was in progress.  “Sound check can wait a minute.  Come talk to me.  Help me fine tune the setlist.”

Richie snorted rudely and pulled back, looking at Jon as though he’d lost his mind.  “You want my help with the setlist?  Since when?  You’re as fuckin’ possessive of that thing as the Virgin Mary’s cherry.”

“Yeah, well...  Tonight I need a second opinion, wise ass.  Rachel’s here, so stop bustin’ my balls and help a brother out why don’t ya?”

The patented shit-eating Sambora grin slid across Rich’s face.  “No shit?  She finally broke down and deigned to grace you with her presence?”

Jon ducked his chin into his chest, smothering a smile.  While he hadn’t shared the whole Rachel ordeal with his bandmates, they had gotten a pretty good idea about what was going on.  He’d gotten caught swearing at himself on more than one occasion and, during a tour, Richie made a special point of keeping tabs on the band personal lives.  It helped in his role as unofficial peacemaker when nerves eventually frayed.

“Yeah and I wanna make sure she doesn’t regret it.  You gonna help me or what?”

Long guitarist fingers rubbed together in evil-slash-gleeful anticipation of getting his two cents’ worth in on this little operation.  God knew he’d offered Jon enough unsolicited advice during the last two weeks, which had mostly been ignored.  If Jon was listening, Richie wasn’t going to miss his golden opportunity to speak long and loud.

“Oh there’s no way I’m missing out on this.  Let’s see what you’ve got here, my man...”

~~~

                                              

Rachel’s head swiveled from right to left, eyes flicking to the rafters and back to the floor again.  Arco Arena was filled to capacity with an impressive and – to Rachel – surprising crowd.  It wasn’t just a bunch of forty-something women dressed in tight, skimpy clothes as she’d expected.  People of all ages had turned out in droves to see Bon Jovi’s one night show in Sacramento. 

Her eyes fell to the coveted “pit” section and the curved catwalk that separated it from the rest of the floor seats. 

Just before Jon’s sound check, he had given her a brief tour of the entire setup and walked her around the stage.   He had specifically pointed out what he called “the circle”, telling her that he would be out there for a couple of numbers and instructing her to pay particular attention to the set list during that part of the show.

Puzzled but curious, she had agreed.  She’d had more time to think about it since then and wondered if her seat was going to be the best spot to take note of those details. 

Jon had given Rachel her choice of remaining backstage for the show, or sitting with the crowd with options of a pit seat, floor seat or a riser seat near the stage.  She had weighed her alternatives, ultimately deciding that since this was her first show, she wanted to be in the best possible position to see the whole picture.  To that end, she had been seated in the front row of the riser section that flanked the pit on “Dave and Bobby’s side of the stage”, according to Jon.

Regardless of whose side of the stage it was, Rachel had deemed it the perfect vantage point to take in the entire production.  The other favorable point was that, with the front row of the risers being virtually level with the main stage, she would also have an unobstructed view of Jon in full rock star mode throughout the entire show. 

Once the opening act took the stage, Rachel had a better sense of what to expect from Bon Jovi.  Not that she was comparing the lead singer of Dashboard Confessional to Jon – in any way – but it had been so long since she’d been to a concert that she’d forgotten how... involved the singers became with their audience.  Her mind ignited, producing a thousand random thoughts that jumbled the circuitry of her brain like a parade of sparkly chickens.

Would Jon flirt with the women in the pit?  Or outside the pit?

What a ridiculous question, Rachel.  Of course he will.  It’s what they expect of him.

If she was going to do this relationship thing with him, she was going to have to get used to it.

What was it going to be like to have him teasing and smiling at the cleavage-flashing brunette in the front row, knowing that it was her – Rachel – that would be going home with him?  Knowing that she was the one he’d be spending the night with?  And... possibly...  having sex with? 

By the time Dashboard Confessional finished their set, Rachel was fit to be tied.  She was excited, calm, nervous, anxious, scared and elated all at the same time.  Because no matter what happened on that stage tonight, Jon Bon Jovi was coming to her house after the show.  They would have a little wine, talk, kiss, touch...  and whatever else felt right. 

Her skin tingled.

Dammit, this show could be cancelled right now and I wouldn’t care.

Right now the fact that she had never seen a Bon Jovi show didn’t matter in the least.  All she wanted was some time alone with the man whose face was on half the t-shirts in the room.

The lights suddenly flickered and dimmed, followed by a roar from the crowd.  Whistles and catcalls became deafening as the screens over and behind the stage filled with images of Jon and the band. 

Guess they’re not cancelling, so you might as well stand up with the rest of the crowd and enjoy it. 

It was the third song before they played something that she recognized, but she rocked and bopped along with the rest of the crowd.  How could she not?  Jon was both magnetic and engaging, even if he wasn’t the man she’d come to see.  The man holding court at center stage was unfamiliar to her, but in an oddly familiar way.  There were moments her heart soared with just a glance of the man she knew, but most of the time the guy with the panther-like moves was a stranger – a very sexy stranger, but a stranger nonetheless.

During a brief lull between songs, the arena went black.  All was relatively quiet until there were a handful of squeals that rose from the floor.  Rachel understood why when a spotlight obliterated the darkness and found Jon standing on “the circle”.  He had made his way through the pit in order to climb the few steps that put him on the catwalk platform.

She smiled at the women reverently reaching out to touch his pant legs and ugly black athletic shoes that he wouldn’t be caught dead wearing on the street.  Even as she wondered at his choice of concert footwear, she recalled his telling her to pay special attention to this part of the show.   

Dutifully, Rachel angled herself toward the figure strumming a black guitar and surveying his domain.  Because of his change in location, his back was mostly to her, but he was as magnetic at that angle as anywhere else on the stage. 

He sang of old lovers reconnecting and making a memory, tossing a glance over his shoulder at one point. 

“If you go now, I’ll understand… If you stay, hey, I got a plan…”

The song, like many of its predecessors in tonight’s setlist, was one she hadn’t necessarily known was a Bon Jovi song, but she still recognized it.  This particular tune was a hit that came along well before Rachel had, so she knew it didn’t have anything to do with her.  Still...  he seemed to try and seek her out for that split second.  Had he chosen the song purposefully with both her and that lyric in mind?

Don’t be silly. 

But he had told her to pay special attention to this part of the show...

She shook her head as he quietly thanked the audience for their applause and Richie joined him at the microphone.  The guitarist nodded in her general direction as he took up his instrument and conversed briefly with Jon.  It was hard to tell from that distance, but she thought he might have winked at her?

Perhaps she was making assumptions with the last song, but when the two men finished their chat and soft guitar intro to “Can’t Help Falling in Love With You” subsequently drifted over the crowd, she recognized it instantly.   

Tears welled and she pressed a finger at the corner of her eye to dab away the moisture.  She had no idea why she was being such a girl.  It was just a song.  For all she knew he performed it at every show.

You came here tonight, Rachel.  Your decision is made.  You don’t need to make up reasons to keep your distance.

Fine.  She was touched that he’d followed up on their conversation and put a little Elvis into the program by choosing to perform her favorite song from The King.  Her insides warmed and the corners of her mouth curled into an adoring smile as the women at his feet squealed with delight over his selection.

Or maybe you’re just on an emotional roller coaster.  Wipe off the all-day handstamp and exit the ride, please.

As Jon’s final acapella note faded, the screen over the stage showed Jon and Richie grinning at one another, and Rachel obligingly grinned along with the two men who were apparently pleased with their song choice and performance. 

This show keeps getting better…