| Chapter Five Dee checked her watch for about the hundredth time as she threw another outfit on her bed in the "reject" pile. She wondered to herself why it was so important what she wore to this concert. She was going to be one of about 40,000 people there. Did it really matter? Just then she heard a car pull up and looked out her bedroom window to see Melanie getting out of her car. Dee hollered, "I'm upstairs, come on up!" "Wow! What hurricane came through here?" Melanie said staring at the mounds of clothes all over the room. "I suppose it would sound silly if I said I had nothing to wear?" Melanie laughed as she went to Dee's closet. "Yeah, it would. How about these? Have you EVER worn this present I gave you?" she asked, bringing out a pair of black, leather pants. "I haven't had the guts to," Dee said, "and believe me, tonight is not the night! It's hot and humid out there. I'd die in those!" Dee then looked at Melanie. She had on a pair of white Capri pants and a red t-shirt that had spaghetti straps interwoven all across the back of it. The outfit looked fantastic with her long, honey-colored hair that was curled at the ends. "And what statement are YOU making tonight?" Dee asked. "Hey, the guys like to go clubbing after concerts and I'm going to be ready!" Dee rolled her eyes……..clubbing. She wasn't a "clubber" and certainly didn't have anything appropriate to wear to one. Finally, Melanie decided for her and picked out a shimmery purple spaghetti-strapped top and black Capri pants. Even though her hair was short, it was almost the same shade of blonde as Melanie's. "Great, we look like the Bobbsey Teenybopper Twins," Dee said as she checked herself in the mirror. "Don't worry," Melanie told her, "Joey and Lance will appreciate it." "Yeah, yeah," Dee said, wondering if they'd even be anywhere close enough to the two singers for them to be seen. "Well, we'd better get going. Never know what traffic is going to be like, "Melanie said, bounding down the stairs and grabbing her purse. "How about we take separate cars?" Dee suggested. "Whatever for?" "Well, I've got to be at work at 6am tomorrow and I have a feeling you're going to meet up with friends and go clubbing after the concert, am I right?" "I thought I'd actually get you out among the living again," Melanie said. "Well, I'm going to pass this time, okay?" "This time?" ************ "Which seats did you give them?" Lance asked Joey as he tried to peer around the edge of the stage. "First row right next to the ramp on the right side." "How'd you hook those?" "I arm-wrestled JC for 'em." "Well, they aren't here yet. You sure they're coming?" ******************* "What's with the countdown clock?" Dee asked, as they made their way to their seats. "Intermission between the opening acts and when 'NSync comes on. Gets the teenies all hyper!" Dee and Melanie had missed the opening acts, having gotten stuck in a major traffic jam on the freeway. "Holy shit! Are we sitting ON the stage?" Dee asked as the usher kept going closer and closer to the front. "I wouldn't mind," Melanie said, as they reached their final destination. "And I don't think we could get much closer." As they sat down, Melanie leaned over and whispered in Dee's ear. "Be careful what you say. These seats are probably all 'band' seats. You never know when you're sitting next to a family member!" "Thanks for the warning," Dee replied, looking around and noticing that they were being stared at by more than one female in the vicinity. There was no more time for talk, as the lights went down and the whole place erupted in high-pitched screaming. Everyone's attention turned to the tower-like elevated stage behind them. Should've brought earplugs, thought Dee! Dee was sure Melanie was going to jump out of her skin as NSync appeared and began the show with "Pop!" Everyone was standing up and dancing, and Dee had to admit, that it was catchy enough to get her moving too. When the guys made their way down the center ramp to the stage, Dee was in awe at their stage presence. They were so different than the plain ol' guys she'd seen in the emergency room. Lance immediately spotted them as he took his place on the main stage and flashed Melanie a big smile. "Aren't they great?" Melanie screamed into Dee's ear. Dee smiled back at Melanie, not even daring to try and make herself heard! Besides, she was mesmerized by the music and dancing going on on the stage. Their energy was awesome and they seemed to love every minute of it…not to mention the screams of adoration directed toward them. Dee particularly liked a catchy song that Melanie had told her was a new song coming out on their new CD called "The Two of Us." And she wasn't sure but she thought she saw Joey looking right at her when he sang "Cause I'm thinking about you day and night, and I just can't get you off my mind. When you get a minute baby I was thinking we could hook up, it's just the two of us, the two of us." She had to admit she kind of liked the attention. But she was totally blown away when the five singers "flew" over the audience at the beginning of the next song and thought she was going to die dead when they rode the mechanical bulls. Melanie wasn't far behind. "Is this sexual, or what?" she yelled into Dee's ear. Dee only laughed and shook her head. It was clear that Lance was watching Melanie during most of the song and Melanie was enjoying every moment. But before they knew it, the concert was over. "WOW!" was all that Dee could manage as she sat back down in her seat…the only time she'd sat during the whole concert. "I told you they were good!" Melanie replied. "You sure you aren't up for a little bit of clubbing tonight?" Dee was just about to answer when one of the two bodyguards that were in the ER with 'NSync that morning approached them. "You two ladies are Dee and Melanie?" he asked. "From the hospital, right?" Melanie and Dee both nodded and said, "Yes." "I'm Todd Dukes, security for 'NSync. If you'll come with me, there's someone who wants to talk to you." Dee was just about to make a crack about her mother teaching her never to follow strangers somewhere, but thought better of it. Todd led them around the back of the stage to an area where there were all sorts of people hustling and bustling about, mostly stagehands they assumed. Amidst a group of girls getting autographs, Dee saw Joey, a white towel around his neck, hair wet, wearing a black tank top and red pants with black flames going up the sides. She took a deep breath and let it out. "I heard that Dee, " Melanie teased. "He does look pretty hot, doesn't he?" "Yeah, I guess." "You guess????" Dee just smiled. Just then, Lance came walking out from behind a group of people and straight toward Dee and Melanie. "Hey, I'm glad you two could make it tonight. How'd you like the show?" He was grinning from ear to ear and looking straight into Melanie's eyes as though Dee weren't even there. "It was fantastic, " Melanie told him. "Even my friend who isn't a fan thought it was good." "Not a fan?" Lance said in mock disbelief. "Well, I am now," Dee admitted. "You are now what?" she heard from behind her and turned to see Joey. He smiled and put an arm gently around her. "She's your biggest fan now," Melanie answered for her. Dee made a mental note to kill Melanie when they were alone. "Oh yeah? Well, how would our newest fan like to go out clubbing with us tonight? Someone told us the TomTom Club is the place to be in Milwaukee." "That sounds great," Melanie answered. "But Dee says it's past her bedtime." "I have to get up for work at 5am, so I was hoping to…" "You get up for work at 5am?" Joey exclaimed not allowing her to finish. "Heck, why not just stay up all night with us and save the trip home?" He laughed and squeezed Dee's shoulder. Dee was fighting with herself inside. She really wanted to go clubbing. She wanted to be around Joey. She wanted to have fun for a change. But that 5am alarm clock came awfully quick. "Sure, I'll come for a little while, okay?" "I don't believe it, "Melanie said, "I guess it just takes some famous boy band singer to get her to have some fun." They all laughed. "Joey, are all the guys going?" Lance asked. "Yeah, I think so. How are we getting there?" "We've got two cars between the two of us," Melanie piped up. "I can fit six in mine and Dee can probably fit four small people in hers." "You got a Beetle?" Joey asked, smiling. "No, Firebird Trans Am." Joey whistled. "I'm riding with Dee!" "That should work…with security there will be nine of us," Lance said. "I don't think Todd will fit in my car!" Dee laughed. "Let's get Todd and Lonnie to walk the girls to their cars and bring them up here and pick us up, "Lance said. "Sounds like a plan. I'll get the rest of the guys rounded up," Joey chimed in. He turned to Dee and said, "We'll see you in a little bit." Chapter Six Home |