The Sauna Part 141

The food arrived relatively soon and it proved to be an excellent distraction for everyone. Jon’s dad and mine were talking and I couldn’t quite hear the conversation, but it seemed affable enough. Carol was drinking more than eating, but at least she was out of my direct line of vision so I scanned the room to see how Lainie and Richie were managing.

All appeared well, so I turned my attention to Jon, who surprisingly was standing at a distance from everyone and just watching pensively for signs of trouble. I made my way over to where he was standing and he set down his plate and pulled me against his chest for a quick kiss.

“Did you eat something, babe? Are your folks doing okay?” he asked anxiously.

“Everything’s fine, love. Relax, you’ve still got a show to do” I said as I looked closer, noting his lip looked nearly normal now.

“No sign of my battle scar, eh?” he grinned, noticing what I was looking at.

“Nope, not really. You’re every bit as gorgeous as ever” I reassured him.

He checked his watch and noted it was going on seven and he was getting antsy. He needed to change his clothes and get down to the stage and do a final sound check. I wanted to change and freshen up too and just get a little breathing space before an entire evening with his mother. The stage here was set up differently and there were no “sides” where I could hide unnoticed, so I would be at the table with our folks and the women.

Richie appeared at Jon’s elbow and he looked tired, but content. Apparently he and Lainie had made up, at least for now, and I was glad for all our sakes. He and Jon agreed it was time to head down and we excused ourselves from the group. Rick was in charge of making sure that the family got to the show and that everyone was seated at the right table. He whispered something to Jon who nodded a reply and we made our exit, leaving Carol to hold court in his absence.

“I just want to apologize for my mom, darlin’. She’s nervous about meeting you and your family and she’s had too much to drink. That’s just how she gets when she feels unsure of herself” Jon said, trying to excuse her behavior.

“It’s okay, baby, really. I’m glad that she’s proud of you” I responded, trying to reframe it in a more positive light.

Jon nodded and seemed satisfied that he’d explained her boorishness, but I wasn’t buying it. I would try to give her the benefit of the doubt, though, for his sake. I doubted I would ever come to like her, but I did like his father quite a bit. I wondered if perhaps I just had an issue with mothers because of my experiences with my own. But we both had difficult mothers, or so it seemed.

We went to our room and hopped in the shower for a quick clean-up as there really wasn’t time for much else. Jon dressed for the show without the proverbial black leather pants and vest I was so fond of, opting instead for black jeans with a white shirt and black jacket. He still looked amazing, but he’d toned it down for this show as he was conscious of the audience tonight.

He went down ahead of me, anxious to run the sound check and review some last minute details with the guys. I wasn’t quite ready anyway and I doubted I would ever be able to shake my hair and go like he did as women really required more maintenance than that. I was sure his mother had quite an elaborate grooming ritual herself, I thought smugly, and then tried to dismiss the negative feelings I’d developed.

I kissed him goodbye and figured it was the last time I’d see him until the show was over, so I lingered on the kiss before I released him. He gave me a squeeze and told me he loved me and to hurry down before they started letting in the paying customers. I debated my outfit briefly and decided to play it more conservative, taking my cue from Jon again. The Tienda Ho skirt I had just bought and the batik blouse were perfect-feminine and sexy, but not too much. I was ready.

I made it down as they were finishing the sound check and Jon winked at me from the stage. I went to our table and was pleased to see that the family was all present and accounted for, save Carol and John, and I thanked Rick for herding everyone to the spot. Lainie was there, and Eva too, and I was grateful that Eva offered to act as a buffer between me and Jon’s mother. Lainie was tickled to be seated between Eva and Carol and that offered another layer of protection.

Rick placed a glass of champagne in front of me and checked to see if anyone else needed anything. My sister sat on my left and Eva was on my right. I was ready. The guys had gone off the stage and were warming up in another room and I began to feel the buzz of excitement. This was a special show with a number of acoustic renditions of my favorite songs and I was really looking forward to it. It wouldn’t be as loud as a usual concert, so dad wouldn’t get annoyed, but it would still be loud enough for my mother to hear.

There was a bit of a commotion near the main entrance and we all turned to see what was going on. I should have known. It was Jon’s mother, not content to come in the back way like the rest of us, but preferring to make Rick bring her through the crowd so she could say hello to all her buddies from the fan club that were eagerly waiting outside. I felt bad for Rick and knew he had his hands full as he steered Carol and John towards our table.

She took her seat quietly enough, but it was clear that she had had a significant amount to drink as she bumped into the table before sitting down. She called imperiously to Rick and demanded he get her a drink and I really hoped he had the forethought to water it down. The doors opened and the crowd began to fill in. I could barely hear my dad as he commented on how nice it was to not have to stand in line and I knew that he appreciated how attentive Jon had been to every detail.

The lights dimmed as people found their seats and I noticed Rick hovering behind me protectively. I hoped that Lainie didn’t notice that the blond from last night was just two tables away and that she also had a ringside seat. They were the contest winners and had the best seats in the house next to us.

I heard the first strains of Richie’s guitar and immediately recognized the opening chords of ‘Lay Your Hands on Me’ and I scanned the crowd to see where Jon would appear in the audience. Lainie and I spotted him first, and I grabbed Linda’s arm and pointed and she passed word on to my father. Even Carol’s attention was riveted on her son then.

Jon made his way through the audience, encouraging the fans to reach out and touch him as he sang the words. He truly was like a preacher, working the crowd into a frenzy and many of us were on our feet by that time. Even Linda stood up, as did Pat, when Jon approached.

He halted in front of me, singing directly to me as he came to the line “if you want me to lay my hands on you”. I instinctively reached for him as he reached back and touched my cheek. The crowd went crazy and I could feel the blood rush to my face, my heart pounding at his gentle touch. And then he was gone, leaping onto the stage.

Even my dad was on his feet then, but he kept his hand on my mother’s shoulder and she stayed seated. The crowd roared and the sound of applause was deafening. Jon was a master of his craft. His timing was impeccable and he read his audience like a book. I swelled with pride and I felt like the luckiest woman in the world at that moment.

He launched into the next song, one of my sister’s favorites and she sang along to the chorus. My father was smiling and actually seemed to be enjoying the show and my mother followed Jon with her eyes. Jon pulled a girl on stage to dance from the table of contest winners and I saw Lainie stiffen as she noticed the blond, but she returned her gaze to Richie and I could see that he was looking right into her eyes.

The show continued through many of the usual acoustic numbers, but Jon had another surprise in store for me. My mouth fell open as I recognized the beginning notes of ‘I’m No Angel’ and I looked up at Jon in total amazement. He flashed me that mega watt smile of his that he usually reserved for the cameras, but this time it was genuine and I melted.

My mind flashed back to several days ago when he had sung it for me privately and I softly mouthed the words along with him. He continued to hold my gaze through the entire song and there wasn’t a soul in the room who understood what that song meant, but no one missed the fact that he sang it for me. I wanted him so badly it was all I could do not to run up on the stage.

The song ended, but the spell wasn’t broken. He mesmerized me and I couldn’t take my eyes from his face. He struggled too and forced himself to look away and pay attention to the audience. My dad was smiling and Eva touched my arm lightly. I leaned closer to her without taking my eyes from Jon and she whispered in my ear.

“Jesus, that man loves you” she said, having never seen Jon lose his focus on the audience like that before.

And so it was for the remainder of the show. I was incapable of conversation and Jon struggled to keep his mind on the audience. He closed with ‘Who Says You Can’t Go Home’ and everyone at the table was singing, except daddy and mother who really didn’t know the words but had picked up on the chorus.

It was just past ten-thirty when they left the stage and Jon wiped his face with a towel and bounded off the stage to join us. I rose to meet him and he crushed me to him in a huge bear hug. I didn’t care one wit how sweaty he was as I clung to him tightly. Pat and my father shook his hand and his own father clapped his hand on his back. His mom kissed him as she slurred her words.

“That wassa great show, Johnny” she said enthusiastically as she tottered getting to her feet.

“Thanks mom, dad. I’m so glad you could all be here” he said turning towards my family.

“Did you enjoy the show?” he asked them.

Linda heaped praise on his performance and Pat told him it was the best concert he’d ever seen. Even Linda admitted it was better than the BeeGees and that was high praise coming from her. He leaned down to hear my mom and I couldn’t make out what she said, but Jon grinned and I was glad.

“It’s not my kind of music, but I enjoyed it more than I thought. You’re a helluva performer” my dad said and Jon was elated.

I was grateful to Jon’s father who, realizing that Carol was hammered, excused themselves and went to their room under Rick’s watchful supervision. My dad wanted to get my mom to bed as well and accompanied them, but Linda and Pat stayed for a bit, energized by the crowd and the excitement.

Richie had come over to Lainie and stood with her at his side, signing autographs and soon Jon was thronged by fans too. We naturally moved off to allow him to focus on the fans and Tico left Eva with our group and she invited us all back to their room to wait for the guys. Linda and Pat declined, feeling they needed to go and check on the dog and take her for a walk and we said goodnight, promising to meet up in the morning for breakfast.

I motioned to Jon that I was with Eva and we walked to the elevator together, heading towards her room. We went inside and she poured me a glass of wine and set out some cheese and crackers from the little refrigerator. I was too excited to eat, but I accepted the wine and sat down in the big, plush couch in their suite.