The Sauna Part 201

“Jonny! There you are!” Carol exclaimed as she swept by me to embrace her son.

“Glad you made it, mom! We couldn’t begin without the guest of honor” Jon said indulgently as he winked at me over her shoulder.

I caught Richie’s expression as he’d seen Jon’s wink and he was hiding his smile with his hand. This was Carol’s swan song and I had no desire to steal her thunder, at least not tonight. I moved aside and went over to stand by Richie and he bent his head to my ear.

“She’s a real piece of work” he chuckled and I nodded.

I could not have upstaged Carol if I’d been dripping with diamonds. She was dressed to the nines and the sparkle of sequins nearly blinded me as they shimmered under the lights. Perhaps that was another reason why Jon always wore sunglasses. I tried not to sneeze from the cloud of perfume and suddenly wondered why on earth I had ever felt intimidated by such a woman. I had never seen such a spectacle.

“Happy New Year, Trish. You must be excited too” John said quietly.

“I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to be more involved in the Fan Club” I replied softly. “Have you and Carol made any plans for retirement?” I inquired.

“No, not yet actually. I’m hoping once this is all over that Carol might want to take a break from the spotlight and travel, perhaps” he said casually.

He looked rather tired, I thought, and I hoped he was right. At least Jon’s dad was looking forward to Carol’s retirement and I marveled at the patience he showed.

“It must be hard on you to be surrounded by so many celebrities, but you handle it so graciously. Any words of wisdom for someone new to the challenge? ” I asked.

“Always support them publicly, but don’t let them forget who they are in private” he said candidly.

“Well said and thank you. I’ll remember” I smiled.

“Trish, it’s time” Jon announced as he ushered me off to the side of the small stage to wait with him.

Carol took her time as she made her way through the crowd, stopping to kiss and hug everyone in her path. She glittered and sparkled as she climbed on the stage and stood waiting while her audience began to settle down. Jon squeezed my hand once before following her onto the stage and a hush fell over the guests.

“Friends, we are gathered here tonight to pay tribute to an extraordinary woman, my mother, Carol Bongiovi, or ‘Mrs. B’ as many of you know her. She has been with the Fan Club since it began many years ago, long before it even had an official name. I can remember back in the day when it was located in mom and dad’s house and she and I would answer fan mail while we sat at the kitchen table!”

The assembled crowd laughed and Carol nodded vigorously. As Jon went on and spoke about his mother’s accomplishments and devotion over the years I began to get a picture of just how much she had truly contributed. Aside from her current behavior, and her particular reaction towards me, she really had supported him from the very beginning and he owed her much. And he hadn’t forgotten. He acknowledged her steadfast belief in him and all that she had achieved through her efforts and he thanked her profusely.

Carol appeared genuinely moved as she listened to what Jon recounted and I could see that she was remembering those early struggles too. I listened with rapt attention and a growing appreciation for the role she’d played, not only in his career, but in his life over the years. I began to feel rather small and mean-spirited for discounting the woman who had always stood by him, through hard times and lean years, and my eyes were misty as he handed the mike to his mom.

Carol’s eyes were moist too as she hugged her son and took a moment to collect herself before addressing the assembled crowd. Many gathered here tonight had worked with her for some twenty odd years and there was sincere affection on the faces of many. Jon handed her a drink and she took a sip first before she began. She thanked Jon for the glowing tribute he’d paid her and she thanked all of the staff, both past and present, at Backstage. She even remembered to thank her husband and her two other sons for their love and support and even their patience during her long tenure.

I had to admit that I was beginning to feel a degree of respect for what she had done, both for Jon as well as the fans. She had dedicated over twenty years of her life to the Fan Club and her love and loyalty to Jon had been unfailing. My heart began to soften as I stood there silently and saw tears in the eyes of numerous staff and employees who I had no doubt would be grieving her departure. And they might not necessarily welcome her replacement either, I realized. Whatever my opinion of Carol had been, it was obvious that everyone didn’t share it and I would need to work hard to gain their respect and trust.

Carol concluded her speech by announcing that the Fan Club would continue under ‘new management’ and that she hoped that the transition would go smoothly. She invited all of the staff to continue supporting her son and the “biggest and best band in the world” and that they could rest assured that her son had no plans to retire any time soon. This final statement was met with resounding applause and Jon flashed his megawatt smile toward the crowd, but I saw him look sharply at his mother before she handed him the microphone.

“And now I give you my son, Jon, who will share his plans for Backstage and introduce you to the new Director, his wife” she added finally as Jon ignored her attempts to hand him the mike until she acknowledged me somewhat grudgingly.

I felt the pit in my stomach as she struggled to say the words and I saw that she refused to speak my name. Jon wasn’t pleased, but he hid it quite well as he accepted the mic and turned toward the crowd. His dad led Carol from the stage and she was immediately thronged by an entourage and I strained to see who they were. I needed to remember the faces and keep a watchful eye on her closest companions. Jon addressed the attentive crowd and he spoke with enthusiasm as he began his introduction.

“There is only one person I would entrust with such an important endeavor and who I believe to be the ideal candidate for the job. I am thrilled to introduce you to the only other woman I love with all my heart, my wife, Trish!” he proclaimed to deafening applause.

My legs were shaking as I climbed the stage to stand beside Jon. I knew full well that the clamor of the crowd was for Jon, not for me, and he could have been introducing Marie Antoinette for all that the cheering mattered. In fact, I felt rather like her and briefly imagined it was a scaffold I was mounting as opposed to a stage. I prayed to the Goddess silently that I wouldn’t end up losing my head in the end.

Jon kissed me and stood with his arm around me and I was grateful for his support. I smiled genuinely as I heard Richie let out a loud wolf whistle. I actually laughed as I caught site of his face and he gave me the thumbs up sign. The audience quieted and Jon handed me the mic.

“It will be an honor and a privilege to follow in the footsteps of such an amazing woman who has built such a wonderful Fan Club and I will forever be indebted to her for her legacy. I look forward to sharing my passion” I said as I turned to Jon “with all of you.”

It wasn’t the thunder of applause that made me feel weak in the knees, but rather Jon’s smile as he looked at me with those sultry, bedroom eyes and his most wicked smirk. Apparently I wasn’t the only one so affected as the noise grew louder and was accompanied by more whistles and shouts from the audience. Evidently I had made a good impression with that little pun and I hoped it would serve as a sign that the new Backstage with Jon Bon Jovi would be a bit less repressive than its predecessor.

Carol turned her head in disgust, obviously disappointed that there weren’t hisses and boos and I felt a sense of relief as we departed the stage. The worst was over and now I could relax and begin to enjoy the new era. The reigning queen’s shadow would linger only a bit longer and then we could start having fun. Here we go, let the party begin.