The Sauna Part 281

I smiled at Hugh as he reasurred his wife that he was doing just fine. I’d dialed her number and handed him the phone as soon as they allowed me to see him as I knew that nothing short of his voice would put her at ease. I’d have felt the same way myself. The show would be over soon and the guys were on their way, so I was glad that they had a few moments of privacy without all the hoopla that followed the band.

The show had gone exceptionally well despite all the challenges and Jon looked triumphant when he marched into the room. The excitement he felt from Jim, Willie, Dickie and Jeremy had been contagious as he remembered the rush he’d felt at performing his first stadium gig. The guys all crowded into Hugh’s room and I smiled rather ruefully as I wondered what bribe Jon had used to get past the nurses who were supposed to make sure that there were only two visitors at a time. Hugh was still weak and he looked rather tired, but he was obviously glad to see all the guys and he did his best to appear nonchalant.

“What, no flowers? How soon they forget” he lamented to me.

“Damn gift shop is closed, but I bet Rick’s got extra autographed copies of the CD” Richie winked.

“Sorry, man. I ain’t got none left; there were an awful lot of nurses on this floor” Rick laughed as he turned over empty hands.

“Yeah, well, you know how it is when there’s a hot, sexy rock star flat on his back” Hugh smirked.

“No!!!!!!!! Tell me!!!!!!!!!!” David teased back and we all broke down and laughed.

“Aaaww, damn, don’t make me laugh!” Hugh begged them, as he held his arm over his stomach.

“Shit, sorry, dude” David replied.

“So how’d the show go? You gonna join the band?” Hugh smiled, directing his attention to Jim who was standing a little aside.

“It all went pretty well, but I’m no replacement. It’s a good thing the fans are so forgiving…” Jim began.

“Hey, man, you did alright. And we pulled those guys from last night up on stage for a few songs and the crowd really liked it” Richie added.

“Those kids from the bar?” Hugh asked and Richie nodded.

“Yep, they were a little bit nervous, but not half as green as Jim’s face before Jon agreed to give it a shot” Richie cackled and Jim nodded his head vigorously.

“Leave it to Jon to make ’em pay for those tickets” Hugh smiled and Jon grinned.

I heard someone clearing their throat and a voice I didn’t recognize as a strikingly attractive nurse swooped into the room and immediately took command. This petite little woman was obviously a force to be reckoned with and the look on her face told us all that she meant business. She grabbed David’s ear and barked at the rest of us.

“Blimey, who let all you ragamuffins in here? Let the poor fellow get some rest!” she bellowed, dragging David along by his ear as she herded us out.

I gave Hugh a quick kiss on the cheek and followed the guys as it was obvious this nurse wasn’t impressed by the shaggy locks of a rock star.

“Hey! Careful there, I need that piece of equipment! But you’re more than welcome to run your fingers through my hair, darlin’” David flirted shamelessly.

“You could most likely hear better if you cut off that mop!” she replied sternly, apparently unmoved by his offer.

“Whoa, little lady, we’re going. We just wanted to cheer up our buddy” Jon said sweetly as he flashed her his megawatt smile.

“Don’t you ‘little lady’ me, Mister Rock Star. Move it along!” she commanded as she released David’s ear and hustled Jon out of the room with a swat on his ass.

I couldn’t help laughing at Jon’s startled expression. There weren’t many people, especially women, who didn’t swoon when he turned on the charm, but this particular nurse was having none of him and I suspected it was actually David who had caught her fancy. Hugh called out a goodbye and chuckled in spite of the discomfort it caused him as the nurse closed his door and rounded us up.

“Okay, now that I have your attention, let’s get a few things straight. This is a hospital and these are the rules! Two at a time for visits, except family and kin, and visiting hours are between nine and nine. Have I made myself clear?” she announced, surveying the guys.

“Yes, ma’am” David said, rubbing his ear.

“Well then, what are you all still doing here? Shoo!” she said with authority as she shot him a look, but her eyes were sparkling with mirth.

“Damn! Poor Hughey! She’s a Nazi!” David surmised.

“She likes you” I smirked. “Didn’t you catch the way she looked at you? I think you’ve got a fan” I laughed.

“Yeah, I saw that too. She wants you, dude!” Tico observed with a wry smile.

“Oh, stop it you two! That’s not funny!” David protested. “She attacked me!”

“Yeah, man, and just think what the foreplay will be like” Richie cackled.

“No accounting for taste, is there?” Jon interjected.

“None whatsoever” Richie agreed.

“Hey! Seriously, ya think she liked me?” David asked wistfully.

“Absolutely, my man, absolutely” Tico confirmed.

We boarded the elevator while David considered the possibilities and we stopped at admissions on the way out, leaving Rick’s last CD for the young intern who’d been helpful to me. We piled into the waiting limo and the guys filled me in on the details from this evening’s show. Richie had given Willie the guitar he had used at the show as a gift and Jon had encouraged the kids to contact him in the future if they had enough songs they were ready to record. We arrived at the hotel just before one o’clock in the morning and the guys headed off for the bar while Jon and I said goodnight and went up to our room.

“So how did things really go tonight?” I asked, slanting my eyes up at Jon.

“Actually, pretty well, all considered. Jim messed up a few parts, but truthfully no one noticed and the crowd was fantastic. The kids played really well and they’ve got some potential. That lead singer is quite an arse. He reminds me of me” he grinned, his eyes twinkling.

“So he’s got enough arrogance to hold his own with the likes of you, eh?” I smiled back.

“Yeah, the kids got some balls. You know, I was thinking. Maybe on the next tour I’ll try showcasing some local talent for the opening acts. The crowd really loved it and it felt pretty good to give struggling new acts a chance to be heard …and seen” Jon said thoughfully.

“Sounds like a good idea, love” I yawned as Jon pushed open the door to our suite.

“Tired, babe?” he asked as I leaned my head on his chest and he kissed the top of my head.

It’s been a long day, I thought as I nodded. Now that we knew Hugh would be alright after a few days in the hospital, I felt drained. The adrenalin rush I’d experienced when he was in danger and an evening of being on pins and needles had left me relieved, but thoroughly exhausted. I wanted nothing more than to slip into bed and fall asleep in the comfort of Jon’s arms. We slowly undressed and crawled into bed, snuggling close as our minds pondered the remains of the day.