Chapter 24: Alabama

Ashley’s bus pulled up to the Birmingham Convention Center at two o’clock on Saturday afternoon. Ashley, Kyle, Marina, Dave, and everyone else that had been in the Wednesday rehearsal got off the bus. Behind the bus, a two-axle truck also pulled up and stopped. A few minutes later, a dozen ‘roadies’ from the BCC were unloading the truck and carrying the band’s musical instruments into the large arena.

Ashley took Dave’s hand and led him into the large theater. She explained, “I’ve sung here before. The acoustics aren’t the greatest, but the fans don’t care. We’ll do a dry run of you about four o’clock so you can hear how you sound in here. It won’t quite be the same because there won’t be all the people soaking up some of the sound and the echoing effect won’t be as pronounced.

“By the way, I gave you the wrong number on the size of this place. I think I said eight-thousand would be here. I was wrong. Kyle told me on the bus. We’ll have eighteen-thousand; it’s a sell-out crowd. SRO.”

Dave looked up at the sunny sky. “Oh, Lord, save me from this pernicious experience and pain I’m about to feel.”

Ashley laughed and led him up onto the stage. “When I sing, at least initially, if I’m nervous, I’ll pick a spot way off in the distance, like that red exit sign, and I’ll sing to that. The feelings go away pretty quick. I’m not nervous any longer, even right off the bat. When I started singing, I damn near had a panic attack if there was anybody present other than the band. What I’m trying to do now is give the audience a good experience. You do that when you make love to any of the women in your life – you set out to give them a great experience. This is the same, only instead of sex, we keep our clothes on and sing.” She giggled.

“Thanks for that clarification. I might have gotten the two mixed up out here tonight. The situation could have become embarrassing.”

Dave walked around the stage and looked out and around at the eighteen thousand empty seats. He tried to visualize it with every seat filled and failed. The only seats that weren’t going to be used in the arena had been a couple of hundred that were cordoned off directly behind their stage; they had no visibility for the event. Instead, a large number of VIP seat had been set up on the floor area in front of the stage. He thought, ‘So this is what eighteen-thousand looks like. Holy shit. I’m fucking terrified.’

Dave was sure that his skin had paled from his Florida and motorcycle tan to a lily white and pasty complexion because of his fear of singing in public. When he stood, his legs shook and he was sure his knees would give out.

A little after four, the band had finished their set-up and ran through a few songs to make sure all the instruments and the sound system worked as intended, and that Jason and Annie in the mixing booth had locked in what the various controls did to the acoustics in the stadium. The stadium staff had also provided two ‘helpers’ to guide them at a large mixing board in a station behind the VIP seats.

Dave ran through the song Loving More Than One with Ashley, getting used to reverb effect in the stadium, as well as the ear pieces that she recommended he wear so he could hear his own vocal tones more accurately. He didn’t care for the hearing aids, but wasn’t about to get rid of anything that might help him sing on key.

The entire group ate at the nice restaurant in the hotel. They had their own dining room and a buffet style dinner. Dave noted a touch of Cajun spices in the meals, and appreciated the diversity the hotel had provided. He was so nervous he didn’t eat much.

After dinner, Kyle, Marina, Ashley, and Dave went up to their suite on the top floor of the hotel. Kyle sat down to watch the news with Marina snuggled against him. Ashley started to layout her sparkling costume for the first half of the evening concert. She’d change into other duds she’d put in a clothing bag during intermission. Dave paced back and forth trying to burn off some nervous energy.

About six thirty, Robby Nixx, the band leader dropped off a large bag of clothing at the suite. Ashley looked very happy with what he’d procured.

Ash went up to Dave and said, “All right, strip. Keep your undies on.”

Dave did as instructed right down to his black briefs. Ashley handed him new blue jeans that had to have been washed five hundred times and beaten to smithereens against a brick wall with a baseball bat to take the newness out of them. He put those on along with a wide tan leather belt with a large silver buckle of a rodeo horse. The effect was kind of garish but truly country western.

There were western boots, and Dave was amazed at how well they fit and how comfortable they were. Ashley explained that they were snake skin – at least the outer surface was. They were sharp looking.

Dave got a western shirt next – red with white trim. The outfit was stereotypically ‘cowboy’ and made him feel a little hokey, especially with the bolo tie. Ashley assured him he looked fine and would fit in with what she’d be wearing on stage with him. “It’s what the fans expect.” A western hat topped off the ensemble.

By the time they finished dressing Dave, the entourage took off for the arena a couple of blocks away. They snuck in the back door. Concert goers were already arriving to claim their seats through the main doors.

The ‘green room’ for the arena was tastefully decorated in beiges and had a large television with a DVD player attached. On several of the channels people in the green room could look at the arena from viewpoints. They briefly watched as the seats in various sections started to fill, and then switched over to the movie Top Gun that was playing on one of the cable channels. The movie was a good distraction for Dave. He loved all the flying scenes.

Their Concert Master arrived in the green room about seven-fifteen – fifteen minutes before the start. He was a cheerful man with salt and pepper hair, a crisp blazer, and walkie-talkie that made him super-official. He said a few words about attendance, verifying that the arena had sold out. He mentioned security and a few other items, and then led the group through a labyrinth of halls until they were at a door just behind and to one side of the stage. He explained the path to the stage to Ashley and Dave, and then left them to police the VIP area.

In the meanwhile, the band had moved into place and had spent a moment verifying the tuning of their instruments. At seven-thirty on the dot, a stentorian voice came over the arena’s speakers replacing and overriding all other sound: “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ASHLEY STEERMAN!”

A thunderous ovation sounded to the point Dave wondered whether the arena would collapse. People cheered, shouted, applauded, yelled, and stomped and expressed their pleasure that Ashley was there. Everyone was standing up.

Ashley gave Kyle and Dave each a kiss, and then bounced up the rear stairs onto the stage and then directly out to her performance area at the front of the stage.

“HI BIRMINGHAM!” More cheers as she waved with both arms and looked out at the crowd. The band segued into the opening strains of Burning Angel, a cheer of recognition came from the crowd, and Ashley was off a running.

Forty-five minutes later, she announced she was doing one more song and then taking a break. She promised to be back onstage at eight-forty for the second half. She launched into the last song for that part of the show, finished, gave a wave, and ran back stage and into the hallway where the others had stood and watched from behind her. Everyone went back to the green room, including the band.

Without an ounce of modesty, Ashley stripped her clothes away down to her thong and no bra. Everyone kind of glanced at her but she was flying around doing her costume change, so the hot body and some bare tits weren’t exactly erotic at that time. She was all business. Marina and Ally helped Ashley dress in another cowgirl outfit of a different color – this one shades of blue with lots of studs and diamonds. Her new boots matched the skirt and blouse, too. The outfit contrasted perfectly with Dave’s new duds.

Kyle checked over Dave’s outfit, did the fly check, and declared him fit to appear in front of eighteen-thousand people. Ashley coached Dave to run some scales with his voice so he was limbered up and ready to sing. He sang like a robot until Ashley came over and stood in front of him. She pulled up the shirt she’d just put on, and said, “Suck on my tits.”

Dave bent over and did just as she said. After two minutes, she said, “NOW, sing your scales and stop sounding like this is worst thing to ever happen to you. This is your big coming out party! Stop thinking about yourself and think about the people you are here to entertain.”

Dave went back to singing and he did sound better. Even the band applauded him as they laughed; they all knew the pressure a newbie must be feeling right then. They were all used to it and had been where he was.

The Event Manager appeared again and led them to behind the stage. The band continued to the stage, took their positions, checked everything and then signaled they were ready. Ashley hopped up the stairs, and went out to the front of the stage waving to everyone.

“Hi Birmingham. I’m back, and I brought a friend with me who I hope you’ll welcome with a big round of applause.” [Applause] “This is his first time singing outside his shower, so be nice. He’s going to join me for three songs tonight. I hope you like him – DAVE PRENTISS!” She twirled around and held her arms out.

As she did, Dave hopped up on the stage and came out waving, pretending to act cool as a cucumber. He bowed to their applause, and held his hands to his heart in gesture to show how humbled he was by their welcome. The expression, ‘Fake it until you make it’ played in his mind. The band struck up the opening refrain of Texas Dawn. As they did, the crowd went wild with recognition and applause. This was Ashley’s first big hit – one of the many she’d had since she started.

Dave took the microphone in his steady hands and sang the opening verse – ‘Texas dawn comes early when you’ve been awake all night.’. Ashley joined in, and smooth as silk the pair delivered all six minutes-forty seconds of the duet flawlessly, even getting their romantic looks at each other perfect. Dave noted the close-up shots the TV cameras captured in the arena projected up on two immense screens beside the stage and at both ends of the arena.

The applause and cheers brought tears to Dave’s eyes. He’d conquered his great fear. He’d sung in public and hadn’t made an ass of himself – yet.

Dave and Ashley hugged, briefly kissed, and bowed together. Ashley then took her microphone and said, “We all know that Jackson isn’t too far from here. We hope you like the next number.”

The band started and Dave shifted into his low ‘Johnny Cash’ bass register and started the song: ‘We got married in a fever’. He continued and traded off here and there with Ashley. They were laughing, too. Soon, she gestured and many in the audience started to join in the song. The band members sang along, too. The song was a big hit with the fans.

At the end of the song, Ashley and Dave took their bows, and then Ashley raised her microphone to introduce the next number. She started, looked at Dave, glanced backstage at Kyle who nodded at her, and then spoke to the eighteen-thousand fans.

“Thank you. Many of you know I live a unique kind of lifestyle with a group in Florida called the Circle. They even appear on a weekly cable television show that some of you may have seen. Kyle, my husband, also belongs to the Circle, and so does Dave, here. We love each other very much – they are my two favorite men in the world.

“My husband is older and raised his first batch of kids with his wife before they separated. He was unable to have more children when I wanted to have some, so at our request Dave stepped in and fathered my first child. Dave is also the father of my second child that will be born next March.” She patted her tummy. “Kyle and I are ecstatic at the birth and pregnancy, and we remain a very happy couple as well as members of the Circle.

“With that background, I wrote the song Dave and I are about to sing for you now: Loving More Than One. I hope you like it, and now for the first time, you know the background to the lyrics.”

The band immediately segued into the opening refrain, and this time Ashley sang the opening line to the song. Dave came up beside her and put his arm around her, as he joined in. Near the end of the song, Kyle came up the back steps and stood with the two of them on Ashley’s other side. As the song ended, they both kissed Ashley’s cheeks and then she kissed each of them on the lips.

Dave waved and bowed to the crowd, and then he and Kyle left the stage. The band immediately picked up the tempo for the Carrie Underwood song Casanova Cowboy. The crowd seemed stunned, and the applause for the duet carried into the start of Ashley’s next number.

As Dave and Kyle got to the doorway where they could watch the rest of the show, Dave said in a frantic tone to Kyle, “Did you know she was going to do that?”

He nodded and smiled. “Yeah. Sooner or later, somebody would spill the beans or someone would notice that Kendall and-or the next baby look like you. We’d kicked the idea around, and decided today was as good an occasion as any. I hope you didn’t mind? It wasn’t a last-minute decision but we weren’t sure which concert to do it at until we talked at intermission.”