Chapter 134

“Wow Boss, I never heard you play like that before,” I heard over my earpiece.

“Michael, that was incredible,” Janice said as well.

The rest of the evening was as incredible. Our new usual of a mix of Broadway, current, oldies, country and GLEE music ... actually our final song of the night was the entire GSS Cast performing “True Colours” (Season One, Episode Eleven)

With a slight yellow light on her short blond hair and baby doll eyes, it was very nice...

CARLA
You with the sad eyes
Don’t be discouraged
Though I realize
It’s hard to take courage
In a world, full of people
You can lose sight of it
And the darkness,
inside you makes you feel so small

SEVEN GIRL CHORUS
But I see your true
colours shining through
I see your true colors,
that’s why I love you
So don’t be afraid, to let them show
Your true colours, true colours
are beautiful, like a rainbow

CARLA
Show me your smile and
Don’t be unhappy,
can’t remember when
I last saw you laughing
If this world makes you crazy
And you have taken
all you can bear
Just call me up, because
you know I will be there

ALL EIGHT GIRLS
And I see your true colours,
shining through
I see your true colors,
and that’s why I love you
So don’t be afraid,
to let them show
True colors, true colours
Are beautiful, ooh like a rainbow

CHORUS ONLY
When this world makes you crazy
And you have taken all you can bear
Just call me up, Because
you know I will be there

ALL
And I see your
true colours, shining through
I see your true colours,
that’s why I love you
So don’t be afraid,
to let them show (Just show your)
True colours, true colours,
true colours are shining through

CARLA
I see your true colours,
that’s why I love you
So don’t be afraid, to let them show
Your true colours,
true colours, true colours
Are beautiful, beautiful, like a rainbow{br}

I was singing too, but I got up and limped in between Carla & Rose and we all said, “Thank you, Cleveland.”

Without Stu telling me the numbers, I saw two guests coming forward to give me the information I enjoy so much at the end of the evening.

With his hand out, the first gentleman said, “My name is Frank Jackson, Mayor of Cleveland. Despite downsizing the total number of seats recently, we had just over 70,000 people, a technical sellout. I have a check for you for $12,867,000 and one of our favorite sons is here to give it to you.”

“Hello, Michael ... My name is Drew Carey. I’m a huge fan of yours. I have everything you have recorded so far. The fact you mentioned the Hall of Fame was not lost on me. Frank here, is a good friend of mine, so I tagged along tonight to watch your show. It’s gone through something of a metamorphosis from when you started it. I love it.”

“Thank you, Drew, I have loved your sitcom, and especially ‘Who’s Line Is It Anyway?’ My favorite on the show, honestly, wasn’t you, it was Colin Mochrie. The look on his face, especially during hoedowns had me in stitches. I would have to stop and rewind it to catch the next bit.”

“That’s very kind of you. He was as scared as he looked during anything musical. Ryan and he became lifetime friends during that show.”

Jennifer came up behind me.

“Is this your wife?” Drew asked looking her over.

“Yes, I’m Jennifer Thomas,” she said putting out her hand, which he took and kissed.

“Careful there Mr. Carey ... I know of your wife, and son.”

“You seem to have hit the jackpot, Michael. All that talent and a beautiful woman by your side. Good luck to the both of you.”

A final shake of the hand and we turned and left. I saw Jenn put the check in her bosom cleft. From behind us, my father came up and asked, “Where’s the check?”

“It’s safe,” Jennifer said. “Don’t worry, Brian ... unless you want to get it directly.” She turned around and looked down to show him where it was. He looked at her both nervously and lecherously at the same time.

“Take care of it, please?” he said as they went to the other bus.

“Well done, Mrs. Thomas,” I said to my wife.

We got on the bus, and we headed out to Detroit, a three-hour drive away. We tried to sleep but couldn’t keep from kissing each other.

With my wife on my lap, Joanie came over and asked, “How much is the number, Michael?”

This was her short way of finding out what we have earned to date per person. I disconnected my lips from my wife’s and said, “First, a question ... is James being a good boy again?”

“Oh, yeah ... he’s happy he is closing in on getting up the nerve to ask me to marry him. I’m going to say yes, but he has to ask me. I don’t want you to provoke him at all. Either, it’s his idea, or it won’t happen. So, what’s the magic number, Mikey?”

“I will announce it by text as soon as we pull up to the Westin Book Cadillac Detroit Hotel.”

“But you promised?”

“If I tell you, can you keep from telling anyone else?”

“I will do my very best, Lover,” she said putting her hand on my knee.

“That’s the best you are going to get from Joan, Michael. Go ahead and tell her,” my wife said. I got Joan up close and whispered a number in her ear, after which she said, “Thank you for trusting me.”

My wife and I went back to sleep.

The touching of the brakes woke me up ... telling me we were pulling into our,

28^th Stop
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit Lions
Ford Field – 65,000
Expandable to 70,000+
Crowne Plaza Detroit
Downtown Riverfront Hotel

We had a day off, before our evening of music. After checking into our room, Jenn locked and latched the door.

“Ok Michael, what is exactly going on with your floating in your sleep? I have been patient for a long time?!”

“OK, JT – You deserve to know everything. Remember when I explained what happened when I turned six years old?”

“Yes, what about it?”

“I began to have lots pf dreams, practically every night. Sometimes I dreamed I could watch myself dream. I also had voices telling me things, things I wasn’t quite old enough to understand.”

“My God, Michael! Why have you waited to tell me any of this?”

“I didn’t want to worry you, Baby. I heard voices. That is not something you tell just anyone.”

Jennifer moved to my lap, giving me a nice kiss. “Go ahead, I’m willing to hear all of your story.”

I explained how complex things had been getting, especially been the ages of 6 and 12. When I said that the main voice was my own, she jolted a little. My recent reasoning was that I was guiding myself forward, but for how long?

“So, you can float on purpose?” she asked.

I stood straight up and let myself raise up about two feet off the ground causing Jenn to shriek very loud, “Ooooohhhhhh My Goodness!”

After I calmed her down, she reasonable asked, “Can you make me fly too?”

“I have no idea why I can fly, sweetie.”

“Could you take me along on a flight?” she asked breaking into a massive smile.

I answered by taking her by the hand and floated up again, this time she rose up as light as a feather.

No scream this time, but she did step on my feet and asked me, “Are you my Superman?”

We were very well-received by Crowne Plaza, and I asked if there was a room we could rehearse in and they had what they called the Windsor Ballroom, saying they had been asked to hold it for us. Thanks again, Dad!

They mentioned it was a room that could hold 500 people, so that should work out quite well.

I texted the bunch of them asking to help get all the instruments inside before anybody crashes to sleep for the morning. I had received another twelve episodes of music from GLEE having had them copied and put in boxes to travel with. I asked my beefiest guys to bring those in for me and twenty minutes later all was secure in the ballroom. I told them as I saw them to be ready by noon to learn some new music. That seemed to invigorate many of my orchestra and singers.

This whole itinerary was the best we had developed, with the days off, near the end of it that we needed for rest and renewal. In this group of songs were the songs from “Hell-o,” “The Power Of Madonna,” “Dream On,” “Funk” plus another seven more sets of music. All the rest of the inventory, we would get from Jeff and Ally when we got home. That would mean a nice big copying job for Ewing Printing, the official copier of the GSS!

Jenn and I went up to our room, to take our post drive nap.

“So, do all of your bras fit you these days?” I asked. “You seem to look more comfortable than before.”

“Yes, I did check, but they didn’t grow any bigger. Probably not until you get me pregnant. I will probably become the same size as Jen Chapman. I know that would make you very happy.”

“All I need to make me happy, is you. Pretty little girls and handsome young boys should be exactly what our kids look like. Speaking of children, will they be able to float/fly?” she asked almost too casually.

“I would suppose so.”

Have a wonderful rest, Lover,” she said pushing her hefty bosom against my back.

After we woke up, she talked me into leaving the room long enough for breakfast. The in-house eatery is called The Jefferson House located down in the lobby. I woke up especially hungry, and a little horny. I promised my bride we would take care of both needs before our rehearsal.

We found an available table all our own, to which Peter and his wife and Charles and Shirley were both offered to join us.

After we ordered, I asked, “Peter, what will your dialogue tomorrow night be about?”

Charles answered, “We don’t usually talk about it too much in advance. We like the spontaneity of it all.”

“Is there anything, in particular that you want us to say, or avoid?” Peter asked.

“No, nothing like that ... just keep being funny and clever ... and no more bestiality humor Peter, regardless of what my mother says?”

“What’s that?” Charles asked. Grinning, Shirley said, “I will explain that to you later, Honey.”

He took out his phone and must have looked it up as he blushed the most I had ever seen on a boy. He snap-closed his phone and put it back in his pocket.

Quite conveniently, our food came. I went to my big pile of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast.

Mrs. Chapman, on my other side said, “I remember making you scrambled eggs when I used to live with you Michael. Are your eggs as good as mine were?”

I coughed just a bit, saying in reply, “Would you like to taste my eggs sometime Jennifer? I have been getting better ... in the kitchen.”

There were some muffled giggles and quick glances between the Chapmans and the Thomas’ ... with Charles and Shirley unaware of what was going on. They were eating and he was checking his phone for something.

“It says here that Detroit ranks first in the nation in potato chip consumption. We could do something with that, couldn’t we Peter?” Charles said.

“Sure thing Charles. Potato chips, Cow chips, chips ahoy, ahoy their mate...”

“Not while we’re eating, please?” my wife said.

“Sorry gorgeous,” he said to her. That got him a slap from his wife. “I have learned to say what I think these days. I learned it from Michael -- so blame him.”

“You are on your own,” I said to him. “To be fair, both of our wives are quite beautiful.”

“I agree, but my girl is also quite lovely,” Charles said, taking Shirley’s hand in the process.

“Nice cover, Charles,” Shirley said giving him a kiss. “Maybe ... Mrs. Chapman and I could go out once and do what our guys do before the show. I mean, if they can do it, I know we can do it.”

“Call me Jennifer,” Jen said to Shirley. “I like that idea. What do you say Michael, Honey?”

Wow, that came out of nowhere. “Work on something, and let me hear it later, maybe today. That’s quite the idea ladies. Maybe, you could be the next Laverne and Shirley?”

“I would have to be Laverne,” Jen said with a smirk.

“I don’t know who that is, but I’m willing to give it a try,” Shirley said.

I was eating and listening to all of this ... it could work. I just hoped Peter and Charles egos could handle it if their ladies were funnier than they were?

“Remember, we have a ‘New music rehearsal’ at one pm. I plan to only go three hours,” I said.

“Got it, Boss,” they said together.

My wife and I were finished, so she wheeled me back to the room.

“Jenn, take off my bandage please? I’m ready to start walking again.”

“Are you sure Michael?”

“Yeah, it feels just fine,” I said getting up and walking to the bed so she could reach it.

I watch her very carefully raise my pant leg and uncouple the long ace bandage that had been on my leg for almost four days.

“My goodness, it looks like it was never sore, sweetheart,” she said to me.

“It feels like it as well,” I said. “Thank you very much for being so understanding about my various physical curiosities.”

“I like your physical curiosities. Amongst other things. Now what?” she said getting out my laptop.

“How could you possibly know I wanted my laptop?” I said to her.

“It’s like an inner voice I hear from you at times. Don’t worry about it, Michael.”

“Could you help me make a list of things to talk to everyone about?”

“I’m already ready ... go.”

“In August, we check out the siblings of the existing GSS for addition to the Society. Singers on the second Saturday, orchestra members on the third Saturday.”

“Got it.”

“In August, on the first Saturday, we have auditions for Septembers shows, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at Lincoln and THE PRODUCERS by the GSS.”

“What about Jackson Heights?” she asked typing.

“They are putting on FUNNY GIRL ... and Harrison, the new guy there, doesn’t necessarily want to have them all together anymore. and, that’s all right with me.”

“OK, got it.”

“I have made a final decision on next year’s tour; it will be at the thirty-five largest college football stadiums by capacity in the USA. I will have a schedule to Janice and Brian before this tour is over.”

After a few more clicks, I heard... “Whenever you are ready, Stud.”

“Opening night of the Mansion, if it is ready when Ken has promised ... will be the first Thursday in September, next year. The Gold Standard Symphony will be playing choral and instrumental music for three hours ... to be determined.”

“Won’t it already be finished before that?” she asked.

“Yes, but we will determine when it opens, not the circumstances. Any other performers will be booked to appear after that date. It will give us some time to work out some things before we fill it with people.”

“Your confidence always amazes me, Michael.”

“All acts at the Mansion will be selected on their wholesomeness and clean lyrics as well as their standing in the professional community.”

She caught up with me after realizing I was dictating again.

“We will have a strict no smoking and/or drinking policy at all times in any part of the building.”

“Can you do that?” she asked me.

“I’m doing it!” I replied. “That’s enough for now. Let’s take a nap before the cat is out of the bag.”

Boy, was I primed for this rehearsal ... we got dressed and got down there about a half hour ahead of time? Most everyone was already there, with music on stands and instruments being taken out of their travel cases.

I saw some tables with water bottles nestled in lots of ice. I got one for me and my gal. I pulled out a few of the scores to look over.

The last of the Society was walking in and took a bee line for the music boxes ... nobody had noticed I was walking on my own. Or, they didn’t care?

“OK, everyone, get settled. We have a lot I would like to get done and I want to give you some personal time, so if you don’t waste my time ... I won’t waste yours. I have some announcements to make first thing... “