Chapter 76

“Open the envelope Dear,” my mother said.

I opened it and found an application for a driver’s education course and a set of keys with a Ford logo on it. Brian said, “Your mother thought you would want a muscle car, like a Mustang or something similar, but I thought you were becoming more sedate, and we got you a Transit Connect Titanium Wagon...”

“It’s fire engine red,” mom added. “Plus, it seats seven comfortably.”

“We got it with all the bells and whistles, but it’s at the dealership.”

I got up and gave my mother a really big hug, and a chaste mother/son kiss. Brian and I shook hands, but I turned it into a hug as well, saying, “I can’t drive anything yet.”

Princess asked, “Could we sing a few songs before we go home?”

Getting on my lap before I had a chance to say anything, she added, “Pretty please?”

“I have heard that tone of voice before,” Peter said.

She got off my lap, and went to his, grinding a little and leaned in to give him a kiss, but she said, “Can I kiss you, big brother?”

He wasn’t sure what was happening, and Katie said, “Go ahead, it’s alright with me.”

“Me too,” I said to see how far this provocative fourteen-year-old might just go.

“Lord help me,” Peter said making contact with his sister’s lips for likely the first time in a very long time. Nobody was getting up to stop them, as it became an open-mouth kiss. Finally, he pulled away and said, “My goodness, that was amazing, disturbing, and erotic all at the same time.” He crossed his legs as Katie put her hand on his leg.

After showing off her mighty influence, she got up and landed on Stuart’s lap. He said something to her, but it was too quiet for me to hear.

By this time, I was in front of the piano thinking of just the right song to play first, but with what just happened, I called up Peter so we could sing a song from THE PRODUCERS, called “We Can Do It.”

“Am I singing Leo again, Boss ... I don’t mind.”

“Yeah, I am more Max than you are ... Did that sound sexual to anybody else?”

Most all the ladies raised their hands, but tittered as well...

(spoken with dramatic underscoring)
MAX
Don’t you see, Bloom.
Darling Bloom, glorious Bloom. It’s so simple. Step One we find the worst play ever written. Step Two we hire the worst director in town. Step Three I raise two million dollars...

LEO
Two?

MAX
Yes! One for me, one for you. There’s a lot of little old ladies out there.

Step Four We hire the worst actors in New York and open on Broadway. And before you can say Step Five, we close on Broadway, take our two million and go to Rio.

LEO
Rio? Nah, that’d never work.

MAX
Oh ye of little faith.
(Singing)
What did Lewis say to Clark?
When everything looked bleak?
What did Sir Edmund say to Tenzing
As they struggled
toward Everest’s peak?
What did Washington
say to his troops
As they crossed the Delaware
I am sure you are well aware...

LEO
What’d they say?

MAX
We can do it, we can do it
We can do it, me and you
We can do it, we can do it
We can make our dreams come true
Everything you’ve ever wanted
Is just waiting to be had

Beautiful girls, wearing
nothing but pearls
Caressing you, undressing you
And driving you mad

We can do it, we can do it
This is not the time to shirk
We can do it, you won’t rue it
Say goodbye to petty clerk
Hi, producer yes, producer
I mean you, sir, go berserk!
We can do it, we can do it
And I know it’s gonna work
Whatta ye say, Bloom?

LEO
What do I say
Finally, a chance to
be a Broadway producer!
What do I say?
Finally, a chance to make
my dreams come true, sir!
What do I say, what do I say
Here’s what I say to you, sir...

I can’t do it, I can’t do it
I can’t do it, that’s not me
I’m a loser, I’m a coward
I’m a chicken, don’t you see?
When it comes to wooing women
There’s a few things that I lack
Beautiful girls, wearing
nothing but pearls...
Chasing me, embracing me
I’d have an attack

MAX
Why, you miserable, cowardly,
wretched little caterpillar!
Don’t you ever want to
become a butterfly?
Don’t you want to spread your wings
and flap your way to glory?

MAX
We can do it
We can do it
We can grab that holy grail!
We can do it
We can do it
Drink champagne,
not ginger ale
Come on, Leo
Can’t you see-o...

LEO
Mr. Bialystock
Please stop the song
You have got me wrong
I will say “so long”
I am not as strong
A person as you think
Mr. Bialystock
Just take a look
I’m not a crook
I’m just a shnook
The bottom line
Is that I stink!
I ... can’t...
Do ... it!

LEO
You see Rio, I see jail!

MAX
We can do it!

LEO
I can’t do it!

MAX
We can do it!

LEO
I cannot, cannot, cannot
‘Cause I know it’s gonna fail

MAX
We can do it!

MAX
I know it cannot fail

LEO
It’s gonna fail

Everybody enjoyed that, we shook hands and parted. I walked to the audience and said our goodbyes.

“We need to go. we have got some errands to run. Thank you everyone. Dad, I will get the car at the end of the week if that’s all right?”

“We will keep it for as long as you need, son. I can’t believe you are only fifteen. I have had people come up to me thinking you were nineteen or twenty. Princess, if I may call you that, I wanted a little girl all of my life. You’re not little anymore, but I love you very much.”

“I love you too, daddy. See you when we see you the next time,” Isabel said.

She took my line.

Before the following Saturday’s rehearsal, we made the rounds to all the construction.

On the Hotel, with the steel at the seventh floor, the core was being installed. That is the two delivery elevators and eight transit elevators, two on each side with massive amounts of smart cabling thicker than my thigh, going up.

I had asked if there was any reason, that something as simple as that couldn’t be installed simultaneously. The union workers didn’t mind. It made sense since it could be strapped to any upright girder.

We all left, except Stuart, in Jenn’s Matrix, heading to Brian’s dealership to check out my new wagon.

We got out and I found Stephen Douglas, the guy who runs the place for Brian.

“Hello, Michael ... I suppose you are here to pick up your new vehicle?”

“I just turned fifteen, so I have to wait before I can drive, but yeah ... where is it?”

We followed him to a nondescript building, and he pulled the cover off a beautiful bright red vehicle. It looked really nice!

I slowly walked all the way around when Stephen said, “Sit in the driver’s seat, why don’t you? Most comfortable car in its class, Michael.”

I heard him unlock it with a key fob and we all got in. Stephen pointed out many of the great features, including a rear-view camera and display.

“Jenn could have used one of these when she started driving the bus,” I said.

That earned me a slap on the shoulder from her, but a kiss as well.

They all loved the accouterments of the Transit Connect Titanium Wagon. Jenn had gotten in the navigator’s seat asking, “Will I get to drive it, Lover?”

“Only after I drive it first, sweetie,” I said as assertively as I could to her.

“I understand, sign up for that Driving Class and ace it, like you do everything else.”

“Only if the teacher isn’t a woman,” Princess remarked. “He could always pass the class by sleeping with a female teacher.”

“I have never done that, and I never will, Miss Chapman. That was very rude,” I said firmly.

“Sorry, big brother ... you do have a finesse around girls and women.”

“That’s an accurate statement, however, I am still offended,” I said getting out and walking to Mr. Douglas, who I hoped hadn’t heard any of that.

“Keep her covered until I can drive her off the lot myself, please?”

“Will do, Sir,” he said as we shook hands.

“Let’s go, ladies.”

Isabel must have realized that I was more upset than usual, so she didn’t say anything on the way home.

I took Jenn to our room, letting her in then followed her locking the door.

“I have never seen you this upset before Michael, how long will you be ‘not talking’ to her?”

“As long as it takes for her to understand how insensitive she was. You don’t think I have done any flirting for grades, do you?”

She looked at me, then shook her head ‘No! Of course not!”’ Being Friday night, I dropped to the sofa and turned on the TV finding something to watch. I found the end of an all-day showing of the TV series “MythBusters.”

Something about that show always caught my attention ... and Kari Byron was a stone-cold redheaded fox, even when she was pregnant.

I felt Jenn on my shoulder, and I wrapped my arm around her as we watched them trying to break a wine glass with an amplification of a voice with Adam proving the concept, then some unknown rock singer did it unaided. Really cool!

My phone rang with Princess’ audio tone, the opening music to “Gee, I’m Glad I’m No-One Else but Me.”

I listened for a while but declined the call.

“I have never known you to do that before Michael ... Is this going to break-up our family?”

“I don’t know. She really upset me with that accusation. I have feelings too,” I said.

“But, she doesn’t know what to do about you being upset. She’s lost a brother, an older sister and both her parents. It doesn’t make up for what she said, but she loves you, give her a break this time, please?”

“Maybe, in the morning. I’m tired, and not really hungry. I am going to bed. We do have an all-morning rehearsal in the tomorrow. Stay up if you’d like. Go and talk to her, if you want. I will be asleep when you get back.”

I was having a great dream with Brigitte riding me and I was playing with her nice soft boobies. She leaned into me and asked, “Do you love me, Michael?”

“Yes, I love you so much my heart hurts. I think of you every day hoping we could fuck all the time without any worries at all. Would you like that Miss LaPierre ... do you want my cum upside you?”

“If that’s what you want, that’s what I want as well, Michael. Cum inside me, I know you have wanted me since we first met. Fuck me hard, Michael.”

As I heard her moan to emptying my balls up her pussy, she transformed into Princess having an orgasm on me.

“Oh, my God Michael, if this is how much you love me, I can tell you I love you exactly the same.”

I rolled her over starting again, and saying, “This will be our last lovemaking if you ever say or infer anything like you did, Princess, so remember this well...”

I fucked her so hard I was surprised how long I lasted before my second cum deep inside this remarkable fourteen-year-old. I stopped for a moment and then I became a geyser inside of her watching her face go through the emotions of being made love to. She pulled me to her and we kissed like we were on a first date, but I changed that into a ‘rock ‘em ‘sock ‘em kiss, and she rolled over on top and we fell asleep like so many other times just like this.

*******

We arrived at Thomas Theatre with two buses full of the Gold Standard Society, unloaded and got ready to start the morning’s rehearsal with cheek mics on all of my singers.

Stuart had previously brought over a minimum of our recording equipment and it was set up. To one degree or another, we can rehearse or record the entire GSS on the bottom floor of our reconstructed home, rehearse the orchestra only at our ‘backup’ home, and if necessary do anything, here at the Thomas Auditorium.

“Has everybody looked over the new Tour songbook? We are doing some things out of order today, so pay attention.”

Most of them said, “Yeah Boss.”

“I want my ‘Serenaders’ up here please?”

The gentlemen all came up, with Mr. Thompson asking, “What are we singing, Boss?”

The other guys called him a suck-up for that, but a little feistiness should be OK.

“You ready to sing, ‘Abraham, Martin and John?’”

“Sure thing, Michael,” Justin said...

“OK, this is all of you, like the Lettermen would sing,” I said. “I want some really tight harmony boys, guys ... gentlemen!.”

The horns began this...

Has anybody here seen
my old friend Abraham?
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
He freed a lot of people,
but it seems the good
they die young.
I just looked around
and he’s gone.

With Abraham, Martin and John.
With Abraham, Martin and John.
Abraham, Martin and John...

I put up two fists to make sure everyone stopped together.

“I would like Peter Chapman, Isabel Chapman and Nancy Newman please?”

“Isabel, you are Eponine this time, Nancy is Cosette and Peter gets to reprise Marius.”

I conducted this...

MARIUS
A heart full of love
A heart full of song
I am doing everything all wrong
Oh God, for shame
I do not even know your name
Dear Mademoiselle
Won’t you say?
Will you tell?
COSETTE
A heart full of love
No fear, no regret
MARIUS
My name is Marius Pontmercy
COSETTE
And mine’s Cosette
MARIUS
Cosette, I don’t know what to say
COSETTE
Then make no sound
MARIUS
I am lost
COSETTE
I am found!
MARIUS
A heart full of light
BOTH
A night bright as day

MARIUS
And you must never go away
Cosette, Cosette
COSETTE
This is a chain we’ll never break
MARIUS
Do I dream?
COSETTE
I am awake!{br}

There was almost a kiss between Peter and Nancy, but they hugged tightly anyway. That was recorded, but I wasn’t telling this time. I had given Stu a song list, that if I used any of them, he would record.

The applause was tremendous as my singers left the stage area. I announced the next number would be an instrumental piece called “Petite Fleur” with a clarinet lead for Marjorie Guimarra.

It is a very nice number, written by Sidney Bechet and recorded by him. Lyrics have been written, but I liked it better without.

I got everybody up for singing as an entire group for the first time since we added the newest batch of performers to the GSS.

“All right everyone, most of you already know this, the rest of you learn as you go. I want the Quintet standing together on the left, the Serenaders on the right. The rest of you line up with the shorter people in front.”

“Let’s all show each other some, “Love American Style...”

I stood in front of the entire GS Society to conduct...

Love, love, love, love

Love, American style
Truer than the red,
white and blue
Love, American style
That’s me and you

And on a star spangled
night my love
You can rest your head
on my shoulder
while by the dawn’s
early light, my love
I will defend your right to try

Love, American style
Freer than the land of the free
Love, American style
That’s you and me

We pledge our love
‘neath the same old moon
But it shines red and
white and blue now
Upon this land of hopes
and dreams my love
Where all I hope for tis of thee

Love, American style
Truer than the red,
white and blue
Love, American style
That’s me and you

(They sound like they are having some real fun!)

And in this land of
hopes and dreams, my love
All that I hope for tis of thee

Love, American style
Freer than the
land of the free
Love, American style
Truer than the red,
white and blue

Love, American style
Freer than the
land of the free
Love, American style
Truer than the red,
white and blue

I raised my fists to stop them, then the quiet signal for five seconds.

“That will be our anthem for this moment forward, everybody ... take a break while Stu plays it back.”

Peter helped me get the cold water out from inside the igloos, to the glee of the group.

After the break, we went for a couple more hours, and then everybody was ready for the trip home. I made sure every single singer got a chance to perform, and with forty singers that wasn’t easy. I even made time to sing and play my Keytar to “One Song Glory.”

I really like that piece of music.

After getting everyone home, the four of us went off to eat at Dairy Queen. I was quite hungry, so I got a Double Bacon Cheese GrillBurger and an Iron Grilled Turkey with a large order of fries. The girls got lots of food as well, they worked hard today.

When I came back with the drinks, there was a pill for me by my sandwiches. I said, “No thanks, I took one earlier.”

We enjoyed our food, as Peter and his wife walked in while we were eating. After they ordered, Princess got her brother to sit by her. Katie sat on my other side.

“Peter,” Izzy asked her handsome brother, “Is it my imagination or did you almost kiss Nancy after you sang”

“It is a marvelously romantic song, and she is so damn pretty.”

Thankfully, Jeff and Nancy didn’t show up at DQ. There were lots of sly smiles from all around the place. Katie and I even shared a few.

“I sure had fun today,” Jennie said. “I haven’t sung this much in a long time. I am having a blast, sometimes forgetting to work on my curriculum for Lincoln High.”

That got us all laughing.

Nothing else happened and we all finished together. I took Isabel by the arm and we all left.

On the trip home, I suggested to Princess that she not always say out loud what she’s thinking. It could get many people she cared about in trouble. She understood without getting upset.

I am especially glad that we had the rest of the weekend to ourselves. Since I ate so much, I announced, “I’m taking a nap, who wants to join me?”

“I can,” Stuart said smiling.

“Goofball!” Jennie said, hip checking him to the carpet, as I extended my hand to her.

I woke up, and she was sleeping with her head on my chest. It was very nice. She doesn’t seem to expect sex every time we’re together, unlike the younger ladies.

“Hey?” she said opening her eyes. “Feel rested now?”

“Yeah, thank you.”

“For?”

“Not being demanding,” I said.

“I enjoy you and the fact you make me so happy, why should I demand anything?”

“Please don’t fall in love with me, Jennie?”

“I am nearly old enough to be your ... grandmother, Michael.”

“No, you are not ... I don’t believe that for a minute.”

“I didn’t start college until I was over thirty. When I met your mother, she was nineteen and I was thirty-nine.”

“So, if she is forty-four, that makes you ... sixty-four?”

“That’s just a number, as long as it doesn’t change what we mean to each other.”

“But, you only look in your 40s. Did you have anything ... done?”

“I should slap you for that, however I understand the question. No ... I just take care of myself, especially my face and arms.”

“I am sorry I asked that ... that was rude. Kiss me Jennie,” I asked.

“With pleasure, Sonny boy.”

Her mouth was on mine immediately. She is a ferocious kisser, which I really like. She was laying on me naked on naked and I easily got an erection to this and her kissing.

“Now that you know how old I am, do you want to fuck your grandma, little boy?”

“Yeah ... Mikey wants to fuck his granny,” I responded. I grabbed her around the waist and flipped over on top.

“You have done that before, haven’t you, sonny?”

I took her legs, spread them apart and plunged fast and deep, over and over. She was smiling and not making a sound. She got what she wanted, and I was doing one of the things I do best.

“MICHAEL,” came from somewhere.

“In here,” Jennie said between thrusts.

They walked in and sat and watched while I kept thrusting really hard and inside Jennie. She was still silent as I was slowly ramping up to a large conclusion.

With Jennie having my complete attention, I began a mad dash for her breasts with my mouth. I heard the girls but kept on doing it until I finally heard a moan from Jennie.

That was all I needed to break loose the Michael Milk. It was going very deep and there was a lot of it until I collapsed on her to take a breather.

Instead of applause from the girls, I was hearing them having their own orgasms. I rolled to my right and Princess was on my wet dick slurping me clean. Jenn got in on it, and I was getting hard while they were co-licking my dick.

I looked over to Jennie and saw her eyes closed. Sleep well, my love.

The girls turned from licking me to kissing each other, which was very hot. I got up and started a shower.

“Can your grandma join you?”

“Get in here, your fantastic woman, you.”

October came to an end, with Princess starring in BYE BYE BIRDIE, Maria Vargas and Rich Mitchell playing the lead roles in KISMET, and Joan having a fantastic time playing Pseudolus in A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM.

The last week of October, Jackson had auditions for APPLAUSE and we had them for PAJAMA GAME. This time, APPLAUSE would go on stage first, then PAJAMA GAME with RENT being the last show of the ‘Season.’

Less than a week after RENT closes, we would be on our way to California.

Casting PAJAMA GAME was rather easy, I have got a girl who can sing like no other, and another one who can sing and dance, meaning Jennifer got Babe and Princess got Gladys. The male lead was something of a tossup, between James, Geoff, Peter, John Mitchell and Jeff Newman. The part was played by John Raitt on Broadway and the 1957 movie, and in 2006 Harry Connick Jr played the role of Sid. Bob Fosse choreographed and was in the movie.

After all of that, I decided on Peter Chapman playing opposite my fiancée. I think that was as safe a casting as I could have done.

Jennie would help on a few numbers I had in my head, but nothing extensive.

At school during the day I help rehearse the orchestra for RENT and PAJAMA GAME.

I was using Saturdays for our Winter Tour Showcase.

After getting settled in, I announced we would focus on PAJAMA GAME for a while. So, I started with the Overture ... this show, I would conduct.

“Charles King aka Vernon Hines, come on up.”

HINES
(spoken)
This is a very serious drama
It’s kind of a problem play
It involves capital and labor

I wouldn’t bother to make too big of a deal about this but later on if you happen to see a lot of naked women being chased through the woods, i don’t want you to get the wrong impression.

This play is full of symbolism

I work at the Sleep-tite Pajama Factory in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

(singing)
The Pajama Game
Is the game I am in.
And I am proud to be
In The Pajama Game
I love it.
I can hardly wait to wake
And get to work at eight
Nothing’s quite the same
as the Pajama Game.

“Stop everyone ... very good Charles. Remember you take yourself very seriously, while others ... don’t. You got that?”

“Jest tell me when the ‘Running of the Naked Girls’ begins, Boss.”

That got everybody laughing, as I told him to stay put as I called up the nine factory girls, aligning them like a choir. It was Wanda, Camren, Sarah, Martha, Molly, Sofia, Nancy, Geena and Anna.

GIRLS
Hurry up, hurry up,
hurry up, hurry up
Can’t waste time, can’t waste time,
can’t waste time, can’t waste time
When you are racing
with the clock
When you are racing
with the clock
And the second hand
doesn’t understand
That your back may break
and your fingers ache
And your constitution
isn’t made of rock

It’s a losing race when you are racing with the
Racing racing racing with the clock

HINES
(spoken) Hurry up, girls.
Seconds are ticking.
Seconds are ticking. Hurry up.

{singing)
GIRLS
Hurry up, hurry up
Hurry up, hurry up
Can’t waste time,
can’t waste time
Hurry up, hurry up
Can’t waste time
Hurry up, hurry up
Can’t waste time

When you are racing
with the clock
When you are racing
with the clock
And the second hand
doesn’t understand
That your back may break
and your fingers ache
And your constitution
isn’t made of rock
It’s a losing race when you are racing with the
Racing racing racing
with the clock

First Male (Rich Mitchell)
When will old man
Hasler break down
And come up with our seven
and a half cent raise?

Second Male (John Mitchell)
How in hell can I buy me a
swell new second hand car
On that salary he pays?

First Girl (Nancy)
What do you think of the new superintendent?

Second Girl (Martha)
(spoken) He’s cute.

Third Girl (Sharon)
(spoken)He will never last. Ha!

Rita (Emilia)
He’s kind of fresh for a new superintendent.

Brenda (Erika)
(spoken)I like a man with spunk

Virginia (Bethany)
(spoken)You like a man, period.

HINES
(spoken)All right, girls. Cut out the laughing. Cut out the laughing. Tempus fugit. Tempus fugit.

GIRLS
(spoken)(Imitating Hines)
Waste - waste - waste!!!

HINES
(spoken)Hurry up.

GIRLS
Hurry up, hurry up,
hurry up, hurry up,
Hurry up, hurry up,
hurry up, hurry up,
Can’t waste time
can’t waste time
Can’t waste time
can’t waste time
When you are
racing with the clock
When you are
racing with the clock
And the second
hand doesn’t understand
That your back may break
and your fingers ache
And your constitution i
sn’t made of rock
It’s a losing race when
you are racing with the
Racing racing racing
with the clock.
Can’t waste time
Racing racing racing
racing racing racing
Racing racing racing
racing racing racing
Racing with the clock.

I applauded them saying, “Some of you lost that race, but we have time to fix that. All the one liners were very very distinct ... well done ladies.”

“Mr. Peter Chapman, come on up, please?”

After getting a kiss from his wife and wiping it clean, he came up.

“Don’t worry about the dialogue in the middle of the song, Peter. We will just play the underscoring.”

“Sure thing, Boss,” he said...

A new town is a blue town
A “who do you know” and
“show me what you can do” town
There’s no red carpet at your feet.
If yo’re not tough they will
try to beat you down
In a new blue town

(Wow! Peter has really come of age!)

The old town
It’s not like the old town
You don’t take long to find
that you’re in a cold town
But you know you can lick it
Didn’t buy a round trip ticket
To this cold, cold new blue town.

Well nobody asked
me to come here
And nobody asked me to stay
Made up my own mind
And I know I will
find my own way.

Since that first day
when I said “Hi” town
They have damned well tried to
make me say “goodbye town”
But I won’t leave until I make
it my town they will see
This one horse two-bit
hick of a new town
Ain’t gonna lick me.

(Skipped the Dialogue but played the underscoring.)

Since that first day
when I said “Hi” town
They have damned well tried to
make me say “goodbye town”
But I won’t leave until I
make it my town they will
see this one horse two bit
hick of a new town
Ain’t gonna lick me