Chapter 31

Having brushed up on all of our routines the past couple of days; we were ready to begin rehearsals for the US Something Special Tour.

We made our way to the Battelle North Room at The Performing Arts Center in Columbus and found Mr. Bublé there, along with his twenty-nine-piece orchestra and the Arts Center Staff working together to get ready to rehearse. Michael waved at us, as we came into the room.

“So, Charles – did you really create a routine to ALL of my recorded music?” Michael asked with a chuckle in his voice.

“No, Michael – We stopped at seventy-three of the songs we had. Here’s the list, including our other music we have routines for. I thought if both you and the orchestra were to take a break, we could still dance to music run through the house system?”

“You do think of everything, don’t you Charles? I assume you got the addendum regarding the gate fees?” Michael said.

“Yes, Michael, but ... you are already paying us so well, are you sure you want to give up three gross points each night? You could give your orchestra the money instead — I am sure they would appreciate it?”

“Charles, you are truly a one-in-a-million young man. You deserve everything you wish for. But looking at your entourage, you seem to have more, than the average fourteen-year-old,” he said looking straight at Sarah.

“Plus, you got the Massage Lady, don’t you?” he said turning back to his people setting up. “Are we ready yet, my Opening Act is here and they’re ready to perform?”

Turning back to me, Michael said, “Charles, Claire, Kallie, come over here for a minute?”

They came over and we all had a little talk. Michael explained we weren’t expected to be dancing to every song he performs while we’re on the road.

He suggested that we listen and decide which ones we want to dance to, rehearsals generally take all day, especially when the orchestra is learning new arrangements or even a new song. When we hear a song we especially like, we can get up and rehearse along with the orchestra.

His piano player Alan, started to play ‘Try a Little Tenderness,’ which has become a favorite of Annie’s.

I grabbed Claire and we went into our routine, a slow Foxtrot, dancing around Sarah, Annie and Kalista.

Claire was a feather in my arms ... as more of the orchestra came into the song, as Claire and I did some spins. The break came, we danced to the piano and percussionist, as the violins joined in, as we were getting to the end, when Michael starts to belt during the last thirty-five seconds of the song. We’re spinning like tops as he is putting his spin on the song, as Claire does a beautiful développé, and the song ends.

His orchestra gets up and as a group, applauds us. We sat down as they spent an hour fine-tuning the music a little. If this is the usual method, we’ll be well rested for our opening night, in two days.

Michael came over and said, “That was really nice kids. We’ll need to do it again in a little bit. By the way, nice job taking down YouTube you guys. I downloaded the number you did. If you’d like to do that number on our opening night, I am OK with it. The orchestra and I can take a break and we can run that through the house for you.”

“That’d be fantastic, Michael,” I said.

Sarah got up and went over to Michael, giving him a great big hug, saying “Thank you, Michael.”

Michael responded as I would have expected, “Thank you for that hug — If I wasn’t too busy to have my girlfriend here with me, I could always have another one by the end of this tour.”

That made Sarah blush, and Mom snort.

We went through the rest of the rehearsal, dancing and sitting, sitting and dancing. Claire had the idea that we could add steps that time out with something the orchestra does, like we do with the spins during the ‘Six-Pack’ sixty-fourth notes. So, we listened as the orchestra was practicing and Claire and Kallie would trade off, so they both would be doing the same moves.

Michael sent us home and, on the way, Kalista and Claire wanted us to stop and find a store to get ballet shoes from. Sarah had the laptop, so she searched Google and it directed us to the nearest Target Store.

We found out they’re only available on-line at Target, so she looked again and found a nice-looking place that was called Opening Night Distinctive Dancewear in Dublin, only twenty minutes away, so we went there, and the employees recognized us, fawning over the girls, to their delight.

The girls left with four different matching colors of ballet slippers each. We all signed autographs for everyone who wanted one. This was also the first place we have gone, that had our posters up on the wall for all to see.

All of us signed the posters that we were in, including Annie and Sarah, who giggled like schoolgirls over the fact that their picture was on the wall of a business.

We headed home. I was ready for “Magic Hands McArthur” since my back was sore for the first time in three days. We saw a billboard that had a picture from our Martin’s Chevrolet Ad. That was awesome. Both girls had fallen asleep, so I leaned up and gave Annie, who was driving, a soft kiss on the neck.

“Charles, I am driving – why do you always do or say something so provocative when I am driving?” Annie said.

“Mom, I love you ... and it seemed the right thing to do.”

“Charles, I’m not driving, can I get one of those?” Sarah mewled.

“I am very sorry Mrs. McArthur, but I am all out of kisses right now ... can I owe you one, later – during the massage?”

“OK, Charles – if it’s all right with your mother?”

I saw Annie give Sarah a look, and then said, “When did you ever ask me if Charles could kiss you or not?”

“I have turned over a new leaf, Annie. I am sober and not skinny dipping anymore. I have also decided that I need to be more caring of what you think of me. I am trying to make up to all of you, especially you, Annie for my previous indiscretions.”

“That sounded sincere enough, so I am giving my permission, but you may still have to get the permission of the girlfriend?” Annie said with a little chuckle.

“I’ll take care of that, ladies. I need a back rub first thing when we get home please, Sarah, please?” I begged.

“Sure, Lov ... Charles, anything special you need tonight?”

“Every time you place your hands on my back, Mrs. McArthur, I feel something very special,” I said.

I saw Mom shake her head and snort a few times.

We got back to the house; I awoke Claire and Kallie, asking Claire if I could get a backrub and a kiss from her mother. She must have been tired still, because she said OK much too easily. I helped her to bed then changed into sweats and no shirt and lay on my bed, waiting for Sarah.

A little knock on the door, and Sarah entered my room. She’d changed into a blue sports bra and sweats. I saw the oil in her hand. “Hello, Loverboy,” she said with a bit of sultriness in her voice.

“Hey,” I said to her, pulling her down to me, kissing her like we had only once before, outside a hotel room. She was returning the kiss, and I heard her groan. “Did you lock the door?” I asked.

“Should I?” she responded. “Won’t we get in trouble if you lock the door?”

“Yeah, you are right, Beautiful. God, I love you so much, Sarah. And not like a mother-in-law, or a friend of my mothers. I love you the way a man loves a woman, but we must be discreet, and careful. There are laws and public mores about physical love between people our ages. I can wait for you, if you can wait for me?”

“Charles, I have been aware of you since that day you walked into my kitchen and asked if you could help get something outside for the BBQ. For a while I thought of you like the son I’d almost had. Did Claire ever tell you that I was pregnant after she was born, but I lost the baby ... baby boy, Daniel ... er ... uh John and I were going to name him Xavier after his Great Grandpa,” Sarah said sounding saddened by her own admission.

“That’s an amazing story Sweet-Lips. I think we’d better get into the massage,” so I turned over.

A knock on the door, and Claire entered the room rubbing her eyes and asking, “Who put me to bed?”

“I did, Claire-Bear – is there a problem?” I responded.

“No, I just wondered – I don’t know why I was so tired but thank you Loverboy. Did you ask me, if you could kiss my mother?”

“Yes, I did ... and you clearly said it was OK?”

“It looks like you already did, didn’t you?” she added, with a giggle.

“Yeah, we have kissed – and I must say, on a scale of one to ten, your kisses are always ten’s, while Sarah’s hover between eight and nine.”

“Charles,” Sarah interrupted, “If you want me to give you a ten, Claire would have to leave first.”

Laughing out loud, Claire responded on her way out of the room, “Well, I’ll leave you two to your backrub. Charles, no more kisses with my momma, without my permission first, OK?”

Together, Sarah and I said, “Absotively, Posilutely,” as Claire left the room, giggling loudly.

“My kisses are only eight’s and nine’s, Charles?” Sarah said as she put some oil on her hands and started her massage on my back.

“Sarah, I had to say that. I couldn’t tell your daughter, my girlfriend, that your kisses are always ‘off the charts!’”

Sarah got into the massage, using a bit more pressure than usual, but it felt superb. She popped my back. I’d started to fall asleep myself, when I felt her lips on my back. She was kissing my back, up and down my spine, which felt rather nice. I was surprised that it didn’t cause an erection, but all’s well.

She left my room, throwing me a kiss, saying, “Rest up for tomorrow.”

After a second day of rehearsal, which went pretty much the same as the first, we all headed home anxious at what the following day — Opening Night — will bring.

United States
{c}Something Special Tour
{cb}(USSST)

We went over the set list Michael would be doing. He and the orchestra would take a break at the midpoint of the evening, so the girls and I could perform ‘For Good’.

The evening proceeded quite well. On a couple of songs, Michael started, and we’d come out and dance from that point on. Occasionally, we didn’t come out at all. The break occurred, and there was a voice that announced, “Ladies and Gentlemen, be prepared to be amazed by these young people, Charles, Claire, and Kallie, as they perform to the song ‘For Good’ from WICKED!”

The girls had changed into their White and Green dresses and their ballet shoes, and walked out to their starting positions, staying in their character as the crowd quieted down.

The music started, with Idina singing those haunting words, “I am limited...” with Kallie starting her dance to the haunting music, sliding around and dancing en pointe, to the amazement of the audience. The music transitioned from Kallie’s to Claire’s. Claire performed a perfect Développé as she did a double spot spin, exacting wonderful emotion from her hands and face.

I entered, Kallie stayed still, and I touched Claire and we snapped to close and went on. This dance is clearly the most complex we have done to this point, but it feels like the easiest thing we have ever done.

We continued on, until the end, when each of the girls performed flawless pirouettes, first singly, and then together ... in perfect sync.

Although not as many people as when we have a competition, these twenty-two hundred people made a whole lot of noise. There were some young kids there and they screamed out our names. The girls and I came back out and we bowed to the crowd, who’d gotten up on their feet, continuing to applaud and cheer endlessly.

Michael came back out and said, “Wasn’t that the best thing you ever saw in your life. If you want them in your house go to their website and get their newest posters. I have a complete set, myself.”

Wow!

Michael Bublé — doing a commercial for Charles & Claire? We left the stage to change, as Michael said, “Hit it,” to his orchestra and they started up ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love;’ we’d changed quite quickly, ready for the following song, but Claire pulled me out for the second half of ‘Crazy,’ doing our samba routine, and the crowd applauded, with Michael looking over at us and did a little shake of his head.

Michael, his orchestra, and the two of us, ended exactly together, eliciting another round of applause from the crowd. We waved and left the stage. Annie and Sarah had been backstage during all of this. Sarah said, “These people absolutely love you all, don’t they?”

“Yeah, that was great, Claire wasn’t it?” She looked nervous as I added, “And you were fabulous, kiddo. Kallie ... you ready to do the next number with me?”

“But the next number is for you and Claire?” Kallie responded.

“Yeah, but she and I just danced together, so now it’s your turn. This is exactly the reason why you both know all the routines. Let’s go, Princess K?”

Kallie looked over to Claire asking with her eyes, and Claire nodded, and Kallie gave me a nice kiss.

The rest of the evening went the same, alternating back and forth. The crowd seemed to love us all, for at the end of the night we all came out and bowed to the crowd. Michael finished the night singing ‘For Once in My Life,’ and announced, “Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s get them out here one last time, Charles & Claire,” so we came out already dancing, and we finished by my separating from Claire as she performed eight consecutive spot spins, in tempo, causing the audience to stand and cheer.

Michael then said, “Goodnight Everybody,” and turned and applauded for me, and my girls.

Kallie went up to Michael and gave him a great big hug, Claire followed, and I was going to shake his hand, but I couldn’t help but give him a hug as well. He said in my ear, “Tonight was a sell-out.”

As we also shook hands, I asked, “What did people pay to come here tonight, Michael?”

Michael responded, “$75 a head for adults, $30 for kids under sixteen?”

“Wow, that’s about $165,000 in gross receipts, so about $5,000 would be our three percent.”

“Nothing gets by you does it, Charles?”

“Not much, Michael. Music, math, minutia, and money ... the four M’s of my life. Having such wonderful people around, including you, is what makes this all worthwhile. How soon are we in Dayton, Michael?”

“You have memorized the schedule as well, Charles? I have $100 bucks’ cash for you, if you can list our first leg in order, all 27 cities?”

“It’s actually 28, starting with Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, Louisville, Lexington, Knoxville, Nashville, and Birmingham. Then ... Jackson, New Orleans, Mobile, Tallahassee, Tampa, Miami, Orlando and Jacksonville.”

Claire and Kalista joined us as I went on, “Savannah ... Atlanta, Augusta, Charleston, Charlotte, Raleigh, then Richmond, Washington DC, Baltimore, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Akron, and back to Columbus; that’s 28 stops, all told.”

Annie and Sarah had joined us, as I was finishing. All my girls applauded my recitation.

Sarah said, “Michael — he memorized it the day we got it.” She took the money and stuffed it between her bosom.

“Let’s go home and pack everybody. Sarah, are we getting our hotels in advance or are we going in looking for a place at each stop along the way?”

“I thought you’d prefer we were casual and found places to stay and things to do on our own?” Sarah commented.

“You are really getting to know how I think, aren’t you Sarah?”

“I practically know what you are thinking ... before you even say it, Charles?” Annie looked over at Sarah and gave her a knowing smile.

“Let’s go home and pack up,” Kalista reiterated, “My feet hurt.

After packing while waiting for my dancing cousins, I sat down next to Sarah, and we discussed some details.

I asked, “Where are we performing in Dayton, dear?”

“At the Dayton Convention Center, Exhibit Hall 102.”

“And in Cincinnati?

“We’re in the Grand Ballroom at the Duke Energy Convention Center,” Sarah answered.

“That’s good for now. I suggest we get together every night and go over our next couple of cities and venues?”

“Great idea, Charles – do you want to continue looking to stay at places with suites, like we have in the past?”

“Yes, but I want you to take care of all that please; even with dancing every other night, I’ll have sore legs, so anything you can do for me will help me a lot,” I said with an upturned smile on my face. “It wouldn’t hurt if you could get us Celebrity room rates, if not your scoop dress discount.”

She gave me a light slap on the shoulder. “My hands are at your command, my dear sweet Charles,” she said with a flutter in her voice.

“Sarah, could I bring up ... another topic, please?”

“You know you can talk to me about anything, Charles?”

“Well, I have been looking at the marriage laws of Ohio,” I said.

“And?” she said nervously.

“Apparently, Claire and I can’t be married until we’re eighteen, without consent, but with our parent’s consent, we can be married at sixteen. What do you have to say about that, and what do you think Annie would say about that?”

“First, I think eighteen is too young, but then again, I see how much you love my daughter, so I understand the desire to be married ... to her. I would give my consent, provided you two go through pre-marriage counseling to understand the ramifications of being married at all, much less at sixteen years old. Your mother and I have had troubles with our marriages, so someone, not as close as us, should be asking the questions.”

“What about sixteen years old?” mom said as she joined our conversation.

Hesitating for a minute, I brought Mom up to speed on the brief discussion we’d had before she joined us.

“So, Charles,” mom said, “This isn’t just about having sex, is it?”

“NO! – We both try so hard to control our feelings in front of you all and each other. I love her and she loves me, and I was wanting to be able for us both to be comfortable with our love for each other.”

“Yes,” I said leaning over, with my hands on my knees, “There is the question of sex, but we have an inner love, a love that’s growing ... every day, and I – I...”

I broke down and cried on my mother’s shoulder.

“That’s OK, Charles – Sarah and I are aware of your love for each other. When you are both sixteen and agree to the counseling Sarah suggested as I walked in, I’d give my consent.”

I got up, giving each of them a quick kiss and started out of the room.

“Where are you running off too, Charles?” Annie asked.

“To propose to my girl, setting the date for the day after Labor Day ... in two years.”

“Wait a minute, Charles – We want to be in on this, OK – leave the door ajar so we can hear you ask, and her answer?” Sarah said rubbing her hands together like a co-conspirator.

K walked in, with Annie grabbing her hand and saying ‘Shhh’ to her.

I walked ahead to Claire’s door, knocking.

“Who is it?” she responded.

“It is I, fair maiden. May I come in for a moment?”

“Sure, what’s up?” she asked.

I saw my mom’s ring on her nightstand, so I turned to her and casually picked up the ring without her seeing me do it.

“Could you please ... stand up for a moment, Claire-Bear?”

“What’s going on, Charles?”

I got down on one knee and grabbed her left hand ... and asked, “Claire Tiffany McArthur, would you do me the honor of marrying me ... in two years, in this house’s backyard, filled with Newman’s and McArthur’s galore?”

She looked at me like she thought I was kidding, but I took her left hand, and started to put the ring on her finger. She must have realized I was deadly serious.

Her hands went up to her face, as she started to cry and she said, “YES, Yes, I’ll marry you, but we’ll only be sixteen?”

The other gals came through the door, with Annie saying, “But you can get married in Ohio at sixteen, with your parents’ permission, and we both gave Charles our permission.”

Kalista ran up to her screaming, and they hugged each other really tight. Then I took Claire and, in front of everybody there, gave her a great big kiss.

Sarah, Annie, and Kalista, with tears running down their faces, all said, “CONGRATULATIONS!”

The USSST Tour

1st City
Dayton, OH
Crown Plaza Hotel

We all started out the next morning on schedule, staying practically across the street from the Dayton Convention Center. That’s one of the places we won a competition at last year.

We got side-by-side rooms, each with two queen beds in them. We stopped on the way out of town, at an Apple Store picking up an additional Apple Laptop, so I could peruse my music, while Sarah and Annie can shop, book hotels or whatever else, on theirs.

Dayton actually went quite well ... almost as well as Columbus had. We were going to sometimes get two days between cities and sometimes even three full days.

2^nd City
Cincinnati, OH
Cincinnati Marriott

We got upgraded to a large suite, using Charles & Claire’s name and we got a nice rate, using Sarah’s cleavage discount. Cincinnati seemed to still love Charles & Claire.

3^rd City
Louisville, KY
Embassy Suites Hotel

The nicer places had free dry-cleaning as a perk, so when we stayed at one of them, two of us got everything cleaned, so after every three stops we had all of our clothes cleaned and ready.

At this point we had now been gone for almost ten days on tour. Everyone seemed to still be in good spirits. I gave each of my girls, some of my time each day, with Claire getting the most, for obvious reasons.

I took a look at poster sales; I hadn’t since we started on tour and we were approaching 900,000 sold, having earned over $1,000,000 in profit so far. My god, that’s amazing!

With 20% held back for needs, expenses, and corporate profit, we can split the remaining 80% five ways ... that’s $160,000 each. When I looked to see which poster was doing best, it was Kalista’s original pose in the red dress, but the Sarah single poster was also doing quite well. I’d expected that.

4^th City
Lexington, TN
Knights Inn - Wildersville

5^th City
Knoxville, TN
Mainstay Suites

6^th City
Nashville, TN
Millennium Maxwell House Hotel

7^th City
Birmingham, AL
Sheraton Birmingham Hotel

8^th City
Jackson, MS
The Westin Jackson

9^th City
New Orleans, LA
Royal St. Charles Hotel

10^th City
Mobile, AL
Malaga Hotel

We were fast approaching our Florida swing and when we got to our,

11^th City
Tallahassee, FL
Aloft Tallahassee Downtown

As you can see, we switch from a cheaper place to a very nice place.

I had Sarah check on our Disney Plans. They wanted to put us up at the Contemporary Resort, which had the Monorail running through the middle of it.

12^th City
Tampa, FL
Florida Palace

We would arrive there right after our,

13^th City
Miami, FL
Hotel Gaythering

On the drive after it, with K asleep and Claire in my arms, I asked, “I want to talk to you about Nationals, coming up in March?”

“What about them, future husband?” she said giggling.

“I want to skip them and just stay on the Tour with Michael,” I remarked.

“What’s your reasoning behind this or is this a foregone conclusion and you are just telling me?” she said with a marked change in her tone.