Chapter 62

We gave our last three performances at the Tropicana on Friday. We’ve made so many friends here, it was like leaving home when we packed up and boarded our bus.

We said our goodbyes, with promises to keep in touch, and headed out of town, following Sandy in her new GMC pickup. Since we don’t open until next Saturday at The Sahara, we were planning to stay at her ranch until Monday, when we’re scheduled to meet with the group from Nashville, then fly back to Tennessee with them - to appear onstage live at The Grand Ol’ Opry that following Friday night. That’s going to cut it close, since we have to be back in Las Vegas for our first show at The Sahara on Saturday at 7:00 pm.

Sherry and Marlene said we could make it with time to spare, and that’s good enough for me.

The rest of the day Saturday, we gathered with Chris Croft and his crew. Chuck is here with us again. He and Chris are flying to Nashville with us, to make our own recording, though they told me that the entire show would be recorded, and broadcast live on one of the National TV Networks.

Sunday, we spent most of the day outside at Sandy’s pool. Emery and Emily are back with us, and that was some added fun, since all of us were swimming and laying around in the sun naked.

Chris Croft brought his new girlfriend with him. She’s best friends with his daughters, Emily and Emery, since she graduated from high school with them. I passed my guitar pick to Larieta and let her go with Sherry, Emily, Emery - to give Evelyn a makeover. Damn, did they ever do a job on that young woman.

Chris seems pleased with the outcome - and that’s good enough for me.

Chris told me, “Jerry, while we have a few minutes, I want to catch you up to date on all your numbers we received yesterday.”

“Sure. Are you talking about the record sales coming out of your shop?”

“I’m talking about those sales, and nationwide sales too. Here’s the numbers, straight from the industry newsletter I get in the mail, twice a month.

“To begin with, you have topped the charts with each song you’ve covered that Hank wrote. You hold four of the top six spots on the Country Top Ten, plus you have a total of eleven songs on the Country Top Twenty-Five.”

“That’s not record sales, is it?”

“No, that’s strictly the popularity of your songs being played on the radio ... But listen to this, ‘Wanting You’ has been the top selling record in record shops across the country - for the past twelve weeks in a row.”

“OH WOW! That’s a lot of record sales, right?”

“Yes and we’ll get to the actual numbers in a few minutes. First, let me tell you this - Not only are you the Billboard Top Selling Country Artist on the Juke-Box for the past fifteen weeks, you have topped the Billboard Annual Record Sales for a Country Artist - in less than four months ... And the year’s not over.

“Now, if that isn’t amazing enough, consider this - you have also topped the Billboard Pop Chart - Crossover with ‘Wanting You’ at Number 1 - for eleven weeks in a row.”

“Pop Chart Crossover?”

“Yes - in other words, not only have your songs broken sales records in Country Music - ‘Wanting You’ has crossed over into the Pop Music Category for record sales, and topped the charts there as well.

“Wanting You, has sold over a million records as of last week. Your combined record sales have exceeded two million in less than seven months. Now - the most important news for you and your troupe. I have here, two bank statements - one from the bank in Hot Springs, and another one which I opened for you in Little Rock.

“I hope you are ready for this ... You now have over a million and a half in the Bank of Hot Springs - PLUS - a million, three hundred thousand in the bank at Little Rock.”

“WHOA! OH WOW! I never dreamed this would happen.”

I felt hands on my shoulders and twisted around to see Sherry standing behind me. When I turned to look up at her, she leaned over and kissed my cheek. “I told you when we started out, that you were going to the top...

“Joe told you the same thing, and so did Chris when we signed our deal with him. I’m so proud of you and I’m going in there to call Mom now and tell her the good news.”

Chris told her, “She’s not home.”

“What do you mean? She’s not home?“

“She left early this morning from Little Rock Airport, on her way to Las Vegas. She’s more than likely sitting in a limousine, on her way out here to Sandy’s Ranch by now. We wanted her to be with us when you appear onstage at The Grand Ol’ Opry.”

Sherry told him, “I hope Mom had someone flying with her. She’s always told us she would never get on a plane.”

“We made sure she has plenty of support coming with her.”

That wasn’t good enough for Sherry. “Don’t keep us in suspense, tell us who’s coming with Mom.”

“Kennedy Ward - Brenda Williams - and her father - Frank Masters, who I understand is one of Jerry’s biggest fans and possibly his most ardent supporter.”

Sherry told me a few minutes later, “Jerry, we need to do something special for Mr. Frank Masters, since we now have the means.”

“Any ideas? I don’t know much that about him, other than he’s very rich.”

“I know he’s not married. I’m not sure what happened to his wife, but Mom told me he’s not married ... That made me remember something Mom once told me. She just came right out and said - if Frank Masters wasn’t married, I’d love to fuck that man.”

“Mom told you that? Damn...”

“Damn what? Mom loves sex - and you should know that better than anyone by now.”

“I know, but when I said damn, it was because I just thought of what we could do for Mr. Frank.”

“You mean? Oh hell yes, give him a complete makeover? HELL YEAH! I see where you’re going with this now. We could do that for him, and Mom can even put some of her icing all over his cake for him.”

“You sound excited. I’m sure you’d love to watch Mom put a fucking on his newly made over ass, wouldn’t you?”

“Yes I would, and I’d love to be bent over with your cock in my pussy, as we watch them fuck. We have got to do that, Jerry. Mom deserves some some fresh cock now and then - and you know it.”

“We may need to make it happen before we leave for Nashville. We’ll be busy as hell out there, and in a bigger rush when we come back.”

“Now you’re getting excited. What if we have Brenda bent over next to me, with you taking turns fucking us, as the three of us watch her Dad and our Mom, get it on?”

We didn’t have time to put more of our plan together. Sandy rushed into the room and told us there was a limousine out front with a bunch or rich folks getting out.

Sherry was in front of me as we ran from the house to see Mom, Brenda, Kennedy, and Mr. Frank Masters coming toward us.

Mom and Brenda grabbed Sherry, and I was shocked when Mr. Masters reached out to hug me as we met in the driveway.

“Jerry, as soon as Brenda let me hear that first song of yours, I knew this day would happen. You’ve made it happen even sooner, and in a bigger way than anyone could have ever imagined. I’m proud of you, Son...

“I want you to know too, I’m even more proud of you for planting the seed of my first grandson in Brenda’s belly. Now, we’ll have another heir, and already, we consider you and your family - a part of our family. NOW THEN...

“There’s a business matter I would like to discuss with you, when we have a few minutes.”

“I’d love to talk business with you. I want to invest some of the money we’re making, and not just let it sit idle there when we could invest and make even more.”

“You make me proud, Jerry. I have just the business venture for us to get into - and I have in mind, the perfect businessman to run the show for us, as you and I sit back while you’re tending to all your women, and I play with my three grandsons.”

He stumped me there for a minute, then I saw his grin as he shoved his big paw out to shake my hand again.

“I see you caught onto my sly hint about wanting more grandsons. Brenda has agreed with my evil plans, and I’ll let her fill you in on the details. She’s even informed me that her two daughters are planning to have your babies too, once they get out of school ... I hope I haven’t spilled the beans for her surprise. Just let her tell you, and humor me by acting really surprised when she tells you that she’s agreed to Patricia’s and Angie’s plans to have your babies.”