Chapter 17

(Fourteen years earlier)

When the summer tours started, they were Dex's first experience with long-haul road travel, the longest basketball trips having been no more than four or five hours. Of course, the drive to the Fergusons' after his parents' death was fairly long, but that was just part of one ugly memory.

After conversation died out on the longer drives, Dex found himself indulging in some introspection - not something he was accustomed to. At home, he was always tightly focused on his tasks, and was committed to helping people, especially women. This left little time to think about himelf. Mostly, now, he thought back over the last two years, and the choices he had made. Generally, he was happy with his choices, and could not think of major things things he should have done differently.

Much of his thinking time was devoted to the people around him, and he always felt himself incredibly fortunate. If he could have designed ideal parents, they probably would have been inferior to Karen and Mike. Oh, he might have had them with more money, but only for their own benefit, not his. He knew from his acquaintances at school how fortunate he was, as he was never able to join in the seemingly universal complaining about parents. For his part, he had resolved never to do anything to bring shame or hardship upon them, and he felt successful in that effort. Just being an ideal 'son' did not seem sufficient to him, though, and much of his hope for Doggerel was for a good payout to the Fergusons.

Donna was the perfect sister, and so much more. That kind of best friend and lover, he could never have dreamed up. For all of Karen and Mike's generosity, love, and care, it was Donna who was most instrumental in re-directing him from his grief and guilt. They were soul mates of the strongest kind. The overall effect Donna had on his psyche would be hard to measure. She had been the one to draw him into interacting with her friends. She had been the one to draw out the tale of his abuse and his relationship with his mother.

Dex had been inexorably drawn to Kristen because of her abuse, and came to love her as a friend and an aunt. Being able to help her exorcise the demon of her ex was among the high points of his new life. He knew the bond between them would endure.

Coach was the most significant person left from Dex's old life, but that was not why Dex felt so close to him. Coach had been the only person in the entire town who had consistently tried to help Dex and his mother. Their common love of basketball, and the tragedy and loss in both of their lives also served to bond them together. The fact that Kristen and Coach had found each other, partly through his own efforts, was almost too good to be true. Witnessing their happiness together always made Dex rather emotional.

The Bitsy Blomberg experience had been an instinctive reaction to mistreatment. She was now one of his closest friends at school, and a leader in his little groups of brains. He always felt a little guilt over Bitsy because he could never feel any romantic attraction to her, though he knew she had strong feelings for him. With her orthodontia and some attention to her looks, Bitsy was actually pretty. She was, however, painfully thin. Dex had discovered that Bitsy was very athletic. With his encouragement, she was now a promising volleyball and softball prospect.

Margo had entered his life in the strangest of ways. Her intelligence, her strong personality, and of course her looks, made her irresistible. When he sensed that she had also suffered a form of abuse, she became one of his close friends.

Chris had quickly taken Dex under his wing, and the two had a strong brotherly bond, especially strong since they began sharing their common interest in business.

Jenny had two reasons for Dex to include her as a special person. First, of course, was the injustice she had suffered from Adrian and from her parents. The second was her marriage to Chris. On top of all that, Jenny was among the most naturally likable people on earth. On her part, she would be forever grateful for the sex education from Dex and Donna.

Dex easily accepted Hank. His willingness to help Jenny would have been enough, but his marriage to Margo sealed it.

Angeline pretty much invited herself into Dex's circle, and then into his bed. Not that he wasn't happy to have her. She was the kind of irrepressible personality Dex was drawn to. He often felt sorry that he did not completely reciprocate her professed strong feelings for him. He did love her, though. A frequent concern of his was how their relationship could end without heartbreak for Angeline. For this summer, though, he was grateful for the companionship and the sex they shared.

Dex's association with Randy had been minimal, but Randy had taken a huge risk on Dex's behalf. Dex had a very strong sense of obligation to anyone who helped him. When he heard it had cost Randy his career, Dex was even more determined to do everything he could for Randy and his family. It turned out that Randy had played basketball on the high school team before Coach had arrived on the scene, so there was another connection between the two.

Jared's initial connection with Dex was through Donna, and he was important to Dex primarily because he was important to Donna. They two young men had relatively few common interests, but Jared's personality made it easy for Dex to be comfortable with him. As Jared's importance to Jenny and Doggerel grew, Dex naturally took more interest in him.

Connie was on the fringes of Dex's life, and was a bit of an enigma. Dex genuinely liked her, and their dates had been good for both of them. He felt their relationship could become very strong if given a chance. In his mind, he had difficulty deciding how much of his feeling for Connie was due to her dangerously submissive personality. He felt compelled to spend time with Connie to keep her from the abusive 'friends' she had fallen in with.

The school principal, Connie's mother, and the Frankels were the only ones on Dex's short list of enemies. His teammates, his group of 'brains, ' most of his teachers, his current coach, his sensei, Marty, Carl, and Susan he could count among his large group of friends.

All in all, Dex was satisfied that he had done his best for the people he cared most about. For Bitsy, Kristen, Jenny, and Connie, he had either rescued them from abuse or helped in their recovery. He believed the shares of Doggerel he had purchased for Karen and Mike, Donna, and Coach would eventually bring them significant income. Though none of them expected anything from him, his own sense of gratitude made him determined to help them.

People were not the only thing on Dex's mind during the long driving hours. He was very aware that this magical summer represented the end of one phase of his life. Donna would be going away to college. Jenny's tour schedule would probably expand, and Dex could not travel with her. Come September, he would be separated from many of the people and the things that had filled his life the last two years.

Of course, some important parts of his life would still be with him: school and his little group of friends; basketball; martial arts. The people would not really be gone, he just could not be with them as much as he was used to.

Dex spent surprisingly little time thinking about the future of his sex life. Angeline would be back at Juliard for one final semester, and after that, she would probably go back to France. He knew instinctively that his relationship with Angeline was not for the long term. There just weren't enough commonalities between them to bridge the age and culture gaps. The infatuation and the sexual attraction were intense right now, but it would take more than that.

Dex had not slept with Donna since her first time with Jared, but he would greatly miss her companionship when she left for school. He had always known that sex with Donna was a temporary gift. He knew, no, he hoped, she would soon find a long-term love interest, possibly at school. Interestingly, she was going to the same school as Rick. It was also the same school Chris and Ron attended, though, so there was no particular romantic significance to her choice. Dex was convinced Donna and Rick would eventually marry. Rick was the only one of his male acquaintances with the strength of character to fit with Donna. Rick had much to grow out of, and Dex felt that his own contributions to Rick's growth were a gift to Donna.

Dex did spend time thinking about his own growth. It was hard to even remember himself as the distraught fourteen-year-old that arrived at the Fergusons' two years before. The biggest difference was all the people he could now share love with. Men like Mike, Coach, and Hank had largely erased the disastrous image of manhood and fatherhood left by John, Sr. He had complete assurance, now, that he belonged, that his family genuinely cared for him.

It was impossible for him not to realize the difference in maturity between himself and his contemporaries. The poise developed through his training and competitions was further enhanced by his basketball success. Add to that his size and muscular development, and he stood out in any group at school. He was increasingly aware of this and more willing to use his status for good, especially in his protective role.

Even though he had put a lot of thought into it beforehand, it still startled Dex to realize he was a part owner of a company, and that the bulk of his fund was invested in that risky venture. His opinion of Doggerel's chances for success had not changed, though. Jenny was the key, and from everything he could tell, she only got better and better.

The possible loss of his investment in Doggerel never occupied much of Dex's thinking time. Over the past year, he had gained complete confidence in his ability to work the stock market. He knew he could grow his remaining funds over time to meet his education needs.

How much had the two years healed Dex from the tragedy of his parents' death? Time had inevitably dulled the pain from the loss of his mother, but only to the extent that he could go longer periods of time without thinking about it. The women he had helped had each added a layer of insulation from the consuming guilt he had carried with him to the Fergusons'. The guilt was still there, but he felt he was redeeming himself little by little each time he helped another abused woman. If anything, his determination - his compulsion, actually - to intervene for abuse victims was stronger than ever.

Change was inevitable, and Dex's natural optimism caused him to anticipate it. The last two years had been filled with loving, concerned people who had helped him grow and recover. The people would not be gone, but he would be much more on his own after this summer.

When at last the troupe was on the road, the first leg was only a half day's drive. The motel arrangements were in order, and there was time for setup and sound check at the club. By design, this was a club Hoss was very familiar with, and it had the best sound and the best band. Part of the contract with each club called for a three hour rehearsal paid for by the club. At this first stop, all of the regular musicians were adequate, and Jared's synth was used for fill-in and the specific numbers that required it.

The first road performance went off smoothly and the release of tension back at the motel was almost tangible. One detail Donna and Margo had not thought of was food after the performance. Fortunately, there was a Denny's near the motel, but the late night meal became another logistical task for each day.

Margo and Donna stayed at the hotel to watch Amy and Jeremy. They would work it out so at least one could attend each set, but the first night both babysat.

The first stop was Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, and there was much to discuss on the all day drive Sunday. Randy and Dex took turns driving the cargo van so the musicians could always be together. Many changes and additions to the program evolved during the long hours on the road, and sometimes, entire days of travel virtually flew by in animated discussion and singing. By the second driving leg, they had purchased a small battery-powered keyboard to provide accompaniment in the van.

Angeline and Michelle very much wanted to ride shotgun when their men were driving the cargo van, but both men knew the value of the discussion and rehearsal in the passenger van. Quite often, Dex and Randy were together in the panel van, and their conversations did much to help Randy continue to adjust his attitude and strengthen his ego.

Randy had no particular musical talent, and no experience in sound or electronics. However, he was a very detailed person and a tireless worker. Dex, knowing that he himself would be back in school in the fall, and suspecting the tours would go on, let more and more of the responsibility fall to Randy. By the end of the summer, Randy would be a competent and confident road manager, as well as a bodyguard.

Dex and Randy also established a strict daily workout schedule, and Dex coached Randy in some of the martial arts techniques most valuable for their security duty. Randy had been able to take just a few classes from the sensei before the tours started, but these had been focused on the philosophy of minimum force and conflict avoidance. Randy accepted these principles readily, since his police academy training espoused many of the same approaches. He was naturally athletic, and Dex found that he enjoyed being in the teaching role with a good pupil. Most of the motels had some sort of weight equipment, and soon, the entire troupe was exercising regularly.

Many of the security precautions that Carl had developed for his seminar program were ideal for a road tour. After her one nasty scare, Jenny took the lead in making sure all of the musicians followed procedure religiously. The most basic rule was that they all stayed within the stage and backstage areas, and stayed together once the clubs began admitting patrons. Arriving at or leaving a club was also done in a group, with the van pulled as close as possible to an entrance away from the patron entrance.

Much of Jenny's appeal as a performer grew from her personality, and she did not want to seem remote from her audience. They soon developed a twenty minute or so 'walk-around' during the gap between sets. Generally, this involved the three women visiting tables and greeting customers, with both Dex and Randy accompanying them. Jenny's ability to make instant lifelong friends never failed her, and Angeline always generated smiles. Michelle was at first a bit stiff with the crowd, but Randy saw this and began holding her hand as they kibitzed. By summer's end, Michelle was as relaxed as the other two.

On one of the early nights, Jared saw a table of three young women, and asked Randy if it was OK for him to dance with them to the recorded music that was playing between sets. After conferring with Dex, Randy told him he could, but only after the girls had finished their 'walk-around.' Jared's idea was so well received by the female part of the crowd, that Hank soon joined in and it became a regular feature. Both were excellent dancers and were able to employ their humor to delight their partners. It was generally agreed that the women should not dance with the customers.

For the most part, the summer tours accomplished what the troupe had hoped for. The additional polish and sharpness that came from repeated performances could have been realized back at the Emporium. The flexibility and resilience to perform at a high level in drastically different, sometimes less than ideal circumstances, could only be learned on the road. City by city, performance by performance, Jenny and her troupe became real pros.

Hoss had worked some of his contacts and found a promoter who caught the show on the road. Hoss had made sure Ron and Chris were both at the same performances, and there were some substantive discussions. The next logical step for Jenny was a straight concert tour, rather than the club settings she was now limited to. The first scheduled concert was set up at home in late August, followed by a series of two or three concerts a month in major cities.

The newly negotiated concert schedule had a definite time limit imposed because in early July, Jenny announced she was pregnant, Due in early January. She would not perform between Thanksgiving and February 1st. The promoter was upset, and asked how she could jeopardize her career this way when it was just getting started. Her retort was classic - she would not let her career dictate what was best for her family. If people liked her singing, they would like it again after her maternity break.

Most of Dex's time on the tour was spent working as a typical roadie. There were few incidents that required his or Randy's intervention as bodyguards, and the few that did occur at clubs were handled quietly. The one major incident occurred on the road between stops.

One Sunday morning, they were due to leave on a nine hour drive to the next stop, where they had a Monday night date. At departure time, a massive storm system was dumping sheets of water, making driving impossible. Flooding of some roads on their route kept them from leaving until well after noon. The decision facing the troupe was whether to drive through to their destination, arriving about midnight, or to pick an intermediate stopping point. Unfortunately, the only significant towns were on the early part of the trip. This would leave them a fair distance to travel on a performance day, something they tried hard to avoid. They decided to drive through.

Within about an hour and a half of the destination, a potty stop was unavoidable, and the vans pulled into a typical gas station/convenience store. Late that Sunday evening, only a disheveled, bored-looking, thirty-something man was running the store. The vans had been topped off, all toilet visits were completed, and several people were checking for acceptable snacks, when a car screeched to a halt in front of the store. Four overly jovial, tough-looking, twentyish men tumbled out and headed for the store.

Simultaneously, the clerk muttered "Oh, no!" and Dex and Randy began moving to protect their charges. Donna, Michelle, and Jared were still in the store along with Dex and Randy. Margo, Angeline, and Jenny had just left the store, and were strolling toward the vans. Hank was in the passenger van watching the babies. "Randy, get them out!" Dex hollered over his shoulder as he dashed through the door to cover the three women out in the open.

Dex was between the women and the men well before the men reached the door. He told the exposed women to hurry to the van, and stood his position, trying to look as casual as possible. Randy shouted to the clerk to lock the door and call the sheriff, then held the door open for the other three to exit. "Excuse us, Gentlemen," Randy said as they stepped past the four men waiting to enter.

Intoxicated men seem compelled to challenge other men for possession of the other men's women. Inebriated male brains seem to view an escorted woman as an ideal target for proving manhood. Booze and boredom certainly were driving this quartet, and the ribald remarks, along with some attempted grabs, started as soon as the escaping group passed.

Randy shot a quick glance toward Dex, then turned his back toward the ruffians and shepherded the women along with a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Hey! Don't walk away. It's a slow night and we want some company," one of the men spoke loudly.

"Sorry, guys. We've got a long trip ahead of us, and we need to get moving," Randy replied, turning back toward them as he spoke.

"No, you need to stay right here. Them's some fine lookin' women there, and we want to get acquainted. I mean, there's just you and them two kids for all that good-lookin' pussy. Don't seem fair, do it?" It was the same apparent spokesman again.

The last two sentences convinced Dex and Randy they had a serious problem. They had to decide quickly whether to try to subdue the rowdies here or to get in the vans and take their chances on the road. Two large vans against one decrepit sedan seemed an advantage, and flight rather than fight was usually best with innocents involved. Almost simultaneously, they both nodded toward the vans.

Whether from an instinct for tactics or from just plain lust, one of the men had broken from the group and headed toward the passenger van. The sliding side door was open, and everyone was hurrying inside as quickly as possible. The tough broke into a run, and it looked like he had a chance to grab Donna, who was waiting for Michelle to climb in.

Jared had stayed behind the women, and hearing the running footsteps, turned to offer whatever protection he could. He took a step away from the van, anticipating the impact from the charging tough.

"Get outta my way, kid!" the oncoming man bellowed. As he was about to ram into Jared, Hank came flying out of the passenger door. He grabbed the tough's arm, literally stopping him in his tracks. Somehow, Hank had the restraint to tell the guy to move away from the van, but the response he got was "Fuck you, Pops! Outta my way!" That erased Hank's need for restraint, and he grabbed the arm with both hands, spun around and flung the would-be attacker several yards across the lot, where he landed in a stunned heap, grabbing at his shoulder.

"We've got to slow them down from following us," Dex told Randy, who was right next to him. "Go for the knees!" Following his own instructions, he turned toward the spokesman, who had charged angrily after seeing his friend manhandled. Timing the man's stride, Dex kicked his forward knee just as his weight was coming down on it, dropping him in a screaming heap. Randy's kick was not as precise, but he did put down his target. Number four, sensing this was no longer a winning deal, stood back and swore loudly, before coming to the aid of the spokesman.

Everyone else was in the passenger van. Dex told Randy to take the cargo van alone and get on the walkie talkie, then jumped into the copilot seat of the passenger van. Hank was already in the driver's seat. As soon as they were on the road, Dex got in communication with Randy.

"Randy, I don't know if they'll try to follow us. You run screen and stay between them and us, no matter what happens." Randy had had the usual police driving courses, and had done very well in them. This was a whole different kind of assignment, though. After a brief pang of fear, he remembered that his family was in the passenger van, and a cold fury took over his thinking as he tucked in behind the lead van.

They traveled almost an hour, going as fast as they dared on the deserted two-lane road. Tension was starting to ease as they neared their destination and the attackers had not appeared. The road had just turned into a long, straight, uninhabited stretch, when Randy squawked, and told them there were lights coming up fast. It could have been any vehicle, but everyone sensed it was them, and the tension was back big time.

From his police experience, Randy had excellent recognition of vehicles, and as soon as it drew close, he identified the sedan the four had arrived in. He began a long, tense, dangerous dance, pushing the lumbering van to its limit as he blocked the progress of the toughs. After about fifteen minutes the strain began to tell on him, but they were still over twenty minutes from relative safety. Taking a chance, he squawked Dex.

"Dex, have Hank ride one wheel as close to the shoulder as possible. I'll ride your left quarter. I can't keep up this dodging much longer."

"But they could get right up behind us, then," Dex replied.

"They won't try to ram you with that heap. If I see any threat, they're in the ditch."

They had barely held their new formation for three minutes when the sedan pulled up on Randy's right, behind the other van, having to ride the right-side wheels on the shoulder. The back right window of the sedan rolled down, Randy saw a barrel pushed out, and he reacted instantly, turning into the sedan. The other driver stomped on the brake, trying to slow down and get out from the van's push toward the ditch. Radny braked hard as well, trying desperately to keep contact as he moved the sedan toward the ditch. The scraping of metal and the squealing of braking tires continued for seven or eight seconds before the sedan lost purchase on the shoulder and went over the edge.

The two vehicles had slowed to perhaps twenty-five or thirty by this time, and the ditch was not particularly steep here. Randy, however, did not spend any time worrying about the condition of the sedan or its occupants as he hurried to catch up to the other van. He told them what had happened, and Dex offered to get on the CB and try to raise law enforcement.

In the fifteen minutes it took to reach their motel, the group had calmed somewhat. They called the sheriff from the motel, having not reached anyone earlier. It took Randy, Hank, and Dex until the wee hours to clear things up, and they argued hard to put off questioning of the others until morning. The issue of leaving the scene was dropped when a shotgun was found in the back seat of the sedan.

None of the four toughs were injured further from their excursion into the ditch. The sheriff in their home county was well-acquainted with two of the four. All in all, the professionalism of Jenny and her friends received its biggest test as they performed that night. News of their adventure had percolated through the town, and there was a large and enthusiastic crowd for a week night.

Everyone in the group made it a point to privately thank Randy. The incident, frightening as it was, marked a turning point for the troubled man. He was finally able to see his own role as essential, even though less visible and less lucrative than his wife's. Step by step, he became Michelle's most enthusiastic and adoring fan.

When the promoter had seen Jenny's show, he had recommended they add some more variety, perhaps some comedy and more physical movement on the stage. Up until now, Hank and Jared had interjected some banter, but it was mostly impromptu. They started working on some set routines they could use for a larger audience. One particularly funny one had Jared arguing the merits of a rock and roll version of one standard country song, while Hank defended the country rendering. They combined some very funny lines with some great musical touches. When they sent a tape to the promoter, he was delighted.

'Moonshine' was a tremendous hit whenever it was performed. One day Dex and Margo were talking about Angeline, and Dex mentioned her gymnastics background. Margo got a thoughtful look, and left Dex standing in puzzlement. At the next rehearsal period, the onlookers were totally stunned when, near the end of 'Moonshine, ' Hank came up behind Angeline and grabbed her around her waist. While she still sawed frantically at the fiddle, Hank lifted her up to sit on his shoulder. She sat there for two or three phrases before Hank grabbed her booted ankles. Still playing, she straightened her legs, supported now only by Hanks hands. Steadily, he lifted her straight up until his arms were almost straight. She played a few more bars to the end of a segment, then extended her arms, fiddle in one hand, bow in the other. Dex let her drop, catching her around her waist again before letting her down to the stage.

"Oh My God!' from one of the band members was the only comment other than numerous gasps. Angeline herself, went rushing backstage, yelling over her shoulder "Dex, I need you!"

In the small dressing room, Angeline bent over a dressing table and pulled down her jeans and panties. "Now, Dex!" was all she said. Frozen in shock and indecision for a moment, he then looked nervously around the backstage area. "Dex, that made me need you right now! Please!"

Shrugging off concern over being seen, he struggled to extract his already extended cock and moved behind her to take hold of her hips. He put his hand over her pussy, but before he could do anything she ordered him "No! Not that! In me! Now!" He had felt enough to know she was indeed wet, so he placed himself at her opening and began to push. Entering her was always a tight fit, and now her legs were held together by her clothes. She was not to be deterred, though, and somehow spread her knees apart enough to let him work his way in. He was not even all the way in when she began pushing back against him, grunting with each motion.

Angeline was obviously on the fast track to orgasm. Dex reached around for her clit to help her along, but she objected that she did not need that. "Just fuck!" was her breathless admonition. Pounding back against him, she spat out words between grunts and pants, just disconnected words, but expressing the adrenalin rush from her acrobatics. After a minute or so, the words changed to French. It was almost as though Dex was not there as a person, just a breathing dildo. She seemed in a frantic world of her own.

Unbeknownst to the involved couple, Margo had picked up on what they were headed for. She went to the door of the dressing to guard their privacy, but could not resist watching them. What she saw almost made her go and fetch Hank. She managed to keep her cool, but was already thinking about after the performances.