Part 535

"Ohmygod, ohmyod …." The teenager danced from foot to foot, her eyes wide as a doe in the headlights of an oncoming eighteen-wheeler.

"Heather, calm down!" Robert Callahan laughed as he watched his niece come unglued as they waited backstage after the concert. He had long ago decided that he’d enjoyed watching her almost as much as watching the show. Like he’d told Heidi Johansson, boy bands weren’t really his ‘thing’, but he had to admit that they’d put on a damn good show. And imagine his surprise when Becca Carter and her husband had taken the stage together. It certainly added a bittersweet twist to what he had to do.

"Oh my god," Heather began again. "What if I pass out? What if I throw up?" She paled as her uncle laughed even harder. "Oh my GOD! What if I throw up on-"

"Hi, I’m Nick. You must be here for the meet and greet?" He smiled broadly at the unglued teenager as he reached for Robert’s hand.

"Yes, we are. This is Heather."

"Hi Heather, nice to meet you," Nick said, folding her into a big hug. "And is this your dad?"

"No," she managed to reply, trembling. "This is my uncle, Rob-"

"Uncle Rob," Robert interrupted. "Rob David. Pleased to meet you Mr. Carter."

"Nah, just ‘Nick’," Nick insisted. "Come on with me, I think everything is all set up."

Heather and Robert followed Nick down the hall as heather cast a strange look at her uncle. "Robert David?" she whispered.

"Remember Cookie, I’m undercover tonight," he winked.

She giggled in reply. "Oh yeah, I forgot!"

Nick led them into the reception room that had been set up for the meeting, and Heather stopped dead in her tracks when she got a good look at who all was there. Kevin, AJ, Howie, Brian … oh my god, there was Sarah and Becca too. Undeniably two of the luckiest women on the face of the earth as far as she was concerned. Jolted from her reverie, she realized that Nick had his arm around her and was motioning to Becca and Sarah.

"I want you to meet a couple of very special ladies," Nick whispered in her ear. Winking at Becca and Sarah, he began the introductions. "Bec, Sarah, I’d like you to meet Heather. Heather, this is Becca, my wife, and Sarah, Howie’s wife."

"Oh my gosh," she gushed. "I can’t tell how wonderful it is to meet you both. I’ve heard so much about you, and I can’t believe I got to hear BOTH of you sing tonight! And Becca, I mean, Mrs. Carter, You sang with Nick?! Oh my gosh, that was just so … so … oh my gosh."

Becca laughed and reached out a hand to steady the poor girl. "’Becca’. Please, just call me Becca. It’s nice to meet you, Heather. So you liked the song?"

"Oh yes, it was wonderful," she sighed. "I mean, anyone would love to be able to stand up there and sing with-" Realizing she’d just put her foot in her mouth, she blushed furiously and immediately shut up, nervously chewing her bottom lip.

"It’s definitely a dream come true for me, too," Becca whispered. "Come on, I’ll introduce you to the others." Becca and Sarah led Heather over to the other guys while Nick hung back, talking to Robert.

"So what’s all this mystery about?" he asked point blank. "We don’t usually grant private meet and greets."

"That’s what we’ve been wondering, too." With colossal good timing, Steve and Kryss stepped up, looking Robert over with a critical eye.

"Nothing sinister," he laughed. "Actually, I’d really prefer to explain this to everyone at once."

Kryss exchanged a glance with Steve, who shrugged back. The look seemed to say ‘well, it’s already been approved, so why not?’

"May I have your attention?" Steve called out. "Hello?" The noise level was so high he couldn’t be heard. Before he could yell louder, Kryss elbowed him, put her index fingers in her mouth and whistled shrilly.

Steve shrank away in astonishment, as Nick, Becca and Sarah all three choked back their laughter.

The silence was overwhelming as Kryss said meekly, "Thank you," and then stepped back out of the way.

"Guys," Nick said, "this is Rob David. We’re not real sure why he’s here, but I guess we’re about to find out."

"Thanks Nick," Robert said as everyone chuckled. "I am very grateful to your management for allowing me to meet with you all like this. I suppose this all could have been handled directly through your law firm, but far be it from me to pass up the opportunity to be a hero to my favorite niece." He grinned at Heather, who rolled her eyes.

"Uncle Rob, I’m your ONLY niece," she reminded him, sending everyone into gales of laughter.

"Details, Cookie, mere details," he laughed. "Anyway, I am a businessman with many resources and contacts, and when Heather began telling me about things she’d read about Sarah and Becca’s charitable work, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. My purpose for being here tonight is to present both of you ladies with a donation, in equal amounts so there’s no squabbling," he added.

"Wow," Becca said, awestruck.

"Thank you so much!" Sarah added.

"Anyway, this is just a facsimile, but you can hang onto it as a keepsake or whatever. The funds have already been transferred to your foundations. The transaction was completed this afternoon." Becca and Sarah stepped forward as he pulled out two oversized checks and unfolded them. "Becca, Sarah, thank you for making a difference, for being willing to help those who cannot always help themselves."

Heather was taking pictures on her disposable camera, and she managed to catch the look of complete shock that registered on both women’s faces as they read the amounts.

"Oh my god!" Becca breathed, followed by Sarah’s "Holy shit!"

"Bec?" Nick asked, coming to peer over her shoulder.

"Nick, look at this!" She held the check up so he could see, as Sarah did the same for Howie and the other guys.

"Damn, Bec, that’s for-"

Becca looked up at Robert. "A quarter of a million dollars. Mr. David-"

"Rob."

"Rob, this is …it’s …"

Kevin laughed. "Just say ‘thank you‘, Bec."

"Thank you!" she gushed. "Thank you SO much! This is .. I can’t tell you how wonderful this is! It will get the foundation on its feet and working!"

"Same here," Sarah said. "How can we ever repay you?"

"Just keep doing what you’re doing, making a difference."

The noise level rose again as the rest if the group crowded around, and Steve pulled Robert aside. "This was very generous, Mr. David. It seems to me there might be more to this than meets the eye."

"Not everyone has a hidden agenda, Mr. Sequra."

"Maybe," the attorney said grudgingly, "maybe."

The entire group spent the next hour eating and chatting, entertaining Heather and posing for what seemed like a million pictures. Given her uncle’s generosity, they were more than willing to put off sleep for just a bit longer. When the spaces in the conversation were becoming longer and filled with more smothered yawns, Robert managed to pull his niece away and make their escape.

As they crossed the deserted parking lot to find his rented SUV, Heather sighed.

"Tonight was perfect, Uncle Rob. It was more than I dreamed it could ever be."

For me, too, Heather, for me too, he thought smiling to himself.

Part 536            Index