Part 574
"Knock ‘em dead, baby," Becca said to Nick, passing him a bottle of water and toweling the sweat from his face.
"You know it," he grinned, breathing hard from the exertion. He winked at Becca and laughed as Sarah and AJ’s banter filtered down from up on the stage. "Two more songs Bec, and this wild ride is over." He looked into her eyes but in spite of his relief, he felt a strange sadness. The end of a tour always brought a strange letdown. Massive relief, but at the same time a sudden lack of purpose.
"Nick, it’ll be fine," she whispered, cupping his cheek in her hand. "We have a whole new chapter of our life ahead of us."
"I know, Bec. It’s just-"
"Places, Nick, let’s move it." Kevin streaked by, grabbing Nick by the arm and pulling him toward the wings.
"See you after the show, Bec!" Nick called out.
Becca just laughed. "That’s what you think," she said under her breath.
Nick disappeared towards the side ramp and Lisa and Fi grabbed Becca, much the same way Kevin had grabbed Nick just a moment before. "Come on Bec, you ready?" Fiona chuckled.
"As ready as I’ll ever be," she laughed nervously.
"Oh no," Lisa said, "no nerves allowed. After all, THIS one was YOUR idea."
"Think Nick will ever forgive me?" she asked, climbing the ladder down to the underworld.
"Once he stops laughing his butt off? Yeah," Nikki said handing her a blue choir robe.
The four girls were already fastened into their robes when Sarah finally got there to join them.
"Dammit, AJ tried to keep me on stage. I almost didn’t make it!" She huffed and puffed as Becca helped slip the soft blue fabric over her shoulders and Lisa fastened the Velcro over her belly. "You guys look great!" She looked the girls over, nodding her head. "Bec? This is gonna work! This is really gonna work!"
"I hope so," Becca said with a shudder, "because it’s almost our cue." The music was winding up through another chorus, and as the girls hastily took their places on their lifters, they heard "Gotta go!"
Nodding to the stagehands, they saw the guys drop through the trap doors in the floor, and Becca shuddered as they began to rise up though the artificial fog that swirled about the stage.
Nick hit the huge pad on the floor with a thump, and looked for the roadie that was supposed to have his blue robe. He wasn’t there, and neither were the roadies for the other four guys. "What the fuck?" he asked no one in particular as he looked around.
"What’s that?" Kevin asked, tilting his head toward the stage above their heads.
"That’s not our music," Brian said with a frown.
"No, it’s not," Howie said. "Where’s Sarah?" he asked AJ.
"Thought she was down here," AJ replied with a shrug. "But I guess not," he said with a grin as he heard familiar voices up above.
"Oh shit," Nick said, beginning to giggle.
"This should be good," Kevin said with a twinkle in his eye.
"I say we help them out, huh guys?" Brian laughed.
"Oh most definitely," Howie agreed.
"I’ll find our robes," AJ cackled.