Unsuspecting

Four months later...

Beth checked her bags and boarded the plane, on her way to see Kevin for the first time since that night in the swamp several months back. They had decided that night to take things slow, as to be sure they were doing things right. Kevin had left the following day to go home and Beth had left a few days later to return to Ohio to pack her belongings. She loved her new job more than she could have possibly imagined, but looked forward to getting home everyday for she knew that she would hear from Kevin.

They spoke on the phone every single day without fail, and although Beth knew he was on tour he never spoke of his work. Their conversations were always effortless, and each time they said goodbye they promised that they would see each other soon. ‘Soon’ turned out to be in late November and Beth was anxious to not only see Kevin again, but to sit down and get to talk to him face to face. The trip to New York had been Kevin’s suggestion and Beth had eagerly agreed. Sketchy on the details, Kevin had only told her that he had someone special he wanted her to meet.

Beth arrived in New York in mid afternoon, and following Kevin’s instructions took a cab to the Ritz Carlton hotel where a room would be waiting for her. The room was exquisite, more plush than anything Beth had ever seen before, but there was one problem with it; Kevin wasn’t there. Sitting on a table near the center of the room was a huge bouquet of flowers with a card attached. Beth opened the card to find in Kevin’s neat handwriting “Beth, please be ready at 7 p.m.. I can’t wait to see you again.”

Beth showered and carefully dressed, wanting to make sure everything was perfect. At exactly 7 p.m. there was a knock at the door and Beth’s heart skipped a beat. Unable to control herself she ran to the door. Before opening it she smoothed her hair and ran her hands down her blouse, making sure everything was in place. When she opened the door her heart sank, as it was a young man dressed in a black suit, not the Kevin she had expected.

She was escorted to a luxurious limousine and driven across town. When the limo driver stopped at Madison Square Garden Beth realized that she was going to see for the first time, the famous Kevin she had yet to meet. The electricity in the building was almost overwhelming and Beth imagined that the energy must have been like what it was when the Beetles were at their height of glory. Girls all around her were crying, screaming or simply staring longingly at the stage as everyone waited in torturous anticipation for the show to begin. Beth was seated at eye level with the stage, so close she felt that if she reached out just far enough she might be able to actually touch it.

As the lights fell, the noise level rose to an unimaginable pitch. Deep bass drum beats echoed through the cavernous arena, so powerful that they seemed to fight to take over the beating of Beth’s own heart. An explosion of pyrotechnics filled the stage and then total darkness blanketed the entire room. The screaming seemed to fade just a bit, but as the lights slowly warmed the stage, revealing five silhouettes on the stage, the screaming exploded again. Beth struggled to focus on the dimly lit figures on the stage, trying desperately to seek out one particular set of green eyes. Her eyes landed on a tall figure and Beth’s heart began to race in anticipation of seeing his beautiful face. But as the light finally lit up his face, Beth realized she’d been staring at the wrong man, for Kevin was neither blonde nor so obviously young. When she finally did find what she’d sought out, Kevin was already staring at her, his eyes serious, his strong jaw set firm.

The show was more than Beth ever expected or imagined. Not only were they five hard working entertainers, as even those with the highest and farthest seats were made to feel part of the show, they were five incredibly talented singers. More than once Beth was moved to tears by the beauty of their songs, and when they casually sat on stools at the front of the stage, filling the air with only their voices, free of any musical accompaniment, Beth was in awe, but not surprised. As the five men took their final bows, Kevin looked at Beth and smiled, blowing her a kiss before running off the stage.

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