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Subject: {ASSM} "Pete" A Young Man's Story  Chapter 59
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Date: Thu,  1 Jul 2004 19:10:02 -0400
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CHAPTER 59

We rested on the couch for a while; then we both called home. Mom said
she was feeling better every day, and asked when we were coming home.
I informed her that we hadn't decided yet. Then she told me that Erin
wanted to talk to me.
Erin began excitedly telling me about a phone call she had received
from a modeling school. She said that someone was coming to the house
Tuesday night, to talk with the family about it. I asked her if she
had talked with Amy about the proposed deal, and she assured me that
she had.
After I hung up, I sat, thinking about how Amy had become such an
integral part of our family, and how natural it felt to have asked
that question.
Karen's dad wasn't home, but she left a long message about how much
fun she was having.
We dressed early and went down for a bite to eat; then we took a taxi
over to the Desert Dunes.
As we drove up, Karen said, "Holy Shit! Look!"
In letters ten feet high, the sign outside read, "Tonight Only,
Kristen Baker, Solo in the Grand Salon".
We got out of the taxi and the first thing that greeted us inside the
lobby, was one of those supposedly life-sized photo cutouts. This one
was of Kristen, standing next to a lighted sign.
The sign read, "Kristen Baker, the raven-haired beauty with the golden
voice!"
I had thought the phrase was just something that the guy in the club
last night, had made up. However, it was now apparent even to highly
clueless me that this was her key phrase. The sign went on to say that
she was appearing for two shows today and would be singing with
Tomaso's full show tomorrow. Karen and I looked at each other, then
shook our heads.
 After we looked closely at the cutout, I realized that it actually
was life-sized. When the original picture was taken, Kristen had been
wearing a white, full-length dress. She had a microphone in one hand;
her other hand was outstretched, and she was obviously singing. She
looked amazing -- and amazingly happy.
Karen said, "She's really beautiful, isn't she?"
There was no use lying. I admitted, "Yes, she is."

* * * * *

The Desert Dunes is an old hotel. It's much smaller than the Miracle,
and it was built before the huge expansion that's now going on in
Vegas. But, I remember that when we were here at New Year's, Mr.
Mariani said that it has "a great deal of charm," and that a lot of
big name performers hang around here when they're in town. Karen and I
went to the show booth, and when we asked about our tickets, the lady
handed me a note from Amy. It said to bring the note to the stage
entrance and have someone find her.
So, we went backstage and found Amy talking with four guys, all
dressed in tuxedos. When we walked up, Amy introduced us. Three of the
guys nodded, but the fourth guy, a tall, nice looking guy, who looked
like he was in his early twenties, stuck out his hand and said, "Hi,
I'm Chet. Kris has told me a lot about you."
I shook his hand, but I was wondering why he and Kris were talking
about me. But before I had a chance to say anything, Amy motioned for
Karen and me to come with her. We followed her to a dressing room with
a star on the door. Once we got inside, I saw that Kristen was seated
in front of a make-up table. She was wearing high heels and pantyhose,
and she had a towel around her neck. And that appeared to be all.
There was a guy standing behind her, fussing with her hair. I looked
at Amy. She merely just waved her hand in a dismissive manner, and
said to the guy, "He's here."
The guy turned to me, and studied me for a long minute; then he nodded
to Amy and said, "No problem." It was nice to hear that I wasn't a
problem, but I did start wondering what was going on, and If I didn't
like what I found out, I might still be a problem. We walked to an
adjoining room and she closed the door. The room had a large couch and
a couple of chairs, and I noticed some robes hanging on hooks. She
motioned for us to sit, and she started talking.
 "I'm glad you're here early; I've been trying to reach you at the
hotel. Something is happening that could have a real effect on
Kristen's career, but it'll mean some inconvenience for Karen.
"You both know who Robert DeLucca is, right?"
We both nodded, and Karen said, "Of course. He's one of the most
famous movie stars in the world. Why?"
"Well, he and his girlfriend are here tonight, and we've seated them
in your box."
Karen's eyes grew as big as saucers, and I guess mine did, too. Then
Amy put her hand on Karen's shoulder, and said, "But that leads to a
problem. Every eye in the place is going to be on your box, and I
don't want to have people speculating about who the girl with Pete is.
That means we're going to ask you to watch the show with me,
backstage."
It took a minute for that to sink in; then I said, "No Way! I want
Karen to sit with me!"
Amy didn't say anything. She just looked at us, until Karen turned to
me and said, "She's right. I agreed to go along with this, so you
should do it. I'll be fine. It might be kind of fun, watching this
from backstage."
I was going to argue, but just then the door burst open. The
hairdresser from next door and another guy walked in. The second guy
was carrying some clothes on hangers, and within seconds, the first
guy dispelled any worries I might have had about him being alone with
Kristen. In a high voice, he said, "Hurry up and get the bitch
dressed; I'm almost finished with my darling."
He then swished out and slammed the door behind him.
It took me a second to realize that the "bitch" he was referring to
was ME! And I was about to go after him, when Amy said, "C'mon Karen,
we have to get him ready." Immediately, Amy started pulling off my
shirt, and Karen began unbuttoning my pants.
The next thing I knew, I was standing in my shorts and the guy was
helping me on with a tuxedo shirt, studs and all. Next came pants,
suspenders and a tie, and he asked me, "How's it feel?"
It actually fit pretty well, and when I slipped on the jacket, a
special feeling came over me. For the first time in my life, I was
wearing a crisp, new feeling, real tuxedo, and I felt very grown up.
However, when I tried on the shoes, they were way too tight.
The guy saw me fumbling with them, and he said, "Size twelve, right?"
"No, thirteen."
He said, "Be right back," as he took them and ran out the door.
I was standing there in my stocking feet when Karen said, "Wow!"
I turned to face her and Amy, and they were both smiling. Amy said,
"Lookin' good, Pete."
But, when I looked at Karen, she was staring at me strangely. I asked,
"Are you okay?"
"Sure, I'm fine. You uhh, look very nice."
Then Kristen stepped into the room. She was dressed in a medium
length, light blue dress that gradually darkened to dark blue at the
bottom. Her hair was a shiny black mane and her eyes seemed to glow.
She looked fantastic.
Then the other two guys came rushing in. The first guy began nervously
poking at Kristen's hair, and the other guy stepped around them and
helped me slip on some shoes. These fit me better, and as soon as I
had them comfortably on my feet, Kristen made a circle motion with her
finger. I did a full turn-around, and she said, "You look very
handsome, Pete." Then she said to Amy, "Lance and the gang are here.
Why don't you introduce Karen while Pete and I get our pictures
taken?"
Amy nodded, and took Karen by the hand. Karen asked, "Where are we
going?"
Amy answered, "You'll see. C'mon," and the two of them left.
Kristen thanked the two men. As they left, the first one said to me,
"When you sit, don't cross your legs, dear," and he flitted away.
Suddenly, Kristen and I were alone, and we stood looking at each
other. She is so beautiful I wanted to rush to her, but somehow,
things have changed. She's no longer the girl I walked through the
halls at school with, or the one who stood naked, washed by the
moonlight that night in Kate's bedroom. She's a fantasy. She someone
you see in the movies, or on TV, and I felt a sense of loss. She
guessed there was something wrong, and looked concerned. She walked
over to me, put her hand on my arm, and said, "It's just me, Pete.
Don't give up on me. Please don't."
It was like hearing someone else's voice, when I heard myself say,
"Don't worry, my love. I won't."
There was silence. Then, more to change the subject than anything
else, I asked her, "Who is Lance, and why shouldn't I cross my legs?"
She smiled and said, "Lance, is Lance Howard, of the 'Sir Lancelot
Band'. He's playing in town, and he stopped by to catch my show. Amy
and I know him from the show we did in Texas. He and his guys were on
the same bill as we were. They're a lot of fun, and I thought Karen
would get a kick out of meeting him.
"And you shouldn't cross your legs because that wardrobe tux is new.
If you cross your legs, you might wrinkle the pants, and we may need
to take some photos later."
"Will I actually be sitting with Robert DeLucca?"
"Yes. I've never met him, but I hear he's an okay guy."
"You've never met him! Why is he sitting with me in a box?"
"It's something Amy and Tomaso arranged. Maybe Dad also had something
to do with it. Mr. DeLucca is promoting a new movie, so he's in town
today doing a photo shoot. Tomorrow, he goes to LA to do the Leno
show."
"But why is he sitting with me?"
"Because everyone knows you're in town with me, and you're sort of a
mystery. Tomaso makes sure that nobody knows who you are. He has told
the press at least fifteen different stories about where you live and
what you do. DeLucca is sitting with you for a couple of reasons. He
likes publicity, and he knows the photographers will be keeping their
eye on you. Besides, his people tell him that people in our age group
are not going to his movies as much, and being seen with us will give
him a chance to be seen by the younger crowd. After the show, he'll
come backstage for some more photos, and we'll pretend to be big pals.
To tell the truth, I'm looking forward to meeting him, too.
"And, speaking of photographers, let's go. There's a bunch of them
waiting for us."
"What should I say if they ask me who I am?"
She looked at me without a smile, and replied, "Tell them whatever you
want. Now, let's go."
She took my arm and we walked toward the door. Instead of opening it,
though, she knocked on it -- two taps, a pause, then three more. The
door opened slightly, and a somewhat familiar voice asked, "Ready, Ms.
Baker?"
She answered 'Yes," and the door opened all the way. Standing there,
was the guy from the Miracle, who had caught Lu and I. He said, "Okay,
stay close," and he led us down a hallway to a closed door. He
motioned for us to wait. He stepped through the door, and I heard him
say, "Okay, they're here."
I whispered to Kristen, "I thought he worked at the Miracle?"
"He does; his name is Rocky. He's a friend of Dad's, and he watches
out for me when I'm in town."
I began to suspect that there was probably very little I did in this
town that didn't get reported to either Kristen or her father. I also
began to wonder just how many "major players" in Vegas felt indebted
to Senator Mariani.
Then Rocky opened the door all the way, and we stepped inside. We
posed by the door for what seemed like a long time. Camera flashes
were going off everywhere, and people were calling out, "Turn this
way," "Put your arm around her," and such. Then one guy said, "Hold
her by the waist and look at her!" So, facing Kristen, I put my hands
on her waist. Right away, she put hers on my shoulders, and moved
against me. She looked up at me with such love in her eyes, it took my
breath away. For a minute, I forgot why we were here, and I almost
kissed her. My desire for her must have shown on my face, because
someone said, "Wow, look at that," and every flash in the place went
off.
Then Rocky stepped in front of us, telling the photogs, "That's all
for now; she has to get ready. There'll be another opportunity after
the show."
We went back through the door, and Kristen said, "Thanks, Rocky. Would
you please show Pete to the box?" 
She air kissed me, and I followed him up some stairs, to a hallway
with doors on one side. A guard was standing at the entrance to the
hallway, but as soon as he saw who we were, he stepped aside. At the
end of the hall, near the last door, stood two guys in suits. When we
walked up, Rocky nodded, and one of them opened the door.
I stepped into a place I had seen in theaters and movie houses, and
always wondered about -- a small balcony that stuck out from a side
wall of the room. It looked like it could hold seven or eight people,
but ours only had three chairs. A man and woman were seated, and when
the man looked around, the hair on the back of my neck stood up.
He was Robert DeLucca, one of the most famous movie stars in the
world, and I was less than three feet from him! He waggled his fingers
at me, and said, "Hi kid, have a seat."
That voice! I heard it a zillion times, in countless movies. Even that
crooked smile was the same. Speechless, I plopped down in the chair,
and after a minute of awkward silence, he said, "You're Pete, right?"
"Yes sir."
"I'm Bobby and this is Tyra."
I tore my eyes away from him and looked at his companion, the most
beautiful black girl I've ever seen in my life. She was sitting down,
but still managed to look tall. Her hair was pulled back tightly
against her head, and she wore a snow white, low cut, strapless gown.
In some ways, she reminded me of Lu, except that Lu's skin had been
milky white, whereas Tyra's was chocolate brown. Then she looked at me
and smiled. The brilliance of the whites of her eyes and her teeth
contrasting against her dark skin was startling, and again, I was
almost speechless.
But I managed to croak out, "Hi, I'm Pete Baker." 
Then she did something unusual; she reached out with a long,
beautifully shaped arm, and held out her hand. I automatically reached
for it, and when I touched her, my body tingled as though electricity
went through me.
Her grip was strong, and in a melodious, but heavily accented, voice
that was just over a whisper, she said, "It is most excellent meeting
you, Mister Baker."
I had been conscious of a buzz from the crowd when I entered the box.
It seemed to me that the buzz now increased as people began to guess
who I was, and a big bunch of camera flashes lit us up. Not wanting to
stare at either one of my box mates any longer, I pulled my eyes away
and looked at the room. It was large, with a high ceiling. A series of
boxes like ours adorned the walls around the top. But ours was closest
to the stage, and had the best view. I was looking around at the other
boxes, when suddenly a camera flashed, then an arm shot up opposite
from us. On the other side of the room was a box like ours, except for
the fact that it was jammed full of people. Most of them were guys,
but of the ones who weren't, one was Karen.
Some people in the audience were standing to get a better look at our
box and take our picture, so I didn't wave; I just nodded in her
direction. When I did, the flash went off again, and I remembered that
she had brought along her digital camera.
In a few minutes, the house lights dimmed, and people got quiet. A man
walked onto the stage and started talking about Kristen, and how she
got her start here in Vegas. He went on about her tour with Tomaso,
and reminded people that a full show was scheduled for tomorrow.
Then, he stepped forward, and in a louder voice, he proclaimed,
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Desert Dunes proudly presents, The
Raven-Haired Beauty with the Golden Voice, Kristen Baker!" He actually
proud. 
The house lights dimmed completely as the orchestra started playing an
overture. Soon, they changed to the opening strains of "Stardust," and
Kristen's wonderful voice joined in as the curtain slowly opened. She
stepped forward into the spotlight and its effect on her was magical.
She looked so beautiful, I found it difficult to look at her without
staring. I closed my eyes and just listened to her. After Stardust,
she went through several ballads, and there wasn't a peep from the
audience until the end of each song; then they would applaud loudly.
The back up singers were off to the side, and when their voices joined
Kristen's, the harmony was unbelievable. It was dark where we three
were sitting, and DeLucca and the girl were slightly behind me, so I
couldn't easily see how they were reacting. But, at one point, when
there was a flash of lights from the stage, I glanced at DeLucca. His
eyes were glued on Kristen and his mouth was slightly open. He seemed
hypnotized by her.
Tyra caught me looking, and stared directly at me. It was an unusual
sight -- our area was dark again, so all I could see was her white
dress and the whites of her eyes. I kept waiting for her to look back
at the stage, but she held my gaze until I was the one who looked
away.
After several more ballads, Kristen switched to an upbeat rock and
role number that nearly brought the house down. The applause went on
for quite some time, and I heard DeLucca say to his girlfriend, "God
DAMN!! Is she marvelous or what?"
Kristen's final number was "Sunrise, Sunset." And as the final strains
wafted over the audience, they began to stand and applaud. By the time
it ended, every person in the audience was standing and applauding
wildly, and Kristen was standing in the middle of the stage, with her
hands over her face, as though she was crying.
The MC had stepped on stage, and after the applause had gone on for a
while, he waved at everyone to quiet down. Once the audience had
cooperated, he asked her to sing one more. She nodded, and said
something to the orchestra. Then they started into "My Guy," the song
I'd heard her sing for the first time yesterday. Again, a small
spotlight was trained on me. She sang it to the audience, but she
would occasionally glance at me, until the last few bars; then she
held her hand toward me. I stood up, and she finished the song looking
straight at me.
Again the audience gave wild applause, but this time the curtain
closed.
I turned to DeLucca and he was shaking his head. He said, "I gotta
hand it to you, boy. That girl is some, fucking terrific."
I had heard him swear in the movies before, but, somehow, I was
shocked at hearing him say something like that in person.
The theater lights came on; he went to the door and said something to
one of his guys. I guess they had been standing there the whole time.
Then the door opened all the way, and DeLucca said "C'mon," before he
walked outside. I started after him, but I noticed that the girl
wasn't moving. She just sat there looking at me. Then she held her
hand out to me. I took it, and she stood up. She was indeed tall. In
her high heels, she was almost as tall as I am, and we stood there
looking at each other for a second. Once more, she reminded me of Lu.
Quietness and poise were traits I noticed when I first met Lu, and
Tyra had them as well. I wondered if they were learned, or if people
were born with them.
Like Lu, Tyra has a wildly exotic look about her, and I was thinking
that we would probably make an unusual looking couple. We are both
tall, and she was a black-haired, black girl dressed in white, while I
was a blond-haired, white guy dressed in black.
We followed DeLucca downstairs to the photo room, but just as we got
there, Amy ran up and grabbed me. She said, "Quick, follow me," so  we
walked rapidly to Kristen's dressing room. When we got there, Kristen
was sitting at the dressing table, and as soon as Amy closed and
locked the door, Kristen dropped the top of her dress. Now, naked from
the waist up, she began wiping her face and upper body with some kind
of treated towel.
Amy said to me, "Sit. We have to work quickly," and she went to
Kristen. They seemed to be removing some make-up and applying another
kind. When I asked what was happening, Amy said, "We're taking off the
stage make-up, and applying different stuff. That stage formula
doesn't photograph as well."
They were working quickly, but seeing Kristen sitting there half
naked, got me thinking about her, so I had to say something to get my
mind off her. I said, "DeLucca is in the photo room waiting for us.
Won't he wonder where we are?"
Amy said, "He knows what we're doing; remember, he's done it a
thousand times. He'll keep them busy until we get there."
"So, why did you grab me so quickly?"
They seemed to be finished. Kristen stood up, pulled up her dress, and
said, "Because I didn't want the press questioning you without me
being there."
Then something occurred to me. "What did you do with Karen?"
Amy answered, "I put her with the Lancelot guys. Those guys are a
riot. I told them to leave her alone, but knowing them, they'll chase
her around a little. But she can take care of herself."
I was about to complain, but Kristen grabbed my hand and we hurried
down the hall. Just before we got there, I asked Kristen, "Are you
sure you want me here?" She didn't answer me verbally; she just
squeezed my hand tighter as we entered the room. Everyone was gathered
around DeLucca, but as soon as we got there, they swarmed toward us.
After the photographers snapped a ton of pictures of the two of us,
DeLucca came over. He and Kristen quickly hugged, which prompted
another burst of clicking and flashes from a roomful of cameras. I was
beginning to wonder if Amy had arranged for every photographer in
Nevada to be here! They got pictures of her and him together. He had
his arm around her waist, and they were standing together like two old
friends. Since she had already told me she had never met him, I was
impressed by how comfortable she seemed to be.
I walked over next to Tyra, and we watched them as they stood
together, laughing and joking with the press. It was almost unworldly,
seeing a girl I was recently so close with, standing next to a screen
legend I had never imagined meeting.
I knew that I was in no way, a part of their world. It was a little
upsetting.
I studied DeLucca for a minute. He's shorter than I had imagined,
probably around five-eight. And he looks a lot older. Maybe sixty, or
even more. I looked at Tyra to see if she was watching them, but she
seemed to be smiling, and looking at me. It was flattering, but a
little disconcerting. I returned her smile and started to say
something, just as camera flashes started going off in our faces.
Then, as if by magic, DeLucca's two guys appeared in front of us, and
began forcing the press back. There was some grumbling, but DeLucca's
guys looked serious, and although there were some more cameras
clicking, most of the media people went back to Kristen and Delucca.
Tyra leaned over to me and said, "By tomorrow, you, me, have sex."
It took me a minute to realize what she meant. At first, I thought she
had asked me for sex. Then I realized that she only meant that by
tomorrow, the tabloids were going to say that we had been sleeping
together.
I smiled, but for a wonderful split-second, I also wondered what it
would be like to have that beautiful brown body next to mine.
Finally, Kristen and DeLucca came and got us, and we went back towards
Kristen's dressing room. When we got to the door, DeLucca said, "Try
to make it if you can." Kristen nodded, in kind of a "We'll see," way,
and DeLucca and Tyra left.
When we got inside, Amy was talking on her cell phone, but Kristen
started jumping up and down, waving her arms. As soon as Amy ended the
call, they began dancing around, hugging each other.
Kristen kept saying, "I can't believe it; I can't believe it. I
actually was interviewed with Robert DeLucca, and I even got a hug!"
I was really surprised by her behavior. DeLucca had impressed me too;
but she had acted so cool around him, I just figured it was normal for
her to be around famous people.
Amy seemed excited as she was, and kept asking, "What was he like?
What did he say?"
After a few more minutes of dancing around, Kristen said, "He's
staying in a suite at the Bellagio, and he's having some people over
later. He asked all of us to drop by after the late show!"
Amy's eyes got wide, and she asked, "All of us?"
"Yes! Everyone! You, me, Pete, even Karen. I told him we were all here
together."
This news triggered even more dancing and jumping around. So, for the
first time in a while, I was reminded that in spite of all their
sophistication and worldliness, these people, who were so close to me,
were still young girls at heart.
It was Amy who settled down first, and she said, "Pete, Kristen has to
rest for a while, so she's going to lie down."
She turned to Kristen, and, as though I wasn't even there, she helped
her out of her dress, slipped her into a robe and helped her lie down
without messing up her hair. Then she shut off the light and we went
into the other room.
Curious, I asked, "Won't she fall asleep?
"No, she'll lie there and go over the songs in her head. But she'll
rest. Right now, I'm hungry; but first, let's get Karen. I talked with
her just before you came in, and she sounded like she was having way
too much fun."
I blinked, and asked, "What do you mean?"
Amy grinned, "I'm not sure, but knowing those guys, I'm sure that at
least alcohol is involved."
"Whaaat! You said those guys were okay!"
"Relax. They ARE okay. They just love to party is all. Karen is fine.
She's a big girl."
We headed out, and as we opened the door, I noticed Rocky standing
just outside. Amy nodded to him and said, "She's resting. I'll be back
in an hour." As we walked down the hall, she whispered, "You couldn't
get by him without a gun, and I'm not so sure that even THAT would
work."
"Why is he so faithful?"
"It has something to do with her dad, but I'm not sure what."
"You seem awfully busy. Who does what you do for her when you're not
around?"
"Tomaso has several people who do this when they're on the road. It's
a lot of work, but I get a kick out of doing it when I can."
"When they're on the road, who, uhh, watches out for Kristen?"
"Tomaso. He's more than just her partner, you know; he and Kristen's
dad go back a long way, so he keeps close tabs on her."
"I'm surprised that Kristen would allow anyone to try to control her."
"Oh, he doesn't control her. She's much too strong for that. He
advises her, guides her career, and gives her an occasional shoulder
to lean on."
"I'm surprised at the last part. She seems so focused on her career, I
didn't think she had 'down periods'."
"She doesn't have many, but the nights on the road can get long."
"So, what does she do?"
"Usually, she calls me. She misses you a lot, and we sometimes talk to
the wee hours. I finally had to get a timer. When she calls, I set it
for fifteen minutes. But it usually goes on longer."
"Doesn't she date?"
"Not really, there's no time. She has coffee with Chet, the back-up
singer sometimes, but that's about all."
"He seemed like a nice guy."
"He is! In the beginning, I think Tomaso asked him to keep his eye on
her, and be her escort if she needed one. But I know he's grown to
like her, and I think he wants it to be more."
We were waiting for the elevator now, and realized I hadn't really
thought much about Kristen being with someone else. It bothered me a
little, but not nearly as much as the same idea had, with Amy.
Amy went on, "Chet's been with Tomaso for quite some time. He's a good
organizer. He's the one who suggested that he bring those cardboard
cutouts, when he and the singers showed up."
"I wondered how you got them made so quickly."
The elevator showed up and Amy punched a button. The minute the door
opened on the floor she selected, I could hear music, and as we walked
toward one of the rooms, the music sounded a lot louder. We knocked on
the door for several minutes before someone finally opened it. When we
went in, the first thing I saw was a bunch of people standing around a
girl. Someone was in front of her, squirting her with what appeared to
be a seltzer bottle. She was wearing a long white, "Lancelot Rules"
t-shirt that came down clear past her butt. She obviously had nothing
under it but panties, because her ample tits were clearly visible.
Someone shouted, "The Winner," and handed her a big glass of beer,
which she downed without stopping.
As soon as I could tear my eyes away from her, I looked at the crowd.
Most of the persons in the group seemed to be women, and cute women at
that. It also looked like they were all barefoot, and wearing little
except soggy Lancelot t-shirts. This even included Karen, as I found
out when she came running at me and jumped into my arms.
She was grinning from ear to ear and had obviously been drinking -- a
lot!
She began covering me with kisses, which I enjoyed. Unfortunately, I
had to pull her away, because she was getting the front of my tux wet.
I stuttered, "Are-are you, uhh, having a good time?"
"Oh Pete, I'm havin' fantas'ic time. These guys're CRRAAZHY!"
I nodded to her t-shirt and asked her, "Well, did you win?"
Karen pointed over her shoulder to the girl who was being wetted when
we came in, and said, "No, sheedid, bu' look!" Hanging around her neck
was a cheap little, gold-colored plastic trophy, and she gleefully
slurred, "I got honorble me'shun for having cute nipples!"
Amy was standing next to me, and she burst out laughing.
Karen joined her, until I glared at both of them. Then they both
shrugged, and laughed even harder.
Finally, Amy said to her, "Say goodbye to your pals. I have to get
something to eat, and I want to tell you about tonight."
Karen hiccupped as she answered, "Okay, lemme get my clothes." And she
wobbled quickly into another room. We waited a few minutes; then Amy
looked at her watch, and said, "I hope she hurries; this could take a
while."
I asked, "Why?"
However, before Amy could answer, I turned around and saw Karen. She
was completely dressed, and was being kissed by one of the guys. From
pictures I'd seen, I figured he was Lance. I started to go to her, but
Amy grabbed my arm and said, "Leave her alone; she's just having fun."
Then another guy grabbed Karen. Amy ran to her and said something.
Karen giggled as she handed Amy her purse. Karen wobbled back to Lance
and kissed him again, this time while Amy took her picture. Karen
ended up kissing two other guys while Amy snapped away. Then, when
guys started to line up, Amy grabbed her, and said, "That's all,
people."
There was a groan from all the guys when Amy took her away. When they
got back to me, Karen was flushed and beaming. She was holding
something, and she said, "Look, they lemme keep the t-shirt!"
I pretended to be grouchy, but I really thought it was great to see
that she was having such a good time.
We went to a coffee shop. I had some tea, but Karen ordered a large
cup of coffee. Amy ordered a big salad, and between bites, she told us
about the rest of the evening.
"Pete, Delucca and most of the press won't be there for the late show.
But, a lot of the ones who stay late are looking for a star slob kind
of angle, so keep wearing the tuxedo." I wanted to thank Amy for the
warning, but she was already talking to Karen.
	"Karen, you can be in the box if you like, but the hotel
insists that you share it with some other people, and if you don't
mind, I'd like you to kind of stay in the background. The show will be
pretty much the same as before, except that the late shows are
considered 'adult' shows, so there'll be topless dancers for the
lead-in, and at the ending."
Karen was finishing her second cup of coffee, and she looked a little
more composed. She was thoughtful for a minute, then she said, "I
don't wanna cause a problem. Could I watch the show back stage with
you?"
Amy replied, "Sure, you're welcome to join me, but it'll spoil the
illusion."
"That's okay. I've seen it from the front; now I'd like to see what
goes on in the back."
While we watched as Amy finished her salad, I asked, "Wasn't Kristen
hungry?"
"No, she doesn't eat between shows, and I'm sure there'll be food at
DeLucca's."
Suddenly, she looked at Karen. "By the way, did I tell you that we
were all going to DeLucca's suite after the show?"
Karen looked down and said, very quietly, "Oh, tha's nice."
Amy grinned and said, "That means all of us, including you."
Karen's head snapped back up like it was on springs. Her eyes got huge
as the news sank in. I could barely hear her as she murmured, "OH...
MY... GOD!"
Amy and I both started laughing, as Karen began bombarding Amy with,
"Oh, thank you, thank you, what should I wear," etc.
Finally, Amy threw up her hands and said, "Karen, calm down. We'll
talk about it backstage. But, right now, I have to go. The show starts
in half an hour, so you two have about fifteen minute to relax. Pete,
do you remember how to get to the box?"
I nodded; then she said, "Karen, come to the side door. I'll tell them
to let you in."
Amy left, and Karen and I sat quietly for a minute. Then Karen got a
disturbed look on her face and asked, "You're not mad about the way I
behaved with Lance and the guys, are you?"
"No, you were just having a good time. And they were right, you know."
"Right? Right about what?"
"You really do have cute nipples."
She grinned broadly. "I can't believe I did that. I'd heard about wet
t-shirt contests before, but I'd never seen one. When the gang and I
left after the show, there were at least twenty girls waiting at the
entrance to the hallway, all screaming for Lance. We went to an
elevator, and when we stepped in, he said that whoever made it into
the elevator with us, could go to a party. I think the elevator is
supposed to hold six or seven. There must have been twenty-five people
in it the by the time it left. When we got to the room, one of his
guys said that there was gonna be a wet t-shirt contest, with trophies
for special winners.
	"I think just about every girl in the room entered the
contest. We all went in the bedroom to change, and some girls even
took off their panties! It was WILD!"
"Yeah, and you won a trophy."
"Well, I think Amy had something to do with that. Lance said that she
was responsible for them getting a bigger contract at the last place
they worked. Besides, some of those girls were gorgeous."
I quickly said, "And you're gorgeous too! Do you know how really
pretty you are?"
She took in a deep breath, exhaled, then drew in another. She wasn't
smiling when she said, "Yes Pete, I do. I'm an attractive high school
girl. But I'm nothing like the girls I've seen you with. Molly, Amy,
and Kristen are beyond gorgeous; they're world-class beauties. And
those are just the ones I know about."
There was kind of a strained silence for a few minutes. At last, she
smiled and said, "But, let's not talk about that. I have to get
backstage, and you have to go watch your 'wife' perform."
When I got to the hallway that led to the box seats, the guard
recognized me. He said, "There are some people in your box, but I
taped off your seat," and he led me to the door. He opened it, and I
heard him say, "Shit!" under his breath. Six chairs had been brought
in, and two older couples, and an attractive young woman there were
sitting there. But my seat, the one closest to the stage, was occupied
by one of the older women, and the torn-off, "Reserved" banner was
lying on the floor next to it.
I was about to take the extra chair, but the usher went to the woman
and quietly asked her to move. She refused, saying that they had paid
extra money for this box, but the usher was adamant, and said if she
didn't move he would call security. She finally got up. First, she
glared at him, then at me, but she finally plopped down in the other
chair.
Everyone in her party looked uncomfortable, and I was about to
apologize, when I heard her say, "Look at that! They were saving that
seat for that young punk. He's probably some rich guy's son."
I was going to say something to her, but the young women stared at me
with such a pleading look, I just ignored the old woman, and sat down.
This time, the MC came out and introduced the 'Dunes Girls.' A bunch
of dancers came out and did a ten-minute show that ended with them
posing topless. Then he came back and introduced Kristen in the same
style as before. And again, her beautiful voice filled the room. This
time, when she did the rock & roll number, the dancers came out, and
the finish of that song almost brought down the house. The applause
lasted so long, the orchestra just started playing again.
So, Kristen started her next song while the audience was still
applauding her previous one! When she did her final 'Sunrise, Sunset'
number, people were standing as she finished. 
When the MC asked her to do one more, she said that a special guy was
in the audience, and she held her hand up to me. I stood up, and she
sang the whole song directly to me. But, this time, something was
different about the way she sang the words. Somehow, she put a tone of
finality in the song that I hadn't heard before. And this time, as
Kristen brought her rendition to its haunting close, a chill went
through me. I wondered if I would ever hear her sing to me again.
When the lights came on, I sat back down to let the theater clear. I
had a big backlog of things I needed to think over, and here and now
was a good time and place to start. 
I was sitting there thinking, and feeling a sense of loss, when there
was a touch on my shoulder. It was the young woman who'd had the
pleading look in her eyes. She looked at me and said, "Please let me
apologize for my mother; she didn't realize who you were. Your wife
has a beautiful voice; you must be very proud of her."
The showroom was almost empty, and rest of the people in the box had
begun to file out, so the girl and I followed them. She was telling me
about how lucky they were to get tickets, and as we walked down the
hallway to the exit, I had a chance to look at her. She was very
attractive, but I couldn't get that feeling in Kristen's voice out of
my mind, so I really didn't pay much attention to my former box mate.
We were the last ones through the exit door, and she put her hand on
my arm and said, "It was nice talking to you."
I smiled at her as she walked away, and as I turned to go, I noticed
Karen had been standing there watching us. So I went over, put my arm
around her, and we headed toward Kristen's dressing room. She seemed
quiet for a minute; then she began telling me about how great it was
to watch the show from backstage, and how beautiful the dancers were.
When we got to the hall outside the dressing room, it was full of
people. I didn't see Amy, but Kristen was talking to everyone, and
Rocky was standing close by, making sure that no-one got too close.
As soon as Karen and I showed up, cameras began to go off, and Kristen
motioned us over to her. She introduced Karen to everyone, and the
three of us stood there and had our pictures taken. A lot.
After a few minutes, Rocky shooed everyone away and we went into the
dressing room. Amy was on the phone and she didn't look happy. When
she hung up, Kristen asked her what was wrong, but Amy waved her hand
and said, "Later." Then she started telling us what might be in store
for us.
She said, "Okay, here's the deal. As you know, we've all been invited
to DeLucca place. I was on the road briefly with Kristen, and I know
that these after-show get-togethers can be kind of wild. Tomaso kept a
lid on things when I was with them, and Kristen tells me that he does
the same with her. But DeLucca's crowd is probably a lot different. I
talked with Rocky, and he said that he'd heard stories about crazy
things going on, and that there would almost surely be drugs. I'm as
excited to go there as you are, but I don't know what we might be
getting into. Does anyone have any ideas?"
I asked, "Will Rocky be with us?"
"Yes, he's going to drive us there, and hang around, but he won't be
allowed inside the party."
"I suggest that we stick together, and watch what we drink."
Amy looked at Karen. "Are you okay with this?"
She seemed to think for a minute; then she asked, "Do you think we
should bring Jan along, in case we need to kick some ass?"
Everyone cracked up at that, and we began to change clothes. Kristen
put on a white blouse and a pair of jeans that were so tight, she had
to lie on the couch to button them. Then she slipped on a cashmere
sweater, and tied her hair back. Even in those simple clothes, she
looked terrific. I was watching while she dressed, and I saw how the
other two girls reacted. Amy unconsciously stood up straighter and
held her shoulders back. Karen, on the other hand, seemed to shrink a
little. Amy was standing behind her, so she saw it too, and her eyes
narrowed.
We piled into Rocky's car, and he drove us to the Bellagio.
The Bellagio and the Miracle are the two most elegant establishments
on the strip. Giant, dancing fountains ring the front side of the
Bellagio and the casino vies with the Miracle for bragging rights as
the place where the high-rollers go. Rocky pulled up to a side
entrance and let us off; then he told Kristen he would be outside the
suite if we needed him. He looked serious, and I think we were all a
little nervous when we went inside. The elevator took us to one of the
top floors, and when we got off, we couldn't help stopping at a window
that looked over the town. Our room at the Miracle had a great view,
but this view was at least ten floors higher. Because of the recent
rain, the town looked sparkling clean, and even more beautiful.
We went into the hallway and immediately spotted the two DeLucca guys,
standing by a set of massive doors. They nodded at Kristen when we
walked up, and one of them opened the doors.

-- 
Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights
reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
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