by Audrina Lane
“I’m only going to say Sorry this one final time, from now on it’s a fresh page that we have to write upon” he said, firmly.
“That sounds like a plan” I replied “Like the very first letter I ever sent you”
“Like the very first time I ever kissed you” he finished “Although re-visiting the spot might be kind of nice”
“I think that could be arranged” I replied, grinning back as we walked back to my house.
Letting us in, I glanced nervously over to James. I was watching for his reaction to my home. The place I had shared with Mark and would now undoubtedly spend some time with him here.
“Lovely house” he breathed.
“I’ll give you a quick tour if you like” I said, shyly.
“Lead on” James said, as we headed through to the kitchen. He admired the layout and peeped into the conservatory. Then we went through to the dining room and lounge.
“I’m sure you remember my place” he said “It’s so much smaller than yours”
“A building doesn’t make a home” I murmured. He looked across at the bookshelves and then all the DVD’s lined up too. Moving closer he ran his hands over the spines of a couple of books.
“You’re still a book worm then” he asked. I nodded as he moved on to the DVD’s. He pulled one out and turned to me. Before I even saw it I knew which film it was as I closed the gap between us again. My hands touched the case before he slipped it back onto the shelf.
Then I was in his arms again, I surrendered to his familiar touch that reawakened so many feelings within me. My heart had started to beat again as our tongues met and explored again in a pattern that we both knew. Time slipped away as we just stood in each other’s arms, our eyes wide open as we watched each other anew. Eventually I heard the grandfather clock in the hall pass the hour and I pulled away.
“We’ll have to head back I’m afraid” I said “I’ve got more work to do and a superstar to meet” I finished, smiling so much I could feel my muscles aching.
“Come on then” he said “Well finish this tour later” he finished. I spotted the cheeky twinkle in the corner of his eyes. Grabbing the couple of things I needed to take back with me we returned to a riverside that was busier than before.
Chapter 69
Charlie and Mitch spotted our return and headed over to meet us and I happily left James with the two of them as I returned to the mobile studio. Paul and Ian had both arrived and between them they were organising the bands and explaining the procedure as the first ones started to set up on the stage. Charlie briefly interrupted me.
“Mum, we’re going to head home and fetch our costumes, can we change here on the bus” she asked. I watched the guys give my daughter the once over.
“Sure, I’ll save you a space” I said, before she turned and ran back to Mitchell.
“Was that Charlotte” Paul eventually asked.
“Yes, stop being a letch, you’re old enough to be her Dad” I laughed.
“I wouldn’t stand a chance next to her boyfriend” he laughed, as we watched Mitch pick her up and carry her on his back.
As we finalised plans Paul and Ian prepared to take to the stage ready to kick the event off. I had a final look through the running order and then spotted Sarah and Chris heading in my direction. Waving I headed over to them and seeing James looking a little lost now that the kids had disappeared I motioned him over.
“Hey Steph, looking beautiful today” Chris said, pulling me into his arms for a hug.
“Sarah you look great too” I said, as we hugged and kissed as usual. Then James was with us and it almost felt like old times again. The four of us together again, as James said hello again to Sarah and Chris.
“Can I get some drinks in before the bar gets busy” James asked.
“Sure, I’ll give you a hand” Chris said, as we watched them walk away together.
“I hope they’ll be friends again now” Sarah said, turning to me.
“Me too, as you’re going to be seeing a lot more of James from now on” I replied, happily. Sarah hugged me again.
“I think you’ve made the right decision, I’ve not seen you this happy in such a long time” she said. We paused as the sound system was turned on to full blast.
“Welcome to Rock on the River, our amazing fundraising event for the local hospital” Paul announced. Cheers deafened us as the crowd responded.
“So there’s plenty to enjoy throughout the day but we’re kicking off with an hour of your requests before our first band Rubble are ready to rock us” Ian said.
“Yeah, come and see us over by the bus and tell us what you want to hear” Paul said. “This first song is from us to all you guys it’s Queen with We will Rock you, so let me see your hands and hear your singing” he finished.
The guys returned with our drinks, I had to stick to soft drinks while I was working but the cold orange juice slid down a treat. Jack had also come over to join us as I hovered around and took requests from people. A young girl came up to me.
“Are you Stephanie” she asked.
“Yes” I replied
“Can’t wait to see who your secret admirer is later, your romance on air has had me hooked” she finished.
“You’ll have to wait until just before Rick Astley later” I replied, blushing lightly.
“Are you nervous or excited” she asked. I glanced across at my friends and James and smiled.
“Excited, I’m sure he’s going to be the man of my dreams” I replied. I spotted Jack laughing and trying to hide it from everyone around us.
“I can’t wait to see your look of surprise later” he said
“I’m really looking forward to seeing Ian and Paul’s faces when they realise that I now know my Mystery man” I finished.
As the clock crept towards three I kept an ear on my phone as the Rick Astley entourage would be contacting me when they got closer. I twisted a stand of my hair nervously as I waited and watched Charlotte and the girls waiting to perform their first dance of the day. Rubble had just finished their set to rapturous applause from the crowds who loved their high energy rock covers. I waved across and she spotted me and waved back. Sarah, Chris and James had headed closer to the dance floor to get a better view and were joined by Mitchell. His group would be dancing straight afterwards before our next run of requested songs and the second live band. I could hardly believe how smoothly things were running with an event this large. The riverside was crowded with people of all ages, having fun and enjoying the unusually warm weather.
Suddenly my phone rang and I wandered a little further away from the crowds to speak.
“Hi is that Stephanie” a male voice asked.
“Yes speaking” I replied
“It’s Evan, Rick’s manager. We’ve just reached the end of the M50 are there any signs for us to follow” he asked.
“Sure there should be one just off the roundabout then just follow those and as you turn into the road that runs parallel to the river I’ll meet you there as I’ll need to move the road closed signs” I said.
“Great, we’ll be in a large coach” Evan replied, before the phone line went dead. I quickly headed into our bus and said to Ian.
“Rick’s at the end of the M50 so I’m off to meet him at the road closed sign” I said.
“Fantastic” he replied “You know where you’re directing them too” he finished.
“Yes, I’ll get on the walkies and let the stewards know” I finished.
At the thought of meeting Rick Astley I felt even more like a teenager again, as I hurried through the crowds. I could hear the next band really warming up the crowds with their rock and roll set, I even spotted Charlie and Mitchell dancing in the centre as he spun her around. I soon saw the coach approaching and started to move the signs so that they could pull in. Putting them back into place I saw the door of the coach opening and a guy popped out.
“Thanks Stephanie, do you want to come on board to direct our driv
er” he said.
“Sure” I replied, as I hopped on and shook hands with Evan. Trying to look professional as if meeting superstars was part of my usual working day I kept my eyes fixed on the windscreen. Slowly we made our way through the crowds and then into position. As the vehicle stopped I turned around and looked into the back of the coach to see my idol casually sitting there.
“So what’s the timescale for setting up before Rick’s onstage at nine thirty?” Evan asked. I had remembered to pick up my clipboard and located the relevant plans and schedule and handed him a copy.
“In the meantime if you need anything else I’ll be just over by the other bus and then I’m on stage from five so if you require anything at that point then contact Paul or Ian” I said “All our details are on the bottom of the schedule” I finished. Suddenly I felt someone standing behind me and I turned to look directly at Rick.
“Hello Mr Astley, it’s lovely to welcome you to the Wye Valley” I said, extending my hand.
“Hello Miss…” he paused, as he tried to remember my name.
“Just call me Stephanie” I said, blushing as he shook my hand.
“Just call me Rick” he finished. He was charming me already as I struggled to contain my excitement.
“Will it cause too much disruption if I have a wander around outside; I’ve got security but I don’t mind talking to the fans” he said.
“Certainly” I replied “Perhaps later I could trouble you to sign my copy of your first album” I said “I’ve been a huge fan of yours since you started” I finished.
“No problem, come and find me later” he said.
He was about to turn away when I remembered my blind date introduction that would take place before he began his set.
“I have a final request” I asked.
“Go ahead” Rick said.
“To cut a long story short I’m supposed to be meeting a secret admirer on stage just before your set starts, he’s been sending me song requests for the past couple of weeks and the guys on the station thought I should meet him in front of the crowds” I said. I paused and tried to imagine how this was sounding to a world famous singer.
“The thing is the secret admirer is actually my first boyfriend who I went out with in 1988 and one of our favourite songs was “Together Forever” so if you could dedicate that to us in your set I would be eternally grateful” I finished.
“Wow, how fantastic, certainly I will Stephanie, just let Evan know the name of your man and I’ll do that for you both” he said, smiling. “Good Luck” he finished.
When I stepped off the bus and into the bright sunlight I knew that I definitely couldn’t wait until later. Quite literally the stage was set for the finale of the day. I had a quick look around and spotted that everything was under control so I headed down towards the dance floor and my friends and daughter sitting together in the sun. James spotted me and stood up as I arrived.
“Hi Steph, glad you could join us for a bit” he said.
“Would you like a drink” Sarah asked, reaching for a glass and the orange juice.
“Great” I replied “I’ll be on stage at five and introducing your next dances” I said to Charlie and Mitch.
“Is Rick here yet?” Sarah asked.
“Yes, I’ve just had the pleasure of meeting him, watch out as he is planning to have a wander round at some point” I said “A true gentleman and still gorgeous” I finished, as I felt James give me a nudge on the arm.
“It’s ok” I finished “I have a secret admirer to meet later anyway” I laughed.
Charlotte and Mitchell followed me over to the bus a little later so that they could change for their next set of dances. I was feeling slightly nervous as I took to the stage but as the crowd finished applauding the last band I soon held them captive in the palm of my hand. I could see Charlotte and her group waiting nervously to start their performance so I let them have the floor to perform their new dance to “Troublemaker” by Olly Murs. Then as the crowd gave them a standing ovation as they left the dance floor I spotted her racing to the radio bus to change for Mitchell’s group dance with her special appearance. I let the crowd chant for more to give her some extra time before Mitch and the guys filled the floor.
I watched the young girls and many women in the audience inhale sharply at the sight of these young men in their smart suits. As the voice of Justin Timberlake’s “Suit and Tie” hypnotised the crowd into silence they began and once again the crowd stood watching. As Charlie headed back across the field ready for her entrance I spotted Rick to the side of the stage and I beckoned him up so that he could see the dancing better. Then Charlotte swayed across the dance floor in her flirty floral dress from our London trip. The seemingly disinterested guys in the crowds started to perk up again and I heard a number of wolf whistles.
Standing to the side of the stage with Rick he turned to me.
“They’re fantastic dancers” he whispered.
“Yes, the girl performing now is my daughter and the dark haired guy that she is leading around by his tie is her boyfriend” I replied.
“They definitely stand out above the others “he murmured “I might need some dancers for my next tour, would it be ok to contact you on the information that Evan has” he asked. I could hardly believe what I was hearing as I nodded and said.
“They’re dancing together just before you take to the stage later” I said. Rick nodded as he headed back to his tour bus before the crowds noticed him. I watched as the routine finished with all the guys holding Charlie aloft whilst she twirled a loose tie. I joined in with the claps and cheers and couldn’t wait to tell them later what Rick had said to me.
Leaving the stage to continue the broadcast and let the final local band finish setting up I headed for the small studio on the bus to take over from Ian. As I boarded I spotted all the guys in a huddle.
“What’s going on” I asked.
“We need to find your mystery man to let him know when and where we need him for later” Paul said.
“Ok perhaps I’ll play him a request and ask him to meet you behind the stage” I said, enjoying their looks of amazement at my calmness.
“Aren’t you even a tiny but nervous” Ian asked.
“No, I’m sure it will be fine” I replied, as I made my way into the studio and put my ear phones on.
I played the first few requests through that we hadn’t had time for in the last stint while I tried to think of a good song to play. In the end it had to be “Perfect” by Fairground Attraction, as it summed up the event and the secret fact that I hoped it was going to be perfect when we were finally together again. As the song faded out I took to the microphone.
“I hope my secret admirer is here and waiting patiently to meet me later” I paused and I could hear the screams from the crowds outside who had been following the requested songs for a couple of weeks now.
“I’d like to play you Perfect by Fairground Attraction and if you could make yourself known to Paul and Ian they will be waiting for you behind the main stage” I finished, as the song started to play.
“I don’t want half hearted love affairs
I need someone who really cares
Life is too short to play silly games
I’ve promised myself I won’t do that again
It’s got to be perfect”
I grinned as I felt my mobile phone buzz in my pocket. As Ian and Paul had left the bus I pulled it out and read the message from James.
“Fantastic choice of song, I’m on my way now. I don’t think they’ve spotted me with you at any point during the day so the game is still on”
I quickly tapped out a reply.
“The only one who has is Mark and he’s still outside the bus at the moment, have fun and I’ll look forward to meeting you at about eight thirty on stage”
“I’ll be there” James replied.
Charlie and Mitch appeared in the main body of the bus so after I had set the next couple of so
ngs to play I stepped out of the studio for a moment.
“Hi Mum, is everything going ok” Charlie asked.
“Amazingly well. Your new dances were fantastic, you both blew the crowds away” I said “I could tell from the stage” I finished. I could see Jack nodding in the background.
“That’s great considering the lack of practice we had for Suit and Tie” Mitchell said. Charlotte nodded in agreement as they exchanged looks that were hotter than the rays of sun that had filled the afternoon with its haze.
“Rick Astley was watching from the stage and might be interested in a couple of dancers for his tour” I said. Before I could say anymore Charlie had almost floored me with her enthusiastic hug, before she turned and jumped into Mitch’s arms.
Time flew by and as my request session came to an end before the last local band kept the crowds entertained I had time to reflect on the day. On the whole there had been no major hiccups and so far no one had got drunk enough to cause any arguments or fights. I still couldn’t quite believe that I had spoken to one of my teenage idols and he was a genuinely nice guy. Sitting back in the studio chair I nursed a cup of tea as I heard Mark on the stage warming up the crowd for the band, I closed my eyes. It had been such a long day and it still wasn’t over yet as I realised that the current band would be on stage for around an hour before Charlotte and Mitchell would perform the final dance to “I’ve had the time of my life”. Then I would have to fake a surprised look for the fans as I came face to face with my secret admirer before Rick would finish the day off.
The event had already raised over eight thousand pounds through sponsorship and even paying for our big star to perform was reasonable. The guys who had supplied the lighting and stage equipment were getting a small amount coupled with major advertising on the radio station. Overall everyone was happy and the great weather had certainly helped. From outside I could hear the crowd clapping in time to the music and I opened my eyes. I had hardly stopped for food apart from my morning sandwich so I decided to pop to the nearest fast food trailer and pick something up to keep me going. Returning to the bus with a portion of chips I saw Jack heading towards me so I paused and waited for him.