DASHED DREAMS (9 page)

Jillian had taken much care in selecting her wardrobe for the evening, wanting not to appear sloppy, but not too dressed-up. She selected a black v-necked sweater and black and white Hawaiian-floral capris. She wore black strap heels. She let her hair fall loose around her face. Her make-up was mineral make-up that never looks overpowering. She wore a new shade of lipstick, a brighter shade than usual. Her earrings were the ones she’d bought in Seattle. They were perfect for the outfit, black with gold tones.

Robert wore a Tommy Bahama Hawaiian polo shirt over a pair of almost-white colored slacks. He wore top-siders with tan socks.

“Hey, it looks like we coordinated our outfits. Great minds.”

He was right. His shirt consisted of light-yellow hibiscus and was black and white in color. The collar and bands on his sleeves were solid black, but wore no jewelry.

The sun faded and the sky was becoming a dusky blue in color, the dusk casting shadows in the room. The two apprehensive occupants stood looking at one another. RJ reached out and took Jillie’s hand, squeezed it lightly. He felt his hands shaking. Not since a young man had he ever feel so nervous. The women in his past had never caused the stirring and uncertainty he was now feeling.

He thought: I’ve been able to have anyone I’ve wanted, just because of who I am. Now, I’ve found a real lady who scares the wits of me.

They rode the elevator down to the floor above the showroom. RJ took the lead to a door marked, “Entertainment.” He opened the door and ushered the girls into a room filled with people milling around in a couple of offices. He nodded to John Morgan, who was headed towards the four-some.

“Good evening, Mr. Montgomery.”

“Good evening, Mr. Morgan. How . . . ”

Jack Morgan stopped RJ’s response in mid-sentence. Holding his hand out to Lynda, he said, “Jack Morgan, please to meet you. And you are?”

“Hey, listen boss, I was getting around to introducing these ladies before you so rudely interrupted.” Jack Morgan bowed his head and let RJ introduce the girls.

“Ms. Emma Elliott, Ms. Lynda Brockhurst, and Ms. Jillian James. Ladies, this is Jack Morgan, President of Entertainment for Tucker’s. You’ll have to watch him. He thinks he’s a real suave guy.” All chuckled.

“Hey, ladies, I could introduce you to some REAL stars, if you’d like,” Morgan said. He motioned towards Lynda and Emma, somehow silently knowing that Jillian wanted to stay with Robert. The girls looked at Jillian for her approval, uncertain whether or not she wanted to be left alone.

“We’ll see you later. Emma and Lynda are sitting with us at dinner, so don’t get ideas, you fox,” RJ said to Morgan.

The girls smiled at Jillian, anxious to see to whom who he was going to introduce them. She smiled back at them, indicating a silent “it’s okay.” As RJ was slowly moving her to the door, she stopped when she saw her friends were being introduced to Clint Black and his wife, Lisa. Standing with them were Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.

“You want to meet them?”

“No, I was just looking. I guess I’m kind’a star struck, with everyone around.”

Out from a door in Morgan’s office marked,
PRIVATE
, RJ and Jillian moved into a dimly lit small room with an elevator door directly in front of them. He leaned over to the press the green “down” button. Looking at each other, he took her hand, and they quickly kissed.

“Jillie, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”

“You’ve also been on my mind. Why me?”

He was still holding her hand, when the elevator doors opened. They entered the small box, Jillian noticed that there were only two buttons, UP and DOWN. RJ pressed DOWN. The doors closed. Standing close together, hands still clasped, he whispered, “Jillie, you’re a special lady. I’ll never let you down.” The moment was quickly over, when the doors opened. He let go of her hand and ushered her into the hallway. She looked around, wondering where they were.

“We came down a floor and right now, we’re one floor below backstage, this is where the all dressing and waiting rooms are and offices for the stagehands. I wanted you to see this before it becomes a zoo tomorrow night. So, when you’re here tomorrow night remember this peace and quiet.”

“I’m going to be down here tomorrow night?”

“Damn straight. I want you here with me.”

The hallway contained various doorways, some open. Jillian looked in, saw tables and chairs, and guessed these were waiting rooms for the staff. They came to a door with a large gold star.

“This is the star’s dressing room, hence the star.”

He opened the door and they entered a much nicer room than the one in which she’d met him while in Seattle. “You know, all these years I’ve been coming here I’ve never taken the time to look at these Lake Tahoe pictures; they’re amazing.”

With outstretched arms, he turned in a circle, “This is my space. This is where I can be me, away from the eyes of everyone else. I can come in here, shut the door, before and after a show, and completely relax without fear of being disturbed.”

“Yeah, you’re ten feet underground. Who could get to you?” Jillian playfully said. She sensed that her remark had hurt his feelings. He was trying to proudly show off and, she’d put a snafu on it.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was teasing. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

He sat on the sofa and tried his darnest not to smile, but a grin crept across his face. He held his hand out, Jillian took it, and sat. He put his arms around her and kissed her. She was surprised and her guard was down. She responded to him as passionately as he had to her, pressing her lips to his. Their arms intertwined, their bodies hot with passion and hunger. Instantly, their lips parted, each took a breath, looked at each other, and they quickly kissed again. His kisses becoming more forceful, he pressed her onto the sofa, asking for more. Jillian put her hand between them to stop him.

“You’re so sexy and desirable.”

“You don’t know me.”

“Oh, but I want to.”

“Not that way. I know in this day and age pre-marital sex is accepted but I have my faith and my beliefs. I’m just not ready.”

“I’d never hurt you…I want you to know that. I’ll wait as long as it takes for you to be comfortable with me.” He wrinkled his nose, smiled, stood up, and held out his hand.

She stood, smoothed her clothing and said, “Don’t we have somewhere we need to be? Oh, by the way, you looked like a rabbit with that nose thing.”

“
That’ll be my signal to you, as to how much I care.” Again the
rabbit.

He looked up towards the clock and nodded silently yes. She thought they’d been there for hours but in reality, it’d only been a few minutes. They rode the “star” elevator up one floor to the backstage level. When they reached the backstage, Jillian recognized the hallway they’d used the other evening.

RJ said, “Since the opening ceremonies are held in the showroom, the room’s dark, which means a headliner isn’t appearing. There are a few stagehands on tonight to provide sounds and lights for the master of ceremonies. We can go through here to get to the showroom floor.”

The vast room contained round tables and chairs and appetizer tables around all four walls. Bartenders stood at each table. The room was decorated in a tropical theme complete with “palm trees.” People milled around, laughing and talking with each other; Jillian guessed they numbered in the hundreds, “average” people smoozing with the “stars,” was how Jillian labeled them. She thought: Guess with a large donation you get to rub elbows with celebrities.

“See, the best is yet to come. I have all sorts of surprises up my sleeve.” He leaned over and whispered, “And also other places.” Jillian felt herself blush.

After the bartender handed them their drinks, they turned. Who should be standing directly in front of the couple were Dr. and Mrs. Rick Reinhart, shocked to see Jillian there.

“Jillian, dear, I didn’t know you were coming up tonight. I guess you were invited by the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation or maybe Koncerts for Kids,” Donna Reinhart said.

Jillian explained. “Dr. Mark Morrison’s my medical partner. Donna, did you see if Bev was with him?” She looked at RJ, as to say there’s no reason for him to be jealous. Donna shook her head no.

Donna said to her husband, “Dear, look, there’s that hockey star, Craig Nescomb. I wonder if that’s his wife? Jillian, would you like a ride home tonight? We have the room.”

Donna was still trying to gather information on why Jillian and the girls were there, but with little success. She tried yet another source.

“Mr. Montgomery, have YOU and Jillian been friends long?”

“Well, in a way Jillie and I have been friends forever and in other ways we’ve just met.” He nudged Jillian. the
rabbit.

The house lights blinked, and everyone started looking for their dinner seats. RJ had been told earlier the general area where their table was located and he ushered Jillian towards that area. Donna was pulling her husband along, expecting to be invited to join Jillian and Robert. Lynda and Emma were already sitting at a round table set for six, smiling so wide that they looked like clowns wearing red waxed lips. The girls were in heaven. Jillian touched each of them and sat down. The way the girls were seated was girl, empty chair, girl, empty chair, girl, and empty chair. Donna looked disappointed, when she saw the seating arrangement.

RJ picked up the plaque that held their table number, “H--mm, double seven’s my lucky number.”

“Hello, Lynda and Emma. How nice to see you both. Are you Jillian’s guests?” Donna asked.

“Hi, Donna. No, we’re RJ’s guests. Well, I guess I’d say Tucker’s guests as well. We’re here for the whole weekend and are playing in the women’s tournament tomorrow.” Jillian thought: Em, you have a big mouth. Emma felt comfortable with Donna’s nosiness, since she does her hair, so she’s at the Yerington Gossip mill weekly.

“Lynda, let’s plan on getting together later back in my room for one of our “chat-a-thons,” Jillian suggested. Lynda winked to her.

RJ sat down, “Hello, ladies.”

Emma smiled, still amazed that she was sitting at dinner with Robert John Montgomery. She’d read so many articles in the gossip magazines about him. Lynda looked over to see Emma staring at Robert, thinking: Em, you dope, you’re star-struck.

Gary Johns, Robert’s road manager, arrived to the table and looked over at Robert to see where he should sit. RJ motioned between Emma and Lynda. He then introduced Gary. “Ladies, this is my best friend and road manager, Gary Johns.”

“Gary, to your right’s Lynda Brockhurst and to your left’s Emma Elliott.”

“Ladies.”

“Gar, that’s quite an outfit. You really took the tropical casual theme to heart,” RJ said. This remark called attention to the shorts, wild Hawaiian print shirt, and sandals his best friend wore.