What You Do To Me (Unexpected Love) (2 page)

             
“
Yes,
”
I choked out as a response
.

             
Alex had
a bright smile on his face and
ask
ed
,
“Have you ever been to one of our concerts before?”

             
“
No,
” was all
I manage
d say
.

             
“Well,
obviously,
if you
had,
you would never return to one alone.
Where are you sitting?”  Alex was
still staring at me with those intense b
lue eyes and I felt as if I was naked
.

             
“Center, Row
3.
”
I was
wondering why my seating
had
made him cur
ious, but as soon as I said
that,
all four of the guys looked at each
other.
One
, the bass player, I think his name
was
John, laughed. “What is so funny about where I am sitting? I thought I had
a good seat
.” I was
getting kind of pissed at that
point.

             
“
Well,
”
the lead guitar
ist
spoke
up
w
ith a chuckle in his
voice. “You have a great spot for the
show.
Actually,
it
’
s fucking awesome, but you won’t be sitting and you are going to be crushed
, grabbed
,
and probably fondled a bit.”

             
“What he is trying to say is, the first twenty rows or so, become a giant mosh pit and things sometime
s get out of
control,
” Alex
said
in a calmer
and
more sincere voice.

             
“Oh
,”
I responded
seriously.

             
“Why are yo
u here
alone,
anyway?” Alex
asked.
That
question took me back and pissed
me off a bit.

             
“It’s not
really any
of your business, bu
t the ticket and the weekend were
a gift from my fr
iends. I’m sure I can
hold my own in the
pit.
Christ,
I teach
kindergarten, so
I’m
used
to absolute crazines
s.” Seriously, I
couldn’t believe I just
compared
a kindergarten classroom to a fucking mosh pit. I
had
serious head issues.

             
The lead guitarist
didn’
t seem interested
in
the
conversation, took my camera from my hands,
and handed
it to a guy in a yellow event shirt. I turn
ed around and faced
the camera with the guys
in the band. I put on a
ha
ppy, but fake as hell smile. I started to
second-guess my choice in being
there, and thought of leaving after the meet
and
greet. I
thought I could just go back to the
hotel room. No,
No I couldn’t do that.
First,
the concert
was a gift,
second
it is on the list, I f
ucking hate that list, and
third, I
always wanted to go to an
Awakening
concert.

             
The guy in the event shirt handed
my camera
back to me
,
the lead guitar player and the other guy, the bass
player,
walk
ed
out of
the room. I put the camera away
in my purse as I turn
ed
to the two remaining band members. “Thanks for the picture and have a good show. I’ll be watching if I’m not being crushed or fondled.” I smile
d as I said that
, more as a
reassurance to myself that I was
going to be watching.

             
“Wait,” Alex started
to say, “Why don’t you watch the show from the side of the stage.”

             
Not sure what to say,
I looked
at
him.
Seriously,
I wanted to, but why? Why was
he offering for me to wat
ch it from the stage area? I knew it wasn’t because he thought I was some
groupie. That
had
to be obvious for a nu
mber of reasons. The fact I had
clothe
s on, well, more than most
of
the women in attendance
, I seriously look
ed
like a nun in my khaki shorts and loose fitting tank top
. I was
much
older
than
all those girls in line
earlier
were
. I
wasn’t
  old. Christ,
thirty-one
is still young, to most people anyway.

             
He must have
seen the look of confusion on my
face,
because he quickly
responded,
“I know
you’re
alone, and where
you’re
sitting or will be standing is a great view of the show, but
seriously,
for a woman here alone, it just isn’t safe.”

             
Steve, the drummer who stayed with Alex, then
chimed
in too. “It would make us feel better
if
you weren’t out there alone. Seriously, if I told my wife I met a lady who came alone and was going to sit center, row 3
,
and I didn’t stop her or move her, she would kill me. Christ, I’d probably end up on the couch.”

             
Chuckling,
I
thought
of his
wife,
who would probably be
happy seeing me mauled out in the crowd. Her first thought would be
that I was
a
groupie trying to hit on her hot, drummer husband. “Thank you so much for the offer, but it’s really
okay
. I came for the full concert experience and
that’s
what I
planned
on
getting. If
that
meant
being crushed and swatting a few hands away, then that
was
just what
I would
do.”

             
“Yeah, not
happening.
”
I
look
ed
away from
Steve and
I look
ed
at Alex who just said that.

             
“
What?
” I
managed.

             
“Look,
you’ll
get the full
concert experience and an experience
not many other people get.
You’ll
stay safe, won’t be crushed and there will be n
o hands needing swatting.” I couldn’t help but look into his eyes as he was saying all that
. I sense
d
real concer
n behind his words and eyes. I was
actually surprised they care
d where I sat
.

             
“Alex is
right, honey.
Now
that we know
you’re
out there alone,
we’ll
be concerned
during the concert.
Well
,
at least the two of us will be.”

             
Still taken back by the offer
, knowing how concerned they were, I realized
I really want
ed
to watch the conc
ert
without being
assaulted
.
I
heard
my voice agreeing to watch from the side of the stage.  They both
looked
a bit relieved that I agreed.

             
Steve waved another guy
over
and told him what was
going on and to keep an eye o
n me. The guy graciously extended
his hand to guide m
e by the arm to where I would be sitting
. I smile
d
at both Alex and
Steve, thanking
them again. I still couldn’t believe that happened
and that they took the whole meet and greet thing to a new level.

             
The man
took
me t
o the side of the stage and set
me up in a director’s chair. I watch
ed
all the hustling around to get ready for the opening band. Not
sure,
who they
were
or even what they
sang
, I pull
ed
out my
phone,
sending a text
message
to Lexi.

             
Guess where I am watching the concert? Seriously, Guess

             
Hoping she ha
d
her phone with her, I stare
d at the phone. It felt like
forever for a response,
so
I
decided
to shoot her another text
.

             
WTH Why
are you not responding?

             
While I
waited
for
a response, I look
ed out at the sea of
people.
I was amazed at how many people were
filling in Comerica Park
. I started
to realize how happy I
was that I was
not
one of them out
there.
I knew I would have felt
lost and scared a
s hell out there alone at that moment
.

             
I felt
the buzz
of my phone;
I look
ed down and saw
Lexi
had
finally responded.

             
Well, I’m guessing from Row 3 stage
center,
considering I paid for part of that ticket and made sure you had fantastic seats. Also, don’t get snippy with me. I’m not
responding,
because I’m making sure these little angels of yours have food in their little tummies. It is
dinnertime
you know.

             
Crap, I felt
like
shit.
I had forgotten about the time
.  Feeling another
buzz,
I look
ed at my phone again.

             
Don’t feel bad, have fun.

             
I
responded right away to Lexi
by sending another
message.

             
You know me too well, and
no
,
not Row 3 Center. I’m on the side of the fucking stage!

             
I knew that it would
se
nd Lexi into freak out mode. I knew she would call me and not text.
I was
wrong
;
I felt
another buzz.

             
Are you shitting me? How in the hell did you manage that? You better call me,
NOW.
Call me right effing now!

             
I laughed
to myself
, but
I realize
d I had gotten the
freak out part
right.  I responded right away.