Chapter 99

“This can NEVER, I repeat….NEVER…. happen again! What the hell was wrong last night?” Jon asked angrily.

Kim and Fran looked at each other worried. It was now four days after the wedding. Last night the band played their first show at New Meadowlands Stadium and the unthinkable happened…the sound vanished during Runaway.

Kim never saw so many worried face. The whole technic crew ran around like crazy. Obie was yelling instructions, but it didn’t help. For nearly two minutes no sound was leaving the huge speakers.

The girls weren’t sure Jon and the others realized it until he came backstage for a short clothes change. He was fuming. Kim and Fran made sure to stay out of his way. No need to get into the line of fire.

And now, 12 hours after the show he ordered everyone to the Stadium and was still mighty pissed.

“Did you find the mistake, Obie?” he asked rather harsh. Obie took a deep breath and rubbed his tired eyes. Kim wasn’t even sure the technic crew went home after last night’s show. They all looked like walking zombies.

“Jon….you know it’s not that easy….” Obie tried to tell him as calm as possible. Luckily he had worked with Jon so many years he could handle his temper. But he also knew that this time his boss had every right to be mad.

“Then make it easy!” Jon bellowed frustrated.

Kim and Fran flinched at his loud voice, but Obie and the other people in the room stayed calm. Kim watched worried how Jon clenched his hands to fists and pressed his jaw together. He wanted to scream out his whole frustration, but was working hard on controlling himself. She knew he would hate himself later for getting into the role of the boss and push everyone around.

“We’ve been checking everything since last night, but it’s a whole lot of equipment, it’s too many wires, too many places were the problem can be. We have 500 miles of cable, 1,200 speaker cases and more than 250 light fixtures. I’m not even sure there was a problem in our system and not in the electric system of the Stadium. It’s all new as well.”

“O, I don’t need a rundown of our stage…I need you to fix it. Fast! I want everything to be ready for sound check this afternoon!”

“You wanna do another sound check?” Rich asked confused. It was the first time one of the band members dared to interrupt Jon’s anger. As expected he earned the stink-eye.

“Do you really think, I’m going out there tonight, not knowing if this fucking system will fail again? Are you insane?” Jon pressed through clenched teeth. Richie raised his hands defensively.

“Ok, ok…bro, calm down…”

“Calm down, calm down…how the fuck should I calm down….there were 60.000 people out there last night….60.000 that didn’t get a perfect show, but had to sing alone.”

“You gotta admit they were pretty good.” David said grinning. He had the nerves to show Jon the youtube-videos this morning. Jon’s eyes narrowed dangerously and he took a step towards David. He was close to losing his control.

“Ok, that’s it. Jon come on, we take a little walk….you wanted to show me your favorite Jersey beach…on come.” Kim stepped forward and grabbed his right arm hard. He look at her angrily, but she only stared back.

“I gotta stay…”

“No, you don’t.  You gotta rest for tonight’s show to give your 110% and I’m pretty sure Obie and his team will do everything to make things work. You would only be in the way.” She pulled him to the door.

“We make it work, Jon.” Obie promised. Jon looked at him and nodded sternly.

“Come on, Jon.” Kim pushed him through the door and gave Obie an encouraging smile. She nearly laughed out loud when he mouthed the words ‘thank you’. Jon would have driven everybody insane when he would have stayed.

“Well, that was…intense.” Fran said and leaned her head against Richie’s shoulder. “Not exactly what I expect for our honeymoon.”

“I know, darling. I’m sorry. But you know he’s a perfectionist. Last night just got to him.” Fran nodded.

“Yeah, how about we try to get away from here for a couple hours as well and let everyone do their work.” Fran’s voice had a very conspiratorial tone. Rich grinned. He knew what his new wife wanted and he sure wouldn’t say no to it.

“Good idea, darling.” He placed a long kiss on her lips before pulling her out of the room.

“When you need me earlier, give me call, Obie.”

“Yeah, sure…” Obie mumbled and looked at David, Tico, Bobby and Hugh, who were still in the room.

“How about you guys get out of here as well.” Tico looked at him surprised. His tone was clear, they didn’t really have an option. It was more of an order something that didn’t happen very often during the last two decades and that showed under how stress Obie really was. Tico looked and David unsure.

“Any idea?”

“How about pool at my place?” David suggested.

“Sounds good. Hugh, Bobby?” Tico turned to the other two men. They nodded and left as well. Obie sighed deeply before turning to his crew.

“Any idea where to start?” he asked the other technicians.

Chapter 98

“Good morning.”

Jon and Kim were the last to enter the big living room were the catering services put up a breakfast buffet for all of them. Only Fran and Richie were still missing, but they all were rather sure they wouldn’t show up at all today.

“Hey, we already thought you wouldn’t come down.” David told them from his spot on the couch.

“Yeah, well…we didn’t sleep very well.” Jon told him while handing Kim a cup of coffee. The women in the room immediately shot Kimberly a worried look, but none of them said something. A tensed silent was forming in the room and Kim wished somebody would say something…anything.

“Got disturb by the newlyweds as well, huh?” David asked grinning and earned a push from Lexi’s elbow in his ribs. Kim grinned lightly. You could count on him to save a situation.

“Ouch, dammit.” He cursed and looked at his wife frowning. She nodded her head towards Richie’s mom, who was sitting with them as well and enjoying the richly buffet.

“What? I’m pretty sure Momma S. knows what her son and Fran were doing last night.” They all chuckled lightly. Joan slowly sat down her cup of tea.

“Of course, I do. You kids really have to stop thinking people don’t have a sex-life anymore just because they have passed the 70 mark.” They all stared at her and Jon was sure it was a good thing Rich wasn’t here.

“And as far as I could tell from last night’s sounds, Richie did pretty good….just like his dad, I may add.” The old lady told them dryly.

Tico grinned lightly and Ali hid her smile by studying the assorted cheese at the buffet closely. But the rest of them had less luck and soon they erupted in loud cheerful laughter.

“What did the kids say?” Jon asked while sitting down with some scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. All the children were sitting in the huge TV room right now and were having breakfast there.

“Well, I think the younger ones were in sugar-coma and didn’t hear it.” Tico said and sipped at his coffee. The other adults nodded.

“And the older ones probably know what was going on. I mean, let’s face it, your daughter is off to college next year.” David said grinning. Jon choked at his bacon and Kim tapped his back a little worried.

“DAVID!” Lexi looked at him with squeezed eyes.

“Your twins will leave high school soon too, right David.” Richie’s mom asked innocently.

“Uhm,…yeah, well….not next year.” David stuttered.

“Yeah, but soon enough. And they are your kids.” Jon pointed out.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” David asked and looked at Jon a little offended.

“Well…remember, … I knew you when you were just 16…” Jon chuckled softly when David turned his full attention to his coffee. Kim shook her head lightly and smiled.

“What is it, Kim?” Tico asked amused.

“It’s funny. You are so sure, your children aren’t even thinking about intercourse…yet alone having it. You are just like the parents I met at the Adolescent Health Center.”

Especially the men looked at her stunned for a second.

“Ok, is there something you know…we don’t know? And with ‘we’ I mean ME!” Jon moved around on the couch anxious. Kim smiled and shook her head.

“No, Jon. I have no idea if any of your children has or had intercourse.” She clarified softly.

“All I can tell you, is that the kids today seem to run in a different speed.” They looked at her confused. She sighed.

“Well, they are rather curious. How does it work? How does it feel? What can I do? What shouldn’t I? What is appropriated and what belongs into the category of ‘wild fantasy’.” Jon groaned and shook his head. Kim smiled and continued.

“… and at the same time they wanna know what to do to protect themselves. Especially the girls are very curious about the different options of protection. And they all tell you, they won’t leave that responsibility to the boy. Pretty smart, in my opinion.” The women in the room nodded agreeing.

“You wouldn’t believe how many 12 or 13 year old kids come to the center with very specific questions.” She ended her little monologue. There was silence for a couple of seconds.

“Did you just say…12 or 13?” David was barely able to bring out the words while Jon just paled and set his breakfast aside. Kim was pretty sure Rich would have reacted the same when he would have been here. The only man who was still calm and in balance was Tico. With a 6 year old son, he probably thought he was on the save side.

“I believe you in a minute, Kim.” Ali said and sat down next to her.

“I think it even starts earlier…and well, it’s probably all innocent at the beginning, but Hector told me straight out last week that he has a girlfriend.” Something clashed behind them and they all turned around to see Tico carefully picking up his scattered plate from the floor.

“Mi amor, are you ok?” Ali got up. He stared at her.

“Apparently not. Why didn’t you tell me? Who is she? And what the hell are they doing together?” his deep voice echoed back from the walls.

“Well, well, well…Tico. You shouldn’t forget the are still children. Only 6 years old.” Richie’s mother, who observed the scene the whole time very quiet, pointed out. Tico sighed.

“Yes, of course, ma’am. You are right.” He sank down on a chair.

“It’s fine, mi amor. He is very sweet with her. You know, carrying her books, opening the door for her and holding her hand. There is nothing dramatic.” Ali assured her husband.

“Relax man, he is just the gentleman that you are. He is copying you. Dave, Rich and I are the ones with a real problem here.” Jon told him dryly.