Chapter 13:
On Tour
As with every tour, the beginning few
weeks were a blend of mistakes, bad timing, and stress. Xavier experienced all
three on opening night, when an overzealous teenage girl outmaneuvered him by
deceptively agreeing to step back when she got too close to the stage, then
ducked under his outstretched hands and raced onto the stage. She flung herself
at Nick, then ran over to Howie. Xavier rushed up the stairs as she moved onto
Brian, but halted at the edge of the stage when Brian caught Xavier’s eye and
ever so slightly shook his head at him. Still singing, Brian graciously
accepted her hug, then guided her over to Xavier and released her to the
waiting bodyguard. Pissed, it took all of Xavier’s control not to crush her arm
as he guided her back to her seat. He whispered something in her ear before he
released her, then watched with grim satisfaction at the shaken expression that
spread over her face. After the show the guys had been cool about the incident,
blowing it off, but Xavier seethed, mentally abusing himself for the slip-up.
Determined that no mistakes on his part
would occur again, Xavier needed only two more shows before becoming proficient
in the duties his job required. This then enabled him to take extra time to
observe the workings of life on tour. Xavier was surprised at the amount of
teamwork needed to complete just one show; it reminded him of an anthill, with
hundreds swarming in every direction, frantic to finish the job.
Now seated in the cool arena, Xavier
quietly sat in the dark, watching as the group practiced with the band for the
show scheduled that night. Even though they had their routine down pat, the
guys still practiced before almost every performance, occasionally changing
something in the routine if necessary. As with every rehearsal or show, Xavier
made time to watch Brian perform. He recognized, to his chagrin, how much he
enjoyed it. and it angered and surprised him. Keep to the original plan, keep
to the original plan, he chanted mentally, but finally admitted to himself that
he couldn’t.
The boys had stopped singing, breaking
Xavier’s concentration. He watched as they gathered up their belongings,
preparing to leave. Xavier stood up from his seat and stretched. Much had
changed yet so much had stayed the same and it excited Xavier to know that
everything was so close. His hands compressed into a tight ball. He just needed
a few more days to get what he needed and then... He smiled. Let the game
begin.
***
