I made it to the wing and exhaled, glad to be in the shadows after the bright stage lights. Safe, and giddy with excitement from all the positive energy, I turned to face the boys as they launched into "Fiery Life." It nearly blew me over.
The blast from the song filled me up, supercharged me, then lit my fuse. I danced so hard that I practically skyrocketed off the walls. When the song ended, I took it down a notch, but my dancing continued to be turbocharged for the rest of the show.
On his way off stage, Chuck raised his hand up for a high-five slap. "You're beautiful, babe." I gave him five, and he continued to the bus, leaving a smile on both of our faces. Gabe wandered by, mimicking the cheer. "Annalisa. Annalisa. Annalisa." Even Buck gave me a thumbs up before running off to the bus.
Then something wonderful happened. River stopped to talk to me. "I'm really glad Buck did that. This is the sort of welcome you deserve."
His attention took my breath away. He was dripping sweat and breathing hard from the intensity of that last song, but I still wanted to throw myself onto his phenomenal body. I took a second to calm myself before answering. "Thanks, River. That really means a lot, especially coming from you."
He grinned proudly. "Yeah, I heard you tell Chuck that I was your favorite. So I think we should show up in some photos together, just for fun." He held out his hand. "Come on, let me escort you back to the bus." I took his hand, and my head spun wildly back in time to the days when I would stare at his poster and let my desire roam. We headed toward the bus hand in hand, like lovers strolling in the park, like newlyweds walking down the aisle. In my fertile imagination, I was the envy of every woman on earth.
After the two Chicago concerts, I had either waited for the band to get to the bus, or fled there before anyone else had arrived. Now, for the first time, I was leaving with the band. That meant exiting the stage door while fans pressed in for a glimpse. The wall of camera-wielding groupies descended on us like iron particles to a magnet. Gabe and Buck stopped to sign autographs. Chuck groped any woman who got close to him. I heard Buck shout, "Back off!" as he peeled some woman's arms from his shoulders. He really hated groupies, and I understood why.
Thankfully, River protected me from desperate hands. He pushed away every fan girl who tried to trade places with his date tonight. I wanted to kiss him, but didn't want to start a riot. And Jason would not be happy. So I let him lead me safely to the bus.