Chapter 73
Soundchecks in Nashville – Richie was onstage while Jesse sat behind the light and sound board with her laptop and Richie’s schedule. She was working on setting up his schedule on the computer and creating a database with all of his business contacts.
As she worked, her phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, she saw it was Nikki Lund. “Hello, this is Jesse, Richie’s secretary? How can I help you…..he’s doing soundchecks right now, Nikki but I can have him call you back when he’s done…..sure, I will….Yeah, I LOVED the stuff you sent….I can’t wait to meet you too…..nice talking to you.”
Jesse hung up and had a thought. Getting online, she typed in the web address and hit enter. The page loaded quickly and she began clicking through the pictures. She’d have to talk to Richie about her idea.
From the stage, Jon called out, “Hey, ‘Outlaw’, anything in particular you want Richie to do to get ready for his solo?”
Jesse looked up to see all the fans gathered for soundchecks were looking back at her. Shrugging her shoulders, she said, “Let one of the fans pick.”
Richie looked down at a girl sitting closest to him. “What do you think I should do?”
Jesse didn’t hear what the girl requested but she did see Jon leave the stage and Richie change his guitar.
“Jess….for you,” said Richie when he returned to his mic and began to play.
“This isn’t good,” mumbled Jesse.
When I look at you, I realize there comes a time in someone’s life, when you find things that matter, and every time we touch, the love runs deep, we realize it’s ours to keep, and that’s all that really matters….You’ll always be my sweet addiction….
Jesse didn’t hang around for the rest of the song, leaving all of her stuff right where she’d been working. A soon as she had realized what song it was, tears had erupted.
All the guys had seen Jesse leave but not the tears and unfortunately, Richie couldn’t go after her. He had to finish the song and soundchecks. Maybe she had left to take a phone call. Maybe she was going to join him onstage. The last thing Richie suspected was her being upset by the song he was doing. He’d ask her later, after soundchecks.
Obie and the others at the boards had seen the tears and looked at each other.
“That’s not good,” said Obie.
“What happened?” asked Bobby.
“Not sure. Richie started singing and she left,” said Tommy. “Do you think it’s the song?”
“Nah,” said Obie. “She loves hearing Richie sing.”
“Maybe she saw something online,” suggested Bobby knowing she’d been on the computer.
Tommy moved to look at the laptop as Richie finished the song.
“Did you get me?” asked Richie.
“It was perfect, Rich,” answered Bobby.
Tommy mumbled, “Nothing on the computer.”
“Where’d Jess go?”
The three men looked at each other and Obie answered, “Not sure, Richie.”
“Don’t worry about her,” said Jon. “I’m sure she’s okay.”
Dismissing Jesse’s disappearance, Richie changed guitars again.
Meanwhile, Jesse had found a quiet corner and sank down into a ball to cry. Why did a simple song upset her? A fan had picked it after she’d said she didn’t care and he meant every word he sang. So what if he’d written it while he was married to Heather? He hadn’t had time to write one for her. She knew he loved her; there was no doubt about that.
She heard the song end and Richie ask for her. Jesse knew they were only half way done with soundchecks and that he couldn’t come looking for her. Maybe she should go backstage but she quickly decided against that. Richie would know as soon as he saw her that she’d been crying so she stayed right where she was.
Several songs later, Jesse heard them doing ‘It’s My Life’ and closed her eyes. She loved hearing Richie on the talk box.
“Are you okay?” asked a voice from above her.
Jesse opened her eyes to see a young girl wearing a ‘You Can Go Home’ shirt and a VIP pass. “I will be…I just needed to get away for a little while.”
“Aren’t you Jesse, Richie’s fiancée?”
Jesse nodded, “Yes.”
“OH MY GOD!!! You are so lucky! Richie is such a wonderful man with such a big heart!” she gushed as Jesse stood up. “Did you hear him dedicate the song to you? I was the one who picked it! I LOVE his solo stuff. His second CD is so romantic!! Such beautiful love songs on it…I LOVE ‘In It for Love’ just as much as ‘All That Really Matters’.”
Jesse smiled politely while suppressing the urge to tell the girl that the songs had been written for Heather. How could a fan of Richie’s NOT know that? “I heard him,” she answered sweetly. “I was at the sound and light board doing some work for Richie.”
“He really loves you. I figured he’d stay single after the interview he did in February.”
“Really?” Jesse was curious now as to what Richie had said in that interview.
“Yeah, he said he was enjoying the bachelor life. When did you two meet?”
“End of March…at the DC show. Don’t you need to get back to the group?”
“I was looking for a restroom but all of them were being cleaned.”
“Did you find one?”
“Yeah, and now I’m trying to get back out.”
“Come on. I’ll walk back with you.”
Jesse led the young girl back into the arena and rejoined the other fans. The group had finished ‘It’s My Life’ and Richie was talking to one of his techs as they stood looking at his talk box. He looked up to see Jesse as she went over to where Jon was sitting on the edge of the stage talking to the fans. He gave her a wink and when she didn’t smile, he knew something was wrong.
Jon hopped off the stage as Jesse approached and saw she’d been crying. Wrapping his arms around her, he whispered, “Are you okay?”
With a soft reply, she said, “I will be.”
Jon looked over at Richie. “Hey, why don’t you come over here and introduce your MUCH better half?”
Richie laughed, spoke to his tech, and moved to where Jon and Jesse were standing. He sat on the edge of the stage and reached for Jesse pulling her to stand between his legs. With his hands on her shoulders, he felt the tension and leaned over to whisper in her ear, “We’ll talk as soon as I’m done.” Giving her a kiss on her cheek, he said to the fans, “This is my VERY beautiful fiancée, Jessica. She’s got a new website set up to share all of the stuff for our wedding but you have to join to see the info. All of the proceeds go to my Care for Kelly foundation.”
“What’s the website called?” asked a fan.
“Jesse’s Gang,” answered Jesse. “There’s a treat for the first two hundred who join but you’d better hurry. There’s already a hundred or so members.”
“You can find a link on our page,” said Jon. “Now, we’ve got a couple more songs and then we’ll move backstage to sign some autographs.”
“Is Jess going to be there?” asked the girl Jesse had brought back to the group.
The couple looked at each other and Richie said, “Eventually. We’ve got something to do before we can join you.”
“You guys pick the last song,” said Jon.
Jesse spoke up, “How about ‘Blaze of Glory’?”
Jon and Richie looked at the fans who gave their agreement.
Before going back to do the last song, Richie made Jesse turn to face him. With his finger under her chin, he said softly, “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Are you going to hang around for the song?”
“I need to go get my stuff but then I’ll go to your area backstage.” She stood on her toes to give him a kiss eliciting ‘Ahhs’ from the fans. She grinned but stayed focused on him. “You need to call Nikki too.”
“AFTER we talk,” he replied touching his finger to her nose. “You are more important!”
Jesse watched him go back to get his guitar before going to get her stuff.
