“Yeah. You can stop hugging me,though.”
“Is this a good thing?” I let him go with a little shove, and a smile crept slowly across hisface.
“Yeah. It’s a very good thing. She just doesn’t want to talk about it yet. We just found out yesterday, and she says she wants to get through the first trimester before we tell anyone. She’s only six weeks along and she’s pretty paranoid something’s gonna go wrong because it took us over a year to get her pregnant. I keep telling her that’s not gonna work on tour, that everyone’s gonna find out somehow. You know, close quarters and all that. She already cracked and told Maggieyesterday.”
“Maggieknows?”
“Yeah. She gave Katie a bottle of champagne, and since Katie couldn’t drink it, she totally broke. Girl can’t lie to anyone. She’s gonna keep cracking for sure.” He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. “Anyway, I’m a shit husband. I already broke and told Jude last night, and I’m pretty sure when we get out of this car I’m gonna go blab toBrody.”
I laughed and gave his shoulder another shove. “Shit, brother. Everyone’s gonna know by the end of the night. You know that,right?”
“Yeah. Probably. Just don’t tell anyone, okay? I’m hoping Katie will just keep caving so it’s not all my fault. She’s been emotional lately and I don’t want it raining down on me. I’m still hoping to get laid sometime before this babycomes…”
I shook my head. Normally, I might’ve loved to hear about Jesse Mayes’ problems getting laid, but I was pretty fucking sure he was kidding about that. “Jesus. It’s raining babies…” First Brody and Jessa, then Seth and Elle… and now Jesse and Katie? “Some crazy shit in the water around here,huh?”
“Yeah,” he said, kinda smirking at me. “Think it’s calledlove.”
* * *
That nightat the Detroit show, I was beyond stoked. By the time we were about to play our final pre-encore song of the night, the crowd was all hyped up and my spirits were through the fucking roof. As soon as we finished “Come Lately,” I told the audience, “We’re gonna wrap up here with a special song tonight, for a specialwoman.”
Then I gave Jude the cue; he was standing at the back corner of the stage where I could just seehim.
“We’re gonna play a song right now by this little band called The Beatles, who influenced me in a big way when I was young and pretty sure I’d never end up in a place like this, singing for all you beautifulpeople.”
The crowd roared their approval, and I looked out over the audience, where what looked like a million cell phones were lit up in thedark.
“Some of you may have read some shit online or wherever that I got married two years ago in Vegas.” The crowd answered with a mixture of screams and cheers and boos. “And it’s true. I married this incredible woman.” More screams. “This is gonna embarrass the shit out of her. But too bad, right?” I turned toward the back of the stage. “Come on out here,Maggie.”
She was standing in the shadows at the edge of the stage, Jude standing behind her so she couldn’t bolt. He’d managed to get her out here, even though she was shaking her head atme.
At least she looked too embarrassed and petrified to be mad at me rightnow.
Katie and Amber were right there with her, flanking her, which wasn’t my idea, but it was a good one. Katie took Maggie’s hand and pretty much dragged her out onstage, Amber following, clinging to Maggie’s other hand and looking about as uncomfortable as Maggiedid.
I waved them over to me, center-stage, as a couple of crew guys ran out with folding chairs, setting them up in a row for the girls. The three of them held hands while the crowd roared. Katie was grinning, Amber was wearing the hint of a nervous smile, and Maggie had her fist to hermouth.
“You ready for this, babe?” I asked into the mic, and Maggie just shook her head once…No.
Katie giggled and put an arm around her. There was a sparkle of tears in Amber’s eyes, but she gave me a little nod of approval as she gripped Maggie’shand.
“Take a seat,” I told them. The crew had disappeared and the girls sat down, Maggie in themiddle.
I walked around behind them so they couldn’t hide behind me, and I stood behind Maggie. I lifted my hand high over her head and pointed down at her. “This is my lovely wife,Maggie.”
My wife was definitely covering part of her face with her fist, and Katie laughed as the crowd screamed andapplauded.
I pointed down at Katie next. “If you don’t know who this is, you’ve been living under a rock or something. This is KatieMayes.”
Katie gave a little wave and Jesse played a hot little riff on his guitar that made Katie laughagain.
“And this,” I said, pointing at Amber, “is Dirty’s tour photographer, and girlfriend of this guy named Dylan Cope.” Dylan did a little drum roll and a couple of cymbalcrashes.
The crowd thundered their excitement, people clapping and whistling for the girls as anticipation of the final songbuilt.
I walked around beside the girls, so Maggie could see me, and said, “This one’s for you, MaggieMay.”
I glanced over at Jesse, who grinned at me. Seth and Matt and Dylan were all in position,waiting.
