Ghost Bar, the hip dying to be seen at one of the hippest and known celeb-hopping club in the city, was in full effect when we walked through the doors but that was only after we spent an hour and a half in someone�s three thousand dollar Sky Box VIP room at Rain. Oh well, I hope it was worth it for them to have us in their VIP. Although Howie and I weren�t the only ones there. Lance Bass, Jennifer Love Hewitt and some other Hollywood types were there. I never really understand how it helped someone to simply be seen with a celebrity. But I guess if you mention their name and their business more people will hear about it and that�s the whole idea. It doesn�t guarantee that someone is going to give you their money though. Guess that�s the risk you are willing to pay.
Howie was into all of this schmoozing and making contacts. I just couldn�t get into it. I felt like I was selling myself and that made me feel like some slime ball salesman pressuring someone to give up their money. It�s the celebrity task that I haven�t mastered yet and probably never will. Kevin, Howie and my mother are great at it. You would think that being around the masterminds of schmooze I would have learned the gift in my sleep.
�You look lonely.� How does a person looked lonely I wondered as I looked over at a very hot brunette. Hello. I shook my head and gave her a not-so-quick once over.
�I�m not lonely.� Ok, so I was sitting by myself, at least to the unknowing, Carl was in striking distance, but I�m sure I�m not looking pathetic and in need of friends.
�Just a little tired.� She leaned in closer and wrapped her hand around my bicep,
�I can make you feel better.� Her mouth was near my neck,
�For two fifty an hour.� Ah, there was the catch. So she wasn�t a Good Samaritan. She was a business woman; a professional date. She was hot, I give her that but did I want to pay for it. She seemed to have picked up on my doubts,
�I am definitely worth it baby. No regrets. I promise.� She was worth it? She probably was or she would have cut her price by now but I�ve been getting free sex, great sex may I add, for the past couple of months and I�m not quite sure that I want to pay for it now. I think I�ll see how far I can ride this celebrity sex thing.
�That�s ok, no thanks.� He knew like any pushy salesperson she wasn�t going to just give up and take no for an answer so he stood and smiled before walking away. What was it with me that the wrong people seemed to be attracted to me like a moth to the flame? Did Kevin and Howie get propositioned like that? Did AJ? On second thought AJ was probably doing all the propositioning.
The music took over me and I headed to the dance floor. On the way there I stopped by a table with a nice looking blonde and a few other girls. I leaned down and very respectfully asked,
�Would you like to dance?� She glanced at her friends and they seemed to encourage her as if saying �why not�. She nodded and took my hand and followed me to the dance floor. We were both followed by Carl but I�m sure she didn�t realize that.
She wasn�t tearing up the floor like one of our dancers but when it came to grinding her hips and being sexy she was a pro. The music was a little slower than what we started just perfect for a little one on one contact. You know, too slow to break out the tour choreography (I tended to do that from time to time) and too fast to dance like we were at some royal wedding. She turned her back to me, I wrapped one arm around her waist and soon my pelvic was grinding into the cute little butt of hers. Her head leaned back on my shoulder and I positioned both my hands on her hips. I love dancing next to a girl. That was one of my favorite things about being on tour. It was great being on stage and interacting with the female dancers. Getting a little spontaneous and sexy in front of thousands of women and knowing those women got excited by watching you makes you feel like the hottest thing in the world. It�s a feeling I only have when I�m on stage.
That�s my comfort zone. That�s where I feel like I�m the best, the smartest, the one who is doing something no one else can. There is no other place in my life where I feel like that. Not when I�m watching the news, not when I�m around lawyers and reporters. Even when I�m in the studio I may not feel like the dumbest kid in class but I�m not the smartest either because there are engineers and producers who have been doing the music thing sometimes longer than I�ve been alive. But on stage, performing, that�s me; that�s my thing.
The music segued into another song and I chose it as the time to get to know my dance partner a little better,
�Let�s go have a seat.� I said in her ear then kissed her on the neck, the taste of sweat and her perfume strong on my lips now. I took her hand and led her to the VIP. We were sitting in a corner booth waiting for our shots to be delivered to the table,
�So, what�s your name?� It�s funny. I danced with this girl and even got a little touchy with her on the dance floor and I don�t even know her name.
�Shannon. And you?� I smiled at her. It was nice when girls tried to make me feel normal,
�You don�t know my name?� She shook her head,
�No.� The look on my face must have said a lot,
�Should I?� I shook my head,
�Not really I guess.� And she shouldn�t. There was no reason for everyone who walked this planet to know me. I mean, who am I? I�m not the Pope, the President or Tom Cruise. Come on, everyone knows Tom Cruise.
�What do you do?� What do I do? That was fresh? I haven�t had to give my job title in a long time.
�You ever heard of the Backstreet Boys? I�m one of them.� Now if she says she doesn�t know the Backstreet Boys I�m not going to believe her but the look on her face said she had heard of us.
�Yes, my little cousin loves you guys. She went to your concert in Boston.� Instantly, I thought of Colleen. Colleen doesn�t have any cousins does she? It would be just my luck.
�Your cousin?� She nodded,
�Yeah, she goes to college there.� Oh my God please. This world is way too small. Ok, just act normal, be calm,
�What school does she go to?� I could tell she was a little amused by my interest in her family member who I didn�t even know,
�Boston University. It�s her first year there. My aunt and uncle just dropped her off last week.� Thank you God. I mean really thank you. I don�t think I would be able to continue my night with�with. What is this girl�s name again? Sharon, Sh�Shannon. That was it.
�So, what�s it like to be a celebrity? All the cameras and people and no privacy?� That was the question he was always asked. He knew they not only meant well. It was like they were trying to say, �See, I know you have it rough. I�m not like those nosy people who support the tabloids. I feel bad for you.�. But I also knew they were genuinely interested in what that lifestyle was like. It just bored me and no matter how I answered it never came out right. Either I was whining or in some way bragging about the difficulties of my lifestyle.
�It�s not bad. I�d much rather have my life than do anything else.� To make sure that was the end of it I directed the questions to her about her life,
�So tell me about you. Where are you from?� As she began to talk I noticed Carl coming closer to me.
Chapter 117
Stranger Than Fiction
Stories
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