Suzie’s House 132: A Man in the Crowd

“Don’t worry.” Gene clapped Ben on the back. “I won’t get in your way.”

The relief on Ben’s face was almost comical. Before Gene could burst his bubble with a dig, Lisa came back.

“I’m sorry. It didn’t work.” She looked bummed.

“What did you try,” Ben asked.

“I tried to get tickets from a scalper.”

“Pft! What?!” Both him and Ben said it at the same time. They grinned at each other. They would have never thought it themselves.

“You’ve got money?” Gene did the asking, but he knew Ben also wondered.

“A little.” Lisa shrugged. “Not enough for even one. I thought I could you know, pretend to be a cute girl.”

“You don’t have to pretend,” Gene said. He didn’t really mean it as a compliment. He was just saying. But Ben glared at him, so he shut up after that.

“But the guy sold the last one right in front of me, and didn’t even look at me. And the only other one I could find is some woman who wanted only guys.”

“Guys?” Ben got excited. “Is she still there?”

“Yeah. Want me to show you?”

The lady turned out to be hot, for an old chick. She wore a tight, leopard-print skirt and gold top, way overdressed for the parking lot. She was heading for the service entrance when they got to her.

“Tickets? I don’t have any tickets, but I can get you boys in.”

“All right!” Ben fell in with her.

Gene and Lisa followed too, but the lady turned around and stopped them.

“I don’t need her.”

Gene started to say something, then stopped himself. If he came to Lisa’s rescue before Ben could he’s get Ben mad. So what was taking him so long? Gene gave him a hard look. That got him going.

“She, she’s with us.” Ben reached out for Lisa, like he’d put his arm around her if she let him.

She did, too. She scrunched up her shoulders all girly and leaned into Ben. Gene knew it was an act, but it bugged him anyway. Not that it mattered. If she was going to be Ben’s girl, he couldn’t let it matter.

“She’s yours? Fine. Just keep her away from my man.” The lady marched off with everyone running to keep up.

She made them carry in a bunch of stuff from a caterer’s van. Gene puffed up his chest and carried his trays on spread fingers, like a waiter. When the lady wasn’t looking, he walked like her, his butt twitching and shoulders wiggling. Ben and Lisa bumped against each other as they laughed.

They were in the building when the music started. Gene was glad they at least got to hear it. The lady tried to get them to move a bunch of props from some other act. As soon as she had her back turned, Gene grabbed Ben’s arm.

“Come on. Let’s get out of here.” He lead the way into the audience.

There weren’t any empty seats anywhere good. The place was packed, but the aisles were free because the security was everywhere. A beefy guy in a tight security T-shirt came toward them.

“Run for it!” Ben grabbed Lisa’s hand, and they were off.

“Wait for me!” Gene chased after, the security right behind them. Rats. They were going to get kicked out before they even got to see one song.

There was a boom on stage, and lights flashed in cadence with a hard guitar rift. Ben and Lisa cut one way, Gene cut the other, more toward the stage. He dived into the mosh pit, and swam through the moving bodies. The security guy stopped right on the edge. Gene wormed his way deeper in until he was only a few feet from the front.

That’s when Miranda threw her bra on stage.

The band made a big deal of it. Mitchell even threw his T-shirt to her. Gene could tell it made Vim mad, but he took the T-shirt and held it for her. And he kissed her. Every chance he go, he kissed her.

Gene knew what they’d be doing tonight. Ben and Lisa, Vin and Miranda, even Drew and Suzie. Everybody in the house had somebody but him. Jealousy made him want to punch something.

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Next week, the long promised NEWSLETTER. See, Ana? It only took me a few months to get around to it.