Kelly Jo (10 page)

"You're a piece of work, Kelly Jo," he told her flatly.  "And as soon as this show is over..."

He had no chance to finish it.  She cried, "Oh, I will, I will, Jack, I promise.  Whatever you say."  She scooped up the bag with her free hand and was already tugging him toward the auditorium door.  "But we have to hurry."

"You did say
we
need to sign in, right?" he questioned, both relieved and irritated that she'd managed to include him in the show.  He knew their chances of winning were better if he performed solo, but she wasn't about to be deterred.  He was a pro and knew a few tricks that would cover for her if she wasn't quite as good a singer as she bragged. 

Tricks like...
stuffing this dead man's jacket in her mouth
. 

Kelly Jo ignored his question of
and what's that other white thing that you stole?
and instead grabbed his hand and literally dragged him into the cool, darkened auditorium.  Once inside, Jack realized the band wasn't as bad as he'd first thought.  In fact, they were pretty good.  Now all he needed was to figure out which key would be best for her and to grab a few minutes with the band.

Kelly Jo hesitated only long enough to scout for the sign-in table, then hustled to it, still gripping Jack's hand.

"Am I too late to sign in for the show?" she eagerly asked one of two dark-haired young men behind the table.

Both men gaped at the blonde beauty and half-rose from their seats.  Jack might as well have been invisible for all the attention they gave him.

One man continued to gape, but the other finally found his voice. "Oh, no, you certainly are
not
too late."

Kelly Jo cocked her head and gave them a sweet smile.  "Thank you so much," she cooed as she signed
Kelly Jo and Jack
on the performers roster.  My partner needs to be seated front row center.  Is that okay?"

Jack's head jerked toward Kelly Jo. 

Both men's heads bobbed in vigorous assent.  Kelly Jo winked, blew them each a kiss and preceded Jack to the front row seats. 

She stopped dead center and pointed to an aisle seat.  "Sit here."

"What are you doing?" he demanded.  "I'm not going to have a mic and I am not singing from my seat."

She giggled.  "Of course you aren't, silly!  But we didn't have any money for you to get inside so I had to fib and say you're my partner."

Fury raced through Jack.  Why hadn't he seen this coming?

She stood on tiptoe and kissed his nose.  "Sit down and I'll see you after the show."

He stopped her with one touch on her arm.  "Kelly Jo," he said quietly, seriously.  "This isn't one of your funny little games.  We owe Wylie for the clothes that he brought to us.  We
need
to win this prize money.  Let me..."

"I will let you," she cut him off.  "I will let you watch and enjoy the show.  And I will let you congratulate me when I win.  Now," she added in a breathy tone as she brushed her lips against his, "I need to speak with the band members."

Caught off guard by the whirlwind of warmth that laid against him and which he immediately missed when she pulled it back, Jack was speechless.

Without another word Kelly Jo turned her back and walked up the stage steps and straight to the band.

Chapter Twenty Four

Jack took off the black leather jacket and tossed it into the cushioned seat to save it, then raced after Kelly Jo.  He caught up with her a few feet before she reached the band.  Since the band, mainly the keyboard player, was busy finding a good key for another singer, Jack forced Kelly Jo to back into the now open pleated gold curtains that would raise and drop in between performances.

"No," he told her before she could protest.  "We can't chance this."

Kelly Jo studied him, then gave him a shaky smile.  "Trust me, Jack, that I know what I'm doing."

Jack saw the trepidation in her eyes and despite himself, softened his tone.  "Look, most cover bands keep current on what's hot on the pop music charts and since the movie Grease is such a huge hit I'm sure this band will be able to play the title track for me."  He smiled.  "You're off the hook."

Kelly Jo's jaw dropped.  "Oh, my God.  You weren't planning to do that goofy hip thrust, were you?"

"No," Jack stammered, almost guiltily, then drew himself up straighter in a huff.  "What do you mean, goofy? I might not be the best dancer around, but I tried to..." He shook his head in warning, then snapped, "Wait a minute.  Don't try to spin this and put me on the defensive."

Kelly Jo giggled.  "Jack, there is
no
defense for your hip thrust. I popped in for that part of your concert."

"Oh, really?" he sniffed.  "My fans liked it."  He blushed when he realized how conceited he sounded, then shrugged it off.  "I don't have the exact leather jacket I wore for that number, but I do have the...the..." he blew out a breath, really unwilling to put it into words.

So Kelly Jo did it for him.

"You have the dead man's black leather jacket," she said.  "What's the big deal with where I got the jacket and boots, Jack?  Honestly..."

"The big deal?" he exploded.  "I'm wearing a dead man's clothes."  He dropped his head into his hands and groaned at the absurdity of this situation.

"Keep your voice down," Kelly Jo hissed, then Jack saw what she saw - the drummer returning to his set watching them with interest.  "And so what if you are?" she continued. "Did you forget that you're dead, too?  That we're both dead?"

With that, the drummer shook his head and walked over to them.  "Can I have some?"

Jack glared at him.  "Can you have some what?"

The drummer snorted.  "Whatever you two are smoking."

Jack grimaced, dragged Kelly Jo away and tossed over his shoulder, "Very funny. But this is a private argument."  

Jack waited until his irritation subsided, then said quietly, "Look, I can see how nervous you are, Kelly Jo.  Let me do this."

She cocked her head to the side, but held his gaze.  "Is that what you think?  That I'm too nervous to take the stage?"  She shook her head, but her smile was weak.  "I don't...I'm not..."  she stopped, searched his eyes, then said, "Never mind, you wouldn't understand," and started back toward the band.

A hand on her upper arm stopped her.  "Try me."

She inhaled, then let it out slowly.  "Okay," she finally said.  "It's...it's this outfit.  I'm not comfortable being seen like this."

Jack stared at her, not comprehending.  "I don't get it.  You knew what costume Wylie was bringing.  Not only did you put it on, you've been wandering around in it without hesitation, including down the street and back from where that pack of bikers is boozing it up.  Where did this sudden modesty come from?"

Blue sparks shot from Kelly Jo's eyes into Jack's hazel ones.  "It's not sudden modesty.  And for your information, this get-up was perfect for blending in while I walked around those motorcycles..."

"And stripped the belongings from one of them."

She ignored him and continued.  "We were so rushed to get here in time and to get signed in that I didn't really have time to consider it like I should have.  Now that I have..."

Jack threw his hands into the air.  "Stop it, you're driving me crazy!" he yelled.  "I offer to do the performance and you tell me to get lost.  Then you turn around and tell me you're too modest to go out and do what you've been fighting me over."  He glared at her.  "So, now you're saying that I should prepare to take the stage and you're headed to the seat to watch?"

Kelly Jo's look to Jack was that he was truly dense.  "Of course not.  Go sit down."

The keyboardist called to Kelly Jo, "You're the last one.  Let's get a move on."

"Coming," she called quickly.

Jack held Kelly Jo's gaze but she didn't blink.

Wordlessly, he turned and headed for his seat.  Kelly Jo performed last.  Would they, like she claimed, be able to hand Wylie the prize money, or would they need to beat a hasty retreat when her boasts proved much stronger than her voice?

Chapter Twenty Five

Jack sat quietly in his seat, his right leg crossed over his left knee, absent-mindedly drumming on one of the scuffed black boots while he watched people file through the now-opened-to-the-public admittance doors.  Some small family-type groups, some larger family-type groups and a whole lot of high school age groups.  The boys were the noisiest, but the groups of teen girls gave them a run for their money in how loud they could be selecting where they'd sit.

The front row was filling quickly with a group of late-teen boys engaged in whispered conversation.  The only part Jack caught was that the sister of one of them was performing and should they cheer or boo.  He turned to give them a reproachful look and when their arrogant faces turned to him, he realized they could care less what he or anyone else thought, that they'd do whatever they pleased.  They went back to deciding on cheering or jeering.

All of a sudden Wylie rushed up to Jack and claimed the empty seat beside him. 

"Oh, wow," Wylie said as he plopped down.  "I was afraid I wouldn't find you.  There must be five hundred people in here.  I heard somebody say there's fifteen acts this year.  Last year there was only six."

Jack smiled with more assurance than he felt.  "I'm sure Kelly Jo will do well."

"I can't wait to see her...sing," Wylie stated, but Jack knew he really meant that he couldn't wait to see Kelly Jo dance around in the sexy outfit. 

Neither could Jack, though he tried to suppress that truth.

Finally, the heavy gold curtains closed but the stage behind it remained brightly lit.  Although the audience lights dimmed, the amount of chatter didn't.

Then the stage lights dimmed and a spotlight picked up a tall, well-groomed middle-aged man on the stage corner, a microphone in his hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said over a slight mic feedback.  "Welcome to this year's Budding Star talent show."

When the audience applause quieted completely, he continued.  "I'm delighted to announce that this year we have fifteen entrants, all with their own unique style with which to entertain you."

Jack bit back a laugh.  Oh, boy, he'd heard that before.  It meant that some of the acts would be fantastic, but others would send you running for Pepto Bismol.

The group of teens in his aisle began whistling through their fingers and were quickly joined by others throughout the auditorium

Jack briefly closed his eyes, hoping what promised to be a long night wasn't made longer because of audience antics.  But he knew it would be.

The man on stage glared in the direction of the front row teens, then cleared his throat.  "And now on with the show and our first performer." 

Chapter Twenty Six

The emcee smiled and scanned the audience.  "Lilly Malone loves old movies, especially Bette Davis movies.  With no further ado, here's Lilly, reenacting her favorite scene from
Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte
."

Intrigued in spite of himself, Jack waited for the spotlight to pick up the thirty-something woman dressed as Charlotte.  When she turned to face the audience, they gasped at her resemblance to 'Charlotte'.  Unfortunately, Lilly's skill with makeup, wig and costume was the highlight of her act.  Her affectations and physical movements during her scene had the audience tittering behind their hands long before her dramatic closure.

Jack's was almost the only polite applause.

Still, the woman beamed with happiness at the crowd and curtsied sweetly before hurrying back behind the curtain.

The emcee blinked in her direction several times before saying, "Ah...thank you, Lilly Malone."

Next, the curtain raised for sixteen-year-old twin boys dressed as hobos singing, "Me and My Shadow".  One was excellent.  One was far from it.  Neither could dance.  Both had a ball.  So did the audience and the laughing boys danced off stage to thunderous applause.

Then came Marko the Magician.  Or, more to the point, the wannabe magician. 

After him came two high school seniors doing a Saturday Night Live "Weekend Update" skit, one that came to an abrupt halt when the curtain dropped after the second obscene word proved the first one was no accident.  The audience was quiet as the emcee lectured them behind the curtain, then reappeared, looking flustered, back at his corner of the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we now have fourteen acts from which to select our winner.  The 'Weekend Updaters' have been disqualified from the competition."

A chorus of boos greeted that announcement, but the emcee ignored it and announced the next performer, an extremely proficient female tap dancer.

Not bad, Jack thought as he watched her bound, bounce, tap and snap around the stage in perfect time to the band's Give My Regards To Broadway.  Then, like everyone else, he was totally caught up as the dancer finished and a young man came out and sang a heart-rending version of Spanish Harlem.