Just Beyond the Curve (7 page)

At the wedding reception the cake was cut and shared
by the bride and groom, then the guests. Champagne flowed, cigars
smoked, gifts exchanged and congratulations expressed, hugs and
kisses exchanged.

John shook so many hands that his own hand ached. He
stood talking to Allen, Toby and Sandra while Judy consoled her
mother. Misty was overcome with happiness for her daughter. Billy
stood to one side beaming proudly that he had gained an older
brother who was becoming famous and rich.

“Predictions are coming in that
ENDLESS
is
going gold this week,” Allen told them. “Congratulations,
John.”

“Congratulate Daddy,” John said seriously. “He wrote
it. I just sang it for him and Momma.”

“But you did it, John,” Toby said. “You made it what
it is.”

“No,” John disagreed. “Daddy gave me everything I
have. Judy showed me how to make it come true. I owe her my
life.”

“Son, you are love-struck!” Allen said laughing good
naturedly, slapping him on the back.

“Daddy wrote a song called
LOVE STRUCK
,” John
said thoughtfully. “Maybe I’ll record it for Judy. I want to record
them all before I stop,” he added.

“Stick with us and you’ll get the chance,” Sandra
promised.

“Wouldn’t consider ever going anywhere else, Sandy,”
John promised. “You believed in me when no one else did. Except
Judy,” he amended. “I’ll not be going anywhere.”

“You’re going on tour tomorrow,” Allen said winking.
“So you’d better get your new wife home and get some rest. You’re
gonna need it.”

“He won’t be getting any rest tonight,” Sandra said
with a knowing laugh and a lewd wink.

“I wouldn’t, that’s for sure,” Toby admitted with an
evil smile.

John looked momentarily confused at first. Then his
face turned a bright red when he realized they were talking about
him and Judy, ‘
gettin’ it on
’! They all three laughed at his
discomfort.

*****

John carried Judy down the long hallway to the bridal
suite with seemingly no effort or strain at all. He opened the door
and carried her across the threshold, then kicked the door closed
behind them and set her on her feet. She immediately moved into his
arms and kissed him soundly, passionately, taking him by
surprise.

“Let’s get busy,” she said seriously, anxiously. “I
wanna know what it’s like!”

“What what’s like?” he asked nervously.

“Sex,” Judy stated simply, starting to get out of her
wedding dress.

“The S-word sex?” John asked, his face turning
slightly pink. “I don’t know Judy. We just got married today. Don’t
you think we oughta wait some, first?”

“You’re right, John,” she said, then smiled, stepping
out of her dress. “We’ll wait,” John breathed a sigh of relief.
“Exactly two minutes. If you ain’t ready by then, I’m raping you!
Now, get naked stud; you got a job to do!” Judy dropped her bra,
then started peeling her panties off.

John gasped, caught his breath, and slowly began to
undress. He fumbled clumsily with his buttons while staring
lustfully at Judy’s nakedness.

“I’m nervous as a-a-a- dog in a cat...No, that ain’t
right,” he stammered nervously. “Oh, Lord! Momma, close your eyes
your boy’s fixin to sin!”

“It ain’t no sin, John!” Judy stated, moving over to
help him. “We’re legally married in the sight of God and the
church! Now, get outa them duds, cowboy! You got a rodeo to
attend!”

John became even more nervous until Judy pushed him
back to the bed and he fell backwards. Judy got on her knees and
began removing his shoes and socks. When they were on the floor,
she moved up and unbuckled his belt and slacks, grabbed the cuffs
and dragged them off of him. He immediately covered his groin with
his hands. “Oh, Momma!” he moaned miserably.

“Oh,
Daddy
,” Judy gasped, seeing the rising
erection under John’s hands. “Move your hands!” she demanded,
grabbing the waistband of his jockeys and dragging them off over
his feet and dropping them to the floor. She crawled up beside him
making full body contact all the way. She sat up on his thighs and
unbuttoned his shirt and shucked him out of it and the jacket he
was wearing, then she lay fully on top of him.

“Don’t you think it’s too hot in here for this,
Judy?” he whispered.

“Naw, it’s about right!” she panted sexily.

“Oh, Momma!” he replied with not quite so much
hesitation in his tone. He loved how Judy smelled and felt and how
she made him feel as she broke down each and every one of his many
defenses effortlessly.

Ten minutes later there was a horrendous tussle
taking place under the blankets and sheets of the bridal bed.
Chaotic whispering, gasping, moaning, laughing, sighing and heavy,
eager breathing were the only sounds in the room.

“Oh, John!” Judy moaned lustily.

“Oh, Judy!” John replied, all inhibitions removed, as
the night continued and they lost track of time.

They came out from under the tangle of sheets and
leaned back against the heart shaped headboard. They both, in a hot
tangled mess, wore an expression of wondrous disbelief.

“Judy?” John said in amazement, unaware that his hair
was a tangled mess.

“Yes, John?” she replied, as if in shock, her hair
also a ravaged mess, her makeup smeared sexily.

“I sure do like being married!” he said
seriously.

“Me, too!” she agreed. “Wanna do it again?”

“Shoot yeah!” he said, diving under the covers and
dragging her with him.

They fell into an immediate tangle of panting,
kissing, moaning, soaring youthful passion, and again lost track of
time.

Then the phone on the nightstand was ringing,
interrupting their private world of heavenly bliss. And it just
kept ringing urgently and importantly.

“Maybe you’d better answer that,” Judy sighed
blissfully. “It could be important.”

“The phone?” John said seriously. “I thought it was
in my head! Like a fire alarm or something!”

“We were gettin’ pretty hot,” Judy agreed, surprised
at her own unharnessed passion. “Answer the phone, John.”

“Yeah, at least a three alarm!” he agreed, rolling
away from her and reaching for the phone. He snatched it up then
leaned back against the padded headboard with the phone to his ear
and mouth. “Yeah?” he asked.

“John?” Allen asked with a hint of laughter in his
voice. “Allen, here. Hard night?”

“Just gettin started good,” John confessed.

“I don’t know where you been, Son, but I know where
you’re supposed to be in a half an hour from now!”

“Where?” John asked suspiciously.

“On the tour bus headed for Houston!” Allen said
laughing. “So, I suggest you get your butt in gear and be on it in
half an hour. You got ninety stops to make before Christmas.”

“Half an hour?” John asked confused, wondering where
the time had gone. “We’re not supposed to leave until one
o’clock!”

“That’s right,” Allen agreed. “It’s twelve thirty
now. Since we hadn’t heard from you by lunch, we figured I’d better
call and make sure you was still alive. Since you are I want you on
that bus, John! Get moving!”

“We’re on our way,” John said, then rolled over
quickly and hung up the phone. “Come on, Judy, we gotta go! We
leave in half an hour!”

“To where?” she asked looking at him
disbelievingly.

“Houston!” he replied seriously, swinging his legs
off the bed and standing up.

“Time sure flies when you’re havin’ fun, huh?” she
asked musingly.

“Yeah!” he agreed, reaching over and taking her hand.
“Come on, girl,” he laughed helping her from the bed and leading
her toward the shower. “And just think, we’re only just getting
started!”

“Yeah,” Judy giggled childishly.

CHAPTER SEVEN

When John and Judy came through the front door of the
hotel the tour bus was waiting at the curb. Every window was filled
with one or two smiling, knowing faces.

As they neared, the front door of the bus swished
open with a sound of released, compressed air. When John assisted
Judy up the steps and onto the bus, they were both met with good
natured laughter, catcalls, wolf whistles and suggestions that all
knew what the newlyweds had been up to all night long.

With their faces as red as they had ever been, the
two newlyweds found their reserved seats and sat down, grateful
that the bus was pulling away from the curb and into the flow of
traffic.

“They all know what we been doin’,” John whispered
softly to Judy. “How’d they find out?”

“All newlyweds and married people do it,” Judy
assured him. “Even people who aren’t married.”

“I know that, but how’d they find out that we was
doin it?”

“Because we’re newlyweds,” Judy assured him, patting
his hand gently.

“They’re a lot smarter than me,” John replied. “I’d
never think that about someone I didn’t know very good, even if
they was newlyweds!”

“You’re smart where it counts, John,” Judy assured
him.

“I guess,” he answered doubtfully, watching Allen
coming down the center aisle toward them.

“You two look like hell run over!” he grinned
knowingly, causing them both to flush scarlet once again.

“I sure feel good to look that bad,” John assured
him.

“I’ll bet you do,” Allen said with a smile, glancing
at Judy. She quickly looked out the window to hide her
embarrassment. “Surprises me you’re still walkin,” he added.

“We’re not,” John said seriously. “We’re sitting,
ridin’ on the bus, Allen.”

Allen looked at John with a blank expression. He
wondered if John was being facetious or just plain ignorant. “Never
mind,” he said. “Your gear’s on board. You’ll need to warm up. The
D-10s in the back.”

“Warm up?” John asked with a confused look on his
face. “I’m quite comfortable, Allen.”

“Practice,” Allen said wondering if John was just
messing with him. “To get your fingers and voice warmed up
some.”

“I’m okay, honest,” John replied looking Allen
straight in the eyes.

“It’s your future, Son. You decide what’s best for
it,” Allen said, then stood and went back down the aisle to his
seat. John watched him go. He turned to Judy and took her hand in
his. When he glanced over at her she was sound asleep. He smiled
and closed his eyes.

When he opened them again they were driving through
downtown Houston. John watched the reflection of the bus waver
along the plate glass windows. He saw people on the street look at
the bus and wave excitedly. He waved back, not thinking about the
fact that he could see out, but they couldn’t see in. Still it was
in his nature to be friendly, so he waved.

When they arrived at the Oiler’s Stadium he was
surprised to see all the other busses and eighteen wheelers already
there. He was even more surprised when they walked inside and the
stage was already set up and the sound check was being perfected
for the night’s performance. Around the stadium were several big
screens with his picture on them, then the pictures changed to the
other performers, then eventually back to John’s. He found it hard
to believe this was really happening for him. Or that it was
happening so fast.

“Maybe we’d better go back to the bus until it’s time
to go on stage,” Allen suggested.

“I think I want to go say hi to some of the fans who
are already here, Allen,” John said, pointing to a group of fans up
in the stands.

“Well, just be careful, John,” he cautioned. “There
are nuts out there, too.”

“I’ll be alright,” John answered seriously. “Who’d
want to hurt me or Judy?”

“You never know, John,” Allen replied. “That’s why
they’re called nuts!”

For the next few hours John and Judy toured the
stands introducing themselves to the fans who were already there.
John signed autographs, accepted kisses and hugs and handshakes
from adoring women and children and handshakes from men. He
accepted compliments graciously and returned them when he could,
concerning the women’s dresses, their children, their hair and
anything else he could compliment without offending them.

After he had moved on the people he had left behind
talked about his down to earthiness, his simplicity, courtesy and
seemingly lack of ego. To them, he was just one of them. Not one of
the hotsey-totsey, famous singers who were far too good, and far
too far above the average person to come and say hi and just visit
for a few minutes.

As usual for John he was engrossed with his visiting
and had lost track of time. However, Judy was right behind him,
having the time of her life visiting with strangers who were making
her husband rich and famous. They both looked up suddenly when over
the intercom the announcer was asking John good-naturedly, to come
join his band on stage and sing for the crowd.

John laughed, shrugged his shoulders, then took
Judy’s hand and together they ran down the long flight of stairs,
out across the field to the stage. He waved his free hand all the
way to the roar of the crowd. He left Judy at the foot of the stage
in her seat and then went up on stage.

His face was projected on all the screens around the
stadium. His name was written in bright neon lights across the back
of the stage. Bright explosions like deafening cannonades exploded
around him as he slipped the Fender strap over his head and across
his shoulder, then started across the stage to the front. His theme
music was thundering and the roar of the crowd nearly drowned it
out as he took his place behind the microphone and began to sing
ENDLESS
, the song that had landed him his recording
contract.

When the song was finished, John said into the
microphone, “That one was for my Momma. The rest are for you...”
the rest of what he said was drowned out by the roar of the
crowd.

Unseen by John, Judy, or any of the other people who
would possibly know him was Danny Floyd. He stood sullen and angry,
staring at the stage and John Travis, his sworn enemy. The reason
for his own failure! The very reason for his own failure as a
musician. Other than the fact that he had no talent. Or not enough
to support a career as an entertainer. Still, he followed the same
sullen pattern in Birmingham, Alabama, Jackson, Mississippi,
Raleigh, North Carolina, Memphis, St. Louis, Kansas City, Tulsa,
Dallas, and back to Austin. With every concert his hate and
jealousy for John Travis escalated to the point of near
insanity.