I got the message. Loud and clear and ringing in my head from that slap. I turned and charged the queen's guard, ducking between two of them to get out into the crowd. Keeping low, I pushed people aside, my head down, my arms in front of me.
I made it to the edge of the dance floor and followed signs for the bathroom. When I got there, I examined myself and could see a red area where my cheek felt warm. No broken skin. I was also pleased to note that she hadn't injected any toxic biochemicals into me with micro needles implanted in her fingernails. Hey, it's a sick world out there, and my overactive brain likes to drift.
I took a slow breath and calmed myself down. Disappointed, I realized that I now had to watch the shows from the wings, not the audience. I was the famous contest winner, and the other fans were not my friends. I headed backstage.
It took me a few minutes of wandering around the wings until I found a place where I could dance without bothering anyone. From there, I had a great side view and nobody yelled at me. Thirty feet away, my rock heroes were pounding out a more recent song, one that Buck wrote. I swayed, entranced by this so, so pretty song, enjoying the thrill of seeing the Fiery Boys play it. They were right there, so close, and I felt like they were playing only for me. I had to admit this was better than being on the dance floor.
After another few songs, they finally played "Fiery Life," and I nearly lost control. I danced much more intensely, flailing my arms in the air and singing along at the top of my lungs.
A pair of panties flew onto the stage, landing at Chuck's feet. He scooped them up and turned to hook them over the end of Buck's bass guitar. Although the fans cheered at the gesture, Buck was not amused. He kicked Chuck and knocked him off balance.
The next verse was up, and Chuck was already singing the lyrics. Ever the professional, he kept going while he stumbled, which elicited applause from the audience. Then he straightened himself at the front of the stage and finished the song as if nothing had happened.
Angry Buck again. He didn't need to react so strongly to what seemed to me like classic playfulness. Women must throw their undergarments at these four men all the time-what part of that was bothersome? And it's not like Chuck had laid the panties over the strings or otherwise affected Buck's playing. Interestingly, I noticed River give Buck an approving smirk. Was he angry with Chuck, too? Jeez, they were as bad as Palmer.