Vignette #27: Stars

Ian made his way back into the building and maneuvered himself back to his table. His drink was empty and his friends still gone. He tried to get Blue’s attention, but the crowd around the bar was too thick. El Toro had started, so he sat down to just enjoy his old band while waiting for a waiter to stop by or he was able to get to the bar.

The stage was on the other side of the dance floor, which was between the booths and the stage. Ian had a great view from the closest edge of the floor. He could see the crowd, including both Wella and Blake enjoying themselves, and El Toro leading with a song he didn’t recognize. When it ended the crowd clapped, and Marc at the center mike thanked them with the standard cover band thank you.

“For those of you, who don’t know, we call ourselves El Toro and we wanna thank you for coming out tonight, pardon the pun.” He pointed to fingers out to the crowd. Several got the very bad joke and laughed. “We’ve been together for quite a while, and most of us are originally from the coal mines of Virginia.” He started strumming on his guitar a little.

“We do a lot of original material these days, but we also find that a lot of you enjoy some familiar tunes as well. Now we like to think our days as a cover band are long gone, but we always use our final set of the night to do some old stuff that we still love playing and hope you still enjoy, too.”

Some people in the bar started cheering. Ian cheered along, he was excited to hear them do some stuff that maybe he hadn’t heard in a while. He was looking forward to the comfort.

Marc held his hands up to get everyone quiet. “And we boys in the band have a special treat. It seems our original lead singer is in the house tonight, and if every body gets loud enough, maybe we can persuade him to come up here and do the set with us.”

Ian looked for the exits, but the crowd was stirring, looking around to see who the guy was, probably hoping he was some hot rock dude or TV star…were they in for a let down.

Marc kept going, “Many of you haven’t heard the name yet, but believe me you will, and if you’ve never heard this man sing you are in for a treat, plus ladies he’s pretty easy on the eyes.” Women, and some of the men, cheered. “Put your hands together and welcome to the stage Mister…Ian…Justyn...”

It was too late; a spotlight from somewhere hit Ian in the face. The crowd started clapping and somewhere faintly he heard Blake scream “Go for it, Baby Doll!” The people on the dance floor parted and allowed Ian to the stage. A few members of the band shook his hand and welcomed him with huge smiles on their faces.

Ian was about to wet his pants. He noticed a man standing at the foot of the stage holding a familiar colored liquid. Ian asked him, “Scotch?”

The man nodded his head. He reached for it and took it out of his hand. “Can I have a swallow?”

“Sure”, the man smiled, “any time.”

Ian put the drink to his lips and nodded thank you when recognition hit him. The man’s curly hair was unforgettable. It was the stranger from the balcony across the yard.

Ian knocked the drink back in one gulp and handed the glass back. The man leaned over and whispered into his ear. “Kellen, the name’s Kellen…Ian” and smiled.

Ian stepped back up on the stage and looked across the dance floor. “Blue? Where’s Blue?”

He heard Blue answer and wave off in a distance. “Over here…”

“Bring this man a scotch…and a double for me.”

“You got it!” The stranger on the edge of the dance floor smiled and mouthed thank you.

Ian turned to the crowd, took the mike and said, “Now let’s sing.” They cheered as an old familiar seventies rock tune began. He didn’t know if it was the third scotch kicking in, fear, adrenaline or a combination thereof but he had a blast, and he didn’t think he was half bad.

They did some old Rolling Stones stuff, a few Bee Gees tunes and a couple of things Ian barely remembered but muddled through some how. He even managed to get through “Livin La Vida Loca” which he’d only sung in the shower before.

Between each song he would thank the crowd and start to step down. The crowd would yell ‘more more’ until it even got old to Ian. He just stopped trying to leave and started turning to Marc and asking what was next. Ian started to recognize the old set and a couple of times even remembered, either that or the band was following his lead.

He had long since lost the jacket and either unbuttoned most of his shirt or popped the buttons as he gyrated his pelvis and wiggled his rear for the crowd. The band played for forty-five minutes and Ian was about to drop. Fortunately that was just about all the repertoire he knew. He thanked the group and introduced each band member like the old days.

Marc slipped back up and put his arm around Ian’s shoulders. “What’d I tell you? Isn’t he fantastic? Mr. Ian Justyn!”

The crowd practically tore the roof off the place. “Now we got one more song for you.” The crowd was vocal about disappointment. “But it’s something slow and sexy. So guys grab your girl, or girl grab your guys…aw hell whoever grab whatever you’re in the mood for…” he shot a look at Ian. “And just to prove how amazing this man right here is, he’s gonna sing something he’s never seen before.”

“Huh?” Ian almost fainted.

“This is something the band’s been working on and we’ve waited till just the right time, and tonight we think the time is right.” Hooper produced a music stand with some sheet music on it and a stool. He forced Ian down on the stool and placed the stand in front of him.

Hooper to him, “Oh god, Ian, this is gonna blow everyone’s mind. Just look it over, you’ll be fine.”

“Shit” was all Ian could say. Hooper kissed him on the forehead and several ladies and guys cheered. Hooper pointed to the music and flipped through the pages.

“See it’s easy. Just be you, man. It’s perfect.”

Ian nodded is head in drunken fear and looked at the sheet music. It was easy and the band started playing. He said, “Wait! Wait!” The band stopped and the crowd giggled.

“On the bridge, take it up half a step and then follow me.” Marc and Hooper high fived and the band started again. He waited until just the right moment and cautiously lifted the mic to his lips and began to sing.

The melody was simple, but the words powerful and vivid. Ian found himself lost in the words about hopes and dreams and what might just happen if he took a chance and held on. When the refrain came he stood and walked toward the crowd. They had stopped dancing and were mesmerized by Ian’s voice and the conviction crying from his heart that things had been rough, and he didn’t think it was possible to go on “Until Now”.

When the bridge hit and Ian’s voice soared, the crowd soared with him. The final refrain kicked in an entire octave higher, and is voice easily rose both begging and assuring. Everyone forgot there were other people in the room because they all knew that Ian Justyn was singing only to them.

Ian pulled back and quietly hit the final bars almost in a whisper, on perfect pitch to the silently beating hearts of one, “I never dreamed the world would come true…until now.”

There was a good five seconds of silence. Only Ian’s breathing could be heard and suddenly the place went absolutely wild. Ian and the band stood humbly, tears streaming down Ian’s face as the crowd loved him more than he had ever been loved before.

In the back of the pandemonium, a lone figure stood, tears of their own covering their face, saying to no one who could hear, “He got the voice, too.” And then they were gone.

The next few minutes were a blur. Ian stepped out into the crowd to get back to his table. He was kissed, his hand shook and his ass tweaked. Phone numbers were shoved in his pockets and he was propositioned so many times his head spin.

And Ian just wanted to go home. The scotch was more than he’d had in years. His head was reeling and the room spinning. He looked for his friends. Wella finally rushed up and bear hugged him.

“Holy Shit, Ian…holy shit!” He pushed away from her.

“Look you and Blake stay and have a great time. I need to go home.”

She looked concerned, “You okay?”

He nodded, “Fine, just a little too much booze and way too much energy. I’ll send the limo back.” Ian kissed her cheek. “Love to Blake.”

Someone else grabbed him and propositioned him, he wasn’t even sure what sex the person was, but they sure weren’t letting go. He felt a pair of hands pry them apart, and heard a voice he recognized.

“You okay, Ian?” It was Blue.

“Need some air, buddy. Just get me out of here.” Blue put his arm around him and helped Ian outside. Ian wasn’t sure how long it took, but he heard Blue push a few people off and tell someone to call his driver. He stood with him for a moment while the fresh air hit him. Ian felt his knees buckle a little, but he managed to focus.

“You gonna be okay there?” Blue asked.

“Yes, thank you. I’ll be fine now, just a little over whelmed.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“Your driver is on the way. Just stay right here, okay.” Blue turned to go in, but turned back. “I usually don’t do this, and my girl friend would kill me if she found out, but I just can’t help it. You were just too hot!” He scribbled his number down on a piece of paper and stuck it down the front of Ian’s pants. “I don’t care what you are into. Call me. Any time.” Blue then disappeared inside the club.

Ian bent over and put his hands on his thighs and took a deep breath of night air. Another familiar voice came from behind him. “Sir, are you okay?”

Ian waved off the voice. He didn’t want more hands on him. Ian just wanted to go home. But the voice insisted.

“Mr. Justyn, sir, your jacket.” The jacket was thrust gently under in his sight line. Ian eased up and took it.

“Oh, thank you…” and when he recognized the face, “Ripley”

“You are very welcome sir….anything else sir?”

Rubbing his sore abdomen, “Not unless you can recommend a good gym, I am so out of shape.”

Ripley smiled. “You looked just fine…Ian.” Ripley opened his wallet and took out a card as Ian thought “Oh God”.

He handed it to Ian. “A friend of mine works at this gym. Tell ‘em I told you to call, they’ll set you up.”

Ian accepted the card. “Thank you, I just might do that.” The chauffeur arrived and opened the door for Ian. He slopped himself in as soberly as he could, doing quite an admirable job. As the limo pulled off he pushed the down button on the window and drifted off to sleep.

“We’re here.” He awoke to the chauffeur standing in front of the open car door. He had slept the whole drive home. He thanked her politely, tipped her generously and asked her if she would mind going back and waiting for the others should they need a lift. She informed him it was her pleasure and was gone.

Ian found himself still a little tipsy and standing in his front yard. He wandered slowly to the front door, new jacket dragging like Linus’s blanket behind him. He didn’t bother to turn the lights on. He just threw the jacket on the couch, dropped out of his shoes and headed to the bedroom stairs.

He sprawled across the bed for a few minutes, trying to focus on a spot that wasn’t spinning. He wasn’t sure if he should laugh or cry, after all he had turned a room full of people on but he had still came home alone.

Ian reached in his pockets and pulled out bits of wadded up papers and cards. He thought about leafing through them and picking one at random. He decided just to undress and forget it.


When he stood he felt something strange in his sexy new boxer briefs. He reached down and found a crumpled bar tab. It was blank on one side and on the other he could make out “Call me for anything, Blue” with a cell phone number. He chuckled to himself, wadded it up and landed it in the trash with no net.

Ian reached for the remote and opened both the drapes and the glass doors and strolled out to the balcony. He stumbled carefully down the steps to the underpinning by the downstairs back entrance. He pressed an almost hidden button and the pool under lighting snapped on.

“There,” he said proudly to the stars, “I learned something.”

He sighed and walked back up the steps and just sat on the floor, feet on the last step. He reached for a smoke, lit it up and inhaled. When he exhaled he leaned back on one arm and stared straight up and began to count the stars.

He didn’t see the figure watch him for a moment. Nor did he see that figure slip deep into the shadows and then disappear.