Everywhere: Book 3 of the Nowhere Trilogy

17. Carolina in the Morning

I'd make a wish and here's what I'd say - Al Jolson

10:19 PM, Saturday, December 4, 2021

Damn, but he does love performing. San Antonio is no exception. Great venue. Lovely fans. The high from being on stage must be similar to the feeling drug addicts get. It's why he can never wait too long between tours. Chele might have given him crap for calling himself a narcissist, but the attention he receives standing in front of tens of thousands of people at a time can only be enjoyed by someone who craves notice. And the love of strangers.

This is his favorite time of every show actually. When he has the house lights turned up so he can read signs and interact with the crowd. He's always thought of his concerts as an opportunity to be in musical theatre. Putting on his Gucci outfits is like pulling on a costume for Les Miserables or Cats. And when he's on stage, he allows -- no, demands -- his unreserved side comes out to play. There are things he says during a show that would make him cringe if he were to say the same in polite company. But something about hiding behind the stage lights and the clothes frees him.

Which is why when he reads the sign "Sing the new song for us!" he chuckles and replies that it's unfinished, but he's confident Moore on Tour will provide an exclusive as soon as he writes the rest of the words.

One fan is holding up a poster that says "We want MOORE!" Leaning over towards her conspiratorially, Harry whispers loudly into the microphone, "You've misspelled more!"

The girl laughs and screams back at him, "NO! We want to know more about Chele Moore!"

"Ohhhhhhh! What do you want to know?" He cocks an eyebrow at the fan, focusing on her with all of his might because he doesn't want to give away Chele's location in the crowd. All night he's had to avoid glancing at her. She looks so adorably cute in her merch from this tour. He needs to see about getting crew shirts, but he suspects she wouldn't wear one to the show if he did.

Naturally, they bombard him with questions.

"Is she pretty?"

"Is she here?"

"We wanna meet her!"

"How old is she?"

"How can I steal her job?"

With a quick shrug, Harry deflects (one of the skills he's most proud of actually) with mock offense. "Hey! I thought you came here to see me! You're supposed to be paying attention to the star!"

When the girl with the original sign laughs and gives him a thumbs up, he walks away to take a drink. Turning back, he fixes the fan with his eyes and grins. "Maybe if you sent her questions, she would answer them. Now who's got a birthday tonight?"

Chele is going to be bombarded with questions, and he's going to enjoy reading her answers. Especially since he hasn't spent a single moment alone with her in days. Maybe he will send in his own questions just so he can feel closer to her.

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1:41 AM, Wednesday, December 8, 2021

In the morning, they will be in Orlando. Briefly Harry wonders what bizarre place Chele has chosen for them to visit. But he pushes that thought aside as he considers that it's been far too long since he's been alone with her. Plus he desperately needs a Paige fix. There's just no time for him to FaceTime with her where others won't hear, and he's confident the little one will ask about her Aunt Chele. Which will raise too many questions that can't be safely answered.

By this time, he assumed Mandy would have moved on to focusing on another tour, but she seems to have settled in for the long haul. How can he pry her loose? He scratches his head as he climbs into his bunk. Only a few hours to Orlando, and then he can check into his hotel. Thank goodness they will have a short break after they arrive in Raleigh. He's weary tonight, and he misses a certain someone more than he should considering she's in the bunk next to his.