Ann: A Love Story Ch. 95

Matt was back at the microphone about ten minutes later as the members of the band appeared from a room down the hallway, each of them taking their places on the stage. The big drum kit informed us that the band was named the 'Heebee Geebees', and I was amazed at how many members there were, probably because they actually had a two-man horn section, with a trumpet and saxophone.

The bass player was whispering something into Matt's ear, whose expression was a cross between disbelief and fear. He quickly motioned to Tina, who was standing off to the side, calling her up to the stage to join the conversation. His hand covered the microphone while hers covered her mouth in shock.

Ann leaned over, resting her head on my shoulder. "What do you think that's all about?"

"I don't know, but it doesn't look good, does it?"

Tina was overcome talking to the musician, who was shrugging his shoulders and holding up his hands as if to say there was nothing he could do. Matt shook his head, his look of despair starting to worry us.

"Maybe we should go up there," Ann whispered.

"Let's wait a minute. I don't want to make things worse."

"Worse? We don't even know what's going on."

"I think we're about to," I replied as I nodded toward Matt, who took his hand off the microphone.

"Uh...hi again, everybody. It appears we have a bit of a problem. One of the band members just got really sick. I'd ask if there was a doctor in the house, but it appears to just be the flu. Maybe I should ask if there's a lead guitarist in the house," he joked, trying to lighten the moment a little.

The murmur that ran through the room was palpable, the wave of tension flowing all the way to where Ann and I sat stunned.

"Oh my God...this is it. This is what's going to go wrong at our wedding," Ann said quietly.

"I'm sure they can find a way to work around it," I assured her, putting my arm around her shoulders.

But I wasn't sure. I was too much in shock. Seriously, what are the odds of one of the band members getting sick while waiting to go on and perform at a wedding? The murmur turned to a buzz, the guests talking amongst themselves. I kept waiting for Matt to take control and say they'd come up with an option, but nothing was happening for what seemed like the longest time.

Then someone called out. "I PLAY AIR GUITAR. DOES THAT HELP?"

It was a voice that stunned me, not just by what it said, but by whom it belonged to. It was Geoff Beck, the owner of the company I used to work for.

Truthfully, I was a little surprised that he and his wife even came. After all, he was a millionaire, and guess I naturally assumed he'd have better things to do. I really liked and respected him, but we hadn't had that much interaction over the years. I suppose he was there as much for my Dad as he was for me, which was fine. And we'd invited them, so it's not like we didn't want them there.

Still, I found what he'd said funny, remembering how he'd pretended to play guitar whenever I kidded him about his name being the same as the famous guitarist, even though he spelled his first one differently. And he was always good-natured about the ribbing, always making himself the joke. Now he was using that same self-deprecating humor to alleviate the tension that had been building in the hall.

The bassist leaned into his microphone and said, "Sure, buddy. At this point we'll take any help we can get."

Knowing his sense of humor, it was no surprise that Geoff actually jumped out of his seat, acting like he was going to go up on the stage. His wife Tara grabbed the tail of his suit jacket, trying to pull him back into his chair before he embarrassed himself, or more likely her. But he leaned down and whispered something, and the next thing we knew he was standing on stage in front of the microphone, pretending to hold a guitar in his hands.

He acted like he was strumming strings a little, intentionally being silly as he waited for the music to start, going so far as to pretend he was tuning it while he waited. The bass player had the band get in place, kind of taking charge as he plugged in his guitar and got ready.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Ann and Neil, I do apologize," he said as he readied himself. "My name is Gary Bowen, and while I'm not the leader of the group, I guess I've kind of been elected the new front man. I kind of feel like I'm having a 'Spinal Tap' moment, to tell you the truth; just give us a chance to work things out, and we'll do our best to give you a good time."

Ann clutched my arm, her nervousness transcending through her fingers as she dug her nails into my skin through my shirt, suddenly making me wish I'd left the tuxedo coat on for more protection. "This is going to be a train wreck, Neil."

"Well, it will certainly be memorable," I sighed as the drummer started a slow beat on the rim of his snare with a stick.

Geoff stood there, ready to jam with the band, real excitement in his eyes.

Gary looked at him and started laughing. "You look so stupid standing there like that. Why don't you grab the guitar so at least you'll look like you belong up here?"

Geoff turned and saw the old, well-used Stratocaster leaning in its stand behind him. "I don't know...what if I break it?"

"You won't break it. Just strap it on and hold it."

Doing as he was told, Geoff looked even more excited than before. It was like he was about to live out a lifelong dream. He was finally going to live up to his namesake, even if it was just for show.

"Ready?" Gary asked, getting an enthusiastic nod from Geoff. "Okay, here we go. One, two, three --"

"WAIT!" Geoff yelled out.

"What?"

"A pick. I need a pick."

"For what? You're not really playing."

"I know, but I want it to feel real."

"Fine, they're stuck on the little strip on the microphone stand. See them?"

"Oh yeah! Of course," he grinned, peeling one off, trying to figure out how to hold it.

"Anything else," Gary laughed.

"Yeah...can I...can I plug it in?"

"Uh, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Because then you'll be tempted to really play."

"No I won't. I just want to feel like I'm a part of the band."

"Or, you could actually break the guitar."

"Well, then I'll buy him a new one."

"Yeah, right. How do I know you can afford it?"

Those in the room that knew Geoff was wealthy started to laugh, but Geoff was humble when he said, "I guess you're right."

Gary sighed and relented. "Okay, go ahead and plug in. But for God's sake, don't turn it on!"

"This is so cool," Geoff grinned, bouncing up and down like a little kid.

Once he was ready, Gary started again. "Here we go. One, two, three --"

"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!"

"NOW what?" Gary groaned.

"What song are we playing?"

"What difference does that make?"

"Because, I want to try and make it look real."

"That's going to be kind of hard since we don't have a lead guitarist right now. We're going to have to play songs that don't really feature a lead that much."

"Where's the fun in that? How can I play my solos if you're not going to have any?"

"This is like a bad comedy routine," Ann said under her breath as we watched in disbelief.

Gary shrugged and said, "Just work with us, will ya?"

"Well, what song would you have played if he was here? I can pretend to play that."

"We usually start with something by 'Chicago'. We like to feature the entire band when we start out, and we have a kick ass horn section."

"Oh...God, I love Chicago," Geoff laughed out loud. Then he looked across the room to us, holding his hand over his eyes like he was trying to make us out in the glare of the non-existent spot lights. "Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas...do you like Chicago?"

We looked at each other, bewildered that we were suddenly part of the odd scene that was playing out in front of us. Turning back to Geoff, we were on the spot, and all we could do was nod and say "Yes" in unison.

"Terrific! Then this is for you," he said with a wink.

Flipping the switch on the bottom of the guitar, he quickly stepped on one of the pedals on the floor in front of him. Suddenly he ripped into the familiar beginning chords of 25 or 6 to 4, the sound screaming from the amplifiers on the sides of the stage. When the drums and bass joined in, quickly followed by the horn section, my mouth fell open.

"Holy shit...he can really play!" I laughed as the group launched into the song full blast.

"I love this song," Ann grinned as we stood, the two of us clapping along.

The rest of the room followed suit, standing as one, swaying back and forth as Gary started singing. If that wasn't a big enough surprise, Tara began walking toward the stage and the next thing we knew, she was behind the keyboards joining in as they sang the chorus.

"This is so awesome!" I yelled over the music, thrilled at how close to the original the song actually sounded.

Obviously they sounded like a cover band. But from first impressions, they were a really, really good cover band. I smiled as I recalled saying something to Geoff about playing at the wedding. Hell, even Ann kidded him about whether he played or not. We'd been joking, because we had no idea that he could really play. Yet there he was, launching into the guitar solo of the song like he'd been doing it all his life.

That struck me, because whenever I'd asked Geoff if he played guitar, he insisted that he didn't. I'm sure he had his reasons for keeping his talent hidden, so to speak, but it was so out of character for him to be anything but honest that it surprised me. Still, there he was rocking the room, and Ann and I couldn't have been happier. I don't think he could have been either.

When the song came to a climatic finish, the room erupted in an already standing ovation. The group took a bow as Matt made his way back to the microphone next to Geoff.

He held out his arm and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, playing together again for the first time in fourteen years, the HEEBIE GEEBIES!"

With that, the band launched into another song, with Tara singing lead on Pat Benatar's Heartbreaker.

"Oh my God...that's one of my favorites too!" Ann screamed.

"That's because you are one, babe," I grinned as I pulled her to me for another kiss.

"Not anymore, baby. I've got you."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"I think it's time everyone started dancing," Geoff said as the group got ready to play another song. "That means we need to have the happy couple start us off with their first dance as husband and wife."

We walked together into the middle of the beautiful hardwood dance floor holding hands, and I turned to face Ann, who was pulling the long train behind her. The band started playing Eric Clapton's Wonderful Tonight, and she smiled as I opened my arms.

We held each other, gently swaying back and forth as cameras flashed. Not only was Rose photo-documenting the reception, so were many other people. While I was never comfortable being the center of attention to such a degree, it was hard not to be excited with Ann in my arms.

As we slowly turned, I tried making sure I kept moving backward. I knew that there were a lot of people that wanted to see us as we danced, hoping that we'd offer an angle that would make a perfect picture for them. Yet I was very aware of the length of Ann's train. The last thing I was going to do was stand in one place and just turn in a circle so that we'd become entangled in the damn thing. The thought of winding ourselves up in it and becoming trapped made me chuckle.

"What's so funny, baby?"

"I was just thinking about you saying your dress was going to be easy to dance in. I can't remember moving this much during a slow dance."

"It'll get easier," she winked.

"Easier? Your train takes up half the dance floor. There's not going to be room for anyone else," I grinned.

"We'll see. I don't think it's going to be as bad as you think."

When the song closed, Ann wrapped her hands around my neck, pulling me into a long, steamy kiss. "I love you, Neil."

"I love you too, Ann," I sighed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, once again, Anna and Neil Thomas," Geoff announced, using Ann's given name. I wasn't sure if it was intentional or a slip of the tongue, but she picked up on it right away.

She winked again and giggled, "Apparently, I'm Anna Thomas."

"Are you now?"

She bit at my lower lip, stretching it a little as she sucked it between her teeth. "Oh yeah, I most definitely am," she cooed. "And there's something you should know."

"Yeah, what's that?"

She snaked her hand between us, grazing the back of her fingers over my cock. Her other hand traced my lower lip before kissing me again. "I think Anna Thomas is a lot naughtier than Anna Franklin ever was."

She stepped back and nodded to Tina, who was standing conspicuously near the stage. Tina yelled, "Hit it," and the band started playing the Joe Cocker version of You Can Leave Your Hat On, a sultry, sexy song if ever I'd heard one.

Ann started gyrating, moving her body with the groove of the music as Gary started singing the seductive lyrics. I stood there, watching my...my wife as she sidled up next to me, rubbing her lithe body against mine in the most provocative ways.

"Damn," I sighed, forgetting that I was in a room filled with friends and relatives. Not that it mattered. She wasn't doing anything all that naughty, really; at least not yet. But with the song they were playing and Tina standing there, I had the distinct feeling that Geoff calling her Anna was no accident. At that point, I wondered if she knew about Geoff playing guitar all along.

That seemed too much of a stretch though. While Matt and Tina, and even Gary and Geoff had done a good job of fooling us, the shock on Ann's face had been genuine. As good as the two of us were at role-playing, I could feel from her touch that she really thought something was wrong when Matt first talked to Gary on stage.

Then I remembered that Tina had been in charge of finding the band. I remembered being stunned that Ann would let her pick out not only the photographer, but the entertainment...but that's the kind of trust she had in her. She knew she wouldn't let us down.

How it came to be that Geoff and what apparently was his former band were somehow on the stage was still a mystery. What I did know was that Tina had orchestrated it in some way, and she obviously made sure they knew how to play the song that Ann was dancing to. And she was most certainly dancing just for me, her eyes never leaving mine as she moved gracefully about the floor.

Well, except for the very first part when she turned her back to me. When Gary got to the part of the early lyrics and sang 'Baby, take off your dress' Tina and Missy appeared at her side. The two worked in unison, and in just a few seconds, the bottom half of the wedding dress, including the long train, was being whisked to the side by Missy. Tina remained, working on the long veil that was attached to the hat.

The second time Gary started singing the refrain, Tina took away the veil, leaving Ann in just the hat and what seemed like little else. I already knew the dress underneath the veil was backless, but I didn't know just how much. The sexy dimples of her lower back were drawing my eyes, along with the inch or so of crack she was flashing.

The wedding dress had been transformed. It was still a dress, but it was more the tight, slinky, mini variety. Her ass was covered, but barely, the bottom of the newer version coming down a couple of inches past her crotch line. It was also mostly see through, the strategically placed white flowers covering up her intimate parts the same way it hid her nipples.

She slowly pivoted on what looked to be five-inch white spiked heels. They were open-toed, showing off her perfectly manicured nails that matched her hands...a brilliant white coating of polish covering them. Of course, I had to look to see them. She was wearing thigh high lace stockings that went with her little dress, complete with a garter belt to hold them up. I also caught a glimpse of the ankle bracelet she was wearing, knowing a small golden cock and ball pendant was dangling from it on the inside of her leg.

Now she was free to fully move to the song, rolling her hips as she ran her arm along my torso, spinning around again to press her ass into my body. That same hand came up and traced along the back of my neck as she looked over her shoulder with a wicked smile. My arms instinctively grabbed her, pulling her to me as she swayed her hips back and forth.

But she quickly broke free, dancing around me like she was a tigress stalking prey. I'm not sure if she was the center of attention in the room, or if it was me. I had the odd impression that everyone was waiting to see if she'd devour me right on the dance floor. Yet somehow it seemed so natural, her power and grace coming through in what was truly performance art.

"She really could have been a dancer," I thought, grinning as she circled me.

The song ended with her standing three feet in front of me, her arms over her head as she did a little pirouette, letting me take in her entire sexy outfit in one erotic little twirl. With her back to me, she looked over her shoulder one last time and winked, before holding her arms straight out from her body to the sides. Leaning back, she let herself fall, forcing me to catch her; her left leg sticking out in a sexy dance move.

I slowly pulled her up, sort of dragging her upright. When she quickly turned and kissed me, the guests actually went "Awwww," before applauding.

"I knew you'd catch me," she grinned.

"I think you just caught me, babe."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Ann and I shared one more dance together, joined by the rest of the wedding party and our parents. It was fun to have other couples out there with us, but it was also interesting in that one by one they moved by us, saying how much they enjoyed Ann's performance.

That included Jean and Marlin.

"You looked so amazing, Anna," Jean said proudly.

"Thanks Mom. I hope you don't think I went too far."

"Tina warned me about what you were thinking of doing. Actually, I think it was rather tasteful."

"What about you, Dad? I didn't embarrass you, did I?"

"What's to be embarrassed about, sweetie? From what I could see, you were just showing how much you love your husband. Besides, if you've told me once, you've told me a thousand times...everyone here is family. They understand."

"Yeah, what about the dress?" she giggled.

Jean smiled as she answered for her husband. "It's your wedding day, dear. You're supposed to make every woman jealous of how you look, and you're supposed to make every man wish he was Neil. I think you're just doing it better than most brides ever have or will."

"Aw...thanks Mom," she beamed.

"So, have you two decided what time you're going to be coming to the house tomorrow to open all the gifts?" Jean asked out of the blue.

"Jean...I think they have other things on their mind besides wedding gifts," Marlin laughed. "If I know Neil, he's probably trying to figure out how to get Ann out of the rest of that little dress right about now."

Ann took the question in stride, refusing to let it affect her. In fact, she simply smiled. "We're taking a couple presents with us," she winked, making a jolt run through my spine. "We'll open the rest tomorrow whenever we get there Mom. We'll call before we leave so you'll know what time to expect us, but it won't be early. As for Neil getting me out of this dress...all he has to do is ask me."