When Gina Met Tammy... Ch. 17

Everybody already knew Momma and Angie, and their story, so when Andrew introduced me, I stood up and said, "Good morning, everyone. I'm Tammy, Keme's daughter, and I'm just here as an observer, since I can't sing for crap. I just want to thank you all for helping us celebrate my Momma and Angie's wedding. This is going to be a real privilege for Gina and me, being able to hear how good a group like this can make her sound. I hope you won't mind if I take a few pictures while you practice, since what I do is paint, and I'm always on the lookout for good subjects." With that, I sat down and let Gina take the floor.

GINA: I stood when Tammy sat down, and said, "Howdy, everybody. I'm Gina, an' I'm anxious as heck to be able to work with y'all. Even though we live in Colorado, I'm a Texas gal, born an' raised in a lil' hick town, so I ain't ever been able t' work with real pro musicians before. I've played with a few small bands around Austin when I was in college, but never with a group like y'all, so I'll try not to embarrass y'all too much!"

Andrew got up after I finished, and told the band "Don't let her fool you, guys. Keme has played me some recordings of Gina, and she really does have a fantastic voice. With that said, how about we get started?" I asked Andrew if there was a spare keyboard that I could play at first, and a guy named Rusty motioned me over to his keyboard. He said I could use his, since he was going to be playing the lap steel guitar for my songs.

I started out by myself, with the others joining in once they'd figured out my 'style'. Naturally, the first time through was a little shaky, but by the second and third run-throughs, we were working pretty good together. We had little discussions between the sets, and I gratefully listened to their suggestions. That's what I like about session musicians -- they're able to adapt easily, and having the 10 of them playing along with me really brought the songs to life.

Andrew had ordered some pizzas to be delivered around noon, so we took a break to eat when the pies arrived. Sitting around a large table while we ate, each member of the group introduced themselves and told us what they played. Tammy and I were amazed -- I don't think any of them played less than 3 instruments each. I think I was blushing all through dinner, with everybody complimenting my singing.

TAMMY: I was over in the peanut gallery while the group practiced, and struck up a conversation with a girl named Shelby, who's boyfriend was Rusty, the steel guitar player. She told me Rusty was tickled to death to be able to play his steel guitar, since he was originally from Tennessee and had grown up around country music like Gina had. When she asked how Gina and I had met, I gave her the short version of our story, and told her we were engaged and were getting married ourselves in a couple of months. With a sigh, she said she'd been with Rusty for a couple of years, and wished that she could get him to ask her to marry him. I told her that nowadays, there was nothing stopping her from asking him, and with a thoughtful look, said she might just do that.

After we ate, the band started rehearsing again, and Shelby and I continued our talk. Somehow we got to the subject about Colorado having legal pot. I told her yes, that we could go to any dispensary and pick some up. With a laugh, she said she and Rusty were both on the Medical Marijuana program here in Connecticut, but it was a pain in the ass because they had to renew their registration every year with a Dr. and the state, and it costs $200-300 a year just for renewals.

Seeing an opportunity, I asked her if we could score some pot through her. She smiled, and reached in her purse, pulling out a disposable vape cartridge that looked like a cigarette. I told her I'd never vaped cannabis oil before, and she assured me that it was very good. At first, she wouldn't take the $40 bucks I tried to give her, but gave in when I insisted.

We were halfway listening to the band while we talked, and they're really starting to sound great. Around 3:00, Andrew finally called an end to today's practice, and told everyone that tomorrow's session would start at the same time. The musicians started putting their things away and filtering out, then I noticed Gina had cornered Rusty and was quizzing him about the lap steel guitar. I told Shelby we'd better go rescue him, then said that I wouldn't be surprised if Gina ended up buying her own setup when we got home. She's told me before how much she loves the sound of a lap steel, so I know she'll want one if they're not too hard to learn.

GINA: Before being pried away by Tammy, I was enjoying talking to Rusty about the lap steel. He said that with my training on keyboard and guitar, I should be able to learn the basics easily. He did recommend taking lessons though, because it is a totally different animal. I was bubbling over with excitement, both from the way the rehearsal had gone and with what Rusty had said. Tammy was laughing as we walked back to our hotel, and asked me if I was going to buy my own lap steel. I could only grin sheepishly, knowing how obvious I'd been.

Tammy had turned her phone to mute during my rehearsal, and when she checked it, there was a message from Keme. She said they would come by the hotel at 6:00 and take us to supper, so we went up to our suite to relax for a couple of hours. Tammy replied that we'd just left the band hall, and would be ready when they showed up.

I made us a couple of bourbon and cokes from the bar, then sat down with Tammy on the balcony. The liquor helped to calm me down a little, then Tammy got up and said she had a surprise for me. She came back out and showed me the vape pen, explaining how she'd got it from Shelby. She giggled and said, "Knowing how keyed up you'd be, I figured this would help settle you down tonight!" I gave her a thank-you kiss, then told her I'd never vaped any extract before. She said she hadn't, either, so this will be another first for us.

She put the pen away until after supper, then we just sat and talked, enjoying the beautiful afternoon. Tammy told me how fantastic I'd sounded during rehearsal, and I blushed (again), then said that it was only because the band was so good. I nudged her in the ribs and told her, "Hell, sweetie, they could even make you sound good!"

I regretted that almost as soon as I said it, because it ignited a full-scale tickle attack from Tammy. She knows my body well, and I was helpless as she tickled me on all of my weak spots. My squirming around, trying to avoid her fingers, nearly made me fall off the settee, and I finally raised my hands and cried "I surrender, baby, I give up!" With a satisfied smirk, she relented and kissed me, accepting my apology.

TAMMY: With that small victory under my belt, we settled back on the settee and finished our drinks. I got a text from Momma saying they were on the way, and we went down to wait. Momma came in and got us, telling us the restaurant we're going to is a few miles away, so we all piled in the Uber for the drive over. On the way over, Angie said the restaurant we're going to is a Mexican food place, but then told Gina this place was more of an authentic Mexican food, not the Tex-Mex she was used to. Gina laughed and said she guessed she could lower her standards just for tonight!

The food was excellent, and I was happy that the salsa they served wasn't like the molten lava Gina likes. During supper, Momma said they'd called their bosses this morning, and had met them off-site for lunch. Since she and Angie are technically on vacation until after their honeymoon, they'd arranged it that way instead of meeting them at Foxwoods.

Angie said the main reason for the meeting was to check in and see if there were any problems that they needed to take care of (there weren't). Then Momma said they'd also told the bosses that we'd given them a 'substantial amount' for a wedding gift, but had been vague about how much. Gina smiled and said, "Dang, y'all are already learnin' good. Hell, I wanted t' shout from th' mountaintop when I found out what I'd inherited, but thank heaven Jerry talked me down from it. Some people gotta know the whole story, but ya gotta be careful or you'll find out a bunch of creeps will show up claiming to be long lost relatives."

I told them about Gina's rehearsal, and said I thought they were going to be very happy with the way the songs are going to sound. Gina said she loved working with the band, and Momma said they'd arranged several events where the group played, and Andrew had always done an excellent job. They got a kick out of it when I told them about Shelby and I having to rescue poor Rusty from Gina's inquisition. I let out an exaggerated sigh and said, "I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that now Gina's going to buy a lap steel guitar, and I'll be forced to listen to songs about 'My wife left, my dog died, and my trailer burned down'!"

Gina flipped me off, and I just smiled sweetly while Momma and Angie cracked up. When everyone calmed down, Angie called to get an Uber and we went outside to wait. Momma said they were going to go into Hartford tomorrow, to do some last-minute shopping before their cruise, so we arranged to meet them at the hotel at the same time tomorrow evening.

GINA: After the customary round of good-night hugs and kisses, Tammy and I went back up to our suite. We shucked our clothes off, and I made us some drinks while she went out on the balcony. She was leaning over the railing looking at something when I came out, and I couldn't resist planting a wet kiss on her tight little butt. She giggled and turned around to kiss me, then went in to get the vape pen while I settled on the settee.

Tammy said Shelby had warned her not to take too large a drag on the vape, and after having a small puff, I was glad for the warning. When the vapor hit my lungs, it felt like it expanded 100 times, so I imagine taking a big hit would take the top of my head off. Even with the small amount, the effect was immediate, and I laid my head back to enjoy the rush while Tammy took a small hit. She exhaled, then said, "Oh, crap, baby! That's nice! We're going to have to get more of this shit at home." I nodded, agreeing completely.

We both had a few more drags on the vape, and the combination of cannabis, bourbon, and being tired from my rehearsal hit me like a ton of bricks. I finished my drink, and told Tammy that was it, I needed to go to bed. We went inside, collapsed on the bed, and I was barely able to stay awake long enough for a good-night kiss before I fell into a deep sleep.

******

GINA: I was in that grey area between being asleep and being awake. The 'awake' side told me I was warm, but the 'sleep' side said just ignore it. Something was different, though...it seemed familiar yet foreign at the same time. I couldn't figure out what it was, and the 'sleep' side decided it must just be remnants of my dreams. Whatever. It wasn't uncomfortable or causing pain, so I remained in limbo while the feeling engulfed me.

My 'awake' side kept nudging me, but I refused to yield to it. The foggy area I was in surrounded me and was so peaceful. I noticed the fog start slowly swirling, with streaks of color beginning to mix with the grey. There were no patterns or rhythms, only a rolling mix of colors. 'Awake' continued prodding at me but I didn't want to leave this place.

Tired of my balkiness, 'awake' unleashed a bolt of lightning and deep boom of thunder. Electric jolts flooded my body when the lightning hit me, paralyzing my muscles. Well, THAT certainly got my attention, and my eyes snapped open, only to see Tammy's grinning face looking at me. She whispered "Gotcha" and leaned down to kiss me.

The source of my exquisite feeling was revealed when she held up the Womanizer, turning it off and laying it aside. She kissed me again, and said, "Good morning, my one and only. That was so cool! I turned the gadget on low, and I think I held it on you for 10 minutes or so, watching your smile bloom in your sleep."

TAMMY: We've both woken each other up with early morning climaxes, but I've never seen one as beautiful as the one Gina must have had. Her expression had been euphoric while I watched her climbing out of her sleep into the orgasm the Womanizer provided. She pulled me down for another kiss, then said, "Lover, that was awesome! I was all warm and fuzzy then BOOM! Wow!"

I giggled when she got out of bed, saying "I gotta go!" She jumped back in bed beside me after she peed, and said, "Th' girl that sold me that thing never said nothin' 'bout THAT." I chuckled and said, "Well, sweetheart, since it made us cum so fast on high speed, I guessed that low speed might be the opposite. Looks like I was right, huh?"

A smile split her face, and she said, "Yep, ya was right. Oh, man, I can't even describe how that felt. Ya better get ready, love, 'cuz I'm gonna getcha back one of these days." We laid there kissing for a while, until it was time to get up and get ready for her rehearsal.

While we dressed after our shower, she said, "Damn, baby, now I feel guilty 'bout gettin' my cookies off an' not returnin' th' favor." I laughed and said, "Honey, nobody's keeping score. Making you happy makes me happy, and that's all I care about. Besides, I know you too well, so I'm sure you'll come up with something devious soon enough!"

We had time before the rehearsal, so we walked around the restaurant level and found a place to have breakfast other than the café in the lobby. After some scrumptious omelets and several cups of coffee, we walked over to the band room in the warm New England sun. A few of the group was already there, and Andrew was busy putting out microphones and gear for today's recording. After exchanging good-mornings, Gina and I walked around talking to people and pitching in where we could to help get set up.

Rusty and Shelby showed up, and while he was getting ready, we walked over and thanked them for the vape pen. He grinned and said, "Yep, Shelby tol' me 'bout that. I'm glad y'all liked it!" I looked at Shelby and winked, then said, "Damn, another Southerner. What is it about these folks that draws us in, Shelby?" She laughed and replied, "I don't know. Maybe because they're cute? Or maybe it's because we feel sorry for them since they talk funny?"

Gina and Rusty gave us a good-natured glare, then Shelby and I went to sit down as the last of the musicians showed up. Once everybody had settled in and got ready, Andrew got up and said, "Good morning, people. Today, we're just going to concentrate on Gina's 2 songs, and I'll be recording "The Sweetest Thing" later. As for the wedding itself, it's going to be semi-formal, so guys, that means no cut-offs or trashy T shirts, and girls, no coochie-showing dresses. The rest of the evening we'll just be playing our standard 'old folks' songs, swapping out with the DJ like we usually do. I made up a tentative playlist if anyone wants a copy. Now, if everyone's ready, let's do a run-through of the 2 songs."

GINA: I felt sort of naked as we got ready to rehearse, having only a wireless microphone to hold onto. Even though I'd quit playing the keyboard yesterday after the second run-through, I'd still had it in front of me as a type of crutch. I guess I'd better get used to it, though, because the mike will be all I have when I sing the first dance song at the reception.

Yesterday, we'd rehearsed without microphones, but today, Andrew had them on, and I thought it sounded really good after the first run-through. Andrew was sitting at the mixing board and making small adjustments the first time we practiced, so when we went through the second time, it was exceptional. I looked over at Tammy, and she grinned and flashed me a thumbs-up, agreeing with what I thought.

Andrew asked if everyone was ready to do the recording, and I took a deep breath and nodded. He told me to relax and just have fun, then turned on the recorder -- an actual reel-to-reel (I haven't seen one of those in years!). Holding up 4 fingers, he did a visual countdown and I started on the first verse.

We made it through "The Sweetest Thing" without any hiccups. I'd noticed Andrew making a couple of adjustments while I sang, and was worried that I'd done something wrong, but he told me he was just adjusting my volume a little, making it softer on the verses then back up when we did the chorus. I sat down beside Tammy while we waited on the rewind, then Andrew began the playback.

During rehearsals, I'd been concentrating on my singing, and hearing the overall sound the first time was mind-blowing. I have to admit it sounded fantastic, and Tammy squeezed my hand and whispered, "Baby, that sounds magnificent!" Looking around, I guess everybody else liked it too, since they were all smiling. When the song finished, one of the guys (Dave?) called out "Give that girl a job!", making me blush and everybody else laugh.

Andrew said, "Now, Gina, it's up to you, but let me tell you, I thought that take was great. We've all worked with some of the so-called 'stars', and this ranks up there with the best I've ever heard." I said I liked it, and thanked everyone for making me sound so good. Tammy said she loved it, and knew that Keme and Angie would as well. I was so relieved that I barely recall going through "Could I Have This Dance" a couple more times afterwards.

TAMMY: I was so proud of my Gina (and the whole band, for that matter). The recording sounded so marvelous, and Andrew was a true professional on his mixing board. After they'd practiced "Could I Have This Dance", Andrew got up and said he thought that was as good as it was going to get, and called an end to the rehearsal. Before everyone got ready to leave, I got up and thanked them all for being so nice to us, and told them if they were ever near Durango, to make sure they called us if they wanted a place to stay. I added that we were near some of the best resorts for winter activities, and could save them some bucks if they came for skiing or snowboarding at Vail or one of the other resorts. Nearly forgetting, I said they could get in touch with Momma or Angie to get our phone number if they were coming our way.

Andrew reminded them that the wedding started at 6:00 the day after tomorrow, so they should get there by 7:00 to set up and prepare to play after the reception dinner. Gina said they were also welcome to attend the wedding if they wanted, and told them about the blanket ceremony which would be cool if they'd never seen one. They started filtering out, then Shelby invited us to lunch with her and Rusty.

Shelby and I had been talking during the rehearsal, and she told me she'd dropped some strong hints to Rusty last night about getting married. With a grin, she said she'd stopped short of asking him, because she didn't want to bruise his 'fragile, male ego'...yet. I laughed and told her "Atta girl" when she said she was pretty sure he'd gotten the hint, because he'd had a goofy shy smile on his face while they were talking.

We went to a buffet in the same building as the band room, and had a great meal. Of course, Gina peppered Rusty with questions about the lap steel guitar while we ate, and he answered them all, obviously enjoying talking with a fellow musician. Shelby rolled her eyes at me, then whispered in my ear, "I guess it's a good thing we love 'em and we're both used to those Southern drawls, huh? Otherwise, this would be a helluva conversation to try and follow!" I chuckled, in complete agreement with her.