Ocean was just there, not sure why she had come to the mall, it was too crowded, so what if it was Kevin Allen Campbell, the Academy of Country Music’s entertainer of the year. She didn't like all of those fanatic's pushing, shoving and the noise, it reminds her of a kindergarten classroom. Ocean really liked Kevin Allen’s music but she liked a lot of different kinds of artist too, Michael Bublé, Sara Evans, Simply Red and Joss Stone to name a few, though none of them were standing on stage, in front of her right now.
Kevin Allen's pre-tour show is latter this evening at one of the clubs near campus which is why he was in town. But Ocean wasn’t going to be there tonight she wanted to see the full stage production not some crowded little whole in the wall, with people packed from pillar to post, though it might be fun to get the close up experience of Kevin Allen in all his glory. Ocean has tickets to his last show in Atlanta instead, to celebrate her 40th birthday coming up in October, thanks to her best friend Katie who gave them to her. Ocean was kind of glad to get this preview at the mill in spite of the hassle of the crowds, after all she did love his music, he has so many songs about the ocean in some form or another, some people call it Piña Colada country, music just like Jimmy Buffett. Kevin Allen wasn't too bad to look at either.
From what she has read about Kevin Allen in the entertainment magazines, plus here and there on the internet, he loves the ocean as much as she does, after all her parents didn't name her Bella Oceania Blu for nothing. Ocean had been born in
A local radio station, was sponsoring this little promo thing at the mall, grand prize a date with Kevin Allen Campbell, which kind of surprised Ocean especially with what all of the entertainment magazines have been writing about Kevin Allen saying that he wasn’t into chasing girls any more, after he got his heart broken, especially since his quickie divorce from that Italian actress, oh what was her name? Oh well Ocean couldn't remember. It kind of had that hook up Kevin Allen feeling, because he’s a lonely bachelor now. Which kind of put Ocean off on the whole thing, she was just there for her friend Katie.
Earlier Katie had called her at work and told Ocean to get her butt down here to the mall ASAP, Katie wanted to win, Katie Jo Andrews was the real fanatic, but not Ocean she’d had enough fame to last a life time.
Katie was crying when she had called Ocean, Katie’s boss told her that he'd fire her if she asked off early again. But here sits Ocean with two tickets in her hand one with Katie’s name and one with her own on it waiting for Kevin Allen to pull someone’s name out of the barrel.
When Ocean had gotten here earlier she had to stand in line to get Katie's ticket. Once she finally got up to the table, Ocean recognized that several of Kevin Allen’s band members were handing out the tickets for the drawing. Dusty, the lead guitarist handed her a ticket and Ocean thanked him and told him that she was only there for her friend who couldn't be there. Dusty told Ocean that he wouldn't leave her out he handed her a second ticket, that it sure was nice of her to do that for her friend. Ocean said she didn't need one, he told her that it was ok for her to have one too.
Ocean took the tickets to write their names on them, first she had to dig her glasses out of her purse to see anything that small to write on. The woman standing to the right of Ocean at the table bumped into her and nearly knocked Ocean down in her excitement to get her own ticket. Thank goodness a guy caught her before she fell too far, but there was no such luck for her purse, most of her belongings spilled out. Ocean thanks the guy without really looking up and kneels down to pick up her things. The guy that caught her stands there for about 10 second looking at Ocean's back, he looks kind of stunned and looks over to Dusty. He motions to Dusty to look at Ocean's back, her shirt had ridden up about three or four inches above her jeans. The nice guy that caught Ocean, he finally bent down to help her. He asked if she was sure she was ok, and Ocean assured him that she was fine and thanked him again for helping her. She still hadn't looked at him, she was a bit embarrassed to have so much, of what she considered junk in her purse. Dusty also bent down to pick up some of Ocean's things that had rolled behind her. The whole time Dusty was behind her he was staring at her back, he mouths to the other guy "the sirens call". The guy that caught Ocean looked real confused. Dusty told Ocean that he had some of her things. Ocean pivoted around toward Dusty looking at him, thanking him and reaching for her things her shirt rid up some more which left the guy that caught her a great view of a mermaid sitting in an old blue wicker rocking chair with a guitar leaning against the arm of the chair, the mermaid and chair were at the edge of the ocean and the mermaid was sitting combing her hair looking out over the ocean and the words that the other guy had just mouthed to him. They all started to get up, Ocean with her glasses in her hand, and tugging at the back of her shirt. The guy that caught her was now behind her when they stood. Ocean heard him tell his friend Dusty to take care of her, he asked her what her name was and once again Ocean wasn't even looking at the guy but back in her purse for a pen to fill in the tickets with hers and Katie’s names.
Absently she answered "Oceania," pausing to dig some more, "Oceania Blu, but my friends just call me Ocean . . . ah thanks again for catching me". She quickly glances up and then back into her purse when she hears her cell phone ringing, Ocean answers her phone, but she still never recognizes the man standing there.
Dusty looked at his shocked friend, Kevin Allen Campbell and whispers "dude you better go or that boss lady from the station is going to kill someone”, pointing to Kevin Allen.
Kevin Allen looked at Ocean and then to Dusty and pulls him to the side and tells him to do anything for her that she wants, Kevin Allen turns and walks away looking back once but quickly looks away as Ocean finally looks in his direction, all she sees is a guy walking away with a Boston Red Socks cap on backwards, she also noticed that he sure filled out a pair of jeans just nicely. It’s a shame that she’s far sighted she sure would have loved to seen this guy close up, but the view of him walking away was spectacular.
Dusty walked back towards her, Ocean smiles up at Dusty she thanks him again as she looks down with her glasses on, and fills out the tickets, "Dusty please tell your friend thanks again for me I'm not normally a klutz, that woman beside me just was to excited and got a bit pushy."
"Ocean I'm sorry that she pushed you down, but this promo was mild compared to some others in the past. Sometimes there's no room for anyone to move for all the people in this type of setting."
"Hey Dusty no problem, personally I don't see what all the fuss is all about, Kevin Allen puts his pant on one leg at a time just like the rest of us."
Dusty chuckles "Hey that's some philosophy that you have."
Ocean grins "It was my grandma's philosophy, plus I was a "Famous" radio DJ, in a little town in
Dusty crosses his arms over his chest and asks "Well little lady what are ya doing here in Orlando?"
Ocean looks down as she starts filling in her own name on the last ticket. "I actually came here to learn how to become a recording engineer, but I didn’t have the connections to get into a studio, while I was here I fell in love with Florida and didn’t want to move to Nashville, so I messed around for awhile in this job or that one, but I finally decided that I wanted to teach, so I went back to school and here I am, Miss Blu teaching fifth graders here in Orlando. We even have our own little radio station."
Dusty “No kidding!”
Ocean “We play just about anything that doesn’t have a bad rating, some times my fifth graders try to sneak something in that doesn’t have a good rating for them, but I usually catch them. Yep unfortunately we can’t listen to Kenny Chesney’s “Beer in
Ocean hands the tickets back to Dusty, "Oh I'm sorry I didn't mean to keep you." Dusty smiles back to her "hey no problem that's what I'm here for. Did you find a seat yet?" Ocean looks over her shoulder and scans the area. "I think I might just go . . . it's starting to look like a mob in here . . ." but she turns back to catch Dusty's eye with twinkles in her own eyes and says," but you know I sure miss all this kind of excitement."
Dusty laughs and points Ocean to a spot near by that has one seat left at a table in the VIP section, he take her arm and walks Ocean to the seat "here's a seat with your name on it, if anyone gives you a hard time just show them this." He hands her a VIP pass. Ocean smiles and looks at him “You don’t have to do this I could just go to the second floor a hover over the balcony to watch.”
Dusty looks with serious stubbornness in his eyes at Ocean “Oh no you don’t it’s the least that Kevin Allen Campbell and us band members can do for you because of the rudeness of that woman knocking you down. Plus, it really is no problem. Hey that pass will get you into the show for tonight and backstage, here’s an extra one for your friend. Why don’t you look me up before the show, I’ll introduce you around and who knows maybe you can get your dream to come true.” Dusty winks at her.
Ocean looks at Dusty a little leery “We’ll see about that, you know my friend Katie sure will be sad she missed this, but she will be ecstatic about going tonight. Hey Dusty do you have a girlfriend? I think you and Katie would make a great couple." Dusty laughed so hard his face turned crimson, he threw an arm around Ocean's shoulders and squeezed "Honey if she's anything like you, I think I'm in love already!"
Ocean grinned and squeezed back, "yep she is plus she's a lot younger then me and probably closer to your dating age range then I am." Dusty looks at Ocean with a bit of a shocked look and then winks at her, and with his best southern drawl "why Miz Blu you can't be any older then 21." Ocean can only laugh and smile as she sits down.
Dusty headed back to the barrel with all of the tickets in it, Kevin Allen’s waiting there for him, but before he can put Ocean’s tickets in Kevin Allen stops him. “Hey man wait up, don’t put those in there!” Dusty looks at him confused, then he get’s a funny grin on his face with realization of why Kevin Allen stopped him. Dusty looks at the tickets and puts one in the barrel and hands the other to Kevin Allen with out even saying a word. Kevin Allen pops Dusty in the shoulder with his fist, “Thanks man I appreciate it.” Dusty waves both his hands at Kevin Allen “No problem dude, I just might get a date out of this too! Katie, man I hope she’s half the lady that Ocean is. You better know how to use slide of hand, because if any of these women get wind that you pre-picked your date they are all going to be pissed and stampede.’
Kevin Allen put’s an arm around Dusty’s shoulder as they walk back to the green room, “ok so spill it what did you find out about her?” Dusty starts telling everything that Ocean told him.
