“Are you kidding? We’re fucking honored to have you on stage with us. Do you want to stay for the whole set or just one song?” he asks.
“Just one song, and here’s what I had in mind.” I tell him the song I want to perform, and his eyes light up with excitement.
“Nice! That song is a classic and we’ve performed it in the past. This crowd is going to go nuts,” he says, and his bandmates all nod in agreement. The sound of the horn interrupts us, indicating it’s now the end of the second period. “We’ll perform first and then bring you on as a surprise guest. Cool?”
“Let’s do it!” I say eagerly, slapping Harry’s back in excitement for what’s about to come. “Knock em’ dead, boys!”
I follow the band through the small tunnel and stand back to the side, so I’m not seen. I peek my head around the wall to see how far away the suite is from the stage. The suite is closer to the middle of the ice on my right side but not too far that I wouldn’t be able to see if Aly is watching. Fortunately, she’s still sitting in her seat and is talking to Shane and Willow. I resume my position behind the wall and watch the band take the stage. Their keyboardist starts playing the opening chords to “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey, and the crowd erupts in cheers of appreciation. They use the song to pump the crowd up and it works. As I gaze out around the packed arena, I notice people singing and some standing to dance. The band finishes the song and I slowly start making my way to the stage.
“Nashville, are you ready for one more song before the Preds bury the Red Wings in the third period?” Harry asks the crowd, who cheers loudly. “We have a special guest joining us for this last song. Give a loud welcome to Mr. Gavin McNeer!”
I walk forward and wave at the crowd, ecstatic to see they’re clapping for me. I nod at the guitarist to start the opening guitar chord of “Somebody Like You” by Keith Urban. I grip the microphone, since I’m not the one playing the guitar, and look over at the suite. I chuckle when I see Aly, Willow, and Shane standing up, with Shane and Willow jumping up and down, shaking Aly, who is covering her mouth with her hands in shock.
“This is for my girl, Aly,” I yell into the microphone and point to her. I see Sosie recording Aly with her phone, and I’m grateful she listened. Everyone in the suite has now crowded around Aly to watch my performance, clapping and cheering me on as I start the first verse.
I soon lose myself in the lyrics, and quickly realize how perfect this song really is for the story of us. It was a huge hit back in its day, and I’ve sung it before, but it wasn’t until tonight that I can appreciate the beauty of its words. It’s about finding that special person who makes you better than what you were. That you feel happier being around them and that their confidence in you makes you believe in yourself. When you find that person who makes you feel that way, you want to love them and be loved in return. Standing here, singing this song for her, the lyrics mean everything to me, because she’s exactly that kind of person. She’s the somebody I want to love, and I want to love her until I breathe my last breath. I was destined to sing this song to her, to be the man who loves her unconditionally and make her dreams come true.
The crowd is on their feet as we come to the guitar solo. Harry and his band perform the song seamlessly. After the solo, I signal the band to slow it down and get the crowd to sing along with me, and then sing the chorus by itself. The moment is pure magic, and when I look over at Aly, I see her swipe at her cheeks as if she’s crying.
“I want to love you, baby,” I sing into the mic, and the crowd goes wild. We end the song with a bang, and I thank the crowd then yell, “Let’s go, Preds!” before high-fiving the band and hugging Harry. I’m ecstatic at how the performance went, and I seriously couldn’t have pulled it off without Harry and his band. As we exit the stage, I promise him we’ll catch up soon with lunch before saying goodbye.
I exit the tunnel and start to walk briskly back to the suite. I should have thought about an exit strategy after that epic performance. I’m stopped numerous times by fans wanting an autograph, photo, or just to talk. I hear the sound of the horn for the third period and realize I haven’t moved for the last five minutes. Another five minutes go by before security comes to my rescue, seeing how large the crowd was getting around me. I apologize to the fans who I didn’t get to take a photo with and am escorted back to the suite. As soon as the door opens, everyone starts applauding and rushing toward me. Scotty Wilkins is the first person who approaches, embracing me and pounding me on my back.