Chapter 13

Jon sat in the hotel room and looked first at the clock then at Richie. 11:00 on a night off and here they both were sitting across from each other in silence, sipping drinks and barely speaking while there other 3 brothers partied the night away a few rooms over. Funny how things changed, when did they change anyway? Hell, just last week he’d still been livin the high life drinkin too much and fucking too much and pretty much being his egotistical man-whore self then for the last 4 nights....nothing. He had no desire for any of it beyond the stage he just wanted to disappear.

RIchie glanced up at his best friend , as he poured another round for himself and Jon,  He thought Em was special but he didn’t know how much til he tried to go back to his King of Swing ways . True he felt bad leaving things the way he left them with her , but she was young and from her description of her family , they wouldn’t take to kindly to a long-haired rockstar. But the more he thought about her the more he wanted to say Fuck it ! I wanna go see her .  “Who would have thunk it bro ? Us sitting here on a Friday night , no babes just you and me drinking ourselves to oblivion”

“Yeah man, crazy ain’t it.” He shook his head and sighed then took a long gulp of his drink.

“Let me guess , a Raven-haired beauty you left behind in Jamaica man “ Richie tried to mimic his best Jamaican accent.

Jon nodded “I can’t quit thinkin about her.” he set his glass aside.” You know she had no clue who I was, not at all, and I never told her, not about all this, I mean i did tell her I just played it all down ya know. That whole week I was just me again and... As much as I love what I do I....” his words trailed off, he shook his head muttered a curse and picked his glass back up tossing the rest of the liquid down his throat.

Richie sighed “I know man, we finally hit it big , then find out all this isn’t like we thought it be then we meet two girls that actually don’t know or don’t care and we let them go? What the fuck is wrong with us . “ He reached for the bottle pouring yet another round “ I just figured her family wouldn’t want someone like me showing up at her doorstep “

Jon had to laugh “that never stopped you before man, seriously.”

“Not normally , but this girl was different , she was-- is special . Like a princess “ Richie admitted

Jon raised an eyebrow. Richie was known to fall in and out of love quite often, pun totally intended but something in his voice made Jon really take notice. “Man, you’re in love more often than a priest is in church, you sure it ain't just a territorial thing I mean you did say she’d never... ya know”

Richie shrugged his shoulders “ Maybe , I just know she’s different . High Class you know old money the kind the snub their noses at us if we even walked on the same street as them. “ He let the amber liquid slid down his throat a slow burn settled in this throat. “ And before you say normally I wouldn’t give a shit -- but she’s different bro “

Jons expression darkened a bit “yeah I know, and way, WAY out of our league man.”

“But you said Gia wasn’t like that so maybe you got a chance ? “ Richie urged “ You said she’s a Jerseygirl and a proud one at that”

“She was a Jersey girl when she was like, five man,” Jon sighed. “Now she’s just... I don’t know it’s like she’s trying so hard to please those.. those people..I” he shrugged “Ok I don’t know for sure.” He managed to look a little sheepish, “we didn’t talk all that in depth actually but I kinda read between the lines ya know, she just wants to be accepted and trust me dude, with me, she would not be accepted... now, I ain’t saying I’m in love any of that happy horseshit but fuck it all to hell I DO miss her and it’s driving me fucking nuts!” He almost shouted his last words. God that woman had his head on the trail to fuckdom!

Richie held back a retort , he wanted to say if it wasn’t some kind version of love he would eat a snake but being in the same boat as Jon was at the moment , he held his tongue.  “I was thinking if we sent them anonymous letter ,with passes would they come ? “ He asked shooting a questioning glance to Jon “ I think they might , I sure do miss that lil lady too “

Jon shook his head “yeah Rich, cause sending passes anonymously with big words stating ALL ACCESS BON JOVI is so damn anonymous.” He had to laugh at Richie’s puzzled expression. Sometime he wondered how his brother remembered to breathe! “I was thinking more along the lines of pullin the damn bus right up to the estate gates and saying hey babe! how ya been!”

Richie’s chuckle echoed the room  “Dumb-fuck if we address it to them not like they are gonna parade the laminate in front of family, I meant anonymous by so their family couldn’t know ? I see you going up to the door and swooping her away “ He paused as if in thought “ That might not be a damned bad idea”


Jon smirked “I know, right?” Then he grinned, “Might be kinda fun too” The wheels in his head started turning as he poured another in a long line of stiff drinks for Richie and himself then he grabbed up the next months schedule and beckoned Richie to look it over with him. “You got that address she gave you?” He smiled with satisfaction when Richie fished the wrinkled square of paper out of his wallet and handed it over.

Hours later, the two men said their goodnight, their drunken midnight plan scribbled on scraps of paper to be found by pounding heads and crusty eyes in the morning.