Rummaging through Tico’s freezer, Amanda called out – “Hey, I found some steaks! Is there a grill here?”
Jon came up behind her. “Steaks? Shit! I can grill!”
“YOU can cook?” she raised eyebrows at him.
“Nah, but I can grill.” She still looked at him skeptically. “Richie! Tell her I can grill steaks, dammit!” Jon growled out.
“He can grill steaks,” Richie answered, “but don’t let him near a stove, okay babe?”
“No way,” she laughed, pointing at Richie, “you are sous chef for the night.”
With much laughter and small talk they set about getting dinner ready. While Jon prepared the grill and put on the steaks, Amanda seized the moment.
“Rich, you don’t have to talk, but if you want to, I’m a good listener.”
He was so quiet for a few minutes she thought she shouldn’t have asked, but then taking a deep breath, he started to talk.
“Her name is Jennifer. She’s a good bit younger than me, but I was hoping we had something real going. When I got out to LA, I found out she only really liked being with a member of Bon Jovi. She had told all her friends about me, intimate things…fuck, I’m surprised she didn’t take out a billboard!”
She nodded at him to continue, but didn’t speak.
“Amanda, don’t take this wrong, especially after what happened earlier, but having spent several days with you and seeing how you treated me and especially how you treated Jon…well, it made me realize it was something I wanted for myself.”
Startled, Amanda began, “But you don’t mean you and me, right?”
He looked straight at her, his eyes deep and dead serious. “I know it seemed that way earlier and I am really sorry about that, but no, I mean what Jon has found in you. That’s what I want.”
She walked to him and cupped his cheek with her hand. “Oh sweetie! I want that for you too! You are such a good man. You will find love again, Richie,” and then she grinned at him, “probably in the most unexpected place too!”
He laughed then, kissed her hand, and drawled, “At least I didn’t throw up on you!”
“And let me tell you, I really appreciate that!” she laughed back. “Richie, I really feel like you and I are becoming friends, will you take my cell number so you can call if you ever need a to talk?”
“Babe, good friends are hard to find. Of course, and here’s mine.” They exchanged numbers, both smiling at the thought of a new friend.
Jon came back into the kitchen and Amanda moved immediately to his arms. He looked first at her, then at Richie. The haunted look in Richie’s eyes had dimmed and he knew Amanda had somehow gotten him to talk. He laughed himself when Richie actually winked at him and his arms tightened around Amanda.
Feeling a bit of wickedness returning, Richie cocked his head at the two of them and drawled in his deep voice, “So, bro’, you told her yet you’re keeping her?”
Jon growled low in warning, “Sambora…”
Amanda turned in Jon’s arms, looking at one then the other. She turned to Jon, narrowing her eyes a little.
“Keeping me?” she questioned.
Scowling deeply at Richie now, who returned innocent eyes, Jon heard, “Yeah, keeping you, as in you’re his now…”
“Richie, for fuck’s sake, will you let ME handle this!”
The devil riding Richie’s shoulder would not let him shut up though. He wanted Jon and Amanda to admit what had happened to them.
“Manda…?” he began, “Did you tell him yet?”
Now it was her turn to growl at him. “Did I tell him what, Sambora?”
He grinned at her unconscious imitation of Jon.
“Did you tell him you love him?”
She gasped and stalked toward him. “Secret to the grave you said, add it to the list you said…” She poked him hard in the stomach, receiving another “oof” in return.
He grabbed her arms so she couldn’t poke him again and turned his cocky grin towards Jon.
“And you, did you tell her yet that you love her?”
Both Jon and Amanda shouted at the same time. “Shut up, Sambora!”
Grinning wickedly, Richie rubbed his hands together, and with glee in his voice, left them with a parting shot.
“Well, I can see my work here is done…” He turned to leave the kitchen, laughing even harder when a wooden spoon came whizzing by his head.
Chuckling softly, Jon told her she needed to aim a little better next time.
“Next time!” she stuttered out.
Jon came up behind her. “Steaks? Shit! I can grill!”
“YOU can cook?” she raised eyebrows at him.
“Nah, but I can grill.” She still looked at him skeptically. “Richie! Tell her I can grill steaks, dammit!” Jon growled out.
“He can grill steaks,” Richie answered, “but don’t let him near a stove, okay babe?”
“No way,” she laughed, pointing at Richie, “you are sous chef for the night.”
With much laughter and small talk they set about getting dinner ready. While Jon prepared the grill and put on the steaks, Amanda seized the moment.
“Rich, you don’t have to talk, but if you want to, I’m a good listener.”
He was so quiet for a few minutes she thought she shouldn’t have asked, but then taking a deep breath, he started to talk.
“Her name is Jennifer. She’s a good bit younger than me, but I was hoping we had something real going. When I got out to LA, I found out she only really liked being with a member of Bon Jovi. She had told all her friends about me, intimate things…fuck, I’m surprised she didn’t take out a billboard!”
She nodded at him to continue, but didn’t speak.
“Amanda, don’t take this wrong, especially after what happened earlier, but having spent several days with you and seeing how you treated me and especially how you treated Jon…well, it made me realize it was something I wanted for myself.”
Startled, Amanda began, “But you don’t mean you and me, right?”
He looked straight at her, his eyes deep and dead serious. “I know it seemed that way earlier and I am really sorry about that, but no, I mean what Jon has found in you. That’s what I want.”
She walked to him and cupped his cheek with her hand. “Oh sweetie! I want that for you too! You are such a good man. You will find love again, Richie,” and then she grinned at him, “probably in the most unexpected place too!”
He laughed then, kissed her hand, and drawled, “At least I didn’t throw up on you!”
“And let me tell you, I really appreciate that!” she laughed back. “Richie, I really feel like you and I are becoming friends, will you take my cell number so you can call if you ever need a to talk?”
“Babe, good friends are hard to find. Of course, and here’s mine.” They exchanged numbers, both smiling at the thought of a new friend.
Jon came back into the kitchen and Amanda moved immediately to his arms. He looked first at her, then at Richie. The haunted look in Richie’s eyes had dimmed and he knew Amanda had somehow gotten him to talk. He laughed himself when Richie actually winked at him and his arms tightened around Amanda.
Feeling a bit of wickedness returning, Richie cocked his head at the two of them and drawled in his deep voice, “So, bro’, you told her yet you’re keeping her?”
Jon growled low in warning, “Sambora…”
Amanda turned in Jon’s arms, looking at one then the other. She turned to Jon, narrowing her eyes a little.
“Keeping me?” she questioned.
Scowling deeply at Richie now, who returned innocent eyes, Jon heard, “Yeah, keeping you, as in you’re his now…”
“Richie, for fuck’s sake, will you let ME handle this!”
The devil riding Richie’s shoulder would not let him shut up though. He wanted Jon and Amanda to admit what had happened to them.
“Manda…?” he began, “Did you tell him yet?”
Now it was her turn to growl at him. “Did I tell him what, Sambora?”
He grinned at her unconscious imitation of Jon.
“Did you tell him you love him?”
She gasped and stalked toward him. “Secret to the grave you said, add it to the list you said…” She poked him hard in the stomach, receiving another “oof” in return.
He grabbed her arms so she couldn’t poke him again and turned his cocky grin towards Jon.
“And you, did you tell her yet that you love her?”
Both Jon and Amanda shouted at the same time. “Shut up, Sambora!”
Grinning wickedly, Richie rubbed his hands together, and with glee in his voice, left them with a parting shot.
“Well, I can see my work here is done…” He turned to leave the kitchen, laughing even harder when a wooden spoon came whizzing by his head.
Chuckling softly, Jon told her she needed to aim a little better next time.
“Next time!” she stuttered out.
“Oh, yeah, Richie’s like a dog with a bone. We haven’t heard the last of this.”
This is just a great chapter! I love the teasing these three do with each other.
What a fun ride! The three of them joking like old friends; I'd like to think that's what friendship with them would be like...you get four for the price of one ('cause you know D would like Amanda, too lol). I love that amanda is empathetic and sympathetic, and treats these guys like guys.
Her reactions at the charity thing were too good - I'd have needed a whole lot more wine to relax!
Hope she doesn't freak out too much when her face hits the papers...
That Rishie! What a character he is-Amanda is lucky to have found such a friend and I doubt that Richie would give his approval lightly-she earned it! It makes me wonder, tho, what would happen to these two if left to their own devices? Good thing Richie is there to keep pushing them along!
Lori just hit the words I was about to say - I've got nothing to add. ;)
Lol love how Amanda threw a wooden spoon at Richie but Jon is right Amanda you need better aim! Loved it!!
Wunderbares Kapitel,die drei sind so süss.Ganz toll.