Richie drove to Jon’s as they both sat in the back. Jon kept touching her as if to reassure himself that she was really there and really alright. He had never see an allergic reaction like that before and not knowing what to do had scared him badly. As the car pulled into the driveway, they saw a rental car they didn’t recognize. Richie had an idea though.
“Hey, Teek wanted to know as soon as we knew how she was this morning. I called him on my way in. It’s probably his rental.”
He was proved right within seconds as Jon’s front door opened and the muscular drummer came out. He had a big smile on his face as Amanda got out of the car and hugged her to him.
“I’m so glad you’re okay, chica.” She heard his gravelly voice tell her.
“Me too, Tico, thanks for coming over.”
He laughed then. “Well, I always seem to be playing clean up. I brought your purse from the club!” She hugged him again.
Jon and Richie took an arm and walked with her into the house. Linda was waiting just inside.
“Hi, honey. You okay?”
“Yeah, Linda, I am. Thanks so much for asking.”
The two men started to walk her to the stairs, but she asked if she could sit in the living room for a bit.
“I know the doctor said bed rest, but I’m going to just take it very easy today. I don’t want to lie down again right away.”
Sitting on the couch, she answered Linda’s question about a drink.
“Coffee with cream and sugar please.”
The three men sat with her as Linda went to get coffees for all. Richie had noticed the paper sitting by the doorway table and walked over to get it. Looking at the entertainment section where celebrity sightings and such were printed he saw a piece that had him swearing a blue streak.
“…goddam ASSHOLES!”
Amanda looked at him in amazement, while Jon and Tico just made faces and said, “What?”
Richie started to read.
“On an evening set aside for celebration for the members of Bon Jovi and other music personnel, it seems party antics got a bit out of hand. An inside source for the band relayed that Jon Bon Jovi’s new girlfriend, Amanda Matthews, was seen doing a large quantity of an illegal substance in one of the bathrooms and had to be rushed to a local hospital. This source confirmed that Jon and Richie Sambora were onsite when Ms. Matthews was seen being revived by emergency workers. Jon, who has always had an intolerance for that type of activity within the band, seems to be making an exception for the new love in his life. Is this a new direction for the band? One cannot know, but this reporter learned that after hearing of her ex-husband’s girlfriend, Jon’s ex-wife, Dorothea Hurley, vowed that she would never allow Ms. Matthews around their children.”
The profanity that flooded the air for the next few moments was beyond anything Amanda had ever heard. Linda must have been made of sterner stuff as she managed not to drop the coffee tray during the tirade by the three men. Amanda was so astonished that such garbage could be printed that she couldn’t speak. Jon, Richie, and Tico were so furious that none could sit and all were pacing the room, still turning the air blue. Jon turned and announced “I’m calling that fucking lawyer NOW!” Then left the room for his office.
Her voice stuttered as she spoke. “B…b…but…it’s not true!” Her voice ended on a wail.
The other men didn’t respond as they were on their cells calling David and Hugh to let them know what had been written. They asked to be called back when Jon decided how this should be handled.
Jon was talking to the lawyer about Maryann and about the trash written in the paper. The lawyer suggested a joint statement by Jon and Dorothea refuting what was written and then suggested what could be done about the woman who had caused all this. Learning there were some good options, Jon calmed down enough to finish the call. He then called Dot and asked her if she would be willing to do what the lawyer suggested. Dot had been doing some hard thinking since learning that Maryann had lied to her and she agreed. They would meet with a reporter later that afternoon and issue their statement so it would make tomorrow’s papers.
Jon called the newspaper next and found out who wrote the column where the story had appeared. He had enough clout to get an editor on the line who informed him that of course they would have someone available to take a statement from Jon and his ex-wife. Jon remained courteous throughout the call, but his tone was icy enough that his message got through. They arranged to meet at 1:00 at the newspaper office.
Taking a few deep breaths to get himself calmed down, Jon returned to the living room where the other two men were still pacing and Amanda was sitting quietly. He sat beside her and took her hand. When he started to talk, the other men stopped their pacing to listen.
“I talked to the lawyer, Dot, and the paper. She and I are going down there at one this afternoon to issue a joint statement refuting the article. The lawyer gave me several options for dealing with Maryann, but the first is that her contract with us allows removal for several reasons and she fits a few of them. So, she’s gone, as of tomorrow.
Turning to the men, he asked, “Rich, would you come with me to the paper so they have your info too? And, Teek, can you stay here with Amanda until I get back?”
Both men said yes to the requests and although Amanda protested a bit that with Linda there she would be fine, she experienced first hand what Richie called “the look” from Jon and bit her tongue. Her own temper flared a little though and she gave Jon her own “look”.
“Ok, ok, stop glaring at me, Bongiovi! Tico I would love to have your company, but only if you want to stay, not because this one” – she pointed to Jon – “glared you into babysitting!”
“Hey, Teek wanted to know as soon as we knew how she was this morning. I called him on my way in. It’s probably his rental.”
He was proved right within seconds as Jon’s front door opened and the muscular drummer came out. He had a big smile on his face as Amanda got out of the car and hugged her to him.
“I’m so glad you’re okay, chica.” She heard his gravelly voice tell her.
“Me too, Tico, thanks for coming over.”
He laughed then. “Well, I always seem to be playing clean up. I brought your purse from the club!” She hugged him again.
Jon and Richie took an arm and walked with her into the house. Linda was waiting just inside.
“Hi, honey. You okay?”
“Yeah, Linda, I am. Thanks so much for asking.”
The two men started to walk her to the stairs, but she asked if she could sit in the living room for a bit.
“I know the doctor said bed rest, but I’m going to just take it very easy today. I don’t want to lie down again right away.”
Sitting on the couch, she answered Linda’s question about a drink.
“Coffee with cream and sugar please.”
The three men sat with her as Linda went to get coffees for all. Richie had noticed the paper sitting by the doorway table and walked over to get it. Looking at the entertainment section where celebrity sightings and such were printed he saw a piece that had him swearing a blue streak.
“…goddam ASSHOLES!”
Amanda looked at him in amazement, while Jon and Tico just made faces and said, “What?”
Richie started to read.
“On an evening set aside for celebration for the members of Bon Jovi and other music personnel, it seems party antics got a bit out of hand. An inside source for the band relayed that Jon Bon Jovi’s new girlfriend, Amanda Matthews, was seen doing a large quantity of an illegal substance in one of the bathrooms and had to be rushed to a local hospital. This source confirmed that Jon and Richie Sambora were onsite when Ms. Matthews was seen being revived by emergency workers. Jon, who has always had an intolerance for that type of activity within the band, seems to be making an exception for the new love in his life. Is this a new direction for the band? One cannot know, but this reporter learned that after hearing of her ex-husband’s girlfriend, Jon’s ex-wife, Dorothea Hurley, vowed that she would never allow Ms. Matthews around their children.”
The profanity that flooded the air for the next few moments was beyond anything Amanda had ever heard. Linda must have been made of sterner stuff as she managed not to drop the coffee tray during the tirade by the three men. Amanda was so astonished that such garbage could be printed that she couldn’t speak. Jon, Richie, and Tico were so furious that none could sit and all were pacing the room, still turning the air blue. Jon turned and announced “I’m calling that fucking lawyer NOW!” Then left the room for his office.
Her voice stuttered as she spoke. “B…b…but…it’s not true!” Her voice ended on a wail.
The other men didn’t respond as they were on their cells calling David and Hugh to let them know what had been written. They asked to be called back when Jon decided how this should be handled.
Jon was talking to the lawyer about Maryann and about the trash written in the paper. The lawyer suggested a joint statement by Jon and Dorothea refuting what was written and then suggested what could be done about the woman who had caused all this. Learning there were some good options, Jon calmed down enough to finish the call. He then called Dot and asked her if she would be willing to do what the lawyer suggested. Dot had been doing some hard thinking since learning that Maryann had lied to her and she agreed. They would meet with a reporter later that afternoon and issue their statement so it would make tomorrow’s papers.
Jon called the newspaper next and found out who wrote the column where the story had appeared. He had enough clout to get an editor on the line who informed him that of course they would have someone available to take a statement from Jon and his ex-wife. Jon remained courteous throughout the call, but his tone was icy enough that his message got through. They arranged to meet at 1:00 at the newspaper office.
Taking a few deep breaths to get himself calmed down, Jon returned to the living room where the other two men were still pacing and Amanda was sitting quietly. He sat beside her and took her hand. When he started to talk, the other men stopped their pacing to listen.
“I talked to the lawyer, Dot, and the paper. She and I are going down there at one this afternoon to issue a joint statement refuting the article. The lawyer gave me several options for dealing with Maryann, but the first is that her contract with us allows removal for several reasons and she fits a few of them. So, she’s gone, as of tomorrow.
Turning to the men, he asked, “Rich, would you come with me to the paper so they have your info too? And, Teek, can you stay here with Amanda until I get back?”
Both men said yes to the requests and although Amanda protested a bit that with Linda there she would be fine, she experienced first hand what Richie called “the look” from Jon and bit her tongue. Her own temper flared a little though and she gave Jon her own “look”.
“Ok, ok, stop glaring at me, Bongiovi! Tico I would love to have your company, but only if you want to stay, not because this one” – she pointed to Jon – “glared you into babysitting!”
Richie and Tico laughed at Jon’s face when he received Amanda’s “look” towards him. They loved how she didn’t take any crap from Jon. He needed that from the woman in his life.
You've gotta expect that the papers would get wind of something like that and for sure Maryann must have called them and "leaked" the info. Good job, there-I liked the way you included the article and the wording is so much like the stupid attempts of the paprazzi to be clever-very realistic and believable!
I've written press releases for some of the writing exercises I do, and yours was great. I'm glad they're going to get it taken care of, but I have the feeling we haven't heard the last from CPB...
Great job on the press release. So Jon doesn't like to be on the receiving end of "the look." Now he knows how everyone else feels when he does it to them lol