Richie sat watching. There were only a few photos, but Entertainment Tonight was running them. The most titillating one showed Jon and Amanda walking together along a street, with Jon’s hand clearly on Amanda’s ass, their faces in profile. The others were from the same time frame as their clothes were the same and showed them kissing before getting into Jon’s SUV. The host was talking about the woman in Jon Bon Jovi’s life and that they were spotted in Tahoe together. She was saying that the woman, one Amanda Matthews, had been seen with Jon for over a month and had apparently met him while in Florida where she lived. They also announced that she was staying with Jon and the host left the story with the question about whether Amanda would be touring with the band.
He thought hard for a few minutes after that segment, but realized that overall it wasn’t too bad. The photos were what would cause the media sharks to realize there was blood in the water, but that was inevitable anyway. He was actually surprised it had been so low profile until now. He called Jon and gave him a quick update on what he had seen. Jon swore low into the phone.
“I bet it was the fuckin’ reporter who tricked Amanda.”
“Yeah, she told me about that.” They agreed that the reporter had probably been waiting for them to get his shots. Sighing, Jon just said what Richie had been thinking, that this was inevitable and would probably only get worse. One of the kids came up to Jon then and he said ‘see ya’ and hung up.
Richie called out to Amanda, figuring she would want to know, as he headed up the stairs.
“Come on in, Richie.” He heard from behind the partially closed door.
“Hey darlin’, need to give you an update on something.” He told her what he had seen. She was surprised, but not upset after she found out that Jon wasn’t upset.
“Damn! They’re everywhere, aren’t they?” She asked with wonder in her voice.
“Yeah, and I gotta tell ya, the UK is worse. Their reporting standards are a lot lower, so don’t be surprised at anything that gets into the media there, okay?”
“Thanks for the heads up. I’ll definitely be more on guard there.” He returned downstairs and she finished her packing.
About an hour later, she came downstairs, making grumbling noises about needing a drink. Richie grabbed some wine out of the fridge and poured them both a glass.
“Is he gonna flip out because I need three suitcases?” She asked, wincing at him.
“Not a chance, it’s a few weeks after all and you are a girl.” He teased her.
“It’s just trying to pack for anything, not knowing what that ‘anything’ might be!”
“Don’t worry, they do have stores in other countries too, ya know?” His grin was slanted at her and he caught the pillow she threw at him.
She heard the ring of her cell phone and groaning, got up off the couch to get it out of her purse.
“Hey Sues! How are you?”
“Good, girlfriend, and you? What’s up at your end of the country?”
“Well, right now I’m sitting here with Richie after packing for most of the day.”
“Richie?”
“Yeah, Jon’s friend, Richie.”
Susan’s voice again carried through the phone.
“Are you talking about Richie Sambora?” Her voice rose even louder when it reached his name.
“Yeah, Richie Sambora. Girl, what is your problem?” Amanda’s voice was teasing now.
“AMANDA LEE!” Susan’s voice now screamed.
Just like Jon, Richie mouthed ‘Amanda Lee?’ at her and she laughed at how the two men acted the same sometimes. He motioned for the phone.
His deep voice took over.
“Hi Susan.”
“Susan?” He looked at Amanda quizzically as his hello was met with silence.
“Uh, hi Richie.” The voice that answered was a little breathy.
“So, you’re Amanda’s best friend, right?”
“Uh, yeah, uh, she’s…we’ve…oh my god, is this really Richie Sambora?”
“Yeah, darlin’, it is. Just wanted to say hello.” His voice was sweet as syrup in direct contrast to the wicked grin on his face.
Amanda left her couch and whispered in Richie’s other ear so Susan couldn’t hear.
“She’s always been a big fan of yours.” He grinned at her and turned on the famous Sambora charm.
“So, Susan, when you gonna get yourself up to New Jersey to meet Amanda’s new friends?”
“I, uh, oh shit…I have no idea.” Susan was faltering badly now, realizing she really was talking to one of her fantasy men.
“Well, when we get back in a few weeks, I’m gonna make sure they have you come for a visit, okay?”
“A visit? There? Where? New Jersey?” She was sputtering now.
“Yeah, Jon’s house. Don’t you want to see your friend?” His voice was soft and teasing her.
“My friend? Oh, Amanda…yeah, of course, my friend.”
“You should come. I’ll cook dinner for the four of us.”
“You’ll cook…? Dinner? I’m gonna kill her.” Susan groaned.
Laughing now, Richie responded. “You don’t have to kill her, I really can cook.”
Finally regaining a bit of her wits, Susan answered him. “No…I’m gonna kill her for putting first Jon then you on the phone with me with no warning! Tell her she’s soon to be my EX best friend!”
“So, that means you’ll come for a visit. I mean, after all, don’t you want to make sure your friend’s new boyfriend is a good guy?”
“You’re giving me shit, aren’t you?” Susan was laughing now herself.
“Maybe just a little, honey, but you sounded like you could give as good as you get!”
Susan’s imagination went deep into the gutter with that last remark, but she managed to hold her tongue.
“You’re right, Richie, I think I had definitely better check out this new boyfriend of Amanda’s and make sure his friends are okay too!” Susan’s voice was now a little saucy.
“Then dinner it is…I’m giving the phone back to Amanda now, but it’s been a pleasure to talk to you.”
“You too…I think…” She laughed softly, then heard Amanda’s voice again.
“Hey girl, you okay there?” Amanda was actually laughing at her.
“Mands, I’m still a little stunned here. It hasn’t quite sunk in just who you’re dating and who his friends are.”
“Join the club, Sue, me too.” Amanda’s chuckle was wry.
“Okay, well, I need to go get a brown paper bag before I pass out, but you have a great trip and CALL ME!”
“I will, I promise. See ya later, Suze.” Amanda hung up, sharing Susan’s joke about the brown paper bag.
“Richie, you were teasing her!” She looked at him with her hands on her hips.
“I know, but figured she could take it.”
She glared at him.
He thought hard for a few minutes after that segment, but realized that overall it wasn’t too bad. The photos were what would cause the media sharks to realize there was blood in the water, but that was inevitable anyway. He was actually surprised it had been so low profile until now. He called Jon and gave him a quick update on what he had seen. Jon swore low into the phone.
“I bet it was the fuckin’ reporter who tricked Amanda.”
“Yeah, she told me about that.” They agreed that the reporter had probably been waiting for them to get his shots. Sighing, Jon just said what Richie had been thinking, that this was inevitable and would probably only get worse. One of the kids came up to Jon then and he said ‘see ya’ and hung up.
Richie called out to Amanda, figuring she would want to know, as he headed up the stairs.
“Come on in, Richie.” He heard from behind the partially closed door.
“Hey darlin’, need to give you an update on something.” He told her what he had seen. She was surprised, but not upset after she found out that Jon wasn’t upset.
“Damn! They’re everywhere, aren’t they?” She asked with wonder in her voice.
“Yeah, and I gotta tell ya, the UK is worse. Their reporting standards are a lot lower, so don’t be surprised at anything that gets into the media there, okay?”
“Thanks for the heads up. I’ll definitely be more on guard there.” He returned downstairs and she finished her packing.
About an hour later, she came downstairs, making grumbling noises about needing a drink. Richie grabbed some wine out of the fridge and poured them both a glass.
“Is he gonna flip out because I need three suitcases?” She asked, wincing at him.
“Not a chance, it’s a few weeks after all and you are a girl.” He teased her.
“It’s just trying to pack for anything, not knowing what that ‘anything’ might be!”
“Don’t worry, they do have stores in other countries too, ya know?” His grin was slanted at her and he caught the pillow she threw at him.
She heard the ring of her cell phone and groaning, got up off the couch to get it out of her purse.
“Hey Sues! How are you?”
“Good, girlfriend, and you? What’s up at your end of the country?”
“Well, right now I’m sitting here with Richie after packing for most of the day.”
“Richie?”
“Yeah, Jon’s friend, Richie.”
Susan’s voice again carried through the phone.
“Are you talking about Richie Sambora?” Her voice rose even louder when it reached his name.
“Yeah, Richie Sambora. Girl, what is your problem?” Amanda’s voice was teasing now.
“AMANDA LEE!” Susan’s voice now screamed.
Just like Jon, Richie mouthed ‘Amanda Lee?’ at her and she laughed at how the two men acted the same sometimes. He motioned for the phone.
His deep voice took over.
“Hi Susan.”
“Susan?” He looked at Amanda quizzically as his hello was met with silence.
“Uh, hi Richie.” The voice that answered was a little breathy.
“So, you’re Amanda’s best friend, right?”
“Uh, yeah, uh, she’s…we’ve…oh my god, is this really Richie Sambora?”
“Yeah, darlin’, it is. Just wanted to say hello.” His voice was sweet as syrup in direct contrast to the wicked grin on his face.
Amanda left her couch and whispered in Richie’s other ear so Susan couldn’t hear.
“She’s always been a big fan of yours.” He grinned at her and turned on the famous Sambora charm.
“So, Susan, when you gonna get yourself up to New Jersey to meet Amanda’s new friends?”
“I, uh, oh shit…I have no idea.” Susan was faltering badly now, realizing she really was talking to one of her fantasy men.
“Well, when we get back in a few weeks, I’m gonna make sure they have you come for a visit, okay?”
“A visit? There? Where? New Jersey?” She was sputtering now.
“Yeah, Jon’s house. Don’t you want to see your friend?” His voice was soft and teasing her.
“My friend? Oh, Amanda…yeah, of course, my friend.”
“You should come. I’ll cook dinner for the four of us.”
“You’ll cook…? Dinner? I’m gonna kill her.” Susan groaned.
Laughing now, Richie responded. “You don’t have to kill her, I really can cook.”
Finally regaining a bit of her wits, Susan answered him. “No…I’m gonna kill her for putting first Jon then you on the phone with me with no warning! Tell her she’s soon to be my EX best friend!”
“So, that means you’ll come for a visit. I mean, after all, don’t you want to make sure your friend’s new boyfriend is a good guy?”
“You’re giving me shit, aren’t you?” Susan was laughing now herself.
“Maybe just a little, honey, but you sounded like you could give as good as you get!”
Susan’s imagination went deep into the gutter with that last remark, but she managed to hold her tongue.
“You’re right, Richie, I think I had definitely better check out this new boyfriend of Amanda’s and make sure his friends are okay too!” Susan’s voice was now a little saucy.
“Then dinner it is…I’m giving the phone back to Amanda now, but it’s been a pleasure to talk to you.”
“You too…I think…” She laughed softly, then heard Amanda’s voice again.
“Hey girl, you okay there?” Amanda was actually laughing at her.
“Mands, I’m still a little stunned here. It hasn’t quite sunk in just who you’re dating and who his friends are.”
“Join the club, Sue, me too.” Amanda’s chuckle was wry.
“Okay, well, I need to go get a brown paper bag before I pass out, but you have a great trip and CALL ME!”
“I will, I promise. See ya later, Suze.” Amanda hung up, sharing Susan’s joke about the brown paper bag.
“Richie, you were teasing her!” She looked at him with her hands on her hips.
“I know, but figured she could take it.”
She glared at him.
“When she gets here, she gets her own wooden spoon!”
Love it, can't wait for Susan to meet the boys and get her own wooden spoon!
Could Richie and Susan be the next Jon and Amanda? Hmmm...could be interesting. One of the things I love about this story is that I'm always wondering what will happen with certain parts, even if you aren't writing about them at the moment. Like I wonder if we have seen the last of Maryann or what did Jon's Mom have in mind when she said she didn't like to be thwarted.
Loved how Richie played with Susan-wait until she gets to meet him for real! I liked the part where her voice and tone changed once the shock wore off and she realized she was really talking to Richie-I can imagine that actually happening-hell, I can imagine reacting the same way *giggle*
Lol poor Richie he is going to have nightmares about being chased by wooden spoons.