It was close to one that morning when Amanda felt the events of the day beginning to wear her down. She tried to hide her yawns, but it was becoming harder and harder to do. Jon saw that she had reached her limit for the evening and before making his way to her side, he told the guys he was taking her back to the hotel. They agreed to meet for breakfast the next morning at ten and be ready to leave by three for the airport.
“You ready honey?” Jon approached her and she agreed gratefully.
They caught a cab and making their way through some paparazzi that were outside the tavern, flashbulbs working overtime, they were soon at the Merrion. Thankfully the fans and the press had not found this hotel and they were shortly in their room. Amanda took a quick shower while Jon talked to Obie on the phone about the next days’ plans. He knew Obie was still awake as he had received a text to call when he returned to the hotel, no matter what time. Amanda curled into her robe and giving Jon a sleepy smile, fell asleep as he was talking to Obie. Jon joined her shortly thereafter and they slept, curled against the other.
~~~
Waking at 8:00 the next morning, Jon was up before the phone rang for the wake up call and grabbed it on the first ring. Amanda stirred at the ringing of the phone and gave him a warm sleepy smile.
“Mornin’,” her voice was husky from sleep.
“Hey sweetie, how you feeling this morning?”
“Better. How’s the damage today?” She asked, referring to her face.
Giving her a crooked grin, he answered. “Well, not sure purple, yellow, and green are your colors!”
“Oh lord! Now it’s changing colors?” She wailed softly.
“Just means it’s healing, honey.” His voice was reassuring, but in truth she still looked like just what had happened.
“We’re meeting for breakfast at ten. It’s eight now, so I’ll get us some coffee and you get the shower running.”
Stretching, she nodded her agreement and moved off to the bathroom. Jon came in about ten minutes later, knowing now from experience that she liked having a few minutes to herself first. He got into the shower with her after taking care of his own morning needs and brushing his teeth. She was already washing her hair and he took over with a grin.
“Hey! That’s one of my favorite things to do!” His smile was warm.
“You’re spoiling me.” She purred back at him as the movements of his hands on her head felt so good.
“Remember the dressing room yesterday, before the show?” He grinned at her. “I think you’re spoiling me!”
She flushed lightly at the reminder of her boldness. “You complaining?” She growled at him.
“Not a chance, just remembering!”
His grin was bold now and he felt himself responding to her. She glanced at him then, her flush deepening.
His eyes darkened as he asked her, “Want to spoil me again?”
She did.
~~~
They emerged from the shower after a while, dressing warmly for the day, with Amanda throwing clothes into suitcases as she got ready. By ten they were on their way to the dining room and due to Jon’s penchant for being on time they were the first to arrive. One by one the others staggered in, each in a different stage of a hangover. All wore sunglasses and Richie looked positively languid as he floated into the room. Amanda stifled a giggle as she had an idea of what had aided Richie’s good mood this morning. They all nodded at her and Jon, but everyone was a little on the quiet side as they started downing cups of coffee.
“Well, good morning guys!” Amanda sang out, noting a slight wince on the faces of the four other men. She lowered her voice and teased them. “Guess you guys had a late night, hmmm?”
Four grins met hers, with Tico and Hugh the only ones who seemed not quite so affected by alcohol this morning. She smiled warmly at them, her admiration for their restraint in the midst of temptation genuine. Breakfast was a little subdued, but the guys were used to this lifestyle and all seemed to be recovering rapidly with food in their stomachs.
“So, we need to leave by three for the airport and then a short flight to Scotland for the last show.”
Jon was giving them information they already knew, but they also knew his need to set things in motion. They all nodded at him.
Tico responded, “We’ll be ready.”
Jon and Amanda left then, returning to finish packing, leaving the others with their coffees and attempts at hangover recovery.
It was close to twelve that afternoon when Amanda and Jon were completely packed and ready to go. He turned to her as they had some time and asked her if she wanted to do any shopping. She thought that was a great idea and after Jon made arrangements for their bags to be picked up for the plane they exited the hotel and walked to the center of town.
Amanda found a beautiful handmade rich cream-colored woolen sweater and decided that would be her souvenir from Ireland. She also found a handmade Irish linen tablecloth for her mother and got that. Actually, Jon bought them, even though she protested that she had money. He just gave her a look and she shook her head at him.
They stopped for a coffee afterwards and Jon asked her if she needed more money than what he had given her prior to their trip.
“Jon! You gave me a thousand dollars! I can’t have spent more than fifty this entire time!”
He looked at her, slightly amazed. “What? You mean you have almost all the money still with you?”
With squinted eyes, she looked at him. “Of course I do! I bought some drinks and a few toiletries I had forgotten, but that’s all I needed.”
Laughing softly, he shook his head from side to side. “Richie was giving me some hard facts back around Christmas time about what my mother had said, about what a ‘gold digger’ you were. I think I’m gonna tell him he owes me another punch in the mouth.”
Her eyes were wide as she had not heard about this. “What are you talking about?” He relayed some of the story and she laughed at him. “Don’t you remember what I said? I’m LOW maintenance!”
“I guess so, but it’s okay to get things you want, Manda.”
“I have what I want, Jon.” Her voice was soft and her eyes were warm as she looked at him.
~~~
They returned to the hotel at 2:30 to see that the luggage was already in the lobby waiting to be loaded into the limos. They checked their room one more time and called for their bags to be taken down. Jon’s cell rang as the bellhop was loading their bags.
“Hey Dot! How are you and the kids?”
“Good, Jon, but what the hell happened in Ireland?”
“Aw shit! It made the papers there already?” His voice growled into the phone.
“What happened to Amanda? The papers and TV are full of reports and there are some pictures of her with a huge bruise on her face.”
Jon told her what happened and when he had finished she asked if Amanda was there and if she could speak with her. Jon handed her the phone.
“Hi Dot.” Amanda greeted her.
“Hey Manda, you okay?” Dot’s voice expressed her concern.
“Yeah, sore and bruised, but they caught the guy who did it, so at least he won’t get a chance for a while to do this to someone else.”
“I was telling Jon that the papers and TV are running this coverage, although just as an add on to each new hour. Someone apparently got the police report and it’s in the news here.”
“Damn!” Amanda swore softly. “I’m sorry, Dot, I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“Don’t worry about it. I just wanted to know if you were okay.” Dot’s voice reflected the friendship she was beginning to feel for Amanda.
“Thanks for asking, but yeah, I think it looks worse than it feels right now.” Amanda’s voice was also warm as she sensed Dot’s genuine concern. “Thanks for thinking of me. Here’s Jon again.” She passed the phone to him.
“Hey, did you tell the kids what happened?” He asked, his concern evident in his voice.
“Sure, they’d seen the coverage too.”
She hesitated then, knowing she had to tell Jon yet again that his mother was being a bit difficult.
“Jon, your mom…she thinks Amanda is bringing bad press coverage around you and she’s not listening to anything different right now.”
“Dammit!” He swore into the phone. “Thanks, Dot, at least you know what’s really going on and you’re keeping the kids informed instead of mom. She has got to stop this or she and I are going to have some serious problems!”
“I know. I’ll keep in touch and you do the same, okay?”
“I will, and Dot…thanks.”
“Take care, Jonny.” She spoke softly as they both hung up.
Turning to Jon, Amanda spoke with real puzzlement in her voice. “Jon, I just don’t understand why your mom is so…unhappy with me.”
Jon started to try to explain to her his ideas when her own cell rang. “It’s my mom” she informed him.
“Hi mom!”
“Amanda! Are you okay, honey? What happened? The papers and the TV here are showing pictures of you and saying you were hurt?” Jennifer’s voice was a bit strident with her concern.
“Mom, let me explain…” Amanda began, telling her mother what had happened. “…I’m really okay, and they caught the guy. I was just in the wrong place, mom, that’s all.”
“Honey, I know you are a grown woman, but please call me before I have to read about it in the papers, okay?” Her mother scolded her daughter a little, not pleased that she had to learn second hand about things that concerned her child.
“I will, mom, and I’m sorry. I should have called you.” Amanda’s voice was contrite, knowing her mother was right.
“We’re leaving now for the airport and heading to Glasgow, Scotland, for the last concert and then back to New Jersey. I’ll keep in touch, okay?”
“Alright, honey, just be careful.”
“I will, mom, I love you.”
“I love you too, sweetie.”
Amanda groaned when she hung up the phone. “Damn! I should have called her! It never occurred to me that it would be in the papers there already!”
Jon hugged her to him. “We’ll both keep in better touch with our families, okay?”
“You ready honey?” Jon approached her and she agreed gratefully.
They caught a cab and making their way through some paparazzi that were outside the tavern, flashbulbs working overtime, they were soon at the Merrion. Thankfully the fans and the press had not found this hotel and they were shortly in their room. Amanda took a quick shower while Jon talked to Obie on the phone about the next days’ plans. He knew Obie was still awake as he had received a text to call when he returned to the hotel, no matter what time. Amanda curled into her robe and giving Jon a sleepy smile, fell asleep as he was talking to Obie. Jon joined her shortly thereafter and they slept, curled against the other.
~~~
Waking at 8:00 the next morning, Jon was up before the phone rang for the wake up call and grabbed it on the first ring. Amanda stirred at the ringing of the phone and gave him a warm sleepy smile.
“Mornin’,” her voice was husky from sleep.
“Hey sweetie, how you feeling this morning?”
“Better. How’s the damage today?” She asked, referring to her face.
Giving her a crooked grin, he answered. “Well, not sure purple, yellow, and green are your colors!”
“Oh lord! Now it’s changing colors?” She wailed softly.
“Just means it’s healing, honey.” His voice was reassuring, but in truth she still looked like just what had happened.
“We’re meeting for breakfast at ten. It’s eight now, so I’ll get us some coffee and you get the shower running.”
Stretching, she nodded her agreement and moved off to the bathroom. Jon came in about ten minutes later, knowing now from experience that she liked having a few minutes to herself first. He got into the shower with her after taking care of his own morning needs and brushing his teeth. She was already washing her hair and he took over with a grin.
“Hey! That’s one of my favorite things to do!” His smile was warm.
“You’re spoiling me.” She purred back at him as the movements of his hands on her head felt so good.
“Remember the dressing room yesterday, before the show?” He grinned at her. “I think you’re spoiling me!”
She flushed lightly at the reminder of her boldness. “You complaining?” She growled at him.
“Not a chance, just remembering!”
His grin was bold now and he felt himself responding to her. She glanced at him then, her flush deepening.
His eyes darkened as he asked her, “Want to spoil me again?”
She did.
~~~
They emerged from the shower after a while, dressing warmly for the day, with Amanda throwing clothes into suitcases as she got ready. By ten they were on their way to the dining room and due to Jon’s penchant for being on time they were the first to arrive. One by one the others staggered in, each in a different stage of a hangover. All wore sunglasses and Richie looked positively languid as he floated into the room. Amanda stifled a giggle as she had an idea of what had aided Richie’s good mood this morning. They all nodded at her and Jon, but everyone was a little on the quiet side as they started downing cups of coffee.
“Well, good morning guys!” Amanda sang out, noting a slight wince on the faces of the four other men. She lowered her voice and teased them. “Guess you guys had a late night, hmmm?”
Four grins met hers, with Tico and Hugh the only ones who seemed not quite so affected by alcohol this morning. She smiled warmly at them, her admiration for their restraint in the midst of temptation genuine. Breakfast was a little subdued, but the guys were used to this lifestyle and all seemed to be recovering rapidly with food in their stomachs.
“So, we need to leave by three for the airport and then a short flight to Scotland for the last show.”
Jon was giving them information they already knew, but they also knew his need to set things in motion. They all nodded at him.
Tico responded, “We’ll be ready.”
Jon and Amanda left then, returning to finish packing, leaving the others with their coffees and attempts at hangover recovery.
It was close to twelve that afternoon when Amanda and Jon were completely packed and ready to go. He turned to her as they had some time and asked her if she wanted to do any shopping. She thought that was a great idea and after Jon made arrangements for their bags to be picked up for the plane they exited the hotel and walked to the center of town.
Amanda found a beautiful handmade rich cream-colored woolen sweater and decided that would be her souvenir from Ireland. She also found a handmade Irish linen tablecloth for her mother and got that. Actually, Jon bought them, even though she protested that she had money. He just gave her a look and she shook her head at him.
They stopped for a coffee afterwards and Jon asked her if she needed more money than what he had given her prior to their trip.
“Jon! You gave me a thousand dollars! I can’t have spent more than fifty this entire time!”
He looked at her, slightly amazed. “What? You mean you have almost all the money still with you?”
With squinted eyes, she looked at him. “Of course I do! I bought some drinks and a few toiletries I had forgotten, but that’s all I needed.”
Laughing softly, he shook his head from side to side. “Richie was giving me some hard facts back around Christmas time about what my mother had said, about what a ‘gold digger’ you were. I think I’m gonna tell him he owes me another punch in the mouth.”
Her eyes were wide as she had not heard about this. “What are you talking about?” He relayed some of the story and she laughed at him. “Don’t you remember what I said? I’m LOW maintenance!”
“I guess so, but it’s okay to get things you want, Manda.”
“I have what I want, Jon.” Her voice was soft and her eyes were warm as she looked at him.
~~~
They returned to the hotel at 2:30 to see that the luggage was already in the lobby waiting to be loaded into the limos. They checked their room one more time and called for their bags to be taken down. Jon’s cell rang as the bellhop was loading their bags.
“Hey Dot! How are you and the kids?”
“Good, Jon, but what the hell happened in Ireland?”
“Aw shit! It made the papers there already?” His voice growled into the phone.
“What happened to Amanda? The papers and TV are full of reports and there are some pictures of her with a huge bruise on her face.”
Jon told her what happened and when he had finished she asked if Amanda was there and if she could speak with her. Jon handed her the phone.
“Hi Dot.” Amanda greeted her.
“Hey Manda, you okay?” Dot’s voice expressed her concern.
“Yeah, sore and bruised, but they caught the guy who did it, so at least he won’t get a chance for a while to do this to someone else.”
“I was telling Jon that the papers and TV are running this coverage, although just as an add on to each new hour. Someone apparently got the police report and it’s in the news here.”
“Damn!” Amanda swore softly. “I’m sorry, Dot, I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“Don’t worry about it. I just wanted to know if you were okay.” Dot’s voice reflected the friendship she was beginning to feel for Amanda.
“Thanks for asking, but yeah, I think it looks worse than it feels right now.” Amanda’s voice was also warm as she sensed Dot’s genuine concern. “Thanks for thinking of me. Here’s Jon again.” She passed the phone to him.
“Hey, did you tell the kids what happened?” He asked, his concern evident in his voice.
“Sure, they’d seen the coverage too.”
She hesitated then, knowing she had to tell Jon yet again that his mother was being a bit difficult.
“Jon, your mom…she thinks Amanda is bringing bad press coverage around you and she’s not listening to anything different right now.”
“Dammit!” He swore into the phone. “Thanks, Dot, at least you know what’s really going on and you’re keeping the kids informed instead of mom. She has got to stop this or she and I are going to have some serious problems!”
“I know. I’ll keep in touch and you do the same, okay?”
“I will, and Dot…thanks.”
“Take care, Jonny.” She spoke softly as they both hung up.
Turning to Jon, Amanda spoke with real puzzlement in her voice. “Jon, I just don’t understand why your mom is so…unhappy with me.”
Jon started to try to explain to her his ideas when her own cell rang. “It’s my mom” she informed him.
“Hi mom!”
“Amanda! Are you okay, honey? What happened? The papers and the TV here are showing pictures of you and saying you were hurt?” Jennifer’s voice was a bit strident with her concern.
“Mom, let me explain…” Amanda began, telling her mother what had happened. “…I’m really okay, and they caught the guy. I was just in the wrong place, mom, that’s all.”
“Honey, I know you are a grown woman, but please call me before I have to read about it in the papers, okay?” Her mother scolded her daughter a little, not pleased that she had to learn second hand about things that concerned her child.
“I will, mom, and I’m sorry. I should have called you.” Amanda’s voice was contrite, knowing her mother was right.
“We’re leaving now for the airport and heading to Glasgow, Scotland, for the last concert and then back to New Jersey. I’ll keep in touch, okay?”
“Alright, honey, just be careful.”
“I will, mom, I love you.”
“I love you too, sweetie.”
Amanda groaned when she hung up the phone. “Damn! I should have called her! It never occurred to me that it would be in the papers there already!”
Jon hugged her to him. “We’ll both keep in better touch with our families, okay?”
She nodded at him. “Yeah, she needs to hear things from me first.”
Great chapter. Can I be the one to knock some sense into Jon's Mom? Pleeeeeeaaaaassssse.
I'll help you Cathy!
Linda
Make that 3!!
Jon's mom better not start anything!!!
I want to spoil Jon, too! Is there room for me in that shower? :)
I wonder what Mrs. B is thinking-it sure rubs me the wrong way that she could be so prejudiced without cause and the worst part is that her son's happiness seems to mean so little compared to her own preconceived notions. What a shame!
Richie looked positively languid as he floated into the room.
I guess he didn't take my advice about staying away from them blonds.
LOL!
Mrs. B needs a reality check. She's not concerned about her boy's happiness as much as she is concerned about her own agenda...which is basically control.
Evidently Mrs. B is going to be a bigger for Jon that I thought. Jon when you get back to Jersey you need to sit down with your mother and tell her straight up to butt the hell out and keep her mouth shut in regard to Amanda.