John Francis

The honk of a horn brought them down the stairs, rushing to finish what had been undone a few minutes earlier. They made it downstairs where Jon helped her into her coat and she finished slipping on her shoes. A quick glance in the hall mirror told her she was acceptable and they left the house. The driver had the door open and they slipped into the back. Jon instantly moved closer to her, wanting to be near her. She chuckled softly.

“I’m guessing you like my perfume?” She had a small smile and a raised eyebrow as she looked at him.

“I’m thinking it should be illegal.” He smiled at her, dazzling her.

“Behave yourself tonight.” She admonished him, still grinning.

“Don’t leave my side.” He growled back.

During the drive to the Four Seasons, Jon was playful and talkative. He was in a great mood and knew himself well enough to realize it was not all from the sexual release he had just experienced. He was happy to be with Amanda and just spend time with her. He was pleased she wanted to be with him as the social aspects of his life had not always been Dot’s favorite thing. He had gone by himself more times than he could count to events that he wished he could have shared. Now he had someone who wanted to share things with him and he found himself looking forward to functions he had once dreaded.

Pulling up to the entrance of the hotel where the party was to take place, they saw the walkway lined with paparazzi and Jon squeezed her hand in reassurance. She took a deep breath and turned to him.

“Thanks to you, I actually feel really pretty tonight. This dress, this jewelry, so beautiful. Thank you, honey.”

As often happens with people in love, Jon was astonished that she did not feel as beautiful as she looked to him.

Giving a small shake of his head, he asked her, “Don’t you know how gorgeous you are?”

Shooting him a “yeah, right” look just as the limo came to a stop, Amanda grabbed her small clutch purse and got ready to get out of the car. The driver opened the door and Jon got out first, then helped her step out.

Flashbulbs went off in a blizzard of white as the two exited the vehicle. Jon smiled at the cameras and nodded towards a few of the reporters he knew by sight. He kept Amanda’s hand tucked into the crook of his arm and she also smiled at those taking their photographs. Questions were thrown out at them, but Jon didn’t answer and she followed his lead. Moving steadily towards the door, they were soon inside.

Amanda leaned a little closer to him and whispered, “Okay, tell me the truth, how long did it take you to get used to that?”

Chuckling deep in his throat, he told her. “About twenty years.” She laughed herself at that.

Moving into the main dining area, they saw perhaps a little less than a hundred people gathered for the dinner. It didn’t take long before they heard Sambora’s laughter and saw him by the doorway of the room. He also spotted them, eyes widening in surprise, and he worked his way over.

Leaning in to kiss her cheek, Richie theatrically greeted her. “Good evening, my sweet…” He caught a whiff of her perfume. She kissed his cheek.

“Don’t you look pretty!” She teased him back.

He turned to shake his friend’s hand as Amanda started to look around the room. Leaning in he grinned at Jon.

“She smells good.”

Jon grinned back.

“Yeah, we’re leaving…soon!”

They entered the room, Jon making introductions and Amanda remembering at least some of the faces of the people who had been to the before Christmas party. There were waiters tonight as the gathering was relatively small, passing through with champagne and taking drink orders. They ordered a wine and after getting their drinks they moved further into the room. Spotting Tico and his wife, along with Hugh and a woman who had to be his wife, as well as David and his date, across the room, Richie excused himself to return to the other guys and his own date.

There seemed to be a large crowd around Jon most of the early part of the night and Amanda was included in the conversations as this time of the evening was for socializing. The people she met who worked for and with Jon were pleasant and seemed glad to see her, some again, some for the first time. Those who had been at the other party where she had experienced her allergic reaction asked how she was and she assured them that it was over quickly, just an allergy, downplaying the incident.

Jon was enjoying how Amanda seemed so much more comfortable with her surroundings tonight. She laughed and talked with everyone who came up to them, answering questions without providing too much detail. He held her hand, her elbow, along her back, a lock of her hair, whatever he could manage to reach depending on the number of people around them. She too would lean into his arm, or stroke his hand when it held hers, or some other small gesture that kept building on the closeness they had felt earlier.

They were talking to Jon’s brother, Tony, at that moment, when Amanda felt a hand on her upper back. Turning, she saw Tico and she smiled brightly at him. Leaning a little she kissed his cheek and he did the same. He then introduced her to his wife, Alejandra, and Amanda first expressed her pleasure at meeting Tico’s wife and then thanked her for when she was a guest in their home.

“Did you two fly in just for this?” She asked, looking from one to the other.

“Yeah, we left the little guy with the nanny for a few nights. We got in late yesterday and we’ll fly back after Dot’s wedding.”

Jon asked then if they wanted to get together after the dinner tonight and they both nodded yes as they had expected to. Hugh and David wandered up at about that time and introduced the ladies they were with. Hugh was with his wife, Kelli, whom all but Amanda had met as she had not gone on the three concert European tour. David was there with his new girlfriend, Jen. Apparently David and Jen were a fairly new couple, but they seemed to have a genuine fondness for the other and between the two, she was laughing almost constantly as Jen was throwing out hysterical comments and David was no slouch in that department either.

Amanda was talking with the other couples when she realized that Richie was nowhere in sight. Glancing around a bit, she saw him talking quietly with a tall blonde. Jesus! Amanda thought to herself as she looked at the woman. She’s gorgeous! And the woman was, a beauty who definitely fit in with Richie’s type if you took Heather and Denise as an indicator. Walking over to the group, Richie introduced her as Jackie Parsons.

It seems everyone but Amanda and Jen had met Jackie before and as she was introduced she smiled warmly at the other woman. Jackie responded with a gentle press of her hand, but didn’t seem interested in pursuing further conversation as she turned again to Richie. Amanda’s eyes were a little quizzical as she tried to figure the situation out, then she gave herself a mental shake, realizing it was none of her business.

Richie was a big boy and he had been taking care of himself for years. Mind your own business, Amanda! She scolded herself. It’s just he’s such a nice guy! Her friendship with Jon’s best friend had been growing and she felt a sisterly affection towards him, just wanting him to have what he deserved.

Dinner was interesting with the five guys and their dates and the two wives. Alejandra and Tico were a pleasure to see together. Amanda had seen him at his house and then for the three shows overseas and he had never given the slightest indication that he felt anything except one hundred percent devotion to his wife and son. Even now, talking with the others, the two seemed cocooned in their own little world.

Hugh and Kelli seemed like such a matched couple. He was usually so quiet, but Kelli was a bubbly enthusiastic woman who was evidently loved very much by her husband if his fond glances were any indication. She was very sweet and spent at least ten minutes talking with Amanda about what she had thought of traveling and how she herself tried to go with them as much as she could.

David and Jen seemed as if they would spend all of their time laughing. Between one and then the other’s teasing, they kept the table in stitches. David seemed to slip sometimes and call her “G”, but refused to explain what the joke was. Jen simply shook her head and said, “I could tell ya, but then I’d have to kill ya” and laughed, throwing David a sly look.

Richie and Jackie were obviously comfortable together and seemed to have known each other for a while. Amanda admitted to herself that her curiosity was driving her crazy and she would have to ask Jon later if he would tell her anything. Considering the blonde thonged-bimbo from a short time ago at Jon’s house, she didn’t think Richie was serious with Jackie as he just didn’t seem like the type to do that in a committed relationship. After listening for a while and observing, it suddenly hit her. Jackie was someone he brought out when he needed a partner for a function, like tonight. She had no way of knowing if she was right, but it felt like the pieces fit.

The main reason for the function tonight was the amazing success of the Lost Highway album and tour and this was a sort of “thank you” for all the people who had worked to bring it to the level it had achieved. Jon spoke for a short time after dinner, thanking all those involved, and then a few others also spoke, giving huge credit to the guys for their songwriting and the success of the album. Amanda knew that Richie and Jon were already writing again and she was looking forward to hearing more of their new stuff. They were on hold right now until after Dot’s wedding.

At roughly ten that night, the dinner seemed to be winding down and the five men and their ladies were going out. Richie, Jackie, David and Jen were riding together in one limo. Tico and Alejandra along with Hugh and Kelli were in another, leaving Jon and Amanda in theirs. Once inside, Jon pulled her against him again and nuzzled her neck.

“I’m thinking we should maybe make it an early night,” he whispered into her ear. She pulled back and pouted at him with a twinkle in her eyes.

“Sure, make me get all dressed up and then make me take it all off again…” Her grin was wide, as was his answering one, as he strove to remind himself that maybe she really did want to go out for a bit.