With chopsticks firmly in hand, but delicately picking through the mass quantities of Chinese food that Richie and Tico had ordered, Amanda told the three men a bit more about her life.
“…and so, since I don’t need to work now, or at least right now, I have been concentrating on…well, let’s just say, putting some shit to bed.”
All three men looked at her with big eyes at that comment and then roared with laughter when Jon piped up with “I’ve been called ‘oh god’, ‘holy fuck’, and ‘Captain Kidd’…not sure how much I like ‘shit’, although I’ll stick with it if it means getting put to bed.”
Richie grinned notoriously and quipped, “Man does she know you! ‘Some shit!’ He laughed, holding his stomach. “Personally, I like asshole, but add “piece of” to shit and you’ve got him nailed!”
“Fuck you, Sambora!” Jon grinned good-naturedly.
Amanda found out she was not yet out of blushes. After a few seconds, her laughter joined those at the table.
“You, Sir,” she pointed to Jon, “have got to get your mind out of the gutter. Who do you think you are, a rock star?”
Richie was near to wiping tears out of his eyes at Amanda’s come back and the widening of Jon’s eyes. Actually it was Jon’s hanging wide-open mouth that finally made Richie roar.
“You mean you know who he is?” Richie laughed.
“Well, I know he plays some type of music,” she grinned.
“Yeah,” laughed Jon, “I recently learned how to play A-Manda-lin.”
It was now Amanda’s turn to have her mouth left hanging open. She turned grumpily away from him and mumbled almost under her breath, “I think I’m gonna go back to my first impression…jerk!”
After their raucous lunch, Tico asked Amanda if she would like to see his home. She responded with genuine pleasure. They toured the major areas and she felt privileged that Tico allowed her to see into his studio where he worked as an artist.
Richie took the time Amanda was away with Tico to talk to Jon. “So,” Richie started, “what’s happening, bro?”
Jon looked away from his friend for a moment then faced Richie eye to eye.
“I’m not sure, man, I just know I haven’t felt like this for a very long time.”
“Like what?” asked Richie, curious just how far Jon would go with his feelings.
“Rich, you know better than anyone that I have been…well, the word I thought of earlier to myself was drowning, for quite some time now, right?”
“Yeah, it was pretty apparent that you were having a rough time, but you never reached out to any of us.”
“I know,” Jon stated simply, “I couldn’t, I couldn’t even see how far down I was until this morning.” He glanced at Richie sideways, “You know she was with me earlier, when you pounded on my door, right?”
“Yeah, of course, but I didn’t want to butt too far in, maybe cause more problems.”
“Well, she asked me, man. She looked into my eyes and she was shaking all over and she told me she wanted me again.”
Richie’s surprised eyes were statement enough, but he needed to push Jon a little further.
“You mean, she realized she had fucked Jon Bon Jovi and she wanted you again?”
“Fuck no, man! Don’t you understand? After all that happened before and everything I heard her tell you, she fuckin’ asked me to take her again. And she wasn’t asking ‘Jon Bon Jovi’, she asked me. What did I do to deserve that?” Jon asked plaintively.
“Jesus, Jon, what’s going on here?” Richie breathed out.
“I have no fucking idea” Jon acknowledged with anguished emotion. “I just need to have her with me, Rich, I really need her.”
“Why her, Jon?” questioned Richie quietly, trying to draw him out a bit more.
“She…soothes me,” Jon replied.
“You mean the sex?” Richie queried.
“NO!” shouted a surprised Jon, “don’t you see…I mean…shit…I can’t fucking talk! She’s different, Rich. She’s a …”
“A real woman. A real person. Not a groupie bimbo like you’ve been screwing lately. Thought you outgrew that in the 80’s, man. Have you done anything more than a quick fuck with anyone since Dot?”
“No…I would lose myself in the sex and then couldn’t wait to get the fuck outta their room. I never even took them to my room. I…well, always rented another room wherever we stayed. Didn’t want them to find me afterwards,” Jon admitted shamefaced.
“Jon, you pulled me out when I was falling hard after Heather and Denise. You got me off the heavy booze and helped me get my head back. You fucked up bad last night, man, you started out having sex with a woman against her will. You’re lucky she is who she is or you would be facing rape charges.”
“I know everything you’re saying is true. I’m not gonna crawl into a bottle again. This is as bad as it is ever going to get,” Jon was vehement in his conviction. “Problem now, Rich, is that I don’t want her to leave.”
“Sounds like you’ve been given a gift, my friend. Don’t fuck it up.” Richie really liked Amanda and didn’t want his recently destructive friend to hurt her.
“I know, Rich, I know. Okay with you if she stays here a while?” Jon asked, looking closely at Richie.
“No problem, bro’, I like her.”
“…and so, since I don’t need to work now, or at least right now, I have been concentrating on…well, let’s just say, putting some shit to bed.”
All three men looked at her with big eyes at that comment and then roared with laughter when Jon piped up with “I’ve been called ‘oh god’, ‘holy fuck’, and ‘Captain Kidd’…not sure how much I like ‘shit’, although I’ll stick with it if it means getting put to bed.”
Richie grinned notoriously and quipped, “Man does she know you! ‘Some shit!’ He laughed, holding his stomach. “Personally, I like asshole, but add “piece of” to shit and you’ve got him nailed!”
“Fuck you, Sambora!” Jon grinned good-naturedly.
Amanda found out she was not yet out of blushes. After a few seconds, her laughter joined those at the table.
“You, Sir,” she pointed to Jon, “have got to get your mind out of the gutter. Who do you think you are, a rock star?”
Richie was near to wiping tears out of his eyes at Amanda’s come back and the widening of Jon’s eyes. Actually it was Jon’s hanging wide-open mouth that finally made Richie roar.
“You mean you know who he is?” Richie laughed.
“Well, I know he plays some type of music,” she grinned.
“Yeah,” laughed Jon, “I recently learned how to play A-Manda-lin.”
It was now Amanda’s turn to have her mouth left hanging open. She turned grumpily away from him and mumbled almost under her breath, “I think I’m gonna go back to my first impression…jerk!”
After their raucous lunch, Tico asked Amanda if she would like to see his home. She responded with genuine pleasure. They toured the major areas and she felt privileged that Tico allowed her to see into his studio where he worked as an artist.
Richie took the time Amanda was away with Tico to talk to Jon. “So,” Richie started, “what’s happening, bro?”
Jon looked away from his friend for a moment then faced Richie eye to eye.
“I’m not sure, man, I just know I haven’t felt like this for a very long time.”
“Like what?” asked Richie, curious just how far Jon would go with his feelings.
“Rich, you know better than anyone that I have been…well, the word I thought of earlier to myself was drowning, for quite some time now, right?”
“Yeah, it was pretty apparent that you were having a rough time, but you never reached out to any of us.”
“I know,” Jon stated simply, “I couldn’t, I couldn’t even see how far down I was until this morning.” He glanced at Richie sideways, “You know she was with me earlier, when you pounded on my door, right?”
“Yeah, of course, but I didn’t want to butt too far in, maybe cause more problems.”
“Well, she asked me, man. She looked into my eyes and she was shaking all over and she told me she wanted me again.”
Richie’s surprised eyes were statement enough, but he needed to push Jon a little further.
“You mean, she realized she had fucked Jon Bon Jovi and she wanted you again?”
“Fuck no, man! Don’t you understand? After all that happened before and everything I heard her tell you, she fuckin’ asked me to take her again. And she wasn’t asking ‘Jon Bon Jovi’, she asked me. What did I do to deserve that?” Jon asked plaintively.
“Jesus, Jon, what’s going on here?” Richie breathed out.
“I have no fucking idea” Jon acknowledged with anguished emotion. “I just need to have her with me, Rich, I really need her.”
“Why her, Jon?” questioned Richie quietly, trying to draw him out a bit more.
“She…soothes me,” Jon replied.
“You mean the sex?” Richie queried.
“NO!” shouted a surprised Jon, “don’t you see…I mean…shit…I can’t fucking talk! She’s different, Rich. She’s a …”
“A real woman. A real person. Not a groupie bimbo like you’ve been screwing lately. Thought you outgrew that in the 80’s, man. Have you done anything more than a quick fuck with anyone since Dot?”
“No…I would lose myself in the sex and then couldn’t wait to get the fuck outta their room. I never even took them to my room. I…well, always rented another room wherever we stayed. Didn’t want them to find me afterwards,” Jon admitted shamefaced.
“Jon, you pulled me out when I was falling hard after Heather and Denise. You got me off the heavy booze and helped me get my head back. You fucked up bad last night, man, you started out having sex with a woman against her will. You’re lucky she is who she is or you would be facing rape charges.”
“I know everything you’re saying is true. I’m not gonna crawl into a bottle again. This is as bad as it is ever going to get,” Jon was vehement in his conviction. “Problem now, Rich, is that I don’t want her to leave.”
“Sounds like you’ve been given a gift, my friend. Don’t fuck it up.” Richie really liked Amanda and didn’t want his recently destructive friend to hurt her.
“I know, Rich, I know. Okay with you if she stays here a while?” Jon asked, looking closely at Richie.
“No problem, bro’, I like her.”
“Yeah,” Jon softly whispered, “me too.”
“Yeah,” laughed Jon, “I recently learned how to play A-Manda-lin.”
That was a good one, Jonny-ROTFLMAO!!!! That was classic!!! Now maybe I can stop reading and get some work done on my own story, LOL!
Seriously, this was a great chapter and Richie really nailed what it is that's so different (and so right) about A-Manda-lin, LOL...still chuckling at that one!
What a fantastic chapter. The whole interplay among them at the beginning had me in stitches.
"“I’ve been called ‘oh god’, ‘holy fuck’, and ‘Captain Kidd’…not sure how much I like ‘shit’..." had me cackling like the crazy beyotch I am.
I liked the way Richie drew Jon out about what was different about Mandy and his feelings for her. That's what a best friend is for. Great chapter!
~ Hath
Gotta tell ya ladies, when the two writers I admire most leave such encouraging comments, it makes a girl blush! Thanks so much for your comments and for taking the time to read this story.
Hugs to Opester and Hathor!