John Francis

They left the office and stopped for a few minutes outside Tico’s car. “Sorry, hon.” Jon knew she was irritated that she couldn’t get her car.

“No, it’s okay, but what the HELL was going on inside that station?” she frowned at him.

Richie and Tico laughed softly, looking at the ground, as Jon fidgeted with his belt buckle.

“Okay, let me in on the joke here guys!” Amanda growled at them.

Jon began, “Uh, Mandy, honey…”

“Don’t you ‘Mandy honey’ me, mister, what was the big joke?” She demanded, glaring at him sternly.

Richie was killing himself holding in the laughter and even Tico had to turn his head away to stop her from seeing his wide grin. Suddenly bursting out laughing, Richie howled, “It’s just that next time Teek and I will remember the underwear!”

She frowned in puzzlement for a moment, then her eyes dropped to her own chest. “Aw, shit!” she exclaimed. “Do you three always have your minds in the gutter?”

Tico was now openly laughing and Jon threw his head back in a burst of laughter when Richie replied slyly, “Only when something points us that way!” Considering the state of her breasts and the thin material of the tank top, his comment was pretty self-explanatory.

Scowling at the three of them holding their sides and laughing, Amanda growled, turned, and started stalking away from the car, arms crossed over her chest, muttering to herself loudly, “Men! Jesus! Always thinking with their dicks!”

“Sweetie?” Jon called.

“What?!” she snapped back, more embarrassed than angry.

“You walkin’ home?” he inquired.

She stopped, actually stomped her foot, turned, and strode back to the three who seemed to delight in her discomfiture.

“One word, just one more frickin’ word and I will not be responsible for your injuries!”

Turning full on to Richie, she again poked him in the stomach and in a menacing tone growled, “And you! If you ever want to play the guitar again…”

Richie threw his hands up in surrender, still laughing, “I give, I give!”

She humphed her way into the back seat of the car, slamming the door, while the three clowns she was with composed themselves.

Grinning at Jon over the top of the car, Richie exclaimed “Damn, Jon, I like your girl!”

Jon grinned back, then laughed softly. “Got a bit of temper there, doesn’t she?”

“Yeah,” Tico smiled, “Did she just cuss out most of the members of ‘Bon Jovi’?”

“Hell yes she did,” Richie grinned, “In fact, I think she threatened my life!”

Shaking his head Jon could not seem to stop his laughter.

As the three men entered the car, Amanda was sitting, squirming, trying to figure out how she was going to ask them a favor after she just yelled at them and again poked Richie in the stomach.

“Uh,” she started as they closed their doors. Three sets of eyes turned to her and she blushed and hung her head. “Oh crap! Now I’m doing it to myself!”

“Tico, I need a ride to my house. Please?”

Jon looked at Tico and he nodded. “Amanda I don’t mind running you home to get whatever you need,” Tico stated with a smile.

The silly sweet smile she turned to him made all three beam and one take in a deep breath. Jon thought he could not get enough of her smiles and her laugh and her smell. He could not get enough of her. More and more his mind was moving to how to keep this woman with him. He had not forgotten her comment to him just before Dot’s phone call, her ‘I think maybe…’ and he knew she was trying in her own way to give him an out. He didn’t want out, he wanted further in. He wanted to know her, to learn what she liked and what she loved and what made her who she is. Shit, he just wanted her.

Giving Tico directions to her home, Amanda was thinking furiously. Truth was she didn’t want to leave Jon, but she didn’t want him to feel he was trapped with her. Jon was thinking just as hard as Amanda. He felt she would try to stay at her home once they got there and there was no way he could let her do that. She needed to come back with him or he needed to stay with her. That also presented a problem as her home was the one she had shared with her husband and he didn’t know if his being there would be too hard on her. More than anything he wanted her to continue to laugh and smile.

They stopped in Amanda’s driveway and she invited them all in. “Anybody want something to drink?” They declined and stood a little awkwardly in her main entry. “Guys, come in, make yourselves comfortable.” At her gesture to sit, they sprawled in various poses on her couch and chairs. Jon followed her into her kitchen. “You’re going to pack a bag and come back, right?” he asked. She stopped with her back to him. “Mandy?”

He took her in his arms from behind and buried his face in her hair.

“I know this is fast. I know you’re unsure, but you need to know how much I want you with me.” He felt desperation rise as he struggled to get through to her. “I’ve meant every word I said to you. I want you with me.” He stopped as she had begun to tremble again in his arms.

“Are you sure, Jon?” she whispered.

“More than you can know,” he surprised himself by saying. She nodded, turned and kissed him gently, then went to her room.

Jon walked back into her living room where Richie and Tico were talking quietly. They stopped at his entrance and Richie turned. “You talk her into it?”

“Damn straight.” Jon replied.

“Had to work at it,” Richie nodded confidently told Tico.

“Shut the fuck up, Sambora.” Jon growled.

Amanda was in her bedroom packing some additional clothing and other necessary items. She was going to do this. She had to stop telling herself she was wrong for him. Maybe she was, but she wanted to be with him and he wanted to be with her. She had no idea where this might lead, but she couldn’t walk away from him.

Jon walked quietly to her open bedroom to see Amanda kiss her fingers and touch her husband’s photograph beside the bed. She stood still for a moment then picked the picture up and put it into the bedside table drawer. He quickly withdrew before she could see him. Moving silently towards the living room he was deeply touched by what she had done. She was ready to live and dammit so was he.