John Francis

Sitting in the kitchen drinking their coffees, the three talked a bit about what had happened. Richie and Jon again spoke of someone giving out false information or taking something that happened and making it worse. Jon told Richie what Dot had said about someone calling or emailing her with stories.

“I’m going to talk to her and see if she’ll tell me who was giving her information.”

Richie grimaced. “Don’t envy you that conversation.”

Nodding, Jon made a face himself. “Yeah, but someone is spreading false stories. There were no press there tonight and other than the limo driver, no one saw us get in the car.” He glanced at her, “Manda, stop blushing! Most other women would have kicked me in the balls for what that stupid blonde was doing.” Chuckling loudly now, he said: “I must admit, I liked your way of getting my attention better!”

Richie laughed also, remembering her saunter back into the room, hair up, and then slowly letting it fall around her. “Yep, you were good. Did ya hear the jaws hitting the floor?”

Grinning now herself, Amanda answered, “Well, I can’t be jealous of what happened before me, that would just be stupid, and Jon the look on your face when she grabbed your pants…Oh God! It was so funny! You looked like if there was a hole you would have dived in it!”

All three laughed again until their sides hurt. Sobering a little, Amanda looked at Jon.

“There is one more thing…” she began, “I was stupid myself tonight to walk off in a strange city, but even worse, I didn’t know the address of the bar to get myself back there. I need to know where I am, Jon, okay?”

“Understood, completely. And, you get a key for here tomorrow. I have stupid moments too, ya know!”

Unable to help herself, Amanda quipped, “Yeah, tonight you had a stupid blonde moment…let’s hope there aren’t stupid brunettes and redheads in your future!”

Richie gaped at her and Jon’s jaw again almost hit the table. Both men looked at each other, nodded, and said in unison, “Pool!” They made a mock lunge for her, but she was laughing too hard to do more than hold her hands up to say ‘no more’.

~~~

They moved off to their respective rooms, Richie always having a room at Jon’s house where he could crash. Amanda and Jon went into his bedroom and his arm was around her waist. She turned to him.

“I’m going to shower. Be just a few minutes.” He nodded and let her have her time alone.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he called Tico to make sure Matt had gotten home safely and the two men talked for a bit. Jon asked for Tico’s ideas for making sure nothing like this ever happened to Amanda again and Tico said he would think about it.

In his gravelly voice, Tico finished the conversation with, “Problem is, buddy, nobody outside of us knows she’s yours.”

Jon hung up with that thought playing over and over in his mind.

~~~

In the shower Amanda replayed the events of the night in her head. From the concert, to the limo, to Matt, to how she felt about Jon. She had been on so many emotional highs and lows tonight that the warm water combined with those emotions made her so sleepy she could barely stumble out of the shower into her robe. She left the bathroom to find Jon sitting quietly on the edge of the bed.

She smiled a sleepy smile at him. “All yours,” she said as she indicated the bathroom. He still sat there, although he did give her a half smile back. He looked at her.

“You do know I love you, right?”

She nodded at him, “Yes.”

He hugged her to him, “Good!” He then moved to the bathroom, his thoughts consumed with his latest conversations with Richie and Tico.

~~~

Amanda tried to wait for Jon to get done with his shower, but the bed was soft, she was tired, and sleep pulled her under. He came back into the room and saw her sleeping. Wanting to feel her skin against his, he carefully removed her robe and pulling her close fell into a deep sleep, holding her against him tightly.

Richie woke early the next morning and put coffee on. He sat there with his first cup as Amanda came down and joined him. She seemed more serene this morning than the day before and kissing his cheek softly, said, “Good morning, hon.”

He kissed her cheek back. “Morning, babe.”

Amanda fixed her coffee and joined Richie at the table. Sipping the heavenly caffeine, she looked at him.

“Was Jon drinking last night?”

Sighing, he responded. “Yeah, he had two double shots of Jack when we hit the house here, but I don’t think more than that. Why?”

“He was just sleeping so deeply that he didn’t even stir when I got out of bed, so I added two and two.”

He looked at her, his voice dead serious. “He freaked, Manda, when you went missing. I thought he was going to beat the shit outta Matt, but he just ran outside looking for you. We both did.”

Her chagrined look said it all. “I’m sorry about that. I promise I am not going to run any more.”

He shook his head at her. “No, you foolish girl, he freaked because you were missing and he loves you. Don’t you get it yet, Manda?”

She shot him a stern look. “Rich, I already said I’ll be here as long as he wants me to be…”

His interruption was swift. “And what if that’s for the rest of his life?”

She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.

He nodded at her. “Yeah, Manda, what if?”

“I…he…” and then she shook her head back and forth. She moved to the coffee pot and he could tell she was not going to discuss this further.

Completely changing the subject, she then asked, “So, what’s on the agenda now?”

He grinned at her. “Well, you do know Christmas is in five days, right?”

Her open-mouthed response was answer enough. He laughed at her. “You lost track of time, right?”

She looked at him. “I’ve lost track of everything! I always spend Christmas with my mom and I’m sure Jon will be with his kids.”

His voice became more serious as there was something he had to ask her. “Manda, you don’t have to answer, but…why no kids for you?”

She lowered her head. “I can’t have children. I had so many tests and so did Jeremy, but it’s me. I’m…infertile. There is nothing that can be done. And now, well, at my age, it’s just too late.”

He could hear the true regret in her voice and he was almost sorry he had asked, but he wanted to know her better. “I’m sorry, honey, if I brought up a painful subject.”

She looked at him. “It’s okay, I made peace with it quite a few years ago. We had talked about adoption, but…”

She continued, thinking out loud. “I need to fly home for Christmas. My mom doesn’t have anybody else but me. I hope I can get a flight this close to the holidays. Richie, I have to get on the phone, will you excuse me?”

He stopped her with a hand to her arm. “Honey, wait and talk to Jon, please?”

She looked at him then. “Rich, he has kids, there’s no way he’s going to want me around them and I’m sure his ex doesn’t either. I need to make arrangements. I’m not going to interfere with his time with his kids, dammit!” She was actually shaking a little with her need to get away from Richie and his too perceptive questions.

“Manda, please! Wait and talk to Jon first…”

“Talk to Jon about what?” She heard the voice before she saw the man.

Richie spoke up before Amanda could get her thoughts together. “Amanda wants to fly home for Christmas as her mother only has her.”

Jon smiled at her. “How would your mom like to see snow for Christmas this year?”

She shook her head at him. “Jon, you know you’ll be with your kids for Christmas and I refuse to interfere with that. My mom is all I have…” He stopped her.

“No, baby, you have me now…”

Her mouth dropped open. “But…but…you…Dot…”

Taking her into his arms, he held her tight. “Let me worry about my kids and Dot, okay?”