Amanda and Jon woke up on the couch the next morning. Both were a little stiff from their sleeping positions and from their sexual activities. Sitting up and stretching a little to move their sore bodies, they looked at each other and realized they both had grins on their faces that just wouldn’t stop. The grins stayed throughout their showers, dressing, and coffee making. Every time one glanced at the other, the grin would return. They both felt like teenagers after a first lovemaking session and their silly smiles show it.
Sitting, having their coffee, Amanda brought up a topic that was on both their minds.
“We’re going back today, aren’t we?”
Jon nodded at her, “yeah, honey, I need to get back, but god knows I don’t want to leave!”
“It’s been amazing here, in more ways than one. I loved having this time with you.” Her eyes were full of love as she looked at him.
“Me too, baby. It won’t be our last though, don’t worry!”
Sighing softly, she turned her eyes from him. He saw her look and drew his eyes together in question.
“Baby? What is it?” He reached out and took her hand.
Shaking her head, sorry she had let him hear her sigh, she tried to put what she was feeling into words.
“It’s just that being here, it was just us, and going back it’s…everything. It’s a little harder than I thought to share you.” Her eyes met his again and it was his turn to take a breath.
“Sharing it exactly what I want, Mandy, I want to share everything with you. I won’t leave you behind and we’ll take every moment we can for time to be just us.”
Amanda smiled at him then, grateful he had understood her and knew what she was trying to say.
“Thank you for that, Jon. I love you.”
“You too, baby.”
~~~
They packed their few belongings and loaded the bags into the SUV in preparation for their flight later that day. Heading out to breakfast, they choose another small café-style restaurant. They had their fill of coffee and breakfast, talking about what would be happening when they got back to New Jersey.
“Another pretty full week, I’m afraid. I actually have to talk to my assistant about what’s lined up. You made me forget my date book!”
She grinned at him. “I made you forget your date book? I don’t think so, it wasn’t my week to watch it.”
“Sass again, right?”
“Hey, that’s at least your fourth cup of coffee, so I don’t want to hear it!”
They left the restaurant laughing, unaware that Charles Carlton had been hanging around to get his “money shot” of them. They unknowingly provided it when Jon’s hand slipped to Amanda’s rear to cup it as they walked to the car. She turned to smile at him when she felt his hand, as he did to her, his famous grin flashing brightly, and they were both clearly shown in profile.
Their flight was at one that afternoon and that gave Jon a chance to show Amanda a little bit of Tahoe proper. She was charmed by the city and he promised himself he would bring her back again for a longer visit. Arriving at the airport, they returned the rental car, and checked their baggage. They were shown to a VIP lounge as someone at check in had recognized Jon. This afforded them a bit more privacy and pretty much assured Jon wouldn’t have fan problems.
They waited with a glass of wine, both thinking about the last few days. Their thoughts were good ones and each was in a bit of a sexual daze from the evening before. They held hands and just sat in comfortable silence. Boarding came soon and they settled in for the flight back to Jersey. Amanda turned in her chair and snuggled against Jon’s shoulder, feeling a bit sleepy. He found himself leaning against her for just a few minutes to feel her warmth.
They were woken by a flight attendant about twenty minutes out of Jersey. Looking at Amanda in surprise, Jon told her he almost never slept on planes.
Her smile was warm at his surprise. “We were pretty busy, I’m not surprised we slept.”
Gathering their carryon bag and assorted belongings, they left the plane and were directed to a car Jon had arranged. Their bags arrived quickly and soon they were in the back of the car on the way to his house. He had seemed to be deep in thought for the last few minutes and suddenly turned to Amanda.
“Hey, I was thinking that since I haven’t seen the kids for a few days we could stop by there on the way after I call Dot.” He knew he had been leaving her out since Christmas and wanted to stop that immediately. She nodded her agreement.
Jon called. “Hey Dot, how are you?”
“Good, Jon. Where are you?”
“Just got back from Tahoe. I was hoping to stop by with Amanda and see the kids. Is this too short a notice?”
“No, we just finished dinner. It’s fine with me. Your mom’s here, by the way.” Jon could hear the warning in Dot’s voice after all the years they had spent together.
“Thanks for the heads up. Hope you’ve been listening to your gut instead of my mother.” Jon’s voice also cued Dot into the fact that he was less than pleased with his mom.
“Yeah, I’ve been listening to my own intuition a lot more these days.” Dot’s voice a little sad as she still continued to wonder what Maryann might caused or at least aided.
“Okay, we’ll see you all in about twenty minutes then. Thanks, Dot.” Jon hung up his cell.
~~~
They were soon pulling into the gated drive where Dot, Eric, and the kids lived. Getting out of the car, Jon saw the door open and a small figure racing to his side. He swung his second youngest son, Jake, up into his arms.
“Hey big guy! How’s my boy?” He hugged the six year old to him as Jake wrapped his arms around his father’s neck. He then felt a smaller tackle around his legs as Romeo grabbed his dad. Jon managed to also get Romeo into his arms, but knew that soon the two boys would reach a size where he wouldn’t be able to do that. Jake was almost there by himself as he would be seven soon.
A beautiful young woman walked out of the house then and smiling at Amanda, moved to her father. Jon put the boys down and took Stephanie into his arms.
“My god, sweetheart, you get more beautiful every day!”
A teenage groan of “Dad!” met their ears, but she hugged her father as tightly as the younger boys has done.
“Jesse’s still at practice, dad. He’s gonna be pissed he missed you!”
Jon gave a fatherly scowl at her use of the word “pissed”, but she just grinned at him with his own smirk. Shaking his head, he gave up. He was sure the kids had at times heard him use worse.
“Hey everybody, you remember Amanda, from Christmas? She was here with us for lunch with her mom?” Three sets of Bongiovi eyes turned to her and Stephanie and Jake said ‘Hi Amanda’, while Romeo managed a ‘Hi Manda’.
Her smile for his children was full of warmth. “Hi ya’ll, it’s so good to see you again!”
Jon led Amanda inside, following his children. Dot was just coming from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel.
“Hi there!” Her smile was warm, if a bit guarded. “I see you three found your daddy!”
Romeo piped up. “Manda’s here too, momma!”
“I know, sweetie. Hi Amanda.”
“Hi again, Dorothea, thanks for having us stop by.”
Eric popped his head out of the den. “Hey everybody!”
Jon and Amanda turned to Eric. “Hey Eric, how ya doin’ man?” Jon’s voice was congenial and completely normal sounding as he shook the other man’s hand.
“Pretty good, Jon, thanks.” Eric’s smile was genuine as he was very aware of the changes taking place in his fiancé’s ex-husband.
Dot’s voice was heard then. “Go visit with your dad, guys, while Amanda and I go put on some coffee.”
“Sure mom,” they answered and Jon was swept away to hear all the latest triumphs and traumas of the three.
Sitting, having their coffee, Amanda brought up a topic that was on both their minds.
“We’re going back today, aren’t we?”
Jon nodded at her, “yeah, honey, I need to get back, but god knows I don’t want to leave!”
“It’s been amazing here, in more ways than one. I loved having this time with you.” Her eyes were full of love as she looked at him.
“Me too, baby. It won’t be our last though, don’t worry!”
Sighing softly, she turned her eyes from him. He saw her look and drew his eyes together in question.
“Baby? What is it?” He reached out and took her hand.
Shaking her head, sorry she had let him hear her sigh, she tried to put what she was feeling into words.
“It’s just that being here, it was just us, and going back it’s…everything. It’s a little harder than I thought to share you.” Her eyes met his again and it was his turn to take a breath.
“Sharing it exactly what I want, Mandy, I want to share everything with you. I won’t leave you behind and we’ll take every moment we can for time to be just us.”
Amanda smiled at him then, grateful he had understood her and knew what she was trying to say.
“Thank you for that, Jon. I love you.”
“You too, baby.”
~~~
They packed their few belongings and loaded the bags into the SUV in preparation for their flight later that day. Heading out to breakfast, they choose another small café-style restaurant. They had their fill of coffee and breakfast, talking about what would be happening when they got back to New Jersey.
“Another pretty full week, I’m afraid. I actually have to talk to my assistant about what’s lined up. You made me forget my date book!”
She grinned at him. “I made you forget your date book? I don’t think so, it wasn’t my week to watch it.”
“Sass again, right?”
“Hey, that’s at least your fourth cup of coffee, so I don’t want to hear it!”
They left the restaurant laughing, unaware that Charles Carlton had been hanging around to get his “money shot” of them. They unknowingly provided it when Jon’s hand slipped to Amanda’s rear to cup it as they walked to the car. She turned to smile at him when she felt his hand, as he did to her, his famous grin flashing brightly, and they were both clearly shown in profile.
Their flight was at one that afternoon and that gave Jon a chance to show Amanda a little bit of Tahoe proper. She was charmed by the city and he promised himself he would bring her back again for a longer visit. Arriving at the airport, they returned the rental car, and checked their baggage. They were shown to a VIP lounge as someone at check in had recognized Jon. This afforded them a bit more privacy and pretty much assured Jon wouldn’t have fan problems.
They waited with a glass of wine, both thinking about the last few days. Their thoughts were good ones and each was in a bit of a sexual daze from the evening before. They held hands and just sat in comfortable silence. Boarding came soon and they settled in for the flight back to Jersey. Amanda turned in her chair and snuggled against Jon’s shoulder, feeling a bit sleepy. He found himself leaning against her for just a few minutes to feel her warmth.
They were woken by a flight attendant about twenty minutes out of Jersey. Looking at Amanda in surprise, Jon told her he almost never slept on planes.
Her smile was warm at his surprise. “We were pretty busy, I’m not surprised we slept.”
Gathering their carryon bag and assorted belongings, they left the plane and were directed to a car Jon had arranged. Their bags arrived quickly and soon they were in the back of the car on the way to his house. He had seemed to be deep in thought for the last few minutes and suddenly turned to Amanda.
“Hey, I was thinking that since I haven’t seen the kids for a few days we could stop by there on the way after I call Dot.” He knew he had been leaving her out since Christmas and wanted to stop that immediately. She nodded her agreement.
Jon called. “Hey Dot, how are you?”
“Good, Jon. Where are you?”
“Just got back from Tahoe. I was hoping to stop by with Amanda and see the kids. Is this too short a notice?”
“No, we just finished dinner. It’s fine with me. Your mom’s here, by the way.” Jon could hear the warning in Dot’s voice after all the years they had spent together.
“Thanks for the heads up. Hope you’ve been listening to your gut instead of my mother.” Jon’s voice also cued Dot into the fact that he was less than pleased with his mom.
“Yeah, I’ve been listening to my own intuition a lot more these days.” Dot’s voice a little sad as she still continued to wonder what Maryann might caused or at least aided.
“Okay, we’ll see you all in about twenty minutes then. Thanks, Dot.” Jon hung up his cell.
~~~
They were soon pulling into the gated drive where Dot, Eric, and the kids lived. Getting out of the car, Jon saw the door open and a small figure racing to his side. He swung his second youngest son, Jake, up into his arms.
“Hey big guy! How’s my boy?” He hugged the six year old to him as Jake wrapped his arms around his father’s neck. He then felt a smaller tackle around his legs as Romeo grabbed his dad. Jon managed to also get Romeo into his arms, but knew that soon the two boys would reach a size where he wouldn’t be able to do that. Jake was almost there by himself as he would be seven soon.
A beautiful young woman walked out of the house then and smiling at Amanda, moved to her father. Jon put the boys down and took Stephanie into his arms.
“My god, sweetheart, you get more beautiful every day!”
A teenage groan of “Dad!” met their ears, but she hugged her father as tightly as the younger boys has done.
“Jesse’s still at practice, dad. He’s gonna be pissed he missed you!”
Jon gave a fatherly scowl at her use of the word “pissed”, but she just grinned at him with his own smirk. Shaking his head, he gave up. He was sure the kids had at times heard him use worse.
“Hey everybody, you remember Amanda, from Christmas? She was here with us for lunch with her mom?” Three sets of Bongiovi eyes turned to her and Stephanie and Jake said ‘Hi Amanda’, while Romeo managed a ‘Hi Manda’.
Her smile for his children was full of warmth. “Hi ya’ll, it’s so good to see you again!”
Jon led Amanda inside, following his children. Dot was just coming from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel.
“Hi there!” Her smile was warm, if a bit guarded. “I see you three found your daddy!”
Romeo piped up. “Manda’s here too, momma!”
“I know, sweetie. Hi Amanda.”
“Hi again, Dorothea, thanks for having us stop by.”
Eric popped his head out of the den. “Hey everybody!”
Jon and Amanda turned to Eric. “Hey Eric, how ya doin’ man?” Jon’s voice was congenial and completely normal sounding as he shook the other man’s hand.
“Pretty good, Jon, thanks.” Eric’s smile was genuine as he was very aware of the changes taking place in his fiancé’s ex-husband.
Dot’s voice was heard then. “Go visit with your dad, guys, while Amanda and I go put on some coffee.”
“Sure mom,” they answered and Jon was swept away to hear all the latest triumphs and traumas of the three.
Amanda followed Dot into the kitchen, knowing the woman had something to say to her.
So now I'm curious what Dot wants to discuss with Amanda. I hope Jon's mum is nicer this time!
Back to reality! Bring Richie back Sun :D! We miss him!
Arwen
I wonder what Dot will say to Amanda? I hope Jon talks to his Mom before she says anything mean to Amanda. Once again, great story. Thank you!
I really liked the way you described the kids' reactions upon seeing Jon and how they interacted-you did such a great job conveying the easy comfort they have with each other as well as the warmth and affection I imagine exists. Glad to see all the tensions dissipating too as everyone moves on and accepts the changes in one another's lives. Great job!
Wonder what Dorothea wants to talk to Amanda about?