Richie took a good look at Amanda. Her eyes were sparkling, the smile had returned to her face, and she looked so happy. It was an amazing change from how she was towards New Year’s.
“You look gorgeous, babe, life agreeing with you?”
“Really great, Richie, we talked so much! It was so beautiful there, although in truth I completely stink at skiing!”
Laughing a bit at her chagrin, he quipped, “And exactly how much snow does Florida get every year?”
She grinned at him. “Okay, okay, point taken.” Looking at him a bit closer, she could see his relaxation and ease. “I’m guessing you’re feeling better too?” Her reference to Jennifer, his previous girlfriend, was implied.
“Yeah, gonna try to stay away from the ones like Jennifer. But I am getting damn tired of being alone, babe.” Richie’s voice echoed his loneliness and Amanda wished again that Richie would find someone who deserved him. He wanted off that subject and encouraged her to continue telling him about the trip.
In talking more about her time in Tahoe she told him about getting bush-whacked by the reporter and Jon’s response to that. He agreed that her ‘no comment’ was about the best she thing she could have done.
“If you lash out at them, they manage to make you look worse than you are, even if they deserved it. It’s so much better to give them nothing to work with.”
“I just felt stupid, Rich. I got completely blind-sided by his approach, but I did learn to be more wary in the future.”
Richie grimaced at her, knowing she had no real idea of what was coming in her life being with Jon. “Honey, will you take some advice from me?”
She looked at him in astonishment. “Of course!”
“Jon is a really public figure and this is bound to happen again and again the more you are a part of his life. You saw all the shit they wrote about me and Heather and then Denise, right?”
She nodded sadly, “Yes, I’m sorry, Richie, but it was unavoidable.”
“Don’t apologize, it was everywhere, but most of it was what they made up. Doesn’t make it hurt any less, but just remember who you are and what is true and try not to let those vultures get to you, okay?”
“I will and I appreciate your advice.”
Grinning at him now, she asked, “So what’s for dinner?”
Hands on hips, he looked down at her. “Oh no, that winsome smile is not going to work for me. Dinner is a surprise, you only need to know it’s fish.”
Throwing up her hands in defeat, she added, “Okay, okay, I’ll wait.”
Jon came back into the kitchen then, freshly showed, hair slicked back.
“Damn man! Smells good in here!” He turned to Amanda. “You get the menu out of him yet?”
“Nope, he won’t tell me.” She pouted, pushing her lower lip out.
Richie laughed throatily. “Okay, the lip pout ALMOST worked, but you’re still gonna have to wait!”
Amanda set the table while Jon made small talk with Richie. Soon the smells coming from the kitchen had their mouths watering and when Richie made his presentation, Amanda smiled hugely.
“Oh my god! Fresh sea bass almandine? Damn! I should have asked for two meals!”
They attacked the food, starting with the salad, working their way through the main course with murmurs of appreciation and lots of “yummy” sounds. Richie was thrilled with their appreciation of his cooking as he really did love to do this. It was always nice to have his efforts valued and he knew they did.
~~~
Amanda made the after dinner coffee and Jon brought up what Dot has asked him about her upcoming wedding. This was also the first time Amanda had heard this information and she waited to see what had been decided.
“So, she wants you to come to her wedding, huh? You okay with that?” Richie’s concern based on Jon’s behavior during the past year was justified.
“Yeah, I want to show her my support, especially with regard to the kids, and Eric actually is a decent guy. She wants Amanda to come to.”
Amanda swung around, hearing her name. “She does?”
Jon laughed at her expression. “Yeah, honey, Dot likes you and knows we’re together. She’s not expecting that to change before her wedding.”
“When is the wedding?”
“January 31st, at six in the evening. I told her she should go for the whole works this time and she is. Dress, flowers, reception, everything…she deserves that.” His voice lowered at the end of that sentence.
Richie, knowing that Jon and Dot had married in Vegas without the usual ceremonial accompaniments, nodded at him.
“You’re right, man, this needs to be different for her. She needs it to be the start of a new life for her, but…you okay with that?”
Jon nodded. “Yeah, although truthfully without this lady here…” he gestured towards Amanda, “I probably would be an even bigger shit that I have been.”
Amanda narrowed her eyes at him a little. “Jon, I can’t be the excuse you use not to acknowledge how you feel about Dot getting remarried.”
He smiled at her. “That’s not what I mean, baby, I mean you’ve made me realize that I can be happy for someone else even though it does hurt on some level.”
“Good! If you didn’t feel something about her getting remarried I would think less of you.”
Richie watched this exchange with fascination. Amanda was changing, becoming more of a partner to Jon, calling him on what she felt needed to be clarified. He was glad she had stopped being afraid, as she had told him during that awful Christmas week, and was moving more into a relationship with Jon. He was anxious to see what the next several weeks would bring as they had a good deal of traveling coming up.
“Hey Jon, I was wondering, we’ve got all those trips coming up. What about Amanda?” Richie was also going to cut to the chase when needed.
Jon actually blushed lightly as he had not yet told Amanda what he had done. He glared at Richie, knowing his friend was egging him on.
“Uh, well, I, uh, hired her.” He threw this out into the room, wincing in anticipation of Amanda’s response.
She looked at him, her eyes as wide as they could get.
“You HIRED me? As what, for Christ’s sake? A fluffer?” She was sputtering now, astonished that he had done this without discussing it with her.
Both men dropped their jaws so fast she swore she could hear them hit the table. They had no idea she knew what that term meant and the fact that she threw it out at Jon had him gaping at her and Richie starting to roll with laughter. Jon heard his friend’s laugh and couldn’t help himself. Both men roared, pounding the table, tears finally running down their cheeks.
As for Amanda, she stood there glaring at them both now, hands on her hips, waiting for an explanation. Every time Jon tried to explain he thought about what she had said and saw her standing there with that look on her face and he lost it again. Richie was not helping at all as he could not stop laughing no matter what he did. In fact, he didn’t even try. He wasn’t the one who had to explain this. How the hell does she know what the person who gets a porno star ready for the camera is called? He shook his head, glad he wasn’t in the explaining position. Richie had over the years seen enough and heard enough to know that a “fluffer” was the person who orally prepared the male star for his “scenes” and to hear this term out of Amanda was making him laugh harder than he had in a while.
Finally managing to control himself enough to put more than two words together, Jon explained.
“I needed to hurry your passport application, honey, so I said you were another assistant. Otherwise it could have taken as much as eight weeks and we don’t have that kind of time.”
Her irritation lessened at his explanation and she finally looked a little chagrined herself.
“Sorry, you just caught me off guard with that one. I probably should have been told FIRST. What do ya think, Jon?”
“Yeah, I should have told you. Hey babe, I told you I’m starting to learn this stuff. I am gonna slip up on occasion.”
Richie was still chuckling at the exchange he had just heard. Both turned to him. Amanda’s voice was glacial.
“Richard! Enough!”
He managed to speak then, choking out, “Sorry, honey, it’s just…fluffer…holy shit!” Jon started laughing again at that too and even Amanda giggled.
“You look gorgeous, babe, life agreeing with you?”
“Really great, Richie, we talked so much! It was so beautiful there, although in truth I completely stink at skiing!”
Laughing a bit at her chagrin, he quipped, “And exactly how much snow does Florida get every year?”
She grinned at him. “Okay, okay, point taken.” Looking at him a bit closer, she could see his relaxation and ease. “I’m guessing you’re feeling better too?” Her reference to Jennifer, his previous girlfriend, was implied.
“Yeah, gonna try to stay away from the ones like Jennifer. But I am getting damn tired of being alone, babe.” Richie’s voice echoed his loneliness and Amanda wished again that Richie would find someone who deserved him. He wanted off that subject and encouraged her to continue telling him about the trip.
In talking more about her time in Tahoe she told him about getting bush-whacked by the reporter and Jon’s response to that. He agreed that her ‘no comment’ was about the best she thing she could have done.
“If you lash out at them, they manage to make you look worse than you are, even if they deserved it. It’s so much better to give them nothing to work with.”
“I just felt stupid, Rich. I got completely blind-sided by his approach, but I did learn to be more wary in the future.”
Richie grimaced at her, knowing she had no real idea of what was coming in her life being with Jon. “Honey, will you take some advice from me?”
She looked at him in astonishment. “Of course!”
“Jon is a really public figure and this is bound to happen again and again the more you are a part of his life. You saw all the shit they wrote about me and Heather and then Denise, right?”
She nodded sadly, “Yes, I’m sorry, Richie, but it was unavoidable.”
“Don’t apologize, it was everywhere, but most of it was what they made up. Doesn’t make it hurt any less, but just remember who you are and what is true and try not to let those vultures get to you, okay?”
“I will and I appreciate your advice.”
Grinning at him now, she asked, “So what’s for dinner?”
Hands on hips, he looked down at her. “Oh no, that winsome smile is not going to work for me. Dinner is a surprise, you only need to know it’s fish.”
Throwing up her hands in defeat, she added, “Okay, okay, I’ll wait.”
Jon came back into the kitchen then, freshly showed, hair slicked back.
“Damn man! Smells good in here!” He turned to Amanda. “You get the menu out of him yet?”
“Nope, he won’t tell me.” She pouted, pushing her lower lip out.
Richie laughed throatily. “Okay, the lip pout ALMOST worked, but you’re still gonna have to wait!”
Amanda set the table while Jon made small talk with Richie. Soon the smells coming from the kitchen had their mouths watering and when Richie made his presentation, Amanda smiled hugely.
“Oh my god! Fresh sea bass almandine? Damn! I should have asked for two meals!”
They attacked the food, starting with the salad, working their way through the main course with murmurs of appreciation and lots of “yummy” sounds. Richie was thrilled with their appreciation of his cooking as he really did love to do this. It was always nice to have his efforts valued and he knew they did.
~~~
Amanda made the after dinner coffee and Jon brought up what Dot has asked him about her upcoming wedding. This was also the first time Amanda had heard this information and she waited to see what had been decided.
“So, she wants you to come to her wedding, huh? You okay with that?” Richie’s concern based on Jon’s behavior during the past year was justified.
“Yeah, I want to show her my support, especially with regard to the kids, and Eric actually is a decent guy. She wants Amanda to come to.”
Amanda swung around, hearing her name. “She does?”
Jon laughed at her expression. “Yeah, honey, Dot likes you and knows we’re together. She’s not expecting that to change before her wedding.”
“When is the wedding?”
“January 31st, at six in the evening. I told her she should go for the whole works this time and she is. Dress, flowers, reception, everything…she deserves that.” His voice lowered at the end of that sentence.
Richie, knowing that Jon and Dot had married in Vegas without the usual ceremonial accompaniments, nodded at him.
“You’re right, man, this needs to be different for her. She needs it to be the start of a new life for her, but…you okay with that?”
Jon nodded. “Yeah, although truthfully without this lady here…” he gestured towards Amanda, “I probably would be an even bigger shit that I have been.”
Amanda narrowed her eyes at him a little. “Jon, I can’t be the excuse you use not to acknowledge how you feel about Dot getting remarried.”
He smiled at her. “That’s not what I mean, baby, I mean you’ve made me realize that I can be happy for someone else even though it does hurt on some level.”
“Good! If you didn’t feel something about her getting remarried I would think less of you.”
Richie watched this exchange with fascination. Amanda was changing, becoming more of a partner to Jon, calling him on what she felt needed to be clarified. He was glad she had stopped being afraid, as she had told him during that awful Christmas week, and was moving more into a relationship with Jon. He was anxious to see what the next several weeks would bring as they had a good deal of traveling coming up.
“Hey Jon, I was wondering, we’ve got all those trips coming up. What about Amanda?” Richie was also going to cut to the chase when needed.
Jon actually blushed lightly as he had not yet told Amanda what he had done. He glared at Richie, knowing his friend was egging him on.
“Uh, well, I, uh, hired her.” He threw this out into the room, wincing in anticipation of Amanda’s response.
She looked at him, her eyes as wide as they could get.
“You HIRED me? As what, for Christ’s sake? A fluffer?” She was sputtering now, astonished that he had done this without discussing it with her.
Both men dropped their jaws so fast she swore she could hear them hit the table. They had no idea she knew what that term meant and the fact that she threw it out at Jon had him gaping at her and Richie starting to roll with laughter. Jon heard his friend’s laugh and couldn’t help himself. Both men roared, pounding the table, tears finally running down their cheeks.
As for Amanda, she stood there glaring at them both now, hands on her hips, waiting for an explanation. Every time Jon tried to explain he thought about what she had said and saw her standing there with that look on her face and he lost it again. Richie was not helping at all as he could not stop laughing no matter what he did. In fact, he didn’t even try. He wasn’t the one who had to explain this. How the hell does she know what the person who gets a porno star ready for the camera is called? He shook his head, glad he wasn’t in the explaining position. Richie had over the years seen enough and heard enough to know that a “fluffer” was the person who orally prepared the male star for his “scenes” and to hear this term out of Amanda was making him laugh harder than he had in a while.
Finally managing to control himself enough to put more than two words together, Jon explained.
“I needed to hurry your passport application, honey, so I said you were another assistant. Otherwise it could have taken as much as eight weeks and we don’t have that kind of time.”
Her irritation lessened at his explanation and she finally looked a little chagrined herself.
“Sorry, you just caught me off guard with that one. I probably should have been told FIRST. What do ya think, Jon?”
“Yeah, I should have told you. Hey babe, I told you I’m starting to learn this stuff. I am gonna slip up on occasion.”
Richie was still chuckling at the exchange he had just heard. Both turned to him. Amanda’s voice was glacial.
“Richard! Enough!”
He managed to speak then, choking out, “Sorry, honey, it’s just…fluffer…holy shit!” Jon started laughing again at that too and even Amanda giggled.
“I’m gonna have to surprise the two of you more often. You should have seen your faces!”
Love it! A fluffer? Well, damn, Amanda is far more worldly than me! And just how did she know wht that was, hehehe? Glad she finally got one on the guys for a change!
I didn't know what that was.
Honest!
But just the image of those two losing it enough to make me do the same!
I didn't know either, so glad you clarified it in the story!
You describe scenes in your story so well. I had that image in my mind of Richie and Jon laughing, good job!
lol Amanda as Jon's personal fluffer..what is the world coming too. This chapter was full of laughter and good times. Loved it. Oh and anytime Richie feels like cooking I am available. Just saying lol.