Riding to Jon’s home with Richie playing chauffer, Jon and Amanda couldn’t seem to stop holding hands and grinning truly silly grins at each other. Seeing them through the rear view mirror, Richie couldn’t stop rolling his eyes. Amanda went immediately to change as she was still in her evening gown from the night before. Jon nodded at Richie that he wanted to talk.
Moving into the study, Jon shut the door. He turned to his friend.
“How close did I come to losing her?”
“Bro’, you did lose her, you’re just lucky she loves you enough to give you another chance. What I don’t understand is why you let doubts and what your mother said stop you from seeing what was right in front of your eyes.”
“I’m still not sure, but she and I really talked last night and I told her shit I haven’t told anybody…some of it you don’t even know.” He looked at Richie.
“Hey man, I’m not your keeper, but when I see you screwing up that badly, well…I had to step in.”
“You have no idea how grateful I am you did. I can’t believe how close I came to losing her.” Jon shook his head in bewilderment.
“Jon! Listen to me very carefully. You DID lose her…she was gone…don’t think it was just a close call because then you may take her for granted again. Do you understand me?” Richie’s voice was harsh and demanding. He wanted Jon to actually hear him and not interpret what he was saying in his own way.
“If I hadn’t seen the room key in her purse, she would have said she was leaving and been gone. She wouldn’t have come back here for her things and that would have been it.”
Slowing nodding his head, Jon acknowledged what Richie was saying to him. He also heard again in his head what Tico had said last night when he thought it was over. “That woman was the rest of your life.”
~~~
Amanda changed into casual clothes, amazed she was back here in this house and that the Jon she loved had returned to her. She didn’t know exactly what Richie had done to help him, but she valued her friendship with the tall dark-haired man even more. Returning downstairs, starting coffee, she waited for them to exit the study as she saw the door was closed. In a few minutes both men appeared in the kitchen.
Grinning at them, she finally laughed out loud. “Did you smell the coffee all the way in there?”
Taking her in his arms, Jon kissed her and said, “Nah, Richie was just finishing helping me get my head outta my ass!”
Amanda saw Richie nodding vigorously over Jon’s shoulder and she winked at him and smiled.
“So where are you two gonna go?”
Looking at Jon, Amanda told him he should suggest something as she had not traveled nearly as much as he had.
“Well, until Manda gets her passport we’re limited to the U.S., so…some place warm or some place cold?”
She had a thoughtful expression on her face. “I think some where cold. I get enough warm all year long.”
Jon looked at Richie. “Tahoe?” Then turned to Amanda. “Can you ski?”
Giggling, she answered yes, she could water ski.
“Not exactly the kind of skiing I was thinking about. Hmmm…hell, let’s go there anyway. It’s gorgeous and there are a lot of things to do other than ski.” He waggled eyebrows at her then and his heart lifted when she again gave her wonderful giggle.
“Rich, will you keep this lovely lady company while I go make some phone calls?”
“My pleasure man.”
Jon went off to make his calls and reservations.
Looking at Richie with tenderness in her eyes, Amanda blinked back a sudden tearing up.
“How can I ever thank you?”
“You’ve already done it. You’ve lost that look in your eyes that’s been there for the last several days and you’re laughing again.”
A serious tone entered his voice. “Amanda, don’t ever let him run roughshod over you. In some ways he’s had things just the way he wants them for way too long and he can get caught up in that. He’s human. Don’t ever let him think he can get away with treating you badly, okay?”
She nodded. “I understand what you’re saying. I had my own fears and doubts these past several days and was too afraid to say anything. That’s not the kind of relationship I had with Jeremy. When there was a problem, we talked it through. I won’t make that mistake again.”
“Good! That’s what I wanted to hear!” He gave her a quick hug and refilled his cup.
Jon returned to the kitchen. “I’ve got us a flight at six tonight if that works for you, a car waiting at the airport, and a small lodge reserved.”
She smiled at him. “You ARE efficient, aren’t you?”
He started to sputter a little until her smile widened and he realized she was teasing him.
As they were going to be leaving for a few days, Richie decided he would alternate between Jon’s house and his mother’s.
“I love my mom, but sometimes she forgets how old I am!” He groused good-naturedly.
“Maybe that’s because you are just a big kid at heart!” A flush lightly lit his cheeks at Amanda’s teasing.
“Yeah, yeah, I know it, but I still want to see her as much as possible.”
Turning to Jon, Richie asked, “Have you told Manda about England yet?”
“No dammit!” He swiped at Richie. “I wanted it to be a surprise!”
With wide eyes, she asked him, “England?”
“Yeah, the band will be playing some concerts there and two other countries and that’s why I wanted you to get your passport as soon as possible.” He looked at her gently. “You’ll go with me, won’t you?”
Her eyes filled with love as she gazed at him, at the man with whom she had fallen in love, who had returned to her.
“Yes. I would love to go with you.”
Moving into the study, Jon shut the door. He turned to his friend.
“How close did I come to losing her?”
“Bro’, you did lose her, you’re just lucky she loves you enough to give you another chance. What I don’t understand is why you let doubts and what your mother said stop you from seeing what was right in front of your eyes.”
“I’m still not sure, but she and I really talked last night and I told her shit I haven’t told anybody…some of it you don’t even know.” He looked at Richie.
“Hey man, I’m not your keeper, but when I see you screwing up that badly, well…I had to step in.”
“You have no idea how grateful I am you did. I can’t believe how close I came to losing her.” Jon shook his head in bewilderment.
“Jon! Listen to me very carefully. You DID lose her…she was gone…don’t think it was just a close call because then you may take her for granted again. Do you understand me?” Richie’s voice was harsh and demanding. He wanted Jon to actually hear him and not interpret what he was saying in his own way.
“If I hadn’t seen the room key in her purse, she would have said she was leaving and been gone. She wouldn’t have come back here for her things and that would have been it.”
Slowing nodding his head, Jon acknowledged what Richie was saying to him. He also heard again in his head what Tico had said last night when he thought it was over. “That woman was the rest of your life.”
~~~
Amanda changed into casual clothes, amazed she was back here in this house and that the Jon she loved had returned to her. She didn’t know exactly what Richie had done to help him, but she valued her friendship with the tall dark-haired man even more. Returning downstairs, starting coffee, she waited for them to exit the study as she saw the door was closed. In a few minutes both men appeared in the kitchen.
Grinning at them, she finally laughed out loud. “Did you smell the coffee all the way in there?”
Taking her in his arms, Jon kissed her and said, “Nah, Richie was just finishing helping me get my head outta my ass!”
Amanda saw Richie nodding vigorously over Jon’s shoulder and she winked at him and smiled.
“So where are you two gonna go?”
Looking at Jon, Amanda told him he should suggest something as she had not traveled nearly as much as he had.
“Well, until Manda gets her passport we’re limited to the U.S., so…some place warm or some place cold?”
She had a thoughtful expression on her face. “I think some where cold. I get enough warm all year long.”
Jon looked at Richie. “Tahoe?” Then turned to Amanda. “Can you ski?”
Giggling, she answered yes, she could water ski.
“Not exactly the kind of skiing I was thinking about. Hmmm…hell, let’s go there anyway. It’s gorgeous and there are a lot of things to do other than ski.” He waggled eyebrows at her then and his heart lifted when she again gave her wonderful giggle.
“Rich, will you keep this lovely lady company while I go make some phone calls?”
“My pleasure man.”
Jon went off to make his calls and reservations.
Looking at Richie with tenderness in her eyes, Amanda blinked back a sudden tearing up.
“How can I ever thank you?”
“You’ve already done it. You’ve lost that look in your eyes that’s been there for the last several days and you’re laughing again.”
A serious tone entered his voice. “Amanda, don’t ever let him run roughshod over you. In some ways he’s had things just the way he wants them for way too long and he can get caught up in that. He’s human. Don’t ever let him think he can get away with treating you badly, okay?”
She nodded. “I understand what you’re saying. I had my own fears and doubts these past several days and was too afraid to say anything. That’s not the kind of relationship I had with Jeremy. When there was a problem, we talked it through. I won’t make that mistake again.”
“Good! That’s what I wanted to hear!” He gave her a quick hug and refilled his cup.
Jon returned to the kitchen. “I’ve got us a flight at six tonight if that works for you, a car waiting at the airport, and a small lodge reserved.”
She smiled at him. “You ARE efficient, aren’t you?”
He started to sputter a little until her smile widened and he realized she was teasing him.
As they were going to be leaving for a few days, Richie decided he would alternate between Jon’s house and his mother’s.
“I love my mom, but sometimes she forgets how old I am!” He groused good-naturedly.
“Maybe that’s because you are just a big kid at heart!” A flush lightly lit his cheeks at Amanda’s teasing.
“Yeah, yeah, I know it, but I still want to see her as much as possible.”
Turning to Jon, Richie asked, “Have you told Manda about England yet?”
“No dammit!” He swiped at Richie. “I wanted it to be a surprise!”
With wide eyes, she asked him, “England?”
“Yeah, the band will be playing some concerts there and two other countries and that’s why I wanted you to get your passport as soon as possible.” He looked at her gently. “You’ll go with me, won’t you?”
Her eyes filled with love as she gazed at him, at the man with whom she had fallen in love, who had returned to her.
“Yes. I would love to go with you.”
Richie saw this and realized that Jon had reached some epiphany last night and whatever old fears were riding him seemed to be gone, or at least buried again, hopefully with a stake through their hearts. A part of him did wonder though how Jon would deal with his mother and what had almost happened.
Richie saw this and realized that Jon had reached some epiphany last night and whatever old fears were riding him seemed to be gone, or at least buried again, hopefully with a stake through their hearts.
I loved the way you phrased that-all of it! An epiphany is the perfect word and just exactly what Jon needed. I also loved the stake through the heart comment-what better way to say "bury the shit"! I'm also really glad to see Jon and Amanda back on solid footing and I'm looking forward to their mini-vacation as it means a vicarious mini-vacation for me too! Hehehe
I like the way Jon thinks when it comes to vacations lol. Now that Richie has effectively removed Jons head from his ass I hope Jon remembers to talk to Amanda if something is bothering him. Please bury those DARK VOICES as well, since all they do is cause trouble.