The room phone wake up call came at 7:00 the next morning and Jon snatched it up. He turned and looked at Amanda, and did a double take, it was worse than he had feared. The entire left side of her face had a handprint bruise on it. Jon’s hand reached out and hovered over the area, not touching her, but with his hand above the bruise he could see how large the hand was that had hit her. Her face was still extremely swollen. He shook her gently to wake her and she groaned as her sore muscles responded to her movements.
“Come on, baby, get in the shower and loosen up your muscles.” Jon urged her to follow him into the bathroom. He heard a gasp from behind him as she saw her face in the mirror.
“Oh my god!” Leaning closer to the mirror, her eyes widened as she had not expected this.
“I know, Manda,” he said gently, “…come on, get in the shower and at least the rest of you will hurt less.”
He gave her a few minutes alone while the water warmed and then joined her, washing her tenderly, take special care of her upper and lower back areas. She washed her hair and gently washed her face. She could feel the swelling and had seen the bruising.
“Jon, how am I going to go out in public? There’s not enough make-up in the world to hide this.”
“Manda, you didn’t do anything wrong. We’re not going to act like we’re hiding something that wasn’t your fault.”
She shook her head, but nodded. “Okay, but…damn!”
~~~
Richie and the other four were already at the table in the restaurant. He had given the other men a heads up as to what had happened the night before, but when Jon and Amanda entered the dining room the others were still not prepared for what they saw. Four mouths dropped open and then a string of low cursing growls came out in at least three different languages.
Tico jumped up immediately to pull out a chair for Amanda.
“Caro, are you okay?” he asked in a concerned voice.
David and Hugh were both too stunned to speak yet and Richie shook his head in astonishment. He had known she would be bruised, but not this badly. She sat down a bit gingerly in deference to her other injuries and although she tried to make light of it, none of the men were fooled.
Amanda held up her hands as she looked at the wide-eyed men so carefully studying her face.
“I’m okay, guys. It’s sore and swollen, but I’ll live. Just don’t make me laugh, okay?”
She tried her half grin again but pain was evident in her eyes. None of the men felt like laughing.
Jon excused himself for a moment to place a call to the doctor. He explained that he wanted some pain medication for Amanda and would send someone to pick it up. The doctor agreed and Jon asked the front desk to send someone to the doctor. He wanted to have it for her before their breakfast was over. Upon returning, the front desk sent their runner into the restaurant and Jon paid and tipped the man. He asked her to take two as the doctor had prescribed.
“Honey, I know you’re sore as hell. I could see it this morning. Please take these.” She gave a small grateful smile and took the pain pills.
As it was getting close to 10:30 and their press conference was at 11:00, the men made to move to the lobby and the car. Amanda turned to Jon.
“I’d like to stay here if you don’t mind.”
He nodded at her. He could understand that she didn’t want to be stared at.
“Sure, babe, we should be back in about two hours.” She kissed him softly.
“Go to work, Bongiovi!”
~~~
The men were subdued on the way to meet the press. David finally spoke.
“How fuckin’ big was the guy who hit her?”
Jon gritted his teeth and taking a quick glance at his own hand, answered, “she said at least six six.”
Hugh whistled softly. “Damn! She looks like a tree hit her!”
The men were filled with a myriad of emotions as the silent car arrived at the press conference. The Irish press was a bit more diplomatic than the English, but Jon was having trouble shaking his foul mood and when asked again if he had any marriage plans with his current girlfriend, he almost broke his own vow.
“No, I have no plans for marriage, although I am in a committed relationship.”
His teeth were gritted as he spoke and only a low throat clearing from Richie brought him back to where he needed to be at this time. They answered the usual questions they had been asked ten thousand times before. Jon’s thoughts continued to be with Amanda. Getting antsy, he was more than happy when the press conference came to an end. Finishing at close to 12:10 as they ran a little over, Jon was the first one out to the car. The others hurried to catch up and with minimal talk they headed back to the hotel.
Amanda had definitely stayed inside the entire time the men were gone. She knew what her face looked like and she kept applying the ice packs, hoping to get the bruising to go away faster. She had no idea what she would do tomorrow night at the concert. She intended to stay behind stage this time though and as much out of sight as possible.
The pain pills made her feel a little sleepy and a little spacey. She tried watching some television, but her eyes refused to focus. It seemed she must have dozed off as the next thing she knew she felt someone sit beside her on the bed. Opening her eyes she saw Jon and behind him the other four men. She blinked groggily at them.
“How did it go?” She asked.
“Fine,” Jon’s voice was quick. “How are you?”
“Good, pills seem to have made me a little sleepy though.”
Sitting up, looking at the still sour faces of the men, she chuckled softly.
“Guys, I’m okay, stop scowling at me!”
Watching them attempt to change their faces at her request was one of the funnier things Amanda had ever seen. She rolled her eyes at them.
“Not happening, huh?”
Looking at her carefully, Hugh mumbled, “I think it’s darker.”
They moved closer to her and seemed to surround her on the bed. Amanda felt her breath begin to quicken and her eyes got wide as she suddenly pushed herself up and off the bed, away from the circle of men. She backed clear across the room before she knew what she had done. She stood there looking at them, trying to calm her breathing down.
Richie and Jon exchanged looks with the other three men and then they looked at her.
“Darlin’, what’s wrong?” Richie asked.
“I…I don’t think…all around me…last night…don’t do that, okay?”
“Last night those men had you in a circle, right? And you felt trapped and scared?” Jon asked her, trying to clarify her reaction of a few moments ago.
Nodding at him gratefully, she breathed out. “Yes, that’s it…when you all moved around me…I’m sorry, I know none of you would hurt me, it was just…”
They nodded at her as one group, understanding that she had been a little panicky at being surrounded again, even by them. Deciding that she needed a few minutes, they slowly went their separate ways. With Tico leading, they each gave her a kiss on her uninjured cheek and said they would see her later. She smiled at them, already calming down and feeling a bit embarrassed at her reaction. She turned to the other two to see Jon glance at Richie, who nodded back. He would stay with them.
Amanda asked them, “So what are you guys doing today?”
“Dublin castle.” Jon replied.
Her face turned wistful at that. “A castle? A real castle?”
They nodded at her. “How soon can you be ready, darlin’?” Richie asked.
“What? I can’t go out like this.” She gaped at him.
Jon shook his head. “Sure you can. Wear your hair down…we’ll give you a hat…you’ll wear sunglasses.” His grin got bigger, “You can play rock star for a day.”
With quite a bit of coaxing they got her into her ‘disguise’, as she really wanted to see a castle. She tried some heavy make-up, but that only made it look worse, so she wore the big sunglasses, a hat, and left her hair down to try to hide that side of her face.
Grumbling at herself in the mirror, they heard, “How come you guys look good in this stuff?”
Laughing at her, they both responded, “Because we ARE rock stars!”
“Come on, baby, get in the shower and loosen up your muscles.” Jon urged her to follow him into the bathroom. He heard a gasp from behind him as she saw her face in the mirror.
“Oh my god!” Leaning closer to the mirror, her eyes widened as she had not expected this.
“I know, Manda,” he said gently, “…come on, get in the shower and at least the rest of you will hurt less.”
He gave her a few minutes alone while the water warmed and then joined her, washing her tenderly, take special care of her upper and lower back areas. She washed her hair and gently washed her face. She could feel the swelling and had seen the bruising.
“Jon, how am I going to go out in public? There’s not enough make-up in the world to hide this.”
“Manda, you didn’t do anything wrong. We’re not going to act like we’re hiding something that wasn’t your fault.”
She shook her head, but nodded. “Okay, but…damn!”
~~~
Richie and the other four were already at the table in the restaurant. He had given the other men a heads up as to what had happened the night before, but when Jon and Amanda entered the dining room the others were still not prepared for what they saw. Four mouths dropped open and then a string of low cursing growls came out in at least three different languages.
Tico jumped up immediately to pull out a chair for Amanda.
“Caro, are you okay?” he asked in a concerned voice.
David and Hugh were both too stunned to speak yet and Richie shook his head in astonishment. He had known she would be bruised, but not this badly. She sat down a bit gingerly in deference to her other injuries and although she tried to make light of it, none of the men were fooled.
Amanda held up her hands as she looked at the wide-eyed men so carefully studying her face.
“I’m okay, guys. It’s sore and swollen, but I’ll live. Just don’t make me laugh, okay?”
She tried her half grin again but pain was evident in her eyes. None of the men felt like laughing.
Jon excused himself for a moment to place a call to the doctor. He explained that he wanted some pain medication for Amanda and would send someone to pick it up. The doctor agreed and Jon asked the front desk to send someone to the doctor. He wanted to have it for her before their breakfast was over. Upon returning, the front desk sent their runner into the restaurant and Jon paid and tipped the man. He asked her to take two as the doctor had prescribed.
“Honey, I know you’re sore as hell. I could see it this morning. Please take these.” She gave a small grateful smile and took the pain pills.
As it was getting close to 10:30 and their press conference was at 11:00, the men made to move to the lobby and the car. Amanda turned to Jon.
“I’d like to stay here if you don’t mind.”
He nodded at her. He could understand that she didn’t want to be stared at.
“Sure, babe, we should be back in about two hours.” She kissed him softly.
“Go to work, Bongiovi!”
~~~
The men were subdued on the way to meet the press. David finally spoke.
“How fuckin’ big was the guy who hit her?”
Jon gritted his teeth and taking a quick glance at his own hand, answered, “she said at least six six.”
Hugh whistled softly. “Damn! She looks like a tree hit her!”
The men were filled with a myriad of emotions as the silent car arrived at the press conference. The Irish press was a bit more diplomatic than the English, but Jon was having trouble shaking his foul mood and when asked again if he had any marriage plans with his current girlfriend, he almost broke his own vow.
“No, I have no plans for marriage, although I am in a committed relationship.”
His teeth were gritted as he spoke and only a low throat clearing from Richie brought him back to where he needed to be at this time. They answered the usual questions they had been asked ten thousand times before. Jon’s thoughts continued to be with Amanda. Getting antsy, he was more than happy when the press conference came to an end. Finishing at close to 12:10 as they ran a little over, Jon was the first one out to the car. The others hurried to catch up and with minimal talk they headed back to the hotel.
Amanda had definitely stayed inside the entire time the men were gone. She knew what her face looked like and she kept applying the ice packs, hoping to get the bruising to go away faster. She had no idea what she would do tomorrow night at the concert. She intended to stay behind stage this time though and as much out of sight as possible.
The pain pills made her feel a little sleepy and a little spacey. She tried watching some television, but her eyes refused to focus. It seemed she must have dozed off as the next thing she knew she felt someone sit beside her on the bed. Opening her eyes she saw Jon and behind him the other four men. She blinked groggily at them.
“How did it go?” She asked.
“Fine,” Jon’s voice was quick. “How are you?”
“Good, pills seem to have made me a little sleepy though.”
Sitting up, looking at the still sour faces of the men, she chuckled softly.
“Guys, I’m okay, stop scowling at me!”
Watching them attempt to change their faces at her request was one of the funnier things Amanda had ever seen. She rolled her eyes at them.
“Not happening, huh?”
Looking at her carefully, Hugh mumbled, “I think it’s darker.”
They moved closer to her and seemed to surround her on the bed. Amanda felt her breath begin to quicken and her eyes got wide as she suddenly pushed herself up and off the bed, away from the circle of men. She backed clear across the room before she knew what she had done. She stood there looking at them, trying to calm her breathing down.
Richie and Jon exchanged looks with the other three men and then they looked at her.
“Darlin’, what’s wrong?” Richie asked.
“I…I don’t think…all around me…last night…don’t do that, okay?”
“Last night those men had you in a circle, right? And you felt trapped and scared?” Jon asked her, trying to clarify her reaction of a few moments ago.
Nodding at him gratefully, she breathed out. “Yes, that’s it…when you all moved around me…I’m sorry, I know none of you would hurt me, it was just…”
They nodded at her as one group, understanding that she had been a little panicky at being surrounded again, even by them. Deciding that she needed a few minutes, they slowly went their separate ways. With Tico leading, they each gave her a kiss on her uninjured cheek and said they would see her later. She smiled at them, already calming down and feeling a bit embarrassed at her reaction. She turned to the other two to see Jon glance at Richie, who nodded back. He would stay with them.
Amanda asked them, “So what are you guys doing today?”
“Dublin castle.” Jon replied.
Her face turned wistful at that. “A castle? A real castle?”
They nodded at her. “How soon can you be ready, darlin’?” Richie asked.
“What? I can’t go out like this.” She gaped at him.
Jon shook his head. “Sure you can. Wear your hair down…we’ll give you a hat…you’ll wear sunglasses.” His grin got bigger, “You can play rock star for a day.”
With quite a bit of coaxing they got her into her ‘disguise’, as she really wanted to see a castle. She tried some heavy make-up, but that only made it look worse, so she wore the big sunglasses, a hat, and left her hair down to try to hide that side of her face.
Grumbling at herself in the mirror, they heard, “How come you guys look good in this stuff?”
Laughing at her, they both responded, “Because we ARE rock stars!”
Her voice trailed off as she replied thoughtfully, “Oh yeah…”
Poor Amanda.
Let's hope Dublin Castle goes well for her...
I could feel her pain...That's gotta hurt...
Tell me Jon will find Sean...
Well done hon..I'm in love with this story!
I agree with Shelly, I am in love with this story, too!
Thank you for your wonderful story, which I am addicted to!!
Looking forward to the next chapter (and to them finding Sean...)
Linda
Another great chapter as always. I liked how Amanda flashed back to the circle, the bruises always heal a hell of a lot faster than the trauma.
It's like Amanda has 4 big brothers who all love her! Love they way you write how they are all concerned about her.
onto the castle with prince- charming!
Amanda's so cute & feisty - I can see why all the guys would like her.
I laughed out loud at the thought of the guys cursing in 3 different languages when they saw her bruised face!
I have finally caught up with this story and I gotta say; it's fantastic!
You are such a prolific writer.
You take the reader into the story and we identify with the characters.
Keep it coming!
Lets hope the paps leave them alone while they are visiting the castle.