The Sauna Part 93

The heavy rain had stopped now, but it was still damp and wet, so we decided to just stay home. Jon made a fire in the living room and he and Richie tweaked some songs they’d been working on while I did laundry and tidied up the house. I also called my boss to tell her my plans to resign. She was disappointed, but not really surprised.

By mid-afternoon the rain had begun again and I decided it was a good day to cook. I sent Jon to the store for some supplies while Richie, accompanied by Zeke, decided to take a nap. Jon returned with a bag full of groceries and we unpacked it together and I reviewed the menu for tonight. I might not excel at baking, but I could cook. Besides, it was Richie’s last night with us and I wanted to do something special. And I thought that Jon looked rather adorable in an apron.

He actually seemed to enjoy helping me in the kitchen, and he was quite willing to apply himself to the tasks I gave him. Together we prepared a veritable autumn feast of spiced squash soup, carmelized apple and onion pork tenderloin and sweet potato pancakes. We even baked a loaf of pumpkin bread and Jon made a salad entirely on his own after having been taught proper technique by Richie a week ago.

By six o’clock everything was nearly ready and Richie was up from his nap. He roared at the sight of Jon in an apron and swore because he didn’t have a camera to capture the moment. We sat down to eat and cracked open a bottle of especially good wine and enjoyed a leisurely dinner together for the last time. Afterwards, we moved to the living room and then relaxed in front of the fireplace while Richie shared his plans to visit Elaine as soon as he could clear his calendar and get away.

“I’m thinking I can be in Scotland in about two weeks, as soon as this last court date with Heather is over. It’s a done deal, really, but I still need to be there. But then I’ll really be a free man” Richie said resignedly.

“Hey man, why don’t you plan to stop here on your way and stay a few days before you head on to see Elaine?” Jon suggested.

“You mean you both aren’t sick of me yet?” Richie joked.

“Richie, it’s been wonderful having you here and we’re really going to miss you more than you know. And not to mention your little buddy” I said affectionately, nodding towards the sleeping cat by his feet.

“Awww, but he’ll have Jon when I’m gone” Richie chuckled, leaning down to scratch Zeke’s head, and Jon made a face.

It was getting late and I did have to work the next morning, so I said goodnight to the guys before making my way towards the bedroom. I gave Richie a big hug and thanked him for all his help while he was here. I was really glad he’d been here for the Handfasting and I could hardly imagine an event so important as that without Richie. I kissed Jon goodnight, leaving the two of them to share the last of the wine.

“So Trish is gonna quit her job to take care of you, huh? You’re a lucky son of a bitch, man” Richie said, shaking his head.

“Yeah, I know it, bro. Believe me, I know it and I couldn’t be more pleased. But what about you and Elaine? You’re pretty serious then?”

“It’s a little early to say for sure, but I’m hoping. We’ve got a lot in common, actually, and I really enjoyed being with her. What do you think? Can you see us together?” Richie asked, looking serious.

“She’s not your usual type, Richie, but as far as I’m concerned that’s a plus in my book. But I don’t know; she seems pretty reserved for you. Maybe that’s a good thing, maybe not, I don’t know. I saw the look on her face when that guy from the press approached us. Do you think she can handle it?”

“I wondered about that myself. I don’t know either, but you know it was kinda cool not to have someone trying to steal the show for a change.”

They both laughed, thinking of Denise especially, but it described Heather pretty accurately too. Richie drained the last of his wine and stood up and Zeke stretched and stood up too.

“I think I’m gonna get some sleep, man, and you’ve got somebody waiting for you. Why are you wasting your time hanging out with me?” Richie grinned at Jon.

“You’re right about that. ’Night, bro” Jon said as he closed the doors on the fireplace before coming to bed.

I was fast asleep when Jon finally came to bed. He slipped between the sheets carefully, trying not to wake me, but when he tried to slip his arms around me a startled Eddie bolted from under the covers and I woke up.

“I’m sorry, babe. I didn’t mean to wake you, but I didn’t realize there was a furry devil under the covers” he chuckled softly, wondering if he’d ever get used to living with cats.

“It’s okay, love. C’mere” I said, reaching for him.

He snuggled up close to me and I laid my head on his chest, listening to the wind howling outside. Eddie returned, recovering from his pique, and settled down above Jon’s head. Soon I was sound asleep again, lulled back by the warmth and comfort of Jon’s sturdy body next to mine and the soft sound of a cat purring contentedly just above me.

Jon was still awake though, unable to sleep but unwilling to wake me when he knew I had to be up in the morning. He idly stroked my arm, draped across his chest, and thought about the future.

Another month. Another month and it’ll be great! No more worries about having to be up early because Trish has to work or wondering how we can live a normal life like a normal couple. No more long separations every time there was a tour in progress. We could go wherever we want, whenever we want and when the next tour started, we could still be together. We could even move to Jersey. Jon smiled to himself as he thought of all the ways he would be able to integrate me into his life.

His reverie was interrupted suddenly when Eddie smacked him in the head. Eddie merely wanted Jon to lift up the covers so he could crawl under and snuggle, but his gesture accomplished more than it intended. Jon abruptly remembered that I had a life and a routine, just like him, as well as my own “family” in Buffalo and that quitting my job didn’t necessarily mean I was ready to give up my entire life.

Jon checked himself mentally for being so self-centered. I really have to watch that, he told himself. It was one thing to expect the band to fall in line and follow his lead, but I was different. He thought back to several situations and there was no denying that I was just as comfortable and familiar with being in charge as he was, and often times just as stubborn.

He smiled to himself again, remembering the excitement he felt when even lovemaking reflected the struggle for power. He could trade control back and forth now and then, and that was fine, as long as he had the upper hand most of the time. I can let her have control sometimes, he thought, arrogantly grinning to himself again, believing himself to be quite charitable. What he didn’t realize was that giving someone control was not the same thing as sharing it. But there’d be plenty of opportunities for me to teach him that lesson.

Jon drifted off to sleep, content in his mind that soon I would be devoted to him without any interference from competing demands. After all, every ship needs a captain and he was perfectly suited to the task. The faintest trace of a smile remained on his lips as he kissed my head possessively, satisfied that soon the world would seem familiar again.