The Sauna Part 154

The morning hadn’t started off well, but I hoped maybe I could salvage the day with something positive. Now that we had groceries, I decided to make us a late breakfast. Jon was hungry and I needed something concrete to do while he tended to some business affairs. I made us both omelettes with ham and cheese and bagels with cream cheese and we sat down to eat.

I didn’t have much appetite, but the coffee helped and I picked at the rest while Jon finished off what I didn’t want. We straightened up the house and Jon found places for my paintings we’d brought from my house. The storm had blown over and Jon wanted to call the kids and see if they’d be around for a visit. We decided we’d go out for dinner afterwards.

Stephanie wouldn’t be home and Jesse would be late as he had an after school practice, but Jakey and Romeo would be available. I was uncomfortable visiting with the kids in what was now Dot’s home and I doubted that the two younger boys would miss me, so Jon agreed to drop me off shopping while he went to see the kids.

We stopped at the same plaza where Rick and I had gone while we waited for Jon to talk to Dot and the kids about us, back in the very beginning. It had only been a few months ago, but it seemed like another lifetime. I decided I would try the store where I found my first evening dress as I still had a rather limited wardrobe in that area. I knew I’d need something for the retirement party for Jon’s mother at the end of the month and who knew what other events there were planned.

The same woman who’d assisted me earlier was there again and she smiled when I walked in, but she was busy helping another customer so I decided to browse by myself and see what caught my eye. I wanted something in dark green velvet that wouldn’t be too flashy and might do double duty around the holidays. Most of the cocktail dresses were relatively short and that just wasn’t my style.

I browsed through the selections, but I didn’t see anything like I had in mind. I did find a simple, sleeveless black cocktail dress that I thought I would likely have a use for, and an attractive gray dress that I thought would look rather nice with one of Jon’s suits and decided to try them on. Even if I didn’t wear them right away, it couldn’t hurt to have a few evening dresses.

The woman who’d waited on me previously was free now and she made her way over towards me. I handed her the two dresses I’d tried, deciding I might as well get them now, and described what I was looking for in green. She put her fingers to her lips and paused, trying to think what might fit the bill. She led me to an area I’d missed with holiday items and held up a very skimpy green dress with sequins and brocade, but I shook my head.

“Wait, I know just the thing!” she beamed as she led me towards a window at the side of the store.

The mannequin was wearing a deep green velvet dress with a longish skirt with a high slit at the side and the design was elegant, yet tasteful. One shoulder was bare, while the other was sculpted with a long sleeve and a slightly squared neckline. It was a beautiful dress, but I wondered if it wasn’t just a bit too much. The last thing I wanted was something that would upstage Jon’s mother.

“Try it on and see how it looks first and I’ll see if I can’t find a wrap or a shawl that might tone it down a bit” she encouraged.

She had it off the mannequin before I could object and I decided there was no harm in trying it. There was nothing else that I saw that came nearly as close and it looked like the size would fit, not to mention it was on sale and the last one they had left. I went in the dressing room and began to undress, wishing that Jon was there for me to model it. The dress fit like a glove and with the exception of the rather high slit on one side, it was fairly conservative.

There was a knock on the door and I opened it and the saleswoman nodded her approval. I stepped out of the dressing room and looked in the larger three-way mirror and I had to admit it was indeed flattering. She held up a soft, cashmere wrap in snow white for my inspection that was neither frumpy nor too showy and I loved it immediately. Even if I decided later to go with something more conservative, I had no doubt I’d find an opportunity to wear it.

I browsed around a bit more until I noticed there was a lingerie section. I wasn’t particularly interested in the bras or panties, having little use for those items, but what caught my attention was an aqua colored dressing gown with a floral design. It was made from a very light fabric imported from Japan and fashioned after the style of a full length kimono. It reminded me of something I’d owned once, years ago, and it took my breath away. I added it to my purchases without even trying it on, knowing it would fit perfectly.

I left my bags at the store as they were rather sizeable now and I had nowhere to put them while I continued to shop, killing time until Jon came to pick me up. I really didn’t need anything special, but I had seen a Barnes & Nobles in the plaza and I could always find plenty to look at in a bookstore. I hoped I might see something for Jon for Christmas. The time passed quickly and I was startled when the cell phone rang.

“Are you getting hungry yet?” Jon asked and I realized it was later than I’d thought.

“I’m not starving, but I could eat. I didn’t realize it was almost eight o’clock” I replied.

“I know. I’m sorry it’s so late, I just realized it myself when Dot reminded me it was time for Romeo to get ready for bed. I’m leaving now and I should be there in about twenty minutes” he apologized.

“Not a problem. I lose track of time in a bookstore. I’ll meet you right near where you dropped me off as I need to go and collect my bags at the dress shop. Do you think Jesse would like a leather sketchbook for Christmas?” I wondered, fingering the tooled cover.

“Yeah, I’m sure he’d like that. Go ahead and get it and I’ll be there shortly. I love you, wife” he said in a deeper voice.

“I love you too, husband” I smiled.

I took the sketchbook to the register to check out along with a leather journal I had picked out for Jon. I wasn’t sure if he’d use it or not, but I thought he might want to use it for writing songs instead or even just ideas for some in the future. It was small enough that he could tuck it into a carry on bag when he was traveling.

I picked up the dresses and waited nearby inside a little café to keep warm as the wind had picked up and it was getting colder. There was no snow, but I guessed there might be a storm on the way and the coffee I ordered hit the spot. Jon arrived just after eight and grinned when he saw me with an armful of shopping bags.

“So, you managed to find a few things?” he asked, trying to peek in the bags.

“I’ll show you when we get home. You never know, there might be something in there for you” I warned as I slapped his hand.

“You bought me a present?” he said excitedly.

“It’s for Christmas, though, so you’ll have to wait” I explained as I moved the bag out of his reach.

“Wait? I don’t like waiting” he pouted.

“Tough. Rock star or not, you’ll have to wait until Christmas Eve!” I teased back.

“Okay, okay. What are you in the mood to eat for dinner?” he asked, accepting my conditions.

“Mexican! My favorite” I announced, suddenly craving something spicy.

“Awwww, and I thought Italian was your favorite” he pouted again, making duck lips.

“Only when it comes to a certain sausage” I smirked.

“I know a decent place that’s on the way home” he agreed, satisfied that his sausage was still my favorite.

We talked about the visit with the kids and Jon seemed happy. Jesse came home early and Stephanie decided to stick around to see him too. He told them all about Richie and Elaine, but didn’t share any of his feelings about it.

“Dot knew I wasn’t pleased, though. She could read my face and I told her afterwards what you and I were worried about” he confided.

“What did she think?” I wondered, not entirely thrilled that he and Dot were quite so close.

“She thinks Richie is impulsive and never trusts his judgment, but I think we’d all agree that this was a bad decision” he explained.

We arrived at the restaurant and ordered our dinner while we munched on tortilla chips and salsa. The place wasn’t crowded and we had a fairly private table near the back. No one seemed to recognize Jon and I was glad for the anonymity.

“So, where are we going for our mini vacation?” I asked, curious since we were planning to leave in a day or two and Jon hadn’t breathed a word about the plans.

“It’s a surprise, darlin’, but I’ve got it all planned out. We’ll leave the day after tomorrow if you think the cats will be okay now. Rick agreed to come and stay at our place for a couple weeks so they won’t be all alone” he beamed.

“Oh, Jon, that’s perfect! How did you manage to talk him into that?” I wondered after seeing Rick’s reaction to the initial chaos.

“Rick likes animals and he didn’t have any special plans, so he was an easy sell. And he figured it would give him a break from me for a while before the holiday shows” he grinned.

“Can you give me a hint? I won’t even know what to pack” I asked, trying to get an idea of what he had planned.

“I know I’m gonna regret this, but bring a little of everything. Warm, cool, casual and fancy. Definitely bring jeans and a bathing suit. But let’s shoot for just a couple suitcases, okay, babe? Anything else we can buy as we go” he said, taking a deep breath.

“You really aren’t going to give me a clue, are you?” I smiled, thinking he’d actually rather trust me to pack whatever I wanted rather than divulge the secret.

“Nope, not a clue. You’ll just have to trust me. But I’ll tell you this much-it’ll just be you and me and no family, no press and no band-just us. That’s a promise” he said mysteriously.

I didn’t care where we went as long as I was with Jon and the thought of two weeks without having to share him with another soul sounded too good to be true. I could keep my packing to a minimum in exchange for such a treat.

“I wish we could leave tomorrow! The thought of having you all to myself for two weeks…” I replied, imagining the possibilities while I licked my lips.

“We could pretend we’re leaving tonight” Jon suggested as he flashed me that megawatt smile.

The waiter brought our food just as I felt Jon’s hand on my thigh. I blushed as I placed my hand over his and murmured a soft ‘thank you’ as he placed our meals in front of us. Jon continued grinning wickedly, but he was hungry for more than just me.

“Save room for dessert” he whispered before turning his attention to his dinner.

When we arrived home, the cats were mewing for their dinner and we realized that their bowls were empty. Jon had adapted quite well to our furry charges and immediately began filling their bowls while I got them fresh water. I smiled as I saw him sneak a handful of food to Beowulf so she wouldn’t have to try and jockey for position with the boys. I wrapped my arms around his waist and kissed the back of his neck.

“I love you” I whispered.

Jon turned and kissed me passionately as he scooped me into his arms and carried me into the bedroom. He laid me down gently on the bed and began to unbutton my jeans while I pulled his sweatshirt over his head. We were naked and entwined in each other’s arms before the cats had even finished their supper.

“Make love to me, Jon” I pleaded, suddenly needing to drown myself in his strength.

I’d been feeling blue all day after the news about Richie and Elaine and I needed to blot out the memory of the phone call this morning. I couldn’t seem to shake the sense of foreboding I felt and I needed to put it out of my mind. If anything could make me forget, it was the feel of Jon’s body next to mine.

I sought his lips desperately, needing to drink from his well. He seemed to sense how much I needed him tonight and he loved me with all he had to give. Perhaps he needed comfort too as there was an air of urgency about our lovemaking. We devoured each other as our bodies meshed, yielding rhythmically to each other.

“I need you, baby” he whispered hoarsely.

“I’m here, Jon, I’m here” I answered.

The tenseness gave way as our climax erupted; washing away all the heaviness we’d been carrying. The sadness and guilt left me as my tears streamed forth like a cleansing rain. I felt whole again, having renewed myself in his love and the strength it gave me. We both laughed then, like children discovering the joy to be found in a puddle after a thunderstorm.

“There is nothing I can’t face as long as you’re by my side” I concluded.

“I’ll always be here for you, my lady, my love. Always” he assured me, sealing his oath with a kiss.

“And I’ll be here whenever you need me” I promised as I held him close, cradling his head on my chest.

We both knew there were storm clouds in the offing. Neither of us knew what was coming, but we sensed that the future was about to grow dark. This vacation would be our last chance to enjoy the sun before we faced the challenges that lay ahead. But for now we took comfort in the knowledge that we’d face whatever the Gods had in store for us together.