It had turned out to be a late night as there were a number of fabulous clubs in Munich. Heike had suggested a couple and we weren’t content until we’d tried every one and I was feeling no pain by the time we made it back to the hotel. The guys had all bought me a drink to celebrate my birthday and I’d never forget being serenaded by the five of them. In fact, it was the only time I’d ever heard Jon sing off key, but it made it all that more memorable!
Richie had been a perfect gentleman the entire night. He enjoyed dancing and talking with Heike, but he took it no farther as he began to see her as more like a little sister than anything else. Heike, for her part, began to see Richie as something just short of a God and her admiration was evident whenever she looked at him and she hung on every word that he said. The relationship seemed good for them both-each made the other feel special and I had a strange sense that somehow they both needed each other.
We’d laughed and we’d drank until the wee hours and it was growing light when we staggered back into the hotel. The limo had dropped Heike off at her apartment and the rest of us made our way to our rooms, glad that we had the day off. We all agreed to skip breakfast and the guys would meet up for lunch, but Jon and I would be spending the day alone together and we’d join the guys the following day at the next venue. Jon had some special plans, but I wasn’t sure what and he wasn’t telling.
We woke later than usual after such a late night and Jon was anxious to begin celebrating my actual birthday. I was curious to know what he had in mind so we showered quickly and checked out of the hotel, taking some coffee to go, and hopped into the waiting limo. We stopped at a little café on the way for a light lunch and we replenished our coffees before heading on towards our destination. We arrived in Berchtesgaden just before three o’clock and Jon grinned as we pulled up to the spa resort in the mountains.
“This is gorgeous! You booked us into a spa? This is fantastic! Oh Jon, you’re spoiling me and I love it!” I gushed.
“Just wait ’till you see what I have planned…” he said promisingly.
We hurried inside and gave our names to the front desk and we were soon welcomed by the concierge. I gathered from the conversation that Jon had already planned out our stay as we were escorted to our suite after a brief tour of the facilities. Once we were alone in the room, I hugged Jon to thank him and motioned him towards the bed.
“Baby, I’d love to, but we don’t actually have time. I booked us a special spa treatment package and we need to be down there in less than an hour” he advised, checking his watch. “We’ve got just enough time for a quick cup of coffee and to change into our robes.”
There was a knock at the door just as he finished explaining and we were treated to a fresh pot of coffee and an appealing collection of chocolate éclairs. I poured the coffee while Jon got undressed and grabbed two plush, terrycloth robes that were furnished by the spa for our use. I slipped off my clothes and stepped into the thick, cotton robe he was holding as his lips brushed softly along the side of my neck.
I turned in his arms and he kissed me while his hands strayed to my hips and he drew me close, pressing his rising desire against me. He fought back his impulse and pulled away, shaking his head with a groan as he tied the belt at my waist and settled for a miniature éclair instead. I followed his example, and while it was good, it did little to satisfy the hunger we both felt at that moment. Nevertheless, we curbed our immediate appetites and ate a few more and when we were ready we made our way down to the spa.
We were led to a private treatment room where two massage tables had been prepared and we were greeted by a male and female attendant. The room was a deep shade of amber and it glowed warmly in the light from a dozen or so candles that were scattered about. We undressed and laid down, side by side, and Jon took my hand and kissed it.
“I think you’re really gonna like this” he whispered.
I relaxed and closed my eyes as I let myself soak in the atmosphere. Soft music, blended with the sounds of nature, filled my ears and I felt strong hands beginning to knead the muscles in my shoulders with a warm, fragrant substance. I sighed deeply and smiled, enjoying the chance to be pampered.
“What is that?” I wondered aloud as I inhaled a familiar aroma and Jon started to chuckle.
I opened my eyes and turned my head sideways, looking at Jon for an answer. His expression was one of amusement and his eyes sparkled with mirth.
“Should I tell her or let her guess?” my attendant asked him.
“Nah, go ahead and tell her. I’m dying here” he instructed as he tried to control the laughter that was threatening to erupt.
“Okay, somebody let me in on the secret!” I pleaded.
“When we asked your husband what your favorite scent was so that we could customize your experience, he told us he couldn’t think of anything you liked more than the smell of fresh coffee. So this particular treatment uses cocoa butter, dark coffee grains, espresso truffle oils and a little whipped cream and chocolate just for good measure” my masseuse explained. “It’s actually our most popular package.”
Jon was laughing so hard now that his masseuse had to pause while he tried to contain himself. I was speechless myself as I met his gaze and I stared at him in astonishment. I would never have guessed that my favorite addiction could have been fashioned into a spa treatment. Leave it to Jon!
“You know me too well!” I laughed as I slapped at his arm.
“And just think, now that I’ll smell like coffee too, I’ll be completely irresistable!” he cackled with glee.
I rolled my eyes and buried my head into the pillow. He was incorrigble. I must have been blushing from my head to my toes and I was sure that our attendants were having a good chuckle as well. The luxurious feel of the the silky massage and the heavenly aroma of my favorite substance was intoxicating and I felt my arousal steadily growing. Now I had even more of a reason to crave Jon, as if the sight of him lying there naked on the next table wasn’t already enough!
I raised my head and looked over at his muscular form and my mouth watered in anticipation. I watched as his masseuse applied firmer pressure, working her way down his back to the hard mounds of his perfect ass. She added more oil and he stretched languidly and I wondered how many women would have paid money to have her job on a day like today. Jon opened his eyes and he saw me watching him, a sensuous smile on my face. He gave me his own wicked smirk and I leered back, letting him know I intended to show him just how irresistable he really was, with or without the added enhancement!
**************
After we’d finished our “treatments”, we wasted no time as we raced for the elevator and willed it to move faster. Jon placed my hand under his robe and I wrapped my fingers around his thickening shaft, stroking him to the point where he begged me to stop.
“Babe, I’ll bend you over and take you right now if you keep that up” he growled, pinching my nipple in retaliation.
I giggled, but I heeded the warning as I wanted more than a quickie myself and I buried my tongue in his ear instead. Jon started hitting the button for our floor in a frantic attempt to hurry the elevator, but it only made me laugh harder. When the bell finally dinged, he fastened his robe and pulled me along down the hall as we glanced furtively around to make sure that no one had seen us in our current condition.
He fumbled with getting the card in the door while I slid my hand up his thigh and squeezed that firm little ass, chortling with brazen delight.
“Fuck!” he yelled, dropping the card as I startled him.
“That’s my intention if you’d just open the door” I said sweetly.
He shot me a look, but got the card in the slot, and we both grinned like idiots when we heard the lock click. He opened the door and we tumbled into the room, nearly tripping over each other in our haste to finally consummate the day’s foreplay.
Jon roughly ripped open my robe, his eyes glittering with lust as he drank in the sight of my quivering body. My skin was flushed and my chest was heaving as I panted with wanting to feel him inside me. I met his eyes and my breath hitched in my throat as I saw the raw hunger he had to possess me.
“Take me, Jon” I whispered hotly, my need now overwhelming.
His self-restraint vanished and he took me with savage abandon, and I responded with reckless release. We devoured each other with such ferocity that it nearly consumed us and when we were finished we could barely speak.
“Happy Birthday, baby” Jon murmured tenderly and we both fell sound asleep.
Friday, August 29, 2008
The Sauna Part 241
The crowd loved the acoustic set that the guys played and you could have heard a pin drop when Richie pulled out his mandolin and played ‘The Battle of Evermore’. Jon had exited the stage to change clothes and I handed him a clean shirt and a towel while I stood spellbound watching Richie. Jon placed his arm around my waist as together we smiled when the song ended with a clamour of thunderous applause.
The final set had the crowd on their feet and I danced along on the side with a few members of the crew. Jon was on fire and we were all swept away with his magic no matter how many times we had seen the same numbers. The final encore ended the performance and the houselights went up and a happy but sweaty Jon bounded off stage in my direction.
“You were amazing” I said sincerely for what felt like the millionth time and he grinned.
“A little inspiration goes a long way” he teased as he toyed with the laces of my halter again.
“Stop that!” I laughed, swatting his arm playfully while he made duck lips at me.
I kissed him soundly as we made our way off the stage and the rest of the guys joined us in the back room where there were cold drinks and an assortment of cheeses, meats and breads in true German fashion. Jon downed a large glass of beer, quenching his thirst and whetting his appetite for another. He refilled his glass and held it up to toast all the guys for a great show.
“I could almost give up wine permanently for this stuff” he pronounced as he swallowed again.
“So where are we going to party?’ he nudged Richie who’d caught up with Heike as soon as the encore had ended.
“Any suggestions, doll?” he asked for her input.
“I know this great club…” she began when my cell phone rang and I was jarred back to reality.
“It’s Rick” I said in a hushed voice as I answered the call.
“Hi Trish, it’s Rick. Is Jon there with you or is he still on stage?” he asked first.
“He’s right here with me-they just finished. Tell me what happened” I asked frantically.
“You can relax now; the rat bastard’s in jail. Cherie’s okay, but he slapped her before we got in the house, but it’s all over now and you’d have been proud of her. She pressed charges and they hauled him away. Wanna talk to her yourself?” he suggested.
I quickly relayed what Rick had said and Jon nodded as I heard Cherie’s voice on the phone. She didn’t sound like herself, but it had been quite a night, and I wasn’t surprised to hear the strain in her voice. She told me what happened, at least as far as she knew, since she still wasn’t clear how Dave got the bloody lip and neither Rick or Jared had been forthcoming about that.
“Trish, I pressed charges this time. And I mean it, I’m really done. He didn’t even seem glad to see me, he just started yelling as soon as he knew I was there and I never even got to explain a thing. He accused me of being unfaithful, but he doesn’t actually know about Jim. Oh Trish, I felt so ashamed, but you know, he hasn’t changed and I don’t think he wants to. I should have listened to you all along” she continued, barely breathing as the words poured forth in a rush.
“It’s okay, Cher, it’s okay. I know you had to see for yourself. I’m just glad that you’re safe now” I said, trying to soothe her agitation.
“I’m so glad you didn’t listen to me and sent a bodyguard anyway. I don’t know what he’d have done if it weren’t for Jon’s men” she went on.
“Cherie, I did listen and I tried to respect your wishes. We had Rick and Jared watching Dave the whole time, not you. I just didn’t trust Dave” I explained.
“Well, whatever, but I’m glad that you did. And I’m grateful. Tell Jon for me too, okay?” she asked.
“She wants to thank you” I said as I handed the phone to Jon.
“Cherie? Are you okay? Good. I’m just glad they were there too and that you’re safe” he said smiling.
“Rick wants to talk to you too” she said as she handed the phone to him.
“Jon? Yeah, everything’s under control here. Do you want me to stick around? I wanna make sure he doesn’t make bail and then start harassing her, you know?” Rick explained.
“Stick around until you’re sure all is well, man, or leave Jared. Trish wants to talk to Cherie again” he said, giving the phone back to me.
“Cher, Rick’s gonna stay with you, or maybe Jared, for a while until we’re certain that Dave is no longer a threat. You’ll need to get the Order of Protection and will you please now go and get an advocate and a counselor? They’ll go with you to court and they’ll help you learn how to stay safe, okay?” I pleaded, hoping she’d listen this time.
“Okay, okay. I won’t argue anymore. I could really use someone to talk to and I know it’s not fair to keep dumping on you” she agreed.
“Cherie, you’re my best friend. I’ll always be there for you, but an advocate can help you in ways that I can’t and you need a counselor who can be more objective than me. But you can always call me, is that clear?” I insisted.
“Yep, I got it. Thanks Trish. I love you, you know. And I miss you” she said, starting to cry.
“I miss you too, Cher, and I love you and I’ll see you soon. And don’t forget about Jim-he’s there for you too. Will you call him right now and tell him what happened? He’s been worried sick, you know” I reminded her.
“I was planning to call him as soon as we hung up. Thanks again and tell Jon again too, okay?” she said, sounding calmer.
“I will. Call Jim. Bye Cher” I said finally as I hung up.
“You’ll see her again soon? What does that mean, babe? You’re not leaving yet, are you?” Jon said with a worried expression.
“No, love, not right away. But eventually I have to go home” I reminded him.
“I know, but not yet. Please?” he asked me again.
“Not just yet” I promised, dreading the inevitable separation again myself.
We turned our attention to Richie and Heike who’d moved off to discuss plans for the evening with the rest of the guys. I still wanted to go out, even if only for a little while, as we now had a reason to celebrate. Cherie was safe now and Dave was where he belonged, and besides, I would be forty-five in less than an hour.
The final set had the crowd on their feet and I danced along on the side with a few members of the crew. Jon was on fire and we were all swept away with his magic no matter how many times we had seen the same numbers. The final encore ended the performance and the houselights went up and a happy but sweaty Jon bounded off stage in my direction.
“You were amazing” I said sincerely for what felt like the millionth time and he grinned.
“A little inspiration goes a long way” he teased as he toyed with the laces of my halter again.
“Stop that!” I laughed, swatting his arm playfully while he made duck lips at me.
I kissed him soundly as we made our way off the stage and the rest of the guys joined us in the back room where there were cold drinks and an assortment of cheeses, meats and breads in true German fashion. Jon downed a large glass of beer, quenching his thirst and whetting his appetite for another. He refilled his glass and held it up to toast all the guys for a great show.
“I could almost give up wine permanently for this stuff” he pronounced as he swallowed again.
“So where are we going to party?’ he nudged Richie who’d caught up with Heike as soon as the encore had ended.
“Any suggestions, doll?” he asked for her input.
“I know this great club…” she began when my cell phone rang and I was jarred back to reality.
“It’s Rick” I said in a hushed voice as I answered the call.
“Hi Trish, it’s Rick. Is Jon there with you or is he still on stage?” he asked first.
“He’s right here with me-they just finished. Tell me what happened” I asked frantically.
“You can relax now; the rat bastard’s in jail. Cherie’s okay, but he slapped her before we got in the house, but it’s all over now and you’d have been proud of her. She pressed charges and they hauled him away. Wanna talk to her yourself?” he suggested.
I quickly relayed what Rick had said and Jon nodded as I heard Cherie’s voice on the phone. She didn’t sound like herself, but it had been quite a night, and I wasn’t surprised to hear the strain in her voice. She told me what happened, at least as far as she knew, since she still wasn’t clear how Dave got the bloody lip and neither Rick or Jared had been forthcoming about that.
“Trish, I pressed charges this time. And I mean it, I’m really done. He didn’t even seem glad to see me, he just started yelling as soon as he knew I was there and I never even got to explain a thing. He accused me of being unfaithful, but he doesn’t actually know about Jim. Oh Trish, I felt so ashamed, but you know, he hasn’t changed and I don’t think he wants to. I should have listened to you all along” she continued, barely breathing as the words poured forth in a rush.
“It’s okay, Cher, it’s okay. I know you had to see for yourself. I’m just glad that you’re safe now” I said, trying to soothe her agitation.
“I’m so glad you didn’t listen to me and sent a bodyguard anyway. I don’t know what he’d have done if it weren’t for Jon’s men” she went on.
“Cherie, I did listen and I tried to respect your wishes. We had Rick and Jared watching Dave the whole time, not you. I just didn’t trust Dave” I explained.
“Well, whatever, but I’m glad that you did. And I’m grateful. Tell Jon for me too, okay?” she asked.
“She wants to thank you” I said as I handed the phone to Jon.
“Cherie? Are you okay? Good. I’m just glad they were there too and that you’re safe” he said smiling.
“Rick wants to talk to you too” she said as she handed the phone to him.
“Jon? Yeah, everything’s under control here. Do you want me to stick around? I wanna make sure he doesn’t make bail and then start harassing her, you know?” Rick explained.
“Stick around until you’re sure all is well, man, or leave Jared. Trish wants to talk to Cherie again” he said, giving the phone back to me.
“Cher, Rick’s gonna stay with you, or maybe Jared, for a while until we’re certain that Dave is no longer a threat. You’ll need to get the Order of Protection and will you please now go and get an advocate and a counselor? They’ll go with you to court and they’ll help you learn how to stay safe, okay?” I pleaded, hoping she’d listen this time.
“Okay, okay. I won’t argue anymore. I could really use someone to talk to and I know it’s not fair to keep dumping on you” she agreed.
“Cherie, you’re my best friend. I’ll always be there for you, but an advocate can help you in ways that I can’t and you need a counselor who can be more objective than me. But you can always call me, is that clear?” I insisted.
“Yep, I got it. Thanks Trish. I love you, you know. And I miss you” she said, starting to cry.
“I miss you too, Cher, and I love you and I’ll see you soon. And don’t forget about Jim-he’s there for you too. Will you call him right now and tell him what happened? He’s been worried sick, you know” I reminded her.
“I was planning to call him as soon as we hung up. Thanks again and tell Jon again too, okay?” she said, sounding calmer.
“I will. Call Jim. Bye Cher” I said finally as I hung up.
“You’ll see her again soon? What does that mean, babe? You’re not leaving yet, are you?” Jon said with a worried expression.
“No, love, not right away. But eventually I have to go home” I reminded him.
“I know, but not yet. Please?” he asked me again.
“Not just yet” I promised, dreading the inevitable separation again myself.
We turned our attention to Richie and Heike who’d moved off to discuss plans for the evening with the rest of the guys. I still wanted to go out, even if only for a little while, as we now had a reason to celebrate. Cherie was safe now and Dave was where he belonged, and besides, I would be forty-five in less than an hour.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
The Sauna Part 240
Our earlier escapades put Jon in the mellowest of moods and his performance reflected his considerably good humor. He talked to the audience and showed a softer side to his nature than was usual with such a large crowd, but his antics on stage lacked none of the energy he was known for. He scampered and cavorted down the catwalks as I watched from the side, entranced by his ability to keep an audience eating out of his hand.
I was suffused with a glow from my own warmth which had completely displaced the anxiety I’d felt earlier about Cherie and Dave. Jon had succeeded in making me completely forget what was occuring back home as I followed his every move with my eyes. He pulled Heike on stage and escorted her over to Richie who serenaded her with his guitar and she became his devoted fan from that night on. She might not have been that familiar with Bon Jovi this afternoon, but after tonight she’d never forget.
The tone of the evening was quite different in Buffalo as Cherie nervously waited for Dave to return home from work. Rick and Jared sat tensely in their car just down the street, anticipating his arrival as well. The two men were prepared to act quickly once he showed up and they planned to move in closer so they could better observe what was happening.
It was quarter to six when Dave’s car pulled in the driveway and he went into the house through the back door. He’d intended to make something to eat and then take a shower and he headed straight for the refrigerator and cracked open a beer. He hadn’t seen Cherie’s car which was still in Colorado since she’d decided to try flying rather than drive so far by herself.
“Dave?” she spoke softly as she walked from the living room to the kitchen and peered into the gloom.
Dave was startled and he spilled the beer he was drinking down the front of his shirt and choked as he swallowed.
“Shit! Cherie, you’re home!” he sputtered, finally grasping the situation.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you” she replied automatically.
“Of course you did! Why else would you be sitting there in the dark like you were hiding” he said, suddenly angry.
“I meant that I didn’t intend to startle you” she tried to explain.
“Where were you? Why didn’t you call me? Do you know what this has been like for me? I didn’t know if you were dead or alive” he lied, making her feel instantly ashamed.
“Dave, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worry. I just wasn’t ready to talk. I just needed …” she stammered, but he cut her off.
“It’s always all about you, isn’t it? You never think about anyone else” he hissed back, driving the guilt home.
Cherie felt herself tensing and beginning to cry. He was right, it was her own fault for leaving the way that she did and never returning his phone calls. It was no wonder he was so angry with her all the time; I am stupid and thoughtless she heard her mother’s voice echoing in her ears.
“Dave, please, let me explain…” she pleaded, but his temper was already escalating.
“I’m tired, Cherie. I’m sick of your games and I’m sick of having everything revolve around you and your needs. Maybe you’re ready to talk now, but what about me? Maybe I’m sick of trying to talk when you never listen” he spat.
“I’ll listen, Dave. I’m listening now” her voice faltered as she tried to hold back the tears, hoping to placate his wrath.
She felt just like she did when she was a little girl and her mother berated her for being so selfish. She could never please her mother and nothing she did was ever good enough or worthy of love. Her mother and Dave were always disappointed in her and she knew she had to try harder. She stepped forward a bit and reached out to hug him, but that only enraged him and he shook off her embrace and struck her.
“Don’t you fuckin’ touch me, you bitch! How do I know you haven’t been out whoring around?” he screamed in her face.
“Dave, please, don’t…” she wailed, backing away as she shrunk towards the wall.
Just then there was a knock on the door and Dave whirled around before he could strike her again.
“What the fuck? Is that your boyfriend?” he screeched, moving towards the door with a vengeance.
He picked up a knife that was lying on the kitchen counter and whipped open the door, brandishing the blade as he spoke.
“Who the fuck are you? What do you want?” he sneered menacingly at the two men on his doorstep.
Before he could say another word, Rick and Jared moved in, tackling him back against the wall as Rick grabbed his wrist.
“Drop the knife, buddy” Rick said evenly in a voice schooled with command.
“What? This is my house! Get the fuck out!” Dave shrieked, his voice full of fury.
Cherie had screamed, but now she was silent as she stood trembling, her eyes fixed on the scene she was witnessing. Her legs felt like lead and she felt paralyzed, frozen with fear. She didn’t recognize these two men who were holding her husband at bay and her eyes darted back and forth between the knife he was clutching and the wild look on his face.
“I said drop the knife” Rick reiterated as he slammed Dave’s hand into the wall repeatedly until he loosened his grip and the utensil clattered to the floor.
“Call the police” Jared said calmly to Cherie, still holding Dave who was struggling to free himself.
Cherie moved slowly, as if in a dream, as she obeyed the instruction without thinking while Dave hurled obscenities at her, still blaming her for his predicament. She heard the words dully, as if from a great distance, as she picked up the phone and dialed 911 before dropping the phone and collapsing into a heap on the floor.
Jared released his hold and bent to pick up the phone. Rick had Dave under control now that the weapon had been removed and Dave no longer struggled as he realized he was overpowered by the two strangers. Jared spoke calmly into the phone and gave the address of the house to the police after explaining what had happened as he knelt on the floor beside Cherie.
“She’s out cold” he said with a touch of surprise as he laid her head gently onto a towel he’d grabbed from the stove.
“Fuckin’ bitch” Dave snarled as he spat in her direction.
Rick lost his temper and punched Dave in the mouth and he slumped from the blow, a look of astonishment on his face as he looked into Rick’s steely eyes. A bit of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as Rick continued holding him up by his shirt and shook his head.
“That’s no way to treat a lady, you little bastard. Now shut the fuck up before I do it for you” Rick sneered.
The police sirens could be heard in the distance as Jared tried to revive Cherie with a cold washcloth he’d gotten from the sink. She started to cough as she opened her eyes and looked at the man who was holding her head in his lap. Her eyes were unfocused and darted back and forth like a frightened animal, trying to get a sense of what happened.
“It’s okay now, Cherie. He won’t hurt you, you’re safe. You passed out” Jared tried reassuring her.
“Who are you? How do you know my name?” she asked as she struggled to sit upright.
“My name is Jared and that’s Rick over there. We work for Jon and he and Trish called us and asked us to look out for you in case something happened” he said, answering her questions.
She looked over at Rick and he nodded and smiled. Dave remained silent but his eyes shone with rage and Cherie cringed as she saw the look on his face.
“It’s okay, you’re safe. He can’t hurt you again” Jared repeated, seeing her flinch under Dave’s menacing glare. “The police will be here in a few minutes.”
I was suffused with a glow from my own warmth which had completely displaced the anxiety I’d felt earlier about Cherie and Dave. Jon had succeeded in making me completely forget what was occuring back home as I followed his every move with my eyes. He pulled Heike on stage and escorted her over to Richie who serenaded her with his guitar and she became his devoted fan from that night on. She might not have been that familiar with Bon Jovi this afternoon, but after tonight she’d never forget.
The tone of the evening was quite different in Buffalo as Cherie nervously waited for Dave to return home from work. Rick and Jared sat tensely in their car just down the street, anticipating his arrival as well. The two men were prepared to act quickly once he showed up and they planned to move in closer so they could better observe what was happening.
It was quarter to six when Dave’s car pulled in the driveway and he went into the house through the back door. He’d intended to make something to eat and then take a shower and he headed straight for the refrigerator and cracked open a beer. He hadn’t seen Cherie’s car which was still in Colorado since she’d decided to try flying rather than drive so far by herself.
“Dave?” she spoke softly as she walked from the living room to the kitchen and peered into the gloom.
Dave was startled and he spilled the beer he was drinking down the front of his shirt and choked as he swallowed.
“Shit! Cherie, you’re home!” he sputtered, finally grasping the situation.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you” she replied automatically.
“Of course you did! Why else would you be sitting there in the dark like you were hiding” he said, suddenly angry.
“I meant that I didn’t intend to startle you” she tried to explain.
“Where were you? Why didn’t you call me? Do you know what this has been like for me? I didn’t know if you were dead or alive” he lied, making her feel instantly ashamed.
“Dave, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worry. I just wasn’t ready to talk. I just needed …” she stammered, but he cut her off.
“It’s always all about you, isn’t it? You never think about anyone else” he hissed back, driving the guilt home.
Cherie felt herself tensing and beginning to cry. He was right, it was her own fault for leaving the way that she did and never returning his phone calls. It was no wonder he was so angry with her all the time; I am stupid and thoughtless she heard her mother’s voice echoing in her ears.
“Dave, please, let me explain…” she pleaded, but his temper was already escalating.
“I’m tired, Cherie. I’m sick of your games and I’m sick of having everything revolve around you and your needs. Maybe you’re ready to talk now, but what about me? Maybe I’m sick of trying to talk when you never listen” he spat.
“I’ll listen, Dave. I’m listening now” her voice faltered as she tried to hold back the tears, hoping to placate his wrath.
She felt just like she did when she was a little girl and her mother berated her for being so selfish. She could never please her mother and nothing she did was ever good enough or worthy of love. Her mother and Dave were always disappointed in her and she knew she had to try harder. She stepped forward a bit and reached out to hug him, but that only enraged him and he shook off her embrace and struck her.
“Don’t you fuckin’ touch me, you bitch! How do I know you haven’t been out whoring around?” he screamed in her face.
“Dave, please, don’t…” she wailed, backing away as she shrunk towards the wall.
Just then there was a knock on the door and Dave whirled around before he could strike her again.
“What the fuck? Is that your boyfriend?” he screeched, moving towards the door with a vengeance.
He picked up a knife that was lying on the kitchen counter and whipped open the door, brandishing the blade as he spoke.
“Who the fuck are you? What do you want?” he sneered menacingly at the two men on his doorstep.
Before he could say another word, Rick and Jared moved in, tackling him back against the wall as Rick grabbed his wrist.
“Drop the knife, buddy” Rick said evenly in a voice schooled with command.
“What? This is my house! Get the fuck out!” Dave shrieked, his voice full of fury.
Cherie had screamed, but now she was silent as she stood trembling, her eyes fixed on the scene she was witnessing. Her legs felt like lead and she felt paralyzed, frozen with fear. She didn’t recognize these two men who were holding her husband at bay and her eyes darted back and forth between the knife he was clutching and the wild look on his face.
“I said drop the knife” Rick reiterated as he slammed Dave’s hand into the wall repeatedly until he loosened his grip and the utensil clattered to the floor.
“Call the police” Jared said calmly to Cherie, still holding Dave who was struggling to free himself.
Cherie moved slowly, as if in a dream, as she obeyed the instruction without thinking while Dave hurled obscenities at her, still blaming her for his predicament. She heard the words dully, as if from a great distance, as she picked up the phone and dialed 911 before dropping the phone and collapsing into a heap on the floor.
Jared released his hold and bent to pick up the phone. Rick had Dave under control now that the weapon had been removed and Dave no longer struggled as he realized he was overpowered by the two strangers. Jared spoke calmly into the phone and gave the address of the house to the police after explaining what had happened as he knelt on the floor beside Cherie.
“She’s out cold” he said with a touch of surprise as he laid her head gently onto a towel he’d grabbed from the stove.
“Fuckin’ bitch” Dave snarled as he spat in her direction.
Rick lost his temper and punched Dave in the mouth and he slumped from the blow, a look of astonishment on his face as he looked into Rick’s steely eyes. A bit of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as Rick continued holding him up by his shirt and shook his head.
“That’s no way to treat a lady, you little bastard. Now shut the fuck up before I do it for you” Rick sneered.
The police sirens could be heard in the distance as Jared tried to revive Cherie with a cold washcloth he’d gotten from the sink. She started to cough as she opened her eyes and looked at the man who was holding her head in his lap. Her eyes were unfocused and darted back and forth like a frightened animal, trying to get a sense of what happened.
“It’s okay now, Cherie. He won’t hurt you, you’re safe. You passed out” Jared tried reassuring her.
“Who are you? How do you know my name?” she asked as she struggled to sit upright.
“My name is Jared and that’s Rick over there. We work for Jon and he and Trish called us and asked us to look out for you in case something happened” he said, answering her questions.
She looked over at Rick and he nodded and smiled. Dave remained silent but his eyes shone with rage and Cherie cringed as she saw the look on his face.
“It’s okay, you’re safe. He can’t hurt you again” Jared repeated, seeing her flinch under Dave’s menacing glare. “The police will be here in a few minutes.”
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Note to International Readers
Hi Folks,
I'd really like some feedback about the chapters that take place in Europe and the UK and elsewhere (don't wanna give too much away now) and how accurate the descriptions of things from other countries seemed. I did quite a bit of research, which is why it took me a while to get them ready to post, so I hope it was worth it and seems like an decent account of other countries. I've been to Germany, so that was a bit easier, but I'd love to hear whether Scotland rang true and whether I did Germany the justice it deserves. I won't mention the others I'm planning to have Trish and Jon visit, but I hope that the European tour is as much fun for you guys as it was for me. Of course, I always welcome comments from fellow travelers on this shared journey and I wonder if the story inspires the same wanderlust it did in me for those of us in the States and Canada too!
Thanks again for holding on for the ride-I've appreciated all the wonderful comments and encouragement so far and I'll try to keep up with my muse! (She's talking really fast these days, LOL)
Opester
I'd really like some feedback about the chapters that take place in Europe and the UK and elsewhere (don't wanna give too much away now) and how accurate the descriptions of things from other countries seemed. I did quite a bit of research, which is why it took me a while to get them ready to post, so I hope it was worth it and seems like an decent account of other countries. I've been to Germany, so that was a bit easier, but I'd love to hear whether Scotland rang true and whether I did Germany the justice it deserves. I won't mention the others I'm planning to have Trish and Jon visit, but I hope that the European tour is as much fun for you guys as it was for me. Of course, I always welcome comments from fellow travelers on this shared journey and I wonder if the story inspires the same wanderlust it did in me for those of us in the States and Canada too!
Thanks again for holding on for the ride-I've appreciated all the wonderful comments and encouragement so far and I'll try to keep up with my muse! (She's talking really fast these days, LOL)
Opester
The Sauna Part 239
We’d finished our meals and then parted ways as Jon and I intended to do a bit of shopping. We browsed through the shops along the Marienplatz and purchased a few souvenirs for the kids and a few things for ourselves. I had to stop Jon from buying the store as he desperately wanted to make sure I had whatever I wanted for my birthday.
“Babe, just because I pick it up, it doesn’t mean that I necessarily want it” I chided gently. “You’ve already done way too much and all I want is to spend the day alone with you…celebrating” I whispered seductively.
“I know I can arrange that” he purred back, deciding he’d cancel the dinner with the guys. They’d understand, he smiled to himself.
We walked back to the limo and headed straight for the venue where Jon met the guys and they proceeded to walk through the sound check. I checked my messages and saw that I’d missed a phone call from Jim and immediately called him back.
“Cherie left early this morning to fly home. She should be back in Buffalo by noon” Jim told me quickly. “I’m on pins and needles waiting to hear from her” he added anxiously.
I explained what we’d done to insure her safety, despite her lack of caution herself, and he breathed a sigh of relief. I checked my watch and it was nearing six o’clock here which meant her plane would be landing in Buffalo soon and I wanted to call Rick and warn him to be on hyperalert. Cherie would most likely go to the house and wait for Dave to come home from work. He thanked me for the heads up and both he and Jared would be waiting on standby. The sound check was finished and I shared the news with Jon as we drove back to the hotel for a snack and to get ready.
“Do you still want to come to the show tonight, babe?” Jon asked as we snacked on a plate of cheese, meat and bread with some fruit.
“I was still planning to come as the show will be ending just about the time Dave should get to the house, so there isn’t a whole lot to do until Rick calls with some news. Besides, it’ll take my mind off what’s happening if I can watch you guys play and I don’t want to miss Richie and his mandolin” I smiled.
“Yeah, that’ll be a first” he grinned as he finished shaving and changed into his gig clothes.
One of my birthday gifts from Jon had been a pair of skin tight black leather pants and I was anxious to wear them and tonight’s show was a perfect opportunity. I sucked in my gut and pulled them up, tying the laces as tight as I could before I let out my breath. I grabbed my trusty leather halter with fringe and called to Jon to come lace me up in the back and he let out an appreciative wolf whistle when he saw me.
“Now that was worth 250 euros!” he smiled as he tied up the laces and I pranced back and forth, modeling the outfit.
“I don’t look like some comic book super hero, right?” I asked as I slipped on my favorite leather boots.
“I used to think Wonder Woman was pretty sexy, but damn, baby…I’m glad I got into these pants myself first” he cackled lasciviously, drawing my attention to his prominent boner.
“Just as long as those pants aren’t cutting off your circulation, my love. I don’t want to damage the family jewels” I smirked.
“Don’t you worry, the equipment’s just fine. If we had a little more time, I’d be happy to show you” he offered.
“C’mon, stud, let’s find that leather vest of yours and go knock ’em dead” I giggled.
Jon grabbed our coats and we headed across the hall to collect Richie who was still getting ready as he called to us to come in and wait. He came out of the bathroom still wrapped in a towel and drying his hair and stopped short when he saw us. I let out a whistle myself as he cut a fine figure, looking fresh from the shower and he beamed.
“Well, fuck! Maybe I’ll rethink my choice for tonight’s gig clothes” he laughed.
“I’m sure the fans would love what you’re wearing right now” I teased.
“Hey, you got that eelskin vest with you, man? That’d be perfect” Jon suggested.
“Yeah, let me go dig it out” Richie agreed.
He emerged from the bedroom in his own leather pants and the eelskin vest with no shirt and I nodded my approval. Heike was in for a treat, I thought to myself and so was the audience. It had been quite a while since they’d treated their fans to seeing this much skin and it reminded me what I’d been missing too. Richie donned a black leather cowboy hat and long burgundy jacket and I was escorted to the elevator by the two hottest men on the planet.
The rest of the guys were waiting when we reached the lobby and there was a small crowd of both fans and photographers just outside the doors. The guys signed some autographs and posed for some pictures before joining me inside the limo.
“So what got into the three of you?” Dave asked, poking Richie in the ribs.
“Hey, don’t go blaming me! They started it” Richie protested, nodding at me and Jon.
“Show ’em your birthday present, baby” Jon prompted.
I took off my coat and the guys whistled and hooted and I blushed at being the center of attention-even with just the guys. I was almost forty-five, but it felt pretty good to know I could still turn a few heads and it was rather fun to be naughty for a change. I was determined to make tonight fun and leave my worries about Cherie and Dave on the back burner, at least for a few hours.
***********
The show was scheduled to begin at eight and we arrived at the venue just after seven. The warm-up band was already on stage and they sounded pretty decent for a local band and they must have been popular as the crowd seemed enthusiastic. It looked like it would be a good night.
We headed straight for Jon’s dressing room and proceeded to make good use of the time we had before the performance began. He shut the door promptly and pinned me against it, grinning mischievously with a wicked look on his face as he fumbled with the ties that held on my halter.
“I thought that you rather liked this particular outfit, but you seem awfully anxious to remove it” I observed with a smirk.
“Baby, if I don’t get some relief fast I’ll be singing in a higher key for the whole show” he chuckled.
“Oh, the sacrifices I make for the fans” I laughed, trailing my hands over the bulge in his crotch.
“It’s all about the music, babe” he agreed as he peeled down his pants and released his erection and I dropped to my knees.
I took his engorged shaft into my mouth, gently licking and sucking the length of it as he ran his fingers through my hair. A soft sigh of contentment escaped from his lips as I continued to minister to his swollen need and we switched our positions with Jon backing up to the door. He leaned heavily against it while I cupped his balls in my hand, feeling their weight.
“Trish, darlin’, there’s a couch right behind you” he panted.
I looked up at his face and smiled as he looked down at me, his eyes flickering with his desire. I nodded assent and he raised me up, his hands teasing my nipples which had become hard little knobs. I closed my eyes for a moment, savoring the feel of his hands on my flesh and he growled low in his throat. In one swift movement, he picked me up and carried me to the couch, devouring my mouth with his own.
He unfastened the laces that stood in his way and I wriggled out of my pants as he peeled them down, exposing my glistening folds. Without taking time to remove anymore clothing, he buried his shaft to its hilt in my steamy center and I bucked hard against him at the force of his thrust. I felt his hot breath tickle the bare skin on my shoulder as he plunged deeper inside me and my fingers clutched at the firm mound of his ass.
Jon cried out loudly as he exploded unexpectedly, filling me with a flood of his own and I pulled his head up to look into his eyes. The raw hunger I saw made me gasp with delight and felt my own wave overtake me. My muscles contracted and I gripped him harder, wringing the last of his seed from his pulsating manhood. He heaved a sigh of relief as I stroked his hair from his face and he rolled to his side, still firmly lodged deep within me.
“Fifteen minutes to showtime” we heard from the hall and we both softly giggled.
I trailed my fingers through the dampened fur on his chest and licked the sweat from his jaw and he opened his eyes, gazing at me with the deep blue color of satisfaction.
“I love you, lady” he murmured softly, kissing me tenderly on the lips.
“Babe, just because I pick it up, it doesn’t mean that I necessarily want it” I chided gently. “You’ve already done way too much and all I want is to spend the day alone with you…celebrating” I whispered seductively.
“I know I can arrange that” he purred back, deciding he’d cancel the dinner with the guys. They’d understand, he smiled to himself.
We walked back to the limo and headed straight for the venue where Jon met the guys and they proceeded to walk through the sound check. I checked my messages and saw that I’d missed a phone call from Jim and immediately called him back.
“Cherie left early this morning to fly home. She should be back in Buffalo by noon” Jim told me quickly. “I’m on pins and needles waiting to hear from her” he added anxiously.
I explained what we’d done to insure her safety, despite her lack of caution herself, and he breathed a sigh of relief. I checked my watch and it was nearing six o’clock here which meant her plane would be landing in Buffalo soon and I wanted to call Rick and warn him to be on hyperalert. Cherie would most likely go to the house and wait for Dave to come home from work. He thanked me for the heads up and both he and Jared would be waiting on standby. The sound check was finished and I shared the news with Jon as we drove back to the hotel for a snack and to get ready.
“Do you still want to come to the show tonight, babe?” Jon asked as we snacked on a plate of cheese, meat and bread with some fruit.
“I was still planning to come as the show will be ending just about the time Dave should get to the house, so there isn’t a whole lot to do until Rick calls with some news. Besides, it’ll take my mind off what’s happening if I can watch you guys play and I don’t want to miss Richie and his mandolin” I smiled.
“Yeah, that’ll be a first” he grinned as he finished shaving and changed into his gig clothes.
One of my birthday gifts from Jon had been a pair of skin tight black leather pants and I was anxious to wear them and tonight’s show was a perfect opportunity. I sucked in my gut and pulled them up, tying the laces as tight as I could before I let out my breath. I grabbed my trusty leather halter with fringe and called to Jon to come lace me up in the back and he let out an appreciative wolf whistle when he saw me.
“Now that was worth 250 euros!” he smiled as he tied up the laces and I pranced back and forth, modeling the outfit.
“I don’t look like some comic book super hero, right?” I asked as I slipped on my favorite leather boots.
“I used to think Wonder Woman was pretty sexy, but damn, baby…I’m glad I got into these pants myself first” he cackled lasciviously, drawing my attention to his prominent boner.
“Just as long as those pants aren’t cutting off your circulation, my love. I don’t want to damage the family jewels” I smirked.
“Don’t you worry, the equipment’s just fine. If we had a little more time, I’d be happy to show you” he offered.
“C’mon, stud, let’s find that leather vest of yours and go knock ’em dead” I giggled.
Jon grabbed our coats and we headed across the hall to collect Richie who was still getting ready as he called to us to come in and wait. He came out of the bathroom still wrapped in a towel and drying his hair and stopped short when he saw us. I let out a whistle myself as he cut a fine figure, looking fresh from the shower and he beamed.
“Well, fuck! Maybe I’ll rethink my choice for tonight’s gig clothes” he laughed.
“I’m sure the fans would love what you’re wearing right now” I teased.
“Hey, you got that eelskin vest with you, man? That’d be perfect” Jon suggested.
“Yeah, let me go dig it out” Richie agreed.
He emerged from the bedroom in his own leather pants and the eelskin vest with no shirt and I nodded my approval. Heike was in for a treat, I thought to myself and so was the audience. It had been quite a while since they’d treated their fans to seeing this much skin and it reminded me what I’d been missing too. Richie donned a black leather cowboy hat and long burgundy jacket and I was escorted to the elevator by the two hottest men on the planet.
The rest of the guys were waiting when we reached the lobby and there was a small crowd of both fans and photographers just outside the doors. The guys signed some autographs and posed for some pictures before joining me inside the limo.
“So what got into the three of you?” Dave asked, poking Richie in the ribs.
“Hey, don’t go blaming me! They started it” Richie protested, nodding at me and Jon.
“Show ’em your birthday present, baby” Jon prompted.
I took off my coat and the guys whistled and hooted and I blushed at being the center of attention-even with just the guys. I was almost forty-five, but it felt pretty good to know I could still turn a few heads and it was rather fun to be naughty for a change. I was determined to make tonight fun and leave my worries about Cherie and Dave on the back burner, at least for a few hours.
***********
The show was scheduled to begin at eight and we arrived at the venue just after seven. The warm-up band was already on stage and they sounded pretty decent for a local band and they must have been popular as the crowd seemed enthusiastic. It looked like it would be a good night.
We headed straight for Jon’s dressing room and proceeded to make good use of the time we had before the performance began. He shut the door promptly and pinned me against it, grinning mischievously with a wicked look on his face as he fumbled with the ties that held on my halter.
“I thought that you rather liked this particular outfit, but you seem awfully anxious to remove it” I observed with a smirk.
“Baby, if I don’t get some relief fast I’ll be singing in a higher key for the whole show” he chuckled.
“Oh, the sacrifices I make for the fans” I laughed, trailing my hands over the bulge in his crotch.
“It’s all about the music, babe” he agreed as he peeled down his pants and released his erection and I dropped to my knees.
I took his engorged shaft into my mouth, gently licking and sucking the length of it as he ran his fingers through my hair. A soft sigh of contentment escaped from his lips as I continued to minister to his swollen need and we switched our positions with Jon backing up to the door. He leaned heavily against it while I cupped his balls in my hand, feeling their weight.
“Trish, darlin’, there’s a couch right behind you” he panted.
I looked up at his face and smiled as he looked down at me, his eyes flickering with his desire. I nodded assent and he raised me up, his hands teasing my nipples which had become hard little knobs. I closed my eyes for a moment, savoring the feel of his hands on my flesh and he growled low in his throat. In one swift movement, he picked me up and carried me to the couch, devouring my mouth with his own.
He unfastened the laces that stood in his way and I wriggled out of my pants as he peeled them down, exposing my glistening folds. Without taking time to remove anymore clothing, he buried his shaft to its hilt in my steamy center and I bucked hard against him at the force of his thrust. I felt his hot breath tickle the bare skin on my shoulder as he plunged deeper inside me and my fingers clutched at the firm mound of his ass.
Jon cried out loudly as he exploded unexpectedly, filling me with a flood of his own and I pulled his head up to look into his eyes. The raw hunger I saw made me gasp with delight and felt my own wave overtake me. My muscles contracted and I gripped him harder, wringing the last of his seed from his pulsating manhood. He heaved a sigh of relief as I stroked his hair from his face and he rolled to his side, still firmly lodged deep within me.
“Fifteen minutes to showtime” we heard from the hall and we both softly giggled.
I trailed my fingers through the dampened fur on his chest and licked the sweat from his jaw and he opened his eyes, gazing at me with the deep blue color of satisfaction.
“I love you, lady” he murmured softly, kissing me tenderly on the lips.
The Sauna Part 238
I woke the next morning with a banger of a headache and swore I’d never touch Jagermeister again. I stumbled into the bathroom and filled a glass full of water and rummaged through one of my bags until I found aspirin. I swallowed the pills and crawled back into bed and curled up against Jon who was still sound asleep.
It was just after seven-thirty when the phone rang with our wake up call and Jon grumbled a ‘thank you’ before hanging up and rolling back to sleep. The next thing we heard was a knock on the door followed by the sound of Richie’s voice.
“Jon? Trish? Are you guys up? It’s time for breakfast” he called.
“Later, man. We’re still in bed, we’ll get something later” Jon called back and I heard Richie respond.
“Wuss” he cackled before heading down by himself.
“Shit” Jon said with disgust. “C’mon, babe, let’s just go down and eat. We’ll both feel a lot better with food in our stomachs” he prompted me.
“Just leave me here. I’d rather die in the bed. It would make better headlines” I groaned.
“C’mon, trust me. We need to eat and there will be good, German coffee” he coaxed.
The bribe worked and I sat up in bed and grimaced as my head was still aching. Jon was already up and he threw on his jeans and a clean sweatshirt and tossed me some clothes. I pulled on my skirt and a sweater and ambled into the bathroom to wash my face and at least brush my hair. I soon decided the situation was entirely hopeless and pinned it up with a clip instead and we straggled down to the dining hall just after nine-thirty.
The guys were all there and they looked rather rough, but I took the prize for being in the worst shape. Tico poured me a coffee and pushed it into my hands and smiled sympathetically. I looked at him gratefully as he nodded towards the buffet.
“Eat something, querida. The food will soak up the alcohol” he advised and I bowed to his wisdom.
They were right and I soon began to feel human again after I’d eaten some cheese and a brötchen. By the time I’d finished my second cup of coffee, I was actually smiling and I listened while the guys talked over the set list and other details about tonight’s show. Richie was anxious to play his new mandolin and Jon finally agreed they could change things up just a bit and include ‘The Battle of Evermore’ as a special surprise cover. Richie grinned at me and I smiled back at him as Jon looked on with indulgence.
We went back to our room after breakfast and hopped in the shower and I was starting to feel almost normal as I dried off and changed into some comfortable clothes. We were planning to head to the Marienplatz, a large open square in the center of the city, where we could see the Rathaus-Glockenspiel which Jon hadn’t seen previously. From there we had talked about meeting up with the guys at the Biergarten or possibly doing a bit of shopping.
Jon’s cell phone rang just as we got into the limo and it was Rick calling to fill us in on the status of his assignment. He’d arrived in the States and had flown into Buffalo by way of NYC and he was now parked outside the office where Dave was working while he waited for him to leave. It was approaching five o’clock in Buffalo, but it was only quarter to eleven in Munich.
“Nothing much to report so far, boss. He hasn’t done anything unusual as far as I can tell” Rick said with a yawn.
“Okay, thanks man. We’ll call you with any news from our end. Is there anything else that you need?” Jon inquired.
“I needed someone for back-up since I gotta sleep, so I brought Jared along with me so we can take shifts keeping an eye on this character . I hope that’s okay? I wanted one of our people as I don’t trust anyone else” Rick replied.
“Yeah, of course, man. No problem. Charge anything you need and we’ll straighten it all out when this is over. Thanks Rick, keep us posted if anything changes” Jon finished and hung up the phone.
We’d just reached the Marienplatz and we exited the car and headed straight towards the main building where a crowd was beginning to form. The Glockenspiel always went off at eleven and we waited patiently with the crowd full of tourists and locals alike. The Glockenspiel was a Munich tradition since the early 1900’s and the show came in two parts. The first was a joust sequence that celebrated the marriage of the Duke at the time, where the Bavarian knight conquered the knight from his bride’s part of the country. The second sequence of figurines commemorated the cooper’s dance that the barrel makers did to celebrate the end of the plague. It was still re-enacted during Fasching, but only every seven years.
“Trish, how in the hell do you know all this?” Jon demanded after I’d explained what we had just watched.
“I looked it up on the web because I was curious” I grinned.
“And you remembered all that?” he asked, looking a bit dubious.
“I remember Fasching when I was here before as the locals were all very excited about the festival and it was quite the celebration. But we won’t get the chance to see it this year” I explained, but Jon just shook his head.
“Who needs a tour guide? I’ve got you” he smiled as he turned his attention towards the next thing on the agenda-the Biergarten.
We headed straight for the Hofbrauhaus as the Biergarten was closed for the season. It was far too cold to be sitting outside in the winter, but the Hofbrauhaus itself was lively and full of history too. I had begun to recount some of what I had read when I spied Richie and waved him over towards our table. He was talking to a gorgeous, tall, leggy blonde and appeared to be in no hurry to join us.
“I’ll go and get him” Jon grumbled and I had to laugh.
Richie followed Jon back to our table after assuring the woman that he’d see her after the show and we learned her name was Heike. She was a native of Munich and had offered to show Richie around and he’d gladly accepted her hospitality.
“She’s ‘heard of’ Bon Jovi, but she’s not actually a fan, so I invited her to come see the show tonight. Ain’t she a knockout?” Richie grinned with excitement.
“She sure is a looker” Jon readily agreed, “but isn’t she a bit on the young side,man?” he wondered.
“Yeah…” Richie drawled. “Don’t worry, Father Jon! I promise I’ll behave myself” Richie laughed. “It’s just nice to spend time with a pretty woman right now. I’m not looking for anything else, okay, bro?” he assured us.
“Yeah, man, okay. I just worry about you, you know?” Jon said seriously.
“I know, but trust me when I say I’ve learned my lesson. She seems like a sweet kid, but she is just a kid and I know that. Besides, I’m not ready to rush into anything just yet, but I am getting tired of being a third wheel all the time. I love ya, Trish, but neither Jon or I do well with sharing” he grinned.
“Hey! Richie, don’t you ever call yourself a third wheel! Don’t you know how much we miss you when you’re not around?” I reassured him.
“I love spending time with you guys too, but you know what I mean. Sometimes I just wish I had my own Trish” he smiled softly.
I did understand and I badly wanted Richie to find the happiness that Jon and I had been blessed with, but I wasn’t going to deny him some female companionship along the way. We ordered another round of beers while we waited for the others to arrive.
It was just after seven-thirty when the phone rang with our wake up call and Jon grumbled a ‘thank you’ before hanging up and rolling back to sleep. The next thing we heard was a knock on the door followed by the sound of Richie’s voice.
“Jon? Trish? Are you guys up? It’s time for breakfast” he called.
“Later, man. We’re still in bed, we’ll get something later” Jon called back and I heard Richie respond.
“Wuss” he cackled before heading down by himself.
“Shit” Jon said with disgust. “C’mon, babe, let’s just go down and eat. We’ll both feel a lot better with food in our stomachs” he prompted me.
“Just leave me here. I’d rather die in the bed. It would make better headlines” I groaned.
“C’mon, trust me. We need to eat and there will be good, German coffee” he coaxed.
The bribe worked and I sat up in bed and grimaced as my head was still aching. Jon was already up and he threw on his jeans and a clean sweatshirt and tossed me some clothes. I pulled on my skirt and a sweater and ambled into the bathroom to wash my face and at least brush my hair. I soon decided the situation was entirely hopeless and pinned it up with a clip instead and we straggled down to the dining hall just after nine-thirty.
The guys were all there and they looked rather rough, but I took the prize for being in the worst shape. Tico poured me a coffee and pushed it into my hands and smiled sympathetically. I looked at him gratefully as he nodded towards the buffet.
“Eat something, querida. The food will soak up the alcohol” he advised and I bowed to his wisdom.
They were right and I soon began to feel human again after I’d eaten some cheese and a brötchen. By the time I’d finished my second cup of coffee, I was actually smiling and I listened while the guys talked over the set list and other details about tonight’s show. Richie was anxious to play his new mandolin and Jon finally agreed they could change things up just a bit and include ‘The Battle of Evermore’ as a special surprise cover. Richie grinned at me and I smiled back at him as Jon looked on with indulgence.
We went back to our room after breakfast and hopped in the shower and I was starting to feel almost normal as I dried off and changed into some comfortable clothes. We were planning to head to the Marienplatz, a large open square in the center of the city, where we could see the Rathaus-Glockenspiel which Jon hadn’t seen previously. From there we had talked about meeting up with the guys at the Biergarten or possibly doing a bit of shopping.
Jon’s cell phone rang just as we got into the limo and it was Rick calling to fill us in on the status of his assignment. He’d arrived in the States and had flown into Buffalo by way of NYC and he was now parked outside the office where Dave was working while he waited for him to leave. It was approaching five o’clock in Buffalo, but it was only quarter to eleven in Munich.
“Nothing much to report so far, boss. He hasn’t done anything unusual as far as I can tell” Rick said with a yawn.
“Okay, thanks man. We’ll call you with any news from our end. Is there anything else that you need?” Jon inquired.
“I needed someone for back-up since I gotta sleep, so I brought Jared along with me so we can take shifts keeping an eye on this character . I hope that’s okay? I wanted one of our people as I don’t trust anyone else” Rick replied.
“Yeah, of course, man. No problem. Charge anything you need and we’ll straighten it all out when this is over. Thanks Rick, keep us posted if anything changes” Jon finished and hung up the phone.
We’d just reached the Marienplatz and we exited the car and headed straight towards the main building where a crowd was beginning to form. The Glockenspiel always went off at eleven and we waited patiently with the crowd full of tourists and locals alike. The Glockenspiel was a Munich tradition since the early 1900’s and the show came in two parts. The first was a joust sequence that celebrated the marriage of the Duke at the time, where the Bavarian knight conquered the knight from his bride’s part of the country. The second sequence of figurines commemorated the cooper’s dance that the barrel makers did to celebrate the end of the plague. It was still re-enacted during Fasching, but only every seven years.
“Trish, how in the hell do you know all this?” Jon demanded after I’d explained what we had just watched.
“I looked it up on the web because I was curious” I grinned.
“And you remembered all that?” he asked, looking a bit dubious.
“I remember Fasching when I was here before as the locals were all very excited about the festival and it was quite the celebration. But we won’t get the chance to see it this year” I explained, but Jon just shook his head.
“Who needs a tour guide? I’ve got you” he smiled as he turned his attention towards the next thing on the agenda-the Biergarten.
We headed straight for the Hofbrauhaus as the Biergarten was closed for the season. It was far too cold to be sitting outside in the winter, but the Hofbrauhaus itself was lively and full of history too. I had begun to recount some of what I had read when I spied Richie and waved him over towards our table. He was talking to a gorgeous, tall, leggy blonde and appeared to be in no hurry to join us.
“I’ll go and get him” Jon grumbled and I had to laugh.
Richie followed Jon back to our table after assuring the woman that he’d see her after the show and we learned her name was Heike. She was a native of Munich and had offered to show Richie around and he’d gladly accepted her hospitality.
“She’s ‘heard of’ Bon Jovi, but she’s not actually a fan, so I invited her to come see the show tonight. Ain’t she a knockout?” Richie grinned with excitement.
“She sure is a looker” Jon readily agreed, “but isn’t she a bit on the young side,man?” he wondered.
“Yeah…” Richie drawled. “Don’t worry, Father Jon! I promise I’ll behave myself” Richie laughed. “It’s just nice to spend time with a pretty woman right now. I’m not looking for anything else, okay, bro?” he assured us.
“Yeah, man, okay. I just worry about you, you know?” Jon said seriously.
“I know, but trust me when I say I’ve learned my lesson. She seems like a sweet kid, but she is just a kid and I know that. Besides, I’m not ready to rush into anything just yet, but I am getting tired of being a third wheel all the time. I love ya, Trish, but neither Jon or I do well with sharing” he grinned.
“Hey! Richie, don’t you ever call yourself a third wheel! Don’t you know how much we miss you when you’re not around?” I reassured him.
“I love spending time with you guys too, but you know what I mean. Sometimes I just wish I had my own Trish” he smiled softly.
I did understand and I badly wanted Richie to find the happiness that Jon and I had been blessed with, but I wasn’t going to deny him some female companionship along the way. We ordered another round of beers while we waited for the others to arrive.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
The Sauna Part 237
We reached Neuschwanstein Castle by noon and the splendor of King Ludwig’s creation kept us all spellbound. It seemed like a fairytale as we approached the castle and I snapped one picture after another, each view more majestic than the last. We weren’t allowed to take photos of the inside, but the paintings that decorated so much of the interior were captivating. They were inspired by the medieval legends of Parsifal and Lohengrin and our guide shared that the King had been quite a devoted fan of Richard Wagner who immortalized these characters in his operas.
The tale of the King himself was rather fascinating and shrouded in mystery and we learned that his fabled madness may have been a concoction of lies which were used to depose him. He was found drowned the day after his “arrest”, alongside the psychiatrist who had him committed and his death had originally been ruled a suicide. His younger brother had been incapacitated by genuine mental illness and Ludwig’s eccentricity was well-documented, so their may have been a grain of truth to the rumors, but the two drownings remain a source of contention.
“These paintings are exceptional” Tico commented as we studied the images while we listened to Wagner’s opera in the background.
“The King was quite progressive if he was in fact mad” Hugh observed as he read about the hidden flush toilet and how Ludwig had been responsible for bringing electricity into modern Bavarian life.
“And he was a patron of music and art” added Jon.
Richie had been rather quiet during the tour, but he appeared to be taking it all in. He stood motionless in the Singer’s Hall and sighed deeply as I came up to stand beside him. He looked rather pensive and sad as he spread his arms wide, indicating the vast expanse of the hall.
“How sad that he never lived to see even one performance here in the venue he designed” he reflected.
“It seems his life was rather tragic in many ways” I agreed, reading over the book I had purchased at the beginning of the tour which described how his private letters reflected his struggles with homosexuality in a Christian world.
We were all somewhat subdued as we left the castle and headed towards the nearby town of Oberammagau, famous for their wood carvers. The mood lightened as we entered one of the shops and my eyes lit up as I spied some of the most elaborately detailed examples of wood carvings. There were statues and figurines, many crafted into the shape of medieval figures.
“Look! This one was made for me!” David cried as he held up a small replica of a medieval jester and we all nodded our assent.
I chose an especially lifelike carving of a stag being led by a maiden and Jon smiled as I showed him my find.
“A willful wild beast being tamed by a beautiful damsel… it reminds me of us” he grinned shamelessly. “Is there anything else that you’d like for your birthday, babe?” he asked, his eyes glowing with love.
“A cuckoo clock! I would love a cuckoo clock from the Black Forest” I squealed with delight as we moved to another part of the store to browse through the collection.
There was something for everyone and Richie found an exquisitely carved mandolin to add to his collection. He plucked a few notes and I recognized instantly the chords to one of my favorite songs- ‘The Battle of Evermore’ by Led Zeppelin.
“Oh Richie, do you know it? Can you play it for me?” I begged and he smiled as the shop owner brought over a stool for him to take a seat.
Richie played the song while he sang the words softly and I had tears in my eyes as I listened to the sweet strain of the mandolin. A small crowd had gathered to hear Richie play and when he was finished, they thanked him with a round of applause. Richie attracted a following wherever he went, whether with or without the rest of Bon Jovi. The shop owner nodded his approval as Richie handed him the money for his purchase.
“You make the instrument sing” the man commented and Richie returned the compliment with one of his own.
“It’s one of the finest that I’ve ever seen. I’d be honored to own it” he said simply and the owner beamed as he told Richie about how he had always wished he had been blessed with the gift of music.
We left the shop with our purchases and returned to the limo for the ride back to Garmisch where we would have dinner before returning to Munich. It had been a rather exceptional day and we were all feeling mellow when we reached the restaurant and settled into our seats. Jon ordered wine, but most everyone preferred beer as we were in Bavaria after all.
Our meals were impressive as we sampled the wienerschnitzel and a variety of sausages along with sauerkraut and dumplings. The portions were generous and covered in rich sauces and gravies and I felt almost decadent as we devoured our meals. The Germans knew how to indulge and tonight was no exception as we savored the local cuisine and lingered over our coffees and desserts. I helped myself to some of Jon’s dampfnudlen and I traded him some of my apfel strudel as I loved the cinnamon dumplings smothered in vanilla sauce.
“Now this is my idea of dining” Tico grinned as he patted his belly and Dave burped in agreement and we all laughed.
There was an accordion player who entertained all the guests while we ate and we enjoyed seeing the traditional slap dancers who appeared periodically. They were accompanied by what I thought was a master yodeler and I was tremendously impressed with the show as well as the food.
The warmth of the atmosphere as well as the free-flowing beer had loosened everyone’s tongues and the guys regaled me with ribald stories of their misspent youth. I felt rather special to be included in their bawdy behavior and I rather liked my new status as “one of the gang”. It felt like a family and I was no longer just an honorary member when even Hugh joined in the teasing.
“So Jonny, are you gonna let Trish come out to play with us a little more often now? It seems she can hold her own with the lot of us, so maybe you’ll share her a bit more?” Hugh prodded Jon.
“I’m not so sure- I’m still a selfish bastard when it comes to my lady” he grinned.
“Aaawww, c’mon, man. We won’t bite and she needs a bit of entertainment once in a while” David winked.
“Yeah, and some intellectual stimulation” Hugh added, with emphasis on the word intellectual.
“And a change of scenery from a hotel room” Tico joined in.
“And you can always come visit the dark side when you get bored with blondie” Richie snickered to me as he cocked his head to one side and waggled his eyebrows.
Jon made a face and I giggled at the sight of those infamous duck lips. I planted a kiss on that adorable pout as I stood to make my way towards the bathroom. I was feeling a bit tipsy from all of the wine and the shot of Jagermeister that was a traditional part of all German meals. I tottered and steadied myself with a hand on Jon’s shoulder, but I looked around at the faces of all the guys as they smiled up at me.
“I’ll keep that in mind if Jon gets worn out and needs a break anytime soon” I winked back at Richie “but so far he seems to be managing to keep up on his end” I announced with a smirk before staggering off, followed by a series of whistles and hoots.
“Shit, Jon, you lucky bastard” Dave pronounced as he gave him a shove.
“Don’t think I don’t know it, bro” Jon said as he flashed Dave a shit-eating grin. “See why I’m selfish?”
“Yeah, man, don’t rub it in” Richie smiled, shaking his head.
It was getting late as I made my way back to the table and we had a two hour drive back to Munich, so we finished our drinks and Jon paid the bill. The guys were all able to handle their liquor far better than me and both Jon and Richie helped me out to the car. Tico held the back door while Jon got in first and Richie guided me into Jon’s arms. I giggled a bit as I fell over sideways and landed with my head in Jon’s lap. The two exchanged looks and Jon shot Richie a glance as he started to speak.
“Don’t say it bro” Jon chuckled as he helped me sit up and I rested my head on his shoulder.
Richie sat down beside me as the rest shuffled into their seats and we settled in for the ride back to Munich. It had been a wonderful day and I felt grateful to have been fully accepted into Jon’s “inner circle”. I no longer felt like simply Jon’s wife; I had earned my spot with the guys by sharing both good times as well as the bad.
The tale of the King himself was rather fascinating and shrouded in mystery and we learned that his fabled madness may have been a concoction of lies which were used to depose him. He was found drowned the day after his “arrest”, alongside the psychiatrist who had him committed and his death had originally been ruled a suicide. His younger brother had been incapacitated by genuine mental illness and Ludwig’s eccentricity was well-documented, so their may have been a grain of truth to the rumors, but the two drownings remain a source of contention.
“These paintings are exceptional” Tico commented as we studied the images while we listened to Wagner’s opera in the background.
“The King was quite progressive if he was in fact mad” Hugh observed as he read about the hidden flush toilet and how Ludwig had been responsible for bringing electricity into modern Bavarian life.
“And he was a patron of music and art” added Jon.
Richie had been rather quiet during the tour, but he appeared to be taking it all in. He stood motionless in the Singer’s Hall and sighed deeply as I came up to stand beside him. He looked rather pensive and sad as he spread his arms wide, indicating the vast expanse of the hall.
“How sad that he never lived to see even one performance here in the venue he designed” he reflected.
“It seems his life was rather tragic in many ways” I agreed, reading over the book I had purchased at the beginning of the tour which described how his private letters reflected his struggles with homosexuality in a Christian world.
We were all somewhat subdued as we left the castle and headed towards the nearby town of Oberammagau, famous for their wood carvers. The mood lightened as we entered one of the shops and my eyes lit up as I spied some of the most elaborately detailed examples of wood carvings. There were statues and figurines, many crafted into the shape of medieval figures.
“Look! This one was made for me!” David cried as he held up a small replica of a medieval jester and we all nodded our assent.
I chose an especially lifelike carving of a stag being led by a maiden and Jon smiled as I showed him my find.
“A willful wild beast being tamed by a beautiful damsel… it reminds me of us” he grinned shamelessly. “Is there anything else that you’d like for your birthday, babe?” he asked, his eyes glowing with love.
“A cuckoo clock! I would love a cuckoo clock from the Black Forest” I squealed with delight as we moved to another part of the store to browse through the collection.
There was something for everyone and Richie found an exquisitely carved mandolin to add to his collection. He plucked a few notes and I recognized instantly the chords to one of my favorite songs- ‘The Battle of Evermore’ by Led Zeppelin.
“Oh Richie, do you know it? Can you play it for me?” I begged and he smiled as the shop owner brought over a stool for him to take a seat.
Richie played the song while he sang the words softly and I had tears in my eyes as I listened to the sweet strain of the mandolin. A small crowd had gathered to hear Richie play and when he was finished, they thanked him with a round of applause. Richie attracted a following wherever he went, whether with or without the rest of Bon Jovi. The shop owner nodded his approval as Richie handed him the money for his purchase.
“You make the instrument sing” the man commented and Richie returned the compliment with one of his own.
“It’s one of the finest that I’ve ever seen. I’d be honored to own it” he said simply and the owner beamed as he told Richie about how he had always wished he had been blessed with the gift of music.
We left the shop with our purchases and returned to the limo for the ride back to Garmisch where we would have dinner before returning to Munich. It had been a rather exceptional day and we were all feeling mellow when we reached the restaurant and settled into our seats. Jon ordered wine, but most everyone preferred beer as we were in Bavaria after all.
Our meals were impressive as we sampled the wienerschnitzel and a variety of sausages along with sauerkraut and dumplings. The portions were generous and covered in rich sauces and gravies and I felt almost decadent as we devoured our meals. The Germans knew how to indulge and tonight was no exception as we savored the local cuisine and lingered over our coffees and desserts. I helped myself to some of Jon’s dampfnudlen and I traded him some of my apfel strudel as I loved the cinnamon dumplings smothered in vanilla sauce.
“Now this is my idea of dining” Tico grinned as he patted his belly and Dave burped in agreement and we all laughed.
There was an accordion player who entertained all the guests while we ate and we enjoyed seeing the traditional slap dancers who appeared periodically. They were accompanied by what I thought was a master yodeler and I was tremendously impressed with the show as well as the food.
The warmth of the atmosphere as well as the free-flowing beer had loosened everyone’s tongues and the guys regaled me with ribald stories of their misspent youth. I felt rather special to be included in their bawdy behavior and I rather liked my new status as “one of the gang”. It felt like a family and I was no longer just an honorary member when even Hugh joined in the teasing.
“So Jonny, are you gonna let Trish come out to play with us a little more often now? It seems she can hold her own with the lot of us, so maybe you’ll share her a bit more?” Hugh prodded Jon.
“I’m not so sure- I’m still a selfish bastard when it comes to my lady” he grinned.
“Aaawww, c’mon, man. We won’t bite and she needs a bit of entertainment once in a while” David winked.
“Yeah, and some intellectual stimulation” Hugh added, with emphasis on the word intellectual.
“And a change of scenery from a hotel room” Tico joined in.
“And you can always come visit the dark side when you get bored with blondie” Richie snickered to me as he cocked his head to one side and waggled his eyebrows.
Jon made a face and I giggled at the sight of those infamous duck lips. I planted a kiss on that adorable pout as I stood to make my way towards the bathroom. I was feeling a bit tipsy from all of the wine and the shot of Jagermeister that was a traditional part of all German meals. I tottered and steadied myself with a hand on Jon’s shoulder, but I looked around at the faces of all the guys as they smiled up at me.
“I’ll keep that in mind if Jon gets worn out and needs a break anytime soon” I winked back at Richie “but so far he seems to be managing to keep up on his end” I announced with a smirk before staggering off, followed by a series of whistles and hoots.
“Shit, Jon, you lucky bastard” Dave pronounced as he gave him a shove.
“Don’t think I don’t know it, bro” Jon said as he flashed Dave a shit-eating grin. “See why I’m selfish?”
“Yeah, man, don’t rub it in” Richie smiled, shaking his head.
It was getting late as I made my way back to the table and we had a two hour drive back to Munich, so we finished our drinks and Jon paid the bill. The guys were all able to handle their liquor far better than me and both Jon and Richie helped me out to the car. Tico held the back door while Jon got in first and Richie guided me into Jon’s arms. I giggled a bit as I fell over sideways and landed with my head in Jon’s lap. The two exchanged looks and Jon shot Richie a glance as he started to speak.
“Don’t say it bro” Jon chuckled as he helped me sit up and I rested my head on his shoulder.
Richie sat down beside me as the rest shuffled into their seats and we settled in for the ride back to Munich. It had been a wonderful day and I felt grateful to have been fully accepted into Jon’s “inner circle”. I no longer felt like simply Jon’s wife; I had earned my spot with the guys by sharing both good times as well as the bad.
The Sauna Part 236
“Baby, I don’t want you to go, but I understand why you want to be with her. I’m worried about Cherie too” Jon said sadly.
Once I’d hung up the phone, I realized just how vulnerable she really was and that made me more apprehensive. Cherie dealt with her fear by minimizing the danger and that only increased the risk. I didn’t know what else to say, but maybe I could convince her in person. I wanted to protect her and there seemed to be no other way..
“I don’t want to go, Jon, but I just don’t feel right without being there. Jim will be careful, but Cherie’s not listening and I couldn’t live with myself if something happens that I could have prevented” I explained, pleading with him to understand.
“But what about you? You aren’t really safe and he’s angry with you now as well” Jon argued.
“He won’t assault her when there’s a witness. I can’t let her see him alone” I persisted.
“Then I’m sending Rick home with you. I’m not letting you walk into a volatile situation without some protection” he replied firmly as I started to pack.
I stopped and looked into his eyes and I could see there was no point in resisting. I really didn’t believe I was in jeopardy myself, but I saw the dread on Jon’s face. Cherie couldn’t take offense if I had my own bodyguard and Rick’s very presence would be threatening enough to keep Dave in check. But that was the problem, I thought suddenly. If Dave felt intimidated, he’d be on his best behavior and that would only serve to further confuse Cherie’s perception. She needed to see Dave as he was, not cowed into submission by a foreboding presence.
“Jon, I have an idea” I said abruptly. “We could send Rick, or someone else, to follow and watch Dave! That wouldn’t undermine Cherie and Dave would never know, so he’ll show his true colors and she’ll still be protected” I exclaimed, excited at this new solution.
“You’ve got something there… that could work” he replied thoughtfully. “I’ll call Rick right away and see who he thinks would be best for the job” he smiled as he pulled out his phone and dialed.
Rick offered to go himself after hearing the details from Jon and I felt better knowing he’d attend to it personally. I trusted Rick completely and he understood how delicately the situation needed to be handled and I thanked him for volunteering. He had a few questions which I promptly answered and said he’d be on the next flight out of Germany and he’d keep us posted.
I sat down heavily and Jon put an arm around my shoulder, drawing me closer. I laid my head against him and he stroked my arm, soothing me with his words.
“It’s for the best, Trish. She needs to see Dave as he is and he might be too well-behaved if you’re there. And this way, you’re safe here with me” he said, sounding relieved as he kissed the top of my head.
“I know. I just feel like she needs me and I’m letting her down by being so far away” I frowned.
“She knows you’re there for her, babe. She wasn’t ready to hear what you said and she needs to see for herself what an ass Dave can be” he reminded me. “Although for the life of me, I can’t understand how she could think about going back to him” he added.
“This is her second marriage and she feels like a failure because her first husband was also abusive. She thinks it’s her fault” I explained.
“I didn’t know that, but doesn’t she see the same pattern repeating again? Doesn’t she see the warning signs?” Jon wanted to know.
“Dave isn’t as bad as Don, not yet anyway” I said wearily.
“Are you ready for breakfast? I’m starving!” he suggested.
“Yeah, I’m kind of hungry now too. Are we meeting the guys?” I asked, now that I was getting familiar with the touring routine.
“They’ll already be down there” he answered, checking his watch, as we hurried to join them.
***********
It was nice to have a day off to recuperate and we decided to check out the sights in Bavaria, beginning with Neuschwanstein Castle, the gem of the south. The guys had done surprisingly little sight-seeing during their travels as the hectic pace during a typical tour just wasn’t conducive to exploring the sights. I was glad that this limited tour was a bit more laid back, although I still found it a bit grueling at times.
My enthusiasm at breakfast had been inspiring and everyone decided to tag along, so we rented a limo and headed off for the Alps. I was looking forward to shopping in Garmisch and Oberammagau and I remembered the fabulous wood carvings I’d seen many years ago when I had visited with my ex-husband. The ride itself wasn’t long and we were treated to breathtaking scenery on the drive.
“I’ve always seen pictures of Neuschwanstein, but we never managed to actually see the castle when we were here before” David shared.
“When I was here with my ex I wanted to see the castle, but we never had enough time either. I’m so glad to see it for the first time with friends” I smiled.
“It’s nice having you with us, doll. Jon’s far less of an ogre when you’re around” David beamed.
“That’s so very true. Usually we’d head to the venue so he could oversee all the preparations and harangue all the roadies. It’s great to have a chance for some fun for a change” Richie grinned, nudging Jon.
“Hey, c’mon! I’m not that bad. We’ve always managed to have a good time” Jon piped up in his own defense.
“Yeah, Jon, sure we have. That time you were sick and stayed back in the hotel except for the shows. Remember that guys? We had a blast seeing the sights in Denmark” Dave said with a smirk.
“Yeah, I remember that. There were blondes and brunettes, red heads and that raven-haired beauty…” Richie said wistfully and Tico whistled.
“Man, Richie, that was a long time ago… I’d almost forgotten those days” he said, stroking his chin as his mind drifted back.
“Shit, leave it to Richie to dredge up that memory” Hugh laughed, shaking his head.
“See? That’s why I can’t leave them alone” Jon said with a wink.
“Yeah right, Mister Innocent. Like you’ve never indulged” David spoke up.
“Not me. You have me confused with my lecherous twin” Jon protested.
“Yeah, right. We never saw much of the Kidd after you married Dot” Richie said thoughtfully.
“Well, somebody had to be the adult and act like a grown up” Jon admitted.
“You were worse than my fuckin’ mother on tour, man. He was brutal” Dave turned to me, looking for sympathy.
“Now c’mon, guys! Give me some credit. I know Jon wasn’t always a Saint!” I prodded.
“Nah, not in the old days when he used to be fun. The Kidd knew how to party, but once he got married, he changed and turned into an asshole” Dave said with a hint of seriousness.
“I was just trying to keep it together, guys. I didn’t wanna fuck up” Jon tried to explain.
“We know, man, we know. But you really did change and we all felt the pressure” Tico agreed.
“I just wanted us to be the best we could be and we had to buckle down and be serious” Jon said defensively.
“Serious like a heart attack” David muttered.
“Hey, we were all under pressure and we all handled it badly. Jon wasn’t the only prick in the band” Richie reminded them.
“Yeah, that’s true, man. Doc drove us all pretty hard and that’s where Jon got it. But it’s good to feel like your friends again. It sucked being your hired hands” Dave mumbled under his breath.
“Shit, Dave, you’re more than a friend. You guys are my brothers. I never meant to treat anyone badly. We wouldn’t be where we are without each other” Jon apologized.
David’s words hit their mark and Jon felt ashamed. He knew he’d behaved like a bastard back then and he knew he still got that way when he felt stressed and unhappy. The last year had been rough and he realized he’d punished the guys for the end of his marriage and he was determined to repair the damage he’d done.
“I promise, things will be different from now on. We don’t need the money and we’ve already reached the top. It’s time we enjoyed it” he announced.
“Amen, bro, Amen” Richie said softly.
Once I’d hung up the phone, I realized just how vulnerable she really was and that made me more apprehensive. Cherie dealt with her fear by minimizing the danger and that only increased the risk. I didn’t know what else to say, but maybe I could convince her in person. I wanted to protect her and there seemed to be no other way..
“I don’t want to go, Jon, but I just don’t feel right without being there. Jim will be careful, but Cherie’s not listening and I couldn’t live with myself if something happens that I could have prevented” I explained, pleading with him to understand.
“But what about you? You aren’t really safe and he’s angry with you now as well” Jon argued.
“He won’t assault her when there’s a witness. I can’t let her see him alone” I persisted.
“Then I’m sending Rick home with you. I’m not letting you walk into a volatile situation without some protection” he replied firmly as I started to pack.
I stopped and looked into his eyes and I could see there was no point in resisting. I really didn’t believe I was in jeopardy myself, but I saw the dread on Jon’s face. Cherie couldn’t take offense if I had my own bodyguard and Rick’s very presence would be threatening enough to keep Dave in check. But that was the problem, I thought suddenly. If Dave felt intimidated, he’d be on his best behavior and that would only serve to further confuse Cherie’s perception. She needed to see Dave as he was, not cowed into submission by a foreboding presence.
“Jon, I have an idea” I said abruptly. “We could send Rick, or someone else, to follow and watch Dave! That wouldn’t undermine Cherie and Dave would never know, so he’ll show his true colors and she’ll still be protected” I exclaimed, excited at this new solution.
“You’ve got something there… that could work” he replied thoughtfully. “I’ll call Rick right away and see who he thinks would be best for the job” he smiled as he pulled out his phone and dialed.
Rick offered to go himself after hearing the details from Jon and I felt better knowing he’d attend to it personally. I trusted Rick completely and he understood how delicately the situation needed to be handled and I thanked him for volunteering. He had a few questions which I promptly answered and said he’d be on the next flight out of Germany and he’d keep us posted.
I sat down heavily and Jon put an arm around my shoulder, drawing me closer. I laid my head against him and he stroked my arm, soothing me with his words.
“It’s for the best, Trish. She needs to see Dave as he is and he might be too well-behaved if you’re there. And this way, you’re safe here with me” he said, sounding relieved as he kissed the top of my head.
“I know. I just feel like she needs me and I’m letting her down by being so far away” I frowned.
“She knows you’re there for her, babe. She wasn’t ready to hear what you said and she needs to see for herself what an ass Dave can be” he reminded me. “Although for the life of me, I can’t understand how she could think about going back to him” he added.
“This is her second marriage and she feels like a failure because her first husband was also abusive. She thinks it’s her fault” I explained.
“I didn’t know that, but doesn’t she see the same pattern repeating again? Doesn’t she see the warning signs?” Jon wanted to know.
“Dave isn’t as bad as Don, not yet anyway” I said wearily.
“Are you ready for breakfast? I’m starving!” he suggested.
“Yeah, I’m kind of hungry now too. Are we meeting the guys?” I asked, now that I was getting familiar with the touring routine.
“They’ll already be down there” he answered, checking his watch, as we hurried to join them.
***********
It was nice to have a day off to recuperate and we decided to check out the sights in Bavaria, beginning with Neuschwanstein Castle, the gem of the south. The guys had done surprisingly little sight-seeing during their travels as the hectic pace during a typical tour just wasn’t conducive to exploring the sights. I was glad that this limited tour was a bit more laid back, although I still found it a bit grueling at times.
My enthusiasm at breakfast had been inspiring and everyone decided to tag along, so we rented a limo and headed off for the Alps. I was looking forward to shopping in Garmisch and Oberammagau and I remembered the fabulous wood carvings I’d seen many years ago when I had visited with my ex-husband. The ride itself wasn’t long and we were treated to breathtaking scenery on the drive.
“I’ve always seen pictures of Neuschwanstein, but we never managed to actually see the castle when we were here before” David shared.
“When I was here with my ex I wanted to see the castle, but we never had enough time either. I’m so glad to see it for the first time with friends” I smiled.
“It’s nice having you with us, doll. Jon’s far less of an ogre when you’re around” David beamed.
“That’s so very true. Usually we’d head to the venue so he could oversee all the preparations and harangue all the roadies. It’s great to have a chance for some fun for a change” Richie grinned, nudging Jon.
“Hey, c’mon! I’m not that bad. We’ve always managed to have a good time” Jon piped up in his own defense.
“Yeah, Jon, sure we have. That time you were sick and stayed back in the hotel except for the shows. Remember that guys? We had a blast seeing the sights in Denmark” Dave said with a smirk.
“Yeah, I remember that. There were blondes and brunettes, red heads and that raven-haired beauty…” Richie said wistfully and Tico whistled.
“Man, Richie, that was a long time ago… I’d almost forgotten those days” he said, stroking his chin as his mind drifted back.
“Shit, leave it to Richie to dredge up that memory” Hugh laughed, shaking his head.
“See? That’s why I can’t leave them alone” Jon said with a wink.
“Yeah right, Mister Innocent. Like you’ve never indulged” David spoke up.
“Not me. You have me confused with my lecherous twin” Jon protested.
“Yeah, right. We never saw much of the Kidd after you married Dot” Richie said thoughtfully.
“Well, somebody had to be the adult and act like a grown up” Jon admitted.
“You were worse than my fuckin’ mother on tour, man. He was brutal” Dave turned to me, looking for sympathy.
“Now c’mon, guys! Give me some credit. I know Jon wasn’t always a Saint!” I prodded.
“Nah, not in the old days when he used to be fun. The Kidd knew how to party, but once he got married, he changed and turned into an asshole” Dave said with a hint of seriousness.
“I was just trying to keep it together, guys. I didn’t wanna fuck up” Jon tried to explain.
“We know, man, we know. But you really did change and we all felt the pressure” Tico agreed.
“I just wanted us to be the best we could be and we had to buckle down and be serious” Jon said defensively.
“Serious like a heart attack” David muttered.
“Hey, we were all under pressure and we all handled it badly. Jon wasn’t the only prick in the band” Richie reminded them.
“Yeah, that’s true, man. Doc drove us all pretty hard and that’s where Jon got it. But it’s good to feel like your friends again. It sucked being your hired hands” Dave mumbled under his breath.
“Shit, Dave, you’re more than a friend. You guys are my brothers. I never meant to treat anyone badly. We wouldn’t be where we are without each other” Jon apologized.
David’s words hit their mark and Jon felt ashamed. He knew he’d behaved like a bastard back then and he knew he still got that way when he felt stressed and unhappy. The last year had been rough and he realized he’d punished the guys for the end of his marriage and he was determined to repair the damage he’d done.
“I promise, things will be different from now on. We don’t need the money and we’ve already reached the top. It’s time we enjoyed it” he announced.
“Amen, bro, Amen” Richie said softly.
Monday, August 25, 2008
The Sauna Part 235
Morning came incredibly early and despite how tired I’d been, I’d slept rather restlessly. I was worried about Cherie, and for that matter, Jim. There was no telling what Dave would do once he discovered that Cherie had hooked up with him.
The sunlight was streaming in through the window and I slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb Jon who was still sound asleep. I called down to the desk and ordered some coffee, but I was too tense to be in the mood for any breakfast. It was just barely eight in the morning where we were, but it was mid-afternoon in Colorado and I didn’t want to wait any longer. I looked over at Jon and thanked the God and the Goddess for my incredibly good fortune in being blessed with the love of my life.
I walked to the bathroom and splashed water onto my face and looked in the mirror. I noticed small, tiny lines near my eyes and the new strands of gray in my hair. I had circles under my eyes and I realized I looked a bit haggard. I’d be forty-five in a couple of days and I looked it, I thought to myself. Jon still appeared ageless to me, but I was feeling my years and it showed. My muscles were sore and I’d gained a few pounds. Why couldn’t women age gracefully in the same way that men did?
I turned on the shower and took a deep breath. The hot water felt good and it always revived me, but I was still moving slowly when I felt Jon’s arms slip around me. I leaned back against him and closed my eyes. My well-seasoned body still held his attention as he slid his hands over my breasts and my nipples stiffened in answer to his touch.
“Couldn’t sleep, babe?” he whispered softly into my ear.
“No, I wanted to call Cherie before it gets any later” I replied, turning to face him.
“How about a little distraction first?” Jon purred.
I smiled as he kissed me and I melted against him. He always seemed to know just what I needed and when I needed it. I closed my eyes and sighed as I thought about how lucky I was. I felt the lightest of touches as Jon’s lips brushed my eyelids and his hands ran through my wet hair, pulling it back off my shoulders. I felt my concerns melt away as I dissolved in his caress and he murmured my name.
Our lovemaking was tender yet passionate as we moved into a familiar ritual and I took comfort in the ordinary intimacy that had become such a constant source of fulfillment these days. Jon loved me so well and in so many ways; sometimes he was gentle and sweet, other times ardent and intense, but always profound. Our coupling seemed to reflect our most urgent need at the time and I always drew strength from our oneness.
We stepped out of the shower and I toweled off, a smile still lingering on my lips as I watched while he shaved. The coffee was waiting outside the door and I poured my first cup, swallowing deeply as I dialed our number in Colorado. Jim answered on the fourth ring.
“Hey Trish, what’s up? It’s snowing to beat the band here, what’s it like over there?” he said pleasantly into the phone.
“The sun’s shining and it looks warmer than it is” I smiled, looking out the window as Jon sat down next to me on the bed.
“Everyone’s doing good. Wanna say hello to Eddie? He’s right here on my lap” Jim teased as he placed the phone down and I heard the steady sound of a contented cat purring loudly into the receiver.
“Hi Eddie! Mommy misses you, baby” I cooed and Jim laughed as he brought the phone back to his ear.
“I’m guessing you didn’t call to talk with the cats? What’s up?” he repeated.
“I’ve got some disturbing news” I began.
“Are you okay? Is everything alright with Jon?” he asked, his voice tinged with concern.
“We’re fine, it’s you two I’m worried about. Dave called me last night” I announced.
“Shit. I figured that would happen eventually” he replied through gritted teeth.
I relayed the essence of the phone call with Dave and expressed my concerns and Jim understood. He knew Dave wouldn’t sit back and wait for Cherie to come straggling back home and he’d wondered how long it would be before he began searching for her himself. He wasn’t sure where it was going between the two of them, but he knew he was in a precarious position.
“I’ll let you talk to Cherie” he agreed as he handed her the phone.
“What’s happened?” she asked anxiously.
“It’s Dave” I began again before launching into a repeat of what I’d told Jim. “Cherie, have you decided what you’re going to do?” I wanted to know.
“I don’t really want to go back to Dave, but I can’t just leave it like this. I know I need to go home and get back to work and my vacation time is nearly used up, I’ve just been putting it off” she explained.
“What about Jim?” I pushed.
“I don’t know, but he can’t come with me right now anyway and that’s probably for the best. I know I need to face Dave and see what’s left of our marriage but I’m afraid” she said, her voice suddenly breaking.
“Cher, it’s okay. We’ll get you a bodyguard” I offered hurriedly.
“Oh God, Trish! Do you think it’s that bad?” she stammered.
“I don’t know for sure, but I wouldn’t take any chances” I advised.
“I know he’ll be hurt and I’m just afraid that he won’t want to listen. I’m afraid he’ll talk me into giving him another chance, that’s what I meant. I don’t think he’ll get violent, though. You should hear all the messages he’s been leaving. Oh Trish, he really sounds sorry and he’s worried about me” she elaborated.
I rolled my eyes as I looked over at Jon who was listening. I didn’t expect it, but he grabbed the phone and interrupted.
“Cherie, listen to me. I’m a guy, okay? I know guys and he isn’t sorry. He was still making excuses when he was talking to Trish just last night and he’s angry now too. Don’t be naïve. We’ll get both you and Jim some protection, alright?” he insisted.
“Jon, you don’t know him that well. He really loves me and he’s going to be so upset. He wants us to work it all out. Maybe I’m being selfish. He made a mistake. Everyone’s entitled to a second chance, right?” she pleaded, hoping he’d understand.
“Cherie, listen to Trish, okay? Please?” he hissed through his teeth as he handed the phone to me. He didn’t know what else to say.
“Cherie, I love you and I’m scared for you. I know it’s hard to accept that Dave isn’t the person you thought he was, but he isn’t and you are in danger. You didn’t hear him last night and I know you want to believe that he means what he says, but please let us get you some security. Cherie, I’m scared for you” I said again, emphasizing the point.
“Just let me talk to him, Trish. He’s not like those guys that you’ve worked with. He isn’t a batterer, he was never violent before this incident. This was the first time and he’s sorry. He knows he was wrong. I don’t want to go back, but he’s my husband…” she sobbed.
“There’s always a first time. Don’t you remember how it started with Don?” I reminded her, hoping the memory of her first marriage might lessen her denial and squelch the ambivalence I heard in her voice.
“But Don was different. He was an alcoholic” she said, making excuses.
“But he apologized too and he swore up and down he’d never hurt you and remember what happened?” I kept pushing.
“It’s not the same. I need to call Dave and hear what he says. I haven’t been returning his calls and he hasn’t had a chance to even explain. I owe him that much. Please, Trish, let me handle this my own way” she said finally.
Her words jogged me back to my clinical training and I bit my tongue. She needed our support, but I’d do more damage than good if I kept contradicting her. She was determined to hold onto her denial and I knew I’d undermine her confidence if I kept insisting that she see it differently. If she called Dave, she’d either see his attitude change just as I had or she’d get sucked into believing his bullshit and agree to give him another chance. But it wasn’t my decision and I needed to honor her request despite the opinion I held.
“Okay Cher, okay. But I’m here if you need me and we’re more than willing to hire someone to make sure you’re safe. Just say the word” I relented.
“Thanks, Trish. It means a lot, but I don’t think it’ll be necessary. I don’t really want to go back, but he is still my husband and I need to hear what he has to say. I don’t know what I’m gonna do right now, but I know I need to talk to him first” she said resolutely.
Jon shook his head and began pacing while I said goodbye to her and spoke again briefly with Jim. I encouraged him to be careful and I let him know there was danger, but beyond that I felt stymied. Jon was clearly frustrated too and he grumbled as soon as I’d hung up the phone.
“She just doesn’t get it, does she? I just don’t understand…” he lamented.
“I know, I know” I agreed as I stepped into his arms. “I just wish I was there. It’s so hard to try and do this over the phone” I complained.
The sunlight was streaming in through the window and I slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb Jon who was still sound asleep. I called down to the desk and ordered some coffee, but I was too tense to be in the mood for any breakfast. It was just barely eight in the morning where we were, but it was mid-afternoon in Colorado and I didn’t want to wait any longer. I looked over at Jon and thanked the God and the Goddess for my incredibly good fortune in being blessed with the love of my life.
I walked to the bathroom and splashed water onto my face and looked in the mirror. I noticed small, tiny lines near my eyes and the new strands of gray in my hair. I had circles under my eyes and I realized I looked a bit haggard. I’d be forty-five in a couple of days and I looked it, I thought to myself. Jon still appeared ageless to me, but I was feeling my years and it showed. My muscles were sore and I’d gained a few pounds. Why couldn’t women age gracefully in the same way that men did?
I turned on the shower and took a deep breath. The hot water felt good and it always revived me, but I was still moving slowly when I felt Jon’s arms slip around me. I leaned back against him and closed my eyes. My well-seasoned body still held his attention as he slid his hands over my breasts and my nipples stiffened in answer to his touch.
“Couldn’t sleep, babe?” he whispered softly into my ear.
“No, I wanted to call Cherie before it gets any later” I replied, turning to face him.
“How about a little distraction first?” Jon purred.
I smiled as he kissed me and I melted against him. He always seemed to know just what I needed and when I needed it. I closed my eyes and sighed as I thought about how lucky I was. I felt the lightest of touches as Jon’s lips brushed my eyelids and his hands ran through my wet hair, pulling it back off my shoulders. I felt my concerns melt away as I dissolved in his caress and he murmured my name.
Our lovemaking was tender yet passionate as we moved into a familiar ritual and I took comfort in the ordinary intimacy that had become such a constant source of fulfillment these days. Jon loved me so well and in so many ways; sometimes he was gentle and sweet, other times ardent and intense, but always profound. Our coupling seemed to reflect our most urgent need at the time and I always drew strength from our oneness.
We stepped out of the shower and I toweled off, a smile still lingering on my lips as I watched while he shaved. The coffee was waiting outside the door and I poured my first cup, swallowing deeply as I dialed our number in Colorado. Jim answered on the fourth ring.
“Hey Trish, what’s up? It’s snowing to beat the band here, what’s it like over there?” he said pleasantly into the phone.
“The sun’s shining and it looks warmer than it is” I smiled, looking out the window as Jon sat down next to me on the bed.
“Everyone’s doing good. Wanna say hello to Eddie? He’s right here on my lap” Jim teased as he placed the phone down and I heard the steady sound of a contented cat purring loudly into the receiver.
“Hi Eddie! Mommy misses you, baby” I cooed and Jim laughed as he brought the phone back to his ear.
“I’m guessing you didn’t call to talk with the cats? What’s up?” he repeated.
“I’ve got some disturbing news” I began.
“Are you okay? Is everything alright with Jon?” he asked, his voice tinged with concern.
“We’re fine, it’s you two I’m worried about. Dave called me last night” I announced.
“Shit. I figured that would happen eventually” he replied through gritted teeth.
I relayed the essence of the phone call with Dave and expressed my concerns and Jim understood. He knew Dave wouldn’t sit back and wait for Cherie to come straggling back home and he’d wondered how long it would be before he began searching for her himself. He wasn’t sure where it was going between the two of them, but he knew he was in a precarious position.
“I’ll let you talk to Cherie” he agreed as he handed her the phone.
“What’s happened?” she asked anxiously.
“It’s Dave” I began again before launching into a repeat of what I’d told Jim. “Cherie, have you decided what you’re going to do?” I wanted to know.
“I don’t really want to go back to Dave, but I can’t just leave it like this. I know I need to go home and get back to work and my vacation time is nearly used up, I’ve just been putting it off” she explained.
“What about Jim?” I pushed.
“I don’t know, but he can’t come with me right now anyway and that’s probably for the best. I know I need to face Dave and see what’s left of our marriage but I’m afraid” she said, her voice suddenly breaking.
“Cher, it’s okay. We’ll get you a bodyguard” I offered hurriedly.
“Oh God, Trish! Do you think it’s that bad?” she stammered.
“I don’t know for sure, but I wouldn’t take any chances” I advised.
“I know he’ll be hurt and I’m just afraid that he won’t want to listen. I’m afraid he’ll talk me into giving him another chance, that’s what I meant. I don’t think he’ll get violent, though. You should hear all the messages he’s been leaving. Oh Trish, he really sounds sorry and he’s worried about me” she elaborated.
I rolled my eyes as I looked over at Jon who was listening. I didn’t expect it, but he grabbed the phone and interrupted.
“Cherie, listen to me. I’m a guy, okay? I know guys and he isn’t sorry. He was still making excuses when he was talking to Trish just last night and he’s angry now too. Don’t be naïve. We’ll get both you and Jim some protection, alright?” he insisted.
“Jon, you don’t know him that well. He really loves me and he’s going to be so upset. He wants us to work it all out. Maybe I’m being selfish. He made a mistake. Everyone’s entitled to a second chance, right?” she pleaded, hoping he’d understand.
“Cherie, listen to Trish, okay? Please?” he hissed through his teeth as he handed the phone to me. He didn’t know what else to say.
“Cherie, I love you and I’m scared for you. I know it’s hard to accept that Dave isn’t the person you thought he was, but he isn’t and you are in danger. You didn’t hear him last night and I know you want to believe that he means what he says, but please let us get you some security. Cherie, I’m scared for you” I said again, emphasizing the point.
“Just let me talk to him, Trish. He’s not like those guys that you’ve worked with. He isn’t a batterer, he was never violent before this incident. This was the first time and he’s sorry. He knows he was wrong. I don’t want to go back, but he’s my husband…” she sobbed.
“There’s always a first time. Don’t you remember how it started with Don?” I reminded her, hoping the memory of her first marriage might lessen her denial and squelch the ambivalence I heard in her voice.
“But Don was different. He was an alcoholic” she said, making excuses.
“But he apologized too and he swore up and down he’d never hurt you and remember what happened?” I kept pushing.
“It’s not the same. I need to call Dave and hear what he says. I haven’t been returning his calls and he hasn’t had a chance to even explain. I owe him that much. Please, Trish, let me handle this my own way” she said finally.
Her words jogged me back to my clinical training and I bit my tongue. She needed our support, but I’d do more damage than good if I kept contradicting her. She was determined to hold onto her denial and I knew I’d undermine her confidence if I kept insisting that she see it differently. If she called Dave, she’d either see his attitude change just as I had or she’d get sucked into believing his bullshit and agree to give him another chance. But it wasn’t my decision and I needed to honor her request despite the opinion I held.
“Okay Cher, okay. But I’m here if you need me and we’re more than willing to hire someone to make sure you’re safe. Just say the word” I relented.
“Thanks, Trish. It means a lot, but I don’t think it’ll be necessary. I don’t really want to go back, but he is still my husband and I need to hear what he has to say. I don’t know what I’m gonna do right now, but I know I need to talk to him first” she said resolutely.
Jon shook his head and began pacing while I said goodbye to her and spoke again briefly with Jim. I encouraged him to be careful and I let him know there was danger, but beyond that I felt stymied. Jon was clearly frustrated too and he grumbled as soon as I’d hung up the phone.
“She just doesn’t get it, does she? I just don’t understand…” he lamented.
“I know, I know” I agreed as I stepped into his arms. “I just wish I was there. It’s so hard to try and do this over the phone” I complained.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
The Sauna Part 234
The guys enjoyed their performance at the Heineken Music Hall and had even thrown in a few acoustic numbers for good measure. The audience was appreciative and they’d thrown tulips on the stage as a tribute and I had to laugh as I remembered Obie’s comment about that years ago. I noticed Jon smirking too when it happened and knew he understood what they meant after I’d explained it when he’d asked so many months ago.
The guys were pumped after the show, but I was exhausted. We’d left the venue immediately after the encore and we were now on our way to the next stop in Germany. I was finding the schedule rather grueling and I hadn’t exactly adapted to the rock star lifestyle as quickly as I’d hoped. I was glad this wasn’t a full tour and Tico laughed when I commented about the hectic pace they maintained.
“We’re trying to break you in gently, Trish. This is easy compared to a regular tour” he reminded me.
“I know, I know” I yawned, wondering where they got all their energy.
“Babe, it’s okay. We’re just used to this. Go ahead and take a nap” Jon suggested, watching as I struggled to keep my eyes open.
I felt like a wimp, but I didn’t resist and I let my head drop back onto the seat and closed my eyes. I fell asleep almost instantly while Jon took this opportunity to talk to the guys privately. He’d wanted to discuss something with them for some time, but he wanted it to be a surprise and now was the perfect moment. He gestured to all the guys to follow him as he walked toward the seats at the back of the plane.
“Trish’s birthday is coming up in a few days and I want to do something special to celebrate. Any suggestions?” he ventured.
“What day is it? Do we have a show that day?” Tico wanted to know.
“It’s three days from now and we’ll still be in Germany, but there’s no show that day” Jon answered.
“Geez, Jon, it’s a little late to start thinking about it now. Don’t you have any ideas yourself?” Richie chided him.
“I have plenty of ideas for what to do privately, bro” Jon grinned. “but none of them involve all of you assholes.”
Richie made a face and the rest of the guys laughed, but the best idea they could come up with was a surprise dinner together. Jon felt rather bad as he wanted to do something special, but being so far away made it impossible to invite any guests and he resigned himself to the fact that there wasn’t any better way to celebrate. He phoned Rick and asked him to get someone to arrange a surprise dinner party at a good restaurant and left it at that. He’d just have to make up for the lack of excitement in other ways.
It was a short flight and we touched down in Munich at around one o’clock and Jon shook me gently after we’d landed. It felt like I’d just fallen asleep and I was still a bit groggy as we disembarked and headed for the limo. The guys had all settled down a bit too and we were glad to reach the hotel. We’d just about gotten to bed when my cell phone went off and I checked the caller ID. It was a Buffalo number and I took a deep breath before answering.
“Hello?” I said warily.
“Trish? It’s Dave. Am I catching you at a bad time?” he asked, his voice sounding anxious.
“We’re just about ready for bed. It’s after two here in Germany” I explained, somewhat annoyed.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t too sure about the time zones, but I needed to talk to you. I’m really worried. Cherie and I had a fight and she left. She said she needed some time to herself to think about things, but she hasn’t been answering my calls and it’s been almost two weeks. I was hoping she was with you. Have you heard from her?” he asked hurriedly.
“She isn’t with me, Dave. I have spoken to her and I know about what happened and she’s pretty upset, but she was safe the last time I spoke with her. If she’s not answering your calls, she probably isn’t ready to talk” I said rather flatly.
“You’ve heard from her then? Do you know where she is? Trish, I really messed up. I’ve got to talk to her and try to explain” he insisted.
“Dave, I know where she is, and she’s safe. More than that- I can’t tell you. She’ll contact you when she’s ready” I explained curtly.
I really had little sympathy for him and I’d been prepared for the eventual call. He’d brought this on himself and I was secretly glad he was anxious. He should be. I made no attempt to comfort him and I’d emphasized the fact that she was safe, hoping he’d get the implied meaning in that.
“Trish, please. I need to tell her how sorry I am. It’ll never happen again, I swear. I just lost it. You know how she is, she just pushed me too far and I lost it. Please tell me where she is” he pleaded again.
“No, I won’t do that” I responded.
Dave changed his tactic and I could hear the edge in his voice.
“I thought you were our friend, but I can see you don’t really care. You’ve got your life now and you don’t give a shit about our marriage. If you were a friend, you’d be trying to help us” he sneered.
“I see it differently” I replied, unwilling to be manipulated.
“Why won’t you let me talk to her?” he demanded, now blaming me.
“Because I’m respecting Cherie’s wishes” I said pointedly.
“What about me? I made a mistake and I’ve paid the price. Trish, dammit, tell me where she is” he screamed.
Jon took the phone then and I didn’t stop him. I’d dealt with batterers plenty and I knew Dave was no different. He didn’t get it and he wasn’t going to get it. He was furious with me now because I wasn’t intimidated and he hated women he couldn’t control. There was nothing more I wanted to say.
“Listen, man, you don’t get it, do you? You hit her and there’s no excuse for that. Get some help, man” Jon said with finality and hung up the phone.
Jon looked at me then and I could see he was pissed. I was really just tired as I’d been expecting Dave’s call. In fact, I was surprised it had taken so long. Only his pride had kept him from calling sooner and I knew he was feeling desperate. I knew it would get a lot uglier before it was over.
“Shit. He really is an asshole. He just doesn’t get it, does he?” Jon said disgustedly.
“No, he still wants to blame Cherie. I hope she can see that he’s not gonna change” I shook my head sadly.
“Should we call her and Jim and warn them?” Jon wondered.
“I’ll call her when we get up. It’s still early over there and she won’t be up yet and it’s not a conversation I wanna have right at the moment” I yawned.
“Yeah, she’s safe for the moment. He couldn’t find her out there and we should get some sleep” he nodded, yawning himself.
“Oh, he’ll find her, Jon. Believe me, he won’t give up quite that easily. But he won’t find her right away. But now he’ll really start looking. He’s getting desperate now if he called me and admitted she’d left him” I explained.
“Should we get her some security? Do you think he’d show up there?” Jon offered anxiously.
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea, but let’s go to sleep. We’ll deal with it in the morning and we need to talk to Cherie and see what she wants. Okay, babe?” I smiled.
“Okay, but remember, anything she needs. Anything” he added with emphasis.
“Thanks love. We’ll call her when we get up” I agreed.
I snuggled against him, grateful for the fact that he understood. I wasn’t so sure about Cherie, though. I had to let her call the shots, and I hoped that she’d made her decision and was ready to end it with Dave, but I knew how hard that would be for her to give up on her marriage. I also knew that if she did plan to end it, she’d be in the greatest danger she’d ever faced. Most women who ended up dead were murdered when they tried to leave, even in situations where there’d been no prior injury. I needed to make sure she understood the risks because failing to do so could be deadly.
The guys were pumped after the show, but I was exhausted. We’d left the venue immediately after the encore and we were now on our way to the next stop in Germany. I was finding the schedule rather grueling and I hadn’t exactly adapted to the rock star lifestyle as quickly as I’d hoped. I was glad this wasn’t a full tour and Tico laughed when I commented about the hectic pace they maintained.
“We’re trying to break you in gently, Trish. This is easy compared to a regular tour” he reminded me.
“I know, I know” I yawned, wondering where they got all their energy.
“Babe, it’s okay. We’re just used to this. Go ahead and take a nap” Jon suggested, watching as I struggled to keep my eyes open.
I felt like a wimp, but I didn’t resist and I let my head drop back onto the seat and closed my eyes. I fell asleep almost instantly while Jon took this opportunity to talk to the guys privately. He’d wanted to discuss something with them for some time, but he wanted it to be a surprise and now was the perfect moment. He gestured to all the guys to follow him as he walked toward the seats at the back of the plane.
“Trish’s birthday is coming up in a few days and I want to do something special to celebrate. Any suggestions?” he ventured.
“What day is it? Do we have a show that day?” Tico wanted to know.
“It’s three days from now and we’ll still be in Germany, but there’s no show that day” Jon answered.
“Geez, Jon, it’s a little late to start thinking about it now. Don’t you have any ideas yourself?” Richie chided him.
“I have plenty of ideas for what to do privately, bro” Jon grinned. “but none of them involve all of you assholes.”
Richie made a face and the rest of the guys laughed, but the best idea they could come up with was a surprise dinner together. Jon felt rather bad as he wanted to do something special, but being so far away made it impossible to invite any guests and he resigned himself to the fact that there wasn’t any better way to celebrate. He phoned Rick and asked him to get someone to arrange a surprise dinner party at a good restaurant and left it at that. He’d just have to make up for the lack of excitement in other ways.
It was a short flight and we touched down in Munich at around one o’clock and Jon shook me gently after we’d landed. It felt like I’d just fallen asleep and I was still a bit groggy as we disembarked and headed for the limo. The guys had all settled down a bit too and we were glad to reach the hotel. We’d just about gotten to bed when my cell phone went off and I checked the caller ID. It was a Buffalo number and I took a deep breath before answering.
“Hello?” I said warily.
“Trish? It’s Dave. Am I catching you at a bad time?” he asked, his voice sounding anxious.
“We’re just about ready for bed. It’s after two here in Germany” I explained, somewhat annoyed.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t too sure about the time zones, but I needed to talk to you. I’m really worried. Cherie and I had a fight and she left. She said she needed some time to herself to think about things, but she hasn’t been answering my calls and it’s been almost two weeks. I was hoping she was with you. Have you heard from her?” he asked hurriedly.
“She isn’t with me, Dave. I have spoken to her and I know about what happened and she’s pretty upset, but she was safe the last time I spoke with her. If she’s not answering your calls, she probably isn’t ready to talk” I said rather flatly.
“You’ve heard from her then? Do you know where she is? Trish, I really messed up. I’ve got to talk to her and try to explain” he insisted.
“Dave, I know where she is, and she’s safe. More than that- I can’t tell you. She’ll contact you when she’s ready” I explained curtly.
I really had little sympathy for him and I’d been prepared for the eventual call. He’d brought this on himself and I was secretly glad he was anxious. He should be. I made no attempt to comfort him and I’d emphasized the fact that she was safe, hoping he’d get the implied meaning in that.
“Trish, please. I need to tell her how sorry I am. It’ll never happen again, I swear. I just lost it. You know how she is, she just pushed me too far and I lost it. Please tell me where she is” he pleaded again.
“No, I won’t do that” I responded.
Dave changed his tactic and I could hear the edge in his voice.
“I thought you were our friend, but I can see you don’t really care. You’ve got your life now and you don’t give a shit about our marriage. If you were a friend, you’d be trying to help us” he sneered.
“I see it differently” I replied, unwilling to be manipulated.
“Why won’t you let me talk to her?” he demanded, now blaming me.
“Because I’m respecting Cherie’s wishes” I said pointedly.
“What about me? I made a mistake and I’ve paid the price. Trish, dammit, tell me where she is” he screamed.
Jon took the phone then and I didn’t stop him. I’d dealt with batterers plenty and I knew Dave was no different. He didn’t get it and he wasn’t going to get it. He was furious with me now because I wasn’t intimidated and he hated women he couldn’t control. There was nothing more I wanted to say.
“Listen, man, you don’t get it, do you? You hit her and there’s no excuse for that. Get some help, man” Jon said with finality and hung up the phone.
Jon looked at me then and I could see he was pissed. I was really just tired as I’d been expecting Dave’s call. In fact, I was surprised it had taken so long. Only his pride had kept him from calling sooner and I knew he was feeling desperate. I knew it would get a lot uglier before it was over.
“Shit. He really is an asshole. He just doesn’t get it, does he?” Jon said disgustedly.
“No, he still wants to blame Cherie. I hope she can see that he’s not gonna change” I shook my head sadly.
“Should we call her and Jim and warn them?” Jon wondered.
“I’ll call her when we get up. It’s still early over there and she won’t be up yet and it’s not a conversation I wanna have right at the moment” I yawned.
“Yeah, she’s safe for the moment. He couldn’t find her out there and we should get some sleep” he nodded, yawning himself.
“Oh, he’ll find her, Jon. Believe me, he won’t give up quite that easily. But he won’t find her right away. But now he’ll really start looking. He’s getting desperate now if he called me and admitted she’d left him” I explained.
“Should we get her some security? Do you think he’d show up there?” Jon offered anxiously.
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea, but let’s go to sleep. We’ll deal with it in the morning and we need to talk to Cherie and see what she wants. Okay, babe?” I smiled.
“Okay, but remember, anything she needs. Anything” he added with emphasis.
“Thanks love. We’ll call her when we get up” I agreed.
I snuggled against him, grateful for the fact that he understood. I wasn’t so sure about Cherie, though. I had to let her call the shots, and I hoped that she’d made her decision and was ready to end it with Dave, but I knew how hard that would be for her to give up on her marriage. I also knew that if she did plan to end it, she’d be in the greatest danger she’d ever faced. Most women who ended up dead were murdered when they tried to leave, even in situations where there’d been no prior injury. I needed to make sure she understood the risks because failing to do so could be deadly.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
The Sauna Part 233
It was just before three and I dialed the Fan Club again but it went straight to voicemail. I looked at my watch and frowned. Where was Matt? It was after nine in New Jersey and I suspected he was simply avoiding my calls and now I was angry. I wanted to get this resolved. I shot off an email advising him that Jack had my approval and that I expected Matt to resolve the “problem” by the end of the day and I cc’ed it to Jack. It was time to leave for the airport and I closed up the laptop and looked up at Jon.
“Matt’s avoiding me and I’m beginning to lose patience” I explained. “He’s got until the end of the day to get this resolved before I consider taking another route.”
“What exactly is the problem, babe? What do you need him to do?” Jon inquired.
“He needs to give Jack the access he needs to the website in order to implement the changes I’d asked him to make and he’s been making excuses and refusing to give him the passwords” I grunted as we grabbed our bags and headed for the elevator.
“What changes?” Jon asked, more curious now.
I explained the plan we’d devised to incorporate an adult only section as part of Backstage and how we would insure that only adults could get access via a refundable fee with a credit card. Jon nodded his approval, but gave Matt the benefit of the doubt.
“Do you know what Matt’s objections are? Maybe there’s a reason why he’s been stalling” he offered as we made our way into the lobby.
“Jon, c’mon! He’s just being difficult because it wasn’t his decision. Has he contacted you about this?” I wondered.
I put my hand on his arm and stopped him from walking as I looked at him searchingly. I needed to know that Jon was not discussing the situation with Matt without my knowledge and I needed him to truly trust me on this.
“No, that’s not what I meant. I don’t know what the issue is, but I’d like to believe that Matt wouldn’t fuck something up without a good reason. I thought you wanted to get him on board rather than just demand he comply with your wishes” he said pointedly.
He was right. Maybe I was being overly sensitive as I had anticipated that Matt would challenge my authority at the first opportunity. I really hadn’t explored what his objections might be or what the inherent difficulty might actually exist with enabling Jack’s request. I looked down at the floor, ashamed at my own reactivity.
“You’re right. I do need to approach this differently” I nodded, dialing Matt’s number once more.
The call went to voicemail again and this time I left a more conciliatory message for Matt, explaining that I wanted to hear any concerns he might have or to be advised of any problems he was encountering. And I asked him to call me as soon as possible. I wouldn’t have liked it myself if someone demanded I do something and I was sorry that I’d overreacted.
Jon smiled as we joined the guys in the lobby and one of the road crew came forward to take our bags. I looked around and I didn’t see Rick and I’d kept meaning to ask Jon where he was as I hadn’t seen him hardly at all.
“I haven’t seen Rick all the time we’ve been in Europe. Jon, where is he? Is he alright?” I asked.
“Rick’s here, he’s just really busy when we’re on tour. He’s probably already in Holland to set up security. He’s usually always ahead of us, but you’ll most likely see him tonight” Jon reassured me as we threaded our way through the crowd who’d been anxiously waiting for a glimpse of the band.
*************
Matt was fuming as he read over my email and deleted my messages from his voicemail. Who the hell does she think she is? She thinks she can just dictate to me and I’m gonna jump like my brother when she bats her eyes? Well, fuck her, that ain’t gonna happen. And there’s no way I’m letting her turn this Fan Club into some forum where a bunch of frustrated housewives can drool over my brother and post all their filthy comments. He scowled as he dialed the phone, knowing his mother would have similar thoughts.
“Hello?” Carol answered on the fourth ring.
“It’s me, mom. I need your help” he said hurriedly into the phone.
“What is it now, darling?” she replied, rolling her eyes at her husband.
“It’s Trish, mom. She’s trying to turn Backstage into some filthy adult site and I’ve stalled her as long as I can. You’ve got to call Jon” he replied, sounding a little excited.
“Tell me what happened” Carol demanded.
Matt shared the recent events and made sure to embellish his role in delaying any action. He painted a picture of how Jon’s image would suffer and that he’d no longer be able to protect his brother’s shiny reputation if I was successful. Carol listened and nodded, lowering her voice so that John Sr. would not overhear her.
“I have a better idea. Let her web designer have access to the site and make all the changes they want. Go ahead and announce the new “adult only” site and make sure that you give full credit-and responsibility- to Trish for all the changes that are coming. Make it obvious to Jon that we are fully cooperating and even supporting her” Carol instructed.
“And then?” Matt agreed, grinning conspiratorially.
“When it comes time to open the “new” section, we’ll make sure nothing works. We’ll also make sure that no one who pays for the enhanced privileges gets the refund she’s promised. Once the fans get frustrated and angry, they’ll blame her completely and Jon will beg us to take over again and she’ll be humiliated” she finished with relish.
“Mom, that’s perfect! She’ll look like the incompetent fool that she is and we’ll come to the rescue when Jon realizes the mistake he made leaving things up to her” Matt chirped gleefully.
“Now make sure that you bend over backwards to show Trish that you’re 100% behind her. We need to make sure that she trusts you completely so that she leaves the details all in your hands. She mustn’t get wind of any problems until it’s too late. Understood?” Carol hissed.
“Absolutely. Mom, you’re a genius!” Matt said indulgently.
“Now get off the phone and get to work! You’ve got plenty to do, so get moving. Make sure you tell her what a fantastic idea she had and that you were able to manage all the necessary details to put her plans into action” she prompted.
“I will, mom, I will” Matt promised before hanging up.
He logged into the website and posted a notice about the upcoming changes, making certain to give me full credit for all that was coming. He smiled genuinely as he wrote his glowing tribute to Jon’s wife and encouraged everyone to submit their application fee as soon as the form was available. He hailed me as brilliant and innovative, making it crystal clear that I was solely responsible.
Matt even emailed the web designer, and apologized for the delay and provided him with the password and settings he needed to access the site. he assured him that he had the green light to add all the new features immediately and that he would take care of the procedures for registering the membership who requested full access. The only thing left was to contact his loyal flunkies and get them on board. He needed their help to set up the registration and payment scheme that he and Carol had plotted.
Matt licked his lips as he dialed my cell number as he was anxious to show his allegiance. The sooner everything happened, the sooner the fans would rebel and then he could resume his rightful place at the head of the Fan Club. And then Carol would see how loyal and faithful he really was and she’d realize how much she needed him too.
***************
We had settled onto the plane for the short ride to Holland and Vicky had made sure we all had our drinks and a snack. It would be early evening when we arrived since we’d be losing an hour and we’d have barely enough time to eat and get to the venue. We were flying to Germany immediately after the show, so I’d see Amsterdam from the back of a limo and I was beginning to understand the toll that touring could take. I lost my remaining notions of romance about the whole venture when we were whisked off to dinner directly from the airport.
We piled into the restaurant and were quickly herded over to a large table. There was no need to order as one of the crew had already called in ahead and soon the table was littered with numerous Indonesian dishes and Richie explained that this was what was called a rice table. There were more than twenty different varieties to try, each more delicious than the next, and I learned that Holland had a history of embracing various cuisines from other cultures as they had few things that were truly unique to them.
My cell phone rang just as we started to eat and I checked the number before deciding whether to answer. I was genuinely surprised to see it was Matt and I answered immediately.
“Trish?” he said, sounding pleasant enough.
“Hi Matt. Did you get my messages?” I said, swallowing my first bite of food.
“Yes, that’s why I’m calling. I just wanted to assure you that there is no problem with implementing the changes you’d asked for and I wanted to apologize for the delay. There were a few technical hurdles to overcome, but that’s all been taken care of and your web designer has all the information he needs now. We’re all excited to see how this new feature works and we’ve got the registration process set up and a few fans have already registered since I posted the announcement” he replied smoothly.
“Uhm, that’s wonderful” I said hesitantly, a bit astonished to hear him concede so easily.
“There was a bit of delay while we determined how best to enable the registration and track it, but that’s all been worked out and we should have smooth sailing from here. I’ll let you know if we run into any glitches, so don’t worry as I know you must have plenty to do right now” he added.
I was grateful to hear that he seemed to be on board since I had anticipated an argument and I was relieved that he wasn’t actually fighting me. Perhaps Jon had been right when he’d advised me to hear him out and not jump to conclusions.
“Thank you for taking care of that, Matt. We were just having dinner before the show tonight in Amsterdam, but I’ll check on how things are progressing sometime tomorrow when we get settled in Germany” I explained.
“I’ll let you go and finish your dinner. Don’t worry about a thing and say hello to Jon for me, okay?” Matt said affably.
I hung up the phone and shook my head, still rather shocked by the turn around. I noticed that Jon was watching me and I looked up and met his eyes.
“Matt said to say hello” I told him.
“Is everything okay now?” Jon asked warily.
“It all sounds good” I replied, uncertain as yet about what to think.
“Matt’s avoiding me and I’m beginning to lose patience” I explained. “He’s got until the end of the day to get this resolved before I consider taking another route.”
“What exactly is the problem, babe? What do you need him to do?” Jon inquired.
“He needs to give Jack the access he needs to the website in order to implement the changes I’d asked him to make and he’s been making excuses and refusing to give him the passwords” I grunted as we grabbed our bags and headed for the elevator.
“What changes?” Jon asked, more curious now.
I explained the plan we’d devised to incorporate an adult only section as part of Backstage and how we would insure that only adults could get access via a refundable fee with a credit card. Jon nodded his approval, but gave Matt the benefit of the doubt.
“Do you know what Matt’s objections are? Maybe there’s a reason why he’s been stalling” he offered as we made our way into the lobby.
“Jon, c’mon! He’s just being difficult because it wasn’t his decision. Has he contacted you about this?” I wondered.
I put my hand on his arm and stopped him from walking as I looked at him searchingly. I needed to know that Jon was not discussing the situation with Matt without my knowledge and I needed him to truly trust me on this.
“No, that’s not what I meant. I don’t know what the issue is, but I’d like to believe that Matt wouldn’t fuck something up without a good reason. I thought you wanted to get him on board rather than just demand he comply with your wishes” he said pointedly.
He was right. Maybe I was being overly sensitive as I had anticipated that Matt would challenge my authority at the first opportunity. I really hadn’t explored what his objections might be or what the inherent difficulty might actually exist with enabling Jack’s request. I looked down at the floor, ashamed at my own reactivity.
“You’re right. I do need to approach this differently” I nodded, dialing Matt’s number once more.
The call went to voicemail again and this time I left a more conciliatory message for Matt, explaining that I wanted to hear any concerns he might have or to be advised of any problems he was encountering. And I asked him to call me as soon as possible. I wouldn’t have liked it myself if someone demanded I do something and I was sorry that I’d overreacted.
Jon smiled as we joined the guys in the lobby and one of the road crew came forward to take our bags. I looked around and I didn’t see Rick and I’d kept meaning to ask Jon where he was as I hadn’t seen him hardly at all.
“I haven’t seen Rick all the time we’ve been in Europe. Jon, where is he? Is he alright?” I asked.
“Rick’s here, he’s just really busy when we’re on tour. He’s probably already in Holland to set up security. He’s usually always ahead of us, but you’ll most likely see him tonight” Jon reassured me as we threaded our way through the crowd who’d been anxiously waiting for a glimpse of the band.
*************
Matt was fuming as he read over my email and deleted my messages from his voicemail. Who the hell does she think she is? She thinks she can just dictate to me and I’m gonna jump like my brother when she bats her eyes? Well, fuck her, that ain’t gonna happen. And there’s no way I’m letting her turn this Fan Club into some forum where a bunch of frustrated housewives can drool over my brother and post all their filthy comments. He scowled as he dialed the phone, knowing his mother would have similar thoughts.
“Hello?” Carol answered on the fourth ring.
“It’s me, mom. I need your help” he said hurriedly into the phone.
“What is it now, darling?” she replied, rolling her eyes at her husband.
“It’s Trish, mom. She’s trying to turn Backstage into some filthy adult site and I’ve stalled her as long as I can. You’ve got to call Jon” he replied, sounding a little excited.
“Tell me what happened” Carol demanded.
Matt shared the recent events and made sure to embellish his role in delaying any action. He painted a picture of how Jon’s image would suffer and that he’d no longer be able to protect his brother’s shiny reputation if I was successful. Carol listened and nodded, lowering her voice so that John Sr. would not overhear her.
“I have a better idea. Let her web designer have access to the site and make all the changes they want. Go ahead and announce the new “adult only” site and make sure that you give full credit-and responsibility- to Trish for all the changes that are coming. Make it obvious to Jon that we are fully cooperating and even supporting her” Carol instructed.
“And then?” Matt agreed, grinning conspiratorially.
“When it comes time to open the “new” section, we’ll make sure nothing works. We’ll also make sure that no one who pays for the enhanced privileges gets the refund she’s promised. Once the fans get frustrated and angry, they’ll blame her completely and Jon will beg us to take over again and she’ll be humiliated” she finished with relish.
“Mom, that’s perfect! She’ll look like the incompetent fool that she is and we’ll come to the rescue when Jon realizes the mistake he made leaving things up to her” Matt chirped gleefully.
“Now make sure that you bend over backwards to show Trish that you’re 100% behind her. We need to make sure that she trusts you completely so that she leaves the details all in your hands. She mustn’t get wind of any problems until it’s too late. Understood?” Carol hissed.
“Absolutely. Mom, you’re a genius!” Matt said indulgently.
“Now get off the phone and get to work! You’ve got plenty to do, so get moving. Make sure you tell her what a fantastic idea she had and that you were able to manage all the necessary details to put her plans into action” she prompted.
“I will, mom, I will” Matt promised before hanging up.
He logged into the website and posted a notice about the upcoming changes, making certain to give me full credit for all that was coming. He smiled genuinely as he wrote his glowing tribute to Jon’s wife and encouraged everyone to submit their application fee as soon as the form was available. He hailed me as brilliant and innovative, making it crystal clear that I was solely responsible.
Matt even emailed the web designer, and apologized for the delay and provided him with the password and settings he needed to access the site. he assured him that he had the green light to add all the new features immediately and that he would take care of the procedures for registering the membership who requested full access. The only thing left was to contact his loyal flunkies and get them on board. He needed their help to set up the registration and payment scheme that he and Carol had plotted.
Matt licked his lips as he dialed my cell number as he was anxious to show his allegiance. The sooner everything happened, the sooner the fans would rebel and then he could resume his rightful place at the head of the Fan Club. And then Carol would see how loyal and faithful he really was and she’d realize how much she needed him too.
***************
We had settled onto the plane for the short ride to Holland and Vicky had made sure we all had our drinks and a snack. It would be early evening when we arrived since we’d be losing an hour and we’d have barely enough time to eat and get to the venue. We were flying to Germany immediately after the show, so I’d see Amsterdam from the back of a limo and I was beginning to understand the toll that touring could take. I lost my remaining notions of romance about the whole venture when we were whisked off to dinner directly from the airport.
We piled into the restaurant and were quickly herded over to a large table. There was no need to order as one of the crew had already called in ahead and soon the table was littered with numerous Indonesian dishes and Richie explained that this was what was called a rice table. There were more than twenty different varieties to try, each more delicious than the next, and I learned that Holland had a history of embracing various cuisines from other cultures as they had few things that were truly unique to them.
My cell phone rang just as we started to eat and I checked the number before deciding whether to answer. I was genuinely surprised to see it was Matt and I answered immediately.
“Trish?” he said, sounding pleasant enough.
“Hi Matt. Did you get my messages?” I said, swallowing my first bite of food.
“Yes, that’s why I’m calling. I just wanted to assure you that there is no problem with implementing the changes you’d asked for and I wanted to apologize for the delay. There were a few technical hurdles to overcome, but that’s all been taken care of and your web designer has all the information he needs now. We’re all excited to see how this new feature works and we’ve got the registration process set up and a few fans have already registered since I posted the announcement” he replied smoothly.
“Uhm, that’s wonderful” I said hesitantly, a bit astonished to hear him concede so easily.
“There was a bit of delay while we determined how best to enable the registration and track it, but that’s all been worked out and we should have smooth sailing from here. I’ll let you know if we run into any glitches, so don’t worry as I know you must have plenty to do right now” he added.
I was grateful to hear that he seemed to be on board since I had anticipated an argument and I was relieved that he wasn’t actually fighting me. Perhaps Jon had been right when he’d advised me to hear him out and not jump to conclusions.
“Thank you for taking care of that, Matt. We were just having dinner before the show tonight in Amsterdam, but I’ll check on how things are progressing sometime tomorrow when we get settled in Germany” I explained.
“I’ll let you go and finish your dinner. Don’t worry about a thing and say hello to Jon for me, okay?” Matt said affably.
I hung up the phone and shook my head, still rather shocked by the turn around. I noticed that Jon was watching me and I looked up and met his eyes.
“Matt said to say hello” I told him.
“Is everything okay now?” Jon asked warily.
“It all sounds good” I replied, uncertain as yet about what to think.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
The Sauna Part 232
Now that we’d satisfied our more prurient interests, we settled into bed and relaxed. I called Jim to check on the cats and Jon flipped through the stations for something to watch on TV. The report from Colorado was positive and the cats were all fine and apparently so were Cherie and Jim, he assured me with a chuckle. I guessed Cherie was probably blushing from head to toe. I filled them in on the recent events and discussed our itinerary for the next stop on the tour as we were heading for Holland tomorrow.
Jon called the kids and spoke with Dot first while she gave him the scoop on all the important information before turning the phone over to Stephanie. I listened in while she and the kids chatted about school and their friends and all the normal stuff that is the highest priority when you’re young. Jon’s face appeared animated as he listened attentively and offered suggestions for each little crisis they shared. He loved being a dad and it showed.
“I know you really miss the kids and I can tell that they miss you too” I observed.
“Yeah, I do. It’s the hardest part about being on tour, but at least I’m not missing you too” Jon nodded, pulling me closer while I snuggled into his warmth.
“Are you missing your boys?” he asked, his eyes crinkling with a smile.
“Yeah, I do miss them already. I miss Eddie especially. Jim said he cried for two days when we left” I admitted.
“I know, darlin’, I know he’s your baby” he said, comforting me in his arms.
He kissed the top of my head, soothing me like a child while I nuzzled my face into his chest. I loved the scent of the man and there was something innately reassuring about the steady beat of his heart. I reached up and ran my fingers through his hair, combing it lightly and stroking his temple. Jon closed his eyes and sighed, allowing me to console him as he slipped off to sleep beside me.
**********
Soon it was morning and Jon woke with a yawn, feeling peaceful and rested. He’d have been content to lay there all morning, but his bladder had other ideas and he reluctantly pulled himself away from my arms. I rolled over and stretched, still sound asleep and he made his way to the bathroom to heed nature’s call. When he had finished, he crawled back in bed and woke me with his kisses and purred in my ear.
“How about breakfast in bed this morning?” he whispered.
“As long as I don’t have to get up yet” I replied, still half asleep.
He chuckled and sat up, reaching for the room service menu and dialing the desk. He was hungry and he didn’t want to wait until all the guys were up and he guessed it had been a late night as we fell asleep and never heard Richie return to his room.
“Good grief, Jon. Are you planning to invite all the guys to our room to have breakfast in bed? You ordered enough food for an army!” I teased, rolling over to face him.
“I’m hungry, babe!” he grinned sheepishly before he proceeded to nibble my neck.
“Careful now, I don’t want to wear turtle necks the whole time we’re in Europe” I warned him.
Jon chuckled as he rolled me onto my back and straddled me. His kisses were tender and gentle and my body responded, beckoning him to take me completely. He eased himself in and I arched my hips forward as we began a leisurely rhythm, taking our time as we built towards the crescendo. We had just finished our lovemaking when we heard a knock on the door.
“Room service!” Jon grinned and sprang from the bed to answer the door.
He rolled in the cart and I sat up in bed, watching as he removed one cover at a time, revealing each item for me to see the selection. It was a mini buffet and I was suddenly hungry myself as I reached for a slice of cranberry soda bread and covered it with a liberal amount of apricot preserves. The coffee was calling as Jon filled his plate with eggs benedict and black pudding and I poured a cup for us both.
“I’ve never had that before” I commented, referring to the eggs benedict, and he lifted a forkful to my mouth for a taste.
“Mhmmnn, that is good” I agreed, savoring the richness of the flavors.
Jon scooped a small portion onto my plate and I added some fresh fruit to balance the heaviness as I wasn’t used to such a big breakfast. I nibbled on bacon, but passed on the black pudding once Jon told me what was in it.
“Just try a bite. It tastes better than it sounds. Richie loves it” he coaxed.
I made a face and squinted my eyes, but I opened my mouth for a bite. Hell, if I’d already eaten eel, why cringe over a bit of blood sausage? He gave me a small piece and I had to admit that it wasn’t as horrible as I’d thought, but I shook my head to decline any more. The Potatoes O’Brien looked more appealing.
There was another knock on the door and I set down my plate to go answer it. I greeted a bleary-eyed Richie and invited him in to join us for breakfast and his eyes lit right up when he saw the array Jon had ordered.
“Someone was hungry this morning” he commented, raising an eyebrow at Jon.
“Yeah, we worked up an appetite” Jon winked back as Richie helped himself to the feast, including a generous portion of black pudding on a plate.
“Well, I’m glad you ordered the entire menu, man. I’m starving” Richie commented, stuffing his face with a mouthful of food.
“So, what did you all do last night? We never even heard you get in” I wondered.
“We went to a new pub that had been recommended and we sampled all the various whiskey and beer that they brewed on the premises. Shit, I never knew there were so many” Richie grimaced, holding his head.
“No wonder you look like shit” Jon nodded.
“So how was your tour of the highlands?” Richie asked me, ignoring Jon’s bait.
“It was fabulous, honestly! Let me show you!” I gushed, jumping up to retrieve the camera.
We scrolled through the pictures I’d taken while Richie finished his breakfast and we described where we’d been. The pictures weren’t bad, but the small preview screen on the camera hardly did justice to the phenomenal landscapes we’d seen or the magnificence of the castle, but Richie recognized the scenery.
“Loch Lomond? I remember how breathtaking that place was. Elaine took me there when I visited her here for the first time” he said a bit wistfully, remembering happier times.
I nodded quietly, acknowledging his memory and wondering if he’d ever be able to enjoy the beauty of Scotland without having it spoiled by the association with Elaine. Jon had finally finished his breakfast and I was beyond full myself, but there was still plenty of leftover food. It was a shame to waste as much as we did, but even Richie was stuffed and everything was cold now, so there was no point in inviting the guys to come and help finish it off.
“I think I’ll head back to my room and get some more sleep. What time do we need to catch the plane for Amsterdam?” Richie asked.
“Not until this afternoon, we should leave here about three. Go get your beauty sleep, man” Jon smirked, checking the schedule he’d had programmed into his phone.
“Awww, fuck you, bro” Richie scowled. “See ya later Trish and thanks for breakfast” he grinned, giving me a peck on the cheek as he got up to leave.
Jon made some phone calls to settle some details about the upcoming shows while I checked my email and wrote to my dad about what had been happening. I had several replies from the lawyer with additional questions about information I wanted in the RFP’s and I answered the questions and added more details. There was an email from the web designer I’d hired to restructure the Fan Club website and I frowned as I read what he’d written.
“What’s wrong, babe? You look irritated” Jon observed.
“It’s Matt again. Apparently he hasn’t been cooperating with Jack-the web designer-and has been giving him shit and that’s holding things up. I’ve got to call him and get this thing moving” I announced, trying to curb my annoyance.
“Let me know if you need me to step in” Jon offered, recognizing my need to deal with Matt myself, but assuring me of his support.
“I will, but right now I need to address this first” I explained.
I dialed the number for Matt at the Fan Club. It was still early and I didn’t expect Matt to be in, but I left him a voicemail directing him to cooperate with Jack in whatever way would facilitate getting the job done. I wasn’t really surprised that Matt was putting up roadblocks, but it still got on my nerves and it was frustrating to try and coordinate everything via long distance.
It was moving towards afternoon and we needed to shower and pack before leaving in a few hours and I turned my attention to re-packing our bags. It didn’t take all that long and since I didn’t expect Matt to return my call without further prompting, we decided to shower and then I’d follow up with another call before we headed out for the plane. The warmth of the water began to work out the tension I felt and the sight of Jon’s naked body provided ample distraction.
I let myself lean into his arms as he lathered my back and I nipped at his neck. He met my overtures with a low, throaty chuckle as his hands slid around to cradle my breasts. I looked up into his eyes which twinkled with pleasure as he smiled down at me. I drew his face closer and our lips met in a mutual kiss. I felt his cock stiffen against me and he cupped my ass, lifting me off the floor of the shower.
I twined my legs around his hips like a vine encircling its’ arbor and he slid me onto his thickened shaft in one easy movement. In just a few strides he had me backed up to the wall and we were well on our way to finding release. Jon’s unshaven whiskers scratched my skin as he nuzzled his chin between my shoulder and neck and I shivered with the thrill of his roughness.
I thrust my hips forward, grinding harder against him as I drew him deeper into my heat. His fingers dug into my flesh as he groaned and I contracted my muscles, pulling his orgasm from further inside him. He stiffened and quivered, filling me with his seed, and my own excitement became multiplied as I felt him pulsing within me. His whispered encouragement brought me over the edge.
“Come for me baby. Let me feel you explode” he breathed in my ear.
My body responded to the verbal command and I bucked suddenly with the force of my climax, wringing the last bit of cream from his depth. He smiled with relief as I shuddered and twitched, lost in the throes of my own release. My head dropped onto his shoulder and he slumped slightly as his knees began to give way and he slipped from my grip as he lowered me back to my feet. We grinned at each other and giggled, like lovers sharing a dirty little secret and Jon folded me against his chest as he sighed into my ear.
“I love you, Trish. I’ve really met my match” he said resolutely and I laughed. Jon gave back just as good as he got.
Jon called the kids and spoke with Dot first while she gave him the scoop on all the important information before turning the phone over to Stephanie. I listened in while she and the kids chatted about school and their friends and all the normal stuff that is the highest priority when you’re young. Jon’s face appeared animated as he listened attentively and offered suggestions for each little crisis they shared. He loved being a dad and it showed.
“I know you really miss the kids and I can tell that they miss you too” I observed.
“Yeah, I do. It’s the hardest part about being on tour, but at least I’m not missing you too” Jon nodded, pulling me closer while I snuggled into his warmth.
“Are you missing your boys?” he asked, his eyes crinkling with a smile.
“Yeah, I do miss them already. I miss Eddie especially. Jim said he cried for two days when we left” I admitted.
“I know, darlin’, I know he’s your baby” he said, comforting me in his arms.
He kissed the top of my head, soothing me like a child while I nuzzled my face into his chest. I loved the scent of the man and there was something innately reassuring about the steady beat of his heart. I reached up and ran my fingers through his hair, combing it lightly and stroking his temple. Jon closed his eyes and sighed, allowing me to console him as he slipped off to sleep beside me.
**********
Soon it was morning and Jon woke with a yawn, feeling peaceful and rested. He’d have been content to lay there all morning, but his bladder had other ideas and he reluctantly pulled himself away from my arms. I rolled over and stretched, still sound asleep and he made his way to the bathroom to heed nature’s call. When he had finished, he crawled back in bed and woke me with his kisses and purred in my ear.
“How about breakfast in bed this morning?” he whispered.
“As long as I don’t have to get up yet” I replied, still half asleep.
He chuckled and sat up, reaching for the room service menu and dialing the desk. He was hungry and he didn’t want to wait until all the guys were up and he guessed it had been a late night as we fell asleep and never heard Richie return to his room.
“Good grief, Jon. Are you planning to invite all the guys to our room to have breakfast in bed? You ordered enough food for an army!” I teased, rolling over to face him.
“I’m hungry, babe!” he grinned sheepishly before he proceeded to nibble my neck.
“Careful now, I don’t want to wear turtle necks the whole time we’re in Europe” I warned him.
Jon chuckled as he rolled me onto my back and straddled me. His kisses were tender and gentle and my body responded, beckoning him to take me completely. He eased himself in and I arched my hips forward as we began a leisurely rhythm, taking our time as we built towards the crescendo. We had just finished our lovemaking when we heard a knock on the door.
“Room service!” Jon grinned and sprang from the bed to answer the door.
He rolled in the cart and I sat up in bed, watching as he removed one cover at a time, revealing each item for me to see the selection. It was a mini buffet and I was suddenly hungry myself as I reached for a slice of cranberry soda bread and covered it with a liberal amount of apricot preserves. The coffee was calling as Jon filled his plate with eggs benedict and black pudding and I poured a cup for us both.
“I’ve never had that before” I commented, referring to the eggs benedict, and he lifted a forkful to my mouth for a taste.
“Mhmmnn, that is good” I agreed, savoring the richness of the flavors.
Jon scooped a small portion onto my plate and I added some fresh fruit to balance the heaviness as I wasn’t used to such a big breakfast. I nibbled on bacon, but passed on the black pudding once Jon told me what was in it.
“Just try a bite. It tastes better than it sounds. Richie loves it” he coaxed.
I made a face and squinted my eyes, but I opened my mouth for a bite. Hell, if I’d already eaten eel, why cringe over a bit of blood sausage? He gave me a small piece and I had to admit that it wasn’t as horrible as I’d thought, but I shook my head to decline any more. The Potatoes O’Brien looked more appealing.
There was another knock on the door and I set down my plate to go answer it. I greeted a bleary-eyed Richie and invited him in to join us for breakfast and his eyes lit right up when he saw the array Jon had ordered.
“Someone was hungry this morning” he commented, raising an eyebrow at Jon.
“Yeah, we worked up an appetite” Jon winked back as Richie helped himself to the feast, including a generous portion of black pudding on a plate.
“Well, I’m glad you ordered the entire menu, man. I’m starving” Richie commented, stuffing his face with a mouthful of food.
“So, what did you all do last night? We never even heard you get in” I wondered.
“We went to a new pub that had been recommended and we sampled all the various whiskey and beer that they brewed on the premises. Shit, I never knew there were so many” Richie grimaced, holding his head.
“No wonder you look like shit” Jon nodded.
“So how was your tour of the highlands?” Richie asked me, ignoring Jon’s bait.
“It was fabulous, honestly! Let me show you!” I gushed, jumping up to retrieve the camera.
We scrolled through the pictures I’d taken while Richie finished his breakfast and we described where we’d been. The pictures weren’t bad, but the small preview screen on the camera hardly did justice to the phenomenal landscapes we’d seen or the magnificence of the castle, but Richie recognized the scenery.
“Loch Lomond? I remember how breathtaking that place was. Elaine took me there when I visited her here for the first time” he said a bit wistfully, remembering happier times.
I nodded quietly, acknowledging his memory and wondering if he’d ever be able to enjoy the beauty of Scotland without having it spoiled by the association with Elaine. Jon had finally finished his breakfast and I was beyond full myself, but there was still plenty of leftover food. It was a shame to waste as much as we did, but even Richie was stuffed and everything was cold now, so there was no point in inviting the guys to come and help finish it off.
“I think I’ll head back to my room and get some more sleep. What time do we need to catch the plane for Amsterdam?” Richie asked.
“Not until this afternoon, we should leave here about three. Go get your beauty sleep, man” Jon smirked, checking the schedule he’d had programmed into his phone.
“Awww, fuck you, bro” Richie scowled. “See ya later Trish and thanks for breakfast” he grinned, giving me a peck on the cheek as he got up to leave.
Jon made some phone calls to settle some details about the upcoming shows while I checked my email and wrote to my dad about what had been happening. I had several replies from the lawyer with additional questions about information I wanted in the RFP’s and I answered the questions and added more details. There was an email from the web designer I’d hired to restructure the Fan Club website and I frowned as I read what he’d written.
“What’s wrong, babe? You look irritated” Jon observed.
“It’s Matt again. Apparently he hasn’t been cooperating with Jack-the web designer-and has been giving him shit and that’s holding things up. I’ve got to call him and get this thing moving” I announced, trying to curb my annoyance.
“Let me know if you need me to step in” Jon offered, recognizing my need to deal with Matt myself, but assuring me of his support.
“I will, but right now I need to address this first” I explained.
I dialed the number for Matt at the Fan Club. It was still early and I didn’t expect Matt to be in, but I left him a voicemail directing him to cooperate with Jack in whatever way would facilitate getting the job done. I wasn’t really surprised that Matt was putting up roadblocks, but it still got on my nerves and it was frustrating to try and coordinate everything via long distance.
It was moving towards afternoon and we needed to shower and pack before leaving in a few hours and I turned my attention to re-packing our bags. It didn’t take all that long and since I didn’t expect Matt to return my call without further prompting, we decided to shower and then I’d follow up with another call before we headed out for the plane. The warmth of the water began to work out the tension I felt and the sight of Jon’s naked body provided ample distraction.
I let myself lean into his arms as he lathered my back and I nipped at his neck. He met my overtures with a low, throaty chuckle as his hands slid around to cradle my breasts. I looked up into his eyes which twinkled with pleasure as he smiled down at me. I drew his face closer and our lips met in a mutual kiss. I felt his cock stiffen against me and he cupped my ass, lifting me off the floor of the shower.
I twined my legs around his hips like a vine encircling its’ arbor and he slid me onto his thickened shaft in one easy movement. In just a few strides he had me backed up to the wall and we were well on our way to finding release. Jon’s unshaven whiskers scratched my skin as he nuzzled his chin between my shoulder and neck and I shivered with the thrill of his roughness.
I thrust my hips forward, grinding harder against him as I drew him deeper into my heat. His fingers dug into my flesh as he groaned and I contracted my muscles, pulling his orgasm from further inside him. He stiffened and quivered, filling me with his seed, and my own excitement became multiplied as I felt him pulsing within me. His whispered encouragement brought me over the edge.
“Come for me baby. Let me feel you explode” he breathed in my ear.
My body responded to the verbal command and I bucked suddenly with the force of my climax, wringing the last bit of cream from his depth. He smiled with relief as I shuddered and twitched, lost in the throes of my own release. My head dropped onto his shoulder and he slumped slightly as his knees began to give way and he slipped from my grip as he lowered me back to my feet. We grinned at each other and giggled, like lovers sharing a dirty little secret and Jon folded me against his chest as he sighed into my ear.
“I love you, Trish. I’ve really met my match” he said resolutely and I laughed. Jon gave back just as good as he got.
Friday, August 15, 2008
The Sauna Part 231
We woke to glorious sunshine the next morning and decided to skip our usual breakfast ritual as we were still quite stuffed from yesterday’s meal. Jon ordered coffee from room service while I sat down at the laptop and tried to finish the contracts I hadn’t completed before leaving Colorado. Jon went for a run to work off the extra calories and I appreciated the chance to concentrate on the work I’d put off.
I was ready for a diversion by the time he returned and he needed a shower, so our timing was perfect as we turned on the water to bathe. It was our last day in Scotland and we’d be leaving tomorrow for Amsterdam.
“Do you think we could rent a car and take a drive through the countryside? I’d love to get out of the city and just see the land” I said wistfully as Jon soaped up my back and I stretched, enjoying the feel of his hands on my skin.
“Sounds like a plan, babe, but I’m thinking a limo might be a better idea” he said suggestively as his hands slid around to my breasts. “We wouldn’t want to get lost” he murmured into my ear.
“And it would leave your hands free for other purposes” I smiled, considering the possibilities.
“You’re reading my mind” he chuckled.
We finished our shower and dressed casually in our loosest clothes as we both still felt a bit bloated. Jon called Richie to explain we were planning a romantic day in the country and he immediately understood the implications.
“Lucky bastard” Richie teased.
“You know it, bro” Jon said with a smirk and we were off on our way.
The limo arrived within the hour and we informed the driver that we wanted to see the Scottish highlands and lochs and he immediately suggested Loch Lomond and the surrounding area. It wasn’t that far from Glasgow and it was a popular area with tourists as it hosted much of the filming for ‘Rob Roy’. My eyes lit right up when he said that as it had been one of my favorite movies and my mind immediately conjured up scenes from that and ‘Braveheart’, another one of my favorites. Our driver-turned-tour-guide grinned as he went on to explain that we would also be able to stop in and tour Stirling Castle and we both nodded enthusiastically.
The drive to Balloch took only about thirty minutes and we arrived on the southern shore of Loch Lomond. It had rained earlier in the morning, but the now brilliant sunshine had created a rainbow which greeted us as we approached. We drove eastward around the Loch, heading toward Stirling and the scenery was awe-inspiring to say the least. There was something about this area of Scotland that brought to mind images of fairies and water sprites and my imagination seemed to kick into high gear. Neither Jon nor I seemed the least bit concerned with our erotic agenda as we found ourselves captivated by everything that we saw.
We passed by the castle and proceeded to move upward along the eastern coast to Ben Lomond and the weather was mild enough to get out and walk. I was glad we’d worn comfortable clothing and shoes as the terrain was a bit rocky in spots, but the climb to the summit was well worth the effort. Looking down on the expanse of the Loch, Jon slipped his hand into mine and took a deep breath.
“I am so glad we decided to do this today. I can surely appreciate why this place was immortalized in song” he said quietly and began softly singing the verse of an old song that I recognized.
‘Oh, ye’ll tak’ the high road, and I’ll tak’ the low road,
And I’ll be in Scotland afore ye;
But me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o’ Loch Lomond.’
“Such a sad song, though. Let’s hope it’s not true, Jon. Perhaps we can come back some day when we have more time to spend here?” I asked with a twinkle in my eye.
“Count on it, baby. This place just speaks to my soul” he purred, squeezing me in his arms.
I filled up a memory card with pictures I took of everything that we saw and I found myself feeling forever grateful to Jon for exposing me to one of the most breathtaking places I had ever seen. He and I were like kindred spirits in the way that we appreciated the beauty of nature; our passion for the land was borne from a lifetime of living and loving with the gifts that the God and Goddess had bestowed upon us.
“We should probably head back to the castle if you folks still want to see the inside before they shut down for the day” our driver informed us, clearing his throat.
We reluctantly left Ben Lomond and returned to Stirling Castle just in time to catch the last tour of the day. Our time in Scotland was far briefer than either of us would have liked, but we knew that someday we’d have an opportunity to spend greater time here. Stirling Castle was the seat of numerous battles, lying strategically near the lowest crossing point of the river Forth, and was a critical factor in enabling the victor to control central Scotland. The three battles between William Wallace, Edward I and Robert the Bruce which were so eloquently recreated in the movie ‘Braveheart’ were fought over Stirling Castle.
I bought several books on the history of the castle and the surrounding area with a bevvy of fabulous photographs that were far superior to any that I could have taken. The romance of legends was highly appealing to both Jon and I and there was even a theory that Camelot was in part based on the castle.
We had missed lunch again in our quest for adventure and Jon’s stomach growled loudly as we climbed back into the limo. Food was definitely in our future and the next stop on Jon’s agenda. Our driver suggested The Harviestoun Country Hotel & Restaurant and we readily agreed, anxious to slake our appetites as quickly as possible. The fact that they were well known for their wines didn’t hurt the decision either.
We ordered the breaded brie wedges with cranberry sauce to begin while we perused the extensive menu for other masterpieces of authentic Scottish cuisine. Jon favored the grilled sea bass as he wanted to stick with something a bit lighter. I vascillated between several tempting items and finally decided on the chicken stuffed with smoked applewood cheese for my entrée after Jon ordered the smoked duck and fennel with orange salad to share simply to speed my selection and end the debate.
Jon treated our driver as well, though he declined to join us for dinner and took a seat at the bar instead. We chose a red wine that sounded enticing and it complimented our meal very well. We had placated our hunger quite admirably when the waitress began to recite the desserts. We both agreed to split a sticky toffee pudding as we wanted to avoid the discomfort of being overfull after yesterday’s over-indulgence. I was beginning to fancy Irish coffee now that I’d gotten over my withdrawal from Tim Horton’s.
It was dark when we reached the hotel and Richie wasn’t around and had apparently joined Tico and the guys for some dinner and late night carousing. We had the evening all to ourselves and the hotel had a sauna with our name on it. We changed into our robes and grabbed some fresh towels and headed down to rekindle fond memories.
The hotel sauna was large and spacious and there were a few other guests enjoying the facility with us. We made small talk with another couple who appeared to be about the same age as us and learned they were here along with their kids on a holiday. The older daughter was watching the little ones while mom and dad took a break by themselves and Jon and her husband exchanged stories about the trials and tribulations of having a teenage daughter.
The lack of privacy curtailed our plans for romance, but the sauna felt good and it was pleasant to spend time with another couple without the chaos and drama that seemed to follow us lately. Sharon and Kyle were a refreshing breath of normalcy in an otherwise exceptional life and we joked about marriage and kids and even pets with the easy understanding that comes with shared life experiences. It was nice to feel just like normal folk for a change.
We returned to our room, sweaty and in need of a shower and an opportunity to fulfill the desires that had been simmering all day. Our passion for each other had taken a back seat to the Scottish countryside and our hope for an interlude in the sauna had been sidelined as well. Now we were alone and we were anxious to make good on our lustier intentions.
“Shower?” Jon asked with a glint in his eye.
“I’ll race you there” I laughed as we made a beeline for our destination.
I was ready for a diversion by the time he returned and he needed a shower, so our timing was perfect as we turned on the water to bathe. It was our last day in Scotland and we’d be leaving tomorrow for Amsterdam.
“Do you think we could rent a car and take a drive through the countryside? I’d love to get out of the city and just see the land” I said wistfully as Jon soaped up my back and I stretched, enjoying the feel of his hands on my skin.
“Sounds like a plan, babe, but I’m thinking a limo might be a better idea” he said suggestively as his hands slid around to my breasts. “We wouldn’t want to get lost” he murmured into my ear.
“And it would leave your hands free for other purposes” I smiled, considering the possibilities.
“You’re reading my mind” he chuckled.
We finished our shower and dressed casually in our loosest clothes as we both still felt a bit bloated. Jon called Richie to explain we were planning a romantic day in the country and he immediately understood the implications.
“Lucky bastard” Richie teased.
“You know it, bro” Jon said with a smirk and we were off on our way.
The limo arrived within the hour and we informed the driver that we wanted to see the Scottish highlands and lochs and he immediately suggested Loch Lomond and the surrounding area. It wasn’t that far from Glasgow and it was a popular area with tourists as it hosted much of the filming for ‘Rob Roy’. My eyes lit right up when he said that as it had been one of my favorite movies and my mind immediately conjured up scenes from that and ‘Braveheart’, another one of my favorites. Our driver-turned-tour-guide grinned as he went on to explain that we would also be able to stop in and tour Stirling Castle and we both nodded enthusiastically.
The drive to Balloch took only about thirty minutes and we arrived on the southern shore of Loch Lomond. It had rained earlier in the morning, but the now brilliant sunshine had created a rainbow which greeted us as we approached. We drove eastward around the Loch, heading toward Stirling and the scenery was awe-inspiring to say the least. There was something about this area of Scotland that brought to mind images of fairies and water sprites and my imagination seemed to kick into high gear. Neither Jon nor I seemed the least bit concerned with our erotic agenda as we found ourselves captivated by everything that we saw.
We passed by the castle and proceeded to move upward along the eastern coast to Ben Lomond and the weather was mild enough to get out and walk. I was glad we’d worn comfortable clothing and shoes as the terrain was a bit rocky in spots, but the climb to the summit was well worth the effort. Looking down on the expanse of the Loch, Jon slipped his hand into mine and took a deep breath.
“I am so glad we decided to do this today. I can surely appreciate why this place was immortalized in song” he said quietly and began softly singing the verse of an old song that I recognized.
‘Oh, ye’ll tak’ the high road, and I’ll tak’ the low road,
And I’ll be in Scotland afore ye;
But me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o’ Loch Lomond.’
“Such a sad song, though. Let’s hope it’s not true, Jon. Perhaps we can come back some day when we have more time to spend here?” I asked with a twinkle in my eye.
“Count on it, baby. This place just speaks to my soul” he purred, squeezing me in his arms.
I filled up a memory card with pictures I took of everything that we saw and I found myself feeling forever grateful to Jon for exposing me to one of the most breathtaking places I had ever seen. He and I were like kindred spirits in the way that we appreciated the beauty of nature; our passion for the land was borne from a lifetime of living and loving with the gifts that the God and Goddess had bestowed upon us.
“We should probably head back to the castle if you folks still want to see the inside before they shut down for the day” our driver informed us, clearing his throat.
We reluctantly left Ben Lomond and returned to Stirling Castle just in time to catch the last tour of the day. Our time in Scotland was far briefer than either of us would have liked, but we knew that someday we’d have an opportunity to spend greater time here. Stirling Castle was the seat of numerous battles, lying strategically near the lowest crossing point of the river Forth, and was a critical factor in enabling the victor to control central Scotland. The three battles between William Wallace, Edward I and Robert the Bruce which were so eloquently recreated in the movie ‘Braveheart’ were fought over Stirling Castle.
I bought several books on the history of the castle and the surrounding area with a bevvy of fabulous photographs that were far superior to any that I could have taken. The romance of legends was highly appealing to both Jon and I and there was even a theory that Camelot was in part based on the castle.
We had missed lunch again in our quest for adventure and Jon’s stomach growled loudly as we climbed back into the limo. Food was definitely in our future and the next stop on Jon’s agenda. Our driver suggested The Harviestoun Country Hotel & Restaurant and we readily agreed, anxious to slake our appetites as quickly as possible. The fact that they were well known for their wines didn’t hurt the decision either.
We ordered the breaded brie wedges with cranberry sauce to begin while we perused the extensive menu for other masterpieces of authentic Scottish cuisine. Jon favored the grilled sea bass as he wanted to stick with something a bit lighter. I vascillated between several tempting items and finally decided on the chicken stuffed with smoked applewood cheese for my entrée after Jon ordered the smoked duck and fennel with orange salad to share simply to speed my selection and end the debate.
Jon treated our driver as well, though he declined to join us for dinner and took a seat at the bar instead. We chose a red wine that sounded enticing and it complimented our meal very well. We had placated our hunger quite admirably when the waitress began to recite the desserts. We both agreed to split a sticky toffee pudding as we wanted to avoid the discomfort of being overfull after yesterday’s over-indulgence. I was beginning to fancy Irish coffee now that I’d gotten over my withdrawal from Tim Horton’s.
It was dark when we reached the hotel and Richie wasn’t around and had apparently joined Tico and the guys for some dinner and late night carousing. We had the evening all to ourselves and the hotel had a sauna with our name on it. We changed into our robes and grabbed some fresh towels and headed down to rekindle fond memories.
The hotel sauna was large and spacious and there were a few other guests enjoying the facility with us. We made small talk with another couple who appeared to be about the same age as us and learned they were here along with their kids on a holiday. The older daughter was watching the little ones while mom and dad took a break by themselves and Jon and her husband exchanged stories about the trials and tribulations of having a teenage daughter.
The lack of privacy curtailed our plans for romance, but the sauna felt good and it was pleasant to spend time with another couple without the chaos and drama that seemed to follow us lately. Sharon and Kyle were a refreshing breath of normalcy in an otherwise exceptional life and we joked about marriage and kids and even pets with the easy understanding that comes with shared life experiences. It was nice to feel just like normal folk for a change.
We returned to our room, sweaty and in need of a shower and an opportunity to fulfill the desires that had been simmering all day. Our passion for each other had taken a back seat to the Scottish countryside and our hope for an interlude in the sauna had been sidelined as well. Now we were alone and we were anxious to make good on our lustier intentions.
“Shower?” Jon asked with a glint in his eye.
“I’ll race you there” I laughed as we made a beeline for our destination.
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