The Sauna Part 247

Rick accompanied me back to the hotel and we were spared having to deal with the media ourselves. We managed a rather low-key departure while the press swarmed around Jon and the band who were themselves waiting for a cab to take them to the venue. I tried to dismiss Rick once I was back in my room, but he wouldn’t budge.

“Trish, are you kidding? Jon would absolutely kill me. Haven’t you seen enough of his temper yet? I like my job” Rick reminded me and I gave in.

“Okay, okay, but I’m fine, really. You don’t need to babysit me and I promise to be a good girl and keep the ice pak on” I pouted.

“Well, good. You’re almost as bad to argue with as the Bossman himself” Rick teased and we both had a laugh at Jon’s expense.

I was disappointed at missing the show, but I realized my presence would have only been a distraction. Still, I’d only missed one other show since Jon and I’d been together. It had only been about six months since we met and yet it was hard to picture my life without Jon. I ordered some coffee and Rick ordered a beer while we waited for him to get back.


**************


The show started late and it ended early, but the fans had been great. The news of the accident had already been made public and they were just thankful that there was a show at all and the crowd seemed more enthusiastic than ever. Jon was their idol and he came through in spades as he danced and capered about despite his sore shoulder. Richie remained somewhat subdued, but the music worked its magic as always and he seemed to be in less of a funk after the show.

Jon was anxious to get back to the hotel and the guys all came with him, except David whose date ended her shift at eleven. Jon wanted flowers to bring up to the room and after he badgered the concierge, he finally got his way. He was pretty persuasive and a few euros didn’t hurt either. He burst into the room just before midnight with an arm full of roses and kissed me dramatically as he deposited them into my lap.

“Not exactly what I’d envisioned when I sing ‘Bed of Roses’, but…” he joked.

“It’s the thought that counts!” I giggled as I finished his thought. “Oh Jon, I can only imagine what it took to finagle these. They’re gorgeous” I said as I inhaled their fragrance.

“Aahh, but I brought the best ‘Get Well’ present of all” Richie beamed as he handed me a fresh cup of coffee and I accepted it thankfully even though I’d just finished the carafe from room service.

The rest of the band were hot on his heels and they all entertained me with tales from the past. I learned that Tico had his nose broken several times and it was due to a fight between him and David on at least one occasion. Richie had been in a few scuffles himself and Jon, well, there’d been that recent incident back before we were married. Hugh was the only one who seemed to lack stories to tell, but he was charming in his own quiet way.

I thanked all the guys for everything that they did after I’d gotten injured, but the pain meds were taking their toll and I started to yawn. Tico bent down and gave me a kiss, apologizing again for his head being so hard and I laughed as Jon shuffled the guys out the door. Richie stayed behind for a moment, but I gave him a hug and assured him I was fine and he finally seemed satisfied.

“Well, alright then. Just promise me you won’t let this asshole talk you into any bedroom gymnastics, okay? He’s got two perfectly good hands and I’m sure he could use the practice…” Richie cackled maliciously and I knew he was back to his old self.

“Hey! Give me a little credit, will ya bro? Just because you think with your dick…” Jon rebuked him, but I interrupted.

“Okay now boys, that’s enough. Mom’s getting tired and I’m seriously gonna need my beauty sleep now” I giggled, realizing the pain medications were also making me a bit silly.

“Aaaww, babe, it don’t look that bad” Jon lied affectionately as he leaned down to kiss the top of my head.

“Okay, I get the hint. Get some rest and I’ll see ya in the morning” Richie smiled as he left.

“I’m gonna take a quick shower, baby. I’m sweaty and I stink, but I’ll be in bed shortly, okay?” he asked.

I nodded as I was already fading fast and I doubted I’d be able to stay awake very much longer. Jon dimmed the lights and I fell sound asleep as I listened to the sound of the running water. He climbed into bed beside me without making a sound and he buried his face in my hair, silently thanking the Goddess that my injuries weren’t any worse.


***********


I woke the next morning with a bit of a hangover from all the drugs and I felt a bit groggy after such a deep sleep. I stretched and I yawned and curled into Jon who cracked an eye open and looked at me.

“How are you feeling, baby?” he asked a bit wearily.

“A little bit medicated, but basically not too bad. How bad does it look?” I wondered, almost afraid to know.

He sat up in bed and opened his eyes and looked me over in the bright morning sunshine. It wasn’t horribly swollen and it looked somewhat discolored, but not terribly bruised. He touched my nose gently and I didn’t wince, but it was somewhat tender.

“Well?” I prompted, waiting for the verdict.

“It’s not all that bad, honestly. I think the ice really helped. Can I kiss it?” he grinned.

I smiled and nodded and I felt the slightest of pressure as his lips brushed my nose and I smiled. I didn’t completely trust his assessment, so I got up to go see for myself. I peered in the mirror and I could see for myself that it was beginning to change color, but at least I didn’t look like a monster.

“How about breakfast in bed?” I suggested as I shut off the bathroom light and pulled the drapes closed.

“Aawww, babe, c’mere” he stretched out his arms to comfort me as I crawled back in bed.

“Oh, Jon, I’m so sorry. I know there’ll be reporters lurking everywhere now and I really don’t want to be photographed” I whimpered, feeling a little ashamed that I was such a wimp.

“Darlin’, we’ll do whatever you want today” he said soothingly. “Let’s look at a menu, though, as I’m starving” he agreed.

We ordered some food and I asked for tea as I was all coffee’d out after drinking so much last night. Our breakfast arrived and I was suddenly hungry myself as I bit into a hard roll smothered with apricot jam. The tea hit the spot and I began to feel better and Jon flipped on the TV to see the weather. It was all in German, but from the look of the Doppler, the storm had moved on and it promised to be a relatively nice day.

“Can we stay inside today?” I asked, remembering my ultimatum to Matt.

“Sure, doll, if that’s what you want. It’s Sunday, so there’s not a lot open besides restaurants” he said thoughtfully. “Are you sure you don’t want to go out and see the city?”

I wasn’t sure what I really wanted to do, but I knew I had to check on Backstage at noon and I deliberated about whether to tell Jon what his brother had tried to do. I grabbed a fresh tea bag and brewed a new cup and reached for a slice of fruit.

“There’s something I need to tell you” I said finally, reaching my decision.

I launched into an explanation of all that had happened and why I felt I needed to follow through and see what the website looked like when the deadline arrived. He listened without interruption and it was hard to read his expression, but he was livid.

“Trish, I cannot begin to tell you how disappointed I am in my brother. I know he resents your authority, but he’ll like being replaced a helluva lot less. Just say the word and he’s out, brother or not” he said with an air of finality. “It’s your call.”

I was glad he supported me and was ready to back my decisions, but I wasn’t quite ready to give Matt the axe. He was still family and it would do little to win over his mother if I had one of her sons relieved of his position in the Bon Jovi Management. It would have been the simplest solution, but rarely had I found that to be the best option.

“Jon, I appreciate your willingness to stand behind me, but I don’t want you to do anything at this point. I wanted to keep you informed of how things are going, but I haven’t exhausted every possibility so far. Remember that book?” I prompted him.

“The 48 Laws of Power?” he said, searching his memory.

“Yep, that’s the one. In the book, they make a great point about enemies. If you can woo a former enemy, they’ll end up being your staunchest supporter. That’s what I’m aiming for- I just haven’t quite figured out how to do that with Matt” I laughed, but it was the truth.

“I guess I’ll have to take another look at that book” Jon replied thoughtfully. “So maybe we’ll see what this afternoon brings.”