The Sauna Part 253

We woke on our last morning together nestled in each other’s arms. Jon had passed out shortly after the end of the night’s torture and I’d laid my head on his chest. It always comforted me to hear the sound of his heartbeat, so steady and strong, just like the man himself. The room was a shambles and it was hard to believe we’d managed to make such a mess without ever leaving the bed.

I looked around at the carnage and assessed it wasn’t as bad as it looked. There were a few bath towels and the clothes I had strewn on the floor when I’d hunted for the scarves that had been buried deep in my suitcase. Next time I’d keep them somewhere more accessible. We’d knocked over the champagne and there was a stain on the floor and the lamp had rolled off the nightstand, along with the champagne glass which miraculously hadn’t broken. The bed squeaked badly when I sat up and I shook my head in despair.

“Jon, just look at the mess we made” I lamented.

“Yeah, we really wrecked the place” he admitted with a smirk.

I slapped his arm playfully and started to get up and clean up what I could, but he stopped me.

“Baby, I’ll pay for the damage. It was worth it” he smiled seductively as he pulled me back in the bed.

We hadn’t made love yet for the final time and Jon set out to correct that situation straight away. Our lovemaking was easy, the way lovers are when the goal is intimacy rather than passion and we both felt relaxed and as close as two people could be. We showered and dressed and made our way down to breakfast for our rendezvous with the guys. I was surprised to see David already seated alone as we walked towards the table, arm in arm.

“Struck out again, eh, buddy?” Jon teased with a shit-eating grin.

“Aaawww, fuck you, man. It was slim pickins last night, not that you would know” he shot back with an affable smile.

“Believe me, I do know I’m lucky” Jon nodded as he kissed me.

Tico and Hugh appeared next as they hadn’t stayed out quite as late either and partying for them wasn’t quite the same as it had been in the days of their youth. We nibbled on scones and coffee while we waited for Richie to arrive. We were on our third pot when he stumbled down to join us.

“Well, now, look what the cat dragged in” Hugh observed wryly and Richie shot him a glare.

“So it would seem someone else besides Jon actually had a good time last night?” Dave asked, looking just a tad jealous.

“Remember those twins? Shit, man, I’m getting too old for this stuff” Richie replied wearily.

My head swiveled around as I gaped at him, wondering if I’d heard him correctly. Richie saw my expression and held up his hand to explain.

“Trish, relax. That didn’t exactly come out the way I intended. I only meant that I couldn’t get rid of them and they kept babbling on about nonsense all night. I kept trying to be polite, but I finally had to escape through a bathroom window-no shit-they even followed me to the john” he explained, shaking his head.

“Hey, asshole! Did you forget about me? I would have been happy to help take them off your hands! Some fuckin’ friend you are!” Dave reproached him and we all laughed, but I was still a bit stunned.

“Richie, are you serious?” I asked, trying to digest this new information.

“Hell, yeah. It was like a fuckin’ flashback to the eighties, man. I actually fell getting out of the window” he complained, rubbing his shoulder.

“Shit, at least it wasn’t your playing arm” Jon said sarcastically and Richie scowled.

“Damn, I miss the old days” Dave reminisced.

We ordered our breakfast and Richie kept us entertained with more tales of the twins while Dave groaned. I kept trying to imagine Richie climbing out of a bathroom window and the picture I conjured up was hysterical. It was hard to have sympathy when he told the story so comically and Dave’s dramatic sighs only added to my amusement.

“Well, sweetcheeks, there are worse things than being considered a sex symbol in your late forties” I said finally, pinching his cheek.

“Yeah, I suppose” he acknowledged sheepishly.

We had finished our breakfast and they were clearing away the dishes when we began saying our goodbyes. I still had to pack and make some attempt to straighten the room before the maid showed up. I also didn’t have the luxury of getting to the airport late as I had to take a commercial flight. The guys would be leaving for Barcelona shortly after me and they needed the plane.

“Trish, we’re really gonna miss ya, querida” Tico said as he gave me a warm bear hug.

“I’m going to miss all you guys too. It feels like I’m leaving my family” I admitted with tears in my eyes.

Now that the time was finally here to say goodbye, it began hitting me all at once. The warmth in Tico’s eyes unleashed a flood of emotions I’d been biting back and somehow his kindness made it all the much harder to contain. I wasn’t going to miss only Jon, but I would really miss these guys, especially Tico and Richie who’d really started to feel like my big brothers.

Dave gave me a hard time about leaving and let me know that I was sentencing them to sheer misery with Jon once I was gone. He actually said this was the most fun he’d had on tour in years and that it was the most relaxed he’d ever seen Jon. I expected the teasing, but I hadn’t expected the genuine sincerity with which he spoke. I hugged Dave and nodded, as I was too choked up to speak.

Next came Hugh, the most reserved and low-key of all the guys. He smiled at me with affection and it was his eyes, rather than his words, that spoke volumes. I felt the tears beginning to roll down my cheeks now, but when it came to Richie I dissolved into a full blown sob.

“Aaawww, Trish, doll…” he sad soothingly, patting my back.

I looked up and saw the tears in his eyes and even Jon looked away. This was just too damn hard and I wasn’t prepared. I clung onto Richie as he whispered endearingly into my ear.

“Trish, you have no idea how much I’m gonna miss you. You and I, well, we have a bond that the miles can’t ever lessen, and I don’t simply mean Jon” he said so softly that only I could hear.

“Oh, Richie…” I sobbed again harder and he turned my face up to look at him.

“Don’t worry about me, babe. I’ll make you proud, okay?” he asked and the last shred of control I had evaporated and I cried even harder.

Richie stroked my back and I fought to regain my composure, my breath coming in gasps as I struggled to form a coherent thought. It was tough to say goodbye after our time in California, but I had come to love Richie so much more since then. My heart had broken for him so many times recently and I wanted to stay and protect him.

“Richie, I knew I was blessed with Jon, but I never expected to find a brother as well. Please be good to yourself and don’t ever doubt that you are truly loved, okay?” I managed finally. “And, you and Jon, take care of each other” I added.

“We will, Trish, we will” he shook his head solemnly.

Jon stepped forward and slipped his arm around my shoulder as he gently pulled me away from Richie. My lip was trembling, but I was determined to keep it together. I smiled wanly and waved goodbye to the guys as Jon and I walked to the elevator. The door shut on my last glimpse of them and I promptly buried my head in Jon’s chest, sobbing for all I was worth. And it was only the beginning.