The Sauna Part 276

“Morning baby. Did you sleep well?” I murmured, seeing Jon stretching and yawning over the top of the computer screen as I looked up, hearing him stir.

“Trish, come back to bed. Why are you up so early? We’ve got plenty of time before we leave for New Zealand” he admonished, seeing the clock showed it was only seven-thirty.

“I wanted to check and see if Jack got our email and whether the new site was up yet” I replied, turning my attention back to the screen.

I had slept rather soundly until a bad dream had woken me with a start and I needed to set my new plan in motion. I’d resolved during the night that I would never again allow myself to become so distracted that I neglected the business that Jon had entrusted to me. The nightmare I had about half the fans quitting Backstage had been only that; just a nightmare, but it served to confirm my need to get on the ball. In reality, Jack hadn’t even read our reply yet, so I began researching other boards.

“Trish?” Jon called out my name but I had already become quite engrossed in reading the comments people had made on the Topix forum about the band and the Fan Club.

“Trish!” Jon said again louder as he jumped out of bed and moved towards me, shutting the laptop without waiting for me to respond. “Come back to bed and let’s talk about last night” he insisted, tugging me along by my robe.

“Jon! I was in the middle of something!” I protested.

“This is more important” he announced resolutely, wanting to nip my renewed obsessiveness right in the bud.

I didn’t resist and climbed back into bed, knowing the computer would still be there when we were through. I had no intention of burdening him with my worries; I’d brooded enough for the both of us. I tried distraction instead.

“Last night was amazing. You were really spectacular, both onstage and off” I grinned rather salaciously.

“Darlin’, that’s not what I meant when I said we need to talk about last night” he said firmly.

I lowered my eyes, avoiding his gaze, and tried to dissuade him with flirting. I ran my fingernail down the length of his chest and licked my lips with a provocative smile as I straddled his lap. But something was wrong and he wasn’t responding.

“Trish, stop it! Why won’t you talk to me? Don’t shut me out!” he bellowed, shaking me a bit angrily.

“Jon, just leave it alone, will you? I’m ashamed enough as it is, do you have to make me confess?” I cried desperately, color creeping high on my cheeks.

Jon let me go and I stood up and started to pace. Dammit! Why was he being so tenacious about this? I’d dealt with my shame in my own way and I knew what I needed to do. It wouldn’t happen again. I wasn’t going to let him down ever again. But he was like a dog with a bone and he just wouldn’t let it go.

“I spoke to Jim last night after you fell asleep” he said calmly, watching me from the bed.

“You did what? What did he say?” I asked thickly, my mouth suddenly dry.

“He said quite a few things and most notably he reminded me what a jackass I am and how in some perverse way you feel responsible for my error in judgment about Matt and the Fan Club. Is this true?” he demanded, catching my hand as I stopped dead in front of him.

“Jon, it’s more my fault than yours. You trusted me to manage things there and I allowed Matt way too much freedom because I was too busy enjoying myself on this tour. It never would have happened if I’d been doing my job the way that you always do yours. You made a mistake when it happened, but it was more understandable. He was your brother and you had reason to trust him and your mom and it wasn’t your job to be minding the store. It was mine and I let you down. I blamed you as a way to avoid facing the fact that it was really my fault, but I promise it’ll never happen again” I bleated out the whole thing, my shame and remorse pouring forth like a wellspring as I confessed my inadequacy.

“For pity’s sake, Trish, will you look at me! Do you honestly think that I hold you responsible for what happened? There’s plenty of blame to go around and I blame myself more than you, but Matt and my mother have the lion’s share of the guilt. What sort of arrogant bastard would I be if I judged your ability based on that particular incident? Don’t you realize how proud I am of you? For Chrissakes…” he swore, having no doubt that Jim’s assessment had been right on the money.

Jon pulled me down roughly onto the bed and hugged me so hard I could barely breathe as the sobs tore forth from my lungs in a rush. It reminded me of the time when my father first told me he loved me after we hadn’t spoken for over a month following a fight. The floodgates had swung open and the relief washed over me like a tide. He wasn’t disappointed in me after all and it didn’t matter to him that I wasn’t perfect.

“Baby, I don’t want you obsessing about work or worrying that I’m gonna lose some respect for you if something goes wrong on occasion. Hell, that’s a standard I don’t wanna live up to either. I’ve enjoyed myself more on this tour than ever before and frankly, so have the guys and I don’t want that to change. I don’t wanna become the workaholic I know I can be and I certainly don’t want that from you. Nobody ever died saying they wished they’d spent more time at work” he grinned, quoting Jim.

I had to agree. While it wouldn’t have been hard to revert back to being consumed with my job, it wasn’t what I wanted and I was glad that Jon didn’t want it to be like that either. He handed me a kleenex and I blew my nose loudly, nodding that I understood.

“And baby, just one more thing” he continued as I waited expectantly. “In the future, will you promise to talk to me? Please don’t make me drag it out of you or beg someone else to tell me what’s bothering you, okay?” he asked, holding my chin so I couldn’t look away.

“I will, Jon. I promise” I said apologetically even though I knew it would be hard. It was one thing to confront a behavior that pissed me off, it was quite another thing for me to show vulnerability. I’d need to work on that.


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



It was late afternoon when we boarded the plane for New Zealand. The guys were all looking rested and relaxed and the lot of them were playing cards while I surfed the web for some interesting things to see in New Zealand.

“It’s recently come to my attention that there’s a myth that I’m perfect” Jon began, winking at Jim who grinned in response.

“That’s a myth alright” Richie muttered as he threw down a card.

“I was hoping that you guys would help me set the record straight and share some of the memories of the things that went wrong and the bad decisions I made over the years. I can’t seem to recall them myself” he smirked.

The challenge was met with a chorus of hooting and shouts for who got to go first and I laughed as they competed for the chance to tell their best stories. Jim grabbed his pen and opened his notebook, signalling for David to go first. He rubbed his palms together and licked his lips.

“Ah, where to begin…the flight’s only a short one” David said with a gleam and Jon groaned.

“What about the time when he almost started a riot at the first show in Moscow?” Richie offered.

“Or how about the time when we had to go down to the police station in Prague and vouch for his identity?” Hugh threw out.

“What about the time we got escorted out of Vancouver and were asked never to come back?” Tico volunteered to which Jon only groaned.

“It’s going to be a long flight” he laughed, rolling his eyes.

The remainder of the flight went by fast as the guys regaled Jim and I with tales of Jon’s lesser known foibles and Jon, for his part, took it in stride. He knew he’d matured a lot over the years, but it had come at a price, and he wasn’t shy any longer about sharing his mistakes. Most of the stories, if the truth were to be known, were from the band’s heyday when they were all young and foolish and Jon gave as good as he got. He spared no expense at reminding Tico of the time they had to pay for the fancy golf cart he’d crashed into the ocean right there in Australia or the time that Tico and David were found asleep in each other’s arms after they’d passed out while fighting.

“Hey, what about that time when you were drunk and almost ended up married to that broad in Fresno? I saved your ass, remember, bro?” Richie cackled wickedly.

“Shall I enlighten Jim and Trish about the chandelier that I paid for that earned you your nickname, eh, buddy?” Jon tossed back and Richie turned four shades of purple.

“Don’t go there or I’ll tell ’em about the cross-dressing dude that you and Teek were both mooning over ’till you saw him go in the men’s room!” Richie fought back.

And so it went until my face hurt from laughing. There were stories as well of a more serious nature that Jon shared himself about business dealings gone badly. Everyone grew more subdued when they talked about Doc and how hard he had driven the guys. Jon still regretted allowing himself to be used by the industry “machine” and blamed his poor judgment back then for some of the permanent damage to his vocal chords. The tone became even more somber when they discussed Doc’s arrest for trafficking drugs. That incident left such a sour taste in everyone’s mouth that it led to Jon’s policy against drugs. There were other stories too that clearly demonstrated the struggles and life lessons they all had endured before becoming the nearly flawless performers they were now.

“So, does this put to the rest the myth of my perfection?” Jon asked summarily as we landed and we all nodded our heads.

The Sauna Part 275

“Baby, what’s wrong? Were you crying?” Jon demanded as he ran over to where I was standing.

“Nothing, love. Really. I’m fine. I was just moved seeing you in your element” I replied.

It wasn’t a total lie. It was watching his perfect performance that had started my mind spinning.

“Darlin’, you’ve seen the show over and over. It’s nothing new” he persisted, not buying my excuse for a moment. “Were you and Jim arguing?”

“No, we just see certain things a bit differently, that’s all” I explained, smiling brightly.

Please Jon, please. Just leave it alone. Not now. Not tonight. I need time to think. I didn’t want to have this conversation right here, right now. All I wanted was to lose myself in his loving. To feel his strong arms around me, soothing the doubts I was beginning to feel about myself. My eyes pleaded with him to just let it go. At least for now.

Jon looked searchingly into my face and I saw the questions reflected in his shining blue eyes, but he let it go. Jim shrugged his shoulders and walked away when Jon turned his attention to him and I put my arms round his neck and drew him in for a kiss. His mind was still working, but his body responded and he whispered hotly in my ear.

“Let’s get the hell outta here” he suggested and I didn’t argue.

We made our way back to the hotel room, leaving Jim and the guys to handle the fans at the after-party. Jon scooped me up in his arms and carried me off to the bed, instinctively knowing I needed him. He laid me down gently and stripped off his clothes while I peeled off my jeans and he tugged my shirt over my head.

“Baby, I want you” he breathed into my ear.

I pulled him down closer and he plunged his lance into my welcoming wetness. I shifted my hips and encircled his waist with my thighs, gripping him tightly, as I bucked in reply to his rhythm and he deftly nibbled the sensitive spot on my shoulder. I moaned my appreciation as a ripple of electricity shot through my body and I felt my contractions beginning to milk his depleted reserves.

Jon’s fingers were achingly tender as he reached down to stroke my trembling flesh and I fell over the edge, calling his name. His own release was not far behind and I felt him stiffen and tense as my body rocked him along with my wave. He collapsed alongside me and drew me into his arms, stroking my hair as he kissed me softly on each of my eyelids, soothing the pain in the only way he knew how.

“I love you, Jon” I murmured into his neck.

“I love you too, Trish” he sighed in reply, cradling me in his arms as I fell deeply asleep.


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


Jon lay awake, wondering what could have happened to have changed my mood so abruptly from playful to somber during the show. He ran through his setlist, noting nothing unusual, and knew that it had to be something that happened between me and Jim. He couldn’t imagine what sort of argument we might have had, but he was determined to find out.

He carefully pulled away from my sleeping form and rolled to the edge of the bed, quietly pulling the covers around me as I snuggled into the warmth. He crept out of bed and slipped on his jeans and a t-shirt as he watched me slumbering peacefully, closing the door silently as he stepped into the hall.

“Yeah, what is it?” Jim answered irritably as Jon pounded on his door.

“Hey man, open up. I need to talk to you” he bleated back with some urgency.

The door opened slowly and Jim stood in his robe, staring at Jon with a rather annoyed expression. He motioned him in nonetheless as he’d learned by now that Jon got what he wanted and it didn’t seem worth the effort to argue. He hadn’t been sleeping as it was anyway.

“Christ, man, it’s after two o’clock in the morning. What’s so important that it can’t wait ‘till tomorrow?” Jim grumbled.

“Trish” Jon replied succinctly.

“Oh” Jim responded without much enthusiasm.

“What the fuck happened out there tonight?” Jon began with implied accusation.

“You two are really something! You really deserve one another. You both could screw up a wet dream!” Jim said bitterly as he walked to the frig and cracked open a beer.

Jon was momentarily thrown off balance as he hadn’t expected such a caustic retort, but he recovered quickly and spun Jim around to face him.

“What the hell are you talking about?” he sputtered, somewhat affronted.

“You didn’t do anything this time, Mr. Perfect. It’s just Trish and her unwarranted need to punish herself for not feeling good enough to deserve you” Jim snapped, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Jon’s mind was reeling with this information and some of his anger with Jim began to subside as he concentrated more on trying to understand what had happened. Clearly Jim knew something he didn’t know and he wanted the story, not some heated argument. He took a deep breath and sank down in the chair, keeping his voice steady as he prompted Jim to go on.

“I’m listening” he said calmly.

“You and Trish, man, it’s like some twisted fairy tale. You finally find each other after lifetimes apart and it seems like the two of you can’t just accept that you’re blessed. You nearly blew it when you trusted your brother and somehow she thinks it’s her fault for not paying closer attention. I’ve known her for years and no one has ever invested more in her work than Trish. Trust me, I know. She finally learned to let go and just let herself love you and look at what happened! Her devotion to you made her less careful and now she’s blaming herself for the mess with the Fan Club when you’re the jackass who didn’t listen!” Jim spat out harshly.

Jon sat there in stunned silence, trying to absorb what he’d heard. Trish was blaming herself? That didn’t make any sense. She’d tried to warn me about Matt several times and it was me who hadn’t been paying attention. And as far as not feeling good enough? It’s me who isn’t good enough to deserve her, he thought miserably.

“Jesus” Jon muttered absently as he ran his hands through his hair.

“You really don’t know just how lucky you are, do you? You’re just used to getting whatever you want and you take it for granted that Trish made you the center of her world” Jim chastised him softly.

“I just didn’t realize…” Jon sighed heavily.

Some of Jim’s venom withered away as he realized that Jon really loved me with all of his heart and he was doing the best that he could to make sure I knew it. His own pain evaporated now that he’d spoken it aloud for the first time and he resigned himself to the fact that he wasn’t the one as he tried to undo the wounds his words had inflicted.

“You got what I always wanted; I can admit that. But I know that she loves you more than she could ever have loved me. I know now that you really love her and I want you both to be happy. Just don’t fuck it up again or I won’t stand aside” Jim said with genuine regret.

“What can I do, man? How can I fix this?” Jon wondered aloud.

“Just show her that you really are proud of her, even when things don’t go so smoothly. She sees you on stage and the well-oiled machine of Bon Jovi and then reflects on her own mistakes in comparison. Can’t you try and to dispel the myth that you’re perfect on a more regular basis? You know, show a little chink in the armour once in a while? Let her see the little mistakes that you make all the time and not just the polished product, man” Jim advised.

“That doesn’t sound hard. Maybe then I can avoid a major fuck up like the last one? I would have thought that was enough proof that I ain’t anywhere close to perfection” Jon smirked with humility.

“Yeah, you’d think so, wouldn’t you? But maybe you should try a bad hair day now and then” Jim grinned back at him. “But seriously, don’t let her get so absorbed in her job, trying to follow your lead that you both drift apart. Job’s are just jobs, she’s your life, man. Nobody ever died wishing they’d spent more time at work” he added wisely.

“You love her too, don’t you?” Jon observed with circumspection.

“Yeah, man, I’ll always love Trish, but I love her enough to let her go” Jim reassured him.

Jon walked back to our room and slipped inside without making a sound. I was still fast asleep and he stripped off his clothes and climbed in beside me. He lay there for a few moments, watching the steady rise and fall of my chest as I breathed in and out peacefully, lost in my dreams. He reached out his arms and folded me closer, taking comfort in the familiar scent of my perfume and the warmth of my body.

“I love you more than anything in this world or the next” he whispered reverently as I curled myself tighter against him.

The Sauna Part 274

Tonight’s show was at the Crown Towers and I was glad we didn’t have far to go. We weren’t moving very quickly as it took time to recover and we were both ravenously hungry even though our dinners had long since grown cold. Jim knocked on the door first and he was a bit startled to see us still in our robes, munching on salad and obviously cold chicken.

“You guys aren’t ready yet? It’s almost seven-thirty” he reminded us anxiously, checking his watch.

“It’ll only take me a minute and the show’s right here” Jon said reassuringly, licking his fingers as he took another bite of the chicken.

“Okay, maybe you won’t need very much time, but…” he continued worriedly, glancing in my direction.

“Hey, I’m already bathed” I answered sarcastically, removing the towel from my hair and heading into the bathroom.

He was right, it was rather late and I wasn’t in the mood to move quickly. I dabbed on my make-up and began drying my hair just as I heard Richie’s voice join Jon and Jim. I switched on the dryer and bent my head downwards, drying it as quickly as I knew how, when I suddenly felt Jon’s hands on my butt.

“If we weren’t already so late…” he teased, lifting my robe and slapping my ass with his stiffening penis and I laughed.

“Baby, you’re gonna give Jim a heart attack! Did you see his expression when he saw we weren’t ready?” I grinned.

“Yeah, he looked pretty nervous” Jon agreed, removing my robe and licking his lips.

“Did the two of them go on ahead of us?” I asked with a gleam in my eye.

“Hell, no. They’re both out there waiting. Apparently I can’t be trusted when we’re both nearly nekkid” he chuckled mischieviously.

“I’d say they’re both fairly perceptive” I giggled, stroking his cock as it grew exponentially.

“Hey! Shake a leg, you two, or I’m coming in!” Richie’s voice boomed threw the door.

“No need for threats, man, you’re just jealous, that’s all” Jon called back.

“Shit” Richie muttered to Jim as he dialed Tico’s cell and told him we were all running late.

Despite the inviting possibilities Jon’s renewed vigor was offering, I slipped on my jeans and a gray tank top and brushed out my hair. Jon sighed with displeasure, but he followed suit and donned his ass-hugging black pants and the black leather vest that I dangled in front of him. I leered at him as he struggled to get the pants over his bulging member and he flicked my nipple with his tongue, leaving a wet spot.

“Stop that or I’ll have to change into a new shirt!” I protested, pushing his mouth away albeit a little half-heartedly.

“No time for that now” he cackled lecherously and I pursed my lips in mock indignation.

When we emerged from the bathroom we heard a sigh of relief from both Jim and Richie until Richie’s eyes came to rest on my noticeably protruding nipple. He rolled his eyes and reached out to cuff Jon, but he saw it coming and ducked, grinning wickedly.

“Fuck, it’ll dry” Richie said resignedly. “C’mon children, Dad’s getting annoyed” he added under his breath, jerking his head in Jim’s direction.

Jim was now pacing and beginning to seem genuinely distressed and he pointed to his watch as he hurried us on out the door. I grabbed a light weight bolero and closed the door to our room.

“Five minutes! There’s no opening act tonight, we should already be there” he chastised us as we walked down the hall to the elevator.

We arrived five minutes late, but no damage was done. Tonight’s show was a smaller one and the proceeds were going to benefit a woman’s shelter in Melbourne. A few people in the crowd appeared slightly disgruntled as they’d hoped that their thousand dollar ticket had bought them the right to socialize with the band. That wasn’t the plan, however, as Jon wasn’t feeling especially indulgent and he’d purposely stalled some just to avoid the paparazzi, though he did make a brief statement before heading directly to the stage.

Jon had actually planned things this way, leaving the press little choice except to listen to me wax on rather passionately about the needs of victims for shelter, support and legal assistance. I had no idea that was the plan, but I got a clue as he winked at me before racing off to join the rest of the guys. He’d given me a segue into the discussion and I was grateful for the chance to reach a broad audience and I took full advantage of it. I saw Jim shaking his head as it dawned on him too that we were never really in danger of disappointing the audience.

The guys performed flawlessly, playing a mix of acoustic and electric versions of all the fan favorites and the audience ate it up like a connoisseur savoring a fine wine. The more intimate atmosphere of the Crown Towers was well-suited to this type of show and the guys seemed to enjoy the change of pace from the regular venues. Jon spent more time than usual talking to the crowd and that made up for the lack of social interaction some had been hoping for.

“Nothing he does is ever random, is it Trish?” Jim observed, nudging me slightly.

“Nothing public anyway” I admitted.

I was proud of Jon and the smooth way he handled the business end of his life. He was neither brash or impulsive nor was he foolish or arrogant. He took what he did very seriously and it was rare to see him have an off-day. He was thoughtful and skillful in the way that he wielded his power and he was nothing if not charismatic and purposeful. I watched the show from the sidelines, smiling knowingly as he made the well-scripted banter appear to be spontaneous. I admired his discipline and his public persona and I hoped that I could measure up to what he expected and needed in a business associate as well as a wife. I needed to earn his respect far more than he needed to earn mine.

I thought back over the mistakes I had made with the website and how I had gone against instinct and trusted his brother. I had allowed myself to become caught up in the wealth of experiences that touring had brought me and I had let my guard down and it had led to a ruinous fall from grace for Jon. I was ashamed of myself and proud of him at the same moment. Jon would never had made the mistakes I had made and I resolved then and there that I would do everything in my power to make him proud of me too.

“Trish?” Jim said rather softly, eyeing me as I watched Jon.

“Trish? Is everything okay?” he asked, interrupting my reverie but capturing my attention.

“Why do you ask?” I wondered, my eyes narrowing slightly.

“You just had this look in your eyes. Almost sad, but not exactly…something, ah… unsettled” he remarked. It wasn’t a question; it was a statement.

“I let him down. I screwed up. I let things slide as I was having so much fun on the tour…if I’d been paying closer attention, Matt never would have gotten away with what he did. Jon trusted me and I let him down. Because I was irresponsible, I nearly cost him his reputation. How can I ever make up for that?” I spat miserably, feeling the full weight of my burden.

Jim stood there and stared at me. He was simply aghast. He’d thought me many things in the past, even a ruthless bitch in some of my worse moments. But irresponsible? That was something he couldn’t even imagine applying to me.

“Trish, are you kidding?” he asked, knowing I was dead serious by the tears glistening in my eyes as I choked back my regret. “You’ve never even approached irresponsible, honey. May I remind you that Jon’s been doing this act for nearly twenty-five years? How long have you been running in his circles?” he demanded, wiping a tear from my eye.

“That’s no excuse. I’ve been in management for years and I should have known better. I just don’t seem to be able to focus on work like I used to, you know? It just isn’t the priority it once was anymore. It’s like…” I tried to explain.

“It’s like you’re in love, sweetheart. Finally there’s something else that matters more than work and that is a new experience for you. Believe me, I know” he said a bit dismally.

I looked at him intently and I saw the pain in his eyes. My lack of commitment to him when we had been lovers had hurt him deeply and the wounds may have healed, but the scars still remained. I felt real regret now, both for him as well as for Jon. Perhaps I just wasn’t capable of maintaining any balance myself in a rlationship.

“Jim, I’m so sorry. Neither you or Jon deserve the suffering I seem to inflict on those that I care about” I said earnestly as I slipped into remorse.

“Stop it! Just stop it! When are you ever gonna realize that you don’t need to be perfect to be worthy of love?” he shot back and it was my turn to be stunned.

“I don’t need to be perfect! I just need to stop messing things up!” I hurled back to which he responded with a twisted grin.

“And just how do you define perfect?” he asked wryly.

I swallowed hard as I considered my words and his. The show was wrapping up and the applause from the appreiative audience was deafening. Jim and I stared at each other before turning our eyes towards the stage. Jon was watching me from the center of the stage and I smiled brightly back at him. There’d be time later to sift through my feelings. Right now he needed his wife to pull it together and that I could do.

The Sauna Part 273

Since the weather was mild, lunch was arranged as an informal affair and we were escorted onto a terrace which overlooked the expansive vineyards of Di Bortoli. Jon ordered a crisp white wine to begin and we made our selection from the lunch menu. We had an hour to eat before our guide, Rolf, returned to collect us and the conversation naturally turned to what we had seen at the sanctuary.

“I’d never even heard of an echidna before today” Jim remarked.

“Me either, but I can tell you it’s a name I’m unlikely to forget” Richie laughed.

“I was surprised at how ferocious those Tassies seemed; they looked a lot cuter in pictures” I said, still a little taken aback at the behavior I’d witnessed.

“They weren’t quite what I expected either. I thought they’d look more like Zeke” Jon added snidely.

Richie and I both punched him in the arm simultaneously and Jim let out a laugh while Jon rubbed his arm, looking sheepish. We finished our meals and waited outside for our guide. It was just after one o’clock and we still had a few hours before we needed to head back to the hotel and prepare for tonight’s show.

Rolf had returned and accompanied us back to the sanctuary where we continued our tour, heading off towards the wetlands. We saw a variety of waterfowl and more than a few reptiles, but we were about to give up on our search for the elusive Lyrebird when Rolf pricked up his ears.

“Listen” he whispered and we all stood there quietly as we strained to hear what he heard.

“Sounds like a car alarm off in the distance” Jim whispered.

The sound was soon followed by what we assumed was a native Kookaburra and then the sound of a baby crying. The strange chorus continued with a medley of other bird calls we didn’t recognize and it ended with a sound that closely resembled that of a barking dog.

“That’s a Lyrebird if I’m not mistaken” Rolf advised us and we followed him in the direction of the sounds.

The symphony repeated, growing louder as we approached, and we heard a rustle of movement in the woods off to the right. The sounds suddenly halted as we came upon a spectacular Lyrebird proudly displaying his plumage. He wound up again and repeated the call of the Kookaburra and added a chainsaw to the medley as if to confirm he was most definitely the souce of the melody.

“Fucking amazing” Richie breathed heavily.

“That sounded just like the actual noises! Shit! How did you know it was the bird and not a car alarm or a buzzsaw or something?” Jon demanded.

“It was the rapid succession of sounds mixed with bird calls that gave it away. The Lyrebird is an incredible mimic, huh?” Rolf smiled with satisfaction.

“Hell, yeah! Can it do music too? Like an actual song?” Richie wanted to know.

“I’ve heard stories that they can pick up single instrument tunes if they hear it often enough” Rolf replied, scratching his chin. “I’m not sure they could mimic the sound of a full song off the radio, though” he added thoughtfully.

“Damn good thing-guess my job’s safe for the moment” Richie cackled.

Author’s Note:
For video links to see a Lyrebird performing his repetoire, click here:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3433507052114896375

I snapped a few photos and we moved on to finish our tour as we couldn’t leave Australia without seeing a dingo. We weren’t disappointed as we saw several on the way back to the main area and I sighed with satisfaction. We thanked Rolf for his superior skill as our guide and Jon gave him a generous tip in addition to the check he wrote out for the sanctuary. We headed back to the hotel to get changed before tonight’s gig and I downloaded my photos onto the computer and emailed the kids and a few friends.

I noticed an email from Jack and quickly scanned through the contents, realizing that Jon and I needed to write that letter of apology to the fans. The website was ready to roll and Jack was just waiting for us to give the okay and send him the letter to post. We ordered dinner from room service and sat down to collect our thoughts.

“Shit, babe, what can we say? I don’t wanna post all the details but the fans deserve some sort of explanation” he frowned.

“I’m thinking that no one needs to know exactly what happened, but they need reassurance that it was unintentional and that their money will be refunded just as we’d promised. In fact, Jack’s email said that they’d already managed to refund all the charges, so we just have to let people know that they need to check their credit card statements. And we need to tell them how sorry we are…” I emphasized.

Jon nodded and sat down beside me to compose the letter and together we wrote our apology and sincere gratitude to the fans who’d hung in there. Jon felt that it still wasn’t enough and he wanted to do something special for those who’d been wronged.

“How many people were affected by the shit that Matt pulled?” he wondered aloud.

“Over eight hundred fans registered and posted on the adult site before we could shut it down and the word got around” I replied.

“Shit, that’s a lot of people but I’ve got an idea. Could we give everyone who registered a $25 credit at the Fan Club store? At least they’ll know that we’re really sorry and I want them to know how much we value their faith in me and the band” he reflected, calculating the figure.

“We can do that” I smiled and I’ve got another idea too. “How about a drawing for an autographed guitar? Let’s generate some excitement to celebrate the launch of the new Fan Club and the beginning of a new era!” I urged him, getting excited myself.

My enthusiasm was contagious and he nodded vigorously in response. The fans who’d been cheated would get an additional $25 in credit at the club store and all the fans would be eligible for the drawing which would take place at the end of the tour. I fired off a reply to Jack explaining our plan and attached the letter that Jon had composed, signing it simply as ‘Jon and Trish’.

This was the generous man that I loved, not the tight-fisted, greedy icon he’d appeared to be during Matt and his mother’s tenure. There’d be no more “promotions” geared at bleeding the fans and the new Fan Club would serve as a vehicle for Jon to return the appreciation it’s members had lavished upon him for so many years. The times ‘they were a changin’ I hummed as I sent off the email.

“Thanks, baby” Jon grinned. “This change really has been long overdue.”

“C’mon Mister Rock Star-you’ve got a show to do” I beamed happily back at him as we shut down the computer and made straight for the shower.

Jon nuzzled my neck as we waited for the water to heat up and I felt the stirring of desire deep down inside as his fingers reached around to my nipples. I wasn’t the only one feeling aroused, I noticed, as I turned round in his arms and reached for his erection that was prodding my thigh. His hands slid to my hips and he lifted me up, easing me on to his pulsating shaft in one fluid movement.

The steam was beginning to cloud up the mirror, but not before I caught a quick glimpse of us in its reflection. Jon’s tongue snaked down my neck as I pressed my breasts harder into his chest and he stepped into the shower. I gripped his arms with my hands and he winced slightly as my nails dug into his flesh, sparking an urgency he hadn’t originally felt. I caught my breath as he rammed into me with an unexpected ferocity and my muscles began to contract almost immediately.

I felt my back slam into the wall as I bit back my cries, burying my mouth in ear. He was on fire, burning with his need to suddenly possess me, body and soul. He’d be gentle and tender later, but right now he needed to bury himself deeper inside my smoldering flame, losing himself in the lust that consumed him.

I responded with a need of my own, growing more insistent with each thrust of his pelvis as our bodies thrashed to a crushing beat only we could hear. The rhythm of our heartbeat pounded loudly in my ears as I crashed into him, washing him in the flood of my passion. His voice rumbled sonorously in my ear as he ground out his own cries, his orgasm ripping forth from his core like a volcano erupting.

“Holy…”he groaned, his body still shuddering.

“Fuck” I finished as the last wave ripple through me.

Our eyes locked and we giggled at the shared intensity of the experience as he slowly withdrew and I slipped my legs to the floor. He was trembling himself as he held me up or held onto me; frankly I couldn’t distinguish the difference at that very moment, nor did I care. I slumped into his chest and he nestled his face in my hair, still heaving from his exertion.

Happy Samhain!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Folks!
Jon, Trish and I just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful Samhain (Halloween)! It's a fabulous time of year when we have the opportunity to don costumes and live out a fantasy or two, so it seems an expecially appropriate time to thank everyone who has followed my little fantasy and I hope that ya'll are having a blast and letting your imagination run wild! It's the Wiccan New Year and thus it is a very busy time for me with celebrations and such, but you can expect a new chapter early next week! Make a wish on the eve of the New Year and let's hope all of our day dreams come true!!!
Opester