The Sauna Part 292

The short flight to the airport passed by quickly and soon we were ready to board the plane that would take us “home” to the States. It didn’t feel much like going home when I was leaving behind the people I thought of as family and I turned to Jon for our final goodbye.

“It won’t be too long now, babe. Just a few shows in Japan and I’ll be on my way straight home to you” Jon smiled thinly and I nodded.

“Hey, I’ll keep her so busy she won’t even have time to miss you” Eva chimed in.

“Just try not to spend everything I made on this tour now, okay?” Tico added with a wry smile and Eva giggled.

“I’m gonna miss you so much” I said, my lips trembling as I tried hold back the tears. “Keep an eye on him, Teek, and don’t let him get into too much trouble, okay” I grinned, forcing a smile.

“No worries, Carita-I’ll have him in bed by midnight-you have my word” Tico smiled with genuine affection as he hugged me for the last time.

He released me right into Jon’s arms and turned his attention to Eva while Jon and I shared a few moments in private. The security guard cleared his throat and we stepped aside from the line to allow the other passengers to pass through the checkpoint while my carry on bag and my boots passed through to the other side. Jon wiped the tears that were threatening to fall from my eyes and kissed me soundly as he whispered endearingly into my ear.

“Don’t let Eva wear you out too much, baby. After a week, I’ll be missing you bad” he warned in a voice that already sounded husky with desire.

“Ditto!” I actually laughed.

We kissed one final time before I turned to pass through security, Jon’s taste still fresh in my mouth and his scent still lingering in my nostrils. I waived goodbye after I’d pulled on my boots and collected my bags and Eva took my hand as she pulled me along excitedly towards the gate.

“We haven’t got that much time, Trish, and there’s a store on this side I want you to see” she squealed with delight and off we went as Tico and Jon turned to leave.

“This is the part about touring that I hate the most” Jon sighed as they made their way through the throng of travelers headed toward the security checkpoint.

“I know, man, I know. And it never gets easier” Tico grumbled in reply.

Eva and I made it to our gate with no time to spare, loaded up with several more bags from her favorite store. I had to admit, when it came to shopping, she had me beat and I wondered how she had known about this particular place.

“I saw it when I flew in and I’d wanted to check it out then, but I didn’t have time” she replied to my question as we boarded the plane.

“Thank Goddess we’re in first class-the luggage compartments are much bigger up here” I observed.

Soon we were settled into our seats for the long ride to the States. When we reached the hub in Atlanta, Eva would need to exchange her ticket for Florida and I hoped she could still get a seat with me on the flight to Colorado, but we’d figure it out then. We had nothing to do for the next several hours besides sleep and plan what we wanted to do in Colorado.


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We managed the ticket exchange without difficulty in Atlanta and I called Alice to let her know I was bringing company. She filled me in on everything that my boys had been up to and assured me that they were eager to see their Mom. I managed to find a store that sold gourmet pet treats in the Atlanta airport and breathed a sigh of relief that I was prepared with a peace offering if they were miffed after my absence.

The time change was hard to adjust to and despite having slept on the plane, Eva and I were both pretty fatigued. The weather was a big change as well, but harder for Eva as she was used to the mild temperatures in Florida at this time of year. I was glad we had a limo waiting when we arrived as Eva didn’t have much in the way of warm clothes and most of the stuff I had in my carry on was too big to fit her. She looked like a ragamuffin dressed in my clothes and I couldn’t help laughing as she tried to appear graceful and elegant as we made our way to the baggage claim area.

“Not exactly a fashion plate at the moment, eh?” she remarked with a wink.

“Well, it’s a different look, that’s for sure” I giggled. “What size are you, for God’s sake? You’re swimming in my stuff” I agreed.

“I’m a size two, sometimes a four-it depends on the style” she replied and I shook my head. I couldn’t recall ever having been a size two and I’d always wondered who in the hell could wear such tiny clothes. No wonder she looked like a bag lady right at the moment.

We loaded our bags onto a cart and walked towards the exit when I saw the limo driver holding a sign. I didn’t recognize the young man, but I waived to get his attention and he hurried over to relieve us of our burdens.

“Trish Bongiovi?” he asked and I nodded, grateful to turn over the cart.

“What day is it, Joe?” I asked, reading his name tag.

“Uhm, why it’s Sunday night” he replied quizzically until I explained we’d just come in from New Zealand by way of Atlanta.

I would never get used to gaining and losing time when I traveled between time zones and I was too tired to do the math. I reset my watch to eleven-thirty and tried to wrap my brain around the fact that it was still Sunday night here.

We followed Joe out of the airport and into the night, blasted awake by a gust of frigid cold air. I heard Eva catch her breath at my side and she pulled the oversized, bulky sweater I’d loaned her tighter around her.

“Shit! It’s freezing here!” she lamented. “I can see my breath!”

“Yeah, this is what winter is like outside the south!” I laughed.

“Shit!” she echoed again as Joe helped us into the car before loading our bags into the trunk. “We need to go shopping! Do they sell parkas around here?”

“I’ll give Alice a call and ask her to get a fire started and make sure there’s a pot of hot coffee waiting” I laughed as I dialed the number.

“Trish? Are you in town yet?” Alice asked as she answered my call.

“We’re in the limo and on our way, finally! Should be just under an hour and we’ll be there. How’re my boys?” I asked, getting excited now as we drove closer to home.

“Well, my love, they’re all snoozing right at the moment. I’ve got chili made and I’ll start heating it up right now-is there anything else that you want? You must be exhausted, you poor thing!” Alice exclaimed in her motherly tone.

“Chili sounds wonderful-thank you for being so thoughtful. I’d be really grateful if you could have a pot of fresh coffee ready and maybe start a fire? Eva isn’t used to our winter weather and the sound of her teeth chattering is making it hard to hear!” I teased.

“Not a problem, sweetie! The house will be toasty warm and the coffee is brewing!” she assured me.

“Thanks, Alice! We’ll see you soon” I said, closing the phone.

Eva was gazing out the window at the snow-capped mountains and frozen ground as the limo navigated along icy roads, winding its way into the mountains. She raised her hand to the glass, wiping at the fog that covered the windows, as she peered into the night.

“It’s called snow, Eva. We get that up here in the hills” I smirked.

“Very funny. I know what it is-I just haven’t seen it in quite a few years. I’d forgotten how pretty it is, actually” she observed.

It was a clear night and the moon was high in the sky, illuminating the hillsides so that they looked luminescent. The stars twinkled above us and I smiled, wondering if Jon was looking up at the same sky. It wouldn’t be long before we could stand together, hand in hand, admiring the shimmering cloak of the Goddess.