The show that night was actually quite amazing. The rest of the guys were surprised at how well Richie played and it seemed like a dark cloud had lifted now that Elaine was no longer lurking in the shadows. They didn’t realize that Richie had now come to terms with much of the baggage he’d been carrying and that he’d found faith in God once again. After Jon left him that evening, he’d prayed to his God to take him under his wing and guide him to find the love he now knew was waiting.
The story had already hit the news by the time the guys started the show and one particularly offensive headline had made me furious: Rock Star’s Estranged Wife Gets Hit by Car-Suicide? Fortunately, there was very little of this sort of journalism and most of the stories did not indulge in such speculation. The love Richie felt came from his fans more than made up for any bad press that he was exposed to. Signs showing support for him were proudly displayed in the front rows of the venue and all through the crowd and he thanked the fans with all his heart for their loyalty and affection.
Jon and I returned to our room with much lighter hearts. We made love that night with frenzied abandon, followed by such overwhelming tenderness and emotion that we both felt renewed. What had begun as an arduous ordeal earlier that day had resulted in a healing experience for us all. It appeared that the Gods really did know their jobs pretty well.
We had the following day free and we decided to go and explore Glasgow now that we had the time. Richie came with us and the three of us went in search of adventure or at least something fun. I’d been exploring a website about Glasgow that morning and I really wanted to see Provand’s Lordship and the Glasgow Cathedral. Provand’s Lordship was the oldest house in Glasgow and was built in 1471 for the Lord of Provan, an official of the Cathedral which was located across the street.
Jon and Richie were happy to accompany me as they had never been there themselves and Jon filled Richie in on what he believed was the basis of his affinity for Scotland. He shared the dream he had had while we were in Sedona and then what he’d learned from Victor about his previous life.
“So you and Trish really did know each other in a past life? You actually remembered it?” Richie asked with a touch of awe.
“Rich, man, it was so vivid I could almost taste the beer in my mouth” Jon assured him.
“I’m dying to see the garden out back; it’s full of medieval herbs!” I squealed excitedly as we walked through the stone building and soaked up the atmosphere.
“Trish, it’s winter time. I doubt there’ll be that much to see” Jon reminded me.
“I know, but it has stone face masks and a fountain and I’m hoping they’ll have markers to show what the herbs are and maybe I can get some ideas. They’re all medicinal as this used to be part of a hospital when it was first built” I explained.
We stepped out onto the frozen earth and my breath caught when I saw the garden despite how barren it looked. I felt an immediate sense of calm as I closed my eyes for a moment and imagined how it would look in the Summer. I could see all the herbs in full bloom, sandwiched between the spaces of a Celtic knot made of boxwood. I knew I had been here before and it was almost as though I’d been transported back to another time and place. I could just barely smell the hyssop and horehound as I stood still and smiled, my breath forming curls in the frigid air.
“I know this place” I whispered to the Gods.
Jon and Richie stopped so suddenly that they nearly piled into me, marveling at the rapturous expression I wore.
“Jon, I remember. It’s changed, but I remember. The faces weren’t here then …” I said, turning to look into his eyes as I trailed my fingers over the cold, roughened stone.
“You were here before now?” Jon asked, taken aback.
“Yes. I can see the garden in Summertime. I was gathering herbs to make a posset for your ailing throat. Oh my Goddess, Jon, I remember” I said, tears filling my eyes.
I stood there transfixed for a moment as bits of a long forgotten memory came back in waves. I had been given permission to take herbs from the garden to brew a medicinal remedy for my husband who had a terrible cough that would not abate. I’d chosen those plants that I knew would soothe his raw throat and I had a fleeting glimpse of brewing the concoction in a large kettle over a fire. I was surrounded by vials and tinctures, dried herbs in jars and I’d crushed the fresh flowers and leaves in a mortar and pestle on the table behind me.
“Jon! Richie! I was the village apothecary! Goddess, I remember!” I bleated, flooded with images and scenes from another life.
Jon smiled as he pulled me against him, holding me close while I trembled from the cold and the force of the memory. Richie was speechless as he stared at me in wonder and I reached out to draw him closer to us.
“I’m okay, Richie, really. I’m not crazy and I haven’t lost my mind. I just didn’t know why I felt so compelled to come here until now” I beamed.
“It makes sense, you know, Trish. You were a healer then and you’re still a healer today” Jon observed and I nodded.
We were freezing now and despite my joy at recalling the past, we started back towards the house. I instinctively moved towards the fireplace, which had been lit to ward off the chill. The three of us huddled together and the memories slowly faded away.
“Did the potion you made for me work?” Jon inquired.
“I believe that it did” I chuckled.
Jon drew out his checkbook and wrote a donation to the society that maintained and restored the house for the city. They had saved it from demolition and given it over to the public trust and admission to museums of this sort were free to visitors. He handed the check to the one of the workers who looked at him with amazement.
“You’ll make sure this gets to the right place?” he asked with a grin.
“Absolutely I will sir” the stunned employee jabbered and we left to proceed to the Glasgow Cathedral across the street.
Richie was lagging behind as he had a question for one of the staff. He was curious about the comment I’d made about the stone faces not being here in the past and he wanted to know if they were a newer addition.
“Oh yes, sir. The Tontine faces were added in 1994 when they rebuilt the garden. They were originally from another building which had been built much later than this one and they have quite a history themselves. Would you like to hear about it?” the young man suggested.
“No, no thanks, not today. Just curious” Richie replied, shocked at the accuracy of my memory.
The Cathedral was an enormous, imposing building but it didn’t inspire quite the same awe that I’d felt in the garden. It seemed vaguely familiar, but without the sense of personal meaning that the garden and house had awoken. A tour had just started when we arrived and we joined in with the small group and learned some of the history of the Cathedral. Richie found it more interesting than either Jon or I as it had a very long legacy of being Christian for over 1500 years.
From there we went on to see the St. Mungo Museum of Religious Life & Art and we could have easily spent an entire day there, but it was growing late and we were all famished. We had skipped lunch altogether and Jon wanted to take me to a place that he and Richie had often frequented, so we left prematurely and headed off for the Fox and Hounds for a good Scottish meal.
Jon and Richie both ordered pints of their favorite house brews while I preferred to try the Irish coffee, my drug of choice. There were many regional delicacies to sample and we ordered a selection of appetizers to begin. Jon chose the fresh, steamed mussels with garlic and chardonnay cream while I tried the crispy, coated camembert with red currant jelly and Richie asked for the grilled black pudding. We were soon laughing and feasting as we shared each of our appetizers with one another.
I was already feeling quite full when the main meals arrived, but I managed to make room for most of my own and a taste of each of their dinners. The crispy fried leeks that came with my chicken were a hit with Richie as well, as he stole another one from my plate. I tried a bite of his steak Diane and Jon held a forkful of char grilled salmon for me to taste. I was planning to pass on dessert until the waiter read us the choices and I changed my mind.
“Chocolate fudge cake over here” Richie grinned at the waiter, rubbing his belly which appeared rather prominent.
“Chilled crème Catalana ice for me” Jon announced and the waiter looked over at me.
“Apple crumble with sweet vanilla custard” I groaned in submission.
We passed our desserts back and forth; each more delicious than the last, as we all agreed we’d need a cart to roll out on when we were finished. It was a rare opportunity to try so many national recipes and the food was superb, so we happily over-indulged. It sounded almost like an orgy as we made sounds of appreciation and fought over the last of the fudge cake. The owner smiled broadly with satisfaction as we applauded his culinary expertise. I wouldn’t need to eat for a month after gorging on so much rich food.
It was late in the evening when we returned to the hotel and we declined the invitation to check out the bars with the guys, preferring instead to lie on the bed and recover. Richie stayed in for the night as well and he and Jon both called the kids before we turned in for the night. It had been a pretty filling day in more ways than one!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The Sauna Part 229
Half an hour went by as Richie recounted the details of his meeting with Elaine and we waited for the police to dismiss us. Richie had explained who Elaine was and how to contact her family and they were satisfied as there were plenty of witnesses who’d seen what had happened. The challenge would be getting back to the hotel now that the press had got wind of the story and were gathered out front with the crowd.
Tico had called for a cab and it was waiting outside, but the paparazzi were anxiously waiting as well. The police held them back as we made our way out the door and moved towards the cab, light bulbs from cameras exploding all around us. Jon took the lead, shielding Richie, as we trailed in his wake. He made a brief statement that there’d been an accident and that Richie’s estranged wife had been struck by a car and that the show would take place as planned. Richie was still somewhat numb, but he didn’t want to cancel the show.
Jon had been more than willing to postpone the show as we would still be in Scotland for a few days, but Richie had declined and needed the comfort of the normal routine. The mood was quite somber as we rode back in the cab and Richie held it together until we were away from the mob.
“If I hadn’t upset her she would not have run out of the restaurant without looking” Richie said regretfully.
“Jesus, Rich, it wasn’t your fault! It was an accident” Jon pleaded with him to understand.
Jon sighed heavily; it was just as he’d feared and Richie was blaming himself. He knew it had been no one’s fault, but he was angry and wanted someone to blame. The press was an easy enough target since Elaine was already dead and he couldn’t accuse her of staging the media circus this time.
“Fuckin’ vultures! They smelled blood and came running” Jon seethed.
“They were only asking the same questions I’m asking myself, bro” Richie said quietly.
The press had wanted to know why Elaine had been so upset. Were they fighting? Had there been a big argument? Had she wanted to reconcile? The questions rang in Richie’s ears. Would it have played out the same if I hadn’t been such a shit? I surprised her at the café and I goaded her. I knew she was upset and I still let her go. I could have been gentler, he thought to himself.
“Richie” I said, laying my hand on his arm. “Elaine tried to manipulate you and when you didn’t back down, she lost her cool. You’ve done nothing wrong. You held your ground and she didn’t expect that as she was used to getting her way. You didn’t cause this, Richie. She did” I said calmly.
“Trish, you should have seen her. She tried to apologize and I wouldn’t let her” he said, turning his eyes to meet mine.
“It was only another attempt to manipulate your emotions, Richie. You said so yourself. You saw how she changed. Do you think that’s how someone would have behaved if they were truly ashamed and remorseful? She wasn’t hurt; she was enraged when you didn’t give in. Remember what you just told us?” I prompted.
Richie was quiet as we pulled up to the hotel and Jon paid the driver. We were able to get inside without any fuss as the media was still back at the scene and trying to get more information from the police and the crowd. We all went with Richie to his room as we had no intention of leaving him alone at the moment.
Everyone wanted a drink and I didn’t argue this time. Getting drunk wasn’t a solution, but a drink wouldn’t hurt to relax. Jon ordered wine from room service and I noticed that he put the bottle of vodka out of sight. There were only a few hours before it would be time to get ready for the show and we would all take a turn staying with Richie until it was time to get to the venue.
“Hey bro, are you sure that you wanna do the gig tonight? No one would blame you if you took the night off and Bobby could cover” Jon offered again.
“No, I wanna do this. I need to do this, Jon” Richie said resolutely.
“Okay. Teek, can you run the sound check, man? I wanna stay here ‘till the show” Jon asked and Tico nodded.
“Jon, go do the sound check, okay? I’ll be fine. I’m not suicidal and you don’t have to baby-sit me” Richie said with a touch of annoyance.
“I’ll stay” I mouthed to Jon and he nodded.
“Richie, no one thinks you’re gonna hurt yourself. You’ve been through a terrible ordeal and we care about you, that’s all” I reassured him.
He grunted, but seemed satisfied as we all settled down to keep him company for the moment. Room service knocked on the door and Dave answered, taking the wine and pouring the drinks. It was going to be a long afternoon.
**************
The guys left for the sound check while I stayed with Richie.
“Trish, I’m okay, really” Richie tried to dismiss me.
“There’s no need for me to be there and I’d rather be here” I replied, leaving no room for argument.
“Thanks, babe” he said, smiling wanly.
We talked about Elaine and I told Richie as much as I knew about her. It made sense that we both felt the need to discuss her as we had both felt betrayed and needed to process our feelings. I was surprised that I felt as sad as I did, but I realized it was more a result of the disappointment I felt over how she had turned out to be than over her death.
Richie still struggled with how he had misjudged her in the beginning and he managed to actually let go the guilt he felt over how he’d behaved at the café. The longer we talked, the more he realized that Elaine wasn’t capable of feeling genuine emotions and that what he had seen in the beginning was just wishful thinking by all of us. I told him how I had fought with myself to accept what I saw for a long time as well.
“I guess I shouldn’t blame myself for being so blind after all. If she fooled you- and you’re no fool, Trish- I guess no one could have seen what was really going on” he observed finally.
At last I was able to let go the feeling of responsibility I’d carried since first introducing them. Even though neither Richie nor Jon had blamed me for their meeting, I still felt somehow at fault for not having been sharper and more perceptive, but I was beginning to accept that I saw what Elaine had wanted to show me. I really had never known her until towards the end.
When Jon returned from the sound check, Richie and I had come to some resolutions and he immediately sensed that things were far better than he’d anticipated. I wanted to go back to our room and shower and change for the show and Jon wanted some time alone with his buddy. I kissed Richie on the cheek and he hugged me and I left them alone to talk.
“Jon, I’m okay, really. I think Trish and I needed to talk about how we felt. We both had so many mixed feelings about Elaine and it really helped just to go over what we both had experienced, you know?” Richie shared.
“Yeah, I do understand that. She hurt both of you a lot more than me and I know that Trish blames herself for introducing you to her” Jon nodded, feeling a little less left out now that he understood the connection.
“I realized that too while we talked, but I think maybe she’ll let that go a bit better now” Richie said.
“I hope so, bro. I’m ashamed to admit that at first I felt angry with her myself, but I never told her because I knew it wasn’t fair and I knew she had no idea either” he admitted.
“Elaine was quite a piece of work, wasn’t she? At least we were all fooled by one of the best. I wonder if anyone ever really knew her at all?” Richie wondered.
“I have to think that we knew what was there to know, Rich. I don’t believe there was anything else underneath the façade that she showed to the world” Jon replied.
“It’s just hard to accept that that’s all there was, man, but maybe you’re right. I guess a small part of me still wants to believe there was something more” Richie sighed.
“Everyone’s got a story, bro, but that doesn’t change who they are at the core” Jon said wisely.
“I ’spose you’re right about that. How’d you manage to get so lucky and find Trish?” Richie elbowed him.
“Luck had nothing to do with it. I know that the Gods were behind it” he smiled.
“Do ya think maybe they might wanna take a shot at setting me up now that you’re squared away?” Richie grinned.
“I sure hope so, man. You gotta believe me when I tell you we’re praying for that” Jon answered.
“Maybe that’s what I should be doing then too” Richie reflected “because I sure need some help finding my own soul mate.”
Tico had called for a cab and it was waiting outside, but the paparazzi were anxiously waiting as well. The police held them back as we made our way out the door and moved towards the cab, light bulbs from cameras exploding all around us. Jon took the lead, shielding Richie, as we trailed in his wake. He made a brief statement that there’d been an accident and that Richie’s estranged wife had been struck by a car and that the show would take place as planned. Richie was still somewhat numb, but he didn’t want to cancel the show.
Jon had been more than willing to postpone the show as we would still be in Scotland for a few days, but Richie had declined and needed the comfort of the normal routine. The mood was quite somber as we rode back in the cab and Richie held it together until we were away from the mob.
“If I hadn’t upset her she would not have run out of the restaurant without looking” Richie said regretfully.
“Jesus, Rich, it wasn’t your fault! It was an accident” Jon pleaded with him to understand.
Jon sighed heavily; it was just as he’d feared and Richie was blaming himself. He knew it had been no one’s fault, but he was angry and wanted someone to blame. The press was an easy enough target since Elaine was already dead and he couldn’t accuse her of staging the media circus this time.
“Fuckin’ vultures! They smelled blood and came running” Jon seethed.
“They were only asking the same questions I’m asking myself, bro” Richie said quietly.
The press had wanted to know why Elaine had been so upset. Were they fighting? Had there been a big argument? Had she wanted to reconcile? The questions rang in Richie’s ears. Would it have played out the same if I hadn’t been such a shit? I surprised her at the café and I goaded her. I knew she was upset and I still let her go. I could have been gentler, he thought to himself.
“Richie” I said, laying my hand on his arm. “Elaine tried to manipulate you and when you didn’t back down, she lost her cool. You’ve done nothing wrong. You held your ground and she didn’t expect that as she was used to getting her way. You didn’t cause this, Richie. She did” I said calmly.
“Trish, you should have seen her. She tried to apologize and I wouldn’t let her” he said, turning his eyes to meet mine.
“It was only another attempt to manipulate your emotions, Richie. You said so yourself. You saw how she changed. Do you think that’s how someone would have behaved if they were truly ashamed and remorseful? She wasn’t hurt; she was enraged when you didn’t give in. Remember what you just told us?” I prompted.
Richie was quiet as we pulled up to the hotel and Jon paid the driver. We were able to get inside without any fuss as the media was still back at the scene and trying to get more information from the police and the crowd. We all went with Richie to his room as we had no intention of leaving him alone at the moment.
Everyone wanted a drink and I didn’t argue this time. Getting drunk wasn’t a solution, but a drink wouldn’t hurt to relax. Jon ordered wine from room service and I noticed that he put the bottle of vodka out of sight. There were only a few hours before it would be time to get ready for the show and we would all take a turn staying with Richie until it was time to get to the venue.
“Hey bro, are you sure that you wanna do the gig tonight? No one would blame you if you took the night off and Bobby could cover” Jon offered again.
“No, I wanna do this. I need to do this, Jon” Richie said resolutely.
“Okay. Teek, can you run the sound check, man? I wanna stay here ‘till the show” Jon asked and Tico nodded.
“Jon, go do the sound check, okay? I’ll be fine. I’m not suicidal and you don’t have to baby-sit me” Richie said with a touch of annoyance.
“I’ll stay” I mouthed to Jon and he nodded.
“Richie, no one thinks you’re gonna hurt yourself. You’ve been through a terrible ordeal and we care about you, that’s all” I reassured him.
He grunted, but seemed satisfied as we all settled down to keep him company for the moment. Room service knocked on the door and Dave answered, taking the wine and pouring the drinks. It was going to be a long afternoon.
**************
The guys left for the sound check while I stayed with Richie.
“Trish, I’m okay, really” Richie tried to dismiss me.
“There’s no need for me to be there and I’d rather be here” I replied, leaving no room for argument.
“Thanks, babe” he said, smiling wanly.
We talked about Elaine and I told Richie as much as I knew about her. It made sense that we both felt the need to discuss her as we had both felt betrayed and needed to process our feelings. I was surprised that I felt as sad as I did, but I realized it was more a result of the disappointment I felt over how she had turned out to be than over her death.
Richie still struggled with how he had misjudged her in the beginning and he managed to actually let go the guilt he felt over how he’d behaved at the café. The longer we talked, the more he realized that Elaine wasn’t capable of feeling genuine emotions and that what he had seen in the beginning was just wishful thinking by all of us. I told him how I had fought with myself to accept what I saw for a long time as well.
“I guess I shouldn’t blame myself for being so blind after all. If she fooled you- and you’re no fool, Trish- I guess no one could have seen what was really going on” he observed finally.
At last I was able to let go the feeling of responsibility I’d carried since first introducing them. Even though neither Richie nor Jon had blamed me for their meeting, I still felt somehow at fault for not having been sharper and more perceptive, but I was beginning to accept that I saw what Elaine had wanted to show me. I really had never known her until towards the end.
When Jon returned from the sound check, Richie and I had come to some resolutions and he immediately sensed that things were far better than he’d anticipated. I wanted to go back to our room and shower and change for the show and Jon wanted some time alone with his buddy. I kissed Richie on the cheek and he hugged me and I left them alone to talk.
“Jon, I’m okay, really. I think Trish and I needed to talk about how we felt. We both had so many mixed feelings about Elaine and it really helped just to go over what we both had experienced, you know?” Richie shared.
“Yeah, I do understand that. She hurt both of you a lot more than me and I know that Trish blames herself for introducing you to her” Jon nodded, feeling a little less left out now that he understood the connection.
“I realized that too while we talked, but I think maybe she’ll let that go a bit better now” Richie said.
“I hope so, bro. I’m ashamed to admit that at first I felt angry with her myself, but I never told her because I knew it wasn’t fair and I knew she had no idea either” he admitted.
“Elaine was quite a piece of work, wasn’t she? At least we were all fooled by one of the best. I wonder if anyone ever really knew her at all?” Richie wondered.
“I have to think that we knew what was there to know, Rich. I don’t believe there was anything else underneath the façade that she showed to the world” Jon replied.
“It’s just hard to accept that that’s all there was, man, but maybe you’re right. I guess a small part of me still wants to believe there was something more” Richie sighed.
“Everyone’s got a story, bro, but that doesn’t change who they are at the core” Jon said wisely.
“I ’spose you’re right about that. How’d you manage to get so lucky and find Trish?” Richie elbowed him.
“Luck had nothing to do with it. I know that the Gods were behind it” he smiled.
“Do ya think maybe they might wanna take a shot at setting me up now that you’re squared away?” Richie grinned.
“I sure hope so, man. You gotta believe me when I tell you we’re praying for that” Jon answered.
“Maybe that’s what I should be doing then too” Richie reflected “because I sure need some help finding my own soul mate.”
Monday, August 11, 2008
The Sauna Part 228
Richie entered the café where Elaine was sitting alone, typing away on her laptop. He made eye contact with the PI who was sitting nearby at another table, sipping a latte and pretending to read the paper. She never even noticed his approach as he pulled out a chair and sat down. She looked up with annoyance, her features suddenly shifting as she recognized who had sat down without invitation.
“I think that it’s time that we talked” he said quietly.
“Richie?” she whispered, her eyes filled with shock and surprise.
“Elaine” he said simply.
Richie was struck by the overwhelming feeling of calm that enveloped him as he sat across from her, studying her face. He’d expected to feel anger, even rage, when he set eyes on her, but he didn’t. What he felt was a mixture of sadness and regret, but also resolution, when he looked at her as he knew that he could never love her again. The questions he’d wrestled with for so many days and nights no longer seemed to matter. He really had little to say.
“Richie! How did you … oh, never mind! I’m so glad you’re here! There’s so much I’ve needed to tell you. It was all Jon …” she began, but he held up his hand to stop her.
“Don’t go there, Elaine. I’m not a fool, although I sure acted like one when I let you convince me to elope. But I came to my senses, so please save your breath and spare me the lies. I’m not here to discuss what happened” he said.
Elaine was completely undone as she stared into his eyes and realized there was no hint of warmth left in them. He’s not gonna buy it, she thought to herself. Jon got to him first and he trusts him too much to believe he’d betray him. It is really over, but he’s not gonna get away lightly. I might not be able to get what I’d hoped for, but I’m not walking away for a bloody song, either, mister rock star.
“Richie, I made a mistake; I admit that. I know I can’t undo what I’ve done, but I still love you and I want us to be friends” she tried, smiling sweetly.
“I wanted to love you, Elaine, I really did. I wanted us to share the joy and peace I saw grow between Trish and Jon. But we don’t always get what we want and the fantasy’s over now. It’s time we moved on” he said coolly.
“Richie, I still love you and I know that I hurt you …” she tried again, reaching out to rekindle his affection.
“You betrayed me and nearly destroyed me, Elaine. I loved what I wanted to see in you, what I believed was buried deep down inside, and that faith nearly cost me the best friend I’ve ever had. You taught me that wishing won’t make it so and I came here to tell you that it’s over and that I never want to see you again. Am I making myself clear enough?” he said firmly.
“Richie, please. I don’t want to lose you …” she pleaded tearfully, almost convincing herself it was true.
She was desperately fighting the fact that she was losing ground with every word from her lips. He’d always responded to tears, she’d seen it before and she’d learned to produce whatever emotion she needed to show. Surely she could move him to forgiveness if she appeared remorseful enough.
Richie saw through the act and wondered how he’d been so deceived. She was good, he’d give her that. She was a consummate con artist, a master manipulator. Why hadn’t he seen it before?
“Stop it, just stop the charade. I’m willing to discuss a settlement with you, but the relationship’s over and I want no further contact after today. That’s a condition of any agreement we reach. Is that understood?” he persisted, beginning to lose patience.
“Fine, if that’s what you want. What are you offering, then?” she responded, her tone changing completely.
Elaine finally realized that Richie wasn’t going to be swayed by her words or her tears. Jon and Trish had obviously done their job well and poisoned him against her and she had run out of tricks. He wasn’t biting, so she might as well get down to business and see what he was willing to pay to be free of her.
Richie smiled with some satisfaction as he locked onto her eyes. He’d held firm and she’d actually dropped the act and he now had the confirmation he needed to put any lingering doubts about her to rest. She really was what he’d finally come to accept; a cold, heartless bitch who was incapable of any genuine feelings for others. God, what a fool I’ve been, he thought to himself. Maybe I just wasn’t watching her closely enough or maybe I just needed to believe in something or someone.
“I’m offering you more than you deserve, but less than my lawyer initially proposed. I’ll give you two million dollars to just walk away, but absolutely no support. That’s more than you’re likely to ever see me offer again and I suggest that you take it before I change my mind” he replied smoothly.
“Two million! What, are you kidding me? I’ve seen you spend more than that without blinking an eye! That’s fucking pocket change and I’m not settling for crumbs from your table! You’ve ruined my reputation, reduced me to poverty and interfered with my ability to even defend myself in the press with your injunctions! You owe me, you bloody bastard!” she screeched like a banshee.
“Take it or leave it, you she-devil” he replied with a smirk. “Twenty seconds and counting” he added, glancing at his watch.
Elaine stood up from the table in a rage, spilling her coffee and slamming her laptop shut. There weren’t many people in the café now, but the customers that were there were all watching with interest. Richie remained in his seat, hiding the smile on his face as he quietly counted down the seconds like a ticking time bomb.
“I’ll see you in court” she screamed menacingly and raced for the exit.
Richie was staring at the overturned coffee cup, knowing her threats were impotent. His lawyer had already told him that she wasn’t entitled to that much given the short duration of the marriage and he wasn’t worried. He began to mop up the spilt coffee when suddenly there was a screech from outside. His head whipped around and he saw people rushing outside where a crowd was beginning to gather. He stood up and ran to the door.
Elaine lay in the street, her purse and her laptop scattered nearby, and blood draining onto the pavement. A stunned driver stood by the car that had squealed to a halt only moments too late. Richie knelt by the unmoving figure that lay in the street and gazed down at the woman who’d tried to destroy him.
“Call an ambulance, for God’s sake” he bellowed as his heart threatened to beat out of his chest.
Suddenly he was paralyzed and time seemed to stand still. Traffic whizzed by on the other side of the road as people crowded around the two figures in the street. A young man in a suit knelt beside Richie and placed two fingers on Elaine’s neck, checking her pulse.
“It’s too late” he pronounced and Richie sank to the ground in a heap as Elaine’s blood pooled around him.
******************
We were waiting in Richie’s room, trying to keep ourselves occupied while we waited for news. Jon had called all the guys to give them a head’s up and like the brothers they were, they had all come to join us as we kept our vigil. There was little conversation and the atmosphere was charged with uneasiness as we concentrated on our own thoughts. Jon paced by the window, silently willing Richie to stay strong, and cursing his inability to rescue his friend.
I fervently prayed to the Goddess and God to keep Richie in their safe keeping and Tico sat with his arms on his knees and a frozen look of concentration on his face. Hugh appeared to be praying as well as he sat motionless with his hands folded together. David was squeezing an orange he’d taken from the basket of fruit in the room and I gathered he was imagining it was Elaine’s throat. Jon’s cell phone rang and we all jumped, startled by the familiar sound.
“Richie?” Jon said, holding his breath unconsciously as he stopped pacing.
“Jesus, Jon, it’s all over. Elaine’s gone” Richie’s voice trembled and broke as he spoke.
“Gone? What the fuck do you mean she’s gone?” Jon asked, panic gripping his belly, but more because of the strangled sound he heard coming from Richie.
We all got to our feet, surrounding Jon, who clearly wanted to pace but was trapped by the group of us who were listening attentively. I studied his face, trying to guess what it meant.
“She’s dead, Jon. There was an accident” Richie cried, tears streaming down his face.
“Dead? Richie, man, where the fuck are you? We’ll be right there” Jon said, sounding alarmed.
“I’m still at the café” he answered tonelessly, numbness beginning to set in again.
“Okay, bro, we’re on our way” Jon said reassuringly as he kept talking to Richie and got the name of the place.
“October Café” he whispered to me as he motioned for us to follow him.
David was already ahead of Jon and had raced down the hall to the elevator and pressed the button. We crowded into the lift and descended into the lobby and I ran to the front desk.
“We need a cab fast! The October Café. How far away is it?” I said breathlessly.
“It’s only a block away. You could probably walk there a bit faster” the clerk told me, motioning to the door and pointing to the left. “It’ll take you ten minutes.”
The guys were outside the hotel on the sidewalk, waiting anxiously for the cab when I met them.
“C’mon! It’s just down the block. We can run!” I cried as I streaked by them.
We ran the short distance towards the café, another ambulance screaming by us in the same direction. We were there in less than ten minutes and we piled into the coffee shop, never even stopping to witness the scene in the street. Richie was our only concern.
I spotted him first, slumped at a table with his back to the melee. He was sitting at the same table he’d shared less than an hour ago with Elaine. I ran to his side and wrapped my arms around him, stooping to hold him against me.
“Oh Trish, it was awful. There’s so much blood…” he said in a whisper.
“It’s okay, Richie, we’re here. We’re all here, baby” I said, stroking his back and trying to comfort him.
He was traumatized and his eyes looked glassy as he raised his head from my chest and realized we were all there by his side. No one knew what to say, but Jon needed the details. He was on auto pilot himself now and he responded to every crisis by first assessing the facts.
“Richie, what happened?” he asked, looking around as though the empty restaurant held some sort of clues.
“She ran out the door. She didn’t see the car …” Richie said, still trying to absorb the events.
Jon breathed a sigh of relief. It really had been an accident and clearly there were witnesses. He hated to admit that for one brief moment he’d worried that Richie had lost it and struck her. He sat down next to his best friend and the pain in Jon’s eyes spoke volumes about how well he knew Richie. How could he minimize the damage and should he cancel the show?
“I think that it’s time that we talked” he said quietly.
“Richie?” she whispered, her eyes filled with shock and surprise.
“Elaine” he said simply.
Richie was struck by the overwhelming feeling of calm that enveloped him as he sat across from her, studying her face. He’d expected to feel anger, even rage, when he set eyes on her, but he didn’t. What he felt was a mixture of sadness and regret, but also resolution, when he looked at her as he knew that he could never love her again. The questions he’d wrestled with for so many days and nights no longer seemed to matter. He really had little to say.
“Richie! How did you … oh, never mind! I’m so glad you’re here! There’s so much I’ve needed to tell you. It was all Jon …” she began, but he held up his hand to stop her.
“Don’t go there, Elaine. I’m not a fool, although I sure acted like one when I let you convince me to elope. But I came to my senses, so please save your breath and spare me the lies. I’m not here to discuss what happened” he said.
Elaine was completely undone as she stared into his eyes and realized there was no hint of warmth left in them. He’s not gonna buy it, she thought to herself. Jon got to him first and he trusts him too much to believe he’d betray him. It is really over, but he’s not gonna get away lightly. I might not be able to get what I’d hoped for, but I’m not walking away for a bloody song, either, mister rock star.
“Richie, I made a mistake; I admit that. I know I can’t undo what I’ve done, but I still love you and I want us to be friends” she tried, smiling sweetly.
“I wanted to love you, Elaine, I really did. I wanted us to share the joy and peace I saw grow between Trish and Jon. But we don’t always get what we want and the fantasy’s over now. It’s time we moved on” he said coolly.
“Richie, I still love you and I know that I hurt you …” she tried again, reaching out to rekindle his affection.
“You betrayed me and nearly destroyed me, Elaine. I loved what I wanted to see in you, what I believed was buried deep down inside, and that faith nearly cost me the best friend I’ve ever had. You taught me that wishing won’t make it so and I came here to tell you that it’s over and that I never want to see you again. Am I making myself clear enough?” he said firmly.
“Richie, please. I don’t want to lose you …” she pleaded tearfully, almost convincing herself it was true.
She was desperately fighting the fact that she was losing ground with every word from her lips. He’d always responded to tears, she’d seen it before and she’d learned to produce whatever emotion she needed to show. Surely she could move him to forgiveness if she appeared remorseful enough.
Richie saw through the act and wondered how he’d been so deceived. She was good, he’d give her that. She was a consummate con artist, a master manipulator. Why hadn’t he seen it before?
“Stop it, just stop the charade. I’m willing to discuss a settlement with you, but the relationship’s over and I want no further contact after today. That’s a condition of any agreement we reach. Is that understood?” he persisted, beginning to lose patience.
“Fine, if that’s what you want. What are you offering, then?” she responded, her tone changing completely.
Elaine finally realized that Richie wasn’t going to be swayed by her words or her tears. Jon and Trish had obviously done their job well and poisoned him against her and she had run out of tricks. He wasn’t biting, so she might as well get down to business and see what he was willing to pay to be free of her.
Richie smiled with some satisfaction as he locked onto her eyes. He’d held firm and she’d actually dropped the act and he now had the confirmation he needed to put any lingering doubts about her to rest. She really was what he’d finally come to accept; a cold, heartless bitch who was incapable of any genuine feelings for others. God, what a fool I’ve been, he thought to himself. Maybe I just wasn’t watching her closely enough or maybe I just needed to believe in something or someone.
“I’m offering you more than you deserve, but less than my lawyer initially proposed. I’ll give you two million dollars to just walk away, but absolutely no support. That’s more than you’re likely to ever see me offer again and I suggest that you take it before I change my mind” he replied smoothly.
“Two million! What, are you kidding me? I’ve seen you spend more than that without blinking an eye! That’s fucking pocket change and I’m not settling for crumbs from your table! You’ve ruined my reputation, reduced me to poverty and interfered with my ability to even defend myself in the press with your injunctions! You owe me, you bloody bastard!” she screeched like a banshee.
“Take it or leave it, you she-devil” he replied with a smirk. “Twenty seconds and counting” he added, glancing at his watch.
Elaine stood up from the table in a rage, spilling her coffee and slamming her laptop shut. There weren’t many people in the café now, but the customers that were there were all watching with interest. Richie remained in his seat, hiding the smile on his face as he quietly counted down the seconds like a ticking time bomb.
“I’ll see you in court” she screamed menacingly and raced for the exit.
Richie was staring at the overturned coffee cup, knowing her threats were impotent. His lawyer had already told him that she wasn’t entitled to that much given the short duration of the marriage and he wasn’t worried. He began to mop up the spilt coffee when suddenly there was a screech from outside. His head whipped around and he saw people rushing outside where a crowd was beginning to gather. He stood up and ran to the door.
Elaine lay in the street, her purse and her laptop scattered nearby, and blood draining onto the pavement. A stunned driver stood by the car that had squealed to a halt only moments too late. Richie knelt by the unmoving figure that lay in the street and gazed down at the woman who’d tried to destroy him.
“Call an ambulance, for God’s sake” he bellowed as his heart threatened to beat out of his chest.
Suddenly he was paralyzed and time seemed to stand still. Traffic whizzed by on the other side of the road as people crowded around the two figures in the street. A young man in a suit knelt beside Richie and placed two fingers on Elaine’s neck, checking her pulse.
“It’s too late” he pronounced and Richie sank to the ground in a heap as Elaine’s blood pooled around him.
******************
We were waiting in Richie’s room, trying to keep ourselves occupied while we waited for news. Jon had called all the guys to give them a head’s up and like the brothers they were, they had all come to join us as we kept our vigil. There was little conversation and the atmosphere was charged with uneasiness as we concentrated on our own thoughts. Jon paced by the window, silently willing Richie to stay strong, and cursing his inability to rescue his friend.
I fervently prayed to the Goddess and God to keep Richie in their safe keeping and Tico sat with his arms on his knees and a frozen look of concentration on his face. Hugh appeared to be praying as well as he sat motionless with his hands folded together. David was squeezing an orange he’d taken from the basket of fruit in the room and I gathered he was imagining it was Elaine’s throat. Jon’s cell phone rang and we all jumped, startled by the familiar sound.
“Richie?” Jon said, holding his breath unconsciously as he stopped pacing.
“Jesus, Jon, it’s all over. Elaine’s gone” Richie’s voice trembled and broke as he spoke.
“Gone? What the fuck do you mean she’s gone?” Jon asked, panic gripping his belly, but more because of the strangled sound he heard coming from Richie.
We all got to our feet, surrounding Jon, who clearly wanted to pace but was trapped by the group of us who were listening attentively. I studied his face, trying to guess what it meant.
“She’s dead, Jon. There was an accident” Richie cried, tears streaming down his face.
“Dead? Richie, man, where the fuck are you? We’ll be right there” Jon said, sounding alarmed.
“I’m still at the café” he answered tonelessly, numbness beginning to set in again.
“Okay, bro, we’re on our way” Jon said reassuringly as he kept talking to Richie and got the name of the place.
“October Café” he whispered to me as he motioned for us to follow him.
David was already ahead of Jon and had raced down the hall to the elevator and pressed the button. We crowded into the lift and descended into the lobby and I ran to the front desk.
“We need a cab fast! The October Café. How far away is it?” I said breathlessly.
“It’s only a block away. You could probably walk there a bit faster” the clerk told me, motioning to the door and pointing to the left. “It’ll take you ten minutes.”
The guys were outside the hotel on the sidewalk, waiting anxiously for the cab when I met them.
“C’mon! It’s just down the block. We can run!” I cried as I streaked by them.
We ran the short distance towards the café, another ambulance screaming by us in the same direction. We were there in less than ten minutes and we piled into the coffee shop, never even stopping to witness the scene in the street. Richie was our only concern.
I spotted him first, slumped at a table with his back to the melee. He was sitting at the same table he’d shared less than an hour ago with Elaine. I ran to his side and wrapped my arms around him, stooping to hold him against me.
“Oh Trish, it was awful. There’s so much blood…” he said in a whisper.
“It’s okay, Richie, we’re here. We’re all here, baby” I said, stroking his back and trying to comfort him.
He was traumatized and his eyes looked glassy as he raised his head from my chest and realized we were all there by his side. No one knew what to say, but Jon needed the details. He was on auto pilot himself now and he responded to every crisis by first assessing the facts.
“Richie, what happened?” he asked, looking around as though the empty restaurant held some sort of clues.
“She ran out the door. She didn’t see the car …” Richie said, still trying to absorb the events.
Jon breathed a sigh of relief. It really had been an accident and clearly there were witnesses. He hated to admit that for one brief moment he’d worried that Richie had lost it and struck her. He sat down next to his best friend and the pain in Jon’s eyes spoke volumes about how well he knew Richie. How could he minimize the damage and should he cancel the show?
Friday, August 8, 2008
The Sauna Part 227
After breakfast with the guys, we returned to our room and showered and dressed in fresh clothes and I was glad I had brought a couple of turtlenecks. The gig wasn’t until later tonight and I was dying to see some of the sights since I’d never been to Scotland before. Since it was Jon’s favorite place for a show, they had arranged their schedule to spend a few days there and he was anxious to give me a personal tour. We were just about ready to leave when Jon’s cell rang.
“Hey Rich, we were just heading out. I wanna show Trish around before the show tonight. Wanna join us?” Jon offered.
“I’d love too, bro, but I’ve gotta figure out a battle plan. My PI just called and he followed Elaine here this morning. She’s in Scotland” Richie replied and Jon stopped dead in his tracks.
“Fuck! Are you shitting me? Where are they? In Glasgow?” he demanded.
“Yep, they just left the airport and he’s following her in a cab. I’m waiting to hear where they’re going from there. We’ve gotta alert all the crew as I’m guessing she’s gonna show up at the show tonight. Dammit, Jon, I don’t wanna see her, but I’ve gotta make it clear that we’re done” Richie said, sounding angry and exasperated.
“Jesus Christ! Alright, look, we’ll stay here until we figure this out. We’ll be right down to your room. Just stay put, okay?” Jon replied, closing the phone.
I had heard enough to put together what happened and my heart sank. I’d half expected this in the back of my mind and I think we’d all been on pins and needles without really knowing it. No matter what happened, it was going to get ugly. That much I was sure of.
“I heard, Jon. Let’s go” I agreed and we headed straight towards Richie’s room.
It was only ten-thirty and Richie met us at the door with a drink in his hand and my stomach immediately knotted. Jon didn’t appear to notice, but using alcohol as a solution was a pretty common response in his experience. I followed Jon into the room and gave Richie a hug.
“We’re behind you, Richie. How do you wanna handle this?” I asked, trying to stave off Jon’s instinct to react and take over.
“I’m hoping I’m wrong and that Elaine is just heading home to her family, but my gut tells me otherwise” he replied, shaking his head.
I hoped so too, but we all knew too well how Elaine had behaved lately. The shy, quiet woman I thought I had known had disappeared without so much as a trace and none of us believed she’d come home just to lick her wounds. A confrontation was inevitable and like a general, planning his attack, Jon took the lead without hesitating.
“She’s here to find you, Rich. There’s no reason to kid ourselves at this point. I’m thinking we’ve got the advantage as we know she’s here, but she doesn’t know that we know. We’ve gotta turn the tables this time and surprise her” he declared with authority.
“What are you thinking, man?” Richie inquired, anxious to hear any suggestions.
“I’m thinking she needs to hear that you’re done with her, but she needs to hear it from you, bro, not your lawyers. I think you need to confront her and the sooner the better. As soon as the PI calls and says where she’s at, you need to show up unannounced and tell her to get the fuck out of your life!” he insisted.
“Shit, Jon, I really don’t wanna see her. I’m afraid of what I might do if I’m alone with her” Richie replied, downing the last of his drink.
He stood up to go fix another and I stopped him, taking his glass. He looked me right in the eye and I shook my head sadly from side to side.
“No, Richie. You need a clear head and this isn’t going to help you stay in control. Let’s get some coffee” I explained gently.
His shoulders slumped and I saw his features rapidly change. He looked completely deflated and I hated to see the toll that this took on him, but he needed to feel his emotions and work through them. Alcohol would only get in the way. I hugged him again and this time he held onto me for a moment and silently nodded. I looked over his shoulder and exchanged looks with Jon and he nodded back.
“Can ya send up a pot of coffee right now? Thanks, appreciate it” Jon said in his business-like tone as he hung up with room service.
Richie’s cell phone was ringing and he broke our embrace to answer it. I took a deep breath and waited, knowing it was his PI calling to update him. Elaine had apparently stopped at a nearby coffee shop to plan her assault and he’d call us back if she was on the move again. Richie settled into the couch and sighed.
“What do I say to her? I don’t wanna do this, but I know that I need to tell her myself” he asked heavily and I replied before Jon could jump in.
“Richie, just say whatever is in your heart when you see her. Trust yourself; you’ll find the words. No one can tell you how you feel or what you should say. Whatever you decide is the right way for you” I interjected, looking sharply at Jon.
This wasn’t a time for a battle plan and it wasn’t the time to focus on the band’s image. Richie just needed permission to do what he thought was best. It was his life and his pain and it wasn’t up to Jon or me to tell him how to handle his personal affairs. This wasn’t about the band and it wasn’t Jon’s call to make, it was Richie’s. If he was going to get through this, he needed our support and that meant backing his decisions.
Jon sat quietly, but I could see he was bristling. He knew what he would have done and he was chomping at the bit to jump in and rescue Richie from having to think it through, but he held back and waited. Richie sat up straighter and actually squared his shoulders and gave us a thin smile.
“Ya know, I’ve played this scene over and over in my head many times. And I’ve got more questions than answers, but the one thing I know is how I feel and there aren’t any answers she can give me that can change that. Actually, I’m relieved. I always knew this was coming and I’ll be glad to get it over with finally” he said, speaking with certainty.
I smiled at him then and I knew he really did need to do this. He flipped open his phone and called the front desk and asked them to call him a cab. He was ready.
“Do you want us to go with you, bro?” Jon offered.
“I need to do this alone, Jon. It’s between me and Elaine and I’ll be okay. But I’d really like it if you guys were here when I get back” he smiled genuinely.
“You know it, buddy. We ain’t moving from here until you get back” Jon said affectionately as he stood up and gave Richie a bear hug. “Just remember, man, we got your back if you need us, okay?”
I stood up too and Richie held out his arms. I hugged him back for the third time and tried to hide the tears in my eyes. I had come to love Richie as much as my family and I would have done anything to save him this agony, but I knew it needed to happen if he was ever going to heal. And I was really proud of him.
“I love you Richie” I whispered.
“Thanks, Trish. I love you too” he said as our eyes met and then he was gone.
The coffee arrived shortly after and Jon and I settled down on the couch to wait. We would need it ourselves as we prepared for the hardest few hours we could imagine. Jon held me while I cried for Richie, finally shedding the tears I’d been holding at bay since I first saw his face when he opened the door.
“Hey Rich, we were just heading out. I wanna show Trish around before the show tonight. Wanna join us?” Jon offered.
“I’d love too, bro, but I’ve gotta figure out a battle plan. My PI just called and he followed Elaine here this morning. She’s in Scotland” Richie replied and Jon stopped dead in his tracks.
“Fuck! Are you shitting me? Where are they? In Glasgow?” he demanded.
“Yep, they just left the airport and he’s following her in a cab. I’m waiting to hear where they’re going from there. We’ve gotta alert all the crew as I’m guessing she’s gonna show up at the show tonight. Dammit, Jon, I don’t wanna see her, but I’ve gotta make it clear that we’re done” Richie said, sounding angry and exasperated.
“Jesus Christ! Alright, look, we’ll stay here until we figure this out. We’ll be right down to your room. Just stay put, okay?” Jon replied, closing the phone.
I had heard enough to put together what happened and my heart sank. I’d half expected this in the back of my mind and I think we’d all been on pins and needles without really knowing it. No matter what happened, it was going to get ugly. That much I was sure of.
“I heard, Jon. Let’s go” I agreed and we headed straight towards Richie’s room.
It was only ten-thirty and Richie met us at the door with a drink in his hand and my stomach immediately knotted. Jon didn’t appear to notice, but using alcohol as a solution was a pretty common response in his experience. I followed Jon into the room and gave Richie a hug.
“We’re behind you, Richie. How do you wanna handle this?” I asked, trying to stave off Jon’s instinct to react and take over.
“I’m hoping I’m wrong and that Elaine is just heading home to her family, but my gut tells me otherwise” he replied, shaking his head.
I hoped so too, but we all knew too well how Elaine had behaved lately. The shy, quiet woman I thought I had known had disappeared without so much as a trace and none of us believed she’d come home just to lick her wounds. A confrontation was inevitable and like a general, planning his attack, Jon took the lead without hesitating.
“She’s here to find you, Rich. There’s no reason to kid ourselves at this point. I’m thinking we’ve got the advantage as we know she’s here, but she doesn’t know that we know. We’ve gotta turn the tables this time and surprise her” he declared with authority.
“What are you thinking, man?” Richie inquired, anxious to hear any suggestions.
“I’m thinking she needs to hear that you’re done with her, but she needs to hear it from you, bro, not your lawyers. I think you need to confront her and the sooner the better. As soon as the PI calls and says where she’s at, you need to show up unannounced and tell her to get the fuck out of your life!” he insisted.
“Shit, Jon, I really don’t wanna see her. I’m afraid of what I might do if I’m alone with her” Richie replied, downing the last of his drink.
He stood up to go fix another and I stopped him, taking his glass. He looked me right in the eye and I shook my head sadly from side to side.
“No, Richie. You need a clear head and this isn’t going to help you stay in control. Let’s get some coffee” I explained gently.
His shoulders slumped and I saw his features rapidly change. He looked completely deflated and I hated to see the toll that this took on him, but he needed to feel his emotions and work through them. Alcohol would only get in the way. I hugged him again and this time he held onto me for a moment and silently nodded. I looked over his shoulder and exchanged looks with Jon and he nodded back.
“Can ya send up a pot of coffee right now? Thanks, appreciate it” Jon said in his business-like tone as he hung up with room service.
Richie’s cell phone was ringing and he broke our embrace to answer it. I took a deep breath and waited, knowing it was his PI calling to update him. Elaine had apparently stopped at a nearby coffee shop to plan her assault and he’d call us back if she was on the move again. Richie settled into the couch and sighed.
“What do I say to her? I don’t wanna do this, but I know that I need to tell her myself” he asked heavily and I replied before Jon could jump in.
“Richie, just say whatever is in your heart when you see her. Trust yourself; you’ll find the words. No one can tell you how you feel or what you should say. Whatever you decide is the right way for you” I interjected, looking sharply at Jon.
This wasn’t a time for a battle plan and it wasn’t the time to focus on the band’s image. Richie just needed permission to do what he thought was best. It was his life and his pain and it wasn’t up to Jon or me to tell him how to handle his personal affairs. This wasn’t about the band and it wasn’t Jon’s call to make, it was Richie’s. If he was going to get through this, he needed our support and that meant backing his decisions.
Jon sat quietly, but I could see he was bristling. He knew what he would have done and he was chomping at the bit to jump in and rescue Richie from having to think it through, but he held back and waited. Richie sat up straighter and actually squared his shoulders and gave us a thin smile.
“Ya know, I’ve played this scene over and over in my head many times. And I’ve got more questions than answers, but the one thing I know is how I feel and there aren’t any answers she can give me that can change that. Actually, I’m relieved. I always knew this was coming and I’ll be glad to get it over with finally” he said, speaking with certainty.
I smiled at him then and I knew he really did need to do this. He flipped open his phone and called the front desk and asked them to call him a cab. He was ready.
“Do you want us to go with you, bro?” Jon offered.
“I need to do this alone, Jon. It’s between me and Elaine and I’ll be okay. But I’d really like it if you guys were here when I get back” he smiled genuinely.
“You know it, buddy. We ain’t moving from here until you get back” Jon said affectionately as he stood up and gave Richie a bear hug. “Just remember, man, we got your back if you need us, okay?”
I stood up too and Richie held out his arms. I hugged him back for the third time and tried to hide the tears in my eyes. I had come to love Richie as much as my family and I would have done anything to save him this agony, but I knew it needed to happen if he was ever going to heal. And I was really proud of him.
“I love you Richie” I whispered.
“Thanks, Trish. I love you too” he said as our eyes met and then he was gone.
The coffee arrived shortly after and Jon and I settled down on the couch to wait. We would need it ourselves as we prepared for the hardest few hours we could imagine. Jon held me while I cried for Richie, finally shedding the tears I’d been holding at bay since I first saw his face when he opened the door.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
The Sauna Part 226
When we woke from our romp, we were not far from landing and we needed to get dressed. I slowly pulled on my pants and my blouse with an effort, wishing I’d worn looser clothing. Jon was dressed first and ran his fingers through his hair like a comb; the mussy look was quite becoming on him. There was no hope for my hair and I thought it better not to pretend, hoping sleep would serve as an excuse. It would be two in the morning in Scotland when we landed and I knew this time there wouldn’t be any crowds.
“Shit, Trish, there’s no disguising the evidence this time” he said as he studied my appearance.
“Is it that bad? Have you got a hat I can wear?” I said, starting to panic.
“It’s not your hair, babe, it’s this” he chuckled, turning me to look in the mirror as he fingered the darkening bite mark on my neck.
“Fuck!” I exclaimed, shocked at the sight of my own reflection.
“Yeah, we sure did” he cackled proudly.
“Jon! That’s not funny! What am I gonna do?” I cried petulantly.
“Wear a turtleneck tomorrow?” he suggested with a smirk.
“Aaaarrrgghhh!” I groaned, making a strangled sound.
Jon tried pulling my long sweater around me a bit tighter, but to no avail. He’d branded me and he wasn’t the least bit ashamed. He wasn’t even feigning concern very well. I was almost forty-five years old and I looked like a teenager. I was blushing enough for us both.
We walked back to the main cabin and took our seats and I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He was still snickering and I reached over and pinched him.
“Ow!” he laughed.
“Just you wait, mister! Payback’s a bitch!” I hissed.
“Ooohh, I’m so scared” he said, making a face.
Vicky announced we’d be landing in a few minutes and I breathed a sigh of relief. At least she hadn’t come back in the cabin to check on us, I thought, pulling my hair forward in a futile attempt to hide what I could as the cabin lights came back on, making it worse. At least the bomb scare had been resolved and there didn’t appear to be a problem with landing.
Once inside the Glasgow airport, we searched for any place that was still serving food. We were both starving now, but the choices were limited and we bought mostly junk food at the newsstand that was still open. The limo was waiting and the driver loaded our luggage inside as we climbed in the back seat. Jon tore open a bag of “crisps” as I learned they were called in the U.K. and we demolished them pretty promptly.
We reached the hotel without any fanfare and checked in. The clerk called for a bell hop to take up our bags and Jon tipped him amply for his trouble. Unfortunately we were now wide awake at four in the morning with nothing to do and nothing to eat.
“Let’s go wake Richie! I bet he has food!” Jon squealed in a devilish moment.
Before I could object, he’d dragged me down the hall and we were standing in front of Richie’s door. Jon began banging loudly and calling to Richie and I stared at him, wondering what on earth had gotten into him.
“Hey bro, we’re here! Open up! We’re hungry, man” he yelled at the door.
Richie opened the door and stood there in his bathrobe, looking dumbfounded. He’d only just fell asleep about an hour ago and here was Jon pounding on his door and demanding food.
“Fuck! What do I look like? Room service, you asshole?” Richie grumbled.
“I am so sorry, Richie, but it seems someone is wound up and excited to see you” I apologized.
“I see that. What the fuck, Trish? Did Jon try and eat you?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Aaawww, shit, Richie, leave it alone, will ya?” I pleaded.
“We haven’t eaten since lunchtime, bro. Got any food?” Jon persisted, intent on his mission.
“Yeah, c’mon in. I’m only doing this for Trish, ya know” he said pointedly to Jon.
We followed Richie into his room and I learned quickly that he usually had a supply of cheese, crackers and fruit that he kept while on tour. It was one of the few demands that he made from the BJM staff and as such, they made sure he always had plenty. I was beginning to understand why Jon woke him.
“Help yourselves” Richie said graciously, pointing towards the refrigerator in his room.
Jon opened the frig and pulled out an assortment of cheeses and a few other goodies that Richie had stashed and began stuffing his face. I laughed at his greedy behavior, but I was starving myself and now that food was available, I indulged my appetite too. Richie sat on the bed and looked at us like we were a couple of foolish kids who needed their father to take care of them. And he wasn’t far off the mark.
“So how did the interview go today?” Jon asked as he munched.
“Nice of you to ask, since you didn’t even tell me you weren’t phoning in for it. It was fine, actually. There were questions about Elaine, of course, and they wanted to know where you’d run off to, but I just said you had some personal business to attend to back home. I didn’t tell them you were just randy as hell and needed your woman before we all had to kill you” Richie grinned. “Thanks, Trish, for restoring his good humor.”
“My pleasure, Richie” I mumbled with a mouth full of cheese.
“Yeah, I can see that” he reminded me and I shot Jon a dirty look.
“Hey, I wasn’t alone in that bed!” Jon nudged me and I couldn’t very well argue.
We stayed for an hour or so until Richie finally threw us out and told us to go and find somewhere else to play. I could hardly blame him and now that we’d eaten, there was little need for him to entertain us. I decided I’d punish Jon for the love bite by giving Richie a tin of his cookies. Like I had said, payback’s a bitch.
We returned to our room and watched a bit of TV until we began to doze off yet again. Scotland wasn’t much different than the U.S. and the programming at that hour would have put me to sleep even on speed.
It was now almost six and we didn’t need to occupy ourselves for very long. The guys woke us to join them when they got up for breakfast. Dave was the first one up and he knocked on everyone’s door like the town crier.
“It’s breakfast, let’s roll” he boomed from the hall.
“C’mon, let’s go eat and we’ll shower later” Jon prompted, anxious for a real meal.
I dressed in my clothes from last night, cursing myself for not having unpacked when there was time. Jon was already dressed and we met Dave in the hall where he’d been joined by Tico and Hugh. Richie was lagging behind the rest, probably thanks to our waking him in the middle of the night.
“Hey Jon, I didn’t know you were doing a sequel to Los Muertos” Dave prodded him.
“Huh? Whaddya mean?” Jon asked, looking confused, but I knew exactly where this was going.
“Looks like you were practicing for the role on Trish last night” Dave replied, tickled with his own cleverness.
Everyone looked at me more closely and I rolled my eyes. I wanted to smack the whole lot of them, but Jon most especially. I decided not to invite further comment by reacting with embarrassment and went for a bolder response.
“It was an awfully long flight and we didn’t have the Joker there to amuse us, Dave” I said as sarcastically as I could.
David made a show of being mortally wounded, but he recovered pretty quickly and the rest got the hint. The subject was closed and we went down for breakfast without further incident.
“Shit, Trish, there’s no disguising the evidence this time” he said as he studied my appearance.
“Is it that bad? Have you got a hat I can wear?” I said, starting to panic.
“It’s not your hair, babe, it’s this” he chuckled, turning me to look in the mirror as he fingered the darkening bite mark on my neck.
“Fuck!” I exclaimed, shocked at the sight of my own reflection.
“Yeah, we sure did” he cackled proudly.
“Jon! That’s not funny! What am I gonna do?” I cried petulantly.
“Wear a turtleneck tomorrow?” he suggested with a smirk.
“Aaaarrrgghhh!” I groaned, making a strangled sound.
Jon tried pulling my long sweater around me a bit tighter, but to no avail. He’d branded me and he wasn’t the least bit ashamed. He wasn’t even feigning concern very well. I was almost forty-five years old and I looked like a teenager. I was blushing enough for us both.
We walked back to the main cabin and took our seats and I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He was still snickering and I reached over and pinched him.
“Ow!” he laughed.
“Just you wait, mister! Payback’s a bitch!” I hissed.
“Ooohh, I’m so scared” he said, making a face.
Vicky announced we’d be landing in a few minutes and I breathed a sigh of relief. At least she hadn’t come back in the cabin to check on us, I thought, pulling my hair forward in a futile attempt to hide what I could as the cabin lights came back on, making it worse. At least the bomb scare had been resolved and there didn’t appear to be a problem with landing.
Once inside the Glasgow airport, we searched for any place that was still serving food. We were both starving now, but the choices were limited and we bought mostly junk food at the newsstand that was still open. The limo was waiting and the driver loaded our luggage inside as we climbed in the back seat. Jon tore open a bag of “crisps” as I learned they were called in the U.K. and we demolished them pretty promptly.
We reached the hotel without any fanfare and checked in. The clerk called for a bell hop to take up our bags and Jon tipped him amply for his trouble. Unfortunately we were now wide awake at four in the morning with nothing to do and nothing to eat.
“Let’s go wake Richie! I bet he has food!” Jon squealed in a devilish moment.
Before I could object, he’d dragged me down the hall and we were standing in front of Richie’s door. Jon began banging loudly and calling to Richie and I stared at him, wondering what on earth had gotten into him.
“Hey bro, we’re here! Open up! We’re hungry, man” he yelled at the door.
Richie opened the door and stood there in his bathrobe, looking dumbfounded. He’d only just fell asleep about an hour ago and here was Jon pounding on his door and demanding food.
“Fuck! What do I look like? Room service, you asshole?” Richie grumbled.
“I am so sorry, Richie, but it seems someone is wound up and excited to see you” I apologized.
“I see that. What the fuck, Trish? Did Jon try and eat you?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Aaawww, shit, Richie, leave it alone, will ya?” I pleaded.
“We haven’t eaten since lunchtime, bro. Got any food?” Jon persisted, intent on his mission.
“Yeah, c’mon in. I’m only doing this for Trish, ya know” he said pointedly to Jon.
We followed Richie into his room and I learned quickly that he usually had a supply of cheese, crackers and fruit that he kept while on tour. It was one of the few demands that he made from the BJM staff and as such, they made sure he always had plenty. I was beginning to understand why Jon woke him.
“Help yourselves” Richie said graciously, pointing towards the refrigerator in his room.
Jon opened the frig and pulled out an assortment of cheeses and a few other goodies that Richie had stashed and began stuffing his face. I laughed at his greedy behavior, but I was starving myself and now that food was available, I indulged my appetite too. Richie sat on the bed and looked at us like we were a couple of foolish kids who needed their father to take care of them. And he wasn’t far off the mark.
“So how did the interview go today?” Jon asked as he munched.
“Nice of you to ask, since you didn’t even tell me you weren’t phoning in for it. It was fine, actually. There were questions about Elaine, of course, and they wanted to know where you’d run off to, but I just said you had some personal business to attend to back home. I didn’t tell them you were just randy as hell and needed your woman before we all had to kill you” Richie grinned. “Thanks, Trish, for restoring his good humor.”
“My pleasure, Richie” I mumbled with a mouth full of cheese.
“Yeah, I can see that” he reminded me and I shot Jon a dirty look.
“Hey, I wasn’t alone in that bed!” Jon nudged me and I couldn’t very well argue.
We stayed for an hour or so until Richie finally threw us out and told us to go and find somewhere else to play. I could hardly blame him and now that we’d eaten, there was little need for him to entertain us. I decided I’d punish Jon for the love bite by giving Richie a tin of his cookies. Like I had said, payback’s a bitch.
We returned to our room and watched a bit of TV until we began to doze off yet again. Scotland wasn’t much different than the U.S. and the programming at that hour would have put me to sleep even on speed.
It was now almost six and we didn’t need to occupy ourselves for very long. The guys woke us to join them when they got up for breakfast. Dave was the first one up and he knocked on everyone’s door like the town crier.
“It’s breakfast, let’s roll” he boomed from the hall.
“C’mon, let’s go eat and we’ll shower later” Jon prompted, anxious for a real meal.
I dressed in my clothes from last night, cursing myself for not having unpacked when there was time. Jon was already dressed and we met Dave in the hall where he’d been joined by Tico and Hugh. Richie was lagging behind the rest, probably thanks to our waking him in the middle of the night.
“Hey Jon, I didn’t know you were doing a sequel to Los Muertos” Dave prodded him.
“Huh? Whaddya mean?” Jon asked, looking confused, but I knew exactly where this was going.
“Looks like you were practicing for the role on Trish last night” Dave replied, tickled with his own cleverness.
Everyone looked at me more closely and I rolled my eyes. I wanted to smack the whole lot of them, but Jon most especially. I decided not to invite further comment by reacting with embarrassment and went for a bolder response.
“It was an awfully long flight and we didn’t have the Joker there to amuse us, Dave” I said as sarcastically as I could.
David made a show of being mortally wounded, but he recovered pretty quickly and the rest got the hint. The subject was closed and we went down for breakfast without further incident.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
The Sauna Part 225
It was still dark when the alarm went off and I buried my head under the covers with a groan. It seemed like I had just fallen asleep and it was already time to get up? Neither Jon nor I had slept well as it wasn’t our habit to turn in as early as eight-thirty and we both had tossed and turned most of the night. Even the cats appeared grumpy and I guessed that we’d kept them from getting a good night’s rest too.
“C’mon, darlin’, it’s morning” Jon coaxed me gently.
“No it’s not, it’s still dark” I insisted as he pulled the covers away from my face.
“I know, babe, I know” he sighed, folding me against him for a moment.
I snuggled into his warmth, inhaling his scent, and wishing for all the world that we could just stay there and sleep when we heard a knock on the door.
“Coffee’s almost ready” Jim’s voice called through the door.
“Thanks, man” Jon called back and tried again to rouse me.
I finally sat up and rubbed my eyes, forcing myself to shake off the sleepiness. I looked at the clock, trying to decide whether I had time for coffee before bathing and concluded I didn’t. Jon was already up and had turned on the shower before coming back to retrieve me.
“We’ll sleep on the plane, Trish” he said sympathetically.
I nodded and joined him in the shower and together we bathed, neither of us feeling particularly amorous at the moment. I wrapped my hair in a towel and went down to fetch us some coffee while Jon shaved and got dressed. Jim was sitting at the kitchen table sipping his cup when I wandered in.
“Morning” he grumbled.
“Is it? I couldn’t be sure” I scowled, filling two cups and heading back up the stairs.
Jon gave me a hug and pulled on my belt, releasing my robe, as he slid his arms around my waist. Apparently the shower had revived him, but I needed caffeine before I was ready to tackle much else. I gave him a look that discouraged any further attention, but he did laugh in spite of it.
“I’ll go and load the suitcases into the car. Take your time, babe, we’re doing okay” he whispered, kissing my neck.
“Thanks, love. I’ll be ready shortly” I replied apologetically.
I dried my hair and got dressed and packed my remaining supplies into the carry-on. I was finishing my make-up and a second cup of coffee as Jon returned and stood next to me, sharing the mirror as he shaved. It was just after five when we sat down at the table for a final shot of caffeine with Jim. I’d said goodbye to Cherie last night, so there was no need to wake her. I held Eddie on my lap and kissed his little face and he rubbed his cheek over my skin, nuzzling me affectionately. Leaving them for so long was going to be harder than I imagined.
Zeke cruised by Jon and brushed my leg on his way to rub Jim and Jon laughed, thinking how fickle the cats were at times. Opie was occupied at the food bowl while Floyd sat nervously in the hallway. He knew what suitcases and early morning departures were all about and he half expected to be packed up and thrown in a cage.
“Don’t worry Floyd, you’re staying here” I reassured him as I gave him a pat on the head and made my rounds, saying goodbye to my boys.
“Got your passport ready?” Jon reminded me.
“Already in my purse” I assured him and without further delay we headed out to the airport.
The airport was dead at this hour and even the roads were relatively empty. Jim parked the car and helped us haul all our luggage and I said a silent prayer of thanks that I didn’t have to try and check all these bags onto a commercial flight. There was still customs to deal with, so we weren’t in the clear quite yet. Apparently the guitar case made them suspicious as rock stars were considered just barely above Columbian drug lords.
“Empty your purse and step over here” a burly sort of fellow directed me.
I dutifully complied and watched from a distance as a female agent rifled through my belongings and the husky man seemed to grope me. No special treatment today. Jon looked annoyed and checked his watch as he didn’t want our departure delayed, but they weren’t satisfied until we’d removed our shoes and gone through the metal detector three times.
“Perhaps they’re just bored this morning” I whispered to Jon.
The head agent apparently heard me and explained that there had been a bomb threat in Glasgow and they weren’t taking any chances. I wasn’t terribly concerned as we were traveling in Jon’s private plane, but I could understand the added precautions. The security team was eventually satisfied that we posed no immediate threat and we finally cleared our way to the gate.
“Did you hear there was a bomb threat in Scotland?” Vicky asked anxiously as we boarded the plane.
“We heard. Did you have a hard time getting through security too?” I wondered.
“Not bad, but they did open our carry-on bags” she replied.
Jon stowed our bags in the overhead compartment as we took our seats and prepared to take off, but there seemed to be another delay. It was just after seven now and we were already running behind and I could see that Jon was beginning to lose patience.
“What’s the hold up now?” he demanded irritably.
Vicky returned and explained that our luggage hadn’t been loaded and that was the problem. Jon and I exchanged looks and I mouthed an “I’m sorry” for bringing so much. I really hadn’t thought about Customs and I knew it was worse because of the bomb scare. The longer we waited, the more agitated Jon became until he finally exited the plane to see what the problem was, but when he returned he was smiling.
“Cookies?” he laughed.
“What?” I replied, taken totally off guard.
“You packed cookies?” he asked again, now grinning from ear to ear.
“Uhm, yeah. It was supposed to be a surprise” I stammered, totally mystified.
“Apparently that was the problem. We didn’t declare we were bringing food and the metal detector caught the tins they were in” he explained.
“Shit. I just never thought…” I said, shaking my head.
“It’s okay, babe. They’ve finally decided that we aren’t terrorists and they cleared us to leave. They’re loading the bags now. So, what kind of cookies did you bring?” he teased.
“I made chocolate chip cookies” I said sheepishly as I stared at my hands.
“You made them? Well shit…” he smiled as he leaned over to kiss me. “Richie will be pretty proud.”
Vicky motioned that we were finally ready to depart and we buckled our seat belts and settled back in our chairs. Jon held my hand and was silent, but I could see he was smiling. All would yet be well.
**************
After we were in the air for a few hours, Jon and I both decided that a nap would do us some good. We’d drank another pot’s worth of coffee, but I kept yawning despite that and we told Vicky we were heading back to the bed and to wake us only if necessary. We’d get something to eat when we woke up.
The bed on the plane was a fairly good size and I tried not to picture the activities I was sure it had seen. We climbed under the covers, still fully dressed, and I laid my head on Jon’s chest. We were sound asleep within minutes.
The next thing I knew was that I was hungry and I woke up to a loud growl from my stomach. Jon was already up, I discovered, and I saw him sitting down in the main cabin with a sandwich and salad. He buzzed Vicky to tell her I was awake and she soon appeared with a tray for me also.
Jon was sipping a glass of white wine, but I still preferred coffee and this time it worked. I was feeling a good deal better now that I’d eaten some lunch and slept for over five hours and Jon was looking particularly appealing. It seemed like a good time to christen that bed.
“We still have another four hours in the air. Any ideas on what to do next?” he grinned and I could tell we were both on the same page.
“That bed was so much more comfortable than these seats” I mentioned suggestively and he nodded.
“Indeed it is. Should we try to get some more rest?” he asked innocently, but it was more for Vicky’s benefit than for mine.
“That sounds like a plan” I winked and we headed back to the bed and the privacy we both desired now that we were no longer fatigued.
Vicky shook her head and I suspected we hadn’t really disguised our intent all that well, but she seemed satisfied with our effort and that was enough. I gave in to my giggles once Jon shut the door and he caught me in a passionate embrace. He kissed me soundly on the lips as he began unzipping my jeans and I tugged at the buttons on his shirt.
“We’d better hurry; we’ve only got four hours you know” I baited him.
“Actually less now so stop talking” he bantered back.
Without further ado, we fell on the bed and struggled to remove the rest of our clothes. I’d forgotten about wearing my boots and my jeans got stuck as I tried to kick them off unsuccessfully. Jon laughed and sat up to assist me, undoing the laces with his nimble fingers. Soon I was naked and his hands roamed over my body, leaving a trail of aroused flesh in their wake.
He nibbled my ear while he plucked at my nipple and I moaned with my need to have him inside me. My fingers curled around the length of his shaft as I drew it against me and I felt him twitch reflexively as I stroked him. He rolled over onto his back and pulled me astride him and I lowered myself onto his rigid pole.
I let out a sigh as he entered my warmth, relishing the feel of that first moment of penetration. My muscles contracted, possessing him as he possessed me, and we began to rock in a steady motion. I leaned down to taste his lips and he gathered my hair in his hands. His hips began thrusting a bit harder as I ground down upon him and I felt myself nearing the edge.
Jon felt it too and he adjusted his movements to maintain his rhythm, fighting the urge to pump up the pace. His own climax was building, but he patiently held back, delaying his release until he knew I was well on my way. The waves washed over me as I cried out for more and he flipped me onto my back and drove himself home with abandon.
I was shuddering and sputtering as he poured his love into my honeyed depths and I soaked up his seed in my core. The intensity of our finish was mind-numbing as we gasped and panted for air, completely consumed in the rush of sensations we felt.
I lay on my back, absorbing the aftershock and reveling in the weight of his body atop me. I held him tightly as he came down and joined me on a plateau of contentment and we soon fell asleep. At least we hadn’t been lying about taking a nap.
“C’mon, darlin’, it’s morning” Jon coaxed me gently.
“No it’s not, it’s still dark” I insisted as he pulled the covers away from my face.
“I know, babe, I know” he sighed, folding me against him for a moment.
I snuggled into his warmth, inhaling his scent, and wishing for all the world that we could just stay there and sleep when we heard a knock on the door.
“Coffee’s almost ready” Jim’s voice called through the door.
“Thanks, man” Jon called back and tried again to rouse me.
I finally sat up and rubbed my eyes, forcing myself to shake off the sleepiness. I looked at the clock, trying to decide whether I had time for coffee before bathing and concluded I didn’t. Jon was already up and had turned on the shower before coming back to retrieve me.
“We’ll sleep on the plane, Trish” he said sympathetically.
I nodded and joined him in the shower and together we bathed, neither of us feeling particularly amorous at the moment. I wrapped my hair in a towel and went down to fetch us some coffee while Jon shaved and got dressed. Jim was sitting at the kitchen table sipping his cup when I wandered in.
“Morning” he grumbled.
“Is it? I couldn’t be sure” I scowled, filling two cups and heading back up the stairs.
Jon gave me a hug and pulled on my belt, releasing my robe, as he slid his arms around my waist. Apparently the shower had revived him, but I needed caffeine before I was ready to tackle much else. I gave him a look that discouraged any further attention, but he did laugh in spite of it.
“I’ll go and load the suitcases into the car. Take your time, babe, we’re doing okay” he whispered, kissing my neck.
“Thanks, love. I’ll be ready shortly” I replied apologetically.
I dried my hair and got dressed and packed my remaining supplies into the carry-on. I was finishing my make-up and a second cup of coffee as Jon returned and stood next to me, sharing the mirror as he shaved. It was just after five when we sat down at the table for a final shot of caffeine with Jim. I’d said goodbye to Cherie last night, so there was no need to wake her. I held Eddie on my lap and kissed his little face and he rubbed his cheek over my skin, nuzzling me affectionately. Leaving them for so long was going to be harder than I imagined.
Zeke cruised by Jon and brushed my leg on his way to rub Jim and Jon laughed, thinking how fickle the cats were at times. Opie was occupied at the food bowl while Floyd sat nervously in the hallway. He knew what suitcases and early morning departures were all about and he half expected to be packed up and thrown in a cage.
“Don’t worry Floyd, you’re staying here” I reassured him as I gave him a pat on the head and made my rounds, saying goodbye to my boys.
“Got your passport ready?” Jon reminded me.
“Already in my purse” I assured him and without further delay we headed out to the airport.
The airport was dead at this hour and even the roads were relatively empty. Jim parked the car and helped us haul all our luggage and I said a silent prayer of thanks that I didn’t have to try and check all these bags onto a commercial flight. There was still customs to deal with, so we weren’t in the clear quite yet. Apparently the guitar case made them suspicious as rock stars were considered just barely above Columbian drug lords.
“Empty your purse and step over here” a burly sort of fellow directed me.
I dutifully complied and watched from a distance as a female agent rifled through my belongings and the husky man seemed to grope me. No special treatment today. Jon looked annoyed and checked his watch as he didn’t want our departure delayed, but they weren’t satisfied until we’d removed our shoes and gone through the metal detector three times.
“Perhaps they’re just bored this morning” I whispered to Jon.
The head agent apparently heard me and explained that there had been a bomb threat in Glasgow and they weren’t taking any chances. I wasn’t terribly concerned as we were traveling in Jon’s private plane, but I could understand the added precautions. The security team was eventually satisfied that we posed no immediate threat and we finally cleared our way to the gate.
“Did you hear there was a bomb threat in Scotland?” Vicky asked anxiously as we boarded the plane.
“We heard. Did you have a hard time getting through security too?” I wondered.
“Not bad, but they did open our carry-on bags” she replied.
Jon stowed our bags in the overhead compartment as we took our seats and prepared to take off, but there seemed to be another delay. It was just after seven now and we were already running behind and I could see that Jon was beginning to lose patience.
“What’s the hold up now?” he demanded irritably.
Vicky returned and explained that our luggage hadn’t been loaded and that was the problem. Jon and I exchanged looks and I mouthed an “I’m sorry” for bringing so much. I really hadn’t thought about Customs and I knew it was worse because of the bomb scare. The longer we waited, the more agitated Jon became until he finally exited the plane to see what the problem was, but when he returned he was smiling.
“Cookies?” he laughed.
“What?” I replied, taken totally off guard.
“You packed cookies?” he asked again, now grinning from ear to ear.
“Uhm, yeah. It was supposed to be a surprise” I stammered, totally mystified.
“Apparently that was the problem. We didn’t declare we were bringing food and the metal detector caught the tins they were in” he explained.
“Shit. I just never thought…” I said, shaking my head.
“It’s okay, babe. They’ve finally decided that we aren’t terrorists and they cleared us to leave. They’re loading the bags now. So, what kind of cookies did you bring?” he teased.
“I made chocolate chip cookies” I said sheepishly as I stared at my hands.
“You made them? Well shit…” he smiled as he leaned over to kiss me. “Richie will be pretty proud.”
Vicky motioned that we were finally ready to depart and we buckled our seat belts and settled back in our chairs. Jon held my hand and was silent, but I could see he was smiling. All would yet be well.
**************
After we were in the air for a few hours, Jon and I both decided that a nap would do us some good. We’d drank another pot’s worth of coffee, but I kept yawning despite that and we told Vicky we were heading back to the bed and to wake us only if necessary. We’d get something to eat when we woke up.
The bed on the plane was a fairly good size and I tried not to picture the activities I was sure it had seen. We climbed under the covers, still fully dressed, and I laid my head on Jon’s chest. We were sound asleep within minutes.
The next thing I knew was that I was hungry and I woke up to a loud growl from my stomach. Jon was already up, I discovered, and I saw him sitting down in the main cabin with a sandwich and salad. He buzzed Vicky to tell her I was awake and she soon appeared with a tray for me also.
Jon was sipping a glass of white wine, but I still preferred coffee and this time it worked. I was feeling a good deal better now that I’d eaten some lunch and slept for over five hours and Jon was looking particularly appealing. It seemed like a good time to christen that bed.
“We still have another four hours in the air. Any ideas on what to do next?” he grinned and I could tell we were both on the same page.
“That bed was so much more comfortable than these seats” I mentioned suggestively and he nodded.
“Indeed it is. Should we try to get some more rest?” he asked innocently, but it was more for Vicky’s benefit than for mine.
“That sounds like a plan” I winked and we headed back to the bed and the privacy we both desired now that we were no longer fatigued.
Vicky shook her head and I suspected we hadn’t really disguised our intent all that well, but she seemed satisfied with our effort and that was enough. I gave in to my giggles once Jon shut the door and he caught me in a passionate embrace. He kissed me soundly on the lips as he began unzipping my jeans and I tugged at the buttons on his shirt.
“We’d better hurry; we’ve only got four hours you know” I baited him.
“Actually less now so stop talking” he bantered back.
Without further ado, we fell on the bed and struggled to remove the rest of our clothes. I’d forgotten about wearing my boots and my jeans got stuck as I tried to kick them off unsuccessfully. Jon laughed and sat up to assist me, undoing the laces with his nimble fingers. Soon I was naked and his hands roamed over my body, leaving a trail of aroused flesh in their wake.
He nibbled my ear while he plucked at my nipple and I moaned with my need to have him inside me. My fingers curled around the length of his shaft as I drew it against me and I felt him twitch reflexively as I stroked him. He rolled over onto his back and pulled me astride him and I lowered myself onto his rigid pole.
I let out a sigh as he entered my warmth, relishing the feel of that first moment of penetration. My muscles contracted, possessing him as he possessed me, and we began to rock in a steady motion. I leaned down to taste his lips and he gathered my hair in his hands. His hips began thrusting a bit harder as I ground down upon him and I felt myself nearing the edge.
Jon felt it too and he adjusted his movements to maintain his rhythm, fighting the urge to pump up the pace. His own climax was building, but he patiently held back, delaying his release until he knew I was well on my way. The waves washed over me as I cried out for more and he flipped me onto my back and drove himself home with abandon.
I was shuddering and sputtering as he poured his love into my honeyed depths and I soaked up his seed in my core. The intensity of our finish was mind-numbing as we gasped and panted for air, completely consumed in the rush of sensations we felt.
I lay on my back, absorbing the aftershock and reveling in the weight of his body atop me. I held him tightly as he came down and joined me on a plateau of contentment and we soon fell asleep. At least we hadn’t been lying about taking a nap.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
The Sauna Part 224
“How’s it going, babe? Cherie’s finally up and we’re making some lunch. Wanna take a break and join us?” he asked, kissing my neck and completely distracting me.
“Yeah, maybe this will all make more sense after some food and normal conversation” I sighed.
“Is there anything I can do to help out?” he offered, peering over my shoulder.
“No, not right now. I just hate legal jargon” I explained, closing the email for the moment.
We went downstairs and joined Cherie and Jim who were making tuna sandwiches and a fruit salad. I replenished my coffee and sat down at the table and Jon made me a sandwich while I helped myself to some salad. We chatted while we ate lunch and I was surprised at how hungry I was.
I was beginning to get anxious as I hadn’t started packing and it was already past one o’clock. Jon and Jim had decided to go into town and look at snowmobiles as they’d gotten to talking about them and now Jon wanted a new toy. Cherie was staying with me and I figured I could finish the contracts when we arrived in Europe as Jon’s laptop was with the guys and his gear. I just needed to finish the outline and send it off to the lawyer and then I could concentrate on what I needed to pack.
“We’ll be in town, so call me if there’s anything you need me to pick up before we get back. I’ll grab something for dinner” Jon said as he and Jim got ready to leave.
“Pizza?” I smirked.
“It’ll be the last decent one we’ll have for a while” Jon said sheepishly.
“Okay, I suppose you’re right about that” I admitted as I kissed him goodbye.
“We’ll get a veggie pizza too, Cher, don’t worry” Jim whispered, kissing her tenderly.
Cherie cleaned up the kitchen while I finished the outline for the RFP’s. I was anticipating that I’d get quite a few pretty soon. I’d thought of a few more additional details I wanted while we were eating lunch and I edited my draft to include them. We’d be focusing on two major themes for the charities we’d be funding: housing and mental health services, with a three year start-up grant available for trauma services. I shot off the email to the lawyer and told him I’d get back to him in a day or two on the other requests he had sent me and I saved everything to my flash drive before I shut down.
Jon had laid out three huge suitcases and a carry-on bag for me on the bed and I smiled when I saw the note he had left.
Remember, they have stores in Europe too~ Jon
I laughed as I read it and shared it with Cherie as she looked at the three suitcases we had available. I threw in my bathrobe and slippers and my favorite black boots along with a couple pair of jeans and some skirts. Cherie took it all out and began folding it neatly and I handed the rest of the shirts, tops and sweaters to her with a grin. I tucked the flash drive into my carry-on so I wouldn’t forget it and I began packing a few items of jewelry I wanted to bring.
“What are you wearing on the plane tomorrow?” Cherie asked as she saw me digging through one of the drawers.
“Jeans and a blouse, my long sweater and my short boots. Shit, I forgot the socks” I muttered as I opened another drawer and threw in a week’s worth.
“Underwear and a bra?” she prompted, eyeing me uncertainly.
“Sure” I grinned as I tossed her a bra and five or six pairs of panties just in case.
I grabbed a few tank tops and a jacket or two for good measure and a couple more skirts from Tienda Ho. I pulled out a couple of leather halters with fringe and I grabbed Jon’s leather shirt from the closet. Cherie raised her eyebrows and I smiled as I folded it lovingly and handed it to her.
“Because I just like it” I admitted.
“You should bring a raincoat” she suggested and I hurried downstairs to get one and remembered my cape and a shawl.
“Trish, these suitcases are getting rather full” she said, looking dismayed.
“There isn’t much more, but I need a few fancy dresses and they’ll be crushed in here. Let me go find the garment bag” I said as I flew down the hall and located it in another closet.
I added my address book and a few personal items into the carry-on and held up some dresses and Cherie gave her opinion. We managed to get them into the garment bag and I moved the raincoat and cape in there too. The rest would go in the carry-on in the morning along with Jon’s shaving kit and my make-up. I grabbed my favorite perfume and added it in and looked through the closets one final time.
“Dammit! The cookies” I wailed, just now remembering I’d wanted to bake Jon some cookies to take along as a surprise.
Cherie looked at me like I was crazy as I dragged her downstairs and started pulling ingredients out of the shelves. I had her start measuring while I turned on the oven and started the mixing and I prayed that I remembered what Richie had taught me when he made chocolate chip cookies for us. I began to relax once they were in the oven and I made a fresh pot of coffee while we waited for them to bake. It was almost four-thirty when the phone rang just as I took the last batch out to cool.
“We’ll be leaving in a few minutes, babe. Is there anything else you need me to pick up on the way home?” Jon’s voice said as I answered the phone.
“Nope, I think I’m good. Or good enough, anyway” I giggled. “Did you buy a snowmobile?” I asked, never doubting for a moment that he’d bought one.
“Yeah, wait ‘till you ride this thing, darlin’. It’s a blast! We test drove a couple, but this one was the most comfortable. Jim’s gonna ride it home, but what size do you wear? I’ve gotta pick out a snowsuit for you so we can take it out tonight after dinner” he told me excitedly.
I told him my sizes and he repeated them to the saleswoman who was writing it down. The house smelled like cookies and I frantically hunted around in the cupboards until I found some Febreze and motioned to Cherie to start spraying it everywhere.
“Okay, looks like we’re all set. Jim should be there in about twenty minutes. I’ll get the pizzas and be home shortly. I love you, baby” he said as he hung up the phone.
“C’mon, we gotta get these cookies outside to cool off faster. They’re on their way” I said in a panic as we gathered the racks and put them out on the front porch and waited for Jim to arrive.
I heard the whine of the snowmobile about twenty minutes later as we were bringing the cookies back in the house. I had almost gotten them packed up in tins when Jim came through the door and called us to come out and look. Cherie went out and I packaged the remaining cookies in the tins and washed and dried off the evidence before they came back in the house. I ran upstairs with my surprise and buried the tins in between layers of clothes when I heard Jim calling me.
“Trish? Aren’t you coming out to see the new toy?” Jim called as they came back inside.
“I’ll see it later. I just had some last minute things to finish” I called down the stairs.
Jon arrived with the pizza shortly after five and we sat down to eat after he’d showed me the snowmobile. It was a cute little thing and I liked the bright colors and the matching snowsuits he’d gotten. We wolfed down our dinner as he was anxious to take me out for a short ride before we settled in for the night. Our flight was leaving at seven tomorrow morning and we’d have to be up early to get to the airport and check in.
The snowsuits went over our regular clothing and they were actually quite warm and fairly comfy. We had gloves and goggles and helmets and I felt a little like the Pillsbury dough boy by the time we were suited up and ready to ride. At least I’d be warm enough. Jim snapped a few photos to show Richie and we took off. Cherie was shaking her head and telling Jim there was no way she was going on “that contraption”.
Jon took off slowly and he didn’t go very fast as we were pretty unfamiliar with the whole thing, not to mention our own property. The salesperson had warned him to take it easy until he knew where the trails were and he’d scared him with horror stories of people being beheaded when they ran into chicken wire fences they didn’t know were there. Despite our cautious approach, I had to admit it was fun and we got a good look at what we called our backyard. It was a fair amount of property, but it was mostly uphill and I decided I liked seeing it from the back of a snowmobile, at least at this time of year. I could hike in the summer.
We didn’t stay out late and we were back at the house by seven-thirty. Jon told Jim to have fun with it while we were away and he tossed him the keys. We scrambled to get out of the snowsuits and said a hurried goodnight and Jim promised to put out the snack for the cats before he went to bed. He was driving us to the airport in the morning so he wouldn’t be up late himself.
“Yeah, maybe this will all make more sense after some food and normal conversation” I sighed.
“Is there anything I can do to help out?” he offered, peering over my shoulder.
“No, not right now. I just hate legal jargon” I explained, closing the email for the moment.
We went downstairs and joined Cherie and Jim who were making tuna sandwiches and a fruit salad. I replenished my coffee and sat down at the table and Jon made me a sandwich while I helped myself to some salad. We chatted while we ate lunch and I was surprised at how hungry I was.
I was beginning to get anxious as I hadn’t started packing and it was already past one o’clock. Jon and Jim had decided to go into town and look at snowmobiles as they’d gotten to talking about them and now Jon wanted a new toy. Cherie was staying with me and I figured I could finish the contracts when we arrived in Europe as Jon’s laptop was with the guys and his gear. I just needed to finish the outline and send it off to the lawyer and then I could concentrate on what I needed to pack.
“We’ll be in town, so call me if there’s anything you need me to pick up before we get back. I’ll grab something for dinner” Jon said as he and Jim got ready to leave.
“Pizza?” I smirked.
“It’ll be the last decent one we’ll have for a while” Jon said sheepishly.
“Okay, I suppose you’re right about that” I admitted as I kissed him goodbye.
“We’ll get a veggie pizza too, Cher, don’t worry” Jim whispered, kissing her tenderly.
Cherie cleaned up the kitchen while I finished the outline for the RFP’s. I was anticipating that I’d get quite a few pretty soon. I’d thought of a few more additional details I wanted while we were eating lunch and I edited my draft to include them. We’d be focusing on two major themes for the charities we’d be funding: housing and mental health services, with a three year start-up grant available for trauma services. I shot off the email to the lawyer and told him I’d get back to him in a day or two on the other requests he had sent me and I saved everything to my flash drive before I shut down.
Jon had laid out three huge suitcases and a carry-on bag for me on the bed and I smiled when I saw the note he had left.
Remember, they have stores in Europe too~ Jon
I laughed as I read it and shared it with Cherie as she looked at the three suitcases we had available. I threw in my bathrobe and slippers and my favorite black boots along with a couple pair of jeans and some skirts. Cherie took it all out and began folding it neatly and I handed the rest of the shirts, tops and sweaters to her with a grin. I tucked the flash drive into my carry-on so I wouldn’t forget it and I began packing a few items of jewelry I wanted to bring.
“What are you wearing on the plane tomorrow?” Cherie asked as she saw me digging through one of the drawers.
“Jeans and a blouse, my long sweater and my short boots. Shit, I forgot the socks” I muttered as I opened another drawer and threw in a week’s worth.
“Underwear and a bra?” she prompted, eyeing me uncertainly.
“Sure” I grinned as I tossed her a bra and five or six pairs of panties just in case.
I grabbed a few tank tops and a jacket or two for good measure and a couple more skirts from Tienda Ho. I pulled out a couple of leather halters with fringe and I grabbed Jon’s leather shirt from the closet. Cherie raised her eyebrows and I smiled as I folded it lovingly and handed it to her.
“Because I just like it” I admitted.
“You should bring a raincoat” she suggested and I hurried downstairs to get one and remembered my cape and a shawl.
“Trish, these suitcases are getting rather full” she said, looking dismayed.
“There isn’t much more, but I need a few fancy dresses and they’ll be crushed in here. Let me go find the garment bag” I said as I flew down the hall and located it in another closet.
I added my address book and a few personal items into the carry-on and held up some dresses and Cherie gave her opinion. We managed to get them into the garment bag and I moved the raincoat and cape in there too. The rest would go in the carry-on in the morning along with Jon’s shaving kit and my make-up. I grabbed my favorite perfume and added it in and looked through the closets one final time.
“Dammit! The cookies” I wailed, just now remembering I’d wanted to bake Jon some cookies to take along as a surprise.
Cherie looked at me like I was crazy as I dragged her downstairs and started pulling ingredients out of the shelves. I had her start measuring while I turned on the oven and started the mixing and I prayed that I remembered what Richie had taught me when he made chocolate chip cookies for us. I began to relax once they were in the oven and I made a fresh pot of coffee while we waited for them to bake. It was almost four-thirty when the phone rang just as I took the last batch out to cool.
“We’ll be leaving in a few minutes, babe. Is there anything else you need me to pick up on the way home?” Jon’s voice said as I answered the phone.
“Nope, I think I’m good. Or good enough, anyway” I giggled. “Did you buy a snowmobile?” I asked, never doubting for a moment that he’d bought one.
“Yeah, wait ‘till you ride this thing, darlin’. It’s a blast! We test drove a couple, but this one was the most comfortable. Jim’s gonna ride it home, but what size do you wear? I’ve gotta pick out a snowsuit for you so we can take it out tonight after dinner” he told me excitedly.
I told him my sizes and he repeated them to the saleswoman who was writing it down. The house smelled like cookies and I frantically hunted around in the cupboards until I found some Febreze and motioned to Cherie to start spraying it everywhere.
“Okay, looks like we’re all set. Jim should be there in about twenty minutes. I’ll get the pizzas and be home shortly. I love you, baby” he said as he hung up the phone.
“C’mon, we gotta get these cookies outside to cool off faster. They’re on their way” I said in a panic as we gathered the racks and put them out on the front porch and waited for Jim to arrive.
I heard the whine of the snowmobile about twenty minutes later as we were bringing the cookies back in the house. I had almost gotten them packed up in tins when Jim came through the door and called us to come out and look. Cherie went out and I packaged the remaining cookies in the tins and washed and dried off the evidence before they came back in the house. I ran upstairs with my surprise and buried the tins in between layers of clothes when I heard Jim calling me.
“Trish? Aren’t you coming out to see the new toy?” Jim called as they came back inside.
“I’ll see it later. I just had some last minute things to finish” I called down the stairs.
Jon arrived with the pizza shortly after five and we sat down to eat after he’d showed me the snowmobile. It was a cute little thing and I liked the bright colors and the matching snowsuits he’d gotten. We wolfed down our dinner as he was anxious to take me out for a short ride before we settled in for the night. Our flight was leaving at seven tomorrow morning and we’d have to be up early to get to the airport and check in.
The snowsuits went over our regular clothing and they were actually quite warm and fairly comfy. We had gloves and goggles and helmets and I felt a little like the Pillsbury dough boy by the time we were suited up and ready to ride. At least I’d be warm enough. Jim snapped a few photos to show Richie and we took off. Cherie was shaking her head and telling Jim there was no way she was going on “that contraption”.
Jon took off slowly and he didn’t go very fast as we were pretty unfamiliar with the whole thing, not to mention our own property. The salesperson had warned him to take it easy until he knew where the trails were and he’d scared him with horror stories of people being beheaded when they ran into chicken wire fences they didn’t know were there. Despite our cautious approach, I had to admit it was fun and we got a good look at what we called our backyard. It was a fair amount of property, but it was mostly uphill and I decided I liked seeing it from the back of a snowmobile, at least at this time of year. I could hike in the summer.
We didn’t stay out late and we were back at the house by seven-thirty. Jon told Jim to have fun with it while we were away and he tossed him the keys. We scrambled to get out of the snowsuits and said a hurried goodnight and Jim promised to put out the snack for the cats before he went to bed. He was driving us to the airport in the morning so he wouldn’t be up late himself.
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