Chapter Eight

It had been such a sweet short kiss, but it had lingered on Halle’s lips long after Richie had left. Floating through her household chores, she couldn’t remember a time when housework hadn’t sucked the life outta her. She had even pulled out her one and only Bon Jovi cd, New Jersey, and bopped around, dancing with the vacuum cleaner.

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Richie had woken from a restless nap. Not quite sure why he kept having visions of Halle. He shook his head, hoping they would leave. The last thing he needed was another woman plaguing his thoughts. Sure she was great, and ordinarily, she would have been an ideal pick up, but there was something about her that made him smile. Maybe it was the way she looked at him, without judgment, without the rock star hype. Maybe because she carried a similar pain in her eyes, as he did. Ordering coffee, he went to shower. The warm water cascaded over him, enveloping him like a warm hug, making him feel more awake. He emerged from the bathroom, towel around his waist, and searched for his phone to call Ava. “Dammit, where have I put it?” Pulling on a pair of jeans and a navy shirt he went to see Jon.

“Well, you look more alive now. We got sound check at three, you ok for that? And another thing” Jon leant forward and swiped the back of Richie’s head.

“Owww what the fuck?” Richie complained and rubbed the back of his head. He knew he deserved it and more for the stunt he pulled. “Look man, I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”

“You got that right” Jon snapped “I know you’re going through some shit at the moment but fuck, this could have been a serious problem that not only affects you, it affects all of us”.

“Look, you can dish out whatever you want but trust me; I’m beating myself up enough without you adding to it” Richie’s temper was rising, more from guilt than what Jon was saying.

“All I ask is that you come to me if it gets too bad man, and if you want my opinion, which you’re gonna get whether you do or not, I think you’re making this way too easy for Heather.”

Richie’s brow rose “how do you figure that?”

Jon turned and looked Richie in the eyes. “Look in the mirror man, that’s not you there. You’re letting the bitch beat you down. Think about the satisfaction she’s getting from you fucking up all the time, drinking and pulling shit like last night, which, by the way I’ll rip you a new one if you pull shit like that again. So how about finding that spine of yours and stop letting her walk all over you.”

“Fuck…you think I like what she’s doing to me? You think I like feeling so fucked up all the time that swallowing a bottle of booze is the only comforting thing I can do? Fuck Jon, my balls are in a vice while we’re touring, there’s no room to change plans and the fuckin’ bitch knows that, she’s using my biggest weakness against me…Ava” he lowered his voice and swallowed hard before continuing. “I think I’m gonna have to have another serious chat with my lawyer when we get home, probably when we’re back in march, you’re right I do let her get away with too much.”

“Good" he gave his brother a quick hug, slapping him on the back he said "you’re ready for sound check?”

“Yeah, yeah sound check three o’clock, have you seen my phone?”

“Nah, you leave it in your clothes?”

“Checked them” Richie said sitting on the couch and plonking his feet on the side table.

“Shit…when I called you earlier, Halle answered it, that’s how we found you. She must still have it.” Jon began laughing.

“I don’t see how any of this is funny” Richie frowned and folded his arms across his chest.

“Oh yes it is” Jon laughed, “She got to you. I can see it on your face.”

“Trouble I don’t need at the moment.”

“Look” Jon sympathized. “I’ll call her and organize Rob to go get it from her, ok?”

“Thanks” Richie grumbled as he left.

Halle was folding the last of her washing when she heard the guitar solo ring tone of Richie’s phone.

“Shit, shit, shit” she yelled searching for it. Finding it half hidden under a couch cushion, she flipped it open and seeing it was Jon she said “sorry, sorry, sorry”.

Jon just laughed. “So I take it that this wasn’t part of some evil plan to have us come back and visit?”

“No egomaniac, it isn’t. I dropped the phone on my couch after your call and I guess I just forgot about it. How do I get it back to you?”

Jon snorted out a short laugh at being put in his place for the third time that day by the beauty. “It’s ok darlin’ I will send someone over to pick it up. Is that ok?”

“Of course, that’s fine. I really am sorry. It hasn’t rang though, so he hasn’t missed any calls.”

“Thanks Hal” Jon said, a small plan building in his head. “Bye for now” he said and hung up, then flipping the phone open again he began dialing.

A short time later, Halle answered the door to a huge, mountain of a man standing on her steps.

“Hi ma’am, my name’s Rob from the Bon Jovi security team. Mr. Bon Jovi sent me to pick up Mr. Sambora’s phone and deliver this envelope.

Taking the envelope and handing over the phone Halle thanked him and then went to the couch to open it. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head. Two front row tickets to tonight’s show as well as two backstage passes.

“Holy crap!” she said looking at the passes. It had been years since she had gone to a concert, and never backstage. A note was the last item in the envelope. It had a simple ‘thanks’ and signed ‘J’.