Chapter 53

Sara turned serious again, reaching out to touch Jon’s cheek tentatively.

“Are you angry with me? For not being sure?”

“No!” Jon was shocked by the question. “Absolutely not, Sara. I don’t want you to feel pressured into this. When - or if - you’re ready, I’ll still be here. Take as long as you need, because I’m not going anywhere, baby.”

He rubbed his cheek against her hand, turning his face to kiss her palm gently, then taking hold of her hand as he smiled at her.

“Come over here and give me a hug.” Jon told her, shuffling himself around to sit with his back against the headboard, legs stretched out.

He tugged at her hand, and Sara slid up next to him, Jon pulling her onto his lap and wrapping his arms around her, one hand pressing her head down onto his shoulder. Sara slipped her arms around his neck as she burrowed close to him, hugely relieved at how well the discussion had gone, and feeling much better now that she’d found the courage to tell Jon what she was thinking.

Jon tightened his arms around Sara, squeezing her harder as he thought how close he’d come to letting her slip away, relieved beyond measure that he’d had the sense to ask her what was wrong. Sara squeaked in protest as his grip tightened around her.

“Jon - I still need to breathe, baby.”

“Shit. Sorry, I was just…..” his voice trailed away, and Sara nuzzled his neck.

“I know.” She told him softly.

Cuddled together, they both fell into that half-awake state, where they were aware of everything around them, just not reacting to anything. They drifted together, until Sara felt chilled and moved slightly, rousing Jon. She just stretched out a hand, grabbing a handful of the covers and pulling it up over them both, then settled her head against Jon again, kissing the side of his throat. She couldn’t see his face, but she felt the tiny stretch of his neck muscles against her lips as he smiled above her. Cosy now, under the cover, they finally dozed off.


Along in his own bedroom, Richie was just waking up. He’d rather have been asleep, but he’d obviously left the curtains open the previous night, and sunlight was streaming through the window, pooling on the bed around him and forcing him awake. He gave a slight groan as he covered his eyes but, all in all, he didn’t feel too bad. Sneaking an eye open, he peered at his watch. Nine thirty. He’d had just over three hours sleep, but he felt good. Obviously sticking to wine had been the right thing to do - apart from the taste in his mouth, he didn’t feel as though he’d been drinking, and his memory of the night was clear.

Sitting up cautiously, but still feeling fine, Richie remembered the pretty blonde woman in her car, and he lurched off the bed to pick up his pants from the floor, slightly surprised at the trail of clothes across the room. Checking the pockets, he found the business card she’d given him, then found his cellphone in another pocket. Clutching both items, he went back to the bed, sitting on the edge and dialling the cellphone number on the card. The phone rang a few times then clicked over to voicemail. Richie was about to hang up, try the office number, when he heard the recorded response, recognising the soft voice with a hint of a laugh lurking just below the surface.

“Hi, it’s Linda. I can’t take your call right now, but, well, you know how this works! Leave me a message and I’ll call you back. Eventually. Or not. I may have run off to join the circus. Wait for the beep anyway - you never know your luck.”

Richie was laughing as the beep sounded, but he left his name and cellphone number anyway. Hanging up, he tried the office number, and the call was answered by a stern sounding woman - certainly not Linda’s voice.

“Could I speak with Linda, please?”

“Who’s calling?”

“It’s Richie. We met this morning - she may remember.”

The woman didn’t put the call on hold, just turned away from the phone as she spoke to Linda, neither of them realising Richie could hear every word.

“Linda - call for you!”

“Who is it?”

“Said his name’s Richie, that you met this morning?”

“Richie? Oh my God! No way!”

“Want me to get rid of him?”

“No!! Don’t you dare. Gimme the damn phone!”

There was a commotion as the phone got passed across, then the familiar voice came on.

“Hello?”

“Hi Linda. It’s Richie. How you doin’, girl?”

In her office, Linda sat down hurriedly on a desk. This couldn’t be happening.

“I’m fine, thanks. How are you? You’re up awfully early after such a late night.”

“Yeah, well, I couldn’t sleep. I wondered if you’d like to go for lunch?”

“I only get a half hour for lunch.”

“Dinner, then. When do you finish?”

“Probably about six or seven tonight.”

“Long day. What time did you start?”

“Six this morning. I was a little late, though - got held up on the road.”

“Sorry about that! Did you get in trouble?”

“Nope. I was still first in - I was only a few minutes late.”

“So - dinner. How about eight o’clock?”

“But you’re, well, you’re seeing,” Linda couldn’t bring herself to say the name Denise, “you’re seeing someone, aren’t you?”

“Naw - I’m a free agent again, darlin’.”

“So you finally saw sense, huh?” Linda said quietly, then squeezed her eyes tightly closed. Had she actually just said that? Obviously she had, because she heard Richie chuckle softly, the sound making her breath shorten as the laugh purred in her ear.

“Yeah, I did. Where d’you want to go? Food’s pretty good here, actually, if you fancy it.”

“Where?”

“Sorry - at the Four Seasons. I’ll meet you in the foyer at eight?”

Linda thought about it, but it was just dinner after all, so no need to panic - why not just go along and enjoy a nice meal in the company of the man of her dreams?

“Okay.” She heard herself say. “Eight o’clock. I’d better go do some work - maybe I can get away early to get ready.”

“I’ll see you tonight, then, Linda. Have a n…. have a good day!”

“Bye.”

In her office, Linda sat staring at the phone in disbelief as her co-worker looked at her in confusion.

“Linda? What’s up?”

“Hmmm? Nothing. I’ve just been asked out to dinner.”

“By that guy? Richie whoever?”

“Yeah.” Linda turned to her friend, who knew all about her Bon Jovi obsessions, and put up with the pictures of the dark-haired guitar god. “Richie Sambora.”

“Seriously? You’re kidding, right? It couldn’t be.”

“It was. He knocked on my car window this morning on my way here - I guess he saw my bumper sticker - and he asked for my phone number. I never thought he’d call, though!”

“So why are you still here? Go home - say you’re sick - take the day off and get ready! I’ll cover for you, sweetie!”

“I can’t. I’ve got too much to do, and anyway I’m not meeting him until eight. I’ve got plenty of time. Before my dinner date. With Richie.” Linda couldn’t stop grinning, and she virtually skipped back to her own desk, humming a Bon Jovi tune.

Sitting on the bed, Richie smiled at the phone, then dropped it on the table and headed for the shower. He found himself wishing it was night, so he could see Linda, and it did strike him as kinda weird, considering he’d spoken to her for about five minutes, but he decided he’d just take it for what it was - dinner with a pretty girl - and see where things went.

Richie bounced out of the bathroom again, his long hair dripping down his back as he threw on some clothes. He checked his watch again - after ten - and wondered whether Jon and Sara were awake yet, if they wanted any breakfast. Personally, he was starved, and he padded barefoot out of his bedroom to the other door. He tapped gently on the wood panel, ignoring the ‘dnd’, and heard Jon’s voice softly saying ‘yeah’.

Opening the door, he saw Jon in the bed, Sara cuddled close to him, and Jon had a finger to his lips, then pointed at Sara, indicating she was asleep.

“Sorry bro.” Richie murmured. “Do you want breakfast? I’m just gonna order some up.”

“Yeah. Anything - I’m starved. Coffee, too.”

Sara stirred as she heard Jon’s voice, snuggling closer and dislodging the soft cover slightly, so it slid down to her waist before Jon grabbed it again, covering her from Richie’s gaze. Richie grinned at him as he backed to the door.

“Ten minutes, then.”

Jon waited until the door clicked shut, then rubbed his palm gently over Sara’s hip. She sighed, smiling as she woke fully and raised her head to look at Jon.

“Hey baby.” He smiled at her. “Richie’s just ordering some breakfast. Be about ten minutes.”

“So, what you’re trying to say is get out of bed?”

“I could bring you some breakfast through here, if you’d prefer.”

She arched her back, pushing her head back against Jon’s encircling arm, the movement inadvertently grinding her ass against his crotch, making Jon grin.

“We do have ten whole minutes, though…..” he smirked at her, and Sara giggled as she felt his beginning erection beneath her.

“Which is long enough for me to take a shower.” She told him, taking his face in both hands to kiss his velvety lips, her tongue brushing lightly against his for a moment before she drew away.

Sara threw back the cover and slipped out of the bed, going through to the bathroom to jump into the shower. Jon waited a moment, then got out of bed also, dropping his pants on the floor and heading into the bathroom, joining Sara in the shower enclosure. Other than a kiss, though, there was no hanky panky this time, as they were both feeling the lack of food, and they stepped out at the same time, drying off before going through to the bedroom to dress.

Jon just let his hair drip onto his shirt, but Sara pulled hers back into a knot at the nape of her neck, then they went through to the sitting room, following the delicious smell from the room service cart that had just dropped off a gargantuan breakfast.