Chapter 71

Richie led her over to the couch and she sat down next to Jon, looking curiously at the bottle of vodka in his hand. Jon saw the direction of her eyes and grinned, laying the bottle on the table.

“Richie was thirsty.” He explained, and Richie laughed at that.

“Richie was pissed and wanted to get drunk.” He elaborated. “But Jon talked me out of it.”

“Good. I don’t know what the problem is - or was - but I don’t think getting drunk would help.” Sara thought a second, realising how censorious that sounded. “Sorry, Richie, that was rude. I guess because I don’t drink, I don’t see how it would help.”

“Naw, you’re right, Sara. I just had a bit of a fight with Heather about Ava. I’d got my dates wrong and forgot about the show down in Florida this weekend, when I’m meant to have Ava. Now I’ll just fly home and get her, bring her to Florida with me.”

“Hey,” Jon said suddenly, “you’ll get to meet her, Sara. She’s a cute kid.”

“Oh, damn, I never got around to telling you when you arrived at the studio. I can’t come to Florida this weekend, Jon.”

“Why not?”

“The first two meets I’ve to shoot, they’re on Sunday and Monday, so I need to leave here Saturday morning to get there in time.”

“Can’t you just photograph other ones?” Jon knew he was being selfish, but he couldn’t help himself, even when he saw the anger begin to smoulder in her eyes.

“Jon, we talked about this. I said I’d try, but I can’t change my trip. I’m sorry - I want to come to Florida, and I’d love to meet your little girl, Richie, but I just can’t.”

With huge effort, Jon stopped the argument before it started, backing down for the moment.
“I’m sorry, Sara - I know you have to go - I just really wanted you there.”

“And I wanted to be there. But I could come to another show, right? After this trip?”

Richie was tactfully keeping himself occupied with pouring coffee, facing away from them to hide the smile as Jon actually gave ground for once. Must be love, Richie thought, then turned to hand out mugs of coffee.

“Yeah, when’s the next show, Jon?” He asked.

“I think maybe the next show we’re doing is at a Soul game, but I honestly can’t remember. I should know - I was just at a meeting, but we got kinda sidetracked at Sara’s studio.”

Poor Jon didn’t understand why Richie suddenly laughed, but Sara flushed slightly as she remembered Richie commenting that they’d probably get ‘sidetracked’ before they made it to the hotel. Taking a swig of coffee, Richie spoke again.

“So, what we doin’ for dinner then? I can find out if there’s a table downstairs.”

“Sara?” Jon looked at her.

“Sounds good to me - but can we eat soon? I don’t think I’ve eaten since breakfast.”

“I thought you were looking kinda pale.” Jon said, taking her hand and giving it a shake. “You know better, baby. You need to eat.”

“I had a big breakfast.” She objected and Richie laughed again.

“Yeah, so I heard. What did you feed the poor girl, Jon? Cold pizza?” He looked at Sara, pretending to whisper. “That’s what he used to give me for breakfast.”

Sara giggled. “Well, I guess his cooking skills have moved on. We had scrambled eggs with smoked salmon today.”

“Smoked salmon. For breakfast. Next you’ll tell me he washed the dishes, too.”

“I thought you were getting us a table for dinner, before Sara keels over on us?” Jon changed the subject quickly, and Richie grinned.

“Okay, gimme a sec.”

As Richie lifted the hotel phone, Jon turned to whisper to Sara.

“You didn’t tell him, did you?”

She couldn’t keep the smile from her lips, and Jon’s face fell.

“Oh, man! I’ll never hear the end of this now. Christ, Richie’ll tell Tico and then I’m dead meat.”

“Sorry, baby. It just kinda slipped out. Richie promised not to tell, though.”

“Yeah, but he lies.” Jon smirked at her. “Maybe I should tell him what you did to me - to my back - that might get his mind off on a different track!”

“Don’t you dare!” Sara gasped. “I said I was sorry!”

“I know you did, but I’ll make you apologise some more. Later.”

Richie held the phone against his shoulder.

“Okay - they’ve got a table available right now, if we want it?”

Sara nodded, and Jon said ‘yeah’, so Richie quickly told the maitre ‘d that they’d be down in a few minutes, then hung up the call. He disappeared off to his bedroom to change into a clean shirt, leaving Sara and Jon sitting together on the couch. She gently rested her head on his shoulder.

“Is Richie okay?” She asked softly, and Jon kissed the top of her head before he answered.

“Yeah, he’s fine now, baby. Thanks for asking, though.”

Jon laid his cheek on her hair while they waited for Richie, and Sara snugged her arm across his stomach, fingers gripping a belt loop on his jeans. They were sitting like that, both of them with their eyes closed, when Richie walked softly back into the room. Grinning, he cleared his throat in an exaggerated cough.

“Sorry - am I interrupting something?” He asked.

“Yeah, go away.” Jon replied without opening his eyes.

“So you don’t want food, then?”

“Oh, I do!” Sara said, releasing her grip on Jon’s jeans and sitting up.

“Fickle woman.” Jon said as he got up. “Just mention food and that’s it, she’s gone.”

He pulled her up from the couch and the three of them headed out of the suite. When the guys stopped at the lift, Sara looked around.

“Aren’t there stairs? I really don’t like lifts very much.”

“Babe, we’re on the tenth floor.”

“Yeah, but it’s downhill all the way, isn’t it!”

Richie pointed to a fire exit. “There you go, if you want stairs. Me, I’ll take the lift any day. I’m too old for stairs!”

Sara went for the door, Jon following her.

“Babe, you can take the lift if you like. I’m just claustrophobic.”

“I know.” Jon said, remembering her panic attack when her hair got caught up under the bed. “We’ll see you down there, Richie.”

Recognising the glint in Jon’s eyes, Richie grinned. “Well, I’ll wait for ya in the restaurant.”

Jon smirked at him as he followed Sara into the stairwell, and Richie stood alone in the small foyer, waiting for the lift to arrive.

“Hey, wait for me, babe!” Jon said as Sara headed on down the stairs, already almost a full flight ahead of him.

She laughed. “Catch me if you can!”

Increasing his pace, Jon clattered down the stairs behind Sara, his boots much louder than Sara’s sandals. She moved faster, but by the time she’d gone down two floors, Jon was right there and he caught hold of her hand as she turned on one of the landings.

“Gotcha!” He pulled her tightly against him. “So, do I get a prize?”

Giggling, Sara gyrated her hips against him.

“I suppose you should, really. How about…….ummm……a badge?”

Jon shook his head, pushing his hips forward as his hands stole onto her ass.

“No? Ummm……how about a nice new pen?” Another headshake. “A new guitar pick?”

“Not even close, baby. I want a kiss for my prize.”

“And where would you like your kiss? Here?” Sara pressed her lips to the base of his throat, just above the neck of his t shirt, then moved up to nip at his adam’s apple. “Here?”

“Closer. Up a bit more.”

“Here?” She kissed the cleft of his chin, and Jon grinned, shaking his head.

“Not quite.” His tongue snaked out to lick her lips. “Here.” He muttered just as his mouth met hers.

He backed her up to the wall, feeling her hands slip down his back and wedge themselves into the back pockets of his jeans, pulling him tightly against her as they kissed. As her back hit the bricks, something made Sara open her eyes again, and she pulled her hands free, pushing Jon back.

“Jon, we can’t!”

“Why not?” He settled his lips on her throat.

“Look!”

Catching his hair, Sara turned his head so he saw the security camera in the corner of the stairwell.

“So?”

“Babe, you don’t know who’s watching that!”

Jon looked at the camera again, then grinned. He pulled Sara off the wall and moved her to the corner of the stair, directly beneath the camera.

“Now they can’t see us!” His mouth returned to the base of her throat, licking at the hollow as his fingers pushed underneath her top.

“Jon…….are you sure?”

Sara’s mind was telling her to stop this right now, before they reached the point of no return, but unfortunately the rest of her body wasn’t listening as her fingers went for the button of his jeans.