Chapter 102

Sara got herself settled in the hotel, then headed downstairs to find something to eat. The hotel had a bar and restaurant attached, which was probably a good thing, since there were no other buildings around. She ordered a sandwich, opting for the ‘locally produced beef’, and as she gazed idly out of the window she noticed a small herd of cattle, and wondered just how locally the local beef was produced. Were these poor cows destined for the hotel’s dining tables?

The food here, at least, was far better than it had been down in Yorkshire, and Sara decided to try dessert before heading back upstairs. One massive serving of Eve’s pudding later, she headed up to her bedroom. It felt strange, not carrying her cellphone with her, and it was funny how neither her nor Jon had even thought of the hotel phone when they were trying to work out how to keep in touch. With cellphones being so natural now, they’d completely forgotten about the lower-tech, but just as effective, landline system. Anyway, the most important thing was that they could keep in touch while she was in Scotland, for which Sara was very grateful.

While Sara made herself at home in her hotel room, with coffee - unfortunately it was only instant - and her book, Jon was leaving his office. His meeting was finally finished, leaving him free to head on out to his favourite antique warehouse, where he hoped to find some furniture for the new apartment. With any luck, he’d be moved in there by the time Sara got home, though he planned to ask her to do him some photographs in lieu of traditional artwork for the bedroom.

He spent a while - and a great deal of money - at the warehouse, and he arranged with the owner for the stuff to be delivered to the apartment by the weekend. Back at the big riverside house, he took the chance to speak with Dot while the kids were busy, telling her he’d be moving to the apartment at the weekend, and she looked a little sad, but also resigned to the facts. Jon mentioned the kids’ request to come along to the Habitat show and, after a little thought, told her that they wanted to come to meet the girl he was seeing, who was out of the country until then.

“I thought there might be somebody.” Dot replied with a smile. “You seem happy, so I’m pleased for you, Jon. I could bring the kids, if you like. Means that you’ll be able to stay in the city with…..sorry, what’s her name?”

“Sara. Sara Holland. She’s a photographer.”

“I think I’ve heard of her. Well, if I brought the kids to the show, you could stay with Sara afterward.” She smiled again. “It’d also show the kids that we’re both okay with this.”

“You wouldn’t mind?” Jon asked curiously.

“No. Anyway, maybe I can warn her what a pain in the ass you can be sometimes! Seriously, though - and you know this isn’t ‘bitter ex-wife-to-be’ talking - I’d like to meet her. You and I are still friends, aren’t we?”

“Of course we are. I’ll tell Sara - I’ve already told her the kids’ll be there, and Linda.”

“Linda? Who’s Linda?”

“Linda is Richie’s new lady friend. He’s invited her to the show, too.”

Dot laughed. “Sounds like it’s going to be a party. Neither of you two stayed on the loose for long, did you? Maybe we should invite Denise?!”

“Not a chance. I don’t know who’d kick her ass first - Richie or Linda.” Jon stood and stretched, feeling uncomfortable still wearing the suit he’d had to put on for his meeting. “I’m gonna go pack, I guess. At least get out of this damned suit.”

Upstairs, he quickly changed into jeans, then went into the huge master suite, feeling like an intruder in what used to be his own bedroom, and he packed up a load of his clothes and some personal items he wanted to keep. There were way too many clothes in the closets for him to take it all, and he realised that he’d have to get some help! He dragged the suitcases back to his temporary bedroom, anyway, then headed for the shower. Once he’d washed away the day, he took a quick look at the time - just gone five thirty, which made it about ten thirty for Sara, so he should be okay to give her a call without waking her. He got comfortable on the bed while he found the hotel number in his phone’s memory and dialled. Over in Scotland, the phone was picked up almost immediately, making him wonder if Sara had been waiting for his call.

“Hello?”

“S’me, darlin’. How’s Scotland?”

“Cold and lonely without you. How’s Jersey?”

“Pretty much the same.”

“So, how did your meeting go, then?”

“Oh, it was okay. Once I managed to get my mind off you. God knows what I might have agreed to during the first part of the meeting, though - I wasn’t listening half the time - just kept nodding my head.”

“Could be interesting, then, when you get the minutes, huh?”

“Yeah. Hey - there’s been a slight change of plans for the Habitat show.”

“What? Have the kids decided they don’t want to meet me after all?”

Jon was touched that Sara really did sound worried about how his kids would react to her, and he was quick to reassure her.

“No. Nothing like that, sweetheart. I was talking to Dot, and she’s offered to bring the kids to the show, so she can take them home afterward, and you and I can stay together.”

“So your wife’s going to be there, too?”

“No. My soon-to-be-ex wife’s going to be there. Sara, there’s nothing between Dot and I now. Not that way. She actually wants to meet you - said she wants to warn you that I’m a pain in the ass.”

“Didn’t you tell her I’d already found that out for myself?”

Jon laughed, then abruptly changed the subject. “God, I miss you, baby. I miss your mouth. I miss being able to just grab hold of you and kiss those lips, taste your mouth. I miss your pretty eyes. I miss your perfume. Hell, I miss everything about you, Sara. I even miss that poison you call coffee!”

There was silence at the other end of the phone, then when Sara spoke again, her voice was husky, though she tried to joke.

“Leave my coffee alone. I can’t help it if you’re a wuss.”

Jon hesitated before he spoke. “Are you okay, Sara?”

She sighed. “Yeah. I just miss you, Jon, and when you said you missed me, it made me even more sad to be so far away. I’m fine.”

“Aw, darlin’. Not long now, though, right? Hey - you could do something for me while you’re away.”

“What?”

“Well, I went out and bought some stuff for the apartment today, but what I don’t have is any artwork. I thought maybe you could do me some photographs.”

“Sure. Photographs of what?”

“I’ll leave it up to you. You’re the professional here, baby, not me.”

“Great. Can you at least give me a clue? Where are they for? Do I need to match in with any colors?”

“Strangely enough, when I thought of photographs, and of you, I immediately thought of the bedroom. So then I decided the photographs could go there, too.”

Sara giggled. “You’ve got a one track mind, baby.”

“When it comes to you, I have, anyway. Are you okay about meeting Dot, then?”

“I guess so. I mean, I was scared enough thinking about meeting your kids, and now their mom’ll be there, too, but I have to meet them sometime, right?”

“Darlin’, they’ll love you. Everybody will, trust me.”

“I do trust you, Jon. I don’t trust many people, but I trust you……….and I love you…………..and I miss you……..and I’m going to go now, before I make myself sad again.”

“I love you Sara. Just remember that. Less than a week, and I’ll be able to show you just how much. Get some sleep, baby.”

“Yessir. Good night Jon.”

“G’night, Sara.”

Before heading downstairs to eat dinner with Dot and the kids, Jon called Dave, Tico and Hugh, explaining to each of them that he’d put together a kind of unusual setlist, and that they’d probably have to run through some of the stuff a couple of times. They all agreed to meet up on Monday, at Jon’s studio, to get to work on rehearsing. Finally, Jon called Richie, and told him the plans for the next week. Richie said he might fly in early, but he’d just see Jon on the Monday morning - Jon didn’t figure much in his plans for before then.

Laughing, Jon said goodbye to Richie, then headed down for dinner.

Richie had a day planned with Ava on Saturday, but she was to be back with Heather that night, so he called his assistant and had her arrange some flights for him, late Saturday night, which would get him to New York early Sunday. He had Linda’s home address written on the back of her business card, but he decided maybe a surprise would be best, so he didn’t bother to tell her when he called a little later, just pretending he’d arrive on the Monday for rehearsals.