Chapter 114

“So, what did you think, then?” Linda asked as they each grabbed a drink, Sara foregoing any more coffee and sticking with diet coke.

“I think I should’ve found this band a long, long time ago. Are all the shows like that?” Sara’s eyes were shining with the excitement of a newly converted Jovi fan, and Linda laughed.

“I can only ever remember even hearing about one Jovi show which wasn’t good. One in twenty-odd years! And that was in the last tour. They’re probably the best band you’ll ever see live.”

“It was a little strange, though.” Sara admitted. “I hardly recognised Jon at first - he seemed so different from the man I know. Larger than life, really. I don’t know where he gets the energy, either. I was exhausted just watching him!”

“He really is a showman. He can drive a crowd wild with one song, then break your heart with the next one.”

“Richie’s an amazing guitarist.” Sara said, remembering how he’d played Wind Cries Mary. “I don’t think I realised just how good he is. Good voice, too.”

“And the fact that he’s hot as hell doesn’t hurt either!” Linda giggled.

“Funny. I really like him a lot, but I don’t see him that way. I see him more like a big brother.” Sara said with a smile, and now Linda laughed.

“Good thing too! You’d have to fight me for him!”

“No, you’re safe, Linda. I’m more than happy with Jon. In fact, I’m so far beyond happy it’s frightening.”

Unheard by either of them, Jon and Richie had just walked into the room, and they grinned at each other as they caught the end of the exchange between the girls.

“Who exactly are you two cat-fighting over?” Jon asked, then Richie chimed in, laughing. “And can we watch?”

Linda and Sara both jumped as they spoke, swinging around to face them. Sara looked up at Jon, smiling as she saw he really didn’t look so exhausted any more, and she got to her feet readily as he caught her hand and pulled her up close for a hug. By the time he released her, Richie was sitting on the couch next to Linda, holding her tightly with one strong arm as he stole a drink from her glass.

“Want to get out of here?” Jon murmured in Sara’s ear.

“Yes, I do, but what about your kids, Jon?”

“Dot’s taking them home.”

“But you’ll need to say goodbye before they go.”

“Yeah, you’re right. They’ll come down this way, though, so we may as well just wait here.”

They moved apart, coming around the end of one couch to sit on the other. Jon dropped onto the cushions, but Sara picked up her empty coke can before looking at Jon, Linda and Richie.

“Does anybody want anything, before I sit down? I’m going for another drink anyway.”

“I wouldn’t mind a coffee.” Richie said, and Jon asked for coffee, too.

Sara walked across to the buffet table, stroking her hand across Jon’s damp hair as she passed. At the table, she popped open another can of diet coke, taking a quick drink as she poured a couple of mugs of coffee. She picked up a few packs of sugar for Richie’s coffee, and she was just tearing the first one open as somebody walked up beside her. Turning, Sara smiled as she saw Tico, his face lit up with that infectious, mischievous smile as he picked up a bottle of water.

“That was an amazing show.” Sara said to him. “You must be exhausted - you never seemed to stop!”

“You mean you tore your eyes off your man to look at me?” He laughed as she blushed slightly. “I’m flattered, Sara.”

“Was it that obvious?” She asked quietly, a little embarrassed to think she’d been staring at Jon like a star-struck teenager.

Tico patted the back of her hand gently, like a loving uncle.

“No more obvious than the look on Jonny’s face when he saw you on the stage this afternoon.” He grinned broadly. “Jon’s crazy about you, Sara. I haven’t seen him so relaxed and happy in years. You’re good for him, little girl.”

‘Little girl?’ Sara thought, but didn’t say anything, since it didn’t sound as though Tico was being patronising - just sounded kinda nice coming from him. Someone else had heard him though, and she heard Jon’s voice close behind her.

“She’s not a little girl, Tico. Trust me, she’s all growed up.” Sara gasped a little at that comment, digging her elbow back gently into Jon’s stomach as he slipped his arms around her waist, and he laughed as he continued talking to Tico. “Then, again - I guess at your age, T, she is a little girl!”

“Yeah, that’s right, boy!” Tico grinned back at him.

While the three of them stood at the table, Linda remembered something and twisted around under Richie’s arm to look at him.

“So - how did you know I loved that song?”

“Hmmm? Oh, that. Yeah.” Richie looked slightly embarrassed, and Linda wasn’t sure whether she should be worried or not.

“Yeah, that. How did you know?”

“Well, when I was leaving your place the other day - you remember you’d asked me to make sure all your cats were indoors?”

Linda nodded, baffled by what seemed to be an unrelated subject, then she felt her cheeks flush as she realised what he was going to say.

“I couldn’t find one of them - I think you said she was called Rosie - the tiny one. Anyway, I saw a door open, and thought maybe she’d be in there.”

“Damn. You found my theater room, huh? My Jovi room.”

“I guess I did. You have some very big pictures of a very handsome man in there!” He laughed, squeezing her a little tighter, letting her know he was okay with it. “And one of them had a lyric printed across the bottom ‘there’s a painting of you in a beautiful light, it hangs on the wall of my heart’. I figured the song must mean something to you, honey, so when Jon asked me to do a few songs tonight, I wanted to do that one for you.”

“It does mean a lot to me, Richie. God, that song has saved me so many times. Maybe not saved my life, but certainly saved my sanity. Thank you.”

She looked down as she felt her eyes welling up with tears, but Richie’s fingers gently touched under her chin, tilting her head up again so she faced him. He smiled at her, an affectionate, intimate smile, then he wiped away the one tear that escaped. As Linda smiled back at him, he leaned closer to kiss her, his tongue on hers driving away the sadness, replacing it with a hunger that only his loving could satisfy.

“Ahem!” They heard someone clear their throat loudly and theatrically, close by, and pulled apart unwillingly, seeing Jon and Sara sitting on the next couch, Tico just taking a seat on the one across the table from them.

“Sorry - are we interrupting?” Jon asked, and Richie grinned as he pulled Linda close to his side again.

“Yeah, you are.”

Just at that, they heard Dave’s voice out in the corridor, then the higher pitched tones of Jon’s kids just before the boys burst into the room, running straight over to their dad and throwing themselves at him. Sara had shuffled slightly away from Jon when she heard the kids, so there was room enough for Jesse to get onto the couch between them, while Jake clambered onto Jon’s lap. Stephanie walked into the room more sedately, coming over to the couch, but sitting on the arm next to Sara again.

“Did you enjoy the show?” Steph asked, and Sara grinned at her.

“Yes, I most certainly did! I’ve never seen J…..your dad on stage before.”

Now Dot arrived, carrying a sleepy looking Romeo, and she brought him across to Jon so he could say goodbye. Romeo kissed his daddy, then lunged for Sara again, giving her a sloppy kiss, too, while Dot looked slightly stunned.

“He really does like you, Sara.” She said in surprise.

“He’s gorgeous.” Sara replied, taking hold of his fingers as he tried to grab her hair.

“Okay, guys, come on - say good night to dad and we’ll head on home.”

“You coming with us, daddy?” Jake asked, but Stephanie answered him before Jon could.

“Jakey, I told you, daddy’s going back to his new apartment, remember?”

Jake looked a little sad, but he nodded solemnly and then gave Jon a hug and a kiss before sliding to the floor. Jesse - too big for kisses now - hugged his dad, then Jon stood up to hug Stephanie.

“Thanks, Steph. Thanks for looking out for the boys.”

“I love you daddy, and so do the boys. So does Sara - she told me.”

“She did?” Jon pulled back to look down at his daughter, and she nodded.

“Uh-huh. When I was talking to her earlier. I asked her if she loved you and she said she thought she did. I’m glad, dad, because I want you to be happy.”

“Thank you, baby. So long as you guys are happy with things, that’s the important thing.”

He gave her a final squeeze, then let go. As they turned to head for the door, Jon looked down at Sara.

“Sar, if you’re ready to go, we could walk down to the car with the kids?” Neither of them even realised that he’d abbreviated her name, Jon just saying it naturally and Sara accepting it just as easily.

“Sure. I’m ready - just need to grab my bags.”

As she got to her feet, Linda pulled free of Richie’s encircling arm and stood up too, moving over to Sara.

“Great to meet you, Sara. We should try to meet up - go for lunch or something?”

“I’d like that. I don’t have any business cards handy with my number.”

“I’ve got your number.” Richie called from the couch. “I’ll give it to Linda.”

“I bet you will.” Dave murmured, and Linda blushed as she hugged Sara.