Staring at her reflection in the elevator doors as they made their way to the lobby, Stephanie smoothed down her sweater with one hand and nervously pushed at her glasses with the other. I should have left my contacts in. She shouldn’t be this nervous. She had already met Jon and he was the one that gave everybody six fits when they were within breathing distance of the man. And she was sleeping with Richie for fuck’s sake! Meeting David and Tico and possibly Hugh should be a walk in the park.
But she’d been a fan too long to not be nervous. She looked up when she felt Richie squeeze her hand.
“You look great.” He fingered the curl that was lying over her shoulder. “And don’t be nervous sweetheart. It’s just the guys.”
She rolled her eyes and studied her reflection again. “Uh, fan girl here, hello. Did you miss that somewhere? I’ve been a fan of you guys since the first of forever and now I’m gonna meet the balance of the band and share a meal with all of you.” She cleared her throat before the fan girl squeal could rear its ugly head. “Do you how many kinds of unreal this is?”
He chuckled and pulled her close. This was the most worked up he had seen her about the Bon Jovi side of his life since he met her. “Relax sweetheart, Dave and Tico are gonna love you. You already met and had a meal with Jon so what’s to worry about?”
She huffed out a breath. He had a point, damn it. “You’re right, you’re right.” She took a deep breath and blew it out. “Okay, I’m fine. Just needed to get that out of my system.” She was still a bit of a wreck on the inside, but hopefully it didn’t show on the outside.
Richie dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers. “Liar” he muttered against her mouth. He was still kissing her when the doors slid open in the lobby.
“Finally, man. Can we go-” David turned and cut himself off. “Who is that with him and Jesus, her tonsils must taste pretty damn good.”
Jon and Tico both turned toward the elevator to see what David was going on about. Jon recognized the dark head and slim body that Richie lip-locked with. “Uh, Rich?”
At the sound of the guys’ voices Richie pulled his mouth from Stephanie’s and turned to face his brothers in arms. “Hey” he smiled. “Look who I found upstairs.”
Stephanie turned and found three pairs of eyes trained on them. She felt her face go through 27 shades of red. “Um, hi Jon. Nice to see you again.”
Pulling his ringing phone from his pocket, he smiled absently and nodded his head. “Hey.”
Richie took her hand and led her from the elevator. He stopped in front of David and Tico, turning toward his curly-headed friend first. “Sweetheart, this is David Bryan.”
David held out his hand, “Can we call you ‘sweetheart’ too?” He smiled and waited, wanting to see if she was going to be a good sport and play along or if she was going to be a wet blanket on the evening. With Richie’s track record, he never knew what to expect from his choice of female companionship.
Reaching beyond her embarrassment and nerves she found her voice and a smile and even managed a small laugh. Now she could see what her friend Wils saw in him. He had pretty blue eyes and from the lines around his mouth and those eyes, he smiled, a lot. “Not if you want me to answer you.” She shook his hand. “My name is Stephanie. It’s nice to meet you.”
Richie turned her toward Tico, “and this is Tico Torres.”
Taking her hand, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Hi baby, nice to meet you.”
She smiled at him, his voice was wonderfully deep and slightly raspy. She gave his hand a slight squeeze in return. “It’s nice to meet you too.”
Tucking his phone back in his pocket, Jon waded into the middle of the introductions. “If the formalities are out of the way, the car is waiting. Let’s go.”
Sitting at their table at nota bene, Stephanie took a sip of the most expensive glass of wine she had ever had and just listened to the conversation as it flowed around her. They spoke of family, friends, sport scores and anything and everything but the tour.
Grasping her hand under the table, Richie leaned in and whispered in her ear. “You all right sweetheart? You’re awful quiet.”
She squeezed his hand gently, “yeah, just listening to everyone and wondering when the questions are going to start.”
She didn’t have to wait long.
David set his glass on the table and turned his attention on the whispering couple. “So, who are you, where are you from and just how did you two meet?”
Before Stephanie could open her mouth, Richie whispered in her ear again. “Let’s have a little fun with him.”
But she’d been a fan too long to not be nervous. She looked up when she felt Richie squeeze her hand.
“You look great.” He fingered the curl that was lying over her shoulder. “And don’t be nervous sweetheart. It’s just the guys.”
She rolled her eyes and studied her reflection again. “Uh, fan girl here, hello. Did you miss that somewhere? I’ve been a fan of you guys since the first of forever and now I’m gonna meet the balance of the band and share a meal with all of you.” She cleared her throat before the fan girl squeal could rear its ugly head. “Do you how many kinds of unreal this is?”
He chuckled and pulled her close. This was the most worked up he had seen her about the Bon Jovi side of his life since he met her. “Relax sweetheart, Dave and Tico are gonna love you. You already met and had a meal with Jon so what’s to worry about?”
She huffed out a breath. He had a point, damn it. “You’re right, you’re right.” She took a deep breath and blew it out. “Okay, I’m fine. Just needed to get that out of my system.” She was still a bit of a wreck on the inside, but hopefully it didn’t show on the outside.
Richie dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers. “Liar” he muttered against her mouth. He was still kissing her when the doors slid open in the lobby.
“Finally, man. Can we go-” David turned and cut himself off. “Who is that with him and Jesus, her tonsils must taste pretty damn good.”
Jon and Tico both turned toward the elevator to see what David was going on about. Jon recognized the dark head and slim body that Richie lip-locked with. “Uh, Rich?”
At the sound of the guys’ voices Richie pulled his mouth from Stephanie’s and turned to face his brothers in arms. “Hey” he smiled. “Look who I found upstairs.”
Stephanie turned and found three pairs of eyes trained on them. She felt her face go through 27 shades of red. “Um, hi Jon. Nice to see you again.”
Pulling his ringing phone from his pocket, he smiled absently and nodded his head. “Hey.”
Richie took her hand and led her from the elevator. He stopped in front of David and Tico, turning toward his curly-headed friend first. “Sweetheart, this is David Bryan.”
David held out his hand, “Can we call you ‘sweetheart’ too?” He smiled and waited, wanting to see if she was going to be a good sport and play along or if she was going to be a wet blanket on the evening. With Richie’s track record, he never knew what to expect from his choice of female companionship.
Reaching beyond her embarrassment and nerves she found her voice and a smile and even managed a small laugh. Now she could see what her friend Wils saw in him. He had pretty blue eyes and from the lines around his mouth and those eyes, he smiled, a lot. “Not if you want me to answer you.” She shook his hand. “My name is Stephanie. It’s nice to meet you.”
Richie turned her toward Tico, “and this is Tico Torres.”
Taking her hand, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Hi baby, nice to meet you.”
She smiled at him, his voice was wonderfully deep and slightly raspy. She gave his hand a slight squeeze in return. “It’s nice to meet you too.”
Tucking his phone back in his pocket, Jon waded into the middle of the introductions. “If the formalities are out of the way, the car is waiting. Let’s go.”
Sitting at their table at nota bene, Stephanie took a sip of the most expensive glass of wine she had ever had and just listened to the conversation as it flowed around her. They spoke of family, friends, sport scores and anything and everything but the tour.
Grasping her hand under the table, Richie leaned in and whispered in her ear. “You all right sweetheart? You’re awful quiet.”
She squeezed his hand gently, “yeah, just listening to everyone and wondering when the questions are going to start.”
She didn’t have to wait long.
David set his glass on the table and turned his attention on the whispering couple. “So, who are you, where are you from and just how did you two meet?”
Before Stephanie could open her mouth, Richie whispered in her ear again. “Let’s have a little fun with him.”
She nodded slightly before answering the first two of his three questions. “I already told you my name, and I’m from New York.” She let Richie answer the last of his questions.
“I found her standing on the side of the road with a bunch of her friends.”
Stephanie stared at him for a moment and then started to laugh, remembering when she and her friends had come upon Richie at The Farm restaurant at The Grove and then again when they were waiting at the valet for her car.
David looked at her incredulously. “You think being picked up by the side of the road like yesterday’s trash is funny?”
Struggling to bring her giggles under control she nodded her head and tried to explain. “Yes, actually, I do.” Another laugh escaped before she continued. “Our first date, that was lunch after a car wash.”
Now it was Richie’s turn to start laughing as he remembered washing her car on a pretty Saturday afternoon and the sandwiches she had fixed.
David looked from Stephanie to Rich and then to Jon who was laughing too. He had heard the story of how they met before. David shook his head, “Rich man, you need to get out more.”
Richie reached around the back of Stephanie’s chair and gave David a playful punch in the shoulder. “You want the real story now?”
They picked at their salads and their meals were served as they told David and Tico the unembellished story of how they met.
David laughed. “You really helped her wash her car?”
Richie wiped his mouth with his napkin and nodded. “Yeah. She’s got a hot car!”
Jon tuned back in to the conversation at that comment. “What kind of car?” He was sure Richie was exaggerating. It couldn’t be anything all that amazing.
“A 1967 Camaro SS, convertible.”
Jon leered at Stephanie across the table, nearly drooling just picturing the car. That was a totally sweet car and not at all what he expected his friend to say. “How did you happen to come by such a machine?”
Stephanie stared at him for a moment and then started to laugh, remembering when she and her friends had come upon Richie at The Farm restaurant at The Grove and then again when they were waiting at the valet for her car.
David looked at her incredulously. “You think being picked up by the side of the road like yesterday’s trash is funny?”
Struggling to bring her giggles under control she nodded her head and tried to explain. “Yes, actually, I do.” Another laugh escaped before she continued. “Our first date, that was lunch after a car wash.”
Now it was Richie’s turn to start laughing as he remembered washing her car on a pretty Saturday afternoon and the sandwiches she had fixed.
David looked from Stephanie to Rich and then to Jon who was laughing too. He had heard the story of how they met before. David shook his head, “Rich man, you need to get out more.”
Richie reached around the back of Stephanie’s chair and gave David a playful punch in the shoulder. “You want the real story now?”
They picked at their salads and their meals were served as they told David and Tico the unembellished story of how they met.
David laughed. “You really helped her wash her car?”
Richie wiped his mouth with his napkin and nodded. “Yeah. She’s got a hot car!”
Jon tuned back in to the conversation at that comment. “What kind of car?” He was sure Richie was exaggerating. It couldn’t be anything all that amazing.
“A 1967 Camaro SS, convertible.”
Jon leered at Stephanie across the table, nearly drooling just picturing the car. That was a totally sweet car and not at all what he expected his friend to say. “How did you happen to come by such a machine?”
Her expression softened and a hint of sadness showed around her eyes at the memory the question invoked. “It was a birthday gift, when I turned 40.”
She went on to explain about the car and how she and Mark had restored it with the two upgrades and then had it painted the factory original Madeira Maroon. “It’s loud and growly with a 350 V-8 and two-speed “Powerglide” automatic transmission. We wanted the 396 V-8 but couldn’t find one anywhere that we could afford. And it’s perfect for the weather in southern California. I’ve had the top down more in the last few months than I did when I lived in New York.”
All the guys had gone quiet at her recitation of the details of the car that most girls wouldn’t have the foggiest idea about. “You really know your car.” Jon was more than a little surprised and a lot impressed that she knew so much. They all were. Except Richie. She had explained about the car to him during one of their Saturday car washes.
She shrugged a shoulder at Jon’s statement. “I wanted to help Mark and he was patient enough to answer my questions and teach me what I needed to know.” She took her napkin off her lap and set it beside her plate. “If you’ll excuse me for a minute.” She looked at Richie, “I’ll be right back.”
LOL, well, that's definitely one way to impress a bunch of guys - start talking (knowledgably) about cars.
ReplyDeleteAnd, let's hope David didn't pick up on Teek calling her "baby" when Richie introduced them, cause if he can't get away with calling her
"Sweetheart," I'm sure he'll feel "baby" is a suitable alternative. LOL.
Excellent! Love your Dave, and Jon seems 'authentic' to me too! And Richie keeping her calm - sort of...lol. I really enjoyed this one.
ReplyDeleteThat was pretty funny! I wonder if Richie is going to tell David and Tico about Mark and Ben or if Stephanie is when she gets back. I have a feelign she went to the bathroom because she was uncomfortable with the feelings about Mark coming up during this story. I can't wait for the next chapter and don't wait too long!
ReplyDeleteWhy is it the minute a woman starts talking about cars guys look at them like they grew a third boob?!! Richie and Stephanie have great chemistry together, wish he had someone like Stephanie in his real life.
ReplyDelete