Chapter Eighty-Two

Looking over her shoulder, Stephanie slipped into her office and pushed at the door until it was open just a crack.  Ava was a sweetheart, but if you looked up overbearing in the dictionary, Stephanie was sure the girl’s picture would be there next to the word.  Yikes.  She certainly took her home health care duties to the extreme.  Not that Stephanie wasn’t grateful for the help, but chill girlfriend.  You’re 15 not 50 and you’re definitely not my mother.  All in all things hadn’t been that bad, but Stephanie needed a few minutes to herself. 

Booting up her laptop, she flexed her fingers.  The swelling had gone down in her right hand and the bruises were fading to a sickening yellow and green, but it was still difficult to make a fist.  Her wrist still ached too.  She once again wondered if something was broken in there and not just sprained.  She’d find out later that afternoon at her follow-up appointment.  She was just glad she made it late enough in the day that Ava would be gone by then.  Heather was coming to pick her up.  Her nursemaid duties were officially over as of this afternoon. 

Glancing at the computer screen, she worked the mouse and got herself on Google and opened her mail.  She tried to stay caught up on her phone, but it was a never-ending battle.  She skimmed through most of what was there, replying to a few before composing one to her friends.

To:     The Girls

From: Q
Re:     Ouch

Hey girls, hope you’re all well and good.  Don’t know if you heard anything about a baseball fan getting assaulted/attacked outside a Los Angeles Sports Bar almost two weeks ago, but that was me.  I’m fine, a little bruised and battered, but hanging in there.

I attached two pictures, one from right after the incident happened and one from yesterday (Ava has been snapping pics and sending them to Richie so he can see that I’m on the mend).  As you can see, I’m a virtual kaleidoscope of colors.  It’s fabulous…not.  :P

Oh, and speaking of Richie, he’ll be back in Cali for a week and then I set off with him for Turkey and all the rest of the tour dates over in Europe.  I have to say, I’m pretty excited.  I’ve never traveled overseas before.

Miss you girls, talk soon.

Love you all,

Q

Stephanie sat back and rubbed her side.  Her ribs still pained her from time to time.  She hoped flying wasn’t going to be a problem.  She was still pondering that when she got a response to her email.

To:     Q

From: Catte
Re:     Ouch

Holy shit Q, that was you?!  I read about that online after it happened, but never thought it could be you.  Are you really okay?  What the hell happened?  And why were you at a bar alone?  And what does the other guy look like?  ;)

 Catte

Stephanie chuckled.  Leave it to Catte to ask that question.

To:     Catte

From: Q
Re:     Ouch

I hope his balls are still somewhere up around his stomach never to return and I’m pretty sure his nose will forever be slightly off center of his face.  ;)

I’m okay.  Honestly, though, I was scared shitless and just acted on instinct.  And I wasn’t alone.  I had stepped outside to make a call while my friends finished up their beers and settled up the bill.  It all happened so fast. 

Scary fast.  She shook her head, no more of that. “I’m fine” she told herself.

But I’m fine and it’s over, mostly.  Charges are pending and I’m sure jail time will be in their future.  But you can rest assured I won’t be going to any sports bars after a game any time soon.

She looked up to find Ava standing in the doorway.  Dammit, she’d been found. 

Gotta run.  Will talk again soon.

Q

She closed the email program and shut lowered the lid of the laptop, “well, Ava, you found me.  Now whatever are you going to do with me?”

~

The battered leather carry on bounced in the chair when he slipped it off his shoulder.  His rolling suitcase was parked next to it.  Richie dropped heavily into the matching chair with a loud sigh.  He had left the hotel before the others, the temptation of the honor bar in his room had grown nearly impossible to ignore.  And he didn’t want to fall back on his old demon crutch.  Not with this one last show left before finally heading back home.  He’d sit here in the quiet of his dressing room until the others arrived.  Maybe he’d call her.  Maybe he’d dig out his notebook and try to write a little something.  Maybe he’d just noodle around with his guitar. Anything to pass the time until he could walk out on stage and forget everything but the music for just a little while. 

Lifting his hip, he pulled his phone from his pocket and scrolled through the pictures.  Ava had been staying with Stephanie and sending him pictures of her at least once a day.  He stopped on the picture that had come through just a little while ago.  The bandage was off her forehead and her eye was nearly back to normal.  The pretty swirl of brown and green was still ringed slightly with red, but it was a vast improvement to where it had been two weeks before.  Her wrist was still bandaged as well.  The sprain wasn’t healing as fast as her face apparently.

He stared at her face.  That fabulous face.  He had never been so worried as he had been two weeks ago when Darcy answered the phone and told him what had happened.  He had wanted to pack up and head home right then.  He still couldn’t understand what could have driven a guy to attack a woman half his size over a fucking baseball game.  His hand curled into a fist at the thought.  He’d love to accidentally on purpose run into the bastard and have a go at him.  Teach him to pick on somebody his own size.  Richie flexed his fingers and took a deep breath.  No sense getting his mad on all over again when he was half a world away and she was nearly healed. 

But still.

He sighed and tucked the phone away.  He had a few hours to kill and no booze to drink away the minutes.  He reached for his guitar and his notebook, opening to a song he started back in Vegas and hadn’t finished.  He had been looking for another verse and he picked up his pencil and started to write.

But I don’t need 1000 words
I need you safe in my arms
I’ll be standing strong-
I’ll keep holding on
When life tries tearing us apart

He continued with the bridge and a repeat of the chorus.  He strummed through the whole thing once more, lending his voice to the words.

 “Sounds good.”

Richie’s head jerked up and his fingers stilled on the strings.  “What’re you doing here already?”  He thought he was the only one who had left early.

Jon sauntered in and sat down.  “I was just looking for a few quiet minutes before the crazy starts.”  He gestured to the notebook and guitar.  “You working on solo stuff?”

Richie set the guitar aside.  “Just playing around with some stuff.  Trying to clear my head.”

Jon studied his friend thoughtfully for a moment.  “I know you’re worried about her.”  He looked around and saw the suitcase.  “You leaving right after?”

Richie nodded, “yeah, I just need to see her, you know?”

Jon nodded, “I get it.  We were all worried and not just about her, you know.”

Needing something to do, Richie stood and paced.  “I know.  That’s why I came here instead of staying at the hotel.”  He looked pointedly at Jon.  “No temptation here.”

Jon stood and met his friend in the middle of the room, “she’s okay?”

Richie pulled out his phone and showed him the latest picture.  “She seems to be.”

Jon studied the pretty woman in the picture.  “She certainly looks a hell of a lot better than she did.”  He too couldn’t understanding taking your anger and frustration out on a woman. 

Richie just nodded and stuck the phone back in his pocket.

“It’s hard being away when shit happens, bro.  I get it.  But if she’s truly the right woman for you, she understands that you can’t always be there and she won’t hold it against you.” 

Brown eyes studied blue.  “I know. She wasn’t upset that I wasn’t there.  She’s the one that told me to stay for fuck’s sake.  She’s gets it, better than most.”

The commotion outside the door told them their quiet time was over.  Jon smiled at his friend.  “So let’s give them one hell of a show tonight and then I can put your ugly ass on a plane home.”

Chapter Eighty-One

Stephanie opened her eyes again and it didn’t hurt quite so much to glance around the room.  Her good eye widened in shock and surprise to find the blonde woman sitting in the chair by her bed.  “Heather, what are you doing here?”  She had sent Darcy home after assuring her more than once that she was fine.  More than a little sore, but fine.  And she still hadn’t talked to Richie.  He had called several times and Darcy wouldn’t give her the phone, insisting that Stephanie needed to rest before she talked to him.  She wasn’t particularly looking forward to that phone call, but it was one she would have to make soon.  For now, she looked at his ex-wife sitting in the ugly orange recliner and waited.

“Richie called me and asked me to come and make sure you were okay since your friend wouldn’t let him talk to you.”

Stephanie licked her lips, and reached for the covered cup on the table that had been wheeled up to the bed.  She soothed her parched tongue and throat with a few sips of the now tepid water.  “Is he okay?”

Heather’s features softened.  She found new respect for this woman who would ask about how Richie was doing while she was the one that lay in a hospital bed, battered and nearly broken.  “He’s worried.  He hates that he can’t be here with you while you’re hurt.  That’s why he asked me-” she paused as the door to the room opened and closed.

“Hi Steph!”  Ava’s sunny smile came into view.

“And Ava to come see how you were doing” Heather finished.

“I’m fine, really.”  She shifted on the bed, gritting her teeth against the pain.  “You don’t have to stay.”

Ava came around the bed, “you’re not fine, you got assaulted.  Have you looked at yourself lately?”

She cautiously shook her head, “no, no I haven’t.”  She frowned and felt the sting in the lip.  “How bad is it?”  She knew the girl wouldn’t lie to her.  The mother might tell her what she wanted to hear, but the girl would tell her the truth.

Ava dug in her handbag and pulled out her compact.  “Here, take a look.”

Stephanie fiddled with the compact, her swollen fingers nearly useless.  “Can you open it for me, please?”  She handed it back to Ava. 

Ava popped it open and put it in her left hand, “here.”

“Thanks.”  She held up the tiny mirror and immediately wanted to cry.  She looked hideous.  Fury was followed quickly by a deep-seated desire to take another whack at the assholes who had done this to her.  “God, I didn’t realize I looked this bad.”  She handed the mirror back to Ava.  “Maybe I shouldn’t have looked.”

Ava dropped the compact back in her purse and pulled out her phone.  “Mind if I take a picture?”

Stephanie’s eyebrows jammed together, “are you nuts?!  No, you cannot take my picture.” 

“But dad wants to see you” she pleaded.

“Ava” Heather interjected, “if Stephanie doesn’t want him to see her like this that’s her choice.” 

She turned to look at Stephanie, “you should at least talk to him though.  He’s been calling almost incessantly.”

Stephanie sighed, “I know.  You’re right.”  She glanced over at the table next to the bed, “where’s my phone?”

Heather pulled out the drawer and handed her the plastic rectangle.  “Is it charged?”

Stephanie turned it on, she only had about 30 percent battery life left.  “It’s gonna be a short phone call.”  She scrolled through her contacts and pressed the one for “Dean.”  She looked over at Heather, “what time is it?”

“Eleven o’clock.”

She did the math in her head.  Hopefully he wasn’t about to go on stage just yet.  She needn’t have worried.  He answered before the ringtone ended.

“Sweetheart?”  He answered cautiously, in case Snow White still had control of the electronics.

Just that word, in that low, husky voice had tears springing to her eyes, reminding her that she might never have heard it again if her friends hadn’t come outside when they had.  She hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear his voice until that minute.  “Hey you” she answered in that soft, quiet way she always did. 

Richie let out a relieved breath.  “I have been so worried about you.”  A slew of questions flew from his lips.  “How bad are you hurt?  What happened?  Why did you leave the bar alone?  You’re pressing charges against those fucking assholes, right?” 

Stephanie tried not to smile too widely at the tirade.  She didn’t want to re-split her lip.  “Slow down babe.  I’m sorry I worried you.  I’m okay, a little bruised and swollen in spots, but I’ll be fine.  I’m pretty sure Darcy told you what happened and I left the bar alone so I could call you.  And yes, charges will be pressed.  The police are supposed to be here at some point to take my statement.  At least that’s what Darcy told me before I sent her home.” 

“You’re not alone are you?”  He didn’t want her alone if he could help it.  And he was fishing to see if his ex-wife and daughter had heeded his message.

She sighed, “no, and I’m sure you know who’s here with me, since you sent them here.”

He chuckled.  “If my daughter is there, why don’t I have a picture of you on my phone yet?”  He had specifically called Ava and told her to take a picture and send it to him so he could see for himself that she was okay.

“I told her she couldn’t take my picture.  You’ll run screaming if you see what I look like now.”

“I’ll just hang up and Facetime you.”

“I won’t answer.”  She pulled the phone from her ear and checked the battery life.  “Besides, my battery is almost dead anyway.  Love you, Rich.  I’ll call you again when I get home.  Hopefully later today, tomorrow at the latest.”  Her doctor wanted her to stay another day, but if she had her way, she’d be home in her own bed tonight.

“Love you too, Sweetheart.  Rest.  I’ll talk to you soon.  Let Ava take the picture.”  He ended the call.

Stephanie turned her phone off, it was nearly dead anyway.  She glanced over at Ava, “let me see that compact again, please?”

~

Stephanie was sitting on the side of the bed, staring at the floor.  It had taken all her strength to get dressed and now she was feeling like she could sleep for a week.  The police had been there and after taking her statement and taking photographs of her injuries, they assured her that the men who did this to her would be charged with assault and battery and may find themselves behind bars.   That part would be up to the DA though. 

The doctor had come in after that and, after checking her over, wanted her to spend another night only because of the concussion.  Stephanie refused.  She wanted her own bed.  The doctor reluctantly agreed, on one condition.

“Hey” Heather’s blonde head appeared in the doorway.  “You ready to go?”

She looked over at the woman, the doctor told her she couldn’t be alone at least for the first night.  She didn’t have any family to ask for help and Darcy had to work so she was left with no choice, really.  Heather was driving her home and Ava was going to stay with her for a couple of days.  “I just need to get my shoes on.”

Heather crossed the room and crouched to help her get her laces tied.  “Are you sure you should be going home yet?  You hit your head pretty hard.”

Stephanie raised her head and winced, the headache was back to a loud roar.  “Really?  And here I thought someone was jackhammering in my head for the fun of it.”  She bit her lip and winced.  The swelling hadn’t gone down as much as she thought.  “Sorry.  I’m just so ready to be out of here.  I don’t mean to be a bitch.  Just take me home, please?”

The nurse came in with a wheelchair and, as much as Stephanie didn’t want a ride to the exit, her body was more than glad to be pushed around.  “Here we go, hop in and you’re friend can drive.”

Stephanie smiled, “thanks Jean.   For everything.”

The nurse patted her shoulder, “just doing my job sweetie.  You take care now, and here” she handed Stephanie a piece of paper, “don’t forget to get this filled.  It’s heavy duty Tylenol for the headache.” 

Stephanie tucked the prescription into her purse.  “Thanks.  Believe me, I won’t forget to take those.”

Jean held the door open, “good girl.  A concussion, no matter how mild or severe, is nothing to fool around with.”  She walked with the girls down to where Heather had pulled her car around.  Ava was waiting in the passenger seat.

Heather wheeled her to the door, “here we go.”  She stood by while Stephanie rose from the wheelchair and lowered herself into the car.  She handed the chair off to nurse Jean and rounded the front of the car.  Sliding in, she buckled her seatbelt and caught Stephanie’s eye in the rearview mirror.  “Ready?”

 
Stephanie rolled her head against the back of the seat.  “Take me home.”

Chapter Eighty

Stephanie slowly blinked her eyes open. She shut them quickly. The light hurt. She delicately licked her lips and tried to open her eyes again. Where was she? She tried to look around but the slightest movement made the ache in her head that much worse. She heard a voice across the room.  She turned her head toward it and groaned.  God her head hurt.  Squinting, she could just make out a slender hand curved around the partially opened door and she could hear a word here and there of her friend’s conversation.

Closing her eyes again, she drifted into the blissful nothingness of sleep.

~

Darcy poked her head in the door, Stephanie was still out.  She turned her attention back to her phone.  “Jim, she’s still out.  I’m not leaving until she wakes up and I know she’s okay.”  She sighed and let the door close behind her.  “I’ll never forgive myself for this, babe.  We should have been out there with her not inside having another beer.” 

Jim tried to soothe her.  “You know it’s not your fault sweetie.  You can’t blame yourself.  How could we have known those to assholes would be out there just itching for a fight?”  The more they talked about what happened, the angrier he got.  “And what kind of bastard picks on a girl for fuck’s sake?”  He was just glad they had gotten outside when they had and he and a couple other patrons had managed to pull the behemoths off of her before they could do more damage than they already had.

He took a breath.  “I’m almost done here then I’ll be by to check on you guys.”  He had gone to the police station to find out what Stephanie was going to have to do about pressing charges once she was conscious.  “Hang tight.  I’ll be there soon.”

Darcy no sooner clicked off when the phone in her left hand vibrated.  She had managed to grab Stephanie’s phone off the ground after the police had shown up and they had the two goons in handcuffs.  Even then they had kept up a raging flow of insults and smack talk.  All because their team had lost.  It was only a game for pete’s sake.  Jesus.  She glanced down at the screen.  Some guy named Dean had called four times now.  “Who the hell is Dean” she muttered as she crossed the room and sank down into the most uncomfortable recliner chair she had ever sat in. 

Her poor friend.  Darcy’s eyes stung with tears for the woman lying motionless in the bed.  Her face was bruised, her left eye was swollen shut and her bottom lip was split.  The thick white bandage over her right eye stood out in stark contrast to her dark hair and pale face.  Those thugs had really done a number on her. 

Darcy stroked her fingers over Stephanie’s right wrist where it lay on top of the blankets.  It was wrapped in an ace bandage and her knuckles were swollen.  She had fought back as hard as she could.  She settled back on the chair.  She could only just imagine what other bruises and marks were hidden by the faded hospital gown and blankets.  The only upside to this was the fact that Stephanie had managed to knee one of the cretins in the nuts.  He had still been crying about them being up somewhere in his stomach for days when the police finally hauled him off.

The phone vibrated in her hand.  Dean was calling.  Again.  This time she decided she had better answer it. 

“Hello?” she kept her voice low.

Richie pulled the phone from his ear, checking to make sure he dialed right.  The voice that answered the phone did not sound like Stephanie.  “Who’s this?”

Darcy rolled her neck to work out the stiffness.  “You called me, so I’ll direct that question back to you.  Who’s this?”

He pulled the phone away from his ear to double check he called the right number.  Yep, that was his girl’s number.  How had this chick gotten ahold of her phone?  What the hell was going on?  Only one way to find out.  “This is Stephanie’s” he closed his eyes, not at all happy to be doing this, “boyfriend.  What are you doing with her phone?”

Holy crap!  Richie Sambora was on the other end of the phone!  Keep your cool Darcy. 

Darcy took a calming breath.  “This is Darcy and, Richie, we’ve had a bit of a problem tonight.”

Ah, so this was the Snow White looking broad in the picture Stephanie had sent him earlier.  He’d grill her later.  Right now he wanted to find out what the fuck was going on.  They went to a damn ball game, what the hell could have happened?  “Tell me what’s going on Snow White.”

Darcy rolled her eyes.  Like she hadn’t heard that a million times before.  “Well, Richie, Stephanie’s in the hospital.”

“What?!  What do you mean she’s in the hospital?  What the hell happened? Is she okay?”  Please, God, let her be okay.  He paced the room, stopping by the open door. They were supposed to be leaving soon.  He saw Jon and David walking toward his room.  Great, just great.

Darcy got up and moved away from the bed to the window.  “She’s still unconscious.  I’m not really sure what’s going on other than what I can see from looking at her.  She got beat up pretty bad outside the bar we were at after the game.”

“Fuck.”  That was not what he wanted to hear.  He had been hoping for a flat tire maybe.  A speeding ticket possibly.  But not this.  And he couldn’t even get there to be with her.   Sometimes, his job sucked.  Taking a deep breath to try to calm himself he begged Darcy.  “Tell me what happened.”

Darcy took a breath and told him everything she could remember.

~

Stephanie heard her friend’s voice again.  She turned her head slowly, trying to keep the pain to a minimum.  Squinting, she could make out Darcy’s shape by the window.  She shifted on the bed.

Everything from her hair to her toenails hurt like a bitch.  Getting run over by a truck couldn’t have felt anywhere near as bad as this.  Fuck.  She licked her lips and tried to swallow.  Her mouth and throat felt like sandpaper.  She’d gladly give her entire portfolio for a drink of water.

“Darcy.”   Her voice was no more than a hoarse whisper in the room.

Darcy gasped and turned from the window.  “She’s awake. I’ll call you back.”

“Wait!”  Richie yelled into the phone.  “Don’t hang up yet!”  But he was too late.  All he heard was silence on the other end of the phone.

He threw the phone at the couch and watched it bounce on the cushions.  “Fuck!” he yelled to the empty room.  “This is fucking shit!”  He picked up the phone again and noticed Jon and David standing there.  “What the fuck do you two want?” 

Jon and David both held their hands up in defense.  “Whoa man, what bug crawled up your ass today?”  It wasn’t like Richie to lash out at them like that.  Not since things went to hell with Heather anyway.

“What’s going on?”  Jon asked before David could open his mouth.

Frustration had Richie dragging his fingers through his hair before he called Stephanie’s phone again.  “Stephanie’s in the hospital and Snow White just fucking hung up on me!”

Jon looked at David, snow white? he mouthed.  He looked at Richie, “why is Stephanie in the hospital and what the fuck does Snow White have to do with it?”

Richie ignored them and waited for someone to answer the phone.

Chapter Seventy-Nine

Richie swiped his room key through the reader on the door. “Come on, come on” he muttered. The light stayed red. “Fuck” he whispered and swiped the card again. The light remained stubbornly red. “What the fuck?”  He looked down at the card, growled, flipped it around and swiped it again. The light blinked green and he heard the welcoming click. Pushing open the door he dropped his key card and wallet on the desk. He was beyond tired. Things had been going so well until the rain started and Jon slipped on the wet ramp, twisting his knee.

He sank down onto the couch, toed off his shoes and propped his feet up on the table. He had no idea what was going to happen now. He had gone to the hospital with Jon, waited while his friend had had an MRI and stayed with him while they waited for the results. Now Jon was back in his room with Advil, an ice pack and a brace for his knee. It was up to him if the tour was going on or if they were going to cancel the remaining shows on this leg. Richie huffed out a breath. Who was he kidding? Jon was going to soldier on and finish out this leg of the tour. He tore his calf muscle and didn’t let that stop him. Yeah, he sighed, Jon would go on that damn stage with a brace on his knee, grinning and singing through the pain so as not to disappoint the fans.  

Richie dropped his feet to the floor, turned and stretched out on the couch.  He’d end up doing everything he could to make things off stage as easy as possible for his nearly impossible front man.  He gaze shifted across the room to the small refrigerator with its tempting contents.  It was nearly enough to make him want to drink just to be able to handle Jon’s temperament which was bound to be bear-like for the next however long it took until he could get the tear fixed.

Sighing, he dug his phone from his pocket.  Nope, he wasn’t going to fall into that pit again.  He was going to lay here, check his messages and sleep until someone came knocking on his door. Hopefully everything at home was okay. He didn’t think he could handle anything else today. Dragging his finger across the screen he was surprised he hadn’t missed any calls. Usually Ava calls at least once during the day. He wasn’t surprised to see several missed text messages though.

He smiled at the update from Ava.  God he loved that little girl.  He smirked.  She wasn’t so little anymore.  Hell she was heading toward 16 faster than he cared to admit.  He shot a response back to her and frowned.  He had two from Nikki. Those were gonna have to wait until he was able to form an intelligent, coherent thought.  She was way too much work.

His eyes drooped shut and he was nearly asleep when the phone vibrated in his hand. Blinking away the drowsy, he tried to focus on the brightly lit screen. The phone vibrated a second time. He smiled at the screen.  Two texts in rapid succession from his other favorite girl.  He opened the first one and nearly laughed out loud.

<Look what I got!>

His smile broadened at the picture. She looked damn cute in her navy ball cap with the pink sparkly NY on it.  She was holding up her glove with a baseball tucked securely inside.  She must have caught a foul ball.

He pecked out a reply.

<Nice catch Sweetheart!>

He moved on to the second one.

<Having a great time. Wish you were here.>

It was obvious that she had turned the camera on herself and her friend.  It looked like they were having a lot of fun. He was glad for that.  She needed more days that put a smile on her face.

<Wish I was too, Sweetheart. And hey, who’s Snow White?>

Her friend bore a striking resemblance to the Disney Princess who had an evil witch for a step-mother and who had escaped to live with seven little people.

Finished with the messages he set the phone on the table and closed his eyes again. He really should drag himself off to bed but he was too tired to move.

~

Stephanie and Darcy had hit a sports bar not far from the stadium for a post-game snack and drink.  Jim had met them out and they were nearly ready to head for home when she started at the vibration of her phone in her pocket.  Pulling it out, she was surprised to see two messages from Richie.  She checked her watch and frowned as she calculated the time difference in her head.  Why isn’t he asleep?   

Digging into her purse she pulled out enough bills to cover the check, tucked them into the black folder with the receipt and set it on the edge of the table.  “Darcy, Jim,” she looked across the table at them.  ”The bill’s all set.  I’m gonna go outside and make a call.  Take your time with your drinks.”

Stepping outside she moved to the corner of the building and found the number she was looking for.  She tapped her foot along with Muddy Waters while she waited for him to answer.

Groggily he lifted the phone.  “’Lo?”

“Rich?” 

When he didn’t say anything she tried again.  “Rich, darlin’, it’s me.”

He yawned and with a finger and thumb he rubbed the grit from his eyes.  “Sweetheart?”

She grimaced.  She had woken him up.  Dammit.  “I’m sorry I woke you.  I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Richie forced himself to be coherent.  “I’m all right, just tired.  It’s been a hell of a day.”

Stephanie leaned against the building, the rough edges of the brick catching the material of her jersey.  She didn’t notice.  “Wanna tell me about it?”

“It’s just band shit” he replied wearily.  “Jon twisted his knee on stage and I only got back from the hospital with him a little bit ago.  I’m ready to drop, baby.”

She pursed her lips, “considering I woke you up, I’d say you had dropped already.  Go on back to sleep.  We can talk another time.”

Groaning, he stood and ambled toward the bed.  “I’m glad you called, I was on the couch.  My back would have been a mess later if I slept on that thing for too long.”

“Well, then I take back the apology.”  She smiled and paused, “love you.”

He smiled into the phone, “love you too, Sweetheart” then he was gone.

Stephanie ended the call and turned back toward the door and found her way blocked by two large men dressed in Anaheim Angels red.

“Damn Yankees” one of the men slurred.

“Fucking go back to New York where you belong” the second one added, even as he made a fist.

Stephanie swallowed hard, trying to find a way to placate these agitated and inebriated men. 

 
They advanced on her and she had nowhere to go.