Chapter 14: All talk.

With the ice well and truly broken and the elephant in the room having been confronted, they both felt much more at ease in each other's presence. They lay there on the sofa with the TV on just chatting away, enjoying the company.

'So Jon, what about, you know...personal stuff?' she asked.
'Hey no fair! it's not like i can ask about yours after' he responded crossing his arms and pouting.
'Sure you can....i'll make something up. So married? Betrothed? Girlfriend? Kids?' she quizzed him further feeling so at ease that she wasn't worrying that she was prying too much.
'Well that's easy' Jon sighed 'No. Nope. Nothing. Nada.'
'You're kidding me right? I mean not to be shallow or anything but look at you!' she was genuinely surprised that he was well and truly single.
She noticed that his mood seemed to change, much more wistful somehow.
'Well I used to be married, can we just aknowledge that and then move on to something else?' he said, not meeting her eye.
'I'm sorry i didn't mean...'
'That's okay it's just we were having such a good time i don't want to bring us down.'
She nodded 'I understand. Anyway next i need to know loads of celebrity gossip.'
'You what?' he said.
'Well i am enjoying this pent house suite alot...so i may need a sensational story or two to sell to the papers so i can afford to live like this!'
Jon threw a cushion at her head, 'you ain't getting nothin outta me girl!'

They carried on chatting into the early hours about life, the world and everything.

*****************

'Hey look it's started getting light out' Jon got up from the sofa and stretched his arms and then his back. 'Didn't realise it was that late.....or early even. Time flies eh?'
He turned round to see she had fallen asleep curled up on the sofa clutching onto a pillow.
'Well we can't leave you there, your gonna be nursing one hell of a bad back tomorrow'. He walked back over to the sofa and spoke softly in her ear.
'Hey Shorty....' no response. He nudged her, but to no avail.
'Come here then sleepyhead' he said as he gently began to lift her from the sofa.
He had one arm around her back, and the other under her knees, while her head flopped onto his shoulder. The skin of her legs felt so soft...so smooth under his hand. Keep the mind on the job Bongiovi he thought as he walked her to the second bedroom.
Laying her down gently on the bed as to not wake her he chuckled quietly to himself; if Sambora could see me now, i would never live it down. Taking a girl back to my hotel room and not getting off? He'll think i've lost my touch.
He pulled the covers over her, which with some sort of automatic reflex she grabbed hold of and pulled around herself.
He bent down slowly and softly brushed her hair off her face. Softly kissing her forehead, 'Goodnight whoever you are' he whispered as he turned to go to his own room.

*****************

Standing in his en-suite bathroom he stroked his day old stubble. He'd been fine for months now, he hadn't really thought about it over the whole european leg of the tour. But that little chat, and the prospect of heading back to the states had him thinking about her all over again.

He walked into his bedroom and stripped off his T shirt, throwing it into the opened suitcase that was lying on the floor. He never bothered un-packing. All he ever took on tour was a couple of T shirts, jeans and some socks. There didn't seem much point.
Sitting down on the edge of the bed, in the dim morning light he spotted the telephone from the corner of his eye. He picked up the telephone reciever and went to dial that number. The number he had called so many times from hotel rooms over the years....Don't do this to yourself again dammit. He squeezed the reciever in his hand, hearing the plastic creak. He slammed it down on the cradle. Fuck that. I am over it. I am.