Chapter 19: Hanging on the Telephone.

Her parents had dropped her off at her student house in Bath.
After saying hi to all her housemates for the first time, she retreated to her room.
She didn't like re-meeting all these people. She was uneasy that they knew so much about herself that she didn't even know, let alone not knowing anything about them.
But she had to make the most out of this. It was her future after all.

Looking in the mirror that hung above the fireplace in her room she sighed, running her hands through her blonde hair.
I just wish i wasn't so alone.

***

Ruby's Mum and Dad had just arrived home. Anne bend to retrieve the post from the door mat.
She considered the air mail envelope addressed to her daughter.
'I think it's from Jon Bon Jovi.'
Her husband Mike wasn't listening, he went to the lounge to put the TV on.
'Mike are you listening to me?'
'Hmm? I'll do it right after the match.'

------------------

Jon was not a patient man, it had been a week now since he sent the letter and she hadn't called him. Surely it was there by now.
He looked out across a rainy manhattan. It had been an unseasonably miserable month off so far, and it was doing nothing to ease Jon's mood.
Still not long now and they would be back on the road. Hotels were more of a home to him than any house could be.

Rubbing his hands over his face he snapped himself out of his thoughts.
He had to burn off some of this pent up energy, take his mind off things.
He had been to the gym everyday for the past week, he felt it was the only thing keeping him sane.
Grabbing his sportsbag and his keys he left the apartment.

***

Meanwhile 5000 miles away in Bath Ruby had just got home from a long day's study. She was struggling to try and re-learn the first year of her Architecture degree. No mean feat by any stretch of the imagination.
She picked up her post and headed straight to her room.
Dropping her bag to the floor she sifted through the post.
'Junk mail, Junk mail, Bank statement....what's this?'
She studied the air mail envelope.
Eagerly she ripped it open and unfolded the paper.
It was a pretty minimalist letter by all accounts. There was a phone number, and a single line saying - Call Me. And it was signed by Jon.
Wow...okay. She was not expecting really to ever hear from him again. She thought that if he had wanted that he would have left his number.
She had resolved herself to the fact that he was just being friendly that day, due to her situation.

As she picked up the telephone her stomach was doing all kinds of somersaults.

'Hey this is Jon, i'm not here right now leave me a message and i'll call you back.'

Shit he's not there, what do i say?

'Erm, Jon, hi. This is.....it's Shorty. I just got your letter...and well i guess you aren't there. If you want to call me my number is...'
She left her number and hung up.

***

Jon got back from the gym that evening.
Pressing the answer machine button as he walked past he made his way to the fridge.

'You have 4 new messages. First new message...'
'Jon it's Mom. I'm worried about you so i've made some spaghetti, see you at eight.'
Jon rolled his eyes as he rummaged behind the lettuce.
'Second new message...'
'Hey it's Rich. Just checking in man. Ain't spoke to you in a while. I'll catch you next time.'
Jon reached deep into the fridge, maiking a mental note to call Richie later. 'Finally'I knew i had some beers in here.
'Third new message...'
'Jon, hi.'
Jon's head shot up at the sound of her voice, he looked over a the machine with it's flashing red light.
'This is.....it's Shorty. I just got your letter...and well i guess you aren't there. If you want to call me my number is...'

Jon put his bottle down on the kitchen table and ran to the machine, he played the last message again scribbling down the number as she said it.
Picking up the cordless phone he grabbed his beer before dropping onto the couch.

Taking a large swig of the beer he punched the number into the phone.
Here goes nothing he thought.
He wasn't even sure what he was going to say. Just to hear her voice would be enough right now.
It rang several times before anyone picked up.

'......Hello?'
The voice at the other end sounded half asleep.
'Hi it's Jon...are you asleep?'

Ruby sat up in bed suddenly wide awake. Hearing his voice after over a month had her re-living all the feelings of the one day they had spent together.
'No...er yes, but that's okay. Hi.' She stuttered.
'I'm sorry. I guess i forgot about the time thing.'
Her voice was husky from sleep, and it had his mind wandering...
'Thats ok really.' She replied before squinting to look at the alarm clock next to her bed, it was just past twelve.
'So i didn't think you were gonna call me. I mean i get it, you are moving on and stuff...'
'Oh no it's not that. i only got the letter today. You see i'm back in university and my Mum had to send it on.'
Jon laughed 'Thank god for that. I was trying to think how i'd fucked up this time!'
'Look i'll get to the point...'
Jon was really unsure about how she would respond to his proposition, buit he sure as hell wasn't going to chicken out of it.
'...the deal is, we're touring here through October, and well i was wondering...how'd you like to come along?'
She was stunned. 'I...umm....'
Jon could hear her hesitation on the line.
'look it's fine it was just an idea, i was...'
'Yes.'
'Sorry?'
'I said yes Jon.' she replied laughing.
'Really? That's, i'm, that's great.'
She could actually hear his smile in his voice.
I've missed you too she thought.