Chapter 28: Ultimatum.

He waited and waited, but she never showed backstage.
Maybe she's late, he thought.
'Jon we're on!' One of the stage hands shouted.

The Milton Keynes Bowl stretched out in front of him.
At he reached the microphone the band started the intro to One Wild Night.
From his view standing on the stage he didn't see her either, but he had a show to focus on.

***

He saw that all the lights were off. Sidling round the side of the house he jumped over the garden gate and stood in the middle of the back garden.
He knew which room was hers because she spoke about looking out of her bedroom window across the fields sometimes. The front overlooked the village green, and the other window at the rear of the house was privacy glass so obviously the bathroom.
He felt on the ground and picked up a small stone.
Throwing it up he heard it tap on the glass.
Good shot.
He waited...but nothing.
Picking up another he threw and again waited....direct hit, but nothing.
Again he threw...
'Who's there?...' The stone hit the windowframe, 'Hey that one nearly hit me!'
'Sorry 'bout that.'
'Jon? What the hell are you doing?' she asked.
'I just want to talk.'
'It's nearly two o'clock!'
'I know....this is important.'
'Hang on i'm coming down.'

Jon turned as a light came on to his left, he walked over to the back door.
She stood in the doorway wearing a big fluffy robe, hair messed from sleeping.
'What's going on Jon?'
'Why didn't you come?'
'I...was busy.'
'You're not a very good liar.'
'Jon!' She was exasperated.
'It's easier if we're straight with each other.'
No response.
'Fine...Just say you don't care about me and i will walk away.' Jon said, hoping to prompt a reaction from her.
'I just don't want my life turned upside down again Jon.'
So she does feel something?
'I miss you.'
'Jon don't....Alex...'
'Is an idiot Jock.'
'He's got me. So who's the bigger idiot Jon?' She was fuming at this comment and wanted to slam the door in his face.
'I'm sorry. Jesus i'm sorry. Sorry for everything.' For fuck's sake, everything i say comes out wrong.
'Just go Jon.' She said, reaching for the door handle.
He put his hand on the door frame so she couldn't close the door.
'Answer me one question first...If i wasn't such a prick six months ago, would you have given Alex a second thought?'
'Jon, please!' A tear trailed down her cheek.
She tried to pull the door closed again.
'Cardiff on Sunday.' He held two VIP passes out for her. She didn't take them. 'It's our last gig in Britain.'
She didn't respond, so he threw them on the floor behind her. 'Just think about it.'
And with that he removed his arm.

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

Richie pulled her in for a huge bearhug.
'I've missed you Shortstuff!'
'Me too.' she said genuinely.
'I hear you've been spending a bit of time with a certain relative of mine'.
Ruby blushed, she wrongly figured Alex would have said something to his family by now.
'How serious is it?'
'Oh you know...Why?'
'I have to report back to the family.'
She knew he was lying, she tilted her head and gave him a look
Richie held his hands in the air 'Okay....Okay i have an ulterior motive...it's Jon.'
Ruby sighed.
'Did he send you to speak to me or something?'
'No way darlin! I do no one's dirty work. I just wanted to tell you something.'
'Okay, you have my undivided attention.'
'Well that song...the one he gave you.'
'The one where he says we will never be more than friends?'
Richie wrinkled his forehead. 'Well i guess that's one way of looking at it.'
'And the other way?' She asked as Richie sat on the edge of a dressing room table.
'He says he ain't going to love you because he loves you. He thinks he's not good enough for you Shorts. But he's also cut up because you are with this guy half his age, and an athlete, and not him. Hey can't blame him for being jealous can you? He's up against a Sambora!' He winked at Ruby.
She sat down besides Richie.
'I never thought of it like that.'
'It's a good song. I've been trying to persuade him to release it, even as an album track....It's like getting blood from a stone. Hell he won't even sing the damn thing again!'
'What would you do Richie?'
'You're asking me darlin?' He laughed, 'Ok. I'll tell you this. Love is in the heart, not the head. Forget the whats, whys and wheres. Just go with what you feel.'
She stood again and on tiptoes kissed Richie's cheek.
'Thank you.'
'Any time sweetheart.'

***

She met up with Jon outside the arena long after everyone else had left.
Jon was smoking a cigarette as she approached he dropped it to the floor and stood on it.
'Hey.'
'Hey, i didn't know you smoked?'
'Only when i'm stressed.'
She felt like that comment was aimed at her.
'Thanks for coming...you enjoy the show tonight?'
'It was fantastic as always.'
He dug his hand in his pockets and pulled out a box of Malboros.
'Jon i....me and Alex...'
'You don't owe me any explainations. I treated you badly, if i could take it all back i would.'
He didn't look at her, he looked at his hands tapping the cigarette on his palm. If he looked at her he was afraid he'd say something stupid again.
'Jon really there's no need. It's not like we were together.'
He finally put the cigarette in his mouth and lit up. Sucking in the first drag as if it was his first breath of fresh air.
'Yeah. You weren't mine, that's why it's worse.'
She looked at him for a second. He was sincere, she could hear it in his voice. But just what the hell do you want me to do? She tried to get eye contact.
'Well i better get back, it's late.' She said, just wanting to get away from him, from the whole situation.
She was about to turn and leave but Jon held onto her hand stopping her. He flicked the cigarette away.

Finally their eyes met.
She'd missed those eyes, but now they didn't shine so bright.
'Come to Paris with me tomorrow. I'm going to make this offer once only and then i will walk away. Don't say anything now. I will wait for you until seven tomorrow night under the clock at Waterloo station. If you aren't there you won't hear from me again.'
She stood there in shock as he turned and walked away.

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

Ruby sat at her window, holding onto an old cuddly toy dog, staring outside into the darkness.
It was a clear and starry night.
And also sleepless.
She glanced at her clock radio on the bedside table. The bright red digits said 03:46.
Fifteen hours fourteen minutes to go.
'Okay Rags, we can sort this out.' She said to the toy dog.
'Alex. Well he's reliable, really cute, mum and dad approve. What else?' She thought for a minute.
'Anyway, onto Jon. He is an idiot. Frequently. And God knows what mum and dad would think......But it's Jon.'
She pulled her knees up to her chest and held the dog closer. Burying her face in the well worn fur as she began to cry, it wasn't the first time Rags had been the shoulder to cry on.
He had made it perfectly clear, all or nothing.
Could she face losing all that?