Chapter Eight

As they climbed out of the cab for the third time that day, they were left in front of a suburban house in Robin Hood Drive, deep in Sayreville. This was the most surreal day, and honestly what could get worse meeting his parents now? They didn’t approve? Well join the club, there certainly was enough of them to start one.

“What are you doing?” she asked him as he was busy examining the bottom of his shoes making sure there was nothing on them.

“Cleaning – my mom likes a clean floor.”

She had to laugh, how could she not? Rock star concerned about pissing his mother off with dirty feet. Seriously.

And what the hell was up with all the kissing lately? That had to stop and she’d make sure of it. Pretending or not, the way her body nearly crumbled under that last kiss. She just didn’t trust herself. It was all in the allure of being a rock star – that was it. Maybe good kissing just had to come with the package.

“Alright let’s do this. I apologize for whatever my mother says – although…” he cocked his head towards her and held out his hand. “You’re used to it with your parents.”

She took his hand as he led her up the driveway of a house that was fresh out of a suburbia-are-us catalog. The small split level house stood nestled within houses that all looked much the same.

“Do they know you’re married yet?” She flipped her hair out of her face with her free hand.

Jon never got to answer the question when the front door opened and a small middle aged lady stood with her arms folded.

“I take it that’s a yes…” she whispered as they arrived at the doorstep.

“Hi Ma!” he leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek but she stood frozen, her gaze fixated on Callie.

“And this is?” Her gaze didn’t move and neither did her face.

“This is Callie, I’m guessing you already know who she is…” he said quietly as he popped his knuckles.

“Hi Mrs Bongiovi…” Callie stuck out her hand politely.

“You can call me Carol” she returned the shake and nodded. “You both better come in, and I can start apologizing for whatever my son has got you into.”

She winced, well it had been her idea to get married but Jon never corrected her.

“John… can you come in here please?” She called through the house as they walked through the small narrow hallway.

“Ma – I can explain everything…”

“JOHN!” she called again more urgently when no response came from within the house.

“I’m comin’, I’m comin’” a low voice grumbled from the kitchen.

Callie followed Jon into the living area, and onto the corner couch. Walls were lined with pictures much like her own family’s home, but these ones weren’t academic posed ones much like theirs. More candid, relaxed pictures and half a dozen of Jon’s band photos.

She sat down and clutched her knees with her hands nervously. They weren’t her parents but she was somewhat cautious. Her gaze rested the man that walked in, Jon’s father. There was no doubt about the resemblance of the man to his son.

“Dad, this is Callie.”

He held his hand out to her and she shook it, his grip was firm but welcoming.

“Hi Callie, welcome to our home… “He stood back and crossed his arms. “So I hear a congratulations is in order.”

He smacked Jon on the back of the head. “You get married and don’t invite us son?”

“John, please… don’t encourage them. This is not funny.” Carol snapped.

“And what’s this about you announcing it had been intentional all along? What the hell is going on?” she added.

Jon rolled his eyes, Doc had called her. He was sure of it. Stupid man couldn’t keep his big fat mouth shut long enough for him to talk them through the reasoning of the whole damn thing. He rolled his hand into a fist.

“Ma, Dad… let me explain…”

Callie just sat there watching both parents face intently listening as Jon unraveled the whole story of the drunken marriage, meeting Callie’s parents and their decision to stay together. All except the part that it was her idea to get married in the first place. Drunk or not.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room when he finished that was interrupted by the chirp of the cuckoo clock on the wall.

“So you’re a lawyer Callie? Can’t you fix this mess up cleanly? I mean surely you don’t want to stay married to my son who you hardly know…” Carol asked. Callie knew
Carol would have been more concerned that she was staying married to Jon so she could claim to whatever fame he had coming. It was written all over her neatly power puffed face. She was a show mom. For sure.

“Well…” It was the first time Callie had spoken apart from hi since they’d got there. She cleared her throat and used her confident lawyer tone.

“I am a lawyer, and I suggested we could get his sorted. There’s no way to dust it under the carpet that easy – so…” So what? Jon decided for her that they should stay married for her career? That and he wanted to prove a point to people than were running their lives.

It was time to take ownership in this situation as much as he was.

“It was my idea to get married, obviously I was drunk and I never drink… like that….we just decided that the best thing right now is to lay low and pretend that this was meant to happen – that way the effects will be minimal to our careers. I do understand how important it is for Jon right now.”

Carol’s lips curved into a smirk. “Yes – and what is more important is Jon honouring that marriage… did you think about those consequences Jon?”

Jon shot his head up. “What are you talking about, of course I will be.”

“Right so no more girls while you are married then right?”

John Bongiovi Snr let a chuckle slip.

“What? We’ve discussed this and have it under control.”

Carol paced the room. “Let me guess, he’ll be discrete?” she asked Callie directly.

“Mom! This is nothing to do with you”

“Like hell it is, as soon as you’re caught cheating on your “wife” do you think that it won’t be all over the papers? And how bad it will make you look – what if you’re at the height of your career? Thought about that? I didn’t think so.”

Carol was right, it actually didn’t bother Callie if he saw other girls as long as he didn’t bring them back to her apartment. That was going to be the rule. However, his mother was right. Not a good look for a band trying to make it. No matter how rock star it was.

John nodded, “Jon why don’t you take Callie into the kitchen and make us all some coffee. Looks like we’re going to need to talk about this.”

“Alright, come on. It’s this way…” Jon stood up and waited for her to do the same.

She managed a small smile at her in-laws and followed him down to the kitchen.

“Your mothers right Jon…maybe we didn’t think about this properly.”

He jammed the coffee pot onto the element and snapped shut the lid before hoisting himself in up into the corner of the bench.

“No, she’s not.” He raked his hand through that ridiculous mop of curls and sighed.

“We can do this, don’t worry about that it’s my business…”

It was her turn to cross her arms. “Oh right, your business. Yes it makes you look bad but how ridiculous will I look if my husband is cheating on me?” God, they were really stupid thinking this could work.

“Callie – it won’t happen and besides you’ll get the sympathy card. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen. I made this decision and I am sticking by it.”

She fussed with the china mugs on the bench she’d plucked off the mug tree. “Yes, you made the decision to keep us together and I made the decision to get married. We’re a great fucking pair aren’t we?”

The gurgle and splutter of the perk was the only thing echoing the silence they both
sat in.

I really am fucking crazy thinking this will work. Seriously, and it’s been all of one day.

She tried not to notice the way Jon was sitting, legs spread wide open and the obvious bulge in his pants strained against the tight fitted jeans.

What would it be like? She briefly wondered if in some parallel universe what having sex with him when she could remember it was like. Her hands would have to be twisted up in that hair, her lips dragging down that ridiculous bottom lip of his. And her nails would claw their way through the dense amount of fur on his chest up onto those wide shoulders where she’d brace herself….

Her palms grew sweaty thinking of it, there was no doubt in her mind he could kiss. So could he complete it by delivering mind blowing sex?

“Callie?”

She whipped her head around feeling the heat burn in her cheeks. “Sorry, I was miles away…”

He chuckled and popped himself off the counter flipping the switch off on the perk.

“I said, yes we are a great pair – but…” he lifted the pot and poured the coffees.

“We are in control of our destiny here…”

A smile played on his lips. Damn it, she was really going to have to snap out of the day dream thing. She didn’t even want to go there with him anyway. It was already a messy situation, so why in the hell would she want to complicate it further?

“Right – Destiny…”

“Are you sure you are ok? You seem—“

“I’m fine Jon, now won’t your parents want their coffee now?”

He placed the mugs all on the tray carefully and lifted it. “Of course, after you…”