Callie handed over a bunch of bills, catching her reflection in the shine off the large reception counter of the Plaza. “Two nights please, make it something good.”
The receptionist who looked like she could of easily have walked out from the pages of Style weekly smiled at them both. “I have the honeymoon suite available for both those nights, equipped with a king sized water bed and spa bath.”
Jon snorted beside her, “a waterbed? Are you kidding me? We’ll take that.”
Callie rolled her eyes but she saw the sparkle come back into his eyes so she nodded. “That sounds fine.”
“Names?” the receptionist asked professionally, not batting an eyelid if she had recognised who Jon was.
“Callie R-“
“Mr and Mrs Frank Sinatra,” Jon interrupted taking the lead from her.
The receptionist nodded clicking keys efficiently. “And will you be requiring a wakeup call tomorrow?”
Callie shook her head, “No, and we’ll be in house dining so a do not disturb would be gladly appreciated.”
“Yes ma’m” she typed in the details and handed Callie the key card along with instructions to get to their room. A young bellhop took their bags from them and would already probably already in their room from a secret passageway Callie decided. They always managed to get the bags to the room before you not matter how fast you tried to make it there.
When the lift doors pinged behind them, Jon scooped his arm around her shoulders. “A freakin waterbed and spa bath! Are you kidding me? This is awesome.”
Callie laughed and looked up to meet his gaze, “I just wanted you to have some fun – relaxing fun.”
Her heart jumped when he cupped her cheek and pressed his lips squarely against hers in an honest no nonsense kiss. “Thank you, I’m gonna be saying that a lot I think.”
She flicked back a wild tuff of his hair that tickled her jaw.
“Thank Mr Callaghan, not me –“
His eyes fell to her lips again as he cupped her other cheek, and then rested back at her eyes. “I don’t want to thank Mr Callaghan like this.” This time his weight came at her, the lift railing pressed into her back as he sucked the life-force out of her. His tongue swiped through her mouth and his groin bumped into her belly. The lust in his eyes not only scared her, it excited her.
Callie wasn’t familiar with the spark that she associated with Jon, the tingle in her toes that spread quickly up her legs and burned in her belly. Previous men, usually hand picked from her father had been nice, some even great. But none ever made her want to leap out of her own skin like Jon did.
Her hands slipped up under his tee up to his chest, losing her fingers in the downy fur across his pecs. She rose onto her toes as his arms encircled her waist lifting her higher and dug her hands into his hair. The abrupt stop of the lift pulled them apart. She didn’t know what to expect by coming to Florida, if they’d pick up from where they’d left off back at home – what that even was she didn’t know. All she knew is that she was drawn to him again, with no explanation but to kiss him stupid.
She slotted the key card into the room number they were given and opened the door wide.
“Holy shit Cal!” Jon exclaimed busting past her to look around the suite that looked like it was fit for a king. Like a kid in a candy shop he yanked opened drawers, and swung open cupboards before taking a leap on the king sized waterbed that was centred in the room.
The room was regal and bold with heavy brass fittings hung from lightshades and curtain railings. Mirrors were framed in thick brushed gold steel, and curtains that draped ribbons of green and gold hung from the ceiling cinched at the waist with matching gold rope. Old aged polished wood stretched out on the dining tables, bedside and liquor cabinets giving the room an elegant and majestic feel.
Callie walked into the bathroom, which could have swallowed her living room whole at home, granite counter tops with brass taps and marble tiles spilled out in front of her leaving no expense to be spared. Pillars of towels which you just knew were going to be softer than silk towered high on the brass rack against the wall.
A spa bath that rivalled a small swimming pool sunk into the ground in the centre of the floor. “Wow, so this is what money can buy you.” She was used to seeing nice settings, her job often propelled her into the finest hotels for dinners and a conference, however staying at one with – him, was entirely a different kettle of fish.
She jumped when his arm snaked around her belly from behind, and his warm breath hovered across her ear.
“When I make it big, we’ll live like this every night. Just you wait girl.” His lips sucked on the side of her neck, and that burning feeling her belly threatened to rise up and consume her whole.
She twisted around, still locked firmly in his grip as their noses bumped together. “I might run a bath, my feet are killing me.”
His blue eyes sparkled and his lips twitched, “do you need someone to wash your back?”
Her heart skidded, and she nodded. No turning back now, she expected they’d be here for this, but she wanted him to want it as much as she did. Her nipples hardened as she became aroused, she wanted him to take her. Like he’d done that night at her place, take her and make her his – without question. It scared her she could love him, and probably she already did… the unlikely love story, that’s so what they were.
Jon leaned over past her and flicked on the big taps sending water tumbling into the tub and looked down at the rack of oils. “Um, what goes with what?” he asked picking up a couple of the tiny bottles.
“Not those two,” she grabbed the lavender one and the rifled through them until she found the camomile. “These two,” she added before popping the lids and pouring them in.
“I’m so gonna smell like a girl aren’t I?” he asked pulling off his tee and discarding it to the side before he started on his jeans.
She rolled her fingers back into her hand, as the urge to lose them in his chest grew strong. “A relaxed girl at least, these are the best oils. Mom used to use them with Dad all the time.” She fell silent, as the memory that resembled them actually being a family rose inside her. Things were so different now, god they were so different.
“Hey, no thinking about home now,” he took her hands in his and pressed his lips against his forehead. “Just like you wanted, away from the world for one night – right?” he tipped her chin so she met his gaze, and at that moment she could of melted right there on the marble.
“Right,” her hands slipped up his chest, resting at his shoulders with his hair scattered around them. This is what she wanted this to be, his chance to be away from the world to rest. She knew she’d done the right thing when she’d seen the lines as thick as record grooves that dug in under his eyes.
The bubbles started to pile up behind them so Callie carefully plucked his earrings out of his lobes dropping them on the counter, she held out his wrists and slipped the silver bangles right off them along with his rings. She moved behind him and shifted his hair out of the way over his shoulder and unclasped the multitudes of chains that hung there.
He chuckled when she pooled them in a pile on the counter. “You want me naked naked huh?” he asked cocking his brow.
All that was left was his half unbuttoned jeans as she rounded him until she was facing him. “Naked, naked…completely away from what’s making you tired,” she confirmed as her gaze fell to his open jeans and then back to his.
“Wait,” he grabbed her wrists when she grabbed the sides of his jeans and kicked off the tap behind them as the water had crept up against the brim.
He cupped her cheeks and pressed his lips against hers. “I can’t be the only one here naked.” He lifted her sweater high up over her head, leaving her standing there in her ivory lace cups.
With his index finger he traced along the scalloped edge of lace, “pretty” he murmured as she felt her skin start to pin prick. She sucked in her breath as the tip of his finger flicked aaginst her nipple.
“Oh god,” she whispered. But he stopped, he removed her jewellery piece by piece and lined it up beside his on the granite counter tops. Jon reached around behind her and flicked the clasp open letting her breasts tumble free much to the delight in his eyes.
“Much better,” he smirked as he lifted her up to a seating position on the counter. Wrapping her legs around his waist he dragged her in close losing his hands in her hair, angling the kiss deeper. She hissed as her sensitive tips grazed along the thickness of his chest hair.
She groaned into his kiss as his mouth left hers, finding the side of her neck. She arched back giving him full access as he kissed his way to her breasts. She ached for him to take her all over again, but this time she wanted more. She couldn’t explain the ridiculous force that was dragging her under with him. All she knew was she needed him.
Callie clutched his hair as his hot destructive mouth found her rosy tip. Her eyes closed and rolled into the back of her head as she let the floating sensation take over. Nothing in this moment seemed to matter except what he was doing with that god damned mouth.
With a pop he switched to the other side, paying as much attention to that breast as the other. She gasped when two fingers plunged inside her, how the hell did that happen? All the while he was keeping her busy with his mouth, she’d failed to notice one sly hand slide up her thigh and past her silk.
His thumb wedged against her knot as she began to grind against his hand. The sensation burning in her belly had ignited her soul as she let go to the man that was destroying her from the inside out.
The orgasm punched through her fast and loud, as his name echoed through the bathroom. Callie finally opened her eyes expecting to see stars dancing around but only saw blue eyes, accompanied by the heavy scent of lavender.
“Time for a bath?” he asked her, the small quirk on his lips inching to the right.
She was shattered, and being held up only by his hand splayed under her so all she could manage was a nod. He tugged at her jeans and then lost his own, before he scooped her up and took careful steps into the foaming bath water below.
“Don’t you want to—“
But he pressed a finger against her lips and shook his head.
“We’ve got all night Callie. And I intend to use every minute of it.”
July 27, 2009
July 18, 2009
Chapter Twenty-Six
Callie stepped off the bus into a blanket of humidity and sunshine, even in winter the Florida climate mirrored a Jersey Spring day. She shrugged off her coat and dug for the address of Jon’s hotel inside her pocket. Once safely in the back of a taxi she gazed out the window as palm trees and sunshine rolled past her.
What was she doing? Maybe she should have called him to check if this was ok?
God, stop questioning yourself and just do it.
That was her problem she never just did anything… she’d analyze it to death before doing it, weighing up the options – the good with the bad… of course the exception was getting married to Jon. Whatever happened in the Borgata Hotel a couple of months ago, she may never know what her drunken psyche saw in that decision.
The Palm Beach hotel filled the window of her taxi and her stomach flip flopped. It wasn’t a classy establishment, with paint flakes falling into the breeze and wide steel fittings twisting into rusty copper. All this was framed by tacky painted palm trees, it was a dive.
Jesus, he wasn’t joking when he said that that didn’t have any money, and to think she was worried about going to medical school and supporting herself, she had nothing on what he was going through financially.
Would he really be happy to see her? As her heels clicked up the cobble steps she made her way inside the lobby. Behind a big battered reception desk sat a large man stamping a pile of papers.
“Ah excuse me, I’m here to see Jon Bon Jovi?”
He peered up at her through his over sized rims that magnified half of his face. “And you are?”
“I’m his wife, Callie.” God, that still sounded to ridiculous out loud, his wife for god’s sake?
He snorted and continued stamping his papers, “nice try sweetheart.”
“I am!” she exclaimed. This was freaking hard enough without having to try and get past the Spanish Inquisition. She held out her hand, the glint of the gold band wrapped around her ring finger catching in the light.
He looked up at it and then held his hand up, “and I’m married to Tiffany.”
She curled her hand into a fist and was about to let her tongue let loose when a heavy grip on her shoulder spun her around, Doc.
“Callie – well this is a surprise, I don’t think Jonny’s expecting you is he?” Doc sniped folding his arms.
She hated this man, oil and grease oozed out of him. She hardly even knew him, but from what Jon had told her it was enough. Sure, the band should be grateful someone believed in them to give them a chance but all Doc could see in the end was dollar signs and she knew it.
“No, that’s why it’s called a surprise. Don’t look so shocked. A wife can surprise her husband can’t she?” she answered wryly, her fingers curling around the leather strap of her bag.
Doc rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Sure, but it might not be him getting the surprise.”
“What?” her brow cocked, what was Doc up to now?
“Oh nothing, look come with me. I’ll take you to Jonny.” He nodded to the man behind the desk. Well hell, why is he so keen all of a sudden to get me to Jon? Something was awfully odd. She followed him with her bag into the small elevator which rode to the sixth floor. As the lift doors pinged open Richie came into view.
“Callie!” his eyes widened and then narrowed when he saw Doc behind her. “What are you doing here?”
Callie smiled, “I’ve come to see Jon silly. Why else would I be here.” Richie looked back over his shoulder and back to her.
“Uh, you sure you don’t want to grab a coffee first? Jon was a bit –“ he scratched his head and looked down, “busy last time I saw him.”
Doc slapped him on the shoulder, “nonsense he can take a break from what he’s doing to see his wife Richie. Don’t be stupid.” Doc lead them down the narrow dimly lit hallway, that mirrored something out of a horror movie. There’d be a cockroach scuttling along the wall next, she just knew it.
Callie looked back at Richie, “what’s going on?” she asked confused.
Richie didn’t have a chance to answer as Doc rapped his knuckles hard on the door blazed with crooked steel seven on it. “Jonny! I’ve got someone to see you...”
Callie wiped her palms on the thighs of her jeans, oh shit. This was it. What if he wasn’t happy to see her? Maybe this all had been a mistake. She took a deep breath as her heart pounded against her ribcage when the door swung open.
“I’m sick of your special guests, I’ve just got rid of –“Jon stopped in mid sentence as his eyes fell on Callie. She swallowed hard as aqua eyes shaded with a wet curly mop that sat on bare wide shoulders Her eyes dropped down the trail to the towel slung low across his hips.
Oh Jesus.
“Callie!” he exclaimed, relief settling through her as a big grin spread across his face and he stepped forward throwing his arms around her in a hug. Soap and cigarettes hit her as her cheek pressed into wet silky hair. The rest of his warm, bare body wrapped around hers and he squeezed her tight and then stood back, his hands gripping her waist.
“What are you doing here?”
“She just thought she’d surprise her husband Jonny, seen what he’s been up to on tour.” Doc drawled smugly.
Jon turned around and held his arm out to Callie, “well looks like I’ll have company tonight after all.”
~
Jon silently said a thousand rosaries in his head as he offered Callie inside his room. Just minutes ago – he’d kicked the girl out of his room. Her damn high pitched cotton candy voice was driving him insane. Fuck, and if Callie had been two minutes earlier they’d of past each other in the shit excuse for the lobby this place had.
He rubbed his head and winked at Richie who looked as relieved as he felt. “So if you’ll excuse me gentlemen, I’ll be retiring early and spending it with my wife.” He slammed the door hard behind him. Ha, obviously Doc had been only too happy to show Callie up to his room expecting fireworks not the fizzle that he just left in the hallway.
He smiled, not realizing how much he’d missed the woman standing in her right jeans and baggy sweater. She looked to different out of her boring, restraining work clothes. Casually beautiful with her normally neat hair flowing out loose around her shoulders. He took a step towards her, looking for any sign that to back off but it never came. He cupped her cheeks brushing his thumbs along her jaw line. His eyes searched hers and dropped to her pretty pink lips which had parted slightly.
He leaned in slowly, dropping his gaze one more time to her lips smiling as he pressed his against hers. He hooked his arm around her waist dragging her in to him, her breasts pressing hard up against his chest until he felt her little nipples digging into him. He swallowed the small moan from her mouth when his tongue plunged inside tasting each corner of her. She tasted like cherry gum laced with something darker. His lips mashed against hers, and his cock bumped up against the towel with the overwhelming need to sink into her. To lose himself inside her.
He took his time to taste her, she was crisp and cleaner than the other girls and he felt his shoulders drop. Why did he feel so comfortable with her? Had he really been playing a part that he just wasn’t all this time. The spice in her mouth rolled around his tongue, and every part he was breathing in of hers. He wanted more.
She raked her hands up into his wet hair, her eyes closed as he felt her lean in to him. He always was attracted to her, but right now he had no idea it had been this much. Maybe the absence of her had been more to him than he cared to admit? All he knew was she was here, and he was taking in her cherry spice scent as she arched into him – and all he could wish for at that moment was her rising into him, under him in his bed.
Her brown bangs fell around his hands as he tilted her to gain angle, tempted to let his towel drop and hike her up around his hips their teeth clicked as he took the kiss deeper. She let a low long moan vibrate into his mouth and he knew he had to break the kiss as it verged on the edge of spiraling out of control.
Their lips parted and he took a step back, chuckling as her cheeks flushed pink and her eyes glazed over. “Why did you come?” he whispered. He knew what he was feeling, now he needed to know what she was. Last time they were together, he was an ass. He left an ass, and she had deserved better.
She shrugged and her eyes searched his. “I guess I wanted a break – I guess...” she sighed and palmed his cheek. “You look exhausted Jon.”
He laughed, “Welcome to this life baby. It’s been fucking full on.” He stood back and watched her look around.
“Yea, it’s not the nicest of places but we’ve hardly got enough to stay afloat. This is the first time I’ve had my own room in two weeks.”
She turned back to him, “You’ve got two shows here, tomorrow and the next night right?”
Jon nodded, “yeah that’s right – why?” her pretty head looked concerned. What was she worrying about?
“Let’s get you out of here for those nights. I’ll book us into the Plaza down the road.”
Jon snapped his head up, “Callie – you don’t have to do that...” he shook his head in amazement that’d she’d even suggest it. “I can’t let you waste that much money. I know this isn’t much but its ok...and you can stay here if you want to with me.”
She took his hands in his, “I’m not good at this.... but I’d like to take you away from this shit Jon – so you get a break from Doc. You look awful and I thought maybe... if you wanted to...we could spend...” she looked away from him but he tipped her chin bringing her gaze back to his and stepped forward.
“I’d love to Callie, are you sure you can afford it though?” he linked his arms around her waist. He wanted nothing more to get out of his hellhole and be with someone he actually trusted.
She smiled, “evidently my boss gave me a thousand dollars to spend on our honeymoon... I know we’re not married – well – you know... but I just thought we could have some fun.”
Jon beamed, and realized what a damn heart of gold this girl had. “I need some fun...you have no idea...”
Callie’s thumb brushed under his eye. “And some sleep.”
Yeah, sleep after he came deep inside her would be perfect. But right now, he was too enamoured with her gesture to even care. That she cared about him that much to do this, was beyond his comprehension... god especially with what he’d been doing on tour to satisfy Doc’s “publicity demands”. He didn’t deserve her.
“Let’s do it.” He scooped her up and twirled her around. “Let’s go live big for a couple of nights...I’ll let Doc know where we’re going” he settled her back down and started stuffing his things into a bag.
“Leave him a note Jonny, he’ll just try and stop you from doing it. Just tell him you’ll be at sound check and the concert tomorrow and the next day but all other time you have to have complete rest.”
He looked over at her as he zipped up the case. “Damn, who are you and what have you done with my wife?”
“He pissed me off, like he thought I wouldn’t be happy to see you or something ---“Jon looked away and felt his gut twist. Yeah, the son of a bitch totally tried to sabotage his marriage knowing he had a girl in here hours ago. Bastard, he probably in all truth deserved it though. He’d been a pg but now he had 48 hours to give her what she deserved. No one had just come and put themselves that much out for him ever.
“Yeah, that’d be right. He just doesn’t like that I’m married and unavailable to the girls.. now come on – let’s blow this joint.” He held out his hand to hers as he scrawled on a pad a quick note to Doc that he’d be at the stadium for the scheduled sound check at 2pm tomorrow. When Callie took his hand he leaned over and pressed his lips to her temple and whispered.
“Thank you.”
What was she doing? Maybe she should have called him to check if this was ok?
God, stop questioning yourself and just do it.
That was her problem she never just did anything… she’d analyze it to death before doing it, weighing up the options – the good with the bad… of course the exception was getting married to Jon. Whatever happened in the Borgata Hotel a couple of months ago, she may never know what her drunken psyche saw in that decision.
The Palm Beach hotel filled the window of her taxi and her stomach flip flopped. It wasn’t a classy establishment, with paint flakes falling into the breeze and wide steel fittings twisting into rusty copper. All this was framed by tacky painted palm trees, it was a dive.
Jesus, he wasn’t joking when he said that that didn’t have any money, and to think she was worried about going to medical school and supporting herself, she had nothing on what he was going through financially.
Would he really be happy to see her? As her heels clicked up the cobble steps she made her way inside the lobby. Behind a big battered reception desk sat a large man stamping a pile of papers.
“Ah excuse me, I’m here to see Jon Bon Jovi?”
He peered up at her through his over sized rims that magnified half of his face. “And you are?”
“I’m his wife, Callie.” God, that still sounded to ridiculous out loud, his wife for god’s sake?
He snorted and continued stamping his papers, “nice try sweetheart.”
“I am!” she exclaimed. This was freaking hard enough without having to try and get past the Spanish Inquisition. She held out her hand, the glint of the gold band wrapped around her ring finger catching in the light.
He looked up at it and then held his hand up, “and I’m married to Tiffany.”
She curled her hand into a fist and was about to let her tongue let loose when a heavy grip on her shoulder spun her around, Doc.
“Callie – well this is a surprise, I don’t think Jonny’s expecting you is he?” Doc sniped folding his arms.
She hated this man, oil and grease oozed out of him. She hardly even knew him, but from what Jon had told her it was enough. Sure, the band should be grateful someone believed in them to give them a chance but all Doc could see in the end was dollar signs and she knew it.
“No, that’s why it’s called a surprise. Don’t look so shocked. A wife can surprise her husband can’t she?” she answered wryly, her fingers curling around the leather strap of her bag.
Doc rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Sure, but it might not be him getting the surprise.”
“What?” her brow cocked, what was Doc up to now?
“Oh nothing, look come with me. I’ll take you to Jonny.” He nodded to the man behind the desk. Well hell, why is he so keen all of a sudden to get me to Jon? Something was awfully odd. She followed him with her bag into the small elevator which rode to the sixth floor. As the lift doors pinged open Richie came into view.
“Callie!” his eyes widened and then narrowed when he saw Doc behind her. “What are you doing here?”
Callie smiled, “I’ve come to see Jon silly. Why else would I be here.” Richie looked back over his shoulder and back to her.
“Uh, you sure you don’t want to grab a coffee first? Jon was a bit –“ he scratched his head and looked down, “busy last time I saw him.”
Doc slapped him on the shoulder, “nonsense he can take a break from what he’s doing to see his wife Richie. Don’t be stupid.” Doc lead them down the narrow dimly lit hallway, that mirrored something out of a horror movie. There’d be a cockroach scuttling along the wall next, she just knew it.
Callie looked back at Richie, “what’s going on?” she asked confused.
Richie didn’t have a chance to answer as Doc rapped his knuckles hard on the door blazed with crooked steel seven on it. “Jonny! I’ve got someone to see you...”
Callie wiped her palms on the thighs of her jeans, oh shit. This was it. What if he wasn’t happy to see her? Maybe this all had been a mistake. She took a deep breath as her heart pounded against her ribcage when the door swung open.
“I’m sick of your special guests, I’ve just got rid of –“Jon stopped in mid sentence as his eyes fell on Callie. She swallowed hard as aqua eyes shaded with a wet curly mop that sat on bare wide shoulders Her eyes dropped down the trail to the towel slung low across his hips.
Oh Jesus.
“Callie!” he exclaimed, relief settling through her as a big grin spread across his face and he stepped forward throwing his arms around her in a hug. Soap and cigarettes hit her as her cheek pressed into wet silky hair. The rest of his warm, bare body wrapped around hers and he squeezed her tight and then stood back, his hands gripping her waist.
“What are you doing here?”
“She just thought she’d surprise her husband Jonny, seen what he’s been up to on tour.” Doc drawled smugly.
Jon turned around and held his arm out to Callie, “well looks like I’ll have company tonight after all.”
~
Jon silently said a thousand rosaries in his head as he offered Callie inside his room. Just minutes ago – he’d kicked the girl out of his room. Her damn high pitched cotton candy voice was driving him insane. Fuck, and if Callie had been two minutes earlier they’d of past each other in the shit excuse for the lobby this place had.
He rubbed his head and winked at Richie who looked as relieved as he felt. “So if you’ll excuse me gentlemen, I’ll be retiring early and spending it with my wife.” He slammed the door hard behind him. Ha, obviously Doc had been only too happy to show Callie up to his room expecting fireworks not the fizzle that he just left in the hallway.
He smiled, not realizing how much he’d missed the woman standing in her right jeans and baggy sweater. She looked to different out of her boring, restraining work clothes. Casually beautiful with her normally neat hair flowing out loose around her shoulders. He took a step towards her, looking for any sign that to back off but it never came. He cupped her cheeks brushing his thumbs along her jaw line. His eyes searched hers and dropped to her pretty pink lips which had parted slightly.
He leaned in slowly, dropping his gaze one more time to her lips smiling as he pressed his against hers. He hooked his arm around her waist dragging her in to him, her breasts pressing hard up against his chest until he felt her little nipples digging into him. He swallowed the small moan from her mouth when his tongue plunged inside tasting each corner of her. She tasted like cherry gum laced with something darker. His lips mashed against hers, and his cock bumped up against the towel with the overwhelming need to sink into her. To lose himself inside her.
He took his time to taste her, she was crisp and cleaner than the other girls and he felt his shoulders drop. Why did he feel so comfortable with her? Had he really been playing a part that he just wasn’t all this time. The spice in her mouth rolled around his tongue, and every part he was breathing in of hers. He wanted more.
She raked her hands up into his wet hair, her eyes closed as he felt her lean in to him. He always was attracted to her, but right now he had no idea it had been this much. Maybe the absence of her had been more to him than he cared to admit? All he knew was she was here, and he was taking in her cherry spice scent as she arched into him – and all he could wish for at that moment was her rising into him, under him in his bed.
Her brown bangs fell around his hands as he tilted her to gain angle, tempted to let his towel drop and hike her up around his hips their teeth clicked as he took the kiss deeper. She let a low long moan vibrate into his mouth and he knew he had to break the kiss as it verged on the edge of spiraling out of control.
Their lips parted and he took a step back, chuckling as her cheeks flushed pink and her eyes glazed over. “Why did you come?” he whispered. He knew what he was feeling, now he needed to know what she was. Last time they were together, he was an ass. He left an ass, and she had deserved better.
She shrugged and her eyes searched his. “I guess I wanted a break – I guess...” she sighed and palmed his cheek. “You look exhausted Jon.”
He laughed, “Welcome to this life baby. It’s been fucking full on.” He stood back and watched her look around.
“Yea, it’s not the nicest of places but we’ve hardly got enough to stay afloat. This is the first time I’ve had my own room in two weeks.”
She turned back to him, “You’ve got two shows here, tomorrow and the next night right?”
Jon nodded, “yeah that’s right – why?” her pretty head looked concerned. What was she worrying about?
“Let’s get you out of here for those nights. I’ll book us into the Plaza down the road.”
Jon snapped his head up, “Callie – you don’t have to do that...” he shook his head in amazement that’d she’d even suggest it. “I can’t let you waste that much money. I know this isn’t much but its ok...and you can stay here if you want to with me.”
She took his hands in his, “I’m not good at this.... but I’d like to take you away from this shit Jon – so you get a break from Doc. You look awful and I thought maybe... if you wanted to...we could spend...” she looked away from him but he tipped her chin bringing her gaze back to his and stepped forward.
“I’d love to Callie, are you sure you can afford it though?” he linked his arms around her waist. He wanted nothing more to get out of his hellhole and be with someone he actually trusted.
She smiled, “evidently my boss gave me a thousand dollars to spend on our honeymoon... I know we’re not married – well – you know... but I just thought we could have some fun.”
Jon beamed, and realized what a damn heart of gold this girl had. “I need some fun...you have no idea...”
Callie’s thumb brushed under his eye. “And some sleep.”
Yeah, sleep after he came deep inside her would be perfect. But right now, he was too enamoured with her gesture to even care. That she cared about him that much to do this, was beyond his comprehension... god especially with what he’d been doing on tour to satisfy Doc’s “publicity demands”. He didn’t deserve her.
“Let’s do it.” He scooped her up and twirled her around. “Let’s go live big for a couple of nights...I’ll let Doc know where we’re going” he settled her back down and started stuffing his things into a bag.
“Leave him a note Jonny, he’ll just try and stop you from doing it. Just tell him you’ll be at sound check and the concert tomorrow and the next day but all other time you have to have complete rest.”
He looked over at her as he zipped up the case. “Damn, who are you and what have you done with my wife?”
“He pissed me off, like he thought I wouldn’t be happy to see you or something ---“Jon looked away and felt his gut twist. Yeah, the son of a bitch totally tried to sabotage his marriage knowing he had a girl in here hours ago. Bastard, he probably in all truth deserved it though. He’d been a pg but now he had 48 hours to give her what she deserved. No one had just come and put themselves that much out for him ever.
“Yeah, that’d be right. He just doesn’t like that I’m married and unavailable to the girls.. now come on – let’s blow this joint.” He held out his hand to hers as he scrawled on a pad a quick note to Doc that he’d be at the stadium for the scheduled sound check at 2pm tomorrow. When Callie took his hand he leaned over and pressed his lips to her temple and whispered.
“Thank you.”
July 12, 2009
Chapter Twenty-Five
Callie watched the fall of early December snowflakes iced the window, as she sat in her office drumming her pen against the desk. Jon had been gone a month now, but there had been no shortage of phone calls from him. Every couple of days, even if it was two minutes before he was due on stage – he’d call. The parallel between them was the same, but locked in different contexts.
He was exhausted, happy but pissed at the way Doc was treating them. With the latest drama being he’d scheduled concerts right through Christmas, so they wouldn’t break till New Year’s Day.
Callie was nervous, as after New Years, they had a six month drop to record a new album before launching into a planned full world tour. She wasn’t nervous about that, it was that she’d have him around for a whole six months give or take between recording time.
As much as she didn’t want to admit it, the relationship between her and Jon had shifted and the more she tried not to think about the night they slept together. The more she couldn’t. She took a deep breath and looked down at her desk draw once again.
She could do this right? She would have a hell of a lot of work to do but like she saw with Jon how happy he was, exhausted but happy. Because he was doing something he wanted to be doing. She flipped through her Rolodex and saw the band had just started a stay in Florida for a few days.
Her gut somersaulted thinking about the possibility of going down and surprising him. Would he be happy to see her? She pulled her draw open slowly. Besides, who better to celebrate with filling out these forms, was Jon?
She was crazy, which one she was crazier for – the medical school application or thinking Jon would be happy to see her, she didn’t know. She never did anything spontaneous, it wasn’t in her blood.
Maybe it was time to take the chance, on her career and well…love?
Is that what this was? What was going on between her and Jon, was this love?
He was a pain in the ass, he drove her crazy but yet he did it because he believed in her. And no one had believed in her like that before. She picked up the papers and tucked them into her briefcase. Now she needed to just figure how to get to Florida by tomorrow.
She straightened herself up and walked to Mr Callaghan’s office, tapping her knuckle against the door walking in once he called her in.
Thick blacked rimmed glasses looked up from his desk, and then smiled. “Callie – what can I do for you?”
She closed the door behind her and shifted herself in his plush leather visitor’s chair. God, this felt like she was in the principal’s office for some reason. She placed her hands on her knees, “Mr Callaghan, I know this is short notice but I need a couple of days off to head down South.”
He nodded and shuffled his papers to his side. “I assume this is to do with your husband?”
She smiled, “yes, he’s been working so hard and well – he’s not coming home for Christmas so it’s a good opportunity to catch up with him.” Least it wasn’t abnormal to someone on the outside that she wanted to spend time with her husband. That part was plausible.
“Wow, over Christmas? That’s no good. Of course you can go Callie, I hope you both are going to get to go on a honeymoon early next year. You haven’t had a lot of time with each other since you’ve been married, I’ll make sure you get the time off.”
She swallowed, the thought of being alone with him away from the rest of the world for an entire week not only freaked her out, and it was strangely a comforting thought. “Thanks, I appreciate that Mr Callaghan.”
“Ok, well finish up what you need to do and make sure your clients can be covered and know you’re away.”
She stood again and went to walk out.
“Oh and Callie,” she stopped and turned around.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he winked and chuckled before burying himself back in the mountain of paper work on his desk.
Later that night she sat aboard the overnighter down to Florida, and as the doors swished closed on the Greyhound she sank down under the scratchy blanket the liner supplied. She had Jon’s itinerary stuffed in her overcoat pocked, so she at least knew the hotel he would be staying at.
Oh god, she was really going to do this? Go to med school, and tell him she had feelings for him? She was either brave, or an idiot.
Street lights and darkness blended out the window as her eyes grew heavy, she kept fidgeting with the hem of the blanket running over and over the possibilities of what she was even considering here. Was she reading him all wrong? Time would only tell.
~
“Sun, surf and babes… I think this may just be heaven!” Richie announced as the band bounded off the bus. All except Jon, who was still sitting in the bus listening to some chick that had been yapping his ear off the entire freaking bus ride about her beauty school diploma. One of Doc’s fucking hire-a-groupie-girls.
The sun was shining high in the sky, it couldn’t all be bad. He loved the beach, and Doc had promised they’d get a few hours to relax on it this afternoon. And he was dying for it.
“Come on darlin, Jonny here needs to get his rest now.” Doc hooked his arm under the girl and lifted her out of her seat and down the aisle.
“Thank fuck for that,” Jon muttered as he tugged a cap on with his sunglasses. As he walked past Doc waiting at the doorway of the bus, he stopped. “If you’re going to continue to do this, can you make sure they’re more interesting – peeling off wallpaper would be fucking more enthralling than that chick.”
Doc chuckled, “they don’t need to be bright Jonny, just need to take of your needs and want to go and buy the album and tickets to the show.” He patted him on the back.
Jon stopped and pointed straight at him. “Just so we’re clear. I’m not your whore, I may be your freaking puppet but I’m not your whore. If I want to go out and get laid, I’ll fucking go and do it myself ok?”
Doc nodded, “right Jonny. Just make sure you keep getting yourself out there. That’s all I ask.” As Jon stepped off the bus he called behind him, “how’s your wife by the way?”
Jon growled and kept walking, one day Doc’s face would be embedded by the patterns on his knuckle rings, he swore to god. Richie was waiting by where the stage equipment was being loaded out, leaning against the pole having a smoke.
“How is the ol wife anyway? How long are you going to keep this crap going Jonny? Till Doc gets pissed enough to keep throwing girls at you twenty-four seven?”
Jon grunted, and held his hand out for Richie to bum him a cigarette. “I don’t see you complaining Rich, there’s more girls than you know what to do with your cock.”
Richie snorted and flicked his lighter, “Darlin – there will always be a place for my cock.” He winked and took a drag of his own.
Jon chuckled, “yeah I thought so.” He sucked back his own, and took a deep exhale. “Callie is fine, hard to explain Rich – she’s cool. I like winding her up as well.” And he did it well, half the time he just did it to get her to fire back at him. She was cute when she was angry. Her pretty pink lips all tight – of course that inspired other thoughts as well.
“Is her family still giving her grief over the marriage?”
Jon nodded flicking away his ash, “yeah they’re still giving her a lot of grief,” he muttered absently as he remembered her phone call from a few weeks ago when she was distraught.
“You fucking miss her don’t you?” Richie laughed gripping his shoulder.
Jon snorted, “yeah maybe. But if Doc could start picking out some decent girls, it’d be ok.” He distracted Richie, knowing if he knew he was starting to like her. He’d never hear the end of it from his best friend.
“They’ve got money Jonny, and influence. That’s all Doc cares about right now.”
Jon sighed, “I know, but I envisioned this whole going after your dream a little different than this. Don’t get me wrong, I love the attention they give us. And man some of them give pretty fucking good head,” he punched Richie as he smirked at him.
“Yeah, well you’re getting no fucking shortage of it, are ya?” Richie winked.
“I want the big time Rich, I want people to love the music before they love us.”
“And I want a horse drawn carriage with pretty white horses, Jonny… you know it’s not that easy where we’re at. We have to buckle down, take Doc’s crap and then one day – you’ll get what you want. You always do Jon.”
“Thanks Rich, appreciate it. Now come on, I wanna go and pass out on that beach with a bottle of tequila.”
“Fuckin-A brother. Let’s do it.”
Hot festive sun and a blanket of humidity wrapped around them as they lay back in denim cut offs and thongs baking under the Florida sun. The waves crashed hard against the beach and the tequila slammed hard down their throats.
This really was the life.
Countless shots later Jon found himself roped into playing twister with the guys and a couple of beach babes they’d plucked from around the place. Doc was no where around either, which took a massive load off his shoulders… so he could finally manage to fucking relax.
“Hand on red Jonny!” David called out as he topped up the tequila shots up with his free hand, most of it spilling over the side of the glasses.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding, how the fuck am I meant to do that without slipping and landing on this pretty lady?” he winked at the brunette who was lying below him. He was marooned between Tico and Richie, and to get hand on red he had to stretch out over the bikini clad girl under them. The room blurred into a sea of colors as he put his head down with the weight of alcohol behind him threatening to topple him.
Fuck, I’m too wasted for this shit.
“Dude your ass is in my face,” Richie slurred.
“Deal with it, stare at it and get to know it. It’ll make us money one day… you said so yourself.”
The guys roared with laughter, and Jon’s hand slid when the slap against his ass came and he tumbled down in a heap of limbs, his face mashed in between two pink triangles. She clutched the back of his head and held him between her breasts. The hooting and hollering thundered around him as he finally popped his head up and met her seductress green eyes.
She was gorgeous, tanned and she had legs that stretched out to god knows where.
“Kiss me,” she mouthed licking across her bottom lip.
He didn’t think, he didn’t look – he smashed his mouth against hers pinning her under him. His cock already throbbing as her cotton covered nipples dug into his chest. Her hands dragged up his jaw and into his hair as she deepened the kiss, wrapping her legs around his waist.
“Get a room!” the catcalls rang out behind him.
He mumbled against her neck, his lips snagging on anything they could. She was so warm, and so soft – so familiar…”Callie…” he murmured into her neck.
Her laugh vibrated under his mouth, “you can call me whatever you like sugar. How about we find a room?”
Jon looked up, the room was on an angle, and the face distorted under him. But her hair was so dark and silky. Just like Callie’s. He nuzzled into it, taking the smell of sunshine and coconut in.
“Room.” He confirmed. He just wanted to get away from all this shit, just him and her. His cock was scratching against his shorts. He needed her.
Oh god how he needed her.
He was exhausted, happy but pissed at the way Doc was treating them. With the latest drama being he’d scheduled concerts right through Christmas, so they wouldn’t break till New Year’s Day.
Callie was nervous, as after New Years, they had a six month drop to record a new album before launching into a planned full world tour. She wasn’t nervous about that, it was that she’d have him around for a whole six months give or take between recording time.
As much as she didn’t want to admit it, the relationship between her and Jon had shifted and the more she tried not to think about the night they slept together. The more she couldn’t. She took a deep breath and looked down at her desk draw once again.
She could do this right? She would have a hell of a lot of work to do but like she saw with Jon how happy he was, exhausted but happy. Because he was doing something he wanted to be doing. She flipped through her Rolodex and saw the band had just started a stay in Florida for a few days.
Her gut somersaulted thinking about the possibility of going down and surprising him. Would he be happy to see her? She pulled her draw open slowly. Besides, who better to celebrate with filling out these forms, was Jon?
She was crazy, which one she was crazier for – the medical school application or thinking Jon would be happy to see her, she didn’t know. She never did anything spontaneous, it wasn’t in her blood.
Maybe it was time to take the chance, on her career and well…love?
Is that what this was? What was going on between her and Jon, was this love?
He was a pain in the ass, he drove her crazy but yet he did it because he believed in her. And no one had believed in her like that before. She picked up the papers and tucked them into her briefcase. Now she needed to just figure how to get to Florida by tomorrow.
She straightened herself up and walked to Mr Callaghan’s office, tapping her knuckle against the door walking in once he called her in.
Thick blacked rimmed glasses looked up from his desk, and then smiled. “Callie – what can I do for you?”
She closed the door behind her and shifted herself in his plush leather visitor’s chair. God, this felt like she was in the principal’s office for some reason. She placed her hands on her knees, “Mr Callaghan, I know this is short notice but I need a couple of days off to head down South.”
He nodded and shuffled his papers to his side. “I assume this is to do with your husband?”
She smiled, “yes, he’s been working so hard and well – he’s not coming home for Christmas so it’s a good opportunity to catch up with him.” Least it wasn’t abnormal to someone on the outside that she wanted to spend time with her husband. That part was plausible.
“Wow, over Christmas? That’s no good. Of course you can go Callie, I hope you both are going to get to go on a honeymoon early next year. You haven’t had a lot of time with each other since you’ve been married, I’ll make sure you get the time off.”
She swallowed, the thought of being alone with him away from the rest of the world for an entire week not only freaked her out, and it was strangely a comforting thought. “Thanks, I appreciate that Mr Callaghan.”
“Ok, well finish up what you need to do and make sure your clients can be covered and know you’re away.”
She stood again and went to walk out.
“Oh and Callie,” she stopped and turned around.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he winked and chuckled before burying himself back in the mountain of paper work on his desk.
Later that night she sat aboard the overnighter down to Florida, and as the doors swished closed on the Greyhound she sank down under the scratchy blanket the liner supplied. She had Jon’s itinerary stuffed in her overcoat pocked, so she at least knew the hotel he would be staying at.
Oh god, she was really going to do this? Go to med school, and tell him she had feelings for him? She was either brave, or an idiot.
Street lights and darkness blended out the window as her eyes grew heavy, she kept fidgeting with the hem of the blanket running over and over the possibilities of what she was even considering here. Was she reading him all wrong? Time would only tell.
~
“Sun, surf and babes… I think this may just be heaven!” Richie announced as the band bounded off the bus. All except Jon, who was still sitting in the bus listening to some chick that had been yapping his ear off the entire freaking bus ride about her beauty school diploma. One of Doc’s fucking hire-a-groupie-girls.
The sun was shining high in the sky, it couldn’t all be bad. He loved the beach, and Doc had promised they’d get a few hours to relax on it this afternoon. And he was dying for it.
“Come on darlin, Jonny here needs to get his rest now.” Doc hooked his arm under the girl and lifted her out of her seat and down the aisle.
“Thank fuck for that,” Jon muttered as he tugged a cap on with his sunglasses. As he walked past Doc waiting at the doorway of the bus, he stopped. “If you’re going to continue to do this, can you make sure they’re more interesting – peeling off wallpaper would be fucking more enthralling than that chick.”
Doc chuckled, “they don’t need to be bright Jonny, just need to take of your needs and want to go and buy the album and tickets to the show.” He patted him on the back.
Jon stopped and pointed straight at him. “Just so we’re clear. I’m not your whore, I may be your freaking puppet but I’m not your whore. If I want to go out and get laid, I’ll fucking go and do it myself ok?”
Doc nodded, “right Jonny. Just make sure you keep getting yourself out there. That’s all I ask.” As Jon stepped off the bus he called behind him, “how’s your wife by the way?”
Jon growled and kept walking, one day Doc’s face would be embedded by the patterns on his knuckle rings, he swore to god. Richie was waiting by where the stage equipment was being loaded out, leaning against the pole having a smoke.
“How is the ol wife anyway? How long are you going to keep this crap going Jonny? Till Doc gets pissed enough to keep throwing girls at you twenty-four seven?”
Jon grunted, and held his hand out for Richie to bum him a cigarette. “I don’t see you complaining Rich, there’s more girls than you know what to do with your cock.”
Richie snorted and flicked his lighter, “Darlin – there will always be a place for my cock.” He winked and took a drag of his own.
Jon chuckled, “yeah I thought so.” He sucked back his own, and took a deep exhale. “Callie is fine, hard to explain Rich – she’s cool. I like winding her up as well.” And he did it well, half the time he just did it to get her to fire back at him. She was cute when she was angry. Her pretty pink lips all tight – of course that inspired other thoughts as well.
“Is her family still giving her grief over the marriage?”
Jon nodded flicking away his ash, “yeah they’re still giving her a lot of grief,” he muttered absently as he remembered her phone call from a few weeks ago when she was distraught.
“You fucking miss her don’t you?” Richie laughed gripping his shoulder.
Jon snorted, “yeah maybe. But if Doc could start picking out some decent girls, it’d be ok.” He distracted Richie, knowing if he knew he was starting to like her. He’d never hear the end of it from his best friend.
“They’ve got money Jonny, and influence. That’s all Doc cares about right now.”
Jon sighed, “I know, but I envisioned this whole going after your dream a little different than this. Don’t get me wrong, I love the attention they give us. And man some of them give pretty fucking good head,” he punched Richie as he smirked at him.
“Yeah, well you’re getting no fucking shortage of it, are ya?” Richie winked.
“I want the big time Rich, I want people to love the music before they love us.”
“And I want a horse drawn carriage with pretty white horses, Jonny… you know it’s not that easy where we’re at. We have to buckle down, take Doc’s crap and then one day – you’ll get what you want. You always do Jon.”
“Thanks Rich, appreciate it. Now come on, I wanna go and pass out on that beach with a bottle of tequila.”
“Fuckin-A brother. Let’s do it.”
Hot festive sun and a blanket of humidity wrapped around them as they lay back in denim cut offs and thongs baking under the Florida sun. The waves crashed hard against the beach and the tequila slammed hard down their throats.
This really was the life.
Countless shots later Jon found himself roped into playing twister with the guys and a couple of beach babes they’d plucked from around the place. Doc was no where around either, which took a massive load off his shoulders… so he could finally manage to fucking relax.
“Hand on red Jonny!” David called out as he topped up the tequila shots up with his free hand, most of it spilling over the side of the glasses.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding, how the fuck am I meant to do that without slipping and landing on this pretty lady?” he winked at the brunette who was lying below him. He was marooned between Tico and Richie, and to get hand on red he had to stretch out over the bikini clad girl under them. The room blurred into a sea of colors as he put his head down with the weight of alcohol behind him threatening to topple him.
Fuck, I’m too wasted for this shit.
“Dude your ass is in my face,” Richie slurred.
“Deal with it, stare at it and get to know it. It’ll make us money one day… you said so yourself.”
The guys roared with laughter, and Jon’s hand slid when the slap against his ass came and he tumbled down in a heap of limbs, his face mashed in between two pink triangles. She clutched the back of his head and held him between her breasts. The hooting and hollering thundered around him as he finally popped his head up and met her seductress green eyes.
She was gorgeous, tanned and she had legs that stretched out to god knows where.
“Kiss me,” she mouthed licking across her bottom lip.
He didn’t think, he didn’t look – he smashed his mouth against hers pinning her under him. His cock already throbbing as her cotton covered nipples dug into his chest. Her hands dragged up his jaw and into his hair as she deepened the kiss, wrapping her legs around his waist.
“Get a room!” the catcalls rang out behind him.
He mumbled against her neck, his lips snagging on anything they could. She was so warm, and so soft – so familiar…”Callie…” he murmured into her neck.
Her laugh vibrated under his mouth, “you can call me whatever you like sugar. How about we find a room?”
Jon looked up, the room was on an angle, and the face distorted under him. But her hair was so dark and silky. Just like Callie’s. He nuzzled into it, taking the smell of sunshine and coconut in.
“Room.” He confirmed. He just wanted to get away from all this shit, just him and her. His cock was scratching against his shorts. He needed her.
Oh god how he needed her.
July 10, 2009
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Dammit,” he slammed the phone back down. She wasn’t home, he checked his watch. It would be 9pm back in Jersey. She must be working late. Or she was at her families, hell for all he knew she could be on a date.
He shook his shoulders and loosened himself up. In twenty minutes he’d be taking the stage. He was pumped on the outside as he bounced on the spot for a few seconds. On the inside however, he was ready to drop. They’d been hitting the promoting hard on the tour as well as performing every second night, if not every night. And on the nights off – he’d spent partying, “Networking” as Doc called it.
That part he didn’t mind but just not all the time, he knew he had to get the music out there and he wasn’t shameful about plugging himself or the band. You couldn’t be at this early critical stage. He adjusted the pink silk scarf slung low across his hips and tugged his bangles up his arms.
He glanced back at the phone and shook his head, why was he worried about her anyway? She was stupid if she couldn’t see that she could get out of the crap she was in. She had the golden opportunity to follow her dreams and didn’t, still content to be shit on by her family it seemed. Ok, she wasn’t stupid. She was a lawyer, and she was a good one at that.
He had a show to do, each show seemed to be taking more out of him as he became determined to make an impression. It was harder enough to start out without people taking you seriously, and he knew all about that.
Seas of purple, red, blue bright prints, and silk scarves spilled as far as the eye could see. People propped up on shoulders, posts – anywhere that had a good vantage point. As he shifted his stance, he stood like a lion about to roar into the jungle.
This is what his dream was made of, and one day – all those people?
They’d be there just for his band. He shot his hand up into the air, which was like a trigger for screams and leaned forward to the mic stand.
“Are you ready to rock?” the crowd cheered and clapped, but he shook his head.
“I didn’t hear you, are you read to ROCK!” The crowd thundered their answers back as he turned to this band. Richie winked at him, and Tico had his drumsticks at the ready.
He gave the nod and the beat vibrated off the stage. This is what he got up in the mornings, this is why he put up with Doc’s shit every day they’d been a band. This is why he loved doing what he did.
They belted out song after song and he seduced the crowd as they went, giving every inch of being in his blood.
~~
He rubbed his temples sluiced with sweat. “I just bled out there for sixty minutes. I need to call Callie, I told her I’d call again.” It had been so crazy in the last couple of days that he’d hardly had a chance to crap, let alone call her. The last thing tonight he felt like doing was going and entertaining the cheap perfume brigade that was waiting outside.
Doc sided against the stage beam and folded his arms. “Jonny, we’ve had this discussion time and time again. Those girls, make you money. And Callie? You don’t even like her. You like the idea of her.” He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered him one but Jon waved him away.
“Don’t fucking tell me what I think, you have no idea what I think.”
Doc flicked the lighter, “sorry to tell you Jonny. At the moment, you don’t think… until you’re making as much money so you can wipe your ass with toilet paper, you’re my puppet.” He took a deep draw. “Go and see the girls, and then if you’re still up to it, ring your damn wife then. I’ve got too much money invested in you for you to throw this away on a freakin girl you met in a casino for fuck’s sake.”
Jon folded his hands into his pockets, simply because if he didn’t. They’d be on Doc.
He swallowed the anger that was boiling in his throat and nodded storming out. One fucking day this would not be how he operated, even if it had to kill him.
“Woah, dude – what’s up with you?” Richie had the crowd of girls swimming around him but when Jon walked a couple that couldn’t get near Richie, made their way to him.
“Hey Jonny…” the blond one curled into his side, and her hand rubbed against his bare belly.
The smell of flowers and something cheap nearly made him want to gag, god he wasn’t in the mood for this. He plastered the smile across his face and looked over at her. “Hey Darlin, Jonny’s a little tired tonight and needs an early night.”
Richie raised an eyebrow in his direction, screw Doc. He needed an early night or he’d be no good to anyone. He hissed when she scratched his belly with her undoubtedly fake long red nails.
“I can make you relax, send you into a restful sleep Jonny.”
Fuck, why was he was hard when he was so damn tired. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, she was attractive enough. Smelt like a chemist but she had a nice body. He could spend fifteen minutes with her, that’d be enough to knock him out to sleep.
“Alright, but you’ll have to do the work Darlin, I’m not up for much.”
Two hours later he rolled over and mashed his face into his pillow, his body still heavy on sleep. He grunted when who-ever she was, came with him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She still hadn’t left? A blow job and some a pretty fucking pathetic effort of sex later, he’d fallen asleep.
He slipped out of her grasp and out of the bed, and padded towards the living area of the suite. Well, if that’s what you could call it, what they made hardly accommodated for luxury. Snagging the phone off the bench, he stretched the cord out the door and kicked it closed it behind him. Backed against the wall, he sank down to the floor.
He was crazy, and Callie was probably going to yell at him as god knows what the time was in Jersey. His head throbbed, and his neck ached and somehow her voice on the end, would work better than a couple of aspirin right now.
It rang for ages, and he winced realizing she really would be asleep. Maybe she was out at some guys? He snorted, come on this is Callie.
“Hello?” a sleepy voice croaked.
“Hey Callie, it’s me...” the door thudded as the back of his head connected with it.
“Jon?” there was a shuffle and a click. “What’s wrong? It’s three in the morning?”
He sighed and closed his eyes. “I know, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t sleep and I wanted...” hell, just say it asshole. “I want to make sure you were ok.”
“I’m fine Jon, why are you still up? Did you have a show tonight?”
“Yup, we sure did – we rocked the shit. I swear Callie these crowds just get crazier as we go along. Some chick launched herself at me tonight and was just screaming hysterically. I mean fuck, I know it happens. But when it does it just throws you right off.” He chuckled wishing he’d brought his cigarettes with him.
She snorted, “More like turns you on knowing you have that power over them.”
“Hey, it’s not like—ok ok... maybe a little. I wish you could see it Callie, it’s just incredible... but man....” he took a deep breath.
“Exhausting huh?” she prompted him.
“Docs driving me nuts, he’s working my ass off between shows. It’s what I want...to get big – you know make it but ....”
“You don’t take well to being told what to do?” she cut in.
He laughed, damn she did know him better than he thought. “Yeah, one day I swear to god – one fucking day. I’ll be running everything the way I want to. They’ll all work for me and I’ll get exactly what I want.”
“I believe you as well. The conviction in your voice tells me so.”
“I want it more than anything Callie – you’ve got to know what its like. See even this sucks for me right now. I’m exhausted and we’re only half way through but I wouldn’t turn back to go and work in that damn show shop again.” He didn’t push it this time, knowing he’d stepped over the boundaries so many times before.
“I do Jon... I get that believe me. But I believe you’ll get what you want.” He heard her take another deep breath. “My sister called yesterday and made me see a few things. Being a lawyer is in my blood – it’s just not that easy for me.”
“Callie – it might be in your blood but is it in your heart?” There was a long crackle of silence. He couldn’t force her, he didn’t have the energy to be honest.
“So what are you wearing?” he grinned picturing her curled up in bed, her normally neat brown hair all tousled and messy... and her sweet face all sleepy.
“Jon!”
He stifled a giggle. “Come on, throw a dog a bone...” he teased forgetting completely he had a woman lying naked in the bed behind the door.
“A pair of thick pajamas – and big woollen blankets.”
“Aw, you’re no fun.” He knew exactly what was under those pajamas, creamy curves and silky soft skin. Yeah, he remembered it exactly.
“So how’s the rest of the guys?” she mumbled sleepily.
“Eh, they’re assholes as usual...I should probably let you go... you sound tired...”
“No, no – keep talking to me. If it helps.”
Jon relaxed against the door and started to talk about the show, she laughed with him and slowly her yea’s became mmms – till there was just slow even breathing left on the line.
“Goodnight Callie, and thanks.” He smiled and hung up and sat there for a few minutes thinking about her sound asleep.
Maybe he was lucky he found her, she gave him reason when he needed it. Truthfully if he’d met her just in any other situation, he probably wouldn’t have gone for her. She was pretty, but she wasn’t his type. Being drunk obviously did have its merits.
He crept back into the suite and placed the phone back down before crawling on the far side of the bed. He needed sleep, the day tomorrow was going to be just as grueling if Doc had his way. He cringed when the girl curled up behind him and her little fingers ran through the soft hair on his chest.
And suddenly he wished it was someone else.
He shook his shoulders and loosened himself up. In twenty minutes he’d be taking the stage. He was pumped on the outside as he bounced on the spot for a few seconds. On the inside however, he was ready to drop. They’d been hitting the promoting hard on the tour as well as performing every second night, if not every night. And on the nights off – he’d spent partying, “Networking” as Doc called it.
That part he didn’t mind but just not all the time, he knew he had to get the music out there and he wasn’t shameful about plugging himself or the band. You couldn’t be at this early critical stage. He adjusted the pink silk scarf slung low across his hips and tugged his bangles up his arms.
He glanced back at the phone and shook his head, why was he worried about her anyway? She was stupid if she couldn’t see that she could get out of the crap she was in. She had the golden opportunity to follow her dreams and didn’t, still content to be shit on by her family it seemed. Ok, she wasn’t stupid. She was a lawyer, and she was a good one at that.
He had a show to do, each show seemed to be taking more out of him as he became determined to make an impression. It was harder enough to start out without people taking you seriously, and he knew all about that.
Seas of purple, red, blue bright prints, and silk scarves spilled as far as the eye could see. People propped up on shoulders, posts – anywhere that had a good vantage point. As he shifted his stance, he stood like a lion about to roar into the jungle.
This is what his dream was made of, and one day – all those people?
They’d be there just for his band. He shot his hand up into the air, which was like a trigger for screams and leaned forward to the mic stand.
“Are you ready to rock?” the crowd cheered and clapped, but he shook his head.
“I didn’t hear you, are you read to ROCK!” The crowd thundered their answers back as he turned to this band. Richie winked at him, and Tico had his drumsticks at the ready.
He gave the nod and the beat vibrated off the stage. This is what he got up in the mornings, this is why he put up with Doc’s shit every day they’d been a band. This is why he loved doing what he did.
They belted out song after song and he seduced the crowd as they went, giving every inch of being in his blood.
~~
He rubbed his temples sluiced with sweat. “I just bled out there for sixty minutes. I need to call Callie, I told her I’d call again.” It had been so crazy in the last couple of days that he’d hardly had a chance to crap, let alone call her. The last thing tonight he felt like doing was going and entertaining the cheap perfume brigade that was waiting outside.
Doc sided against the stage beam and folded his arms. “Jonny, we’ve had this discussion time and time again. Those girls, make you money. And Callie? You don’t even like her. You like the idea of her.” He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered him one but Jon waved him away.
“Don’t fucking tell me what I think, you have no idea what I think.”
Doc flicked the lighter, “sorry to tell you Jonny. At the moment, you don’t think… until you’re making as much money so you can wipe your ass with toilet paper, you’re my puppet.” He took a deep draw. “Go and see the girls, and then if you’re still up to it, ring your damn wife then. I’ve got too much money invested in you for you to throw this away on a freakin girl you met in a casino for fuck’s sake.”
Jon folded his hands into his pockets, simply because if he didn’t. They’d be on Doc.
He swallowed the anger that was boiling in his throat and nodded storming out. One fucking day this would not be how he operated, even if it had to kill him.
“Woah, dude – what’s up with you?” Richie had the crowd of girls swimming around him but when Jon walked a couple that couldn’t get near Richie, made their way to him.
“Hey Jonny…” the blond one curled into his side, and her hand rubbed against his bare belly.
The smell of flowers and something cheap nearly made him want to gag, god he wasn’t in the mood for this. He plastered the smile across his face and looked over at her. “Hey Darlin, Jonny’s a little tired tonight and needs an early night.”
Richie raised an eyebrow in his direction, screw Doc. He needed an early night or he’d be no good to anyone. He hissed when she scratched his belly with her undoubtedly fake long red nails.
“I can make you relax, send you into a restful sleep Jonny.”
Fuck, why was he was hard when he was so damn tired. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, she was attractive enough. Smelt like a chemist but she had a nice body. He could spend fifteen minutes with her, that’d be enough to knock him out to sleep.
“Alright, but you’ll have to do the work Darlin, I’m not up for much.”
Two hours later he rolled over and mashed his face into his pillow, his body still heavy on sleep. He grunted when who-ever she was, came with him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She still hadn’t left? A blow job and some a pretty fucking pathetic effort of sex later, he’d fallen asleep.
He slipped out of her grasp and out of the bed, and padded towards the living area of the suite. Well, if that’s what you could call it, what they made hardly accommodated for luxury. Snagging the phone off the bench, he stretched the cord out the door and kicked it closed it behind him. Backed against the wall, he sank down to the floor.
He was crazy, and Callie was probably going to yell at him as god knows what the time was in Jersey. His head throbbed, and his neck ached and somehow her voice on the end, would work better than a couple of aspirin right now.
It rang for ages, and he winced realizing she really would be asleep. Maybe she was out at some guys? He snorted, come on this is Callie.
“Hello?” a sleepy voice croaked.
“Hey Callie, it’s me...” the door thudded as the back of his head connected with it.
“Jon?” there was a shuffle and a click. “What’s wrong? It’s three in the morning?”
He sighed and closed his eyes. “I know, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t sleep and I wanted...” hell, just say it asshole. “I want to make sure you were ok.”
“I’m fine Jon, why are you still up? Did you have a show tonight?”
“Yup, we sure did – we rocked the shit. I swear Callie these crowds just get crazier as we go along. Some chick launched herself at me tonight and was just screaming hysterically. I mean fuck, I know it happens. But when it does it just throws you right off.” He chuckled wishing he’d brought his cigarettes with him.
She snorted, “More like turns you on knowing you have that power over them.”
“Hey, it’s not like—ok ok... maybe a little. I wish you could see it Callie, it’s just incredible... but man....” he took a deep breath.
“Exhausting huh?” she prompted him.
“Docs driving me nuts, he’s working my ass off between shows. It’s what I want...to get big – you know make it but ....”
“You don’t take well to being told what to do?” she cut in.
He laughed, damn she did know him better than he thought. “Yeah, one day I swear to god – one fucking day. I’ll be running everything the way I want to. They’ll all work for me and I’ll get exactly what I want.”
“I believe you as well. The conviction in your voice tells me so.”
“I want it more than anything Callie – you’ve got to know what its like. See even this sucks for me right now. I’m exhausted and we’re only half way through but I wouldn’t turn back to go and work in that damn show shop again.” He didn’t push it this time, knowing he’d stepped over the boundaries so many times before.
“I do Jon... I get that believe me. But I believe you’ll get what you want.” He heard her take another deep breath. “My sister called yesterday and made me see a few things. Being a lawyer is in my blood – it’s just not that easy for me.”
“Callie – it might be in your blood but is it in your heart?” There was a long crackle of silence. He couldn’t force her, he didn’t have the energy to be honest.
“So what are you wearing?” he grinned picturing her curled up in bed, her normally neat brown hair all tousled and messy... and her sweet face all sleepy.
“Jon!”
He stifled a giggle. “Come on, throw a dog a bone...” he teased forgetting completely he had a woman lying naked in the bed behind the door.
“A pair of thick pajamas – and big woollen blankets.”
“Aw, you’re no fun.” He knew exactly what was under those pajamas, creamy curves and silky soft skin. Yeah, he remembered it exactly.
“So how’s the rest of the guys?” she mumbled sleepily.
“Eh, they’re assholes as usual...I should probably let you go... you sound tired...”
“No, no – keep talking to me. If it helps.”
Jon relaxed against the door and started to talk about the show, she laughed with him and slowly her yea’s became mmms – till there was just slow even breathing left on the line.
“Goodnight Callie, and thanks.” He smiled and hung up and sat there for a few minutes thinking about her sound asleep.
Maybe he was lucky he found her, she gave him reason when he needed it. Truthfully if he’d met her just in any other situation, he probably wouldn’t have gone for her. She was pretty, but she wasn’t his type. Being drunk obviously did have its merits.
He crept back into the suite and placed the phone back down before crawling on the far side of the bed. He needed sleep, the day tomorrow was going to be just as grueling if Doc had his way. He cringed when the girl curled up behind him and her little fingers ran through the soft hair on his chest.
And suddenly he wished it was someone else.
July 6, 2009
Chapter Twenty-Three
Callie Richards stirred her coffee absently, it had been two days since her conversation with Jon. Two whole days, and while she’d calmed down considerably, she still felt unsettled. Part of her wished she hadn’t blurted it all out to Jon just like that on the phone. But the other half, was relieved and thankful to have someone she could turn to. Someone that believed in her enough to tell her to get her head out of her ass.
She flipped through the files of her upcoming cases, and as she did her shoulders grew heavy with doubt and sadness. She was due in court all next week on some of these cases, and she was lacking the gumption and fire that she so desperately needed.
Her chair squeaked as she leaned back and reached tugging her bottom desk draw open. There lying as the only contents of the draw, were papers she’d kept there for nearly a year now. Papers that displayed the definitive bold logo of the University of Medicine, New Jersey.
She sighed and rolled the draw back in. The choice seemed to simple, yet so life changing. Everything would change. Not just her job – but her whole life as she knew it. She’d borrow tens of thousands of dollars to do this and lose the respect of her family. What a great draw card.
Jon was apparently further in the Midwest by now, and she hadn’t heard from him since that call but found herself wishing he was here to keep drumming it into her.
The loud shrill of her desk phone broke her thoughts as she tucked the receiver under her chin.“Callie Richards,” she forced out cheerfully.
“Callie, my favourite baby sister.” The cheery voice of her sister Chelsea can down the line over the warbled cry of her newborn niece in the background. God, she’d hardly seen Chelsea or Ally since she was born and she felt awful
“Chelsea, hey… how is Ally doing?”
“Shh sweetie. She’s good, she’s just settled after a feed. What about you? Mrs Rockstar! Dad told me about your little arrangement with .. Jon is it?”
Callie rolled her eyes, trust her father to call a marriage an arrangement. Even if technically that is what this was. “Yeah, it’s Jon. He’s ok – and it’s more a marriage Chelsea.” She snapped a little more than she intended.
“Ok yeah – because the baby sister I know goes around marrying random rock stars, just like that. Please Callie. I wasn’t born yesterday --I know you did this to get back at Dad.”
Her sister was arguably the smartest of the siblings according to their father, until she went and had a child when her career as a high profiled divorce lawyer was just taking off. Chelsea, just as ruthless as Pierce knew how to get exactly what she wanted in a courtroom.
“I didn’t do it to get back at Dad, --“ok so it was a small lie but it had been Jon’s idea at first and she’d gone along with it. She snapped her head up, there it was again. She’d gone along with something that wasn’t her idea – again. She thunked her head down on the desk.
“Callie, I know you. You’ve had this thing ever since you didn’t go to med school. Dad’s always been tougher on you but it’s because he knows you can be like me and him. He believes in you Callie.”
Callie kept her cheek resting against the old pine of the desk. “If he believed in me he‘d of let me go and do what I wanted, Chelsea.”
“Did you know he was planning to open a law firm in the family name after Ally turns one, and he wants you and me to run it with him?”
Callie’s neck clicked as her head shot up. “He does?”
“Yes, he does but he won’t tell you this because he wants you to earn it. He wants you to be the criminal law expert and me to fun the family law office of it.”
Her heart skipped a beat, her father didn’t doubt in her ability after all? Her hand clutched around her coffee mug. However, this was yet again another decision that had been made without her knowing.
Well hell, criminal law? Callie was just starting out in those cases – she hadn’t fully decided if it was to be her speciality at this point. She wasn’t sure if she was prepared enough to step into the world of being able to defend guilty murderers and rapists.
But he believed in her? Her gut twisted, as her mind tumbled through the possibility of this and her again – giving up on her dream. Why was this so hard? Dreams were meant to be fought for, she knew that much. But why was this fight, so damn hard?
Because she was fighting everything she ever knew.
“Remember we used to play when we were younger, pretending it was the law firm Daddy owned… we’d shift all the furniture in the living area and make the makeshift office, and the toys were our clients?”
She clutched her gut and closed her eyes, god they so used to. And Chelsea would get into trouble by stealing their father’s letterhead paper to draft cases up on. Cases that included, missing hats and buttons from various toys and extended to the more serious - like kidnapping, where more often than not, the guilty party was the family cat Spike. “That was so long ago Chelsea – so much has changed, I’ve changed.”
“Have you, really – is it Jon? I hear he stood up to Dad that was pretty bold. What’s he like Callie?”
A pain in the ass, who I want to strangle every single moment of the day and…
[I]A great kisser. You know the types that can kiss you stupid and make you forget about the world. Yeah that’s him.[/i]
“Uh, what’s he like? He’s nice enough. He’s pretty busy with touring at the moment. His band is trying to make it,” she said with a little more pride than she expected.
“And you’re more than just—friends?” Chelsea asked teasingly.
Callie felt the blood rush to her cheeks, “yes we are.”
“I see, and being that he’s the centre of every woman’s wet dreams when he’s on stage doesn’t worry you one bit?”
She bit her lip, “no it doesn’t because he respects marriage.” Man, she was getting good at this – conviction in her statements. Even if they were lies.
“Well good – and the sex?”
“Chelsea!” she exclaimed as her sister started to laugh.
“Come on, does he shake you to your core, messing up your right little ponytail?” she teased.
Callie reached subconsciously for her neatly pulled back ponytail. “Chelsea, do I ask you – how your sex—never mind I don’t want to know. This conversation is off-limits.” Her eyes closed and for a moment she felt his, all over her body. The heat of his palm slipping down her belly and his index finger founding her right spot, she squirmed across in her chair.
Jesus Christ, you’ve got to stop that.
She came crashing back to life when her sister laughed in her ear. “Oh Callie – my baby sister – all sexing it up.”
“Stop it you’re not helping. And besides – I was going to tell you… “ she took a deep breath and glanced down to the draw that held her dream.
“I am thinking of applying to med school.” She exhaled, surely if she said it enough she’d feel like it was the right decision that had to be made.
The line went silent. “You really are? Are you sure Callie?” the light heartedness had all dripped from her voice.
“I want to do it…I want to become a doctor. Why does no one believe that?” she sighed.
“Callie – look it’s your life in the end you have to do what is best for you. And you alone, but you are a great lawyer. Mr Jefferson and Mr Callaghan love you – and you’ve got so much potential to be huge…and besides….” She chuckled, “What would you talk about at family dinners?”
Callie shook her head. The Richards’ family dinners for as long as she could ever remember them, were around law and cases – analysing to the death. Her father always wanted to know what they were working on and the approach they were taking, all of course within the realms of client confidentiality. The clients would be referred to Client X and Client A.
Her mother, the only one not a lawyer would just smile and laugh along while she played the good hostess. God, they would be a nightmare if she did this. She’d probably be banished from them anyway, so really what was she worried about?
“My medical career – that is what I will talk about,” she replied indignantly. Why was this such a big deal? It wasn’t like she had expressed interest in being an actress or something that obviously had risks. This was a guaranteed career move, a successful one she wanted so bad.
“Well Callie, as I said I can’t decide anything for you. And you’ve more than proven yourself in that area by marrying someone we hadn’t even met. That you hadn’t even met for god’s sake Callie.”
For a moment she wondered what Jon was doing right this minute, she bet anything that he wasn’t sitting listening to life lectures. His freedom compared to hers was priceless. He had the freedom to make his own mistakes, his own decisions. His own life.
She sighed, “I don’t know what to do anymore. Everything’s so – mucky.”
“It doesn’t have to be Cal, it seems to me that were thrown off balance with Jon coming into your life that things have become complicated. They weren’t before – you were happy doing what you were doing right?”
She twisted the cord around her finger, “well I was content…” content enough to see she has a good steady job and could do it well, so she thought.
“Do you want to throw away all those hard year studying and start all over again? Really? And be thirty by the time you are a doctor or surgeon? When by thirty you could be the top criminal lawyer in the state.”
Callie sighed and thunked her head against the desk. No one was ever going to listen to her, so what was the point? It didn’t matter. The rattle of the coffee cart down the hallway reminded her that her one, thanks to Chelsea was now cold.
“Yes Chelsea, I know…”
Like a godsend, the desperate cry of a child in the background interrupted them.
“I’ve got to go and feed Ally, its past her feed time…but hey – don’t be a stranger Cal, I miss you."
She missed her sister too. Surprisingly the oldest/youngest sibling relationship had been the strongest for Callie. But lately, well just lately she felt like she was growing apart from her family, and that saddened her.
“I miss you too Chel, I’ll keep in touch more, and I promise to come and see Ally.”
“Bring Jon with you, whenever he’s back. I’d love to meet my brother in law,” she teased.
“I will, see you later Chelsea.” They finally hung up and Callie sank back into her chair. She leaned down and pulled open the draw and closed it quickly again when Mr Callaghan came into her office.
“Ready for our ten o’clock?” he asking peeking around the door.
She nodded and gathered her files. “Absolutely, I’m coming now.”
She closed her office door behind her and took a deep breath. She just had to get over this, this was her life. So she had to make the best of it, for now.
She flipped through the files of her upcoming cases, and as she did her shoulders grew heavy with doubt and sadness. She was due in court all next week on some of these cases, and she was lacking the gumption and fire that she so desperately needed.
Her chair squeaked as she leaned back and reached tugging her bottom desk draw open. There lying as the only contents of the draw, were papers she’d kept there for nearly a year now. Papers that displayed the definitive bold logo of the University of Medicine, New Jersey.
She sighed and rolled the draw back in. The choice seemed to simple, yet so life changing. Everything would change. Not just her job – but her whole life as she knew it. She’d borrow tens of thousands of dollars to do this and lose the respect of her family. What a great draw card.
Jon was apparently further in the Midwest by now, and she hadn’t heard from him since that call but found herself wishing he was here to keep drumming it into her.
The loud shrill of her desk phone broke her thoughts as she tucked the receiver under her chin.“Callie Richards,” she forced out cheerfully.
“Callie, my favourite baby sister.” The cheery voice of her sister Chelsea can down the line over the warbled cry of her newborn niece in the background. God, she’d hardly seen Chelsea or Ally since she was born and she felt awful
“Chelsea, hey… how is Ally doing?”
“Shh sweetie. She’s good, she’s just settled after a feed. What about you? Mrs Rockstar! Dad told me about your little arrangement with .. Jon is it?”
Callie rolled her eyes, trust her father to call a marriage an arrangement. Even if technically that is what this was. “Yeah, it’s Jon. He’s ok – and it’s more a marriage Chelsea.” She snapped a little more than she intended.
“Ok yeah – because the baby sister I know goes around marrying random rock stars, just like that. Please Callie. I wasn’t born yesterday --I know you did this to get back at Dad.”
Her sister was arguably the smartest of the siblings according to their father, until she went and had a child when her career as a high profiled divorce lawyer was just taking off. Chelsea, just as ruthless as Pierce knew how to get exactly what she wanted in a courtroom.
“I didn’t do it to get back at Dad, --“ok so it was a small lie but it had been Jon’s idea at first and she’d gone along with it. She snapped her head up, there it was again. She’d gone along with something that wasn’t her idea – again. She thunked her head down on the desk.
“Callie, I know you. You’ve had this thing ever since you didn’t go to med school. Dad’s always been tougher on you but it’s because he knows you can be like me and him. He believes in you Callie.”
Callie kept her cheek resting against the old pine of the desk. “If he believed in me he‘d of let me go and do what I wanted, Chelsea.”
“Did you know he was planning to open a law firm in the family name after Ally turns one, and he wants you and me to run it with him?”
Callie’s neck clicked as her head shot up. “He does?”
“Yes, he does but he won’t tell you this because he wants you to earn it. He wants you to be the criminal law expert and me to fun the family law office of it.”
Her heart skipped a beat, her father didn’t doubt in her ability after all? Her hand clutched around her coffee mug. However, this was yet again another decision that had been made without her knowing.
Well hell, criminal law? Callie was just starting out in those cases – she hadn’t fully decided if it was to be her speciality at this point. She wasn’t sure if she was prepared enough to step into the world of being able to defend guilty murderers and rapists.
But he believed in her? Her gut twisted, as her mind tumbled through the possibility of this and her again – giving up on her dream. Why was this so hard? Dreams were meant to be fought for, she knew that much. But why was this fight, so damn hard?
Because she was fighting everything she ever knew.
“Remember we used to play when we were younger, pretending it was the law firm Daddy owned… we’d shift all the furniture in the living area and make the makeshift office, and the toys were our clients?”
She clutched her gut and closed her eyes, god they so used to. And Chelsea would get into trouble by stealing their father’s letterhead paper to draft cases up on. Cases that included, missing hats and buttons from various toys and extended to the more serious - like kidnapping, where more often than not, the guilty party was the family cat Spike. “That was so long ago Chelsea – so much has changed, I’ve changed.”
“Have you, really – is it Jon? I hear he stood up to Dad that was pretty bold. What’s he like Callie?”
A pain in the ass, who I want to strangle every single moment of the day and…
[I]A great kisser. You know the types that can kiss you stupid and make you forget about the world. Yeah that’s him.[/i]
“Uh, what’s he like? He’s nice enough. He’s pretty busy with touring at the moment. His band is trying to make it,” she said with a little more pride than she expected.
“And you’re more than just—friends?” Chelsea asked teasingly.
Callie felt the blood rush to her cheeks, “yes we are.”
“I see, and being that he’s the centre of every woman’s wet dreams when he’s on stage doesn’t worry you one bit?”
She bit her lip, “no it doesn’t because he respects marriage.” Man, she was getting good at this – conviction in her statements. Even if they were lies.
“Well good – and the sex?”
“Chelsea!” she exclaimed as her sister started to laugh.
“Come on, does he shake you to your core, messing up your right little ponytail?” she teased.
Callie reached subconsciously for her neatly pulled back ponytail. “Chelsea, do I ask you – how your sex—never mind I don’t want to know. This conversation is off-limits.” Her eyes closed and for a moment she felt his, all over her body. The heat of his palm slipping down her belly and his index finger founding her right spot, she squirmed across in her chair.
Jesus Christ, you’ve got to stop that.
She came crashing back to life when her sister laughed in her ear. “Oh Callie – my baby sister – all sexing it up.”
“Stop it you’re not helping. And besides – I was going to tell you… “ she took a deep breath and glanced down to the draw that held her dream.
“I am thinking of applying to med school.” She exhaled, surely if she said it enough she’d feel like it was the right decision that had to be made.
The line went silent. “You really are? Are you sure Callie?” the light heartedness had all dripped from her voice.
“I want to do it…I want to become a doctor. Why does no one believe that?” she sighed.
“Callie – look it’s your life in the end you have to do what is best for you. And you alone, but you are a great lawyer. Mr Jefferson and Mr Callaghan love you – and you’ve got so much potential to be huge…and besides….” She chuckled, “What would you talk about at family dinners?”
Callie shook her head. The Richards’ family dinners for as long as she could ever remember them, were around law and cases – analysing to the death. Her father always wanted to know what they were working on and the approach they were taking, all of course within the realms of client confidentiality. The clients would be referred to Client X and Client A.
Her mother, the only one not a lawyer would just smile and laugh along while she played the good hostess. God, they would be a nightmare if she did this. She’d probably be banished from them anyway, so really what was she worried about?
“My medical career – that is what I will talk about,” she replied indignantly. Why was this such a big deal? It wasn’t like she had expressed interest in being an actress or something that obviously had risks. This was a guaranteed career move, a successful one she wanted so bad.
“Well Callie, as I said I can’t decide anything for you. And you’ve more than proven yourself in that area by marrying someone we hadn’t even met. That you hadn’t even met for god’s sake Callie.”
For a moment she wondered what Jon was doing right this minute, she bet anything that he wasn’t sitting listening to life lectures. His freedom compared to hers was priceless. He had the freedom to make his own mistakes, his own decisions. His own life.
She sighed, “I don’t know what to do anymore. Everything’s so – mucky.”
“It doesn’t have to be Cal, it seems to me that were thrown off balance with Jon coming into your life that things have become complicated. They weren’t before – you were happy doing what you were doing right?”
She twisted the cord around her finger, “well I was content…” content enough to see she has a good steady job and could do it well, so she thought.
“Do you want to throw away all those hard year studying and start all over again? Really? And be thirty by the time you are a doctor or surgeon? When by thirty you could be the top criminal lawyer in the state.”
Callie sighed and thunked her head against the desk. No one was ever going to listen to her, so what was the point? It didn’t matter. The rattle of the coffee cart down the hallway reminded her that her one, thanks to Chelsea was now cold.
“Yes Chelsea, I know…”
Like a godsend, the desperate cry of a child in the background interrupted them.
“I’ve got to go and feed Ally, its past her feed time…but hey – don’t be a stranger Cal, I miss you."
She missed her sister too. Surprisingly the oldest/youngest sibling relationship had been the strongest for Callie. But lately, well just lately she felt like she was growing apart from her family, and that saddened her.
“I miss you too Chel, I’ll keep in touch more, and I promise to come and see Ally.”
“Bring Jon with you, whenever he’s back. I’d love to meet my brother in law,” she teased.
“I will, see you later Chelsea.” They finally hung up and Callie sank back into her chair. She leaned down and pulled open the draw and closed it quickly again when Mr Callaghan came into her office.
“Ready for our ten o’clock?” he asking peeking around the door.
She nodded and gathered her files. “Absolutely, I’m coming now.”
She closed her office door behind her and took a deep breath. She just had to get over this, this was her life. So she had to make the best of it, for now.
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