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.