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.”