Chapter-Fifty

“It’s fucking off—Tico you missed the upbeat in the first bridge again,” Jon scowled dragging his fingers through his hair.

“Here we go-“Richie whistled, Jon stopped dead in his tracks in front of his best friend.

“What? Is there a problem because we currently sound like shit?” Christ, what was wrong with these guys, everything was off-the sound, the rhythm...fuck.

Richie lifted his guitar over his head, “the problem is you’ve been in a foul mood since we got here, and I fucking know it’s not our playing. I’m not deaf Jon, we sound just fine.”

Jon’s brow winged. “Oh yea? Would you like to inform me of why I’m in a bad mood apart from the fact my guitarist can’t hold a riff and my drummer can’t hold a beat?” He stood with his hands on his hips, ok maybe it wasn’t all them. They still sounded like crap and he had a headache.

Richie put his guitar in the stand. “Look Jonny, I know you’re upset Callie isn’t here—“

“This has nothing to do with Callie, she’s busy. She’s studying and trying to get out dumb ass manager off the hook—there is no problem there.” He really did need to learn how to lie better, he hated that Richie could read him inside out like a book.

“It has everything to do with her, have you tried to talk to her about everything?” Richie asked while the rest of the band stayed silent.

“I-I of course I have, I apologized and she made it perfectly clear she doesn’t want to have that sort of relationship with me---now can we go from the fucking top, or are you giving me another therapy lesson?”

Richie took off his hat and took a step forward, easily leaving Jon in his shadow.

“Jon, one apology isn’t going to make this right. Invite her to the show tonight and she can sit out here on the side, like she did that time she came in Florida.”
Jon sighed, he remembered that time oh so well, she’d had a blast that night and so had he, and they’d had the most fucking amazing sex—fuck. He scratched his head, all of his band mate’s eyes were on him. “From the bridge.”

Richie rolled his eyes and picked his guitar back up, he nodded to Tico to start the beat and they were away. He had to see her when they got back, he had to try something, anything to see if she’d open back up and let him in. They had too much invested history in each other, and he wanted to prove that to her, no matter how much she wanted to shut it off. She couldn’t forever.

~

Once back at the hotel, Jon whizzed past the fans that were outside the lobby. “Hey Jonny!” He heard Doc’s voice but he kept on walking and found the stairs, he couldn’t even wait for the elevator, he had to see her now.

He struggled for breath at the eighth floor and found her room. He knocked and waited, bracing himself hunched on the doorframe.

“Jon?”

“Sorry... just ran up the stairs... that was harder than I thought...can I come in?” He looked up and met her eyes, she was dressed in jeans and a tight tee, her hair pulled back from her face looking fresh and sexy. She nodded and stepped back letting him in, she’d been working again.

“Why didn’t you come? Because of this?” he motioned out to the paperwork and turned back at her, “or because of this.” He took the plunge and hooked his arm around her waist and dragged her towards him, he took one quick breath and covered her mouth with his. Her words muffled against his mouth and she stiffened in his arms but he didn’t stop.

His hand slid up her neck and cupped her jaw and she settled against him as he took the kiss deeper. His thumb scraped along her cheek and her taste flooded him. It felt like something so familiar and comforting, he couldn’t seem to stop. His tongue tasted each corner of her mouth, and she moaned into his. He pulled back barely leaving inches between them.

“Jon—“he pressed a finger to her lips, and his gut twisted as her eyes fill with tears.

“Come to the show tonight, promise me you’ll be there.”

She nodded slowly, her face still in his hand. “Ok.”

He smiled, “good. That’s a start. I’m going to work at this Callie, until you realize I need to make this up to you, if you still have feelings for me...we can make this work. I promise.” He pulled back, letting his arm drop free of her, drop free of her heat he wanted more of.

“I’ll see you tonight then.”

~

Callie waited till the door closed and sank down onto the bed before her knees gave way. The kiss went straight to her core, rattled her senseless. She didn’t even know what to say, what to do-how to react. She cursed agreeing she’d go to the show, just what she needed to watch, Jon at his most lethality. God, how was she going to survive this and why was it the man still spun her out of control when he touched her, she should have been over this.

Christ.

She needed to finish her essay and finish more notes about Doc’s hearing, but how the hell could she concentrate on anything but his warm lips against hers, the way he stilled smelled, like Old English leather and soap. She wiped her cheek, not aware a tear had fallen. She could do this, she could survive a concert and do her job and get the hell out of his life again. Just like she’d planned.

It was just going to be harder than she originally anticipated.

She finished up her paperwork, ate and took a long hot shower ahead of the concert.
Her mind couldn’t stop spinning, over analysing everything he said. God, he’d only said about five things to her. How did he exactly intend on making things up to her? He couldn’t undo the things they’d done, and they’d both moved on since then. He was famous, hell was a superstar in his own right now.

Why in the hell, would he care if she still had feelings for him?

She dressed in jeans, boots and an off the shoulder red dress top, that glittered sliver in the light. It was a little racy, but hell, she hardly got to go out much these days. She fluffed her hair and applied some make-up, matching the top with some shiny lip gloss. He hadn’t said how she was supposed to get there.

As she was grabbing her purse, the phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Are you ready? We’re leaving in about five minutes, meet you in the lobby?”

She smiled, “ok Jon. I’ll be there.” She shook her head as she put the receiver down, she could just not go, but she’d bet he would be at her door within ten minutes. She had to admit a small part of her did want to see the difference from when he performed last time to now. No matter what, he put on a great show.

Callie took the elevator down to the lobby where she quickly caught sight of the band milling around by the door. Doc watched her walk towards the guys, and gave her no more than a nod.

“Heyyy here she is!” Richie turned around with Tico and David. He grabbed her arms and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you GOD that you are here!”

“I second that!” David said as he caught her in a quick embrace.

She laughed, “Maybe I should come more often if I get treated like this?”

“Oh you should---then Jon might be in a good mood more.”

Her brow winged, “what?”

David gave Richie a look and then turned back to Callie. “The man was a pit-bull when you didn’t show this afternoon, I thought he was going to kill us all...” David patted his heart dramatically. “Least I’ll live tonight.”

“He was huh?” She turned as people started chattering as the man himself made his entrance into the lobby, his face lit up when he saw her.

“You came?” He squeezed her hand and brought it to his lips. She was having a hard time concentrating as she took him in from head to toe. He had on black leather pants that left nothing to the imagination, thick heavy boots and shirt that loosely hung open with a handful of chains that gleamed on his chest. His eyes were rimmed with liner, and his hair looked incredible as it hung freely around his shoulders.

“I—“

She shivered as his finger tip ran across her bare shoulder. “You look stunning Callie. Christ, amazing.”

She nodded, “you—I mean thanks.”

His lips curved into an impish grin. “Not bad huh?”

Like she said earlier, he was lethal. Those pants were women-killers. Holy hell what was she getting herself into tonight? “You look great Jon, really great.” And that ass...

“Come on, you ride with me. We’re taking a car tonight. See you there boys.” He clasped her hand and tugged her outside to the waiting car. He let her slide in the backseat first and then followed her. “Drink?” he asked handing her a glass of wine.

She chuckled, “you don’t have to smooze me Jon. I’m coming aren’t I?”

“Not the way I’d prefer, but yes you’re coming.” The heat flushed her cheeks as he poured her glass. Damn those pants were tight. She took a long sip of her wine, “ok
I have to ask—how do you breathe in those?”

He laughed and took a drink from his own glass. “They’re painted on, breathings not so bad. Can’t say my cock appreciates them though.”

She snorted her wine, “Jesus...but no I guess you’re right. Was that just a ploy to get me to think about your cock?”

“Did it work?” he asked nonchalantly.

“A little.” She gazed out the window as the night lights of Chicago whizzed on by. Something still hung between them, whether it was chemistry or familiarity, there was something definitely still there. The wine had settled her nerves, and he didn’t try anything in the backseat. He was content to sit and talk to her the whole way.

The car rounded up to the stadium and he opened the door for her, “you play at these stadiums now huh big shot?”

He grinned, “I still thank my lucky stars every day I wake up Callie. This is something beyond my wildest dreams. Believe me.”

She smiled, despite everything she was really happy for him. Knowing how much shit he’d gone through to get to this point, he was her inspiration in some ways and always had been. He took her hand and they were quickly ushered inside the stage entrance past a sea of screaming females.

He took her hands and stopped in the corridor. “Callie, there’s something I want to say while we’re alone. It’s taken me much longer than it should have for me to do this, and mean it the way I do now.”

Her heart raced, and her warning bells went off in her head.

“Please, Jon—“

He squeezed her hands, “Callie. I know I messed up everything, and I know how much I hurt you. It was all me why we didn’t work, when we should have. I was immature, I didn’t treat you the way I treat my career, when the truth is—you’re”

“Jonny!!”

She pulled away her hands and looked away as a roadie came bounding down the corridor. She blinked away the tears quickly. This was a bad idea coming here but she was here now, there wasn't much she could do about it so she could at least enjoy the show.

“Jack, I’m just in the middle of something here, can it wait a few minutes?”

“I would—but it’s the mic, I need you to come and take a look, the settings all fucked up since sound check.”

Thank god, she prayed silently.

“Ok. Callie, we’ll pick this up later ok? Come with me, I’ll find you a seat on the side-stage.”

She followed them as they talked shop, relieved to get a minute from what was nearly, she wasn’t ready to have him admit it. Have him lay it on the line what was between them, and she wasn’t ready to admit she was still in love with him.