Chapter 59

Geena walked in the door after a hard days work , her mood not improved by just walking in the door. She glanced over at Bri, who was actually laying on the couch and not scanning the web like usual. "Customers are assholes, you know that Bri ?" She sighed as she plopped down into her favorite chair, "Any luck finding good videos or did you even bother? " It had already been a couple days after the second Seattle show and still the videos were sparse, and Bri’s seeming love of Jovi seemed even scarcer.

Bri glanced up. "Course I did. I looked up all the Jonny vids I could find. Slow ass going for this concert though." She stood up and lifted the laptop, settling it down on the table in front of Geena. She clicked on the play button and managed a slight grin. "Just watch his face here on Hallelujah and Right here on Born to be my baby." She pointed to the two tabs on the browser and slid over. "Just watch."

"He does that all the time Bri," Geena lied not only to Bri but to herself .

"Bullshit! Who you think you talking too? Some Jovi-lite fan?" She rolled her eyes. "Try again."

"Why are you looking up Jonny? You should be looking up Richie," Geena said changing the subject. "Move over I'm gonna look for him since you refuse to."

She leaned back in her chair grumbling, “I couldn't stand to. I swear I'm worse than you. Got the fantasy, and now? I regret at least the losing of it, and I did it to myself. At least you have a hope of Jon coming around. Me? I sort of nailed the coffin shut running."

"I severely doubt that, not by the look he had in that picture . Or should I bring it up again to remind you?" Geena warned as she started to surf through the videos posted in you tube.

Those pictures were burned into her memory. After she'd gotten onto her own laptop she'd found them in her mail, courtesy of Geena, the address of the one who'd sent it originally conveniently missing. "No,no, you don't have to do that."

"Good cuz I will If I have too." Geena kept searching but was having no luck What the hell? No Richie lovers out there? She kept scrolling anyway until her phone rang, hoping against hope to find just one video, even if it were blurry. Geena paused mid scroll and answered, " Hello?"

"Hello baby."

Geena dropped her phone in shock. "Shit, hang on!"She called out as she fumbled about for the phone, nervously picking it up and bringing it to her ear. "Ok, oh hey."

He chuckled into the phone. "Thought you'd resolved the nerves issues. Seein' me naked shoulda taken care of that."

Geena moaned at the visual of him lying naked on a bed tied up. She shook away the thought with a huff of breath to her bangs. "Do you always aim to shock people? "

"Yep. Gotta find the fun in things somewhere." He leaned back against the headboard and smiled. Just hearing her voice already had things looking better. "You see the live cast?"

"Yes I did." Geena leaned back in her chair , her eyes studiously avoiding Bri's I told you so look.

"Wasn't planning those two songs, but saw your Twitter thing and couldn't resist. Richie picked the damnedest song as well. I just wonder WHY he picked that one?" He leaned forward, "You doin' ok though? I worried about you after you left."

"I was surprised to be honest. After all you had a million and one requests flying at you. By the way I told ya so. But yea I guess I'm okay. I have to be. Back to work and back to reality. "

The little hitch in her voice nagged him. He didn't like that little sound, unless it was aimed at him when she was under him. "Well we're headed to San Jose in a few days, and Richie's vanished, and I think we both know where too. But I kinda thought of sending you a couple of tickets for a show….” His voice trailed off, “If you'd be interested... "

"I have a feeling where he is headed too. You want me to come to another show?"Geena swallowed hard as she fought to regain control. There was so much she wanted to ask but she didn't want to push him away so she just held her tongue.

"I hear the questions." He closed his eyes and soaked in the sound of her. "I don't make offers I don't mean. I liked you Geena, not many ladies would tell me off, and I don't normally like it, but for some reason, with you...." he paused and changed tracks, "I can make the arrangements, just let me know where."

"Now?" She teased, "Just kidding well no not really but... I don't know what to say damn it, because I don't want to push you away."

He heard the hesitation in her voice and growled. "Just cuz I'm not ready for hearts and flowers don't mean ya can push me away woman. Guess you haven’t heard of my stubbornness?"

"You stubborn? Nah when did that rumor start," Geena smirked as her heart started racing. [He wants to see me again! He called! God, he’s still able to make me stupid.

He laughed outright. "I dunno, Damn if I didn't think I was the most reasonable of people I mean fuck,, look at what I put up with on a daily basis."

She snorted, " You and reasonable aren’t even in the same dictionary. I had to show you proof of what you're fans wanted before you believed it. Then I still had to give paybacks for those songs.

If those girls knew just what I kept private about what I had to do to get you to agree to it I’d probably be buying hearing aids for all the screams I’d be hearing."

"And are they?" His head thunked back against the wall. She didn’t seem the talking type. He could only hope that some things stayed private.

"Don't get your undies in a bunch, oh wait you don't wear any. Still I would never tell anything private. Hell don’t you know that? Our stuff was just ours, not for sharing. Only thing I have done is post pics and definitely not the private ones those are mine to…” She paused and growled softly, Those are just mine."

He grinned at the possessiveness in her voice. "Think I like that Geena." He paused a moment, forcing his raging hormones back before he went into sex on the phone. "So um, How is Carly and Bri?"

"Carly? From what she’s told me she speaks to David I guess about every night. I think she’s got it bad. And -- " Geena paused as she glanced over at her friend who had fallen asleep, or at least pretended to be. "Bri is ok I guess."

He didn’t like the sound of that. "Whattya mean?"

"Um wait a sec. Let me go to my bedroom," Geena whispered as she quietly padded past the couch and into her room. She shut the door and continued, "she is downright fucking miserable. "

"Oh really now?" His brow arched, "Forgive me, but she’s the one that bolted on him, over what?" He shook his head. Maybe she needed to be miserable, Richie sure as fuck had been.

"You gotta understand. She doesn't want to be the cause of him slipping. That is what she thinks has happened . He don't need to deal with fuck-head . Jared is one psycho that I prefer not to deal with, but have because I love Bri enough too." Geena tried to explain as she lay back on her bed, getting comfortable for the rest of the call.

"He really that crazy baby?" He heard the squeaking of the bedsprings and groaned as his cock stood up and his thoughts went south with it. "Richie does what Richie does. No one can make him do shit."

"He is that crazy, hell he’s worse than crazy. I never let him know he scares the shit out of me, but he does . Once he knows, then he plays on that."

Jon winced. He remembered back over the last few days and the infernal buzzing that seemed to follow Richie everywhere. When quizzed about it Richie just shrugged his shoulders. "How'd she'd make it out of that and still be almost normal?"

"I helped her, I got her to get out, gave her money and my support. When she left, that ass showed up at my door everyday for a month. And to be honest you guys helped a lot too, " Geena confessed.

"Ok that begs a question baby. How'd we help with that?"

"You honestly don't realize how your music, or the lyrics helps someone with whatever they are feeling or going thru do you? "Geena questioned him easily, wanting to get it across just how their music did help.

"Of course I know that baby, music's universal. I was asking that on a more personal note. How'd we help her, Or you for that matter, to deal with a maniac? You gotta admit I don't sing many maniac songs.”

Geena laughed "There is Always, but seriously you gave us an outlet to escape when things got tough. I called the cops, she got a restraining order. And we moved on, until he called again anyway."

"How often he do that baby?" He considered hiring security to ghost her house. "Often?"

"Oh, I haven't told Bri, but I spotted him where I work, not sure if he followed me home or not."

He hissed and sat up straight. "She's been divorced what? Five years? And he’s still.. FUCK..."

He stood up and moved to the sitting area of the suite. "You be careful you hear me?"

"He thinks cause he didn't sign the papers they are still married. Don't worry I have security walk me out to my car at nights and at home I carry pepper-spray." She sighed softly as she admitted the one thing that had become clear after work, the one thing that had really put her mood into the crapper. "I think he is watching right now. Somehow he found out she came for a visit."

He growled low. No one should have to deal with that when they were trying to be independent. "You'll have security within a couple of days. I need to know what he looks like, so they'll be on alert. I won't have something happening to you, or Bri either."

A warm feeling spread through Geena as she heard his protectiveness kick in. "You don't have to do that."

"Fuck yeah I do. They'll be there. Have a picture or something for my guys." He paused a moment thinking over how she could be sure the security was sent by him. "They'll use the word hallelujah, Ok babe?"

"Very clever, but thank you. I do feel safer knowing you're doing this, but I just didn't want you to be put out by it or me beg for your help."

"I take care of what's mine."

Geena shot straight up in bed, her brow winging North. "Yours?" She wasn't sure she heard him right.

He paused a moment, "my family, my friends, my woman. You're fuckin' A. I take care of what's mine." He paused a moment, he'd deal with the emotion later. Now he needed to make sure she was safe. "I'll call you soon Baby. Promise. And I'll send the tickets to the show."

Geena sat there in shock. His woman? When did I become HIS woman? Her mind worked overtime to comprehend that those words had actually came from his lips. She pulled in a deep breath and spoke. "Ok, I miss you." She wondered if she should have said it but he did say his woman so -----

His brow quirked as the sound of her voice matched the emotions that tempted to swirl through him. "Well, I've uh, missed you to." He nodded as he said it, it felt oddly right to do so. "I'll see you soon ok?"

"Just so you know I won’t push you in anyway ok? Ok see you soon hopefully, real soon. It’s lonely at night now," Geena admitted.

"Yeah." He hit the disconnect button then started to dial again. Time to keep her safe.