His hands settled gracefully on the steering wheel, blue eyes flickering between road and girl. "So Shannon, how long have you lived next to Rich? I don't remember seeing you around before."
Shannon startled a bit at the sound of his voice, she'd been lost in thought and he'd up until now been quiet. She sat watching the scenery pass by, the warm wind blowing her hair. She stole glances as much as she dared without being obvious. It was so surreal to her, the man.. THE voice was driving down the road with her in the passenger seat and as good as he looked hanging on her wall, in the flesh he was even more breathtaking.
Even though she'd never one to be so ga-ga over someone solely for looks, she was finding it hard to form a coherent thought with Jon looking so damn near perfect! Tanned skin bared by his ripped up barely there t-shirt, all that glorious hair whipping around his face, his clear blue eyes a startling contrast to the slightly dark scruff just beginning to show on his chin. She was so out of her element here.
"I uh... well I guess a few years but.. I never met him... " She paused " I mean I met him but I don't remember it"
Jon's brow flicked up curiously, she didn't remember one of the most blatantly memorable people he knew? "What you hid inside your house for the last five years?' He shook his head, "I mean, I've spent a lot of time there the last three or four years, and I don't remember seeing you either."
"Huh?" she looked confused "Ohhhhhh..... no! See we just moved in about a week ago... well BACK in... I guess I met Richie when I was something like...three or maybe four? She shook her head and just laughed lightly in disbelief. She'd met Richie Sambora, long long ago and didn't even know it! "It's been years....we moved away for a long time"
He nodded, "well that makes sense I guess. Man I have NEVER seen King so out of sorts." He threw a smile her way. "you seem normal enough, but man is he safe with that nut you call a sister?"
Mel's not a nut" she said in her sisters defense, even though by her actions today Shannon was seriously starting to doubt her sisters sanity. "Mel's usually the easier person to get along with, I mean she IS stubborn but not usually so... vocal" Shannon shrugged "Guess she just doesn't like Richie.... though I don't know why, I think he's a riot!"
He braked and downshifted as he came to a stop sign. "Vocal? God what all happened before I got there?"
"They yelled... ALOT" Shannon snorted "even when I've pulled stupid stunts she's NEVER yelled at me like that!"
He turned left an took in what she said his brain trying to assimilare the fact there was someone out there that treated his friend that way. "She was yelling at him?"
"Man, they were both yellin' and I mean Mel was all red and her eyes were like.. possessed and .. that's just not Mel, she usually so.... level headed and.... well..." Shannon sighed "Kinda boring"
"didn't look that boring to me. Man she shoved a hose down his.. I mean he has..." Jon shut up a moment and settled his thoughts, "She looked like a maniac." Her words seeped into his mind a bit and he grinned, "So you’re the trouble maker in the family huh?"
"Guilty as charged" she winked playfully "nah.... I mean I guess compared to Mel I am. I mean she never does anything just work, work, work, worry, worry, worry," Shannon paused realizing she was bitching to him, she stole a glance to see if he was bored . His look intently slipping from the road back to her as she spoke assured her he was really interested in what she was saying. "I mean she's known Richie ... forever I guess but she didn’t even KNOW him...." She shook her head, "Clueless."
Well that was interesting. Usually Richie told him everything. Shit he'd told him about every girl, every thrust, bragged really, yet he'd never mentioned the blonde bombshell that was giving him hell. "Really? You knew who we are though so how'd she not know?”
Shannon laughed "Easy, she thinks my preoccupation with music is just a phase and I'll grow out of it, so... she ignores it!"
"Everyone likes music Lil Bit. Music fuck, it’s everything man."
"Everyone but her!" Shannon smiled brightly. "I've tried, really I have, I mean its like..... Medicine for the soul ya know? No matter what your feelin' there’s a tune out there... a voice on a tape that knows what you're feelin'.” Shannon sighed and leaned her head back against the seat, "it's my therapy."
Shannon let a girlish giggle slip. "Maybe that's why I’m so normal and she's finally lost her freakin' mind!"
He nodded as he turned into the small restaurant he'd found. "You sure she had one? I mean I've never seen ANY girl react to him like that."
Shannon smirked " I'm sure... musta been a shock to see some chick NOT kissin’ his ass eh?"
He chuckled as he exited the car and slid around the hood to open her door. "Something like that. Usually they're just wanting....." Nope can't say that either, Fuck. "So how did you learn about all this?"
She stood and inhaled, her mouth watered at the scent permeating from the restaurant and her stomach growled reminding her she'd skipped breakfast and lunch. "Learn all what?"
She shivered a bit at the feel of his arm innocently on her waist " I had no idea until he walked up with that damn casserole, trust me I was completely floored"
He opened the door and ushered her in smiling, "but you talk about stuff like you know."
"Well I know NOW." She laughed and nodded a thank you. He was quite surprising, manners and a bit of chivalry was not what she'd expected from a famous star like him." Richie's Mother... Joan? She kinda filled me in a bit."
He nodded to the waitress then pulled a chair out for her. As she settled in he took a seat across from her and leaned in, his gaze intent on her face. "Joan knew?"
"Yeah.. She knew.. I mean she even called me Shay no one but my family does that usually. She told me everything, how they were friends since kindergarten then sometime round 10th grade?? They just started fighting all the time and how She and my mom always joked that they'd end up married or somethin'."
His eyes widened. "Naaah, King's not the marrying kind. Roads too hard, too long. Relationships, ehh they don't seem to survive it." He bit back the rest, for some reason he wanted to tell her all about his screwed up private life, but he wouldn't, couldn't, no telling who she might tell. "I can’t see it Lil Bit,"
She sensed the bite in his last statement and simply searched his face, locking eyes with him for a split second and nodding understanding. She'd been so caught up in the conversation, so comfortable and open that she'd almost forgotten just who he was... almost. Once he'd mentioned the road though, reality flew back and slammed her dead on. She was out with a bonafide star, her, little Shannon Daniels was sitting in a no name restaurant in lord knows where New Jersey with Jon Bon Jovi..... She felt her confidence waver just a bit.
He ordered as the waitress came up, not even giving her time to decide, instinctively thinking she'd like whatever he chose, "Chicken parmesan, salad and tea for the lady. I'll have a corona."
He turned back to her, catching the sudden flicker of nervousness and let his mega watt smile fly. "I just hope she don't kill him before we get home, I fuckin need his fingers on the strings on the next leg."
Shannon blinked rapidly a few times, his sexy smile coupled with the commanding confidence he had was a bit overwhelming. How in the world had he known what she liked??? Was he psychic or something? She stuttered a bit at first, finally finding he voice again " I.. I.. I'm sure he'll be just fine... trust me Mel's truly harmless."
He grinned at the waitress as the drinks arrived, shoved a slice of lime down the neck of the beer and sipped. "Mmmmm, it’s the quiet ones you have to worry about."
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