Chapter 48

Richie fumbled with the room key, finally opening the door and stumbling thru. Damn Jon anyway! What a night! After the show he hadn't even blinked just grabbed him up and off they'd gone. Mel would shit. He wasn't tellin' her where they'd gone, hell no! If it was just partying, she’d be ok with that. He expected the lights to be out and her to be sleeping but the lights were blazing and she was zipping around the room...packing..... Packing??

"Ummmm Mel?"

She stopped mid step, turned and gave Richie an intense glare. His nose was as red as a Christmas light for god sakes. She shook her head and watched as he walked carefully towards her. Hell he'd partied to the point he had to concentrate to walk? "Yes Rich?"

"Whatcha doing?" he asked curiously. "We don't leave until tomorrow night."

She straightened. "Much as I hate it, I need to get back home." She moved to him, her head resting on his chest just briefly.

"What?" he hugged her to him, "why?? We’re just gettin' started."

She shook her head, "Called Shan tonight, we talked."

"Well that’s good.... right?" he looked confused.

"She ignored me when I asked what was left in the cash jar. She joked and laughed. She’s almost outta money babe. Someone’s gotta pay the bills, she’s in school." She lifted her head and snorted, "Besides ya won't miss me too much, you're a very busy fella."

He let her words penetrate his alcohol filled mind. Money... bills.....school...SHIT! He'd forgot! He had someone who did all that for him when he was on the road, but Shay was there alone in that house, taking her classes and all that and he'd planned on payin' up a few months before they'd left so she could relax and just focus on studying but in the chaos that was his life it just slipped his damn fool mind. He swore and crossed to sit on the bed "Damn Mel I forgot! I'm sorry!... No No No you ain’t going no where, I'll take care of it first thing in the mornin' I swear ok?"

She crossed her arms against her chest and frowned. "You want to pay my bills, Shan's bills so I can stay here?"

"Um, yes?" He frowned back at her as he tried to clear his foggy brain "I may be a busy fella," he mimicked her; "but trust me, if I didn't have you to come back to at night I'd be more insane than I already am ok? So yes I wanna pay her bills, or your bills or... fuck whatever! I'll send her some cash in the morning, express, she'll have it by the time we board the plane."

She stalked towards him, then leaned into his face and damn near reeled from the fumes. "So, I'm not supposed to work anymore, I'm to be here for you to ...fuck? Make love too? And you'll pay all my bills?" Her tone went deadly soft, "When did I become your whore?"

He scratched his head and peered into her face "I... I... huh? my... wha?" What the hell was she pissed about? Whore, she couldn't be serious men didn't love their whores. "Mel... your tripping again."

“You want to give us money.. and all I'm giving you of late is bedtime exercise. You call it what you want. I'm used to working for my money, but NOT like that!"

He stood a little too fast and quickly reached out to steady himself on the bedside table. "You really don’t get it do ya Mel? This is not about you, this isn't about me; its about US! You me together, two people as one en...er entity! Yeah that’s it. You ain't working for MY money ya idiot! What's mine is yours! You're my girl, I love your damn ass, so all I have I give to YOU. I will be sending Shay OUR money to pay her bills," he ended nearly yelling. He wasn’t yelling out of true anger but out of confusion.He was too drunk to make sense of this at the moment damn it all.

"A rose by any other name is still as sweet." She took a step back, his confusion, his loudness calling to the volatile part of her, "Lets just look at this shall we? What do YOU do to get [i]OUR[/i] money hmmmm? "

"I play my guitar," he said with a snort.

"Ahhuh and just WHAT do I do to earn OUR money?"

"Nothin', you don’t have to do nothin'. My ma raised me to be the one who is responsible for family, my dad always has been and damn it I wanna be like him, doesn't that make sense to you??"

"And all your mom did, was sit on a couch or lay on a bed and just WAIT for Mr. Adam to come get fresh with her." She turned and walked towards the window, not knowing how to explain the sameness day to day of just waiting. "All I do is wait, nothing to do but wait, and you come in and its holy god help me raunchy sex, then you sleep, then the day starts again. And you wanna make your money OURS for me doing that. Then ya don’t get why it makes me feel...." The words like a whore, were left unsaid, he didn't get that, he was a guy.

"No I don't wanna make my money ours for THAT I wanna make it ours cause..." his words trailed off and his voice softened, "cause I love ya damn it."

She started to laugh, but it sounded a little empty. "You're not a boring man. Never think that you are. But baby hotels are boring."

He sat and thought "Well... you don't have to stay here. I just thought.... I mean you said you ain’t had it easy and well,” he motioned to the lush surroundings, “I just thought you might like...." He shrugged "You don't have to stay in the room all the time, you can come with me to some things ya know."

"You just thought a woman who was used to working 7 days a week for years could suddenly become a lady of leisure and enjoy it. I wish I could but honestly my brain is melting." She tilted her head and sighed, "but I can't see interrupting you at work either. Although I gotta admit I don’t see how its work, but..."

He snorted "maybe you SHOULD tag along for a bit then, hell maybe you could actually get me somewhere on time for a change."

She bit her lip a moment, the anger fading into humor as a true laugh started. "Dork you're gonna be late to your own funeral."

He reached out and pulled her into his lap. "Thank God for small miracles." He nuzzled her ear, "I'm sorry Darlin.'"

She moved slightly as she snuggled backwards, her head dipping to the side to allow him better access. "For what? Trying to get me drunk off fumes alone?" She stopped a moment as Shannon's words flowed through her memory banks. "Strip club or bar?"

He pulled back to look at her face and blinked rapidly, the way only the truly guilty do. How did she know?? "Um... I... Jon.. um."

"You went to look at naked women and got drunk off of it, and now," she grew still in his lap her head twisting to study him intently, "you're all revved up huh?"

He hung his head knowing he was busted. "Aww Mellie.. I can't help it! All I did was look I swear."

She almost laughed at the repentant look that she KNEW was all an act. She reached over for the phone and dialed Jon's room extension. As a gruff and drunk "Wha?" echoed over the line she bit out, "Richie's room, NOW!" She cradled the phone and pushed off his lap to stand in front of him, her hands gliding over the front of her button up dress. "I coulda done that for ya," a few buttons came undone, "you could of gotten lucky." The dress was half way unbuttoned as the knock on the door sounded.

She held the dress together and moved to the door, and damn near laughed at the disheveled look Jon presented. "I want your hotel room key."

He blinked blurrily at her, "Uh wha? what for?"

She smiled, "You took him out, you got him drunk, YOU get to bunk with him."

Jon handed the key over confused. "Don't get it."