Chapter 58

Richie slammed the phone down and cursed. He leaned on the counter, gripping it tightly and took a few deep breaths as he tried to calm his anger. He heard the sound of Mel stepping in the shower. He could see the water falling over her body in his minds eye, slithering down every curve "Damn him!" He exclaimed as he stalked to the bathroom door. He opened it barking "Hey Mel.. we gotta problem babe."

Her hands stilled, the anger in his voice tightening her body as one drop of shampoo slid along her forehead and into her eyes. "FUCK! WARN ME shit." Sticking her head under the water's spray she rinsed the offending soap from her eyes before turning. "What’s wrong ?"


"Baby we gotta go" he sighed "NO ONE and I repeat NO ONE knows where Jon is, can't get a hold of him, so I gotta go meet Doc and go over all the details of the next leg" he grumbled

Her brow arched as she stepped under the spray, her hands sliding the soap along wet skin. "Why can't someone else do it?" Truth be told she was pissed with the band and Jon. Good thing he was lost, he'd taken her sis off somewhere, and she was flighty enough as it was, but now? She'd gotten a job and flaked out on it all because of him.

"Because babe, chain of command... I'm next in line," he sighed and peeked in the shower curtain allowing himself the torture of a wet naked Mel. "Trust me I'd rather stay here and hop in with you but we need to be on a flight in an hour."

She sighed. It was always this way because of Shannon, and seemed Dork had his own male version of Shannon to deal with. Their lives had to go on hold to handle the little flights of fancy the Shay duo had. Dammit she didn't wanna go. Waggling her brow she leaned back and tried to lure him into forgetting, "Ya sure you don’t wanna join me here?"

Richie growled in frustration. "You know I want to... I just can't" he leaned over and planted a kiss on her wet lips before pulling back with a sigh "I gotta go start packin' anything special ya wanna bring or just the usual?" He called on his way out, as he stopped to take one more peek of who he really wanted to be doing instead of work.

She turned her face up to the spray, "I need to stay here; obviously Shannon's flaked out on responsibility. Someone’s gotta hold it together." She turned to offer what she hoped was a reassuring smile only to stop dead at the look on his face. "Aww come on Dork, what else can I do?"

"You are NOT stayin' here just to take care of her again! If she's grown enough to up and disappear with Jon she's old enough to take your anger when she gets back! I almost guarantee ya she ain’t gonna come HOME. She'll show up with him sometime before sound check," he hissed out bitterly.

She lifted her hands and twisted excess water from her hair then shut off the shower. Stepping from the tub she moved into his body, pressing tightly against it. "Asking works so much better than demands Dork. Haven't ya learned that with me yet?"

He sighed, "sorry I just..." he shook his head, " next time, I promise our time will NOT be interrupted."

She stepped away from him and moved to the bedroom. "Don't make promises you can't keep Sambora. He's your Shannon. Admit it now. But I promise you one thing, and I always keep mine. I am going to stomp his skinny poofy headed ass to hell and back for this."

She reached into the closet and pulled out an outfit without looking, "As to packing, you bought it you choose." She stopped then, shit when did I go from reliable Mel who could make all the decisions to having EVERY decision made for me?"FUCK that. I'll pack for myself."

She swiftly started settling her old jeans and shirts into the suitcase, ignoring all the sexy little numbers he'd bought for her in the last weeks. She had to get control somehow someway. Yes the outfits made her feel young, wild and free, but dammit she wasn't, and it was time to try to get part of that back.

As he packed his own bag he watched Mel his curiosity rising. "Hey.... why ya taking that old stuff?"

She kept packing and muttering about doghouses. Moving to her dresser she started scooping up her make up and other needed items. If she looked at him she'd dump the jeans, if those puppy dog eyes did their thing she'd be dumping the plain underwear. She just wouldn't look. Someone had to pay for her alone time with him being fucked.

He quirked an eyebrow and while her back was turned snatched the lacy delicate little scraps he'd purchased and shoved them in his own suitcase without a word.

She flicked a glance back at him then reached for her hair band and pulled her hair back into a tight pony tail. "I swear to God I will hurt him, I am tempted to hurt her. Where the fuck did they sneak off too?"

"I don't know Mel, I mean it's crazy no WAY can Jon fuckin' Bon Jovi disappear right now, everyone knows him!"

She turned and moved towards him grabbing her suitcase. "Let’s go, time to be the responsible pair."

He frowned "Fine, let me call a ca." He studied her for a moment, his hand zipping out to tug her hair free of its confines with a grin. "Much better, now we can go."

He grabbed his bags and stopped to make the call. "Come on," he headed out the door to wait.

She started to pull her hair back up only to get a major pissy look zooming her way. Sighing she dropped the offending bit of stretchy material.

She stepped to from the living room onto the porch and forced herself to shed the carefree feeling she'd had the last few days, her back stiffening as she put on the mantle of being the adult. Goddammit, it had felt nice feeling young again, of not having to worry over responsibilities. Fuck, it felt itchy wriggling into the old Mel. But she had too, they had things to handle, thanks to Jon and Shannon.

As the cab pulled up and Richie helped Mel in, he swore he was gonna rip Jon a new one as soon as he reappeared.

She leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes, only to have the airport loom all too soon, and the insides of an airplane even faster. "so where the fuck are we off too?"

“Utah... of all places... Salt Lake City," he sighed.

Her head thudded back against the airline seat. "Fuckin' awesome."

"Sorry baby it ain’t all glamour I guess." He reached over and took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips for a kiss.

She managed a smile, "Have to grow up sometime Sambora."

"Hmph!" Didn't expect it to be THIS week."

She patted his hand consolingly. "It's ok Richard, I know how to do it. I'll do it for the both of us."

He frowned and moved his hand as his ire rose marginally. "I can handle it just fine!"

She turned her head and took in the stiff posture, the dull brown eyes and the frown and sighed. "I'm sure you can Scarecrow."

He sighed and ran a hand thru his hair as he leaned back against the head rest and closed his eyes murmuring curses at Jon the whole time.