Chapter 30

Elena kept her head down as the car began to move off down the street. "I’m sorry your celebration took such a bad turn, girlfriend." She couldn’t wait to get back to her car and back home, and maybe…just maybe, put this behind her.

Kate swiveled around. "Nah, no worries, Sweets.” She watched her friend’s eyes darken with sadness. Trying anything to cheer her up she smiled brightly. “We'll get back home and have ourselves a good old fashioned girls night with the TV. I’ve got a stack of chick flicks, a gallon of Double Chocolate Chunk ice cream and enough popcorn to stuff ourselves until we need Pepto to sleep."

Elena tried to smile, and failed. "You got it. ‘Til the Pepto's needed."

And a box of tissues. Kate flicked on the radio and laughed when, "You give love a bad name, bad name..." screamed through the car. "Oh is that you?" she asked innocently.

Jon started to laugh, humor in his gaze, "Naah, just some weird guy with funny hair from what I've been told." He knew she was trying to lighten the moment. He glanced at his rearview mirror, catching the forlorn Teensy in the backseat.

"Moptop, right girlfriend?" Kate asked.

Elena managed a smile. "Yeah, Moptop."

Kate’s gaze moved to Jon, daring him to say anything considering his Teensy comments. She reached over and fluffed it, realizing her mistake almost immediately. It was so much softer than it looked, she’d forgotten. "Well, the girls are envious and titillated at the same time, Sugar."

Jon gave a swift nod, "Ok enough with the hair, it’s all about the illusion. I'm more than the hair; trust me," he said, shooting a glance at Kate.

Kate’s grin faded. The light teasing was gone as he gripped the steering wheel. Had she said something wrong? God, why did she care? Focusing her gaze front and center the radio seemed harsh instead of playful now. She turned down the volume until it was just a murmur.

It was like a switch had been flipped, the open, friendly Jon was now stony and silent. Mercy, she’d never understand men. She wasn’t built for dealing with them unless there was a stethoscope and a chart in her hand.

Elena laid her head back. The car smelled overwhelmingly of cigarettes and his cologne. The thick, male spice clung to his sheets and now to her, imprinting itself on the memories she’d rather shut off. "How much longer?"

Kate blew out a sigh, the tension in the car was grating. "Just a few more minutes, Lains." She slid a quick, forced smile to Jon. And in the silence she watched Jon downshift and up-shift, his feet and hands working simply and elegantly with the controls of the car. Mercy. She did not need to be thinking of that. No way, no how.

"Yeah, just a few more minutes, Elena." He slowly let his fingers relax on the wheel. He knew she’d just been teasing about the hair comment, but fuck if he wasn’t tired of being thought of as just a model who sung. Glancing at his rear-view again he frowned. There was always an easiness to the girls that walked away from Richie. They left with a laugh, even if they knew they’d never see Richie again. The man knew how to charm a woman, but this? Kate pointed to Elena's car as they came around corner to the park and he put those thoughts away.

"Just over there, the red convertible." Kate pressed her hand against her belly, nerves and dread coating her insides. She knew where the nerves were coming from, about two feet to her right, but the dread...that was what she was worried about. Elena wasn't the type to go quiet over a man.

Jon glanced over to Kate. Well if that wasn’t a sweet ride. "Your car?" He pulled up beside the tiny mustang, his eyes appreciating the cherry red color.

"No, Elena's. She does like her toys," she said with a quick quip that would normally get Elena's mouth running, but when she sat back there, still so silent and wrapped up in her head, she sighed. "I appreciate the ride back, Jon. Really."

"Hey, It's my pleasure. Well…" his words trailed off. The woman had the no-fly zone tattooed on her forehead. "It was a pleasure to meet you. Hopefully, you'll give me your number, so we can keep in touch," he said impulsively.

She looked back at her best friend, practically curled into herself with her nose buried into her own shirt as if it were far colder than the temperatures warranted. "I don't think that's a good idea. We'll just leave it labeled one of those wild nights.”

He parked the car and opened his door, making it around to hers before she could get out. Leaning in he whispered softly, "Not such a good idea Kate, really," He leaned in closer, thinking fast. What the hell could he say that would keep her in his life? Something told him that he couldn’t let her get away completely. His life was complicated as hell, but if he never saw this woman again…never even had the option? "What if something occurs with her?” He nodded at Elena and thought back to the conversation from earlier. “You think maybe having a way to contact each other might help?"

She sighed and pushed at his shoulder. That warm, spicy clean scent swirled around her head, leaving her unable to think. "Quit crowding me, Sugar." When he backed up she climbed out and pulled him aside, "All right, just why would we need a follow up visit, so to speak?"

Jon winced. That wasn’t a good sign. Clearing his throat, he pushed on. "Well seems my friend kinda forgot something, more than once shall we say? Seems Teensy there had him going so good he forgot all the proper precautions.” As he watched realization light and the blush creep up her porcelain skin from neck to cheeks, the snakes in his belly eased. She was the even keeled one and playing to her rational mind would be the only thing to keep her close. For now. “I just figured,” he looked down at his shoes, then back up at her eyes, now filled with worry, “she’s not the type to play the field. If something happens, hell I’d wanna know.”

Her eyebrows beetled down. "She what?" she whispered furiously.

He never thought it possible to be so damned uncomfortable. "Fuck it Kate, it’s not like we’re ones to talk." His voice was the barest whisper as he caught the tiny brunette walking slowly to her car. "I couldn't, hell, Richie wouldn’t just let her go through that alone."

She fisted her hands in her hair. Two reasonably intelligent women and they got near these two and the simplest of precautions went flying out the window like they were airing out an old house. "Sweet Mercy," she whispered harshly. She dumped her purse on the hood of the car and dug inside for a notebook. "Okay, here's my numbers." Her fingers arced over the pad in a wide sweeping scrawl before ripping the page out. "The house," she held it out then back over her shoulder. "This is not for Richie," she said and narrowed her eyes. "And my number at St. Mary's if you really need to find me." She slowly put the slip on top of her book and held it out to him with the pen.

He glanced at the paper, Katherine Morrison. Sexy name, yet also very doctor-ish. He memorized the numbers then folded the paper, quickly sticking it into his wallet. "I won’t give it too Richie. If something happens, well, we'll cross that bridge later.” He scrawled his name, his real name at that, then his number in the block print he used for setlists. He’d grown so used to scrawling across the paper, it was hard to slow down. "Here, in case of emergencies, or even if...” He glanced at her, trying to read those lovely spring green eyes. But it was like she had her doctor mask on, there wasn’t even a hint of emotion in them. “We're out a lot, shows and well…life, but keep trying ok?" He tried to smile, and finally succeeded. "Just keep in touch."

"I'm flattered, really, Su-" she cut herself off. "Jon," she said clearly. If she'd learned nothing else today, she'd had that one thing beaten into her head and her heart...the smallest word could scar. "I wish I could say I'd call, but the only things I tend to do on a day off are sleep off my 36 hour shift." She closed the notebook and put it back in her bag. She looked over her shoulder again, catching sight of her best friend in the passenger seat and the anger flamed inside of her again. "I think it's best if we just part ways unless..." she trailed off, "well, unless there's a new reason to contact you.” Her eyes locked with his. She could see indecision and something she didn’t even want to contemplate swirling in his deep blue eyes. “Some things just aren't meant," she said firmly.

"Reasons come up every day, Katherine Morrison." Even if he’d fucked it up with riding Richie that morning. Both, Richie and Elena acting like maybe it had been more than just a one nighter. Taking a deep breath, he smiled. “Some things in life we just can’t control,” he added in response to her limits on fate.

Riding instinct Kate stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek quickly before grabbing the last of her stuff. "Have a nice life, Jon."