Chapter 115

Jesus Kate, don't press your nose against the glass. It's not like you've never been in the big city before. She rolled her eyes and sat up straight as the limo came to a stop. Philly was similar to NYC in many ways. Huge buildings and overrun streets were the norm, but the crazy mish-mash of streets and back-alley turn arounds had her dizzy. It didn't make any sense, so she stopped trying to figure out where she was. She had a relatively good sense of direction, but she felt like she was going around in a circle instead of making any headway. Trusting the driver she watched the city blow by. She was surprised with the level of poverty that she was driving through only to find herself in front of a glass and metal structure that seemed to grow out of nowhere.

She grabbed her small purse and looped it over her head. She arranged her lightweight sweater so the simple twinset top was off her shoulder. The ends brushed her belly showing off the blingy little belt she found in Elena's closet.

The door opened and her formal driver blinked a little but kept his eyes on hers. "Here you go Dr. Morrison." He held out a laminate on a cord much like her hospital badge.

"Is this my," she smiled and saw the VIP sticker, "never mind."

He tipped his hat. "Just go through that door and down the hallway. Mr. Bon Jovi said he'd meet you there."

She turned back. "And my bag?"

"I'll deposit your luggage at the hotel. Everything will be taken care of for you. Do you need anything else before I go?"

"No, Bobby. Thanks a lot for all your patience. I'm sure you just loved driving through to see the Liberty Bell during lunch hour traffic."

"Nah, a pretty lady makes a request not to go to a mall or a boutique? I'm surprised and honored."

Kate laughed. "Well, I can buy clothes anywhere. The Liberty Bell is history." She winked and reached up to kiss his cheek. "You're an all right guy, Bobby."

He blushed. "Thank you Dr. Morrison, you're an all right woman yourself."

Kate headed into the side door with a few roadies, flashing her little badge of honor. She could hear the guys behind her, surprised when they started talking about her ass. She shot a look over her shoulder, but instead of stopping, they simply leared. Frowning she walked faster...well as fast as her stupid heeled boots would carry her.

Of course the heels made her sway more and the leers turned to cat calls. She finally made it into the heart of the back stage and the roadies split off. She simply stopped. It was like a hive. Every single person seemed to have a role. She was pretty sure her mouth was hanging open as she watched cases roll by, men and a few women rushing around.

The echo of sound-check and the tinny slash of drums bounced around the arena and into the back. She slowly walked further in until she found the stage. Rigging, lights and catwalks were hanging from the sky. Overhead the lights were amazing. Spotlights, mini lights, rotating lights that looked like Christmas ornaments all twisted as they were tested for the night's festivities.

Then she saw him. He was up on the catwalk walking across with a mic, stomping to make sure it took his weight. His fluffy light brown hair was tied back in a ponytail, a sweatshirt pushed up at the elbows and work out shorts hung to his knees. Running shoes looked huge next to his skinny legs and tiny ankles.

She grinned as he hopped twice then ran to the back of the arena and returned with a quick one-two punch.

She glanced out the door for the fifteenth time wondering where Kate had gotten off too. She was supposed to be here by now dammit. It had been weeks and she wanted to see her best gal. Kate was never late so she knew something was holding her up, had to be or she'd be here by now right?

She stepped from the dressing room, the reverb of soundcheck making her smile as she heard strains of a guitar starting to blast through the building. Shaking her head she laughed aloud. Even in sound check her husband liked it louder than loud.

She heard vague cat calls and leers coming from the hallway near the stage so set off in that direction. Cat calls meant the roadies had found something nice, and knowing Kate she'd headed straight for Jon on stage.

Stepping up to stage right she glanced up at Richie, who looked over and winked as he went into Samantha Fox's Touch me I want your body. She forced back the laugh as her eyes centered on long curly red hair and a killer bod, encased in way tight jeans and a sexy little sweater.

Tiptoeing up behind Kate she wrapped fingers around her eyes and whispered, "Jewelery  thieves usually get hurt, but you I'll hug."

Kate turned around and laughed. "Hey! Don't smudge the make-up man. You know it takes me an age to figure out how to do it!" She gathered Elena in for a hug.

She'd actually put on a little weight in a good way. Her little skirt had some extra curves in the hip giving her a little hourglass shape. A silvery shirt shimmered out of place with all the black concert t-shirts and jeans, but was so Elena. "I missed you, girl!"

Elena returned the hug, pulling her so tight she could have cut her breath off. "Hell I've soooo missed having a girl around. You just don't knowwww what its like.. " she mock shivered as David wandered by intent on finding his keyboards.

Elena winked at Kate and whispered watch as her towel zipped out to zap David on the ass. "It’s rude to walk by without saying Hi Joker babe."

David rubbed his ass and frowned. "Why you always gotta go for the same cheek?" His face split into a smile, his own fluff of hair stuffed under a ball cap as he walked over. "How you doin' Kate?" His face split into a wide grin. "I don't know how you can be friends with this creature."

"It's a hardship, but I enjoy the torture. I'm a masochist, what can I say?"

Elena snorted before her grin slipped out and her dark eyes began to sparkle. " Oh hush, ya both love me and ya know it."

David snaked an arm around her head and pulled her down in a headlock. "She keeps lying, I just don't know why." He turned to Richie. "Your wife is a menace!"

"I told her to torture you, Lema!" Richie called back and wrapped his lips around his talk-box to drive his wife crazy.

Elena closed her eyes and tried not to tremble as his voice did that lil tinny odd sound. She had to get free and watch that, it was the one thing that nearly always drove her crazy. She twisted her head and looked up at Kate, her eyes glimmering as she reached back, pinched David’s ass cheek hard then with a speedy move had him flipped and on his back.

"Now you can never say I didn't get you on YOUR back Joker." Elena grinned and grabbed Kate’s hand and pulled her towards the stage. Looking around she finally found Jon still up on the catwalk, her smile growing wickedly innocent. Moving to Richie's mic she pressed her lips closer and sing-songed, "Mop Top get that supreme ass down here!"

Jon stopped and glanced over the railing. Well fuck there stood Teensy and the one person he'd been aching over for weeks. Turning he trotted to the end of the catwalk and disappeared only to trot onto stage from somewhere off to the right.

Moving up to Kate he wrapped his arms around her and smiled. "Hello baby."

Kate linked her arms around his waist and hugged him back just as tight. Weeks had gone by, she swore she didn't even remember what he smelled like anymore. She took a deep breath, Ivory soap and some sort of shampoo hit her first, but then the fabric softener she was used to and the bit of smoke that always lingered on him from the life he was a part of soaked in and brought everything back. "God, I missed you," she said into his shoulder.

His head turned as his lips pressed into her neck. "I won’t fuckin’ even try to describe how much I missed you Katy." He forced himself not to groan as the scintillating scent of her again filled his nostrils and replenished that empty hole that was his heart of late. It amazed him even now how much he needed her, and how different he felt about everything when she was around.