Chapter 150

Chapter 150

Richie pushed the last couch into the main living area. Elena had insisted on at least a few pieces of furniture for the party. Hell, he just assumed they'd hit the floor or stand.

Who the hell sat at a party, anyway? Not to mention he'd been chasing his wife all over the damn house and she completely ignored him. Well, when she wasn't using him for bull labor anyway.

He wanted to shoot himself in the head for giving her the idea for a party for God's sake. If he'd known it would leave him high and dry for days he'd have rethought the idea, dammit.

Well, it wasn't like she didn't want to have a little fun after work, but she kept falling asleep. And with all the rushing he'd made her do with the impromptu party, he didn't have the heart to wake her...even if his dick was so hard and sensitive he was ready to take care of business in the damn shower.

He snagged her as she walked by with an armful of tablecloths. "Honey, you gotta sit down for a second or ten, please. You've been running all over the house."

She came to a dead stop, her head tilting, a quizzical gleam in her eyes. "But I have to decide on a table cloth, and I need to unpack those dishes and ...... " She sighed a moment as he damn near drug her towards the couch. "What's up Richie?"

He sighed, dragging her onto his lap. "I miss you."

Her brow arched at the tone in his voice. You'd think he'd been on the road for weeks with her miles away. "I'm right here baby. How can ya miss me?"

"You're rushing around so much, I haven't had a second alone with you that didn't include picking out furniture, silverware, plates or," he flicked the tablecloths, "whites."

She leaned in and brushed her lips against his cheek. "Well we can't have the jackals sitting on the floor, no telling what kind of stains they might leave, and Katy, we'll ... I won't let them into an empty place. It's gotta be perfect honey, ya know? Perfect like you."

"Hell, Lains...I'm not perfect." He stood, gathering her in. "This house is for us, not for anyone else."

She frowned a moment, then reached up and pinched him, hard. "That's for saying you're not perfect. OH, don’t give me that look." She grinned at his frown. "I know you're not *perfect* your just a Jersey guy. But you're perfect to ME ok?"

He rolled his eyes. "I know, and I love that you look at me that way...as any man would, but I'm just a man, Elena. I'm gonna fuck up and I'm gonna make you crazy at times." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and crushed her against his chest. "Just don't get all crazy about this party. It's just the guys. No one special."

She leaned back her eyes going comically wide. "Shit and here I thought they were family." She tossed the tablecloths onto the couch. "If its just guys they can eat on the floor." She didn't mean it, not by a long shot, but if it would get her free to finish the preparations she was ready to agree to anything.

"You're such a liar." He pushed back. "All right, what do I have to do next?" When she turned around to grab the huge white tablecloths he smacked her ass. "I am your slave."

Her head turned as a sparkle entered her eyes. "Ya know that sounds sorta promising." She nodded over to the boxes of music his mom had sent over. "That's YOURS."

Richie's eyebrows quirked. "Maybe that's my kitchen shit. I bought all sorts of pots and pans when I was in Europe."

She stopped and turned. "You labeled it MUSIC?"

He headed for the boxes, ripping at the top of the largest one. "Nah, that's my Dad's handwriting. Scary, huh? Two of us out there? He labels all my shit, music. I mean...it usually is, but I do have a few other things."

She walked over and glanced in the box and groaned. "Good God what all is in there?"

"About fourteen hundred dollars in Calphalon anodized cookware." He looked up at her blank face and grinned. "I cook Italian and Polish dishes baby. I need pots."

She shook her head and managed to not laugh. "Ok then, I guess those go in the kitchen. If we get those few boxes unpacked we'll be done and can actually maybe relax for a few before everyone gets here." She turned and walked towards the table and started playing with the tablecloths. "I'm sure we both need to nap or shower or something right?"

His head snapped up. "Shower sounds good," he said and lifted the box. "I'll just go put these away really quick."

She snorted as she settled on a table cloth then quickly set the centerpiece in place. Of course he'd think it sounded good, her guy did love a little dirty clean fun. Moving around, she placed the dinner ware chosen and candles then stood back frowning as she took in the effect. Hell maybe she should have put out paper plates. Somehow ... yeah that was more their style.

Quickly pulling all the china back into a stack she returned it to the kitchen and placed the paper and plastic out on the table, moving the centerpiece to the end of the counter. Well easier clean up after all was said and done, and knowing how rowdy these guys got her new china wouldn’t end up in shatters on the floor by night’s end. Stepping back she shook her head and started to laugh. She'd married into the strangest bunch.

Richie shoved the pans in every cabinet he could find, slightly alarmed that he didn't really have room for everything he had. Damn, he'd need to remodel. Shrugging, when the last door actually closed he high tailed it back to the living room. Maybe he'd get a nice, long shower out of the--

The chime of the door was louder than he'd ever thought possible. Hell, he'd had the door open for almost every delivery before they could ring the bell. Shit. So much for our shower.

She walked in from the dining room and saw him staring at the door like it was a living thing. "Gonna answer that stud? It won’t bite ya know."

"Depends on who's on the other side."

"It's not like we can't hear you out here!" Kate called from the other side of the door.

She skipped to the door and flung it open grabbing Kate into a hug before she could say another word. "KATYDID!!!"

Kate stumbled back three steps and stomped on Jon's foot. "Sorry!" she yelled back and hugged her friend just as hard. "I missed you too, brat."

She grabbed Kate's hand and started pulling her in. "Well come on in. Hiya MopTop! Can't wait for you to see... "

Jon's brow flicked up, his eyes moving between a rather energetic Elena and an exasperated friend. "Well hello to you too King."

Richie held out a hand to Jon for a quick shake, but ended up hauling him in for a hug. "Man, it's good to see you."

He chuckled and returned the hug. "Getting bored with the missus are we? Good to see you too man."

"Hell no, your visit is very inconvenient." He watched Elena drag Kate into the living room. "But of course watching her go crazy for the house...how can I kill you?"

Jon shook his head. "Go crazy? Man she was already there." He got it then as the laughter rose and flowed from his throat. "Ohhhh I get it."

Richie folded his arms. "Getting the house ready has definitely put the brakes on lovin', man. I wish I'd just invited everyone and not told her." He waved him in. "C'mon let me show you around a bit. There's this great spot on the side of the house that could make an awesome studio."

Jon's gaze shifted to Kate a moment, took in the fact she was knee deep in Elena's tour and grinned. "Let's go man; I got shit to tell ya."

Richie shouted that he was going outside with Jon, but Elena barely waved. "See...the house man. It sucked her into this zone."

He tried to not laugh, he did, but it came out anyway. He'd never seen Richie thwarted by anything when it came to anything sexual. Seems little Elena had thwarted him right and left and the big guy was damn near vibrating with it. "Just remember who bought the house man."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I did get to break in the bed once, but man it was just once." He sighed. "Listen to me going on and on. Just feeling a little ignored for the house." He rounded the corner. "How's the voice?"

He glanced back towards the living room and watched as Kate and Elena moved upstairs. "Fuck if I know, she wouldn’t let me sing, barely let me talk the entire time we were gone man. God when she gets into doctor mode? There’s no stopping her."

"Well, it's a good thing. We've got a hard few months coming up. Jesus, Doc has us booked into brain-drain city...twice a night, even." Richie laughed. "Wait until you see the view though, man." He pushed open the backdoor to the beach. "Anyway. I'm glad Katy took you away from everyone. I think you, most of all, needed it."

He punched Rich's shoulder and shook his head. "We all needed it man. We all did." He looked out over the water and inhaled a smile on his face as he studied the back yard a moment. "Shit ocean, and a pool? Man, and a tennis court? You'd think you liked the outdoors or something."

"Fuck you," Richie said and leaned on the railing. "I’d been shopping with Elena for days and we came up the drive and it was this. This was it. Had to have it."

He snorted as his eyes rolled, "and you claim she got sucked in. Man you are just as bad. So show me this place you think is good for recording."

He stood up straight and headed to the tennis courts. "Well, it's small and not set up yet of course, but..." He opened the door to the small add on. "It looks like it was a hobby room or a mini-garage in the workup, but." He stood in the center of the room. "Can't you just see it?"

Jon turned and studied each wall and corner, seeing new walls for a booth, places to settle the gear as his eyes started to gleam. "Yeah, I can. Just might work man."

"I mean for a personal studio...it's perfect, right?" He pointed to the back wall. "Perfect for a studio room, and the boards there..." He folded his hands under each arm, rocking back on his heels. "Hell, I've been on the deck writing already for fuck's sake."

Jon winced. He'd promised Kate, he had and he wanted to keep that promise, but Richie'd brought it up. "Yeah well I've had this melody driving me nuts for days man, so I know what you mean."

"If we lock ourselves in here, I will be killed." Richie said, itching for his guitar.

He hummed the melody. "It's there though. I swear...I don't usually write when we're touring, even on a little break, man. Besides man, Kate swore she'd de-nut me if we jammed and screwed up Teensy's party, but fuck I can just hear it yet something's missing ."

Richie held up a finger. He dragged the guitar case he'd hid in the room out. "Well now you gotta give me the heart of it." He flicked open the locks. "We'll just work on it for a few minutes."

Jon started to hum, then crooned a line or two that kept niggling at his brain, grumped and hummed again . "See there’s just something missing man."