Chapter 170

170

Kate pushed Jon out of the beater Ford truck they'd hijacked from one of the roadies. They didn't need it; they were still sleeping off the backstage party that night. The four of them filed into the dive of a diner, aptly named Mel's. Linoleum, probably the original, lined the spacious room from end to end. 

Battered red vinyl booths lined the windows with another row down the center. A few tables were scattered around, but it was definitely a cram your butt in a booth kind of place. 

She linked her fingers with Jon as the waitress waved. "Sit where you want, don't be shy."

Richie laid a hand on Elena's back, shuffling her after Jon. "Looks like we get our pick, ladies." At Jon's finger waving in the air, he laughed and dropped into the widest booth. Elena scooted in, draping herself over his arm. 

Jon and Kate slid in across from them and an Asian woman that was probably eighty, but looked fifty passed out a handful of napkins and four miniature waters. "I'm Daisy, I'll be your waitress tonight." She pulled a pencil out of a mist of dark feathering hair about three inches off her head. "Can I start you with drinks?"


Jon glanced up at the diminutive woman, smiled and nodded, "Fresh coffee, lots of it and pancakes for her. LOTS of pancakes. I'll just have a steak, medium, and a couple of eggs over easy." 

He glanced over to the married couple, "You two?"

Richie rubbed a hand over his growling belly. "Waffles for me, extra butter and syrup with bacon and sausage." He smiled at the crinkling eyes of Daisy. "Oh yeah and OJ." He patted his pocket. "I've got the vodka."

Elena's brow arched slightly as he talked, her gaze turning to Kate a moment as she heard him talking about vodka for breakfast. She couldn't decide if he was joking or serious and that worried her slightly. After all he’d had quite a bit at the after show party, and then a little more ‘refreshment’ during their homecoming at the hotel. 

Glancing to the waitress she nodded, "Same as him, just the OJ though." Her hand slipped into his jacket pocket, and sure enough felt the bottle there. Wrapping her fingers around it she slid it from the pocket and to her other side. He so didn’t need more at this time of night, especially to relax. She was here, she’d help relax him.

"So how many more dates before tour ends Jon?" She tried to keep her voice calm, and her attention on the conversation as she waited on Richie to figure out his bottle was missing.

Jon snorted, his gaze moving towards the window. "Way too many to count Teensy. Way too many to count."

Richie slid his arm around her waist and snagged the bottle in her pocket as the waitress came back with their drinks. "These are precious from the flight, babe." He glugged the full airline mini bottle into the jelly glass sized OJ and stirred with his finger. Taking a liberal sip he sighed. "Nectar of the Gods." He brushed his lips over her forehead. "Well, next to yours of course."

Her brow arched at his teasing. Even half lit on whatever alcohol he was taking in, he was the perfect flirt and tease, his words settling into her belly like a fire. She closed her eyes, forced back the desire and watched as he poured the bottle into his OJ and sighed. It wasn't worth the argument, but the fact he needed it enough to steal it back bothered her. Turning her attention back to Kate and Jon she managed a half smile. "So what time do you have to head back Katy?"

"I convinced Jon to steal away with me and take the Harley into NY. He'll drop me off and you meet you guys for the show on the 8th." She pushed his hair out of his eyes. That would give her some time to do the procedure and watch him. She wasn't sure how the Cortisone would react with him.

She smiled at her friend and nodded. "I see you figured out a way to keep him a few more days. You go girl." She lifted her hand in a high five, knowing it was Kate’s way of helping him get away from the partying and a way into helping his throat issues. "Always knew you were the sneakiest one."

Kate smacked her hand and elbowed Jon. "He likes the hiding part anyway." 

Jon's brows waggled, "Any excuse to get away from the zoo for a couple days, and to get to spend it with my beautiful gal? Fuck yeah."

Kate grabbed his hair and dragged him in for a noisy kiss. "That's for the beautiful remark." She hooked her leg over his. "It'll be nice to get him out on the open road again. The motorcycle's good for both of us." 

She smiled as the waitress came back again with their food. Drowning her pancakes in butter and syrup she dug in. She'd depleted all her energy with the bedroom Olympics and Jon was going for gold for God's sake. She needed her energy. And since she only had two days to watch him, she'd need to do the procedure when they got back to the room, so she needed a steady hand. 

Richie downed his OJ and flagged her down for another one. "Well, I can do with the two full days off, that's for sure. Elena and I are going to find a swanky hotel and use a name no one will ever figure out who we are."

He ran his hand up along Kate's leg and smiled. He could still feel her at his back on the bike. "Yeah man, within driving distance of a house you own and you're gonna go hole up in a hotel? Typical." He glanced over at Elena a moment and wondered what had her so silent before turning his attention back to Kate who was shoveling in the pancakes. "Woah baby, you don’t have to eat them whole, no ones gonna steal those pancakes from ya."

"You obviously have never been an intern," Kate said with a dripping forkful of golden delicious. "You think jail's bad?" She shook her head. "Nothing compared to the on call board and a sneaky resident." 

Richie laughed and smiled up at Daisy. "Thanks, sweetheart." He dumped another bottle into the glass and sat back to sip this time. The heat of the Smirnoff was giving him a nice glow from the inside. He threw an arm along the back of the booth. "I had no idea St. Mary's was so cutthroat."

Elena leaned forward as he fixed yet another drink at the table. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, counting to ten before speaking. It was their only time together as a group, she wouldn't start an argument. Hell she hadn't seen him in months, he was tired, he needed something to keep going. She ran through a litany of excuses for him and not a one made the fact he was drinking so much better. It finally hit her, she couldn't change how he handled the stress, she might was well join him, at least then she wouldn't notice it so much. Sliding her hand across the table she snagged his juice and lifted it to take a swallow her eyes nearly crossing at the strength. "Yum."

Richie grinned down at her. "That's not for little girls."

She took another long pull of the drink, "I don't see any little girls around here Richie." She glanced over at Kate and grinned, "Do you Katy?"

Kate glanced down at the watered down OJ with a frown. Well if vodka counted as water. "I see a woman in a tiny body that better cool it with the Screwdriver." She jumped a little as Jon pinched her. Glancing at him, her frown deepened as he shook his head. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

Elena took another swallow and felt the bomb inside the OJ starting to swirl a bit through her veins. She could party just as hard as her husband, seems he'd forgotten that tiny bit of info. 

Jon glanced at Kate and read the confusion and dash of anger in her eyes and smiled. He’d explain to her later, out of hearing range of his friend. Sometimes ya needed things and fussing with Sambora about it only made him more stubborn.

Richie pushed his plate away. "Well I'm glad we got to hang out with you for a little while, Kate. The next few months are going to suck sideways." He dragged Elena onto his lap and snagged the glass, finishing the last of the OJ. When she wiggled, he bit back a groan. He was fed, but far from tired. "The drive home would be too much time wasted when I can be naked and happy. I'm thinking the Waldorf for a few nights of pampering." 

Jon snorted, "You would man. Ever think to ask the wife there?"

Elena glanced up at Jon and smiled. "It's only a couple days, less time traveling the better right?"

Richie hugged his wife closer. "That's okay, right? Since we have to go to Uniondale, might as well get the traveling out of the way and stay naked as long as possible." At her flushed face and sparkling eyes, he dropped a kiss on her pouty lips. Vodka was shooting through her little veins. "Room service naked," he grinned.

Kate pushed Jon out of the booth. "All this naked talk is making my pancakes come back up. C'mon let's go pay, so I can get you back to the hotel." The sooner she got the procedure over, the better.

Jon slipped from the booth as he laughed, "Yeah it is kinda sickening." He winked over at Elena and caught the sparkle in her eyes and for the life of him couldn’t decide if she was in a good mood or bad. He prayed it was a good one or else Richie wouldn’t be as naked as he planned. "I'll see you two in a few days." 

Wrapping his arm around Kate he made his way to the cash register and paid up before pulling Kate outside. "Finally alone again." He stopped a moment and started grumbling. "Fuck." Turning around he opened the diner door and yelled, "Well fuck it asshole come on or I'm leaving ya's to walk."

Richie slid out of the booth. "Damn, we still have to go with them?" He laughed, dragging her along behind him. "C'mon. We can ditch the no-fun's and raid the mini-bar."

She shook her head and tried to keep up with his long legged stride, "Or we can just ditch the no funs and have non mini bar fun." She waggled her brows slightly and grinned.

He shrugged. "If you're here, I don't need the mini-bar." He backed out the door, clutching both her hands. "I'm not worried." He leaned down to her height. "You worried?" he made a funny face dropping his voice a few octaves.

Her eyes rolled as he went into goofy mode. "Do I need to be?" She kept her tone light and teasing. No need to push things. She was here now, she'd help him relax without the damned drinking if she could. 

"Nahh," he laughed. "It's all good. I can deal with anything as long as you're here."

She laughed as they all jammed back into the front of the truck, her ass landing in his lap as he tugged her in closer. "was there any ever doubt about that? I'm the best medicine there is for what ails ya."

Jon glanced over at Elena and grunted, "Depends on who you talking bout Teensy." He winked at Kate, "Sometimes medicine comes in Red though."


Kate smirked and shifted the truck into first smoothly as Jon rode the clutch. "I don't even need my prescription pad for that one, sugar."