Chapter 4

Bonus chapter this week...

Her eyes traveled upward over leather flip flops, a long pair of legs encased in khaki cargo pants and a broad chest covered by a black sleeveless tee to find Richie staring down at her.  She was pretty sure he was glaring too, but it was hard to tell since his eyes were hidden by a pair of sunglasses. 

Sunglasses?  At six in the morning?  Really, Rockstar? 

“Excuse me??”  she asked in disbelief, flipping her long ebony braid over her shoulder.

There was a patronizing in his voice as he informed her, “You shouldn’t be out here by yourself where anybody could just walk up on you.  There’s no telling what kind of nut could be wandering around in the dark.”

“Well I know of one kind for sure,” she retorted, giving him a meaningful look.  “I’m a grown woman and it’s really no concern of yours what I do.  Just because the blonde bimbo from last night didn’t satisfy you, doesn’t mean you get to take it out on me.”

Dammit!  Richie thought.  I should have pretended not to see her and gone back to my room.   It didn’t help that she was right.  Bridget – or was it Britney? – turned out to be an aspiring musician who was more interested in his business connections than him.  Regardless, he wasn’t going to let Allegra have the last word.

He sighed in frustration.  “Why don’t you just go back to the hotel?”

She eyed him coolly.  “Listen, I have no idea why this matters to you, but let me tell you what your options are.  You can go on your merry way and leave me be, or you can shut up, sit down and wait with me.  Your choice.  Either way, my backside is staying parked right here until I see the sunrise that I came for."  She turned again to face the ocean, unconcerned with his decision. 

Jon, this girl doesn’t need anybody looking after her, he mentally informed his friend.  All he wanted to do was go to sleep.  Well, he’d rather have a good bout of tension relief and THEN go to sleep, but that wasn’t going to happen.  He followed her cue and looked out over the water as the sun crept steadily out of the horizon.  Maybe he could relax by losing himself in the serenity of the scene before him.

Choice made, he dropped down next to her, digging his heels into the sand and leaning back on his arms for support.  The vibrant shades of red and orange were almost surreal in their intensity.  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen the sun come up.  Well, to be more accurate, the last time he’d WATCHED the sun come up.  On the road, daylight just signaled the end to another round of rock and roll nightlife.

They sat in silence for some time, each lost in their own thoughts and absorbing the splendor and tranquility of the moment.  As the sun broke through to sit fully atop the ocean, his curiosity got the best of him.  Eyes never leaving the skyline, he asked her, “So what is it about me that pisses you off so much?”

“Your attitude.”  There was no hesitation or emotion in her reply. 

Now he turned, looking at her profile in the morning light.    She appeared completely relaxed with arms draped over bent knees.  The breeze blew a few stray tendrils of inky hair around her face and molded her loose fitting t-shirt a little closer to her body. 

“My attitude?  What’s wrong with my attitude?”

She rose gracefully to her feet, dusting off the back of her shorts, and bent over to pick up her sandals.  “It’s not my place to judge wrong or right.  I just don’t like it.  You should get some sleep and I have a luau to plan.  See ya later.”

And with that she was gone, striding purposefully back to the hotel.  He could do nothing but watch her go.

-----

That afternoon, Allegra left the hotel’s catering office quite pleased with herself after successfully finalizing the plans for tomorrow night’s luau.  There would be a private area on the beach set aside for the group, with a traditional Imu to roast the pig. Not that she’d had any idea what an Imu was before speaking to the hotel staff.  It turned out to be pretty much just a hole in the ground that was lined and heated for roasting.  In deference to those in the group who didn’t eat pork, the menu also included Hawaiian shrimp stir fry, Kalua turkey and white fish.  Of course, there would be a variety of traditional Hawaiian side dishes and desserts to accompany them, so hopefully there should be something there to suit everyone.

She felt a little guilty, since being the “personal chef” really implied that she should be cooking for them, but they were in Hawaii for crying out loud.  Jon had seemed more than agreeable when she’d passed the luau idea by him, so that should absolve her of any guilt.  Besides, she thought smirking, it’s not like he really had an option.  People in high places had ordered this luau before the jet had ever left Jersey.

It had been arranged for Allegra to prepare meals in the kitchens of the hotels the band would be staying in.  And that’s all she had to do - actually cook the meal. It was really quite a nice setup for her.  Shopping consisted of sending an email to the hotel with a list of necessary ingredients.  She would then find everything ready and waiting when she arrived each evening.  And that was the end of her responsibilities.  The plating, serving and cleanup all fell to hotel staff.  She just had to sit and enjoy dinner with the band.  It made her feel almost like a celebrity chef, and amused her every time she thought of it. 

Her mind was still in celebrity chef world, when she bumped into a solid wall of man.  “Oh, I’m sorry!” she immediately apologized.

Strong hands were placed on her shoulders and she looked up to find a huge, gleaming grin on her victim’s face.

“Tony!  How in the world are you?”  She threw her arms around Jon’s middle brother in an enthusiastic hug.

“Hey Frannie!  I’m working my ass off for the boss, how about you?”  He returned her hug and stepped back to take in her braided hair, make-up free face, baggy jeans, loose fitting t-shirt and flip flops.  “Apparently he doesn’t hold you to any appearance standards,” he teased.

“Oh shut up!” She playfully smacked him on the arm.  “And it’s Allegra, didn’t Jon tell you?”

“Yeah, he did, but I wasn’t expecting to see you and forgot.  Sorry.”  He checked his watch. “I’m supposed to meet one of my guys and head over to the arena to set up some equipment.  Wanna come check it out?”

She didn’t have any place to be until dinner preparations that evening.  Jon had mentioned that Tony was in charge of video production, so it might be interesting.  “Sure.  Let’s go.”

They made their way to the entrance of the hotel where a van was waiting.  She climbed into the back of the van, seating herself behind the man already in the vehicle.    Tony took the seat next to him, instructed the driver to take them to Blaisdell Center and then turned to introduce Allegra to his ‘guy’.

“Allegra, this is Montana Deskins.  He works with the video production crew as a camera operator, among other things.  Montana, meet my cousin Allegra, who is playing chef for the band.”

She scowled at her cousin before greeting the other man.  The two then immediately became engrossed in technical discussions, effectively forgetting her presence. 

Allegra honestly didn’t mind, especially since it her the opportunity to check out Montana unnoticed.  She couldn’t tell much from behind other than he had short dark hair, huge shoulders, and that the sleeves of his black t-shirt accentuated bulging biceps.  Well, and the fact that he smelled good.  When was the last time she’d lost herself in the scent of man’s cologne?  Forever, it seemed.

They arrived at the arena in a few moments time, and Montana extended his hand to escort her out of the van.  She smiled gratefully and thanked him, taking her first full-on look at his face.  Handsome in a very rugged kind of way.  Strong hands and forearms.  Nice. 

“Come on, Allegra,” Tony interrupted her thoughts.  “I’ll have Montana give you the fifty-cent tour.  I’d do it myself, but I’ve got to make sure the video gear is in place before Jon throws a fit.  If you want, you can hang around for sound check.  They usually only do it on the day of an actual show, but with all the new equipment, we’re trying everything out a couple of times.”

“Sounds great, if Montana doesn’t mind.” 

“No problem,” he assured her with a smile.  Allegra mentally added deep, sexy voice to his list of attributes.

He escorted her into the main area of the arena explaining that it was small in comparison to what she would see on the rest of the tour, seating only about 8,000.  They casually chatted as he took into the maze that was the backstage area. At one point, she saw Mike Rew from a distance and waved to him.

“This is Jon’s dressing room,” Montana pointed out as they walked down another corridor.  He proceeded, indicating the others’ dressing rooms as they passed.  “Tico’s, Dave’s and Richie’s.”  They paused in front Richie’s open door for a moment, and she spotted pictures of he and a young girl tacked to his dressing table.  Though the photos were in black and white, you could tell she was blonde with light colored eyes.

“What a beautiful little girl,” Allegra commented.

“That’s Richie’s daughter, Ava.”

“It’s nice that he makes a way to keep her with him on the road.”  Finally.  Something positive about Mr. Sambora.

“She’s the light of his life, that’s for sure.”  Cocking his head slightly to one side and listening, Montana said, “I can hear the guys warming up.  Would you like to go back out and listen?”

At her agreement, he placed his hand in the small of her back, and guided her back into the labyrinth of hallways they’d just come through. 

“So, Allegra, tell me something about yourself.  How did you end up on tour with Bon Jovi as a personal chef?”

She decided to keep it simple.  “I was at a crossroads in my life, and Jon was gracious enough to make room in his circus for one more.”

“What kind of crossroads?”

“I’ve spent the last twenty years in a…” she paused, grasping for the right words, “long term relationship.”

His look was sympathetic and understanding.  “I know divorce is rough, and ending a relationship after that long can’t be easy either.  I’m sorry.”

She didn’t respond, as they had arrived back in the main arena. He escorted her to a seat near the middle of the floor saying, “This should be a good place to watch from.  I’ve got to go help finish the video setup.  It has indeed been a pleasure Miss Allegra.  I hope to see you around.”

She flushed with pleasure at the comment and was about to respond in kind, when she heard a voice bellowing, “LEGS!!  Hey guys, it’s Legs!”

Spinning toward the stage at the loud voice, she found David waving madly and grinning.  The rest of the band members just shook their heads and laughed.  “Legs?”  she called across to him.  “Since when did I become Legs?”

He shrugged.  “Allegra takes too much time to say.  Legs is easier.”

She rolled her eyes and turned her back on him.  “Montana, thank you so much for showing me around.  I’m sure our paths will cross again.”

He ran his hand lightly from her shoulder to her elbow and assured her, “You can bet on it.”  With that, he turned and was on his way.  Allegra silently monitored his departure, her eyes dropping to the fit of his jeans.  One more outstanding attribute to add to the list…

“Legs!  Whatcha wanna hear?”  David continued to bellow.

Dragging her attention back to the stage, she called out, “How about Roulette?”   There was no way she was admitting to these guys that she wasn’t very familiar with their work.  Actually, she knew nothing past the third album.  

The guys exchanged a look of surprise at her selection.  That wasn’t one of their well-known songs, nor had it been a hit. 

“You don’t know any of the newer stuff, do you?” Jon asked suspiciously, as Richie raised an interested eyebrow.

Her sheepish expression may have been a dead giveaway, but she still tilted her chin up smugly.  “I know what I like,” she threw back, silently daring him to take it any further.

He gave her a knowing grin. “You heard the lady, boys.  Let’s go Rich!”

They were just finishing the last chorus when her cell phone vibrated.  Knowing that there was no way she’d be able to carry on a conversation with the music in the background she hurried out to the main hallway. 

“Hello?” she answered slightly out of breath.

“Allegra, hi!  It’s Dot.  I called to let you know that we’ll all be there about noon tomorrow.  Is everything still going according to plan?  They don’t suspect anything do they?”

She turned her back toward the doorway, leaning her shoulder against the wall.  “Hi Dot!  Everything is perfect.  The luau details have all been finalized.  I’ve found a couple of hula girls who double as instructors, and there will be fire dancers to provide after dinner entertainment.  The guys have no idea that their wives and girlfriends will be showing up as an early Valentine’s surprise!”

“Wonderful!  Thanks so much for helping us put it together.  I know the ladies will love it, and the guys will at least humor us.”  They both laughed at the truth of her statement.  Dot’s voice turned a bit anxious as she said, “There’s only one thing…” 

“What have I forgotten?”

“Richie.”

“Huh?”  Allegra was confused.

“Everyone there will have someone for Valentine’s Day but him.”

“Oh.  That honestly never crossed my mind, since you were the one who coordinated the wives.  That WILL be a bit awkward.  Do you have any suggestions?”

“As a matter of fact, I do.  Will you be joining us for the luau?”

Allegra hesitated before answering.  “I plan to stay and make sure everything goes smoothly.”

“Great!  Then you can be his date for the evening.  Problem solved!”

Riiiight…  “I just don’t think that’s practical, Dot.  I’ll be busy with the catering staff and won’t even be with the group most of the time.  Why don’t I just ask Richie if he would like to bring a date?” 

Dot sighed.  “What was it you told Jon?  ‘Don’t try pulling that bullshit on me’?  At least be honest, Allegra.  None of us can understand why you don’t like him. I know I’ve pretty much called him the devil incarnate, but he’s really a very sweet guy and gets along well with everyone.”

“I’m sure he is, but that doesn’t change anything.  I’ll be acting as staff tomorrow night, not a guest.”

“You cannot leave this man alone at a Valentine’s celebration, no matter how impromptu or unconventional it may be.”

“Dot, I’ll figure something out.”

“If you say so…”