Chapter Five

Thanks to rutpop and norwichliz for a little inspiration with this one  :0)


Richie looked over at the sleeping woman and sighed softly.  He was really out of practice.  The last tour had been about making it from one show to the next without a drink.  Invitations for late-night visits to women’s hotel rooms had routinely been declined, opting instead to stick close to the guys.  They didn’t know it – or maybe they did – but he used them as a security net.  Just being with them kept his resolve stronger.  His bandmates, and most especially Jon, had been there and done more for him than he could repay.  He wouldn’t disappoint them any more than he already had.

Grabbing his shoes, he finger-combed his hair and quietly slipped out of the hotel room.  It was getting close to daylight, and time to get back to his own room before the blonde from last night awoke.

And it wouldn’t hurt to see if Allegra’s stubborn ass was alone on the beach again this morning…

-----

They say that it is darkest just before the dawn, and Allegra believed it as she sat alone on the beach.  Waiting for the start of another day in paradise, she was cloaked in the shadows of the night with only her thoughts for company. It’s so peaceful…

And she was in need of some peace after spending most of yesterday evening trying to find an answer to the Richie/luau problem. It wasn’t like she could ask Jon or the band members.  That would ruin the surprise.  Never dreaming that she’d be forced into the position of finding a Valentine’s date for a single man, she ended up doing the only thing she could think of.  It took a lot of subtle inquiries, phone calls, cajoling, and wheedling, but she believed everything would come together.  She hoped so anyway.  Just have a little faith, Allegra, she told herself.  It will be fine. 

At least dinner had gone well.  She fixed the ‘famous’ lasagna along with an antipasto salad and garlic bread, with a simple cheesecake for dessert.  Jon had conveyed his appreciation with a wink and slight nod of approval, but most of his bandmates had been more vocal.  Almost ridiculously so.  David serenaded her with ‘That’s Amore’  - substituting ‘lasagna pie’ for the ‘big pizza pie’, with Hugh and Richie chiming in on harmony.  Tico had settled for a kiss on the cheek as his expression of gratitude.  It was a relief to have that first meal behind her. 

She jumped slightly as a movement – or was it a sound? – caught her attention.  Glancing over to her left, she was struck with a sense of déjà vu.  There was Richie, making his way toward her from a neighboring hotel.  This hotel being on the opposite end of the beach from yesterday’s. 

Oh great, here we go again.  She watched him approach, bracing herself for another lecture.

Allegra eyed him with wary defiance, mentally preparing for a disagreement, but the lecture didn’t come.  He surprised her by not saying a word.  He simply acknowledged her with a nod and situated himself on the sand, much as he had the day before.

Richie silently congratulated himself.  So far, he’d managed to fulfill his obligation to Jon without pissing her off.

As he rolled up the cuffs of his jeans, she noted that he at least wasn’t wearing the sunglasses this morning.  They were safely tucked into the neckline of his burgundy t-shirt.  The muscles in his arms rippled as he leaned back on his elbows in the sand, drawing her attention to the tattoo peeking out of the bottom of his sleeve.   She recalled seeing that he had tattoos, but hadn’t paid attention to what they were.  This one appeared to be a guitar, but she couldn’t make out much more than that.

Dragging her focus from his bicep, she decided to go on the offensive rather than wait for him to speak, “Better night last night?”

His eyes sought her out in the dim light.  She didn’t see any trace of antagonism there.   

Richie took in her appearance from his reclined position.  Baggy t-shirt, baggy shorts, sandals and a haphazard braid seemed to be her standard sunrise uniform.  “Do you really want to know the answer?” he offhandedly responded with a question of his own. 

“No.  But I thought I’d try and be social.”

He refused to bicker with her.  “Social is good.  It’s a step forward for us anyway.”  The tide once again captured his attention.

Chuckling softly, she realized how childish she was being, and admitted,   “I guess it is.”

With that, they both sat quietly in the pre-dawn moments, content with the little bit of accord they’d just found.

The sun had breached the horizon, light dancing across the waves, when Allegra spoke quietly.  “Your daughter is beautiful.”

And that’s all it took.  His whole demeanor changed in an instant.  The tension left him, his features softened, and he gave her a genuine smile.  He seemed like a real person for the first time since she’d met him.  “Yeah.  She is.  Thanks.”

She wanted to see if it would last.  “Tell me about her?” 

“What do you already know?”

“Nothing.”  His quizzical expression prompted her to qualify the statement. “I saw her picture in your dressing room and Montana told me that her name is Ava.  That’s it.”

Nodding, his answer was sincere, yet concise.  “Her name is Ava Elizabeth, she’s twelve, and the best part of me.  There’s nothing that’s more important in my life.”

His expression was wistful as he became lost in thoughts of his beloved daughter.  THIS man is a different person than the one I met two days ago, Allegra realized, her attitude toward him softening a little more. 

“That’s the way it should be,” she told him, suddenly uncomfortable.  She rose quickly and dusted the sand from her shorts.  “Well, the sun is up and it’s time for me to get going.  There's a lot to do today.  I'll see you later.”

“Hey.”  He reached out and lightly grasped her hand before she could walk away. 

“Yeah?”

“Was it so bad?”

“What?”

Grinning, he replied, “Being social.”

She just shrugged and, with a little smirk, headed off to begin her day.

-----

Dot called Allegra about just after noon to let her know the women of Bon Jovi had arrived.  She had booked an extra room to ensure that their secret stayed safe, and asked Allegra to come join them.

Knocking, Allegra was anxious to meet these ladies and see how they matched up to their mates.

The door was opened by a tall, willowy blonde with a questioning look on her face.  “Allegra?”  At Allegra’s nod and smile, she continued.  “Come in!  I’m David’s fiancée, Lexi.”

“David’s fiancée!  Well, Lexi, I’m thrilled.  Once David finds out we’ve met, maybe he’ll stop asking me if I’m single!”  They both laughed as Allegra made her way into the room. Lexi was well aware of her fiancé’s teasing nature.

The room was actually a two bedroom, two bath suite.  This would provide enough space for everyone to comfortably get ready for the evening.  The suite was decorated similarly to Allegra’s room, but on a much larger scale.  The sitting area was done in tasteful shades of brown and beige, reflected in the pattern of the sofa and two side chairs. 

A stunning Latino woman was seated with Dot on the couch, and a second willowy blonde sat in one of the chairs.  Rising from her seat, Dot greeted Allegra warmly with a hug.  Drawing back, serious expression on her face, she asked, “Did you take care of it?”

“I told you I would!”  Allegra chastised lightly.  “Richie’s date will be arriving at the hotel in about an hour, and I’ve arranged for her to be brought here for hula instruction at two.”

“Well?  Who is it?  Madre de Dios, please not Denise!”  The Latino woman exclaimed dramatically.

Allegra laughed, answering in the negative before she introduced herself.  “Hi, I’m Allegra Castanelli.  I’m going to assume that you’re Tico’s wife?”

A dazzling smile lit up her face, “Si, I am Hector’s wife, Alejandra.  He has spoken very fondly of you.”

“I’m pretty fond of him myself.  I got to spend some time with him on the trip out here.  He’s been amazing in making me feel welcome and a part of the group.  You’re a lucky woman.”

The second blonde spoke up then, introducing herself, “And I’m Kelli McDonald, Hugh’s wife.”

“Ladies, it’s a pleasure to meet each of you.  I’m just getting to know the men in your lives, but they’ve already charmed me.  I promise to make sure they’re well fed while we’re out on the road.”  She seated herself on the end of the sofa with Dot and Alejandra, while Lexi took the other chair.  “Now… who’s Denise?”

The four women looked at each other, and, as Dot was the only one who wasn’t overtaken by laughter, she responded to the question.  “Denise was Richie’s girlfriend right after his divorce.  She didn’t endear herself to anyone in this group, the men included.  We all assume that she had some hidden charms and talents that we weren’t aware of.  Either that, or Richie was blinded by alcohol.  We still don’t know which.”

Alejandra addressed Dot.  “I can’t believe she doesn’t already know.” 

“Honestly, I doubt she even knows who Richie’s ex-wife is.”

“Okay, first of all, I know Heather is his ex-wife.  But more importantly, can we speak as though I’m actually IN the room?”  Allegra asked wryly.

Kelli offered their regrets along with an explanation.  “I’m sorry honey, it’s just that Richie’s private life was very public and we’re surprised you don’t already know the story.  Seems like most everyone does.”

Allegra shrugged and told them unapologetically, “I don’t keep up with celebrity news, so I guess I’m at a disadvantage.”

“Actually, I think that’s your biggest AD-vantage in dealing with these men,” Dot assured her.  “They say it, they mean it, but they have a hard time getting anyone to accept that they’re regular guys.  They belch, scratch and forget to put the toilet seat down just like all other men.  I have a feeling you’re going to help keep them grounded just by not being starstruck.”

Hysterical laughter suddenly filled the air, yet as she surveyed the room, Allegra saw that no one was actually laughing.  Lexi rose quickly and grabbed the cellphone from her purse.  “That’s David’s ringtone,” she explained, before answering it.

“Hey baby!  How are you?  I’m good.  Hating that you’re so far away from me, but good.”  She grinned mischievously at the others.  “Luau tonight?  That should be fun.  Wish I was going to be there.  Yeah, I know you do too.  Don’t pick up any hula dancers, okay?  Uh-huh.  That’s okay, I understand you have rehearsal.  Love you too, and I’ll talk to you soon.”   After hanging up the phone she finished that thought.  “And see you even sooner!”

The women all snickered, but Dot was not to be deterred.  “Allegra, you still haven’t told us who Richie’s date is.  Tell me it’s not some trashy blonde bimbo.  I don’t want to spend the evening with another one of those.”

“Well, she IS a blonde…  Look, I don’t know Richie and that’s made this very difficult.  So I did the only thing I could think of.  And, after talking to him this morning, I’m confident that it was the right choice.”  She said, trying to convince herself as much as anyone else.  “Valentine’s Day is about love.  That typically means romantic love, but since I don’t run an escort service that really wasn’t an option.  From what I’ve been told and seen myself, he loves his daughter more than anything.  So I spoke with her mother last night and made the arrangements.  Ava’s going to be Richie’s date, and she’ll being staying on for the first show.”

There was silence in the room, but as Allegra took in the face of each woman, she thought she saw approval. 

Dot spoke for the group.  “I would’ve gone a totally different route, as you know, but as a second choice I think it’s perfect.  He’ll be thrilled to have Ava with him.”

With that, the women began to discuss the evening ahead and debated on whether or not they could fit in spa appointments between hula instruction and the luau.  It was quickly determined that they would have just enough time for either massages or pedicures.  Dot and Kelli were going to have the massages, while Lexi and Alejandra were opting for pedicures.

Satisfied that the ladies were settled, Allegra excused herself to make sure Ava and her nanny had arrived safely.  She assured them that she would be back by two, wanting to take advantage of the hula lesson herself. 

“Oh, Allegra there’s just one more thing.”  Alejandra placed a hand lightly on her shoulder.  She looked to the others for support before continuing.  “Our men have been together by choice for over twenty-five years.  They are closer than brothers.  You may be a Bongiovi by blood, but you’re now a part of the Bon Jovi family too.  That places you in a unique position and makes you family to all of us every bit as much as you are to Jon and Dot.”

Lexi continued, “Now, you may not always appreciate that, because these guys are protective as hell – whether they need to be or not.”

“And because the guys won’t mention it, assuming you just know.” Kelli went on, “we want to tell you that if you need something, we’re here.  Call any of us any time.”

Allegra was astounded at the unconditional acceptance from these virtual strangers.  She’d known all along that it was an amazing opportunity to be a part of this tour, but now…  Now she was coming to truly appreciate the privilege she’d been gifted with.  She was overcome as her heart began its slow thaw toward humanity. 

Dot, sensing that she was overwhelmed, rescued her from having to respond.  Placing her arm around Allegra’s shoulders she gave her a squeeze and summed it all up with, “Welcome aboard, honey.”