Chapter Three

Her captor merely stared at her in disbelief, as boisterous laughter spilled from the entryway of the house.  Allegra looked past him to see Jon with a blonde, curly-haired man at his side, both obviously entertained at the exchange.

“Damn Rich,” the blonde man said.  “She got your number in a hurry!”

“Shut up asshole,” the man called Rich shot back with no trace of malice as he released his grasp on Allegra’s arms.  With a smile that had charmed the panties off more women than he could count, he offered a perfunctory apology to her.  “Sorry about that.”

Manners dictated that she acknowledge the apology, even if she didn’t believe the sincerity of it.  She would be spending a lot of time with these men in the coming months, and there was no need to start off on the wrong foot - at least any more than she already had.  Nodding her acceptance, she rubbed her arms and then glared at Jon, who was clearly still amused. 

At her obvious annoyance, he held up his hands in a mock gesture of self-defense.  “Okay, okay, moving right along…  Close the damn door already.  It’s freezing out there!  Sambora go get your phone and then I’ll introduce you.”

“Nah, man, that’s okay. Go ahead.”  He was evidently curious about the newcomer.

Jon slipped his arm around her waist affectionately as they faced the men.  “Rich, Dave… this is my cousin Allegra.  Be nice to her!  She’s not only family, she’s going to be our personal chef this tour.  If you piss her off, she’ll poison your asses!”   He introduced the blonde first.  “Allegra, this is our keyboardist David Bryan.  And this other guy is my songwriting partner and guitarist, Richie Sambora.” 

A glimmer of recognition flickered in her mind.  She’d never been absorbed in Jon’s career and hadn’t seen any photos or press of his band for many years.  Yet, now that he’d identified them, she did vaguely recognize the pair as older versions of the boys who had been featured in multiple media outlets in her early teens.

Both men nodded politely in greeting, before David continued by stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her in a bear hug that robbed her of breath.  “Anyone that can put this guy in his place within thirty seconds of meeting him is the new love of my life.  You’re single right?” he asked, waggling his eyebrows as he released her.

She laughed as Jon commanded, “Step off, Joker.  I don’t want her associating with your kind.”

Looking woebegone, David said regretfully, “I’m sorry.  Apparently your keeper isn’t allowing you to hang out with witty, handsome, debonair men on this tour.  Guess you’ll have to make do with Sambora here.”

Richie flipped him the Jersey salute in response, as she assured them all with a sardonic grin, “He is definitely NOT my keeper…”

“Enough already,” Jon interrupted.  “I KNOW this is not an indication of everyone’s attitude on this tour.  You all know that I’m not going to tolerate this lack of respect, right?  I AM the boss…”  His look defied contradiction, but Dave and Richie rolled their eyes as he continued, “I’m going to go find Dot and the kids to say goodbye.  I’ll meet you in the limo.  Go!”

As he departed, Allegra looked at the men and asked, “Seriously?”

The men just laughed and invited her to precede them out of the foyer.  She was still shaking her head in disbelief as she made her way back to where the limousine and driver were waiting.  Offering his hand, the driver prepared to hand her into the car and she smiled endearingly at him.  “Thank you so much… I’m sorry.   I didn’t get your name?”

“Thomas, ma’am, and you’re quite welcome.”

“Thomas, I’m Allegra.  It’s a pleasure to meet you.”  She greeted him before she ducked her head, slid into the vehicle and settled herself on the far side of the forward facing seat.

David elbowed Richie.  “See that?  She’s the epitome of manners and charm with the driver, but you she gives shit right out of the gate.”

“Whatever.  Just get in the car!”  Richie grumbled.

Jon rejoined them a moment later, and Thomas expertly set them on the path to Teterboro Airport, where the famous – or infamous – Jovi Jet awaited.

During the thirty minute drive, the men chatted about their expectations for the tour, as Allegra listened quietly.  She couldn’t even begin to imagine all of the details that must go into planning an undertaking of this size – and this was a part of their everyday lives!  Her respect for them grew just a little more with each passing mile.

------

Richie supposed they were somewhere over Pennsylvania as he pondered the woman at the front of the plane, chatting with Tico.   She’d met the drummer just before boarding, and had been animatedly engaged in conversation with him ever since.  The quiet, Cuban man seemed equally fascinated with her and whatever topic they were discussing.   The interchange of his unusually deep voice, and her much lighter tone lilted through the aircraft with very few moments of silence in between.

She certainly didn’t seem to have an immediate distaste for ALL of the band members, he thought wryly.  That distinction seemed to be his alone, and it puzzled him.  Women liked Richie, and he was ver much aware of it.  He didn’t consider himself arrogant, especially compared to some people, but facts were facts.  Most of the rumors circulating around the Slippery When Wet tour back in the 80’s weren’t rumors.  Even at fifty years old, he knew he could have his choice of women - if he were so inclined.  So what was it about him that this particular woman took an instant dislike to?

 He studied her with a critical eye.  There wasn’t anything special about her, and he’d even go so far as to say she was very plain.  In true male sexist fashion, he made a cursory inventory of her appearance.   Hair: long, black and unremarkable.  Face:  devoid of makeup.  Complexion:   typical olive skinned Italian woman.  Ass:   covered by a pair of saggy, baggy jeans. Tits:   covered by a saggy, baggy sweater.   Height:  probably about five feet six inches – again, just average.  Her eyes, however, were the same striking blue as his best friend, and by far her best feature. 

Speaking of his best friend… 

Jon made his way to the captain’s chair adjacent to Richie’s.  After dropping his denim clad backside into the seat, he noted the direction of the guitarist’s gaze.  A quick glance around the cabin confirmed that everyone else was occupied.  David was watching a comedy on his computer, Hugh was asleep, Tico and Allegra were involved in a conversation, and Obie was on the phone.  That meant they wouldn’t have an audience to overhear their exchange.  “We need to talk,” he said quietly.

Richie scanned his face, and was a little surprised at the somber expression he found there.  Concern stiffened his spine.  Already?  The plane has barely left the fucking ground, and already there are tour problems?   He purposefully kept a casual tone.   “What’s up, Bro?”

“It’s about Allegra.”

Not tour problems.  Richie’s posture relaxed and curiosity took the place of concern.  “What do you mean?”

Jon’s tone became almost inaudible.  “I need you to help me watch over her during the tour.”

Eyebrows lifted in surprise at not only the words, but at the cloak-and-dagger routine.  “Why?” 

“She’s family, that’s why.”

“So?  You’ve never asked me to keep an eye on any of your other family members during a tour.”

“This is different.  It’s not like Tony or Matt.”

“Yeah?  How come?”  Richie was still trying to figure out what was going on in the other man’s mind.

Jon pinned him with a look, as though the answer should be obvious.  “Well for starters, dumbass, she’s a woman.”

“No shit??  Damn.  Guess I was too busy being cut to pieces by her sharp tongue to notice.”

Jon grinned, snickering quietly.  “I still can’t believe she popped off like that.  I’ve only seen her do that to family.  You do have to admit it was pretty funny.”

“Fuckin’ hilarious,” was Richie’s dry response.  “I obviously pissed her off on sight, and now you want me to be her warden?”  He shook his head in disbelief.

“Listen, man, Allegra’s a little bit unique and whole lot sheltered.  She hasn’t led a mainstream kind of life.”

“So why is she here?” 

Jon shrugged his shoulders.  “Because she asked to be.  I don’t know what led up to it, and even if I did, it’s not my story to tell.  I just need to know that someone besides me has her back.  Someone I trust.”  Blue eyes met brown, as they had hundreds of times over the last three decades.  “And you know there’s no one I trust more than you.”

Richie sighed.  “Dude, you know I’d die for you – no pun intended – but I’m not really into the babysitter gig.”

“Unless you’re DOING the babysitter,” he quipped, causing Richie to grin like a Cheshire cat at the shared remembrance.  Secrets to the grave…  “Seriously though, I knew that before we started this conversation.  But I’m not asking you to babysit her. If you find yourself in the same general area that she is, I just want you to see that she’s okay.  That’s all.”

He really didn’t want to do this, and if it had been anyone else asking, the answer would have been a quick and simple no.  But that wasn’t really an option here.  It didn’t matter that he felt unqualified to watch after himself half the time.  Jon had been there for him on too many occasions to count - especially in recent history - for Richie to deny him anything.  He waited an extra thirty seconds just to make him sweat, and finally consented, as Jon had known he would all along.  “Yeah, I can do that,” he assured his front man.

Satisfied with the response, Jon raised his fist for a knuckle bump saying, “Thanks, man.”

Meeting Jon’s fist with his own, Richie said, “You can thank me by keeping my interviews to a minimum in Honolulu.  I’d like to actually be able to hit the beach.”

-----

Hawaii was nothing short of breathtaking.  Allegra couldn’t have asked for a more ideal place to start the tour, and mentally expressed her gratitude to Jon once again.  The sun was preparing to make its first appearance of the day as she sat on the beach in front of the hotel, toes buried in the sand.  It had been a late night, but she couldn’t allow herself to miss an opportunity to witness this ordinary daily occurrence in such an EXTRA-ordinary setting.

They’d arrived in Honolulu yesterday evening and she’d gone with the five band members, the sound engineer and crew chief to a Japanese steak house/sushi bar for dinner.  It turned out to be an entertaining evening as she got to learn more about the men of Bon Jovi, and began to shape more lasting opinions of them.

The bassist, Hugh, was a very sweet guy.  He was quieter than some of the others, but still managed to make himself a vital part of the group.  Allegra was stunned to find out he wasn’t an ‘official’ member of the band, even though he recorded and toured with them.  When she questioned Jon about it, he just said, “It is what it is, sweetheart.  We all have an understanding, and I don’t have to justify it to anyone.” 

Tico was her favorite so far, as the two of them had formed a swift bond during their extensive in-flight discussion of his children’s foundation and her efforts with underprivileged children.  Not having any idea of what he’d been like during the early days of the band, she did know that he was regarded as an esteemed elder statesman now. The respect and admiration he bestowed upon his band mates was returned to him ten-fold.  It warmed her heart to see how much these men admired one another.

 And that voice!  Considering his less than average stature, it had been a bit of a shock at first, but she didn’t think she’d ever tire of the deep, gravelly rumble that was uniquely Tico.  She idly wondered if he ever sang.

The crew chief, Mike Rew, was pleasant enough and you could tell that he loved being a part of this collection of men.  He didn’t possess the ease and charm of the band members, but there was something about his smile that just made her want to hug him and become his best friend.

Obie O’Brien was the sound engineer, and a dear old friend of Jon’s.  She found out through the conversation around the table that he’d built both of Jon’s recording studios.  A slight man with wire-rimmed glasses, he was full of energy and sarcastic wit, giving David a run for his money in the wiseass department. The two of them had kept Allegra laughing all evening.

It didn’t take long for her to figure out why they called David the Joker as he teased with the servers and spouted a continuous stream of one-liners throughout the course of the meal.  Much to her dismay, he also felt it his duty to share the details of her first encounter with Richie.  She really wasn’t feeling the hilarity of it all, and if appearances were any indication, neither was Mr. Sambora.  He glowered at David, but that just made the group laugh all the more.

Then there was Richie.  No, literally.  There was Richie strolling along the beach toward her from a neighboring hotel.  She was guessing that he was more likely up late instead of early, and that he’d just recently parted company with the blonde he’d met at the restaurant last night.  The blonde who looked like her bra size was bigger than her IQ – but hey, who was she to judge?

He had been the most difficult for her to form an opinion of.  Her initial impression had been that he was arrogant and cocky – and he was.  Sometimes.  Then in the next breath, he was trying too hard to gain everyone’s approval, but most especially Jon’s.  Still not entirely sure how she felt about him, she decided to remain cautious for a while longer.

Looking away, in case he preferred not to be seen, she focused instead on the brilliant shades of orange dancing across the water as the sun began its ascent.  It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day in paradise.

At least until she heard a voice above her demand, “What the hell are you doing out here alone?”