Chapter 20

Allegra was just crawling out of bed the next morning when her phone rang.  Seeing a picture of Batman’s Joker pop up on the screen, she laughed.  “Good morning David.  What are you doing up at...”  She checked the bedside clock.  “Eight fifteen?” 

“Morning my dahling.  Couldn’t sleep so I thought I’d see if you wanted your computer lesson before I go to the venue.”

“Whatever works with your schedule is fine with me.  I’m going to hop in the shower and get dressed.  Give me twenty minutes?”

“I’ll bring the coffee.”

It was more like twenty-five minutes later when the knock sounded at the door.  “Who is it?” she called, wrapping an elastic band around her hair.

“Googly moogly!”  the answer came back.

Laughing, she crossed over to unlock the door and let David in.  “You’re late.”

Holding up two Starbuck’s cups, he said, “Maybe, but you’re going to forgive me in about two seconds.  You haven’t had coffee until you’ve had it from the original Starbuck’s, baby.”

She was skeptical.  Coffee was coffee – or so she thought until that first sip.  “Oh my God, you’re a saint among men,” she moaned as the warm flow of caffeine invaded her bloodstream.  Motioning for him to follow her, she curled into the corner of the couch, hands firmly wrapped around her cup.

“Not sure about the whole Jewish saint thing, but I’ll go with it.” David put his laptop case on the floor and settled down next to her.

“What?  You’re Jewish?”  That packed as big a jolt as the coffee.

David laughed and said, “The curly hair wasn’t a dead giveaway, huh?  The blonde color probably threw you off.  How about the fact that my birth name is David Bryan Rashbaum?  Make it any more obvious for you?”

“It definitely helps,” she admitted with a wry grin.

“And that’s what I’m here to do.  Help.  Are you ready to learn about the Internet?”

Allegra nodded gamely.  “Once you tell me what it is, I’m sure I’ll be ecstatic.”

Grinning delightedly, he told her, “Legs, I want you to know that if it weren’t for Lexi, I could so fall in love with you.”

“Yeah, yeah.  You just like having a dumb woman to flaunt your smarts to,” she teased.

He was surprisingly serious.  “That’s the thing, I think.  You’re not a dumb woman.  You’re an incredibly intelligent woman.  You’ve proven it with your insight and amazing electronics aptitude.  But it’s like you don’t know what there is to know.  Does that make any sense?”

Regret filled her.  She hated keeping secrets.  Especially from this man who had become such a dear friend.  For the first time, she felt compelled to willingly share her background.  Should she tell him and unleash another needless protector?  The more time she spent with him, the more questions he was bound to have. 

Nodding slowly, she said, “It… does.”

David slowly sipped his coffee, waiting to see if she would finish the thought that was hanging in the air.

Allegra leaned toward the coffee table and set her cup down.  Edging toward him, she gently placed her hand on his forearm, and sought out his eyes. 

“Dave, please understand how much you’ve come to mean to me.  I feel like I’ve found a special friend in you, and I am so very thankful for that.”  He put his hand on hers and squeezed gently, reluctant to interrupt.

Wait a minute!  He just said he was Jewish.  That puts this in a whole new light.  My deep, dark ‘secret’ may rank right up there with my astrological sign as far as he’s concerned. 

Impulsively, she gave him a crooked grin, and asked,  “So do you want to hear something funny?”

“Um.  Sure.  You know me, I’m always up for a laugh.”  He was confused at her abrupt change in mood.

“And can you promise you won’t tell anyone else?”  She poked him lightly in the chest.

“Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye!”  At her chastising look, he asked, “What?  Do you want me to friggin’ pinky swear?”

Laughing, she reached across and hooked her little finger around his.  “Yes.  Pinky swear!”

He tightened his finger around hers, sighed dramatically, and launched into a limerick. “There once was a woman named Legs.  Been a difficult girl to peg.  Makes me do something nuts. So that she’ll spill her guts.  Jesus do I have to fuckin’ beg?”

“Oh my GOD, did you just pull that out of thin air?  You… are…  Well, I don’t know what you are, but I love you!”   Laughter bubbled up inside, and before she could contain it, she collapsed on his chest, shoulders shaking. 

“That’s what they all say, baby.  That’s what they all say.”  His tone may have been blasé but the Joker was pleased with himself, seeing her sit up and wipe the tears of mirth from her cheeks.

“Okay, now what I have to say isn’t even remotely funny in comparison,” she conceded, sniffing slightly.  “And I know I took it to the extreme, but please don’t repeat what I’m about to say.”

Eyes rolling, he reminded her, “I DID the pinky swear!”

Apprehension set in, and Allegra looked toward the window to avoid his gaze.    “I think you know me well enough now that this isn’t going to affect our relationship.”    She pulled at a hangnail.  “The silliest thing really…  You know Jon has a cousin Frannie?”

“Yeah.  The nun.”

“Religious sister, actually, but yes.”  She locked her eyes to his.  “That’s me.”

His face registered no surprise, but she could see the wheels turn as he started to put the pieces together.  “That answers a few questions in my mind.”

Smiling, she agreed, “I’m sure it does.  Dave, you are the only person I’ve offered to share this with.  That’s because I don’t feel like you’re going to judge me based on a stereotype.  I think I’ll still just be Legs to you.”  When he didn’t respond immediately, she prodded, “Tell me I’m right.”

“Pfft!  Of course you’re right.”  He pulled her in close to his side.  “The whole Catholicism thing obviously doesn’t have the same impact on me as it does the others.  Not to be disrespectful toward anyone’s beliefs or anything,” he qualified, tugging on her ponytail.  “So no one else knows?”

“Tico accidentally found out yesterday.”  Allegra briefly relayed the story of how that came to be, along with the same facts she’d told Tico about her situation. 

“He’s the only one outside the family who knows, and I’d prefer it to stay that way.  Remember what I said last night about getting to know you as people?  Well, I want the same courtesy.  It’s my life to share when, and with whom, I see fit.”

“I couldn’t agree more, Legs, and I love that you’ve seen fit to share with me.  Thank you.”  He grinned as something occurred to him.  “This makes you my little ‘sister’ now, right?” 

She just groaned at the pun.

Checking his watch, he said, “I’m not sure if we have enough time left to do your internet lesson justice, because mein fuhrer will drop a load if I’m late.  I’ll just leave my laptop here and get together with you later.   What are your plans for the day?”

“I texted Matt last night and he said he would be at the venue this morning.  I get to see what the wonderful world of fan club operations is all about.”

“I’m headed that way now.  Wanna ride with me?”

“I’d love to.  I hate being stranded by the damn vans.”

He stood and gestured toward the door.  “Let’s rock and roll then, babe.” 

♪   ♥   ♫   ♥   ♪   ♥   ♫

Jon was in a foul mood.  Nothing was moving along to his satisfaction, and he wasn’t being subtle about his displeasure.  It didn’t matter that they had four days until the show, he wanted it perfect before then.  The label was throwing them a kickoff party Thursday night, and he expected to be able to tell them everything was ahead of schedule.

After spending the last hour listening to his boss jump down everyone’s throats for the tiniest of mistakes, Mike Rew preferred to stay away from him unless it was absolutely unavoidable.  So when this latest nightmare got dropped in his lap, he decided to pass it on to another Bongiovi – Tony.   

Most people said that the brothers didn’t really resemble one another, but after explaining the problem to him, Mike thought they could be twins.  Tony’s temper flared hot and instant, and he began to turn the air around him blue, angry both at the situation and the fact that he didn’t dare resolve it without Jon. 

And it couldn’t wait, because there was no way he could sit on this one.  It had to be dealt with now, or there would be hell to pay later.  Squaring his shoulders, Tony went in search of his brother. 

Of all fucking days…

He found him arguing with Richie over a minor revision that the guitarist wanted to make.  “No, you dumb fuck, it will NOT work that way!  Stick with the way we’ve been rehearsing it.  We’re doing it that way for a reason.”

Jon’s expression was fierce and only a brave or desperate soul would’ve dared to approach him.  Tony took a deep breath and dove in.  “Jon?”

His brother impatiently threw one finger in the air, gesturing to wait a minute.  “Haven’t we had this conversation twice this morning already, Sambora?  What the hell do you not understand?”

“This can’t wait.”

He spun on Tony impatiently.  “What is SO motherfuckin’ important that you cannot wait ONE motherfuckin’ minute?” 

“We have a problem.”

Jon threw his hands impatiently in the air.  “This whole morning has been one goddamn fuckin’ problem after another.  What makes this any different?”

He weighed his words carefully, wanting to relay the importance of the situation without having to tell the whole story. “I’ve got some footage you need to see.  It’s cued up in the video control room.  And, um, you should probably bring Richie with you.”

 “This had better not be some petty bullshit problem that you could take care of yourself,” he warned and then tapped Richie in the back of the head.  “You heard him dipshit, let’s go.”

Once they reached their destination, Tony turned to face his brother.  “Hotel security brought this to our staff this morning.  They routinely review their security footage for any irregularities, and this morning they stumbled across something that caught their attention.  The video is pretty clear, but there’s no sound.” He nodded to the other man.  “That’s why I suggested you bring Richie.”

Richie had lost a fair portion of his hearing over the years, and had to look directly at someone speaking to ensure that he heard everything being said.  As a result, he’d gotten pretty good at reading lips.

“So why the fuck am I supposed to care?”  Jon was still unclear.

“The footage involves one of our crew members – and Allegra.”

Jon’s mouth drew into a tight line, and his stomach clenched.  “What the hell are you waiting for?  Play the goddamn thing!”

It took no more than three minutes for the men to watch the playback, during which time Jon’s muscles drew as tight as a bow.  He didn’t know the man in the elevator with Allegra, but he was wearing a Circle crew jacket and his movements were predatory.  By itself, the footage itself wasn’t enough to incriminate the crew member for anything other than being a creep.  But what had he said?

Jon looked at his best friend, whose jaw was tense with anger.  “Rich?  What the fuck did he say, man?”

“You’re gonna be pissed, Bro.” 

“I’m already pissed!  Tell me what he said.”  His voice was as cold and hard as steel.

Richie took a deep breath before he relayed, “I couldn’t make out all of it, but I got that he doesn’t have any hard feelings over what happened between them.  That he now realizes she wants to pretend she’s not a tramp and that he thinks it’s a turn on.  And that last thing, when he’s got his hand in her hair?  I think he asked her if she likes it a little rough.”

Tony’s face blanched white while Jon’s went red.

“I saw her say something after that.  Do you know what it was?” Jon demanded.

“I picked up ‘stupid little pervert’.  She also told him to stay away from her or he would regret it.”

Jon whirled to face Tony.  “When was this recorded?”

“They said yesterday evening, about seven.”

“Has anyone seen her this morning?”  He asked, walking back out into the hallway to find his other band members.

“Tico!  Lemma!”  They poked their heads out of one of the dressing rooms.   “Have you seen Allegra this morning?”

David nodded and said, “Yeah, she rode over with me.  She was supposed to be hooking up with Matt this morning.  Why, what’s up?”

Jon turned to Richie.  “Call Matt, tell him to get his ass over here with Allegra.”  Directing his attention back to Tony, he demanded, “Who is that little shit?”

“Name’s Felix Oswego.  This is his first time on the road with us.”

“And it’ll goddamn well be his last – with us or anyone else.  Fire his ass and make sure the piece of fuck knows why. But not until after I talk to Allegra.  Swear to God, if I catch him anywhere near this organization or my family members again I’ll have him arrested.”

Nineteen

She saw him across the crowded room, immersed in a pool of peroxide dipped piranha.  She almost asked the guys why he didn’t join them, before she noticed that he was in rockstar mode.  The fake smile that he didn’t want to be fake, the fake laugh that compensated for sincerity with volume, and the fake interest in the people surrounding him.  That wasn’t the Richie she cared to spend time with, anyway.

Seeing the direction of her gaze, Tico said.  “I should’ve guessed Rich would be here.  He can’t stay away from the live music gigs.  I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t end up on stage before the evening’s over.”

“I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t end up on the girl with the shiny pink tube top before the evening’s over,” David countered, tongue-in-cheek.

“Is he as much of a womanizer as he seems to be?” She wanted to have her opinion validated.  In the short time she’d known him, there’d been a handful of women.

David surprised her by saying, “Nah, I don’t think so.  Not as much as he’d like to have us believe anyway.  Now he USED to be a self-proclaimed man-whore, but that was years ago – before he got married.”

“I always get the feeling he’s looking for something new in all the old places,” Tico added his two cents.

The waitress arrived then, and they placed orders for sandwiches and drinks.  Allegra had just received a glass of red wine when her back pocket chimed.  She sighed, but tried not to take her irritation out on the guys.  “David, show me how to use this thing.”

“Yes, m’lady!”  He quickly briefed her on the basics of calling and texting, showing her the text that had initiated the chiming noise. 

It was from Jon of course.    Where is my band?

She smirked and played dumb, typing in her reply.  Why should I know?

If you have the phone, you’ve seen them.

She hated it when he was logical.  He was probably just seeing if she would go off on him about the phone.  This  touch keyboard was going to take some practice, so she decided to cut it short.  Ass.  T&D are with me @ High Dive.  R is here too. 

Thx.  Remind them early day tomorrow.  Stay out of trouble.

She did as he requested, and David snatched the phone from her. 

I think you work them too hard.  You should give them the day off.

He snickered, envisioning Jon’s reaction when he found out he’d had one pulled over on him.  All David found out was why Jon was the boss.

Nice try, Joker.  Arena by 10.  Tell A to call Matt.

The stunned expression on David’s face was priceless. 

♫  ♪  ♥  ♫  ♪

Allegra was on her second glass of wine when Richie took the stage to join one of the groups, making Tico a prophet.  He didn’t need to be in the spotlight, seeming quite content to accompany the young musicians from the side of the stage.

She couldn’t help but watch him.  Study him.  His demeanor brought back memories of that morning on the beach.  Richie melded with the guitar seamlessly and drifted into a different world.  Oh, occasionally he’d remember who he was supposed to be and over exaggerate his performance, playing to the crowd, but, for the most part, he played for his enjoyment and in encouragement of the musicians on the stage.  After the first song, both the guitarist and lead singer looked to Richie, who smiled and nodded his head in approval.  Her lips curved into their own soft smile.

“You two ever going to work out your differences?”  Tico asked quietly.  David had gone to the bar for more drinks, and they were alone.

“I don’t know that we have differences to work out.  I’m just trying to decipher who he is,” she replied. 

He nodded in understanding.  “Rich is doing the same thing.”  At her quizzical expression, he clarified.  “Trying to decipher who he is.”

“Why doesn’t he know?”

“He’s had a rough couple of years, and wasn’t happy with how he handled it.  He’s been different since.”

“What happened?”

Tico sighed.  “It’s hard for me to know what the right thing to do in this situation is.  It feels like the whole world knows Richie’s story, and if you’d been a different person, you would too.   So does that mean I tell you, when it isn’t my place, or do I let you find out on your own?”

David slid back into his seat at the table, placing fresh drinks in front of Allegra and Tico.  “Find out what?”

“Richie’s recent personal history.”

“Ohhhh.”  He studied her speculatively.  “I think I’ve got time for a quick computer lesson tonight before I have to check in with Lexi.”  He looked to Tico for approval.  “What do you think?  Let her see what’s out there and then ask questions?”

“Don’t you think we should just mind our own business?”

“As you all keep telling me, she’s family.  Shouldn’t she know as much as Jane Q. Public does about us?”  He shrugged, pushing his curls upward. “I’m going to show her how to Google stuff anyway.  What she chooses to Google is up to her.”

“Guys, I know you all chose to live a part of your lives in a fishbowl when you became musicians.  But there’s a reason they make ornamental stuff to go in the bottom of the fishbowls – even a fish wants some privacy.  I understand the fans want any piece of information they can get about you, but I’m not a fan.  Well, I could become one, but you know what I mean.  I’m in a unique position to get to know you as ordinary people, and I don’t need or want anything different.  I’ll find out anything about Richie that he wants me to know.  The same thing goes for you.”  At the light of respect in their eyes, she lightened the conversation.  “Now, Jon I already know as a person.  HIM I want to search out all the crazy stories on.  So yes, googly me!”

They both burst into gales of laughter at the mispronunciation.  David could barely get the words out, “Legs, it’s Google, not googly!”

Their boisterous laughter coincided with the end of a song, so the momentary quiet made it all the louder, catching the attention of the dark-haired man on stage.  He looked over to find David and Tico with their heads thrown back at something Allegra had said.  Suddenly he had an insatiable curiosity to find out just what.  Standing, he shook hands and thanked the musicians for letting him sit in.  He wove through the crowd, navigating the people patting him on the back and shaking his hand.

Finally he arrived at their table and pulled out the vacant chair to seat himself.  “What’s up brothas?”  He greeted the men with fist bumps.  Allegra gave him a thoughtful look.  “And sista,” He held up his fist for her and she bumped uncertainly it with her own.

“Nice work up there,” Allegra told him.  “It must be nice to know you could get a job as a session musician if you needed to.”

He felt the first genuine smile of the night cross his face.  “A man always has to have a backup plan, Sunshine.”

“What’s with the Sunshine?  You’ve been calling her that all day.”  David demanded.

Allegra had been wondering about that for a while now herself.  She had an idea as to where it had come from, but wanted to hear him confirm it.

Shrugging, he said, “Sunrise just sounds stupid.”  Leaving David no opening for more questions, he looked pointedly at her glass.  “Good wine?”

“Very good.”  She raised her eyebrows.  “Would you like some?”

He shook his head in refusal.  “No, but I do need something.  Those damn stage lights are hot.”  He signaled the waitress to place a drink order. 

“So how long have you been here?  Long enough to have more than one drink?”  Richie directed his question to Allegra.  He knew exactly when they had arrived, but he was trying to gauge if there would be a drunken encore back at the hotel tonight.

Tico watched their exchange with interest.  Unless he was mistaken, there was some subtext going on that he and Dave weren’t privy to.

“Long enough to have three, actually,” she told him with an air of defiance.  Allegra knew she was by no means drunk, but the stress of the day wasn’t wearing quite as heavily on her now.

Richie didn’t have the chance to respond before Miss Shiny Pink Tube Top appeared, draping her pink acrylic nails over his shoulder.   

Allegra idly wondered if it was subliminal messaging that caused her sudden need for Pepto Bismol. 

“I thought you were coming back after you finished your set, baby,” she whined, pursing her lips in a shiny pink pout. 

The need for Pepto intensified.

Richie broke out the fake smile.  “Sorry, darlin’.  Just ran into some friends. Why don’t you join us?”  He moved to get an empty chair from the next table, but Shiny just plopped her backside in his lap.

“Thanks baby,” she purred, walking her fingers up his chest through the opening in his half-buttoned shirt.

How does he not have any more respect for himself than that? Allegra thought furiously.  If I stay and watch this I really am going to puke.

“Tico, Dave, thanks for the invitation to join you, but it’s been a very long day.  I’m going to catch a taxi back to the hotel.  Richie, Jon said to remind you it’s an early day tomorrow.”  Allegra rose from the table, grabbing her jacket, stumbling slightly over the chair leg.  Tico quickly stood, helping her to remain upright.   With murmured thanks, she bid the others at the table goodnight and turned toward the exit. 

Before she could take a step, Tico placed a hand on her shoulder.  “Nina, when I invite a lady out, I always makes sure she gets home safely.  I’ll go with you.  Dave, what about you?”

“Think I’ll stay for a while to see where this train wreck is headed,” David told them, inclining his head toward the blonde squirming on Richie’s lap.  That comment earned a Sambora-style stink eye, but he merely grinned and turned to Allegra.  “Googly you tomorrow Legs?”

She gave him a crooked smile and nodded, taking Tico’s arm.

Chapter 18

The remainder of the flight was spent in pleasant conversation among the plane’s occupants.  There was discussion of how the new stage equipment would work, and the many details that needed attention once they arrived in Seattle.  Jon spent his time equally divided between his phone and his laptop, ensuring that everyone was completing their assigned tasks to his satisfaction.

During the course of their discussion, Allegra mentioned her interest in seeing some of the sights of Seattle.  As the band had played here multiple times, its members were well versed in its offerings and they offered to take her exploring in the next couple of days. 

Allegra settled in to her hotel room rather quickly, pleased to see that this one was larger than the one she’d had in Honolulu.  There was at least a small sitting area, which she took advantage of by stretching out on the sofa.  Popping in her earphones, she tried to recall the instructions David had given her on searching for a song’s composer.  After a minimal amount of effort, she located two songs on These Days that were credited to Jon alone.  

The first one was called Letting You Go, which she enjoyed, but didn’t feel that it was the direction Tico had been pointing her.  The other song was entitled Something to Believe In.  The music itself was a little heavy for her taste, but the lyrics hit home instantly.

I lost all faith in my God, in his religion too 
I told the angels they could sing their songs to someone new 
I lost all trust in my friends 
I watched my heart turn to stone 
I thought that I was left to walk this wicked world alone 

Allegra listened through to the end, her burden becoming a little lighter.   She didn’t have the delusion that she was the first person to question their faith, but she found it comforting to see that someone so close to her had lived through the experience.  Tico had said they were made of the same mold, so if Jon could make it through then surely she would too.  Her choices may not be the same, but hearing another view could provide some insight.

As she once again regretted missing out on so much in Jon’s personal life, the remaining songs from the album shuffled.  She noticed that there was an underlying darkness to the lyrics, and a common theme of hurt and despair.  Sure, some of them were under the guise of a relationship gone wrong, but the message was still consistent.  What had been going on in Jon’s, and maybe Richie’s, world that dredged these heart-wrenching lyrics from them? 

Her stomach rumbled, interrupting her thoughts.  All of this soul searching worked up an appetite.  Checking the time, she assumed that she was on her own since no one had mentioned meeting up for dinner.  Room service wasn’t appealing, but she didn’t feel like venturing too far from the hotel either.  That left the hotel restaurant.  Grabbing her purse, she headed downstairs.

The restaurant was crowded with elegantly dressed couples, and each of the candlelit tables was adorned with a red rose.  The clink of wine filled stemware, china and silver had Allegra wincing.  Valentine’s Day.  Since she’d already dealt with the lover’s holiday, she’d dismissed it from her mind for another year.  Such was not the case with the population of Seattle.  It was Valentine’s Day and they were honoring it in style. 

She glanced down at her clothes, realizing she was still wearing the jeans and t-shirt from the plane.  It wasn’t exactly up to par with the occupants of the dining room.  Being ridiculously underdressed, room service now sounded much more appealing.

She was retracing her steps to the elevator when she felt her cell phone vibrate.  Reaching into her pocket to retrieve it, she saw that the caller had a New Jersey area code, but didn’t recognize the number. 

Well I know it’s not Tony, she thought wryly.  She’d added his name after their little chat in Honolulu. 

“Hello?” she answered as she stepped into the elevator.

“Allegra, it’s…”  The doors swooshed shut and the male voice cut off, signal lost.  Realizing what happened, she snapped the phone closed, hating the fact that Jon and David might be right about needing a new one.  Sighing, she pushed the button for her floor and leaned against the wall of the car.  She’d just call whoever it was back when she got upstairs.

“Elevators aren’t the best place to get a phone signal.”

“Yeah, so I see.”  She turned, for the first time noticing the other passenger in the car.  There, leaning against the opposite wall, with his hands pushed into his jacket pockets, was Felix.

Dammit.  The fifteenth floor couldn’t come fast enough.

He straightened, his voice friendly when he said, “I just want you to know that I don’t hold any hard feelings about what happened between us.”

Between us?  Like we had a relationship or something?  She kept the grin from her face, but smiled on the inside.  Well there was that one short date between my knee and his nuts.

“Um, okay,” she said, avoiding eye contact.

He took a step toward her.  “I’m really a likable guy,” he assured her with a slimy smile.  “And you’ll be very pleased to know that there’s… MORE to me than what you’ve seen.”

Oh my God.  Ickkk! 

“I’ve already seen more of you than I want to,”   Allegra informed him flatly.  She crossed her arms over her stomach and focused on the numbers that tracked their upward progress.  Six…  Seven…

Laughing lightly, he inched closer still.  “Dear princess, you want to play like you’re not a little tramp.  I was late figuring that out last time, but it’s okay.  You want to make me work for it, and I can get into that.  It’s kind of a turn on.” 

Ten…  Eleven…

His finger twined in the strands of her hair.  “Do you like it a little rough too?”

She jerked away from his touch and put as much distance as possible between them.  “I’m not playing, you stupid little pervert.  This is the only time I’m going to tell you…“  Her ice blue eyes drilled into his with the sincerity of her words.   “Don’t come near me again or you WILL regret it.”    

Fourteen… Fifteen.

The elevator dinged, announcing its arrival, and Allegra exited without looking back.  She’d gone no more than a few steps down the hall when her phone vibrated again.  Looking at the display screen, she saw that it was the same number from before.

“Hello?”  she answered belligerently.

“Allegra, it’s Tico.  What happened?”

She put the key card in her door and pushed it open with her shoulder.  “Sorry Tico, I got in the elevator and lost signal for a minute.  What’s up?”

He paused for a moment before saying, “You know they’re right about your phone don’t you?  You’d get more reliable service with an updated one.”

Curling up in the corner of the sofa, she threw her head back in silent frustration.  Arg!  “I’m sure you didn’t call to hassle me about my cell phone service, so what can I do for you?”

“Point taken, querida.  I’ll leave it alone.    I called to tell you that a couple of us are going to a place called High Dive.  It’s a live music club and they’re supposed to have killer barbecue.  Would you like to go with us?”

Being part of an entourage of overprotective men for the evening?  Right now that sounded pretty good.

Tico said that he would stop by and pick her up in about twenty minutes, so Allegra hurried to find something more suitable to wear. 

She plundered through her bags, locating a pair of jeans that actually fit and a red off-the-shoulder top.  After slipping them on, she shook out her hair, and applied a bit of makeup.   Satisfied that she was presentable, she shoved her feet into low-heeled boots and was just grabbing her jacket when a knock came at the door. 

Expecting to find Tico on the other side, she threw the door open without checking the peephole.  Tico was indeed on the other side, holding a single red rose.  David’s head peeked over his shoulder with the usual grin.

“Oh!  What’s this?”  Accepting the rose, she stepped back to let them enter and put the flower in a glass of water she’d been drinking earlier.

Tico pressed a kiss to her cheek as he passed by.  “It’s Valentine’s Day.  You went to so much trouble to make our celebration nice that we wanted to return the favor in some small way.” 

“Although in my case, please don’t kill the tech,” David requested as he dropped a kiss on her forehead and handed her a small red gift bag.

Eyeing it suspiciously, she closed the door and asked, “And what exactly is that supposed to mean?”

“Open it and you’ll see,” was the only answer he gave until she reached into the tissue paper and pulled out an iPhone box.  “It’s from Jon – or rather Bon Jovi Management, he said.  I just entered the contact information for the band, et al.  I also synched it with your iTunes account on my computer so all of your music is on there too.  No more need for the iPod.”

Allegra had removed the phone from the box and simply stared at it throughout his explanation.  She wanted to be mad at Jon – and Tico and David, for that matter – but after the day she’d had, it was just too much effort.   “You knew about this when I talked to you twenty minutes ago, didn’t you?” she asked Tico.

“Yes.”

Placing the box on the coffee table, she nodded and stuffed the phone in her back pocket. “Thank you both.  That was very nice, but unnecessary.”  She picked her jacket up and pushed her arms into the sleeves.  “So tell me about this place we’re going.”

  

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Richie downed the last of his club soda and signaled the bartender for another.  The first band wasn’t scheduled to start for another hour, so he still had some time to kill.  He’d intentionally gotten here too early, looking for a distraction, and a hot little blonde number would serve his purposes quite nicely…  A silicone enhanced one would even be okay.  After all, desperate times called for desperate measures, and he was definitely starting to feel desperate. 

There was no two ways about it – he was horny.  It had been a long time.  Well, not a LONG time, just too long.  Why else would a little teasing and a simple kiss be replaying on a continuous loop in his head all damn day?  

Teasing Allegra hadn’t been one of his more gifted ideas.  Listening to a woman’s breath hitch, seeing her skin flush and feeling her bones melt, all by his hand, was aphrodisiacal.  His kryptonite, if you will, because he’d found himself as drawn in as she was.  Nothing but willpower and the mental image of Jon’s stink-eye had enabled him to pull away.   Nope, nothing good could come of that situation.

He shook his head and rose from the bar, drink in hand.  If he didn’t find some satisfying female companionship tonight, God forbid, he may be forced to take matters into his own hands. 

Scouring the room for potential solutions to his problem, Richie spotted a familiar curly blonde head steering through the crowd. It was hard for Dave to be incognito anyplace with that distinctive mop of hair.  It looked like Teek was with him.  And a woman?  Richie saw the wild flow of ebony hair reaching over bare shoulders to cascade down her back.  That flow of hair naturally led his gaze to the fit of her jeans, and to his chagrin, the fit of those jeans directly affected the fit of his.  He shifted himself before it developed into an uncomfortable situation.

Maybe I’ll just go see what the boys are up to, and find out who the lovely lady is. 

Richie had taken no more than two steps when the group reached a vacant table.  The black haired beauty turned to take the chair Tico held for her, on the far side of the table.  She tipped her face up with a wide grin, and her Sicilian blue eyes danced with humor at whatever Dave had just said.

Mother.  Fucker.

He made a sharp ninety-degree turn into the nearest group of people, seeking out the closest blonde with the biggest boobs.

Seventeen

Allegra stepped from the room at the back of the plane to find five sets of eyes looking at her expectantly.  Nice.  She hadn’t planned on having to explain this little meeting.

Tico’s hand came to rest in the small of her back, and he said in a voice loud enough for them all to hear, “Thanks for talking to me about the Foundation, querida. I think your ideas will be really useful.”  He bussed her cheek and stepped around to resume his original seat near the front of the plane.

She flushed slightly, and offered him a smile of appreciation.  “I hope so.”

Jon beckoned to her, but she scowled and shook her head.  Instead, she brushed past Richie taking the seat next to David.  Bumping his shoulder with hers, she asked, “So can we finally get this show on the road?  I’ve been dying to see what I’m missing.”

“But of course, darling.  And I’ve been dying to show you that I’m not just another pretty face...  Or just a brilliant pianist…  Or just a humble man.”

“Or just a pathological liar,” Richie interjected.

David pulled himself upright in a posture of mock offense and pointed his finger at Richie.  “THAT, sir, is an insult!”

“And THAT, sir, proves you’re smarter than I thought you were!” Richie’s finger came just short of reaching David’s nose, and he couldn’t keep the merriment from his eyes.    

“Can you two stop bantering long enough for David to get me through this?”  Geez, they were like two little kids with extensive vocabularies!

“What is it you’re doing?” Richie asked, slouching back into a comfortable position.

“Our darling Legs here asked me for some TAPES of our music.”  He gave Richie a knowing look, to which Richie raised his eyebrows in shock. 

“I KNOW!  Can you believe it?  Simply tragic!  So, of course I’ve made it my mission to bring her musical education into the twenty-first century.  Now, if you will excuse us.”  He made a shooing motion with his hands.

Richie snorted, making no move to leave.  “I think I’d better stay and make sure you don’t screw it up.”

“Riiiight! Like you’d know an mp3 from an mp4 or mpeg, you technological Tarzan.”

Allegra chuckled in amusement.  It was clear that they didn’t mean half of what they were saying, and didn’t take offense to the other half.  “Richie, nothing personal, but I think we’ll probably get further if the two of you aren’t within insult range of each other.  But you don’t have to leave.  David and I can go back to the other part of the plane.”

“Nah, it’s all good, Sunshine.  I’ll just go see what Jon is obsessing about today.”  He unfolded his long legs and stepped out of the seating area, patting her shoulder as he passed.

“Finally I have you all alone, my delicious Legs.”  David said, putting an arm around her shoulders and squeezing. “Admit it baby.  You want me.”

Allegra threw her head back and laughed, as Tico passed by and thwapped David in the back of the head.  “Show some respect Lemma.  She’s family!”

David quickly detached himself.  “Ow Teek!  What the hell was that for?  Legs knows I’m just kidding!”

“You heard me,” was all the clarification Tico provided before continuing through the cabin.

David dropped his voice and asked Allegra, “So what were you really talking about in the back?”

She leaned in close and whispered, “I was asking him for some advice on how to steal you away from Lexi.”

“Baby, all you had to do was ask!”  He waggled his eyebrows.

“There’s just no winning with you is there Joker?”

“Nope!  I can roll with the punches.  But, as entertaining this is, we have digressed.”  He reached under his seat and brought out a laptop case, removing the computer and flipping it open.

“I set up a profile on my laptop for you to sync the iPod with.”  He grinned at her.  “I found a picture of a lovely set of legs for your icon.  You have all of the band’s studio albums, but I didn’t do the live album or greatest hits.  You’ve also got our solo albums.  To clarify, that means solo albums from Jon, Richie and myself.  Teek paints, he doesn’t do solo work.”

Allegra was perplexed.  She didn’t know which statement to respond to first.  “Sink?” 

“Yeah.  Synchronize.”

“Synchronize what?”

Pulling a small rectangular device out of the laptop case, he held it up as a visual aid.  “Your iPod.” 

“My eye pod?”  she asked pointing to her eye.

He frowned as the reality of the situation dawned on him.  “Legs, do you know ANYTHING about computers or electronics?”

“Nope, not a thing,” she admitted without shame.

“Seriously??”  David ran his hand over his face.   “My God, has Jon had you locked in a closet all of your life? “

“I’ve just never had a need for one.  Dave, this seems like a lot of work to listen to a few songs.  I’ll admit that I’d like to learn the computer stuff, but if you don’t have the time to do this, I completely understand.  You had no idea what you were getting yourself into when you offered.”

“Let’s just take this one step at a time, shall we?  Give me that archaic bit of electronics you call a cell phone,”  he ordered.  “The first thing you’re going to have to do is get a real phone.  This little flippy monochromatic screen is only one step above a clay tablet and stylus…”

Over the next hour, David was extremely patient in teaching her how to use the iPod and giving a brief overview of the computer.  He was a remarkable teacher, and she quickly mastered the tasks under his capable guidance. 

At the end of the lesson, she studied his face with new respect and admiration. It was a totally unexpected side to the Joker, and she told him as much. 

“Sweetheart, just because I like to laugh and have fun doesn’t mean I’m an idiot.  I can be a mature, respectable adult – most days I just choose not to.  Why should I when Jon’s fuddy-duddy enough for all of us?”

“I guess you have a point there,” she agreed with a chuckle.  “David, thank you so very much for letting me take up your time.  I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.”

He paused uncertainly before saying, “You know, Legs, you’re a quick learner, but we’ve barely scratched the surface here.  If you have any interest in it, we can hook up once in a while for more lessons.”  David appeared a little embarrassed.  “I mean, everybody could stand to be a little more computer savvy.”

A grin split her face.  She really did want to know more, but wouldn’t have imposed herself on him any further.  “If you mean it, then yes I would love to!  My mind is spinning right now, but I think this is something I could really learn to like.”

“Cool.  Consider the Jovi Jet your mobile classroom, then.”

Allegra didn’t acknowledge the statement, since her traveling status with them was still up in the air.  Instead, she focused on something Tico had told her.  “Now, you guys had an album called These Days?  I have that on here, right?”  She pointed to the iPod.

“Yep!”

Not wanting to come right out and ask her next question, she felt her way around a bit.  “Who writes the songs on the albums?  Does Jon do it all?”

“He has a hand in all of the songs, but not too many are solely his composition.  It’s usually him and Richie, sometimes with another collaborator.”

“Richie?  Really?”

David laughed at the surprise on her face.  “Pricelesss!  I’m guessing that if you don’t know Richie co-writes most of the songs, then you don’t know they were inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame back in June?”

Allegra was stunned.  Jon had always just been Jon.  She knew he’d been successful in his field, but evidently didn’t have a clue as to just how successful. 

“I remember that Jon got some kind of award last year, but we’re sort of used to that in the family by now.  I guess I was too busy to pay attention that it was a Hall of Fame award.  Wow.”  She felt about two inches tall for not knowing.  What other prestigious awards had he received without her realizing the significance of it?

She shook her head.  “So can I tell who wrote which songs on this thing?” 

After showing her how to find the information, David took a moment to study her.  He could tell not knowing about the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame had bothered her. 

“Legs, how about next time I teach you how to look up stuff on the internet?  There’s all kinds of information out there, if you’re inclined to look for it.  That way, if you ever have a question, you could just type in something like, oh let’s say, ‘Jon Bon Jovi awards’.  Or something like that.”  He shrugged.

Allegra was touched at his perceptiveness, and smiled gratefully. Kissing him on the cheek, she looked into his eyes and asked, “Does Lexi have any idea of how lucky she is?  You’re a sweetheart David Bryan.”

David didn’t have a chance to do more than roll his eyes.

“How the hell did you brainwash my cousin, Joker?”  Jon appeared with a scowl, sliding into the seat across from Allegra.  Richie was right behind him and claimed the seat next to him.

Under other circumstances, David would’ve made a theatrical production of Jon’s comments, but he had Allegra’s recent tutoring fresh on his mind.  “Just the man I wanted to see!  Are you ever going to give this woman a paycheck?  Have you SEEN the cell phone she uses?”  He held it up for Jon’s inspection.  “It looks like Zippo lighter, but doesn’t have as many useful functions.”

“My phone works just fine,” she said, snatching it from his hand.

Jon’s attention didn’t veer past the initial question.  “You haven’t gotten paid?  You should have gotten both an advance and a partial week’s pay on Friday.  Are we direct depositing your money for you?”

She didn’t get a chance to answer before David jumped in.  “See Legs, now you can afford a computer.  Keep the iPod, but you’re going to want your own laptop – and a real phone!”

“Dave, shut up.  The computer interests me more than I thought it would, but it doesn’t change my mind about getting one.  And I told you nothing is wrong with my phone.”

“Both of you be quiet for a minute!”  Jon was peeved that they were ignoring him.  “Allegra, you didn’t answer my question.  Did you get paid or not?”

“No, but I only worked a couple of days, so I wasn’t sure if I would.”

“Of course I’m going to pay you for the work you did!”  He pulled out his phone and started punching at the touch screen, looking less than thrilled.  Fortunately for them, whomever he was trying to contact wasn’t available, because he barked into the phone, “It’s Jon.  Call me as soon as you get this and be prepared to tell me why Allegra Castanelli didn’t get paid on Friday as I requested.” 

He shoved the phone back in his pocket and directed his attention back to Allegra.  “Now, what’s this about your phone and a computer?  Do you not have the money to get what you need?”

“That’s the point – I don’t NEED it.” 

He again asked the question she’d dodged.  “Do you have the money to get a computer?”

“What difference does it make?  I’m not going to get one.”  She didn’t want to outright lie to him, but until the paycheck situation was resolved, she didn’t have the money.  “Not right now anyway.”

“What about a new phone?”  He gestured toward the one in her hand.  “Because, baby, that one is a piece of junk.  I don’t want to have to worry about being able to keep in contact with you.”

Neither did she, but it could wait a little while longer.  “If something goes wrong with this one, I’ll get a new one. Until then it works fine.”

Jon cradled his forehead in his hand, rubbing his temples.  “Jesus, you’re stubborn!  Why can’t anything be easy?”

Looking at Jon with incredulity, David’s eyes darted to Richie’s with a ‘can you believe this?” look, before spouting off with, “Yes, hello? I don’t believe you’ve met, so let me introduce you.  Pot, this is Kettle.  Kettle… Pot.  Oh, and by the way? You’re both black!”

Richie grinned at the commentary, biting his lip to keep from laughing out loud, but the other two simply ignored it.

Jon sighed and dropped his head back against the seat, moving his fingers to lace together across his stomach.  It wouldn’t hurt him to give in this time, considering the day’s events.  Besides, she would have a new iPhone phone by the end of the day, courtesy of Bon Jovi Management.  He smirked to himself and said, “Fine.  I’ll check on your money.  Spend it, don’t spend it.  Do what you want.”

David and Richie both stared in amazement.  They couldn’t believe Jon had backed down.  Could Allegra possibly be more stubborn than their fearless leader?

She smiled sweetly.  “Thank you.” 

Chapter 16

The group all gathered in the private charter area of the Honolulu airport.  The band, Obie and Allegra would be taking Jovi Air for the five hour flight to Seattle, and the wives would be taking a separate charter plane back to New Jersey.  There was much hugging and laughing among the group as they said their goodbyes. 

When Dorothea got to Allegra, she pulled her off to the side.  “Seriously consider the job offers.  And I know I don’t need to say this, but don’t take any bullshit from Jon.  If he gives you trouble, call his mother.  Even at his age, Carol can still incite fear into him.”  Allegra laughed and nodded.  “Now Richie, that’s another story.  Be nice to the man.  I think you’d be surprised how much you’d like him if you just gave him a chance.” 

“I think you’re right,” she confessed softly.

“I am?”  Dot was surprised.  “Is something going on that I don’t know about?”

“No, but I’ve started to see a different side to him lately.”

“I’m glad!”  She gave her a pleased hug.  “I think you’d be good for each other, even just as friends.” 

Jon interrupted them.  “Dorothea, give me a kiss and get your ass on the plane.  It’s time for me to go to work, Baby.” 

Everyone made their final goodbyes and the group moving on to Seattle made their way into the Jovi Jet.  Allegra was steering toward a seat in the back of the plane, when Jon guided her to a sit across from him in the front of the plane.  She raised her eyebrows, but he didn’t say anything, just gestured for her to sit.  To his credit, they had been in the air for at least ten minutes before he started.     

“Where’d you disappear to yesterday?”  He crossed his legs and settled back into the leather seat.

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out where this was headed.  “I played tourist.  Took a couple guided tours of the island.”

“Did it occur to you to check in with somebody?  If Lemma hadn’t told me he at least spoke to you yesterday, nobody would’ve known that you were alive.  He’s the only reason I wasn’t blowing your phone up all day.”

A scowl darkened Allegra’s features.  “I sort of remember me standing in my hotel room and you saying something about putting a leash on the overprotectiveness?  Does that ring any bells for you?”

“Does common sense ring any bells for you?”  He wasn’t out of bounds with this, and he knew it.  “Being in a strange town by yourself, don’t you think it would be a good idea to let somebody know you’re okay?  Especially after the way you freaked out on Mike.  And, while we’re on the subject what was THAT all about?  Tony’s still pissed.”

Her eyes fell to her lap and she reached for the armrests to propel herself upward.  “Okay, I’m going to go talk to David now.” 

He laughed.  “I’ll take that as an admission of guilt.”

She stuck out her tongue at him, not giving him even an inch of rope to hang her with.

Jon’s features settled back into CEO mode.  “Seriously though, what happened with Rew?”

“Tony evidently told you, since you said he’s still pissed.”

“Yeah, but I don’t believe that story, sugar.”

She shrugged.  “Don’t know what to tell you.  It’s the only story I’ve got.”

“Do you remember what else I said in your hotel room?”  He gave her a meaningful look.  “About the crew?”

Her spine stiffened, and she flipped her ever-present ponytail over her shoulder.  “Yeah, so?”

Crossing his arms over his chest, he pushed her for more information. “Rew thinks it had something to do with Montana.”

Mention of Montana brought a picture of that toad Felix to mind.  Her eyes darkening with anger at the memory of Felix’s words, Allegra flew off the handle at Jon. “I’m not fucking your crew, Jon.  You made your decree on that perfectly clear. Nice image you have of me, by the way.  Did you share those thoughts with the rest of the guys?  Do they all think I’m a slut now too - or just a select few of them?”

Tico was nearest the two family members, in the seats behind them, and could hear the anger permeating Allegra’s voice.  He looked around to see if the other guys were paying attention, but Richie was asleep, Dave and Obie both had headphones in and Hugh was reading.  He could tell that she was upset, but was unable to make out any of the words – until Jon’s voice rose a few more decibels with his next question. 

“Frannie, what the hell are you talking about?”

Frannie?  Did he just call her Frannie? 

Tico couldn’t have heard correctly. 

No way!  Surely Allegra isn’t Jon’s little cousin Frannie? 

The ramifications of that rolled through Tico’s mind like a freight train. 

SISTER Frannie. The NUN.

He rose and quietly moved toward the pair, clearing his throat.  “Unless you want the whole plane to hear your argument, you might want to dial it back a little.”

Allegra’s head snapped around and her panic-stricken eyes searched Tico’s face for some sign of how much he’d heard. 

Jon saw his drummer studying her speculatively and knew Allegra’s secret was out.  Son of a bitch.  There would be hell to pay for this.  He dipped his head in remorse.  “T, have a seat man.”

Tico looked to Allegra for her approval before taking the seat next to Jon.

Jon sighed and braced himself.  “How much did you hear?”

“None of the argument.  Just your last question to… Allegra.”  His eyes darted to her briefly.

Allegra threw her hands in the air.  “Great!  Just frickin’ GREAT Jon!”  The Bongiovi temper had come-a-calling, and she wasn’t shy about letting it roam free.

Damage control, Jonny. You can spin this.   “Calm down or you’ll have all the rest of the guys up here.  It’s not a big deal.”

“Of course it’s not a big deal to YOU,” she hissed.  “You didn’t understand it to start with.”  She kicked his foot in anger.

“Ouch!  Listen to me, dammit!  There’s nothing to worry about.  Tico will keep it to himself, won’t you T?”

The older man was clearly uncomfortable with the situation.  Directing his answer to Allegra, he said, “I’m gonna have to say that it raises a few questions.  But, out of respect, I won’t say anything.”

Her anger morphed into alarm as her mind flashed back to the beach that morning.  Richie couldn’t find out.

She reached across to clasp the drummer’s hands.  “Tico, please, please don’t tell anyone else that I’m Frannie.  Right now I don’t even know if I’m staying with the tour, but if I do, I want the information to come out on my terms – not JON’S.”  She fixed her cousin with another icy glare.  “I feel as though you and I have become good friends, and don’t want that to change, so can we talk about this?  I’ll answer any questions that you have.”

Jon’s voice was stern as he reminded her, “You and I have a conversation to finish first.” 

Icicles dripped from her voice.  “I can’t understand a word you're saying around that big black boot in your mouth, so I think that means we’re done.  Instead, why don’t you talk to your brothers again and make sure they’re not going to be suffering from the same affliction.”

Jon’s face flushed with anger and his mouth drew into a tight line, but he merely nodded.  The blame was his and he would accept the consequences, however grudgingly.

She turned her attention back to Tico.  “Do you mind if we speak someplace a little less out in the open?”

He looked to Jon, who nodded slightly.  “There’s a bedroom in the back,”  he said rising from his seat and moving in that direction.

Allegra stood to follow him, but Jon put a hand out to stop her.  “I’m sorry you’re upset with me,” he told her quietly.  “But I’m not sorry that it happened, if it means you’re going to get whatever you’re burying out in the open.  And we will finish our little chat when you cool off.  You don’t get a pass on that one no matter how pissed you are at me.”

Blue eyes clashed, both filled with determination.  “We’ll see about that,” she muttered as he finally allowed her to move past him.

Making her way toward the rear of the aircraft, she passed the other men of Bon Jovi, and fought the urge to stop and watch Richie sleep.  His sinfully perfect lips were parted slightly in a soft snore, causing her smile.  Seated across from Richie, David met her eyes questioningly and pointed to his headphones.  She nodded and held up her finger, indicating that she’d be back in a minute. 

She followed Tico into the small room.  It was small, but held what appeared to be a king-size bed, along with a small sitting area.  He gestured for her to sit here before closing the door.

Allegra wasted no time, beginning to speak the minute the door snicked shut.  “I’m sure this seems strange to you.”

He rubbed his face thoughtfully.  “It does.  You evidently have your own reasons for being here, and I’ll admit that I’m curious as to what those reasons are.  My discretion doesn’t depend on you telling me though.  I will respect your wishes and your privacy, if you so choose.”

“Tico, I told you that I think of you as a friend.  I know you won’t push me to explain, but in the interest of our friendship I’d like to satisfy that curiosity.  Can you start by telling me what you know about me?  It’ll help me decide the best place to start.”

“I know that you entered the convent when you were just out of high school, following your calling at an early age.   Your work with disadvantaged children fits in place with the stories Jon’s told us, but you understandably left out some things the last time we spoke.  I also know from Jon that you were heavily involved in an orphanage operated by the Church.  You were in a position to counsel the youth who found themselves there, and that you made a huge impact in their lives. ” 

She nodded slowly.  “I’m not sure about the huge impact thing, but the rest is accurate.  Do you have a specific question that you’d like me to answer first?”

“How can you walk away from the Church after taking your vows?”

“Well, yeah, that would be the obvious question, wouldn’t it?”  She gathered her thoughts and tried her best to clarify.  “As a Catholic, I’m sure you’ve got a working familiarity with nuns.  I lived in a cloister with the nuns from the time I was eighteen years old, but the vows that I took, by definition, made me a religious sister.  Not a nun.  It’s a fine line, as the vows of poverty, chastity and faith are the same.  The difference was that I took those vows on a temporary basis instead of a permanent one.”

His look of disbelief had her continuing, “I know, I know – nineteen years is a long time to be called temporary.  I had always envisioned going on to take the solemn vows to that would formalize me as a nun, but there was something inside of me that could never take that last step.   I now think that God held me back a little on purpose.  Or maybe that’s what I need to tell myself.”  She shrugged.

“When did you leave the cloister?”

“At the first of the year.”

“So it’s only been,”  he quickly calculated in his head.  “Six weeks?  You’re still a baby out here then.”  He spoke more to himself than her.  “No wonder Jon’s so obsessive about watching out for you.”

The tensing of her jaw was his cue to abandon that line of thought.  “If it’s not being too intrusive, what happened to make you leave?”

At her hesitation, he assured her, “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.  Please don’t feel obligated.”

“How about I give you the Reader’s Digest version?  Last fall there was a situation that I didn’t feel was handled in the manner befitting a religious institution.  The Bishop was adamant that it was God’s will, and the other sisters followed his lead.  I couldn’t.”  Her eyes misted, but she didn’t falter.  “That feeling was compounded just after Christmas.  I was heartbroken on more than one level.  My faith in the Church was compromised; I questioned God.   He didn’t see fit to give me any answers, and finally, I couldn’t stand it anymore.  I had to leave.  Considering that I was at odds with him, the Bishop agreed that it was the best thing for all parties involved.”

He could see how difficult this was for her, and clasped his hand around hers.  “And what brought you into the Jovi Circle?”

She took a breath and wiped an errant tear away with her other hand.  “I had spent my entire adult life cloistered from the real world.  Well, not entirely, but I may as well have been.  Where was I going to go?  I had no money or marketable job skills.  I didn’t even know what my options were.   But I couldn’t get it out of my head that if I were able to get out into the world and see and experience it, that my direction would become clearer to me.” 

She gave him a smile and a small shake of the head.  “It was just a coincidence that this tour was getting ready to start.  So I shamelessly played the family card and begged Jon to take me with him.   He didn’t want to, but Dorothea pushed, so here I am.”  She gently separated her hand from his and pulled at the hem of her oversized t-shirt.  “It hasn’t gone so well, as you may have noticed, so maybe I should’ve listened to him.  I’ve questioned myself a thousand times over since the plane left New Jersey.  I’m no longer sure what I’m doing here.”

“Don’t you?  It’s pretty obvious to me.”

She looked at him in surprise.  “Well that makes one of us.  Would you like to share your insight?”

He leaned forward to rest his hand on her knee, locking gazes with her.  “You’d known you were going to follow a higher calling since you were a teenager.  You were preparing yourself for that discipline, so I’d wager that you were a very submissive teenager, never rebelling against authority.  And now you’ve run off to join a rock band.  Isn’t that the ultimate rebellion?  An outward display of your inner anger with God and the Church?”

Taking in his words, it was like a light had been turned on for Allegra.  Right, wrong or indifferent, that’s exactly what she was doing.  And, surprisingly enough, she was okay with it.  She would enjoy her rebellion for a little while longer and then face the consequences.  It felt good to have an objective – for the moment anyway.

She leaned forward to wrap her arms around this precious man.  “You’re a wise one Tico.”

He separated from her and looked out the window, slightly embarrassed.  Then a look of resolve came over his face and he faced her once again.

“Well, I’m going to take advantage of the fact that you think so, then.  Lemma mentioned that he’s going to hook you up with some music.”

“If we can ever manage to get together, yeah.”

“Well, make sure he gets you our album These Days.  Listen to it.  There’s a song on there that Jon wrote solo that you may be able to relate to.”  He knew that he was stepping into a potential minefield, but couldn’t get away from it in good conscience. 

“I know you’re unhappy with Jon right now, but you might be surprised at just how much he understands.   Allegra, you need to know that he’s always spoken of you with pride.  He didn’t necessarily understand your choices, but he had pride in your determination and dedication.  You’ve chosen two very different paths, but you’re made from the same mold.”

“Tico I know he’s a good guy, but he’s too overprotective.”

“Honey, cut him a break.  And I’m apologizing in advance, but now knowing what I do, you’re going to have to put up with my protectiveness too.”

“But you won’t tell anyone else, right?” she implored.

“I won’t tell anyone else.”

She sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.  “Then I’ll gladly put up with you too.”  She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.  “Now I believe I’ve got a date with the Joker.”




Author's disclaimer:  I am not Catholic and just researched enough to suit my purposes for the storyline.  If inaccuracies exist, please know that there is no intent to insult or offend anyone or their religious beliefs and practices.  :o)