One Hundred Sixty-Three

Thank you all for your patience.  Happy New Year!

“Well, crap,” Allegra bit out, pushing to her feet in anger at herself.  “I’ve got to go explain.”

Jon grabbed her wrist before she took more than a step, shaking his head and frowning.  “I wouldn’t do that yet if I were you.”

Had he lost his mind?  Of course she was going to go apologize for the miscommunication and make things right. 

“Babydoll, he’s already pissed at Heather and what he thinks just happened.  It won’t take him all that long to figure out there’s more to it than what he’s seeing, but you need to give him that time.  He ain’t gonna be in a listening frame of mind for a little while.”

“I appreciate the advice.”  She extracted her arm from his grip.  “But I’m not going to let this linger and let him think something that’s just not true.”  The tile was quickly eaten up under her tennis shoes as she sought to follow Richie’s footsteps.

Jon shook his head again, afraid this wasn’t going to go well.  He hoped he was wrong, but his gut and thirty years of disagreements with his best friend told him he wasn’t.  He whipped out his phone to do a little meddling and keep Richie and Allegra separated until after the show.

♪

As a last resort, Allegra stuck her head in David and Tico’s dressing room.  “Have you guys seen Richie?”

“Nope,” David said, standing from where he was running through a song on his keyboard.  “I heard his big feet stomp by the door a little while ago, but I haven’t actually seen him since dinner.”

“Sorry, querida, but I’ve been here with Lemma the whole time.”  Tico was stretching out his back, locking his wrists together over his head and leaning to one side, and then repeating the process in the opposite direction.  “But we’re on our way to the stage now.  I’d guess he’s in the Underworld.”

“Thanks,” she sighed and moved along with a wave.  It had been the same story everywhere.  His dressing room was deserted, and each person backstage had either ‘just’ seen him or hadn’t seen him at all.  No one could seem to pin down his whereabouts, and now it was five minutes ‘til show time.  Tico was probably right about him being in the sacred area under the stage. 

For her own peace of mind, she moved that direction, just to make sure.  Stepping up to the perimeter of the area, she nearly collided with Takumi as he emerged from Richie’s quick change room. 

“Sorry, Takumi,” she apologized, already looking past him.  “Is he in there?” 

He glanced back over his shoulder, looking uncertain.  “Uh, yeah.”

She nodded.  “It’s okay.  I know not to bother him.”  Richie had his mind focused on the show, which is exactly how it should be.  Interrupting his focus, even for something she considered imperative, wouldn’t make him any happier.  “If he happens to be looking for me after the show, tell him I’ll be waiting in his dressing room?”

“Sure, Allegra.”

With that, she retraced her steps back through the hallways, stopping only to give Dave, Tico and Hugh high fives before they ducked under the stage. 

The walls were already thumping with the beat of Tico’s bass drum when she closed the door to Richie’s dressing room.  Wandering aimlessly through the small area, she picked up his discarded shirt, smiling as the scent drifted into her nostrils.  It was a sad state of affairs when his dirty laundry appealed to her, she thought as she tossed it in his bag. 

Anxious for something to kill the time, she dug her laptop out of its case and tried to concentrate on her homework.  Another week and this next round of classes would be finished. 

There had been moments lately that she questioned her sanity.  Running around all over the continent, maintaining the band’s social networking presence, pushing past the pregnancy fatigue, planning a wedding and going to school along with half a dozen other things every day was… daunting at times.  There had been more than one night when Richie had chastised her for being so tense, and then done his best to release that tension.

She smiled in remembrance.  Granted, her experience was restricted, but she couldn’t imagine there being a better lover.  He pushed her until she thought she would break, never dreaming that the breaking point would bring such pleasure.  Then he tenderly put her back together again.

Her brow puckered in a frown and Allegra chewed at her bottom lip. 

Considering his extensive… history in that particular area, Allegra knew without a doubt he’d been with ‘better’ partners than she.  With her total lack of proficiency, that was a given.  However, it didn’t diminish the desire to make their wedding night special – something that he would remember, despite all of the groupies and…  things she didn’t want to think about.

So while she should’ve been doing homework, she redirected her train of thought to something a little more captivating…

♪

Richie couldn’t wipe the smile from his face.  Two and a half hours later, things didn’t seem nearly so bad as they had with Heather harping in his ear.  He’d set his personal turmoil aside the instant he scaled the steps to the stage, and put his heart and soul into the performance.  That was nothing new, he did it every night, but some nights it felt as if the crowd paid back more than he gave.  As though they knew he needed them, tonight was one of those. 

The last show in US stadium leg of the tour, with a six-week break had the band pushing to give that extra ounce of sweat to their faithful.  The need to please never lessened, and tonight the raw energy of his bandmates dragged Richie into the zone.  He got a little extra shot of adrenaline when he saw the in the pit waving a vanity license plate that bore SAMBORA. 

The rush of having people go crazy over your band never got old, but it intensified when it was aimed specifically at him.  He wasn’t just a guitarist to some of these people.  They were here for him as much – if not more, in some cases – as they were for any of the band members.  It made him humble and arrogant all in one fell swoop. 

Jon felt it too, along with that desire to offer up a little something more.  The crowd in the circle was begging for everything they had and were blown away when Dry County was pulled out of the hat.  Richie played it from the soles of his feet and the fans weren’t shy in showing their appreciation.  At the end, the screams echoing across Soldier Field were tantamount to those flying from the highest roller coaster Disney ever dreamed about.

Damn, I love my job.

He ambled down the steps for the last time, unhooking the monitors and passing them into a waiting set of hands.  Congratulations and well-wishes surrounded them from the tech and backstage crew and he slapped hands with each of them, thanking them for their hard work. 

“Allegra’s waiting in your dressing room.”  Takumi spoke loudly in his ear to be heard over the crowd that was still shaking the stands with their screams and applause.

And welcome back to reality.

“Thanks, man.  You kicked ass as usual.  I appreciate you.”  He pulled his guitar tech into a one-armed hug before pushing on toward his dressing room.

It’s gonna be okay.  We’ll work it out.  We’ve come through too much to let this stop us.

“Rich!”  Jon’s bellow caused him to spin, a question in his eyes.

“Yeah, bro?”

His friend clapped him on the shoulder, studying his eyes briefly before dipping his chin in a nod.  “Good show, buddy.  You got your head on straight now?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.  Now you can go find her and clear this shit up.  Don’t screw up my vacation by making me worry about the two of you.”

Bumping fists, Richie knew now why Jon had his ass running all over the stadium on lame-ass ‘technical issues’ before the show.  He’d been keeping Richie away from Allegra.

“Dude.  Was all that really necessary?”

His friend quirked an all too familiar brow at him.  “Yeah.  It was.  Go listen to what your woman has to say, asshole.  You can thank me later.”

Richie gave a curt nod, for once thinking Jon’s high-handedness was probably for the best.  If she’d found him while he was still hot, they’d have fought and he would’ve said things that couldn’t be taken back.  Now he was ready to talk – and listen with a little more acceptance.

He stepped into his dressing room, armed with that positive attitude, only to stop dead in his tracks.  An affectionate smile stole across his handsome features.  It looked like their problem would wait a little longer to be resolved. 

Allegra was tucked into the sofa, fast asleep.  Her open laptop was on the table next to her.

Quietly gathering his street clothes, Richie slipped into the bathroom.  She needed to rest and he needed not to stink.  He would wake her when he got out of the shower.

♪

The soft sounds of running water awoke Allegra and she lay there blinking at the wall.  She couldn’t believe she’d dozed off.  She swung her feet to the floor, sitting upright and rubbing her eyes sleepily as the water stopped.

In a matter of minutes, Richie stepped into the room wearing a fresh t-shirt and jeans.  He smiled upon finding her packing up her computer and his other miscellaneous items. 

“Did you finally wake up, sleepyhead?”

She wasted no time dropping the few items she held into his bag and plastering herself against his front, arms wrapped around in a tight hug.

“Hey you.  You’re still speaking to me?”

Still damp lips touched hers tenderly after returning the hug.

“Yeah.  I told you I just needed to get my mad out.  I’m sure there’s an explanation and now I’m willing to listen to it without jumping down your throat.”

“There is,” she assured, pushing him down on the sofa so that she could crawl into his lap.  “My head was lost in fixing the problem and I didn’t know you’d asked a question until Jon told me.  I’m paying attention if you want to ask again.”

Richie lost himself in the scent of her hair, inhaling the berry smell he’d become so intimately familiar with.  There were times that smell alone made life more bearable.

“What am I supposed to do, Sunshine?” 

“Well,”  she began with a feathery kiss on the underside of his jaw.  “You don’t have to do a thing.  That was literally a wakeup call for me, and I’ve realized how selfish I was being.  Of course we’ll live in California.  Ava should have her Daddy nearby.”

Thank God.

Whatever tension had lingered after the show and his shower now dissolved.  He captured her chin, searching the depths of her eyes for proof that she meant it.  “Are you sure?”

“I am.  It will be an adjustment for me, but one I’m willing to make – with the stipulation that we have this discussion again in about five years.”

“Okay, but why five years?”

“Ava will be eighteen, ready to head off for college God knows where.  She may or may not stay in California, but that’s also when Bug will be old enough to start elementary school.  As of right now, I’d really like to her to do that back East.  Of course,” she added.  “Things could always change and it may become a moot point.  But as of now I’d like the reassurance that we’ll re-evaluate where we are as a family.  We’ll make sure whatever we do is best for all of us.”

This was the woman he loved.  She put everything in perspective and came up with the best possible solution.  This time, it meant shoving her personal wants to the bottom of the pile, but Richie would make sure she didn’t regret it.  He swore to himself make sure she came first whenever possible.

“What are you thinking?” she asked suspiciously.  “You’ve got a dirty smirk on your face.”

“No I don’t,” he denied, broadening the smirk into a full-blown smile before swallowing her mouth in a long, wet kiss.

 “Thank you,” he breathed across the dampness of her lips after he’d drunk his fill.  “You have no idea how much this means to me, baby.  I promise I’ll do everything in my power to see that you’re happy in California.”

She nodded, tracing her thumb along the tendon in his neck.  “Since you’re being so agreeable, how about you take me back to the hotel so we can have wild sex for hours?  Then we can make love for a few more hours.  I want to worship your body all night, because…” 

Allegra drew in a breath, unsure as to how he would react to this next part.  He was likely going to hate it, but she hoped he’d handle it with his usual good grace. 

Although… she’d never denied him something like this before.

“Because?” The muffled question came from behind her ear, where his mouth was busy, alternately nipping and licking the tender skin.

“Because, after tonight, I don’t want us to have sex again until we’re married.”

Chapter 162

Sorry for the lag in posting.  Things have been pretty busy around here, but I finally go the next chapter put together.  Hope you all had a fabulous Christmas!!!

“Well…”  David looked to the other band members.  “Guess we should head out.  I feel like I need a bachelor party before the show now.  Thanks a lot, Legs.”  He threw her a look of mock-disgust, pushing the chair back to stand.  Tico and Hugh readily followed suit, murmuring about things to do before they hit the stage. Jon, however,  didn’t budge.

“Go on without me,” he said with a toss of his chin.  Still in his reclined pose, Jon laced his fingers together in the center of his chest as his ‘posse’ headed out.  He would just hang around and make sure everything was okay with Ava before going to warm up. 

In the meantime…

“So you think you’ll be okay stepping into the parenting role for a teenager right off the bat?”

He played it casual, taking the long way around this conversation.  It might keep her from getting her panties in a twist and he thought they had a few minutes before Richie finished his call.

She flicked her eyes toward the corner where Richie spoke in hushed tones before answering Jon.

“I don’t know.  I’ll do the best I can.  We’re getting along fine so far.”

“So you’ll be okay spending twenty-four seven with her?”

She hesitated, and he took the opportunity to be more specific, and ask his real question.  “In LA?”

“I don’t know,” she repeated on a sigh.  “Honestly?  It’s nothing to do with her, but I hate the thoughts of living a whole country away from everyone I know.  With Richie on the road so much right now and Bug on the way…”  She shook her head and rubbed her stomach lightly.  “We can’t come to an agreement on where to live, even after a dozen conversations.”

“He does have one daughter already.”  Jon couldn’t blame Allegra for not wanting to relocate – at all.  He’d hated it in California.  But he also couldn’t imagine she’d try and separate Richie and Ava. 

“I’m aware of that.”  Dipping her head thoughtfully, she toyed with the fork that still lay on her plate.  The chicken remained half-eaten, as did the side-dishes, and she pushed them around on the white china as she spoke.  “It’s the only thing that keeps me from flat out refusing to go.  I keep hoping we’re going to figure out a compromise.  He’s so used to flying off everywhere I didn’t think it would be a big deal to hop on a plane whenever he wants to see her or she wants to visit.  We can be there in five hours.”

“That’s true.”  And it was true, despite the fact that they all hated stepping foot on a plane by the time they were half through a tour.  It wasn’t his intention to sway her one way or the other.  It made no difference to him where they lived.  Well, not much anyway.  He just wanted to see where her head was, since Richie hadn’t said anything in a while.

“But…?” 

He lifted his eyebrows and shrugged.  “There’s no but.  If you don’t wanna live in Cali, this decision is gonna be a bitch.  I was only making conversation.”

“Bullshit.  You always have an opinion.”

“Not this time, babydoll,” he told her with a slow shake of his head.  Uncrossing his ankles, he winced slightly when he bent his knees and heard the ensuing crack.  “There’s no clear cut right and wrong from where I’m standing.  Whatever works for the three…”  He nodded at the bump still cradled in her hand.  “And a half of you is all that matters.”

They both snapped their heads around when Richie’s open palm smacked the wall.  Frustration sprang from him like bolts of electricity and his back practically hummed with the tension in his taut muscles.  “There was no fucking reason for you to say that!  You don’t have any damn idea what’s going on, so keep your speculations to yourself.”

Matching blue eyes locked together.  There was no doubt in Jon or Allegra’s mind that Richie was no longer talking to his daughter.

“Again, none of your damn business and not your place to decide.  When there’s something to say, you can rest assured that I’ll be the one to say it.  I don’t need your help.”

“The witch has been brewing up something in her bleached blonde brew pot,” Jon murmured.  “I swear she’s nuts – the needs heavily medicated kinda nuts.”

He watched the questions cloud his cousin’s eyes and clasped her hand reassuringly.  “Don’t worry,” he teased with a crooked grin.  “Ava hasn’t displayed the first sign of her mother’s craziness.  I think it skips a generation.”

“Heather wants him back.”

Jon’s left eyebrow rose with interest.  “You say that with such authority.  Is that based on fact or your insecurity?  Because, baby, you know our family doesn’t do insecurity.”

She totally disregarded his attempt at arrogant humor.

“We almost got into a cat fight in Richie’s living room.  She’s been nothing but a shrew toward me, and is making Richie’s life hell as often as possible since we started dating. What else am I supposed to think?”

“That you’re the twice the woman she is, and the longer this goes, the more he’s gonna realize it?  That makes Heather look bad.  Heather doesn’t like to look bad.  As a matter of fact, she fucking hates it.”

Come on, Frannie.  Don’t buy into that bullshit the California girl is spreading around. 

“Her personal neuroses are not my problem.”

“Good answer.  Now if you only believed it.”

He’d bluffed enough times to know the signs – and Allegra was way too honest to hide it well.  She was spouting off what she knew was expected of her, when what she was really feeling was a far cry away.

“I do believe it.  Unfortunately, I also believe that if she tried hard enough, she could manipulate Richie like a puppet.   She possesses the one thing that means most to him – his daughter.  Between that and his soft-heartedness…”  She let the thought dangle.

“Have you forgotten that you possess his other daughter?”

“That has yet to be proven.”

He schooled his features into a blank expression as one of his fears was brought to light.  She’d been paying lip-service to Richie and the rest of them when she agreed the baby was his.  Clearly, she still had doubts.  And Heather could smell doubt like a shark smells blood.  Not good.

“It was proven the minute Richie claimed his paternal rights.  He believes it, and that’s all that matters.”

“Is it?” she asked emotionlessly.  “What happens the day he stops believing?  When he has the crappiest day of his life, and she – or someone else – says just the right thing to change his mind?  What then?”

Firm fingers latched onto her bicep, and he twirled her toward him.  “You’re spinning fucked-up fairytales in your head babydoll.  Richie Sambora is one of the best, most responsible men I’ve ever known.  That day you’re talking about isn’t going to happen.”

Heavy heels thunking across the tile had both their heads turning toward one very angry guitarist. 

Jon dropped his hold on Allegra’s arm and brought his elbows to rest against the edge of the table.  “Problem bro?”

“Like life isn’t complicated enough all on its own?”  Richie returned Allegra’s phone and crammed exasperated hands into his pockets.  “Now Heather has to go jumping the gun and tell Ava that I’m probably moving to New Jersey and won’t be around anymore.  It tore her all to pieces.  Me with my fucking hands tied, trying to calm her down, when all I could say is that nothing’s been decided yet.”

The guilt slammed into Allegra. She had no idea that Ava would react this strongly to the thought of her father moving from California.  The girl was on the edge of becoming a young woman, exuding the desire for independence. 

“I assume you had words with Heather?” Jon asked.

Richie barked out a humorless laugh.  “Damn straight, for what good it did.  She’s playing the concerned parent card, saying she’s only trying to prepare Ava for what’s sure to be a ‘traumatic circumstance in her life’.  He dropped his hands lifelessly after making the air quotes.  “Who the hell thought my happiness would be traumatic to my kid?”

His eyes were turbulent with emotion, and Allegra knew if there weren’t a show looming directly ahead of him, he would jump on a plane right now and rush to reassure his daughter in person.  Because she was his world – or a good portion of it anyway.  She and Bug made up a good portion as well.  Allegra was grown up enough to know that.

What a spectacular grownup example she’d set.  Digging in her heels so that she wouldn’t have to live someplace different and have new experiences.  Learn something besides what she’d always known.  Just because she’d had sex, fallen in love, gotten pregnant, gotten raped, seen some of the places in the world and gotten engaged…  did all that mean she’d reached her limit on new experiences?

It would only be another five years until Ava headed off to college – probably on the other side of the country.  Then, it wouldn’t matter where Daddy lived.  In the here and now, it obviously mattered very much.   

It was time that Allegra sucked it up.  She needed to put her own needs ahead of those of a young girl who loved her Daddy and spent too much time away from him as it was.

It was only five years.  She could sacrifice what she considered home for five years. 

No, not sacrifice.  Make a compromise.

“Richie…” she called after him, rising to her feet.  While she’d been having her epiphany, he had finished whatever he was saying and was now stalking off toward his dressing room.

He paused, but didn’t turn.  “Forget it, Sunshine.  Let me get my mad out and I’ll catch up with you after the show.”  Resuming his stride, his hand was on the door when her voice reached him again.

“Richie, wait a minute!”

“Let it go for now, Allegra.  Don’t force me to say something I might regret later.”

With that, he was gone, and Allegra turned to her cousin in disbelief.  “Did that really just happen?  I was going to offer a way to fix it and he walked out!”

“Maybe you should have mentioned that plan to ‘fix it’ when he asked for your opinion on what to do.”

Her eyes rounded with dismay.  “He didn’t ask me what to do.”

“Yep.  He definitely did.”

“And I…”  Oh good grief, she’d been so engrossed in her own thoughts, she hadn’t even heard him speaking directly to her.

“Sat there with a stubborn, pissy scowl on your face?  Yeah.”

One Hundred Sixty-One

Unbidden, the shadow of a smile chased across the Bishop’s face.  Skimming the text again, he chuckled silently and scrolled through the images on the computer screen, taking more time to study them this time through.

She looked happy – incredibly so.  Even more so than in the photographs from New York.  The woman with the wide smile, bantering with the photographer, bore little resemblance to the piteous creature who had sought shelter such a short time ago. 

Something was certainly agreeing with her.  Perhaps pregnancy was partially responsible for the glow that even chaotic paparazzi photos couldn’t conceal.  The blurbs on the internet made no mention of a baby, so he could only conclude that the press hadn’t ferreted out that information when her engagement was revealed.

The close-up of the ring showed it to be undoubtedly pricey, but far less gaudy than he would have expected a rock star to choose.   But, really, what did he know about rock stars other than the stereotype traits?  This Sambora may be a model citizen for all he knew.  A saint.

The Bishop did know that Mr. Sambora was blatantly protective of the woman at his side.  You could see it in the curve of his arm at her waist, keeping her close during the rain of camera flashes.  He’d also seen it the day he’d come to fetch Allegra’s belongings.  When Sambora had caught him watching from the window and tried to kill him with a single look. 

Not that he hadn’t deserved it and more.  The Bishop considered himself fortunate that he hadn’t received a personal visit from Allegra’s family after her discovery.   Therese Castanelli, in particular.  Frannie had always spoken of Therese as a bulldog when it came to her loved ones.    

But, aside from the withering glare from Mr. Sambora, there hadn’t been the first shadow darkening his doorstep.

It made him wonder if Allegra had mentioned it to anyone.  Her cousin – the Bongiovi man – certainly didn’t seem like the shy type when it came to vindicating his family.  He’d certainly taken the Bishop’s information about Felix and run with it in a hurry.  Of course, that wasn’t a bad thing, and he was grateful.  Felix’s transgressions couldn’t be erased, but it assuaged his conscience to know there’d be no more.

Cloudy gray eyes lifted from the computer monitor and gazed toward the garden.  He couldn’t bear to look at her photos with thoughts of that cretin muddying his mind – or with the images of his dead body crowding in.

He’d allowed twenty-four hours to lapse between his phone call to Allegra’s cousin and one to the Philadelphia morgue.  As he’d suspected, that had been ample time.  Unable to push down the need to see for himself that it was finished, the Bishop had made a little visit to the morgue – under the guise of delivering last rites to a man with no family.

The ligature marks around Felix’s neck were a mottled purple, made all the more shocking by their contrast against the pallor of his bloodless skin.   The bruising also made a patchwork quilt of his face in varying shades of black, pink and purple.  Without lifting the institutional white sheet, he knew that there would be more markings, but had no desire to see them.   The head and neck gave him enough satisfaction – almost too much satisfaction.  Anymore and he would have to repent. 

And he wasn’t repenting. 

Felix had received his just reward.  God could have pity or mercy on his soul – the Bishop would not.

After saving her photos to his hard drive, hHe sighed and closed the internet browser.

Forty years. 

Forty years, he had known of his child’s existence and never felt as though he was missing a thing. Now, though?  Now that she knew?  And hated him and everything he stood for?  Well, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. 

His daughter.  Frannie’s daughter.  Their daughter.  Pregnant with his grandchild.

The Bishop slid open the desk drawer about two inches, extracting Allegra’s cross.  It was in and out of this drawer several times a week, and had been ever since she left, acting as a reminder.  Acting as his conscience.

In all likelihood, there was nothing he could do to make amends, but he would put forth the effort, anyway.  He had to.  Everyone else he owed an indebtedness was dead.  There was no second chance with his brother, Frannie or that little girl, Tessa.  He could only pray… for their souls and God’s forgiveness. 

Allegra, however, was very much alive.  There was still a chance to… not necessarily right a wrong, but atone for it.  Apologize for his shortcomings and ask – or beg, if necessary – forgiveness.  Explanations would be futile, since he’d already explained his actions in the only way he knew how.  Sadly, at the time, he’d still believed he was justified in those actions. 

He’d had ample opportunity to think since then.

Now he understood he was.  Wrong for being concerned with what the world would think of a man in his position.   So concerned that he would shun his only child – the child he’d created with Frannie, whom he’d loved with all his heart.  And for what?  Sure, he’d served the Church and risen through the ranks.  But the expected sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that should have followed never did.   There was always an emptiness inside his chest.  It was subtle, yet gaping.  Like there was a huge void in his life.

Maybe one that should have been filled by his daughter? 

If only he hadn’t been so afraid of the judgment of man.

Considering the way he’d handled himself with regard to Allegra, the Bishop had no expectation of forging a relationship with her, but he longed for peace between them.  

And perhaps…  the opportunity to see his grandchild some day.

♪♫♪♫

“So…”  Allegra began with an impish grin, embedding her fork tines into the piece of chicken before her.  They were at Soldier Field having dinner before the last show of the US leg of the tour.  At the large round table, she was surrounded by the band members:  Richie on her left, then David, Tico, Hugh, ending with Jon at her right hand.

“Yes?”  David quirked a brow at her before elbowing Richie and stage-whispering, “My Spidey-sense is tingling, man.  Your wise-ass woman is about to be… well, a wise-ass.”

“Your own fault if she is,” her fiancé swallowed his own chicken and washed it down with a swig of Pellegrino.  “Stop spending so much time with her.  You’re rubbing off.”

“What are you complaining about?  You’re the one rubbing against her.”

Jon reclined as much as the rigid dining chairs would allow, stretching his legs out and crossing his ankles with a sigh.    “Think you could finish that thought before they start a food fight?”

When both Richie and David looked intrigued by the prospect, Allegra warned them off with a scowl before she voiced, “I was just going to say…  This is David and Richie’s last show as single men.  I wanted to know if they’d be catatonic with grief or like un-medicated ADHD children on the stage tonight?”

Tico, Hugh and Jon cackled outright at her question.  David stuck his tongue out, and Richie just looked at her.

David’s wedding was in exactly one week.  When he discovered Lexi’s reasons for putting up with Kristofer, and her qualms about the wedding ideas, he took the planning out of her hands and fired the flamboyant little man.  The new plans were what Lexi had wanted all along:  they would be having a quiet ceremony in Colt’s Neck with “a hell of a rockin’ reception” afterward.  And there would be cupcakes.

Allegra and Richie’s big day was only four weeks later, on a Sunday morning.  Kristofer didn’t have a hand in the wedding, but Richie had cheerfully relieved of reception duty, taking great delight in doing so.  Dot and Allegra would find a caterer and put together something simple, which was more in line with what they really wanted.  Although, not to be done outdone by David, it would be “a hell of a rockin’ reception” too.  Richie was still busy rounding up friends to come and jam with them.

So the next time Bon Jovi hit the stage – in Mexico City – all of its band members would be happily married.

Poor fans…

“I, for one,” Richie announced haughtily, bringing his arm to rest along the back of Allegra’s chair, “Have been as good as married for months now.  It’s just another show for me, darlin’.”

She flicked her eyebrow up with a frown of displeasure.  “Yeah, I can tell you’re already in show mode.  Since when do you call me darlin’?”

“Since you were looking to pick a fight.”  His grin was pure devilry and cocoa eyes crinkled with mischief. 

He knew good and darn well that she didn’t want him using that particular term of endearment with her.  It was his public fallback when he couldn’t remember or didn’t know someone’s name.  It was his way of being impersonally personal, and made him seem sweet and charming.  Which was fine, but she’d asked him to keep it for the public, not her.

Allegra wrinkled her nose as the guys laughed, and directed her attention to David.  “What about you, Davey?  Is it the end of an era?”

“Nah,” he denied, crooked grin in place.  “It’s the beginning of an era.  If you’re interested in more than a quick tumble in bed, being single sucks.  At my age it’s about more than the tumble.  I want somebody to come home to, on the rare occasion that I am home.  It’s all good.”

“Hmm.”  She glided her eyes over the other three guys.  “Am I supposed to believe that?”

Jon snorted.  “We’re old fucking men.  What’s not to believe?”

“Oh yeah, Mr. Sexiest Man Alive.  Women and young girls are still hanging off your coattails every chance they get.  Try and sell that crap to somebody else,” she scoffed.  These men would always be sex symbols to the women who made up their faithful following.

“The difference is, Sunshine…”  Richie nudged a rebellious tendril of hair from her forehead with a gentle touch.  “We don’t care.  Yeah, it’s funny and amusing and flattering, but it stopped being a turn-on a long time ago.”

“Oh real-llly?”  She couldn’t help but be skeptical.  What straight man wouldn’t be turned on by the displays of cleavage that normally made up half the stadium?

“Yes, really,” Jon scolded her.  “Those women view us as nothing more than meat.”

A vibration against her right hip interrupted her rebuttal, and Allegra slipped and hand into her pocket to answer the call.  Inspecting the display, she frowned as she answered.   

“Hello?”

“Allegra, where’s my Dad?”  Ava demanded in a near whine, with no preliminary greeting whatsoever.  “I need to talk to him right now and he’s not answering his phone!” 

Given Ava’s ingrained manners, the lack of a ‘hello’ coupled with the high pitch of her voice instantly set Allegra on alert.  Ava didn’t do the teenage drama thing – yet, anyway.  Something was definitely wrong.

She tucked the phone under her chin and quietly bit out, “Richie, where’s your phone?” 

After patting his pockets, he rolled his eyes.  “Shit.  On the table in my dressing room.”

Going back to the agitated girl, Allegra made a quick effort to soothe her before putting her father on the line.   “Don’t worry, Ava, he just forgot his phone in the dressing room.  Hang on just a second and I’ll hand him mine.”  Passing him the phone, she warned him in a low voice, “She sounds upset.”

His face went instantly somber.  Lifting the phone to his ear, he forced out a casual, “Hey, baby girl,” while moving toward a deserted corner of the room.

Hopefully, it was nothing more than a spat with one of her friends that had her wanting to cry on Daddy’s shoulder.   Or a boy crisis. 

But she had a bad feeling about this.  Her instincts were screaming that it was something else entirely.

So Allegra watched him go, wondering and worrying about what Heather might be up to now.

Chapter 160

Allegra sighed as she wrenched open the side entrance to Rogers Centre.  Her flight had run late, meaning that it arrived right as sound check was starting and kept Richie from meeting her at the airport.  He did make arrangements to have a driver waiting, who hoisted her small bag into the trunk and jetted it to the venue as quickly as the standing traffic allowed. 

The faint strains of “I’ll Be There For You” filtered back through the honeycomb of backstage, evidence that the band was well into sound check.  She opted to wait for Richie in his dressing room rather than interrupt and trotted off in the most likely direction.

All these shows later, the backstage area wasn’t nearly as convoluted and intimidating as she’d once thought.  It was a different city, but the setup was always essentially the same, and she moved confidently through the corridors, nodding amiably to the faces of staffers who had become so familiar in the last few weeks.

Turning one last corner, she found Richie’s dressing room pretty well where she expected it to be.  With a hand on the doorknob, she paused, eyes flicking across the hallway to David and Tico’s backstage oasis.  Rather than commandeering Richie’s sofa for the nap she so desperately wanted, Allegra opted to go lie in wait for David. 

She pushed open the door and gave a cursory look around before she made herself at home in their dressing room.  Bypassing the arm chairs and sofa, she dragged a stool toward the practice keyboard David had standing by the side wall.  Balancing the balls of her feet on the low rungs of the stool, she flipped the power switch.  Without hesitation, she began lightly pounding out a few chords and limbering her fingers.

Lexi was flat-out avoiding her and she wanted to know why.

She and Dot had swung by the house in Colt’s Neck after yesterday’s shopping excursion, but Lexi was ‘apparently’ not home.  They also detoured by there on the way to the airport this morning, and still no answer at the door.  Every time Allegra called Lexi’s cell phone, it went to voicemail.  Same thing for Dot.

Curiouser and curiouser…

“I didn’t know you could play.”  David quietly slipped up behind her, winding his arms around for a lingering hug.  “Don’t stop,” he implored when her fingers stilled on the keys. 

Knowing how good he was, her insecurity had Allegra a breath away from ignoring his request.  But there was a particular chord progression she was having trouble pinning down.  Maybe he could help.

“Okay, but don’t judge me.  I’m not a professional musician.”  She resumed the melancholy tune, picking out the melody readily enough, but having trouble finding the chords that went beneath those notes.

“Do you recognize this song?” she asked over her shoulder.  “Can you tell me what I’m doing wrong?”

He moved to stand beside her, watching her fingers move nimbly up and down the keyboard until hitting a sour note.

“Up a third, then make it minor.”

Following his suggestion, she tossed him an appreciative smile when it fit perfectly.  She’d expected no less. 

And so it went for the next ten minutes or so.  Allegra played until she stumbled over a wrong note and David would gently offer corrective guidance until she could play the entire piece without pause.

Tinkling off a few notes of victory, she turned to her friend with a wide smile.  “Thank you!”

He draped his arm comfortably around her shoulders, brushing her cheek with a quick kiss.  “Anytime, beautiful.  You’re good, by the way – a lot better than Jon.”

“Yeah, well you can’t be an almost-nun and not play a little organ now and again.  I had to find some way to put all those piano lessons of my youth to good use.”

“I’d like for you to play with me sometime, but right now I’m curious.”  His curls bobbed as he nodded toward the instrument before them.  “What’s with the song?”

She hummed non-committally, developing an avid interest in the dressing room décor.  She slowly absorbed the black leather sofa, accompanying armchairs and glass-topped coffee table.

“Legs?”  David nudged her ribs, bewildered at why the in-your-face woman he knew so well was acting shy.  “What gives?”

Her attention still raptly engrossed in the floor rug, she mumbled something that he didn’t quite catch.  “What was that?  I couldn’t hear you.”

He watched her jaw lock itself in that stubborn set he’d seen more than once, and bit back a smile.  Her defiant gaze met his intrigued one with that sweetly familiar attitude of hers. 

“I want to do this song for Richie at the wedding.  Yes, I know that’s completely stupid,” she rushed on, not allowing him the opportunity to open his mouth, much less comment.  “Why would I try and do a song surrounded by a group of professional musicians – for a professional musician?  Ridiculous, right?”

She slipped her feet to the floor and stood, facing the bank of mirrors on the wall, unwilling to look at him.  David could see that her shoulders were set stiffly, awaiting his usual wise-ass repartee.

It wasn’t gonna happen.

He thought it was friggin’ adorable that she could feel any type of inferiority around this bunch.  For God’s sake, she was a sainted angel compared to the rest of them. 

So, for once, he went with sincerity instead of sarcasm.

Big palms came to cup her shoulders, and David could feel her heat warming his chest as he stood close behind.  “Definitely not ridiculous.  I hope that goofy fuck understands just how blessed he is.”  His grip tightened briefly before open palms slid down to her elbows and fell away.  “Tell me you’ve got the pipes to go with the mad piano skills.”

Her eyes met his in the mirror quizzically.  “You mean, can I sing?”

“Yeah, baby, can you sing?” he confirmed with a laugh and a cock-eyed grin.

“I do okay I guess.” 

“Well then…”  He steered her away from the keyboard and made a show of cracking his knuckles before slinging a leg over the stool.  “Allow me to accompany you, madam, and let’s hear it.”

She studied him skeptically as he worked through opening bars of the piece.  “You can’t be all ‘David’ about this.  You can tell me I’m lousy, but you’re not allowed to make fun.”  She pointed a finger directly at his nose.  “Promise me.”

“Aww, darlin’ you know I can’t promise that,” he teased, dark blue eyes sparkling with mischief.  “But I will try very hard to keep it at a minimum.  Come on Legs.  Dazzle me.”

The foundation of her voice was solid, even with her hesitancy in the first part of the verse.  Keeping his mind solely on the accompaniment, David allowed her to find her confidence, nodding encouragingly as she reached for the harder notes.  By the time she finished the last chorus, the original would have been proud of her delivery.

He spun on the stool, open hands dropping to his thighs.  “Dayum Legs!  You’re gonna have that sappy schmuck in tears.  Does he know you can belt it like that?”

Allegra shook her head, remembering the only time Richie heard her sing – that drunken night in Hawaii.  It was less than a stellar performance, even though he had said she could carry a tune.

“Well, he’s in for a helluva surprise then.  You gonna play, too?”

Again, she shook her head.  “I’m afraid I’ll be too nervous to even sing.  Playing is going to be out of the question.  I sort of had it in my mind that Jon would accompany me on guitar, since it would be a pain to drag a piano down to the beach in the middle of the night.”

“Let me play for you.  Doesn’t matter how much of a pain it is to get the keys on the sand.  Leave it to Uncle Dave.  I’ll take care of everything.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind?”

David splayed one open hand over his chest and sincerity shone brightly in his eyes when he assured her, “It would be a privilege.”

“In that case, you’re hired.”  Allegra’s smile lit the room.  “And while I’m asking favors…”

“Uh-oh.  What have I gotten myself into?”

She pushed lightly on his shoulder.  “Hey.  Be nice.  It’s not like I’m gonna ask for a kidney!  I just wanted to know if you would mind giving me away?”

“For real?”  His shaggy eyebrows pushed up under the fringe of curls blanketing his forehead.  “I figured Jon would do it.”

“I thought about that, but he’s going to be Richie’s best man.  Giving the bride away and being best man may give him a bigger head than usual.  I don’t want to be responsible for the ego that ate Honolulu,” she laughed.  “And in the interest of full-disclosure, I’m asking Tico to give me away too.  I’d like you both to be a part of the ceremony.”

“Well, I can’t speak for Tico, but I know I’d be honored.”

She stepped between his open legs, curling her arms around his neck, and he pulled her tight.  They lingered that way for a moment as the emotions threatened to overwhelm Allegra.  Once again, she cursed the circumstances, but was unbelievably grateful these men had become a part of her life.

“Get your fuckin’ hands off my woman,” a whiskey-rough voice growled.

Allegra’s heart picked up its pace.  She’d know that voice anywhere.  Lifting her head from David’s shoulder her pearly white teeth shone.  It had only been a day and a half, but she’d missed him.

“Possession is nine-tenths of the law,” David popped off, cinching his arms tighter and preventing Allegra from wiggling loose.

“You’re about to possess my boot in your ass.”

“Ahhh, good.”  He released her with a sigh, turning to face his friend.  “I’ve been waiting for the mate to the last one you put up there.  Now I’ll have a matched pair.”

There was no angry or smart-assed comeback from Richie.  There was no reply at all, because his mouth was otherwise engaged – kissing Allegra like it had been weeks instead of hours since they last saw one another.

“I thought you’d be in my dressing room,” he remarked when they surfaced for air.  “Did Lemma come and kidnap you?  Rat bastard.”

Allegra felt the contentment seep into her bones as she settled into his embrace.  It felt a whole lot like home.

“Actually, I was waiting for David specifically.  I need to talk to him about Lexi.”

“Oh yeah?”  David stopped picking at his curls in the mirror, regarding her over his shoulder.  “What about Lexi?”

“She’s avoiding me, and I’d like to know why.  Will you call her from your phone and let me talk to her?”

Both men bore inquisitive expressions. 

“Avoiding you?  Why would she do that?”

“Once you dial your phone, I’ll ask her.”

Fishing the device out of his pocket, David activated the touch screen and tapped it twice.  He lifted it to his ear, but Allegra frowned and held out her hand, palm up, fingers wiggling.

“Gimme,” she ordered.  “Otherwise she’ll find another reason to dodge me.”

It seemed bit farfetched, even in her own thoughts, but she couldn’t come up with any other explanation.  Seeing that David wasn’t going to relinquish the phone, she snatched it away just as he uttered his greeting.

“Hey, Lexi,” Allegra announced herself cheerily.  “I hated that we kept missing each other, so I asked David to give you a call.”

“Oh.  Uh, hi Allegra.  So you’re back in Canada already?”

“Yep.”  She flounced herself down on the piano stool as the men claimed the sofa to unabashedly listen to her end of the conversation.  “Listen, Lexi, I’m not much of a schmoozer, so I’m just going to come right out and ask.  Is there a problem between us that I’m not aware of?  Because I’ve been trying to get together with you for a couple of days now and…  Well, honestly, it seems like you’re avoiding me.  Are you?”

David and Richie shrugged at other in amazement, as though they didn’t know women could come right to the point about anything.  She rolled her eyes with an exasperated shake of her head.  Pointing toward the door, she mouthed for them to go to across the hall to Richie’s dressing room.

They both stubbornly refused to budge.

“Avoiding you?  Why would I do that?”  Her attempt at laughter was starkly artificial. 

I don’t know.  The same reason you’re avoiding the question?

“Funny, David asked the same thing.  I didn’t have an answer for him either.  Why would you do that?”

Lexi was silent for a moment, finally letting loose with a resonating sigh.  “Listen, Allegra, I’m sorry about Kristofer.  I feel awful about pushing you into using him when I know very well how… umm…  eccentric his grand plans are.  My own wedding is going to be a train wreck because of him.”

Now Allegra was really confused.  Once again she shooed the men.  Being as the conversation had lasted thirty seconds beyond their attention span, this time they shuffled off to do…  whatever it is they did before a show.

“If it’s not what you want, then why are you letting him plan it?” Allegra asked as soon as the door clicked shut.

“Because I owe him.  Big time.”

Jon had been right.  Kristofer had something on Lexi.

“Why?  Is Kristofer holding something over your head?”

“Oh…  it’s ancient history.  No point in bringing it up now.”

But you just said…

“Lexi, I understand that my friendship with David may have created a strain on the relationship you and I have, and I’m sorry about that, but I’d still like to be friends.”

“What do you mean, strain?  I don’t have any ill-feelings toward you Allegra.  Whatever misunderstanding there was is long since over.”

A wave of relief washed over Allegra.  She and Lexi may never be ‘besties’, but she certainly hadn’t wanted any bad blood brewing between them.

“That’s such a relief.  I’ve worried about that for weeks now.  So if that isn’t a problem, then please tell me what the story with Kristofer is.”

 “Are you sure you want to hear this?  It’s totally meaningless to anyone but me, I’m afraid.”

“You’ve got me wondering, so yeah, I’d like to hear it.”

“Kristofer and I were pretty close friends in college,” Lexi began.  “We never dated, because…  Well, he’s obviously gay, right?”

“Obviously.”

“I always thought it was apparent to the world.  Not that I minded,” she was quick to clarify.  “It was just a part of who he was, and I was fine with it.  Anyway, during our last year of school, my parents ended up going overseas during Thanksgiving break and I was at loose ends.  Kristofer was nice enough to invite me over to stay with him and his family during the holiday.”

Kristofer nice?  Allegra didn’t have time to wrap her brain around that oxymoron before Lexi forged ahead.

“We’re sitting there at dinner, his parents making subtle comments about his dating life, or lack thereof.  They told me how happy they were to have me, and that I was the first woman their ‘little boy’ had ever brought home to meet the parents.  Well, I laughed, liked it was the biggest joke ever and tossed off, ‘Yeah, but how many boys has he brought home?’”

Allegra drew in a sharp breath and winced.

“You pick up more quickly than I did,” Lexi said with a sardonic drawl.  “His parents gave me this innocent look and asked ‘Why whatever do you mean, dear?’.  Of course, I,  assuming Kristofer’s sexual preference was blatantly obvious to everyone – including his parents  - said, ‘You know, because he’s gay.’  Turns out Mommy and Daddy had no idea.  I out-ed the man to his parents at Thanksgiving dinner.”

“Ohhhh, Lexi…” Allegra murmured sympathetically.

“Yeah.  So here I am twenty-some odd years later trying to ease my conscience by supporting his doomed event planning business.  And in those twenty-some odd years, he’s become a bitter little prick with lousy fashion sense.”

A snort of laughter escaped before Allegra could stop herself. 

“Hilarious, isn’t it?  And what do I have to show for it?  He’s still bitter, shows no signs of forgiveness and is planning my wedding around Broadway show tunes.”

“Um… Well, that could be a cool idea, considering David’s occupation.”

“If it was done properly, maybe.  But seriously?  The man wants the Rockettes doing high kicks over the aisle as I walk down it.  Tell me what that has to do with Broadway, Allegra.  Even better, tell me who wants to walk toward their future through the legs of twenty-five women.  David calls it the Arch of Crotch.”

That was it.  She couldn’t contain her laughter anymore. Tears rolled down her face, and a stitch pierced her side at the mental image.

“Hysterical, isn’t it?  All I wanted was a simple wedding at a friend’s house.  Not even a big, fancy cake.  Just some cupcakes, close friends and family, with David and his buddies jamming on stage for the reception.  That’s it.”

“Then do it,” Allegra encouraged, wiping a stray tear from her cheek, trying to sober herself enough to be of help.  “Lexi, you’ve bent over backward to help his business and he’s still a bitter little … man.  You can’t change that any more than you can change what happened.  You’ve done all you can and it’s time to make peace with yourself.  Don’t ruin your wedding out of guilt.”

“Maybe you’re right.  It scares me to death that David will forever after refer to our wedding day as Crotch Day.”

“It's a valid fear.  You could also celebrate your Crotchiversary every year.”

“That could so happen,” Lexi groaned hopelessly.

Looking for input

The next chapter is written, but now I'm suffering serious blockage.  So I'm hoping you, my lovely readers, can give me some direction.  The story is - obviously - in the winding down stage (finally...lol).  What issues do you not feel have been sufficiently addressed in the story?  Did I start something and forget to finish it?  Have you been wondering what happened to <insert something here>?  If you're so inclined, please leave a comment, and perhaps some inspiration for a slightly toasted writer.

As always, thank you for your devotion to Richie and Allegra :)

*hugs*

One Hundred Fifty-Nine

Richie rolled onto his left side, hand coming to rest upon Allegra’s tummy as he sought to catch his breath.  His thumb swirled mindless patterns against her skin, marveling at the silkiness of it while he stared blindly out the window.

He was embarrassed and afraid he’d stepped over the line by coercing her into saying she wouldn’t leave.  He certainly shouldn’t have done it in the heat of passion.  Hell, he was a grown man, not a needy little boy.  He shouldn’t have done it at all.

“I’m sorry.  I had no right to demand that from you during sex.”

She cracked open one eye curiously.  “An orgasm?  I prefer that you do demand them, actually.”

Her easy dismissal surprised him a little.  She didn’t normally let him slide when he’d done something stupid.  “You know what I meant.”

She rolled toward him so that they were face to face, lazily propping herself up on her elbow.  “No, I really don’t.”

Shit.  Now I’ve made something that wasn’t a thing into a thing.  Fuck having a feminine side.

“Then it’s not important.”  Stealing a quick kiss, he made to roll off the bed, only to be stopped by her grip around his winged guitar.

“You started, now finish.”

Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed that she was still dewy-eyed from their loving.  Flushed cheeks and rosy lips glowed with satisfaction, giving him a warm fuzzy or two.

Damn, he adored seeing her all soft and sated, but it made him feel even worse.  His gaze slid to the wall of glass behind her, where darkness had begun to settle over Philadelphia.  The lights were flicking on all over the city as dusk swallowed the day.

“Insisting that you promise not to leave me.  I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Hey.”  She steered his face to hers.  “I didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.  I know this is the first time you’ve been here since I was an idiot and ran away.  Anything that will make that memory vanish, I’m all about.”

“I’m not a kid.  I know better than to ask for guarantees that can’t be made.”

“Richie.”  She traced her thumb lovingly along his jaw.  “We’re getting married.  That’s an entire ceremony about promising not to leave each other.  So you decided to get a head start.  What’s the big deal?”

One corner of his mouth tipped up in a wry smirk.  “Why is it you want a childish old man like me, anyway?”

“Why is it you want a stubborn nobody like me?”

“You’re not nobody,” he protested, brow puckered in disapproval.  Did she really think of herself that way?

“Maybe not,” she sighed, “but I’m not famous, either.  Everybody knows that makes me an unusual choice, considering your history with women in the spotlight.”

Richie laughed.  That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.  Look where his ‘history’ had dragged him through the years. 

“Not famous yet.  After the pap run-in at the airport, you’ll soon be getting your own attention.”  He captured her chin, turning it toward him.  “But that doesn’t answer my question.”

“Why do I want you?” she asked with a rueful shake of her head.  “I bet there’s a million women out there who could give you a detailed list of why any female should want Richie Sambora.”

“Yeah, but I don’t care about their lists.  It’s yours I’m interested in.”

Allegra could see it in his eyes as he pretended that the question was just curiosity – the need for reassurance that he wouldn’t show to just anybody.  It was one of the main reasons she loved him so much.

“I love you and want to take care of you, because most of the world doesn’t realize you even need it.”

He started to speak, but she laid a finger over his open lips. 

“You’re like a peacock, distracting everyone using your looks, talent and good humor as your beautiful fan of tail feathers.  Most of the time everyone is so dazzled by them that they don’t look any further.  When somebody gets too close to seeing your vulnerability, you throw up those tail feathers in an effort to distract them.  From what I’ve seen, it works more often than not.” 

She tenderly brushed the hair back from his forehead, the glow of sunset making his tanned face even more golden.  “Don’t get me wrong.  I like the tail feathers.  I like ‘em a lot.  But I’m more interested in seeing you flaunting those things because you love what you’re doing – not as a diversionary tactic.”

Blinking his eyes rapidly, Richie flicked his gaze over her shoulder, the skyline swimming with the moisture gathering from under his lids. 

As long as he was playing the happy-go-lucky guitar player, very rarely did anyone push deeper.  Jon, occasionally.  Tico once in a great while.  But she…  Well, she got him.  Richie would come up with some way to show his appreciation, but right now if he tried…  He’d just end up crying like a sap.

“So did you make David atone for his sins?”

Allegra, understanding in the way she always did, let him change topic without missing a beat.  “Nah, not really.  He apologized – sincerely this time – and we let it go.  But…”  She looped her arm around his waist, burrowing her cheek into the hollow of his shoulder.  “He did have something else to say.”

“Oh yeah?”  Richie sniffed, holding her tight. 

“Mm-hmm.  When he asked Lexi about Kristofer, she wouldn’t say anything other than she went to college with him.”

“So some sort of social obligation, you think?”

“I dunno.  David thinks there’s more to the story.  Dot invited me to go shopping tomorrow.  Maybe we can invite Lexi along and see what she has to say.”

He hummed his agreement and rocked them slightly, the ebony strands of her hair sifting through his fingers like spun silk.  Allegra went still and quiet for so long that Richie thought she’d fallen asleep until she spoke softly.  “Richie, if I’m going to shop for baby furniture, we need to decide where her nursery is going to be.  Where are we going to live?”

His voice was equally soft.  “I know we need to decide.  But not today.  Please?  Can we just enjoy our day off and save it for another time?”

They had done the whole serious conversation thing to death today, in his opinion.  It was time to lighten things up a bit.

“Sure, honey.”

“And Sunshine?”  Richie tickled his palm by flicking the ends of her hair over it a bit nervously.  “Could you text me pictures of the baby stuff while you’re shopping?  I’d like to be involved, too.”

He was officially the world’s biggest pussy.  God forbid that Lemma and Kidd find out about this.  They’d buy a plastic vagina and make him wear it around his neck.

Fuck them.  He didn’t care. 

“You know… we’re getting married before we’re having a baby.  Seems like I should probably get the wedding dress before the baby bed, doesn’t it?  How about I do that tomorrow instead?  We’ll decorate the nursery later.  Together.”

“Thank you,” he mumbled into her hair, inhaling the sweet berry smell that was Allegra.

♪♥♪

“The dress suits you beautifully,” Dot told Allegra again as they were seated at a small table in the back of the Russian Tea Room.   Stephanie had made a detour to the ladies’ room and Lexi would be joining them shortly.

When Dot had invited Lexi to come shopping, the other woman had hedged, saying that she had obligations.  After a bit of pushing, she admitted that she would be in the city and relented to meeting them for lunch.

Stephanie had gotten wind of a shopping trip and invited herself along.  The teen refused to miss out on the chance to shop for a wedding dress, no matter how simple and understated it was supposed to be.  Allegra had been very pleased that Steph ended up being a big help.  She was the one who’d finally found the dream dress.

“It’s exactly what I had imagined, so I’m really pleased.”  Allegra pulled out her chair and collapsed into it, thoroughly worn out after stepping in and out of at least two dozen frothy bridal creations.

 It turned out that the bridal shops were a bit formal for her taste.  Even Saks and Bloomingdale’s were more than she wanted – until Stephanie found a little rack at the back of Bloomingdale’s bridal department.

There was Allegra’s dream dress – on clearance, no less! 

Dot had rolled her eyes at seeing the markdown price, but it wouldn’t have mattered if she’d had to pay full cost for it.  Allegra was in love with the sleeveless ivory lace fashioned with a deep-V neckline that plunged even lower in the back.  The handkerchief hemline lent the right amount of casualness to the formal lace, making it a perfect choice for her barefoot beach wedding. 

Add one flirty veil and some antique looking costume jewelry, and Allegra was ready to get married.

Butterflies swirled in her tummy.

Married.  In roughly six weeks, she would be Mrs. Sambora.

“Lexi will be here in about ten minutes,” Dot remarked, looking up from her phone.  “What’s with the sneaky-ass grin?” 

“Nothing.  Just realizing that I’m actually getting married.”

Dot put a fair dose of wryness in her own reciprocal grin.  “I’ll let you enjoy the feeling for now.  I won’t mention the dirty socks, underwear and wet towels he’s bound to leave lying around.”

“I don’t think it matters,” she snorted a little despondently.  “Right now I don’t even know if we’ll be living in the same house.  That’s part of the reason I put off baby shopping.  I don’t know where her nursery will be.”

“Uncle Richie lives in California, so you’ll move in with him, right?”  Steph slid into her seat, catching the last part of Allegra’s commentary.  Then she frowned.  “Or will you live in his condo in Philly so you can be close to the family while he’s away?”  The frown deepened.  “Oh, but then there’s Ava...”

“And now you understand the dilemma,” she made light, plastering on a smile and patting the girl’s arm affectionately.  “So when you figure it out, you’ll let me know?”

The beautiful blue eyes of Dot’s daughter, several shades lighter than Allegra’s and Jon’s, remained troubled.  “You’re not going to call off the wedding before it even happens are you?  I was really looking forward to going to Hawaii.”

“And there you have it,” Dorothea remarked drolly.  “Just when you think there’s all this insightful concern, the truth comes out.”

“Mother, I am concerned about Allegra’s problem, but her decision impacts us all.”

Allegra coughed into her hand, fighting the laughter that welled up in her throat.  Jon and Dorothea’s children were amazingly mature and composed for their age, but in the end, they were still just kids.

“I’m sure we won’t be cancelling the wedding,”  Allegra assured her.  “You just found my perfect wedding dress.  You did such a great job that I’m considering taking you shopping for our rings too,” she laughed.

Stephanie’s eyes lit up brighter than Broadway.  “That’d be awesome!  I think you need something simple but elegant.  Kinda like the antique-y jewelry you got for the wedding.”

If the girl had no other skills in life, she could make a fortune as a personal shopper.  She had a keen instinct and the uncanny ability to get in someone’s head.  Simple, old-fashioned rings were exactly what Allegra had been envisioning.  In fact, she hoped Richie would agree to silver bands adorned with nothing but engraving much like the vines on Baby’s faceplate.

Dorothea’s sigh drew her attention from Stephanie. 

“What?” she asked her friend, who was again looking at the screen of her phone.

“Looks like it’s just the three of us for lunch.  Lexi had something come up.  She won’t be able to make it.”

“That’s too bad.”  Allegra opened the menu, silently thinking that maybe she should stop in and pay Lexi a surprise visit.  There was always a chance that she was making something out of nothing, but this was way too weird.  “The salmon salad looks good, but I don’t think Bug is interested in the borscht.”

“Ohhh, Allegra…”  Stephanie’s eyes snapped up from her phone screen, going wide with wonder at her cousin.

“What?  You think I’m actually going to eat borscht?”

The girl rolled her eyes in disgust.  “Not that.  You’re on the internet.  Pictures and a couple of quotes from the airport yesterday.”

“Oh.”  She ducked her head back into the menu.  What had seemed brilliantly inspired at the time now seemed silly.   Allegra felt she’d be better off taking cues from Dot, who did nothing but smile like the Mona Lisa when the press buzzed around.  She never threw out flippy comments in an effort to seem carelessly in control of an uncontrollable situation.

“Lemme see.”

Stephanie obediently passed the phone over to her mother, who skimmed the screen and laughed out loud.  “You made the pap introduce himself and told them Richie’s the lucky one?  Oh my God, Allegra, that’s priceless!”

She bit her lip nervously, asking, “You don’t think it’s a little childish or arrogant?”

Stephanie and Dot both snorted and shook their heads in denial.

“Honey,” Dot told her, returning Stephanie’s phone.  “I’m envious.  A lot of times I feel stupid being a mute piece of arm candy for Jon, but it’s saved us countless arguments.  I don’t piss Jon off by saying things I shouldn’t and, over the years people have created the illusion that I’m this wise, Yoda-like woman.  It works for us, but it took years to find my niche.  I’m more than a little jealous that you found yours so early on.”

It was Allegra’s turn to snort.  “Haven’t you heard that old adage?  Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.  I opened wide.”

“You’re just showing the world you’re not a celebitchy or a gold digger,” Stephanie defended.  “Uncle Richie is the lucky one, and I think his fans will be happy that he’s found someone like you.  He got it right this time.”

“Celebitchy?  Stephanie Rose, you know better!”

Stephanie pinned her mother with a look.  “Really, Mother?  You're gonna pretend that doesn't describe more than one of his exes?”

Out of the mouths of babes…

They all raised their water glasses and silently toasted the sentiment.