Fifty-Nine

Allegra put her carryon in the overhead compartment and claimed her seat next to the window.  It was six am and she was on her way to Detroit.  Finally.

Richie’s attention span hadn’t gotten much better over the weekend.  He called when he could and tried to be attentive, but he was always getting pulled away for some fashion related crisis or another.  This time it was Ava instead of Nikki, though, according to David.

David had been incredibly sweet to tolerate Allegra’s multitude of daily phone calls.  He’d assured her repeatedly that, while Richie was tired and edgy, it was nothing he hadn’t survived on more than one occasion.  It was above and beyond the call of duty, but he’d even dropped several subtle comments mentioning the lack of Nikki’s presence in the world of Bon Jovi.

Apparently Ava was really excited at the opportunity to be on the catwalk, but there was one special dress she was dying to model.   Nikki had already designated it to another model, and was reluctant to make the last minute change.  David said Ava spent an entire evening aggravating the life out of her father with text messages and phone calls until he’d practically begged Nikki to make it happen.  It was just a damn dress, after all.

Then Heather had started in on him about everything from security to having enough press coverage for Ava, to the celebrity guest list.

So, in his defense, it wasn’t like he was avoiding her on purpose.  The women in his life had just been incredibly difficult and demanding as of late.

Much to her dismay, Allegra was about to join those ranks.  Her parents had insisted on meeting him.

Dinner on Friday night had been less than spectacular.  She’d arrived, as requested, about six o’clock to a dinner of whitefish, steamed vegetables and rice.  It was the same thing her mother had prepared every Friday night of Lent for Allegra’s entire life.  The familiarity of it was comforting – much more so than the company.

Her father had been sociable enough, encouraging her to tell tales of her travels, which she was happy to do.  She insisted that her parents must travel to Hawaii, explaining to them in detail the beauty of a sunrise in the tropics, and the feeling of awe and insignificance it inspired.  Then she had gone on to stories of cool, damp Seattle, and her adventures with the band at the Space Needle and Pike’s Place Market.   Her newly acquired body art was best left for a later date.  MUCH later.

To her mother’s credit, she hadn’t said anything negative, just quietly listened.    Until Allegra mentioned her most recent trip to Las Vegas.

“Why did you go to Las Vegas?  I thought Dottie said you came home after Seattle.”

Allegra silently recited the Serenity Prayer.

“I guess now would be a good time to tell you I’m dating someone.  He had invited me to join him in Las Vegas for the weekend.”

Did she…?  Oh good Heavens, my mother just crossed herself.

“Mama, stop that!  He’s a good man who treats me like royalty.  I feel very blessed to have him in my life.”

“Who is this… boyfriend?” her father asked in his best Italian dad voice.  If he was trying to intimidate her, he was going to have to do better than that.  Or was it intended for the mysterious boyfriend of his baby girl?  They were headed into a whole new territory for their little family, and she sincerely wished somebody would give her a road map.

“His name is Richie Sambora.”

Her mother gasped and crossed herself again.  “You can’t be involved with that man!  Absolutely not!”

Allegra wondered when she had entered the Twilight Zone.  Looking around the room, everything seemed familiar.  Her parents LOOKED like her parents.  There was no mirror hanging nearby, but everything she could see of herself seemed familiar.  So why in the world was her mother being so tragically theatrical? You’d think she’d just declared that Richie was a serial killer.

“Mama, you don’t even know him!  Why are you acting this way?”

Throwing her napkin down on the table, her mother stood and loomed over Allegra, waggling her finger in her daughter’s face.  “I know EXACTLY who he is, young lady!  I watch Entertainment Tonight and read People magazine.  He’s that alcoholic guitar player that almost cost Jonny his band!”

People Magazine.  Really??  Holy Mary, Mother of God, I’m looking for a divine intervention here, but I’d settle for a dose of sanity.  Amen.

Her fingers wrapped around the cross at her neck, trying to channel some of that elusive faith that Richie had intended it to bring.  Right now, she didn’t have a whole lot of faith that dinner was going to end with a sweet hug and a promise to call next week.

Therese turned to address her husband.  “He’s DIVORCED and has a child!”

Logically, she should have realized that was going to present a problem, but in her mind, she’d still had time to work out all the finer details.  Richie was Catholic.  Surely he’d gone to the Church and gotten an annulment.  He should be here with her for this, but who could’ve had any idea that her mother knew who he was?

“Sit down Mother!” 

Her father had been silent, keeping this strictly a mother/daughter disagreement, until her outburst spurred his own.  “You show your mother some respect!” he bellowed.

Whirling on him, she did her best to regulate her volume.  Screaming would serve no purpose besides relieving her urge to throw the remaining whitefish against the wall. 

“Respect is a two-way street, Daddy.  I’m almost forty years old, not fourteen!  Why does everything have to be a battle now that I’ve left the Church?  Time didn’t suspend while I was a Sister.  I didn’t return to you as an eighteen year old in need of guidance.”

“You don’t know anything about real life,” her mother informed her piously, resuming her seat at the table.  “Someone has to protect you!”

I swear, if she points that finger at me ONE more time…

“Why don’t you ask Jon how his attempt at protecting me went over?  Hmm?  He smothered me to death and we argued constantly until he finally had to accept the fact that I’m a GROWN WOMAN, and will do exactly as I please.  That’s probably what I love most about Richie.  He lets me be me.”

Therese snorted scornfully, crossing her arms over her chest.  “Love?  Like you would know what love is.”

Mama, I’ve just about reached the end of my patience…

“Do NOT talk to me like I’m a stupid child!  Just because I didn’t love at an early age, doesn’t mean I don’t recognize it when it comes along.  And, yes, I DO love him Mama.  He has such a good heart and caring soul that you can’t help but love him.”

“Does this man love YOU?” Michael interjected his voice in between the two women.

Any other question would’ve been preferable.  Well, except for one about sex.  Lifting her water glass for a slow sip, she borrowed enough time to organize her thoughts.

“He… cares about me a great deal.  The words don’t come easy for Richie anymore.  He’s been hurt by women he thought he loved, and who claimed to love him.”

“He’s using you,” her mother declared.  “He’s probably waiting to take your innocence so he can put another notch in his bedpost.”

Allegra noisily thumped her glass down on the table, sloshing water all over the linen tablecloth.   Her temper had been held out of respect, despite her father’s belief that she didn’t have any.  But no more.   Her mother was spouting off things that were just malicious, and Allegra wouldn’t tolerate it any longer.

“That’s it!  I’m done!  You’re not the woman who raised me.  The woman who raised ME always preached ‘if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all’.  Yet you’ve done nothing this evening but badmouth a man you’ve never even been in the same ROOM with.” 

The words wouldn’t stop rolling from her tongue.  She was probably going to Hell for breaking the commandment about honoring thy parents.

“I tell you what.  If you’re so worried about Richie’s character, why don’t you get the rundown from Jon?  You know, Jon – your favorite golden-haired nephew who can do no wrong.  After all, they’ve been BEST FRIENDS for more than twenty years.  I have a sneaking suspicion that he MIGHT know a little more about Richie than you and People Magazine do.”

Rising from the table, her napkin slid silently unnoticed to the floor.  Allegra wasn’t going to sit for this any longer.  “I think it’s best if I leave before I say something I may regret.  Don’t’ bother getting up.  I know the way out.  Good night.”

The silence in the room was deafening, but her inner voice was still screaming to be heard.  It was an effort to keep it stifled, but she was successful until she reached the doorway.  There was one last thing that needed to be made clear.

She spun and met her mother’s gaze with unflinching resolve.  “Oh, and if I find out you’ve said anything negative about Richie to anyone without having so much as met him?”  It was her turn to waggle her finger threateningly.  “We will be having words, Mama.  LOTS of words. ”

Allegra could hardly remember how she got home, only that she immediately sought Dot’s counsel.  Everything had turned from calm to chaos so fast that she needed an outside perspective to help her sort through it all.  Dot, as usual, brought her own brand of no-nonsense logic to the situation.

“Honey, you have to remember that your parents have known Frannie for thirty-nine years, but they’re just now meeting Allegra.  They have to get to know you all over again, but it will get better.  You’re just going to have to show some restraint while standing your ground.  Make an extra effort to reign in that ridiculous Italian temper you all love to throw around.”  She pulled her into a reassuring hug.  “I’m a huge Allegra fan, and they will be too.”

“But what about Richie?”

“What about him?  First of all, you’re above the age of consent and who you date is none of their concern.  But, in the interest of family peace, this will be just an unpleasant memory once they meet.  When he puts his mind to it, Richie Sambora can charm the birds from the trees.  Your parents won’t be any more difficult.”

Dot was right, as usual.  She had no reason to be ashamed of Richie.  The things she’d told her parents about him had all been the truth, and they would eventually see that.  There was no reason to stress over it until then.

An impish grin claimed her features and she told Dot,  “Thanks for not saying ‘he can charm the panties off a nun’.”

♥  ♫  ♥

Allegra shifted restlessly in her seat, absently flipping through a magazine.  It wasn’t holding her attention, but it gave her hands something to do as the flight attendants made their final check of the cabin before landing.

Her father had called over the weekend.  She’d answered the call eagerly, hoping to find that they had seen the error of their ways,   but it wasn’t a call of apology.  No, he merely informed her that they wanted to meet ‘this man’ at the earliest opportunity. 

‘This man’.  Allegra snorted softly to herself.  It’s not like you don’t know his name. 

Keeping Dot’s words in mind, she didn’t comment on the terminology, but told him she’d speak with Richie about it and get back to them.  Allegra knew the Philly shows would be the most likely possibility – if Richie was willing. 

At the moment, her primary concern was not smoothing her parents’ ruffled feathers, but seeing Richie for herself.  David, being the only one of the band who knew she was coming to Detroit, had gotten her access to Richie’s room.  She wanted to be there waiting when he arrived, and was grateful for David’s help.

Grinning to herself, she marveled again at the way circumstances knitted themselves together, and how different things might have been.  If David had been single when they first met, his charm and wit could have easily lured her into his clutches, and she had a feeling she would’ve been quite content there.   But, because he’d already found his mate, she’d been privileged enough to forge a special friendship with one curly haired keyboardist.  He was one of a kind.

But so was the man that had ended up claiming her affection.  He’d lured her to the ‘Dark Side’, as the fans called it, where she found herself a heart full of love and hope.  She smiled softly and closed her eyes as the plane began its descent into Detroit.  Silently, she vowed to make these next couple of days relaxing for him.  His health and well-being were number one on her priority list right now.  Everything else would sort itself out sooner or later.