Chapter 132

I'm so, so, so, sooooo sorry for the lack of updates recently.  All of my electronic devices decided to commit suicide last week and take everything I had with them, so I've been a little preoccupied trying to get some of it back.  But, at last... Richie and Allegra have taken center stage again!  Have a great week!!

Allegra was focusing intently on typing the code for a webpage layout when the phone at her elbow rang out unexpectedly, giving her a start.  Annoyed at the interruption, she gave it a sharp tap and answered with a snippy “Hello?”

Richie had been gone almost two weeks.  In that time, she’d managed to locate an online computer program, enroll, and nearly completed her first class – Applications to the Internet.  The study material boggled her mind with the possibilities, but was exceptionally interesting.  Anxious to begin, she had fully immersed herself – almost night and day – in the overview of the Internet and a sampling of its key applications.  As part of the coursework, she had to design a simple webpage using strictly HTML and write a paper comparing and contrasting the various social networking outlets.

She hadn’t had the opportunity to talk to Jon as of yet, but the social networking assignment had given her some ideas for Bon Jovi that he might like.

“Jeez Legs, who pissed in your Cheerios?  You sound as fuckin’ pleasant as your boyfriend.”

She sighed pushing the curtain of hair back from her face.  The elastic band holding it back had been pulling too tightly, so she took it out and couldn’t seem to find it now.  “I’m sorry David.  What’s up?”

“I was hoping for a little ray of sunshine in what’s left of my day, but I can see that isn’t gonna happen,” he pouted.  “I’m in a post-Tony funk, bored and tired of seeing the same shit day after day when it’s not home.”

He had very proudly accepted two Tony awards the week before, and had called her right after the ceremony to share his excitement.  She’d been completely awed by his accomplishment and has gushed appropriately, until Lexi had made him hang up and go join the after-party festivities.  Now he was back in London with the guys, just biding time between shows.

“Every day can’t be awards day.  You’ve gotta put the work in sometime.”

“Why did I call you anyway?” David grumbled.  “I can get this kind of treatment from the sarcastic fucks that I work with.”

“That’s true, but they’re not as nice as I am,” she laughed.  “Speaking of which, what did you mean about Richie being unpleasant?” 

Allegra had noticed that Richie hadn’t been his usual self during his nightly calls, but even with her continued prodding, he insisted that everything was fine.   It was just the usual pre-fashion show frenzy, only this time he was actually on-site for the preparations and every one of Nikki’s crises du jour.

Thinking about it now, she realized the only time he’d shown any real pleasure at all was after he’d gone to that guitar shop a couple of days ago.  He’d been so excited about the treasures he found hidden away, just waiting for him.   That enthusiasm had made his European discontent even more painfully obvious.

Thankful that at least something had lifted his spirits, she had tried to push the worry away, focusing instead on the spark of brilliance it had inspired for his birthday gift.  Making a mental note to speak with Jon, she waited for David’s explanation.

“He’s in a shit mood.  Nikki has him all wound up with the fashion show, and he gets phone calls all the time that just about drop him over the edge.  He won’t say who it is, but somebody is pissing him off royally.”

Allegra’s brows knit together.  She’d heard all about the headaches with Nikki and the show, but Richie hadn’t mentioned any upsetting calls.

“So when are you going to be here to soothe the savage beast and give me a hug?”

“I just told Dot today that I wasn’t going to fly over,” she admitted.  “By giving them my undivided attention, I can have two classes completely finished by the time you guys get back.  Richie didn’t say anything, so I assumed he was okay with that.”

“He may be, but I’m not!  This fashion shit makes him grumpier than Jon.  Hell, Jon’s actually been in a great mood since we’re not traveling every day.  He’s getting out and having some fun.”  He was quiet for a moment and she could hear a keyboard clicking in the background.  “Your classes are online, right?  You can do them anywhere.  There’ll be plenty of time to do that while we’re in rehearsals, interviews, promos, sound checks and all that other crap.”

“I don’t know, David…” she waffled.  Of course she wanted to see Richie, but since he hadn’t expressed a desire for her join him, she would really like to get these classes well underway.  History had proven that he could be a major distraction.

 “You can fly non-stop out of JFK tomorrow night, sleep seven hours on the plane, and be in Paris before noon on Wednesday.  That’s about the same time we get there.”

There was also the appointment for the amniocentesis next week – the one that he was upset about missing.  The one that she was going to have to endure alone, since Dot and the kids would be in Europe as well.  Would it be possible to reschedule it?

“Let me make a couple of phone calls first,” she finally compromised.  “Depending on what I find out, I might be able to come over for a few days.”

“Too late,” he informed her jovially.  “I already bought the ticket.  I’m emailing you the travel itinerary and I’ll send the hotel info later.  We need you, Legs.”

“Dammit, David!  You know I don’t like being bullied.  I should hang up on you and tell you to stick it in your ear.”

“But you’re not going to.”  His smugness was infinitely infuriating. 

“Why does it matter so much to you?” she demanded.  “There’s no way Richie is that unbearable.  He’d let it – meaning Nikki and the pressure – eat him alive before he took it out on anyone else and you know that as well as I do.  So what gives?”

Silence filled her ear, stretching out for so long that Allegra checked her phone to make sure the call was still connected.

“Hellooo?” she prompted peevishly.  “No answer for that one, other than being a pain in the backside?”

David’s voice was soft when he said, “He’s been camped out in the hotel bar every night.  I don’t think he’s drinking anything, but he sure looks like he wants to.  Is that a good enough reason?”

The air left her lungs and she slumped forward, allowing her elbows to hit the table with a hollow ‘thunk’.    

Allegra, don’t be so dramatic.  He may be fine.  It sounded like he was fine if he wasn’t drinking.  But it wouldn’t hurt to be there for him.

“Yeah,” she murmured.  “That’s good enough.”  But that still didn’t mean David was off the hook for his high-handed behavior.   “I don’t appreciate being manipulated though.  You should have just told me that to start with.”

He agreed willingly enough.  “Probably.  But then you would’ve had to go through all the girl questions.”  Adopting a whiny falsetto voice, he asked, “Does he need me or am I worrying too much?  He hasn’t asked me to come see him, so does he even want me there?”   Clearing his throat, David resumed his normal, cheery speaking voice. “This way, we just cut through the bullshit and, as a bonus, I get to piss you off.”

“I hate you.”

With no heat behind the words, Allegra couldn’t expect him to take her proclamation seriously, and of course he didn’t.  Laughing in that carefree David way, he merely said, “I love you too, Legs.  See you on Wednesday.”

She put the phone down with a soft grunt of exasperation, placing a hand over her stomach to quell the faint feeling of nausea that David’s revelation had caused.  It was pushing upward into her chest, where there was a hard knot forming with worry.

It had only been weeks ago that he’d confessed his ongoing battle with alcohol, but she’d never have suspected without that confession.  What was going on that had him grappling with it so visibly? 

Her stomach churned again, and she knew the uncertainty would consume her in the time it took to get to Paris.  She had to talk to him.  Hear his voice.

Snatching the phone back up, she tapped Richie’s name and listened to the connection being made.  One ring.  Two rings.  Three –

“Hello?”

Air whooshed from her lungs, this time in relief.  His greeting sounded exactly as it should – perfectly enunciated and alert.

“Hey,” she greeted, her lips bending upward in a happy smile. 

“Gimme just a second.  There’s too much noise.  I can’t hear.”

A myriad of both male and female voices filtered through the speaker accompanied by techno music as he sought to find someplace that would allow him to participate in a phone conversation. 

Allegra checked the clock on the wall and did the mental time zone calculation.  Seven o’clock here meant midnight in London.  He was still keeping late hours, even on their off nights. 

After another minute, she heard the thump of a door closing and then silence.

“Now,” he breathed.  “What’s up, baby?  Is everything okay?”

“Huh?  Uh, yeah.  Of course.” 

“Well, you usually wait for me to call, so I was a little worried when I saw your number pop up.”

Had she interrupted something? 

“No, everything’s fine.  I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing today.  Where are you?  Am I interrupting?”

“No, Nikki and I are just out with a couple models and a few designers.”

“Oh.  At a bar?”  She asked the question casually, unable to decide whether it was more bothersome that he was at a bar, or out with Nikki and models.  The unfamiliar feeling of jealousy wasn’t a good one.  

“More of a club than a bar, but yeah.”  His obvious irritation had her wondering if he was upset with her for calling, or over something Nikki related.

“If you’re getting ready to leave, you can just call me back when you get to your room.”

“No, that’s okay.  It’ll probably be a while yet.  We just got here.”

The earlier nausea had evidently created a rock the size of a baseball in the pit of her stomach.  It was a whole lot easier to accept their separation when the other end of the line was quiet and he was in bed.  Ignorance was bliss and all that.

“Oh.”

She couldn’t think of anything else to say.  Did she come right out and ask him if he was drinking?

“Sunshine?”

She had to come up with something.  “I’m sorry I got distracted for a second.”  Her fingers nervously buried themselves in her hair for lack of anything better to do.  “Richie?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you okay?”

“Why do you ask?” he questioned after a moment, suspicion filling his voice.

“Well…  You seem…  A little unhappy.”

“You know how it gets before a WTB show, Allegra,” he huffed.  “I’m busier than hell.  I can’t even wind down enough to sleep most nights, and when I find a way to do that, my phone usually wakes me with another call demanding time I don’t have.  So pardon me if I’m not Mr. Congeniality every minute of the day.”

That was as near to yelling at her as he ever got, and she squared her shoulders, restraining herself from firing back at him.  She made every effort not to take it personally, as she vowed a silent loathing for all things White Trash Beautiful.  He needed her to be a calming influence and she was going to give him what he needed.  Even at that, his petulance ignited enough temper for her to ask the question that was really on her mind.

“Are you drinking?”

“No.”

Good answer, but not specific enough to suit her taste.

“I’m not just talking about tonight.  I mean the whole time you’ve been gone.  Are you holding up under the pressure without the help of alcohol?”

A long hiss of air escaped under the guise of a weary sigh.  “I’m a big boy Allegra.”

“That didn’t answer my question.”  Her voice was strong and confident, brooking no argument, but inside she was silently pleading.

Please be standing strong.  I’ll be there in two days and you can use me for whatever you need to get through.  I’ll be a rock to lean on, a shoulder to cry on, or a warm body to get lost in.  Come on Sweetie, tell me you’re winning the fight.

“No, I haven’t been drinking.”