Water Ch. 80 - Love Ain't Nothing But A Four Letter Word

It was Jon's turn to take the mic and sing the song that Beth requested. She wanted to see him do Living On A Prayer, in disguise. Jon jumped up there and was legitimately nervous about doing this. Once he heard the music, it was like he was at work. He belted out his best Jon Bon Jovi imitation and the small crowd loved him. At no time on stage did he take off his ball cap or sun glasses, they wanted him judged just by his rendition of Prayer.

 

When he finished, he went and sat back with Beth in their corner booth. The place smelled like stale beer and cigarettes, a smell Jon didn't think he would ever miss, but he did. Sitting with Beth, eating their greasy bar burgers, Jon tells her, "I'm going to have to run 10 miles tomorrow for this, ya know? And when I'm done, since you can't run, you get to rub my achy muscles." And he winks at her.

"I'll gladly rub your tired muscles, old man." Beth laughs, and then continues with, "How well do you think you're going to do in this here karaoke contest, Mr. Jon Bon Jovi?" The thought of his losing the contest made her laugh.

He chuckled, "I have some pretty tough competition" pouring ketchup on his fries, "I don't know how I can keep up with a cross dressing Madonna singing Like A Virgin." He takes a bite, and is pleased with her choice of food place. "How do you think I'll do?" Raises an eyebrow and looks at her.

Beth, smiling at her man, says, "I hope you win, but I think you're right. The Madonna has ya beat." She kicks her shoe off and wiggles her toes between his legs. He reaches down and rubs her feet.

Shocked, he asks, "You really don't think I'll win?" Just then his phone rings. He picks it up and looks at the caller ID and doesn't recognize the number. The area code tells him it's a New York number. Flipping it open, he say, "Hello!" He pauses. Beth looks at him for an indication of who it might be, but his face shows nothing. He continues the one sided conversation with, "Now is not a good time, can I call you back?" He waits for the caller on the other end to finish and then he says, "Okay, I'll talk to you tomorrow." Flips the phone closed, and the lump in his throat starts. He knows he shouldn't be doing this, but he has to know more about her, more about what makes Beth, Beth.

Beth sees the change in his face and merely asks, "Is everything okay?" And she asks in a way that's not intrusive or nosey. She just wanted to know if all is okay.

He nods with a yes, and says, "It's just business, it can wait until tomorrow." He picks up his beer and takes a big drink. Beth notices that his phone lit up and she sees that it's a text message, but she can't see who it's from. Jon picks his phone back up, leans back and reads it. Glancing at Beth, he just says, "Sorry, more business. Word travels fast when you're not on vacation anymore." Setting his phone back down, he reaches over and grabs her hand. "Do you want another glass of wine, a cocktail or something?"

She puts her free hand on their hands and says, "I think I might like a cocktail. Something fruity sounds good." She gives him the 'I don't know' look and thinks for a minute. "I guess I'll have a watermelon daiquiri, that sounds great!" Jon catches the attention of the waitress. Sitting in a corner booth, you tend to get forgotten. She came over and Jon orders Beth her drink and he ordered himself another beer.

The karaoke contest was almost over. There were 2 more contestants and the winner is selected my audience applause. As soon as those 2 finish, the DJ gets on stage and runs down the line of contestants. It ends up being a tie between Jon and the cross dressing Madonna. They winner is selected after a sing off. Jon wasn't in the mood for that, but he seen it was entertaining for Beth so he went with the flow and put his hat and glasses back on and went up on stage.

The DJ picked the songs that each of them are to sing, and Jon being the gentleman that he was - he let Madonna go first. The DJ put a spin on it, they needed to know the words, no teleprompter. Madonna had to sing Holiday. The music starts and she freezes. Holiday is an older song and this Madonna was well versed in her newer stuff. She made her way through and ended up getting a few boo's at the end. Beth felt bad for her and she hoped Jon knew the words to his own songs. He should right?

The DJ selects Wild As The Wind and Jon smiles. He knows that song like he knows the inside of Beth's mouth. He wrote that song in a very dark place in his life and these words he'll never forget. The music starts and the crowd at Moe's is totally getting into it. Many are amazed at how well he knows the words and how much he sounds like Jon Bon Jovi.

Jon won the $250.00 prize before the song was even over. The formality of it still needed to be handled. Walking up to Jon, the DJ is clapping, saying, "Man, if I didn't know better....what's your name friend?" Reaches out and shakes Jon's hand.

Jon leans to the microphone and says, "My name is Jon."

"Where are you from Jon?" Asks the DJ.

Jon laughs and says, "I'm from New Jersey."

"Well Jon, you just smoked this competition, what do you do for a living?"

Jon takes his glasses and hat off and says, "I sing for a living."

The DJ takes one look and freaks out. "Oh my God, Jon Bon Jovi just won our karaoke competition!" He is giddier that a kid on Christmas morning. He can believe it. The crowd goes into an uproar and clap and stomp their feet.

Taking the mic, Jon says, "Thanks everyone.  The prize money will buy all of you a round of drinks, on me. I'm in here with my girlfriend trying to have a nice night out, can we please keep this quiet. Please!?!?"

 

Jon exits the stage and heads back to the booth.  Now that his identity has been exposed, they can't get rid of the waitress.  She come back every five minutes, to see if they need anything.  Jon and Beth politely tell her no and when they are finished eating, Jon ask for the check.   The waitress brings it over and Jon settles up and they get ready to head out.  As they were scooting out of the booth, Jon's phone rang again.  Pulling it out of his pocket, he sees that it's Dorothea.  He answers it.

 

"Hang on a minute, let me get out of the restaurant." he says into the phone.  He uses his arms to usher Beth out through the crowd that was beginning to gather.  They make their way to Beth's car, and once inside he says into the phone, "Okay, what's up?"

 

"Are you busy?  Do you have a minute?' Dorothea asks, in a way that raises a little concern for Jon.

 

He looks at Beth, holds up one finger as to say 'give me a minute' and rolls his eyes.  "I'm not busy, what's up?"

 

"Are you with her?'

 

"Yes, Dorothea, I am with Beth.  What's going on?  Are the kids alright?' he firmly asks her.

 

"The kids are great, I don't mean to interrupt you when you're with Beth, but you got a letter in the mail today from a place called Giovanni Agency.  Do you know what that's about?"  she didn't want to throw it out, thinking it was junk mail.

 

"Yeah, I do.  Can you forward that to the Red Bank house?  I'll get it when I get back." he asks her as politely as he can.  "Did you open it?"  his heart starts to race.

 

"No, it's not mine, why would I open it?"

 

"I was just wondering.  Go ahead and forward it to the house, I'll get it in a couple of days.  The kids are good?  What are they doing?"

 

Dorothea suddenly feels like she should be on the defensive, it 7:00p on the West Coast, so that means it 10:00p on the East Coast, "Jon, it's 10:00p here, the kids are in bed." she explains.

 

He looks at his watch, feels a little like a fool and says, "I'm sorry, I keep forgetting the time difference.  Can you have them call me tomorrow afternoon sometime?  I'd love to talk to them."

 

"Yep, I can do that.  I gotta go.  Have a good night, tell Beth hi for me.  Bye Jon." and the line went dead. 

 

Jon sits there and looks at the phone, surprised that that phone call went that well.  He shrugs his shoulders, as if to say oh well.

 

Beth asks, "Is everything okay, Jon?"

 

"Yeah, everything is fine.  I just had some mail delivered there and Dot thought it might be junk mail.  She was just double checking.  And the kids are great." he tells her, hoping that is the end of that conversation.

 

"That's good.  When do you think you'll head East?" she wonders,  hoping it's not too soon.

 

"I really need to think about going back in the next day or two."  He admits, sitting at a traffic light looking both ways to be sure it's clear.  "Do you want to go back with me?"  He accelerates into the open lane and starts driving back to Beth's house.

 

Beth is a little shocked at his question, maybe even more shocked by the fact that he needs to leave so soon.  She considers going back with him for a few minutes and tells him, "Yeah, I guess I could go back with you for a few days."

 

"Really?" he chimes, very happy at what he just heard.  "I have a full staff at the house, so you will be very well taken care of.

 

"Jon, I have my own place in New York.  Why would I stay at your house?  And, I don't need a full staff, I am capable of taking care of myself."

 

He puts his hand on her leg and squeezes, "I'm sorry, I forget that you have your own place.  I just pictured you at the house with me and the kids.  Sorry.  We can stay at your place, if you want.  I just need to see the kids, I miss them so much."  he knows that she knows that, he just needed to say it.

 

"Beth grabs his hand and kisses it, "Jon, I can stay here so you can spend time with the kids.  I don't need to go."

 

"No, I want you to go.  I want to be with you and the kids." he's opening himself up, and he feels good about it.  He needs her to see what he thinks and feels about her.  He tells her enough, now he wants to show her. 

 

Beth came up with a compromise and tells Jon, "How about we just play it by ear?  We can see how the kids are doing and then we'll decide where I stay." she's rubbing his hand, her face in the breeze from the window being down.  She is glad to be back in California. 

 

They were silent for most of the ride back to Beth's house, when it clicks with Beth, "Don't you have a show soon?"

 

He shakes his head no and says, "I cancelled that, don't you remember?  The other day when I talked to Richie; we cancelled that show and he's going to the opener for the Soul Football."

 

"I remember that Jon, and I remember telling you not to cancel.  Did you really cancel it?"  Beth finds herself a little upset about that.  Jon's fans had plans to see that, paid good money and he cancelled because of her?  Now she's really pissed.  Pissed enough that she decided not to get into a discussion about it.  It's not her business and she's not his boss.

 

Beth is realizing that she has net a man that is pretty set in his ways.  Jon will do what Jon wants, as long as it makes sense to him.  He considers others first, but most of the time he's the one that had to take control.  Having to do that for so many years, it just comes naturally to him, for him.  He's the CEO of one of the biggest bands in the world and he knows what he needs to do and when.  Bon Jovi did not get to where they are by having a poor leader.  Beth knew he was a leader and she needed to learn to deal with their conflicting personalities.  She was stubborn and so was he.

 

When the got back to Beth's house, walking up the walkway, Jon grabs her by the elbow to stop her and asks, "Are we okay?  You got quiet in the car."

 

Beth looked at him, smiled and said, "Of course we're okay.  Why wouldn't we be?"  She chuckles.

 

"What made you turn quiet?  Are you upset that Dot called?"

 

"God no Jon, she can call whenever she wants and you can call her.  I welcome that communication, I just don't know that I'm ready to travel just yet.  It's nice being home, and after the last couple of weeks, I like being here.  Maybe you should just go back east alone and we can catch up somewhere later."  her heart is breaking, but since she's met him it's been go go go.  And after all that's happened, she'd just like to stay home and relax, even though she would love to spend time with him and his children.

 

Once inside, Beth heads right to the medicine cabinet and grabs a pain pill.  She fought the pain long enough.  Not only was it her leg, but it was also her head.  I wonder if it will help with the cracked heart?  Jon sees that she is taking a pain pill and starts the 'you should have told me you were in pain, we could have come home earlier" lecture.

 

"Hey, I'm fine.  If I wanted to come home I would have told you.  Come on, let's go to bed."  She grabs his hand and starts to drag him down the hallway.  She takes a nightgown out of her drawer and takes her clothes off, wearing nothing but a cast, Jon takes her picture with his phone.  Looking up at him, with stink eye, she says, "You better delete that smart ass."  And Jon just laughs.  She puts her pajama's on and goes into the bathroom to brush her teeth and to wash off her make up.  Jon follows suit and brushes his teeth too.  When they are done, they climb into bed and each grab a book. 

 

A few minutes into their reading, Jon puts his book down and turns to face Beth.  "Is any of your family alive or in your life?  How can you handle being alone all the time?" 

 

She flips her book over, to save her page and asks him, "Where is this coming from?"

 

"I don't want to go back to New Jersey and leave you here all alone.  Do you have cousins or anything close?  What if you need help with something?"

 

"Jon, it's a broken leg.  People live full lives with broken legs.  Why do you see me as helpless?"  The only thing I CAN'T do right now is run.  I can drive, I can walk, I can even mow my grass - what do you think is going to happen?"  She turned so that she could lay back on him, and she does.  He puts his arms around her and gives her a tight steady hug.

 

"What if you have another clot issue and you're here by yourself."

 

"What if I'm alone in my New York apartment and it happens there?  I'm not living my life afraid of that, and you shouldn't want me too.  I will be fine, I promise." she tries to sound reassuring, yet she was honest.  She's not living her life afraid there may be another clot issue.  She won't let that stop her from living. 

 

"Don't you have someone that could come stay with you?  Just as a precaution?  Maybe that girl you were with at the concert?  Or your assistant?"

 

"I'm sure both Tammy and Amanda would stay with me, if I wanted them to, but Jon - I'm getting on with life.  I've had a few setbacks, but I'll get passed them.  Will you please relax.  Get some sleep."  She leans over and turns her lamp off and lays back on her pillows.  Jon looks at her laying there in the dim light of the room.  He can smell her night cream and he just has to kiss her.  Leaning in to kiss her, he says "Goodnight babe.  I love you."  And he lays down.

She reaches over and tucks her hand in his underwear, like she does every night they sleep together and says,  "Ditto, babe.  I love you too." 

They both have about 2 minutes before they crash and are off to never never land.  Morning will be a whole new day and a whole new set of issues.