Water Ch. 131 - You Had Me From Hello

“Jon, I’ve been thinking.  I want to go back to work, I hope you don't mind?” she sheepishly asks, knowing how he feels about her working, but she has to go back.  She needs the numbers, the rush and the break.  She’s just pregnant and is already feeling like she’s wore too thin and stretched too far, and she thinks that work might do her a world of good – in many ways.

“Beth, I don’t like that idea.  You don’t need to work, we’ve been over this.” He replies, with the brow crinkled, borderline ‘stink eye’.

She takes a deep breath and prepares for the conversation she has had in her own mind for the last few days, she pictures it not going well, but she never expected bad.  “Well, to be honest Jon – you don’t need to work either.  But you do.  I miss my job, I miss what I used to be……….” she means to say.  “What I used to do.”  And it all came out wrong.  He looks at her with the world famous stink eye, with an added glare.  “Why are you looking at me like that?  I miss working Jon.  I miss my job.”

“What you used to be?  What you used to be??”  He felt the need to repeat himself, whether it was to make her feel bad, or if he just needed to hear it himself, but she could tell it hurt. 

“Jon that isn’t what I meant, well, kind of.  I used to be important; I used to be in charge.  I miss that.  I miss the people that I work with.  Tammy is in the office all day, emailing me and texting me – I could do so much more there, instead of at home in my office.”  Jon went ahead and had his office redone so that the two of them could work together, if the need ever arose.  They actually worked together a few times and it got too crazy for Jon.  When he would watch her work, he would wonder how she was able to do it and keep it all straight.  She was a whiz with numbers, so much so, Warren Buffett calls her almost daily.  With three monitors and all the bells and whistles that she had set, it drove Jon mad.  His office used to be his ‘quiet place’ and now it’s the office of a financial planner, with a little bit of room for a rockstar.

“Beth, you are always working.  Day and night.  Is it really necessary for you to go into the office?"

“That’s what I need Jon, interaction with people, my peers.  Poor Tammy, she feels like she’s drowning.”

“What about the babies?”

“What do you mean, what about the babies?  The babies will be fine, Jon.  I won’t go back to my old schedule; I just need to go back.  Please don’t fight me on this.”

His look softens and he realizes the jerk that he’s being.  He sees that he’s not being fair to her at all, considering what she has already given up to be with him.  He reaches over and takes her hand, “You’re right, and I’m sorry.  It’s my job to support you in the decisions that you make, after all, you would do it for me.  I just ask that you take it easy and don’t overdo it.  Please?!?!?”

“I promise, I won’t overdo it.  And trust me; I don’t want to work 100 hour weeks anymore.  I just need some me time. Doing what makes me me.  I need my work, I need my identity.”

“When do you plan on going back? Tomorrow?” he chuckles, not thinking that she would start so soon after she tells him what she’s decided.  “Are they ready for your return?”

Beth smiles, because she knows what he means by his last comment.  She was a great advisor/planner and an even better boss.  She drove her people to succeed, because when they were successful, she was successful.  And in financial planning – success is the only option.  She was hard on them, but she was fair.  And with the new title came more responsibility and she was ready.  She would oversee New York City and Los Angeles, all only working part time.  She had the staff in place, so she’s confident she could do it.  “I’ll work my way back into it easy, while Dot is in the hospital and the kids are out of school.  Once she’s out and the kids are in school, I’ll dive in a little deeper.  I need to get your plan in place for Dorothea and the kids.  I won’t give that account to anyone.  I’ll do that myself.”

Shaking his head, he’s thinking ‘Again, her life is on hold because of Dorothea.  When will it end?  Still holding her hand, he takes his thumb and rubs the back of her hand and flat out asks, “What did I do to deserve you?” 

Latching onto his hand, she pulls it to her lips and kisses it. “I could ask you the same thing.” 

“Have you picked a date yet?” those words hurt her and he didn’t even know it. 

Clearing her throat, and not wanting to say it, she says, “It’s hard to pick a date or even think about getting married, when she’s in the hospital and your divorce has been postponed.  My focus has been on the family and getting ourselves ready for the babies.  We need to get going on the nursery, soon.”

“I had ideas for that.  I was thinking that we could do some remodeling and make the guest room part of our room, make our room bigger – and put the babies in there.  Then when they out grew it, you could use it as a closet.” 

Baffled by what he just said, she laughs.  “Are you implying that I need more room?  If you look in our closet now, you’ll see that it’s most you.  You, with your black leather jackets and running shoes.  YOU have more shoes than any woman I know.”

“When do you want to get your stuff out of storage?  I know there are a lot of clothes and shoes over there.  You’re the shoe queen.”

Her train of thought quickly goes to the stuff that she has in storage, stuff from her Malibu home that she left, gave up for Jon.  “”yeah, I should get that stuff out of there.  I keep forgetting that it’s there.”

“What do you think about tearing out the wall between our room and the guest room?” he brings her back to that.  "Maybe we could make our bathroom bigger?"

She loves the idea of a bigger bathroom, what woman doesn't - but she recalls a conversation that they had about looking for a new place.  She had thoughts of them house shopping and bringing their babies home to 'their' house.  Not the house that he designed and  bought with his former wife.  "Hey babe, what ever happened to us buying a house?  Remember talking about that when I decided to come East with you?"

He's a little shocked by that question and he answers it really without thinking.  "What's wrong with the house that we have?"  And he asks it like he's really expecting an answer, a logical answer.  Well, Beth has one.

She let's go of his hand and fidgets with the napkin on her lap, "Jon, that's yours and Dorothea's house."

"No, that's our house."

She doesn't want to sound petty, or even childish but she feels it in her heart, and in her gut.  "You designed that house with Dot.  It has Dot all over it, with the exception of our bedroom.  I love the house, it's absolutely beautiful, but I want to bring our babies home to our house."  And she pauses, really expecting something about his children and their house, but he didn't.  He surprised her.

"If you want a new house, we will look for a house.  Whatever your heart desires, babe."   He suddenly feels something touch his leg and it startles him. Beth had slipped off her shoe and ran her foot up his leg, inside his thigh to where it rested between his legs.  She wiggles her foot, rubbing it against his penis and all he can do is smile.  He reaches down and holds her foot against his awakening penis.

"What are you doing?  We're in public."

Laughing a small belly laugh, she says, "I know, isn't it fun?"  And she wiggles her toes.  She can feel that his cock is hard against the cotton of his dress pants.  The right sided tuck, was quickly becomming uncomforatble for her. 

Subtly, he reaches down and adjusts it and asks her, "Will you please stop.  I can't leave with this, Beth."  He loves the adventerous part of her and that nothing is off limits.  She makes him feel alive and he doesn't want to hinder that, but he really doesn't want to leave Per Se with a hard on.  There are paparazzi outside and he would hate to see that on the cover, or on any page of the New York Times.

Giving him a pouty look with her eyes and lips, she says "Fine."  And slowly runs her foot back down his leg, going back up and then down.  She slips her shoe back on and asks, "Will you dance with me again, sexy?"

"I will" clearing his throat and looking down at his crotch, he says "Can I have a minute?" 

Nodding her head, she says, "Yep, I have to use the ladies room.  Back in a minute"  She scoots her chair back and he does the gentleman thing and stands slightly, showing his manners.  She kisses him and walks off, and he watches her as he goes.  It felt like she was gone an eternity, so when he was able to go find her, he got up and headed in the direction that she had gone.  He finds her by the bar talking to bartender.

He was a good looking guy, an obvious transplant, and Jon could tell that he was young.  He'd never seen him before and when they came in, she never mentioned knowing anyone that worked there. He comes up behind her and runs his hand up her back, saying, "There you are."

Beth turns around, a little startled and embarrassed, says "Honey, meet my little brother, Dillon." She looks at Jon, looking for some type of reaction and the big eyes of surprise are pretty evident.  "Dillon, meet my other half, Jon Bon Jovi."  The two men shake hands and say it's a pleasure to meet you, but Jon is shocked as hell. 

Dillon jumps in and says, "I heard you were with him, that's awesome.  I've been to a few of your shows Jon.  Loved 'em."  Jon gives him the thank you nod.

"Jon, he's been here for 6 months.  Going to NYU and working here.  He's getting his life on track, and I knew he would once he got away from our parents."  Beth has a smile on her face that Jon hasn't seen before.  She is thrilled that she is standing there with her brother, her little brother.

Beth reminds herself that this is her and Jon's night and quickly asks, "Brian, can I have your phone number?  We have to get going, but I want to see you again - SOON.  Where are you living?"

Dillon jots his number down on a napkin and hands it to his big sister.  "I have a place in the meat packing district, where are you living?  Mom said you were in LA sometimes and here the other times."

"How does mom know that?"  That irritates Beth.  Her parents have no right or business knowing anything about her.

Jon grabs her hand and says, "You are in the news quite often.  My fans found all that out, long before the press did."  he squeezes her hand, to indicate that he was ready to leave.  She takes the hint.

"Ok, I'm going to call you.  We are going to have dinner or something.  Yeah, you can come to New Jersey and have dinner with us.  I would love for you to meet my family."  She leans over the bar and hugs the little brother that she has missed so much.  "Dillon, how is Jackson?"  Jackson is their older brother and Beth lost tabs on him a long time ago.

"Babe, we need to go." Jon reminds her.

"Okay, okay - Dillon I'm going to call you.  I love you and I am SO happy you're here."  And she blows him a kiss.  She grabs Jon's hand and they go back to their table.  Jon pulls out her chair and she has a seat.  She's bouncing in her seat, like she either has to pee or she's really excited.

"Are you going to be okay?  Do you still want to dance?" he asks his bouncing bride to be, and he has a smile on his face because SHE is with him, and only him.  He watches her, her smile is infectious and her charisma is seen and felt by all around her.  She just smiles and she steals the show.

"Yeah, let's dance."  They get up and he leads her out to where they danced earlier.  There weren't as many patrons, but what was left, watched them, as they danced slow and very close.  Jon can't stop himself from caressing her shoulder with a finger slid under the strap of her gown.  Her skin is like silk and he can see that his touch is loved.  The fine baby hair that covers her beautiful body is standing on edge.  He pulls her to him, and holds her.  She looks up and says, "Let's get out of here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure.  I want you undress me with your teeth and there are too many cameras outside for you to do it here."