Chapter 26 - Can He Be Her Superman Tonight?

 

Hearing the door open upstairs, Richie peaks his head up the stairs to see who it it.  "Hey man, we were just talking about you." Richie says to Jon, as Jon hops down the stairs.
 


"Oh yeah, what about me?" Jon asks his friend as he rounds the corner and sees Tico, Dave and Alec sitting there.  "Hey guys.  What were you saying about me behind my back?"
 
David, Alec and Tico all say Hi to Jon.  Alec continues his hello with, "We were just talking about the riffs for She Don't Know Me, and we wondered who wrote it?"
 
Jon sits next to David on the couch and Richie hands him a beer, "Thanks."  Cracking the top of the Bud can, Jon takes a big gulp and relaxes a second.  "The guy that wrote that is Marc Avsec, he's in a band that I like to watch play from time to time.  He was signed to Polygram records."  Jon explains to his band mates and his new friends. 
 
"It's a great song." David tells them.  "I think we can pull it off and make it rock, even though it has a disco feel to it."  David looks at his band mates and wonders if they agree.
 
Richie jumps in and says, "Yeah, I played with the solo.  Actually, I rewrote it, my version is better.  Wanna hear it?" Richie Sambora, a die hard musician and an amazing guitar player looks for any opportunity to show his talent.  He didn't care who it was or what he had to play, as long as he can play.
 
"Yeah." Jon answers with Tico and Alec nodding in agreement.  Tico, the quiet one gets up and walks over to the drum set that they just set up in Richie's basement. With Tico and Richie ready to play, Alec and David followed suit and assumed their positions.  Jon, a little shocked follows up with, "Do yo want me to sing?"  And he takes another gulp of the Bud he had in his hand.
 
"Might as well." replies the excited Sambora, waving Jon on.  "Come on. We need the practice." 
 
Laughing, Jon sets his beer on the coffee table and gets up.  Walking over to his microphone he felt a little nervous, he hopes he can pull this off.  He's not warmed up and he hasn't practiced this song.  The band starts to play and Jon stepped in, just like it was meant to be.  He sang his heart out and they all thought that they did a great job.  They played great together and that made all of them happy. 

"That was pretty sweet."  Alec said.  "What else should we practice? I think we have Runaway pretty well learned, what else do yo have Jon?"

"I have a few other ones that I've written that aren't finished, we could work on them if you guys want to?"

"I wanna play guitar.  Let's jam."  Shouts Richie, feeling the energy that they had, the vibe that he got told him to play and play and play.  "Let's do some covers or something, I want to play!"

Jon leans over and starts the chords for Shot Through The Heart and the rest of them caught on real quick.  A few run thru's and they had it, they were able to play and Jon belted out the lyrics.  The band played for a while longer and then they decided that they would try to write.  They needed a few songs for the album that they wanted to cut. 

While they were bullshitting and trying to write, it occurred to Jon that he forgot to tell them about the photo shoot that Joe wanted them to do.  "Hey, my cousin wants us to do a photo shoot on the shore, for the album.  He told me to find a photographer that would go down the shore.  I called Monica and left her a message, do you guys know of anyone?"

Richie realizing that Jon had mentioned Monica, jumps in and says, "You didn't talk to Monica today, did you?"

"No." Jon tells him.

"Not after you left this morning, you mean?" Richie razzes on him and the other  guys follow his lead. 
"Jon, you don't even know her." teases Tico.

"She don't know me." Jon replies, laughing at his own little joke.  "I haven't talked to her, why?"

"Oh man, her dad was in a car accident this morning on the Turnpike.  I had to take her to the hospital about 1:00." 

"Is he okay?" Jon asks, hoping that Richie had some answers.  "What happened?"  Jon has an overwhelming need to go and see her, but they are only one date and a few orgasms into this relationship, maybe that was crossing the line?

Richie put his guitar down and said, "All she told me was that he was coming home from work and someone had crossed the median.  She wasn't too shook up, but it could have been shock.  She wasn't home when you came here?"

Jon shook his head and worked his way to the edge of the cushion.  He's feeling bad right now and really just wants to make sure that she's okay.  "I called before I came over here and when I drove by, there weren't any lights on.  Should I go to the hospital?"

Tico, the eldest of the bunch, tried to explain to Jon; "If I were you, I wouldn't go.  You don't know her well enough, plus you never know who might be there, the cops could be there or a bunch of family.  Stay here and wait for her.  I'm sure she'll see your car and stop."  He was convincing because Jon knew he was right.  It was no place for Jon to be right now, he was just feeling bad for Monica and has hope that her dad is fine.

David sees that they need a subject change so he brings the conversation back to the photo shoot.  "Why does your cousin want to do a shoot on the shore?"

"I can only guess at this point, but we're a Jersey band and the shore is the best part of Jersey.  Plus the chicks, I'm sure."  Jon explains, the best he could.  he really didn't know.  It was pure speculation at this point.

"How soon does he want it done?" Alec asks, with a photographer in mind.  But as far as Jon is concerned, Monica has the job if she wants it, there really isn't a need to find anyone else.

"The sooner the better, I guess.  I want to wait and see if Monica is interested before we ask anyone else.  So, can you hold off a day or two before we ask anyone else?"  By we, Jon meant all of them.  If they had someone in mind, he wants them to wait until Monica has time to answer him. He didn't want to pull the opportunity from her, maybe she'll need the distraction. 

Jon can't stop thinking about the women that he spent the night with last night.  Not only was the sex amazing, but she was amazing.  He couldn't get her smile out of his mind and it pained him to think that that smile is gone.  He is worried about her and wishes he could find out how she is, how her dad is.  For the next few minutes the 5 of them were dead quiet.  All were thinking about the photo shoot, the album and Monica. 

Richie could see that Jon was pretty stressed, so he got up and got him another beer.  Jon, not a real big drinker, cracked the top on this one and downed it without stopping.  Dave was surprised by that. 

"OK, come on - I'll take you."  Richie says to Jon as he gets up and puts his guitar away.

"I can't go to the hospital Richie.  I've been drinking, plus Tico is right.  It's no place for me to be, I've only gone out with her once."

"Get your shit, I'm taking you."

Jon smiles and sternly declines, again.  "It's not right.  I'll wait for her to call me."

Richie, handing Jon his jacket says, "Let's go.  I'll go check on her and take you with me."

Jon sees Richie's plan and likes it.  "Are you sure?  Have you been drinking?"

"Not a drop.  We'll go in and see her and leave.  We're taking your car." Richie tells him, leaving him no choice.  The rest of the band gather their own things and they call it a night - for band practice anyway.

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Walking in the emergency room doors of the hospital, Jon feels a little uneasy.  There are sad and sick people all over and he didn't like that.  Richie stops at the nurses station and finds out what floor that Monica's dad is on.  The nurse looks at her chart and was a little caught off guard.  All she can tell Richie is that the family is in the chapel.