Chapter 57 - Blame It On The Love

"Thank you for coming to see me." he says as he walks up to Monica in their hotel room. "Sorry we had to get right on the plane and fly here."

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Her hands land on his waist and she works them around behind him and tucks her hands into his back pockets, "I knew that was going to happen when I landed in Cape Town. Doc and Richie made sure that I knew all that I needed to know."

"I know, but it's a lot for someone in your condition." he kisses her lips, slipping her the tongue."

"I'm pregnant, not sick. I called my doctor before I decided to come. She said it was fine."

"It's still a lot. The flight here is what the flight home is going to be. That's a lot for a pregnant woman."

"And what do you know about pregnant woman." she laughs as she wiggles her fingers in his pockets. "Are you a secret obstetrician?"

"No, just a secret gynecologist and I need to exam you with my tongue." his hands slide from her waist up under her shirt, tickling her bare breasts. "No bra?"

"Hell no, long flights are not bra worthy."

With a breast in each hand, he asks, "Will you shower with me?"

"Yeah, I'd love a nice hot shower."

The shower is exactly what they both needed, it helped them both relax and they had some of their best conversations in the shower. I

n the shower, neither are distracted by outside sources and they have each others undivided attention. "We leave her tomorrow afternoon to go home. I cant wait."

"I know, I'm sorry this has been so tough on you, this leg anyway." Monica says, seeing that he really just wants to go home and get on with life. He needs to have the time to process the fact that he's going to be a dad. The mother to his baby is not his wife, the job he loves and had such drive for is in 2nd place right now. His priority is Monica and the baby. All he needs is a few days off and then he will be ready to continue with the band. He needs to see his mom and get in the right frame of mind to track the next album. Jon knows what Jon needs to do to be successful and when the going gets tough, he’ll pull them all through.

“Let’s go for a walk.” Monica says, “This is Morocco, we should see what we can, while we can.”

“Okay.  Sounds good to me.”

They get dressed and head downstairs, where they run into Richie and David.  

“Where are you two going?”  Richie asks, smiling at them. 

“For a walk, do you want to join us?”  Jon asks his band mates, his friends.

“I guess.”  David says to them, putting his arm around Monica.

“What the hell.”  Richie states and the 4 of them start walking down the street.  David and Monica are in front of Jon and Richie, so Jon takes the opportunity to thank Richie for arranging Monica’s visit.  

“I know you’re behind the fact that she made it to Cape Town and I want to thank you for that, but did you really need to get that asshole Doc involved?”

“Dude, I didn't want to, but do you know how much a last minute plane ticket to South Africa is?”

“No.”

“I didn't either until I had my mom call and check on it.  It was almost 3K, and I didn't have that laying around, so I called Doc.”

“What did you have to agree to; to get him to help you out?”  Jon needs to know, not sure if Richie signed anything or put the band in any situation.

Richie laughs, “That guy really is a piece of work, isn’t he?  All I had to do was agree to try to talk you into signing with him, he’s desperate.  He knows we’re on our way to the top.”

“I’ve been thinking about signing with him, I think he can get us higher than we can get ourselves – but with the baby news and all, it’s kind of been on the back burner.” Jon admits, knowing that he can tell Richie anything and it will go no further.  “The pregnancy has my mind in so many places, I have no idea what’s really going on.  After tonight’s show, I’m going home, with Monica and we’re locking ourselves in and keeping everyone out.  I need time with her. Just her.”

“I’ll bet that she needs that too.  You guys haven’t had the chance to enjoy or celebrate the news.”

“I know and I feel so bad for her.  First baby and all.  I’ll make it up to her somehow.” Jon tells Monica’s best buddy. 

“Don’t beat yourself up about it, man.  She’s been just as busy as you are.”  Richie reminds Jon, “You guys will have plenty of time to catch up when we get home.”

The group of them walks upon a street vendor that does caricature drawings, so the 5 of them sat, with Monica in the center to have themselves drawn.  They laughed, they played but most of all, they relaxed before the last show of the Monsters of Rock Tour.

Their afternoon in Morocco was great.  They all hung out and screwed off and when they knew it was time to head back, they all stopped at the hotel bar and did a shot together.  They raised a toast to the best times of their lives and then they toasted the future.  The future that they all know looks so bright.

The Monsters of Rock Tour was the biggest and the highest grossing tour of the year, which surprised everyone.  When the tour first hit the road, the promoters thought that they would have to cancel several shows because the numbers weren’t there.  That’s why they signed Bon Jovi.  The last ditch effort and it really paid off.  Not only for the promoter, but for Bon Jovi as well. 

Bon Jovi and Monica were on the Bon Jovi plane heading back to the United States, that’s where they all wanted to be.  The show kicked their ass, so the guys drifted off as soon as their asses hit the plane seats, with Jon being the exception.  He and Monica sat at the table for a while and talked.  They physically weren’t alone, but they both knew that the 4 bodies laying close to them were all sound asleep, and what they had to say would not have been a concern anyway.  They were a family.

They are across from one another, Jon being physically beat leans back in his seat and puts his feet on the seat next to Monica.  She looks over and sees that he did take his boots off, so she reaches over and starts to rub one of them.  Jon smiles, “You have no idea how good that feels.”

“Enjoy it, we start keeping score today.” She winks at him and twists his little toes.

“Score?  What are you talking about?”

“Your feet today, then someday I’ll need you to rub something for me.  We’ll keep score.”

“Mon, I’ll rub whatever, whenever.  Just point and smile, baby.”

“What do you want to do when we get home?  Are you finally ready to move in all the way?”

“I think I am.”

“You THINK you are?  What does that mean?”

“I’m ready, I’ve been ready I just don’t want you to think it’s just because of the baby.”

“I wouldn’t have thought that.” She assures him.  “Jon, everyone can see how we feel about each other.  Do you think that I can’t feel the way you feel about me?”

He just shakes his head no.

“I know that you love me and want to be with me.  I can only hope that you know and feel how madly in love with you that I am.”

“I can.  I do.”

Knowing this, Monica adds, “I’m ready to settle down and raise a family.”

“What about your career, what about my career?” he asks.

She doesn't know what he means, “What about them?”

“Settling down and raising a family, doesn't that require being home?”

“No, it means being stable and focused.  We can have a family with the career paths that we have chosen.”  She laughs at what she says next, “Granted, I can’t do the swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated or be a Bunny, but I can take pictures.”

“Are you sure?” he wonders, “The path that we could be on might get crazy.”

“I know.”

“I could hit the road for many months at a time.”

“Jon, I know.”

“If I sign with Doc, he wants an album right away.  Then we would need to hit the road to promote that.”

“Okay.”

“Headlining our own tour could be a very long tour.”

“So far you haven’t said anything that scares me or worries me.”  She starts to rub the other foot.

“I’m not trying to scare you, I just want you to know what we could be in for.”

Monica looks at him and smiles her cute little I love you smile and reminds him, “I did a few dates with Bruce, remember.  I know how crazy it can get.”

“Now you’re comparing me to Bruce?” Jon chuckles.

“Oh no, I like Bruce much better.” She laughs, watching the look on his face.  Jon wasn't expecting what he had just heard.

“You do, do you?” he pulls his feet away, gets up and sits next to her.  Eye to eye, nose to nose he leans in and kisses her, “Now who do you like better?”

“Oh, I don’t know.  It’s hard to tell.”

He kisses her again, this time with a little more tongue and a lot more time.  “And now?”

“I’d have to say you.”

“Oh yeah, why’s that.  Because of the way I kiss?” he jokes with her.

“Exactly.  If I was comparing kisses, you’d win.”

“I would?” he looks at her funny and she can see what he’s thinking.

“Really, I haven’t kissed Bruce – you’re the winner.”

He leans his head on her shoulder and asks, kind of quietly, “How did Bruce handle groupies?”

“Whores, you mean?  The ones that linger until there is no hope, or the ones that will sleep with whoever to try to get close?”

“Both.”