Chapter 93 - You Know It's True

"Babe, come here."  Jon calls for Monica, as she's in the bathroom brushing her hair. 

"One second." she calls back to him, running the brush through her hair.  "What's going on?"  it isn't often that he calls out for her, so she's wondering what's up.  When she finishes, she walks out into the room and stops next to him.  Her hand automatically goes to the hair.  She starts to run her fingers through it and says, "I'm here."

"Listen to this, okay?" he looks up to her and she can see that he's writing.

"Okay."

He starts to sing the words If you could see in side my heart than you would understand, I never meant to hurt you, I'm not that kind of man.  I might not say I'm sorry, and I might talk tough sometimes and I might forget the little things or leave you hanging on a line.  The whole time that he's singing for her, he's taping the eraser of his pencil to the beat that he hears the song in.  HE finishes the first verse, "What do you think?"

"I like it.  What's it called?" she sits next to him on the bed and picks up the sheet that he has the song was written on.  She reads the top "I'd Die For You?" she looks in his eyes, "Write more."

"Did it sound good?" he asks her.  He's not often asked others outside the band their thoughts but this one was different.  He's writing it for her, for the next album.

"Yeah."  she got a little excited and jumped on the bed a little like an excited school girl.  "Finish it so I can near it all."

He laughs and loves her excitement, "These things take time."

"When did you start to write it?"

"In sound check, in my head.  I was looking at you standing down there watching me and I looked at you and thought that I would die for you."

"Oh babe," she falls into him and kisses his cheek.  "I'd die for you too."

"I'm serious." he confirms.

"So am I." This time he kisses her and smiles, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I just need to grab my things."  she pats his knee and stands up to gather her camera bags and accessories.  She has full access, from the whole band, and she plans on getting excellent footage at both shows. 

Jon gathers up his things for his costume changes and tosses it in his bag.  He's ready to go, doing a quick walk through to double check that he's not missing anything.  "What are you shooting tonight?"

Monica is at the table that all of her gear is on, looking over what she needs.  "Well, I have Tony setting up the 5 stage cameras and I think I'll just bring a couple different lenses and focus on faces today.  I'd like to get some shots of all of your faces."

"Our faces, oh great." he laughs at her, "Haven't you seen enough of my ugly mug?"

She lifts her bag over her shoulder and grabs her purse, pulling out her all access pass, sliding it around her neck.  "I could look at you all day and night, you know that.  But your fans, Bon Jovi's fans, might appreciate seeing all of you up close.  I'm thinking for posters and for publicity."

"That's a great idea." he admits to her with a smile, "I guess I have to wear make up then?"

"No.  You look fabulous without it.  I wish you had shaved though, but the after 5 look is good."  Monica jokes with him, meeting him at the door.  "I love you no matter what you look like."

They head down to the van, where the rest of the crew is waiting.  Once the ring leader arrives, they all are ready to go.  Jon and Richie along with Monica, are in a van of their own.  Once they are on the road, Jon reaches in his bag and hands Richie the lyrics for the song he has started.   "What do you think?  Monica loves it, but I think she's biased."

Richie takes the song and reads it over, looking up at Jon, "Is it a love song?"

"With an edge, yeah."

"Man, enough love songs already."

Monica shocked by the words that fell out of Richie's mouth, "RICHIE!"

"What Mon? We're a rock and roll band, not a ballad band."

Jon jumps in, "It's one verse and when I sang it for her, I could hear a bassy, sexy sound."

Richie shrugs his shoulders, "Okay, but it's apparent that it's for Monica."

Jon snaps, "So."

"Not a good way to hook the girls."

Jon isn't sure what to say to that, he doesn't write to hook the girls and he didn't think that Richie did either, "What's the matter Richie?"  he asks his best friend, his right hand. 

"Nothing."

Monica, knowing Richie the longest, watches the banter like it's a tennis match.  She can see that Richie is irritated by something, but she has no idea what it is, or what it could even be.  He's a man that wears his heart on his sleeve and for him to act bitter in this way is really out of the norm.  She runs through her mind, trying to recollect if he's mention a special woman and she can't recall one.  "Richie, is everything okay at home?" was the only thing that she could think might be wrong.  If it's not a woman, it has to be something at home.

"No.  Nothing is wrong.  I just want to play rock and roll and shit like that makes me gag."

"Shit?  You think it's shit, fuck you."  Jon snaps at Richie, ripping the piece of paper from his hand.  "Fuck you."

"Jon, we are a ROCK and ROLL band, get it, a ROCK AND ROLL BAND!  Not some sappy ass bullshit ballad boy band."

Monica interjects, "Richie, quit being such an asshole."

"Monica stay out of it."  Richie replies, holding up his hand.

"Screw you, I'm not staying out if it.  You need to stop being such......."

Jon holds up his hand this time, stopping the back and forth between Richie and Monica, "This isn't the time or the place.  Forget I shared the song with you Rich."  Jon crams the song back into his bag and directs his attention to the passing scenery out the window.  In his own thoughts he too is thinking that Richie is in a mood, his behavior, which is always up beat and energetic was just the opposite.  He thought he stopped the conversation between Richie and Monica, but he was wrong about that too.

"Rich, you can be such an asshole sometimes."

"Why?  Because I voiced my opinion on a song that I will inevitably have to co write?" he smirks at her.  "I am not a love song guy, you know that."

"What's really wrong?" Monica asks him, with a disbelieving attitude in her voice.

He laughs and straightens up in his seat, "That's my problem.  He comes to me with a love song, for what Jon, a new record when we aren't even done promoting this one?"

Jon looks at him, "That's one of hundreds that I have."

"Well, I have some too - think you might want to take a look at them, or better yet, let's just record one."

Jon just glares at him.  However, Monica can't keep her mouth shut, "Where are they, let me see one."  She holds out her hand, waiting for Richie to hand her one of his masterpieces.  One of the masterpieces that he doesn't have with him. 

"They're in my room." he barks, leaning back and putting his hands behind his head, "It is what it is Monica.  We write and record what he wants, that's it - end of story."

This time, Jon gives him the stink eye, "Is that really what you think?"