Chapter 118 - A Singer In A Long Haired Rock -n- Roll Band

Leaving the arena one by one, Jon bringing up the rear, they are hounded and screamed at by reporters and photographers.  

"Jon, Jon over here Jon.  Tell us about the song that your wife wrote!  Did she do it in response to your affair?"

Jon stops dead in his tracks and turns to the reporter that had the nerve to say something like that.  "Excuse me?" he asks, sternly.  "What did you say?"

"Jon come on, let's go!"  Richie hollers looking back.  "Leave it alone, Jon!"  Jon flags his band mates on, having decided that he was going to fight the fire storm, with a fire storm of his own.

"Go on, I'll catch a cab."  He tells the 4 guys that stopped to wait for him.  The walkway is surrounded by screaming fans.  The roar of the crowd was energizing for Jon, it was almost magical in his frame of mind.

"Jon, tell us about the song."  the reporter doesn't take a break, he picks up where he left off as soon as Jon acknowledges him.  "Did she write it in response to your affair?  The affair that fathered a baby?"

Jon laughs the goofy laugh that we all love.  Behind his glasses, he sizes the reporter up and decides that THIS will be the only interview that he gives.  The credentials around the reporters neck read MTV, that is the only place that he needs to talk to.  "You need to take a step back."  Jon gives the guy no expression, making it hard for the reporter to gauge Jon's mood.

"Tell us about the song.  Tell us about the woman that is making her rounds on the radio circuit, giving an interview to anyone that will listen."

Jon waits a second before he answers with his heart.  He knows that he needs to do this with his mind and not fuel the fire.  "Monica wrote the lyrics with no song in mind.  She wrote me a note after a fight and that is what she said."

"She missed your birthday?"

"If you had all of your facts, you would know that we were in that hit in run just days before my birthday.  So yeah, she missed my birthday."

"And she apologized for missing it?"

Jon nods, crossing his arms over his chest, "It's more than that, man.  There is meaning in the unspoken words."

"What do you mean?"

"She says more in what she didn't say.  That was a tough time for both of us. harder for her."

"Because she lost a baby?"

"Isn't that enough?" Jon snaps at the insensitive reporter.  "Can you imagine what it's like being run down by a car just moments after you were married?"

"I can't."

"Okay then.  Use a little sensitivity, specially to situations that you can't relate to."

"What did she say in the apology note that didn't make the song?"

Jon chuckles, "Some things are better left unsaid."

"We notice that Monica isn't with you.  Is there really trouble in paradise?"

"Next question."

The reporter is stunted, briefly.  "Okay, how did the guys feel about your song?"

"We support each other in everything, creatively.  They were fine with it.  They helped me tweak it before we debuted it tonight."

"Has Monica heard it?"  Jon shakes his head no.  "Is she here?"

Jon repeats himself, "Next question."

The reporter is unsure what to ask next.  The biggest news in music news was the rumored break up of Jon Bon Jovi and his wife Monica.  Everyone wanted the scoop and Jon wasn't very forthcoming with the details.  "What can you tell us about the woman that's claiming the affair?"

"It's not true."

"There is no truth to her story?"

"The only thing that I heard that was even close to true is that she could have been a nurse that took care of my wife."

"She didn't take care of you?"  The reporter asks with a smirk on his face.

Jon sees the smirk and gives one back as he proceeds to walk away, "Have a nice day!"

Jon walks off and hails the first cab that he sees.  "To the Hilton, back entrance please."  he asks the cab driver and sits back in the seat.  

With his eyes closed, he runs the show through his mind and for whatever reason, his thoughts keep going back to the song.  He can't help but wonder what the missing part of the note said. 

He found her note when he was in their bedroom packing his things. He seen it folded in the pocket of her favorite sweater that was hanging on a hook in the closet.  Quickly he opened it and seen that it was to him, so he had tucked it into his bag.  

When he went back to his moms and finally read it, he was overwhelmed with feelings.  His feelings ranged from sadness to desperation, but he didn't let himself act on it.  He processed what he read, which he read over and over.  When he couldn't keep the thoughts and feelings to himself any longer, he started to put pen to paper and wrote the song.  But now that it's been played and probably recorded, he now keeps going back to what was missing.  What did she take from the note that he couldn't see?

Once he makes his way passed the fans that were lined up and screaming as he made his way into the back entrance, he headed for his room.  The stale smell of cigarette smoke and the loud noise of the hotel bar made him miss his wife even more.  She was always at his side and he was starting to hate himself for leaving her without saying goodbye.

He made his was passed the bar, where he could see his band mates having a good time, and stepped into the elevator.  Beside him were two young girls, scantily clad and suddenly quiet as the doors slid shut.  He presses the button for his floor and asks the girls, "What floor?"

They giggled, and he wasn't in the mood.  A quick glance over his shoulder and he asked one more time, "What floor?"

Again, they were speechless.  He shrugged his shoulders and waited quietly for his floor.  He never takes off his sunglasses.  He looks at the girls that were in the elevator with him and could now see that they were doe hard fans.  He chucked when he sees that one has a T-shirt on and in the sloppiest of hand writing he reads 'Mrs.  Bon Jovi.'

One of the shy, awestruck girls finally musters up the nerve to asks, "Can we have an autograph?"