Chapter 137 - When Forgiveness Fades Away

Once the shock of his wife knowing of his infidelity wears off, Jon paces the house, back and forth.

 Inside and out, trying with all of his might to figure out what happened and what he can do to fix this.  He hurts when he thinks of his wife being so far away and knowing that he's cheated.  He's cheated on her after everything that they have been through.  His pacing quickly turns into a mild anxiety attack.  

He looks around their house and sees several pictures of them together, happy, having fun and totally in love.  He's in shock.  In shock over something that he created and for love nor money, can he figure out how to fix it.  He's standing in their house, her house, and from where he's standing he can hear the phone ring.  He turns and runs to answer it, forgetting he was expecting a phone call.  "Monica?"  he chomps into the phone.

"No, It's Doc.  I have you booked on a flight."

Jon's thoughts connect, he forms a clear one.  "When is it?"

"It leaves Newark at 8 tonight."

Jon leans on the stove, nodding his head, "Cool, thank you.  Hey, do me a favor, call Ticketmaster and find out the Rick Springfield tour schedule.  Let me know where it's going."

"Why?"  Doc can't hide his displeasure over the request, "What are you planning?  You have an album to track, Jon."

Jon can't hide the fact that he pays a man an ungodly amount of money and all the guy does is argue with him about what he's doing or what he wants to do.  "Can you just do that for me, Doc?"  Jon can hear Doc clear his throat and that irritates him a little, "Do what I pay you to do."

"You do not pay me to be your travel agent, Jon."  Doc blasts Jon, shocking even himself.  "You have people that do that for you."

Jon stands at attention, pissy that Doc dared speak to him like that, "I pay you to do whatever I ask, and in that comes your discretion.  THAT is what I need right now, Doc.  I need discretion.  Can you handle that?"

"Yeah.  Why is this so hush hush?"  Doc cockily replies, "Why is going to Tokyo a secret?"

"Because it needs to be.  Call me back when you have that information."  Jon slams the receiver down and looks at his watch.  To himself he says, "You got four hours Jonny boy, get your shit together."  A long, drug out exhale - he grabs more coffee and heads to the bedroom, where he unpacks his road bag, just to pack again.  He has no idea how long he'll be gone.  

Levi's, tennis shoes, socks and some random tshirts - he has repacked his bag.  As he zips it, the phone rings, startling him back to the present.  His mind had wandered, going places that he loves and places that he fears.  

Jon grabs the phone off the bedside table, "Hello?" 

"Rick Springfield is in Tokyo for 3 more days, a day for travel and then he picks back up in Paris.  He does 2 nights there and then I don't know where he's going.  I can't have you gone any longer than that, Jon."  Doc passively begs Jon not to be gone any longer than that.

"Thanks."  was all Jon could think to say.  As he was hanging up the phone, he heard Doc continue, "I talked to Richie and Alec."

"ABOUT WHAT?" Jon blasts him, "You talked to Richie and Alec about what?"

"Relax Jon, I only asked if they could track the album with what you have while you're gone.  Richie said they could do it.  They can run the partial master while you're gone and then you can tweek it when you get back."

"Did you tell them I was leaving?" Doc can hear the anger in his voice.  

"I had to.  I know your mind is made up and you're going, but I have to keep an eye on what we're doing here, Jon."

"Jesus Doc, what did Richie say?"  he's testing the waters to see if Doc found out what's really going on.

"No, Jon.  I didn't tell him that you screwed someone and your wife found out about it.  He already knows?"

Jon's heart dropped.  He was shocked, maybe even more so, he is devastated.  Devastated that anyone knew how badly he's hurt his wife.  "How did he find out?"

"It's all over the wire Jon.  Pretty soon the world will know."

**************

Jon tosses his bag in the car and decides to get to the airport early.  Get in, get to his gate and work on what he's going to say to his wife when he gets there.  If she'll even see him.  He parks the car in the extended stay lot, grabs his bag and his aviator glasses and attempts to make his way in.  Just as he enters the doors for United Airlines, he's met with a few reporters.  This makes him angry.  

"Jon, Jon - what did Monica say when she found out that you cheated on her with her best friend?"

"Jon, are you going to Tokyo to save your marriage, beg for her forgiveness?"

"Do you think that she'll divorce you?"

All of these questions were hurled at him as he tried to get through the terminal.  He was outraged and barely hanging on.

"Mr.  Bon Jovi, was it worth it?  Was your one night with her best friend worth the press you'll get, the tarnished relationship and do you think your band can come back from a scandal this bad?"

"Will this affair stall the release of your next album?  The album in which your wife co wrote a song for?"

Jon knows not to react.  Not to give them more to report.  He makes his way through the madness, only stopping to give dirty looks and shoo the nonsense away.  He needs to get to his wife and try to make it right.  Fighting with reporters is not the way to do it.

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The 15 hour flight to Tokyo was the longest he's ever done.  He's alone, his thoughts are jumbled and he's feeling guilt, and that's new for him.  He's lost and he may have lost the only woman that he has loved with everything that he has.

Hotel Sardonyx Tokyo was inviting, and to Jon it was good enough.  He walked in, checked in and went to his room.  He was tired from the flight and the non stop thoughts that haunted him.   They pecked away at his heart and by the time he was able to just plop on his bed, he had nothing left. 

Jon wakes, unaware of where he is.  His surroundings are unfamiliar and for a moment, he freaks out - as he remembers where he is and why he's there.  He sits up in bed, looks around and can see very little.  The curtains are drawn, blocking out the daylight.  He looks at his watch and mumbles, "11:14, she's probably still in her room."  He jumps out of bed and gets him self ready for the day, just in a big hurry.  His shower is cold and fast, his teeth; he just knocked the overnight gunk off them and his clothes were disheveled and wrinkled.  He didn't care.   He snags his sunglasses off the doorway table and heads out into the hallway.  She could possibly be just 4 floors down, or he could have blown his opportunity all together by passing out when he landed.  She could be out at breakfast, at the venue, shopping - she could be anywhere in Tokyo but he's hoping she's in her room.  He can envision her having her tea and her toast, reading the newspaper.  It's a vision that makes him smile, until his finger reaches the down button for the elevator.  He knows he can be just a few minutes away from begging for forgiveness or just a few minutes away from learning that his marriage is over.