Chapter 146 - I Call It Love

Wheels down in New Jersey and Jon can't wait to get home, he's going to beat Monica there by hours.  

He's excited to see her, he's missed her so much.  He knows she'll be there first thing in the morning and he was the last one at the house.  He's left it in shambles and wants to clean it before she gets home.  As they exit the private jet, "Hey, are going to the bar with us?"  Alec asks Jon, firmly grabbing his shoulder.  "We thought we'd celebrate finishing the album ahead of schedule."

Jon shakes his head, hair fluttering in his face, "No way, man.  I gotta get my ass home and get the place clean, Monica will be there in the morning."  Jon kind of laughs at the words that were falling from his mouth.  He has to get home and clean.  He's never HAD to clean, "Why don't you guys come over to the house, we can celebrate there?"

"While you clean?"  David jests as he hikes his duffel bag over his shoulder, "I think it'd be more fun to watch paint dry."

"Come on."  Jon tries, "I don't have much to do, we can build a fire out back and kick a few back."

Richie and David are all for that.  Alec and Tico just want to go home.  So, that's what they do.  

It was no time at all and Jon cleaned up the menial messes that he made while his wife was away, mad at him.  Heat broken by him.  The three guys each grabbed a beer and went out back.  They attempted to build a fire, in the cement ring that they had installed when they renovated the house.  Once it was roaring and they were happy with the job they had done, they grab a lawn chair and circle around it.  Richie, fearless and disconnected asks Jon,  "So what are you going to say when she gets home?"

"Yeah?"  David chimes in, "I was wondering that myself, what can you say?"

Jon shrugs his shoulders, "I'll have to wait and see what she has to say.  She asked me if I could be here, so I'm here.  I think she has stuff to say, so I'll play off her."

Richie takes a good long look at him and has to ask, "What were you thinking?  You cheated on the most amazing woman on the planet - who loves you whole heartedly by the way.  What the hell could have been going through your mind?"

Jon gives his head a gentle shake, "Obviously I wasn't.  I fucked up and I know it."

"Think she'll forgive you?"  Dave asks, "Think she can ever trust you again?"

"I hope so." was all Jon could say.  "I sure as hell hope so."

"Has your one night stand tried to contact you?"  again, another question from Richie.  "Cause if she has, you can send her my way."  He winks and laughs.

Dave makes an observation, "You'd sleep with someone that has slept with the husband of your best friend?"

"Monica doesn't need to know."  he jokes.

"She is removed from our lives and god forbid she try to gt in touch with me or Monica.  It will not end well for her."

The boys sit around the fire and shoot the shit for the rest of the evening, talking about this and that and trying to decide what they want to release off of the new album first.  Between the 3 of them, they agreed to release I'll Be There For You, and the consensus is, it's just for Monica.  To try to add some happiness to her life and for the world to see that yeah, she may have a philandering husband, but she has a talent, with lyrics and with her photography - she will see that she doesn't need Jon.  In honor of the woman that they all love in different ways, they will release the song and give her songwriting credit.  

~~~~~~~~~~~

David and Richie leave so that Jon can shower and get to bed.  Monica is just hours out and they know that he needs this time alone.

He showers and once he's smoked his last cigarette he brushes his teeth and finally climbs into bed.  He knows that she'll come in, be quiet as a church mouse, but he'll still hear her.  He hopes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He's startled awake by the light being turned on next to the bed.  When he sees it's her, he groggily says, "Hey babe.  How was your flight?"  He scoots up in bed, resting on the headboard.

"Fine."  she kind of snaps, "It was fine."

"Are you okay?" he asks, seeing that she's tense and not herself.   "Do you need help with bags?"

"No, can you go pay the cabbie.  He's waiting!"  more flippant attitude from her.  

"Yeah, yeah."  Jon jumps out of bed, noticing the time.  It's 9 am.  "I would have picked you up, why didn't you call?"  He pulls on sweat pants, grabs his wallet and runs out to pay her fair.

Back inside he starts a pot of coffee and goes off to find her.  She's getting ready to get in the shower, "I made coffee, want some?"

"No.  I'm going to lay down for a while, do you mind?"

"No.  Want some breakfast first?  Are you hungry?"

"No Jon, I just want to lay down and rest, is that okay?" she loudly snaps at him.  He says not another word and leaves her alone, to do whatever it is that she wants to do.

In the kitchen, he pours himself a cup of coffee and reads that paper that he grabbed off the porch.  He flips it to the entertainment section and his heart stops.  There is an article about Rick Springfield and his new unknown girlfriend.  The pictures show him with an unidentified woman, as she has a leather coat covering her head as they enter the hottest club in Miami.  Jon can see the legs, the shoes and the stature of the woman under the coat.  It's his wife!