163 - I Ain't Nothing But A Dog

"Luuuuuuceeeee, I'm home."  

 

The high baritone cry of Richie’s voice penetrated Jon’s pounding head as he rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. What the fuck. As the room became more focused, the events of last night played back in his mind. Half his body was lying off the couch, and he was still in the clothes he left the arena in, minus his shoes. Wine bottles dirtied the floor and his wine glass lay on its side and its remnants puddled across the chestnut wood. Jeanie must of have shut the television off on her way out this morning. Was it even morning?   

 

"Oh, shit!" Richie appeared at the door. "Looks like someone dueled it out with a bottle, or three of wine and lost."

 

"Lower your damn voice!" Sitting up, Jon pressed the circular button to turn on his phone. Still no response from Ari.

 

"Dude, what the fuck happened? When I left you last night, you were going to come home and going to bed."

 

"Yeah, well. I made a detour."

 

"Thanks Einstein, I can see that. Hope it wasn't one of your dumbass detours."

 

"Fuck off."

 

"Ahhhh…. wine and the corner of I'm a dick. Wanna talk 'bout it?"

 

"Nothing to talk about. Came home. Cracked open a bottle. Chatted with Jeanie. Called Crash."

 

"Then why is your sorry ass sleeping on the couch with three empty bottles of wine."

 

"Two before I called.” He looked at his phone once more as if something had changed in the last minute. One after."

 

"Ohhhh, brother, are we gonna have to write another song?"

 

"Why do you always take her side?"

 

"Whoa there, Nelly. I learned that a long time ago with you two not to take sides, but coming from experience," Richie gave a quick wave around the room. "This is remnants of you groveling in a song and me having to help your sorry ass out. Should I fetch the yellow pad, is all I'm asking."

 

"Nope! Wasn’t me this time. She’s the one who went behind my back and put herself and Lily in danger."

 

Things were starting to click. Richie held up his hand. "Wait a sec. This has to do with her calling Tony?"

 

"Sure does. And just like I chewed his ass out yesterday, I let her know how things are gonna be."

 

"You do realize she's supposed to avoid stress. All she did was call Tony and help him out. I bet you calling and laying down the law was not a pretty thing. Not with Bella."

 

"Oh, it wasn’t. She got good and pissed. Hung up on me, even. I tried calling, texting even, but she won't take my calls. I take that back. She actually sent me one text, her exact words…. Piss off buddy."

 

Richie laughed. "What exactly did you say to her?"

 

"I fired her. Told her since she was no longer an employee, if she tried to talk to anyone, she would be in breach of contract and would hear from my lawyers."

 

"Man. You are fucked with a capital F."

 

♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱

 

“I miss you too. It's just been crazy around here lately. End of year functions at school. Stephanie and Jesse both are going to the prom and we’ve been shopping for that." 

 

Kicking off her shoes, Dorothea sunk into the oversized leather chair, stretched out her feet and rested them on the matching ottoman. The coolness of the leather against her hot skin felt soothing. Five minutes. That’s all she wanted. Just enough time to take a few deep breaths before she handled homework.  

 

It was the first time she had sat down all day and when she saw his text that he would call, she discreetly disappeared into her office to wait for it. Since Jon took off on his recharge trip and she was left to become the dog whisperer, they barely had five minutes alone together. One day she would love to hand it all over to Jon and tell him she was going to recharge. For the next seventeen years, maybe. 

 

"Baby, the kids are going to Jon's and the minute I kiss them goodbye and send them out the door, I promise it will be just you and me.” 

 

"Mommy, have you seen Meatball?"

 

The endearing sound of Romeo’s voice had Dorothea scrambling to her feet. “Gotta go!” she whispered before ending her call and shoving her phone in her pocket. “Romeo. What do you mean? Have I seen him?”

 

“I. Can’t. Find. Him. Is he in here?”

 

“You can’t find him?” The decibels in her tone went up a notch. “How can that be?”

 

“Ma!’ The little tike tossed his hands out in front of him. “Calm, you pits. It’s not like we can lose him. He’s this biiiiigg.” Small arms opened wide.

 

Annoyed, she shook her head and ushered him out of her office by his shoulder. This dog would be the death of her yet. “Where did you see him last?”

 

“We were playing fetch up in your room. Dad called, so I left him there. When I went back, he was gone.”

 

“How many times have I told you he was not allowed in my room?”

 

“Too many.” the boy mumbled.  

 

Together they searched the first-floor apartment. No Meatball. When they came into the living room, she motioned for him to go outside to check for him there, while she continued up the stairs. Heading straight for the last place he’d been seen, she pushed opened the door of her bedroom and froze. Sitting there on the floor was Meatball, a roll of toilet paper in his mouth and countless others scattered around him.

 

“Damn you, dog!!!” Her yelling brought all her kids to her doorway. Jesse and Steph laughed, Jacob made some flippant comment and Romeo, the last to push his way through, dropped to his knees in front of his dog and wrapped him in his arms.

 

“That’s it. I’m calling your father right now. This dog will not spend another night in this house.”

 

“But… But. Mom. Dad is leaving for London in a few days. Grandma’s in Italy. Who will take care of him?”

 

“Not my problem. Take it up with your father.”

 

♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱

 

May 25, 2010

 

Having slept away most of the day, Jon had little time to do anything except shower, answer a few emails Jeanie had left for him before the car was ringing the bell. Tonight was the pre-opening party for the New Meadowlands Stadium. For the most part, they would officially open it tomorrow night when they played there, even though parts of the old stadium still stood in the parking lot. Out of all the places the band had played over the years, Giants Stadium had always been home to him. Something euphoric about playing in a place, in your hometown, surrounded by thousands of friends.  

 

 

His appearance tonight was to show his face amongst the big wigs, both for the stadium and the label. Richie and David would be there, too. Tico was still in Florida and flying in first thing in the morning. They’d schmooze for a while, drink on their dime, then call it an early night. Tomorrow, he had to pick up the kids and get ready for the first of three shows.

 

Sliding into the car, David snatched the ringing phone from Jon’s hands. “Talk to me, beautiful.”

 

“David, I have no time for games. Put Jon on.” 

 

“Yikes.” David mouthed as he handed the phone back to Jon. From the sound of Dorothea’s tone, this wasn’t a friendly call.

 

“Hey. Everything okay? I was just heading out.”

 

“No, everything's not alright. I want this dog gone. As in yesterday gone.”

 

Jon ran his free hand through his hair. He didn’t need this shit now. He had enough going on with Ari being mad. “What happened now?”

 

“He’s a puppy. A BIG puppy. I’ve been stuck doing all the work. Like I knew I would. I want him gone.”

 

“Fine. I’ll pick him up with the kids in the morning.”

 

“The morning. Really Jon, why not now?”

 

“I’m on my way out. First thing. I swear.”

 

“Yeah, I’ve heard those words before.” was the last thing he heard before the line went dead.

 

“Everything alright?” Richie asked.

 

“It will be once I have a glass of wine in my hand.” Jon did one last scroll through his phone. Still no word from Ariana. He even tried calling his mother. She just suggested giving her some space. Is forty-three hundred miles a big enough space?

 

♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱

 

After he fulfilled his required amount of ass kissing, Jon found himself a nice quiet spot in a far-off corner of the bar where he could drown his, whatever you wanted to call them, in a few glasses of wine. Having had a few glasses already while he worked the room, the effects were feeling good. 

 

Motioning for the bartender for a refill, he sat and watched. He watched CEOs flirt with women who were not their wives. He watched football players keep the attention of flocks of fans that somehow made it past security. He even watched Richie effortlessly walk up to a pretty redhead who was talking to a group of suits and, in mere minutes’ walk away with her hanging all over him.  

 

Jeanie set her empty glass on the bar and pulled back the empty stool. “Is this a pity party for one, or can I join you?”

 

“I thought I told you you were off the clock. Why aren’t you out on that dance floor with your woman?”

 

“That’s because, my woman” she waved a finger at him, “has been called away to work.” Twisting his wrist so she could see his watch, she tapped the glass face. “She should be boarding the plane just about now.”

 

“Boarding? Where to?”

 

“Germany.” hiccup. “U2, in fact.” hiccup. 

 

“Jeanie, are you drunk?” Jon smirked.

 

“Tit .... tipsy.” Giggling, she tapped the tip of his nose with her finger. “And don’t be giving me shit about it.”

 

Jokingly, Jon held up his hands as if he was backing off. He was the last person to be giving anyone shit about drinking away the blues. Especially to her. She had put up with his shit for many years now. If she wanted to let loose, so be it.

 

“Whatcha drinking there?”

 

“Te - quil - ia! And not the cheap stuff.”

 

“Of course not.” Jon waved her empty glass in the air, hoping to catch the bartender’s attention. When he finally made his way over to them, Jon order them another round and requested that they keep coming.

 

“I like the way you think, boss.”

 

“You may not feel that way in the morning.”

 

They sat and talked as the bartender did his job of keeping their drinks full. They didn’t talk about work; they talked about normal things. Like family, friends, and life in general. Jon spoke a little about what had been going on with Ari and how that was affecting him, and Jeanie tried to share some of her thoughts. Though she left out the part about Ariana being the one who recommended Kennedy for the job in Germany. The more they talked, the more he learned about her. Some things he was sure she may not remember telling him in the morning. 

 

“So, bosssssmann.” Resting her elbow on the bar, Jeanie propped her chin in her hand. “Member that favor you kinda owe me?”

 

“Which one is that?”

“The one where you asked me to ‘help you’ out of a certain sticky situation.”

 

“Ahh, yes.” bowing his head in embarrassment, he played with his wineglass. “Sorry about that.”

 

“Well, I wanna claim my ticket.”

 

“I do declare Jeanie; did you just proposition me?”

 

“Don’t flatter yourself, I want...” Reaching backwards over her shoulder, she pointed to the stage where the house band was playing and David had joined them. “HIM.”

 

Choking back his laugh, Jon was shocked at what she just said. “Gee, thanks. You sure know how to kick a man when he’s down, Jeans.” 

 

“Puhleeze. You would never have taken me up on it if I said yes. Actually, I bet you’d even shit your pants, if I had said yes.”

 

“But… would you? I thought you… what about Kennedy?”

 

Grabbing his cheeks with both hands, she squished them tightly, prompting his lips to pucker in a fish's face. “Boss.” she said a-matter-of-factly, “He’s my hall pass. My go too. You know, free pass. One guy I’d like too….”

 

“Sta-hap!.” Jon grabbed her wrists, releasing the hold she had on his face and set them in her lap. “No way, and how am I hooking you up with my keyboard player.”

 

"Ooohhh but look at those fingers. I bet...."

 

“That's it! I think it’s time to get you home!” Tossing a couple of twenties on the bar, Jon helped Jeanie out of her chair and waved to Richie that they were leaving.

 

“Can you bring Lema?” Giggling, she tossed back the last bit of tequila. 

 

“Definitely NOT!”

“Party po