Chapter 9

Jon noticed the tension and smiled inwardly. Gail seemed a change from the ‘usual’ kind of women Rich had been about the last few years, thank god, she actually seemed genuine and she’d got a sense of humour too! Bonus!

Gail kept looking at Richie threw her lashes, where had that statement come from? Did this mean he might like her? Nah he was probably just teasing her.

Richie caught her casting glances at him, he wasn’t surprised he sounded like a right ass with that last comment. Sheesh really, he needed to have a stern word with himself, she was making him say things out loud when they should be kept inside his fuckin head!

Jon decided that they needed something to shift their focus, he grinned, and Rich would kill him but what the hell!  ‘So darlin you’re into doing more travelling?’

She grabbed for something normal to wrap her fuzzy brain about, ‘Yeah, I’ve seen Sweden, Japan, China and several other places, but I haven’t been on holiday in years!  Those travels were for work.’ She smiled at him.

Richie could see it coming a mile of, but he couldn’t drag himself into the path to cut it of, aw hell he’d kill Jon later, no one would miss him!

‘You’ve been to Japan?’

‘Yeah, I spent six months there learning acupuncture from Hiro.  Brilliant man and he taught me Japanese too.’ She laughed, ‘The amount of times I said something totally inappropriate in the first few weeks, well, they had a pot going as to how many times I screwed up each day.’  She laughed again, damn that seemed like a lifetime ago.

Richie could see the calculating look on Jon’s face, crap!

‘Wow you can speak that stuff?’ Jon gave her an appreciative look, hell, it was all he could do to say ‘sushi’.

Gail rattled off a sentence and their jaws hit the floor. ‘Ok please tell me was that real, or was that just nonsense?’ Richie asked, damn hearing her say that had turned him on even more than he already was!

She flicked a coy glance at him, ‘Nope it was real. I said ‘I never thought in a million years I’d meet you two, let alone have dinner with you.’

Jon took her hand in his, getting her full attention, ‘Well darlin how’d you fancy goin back to Japan? And maybe many other countries over, say, the next few months all paid for, and you’d get a pay cheque too?’

Richie groaned, fuck he’d done it, his eyes watched her as at first, she laughed at Jon, then realising he was serious her face went blank, eyes bugging out.

Gail was stunned he looked dead serious, ‘What?’ was all she could squeak out.

‘Well darlin I said my usual masseur was out of action, and I need someone I can trust to take over for him for the tour. The way you worked on me earlier, well hell you’re way better than my usual guy! And the way you’ve treated Rich and I it seems you’d have no problem coping with our demands. Hell, you’ve dealt with Elton all these years I’m damn certain you can deal with us. So what ya say wanna tour the world with us for a few months?’ He winked at her.

Gail looked at Richie who just smiled and shrugged, then she turned back to Jon, ‘Are you out of your ever loving mind?  Seriously, I’m worried about you. You’ve known me what, four hours and you’ve just offered me to go on tour with you!’ As she talked she stood gathering her gear to her, ‘I think I need to leave, talk about freaking someone out, Jesus you sit there so damn calm and throw that out, you really need to see someone!’  With that she headed for the door at a trot, leaving a stunned Richie and Jon looking at one another.

‘Jon you’re a fuckin prick!’ With that Richie got up and ran after Gail, he couldn’t let her go now he’d found her.