Chapter 19

They walked into a small bistro near Laurels and headed to the back, away from the glass front, just in case. They took a booth; Richie crowding Gail in so Jon had to sit across from them.

‘Jesus Richie, are you that hungry you had to shove?’ Gail groused, then squirmed as his hand slid onto her thigh, she stopped breathing, damn the man, he was going to torture her all damn lunch!

‘Nope, just didn’t want Frank butting in.’ He winked and squeezed her thigh and watched her pupils dilate till there was hardly any green left; he knew exactly what he was doing. Hoping she’d give in and let him love her.

‘Hey I wouldn’t!’ Jon huffed then grinned, he so would but in. ‘Right let’s get down to business. I want you to come on tour with us, the whole tour.’

Before Gail could ask him anything, the waitress sashayed over to take their orders. They all asked for coke and ordered burgers with everything, fries and Gail asked for a side order of onion rings, making the men laugh and told the girl to make it a large basket for them all to share. Blushing the girl quickly hurried to place their orders, bustling back with the drinks not long after.

‘So why the whole thing? I thought you’d only want me while you’re in the UK?’

Richie held back what he wanted to say about wanting her.

‘Well Joe our normal guy does the whole thing, so for consistencies sake, so would you. Joe’s not likely to make any of this tour, so you’d be doing me a favour in helping us out of this.’

‘Okay, makes sense.’ She waited.

‘You’d have to sign a confidentiality agreement, you know, what happens in the band stays in the band! Plus, I can have the contract for the tour in your hands by the end of day.  Also, your room and equipment will be included in the package. You’d be on call nine till five and then at all concerts. But if anyone needed you at night, you’d have to be available, after a call to you first of course.’

‘Seems fine, I don’t mind signing a contract, but only after my lawyers checked it out of course.’

A thrill shot through Richie, she seemed to imply she’d take the job, hot damn!

‘Of course, that’s fine, but we kick off in New Jersey in just over a week, so you’d have to make a fast decision.’ She nodded again, ‘When we break for holidays or just a break in tour, you can fly back home or stay in the country we’ve finished in, it’s up to you, you can bum about with us or do whatever you want. Also, when we leave here we’re going straight home, so if you do come, you’d fly with us in the jet.’ At that statement Richie looked at him in shock, Jon just smirked. ‘Or it could come back and pick you up when you’re ready.’ Richie’s eyes grew even wider. Jon had never sent the jet to pick anyone up who worked for him.

Then they got onto the serious matter of money. Lucky’s jaw hit the table when he told her how much they were willing to pay for her to up and leave her home. She told them that it was way too much, but Jon shrugged it off, saying it was a little bit more than Joe, but she’d never been on tour and didn’t want her to think she wouldn’t have enough cash to keep her going. With that statement, she laughed herself silly.

‘Jon, I may not be in your league for money but I’m not in the poor house either! I’m the one retiring and enjoying my business, it’ll still be making me money, probably more than I’ll ever need. I’ve made my money honey, this is going to be like going back to my roots and travelling all over, but instead of learning my trade, I’ll be applying it. It’s going to be a working holiday for me.’

Richie got up and went to the bathroom while Jon and Gail hashed it out, Jon’s face was set in his ‘I’m not moving, so like it or don’t it’s still happening’ look. And Gail’s face nearly mirrored his, Richie chuckled to himself she was one stubborn woman, but it really was nice to meet a woman who didn’t want money from them.

He finished in the bathroom and headed out, expecting to see bodies lying on the floor after the bomb went off from Jon or Gail’s temper. He was very surprised that they were laughing and talking when he got back. ‘What no blood, damn Frank you’re slipping.’

‘Fuck off Dean; we came to a mutual understanding.’

‘Yeah he doesn’t cross me and I’ll not hurt him.’ Gail threw in before Jon could say anything, she’d actually caved in quite gracefully, but only after telling him he’d better not try to lord it over her any more, and that she would make a sizeable donation to the Soul charitable foundation, and he better not try to put her off. He’d laughed, held his hands up and swore he wouldn’t; she’d checked to see if he’d crossed his fingers.

Richie’s deep bark of laughter turned several heads. Their food arrived and they tucked in, conversation sparse till they finished.

‘So, does this mean you’re going to travel the world with us and keep our spines and things straight?’ His hand fell to her thigh again, rubbing it.

Gail nearly choked on a sip of coke at his emphasis on straight, lord the man was going to kill her, one way or another, and she wiggled in her seat at that thought! Then his fingers started to rub and she bit back the urge to tell Jon bye, and drag him back home and fuck his brains out! ‘After I’ve checked the contract, but I think I’d like to give it a go. But if I do something wrong someone’s going to have to tell me, first time on tour and all that.’

Jon and Richie high fived over the table and Richie turned and kissed her soundly on the lips, his hand on her thigh slipping between her legs and brushing over her zipper, pulling back he grinned at her, ‘Welcome to the Jovi bus darlin.’

She swallowed, ‘If you welcome all people to the tour like that, I’d get a little worried about you.’ Her tongue finally peeling from the roof of her mouth.

‘Nah, only the good-looking ones, and female at that before I get any smartass remarks.’

Jon just laughed, he could see the lust floating between them, he’d give them a few more hours, then he could see them ripping each others clothes off.

Gail looked at them both, ‘One question, if I work for you, will I be expected to sleep with all of you?’

Both men coughed, choked and spluttered. As one they both choked out ‘What?’

Gail snickered mentally.