Chapter 17
The next
afternoon on the way to breakfast with the boys Teri forgot her sunglasses in
the room and went back for them. Richie
first waited at the door but then started toward the elevator.
Next
thing he heard was Teri as she ran down the hall. “Wait up, or give me a ride,” She decided on
the ride. She jumped and landed on Richie’s back. It was a good thing he braced
himself. Teri leaned around and kissed his cheek. “To breakfast please.” She said with no intention of getting off.
Together
they go down the elevator to their waiting group of friends. Rich plays along
and doesn’t let Teri down. She loves this.
Later
that night when they get to the arena Teri hops on his back again and they are
run down the hallway as they laughed. Jon poked his head out of his dressing
room, looked, shook his head, then closed his door.
Curley
pokes his head out of his dressing room to see what the commotion was all
about. Curley turns to T who was in the hall.
“Don’t even thought about it.” T stated in his
dry humorous way.
The
roadies thought it was great and love the playfulness of the couple. This
becomes the norm for Richie and Teri. A lot of time Richie could be seen giving
his girl a piggy back ride, or Teri would be hopping on his back (usually standing
on a chair to do so). They even have had
relay races with Curley and someone from crew, usually their wardrobe manager
around the parking lot of a venue. If Teri has done nothing else she has made
the wait time more tolerable for sure. Piggy back races, the guy usually has to
hold a female on his back while they run the obstacle course, thank goodness
they do this one on the grass.
Teri went
out one day to the nearest department store and bought things like squirt guns
and Frisbees. She gave some blow up beach balls to the crew in the busses to
play with on the long rides from show to show. Everyone have had a ton of fun
with those. Not only waiting for sound check but in the hotels also.
One day
Teri went out and got something called a super soaker. She bought two. They went in and soaked Curley in his room
one afternoon which started a water fight, everyone involved got into trouble
with the tour manager because hotel management gave him shit for it. And well, then they were taken away.
But a resourceful Teri went out early the next
day and bought a bunch more. Ssshhhh they
are now stored on the bus. The roadies would do anything for her, and
gladly hide them from anyone in authority.
A lot of the time when Richie can’t find her, she would be on a tour bus
playing poker or dancing in the streets to some boom box or another with the
crew.
***** ***** *****
Richie
flew his mom and uncle to a performance when they were still in the dating
phase of their relationship, down to Florida, for a visit and to just hang out. His dad was gone by this time and Richie’s
Uncle Joe picked up the slack for his brother. When they arrived, Richie
couldn’t find Teri and was pretty upset. This was the first time that Teri
would meet Joan, Richie’s mother. She knew they were due in that morning. When Ma and Uncle Joe arrived at the hotel,
they saw a bunch of people horsing around with squirt guns on the side lawn
near the pool. They both smiled and went in to the hotel lobby where Richie was
waiting for them. Well, he paced the floor as he waited for them.
“Hey Ma,
Uncle Joe. How was your trip?” he asks,
with an enormous smile on his face.
“Great
Richie.” said Uncle Joe
“Why are you wasting money on first class
Richie? We’re fine in coach.”
Richie
wrapped his Ma in a hug.
“Cause I can afford to. If I can’t upgrade for
my family who can I upgrade for?”
“This
girl of yours, who we haven’t met yet. Where is she?” Mrs. Sambora asked.
At that
moment, Jon showed up and it was more hugs and kisses all around.
“Yeah, where is she Rich?” asked Jon with a
look of mischief in his eyes.
“What do you know man?” Richie questioned, not
sure what Jon was up to.
“Follow me.” the front man said with a laugh.
He led the Sambora’s out the back of the hotel
to the pool.
There in
the middle of a crowd of people, was Teri with her super soaker, hitting one
and all who got in her way with blasts of water.
“Go on
Richie, get that thing from her. She got Obie earlier though, it was the highlight of my day.” Jon stated.
Richie looked at his Uncle who nodded and his
mom who smiled. He gave a yell, and ran
around the side of the hotel pool and into the middle of the group. Teri tried
to soak him but he was quicker. He scooped up his girlfriend and ran as she screamed
in delight. Through the open gate that surrounds the pool and straight into the
deep end they go.
They broke
the water surface, sputtered and laughted. Ma waited for them at the edge of
the pool with towels. They both got out. But, not before he must admit, Richie
considered a tug on Ma’s outstretched hand so she fell into the pool too.
The crew
clapped and yelled out in Richie’s favor.
One of them shouted out.
“Finally, somebody took her down.”
Teri
yelled back. “Just you wait! This ain’t over yet. Revenge will be mine. And I
ain’t talking about Richie!”
Everyone
laughed. Formal introductions were made. But, not before Richie wrapped Teri in
his towel as her t-shirt had become transparent, and well, she was with his
Mom…
Joan
said, “Get a hot shower, and let’s have some lunch to get better acquainted.”
Teri knew
a command performance when she hears one and readily agreed. She knew it was
bound to happen so better to get it done first thing.
These two become fast friends over lunch. And
Richie beamed because of it. Uncle Joe seemed to like her too. Richie waited
until he had a moment alone with him to ask. “So, what do you think of Teri
Uncle J?”
He looked
at his nephew, “I like her, she seems like someone who will keep things
lively.”
“Besides
that Uncle Joe, what do you really think?” His uncle sat back in his chair in
the lobby. They waited for Richie’s Mom to go see the sites in town. Since Jon
and Richie had interviews scheduled Teri and Richie won’t join them.
“Son, is
she someone special to you?”
“Very
much so Uncle Joe.”
The
senior Sambora smiles at Richie.
“Follow your heart Richie. If you love her,
then you will know if it’s love /lust, or real love. Keep listening to that
heart of yours. I did with your aunt and
we have been happy. I know your father is watching over you and look at the
sunshine. He approves.”
“Thanks
Uncle Joe, but I guess what I am asking is do you and Ma approve?”
“Funny you should ask that,” Richie’s heart
sank at these words. “Your Mother and I were talking and we both feel that even
though we have known Teri for such a short time we like her. I will speak for
your Mother and myself and say yes Richie, we do approve. We feel you deserve
happiness, and, as long as she was accepting of Ava, and she of Teri, then you
will be where you should be. Put Heather behind you Richie and find happiness
again that is what we really want for you.”
The two
men hug just as Teri and Joan hit the lobby.
“Male
bonding?” Teri asked as she sat on the arm of Richie’s chair.
“Something like that." Richie replied.
The men stood and they all walk his family to their rental car.
“See you at sound check in a few hours
Mr. Sambora, Mrs. Sambora.” Teri said as
they make their way across the parking lot.
Joan
stopped, took Teri’s hands in hers, looked into her eyes, and said “Mom or Ma,
and Uncle Joe Teri, Ma, and Uncle Joe.”
Richie
beams at his mother.
“Thanks Ma, Uncle Joe.” Teri said and gave
them both a kiss on the cheek. Richie kissed his family too as they got into
their rental car.
Then Teri
looks up at Richie, bats her eyes a few times at him, and gives a pretty pout.
He sighs dramatically though he really didn’t mean it, and hunches down. Teri
hops on his back for a ride. Richie’s Ma took out her camera for a few
pictures, and they both laugh as the two leave. Richie and his girlfriend ran
across the parking lot like a couple of kids.
