Chapter 20
Richie sat lost in
thought. This is a long ass flight. He
stated to himself.
Vikki was making
the rounds with coffee and automatically filled Richie’s cup.
“Thanks.” he said.
Richie didn’t really see her.
Vikki had been the
head flight attendant for Bon Jovi for many years, and she was as used to the
up and down temperaments of the guys.
“No problem Richie. You ok?”
“What? Yeah. Thanks” He mumbled.
As Vikki walked
away, Jon looked at her from his seat down the aisle. He raised his eyebrows in
question. Vikki shook her head no then, moved on to pour coffee for everyone
else. She left Jon until last.
“No clue Hon.
What’s going on Jon? Richie had been like this since boarding the plane
a few hours ago. He usually sits with you, so that is a big red flag to me and
the fact that he’s not even smiling, hell that’s another indication something’s
up.” She said in a quiet tone as she poured his coffee.
“Thanks Vikki I’ll
go talk to him.” Jon stood to talk to his friend.
He grabbed his mug
of coffee and nonchalantly made his way down the plane, plopped down on the arm
rest of the seat across the aisle from Richie.
“Hey man, what’s up
with you today? You’re talking to no one and even worse you’re in a piss ass
mood making everyone crazy. Now give man, I can’t talk to you if you are going
to be like this today.”
Richie looked at
his longtime friend. He took a deep sip of coffee and turned his head.
“Let’s take this in the back, I need to talk
to you in private man. Have to figure out something to tell Teri I’m not ready
to have the whole plane involved.”
Jon nodded his
assent, stood, and walked to the back of the plane. He threw out Obie and Mike
who sat in a couple of seats in the back as they played cards. Jon told them to
move their ass as he needed the seats. The two move to the middle of the plane
in the seats that Jon and Richie just vacated. The new ones are at a table and
there are two more seats to complete the table for four.
Jon slid in and sat
next to the window Richie did the same on the other side... He looked out as he
waited for Richie to start talking. Richie took a deep breath, a sip of cooling
coffee.
“How do I tell Teri
about my past?” Richie started right in.
“What part?” Jon
questioned.
“All of it. I agreed with Teri, I promised no
secrets about sex and drugs. She can go and research us to find out a ton of
stuff about that but a good portion of it is wrong, exaggerated even. You know that.
Hell, you had that problem with Dorthea when she thought you were screwing
around on her and for once in your life you weren’t.”
Richie gave a small laugh at his comment. Jon
frowned. He looked hard at his friend. Richie
hadn’t been one to say no to the ladies. Hello… King of Swing nickname was not
because of his love of swing music!
Jon shook his head
to clear his thoughts.
“Jon, all those parties and all those women,”
Richie continued. “How do I tell her without making it out to be what it is, was.”
He corrected.
“Too true, hell you
had them on a revolving door. There was that one night when you were doing
cocaine and snorting it right off some girls naked body in the middle of a
party in the living room before you hauled her into the bathroom so it could be
recorded by Donny who was sitting on the fucking roof skylight looking into the
bathroom with a video camera.”
“Yeah, I fucked her
right on the sink. Have to remember that it’s a perfect height Teri is a little short.” Richie said as he
recalled the incident.
Jon brought the
conversation back around.
“Is it really that
important to get all this out in the open with Teri now?”
“Get what out in the open with Teri?” David came
down the aisle and plopped in the seat across from to face his two friends. He
put his mug of coffee on the table like his two friends have done, and leaned
his forearms on the same surface ready to talk.
“My past sex life.”
Richie stated.
“WHAT? Are you
fucking crazy? Does the name Zucchini Sisters mean anything to you? Hell, you
were the one who ordered a zucchini from room service in the first place. What
the hell were you thinking? That no one
would talk about how Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi ordered a whole zucchini to be
delivered to his room at three in the morning? You'll be damn lucky if Teri
doesn't already know about that. The way women talk is a Big Brother man. It
sees all and hears all. Hell, Rich, chicks have a bigger pact than us but,
theirs is to blab all the way from Arizona to Australia!” David as his usual
self exclaimed.
“It wasn’t a
zucchini, it was a cucumber.” Richie stated deadpan.
“Rich, you were screwing
everything in sight. I’m amazed that your dick didn’t fall off. Hey T, got any
golf carts you want to sink?” David yelled across the plane.
T got up and walked
to where the three were sitting.
“What are you
talking about? I didn’t sink no golf cart it was Big Al. I was just along for
the ride.”
All four laugh. T turned,
and walked up front to get a refill on coffee. David followed saying something
about food.
Once they were gone Richie picked up the
conversation where he and Jon left off.
“We are getting to
that point man. Getting rid of condoms and making it as real as possible. We
both agreed to be tested before we lose the rubbers. I gotta do it this week
Jon. We were at the hotel the other night in bed, we talked for a long time,
and Teri told me about her past. There was not much there. She had been with
maybe ten guys total in her entire life. She did a little pot in high school.
Some drinking, weekend stuff, social like. Then there was a stint with black
beauties in college and a little after in the 80’s. Those she liked a lot she
said that the energy was great for finals and partying. All she would say is
that the sex was the best she had outside me.” Richie chuckled at that.
“Why would you want to? I don’t even know if
you can count the girls you were with man. We are talking years here Rich not
to mention the parties when you were married. Do I need to remind you of sex in
the middle of that party in Laguna? How many that night man, three, four at the
same time? You and Heather did some cocaine and started fucking in the middle
of the living room with people joining you. You saw more pussy that night then
most men do in a month! Hell, if it was not your wife man I would have been
right in there. We have done that many times too man, how do you tell her about
the shit that went down not to mention the drugs Rich. Freebasing, Cocaine, I
can’t even remember all the pills and shit man. How about the booze? Looked
like the parties would never end, what are you going to say and more
importantly, why?”
Jon paused to let
Richie think about what he said.
“Are you really
there Rich? Is it THAT serious? Hell, it’s only been 3 months. Okay let me
rephrase that. You were married to Heather in what 6 months from meeting her?
Do you really want this? You know I have your back Rich. Just tell me what you
want to do and I’ll be there for you. I always am.”
“Seven. It was
seven months THEN, I married Heather. Yeah Jon I really want this which is why
it is so hard to figure out a way to discuss all of it. The drinking part is
easy compared to the rest of it. Yeah I drank hard, and partied harder. Teri is
so innocent that I am not sure what and how much to tell her.”
“Well if that's
your problem man, then tell her as little as possible. The rest can come in
time.”
“No, I think it’s
all or nothing she’s one for Honesty up front. Not to be afraid to say
something in regards to all this. The other night before we fell asleep she
turned to me and looked me dead in the eye and said, and I am quoting here.
‘Please tell me the truth. I want to hear it from you. I need to know where we
are at and what I am going to be facing.’ Shit man, how can I lie to her after
that. She poured it all out to me about her past and I have to do the same. She
was so hesitant about those Black Beauties for fear I would not want her any
more cause she ‘Did drugs’. Shit I almost laughed out loud.”
Jon was thoughtful for
a moment.
“Rich, I think it
may be time to face it yourself. You're not gonna to want to hear this. But,
you were still using, hell man you still used up to last year. Don’t cha really
think it’s time to face this thing yourself? Sounds like you need to man. Not
sure how you are going to be totally honest with her if you're not totally honest
with you.”
Richie seethed with
controlled anger. Jon stood up and moved into the aisle.
Richie said through gritted teeth. “Get the
fuck off my back man. Can’t take this shit from you. You know I’m clean and
have been. I need to figure this out and all I get from you is shit? Fuck off
Jon and fuck the horse you road in on, this conversation is over.”
Jon gave him a sad
smile as he got up and moved past Richie and started to walk away but then
turned to his longtime friend. Looked Richie in the eye and said.
“Yeah, and that’s something else you are going
to tell her over your pillow talk aren’t you. The shared girls and shit.
Thought what happens in Jovi stays in Jovi. Guess you need to think on that
too.”
Richie slumped back
into his chair.
“Fuck.”
Richie began to
doze off. Richie woke with a start. He looked around the plane. Everyone
onboard was either in a poker game, conversation or sleeping. He got up walked
down the aisle to the galley.
“Hey beautiful, got any coffee left?” He asked
Vikki.
She turned to him
with a smile. Vikki had been working for Bon Jovi for years it is not a come on
smile but a friendly smile in a sister sort of way. Jon was not budging on this
one about them screwing around with certain people on staff and Vikki was one
of the first he listed as hands off.
“Sure, just
finished a fresh pot and was going to take it out. Let me get you a mug.” She
poured the coffee and fix it the way Richie liked it.
“Thanks.”
“No problem Hon.”
she replied. She thought He looked okay.
Maybe he needed sleep.
Richie moved back
along the aisle to where T was sitting alone reading a paper. He sat next to
his friend.
“Need to talk T,
need some advice. Got a minute or six?”
“Sure Richie.” T
said as he folded the paper and put it aside. Richie poured everything out to T
and ended with, “I just don’t know where to start and stop man. I have not had
this kind of relationship in a really long time. She’s NOT a party girl.”
“That is your first point. Rich She’s not a
party girl. You my friend have not stopped the party since 1985.”
Richie looked sideways at T. He nodded his
assent.
“You have to be honest here. If you want this
to work you have to be Honest. Tell her as much as you think she can take then
further down the road another pillow talk could be more on it. Revisit the
conversation as often as you think you need to until the story is all told.
Just remember my friend…”
The men look at
each other and say at the same time.
“What happens in Jovi stays in Jovi”
“Yeah, yeah, I know
T, I know.”
Richie got up and moved back to his seat in
the back closed his eyes and ended up dreaming of the old days.
