Wednesday 4 November 2009

Epilogue

Sophia's heart did the same thing today when she saw Jon for the first time. He was attached to Richie's side so she hadn't spoken to him yet but he looked great in his suit. Her mind was all over the place as she watched Victoria and Richie get married at a beautiful ceremony and was amazed at how great they looked together. The whole ceremony was like something from a movie with Victoria the princess finally getting her prince in Richie. They were definitely perfect for each other. The happiness of the couple kept making her thoughts go back to Jon, no matter how hard she tried to push it from her mind. She couldn't help but run through different scenarios in her head over and over again and had no idea what she was going to say to him later when she finally gets the chance to speak with him. They spoke for the first time while they were doing the wedding photo's. It was nothing more than a hello but it had been easier than she expected it to be.


The day began to fly in. Before she knew it, Sophia was sitting at the dinner table listening to Jon's speech. It was exactly the kind of speech you wanted at a wedding - happy and touching with some laughs throughout. It was half way through the meal when Sophia started scanning the room to really take in the faces of the people sitting around her. She noticed one of the women she had been drinking with last night seemed to be making eyes at someone at the table so she glanced around and realised it was Jon. He was gazing back lovingly at the woman and then it hit her. This woman was engaged to be married to Jon. That must have been one of the crucial points of conversation from last night that she missed because of the music. She felt sick all of a sudden and wanted to run from the room but her feet remained rooted to the spot. She had promised her sister she wouldn't ruin her big day. It was as she glanced round again that she realised Richie had noticed her whole revelation and mouthed to her to see if she was okay. What the hell is this guy? He'll definitely be there for my sister, he's even there for me, she thought gladly. She nodded in return. She had to be okay, there was no other option.


The music started for the bride and groom to have their first dance. They looked beautiful and so happy together and it was soon to be her time to hit the floor with Jon. She inhaled a deep breath and took the hand he was offering. He still smelled so good and her heart still fluttered at the touch of her skin to his. They danced in silence until the very end of the first song and the next began. They were about to leave the dance floor when they realised it was Love and Hate Collide that was playing. "That's our song," Jon said and pulled her back for another dance. He spent what felt like hours apologising for the way he treated her when they were together. Sophia didn't know where this was going he had definitely looked like he was here with the woman from earlier yet he was asking for another dance and apologising. "So I hear your engaged?" Sophia asked as he finally finished speaking.
"Um..yeah. I'm back with Dot. She really likes you, said you's had a great night last night. I'm really glad," Jon said trying to keep the conversation short.
"Your back with her?" Sophia added.
"Well yeah," and the will to hold back his feelings for Dot had gone, this woman sent him mad, he just had to talk about her. "We dated in high school before I got too big for my boots and she had the sense to dump me. It was actually your fault. I would have never gone back with her if it hadn't been for you. Sophia the love you showed me made me myself again. You taught me not to let pride get in the way of love and you made me a better man through our relationship. I owe everything to you. My biggest regret is hurting you. I guess love and hate really doesn't work after all. Dot's exactly as I always remembered her. Doesn't take any shit from me and lets me get on with all the showbiz crap. She really is amazing," Jon told her, full of pride and excitement until he realised Sophia looked sad. "I'm so sorry, I just keep fucking up with you. You know I loved you right?" Sophia composed herself, "Yeah, I heard you wanted to lay me down in a bed of roses," she joked. Jon looked as though he flushed red. "Did you just blush? Oh my god, that must be a record," she smiled at her accomplishment.
"You'll find a good guy someday. Infact where the hells Gerard, he actually turned out to be a good guy," Jon said turning serious after his flushing.
"It's taken us to break up and more than a year for you to finally admit he's a good guy? Jon, I really don't get you sometimes," she joked before asking the dreaded question, "So when's the wedding then?"
Jon looked as though he was calculating it all up. "Not sure yet, got the house to move into first, just bought it, a nice place back home in Jersey believe it or not. Jersey is home again after all these years." That was all she needed to hear. If the way he spoke about her wasn't enough to prove he was nuts about this Dot, his commitment of the engagement and new house definitely showed it. There was no way she was going to try and win him back now, she would only lose. He could see he had more love for this woman through one conversation than he had for her the entire time they were together. The dance ended and Sophia whispered in his ear, "I'm really happy for you both," she kissed his cheek and thanked him for the dance then watched him walk back to Dot. Goodbye Jon, she thought to herself.


Sophia felt strangely relieved after her conversation with Jon. Seeing that he had moved on seemed to have helped the situation. She went out to the empty back porch to call Rachel and update her or what happened. To her surprise Rachel was shocked at the events of the night and demanded that Sophia go back inside and fight for her man. "The best woman's already won, she's as mad about him as he is about her. It's in their eyes, the way they talk, you never saw the way they looked at each other, he's never looked at me that way before. She's a tough chick that can separate the man from the band and keep him grounded, I think they might be perfect for each other. I think he's with the right woman, I can see them dancing right now and they just fit together." Rachel finished their conversation, "I can't believe you were drinking with the enemy, you were supposed to steal him back not become drinking partners!" She said goodbye and hung up the phone. Although she was relieved to have seen Jon move on she still felt sad. It was 100% over this time for both of them. She continued to watch Jon and Dot dance until she heard a voice behind her.
"So the lady needs a dance partner, can I be of service tonight?" Sophia jumped up to hug him. "What the hell are you doing here? Your supposed to be working!"
Gerard shrugged, "Heard there was a damsel in distress at this party. Or was it damsels that need de-stressing? I'm more than willing to help relax some lovely ladies, you know me." Sophia elbowed him in the stomach before they both started laughing. "Your too good to me Gerard." They stood together watching Jon and Dot dance. "So what do you think?" Gerard asked.
"I think I might actually be over him, apart from the butterflies when I touch him," she said sounding surprised. "The butterflies never go away," Gerard insisted.
"Where's my prince, Gerard?" she asked. "Who knows? They could be right infront of us and we just can't see them yet," he offered as an explanation. "Fancy a walk?" Sophia asked. Placing her hand in his they made their way into the gardens. "So your into prince's then Gerard?" Sophia teased. "What?" he asked. "Well you said they could be infront of us, means you want one too," she joked. "Oh, Soph you crack me up, I'm definitely a ladies man. Just incase you missed all the action in our house I'll repeat that, a ladies man," he playfully pretended to throw her into the nearest plant and pulled her back and kissed her forehead as they continued hand in hand through the garden.

Chapter 34

14 Months Later


Sophia and Rachel were decorating the living room of her apartment while Gerard was away filming. While they tackled the wallpaper scraping they listened to the radio and were singing along until Bon Jovi's Bed of Roses came on. Sophia stopped what she was doing and just listened to it for the first time in almost a year. She knew Jon had wrote it for her after they broke up, he even sent her a copy of it before it was released. She had to admit that if the song wasn't related to her she would probably have loved it. Recently she had been thinking of Jon a lot. She always wondered if she had forgiven him for that night if they could have moved on and started again. Sometimes she would catch herself daydreaming about their wedding and even had thoughts about starting a family with him. The future she had wanted and often dreamed about was gone now and it was all due to her own decision on that night.


The girls packed away the decorating tools for the night and tidied up the room. Rachel found an open letter on the floor beside one of the chairs and picked it up to find out what it was. "Now girl, you've got some explaining to do! I know the wedding was soon but two days till the hen night three till you come face to face with him again. You should have mentioned it, I forgot all about it. Now I know where your heads been the past couple of weeks," Rachel rambled on.
"Yeah, I know I just didn't want to cause a fuss or anything. I'm sure it will be fine. We're both adults, it's my sisters wedding. I'm sure we can make it through one dance together as best man and bridesmaid," Sophia insisted, wondering who it was she was trying to convince. She had already arranged her travel and where to stay, all that was left to do was the final dress fit on Friday with her sister on the morning of the hen night. She was looking forward to seeing her sister again and catching up on all the gossip shes missed about the wedding. She couldn't help but admit she was worried about seeing Jon for the first time since they broke up but she wasn't going to give Rachel that satisfaction of being right tonight.


Friday arrived quicker than Sophia had expected and before she could get out of bed her sister was already barging through the door hurrying her up. Despite her pushiness, Sophia knew Victoria was the happiest she had ever been. She just wanted her wedding to go perfectly. Sophia got dressed as quickly as she could and they arrived at the dress shop before the staff had opened it. The dresses were perfect and when she saw her sister come out in hers she felt herself well up - she was so beautiful in it, Richie was going to have a heart attack when he saw her. A flowing ivory gown with a bustier top embedded with tiny crystals. Sophia's own dress was also beautiful and flowing but nothing compared to Victoria's, the dress amazed Sophia. She could tell her sister wanted to mention Jon - to make sure she wouldn't cause a scene at her wedding but she never came out and said it so Sophia did it for her. "You don't need to worry about a thing tomorrow, it's one dance and I promise I will be on my best behaviour," she said as she leaned in to hug her sister. When they arrived back at the hotel, Sophia went to get ready before they had to call round everyone to make sure they would be here in the morning to do hair and make up and anything else that had to be sorted since her sister would be staying the night with her and Jon moved in to stay with Richie. As Sophia went up the stairs she thought she spotted Jon in a hallway and her heart skipped a couple of beats only to have the disappointment or relief that it wasn't him. She quickly went back to their room and called Rachel. She finally burst out all the things she had been feeling over the last couple of weeks and they came to the conclusion that she might still be in love with him. They devised a plan that involved her taking Jon aside tomorrow night after the wedding. Sophia felt Rachel was going along with the plan just to please her as she sensed she wasn't happy about the idea of them getting back together. She closed her mind to the thoughts as she went to help her sister get ready for tonight.


They arrived at the venue after a wild limo drive that involved lots of champagne. The room really busy as they made their way to the tables reserved for them. As she sat down Sophia realised she hardly knew anyone in the room other than her own family members and a few of Victoria's close friends. She began introducing herself and tried to get to know some of them before the wedding. The names kept coming and eventually she felt she knew less names than she did before with all the confusion and trying to learn them so fast she forgot the lot. She eventually sat down in between two women that were here from Richie's side. She thought she heard them say one was a cousin of his and the other a friend who knew the whole band since years ago, it was hard to tell over the music. She began to loosen up around the two women, they were a good laugh, exactly her kind of people. They kept Sophia entertained all night. They somehow ended up escaping to the bar leaving the other guests at the table while they enjoyed some sneaky drinks. It turned out both women had recently got engaged, one had been for the last two months and the other had just been asked the week before but was keeping it quiet so not to overshadow Victoria's big day. As the talk got more love centred, Sophia made her way back to the main party for the remainder of the night. As they were leaving one of the women she had been drinking with at the bar caught her attention, "I didn't realise you were Victoria's sister, it's really nice to have finally met you. I'll see you tomorrow no doubt and tell your sister to relax, Richie sure ain't going anywhere!" Sophia said goodnight back to the woman and went to take her sister back to the hotel.

Chapter 33

Richie and Gerard exchanged another concerned look. Jon hadn't uttered a word for the last 30 minutes and they were getting worried. Richie had been trying to get him to tell them what had happened but he still sat there, head in his hands. Gerard nudged Richie out the way and planted a firm hand on Jon's shoulder yanking him up. "Would you just get over yourself and tell us what the fuck you did to her!" His voice was fierce and threatening.
"She's really upset. I...I have to find her," he said as he stood up. "But where is she? Where would she go?" Oh, I really fucked up big this time." Gerard sighed, trying to keep calm, "So what happened then?" Jon found his voice again, "I saw you with the brunette earlier, I thought it was Sophia and I lost the plot. I took some girl up to the room and she came in while we were in bed. She looked so heart broken, the hurt in her eyes was so visible and then she ran off." Jon could hear Gerard trying to keep his voice calm, he could tell he wanted to take his head off but his priority was finding Sophia. "We've got to find her," Jon said and they all nodded in agreement. "I've got an idea where she might be," Gerard said and motioned for them to follow him.


The three of them jumped into Gerard's car outside the hotel. Richie jumped in the drivers seat since he was the only sober one amongst them. They followed Gerard's directions as he told them she might be at an outdoor ice rink that was famous in this town. Richie and Jon were sceptical that they would find her here but Gerard was determined. He told them about the stories she would tell of her family at the local ice rink near their home every Christmas. He said that she used to go there when she was feeling down because it would always cheer her up. Jon couldn't think of any time she told him this story but Gerard assured him she had, he even remembered that Jon's story about the ice rink was when he broke into one in New York. "How do you remember all this stuff?" Jon asked, sounding impressed. Gerard shrugged, "Just do."


They pulled up at the side of the road near the ice rink and they spotted her sitting alone on a bench. Jon made to get out of the car and when no-one followed he asked, "You coming?" Gerard and Richie both shook their heads. "This is your funeral bud, I'm not going down with the ricochet bullet," Richie half joked.
"I'm sorry I was such a dick, Gerard. Your actually quite a good guy," Jon said as he left to speak with Sophia. He didn't know what to say to her so walked slowly and sat down on the bench beside her. "I'm so sorry Sophia," he blurted. "I saw Gerard in the bar all over some girl that looked like you and got the wrong idea and acted like a total jerk. I don't know why I did it, it just hurt seeing you with another guy. I know now that it wasn't you and I'm unbelievably sorry. Could you ever forgive me? I really don't want to lose you! I love you too much for that!" Sophia sighed before she spoke in a cold, harsh tone. "You know what hurts the most Jon. Knowing you thought I was capable of cheating. You were expecting it. I stood outside that bedroom door and I knew exactly what was going on inside it but I had to look Jon. I just had to look incase I had made some kind of mistake and that wasn't you in there with her. All it took for you to call me the guilty party was seeing some girl from the back, you never even seen her face. I knew what your lifestyle was like when I chose to date you, I knew what all the flirting was like, the long hours you spend dealing with business, the fans throwing themselves at you. I even quit my job and almost lost a friend just to please you and even forgave you for humiliating me on live t.v. but this is just too much Jon. I can't handle it, it's killing me. Everything I gave up for you and you go and fuck the nearest slut around just cause your feeling hurt. You could have came to me. I've booked a flight home for tomorrow morning so this is goodbye. I've had some wonderful times with you Jon, but I can't handle it anymore," she finished her part and the seconds they sat in silence felt like hours. Sophia stood up and her voice began to crack, "I love you with my whole heart Jon Bongiovi. Goodbye." She kissed him on the cheek and walked away, the tears flowing once more.


Jon stayed on the bench. He couldn't focus, he wanted to run after her, to change her mind, to prove her could change but his legs or lips couldn't seem to follow the command. He was frozen to the spot. Forced to believe this relationship was over. His eyes welled up and the stream began to flow. He sat on the bench until dawn, a broken man. Richie or Gerard never came for him, they left him to take it all in. No-one disturbed him as people began to pass on their way to work or with their dogs, he was alone despite all the people around him.

Chapter 32

Sophia woke up the next morning with her phone ringing. She heard Jon moan as she slid out of bed to answer the call. It was Gerard, he had heard she was in Town and wanted to come down and see her since he was passing through. It was just what Sophia needed to see a friendly face and she wasn't too convinced that he had been passing through today. It seemed a little more than coincidence that the day he chooses to visit is the day after Jon hits newspapers for kissing a woman other than his girlfriend but she gave him the benefit of the doubt. If he was lying she'd know when she see's him and put him straight. They arranged to meet in the hotel for dinner at 5pm. That would give both of them time to get things sorted beforehand and enjoy the rest of the night catching up. She said goodbye and hung up the phone before deciding to get ready instead of going back to bed. Gerard's call had brightened up the start of her day so she wasn't willing to ruin it so fast by waking Jon up to tell him about it. She left a note and went shopping instead.


Jon woke up late, his head pounding in the aftermath of last nights drinking. The last thing he wanted to hear was Sophia's news of dinner with Gerard. As if the hangover wasn't bad enough he would need to spend the day pretending to like this guy. As dinnertime approached they both got dressed and headed down to meet Gerard. Sophia decided on her little red dress with a low cut back while Jon threw on a pair of jeans and a blue shirt. As Jon expected, Gerard was already at the table as they arrived and greeted them with an over-enthusiastic welcome. Jon's attention wandered as Sophia and Gerard recapped on what they had been up to over the past few months. It wasn't as bad an experience as he had anticipated, but certainly wasn't a bundle of laughs. As soon as dinner was over he excused himself to sit with some of the crew in the bar. He wasn't best pleased with leaving Sophia alone with Gerard but he couldn't stand his company any longer. Two hours and a good few drinks later, Jon noticed Gerard at the other side of the bar. He angled himself so he could get a better view as he looked for Sophia but didn't like what he saw. Just as he had found a clear view he saw Gerard with his lips locked on Sophia's, his hands tracing down her almost bare back that was revealed by the dress. Jon was in shock, although he had suspected it, he never thought they would be this careless. Was she getting back at me? He didn't know but was more than willing to take it out on the pretty young blond already drooling over him. Without a word he took her by the hand and led her out of the bar.


Sophia headed back to the hotel room, she had spent half the night looking for Jon since Gerard had found himself some new entertainment while they were catching up and didn't want to get in the way. She thought he would be in the bar with the rest of the guys but by time she arrived he had left. She even stopped by Richie and Tico's rooms to find out if they had seen him but no-one knew where he was. Running out of ideas she decided to head back to her room to see if Jon's hangover had gotten the better of him and had gone to bed. She quietly slid the door open so she wouldn't wake him. Once inside she could hear noise coming from the bedroom and then noticed two glasses of wine and a trail of clothing leading to a closed door. She knew exactly what was happening but something drove her forward as if she wouldn't truly believe it until she could witness it with her own eyes. She pushed the door open, disturbing the couple and stood there frozen. The voice that spoke didn't sound like her own, it was further away and weak, "Jon?" the distant word that seemed to clear the mist in her mind. "Just for the fans, eh Jon?" The realisation hit her and she whirled on her feet, running for the door, the tears pouring down her face. Her mascara creating dark tracks where the tears had flowed.


Jon couldn't believe how badly Sophia had taken it, "What was she expecting after messing around with him? Yes honey, we can have him round at weekends as your little fuck buddy and I'll wait quietly for my turn?" He was on so much of a rant pacing through the hotel room that the girl he had just taken to bed had gathered her things and slid out the door without him noticing. He poured himself another drink and calmed down enough to stop ranting. He decided the best option was to sit at the bar and get drunk. Richie eventually took the seat beside Jon and ordered up a coke. "What's up with your face?" he asked Jon after realising he was in a mood. Jon just shrugged his shoulders and stared into his glass again. He only took notice when he heard Richie greet Gerard who had just came through the door. "Hey! Where's that little brunette with the red dress gone that I saw you with earlier? She was a real hot..." Jon stood up, "What the fuck are you playing at? You think you can just have her? She was mine!" Gerard was taken by surprise and his expression of confusion almost mirrored Richie's before his turned to anger.
"I don't know what your problem is mate, but take it out on someone else. And could you stop calling Sophia yours, that girl doesn't belong to anyone, you just treat her like a possession, so don't start on me," Gerard roared in his Scottish accent.
"What did you say?" Jon turned to Richie as Gerard finished speaking. His eyes were wide in horror as he seemed to think Richie had told him something and he completely ignored Gerard. Richie and Gerard exchanged a concerned glance. "Jon it was Gerard who spoke just there, you feeling okay?" Richie asked.
"He's lost his marbles!" Gerard said as Jon continued to stare wide eyed at Richie.
"Before him, about him. The girl in the red dress. Who was she?" Jon rushed his words.
"Some chick Gerard picked up in the bar," Richie answered. "The same dress as Sophia's? Red and backless?" Jon urged. Richie looked at Gerard for the answer. "Yeah, that's how we got talking, Sophia spoke to her first about the dress, why?" Gerard still looked confused. Jon looked like he had been hit by a bus. He sank back into his chair and put his head in his hands. "Richie, I've fucked up, big time," he barely whispered, his voice cracking.

Chapter 31

The silence that fell on the room made Sophia feel sick. The realisation of what Jon had just done seemed to have hit the rest of the viewers in the bar and Sophia felt like all eyes were on her. She was only vaguely aware that she was moving as Richie guided her our of the bar and up to his room. She sat on one of the chairs in silence and could hear Richie on the phone to Jon, "You've got a lot of explaining to do bud. You've really fucked up so hurry your ass back here." He sat down opposite Sophia and asked if she was okay. "Yeah, I think so. I was just taken by surprise. Wasn't really expecting that to happen," she mumbled. "Did he really do that for fans or was there something else to it? I'm a little confused here Richie. He wanted me here to keep an eye on me but he's allowed to go kissing whoever he wants on t.v. as long as it's for the fans sake." Richie shuffled in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. "Yeah, that's not fair but I don't think he did it to hurt you. You know Jon, a real crowd pleaser. Sometimes doesn't realise there are limits."


Jon knocked on Richie's door feeling nervous. He hadn't realised Sophia would have taken the kiss so badly. It was only a bit of entertainment, the kind of things the fans love to see. Hell, that's why he was on the show to get them noticed and get some publicity. Although he didn't realise it may have backfired on him when swarms of journalists outside the studio were branding him a cheat and coming up with all sorts of stories of how he had broken up with Sophia. The newspapers would definitely make an interesting read tomorrow. Richie let Jon in but he barely acknowledged his presence as he rushed towards Sophia. He heard the door click as Richie slid outside. "I'm so sorry babe. I thought it would be fun for the fans. I never considered you'd be mad," he said as he threw his arms around her. "You really think this is about me being mad now? I can't believe you never considered how I would feel! Do you know how stupid you've made me look! 'Hey, look theres that girl that lets her boyfriend run around with other women.' Great Jon, thanks for that," she shrugged out of his embrace. Jon continued to apologise until Sophia began to calm down. "You know I've got to sell the idea of the band, everything I do is for us, babe. I flirt with all the female interviewers, you know that. I know now that I went too far today and I promise I will never do that again. I love you, Sophia," he said and she melted to his charm and accepted.


They went back to their room to let Richie into his again and get ready for tonight's party. They had only a few days left here and were going to make the most of it before the next gig so they had arranged a big party for all the crew. Sophia wasn't really in the mood for a party but knew Jon had been looking forward to it and now that they had sorted things out she didn't see the harm in going. It would be the best time to show people they were still together after Jon's antics today. She hated the camera's but for one night only she was willing to put on a show for them and that required looking her best so as soon as she had dinner she started to get ready. Jon was patiently waiting as she applied the finishing touches to her make up and they made their way to the car hand in hand and smiling at the photographers waiting outside the hotel. Well, he certainly got the publicity he wanted, Sophia thought as she smiled her way through the experience.


Inside the club where the party was being held has an enthusiastic atmosphere. Everyone was looking for a good night tonight and even Jon himself was eager to let his hair down. He found them seats in beside Richie and some of the crew before going to get some drinks in for them. He didn't know if it was his imagination but he felt as though Sophia was watching him suspiciously all night, especially when he began chatting to two beautiful girls at the bar while he waited on the drinks. He decided he would ignore it for now, tonight was going to be enjoyable, no matter who wanted to ruin it.

Chapter 30

Two months had passed since Sophia had joined the band on tour and it had been a great two months. She saw her sister regularly and got to learn how the tour went from one place to the next. Jon watched her everytime someone explained a part of the tour process to her. She was so interested and always wanted to help out rather than watch. He loved the expressions she made when she was busy and loved how well she got on with the rest of the band. "Alright bud, hows it going?" Richie asked as he joined Jon.
"It's great, shes great, we're great. I'm having the best tour of my life right now," Jon beamed.
"Yeah that's a great girl you got there, not many as independant as her would give up their job to keep you happy," Richie stated.
"The woman does more work around here than half the crew," Jon chuckled, "Yeah shes one of a kind. Still can't believe she's mine."
"I know how you feel. We're two lucky sons of bitches. I'm going to ask Victoria to marry me," Richie grinned. Jon looked surprised, "Really? Well good luck bud, that's great news! When you gonna do it?" Richie thought for a moment, "I'm not sure yet. I'm gonna ask Sophia her opinion on some rings first, need to have it perfect. The ring, the time, the place. I'm gonna get it all sorted." Jon patted him on the back. "Couldn't be happier for you bud!"


Sophia was sitting by the window of the hotels main entrance when she noticed Richie approach. "What you doing out here on your own?" He asked as he sat down beside her.
"I'm scribling. Tico's fault. He said it's a great hobby so thought I'd give it a go," she explained.
"You really bored enough to take Tico's advice?" Richie joked.
Sophia elbowed him. "Be nice. Not bored just Jon's got a lot on his plate with all that business stuff think it's best to get out his way. Don't want to annoy the rest of you's by being a pain in the ass everytime Jon's unavailable."
"You can be a pain in our asses any day girl, your one of us now," Richie reassured her. He started shuffling in his chair and Sophia new exactly what was coming. "Sophia, would you mind...well, I was just wondering...well actually I need your help..." Sophia giggled before saying, "You want the white gold one with the one fancy diamond." Richie looked stunned. "What? How do you? I'm lost." Sophia laughed again. "I've got a lot of time on my hands and I noticed exactly what you were up to. You narrowed it down to three and I agree with they three. The yellow gold with the multiple diamonds, the yellow gold with the giant diamond and the white gold with the one diamond. She'd go for the white gold because she likes to be different but the one diamond because she doesn't like things over the top. But you already knew that, that's why it's circled in your magazine. It's perfect." Richie looked at the floor for a minute, "I'm amazed. You didn't tell her did you? I knida wanted it to be a surprise." Sophia shook her head, "No way. I can't wait for you to ask her. You two were made for each other." Richie beamed as he got up to start planning his moment and thanked Sophia for her help.


Jon got dressed for his interview he would be doing later in the day and decided to head down to the hotel bar where the other guys were going to watch some football. He was feeling refreshed today after a good nights sleep and had some good business news so he joyfully jumped into the seat next to Richie. "Who the hells that guy?" Tico nodded in Jon's direction and asked Dave. "Appears to be some overly happy fucker I've never met before, Tico," Dave replied. All three of them exchanged surprised glances before shrugging their shoulders and ordering up a round of drinks and a cola for Richie. The guys updated him on the game so far and they made the most of Jon's good mood. It was unusual for Jon to drink during the day, especially before an interview but he felt like kicking back and relaxing since the interview was the only thing he had left to do today. He got word that his car had arrived to take him to the studio. Just as he went to leave he met Sophia coming into the bar and planted a huge kiss on her which made her blush and shouted goodbye to everyone.


"Where's he off to in such a good mood?" Sophia asked as she jumped into the seat Jon had previously occupied. "Off to an interview, we're gonna watch it in here since it's apparently live," Richie informed her before asking the bar man to change the channel. They didn't have to wait long before the show started and along came Jon's appearance. He was only there to plug the tour and the new single but he was going all out today. He was joking around with the interviewer and having more fun than he normally did during these things. Sophia could tell he had been drinking but it wasn't obvious enough for others to notice. The four of them were cheering Jon on, his mood being infectious today. Then came the part Sophia hadn't been expecting no matter how much Jon had to drink. The interviewer mentioned how much of a fan the weather girl was and asked him if he would give her a birthday kiss. Jon obliged and instead of giving the woman a polite kiss he went in full on. Sophia could hear Dave and Tico cheer Jon on but she couldn't focus on anything for the shock of what she had just witnessed on live t.v. It had took her a couple of minutes to realise that her hand was in Richie's and he was speaking, "You know he didn't mean that right? He wouldn't do anything to hurt you. That was clearly just for publicity," She knew Richie was just trying to defend his friend but in that moment she didn't believe a word he said.

Chapter 29

Jon was pacing up and down the hallway after the show. Richie had told Dave and Tico to take the first car and Jon and him would take the second. Just like Richie to offer up our ride when I want out of here, Jon thought.
"Hey Jon, the car's here for us," Richie shouted from the back entrance to the stadium. About time too, Jon thought as he made his way out of the building. Once they were inside the car, Jon noticed Richie was behaving oddly. He hardly spoke a word but sat there grinning like an idiot. "Hey, you've gone the wrong way driver," Jon raised his voice as he realised they had just passed their hotel. "It's cool Jon, he knows where to go," Richie grinned.
"You lost your marbles, Richie? We've just passed the hotel," Jon said, his tone between confusion and worry.
"No hotel for you tonight bud. Nope, no hotel where your going," Richie replied, trying his best not to let him know where they were going or even more so, who he was about to see. He decided on not speaking for the rest of the journey and just ignored Jon's complaints. The car finally stopped at the end of the harbour. "This is your stop bud," Richie beamed. "Best not keep the lady waiting."


Sophia heard the car pull up outside the boat and gave herself one last check in the mirror before she made her way out to meet him. She couldn't believe how nervous she felt and she had only been away from him for a couple of days. She watched from the shadows as Jon started chasing after the car that was leaving and suppressed a giggle. She waited just a few more moments before stepping out into the lights of the silent harbour. "You look a little lost there honey, anything I can do for you?" She for some reason decided to speak in a British accent. She was sure Jon was about to shout at her before he turned and realised it was her who had spoken. "Sophia?" he asked, his mouth wide but his eyes wider. She moved towards him in a sexy strut, a confidence she had gained by wearing this revealing dress that Gerard convinced her would work for their reunion. She planted her lips on his in a passionate embrace, pulling away only to say "who else?" this time in her own accent. She pulled on his shirt collar as she led him into the boat and away from the prying eyes of the supposedly sleeping occupants on the neighbouring boats. She wasn't entirely sure if Jon was okay with her being here but she knew he was already caught up in the moment, the rest could wait until morning.


Jon's eyes almost vacated his head when he realised he was looking at Sophia, standing infront of him wearing a dress that was barely there. She looked so good in it, her curves accentuated in all the right places. All he wanted to do was rip off the remainder of the dress and claim her body as his own. He could feel his heart begin to race even before she kissed him. As she led him by the shirt onto the boat the questions came flooding to him, why was she here? Is she staying? She doesn't want to know why I was such a dick on the phone? If she's leaving me, it's a funny way to do it. But the questions disappeared as he witnessed the rose petals spread out on the floor and the dinner table already set out and waiting for them. Confusion hit first as she pulled him past the table and followed more petals. Then with a wide eyed expression and a grin he realised he wasn't getting any dinner tonight. Sophia clearly wasn't hungry, well not for food it was clear to see. She was leading him straight to the bedroom. She opened the door to reveal a bed covered in rose petals, the smell filling the air as she let go of his shirt and lay on the bed. Her eyes tracing every inch of his body as she waited for him to come to her. He threw off his shirt and kicked off his shoes as he wrapped himself around her on the bed. He was about to speak when he felt her warm touch to his lips. "Shh. Not tonight Jon," she said before replacing her finger with her lips on his.


Morning came too soon for Sophia. She knew there would be things to talk about but she wasn't going to start the topic. Last night was too perfect to be ruined so soon. She could feel Jon watching her before she opened her eyes, how long had he been staring at me while I slept? She finally opened her eyes, unable to hold off the morning any longer. Jon looked wide awake and wished her good morning with a deep lingering kiss. She could tell there was something on his mind and knew exactly what it was. "Room for one more on this tour?" she asked him with a hopeful expression. The smile, that very smile she loved appeared and that was answer enough for her. He followed by kissing her passionately. His hands reached out to pick up a bundle of petals as he removed the covers to reveal their naked bodies intertwined and let the petals fall on her. She could feel her heart begin to race as his hands reached for her breasts, caressing them with a tenderness she never knew he was capable of. She welcomed his touch, talk was just going to have to wait.