Chapter 47

Lexie stretched and moved Jon's arm, they had made love and the second go around Jon had fallen asleep and was snoring gently beside her, Glancing at the clock she was wide awake and it was almost 2am. Slipping as quietly as she could off the bed she headed to the bathroom.

“Lex” the sleep rumpled voice called from under the covers. “Come back to bed”

“I will in a minute” She waited until she was sure he was back to sleep. Pulling on her pajamas she left the room The night light laminated the hallway and stairs. Quietly going downstairs she fired up her laptop and settled in the sofa to work on edits. Yawning she had gone over two chapters when she decided a cup of hot chocolate would be needed. Uncurling her legs she set the laptop on the coffee table and went into the kitchen. Waiting on the milk to heat she looked out the kitchen window as a car turning into the drive.

Well well well little girl I think you just broke curfew.

Jon had met Mark at the door, they walked into the family room with Mark.

“So you two are going to a lake party.” Jon motioned Mark to sit down,

“Yes sir, a group of the local kids go down once a week. We cook out and have a bonfire, we have some tubes.” Mark sat looking at Jon, you could see the wheels in his head turning,

“I'll go check on Steph.” Lexie went upstairs level the testosterone laden room.

She went up and knocked on the door.

“Steph, Marks downstairs with your dad.” She opened the door when Steph said come in, “I'd get down there as soon as possible.” She laughed.

“I'm just about ready.” She stood looking in the mirror, she had her bathing suit topped with bootie shorts and a mans shirt.

“You might want to take a jacket, it might get cold.” She sat down on the end of the bed.

“Mark said they would light a bonfire.” She grabbed her bag and started out the door but turned and grabbed her soul sweat jacket as an after thought.

“I think I hear Steph.” Jon said.

In the noise of them leaving Jon told Mark “Have her home by midnight.”

Lexie looked at the clock it was now after two. It was a good thing Jon was asleep. Making her hot chocolate she went into the family room and started reviewing what she had done.

The door opened and Stephanie came in and started upstairs.

“You have fun?” Lexie asked her as she went up the first stair.

“Oh my God, you scared the shit out of me.” She spun around. “Why are you up?”

“Re writes and your dad snoring.” She laughed. “You didn't answer did you have fun?”

Stephanie moved over to the sofa, Lexie could smell a subtle under scents of tobacco and beer along with wood smoke from the bonfire.

“I guess, we cooked hot dogs and had marshmallows, tubed and just sat around the campfire. Mark was the hit of the party because he brought me.” she sat down in one of the club chairs by the sofa and curled her feet under her.

“Hit of the party hum.” Lexie sipped her hot chocolate.

“Yeah, they like that Jon Bon Jovi's daughter was at the party. Want to know when they can come party with the rock stars daughter.” Steph played with the strings on the hem of her shorts.

“So you made some friends.” She put her cup down,

“I guess.” Steph looked up. “Are you gonna tell daddy I broke curfew?”

Lexie chuckled a little

“Broke, honey you shattered the curfew.” She finished her cocoa and got up to take the cup to the sink and rinsed it out,

“okay I know Daddy said midnight, but we were having so much fun and well I didn't check my phone until it was around one thirty, we left as soon as I saw the time. We really did.” she added when she saw Lexie roll her eyes.

“It's not my place to tell your dad,” She came back in to the family room and sat down. “I'm not here to be your mother, I just want us to be friends. But I want an honest answer, why did you rush to get me up here, after what went on before you all left.”

It was really quiet, you could hear the creaks and cracks of the house settling.

“Steph, if you can't be honest with me, I don't like being bull shitted. Before you all left I was person non gratis.” Lexie looked her dead in the eye. When she didn't say anything Lexie started leaving the room. “I wont tell you dad about this, I'll stay the week, but I think if we can't be honest with each other, I'll head home Sunday.” She left the girl sitting there with a lot to think on.

Quietly she slipped back in the bed, Jon rolled over and pulled her back in his arms. Giving her a sloppy sleep laden kiss, he moaned. “I'm so glad you're here” as he drifted back to sleep. Lexie sighed and counted the ceiling fans reps willing her mind to shut down. It was hard to get out of her mind that Stephanie just sat there and didn't answer the question. She had only five days to give her a reason to stay. She fell asleep finally as the sun crested the mountain.

Jesse came down and noticed his brothers were up and in the kitchen alone. Romeo was putting Snowballs food in her bowl and Jake was getting the cereal boxes out and there was a stack of paper bowls on the table.

“Morning Jess, you want captain crunch or special k?” He sat the boxes down next to the stack of paper bowls.

“Special K” Jesse told him as he got out the fruit bowl and the jug of milk.

Jon came down and looked around the family room, Lexie laptop was flashing and evidence she had been down at some time after they had made love twice. He noticed when he woke up she was dressed in her pajamas and hard to wake up. He gave up and moved to the bathroom to take care of his morning erection.

“Any cereal left?” Jon joined the boys at the bar.

“Lexie still asleep?” Jesse asked.

“Yeah, she must have come down last night and worked on her book. She's sort of like me coming off the road when she is working on a deadline.” He grabbed the Special K and added some berries.

“I saw her laptop was still on.” Jesse added more cereal to soak up the left over milk in his bowl.

“Steph must have had fun, she's still in bed.” Jesse mentioned around a spoon of cereal.

“You know I sort of liked that Mark guy. He's not like the guys she dated at Polly.” Jon tossed out for comment.

“You can't be serious dad, he's a user.” Jesse got up and tossed the used bowl in the trash and wiped off where he was sitting with a damp paper towel. “He and Sally used to date, I sort of asked her about him,”

“So Sally knows about Mark? She seems to be a good judge of character. She tell you anything I should know?” Jon got up and started a pot of coffee sludge.

“I tried to tell Steph, but she said he wasn't like that to her.” Jesse leaned on the counter.

“So I better not invite Sally and Mark to dinner together.” Jon made a mental list of things he wanted to take to Lexie about.

“I don't know if she would show up if she knew he was invited, and I sure as hel,” he caught himself “Heck wouldn't now tell her or him. He's so slick he might show up.”

Jesse looked up as Stephanie came into the kitchen.

“Morning Princess, it's catch as catch can for breakfast, Lexie's still asleep. She must have gotten up last night and tried to finish her edits.” Jon told her as he got up and made a cup of coffee.

“She is?” She accepted a kiss on the top of her head from her father

“Yeah, I don't know what time she came back upstairs. She has to turn her edits to her editor by Sunday. I know she wants to have next week time to relax.” He told her as she joined them at the table.

Stephanie didn't say anything. She finished her cereal and headed upstairs.

Lexie could smell coffee as she came down the stairs. Just then she passed Stephanie on the steps they looked at each other. Not saying anything she walked on past to the kitchen.

“Morning, or is it afternoon.” She yawned and went over and pour a cup. Just as the cup touched her lips Jon stopped her.

“I wouldn't if I were you.”

Lexie looked from the cup to Jon then sniffed,

“Oh my God,” She drew the cup away from her nose. “Who drinks this it's high octane?”

“Sorry Lex, that would be me. We'll pick up another coffee maker for some low test for you.” Jon pulled her into his arms taking the cup out of her hand.

“I need coffee now.” She took it back added water to it sniffed again an sipped. Making a face she shuddered. “If that doesn't wake me up nothing will.”

“What time did you head back to bed?” Jon asked.

Jesse came down dressed and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge

“Listen you two, I think I'm going to take Jake and Romey back to the park. That way they won't be little hellions tonight at dinner.” Jesse held his hand out for keys.

“In the bowl by the door.” Jon told him.

Jon held her in his arms while the brothers left.

“I don't like to see you this sleepy.” Jon told her as he rubbed her back.

“It's just a few more chapters and then faxing it to my editor. I'm going to work on it today so I can cook dinner tonight.” She mumbled into his shoulder.

“I can fire up the grill throw some steaks on and Steph can throw together a salad and Jesse can foil the potatoes to go on the grill. You work and get it done so you can rest.” He told her as she sipped his watered down high test coffee.

Stephanie came down and walked into the kitchen she stopped when she saw Lexie and her dad.

“Listen Steph honey can you toss a salad today for dinner tonight so Lex can do her edits? She needs to get them done so she can relax, she hardly slept last night.” He asked his daughter.

“I can do the salad Jon, It isn't hard to throw a salad together.” Lex moved out of Jon's arms. Looking at Steph she sighed. “I can do it after the edits if I get on them now.” She fixed another cup of watered down sludge. She moved past Stephanie and went into the family room shut down her laptop and taking up to the bedroom and closed the door.

Jon looked at Stephanie, “Steph, I forgot to ask, how was the party last night?” He fixed another cup of coffee.

“It was okay, we cooked hot dogs and Marshmallows, swam some.” She repeated what she told Lexie earlier, leaving out the make out session with Mark the real reason they were so late coming back. “The kids were cool, they wanted to know when I was going to have a party.”

Jon listened to Steph with half a ear, he was worried about Lexie, the chill he felt when she jumped on the idea of Steph helping with dinner,

“Party hum, well not this week. Lexie needs some quiet when she's working.” Jon sipped his coffee “We can do it next week before we leave.”

next week if you're still talking to me. You're gonna be pissed when Lexie leaves Sunday if I don't confess. Why did I have to let Mark talk me into the idea what Lexie would distract you. Because he's sex on two legs, that's why. I either tell tell Lexie or have you hate me.

“Daddy I'll make the salad for Lexie, I don't mind.” She got up and filled his cup with the remaining coffee.

“That's great Princess, she needs to get this done. Can you make Lexie a pot of coffee, but half as strong as mine. I think there's one of those hot pots around to put it in. I can take it up to her.” Jon got up and looked in the cabinet and pulled out a white coffee holder.

“Sure, maybe add some of those cookies she seemed to like yesterday.” She added sweetly.

“Thanks princess.” He kissed the top of her head. “I'm go check on what Uncle Mookie is up to in the studio and then check on Lexie. If you get it ready let me know, so I can take it up.”

“Sure thing daddy.” Steph rinsed out the pot let it drain.

Jon carried the tray up and eased the door open to the bedroom, the sun was streaming into the room. He found her sitting on the window seat, glasses perched on the end of her nose and fingers tapping away on the keyboard.

“Ready for a coffee break?” He asked softly so he didn't scare her.

“Oh the Gods have answered my prayers.” She sat the laptop onto the table she pulled over.

“So that was that whispered voice I heard in my ear.” He sat the tray on the dresser and poured her a cup and brought it to her. “I didn't want to distract you.”

“Oh Jon this isn't your high octane you drink.” She let the smell of the coffee letting it seep into her before taking a sip.

“Steph made it” he told her as he sat down on the other end of the window seat.

She didn't say anything at first, hoping Jon didn't notice.

“Listen Jon, I was thinking I might have to head back early.” She said over the brim of her coffee cup.

Jon was handing her a cookie and stopped short.

“Why, your editor putting the screws on.” Jon really didn't want her to go back. He was going to approach her into moving in when they got back to the real world.

Jumping on an excuse rather than tell him his daughter was playing in the deep end of the pool with no floaties. There was one thing she hated was liars and being used and Stephanie Rose Bongiovi was doing both.

“Yeah, he wants me to cut my vacation short and come into the city. He's talking about a talk show run with this new book, and you know the talk about making one of my books into a movie, this just might give it the boost it needs. The new Jim Patterson is going that way.” She hated not telling him the truth. But unless little miss Bongiovi can clean she had no other option.

That wasn't too much of a stress on the truth. He had wanting her to do a talk show with this new one. So she wasn't exactly lying to him.

“When do you think you'll be heading back?” Jon really hated the thought of her leaving her.

“Well if I don't hear anything by Saturday night I'll head back Sunday.” That was the deadline she had given Stephanie and by God she would stick to it.

“I'll let you get back to work, I got to go get the grill ready.” He leaned over and gave her a kiss.

“I'll be down in a few minutes to make the salad.” She put her glasses back on and picked up her laptop.

“Steph has the salad done when I came up with the coffee.” He told her.

Sighing she gave up this one fight.

She finished the last edit and shipped it off to her editor and carried the tray back down. Stephanie was sitting there at the table talking on her phone. Lexie made a loud enough to let Stephanie know someone was around.

“Either I tell her why or she's leaving on Sunday.” She told the person on the phone.

“So tell her, you wanted your dad happy.” Mark liked the fact that he was with Bon Jovi's daughter, Sally never brought him this much notoriety

“She was still up when I got in. She says she won't tell daddy, but if I don't tell her why I asked her to come up she's going to leave and I will have two people mad at me.” She sounded like she really cared.

“Hey Steph, thanks for the Coffee.” She said as she came down the stairs.

“Oh Shit that's Lexie, I hope she didn't hear me.” She told Mark.

“Blow her off she's replaceable to your dad.” Mark told her.

“Steph, can you bring out the steaks, Sally will be here in a little bit want to get them started.” He came in from the patio and caught some of the conversation. He saw Lexie standing in the doorways to the family room looking shocked,

oh hell can this get any worse Stephanie hung up on Mark.