chapter 48

Jon motioned for Lexie to go out with him. He took the steaks that were waiting for the grill. Lexie carried out two glasses of wine and watched the barbecue master at work.

“Did I hear what I thought I heard?” He asked as he put the steaks on. Jesse had foiled the potatoes when he brought Jake and Romeo back from the park.

“Depends on what you heard.” She said as she sat and sipped her wine.

“My daughter is playing us. You know something I don't and you aren't telling me.” He sipped his wine and gave her a look.

“I told her I wouldn't and that I don't like being played.” She told him.

“Okay, I'll accept you promised, but being played? Can you explain that one to me without telling me what you promised not to tell.” He went over and sat at the table with her. Reaching out he took her hand.

“Jon, you have to see, you were only here two days and she calls me to come up.” She laced her fingers with his. “That kind of hate doesn't go away in two days.”

“Well we talked for two days, she knows she can't go to her mom's, that escape route has been permanently closed.” He told her. “I have to tell you, I was shocked she had you come up here so soon. I'm glad she did, I really missed you, it wasn't the same without you here.” He smiled.

“Jon, that kind of hate does not go away in two days. She has an agenda and I put my foot down I told her if she doesn't come clean I am leaving Sunday.” She waited for him to blow his gasket. She knew he was famous for his Sicilian temper.

“Sunday, no that can't happen.” he told her.

“It's up to her Jon, I will not back down.” She told him. “This has all been her show all along.”

“You think she has a little help with this?” he asked her getting up to flip the steaks.

“Oh I know she has.” She laughed as she told him.

“Jess warmed me, he said Sally told him some things. I guess I got played too, he had me snowed.” Jon dropped his head a little. “He seemed so different from the boys she dated at Polly Prep.”

“Well she has til Sunday and if she doesn't come clean I will be gone Jon. Snow and I will be back in the city when you get back.” She gave his hand a squeeze and motioned to the steaks. “You don't like well done.”

Jon jumped up for the steaks Lexie went back in and got the plates out and started setting the table,

Jesse had gone to pick up Sally, Lexie liked her right away. She seemed more excited to be having dinner with Lexie than sitting at the table with Jon Bon Jovi.

They were sitting around the patio out back, Jon had gone up to check on the boys in while Lexie and Sally talked.

“So Sally, tell me about Mark.” They were sitting in the swing with a glass of wine in their hands and talking quietly.

“We dated and I wasn't out of the city he had moved on. Everyone told me to watch him when we started dating, I wasn't listening to them. He's a user and a player.” She sipped her wine. “I told Jesse that he should watch him with his sister.”

“Oh, I think Jon and Jesse will be keeping a better eye on her.” She swung in silence a little. “So you know I am happy we got this time after all these years of talking online.”

“I am too, When Mr Jon came in with Romeo I was like star struck but not like I was to meet you.” She laughed a little “I feel like I know you like a sister.”

“I feel the same way Sally.” She reached over and gave her a hug.

Jesse walked out and smiled. “Hey you two, if Sally and I are going to go out we better leave now.”

“So you and Jess are going out? Well well.” Lexie gave then the googly eye. She always thought Jesse acted older then he was.

“Yeah, there is a band playing that I want to see and I happen to know one of the band members.” Sally

laughed.

“Band hum, are they any good?” Jon asked as he came out of the house.

“Pretty good, the guitar player is pretty hot.” Sally informed him

“It's always about the guitar player.” Jon laughed and rolled his eyes.

“Why don't you two join us, we can get a table in the back.” Sally offered.

“Sounds like fun, you want to go Lex?” Jon asked

“Jon, who would watch the boys?” Lexie uncurled herself out of the swing.

“Why not ask Steph, Dad” Jesse asked then it hit him oh man I'm going on a double date with my dad.

“Let me see if she has plans.” Jon went back on looking for his daughter but stopped half way up the stairs oh man, I'm going on a double date with my son. Jon laughed as he went on up to Stephanie’s room. Raising his hand to knock her heard her talking to Mark.

“I can either tell my dad, we were late the other night or Lexie will go home.” She griped.

So that's it, she blew curfew and Lex caught her. Okay little girl we'll play this out, until Saturday night and then I put my size twelves down.

He knocked on the door.

“Steph, you got a minute?” He called from the other side of the door.

“It's my dad, hang on,” She walked over to the door and opened it. “Sure daddy what do you want?”

“I'm thinking about going down with Lexie, Jesse and Sally to listen to the band, I need you to listen out for your brothers.” he asked as he stood in the doorway.

“Sure daddy, can Mark come over while you all are out?” She asked.

“I really don't think that would be a good idea,” Jon started, but then after what he had just heard maybe keeping them close he could watch them better. “Maybe for a while, I want him gone at eleven,”

“Okay daddy, thanks.” She ran over and hugged her dad and went back to the call. “Think you might want to come over and help me watch my brothers?”

“Sure Babe, they have to go to bed sometime.” Mark was already making plans for little miss Bongiovi.

“Bad thing is you can only stay until eleven.” she told him.

“That’s doable Blue eyes.” He smiled eleven, midnight daddy and his woman will stay out later and I can sneak out.

“See you soon.” She said.

“Give me ten and I'll be there.” He hung up and grabbed his keys and left.

Stephanie came down to see her dad off.

“Not later than eleven Steph, keep it under control no other friends.” he helped Lexie with her jacket as they were walking out the door he turned “Don't forget to watch your brothers.” He laughed.

They were out the door about five minutes when Mark pulled in the drive.

“Parental unit gone, let the party begin.” Mark said as he walked in.

“Yeah he's gone, but no party, My little brothers are still here.” She told him as she noticed he had his cell open.

“Just two other couples, you want to be friends don't you?” Mark asked her.

“Well sure, we have one more week. But, He said no other people.” She told him.

“He's gone to hear that band at Banshee I can call Sam and tell him your dads in the audience and get him up on stage to sit in a set or two, then we'll be gone by the time he gets home. No harm to foul babe.” He still had his phone in his hand.

“Okay but everybody has to be gone by eleven I mean it I am not going to get in trouble over this.” She gave him the Bon Jovi stinkeye.

“I promise Babe.” He just smiled and she melted.

They got in as guest of Jesse and Sally and were given a table in the back. Jon ordered Jess and Sally sodas and him and Lexie the house wine. The band was setting up when they got there and Jon took the time to look around the bar. There was a nice size dance floor with a stage for the band. He remembered what it was like playing the small clubs.

“Bringing back memories?” Lexie whispered in his ear.

“Yeah, long lost memories.” He whispered back.

Jesse and Sally got up and went out on the dance floor. Lexie was tapping her foot to the music and bobbing her head. Jon hid his smile behind the rim of his wine glass. He wasn't surprised when a young man asked her to dance. When she turned to look at him. Jon told her to go dance. I knew this would happen, how do I tell her I don't dance. I can shake my ass on stage and strut like Jagger, but dancing was a non Jon activity.

As they walked back to the table, they were joined by a few of the band members. They had been told that he was here. Who let the cat out of the bag, I know it wasn't Sally, had to be Mark. Strike two apple dude.

“Man it's a honor to have you here tonight Mr Bon Jovi” the young man he would later know was Sam, not the hot guitar player.

“Sally told us about the band and we thought we'd come hear a little of your set.” Jon shook the man's hand, praying that he'd take the hint that they were here to hear them not him.

“Sally's a fan of the band.” The second young man had his arm around Sally.

“Only because I've known you since we were in diapers, Greg.” Sally laughed.

By the sparkle in her eye, Jon could tell that there was a little more to the relationship between Sally and Greg. Poor Jess, he doesn't stand a chance with Sally, she's got her heart set on a guitar player.

They talked a little then the band ran up to take the stage. They were pretty good, a little rough around the edges, sort of on the lines of a Maroon 5. Sally was right on one thing, the guitar player reminded him of a your Sambora, he just didn't the sex faces yet.

Jesse had Sally out of the dance floor, he know Lex wanted to dance. He prayed they would play a slow song. That way they could just hold each other and sway.

He was lucky the next song was a slow ballad and he looked over and Lexie and held out his hand to her. “Want to sway?” He gave her a sexy smile.

They just got up and stood in the corner by the table. He knew the words and sung them softly in her ear.

Jesse looked back and noticed his dad and Lexie were dancing, well dad's style of dancing, come to think of it I never saw him and mom dance. Maybe they did at those political dinner things they went to, but I doubt it.

“Think they'd be ready to leave?” He nibbled her ear.

“I doubt it, we've only been here an hour.” She shivered from his warm wine scented breath and the sensation of his teeth on her ear.

“Think they have a bathroom that's a one seater?” He moved to her neck.

“Jon.” She shivered again.

All of a sudden the song changed and he thought he heard one of the bands songs up beat.

“We have a really great rocker here with us tonight I wonder if we can coax him on stage to join us for a set.” Sam announced

Jon groaned and looked at Lexie.

“I gotta go up there.” He groaned in her ear.

The spotlight found him as he went up on the stage.

He got pulled into playing the whole set and it was nearing midnight by the time he left the stage,

“You looked good up there” Lexie told him when he came back to the table.

“Thanks, I tried to get off the stage but Sam kept talking me into another song.” Jon downed his wine,

“I'm sorry Jon, I didn't bring them over to meet you, well I didn't want Sam to meet you just Greg.” Sally apologized.

“It's okay Sal, but I hate to be a damper on the party but I am ready to go.” He stood up and took Lexie by the hand.

“Let me go say Goodnight to Greg and we can go.” Sally told them.

As she walked off Jesse finished his drink and got up.

“Dad you know you love the spotlight.” Jesse laughed.

“But I'm on vacation Son, even the ice cream man takes a break from making ice cream when he's on vacation.” Jon said as he helped Lexie navigate around the tables that had been moved to increase the dance floor.

Sally met them at the door.

“Okay I'm ready.” She said as she walked up,

“You don't want to stay with Greg?” Lexie asked her quietly so Jesse didn't here.

“Why, I'll see him when he gets home or in the morning when he wakes up.” Sally told her.

“You two live together?” Lexie was a little shocked. She had gone out twice now with Jesse.

“Yeah, I have since he was born, he's my Brother.” She laughed “You didn't think, Oh Lexie”

The two girls laughed over the moment.

They dropped Sally off with a promise of shopping and lunch in the next few days and headed back to the cabin.

“I wonder how things were while we were gone.” Jon thought out loud.

“Know Steph, we weren't out the door long before she had company.” Jesse humphed.

“I told her she could have him over, but gone by eleven and only him, she still had to watch the boys.”

Jon informed them.

Lexie thought, the two of them alone in the house with just two young boys as chaperones not good. But she kept her mouth closed.

The house was dark when they pulled into the garage.

“Looks like all quiet on the home front.” Jon sighed.

The smell of over sprayed floral with an under tone of cigarette smoke. Lexie went into the kitchen to check the dishes, they were done stacked on the side of the drain. Even the trash was taken out. She shook her head and heard Snowballs nails on the floor and went to take her out.

“I'm going to take Snow out.” Lexie told Jon. Heading out the front door she watched Snow sniff the air and take off around the side toward the trash cans. The smell of beer hit her, this didn't smell like a few cans, and since she was there, she hadn't seen any beer in the house. Only way that would happen is if it was brought in. Lexie went over and lifted the lid. She must have really rushed to get the evidence out of the cabin, they were all in one can. She dropped the lid and shook her head, at least they were put in the recycle bin.

Once she had snowball in and the door locked she headed up stairs to bed. Jon had tried to wait up for her but he was sound asleep being on stage must have worn him out.

Lexie woke up, Jon was still snoring. She slipped out from under Jon and headed to the bathroom. She could hear Jakey and Romeo down in the kitchen when she came down.

“Hey Guys, has Snow been out yet?” She started a pot of coffee “Did you two have fun last night with your sister?”

“Yeah Lexie, we had a party.” Romeo said.

“Romey, we weren't supposed to tell Lexie or Daddy.” Jake nudged him on his shoulder.

“I forgot,” Romeo's lip quivered.

“It's okay Romey. I saw all the cans.” Lexie whispered.

“Oh.” Jake finished his cereal. “We buried them in the other can.”

“Were you two up late?” She got up to get her coffee.

“Yeah, Stephie never makes us go to bed early like daddy does, she gave us ten dollars to help her clean up. I did the dishes and didn't break any, not even one.” Jake said proudly.

“Yeah, she said she would take us to the mall today for the toy store. I wanted the candy store, but she said just the toy store.” Romeo drank the remaining milk out of his bowl.

“Maybe your dad and I can take you later this week.” She sipped her coffee and sighed,

“Where are you and I taking the Ro and Jake to?” He walked over to the coffee pot and grimes

“Candy Land at the mall.” She sipped her coffee and got up and pulled down the coffee hotpot and poured the rest of her pot in. “They came into some money recently and it's burning a hole in their pocket.”

“Let me make you some sludge.” She laughed as she got to coffee filters back out.

“I'll make it, I know what he likes.” Stephanie said. “You two have fun on your double date?” She snickered.

Lexie poured another cup and got a bowl from cereal. Okay princess firing a shot on your little make believe kingdom. “Jake, great job on the dishes” holding the bowl up and turned it to Jon to see how clean it was. “Don't you agree Jon?”

Jon looked puzzled, but by looking at Jake face and seeing his normally quiet son beaming under Lexie praise. He took the bowl from Lexie and gave it a good inspection.

“Hey Jake, great job.” he said getting himself a bowl out and looking it over. “Yeah that's a number one job.” He ruffled Jake hair as he walked by.

Romeo started to clear up his breakfast dishes and had Snows leash.

“I'll take Snow out for you after she eats Lexie.”

“You know what Ro, I want to go on a walk with your dad after he has his coffee and breakfast, we'll take her.”

“Okay, can I be scused then, Stephie will be ready for the mall when you are.” Romeo gave her a big smile.

“Okay Ro.” Stephanie yawned and fixed her a cup from Lexie's pot.

“They give you any problem last night?” Jon asked her as he ate his cereal.

“Nope, not a one.” she sipped her coffee.

Jon looked from Lexie to Stephanie, Lexie shrugged her shoulders.

Jon fixed him a travel cup of coffee as Lexie put Snow on her leash.

The made it out of the garage Jon finally asked her what was up.

“What were your instructions to your daughter about last night?” She casually asked as they headed down the drive.

He gave her a funny look.

“Does any of this have to do with the boys pocket money and the fact that Jake did the dishes?” Jon stopped in the middle of the drive.

“Yes, but we need to walk a little further. Sort of away from the windows.” She let Snows leash out a little more.

Jon followed her to the area that has the trashcans.

“She wanted to have Mark over, I told her okay, but he had to leave a eleven. You know something?” he asked as they stopped as Snow sniffed the cans.

“He smokes a lot. The floral air freshener was over powering.” She laughed.

“Oh yeah, I told her just him no one else.” Snowball did her business Jon turned his back thinking about what she said and his blood pressure went up a notch.

Lexie bagged the poop and handed Jon the baggie and pointed him to the extra trashcan. When Jon opened the lid it was full of beer cans. Jon stopped counting at twelve.

“They had a party, after I told her just Mark, son of a bitch, I bet he's the reason I ended up on stage. That's strike three for the apple ass and you get no more.” He turned around and started to storm into the house, but Lexie stopped him.

“Jon, wait a second, count to ten and take some deep breaths.” She pulled on the tail of his jacket until he stopped. “The way you're going at this he's the one you're mad at, he wasn't alone. Going in there mad and making accusations will end up causing more problems. You have to get her to give it up herself. Trick her into admitting it.”

“How do I do that? He gritted his teeth.

“Follow my lead, after all I am the literary writer in this duo.” She smiled and gave an evil laugh that cause got Jon to laugh.