Chapter 93

Lexie had almost told Robbie that they were heading home in the morning. She missed her husband, and the kids…and her dog.  It was the first time since the Trio was born, that she wasn’t home.  Now she knew why Jon was so happy to get home.

“You have the Gala Dinner tomorrow night, your fans would be heartbroken if you weren’t there tomorrow.”  Robbie told her as they headed back off the conference floor after set up.  He had lied to her that his partner was coming to visit, so he wouldn’t be within hearing distance of Jon and Lexie.

“I know, I know, but I really can’t wait to get home.”  Lexie leaned on the wall of the elevator.  “I miss my kids and my husband.”  She watched Robbie roll her eyes at the whinny sound of her voice.

“You’ve made it this far, you can make it to Sunday.”  Robbie had heard this for the last two days. 

“I know, I’m sorry.”  She was glad to get into the elevator and up to the room.  She wanted to check on the trio and maybe see Jon.  “You and Stephen have plans after the meet and greet?  Maybe we can do some shopping, there are some really neat boutiques down here.”  She was happy Stephen could come for the last weekend. 

“We won’t have that much time between closing up and the dinner, and yes you have to be at the dinner.  You’re a table hostess, and people have paid big money to have dinner with you, so you have to be there.”  Robbie told her, he would be so happy when Mister Rock Star would get here.

Robbie left her in her suite and headed down to his room.  Granted he had a smaller suite paid for by Mister Rock Star and the fact that his partner was already waiting for him to get to the room, which he practically flew to his suite.

Lexie dropped her shopping bag that she had with her promo stuff into the big arm chair in the corner of her suite.  She loved being there for the people who bought her books.  Checking her watch, she had time before her nightly call from Jon.  Stripping as she went into the bath, she added some bubbles to the soaker tub.  Plugging her phone into the dock she checked her iPad, while she waited on the water to fill.

The camera loaded on a view of her sweet babies being fed by their aunt and uncle.  Cullen sat in his swing waiting for his turn.  Smiling at the signs that Desie made for her had her braking into a fit of giggles.  One baby had a countdown to Momma home, the other one said Hi Momma and Cullen’s said Bring Toys.  That made her laugh out loud, she missed those three, just as much as she missed her older children.  She was worried about Stephanie, that girl was on a fast track: graduation, first time in college, living in a dorm and then throw in her mother. She didn’t trust Dorothea as far as she could throw her.

Tapping off the iPad she got into the bath thinking about her oldest daughter.  Granted she missed Steph this trip, she was fun to be around, and she was a hard worker.  But the tension of the last two months were getting to their relationship.  She know temptation was going to be all over the place, once she goes away to college. She prayed her daughter would be smart enough to not to fall, after all her mother in law always said, Stephanie was Jon in a dress.  Her husband, even lacking a college education, had something all the guys she knew in college had, Jon had street smarts.  He sees what is needed and then he finds the people to make it happen.

Leaning her head back her thoughts went to her family.  These were the first ball games she would miss.  She prided herself on attending the boy’s games, she might not get there for the first pitch, but she made it to the second inning.  Bringing the trio out in the stroller and sitting with the other parents, like they were a normal family.  This invasion of Dorothea, just when their lives were finally on even keel put a damper on graduation, and now she was getting Stephanie come and visit.  Fully knowing that Dorothea allowed drug use in her house, made Lexie think that Stephanie was only using these trips to smoke pot.  She hadn’t said anything to Jon about her feelings, because, one she was just her step mother, and at eighteen she was legally an adult. She didn’t waste time when she told Lexie who her mother was.  After graduation, she hoped that Dorothea would slip back into the woodwork, but deep in her heart, she knew that they hadn’t heard the last of Dorothea.

Jon got to the hotel, texted Robbie and got up to the hotel room.  Changing into his ball cap and glasses, picking up his copy of her latest book he headed down to the convention floor.  Her line was really long, which made him really proud of her.  So far he had slipped under the raider and no one has recognized him, yet. He was glad no one had ever seen a picture of him in his readers, the closest he had ever been seen in really glasses what when he played the professor in Cry Wolf.

Lexie was counting down to closing her booth, then she had to get though dinner tonight and after that she could finally go home.  Glancing up from signing a book she looked down at the growing line.  Plastering a smile on her face she posed for a picture and reached out for another book.

Jon was like ten people from the table when Robbie spotted him.  He almost missed him, the glasses confused him at first, that and the fact that he hadn’t been mobbed. He noticed the time and knew they would soon be cutting off the lines.  This was the hard time for them, and Lexie didn’t like upsetting her fans.  He picked up the pre-autographed book plates and started walking to the end of the line, just as the closing warning announcement came over the PA in the convention center.

“We’re sorry, but we’re cutting off the autographs with the gentleman in the Cleveland Indians hat.”  Robbie said as he went along the line to stand behind Jon. “By the time you get up there, get her away from the table or she’ll stay down here till they turn off the lights.”  Robbie tried to whisper where only Jon would hear him.

“Got it.” Jon smiled and glanced over his shoulder.

He finally made it to the table and there she was.  She looked tired, she had lost some of her sparkle.  She didn’t even look up when he placed the book in front of her. 

“Who shall I autograph this for?”  She asked as she opened the well-worn book.  “Is this your favorite book in the series?”

“I love all your books, but this one is a particular favorite.”  Jon said with a smile.  This was the book she was writing when they met at the cabin.  “I met my wife over that book.”

Lexie looked up finally at the sound of his voice.

“Well, she must be a really lucky woman.”  She told him remembering where she was and who he was.

“She’s very lucky.”  Jon picked up the book and smiled at what she had written in the book.  “To my sexy Rock Star, all my love Lexie Bongiovi. Meet me in room 1429 presidential suite.”

“I won’t be long closing up.”  Lexie leaned over the table and grabbed his shirt and hauled him close and gave him a kiss. 

Robbie came up and cleared his throat really loud. 

“You two are causing talk, I’ll close up, and you two go get a room” Robbie laughed and watched as the two finally broke apart.

“Thanks Rob.”  Jon said as he watched Lexie join him on the other side of her table.

They headed to the elevators followed by fans and photographers.  They were lucky an empty elevator was waiting for them.  Quickly getting in he punched to floor they would be on, just as the door closed a photographer yelled out.

“Jon have you seen the pictures from last weekend when you daughter was at her mother’s.  How do you feel about her smoking pot with her step brother and sister?”