Chapter 95

Jon went into Robbie’s suite and Stephen brought out wine, Jack and Coke and beer.  They sat in the living room next to the open door to the balcony, Robbie came out of the bedroom with a file folder.  He handed Jon the folder.

“Lexie had me print these out for her.  She’s really mad and upset, she’s sort of stuck between a rock and a hard pace.  Thomas is a stickler about his clients.”  Robbie told Jon as he sat watching Jon flip through the photos.

Jon was listening to Robbie, but the photos were the proof that he had a problem with his daughter.  Granted, he wasn’t there much for her growing up, and they had been lax on the rules about drinking. But drugs, drugs were always a no no.

“No bad press, he wants them to live a life that isn’t splashed all over the media.” Robbie said as he watched the information sink in.

“I take it the Paps today weren’t the right thing for Thomas?”  Jon said as he as he poured a glass of coke with a shot of Jack.

“Let’s just say, he wasn’t pleased.”  Robbie sipped his wine.

“Is he going to drop Lexie?”  Jon asked, almost afraid of what he was going to tell him.

“I don’t know, he wasn’t happy with the press outside his office or the photos showing up in his mail.” Robbie told him.  “Lexie knows that Thomas could let her go.”

“Wait a second, she knew this before dinner?  She didn’t seem upset or anything, until we were heading back to the room.”  Jon sat the glass down hard on the table.  “Whatever you do Robbie, don’t let him drop her.  I’ll handle my daughter and clear this up.” 

“I’ll do my best, but there aren’t any guarantees.” Robbie told him.

Jon headed back to theie room, he wasn’t sure what he would find when he got there.  Using his keycard he let himself him.  He found Lexie sitting at the desk working on her laptop, her iPad playing a video of the Trio.  Her suitcases were open to be packed, she was still in the dress she wore to the dinner.

“So, you know about Thomas?”  Was all she asked.

“Yes, and I have the pictures that Robbie printed.”  Jon went over and leaned on the desk.  “I gave her so many chances, and this is how she repays us.”

“Jon, she’s got three weeks, then she graduates.  She’s an adult, she knows what she’s doing and she’s using Dorothea and Graham, just as she’s using us.”  She leaned back in the chair.  “I know I’m just her mother on paper, which she constantly lets me know.  She doesn’t want me as her mother, and Dorothea lets her do whatever she wants.”

Jon was upset, how had this gotten so out of hand?

“We’ll sit down with her when we get home.”  Jon said, but when Lexie looked up at him he knew what was coming.

“You talk to her, you’re her father.  Maybe you should get Dorothea there to back you up.”  Lexie said as she got up and closed up her laptop and packed it away.  “After all she’s her mother.”  Walking over and putting her briefcase next to her carry on. “I’m going to shower and get ready for bed.  Call Dorothea and set up your talk with Steph.” She went to pass him and he reached out to pull her close.  “Jon, I know I have never said this to you, but, I’m not in the mood.”  She had placed a shaking hand on his chest.

Jon dropped his arms to his side and let her go on past.  He could see the hurt in her eyes, and heard how her voice shook.  He knew she was scared, her whole career was on the line.  All because of his spoiled daughter.  Pulling out his phone he went out on the balcony and dialed the number that was going to be a long call.

“Dot, we have to talk.”  He said as he sat on the lounge and wished he had a cigarette.

^^^^^^^^^

The boys were at sports practice and Desie and Lexie were in with the Trio, Hellen would be back in a few weeks.  Lexie enjoyed this time with Desie, they would take the Trio out the back and for a walk to the park. 

Lexie was quieter ever since she and Jon got back, of this Desie and Matt have had a lot of questions.  Pushing the babies in the swings, Desie couldn’t take it much longer.

“Okay, want to tell me why all of a sudden you’re so quiet?”  Desie pushed Cullen in the swing, his giggles filled the air.  “You’re normally all excited after you and Jonny come back from a trip, is this about Steph and the pot?”

Lexie gave a tired laugh.

“That and waiting on the axe to fall with my editor.”  Lexie gently pushed Livie and Maddy who joined their brother in a bought of giggles.  “In one weekend, Stephanie made more press than I did with the release that my first book is being made into a movie.”  Lexie looked around the park for hidden paps.

“You got the movie deal, that’s fantastic.”  Desie knew Lexie had been approached to do the movie and that Jon may have landed the main character part.

“Yeah, if I don’t get dropped because of Stephanie and her pot parties.”  She took a deep breath and nodded her head toward the cluster of trees.  They started to get the Trio back into their stroller. Getting out of the park and back to the townhouse was not easy.  They were stopped on the street and first Livie started to cry, then Maddy.  Lexie was near tears by the time they got back.  Getting the girls calmed down and cleaned up, then put and Cullen down for a nap.

Jon and Dorothea were due to speak with Stephanie after school, and they wanted Lexie to be a part of this discussion.  Lexie knew the meeting was not going to be a calm parent child talk, and to have mother and stepmother involved was going to be like a powder keg going off.  Lexie wasn’t looking forward to this, she hadn’t heard anything from Thomas yet and that was about to killing her.

Stephanie knew something was up, Lexie seemed to be quiet and when she had gone into help with the Trio, she had given her one word answers.  Sure she was tired from her first time being gone for two weeks, but she had just seemed cold.  When she had gone to talk to Jesse, he didn’t know what was up, he was busy studying for finals.

“Steph, can you come into the office with me?”  Jon asked his daughter.

“Sure Daddy, I was wondering when we were going to talk about my graduation party.”  Stephanie said as she followed her dad in the office.  Looking around she saw not only Lexie but her mom too.  She rushed over to her mother and gave her a big hug.  “Momma, why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

Dorothea looked from Jon to their daughter, this was going to be bad.

“Your dad called me yesterday and I cleared my day to come over.”  Dorothea told her.  Called being the operable word, if she hadn’t shown up, he’d have some uncle come pick her up.  Better in the car than in the trunk.

“Did you have a good weekend at your mom’s two weeks ago?”  Jon asked his daughter.

“Yeah, I told you, we went shopping and Graham cooked burgers and brats on the grill and some of his kid’s friends came to the party.”  Stephanie told him, didn’t I tell him all this before? 

“You should’ve taken some pictures, then I could see it, you must want some of them to come to your graduation party.”  Jon said as he toyed with the folder on his desk.

“Sure, some of them we’re great.”  Stephanie said not sure what was going on.  Why was he messing with that folder, and why wasn’t Lexie saying anything.  “Is Grandpop going to make the sauce?”

“I don’t think so.”  Jon told her.  “You really should have taken some pictures.”  He looked from Dorothea to Lexie.

“Yeah Steph, I like that pink top, you always look great in pink, with your hair pulled back.  Really shows off the earring I bought you for Christmas.”  Lexie told her.

That should have been a warning, she had bought the shirt when she was with her mom and Lexie was already gone.  The shirt was at the dry cleaners because she got sauce on it when she ate some of Graham’s ribs.  The second warning should have been how quiet Lexie was talking, whenever she got mad she didn’t yell, like her dad, or shrill like her mom.

“Thanks, if we aren’t gonna have Grandpa’s sauce, maybe Graham can do his ribs?” Stephanie kept on, ignoring the warning signs.

“There won’t be a big party this year.”  Jon said, tapping his fingers on the folder.

“Are we going to St. Bart’s?”  Stephanie asked, the whole family at the beach or like a few years ago, on the private boat.

“Not this time.”  Dorothea told her.

It was then that all this started to sink in.  No party, no trip to St. Bart’s and Lexie got up from the desk beside her father and walked around to where she sat. 

“Your father and I were ambushed as we headed to the elevator this past weekend. Do you have any idea why we were ambushed?” Lexie asked in nearly a whisper.  Lexie had made a point of bending near to Stephanie seat, so no one else could hear the talking outside, where she was sure her oldest sons were listening.

“Ambushed, how would I know this, I was at a photoshoot for Uncle Kenny.” Stephanie looked up at Lexie, who seemed to get closer to her and madder.

“Seems you had a special party at your mothers while your dad was left to care for the Trio with Hellen.  My Editor, Thomas, is a stickler for his writers being clean.  Not showing up on TMZ or E news, that are not high on his list of clean venues of news.”  Lexie reached over and took the folder from Jon.  “You might not have taken pictures of the party, but someone else did, it only took me a few clicks to find these.”  She tossed the folder to Stephanie.

Stephanie didn’t have to open the folder to know what was inside.

“Thomas is trying to decide whether keep me and do my movie, or fire me.  If Thomas fires me, no one, and I mean no one will hire me and the movie is a thing of the past.  All because of your addiction to pot and not following the rules of this family.”

Stephanie looked at her mother and then back to Lexie, she knew she was up shit creek with no paddle.

“I told you that there would be no party, you promised me no more drugs.” Jon said as he looked over at Dorothea.

“I have to agree with your father and stepmother.”  Dorothea told her.  She could see the hurt in her daughter’s eyes, but she had to back Jon on this issue.  

“Do you understand that you might have cost Lexie her editor and publisher?  After all she has done for you, this is how you repay her?”  Jon asked his daughter. 

Lexie couldn’t stand it anymore, Stephanie just sat there.

“What do you have to say for yourself?”  Lexie asked her.

Chapter 94

Lexie’s heart stopped, how the hell do they find this shit out? This will kill Jon she thought.

“You don’t know that it’s true.” Lexie told him. 

Jon didn’t say a word, but the vein on his neck throbbed. 

The rest of the ride to her floor was done in silence.  The long walk down the hallway felt like a death march, as they went to the doorway at the end.  Slipping her card in the lock, Lexie opened the door for her husband, who walked passed and tossed his hat and glasses in the arm chair in the corner.

Jon was afraid to speak, holding in his temper in was the top priority right now.  He just stood in the middle of the room. 

“Jon, honey, breathe!  You haven’t taken a breath since we got off the elevator.”  Lexie told him when she reached him and began to rub his back.  “I’ll look on my iPad and see if what that idiot asked his true.”   When he finally took a breath, she headed into the bedroom of the suite.

When she came back in, he was at the bar and rummaging through the mini bar. 

“There’s wine in the cooler.”  She told him heading for the sofa.

“I need something stronger.”  He surfaced with a bottle of Coke and a bottle of Jack Daniels.  Grabbing the two bottles he joined her on the sofa.  Popping the can of soda, he poured about a fourth of a glass full and tops it with the whiskey.

Lexie looked on Stephanie’s Tumbler account, then she just googled her name and came up empty.  She then checked on emails that might have been sent to her private account her editor set up so her fans could send her mail, nothing unusual was on there.  Then she went to Photobucket and took a chance that she might find something on there and hit pay dirt.

“Why don’t you call Matty and check on the kids?  I’ll keep looking on here.”  She told Jon, who was pouring his second drink.

“We have to get ready for your dinner, and he should already be with Steph at her fashion show.”  Jon said as he checked his watch.  “I’ll call when we get back.”  He placed the bottle and the glass on the table, and headed to the bedroom.

Lexie sent several pictures to Robbie to print off for her.  As she closed off the site, she checked her email once more. All of a sudden she got a Skype request, it was Jesse.

“Hey Mom, how’s it going?”  Jesse asked as he sat damp from his shower he took after helping his aunt with the trio.

“Conference is great, your dad being here made it special.”  Lexie told him.  “How was the game?”

“We won, of course.”  Jesse laughed.  “The reason I Skyped you, there was paps at the game.”

“About your sister’s weekend with your mom?”  Lexie asked him, afraid of what he was going to say.

“You got it, Uncle Matt got me out of there.”  Jesse told her.  “How do you know?”

“Let’s just say, they showed up here and ambushed us by the elevator.”  Lexie told him.

“Bet dad blew a gasket.”  Jesse chuckled. 

“Not really, but you know your dad.” Lexie though back to the ride to their floor with her husband holding his breath and the vein throbbing in his neck.

“Yeah, I do.”  Jesse got serious.

“Before I head out to get ready for the dinner, how were Jacob and Romeo’s games?”  Lexie asked her oldest son.

“Jakey won, but Romey lost his.” Jesse informed her.  “But the team is just getting started, but Romey did get on base both times at bat.”

“That’s good.”  Lexie told him as Jon came into the room dressed for dinner.  Lexie almost forgot to breath, her husband on stage made the women wet their panties, but dressed in a suit and tie he was truly edible.

“Is that Jess?”  Jon asked as he adjusted his cuff on his jacket sleeve.

“Hey Dad, Jakey and I won today.”  Jesse told him.

“That’s great son, how’s Romey dealing with his loss.”  Jon sat on the bed while Lexie left to get dressed.

“He’s okay, they were just out played, and he got on base twice.”  Jesse informed him, then got serious, “The paps showed up at my game, Uncle Matt got us out of there.”

“Damn, they know to leave you kids alone. “ That burnt him up, all these years of the kids being off limits, but now with them being on photobucket and all the other media spots, it was harder keeping them out of it all.  Now his daughter, his baby, has thrust them all into the media.

“They didn’t show up till my game dad, so Romey and Jakey weren’t exposed.”  Jesse told him.

“Tell Uncle Matt I’ll call him tonight.  Tell your sister I’ll talk to her too.”  He said as he heard Lexie come out of the bedroom. 

“I will, you two have fun.  Hey Mom looking good.” Jesse said as he saw Lexie walk into the area where his dad was.

“Thanks Jess, Jon I need to go down to Robbie’s room for a minute.”  Lexie had on a sleeveless sundress.

“Okay Lex.”  Jon said as he watched her walk out the door.  Turning back to the screen he saw his son grinning.  “I know, I got it bad.”  He laughed.

“Well, it has been almost two whole weeks.”  Jesse smirked.

“That’s true, tell Uncle Matt I’ll call him before we leave tomorrow.”  He signed off to his son’s laughter.

Lexie had already spoken to the hotel security about the photographers and made sure they were kept off the floor and out of the convention. She went down to Robbie’s room to see if they got everything loaded and off to UPS.  He was on the phone, his partner let her into the room.

“Your editor has been calling him for the past three hours.”  Stephen told her, as he fixed himself a drink.

“I didn’t have any messages, wonder why he didn’t call me.”  Lexie sat in the club chair.  She could hear Robbie saying something about the conference.  Stephen took Robbie his drink and must have told him Lexie was in the living room, because he ended the call in a hushed voice.

“Hey, I didn’t expect to see you out of your room yet.”  Robbie said as he came in dressed for dinner.

“The paps put a quick end to any romance.” Lexie told him.  “I already spoke to the hotel and security.”

“Good, we don’t need them disrupting the dinner.” Robbie said.

“I guess Thomas has heard about all this?”  Lexie finally asked.

“Yes, he said he would call and talk to you once you got home.”  Robbie said looking over the rim of his glass.

“He’s going to drop me isn’t he?”  Lexie asked.  Thomas didn’t like his writers to have any bad press, and Stephanie was making bad press.

“He’ll talk to you.” Was all Robbie would tell her?

Walking back down to the room to get Jon, Lexie had to stop and take several deep breaths.  Tears were threatening to pour down her cheeks. Thomas had been her editor and his company was publishing her books from the beginning when she was writing children’s books.  If she lost Thomas, no one would touch her books.  She would put on her brave face and wait for the axe to fall.

The dinner was good, you couldn’t tell anything was wrong.  They stayed to the very end, her table won best table and she got two awards.  The paps tried their best to ruin her night, but she and Jon slipped out and through the kitchen to the room service elevator.

“This is the second time we have had to escape through room service.” Lexie said leaning on the wall of the elevator.

“Part of the rock star life, sort of old hat for me.”  Jon said as he watched her face.

“I can’t wait to get home, I miss my babies and the kids.  These two weeks were too long.”  Lexie said as she counted the floors to theirs.

“You want to tell me what’s got you down?”  Jon asked her.  She put on a good face, don’t think her fans could tell.  The table was lively all night, full of laughs and book talk.

“I’m just tired, my feet are killing me and I just can’t wait to sleep in my own bed.”  She gave a deep sigh.  Lexie pushed off the wall of the elevator as soon as the door opened.  She took Jon’s hand and the headed down the hall to their suite. 

They passed Robbie and Stephen, laughing and holding hands, heading toward the elevator.

“Plane leaves at noon, don’t be late.”  Lexie told them as they passed.

Jon looked at Robbie with a questioning tilt of the head.  Robbie didn’t miss a beat and invited Jon to come in for a drink.

“Sure why not, that okay with you Lex?”  Jon asked his wife, who had dropped his hand and walked on toward their room.

“Sure, I’ll go get comfortable, don’t be long.”  She said as she turned back with the “Bongiovi” smile on her face.

Oh shit this is bad, for me to get that smile.  Jon thought.  “Just one quick one.”

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?”

Chapter 92

The whole process had Jon laughing at himself, they really need to update their magazines, ‘these couldn’t get a randy teenager to give a donations’, Jon thought.  Even though he had to pull up some shots of Lexie off his cell phone, he finally made a donation to the blue cup to have a count made.  Sitting on the rolling stool waiting on the doctor, he about fell off when he got a text from Lexie.

To: JBJ Rock Star

From: Lexie Writer

Subject: get off the doctors stool

I know you’re on it rolling around the room!  You have one in your office to play with.

To: Lexie Sexy Writer

From: JBJ Rock Star

Subject: Spooky

How did you know I was on the stool?  Is there a camera in here?  BTW Thank you for all your help with the donation.

To: JBJ Rock Star

From LSW

Subject: You’ll never know!

It’s like with the kids I know when you’re bad or good, Santa ain’t got nothing on me.        I am counting the days till I get home, this has been so hard, me being on the road and you at home. I can only hope no one saw you jacking off to photos on your phone, I can see the headlines now.

To: LSW

From: JBJ RS

Subject: Empty Bed Syndrome

Yeah, I’m marking the calendar myself.  I’ve looked at the reading material and the video selections and it couldn’t work even before I met you.  We get through graduation, end of school, and then family vacation.  Barts or Maui, we need to decide where we’re going.  UH OH I got to go, the doctor is here and wants his stool back.  See you soon, Love ya Lex.

To: JBJ RS

From: LSW

Subject: Busted

Ditto

“I heard your wife bought you your own rolling stool, yet you always change the height on mine when you visit.”  Doctor Major rolled his eyes at Jon.

“Yes she did, but it’s not here.”  Jon laughed.  “So how did the test come out, am I swimmer free or am I still using raincoats?”  Jon asked as he got off the stool and sat on the table.

“You’re wife isn’t here?”  The Doctor adjusted the stool for his own height and sat down with Jon’s folder.

“She’s been gone for almost four days and won’t be home till Sunday evening.”  Jon said as he watched the doctor make notes in his chart.

“So you haven’t had sex either protected or unprotected since Friday?”  Doctor Major wrote in the chart.

“Nope,” Jon said then thought about what he had been asked and changed his answer, “Yes I haven’t had sex since Friday. I’ve been on daddy duty, our sitter broke her arm and messed up her leg, so I have been taking care of the trio.” 

Doctor Major made more notes, looking at the report he made circles and checks.

“Okay, we’re got the test results and it seems like you have passed your test with flying colors, no sperm.”  He said as he closed the folder. 

“So do I need to be rechecked or anything?  Seems like the last one didn’t work, we decided that we had enough children.”  He knew it was in his folder, he just never go checked after the last one, who knew you had to be checked.

“We gave you the top dollar operation, don’t know who your doctor was then but, that’s why we do the sperm check.  We’ll do another check in a month, just to be sure we didn’t get a false negative report.”  Doctor Major told him.  “Just to be safe.”

“Just to be safe.”  Jon agreed, that meant raincoats or chance it and pray that the trio was their last kids.

Jon left with a card for his next appointment, he went toward the townhouse.  He had to take Snow to the vet and explain that his little four legged daughter might be knocked up.  The driver would let him off and circle the townhouse while he picked up the dog.

Sitting in the vet, he was the only man in the vet’s waiting room with a tiny ball of fluff.  He was happy when they called him to the back.  Weighing in, Snowball weighed only 7 pounds.  In the room, Jon looked for a rolling stool, finding none he sat in the chair holding Snowball.

“Well, what has Miss Snowball been up too?”  The vet asked.

“Seems little Snow might be knocked up.”  Jon told the vet.  “Lexie left for a week and I took her to the park, not knowing you don’t take her off the leash.”

“Well, when did this all happen?”  The vet asked.

“Just this past Friday, Lexie thinks it will be too soon to tell, but to be on the safe side we made an appointment.”  Jon told the vet, who took Snowball and put her on the table and gave her a treat.

“Lexie is right, but we’ll put it on the chart and set up a time to bring her back.”  The vet said handing Snowball back.  “Let’s say two weeks.” They headed out to check out, as he handed Jon and appointment card and walked him out.

Jon and Snowball headed to the waiting car.  “Well you little slut, we’re going to wait to see if you’re giving you momma her first grand fur babies.  If you are, Christmas presents will be puppies.”  He got the driver to drop them off at the pocket dog park.  He kept Snowball on the leash and walked around with her.  Bagging up the business they headed home.

Friday night Matt was in the trio’s room helping his wife.  Jon walked in while Matt had Livie on the changer.  “Livie girl, you know your uncle Matty is gonna make your daddy very happy.”  He tickled Livies’ toes.

“How are you going to make me happy?”  Jon went over and swung Livie off the changer and tossed her into the air.  Olivia awarded her daddy with squeals of delight.

“I’m gonna stay here, watch your family and let you go surprise your wife, I set up a flight for Saturday morning.”  Matt told him.

Jon looked up at his little brother.

“You’re shi,” Jon remembered who he had in his arms,

“You were sending the plane anyway, why not go spend the night with your wife?”  Matt took Livie back from Jon before he dropped her.  “Go pack a bag, I’ll be here with Desie and we have the older kids.”

“Saturday morning is baseball games from eight am to five pm up at Polly Prep.  Romeo is first, then Jakey and finally Jesse, then Stephanie has a show she’s walking in at about six.  I don’t see how this is gonna happen.”  Jon put Livie in her swing.

“I’ll get Tone to help, he’s in town staying at Mom and Pops place, and he can help us out.  Go before I change my mind.”  Matt watched him go.  “Livie, tell your sister and brother to go easy on your old Unkie Matty and Auntie Desie.”  He tickled his niece.

Jon went in search of his older kids and told them what was going on.  He hadn’t left the room long before Stephanie was on the phone to her friends.

Calling for a car, grabbing his go bag he tossed clean jeans and shirt in the bag.  He hit the dresser for socks, then hitting the bathroom for his travel bag, adding his shaver and cologne.  He pulled out his phone and texted Robbie.

To: The world’s best PA

From: JBJ

Subject: coming

Robbie don’t tell Lex, I’ll be there before Lunch.  Work your magic and get me into whatever she has going on tomorrow night.  I know it’s gonna cost me, but whatever it takes. 

Thirty minutes later as he took Snow for her last walk he got the answer.

To: JBJ

From: TWBPA

Subject: Done

You owe me big time and it is going to cost you, it’s a charity dinner.  She’ll be over the moon, you know where we are, and I’ll leave you a badge and your ticket, along with a map of the floor.  You do have a book for her to sign?  Text me when you get here and I’ll look for you, so you don’t get mobbed.

Jon smiled and looked down at Snow.

“I wonder if I can steal Robbie away from your momma.”  He laughed.

To: TWBDPA

From: JBJ

Subject:  Will do

They headed back to the townhome and Jon checked on the kids.  He made it to the trio’s room and gabbed a bottle and joined his sister-in-law and brother feeding the trio.  He couldn’t hide the shit eating grin off his face.

Chapter 91

“I’ll let you know mommy.” Stephanie told her mom.  She would have to talk to her brothers, but she already knew what Jesse would say.

As they pulled up to the townhouse, Stephanie was glad that for once there were no paps out front.  She gave her mom a hug and thanked Graham for the great weekend.  Getting out she grabbed her overnight bag from the back. Standing there on the sidewalk and waving as her mom and stepdad pull away, she sighed.  It was good, the sitting up late and talking, then shopping with her mom and stepsister.  Graham had cooked burgers on the back grill and some of her step sister and step brother’s friends came over.  Of course there was pot at the cookout, and of course the Dad rules kept screaming in her mind.  But once her mom and Graham had gone to bed the pot flowed freely. She did her best, but failed.

She used her key and entered a noisy messy house.  There were take-out food bags all over the normally neat as a pin living room.  There was also a smell, it was a mix of poopie diapers and something she had a hard time identifying.  She turned off the TV downstairs and the rushed to her room and dropping off her overnight bag in her room and hurried to the Trios room. Walking into the room, she found where the poopie smell came from.  She found her dad, in the same clothes he wore on Friday when she left.  Jesse and Jakey were there, each holding a crying triplet and a bottle.

“What the hell happened while I was gone?”  Stephanie asked the three older males.  Going over to her dad she took Livie out of his arms.  “Hey big girl, what’s wrong with my sissy?”  She took her over to the changer.  Making sure her diaper was okay, she noticed a red bottom.  “Ut oh, is that what Livie’s crying about?”  She proceeded to take off the diaper and reached for the cream for diaper rash.  Livie sniffed and stopped crying, rubbing her eyes and yawning.  One down two to go, putting Livie in her swing she moved to her other sister.  If Livie had diaper rash, them the other two had to have it.  Taking her from Jesse she took her to the changer, to find the same thing wrong with her bottom.  “Oh Mad, what happened while I was gone.”  Maddie looked up at her big sister and sniffed.  Soon she was yawning and rubbing her eyes like Livie.  Joining her sister in the swings, two happy babies one more to go.  Soon the swings were filled with happy babies.

Once she bagged up the diaper pail, which was over flowing, she took the monitor and the garbage and went to find her dad. Snowball met her at the bottom of the stairs, “They ignore you too Snow?”  She headed toward the kitchen and filled Snows water and food bowls and then went to the kitchen and added an overflowing garbage bag to the one she brought down from the trio’s room.  Grabbing an empty trash bag she picked up the living room.  When she headed back upstairs she was tired and wished she had a joint that her step sister had in her stash.  Her father’s light was showing under the door.  She went over and tapped lightly on the door.

“Come on in.”  He father called out.

Going in she noticed he had showered and had on his workout clothes,

“Going for a run?”  She sat in the chair near the desk

“I thought about it, I’ve been on trio duty.  Hellen fell over a toy on the floor and broke her arm, and I think a foot or leg, three days later and who knows how many hours later it all runs together.”  Jon leaned back in his chair and stretched.  “I called a nanny service and I have someone coming to help until Lexie gets back.  Hellen won’t lose her job while she can’t work.” 

“Why didn’t you call and ask me to come back?”  Stephanie asked.  Not that she wouldn’t have, but she really had a great time.  “Lexie won’t like just someone from a service.  You never know who we might end up with.”

“To tell you the truth, I started to Saturday morning.  By the time I got home, the trio were up and needed to be fed.  Livie doesn’t like oatmeal, or pea’s, I don’t think the stain will come out of my old Pat’s tee shirt.” Jon remembered trying to feed them breakfast. “Uncle Matty did the interview and it’s only short term.  Mom and Dad went to Florida, or she would be here.  She was all for coming home, but dad put his foot down.”

“Tell me you didn’t serve them peas for breakfast?”  Stephanie tried not to laugh.  “Livie likes pears with her oatmeal, you have to mush it all up together.”  She told her father.  That was the one thing about the trio she will miss, once she goes off to college, breakfast with the trio.  “Peas are not liked by any of the trio, unless you give them the whole pea’s to play with.  Green is not their favorite color, they’ll be on whole foods when I head off to college, seems like just yesterday they were born.” 

Jon wanted to ask her about her weekend, but he was too tired.  Tomorrow night, he would be in a better frame of mind and the nanny will be here by lunch.    He still wanted to call Lexie, before it was too late.

“Yeah, I guess I missed a lot of the first months of their time home.  I didn’t even know Livie liked pears in her oatmeal.”  He sighed, he missed most of his older kid’s lives. He tried to stay home toward the end of his marriage, but the fighting and her seeing Graham before they were divorced made it worse.

“Dad, don’t beat yourself up, you’ve been on tour, and it’s your job.  I used to hate you being gone, but I can’t see you being like the other dads.  I can’t see you working in an office.”  She had to admit, they wouldn’t be where they were today, Poly Prep, townhouse and the house on the river, if he worked like Graham.  Seeing her mom as just a housewife had been eye opening.  Granted she has a much smaller house, but she was happy, she remember what it was like before the divorce and remarriage.

“That’s what Jesse said, I guess I must have done something right.”  Jon smiled.  “You better get to bed, you have school tomorrow and I want to call your,” he stopped before he called Lexie her mom.  “I want to call Lexie.”

“I am tired, I have the monitor.” She caught what he about to say.  She didn’t feel bad, yeah she felt closer to Lexie, but she would never replace her mom.

“Thanks sweetie.”  He watched her leave, he knew he should have asked her about the weekend.  In the back of his mind, he was scared of what she would say.

Lifting his phone he dialed in the number. He wasn’t looking forward to this call, she would want to come home on the first available flight or the Jovi plane, and he didn’t want her to cut her time with her fans short.

“I wondered when you were going to call.” Lexie told him.

“Steph just got home and saved my bacon.”  Jon explained.  “The three older Bongiovi men handled this.”

“You should’ve called me, Robbie heard from Helen.”  She scolded him.  “I’ll come home on the next flight.”

“That’s why I didn’t call, you deserve this time, and like I said we handled this set back” Jon leaned back, every muscle in his body was screaming.  “Matt got a replacement, only until Helen gets back on her feet.”

“Jon, I interviewed fourteen applicants before I got Helen, do you think Matt can do this in two days?” Lexie tossed her name badge in her carry on.

“He did it in one day, he only interviewed one woman.”  Jon started to say before Lexie jumped in.

“One day, he only interviewed one woman, oh my God, I can’t believe he did this to our trio.”  Lexie was close to tears.

“Calm down sweetheart, I approved her too.”  Jon tried to explain.

“First your ex has been inching her way back into this family and now you hire someone in one day?”  She sank down on the bed.

“Let’s agree this is not a time we need Dorothea to try some of her junk right now, but it’s not going to last.  Something or someone will screw it up, or she’ll get bored playing at mommy and disappear for a while.  But Matt and I agreed that this lady will be best answer to our problem, we just hired Desie.”  Truth be told it was Desiree idea to help out for the next six weeks as their kids were with Grandma Carol and Gramppy John, for a few weeks in Miami.”  Jon told Lexie.

“You rat, why didn’t you tell me it was Desie watching the kids?  Her I would trust with babysitting you.” Lexie laughed.  She was mad the way Jon teased her, but it was what she said about Dorothea that bothered her.

“So, you think after graduation she’ll go back into the woodwork?”  Lexie asked him.  “I don’t think she’ll be happy until the boys visit, I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her.

Jon had to agree with Lexie, he didn’t trust his ex-wife either. Lexie, was like him in so many ways, when it came to trust. In her business as in his, you had to keep one eye open for the fans that were a little bit off their meds.

“Yeah, I think she will.”  He sighed and looked at the photos again.  Was he sure she would lose interest in the kids after Steph graduated or was this just the first of many interruptions in their lives?  Jon fought a yawn, he had little to no sleep since Friday.  “Not to change the subject, but don’t you two leave in the morning for the next convention?”  He yawned really big.

“Subject changed, awe honey you sound tired, we can talk tomorrow night, and you need to be at the urologist for your swimmer count.”  Lexie pulled out her planner and looked at all the dates and times, a different color for each kid.  Her calendar looked like one of the trio got a hold of it and colored all over it.  “Robbie and I will be heading to Nashville for three days, then on to Cleveland to finish up.  We want to do the Hall and then home.   Maybe the Jovi Jet to bring us home?”  She looked at all the new luggage she had bought to bring home gifts from fans for the kids and him.  Fifty dollars a bag was not an option this trip, not with Nashville and the boots she was planning to buy or Cleveland.

“Jet will be there and waiting.”  Jon laughed.  “Love ya Lex, can’t wait for you to get home.”

“Love you too, rock star.”  Lexie giggled.

Jon hung up and went to check on all his kids, the light was still on under Stephanie door, he tapped and told her to get some sleep.  Hearing a mumbled “okay dad”, he headed to his bed.

Jesse waited until his father went to bed to head to Stephanie’s room.  He taps the door and walked in, he found his sister in bed reading her math book.

“I guess you had fun this weekend, while dad and I were knee deep in toddlers.”  He said as he sat in the chair by the desk.

“Yeah, Mom, Sara and I went shopping, then Graham cooked out, they had some friends come over and we partied.”  She put the marker in her book and closed it.  “Momma wants you guys to visit, I told her I would ask you to give her a chance.”

“Maybe the little bro’s will, but not me.  So you they had a party, was it Columbian or Jamaican?”  He asked.  He would never darken his mother and stepfathers door ever again.  One trip to juvie was enough for him.  He saw the shocked look on his sister’s face, he knew she would never turn down a chance to smoke a joint or two.

“Home grown, Sara’s boyfriend grows it at his grandparents farm, says the corn makes it better.”  She laughed.

Jesse just shook his head.  “One of these days, you’re gonna go too far and it might not be so much fun to go against dad.”  Jesse stopped at the door.

“You smoked pot too.”  Stephanie sat up and leaned toward her brother.

“Smoked as in the past, don’t like what it did to my body, I want to make the football team in college and drugs are not an option at Notre Dame.”  Jesse told her in a harsh whisper.

“You really think you’ll make the team, a freshman, at Notre Dame?  You must be smoking something stronger than weed little brother.”  Stephanie laughed.

“We’ll see Steph, we’ll see.” He walked out on her laughing.

new chapter coming?

I have been working on a new chapter when life stepped in and through it for a loop. MY best friend lost her mom and I came up here for two weeks.  The old been there done that in my life and I am up here being a support to her. But I have a chapter going to the editor today. So pardon the delay.

Alice Faye

Chapter 90

Jon punched in the access code on his phone to call his wife. 

Lexie jumped when her cell rang in her hand.

“Okay Jon, tell me what happened?”  Lexie asked as she took a deep breath to calm herself.

“Well, Stephanie went to spend the weekend with Dorothea, and I decided to.”  He was telling her what had happen, when she broke in.

“Stephanie went to spend the weekend with Dorothea?  You mean she isn’t there to help you guys this weekend?” Lexie asked almost in a panic.

“We’re fine, Jesse is here and so is Hellen, We got this covered.”  Jon reassured Lexie.  “As I was saying, I took Snowball to the dog park, instead of being at the townhouse when Dorothea got here to pick up Steph.  We got to the park, and I let Snow off the leash.”

“Jon, we never take her off the leash.”  Lexie rolled her eyes and sighed.  Somewhere in the pit of her stomach, she knew she should have stayed home instead of being here. What could go wrong Jon had said, he would have Steph to help him, if he got in over his head. Go have fun, your fans haven’t seen you since the trio was born.  How stupid was she to believe that she could go away for a week, seven whole days and nothing would go wrong.

“I didn’t know that, I figured she would do her business and we’d be back home in five minutes.”  Jon said as he sat at his desk looking at the pictures lined up on top of his desk.  “I didn’t think she would get knocked up the first time I take her to the dog park.”

“I know, I should’ve told you how she is off the leash.  At the river house, we could let her off the leash and she would be fine.  You’ll have to call the vet, he may just say to wait and see.  We could be worrying over nothing.”  Lexie said as she leaned on the headboard of the huge king sized bed.  Sighing she kicked off her shoes.  She was going to kick herself for asking, but she had to know why Stephanie was not home.  “Did Dorothea get in contact with Stephanie?”

“She called my cell to talk about graduation and wanted to know if Stephanie could come for the weekend.”  Jon said feeling that he dodged the Snowball and puppies bullet, only to step on a landmine that was his ex-wife and daughter debacle.

“So you let her go.”  Lexie said.  He never could deny his kids anything.

“It’s only two days, Hellen is here and Jesse and I can handle the trio.” Jon tried to reassure her.  “She be home Sunday and everything will be fine.”  He gave it his best try.  “So how has the set up gone?”  He changed the subject.

“Robbie and I got a great space, we missed Stephanie not being here to help.  We got all the grab bags set up and all the freebies out. I know what you just did, aren’t you ashamed trying to change the subject.”  She had to laugh in spite of herself.

Jon chuckled a little.

“Never could put anything over on you.”  Jon leaned back in his chair.  “Unless it was me over your naked body.” 

“Oh, now you’re going to talk dirty to ME over the phone?”  Lexie laughed.  When Jon was over in Europe, she would talk dirty to him.  Every night, after the show, they would talk to the wee hours in the morning.  She would make sure the On Stage stress was gone so he could sleep.

“Well, since we’re on the same time zone and I have six kids to see to bed, how about I call you after they go to sleep?”  Jon asked.

“Well, since you put it that way, and I do have to be up early for a breakfast with the writers, can we put it off till tomorrow night?”  She told Jon.

“Ah, that was a direct shot.”  Jon grunted and let his head fall down to the back on the chair.  “Shot down on my first attempt to get my wife hot and bothered in her hotel room.

Lexie nearly fell off the bed laughing.  Then she got a knock on her door.

“Hey Lex, you just got an invitation to drinks and dinner from your idols, Sandra Brown and Nora Roberts.  You wanted to me to remind you.”  Robbie told her from the other side of his door.

“Ah, sorry Babe, work calls.”  Lexie told Jon.  “Going out with the girls and that means talking shop then,” she sighed, “Try to go to bed without a story plotline running through my head.”

“Ok Hon, have fun with the girls and try not to get too drunk.”  Jon laughed.  “Remember a hung over writer, with thousands of hyper fans, doesn’t make Lexie a happy camper.”

“I won’t get drunk.  I never get drunk.”  Lexie slid off the bed and went to the closet to pull out a dinner dress.  God that means hose and heels.  “Nora will pump me about the kids and Sandra will want to know what you’re up to, she has such a crush on you.”

Robbie knocked on the door again.

“I’m getting dressed, Rob.”  Lexie yelled from the walk in closet.  “Kiss the trio and I will check in on then later.  Tell the boys to help you, oh Jon, don’t forget you have a doctor’s appointment Monday, going for the zero swimmers.”

“It’s flagged on the calendar, I’ll call you when I get the news.” Jon said.  “Love you.” He said as he hung up.

“Love you more.”  Lexie said as she hung up.

Going back down to check on the boys and then to the nursery to see the trio.  Baths, bottles and then singing with daddy, he had Hellen put all three in his arms.  This gave Hellen long enough to clean the bathroom and take a load to the laundry.

“What song shall we do tonight ladies, Cull?  Something from Disney, little South Side, or one of daddy’s songs?”  He set the rocker to rock. 

Livie and Maddie yawned and jabbered something and Cull chewed on his first and garbled something like Pooh.  Jon began singing the Winnie the Pooh song softly. 

Jon rocked and sang till Hellen came back in.  Hellen walked toward the rocker and got her feet tangled in a toy that was left on the floor and began to fall.  Jon couldn’t do anything to stop her fall, they both heard a bone or two snap as she hit the rocker and the floor.  Jesse head the ruckus and ran in.  By the time the ambulance showed up and took Hellen to be checked out, Jon and Jesse got the trio to bed and Jacob and Romeo to bed.  Jon headed to the hospital and waited to see what was broken and when Hellen would be back to work.

Jon came back into the house alone and wondered how he was going to make a week while Hellen recouped from a broken foot and a broken arm.  He had to call the agency for a backup. Maybe his mom could come and help.  There was no way he would tell Lexie that Hellen would be out of work for up to six weeks.

On the ride home on Sunday Dorothea and Stephanie were pulling off the highway headed toward the townhouse.

“It’s really been nice having you with us this weekend Stephie.” Dorothea told her daughter.

They had spent most of Friday night sitting up talking about graduation, and the college’s she had visited with Jon and Lexie.  Graham’s daughter was heading to NYU, so she could still stay home and ride the Path into the city.

“Yeah it was nice to get out of the house for the weekend.”  Stephanie agreed with her mom.  She had been hinting all weekend that Sarah, Graham’s daughter, and Steph should be closer. After all, she was her step sister.  A step sister that smoked pot and was starting to use harder stuff. In her head she heard he father saying the rules are the same.  It was hard to resist, Mom didn’t care, what was wrong with a little pot? 

“You know Stephie, you’re more than welcome to visit more often.  Maybe bring your brothers for a visit?”  Dorothea said as the car got close to townhouse.

There it was, her mom wanted her to spend more time with her.  She would start college in August, she would be up checking on dorm space in a few weeks.  Her summer was already planned, with the family vacation, now her mom wanted her to spend some time with them.  How was she going to tell her dad and Lexie, that her mom was actually wanting to be her mom again?