Chapter 19: Not The Johnny I Know

"Your car is really cool." Richie was walking around the corvette giving it the once over.

"Do you guys know where the beach is private enough for us to lay out with out tops off?" Roni asked John. "We hate tan lines."

"You can do it anywhere. You didn't hear? All Jersey beaches are topless starting today." John laughed. 

"You wouldn't be lying, now would you?" Roni grinned.

"Me? Lying to get girls to take ther tops off? Never baby." He gave her a lopsided grin.

"Do you want to go inside with us? We're buying some drinks to take to the beach." Tracy asked Richie.

"No we're good. We'll just wait out here for you." Richie replied.

The guys watched the girls walk up to the door.

"Hot damn did you get a load of them?" Richie smiled. The blonde is hot for you Johnny. And they're going to lay out with their fucking tops off! I'm in heaven! Where do you want to try to take them after the beach? I wonder if Stevie's apartment is free. He keeps that spare key under his mat."

John's smile faded and he closed his eyes and blew his breath.

"What? What's wrong with you?" Richie asked a little annoyed that John wasn't more excited about the two hot babes.

"I can't do it. I shouldn't have got her number either. I don't know what the hell I was thinking."

"I can tell you what you were thinking with." Richie laughed.

"I need to get out of here before they come back out."

"What the fuck, man! You can't be serious! The way she's flirting with you. It's a sure thing, man! You're not acting like, the Johnny I know!"

"I know I wouldn't think twice about getting her number and trying to get lucky with her, at Stevie's later, when I was with Dot. But I can't do this to Ashley, man. I just can't."

"Damn it Johnny you just got with this chick! She can't possibly have this kind of hold over you yet! You can't have just one day of no strings attached fun? I mean it ain't like your sleeping with Ashley yet! She won't even know! And hot chicks like these don't fall in our laps everyday!"

"That's the thing Richie. I already have a hot chick waiting for me right now. Can you just take me home?  Then you can meet up with them."

Richie just stood there staring at him. He was borderline shocked. He couldn't believe John wanted to go home and leave these two fine girls hanging.

"Nevermind I'll just go call somebody to come get me!" John was getting a little pissed that Richie wasn't listening to him.

"Damn wait Johnny! Let's just go to the beach with them. Nothing's going to happen if you don't want it to."

"Nah I'm going to take off." John started walking.

"Come on Johnny!" Richie hollered.

John walked across the street to the gas station and went inside to the use the pay phone. He started dialing.

"Hello."

"Ashley, good you're there." John was happy to hear her voice.

"Yeah."

"I hate to ask you this, but do you think you could come pick me up in front of the All American Diner? You know, the one with all the flags."

"Yeah, I can. I'll leave right now. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Okay baby thanks."

Richie was standing by his car when the girls came out.

"Where's Johnny?"

"He had to go. He had something he had to go do."

"Damn, I wanted him to go with us. I thought we were going to party. Are you still going?" Roni looked up at Richie.

"Hell yeah I am! I'll just follow you guys."

"Okay. Let's go."

They pulled out in the Corvette and Richie followed them in his Camaro.

John watched them drive away and waited for Ashley to show up. He went and stood outside the building. There was a red rose bush full of blooms so he reached down and snagged one. He felt bad for even talking to Roni. He hoped in some small way this would make it up to her. Even though he never ever planned to tell her what this little gift was really for.

"He saw the Trans Am coming and walked out to the road with the rose behind his back. She slowed down and stopped.

"Hey baby, thank you so much. He got inside. "I would offer you some gas money but I don't have any on me."

"It's fine John, I just filled up the tank yesterday. I thought you were with Richie?"

"He bumped into a couple of his friends and wanted to go to the beach with them. I didn't really feel like it."

"Okay, well I'm glad you called. I missed your handsome face." She smiled.

He smiled back. "Thanks, I missed you too. I was thinking about you and I picked this just for you. A beautiful rose for a beautiful girl."

"Oh John that's so sweet. Thank you, I love roses." She smelled it and smiled. Thinking how lucky she was to have such a sweet guy.

John reached up and twirled her superman emblem hanging on the rearview mirror.

"Why do you have so much superman crap in your car?" John asked looking around.

"Because I love superman and I can't get enough of him."

"So are you telling me, I have to compete with Superman?"

"Maybe but he is the man of steel, you know."

"That's okay, sometimes certain parts of me get hard as steel." He chuckled.

"Oh my Lord." She giggled.

He looked at her face at it was turning a little bit red.

"Ashley are you blushing?" He laughed.

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are!" He started tickling her.

"Oh my God! Stop! I'm gonna crash my car!"

"Okay. Okay. I'll let you drive."

"Are you hungry?"

"No Ash, I told you I don't have any money with me."

"It's okay John. I have some money. I can buy you a burger."

"Are you sure Ashley?"

"Yep I can be your sugar mama." She smiled.

"Well actually I kind of like the sound of that."

They got out and went into the burger joint.

They were sitting at a table and had just got their drinks when the door opened and a familiar face entered the building.

"Aww damn."

"What is it John?"

"Crazy bitch at 2 'oclock."

"Huh?"

"Over there by the door. It's Dot."

"Oh okay."

Dot walked right up to the table. "Well I see you two didn't waste any time." She looked over at Ashley and turned her nose up.

"No I had already wasted enough time with you!" John snarled in her direction.

"Well I'm surprised you could afford to bring her here you were always so damn  broke when we were together!" She grinned.

"I love bringing Ashley out in public and showing her off. I don't have to worry which guys she's already fucked in the room, like I should have when I was with you!"

"John!" Ashley tried to hush him up.

"Oh don't bother trying to teach him any manners, Ashley! It's a waste of time!" Dorothea hissed.

Then she looked over at John. "Well I guess she's not worried about who all you've fucked anywhere you go!"

Dot noticed John's ring on Ashley's finger.

"Your letting her wear that damn ring your grandmother had made for you? You wouldn't ever let me wear it! I begged you! And you always said no! You said your Mom would get pissed if she saw a girl wearing it!"

"She would have, she didn't want me giving you shit! But I didn't want you wearing it either!"

"I don't see that class ring you said they were going to buy you either? Probably because you barely made it through school! And you wouldn't have if you hadn't cheated off my damn papers!"

"Excuse me John. I'll be right back." Ashley stood up.

"Okay baby."

Ashley walked to the bathroom just to get away from their bickering. It was giving her a nervous knot in her stomach and she had to get away from it.

Dorothea watched her walk away shooting daggers at her with her eyes.

"Why are they always blonde, Johnny?" She sincerely wanted to know.

"What can I say? I love blondes. I always have."

"I remember you wanted me to dye my damn hair blonde!"

He laughed. "Yep I did!"

"Well I have a preference for men too!"

"What's that, anyone with a pulse?" John chuckled.

"No, one with a bank account, not some punk counting quarters to put gas in his car!"

"I see you are alone already Dot. I can't say I blame Bobby for getting bored with you! I know I sure did!"

"No Bobby is where all real men are this time of day, at a real damn job! Earning something you don't have, real damn money. I bet she's even paying for your food! You are pathetic, Johnny."

"Pathetic Really? That's not what you said when I couldn't get you off my dick!"

"I bet you wish I still wanted to be on it!" Blondie still freezing you out. What the hell were you thinking getting with of all things, a damn virgin! As much as you like sex! Well I guess you can always go back to the old ladies in your neighborhood, for a good time! While you wait for the little blonde princess to give it up!"

"Shut up Dot! Just shut the hell up!"

"Oh I can tell by the look on your face! Little miss sunshine doesn't know the truth about your past!"

John stood up. "Leave Ashley out of this Dot!"

Ashley opened the bathroom door and witnessed John ready to chew through nails, arguing with Dorothea.

The manager walked over. "Please keep it down or I will have to ask you two to leave!"

Dorothea walked over to an empty booth and sat down.

Ashley walked up and John's jaw was clenched and his face was slightly red.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah that bitch just pushes all my buttons."

"Well here just sit down. Don't worry about her. Here comes our food."

They ate their food and were on the way out when Ashley stopped to pay the check.

Dorothea walked up behind them laughing.

"I would tell you it's just a temporary thing that he's broke, but get used to paying because he's used to being a bum."

Before John could say a word.

Ashley spun around. "I am sick and tired of you running your fucking mouth! Now John is my damn boyfriend and we don't really give a shit what you think! So keep your fucking mouth shut! And I know all about the karate and all I can say is, if you keep running that fucking mouth, your going to need it!" Ashley's face was hard and her blue eyes were locked with Dot's brown eyes.

Dorothea's jaw hit the floor. A big grin took over John's face and he started laughing. Ashley was a spit fire and he freaking loved it!

Ashley paid for their food. Thanked the little old lady at the register. Who was still shocked at the sweet little blonde with the country accent, that had a mouth on her like a truck driver.

"Damn I've got to remember not to mess with you." John chuckled as they got in her car and drove away.

"I just had enough of her shit!"

"I appreciate you taking up for me. But please don't try to fight her. She really is good at karate."

"I'm not scared of her."

"Where'd you get this scrappy side."

"Mostly I had an older brother that was mean as hell to me growing up! And a younger sister and Mother, I fought with almost everyday! The rest I get naturally from my Daddy. Now where am I taking you?"

"Wherever you're going." He gave her that look she couldn't resist.

"My house it is."

They pulled up to her blue house right next door to John's.

She pulled out her keys and they went in.

She turned on the tv and left him to go change her clothes.

She came back with a Van Halen record and turned it on.

"I really like this song. I can't wait to go see them live."

"Their music is really good. They came to Philly last year and me and Richie went to see them."

"Dot didn't go?"

"Nah she hates this kind of music. She's into bubblegum pop. I hate the shit!"

"Well y'all seem so different. How in the world did you end up together?"

Her boyfriend Bobby was one of my best friends growing up. He showed up with her one day and she seemed really cool. She never took shit off of anybody.  She was in one of my classes but her chest was kind of flat, so I had never really noticed her before.  She started calling me and hanging around the Fast Lane when Bobby wasn't there. She started flirting with me and telling me how cute she thought I was. Then she started telling me the shit she was doing in bed with Bobby! And that shit was x rated!  I was curious so I picked her up one night and we ended up doing it in the back of my car. And the shit she told me wasn't near as good as she said. She used her teeth blowing me and that shit hurts like hell!"

"So how did you get with her if she was still with Bobby?"

"When we did it she seemed to get obsessed with me. Chasing me down at the club, calling me all the time. She was always hounding me for sex. I was a healthy single male and I wasn't turning free pus, I mean sex down. Everybody knew we were sneaking around together, even my Mom and she rode my case pretty hard about it."

"Your Mother knew she was cheating with you?"

"Yeah she caught us up in my bed one night. I had snuck her upstairs. She was pissed. She threw Dot out of the house and practically called her a slut!"

"Oh my God!"

And her lectures never ended. "Bobby's your best friend you better leave that loose girl alone before you get her pregnant and have to marry her!" He laughed. So anyway, Bobby went in the army and we just kept seeing each other. But we didn't have to sneak around anymore. But Ma never accepted it, she hated Dot. She would find girls, anywhere she went, for me to go out with. She would give them my number. Send them down to the club to watch me on stage. She knew I loved blondes, so everyone of them was a freaking hot blonde! She was so glad when we broke up this last time."

"Oh my God John! She would send girls to meet you?"

"Yep hoping I would break up with Dot. Me and Dot fought like hell over it at the time."

"Did you cheat on Dorothea with any of those blondes?"

John smiled. "I plead no comment."

She hit him in the arm. "Damn I've got to watch you."

"Ouch baby!" Is that the same punch you gave Bret last night?" He laughed.

"How do you know about that?"

"Richie told me you were out in the parking lot drunk as hell trying to beat the shit out of Bret, because he took your keys and you couldn't come find me." He laughed.

"Yeah I did. I have a bad temper sometimes when I'm drunk."

She got up to go to the bathroom and the phone rang.

"Answer that for me, I'll be right back."

"Hello."

"Ricky?"

"No this ain't Ricky man?"

"Who is this?"

"Johnny."

"Is Ashley there?"

"Hold on."

She came back in the room.

"Who is Ricky?" He whispered holding the phone.

"My brother. Is that him?"

"No."

"Let me see it."

"Hello."

"God I've missed your voice Ash!"

John looked on as all of the color drained right out of her face.

"How did you get this number?" She yelled.

"Your Mom gave it to me. You know she's not nearly the bitch you made her out to be."

John could see how upset she was and he didn't have a clue what was going on so he hit the speakerphone button so he could hear.

"When are you coming home Ash? I've been missing my girl and all the things you know how to do so well with that tongue of yours." He laughed.

"Who the fuck is that?" John yelled.

"I'm Jake. Her fucking boyfriend!"

"You're not my damn boyfriend and don't you ever call me again!" She slammed the phone down. She sat back on the couch and ran her hands through her hair and sat there like she was in a trance.

 The phone rang again, it startled her and she jumped and John grabbed it.

"Yeah!"

"Listen here you little punk! Ashley is my fucking girl and you better stay the fuck away from her!" Jake yelled in John's ear.

"No Asshole she is my fucking girlfriend! And she just told you not to ever call her again!"

"She's just pissed at me! She'll get over it! She always does!"

"She fucking moved across the  country to get away from you dude! I don't think she's getting over it anytime soon!"

"This is between me and Ashley! We got into a fight and she left!"

"She caught you cheating on her with her best friend and you fucking tried to kill her! I think that's more than a little fight! I know about you beating on her too. Why don't you come up here and try to beat on me you chicken shit bastard!"

"I love her and she's mine! And if she's not coming home, I'm coming out there to get her!"

"Look you dumb backwoods fuck! Ashley ain't going nowhere with you! The only thing you'll get here in Jersey is your mother fucking ass kicked!"

"Is she fucking you? I don't think so! She's saving that for me! And when I get there I'm gonna take it!"

You ain't never putting your fucking hands on her ever again! So if you're coming here go ahead and pick yourself up a fucking body bag because your going to need it!"

John slamned the phone down and unplugged it.

Ashley was crying and almost hysterical.

"It's okay baby."

"Why would she give him my number? Oh my God he probably knows right where I am."

"I won't let him hurt you! I promise. I'll kill him first! Come here."

He took her in his arms and held  her as she cried.