Chapter 50: The Favor

John pulled up at the Galaxy club and of course Richie was nowhere to be found. He got out and went inside.

"Hi Johnny. Harold is in the back office, he came in looking for you." Kristen smiled at John, noticing how hot he looked today.

"Thanks Kristen." John walked to the back.

"Hey Harold, are you looking for me?" 

"Yeah, I need you to do me a favor."

"Okay sure."

"Look I normally have a guy that does all of this for me but he's gotten into a bit of trouble with his ol' lady. It seems he's been arrested for assaulting her. It's a few deliveries. I'm coming to you, because I know I can trust you to be discreet."

"Yeah sure Harold, anything you need."

"Look I have a van out back. It's gassed up and ready to go. There's a paper in the glove box, that lists where you take each box and the addresses. All the boxes are numbered."

"Okay. I can do that."

"Take Richie with you. And everything should be cool. But don't take any shit. If anybody gives you any trouble. Just let me know."

"Sure Harold. We can get that done for you."

"Don't worry about anything here at the club today. Just make the deliveries and you can go home."

"Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah, when you get finished. Come back here and see me and I'll pay you for all your trouble."

"Okay thanks Mr. Harold."

"Isn't that band contest coming up in a few weeks, you've been talking about in Philly? Did you get a band together yet?"

"Yes and I'm trying, but  everybody's so damn flaky. Nobody's wanting to come off of the 100 dollar individual fee to enter."

"Well look. Get everybody you want to join your band, and I will sponsor all of you. I think you have what it takes kid, and I'd like to see you go all the way!" Harold grinned looking at John with pride. He didn't have a son, but if he did, he would want him to be just like John.

"Thanks so much Mr. Harold, I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. Just go win the whole damn thing. Here's the keys to the van. Everyone is expecting you."

"I really appreciate it. You don't know what it means to me. I need to go call Richie." John walked up front to the bar to use the phone.

He dialed Richie's number and his frustration was building.

"Hello." Richie answered hung over and feeling terrible.

"What the fuck are you still doing there? You're supposed to be here! We had more painting to get done today!"

"I'm sorry man. I had a wild night with a chick and I'm burned out!"

"You better get your dead ass up here! Harold has a job for us making some deliveries! And he's going to pay us and you better not fuck this up!"

"Okay I'll be there in a couple minutes!" Richie grumbled listening to the pounding in his head.

John slammed the phone down in Richie's ear. He shook his head pissed that Richie wasn't coming in at all, if he hadn't called him. After he stuck his neck out for him to get hired.

Ashley arrived at the Fast Lane and Bret was there to greet her. 

"Hey baby. You are going to love your new office. It's right next to mine. You look great. How do you manage to look better everyday?"

"Oh hush Bret. I heard you have a new lady in your life, to give all those compliments to."

"Well I can't be with the blonde I want to be, so I had to settle for somebody else. Her name is Lacey."

"Lacey? Why do all your girlfriends have stripper names?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's where I meet them." I like the way they dance on that pole!" He put his sunglasses on and grabbed a hat off the counter and started dancing around like a stripper and Ashley started laughing.

"Please stop before you hurt yourself!" She giggled.

He smiled. "So you think you could do better?"

"Oh I know I could." She pointed her finger in his face. "But I'm not showing you!"

"You knew I was going to ask you to prove it!" Bret laughed.

"Where did you meet this girl?"

The Candy Store, of course. It's my home away from home. She quit dancing there  though."

"Why do you hang after strippers when you could do so much better?"

"Look Ash, you don't have any right to question me about my girlfriends when you don't give a damn what I think about that asshole you're with."

"I'm sorry Bret. I just know your a great guy and I wish you would meet a good girl, not all these sleazy strippers."

"Look I'm not trying to settle down. All I want is to have a good time. And that's all they want. What's your plan? Are you going to settle down with a dude, that his claim to fame is being in a damn cover band?"

"I'm not settling down with anybody! And the Rest is not just a cover band! John writes his own songs!"

"Yeah I've heard his heartbreak specials. You know that ain't the music you like!" He laughed.

"I love his music, especially the song he wrote just for me!"

"What about the song I wrote for you?" He gave her a serious look.

"I love that one too." She smiled at him. "Now show me my office."

"Okay follow me."

They walked to the back and her office was right next to his and it had a door that connected the two.

The office was huge and he smiled at the surprised look on her face.

"Oh my God! How did you do this?"

"This used to be the main office. But the last club manager was using it for storage. All this furniture was down in the basement."

"Wow Bret, It's beautiful! I love it!" She hugged him before she even realized what she was doing. It felt a little awkward to be in his arms instead of John's, so she let him go and took a step back.

Bret sensed her awkwardness and walked to the door. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Okay thanks." He left and she sat in her big desk chair and spun it around.

John sat down at the bar waiting for Richie.

"I know you'll be interested in this Johnny." Kristen smiled with excitement looking at him.

"What is it?" John looked over at her.

"My sister works at the Plaza Hotel in the city and she said Steven Tyler has booked a room for the next 10 days."

"Really? I wonder what for? Aerosmith doesn't have a gig or anything coming up."

"I don't know but I'm going there after work to hopefully bump into him."

John laughed. "You mean to bump into his bed."

"I'd so do it with him! He wouldn't even have to ask me!" She giggled.

"Wow it's statements like that that make me glad a chose music for my career." He chuckled.

"Oh I'd do it with you too Johnny!" She grinned looking at him.

John registered what she said. He looked away and chose to ignore it, but smiled a little on the inside, knowing that she had admitted she would sleep with him, if he wanted to.

"Can I get a orange juice?" He asked playing around with some cards, that were sitting on the bar.

"Sure." She poured it and sat it down.

Richie walked through the door looking like a pile a yesterday's shit.

John laughed. "Wow you're total mess. Looks like some woman really worked you over. Do you have enough hickeys on your neck?"

"They're everywhere." Richie looked at John and grinned. "Even down below."

"Sounds like you had a wild night. I thought you were going home last night."

"I stopped for a beer and this girl was at the bar. She took me back to her place."

"How was it?"

"Fucking awesome. She did things to me I didn't know was even possible."

"Really? You going to see her again?"

"I think so, she wants me to come back tonight for round 2."

John didn't even know why but this was pissing him off. 

"Really?  You look like you barely made it out of round 1."

"I did though, but she really fucked me down! But I'm addicted now. I just can't get enough!" He laughed.

"Look cut the shit Richie! I know you were with Angela last night!" John had an angry look on his face.

"So what is your damn problem? When the hell did you start caring who I fuck?"

"I don't give a shit who you fuck but you need to stay away from Angela!"

"Why you ain't still getting any from her!"

"Look it's complicated. But I don't want you with her!"

"No you can't put claim on girls you don't even want!" Richie was getting pissed.

"She ain't a girl, she's a woman! And you need to respect she was with me first!" John started getting louder.

"Well you need to respect the girl your with now, and leave the woman and all her needs to me!" Richie wasn't backing down. Hell, John already had the ultimate girl. The one Richie really wished he could be with. He couldn't let John start laying claim to all of them.

"Look you don't know what your messing with Richie! You're in way over your head!"

"We went at it all night! I think I've got a pretty damn good idea what I'm dealing with!"

"You don't know what she wants Richie! It takes a lot to please her!"

"Oh I did just fine! She told me she never had it so good!"

And there it was. He was being compared to Richie in her bed. And she told him Richie was better. This ate John alive. He picked up a cigarette and lit it up and finished his orange juice with a scowl on his face.

"Come on we've got to go!" He slammed the glass down on the bar, put his cigarette out, and bolted for the door.

They went out back and spotted the van.

 John pulled the keys out and unlocked it. They climbed inside.

"Look at that list will ya? And tell me where the hell we're going." John directed, cranking up the van.

Richie looked at the list. "The first one is at the auto body place over on 8th Avenue."

As he continued reading the list, Richie started grinning.

"What is it?"

"The last delivery is at one of my personal favorite places!" He chuckled.

"Where?" John asked switching lanes.

"The Candy Store." He smiled. "I wonder what the hell Harold is delivering to a strip club?" Richie asked, still looking at the list.

"Hell if I know and I don't care. I just want to get this shit done. Harold said we can have the rest of the day off and I want to get back home."

"Is Ashley there waiting for you?" Richie asked a little disappointed just thinking about it.

"No she started working at the Fast Lane today."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that."

"I know she's tired we were up late." John grinned.

"Oh yeah?" Richie replied, but he knew by John's grin, he didn't want to know about it. He sure didn't need any details.

"Yeah Ashley might be a little freaky herself." John smiled.

"Okay spill it." Richie's mind was running wild. 

"We did it out on the beach, right in the open last night."

"Really are you serious? Right in the sand?" Richie questioned, but not really wanting to know.

"Yep we had sand all over us. But it was so awesome. Just the thought that we could get caught at any minute, made it so intense! It was so damn hot!"

"Wow that doesn't sound like Ashley at all." Richie turned to look out the window. He wished he didn't know what went on with her and John last night.

They pulled up at the shop and looked at the list to see what package to take in. There was an old guy behind the desk and he took the package. He thanked them and they walked back out to the van.

"One down five to go." Richie announced getting back in the van.

They pulled up in Tom's River at a restaurant that everybody knew tough guys for the mob hung out at.

"Damn are we really going in there?" Richie asked looking up at the two story building.

"Yeah come on." John grabbed the package and walked up to the door and opened it. An older large man was sitting at a table up front and some younger guys in suits were standing around at the bar. Richie and John walked up to him and laid the package on the table and continued trying to act tough.

"Hello boys. You must be the new guys working for Harold.

"Yes sir." John replied looking around. Having a hard time believing he was talking to a real gangster much less a legend like Carl Martolini. Everyone in Jersey knew who he was. 

"Are you boys hungry? Sit down we have plenty!"

John was scared to say no. They sat down and two plates appeared in front of them. They ate until they were stuffed. And Carl laughed when they couldn't hold anymore.

"What are your names?" "He looked at both of them. 

"I'm Johnny Bongiovi and this is Richie Sambora."

"Is your Dad John Bongiovi?"

"Yes." John replied nervously, not knowing why he was asking.

"Okay I know him through Harold, he's a stand up guy."

"Thanks." John was glad he seemed to like his Father.

He looked at Richie are you related to Reggie Sambora?"

"No sir, Adam Sambora is my Father." Richie replied confidently.

"Okay good. Me and Reggie have some problems. I can't say I know your Father."

Richie gave out a little sigh of relief, that he didn't have a problem with his family.

"How old are you Johnny?"

"I'm 18 sir." John replied.

"You are my daughter's age. I bet she would just love you. Her name is Gina Martolini? Do you know of her?" 

"No sir sorry I don't know her." 

John didn't know her, but Richie was bursting at the seams. He certainly knew who Gina Martolini was.

"Well maybe I can fix you two kids up sometime. She needs a change from the losers that find their way to my doorstep."

John didn't know what to say but he didn't want to piss off a mob kingpin.

"Yes sir that sounds good."

"Well I don't want to hold you two up any longer. Come back anytime fellas." Carl chuckled showing them to the door. Here fellas, a tip for your hard work getting my package here. He slipped a hundred dollar bill in each of their hands.

"Wow sir, we can't take that." John shook his head looking at Carl.

"Well if not, you will be insulting me. Is that something you want to do?" Carl gave John a serious look.

"No sir! Thank you so much! John shoved the big bill in his pants pocket.

"Nice to meet you boys."

"You too sir." John smiled at the older man.

They walked outside and got back in the van.

"Wow we just talked to Carl Martolini!" Richie chuckled looking at his crisp hundred dollar bill.

"I know, I can't believe it either!" John agreed. "Or that he knows my Dad!"

"You've never heard of Gina Martolini?" Richie asked John.

"No, how do you know her?"

"I just know of her. I've seen her in a few clubs. She is totally fine and only dates older guys."

"I guess her Dad isn't happy about that." John grinned looking at his 100 dollar bill.

"Guess not." Richie grinned.

"Where to now?"

"A warehouse in Seaside Heights." 

"Okay."

They finished that delivery and made two more, to a couple of bars and they had one more left.

"Hot damn! Next up the Candy Store. And you don't need any directions, you know damn well where that strip joint is Johnny!"

"Yeah I do."  John cranked up and drove to the outskirts of town. They got out and they lifted two heavy boxes and walked to the door and opened it, and made their way over to the bar. 

"Johnny! You delivering for Alfonsi now?"

"Hi Derek. No I'm just doing him a favor." John replied glancing around the room.

"She ran to the back as soon as she saw you get out of the van. She told me to tell you she doesn't work here anymore." Derek offered up the truth to John.

"I'm not here to see her, only to make this delivery." John answered sort of coldly.

"Well okay then. Can you two take these to the storage room in the back?"

"Sure no problem. John replied and picked up one of the heavy boxes. Richie grabbed the other one and they walked to the back. They walked past the dressing rooms and entered the storage room. They sat the boxes down and walked back into the hallway. He was almost out of the hall when he heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"Johnny wait!"

He turned around to see her. The girl he was hoping to avoid. The girl from his past that used to pull his heart strings for a while.