"John please stop!" Ashley screamed out grabbing his arm. "Let's just leave!"
"You can take any of the limo's back to the Meadowlands to get your car." Eddie looked at Ashley but was secretly hoping to witness a fight. The guy in the suit looked like a punk to him.
Ashley pulled John's face to look at her. "Please come on, let's go."
"Okay let's go." He took her hand and they walked to the door.
"Hey hold up! I'll catch a ride with you guys!" Richie called out.
The three of them walked down and got in the first limo and Richie gave instructions to head back to the Meadowlands.
At first the ride back was fairly quiet. John was deep in thought, about life, Ashley, and the thought of maybe being a daddy.
Richie had thoughts of Stacey swirling around in his head. He wondered if it was too late to call her when he got home.
Ashley was tired. She leaned up against John's shoulder and drifted off to sleep.
"Who was that dude?" Richie whispered trying not to wake Ashley up.
"Just some asshole promising Ash a big modeling career and really just wanting to get in her pants!" He whispered back.
"I thought you were going to jump his shit for sure!" Richie laughed.
"Oh I was! Who fucking comes to a Van Halen party in a fucking three piece suit? Fucking punk!" John laughed.
"Are you going to see Southside at the Pony tomorrow night?" Richie asked knowing John couldn't stay away.
"Yep, I want him to meet Ash. He gave me so much grief about Dot. Always telling me to break up with her. I want to see what he thinks about her."
"I'm thinking about asking Stacey to go, but I'm not sure. She kept talking about Dalton and that is the kiss of death with me. I don't want to hear about your damn ex!"
John laughed. "Yeah no exes for me either."
"And hers is still in town, huh?"
"Yeah he's here, but if he knows What's good for him, he better stay the fuck away from her!" John blurted out, with a very serious look on his face.
"That dude needs to head south quick before he gets another Jersey beat down!" Richie laughed.
"Oh you know it!" John snickered a little too loudly.
Ashley woke up to their laughing. "What are y'all laughing about? Did I snore or something?"
"Hell no, I'd have to get rid of you if you snored!" John laughed. "It was nothing we were just laughing about Jake."
"I need to get some more of my stuff. My Uncle told Stacey, it looks like my Dad is coming home Monday. I can't face him John!"
"You don't have to baby. We'll go over there with you tomorrow to get your stuff. And Jake better stay out of my damn way!" John replied. Still pissed at what he did to Ashley.
"Yeah man I'll go." Richie chimed in. "Ash do you think Stacey would want to go listen to Southside at the Stone Pony tomorrow night?"
"Probably, she loves live music. You're getting smitten with her Richie. I can tell. Y'all would make such a cute couple!" Ashley gushed.
"Oh come on! I'm just talking about a date! Nothing long term! Damn it! Cool your matchmaking jets woman!"
"Well it's just you've both had a rough time lately and I think you would be good together. But you better not hurt her Richie! I'm serious! You don't want to tangle with me, if you do!"
"Dang I haven't done anything and you already want to hurt me. You really are getting like your boyfriend over here. You two are so violent!" Richie laughed.
John started smiling. "Yep she has a violent side for sure."
"Oh hush! You mister have the worse violent side I've seen and you're always getting into it with somebody and threatening to beat their ass!"
"It's true, I'll admit it and I know I ain't that big of a guy, but I got picked on a little in elementary school. Finally I had enough. I had broken my arm falling out of a tree and had a cast on it. This big guy was following me to the bus and he wanted to fight. He ran at me and I turned around and hit him with my cast and busted his mouth open. He never messed with me after that. I just decided, I might get my ass beat but I wasn't taking shit off of anybody ever again."
"Oh John why would anybody pick on you." Ashley questioned with a sad look on her face.
"Mostly because I was a little small for my age and the doctor gave me these dumb orthopedic shoes to wear until I was ten. They were supposed to help me walk better and I hated them!"
"Oh poor baby. They made fun of your shoes?"
"Yeah and a few days a week Ma had me lugging around a damn trumpet case everywhere. She signed me up for lessons across the street from the school."
"Aww I bet you were so cute!" Ashley grinned.
"Well I wanted to be tough, so I started growing my hair out and I took a lot of flack for it from the guys."
"What about the girls?" She asked.
John developed a toothy grin. "Oh they loved it. The first kiss I ever got, she put her hands through it and told me how much she loved my hair."
"How old were you?" She studied his face waiting for a reply.
"Eleven or twelve. We were at the ballfield. We had finished our practice and she had been hanging around. I knew she liked me so I kissed her."
"My God you got started early." She giggled. "So who taught you to french kiss?" She asked him wondering.
"An older girl. I was about twelve and she was an older sister of one of my friends. I stayed over at his house and we watched t.v. out in his garage. He got tired and went to bed and I stayed up and his sister, Mary Jane came home from a party. She was fifteen. We were watching something and she scooted over by me and asked if I knew how to french. I told her yeah, but I didn't know shit!" She started kissing me and stuck her tongue in my mouth. I just went with it. We kissed for a while and I got my first handful of boob." He laughed thinking back on how little he knew then.
"So who was your first kiss?" He asked very curious to what her reply would be.
"I was about thirteen and it was a guy at church camp."
"You went to church camp? John laughed and Richie joined in with him.
"Yeah my Mom made me go! There was this really cute boy. He was really dark and he had long feathered hair and his name was Tommy Bowers. Oh my God I was in love. We had a bonfire one night and he asked me to sit by him, so I did. The next thing I knew he kissed me. We were going together by the end of the night. He was from Georgia and we talked on the phone almost everyday for a while afterwards. He called me one night and told me he had met a girl he wanted to go with from his hometown. Victoria Parker, I'll never forget her name. I remember thinking, she must be the luckiest girl in the world. I was crushed. My heart broken into a million pieces." Ashley explained with some sadness still in her voice.
"His loss, I would have never picked any old Victoria Parker over you." John looked at her and it made her feel warm and fuzzy inside.
Ashley grinned. "Thanks I needed that. Your girlfriend must really be the luckiest girl in the world."
"Oh she is but I don't think she realizes just how lucky she makes me feel."
"Well does anybody want to hear about my first kiss?" Richie asked, ready to spill it.
"Sure go ahead." John replied with a little laugh.
"Well I was about thirteen and had the hots for this chick that came every Friday night to the bowling alley. I really wanted to impress her, so I begged my Mom to let me take bowling lessons. Two days a week for two months I took these damn lessons and entered a tournament and I came in first place. She was the trophy girl and when she gave me mine she smiled at me. We hung out together that night and when she went to leave I kissed her under the big bowling alley sign out front."
"Aww how sweet! What happened, did y'all get together?" Ashley was dying to know.
"Yeah eventually. She was my first real girlfriend for a few months. We broke up for a while and got back together about a year later. We both lost our virginity in the back of my Dads old Nova at the drive in one night. God I haven't thought about Lisa in forever."
"Aww that's sad. She was your first love huh?" Ashley looked at him wondering what happened.
"She's the girl that taught me the ropes and not to trust girls!" Richie blurted out laughing.
"She cheated on you?" Ashley questioned.
"No but she decided she liked a baseball player better than me."
"Aww I'm sorry Richie." She smiled at him hoping he wasn't going to dwell on a bad memory.
"Damn I know how that is man, I lost more than one girl to a damn football player!" John added.
"Well I played football. But this new kid moved here from Texas and he had that whole cowboy thing going on and she fell for it.
Ashley smiled. "Oh a southern cowboy. Well there ain't nothing quite like that." She giggled.
"Wait a minute! You have a thing for cowboys?" John asked knowing he had always wanted to be one.
"What girl doesn't? I mean those tight jeans and boots and oh God the hat!" She giggled.
"Well I can't tell if you playing or not."
"I'm not. I've always had a thing for cowboys."
"Well I've got a cowboy hat you know." He said matter of factly.
"Yeah I know." She grinned.
"And you see I'm wearing my boots."
"Yeah I see." She glanced down with the street lights lighting the interior of the car.
"And these jeans couldn't get any freaking tighter." He tried to grab a hold of the material and it wouldn't budge.
"Oh I love those jeans on you." She glanced down at them.
Then she slowly ran her hand lightly across his thigh.
"I just never thought of cowboys coming from New Jersey. I haven't seen very many horses here. Cowboys have to ride a horse!" She giggled a little.
"Shit yeah baby. Jersey has horses. My Grandma has some horses and I am going to take you back there just to prove I can ride."
"Oh I believe you."
"Tell her Richie!" He insisted.
"Well I've seen a horse throw him off at his Grandma's house!" Richie laughed.
"That was one time! Tell her about the time we rode the horses up the highway!"
"Well I rode mine but Johnny was barely hanging on to his." Richie chuckled.
"Oh no!" Ashley giggled.
"Come on man quit shitting her, you're making me look bad!" John laughed.
"Yeah yeah Ash in all seriousness Johnny thinks he can ride." Richie laughed.
John was starting to get agitated. "You know I can ride! How about I stick this boot up your ass?" He said smiling but only half kidding.
"We are just playing with you John. You put that hat of yours on and you can be my cowboy anytime."
Richie looked out the window. "We're almost there."
"Yeah." John replied looking up.
"Are you guys going home?" Richie asked.
"Yep I'm wiped out. We'll be at the Pony tomorrow night."
"We will?" Ashley asked confused.
"Yeah Southside is playing there. I never miss any of his shows."
"But Dorothea and all her little friends hang out there!" Ashley exclaimed dreading the thought of them running into her again.
"So that won't stop me from seeing Southside and the Jukes! Just ignore her. That's what I'm going to do."
"Okay but I hate being anywhere near her. She always gives me that dirty look of hers."
"Just don't let her get to you. She lives for shit like that. She would love nothing more than to come between us. If we don't let her get under our skin, eventually she will just leave us alone."
"Okay but I hope you're right."
John told the driver to let them out by his car. Richie was parked close by and got out also.
"Grab my poster John." Ashley instructed as she exited the limo.
"Here baby." Now you can look up at this poster on the wall and fantasize about Eddie while we are in bed together." He laughed.
"What makes you think I haven't already been doing that?" She laughed.
"Aww damn! You better not have!" He chuckled. "Or I'll have to bend you over my knee."
"Promises promises. She laughed.
"Let's stop at the diner, I'm starving." John looked at both of them as he dug for his keys.
"Me too." Richie mumbled looking over to find his car.
"Y'all are always starving. The way y'all eat you should be five hundred pounds a piece. Ashley giggled.
"That's my goal baby. To gain a lot of weight and they will start calling me Fat Johnny!" He laughed.
"Oh no you're not!" She grabbed his waist and turned him around.
"Why? You don't love Fat Johnny?" He asked.
"No I'm not gonna be with Fat Johnny!" She giggled.
"Well that ain't fair that you would kick me to the curb because I was fat!" He laughed.
"Oh I would still love you! No matter what you did. You know that."
"Good cause I am sure I would love you no matter what." He leaned down a gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.
"And that's my cue. See you two at the dinner." Richie walked away smiling.
John was studying her face.
"What?" She asked knowing he was thinking about something.
"Do you wish you could of been with Eddie tonight? I know you have had a crush on him and it was obvious he had a thing for you?" He looked into her eyes wanting a truthful answer.
"Gosh being with Eddie was just a fantasy. Every girl dreams of being at the concert and the hot guy in the band notices you and calls you on stage or backstage like tonight."
"Was your fantasy to sleep with him? 'Cause I guess I got in the way of you accomplishing that."
"You know me John Bongiovi. I have only slept with one guy my entire life. And I am absolutely crazy about him. Do you really think I could go back stage and sleep with Eddie Van Halen?"
"Nah not when you have Fat Johnny here waiting for you." He laughed.
She smiled. "I love you John. But even if I hadn't been with you. Nothing would have happened between me and Eddie. He's a nice guy and all. But I couldn't be with him like that. I'm not in love with him and it wouldn't mean anything."
"What if he wanted to make you his girl?" He asked really wanting to know.
"No, he's gone way too much and there are way too many girls chasing after him! I'd be too jealous and worried all the time! I know I couldn't trust him. I couldn't be his girlfriend!"
"Wait what if I go on the road? Are you saying you couldn't be with me? Would you break up with me Ashley?"
"John I don't even want to think about that." She turned away.
He grabbed her face and gently pulled it back to him. "Answer me. Is that your plan? To break up with me if I go out on the road?"
"I don't have a plan, but I don't want to be in your way. I don't want you to feel like you are tied down to me."
"God Ashley you would not be in my way! And I want to be tied down to you!"
"I know what happens on the road and I don't want you sneaking behind my back lying to me and sleeping with sleazy girls!"
"Is that what you're telling me? That you would leave me, if I get a record deal and started touring? Is that why you wouldn't be with Bret, because he was out on the road?" He started getting upset.
"Just stop John!"
"No you answer me! Are you breaking up with my ass if I get signed?" He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her closer.
She looked into his eyes. "I don't know. I love you, but I don't want to hold you back from living out your dream."
"God Ashley. There are two things that I am sure of in this world. That I am going to be a famous rockstar someday and that I want to be with you! So please don't tell me that finally making my dream come true is going to cost me the only girl I have ever really been in love with!"
"I'm sorry. That's why I couldn't be with Bret. He had a big tour lined up and all the girls were crazy about him. I knew it just wouldn't work."
"I'm not Bret! And our relationship is is way more advanced! You never slept with him! Ashley I love you! I know I couldn't live without you! And the thought of you breaking up with me and being back here free to see other people and maybe sleep with somebody else would drive me insane!"
"You would have all those loose girls on the road to keep you company John."
"Sure that was a big deal to me when I started playing. I wanted the girls to be impressed. And sure I have gotten way more girls because I am a musician than I would have if I wasn't! But I can honestly tell you that when we got together, I didn't give a shit about any of that anymore. You are the only girl I want. You are the only girl I need. I can't live without you. Ashley don't you know how much I love you?"
"Yes and love you too. But I don't know if I could sit here waiting for you."
"Let's just drop it for now. It ain't like I've got record companies fighting over me and I ain't going anywhere anytime soon." He half heartedly smiled trying to put her mind at ease.
"They'll be fighting over you someday. I'm sure of it." Ashley tried to smile but in her heart she knew it was only a matter of time.
"Come on Richie's waiting for us." They hopped in the car and drove over to the dinner.
Richie was sitting in his Camaro smoking a cigarette. "I wondered if you had changed your mind about eating."
"No we had to clear the air about something. That's all."
"Just order me a coke. I'm not that hungry. I'm going to the bathroom." Ashley looked at John and started walking to the restaurant.
"Ash wait! You're not just getting a coke you are ordering some damn food! If you don't eat it all you can take it home for later." John yelled out worried about her not eating.
"Okay John calm down! Order me some pancakes and if they have bluberries add them."
"Okay." John replied as she walked into the building.
"Ashley!" She heard her name and turned around as soon as she entered the building.
"Oh hey Shelly." She greeted a girl from work.
"How was the concert?"
"It was great. We had a very good time."
"I'm just waiting for my sister to get off. She needed a ride."
"I'm headed to the bathroom girl. I'll see you Monday."
"Okay bye."
She was in the bathroom stall when she heard the door open and a couple of girls enter the restroom. She thought one voice sounded familiar.
"Oh my God it's Richie and Johnny! What are you going to do? Erica asked Dorothea.
"I'm going over there! That bitch isn't with him and I want to rub it in his face. I know he can tell. I want him to know about my date with Paul."
"Do you think he will really be jealous?"
"Of course!" He's very territorial and he's never liked Paul. He was always very jealous of him in high school. The thought of us going out with him will eat him alive!"
"Okay but don't be disappointed if he doesn't care. You know he's all hung up on her."
"Fuck her. She's not giving him what I am! And he will be back with me soon enough."
"If you say so Dot, but I'm not sure."
They walked out of the bathroom.
"What the hell was that about?" Ashley thought as she walked out of the stall.
She washed her hands and peeked out the door to see Dot standing at John's table and him turning angry yelling at her about something.
"Did the little Princess leave you high and dry for Eddie Van Halen?" She laughed.
"Hell no we all went and partied with the band! She was with me not Eddie!"
"Well I wonder if she will still be with you, if I tell her about this little bun in my oven?"
"You better get the fuck out of here with that shit Dot! I'm warning you! I will tell her my damn self!"
"Well you haven't told her yet and my patience is wearing thin. But my belly is getting bigger everyday and I'm sure even though she is a blonde she will figure it out!" She grinned.
"Don't act like Ashley is dumb or something. She is very smart! Look go the fuck on! She will be back any minute!"
Ashley walked up. "John." She looked at him and then Dorothea.
"Baby here sit down. Dot was just leaving."
"Hi Ashley don't you look special tonight. What about me? Do you notice anything new about me?"
"Nope you look exactly the same to me." She sat down and mumbled. "A bitch." Ashley mumbled under her breath.
John heard it and laughed.
Dorothea looked at Ashley. "What did you just say?"
John looked up at her. "Look Dot we are trying to eat here can you take all your drama somewhere else please?" John looked at her and she could tell he was getting pissed.
"I was just trying to be friendly to your little flavor of the month here!"
"We've been together a lot longer than that so come on and give it a rest!"
"It's late and I have got to get my rest. I've got a big date tomorrow night." Dot cut her eyes at John.
"Well good for you. I'm so happy for you. I hope it all works out." John grinned and it cut her to the core knowing he didn't give a damn what she did.
"Yeah it's with your old buddy from school!" Dot smiled.
"Really who Bobby?" He asked wondering who else of his friends would date her.
"No, Paul Taylor!" She smiled and watched John's eyes instantly flame with jealousy.
"Taylor ain't no damn Buddy of mine!"
"No I guess not, he was more of a jock. Star quarterback, pitcher for the baseball team, and captain of the wrestling team. And you did what? Oh yeah you played in the marching band for a while?" Dot laughed really rubbing it in.
"Can I see you outside?" John looked at her and gritted his teeth.
"I don't know I really need to be going." She looked at him the smirk growing on her face.
John stood up. "I'll be right back Ash." He grabbed Dot by the elbow and hauled her outside.
"Get your damn hand off of me." She gave him an almost evil glare. They got outside and he let her go beside his car.
"Don't you grab me again! You could have hurt the baby!"
"I hardly think you walking outside is going to hurt your baby Dot!"
"Our baby Johnny! This is your child too."
"Look I need you to stop with this shit! If there's a blood test or something I can take later I will. But you can't keep showing up in my life! You are really going to fuck things up royally for me!"
She smiled and put her hand on her belly. "We are giving you your space. That's why I excepted the date with Paul."
"Yeah what the fuck is up with that? Does he know your pregnant?"
"No but if there is a reason to tell him I will."
"Like what? Why the fuck would he need to know?"
"I don't know, if we want to become intimate together, he should know."
"Are you serious? Your first fucking date with him and you are already considering sleeping with that asshole?"
"Why do you care? You told me to move on remember? And you are probably sleeping with your little blonde tramp ever night!"
"What we do is our damn business! She is not a tramp I am the only dude she has ever been with!"
"So she says!" Dot snapped back getting a little angry.
"You don't think I can tell if someone is a virgin or not? How damn dumb do you think I am? Of course she was!"
"I really don't give a shit about her! I have always had a crush on Paul! Ever since the first day of high school!" She smiled.
"Oh that's funny 'cause back in high school when we were together you told me you couldn't stand the dude! I knew you were fucking lying!" He yelled.
"You were so jealous of him I just didn't want to hear it anymore!"
"Are you going to fuck him?" John asked demanding an answer.
"Why does it matter to you? You don't want me anymore!" Dot yelled her emotions going out of control.
"It just does! Okay!" John answered.
"Why?" Dot asked determined to get to the truth.
"Because."
"Because why Johnny?" She asked again.
"Because you're pregnant with my damn kid! That's why! Okay?" John yelled hoping to talk her out this damn date.
The wind was picking up a little and something blowing behind John caught Dot's eye. She smiled a very big satisfying grin as she realized who was standing there.
"Well I guess the secret is out now!" Dot laughed looking at John.
John could tell by the exprssion on her face somebody was there. He developed a big lump in his throat and could barely swallow or breathe as he turned around to face a hurt pair of blue eyes staring back at him.
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