Chapter 5

Worth the wait I hope.

Alice Faye
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“Hi” Jon said once his brain reconnect from his dick.  She was beautiful, all that long red hair and those big emerald green eyes, the painted on jeans just added to sexiness.

“Hi” Colleen took in the handsome man standing at her door.  “Let me get my jacket and we can go.”  She told him as she let him in.  “Would you like a glass of wine? I have a bottle out breathing on the counter?”

“I think we have time for a drink.  You might want to add a scarf to that jacket though, it’s such a nice drive I thought we’d keep the top down.”   Jon found the bottle and the two glasses on the counter between the kitchen and the living room.  His favorite vintage, he noted as he poured the glasses and took then into the living room.  The room was radiating comfort, the sofa with the matching chairs and coffee table made up the furniture ensemble aside for the desk that was facing the window.  A total difference from his place, no decorator did this place, but it was one hundred percent Colleen.

“Good, I’ll grab a scarf,” She called from down the hall.

Her voice drew his attention down the hall, where the door was open and he going a glimpse of a canopy bed and a very girly bedroom. 

He watched her come out of the bedroom with a scarf that reminded him of one his wife had, he couldn’t remember the designer, maybe on Kenneth or Vera gave it to her.

Picking up her glass she sipped it, sat beside him on the sofa.

“How was your day, everything what you thought it would be?”  He asked her this about every night they talked.

“Well, the kids seemed to be slower getting out of the summer vacation frame of mind.” She sipped her wine.  “It starts getting harder this coming week.  They will get their first writing assignment on Monday and they’ll have a week to get it done.  I want to see how they do with a deadline.”  She sipped her wine again and though about asking about his son Jacob Hurley.  When the young man came into her class she about forgot what she was saying to her assistant.  He was like a younger version of his father.  Even googling him, on the school computer she wondered what this would do to her dating his father.

They chatted over a glass of wine, about his plan to start writing again, maybe a small tour, to get his feet back on the road.  He checked his watch, as he sat his glass down.  “I made reservations, we better get going.”  She took the glasses into the kitchen and came out to find him waiting at the door.

He helped her on with her jacket and waited while she locked the door.  They got down to the car and always the gentleman, Jon held the car door for her and then went and got in the car.  He actually dropped the keys when he went to start the car.  Starting the car he backed out of her driveway, as she tied the scarf over her head.

Maybe having the top down was a bad idea, because talking was nearly impossible

Colleen took in the sights on the drive heading to Asbury Park.  Once they got off the Garden State Parkway that is.  Thinking of when they were leaving her apartment, she tried not to laugh as he dropped his keys. Was she as nervous as he was?

They pulled into the parking lot, and Jon he turned the car over to the parking valet. He came around to open her door and helped her out.  Grabbing the ticket from the valet he placed his hand in the small of her back to walk her into the restaurant, he felt a small tingle in his fingertips, this felt right.

The hostess walked then to a quiet corner booth, Colleen took in all the little quirks of the restaurant.  From the drippy candles in the wine bottles to the red table cloths.

Their order was taken and the wine bottle placed on the table.  Colleen had never enjoyed a first date before.  They laughed and talked till it was time to go to the show.  Jon took her hand as they left the restaurant. He seemed more assure of himself as the night wore on.

“It’s such a nice night, why don’t we walk down the boardwalk?”  Jon asked as he let her hand go so he could help her on with her jacket. 

“That sounds great, your car will be okay, won’t it?”  Colleen asked him as he took her hand again. 

Jon knew his car was safe, he had always parked at the restaurant when he came down to play with Southside and the Jukes. 

When they got down to the Stone Pony, Jon walked them into the artist entrance.

“Man the world must be coming to an end, the Kidd is here tonight.”  Came the voice of John Lyons otherwise known as Southside Johnny.  “And who is this sexy hot redhead you brought for me to corrupt?”  John took Colleen’s hand and brought it to his lips.

Jon knew this was coming, leave it up to Johnny to make a move on my date.  Jon crossed his arms and gave his mentor and friend the famous stink eye.

“Get your hands off my date Lyons.”  Jon called out, noticing the heads turning and the flash from the camera lighting the backstage area. Well that got it out in the open I have a date.

John Lyons held his hands up and backed away.

“The hands are off Kidd, and welcome back to the living.” 

Colleen watched the mood quickly shift around them, to the point where she was nearly blinded by the flash’s popping off around them.

Shit, way to go Bongiovi, she’ll never go out with you ever again.  Jon watched Colleen look around at the people watching them.  She moved back closer to him.

“Colleen O’Sullivan this loud and obnoxious person is John Lyons, otherwise known as Southside Johnny, my mentor and friend.”  Jon did the introductions.

“Ah, Miss O’Sullivan, welcome to the madness of Rock and Roll.”  He started to reach out for her hand again, but the stink eye he was getting from his friend made him pull back.

“Nice to meet you,” She smiled up at John.  They followed him into the dressing room.

Just the band members were in there, someone pressed a beer in her hand. She wasn’t a beer drinker, she carried around and sat it down. She saw a plant in the room, if the beer returned to her hand, it would be poured into the plant.

John and Jon was talking set list, and when he would be called up on stage. After watering the plant with another beer, they were called to the stage and Jon and Colleen were escorted to the audience standing near the stage.  They stood side by side, until the crowed started moving closer to the stage, Jon pulled Colleen in front of him.

It just seemed natural for Jon to put his hands on her shoulders.  Colleen was a dancer and kept brushing up against him.  Jon stepped back when he started to get aroused. That was all he needed, was for Southside to call him on stage with a boner.  He was actually enjoying being with Colleen, it was different from being with Dotty.

Colleen hadn’t got pissed when people came by the table, she had even taken the picture for the fans.  This was a huge difference between Dotty and Colleen. Dotty would’ve had a sour look on her face and made huffing sounds. Granted the fans who came up, once they got their picture and autograph, they moved on.  Maybe it was all so new to Colleen, she didn’t know this was going to happen every time, and he knew it was Every time they would go out in public.

He noticed that when the paparazzi went haywire when he had called her his date, her eyes had blinked repeatedly.  But she never freaked out or got pissed off.  This was starting out to be a totally new world in his life. He was going to kid her about how she was getting the plant in the room drunk.  He had to hide his chuckle when she had dumped the third and fourth drink in the poor potted plant.

Jon was so into his thoughts of Colleen, that he almost missed his call from Johnny to come on stage. His name had been called twice to the stage before Colleen had nudged him.

“That’s sweet Colleen, get your man up here. Damn Kidd, can you get your ass up here.”  Johnny Lyons laughed as Jon finally made his way to the stage.  “Never had to call your name three times to get you on stage in the past. I think I love your new woman.”

Jon actually blushed a little and he thanked God Johnny had not spoken the last words into the mic.  It was bad enough he had missed a cue for the first time since he started in the music business.

Colleen was really enjoying herself.  She had never been a “fan” girl, but here she was dancing and laughing at a concert.  Her students would be shocked to see her shaking her hips and bopping to The Southside Johnny and the Jukes.

Jon enjoyed watching Colleen enjoy the two songs, and when he got off stage, they left before the last song.  As they walked to where his car was parked, he held her hand.  He really didn’t want the night to end.  On the drive home they talked and laughed, and as they pulled up to her apartment he wondered if she would ask him in, would he like that?  Should he kiss her goodnight at the door? Damn he hadn’t dated in over thirty years.  He got out and went around to help her out of the car, then walked her to the door.

Colleen pulled her keys out of her bag and turned to him.

“I had such a great time,” she watched his reaction.  “Would you like to come in for some coffee?”

“I had a great time too, and I would love a cup.”  Jon smiled and followed her into her apartment. 

As she went to the kitchen, he looked around at the small living room again, taking in how homey it was.  The room was her and very eclectic, the small love seat sofa and the overstuffed armchair looked like it had been handed down through her family, well loved.  Her sound system was top of the line, and she had everything from the fifties to current hits.  Family pictures were everywhere, even a few snapshots of her new niece.  He got back around the room to the sofa, when she came out with two coffee mugs.

“Strong and dark.” She handed him one of the mugs that said, world’s best teacher.  

“The only way to drink it” He took his mug to the sofa and sat down. 

Colleen joined him on the sofa.  This felt right, the two of them.  They talked about plans for the next weekend if he was free of band commitments, there was a Game and would they go together or did unless she’d have to be there early to set up the concession stands. 

Soon it was time for Jon to head home. As they stood on the porch he brushed his hand to her cheek with his fingertips.  “It’s been so long since I dated, do they still kiss good night on the first date?” 

Colleen smiled and leaned into his hand, and leaned forward.  “I don’t see anything wrong with a kiss good night.”  She raised on her tip toes and offered her lips to his. 

His lips brushed hers, his other hand came up to hold her close.  Little nipping of her lips till the opened for his questing tongue. On its own accord, one of her arms went up to slip around his neck the other went to his waist.

They both stepped back to break the kiss.  “I’ll call you.”  He told her as he walked out to his car.  He thought about her and the kiss all the way home.  He liked the way she fit into his arms, and they fact that she didn’t go running when the flash bulbs about blinded them.  He pulled the car into the garage and headed across the street to the apartment.  Thank God the reporters hadn’t been here when he got home. 

Heading into the elevator he waited for it to stop on his floor.  He entered the quiet apartment, he smiled that they had actually kept it pretty cleaned up. Turning out the lamp he headed to his bedroom, he stopped to check on the boys. Romeo, had kicked his covers off. He pulled them up, as he looked down at his youngest son’s face.  Hard to believe he was almost twelve. 

Moving down to Jake’s room, he noticed a light under the door.  Walking in, he found his son giving him the stink eye.

“Are you dating my teacher?”  Jake scolded his dad.