Chapter 6

I apologize for being so late. The last few months have been bad for me. I had Dental Surgery in November, December I was busy trying to get my Verizon Discount back on my phone, January  I went on my first cruise since 2007 and February I have been taking orders for my alma mater and helping my friend who had surgery and being sick and my editor being sick, this is the first time we have both been healthy enough to get it done. So Here it is Enjoy.
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Jon froze at the venom coming from his son’s mouth.  What the hell?  All the puzzle pieces were falling into place.  He took a breath, Jake wasn’t upset that he was dating, just that he was dating his teacher

“Jake, you knew I was dating Colleen, you seemed happy about it.” Jon said as he walked into the room, and pulled out the desk chair and straddled it.

“But you didn’t say it was Ms. O’Sullivan, my phone lit up like the fourth of July.” Jake complained as he sat up in bed. 

“Sorry Jakey, I actually didn’t put it all together until you mentioned it but I like going out with Colleen, do you think you can you give us a chance?”  Jon asked his son.   He really did like going out and talking with Colleen, the kiss was just the cherry on top.

“The guys at school are already saying that you’re doing this to mess with me.”  Jake told him.  Just the idea of his dad and his teacher made him want to hurl. “I don’t know Dad.”

“Guess what pal, the world doesn’t always revolve around you!  Now get some sleep, we’ll talk more about it tomorrow.  We have lunch at grand dads and Grand ma’s.”  Jon said as he got up and returned the chair back at the desk, glancing back at Jake.

Jake tried to get comfortable again, but all he could think about was how his friends had ribbed him about his dad and Ms. O’Sullivan, they even sent him a YouTube links to Van Halen’s video of ‘Hot For Teacher’.  Monday was going to be Hell at the Prep.

Jon walked down to his room and noticed the light was on. Both Stephanie and Jesse were in his room waiting, not a good sign.

“You two didn’t need to wait up.”  Jon said as he walked in.  Pulling the wallet and loose change out of his pocket, he placed them in the dish on the bedside table.

“So…Pops, Your Colleen and Jakes Ms. O’Sullivan are one in the same?”  Stephanie asked her father, who ignored her and went into his closet.

“It would seem so.”  Came their father’s voice from the confines of the huge walk-in closet.

“You really didn’t know she was his teacher?”  Jesse asked as he looked at his sister, who shrugged her shoulders. “When did you find out?”

“When Jake confronted me a few minutes ago.”  Jon said as the changed out of his dress slacks and sweater, pulling on sweat shorts and undershirt he wore to bed at night.  Coming out of the closet he headed to his bathroom. 

“He’s not very happy as you can see.”  Stephanie got up and went into his closet and put her dad’s clothes in the hamper, noticing the smell of women’s perfume.  Coming out of the closet she sat on the foot of the bed.

“No really? And I thought the stink eye I got when I went into his room earlier was the look of love.”  Jon sarcastically replied as he washed his face.  Then he remember how good Colleen felt in his arms and how great her lips tasted on his, and forgot his son’s anger.  If they hadn’t stepped apart when they did, he was sure they would have tested out that canopy bed.

“What are you going to do?”   Jesse asked his dad.

“I’m going to keep seeing Colleen, Jake’s just going to have to learn deal with it! Beside, his friends are going to tease him, no matter who I dated.  He’s probably get it worse if I was dating one of their mothers.”  Jon came out of the bathroom and stretched and ran his older two out of his bed.

“Well, I’m happy you found someone to date Dad.  Lunch with Grandma and Gramps tomorrow?”  Stephanie asked as she headed for the door.

“Yeah, He started a pot of sauce and he and Uncle Tony want to try out some recipes on us.   Hey Steph, thanks for watching the boys tonight.” He said as she headed toward her room, waving off his thanks.

Jesse watched his dad, he knew that it was time for him to get back to the real world.  The strain of what he went through with their mom, had worn him down.  He knew he hadn’t written anything in months, and that was so not like hia dad.

“So you had a nice time with Ms. O’Sullivan?” Jesse propped his feet up on the bed from his seat in the chair by his fathers bed.

“Yeah we had a great dinner and then Johnny put on a great show.  We took the coast drive,” he told is son, as he knocked his feet off the bed.  “We had the top down and it, well it was a great first date.”  He sat down on the side of the bed.

“So you think you two will be seeing each other again?”  Jesse let his feet off the bed, crossing his feet at the ankles.

Jon thought about how he had left Colleen, he was pretty sure they might see each other again, He knew he would see her at the games, she would be there with the drill team.  That made him smile.  Maybe he’d get a picnic basket lunch at the deli, give the boys time to get more use to Colleen being around the family.

“I’d like too.”  Jon gave his son and honest answer, “Jake will have to get used to it.”

“Some of his buddies were really teasing him about you and his teacher, I think if they had been out at the park, someone would have had a busted lip.”  Jesse chuckled a little.

“How would you have reacted to me dating one of your professors?” Jon leaned back on the headboard and watched his older boy sweat it out.

“Well if she looks like Miss O’Sullivan I might’ve given you a run for your money.”  Jesse laughed.  “Yeah I looked over Jakey’s shoulder when he got all those calls from his buddies.”

“So he really got ribbed by his buddies?”  Jon asked as he pulled on his glasses and pulled out his iPad. 

“Oh man, ribbed, picked on, the works. I’d hate to be in his shoes on Monday at good old Prep.”  Jesse got up and sat by his dad so he could look over his shoulder.  “Does she know about how nutty some of your fans can be?  She might have a hit on her already.”

“I only have out three restraining orders, so she should be safe.”  Jon rolled his eyes at his son’s teasing.  He pulled up Google first and there they were.  They looked really good together.  The photobomb ones at dinner were funny, he never noticed anyone taking their picture.  Of course the ones at the Pony were the best, he never even noticed he had put his chin on her shoulder at one point. He must’ve been telling her he was going on stage soon.  He didn’t even remember smiling so much.  There were a few that made his smile even bigger.

Jesse watched his dad flip from one picture to another.  Pulling out his phone he pulled up Facebook to see how the “Girls” were handling the news.  Yep there were the faithful few who said it was nice to see him out again. That he needed to get back into the world.  Little did they know, well some of them knew, what hell he had been through over the last few years.  Two years not even writing a single lyric, not even touching the guitar at all.  Maybe this will spark a whole passion in his dad, he could only hope.

“I’m gonna hit the sack, what time is lunch tomorrow? I gotta get back to South Bend, so I won’t miss Monday’s practice.”  Jesse said getting off the bed heading to the door. 

“Lunch at one, don’t get into trouble with Coach.”  Jon said without looking up from the pictures.

Jesse laughed to himself, his dad had it bad.

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As they headed to his parents place, he had to warn to kids not to tell his Mom about Colleen.  He looked over at Jake who hasn’t spoken to him since last night.

They had made it through lunch and Jesse’s leaving when Matt opened his big mouth and his mother turned on to him.

“Jon Francis!”  Carol Bongiovi zeroed in on him like a heat seeking missile.

“Thanks a fucking lot Matty.”  Jon punched his brother in the shoulder and rolled his eyes.