Chapter 29

Jon saw his mother standing in the doorway, a glass of wine in her hand.  He could tell she was in rare form, by the way she held her body, like a fighter preparing for a fight.

“Well it’s time you got home.” Carol said in a slightly slurred voice. After dropping her first bomb, she turned and walked back into the house.

“Well mom, I am over 55 years old, I can be out as late as I want.”  Jon mumbled as he followed his mother into his house.

Jesse watched his father, and grandmother, walk into the house. Grabbing his bag, he started to follow his dad, but was stopped by his grandfather.

“It’s about to blow up in there Jess, I’d get your sister and brothers and head out to the airstream and ride it out.”  His grandfather told him.  “I’ll put your bag on the steps.” John Sr. took his bag out of his hand.

“I figured out that much.” Jesse informed his grandfather.

“I herded Steph and the boys, into the kitchen when your dad pulled up with Colleen.”  John Sr. told him.

Jesse went into the kitchen and saw his siblings.

“Grand pop said we might want to head out to the trailer till the storm blows over.”  Jesse said as he came in.

“Storm, more like world war three, Grand ma hasn’t stood still except when she filled her glass.”  Stephanie said standing up and pocketing her cell phone.

“Come on guys,” Jesse said as he held the backdoor open for his siblings. “We got enough food in the trailer to do till in the morning.”

Jon followed his mother as she headed to the stairs.

“Let’s get this over with.” Jon said.

“What is there to get over with Jonny?”  Carol said turning like a grand dame of the old Hollywood cinema days.

“I don’t know Ma, maybe like you quit trying to run my life?”  Jon asked. 

‘And the first missile has been launched’ John Sr. thought as he made a U-turn to hide in the kitchen.  By the look and the hissed in breath his wife took, it was a direct hit.

“I don’t try and run your life, I only want what is best for you and the children.” Carol sniffed.

“Oh turn off the crocodile tears Ma, they won’t work anymore.”  Jon walked over to the bar in the den and poured a shot of Jack into a highball glass and tossed it back.  “Why did you do it Ma? You treat Colleen and her parents like they’re less than us?”

It was the first time where he ever saw his mother morph into her regal demeanor.   Like she forgot the background lifestyle she and his father came from.

“Well Jonny, they are.”  Carol said in a matter of fact way.

“No Ma, they aren’t any better than you and dad are,” He took a breath before fairing the next shot.  “I’m the millionaire, I’m the rock star with a band, and I sell out arenas.”  He poured a larger shot, all the while watching the fallout of what he said, washed over her.

“If you can’t be nice to Colleen and her family, I’ll have a driver here in the morning to take you and dad home.  I can’t let this happen.”  Jon waited for her reply, he could almost see the wheels spinning in her head.  How was she going to get herself out of this and still try and run his life?

“But Jonny,” His mother started to speak.

“No buts mom, I have really strong feelings for Colleen, and you are not going to cause problems for her. You have till nine in the morning to let me know if you can agree to my terms.”  He paused to see the words sink in. 

When she just sat there, he turned and took his glass to the kitchen.  Seeing his dad at the counter he stopped.

“You heard?”  He asked his dad.

“I heard, I don’t know what she said or did, I don’t even think Cullen knows.”  Mr. Bongiovi said.

“I do,” He went and sat with his dad.  “Seems Mom played the diva at the club and thought Colleen’s Mom was the help.”

“Oh hell.”  Mr. Bongiovi shook his head.  “I’ll take her home tomorrow, I don’t want to put Cull and his wife on the spot.”

Jon nodded his head in agreement.

“Son, I think I’ll take her to Miami for the winter, give you and Colleen time to see where this is going.  I want you happy Jonny and she seems to have brought the spark back in your life.”

Jon smiled.  “I’m writing again.”

“Great Jonny. I’ll call Cull tomorrow and apologixe to him and his wife.”  Mr. Bongiovi said as he got up from the table.  “The kids are out in the trailer, thought it would be safer.”

“Thanks dad, I’ll go talk to them.”  Jon said as he put his glass in the sink and headed to the door.  “If I’m not here in the morning, I’ll call you later.  I think its best that I’m not here when you two leave.”

“I agree Jonny.”  Mr. Bongiovi said as he headed up the stairs.

Taking a deep breath, Jon headed out the back door, to the airstream trailer he had parked out by the pool.  Music could be heard coming out the open windows and doors.

Tapping on the door frame Jon entered the trailer.

“Hi dad, did you and Grandma, get things settled?”  Stephanie asked her dad.

“For the time being, I think its best she and Grandpa head back to the city.”  Jon told the kids.  “I can’t have her being rude to Colleen and her family, when she was the one to make a mistake.”

The older kids nodded in agreement, the younger two had questions.

“What did she do to Colleen’s parents?”  Jake asked.  This was his teacher’s family, and he liked them.

“She had mistaken Colleen’s mom for part of the clubs staff and treated her as such.”  Jon answered Jake’s question.

“Played the diva, huh dad?”  Stephanie asked, already knowing the answer.  She had seen her grandmother behaving like this in the past.

“Yes, but I hope our little talk tonight cleared it up some.”  Jon told the kids.

“We all liked the O’Sullivan family, Colleen’s mom is a great cook.”  Stephanie said and the two younger boys nodded.  “You missed a great dinner, Jesse.”

“It was good wasn’t it?”  Jon said, remembering the two big plates he ate.

“Can’t wait for Thanksgiving.”  Jesse told them.

“You guys might want to bunk out here tonight, at least till your grandparents take off in the morning.  It’s not going to be pretty.”  Jon told them.

“You going back to Colleen’s, dad?”  Stephanie asked.

“Yeah, I need to give her the heads up, that my parents are going to Miami for a while.”  Jon said as he snatched a chip out of the bowl on the table.

“We’ll sleep out here, I don’t want to mess with her in the morning either.”  Stephanie said, watching her brother’s nod in agreement.

Grabbing another chip, Jon stepped out of the trailer and pulling his car keys out of his pocket he headed to the garage.  Deciding on the Chevelle, he listened to the engine purr, while his mind went to Colleen, and whether she purr tonight or show her claws?

It didn’t take him long to turn into the parking lot of the bar, glancing to see if the lights were still on upstairs.  Getting out of the car he pulled his phone out of his pocket, smirking as he heard the new ringtone she must’ve added after she let him out earlier.

Have A Nice Day stopped and he heard her ask, “Jonny?”

“Want some company?”  Jon said leaning on the trunk of the car?

“Yeah, are you on the way?”  She asked.

He could hear her shuffling papers and was that a bed spring squeak?  “Look out the door.”  He told her.  It wasn’t long before the upstairs door opened and he could see her silhouetted in the door frame. They disconnected the call at the same time, as Colleen watched Jon come up the stairs to where she stood. Wrapping her arms around his waist and lifting her lips to meet his.