Richie's Friends

Richie reflected on the last couple of days as he was driven to the airport. He was surprised at how he felt that he knew Jennifer for a whole lot longer than he had. When he went to her room this morning, and saw the hungry way in which she looked at him, he wanted to throw caution to the wind and the woman down on the nearest bed and have his way with her. To say he was strongly attracted to her was an understatement. He liked the way she looked, but he loved her personality. She was smart and funny, and just a little bit shy, which he found endearing, then she was so bold, he thought his jaw would drop. But she was real, and seemed to find him real too.

She’d warned him that if he wasn’t careful, she could get attached to him. He had news for her. He was already attached to her. He wanted to bring the guys back to the hotel and ditch them so he could have room-service supper with her in her suite, then maybe sit out on the balcony and watch the stars, maybe play for her.

His musings came to a halt when the car pulled around to the private terminal and came to a stop. When the guys all came out and piled into the limo, damned if they didn’t do what Jennifer said they would and pepper him with questions right away. “Where is she?” David asked.

“My flight was fine, thanks,” he said, rolling his eyes at David. “She wanted to give you guys a chance to talk about her behind her back,” Richie said, laughing. “She’s at her hotel.” He didn’t want to tell them she was in the same hotel, and in fact on the same floor. They wouldn’t leave her alone if he did that.

David’s query kicked off a flurry of questions from all of them that lasted until they got to the hotel. Richie answered everything with smiles and laughter, and none of that went unnoticed by the others. They shared a look.

“What?” Richie said. He saw that.

Jon answered, smiling. “Nothing, man, we’re just glad to see you so happy. She sounds like a great girl.”

“Woman,” Richie said automatically. “She’s no ‘girl’.”

David whistled. “Re-e-e-eally,” he said.

“Don’t go there,” Richie said. “I like her. She’s different. You’d better be nice to her.”

David looked hurt. “Moi?” he said innocently. “I’m a perfect gentleman.”

Richie laughed, and flipped off his friend. The car pulled around to the back of the hotel, and the guys went up the service elevator to their floor. Richie cast a lingering look at Jennifer’s door, and wished he was in there with her. The guys followed Jon into his suite, which was across the hall from Jennifer’s, and took seats around the room.

“So, when do we meet her?” This came from Tico, who had seen Richie’s look and guessed who was behind that door Richie had been staring at, though he didn’t let on.

Richie smiled. “Wednesday night. A friend of hers won a radio contest, and they got backstage passes. She and this other woman will be out and about doing whatever it is women who just met do, but you’ll meet her Wednesday night for sure.”

“Just met?” David said, raising his eyebrows.

“Yeah,” Richie said. “They’re apparently, ugh, they call themselves Jovi Sisters,” he rolled his eyes, “and met on one of the chat boards.”

“They’re going to meet up based on a relationship they started online? That’s just crazy!” David said. “I’ll never understand people who do that – it just can’t be safe. So, when the hell did you meet her?”

Richie cringed. “Uh, well, about that,” Richie said, unsure of where really to start.

Jon looked at him, feeling pity for his friend. “Listen, I sorta got them together. She’s friends with a woman I know, and I talked with Jennifer, and thought she sounded like a good match for Rich. I passed along her number, and the rest took care of itself.” Richie mouthed ‘thank you’ to Jon.

“This 'woman you know',” David latched on to this bit. “is she the woman from Texas?

“Yeah, what of it?” Jon answered.

David saw something in Jon’s expression he didn’t want to test. He knew a little bit about how Jon'd come to know the Texan, and felt bad about what he'd said before about online relationships. “Nothing, nothing, just asking. So, what’s she look like, Rich?”

“Leave it to you to ask the shallow question,” Richie laughed. "I'm surprised it took you this long." He went to his computer and dialed up his email. He opened the one from Jennifer with all the photos attached, and double-clicked the biker picture.

“What’s this?” Tico asked, looking at the woman’s email address. “Why is this name familiar, this Goddess Hathor person?”

Richie paled, but shrugged. “I dunno. Anyway, here she is with her bike, and here’s another with her brother.”

“Jesus,” Tico said. “Her brother is HUGE! Wait, is she wearing heels in this picture? Or is she really that tall?”

“Yeah,” Richie said. “She is really that tall. Nearly as tall as me.” The others were looking at him expectantly. “And she’s got gray eyes, though in this picture they’re blue, and I’ve seen her with green. You see she’s got blonde hair, it hangs down past her ass, and she has a good figure…” He looked at the looks on his friends’ faces. “What?”

“You’re totally smitten,” David said smugly.

He started to deny it, but why? It was true. “Yeah, I guess I am. Anyway, they’re going to Laconia this weekend with a bunch of other guys. Friends of her brother’s.”

“Laconia, huh?” Jon replied. “I’d sure love to talk to her about that when she comes back. I’ve always wanted to do that.” And that set them off on another conversation topic, but it eventually circled back to Jennifer.

“So this friend of hers on from the – ugh – chat boards,” David said. “Is she one of those fanatical fans? Or a normal one? Will she go blabbing about you and this Jennifer to everyone who’ll listen?”

“Nah,” Richie said. “Jennifer seems to think she’ll be level-headed about it. We’ll have to see what she’s like. I’m pretty sure I can pull off aloofness if I have to.”

“Rich, no offense, but you are a shitty actor,” Tico said laughing. He leaned in to talk low in Rich’s ear. “And I figured out where I know that name from, brother.” Richie just looked at him, and Tico winked.

“Shit,” Richie said softly. Jennifer was gonna kill him.