Arena Bowl Sendoff

The “brace boy” arrived at 9 sharp at the gates outside. When Jennifer answered the intercom, a gorgeous, melodious voice poured through the speakers. “It is Vincenzo Salvatore,” the voice announced. “I am here for Jennifer.”

Richie chuckled. “Like hell you are,” he said under his breath, then reached around Jennifer to push the button. “Come on up,” he said, mustering his deepest baritone tones.

Jennifer just looked at him, recognizing his caveman slipping out. “Gimme a break, Rich,” she said, and hobbled to the door, opening it and standing on the porch. A nondescript midnight blue van came up the driveway and stopped just short of the curve that would take him around back. The driver’s side door opened and a tall, dark, and stunning younger man stepped out. He had gray-green eyes, and long dark hair, gathered at his nape with a leather thong. “You are Jennifer, yes?” he asked, his accent washing over Jennifer like a summer breeze.

She couldn’t help but smile, he was just so pretty. This was going to drive Rich mad. “I’m the only one with a cane, darlin’,” she said, “so I must be. Come on in.” She waited for him to come up on the porch before turning to go into the house. She led him to the living room, and caned her way over to the couch where she had taken up nearly permanent residence. Sighing, she hefted her leg up onto the seat next to her.

Vincenzo slid a nervous look at Richie before kneeling by the couch and putting his hands on Jennifer’s leg. He gently palpated the knee, checking for swelling, then measured the circumference of her thigh and calf with a tailor’s tape he had in his pocket, making notes. “You like the blue or the gray?” he asked, as he measured the length of her leg.

“Blue I think,” Jennifer said. “It makes more of a statement.”

Vincenzo laughed. “I think that you make quite a statement without the brace, yes?”

Jennifer blushed. “You are very kind,” she said. Richie rolled his eyes, and the younger man touched her leg again gently before going to get the correct size brace from the van.

“You’re kidding right?” Richie said. “He is a child!”

Jennifer laughed and reached for Richie’s hand. “Oh come on, I’m just having a little fun. You know you’re the only one I want touching me.” She tugged on his hand and he knelt in front of her. “In fact, once brace boy is gone,” she said, trailing kisses up his neck to his ear, which she licked before continuing on a whisper, “why don’t you remind me just how much I like your hands on me?”

Richie smiled and crushed his mouth to Jennifer’s. A discrete cough at the doorway had them parting. “Sorry,” Richie said shrugging, not at all sorry. “I couldn’t resist.”

After Vincenzo left, Jennifer was smiling widely. “Look at me!” she said. “I can walk again!” She put her hands up to heaven and gave her very best televangelist impersonation. “Behold-ah! She is healed-ah! Can I get an amen-ah…”

Richie just laughed at her. “This doesn’t mean you can go running around like the whirling dervish you are,” he said. “It just means I don’t get to carry you around anymore.”

He put on such a pout that Jennifer had to laugh. “Rich, I’ll make you a deal. You can always carry me to bed, how ‘bout that?”

Riche’s grin split his face and lit up the room. He scooped her up, making her squeak. “That is a deal I can live with, my love. Now,” he said with a sigh, “I guess it’s time to get me packing so we can get to the airport.” He lowered his voice sexily. “I’ll have to put my hands on you later.”

Richie carried Jennifer upstairs and deposited her on the bed. He started packing his bags. Richie had been stalking back and forth between the closet and the suitcases now open on the bed. He was glaring at his clothes, and Jennifer burst out laughing. “Baby, you’ve been packing for trips most of your life, what is the problem? You knew you were flying to NOLA from here when you packed for here.”

“I know, baby, but tomorrow night is the first thing we’re doing together as a couple, and hell…” he blushed.

“Oh for Christ’s sake, Rich, you sound like me,” Jennifer laughed. “You want to make sure you look good? Darlin’, you could wear torn sweats and a dingy, grease-stained wife-beater and still look smokin’ hot. BUT, if you want my help… since it said no tuxes, I’d go with the dark gray pinstripe suit and the burgundy shirt for tomorrow night. My dress is burgundy, and we’ll match.” She winked. “It’ll look good in the pictures.”

Richie dropped a quick kiss on Jennifer’s lips. “Have I told you today that I love you? Thanks, honey.”

Jennifer smiled. “You did tell me, but I don’t get tired of hearing it. I love you too, and you’re welcome. Now hurry the fuck up.”

They got Richie packed and off to the airport with time to spare. The plan was to pick up Stephanie at her gate, then drop Richie off at his. Richie got himself checked in and they went off in search of Stephanie. About half an hour later, the other woman was coming through the gates, baggage in tow. “Jen! Richie!” she called when she caught sight of them.

“Stephanie!” Jennifer answered, and held her arms out for a hug.

“Nice brace,” Stephanie said, smiling and hugging her friend.

“You think that’s nice, you should have seen the brace-fitter,” Jennifer answered, smiling. “You definitely would have liked him. Vincenzo Salvatore,” Jennifer added, with a dramatic Italian accent. “Very nice.”

“I can hear you, you know,” Richie said, smiling. “Hey, Steph,” he said, leaning into kiss her briefly on the lips.

“Oooh!” Stephanie said, and swayed on her feet.

Richie caught her before she could fall and asked, “Are you alright? What’s wrong?”

Stephanie just laughed, and dramatically put the back of her hand to her forehead. “Just giving you the swoon you deserve, rock star.”

“Bitch!” Richie said without rancor, and stood her up, then dropped his arms from her. The trio walked through the airport to Richie’s gate. Stephanie wandered away to give the couple a minute alone.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Richie said.

“You sure will,” Jennifer said. “And Stephanie, Gail, and Cheryl.”

Richie shrugged. “Coming to retrieve a plane full of beautiful women is not a hardship darlin’,” he said with a chuckle.

“Yeah, yeah,” Jennifer said. When Richie’s flight was announced, she kissed Richie soundly. “Have a good flight, and have fun tonight,” she said.

Richie smiled wryly. “Interviews aren’t all that fun,” he said. “But thanks. Love you.”

“Love you too,” Jennifer said. “See you tomorrow.”

The pair shared a steamy kiss and Richie reluctantly went through security to his gate. He turned once to wave and blow a kiss to Jennifer, then disappeared in the crowd.

Once he was safely in the air, Richie pulled out his phone.

“Hey man,” he said, when Jon answered. “I’m on the way, where are you?”

“Still at T’s,” Jon answered. “I’m heading out a little later. What’s up? Jen still coming?”

Richie smiled. “Yeah, she’s coming. She and Stephanie are picking up Gail and another girl in Jersey before heading down.” He shook his head. “It took more convincing than it should have, but she’s coming. Listen, I need some advice.”

“And this couldn’t wait until we were at the hotel?”

“You know damned well that once we hit the hotel, there won’t be five minutes to piss let alone talk.” Richie laughed at his own wit and lowered his voice. “It is about Jennifer… and Ava.”

“Jesus, Rich,” Jon swore. “This again?” he asked, though his mind was whirring.

“Kidd, hear me out. Jennifer is going to need someone to help her for the six weeks that she’s in the brace. She can’t drive, her mother won’t drive the SUV, and she can’t comfortably get into a low-slung car.”

Jon was quiet for a moment. “So, hire a service. Next…”

“Man, a service isn’t going to help her get dressed or into and out of the shower.” He could practically hear Jon’s objections. “I know, I know, her mother could help her with that part, but man, I want to help her.”

“So what’s this have to do with your daughter?” Jon asked, though he knew damned well where this was going.

Richie huffed out a breath. “Well, you know I was going home on Monday. I was thinking of going to collect Ava and bringing her to Jen’s place with me.”

There was dead silence on the other end of the line.

“Rich, why are you so dead set on doing this? Really.”

“I love her, man. I love her and I trust her, and I want her all the way in my life, and that means meeting Ava.”

"Shit," Jon answered. "Rich, I'm not the guy to be asking this stuff. Because right now, I'm sitting on the same damn fence. I want T to meet my kids. I want her to meet my parents and my brothers. I want her all the way in my life too. So, maybe I've made a complete 360 here, but damn, I get it now. I say go for it."

"So, when can I meet this paragon of feminine perfection?" Richie asked, surprised.

"Not 'til some time Saturday," Jon answered.

"You mean she's not coming with you today?"

"Naaaa," Jon replied, "she's gotta work."

"Well hell," Richie answered. "that mean you're gonna be flying solo to the gala on Friday night?"

"Yeah."

Richie could hear the sadness in his friend's voice. Needing to cheer Jon up, Richie teased, "Uh oh, that means the vultures will be circling."

A choked bark of laughter was the expected answer. "Yeah, it's tough bein' me."

"Yeah, too bad they're not put off by your arrogance," Richie added sarcastically.

"And they actually seem to like it," Jon pointed out, ignoring Richie's sarcasm.

"There's no accounting for taste."

"Fuck you, asshole."

"No thanks," Richie said out of habit, but then after a brief pause, "but one of these days I just might shock the hell outta you and take you up on the offer."

Jon laughed.

"You'll tell me more than an initial when you introduce her, right?" Richie questioned.

"No can do, bro," Jon answered. "I promised."

"Well shit," Richie swore, "it'll be weird calling someone other than Tico, T."

"You'll have to adjust," Jon quipped.

"I'll catch up with you in New Orleans," Richie said in closing.

"Yeah," Jon answered. "Bye, bro."

"Richie," Tiffany said from the doorway. The word wasn't a question. Somehow, she knew that was the only person who could've been on the other end of the phone. She crossed the deck, and Jon pulled her down to join him on the lounger.

Like butterfly wings, his lips barely brushed softly against her forehead with every word he spoke. "I'm gonna miss you." He'd gotten very used to going to sleep with her in his arms and waking up to her smiling face.

"I'm gonna miss you, too," she answered.

"Are you sure that I can't tell Richie what the T stands for?"

"No, Jon," she answered for what seemed like the millionth time.

"You didn't have a problem telling me," he pointed out for the first time.

Tiffany raised her eyebrows in surprise. He had never continued to poke after she'd said no. "I didn't want you to sound stupid calling out 'Teeeeeee' in ecstasy."

Even though there was no denying the seriousness of her tone, Jon laughed. "You told me before we ever met face to face."

"I had high hopes even then," she answered dryly.

Laughter erupted from his full lips, until he realized she wasn't laughing. "You weren't joking, were you?"

With a raise of her honey brown eyebrows and a slight lift to the left corner of her lovely mouth, she gave him a perfect imitation of Joe-V. "What do you think?"

"I think you were a little too confident," he teased.

"But, I was right," she pointed out.

His arms tightened around her as he laughed. "Yes you were, baby."

"Are you all packed?"

"Yeah, baby."

They'd decided he would drive his rental to the airport, instead of her taking him. Tiffany didn't want an emotional scene at the airport. In public.

She wasn't quite ready for any part of his public life. She knew that there was rarely a time when there wasn't a camera trained on him, documenting his every move. Hell, she knew they'd take pictures of him taking a shit - if they could get the right camera angle. He was more than willing to adhere to her wishes, even if he'd hoped for someone who was willing to share everything with him including the very public side. He'd been accustomed to Dot not wanting to go to celebrity functions with him. Many times he'd said in interviews that, that was his job, not Dot's or the kids' job, that they didn't choose that lifestyle. He did.

But -

He had been really hoping that Tiffany would accept him. Warts and all. Silently, he reminded himself that she'd said that she wasn't ready for it yet, not that she didn't want it at all.

Jon bent his head to press heated kisses on her neck. In between kisses and nibbles, he whispered, "I love you."

"Jon," she murmured.

"I know," he breathed against her skin, "you told me you're not ready yet. I don't need you to be. I just need you to be with me."

"That I can do," she told him.

"Great," he growled, licking that spot behind her ear that he'd already learned drove her crazy.

She moaned his name, but then pulled away from him slightly. "Really. I only came out here to tell you it was getting late. If you don't leave soon, you'll never make your flight on time."

He glanced at his watch. "Yeah, I guess you're right, but I really don't wanna leave you."

"I'll see ya on Saturday. That's just two days away," she told him, smiling.

"And two very long nights," he pointed out, sticking out his bottom lip in an exaggerated pout.

"Don't be a baby," she laughed.

He stood up and pulled her up and into his arms. "Don't be so bossy."

"You like it when I'm bossy," she told him. "C'mon, I already put your stuff by the door."

"Are you rushing me?" he asked, moving towards the door, pulling her with him.

"No, I just don't want you to be late," she answered as she allowed him to lead her to the door.

He kissed the tip of her nose. "I am gonna miss you."

"I'm gonna miss you, too."

He picked up his bag, quickly throwing the strap over his shoulder. "I'll see you Saturday morning," he told her softly.
"Saturday," she agreed.

Was his eyes deceiving him? Or, were her eyes tearing up? He bent down to kiss her lips. "Don't cry, baby," he pleaded. He never could stand to see a woman cry. "And, don't watch me drive away, okay?"

"Okay," she answered, giving him a teary smile.

"Love you," he said quickly, then kissed her on the forehead and disappeared out the door.

Note that the Jon/Tiff parts were written by T