Arena Bowl Weekend: Friday

Stephanie and Jennifer were at Logan at 7:30; they were taking no chances at being late. Richie had arranged for a driver in an SUV to pick them up at Jennifer's house. Another driver would take Jennifer back home on Monday. The driver took them directly to the private plane terminal, where they went through a modified security process and were checked in. The girls' baggage was whisked away, presumably to be put on the plane.

Afterwards, an attendant led them to a cluster of leather sofas and invited them to sit, bringing them glasses of icy cold water, and Jennifer took the opportunity to pop her Valium - just half this time. By 7:50, the girls were getting antsy, and nearly leapt from the couch when they saw the pilot and co-pilot approaching.

Both men had the arrogant swagger that was the stereotype for pilots, and Stephanie and Jennifer were giggling behind their hands. With their aviator sunglasses and crew cuts, they looked like extras from Top Gun. The pilots greeted the women, smirking at their enthusiasm.

"First time in a private plane?" the pilot asked with a hint of ridicule in his voice.

"One this small," Jennifer answered, feeling prickly at his attitude. "What is this, a Gulf IV?" The pilot nodded. "Huh, I'm used to the jumbo Boeing," she said. "That's what we usually take when we travel abroad, the bedrooms come in handy when we travel to Bangalore, but I guess domestically, the G-4 is alright." The pilot was looking agog at her. "Shall we?" Jennifer asked, and looped arms with Stephanie.

The pilots led the two women out to the tarmac. There, a gorgeous plane, painted jet-glow white with gold, gray and blue stripes, awaited. Jennifer watched as their baggage was loaded, and a set of stairs was wheeled into place. Noses held high, the girls slowly ascended the stairs into the cabin of the plane.

The plane had two passenger cabins separated by a pocket door. The forward cabin had four swiveling leather chairs, a four-cushion couch, and a single stationary forward facing chair, in the event there was someone who preferred the traditional flying position. The aft cabin had two single leather chairs and a four-cushion couch. All the chairs throughout the plane were done in beige leather, the couches in chocolate brown leather. The cabin also had beige carpet and dark woodwork. "This is gorgeous!" Stephanie said, as they made their way into the forward cabin. Jennifer gimped to the couch and strapped herself in.

"This is where I'm staying the whole trip," she said, glad to be sitting again. She had to agree with Stephanie. Richie done good. She pulled out her blackberry, and called Rich, but got his voicemail. After the beep, she said, "Not sure where you are, baby, but the plane is gorgeous. We're strapping ourselves in now, and should hit Jersey in a little more than an hour, give or take. Talk to you then. Love you, bye."

An attendant came from the aft cabin, startling the girls. "Ladies, I'm Jerry, and will be taking care of you throughout the flight. We have a fully stocked galley in the aft cabin, so anything you need, within reason of course, we should be able to accommodate. There's a full lav back there as well. Can I get you something to drink?"

The girls settled on Diet Coke, and once they had their drinks, settled in to chat. The pilot announced they were ready to take off, and Jennifer felt the effects of her Valium. "Right on time," she said, as the plane taxied down the runway.

About an hour later, they were in New Jersey. Jennifer and Stephanie looked out the porthole windows and saw two figures standing outside a building, waving wildly. The two girls in the plane had wide smiles and waited anxiously for the plane to stop. Once it did, the two women outside tore up the tarmac, and flew up the stairs, bursting into the cabin. After a round of hugs and kisses, and exclamations over Jennifer's brace, they settled in with their own drinks, and took off for Louisiana.

Once airborne, Jennifer called Richie again, again getting his voicemail. "Baby, we're in Jersey, just taken off. We've got everyone here, and we should be hitting the ground again - ugh, I hate that expression by the way - in about three hours. See you then! Love you, bye."

A little less than three hours later, they were on the ground in New Orleans. The four women descended the stairs of the plane to find a Humvee limo waiting for them. Jennifer smiled. Richie knew she couldn't get into a low-slung car, and this touched her heart that he thought to do this. The driver waved to the girls and opened the back door, and Richie came out. "Girls!" he called, waving to them.

"Richie!" they all squealed at once, and the three who were able, ran to give him hugs and kisses and to thank him for the terrific plane, and the gorgeous car.

"HEY!" Jennifer shouted. "What about me?"

Richie smiled and strode to Jennifer's side, kissing her deeply. "Welcome to New Orleans," he said. "I'm so glad you came. How are you? Flight okay?"

"Yep, fine," Jennifer agreed. "Only took half a pill, so I'm okay. I'd really like to get to the hotel though; I need a little nap before the thing tonight."

Richie led her back to the car, and helped her get into it. They took off for downtown, dropping the others off at the Royal Sonesta before heading to their hotel. Richie took Jennifer's bags, and brought them up to their suite. Jennifer and Richie unpacked her things, and Richie could see Jennifer was fighting sleep.

"Go take a nap, baby," Richie said, kissing her tenderly.

"Nap with me," Jennifer said sleepily.

Richie helped Jennifer off with her clothes, wincing at the dark blue brace marring the perfect lines of her body. He shucked his own clothes, and helped her slide into bed. He went to the other side and slid in alongside her. After setting an alarm for 4pm, he wrapped her in his arms, and the pair fell asleep. When the alarm went off a couple hours later, Jennifer was disoriented. She sat up and looked around for the alarm, and chuckled when Richie's arm flapped out from under the sheets and found it with unerring accuracy, smacking it firmly. "I think you killed it, baby," she said.

"Good," Richie said grumpily. "I'll order coffee," he said, "and Diet Coke."

"I'll go get the shower started," Jennifer said, hobbling to the bathroom. She was touched to see there was a walk-in shower, so she wouldn't have to climb over anything to get in and out of it. There were grab bars in there, and a shower seat with a long plastic board for her leg, so it would stay straight. Smiling at Richie's thoughtfulness and thoroughness, she adjusted the water, un-velcroed her brace, and caned into the shower. She sat, keeping her leg on the board, and washed the best she could. The hand-held shower nozzle helped and she was nearly done when Richie came into the bathroom stark naked, carrying a mug of coffee and a can of soda, both of which he set on the countertop.

Richie came into the shower and wordlessly took the nozzle from Jennifer's hand, and ran it over his body. Jennifer lathered up the soap and washed what she could reach; pulling him forward by the hips so she could reach more. Soon, her attentions got the better of him, and his cock started to rise. Jennifer chuckled, and helped it, rubbing it with a soapy hand, her palm slipping and sliding across his skin. When he was fully aroused, Jennifer reached for the showerhead, and gently rinsed the soap from him. Richie grabbed onto the walls' helper bars, and groaned when Jennifer took him in her mouth. She sucked and pulled on him roughly, and in minutes, he was groaning her name, begging for release. Jennifer squeezed his balls lightly, and smacked his ass, and her name was a breath on his lips as she brought him off.

Richie slumped against the wall, and caught his breath, then knelt in front of Jennifer and gathered her in close to his chest. He kissed her neck, and down to her breasts. Jennifer put a finger under his chin and raised his head. "Later, baby," she said. "I need the time to get ready for tonight."

"But-" Richie started to protest, but Jennifer shushed him.

"Baby, that was so you don't have a raging hard on all night once you see me in my dress," she winked. Richie laughed loudly, his barks echoing off the tiled walls of the shower. They finished up and turned off the water. Richie helped dry Jennifer's leg and carefully wrapped the brace around it, securing it as the Italian kid had shown them. After helping her to her feet, Jennifer wrapped a towel around her head, and she went to get dressed while Richie dried his hair.

Jennifer slid into her panties and strapped on a pair of flat sandals. Walking to the closet, she pulled out her dress; an ankle-length sheath of burgundy silk with a deep vee halter front and no back. She slipped it over her head, and adjusted it in the mirror. Richie came from the bathroom, saying, "All yours baby - holy shit." He had seen the back of Jennifer's dress, or lack of. Jennifer turned around, showing the front. The deep vee ended nearly at her navel. "Are you trying to kill me?" Richie asked.

Jennifer smiled. "Nope, just want to make you proud to have me on your arm, and I think this dress just about does it."

"Darlin', I'd be proud to have you on my arm no matter what you were wearing." Richie crossed the room to kiss her.

"You're sweet. Now outta my way, I need to go do my hair and war paint."

Jennifer had just disappeared into the bathroom when there was a knock on the door. Richie opened it and there was Jon, looking like someone had just kicked his favorite dog. "Man, you look like shit," Richie said. "What the hell happened?" He considered his friend for a moment.

"You're bummed because your girl couldn't come with you aren't you?"

Jon checked his friend's face for signs of amusement or ridicule, but didn't see any. "Yeah, I am," he admitted.

"Well, then it's a good thing mine is dressed up enough to make even you notice," Richie laughed. "If she doesn't cheer you up a little, then there's something seriously wrong with you." The men had coffee and talked about the game on Sunday for a little while. Then the bathroom door opened.

Richie stood instinctively, and Jon, chuckling, followed suit. "Ready or not," Jennifer called, "here I come!" She limped out and was surprised to find Jon in their suite. He was dressed in a jet-black suit, with a white Oxford shirt underneath. The first few buttons of the shirt were undone, and a good amount of chest was showing. Nestled in his chest hair was a pewter cross on a leather thong. "Good evening, Jon," she said. "You look great."

"Ditto," Jon said, looking at Jennifer, and missing Tiff even more.

"What about me?" Richie complained.

Jennifer and Jon said to him, at the same time, "You look like shit," then burst out laughing. Jennifer turned to Richie. "You know I'm kidding, baby," she said, and went to him and kissed him lightly. "You look fantastic." Richie's suit fit him perfectly, and his shirt was unbuttoned nearly to the waist. He was sans necklaces tonight, and Jennifer was salivating at the sight of all that tanned skin.

"So do you," Richie replied. Her makeup was light and flawless, and her hair fell in golden waves down her back. "Where's your cane?"

"There's a special one in the closet, just for this weekend" Jennifer said, laughing. Jon was closer, so he went into the closet and laughed again. There was an old-fashioned walking stick with a gold tiger's head as a handle. Jennifer had wound a black ribbon around its throat and mouth, and it looked like it was being strangled. It was the closest to a Sabercat that she could find.

He handed Jennifer her cane. "Nice," he said, smiling.

"Gotta show support for my team," she said with a wink.

The three of them went down the elevator to the lobby, one man on either side of her. Richie went to grab her hand, but it was already fastened to the handrail in the elevator car. A short minute later they were crossing the marble floor of the hotel. As they exited the lobby, the doorman opened the rear door of the Humvee limo Richie had kept. He handed Jennifer in, then climbed in himself to sit next to her. Jon climbed in too, and sat across from them.

The trip to the Superdome was short, and Jennifer was getting more and more excited the closer they got. Richie had briefed her on what to do and what not to do with the press. Basically, she should just smile and wave, and not answer any of their questions, no matter how impertinent they may be. When they pulled up, Jennifer could see a literal red carpet and rope barriers to keep people back. When the back door opened, there was an explosion of flash bulb light and a cacophony of shouts, and they didn't even know who was in the car yet.

Jon left first, stopping to flash a fake smile and have his picture taken. He strolled up the red carpet like he didn't have a care in the world. When he got to the end, he turned to watch his friend get out of the car. The flash bulbs exploded again, and he smiled and leaned into the car. "Ready?" he asked. Jennifer just nodded. She scooted to the end of the seat, and Richie helped her out, then reached back in for her cane.

With as much dignity as she could muster, she walked slowly by Richie's side. There were questions being shouted at them, about who she was and how'd she get hurt and was she Richie's girlfriend. Jennifer's heart was pounding, but she kept a happy smile on her face, which was not hard to do, and kept her hand on Richie's arm. When they stopped for photos, she put the cane behind her and leaned into Richie for support.

When they got to the doors and Jon, they turned for more photos, keeping Jennifer in the middle. Then she stepped aside, and let the two of them have their shots taken. When they were all done, Richie smiled. "You did real good, darlin'," he said, kissing her cheek. "Let's go."

The three of them made their way inside and found their table. They were sitting with some of the other owners and players and their dates at a large round table. Richie got her settled and introduced her to the others at the table. "Baby," he said, hesitatingly.

"Go," she said, flapping a hand at him. "Mingle. I'll be fine. Just don't forget where you put me."

After the initial schmoozing, Richie and Jon came back to the table. Jennifer found herself sitting between them during dinner, and had an up-close look at the sadness in Jon's eyes. When the awards had been given out, Jennifer stood and applauded with the others when the owners and team captains went to get their trophies. When the music started, Richie asked Jennifer to dance she looked sideways at Jon, and shook her head. "I don't think so," she said. "I think I'd better not."

Jon looked at her, touched by her thoughtfulness. "Jennifer, it's alright. Go dance with Rich, just be careful."

She stood, and lightly kissed his cheek. "Thanks," she said. "We'll be back in a few minutes."

As Jon watched them ease onto the dance floor and move slowly together, his thoughts turned once again to Tiffany and he wondered what she was doing at that moment. He glanced at his watch. She'd still be at the station, taking calls for the request show she did on Fridays.

His mind drifted off to last Friday night. He could see her clearly in his mind, wearing those jeans worn smooth from many washings that clung to every curve. She'd kicked off her sandals and the strings from the frayed hem of the jeans hung down on the tanned tops of her feet drawing the eye down to the flash of gold on the middle toe of her left foot. When he'd seen the Slippery t-shirt, he'd asked if it was vintage, and she'd just raised an eyebrow and asked, "Whaddya think?" It was certainly well worn, with a few holes here and there. Probably was. Her long honey colored hair hung down her back.

He'd been sitting across the counter from her while she stood behind the microphone. She had never been still. She'd danced to the music, pushing buttons every so often to answer the phone. The female callers acted like Tiff was their best friend. Guys had flirted with her, and she'd flirted back. He had bristled with jealousy until she'd put the phone lines on hold and come around the counter climbed up in his lap, kissing him until he'd been breathless.

Damn.

Jon shook his head to clear the lust. He really needed to hear her voice. Looking out over the dance floor, he spotted Richie's tall form carefully leading Jennifer through the steps and around the floor. They'd be out there at least a few more minutes. Quickly making a decision, he stood up and crossed the room with a purposeful stride. He'd been to so many of these things, he knew which areas to avoid. Easily, he found a door leading out to a patio for the smokers to indulge.

She answered before the first ring was done. "Hold on," she whispered quickly. He could hear her talking to a listener on the phone. He heard her call him Gary. Wait. Wasn't that the guy that kept telling her that he loved her last week? Jon made a mental note to ask her about the guy. She really didn't need to be dealing with a deranged stalker right now.

"Hey baby," she said when she picked the phone back up. "How's the party going?" She knew he was at the gala; she'd just looked at the clock and thought about what he was doing.

"It sucks, baby," he answered.

She loved it when he called her baby. She'd already learned that his throw-away endearment was doll. He called every strange woman 'doll'. The way his voice dropped just a bit when he said 'baby' made her feel all warm inside, but the way he ended the word with just a whisper on the y made her wet.

"What's wrong?" she asked, putting the request lines on hold.

"You're not here," he answered.

"I'm sorry, baby," she apologized, "but I'll be there in the morning."

"11:05 is just barely 'morning'," he pointed out.

"Would you rather I fly out tonight?"

"Yeah," he said excitedly, "could ya?"

"No," she answered, laughing slightly, "remember? There wasn't a seat on the only flight that leaves after I get off work."

"I'll charter you something."

"No you won't. Quit being an impatient rock star," she teased. "I'll be there in the morning."

"I miss you," he said softly.

"I miss you, too."

Quickly, Jon looked around him. Seeing he was alone, he lowered his voice and said huskily, "I wanna be inside you. I wanna make you scream my name and come apart in my arms. I wanna taste your sweetness until nothing could get the taste outta my mouth."

Her silence was telling, and he just smirked to himself.

"You had me at 'I wanna be inside you'," she whispered hoarsely. "How am I supposed to work now?"

"You're not," he answered, smiling. "You're supposed to agree to fly out tonight."

Tiffany was silent for several seconds processing it all. If she let him get away with this, he'd always be trying to get her to play hookie to do whatever he wanted, and he'd always think that what he did was more important than her job.

"Jon, I can't. I have to finish the request show. I'll see you in the morning."

Jon sighed. He knew he'd been unreasonable; he just needed her too damn bad. "Okay, baby. I'll see you in the morning. Hey, did you remember to do what I asked you to do?"

"You mean posting on the board saying I wasn't coming to the game?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Yes I did. You never did explain why you wanted me to do that."

"Richie told me that several of the women from the board are coming to the game and going to be hanging out with Hath. He wanted to warn me because if they knew you were coming they'd wanna meet you, and once they'd met you, if they saw photos of the two of us or anything, they'd know I was 'Billy'."

"Oh," she breathed. As much as she'd like to meet some of the girls from her board, she didn't want to out Jon either. "I get it."

"Baby, I gotta get back," he said regretfully. "I love you."

"Good night," she answered. "I'll see you in the morning."

"You better," he told her. "Dream about me," he ordered gently.

"Of course."

Note that the Jon/Tiff parts were written by T