Squawk Box

When the alarm went of at 4:15, Jennifer groaned. And stretched. And yelped loudly when her knee hyper-extended. She’d forgotten that she didn’t have to wear her brace at night anymore. She had just swung her legs over the side of the bed, when there was a knocking on her door.

“Jen, you alright in there?” Jon asked, softly. Jennifer smiled at the concern in his voice. He was such a good guy.

“Yeah,” she called, groaning when the room took a half a minute to come into focus. “Gimme a sec.”

Jennifer stood slowly and shrugged into a kimono before opening the door. Jon was standing there in jogging shorts and a t-shirt, clearly fresh out of bed. Jennifer had to work to keep her eyes on his face rather than give a once-over to his bed-rumpled form. In love with Rich or not, Jon was a fine-looking specimen of a man, and she didn’t want to get caught scanning him for morning wood.

The other events of last night came crashing back to her brain. How the hell could Richie think she was really interested in sleeping with Jon? Not that he wasn’t attractive, hell, downright gorgeous, but she had Rich – why would she want anyone else? She blinked hard to clear the thoughts from her head. She’d deal with Richie later.

“I’m fine, sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. I forgot that I didn’t have my knee thing on and I stretched and it pulled.” She yawned widely.

“Tired?” Jon smirked.

“Yep. I waited up for another hour for you last night,” she teased. “You left me hanging, babe.”

Jon laughed, his voice still husky from sleep. “Sorry, doll, I thought you were just kidding.” He kissed her cheek. “Clearly, it’s my loss, ‘specially since we don’t have time this morning.”

“Story of my life,” Jennifer said, her dramatic sigh turning into another jaw-popping yawn. “Oh, damn, I need coffee. You want a cup?”

Jon nodded. “I’ll go down and get it started. Just tell me where stuff is.”

Jennifer laughed. “Silly man, why the hell would I want to go all the way downstairs for my morning cup every day?” She indicated the far corner of the room, where a small counter sat over a dorm-sized fridge. A gleaming silver Keurig coffee maker sat on the counter. “I’ve got a Columbian roast, French vanilla, and hazelnut, I think.”

“Columbian is fine.” 45 seconds later, he was sipping from a heavy stoneware mug. “Mmm, God, that’s good.”

Jennifer chuckled. “Damn, you’re easy. Go take your shower. I’ll meet you downstairs in half an hour.”

He backed out the door, and Jennifer turned and made her way to her bathroom. She turned on the shower and let out a little scream when she saw Jon’s reflection in the mirror. He had an evil grin on his face.

“Ya know, we could conserve water and share that shower,” he said, with a leer.

“Aw, babe, now I know you’re teasing. There isn’t enough time for me to enjoy a proper shower with you. Hell, there’s barely enough time to wash that hair. We’ve only got half an hour.” She slid the robe off her shoulders. “So I suggest you get back to your room before you get too tempted and miss your interview this morning.” She put her hands in the neck of Richie’s t-shirt and started to pull.

“Tease,” Jon said, laughing. He left her room, shaking his head at her. He was glad she was comfortable enough around him to tease and flirt, especially since it looked like Rich was going to keep her around for a while. He was serious when he’d asked his friend when he was going to marry Jennifer, and he suspected Rich was serious when he’d said that he’d marry her today if she’d do it.

Jennifer and Jon met up in the kitchen at a few minutes before five. “Ready?” Jennifer asked.

“Yep,” he answered. “Thanks again for the hospitality.”

“Please, it’s what friends do. Thanks for the distraction.”

“Anytime.”

They went out to her garage, and aimed for the Caddy. “I’ve been taking the Tahoe because it’s the only car I could get my leg into straight. Now I can drive the Caddy,” Jennifer said, grinning like a fool. “Hopefully I’ll be back on the Harley soon.”

“Just don’t push yourself,” Jon counseled. “Take your time and take it slow.”

“Yes, dear,” Jennifer answered, rolling her eyes. Jon hesitated at the car door. “Jon, there’s a Dunkies about a half mile from the stadium,” she said. “We can stop there and you can get in the back while I run in for a bagel.”

“Are you in my head?”

Jennifer laughed. “No, but I am sleeping with a rock star. I’m way more conscious of appearances now than I was at the start of the summer.” She knew that there would be press outside the stadium to catch a glimpse not only of Jon but of the Krafts and the players who were being interviewed. It would cut down on the speculation if it looked like Jennifer was his driver.

They made the switch, and when they pulled into the stadium, the press was there in full force, and it wasn’t even 5:30 yet. Jennifer shook her head. “How do you put up with all this?”

Jon smiled. “With a smile and a wave. What else can you do?” He reached over the seat and squeezed Jennifer’s shoulder. “Thanks again,” he said. “See you soon, I hope.”

“You’re welcome. Good luck with your parents and T this weekend.”

“Thanks.”

“Break a leg,” Jennifer said, tongue-in-cheek. Jon was laughing when he got out of the car.

He got through the interview and hung around to talk to the Krafts and the players after their parts were done. When he finally got out of there, it was close to 9:30. He donned his shades and hat and went outside. He smiled when he saw the car waiting. The driver took his bag and opened the door, letting Jon settle into his seat. The driver stowed Jon's bag in the trunk and climbed into the car. "Logan, sir?"

"You got it," Jon said. "Is there any water back here?"

"Check the little cooler on the floor," the driver said. "Ms. Petruzzo asked that we provide a drink and snack for you."

Jon chuckled when he saw his favorite brand of bottled water and a couple of big apples in the cooler. Yeah, he thought, Rich has himself a keeper.

He got to the airport and through security and settled into his seat without any hassles, for which he was grateful. He settled into his seat and waited for takeoff. He'd be on the ground in a few hours, and on the way to his parents'.