Chapter Fourteen

Rich stared at me, then hung his head down and still did not finish his sentence, "well tell me, what about my wife?"
"forget it, it's a stupid idea"
"tell me and I'll let ya know?"
"I thought, ya know as Dot has had the letter for months, do you think she is......"
Frustration was starting to pound away at me,
"for the love of god rich, just fucking out with it?"
" Ok, is she behind all this, cause she wants out of the marriage?, is she the person setting you up?"
" What?, .....fuck no, that's crazy man"
"I know, I know, that's why  I stopped myself, I knew saying it out loud it was crazy, but it started outta my mouth before I could stop it...  "
"Yeah, well, ya can't start a sentence like that then leave it, ... what the fuck made you think that anyway?"

"I dunno, it's just after we spoke, something aint sitting right with how Dot reacted, it was a stupid idea, can we forget it?"

I was stood by the bar listening, something in what Rich said resonated with me too, cause it was strange about the letter and how she reacted to what I told her, but I knew in my heart she was not the one involved in all this crap I was dealing with, but like rich there was something not right with Dot and like Rich I had no idea what it was.

 

Rich stood waiting for me to answer and was holding his hands in the air in surrender. 

"it's ok, forget it bud"  I waved my hand at him to dismiss him, as my attention was drawn to the commotion that could be heard coming from outside.

 

Walking over to the window I pulled back the drapes, and looked out and down at the scene unfolding below; gathered now were press and pap's everywhere, along with a few fans too.
" Rich, I think we have a problem, or I do, come look see?"
Rich walked over to join me,

"Aw shit, good news travels fast eh?, how you wanna handle this?"
"you notice a back way outta here?"
He shook his head, "nah, only way I saw was the main entrance"
"fuck, gotta feeling I'm gonna need more than baseball cap and glasses"

 chewing my lip I stood thinking, In the past I had got Barry to pull up right outside the hotel entrance and at the last minute I had made a run and got in the car, difference was, that was when I was avoiding to many fans, this time it was the press. I ran through the idea with Rich.
"you think that'll work?"
"if that's our only option, we gotta make sure it does, I'll get the rest of the guys and we can surround ya too and get us a bit more time"
I smiled, "thanks, you gonna tell the guy's?, no doubt there gonna want answers too"
"sure they will, but we have been a band for a lota years Jon, they will know this is horse shit, they'll get your back like me, so relax ok? you can tell um when your ready, they aint gonna push"

I nodded and walked to the phone,  "Ok, lets do this" I picked up the receiver and dialled an outside line and rang our driver, he answered in two rings,
"yes?"
"Barry, it's Jon have the car brought round in five ok?, there's press and fans I need to avoid so you know the drill right?"
"sure thing sir, in five"
I hung up and turned to back to Rich, "you got five Rich"

He said no more but left to go get his bags and the guys, I switched off the TV set and grabbed my flight bag, cap n glasses and stood waiting by the door, seconds later I heard Rich,

"yo you ready?"
I opened the door to Rich and the guys, both Teek and Dave slapped me on the back, and held a look that said they were in it together. I guess the unity of being band brothers was even more evident now more than ever, and I felt blessed to have such great friends.  

turning back I closed the door to my room as we all made our way to the elevator, Teek took the key cards and said he drop them at reception. One thing less for me to do.

We pressed the call button for the elevator and stood waiting, all of us praying it was empty when it arrived. 

When it arrived and the doors opened we were all relieved it was empty, me more than the guy's, stepping in Dave pressed zero and too close the doors,  now as it began moving it was only seconds away before we faced the carnage of the waiting press.

 

Reaching the bottom, the familiar sound of the ping as it came to halt, "Dave asked, "Ready?" I nodded and the guys responded the same; the doors opened,  and we all stepped out, as we began walking to the entrance the hotel manager walked over to greet me.

 

"Mr Bon Jovi, Can I offer assistance?"

I stopped and looked at the guy's, they all agreed having an extra body to shield me would help me get to the car better than just the three, I asked, and was surprised when the manager agreed, he took the key cards from Rich too and said he would send an invoice to my working address for the guy's rooms, he gave me my room Free of Charge by way of an apology for the less than professional handling of his staff  indiscretions.  

 

With us now all walking to the exit, it felt like I was about to walk into a lions pit, but there was nothing that could be done and as the guy's took their positions around me, I donned my glasses and cap and prayed I made it out into the car safe with out incident.