Chapter Three

Luckily, Jon was able to quickly doze off to sleep.  Unfortunately, less than three hours later he was wide awake again.  Punching his pillow for what felt like the millionth time, he growled in frustration.  Why couldn't he shut his mind off and fall back asleep?  Fifteen million finite little details about the meeting coming up in, he glanced at his bedside clock again, six hours were dancing through his mind along with a faceless woman on an internet forum that really knew her football.  It wasn't like him at all; he really couldn't explain his fascination with her.

Maybe it was that she didn't know who he was.

He glanced at the clock again.  2:45.  Staring at the ceiling, he let out a long sigh.  Wait.  Wasn't there an eclipse or something in a few minutes?  Yeah.  He remembered hearing about it on the news.

Well, he was awake anyway; might as well go and enjoy Mother Nature's dazzling display.  Pulling on a pair of sweats, he crossed the room.  Maybe, Richie would want to see it, too.

Yeah, right.  The guitarist had trouble waking up at 9 am; 3 am was most definitely a no-go.  None of that made any difference; Jon crossed the hall and tapped lightly on his friend's door then opened it just enough to stick his head in.  "Hey, Rich, wanna come watch the eclipse with me?"

A low growl rumbled somewhere under the pile of covers.  Then a muffled, "Just Tivo it for me."

Jon was still chuckling as he closed the door and headed down the hall to the kitchen.  A hot cup of coffee might be just the thing to make watching Mother Nature's show more enjoyable.  With steaming cup in hand, he climbed the stairs to the outdoor terrace, then settled into his favorite big cushioned lounger to enjoy the show.

He must have dozed off sometime during the eclipse because the next thing he knew the sun was coming up. The last thing he remembered was seeing the totality of the eclipse, which basically meant the moon had disappeared in the Earth's shadow.  But, it had been a beautiful sight.

Another pot of coffee was in order, otherwise he'd never make it to the gym...and it was just down the hall.

At 8 am he called for the car, the meeting wasn't til 9, but traffic was a mess.  He could see that just by looking out his window.  As he walked past the great room, he heard more grumbling.  Scanning the area, he saw Richie sitting in one of the leather chairs over in the nook by the fireplace.  "What're you bitching about now, old man?"

"You drank all the coffee.  Had to make my own," Richie groused.

Jon chuckled.  "It's probably toxic."  He waited for the expected Jersey salute.  When Richie raised his right hand with the one finger up, he laughed.  "Hope you don't die, man," he tossed over his shoulder as he walked away.

A few hours later, he was once again sure about that lucky horseshoe up his ass.  The meeting had went smooth as glass; the AEG people were even now scurrying to do his bidding.  Back at home, he couldn't resist the temptation to log into the football forum and see if there was any response from Sam.  Big surprise, she was starting to sound like she might cave and give him her yahoo ID.  Maybe, just maybe if he chose his words carefully.

JerseyCowboy7800 Takin' Bad Medicine Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 857	Posted: 28 Aug 2007 11:03 am    Post subject:     PM FROM JERSEYCOWBOY7800 TO FEMFBFAN4LIFE  Sam, Honesty is everything! That and loyalty. I admire those qualities in others and expect them from myself. So, tell me what it will take to convince you, and if I can do it and stay within the boundaries of honesty I will do it. Kidd
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Work the next day was hectic at best.  A new case was dropped on her desk that morning.  As she read the details of a man who had allegedly shook and beat a toddler to death, her eyes had teared up, but she'd fought the urge to let them fall.  Instead she'd fought to turn her emotions to anger, telling herself that she'd make the bastard pay.  It wasn't until that afternoon that she finally had time to check the forum.  She decided it was a necessity - she needed a laugh after the day she'd been having.

Kidd's PM was a surprise.  If he could be believed, it wouldn't be such a bad thing to give him her ID.  She decided to test the bounds of honesty and trust by being a little passive aggressive and getting his real name.

FemFBFan4Life Layin' in a Bed of Roses Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 1362	Posted: 28 Aug 2007 01:02 pm    Post subject:     PM FROM FEMFBFAN4LIFE TO JERSEYCOWBOY7800 Kidd, I'm happy to know that honesty and loyalty mean so much to you. But, seriously. I hardly know you, and what I do know is just what you've allowed all of us to see here on the board. I don't even know you're real name. I dare say, Kidd is not the name your parents gave you at birth. Sam
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A frown marring his brow at her PM, Jon quickly typed a response.  He was pretty sure that passive aggressive wasn't her usual cup of tea, but she'd used it to perfection.  A little typed tap dancing was in order.  He'd give her the truth... the literal truth.

JerseyCowboy7800 Takin' Bad Medicine Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 857	Posted: 28 Aug 2007 01:35 pm    Post subject:     PM FROM JERSEYCOWBOY7800 TO FEMFBFAN4LIFE  Sam, No, actually, the name my parents gave me at birth is John. But please continue to call me Kidd on the board. Like you, I would like to protect my privacy. John
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Then as an idea occurred to him, he quickly fired off another PM.

JerseyCowboy7800 Takin' Bad Medicine Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 857	Posted: 28 Aug 2007 01:44 pm    Post subject:     PM FROM JERSEYCOWBOY7800 TO FEMFBFAN4LIFE  PS. would it help if Tarzan vouched for me?
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FemFBFan4Life Layin' in a Bed of Roses Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 1362	Posted: 28 Aug 2007 01:50 pm    Post subject:     PM FROM FEMFBFAN4LIFE TO JERSEYCOWBOY7800 John, Nice strong name. Don't worry I'll keep your little secret. And no, it wouldn't do any good to have Tarzan vouch for you. I'm sure as your best friend he would say whatever you wanted him to say...and I don't even know if he's a real person, and not just you pretending to be someone else. But, enough with the damn cynic bullshit! My yahoo messenger id is no big mystery...it's the same as here....     FemFBFan4Life@yahoo.com. See easy! Sam
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Her response really didn't surprise him.  At least not until he got to the bottom of her PM.  She'd finally given him her ID.  Damn, this woman was harder to win over than a whole stadium full of classical music enthusiasts!