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!

Chapter Two

JerseyCowboy7800 Takin' Bad Medicine Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 857 : Items	Posted: 27 Aug 2007 09:10 pm    Post subject:     PM FROM JERSEYCOWBOY7800 TO FEMFBFAN4LIFE:  Honey, Is there any chance I could talk to you in a more private way? Do you have yahoo messenger by any chance? Kidd
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Honey?  Really?  "I'm not your 'Honey'," she said angrily at her computer screen, as if she were really talking to him.  Then realizing what she was doing and that he couldn't really hear her, she began to mumble to herself.  "I'm not giving you my messenger ID.  For all I know you're some crazed ax murderer."  She quickly fired off a PM back to him.

FemFBFan4Life Layin' in a Bed of Roses Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 1362 : Items	Posted: 27 Aug 2007 09:20 pm    Post subject:     PM FROM FEMFBFAN4LIFE TO JERSEYCOWBOY7800 Kidd, Yeah, I have messenger, but I'm not sure about giving you my id. I mean, hell, I don't even know you. How do I know you're not an ax murderer or something? Sam
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It was several minutes before he answered her, but when he did, it made her smile.

JerseyCowboy7800 Takin' Bad Medicine Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 857 : Items	Posted: 27 Aug 2007 09:32 pm    Post subject:     PM FROM JERSEYCOWBOY7800 TO FEMFBFAN4LIFE  Honey, I'm not an ax murderer! Honest. Besides it's not like I can hunt you down with just your messenger id, right? Not with my limited computer skills. Kidd
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She couldn't resist; the devil must have been sitting on her shoulder.

FemFBFan4Life Layin' in a Bed of Roses Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 1362 : Items	Posted: 27 Aug 2007 09:42 pm    Post subject:     PM FROM FEMFB4LIFE TO JERSEYCOWBOY7800 Kidd, I'm sure that's what ALL the ax murderers say. Sam
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He must be doing something else in between sending messages to her because once again it took him several minutes to answer her.  Or maybe, he was just weighing his words carefully.


In New York, Jon was indeed doing something else in between PM's to Sam.  He was watching the conversation between Goddess, Lucy and Richie.  His friend had been flirting outrageously with the two women and the conversation had turned toward a meet up in a hotel room...with TOYS no less.  He knew it was all innocent fun, but he couldn't resist taking a stab at Rich.  "Good job, inviting them to Jersey, since we're in New York City," he called out to his friend who was sitting across the great room from him at the dining room table with his laptop open.  "Maybe they won't find you that way."

Richie snorted.  "This is all in good fun, Kidd."

"Right," Jon said drawing out the word sarcastically.  "Those two ladies will have you walking funny for days.  You're an old fart now, ya know."

"Toys?" Richie squeaked, after seeing the next post on the forum.  He didn't even seem to hear Jon's teasing.

"Goddess wants to bring toys?  Need to borrow some batteries?" Jon tried to keep a straight face but it was a losing battle.

"No.  They're just joking."  Richie didn't sound as sure as he'd like Jon to think.

Good.

"OK," Jon nodded.  "Keep telling yourself that, all the way til they show up and Goddess boils your pet rabbit."  He paused to let that sink in, then, "no wait, Lucy seems more like the pet boiling type."

Rich was quick to defend his new found friends, just like Jon knew he would.  "You're an asshole.  They both seem like perfectly normal women having a little bit of harmless fun.  Besides, I don't even have a pet rabbit."

"That might just piss 'em off, when they can't find a rabbit."  He couldn't resist continuing to push the knife in just a little farther.  This was the King of Swing, the master of pranks after all.  After noticing Goddess's last post about how the girls would recognize each other in the hotel lobby, Jon couldn't resist adding, "Look, Goddess has a Sambora shirt...she's one of yours.  Didn't you get lucky there?"

"Fuck you, Kidd," Richie growled.

"Hey, if they do show up and want to boil your bunny, no worries.  I got your back, Mook."  Jon giggled like a little kid.  Then launched into the full out nerd laugh when he saw Richie's next post about thinking he had bitten off more than he could chew.  Then, while grinning like the Cheshire Cat he watched as his friend tried to extricate himself from the whole situation.  Of course, that's when he realized he'd left Sam hanging.

JerseyCowboy7800 Takin' Bad Medicine Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 857 : Items	Posted: 27 Aug 2007 09:57 pm    Post subject:   PM FROM JERSEYCOWBOY7800 TO FEMFBFAN4LIFE:  Honey, Yeah, I guess you're right. That is what all the ax murderers say. Is there anything I can say to convince you? Well, and stay within the boundaries of honesty? Kidd
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Wow.  That made her stop and think.  Honesty was that important to him?  She went back to reading the forum.  Lucy and Hathor were talking to Tarzan (Kidd's friend) arranging a meet-up.  Shaking her head at the conversation, she continued to read as 'Zan' tried to extricate himself from a sticky situation.  He truly thought the two women meant to meet him in New Jersey.  They were talking hotel rooms and toys.  Surely they were joking....weren't they?  Of course they were.  Who would be crazy enough to meet up with someone they'd only just began talking to online?

She looked back at the PM waiting in her box from Kidd.  What would it hurt to give him her yahoo ID?  He seemed harmless enough.  Besides, if he was serious about the whole honesty thing, he had to be a good guy, right?

Was she seriously considering giving him her ID?

Maybe she was.

First, she needed to know just how important honesty was to him.  She fired off another PM.

FemFBFan4Life Layin' in a Bed of Roses Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 1362 : Items	Posted: 27 Aug 2007 10:38 pm    Post subject:     PM FROM FEMFBFAN4LIFE TO JERSEYCOWBOY7800 Kidd, So staying honest means that much to you? Sam
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She checked back on the board and saw that he'd said good night.  Well damn.  She'd just missed him.  Well, it was after 11:30 on the East coast.  She re-read the posts he had made while they'd been PM'ing each other.  He'd put his two cents worth into the conversation about Lucy and Hathor meeting up with Tarzan, teasing Tarzan about telling their friends about the joking and teasing.  He really seemed like a nice guy.

She shook her head, as she logged off the forum and shut down her computer.  Anyone could seem like a nice guy on the internet.  As a prosecutor, Sam dealt with the ugly side of life every single day.  There were times when she wondered how she managed to hold onto any kind of thread of optimism.

After turning off all the lights, she let Diva outside one last time.  Their nightly routine included Diva going outside to do her business and get one last run around the fence.  The dog would do several laps around the yard, zooming around like a race horse.  While Diva played outside, Sam would brush her teeth and spend a few minutes on the treadmill.  She was working up to running for a whole hour, but so far she could only last about fifteen minutes.  But, tonight, after the awful headache, she just didn't have the energy to force herself to step onto the stupid machine.

When she let Diva back in the house, she pushed the guilt of not exercising aside and crawled into bed.  At least, she'd taken the time to brush her teeth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


After logging out of the forum, Jon was still a little wired.  Pouring another glass of wine in the kitchen, he yelled to Richie in the den.  "You heading to bed, Mook, or do ya want some more soda while I'm in here?"

"Na," Richie called back, "my fingers are feeling kinda itchy.  Think I might go jam with Mack and the guys."

"Hey, be on the look out for Lucy and Goddess.  Wouldn't want them to sneak up on ya."  Jon snickered softly to himself.

"Shut the fuck up, Kidd," Richie groused.  "You never did know when to let something go."

Laughing softly, Jon shook his head.  He knew exactly how Richie felt; he knew all about itchy fingers.  His had been like that for a while now, ever since they finished the album in fact.  He had no plans to tour this album, but he wanted to share it with the fans.  He'd signed on to do ten shows at the new arena in Newark to help out the venue as well as to get the music out there.  Then, he just couldn't say no.

And ended up booking for a whole tour.

"I'm outta here, Kidd," Richie called from the entry way.  "Don't wait up for me."

The door slamming punctuated the guitarist's sentence.  Jon snorted softly with a smile and a shake of his head.  Rich was always in a hurry to play.  Swirling the pinot grigio around in the glass, he didn't even pause as he walked past his Tak laying where he'd left it on the couch; his old friend looked abandoned and forgotten laying there, but Jon had no desire to pick it up.  Not tonight.  All too soon, he'd be picking him up and taking the stage for a ten night run at the Pru that would then lead into that world tour.

Touring wasn't as glamorous as the average Joe Blow thought.  Sure, it was a different city every day, a city that he didn't ever see much of.  Nope, just the inside of a hotel room, and the sites between said hotel and the venue, and if he was lucky - the hotel gym.  In a few months, his old buddy Tak and the nightly stage would be the only home he'd see on a regular basis.  But, right now, he'd had all of Tak he could stand.

Slowly, he climbed the stairs to his bedroom.  Hopefully, the wine and some late night news would put him to sleep.