Chapter 44: The House

After his friends stumbled from the car, Richie extended a hand to Julianna. “Coming in, babe?”

Julianna blanched. “Um, I don’t think so. I think I told you, this place has some bad memories that are still too raw. I don’t think I can handle it. Come home with me.”

Richie persisted. “C’mon, Jules. It’s just a house. You had lots of good memories here before that asshole, and if you’ll let me, I’ll help you make some new happy memories here.” He looked into her eyes. “You can do this, you know; you told me once you’re very, very strong.” No reaction. “Please,” he implored. “At least come into the great room with me – I promise I’ll be with you the whole time, and if you still want to go back to the cottage, I’ll take you.”

Julianna sighed. It really was stupid to resist. This was the last hold Mark had over her, making her apprehensive to go into her own home. Still, there was a little voice in her head imploring her not to go into the house. Shaking that off, she blew out a breath, and reached to take Richie’s hand. “Alright,” she said. “I can promise you the great room.”

He handed her out of the car, closed the door, and nodded to Michael, who was standing at the ready. “I’ll escort Ms. Cavanaugh home, Michael.”

Michael made no move to leave. “No offense, sir,” he said, protective eyes on Julianna, “but I don’t work for you. Ms. Cavanaugh, you going to be alright getting back? Or do you want me to wait for you?”

Julianna answered, “Michael, I will be fine.” She reached into her purse, withdrew an envelope, and handed it to Michael. “Thank you again, Michael. As always, your discretion and professionalism are appreciated.”

“Thank you, Ms. C.,” Michael said. “Have a good night. You too, sir. It was a pleasure to meet you.” With that, he climbed back into the car, and took off.

Julianna looked at the front door, which the guys had left standing open. “It’s now or never. Let’s go,” she said, voice quaking, but not moving. Richie scooped Julianna into his arms, cradling her like he would a scared child. “What are you doing?” Julianna squeaked. “Put me down!”

‘Nope,” Richie answered, grinning like a fool. “I’m not giving you the chance to back out. You’re coming inside with me. You promised.”

“These caveman tactics don’t sit well with me, Sambora.” Julianna said, angrily. “I’m getting seriously pissed off here.”

“You’re just agitated at going into the house; you are not mad at me,” Richie was saying happily, as he strode toward the front door. He paused on the porch steps, and kissed her lips. “It’ll be alright. I’m here with you.” He locked eyes with her, and saw the terror and sadness in them. “Trust me,” he said.

Julianna saw quiet strength and steely resolve in the eyes before her. Resigned, she nodded. “I trust you, Rich. You know that. OK, take me in.”

“Close your eyes,” Richie said. She complied. “Concentrate on my arms holding you, and my voice talking to you.” He proceeded to slowly enter the house. He could feel Julianna’s body tense, and her pulse race, and not in a good way.

“You’re OK, Julianna. Don’t let the house win. Don’t let Mark win. Don’t let him keep you from your home.” He stopped walking. “Open your eyes.”

Julianna complied, and saw, for the first time, the job her friends had done in redecorating this space. It looked completely different from when she lived there with Mark. The floors were redone. The wall and window treatments were all different. The furniture still looked new. She saw the piano in its place of honor. She whispered to Richie, “Put me down.” He complied, and watched her walk over to the piano, tears in her eyes.

“Mama used to sing to this piano,” she said, softly stroking the finish. “I learned to play on this instrument. Oh, I can’t believe I haven’t seen it, touched it, in so long.” She turned to Richie, tears streaming from her face. “How could I let that bastard keep me from Mama’s Steinway?”

Richie crossed the room to her, and took her gently in his arms. “You were hurting, sweetheart. You had your heart broken here, and didn’t want the painful reminder.” He smiled a sad, ironic smile. “I still get the same way sometimes when I come across something of Heather’s that Ava has brought with her to my house,” He closed his eyes against the pain. “I can remember where we were when we bought it, or her reaction when I was something I gave to her as a gift...” he trailed off. “You just have to block it out or go quietly insane,” he finished quietly, his voice a hoarse whisper.

“We’ve got a lot of baggage here, don’t we Rich,” Julianna asked softly.

“We sure do.” He shook his head and kissed her gently. “But, we don’t have to tote it alone. I’ll let you carry mine if you’ll let me carry yours.”

“You, darlin’, have made yourself a deal.”

Julianna blew out a breath and took an internal inventory. “It’s actually not too bad in this room. I think I could be comfortable in here again.” She moved from the protective circle of Richie’s arms to sit at the piano. Slowly, lovingly, she began a Beethoven piece, Moonlight Sonata. It’s quiet, haunting tones filled the room. Her eyes, still teary, closed as she gently stroked the keys. Back straight, fingers dancing slowly, purposefully up and down the keyboard, Julianna played with all the emotion and sadness she felt. When the music reached its gentle crescendo, and she began playing a bit louder, the music changed slightly, and now it wasn’t quite so sad.

The others, who had been in the kitchen, heard the music start. Thinking it was Richie, they ignored it. Dave still had half an ear on it, however, as the piano was his instrument, his creative outlet. “Nah, that ain’t Rich,” he said. “I know how Rich plays -- that isn’t it.”

“Maybe he has some music turned on,” Jon answered, remembering what Julianna had said about not being able to be in the house yet.

“C’mon, man, how drunk are you?” Tico scoffed. “Have you ever known Sambora to purposefully put on Beethoven?”

Dave looked at Tico, surprised. “You recognize Beethoven?”

“Ha ha, very funny,” Tico said. “Yes,” he said in a mocking tone, “I recognize Beethoven.” He smiled. “I am multi-faceted, you know.” The others burst out laughing.

“Since when?” Jon said.

Tico flipped him off. “If it isn’t Sambora or a CD, it must be Julianna. Let’s go check it out.”

The three stopped in the entryway to the great room. They could see it was indeed Julianna. She was in profile, back straight in perfect recital posture, and they could see tears track down her cheek. She was riveting. They could see Richie watching her, pain and something that looked a whole lot like love mixed in his eyes. The three exchanged glances, and quietly entered the room, not wanting to disturb either of them. Sitting around the edge of the room, they just listened to the beautiful music.

Julianna knew the instant the others entered the room. She had been playing for people long enough that she developed a kind of sixth sense about that. She smiled to herself, and finished the piece. Wiping her eyes, she stood and turned to Richie. “Thank you, Rich. Thank you for this wonderful gift.” She kissed him tenderly, and smiled. Turning in Richie’s arms to look at Jon, she said with a watery smile, “You seem to see me crying at the piano an awful lot, Jon. I hope you don’t think that’s all I do.”

Seeing she was trying to lighten the mood, he took her cue. “I’ve seen you do other things, darlin’,” he said with a leer. “Don’t worry about it.”

Laughing, Julianna stretched then looped an easy arm around Richie’s waist. “Thank you guys for inviting me out tonight.” She looked adoringly at Richie. “I had a really good time.”

The three men were savvy enough to know when they were being gently dismissed. It didn’t bother them, however. They’d do anything for this woman who had brought their brother back from whatever black place he had been stuck in – she just didn’t know it yet. Dave spoke up. “I don’t know about you guys, but I need to go to bed. I’m beat.” He ambled over to Julianna and kissed her cheek. “For the record, I thought you played beautifully. I’d truly love to compare notes sometime about your time at Julliard. Good night, Jules.”

“”Night, Dave. I’d like that too,” she answered. The others called out their own good nights, came for their kisses, and left the room. Julianna looked at Richie. “I should probably go too; let you get some sleep.” She sounded unsure.

“Baby, I wouldn’t be sleeping if you left now, not unless I went with you. I’d be tossing and turning, wondering how long I could hold off until I hauled my ass off to your place and used this,” he reached into his shirt, and pulled out her key, which was on a long, thin, silver chain. Julianna was extremely touched by this gesture, and her eyes started to tear up again.

“In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m a weepy drunk,” she said with a dry laugh.

“Don’t try to make light of this, Julianna,” Richie said, his voice and face extremely serious. “This is no joke.” He blew out a breath and turned away from her.

Julianna, confused, put a tentative hand to his shoulder. “Rich?” she asked.

Richie put up a hand to stall her. “I need to get this out. It’s been on my mind since the other night when you started to say you’d wait for me to come home.” He paced back and forth for a few minutes, muttering to himself, and pushing his hands through his hair. He stopped in front of Julianna, and took her hands. “Julianna, I need to tell you something pretty serious, but first you need to hear some things; things that other than Jon, I haven’t told anyone.” Julianna’s eyes went wide, and Richie could feel her hands start to shake. “It’s not a bad thing; at least, I don’t think it is. Don’t say anything yet; let me get the rest of this out.”

He dropped Julianna’s hands, and started pacing again.

Chapter 43: Car Games

A dozen bars and several hours later, nobody was feeling any pain. Julianna had Michael drop her brothers off at their respective houses, then told him to head for the homestead. To his credit, Michael didn’t even blink an eye. As the car glided through the night, Julianna raised the privacy panel, and snuggled up next to Richie. Tico was asleep across from her, head resting on the door, snoring lightly. Jon and Dave were talking about something or other – she couldn’t make it out – and weren’t paying any attention to them. She absently stroked Richie’s leg, tracing random patterns with her fingers.

“Hey, baby,” Richie whispered, looping an arm around Julianna’s shoulders. “You’re making my pants tight.”

Julianna giggled. “You mean tighter, right? Want me to say I’m sorry? Well, I’m not.” She tilted her head up to look into Richie’s eyes, and pulled his head down for a deep kiss. A couple minutes later, she realized the drone of voices had subsided. Breaking the kiss, she looked up, and saw that all the others were asleep. “How soundly do they sleep?”

“Huh? Why?” Richie’s beer-tinged brain was a little fuzzy, but eventually he caught on. His eyes went wide when he realized why Julianna was asking. “Um,” he said, “pretty soundly; how far away are we from the house?”

Julianna’s pulse jumped, and she moved so she was sitting across Richie’s lap. “About half an hour.”

Richie thought for a moment. “Give ‘em another five minutes, and if they haven’t moved, it’ll take an explosion to wake them.” He saw Julianna’s wide smile, and chuckled. “Bad choice of phrase.”

“Oh, to the contrary, my dear,” she said, her voice dripping honey. “That was a perfect choice of phrase. I can be quiet if you can.” She kissed him deeply, feeling the evidence of his desire against her ass.

“Jesus, Julianna, you’re killing me.”

“Is that bad, baby?” she asked, pouting prettily.

“God, no. It’s all good,” Richie replied.

“In that case,” Julianna said, grinning wickedly, “I’ll tell you that I’m commando under this skirt.”

Richie’s eyes narrowed as they darkened. “I don’t believe you,” he said. “I’ll have to make you prove it.”

Glancing once more at the others, Julianna asked, her voice thick with passion, “Has it been five minutes yet?” She grabbed Richie’s hand, and guided it up under her skirt. His fingers trailed lightly up her thigh until he had his proof. Tickling her curls, he captured her mouth in a kiss. Julianna reached between them to unfasten Richie’s jeans. Easing his erection from the tight denim, she groaned. He was commando, too.

Richie shifted Julianna to straddle him. Slowly, she lowered onto him. Her eyes rolled back at the contact, and she latched her mouth onto Richie’s neck, biting lightly. Rocking with the motion of the car, Julianna silently moved over Richie. She could feel the power in the hands holding her waist, controlling her movements. She felt his hands tighten as his breath hitched. Her own breathing was ragged – she’d been on the verge of orgasm for hours now. Just being around Richie excited her. Julianna chuckled softly when he was unable to contain a low growl when he came. She kissed him as she teetered on the edge, and then joined Richie on the fall.

Julianna tunneled her fingers through Richie’s hair, holding his head while she kissed him deeply. He wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, holding her to him, and kissed her back with such passion, it caught her off guard. She let out a contented sigh. Across the car, they heard Jon snort softly in his sleep. Neither moved for a few moments; waiting to see if he was going to wake up. When he didn’t, they giggled softly, and had to struggle to get themselves under control. The car slowed, hastening their efforts, and making Julianna move to disengage herself. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a wad of Kleenex, and silently handed some to Richie, while she did the best she could on herself.

They were just rearranging their clothes when the car slowed to a halt outside the main house. Julianna lowered the privacy panel. “Michael, we’re going to be a few minutes; the others are asleep, and we have to rouse them.”

“No problem, Ms. C.,” he responded.

Julianna scooted across the backseat to sit next to Tico and touch his cheek gently. “Hey, Teek, wake up,” she said. He groaned and shifted, but didn’t open his eyes.

“Rrrrr. ‘S up, querido?” he answered, groggily, turning to wrap his arms around Julianna and nuzzle her neck.

“We’re back, and I can’t carry you into the house,” Julianna said, giggling softly. “And, if you don’t get your hands and mouth off of me, Rich is going to kick your ass. And I’ll call your wife.”

Tico’s eyes flew open, and he released his hold on Julianna. “Jesus, sorry. I was having a hell of a dream.” He smiled at Julianna, who was still giggling. “OK, I’m up. Gimme a minute.” He stretched and scrubbed his hands over his face and into his hair, making it stand up on end. He looked around at his friends, and saw Jon and Dave pretty much passed out. “How long have they been out?”

“’Bout half an hour,” Richie answered. “Think we can wake them?”

“Hell, yeah,” Tico said, laughing a little. He reached over, and clamped his hand over Jon’s nose and mouth. A few seconds later, Jon’s eyes flew open, and his own hands flailed out. Tico just laughed.

“Jesus, man,” Jon growled. “There’s got to be a better way to get my attention.”

“There is, but dude, I’m a dude. I’m not going there with you.”

Jon laughed, and elbowed Dave roughly. “Get up, we’re back,” he said.

“Ow, bitch!” Dave’s eyes opened slowly, and he groaned. “Man, can’t we sleep in the car? I don’t think I can move.”

Julianna just laughed at them. Except for her brothers, she had never seen a group of men so at home with each other. “C’mon, Dave, your bed awaits,” she said.

“Yeah, but it’s empty,” he complained.

Richie laughed, “You’d be in no position to do anything even if it were occupied. You’ve had way too much to drink, my friend.”

“Shut up, man, you’re one to talk. How much did you have to drink?”

“Not enough to, shall we say, dampen my enthusiasm?” He looked at Julianna and winked.

Jon groaned at Richie. “Oh, man, you didn’t, did you?” He took in the look on Richie’s face, and Julianna’s blush. He shook his head, chuckling. “Oh, Christ, you did! Jesus, man, you’re a piece of work.”

Chapter 42: MacGuire's

MacGuire’s was packed – after all, it was a Friday night. The guys donned their ball caps, and followed Julianna into the bar. Richie’s eyes automatically scanned for a stage. He couldn’t help it. Jamming with local talent was one of his favorite ways to unwind after working hard all day. He wasn’t disappointed. Set up opposite the door, at the back of the room, was a stage complete with drums, piano, and a guitar. The band must be on break. He regretted not bringing his Strat with him; he usually brought it whenever the boys went out on the town.

Julianna looked around nervously and finally relaxed when she spied her brothers seated at a large table in the back by the stage. She led the way toward them. Heads turned as they went past, but nobody seemed to be really paying attention to them. Julianna’s brothers rose to greet her as she approached. Nicky reached her first.

‘You okay? I’m so glad you came out.” Nick gave her a hug, and peck on the cheek. Julianna nodded. Holding her at arm’s length, he studied her face. “I thought you had a full mad on yesterday. What happened? You don’t get over things this quickly – where’d it go?”

“I had some help in working through it.” Julianna winked at Richie. At Nick’s shocked expression, Julianna laughed and blushed prettily. “Shut up, you perv; he let me beat the shit out of him until I could hardly stand. Then for a day and a half, we literally made some beautiful music together. Now, here I am with quite a large collection of good-looking men. How could I possibly not be okay?”

Nick laughed, hugged Julianna again, and shook Richie’s hand. “Thanks, for your help man. You sure worked magic with her.” He shook his head. “I wasn’t looking forward to having Miss Cranky Pants around for the night. G said she sounded fine, when he talked to her earlier tonight, but I didn’t believe him.”

“Believe me, it was my pleasure,” Richie answered, his voice dripping with double-meaning. “I’ve gotta say, your sister in full-on mad mode is scary – glad I could help.”

“Bite me, Sambora,” Julianna grouched, sticking her tongue out at him.

“Later,” he promised, with a lecherous grin.

The group settled around the table, and ordered a couple more pitchers of beer, and an assortment of fried goodies. Everything came out quickly. “This place is great,” Jon commented, his mouth full of onion rings. He looked at Sal, who was seated to his right. “Is this a regular spot for you guys?”

Sal grinned. “Well, yeah, seeing as how it’s my father-in-law’s place. We come here a couple times a month to unwind. We don’t come more often, because Da won’t let us pay, and we don’t want to take advantage. But, when Julianna said you guys wanted to go out tonight, we couldn’t think of a better place to start than with family.”

“You guys have a lot of family in the area?”

“Oh yeah, we’re all over the place around here.” Sal chuckled. “Sort of the problem of being part of a big family; sometimes you just can’t get away from it, you know?” Jon nodded. Sal continued, casting a sidelong glance at Julianna first. “But, on the flip side, we have such an extensive support network; we can get nearly anything we need, from the physical to the spiritual, pretty much whenever we need it. We’re truly blessed.”

“I hear that,” Jon agreed. His family was the same way. When his own marriage fell apart, his family rallied around him, offering unconditional love and support. Julianna was one lucky lady.

Scanning the others at the table, Jon rested his eyes on Julianna and Richie. Richie had his arm draped across the back of Julianna’s chair, and the two were engaged in conversation with Nicky. It did his heart good to see Richie happy again. As if he could tell Jon was looking at him, Richie turned and met his friend’s eyes. Jon raised his glass in salute, making his friend smile and nod.

A very large, very Irish man approached their table. He was built like a wrestler, complete with a nose that had been broken more than once, a thick neck, and tattoos covering his forearms. Julianna jumped up and squealed when she saw him. She launched herself into his arms. “Da!” she said. “It’s so good to see you!”

“It’s been far too long, my sweet girl,” he said with a thick brogue, spinning her around, kissing her cheeks, and dropping her to her feet. “I’m so glad to see you out and about. Now tell me, my girl, who are your friends?”

Julianna turned back to the table. “Guys, this is Sal’s father-in-law, my surrogate uncle, and owner of this fine establishment, Devlin Patrick MacGuire. Da, these are new friends, Rich, Jon, Tico, and Dave.” The men exchanged handshakes.

“Glad to meet you. I’m ‘Mac’ to my friends,” Devlin said, “and any friends of my shining Jewel here are friends of mine. How’s everything, then? Will you be needing anything more?”

“No, Da,” Julianna answered, “we’re good. We’re starting a crawl, and wanted my brothers to join us, so here we are, enjoying your hospitality.”

Mac frowned. “You’re crawling? Who’s driving?”

Julianna laughed. “Da, we have a car service tonight; you don’t have to worry about us.”

“Girl, it isn’t you I’m worried about; it’s me. God forbid anything happened to you after drinking in my pub, your mother would skin me alive, and your father would roast me in his kitchen.” He shuddered. “Let me know if there’s anything you need.”

Julianna sat back down as Mac exchanged words with each of her brothers. “God,” she said to Richie, “I love that man. He’s been friends with my father since they were young. It tickled them to no end when Sal fell for Maeve. She gave him a run for his money, though; she didn’t want to marry someone her father approved of. But, the Cavanaugh Charm won out in the end.” She winked at him. “Be warned – it usually does; we usually get what we want.”

Julianna’s brothers were all standing with Mac, who was gesturing to the stage. The three nodded, and Gianni led them up. Taking a seat at the piano, he started a round of Irish drinking songs. The others lent their voices to Gianni’s; pouring on a thick brogue. The three brothers sounded great. The fact they had already put away a pitcher or two of beer only made them sing louder and prouder. Julianna raised her glass and sang along, her voice meshing in with theirs, brogue and all. The guys were all entertained and clapped and sang along with the crowd.

Looking around, Jon noticed nobody was paying any attention to them. They could just relax and enjoy the atmosphere; Julianna was good for them all.

After another rousing round of drinking songs, Gianni motioned to his sister. Addressing the crowd, he said, “Are you all ready for a good cry?” The audience responded with a resounding “Hell, yes!” Gianni laughed. “Then get out your hankies; Jules is coming up to sing for you.”

Julianna drained her glass, and a bit self-consciously took the stage. She brought the microphone to center stage. “G,” she said, “give me the notes.” Gianni gave her the first bar of “Danny Boy”, and the crowd went silent. With an angel’s voice, Julianna sang the slow ballad acapella, closing her eyes and allowing the emotion of the lyrics to sweep over her features.

Richie looked over at his friends. Dave had his own eyes closed, and was lost in thought. Tico was just staring, with a star-struck expression on his face that made Richie chuckle. Jon met his eyes and arched a single eyebrow. Richie blew out a breath, and turned his attention back to the stage.

Julianna, oblivious to the reactions of the crowd, sang on. She sang of love, heartache, and pain as if they were her own personal demons. She knew how to reach the crowd and made it look effortless. Singing the last lines, she let some brogue thicken her voice, and the change in her voice was amazing. When she was done, she opened her eyes and scanned the room. There was hardly a dry eye in the house; especially among Mac and his friends. She made a small curtsey at the rousing applause, and rejoined her friends at the table. Richie stood, and wrapped Julianna in a hug.

“That was beautiful,” he said, and kissed her soundly. The crowd whooped and cheered louder, making them laugh. Mac came over to join them.

“Darling girl, that was prettier than ever,” he said, his accent melodious. He cast a critical eye on Richie. “So, would this here boy courting you, my dear?” Mac asked.

Julianna looked at Richie. “I don’t know if ‘courting’ is the right word, but yes, Da, we’re together.”

“Does your Mama approve?”

“Of course! Rich’s already been to dinner and made nice with Nonna. We had lunch with Mama just yesterday.”

Mac laughed, and turned to Richie. “If you can get Francesca on your side after just one evening, then, my boy, that’s good enough by me. If you haven’t figured us out yet, we look after our own. You take good care of our precious Jewel, and you’ll have loyal friends for life.” His face closed, growing serious. “Make her unhappy, though, and you’ll have the wrath of a thousand Irishmen to contend with.”

Jon laughed at the look on Richie’s face. He called out to his friend, “This is where you say ‘yes sir’ and sit down.”

Mac laughed at that, and clapped a hand on Jon’s back. “With your coloring and quick wit, boy, surely you must be one of us?”

“Regrettably not, Mac,” he answered. “I am, however, from fine Italian stock, like your dear friend’s wife, so I come by the wit honestly.”

Mac nodded. “Too true. Alright, then. Jewel, my girl, I’ll leave you to your men. Will I see you Wednesday at dinner?”

“Jeez, has it been a month already?” She shook her head. “Time flies. Yes, I’ll be there. It’s the last one for me for a while; at least until after opening night. Another couple of weeks, and I’ll be moving to the city for the duration.” She sighed, and gave Mac a smacking kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you Wednesday, Da. Love you.”

“And I you, darling girl,” he replied.

Julianna’s brothers joined them. “You ready for the next stop?” Sal asked.

Julianna looked at the empty beer pitchers and food platters, and laughed. “I think we’ve done enough damage here. Da, will you let us pay?”

Mac just looked at her. “What do you think?”

Julianna sighed. “No, I didn’t think so. Alright boys, let’s get a move on. There’s more drinking to be done!” With that they left MacGuire’s for their next adventure.

Chapter 41: Pub Crawl

They spent the rest of the morning in the studio, recording different versions of the various tracks that made up the finale – both the show’s version, and the one for whatever album they decided to put it on. When they broke for lunch, Jon spent time at the mixing board while the others ate. Julianna left a plate by Jon’s arm, which he ignored. “Don’t mind him,” Richie said. “He’s in work mode. He’ll eat when he’s done.” He kissed her temple. “That was a sweet gesture, though.”

Several hours later, Jon finally had the mixes for the various versions of the song done to his satisfaction. Everyone was lounging around up in the studio, listening to the finished products when Julianna spoke up. “I just can’t get over the fact that that’s me on that recording.” She shook her head. It was still hard wrapping her head around everything that had happened in this past month. She had a thought. “Guys, when I take the song to the company to stage it, I’d like to take one that doesn’t have me singing – if that’s alright with you all.” At Jon’s quizzical look, Julianna continued. “I want to keep my personal involvement with this a secret as long as possible.”

“How come?” Jon asked.

“Purely for selfish reasons, actually,” she answered. “Part of it is that I don’t want to deal with all the questions or to detract from the intense rehearsals we’ll be having. I also have a few people I’d like to surprise.” She smiled, thinking of the reactions she’d get from the rest of her family, Estelle, and her friends at BIO. “Also, remember that we weren’t planning to announce your personal appearance until the last possible moment. We arranged that with your people. I want the show to be booked and tickets sold on the merits, not just because you guys may be there.”

Julianna took a breath, and sunk onto the couch. “And finally, my asshole ex-husband has resurfaced, and I don’t want him getting wind of this yet. I don’t trust him not to try to capitalize on the connection somehow. He’s been hanging around my theater, and starting or feeding all sorts of rumors.” She had a look of distaste on her face, which quickly turned into one of epiphany. “Oh! I’ll bet his show is sucking ass.” She jumped up and went to her desk. After firing up the laptop she kept there, she Googled Mark’s show. As she suspected, it wasn’t doing well in the ratings, and the network was talking about not renewing.

“Son of a bitch,” Julianna said. “Usually, I enjoy being right, but this time,” she broke off shaking her head. “Well, anyway, Jon, those are my reasons – right, wrong, or otherwise.” She shut down the computer, and began cleaning up in the studio.

He nodded. “I can live with that. Now,” he looked at his watch, then at his friends. “We’ve worked through dinner, and I’m hungry. Who’s up for a little fun?”

“What’d you have in mind?” Dave asked.

“I thought we’d load up in the Hummer, and head out to some dive,” Jon answered. “Julianna, you come too. You worked just as hard as the rest of us. Let’s go somewhere were we can shoot some pool, have a bunch of beers and chow on some pub grub.”

“Pub grub?” Julianna asked, laughing. “You? You mean you actually eat that stuff?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” she said, blushing now. “I mean, look at you! Not an ounce of fat on you. You don’t maintain that by eating hot wings and onion rings.”

Jon laughed, and smiled at her, his eyes crinkling. “True, but I don’t indulge too often, and I understand from Rich that uh,” he winked at her, “you give quite a workout, and might be persuaded to help me out there.”

“WHAT?” she screeched. Her reaction sent the foursome into a fit of hysterics.

“I mean in your gym downstairs, you pervert,” Jon said, tears streaming from his eyes.

Julianna groaned, and turned the approximate color of a fire truck. Richie, laughing so hard he could hardly walk, crossed to her and gave her a kiss. “Baby, that was priceless.”

“Jesus,” she answered. “I’m not ready to be going out with all of you guys; there’s no telling what would happen.”

Richie looked at Julianna. There was something there in her eyes; he could see real hesitation. “Everything OK, baby? You don’t have to come out with us if you don’t want to.”

Julianna was touched and a bit chagrined that Richie was able to read her so easily. It was time to cowboy up. “Of course I’m coming with you. C’mon, going drinking with Bon Jovi? What red-blooded American woman could turn that down?” She sighed sharply. “One question: who’s driving?” Everyone looked around, and nobody volunteered. “Never mind,” she said, pulling out her cell phone. After selecting a number from her speed-dial list, she spoke with whoever answered.

“This is Julianna Cavanaugh. I am entertaining friends, and need a car and driver at my disposal for the remainder of the night.” She paused for a moment, listening, then descended the stairs from the loft. “There are five of us, but there will be a few more we pick up along the way.” Julianna paused and listened a bit more. “Perfect. When can you be here? Good. We’ll be waiting. I trust I don’t need to tell your driver that my friends relish their privacy. Excellent. Thank you.”

She closed the phone and turned to see the guys all staring at her. “What?” she said. “Why is it that I always seem to find you guys staring at me? You’re gonna give me a complex. What is it this time?”

Tico shook his head, smiling. “Man, I’ve never seen anyone but Boss here get things done like that. That was amazing.” He turned to Jon. “I mean it, man, we should hire her. Kidnap her. Marry her. Something.”

Julianna laughed and gave Tico a big hug. “God, you’re good for my ego. I think I’ll keep you.” She winked at Richie. While she downloaded the rehearsal track she wanted to her ever-present MP3 player, she said, “I have been doing business with this car service since I started the Company. I’ve given them lots of business and referrals, so they treat me really well. They’ll be here within the hour. I need to go change.” Four pairs of eyes looked at her. “Hey, I’m a girl; I need to wear a skirt when I go out. Gimme a break. Feel free to hang out here, or whatever.” Julianna flounced from the room. The men looked at each other, shrugged, and went back to the house to clean up before going out.

* * * * *

When Julianna answered the doorbell, phone glued to her ear, she stared wide-eyed, and nearly dropped the receiver. The guys had all cleaned up very nicely. To a man, they were clad in tight denim, leather boots, and snug T-shirts. The bills of ball caps stuck out from their back pockets. They laughed at her expression, eyeballed her short skirt, tall, high-heeled boots, the three inches of flesh in between, and the filmy top she put on over her tank. Whistling appreciatively, they brushed past her into the library, Richie squeezing her ass as he passed. Julianna finished her conversation and hung up the phone. Following the seductive sound of men’s laughter to the library, she found the guys lounging around on her furniture as if they lived there. Damn, they look good in my space, she thought.

“That was Gianni. I was letting him know we were heading out, and would probably make it around to where they were, and to not worry about driving since I have a car tonight,” she said. “Anyone have a problem with that?” Four wide-eyed heads shook back and forth, making her smile.


The doorbell rang again, bringing everyone out into the foyer. Looking through the window, Julianna saw the car service had sent an 8-passenger limo to be at Julianna’s disposal for the night. She opened the door to a driver she’d driven with before. “Evening, Michael,” Julianna said.

“Evening, Ms. Cavanaugh. Where are we off to this evening?”

Julianna turned back to see the others had trailed her to the door. “Well, guys, where do you want to go? Do you have someplace specific in mind? Or do you want to pub crawl?” Nobody really cared where they went; they just wanted to get going.

Julianna told Michael to make the rounds of the dives and pubs in the area, starting with one in particular – the one where her brothers were hanging out. “Michael, we’ll probably pick up a few passengers at the first stop we make.”

“No problem, Ms. C. – whatever you need.” Michael studiously avoided looking into the faces of Julianna’s guests, but their identities didn’t escape his notice.

Richie spoke up. “Michael, is it?” He strode over, hand outstretched. “Since none of the others have any manners, and we’re going to be spending the majority of the night in your care, let me make the introductions.”

“Sir,” Michael interrupted, shaking the proffered hand, “I know who you are; I mean I recognized you right off. Let me say, it’s an honor to make your acquaintance, and Ms. Cavanaugh can attest to my discretion.”

“Glad to hear it. I’ll dispense with the other introductions, since you know the assholes over there,” he waved his hand toward the rest of the guys, who promptly flipped him off.

Julianna, laughing at their antics, came to Michael’s rescue. “Guys, shall we?”

Chapter 40: Lie To Me

After a cozy breakfast and invigorating shower, Richie and Julianna were sitting close together on Julianna’s back deck, guitars in hand, singing another of the songs she had selected for the show as a warm-up. They were waiting for the others to arrive so they could go to work. They were playing and singing softly through the first verse and chorus. Richie liked the small musical changes that were made to help song better fit into the show. This song was in the second act, when Gina was talking about leaving Tommy because she thought she was holding him back. These were Tommy’s words to her as she was storming around their apartment packing.

In the second verse, Richie sang, with Julianna harmonizing, being Gina answering her love.

Pour another cup of coffee, babe, I got something to say to you
(I don’t wanna cry no more)
Well I ain’t got the winning ticket, not the one that’s gonna pull us through
(I don’t wanna die no more)
No one said that it’d be easy let your old man take you home
But know if you walk out on me then darling I’d be gone.

At the chorus this time, their voices rose together loudly, full of the love and heartbreak of their characters, blending beautifully.

If you don’t love me, lie to me
‘Cause baby you’re the one thing I believe
Let it all fall down around us, if that’s what’s meant to be
Right now, if you can’t love me baby, lie to me

Richie played his solo, then traded the lines of the bridge with Julianna.

It’s a bitch; yeah life’s a roller coaster ride
The ups and downs will make you scream sometimes
It’s hard believing that the thrill is gone
But we gotta go around again, so let’s hold on

They sang through the chorus again together, this time playing as loudly as they could on their acoustics, voices crackling with passion and emotion. When they finished, Richie and Julianna looked at each other for a long moment, not speaking. Then slowly, they put their guitars down and leaned into each other for a soft kiss.

Julianna smiled, twining her fingers into Richie’s soft, dark hair. “Damn, baby, you guys sure do know how to write. That’s gotta be one of my all-time favorite songs.” She sighed and let the locks slip through her fingers. “The music is beautiful, and the words are so bittersweet. I love the genius of the layout of that particular album. Even the titles of the songs – the way they’re laid out tells a tale. Hell, I could have just used the songs from ‘These Days’ as the show. You guys are such great story tellers; it’s no wonder you’ve been able to do what you do for so long.” She kissed him again, scooting into his lap, and wrapping her arms around his neck. “It’s just amazing.”

“Thank you,” Jon called from the back of the yard. He and the others had come through the gate, but had stopped when they heard Richie and Julianna playing. “What amazes me sometimes is that we haven’t gotten at each other’s throats enough to call it quits.”

“That’s not surprising at all, actually,” Julianna countered. She squeezed Richie’s shoulder and squirmed a little in his lap before climbing off of him and descending to the yard to greet her new friends with hugs. “What you guys have is a family. You all love each other, respect each other, and would do whatever any of the others needed. I’m sure you fight. Hell, my brothers nearly beat each other to death when they were kids.” Julianna laughed at a memory, and continued. “But, they always loved each other, and now, they would literally lay down their lives for each other. In the short time I’ve known you all, I see that brotherhood, that unspoken devotion.” She put her hands to her heart dramatically. “It’s a beautiful thing,” she said on a sigh.

Tico grinned at her. “I’ll tell you what I think is a beautiful thing. What’s beautiful is the way you play and sing so well with Rich. It’s like you two were made to sing together. Your voices and talent complement each other.” He slung an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in close. “Little sister, you are surely one of us now.”

Julianna kissed his cheek, looping an arm around his waist and squeezing. “I don’t know about that, brother dear; but you’re very sweet to say so.”

Dave looked stricken. “I thought I was the sweet one?”

Julianna laughed, and motioned him over to her, since Tico wouldn’t let go of her shoulder. Dave obliged, and Julianna gave him a peck on the cheek, and wrapped her other arm around his waist. “You’ll always be the sweet one in my heart,” she said.

Dave shot a triumphant look at his friend. Tico flipped him off.

“If the mutual admiration society meeting is over,” Richie called from the porch, “perhaps we can get to work?” Tico and Dave took in the possessive look on their friend’s face, and released Julianna.

“Jesus, man,” Jon said. “I’m usually the one who’s bitchy about working. But, you’re right. We’ve got a long day ahead of us, and may as well get started.” He smiled endearingly and offered his arm to Julianna. “Shall we?”

Richie jumped down from the porch, and playfully pushed Jon out of the way. “Quit trying to make time with my lady,” he said; the sparkle in his eyes taking the sting from his words. “The whole lot of you.”

“Now, boys,” Julianna said, in a stern tone. “There’ll be no fighting over me. I’m woman enough to take on all of you.” She gave them all slow once-overs. “Either together or separately. But,” she said, smiling at the collective gasp her comment evoked, “I’ve made my choice, and I’m sticking with it.” She licked Richie’s neck to his earlobe, which she bit gently. Winking at the others, she turned and strutted away, hips swaying in an exaggerated model’s walk. “Coming, boys?” she tossed back over her shoulder, emphasizing the first word.

“Jesus, I think I’m in love,” Dave said, watching her walk away.

“Get in line,” Richie muttered under his breath, so nobody would hear.

Chapter 39: Playtime

Richie stood over Julianna, looking down at her beautifully flushed body. The things he could do with her – would do with her in the hours and nights to come. He felt himself stirring again. He hadn’t been this horny in years. Three times in one night was more than he’d had in a good long while. He sat near Julianna’s head and stroked her face. “Open your mouth, baby; see what I’ve got for you,” he said.

Without hesitation, Julianna complied, and Richie put a strawberry to her lips. His erection grew harder as he watched Julianna’s tongue dart out to taste the fruit. Julianna waited until Richie told her she could eat the fruit before she took a delicate bite from the berry and licked her lips. When she swallowed, she opened her mouth expectantly, waiting for another bite. Richie fed her berries until his fingers and her lips were stained, and the bowl he’d brought was empty.

Richie put each stained finger in turn into Julianna’s mouth, and she sucked greedily, taking every last bit of strawberry from them. When she was done, Richie dropped a kiss onto her mouth, licking her lips. Before Julianna could react, he broke contact, and moved so he straddled her thighs. The sudden weight on her lower body had Julianna wet and ready for whatever came next.

Richie dropped so his arms were on either side of Julianna’s head. He brought his mouth close to Julianna’s ear, and whispered, “You’ve been very, very good. I think you deserve a reward.” Richie reached to the nightstand for the clichéd whipped cream. When he started shaking the can, the distinctive sound didn’t escape Julianna’s notice. When Richie popped the cap off, Julianna jumped, making Richie chuckle. “Patience, my sweet,” he said. He squirted a little of the creamy treat on his finger, and put it to Julianna’s mouth. “Go ahead,” Richie said. Julianna licked at it daintily, taking little bits of it at a time.

Richie put a bit more on his finger, and this time, dropped it onto one puckered nipple. He did the same for the other, causing Julianna to squirm. Instead of licking it off, Richie slid down Julianna’s body and dropped some whipped cream into her navel, then climbed off the bed. Julianna turned her head, again trying to follow the sound of Richie’s movements. The room was quiet. Did he leave again? Julianna could feel the whipped cream starting to melt, and the little rivulets tickled her as they trailed down her body. Suddenly, Julianna felt Richie’s tongue on her side, licking away the melting whipped cream. Jesus, that man needs a bell, she thought. With the next motions of Richie’s tongue, Julianna stopped thinking.

Richie lapped up the whipped cream from Julianna’s body, enjoying the hell out of surprising her like that. He could tell she was barely holding on; that this teasing was bringing her close to release. Julianna’s body was tense, and there was that slightly musky scent that was a dead giveaway.

Chuckling, Richie grabbed the whipped cream again and climbed back onto the bed, positioning himself at Julianna’s feet. “Open your legs for me,” Richie ordered. Julianna complied eagerly. He slowly squirted some whipped cream onto Julianna’s wet core, the cold in sharp contrast to the heat she was generating. She gasped and then clamped her mouth shut, remembering the command to stay silent. Richie laughed; the sound a low rumble in his chest. “It’s alright darling; passion noises are OK.” Richie leaned down to gently lap at the whipped cream that was now trickling down Julianna’s body. With sure, slow strokes of his tongue, he licked and lapped until all traces of the whipped cream were gone.

Julianna’s moans were getting more guttural now. Richie briefly considered moving away from her, teasing her more, but her scent and taste were too intoxicating to resist. He thrust his tongue inside her, wanting to taste more.

When Julianna came, she arched from the bed screaming Richie’s name and pulling her restraints tight. Her hands reached around the scarves to hold on for dear life. The muscles in her arms flexed as she pulled at the silk. Richie kept up his gentle torture until Julianna began to relax. At the first sign that she was coming back down, Richie sucked hard on her clit, making her scream again. He kept up the pressure as he slid a finger, then another, inside her. “God, you are so tight,” Richie mumbled. Julianna contracted around him, her legs trembling.

Richie withdrew from Julianna’s body, and crawled up so he was straddling her again. With one strong thrust, he seated himself inside her, making her scream again. I could get used to that sound, Richie thought. He knelt motionless over Julianna, and worked to untie the scarf around her head. Finally getting the silk undone, Richie tossed it off the side of the bed. Julianna locked eyes with Richie and squeezed him tight. That slight increase in pressure made Richie’s eyes roll back in his head.

Straining at her bonds now, Julianna longed to wrap her arms around Richie’s neck. She had to settle for locking her ankles behind his back, and taking him as deep as he could go. Richie’s fingers fumbled with the bonds at Julianna’s wrists, and he was able to free one bond before she went over the edge. When Julianna called out Richie’s name this time, it was strangled and desperate and full of life and passion, and Richie thought if he could capture that sound in his heart, that sound she made at the moment when he totally possessed her, he’d be able to die a happy man.

Richie worked the other scarf loose, and Julianna’s arm dropped lifelessly to the bed. Her whole body was twitching; each breath Richie breathed against her made her shiver. Richie’s motions became more frantic as he raced closer to release. He could feel the pressure building, the need to claim this woman as his burned deep into his bones. Julianna writhed beneath him, moaning and mewling in the back of her throat. The addition of those sounds to the sights, smells, and the velvet vice around his cock were enough to drive Richie to the edge. With a long, low growl, he exploded inside her; her muscles milking him of their own accord. He wasn’t sure Julianna was even on the same plane as he was. Her eyes were glassy, her breathing ragged, and he’d bet if the house were on fire, they’d both burn to a crisp. He captured her mouth in a kiss, as he pumped into her. Julianna’s arms rose to lock behind his head, and her legs pulled him in closer.

Julianna pulled at Richie until he was laying on her, almost but not quite crushing her. She wrapped her arms around him and held on tight. She relished the weight of him on her; the way he filled her physically and emotionally. Her heart was so full; her senses were so overloaded, that she was unable to contain a single tear from trailing down her cheek. Richie saw it, and licked at it, raising his head so Julianna could see he had a matching tear in his eye. Richie rolled them so they were laying face-to-face, arms wrapped around each other. With a tender kiss, and with their bodies still joined, they fell into a deep, sated sleep.