Chapter 4: Payback



Julianna wanted some payback. She was committed to leaving her tenants to their own devices. She could see the encounter with Jon being random – after all, the lake was shared property. But, Richie hopping over her wall? That deserved something. She smiled darkly. Growing up with three brothers, she was used to pranks, and had gotten good at pulling her own over the years. She checked the clock. It was nearly noon – surely the rest of the household is up, even rock stars are up by now, she thought. Julianna picked up the phone, and called the main house, channeling her best professional voice.

Tico answered the ringing phone. “Hello?”

“Good Morning," Julianna said. "I’m calling from J. Frances Cavanaugh’s office; I hope I’m not calling too early?”

“No, not at all. How can I help you?”

“Well, we’ve had some complaints from the tenant in the lower property. Someone was trespassing in the yard – have you had any problems?”

“No, no troubles here.” He looked at the others, who all had puzzled looks on their faces, and smiled.

“Good, good. We pride ourselves on maintaining the utmost discretion, and I’ll admit, this has us alarmed. Please let us know if you see anything suspicious, and be assured that we are taking this very seriously. The trespasser has been caught on tape, so the police will have something to go by. It’s probably just a local kid; the police should have this wrapped up in short order.”

“Police?” Tico laughed hard. “Hold on a second – you should be talking to someone else here about this.” He handed the phone to Richie, covering the mouthpiece. “Busted,” he said.

Richie, frowning, took the phone. “Yeah?” Tico was whispering to the others, who burst out laughing.

“Yes, I was just telling your, er, friend about the trespasser on the lower property. The tenant there captured the interloper on tape, and the police will be by later to show you the person, to see if anyone recalls seeing this person loitering about.”

Richie paled “Um, good. Someone should be here. When will they be by?”

“Oh, sometime later this afternoon, I should think. The person in the other rental is still pretty shaken up, and needs some time to pull together the best shots of the miscreant. Again, we hope this doesn’t make you regret your decision to stay with us.”

“No, not at all. Thank you for calling. Bye.” Distractedly, he hung up the phone.

David punched his shoulder. “So, we gonna have to bail your scrawny ass out of jail or something? What the hell?”

“Never mind. I’ve gotta go. I’ve gotta go stop this before it goes too far. Shit, can you just imagine the headlines?”

Jon laughed. “Why do you think we’re laughing so hard?”

* * * * * * *

Julianna was shaking as she hung up the phone. It had taken all her strength to maintain her composure when Richie took the phone. I’m going to need a cold shower after that, she laughed to herself. I wonder how he’s reacting? Serves him right, she thought.

Climbing out of the shower ten minutes later, she heard the doorbell. Thinking it was the courier, she shouted, “Just a minute,” threw on a robe, and detoured to the library to pick up the package for André. Swinging open the door, she was saying “Jeez, that was quick -- ” and stopped dead. Richie was standing on her front porch. Seeing him in all his glory, with a sorrowful look on his face, made her acutely aware that she was naked and wet under her robe – and suddenly not all of the wetness was from the shower.

Julianna started backing into the house. Richie, thinking he was scaring her, took a step back himself, holding out his hands in a placating motion in front of him. “I’m sorry to intrude; I’m one of the people staying up there in the other house,” he waved off in the distance, “and well, hell, can I just talk to you for a minute? Sorry, I’m -- ”

Julianna interrupted. “Um, I recognize you; I know who you are. Give me a minute to put something on.” She wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw a flicker of regret pass over his beautiful chocolate-brown eyes. Yeah, right; dream on, she thought. She closed the door, and leaned back against it, taking a deep breath. She flew to her room, and threw on jeans and a tank top in about 60 seconds flat. She twisted her wet hair up into a series of clips, and went back to the door, pulling it open. The porch looked empty.

“Hello? You still here?”

“Over here,” came the reply from her right. Richie had settled into one of the rockers on her porch. “Sorry, I made myself comfortable. It’s been my experience that when a woman goes to get dressed, it’s never a quick trip.” He smiled a tentative smile. “Anyway, I wanted to talk to you – I owe you an apology, and I want to ask you a favor I have no right to ask for.”

Julianna frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“Well,” he sighed, “we got a call from the rental people…”

“Oh, did you have a problem, too?” she asked, then narrowed her eyes. “Wait a minute. Don’t move.” She went back into the house, and came back with several pictures – stills from the tapes. She looked from the pictures to the man and back again, putting on a look of surprise. “This – this is you? Why?”

He looked sheepish. “The technical reason is because my arms were starting to get tired from holding me up so I could look over. I really didn’t mean to invade your privacy. I heard my music and was curious. Then, when I looked over, I was, well,” he was blushing, “I was mesmerized. No two ways about it. Before I knew what I was doing, I was over the wall and, apparently, being caught on tape. I feel badly about what happened, and not just because I got busted. I truly apologize if I freaked you out. It won’t happen again.”

Julianna pursed her lips, thinking. She turned to Richie, indignity in her voice. “Why did you come down in the first place? There’ s plenty of land to roam long before you come to my wall. I was assured of my privacy.”

Richie felt even worse than when he first came down here. His first impression? He actually liked this woman – she was talking to him as a man, not as a Somebody. She was standing up to him. There was no awestruck expression or tongue-tied reticence. It was refreshing to have a normal, well not quite normal, conversation with a stranger – a beautiful woman at that.

“I know,” he replied. “To be honest, I came down because, er, my friend told us all about meeting you at the lake, and he wouldn’t tell us anything about you except you were kind enough to wake him before he burned to a crisp. He wouldn’t tell us anything about you, so…”

“So, you decided to do some sleuthing on your own.” She laughed. “I suppose I should be flattered. I appreciate your honesty. Don’t worry about it. I’ve decided to accept your apology.” She stood, and stretched out a hand. “Richie, I’m Julianna. Pleased to meet you.”

Richie jumped up to shake her hand. “Likewise.” He was quiet for a minute. “You didn’t already call the police, did you?”

“No, and of course, now that I know what was going on, I won’t. Don’t worry. Your secret lust for voyeurism is safe with me.”

Richie chuckled. “It’s not that much of a secret. My friends up at the house know about this episode; they’ll probably give me shit about it for a long time. I appreciate your understanding.”

“No problem – though be warned, I’ll probably give you shit about it, too,” she said with a laugh.

Richie laughed. “It was nice meeting you, Julianna.”

“Likewise, Richie,” came the reply. “Next time you want to see me, come through the gate not over the wall, OK?”

“There’s a gate?”

Chapter 3: Busted



Julianna went to the house to watch the video, as she always did, before couriering it to André. He had the final say over what was in the show and what wasn’t, but he usually loved her work, and more often than not, it made it into the show unchanged.

The four angles covered by the cameras showed on the screen. She was so engrossed in watching and critiquing her performance, that she almost missed it. She grabbed the remote and backed up several frames. Focusing on the camera that shot the length of the studio, she paused the frame and zoomed on the wall at the back of the property. She saw a dark-haired person vault the wall. Letting the video continue, she saw the shape disappear around the side of the house. Son of a bitch, she thought. Forwarding the tape, she saw that after the first minute or so, the trespasser forgot about hiding, and was standing in full view of the windows. She zoomed in closer. Holy shit – that’s Sambora!

She was still reeling from her encounter earlier this morning with Jon. Jon was all shades of bronze – pure sunshine. Richie, on the other hand, was dark and sensual – pure midnight. Both were gorgeous in their own ways, but she’d always been a sucker for tall, dark, and dangerous. That practically defined Richie. She watched his face as he watched her. She saw raw pain in his face, morphing into desire and longing. Her first thought was as a choreographer. Damn, if he reacted like that, André will love it! Her second was as a woman. Her heart sped up as she memorized his expression.

Snapping out of her trance, Julianna edited out the footage of Richie watching her. She had a flawless performance on tape, and didn’t want to have to re-shoot it. She put in a call to the courier service she used, and was assured that someone would be at her house within a half hour.

Reflecting on the day’s events, Julianna was now fairly confident that the whole band was here – here to work on the number they promised Bring It On for the show. Talk about irony. Wanting to be sure, Julianna went to the library to pull out the rental papers. As she thought, there weren’t any names on the papers, just the name of some holding company. She picked up the phone, and called Estelle, her real estate agent. “Good Morning, E, it’s Julianna. Who’s in my house?”

She demurred. “Jules, this is business. You know I shouldn’t tell you any more than what’s on the rental papers. Why, is there a problem?”

“Well, call me crazy, but I think I’m being stalked by Bon Jovi. Jon Bon Jovi, or a remarkable look-alike, appeared at the lake this morning, and I’d swear that Richie Sambora hopped my wall – my six foot high wall -- to watch me tape crap! the Sambora number for Bring It On.” She groaned, and rubbed her forehead. “He was peeping in my windows. What’s the deal? Are they all up there?”

Estelle laughed. “Well, since they invaded your privacy first, then, I'll tell you yes, they’re all up there. God, it was killing me, kepng this to myself. Do they look as good up close as they do in concert? You know you have to keep this information to yourself, right?”

Julianna laughed. "I only got a close look at Jon. He was sunning himself next to me, and God, is he ever beautiful." She paused. "I know I have to keep this to myself; you don't have to tell me that. I just wanted to know if I should expect any more visitors, or if it was just the Dynamic Duo up here. Two down, two to go, I guess. Thanks, E. I’ll be in the city in a week or so, let’s get together and dish.”

Estelle sighed dramatically. “It sounds like you’ve got all the good stories to tell. You'd better believe
I’ll take you up on that offer. Call me when you’re in town. Bye, sweetie.”

“Bye,” Julianna replied, and hung up.

* * * * *

Back at the house, a stunned Richie walked into the great room. It didn’t register that the others were in there, talking. He crossed to the grand piano, and began playing the song he saw that woman dancing to. He didn’t sing, just played the music. The melody, always haunting, now had a different sound to it. It sounded hopeful instead of sad. When he was done, he looked up, and saw his friends standing around the piano, with concerned looks on their faces.

Tico was the first to speak. “What the hell, man, I thought you hated that song – too many memories.”

Richie shook his head. “I know man, I know.” He blew out a breath. “I don’t think I hate it anymore.” He told his friends about taking a stroll, intending to find out what Jon was hiding. Jon snorted. Richie told them about hearing his own words, his voice, coming from the barn back there, about vaulting the wall (Dave commented here, “Aren’t you too old for that?”), and about seeing the woman dance.

“No shit, guys, she was poetry in motion. She made me remember writing that song; all that pain, made me wish I had never recorded it. Then she made me glad to have done it, then made me wish I was singing it to her, begging her to be with me. The words took on new meaning. Instead of pain, there was longing. Instead of sad, I was…” he trailed off, shaking his head in wonder. “All that, all of that, in only four minutes, sixteen.” He shook his head.

The others looked at each other, then back at Richie. David spoke up, looking at Richie. “Man, you’re screwed.”

Chapter 2: Mistress of the Dance



Back at the house, the others were just stumbling into the kitchen when Jon came in from outside, hair still wet from his swim.

“Hey, man, where’ve you been already?” Richie asked.

“I went for a ride, and found a lake. It looked good, so I went for a swim.”

Richie laughed. “You went for a swim? In the lake. When we have a perfectly nice pool out back. Are you nuts?”

Jon just looked at him with a saucy grin, and went about pouring a cup of coffee.

Richie knew what that look meant. “OK,” he said, “what did she look like, and how in the Hell did you meet someone out here already? We’ve been here less than two days!”

Jon laughed, and admitted that he was out riding the property line when he saw someone tear out of the barn on the other property. All he could see over the wall was a white Stetson. He told them about his curiosity and following the person to the water and discovering it was a woman. He left out the part about watching her sun herself on the boulder, and just told them he decided to go for a swim, and fell asleep in the sun. “She woke me up and I barely had a chance to open my eyes before she spouted her warning and took off,” he concluded.

“Yeah, right, you didn’t get a good look at her. You can set your eyes on a woman in one second, and know all her vital statistics,” Richie laughed.

Jon grinned. “Yeah, well, usually when a woman wakes me up, it’s because I’ve been sleeping with her. She caught me completely off guard. I got an impression of a tall woman with dark hair and a killer figure. That’s about it.”

* * * * * * *

Julianna, taking care of her horse, cursed herself for not being prepared. She usually was on top of exactly who was staying at her house. She should really pay more attention to the paperwork coming from the real estate agent handling the rentals.

Finishing in the stable, she went inside to take a quick shower before heading to her studio to work.

* * * * * * *

Richie didn’t believe for a minute that Jon didn’t get a good look at that woman. The fact that he was being so secretive brought out the asshole in him. He grinned. He was going to get a good look at the woman himself. After eating an early lunch, he told the guys he was going out to do his own exploring, and that he’d be back later. He immediately set out for the wall on the far side of the property. Maybe there was a rise where he could see over the wall. As he approached the wall, he heard faint strains of familiar music. I’d know my music anywhere; that’s one of mine, he thought. Standing right at the wall, he could clearly make out the music to one of the songs he did for the box set. Richie groaned. God, I hate this song, he thought.

Finding purchase on the wall, Richie hoisted himself up to look over. What the Hell am I doing? I am too old for this shit. What he saw made his mouth run dry. Through a wall of windows in what looked like the barn, a tall, willowy woman with jet black hair was dancing. Dressed in only a leotard and footless tights, he could see every curve of her body. After a few stops and starts, the woman crossed the room. Richie took the opportunity to hop over the wall while her back was turned, to get a closer look. By now, he couldn’t help himself. He had to see her more clearly. The music stopped. He took a step back from the windows. Jesus, I’m like a stalker out here, he thought to himself. She isn’t even my usual type. He preferred petite blonde women, not tall, dark goddesses like this one. Peeking around the corner, he saw the woman fiddling with some buttons on a console, then four TV screens come to life. They showed different views of what appeared to be a dance studio. The woman spoke softly enough that he couldn’t make out her words, just the low drone of a feminine voice.

Julianna got the video going. André, the head choreographer, liked to see the dance from all angles, so he got a good sense of what the movements were. Turning on the cameras, she addressed her unseen audience. “André, this is the Sambora number I told you about. Call me, tell me what you think.” She turned on the music player, and returned to the middle of the room, sinking gracefully to the floor, one leg crossed over the other.

As the piano started, she started to sway gently. When the lyrics started, she started to dance; her movements, her expressions captivating Richie, who by now was standing in full view of the room.

It's hard to remember time when I didn't have you
When I didn't have nothing but a cold bed to come to at night.
That was all I knew, until there was you.
And then you took my world and turned it all around,
I couldn't live without you now.


By the time the chorus came, he was lost, forgetting he was trespassing, and understanding why Jon didn’t want to share his find.

Baby, if I can't have your love, if I can't feel your touch

I’ve got nothing, yeah
Baby, if I can't taste your kiss, then I don't exist

I got nothing, yeah

No I can't imagine living life without you
I can't imagine living life without your love


Richie watched in amazement as she expressed with her body the longing, the yearning, the begging that he himself put into writing and singing this particular song. He remembered what was going on in his life at the time, the pain and the heartache, and saw it all expressed in every turn of her head, every movement of her body.

At the closing bars, the woman sank to the floor, with tears in her eyes. When the music faded away, she rose and crossed to the TVs again, and spoke into the cameras. Richie still couldn’t hear her, but saw the emotion in her face.

Julianna spoke to André again. “Either way, whether you liked it or not, give me a call. Let me know if I should work with Sam on this when he comes down next weekend. I can be in the city next week for to work with Lila, then will head back here. Let me know when the new music is ready, so I can work on the finale. Ciao, baby.” She blew a kiss to the camera, turned back to the video wall, pushed a few buttons, and the screens went blank.

Richie took the opportunity, when her back was turned again, to vault wall before his luck ran out. Damn, that was beautiful. I guess I do like that modern dance shit.

Chapter 1: Mysterious Stranger



It was very early, and Jon was very frustrated. He and Richie usually had no trouble writing together. Richie was distracted with all his personal shit, and last night they hadn’t gotten anything usable. Richie was stuck in a melancholy hole, and everything he played made you want to cry. Or hit something. Or both. Jon exhaled sharply, and rose to get dressed. He didn’t get out to the stables yesterday. He wondered if the animal caretaker was around this early. No matter; Jon knew his way around a horse.

Down at the stables, Jon inhaled the scent of hay, horse, and leather. Ken should bottle this scent, he thought. Strolling down the aisle, the horses came over, curious about this newcomer, and wondering if he had treats for them. Rubbing each nose in turn, he apologized for not bringing apple slices for them. When no treats were forthcoming, most of the horses lost interest. The horse in the last stall was the only one that didn’t walk away upon finding an empty hand. The animal was glorious. Pure white with a black star-shaped marking on his forehead.

“Hello, gorgeous,” Jon said, stroking the animal’s nose. “Wanna go for a ride?” The horse snorted and bobbed his head. Jon laughed.

“That one may just understand what you’re saying,” a voice from the darkness said.

Jon turned to see an older man approach. “You must be the animals’ caretaker we heard about.”

“Name’s Pete,” the old man said.

“Pete, nice to meet you. I’m Jon. Cavanaugh said there’d be someone around each day, but I figured I was on my own this early.”

Pete snorted. “Son, this ain’t early. I’m wrapping up here for the day. You interested in taking Starfire here out for a ride?” He eyed Jon critically. “He’s quite a bit of horse, you sure you can handle him?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. It’s been a while, but I’m a pretty good rider.”

“Alright, let’s get this boy ready.”

The pair worked together to get the horse ready. Leading him into the paddock, Jon accepted a leg up from Pete, and settled into the saddle. Jon patted the horse’s neck, and whispered into his ear. “You ready for some fun, Starfire?” The horse blew and nodded again, this time pawing at the ground, anxious to be off. With a carefree laugh, Jon tapped the animal’s flanks with his heels, and the horse took off. Remembering at the last minute to let up on the reins and lay low on the horse’s neck, Starfire leapt over the fence, and headed out into the open fields.

Jon led the horse around the property, checking everything out. It truly was beautiful. There were some formal gardens laid out, but they were inviting, not cold, like they would be in the city. He eventually made it to the southern border of the property. From his perch atop the tall horse, Jon could make out a cottage and barn, but not much else. I wonder who is staying there, he thought to himself.

Jon was startled by the barn door slamming open. A person, a blur of denim, came tearing out on a beautiful gray Arabian stallion, at least 15 hands high, heading for the low wall at the western field. The rider leaned low over the horse’s neck, and the pair cleared the wall with almost six inches to spare. The rider let out a whoop of delight, a woman’s voice. That’s one question answered, Jon thought. Foregoing the dressage and training courts, the woman raced her animal toward a path in the woods. Jon followed at a more sedate pace; he didn’t want her to catch him spying on her. The path ended in a wide clearing, dominated by a huge boulder and a crystal-clear lake; the water smooth as glass.

Dismounting from her horse, Julianna looped the reins around a small tree near the lake’s edge, so the horse could drink and rest in the shade. Stripping down to her bathing suit, Julianna jumped into the lake to cool off. She didn’t notice she had an audience. Jon sat astride his horse just at the edge of the woods, watching her. Wow, he thought.

After a vigorous swim, Julianna pulled herself onto the boulder to sun herself. Stretching out on her back, she heard her horse, Thunder, nickering, and the sound of cautiously approaching hoof beats. Julianna ignored the sounds, hoping whoever it is will leave her in peace. She wasn’t worried; if Thunder sensed any danger, he would warn her. After a few minutes, she heard a splash, and opened her eyes to slits. She saw a pile of clothes on the river bank, and could make out a swimmer in the distance. She could tell it was a man, and she admired his strong stroke before turning over onto her stomach to sun her back. In an unconscious move, she untied the strings of her bathing suit top, and sighed in pleasure as the sun warmed her skin.

Hearing a very masculine, unnervingly familiar voice near her head made her flinch with surprise. “Sorry,” the voice said. “Didn’t mean to startle you. Mind if I share your rock?”

Julianna waved him up without opening her eyes. “Help yourself.”

The pair laid in silence for some time. Eventually, she heard the even, steady breathing of a man asleep. She smiled. Now she could check out her visitor in private. Tying her suit top back on, she sat up, and took in the sight next to her – a man resting on his stomach, head turned away, lightly snoring. She bit back a giggle, and looked her fill. Taking in his strong legs, and the tattoo on his ankle, the feeling of familiarity niggled again at the back of her head. Scanning her eyes past a sinfully taut ass to a strong back and muscled arms, she gasped. The shoulder closest to her sported a Superman tattoo. No, it can’t be. She tilted her head and studied the man’s hair, which was drying from a dark brown to a sun-kissed caramel, streaked with blond. “Holy hell,” she whispered. It was. Jon Bon Jovi.

Hopping down from the boulder to get dressed, Julianna was thinking. He must be the tenant staying at the main house. The rest of them must be here with him! she thought excitedly. She was hoping for a glimpse of Richie. She approached the side of the boulder where Jon was facing, and reached up to gently touch his arm. “Hey, there,” she said.

Groggy, Jon stirred, but didn’t open his eyes. “Yeah?”

“You don’t want to sleep out here too long, you’ll burn, my friend.”

His slumberous, clear blue eyes opened slowly. What a sight, she thought, grinning. “Yeah, OK, thanks,” he said, grinning back.

“No problem.” With that, Julianna strode over to Thunder, and untied him from the tree. In an effortless move, she swung herself into the high saddle, and took off without a backward glance.


Introduction -- Part Two



Richie eyes opened with a start, not sure where he was for a moment. He looked around, getting his bearings. He saw the sun outlining the blinds in the windows, and noticed he was covered by a light blanket. He smiled to himself. Mama Jon was looking out for him. He checked his watch. 8:30. What the hell? He’d arrived a little past 3:00. In the afternoon. “Yesterday!” He said out loud. Richie stretched, and took a mental inventory. Except for the insistent twinge of his bladder, and the rumbling of his stomach, he felt great. Taking care of his bladder, then showering and changing, Richie set out for the kitchen. His friends were all talking quietly over steaming mugs of coffee.

David noticed Richie’s arrival. “It’s alive!” he called out. “Man, you were dead to the world. We were gonna give you until noon, then wake your ass up.”

“Guess I needed the rest. What’s to eat? I’m starved.”

“We haven’t decided yet,” Tico said, “but the fridge and pantry are stuffed.”

Rummaging through the refrigerator, Richie came out with eggs, bacon, sausage, oranges, and containers of fresh berries. He pulled pancake mix out of the pantry, and set to work. His friends just stared at him. Richie put the berries in front of David with a knife and a cutting board. “Throw some of those in the blender over there, with some brown sugar and water and – what?” He took in their shocked faces. “I haven’t hardly been able to leave the house. I still have to eat! I adapted. Takeout only goes so far.” He grinned, pleased to have been able to surprise his friends. “Now, David, man, get me a compote going. Get some of that fruit blended like I said, and get it on the stove. Jon, make some fresh coffee and squeeze those oranges for juice. Tico, find some plates and set the table. I’ll take care of the rest.”

The group, still exchanging puzzled looks, did as they were told. Soon, they were tucking into a hearty breakfast. “Damn, man,” Tico said. “I could get used to this. Will you marry me?”

“Ha, ha. Very funny, asshole,” Richie said. “Now shut up and eat.”

* * * * *

Julianna took her coffee outside. When at all possible, she was outside. She surveyed her yard. The gardens were weed-free, and starting to bloom, now that spring had finally sprung. The days were getting warmer, and soon, Julianna would be able to work outside again.

As a choreographer and founder of the Bring It On Theater Company, Julianna was currently working on one of the numbers from the Company’s next production. “Tommy & Gina” was her brainchild. When she pitched it to the board, they were hesitant, feeling like they were trying to ride on the coattails of the Joel/Tharp smash “Movin’ Out”. Julianna argued that her show would be more like the musicals of the 50’s and 60’s – dialog mixed with big production numbers. It took her the better part of a year, but she convinced the board that this was worth pursuing. It didn’t hurt that Bon Jovi had released a new album at the time, putting them in the spotlight again.

The board went to Island for permission to use the band’s songs in their show. Several meetings and conference calls later (none of them with the band, to Julianna’s disappointment) and she had the go-ahead for her project. She could use any of the songs from the US or International releases of their albums, including B-sides and other rare tracks from their released singles. It was more than Julianna had hoped for. This opened the door to some of Bon Jovi’s music that was not played on the radio in the US; songs only the die-hard fans would know. The only stipulation Island made was that Jon and Richie wanted to be involved in the process; they didn’t want to interfere creatively, “But let’s face it,” the latest exec had told them, “Tommy and Gina are arguably two of the most recognizable song characters of the last twenty years; we don’t want you trashing them.”

Julianna didn’t care. She was doing her show. Casting the leads was tough, because she had a firm idea of what she wanted, and couldn’t find it in any of the open calls they held. Julianna didn’t let that discourage her. She went trolling for talent. She finally found her leads in a bar in Queens, singing with a Bon Jovi tribute band. They had great chemistry, tremendous stage presence, and strong, powerful voices that blended together beautifully. That they were virtual unknowns didn’t bother her. It was more important to have the right people in the lead roles rather than known quantities. After their set, Julianna approached them, and encouraged them to audition for her show.

Sam and Lila, her new Tommy and Gina, wowed the rest of the audition committee. They needed to learn to project their voices rather than rely on a mic, and they had to learn to dance, but they were eager to learn, and excited about this project. For the past two months, they had worked every day with voice coaches and dance instructors. They were dedicated and it showed. They were now two of the strongest stage performers Julianna had seen in a long while.

The ringing phone snapped Julianna back to the present. It was Stan, chairman of the board at Bring It On. “Hey, Stan, how’s it going? How’re my kids doing?”

“You know, they’re fantastic,” Stan gushed. “I don’t mind telling you that we, all of us, had our doubts about them, but they have turned out to be perfect, just like you said they would. Good work on finding them.”

“Thanks, Stan. Now, tell me, what’s up?”

“Well, I have some news.” His voice sobered. “I just got off the phone with the execs at Island.”

“Oh no! Is there a problem? You sound like it’s something serious! What happened?” Julianna’s heart was pounding. She wanted this to go smoothly.

“No, no, no, calm down, babe, there’s nothing wrong! In fact, I have good news. Great news in fact. But you’ve gotta keep it under your hat.”

“For God’s sake, just spill it, Stan!” Julianna was exasperated.

Stan just laughed. “OK, girl. Damn, but you spoil all my fun. Hold onto your panties for this one. Bon Jovi is writing a new song especially for the show – they’d like us to use it for the finale – and they’ve agreed to perform it live themselves on opening night.”

“Holy hell,” Julianna squeaked. “Really?” Then the fan part of her turned off, and the choreographer/playwright part piped up. “I assume that we get to hear the song before we put it into the show? I mean, we have to make sure it fits in with the rest of what we’ve done.”

“I’ve already sent the band the script along with the songs we are using. They promised to write something that fits in with the overall tone.” She could hear Stan shuffling papers in the background. He told her, “You should have a preliminary version of the song in a couple of weeks, with the final recording in about six. Apparently they’re holed up somewhere working on this. So, what do you think?”

Julianna laughed. “What do you think I think? I’m thrilled! I want to keep their opening-night involvement secret for now; I want the show to sell on its merits, not on their star power." Julianna sighed. "Next time I’m in the city, I’m buying the hottest, shortest gown I can find for opening night! This is fantastic news.”

“Thanks, babe, you’re the best. When you’re in the city, give me a call; let’s do lunch.”

“You're such a pretentious phony. ‘Let’s do lunch?’ What are you, Hollywood now?” They both laughed. “OK, Stan, I’ll be in the city in a few weeks to work with Lila. Sam is coming out here next week to learn the Sambora number. I’ll have my people call your people and set things up.”

“It’s a date. Ciao, babe!”

“Bye Stan.” Julianna laughing, hung up the phone.

Introduction -- Part One



The foursome had planned to arrive at the house at about the same time. A photographer friend of Tico’s wife recommended it. It was a great out-of-the-way place in southern Connecticut, only a couple of hours by train from NYC, but felt like it was worlds away. Here, the trees and flowers were planted according to Mother Nature’s plan, not some landscape architect’s. The air smelled cleaner, too, and the only ambient noise was birdsong.

Sitting on the expansive wrap-around porch, Jon smiled, relaxing for the first time in months. He purposefully arrived early, hoping for a couple of hours of solitude. The press had been real pains in the ass, dogging him for a comment or sound bite about the breakup of his marriage. Richie was getting it too, after the very public divorce from his wife. They couldn’t get any work done at home, or at any of their usual places – they were being followed everywhere they went. It was a miracle that they were able to slip away unnoticed to this little slice of heaven.

Jon and Richie were supposed to be working on a new song for the finale of a Broadway show, of all things. Someone had written a show called “Tommy & Gina”, based on characters in one of their biggest hits from the 80’s. At the time, it sounded like a fun project. Now, with opening mere months away, a promise to perform the finale live that night, and a writing team with too much baggage to be useful, they were in trouble. Hopefully this retreat would help them. Jon and Richie had input to the composition of the show, and were pleased at the way it was shaping up. In another month or so, the final number needed to be done, so the full rehearsals could begin. Jon and Richie watched the audition tapes for the two performers chosen for the title roles. Sam and Lila were 20-somethings from Brooklyn – perfect to play Tommy and Gina. Jon was looking forward to seeing the whole show end-to-end.

Hearing the crunch of gravel in the driveway, Jon snapped out of his reverie, grinning from ear to ear at the sight of his best friend in the whole world pulling into the driveway in a massive black Humvee. “What the hell is this?” he asked, laughing.

“Like it?” Richie asked. “It’s my way of saying a very public ‘fuck you’ to the world. I just picked it up this morning,” he said, as he pulled his bags from the back of the truck.

“It’s something else all right, man,” Jon replied laughing. He clapped Richie’s back in a quick hug. “Damn, it’s good to see you, brother. You doin’ alright?”

“Getting by. Been inside yet? The grounds are beautiful, I’ve got high hopes for the house.” Richie dropped his bags on the porch, and gestured to the front door.

“Nah, I was waiting for the rest of you losers.”

“Screw them; let’s check it out.” He shouldered his way past Jon and into the house.

Leaving his bags just inside the entryway, Jon nodded. “Not bad,” he said, taking in the polished hardwood floors of the great room. Spying the grand piano in the front window, Jon crossed to it and started playing the opening bars of Runaway. The piano was perfectly tuned.

“Back away from the GP, you hack,” David called from the porch.

Jon laughed. God, it was good to get away from all the shit of the last few months. He missed his friends. “Bite me, Rashbaum. Where’s Tico? I thought you guys were heading out at the same time?”

“He’s on the way. He had a – ahem – situation at home to deal with first.” David grinned. “Very different from the situations you two assholes have. His lady said she was gonna miss him, and was giving him a proper sendoff.”

“Good for him,” Richie said, chuckling. “Lucky bastard.” He gathered his bags from the porch. “I’m gonna pick a room and crash for a couple of hours. I don’t think I’ve relaxed in a month.”

“Right behind you man,” Jon chimed in. “I resemble that remark.”

“You two are a couple of Sallies,” David laughed. “Go ahead take your naps -- the grownups will be out here when you wake up.”

Richie and Jon entered the hallway that led to the bedroom suites. Looking through the open doors, they could see each suite done in a different color scheme. Jon chose one of the front-facing suites, done in shades of red from deepest burgundy to touches of palest pink. Richie took the suite across the hall, done in purples ranging from the deep hue of midnight to a whisper of lilac.

Richie dropped his bags on the floor in the sitting room, and crossed into the bedroom. The four-poster king-sized bed beckoned. Toeing off his worn leather boots, Richie dropped onto the bed and sighed deeply. He detected the faintest scent of lavender, which soothed his restless soul. Closing his eyes, letting the comfort of the bed and the scent of lavender wash over him, Richie drifted off to sleep.

Jon strained his ears, but couldn’t hear any of the others. Perfect, he thought. He could seek out quiet and solitude when he wanted to, and the company of his friends when he needed to. Checking out the bedroom and bathroom, he stowed his gear. He couldn’t stand living out of suitcases. No matter where he went, even if it was for only one night, he needed to unpack and have everything in its place. When he was done, he went across the hall to check on Richie. While Jon was used to having practically every breath he breathed filmed or watched, Richie was used to a bit more privacy. Now, with this very public, very messy breakup, Richie was starting to show the strain he was feeling.

“Hey man, you alri–” Jon stopped abruptly when he saw his friend sprawled on the bed, his face truly relaxed for the first time in a long while. Jon drew the blinds, tossed a light blanket over his friend, and quietly left the room; shutting the door behind him.

After checking out the rest of the first floor, which included a huge library, with floor-to-ceiling shelves packed full with an eclectic mix of reading tastes, a gourmet kitchen, and a dining room that would probably seat thirty people, Jon headed back to the great room. David was still at the piano, smooth jazz wafting throughout the room. “Hey D,” he said. “You been up to the studio yet?”

“Nah, I figured you wanted to check it out first, and make sure it was what you wanted. Tomorrow is soon enough for me.”

“Fair enough,” Jon replied.

David looked behind Jon to the hallway leading to the living quarters. “Where’s Richie?”

“Poor bastard’s sleeping. I don’t think he’s done much of that lately. He really loved that woman, and she just crushed him.”

“I hear you, man.” David handed Jon an envelope. “This was on the front hall table. It looks official, and you know I don’t deal with that shit.”

Jon opened the envelope and pulled out a sheet of rich, thick paper. “It’s from the rental people,” Jon said, and began to read out loud.

Welcome to Cavanaugh Acres!

Thank you for choosing us.

You’ll find the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer are all fully stocked. There will be a delivery of groceries on the last Friday of every month. The cleaning service you requested is scheduled for the same day.

The second floor has been reconfigured to your specifications. Should you find you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to call any of the numbers on the bottom of this letter.

You are welcome to use the main house, stables, and grounds, up to the rock wall in our southern field. The land beyond that, while part of Cavanaugh Acres, is not part of your rental property.

The other land has its own house, stable, and entrance, so you should not be bothered by the comings and goings of the other tenant. The other tenant has been given similar instructions about his/her boundaries.

The western acreage is shared between the two properties, and includes a dressage field and training rings. Further past those fields is a beautiful lake, which is also shared.

There will be someone on the property for a few hours each day to care for the animals. Let him know if there is anything you require in that respect.

I hope you enjoy your stay, and thank you for choosing Cavanaugh Acres!

Sincerely,
J. Frances Cavanaugh, Owner


Jon’s mouth curved at the signature. “J. Frances”. Funny coincidence. “Well,” he said, “I’m going to check out the stables. It’s been forever since I’ve ridden a horse.”

“It’s been forever since you’ve ridden anything,” Tico announced from the doorway. “Unlike myself, who has only recently been riding the most magnificent piece of ass in the history of the world.”

Jon groaned. “Here we go. Rhapsodizing about Maria’s ass again.”

Tico laughed. “OK, you win, I’ll keep her ass to myself. Who’s monster truck thing is out there?”

“Sambora is going through some sort of crisis. Says that’s his ‘fuck you’ car,” Jon replied.

“Where is the old fart?”

“He’s napping. Actually, I think he’s unconscious. This whole thing has really taken a toll on him.”

Tico agreed. “Poor bastard.” He clapped his hands together. “Where’s the kitchen? I’m starving.”