Chapter One

The lights were hot and so was he. He was running up and down the stage all night and there was no stopping him. The crowd was going wild as he sang and grinded all night long. Girls were throwing their bras and panties up on the stage as he and his bandmates were laughing trying to figure out if they actually took them off or if they brought spares with them. The concert went without a hitch and after their three encores they ran off the stage to the back where they met Doc who had authorized reporters, groupies, fan club members, contest winners and personnel. They didn’t stay long because they had to shower and change so they said a quick hello to everyone and Doc quickly introduced the groups to them. But Jon explained that they needed to shower and change before they could mingle and he excuse them so they could return back quickly as he gave Doc a glaring looking that could kill. But Doc wasn’t impressed by that one bit. They ran to the showers as each one was a little bit pissed at Doc for putting them in that situation.

“Do you fucking believe Doc and what he just did!” Dave yelled. “No shit huh?” Alex said back as they were getting ready to head into the showers.  “It’s just typical Doc don’t let him get to you.” Jon told them. “I’ll take care of him later we have an after party to attend to so let’s getting going.” He said as he went into the showers. The guys looked at him wondering why he wasn’t blowing a gasket.

Richie was the one who approached him and asked, “What’s got you so calm, cool and collective about this whole situation huh?” he asked rather confused. Because usually Jon would be jumping down Doc’s back when he pulled a stunt like this. Jon just looked at Richie as he tried desperately to finish up showering so he could get dressed and get the interviews and the fake Hello’s over with. Jon just smiled and told Richie to hurry up. They had finished up and walked back out to the reception area where Doc and everyone was waiting for them. The after party was taking place apparently at the venue with everyone there and now Jon really wasn’t happy.  It was supposed to be a closed party but Doc wanted everyone there so he could show off his star band or should he say his star boy. He was taking the opportunity to do this since Jon’s girlfriend wasn’t with them so he was going to use this to his advantage.

Of course Jon worked the room like a pro and Doc was beaming. But Jon was becoming very annoyed at Doc because as the other guys had girls sitting with them and enjoying their company Jon didn’t. He was too busy talking with the press and the Fan club members as well as the contest winners. He was avoiding the groupies like the plague. In the past he would indulge in them but since he met the woman of his dreams he had not only promised not to do any of that anymore but he didn’t want to do that anymore. There was a big difference. Doc did what he could thou to break that promise and was throwing the groupies at him tonight and they were all over him. But he very nicely (in the beginning) told them that he wasn’t interested. But by the time the end of the night was coming and he had had a few too many he wasn’t so nice in telling them to get lost.

Richie who was also feeling no pain saw this and decided he was going to try and help. “Darlin’ I…I…need to hep Jon with something. K? You stay wright here babe.” He slurred. He stumbled over to Jon when he could hear Jon tell one of the groupies to get the fuck lost. She turned around giving him the finger. Jon just laughed and took another swig of his drink.

“Hey Kidd what’s your problem? Huh? You have a beautiful women and you scream at them? I don’t got you?” Richie again tried to talk but came out all mumbled jumbled.

Jon looked at Richie and said. “You drunk Rich. Ha ha!” Jon laughed at him. 

“Am not!” he shot back.

 “Yes you are King you’re loaded!” Jon told him smiling.

Richie just shook his head. “Well if I am so are YOU! HA!” again he shot back at Jon. As the two of them were bantering back and forth Doc walked over to them with a blonde groupie on his arm. “Hey Rich I think your date is starting to sober up. Why don’t you give her another drink while I take care of Jon here.” Doc told him.

 Richie gave Jon a crooked grin knowing that even with Jon feeling good Doc is in for a world of hurt. Jon stood there finishing his drink as Doc went to introduce the blonde to him. “Jon I want to introduce you to Missy. Missy this is Jon.”

In a squeaky voice, “Nice to meet you Jon.” Cringing Jon shook her hand as she moved into him as he was shocked. “Um yeah, Missy is it? Could you get the fuck off me?” Jon asked her.

She looked at him confused because Doc told her that Jon would be interested in her tonight. “I…I don’t understand? I thought we would be going back to your room handsome.” She asked him.

Jon just shook his head and chuckled. “I’m sorry Missy I don’t know what Doc told you but I’m not interested. You see I have a girlfriend so I’m not interested in bringing anyone back to my room ok?” he tried to explain to her.

She looked around then said to him, “But I don’t see anyone with you Honey? So why don’t you and I go and I’ll make your night one that you’ll never forget Handsome.” She said as she started to man handle him.

 Jon was now feeling gross as she was feeling him up and down his body. Then all of a sudden she grabbed him in the crotch. Needless to say he let out a yelp. “What the FUCK!” he grabbed her hand and threw it off of him fast.

“What’s the matter Handsome? Did I squeeze a little too tight?” she asked with a smirk on her face.

“Who the HELL gave you the right to grab me there you C…” but he didn’t get to finish when Richie and David heard him screaming. They came running over to see what was going on.

“Hey man what the hell is going on?” Dave asked. Dave wasn’t too bad but also was feeling good but he usually is happy anyway.

Also by this time Doc who wasn’t too far away walked back over. “What’s all the yelling about?” he asked while he was stuffing his face from the buffet table.

Jon who was still a little mortified and livid, “She grabbed my fucking crotch that’s what’s the matter!”

They all stood there just looking at him before Richie interjected. “So? That never bothered you before. Well there was that one time when that dude…”

“RICHIE!!!!” Jon screamed.

Richie just turned around knowing he made a mistake so Dave cut in, “Jon calm down all Rich is saying is that normally you would just go with it that’s all.”

Backing away from her “I know she just took me by surprise ok? Where the hell is security?” he wanted to know.

Doc was standing by Missy and said, “Jon I brought Missy over to you for a reason? I know you’re not that drunk or has that girl totally brain washed you?” Doc wanted to know.

 “Leave Mary out of this Doc. You know I’m not doing that crap to her so back the fuck off.” Jon was pissed and headed out to the dressing rooms alone. The guys just looked at each but continued with the party.

Jon was moping in the dressing room and feeling lonely so he got an idea. He picked up the phone and dialed. “Marlowe honey get off me. RICK! Marlowe needs to go out!” She yelled.

“Coming!” Rick yelled back. Just then and there the phone started to ring. Mary rolled her eyes. “PHONE!”

 Rick came from the garage. “Well do you want me to get the phone or take Marlowe out?” he said smiling at her.

 “Not funny Rick. Do you know how much you’re dog weighs?” she asked him annoyed. Rick chuckling picked up the phone.

“Hello A.J. Simon’s Rick speaking.”

“Yeah Rick it’s Jon is Mary there by any chance?” Smiling Rick turned to face his sister.

“Why yes she is, would you like to speak to her?” he asked happily. “Yeah if you don’t mind?” Jon said wondering what was going on.

 “Sure just a sec.  “Yeah Sweetheart phones for you do you want to talk to Lover Boy or not?” he asked her.

 “Jon’s on the phone?” she asked him. Rick nodded yes. “Well of course I do.”

 “You going to tell him or wait til you see him?” he asked her.

 “Shush! I don’t want him to hear you. Just give me the damn phone.” She told Rick. Rick handed her the phone and chuckled as he left the love birds alone.

“Come on Marlowe we don’t need to hear this.” Rick chuckled as they went out to the garage.

Taking the phone she couldn’t wait to hear his voice. “Hi Jon how are you?” she asked him anxious.

Hearing her voice, it perked him up. He missed it that so much. “Hi Baby I’ve missed you so much I just can’t tell you.” He told her as he sat back with his eyes closed so he could picture her.

“Oh I think I know. I miss you so much too. You don’t sound so good? Are you ok?” she asked concerned.

“Yeah I’m just tired. I left the party so I could call you.” He told her as he ran his hand threw his hair.

 She looked at her watch, they were across the country so he was ahead at least three hours. “So how much longer do you have to stay Babe?” she asked him.

“Oh God I don’t know I think I still have a few more people to smooze. But all I want to do is go back to the hotel and sleep.” He said yawning into the phone.

“Well you’re the boss man tell them. Put your foot down.” She said to him sternly.

He smile as he sat there knowing that she was trying to help. He knew that she believed that he could do anything. “Doc’s here Babe so I can’t. He has plans for us or should I say me and you know how he gets.”

 “Yeah I know how he gets and I know how you get. Jon he’s been working you into the ground. Your voice is scratchy and you’ve been exhausted every time you’re on the phone with me. You’ve fallen asleep on me several times now especially when you want to play that game you’ve finally gotten me to play with you on the phone.” she told him in her agitated voice.

Jon exhaled “I know Baby and I’m sorry about that I really am.” He told her when all of a sudden Rich B. stuck his head in.

“Hey Jon Doc needs you.” As he gave Jon an I’m sorry face.

“Yeah tell him I’ll be right there. Babe I need to go. I love you.” He told her not wanting to end their conversation.

 Hearing the sadness in his voice, “I love you Babe I’ll talk to you later.” She told him and hung up.

A few days went by and the guys were really busy. Jon hasn’t had a chance to call her but Mary knew the gig when she got involved with him. And she was just fine with it right now because of the situation she was in. She was afraid to tell him what happened on the last case she did with her brothers and why she hasn’t gone back to him yet. She has been stalling about going back only because just as they were about to capture the nut case he had one of those small pistols hidden in his socks and as Rick punched him he had bent down and grabbed it, came up with it and just fired it all willy nilly as Mary got it in the leg. Two bullets in her upper thigh as she went down and Rick ripping the damn thing out of his hand and knocking him out cold.  One of their saving graces is that their mother is in Florida on vacation for the next several weeks and she wants to know how long she can stall telling her boyfriend that she was again hurt during one of their cases before he has another hissy fit.

A.J. walked into the house as Mary was sitting on the couch reading her book. “Hey Sweetie you want anything?” he asked her.

She picked up her soda. “Nope I’m all set.” She told him smiling.

“Where’s Rick?” A.J. asked as he looked around.

“I think he went to the hardware store. He needed to fix that door that he was working on the other night.”

 “Oh that’s right the one Marlowe was scratching at. I don’t know how many times I’ve told him to put a rubber padding at the base.” He bitched at her while she was giggling at him. “Sweetie it’s not funny. How many times have I told him.” He bitched as he shook his head pissed.

“I get it A.J. but it’s Rick. You basically have to hit him over the head you know that.” She told him.

A.J. looked at his sister and also wondered about her. “Yeah your right. So what’s going on with you? The case has been over for a little over a week now and your still here what’s with that? Usually you’re on the next plane to get to Jon why not now?” he asked her but he had a sneaking suspicion that he knew why.

She just looked at him like he had two heads. “Oh come on A.J. you know damn well why I haven’t gone back.” She said to him as she rolled her eyes at him.

“I thought that might be the reason but I wanted to hear it from you.” He told her as he walked over to her and sat next to her.

“A.J. if I tell him that I got shot in the leg he’ll go ballistic on me you know that and will want me to quit. I don’t want to hear it. So I’ll just play this out for ever how long I can. Either till the leg heals or I die.” She said with a stupid ass grin on her face. “

“He’s going to find one way or another. Isn’t better that you tell him?” he asked her sympathetically.

She looked at him sadly, “What if I lose him A.J.?”

“Why would you lose him?” he asked her.

“I don’t know he’s been acting kind of funny and I’m just afraid this will set him off you know. It’s bad enough he doesn’t like me working for you guys as it is. Then this had to happen and it just might, well be the nail in the coffin so to speak.” She told him sadly.

 A.J. looked at his sister but had to ask this question. “Sweetie he’s never hurt you has he?” he asked with his heart in his stomach.

She just looked at him in shock. “No A.J. he hasn’t! Honest! He’s never touched me like that. He loves me.” She wanted to make sure that she got that across to him.

“Ok, ok just wanted to get that out of the way. After Michael well you can’t blame me for caring can you?” he asked her as he went to hold her hand.

She smiled at him, “Of course not A.J. You know how much I love you and Rick. But Jon could never be like that. Yes he does have a temper but so do I. We make a perfect match. But we love each other so much. But he just hates it when I get hurt.” She explained to him.

“Well then you better tell him about this or he’s going to be more pissed then because you’ve been hiding it now for over a week.  So now tell me how’s he going to feel about that?” A.J. asked her.

She sat there for a bit thinking about that and came to one conclusion; he’s going to be pissed. It had been a long morning for Jon he had done several radio interviews and he had about enough. He didn’t get much sleep the night before as he had tossed and turned all night because Doc had tried again to throw him another groupie his way. It was really getting harder and harder to resist because it was about going on two months now that he hadn’t had sex with anyone and sleeping alone also wasn’t helping. He was used to having her next to him for the past six months before she had to go off to help her brothers and the last two months now were killers for him. He had never been this loyal to any other girlfriends before. Why was this one special? He thought he had loved his last girlfriend just as much. For crying out loud she was his high school sweetheart. They had gotten back together how many times? But this last breakup they had he just couldn’t deal with anymore. She had broken up with him for the last time. Yeah he had cheated on her but she cheated on him too. They both knew it was over or at least he had thought so. He really didn’t know she would end up nuts. Months had gone by then this incident happen when these detectives walked into they’re lives.

He really didn’t even see it happening until it was too late. He fell for the kid sister of these P.I.’s that his manger hired. That’s the only thing he could be grateful for what Doc has done for him in the last year. Doc has been pushing him a little too much lately but he knows that if he doesn’t the people who work for him could lose everything they have. Jon has gotten everything he’s wanted Doc told him but now he has to keep it. God he was tired. He sat there thinking about what he had to do next but said screw it. He picked up the phone and called A.J.’s. He just had to her voice. He prayed that he would catch her before they left he didn’t know exactly how early they had to go out for this case. A.J. stepped out for a little bit and Rick was in his boat so Mary was alone in her bedroom trying to read when the phone rang. “PHONE!!!!!!” she yelled. As it was still ringing she got up with her crutches and went down stairs still yelling. “Oh come on PHONE!” she yelled as she looked around. ‘Great no one’s here.’ She said to herself. Walking over to the phone or hobbling she picked it up. “Hello?” she said agitated.

“Whoa Baby what’s got into you?” Jon asked her.

“Jon? Hi? It’s not even noon time you’re calling kind of early aren’t you?” she asked him.

“Well that’s better.” He said chuckling.

“What is?” 

“Your mood.” He told her.

“Oh well it’s just so good to hear your voice.” She told him.

“Why do you think I called you? I’ve been doing radio spots all morning and I’ve about had it so I thought I’d call you. Needed someone friendly and loving to talk to. Plus I’ve missed you so much and tell you how sorry I was that we were cut off the way we were the last time we were on the phone.” He told her.

“The last time?” she asked.

“Yeah when I called you a few nights ago?” he told her. “Don’t you remember?” he was a little put out that she seemed that she didn’t remember him calling her.

 “No, no I remember Sweetie but I understand that you had to go. It was ok really. You were in the middle of your party. In fact I was surprised that you call me in the first place.” She explained to him.

 “I called you for the same reason I’m calling you now Babe I missed you. When are you coming home to me?” he asked her. She was afraid that he was going to ask her that. There was a long pause and then he chimed in again. “Baby are you still there?” he asked concerned.

 “Yeah I’m still here.” She said nervously.

“Well? Are you going to answer me or not?” he asked but this time a little more sternly.

She noticed the tone in his voice change. Just then there was a knock on Jon’s door. He rolled his eyes as Richie popped his head in. “Hey Kidd they want us downstairs in five so they can bring us over to the arena.”

“Why do they want us there for?” he asked Richie.

“Don’t know Obie call me when he said your phone was busy and to get you and to meet everyone downstairs in five.” Richie told him.

Jon just exhaled while Mary could hear the frustration in him. “Ok just give me a second. ‘Richie closed the door and waited in the hall’ look I have to go but I want an answer the next time we talk got it? Bye.” And he hung up the phone without saying I Love You. He usually never does that unless he’s really pissed off. She stood there staring at the phone before she hung it up. Yeah he’s going to be really pissed.

 A few hours later Mary was packed and was waiting for her ride to come get her. She already had said goodbye to her brothers but told them they didn’t have to bring her to the airport. They just got another case and didn’t need her so they went off to the office. Her taxi has arrived and as she left the phone rang. Jon left a message but wasn’t too happy that no one was there to answer the phone. He thought she was going to be there when he called back. That didn’t help his mood all that more and the guys could see that something was up his ass. He had more interviews that day which he really didn’t feel like doing but knew he had to do. Later that day he had a meeting with Doc because Doc had set up some time at the Canadian recording studio The Little Mountain Sound Studio’s to start recording the new album. Jon was a little surprised by that because he was bothering him about that for a few months now and Doc hasn’t done a thing to move on it. “Why now Doc? Why did you finally book the recording studio?” he asked him. Doc shook his head in annoyance.

 “Look Jon it took a while to get this particular recording studio ok? It’s been booked out for months but now we have it. You guys start next month just when this tour finishes so you’ll have a week of down time before you start.” Doc explained to him.

“That’s all? How am I going to explain that to the guys? You’ve only got a week off to visit with family and friends. That’s not going to go over well with them Doc.” Jon yelled.

“Well if they want to be on the record and on this next tour they will be. Jon I can feel that this one is it. I’ve seen some of the songs you and Richie have written and Desmond said he’ll meet you guys there. You might even get enough to do another record who knows.” Doc told him. They both were excited now and met the others in the bar. Doc bought the first round for the guys to kick it off. The party was going real good and some of the fans found out that the guys were in the bar parting it up. Jon was feeling no pain by this time and Doc had mingled a few of those groupies into the mix. He had Missy again to try and see if she could try and see if she could relax Jon a little. Unfortunately nobody had noticed the brunette in the corner booth watching everything that was happening for the past week. She has been taking notes from who drinks what and who is attracted to what. But this time was different Jon was joining in and she found that this was interesting. He had found myself a cute little blonde and was buying her drinks. She was playing with his shirt which was open down to his pants and she was also slipping her hand inside of it while giggling. He was whispering in her ear and was she blushing? The brunette really couldn’t tell from the angle she was at.

She really didn’t care about the other guys it seemed or otherwise she would have written what Alec was about to do in the booth across from her in the other corner. When she looked back over to Jon they were embraced in a very heavily make out session as was Richie next to them with some brunette that he picked up. Tico was at a table and was talking to a couple of girls and David was at another talking with a few himself, Missy was one of them. Apparently she didn’t care which rocker she had as long as she had one of them. But it did look like she had her sites on Jon. She sat there staring at him while he made out with the blonde. Now it looked like Jon had two females watching him and he didn’t even know it. And that wasn’t even the beginning of his problems. Her taxi pulled up to the front of the hotel. The driver helped her out and her suitcase. “Here you go and keep the change.” She told the driver.

“Well thank you ma’am.” He said as he got back into his taxi and drove off. She turned around when the bellman walked up to her.

“May I help you?” he asked as he saw the she was using a cane. “If you don’t mind?” she said. They walked in and up to the registration desk.

“Yes Miss how can I help you?” the desk manager asked her.

“Yes actually I’m expected. I’m here for a John Carpenter. Just tell him Mary Simon is here to see him.” She told him. The desk clerk pulled the authorization list out from the drawer to see if her name was on the list. It was there so he went to explain to her where they were.

“They’re not in their rooms right now. If you want to leave your bags here I can have them delivered to his room momentarily but they are in the bar right now they’re having what you want to call a celebration of sorts.” He explained to her.

 “Really? Thank You.” She said and headed towards the bar.