Chapter 269

It took about five more tries and two diaper changes before Jon and John got the sound they were looking for.

“Okay. That was great! That was exactly what we needed!” Shanks exclaimed. “Nice job Tori. Now, let’s go back to the others.”

Tori sighed in relief when they finally called it quits for the day. She’d discovered that making an album wasn’t all glitz and glamour and fun. It was hard work. And making one with Jon made her want to scream in frustration.....or kill him.

“Alright, so tomorrow we’ll start at nine and try and get through two or three more.” Jon instructed. “Tori, will that work with Stevie’s feeding schedule?”

Her brows rose. “Whoa, wait a minute. I agreed to come down here today, but I can’t just drop everything and spend all day here.”

He frowned. “Why not? Don’t you want to help?”

David took one look at her eyes and motioned to Shanks. “Back away slowly. You don’t want to get caught in the crossfire.”

“Because I have two children to look after! Ava would be bored to death sitting here all day and I can’t just leave her at home and expect Rosa to look after her all the time. And I’m sure the studio doesn’t want a baby around here all day either.” Shanks wisely kept quiet. “If you wanted me to participate, you should have told me ahead of time so that I could make arrangements for the children, not just drop it in on me at the last minute!”

“Don’t you want us to put out the best album we possibly can?” Jon tried a different tack and appealed to the fan in her.

Tori snorted. “Nice try, but that shit won’t wash with me. You’ve put out plenty of great albums without any help from me.”

“Notice she doesn’t say how many, even though she knows exactly how many studio albums we’ve put out.” David commented.

“Which ones didn’t she like?” Shanks asked.

“Oh it’s not that she doesn’t like them, it’s just that she wouldn’t call all of them great.”

“Okay, so which ones doesn’t she consider great?”

David sighed. “Aside from This Left, she won’t say. Says she doesn’t want to hurt our feelings.” Shanks chuckled and refocused on the arguement taking place in front of them in time to see Jon turn to Richie.

“Help me out here man. Explain to her how important this is. And it’s only for a few days.”

“Yes Richie, do speak up. They’re your children too. Do you want them raised by staff or by us? And I don’t care how long it is. I’m not abandoning my children!”

Shanks winced. “When she arrived today I envied Richie his family. Now I’m not so sure.” He watched the three combatants – well two combatants and the one caught between them. “I never thought I’d see someone stand up to Jon like that.”

David snickered. “There’s only two who dare – aside from his parents. His wife...and Tori. You’re witnessing Bongiovi stubbornness butting heads.”

Richie glanced from his wife to his brother-in-law and back and tried to figure out a way to get out of this without one of them being pissed off at him. “Sorry angel, you’re so beautiful when you’re fighting for your children I got distracted.” He waited and hoped he’d get the reaction he was trying for. She stared at him incredulously for a moment, then her lips twitched and she laughed, easing the tension in the room. Jon rolled his eyes. Tico and Hugh smiled. David ran a hand over his forehead wiping off imaginary sweat. Richie tried to find a solution to the problem. “Of course I want them raised by us. I also know that you would never forgive yourself if this album doesn’t reach it’s full potential when you could have helped. Is there some middle ground here? Someway that you can help with the album and be comfortable that the kids are being taken care of?” Jon and Tori frowned identical frowns. Richie took a deep breath. “What about you coming down here for just a few hours a day, say in the afternoon? We could work on the instrumental tracks in the morning and the vocal tracks when you get here in the afternoon. That way you could spend the bulk of the day with Ava and still help here.” He didn’t suggest that they take Ava back to her mother’s. That wasn’t an option for him and he knew it wouldn’t be for Tori either.

“And Stevie?”

At that point Shanks felt it was safe to step in. “Bring him with you. Believe it or not, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve worked with an artist’s infant close by.” His lips twitched. “The biggest challenge will be keeping Mandy at the front desk instead of back here cooing at him. And he cries in key.” That had them all laughing.

“Well? What do you think?” Richie asked the siblings.

Jon sighed. “I guess we can make that work.”

“Angel? What about you? You know what’s best for the kids. Will it work?”

Tori thought about it for a long minute. “Okay. I can live with that for a few days.”

“Nice job.” Shanks murmured to Richie as they were all getting ready to leave. “Do you have to play mediator often?”

“Naw, they get along pretty well usually. But you know what he’s like about the music and she won’t let him order her life. Angel hang on. I’ll carry him out for you.” He took the carrier from her and followed her out the door.


“How are things going?” Dorothea asked.

“Pretty good now.” Jon switched the phone to his other ear. “Adding Tori was exactly what we needed. And it’s just as well that she’s only in the studio part of the day.”

“How come?”

“This way I at least get some work out of Richie. Once Tori shows up, he loses his focus.”

Dorothea frowned. That wasn’t like Richie.When it came to recording and performing he’d always been very professional. “How are things between them?”

“Everything seems to be fine.”

“They’re affectionate with each other?”

Jon shrugged even though she couldn’t see him. “Yeah. I guess. I mean, they’re not hanging all over each other, but they’re not avoiding each other either. They kiss goodbye and hello.”

“Endearments? Pet names?”

“He calls her angel and honey just like he always has.”

“And Tori?”

Jon frowned in thought. “Come to think of it, I haven’t heard her call him anything but Rich or Richie since we got here. But I haven’t really been paying attention.”

Dorothea nodded. “They’re not having sex yet.”

Jon choked. “I don’t know and I don’t want to know. I’m not having that conversation with either one of them again!”

“I wasn’t asking, I was telling. That’s why he’s losing his focus when she joins you at the studio. He’s horny. Think about it. You know the signs.”

He did, and the more he thought about it the more he realized that she was right. Richie was exhibiting all the signs of sexual frustration. “But Stevie’s two months old. You know what Rich’s like. There’s no way he would wait any longer than necessary.”

“Unless he’s waiting for her to give the green light. He’s been told not to push it and wait until she comes to him.”

“But she’s got to be healed by now.”

“Physically, but maybe not emotionally. She may not be ready for the emotional intimacy that comes with lovemaking.” She paused. “Is the baby still sleeping in their room?”

“I think so. At least I’ve never seen her go in or out of his room early in the morning, and I haven’t heard him cry and I’m in the next room.” He sighed. “So what do I do?”

“Nothing. They have to work this out themselves. The next time I talk to her, I’ll see if she needs to talk about it, but that’s all we can do.”

Late that night Jon went downstairs to get a drink and saw Richie sitting out on the patio by the pool. He hesitated, then went to join him. “Hey man. What are you doing out here? Baby keeping you up?”

Richie shook his head. “No. He’s pretty much sleeping through the night now.”

“Then why aren’t you curled up with your wife at this hour?”

“Couldn’t sleep. I didn’t want to disturb her.” Although it would only be fair. She was disturbing him more and more every day. He was finding it increasingly difficult to be close to her and not be able to touch her like he wanted. He was trying to give her the time she needed, but he didn’t know how much longer he could stand it.

Jon hesitated, but couldn’t leave it alone. “It’s hasn’t been easy for you has it?”

Richie sighed. “No, but it’s been harder on her – emotionally anyway. I have no right to complain. I gave up that right months ago. All I can do is show her that I love her and hope that I can earn back her trust.”

“And in the meantime?” Jon’s gaze locked with Richie’s and his lips twitched.

Richie snorted, but didn’t deny it. “I take lots of cold showers.”