Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Looking down at the two stunned looking faces, her uncle smiled and went on “You were here with your mom few months ago. Right?”

Still stunned, Richie nodded.

Uncle Stanley smiled at him and offered his hand in a greeting. “Your mom always talks about you at church. She is so proud of you!”

Richie shook the older man’s hand and smiled.

Stanley looked back at Melody “You know his mom too! You helped her with the Christmas Toy Drive last year.”

Shocked, Melody looked from her uncle to Richie and back “Wait a second, you mean Joan from church is Mrs. Sambora?”

Both Richie and her uncle smiled and nodded.

“Wow!” she exhaled, “This IS a Small World!”

“Sometimes its even smaller then you think, Kwiatuszku!” said her uncle and re directed his attention to the plates he just placed on the table. “OK, who gets what?”

Richie eyed both plates suspiciously and sniffed at the one closest to him “Mmmm, this smells good! What is it?”

Melody pointed to the plate next to her “This is Golabki, or stuffed cabbage. The one next to you is Klopsiki z kasha gryczana, or meat loaf with buckwheat on the side.” she explained. “You can pick which ever one you like or we can share both” she offered.

Richie nodded and reached for the plate with meat loaf on it.

“Bon Appetite!” said uncle Stanley as he walked towards the kitchen.

They ate in comfortable silence, till Richie cleared his plate and sighed reclining in his seat “Wow! This was good!”

Melody smiled at him, wiped her mouth with her napkin and pushed her plate aside “Told ya, everything is good here!’’

Richie smiled and nodded “I guess now I know I can trust you. I just wish you would feel the same about me.”

“What do you mean? I trusted you to pick the restaurant!” she smirked at him.

“Yes, you did. But you still did not tell me anything about yourself” He pouted. “Guess I’ll have to see what Ma heard about you…”

Melody sighed “OK, what do you want to know?”

“Well.” He said “For starters, tell me about Nic’s father.”

“Not much to tell” she started, then looked up into his warmly glowing chocolate eyes, nodded and went on “He was a Chief Surgical resident, who unbeknownst to me had an on going bet with his friends that he’ll have any new student nurse that comes to their unit. I was that young and naive student nurse, who was stupid enough to fall for Michael’s lines and lies. He asked me out, wined and dined me, then told me that I just made him believe in ‘love at first site’. We ended up in his apartment, and in his bed.” Melody sighed and looked at Richie again…

He reached across the table and took her small hands into his big ones, gently rubbing his thumbs over her knuckles.

“Please, go on!” he urged her quietly.

“Well, to make the long story short… Michael dropped me off at the hospital the next morning and proceeded to ignore me after that. I thought that I disappointed him in some way… so I did not pursue him. Few weeks later, after I realized that I was pregnant, I approached him again and told him of my condition. He insisted on drawing my blood and sent it to the lab himself to confirm it. When the result came back positive, just as I told him it would be, he gave me $500 and told me to ‘get rid of it’… I couldn’t….” A tear escaped from her eyes and started a slow trek down her cheek.

Richie leaned forward and gently wiped the tear away. “What a prick!” he breathed out. “So what did you do?”

“Well, I did the only thing I could think of doing… I went home and told my parents. Even though they let me know how disappointed they were in me, they supported my decision to keep the baby. They also contacted their lawyer who started a child support petition. Of course Michael demanded a paternity test, even though he knew he was my first…” she sighed as another tear escaped “When Nicole was born, and the test confirmed his paternity, our lawyers worked out a child support agreement. My whole family, my parents, Aunt Anna and Uncle Stanley and my grand parents, all pitched in and helped me in the beginning so I could finish college and get my nursing license. After that, I worked nights to support us and put all of his payments in a trust fund for Nicole.” she smiled “Now she has a nice college fund.”

“Wow!” said Richie “How old were you when you had her?” he asked gently.

“Nineteen.” she whispered.

Richie just shook his head “Jesus! At nineteen, I couldn’t even take care of myself! Let alone take care of a baby and finish my education!”

“Well, like I said, I wasn’t alone. I moved in with my grandparents, and my mom and Aunt Anna took turns helping me and teaching me how to take care of Nic. Aunt Anna is Nic’s God mother, and since she and Uncle Stanley never had kids… Nicole became the center of their Universe.” She smiled “I bet Uncle Stanley already put together a goody bag for her”

“So she has him firmly wrapped around her little finger, just as Ava has me?“ laughed Richie.

“Yep, pretty much!”

“And what about Michael? What kind of relationship does she have with her father?”


“Nicole never met her father. He made it very clear that he was not interested in any custody or even visitation rights. Apparently he was engaged to be married when our encounter occurred. Nicole was born while he was away on his honeymoon.” She sighed and shook her head. “The last time I saw Michael was when he handed me the money for the abortion. All contact after that was through our lawyers.”


Richie was about to ask her something else, but was interrupted by Aunt Anna coming to clear their table “How was the food?“ She asked Richie and smiled.

“O, it was as delicious as my mom’s and nana’s cooking!”

Anna smiled and nodded “I’ll remember to tell that to Joan tomorrow in church! Now how about some coffee?”

He looked at Mel, who nodded in agreement. “Yes please!’’

Anna placed two cups in front of them and went to retrieve a coffee pot. She was immediately replaced at their table by smiling Uncle Stanley who was holding a plate with a slice of cheese cake with one birthday candle. He placed the plate in front stunned Richie and lit the candle.

Richie shifted his gaze from the candle to the beautiful woman seated across from him, whose green eyes were sparkling brighter then the birthday candle, and raised an eyebrow.

“Happy Birthday!” she said and blushed.

Chapter 15

After they left the “Casa Bongiovi” Richie took her hand and led her to his black gas guzzler. Opening the passenger door, he helped her climb into the Hummer. Settling himself in the driver’s seat he looked at her.

“So Mel, what were you planning on eating tonight?”

“Actually, I was planning to grab a slice of pizza and a salad. But I’m open to suggestions.” she winked at him.

“Do you trust me darlin?”

“Well, that’s a loaded question…”

“OK!” he laughed “Let me rephrase that! Do you trust me to pick something different? Something a bit more off the ‘beaten path’ sort of speak?”

“OK Richie, I’m gonna trust you and place my stomach in your hands.” smiled Melody.

Richie smiled and started the truck. Classic Rock came through the speakers. Melody smiled approvingly and nodded her head in tune with the Beatles. They drove for about 20 minutes before Richie brought them to a stop in front of a small strip mall and a generic looking place with a sign that simply read “restaurant”. Melody gave Richie a slightly shocked look and snorted.

“I know darlin, it doesn’t look like much. But trust me, the food here is amazing. My mom found this place and insisted I come with her last time I came to visit. It was as good as my Nana’s cooking!” He said helping Mel out of the truck.
Mel just chuckled as they walked through the door.

A large older woman dressed in a gaily embroidered peasant blouse and with a large blonde bun, looked up from the register. Gasping in surprise, she ran out from behind the counter and enveloped Melody in her arms.

“Melly, my Kwiatuszku (little flower)! What an unexpected surprise! Where’s Nicky?” then finally noticing Richie at her side “And who is this?” she raised her eyebrows.

“ Its good to see you Cioteczka (auntie) Anna” said Mel returning the hug. “Nicky is spending the night with friends. And this is Richie.”

“Richie, meet my auntie Anna!” she smiled at stunned looking man at her side.

Anna gave Richie long look and narrowed her eyes “You look familiar. Do I know you?”

Before Richie had a chance to reply, Melody chimed in “No Cioteczka! I only met him last night. His friend was a patient of mine in the ER. And please tell me Pan Stanley is cooking tonight! We are starving!”

The older woman nodded and her face dissolved into a huge smile. “Yes, of course your uncle is in the kitchen, Kwiatuszku! He’ll be happy to come out and greet you later.” she glanced at Richie thoughtfully “ Both of you!”

She led them to the back of the small restaurant, to a nice corner table and set two menus on the table. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Why don’t you two decide on what you want to eat tonight!’’

After helping Melody with her chair, Richie set down across from her and cleared his throat “Uhm, Mel… I don’t know where to start! Who is Nicky? And do I need to be worried?”

Before Mel had a chance to answer him, her cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her purse, looked at the display, and with an apologetic smile to Richie, answered.

“Hi Nic! How are you baby?” she smiled as she listened to the excited chatter “Well I’m glad you’re enjoying your self! I’ll see you tomorrow baby!” closing the phone, she took a deep breath and looked across the table at Richie.

“I guess I should explain!” seeing Richie nod, she smiled and went on “No, you don’t need to be worried. Nicky is Nicole, my fifteen year old daughter. Anna is my mom’s sister, and her husband Stanley is a fantastic cook, and he will be very happy to see me not eating by myself for a change.”

Richie’s eyes did not leave her face. Seeing the emotions and shadows flicker in her emerald eyes, he reached across the table and took her hands.

“Mel, I’m not worried about your uncle.” he smiled as his thumbs gently rubbed across her knuckles. “But is there something I need to know about Nicole’s father?” he pressed on.

Melody swallowed audibly “The only thing you need to know is that he is not in the picture.” she answered quietly, looking down at the table.

Richie reached out and gently tipped her face up so she was looking at him again. Seeing the sadness reflected in her eyes, he nodded “OK, that’s good enough for now! But only because I am too hungry to dig for more info!” he grinned at her “But I’m not making any promises not to return to this topic after dinner.”

Melody nodded and handed him one of the menus. Richie opened it and spent a few moments looking over the choices. Squinting at some descriptions that were in small font, he gave up and looked at Mel who was watching him with a smile on her face. Noticing that she hasn’t even opened her menu, Richie grinned at her

“OK, why don’t you just tell me what’s good here, before I kill myself trying to pronounce the names of the dishes and trying to remember what they are!”

“I might be just a little bit biased, but as far as I’m concerned, EVERYTHING is good here!” she laughed at him.

Relieved to see her smiling and laughing again, Richie closed his menu. “Fine, smart ass! Since you trusted me with a choice of the restaurant, I’m gonna trust you to order for me!”

“And what if I order you a dainty, girlie salad?”

“Well, I’m just gonna have to trust you! Won’t I?” he pouted.

Jesus! What is he trying to do to me! Just look at that bottom lip! It was made for kissing, licking and biting! Lord Have Mercy on my soul! I’m going to have to spend HOURS in the confession tomorrow….

Her aunt’s return to their table brought Mel’s thoughts back from the gutter and to the task at hand. Smiling at her aunt, she placed their order in rapid Polish, with Richie listening intently, but only catching one or two familiar words. Her aunt nodded and smiled at Richie at one point.

I gotta ask Ma to teach me more Polish. I swear I heard “birthday” in there…some where.

With one more pensive look at Richie, Anna left for the kitchen.

“So, what kind of girlie salad did you order for me?” he smirked at Melody

“Don’t worry big guy, I ordered two of my all time favorite comfort meals. Hopefully you will like at least one of them.”

Before they knew it, Anna was back with two glasses of iced tea, a basket of freshly baked dark rye bread….and two plates of salad.

Richie looked at his small plate with what looked like sour cream and dill covered cucumbers and smirked at Mel. “I thought you said no salad!”

“I don’t know about your home, but at my mom’s table, every dinner started out with salad!” laughed Mel “Try it! You might actually like it!”

Richie gave her a loud theatrical sigh and picked up his fork. To his surprise, the salad was actually good. And the spicy sour cream and dill dressing hit the palate just right!

By the time Melody was mostly done with her salad, Richie’s plate was cleaned and pushed to the side.

He wiped his mouth with his napkin and sipped his iced tea as he smiled at her “So, what’s next?”

Before Melody could answer, an older man wearing a white apron, approached their table with a big smile and two big steaming plates of food. After setting the plates down on their table, he wiped his hands on his apron and hugged Mel. “ O my beautiful Kwiatuszku! Its so good to see you here! And you brought me company to feed!”

Melody laughed as she hugged her uncle. “Uncle Stanley, this is my friend Richie.”

The older man squinted at Richie and smiled “I know you!”

Before either Mel or Richie had a chance to respond, he went on “ Of Course! You are Joan’s boy aren’t you?”

Chapter 14

Melody sighed and fought to keep herself composed.

Jesus! He looks good enough to eat! Scratch that! He looks sinfully dangerous! Those jeans are hugging him like…like the pants that Jon wears! And that red WTB shirt! O! My! God! Are those his nipples that I see?!?!

Melody swallowed audibly and smiled at Richie, giving herself a mental shake.

Jesus girl! Get a grip and stop drooling! He’s going to think you are some silly groupie or something….

Richie in the mean time was giving Melody his own head to toe perusal.

Wow, she looks hot out of those shapeless scrubs! Nothing like tight jeans to emphasize nice curves! And just look at those eyes! They’re sparkling like two huge emeralds! And that T shirt…what does it say on the front?

He came closer to face Melody and read the front of her shirt. Smirking, he headed for the other sofa, plopped himself down and looked at Mel expectantly.

Melody looked from one rock star to another, both sprawled over their sofas and looking at her expectantly, and turned to Dorothea with a silent plea for help written all over her face.

Dorothea shrugged her shoulders and muttered under her breath “I gotta get me one of those shirts!” then put her hands on her hips and took a step forward to come to Melody’s rescue.

“All right you two! Enough with the theatrics! Richie, stop clowning around and make yourself useful! Since kids are spending the night with their cousins, they’re Matt’s problem. But we need to start thinking about dinner. So go get me some take out menus from the kitchen.”

Richie got up with a sigh and headed for the kitchen as asked.

Dorothea turned to Melody and smiled. “Mel, I can’t thank you enough for taking your time and helping Jon. How much do we owe you for the oils?” When she saw Melody shake her head in protest she went on “Mel, I’m sure those oils are not cheap! Please let me reimburse you for them and your time!”

“It’s OK Dorothea! It actually takes very small amount of Essential Oils to make a therapeutic strength blend! I did not deplete my stock by any means! And as far as my time goes… trust me, this is not a hardship for a fan!”

“OK, OK, I get it!” laughed Dorothea.

“Mel, you did mention that you’re planning to go to the Gillette show? Right?” Jon spoke up from his sofa.

Seeing her nod, he grinned and went on “Where is your seat?”

“Actually its pretty good, 15th row in a lodge next to stage!”

“Stage left or stage right?” asked Dorothea and cocked an eyebrow.

“Stage right.” whispered Mel, blushing.

Jon pouted. Dorothea grinned.

Richie chose this moment to re enter the room.

“What did I miss?” he asked, Melody’s red face not escaping his notice.

“Nothing!” said both Dorothea and Jon and smiled at each other.

“We were just discussing Mel’s plans for the Boston show” gave in Dorothea.

“O yeah, you did say that you had plans to go to Gillette.” smiled Richie.

Melody just nodded.

“Well bro, I was thinking…Since I did lose that bet with Mel about the IV…and she still did not come to collect on it..” Jon smiled “I’m thinking about upgrading her seat to something closer…say…how does a seat in the PIT sound to you Mel?”

“I…I…I don’t know what to say..” was all Mel was able to get out.

“Well I have something to say!” grinned Richie and raised an eyebrow at Jon “Can you make sure its PIT 2, Bro?”

Jon nodded at his wingman and smiled. “Oh, I think I can pull enough rank to make it happen Bro!”

Richie nodded enthusiastically and grinned at Mel.

Melody smiled and shook her head “I don’t know how to thank you Jon! I’ve never had such a great seat.”

“Lets just say we are now settled on the bet! And I’ll think of how to thank you for the oil later!”

Just as Mel opened her mouth to reply, Jon held up his hand “Don’t even think of arguing with me young lady!” he said in his best daddy voice “I am Jon Bon Jovi! Fans who argue with me risk invoking my wrath and the famous Stink Eye!”

“Oh NO!!! Not that!! Not the Stink Eye!” laughed Mel “OK, OK, I won’t argue with you!” she glanced at the clock on the wall “Uhmm, I didn’t realize how late its getting. I think I better go, I still have to stop and pick up dinner myself.”

“Melody, why don’t you stay and have dinner with us?” piped in Dorothea.

“Oh No! I can’t possibly intrude!”

“Nonsense! You won’t be intruding!” laughed Dorothea “You actually might make it more bearable for me with these two clowns!”

“Hey!!!” came from both Richie and Jon.

Richie cleared his throat and winked at Dorothea “You know, I have an even better idea! Why don’t I take Melody out to get something to eat and leave you two to have a nice cozy dinner together?”

“You know Rich, this is probably the best idea you’ve come up with lately” snickered Jon and earned himself a one finger salute.

“Richie, you don’t have to take me to dinner!” protested Mel..

“Nonsense! Of course I do! How else am I gonna get some one to one time with the nurse so she can evaluate my injured arm?” he grinned at her.

“Well, if you put it this way…How can I refuse treatment to a patient?” Mel laughed and picked up her purse. Taking out a business card, she handed it to Jon “Here is another one of my cards, just in case you have any questions about the oil.”

Jon took the card and placed it next to the bottle of oil on the table “Thank you again Mel! Your Gillette ticket will be at the “will call” window on the day of the show! Take care of my guitarist now, and I’ll see you soon …I‘m sure!”

Dorothea came over and gave Melody a hug “Thank you for everything! Enjoy your evening! And I also have a feeling I’ll see you soon!” taking in Mel’s look, she grinned at her “Do you need me to pinch you or something to confirm that this is for real?”

Melody shook her head “Nope… I think its beginning to sink in.” she smiled and waved to the couple “Its been a pleasure meeting both of you! Have a good night!” she turned and followed Richie out of the room and out of the house.

Chapter 13

Laughing with Dorothea, Mel reached into the brown bag and took out the two items she brought. Placing the plastic sniffer on the coffee table, she showed the large cobalt blue glass bottle to Jon and Dorothea.

“This is the oil blend that I made for you. Its base oil is Grape Seed, so it won’t be too greasy and it will not stain your clothes. The active ingredients are the Essential Oils of Helichrysum, Ginger, Clove, Nutmeg, Roman Chamomile and Lavender. According to my literature search, they should promote and expedite muscle healing. Ginger also has warming properties, so you might feel some tingling and warmth. And Lavender should also help in decreasing the swelling.”

Jon and Dorothea were listening intently. Seeing their nods of understanding, Melody went on with her explanation.

“Ok, then. What you will do is gently shake the oil by inverting the closed bottle few times, then pour a small amount of oil into a palm of your hand and gently massage it into the injured area of your calf until all of the oil is absorbed. Then just re wrap your leg and you’re good to go!”

“How often do we need to do this?” asked Dorothea.

“I think twice a day should be enough. Once in the morning and once before you go to sleep.”

“Wanna do the honors and put it on to start me off?” Jon smirked at Mel.

“Sure! Just roll up your pants for me!” Mel accepted the challenge.

She gently agitated the bottle to blend the oils while Dorothea helped Jon roll up the left leg of his sweat pants. Pouring a small amount of oil into her cupped hand, she bend down and gently massaged it into the back of Jon’s lower leg.

Jon closed his eyes and let out a loud moan.

Mel jerked her hands away and looked at her patient’s face in alarm. Seeing his closed eyes and a smirk, she glanced at Dorothea with confusion. Dorothea shrugged in response.

Jon opened one eye, cocked an eyebrow and deepened his smirk.

“Was it as good for you as it was for me?” He grinned at Melody.

Melody’s jaw dropped to the floor as she looked from Jon to Dorothea helplessly.

Dorothea quickly reacted by cuffing her husband lightly on the back of his head.

“Cut it out Jon! She is here to help you! But she is a fan, so please be considerate of her feelings.” Then she turned to Melody.

“I’m sorry Mel! Here you are on your own time, trying to help and he is playing games with you!”

Melody regained her composure and gave Jon and evil smile.

“Maybe now is a good time to mention one of the major side effects of this oil combination.” she said and gave Dorothea a conspiratory wink.

“These particular oils, when absorbed through skin, tend to significantly lower libido and potency in males.”

The look on Jon’s face was priceless.

Melody quickly glanced at Dorothea and was relieved to see her wink back at her and grin at her husband.

“Well thank God! Now I can rest easy and sleep though the night without worrying about him getting into all sorts of troubles with those groupies! Mel, you‘ll have to make me enough of this stuff to last through the rest of the tour!”

Jon wisely chose to remain silent.

Melody gently cleared her throat and slipped back into her “nurse mode”. “Jon, how bad is the pain?”

“Same as last night, after you gave me that “industrial strength Advil”. Not too bad…manageable!” he grinned at Mel.

“So the pain medications are working for you then?”

“Yeah, that once-a-day pill is good.”

“Were you able to sleep?”

“Sure!” he nodded.

“Liar!” snorted Dorothea.

Melody raised an eyebrow at Jon “Didn’t you take the Vicodin?”

“No” he smiled sheepishly.

“And why not?”

“Didn’t want to cloud up my brain I guess.”

“Says the man who admits on film to washing down his sleeping pill with a bottle of wine! And besides, one or even two Vicodins will do less damage to your brain then all those chemicals you’ve consumed in the 80’s! And, come to think of it, why do you need a clear brain in the middle of the night?”

Dorothea dissolved in a fit of laughter and sat on the sofa next to Jon. She elbowed her husband “Do tell dear! I would love to hear answer to that one!”

Jon huffed “Well, I write some of my best stuff during the night!’’

“Really!” snorted Dorothea, “I thought you wrote your “best stuff” in Richie’s bathroom!”

“Ha ha!” came her husband’s response.
“And about the 80’s…” he smirked “You must be confusing me with Sambora or Bryan!”

Melody grinned and shook her head. “Nope, pretty sure I remember seeing a video clip on You Tube where you confirmed to a reporter that you’ve tried EVERYTHING!”

“Alright! Alright! I confess! Damm fans…” Jon rolled his eyes and wiggled the toes of his injured leg “You know, this actually feels better now! Thanks Mel!”

“Well, I’m glad I could help! You need to re wrap your leg now Jon.”

“Awww, can’t you do it for me?” he pouted “I am the injured patient after all!”

“Nope, a return demonstration is actually in order. I need to make sure you understood my discharge teaching!”

“Darling, you need to re read her T shirt!” chimed in Dorothea.

Jon sighed in defeat, sat up and wrapped his leg.

“There!” he gestured to his handy work “Satisfied?”

Both women grinned and nodded.

“Very nicely done!” complimented Melody “You just earned yourself a reward!”

“Oh yeah?” Jon smirked “And what will that be?”

Melody smiled and picked up the white plastic tube from the coffee table and handed it to Jon.

“What’s that?” Jon eyed the offered item suspiciously but took it from Mel.

“Its Lavender oil inhaler. Just sniff it few times when you need some help to relax. Make sure you keep it tightly closed and it will be good for a couple of months.”

“Aha, and what side effects should I expect from this treatment?”

Melody giggled “Jon, I was only kidding about the side effects. I would never use anything on you that might cause ANY side effects without your permission. I take the “do no harm” oath seriously! And then of course there is that issue of informed consent!”

Jon exhaled dramatically and made a show of wiping his brow.

Dorothea shook her head and faced Melody. “Seriously speaking, is there anything that could be used to “damper” someone’s sex drive? Without any side effects of course.”

“Why do you ask dear?” Jon sat up and looked concerned.

“Relax honey! I’m thinking of our two lovely teenagers!”

Melody laughed and shook her head “No, unfortunately, I am not familiar with any safe way of doing that! Though lately I wish there was something I could use!”

Seeing both Jon’s and Dorothea’s intrigued looks, she explained “I have a teen aged daughter myself, and believe me if something like that existed, I would’ve either added it to our high school’s water supply or sprayed it in the halls by now!”

Dorothea nodded and smiled “How old is your daughter Mel?”

“She is 15, going on 30!” grinned Mel “And she will be the death of me, but I love her dearly!”

“Why doesn’t her father lock her up in a high tower or at least threaten away the potential suitors like Jon does!”

Mel bit her lower lip and sighed “Her father is not involved, as a matter of fact, he is not even aware of Nicole’s existence.” she answered quietly.

The look that came over her face tugged at Dorothea’s heart. She got up from her seat and hugged the younger woman.

“Aw man! Am I missing some girl on girl action?” came from the doorway.

Both women turned to see grinning Richie.

Dorothea gave Mel a parting squeeze and sighed “Here comes the Big Bad Sambora to spoil our fun!”

Chapter 12

Back in his room, Richie stared at his reflection in the mirror.

Not too bad for an old man. Shit! When did I get this old? I’m gonna be fifty fucking one tomorrow!!!


Sighing, he headed for the shower, stripping his shirt and scratching his chest. Inside the majestic in suite bathroom, done in grey marble and gold accents, he started the shower and undid his shorts. Removing his garments, climbing into the shower he let multiple massaging jets do their magic. His mind went back to the events of the last night.

The show was great. As great as only the show in your own back yard could get! Up until that damn encore. Jonny just had to show off his non existent dancing skills! Stupid man should just stick to what he does best- shake his ass and flirt with the girls. Speaking of the girls… Jonny’s leg injury did have the unexpected benefit: Melody! What was it about that girl that got to me? Cute little spitfire! Wouldn’t take any crap from us! Didn’t act like a typical fan, even though she did admit that she was a fan! I wonder how old she is… Shit! I hope she is not married or otherwise taken! Wait, I don’t remember seeing an engagement ring or a wedding ring on her finger. Come to think of it, I don’t remember seeing any rings on her fingers… Maybe it’s a ‘nurse’ thing. Maybe they are not allowed to wear any jewelry on their hands. And speaking of those hands… Maaaaann, they were so soft when she touched my wrist and wiped my face when I nearly passed out after seeing Jonny getting stuck with a needle. And what those hands were doing to me in the dream….


Thinking of the dream brought a certain part of his anatomy to a very awake state. With a sigh, he reached for the shower gel and the washcloth. Working up the lather, he soaped up his body paying the extra attention to his aching member. Dropping the wash cloth, he grabbed his cock and slid his soapy hand from root to tip. Moaning, he closed his eyes as his hand glided along his massive member. All he could think of was Melody, her smile, and her sparkling green eyes. Shaking his head, he concentrated on imaging Melody’s small hand wrapped around his rock hard cock, slowly sliding along its length, gently squeezing its generous girth. Keeping his eyes closed he lost himself in memories of his dream. His hands became her hands, slippery from the soap, only sped up his movements, as the waves of pleasure raced through his body culminating in his groin. As the building pressure surged, he threw his head back and grunted as his body released his seed and tension. Totally spent from his erotic daydream he leaned his head on the wall of the shower, reaching to turn the cold water tap on fuller he took several deep breaths as the now cold water cooled his overly warm body

Shit! I am way too old to be jerking off in the shower like a horny teenager…. I NEED to find me a woman!


Richie quickly finished his shower and wrapped a soft towel around his waist. Walking over to the vanity, he reached for his travel case and his shaving essentials.


Melody pulled her CRV to the ornate metal gate guarding the estate. She found the buzzer and pressed it. A small security camera came to life and zoomed in on Melody. Smiling she waved at the camera. The gate slowly opened, allowing Melody to follow the long driveway towards a majestic looking French Colonial estate. She parked her car on the side, grabbed her purse and a brown bag with the bottle of oil for Jon, and took a deep breath and headed towards the door. The door opened before she even reached it and smiling Dorothea stood in the doorway.

“Hi Melody, come on in!” she said, then took one look at Mel’s shirt and broke down in a fit of laughter. “Nice shirt! Lets hope it works!” she grinned at her.

Melody smiled and nodded “Every little bit should help.”

“You’ re right, especially with a stubborn ass like Jon!” the older woman nodded. “Would you like some coffee?” she asked “I just made a fresh pot for Jonny”

“Sure, thank you.”

Dorothea motioned for her to follow, and led her into a large sunny kitchen done up in soft honey maple, granite and stainless steel. She waved for Melody to sit down and sat a mug in front of her.
“How do you take your poison Mel?”

“Oh, just with sugar and milk.”

Dorothea grinned and fixed her coffee.

“Honey!” came a bellow from a distance “Where is my coffee? And who was it at the door?”

Dorothea shook her head and smiled at Melody “Your patient is awake and needy!”

“How is he? Is he in a lot of pain?” she asked slipping effortlessly into a professional mode.

“He claims he is fine. But he is driving us all up the wall, and off the deep end! I just might have to slip that Vicodan into his dinner tonight.”

“He hasn’t taken his meds?”

“He took the other one, but refuses to take the narcotic pain killer….”

Melody shook her head and sipped her coffee.

“Baaaaabbbyyyyyy!!!!! Coffeeeeeeeeee!!!! I’m dying here!” came from the distance.

“See what I’ve been dealing with all day?” sighed Dorothea getting up and grabbing a coffee mug.

Mel also got up “Maybe I should’ve brought a syringe loaded with some tranquilizer!” she grinned at Dorothea.

“That would be great! How strong do they make it? And how many can you get?”

“I don’t know” laughed Melody “We can check on line. I bet they have something in the wild game supplies! Something for the African Safari Hunt!”

“Yeah, I’ll take three rounds of elephant strength tranquilizer and one rifle please!” laughed Dorothea.

“You think one shot won’t be enough?” grinned Mel.

“You’re forgetting about the other two Stooges!” said Dorothea leading Mel into a large family room.

Melody stepped in and looked around. The room was warm and airy, done in soft beige and moss green tones and furnished with what looked to be soft and comfy brown leather sofas and arm chairs. Jon was sitting on one of those sofas. His left leg was elevated onto a coffee table, supported with a pillow, with a pair of crutches was laying on the floor next to him. Melody took a deep breath and approached him.

“Hello Jon! Remember me?”

He nodded in greeting, then took one look at Mel’s shirt, smirked and using his hands, moved his injured leg and lied down on his sofa.

Melody stopped and glanced at Dorothea, puzzled.

Dorothea grinned and pointed to the front of Mel’s shirt. There in large blue font over pink was written: “The person wearing this shirt is a Registered Nurse. Now lie down and do everything the nice nurse tells you to do!”

“Where did you get that shirt? And most importantly, do they make it with ‘wife’ instead of ‘nurse’?”

“I got it from a shop on Boardwalk in Atlantic City. And I’m sure they can make it with anything you want!”

“Good. I need two! One with ‘wife’ and the other one with ‘mom’!”

Chapter 11

Dorothea was standing at her kitchen counter, fixing what seemed to be Jon’s fifth or even sixth cup of coffee of the day.

Stupid, stubborn man. Why couldn’t he just take his Vicodin and pass out. Did he really think that she did not notice him grinding his trade mark teeth in pain. Nooo, he just has to rough it out and in the process drive the rest of the people around him insane! Men!!!! How could the Almighty create such stubborn, stupid, maladapted creatures that preferred to exist in a state of denial?

The noise of descending footsteps brought her out of her revere.

And speaking of denial….

“Hello Richie. I see you’ve decided to emerge from your hibernation den and grace us with your company!” she grinned and pulled another mug off the shelf, quickly filling it up with the hot, dark liquid salvation and pushing it across the counter to the grumpy looking guitarist.

“I didn’t ‘decide’!” He grumbled. “Your husband made that ‘decision’ for me as always! And speaking of the asshole, where is his ‘Royal Pain In My Ass‘? “

“In bed, where I left him. Or he better be if he wants to be able to use his other leg!” She smirked “But I guess he was still able to reach his cell!”

“Humph” he nodded inhaling the heavenly aroma of the freshly brewed coffee.

“So, what are your plans for tonight?” she asked him.

“Depends on what your husband’s plans for me are.”

“Well, those could be rearranged…”

She was interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone. She frowned at the unfamiliar number, but pushed the button.

“Hello?”

“Hello. Is this Dorothea?”

“Yes” came a cautious answer.

“Hi, this is Melody, the nurse who took care of your husband last night. You asked me to look into complementary medicine treatments for his injury.”

“Of course! Hello Melody! How are you?” Out of corner of her eye Dorothea noticed Richie sitting up and paying attention to her phone conversation and smiled to herself.

Deny all you want Richie! But after all of these years, I know when you’re interested in a girl!

“I’m great, thanks! Listen, I followed on my hunches and did some research. Turns out there are some Essential Oils that could help expedite the healing of the injured muscles.”

“Fantastic! I knew you’d come through for us! Now, what’s the next step? Where can we get those oils?”

“Well, actually… I have these oils in my collection. I can make the blend for you and teach you how to use it.”

“Melody, you’re a life saver! Jonny is leaving tomorrow morning for the next tour stop. Would you be able to stop by tonight before your shift or tomorrow morning?”

“Actually, I’m not working tonight. I was planning on getting something to eat later tonight. I can stop by on my way. How does six o’clock sound? I just need your address.”

“Six o’clock sounds perfect. We live in Rumson. On the Riverview Drive…” she proceeded to give Mel the driving directions and hung up. Turning to face Richie, she gave him a head to toe look and smirked.

“What?” he huffed.

“Melody will be here in under two hours… you might want to take a shower and change…” she winked at him, took Jon’s coffee mug and went upstairs, leaving shocked Richie staring in her wake.


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After hanging up with Dorothea, Melody busied herself preparing the oil blend for Jon. She lined her kitchen table with a layer of aluminum foil and paper towels to protect it from potential spills, and set her supplies on top of it. Carefully measuring the carrier oil, she counted the drops and blended in the Essential Oils in her glass beaker, transferring the resulting compound into a large cobalt blue glass bottle. Satisfied that the screw on dropper top was tight, she labeled the bottle and put away the oils. Then with a smirk on her face, Mel reached for the Lavender oil and made a sniffer. Putting the remaining supplies away, she cleaned her kitchen counter top and stretched. Glancing at her watch Melody sighed.

Five o’clock, I better start getting dressed. Shit! What should I wear? What does one wear to visit a Rock Star at his house?

Walking into her bedroom and opening the closet she stared at her options. She pulled on a favorite pair of jeans and perused her choices of shirts. Spotting a flash of pink, she grinned and pulled it off its hanger.

Perfect! If anything, this should get a laugh out of the Rock Star! Hmmm, I wonder if Richie will be there….

Chapter 10

The rest of the night shift flew by in a split second. Melody busied herself with mundane tasks of re stocking the unit and working on the next staffing grid. Finally, the morning shift arrived and relieved Mel of her duties. Grabbing her purse out of her locker and her lunch bag out of the fridge, Mel headed to the employee parking lot. Getting in her CRV, she started the car and groaned as “Father Time” blasted from the speakers. Reaching for the car stereo she switched it to the local Jersey shore rock station. She sighed happily as the news report was in progress. Easing her car out of the parking lot, she started her drive home. Short time later she pulled into her garage and walked up the four steps to her front door. Before she could even pull her keys out, the door swung open and she was pulled into a crushing embrace. Dropping her bags on the floor of the wrap-around porch Melody returned the hug.

“Mom! You’re home!!! I missed you!”

Green eyes met hazel and sparkled with unconditional love. Placing a kiss on her daughter’s forehead, Melody struggled to free herself from the eager teen.

“Nic…Nicole! Let me go please pumpkin! You are crushing me!” she laughed.

Nicole released her mom and stepped aside so she could enter. Grabbing her bags, Melody went inside and headed for the kitchen. Dropping her bags on the counter, she surveyed the controlled chaos.

“Mom, you want tea or juice with your breakfast?” she heard.

“Juice please pumpkin, and thank you! And what do I owe for this treat?’ she asked shaking her head in disbelieve.

“Well, you were so upset last night at missing the concert, I thought I’d make you pancakes to cheer you up….and remind you that you did promise that I can go to Sandy’s house for the weekend!”

“Ahhh, and here I thought this was out of pure love for your mother!” she gently teased Nicole.

“Remind me again why I said yes?”

“Because they have the huge new pool, that’s why! And because her mom invited me!”

“OK, OK, just please clean up the kitchen before you go” laughed Mel sitting down in front a of a plate of slightly burnt pancakes.

Soon, the breakfast was finished, kitchen was cleaned, and Nicole was picked up by Sandy’s mom. Sighing at the welcomed peace and quiet, Mel headed for her bedroom. Slipping out of her scrubs and undergarments she pulled on her favorite sleep shirt and passed out in the comfort of cool sheets.


She woke up about 5 hours later. Stretching and yawning, she set up and focused her bleary eyes on the nearest object and groaned. Standing on her bedside stand was the framed 8x10 picture of Bon Jovi with four silver signatures that she won last year in the Hospital’s fund raiser. Memories of last night flooded her mind. Shaking her head Melody climbed out of bed and headed for her bathroom. Half an hour later, shower and all the morning rituals taken care of, she settled in front of her computer with a mug full of steaming hazelnut coffee and a legal pad. For the next hour she surfed through the Birch Tree and Rose Mountain Herbs data bases, reading and writing down the information that might help her patient. Before turning off the computer, she couldn’t resist logging into the Back Stage and checking out the review of last nights concert, wincing at the pictures of Jon in pain and being helped off the stage. After reviewing her notes, Melody reached for her dog-eared copy of Essential Oils Encyclopedia and checked and cross referenced every ingredient. Satisfied that the information was confirmed and that the components were safe, reached for the card that Dorothea gave her and froze.

Jesus, I’m about to call Jon Bon Jovi’s house! Wait a second, I HAVE Jon Bon Jovi’s home phone number. The girls on the boards would kill for those numbers! O my God, which number should I call? What if they’re still sleeping? No, wait, Dorothea is probably up. With four kids how can she not be awake!

Shaking her head she reached for her cell and dialed the number for Dorothea’s cell phone.


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He was having a fantastic dream. Melody was in his arms, moaning as he kissed every inch of her skin showing from under the pink scrubs. Moving to her neck, he licked and kissed his way down to the V of her scrub top. Looking into her emerald eyes he saw no objection. Grinning he reached for the bottom hem of the garment and slowly pulled it over her head. Melody raised her arms to aid him and smiled seductively. He growled and kissed the smile off her face. Feeling her lips give in and open for him, he sent his tongue in to explore the cavern of her delicious mouth. Her tongue met his and joined in the timeless dance. She pressed her body into his and looped her arms around his neck. Encouraged by her reaction, he reached down and slowly untied the scrub pants, pushing them gently down over her hips. She stepped out of the pile of pink cotton at her feet and stood in front of him. All that stood between him an her skin was two scraps of pink lace. Melody looked in to his eyes as she unhooked her bra behind her back and let it fall to the floor. He groaned and reached down to capture the pink pearl at the tip of her breast into his mouth. She moaned and cupped him through the denim. He moved over to her other breast and lavished it with the same attention. She was trembling in his arms. He bent down to pick her up and placed her gently in the middle of his bed. Stretching alongside of her body he reached for her lacy bikini and started to pull it off. Suddenly a very loud and annoying sound went off in his left ear.

Richie opened his eyes, looked at his cell phone and cringed.

Four fucking pm! Damn it! What the fuck does he want now?

“What!” he groaned

“Wake up asshole! We have things to do!” he heard Jon’s voice coming through the cell.

“Listen Frank, just because you’re in pain and can’t sleep, doesn’t mean that I have to suffer!” he barked back.

“Sure it does!” came back through the phone before Jon hung up.

Slamming the phone on his bed, Richie stretched and groaned at the aching and cracking that caused. Looking down at his “morning wood”, he grinned remembering the dream that caused it. Then his anger at Jon flared up again.

Damn Frank! He just had to ruin the best dream I had lately! Shit! Just look at me! Reduced to dreaming about it instead of getting it! Pathetic, that’s what I’ve become…

Running his hand through his hair, he got up and pulled his shorts and shirt on before leaving his room and heading downstairs.