Chapter Nine

Whirling around she felt the pressure on her arm she calmed as she saw who it was. Sending out a wide spread grin she returned to the car. “You shouldn’t scare me like that Mr. Bongiovi. I almost went all kung-fu on you.”

Jon smiled and caught up with her. “Can you give me a ride back? Richie forgot about me.” Okay so maybe that was a little lie. He had told his friend to go ahead and that he’d make sure Jocelynn got back safely. And was able to ask some questions that were on his mind.

Lynn nodded and smiled as she unlocked the car with a button on the key. “Hop on in.” As she was seated and put on her seatbelt she roared up the car and exited the parking lot. “Two choices. Either grocery shopping or picking up something at a drive thru.”

“Drive thru, no questions asked. Let me just call Rich and check if he wants something.” Jon noted as he pulled his front from the front pocket of his tight jeans. “Hey man, we’re on our way back. You want anything from drive thru? Alright man, see ya in a bit.” Ending the call he grinned. “Large hamburger from any joint we hit with a banana milkshake.”

Lynn shook her head and grinned. “Of course he wants to eat, when does he not want to eat…”

Silence fell over them but Jon decided it wouldn’t be for long. There was a question on the tip of his tongue, was now the right time? “Did you quit smoking?”

Jocelynn had trouble looking at the road at Jon’s question. She chuckled. “Not exactly quit, just smoking less when I can. And I try not to smoke around Ava, figured I am setting an example. So I take it you remember me now?”

Jon nodded. “I remembered your face as soon as you introduced yourself. Just to me a while to figure out where I knew you from. Then as Ava showed me the photos from last week my mind went into overdrive as I put the pieces of the puzzle together.”  He paused again..then spoke. “You’re an excellent photographer.”

“Yeah well it was bound to happen sooner or later.” Ignoring the compliment she turned around the corner and rolled up to the microphone at the drive thru, she pushed the side panel of the car and let the window roll down.

 After they picked up the food it was a quiet ride to Richie’s mansion. Lynn didn’t know what to say, if she should even say anything. Jon noticed her inner battle and let it rest for now.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

“You don’t remember her?” Jon asked as he and Richie were alone later that night. Jocelynn had gone to the guest house shortly after dinner, saying she was tired.

Richie raised his eyes to meet the blue ones of his friend. “Remember who?” He knew damn well who. He just felt stupid that he couldn’t remember where he knew her from.

Jon sighed. “Lynn. We know her. I remember her. We’ve met her in New York a couple years back. She gave me a cigarette. She’s the hot photographer.”

“I’m so telling Dottie you’re crushing on her.” The guitarist tried to mask his disappointment. His friend had remembered. His mind was still a little foggy when it came to her. “But I haven’t seen her smoke here. You sure?”

A blond mop of hair moved up and down as Jon nodded. “Yeah man, I just asked her in the car. Wanna look up her concert shots?” At Richie’s nod he grabbed a laptop nearby and fired it up.

“The shots she took of Ava were good though.” A sigh escaped his lips. A vision appeared in his mind. A blonde beauty smiling at him, him kissing her hand. Finally. “Think the shots she took of us will be online somewhere?” He grinned as Jon typed away into the search bar.

A few clicks later and a site popped up. Clicking around they found what they were looking for. There they sat, looking at photo’s of their faces. Two masculine jaws dropped to the floor in shock. “Shit she’s good.”

“No shit Jonny boy. Damn that’s awesome.”

Scrolling through a couple more pages they commented on the photo’s of several bands and in several venues. Magazine scans from her photo’s in Rolling Stone and local newspapers had a separate section.  “She’s real successful. Why would she put it all on hold?”

“No idea man. What she told me about Jack is that she’s know him for years and helps him out every once in a while to get away from the city.” Richie replied. He couldn’t tear his eyes from the screen. She had a way with a camera, that was for sure.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

“Hi dad.” Ava spoke softly from her luxurious bed in her mother’s \estate. “Did you bring Lynn?” Her bed was placed strategically in front of a large window, which unfortunately had the blinds down, to keep too much light worsening her concussion. Heather told him he had a short time to talk to her. He wanted to argue about it but knew better. The woman wasn’t in ‘mommy mood’ often but whenever she was there was no point arguing her.

Richie paused after he carefully hugged her. His brown eyes staring at hers. “Am I not good enough anymore?” He joked.

The girl laughed. “Not by a long shot dad.” He gasped and dramatically placed the back of his hand against his forehead. “Just kidding. You know I love you. Did you eat last night?”

“Yes mother I did.” He smiled. “Jon and Lynn got burgers. Did you know she’s a live photographer too? She’s real good.”

Ava eyed her dad as he spoke. There was something in his eyes she couldn’t quite place. He couldn’t. Could he? “I knew she was a professional photographer. Her gear says it all, although I never asked her about it. Why is this a big deal?”

Richie sighed. Yeah man, why is this a big deal? It wasn’t because she didn’t tell him straight up, it couldn’t be because she apparently didn’t trust him enough to tell him. “It’s not, just thought it was interesting. We’ve met a few years back.” He rubbed his neck. “So babygirl, how many of your friends have been here to spoil you? There’s a fortune worth of bathing products and chocolate.”

He didn’t exaggerate either. Bath oils and smelly bath bombs lined the dresser in her baby blue room. Boxes of chocolate and dvd’s between them. Ava smiled. “Jason, Ricky, Jasmine and Allison came by after school to drop off the work I need to do. Funny enough I don’t even mind the homework, at least I got something to do when I’m awake. Just sucks that I can’t use my laptop, mom says it’s bad for my concussion.”

“You mom is right. You shouldn’t get on your laptop, or watch tv. Take it easy on the homework too sweetie. I know that sounds crazy from me but the most important thing is you getting better. Olly sure misses you. Or as Lynn said, your horse cookies.”

He had found the woman in the stables that morning. She trained with Oliver for a bit while he watched her. He learned a lot then too. She explained to him basic horseback riding techniques in a way even he understood.

Richie caught Ava mid-yawn and stood from the edge of the bed to drop a kiss on her forehead. “Get some sleep babygirl. I love you.”

Ava nodded. “Love you too dad.”

Richie headed back downstairs and after nodding goodbye to Heather, headed out the door and back towards home.