Chapter 26

Melissa hadn’t had this much fun at work in a long, long time. It seemed like she spent three hours laughing with Richie. Though Jon was hesitant to leave Richie with Melissa, he had given in and spent the afternoon with Angela. It was obvious form the moment Angela saw Richie that they needed to be separated or they would do more harm then good together. After turning a corner with Jon and Richie, Angela took one look at Richie, screamed, dropped the chart she was holding and flung herself into his arms. It would have been comical to watch all day but not conducive to a working environment. Melissa was enjoying her time with Richie though; he made her laugh, a lot, and had the same affect on the patients. By spending time with Richie and being able to be herself, she felt that she had broken through and was getting to know the people in Jon’s inner circle. It was an unfair advantage for him to know Angela as well as he did, and she was left in the outskirts. She knew it was a logistical thing, being so far from him and his friends, but Melissa loved the time she was spending getting to know Richie, and the little jabs he took at Jon were priceless.

As their afternoon wound down, Melissa and Richie helped some patients move down to the common room, where she was sure she would be blown away by their duet. She was pleasantly surprised with Richie’s child-friendly demeanor, as she watched him wheel a squealing little boy down the hall.

When she caught up to him she couldn’t help but comment, “You’re really good with kids ya know?”

“Should I be offended that you think I wouldn’t be,” he replied laughing. “I mean I get that a lot.”

“No not offended, it’s just you can snap so quickly from adult conversation and humor to talking about High School Musical. I’m just surprised that’s all,” Melissa replied entering the common room.

“Well I was at the premiere, I think I’ve earned the right to talk about my new favorite movie,” he said jokingly. “I love kids, I wish I could give Ava a brother or sister. Have a house full of kids like Cheaper by the Dozen or something.”

“That’s what happens when you’re still a kid at heart, you just wanna play all day,” Melissa teased surprised with his level of candidness.

“What can I say I’m a big kid,” Richie said parking the wheelchair. “Hey I better get up there looks like I’m late as usual,” Richie said tilting his head towards Jon.

“Go on, I’ll get him settled,” Melissa said.

“Thanks Mel, you’re the best,” he said giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before he made his way to the front.

Melissa stayed with the boy for a few minutes until a nurse came to sit with him and she took up her usual seat in the front row between Angela and Lindsay. Each week Lindsay had a new and interesting request, and Melissa couldn’t help but admire her persistent spirit.

Melissa turned and looked at the crowd of about 50 people. Word had gotten out about what was going on each week and people came from all parts of the hospital to hear Jon sing. The crowd quieted almost immediately when Richie took a microphone.

“Hi everyone, for those of you I haven’t met my name’s Richie. I just want to thank everyone here from the bottom of my heart, not only for allowing my to crash in today but for running an amazing program here. I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like it. Now Johnny here knows what he’s doin, I’ll let him get back to running the program, like he always does,” Richie said as the ‘audience’ gave him a hearty applause.

“Like every week, thanks for letting me come and hang out with you for the afternoon,” Jon began strumming along quietly. “Like always before I take some requests I have a song of my own to play, even though this week, it’s a cover. I’d like to dedicate it to a certain someone, who I won’t embarrass. But I was listening to the radio the other day when this song came on and she was the only person that I thought of. Thanks to Mr. Billy Joel, here it goes.”

Angela grabbed Melissa’s arm and squeezed it, “That’s you,” she whispered loudly, and Jon smiled.

“Shh, I’m trying to listen,” Melissa whispered back.

Finally Jon began to sing. It was a song that she had heard before but didn’t know well, so she listened to each and every word carefully.

“She’s got a way about her, I don’t know what it is but I know that I can’t live without her. She’s got a way of pleasing, I don’t know why it is but there doesn’t have to be a reason anyway. She’s got a smile that heals me and I don’t know why it is but I have to laugh when she reveals me. She’s got a way of talkin’ I don’t know why it is, but it lifts be up when we are walking anywhere. She comes to me when I'm feeling down, inspires me without a sound she touches me and I get turned around. She’s got a way of showing of how I make her feel, and I find the strength to keep on going.

There was a soft pause and their guitars did all the talking. It was sweet music, romantic, gentle and sincere. A few bars into the interlude Melissa locked eyes with Jon, and she was gone. She didn’t even feel when Angela pinched her arm, and whispered in her ear. Jon smiled at her before he continued to the end of the song.

“She’s got an eye around her, everywhere she goes a million dreams and love surround here everywhere. She comes to me when I’m feeling down, inspires me without a sound she touches me and I get turned around. She’s got a smile that heals me and I don’t know what it is but I have to laugh when she reveals me. She’s got a way about her, I don’t know what I it is but I know that I cant live without her anyway.”

As they finished out the last few notes, Melissa was absolutely beaming from ear to ear, and so was Jon. The group around them burst into applause, not realizing the depth of what that meant to them. They just weren’t words in a song, he was telling her how he felt.

Next to her she felt a tugging on her shirt and turned to look at Lindsay. “Was he singing to you Miss Melissa?” Melissa was at a loss for words and all she could do was smile and nod.

“Thank you,” Jon said as the applause died down. “Now I’ve been telling my friend here about a very special girl, who every week comes up with a new and interesting request,” Jon said shifting his gaze from Melissa to Lindsay. “What’ll it be today darlin?”

Lindsay giggled as he praised her, and she continued a bit flustered. “Umm, I was thinking all week about this one. And I can’t believe it took me this long to think of it! Well since I’m proudly born and raised in Jersey, Jersey Girl?”

Jon looked at her a minute and then smiled as a light went off in his head. “You know what, I gonna say no, but I’ll do you one better.” Lindsay’s face fell and she listened suspiciously. “This weekend I’ve, well we’ve, got a show in Philly. How about I sing it then and I dedicate it to you?” When Jon mentioned Philly Angela pinched Melissa’s leg.

Lindsay’s eyes grew wide, “Really?”

“If that’s ok with you of course,” and Lindsay nodded excitedly. “But it wouldn’t be right to dedicate a song to you if you couldn’t see it. Now I don’t think it would be possible for you to come down this time, but when I’m done here, I’ll call my tech guru-“

Lindsay gasped, “Obie,” she asked excitedly.

“Yes Obie, and I’ll have him set up a webcast, or a podcast, or something so you can watch the show from right here. Sound good?” Lindsay nodded at a loss for words; he certainly seemed to have that affect today. “Perfect, any other requests,” Jon asked turning his attention past the front row.

There were a few requests from the back of the room; but Melissa didn’t hear anything else they played. She was lost in a sea of her own thoughts about Jon’s not so subtle romantic confession. Am I overanalyzing this whole thing? Did he mean what he said or was it just the idea behind the song? Do I really have that affect on him? God look at me, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora are singing 10 feet from me and I haven’t heard a word they’ve sang. Melissa stopped her thoughts from progressing any further just in time to hear the closing notes of an unfamiliar song.

“Ok, folks that’s all for us for today,” Richie started. “Thanks again for letting me come today and welcoming me in. This is definitely an experience I wont forget,” he said sincerely. Then the familiar smirk returned to his scruffy face as he moved away from the microphone and towards the end of the stage within earshot of Melissa and Angela. “And besides I’ve got a hot date tonight, it may be a little awkward with her husband there and everything.”

“Me,” Angela asked with a shocked look.

“Of course darlin’, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Richie said.

Angela squealed and ran up to meet him on the stage. So much for a professional demeanor, Melissa thought.

Melissa rolled her eyes at the pair of shameless flirts and walked over to Jon as the room emptied out. “Another wonderful performance, Mr. Bon Jovi,” she said giving him a quick kiss.

“Well thank you, and I meant what I said, well sang,” he said and she could see the sincerity in his eyes.

Melissa blushed slightly and looked down, not knowing how to respond. “And does that not to subtle invitation of Richie’s over there mean that we’re doubling?”

“If you don’t mind. We drove up together and he said he wouldn’t come if he didn’t get dinner outta the deal, I think he could careless about food and he’s just smitten with that friend of yours. I told him it was a deal, I just didn’t mention that dinner was free. It always helps when you eat with the prettiest girl in town,” he said with a wink.

“I don’t mind at all, how could I mind a double date with Richie Sambora,” Melissa asked and looked at the clock on the far wall. “We’ve got like 15 minutes and then we’re ready to go.”

“I’ll meet you at the elevators,” Jon said giving her a quick kiss before letting her go, and he dug out his phone to call Obie.

As Melissa left the room, she called to Angela that if she didn’t finish her work, they wouldn’t be leaving, and reluctantly she followed. They finished up their final rounds and paperwork record timing. By the time they grabbed their jackets Jon and Richie were waiting for them at the elevator as the promised. They had all agreed, or rather Angela and Richie decided, that it would be easier to take one car even though that meant leaving Angela’s car at the hospital overnight.

“Oh, come on Mel, it’ll be fine, you’ll jut drive in tomorrow. How often do I get to be in the back seat with Richie Sambora? It’s decided,” Angela said, and who was Melissa to argue.

“Just remember you’re a married woman, and I’m pretty fond of your husband, and a couple hours ago so were you,” Melissa reminded her as they tumbled into Jon’s back seat.

The foursome made a quick stop at Melissa’s so the women could change out of their scrubs before heading to dinner. They were welcomed at Gracie’s as usual, and Tommy was pleased to see Richie and even joined them for part of the meal. If Tommy hadn’t learned by now that it was in Angela’s personality to be a shameless flirt, he would never learn, and lucky for her he knew what he was getting himself into when he married her.

They enjoyed casual conversation, and Melissa couldn’t remember a time where they had had this much fun. Halfway through the meal Melissa had developed a significant bruise on her calf from Angela kicking her; little did they know that Richie had been doing the same to Jon. Angela couldn’t take it any longer and finally interrupted a conversation about a book that Jon was trying to convince them was a must read.

“That’s it I can’t take it anymore,” Angela said. “Melissa I’m warning you if you don’t do this right now, I’m not gonna have any pity on you. Jon, Mel has something to ask you.”

Jon turned and looked at Melissa, who immediately gave Angela one of those, if-looks-could-kill looks. “Well, since Angela has interrupted our conversation already, there is something that I’ve been meaning to ask you. This is a little awkward now that we have a crowd,” she began.

“There wasn’t a crowd last week, or this weekend, or the week before,” Angela challenged.

“Anyway,” Melissa continued, “I was kinda wondering, and tell me if I’m out of line here, if I could maybe have a ticket to the show this weekend. I mean if not, that’s not a problem, I’m holding some on stubhub.”

Jon looked at her and started to laugh, and Melissa looked at him horrified. “No, I’m not laughing at you I promise. It’s just been that Richie’s been on my case to ask you, but I didn’t want to be to forward.”

Melissa relaxed and smiled. “Angela already asked Richie for tickets but only got one, because she said I had to ask myself or she would go alone. I didn’t want you to think that I was using you for tickets or anything.”

“And I told Richie that I didn’t want to be forward and ask you on an overnight weekend trip. He said you wouldn’t look at it like that, but I wasn’t sure. He didn’t tell me that he already gave Angela tickets,” Jon answered

“One ticket, I would’ve been there by myself,” Angela corrected.

“Of course you can have tickets, front row. And we’ll take care of your hotel, we always book extra rooms around ours, so fans don’t end up right next to us,” Jon said.

“Yup that’s the story we’ll give you,” Richie said grinning.

“Not that I buy that for a second, I read that book. I know all about Justin,” Angela said mischievously.

“Justin,” Jon asked confused.

“Case, you know Justin Case,” Melissa said. “Don’t tell me you don’t remember.”

Richie and Jon exchanged looks, “That was a long time ago,” Jon said. “I assure you you’re room will not be under the name Case.”

“Perfect, its settled then. Now we get to go shopping,” Angela said excitedly.

“Awesome, we’re going down Friday afternoon. You can meet us down there after work, and we can do dinner or just meet in Saturday morning. The show isn’t until 8, so we can do something during the day,” Richie said. “How many tickets, two or three?”

“Just two, Tommy never comes with us, he did once, but he said we scared him and he was permanently scared from the experience. He’s Mel’s house sitter when we go, someone’s gotta feed those cats of hers. Wouldn’t want you’re little namesakes goin’ hungry,” Angela said.

“Two it is then,” Richie said.

“There is one more thing,” Jon said smiling, “I already told Steph that she can come, so she’ll be with us too. But this is great the two of you can finally meet.” Jon grabbed her hand and squeezed.

Melissa wasn’t sure what to say, “Sounds good,” she mustered, and Jon smiled turning back to his food. Angela shot Melissa a look, which she returned, and Richie shot an unknowing Jon a shocked look.

This is definitely going to be an interesting weekend, Melissa thought.

“So now that that’s taken care of. The Monk who Sold his Ferrari, it’s a must read,” Jon said oblivious to the panicked looks around him.