Chapter 28

A little bit of morning love making and some breakfast in bed was just what the doctor ordered, for herself and for Jon.  It was some much needed time together and some much needed alone time.  

When they finished with breakfast, they sat in bed and watched the local news.  "What do you want to do with what's left of my free time?  I need to be at the arena for a meet and greet."

"Do you really?" Olivia tried to sound like she's whining, but that just makes her laugh, "What time is that?

"Seven.  Are you coming with?  I need to be there at five for sound check." he tells her, hoping that she will join him, the guys would love to see her and he misses the days when she would be at a show, watching him with adoring eyes.  

On her side, facing the man that she can no longer resist, she tells him, "There is no place that I would rather be."  Stretching her neck, slightly, she kisses his nose, "It better be a good show."

"The last one in Miami, it has to be good." 

"Do we leave right after the show, or in the morning?" she asks, wanting to know the schedule.  She vaguely remembers the tour schedule that she seen, but for the life of her, nothing was coming to mind.

"Tonight, right after the show.  We need to get up to Seattle."

"Seriously?" she laughs.

"Yeah, why?"

"I just came from the Northwest.  I guess I should have paid attention and waited for you to come to me."

"I wouldn't have gone to you, Liv."  he tells her, pretty point blank.  "I have shows to do and it's my plan to get this tour behind me and take a long deserved break."

She sits up, brushing the hair off of her face, "Couldn't you let me think that maybe you would have come to me?"  She laughs a little, looking over at him.  "Let me have my fantasy."

"I'll be honest with you, I wondered how I would feel and what I would do once I got to Salt Lake." he smiles at her, "I questioned whether I would be strong enough to stay away."

"You could have.   You're the strongest person that I know, Jon."

"But to stay away from you, knowing that you were so close, I don't know."  He reaches over and starts to rub her back, "I do know though that I am glad that you came to me."

She leans over and kisses him, "Me too!"

They spent the day together and when it was time to head to the arena, they did.  With the rest of the band.  All of the guys were happy to see that Olivia was with Jon, they weren't very surprised as the rumor mill had already started - but they all were a little hesitant to see him this morning - unsure of how things went with Olivia being in town.  Much to their surprise, they were thrilled to see Jon with a smile that covered his whole face.  They knew that the day was going to be great and that the show was going to be amazing!

They rolled through sound check with a handful of fans watching and snapping pictures, many took pictures of Olivia sitting on the side of the stage.  Not sure who she was, why she was lucky enough to sit there and where she came from?  Regardless, sound check went off without a hitch and now it was time for Jon to get ready for the meet and greet.  These are the things that make it all worth while for him, he loves to give back and say hi.  

Backstage he takes Olivia into his dressing room and tells her to get comfortable.  He needs to freshen up, change his shirt and get hair and make up done.  She knows the routine, but she didn't mind Jon telling her what to do, what was going to happen.  She didn't mind anything that he said, as long as he was talking to her.  "This meet and greet, Matt has it down to a science.  It's a quick hello, how are you.  Snap a picture and then NEXT.  I've been doing about 100 a show."

"Wow.  You let that many women touch you in a night?"  she laughs at the thought of that.  The Jon that she left never would have liked that, "What happened to you?"

He pulls his light blue t-shirt over his head and says, "It was the weirdest thing.  One night I was being followed when I was running and I decided to stop and talk to the lady that was following me.  She obviously wasn't out running, since her high heels were in her hands, so I turned the table on her."

"What did you do?" Olivia asks, picturing what was going to come next.  Jon is a private man and she knows how dear he holds that privacy.  "Did you scare her?"

"I turned around and ran at her."

"You did not!!"  she's laughing at the visual, she can see the fan stopping dead in her tracks.  "Did she have a heart attack?"

He tosses his shirt on the couch and sits next to Olivia, "I ran right at her and when I got to her, she froze.  She didn't know what to do.  He hands were shaking and I could see tears well up in her eyes, but I couldn't tell if they were happy or scared tears."

"What did she do?  What did you say?"

He leans back, putting his feet up on the coffee table that travels with him and says, "I asked her why she was following me, and all she could say was that she just wanted to meet me."

"It's true.  That's all they want."  Olivia pokes at him, "That and to fuck you."

He rolls his head and looks at her, "So, that made me think.  If I do meet and greets, maybe they will leave me alone in public - sure I'll have the occasional fan here and there, but to run after me in stockings and a dress?  That was a little over the top."

Olivia re-positions herself, putting her feet on Jon's legs, "So it was your idea to do the meet and greets?"

"No.  That was Tony and Matt, but once they presented it to me, it made sense.  It's so much easier than always hiding and wearing a hat.  If they know they can meet me, they tend to behave a little better."

"Do you do it at every show?"  Olivia wonders how often this meet and greet event will interfere with life.  Honestly, she just wants to know when to hide and stay out of sight.  

Jon rubs her legs, and then her feet, paying special attention to her toes, one by one he pulls them and cracks the knuckles, making Olivia cry out in playful pain, pulling her feet back.  He shakes his head no, "I couldn't do every one.  There are some nights that I don't want to do the ones that I do, but they sell tickets so I'm obligated."  He sits up, leaning forward on the couch, his elbows on his knees.  "Three more weeks and I'm going home."

"I can see that everyone is tired.  They guys look like a little reheated death."

"This tour is kicking our ass.  It's a tight schedule and the cities are not close at all."

Olivia sits up and starts to run her fingers through his hair, making sure that the nails reach the scalp, he loves that, "Where are you going after the northwest?"

"The tour ends back home.  Two nights in Jersey."

"Cool."

Exhausted and aware of the time, he gets up and unlocks the dressing room door.  Once it's unlocked, he opens it so that his staff knows that it's okay to enter and do what they need to do for him and with him to prepare for the show.  The first one in is Dawn, his trusted and long time assistant.  "Are you ready?  I have a new shirt for you and some new shoes."

"I'm not wearing new shoes, what does the shirt look like?" he asks, with a little hint of annoyance in his voice.  

Dawn pulls out a light blue gauze shirt and holds it up for Jon to see. She can see that he's okay with it, so she breathes a sigh of relief, "You need to wear new shoes Jon, the other ones are about shot."

"They will last to the end." he states.  "If not, then I'll wear new ones.  Too far into the tour now to have blisters or sore feet.  Thanks but no thanks."

Dawn rolls her eyes, looks at Olivia and says, "Hi Liv, how have you been?"

"Good Dawn, how are you?" Olivia smiles, remembering that Dawn was always nice to her.

Dawn laughs and says, "I'll be happier than a pig in shit when I can get off the road and away rom this guy!" she states, meaning every word that she says.  Jon can be a bear on the road and even a bigger one when he's not - but poor Dawn, she gets it at home and on the road.  She assists him with many things professionally - not just touring.  

"I'm ready to get off the road with him too and it's only been one night for me."  Olivia tells her, like they have been friends forever.

"How long are you here for?"  Dawn inquires, hoping that it's more than for one day.  Olivia will ease some of Jon's tension and that will make Dawn's life a little easier

Olivia gets up and walks over to Jon, picking a string off of his brand new custom made shirt, "I think I'll finish the tour, if he'll have me."

Dawn is very shocked at that response, only in the loop on what Jon told her.  "Great!  I'd love to have ya.  We have too much testosterone around here, but what about your Doctor job?"

Jon slides his arms around Olivia's waist and winks at Dawn, "You're looking at Princeton's new Anatomy professor."

"No shit?  Really?"  Dawn is excited for Olivia and she can see in Jon's face that he's very happy about it too.

Olivia, shaking her head yes, "I start in the fall."

"Liv, that's great.  Congrats!  So are the two of you on again?"  

Jon feels the need to answer that one, "We are going to see what happens."

Dawn pivots on her heel, "The press will eat this up."  She laughs as she leaves the dressing room.  "You know where I am, if you need me."   And she leaves them alone with the door open.   

Jon turns Olivia around and starts to kiss her neck, "I am so glad that you're not afraid of me."

"Afraid of you?  Why would I be afraid of you?"  she chuckles, "You're harmless."

"You know, not many women would do what you did.  You took a big risk coming here."

"Not really."

"You gave up an esteemed position and career to go teach at Princeton.  What if I had told you to leave and that I never wanted to see you again?"  he nibbles her neck.  His breath is warm and moist.  She shivers, she quivers.

"We were a chance that I was willing to take."