Chapter 41

Olivia wasn't aware of the complete schedule, but she knew that it could get hectic at times and that it often does, specially toward the end of the tour.  

Contracts need to be fulfilled and people's schedules didn't matter, the job is the job.  "What do you have to go to L.A. for?"

"We're taping a TV show."

"You said you have the next two days off, Jon." she snaps, a little pissed off that he left this detail out. "You're supposed to be resting."

"I wasn't keeping it from you, I just forgot."

"Why did we come all of the way up here?" she asks with a little bit of sarcasm, "Why come all the way to Seattle just to fly down to L.A.?  That's just stupid."  she leaves him in the bathroom, getting quite pissed now.  

Jon yells to her, "It was a late addition, plus it's easier to get us from here."

Olivia sat down on the couch, crossing her arms across her chest.  "How do you figure?" she yells back.

Jon can hear that she's upset, but he's not overly concerned.  He takes his time and finishes his shave. When he's finished he heads out to find her.  Wiping his face he starts with, "Why would I send the crew and our families there for a few hours?"

"Why are you just remembering that you have to go there now, that's the real question here, Jon."

"What does it matter?  I have to go." he reminds her, "You can stay here.  I'll be back late tonight, early tomorrow morning.  Depending on flight schedules out of L.A."

Her look could have shot daggers hearing his condescending attitude, but she took the high road - reminding herself that he's not well and she needs to look out for him.  "No, no - I'll go."  She slaps the couch cushions with her hands, "When are we leaving?"  she gets up, walks into the bedroom.  She needs to pack everything that she had just unpacked.

"We have a few of hours." he jests, "Relax."

That was it.  That was the maximum number of times that anyone was going to be able to make a comment about her behavior.  She slams the drawer shut that she was rummaging through, picking clothes to take for the quick trip down to the City of Angels.  "Damn it Jon, don't tell me to fucking RELAX.  I am relaxed, I'm just fed up with trying to take care of you and you not letting me."

"It's a TV show, Olivia.  Nothing like a concert."

She turns around and walks toward him, "I know the difference between a tv and a concert Jon and I also know that you are to be taking it easy.  Can't you reschedule this?"

"No."

"Why not?"  she is now in his personal space finding it hard to concentrate, he's standing there naked with only a towel in his hand.  "You're Jon Bon Jovi, you can do anything you want."

"Apparently not.  I can't get you to believe me that when I say I'm fine, I'm fine."

Olivia, with her hands stretching her neck, softly tells him, "You may say you're fine, but look at yourself.  You're pale and I can see that you're shaking."

"I'm fine, babe.  Really." he laughs, hating that she can see what she sees.  

"You're diaphoretic and you laugh.  Jon, you're suffering from exhaustion." she firms her tone as she walks into him.  Her lips landing on his, "You are not fine."

Unwilling to argue with her, he throws his hands up in the air, "What the hell do you want me to do?" he can't believe he's asking her that.  Like she has a choice.

Olivia takes his hand, "I want you to take a couple of days off.  We're here, let's just stay here.  You can reschedule the show, if you're only going there to tape it."  She leans in and kisses him again, "And I want you to eat something."

Taking a step back, not sure what he's feeling but he hears himself agree with her, "Okay, I'll reschedule it."  He lets himself plop down into the chair that's behind him.  "I'll reschedule, are you happy?"

Olivia can see that she just witnessed a real 'first; in his career and she can see that that one decision changed his shade to a color more pale than he already was.  She can see the inner turmoil that he's in and she can appreciate it. "That does make me happy, but are you going to stress about it the entire time?"

"Liv...."

"Jon, it's a fucking TV show.  They tape them everyday.  You act like it's the end of the world."  She kneels next to him, taking his hand into hers again, "Life will go on." 

"You don't get it.  I don't, we don't ever reschedule anything."  he gives her a look that confirms he's telling the truth, "We schedule the way that we do for a reason."

"Yes, but you make those schedules based on all of you feeling up to par.  YOU are not up to par.  What do you want to eat?"  she crawls up onto his lap kissing the corner of his eye.  "You really need to eat something better than what we had in the hospital."

"I'm not hungry." he snaps, not meaning to be mean about it.

"You're eating.  What do you want?" she barks back, insisting that he eat something.

"Get up."  he tells her, gently patting her thigh.  "I have to make a few phone calls."  she doesn't budge.  "Come on, get up.  I need to do this before I change my mind."

Olivia senses that he's getting upset, so she gets up to let him make his calls.  She watches him walk to his bag to get his cell phone.  When he starts making his calls, she orders room service.  She basically told them to bring a little of everything so Jon has choices, since he didn't give her specifics.   She then sits in the living room and waits.

About 10 minutes go by before she sees Jon again.  He comes from the bedroom with workout pants on and his cigarettes.  "Done." he states and leaves it at that.  He takes a seat next to her.  

Olivia rests her hand on his leg, as she looks him in the eye she says, "Thank you!"

"I did't do it FOR you, I did it because of you."

"What's the difference?"

"There's a big difference." he jokes.  "If I didn't do it, you'd make my life hell."

"No I wouldn't have."

"Whatever." he replies, putting a cigarette in his mouth.  As he lights the cigarette he mumbles, "You would have been up my ass."

"Nope.  I just wouldn't have visited you while you were in the hospital." she chuckles, "Someone else would have had to doctor your ass."

"That I don't believe either."

Olivia can tell that he's relaxing a little bit and that makes her happy.  She knows that he did the right thing and she hopes that he will see it, in time.  "When is it rescheduled for?"

"It's not really rescheduled, they're sending a crew up here." he tells her like it's not a big deal.  It's then that she can see why he was so compliant and resisted very little.  "We are taping our segment up here."

"They're sending a crew up here.  Damn, you really are Jon Bon Jovi."  Olivia can't help but laugh at that.  Who else on the planet would a tv station make such concessions for?  "Are you doing an interview too?"

"Yeah, after the show."  he lays his head back, inhaling deeply on his cigarette.  As he exhales he adds, "it's good being me."

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R:We're here with Jon Bon Jovi, who, with his band Bon Jovi is finishing up their tour, supporting their new album These Days.  Welcome Jon.  

J:Thank you.  Thanks for coming all the way up here for this.

R:Well, we heard that you were taking some well needed time off and weren't able to make it to the studio, so why not come up here and see this monumental show.  A show that's rumored to have sold out, that's almost 60,000 people.

J:It was a sold out show and the energy was amazing.

R:  How are you feeling, can I ask?

J:  I'm feeling pretty good.  Thanks.

R:  The Kingdome hold something like 60,000 people, is it hard for you to get the audience going?

J:  It can be.  But all we need to do is play one of the favorites, one that everybody knows and then it's game on.  

R:  Are you happy with the albums success?  

J:  Oh yeah, this album is breaking records and reaching an audience that we haven't hit before.  Anytime there's a crossover like that, it's great.  New fans, old fans they all love the record.

R:  You've been in the news a lot lately, how are you handling that?

J:  I'm taking it all one day at a time.

R:  How are things between you and your wife, Dorothea?

J:  Amicable.

R:  You had a recent health scare, is that all behind you now?

J: It's behind me.

R:  Does the girlfriend doctor have anything to do with it? Doctor London.

J:  She was instrumental in my recovery and continues to be my rock through all of this.

R:  How are the kids handling your success, the break up of your marriage and your new girlfriend, their doctor?

There were rumors within the industry that Jon Bon Jovi doesn't tolerate incompetent people and asshole reporters.  The press and the paparazzi can be a celebrities best friend, or they can quite easily be there worst enemy. 

J:  If you have something related to tonights performance or the album, ask away, but I will tell you this.  If you continue to ask me personal questions, I"ll get up from this chair and refuse to let you air tonights concert on your show.  You know that these questions are off limits.

R:  But your fans want to know.  Are you in love with your doctor.  We have heard that she is hear with you.

J:  That's it. It's over.

Jon gets up and as he turns to leave, he tells the show interviewer, "For the record, I am in love with my doctor.  And away he goes, refusing to give this reporter another chance.  He wasn't aware that the TV show he was interviewing angles for more of the smut stories, or they look for a little it of the truth and embellish it.