Chapter 74 - I Get So Numb Sometimes

 

 

 

 

With his towel and bottle of water, Jon walks into their office and plays the phone messages that they haven't checked in two days. 


The first few are friends congratulating Beth on the opening of her investment firm, a few are from management keeping him updated as to what they were doing and the very last one was from a woman, that the voice didn't sound familiar to Jon.  "When your baby dies, I know you'll call me.  You'll need a shoulder to cry on."  His gut tells him that it's a friend of Dorothea's making the sick phone call for her, but he can't believe that Dorothea would or could be that cold.  He plays it again, still having no idea who it is.  Checking the caller ID, he sees that that call is the only one that came from a number that was blocked.  ERASE.  All messages are gone.  Finished in his office, he goes to find Beth.  She was just stepping back into the shower, ready to get her day going.  "Hurry up, I'll wash your back." she says to the rock star standing there looking her up one side and down the other.  "No time for gawking, let's go."

 

"Where's the fire?" he laughs at her.  "What's your rush?"

 

"Well, I want to get flowers for the cemetery, visit the twins for a minute and then go get the k...."  she stops.  "Whoa!"  she looks at Jon, putting her hands on her stomach.  "I think she likes that idea."  Jon steps into the shower, shoes and all to feel his baby move again.  He's promised himself, no more missed opportunity.  When he was with Dot and she was pregnant, he missed a lot of the pregnancy stuff with being on the road day after day, month after month - it was the price of fame, he thought.  But not this time.  His days are numbered and he was going to be there, at everyone.  His hands are on her belly and he can feel the baby kicking, "She's pretty tough."  he's so happy that his smile reaches his eyes, Beth smiles at him and they stand there in the running shower until the baby settles.  When she does, Jon undresses and hops into the shower with his baby mama.

 

At the florist, Jon is glad that they brought the Denali because Beth was on a flower mission.  She bought all that was arranged and then a bunch that weren't.  Jon didn't question her, he just did what he was told.  Once they loaded the Denali and were on their way, he asked, "Why are there $3000.00 worth of flowers in here?"

 

"Because" she says as she reaches over and rests her hand on his thigh.  "I need to go clothes shopping too, my pants and shorts are getting tight."

 

"When do you want to do that?"

 

"Oh, I don't know.  I'll take Rose and do that.  Unless you want to go maternity clothes shopping."

 

"Take Stephanie."  he winks at her, and then he asks again, "Why all the flowers?"

 

"I seen many bare graves and I thought we could brighten it up a little bit."

 

"Leave it to you to think like that." he takes her hand in his and kisses it, "Always thinking of others." 

 

Beth looks over at him and says, "It's important that we are good role models and just good people, I believe in that K word and feel that we've had enough.  We could use some good ju ju right about now."

 

"Agreed."

 

"I seen a head stone as we were walking out and it was a baby.  There were no flowers or anything."  Beth tells him and that makes her sad.  She was away from New Jersey for so long after they split up, she hoped and prayed that Jon visited Rowan and Spencer, and when she found out that he did - she felt better.  But she knew that she couldn't go back to New Jersey after Melissa.  she can't believe that it took her a year to go back east.

 

"So, we'll put flowers on that one - how many others did you scope out?" he kind of picks on her, he knows how she is and that is one of the reasons that he loved her so much.  "Do we need to go back and get more flowers?"

 

"Watch it smart ass, or you'll be paying for the whole cemetery to get fresh flowers everyday."

 

He laughs, not putting that passed her, and if she did it and it made her feel better, he would gladly pay that bill every month.  "That could get expensive."

 

"You make enough."

 

They pulled into the cemetery driveway and down the winding road that leads back to the Bongiovi plot.  Passing people scattered here and there, paying their respects to their lost ones, they paid no attention.  It was a beautiful summer day, people were out and about.  As they crested the hill that went down into the plot, the group of cars concerned them.  Jon slowed down and eased the car forward, and within seconds they were able to see that it was reporters and what they guessed to be fans.  "Fuck!" he slams his hand on the steering wheel, stopping them about 500 feet from the first vehicle.  When those people seen the Denali stop, they all ran toward it. 

 

Looking at Jon, "What do you want to do?"  They both have sunglasses on and the windows are tinted enough, they would be limited on what they could see.

 

"I'm calling the cops." he takes out his cell phone and does just that.  Dispatch assured him that a car was in route and they should be there within minutes.  He thanked them and told Beth what was going on.  "They are sending a car, they'll get them out of here for us.  Do you want to wait here or come back."

 

Now Beth is pissed.  She feels a little frisky and a little rebellious, angered that there are people standing between her and her children.  People that don't belong there.  Her door opens and out she hops.  In a mad dash, she greets the group that was heading toward her car.  Jon sits there for a minute, knowing that she can hold her own.  He watches her fly into action, "Get out of here!"  she screams to all of them.  It was only a second before the TMZ camera is in her face.  "Beth, we heard that you and Jon are having a girl.  Can you confirm that?"

 

She pushes passed them and walks to the girls' grave, making sure that no one has disturbed them or their site.  The fans stand back, all in shock that they are seeing her in person, knowing Jon was in that car.  When Beth is satisfied that the girls are okay, she turns around and addresses the crowd.  "Please leave, this isn't a place for you to hang out."

 

"Is this your baby?" the TMZ reporter holds up a picture.  Beth sees it and snatches it from his hand. 

 

"Where did you get that?" she asks as the reporter starts to get in her face.  At that point, Jon is out of the car and on her defense.

 

"Whoa buddy, you better back it the fuck up." he demands, putting himself between Beth and the reporter that got up in her face. 

"Is that your baby girl in that picture.  Is it true that Beth cannot carry girls, won't the baby that she is pregnant with in fact, die?"  Jon saw red and without thought or feeling, he just reacted.  He is not a violent man and has only been this mad one other time in his whole life, so mad that he wants to hurt someone. 

The reporter is now picking himself up off the ground as the police car pulls up.  The crowd gathers around Jon and Beth as they talk with the police officer.  The police offer assures them that they will make the crowd disperse and the reporters will also leave.  The cemetery is public property, but not to be used the way that they were using it.  Not only that, the Bongiovi's have a status in Monmouth County, helping them avoid going to jail for assault.  The reporter pushes the issue of arresting Jon and the officer just dismisses him.  As far as the officer is concerned, the reporter had it coming.