108 - Getting Better

The first thing Jon did when he joined Petey in the car was apologize profusely for his mother’s behavior.  Petey, in turn, had blown it off as nothing. 

“Jon, I knew going in that she probably wasn’t going to welcome me with open arms.  I’m different, this is sudden and she’s overprotective when it comes to you.  I get it, and it’s fine.  Still yet, I needed to make my point.”

“You definitely made your point,” he chuckled.  “And I made mine after you left.  Mom understands in no uncertain terms that I’m not going to tolerate that kind of behavior toward my wife.”

All the times his mom had overstepped her boundaries, Jon had turned the other cheek, thinking that she meant well and was acting in his best interest.  There was always the chance that’s what she believed she was doing this time, but today, he had made it his personal mission to show her the error of her ways. 

“Un-fucking-believable, Mom.  Un-believable,” he’d exclaimed with complete exasperation.

Lip pursed with displeasure, his mother reprimanded, “Don’t swear at me, Jonny.  It’s disrespectful.”

His humorless laugh sounded brittle in his own ears.  “God knows nobody would ever do anything disrespectful in this house.  God knows that what you just did wasn’t the least bit disrespectful to Petey and to me.    She was right you know.  You insulted me as much or more than you did her.  Was that your intention?”

“No!  No, of course not.  You’re a smart man.  You’ve always made good decisions.”

“Then respect this one!  I won’t have you treating Petey like a second-class citizen.  She’s the woman I’ve chosen to spend the rest of my life with.”

She shook her platinum head with a frown.  “Jonny, I’m just trying to make sure you’re thinking with the right head.”

“Jesus Fucking Christ.  No, you did not just say that to your son!” his dad bellowed.  “He’s a brilliant businessman and musician.  That didn’t happen by accident, Carol!”

“No, it didn’t!” she cried.  “I was standing behind him every step of the way!”

Jon had forced several deep breaths so that he could speak in something other than a scream.  “And I appreciate that Mom, but it’s time to cut the damn apron strings!  I know Dorothea has already threatened to keep the kids from you once this week.  Consider this another warning.  If you can’t be, at a minimum, polite to Petey…  Well, then you won’t be seeing any of us.  Am I making myself clear?”

He had railed on until she finally began to show the first inkling of remorse.  Once he saw the hurt in her eyes, he couldn’t make himself say any more about it, and moved onto the subject of Tony and Matt.  He even tossed in his endorsement of Tony and Dot's relationship, telling her that if he was okay with it, there was no reason she shouldn't be. 

He didn't know why their dad hadn't defended Tony at the time, but by the way his dad stood, arms crossed and a steely facial expression, he knew this subject - and no doubt Petey - would be picked back up after he left.

Jon was hopeful that his mother would get her act together before the weekend.  If he was going to have an actual wedding this time around, it would be nice to have his parents there. 

There was one thing that was nagging at him though. 

His dad had asked, “God knows I don’t want to interfere and it’s none of my business, but don’t you think it was a little ballsy to ask your ex-wife to get married in her house?  Are you sure Dorothea is really okay with this?”

It had been a natural assumption on Jon’s part that she would be okay with it.  The Navesink house was the first place that came to mind when he and Petey started talking about secure locations for a wedding.  Thinking back, he recalled that Petey had shown some reluctance, but he’d brushed it aside, saying that Dorothea wouldn’t mind at all. 

Jon supposed that, on some level, he still thought of the place as his, mostly because his studio was on the property.  Maybe that’s why it hadn’t bothered him.  In retrospect, it was probably insensitive to ask his ex if he could get re-married in her house.

But Dorothea had agreed.  She’d never had a problem telling him no before.  He stuffed away the doubt, resolving to ask her again when he went to her house. 

“I know I told you once already, but I think you’re pretty damn amazing,” he murmured against Petey’s lips.

She pulled back and treated him to a lopsided grin.  “Jon, it’s not a big deal.  Your mother and I will find our place eventually.    Too bad she had such a rough day but, nonetheless, I’m proud of you for speaking on behalf of your brothers.”

In her defense, his mom had been astonished at the number of instances Jon could recount of how she’d belittled his siblings and put him first.  Every kid liked to be spoiled, but they weren’t kids now.  A part of him wondered if he could expect to start receiving psychiatrists’ bills listing his brothers as patients.  It wasn’t his fault, yet it was.

Jesus.  What am I doing that’s going to fuck up my kids in the long run?

☠ ☢ ☠

 Tony tapped his phone screen, then proceeded to stare as it went dim, and then eventually black. 

Well, I’ll be damned.

His Durango was idling at a stop light about fifteen minutes from Dorothea’s house. 

Dorothea.  She’s not going to believe this.

Lifting his foot from the brake, he tapped the button that would connect him with her and eased out into the intersection.  Fifteen minutes was too long to wait and share this particular tidbit.

“Hello?”

As always, the sound of her voice had flames curling low in his belly.  She had the absolute sexiest voice he’d ever heard.  The only thing he could liken it to was velvet.  It was soft and alluring, but at the same time it held an undertone of something darker. 

At one time, he’d thought of the ‘darker’ as steel.  She had the ‘don’t give me your bullshit’ shtick down pat, after all.  Then, the closer they’d become, he’d come to think of that darkness as something else entirely.  It still bore the light casing of steel, but he could see through the few cracks to the vulnerability beneath it.  Her vulnerability was so slight and well-hidden from the world that it slammed him hard when he caught a glimpse of it.  Especially since the only reason he saw it was because she allowed him to. 

Oh sure, he wanted people to trust him.  He liked to think of himself as a trustworthy kind of guy.  But her trust was something special.  Dorothea didn’t grant trust lightly, and the fact that she’d given it to him was humbling.

You’re so whipped.

Tony knew he was whipped, he simply didn’t care.  He loved her and would do anything to keep her safe and happy.

“Hey, Babes,” he greeted quietly, momentarily distracted from his intent.  “How are ya?”

“One of these days I’m going to have to come up with a pet name for you,” she mused lightly, not answering his question.  “Something for those special occasions.”

“Special, huh?”  She was stoking flames that they wouldn’t be able to douse any time soon.  Doing his best to derail his dick’s one-track mind, he decided to play along.  “In that case, I’m good with Studmuffin.   Eveready would be okay, too.”

A startled laugh filled his ears and made him smile.  “Egomaniacal much?” she inquired drolly.

“Me?  Nah, not really.”  He’d just wanted to make her laugh.

“Mm-hmm.  Where are you?  Are you still at the studio?” 

“Almost…”  Not home.  “…to your place.  I should be there in about ten minutes.”

“Okay.”  Did she sound a little confused?  “If you’re going to be here then why are you calling?”

No wonder she was confused.  Dorothea had sidetracked him from his original purpose. 

“I called to tell you about the phone call I just had.”

“Okay,” she repeated.  “What about it?”

“Jonny and Petey just left Mom and Pop’s house a little while ago.  I dunno what happened, but whatever it was had Mom calling me and apologizing.”  He rolled to a stop at the stop sign, checked both ways and proceeded on.

“Apologizing?  What for exactly?”  Tony couldn’t fault her skepticism.  She had way too many encounters with Mom under her belt.  He’d actually heard the apology first-hand and was still skeptical.

“For making me feel like I wasn’t my own person, and for reacting badly to the news of our relationship.”

“Real-ly?  Huh.  I think I’m speechless.” 

He chuckled, turning the car onto Navesink River Road.  “Yeah.  I kinda feel like I fell down the rabbit hole myself.  Between your showdown with her and whatever happened today, I guess she finally saw the light.  Thank you, Babes.”

“I’d do it again every day of the week if I had to,” she declared roughly.  “My Bunny is a good man, and I won’t put up with that kinda crap talk.”

“What the fuck?  Bunny?  Where did that come from?”  Tony scrambled through the last few minutes of their call in an effort to recall something he may have missed.

“I’m sure as hell not calling you Studmuffin or Eveready, but I can warm up to another battery reference.”

“What?  You mean like the Energizer Bunny?  Who keeps going and going and going?”  He could live with the name if it was a testament to his sexual fortitude.  Hell, he’d emblazon it on his tour jacket for that matter.

“Mm.”  Her voice fell to a husky rumble.  “Or coming and coming and coming.”

Fuckin’ A!

His dick tried its best to pitch a tent in his jeans.  “You’re a cruel woman,” he growled.  “And I’m going to make you pay for your evil ways after the kids are in bed.”

“You are, huh?”  Far from being frightened by his threat, Dorothea was intrigued.

“Damn straight.  I’m gonna pin your sexy ass to the wall and fuck you until your knees buckle.”

Her heavy exhalation rattled the phone line.  “Jesus,” she breathed.  “I think my plan just backfired.  That made my panties wet, Tony.”

His chest swelled in proportion to his groin.  Eventually, the sex would stop being so overwhelmingly hot.  He knew that.  There was no way they could keep up this kind of feverish attraction to one another.  It was all the more reason to enjoy each and every second of it, for as long as it lasted.

“Good.  It’s only fair since my cock is hard enough to hammer nails.  I’m gonna have to sit in the driveway with the windows rolled down and let the cold air do its thing on me.  Otherwise, I’m not gonna be able to walk into the house without embarrassing myself, you little wench.”

Her ultra-feminine giggle did nothing to help his discomfort.

“I love you, Bunny.”

The blood in his head made another surge south, until he could feel the teeth of his zipper digging into his erection.

Tony sucked a deep breath and flipped his turn signal before guiding the Durango to a halt in front of the gate.  “I love you, too, Babes.  I’m at the gate right now, so I’ll be in shortly.”  At the sound of an engine behind him, he looked into the rear view mirror.  “I think Jon just pulled in behind me, so I guess we’ll all be in.”

“Try not to let that third leg get in the way when you’re walking,” she whispered naughtily and disconnected the call. 

All of the air in his lungs noisily rushed out as he tossed the phone on the passenger seat and lowered the window.  Leaning out to punch in the security code, he threw a greeting hand in the air before sealing the cold air out of the vehicle again.

The blast of frigidness had taken the barest edge off of his raging hard-on, and he thought of any and everything non-sexual as he crept up the drive and parked. 

Sixty seconds in a minute, sixty minutes in an hour, twenty-four hours in a day, fourteen hundred forty minutes in a day….

By the time his work boot hit the pavement, the bulge in his pants was much less noticeable.   It was a good thing since Jon and Petey were standing in front of the vehicle waiting for him to get out.

The recent conversation with his mother still fresh in his mind, Tony had no trouble conjuring up a genuine smile for his brother and future sister-in-law.  He approached Petey first, engulfing her small leather coated torso with his own leather-clad arms. 

“Hiya, sweetheart.  How ya doin’?”

Petey’s eyes grew wide with surprise at his familiarity and she was stiff in his arms.  Up until this point, they’d never had any type of physical interaction, so it was a perfectly natural response  Tony just figured he owed her some type of thanks, even if he didn’t know exactly why yet.  And, hell, they were going to be family soon enough.

“I – I’m good.”

“Stop fuckin’ pawing her,” Jon growled accepting Tony’s extended hand with a hearty squeeze.  “I didn’t say anything about you hooking up with my ex-wife, but you can’t have my wife-to-be, little brother.”

Tony’s laughter echoed off the glass and stone of the house as they turned to climb the two steps into the front door.  “Nothing personal, but I don’t want her.  Dorothea is plenty enough for me to handle.”

Oh, am I gonna have fun handling her tonight.

Stepping into the foyer, Tony shrugged out of his coat at the same time Jon and Petey did.  Once the jackets had been hung in the closet, he turned to Jon.  “I don’t know what happened at Mom and Pop’s today, but thank you.”

“I dunno what you mean, man.”  Jon’s eyebrows knit together with contrived confusion, but Petey split the effect of her proud smile between the two brothers. 

“Jon, don’t act like you didn’t do anything.  Say ‘you’re welcome’ and let it go,” she prompted quietly. 

His brother’s shaggy head never turned to look at Petey, but he nodded, locking eyes with Tony.  “I’m sorry, and you’re welcome.”

Tony mutely dipped his head and turned to Petey.  “You’re marrying a good one, Petey.  He may have personality issues sometimes, but he really is an okay guy.”

“’Bout fuckin’ time,” Jon muttered.  “All of my supposed friends are warning her away.”

Petey curled her arm around his waist.  “Know what?  It may not always be the case, but this time Tony’s opinion is the one that matters.  His, Dorothea’s and the kids.”

Tony didn’t understand why.  Because they were all going to be a modern age mix-and-match family?

“Why’s that?”  Jon was the one to ask.

Petey slid her palm into his and locked their fingers together.  “Because the others haven’t been around us.  They’re assuming you’re being domineering over poor little old me.  Tony, Dot and your kids have seen first-hand how we fit together.”

Tony snorted.  “Poor little old you?  What a damn joke!  You more than hold your own with this one.”

She beamed up at Jon.  “Told you.  The others will see for themselves when they come for the wedding.”

“Did you forget one of them isn’t coming?” he dryly reminded her.

“Who’s not coming?”

Petey frowned at Jon even as she was answering Tony’s question.  “Richie says he’s won’t, but I’m not convinced.”

“Yeah, well I am,” Jon groused with his chin stuck out stubbornly.  “But I’m not gonna lose any sleep over it.”

Tony studied his brother for a moment, knowing that was utter bullshit.  Richie had been his best friend for too long.  His refusal to attend the wedding had to hit a nerve.  How could it not?  A phone call to California crept its way onto his list of things to do.

“So, Petey, how did you like Mom and Pop?” he changed the subject without further mention of the guitarist.

It was Jon’s turn to snort now.  “A helluva lot better than Mom liked her.  Pop was okay, but Mom was…”

A petite hand pushed into Jon’s shoulder, putting a stop to whatever adjective he was about to assign to their mother.  “Your Mom was justifiably shocked.”

“Yeah, she was especially shocked when you gave her hell.”

Tony laughed at their banter.  Petey was right.  They were a good fit.  “Okay, enough standing here in the foyer.  Let’s go find Dorothea.  I have a feeling we’re both gonna want to hear this.”