Joan watched as Richie came back toward the car. She smiled as he climbed in behind the wheel. She had witnessed the encounter between him and Kara and couldn’t help the smile. Seeing him standing there with that surprised look on his face as Kara walked away was priceless. She couldn’t remember him ever having trouble with the ladies, but knowing Kara, Joan knew Richie had his work cut out for him this time.
Arriving home Joan bid goodnight to Richie and took herself off to bed. Richie poured himself a glass of egg nog and sat on the sofa, staring at the Christmas tree. He pulled the piece of paper and his phone from his pocket. Should I call her now? It wasn’t that late, only 11:00. He flipped open his phone and dialed.
Kara was, like Richie, sitting on her sofa staring at her little tabletop Christmas tree, wine glass in hand. She had changed into her favorite flannel pajama pants and t-shirt when she got home and was trying to unwind. Her day tomorrow would be hectic; she would be spending the holiday with her best friend and her family.
Kara’s own family consisted of her brother who was an entertainment lawyer and lived in L.A. Her parents had died in a plane crash in the not so distant past so Kara was more or less alone in New Jersey. She had spoken to her brother earlier and they had sent each other gifts, but it wasn’t the same as being together for the holiday. They managed to see each other a couple times a year, but this time of the year was always difficult.
The phone ringing brought Kara out of her reverie. Glancing down she recognized the area code as a California one, but didn’t recognize the rest of the number. Thinking it might be her brother calling from someone else’s phone she answered.
“Hello.”
“Hi darlin’.” Richie’s greeting was met with silence. He tried again, “hello, Kara?”
Kara didn’t recognize the voice, “this is Kara, who is this?”
Richie chuckled. “It’s Richie darlin’. I did tell you I would call didn’t I?”
She was surprised. She hadn’t really thought he would call, let alone call so soon after meeting her. “Yes Richie you did tell me you would call. I just didn’t think it would be so soon.”
Richie smiled, “Should I hang up and try again another day?” Kara laughed and he thought he had never heard a sweeter sound, except maybe Ava’s laughter.
“No you don’t have to hang up and try again. What can I do for you?” Richie smirked, he could think of a few things. “I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas and see if I could take you out before I leave at the end of the week.”
Kara smiled and nodded “well thank you and Merry Christmas to you. You want to take me out?” Richie sighed, “yes Kara, I’d like to take you out. I go back to L.A. on Friday and would like to take you to dinner one night before I go. What do you say?” Kara sat bolt upright on her couch when he mentioned going back to L.A. She was going on Friday as well to spend New Years with her brother and his wife.
There was a long pause before she answered and Richie wondered what was up. “Kara, are you still there?” She hadn’t realized she hadn’t said a word and rushed on, “Richie, did you say you were going to LA at the end of the week?” Richie nodded as he spoke, “that’s where I live darlin’ and I am spending New Years with my daughter. Why?”
Kara smiled, “why don’t I tell you about it when you take me to dinner say on Wednesday night?”
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Chapter 2
By the end of the service Richie had decided that he needed to know more about this tiny woman with a voice bigger than his and whose scent was making him crazy. She had been close enough for him to notice the light musky floral scent floating around her. The only problem was he had no idea how to go about getting to know her without looking like a complete idiot. While trying to find a way he went to get his mother’s coat and when he came back the opportunity he had been looking for was right in front of him. The girl was chatting with his mother.
“Here you go ma.” Joan turned to Richie and he helped her with her coat, “thank you. Richie, I’d like you to meet Kara.” He turned his attention to the dark haired woman, “It’s nice to meet you Kara…?” Kara smiled politely and extended her hand, “D’Angelo, Kara D’Angelo. It’s nice to meet you too Richie.” She looked up into his face and realized then just who he was. She wasn’t a fan of Bon Jovi, but everyone in New Jersey knew who they were.
Richie took her hand and when his eyes met hers he knew he was in trouble. They were the clearest blue he had ever encountered, even bluer than his best friend's. They stood there, her hand in his for what seemed like an eternity before they parted.
Kara tugged her hand back, “I should be going.” Richie’s cheeks pinked and he dropped his hand, “I’m sorry.” Kara smiled again, “it was nice to meet you Richie, Merry Christmas.” She turned to Joan, “it was nice to see you again Joan, Merry Christmas.” Richie watched as she walked away before turning back to see his mother watching him with a smile on her face, “what?” “Nothing dear; are you ready to go?”
Richie took his mother’s arm and led her to the car, keeping his hold on her so that she didn’t slip on the ice. He rounded the car in time to see a woman in a dark coat and cream colored beret slip and fall. He hurried over to her and, as he helped her back to her feet, realized it was Kara. “Are you all right?” She brushed the snow off of her coat and shook her head, “I think so; just bruised my pride is all.”
He studied her for a moment, with the long black coat, cream beret and cream scarf she looked as though she should be in a catalogue modeling the ensemble rather than standing in front of him. She looked up to find him staring at her, “what?” She looked down to make sure she was still all in one piece. From the way he was looking at her she was sure something had come apart, undone, something.
Richie could feel his face heat up for the second time in the space of twenty minutes. What is wrong with me? He searched for something, anything to say. “You’re beautiful and you have the voice of an angel.” Where the hell did that come from? The words were out of his mouth before he could catch them and reel them back in.
Kara was shocked by his exclamation. “Th-thank you. Shouldn’t you be going now? Your mother is waiting for you.” He glanced over at the car, he had forgotten about his mother. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” He turned to leave, stopped and turned back. “I’d like to see you again Kara, would you give me your number so I could call you?” Kara didn’t answer him; she just headed for her car.
Richie stood there dumfounded for a minute. This hadn’t ever happened to him before. The woman had actually walked away without giving him her number, without saying a word for that matter. He was determined to find out just what was with her so he followed after her. He reached her just as she opened the car door. “You didn’t answer my question Kara.” “I know” she answered without looking at him. She reached inside to the middle console and came back out. “I figured you might need these” she told him as she handed him a pen and a pad of paper.
“Here you go ma.” Joan turned to Richie and he helped her with her coat, “thank you. Richie, I’d like you to meet Kara.” He turned his attention to the dark haired woman, “It’s nice to meet you Kara…?” Kara smiled politely and extended her hand, “D’Angelo, Kara D’Angelo. It’s nice to meet you too Richie.” She looked up into his face and realized then just who he was. She wasn’t a fan of Bon Jovi, but everyone in New Jersey knew who they were.
Richie took her hand and when his eyes met hers he knew he was in trouble. They were the clearest blue he had ever encountered, even bluer than his best friend's. They stood there, her hand in his for what seemed like an eternity before they parted.
Kara tugged her hand back, “I should be going.” Richie’s cheeks pinked and he dropped his hand, “I’m sorry.” Kara smiled again, “it was nice to meet you Richie, Merry Christmas.” She turned to Joan, “it was nice to see you again Joan, Merry Christmas.” Richie watched as she walked away before turning back to see his mother watching him with a smile on her face, “what?” “Nothing dear; are you ready to go?”
Richie took his mother’s arm and led her to the car, keeping his hold on her so that she didn’t slip on the ice. He rounded the car in time to see a woman in a dark coat and cream colored beret slip and fall. He hurried over to her and, as he helped her back to her feet, realized it was Kara. “Are you all right?” She brushed the snow off of her coat and shook her head, “I think so; just bruised my pride is all.”
He studied her for a moment, with the long black coat, cream beret and cream scarf she looked as though she should be in a catalogue modeling the ensemble rather than standing in front of him. She looked up to find him staring at her, “what?” She looked down to make sure she was still all in one piece. From the way he was looking at her she was sure something had come apart, undone, something.
Richie could feel his face heat up for the second time in the space of twenty minutes. What is wrong with me? He searched for something, anything to say. “You’re beautiful and you have the voice of an angel.” Where the hell did that come from? The words were out of his mouth before he could catch them and reel them back in.
Kara was shocked by his exclamation. “Th-thank you. Shouldn’t you be going now? Your mother is waiting for you.” He glanced over at the car, he had forgotten about his mother. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” He turned to leave, stopped and turned back. “I’d like to see you again Kara, would you give me your number so I could call you?” Kara didn’t answer him; she just headed for her car.
Richie stood there dumfounded for a minute. This hadn’t ever happened to him before. The woman had actually walked away without giving him her number, without saying a word for that matter. He was determined to find out just what was with her so he followed after her. He reached her just as she opened the car door. “You didn’t answer my question Kara.” “I know” she answered without looking at him. She reached inside to the middle console and came back out. “I figured you might need these” she told him as she handed him a pen and a pad of paper.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Chapter 1
"Hmph." The sigh was louder than he intended but, glancing at the woman on his right, she hadn't heard him. Thank God.
He was sitting next to his mother. She had wanted to come to the service that evening, being Christmas Eve and the first one without Adam. He knew it would be hard for her so he had come with her for support. He was there visiting for the holiday as Heather had Ava this year. He missed her something terrible and was looking forward to getting home at the end of the week so he could have a little time with her before leaving on tour again.
He looked around, trying to be inconspicuous and not draw any attention to himself. The last thing he or his mother needed was for fans to cause a ruckus here of all places.
He turned to his mother, but she was talking to a couple of her lady friends. He absently thumbed through the hymnal, wishing now that he was anywhere but here.
In the parking lot Kara was cursing herself for being so late. The lot was nearly full and the service was about to start. She finally found a spot in the far corner of the lot and cursed again at having to trudge across the icy lot to the door.
Rushing in Kara hurriedly glanced around and found an empty seat next to an unfamiliar dark haired man. She tried to slip into the pew as unobtrusively as possible while the service proceeded. As the priest spoke she glanced down the pew to see if she knew who she was sitting with. Kara recognized Joan and a couple of the other ladies but didn't recognize the man, but assumed from the way Joan was with him that she knew him.
When the petite brunette sat down next to him, Richie didn't know what to make of her. She hadn't spoken, she just sat down, picked up a hymnal and followed along. Having honed his peripheral vision over the years, he was able to study her without her realizing it. Her dark brown, almost black hair hung in waves to the middle of her back. The Christmas red turtleneck hugged her curves and the slim black pants ended in what looked to be a pair of black boots. She wasn't his usual type, but that didn't keep him from looking.
His first thought after she sat down was she was a fan and trying not to show it, but as the service progressed he realized that she really didn't know who he was. The thing that got him though, the thing that made him turn his head and look at her fully, that had him nearly dropping his hymnal was when she opened her mouth.
This petite brunette, a girl that even with her shoes on only came to the middle of his chest, had the voice of an angel.
He was sitting next to his mother. She had wanted to come to the service that evening, being Christmas Eve and the first one without Adam. He knew it would be hard for her so he had come with her for support. He was there visiting for the holiday as Heather had Ava this year. He missed her something terrible and was looking forward to getting home at the end of the week so he could have a little time with her before leaving on tour again.
He looked around, trying to be inconspicuous and not draw any attention to himself. The last thing he or his mother needed was for fans to cause a ruckus here of all places.
He turned to his mother, but she was talking to a couple of her lady friends. He absently thumbed through the hymnal, wishing now that he was anywhere but here.
In the parking lot Kara was cursing herself for being so late. The lot was nearly full and the service was about to start. She finally found a spot in the far corner of the lot and cursed again at having to trudge across the icy lot to the door.
Rushing in Kara hurriedly glanced around and found an empty seat next to an unfamiliar dark haired man. She tried to slip into the pew as unobtrusively as possible while the service proceeded. As the priest spoke she glanced down the pew to see if she knew who she was sitting with. Kara recognized Joan and a couple of the other ladies but didn't recognize the man, but assumed from the way Joan was with him that she knew him.
When the petite brunette sat down next to him, Richie didn't know what to make of her. She hadn't spoken, she just sat down, picked up a hymnal and followed along. Having honed his peripheral vision over the years, he was able to study her without her realizing it. Her dark brown, almost black hair hung in waves to the middle of her back. The Christmas red turtleneck hugged her curves and the slim black pants ended in what looked to be a pair of black boots. She wasn't his usual type, but that didn't keep him from looking.
His first thought after she sat down was she was a fan and trying not to show it, but as the service progressed he realized that she really didn't know who he was. The thing that got him though, the thing that made him turn his head and look at her fully, that had him nearly dropping his hymnal was when she opened her mouth.
This petite brunette, a girl that even with her shoes on only came to the middle of his chest, had the voice of an angel.
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