Chapter 54

While they were sitting at the table eating the light dinner Richie had ordered, a pounding on the door made them both jump. Kara looked up, “you expecting someone else?”

Richie shook his head, knowing full well who was on the other side of the door.

“Open up man, we know you’re in there.”

Richie didn’t move, trying to finish his dinner while ignoring the ruckus outside his room.

Kara looked over at him again, “are you going to get that?”

Richie put the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth, “I know who it is and I was hoping if I ignored them they would go away.”

As Richie stood another voice came through the door, “come on man, open the door already. You can ‘study’ later.”

Kara recognized the voice as belonging to Jon and hung her head and laughed. “You have nice friends Rich.”

He rolled his eyes at her and yanked the door open, “go away already!” The three men standing on the other side of the door ignored him and shouldered their way into the room, David stopping to pick something up from the floor on his way.

Kara stood and stepped near Richie when the three men entered the room. She felt a little exposed wearing only Richie’s shirt. Her hand went to her chest, holding the shirt closed as best she could. Scanning the faces in front of her she brought her gaze to rest on the only familiar one. “Hi Jon. Nice to see you again.”

He smiled and leaned in to kiss her cheek, “nice to see you too Kara.”

She looked at the other two men, trying to remember their names. The blonde curly-haired one was holding her dress. She turned to him and snagged it from his fingers. “I believe that’s mine. Thank you.”

David laughed, “well I hope its not Sambora’s.” He paused and looked over at Richie “unless there’s something you haven’t told us in the last 25 years?”

Richie punched him in the arm, “fuck off man.”

David turned his attention back to Kara, taking her free hand, “I’m David and you are?”

She looked him up and down, “not impressed.”

Jon and Tico laughed uproariously at her comment while David put on a great show of being insulted. “You wound me Kara. We’ve barely met and already you’re insulting me.”

Kara laughed, “just getting my shots in when I can. It’s nice to meet you David.”

Richie sidled up to Kara and put his arm around her, “nice one princess.”

He turned her toward Tico, leaving David reeling from the sharp retort. “This is Tico.”

Tico took her hand, kissing the back of it, “nice to meet you baby.”

She gave his hand a squeeze, “it’s nice to meet you too Tico.”

Richie pulled Kara to stand in front of him and wrapped his arms around her, “what do you all want?”

“We’re going downstairs to the bar and we came to see if you guys wanted to join us.” David replied as he tried to keep his eyes off of Kara’s bare legs.

Richie looked down at Kara, “you wanna join these losers?”

Kara shrugged, “can I put some pants on first?”

A resounding “NO” came at her from three different directions.

She laughed and Richie herded his friends to the door, “we’ll meet you down there. Get out!”

He shut the door behind his friends and turned to find that Kara had disappeared. “Princess, where’d you go?”

She called out from the other room, “in here.”

Going into the bedroom Richie found her pulling on a pair of jeans. Taking a few steps to close the gap between them, he slid his hands inside her open shirt and pulled her close, “I have to agree with the guys, you really didn’t need to put pants on.”

She laughed as she pressed a kiss to his throat, “this is a respectable hotel, I don’t want to get thrown out.”

Richie chuckled and tilted her head up for a kiss, “with those legs, highly doubtful princess.”

When they got to the bar they found the guys at a table in the back corner trying to be inconspicuous. There were a few people milling about, but it was quiet for a Friday night. Kara dug into her purse for some money and excused herself to walk over to the jukebox. Rifling through the songs she made her selection and sat back down next to Richie. “Find something good?”

She sipped on her drink, smirked and nodded, “oh yeah.”

He raised an eyebrow at her, leaning in to whisper in her ear, “what did you do princess?”

When the strains of Pink’s U + Ur Hand started she smiled and hummed the first few lines.

Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh oh
Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh oh

When she started singing along, four pairs of eyes turned and stared. Richie couldn’t believe she picked this song and was singing along.

Check it out
Going out
On the late night
Looking tight
Feeling nice
It's a cock fight
I can tell
I just know
That it's going down
Tonight
At the door we don't wait cause we know them
At the bar six shots just beginning
That's when dickhead put his hands on me
But you see

Kara looked around the table and her gaze landed on David as she started the chorus. He didn’t know what to think. And who knew she could sing like that?

I'm not here for your entertainment
You don't really want to mess with me tonight
Just stop and take a second
I was fine before you walked into my life
Cause you know it's over
Before it began
Keep your drink just give me the money
It's just you and your hand tonight

Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh oh
Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh oh

She pinned her eyes on David, infusing a bit of attitude as she sang the next part.

Midnight
I'm drunk
I don't give a fuck
Wanna dance
By myself
Guess you're outta luck
Don't touch
Back up
I'm not the one
b-b-bye
Listen up it's just not happening
You can say what you want to your boyfriends
Just let me have my fun tonight

I'm not here for your entertainment
You don't really want to mess with me tonight
Just stop and take a second
I was fine before you walked into my life
Cause you know it's over
Before it began
Keep your drink just give me the money
It's just you and your hand tonight

Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh oh
Break break
Break, Break, Break it down

Stopping to take a sip of her drink Richie leaned over, “you’re too much princess.” She smiled and picked up again when the song did, gesturing to all the guys as she sang.

In the corner with your boys you bet them five bucks
You’d get the girl that just walked in but she thinks you suck
We didn't get all dressed up just for you to see
So quit spilling your drinks on me yeah

You know who you are
High fivin, talkin shit, but you're going home alone aren’t cha?

Cause I'm not here for your entertainment
No
You don't really want to mess with me tonight
Just stop and take a second
Just stop and take a second
I was fine before you walked into my life
Cause you know it's over
Know it's over
Before it began
Keep your drink just give me the money
It's just you and your hand tonight
It's just you and your hand

I'm not here for your entertainment
No no no
You don't really want to mess with me tonight
Just stop and take a second
Just take a second
I was fine before you walked into my life
Cause you know it's over
Before it began
Keep your drink just give me the money
It's just you and your hand tonight
Yeah oh

“Well, well, well” Jon said as Kara finished, “Ms. D’Angelo has a little attitude.”

Kara turned to face him, “just because I teach elementary school doesn’t mean I don’t know the grown up songs too, Jon.”

He held his hands up in defense, “hey, I’m just surprised that you chose that of all songs.”

She patted his knee, “what’s the matter, hit a little close to home for ya tonight?”

He laughed and looked around the table, gesturing to David and Tico “maybe for them, but my wife will be here in the morning. I’m sure I can wait until she gets here.”