70 #Jacey'sMom

[10:30PM]JON: You still up?

[10:31PM]TEDDI: Yes.

 

Good.  After that FaceTime chat with the kids earlier, Jon hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her.  Maybe it’s because his mind was on vacation and didn’t have songs, tours and other work bullshit to occupy it, but he was suddenly hyper-aware of how long it had been since they’d communicated outside of a text message.  He missed her and wanted to reconnect without an audience, so he hit the button to make that happen.

 

“You’re becoming awfully needy.” 

 

That soft tease enticed a grin from him as a stack of pillows molded around his naked back and cushioned it against the headboard.  He hadn’t bothered folding back the covers and was stretched out atop them in nothing but a pair of gym shorts, with a lazy hand draped on his belly while he bent one leg so that the heel bumped up against the opposite knee. 

 

“I’m not the one watching lame-ass interviews for entertainment.”

 

“It’s been almost a week.  I was starting to miss your ugly face.”

 

And there it was.  The only thing capable of making him even more content than he already was – outside of an orgasm, anyway.  He loved it when she let the manners slide and said whatever came to mind, even when it meant giving him hell in the process.   He might actually enjoy that more.  Her Gypsy sass was sexy.

 

“Careful there, baby.  I’m gonna think you like me or something.”

 

“Don’t be coy.  You know perfectly well how I feel about you.”

 

“Do I?”  He wasn’t quite sure why he goaded.  His gut told him there was more to this than “like”, and he’d always trusted instinct over words.  There was no real reason to prod for more, other than he wanted to.  “Oh, that’s right.  I remember now.  I’m ‘everything’.”

 

A sharply inhaled breath told Jon that she remembered, and that she couldn’t believe he was gauche enough to bring it up.  “Do you also remember ‘no judgment’ and ‘no consequences’?”

 

“My mentioning it is neither one of those things,” he said easily and softly, in the hopes that her tight voice didn’t mean this call was spiraling toward the toilet.  “I kinda liked it.”

 

“Yes.  Well.  I’m glad it doesn’t repulse you, but we have more pressing things to chat about than my lack of vocal inhibition.”

 

“Oh, Jesus.  Here we go with the ten-dollar words again,” he teased in another effort to bring the conversation back to a comfortable level. 

 

“You don’t like it, then stop stressing me out with topics that are taboo and move onto stressing me out with what your children said about me.  And while we’re on the subject, you’re an ass for ambushing me that way.”

 

Shifting his legs and chuckling, he dropped his head back to the top pillow and let both eyes fall shut.  If she was swearing with ease, she wasn’t about to have an anxiety episode.  “Ya know, it’s a turn-on when you cuss me.”

 

“I’ll add that to your fetish list.  Now tell me about the conversation that happened after our call.”

 

There was no conversation.  Not really.  From her position behind him, Stephanie looped one arm over his sternum for a hug and dropped a kiss on his head while Jesse wandered off to take a phone call. 

 

“I’m sorry about the ambush.  Stephanie invited a friend and her mom to come stay for the week, with the hope that I’d take a liking to the mom.  It seemed easier to avoid the hassle by telling her about us, and when she insisted on meeting you…  Well, I thought it would be less traumatic if you didn’t have a chance to get worked up about it.”

 

“I’m not sure I agree with that approach, but there’s no point in debating it.  What’s done is done.  Do they think you’ve lost your mind for consorting with a groupie?  Stephanie seemed a bit repulsed by that.”

 

Jon’s cheek creased against the phone in a smile.  “Nah.  She hugged me and said you seemed nice.  Jesse gave me a thumbs up as he left to take a call from his girlfriend.  They both hope you decide to come visit so they can get to know you better.”

 

Or at least that was his parental summary of the situation.  It was close enough, anyway.  Stephanie didn’t snarl, and Jesse didn’t look like he was ready to have Jon committed, so it was essentially the same thing. 

 

“She seems very protective.”

 

“I guess.  Ever since she found my fridge empty except for a couple bottles of wine, she thinks I can’t take care of myself.  Hence the blind date.”  He didn’t want to talk about his daughter’s need to mother him.  “Are you really thinking about coming out, or was that a polite way of telling my kid to fuck off?”

 

He assumed it was a polite “fuck off”, and the longer Teddi hesitated, the more he believed it.  Jon was surprised when she quietly admitted, “I want to.  The offer is the most tempting I’ve ever had.”

 

“Okay, so come.”

 

“It’s not that easy.”

 

“Sure, it is.  You went to Boston when you didn’t want to.  Going someplace you do want should be a hell of a lot easier.”

 

“That was an obligation.  I had no choice.”

 

He’d vowed not to pressure her about this, but her logic was fucked.  Going out of the house because she had to and not because she wanted to made no sense whatsoever, but if she needed a sense of obligation to get motivated, he’d be happy to give her one.

 

“What if I made coming to the Hamptons an obligation?”

 

“You wouldn’t do that,” she said with a confidence that almost caused him to have a change of heart.  It was absurdly gratifying that Teddi trusted him that way, and if she’d stopped there, he probably would’ve backed down.  But she didn’t stop there.  “Besides that, you couldn’t.  There is nothing obligatory about the beach.”

 

With that “couldn’t” statement, she’d turned this into a challenge that Jon was unable to ignore.  “I won’t come back to your house until you come to mine.”

 

“I’ll simply visit the Navesink house when you return next month.  Problem solved.”

 

“No, the problem is not fucking solved,” he huffed.  “I want you here. Please?”  When there was no immediate response – or sound of any sort – he asked, “Did you hang up on me?”

 

“No.  Turn on your camera.”

 

“Not that I object, but why?”

 

“Just do it.”

 

With a sigh and the shake of his head, he pulled the phone from his ear and tapped the icon that would turn this into a FaceTime call.  Her features came into view, illuminated by only the soft glow of the screen and back yard landscaping lights.

 

“Wanna tell me why the sudden desire to see my ugly face?”

 

“It’s not sudden, its perpetual, but at the moment I’m trying to decide if you’re being a pill.  The camera helps.”

 

Skepticism shifted her left eyebrow upward, and he couldn’t resist hitching one of his to match it.  “What the fuck do you think I’m being a pill about?”

 

“Wanting me there.”

 

The eyebrow was dropped in favor of an eye roll.  “Sweetheart, the perfect ending to any beach day would be burying myself in your hot pussy.  That’s a fact.  I also happen to miss your ugly face, and the refined illusion of calm you carry, even when you’re diddling the hell out of that necklace.  Your scallops and pasta don’t suck, either.”

 

It all fell from Jon’s tongue without thinking, and each item hiked the corners of Teddi’s smile a little higher.  She looked relieved and surprised, which irritated him.  The damn woman was still waiting for him to walk away and not come back.

 

“And with some kinda goddamn luck, once you step into this part of my life, maybe you’ll finally accept that I view you as more than a fuck buddy.  So, yeah, I want you here.  Are you coming or not?”

 

He was tired of dicking around about it, and surprisingly enough, she didn’t take offense at the surly demand.  Her smile stayed as demure as her quiet, “How does next Sunday sound?”

 

It sounded too far away.  She would change her mind a thousand times between now and then, but since Jacey and her mom were in residence until Saturday, he couldn’t imagine persuading her into anything sooner.  Sunday would have to do.

 

“That’ll work.  I’ll pick you up at noon.”

 

###

 

July 30, 2017
Sunday

“Dad.  We’re having happy hour by the pool.  Do something to your hair, put on a shirt and get your ass out there.  You’re being rude to our company.”

 

Jon grimaced at his daughter over the book he was reading.  “It’s your company, and I’m not being rude.  I’m finishing my book.”

 

To be fair, he probably was being rude after spending the entire afternoon at the beach and then sneaking back into the house when no one was looking.  After a shower, his bed and book had looked more inviting than meeting the infamous duo of Jacey and her mom, so he’d laid down to read for a while. 

 

Putting the book aside, he swung his feet to the floor to head for the closet.  “But since you’re ringing the bell for ‘happy hour’, I can probably be persuaded to put it aside.  What’s for dinner?”

 

“Jesse and Jake are grilling, and Jacey’s mom brought dessert from the bakery in town.”

 

“Sounds good.  You wanna pick my shirt, or am I qualified to do that?”

 

Apparently, he was not qualified because she reached around him to pluck a blue linen one from the lineup.  “It doesn’t hurt to look nice in case things don’t work out with Dr. Montgomery.”

 

“I’m on vacation, Steph.  Even if Teddi was here, I’d still wear a t-shirt and shorts to dinner in my own house.” 

 

“Does that mean she’s not coming?”

 

He shrugged into his assigned shirt and squinted down at the buttons, making sure they were properly aligned before fastening them.  “Next Sunday, unless she changes her mind, which is very possible.”

 

“Mm.”

 

“What?”

 

“I’m not sure how I feel about her.”

 

With the shirt buttoned, he tugged it straight and went into the bathroom for a brush.  “I love you, kid, but it doesn’t really matter how you feel as long as I like her.”

 

“Why do you?”

 

“I just do.”  He wasn’t running down a list of Teddi’s finer qualities to appease his mini mother.  It was none of Stephanie’s business, and with his hair looking reasonably groomed, he turned to meet a feminine version of his frown. 

 

“It’s creepy that she’s a fan.”

 

“How about you save the creepy judgment until you’ve at least been in the same room with her?  Huh?”

 

“So you want me to be open minded, huh?  Like you’ve been about Jacey’s mom?”

 

Condemning blue eyes called him out, and Jon hooked an arm around her neck while grumbling.  “Fine.  Let’s go meet the fabulous Jacey’s mom.  Does this woman have a name?  Or do I just call her ‘Jacey’s mom’ for a week?” 

 

“She introduced herself to me as ‘Ms. Davenport’.  I don’t know her first name.”

 

“Jesus.  You’re pushing me at somebody whose name you don’t even know?  Did I mention I have a girlfriend whose name we both know?”

 

Sliding out of his grasp, Stephanie grabbed onto Jon’s hand with a laugh and guided him toward the stairs.  “I’m only asking you to keep an open mind.”

 

“I’ll be nice,” was all that he’d promise.

 

When they arrived at the pool, Jon found mother and daughter being entertained by his eldest son and a bottle of wine.  Jesse had watched his mother entertain guests and absorbed her skill.  The kid was a good host, and both ladies were laughing when Jon and Stephanie joined the party. 

 

“Ah, there he is.  The man, the myth and the legend...  Jon Bon Jovi.  Or as we call him around here, ‘the old man’.  About time you showed your face.  Ms. Davenport here was starting to think you were fictional.”

 

On cue, the older of the two guests tittered and stood to offer her hand.  Not for a handshake, though.  She presented the back of it as though expecting him to kiss it.  Jon chose to clasp the fingers with one hand and pat her knuckles with the other as she said, “That’s not true at all, and please, call me Deidre.  It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bon Jovi.  Thank you so much for allowing us to join you this week.”

 

The woman was meticulously groomed, coiffed to within an inch of her life.  Honey hair waved perfectly to her shoulders, and her sleeveless dress was pristine.  The blue and white watercolor fabric didn’t bear a single crease, and its handkerchief hem fluttered gracefully around legs that were as golden and toned as her arms.  Fingers and toes were painted in a demure shade of coral, and the diamond earrings were tastefully elegant.  She wore a necklace of some sort, but the pendant was tucked beneath the modest neckline of her dress. 

 

Blue eyes that were a mix of light and dark that complemented her dress and glittered with predatory interest.

 

She’s the creepy one.

 

He didn’t voice that, though, choosing instead to say, “Deidre, it’s a pleasure to meet you.  Please call me Jon, and Stephanie’s friends are always welcome.  And this must be Jacey.”

 

“Jacqueline,” the mother corrected as her pretty, dark-haired daughter uttered a quiet hello from behind a glass of wine.  She was obviously more interested in Jesse than Jon, so her attention didn’t linger.

 

Jon gratefully accepted a glass from his son, settling into a vacant chair while Deidre reclaimed hers.  “Forgive me for asking, but have we met before?  You look very familiar.”

 

“Unfortunately, this is the first time I’ve had the pleasure,” she cooed, crossing delicately sandaled feet at the ankle and using a toothpick to spear an olive from the charcuterie board. 

 

It was weird.  The way she moved, her posture, and even that faintly polite smile seemed familiar yet foreign.  Where the hell did he know her from?  He sipped his wine, talking to the kids while covertly watching her and hoping it would come to him. 

 

“Did you fly in from New York or brave the expressway?”  Jesse asked.  “That thing is brutal.”

 

“Yes, I’ve heard.” Deidre agreed.  “We would’ve chosen to fly even from New York, but we live in Boston, so flying was the obvious choice.”

 

Upon hearing “Boston”, the hair on the back of Jon’s neck stood up, and he cut sharp eyes in her direction.  No way.  What were the fucking chances?

 

She had the same blonde hair, blue eyes, mannerisms and hometown as Teddi, but could this really be Randolph’s other daughter?  The “legitimate” one?  He was on the verge of asking a few creative questions that would help him make that determination when Deidre realized that her necklace was tucked inside her dress. 

 

If she pulled out a filigree pendant that matched Teddi’s, it would be too much coincidence to overlook.  He waited patiently as she fiddled with the chain, but when she pulled the bauble free, it wasn’t filigree that settled against her sternum.  It was a round gold locket with…

 

Jesus Christ.

 

“Pretty necklace,” he admired, while leaning forward for a closer look at the crescent moon and star engraved upon its face.  A quick count revealed that there were five diamonds along the moon’s curve, plus one for the star nestled inside its tips. 

 

“I was five when Mama died.  She’d always told me the diamond in the star was me, and the tips of the crescent moon encasing it were her arms.  Those five diamonds represented the five years she got to keep me all to herself.”

 

The memory of Teddi’s voice accelerated Jon’s heartbeat even as he determinedly kept a casual tone.  “Do you keep a baby picture of Jacqueline inside?”

 

Deidre beamed with pride and reached up to work the locket clasp. 

 

“Oh, no.  This trinket is a bit deceptive.  Rather than a photo…”  The two golden halves parted under her fingers to reveal an inner diamond crust.  “… it’s hiding more jewels. Tiny jewels, to be certain, but still quite pretty.”

 

“When I'd ask about the rest of my years, she'd open the locket and show me that they were tucked safe inside.  In place of the traditional photos, Mama's locket held a field of tiny diamond chips.  Flecks, really.  She said they were smaller because I hadn't yet filled them with life, and that one would grow bigger with every birthday I celebrated."

 

He might not be positive that this woman was Teddi’s sister, but there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that she wore Esmerelda’s locket. 

 

The one that had been missing for forty-five years.