Cowboy Diaries - a Jon Bon Jovi fan fiction

15: Silent Night

15. November 1991, Pizza parlor in California

 Jon's  POV

Since my yesterday's visit hadn't found much approval for obvious reasons Richie and I had decided to meet up here. If for nothing else we did it for the nostalgia. Because in a similar place we once had kids choose the songs to make it on the Slippery album. This story later turned into the "pizza parlor jury". But it was quite successful. 

And because I could be superstitious sometimes I thought it was a good idea to start talking about a new album here. Plus, none of us could really cook and I think Richie had enough interruptions from door bells, so ordering from home hadn't been the first choice.

I just was about to get nervous as Richie finally decided to show up. Half an hour late. Well, he must have had a good night then if he had that bad of a hangover now. So he couldn't blame me for ruining it. Luckily he didn't pick up this topic anymore.

I think he was just as embarrassed as me. When we were younger, it wasn't that big of a deal. It happened almost daily and groupies didn't mean anything to us. But it becomes different when you actually try to build up a serious relationship.

We got warm with each other very quickly for not having seen us for months. Being with Richie again just made me all the more excited to start a new album. But Richie did seem to have other plans.

"Well Jon, I don't know if I'm in the mood for an album just yet. I just got a bit time off since my solo record and now when I want to get serious with Heather...I'll never have time for her."

"Who did speak of working 24/7 or even touring? I just want to start getting the band back together, collect a few ideas, y'know?" 

"Yeah. But I don't know if I'm ready for that just yet. Yeah, you had your break, you're maybe done with your self-finding..." 

"Don't call it like that!" Self-finding, what an expression. As if I needed therapy or something. I was doing fine, I just needed to work and stop being lazy. 

"Well whatever. But I just want to say I at least still need a month on my own, to sort some things out. After that we can talk. Have you asked the boys yet?" 

In fact I hadn't. We still weren't on best terms. I had hoped Richie could do this for me. But if he was so busy, I couldn't help it. Then I would start alone with writing more songs and making demos. He could join me when he finished his love life arrangements.

I didn't know why I got so fed up. I knew I had no right to be. He had waited for me getting my life back for almost a year and then I was being impatient with him, as if he was the problem. But I knew I just needed to start doing something very soon. Otherwise it would drive me crazy.

Laziness had never been one of my qualities. Call me a workaholic, but my body just told me to do something. And if I didn't listen to that I would start feeling bad about myself again.

So at the end of the day Rich and I decided to take at least another month off, then maybe play some small local shows to get to know each other again and then to start the album at the beginning of the next year. 

Means I got another month to travel the country. But this time I would really concentrate on writing.

29. November 1991, Colorado, USA

Janet's  POV