Not This Time

Prologue (June 20, 1982)

     "Tonight's ours, but baby, in the mornin'," John sang, "I'll be gone!" He held the last note as long as he could and closed out the song. The crowd clapped and some people even cheered. John grinned, catching his breath, and scanned the crowd for his girlfriend. He didn't see her, but he knew she was there somewhere.
     It was a great feeling being up on the stage, people clapping for you. John knew this was what he was born to do. All he needed was a bigger audience. He was certain one day he'd have it, certain that, one day, he'd play for stadiums.
     "Thank you, Sayreville!" John called out to the crowd in front of him, "I'm John Bongiovi, and these are the Wild Ones telling you goodnight!"
     Some people in the crowd cheered some more as the stage went black and the musicians started putting their instruments away. John was coiling up the club's mic cable when someone all but tackled him from the side.
     "That was amazing, babe!" Dorothea chirped excitedly. John grinned and turned to her, tying up the coil. Dorothea wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. With a chuckle, John returned the hug with an arm around her shoulder.
     "Thanks," he said as he let her go, "Let me finish clearing stage and I'll join you out there."
     Dorothea nodded. "No rush, Nadia's here." John frowned up at her. Dorothea only smiled. "And Dan."
     "Dan's here?" John mused, raising an eyebrow as he took his guitar off the stand. Last John had had heard, his friend Dan had gone off to college to study medicine. He didn't think he'd see his friend again for a long time.
     Dorothea nodded again. "Yeah, he said you sounded great. Y'know in the way he does," she laughed.
     John smirked. "So, like a girl?"
     "I dunno, Johnny," Dorothea joked, "that last note was pretty high."
     John looked up at her and straightened. "And you love it."
     "That I do." Dorothea leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. With that, she turned and said over her shoulder, "I'll see you down there." John smiled and pushed her away playfully. She glared at him with a smirk and continued on her way.
     Once the stage was clear and the band's instruments were all packed away, John stepped out of backstage and looked around. He high fived a few people in the crowd who offered him some compliments about the gig. He didn't see Dorothea, or Dan, or even Nadia for that matter. Not that he minded that last bit.
     John wandered through the crowd. He could tell some people were drunk, others were high, some were a little of both. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, though. The club was playing house music now. Aerosmith's Walk This Way could be heard over the random conversations John passed.
     Out of nowhere, there was a crash and laughter over by the bar. John turned to look, but so did everyone else; he couldn't see anything through people's heads.
     A young woman went running past him, laughing hysterically. John's eyes followed her for only a moment before he turned back to see where she'd come from and why she was running. As soon as he did so, another woman was in front of him, throwing an arm around his neck and turning him around entirely as she brought her other hand up to his cheek and kissed him right on the lips.
     John didn't know what else to do besides kiss the woman back. His hands had already settled on her waist, as if they belonged there. She pressed closer to him and just barely slipped the tip of her tongue between his lips. Some woman John didn't know was sending him reeling and John was defenseless. His heart was racing. He couldn't think clearly. It was like the high he used to get from some of the drugs he'd tried in high school: euphoric. And just as quickly as it had begun, it was over.
     The woman withdrew an inch or so for a breath, her eyes flicking up to look at him for barely a second. "Bye," she breathed. She gave him one last quick peck on the lips before pulling away and running off after the other girl.
     John gaped, finally remembering to breathe. What the hell had just happened? He looked around in confusion, absently meeting the stares of strangers who would quickly look away in response. John licked his lips. Rum and Coke. That's what she tasted like. John took a shuddering breath and ran his hands through his hair. He seemed to be the only one still reeling from what had just happened.
     John ran his hand over his mouth, as if he could wipe away the residual feeling of her lips against his. He looked in the direction she'd gone, toward the door. Dorothea was standing about twenty feet away with her arms crossed, watching him.
     "There you are!" John exclaimed, stepping toward her. Dorothea didn't respond. John rubbed her arms and raised his eyebrow. "Where were you hiding when I came out?"
     Dorothea looked up at him with a straight face. "I was outside, with Nadia and Dan," she replied, "Nadia was showing us her new car." John could tell she was upset. He figured she'd probably seen that woman kiss him, but he had to ask.
     "Dotty, what's the matter?"
     "Hey, John!" Dan's voice called as he appeared behind Dorothea. John glanced at him for only a fraction of a second before bringing his gaze back to his girlfriend.
     "Babe?"
     "I can't believe you even have to ask!" Dorothea growled, "You really shouldn't." She took a step back and turned, shoving past Dan on her way out. Dan looked between her and John and gave him a confused look. John rolled his eyes and went after her with a shake of his head.
     Both John and Dan got outside shortly after Dorothea. She was already half way through the crowded parking lot to Nadia's new Mercedes. John hated that Nadia was showing him up with that car.
     "Dotty," John called, finally catching up with her a few feet away from Nadia's car. He reached out a hand to turn Dorothea around. She turned with another frown. "If this is about that girl in there, she kissed me."
     She glared. "You weren't exactly pushing her away, John!" Dorothea snapped. John shook his head in disbelief. He hadn't even had time to think about pushing her away.
     "Yeah, you're right, Dotty," John retorted in frustration, "I wasn't pushing her away because I didn't get a chance. She was gone before I could. I don't know her, I'll probably never see her again!"
     Dorothea scowled. "So I'm supposed to believe that you didn't know her?" she challenged.
     "That's right," John answered.
     "Really?"
     "Yeah!"
     "Really?!" Dorothea snapped, stepping toward him.
     "Yes!" John snapped back, closing the space between them and holding his arms out like he'd hug her. Dorothea uncrossed her arms and punched his arm with each word she said.
     "You. Pulled. Her. Closer!" she shouted. John took a step backward, holding his arm. He was shocked. Why was she doubting him?
     "She pulled closer on her own!" he retorted, rubbing his arm in aggravation.
     Dorothea scoffed in disbelief. "Y'know, Nadia warned me about you. Maybe I should have listened!"
     John narrowed his eyes incredulously. "Nadia warned you about me?" John glared past Dorothea at her friend. "Nadia doesn't know shit about me," he barked, loud enough to be directed at Nadia.
     "I know about guys like you, Mr. Super Star Wannabe!" Nadia responded.
     "What did I ever do to you, huh?" John shouted. Nadia started to answer, but John cut her off, "Get lost!" John looked back down at Dorothea and flipped Nadia off over her head when Nadia tried again to speak. "Babe, don't listen to her. She doesn't know anything about us."
     "You're gonna-" Nadia began.
     Dorothea turned, shaking her head at her friend. "Nadia, let me handle this," she hissed. Nadia frowned, but shut her mouth and looked away.
     Dorothea turned back to John with an insecure frown. "Is this how it's gonna be when you make it?" she asked him quietly, taking both of his hands, "I mean, when we're out together, can you at least pretend like you're my boyfriend?"
     John frowned. "I didn't know I had to pretend," he grumbled, "I thought I was your boyfriend." Dorothea gave him a look and frowned right back.
     "I thought you were too," she replied, letting go of his hands and crossing her arms again. John was taken aback. He wasn't sure how to take that. He paused for a moment, trying to figure her out. He shook his head.
     "What are you saying?" he asked softly, "Am I not your boyfriend anymore?"
     "Not if you're going to keep acting like that!" Dorothea hissed.
     John gaped at her a little. "Acting like what?" he scoffed, "I didn't do anything!"
     Dorothea glared, scoffed, and punched his arm again.
     John grimaced and rubbed his arm again. "Hey, Black Belt Betty, stop punching me!" he muttered. The comment brought a small smile to Dorothea's face, encouraging John to continue. "Babe, have a little faith in me. I'd never forgive myself if I lost you."
     "Why not? Any girl you want, whenever you want," she said, "That's the rock n' roll dream, right? I can get along fine if you choose that. I can find love elsewhere." She paused and then added softly, "Why wouldn't you choose that over me..?"
     John brought his hands to her cheeks and leaned his forehead against hers. "Because I love you, Dotty," he sighed, "You're the only girl I want. Please believe me. I don't know her. I don't want her. She's not you."
     Dorothea didn't completely smile, but her frown faded into something less hostile and she seemed satisfied with that answer. John gave her a quick kiss and smirked.
     "Besides," he chuckled, leaning back so that he could see her face, "Rule number one of dating: never cheat on a black belt."
     Dorothea offered a wry smile at that. "I'm going to learn Karate, just for that! Just so you never cheat on me." John grinned and Dorothea's smile grew too. She punched his arm again, playfully. "Don't you forget!" she joked. John threw his arm around Dorothea. He glared over her head at Nadia before escorting his girlfriend back toward the bar, where Dan could be seen hanging around the entrance with the rest of John's band.