Eighteen

She opened the door to her apartment with a groan. The entire day had been one freakish mishap after another, important documents misfiled, her computer blowing a gasket and freezing causing her to lose all her work. All she wanted to do this very second was take a shower and collapse onto her bed. Dropping her keys onto the table by the door she stepped out of her shoes and let clothing drop as she made her way to the bathroom. She’d shower first, sometimes that revived her, besides she’d promised a chapter and she knew that the girls and Stephen both were looking forward to it.

Thirty minutes later, her body refreshed and her mind a little less frazzled she exited the kitchen, cup of soup, sandwich and Pepsi in hand to settle herself at the computer. Running through her boot-up and logging on she was soon sitting and staring at the forums main screen. Like a perfect little sentinel her message icon was blinking furiously her way.

Shaking her head she opened the page only to find a message from the JokersWild. She should have known it was too soon for Stephen, usually took him a few hours to respond. Opening the message her eyes grew wide.

Subject: Re: What the holy hell ….

Well hello there gorgeous goddess of the fiction realm! I bet you thought you’d never hear from me again right? If my intuition is right you read my last message and filed me straight into the cuckoo category? I mean after all, no way in hell an actual member of Bon Jovi would know anything about computers, we’re just rock stars right babe? *evil grin*

So I decided to prove it, yep ya heard me, gonna prove to ya that I am who I say I am. The link at the bottom is a small movie, I think its very illuminating baby. Should be something you enjoy.

Joker.

Lindsay’s eyes widened. There at the bottom of the message was a download link? What the hell did this weirdo think he was doing. She grinned as she clicked the link, she had the best of the best in viral and online protection, if it was a virus or something icky her computer wouldn’t accept it.

Within moments the download started. As the file downloaded she checked out the forum, posting in a few of the games, then headed towards the fiction area. Might as well get started on the new chapter, she had some hot and heavy writing to do.

She was deep into edits on the chapter she’d penned when the download chirped at her to alert her to its finished state. Pulling away from edits she shook her head to clear it of the heated thoughts and opened the file. Seeing no alerts from her virus program she waited as her media program started to load. Now wonder why that’s opening up, Joker sent me a song?

She watched, her green eyes going wider and wider as a door opened and David Bryan’s voice teased a snarly sleepy Jon into saying her forum name and getting cursed out in the process. The scene changed to another doorway opening and her eyes narrowed as what looked like Tico Torres answered. She heard the words filtering back on the movie, and shook her head. There was just no way.

“Tico dude, I’m planning a joke..”

“Joker when are ya not planning a joke man?” Tico’s brow lifted as he chewed on one of his ever present cigars.

“Man, you know me too well.” The camera zoomed in closer on Tico’s face. “Just say something for me? Say Hi Rosary darlin.”

Tico’s brow lifted, “Well that’s easy enough man. Hi Rosary Darlin.”

Lindsay leaned back, her head shaking. No fucking way, it wasn’t possible!

The scene faded in from black, and there in a chair laptop on his lap was the man himself.

“What the hell you doing man?”

“Making memories?”

One long middle finger lifted, “Fuck off man.”

She heard a snort as the camera zoomed in on that oh too familiar face, her heart racing crazily as she caught the intent look in his brown eyes. The voice that was off camera started and pulled her out of her suddenly heated thoughts.

“So whatcha doing Richie?”

“None ya damn business Joker.” Richie twisted and winked, his hand reaching for the lens, “Now take your toy and scoot like a good boy, I’m busy.”

The screen went dark as his hand obviously reached the lens, all she could do was listen.

“Waiting for a love letter dude? Oh wait you don’t have a blonde bimbo around.”

A voice that she knew was Richie’s laughed before saying, “Yeah only blonde bimbo in my life man is you.”

“Ohhh I know you loved me man.”

Lindsay was shaking by the time it faded to black, her hand moving to cut off the player, only to stall as the scene started to fade in again. This time it looked like a hotel room, the camera seemed more secure as there was no jiggling with the picture, and there before her was a pacing seemingly aggravated Richie.

“What’s got you all hot and heavy to get on the net today my brother?”

Richie growled, “It’s been fuckin’ days man, days since I was honest and told her about being a guy, days since she posted a fuckin’ chapter. Shit if I wasn’t on tour I’d….”

“You’d what man?”

“I dunno what damn it all, but I’d figure something out.” Richie moved over to the window and plopped into a chair, his laptop opening,“I dunno what it is about this place, or that one particular person, but I like it. Hell I like creating a new world and well I gotta admit she’s fun to talk too, has a very different outlook on things than most people.” He glanced up and shrugged. “It’s a better way to occupy my time than brooding and drinking, ya gotta admit that.”

“So, maybe its cuz she just treats ya like any other guy, you’re not *Richie Sambora* ya know?”

Richie shrugged as a smile bloomed on his lips. “Yeah maybe it’s that man. All I know is I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next. Linds is just a cool person.”

“Who the hell is Linds?”

Richie glanced up, his eyes sparkling. “You know the girl whose story you read? RosaryDarlin. Her name is Linds.”

The scene faded suddenly as she heard the final words, “so you see RosaryDarlin, sometimes a rose is a rose and sometimes ya just don’t know what kinda flower you’ve plucked.”

Her hands flew from the keyboard as she stood and moved away from the computer. There was no way, shit there was just no way. It had to be a fake, a good splicing of many little videos. She turned and looked back at her computer screen, her heart thundering as the moments played over and over in her mind. Richie at a computer, Richie and the guys saying her name. It wasn’t possible was it?

She moved back to the comp and played the video again. Dear God, how why? They couldn’t have, they wouldn’t.. THEY DID?

She maximized her browser, her fear and horror sending her spiraling into the I gotta vanish my god I’m so humiliated zone, and clicked the link to her profile, ready to delete her very forum account. Her finger hovered over the button as she listened to their voices, listened to Richie as he said . “It’s a better way to occupy my time than brooding and drinking, ya gotta admit that.”

Well Fuck.