Chapter Four

“Not the reaction we usually, get,” Jon grinned at her.

Blushing, Sophia tried to pull herself together. “Damn, darlin’, sorry about that. Welcome to Breathe. What brings y’all out tonight?”

Jon answered, “The concierge at the hotel recommended this place as an out-of-the way joint. Now, I’ve gotta admit, it was so full, we nearly kept going. You had us hooked with your fancy fiddle playin’. But we were intrigued by this education you’re promising.” He was giving her the once-over. She felt his gaze rake over her and her heart thumped loudly in her chest.

Richie winked at her. “Actually I think Jon was hooked on your tight body, but hey, what do I know?” Jon glared at him, but Richie just laughed it off. “Hey, I’d like a run at the next set, if it’s alright with you,” he motioned to the stage. “Your friends up there aren’t doing too bad with our music, and I brought my Strat,” he said, showing her his guitar case. “Although, I wouldn’t mind taking a spin on your Gretch there.”

Still blushing, Sophia answered, “Of course, you’re more than welcome to help yourself, darlin’; we’d be honored.” Damn, girl, snap out of it. She turned to Jon. “What about you? Y’all need anything? Or are ya content to just hang out here?”

“I need to see what’s under that hat,” he said before he could stop himself. Richie cackled and punched Jon in the arm before heading toward the stage with his beer and guitar.

Sophia just stared, then burst out laughing. “Darlin’, ya had me going there.”

Jon chuckled himself. “Damn, sorry, about that. Don’t know what got hold of me there. No, I’m good. I think I’ll just listen for a while.”

Sophia got herself under control. “All right. Y’all just signal one of us over at the bar there if you need anything.”

Lucien was watching the interaction. Once the pair of men removed their sunglasses, he could tell who the two were. It looked like the others in the bar were beginning to realize who they were, too. Nobody got up to bother them, however. The crowd was preoccupied with the show yet to come. At one point, Lucien saw Sophia flinch and was getting ready to intervene, but he backed off when he saw her laughing and turn to leave the table.

When Sophia got back to the bar, Antonio leaned over. “Boss, you’ve got to see what’s going on up on stage; Will’s in need of some help.”

She turned around, seeing the look on Will’s face as he shook hands with Richie. He was awe-struck. Sambora was one of his idols. Smiling, she went up to the stage. Sophia whispered something in Will’s ear that made him laugh, and seemed to shake him out of his stupor.

Richie was quietly warming up on her 12-string. “Nice instrument,” he said to her. “How long you been playing?”

“Seems like all my life,” she replied, smiling wistfully, her eyes misting slightly.

Sophia had been strumming and singing as long as she could remember. Her father had had a love for good guitar music, and she had grown up listening to Hendrix, Townshend, Page, Clapton, and other masters of the axe. She introduced her father to her discovery of Richie in he 80’s, and he grudgingly agreed that this long-haired kid was pretty damn good. She and her dad had played together all the time, and she missed that; she missed him.

“Sorry, baby, didn’t mean to make you sad,” Richie said, looking sheepish.

“Not sad, darlin’; just reflecting on a happy memory. C’mon, let’s make another – let’s play.”

With that, she picked up her own Strat, and started playing the introduction to an immediately recognizable Eagles tune. The crowd gathered in the bar applauded, and she stopped, taking a mock bow. She addressed the audience. “This is one of my favorite songs for the guitar, as y’all know!” The crowd laughed along with her. “Tonight, we’re honored to be joined on stage by one of the true masters of his craft, Richie Sambora. If he’d consent, I’d love to do this one with him.” Richie nodded, the crowd cheered, and the pair started to play.

Sophia and Richie sang in perfect harmony. They played together as if they’d done it all their lives. The rest of the group on stage stayed silent, just listening to the magic happen, though he could see some of their hands twitching - they wanted to play. Jon could relate; he felt himself itching to join them onstage when he tuned in to her voice again, which was pure and clear:

There she stood in the doorway;
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself,
this could be heaven or this could be hell
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor,
I thought I heard them say

After they finished that song, Sophia shook Richie’s hand and begged off playing another song. She left the stage to the guys, who eased into a Clint Black standard.

Goddamn, what a night. Sophia couldn’t believe she had been playing guitar and singing with one of the most gifted musicians she’s ever met. Not to mention being watched by that other fabulous man in her audience. She let her gaze stray to where he sat. He was still looking at her. Sophia turned away, fanning her face with her hand. How the hell am I going to get through the 1am set with these two hanging around?

With a sigh, and a straightening of her shoulders, suck it up sweetheart, Sophia made her way back to the bar. She had Antonio pour her a glass of wine from the private stock she kept hidden behind the bar. She slid up onto a stool and glanced over to the booth where Jon was sitting. He was watching her, so she raised her glass in salute. He raised his own glass, which was nearly empty, she noticed, and signaled for her to join him. She nodded at him, and had one of the boys pull another draft.

“Special treatment for the celeb, boss?” Antonio teased.

“Can it, babe,” she retorted, with a smile. Beer in hand, she turned from the bar. Under her breath, she muttered, “Here’s to a night I’ll never forget.” Shaking, she made her way across the room again.

“Can you sit a minute? I want to ask you something,” he asked. She set the beer down in front of him, and sat across from him, leaning in to hear him better. And, to get a closer look at him. Damn, what a fine, fine looking man. His eyes were sparkling blue; a clearer blue than the Texas sky. Tiny laugh lines crinkled in the corners of his eyes, making him look even sexier, if that was even possible. She saw his mouth moving, but missed what he said. She was lost in the sexy grin, gravelly voice, and beautiful mouth forming words. Words! Shit!

“Sorry, what was that?” she asked.

“I said thanks for the refill, and asked what you said to your friend up there to made him laugh so hard.” Jon was grinning, noticing her star-struck expression. On her, it was cute, not creepy.

Sophia smiled at the memory. “I just told him to remember that Richie probably pisses on his boots when he’s drunk, just like the rest of them, and to relax. Don’t know if it’s true or not, but it did the trick for Will.”

Jon laughed a deep, throaty laugh that sent strange little shocks through Sophia’s body. “That’s priceless,” he said. They settled in to listen to the music, chatting a little about the guys in the band and how they all met and stayed together through the years. She mentioned that their women were all at the concert last night, and thanked him on their behalf for the wild night they had afterwards.

Lucien came over at 12:30. “Boss, you wanna go get ready for your 1am set?”

Sophia wasn’t sure. Should she keep her promise to her regulars, or err on the side of caution, given who her surprise guests were. After a minute, she nodded.

Jon winged an exquisite eyebrow. “Yeah, so what’s so damn special about this 1am set? What is this ‘education’ thing? Even the concierge at the hotel is talking about it.”

Sophia blushed. She seemed to be doing that a lot tonight. “If you must know, I promised my regulars – the men anyway – to explain to them why their women are all hot and bothered after one of your shows. Don’t know if that’s something y’all need to hang around for. You’re welcome to stay, of course. Just don’t think I’m crazy, or anything, darlin’. The boys I had this planned long before y’all came in here tonight.”

Jon laughed, smiling widely. “I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart. I’ve got to hear this.”

Sophia grinned back at him. Damn, but he has a heart-breaking smile. “All right, but don’t say I didn’t warn ya. I’ve gotta go get ready. Hold on to your hat, darlin’.” With that, she tipped her hat to him and left the room, going through the pool room to the staircase that led to her apartments above the bar.