Chapter twelve

When they were trying to get Steph and Jesse to bed after dinner the doorbell rang. Jesse ran full speed to the door and opened it.

“RICHIE!” he screamed and launched himself into the guitar player’s arms.

“Hey, buddy. Why are you running around here in your pyjamas?” he asked while he picked him up.

“Cause he’s a bad boy and doesn’t wanna go to bed.” Was Jon’s breathless reply. This kid was fast. Dammit, I’m getting old. Richie laughed when he saw his exhausted friend.

“What are you doing here anyway?” Jon asked and pulled a now crying Jesse into his arms.

“Well, don’t we have this…thing…tomorrow morning? I thought I help you out.” Richie answered.

Jon chuckled. “I already thought I have to do it alone. Come on, you can help us get them to bed.” He walked up stairs.

“Richie.” Steph jumped out of her bed again when she saw him in the hallway.

“Stephanie Rose!” Dot was close to explode. Tonight was one of these nights again. Richie picked the little girl up and carried her back into her room.

“Hi Dot.” He kissed her cheek. She shook her head and knew very well that he tried to calm her down with that smile.

“So, where is the new edition to the family?” Richie asked when they were finally walking downstairs again. Jon frowned.

“You better don’t say things like that when you meet her.” Was his dry comment.

“No humor, huh? Runs in the family. Poor girl.” Richie joked, but stopped when he saw the look on Jon’s face.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“She just had been through a lot and she isn’t used to people who love her or care…or hug her.” Dot added.

“Wow.” Richie didn’t know what to say. “Do you have any information about her?”

“No, not really. Just the few hints she gave us so far.” Jon sighed. “She’s very withdrawn.”

“I see.” Richie said and tried to remain reticent, when he entered the room with the grand piano. He stopped surprised when he noticed that blond girl playing piano very well.

Kris stopped playing when he saw her father standing next to the piano.

“What?” she asked aggressive. She was still pissed at him.

“Don’t start like that again, Kris. I tried to explain why I was angry earlier.” Jon told her off. Her eyes narrowed.

“I would like you to meet my best friend…” he gestured towards his wingman. “…this is Richie, he’s playing guitar in the band…” he looked at Richie. “…Rich, my daughter Kris.”

Kris turned around and stared at Richie like a deer in the headlights. He smiled and shook her hand softly. “Hi, darling.”

“Hi.” She stumbled. Oh, shit! Why does he have to be tall, dark and handsome…and those browns eyes. I’m so screwed…


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The next day Kris was still angry with Jon. She couldn’t lose the feeling that he wanted to control her. It was a good thing that Dot was taking her to school, because Jon had some early business calls to attend, before he and Richie had another radio interview in NY.

After dropping Steph and Jesse off, Dot stopped in front of the high school.

“When you are coming home this afternoon, Jon, Richie and I will not be there. We all have some things to do in NY, but we’ll be back around 5 p.m. Steph and Jess are with Jon’s parents, ok?”

“Ok, fine.” Kris said and jumped out of the car.



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When Jon and Dot were coming home that afternoon after they dropped Richie off at his parent’s place, they saw a black dirty rusty car standing in front of the house.

“Do you expect someone?” Jon said while passing the car.

“No, but maybe Kris brought friends home.” Dot guessed. Jon frowned slightly. He didn’t like strangers in his house when he wasn’t there.

“Jon. Be nice.” Dot warned before opening the door.

“Yeah, yeah…” he answered.

Entering the house, he could hear the TV in the living room. Walking in, he stopped dead.

Kris was lying on the couch; a guy on top of her. They were kissing and…their tops were gone. Kris’ hands were running through his dark brown hair and up and down his back, while one of his hands was on her breasts and the other was wandering down her belly to the waist band of her jeans....their hips were moving…like, like….Jon finally snapped out of his shock.

“HEH!” he yelled. Oh, what a great sentence. But it worked.

They guy jumped up immediately and Jon figured out that he probably interrupted them in the last minute. That guy could barely walk.

Dot ran in, because she heard Jon yelling and stopped with wide open eyes.

“What the fuck…?” She was dreaming, right?

“Uhm…uhm…I better go.” the guy stuttered and left with his shirt in his hand. That look on her father’s face was murderous.

Kris stood there with her hands on her hips. “What are you thinking?” she asked and tried to get her breathing under control.

That’s it, Jon thought. “What AM I thinking? What are YOU thinking?” he yelled. “And put your top back on!”

Kris flushed and grabbed her shirt. “That’s not your business. It’s my life.” And I fuck who I want to fuck, she thought. Be happy that I didn’t jump Richie last night.

“Oh, really? Well, I let you in, in a little secret! I AM your father, this is my business and there’s definitely no room for SEX in your life!” he was furious by now.

“Jon...” Dot tried to calm him down.

“No, Dorothea! Don’t try to defend her!” Dot backed off, when he was calling her with her full name, he was more than pissed.

Kris looked at him defiant, her eyes narrowed, but didn’t say a word. Instead she picked up the package of cigarettes the guy left back. When walking past Jon, he grabbed her strong at her arm, taking the cigarettes out of her hand and looked her deep in the eyes.

“I want you to come back from school immediately when the last lesson is over! And if you are not here with the first bus, I’ll come and get you!” he said with clenched teeth and a scary calm voice.

Shit! Dot thought. She knew he would explode in the next seconds. Please, Kris, please…..just go upstairs, she pleaded in her mind.

Luckily Kris did that. Still fuming Jon ran around in the living room.

“FUCK!” he yelled and threw the cigarettes against the wall.

“Jon, calm down please.” Dot said.

“How? How should I calm down? She nearly had SEX with that idiot.” He screamed.

“She’s sixteen! Do you remember what we did when we were sixteen?” she tried to calm him again.

“That’s something completely different!” he replied.

“Why?” Dot was curious.

“Cause I loved you, you loved me, we loved us… when we were sixteen. We knew each other for several months before we slept the first time with each other. She…” He pointed upstairs. “…she can only know this guy for not even 72 hours.”

He wouldn’t calm down. “She can’t love him!...Oh, and by the way do you see condoms here?...Why is she doing things like that?” he couldn’t understand it.

“Maybe she wants to feel loved.” Dot said carefully.

Jon turned around and looked at her surprised. “I DO love her, Dot!” he said a bit hurt.

“I know that, Jon. I can see it, because I know you. But she doesn’t and it’s obvious that she’s not able to deal with emotions very well. Something that’s not new for you, right? You know how difficult it can be. You learned over the years to at least let me see all your feelings.” Jon sighed and let himself fall onto the couch.

“And…” he looked at Dot again. “We shouldn’t forget that she never had the chance to rebel against her father. Everyone is doing it in a different way. You did it with your long hair, I simply by being together with you.”

“You…you…you mean she did that on purpose?” he was stunned.

“Well, I don’t know. All I know is that I told her we would be back around 5 p.m.” Dot said shrugging her shoulders.

Jon looked at his watch. 5:10 pm. SHIT!