Gift of Love

Chapter 2
Climbing out of the Escalade, Joanne stood off to the side by the entrance to the hotel as the kids climbed out of the vehicle, slowly making their way inside the lobby of the hotel. Seemed jet lag was catching up with a few of the kids, particularly the younger ones who seemed to be moving a little slower than normal.

Since the reservations had been made months ago, check in was fairly simple and within minutes they were in the elevator heading up to their rooms. No sooner had the doors to their suites been opened before the kids were checking out their rooms while the wives of Jovi stood in the hall making plans to meet up in the Bongiovi suite in a little while. As Joanne stepped inside the suite she had to hand it to the boys, they had done well. Closing the door behind her, she leaned her body against it while remembering a conversation she had with Jon just a few weeks before. Jon had been in a snit due to the fact that the rooms he and the guys usually stayed in while at this hotel during their stay in London were unavailable. It didn’t help that the hotel was completely booked during the time they would be here which meant the guys would have to bunk up like the old days. He had been so angry that he even threatened to go to another hotel. It took some doing on her part, but somehow she had managed to not only calm him down but talk him out of going to another hotel. Not an easy thing to do when faced with the Bongiovi temper. She couldn’t wait to see his face when he found out the real reason why the rooms were taken. The kids had made sure to book a suite for each of their dads, that way the families could enjoy some private family time.

Pushing herself off the door, Joanne took in the elegance of the suite. A beautiful entryway led you down a short hall where it stopped just before leading you into the massive living room. As she walked, she could see that to the left of the hall was where the kids rooms were. To the right, there was another short hallway that led her to the kitchen area complete with every appliance known to man. A breakfast nook was off to the side of the kitchen and a table was placed near the sliding glass window where the family could eat while enjoying the view. Another few steps took her into the formal dining area; the room was done in a soft white with royal blue carpet and the table could easily seat the band and their families. A gorgeous chandelier hung from the ceiling. Walking out of the kitchen, Joanne could see the master suite tucked towards the back of the suite, giving her and Jon plenty of privacy.

Heading back to the living room, Joanne could hear both Bobby and Michael, his 17 year old brother, arguing over who was getting the bigger bed. Shaking her head Joanne had to laugh when she heard Sabrina yelling at her brothers from her room to shut up, she was trying to read. The boys can figure the bed situation out all on their own, Joanne thought while stepping into the plush living room that was done in various shades of blue.

Gearing herself up for the infamous Bongiovi temper she knew so well, Joanne went looking for her 2 youngest, ready to have a face off when she informed them that a nap was called for if they wanted to have fun tonight. Even though they were both past the age of taking naps, Eric being 10, and Leigh Anne almost 8, she knew it was vital, otherwise the night would be miserable for everyone, including her.

Walking around one of the large, overstuffed black couches sitting in the middle of the room she was stunned by what she was seeing. There lying curled up on the floor, each with a pillow taken from the couch perched underneath their heads, were her babies, both were sound asleep. They had even been too tired to turn on the massive flat screen hanging on the wall. Guess I don’t have to worry about that battle. 

With Jon already at the Arena and with her 2 youngest sleeping, Joanne decided to take a few moments for herself. Going into the massive bedroom suite, Joanne took a minute to look around the room. The room was done in soft earth tones, the plush carpet was a deep rich brown that your feet sank into with every step. The curtains were a stunning bronze with a touch of brown intertwined, setting off the light beige walls. The stunning, California king, 4 poster bed was nestled against the far wall, draped in rich maroon colors setting off the dark mahogany finish. Night stands were placed on opposite sides of the bed. On his nightstand was a picture of the 2 of them taken last Christmas, in it they were standing next to the tree with their arms around each other smiling as they gazed into each others eyes. Giving herself a soft shake, Joanne turned to see a matching dresser sitting in the corner of the room with fresh flowers in a vase perched on top. A flat screen TV was hanging from the wall directly in front of the bed.

 Crossing over to the bed, Joanne opened her suitcase, deciding to unpack before hitting the shower. Opening the door to the huge walk in closet, she could see Jon’s clothes already hanging up, just seeing them brought a smile to her lips. Running her hand over the fabric of his dark green dress shirt, she took a second to smell the fabric. His scent washed over her like a warm spring rain. She could feel the ache in her heart that was always present when he was on tour.

 When she was finished putting her things away, Joanne made her way down the hall to the girls room. Popping her head inside the doorway, she observed Sabrina laying on her bed minding her own business.

"Hey pumpkin, I am going to take a shower while Eric and Leigh Anne are napping. Would you mind keeping an eye on them for me? I won’t be long, just want to freshen up a little.”

 Looking up from her book, Sabrina nodded. "Go ahead, Mom. I know you want to look pretty for Dad.”

  Out of the 5 kids she had given birth to, Sabrina was the only one who looked like her. Sabrina was just 15 years old, but she was a mirror image of her mom. From her chestnut brown hair, to her deep brown eyes, to the dimple on her chin, she was her mother’s clone, no doubt about it. The other 4 kids took after their father, beautiful blonde hair with those damn sparkling, bright blue eyes.

 Crossing the room, Joanne gave her daughter a quick hug.

"Thanks, pumpkin."

She set off for her shower. 30 minutes later, Joanne emerged from the room feeling a whole lot better than when she went in. She dressed in skin tight black jeans, the kind that hugged every curve (especially her ass which was her husband’s favorite part of her body). A long sleeved deep red silk blouse that was cut to accent her still firm breasts was tucked into her jeans. Knowing how much her Jonny loved her long hair hanging down, she added some mousse to give it a little extra body and bounce and to help hold against London’s weather. Gracing her feet were her favorite, or truth be told Jon’s favorite, 4" black stilettos, he said they drove him wild. Hmmm, could be the reason why we have 5 kids, Joanne giggled to herself as she walked down the hall.

Upon entering the living room, she was surprised to see Eric and Leigh Anne already up from their nap. She was about to ask how they slept when a knock at the door stopped her. Striding over to the door Joanne opened it only to be greeted by the sight of Isabel, Richie’s wife, standing there holding onto her 5 year old son Joseph’s hand. Now Isabel was one of those natural beauties with long honey blonde hair that fell to her waist in soft curls, beautiful high cheekbones with beautiful green eyes, complimented her light almost porcelain complexion. At 5’ 8" she had a curvy figure only enhanced by motherhood. She was a beauty to be reckoned with. Richie loved every one of her curves. How did Joanne know this? Simple, he told her every chance he got! When Joseph heard his cousins playing in the other room, he broke free from his mother’s grasp and flew past Joanne. Stepping into the entryway, Isabel pointed to her son. "That little boy is so much like his father it’s downright scary!"

 Over the next few minutes, the rest of the clan gathered in the suite. While the kids were running around playing tag, the moms kept watch, hoping they wouldn’t break anything. As the younger kids played the rest of the group settled on the 2 sofas wanting to go over the plan one final time. Bobby stood up and began to pace the room as he talked. So much like his father, Joanne thought

“Okay, so just before they start to play ‘Summertime’, Uncle Obie is going to kill the mics while Uncle Tony will dim the lights on stage. He will then point a light towards the side of the stage where all of us will be standing." Turning to face the group, Bobby spoke again, "Does everyone understand the plan?"

When he was satisfied that everyone knew what to do, the group dispersed. As everyone headed back to their rooms to gather what they would need for the evening, (since they wouldn’t be returning until after the show), Joanne took a second to speak with her oldest son. "Your dad will be so proud of you when he finds out what you have done."

Looking at all of her kids, Joanne corrected herself, "He will be proud of all of you." Standing up, they enjoyed a group hug before leaving the suite. This was going to be a night that her husband would never forget.