Chapter 38

Jon landed in Chicago just after 8 am local time, 9 am in New York. He got up from his seat, took out his bags and got off the place onto the tarmac. Richie was right behind him and got in the car after him.

“Good morning.” Richie said, he had slept the whole flight and just woke up.

“Morning.” Jon answered him.

“So what’s the planning for today?” Richie wanted to know.

“Hotel fitness room, lunch and getting everything ready, sound check at 4.” Jon listed.

“4? And we’re here at 9?” Richie asked, sure they could have left later and still would have been on time.

“8,” Jon corrected him, “We like to be on time.” Jon pointed out, he had planned everything out for the afternoon and this way he could still spend some time in the gym.

They arrived at the hotel 20 minutes later, got their bags and went up to their rooms. Jon got out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. When he took off his jeans he took his cell phone out of his pocket and threw it on the bed, he changed and got his phone back, phoning Melody.

“Hey, are you working?” He asked when she answered him.

“Yeah, but its ok, I can talk.” Melody said, “Daniel hired someone new and I just showed her around, she can work on her own for a minute. Did you land ok?”

“Yeah, just got to the hotel and I’ll be off to the gym.”

“Ugh.” Melody grunted hearing the word gym, Jon laughed at her.

“I will convince you.” He said certain that he would.

“No you won’t, don’t even try.” Melody said.

Jon asked why she hadn’t phoned him back and Melody explained he was right and she slept till 8.30. Jon apologized for waking her up that early but Melody pointed out they wouldn’t have had last night, which Jon agreed to.

Jon promised to phone Melody again when she got off of work, and said goodbye to her. He put his phone away and went down to the gym.

Melody put her phone in her jeans pocket, checked on the new girl and went into Daniel’s office as he had asked earlier. He explained her his other employee had quit and he had hired this girl, she would be working 5 days a week instead of 4 like the girl before and he wouldn’t really need Melody on Tuesday’s anymore but would like if she would still come anyway as it was the only time he saw his little sister. Melody agreed and made sure she would still have next Tuesday off.

“Does Jonny have a day off?” Daniel teased her.

“Yes, Jonny does, he’s meeting the kids next week.” Melody explained.

“When do I get to meet Jonny?” Daniel asked, of course he wanted to meet him, he had started his record store because of his love for all kinds of music.

“You get to meet him when you come over for Faith’s birthday.” Melody pointed out.

“Come on, I’m your favourite brother.”

“You’re sure of that?” Melody asked.

“You haven’t talked to Dean since Christmas, so yes, I’m sure.”

Melody couldn’t deny that. “You’ll still meet him next month; gather some more music info to talk about by then.” Melody said and went back to the store.

She sat back behind the register, preferring that to putting cd’s on shelves. She let the new girl do that instead. It wasn’t very busy in the store and she didn’t have to help a lot of people and texted Jon, telling him work was slow.

Jon was still in the gym, his phone back up in his room. After an hour and a half on the treadmill, he decided it was enough and turned the machine off. He took the towel he had brought, drying the sweat off of his face and putting it around his neck, walking back to his room. He picked his phone off the night stand, noticed Melody’s text and answered her he just got back from the gym and was going to take a shower. Great, now I’ll be thinking of you all sweaty and showering. Melody answered when he was just about to walk into the bathroom. Jon chuckled and put his phone away again.

After 10 more people started coming into the store and Melody finally got busy helping people. By noon she started thinking how yesterday’s lunch hour was a lot more fun than today’s would be, today she would be alone.

Jon texted her back and they talked until Melody’s break and she phoned him while she had her lunch. They talked for another hour on the phone before saying goodbye again.

The next day Melody was back at work at the hotel in New York and Jon did his last show in Chicago, it was only two nights. After the show he went back to his hotel room, and talked to Melody on the phone for a while. He’d fly back on their private jet the next day and Melody would be picking him up there. He gave her the arrival info, said goodnight and they both went to bed.

Thursday morning Melody slept in, Jon would land in the afternoon so Melody decided to catch up on some sleep. She loved sleeping in but she also loved spending hours in bed not doing anything, away from stressful life. She had woken up around 10 but kept on drifting off to sleep until noon before finally getting up.

Melody was at the airport 30 minutes before they would land. Jon had told her where to wait for him and she had found the spot quite easily. It got closer to 2, she walked to the closest place that had coffee, and she bought a cup for Jon and went back to her spot to wait. The people that were sitting on the bench left and Melody sat down, she had been standing for a half an hour and her feet started to hurt.

Minutes past and Melody started to get worried. Jon had said 2 pm, on the dot, he had said, it was already 7 minutes later. Melody tried not to worry, it was only 7 minutes, and she shouldn’t worry, yet.

She checked the time on the schedules again, 2.10 pm. He had told her their flight wouldn’t show up on the arrival boards because it was a private plane so she couldn’t see if it was delayed or cancelled or anything, she could just read the time but Melody kept getting more nervous. She kept looking around the hall, over all the people their faces hopefully seeing a familiar face but there was nobody she knew, not a person that would even look like any of them.

2.15 pm, Melody felt the coffee in her hands getting colder not even warming her hands anymore. She got up from the bench again, losing her seat to other people; she paced around the hall wondering where he could be.

Every minute that passed Melody got more worried; so many things could have gone wrong. She didn’t want to think of the worst thing and just hoped they had been delayed in Chicago. 2.22 pm, she took her phone out and phoned him, voice mail, his phone was still turned off.

Chapter 39