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Chapter 70
With their security, Jon and Richie made their way through the crowd toward the restaurant. Having security with them didn’t stop the couple following the two rockers from snapping pictures.
Seated and their orders taken, Richie said, “Need a favor.”
“Name it.”
“Be my best man.”
“I’d be honored. Have you thought about the rehearsal and dinner or the reception?”
“We really haven’t gotten into any more of the planning.”
“Let me handle it for you…my treat to you and Jess.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, and you and I can sit down to do the bands’ guest list for the wedding and reception. We need to make sure we include some key people.”
The conversation continued about the wedding until their food was delivered. That’s when it changed to business, mainly new material. Jon had some ideas and Richie jumped on it.
As they were finishing, things took a wrong turn. A buxom blonde slid into the booth beside Richie. “Good morning, sweetheart.”
“Amy?!” said Richie with surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you…so we can talk.”
“We have nothing to talk about. I fired you and that’s it. I do need my calendar from you and to let you know your cell phone doesn’t work any more.”
Pulling an envelope from her pocketbook, Amy put it in front of Richie. “I really was hoping you’d want me back so that I wouldn’t have to do this.”
“What’s this?” asked Richie looking at the envelope.
“Open it and see,” instructed Amy.
Richie looked at Jon as he opened the envelope. Pulling out the contents, he realized it was mostly pictures with one document and he began to go through them.
As he looked at them Amy said, “Dump her and be with me or I send all of these to the tabloids with the stories behind each one.”
“Blackmail doesn’t become you,” said Richie coolly handing the pictures to Jon.
Jon flipped through the pictures to see that they were mostly of Richie and Jesse over the past couple of weeks; at ‘The Palm’, confronting Kevin on two different occasions, Jesse in Dallas at the airport and in the hotel lobby as well as the two of them taking in the Dallas sites; Richie proposing at the video shoot; and finally, Richie and him that morning on the way to the restaurant. The one document in the package was Stevie’s birth certificate that clearly named Kevin Scott Richardson as Stevie’s father. “Exactly what story do you think you’re going to put with these pictures?”
“I’ll spill the whole truth about Jesse’s bastard son – Kevin Richardson IS listed as his father but he’s named for Richie. Was she confused about who the father really is? Oh, and the confrontations just support the confusion. Then, there’s Richie’s drinking problem…is Jesse pushing him to drink? Is she enabling him? These pictures this morning look like he just might still be drunk…or at the very least, hungover.”
The two men looked at each other and Richie said, “You won’t get me back like this. In fact, what you ARE going to get is a restraining order to stay away from Jesse, Stevie, and my mother. If you want to send this stuff to the press, go for it but it’s going to get you a lawsuit as well. There’s truth in the stories, Kevin is Stevie’s father and Stevie is named for me and I did propose to Jesse. As for my drinking problem, it’s no secret. The fans know all about my stint in rehab and my two DUIs.”
“What about Jesse? Does she know?”
“Yes, she does.” Richie put the stuff back in the envelope and set it off to the side so Amy couldn’t reach it. “Amy, this could have ended with us being friends but that’s not going to happen now. I don’t care what you print about me but you WILL leave Jesse and her son alone. Now, you need to give me all of my business stuff and leave.”
Jon had motioned for Freddy to remove Amy but before she left, she pulled out what Richie had asked for and handed it to him. When she was gone, he leaned back and ran his fingers through his hair.
Jon looked at his best friend and asked, “Are you okay?”
“I guess. She’s the type of fan you THOUGHT Jesse was. I’m just glad Jesse wasn’t with me.”
“What are you going to do now?”
Richie reached into his pocket. “I need to give Kevin a heads up about this in case Amy had copies and decides to share it after all.”
“Isn’t that her phone?”
“Yeah. I didn’t want to leave it at the hotel in case someone called for me. It’s also my business phone,” answered Richie. He searched her contacts and found Kevin’s number. He pressed send and waited. “Hey Kevin….no, it’s Richie, not Jess…..Sorry, sounds like I woke you….Stevie’s fine. He’s back in Virginia with Tony and Jesse’s brothers….I called to give you a heads up. My former secretary knows the truth about Stevie and just tired to blackmail me into taking her back. I called her on it but she may actually go through with sending it to the tabloids….You’re welcome….Yeah, I’ll get Jess to call you later….she’s not doing so good right now. She’s back at the hotel resting….Later.”
Richie cut the phone off and Jon said, “You need to call your attorney.”
“I’m going to. Damn, I should have seen this coming.”
“Don’t kick yourself. I thought Jesse WAS like this.”
“Let’s go shopping.”
“For?”
“I need to get Jesse something…to apologize for this mess with Amy.”
Jon paid the bill and the two men made their way out into the Florida sunshine to do some shopping.
