126: When You Wish Upon A Star

November 9

“You ready?” Jon asked with a smirk as the plane bounced onto the runway in Orlando.

The question was a moot one, because the counselor had been ready since she got in the car at 12:30 and fidgeted with excitement all the way from Park Avenue to the airport.  Oh, she’d talked rationally about Millie’s reluctance to accept their Thanksgiving invitation and how the decision was still up in the air.  She’d even talked to both of her sons during the flight and was the legitimately concerned mother about how classes were, how they were and whether they were eating.

When she hung up and changed clothes in the plane’s bedroom, though, she also changed out of her regular life to become an excited little girl, looking out the window for an aerial view of Cinderella’s castle or Epcot.

She was so fucking cute that Jon almost couldn’t stand it, and he definitely couldn’t keep his grin in check.  Who would’ve thought his tough-as-nails divorce lawyer – former divorce lawyer – was going to get so damned giddy over an amusement park or two?

“Definitely ready,” she agreed, beaming at him from the edge of her seat.

When the plane came to a halt, Chiara surprised him, though.  Rather than scooping up her bag and making a break for the door, she unfastened her seatbelt and pushed against his shoulder so that he wouldn’t get up.  Climbing into his lap, the previously impatient woman took her time in looping both arms around his neck and brushing the tip of her nose against his.

“You know, ever since the Pretty Woman reference yesterday, there’s a quote from it that I can’t get out of my mind.”

Jon had seen the movie, but it had been a long time and the only line he could even vaguely recall was from the end and had something to do with rescuing one another.  He hoped she wasn’t going back into the Superman thing with him again. 

“Yeah?” He inquired nonchalantly, sliding one arm around her waist while his other hand gave a lazy squeeze to the inside of her thigh.  “You gonna tell me or make me guess?  ‘Cause we’ll be here for the next three days if I have to guess.  Ow, dammit!”

The little witch had pulled the back of his hair.

“You’re ruining the moment, here.”

“God forbid.”  Inhaling a breath and releasing it, he mentally succumbed to playing the game.  This was her trip, after all.  “What’s the quote?”

The hair she had been so cruel to was now getting stroked with the same attentive affection that he was receiving from her eyes.  “’In case I forget to tell you later, I had a really good time’ on this trip.”

God damn if she wasn’t full of surprises, day after day.  The woman voted least likely to steal his heart and most likely to set his bed on fire had done both with an ease he couldn’t have conjured up with a coven of witches, and damned if he didn’t love these sweet glimpses of her softer side – her Chiara side.

“It’s nice to know I didn’t waste my money.”

Just because she was flashing him a glimpse of her sweetness didn’t mean he was going to do the same.  She’d already gotten more of his gentler side than ninety-nine percent of the population.  If he willingly offered much more…  Just… no.  He wasn’t ready to pass over full ownership of his heart and soul. 

Not yet.

“You can be such an unromantic ass.”  Laughingly thumping the heels of her hands against his shoulders, she used the leverage to try and push to her feet, but Jon merely ratcheted down his grip. 

“Look at me.”  When faced with irises that made him crave chocolate in a way he never had before, Jon conceded enough of his soul to say earnestly, “I hope it’s everything you ever dreamed.”

One corner of her mouth crept up in a quirkily lopsided tilt before approaching to brush across his.  Soft, plump lips caressed while her tongue fluttered in an erotic knock that practically begged his mouth to open.  When he did, she crept in like a mini marauder – claiming, conquering and owning everything behind his teeth with a soft purr. 

She fucking stole his breath and effortlessly made him crave the only other spot on her body that was as soft and wet as her mouth.  He was on the verge of a raging hard-on when she gently severed the kiss.  “It’s already more than I dreamed.  Thank you.”

Horniness.  That’s what that damn ache in the middle of his chest was – Jon was sure of it.

“I wanna fuck you.”

Caressing one of his cheeks, she chuckled quietly and snuck out of his grasp.  “Tonight in the castle, my Prince, nothing shall be denied you.  We’ll be transported to an ancient time where man was the sole ruler of his woman and took what he wanted without apology.  You’ll like it much better than a quickie on the plane.”

Well, hell.  Taking what he wanted without apology was exactly what he’d liked best about sex with her in the beginning, and the beginning had him thinking of guest houses, pools, trailers, yachts… along with the explosive satisfaction they’d shared in each of those places.  It was time for a trip down memory lane to bed the feisty, fighting counselor instead of his demure Chiara.

“If that’s supposed to dissuade my dick, it ain’t workin’,” he grumbled, reaching into his pants to adjust the Macy’s balloon pushing against his fly.  “And tonight you’re getting the dirtiest, most unapologetic fuck you’ve ever had in your goddamn life.”

“Can’t wait.  Now let’s gooo!”

It took about half an hour to get to the Magic Kingdom, and he swore it wouldn’t have surprised him if she hung her head out the window like a damn dog.  The counselor was breaking her neck in the fading sunlight to see every duck shaped bush, every mouse-shaped flower bed and every sign with an image of Cinderella’s castle on it. 

Him?

He was just grateful that it was eighty degrees instead of sixty.  Jon hated cold weather with a passion.  It didn’t matter how many damn coats he put on it, the chill still crept into his bones in a way that drove him to warmer climates every chance he got.  Christmas break would be his next escape, as it always was with the kids.  Maybe this year, he’d see if Chiara and her boys wanted to come along, since Dorothea obviously wouldn’t be joining them.

“Jon, we’re here!”

“Yeah, baby.  We’re here.”  He laughed off the annoying voicemail from the record company as he put the phone back in his pocket.  They’d just passed under some archway that welcomed visitors to the happiest place on earth, and he sure as hell wasn’t bringing his label woes along for the ride.  They could wait until his vacation was over.

“Can you believe how elaborate everything is?  All the details?”

Details counted in everything, and they were what made this a multi-billion-dollar corporation.

 “They do a good job,” he agreed, rubbing a hand up her back with the fear that she was going to wear his ass out for the next three days.  Good thing they were only doing dinner and fireworks tonight, so he could actually make good on that fucking promise.  After today, who knew if he’d be able to do anything but collapse in a bed and die?   “You wanna go to the suite first or check out the Magic Kingdom?  We have dinner reservations for seven and then fireworks start at nine.”

Her dark ponytail swished as she finally turned her attention away from the window to pivot her head in his direction. 

“We have dinner reservations?” she parroted with bright eyes and a wide smile.  “Where?”

Thank God for Lilah and his assistant for thinking of the details and arranging for them.  He’d had one or two original ideas, but his assistant was still the one who waved the magic wand to make it happen. 

“At Cinderella’s table, of course,” he said as though there was no other alternative. 

“I read about that place in the book Lilah and Tony gave me.  It’s like dining with the Disney princesses.  They have this amazing white chocolate glass slipper dessert, but I think that’s only with the glass slipper engagement, though.”

She was rattling a mile a minute as her eyes continued to devour everything while they snuck through some back gate in the park. 

“What the fuck is a glass slipper engagement?”

“Engagement,” she repeated absently.  “Men ask women to marry them?  Disney sets the scene and provides a glass slipper or something.  All Cinderella-esque.  I saw it on the website.”

Thoughtless fingertips rubbed at the center of his chest as they pulled into some kind of staging area. 

There was no sign of wistfulness or longing in her tone, which was a relief, because he sure as hell hadn’t made that kind of plan.  It was the precursor to marriage, after all, and she didn’t want any part of that.

The car slid to a stop and the back door was immediately opened by a smiling staffer wearing a suit, tie and a wide smile.  “Mr. Bon Jovi.  Ms. Del Vecchio.  My name is Ryan and I’m here to get you settled in or off and running – whichever you prefer.”

Emerging onto the pavement right behind the counselor, Jon shook hands with the Asian man who was holding a gift bag in one hand and an iPad in the other.  “Thanks, Ryan.  Chiara?  What do you wanna do, babe?”

His girl got points for trying oh-so hard to be the grownup in this moment.  She adopted her best lawyer face and pushed that monstrous purse to sit high on her shoulder so that both hands could be folded in front of her.  “I think I’d like to take a look around before we settle in, if that’s okay?”

Upon hearing her decision, Ryan’s gaze slid expectantly toward Jon, who nodded and ceded, “Fine with me.”

“Excellent.”  Tucking the iPad under his arm, Ryan dipped into the bag he held.  “These are your wristbands, which will provide full access.  You can gain entry to the parks, your suite and make purchases as you wish.”

Chiara put on the Tinkerbell green “bracelet” with the imprinted Mickey ears as Jon accepted his gray one, listening to the rest of Ryan’s spiel.  He gave them the details they needed to get to the suite, assured them their luggage would be taken care of and then summoned a golf cart that would take them to Main Street USA. 

“All you need is your phone,” Jon advised the counselor, withdrawing his camera before relinquishing his bag to the Disney employee.  He tucked his sunglasses in there at the least second, too, since dusk had nearly fallen into darkness. 

Almost four hours later, night was in full swing and Chiara had finally slowed down just a little.  Rather than her eyes darting everywhere at once, she was taking things in at a more normal pace, but the mile-wide grin hadn’t left her face. 

Shops that had allowed the purchase of an untold amount of t-shirts, tank tops, ball caps, coffee mugs, magnets and mouse ears made her laugh like a buoyant little girl.  The sheer novelty of Disney characters roaming the park had made her eyes sparkle with childlike wonder – not to mention her first glimpse of the castle.  Dinner at Cinderella’s table had her oohing and aahing over the décor, food, the proposal they witnessed – complete with glass slipper – and even the princesses. 

Seeing the way that she stared after the princesses, Jon had encouraged her to let him take a photo or two, but she declined.  They were beautiful, she said, and so were the dresses, but it felt silly to be the grown woman standing around with all the toddlers and young girls waiting for photos.  After watching her covertly continue to watch those princesses, though, he’d make sure he got a photo before they left. 

Now, he was leaning against a lamppost on Main Street with the camera hanging around his neck and the counselor tucked into his side as they waited for the firework spectacular to start. 

“That’s a fancy camera setup you’ve got there,” Chiara observed after Mary Poppins had disappeared from view.  “I thought Tony was the photo and video brother?”

One side of his mouth slid up as Jon stroked a lazy thumb under the hem of the Tinkerbell tee she’d changed into upon buying.  The skin at her waist was as silky as the rest of her, and he was looking forward to losing himself in her silk very soon. 

“I like photography.  A friend of mine – the guy we take on tour – has spent a lot of time helping me improve.  Night shots are a bitch, but I’m hoping to get a couple decent ones during the fireworks.”

“You’re a man of many talents, Mr. Bongiovi,” she murmured against the underside of his jaw before kissing it.

“I’m a stubborn sonofabitch,” he corrected with a chuckle.  “Most of the time, persistence pays off.”

At that point, all the lights in the area went dark.  Children and adults alike – including his girlfriend – squealed and tittered with anticipation as the castle’s blue glow became practically the only source of illumination.

“It’s starting!” she hissed and took a couple steps forward as though it would give her a better view.

Jon shook his head with silent laughter and popped off the lens cover.  He was on vacation with a different person than he’d fallen in love with, but damn if he didn’t like this childish version of her as well as he did the others.  This would be only one of her personalities he could address as Charlie without reservation, because it aptly represented a young girl full of wonder and life.

The narrated prelude to the show spoke of a little fairy waiting to make a wish come true, and it filled the air from hidden and not so hidden speakers as fireflies twinkled all over the castle.  It was immediately followed by a streaking firework from the right, and a childish voice began singing about wishing on a star.

“Did you see it?”  Charlie’s ponytail whipped around for a hot second to ask.  “It was Tink!”

What could he do other than show the same enthusiasm?  “It was!” 

Another Tink came by, and another, from different directions than the first as the music went full-tilt and fireworks started building in earnest, but Charlie didn’t say any more.  She was too enraptured with the goings on to bother with talking. 

If Jon had thought she was enthralled by Finding Neverland, he was wrong.  This enthralled her, captivated her and lit her up as well as the sky.  She was fucking beautiful with the colors reflecting off her face, and when she turned to watch another fairy fly away, Jon fired off half a dozen shots, praying that at least one of them was fit to keep. 

It would be a long-damn time before he forgot what it looked like, but he wanted the reminder framed and sitting in the living room with the rest of the family photos. 

She’s not your family.

Pushing the voice aside, he continued to shoot as the popcorn flashes of pyrotechnics filled the air.  The narration and music accented it perfectly, he was sure, but Jon was too focused on taking pictures to pay close attention to the details. 

It wasn’t until just before the end of the ten-minute spectacular that he registered the Broadway-style finale that declared “wishes… do… come… true.”  That was immediately followed by a visual grand finale that filled the air with repetitive popping that torched the night sky a brilliant white, due to the sheer number of simultaneous explosions.

When everything went dark and quiet, he lowered his eyes from the sky to Charlie – and found her wiping at her face while hiccupping with tears. 

Stepping forward with concern, Jon laid a hand on her shoulder and propelled her around so that she faced him.  “Hey.  What’s wrong?”

Her mouth flattened from ugly crying into a horizontal line as she shook her head. 

“Nothing.  I’m being stupid.  It’s sensory overload to start with and then they started that big deal about wishes coming true.”  Watery eyes found his under the lights that were slowly coming back on around them.  “You made my wish come true, Jon.  Not just here, but ever since I met you.  I… got overwhelmed with emotion of it all.”

“C’mere.” 

He pushed the camera aside so that he could fold her into his arms and press a kiss into her hair before she fucking made him emotional.  Today had been overwhelming for him in a lot of respects – unchartered territory as it were – and he was fighting to hold things back. 

This was a fun trip, nothing more.  There would be no glass slipper proposals or declarations of forever that came with rings.  He needed to put this back on familiar ground to reinforce that knowledge.

Leaning back, he swept away another trail of tears before dipping his chin to speak.  “But you’re gonna make my wish come true tonight, right?  Dirty, unapologetic fuck?”

There was a heartbeat there – maybe two – that her eyes went blank, and Jon held his breath as he waited.  Was she going to be crushed because he was making light?  Was she going to smack the hell out of him for ruining the moment again?

He was dumb enough to not know what she’d wanted from him, but he was smart enough to know that what he’d given her wasn’t it.  Now he just had to wait and see if he’d ruined the entire trip before they’d barely gotten started.

His pent-up breath was allowed to go free when animation colored her eyes again, crinkling at the corners.  With a nod and a pat to his cheek, she told him, “Anything you want.  It’s yours.”

Only that wasn’t entirely true.  She wouldn’t give Jon the one thing he was beginning to think about more and more – the thing that might take away the empty spot he kept filling with sex.