Chapter 9

***Because of this past delay in posting, me and Vicki decided to surprise you all with an extra post this week. Hopefully from here on out it'll be more of a weekly basis thing. As always enjoy and please let us know how we're doing!***

The next morning Jasmine was still waiting at 9.30am and was starting to get irritated. She couldn’t stand lateness and the fact that Richie’s lateness was going to make her late was niggling at her. She heard the car door close outside and hauled open the front door to her apartment.

“What time do you call this Rock Star?” she growled, hands on hips, staring at him. ‘Man he looks good,’ she thought, ‘stay angry stay angry for Pete’s sake stay angry.’ She told herself but was losing the battle.

“I’m so sorry Jas, the alarm didn’t go off. If it wasn’t for Jon calling me for some stupid interview request, I’d still be asleep.” He took off his sunglasses and she could see by the expression of his face that he really was sorry. 

“No matter. Come on or we’ll be late.”

The drive to Jersey City was uneventful despite the rain coming down suddenly and so fast that it became almost impossible to see more than a few feet in front of the car. They arrived at the house, a modest 2 bedroom affair in a reasonable neighborhood, just before 10am. Jasmine breathed a sigh of relief that they had not been late. The agent showed them into the house and let them have a walk around before telling them about the property. Richie stayed quiet, instead observing Jasmine as she moved through the house. It seemed that she was looking in every possible corner of the place, and he could imagine her mind whirring. 

Jasmine had an uneasy feeling about the house as soon as she stepped into the hallway from the front porch. It wasn’t that the house was falling down or that it didn’t fit her needs, it did, but there was just something missing. She couldn’t describe it and she tried to suppress the feeling as she looked around; the downstairs rooms were airy and spacious, the kitchen was perfect and it had sliding doors that led out to the small garden with a shed at the bottom. Upstairs the uneasy feeling became more pronounced, the master bedroom was shabby and a lot smaller than she had imagined, and the bathroom was in need of a total repair job. It was a pale sage color and looked like something that should have stayed in the 1970s. The floorboards creaked as they walked from room to room and there was a stale smell. 

She listened to the agent and nodded in all the right places, willing Richie to say something so that she didn’t have to. When the agent had finished they walked out into the garden to see what it had to offer,

“Well, what do you think?” Richie asked Jasmine, who was walking along the perimeter of the garden.

“It’s not me. I don’t know why but I don’t think I’d be able to settle here. There’s something not quite right about this place.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. You know when you walk into a room and you instantly feel at peace, calm?”

Richie nodded,

“Well I just didn’t get that here. When I went to your house last weekend and you showed me into the den I felt at home instantly, but I just didn’t get that here. I don’t suppose your house is for sale?”

Richie chuckled and pulled her closer, “It is most definitely not for sale darlin’, but you’re welcome there whenever you want. I guess we should put that poor guy out of his misery and head home. What do you say?”

“I say you’re right. We have time to grab a bit of lunch before the next house, or I could make something when we’re done.”

Richie thought about it for a moment, then his stomach made the decision for him, as it grumbled from beneath his sweater.

“I guess that’s the decision made then, I know a great place on the way home. Come on.”

They thanked the agent then piled back into the car and headed back towards Middletown. After a quick lunch of the juiciest burgers that Jasmine had ever tasted and a few cups of coffee they were on their way to the next house. This house was the one she had been admiring when she thought she had seen her father in town only yesterday. The wrap around balcony was more beautiful than the pictures showed, and there was a swing seat in one corner, to the left of the front door. Jasmine smiled, the place already seemed homely, and she could imagine herself swinging in the seat reading a book on an early warm evening in the summer. 

They walked into the hall and the sun shone from the front door and illuminated the hallway all the way through to the room at the end, which she imagined would be the kitchen. The room to her left was about the same size as Richie’s and had a bay window to the front, which, at this time of day, bathed the room in light.

Richie regarded Jasmine with curiosity. He could see that she was more enamored with this house than she had been with the previous one, and it warmed his heart that she would be closer to him. He took in his surroundings and liked what he saw. The house was much like his own, apart from the garden, which was a little smaller, and there only being 3 bedrooms instead of his 5. Jasmine’s body was pulled up tall as she explored the house and her body language was more positive.

“So?” he asked.

“I love it. The den is perfect for chilling out, the kitchen is wonderful and have you seen the bay window in the master bedroom?”

“Uh, yeah, I have that in my own room.” He smiled.

After fifteen or so minutes more they thanked the agent and Jasmine told him she was interested and would be in touch in the morning. Richie dropped Jasmine back at her apartment then headed home to catch up on the sleep he hadn’t had the night before.

Jasmine picked the paper up from her doormat and settled into her favorite chair in front of the television. She skimmed through the headlines, not really paying much attention to them, and then flipped through to the real estate pages. She didn’t find anything that caught her eye so she went back through the paper and read all the bits she had skipped. Her attention was drawn to the television at the mention of Bon Jovi’s name. They had been working so hard that the record was nearly finished and she guessed that was what was being said on the television. She turned it up and found she was wrong. The news item was talking about the function that Richie had been to the night before with the rest of the band. She smiled at the pictures, noticing that they all scrubbed up well and had huge smiles on their faces. Her smile disappeared and her heart sank when she saw the next piece of footage of Richie dancing with a slim brunette, who was vaguely familiar. Although she knew she had no claim over him, she had come to think of Richie as hers. They had spent so much time together that, except for the absence of a physical element, it could have been argued that they were already in a relationship. The idea frightened her enormously, what if Richie thought they were too close? What if people started to make comments? What if their friendship got ruined because of their comments? Jasmine closed her eyes and took a deep breath to centre herself. She knew that she was being neurotic and that Richie had given her no reason to worry about their friendship, but seeing the pictures of him and another woman had made her realize that the warm feeling she had inside whenever they were together was more than friendship, at least on her part. ‘Hell, how did I get myself into this position,’ she thought, and wondered how she would be able to keep her feelings in check now that she had come to realize what they were.

Richie was lying in bed, the clock read 3am and he’d still not been able to sleep. He’d put the news on when he got back from dropping Jasmine off, and had dozed on the sofa until the mention of the band had caught his attention. The news was showing the footage from the ceremony he had been to the night before. It had been a good night spent with friends and peers but his heart hadn’t been in it; he was fully aware that what had been wrong was that he had wanted Jasmine to be with him, whether it had been at the ceremony or at home chilling out in front of the television. Watching the footage brought back the feelings that had been whirring inside of him all night and that had kept his appetite to a minimum. What was it about Jasmine that had him all out of sorts? He thought back to the last two months since they first met and couldn’t think of anything but positives. Having her around had made him happier than he thought he could be, and they had such a comfortable friendship.

‘Friendship. Is that all this is? Am I confusing it for something more?’ he asked himself, ‘Jasmine hasn’t given me any reason to think otherwise, we get on so well but is that all we are, friends? Is that all I want?’

He had mulled over that question for the past few hours and it was that which was keeping him from sleeping. It was plainly obvious to him that he wanted more than a friendship, as wonderful as it was, he craved more. He needed to feel her in his arms, her lips on his, his hands on her skin and could think of nothing he wanted more than to cuddle in to her as he fell asleep and wake up with her next to him. 

He sighed, rolled over and closed his eyes in the desperate hope that sleep would eventually envelop him.

The next few days were taken up with putting the final tracks down and making adjustments to the ones that had already been mixed. Neither Richie nor Jasmine had said anything to the other about what they were feeling, and things carried on as normal. To the both of them it seemed that things would just continue to go as they always had, but to people looking on it was obvious that something was going on. During lunch one afternoon, Dorothea was showing Jasmine around the house and Richie had popped over to see his parents. Jon, David, Tico, Hugh and Obie were sitting around the large kitchen table picking at the remnants of another one of Dorothea’s mammoth meals.

“Has anyone else noticed something different with Jasmine and Richie?” Jon asked,

“Not particularly. Are they dating or what?” said Hugh, taking a sip of his coffee,

“Not as far as I know, but there is something going on. There’s something different about them today.”

“Shut up man, you’re seeing things that ain’t there.” David mumbled in between stuffing another piece of bread in his mouth. 

“How can you be sure Joker? Who died and made you cupid?”

“Fuck you boss man. I’m just saying that until they say anything then we’re not gonna know are we? It’d be nice to see Richie settled again, you know, after the last disaster.”

“Exactly, which is why I asked if you had noticed anything different.” 

Just then Richie reappeared, closely followed by Jasmine and Dot. The audible silence hung in the air and everyone shifted in their seats.

“What were you talking about?” Richie asked.

“Nothing important man, how are Adam and Joan?”

“They’re good. They have a better social life than us man, we need to get out more.”

“Speak for yourself fuckhead,” David grumbled towards Richie,

“Mom says that you are all required for dinner on Friday night because, and I quote, she feels neglected by her boys. Dot and Jas, you’ve been summoned, as have anyone you four losers want to bring with you.”

They all shrugged in agreement, even though Jasmine’s stomach was in her throat and she thought she might faint at the thought of meeting Richie’s family. Dorothea saw Jasmine go pale as she listened to Richie’s words. She leaned over to her and whispered, 

“Don’t worry about it, Adam and Joan are lovely people. They don’t make invitations if they don’t mean them, and I imagine they’ve heard a lot about you and want to put a face to the name.”

Jasmine reeled backwards, “What do you mean they’ve heard a lot about me? Why on Earth would they know who I am?”

“You’re funny Jasmine. They’ve heard about you because the guys think you’re great. Hell, I can’t go through one meal without one of them mentioning your name. It seems you’ve impressed them.”

“Oh crap.” Jasmine said, closing her eyes in an attempt to calm her racing heart.

Not long after, they got back to work and worked well into the late evening. 

Jasmine and Richie left for the half hour journey back to Middletown then Point Pleasant and sat in a comfortable silence for most of the journey, both trying to summon the courage to say something about how they were feeling. Neither of them managed it before they got to Jasmine’s apartment and as she got out of the car she briefly touched Richie’s hand, 

“See you tomorrow Rich, sleep well.”

“You too Jas. Hey, do you fancy going to a bar tomorrow night? There’s a band I want to see playing in Red Bank.”

“Sounds good. Do I need to bring stuff with me to Jon’s or will we have enough time to come back here first?”

“Plenty of time. See you in the morning.”

Jasmine waved and went straight to bed.

Richie dropped Jasmine back to her place just before 6pm the next night, telling her she had an hour before he would be back for her. She jumped in the shower and washed quickly, before picking her clothes out and making herself presentable. She was about to dry her hair when she heard a knock at her door. She skipped to the door, cursing Richie for being on time for once and opened her door. Seeing what was facing her, her jaw dropped and her hands clenched on the door handle.

Richie was running late again, and cursed himself. He was aware of Jasmine’s ideas about lateness and didn’t want to make her grumpy with him. He ran out of the house, his hair still wet from the shower, and jumped into the car. He drove well over the speed limit over to Jasmine’s house, hoping that he wouldn’t come across a Police car on the way. Putting the car in park he slammed the door shut, not even bothering to lock it and ran up the path to Jasmine’s building. Just as he reached the door and was about to press the button to her apartment, the door opened and a man rushed past him, knocking his arm as he passed. 

“Hey!” Richie exclaimed, while reaching for the door. The man didn’t respond and disappeared around the corner of the street. The smell of stale alcohol lingered in the air as Richie pushed open the door and headed up the stairs to Jasmine’s front door.

When he arrived, the door was open and he could hear the faint sound of music coming from the bedroom.

“Jas, sorry I’m late.” He called from the doorway but there was no answer. He took a step into the living room and immediately the hairs on the back of his neck pricked and his heart began to pound in his chest.

Chapter 8

***Again I am very sorry to have a delay in posting. It's playoff football time and I was so engrossed in the football games last Sunday that I forgot about posting. I didn't even realize I had forgotten until halfway through the week and I didn't have time to edit and post then. After next week's game with my Steelers in the Superbowl, hopefully it'll be much easier to post weekly. I am getting really exited for you guys to all read the future chapters and I can't wait to post and see what you think. Again I am so sorry for the delay. As always let me and Vicki know what you think.***

Richie arrived before lunch time on Sunday taking Jasmine completely by surprise. He waited for her to shower and dress then announced he was taking her on a magical mystery tour of the area. He acted as tour guide until his stomach rumbled, signaling it was time for a rest break. They ate in Red Bank then headed out to Perth Amboy and Sayerville.

“Why on Earth would I want to see a damn hospital?” she asked when they pulled up in front of one.

“Don’t you want to see where we were all born? Well, all but Teek anyhow.”

“Uh, well, not really but seeing as we’re here.” She said, rolling her eyes.

They went to a few other places then headed back towards Middletown. Instead of turning left in the direction of Jasmine’s place Richie carried on going and turned right a few more miles along the road.

“Where are we going?”

“My place. I think it’s only fair don’t you? I’ve seen your place but you haven’t seen mine. I thought I’d cook dinner. As long as you don’t have anything else planned?”

“No, that sounds great.” She smiled and rested her head back in the seat, looking at him. Richie grinned back at her like an excited schoolboy. 

Richie steered the car up a long winding drive a while later. Jasmine watched the line of trees bend into the corner as they took their final turn. The house was a large family house with a wrap around balcony, it would have looked more at home in the South but set in its wooded surroundings it looked amazing to Jasmine. Richie parked outside the front door on a large patch of gravel that was big enough to house at least 5 cars. Jasmine got out of the car and looked around; it wasn’t what she had imagined Richie’s house to be as they drove there but she could see why he had chosen it; it was out of the way, away from the main roads and there wasn’t a house in sight, perfect for playing music loudly and no one to snoop around when there was a party.

They walked into the house and Richie gestured to a room on his right, 

“Go right in and make yourself at home, I’ll be right back.” He dashed off to the kitchen to switch the oven on and prepare a few things.

Jasmine took a seat in one of the plush black chairs that faced the flat screen television that was hung on the wall surrounded by shelves on either side. The room was smaller than she imagined the rooms in the house to be but it was cozy, somewhere she instantly felt relaxed in. She heard noises coming from somewhere else in the house and laughed inwardly at the thought of Richie in the kitchen. He was taking longer than she thought he would so she walked around the room and looked at the pictures that were hanging in various places on the walls. She came across a CD rack and flicked through the CDs that were stacked there, nodding in appreciation of the eclectic mix of artists in the collection. The sound system towered above the CD rack, a mixture of CD player, radio and record player. Records were stacked neatly to its side and Jasmine looked though them, smiling when she came across a rare one.

Richie still hadn’t arrived back so Jasmine went in search of him. She followed the sound of chopping to the huge kitchen at the back of the house that led out into the sprawling garden and down to a lake at the bottom.

“Hey. I thought you must have gotten lost in this big house of yours. Are you not going to give me the tour?”

“Hey darlin’. Man, I’m sorry, I got carried away chopping. I told you to make yourself at home, so you can do a self guided tour if you want. Mi casa es tu casa.”

“Uh, I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that Rich, it’s your home. You can show me round once you’ve fed me. What’s for dinner?”

“Nothing special, Steak with my special sauce. Boiled, fried or mashed?”

Jasmine’s stomach rumbled, “Huh?”

“Your potatoes silly, how d’you want them?”

“However they come, I’m easy.”

Richie spun around to face her, his face alive with a naughty grin; Jasmine knew he would react the second she heard her words escape her mouth, and had braced herself,

“You are? Just how easy are ya darling?”

“Ha, blardy ha Richard,” she replied, stressing his name and shaking her head.

“Ah come on Jas, you walked straight into that one. You didn’t expect me to let it go did you?”

Jasmine slapped him playfully on his arm and turned him back to face the kitchen unit and the chopping board. “Just keep chopping slave boy.”

After they had eaten Richie took Jasmine on the guided tour of the house. It was understated and functional but definitely had Richie’s stamp on it. The small room that Richie had shown Jasmine earlier was his favorite room in the house, the room that had all his stuff in it and the one in which he could kick back and relax. What Jasmine hadn’t noticed on her first look around the room was the large cupboard at the opposite end of the room from the television. When Richie had opened it, Jasmine audibly gasped; inside was a collection of around 20 guitars, acoustic and electric. 

“Wow!” was all that she could think to say, her mouth practically hanging open,

“You like?”

“I like.” She said, reaching out to touch the Ovation that was in the middle of the collection. She looked at Richie for affirmation then picked it up and stroked the neck. She picked out a few notes and smiled, it sounded so pure and felt like magic in her hands. At Richie’s nod, she took it to the sofa and rested it on her lap, watching her fingers as she played. She wasn’t playing anything in particular but her hands just wouldn’t stop. Richie watched her for a few minutes and could see the satisfaction she had at having a guitar at her finger tips. Unable to stop himself he picked up his Martin and joined her on the sofa. She looked up briefly and smiled before returning to the place she had lost herself in.

They played like this for a while before Jasmine sighed and put the guitar down beside her. Richie stopped as well and laid the Martin next to the Ovation. 

“Anything wrong?” he asked Jasmine.

“Nope, just tired. Thanks for letting me play that amazing instrument. It sounds so perfect.”

“It is perfect, that’s why. As for letting you play, didn’t I tell you when we first met that I wanted to play with you?”

Jasmine’s heart fluttered when she remembered the conversation but then the hidden meaning reached her brain and she smiled, 

“You want to play with me huh?”

Richie’s laugh rumbled from deep within his throat, “Ya got me. I walked into that one didn’t I?”

“Uh huh, you sure did.” Jasmine laughed. 

Not long after, Richie drove Jasmine home as she couldn’t keep her eyes open. When they pulled up outside her apartment he woke her gently and carried her into her living room. She walked him to the door, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek then headed straight to bed.

The next morning Richie was back bright and early to take Jasmine to the studio at Jon’s place. As before when she was being driven up to Richie’s house, the drive up to Jon’s mansion was long and windy. She saw the house looming at the top and assumed that they would be stopping there, but Richie carried on towards another building further down the track. They finally pulled up and walked into the building where Jon was already waiting for them, guitar in hand and a notebook lying by his side.

“Hey Man.” Richie nodded as he walked in,

“Hey. Hey Jasmine. You both had a good few days?”

“Yeah thanks. Ready to get back to work now though,” Jasmine replied.

“Glad to hear it because we have a lot of work to do. I’ve been working on something, Rich, could you have a look over it and tell me what you think?”

Richie and Jon huddled together and mumbled to each other. Jasmine found her way to the sound desk and the office that would be her home for the next few months. Not long after, Obie, David and Hugh turned up, closely followed by Tico. They worked solidly until lunchtime when Dorothea called over and said that lunch was ready at the house if they wanted it. Jasmine had to break in to a run to keep up with the guys, who had rushed out of the door as soon as Jon had relayed the conversation.

“What’s the damn rush?” Jasmine asked Richie breathlessly.

“Two reasons, firstly Dot’s a great cook, secondly she’ll kick our asses if we don’t come when she says food is ready.”

Jasmine giggled and followed the guys into the kitchen. They ate quickly amidst the chatter about work and families. Jasmine talked with Dorothea and found that they got on well. After lunch she promised to come and say goodbye before she left, then headed back towards the studio where she stayed until well past 7pm. 

The next week followed the same schedule and Jasmine found herself collapsing in bed the moment she got in every night. She was so tired, not just from working so many hours but from the buzz she got from working with the band. They were so together and the creativity flowed so much that Jasmine thought she may overdose on it. There was a happy medium between hard work, and they did work hard, and fun. It was the first job where she was able to work hard but also feel like she could let her hair down and have a laugh as well. Not that laughing could be avoided with David and Richie around, not to mention Obie, who was just as bad at the practical jokes as the other two.

By Saturday Jasmine was ready for a lie in and a morning catching up with chores. She woke around 10am and, after showering, headed into town to the store and to the bank. She wandered around the stores, looking at nothing in particular, just enjoying the slow pace of a Saturday morning. 

Her trip to the bank had been pleasantly surprising. She hadn’t realized how much money was accruing in her account and what her new job meant for her regarding housing. She left the bank practically walking on air with the news that she was more than able to afford to buy her own place, the only thing on her mind was wondering where to start looking. She liked the idea of living in Manhattan but also felt settled in Middletown. Getting to and from work would be so much easier if she lived in the city but she had come to appreciate the relative quietness and calmness of New Jersey on days off. She bought a coffee and sat outside the café watching people go about their business; she pondered the news about being able to afford her own home, then, when she had finished her drink, she headed over to the real estate agent’s. She stood looking at the advertisements in the window and trying to imagine herself living in the houses on offer.

She was reading an advert about a house not far from where she was already living; it had 3 bedrooms, a good sized garden and a wrap around balcony just like Richie’s. She went into the office and collected the information from the agent. Just as she came out she thought she saw someone who looked familiar. 

‘It can’t be. It’s not possible. There’s no way he could have found me.” She said to herself and shook the thought from her head.

Jasmine went to the store to pick up some groceries but her mind wasn’t on food. In her mind she kept replaying the scene from the real estate agents’, trying to get a close up of the man she saw on the other side of the street. By the time she pulled up outside her house she still hadn’t calmed down and her mind was still replaying the scene. She grabbed the shopping from the trunk of her car and headed towards the front door where she found Richie waiting for her. 

“Hey. I didn’t see your car out front. What brings you here?”

Richie smiled and took the shopping from her hands, freeing her to find her keys and open the door. “I was at a loose end so I thought I’d come and annoy you for a bit.”

Jasmine laughed a hollow laugh, one that didn’t reflect in her eyes and Richie saw. 

“What’s bugging you darlin’?”

“Nothing. Why?”

“Your smile isn’t reaching your eyes, something isn’t right. What is it?”

Jasmine didn’t know whether to tell Richie what she thought she saw or whether to make something up so that he wouldn’t press her about it any more. Richie saw her hesitate and knew instantly that whatever was upsetting her was serious. He took her hand and led her over to the chair in the living room.

“You don’t have to tell me but it might help to share the problem.” He whispered gently.

Jasmine moved over so that Richie could sit with her. She turned to face him and told him what she had seen, or thought she had seen in Middletown an hour earlier. When he sensed she had finished he said, a little confused,

“I don’t understand why seeing your father would be a bad thing.”

“You wouldn’t, because I haven’t told you much about my childhood. Basically my dad left us when I was 5 and all I really remember from when he lived with us was the arguing.”  Richie reached his arm over her and pulled her closer to him as she continued.

“He would go out just after dinner and not come back until I had been asleep for hours. I’d know he was back because the door would slam and then the shouting and screaming would start. I was too young at the time to realize what was going on and Dad was too clever to hit mom where the bruises could be seen. Anyway one night he left her so hurt that she needed to go to the hospital and when we got back he was gone. I didn’t see him for 12 years after that.”

Richie leant down and kissed her forehead, “I’m so sorry Jas. I didn’t realize any of this.”

“Why would you? It’s not like I shouted it from the rooftops.”

“When was the last time you saw your father?”

“I don’t know, sometime last year I think. He came to the office in Nashville and gave hell to the receptionist until she called me. He was paralytic and stank like a brewery. He had only come to ask me to bail him out of some financial shit he had gotten himself into. I couldn’t help him and wouldn’t have given him anything even if I could have. To cut a long story short, he pulled me by my hair and slapped me, then disappeared. He was long gone before the cops arrived and that was the last time I saw him.”

“Did they ever catch up with him?”

Jasmine shook her head, “No. He moves around so much that they can’t keep track of him.”

Richie’s head was swimming with anger and concern. His fists were clenched and he was fighting the urge to pace the room like a captive animal. His first reaction was one of wanting to punch the man who had done this to Jasmine, but now the need to protect her was fighting with the anger and it was confusing him. He put it down to being protective over his friends, as he always had been, but something niggled further inside him that told him it was far more than that.

“I can see why you got freaked out when you thought you saw him today. Are you sure it was him?”

“No. I didn’t get a good look, but Rich, at the time I was certain and I got scared. I moved here to escape him and no one knows where I live. If it is him, how the hell did he find me?”

Richie sighed, “Well lets hope that it wasn’t him you saw, and that some unfortunate man happens to look like him. You know you can always call me if you need me, right?”

“Yeah, I do. Thank you. You’re a star.” She said, resting her head on his chest. They sat in silence for a few minutes, anger running through Richie’s head and Jasmine trying to calm herself down. Eventually Richie spoke,

“So, what were you doing at the real estate agents?”

Jasmine grinned, “Buying bread and milk.”

“Very funny darlin’, you looking for somewhere to live? What’s wrong with this place?”

“Nothing is wrong here, except it’s not mine. I never thought I’d be able to afford my own place but it seems I can. The money I get from Island is fantastic and I have some savings. I was told in the bank this morning that I was more than able to buy my own place. It got me thinking, I mean, its safer to buy a house than put it in the stock market so why not?”

“That’s excellent news. You got anywhere in mind?”

“I can’t decide between New Jersey and Manhattan. It’s always been a dream to own an apartment in Manhattan, I can so see myself living in a loft conversion, red brick walls showing and a wooden floor. I can see the glass coffee table and the deep purple sofas, the large kitchen with the centre unit and the mezzanine bedroom with a king size bed and huge fluffy pillows.”

“Sounds perfect darlin’.” He said, smiling at the far away look in Jasmine’s eyes.

“Yeah, but that’s going to cost a fortune, and I’ve kinda grown to like it around here. I know that it would be easier to get to work from Manhattan and that there is more to do there, but I like that I can go for a run here without the car fumes and that there are some nice routes. The people in town are friendly and it’s quiet here. I also like the idea of having a garden and a car. Does that sound silly?”

“Not at all. I know all too well what you’re feeling. I felt the same when I was looking for a base here. I chose Point Pleasant in the end because it is closer to my mom but I’d love to have a base in the city too. For what it’s worth, I think you should live in Jersey. It’s closer to me and that means I can drop around when I feel like it.” Richie winked at Jasmine.

Jasmine’s heart fluttered at hearing his words even though she willed it not to. She knew deep down that he meant it as a friendly gesture but secretly she hoped he meant more with his comment. 

“Oh really, you think I’ll let you in if you come calling?”

“I know so darlin’. Who could resist these eyes huh?” he said, moving his face close to hers and peering straight at her with a twinkle in his eyes.

Jasmine threw her head back and laughed out loud, “Sambora, you’re too much. How old are you?”

“Old enough to know better.” He quipped. 

“Stop trying to change the subject Jasmine. Have you seen anywhere you like?”

“Yeah, I’ve got two places to see tomorrow. One here and one in Jersey City.”

“You going on your own?”

“I was planning on it, yeah. Why? Do you wanna tag along?”

“Wouldn’t do any harm having a second opinion would it?”

“I guess not. Well the first one is the Jersey City one at 10am. Are you sure you can be up that early on a Sunday?”

“Don’t be cheeky. Of course I will.”

Richie stayed for a few more hours then headed home as he was going to a function in the evening. Even though Jasmine knew she had no right to feel jealous, she couldn’t help the feeling that was sitting at the pit of her stomach. She spent the evening wondering what Richie was doing, and who he was doing it with, totally unaware that the whole time Richie was partying, he was longing to be chilling out with her, watching movies and hanging out.