Chapter Ten

"Hello?" Dee said as she picked up the phone.

"Hi. It's Richie. You left me a message."

"Hi. Yeah I did. Erm, I just wanted to see if you were alright, after what happened this morning. I'm the operator you spoke to." she said, her palms sweating.

"I know who you are." he said, his voice back it's familiar deep smoothness.

"Oh OK, look maybe this wasn't such a good idea of mine to call you. I'm sorry to have bothered you." she faltered.

"No, it's fine, I'm touched, i really am, that you called. It's just, oh god it's all just a mess. We've just, or rather I've just been grilled by some fat detective with a chip on his shoulder for the past four hours and I just know he doesn't believe 'my version of events'. Shit," he sighed, "this is just so difficult. That woman did nothing but ruin my life when she was alive and even now she's dead she's still doing it. She just won't leave me the fuck alone."

Dee sat still on the sofa and just listened as he ranted, instinctively knowing he need to do so to someone not connected with him.

Richie sat down in his favourite LazEboy recliner and just talked. It felt good to talk to someone who didn't know him. Jon was his best friend but sometimes he was just too close.

"When I got divorced, she was who I thought I needed; someone who was eye candy, sexy, not too bright, ya know? Someone who wasn't gonna give me a lot a hassle. Someone I could just have some fun with again but then she changed. 'When are we gonna live together Richie? When are we gonna get married Richie? And then my dad passed away and it was just too much ya know?"

Dee murmured her understanding.

"So i told her in no uncertain terms to fuck off outta my life and to not come back. To get her size zero butt outta my face, so to speak. And she did; for about a week. Then the phone calls started. 'I love you Richie', 'I need you Richie', 'I'm going to kill myself Richie if i can't have you'
'I'm going to kill everyone you love and make you watch me do it'. She'd totally lost it man. I changed my number four times but she still managed to call me. I even stopped having Ava, my daughter, over to stay as i wasn't sure She would stay away. Then about four months ago it all stopped. No calls, no threats, no nothing. Life was getting back to normal, well as normal as my life ever gets and then this morning happened and now i'm back in the shit."

"How are you feeling though, in yourself?" Dee asked, wanting to reach through the phone and put her arms around him as she felt the pain and misery in his voice reach through to her soul and ignite a kindred spirit.

"Numb, like this isn't really happening, you know."

Dee nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. After Nick had put her in the hospital with broken bones and extensive bruising, she'd been numb for weeks afterwards.

"I know." she said quietly, feeling rather humble that this man, this 'Rock Star' who had countless people at his fingertips felt that he could trust her enough to tell her his problems. After all, she could be anyone really, couldn't she?

"All i wanna do is get away from this place, but there's nowhere i can go to just be. Because of this the paps'll be waiting to ambush me where ever I go. Damn that bitch to hell! There were two of them waiting outside my house when i got back from the cops and they'll be there all fuckin day."

"Why don't you come over to mine? It's a gated community with a private courtyard if you just want to sit somewhere and not get bothered by anyone." Dee spoke quickly without thinking it through.

Richie paused, sitting on his recliner. He had no real clue who this woman was and yet he'd just spent the better part of an hour pouring out his problems to her. He ran his hand through his shoulder length dark hair. It needed washing. Oh what the hell, what else could possibly go wrong? He was already the number one suspect in a murder case so why not go round to some complete strangers house. Knowing his luck she'd turn out to be a 911 operator by day and complete psycho by night and kill him. There that'd be end to his problems at least. he chuckled to himself.

"Ok," he said, finally, "Where do you live?"

Dee told him and they said their goodbyes for the time being.

Dee replaced the receiver and calmly looked around the apartment.

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!" she suddenly screamed, jumping up and running around the lounge, "OH MY FUCKING LORD, RICHIE SAMBORA'S COMING OVER TO MY HOUSE!." She flopped back onto the sofa, breathless and started to giggle. She was still giggling when her doorbell went some 20 minutes later.