Chapter 28
They arrived at their Chicago hotel in the early afternoon. It was a beautiful sunny day and they had some time on their hands before they had to make another radio station appearance. As they waited to check in, John leaned over to Gennie, “Ya wanna just stay with me tonight?” He had a playful grin on his face. “It’s your last night, and baby, I’m yours.”
Gen stood there looking at him, pokerfaced. She turned her head slowly, bringing her eye-to-eye with a camera lens. There stood Tony, not four feet away, filming their arrival. A light on the camera indicated that, yes, it was, indeed, recording. John looked over his shoulder to see what had grabbed her attention. He was slightly startled to see the camera, but hid his surprise well. It seems that over the last few days, they had gotten so accustomed to the presence of Jack and Tony and their camera that they had pretty much forgotten it was there. This last little exchange was not exactly something that either of them wanted to watch on MTV. “Tony,” John spoke up jovially, “How the hell are ya?”
“Not as good as you, apparently,” he replied with an approving expression that, to Gennie, looked like a hands free equivalent of a high five.
John affected a cocky rock star attitude as he slung an arm around Tony’s shoulder. “Oh yeaaah,” he suggested slyly, “She’s gettin' the grand prize tonight for stickin’ with us so long. MTV didn’t tell you about that one, did they? You wanna film that too?”
Gen’s jaw dropped at
hearing that. She wasn’t sure who he was at the moment; it was a little
strange. She thought it best to
just roll her eyes and walk away. Though
she still had her bag slung over her shoulder, she strolled into the hotel bar
where Mike and Robby sat drinking a beer. “What’s up with the rock n roll
asshole back there?”
“What? You just now figured that out about him?” Robby asked, laughing. He signaled the waitress to bring Gennie a beer.
“Do you realize he just told Tony that I get the ‘grand prize’ tonight?” She shook her head and laughed. Mike and Robby sat with expectant looks on their faces, not sure where this was going. “It’s him!” she said, barely able to contain her laughter, “He’s the grand prize!” The guys laughed out loud. “Yeah, you think it’s funny now. Wait’ll you see it on MTV!” she added with an embarrassed smile.
“Now that’d be funny!” Robby chuckled. “I’ve known him long enough to know he’s no prize.”
Taking another swallow from his bottle, Mike joked, “Well, they’re wanting this to be a fan contest thing right? This oughta get lots of interesting people now!”
“Yeah, MTV’s pimpin’ us out now. Win and get nailed by a rock star. I’d watch that, wouldn’t you Mike?”
“That’s just what MTV needs, a game show for groupies,” Mike replied.
“So Gen,” Robby wiggled his brow, the silver ring in it catching the light, “if you plan to take him up on the offer, let me know now so I can change my room. I’d like to get some sleep tonight.”
“So you did the rock n roll asshole, eh?” Mike shook his head. John crept up behind him, listening. “He’s pathetic, isn’t he?”
John crooked an eyebrow when he heard what Mike had to say.
Gen looked straight at John. “Eh, so-so,” she teased. At those words, John silently clasped his hands to his heart and gave her a wounded look. Gen and Robby tried hard to keep a straight face.
John feigned anger and whacked Mike on the head, “Pathetic, huh? Thanks a lot, Malinin! See if I ever do you again! I actually had the girl believin’ I had talent until you said that.” Everyone burst out laughing. Johnny tossed the little folders containing the keycards down on the table. “Grab that beer, woman. I’m takin’ you away from these degenerates here. C’mon.”
Shaking her head she got up and followed him to their room. She couldn’t help but notice that Tony was nowhere to be found. “What did you say to get rid of him?”
“Well, first I told him that I was just jokin’ around so we don’t have to worry about that shit anymore. And then I told him that I was sick of lookin’ at his ugly mug and to leave me the fuck alone!”
“Right. You did not,” she smiled.
“Did too! And then I told him that he doesn’t need follow me everyfuckingwhere I go.”
“And that worked?”
“What they really want is the live stuff and the rock star shit. He ain’t gettin' that from me right now.” He held the elevator door for her as they stepped out on to their floor. “I hope you don’t mind, I kinda cancelled your room. You’re staying with me. That’s Ok isn’t it?”
Gennie turned her eyes skyward and held back a tremendous grin. She looked back to him, beaming and said calmly, “Yeah, Johnny. I think that’ll be fine.” It was more than fine, she was thrilled about it.
They tossed their bags down in the corner. “I’m gonna take a shower. I sorta skipped it earlier. Be right back.”
Gen set her beer on the nightstand and plopped down on the bed. She grabbed the remote. Why not watch some TV? It was almost two and there wasn’t much on. She passed on the soaps and talk shows and settled on cartoons. The Powerpuff Girls was starting. Just as she was getting involved in the adventures of Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles, she heard the water cut off and out stepped a very wet haired John Rzeznik, a damp towel wrapped around his waist. Gen thought to herself, ‘It doesn’t get any better than this’ then reconsidered, ‘well, maybe a little’.
“Alright! I love Mojo Jojo!” he chuckled. “That monkey has a way with words.”
She still hadn’t taken her eyes off of him. As he was bent over digging through his bag for some clean clothes, she sighed. When she knew he wasn’t looking, she raised her bottle and took a salutatory swig. Almost immediately, he turned around and offered her one of the most beautiful smiles on the planet. She wondered if he’d seen her. Didn’t matter, the man could make her heart race without even trying. He headed back to the bathroom, clothes in hand. As he walked away from her, he tugged at his towel allowing her a quick view of his backside. She didn’t know if it was deliberate or not, but he’d just made her day by giving her that glimpse.
“Gen,” he called from in front of the mirror.
“Yeah?” she hollered back.
“I was thinking we should do something today.”
“Like what? There isn’t a lot of time before that radio thing.”
“I thought we’d go shopping on Michigan Avenue.”
“Shopping?” It was hardly what she’d expected him to say.
“Yeah. Y’know, you wanted to go to a toy store.”
“I did?” She remembered saying that on their day in the park, but she was actually thinking she’d just stop at Toys’ R Us when she got home.
“Yeah,” he said sticking his head around the corner as he dried his hair with a towel. “You were gonna get something for Stacey’s kids.”
She nodded her head, “Sure. Sounds good to me. But we don’t have much time.”
“We’ve gotta be there anyway. The radio station is down there somewhere. Stores should be open late tonight, so anything we miss before, we can do after.”
She finished off the last of her beer. “I’m ready when you are.”
They caught a cab downstairs and headed for some of the finest stores in Chicago. They did a little window-shopping first. John tried his best to be incognito; he had a baseball cap pulled down over his recognizable blonded locks and dark sunglasses to cover his distinctive eyes. They were lucky it was a sunny day so they just blended in with everyone else today.
“See anything you want?” he asked.
“I’m not really looking for anything for me. An FAO Schwarz would be nice. That’s what I want.”
Almost like magic FAO Schwarz appeared a few shops down from where they were. Once they were welcomed to the world of toys, John made a beeline for the doll department. “Dude, you had way too many sisters,” she teased him. He shook his head in agreement. “Do you really like dolls?” she asked as watched him paw through endless boxes of Barbies.
“My niece has a birthday next week and I have to send her something.” He looked at the selection thoughtfully and picked up a Magic Sparkle Princess Barbie and a Calvin Klein Barbie. “Which one do you think?” He held them both up for Gennie to inspect. “Me, I prefer the Calvin Klein. It’s more tasteful, less gaudy, but…”
Gen had to laugh at the visual she was getting here; the rock star with a pink Barbie box in either hand. “And your niece is a little girl?” He gave her a look that said ‘duh’ “Well, then you’ll definitely want Magic Sparkle Princess. Kids don’t care much for tasteful. Gaudy wins every time,” she giggled.
“Right,” he agreed. “So what are you getting…Megan, is it?”
She sighed, “Oh probably a doll, but not Barbie. She has too many of those already.”
“If you’re getting her a doll, there’s a great doll store on a cross street not far from here. You gotta get her one of those.”
“You sure know a lot about dolls.”
He looked at her over the top of his glasses “I grew up with four sisters and I have plenty of nieces. You learn these things,” he smiled. “What about her little boy? What’re you getting him?”
“I have no idea. You used to be a three-year-old boy. You’re the expert here. What do you suggest?”
John seemed to jump at the challenge. He took her by the hand and led her to a massive display of toy trucks. He pointed out a front-end loader with lots of moving parts. “Ya gotta get this one. He’d love it!” he insisted excitedly.
Gen looked at it. She was sure Alex would like it, but upon catching a look at the price tag, she had to object. There was no way she could afford it; it was pushing three digits. “Um, it’s nice, but how about something a little less…ostentatious?”
“Aw, c’mon, he’d love this thing. I went nuts for shit like this when I was little!”
Either he hadn’t caught her clue, or he thought Assistant to the Program Director was a much more prestigious job than it actually was. “Johnny, I’d love to get it for him but I can’t spend $95 on a piece of construction equipment for a three year old.” She turned to check out what else was more within her budget.
“Don’t worry about the money. I’ll buy it. I’d buy him anything he wants. It’s all my fault that he’s had to spend a week away from his favorite….whatever you are.” He gave her a pleading look- puppy dog eyes. By the looks of it, it was Johnny that actually wanted this toy.
She conceded and picked up the box. They checked out and hightailed it over to the doll store John had mentioned. They only had fifteen minutes till they had to be at the radio station. They were in a hurry.
As soon as they set foot in the American Girl Store, Gen became a little girl herself. “Oh, Johnny! Look at this. It’s all so cute! The little accessories are adorable!” She hurried from display to display trying to take it all in in the limited time they had.
John loved to see her so happy. Even though she was close to his own age, she’d kept in touch with the little girl inside of her. He admired her resolve to never completely grow up. “You should have seen it when I had four of my nieces with me. It was crazy!” he chuckled. “Do you see anything she’d like?”
“Oh, I ‘d love to get her one of these matching outfits, but she’s growing so fast, I don’t know her size.” Just then she spotted the baby dolls. She dashed over to them. They were so life like. She scooped one up in her arms, holding it like a real baby. “Ooh, Meggy would love this! She loves babies. Let’s get her this one!” she exclaimed as she felt the dolls soft skin and fingered the delicate lace gown it was wearing. She looked up at John and froze. Their current possible predicament slammed into her like a ton of bricks. He was watching her adoringly, but she could see that the sight of her holding this baby made him uneasy.
He took a step toward her, took the doll up from her arms and gently laid it back in its cradle. “If you think that’s what Meggy would like, then we’ll get it for her,” he said with a smile. He picked up a doll that was secure in her box and purchased it.
They arrived at the radio station a few minutes late.
“There he is!” called a voice from the studio.
Mike and Robby were already on the air. Tony was there too further documenting their late arrival. John handed Gennie the packages and hurried over to the desk, putting on the headphones.
“Sorry I’m a little late.”
“Looks like you’ve been doin’ some shopping!” the DJ commented.
“Um, yeah, y’know. Great shopping on Michigan Avenue.” John nodded.
“Pickin’ up some rock star duds at the leather store?”
“Well, no. Toys actually,” he replied warily.
“Johnny, that doesn’t sound like much fun for a guy like you.”
“Dude, toys from the leather store are always fun,” Robby joked.
“Oh, well, of course. What’d ya buy?”
John seemed to sense the humor in the actual truth and admitted, in his best Barry White voice, “I bought a front end loader…and…a doll.” The whole studio resonated with gales of laughter. Gennie, for one, was laughing so hard, she nearly peed her pants. “No jokin’?” the DJ asked. “Nope. I’m serious,” he smiled.
“Aw geez, Johnny, this is a family show. I don’t wanna hear what you’re gonna do with ‘em!”
“Hey, you asked man!”
“A front end loader and a doll? For Johnny, those two things are usually one and the same,” Robby laughed.
“Life on the road is a lonely one for a rock star today,” Mike philosophized before adding, “Don’t listen to a thing you hear. This guy can’t land a chick to save his life! He has to rely on dolls to remind him he’s still a man.” he kidded him.
Robby chimed in, “You know that story about how we got our name? A bunch of crap! We’re really named after the inflated dates my buddy here kept under his bed!”
“Dude, these guys suck! I’m running open auditions for a new band. I can’t take their shit anymore.”