Chapter 64
It was after eleven and Gen sat luxuriating in the bath. Ah, how great it was to be home. It would be nice to be able to share their own bed again. She certainly understood now what he meant about there being nothing that you miss so much as your own bed. He’d been gone for much of the month working. The couple of holiday shows they were supposed to do turned into a mini-tour in support of the latest single. There went a quick two weeks down the drain as they plugged the song ad infinitum. Then they were asked once again to do a round of shows at military bases in Europe- another week gone. The time away was made more grueling by the fact that he suggested she stay at home because a) she had so much to do in preparation for the holidays, b) it was going to be a fast and furious schedule and they were traveling bare bones so she wouldn’t enjoy it anyway, and c) she was going to have to get used to him being gone at some point; after all, this was how his job worked normally. Then, when he got home the whirlwind Christmas travel began. Two days in Oklahoma, two days with family in St Louis, and two days in Buffalo. It was fun, though frankly, not very relaxing. But now, Christmas was over, the holiday festivals were through, the tour of overseas military bases was a thing of the past, and the dizzying schedule of travel was complete… for a few days, anyway. They had almost two whole days to delight in doing nothing before they left to do the New Years Eve show in New Orleans.
Figuring if she stayed in any longer, she’d look like a prune, Gen slipped out of the tub and pulled on some comfortable flannel pajama pants and a t-shirt. While John returned a phone call to Robby, she decided to fire up the computer and check her email before she hit the hay. Within moments, an excited hail from FinsUp beeped at her. It was Stacey, with one of her many Buffett inspired screen names.
FinsUp: I’ve been waitng for you! :)
Spidergrl: no jokin its late there! its late heer!
FinsUp: you back home I guess?
Spidergrl: yep… just got in tonight
FinsUp: have a good time?
Spidergrl: yep… tired now…whats up?
FinsUp: Still going to NO for NYE?
Spidergrl: yeah…wont be the same without you there :(
Spidergrl: still goin to utah?
FinsUp: WELL…
Spidergrl: ?
FinsUp: you know how I’ve been dreading going to see grant nad lorraine for new years?
Spidergrl: yeah… nobody watns to spend nye with the inlaws
Spidergrl: you typin a friggin novel there?
FinsUp: well… lorraine called tonight and told josh how theyre going skiing and to bring the right clothes and stuff… so he tells her that wasnt part of the deal when we agreed to come viist… we WERENT going skiing! I hate skiing!
Spidergrl: I know!
FinsUp: so she says “that’s fine, stacey can just stay in the cabin when we go” !!!!!!!!!
Spidergrl: NO WAY! Whatta bitch!
FinsUp: I KNOW!!!!!!!!!
FinsUp: Josh was pissed off too!
Spidergrl: He’d better be!
Spidergrl: ack! Hold on…..
FinsUp: what? Someone mad youre on the computer…not paying enough attention? ;)
Spidergrl: lol.. kinda… its ok now…said id wear the black nightie to bed ;)
FinsUp: men…. :P…. and eww… TMI btw!
Spidergrl: ah, shut up.. like you wouldn’t!
Spidergrl: so anyway… did he tell G&L to jump in a lake?
FinsUp: well…hes SO pissed at her and he tells her shes being a jerk…
Spidergrl: AND…..
Spidergrl: you still there?
Spidergrl: hey, where’d you go?
FinsUp: Holy hell! Got the damn boot! :P
FinsUp: so anyway…
Spidergrl: I say its time you got a better connetion.
FinsUp: he knows how we’ve always talked about goin to NO… and never got the chance… and he knows we’ve spent every nye together since… when? the 80’s?
FinsUp: so when he got of the phone he told me that tomorrow we can exchange my ticket for one to neworleans!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D
FinsUp: I just needed to get the info from you on when youre getting in… and what hotle.
Spidergrl: :) YAY!!!!
Spidergrl: lemme check….. brb
FinsUp: k
Spidergrl: were leaving day after tomorrow… 30th afternoon sometime…staying at the Fairmont.. coming home on jan 2.
FinsUp: cool… I’ll check flights and get a room
Spidergrl: this is gonna be too cool! :)
Spidergrl: don’t forget you have to waer something sparkley… we’re gonna be in NEW ORLEANS! … on new years eve…..flashy and trashy are def in order!
FinsUp: gotcha ;)
Spidergrl: ya think josh has any idea HOW flashy we can be?…. cause I hve my doubts hed let you go if he knew ;)
FinsUp: I think he has an idea… but no CLUE what really gonna happen there :P
Spidergrl: he might suspect when you come home with a really lot of beads!…but then itll be too late :)
FinsUp: hahahahaaha… now your talking sista!
FinsUp: but what about you? Your ball & chain’ll be right there with you! He’s not gonna be a wet blanket… IS HE??????????
Spidergrl: he’d better not be…I think he’ll get quite a show when hes up om that stage…if he gets made at me…well… lets just say I wont even TRY to earn HIS beads for a LONG while!!! ;)
FinsUp: LOL!!!
FinsUp: better idea… since we’ll have all the beads…lets see what kinda show he’ll put on for us! ;)
Spidergrl: now there ya go! I bet hed sell plenty of records then!
FinsUp: all in the name of helpin’ out his career, of course… we’d be more than happy to help him out there ;)
Spidergrl: he just doesn’t know how much he appreciates us!
Spidergrl: well chickie, its late and Im tired… bedtime for me
FinsUp: yawn… its really late here…gotta go to bed too…. Just had to share the news…SEE YA SOON :):):)
Spidergrl: k…nite stace
FinsUp: CYA
She was more than a little surprised with Stacey’s news. It seemed like the ol’ in-laws were always suckering her into raw deals. Gen was relieved that for once Josh had decided to call their bluff… and to her advantage, no less! She couldn’t wait!
She hurried to her dresser drawer to fulfill her promise of a black nightie instead of flannel PJ’s. She pulled the slinky item from the drawer and made her way over to the bed.
“You look awfully happy and you certainly had the giggles over there! You that excited to jump into bed with me?” John teased.
“Yeah, that’s it,” she replied with a roll of her eyes as she flopped down on the bed beside him to tell him her good news. “No, I was just talking to Stace,” she began excitedly, “and you know how I told you she was having to go visit the in-laws and she really hates going there?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Well, Josh’s mom pissed him off cause she decided they were going skiing when she knows that Stace hates skiing.” She stopped and put a giddy smile on her face. “So Josh said she could spend New Years with us! Isn’t that cool?”
He smiled. He was glad for her, but he had to admit it wasn’t exactly how he’d planned to spend New Years; the two of them were a lot of fun, though he always felt a little left out of their revelry. However, if it made her happy, it made him happy. “It’s cool that you’ll have her there with you. You guys’ll have fun.”
John watched her closely as she pulled off the t-shirt and pajama pants. When she reached to pick up the nightgown, he smiled wickedly, “You realize I’m not gonna hold you to your promise, don’t you? I’ll take you just as you are.”