Chapter 10

After lunch, Jon and Valerie planned on a long walk on the beach – kind of a “since we’re already intimate, let’s get acquainted” thing. Before they left the house, Valerie found an old ball cap and sunglasses in one of the closets, and gave them to Jon. “You may want these,” she said, “just in case people are out.”

Jon was touched by her thoughtfulness. He took the items from her and put them on the counter. Taking her hands, and kissing her gently, he looked into her eyes. “I don’t particularly care who sees us,” he said. “Unless you do…”

“Hell no!” She said. “If I could put it on a T-shirt, and wear it around town, I would.”

Jon laughed out loud, a deep belly laugh. “I’ll have to remember that. Not shy. Check.” His laughter subsided, and he pulled out his cell phone.

“What are you doing?” Valerie asked.

“Leaving myself a message at home.” He dialed. “Hang on…” Valerie just stared at him. What a wonderfully quirky thing to do. “Note to self,” he said, with a smile in his voice. “Call the T-shirt guy.”

Valerie blushed and smacked him lightly on the chest. “You are too much. Actually, this – whatever – is completely unlike me. I can hardly believe this is me actually.”

“Well, unless I’ve been enjoying the charms of someone else,” Jon said with a smile, “I’d say you were you.”

Valerie laughed, and led them out of the house. While they walked up and down the beach, hand-in-hand, they shared the stories of their lives. They talked about their childhoods, parents, and who helped shape them into the people they were today. They talked about their careers, what they liked and didn’t like about them. They talked about their current situations.

Jon squeezed her hand tighter when she told him the circumstances around her widowhood. Valerie gasped as he told her of the duplicity of his ex-wife. They talked and walked for hours, back and forth along the beach. They made each other laugh, and shared tears together. By the time they got back to her house, Jon had his arm around Valerie’ s shoulders, and she had hers looped around his waist, fingers tucked into one of the belt loops on his jeans, and each felt as if he had known the other forever.

Jon looked at his watch – it was getting close to dinner time, and he wanted to take her out. “Valerie, I’d like to take you out for dinner,” he said. “Will you let me do that?”

“Are you sure?” she said. She knew that the press was always hounding him, and more likely than not, they’d be seen together.

“Positive.” He took her hand and kissed it.

“If you’re sure,” she said. “then I’ll have to call Kallie and tell her about you. If she finds out about this in the papers, she’d never forgive me.”

Jon nodded. “Baby, take out a billboard for all I care. Where would you like to go?”

“Honestly? I haven’t been out here for so long…” She trailed off as she thought about her options. John Duck was always good, and she enjoyed the Talkhouse, but she wanted to go somewhere more quiet. Her eyes lit up as she thought of just the place. “I’d love to go to Ram’s Head Inn, if that’s okay,” she said, naming a restaurant on Shelter Island. Shelter Island was wedged between the north and south forks of Long Island. You had to take a small ferry to get out there.

“Anyplace you like. Ram’s Head it is,” Jon said, nodding. “I need to head home and make a couple of calls; I’ll be back in,” he consulted his watch again. “Two hours?”

“That works for me,” she said. That would give her plenty of time to get ready. It had been so long since she had gotten ready for a man, she was going to need all the time she could get.

Jon wrapped her in an embrace and kissed her thoroughly, his arousal pressed into her hip. He broke the kiss on a ragged breath and looked at her. “I’d better go, before we miss dinner.”

Valerie trailed her hands over his chest, and pulled him in for another quick kiss. “OK. Go. I’ll be ready in two hours.”

“Alright,” he said, reluctantly taking his leave. “Two hours. Not a moment longer.” One more kiss, and he was out the door.

Valerie closed the door behind him and leaned against it, letting out a deep breath. She squealed like a teenager, and ran for the phone. She was dialing Kallie’s number even as she headed into the bedroom to choose something to wear.

“Hiya, kid,” Kallie said, having checked her caller ID before answering.

“I need to tell you something, and I don’t want you to freak out,” Valerie said without preamble.

Kallie sighed, automatically assuming the worst. “What’s wrong? What did you do? Are you just sitting out there pouting? I knew I should have come with you…”

“Kallie,” Valerie said, trying to interrupt.

“I can take off tomorrow…” Kallie continued talking.

“Kallie!” Valerie yelled, getting her friend’s attention this time, and giggling.

“What?” Kallie asked.

“Jesus, girl, let me get a word in edgewise, why don’t you,” Valerie laughed. “I have something to tell you, and I want you to be calm.”

“Oh, alright already,” Kallie said, getting impatient. “What is it?”

“I have a date tonight,” Valerie answered, drawing this out. After all, how many times do you get to tell your best friend that Jon Bon Jovi is taking you to dinner?

“Oooh! I told you that you had to be prepared for anything.” Kallie was genuinely excited for her friend. “OK, give, how did you meet him? Who is it?”

“I was having myself a picnic on the beach last night, and someone was out walking,” Valerie said. “He and I struck up a conversation, and he’s taking me to Ram’s Head tonight.” She decided to keep the tawdry details to herself for now. Kallie would know anyway as soon as she saw her friend’s face on Monday.

“A date with some stranger you met on the beach? I don’t know, Val, do you think that’s wise?”

“Who said he was a stranger? I knew exactly who it was.” Valerie paused for a moment, torturing her friend.

“Spill, brat, who is it?”

“Are you sitting down?”

“Jesus, girl, don’t make me come beat it out of you.”

Valerie laughed. “Okay, okay. It’s Jon Bon Jovi.”