Chpater 6

The strong smell of bacon woke Bradleigh up from the deep slumber that she fell into while watching the movie with Jon.  She pries her eyes open and looks into the darkness of the basement.

The TV is on, but there is no sound.  She slowly looks to her right, where she sees Jon sound asleep - his head on the couch pillow that they shared.  She doesn't want to wake him, but she knows that if she takes her hand from his, that's a possibility.

She lays there for a few moments tryng to figure out what she should do.  With her left hand she rubs her eyes and yawns deep, but she's startled by "JOHN FRANCIS" being shouted from the top of the stairs.  That early morning momma call woke him up, as if he's just heard a firecracker go off next to him.

"Jesus Christ!"  he mumbles as he sits up on the couch, freeing his hand from Bradleigh's.  Jon rubs the morning from his eyes and then takes a look over at Bradleigh.  The look on his face made her chuckle.

"What's that look for?"  she inquires, sitting up running her fingers through her hair.

"You didnt go home." he states the obvious.  "Are you in trouble?"

Again, the voice from the top of the stairs, "John!?!"

"Yeah ma." he has to respond, so she'll stop yelling at him.

"Breakfast is ready.  Get your girlfriend and get up here."  Mother Bongiovi leaves it at that.

Bradleigh stands, not to follow Carols direction, but to change an awkward situation in the only way that she can.  "Your girlfriend?  Is there someone else here?"

"Ha ha, funny!"  He sighs, knowing the ribbing that he's going to get as soon as they crest the top stair.  He can hear Matt and Tony.  He can hear the news is on so he knows that dad is still home.  "We better go eat."  He steps toward her, leaning in to kiss her he adds, "Good morning."

Bradleigh is frozen.  She didn't see this coming.  She did what her body tod her to do and that was kiss him back.  So she did and whispered, with her morning breath, "Good morning."

Jon swooped her in and pulled her close.  With his chin resting on the top of her head, he confesses, "Last night was one of the best in my life.  Our show was great and then I got to just relax with you."

"We passed out." she reminds him.  They didn't get too far into the movie before the fell asleep, "I think I crashed before you did?"

"You did, and I watched you sleep."

Bradleigh pulls back, "You watched me sleep?" she's feeling a little weirded out.  "Why would you watch me sleep?"

"Does that bother you?"  he reaches over and takes her hand.  "you were so peaceful, so beautiful."

"How long did you watch me?"  she's starting to feel a little embarrassed.

He can see that she's feeling slightly uncomfortable, so he stops the torture, "Only for a few minutes, I passed out too."  He tries to pull her back into him, but she sllightly resists.  

"I should go."  she tells him, looking up at him with a look he can't yet read.  He doesn't know her well enough to read what her face is saying.

He laughs, "If you can get out of the house without eating, I wish you luck!"

"What does that mean?" 

"Ma won't let you leave without eating."

Bradleigh follows Jon up the stairs and once they emerge from the cacoon od the basement, the ribbing that he expected started.  First it was Tony, "Did you use protection?"  he asks, quite loudly.

"ANTHONY!"  mom snaps.  "Do not talk like that at the table."

Jon looks at Bradleigh, embarrassed.  "You've met Tony.  That there is Matt and my dad is here somewhere."

"Your father went to the supermarket."  Carols informs him.  

"There, you've met all that there is to meet.  Mom and two brothers.  Both are assholes and ma is the greatest." Jon pulls out a chair for Bradleigh, she takes a seat.  "Coffee?"

"Yes, please."

Bradleigh had breakfast with the Bongiovi clan.  She had a nice time but couldn't get out of there fast enough.  To think what they may have thought about her, killed her.  When breakfast was finished, she and Jon cleaned the kitchen, with Matt always interupting.  Teenage boys in the presence of a pretty woman usually means irritation.

Bradleigh's irritation was at a level she'd never felt before.  She can only chalk it up to the fact that she spent the night at Jon's, was called his girlfriend by his mother and then was questioned at breakfast about her life and what they did last night.

Bradleigh is private, very private - and only cause she had no choice.  She never really had anyone in her life to share anything with with.  She has a few close friends back in Rhode Island, but that's it.  She's close with her dad, but that's her dad.  There are things a young woman can't share with their daddy.

Wiping her hands on the kitchen towel, Bradleigh tells Jon, "I should get going.  My dad is probably wondering here I'm at."

"Is he going to be mad?"

"He'll be upset that I didn't call and tell him that I wasn't coming home."

"You didn't know."  Jon gives her a wink, with a crooked smile.  "I'm sorry I passed out on you."

Bradleigh makes movement toward the door, stopping.  "Where is your mother?"  Bradleigh looks through the living room, into the living room and doesn't see Carol.  "I'd like to thank her for breakfast."

"She's probably in her sewing room.  Come on."  Jon grabs her fingers and leads her to his mother.  Bradleigh stops in the door way of the room that hold and abundance of fabrics, yarns and spools of thread.  It hosts 2 sewing machines and an ironing board.  ""Mrs. Bongiovi thank you so much for breakfast."  Bradleigh exclaims, feeling like she's invading Mrs. B's privacy.

"You're welcome anytime, dear."  She responds, looking over the glasses that teeter on the bridge of her nose.  "What are you and Jonny off to do now?"

"I'm going home and checking in with my father.  I'm thinking he might be a little upset."  Bradleigh admits, still feeling like crap because she spent the night and didn't phone home.

Carol, threading a needle, tells Bradleigh "John seen your father this morning watering the grass, he told him that you were here, sleeping on the couch."

That mortified Bradleigh.  Her heart did a little flip flop.  "Oh.  Well, I should get going.  Thanks again for breakfast."

Carol simply nods and Bradleigh takes her lead, with Jon just a step behind her.  She stops when she feels his hand on her shoulder, "Hang on a second, let me grab my boots; I'll walk you home."

"I can manage Jon, it's across the street."  she laughs a bit, knowing that he just wants to be polite.

"Hang on."  he kind of demands.  So, Bradleigh waits at the door, while he slips his boots on to walk her home.