Chapter 20

By the time the Christmas break came around Brianna was more than ready for it. Dealing with Jon was like working with Jekyll and Hyde. She never knew from one day – sometimes one minute – to the next which one was going to emerge. She didn’t have to talk to Dorothea to find out how she was feeling – Jon’s moods spoke eloquently.

The worst was the night of the first show in Montreal. The Canadian air in December was the only thing cold in the Bon Jovi camp.

Brianna surveyed the table in Jon’s dressing room, ensuring that everything he needed – or wanted – was ready and available. She checked her watch. “Do you want your ginseng now?”

She wasn’t totally surprised at the explosion that followed her simple question – he’d been surly all day.

“NO I DON’T WANT MY FUCKING GINSENG NOW!  Haven’t you learned anything? Jesus!”

Closing her eyes for a moment, she sighed and quietly left the room. Five minutes later she was sitting in the control room eyeing a bottle of wine on the refreshment table, when his raised voice echoed down the hallway.

“BRI! WHERE THE FUCK IS MY GINSENG? You know I want it fifteen minutes before showtime! How many times do you have to be fucking told?!”

Paul frowned. “Didn’t he just say he didn’t want it?”

“Yeah, but that was a couple minutes ago. Guess he changed his mind.” Dragging herself from the chair she rushed to fulfil the boss’.....request.

“Wow!” Eileen, Paul’s second in command commented softly. “I’ve never seen him like this before. What’s going on?”

“I don’t know.” Paul shook his head. “Whatever it is, he doesn’t want to share.”

“I wonder how long Brianna’s going to put up with it?”

“You and me both, Eileen, you and me both.”

“It’s too bad, she’s good. And I like her.”

“We all do. I hope he snaps out of it before he chases her off.”

Back at the hotel after the show, Jon disappeared into his room and Brianna headed for the bar. Finding a seat at an empty table in a corner, she sat and waved over a waitress. “White wine please.”

“Glass or bottle?”

“Bottle.” There was no hesitation.

She was on her second glass, her head resting against the wall, eyes closed, when the scrape of the chairs beside her told her she was no longer alone. A hand settled on her shoulder and squeezed.

“You okay nina?”

Brianna opened her eyes and managed a smile. “I’m fine Tico.”

“Are you sure?”

She turned to the concerned brown eyes on her other side. “Yes, Richie, I’m sure.”

“Well, I don’t know how you can be.” David interjected as he joined them. “Jon’s been riding you pretty hard. I’ve never seen him this bad.”

“And he won’t say what’s crawled up his ass and died.” Richie shook his head. “Whatever it is, I hope he gets over it and soon.”

Don’t count on it. I have a feeling the worst is yet to come. Brianna struggled to keep her expression neutral and not reveal her thoughts. Instead, she shrugged. “It’s no big deal. I can handle it.”

“The point is, you shouldn’t have to.” Tico argued. “There’s no reason for him to be treating you like his personal punching bag.”

The others rumbled their agreement. And for the rest of the leg of the tour, every time Jon yelled her name or raised his voice in anger, one of them would suddenly appear to help diffuse the situation, or distract Jon until he calmed down.

Her knights in shining armour coming to the rescue of a damsel in distress is how she described them to Dorothea when she called to wish her a Merry Christmas. “It’s almost amusing.”

Dorothea chuckled and shook her head. “I warned Jon he should tell the guys. If this blows up in his face he’s got no one to blame but himself.” She paused. “But I’m glad you’ve got some help. And hopefully you won’t have to carry the burden of our secret for much longer.”

“Oh? You’ve gotten some news?”

“My treatments are done, but we decided to wait on getting the results until the new year.” Her voice got so quiet Brianna almost had to strain to hear her. “I just want to forget about it for a few days and enjoy the holiday with my family.” Especially if it turns out to be my last one.

The whole sad situation wouldn't leave Brianna's mind, even during her visit with her family over Christmas.

"So how's the job going?" Her mother asked as they sat at the kitchen table with a glass of wine, enjoying the calm before the rest of the family arrived. "You've stayed on the east coast so far, right?"

"Yes. It's going pretty well. It took a little bit to figure out my routine, but I've got it down now."

"And you still like it? Or him, or whatever?"

"Yes, I do. It's interesting and exciting and for once I understand the product we're creating. And the guys are great to work with."  

Sara couldn't miss the smile on her daughter's face - one she hadn't seen in a long time. But still, she could sense something wasn't right. "Is Alex bothering you?"

Brianna's brows rose. "No. I haven't heard from him for  awhile now. Why?"

"Something is obviously bothering you. Don't look so surprised. I'm your mother. I can tell when you're upset. So what is it? Work or personal?"

Brianna sighed, but knew from experience that there was no point trying to deny it. Her mother was like a dog with a bone when it came to getting information out of her children. They could never even keep Christmas surprises if she decided she wanted to know. "Kind of....both."

"Is it your boss? Is he acting inappropriately?" It wouldn't be the first time.

"No. It's not like that." She paused. "His wife has pancreatic cancer and it doesn't look good."

"Oh, that's too bad. It's always so sad when that happens, especially to someone so young, and with young children. So is he cancelling the tour?"

"No. In fact, he even refuses to tell anyone, but she insisted that I needed to know.....and she's asked me to keep an eye on him and run interference."

"So basically you get to bear the brunt of what is sure to be some pretty difficult and emotional mood swings, with no one to share the burden, as you travel all over the world?" Sara asked incredulously.

Brianna's lips twisted into a wry smile. Trust her mother to cut right to the chase. "That pretty much sums it up. Although the guys try to step in if his temper gets too bad - even though they don't know why he's so angry with the world these days."

Sara lifted the wine bottle and emptied it into her daughter's glass. "Here, you need this more than I do. No wonder you look stressed."

“Yeah.” Brianna lifted her full glass. “Thanks.”

They sat and sipped in silence for a few minutes. Sara recognized the signs that her daughter wanted to talk, but she also knew that she needed to wait until Brianna was ready.

But it also wouldn’t hurt to push. “How are you holding up through all this?”

Brianna grimaced. “Okay, I guess. It’s just that I feel kind of useless. I’m not a grief counsellor. How do I help them? Or do I even try? I mean, it’s not really any of my business.”

“From what you’ve told me it sounds like his wife is making it your business. But at this point, I can’t see much you can do. Just be there when they need you, however they need you, whether it be a shoulder to cry on or a sounding board to vent at.” She reached over and patted Brianna’s hand. “You’ve always had good instincts on what the people around you need - that’s what’s made you such a good assistant. Trust your gut.”

Brianna nodded. “Thanks, Mom.”