A cool afternoon breeze drifted through her bedroom window. Jerrica Benton
sat on her bed, browsing through a stack of photo albums. Looking up to
see out the window she smiled as fall leaves glided to the ground. The sky
above threatened rain. She loved to sit by an open window and smell the
scent of fall air. She smiled at the picture in front of her of all of the
Holograms together. What a happy day that was. Just after a birthday
party for one of the Starlight Girls. Feeling the sadness creep up again
she closed the album and decided to go for a drive.
An hour later Jerrica found herself strolling down the main street in town. Deciding that maybe a little window shopping would take her mind off of her loneliness she wandered aimlessly, stopping to look in a store window here and there. Not paying attention to where she was going, she walked right into someone.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." she cried as she instinctively jumped back a step.
"No harm done. None at....Jerrica?" the man asked.
Searching his face for some sign of who he was, Jerrica looked into his eyes and realized she knew him. "Riot, is that you?"
"Well, not many people call me Riot anymore, just Rory, but yes it is me. How on earth have you been?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her in a friendly hug. Jerrica was taken aback at first before returning the hug.
"Alright. How are The Stingers? I haven't heard much from you guys."
"That's a long story. Say, do you have time for a cup of coffee?" he asked.
"I have all the time in the world." she said. Jerrica followed Riot down the street to the corner diner. Riot found them a booth in the far back corner and they settled in. Both ordered coffee and as they waited Jerrica stopped to really look at Riot as he glanced out the window. His hair was shorter, though still a little longer than most men. He was thinner and had a few lines around his eyes and mouth. The biggest change was a scar that ran down his right cheek. She still found him extremely attractive and looked down at her hands when she felt a slight blush creep up her face.
"So, you were going to tell me about The Stingers." Jerrica began as the waitress placed their coffee's in front of them.
"Ah, yes. Well, after our last album things started to go down hill. Rapture was becoming an annoyance with her constant get rich quick scams and Minx was still finding herself enamored by Rio. One night after a concert in Spain when Rapture came in late after bilking some poor suckers out of their hard earned money I had enough and told her so. We fought for hours until finally she packed her things and stormed out. I thought she would be back by morning but when she didn't return after three days we got worried. A week later we got a telegram saying she had hooked up with a traveling band of gypsies. She was tired of playing music and wanted to travel on her own and see where life took her. She was still young and I should have known she wouldn't stick around forever. Minx and I talked and realized that without a third member it just wouldn't be the same. We settled in Montana for awhile to sort of wind down before deciding what to do next. While we were living there she met a man. He was a carpenter who owned a ranch just outside town. She fell in love and about a year later they got married. They now have a beautiful baby girl." Rory said as he pulled out his wallet and showed Jerrica a picture of a smiling girl with blonde braids.
"She's gorgeous. So, tell me more." Jerrica said as she took a sip of her coffee. She didn't really realize just how much things had changed until now.
"Well, I played a couple of solo gigs here and there but nothing ever felt right. Luckily I had invested my money wisely so I am able to live off that and I do some producing on the side. Now I live about five miles from here on the beach. How about you? How has life been treating you?"
Jerrica looked down at her coffee and then looked up to stare out the window.
"It could be worse I suppose. It started about a year after BaNee left with her real father. Jem and the Holograms were taking a break when Craig Phillips came back into town and he and Aja started dating seriously. In about two weeks time they decided to get married. A couple weeks later they had a wedding and then they broke the news that they were moving to London. Craig had an offer to play in a band and Aja wanted a change. A new city for her new life. A few months later Raya announced she was going back to school. She had enrolled at college and would be going full time starting with the next semester. About that time Shana was offered a job in Paris and decided it was time to take her designing more seriously. Pretty soon it was just me, Jem, Kimber, Rio, and the Starlight girls. A couple of years passed. Some of the girls went off to college and some of the younger ones were adopted. I stopped taking girls in after Mrs. Bailey passed away. Rio got a job offer in Nashville and decided to take it. He wanted me to come along but I told him that if he didn't know after all of the time we were together whether he wanted me or Jem that I had to let him go. I figured if he really loved only me then he would have proposed. He said he understood and that there were too many conflicting emotions going on inside him to decide right then. We said goodbye and that was that. We write and talk on the phone occasionally. He met a great girl named Sarah and they got married and had a baby boy. He sent me a picture. He's the spitting image of his father. Earlier this year Kimber's old boyfriend Bobby came back into town and she fell in love, again. They moved to New York. So, now it's just me. I sold Starlight Mansion. It was just too big for me by myself. I bought a small, three bedroom house in the suburbs and still manage Starlight Music."
"Your doing a great job. There's some terrific talent coming out of your company." Rory said.
"Thanks...Rory. Wow, I don't know if I can get used to that." Jerrica smiled at him.
"It takes time. Believe me. Listen. I have some errands to run but would love to see you again. Would you be free for dinner?"
"Sure, I would love to have dinner with you."
"Great. Shall I pick you up around seven?"
"That would be great." Jerrica said as she wrote down her address.
Around five o'clock Jerrica turned on the stereo in her bedroom. The soft music filling the room. She filled the tub then climbed in and lay back her head, letting out a deep sigh. Before she knew it a picture of Rory crept into her head and a smile crossed her lips. It was unbelievable to her how much he had changed. No longer was he the arrogant, pompous man he had once been. Not once did he ask about Jem. That was a relief. She still wasn't sure what she would say when the subject came up, and she knew it was inevitable. She thought about a story to give him while she finished her bath.
After her bath she put on her robe and stepped into her bedroom. Going to the closet she flipped through everything she owned, realizing she really needed to get rid of some things and buy some new clothes. Deciding on a long, black dress, she lay it on the bed along with her pantihose. Going into the bathroom she put up her hair and decided to use a little makeup. After putting on mascara, a light eyeshadow, blush, and a hint of lipstick, Jerrica went to dress. Once she was completely dressed she looked in the mirror and decided the outfit needed one more thing. Reaching into her jewelry box she produced a small pair of silver hoop earrings. While the box was open she reached in and touched the Jemstar earrings that she hadn't worn in years. Taking one more look in the mirror she was pleased by what she saw. Just then the doorbell rang. When she opened the front door her breath caught in her throat.
"Good evening Jerrica. May I come in?" Rory asked with a laugh as he stepped past her.
"Oh, sure." she said, closing the door behind him. As he passed she noticed the way the dark blue suit hugged his toned body. "Still sexy after all these years." she thought to herself.
"This is a lovely home you have here." Rory said as he looked around.
"Oh, it's nothing. I'm sure you have a magnificent home." Jerrica said. She looked down at the flowers in his hand.
"Oh, my manners. These are for you." he said, handing her the bouquet of pink roses.
"Thank you, there beautiful." Jerrica said as she put them to her nose to take a whiff. Rory looked at her carefully. He had never seen a sight so lovely. The years had been kind to her.
"Just let me run and put these in water real quick." Jerrica said as she made her way to the kitchen. Rory followed.
"Actually, what you were saying about my house? It's probably smaller than yours."
"No, your joking me right?" she asked.
"No, I'm not actually. See, everyone knows me still as Riot of the Stingers. I never could find a woman who saw past that and wanted an honest relationship. It was always what I could do for them or buy for them. Pretty soon I just secluded myself. Only coming out for work and the occasional dinner or movie. I'm basically a home body these days." Rory said.
"You sound like me." Jerrica said as she placed the vase of roses on the kitchen table. Rory was taken aback by the sad look in her eyes.
"Shall we go then?" he asked, offering up his arm.
"Absolutely." Jerrica responded, taking his arm. The two made there way out to his car. When they finally arrived at the restaurant Jerrica was surprised. It was the smallest Italian restaurant she had ever seen. Once inside, she noticed that the place was packed. It was extremely small inside but seemed to fit a good number of customers. There was a small stage at the front where a man played piano.
"I have a reservation for Lewellyn. Table for two." Rory said to the woman at the podium.
"Here you are. Robert will be your waiter this evening." she said as she seated them. A moment later an older gentleman came up to their table.
"Good evening, my name is Robert and it will be my pleasure to serve you this evening. Can I get you both something to drink?" he asked.
"I'll have a white wine." Jerrica said.
"The same."
As the waiter left Jerrica found herself without something to say.
"So, before we go any further, I should probably answer some questions that I know have been plaguing you since we ran into each other." Rory said.
"What do you mean." Jerrica replied as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat and took a drink of water.
"I'm sure you wondering about my...change in attitude."
"Well, now that you mention it. It did seem kind of odd to me."
"It was just after Minx left. I was walking down a dark street in New York after a solo gig and a man jumped out of an alley. He demanded money. I scoffed at him of course because after all I was Riot. He wasn't so impressed and when I simply said no and tried to walk away he grabbed my arm, spun me around, and slashed my face with a knife. I woke up the next day and was horrified by what I saw. Not only was my face a mess but the man had severely beat me as well after I was unconscious and had broken a few ribs. I didn't want anyone to see me and I became belligerent to the hospital staff. The next afternoon I was reading a magazine when a little girl wandered in. I was going to call the nurse to come get her but something about her struck me. This child had a cast on her arm and bruises and scars on her face and legs. When she stood at the door for a moment I invited her in. She came over and climbed right up onto my bed. I asked why she was in the hospital and she began to cry. Then she told me how her daddy had hit her real hard and the police took him away. She looked up with the biggest, bluest eyes I'd ever seen and asked why I was here. I told her a bad man beat me up. Then, she leaned up and kissed my boo-boo as she called it, saying it would be all better. Then she sat with me watching cartoons until the nurse tracked her down. After that, I was changed. I could have had plastic surgery but I decided not to. I wanted a reminder of how awful I had been and how I never wanted to be that way again."
Jerrica wiped the lone tear from her cheek. "That is so touching." she said. "You really have changed."
"Yes, but then again haven't we all?" he asked.
"I guess so. Some of us in bigger ways than others." Jerrica replied.
After a leisurely dinner Rory and Jerrica walked out of the restaurant. The night was cool and breezy. They climbed into his SUV and he drove her home.
"I had a wonderful time. Thank you again. It's been so long since I've been out I forgot what it was like to have a good meal with someone." Jerrica said as she unlocked her front door.
"I had a good time as well. I was thinking. Would it be okay for me to call you? Maybe get together this weekend?" he asked.
"I'd like that." Jerrica wrote down her number and went inside. After she saw Rory drive away she went upstairs, changed into her bed clothes, and brushed her teeth. She fell into an easy sleep that night, dreaming of the perfect evening they had shared.
At his beach house, Rory stood on his back porch with a glass of wine, staring out at the ocean. He smiled as he thought of Jerrica smelling the roses. He kept the picture in his head as he drifted off to sleep that night.
An hour later Jerrica found herself strolling down the main street in town. Deciding that maybe a little window shopping would take her mind off of her loneliness she wandered aimlessly, stopping to look in a store window here and there. Not paying attention to where she was going, she walked right into someone.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." she cried as she instinctively jumped back a step.
"No harm done. None at....Jerrica?" the man asked.
Searching his face for some sign of who he was, Jerrica looked into his eyes and realized she knew him. "Riot, is that you?"
"Well, not many people call me Riot anymore, just Rory, but yes it is me. How on earth have you been?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her in a friendly hug. Jerrica was taken aback at first before returning the hug.
"Alright. How are The Stingers? I haven't heard much from you guys."
"That's a long story. Say, do you have time for a cup of coffee?" he asked.
"I have all the time in the world." she said. Jerrica followed Riot down the street to the corner diner. Riot found them a booth in the far back corner and they settled in. Both ordered coffee and as they waited Jerrica stopped to really look at Riot as he glanced out the window. His hair was shorter, though still a little longer than most men. He was thinner and had a few lines around his eyes and mouth. The biggest change was a scar that ran down his right cheek. She still found him extremely attractive and looked down at her hands when she felt a slight blush creep up her face.
"So, you were going to tell me about The Stingers." Jerrica began as the waitress placed their coffee's in front of them.
"Ah, yes. Well, after our last album things started to go down hill. Rapture was becoming an annoyance with her constant get rich quick scams and Minx was still finding herself enamored by Rio. One night after a concert in Spain when Rapture came in late after bilking some poor suckers out of their hard earned money I had enough and told her so. We fought for hours until finally she packed her things and stormed out. I thought she would be back by morning but when she didn't return after three days we got worried. A week later we got a telegram saying she had hooked up with a traveling band of gypsies. She was tired of playing music and wanted to travel on her own and see where life took her. She was still young and I should have known she wouldn't stick around forever. Minx and I talked and realized that without a third member it just wouldn't be the same. We settled in Montana for awhile to sort of wind down before deciding what to do next. While we were living there she met a man. He was a carpenter who owned a ranch just outside town. She fell in love and about a year later they got married. They now have a beautiful baby girl." Rory said as he pulled out his wallet and showed Jerrica a picture of a smiling girl with blonde braids.
"She's gorgeous. So, tell me more." Jerrica said as she took a sip of her coffee. She didn't really realize just how much things had changed until now.
"Well, I played a couple of solo gigs here and there but nothing ever felt right. Luckily I had invested my money wisely so I am able to live off that and I do some producing on the side. Now I live about five miles from here on the beach. How about you? How has life been treating you?"
Jerrica looked down at her coffee and then looked up to stare out the window.
"It could be worse I suppose. It started about a year after BaNee left with her real father. Jem and the Holograms were taking a break when Craig Phillips came back into town and he and Aja started dating seriously. In about two weeks time they decided to get married. A couple weeks later they had a wedding and then they broke the news that they were moving to London. Craig had an offer to play in a band and Aja wanted a change. A new city for her new life. A few months later Raya announced she was going back to school. She had enrolled at college and would be going full time starting with the next semester. About that time Shana was offered a job in Paris and decided it was time to take her designing more seriously. Pretty soon it was just me, Jem, Kimber, Rio, and the Starlight girls. A couple of years passed. Some of the girls went off to college and some of the younger ones were adopted. I stopped taking girls in after Mrs. Bailey passed away. Rio got a job offer in Nashville and decided to take it. He wanted me to come along but I told him that if he didn't know after all of the time we were together whether he wanted me or Jem that I had to let him go. I figured if he really loved only me then he would have proposed. He said he understood and that there were too many conflicting emotions going on inside him to decide right then. We said goodbye and that was that. We write and talk on the phone occasionally. He met a great girl named Sarah and they got married and had a baby boy. He sent me a picture. He's the spitting image of his father. Earlier this year Kimber's old boyfriend Bobby came back into town and she fell in love, again. They moved to New York. So, now it's just me. I sold Starlight Mansion. It was just too big for me by myself. I bought a small, three bedroom house in the suburbs and still manage Starlight Music."
"Your doing a great job. There's some terrific talent coming out of your company." Rory said.
"Thanks...Rory. Wow, I don't know if I can get used to that." Jerrica smiled at him.
"It takes time. Believe me. Listen. I have some errands to run but would love to see you again. Would you be free for dinner?"
"Sure, I would love to have dinner with you."
"Great. Shall I pick you up around seven?"
"That would be great." Jerrica said as she wrote down her address.
Around five o'clock Jerrica turned on the stereo in her bedroom. The soft music filling the room. She filled the tub then climbed in and lay back her head, letting out a deep sigh. Before she knew it a picture of Rory crept into her head and a smile crossed her lips. It was unbelievable to her how much he had changed. No longer was he the arrogant, pompous man he had once been. Not once did he ask about Jem. That was a relief. She still wasn't sure what she would say when the subject came up, and she knew it was inevitable. She thought about a story to give him while she finished her bath.
After her bath she put on her robe and stepped into her bedroom. Going to the closet she flipped through everything she owned, realizing she really needed to get rid of some things and buy some new clothes. Deciding on a long, black dress, she lay it on the bed along with her pantihose. Going into the bathroom she put up her hair and decided to use a little makeup. After putting on mascara, a light eyeshadow, blush, and a hint of lipstick, Jerrica went to dress. Once she was completely dressed she looked in the mirror and decided the outfit needed one more thing. Reaching into her jewelry box she produced a small pair of silver hoop earrings. While the box was open she reached in and touched the Jemstar earrings that she hadn't worn in years. Taking one more look in the mirror she was pleased by what she saw. Just then the doorbell rang. When she opened the front door her breath caught in her throat.
"Good evening Jerrica. May I come in?" Rory asked with a laugh as he stepped past her.
"Oh, sure." she said, closing the door behind him. As he passed she noticed the way the dark blue suit hugged his toned body. "Still sexy after all these years." she thought to herself.
"This is a lovely home you have here." Rory said as he looked around.
"Oh, it's nothing. I'm sure you have a magnificent home." Jerrica said. She looked down at the flowers in his hand.
"Oh, my manners. These are for you." he said, handing her the bouquet of pink roses.
"Thank you, there beautiful." Jerrica said as she put them to her nose to take a whiff. Rory looked at her carefully. He had never seen a sight so lovely. The years had been kind to her.
"Just let me run and put these in water real quick." Jerrica said as she made her way to the kitchen. Rory followed.
"Actually, what you were saying about my house? It's probably smaller than yours."
"No, your joking me right?" she asked.
"No, I'm not actually. See, everyone knows me still as Riot of the Stingers. I never could find a woman who saw past that and wanted an honest relationship. It was always what I could do for them or buy for them. Pretty soon I just secluded myself. Only coming out for work and the occasional dinner or movie. I'm basically a home body these days." Rory said.
"You sound like me." Jerrica said as she placed the vase of roses on the kitchen table. Rory was taken aback by the sad look in her eyes.
"Shall we go then?" he asked, offering up his arm.
"Absolutely." Jerrica responded, taking his arm. The two made there way out to his car. When they finally arrived at the restaurant Jerrica was surprised. It was the smallest Italian restaurant she had ever seen. Once inside, she noticed that the place was packed. It was extremely small inside but seemed to fit a good number of customers. There was a small stage at the front where a man played piano.
"I have a reservation for Lewellyn. Table for two." Rory said to the woman at the podium.
"Here you are. Robert will be your waiter this evening." she said as she seated them. A moment later an older gentleman came up to their table.
"Good evening, my name is Robert and it will be my pleasure to serve you this evening. Can I get you both something to drink?" he asked.
"I'll have a white wine." Jerrica said.
"The same."
As the waiter left Jerrica found herself without something to say.
"So, before we go any further, I should probably answer some questions that I know have been plaguing you since we ran into each other." Rory said.
"What do you mean." Jerrica replied as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat and took a drink of water.
"I'm sure you wondering about my...change in attitude."
"Well, now that you mention it. It did seem kind of odd to me."
"It was just after Minx left. I was walking down a dark street in New York after a solo gig and a man jumped out of an alley. He demanded money. I scoffed at him of course because after all I was Riot. He wasn't so impressed and when I simply said no and tried to walk away he grabbed my arm, spun me around, and slashed my face with a knife. I woke up the next day and was horrified by what I saw. Not only was my face a mess but the man had severely beat me as well after I was unconscious and had broken a few ribs. I didn't want anyone to see me and I became belligerent to the hospital staff. The next afternoon I was reading a magazine when a little girl wandered in. I was going to call the nurse to come get her but something about her struck me. This child had a cast on her arm and bruises and scars on her face and legs. When she stood at the door for a moment I invited her in. She came over and climbed right up onto my bed. I asked why she was in the hospital and she began to cry. Then she told me how her daddy had hit her real hard and the police took him away. She looked up with the biggest, bluest eyes I'd ever seen and asked why I was here. I told her a bad man beat me up. Then, she leaned up and kissed my boo-boo as she called it, saying it would be all better. Then she sat with me watching cartoons until the nurse tracked her down. After that, I was changed. I could have had plastic surgery but I decided not to. I wanted a reminder of how awful I had been and how I never wanted to be that way again."
Jerrica wiped the lone tear from her cheek. "That is so touching." she said. "You really have changed."
"Yes, but then again haven't we all?" he asked.
"I guess so. Some of us in bigger ways than others." Jerrica replied.
After a leisurely dinner Rory and Jerrica walked out of the restaurant. The night was cool and breezy. They climbed into his SUV and he drove her home.
"I had a wonderful time. Thank you again. It's been so long since I've been out I forgot what it was like to have a good meal with someone." Jerrica said as she unlocked her front door.
"I had a good time as well. I was thinking. Would it be okay for me to call you? Maybe get together this weekend?" he asked.
"I'd like that." Jerrica wrote down her number and went inside. After she saw Rory drive away she went upstairs, changed into her bed clothes, and brushed her teeth. She fell into an easy sleep that night, dreaming of the perfect evening they had shared.
At his beach house, Rory stood on his back porch with a glass of wine, staring out at the ocean. He smiled as he thought of Jerrica smelling the roses. He kept the picture in his head as he drifted off to sleep that night.