"Ya know Beth, I got better things to do than sit here and try to convince you why I did what I did was in the best interest of my family." He drops his head, "So this is it. Pete is here, she's going to stay and you're going to utilize her to the best of her ability."
"No I'm not." she buffs, "She needs a life too Jon, outside of our kids."
"She has a life. Don't you think I asked her, and asked her again, if she was okay with coming here?" He can feel himself getting mad at having to explain himself to her.
Pete has been with the family for many years. She's been instrumental in the raising of the Bongiovi children, Jon, Tony's and Matt's. It would tear Jon apart if he thought he was hurting Lupetta or hindering her life in anyway. Pete is often given, sometimes ordered to take time off and away from the family - even though she's part of the family. She's paid quite handsomely and has the life that many could only pray for. "Jon, this really isn't about Pete. It's about your inability to see that I'm capable of taking care of our children, whether it be home or away " She slams her hand on the table, wanting him to look at her. To see the emotion on her face, in here eyes.
He's done with this discussion, he knows it's only going to go in a circle, with no good outcome. He knows he's pissed her off, he knows she feels betrayed, but he didn't care. "Damn it Beth, this discussion is over. She's here, she's staying and I have work to do. Do you mind?" He gives her a look and motions to the door. "Go shopping, do whatever you're going to do, but take Pete with you." She shoots him the stink eye and that makes him just a touch more upset. "Would you rather I get you a plane home?"
Beth stands there staring at him, herself getting upset over his callousness about the situation. She can see that he is in fact done with the conversation, but she's not. She knows him well enough to know that he'll utter not another word about it. She could go on and on, but to him, the subject is closed. Needing Jon to know how belittled she feels, how betrayed his actions hurt her, she mumbles, "Yes. Get me a plane, we're going home."
"Are you kidding me?" He jumps to his feet, throwing his pen across the table. "I have a show in 3 hours and you want me to get you a plane?"
Hand on hip, Beth states, "You offered. Yes, I want to go home."
"You're being childish." He screams at her. The veins on the side of his face expanding.
"You're being an asshole." She balks back at him. "Don't do something behind my back and get upset that I'm upset. Don't offer me something that has no merit Jon, you're being a total ass."
"You wanna go home?" He asks her in a tone that says that her next word will be all but in concrete. Her answer will be definite and she'll get exactly what she wants.
"I do." She answers and holds her breath.
She watches his every move, every move deliberate and necessary. She sees him take his phone off the table. He enters his lock screen code and then he swipes. Swipes some more. When he finds who he was looking for, he makes a phone call. Beth's posture softens and she leans against the conference table, her heart beats just a little faster. She tries to figure out who he's calling. She has no idea.
What she hears next will infuriate her even more, "My wife is being a child. Please charter her a plane to get her ass back to Jersey."
A momentary silence.
"Yeah, she'll have the kids with her."
He ends the call. As he does he looks over the table at her, "Your wish is my command." The smirk follows.
"Fuck you!" She screams at him and leaves the conference room. She's so pissed, she doesn't acknowledge Richie and Dave as they sit outside and wait. They look at one another and know that going back into that meeting will not be good.
When Beth makes her way back to their suite, she greeted by Haley. Her phone in his hand. "Dad wants to talk to you." Beth smiles at the handsome young man and winks.
"Thanks Jake."
Beth takes her phone and sees that it's a connected call. To keep the kids and Pete from hearing their argument she takes her business into the bathroom. With a deep breath, she says "what" into the phone.
"You're really leaving?" He blurts with attitude, Dave and Richie can hear it all.
"We are."
"There's a plan for you at the airport. Leave Pete and the kids here."
Beth sits on the toilet, crossing her legs. "No. I'm taking my kids home, where maybe, just maybe I can take care of them myself."
"God damn it Beth. You flew them all of the way out here to see me, take your attitude and go, but leave the kids."
She's now beyond livid, finally seeing the writing on the wall. "Pete can stay here and take care of our children alone, but I'm incapable?" Her sarcasm gets snarkier as she continues, "That's a bunch of bullshit. All of the kids are leaving with me, so in your desire to control every aspect of my life Jon, did you get a plane big enough for all of us?"
Jon sighs and stands, to do his ritualistic pacing, "Why don't you just stay, take the kids to the show tonight, you know they want to go."
"They've been to enough." She reminds him. "We came out to surprise you and in the end, I get a slap on the face for doing it."
Jon is quiet for a moment. Finally he conceeds to her irrational behavior, having better things to do than to coddle to his oldest child. "Flight leaves at 6:30. I have Dawn get you the info." He ends the call.
Beth sits in the privacy of the bathroom, running the events through her mind, and it just gets her even more enraged. Once she composes herself, she exits her privacy and joins her family. She stands there and looks them over, one by one. The twins are poking and swiping on their iPad. Jesse and Jake are lost in their iPhones and Pete is sitting there wondering what will happen next.
Once Beth has it all clear in their heads, she tells the kids, "okay, we need to get ready for dads show. After that, we're getting on a plane and going home."
Jesse immediately asks, "What about shopping?"
Beth gives him a sullen smile and tells him, "We'll hit the city when we get home."
Beth can see the look on his face, "I'm sorry Jess, I'll make it up to you. "
