It was the 21st of December and Jimmy had already announced that all of us-- the three men, their wives and children, and Peter Grant (their manager)-- would be celebrating "Christmas" at his house the 23rd, however strange it seemed to me. He also announced that we would be joined by Jeff Beck and his family, as well as Richard "Ricardo" Cole, their tour manager who had just returned from working with the Stones in America. The boys would be gone for Eve, Christmas, and the day after.
The radical side of me thought that is was only hospitable that Jimmy invited everyone to celebrate at his house, but the superstitious side of me saw the danger in celebrating a Christian holiday in the home of a Black Magick practicer. I had no clue what might happen, but for the few months that I lived in Henderson Collige, weird things had happened that I normally would have tried to leave. However, my financial and housing situation kept me at Henderson Collige, where black shadows roamed the halls just as much as I. Pictures of Aleister Crowley, the self-proclaimed Father of Occult, hung in every corner of the house, the eyes following anyone who passed. Things could be found moved, hidden, or ripped. With me being a very light-hearted, open-viewed Catholic with feet in every possible known spiritual belief, I found myself, at first, overwhelmed by the possibly of having a poltergeist in the house, which I soon became acclimated with. So how would the daunting spirit in our house react as we set a cross in a pine tree in the foyer? Yule times definitely had nothing to do with occult practices.
As I packed my bags in my room by my lonesome, I could hear the commotion downstairs rise. I heard a door open and everyone cheer and clap, and I even heard a champagne bottle pop open, followed by approval from everyone. By comparison, my room seemed lonely. As I continued to pack, wondering who had arrived, my door creaked open and in ran Jason Bonham. He sprinted to my bed and smiled up at me.
"Why, hello little Jase," I greeted, hosting a kind smile on my face. "How are you, Sugarpie?"
"Somebody's here," he replied, distractedly looking at the open door. "He's coming to Christmas with us. Jenni?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you like Daddy?"
I tried holding back my condescending laughter. "No, Sweetheart, your mother does. Can you keep a secret, Jase?"
He sat up quickly, excited. "Yeah!"
I looked both ways and leaned toward him. "I like Daddy's friend, Uncle Jim." Jason's mouth widened into a circle and he scraped at his cheeks. Without warning, he slipped off the bed and waddled to the door. "You promised not to tell, Jason," I warned, standing up straight.
"I'm not telling him," he announced, grabbing at the butt of his trousers. "I'm telling Uncle Jim!"
"Telling me what?" I heard from the hall. My heart sped and I glared at Jason, mouthing Don't tell him! The door opened wider, nearly toppling Jason over, and Jimmy bent down quickly to apologize to Jason. He straightened up and sauntered toward me.
"Merry Yule Tide," I murmured to him as I turned to pack more shirts into my bag. I heard Jason run down the hall and I prayed something would come of this privacy. Jimmy sat on the bed politely and I smiled at him.
"Back at you," he responded in his soft Epsom accent. "Ricardo just got here. He's following us home. We're leaving at eight."
I glanced at the clock on the wall and turned to Jimmy, watching snow fall out the window behind him. "What are we going to do in three hours? I'm almost finished here and Mo has to finish and we could leave."
"Ricardo wants to destroy the place," Jimmy replied matter-of-factly. "We never get our security deposit back, let me just say. Why don't you come downstairs? Your lifeline is downstairs." He laughed.
"Jack Daniels?" I asked and he nodded with a grin. "I like it, but that's your lifeline, Hun."
"So, I happened to notice that somebody trifled through my things in my room," he drawled, unworried. "I know it wasn't a nick because nothing else was moved. I am missing a key, though." My heart pounded against my chest and I avoided eye contact. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
I watched through a window in my hair as a wicked smirk grew on his face. "No I don't, sorry," I replied. "Ask Charlotte."
"Charlotte? Maybe I will." He started to get up and I turned to him.
"No, don't ask her!" He eyed me with that same annoyingly attractive smirk. "It'll-- it'll turn up." He grabbed my forearm and pulled me toward him. I could smell the alcohol on his breath as I looked up into his eyes. He smiled and brought his face down close to mine, our foreheads touching and our eyes burning into each other. He quickly let go and left the room, glancing back humorously. I glared after him and finished packing.
♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫
"Jenni, Ricardo; Ricardo, Jenni," Bonzo introduced. Robert stood in a corner of the room, his hooded eyes locked on Ricardo angrily. I took Richard's hand politely and he kissed it sensuously, glancing approvingly back at Bonzo. I pulled my lip up disgustedly and went to join Robert in the corner.
"Richard drives me mad," Robert reported to me, shoving his glass toward Ricardo, music and commotion booming in the background. "He's a daft little bugger. Airey. Does a real shitty job, but Jim likes 'im cos they think alike. Like the same women, same sex-- I beg your pardon. He was the one who shoved that mudshark up that girl's--"
"Okay--" I cut in sharply.
"--back in I think '70? Or '69. Right sick that is, Jimmy taking the rap. He's a womanizer; Ricardo is. I never liked him. Stick by me tonight-- he'll wreck the place and fuck you. Or Bianca. He's bloody untrustworthy, but Jim wont give 'im up."
"He cant be that bad," I interjected.
Just as I said that, Ricardo jumped on the sofa and raised his glass. "To whomever we take to bed tonight!" he shouted, taking a swig of his bourbon and giving a satisfied hiss. "Fuck 'em hard, boys! Now, I'm gonna throw this girl in the snow!" He grabbed Bianca forcibly by the arm and pulled her onto the sofa where he tried to pick her up as she kicked and pushed.
Jimmy rushed forward and forbade him from doing such a thing. I found myself jealous that Jimmy hadn't rushed to my defence, but I would soon regret my wish.
In the dark hours of seven, when the party was in full swing and the kids were playing or else asleep upstairs, I went up to finish my packing. Unbeknownst to me, Ricardo had followed me. I went to the window to fold my AC/DC tee, watching show hit the window. Two arms took my shoulders and spun me around, slamming me into the log wall.
"Hey there, Hot-thighs," Ricardo breathed, his breath tainted with alcohol, pinning me to the wall. "Got plans for the next hour?"
"Hot-thighs? Clever... Actually, I have to pack, so if you just... want to move your arm..."
He laughed but kept me between him and the wall, which scared me but excited me all the same. He played with the top button of my teal blouse and I tried pushing him away. He was too strong. I tried ducking under his grip, but he lifted me up. "Where're you going? I'm just teasing..."
"I'm sorry, I really don't feel that comfortable with you. Back off!"
"Hey! Calm down, okay? Calm down," he hissed, bringing his hot lips to my neck.
I attempted pushing him away one more time, even attempted kicking him, but I was too pinned. "Help!" I called twice before he held a hand to my mouth and unbuttoned my pants. He picked me up and threw me onto the bed. I tried to crawl away but he grabbed my foot. I called Help a few more times as Ricardo slithered on top of me, putting a hand over my mouth. I tried to rip it away or bite it, but nothing worked.
"Ever used a wool and tinsel sock for a condom?" he cooed. I cringed and he let this thumb count my ribs. "You're a screamer, aren't you?"
My bedroom door opened and Bianca stumbled in, drunk. Ricardo and I froze and she didn't seem to notice the predicament I was in. When she did, her eyes glazed over and she ran out the door. Ricardo turned to me and riped open my blouse with both hands, allowing me to scream more. He buried his face in my chest and I continued to scream.
Ricardo paused in his attempt to get in my pants and slapped me across the face-- hard. Had my arms not been pinned down by his knees, I would have rubbed the mark to keep it from stinging. I called for Robert, trying hard to focus all my energy on him.
Suddenly Bonzo busted into the room and marched up to Ricardo, throwing him to the floor. He leaped onto the man and threw a right and left hook, leaving Ricardo unconscious on the floor. Bon paused before turning to me and standing. He shuffled toward me and rebuttoned my blouse, muttering, "Cocaine, Cocaine, Cocaine..."
I couldn't speak, so he did for me. "You need Brandy. Ought to calm you. I'll get Jimmy, just relax, Jen."
I was too transfixed and perplexed to stop him.
"Richard drives me mad," Robert reported to me, shoving his glass toward Ricardo, music and commotion booming in the background. "He's a daft little bugger. Airey. Does a real shitty job, but Jim likes 'im cos they think alike. Like the same women, same sex-- I beg your pardon. He was the one who shoved that mudshark up that girl's--"
"Okay--" I cut in sharply.
"--back in I think '70? Or '69. Right sick that is, Jimmy taking the rap. He's a womanizer; Ricardo is. I never liked him. Stick by me tonight-- he'll wreck the place and fuck you. Or Bianca. He's bloody untrustworthy, but Jim wont give 'im up."
"He cant be that bad," I interjected.
Just as I said that, Ricardo jumped on the sofa and raised his glass. "To whomever we take to bed tonight!" he shouted, taking a swig of his bourbon and giving a satisfied hiss. "Fuck 'em hard, boys! Now, I'm gonna throw this girl in the snow!" He grabbed Bianca forcibly by the arm and pulled her onto the sofa where he tried to pick her up as she kicked and pushed.
Jimmy rushed forward and forbade him from doing such a thing. I found myself jealous that Jimmy hadn't rushed to my defence, but I would soon regret my wish.
In the dark hours of seven, when the party was in full swing and the kids were playing or else asleep upstairs, I went up to finish my packing. Unbeknownst to me, Ricardo had followed me. I went to the window to fold my AC/DC tee, watching show hit the window. Two arms took my shoulders and spun me around, slamming me into the log wall.
"Hey there, Hot-thighs," Ricardo breathed, his breath tainted with alcohol, pinning me to the wall. "Got plans for the next hour?"
"Hot-thighs? Clever... Actually, I have to pack, so if you just... want to move your arm..."
He laughed but kept me between him and the wall, which scared me but excited me all the same. He played with the top button of my teal blouse and I tried pushing him away. He was too strong. I tried ducking under his grip, but he lifted me up. "Where're you going? I'm just teasing..."
"I'm sorry, I really don't feel that comfortable with you. Back off!"
"Hey! Calm down, okay? Calm down," he hissed, bringing his hot lips to my neck.
I attempted pushing him away one more time, even attempted kicking him, but I was too pinned. "Help!" I called twice before he held a hand to my mouth and unbuttoned my pants. He picked me up and threw me onto the bed. I tried to crawl away but he grabbed my foot. I called Help a few more times as Ricardo slithered on top of me, putting a hand over my mouth. I tried to rip it away or bite it, but nothing worked.
"Ever used a wool and tinsel sock for a condom?" he cooed. I cringed and he let this thumb count my ribs. "You're a screamer, aren't you?"
My bedroom door opened and Bianca stumbled in, drunk. Ricardo and I froze and she didn't seem to notice the predicament I was in. When she did, her eyes glazed over and she ran out the door. Ricardo turned to me and riped open my blouse with both hands, allowing me to scream more. He buried his face in my chest and I continued to scream.
Ricardo paused in his attempt to get in my pants and slapped me across the face-- hard. Had my arms not been pinned down by his knees, I would have rubbed the mark to keep it from stinging. I called for Robert, trying hard to focus all my energy on him.
Suddenly Bonzo busted into the room and marched up to Ricardo, throwing him to the floor. He leaped onto the man and threw a right and left hook, leaving Ricardo unconscious on the floor. Bon paused before turning to me and standing. He shuffled toward me and rebuttoned my blouse, muttering, "Cocaine, Cocaine, Cocaine..."
I couldn't speak, so he did for me. "You need Brandy. Ought to calm you. I'll get Jimmy, just relax, Jen."
I was too transfixed and perplexed to stop him.
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