Customs

The definition of tired should have a picture of this.

 

Tessa looked at herself in the airport bathroom. She'd always sucked at sleeping on a plane. The only time she managed it was if Jon's warm chest was under her cheek. Since marrying the international man of flights she'd been on a plane more than she'd been in a car. Of course, living in the city meant more walking than driving so that wasn't a great analogy, but what the fuck ever.

 

She pushed her hands through her hair, finger combing the knots out into some semblance of order. She washed up at the sink, scrubbed her face with the cool water and did a bit of damage control with the small bag of makeup she'd brought. The temperature change was palpable even in the airport. The air was heavier and the laid back people reminded her that she was about as far away from NJ as you could get. It only took 24 hours do it. 

 

She swung out of the bathroom, the blast of sunshine had her fumbling with the oversized sunglasses that Jon had gotten her as a gag gift. She didn't even want to think about what they cost, but they were effective in dimming that searing sun. The time change was what threw her. It was nine in the morning, two days later. And being the moron that she was, she wanted to make her visit a surprise, so she had to get her ass to the hotel on her own. Thank God she had his itinerary, but getting through the city was going to be a feat and a half. 

 

She only had her overnight bag and her city bag purse so she didn't have to deal with baggage, but customs was another matter all together. 

 

The line--or que as they so quaintly put it--was miles long. She fished out her papers and sighed as she entered one more line to get to her husband.

 

Two hours later she managed to get to one of the checkpoints. 

 

Expecting a, "G'day," because she was so tired she was unprepared for the snooty, almost British accent that snapped out, "Passport."

So much for her Crocodile Dundee fantasies. She handed it over.

 

"Lift the sunnies please."

 

Sunnies? 

 

The woman behind the glass had a bored expression on her face and tapped her temple and Tessa fumbled with the sunglasses. Duh, she knew the term. Christ, she was just this side of stupid in fatigue. She flipped them up onto her head and smiled. "Sorry, I'm a little turned around with the time difference. I don't think I've ever been this tired and I work retail." She tried a smile, but the stonefaced customs agent didn't even crack as smile. "Okay," she said under her breath.

 

"What's your purpose here?"

 

"Visiting my husband."

 

"Is he an Australian?"

 

"No."

 

The agent looked up, her eyes narrowing. "Vacationing?"

 

"Just meeting up with him, he's working--we're making it a sort of working vacation, I guess you could say."

 

The lines on the woman's face eased. "When will you be leaving?"

 

"The 21st, I think."

 

"You think?"

 

If Tessa  had been more alert, she would have been more on the ball. "My husband has a flexible schedule."

 

The agent's eyes were cool as she studied her. "What is it that your husband does Ms..." she looked down at the passport, then back up at her face.

 

She'd taken Jon's given name, so the spelling was off, but it didn't take a genius to figure out the name. Or the big stink that Sydney was making for her boys to be in town. Oprah was there, so some of the insanity was off the table. But Bon Jovi didn't come to Oz all that often, so there was a level of excitement to the shows that might not be in every city, town, or even country. Tessa leaned forward. Some people recognized her, but for the most part--she was just an appendage when she was next to Jon.

 

She was okay with it, even understood it to a certain degree.

 

"The Bongiovi family is a big one," she said on a low tone. It was usually easier to make it sound like she was a cousin. It was easier to believe and got her off the hook for the questions that invariably came. "What's it like to be married to Jon Bon Jovi?"

 

The woman slapped the passport booklet shut and handed it back through the tiny opening. "Have a nice stay and welcome to Sydney."

 

With a sigh of relief, she thanked the woman and fled out the door. A line of taxis waited outside, thank God, and Tessa gave the driver the name of the hotel. Sitting in the back of the car she got her first glimpse of Sydney and her mouth dropped open. The sky was as impossibly blue as her husband's eyes. It was so stark and perfect it hurt. 

 

She dropped her shades back down.

 

"Are you sure you meant the Hyatt, ma'am?"

 

Tessa looked down at her email that Jon had sent with the breakdown of their visit. "God, I hope so."

 

He lifted a brow in the rearview mirror and Tessa looked down at her wrinkled t-shirt and oversized cargo shorts. Jon was rubbing off on her on the travel wear. Of course on him it looked sexy when he was disheveled. On her? Not so much. She pushed her bangs out of her face. God, she couldn't even be offended. 

 

He just nodded and headed off in the direction of the city. Highways merged and the frenetic pace reminded her of Los Angeles for a minute. But the different style of cars and then the wall height of the medians had her shrinking back into her seat. Then it was just like any other highway until the water came into view. "Oh, wow."

 

"Some of

 

Her driver's accent was a bastardized British heavy on vowels. She enjoyed his little speech about what to see in Sydney. She didn't absorb much. Being this tired she was just happy to treat the mini-tour as ambient noise. Water took over most of her view and then a building that couldn't possibly be a hotel. It took over the entire area and seemed to hover right off the water. The windows gleamed and then the famous Sydney Opera House came into view. 

 

Almost a space craft in look, it roared out of the sparkling water. A head wind had picked up, shuffling the little taxi around on the road a bit. He stopped in front of the Hyatt and she just gaped. She should be used to the over the top opulence of Jon's life at this point, but it never ceased to surprise her when it was crammed in her face like this.

 

At home, he was just jeans and a t-shirt guy that drank coffee out of a malformed mug that one of the boys made in class. This? 

She was used to nice hotels but this one took the cake. A gaggle of females littered the front of the hotel. Eagle eyed security hovered around the doors checking to make sure the people entering were guests of the hotel. 

 

"Crap."

She didn't even think of this. What the hell name were they under for God's sake? She took out her cell and tapped a nail against it. She didn't want to blow her surprise, but she didn't want to get turned away either. She flicked her way through her contacts and stopped at Richie, then kept going. It was only ten in the morning, he wouldn't answer his phone if a bomb went off next to his head this early. David was just as bad. She scrolled a little further and stopped at Matt, disregarding him as well. He was probably already at the venue knowing her brother in law. Finally T's name rolled into view. Taking a chance she tapped his name. 

 

"How's my favorite redhead?"

 

Relief hit hard and fast. "Thank God you answered. Where are you?"

 

Silence. "Is there something wrong?"

 

"No, no, no...nothing's wrong. Are you at the hotel?" 

 

She heard a low laugh. "Is that your red hair I see flying around the front of the hotel, bellas?" 

 

She turned around to see Tico in unrelieved black, slapping a golfing glove against his other hand, a cigarette at the corner of his mouth. He waved from across the street, tipped his sunglasses down and blew out a stream of smoke. The squeal of females stopped him and he smiled genially and stopped for pictures.

 

"Ma'am, do you have a reservation?"

 

"Yes," she answered automatically.

 

"Can you produce your card?"

 

"I-" Well, damn. She felt a hand at her elbow and Tico's soft and gruff hello behind her.

 

"She's one of ours, Leon. Thanks so much for taking good care of us, man."

 

Sagging with relief she hugged Teek hard. "Am I glad to see you. This surprise stuff never works out for me."

 

"Jonny is going to be so excited to see you, babe."

 

"God, I hope so. I know your schedule is packed but..."

 

"There's nothing better than a woman with amazing instincts. He'd never tell you he needs it, but the fact that you're here is going to do wonders for the end of this leg."

 

She stepped back, her eyes pricking. "Yeah?"

 

He tapped her cheek lightly. "No crying."

 

"I'm just tired," she sighed.

 

He took her bag and crooked his arm out. "C'mon, let's get you inside. Jon's not even up yet. They were out pretty late last night. Him and Richie found this little local band and ended up jamming until nearly sunrise."

 

She blinked at him. "Really?" It wasn't like Jon didn't jam with other musicians, but it was pretty rare lately. It made her a little sad that he wound himself up with too many appointments so that he couldn't be all that spontaneous lately.

 

"Yep. So, your surprise is perfectly planned."