Chapter 30

They arrived in Japan quite a few hours later, the entire band and crew are exhausted, no matter how well intentioned you just can't get decent sleep on a plane. Once everyone deplanes, moves through customs and finally arrives at the hotel, Danielle wanted nothing more than sleep. The band however knows they have to force themselves to stay awake or they will never get their body clocks adjusted.

"Come on Del, lets go out for dinner."

"Jon its 3am." Danielle said moving towards their bed.

Jon stopped her. "Honey I know you wanna sleep, I know your body is saying Jon drop dead I'm tired, but we've gotta stay up a few more hours or tomorrow will be horrible. I'm not saying this to be mean, I've just done this 20 times already. Come on lets go get something to eat and we'll come back here for sleep."

"NO Jon I don't want Japanese food."

"Honey we're in Japan for 5 days you're gonna have to eat."

"I don't eat fish." She'd say in hopes he'd just let her sleep now.

"Oh we're fucked." Jon admitted never thinking she'd get this stubborn. "You're in a land that serves fish for every meal and you don't eat it?"

"I'm allergic. Don't we have that kitchen thing on the road?"

"Yeah baby but its not set up yet. Come on we'll find you some chicken to eat." He told her taking her hand and walking out of the hotel room, never giving her a chance to argue again.

Once the band arrived at the restaurant all Richie can say is sushi, Danielle laughed until she looked at the menu and noticed nothing is in English. "Jon I can't read any of this."

"Its ok, we'll figure it out." Jon told her and gave her a quick kiss. "Tic- how's your Japanese?" Jon jokes.

"That wasn't my language that was Dave's." Tico passed the buck.

"I suck, I forgot to study." Dave smiled.

Danielle would start to get more and more nervous. She couldn't even figure out what a salad was on this menu. It didn't help that she could barely keep her eyes open.

"Excuse me, may I have your autograph?" A small Japanese girl says on Jon's right.

"You speak English?"

"Yes."

"Full English?"

"Yes I have studied it for years." The girl answered.

Jon signed her autograph then looked at her, "how would you like to have dinner with us tonight?"

"Are you serious?"

"Very serious." Jon stated, again thanking his fame for getting him out of a bind.

She sat in a chair next to Tico's wife Melody. "Why do you offer this?"

"What is your name sweetheart?" Jon asks.

"Keiko"

"Thank you for joining us Keiko - I would love to say I offered completely to be nice, but I don't want to lie to you. We also need your help."

"Anything I can do of course."

"We can't read the menu and my wife is allergic to fish is there anything on it that's maybe chicken or something?"

"OH I'm so sorry for you, fish is wonderful source of nutrition for Japanese. Let us find you something." She then took the menu and perused it.

"This choice is chicken, mushrooms"

"I'm sorry I'm allergic to mushrooms too." Danielle told Keiko.

"OH it must be awful for you to go to eat."

"Its isn't easy."

Keiko assured her that the dish could be prepared without mushrooms and when the waiter comes to take their orders she told him.
"この料理なしでキノコしてくだい" (This dish with no mushrooms please.)

After that the table would erupt into pleasantries. Keiko was very interested in Jon and Danielle's marriage, how long they have been together etc. Jon silenced the questions by just saying, "We got married on New Years Eve. We met less than a year ago but when its right, its right." With that he'd kiss his wife allowing no room for confusion as to where his loyalty lies.

When the food arrives Danielle almost ended up in tears. She's so tired but to top it off her dinner is covered in mushrooms.

Keiko immediately stood up and berated the waiter.
"私に恥をかか場合は、この距離;取る-いいえキノコ、キノコない" (You embarrass me, take this away - NO mushrooms, NO mushrooms.)

The waiter returned with bread for Danielle to eat while the band refuses to touch their food.

"Guys please eat your food while its cold." Danielle urged.
"We'll wait." Dave says.

"No please I insist I'm ok."

They'd eventually begin eating their dinners and Danielle's was returned to her with no mushrooms.

Everyone ate and socialized. Keiko was of course put on the next nights will call list for better seats.

Later that evening back in the hotel room Danielle and Jon were laying on the bed and he wanted to get busy with her and the second he goes to kiss her she'd get up and run to the bathroom. After 20 minutes of being sick, she'd brush her teeth and come out with tears in her eyes.

"Honey what's wrong? What happened?"

"There had to be a mushroom in my food or they used the same utensils or something."

"Oh my GOD I had no idea you were that allergic. Let me brush my teeth so I don't kiss you with fish on me."

"Jon I'm not quite in a kissing mode."

"I know honey, just to be safe though." He smiled and left to go brush his teeth thoroughly. When he came back he saw his Danielle curled up in a ball on the bed.

Jon moved to the suitcase and get out one of his Philly Soul shirts, he'd walked over to her. "Come on baby sit up and put this on, then we'll go to bed."

"Jon I feel like hell."

"I'm so sorry baby. She ordered it with no mushrooms, I didn't know just the juice on the utensils would set you off like this."

"Yes that's what allergic means." She'd say rather rudely.

"ok smartass wife, I'm trying to be a loving husband here, I've never had an allergic reaction to anything give me a break ok." Jon got his Italian up in arms.

Danielle looked at him, then sit up to change clothes. "I'm sorry Jon I just hate feeling like this." She say as she takes her shirt off and changes into his soul shirt.

"Pants too. We'll be sleeping for probably 12 hrs get comfortable." Jon wanted to help her but he was upset, he didn't need her bitching at him he was tired too.