After the events of yesterday and her face plastered all over the news, she thought it be best if she kept a low profile for the rest of the day. She tried to help Luc, but he wouldn’t let her. And for someone who can’t sit still for five minutes, it was a very long twenty-four hours. So today, she was going out.
There was a new antique store that just opened downtown she’d been waiting to check out, so she called Cara. When she finally agreed to join her, she told her friend she needed to check in with Luc and would be right over.
Heading downstairs, it still amazed her at how much work had been done. The kitchen was finished. All they were waiting on was the delivery of new cutlery and cookware. She stopped at the walk-in refrigerator to grab a bottle of water, then made her way to the main room where Luc and the boys were busily working on the new stage.
If there was one good thing to come from this fire, it was that she could make some significant changes to the layout of the main room. With the walls opened, Luc was able to rewire the entire room and move the stage to the middle of the room. Making it viewable from anywhere in the bar now. The dart boards and pool table moved to the other side of the room, allowing for a few more tables in the dining area.
Ariana called out over the hammering and drilling to grab his attention. When he turned, she pointed over to the bar and moved in that direction.
“Everything’s looking really good, Luc.”
“Thanks. We are still on schedule, so this place should be up and running just after the new year.”
“That will work perfectly for me. I was hoping to be open before I head back to the States.”
“When will that be?” Luc asked.
“End of January. Which reminds me, I’ve been meaning to ask you, are you licensed to work in the States?”
“Yes. I have a shop just over the border and have done a lot of work over there as well. Will you be needing something done?”
“Hmm. I might. Nothing is set in stone yet. You do beautiful work and would love to use you and your guys, if and when I decide.”
“Cool. Just let me know. I’ll make sure to fit you in. You’re good people Ariana.”
“You are too. I’m heading out for the afternoon. Call if you need me. Max should be here soon as well.”
“Go have fun. We’re good here.” Luc waved her goodbye and returned to his crew.
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Arms full of shopping bags, they stepped out of another store. They had been in and out of so many they’d lost count. The cold, bitter wind bit into them as the day's light snow drifted down, covering the existing layers that had fallen over the past few days. This was winter in Montreal. You either pulled up your big girl panties and faced it or you battened down the hatches like the three bears and hibernated till spring.
“Do you want to grab some lunch, my stomach is growling?” Ari asked.
“Sure. I need a little fuel to keep up with you. What are you craving?”
“Someplace warm, so my toes can thaw out.”
“Italian sound okay for you?”
“You know how much I love Italian.” Ari smiled.
Laughing at her friend, Cara locked her arm and together they walked into the wind down the street. As they approached the corner, Ari spotted a little something out of the corner of her eye. Motioning to Cara that she wanted to go in, Ariana opened the door to the three-story building and walked into the store. The room was absolutely full of baby stuff, from racks of tiny little clothes to carriages and cribs. A very pregnant woman approached them.
“What can I help you with, ladies?” She asked, as her hands moved in circles over her large belly.
“We’re just looking right now, thanks.” Ariana answered.
“Well, let me know if you need anything.” She handed them each a large carrying tote which was decorated with teddy bears.
“Thank you.” Cara replied and nudged Ari toward little people's clothes. “Looking for something specific?” she asked her.
“Nah. Just noticed all the cute little things in the window. I’ll just take a quick look around and we can go.”
Circling the store, they stopped here and there a few times in the furniture department to look at a few pieces. Nothing really jumped out at Ariana. There were some cute crib bedding sets for girls, but most were too girly for her taste and besides, she was sure it was a boy, and she knew just what she wanted to do in the nursery. She just needed to wait to have her suspicions confirmed.
As they made their way back up front, she stopped at a table of folded onesies. Cara laughed when Ari held up a red tie-dyed short sleeved onesie with the words Peace, Love, & Mommy embroidered on the front. Tossing it over her shoulder, Ariana continued to look at the vast selections.
“How about this one?” Cara asked, holding up a denim colored one with a tiara and the words Daddy’s Little Princess.
Rolling her eyes, she snatched the shirt from her hand and placed it on her shoulder. “Not you too.”
“You never know.”
“O-kay, Jon.” Ari stuck her tongue at her friend. “Let’s pay for these and go eat. I’m starving.”
Ari paid for the items and stuffed the smaller bag inside the other she had hooked on her arm and together they made their way over to Buonanotte for some much-needed lunch.
They were having so much fun laughing and eating they lost track of the time that Cara forgot she needed to get back to the studio to meet a client. Paying the check, they collected all their bags from the coat check and stepped out onto the curb right into a barrage of photographers.
“Ms. Moretti, is it true you’re dating Jon Bon Jovi?”
“Are you the cause of his divorce?”
“How long have you’ve been dating?”
“Where is he now?”
“Is it true you and your father worked for him?”
“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Cara yelled. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”
“Who are you? Ms. Moretti, why won’t you answer any of our questions?” a female reporter asked.
Lifting her head at the familiar-sounding voice, her eyes searched the crowd of five or six until she found the strawberry blonde hair that belonged to none other than Josie Johnson.
She needed to project an air of calm and confidence, even though her heart sank the moment she realized who she was. Slowly, she squared her shoulders and looked directly at her as she spoke.
“I will say this only once, so make sure you have your recorders on.” Her head turned from left to right. “I have no comment. Now, you all have a nice day.”
With that, the friends turned and re-entered the restaurant again, where the Manager was waiting for them. They gave him a quick explanation, and he asked if they wanted him to call the police. Ari thanked him but said it wouldn’t be necessary as she would call someone to come get them. He escorted them to the bar while they waited and promised that they would not be disturbed.
♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱
After what had been somewhat of a tough morning trying to get the kids dressed and dealing with Jake’s leftover attitude from last night Jon had just dropped the kids off when Ari had called to tell him she and Cara were trapped inside a restaurant, waiting for Max to come and get them because some paparazzi and news reporters had ambushed them after their lunch.
He had asked if they were okay and if she wanted him to ask Matt to send someone to stay there with her until he could get there. She assured him she was fine and that she could handle them. They had just caught her off guard and she wasn’t sure of what she should have said and if he was okay with her saying anything at all.
Jon explained that less is always best when it came to those vultures, and she handled the situation well. He talked to her until Max got there and asked to speak with him. When they were done, he made her promise to text him the minute she got home, even though he would be in the middle of a press conference. As soon as he was done, he would call her.
Stepping off the elevator, he winked at the receptionist and continued down the hallway until he reached Ken’s office. He gave a polite knock before he opened the door and stuck his head in.
“You ready to do this?” He asked, keeping one hand on the doorknob and the other pressed against the doorframe.
“Jon, maybe you should come in and sit for a minute.”
Ken knew him all too well, and he could see that Jon still hadn’t calmed down from his phone conversation with Ariana. He had listened to him bitch the entire time it took him to get from downtown to midtown.
“I’m doing this now, with or without you!” Jon tapped on the door and headed for the conference room.
“Jon. Wait up!” Ken called after him. Together, they walked down the narrow hallway to a row of glass rooms. Stopping in front of the biggest one, Ken blocked the door with his arm. “Remember, you can show them you mean business, but if you rear your ugly head in there, it will only get worse.”
“Open the door, Ken.”
Ken Sunshine pushed open the door to the conference room and stepped aside to let Jon enter. The room was full of about twenty reporters who filled the rows of seats that had been set up. A few stood and rushed Jon, rambling off some questions, but he held up his hand to stop them. When the room settled down, that is when he spoke.
“Good afternoon. I’ve asked you all here today, not because I wanted to, but because I felt I needed to. You all already know that when it comes to my personal life, I am a very private man, but it has come to my attention that some of you in the room, find the need to pry into something very personal that is happening to my family. So, with that being said, I will only make this statement once. From here on out, I would ask that you respect me, my family and anyone who this affects and leave them alone.”
“Jon, will we be allowed to ask questions?” A man in the back of the room asked.
“I will take a few questions when I am done. That doesn’t mean I will answer them.”
“But...” Another asked, but stopped when Jon held up his hand.
Jon folded his arms across his chest.
“As I have stated before, after twenty years, Dorothea and I have ended our marriage and go our separate ways. This was a mutual agreement, and we part as friends. We are blessed with four beautiful kids and as this, will be a trying time for them, we ask for you to respect them and us, by letting us handle this process with as little or no interference as possible. I have always been a fair man when it comes to me and my music regarding the press and I will continue to be, if you will continue by leaving my family alone. By this, I mean, please don’t camp out in front of my homes, or follow my children to school. My parents or brothers are included as well. This is a family matter and shall remain just that.”
“Jon, can you tell us about Ms. Moretti?”
“Ay, yes. Ms. Moretti. She is off limits too. And I mean that.”
“Is she the reason you are getting divorced?”
“No!” his answer was firm.
“Is it true, she’s worked for you since she was eighteen?”
“I’ve known the Moretti family a long time.”
“Can you tell us if you are dating? Will she be going out on tour with you?”
“My relationship with Ms. Moretti is just that, our business.”
“Just how long have you been dating?”
Jon felt his blood begin to boil, and the vein on the side of his neck pulsating. He turned to Ken, who looked at him and nodded as if to say, ‘go ahead’. Taking a deep breath, Jon turned and faced them.
“Just as I asked for respect for my family, I will ask the same for Ms. Moretti. Yes, she and I are dating, but I will say it again, she has nothing to do with my marriage ending. I’d like to thank you all for coming, and any further questions can be referred to Mr. Sunshine.”
And with that, Jon nodded, pulled open the door, and walked back down the hallway and into Ken’s office. He slammed the door shut, fisted his fingers through his hair, and let out a growl.
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