Using his extra key, Matt pushed opened the door to Jon’s suite at the St. James Hotel. “Hey Jon! You in here?” He called out as he moved around the suite’s common rooms. When he received no response, he moved towards the bedrooms, grumbling under his breath he then placed his hand on the doorknob and cracked the door open. “Ari? Jon?” he gave a verbal warning before entering.
No one. They did not even sleep in the bed, well at least that’s what he assumed. It was still made. From the sight of Ariana’s suitcase on the bench at the foot of the bed, he could tell they hadn’t checked out yet. Where the fuck could they be? Letting out a frustrated growl, he walked back through the room, shaking his head and out the door.
Climbing into the front seat of the waiting SUV, Matt slammed the door. Giving the driver the go-ahead nod, he pulled out his phone and quickly typed out a text. First to Tony, then to Jeanie letting them know his brother and new sister-in-law were a no-show at the hotel and he was heading over to Petit Soho next.
In a last-ditch effort as the car pulled into downtown Montreal traffic, he dialed Jon once again and hoped he would answer this time. It was not like Jon to do something like this. Go all day without checking in with him or anyone else. True, they were in Montreal. A city he had always roamed around freely without being detected. And yes, it was understandable if he wanted to lie low a little. There was a show, a wedding, a party, and without a doubt a private after party, but this, this was a whole new for Jon. Matt knew one thing for sure, once he found his brother, he would let him have it.
Buried under her pillows, Ariana could hear muffled voices coming from downstairs. Nudging Jon with her foot that was draped across his calf, she mumbled, “Jon. Go see who that is?”
“Huh?” he grumbled, lifting his head off the pillow. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Jon looked over at his sleeping wife, who was lying on her side diagonally across the bed, her head buried under her pillows, one leg was draped behind her and rested on his leg and the other stretched to the edge of the bed with her foot dangling off the side.
“Please.” She tugged on the covers and tucked them between her legs.
“Why me?” he pulled them back.
“Cause that’s what good husbands do.”
Pressing his body against her back, his hand caressed her bare belly. “I am good, ain’t…” His I turned into an oof as she teasingly elbowed him away.
♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱
Shaking his head, he ran a quick hand through his hair before rounding the doorway of the kitchen. He had recognized the familiar voice, though he couldn’t understand a damn thing the man was saying. The short, stout, grey-haired man turned when he heard Jon clearing his throat.
“Vous… vous… Ça!” (You… you… This!”) Gabriel took two steps towards Jon, waving Ariana’s bra in the air. “Inacceptable. Impensable. Dégueulasse. Ici, c’est MA cuisine. Absolument!!!!! Pas de sexe dans MA cuisine.” (Unacceptable. Unthinkable. Disgusting. This is my kitchen. Absolutely!!!!!! No sex in my kitchen.)
Jon couldn’t help but laugh even though he had no clue what he was saying. Undoubtedly knew it had to do with what he and Ari did last night in this very room. It wouldn’t be the first time they pissed off Gabriel either. He was absolutely possessive of his kitchen. If you did not work in it, you were not welcome. Fornicating anywhere near it was a definite no-no. Jon held up his hand to say something, but Gabriel held up his other hand, which held a chopping knife.
“Whoa! Whoa!” Jon backed up, bumping right into Ariana.
“Gabriel!” stepping around Jon, she snatched her bra from Gabriel's hand.
“Toi aussi.” (You too.) He pointed at her. “Sheesh! Comme ma fille, tu me rends fou. PAS DE SEXE!” (Sheesh! Just like a daughter, you make me crazy. NO SEX.) Disgusted, he waved a hand at them and went to storm out the back door, running right into Matt.
Stepped aside to let Gabriel pass, Matt turned to face the two of them. “So, this is where you are?”
“Where else would we be?" Jon asked.
“Oh, I don’t know, let me see… The Bell Center, maybe?”
“What the heck are you talking about?” Jon asked as he kept a half an eye on Ariana, who was trying to calm the crazy Frenchman.
Matt pulled his brother out of ears' reach. “Did you fuck yourself stupid last night? It’s five o’clock, asshole.”
“Ya shitten me, right?” Jon turned to look at the clock above the door and shook his head in disbelief. They had indeed slept all day. “Why didn’t you…” Jon waved his hand as if to say never mind and called over to his wife. “Crash, we gotta go.”
Turning when she heard her name called, she saw Jon pointing at the clock. Placing a reassuring hand on Gabriel’s shoulder, the older man nodded and left to tend to his business. Walking to where Jon and Matt were, she responded,
“Holy shit! Did we really sleep all day?”
“You sure did. Musta been a helluva night.” Matt winked. “So, shake a leg. I’ll be in the car waiting.”
Matt left, leaving Ari and Jon to retreat upstairs. Shocked and dumbfounded that they had slept the day away and that neither one of them had heard their phones, they gathered their scattered clothes and finished dressing.
“Hey, do you mind if I meet you at the arena in a little bit?” she asked as she gathered her hair at the top of her head. “Since we are leaving right after the show, I have some things to finish up here and need to grab my things at hotel.”
“Sure but leave the hotel. I’ll have Jeanie call and tell them we won’t be checking out till morning.” He pushed his foot into his boot. “The guys can head back tonight.”
“You sure? I know the kids are waiting to see you.”
“Yeah. We’ll go first thing in the morning, then swing by and get them and take them home with us for a few days.”
“What about school?”
“I’ll take ‘em Monday and pick them up. Tuesday, they’ll go for half the day, and I’ll have Jeanie pick them up and meet us. They’ll come to Philly with us, they enjoy it there as much as I do, and since we are local for the next few shows, it will be nice to have them with us.”
“I would love that, too. Isn’t Romey’s birthday is coming up soon?” she asked, as she straightened the bed.
“Twenty-ninth. And it’s Spring Break for them.”
“Ah.”
Jon pulled her into his arms. “Hey, what sup?”
“Nothing. Don’t you usually go to St. Bart’s?”
“So?” he brushed a wisp of hair off her face.
“I don’t want us getting married to change anything for them. They need some things to stay familiar.”
“It won’t. If they want, we will still go. How’s that?”
“I want whatever will be comfortable for them.” Wrapping her hands around his neck, she played with the ends of his tousled hair.
“How ‘bout we ask them tomorrow and leave it up to them?”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Good.” He pulled her tighter to him, “I’ll send the car back after we get dropped off.”
“Kay,” she smiled, “I can’t believe we did this.”
“Oh, we did!” he wagged his eyebrows.
Ari ran her hands down the front of his wrinkled dress shirt. “Git outta here before Matt comes looking for you.”
“Yes, Mrs. Bongiovi” he leaned in and kissed her softly, then left.
I enjoyed the chapter. Thank you.
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