The first ring had barely finished when she heard his tired voice. “Hey.”
“I woke you, didn’t I.” she asked, her voice just above a whisper so she didn't wake Cara who was sleeping in the next room.
“If you call nodding off on the couch sleeping. Crash, I’m sorry.”
“Me too. I know that you only wanted me to have all the details for running off.” Ari let out an enormous yawn as she spoke.
Laughing, Jon asked, “Does this mean I am out of the proverbial doghouse?”
“For now. But you will pay for your crime.”
“That, I have no problem with.”
They both laughed this time. Ariana even tried to muffle hers with the pillow but failed miserably. Regaining his composure, Jon sighed. “So, how bad is it?”
“Just as Max said. We might need a new pool table though.”
“That’s a real shame. I was very fond of that table, the green felt, worn and broken in perfectly in some spots, that the balls slide across it so smoothly.”
Softly she giggled, “Don’t you mean my ass?”
“Well, that too.” The sound of her laughter brought a smile to his face. What a difference from when she had gotten on the plane.
“Yeah, well, if I can salvage the table, it will still need a new felt.”
“We’ll just have to break it in, maybe host a tournament of some sort.”
“Perhaps, ‘kick Olympics’.”
“Not sure I want to know what that is, but if it involves you naked on the pool table, Sign. Me. Up.” he enthusiastically punctuated his last three words.
“Something like that. Before I forget, I’m staying at Cara’s for a couple of days. The smell of smoke in the apartment was unbearable.”
"Good. You don’t need to be breathing that in. How is our bambina?”
“He is doing fine. Dr. Barnes emailed the name of a practice here that she is recommending, along with my charts and records. I will call tomorrow and set up an appointment.”
“Make sure you feed her, the healthy stuff too. Let me know when it is. I want to be there, remember. You should have my calendar synced to your phone.”
“Hey! I eat healthy. Since when do I have your calendar?”
“Just because it contains all five groups of the food pyramid, Pizza is not consider healthy. Since the other day. When you were sleeping, I took your phone and added my contacts and calendars. Now whenever Jeanie adds or changes things, you will get a notification.”
“Look at you, all tech savvy. Hope those alerts won’t interrupt my game time.” Ari tried to suppress her yawn.
“You falling asleep on me?” Jon asked as he heard the rustling of sheets.
“N-oooo.” Another small yawn escaped from her.
“You’re half asleep, hang up and we'll talk tomorrow.”
“No. Keep talking, it’s like you're lying here next to me.”
She must have smushed her face down into the pillow like she usually did, because her voice now sounded a little muffled.
“What would you like me to talk about?”
“Tell me what you did after I left.”
“Nothing special.”
“Where did you go?" She asked, sleepily.
“I'll tell you, but only if you don’t ask questions and go to sleep.”
“Deal. I’m putting you on speaker. I love you.”
“Love you, now zip it.”
Settling into the cushions, he told her how miserable he was watching the plane doors shut and about stopping at his parents on his way home, and that Matt was there with the baby. He was about to tell her about their conversation when he heard the familiar, soft purring sound of her snoring.
Not wanting to hang up just yet, Jon set his phone to speaker, locked up for the night, and made his way to the bedroom. Shrugging out of his jeans and shirt, he left them on the floor and climbed into bed. He listened for a bit more before whispering ‘goodnight’ and drifting off to sleep.
♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱
Ari woke to the smell of bacon, fresh coffee, and fresh hot bagels. Tossing the covers off her feet to touch the cold wood floor, sending a chill up her bare legs. Cara was the only person she knew that liked her house this cold in the dead of winter. Window open, no heat. The girl was one hundred percent certifiable.
Rummaging through the pile of clothes on the floor for her jeans, stepping into them one leg at time she tugged them up over her hips, zipping them halfway. She wasn't showing just yet, but she noticed a few of her things were getting snug. Next, she pulled her big wooly socks from her bag. Socks in place, she followed the delicious smell coming from the kitchen.
“I swear you are part Esk.....” she stopped when she saw it wasn’t Cara standing at the stove cooking. “Sorry, Jay, I thought you were Cara.”
“Mornin’ papillon. I didn’t wake you, did I?” Jonas asked as he drained the grease from the frying pan.
“Your cooking did. It smells divine in here. Where is Cara?” Ariana reached for a glass and poured herself some orange juice.
“Shower.”
“Not anymore.” Cara walked over to her lover and kissed him before she filled her mug with coffee and took a seat at the table with her friend.
Ari arched a brow at her and gave her a crooked smile. She wondered what time Jonas had slipped in. It was well after midnight when they got home and much later, after she had fallen asleep talking to Jon. Deciding she would tease them both just a little, Ari picked up a piece of bacon and took a bite.
“So, Cara, you didn’t tell me we would have a visitor for breakfast.”
“If I recall, you didn’t ask either.”
“Maybe I should have. Lucky I was smart enough to get dressed before strolling into the kitchen.”
“That would have been funny, you prancing into my kitchen in nothing but one of your cute little tee-shirts.”
By this time Jonas had joined them at the table, “You mean you still wear those silly things.”
“Wear them? She lives in them. Can’t wait to see you when your belly is out to here.”
Cara held her hands out in front of her, imitating a pregnant woman. Jonas looked at the two women with a bewildered look on his face.
“Cara!” Ari exclaimed.
“Oh, my god! I am so sorry.” Cringing, Cara looked at Ari with apologetic eyes. Then placed her hand on Jonas’s arm, stopping him from eating for a moment. She told him that under no circumstances was he to repeat what he had just heard. She could’ve kicked herself for letting it slip. She knew he wouldn’t say anything, she just had to make sure. He congratulated her on the news and wished them both well.
The friends continued with breakfast, chatting mostly about the fire and the list of things that she needed to do today. Cara went in search of the contractor’s name, asking Ari if she wanted her to call him for her since he had done so much work for her, turning her parent’s florist shop into her studio.
Ariana accepted her friend's help the instant she offered it. Jonas also offered whatever services he could do for her, too. He even suggested he would play when Petit reopened in its newly renovated status. It was the least he could do, having grown up in the neighborhood.
After they finished eating the three of them cleaned up and when the last dish was put away, Ari excused herself so she could tackle her to do list. First up, calling and making an appointment with her new doctor. She wanted this baby more than anything else, and she would do whatever it took to make that happen. Everything else would come second to that.
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