Following the Stars

Chapter Eighty Eight

"Lexie, do you want to go over that script?" "Sure Lily hold on, I'm just taking this into your father." Lexie had a mug of coffee in her hand as she wandered along the landing to the master bedroom where Johnny still resided in bed. Her scripts for her new Netflix series had arrived almost 6 weeks before she was due on set which she was very excited about but equally very nervous. She would be shooting in Paris from the second week of September so she didn't have long to get into the character.

She slipped inside the master bedroom, the sunlight was poking through the drapes making her journey to the bed easier. As she put the coffee down on the bedside table she gently sat down next to a snoozing Johnny. She kissed his forehead, his cheek, his nose before landing on his smirking lips "Good Morning Angel." "Good Morning handsome." "Coffee is ready. I'm gonna go crack on with some work for a while." "Do you have to? Can't you stay here with me.. preferably naked?" He said with his eyes still closed. "I would love that however your daughter has kindly offered to run lines with me and I wouldn't want to keep her waiting." "Ok fine you owe me.." Johnny said chuckling sitting up in bed. "Sure thing handsome, now don't go back to sleep. You promised Jack you would play guitar with him today!" "Yes Mam!" He said as she headed out the bedroom. How she was already up dressed and functioning surprised him but then again he had never been much of a morning person.

After sipping his coffee in bed and scrolling on his phone he finally found the energy to get out bed. After showering he donned some board shorts, a tatty tee and pushed his hair back with a bandana. He set off to find his son and spend some quality time with his boy. He finally found him sat on the couch in the music room with a guitar in his hand. "Dad!!" He said with a large smile "Hey Son.. ready?" "Sure!! Can I learn that one you and Jeff did? Isolation?" "Sounds like a plan!"

Meanwhile, sat in the shade outside Lexie and Lily were running lines together. "Thank you for letting me do this with you Lex!" "God don't thank me, thank you for doing this with me! It's so good to hear how the French is supposed to sound. It comes so natural to you." "Well Mama always spoke to us in French when we were young. It kinda stopped with Daddy because SHE didn't know the language and couldn't possibly put herself out to learn it." Lexie looked sad. "I'm sorry, that sucks." "Don't be, it means a lot that you're actually learning, even before this job." Lexie smiled and continued running her lines.

As the two girls made their way back into the house in the early afternoon Lily said "I would love to act, I want to continue modelling too but acting sounds and looks so fun." "It is, getting to be a whole new character every time is so intriguing. I really enjoy it. Maybe speak to your parents? I know they want you to focus on your education but maybe after that?" "Yeah maybe!" Lily ran off into the kitchen and Lexie found Johnny and Jack on the couch playing their guitars. "How's it going boys?" "So good!!! I've learnt the first verse of Isolation!! Want to hear?" Jack said excitedly. "Sure thing!!!!" Jack concentrated and was biting his tongue as he began to play. Johnny watched on proudly as his son performed for his girlfriend. "That's amazing!!" Lexie said clapping. "Next, can I learn one of yours?" Jack asked. "Umm sure, we can try!"

Lexie sat at the piano and began playing the melody to one of her most popular songs. Jack sat beside her  and was attempting to mimic her actions. The woman was incredibly patient with the boy and they sat for hours working on it. Johnny watched and admired his girl even more, she was truly wonderful with his kids and it made him so happy. Once Jack had nailed it a few times he turned to his father who was watching proudly.

Later in the day Lexie was in the kitchen preparing dinner when Jack came running in "Lexie come quick. It's Dad!" Lexie dried her hands and ran out to the courtyard. She saw Johnny hobbling back towards the main house. Lily had just rushed over to him. "What happened to you?" Lexie said concerned as she walked over. "It's my ankle. It's gone again. I just went over on it. I'll be ok in a minute." "Oh Johnny, you were told to rest it!!" Lexie said concerned. She moved his arm round her neck and began to support him as they made their way back to the house. Soon his girlfriend had him propped up on the sofa and had put his leg on a pile of cushions with ice on it. "You've got to rest darling." Lexie said this only made Johnny groan. "I know, I know, I'm an old man." "It's not about being old it's about you having a weakness in your ankle and not pushing it. What were you even doing?" "Off roading with Jack, I jumped down from the four wheeler and it just gave out." "My poor man." Lexie said kissing him as she sat on the edge of the foot stall. "How about just a graze board for dinner as we sip some wine?" "Sounds heavenly my darling."

Much later on, Johnny hadn't moved at all from his position on the sofa and was reading a book when Lexie entered the room. "All ok darling?" "Yes, it was nothing. Lily wanted to know what to pack for her mother's brunch on Sunday." "Ah my little fashionista." "She's incredibly chic. Sometimes I wish I had her wardrobe." "I could have helped you know, and I could have helped Jack earlier." "John? What don't you understand about resting?" She settled down next to him and he instantly threw an arm round the back of the couch allowing her to snuggle in close to her. "So what's the plan for tomorrow?" He asked before kissing her head. "Just a teams call with the director and a run through of things." "Wow, are you excited?" "Yes very much so. God I will be back to work fully before I know it." "So will I my love. Let's make the most of this time," "I plan to Johnny... if you would stop injuring yourself that is."

The next morning the children rushed into the kitchen to find that Lexie wasn't there making the traditional crepes for breakfast. Jack the boisterous boy that he was, decided to bellow out to find her, resulting in his father emerging from his study hobbling. "What is that noise?" Johnny questioned. His son just smirked. "I'm hungry." "I'm sure you are bud, but there is a lot in the fridge and I'm on a call so can you keep it down?" "But Dad.. where's Lex?" Johnny slowly made his way out the office fully into the hallway. "She's sleeping, she had a bad night. Let her rest." "Shall I check on her Daddy?" Lily-Rose asked sweetly. "No darling it's ok I will do it but later on. Now I really need to get back to this phone call ok?" Johnny said flustered. The children nodded and proceeded into the kitchen. "I don't know why we have to be quiet. He could take that phone call anywhere. There's like 15 buildings around here." Jack said picking at an Apple sat on the side in a fruit bowl. "Because that's his office, that's where he makes all his important decisions." "What not the island?" "Nope." "Not Sweetzer?" "No.." "Not the house in Paris?" "Jack... please. Daddy obviously is busy, dealing with something important, now come on let's see if I can make breakfast." The boy groaned as his sister stood to take on the task of cooking a breakfast.

"So when we get to Mama's are you gonna tell her you've not done your summer work?" Lily asked as she served her brother some pastries, a fruit salad and yoghurt. "No I am not." "Jack, your assignment is due in just under 3 weeks, you've had the entire summer vacation to do it?" "How can I keep up with all that work? We've been homeschooled so much I thought Susan would cover it in our lessons." The teenage girl rolled her eyes listening to her brother. "This is a one time offer, but if you need help, let's look at it on the plane." "Thanks sis you are the best!" Jack rushed round and hugged his sister as their father entered the room. "Good morning again Cherubs." "Hey Dad. Did you finish your phone call?" "Yes thank you son." "Sorry if it was important Daddy I forgot how loud Jack can be." "I'm still here you know... anyway what could be so important that it's more important than pancakes?" Johnny smirked, "you'll find out soon enough."