Chapter 39 - Is there anybody out there looking for a party!!!

 

 

 

With the girls dresses chosen and the makeup and stylist booked to call and give the finishing touches, I had received a call from Garrard's to say the ring was ready. Making my excuses I left the girls upstairs talking. I had arranged with the Manager of the store to also set by a diamond encrusted necklace earrings and bracelet, another gift surprise for Mara.

The boys had their tux's and they were content either listening to music in there room, or were out back kicking a ball around.

 

 

 

Pulling up at the store, I parked and went inside. I was greeted by Maurice the store Manager.

"Mr Bongiovi, how very nice to see you, this way please sir I have your items for you."

Shaking his hand I followed him to the far end of the store and behind the velvet curtain to look at the ring and the set the manager had chosen to set aside for me.

 

He cleaned the glass top of the display case and then went to the safe and brought out the set and Mara's ring. The case holding the jewelled set was a black velvet box with Garrard's wrote on the opening lid. Placing the box in front of me he asked,

"Would you like me to show you sir?"

"Yes, please do."

He opened the box and there before me was a beautiful diamond encrusted necklace, that would fit as a choker style, dropping to a teardrop in a 2 carat diamond to the centre of the pendant, with bracelet and earrings to match. The dress I had chosen for Mara was a beautiful midnight blue silk gown with silver filigree jewel encrusted belt,The choice of jewlery was perfect.    

 

 

 

"Sir? is everything to your satisfaction?"

"Yes thank you Maurice, could I see the ring?"

"Of course, moving aside the pendant set he brought forward a blue velvet box again with the name Garrards on the front, on opening the box there was Mara's ring, brilliantly polished and clean and ready to be placed on Mara's hand tonight..

I nodded my head in acknowledgement and following Maurice I paid the bill and left the store.  Maurice had extended his congratulations, I guess he was hopeful of my returning when it was time to choose our wedding rings.
 

Climbing into my car I started the engine and began to drive. I had planned with the kids that I wanted them to be a bigger part of the engagement as possible, so Jake was going to walk up and open the ring box as I was proposing for the second time, this time on one knee, Steph had given her orders!!! oh she daughter that must be obeyed, so in swap I had asked her to present Mara with the pendant set to wear for the party; happily she agreed, and with Jesse to do the announcement to get everyone's attention, and get the ball rolling;  all that was left was for me to go collect my suit from the shop and head back home.

if I said I was not nervous, Id be lying, this was a private affair and although I am a perform artist, if its performing that's fine I am comfortable with that, but when it's my private life, well I like to keep it private. Steph and my ma argued that every women deserves to feel extra special when the guy of her dreams proposes to them, they ganged up on me and agreed asking her in the confides of a hospital room was not romantic, following with, they were surprised she said yes. So I have been bullied and coerced by my nearest and dearest to conform to what they want, but if it makes Mara realise just how special she is to me and how much I love her, then I'll go with it.

Parking outside the suit shop I ran inside and collected my suit, then jumped back in the car and set off home.
Back home opening the door I was greeted by my younger brother Matt.
"Yo, bro, so you have fially found the right one eh?, Congratulations bud."
"Cheers, what is going on?"
The house was a hive of activity, bodies here there and everywhere.
"Did ma and steph not tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"the photo shoot?"
"What photo shoot? for fuck sake Matt what gives?"
"Ma said you knew?"
"well obviously I don't?"
"Ok, let me go find Ma, be right back."
With that Matt took off leaving me stood in the middle of the chaos going on around me. then out the corner of my eye I saw my ma walking towards me.
"Jon, baby, is that your suit?"
"Yeah, ma what's going on, Matty said something about a photo shoot?"
"Yes baby, now don't get upset, ok, but Ruth and I wanted to mark this special day by having a family photo shoot, we thought as my house was manic and being got ready for the party; we would come over here and use your's"
I looked at my mom and I could not stop the stink eye that followed.
"Jon Francis, stop looking at me like that, it won't work. How can you deny us our wish uh?"
"Wish, ma, you have taken over... its too much... does Mara know? or is she in the dark like me?"
"No she does not know, we wanted to surprise you both."
"Ma its not a surprise its a god damn shock and circus. I am really not happy about it."
"Oh you are mr spoil it all, how can you begrudge your mom and new mom a lil pic perfect for our family album."
As always my ma had got me wrapped around her little finger, reluctantly I gave in and headed through the team preparing the house for the shoot and upstairs to Mara who was with Steph being made over ready for the party.

Outside the door I knocked lightly," Mara?"
"Yeah come in, were decent." followed by giggles, Stephs voice was heard from the other side of the closed door.
Gently I pushed the door open and saw Mara sat at the dressing table, with a stylist behind styling her hair. She  stopped the stylist for a moment and turned to look at me;, with a beautiful smile on her face.
"Jon, you should not be here, I wanted to surprise you tonight, and by the way thank you for the gown its the most gorgeous dress I have ever seen, I really love it." her eyes held my gaze, as I dropped down to my knees, to explain and apologise for the situation with our moms and what we had got to go do for them.
She was totally un fazed and happily agreed to the photo shoot, and as I got to my feet to leave, Mara followed and walked me to the door; leaning in she whispered in my ear,
"just have fun this is our day everything will be fine, lets make our families as happy as we are inside," then planting a kiss on my cheek I  was pushed from the room and the door was closed.

Stunned I stood staring at the closed door, not sure what had actually happened, I was brought back to reality when Jake tapped my thigh.
"Hey, Buddy what's up?"
"nothing pop, just wondered what time I had to get ready for tonight?"
I looked at the time and after telling Jake he had hours he shot off outside to go kick his ball around with one of the kids from over the lake.
looking over the stair bannister I could see the photographer had about finished setting up his equipment and camera and I knew it was minutes before we were all called to have our picture taken.
Sure enough two minutes later my mom was calling me.
"Jon, Jon, oh there you are, get ready sweetheart the photographer is ready for us, hurry now and please bring Mara and Steph too, Jon stop just staring at me and move, c'mon."
shaking my head I went off to our bedroom and dropped my suit on the bed, then walking along the landing I knocked on the girls door and called them out for the photo shoot.
Almost immediately Mara and Steph opened the door, Steph shot passed me and down the stairs to her grandma, but Mara stood before me beaming the most radiant smile I had seen, her whole face was glowing. She wore a simple pair of jeans with a cream sweater but she looked like a model, she was stunning and I was so lucky to have this women in my life and agree to marry me. linking her arm in mine she asked,
"Shall we?"
I nodded kissed her cheek and we headed down the stairs together.