Against All Odds

Whose Party Is It, Anyway?

Stella heads to Jacksonville but finds it difficult to find anything incriminating on Sal...

And Kelly has a battle trying to stay sane...

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Sometimes, a sequence of events will
follow each other, and before you know it, there is a snowball effect, and suddenly, you find yourself hurtling at a frightening speed into the unknown, and you have no brake to slow or stop it. All you know is that it's scary. And that's how Stella felt right now as the private jet circled above the city of Jacksonville, just as dawn announced the arrival of another day, red and gold fingers stealing through the night sky to paint it into one of natures wonderous landscapes.

Opposite her, Gia was looking out of the window, the long night accentuating her fine boned features. The fact that she was even sitting in the wide leather seat was the second shock of the night. Sal's easy agreement when Stella had artfully mentioned taking Gia along as company for her while he was at his meetings had been met with surprising congeniality.

"We're only there two days, but if it's what you want."

His shrug had been careless, not even bothering to think about it.

Earlier, Gia had returned from watching Jayden's new dance routine, a little irritated because he had insisted on changing it continuously, first asking for and then ignoring her input. Finding no sign of Stella, she had unsuccessfully harangued Sadie for her friend's whereabouts and was on the verge of calling Kelly with the news that she had failed Stella and lost her. It was only when a laughing couple had nearly fallen against her, the slightly drunk woman grabbing onto Gia to steady herself, all the while looking really apologetic, and murmured quietly, that they had eyes on Stella, had Gia put the cell back in her purse.
But when Stella had turned up and shared that she was accompanying Sal to Jacksonville that night, Gia had nearly dragged her out of the club and into the nearest cab.

But an hour later, the girls were in the back of a Cadillac, heading for the airport.

"I thought you were going to Jacksonville on Friday, Mr Moretti?" George Kidd had been put out, pissed at having his blackjack game on the hood of the car interrupted with work.

" Last minute change of plans, George." Only the drumming of Sal's fingers on his thigh had given away his irritation, and for the hundredth time Stella had wondered if employing her dad was worth the aggravation to Sal.

And now the jet entered the stack above Jacksonville, and Stella glanced across the aisle to where Sal was engrossed in his tablet. He had been like that for most of the flight from Chicago, occasionally underlining something on the screen, his forehead creased with concentration. She had only ever really seen the schmoozing side of Sal Moretti, so this sleeves rolled up, and lines of concentration were as unexpected as him taking her on this trip in the first place. She wished she could see what he was looking at, but even when she'd tried to engage him in conversation, he'd managed to angle the tablet away from her, leaving her frustrated.

The wheels hit the ground, the plane slowly taxying to a halt outside the terminal, and within forty-five minutes of landing, they were walking into a duplex penthouse overlooking the city that had Gia whistling under her breath. The early morning light flooded in through the floor to ceiling windows, bathing the 2000 Square foot living space in a dusky haze, a housekeeper standing to one side, waiting patiently for her instructions, her eyes watching and assessing. Stella couldn't help thinking that the woman reminded her of a younger Manu.

"I'll be in meetings most of the day...but Cara.." Sal inclined his head towards the housekeeper Will arrange for some pampering for you both..I'm sure you girls would appreciate it after your adventures in Blue Island."