For Better Or For Worse (rewrite/ Continuation)

Chapter 12

A few days later, the day before new years eve (December 30th 1997)

Nicole went home to spend New Year's with her daughter and parents in Malibu, Aimy went to visit some relatives in New York City to celebrate the New year, leaving Michelle and Jenna in Manhattan with Michael, Tracee and Gail

"We've looked all over Manhattan the past couple of days where's that ex of yours?" Michelle sighed having some coffee with Gail while Jenna and Tracee are having lunch too, elsewhere in the city, leaving Michael at the penthouse by himself

"I don't know, according to my personal assistant he should be in Manhattan somewhere she saw him twice at the same place" Gail replied "But like I said it's wasting our time to look for him I have not seen him since the day before I was supposed to be getting married five and a half years ago" She sighed

---

"Do you want another coffee?" Jenna asked Tracee after they both finished their latte

"Sure" Tracee answered and sighed seeing a woman with a babystroller with a new born inside, walk by outside the coffee place

"Don't give up" Jenna mentioned

"I won't" Tracee promised

They ordered another coffee and enjoyed a piece of cocolate pie with it before they went back to the penthouse finding out Gail and Michelle came back too and Michael not in sight

"Where's my husband?" Tracee asked

"Upstairs in the studio" Gail answered

"Ok I'll be right back" Tracee mentioned and went up the stairs to Michaels studio finding him read a book instead of producing a possible new number one hit "Taking a break?" She asked

"No, just avoiding your friend Michelle" Michael answered

"It's that bad?" Tracee asked

"Yes, while Gail was making drinks for them she was at her eye fucking shit again it was either go here or throw her out but if I threw her out she'd be causing a scene I'm not in the mood for" Michael explained

"I can't help my husband is so sexy" Tracee smiled and sweetly kissed him "But seriously, I don't know how to make her stop doing it I mean I've not seen her do it so I cant really say something about it" she added

"She's smart enough to do it when you don't see it" Michael sighed rolling his eyes

"Well she can eye fuck all she wants because that's the only way she'll ever be able-" Tracee mentioned

"I still don't like it" Michael interuppted her

"I know, want me to say something about it?" Tracee asked

"Like that will work?" Michael shook his head

"Just ignore it then?" Tracee suggested

"Yeah" Michael sighed

----

Later that day,

After dinner Gail went home and Michelle went to her hotel room

Jenna went to her room too, feeling tired and she wanted to call her daughter before she went to bed

Leaving Michael and Tracee by themselves in the livingroom

"What are you gonna do next year? Aka Monday?" Tracee asked while they were cuddled up on the couch watching random tv, not really paying attention to the tv

"Meeting a few more volunteers for my new charity project, later this week a meeting with the architect and builders to see if they're still on the same page and I've also a meeting planned with the mayor about a fundraising event later in the year, when the place is finished" Michael answered

"You do have March seventeen free in your agenda right?" Tracee asked

"Yes your fashion week day is free, you wrote it down yourself the day I bought the agenda" Michael reminded her

"Just don't forget it" Tracee replied while playing with the wedding ring on his finger

"It's impossible to forget you'll remind me everyday once it's March" Michael smiled at her and took her hand in his

"Because it's important to me" Tracee mentioned wrapping her other hand around the one holding her hand

"I know it's important to you, you know I'm proud of you" Michael reminded her and sweetly kissed her while she took his other hand to hold both of them

"I know" Tracee answered turning around and wrapped both her arms around him while placing her head on his chest

"You're comfortable?" Michael asked wrapping his arms around her to hold her

"Yes" Tracee happily sighed, enjoying their closeness, she felt that comfortable she fell asleep not much later while Michael finished watching the movie that played on the TV before carrying Tracee to their bedroom, tucked her in and joined her

The next moring (December 31) they had breakfast with Jenna before they went over to Gail's flat where Michelle arrived around lunch time to join them

After their lunch at Gail's flat they made their way back to the penthouse since it's bigger and has more room for everyone (Michael, Tracee, Gail, Jenna and Michelle)

"Did you know the apartment below you guys is for sale?" Gail asked Tracee

"No, who lives there anyway?" Tracee wondered

"I don't know but I was thinking what if I buy it and we kind of break out the ceiling sort of and place a staircase so our places are one big place" Gail suggested

"I don't know if that's possible" Tracee mentioned

"I can stop by at the city hall to ask for permission" Gail suggested

"Permission for what?" Michael asked only hearing the last part of the conversation

"Break out part of the floor/ceiling with the apartment below and place a staircase to make one big house/apartment if I can afford the apartment below since it's for sale" Gail explained

"You're already here almost every day" Michael answered

"I know, but I don't live here" Gail relied

"We'd create more guestrooms like that too if we have both our parents coming over" Tracee mentioned

"And then they'd have their own place sort of too" Gail added

"Good point, let's buy it" Michael agreed

"No I'll buy it I just need to stop by at the bank to get a loan to cover the costs to break out part of the ceiling/floor and a staircase" Gail replied

"Or you pay the rebuilding costs and we buy the apartment below" Tracee suggested

"Ok that will work too" Gail sighed

"Don't worry you'll decide your furniture and buy it too" Michael told her

"Fair enough" Gail replied "I'll go to the city hall first to ask if our plans are possible anyway" she added

"Good idea" Tracee agreed

"Let's first celebrate news years shall we?" Michelle suggested

--

By the time it was midnight aka the beginning of the new year all five of them were no longer completely sober

They opened the next bottle of champagne and continued their own version of a new year's party with watching the fireworks from the balcony, enjoying the alcohol and the previously made snacks