Meridian (Ariana/You)

Chapter 16

Joan thought that we had enough time for an Ikea trip after the studio.
On the way we had picked up Frankie. Joan said that Frankie and her were the ultimate interior design experts and would work together to give my apartment a makeover.

Thankfully for all of them, this Ikea was not full of people. It was relatively empty with occasional people and mostly older people or parents with their toddlers and babies.

"This couch is superb." I heard Frankie exclaim and looked over to where he was. Joan and Frankie had been like kids in a toy store and had practically made decent grounds in Ikea while Ariana and I were strolling around behind.

I saw Frankie sitting on this very ugly suede swamp green couch. I suddenly felt fear about the potential look of my apartment.

"Is it bad to say I really don't trust your brother to furnish my apartment?" I said quietly to Ariana. She turned to see where he was sitting and she burst out laughing.

"Frankie, you are not putting this girl through this nightmare." She said motioning at that ugly couch.

"You're just jealous 'cause I got taste, bitch." Frankie said to her flipping her off, while getting up from the couch and walking away. She gave him the finger right back as he did.

I smiled at the sibling playful feud.

"I never knew your family took furniture shopping this seriously." I joked.

"Trust me, it would be worse with Nonna around. Our bad italian side come out." Ariana laughed and linked her arm with mine and got closer to me.

Joan and Frankie were putting items in the shopping cart and taking measurements for various furniture around the show rooms.

Although I should have been paying close attention to what they were getting for my apartment as I was going to live with all this, I was mostly focused on Ariana and our little moment together.

A few people had recognised her, despite the cap and my hoodie she used to 'disguise' herself with, but she had been nothing but sweet with the people approaching her. I had smiled at her and her kind nature, taking the time to sign autographs and taking pictures with them.

"This would be such a perfect living room, and with this open kitchen there!" I realised that Ariana's arm was no longer around my arm but instead she was at this showroom with a beautiful living room and open kitchen behind it. I joined her and sat on the living room couch.

"Home sweet home." I reached for the fake TV remote on the coffee table trying to turn it on, trying it once and another time.
"Hm, seems like our TV is not working. Must be something with the cable. Remind me to call the cable company later. Is the contact in my phone or yours?" I joked around.

Ariana was confused for a second but quickly caught on to what I was doing. She laughed and reached for the oven, opening it up.

"It was here on the fridge actually, but you must have thrown it out, like you always throw all these notes away. I swear it drives me crazy." She said playing along. I had turned to look at her and saw her now opening the display oven.

"Babe, food is ready. Fresh out of the oven." She exclaimed taking a display oven dish out of the oven and placing it on the kitchen counter top.

"You really have heat resistant hands to not get burned by taking that oven dish with bare hands like that." I laughed motioning to the dish and making my way to the kitchen area. I walked over to the empty dish and fake smelling it.

"Hmm, hippopotamus with ostrich gravy! You really know how to spoil me!"

She raised her eyebrows and burst out laughing.