In 1981 Dom Pérignon was chosen as the official Champagne for the wedding of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles, however Dom Pérignon Vintage 1961, the year that Diana was born, was served at the wedding and now bottles of the limited vintage champagne sold for about $4.3k. Maybe it was because she had just accomplished a huge feat and Nick actually wanted to do something special to celebrate her or maybe it was because Wilmer was filming them and Nick wanted to flaunt his money for the camera, but either way Nick had gotten his hands on one of those limited bottles for him and Demi to share after her show at Fashion Week finished. It had been a success with no huge mistakes and now they were just waiting for the reviews and the articles to start appearing before they moved on to prepare for the next show.
"I'm so proud of you baby," Nick cooed into her ear as Max popped the bottle open for them and the fizzy champagne spilled out all over his hands but that didn't stop him from pouring a glass for both of them and passing it to them as her employees milled about in the studio, trying to give them their space because witnessing moments like these between Nick and Demi were few and far between.
"I know things haven't been the best and we've made mistakes but at the end of the day you're my wife and I am so proud of everything that you have accomplished. It's been an honor witnessing you make your dreams come true," Nick said, and staring into his eyes made her believe that he was being sincere, but Nick had always been a good actor. He had arrived right as the show had started because after getting picked up from the hospital he had gone home to rest with the twins. But he had promised her that he was gonna be there and he showed up. He kept his promise...for once.
"Thank you," she choked out with a surprised smile on her face before their glasses clicked together and they both took polite sips of the expensive champagne. To Demi, it tasted the same as any other champagne but she wouldn't say that to Nick. If she did then he would joke about it with his parents and they would start taking jabs at her for not growing up on overpriced champagne.
"Are you going to any of the after parties?" Nick had his arm wrapped around her waist to keep her close and it almost felt good and she almost sunk into his arms but she didn't.
"No, I'd rather just spend the evening with you and the twins," she replied, finishing off her champagne and setting the flute down on the table. Nick began to go on about something that had to do with image and his company but her eyes floated across the room and landed on Wilmer who was whispering something to the man holding the camera and filming everyone in the midst of their celebration. He briefly looked up and stared at her and her eyes didn't move away because they never did when he caught her just looking. But eventually he looked away and she decided to tune back in to whatever Nick was going on about.
"I have to grab some things from my office but then I'm gonna head home with the twins," Nick stated as Demi nodded. He unwound his arm from around her and began to walk away but she tugged him back.
"Thank you for coming and supporting me tonight. I love you," she breathed out, not remembering the last time that she had said those words to him. But she meant it. Their marriage was rocky and things weren't that good between them but his support had always meant the world to her and when she had pictured this moment, her first show in New York Fashion Week, she pictured it with him at her side. And he was there.
"Anytime doll." He pressed a kiss to her lips and it was brief and the sparks weren't there, but afterwards he sent her his charming smile before he was gone and she felt her face fall because it would've been nice if he could've stayed a little longer and really celebrated with her. But she let it go and went to mingle with her staff.
Wilmer had sent Isabella home a while ago because he didn't know how long the festivities would be going on and she didn't need to be there with everyone drinking and stuff. She was disappointed but she sucked it up because she was reminded that she would get to see the Michael Kors show and tons of others that she loved but couldn't afford.
Surprisingly, an hour after Nick left, the staff began to stumble towards the elevators after Demi gave them the day off tomorrow before they had to start preparing for the next show in Milan. The camera crew was packing up and a whole cleaning crew came in to clean the office up as everything began to die down. It had been such an exciting day and now it was just over.
"Mrs. Lovato, here's your champagne," one of the cleaners said, passing the gold bottle of champagne to Demi as she thanked her before noticing that Wilmer was still there.
"You thirsty?" Demi questioned, holding the bottle towards him as he shook his head. He had never seen that in a common liquor store and based upon what he knew about Demi and Nick that bottle of champagne probably cost more than his apartment.
"I should really get home. I think Isa is still mad at me for sending her home early," Wilmer said as he scratched the back of his neck. But Demi didn't take his excuse.
"It's just one celebratory drink with a friend. I'll even take you to my favorite place in the entire building," Demi pleaded, doing this thing with her face where she poked her lips out and her eyes widened and watered and she looked like a little puppy. A puppy that he couldn't say no to.
"One drink," he confirmed as she nodded and grabbed the now clean flutes, which were just about to get dirty again. Wilmer followed her to the elevators and she hit the button for the roof. He raised his eyebrow at her but didn't say anything as they ascended to the very top of the building and when the doors opened, they were standing outside in the brisk New York air with an expensive bottle of champagne and no coats on.
Demi was no doubt in expensive clothing but that didn't stop her from walking over to the thick ledge and plopping down without a problem so Wilmer did the same because his clothes cost much less and he didn't have a problem messing them up. She filled the flutes up all the way and then passed him his as they sat there, staring out at New York. They didn't toast or anything but they sat there in comfortable silence just observing the city. It truly was the city that never sleeps.
"In New Yooooooooorrrrrrrrrrk, concrete jungle where dreams are made of there's nothing you can't do," Demi softly sang, swaying from side to side as Wilmer chuckled and drank a little bit of his champagne. It tasted like any regular champagne but it probably made rich people feel good about themselves to drop a couple thousand on one bottle.
"These streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you..." Demi trailed off, letting the wind wash over her body as she drank down half of her flute and then looked over at Wilmer.
"I miss seeing the stars at night. When I was little my sister and I used to climb on top of our roof and do that stupid thing where you try to find shapes in the stars. I wish I could do that with my kids but it's too bright to see the stars out here," Demi reminisced with a light smile on her face. She had never mentioned anything about a sister and from the few framed pictures he saw in her office and at her house, he didn't see any that contained someone who could be her sister. In fact, she really only had pictures of her kids and the occasional family picture with Nick framed.
"I didn't know you have a sister."
"No one does really...you can't take everyone to the top with you," Demi said with a tired smile on her face. Was that one of the sacrifices that she had to make? Choosing her career over her family? Now that he thought about it, she didn't speak of her family or her friends. All she seemed to have was Nick, her kids, and the people who worked for her. That seemed like a lonely way to live.
"It must suck to live like that..."
Demi didn't respond. She just peered out at the city that was fully lit up in all of its magnificence as she finished off her flute of champagne.
"You seemed happy to have Nick here with you. I take it he's doing better?"
"You don't have to pretend like you care about how Nick is doing, Wilmer," Demi giggled, setting her glass down and hugging her knees up to her chest.
"I was just-"
"Trying to be nice...but you don't have to be."
There was a pregnant pause before Wilmer cleared his throat and spoke up again.
"I didn't really see the stars in Miami...that city doesn't sleep either," Wilmer stated, looking down into his champagne as Demi huffed, but not in an irritated or annoyed way, just in a tired way, and shrugged her shoulders.
"Maybe one day we'll see them together." And it was like the picture perfect moment. Two friends sitting on top of a roof having a simple conversation about starless nights while drinking expensive champagne. And for Wilmer, it felt like he was a tiny step closer to really figuring Demi out.
The next morning when Demi woke up and stretched out her sore muscles and released a deep yawn, she actually had a smile on her face. Everything in her life was good and she was happy and it felt like she was floating on a cloud of neverending success. She didn't know how long this would last but her mother always used to tell her to embrace the moment instead of worrying about when it was going to end so that's what she was going to do.
She had given everyone the day off but Wilmer and his crew were coming over for more at home shots since they were supposed to be getting a look at who she really was. The longer the filming process went on the more she found herself wondering why she had agreed to this documentary in the first place but then she was reminded of Isabella who looked at her as if she was some type of goddess. As if she wasn't human. She imagined that's how people looked at her because they didn't really know her, just the image she presented, so she wanted to give them a chance to see that she was actually just a normal human being.
"MOMMY!" Nicholas barged into her room and then Nolie was running in too and Nick came in right behind them holding a tray of food. She smiled as the twins tackled her with hugs and kisses and when they settled down Nick placed the tray in front of her with all her favorites: a spinach, tomato, and mozzarella omelet with turkey bacon, hash browns, and flaky biscuits with honey butter. And of course, her regular cup of tea.
"I didn't cook it, I just brought it up here. But the twins wanted you to have breakfast in bed," Nick said as he kissed her cheek and went to sit on his side of the bed.
"Well thank you babies. Are you gonna help mommy eat this all?" Demi asked as they snuggled up to her and she slid the tray closer to her.
"No mommy we already ate. Daddy says we have to get ready because Uncle Joe and Uncle Kevin and Aunt Dani and Nana and Papa are coming over," Nolie stated, causing Demi to cut her eyes over to Nick because the last thing that she wanted was all of his family over her house. She would rather just spend the day relaxing before she had to shift into full gear again.
"Oh okay. What did you guys do with daddy yesterday?" Demi questioned which caused both of the twins to perk up and begin telling her about how Nick took them to some steakhouse where they cook your food right in front of you and there's lots of fire and the pretty brown haired woman was scared.
"Pretty brown haired woman?" Common sense told her that it was Olivia, that assistant that he had been caught tonguing down and the one that he had brought home on his first night back. "Why don't you guys go in your playroom and then when I'm done eating I'll come and get you ready, okay?" The twins ran off to their playroom and as soon as the door was closed Demi shot daggers at Nick with her eyes.
"You had that whore around my children? Nick...I don't care what you do, okay? I don't care anymore and I've given up on trying to get you to change. But I do not want my kids around that woman and if she's ever around them again, I swear to God I'm filing for legal separation and primary custody of the kids. Do not bring my children around her." Demi was seething. It was one thing for Nick to publicly cheat on her but it was another for him to bring that woman around her children. She didn't know Olivia like that and she really didn't want to and she definitely didn't want her around her kids.
"Chill the fuck out Demi, Jesus Christ. We all went to dinner together, that's it..." Nick was about to continue but he saw the look that Demi was giving him and backed down. Demi didn't care about image as much as he did. If she said she was gonna take him to court, she would take him and could care less about how it would make them look in the media.
"As for your family coming over...you need to cancel it. I don't feel like dealing with them today, Nick. I thought we could just spend a quiet day at home after everything that's been happening lately," Demi said as she calmed herself down.
"This is part of the reason why we have so many issues. You can't stand my family and they haven't done a thing to you except try to be there and support you since you have barely even have a family anymore!" Nick exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air as Demi ran her tongue over her teeth. She set her fork down and pushed the tray away from her before hopping off of the bed and heading towards the bathroom.
"Doll, I didn't mean that," he apologized but she shook her head as she entered the bathroom and slammed the door shut. He heard the click of the lock and dragged his hands down his face before going into his closet.
Wilmer had called and told her that they would have to do another segment of the interview a different day because he had promised Isabella that he would take her ice skating with a few of her friends and there was no way that he could break that promise. She understood and she admired him for being such a great father, especially with her mother just walking out on them. But that meant that she didn't have an excuse to not be around Nick's family so when they arrived and suggested going downstairs to watch movies and let the kids play in the pool, she put her focus on her kids and on Joe because that was the only people she wanted to spend time with.
"Demi, the reviews are amazing. One of the writers at Vogue wrote that you're making history with your company and completely changing the game up. She wants an interview. I know we had a day off but I went into the office and answered some emails and everyone is talking about you and wants to talk to you. You've made it!" Joe exclaimed, high fiving her as she beamed and kicked her legs in the water as she watched the twins swim.
"I knew I was doing the right thing by jumping on board with you. I mean, my dad would've never let me run his company anyways but you trump him any day. You had this vision and now it's happening. You're gonna be a game changer," Joe breathed out as Demi clasped her hands together.
"That's all I want. Thank you for working with me Joe. I really couldn't have done this without you," Demi thanked him before bringing him into a hug. She had actually met Joe before she met Nick. They had been in the same fashion program at Columbia and had quickly became best friends. He had introduced her to Nick and then it all went from there.
"Mommy, can we get a snack?" Nolie asked as she swam up to her mother and began to tread water.
"Yeah baby, you didn't finish your lunch anyways. You and your brother go sit by your dad and I'll bring your plates down," Demi instructed before standing up and heading towards the stairs. Nick and his father was watching the football game in the theater while Denise and Danielle were gossiping about who knows what. Demi entered her kitchen but didn't notice that Kevin was in there making plates for him and Danielle. And she despised Kevin.
"Oh hey Demi, congratulations on your show or whatever. They talked about it on GMA this morning," Kevin congratulated with a smile that made her skin crawl. She flashed her fakest smile ever before getting the kids' plates out of the microwave.
"What, you can't speak now?" Kevin questioned, moving behind her before she could even protest. She turned around and roughly shoved him away from her.
"Stay away from me Kevin. I'm not obligated to speak to you," Demi hissed beginning to walk out of the kitchen but Kevin yanked her back, causing the plates to drop as she was forced against his chest and his hands began to wander down her backside.
"Get your hands off of me!" She exclaimed, squirming in his arms and shoving at his chest but with no avail because of how much height and weight he had over her. His eyes dilated and the leering smirk on his face made her want to slap him but he had her restrained.
"And what the fuck are you gonna do if I don't?" He slammed her backside against the counter and she winced as the sharp edge of the counter jabbed into her lower back. That would definitely bruise. Tears sprung to her eyes but she heard footsteps and Kevin let her go, walking back across the kitchen to their plates as if nothing had happened.
"Doll, what's going on? What happened?" Nick questioned, walking over to his wife and taking her wrists in his hands but she shook her head and pushed him off as if it was an instant reflex. While Nick's back was turned, Kevin glared at her from across the kitchen as she brought her shaky hands up to wipe the tears away from her eyes.
"I dropped the kids' plates...I think I just need to lie down. I don't feel so well," Demi choked out, refusing to spare a glance to Kevin before she bolted out of the kitchen and into her room. She locked the French doors and then shoved her arm chair underneath the handles just to make sure that no one could come in before collapsing on her bed and crying her frustrations into her goose feather pillow.