I put my hand over my mouth to cover my surprise. “Wow. That’s, uh…”
“Yeah. Well. When he got home, he let it slip that he’d slept with hundreds of women. I was devastated. He was devastated. Anyway, we broke up.” Fee seems almost transported back in time, that’s how wistful her expression is. She catches me watching her and shakes it off. “One night a handsome guy came into The Mission. We started talking. Flirting. Kissing. Once we were, uh…well, it just turned. The condom broke. Mia was born. He nearly bankrupted me with the legal shit around her custody.
“Holy shit, Fee.” I grasp her forearm. Squeeze. I remember Connor saying something about the custody battle, but wow.
She raises her wine glass and I mirror her gesture. We clink. “To surviving.”
“To overcoming misogyny.” I smile.
“Fuck the patriarchy.” She grins back. “You did good taking that asshole down. And that nanny too.”
I nod. “Thank you. I nearly lost Connor. So many times.”
“He was never going anywhere. You’re Ronni fucking Miller. He loves the fuck out of you.” She raises her glass again.
“He does, and I love the fuck out of him.” I laugh. We clink again.
“Mommy juice is the best.” Fee moves to pour a bit more into both of our glasses.
I hold up my hand. “I’ve had enough. I’ve got to drive us home. No need for any drunk-driving scandals. There’s been enough press about me and Connor to last a lifetime.”
Olga, Zane and Fiona’s nanny, has the night off. We both stand to check on the kids, who are now playing dress up. Well, Mia is dressing the boys in her clothes. I’m confident they’d let her do anything, that’s how much she has them in the palm of her hand. “She’s an absolute natural.” I point to them with my nearly empty wine glass.
“She’ll be a great babysitter when we’re all on the road.” Fee gazes lovingly at her little girl. “If the boys can get their shit together, that is.”
“Hopefully the three of them will get their game plan together. Tomorrow’s a big day. Connor’s convinced Ty’s going to quit.” I broach the subject tentatively. Fiona’s been furious at both Ty and Zoey for not reaching out after his meltdown.
Fee visibly shakes it off. “God, I’m trying not to be a bitch. It’s just that Zane has suffered so much. I know Carter’s bullshit is not Ty’s fault. I’m disappointed in Zoey. I thought we’d become close when they got back from their trip. Considering what happened, it hurts she hasn’t reached out.”
“She’s not been in touch with me either. Or Alex. I’m keeping an open mind. I understand needing a break. Connor mentioned Zane saw Ty—oh, God. tell me if I’m prying.” I finish my wine and set it down.
Fiona bites her lip. Squints at me. “No, it’s fine. Yeah, Zane’s been in a couple sessions with Ty and Carter. They’re trying to work things out. Zane’s in a bit of a regression when it comes to Carter. He’s trying desperately not to be resentful, but their history is very—um—challenged.”
“Because of Carter’s addiction issues?”
“Sure, that comes into play. It’s more about abandonment. I mean, he and I were six—Mia’s age--when we saw Carter OD in the park. That night at The Mission? Serious flashbacks for me when I saw Carter unconscious in the ambulance. I shut down.”
Holy shit.
Fee doesn’t notice my astoundment. “Anyway, when Lianne and Zane moved to Denver, I saw more of Carter than Zane did for years. He’s working through it. Well, we all are.” Fee stares off into space. “At least, I hope we are.”
I decide it’s time to switch subjects. “Will you reopen Gus soon?”
“Oh. Yeah…” Fee’s face lights up then dims. “Maybe. I’m not going to count my chickens. Let’s get through tomorrow and see if we’re going to be band widows.”
“Did you get a bus customized?” I grab my phone and scroll through my pictures to find the renderings for ours. “Ours will be ready by March. We’re psyched to tour as a family.”
Fee uses her fingers to expand and contract each image. “I haven’t had time. Wow. This is super fancy, Ronni. Well done. Are you on board with going on the road with the band though? I mean, don’t you have a ton of projects in the works?”
“Not right now. You knew the studio took me off the movie when I was sued?”
She nods. “Uh-huh. You mentioned it.”
“Well, surprise, surprise. With the Kircher situation resolved, they asked me to come back. I declined. To make a point. In Hollywood, men are rarely pushed into the background if they are part of a scandal until there’s some hard evidence. It’s a double standard for women. I’m not allowing my integrity to be questioned by anyone. They should have stood by me. It’s risky, but I have two boys I need to set an example for.”
“So bold. I love it.” Fee’s eyes shine with admiration. “I need to bottle up a little of that confidence and spray it on myself.”
“The thing is, the people at Netflix were concerned, but they stood by me. Before I settled with Kircher, they’d already re-upped our series. Kris and I will be back in Vancouver to film Season 2 but not until next spring. Their support gives me the confidence to be more choosy about where I spend my time and energy.” I take my phone back and set it face down on the counter. “Truthfully? A lot of decent offers have been rolling in.”