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The Quintessential Q
Chapter Thirty Four
Kenny.
Emily and Liz make their way down to the conference room that has been set up for this purpose. The chairs line the front and there is a podium for the speakers. The screen in back of the podium is set up for the visuals of the presentation. There are a collection of press releases setting at a table by the door. A long the back there is a collection of refreshments. The coffee is already perking away. Emily is gratified to notice that Katherine's secretary had followed her suggestion and gotten the Morgan Corinthos blends.
"Oh oh." Liz says under her breath.
"What... where?" Emily looks around guiltily.
"Isn't he going to be a problem?" Liz nods in the direction of the refreshment tables.
"Oh boy." Emily mutters.
"Now just cause Lucky and I are closerthanthis doesn't mean I'm blind or dead. That is not a boy."
"I forgot that he was going to be doing the edibles." Emily gets a look of horror on her face. "Do you think he brought his mother with him?"
Liz glances around the room. "I don't see her."
"I have to find out. She could ruin everything. Cook doesn't like Katherine but she is going to hate what I'm about to do. And she'll blame it all on Carly."
"It was Carly's idea." Liz reminds Em.
"Oh no- these were all my ideas thank you very much." Emily looks around the room too, expecting Cook to pop out of every corner. "Could you go up and check the projection room make sure the vids are going to be rolling when the presentation starts. I have to find out if Cook is going to be here."
"Good Luck."
"Thanks I'm going to need it." Liz turns away to check on the video. Emily grabs her arm at the last minute. "Look, if anything happens and I get hung up here..."
"You mean if Katherine makes a scene."
"Yeah, well that too. Make sure you get the video tapes out of here." Liz nods and starts to leave but Emily restrains her again. "And talk to the security guy on the parking lot. He'll have a tape too of the parking lot. We need that one."
"The parking lot?" Liz shrugs. "Okay. I got it. I'll get all the tapes and take them to PCU. I have already booked the time in the video department. It's already for slice and dice on the tapes to make a Best of Katherine "Kenny" Bell." Liz grins. "I do get a copy of this don't I? That woman is such a ... witch. Even if she had never pulled the disgusting stuff on you that she did. She is a lousy tipper at Kelly's and I know that Bobbie hates her guts too."
"Yeah, the woman sure knows how to make friends and influence people." Emily is already distracted. She straightens her suit and pats her hair. "I told her to her face that she was lousy at fooling women."
"Yeah, probably cause we don't check out her chest first." Liz sniffs. She glances down at her watch. "This thing is getting ready to roll. I should get upstairs. See ya in a bit." Liz puts her hand up for a high five. Emily slaps Liz's palm. "To Katherine Bell."
"To Katherine Bell." Liz leaves and Emily turns to check on the possible obstruction of her plan. Walking over to Johnny, she takes a deep breath. "Hello Johnny."
"Emily." Johnny looks up from the table where he had been tweaking the trays-- making sure the presentation was good.
"Everything looks wonderful."
"Thanks for the recommendation."
"Um... is your mom here?" Emily glances around. Looking anywhere but at Johnny.
Johnny looks up at Emily focusing all his energy on her momentarily. Emily's gut reacts to the warm gaze. She bites her lip still avoiding making eye contact. Johnny knows she is up to something. "Why are you so worried if Ma is here?" He asks suspiciously.
"Me?! I'm not worried." Emily looks around. Johnny grins. Emily flushes knowing that she is not pulling anything over on Johnny.
Johnny decides to let up the pressure just a tad. "Ma is at the restaurant. It isn't open yet but she is doing the normal prep work since we had this catering job today."
Emily exhales. "Good. I mean, it would be great to see her but I'm glad that this isn't messing you up."
"Oh I get the feeling you'll be seeing her soon." Johnny changes the subject. "So what is this all about." He waves a hand to indicate the room.
"Katherine Bell is giving a presentation on the success she had while on the road... introducing some new products... general PR stuff." Emily says. "It's going to be really boring really-- really, really boring. You're probably will want to get back to the restaurant."
Johnny nods and grins again. "Yeah, right. I think I'll just stick around for awhile. See if anyone has any questions, hand out a few business cards."
Emily winces. "Great. Well I should start meeting and greeting. I'll talk to you later." Emily walks over to where the press is starting to gather along with the industry insiders.
"I'm sure." Johnny says softly to Emily's back as she walks away.
The metallic puce colored Mercedes pulls into the parking lot of Deception and into the Employee of the Week parking space. As the car is shifted into park, the car hops twice and the car alarm sings out the first few bars of La Cucaracha. Everyone turns to look. The security guard makes his way over to the space.
"Excuse me, but that space is reserved for...."
"Me. It's reserved for ME." Katherine snarls climbing from the car. Someone was going to get fired. Those idiots at the hotel had allowed her car to be taken from her space at the hotel to have this-- this-- this atrocity committed to her mercedes. And each new moment brought about a new affront: her suit, her hair, her face, her car what else could go wrong? Heads were going to roll.
"Oh sorry, Ms Bell. I didn't .... interesting choice of color for the car Ms. Bell." The security guard tries to make the best of things.
"Did I ask you your opinion?" Katherine demands. Reaching back into the car to get her briefcase she knocks her turban askew.
"Um Ms Bell?..." The guard makes a motion to his own hat straightening it.
Katherine reaches up and adjusts the turban. She sniffs and goes on her way. "Whatever."
"What a ... Hello Mr. Ashton, Ms Davis." The guard switches gears to greet Ned and Alexis.
"How's it going." Ned grins at the guard knowing what would have been muttered if they hadn't come up on the guard.
"Was that Katherine Bell?" Alexis asks. "Such an... interesting choice."
"That's our Ms Bell." The guard puts on a straight face. "Cutting edge of fashion."
"Ladies and gentlemen if I could have your attention. We'll be starting our presentation shortly. If you'd like to sample the refreshments at the back of the room." Emily says smoothly into the microphone. "The coffee is from the Morgan/Corinthos warehouse and the scrumptious canapes are from Johnny Cook..." Emily continues giving the address and hours of the restaurant. Emily looks up to the projection room and sees Liz standing there. They make eye contact. Liz gives a thumbs up and Emily nods. She walks off the podium and continues to circulate. She ends up with the technonerds from the research department. Emily subtley rides herd on them to make sure that none of them are cut out of the group by any of the competing cosmetic company spies that are there. Em makes sure that the research guys are between her and Johnny who hasn't lost sight of her since he got the feeling that something was afoot.
Jax is not far from the refreshment table. He munches cheerfully on the danishes and fresh fruit. He compliments Johnny on the good eats. Johnny is distracted. Jax tries to get his attention and finally does. Johnny absently thanks Jax for the compliment. Jax remembers Johnny from trips to Sonny's penthouse back in the Brenda years. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Jax follows the path of Johnny's gaze.
"Emily is doing great isn't she? The research guys love her." Jax makes conversation trying to solicit some information on what the heck is going on.
"Something is going to happen." Johnny mutters.
"Why do you say that?" Jax jokes.
"Because it always does." Johnny moves around the table and to a corner of the the room where he can get a better vantage. He reaches under his jacket and silently swears remembering that today he was in the catering business and his sidearm was locked back in his apartment.
Katherine's secretary catches Jax's gaze and he wipes his hands. He steps up to the podium and starts the presentation. As soon as Jax had strided to the front everyone had taken their seats. Emily was seated in the back with the research guys. Ned and Alexis were seated in the front row with the members of the press. Jax starts reading off the telepromptor. He goes through the company PR package, some of the things that were included in the press package. He then goes on to introduce the main speaker reading directly from the telepromptor.."And now ladies and gentlemen, I'm pleased to present.... Kenny er Katherine Bell." Jax looks again at the teleprompter. What a time to have a typo. He starts a round of applause to greet Katherine. Katherine stalks out from the side of the stage. Alexis is quietly giggling in the front row. Damn it was great to not have court in this morning. Is there any popcorn? She wonders. Alexis settles back into her seat to enjoy the show.
There is a collective gasp as Katherine makes her way to the podium. The shocking suit and a turban for goodness sake? And this woman is suppose to be in the fashion industry? There is a rash of flashbulbs as pictures across the audience go off. Katherine continues her presentation. Her tone is even as she gives the highlights of her trip. Inwardly she fumes. This was her moment and everything was ruined. Half of the audience was staring at her chest. Well that was nothing new. She squirms a little fighting the urge to pull up the front of her suit again. And the other half of the audience was staring... staring at her face? Katherine glances down. The video on close up in the projection room catches Katherine staring cross eyed at her own nose. There is a huge blemish... hell it's a honking big zit growing even as Katherine speaks on the tip of her nose. Katherine pauses in horror drawing even more attention to the mountain growing on her nose. She quickly winds up her presentation and tries to make her escape. Ned foils her efforts. Taking her arm he shows her around the press corp. Katherine grimaces knowing that her ex was loving this. she looks around Alexis is off against the wall not saying a word to anyone but there is a certain glee in her features. Alexis sees Katherine looking in her direction. Alexis makes a little clapping motion, applauding Katherine. Ned finally gets around to the research department.
In a growling low voice, Katherine starts tearing into the head of the research department telling how he is going to be fired for this. Emily interupts getting between Katherine and her buddy. "Wait a damn minute, This is your own fault. You need to stop taking free samples of Deception products before they are properly tested." Emily flat out lies. "I know
this isn't one of our products but you appear to need this more than I do." Emily reaches into her pocket and brings out a tube of clearasil.
"You little bitch!" Katherine reaches to grab Emily having lost it completely. Johnny comes out of the corner to get behind Emily ready to intervene.
"Not too original, Kenny." Emily taunts.
"You did this!" Katherine gets in Emily's face.
"I have no idea what you are talking about, Kenny." Emily keeps pushing. Katherine swings on Emily. Emily ducks out of reach and the sudden motion knocks Katherine's turban off. Alexis comes off the wall where she had been leaning. She practically collapses she is laughing so hard. Katherine is as bald as a baby's butt. There is another round of flashbulbs going off that distract Katherine from reaching for Emily's throat. She reaches up to her head and discovers the turban is missing. She runs from the room in horror.
"Emily." Ned says in a disapproving tone even as he chokes back his own laughter.
Emily raises her voice so that it can be heard in the press corp. "Did you see how smooth it was? No signs of irritation or ingrown hairs. The new depliatory is a miracle of our research department and should be ready for a spring release."