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The Quintessential Q
Chapter Fourty Two
Johnny's restaurant. The Bentley pulls up to the front of the restaurant. Reggie hops out of the front passenger seat and pulls the wheel chair from the back. He brings it around to the drivers side and assists Mrs Q from behind the drivers seat. "I'm feeling much better now. I can drive, Mrs. Q." Reggie insists.
"The Doctor insisted that you not operate heavy machinery for at least twenty four hours after that bump to the noggin, Reginald."
"I know but I don't expect he realized you'd take over the driving duties. Better a headache than elevated blood pressure."
"Reginald, I may not be as spry as I once was but I'm not totally incapacitated." Lila sniffs.
"I know, Mrs Q. But the police force has gotten out of the habit of writing you tickets for your lead foot."
"Such a lovely young man. Do remind me later to pick up a table at the Policeman's ball. And call Mac Scorpio: so polite, so professional. There really should be a note made in the young man's file."
"You just say that cause he subtracted twenty miles per hour off the top of what you were actually doing." Reggie complains. Women really did have an unfair advantage when it came to tickets. They'd smile and be sweet and get off lightly. He'd be polite and contrite and still get the ticket and the higher insurance premiums to go with it. Reggie opens the door to the restaurant. Officially it was closed and wouldn't open until eleven for lunch but Mrs Q had called ahead and talked to Cook about the situation at the mansion. Cook had invited them down for breakfast since she was making one already for her family as she prepped the restaurant to open.
JD, Cook's new husband and Johnny's father, rises to his feet when Lila enters the room. "Mrs Quartermaine, Reginald, Would you care to join us?"
"That would be lovely." Reginald eases Mrs Q's chair to the table. Rita hops up and going over to the waitress station sets up the silverware for the new people. "Rita? Isn't it? I swear you've grown taller since the last time I saw you-- the gathering at Carly's." Lila smiles at the girl. "But Emily has already left for School?"
"The middle school starts later, ma'am. It's a bussing thing." Rita explains.
"Call me Lila, dear."
"I'll let Cook know you're here." Rita races back to the kitchen. She'd spent a little time with Mrs Quartermaine when the wedding preparations were being made but there was no way she was going to call her Lila. Her father and Cook would have her head later whatever Mrs Quartermaine said. "Cook, Mrs Quartermaine and Mr Jennings are here." Rita comes around to the prep area. After all her time with Johnny in the kitchen she automatically adds the garnishes to the plates. "Mrs Quartermaine told me to call her Lila."
Cook doesn't look up from what she is stirring. "What does Carly call her?"
Rita grins and nods. "Ms Lila."
"Good compromise." Cook turns around and wipes her hands. Cook starts giving Rita directions on what Mrs Q would like as well as Reginald taking into consideration his concussion. "I'll be out in a couple of minutes with breakfast."
"Okay. I'll let everyone know." Rita races back to the dining room stopping long enough to pick up the tea for Lila and the juice for Reginald. She sets it up for them and then slides into the seat next to her father. She notices Reginald looking at the juice with distain. "Cook says if you're stupid enough to drink caffeine on top of a concussion you deserve the headache you'll get later. Breakfast will be ready in a minute."
Lila laughs as JD winces. "That's my wife."
Cook comes out with breakfast setting the table with the plates with casual skill. She slides in to the seat across from JD and closest to the kitchen. "What about your wife?"
Lila changes the subject. "I was curious about that case you have been working on ... the one that caused so much... inconvenience to the party at Caroline's."
"A inconvenience that continues." JD says ruefully. Only Lila Quartermaine would call a letter bomb an inconvenience.
"Bodyguards I can do without." Cook continues for her husband.
"The case is coming to a close thankfully. Jury selection went without further incident. The closing arguements are coming up." Rita looks up at her father in dismay. "Don't worry, honey, nothing will happen before next week. It won't go to the jury before then, I promise."
"Why are you concerned?" Lila questions.
"I have a show this weekend. Carly's been working with me. Everything is all set up. If the jury is sequestered then Daddy won't be able to go to the show he'll be stuck at the courthouse until they come back with a verdict." Rita explains. "It's the last show of the season, at least around here."
"Yes, I understand now." Lila nods. "Carly's very excited by the upcoming show. Edward and I have already made plans to attend along with Emily."
Cook changes the subject again. "Okay so spill. What happened with Francois? I knew that candyass wouldn't last with the old goat."
Port Charles High School Library. The first bell hasn't rung yet but Emily is already in the library. She greets the librarian and requests the use of her office. The librarian nods preoccupied with setting up the newspapers for the students use throughout the day. Emily walks in to the office and picking up an outside line calls into Deception. The secretary that handles her schedule is known for her early bird tendecies. "Hey, It's Emily."
I just received your voice mail. Here are the numbers you requested. The secretary gives Emily not only the extention of the talent booker but also the number for Orchid's agent.
"There should be a package arriving anytime. Stuff I went through on my desk. I touched base with the Research guys last night but I need to have an appointment with The Nose." Emily fills the secretary on the times when she will be available at Deception from the dayplanner she grabs out of her backpack. "Okay, I'll talk to you later." Emily hangs up the phone and then dumps the backpack onto the desk. "Where is it? OH my gosh Where the HELL is it?"
"Where the hell is what?" Emily looks up to see Maddy leaning against the doorway. She is dressed in a cashmere mock turtleneck with a short skirt. Instead of the animal print coat she is wearing a short red leather jacket. Maddy extends a cup to Emily. "I believe I owe you a latte."
"Thank you. I didn't get any breakfast today." Emily accepts it gratefully but sets it down to search her backpack.
"Haven't you heard? It's the most important meal of the day." Maddy quips. Maddy reaches into her backpack and pulls out a couple of muffins. "I thought the deal was I wasn't taking deliveries from Cook's until tomorrow." Maddy tosses Emily a muffin.
Emily snags it out of midair. "I talked to Johnny yesterday. He said he was going to talk to you-- not that he was making any deliveries."
"Yeah, well evidently the guy couldn't sleep. What did you lose?"
"A videotape. I had it yesterday." Emily searches again through the backpack and then realizing it is not there she sags into the chair. "This is really not good. I was all over Port Charles yesterday." Emily blanches when she realizes the worst case scenario. What if it had fallen out when she tipped over her bag at Nikolas' the night before? "I'm dead."
"You're looking kind of lively to me." Maddy kicks back in a chair across from Emily. She sips her coffee. Because of the kiosks her day had started at 5am, then once the docks were set up she'd had to make a round of the other stands to distribute the baked goods. A little after eight and she was ready for a coffee break. Maddy yawns. It was going to be a very long day. "No need to panic until after you check at home." Maddy stretches her legs out and sets down the coffee. "Why don't you wake me in about half an hour."
"Where are you suppose to be?" Emily asks. "This is my free period but I've never seen you in here before."
Maddy keeps her eyes closed as she answered. "Can't you tell? I'm researching a paper on the roadblocks to the small entrepreneurs."
"Lack of sleep?"
"Yeah, it's going to be on my list. Go on back to what you were doing."
Emily hesitates and then shrugs. She calls the talent booker for Deception taking deep breaths while the phone rings. Finally the phone is picked up. "This is Emily Bowen-Quartermaine. I have a quick question for you. Who in the hell approved Orchid for the Spring shoot?" Emily's tone had started sweet and ended in a snarl. As the man at the other end of the phone starts stuttering. "You were at the meeting where I veto'd Orchid for the Oregon shoot and you know why. Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. Deception will not be need of her services no matter what a *great deal* her agent gives us. You go behind my back again and perhaps your services won't be need either." Emily's eyes narrow as she listens to the booker. "Tell you what buddy why don't you just do that. Go to Ned, Go to Jax. See how far it gets you." Emily hangs up.
The next call is to Ned. Emily isn't surprised when Alexis answers the phone. "Alexis, it's Emily I need to talk to Ned." Emily starts putting back all the items that she had dumped out of her backpack. "Ned, two things-- You might be getting a call from the talent booker at Deception. He is trying to endrun me. And the other thing... I need a ride home after school."
"What happened to your motorcycle? Did you have an accident?" Ned asks concerned.
"No, it was the only way Grandmother and I could get Grandfather out of the house before he killed Frank. Frank quit by the way."
"Oh surprise surprise." Ned retorts sharply not surprised at all.
Emily looks over at Maddy who is trying to get her attention. "Wait a minute, Ned.-- looks like I can get a ride from one of the girls at school.