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The Quintessential Q
Chapter Forty Four
The Way of Things
Port Charles High Lunch hour. Emily toys with the salad in front of her. She looks up and smiles at Maddy when Maddy pulls up a chair. "You're looking much more rested after your nap." Em teases and Maddy laughs.
"I thought you swore off cafeteria food the day we met?" Maddy asks.
"In between the flying crockery, the threats of dogs being sicced on the very foul mouthed and crazed French chef, him quitting, Reggie getting a concussion and Grandfather having to drive me to school-- bagging a lunch just wasn't in the cards. I hate to admit it but Carly is right-- Ferncliffe is quieter than chez Quartermaine." Emily retorts rolling her eyes.
"Carly Benson? I think I remember reading about her."
"Probably nothing recently, she's been avoiding the front page since she married my brother, AJ."
"Oh this is old back when I was still down in Louisiana. My mother has a scrap book of all the press clipping of every case my Aunt loses. The one where Carly Benson shot the defendant in the court room was the exception."
Emily looks at Maddy confused. "Isn't that a little backward?"
"Oh they don't get along. I don't think Aunt Dara knows exactly how much they don't get along."
"Dara? OH my Gosh! Dara Jensen is your aunt? And you work for Benny?" Emily voice ends in a squeak.
"Independent contractor remember? And what Aunt Dara doesn't know won't hurt her. I never really understood what the big deal was anyway..." Maddy shrugs. "...Money is money; as long as they are spending it in the US-- it's playing into the economy. It isn't doing any good sitting in some Caribbean bank."
"Bet the econ teacher loves you, you little capitalist, you." Emily teases.
"Worships daily at my shrine." Maddy polishes her perfectly manicured nails on her sweater. "Bet he sucks up to you too."
"Nope, I always keep a low profile where money is concerned. I get enough of a ration for just having the last name. The only thing I'm seeing doing would be considered decorative." Emily gives Maddy a practiced sweet but vacant look.
"You like it that way." Maddy studies Emily with narrowed eyes.
"Yep. Being underestimated has worked wonders for me. So what would you be doing if you weren't here?"
"Well I already checked on the kiosks." Maddy shrugs. "As long as my aunt is too busy to give me a list of things to do after school I'll keep on top of all my obligations. And tomorrow will go much more smoothly now that the kinks have been worked out. Why didn't you tell me that the docks started at six?!"
"That doesn't make the quarterly reports. I appreciate you giving me a lift home after school. I know that Reggie would pick me up but driving and a concussion doesn't mix." A silence falls in waves over the cafeteria. Emily looks around to find out what is going on and then buries her head in her arms on the table. "Oh I can't believe this. I really can't believe this."
"What?" Maddy looks around and sees an almost portly older man looking around the cafeteria and then making a beeline to the table. "Is that who I think it is?" She hisses at Emily's bowed head.
Emily resignedly looks up. "Grandfather, what are you doing here?"
Edward looks at the institutional trays with unappetizing fare. "Your Grandmother was afraid of this. Just 'cause the poser threw a tizzy this morning doesn't mean my granddaughter has to risk botulism or bulimia." He sets the large brown bag on the table and starts unloading it. "Cook sent Lila and Reginald home with a lunch for you."
"Why didn't Grandmother bring it by?"
"She's home taking care of Reginald." Edward snorts. "That faint-hearted faker! Lila takes the wheel for one morning and Reginald starts grabbing for my nitro tabs." Edward pulls up a chair and looks around the cafeteria. "This is what my tax dollars are paying for? For all the money we pour into this place the food should at least be edible." Edward mutters under his breath. "For the money we pour into this place, I should have a gold plaque in the gym."
Emily splits the goodies between her and Maddy. "Grandfather, this is Maddy Reynolds."
"Mr. Quartermaine." Maddy extends a hand to Edward who takes it and pats it.
"Miss Reynolds, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm impressed. I know a go getter when I hear about one. I stopped by the docks this morning after dropping Emily off at school. Excellent product, excellent service. You'll have to share with me your talent of getting good help." Edward flatters continuing to hold Maddy's hand and patting it.
"Why Mr. Quartermaine, the pleasure is all mine." Maddy allows her New Orleans roots to come through and plays the southern belle to the hilt. "Your kind opinion of my small efforts means so much coming from a man of your stature in the business community."
"Please I'm trying to eat here." Emily rolls her eyes. "Grandfather, she needs her hand back and you are not going to get more than a senior citizen discount at the kiosks no matter how much you suck up. Maddy, tone down the Scarlett O'Hara; he is too susceptible to feminine wiles."
"Emily!" Edward flushes just a little but releases Maddy's hand. Maddy laughs and shakes her head. Edward leans over and kisses Emily on the temple. "I forgive you for being an unnatural granddaughter. Saying such wicked things about me."
"You'll notice he didn't say untrue." Emily says smartly in Maddy's direction. "Oh Great! And the hits just keep coming."
Maddy turns around again. This time it was the principal who was heading their direction. "Word of your visitor must have spread to the ivory tower."
"Excuse me. Sir, all visitors must check in at the front office." The principal says sternly.
"Do I look like some kind of drug dealer to you?" Edward blusters. "If you served decent food rather than something out of a Dickens novel I wouldn't have to be here. No wonder I have been hearing so much about young girls getting eating disorders if this is the way my tax dollars are being spent." Edward goes immediately on the offensive rocking the principal back on his heels. A little too late he had realized exactly who was visiting. And if he had any doubts...
"Grandfather, please." Emily wheedles. This is so embarrassing. The cafeteria was silent as everyone strained to hear what was going on. Maddy snickers trying to cover her mirth with a sip of soda not a great move as she almost chokes. "Grandfather, don't you have to get back to the office? It's Friday."
"I know what day it is!" Edward harrumphs still piercing the principal with a steely gaze. Then what Emily says sinks in. "Friday. Right. I have appointments back in the office. You'll be hearing from me!" Edward snorts at the principal even as he stands and smartly exits the cafeteria. The principal trails after him. The voices in the cafeteria come back up to a dull roar.
"What does Friday have to do with anything?" Maddy asks curiously.
"On Fridays his great grandson and heir apparent comes into the office."
"Great grand son? How old could he be?"
"Three on his next birthday." Emily says wryly. "If you haven't noticed I was adopted into a patriarchal family. Michael, my not yet three year old godson, already has stock in the company."
"And you don't?"
"Nope. And I'm not going to until the old man begs me. Grandfather didn't realize I had a brain until I started buying up Deception stock through cousin Ned and forced a takeover. But that wasn't what got him to give me the promenade project."
Maddy leans in. "What did?"
"In the last year, I've caught not one... not two... but three wedding bouquets. After the third one he started guarding me like a hawk. The promenade is to keep me busy, under his thumb and away from horror of horrors-- boys. He now has a shotgun filled with rocksalt in the hall closet."
"Does he know about Mr. Eyecandy and Insomnia Man?"
"Oh yeah. That's why he a) calls the alarm company to find out what time I code in every night and b) schedules all our meetings early, early in the morning." Emily leans in confidentially. "He thinks I don't know it but he's already looking to buy into that company that makes the electronic ankle bracelets."
"Oh you have got to be kidding."
"I don't joke about accessories."
Nik pulls into a space along the carriage house of the Victorian. Katherine, then Carly both had given him a lot of things to think about. Nik strides into the carriage house that serves as the command center of the renovation. He checks the log to see what's the plan of the day. He squints deciphering Larry's chicken scratch notes. Sometimes it was just easier to walk the property. Putting his gloves back on, Nik walks up to the house. He pauses in the backyard. It's still an overgrown mess. Nothing much was going to be done with the landscaping until spring. The debris from the leveled houses next door had been hauled off and top soil, sod trucked in. It would take a growing season before all evidence of the houses would be gone. The new roof was on. The insulated windows were in the midst of being installed. All the exterior work is on schedule for completion before the first heavy snow. Course who knows about upstate New York. Nik walks through the open back door. "Where's Larry?"
"Basement." One of the crew nods. "But enter at your own risk. The furnace arrived today."
Nik opens the door to the basement. And just leans his head in. The muttered obscenities can be heard from the top of the stairs. "You freaking piece of junk!" There is the firm rap of metal on metal. "Fit! You Fucking bitch!"
"It isn't up to specifications?" Nik asks curiously.
"Oh yeah, It is." Larry says grimly. "It'll be as tight as a nun's knees when I'm done. I just hate furnaces and they hate me."
"You could have gotten a sub to put it in."
"And put us two weeks behind schedule. Everybody and their mother is getting a new furnace before the weather changes."
"Can I help?" Nik asks already taking off his jacket and gloves.
"You'll mess up your manicure."
"There can be no delays."