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The Quintessential Q
Chapter Fourty Seven
Rise and Shine
Crack of dawn. Emily flings out an arm to slam down the button on the alarm. Burying her face in the pillow, she groans and then stretches like a cat. After rolling over and sitting up in the bed she rubs her eyes with one hand and pushes her hair out of her face with the other. Only for Carly and Rita would she be up this early especially after being with Nikolas at Lookout point until the very last minute last night. Emily smiles and hugs her knees. Necking in a Jaguar was an education in frustration... sweet frustration: bucket seats, stick shifts, no real back seat. Grandfather couldn't have picked a better car for a potential suitor. Lacing her fingers together, Em stretches them over her head working the last of the kinks out. With a deep breath she finally climbs from the bed and goes into the bathroom to get ready to meet Carly and Rita.
ANHHHHHH
A slim arm reaches out from beneath the covers flicking the alarm clock across the room. It hits the wall and hiccups before falling silent. A sleepy growl comes from beneath the covers. "Score-- Carly eight, alarm clocks zero." AJ nuzzles the middle of Carly's back his arm wrapped firmly around her waist.
Carly doesn't open her eyes only shrugs the covers up higher around her and AJ. "Tell me why I set that flipping thing?" She mutters.
"Horse show." AJ presses Carly down onto her back and nuzzles on her neck. Carly's breathing quickens and she runs her fingers through AJ's hair bringing his face to hers and kissing him passionately. Now this was the way to wake up.
Carly's eyes open startled and she pushes AJ away. "Oh Hell! The horseshow! I got to go; I have to get ready; I have to get Mr Roberts down to the arena; I have to meet the driver up at the property. What time is it?" Carly looks over at where the clock had been and then grabs AJ's wrist checking the time. "Why did you let me sleep so late?!" Carly practically levitates off the bed and races to the bathroom for a quick shower.
AJ rolls onto his back and contemplates the ceiling even as he grins. Life with his wife was never, never boring. He wraps a robe around himself and strolls downstairs. He grabs the Herald from the chute by the front door and peruses the front page as he goes into the kitchen. Carly had been more alert the night before and put coffee on a timer. He pours a cup of the steaming brew and doctors it up the way his wife likes. About to go back upstairs to give it to her, he almost pours the cup on himself when the kitchen door is flung open. "That was fast." He says disappointed.
"Is that for me?" Carly takes the coffee cup, sips blowing out at the heat and biting her burnt tongue to keep from swearing. Going over to the freezer she grabs an ice cube and floats it in the cup. She hurries the process by blowing the still steaming brew. As soon as she thinks it's safe she starts gulping down the coffee. "Thanks." She sets the cup in the sink then turns around and grabs AJ by the collar of his robe and pulls him in close. Carly gives him a quick kiss on the mouth. "I'll meet you at the arena in about an hour and I'll call you if we're running late. You are going to go get Lila and your grandfather right?" Not waiting for an answer Carly kisses him again and races from the room.
"Must still be hurricane season." AJ just shakes his head. Last time Carly moved that fast this early it had been the semi annual shoe clearance at Nordstroms.
The Judge's house. Cook raps firmly on Rita's door. "Up and at 'em."
"I'm up. I'm up!" Rita calls through the door. Then there is a screech of frustration and the sound of a object hitting the wall. "Why isn't this working?"
Cook knocks again but doesn't wait for the come in before opening the door to her stepdaughter's room. "What the hell is your problem?"
"It doesn't look right!" Rita is practically crying in her frustration. Her hands are shaking. Cook can see the preteen nerves and hormones all kicking in. If this wasn't nipped in the bud there was going to be tears, and the whole nine yards in about half a tick. Looking around she takes in the problem. Rita had picked out some fancy braid out of a hair magazine and was trying to recreate it. Smoothly walking across the room, she reaches down and grabs the brush that had born the brunt of Rita's frustration. "I swear sometimes we're related by blood, girl. Sit down and shut up."
Rita plops down in front of the mirror set on her desk. "I'm not stupid, you know. I practiced it yesterday. It looked fine. Did the whole dress rehearsal thing with Carly."
Cook comes up behind Rita and talks to her reflection in the mirror. "I never said you were stupid. I know better. Deaf maybe since I told you to shut up but at least you sat down so that was half right. The only thing I want to hear is you taking deep breaths." Rita looks like she is going to protest but the expression on Cook's face seems to be daring her. Her jaw snaps shut and she takes an exaggerated breath through her nose. Cook examines the plait that Rita had selected from the magazine then standing behind her quickly undoes the uneven braid that Rita had accomplished earlier. With easy even strokes Cook brushes out Rita's hair and sections it. Her nimble fingers make short work of the task even weaving in a ribbon Rita had laying on the desk. "There. Problem solved."
"Wow." Rita turns her way this way and that. "It looks great, I mean really great like a pro did it. How did you learn to do that?"
Cook waits what seems forever before answering. She wasn't going to lie to Rita. And Johnny had told her already that Rita knew all about her past. "I suppose I could tell you that it's just like braiding fancy breads and that's true too but I learned how to do stuff like this in prison. I've never been one to stay still." Cook tugs on Rita's braid to halt her fidgeting. "Like someone else I know. And if you don't keep busy inside you'll go nuts. So I'd do things like this, read alot, worked out, dreamed up recipes in my head. Worked trustee in the kitchen."
"See and that's what just seems weird." Rita twirls around in the chair so she is looking Cookie straight in the face. "If you gutted your husband with a filet knife why would they let you work in the kitchen in prison? Isn't that kind of like having a car thief working in the auto pool?"
Cookie laughs not taking offense. "It's exactly like that. But a car thief will steal just about anything with four wheels. Oh some of them specialize: only American cars, or only foreign cars but in a pinch they'll take what they can get."
"And killers have their own pool of victims." Rita supposes. "Bundy liked college girls, Dahmer-- minority boys."
"What in the hell has your father been letting you read?" Cookie's brows furrow together. She was definitely going to have to have a talk with JD about his daughter's choice of reading.
"Anything I can get my hands on." Rita admits with a shrug. "So who is your pool?"
"Well using those terms I'd say it's more of a puddle really." Cookie frowns. "Abusive, hard drinking, stalking sonovabitchs who go by the name of Marshall Lee."
"But I heard you pulled a knife on Mr Quartermaine and I saw you pull one on Johnny's chef, Frank." Rita asks curiously.
"Those idiots." Cook sniffs. "You'll notice please that they are still walking around. Sometimes a reputation, even a sorry one, can work to your advantage. Now come on. Enough with the questions. I left your father in charge of the waffle iron and I don't want him to burn down the kitchen."
Rita rises and pats the braid one more time before stringing her hand through Cookie's. "You know he's not a bad cook. Not as good as you and Johnny but not bad."
"Well a few more lessons with Johnny and you'll be beating your father's repertoire of dishes." Cookie releases Rita's hand and gives her a quick one handed hug.
The Quartermaine mansion. Emily stops at the base of the foyer steps and checks the mirror one last time. She makes a minute adjustment to her turtleneck and straightens her jacket. Taking a deep breath she strides into the family room. Grandmother had arranged for some temporary cooking staff from as far away as Beechers Corners, and Reggie was pitching in despite his concussion. Emily is surprised to see AJ there. She walks over to the table and kisses Edward on the cheek. "Grandfather." Then looks over to where AJ is helping himself to juice and a muffin. "AJ? What are you doing here? Where is Carly?"
"Carly took off for the property to get Mr Robert's situated. I was ordered to get Grandmother and Grandfather to the arena." AJ grins at his little sister.
"Oh well, Reg will love that. He's been having nightmares of Grandmother taking the wheel again."
"Oh and you think that me behind the wheel is going to give him pleasant dreams?" AJ shakes his head and snickers. Reg was not one of his fans but for good reason. And he wasn't as annoying about it as Ned had always been.
"You know what I mean." Emily frowns at AJ. She nibbles on a croissant standing up by the breakfast bar.
"Aren't you going to sit down and eat properly?" Edward demands.
"No time, Grandfather. I'm in charge of getting to the Arena and making sure that everything is ready before Carly shows up with Mr Roberts. And I'm also lead hand holder for Rita if she starts getting a case of nerves." Emily continues in a mutter that AJ barely hears and Edward misses all together. "And lead ass kicker if Vicki causes any trouble." Emily tucks an orange into her pocket then goes over and gives Edward another kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you both over there."