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The Quintessential Q
Chapter Fifty One
Are you okay?
"Thanks." Emily allows the jacket to hang on her shoulders not bothering to put her arms in the sleeves. "We should probably get back inside before they call Rita's next class." Emily looks up to Johnny's chisled features and says in a rush. "You know, this has been really nice... we've gotten on so well today and...." Johnny leans over and brushes his mouth over hers, tasting coffee and Emily.
"Emily..." Johnny groans. Gathering her close to him he deepens the kiss, nibbling on Emily's lower lip. Threading his hand through her hair he bring her closer but nothing seems close enough. "Tell me to stop." Johnny murmurs against her smooth cheek.
"Why...." Emily turns her head so that their mouths meet again. "Why does this keep happening to us? Why can't I tell you no?" Emily's hand slides beneath Johnny's sweater seeking the heat emanating from him.
Johnny's hand slide down Emily's side to grip her far hip, he brings her to him. Emily grabs the sliding door of the van for balance even as Johnny places his other hand in the middle of her back to support her. Johnny nuzzles against Emily's neck impatiently brushing the turtleneck from his way. Johnny recoils as if struck. Planting his hands on Emily's hips he stands and sets her down an arm's length from him. "We should get inside."
"Johnny?" Emily's brow furrows. "...are you okay. Did I do something wrong?"
"You didn't do anything wrong." Johnny growls. "And no, I'm not okay. I'm totally insane. Groping a teenager, for goodness sake. I need to have my head examined."
"Oh Thank you so much for that." Emily protests. With jerky motions she puts on her jacket. "So a guy would have to be nuts to be with me. Just wipe me off your shoe, why don't ya?" Emily fights with the zipper of her jacket finally giving up and just stuffing her shaking hands into her pockets.
"I didn't mean that." Johnny protests.
"Well that's what I'm hearing." Em snarls. "I am not taking this one, I'm not. You started it, buddy. Why don't you figure out what you want and get back to me?!" Emily starts to stride away from Johnny only to be stopped in her tracks when he grabs her arm. The grip doesn't hurt but it totally ticks Emily off... she isn't going anywhere and Johnny is controlling her. "Take your hand off me --- Now."
Johnny drops his hand from Emily's arm. "You can hand me that decide what you want garbage and I'm not saying I don't deserve it. By why don't you look in a mirror? I'd say you're the one with some decisions to make." Johnny slams the sliding door of the van and locks it setting the alarm and walks back to the arena without looking back.
Emily looks at Johnny's retreating back and stomps her foot. "Oh Lord what did I just do?" She looks down at her offending foot. "I will not let him do this to me. Great-- now I'm talking to myself." Emily mutters. Knowing that Johnny had set the car alarm she looks in the side mirror of a neighboring car to check if there was anything about her appearance that would set Grandfather to blustering. Em runs her fingers through her hair and then adjusts her turtleneck. Awareness dawns. "Oh No." Jerking down the turtleneck she examines what she knew was there when she decided what she was wearing... a subtle purplishblue bruise at the base of her neck. "Great. Thanks Nik."
Johnny slides into the seat next to his mother. "What did I miss?"
"They haven't called the class yet." Cookie looks at her son with narrowed eyes. Something was up. "Are you okay?"
"Drop it, Ma." Johnny insists. He breathes a sigh of relief as the first call is made for Rita's class.
Carly gives Rita a leg up on Mr. Roberts and adjusts the stirrups making sure everything lies smoothly. Rita leans down to Carly. "Any last words?"
"You're going to do great." Carly pats Rita's leg. "We didn't work on this as much as we did the compulsories on the other group. This one is going to be up to you and Mr. Roberts. Just stick to him like glue and point him in the right direction; he'll do the rest. You finish with ribbons on this one and call it a great day. Now take a deep breath." Carly looks up at Rita and takes a deep breath along with her. "Go get 'em, girl." Carly leads Rita up the tunnel.
AJ comes along side her resting a hand on the base of her spine as Rita enters the ring. "Nice pep talk."
"I thought you were running the video camera and watching the family." Carly frowns at AJ.
"Jerry's covering it. And wondering why-- the video. The family thing he has a firm handle on."
"Rita and I didn't work much on what is required on this class. She's probably going to get her ass kicked. The people that are in the group have been doing this alot longer than Rita. She definitely won't win; the judges don't know her. We're going to need that tape for the tear apart on Monday."
"Ah Monday morning quarterbacking."
Carly looks at AJ. "Yeah, I guess. And checking out the new competition." AJ slides into a seat next to the tunnel. Carly sits down next to him keeping an eye on what is going on the in the ring satisfied that everything else is handled. Her focus is so total that she starts when someone sits down next to her. "Em. Hey."
"Hey." Emily takes a deep breath and keeps her eyes on the ring. She is Not going to look over to where Johnny is sitting with her grandparents.
Carly takes in the clenched fists and the flushed face. "What did I miss?"
"Men are pigs." Emily says flatly looking out at the ring.
"My cue." AJ rises. "Think I'll go check on Michael and Bobbie. Lucas was still walking on air last I saw." He beats a quick retreat knowing while it might have been nice to have someone else be bashed for awhile when Emily and Carly got together masculine egos were shredded.
As soon as AJ is clear. "Okay who has been an oinker-- Johnny or Nikolas. Considering where we are, and that you didn't mention anything earlier-- I'd have to go with Johnny. But I have a tough time believing that. Chauvinistic sure, how could he not be working for Sonny and your brother-- but an oinker?"
"Everything is going great. You saw. Johnny was in his element running the tailgate party. I was helping out. We were totally in sync kind of like my mom and yours in an operating room. The grandparents, his folks everyone is getting along for once."
"Well..." Carly grimaces but decides to not fill Em in on her meeting with John Jacks.
"So the family all goes back to the arena to get the good seats and Johnny and are cleaning up. Clean up's done; we're having a nice cup of coffee things start getting hot."
"I'm sure you aren't talking about the coffee." Carly grins.
"And then all of a sudden he's backing off like the rebound on a bungee jump, calling me a kid, talking on what a huge mistake he just made. He kissed me alright-- he's always the one that starts things and then-- boom-- starts backing off. I'm really getting sick of it."
Carly nods. "I figure it doesn't take much cause he's got the whole age thing backing him up but do you have any idea what set him off this time?" Emily pulls down the side of her turtleneck revealing the hickey. "Someone's been hanging out with vampires." Carly jokes.
"Nikolas really doesn't like being compared to vampires."
"I was kidding." Carly double takes. "Nikolas did that? When?"
"Last night up at Lookout Point." Emily admits.
Carly makes a fanning motion with her hand. "And I thought my life was chaotic. Have I ever told you the horror stories of balancing two guys: Tony and Jason, Tony and AJ, AJ and Jason."
"I lived those horror stories with you remember?" Emily shakes her head. "Your chaos is contagious. But this is totally different. I'm not married, engaged or even in a committed relationship whatever the hell that is. Feeling like I should be committed about now but.... For goodness sake, I'm not even dating! I go out on a date and it's a total disaster. Reggie tails me, grandfather quizzes me, Jason has them investigated. You know this is all your fault."
"My fault?!" Carly squeaks and then laughs.
"Yep, yours, Bobbie's and Cook's."
"You could have dropped them."
"I was the only single woman there for two of them." Emily protests. "And I swear Cook was aiming at me."
"I was already home by then." Carly reminds her. "I missed the whole bouquet tossing thing." Carly and Emily fall silent as the end of the class comes about. They clasp hands as the judge walks over to the announcer's table and writes in the results. The judge walks back to the group and points to three riders to come forward. The three do not include Rita. The rest of the class is dismissed.
"Oh damn." Emily mutters.
"She did really well." Carly grimaces. "If there was a fourth she probably would have gotten it. Come on." Emily and Carly race to the tunnel to meet Rita as she exits the arena. There is nothing said between the three girls until they are back at the stalls. Emily takes Mr. Roberts reins while Rita dismounts. Carly gives her a big hug. "You did great."
"But I didn't get a ribbon." Rita protests almost in tears.
"It was a tough class. With a lot of older riders." Emily reminds Rita. Carly takes the reins from Emily and puts Mr. Roberts in his stall and taking off the tack.
"Well isn't this just touching." Vicki sneers coming around the corner and seeing only Emily and Rita. "What were you thinking embarrassing yourself? You looked like a fool out there. Like a little girl playing dress up with the adults."
Emily's jaw drops. "Could you be anymore of a bitch?"
"I don't think I was talking to you." Vicki puts a finger up to her jaw and tilts her head. "Nope, I definitely wasn't. This is between me and my sister." Vicki points to herself and then Rita.
"Over your dead body." Emily snaps back taking a step forward.
"And you know just the people to arrange that, right." Vicki rolls her eyes and then turns back to Rita. "What did I tell you about her? How many times do have to tell you that you take out the trash you don't hang with it."
"What are you talking about?" Rita protests getting upset on Emily's behalf.
"I don't know what father is thinking encouraging you to associate with a drug addicted, cyberporn motorcycle mama."
Emily cracks up laughing. "I guess you can. You been practicing that line for awhile and finally get to use it?" Making sure she is between Rita and Vicki she leans casually against Mr. Roberts stall door. Deceptively casual since Carly is on the other side of the door. She crosses her arms. "You should go back and practice some more, go with the alliteration... something like hash smokin', hog ridin' harlot. That has a nice ring to it-- maybe I could get a t-shirt or something."
Vicki starts getting frustrated that Emily isn't biting. "Rita, come here. It's time to go."
Carly finally pushes her way from the stall forcing Emily to move. "No."
"Who do you think you are to tell me no." Vicki doesn't like being surprised. Where in the hell had Carly come from?
"The person who has talked to Rita's older brother and decided you are not in Rita's best interest." Carly turns to Rita and Emily. "Honey, I'll take care of Mr. Roberts. I think it's time you headed home. I'll tell Cook what's up."
"What do you think you're going to do?" Vicki grabs Carly's arm.
"A promise is a promise." Carly grins showing all her teeth. Vicki takes a step back. "Emily, get Rita out of here. Johnny and I have been remarkably patient considering our temperaments. And considering he's a gun-toting killer for hire and I'm a certifiable bitch you've been remarkably stupid. Wonder what name I could come up with for you since you are so into labels?"
"Come on, Rita." Emily insists. "You're too young to see this. We're all too young to see this." Em turns Rita around despite her protest and starts pushing her from the stable. Rita finally goes along with the program when Emily hands her the spare helmet.
"Are you sure my father isn't going to freak? He really doesn't like motorcycles. And Cook calls them donor cycles."
"Believe me, I already heard that lecture." Emily holds up her right hand. "I Emily Bowen--Quartermaine, hereby promise to drive like little old lady for the entire time Rita Porter is on the back of the motorcycle."
Rita puts on the helmet. "Okay, but I am not getting grounded for this."
"If everything goes according to plan little Miss Vic is the one who is going to be in hot water." Emily mutters. She climbs onto the bike and starts it up.
"Did you say something?" Rita asks her voice muffled behind the visor.
"Nope."