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The Quintessential Q
Chapter Six
Johnny.
Racing in and out of traffic, a young girl tempts fate and her good health to make it through an intersection. Horns toot and fists are raised as one unlucky driver has to stand on his brakes to avoid hitting her. Rita waves back cheerfully and continues on her way. AJ had taken Michael into the office with him today as he evidently did every Friday. Carly had been on a conference call it seemed like ALL day so she slipped her a note telling her that she was heading to the restaurant. It should be safe there now that Johnny's mother was on the honeymoon with her father. Sliding to a stop, she locks her bike up on the side of the restaurant and wanders in. Her one day stint as busperson has her looking at the tables critically, she straightens a silverware placement on her way back to the kitchen. "Hey Johnny."
"What the hell are you doing here?" Johnny asks resignedly. He's dressed in a white shirt and dark slacks with an apron tied around his waist to protect his street clothes
"I thought we agreed if I wasn't allowed to swear you aren't either." Rita comes along side of the prep area and watches as Johnny makes final preparation of the lunch special. "Whatcha making?"
Johnny sighs resignedly. "Mangalore salmon braised with coconut milk. The salmon has to marinade for thirty minutes before it's cooked."
"Wow that sounds really disgusting. What are you making for the people that hate fish, sauces or coconut?"
"Hamburgers and fries at the fastfood dive around the corner." Johnny relents slightly. "How about a Cobb salad?"
"What's in it?"
"Everything but the kitchen sink-- bacon, avocado, hard boiled egg, chicken, roqueford dressing, I got some fresh shrimp today I thought I'd add that to it as well."
"Now that sounds good. What can I do to help?"
"Aren't you suppose to be with Carly?"
"She knows where I am. Carly was on some conference call. We already went riding this morning on her new horse and we're going again this afternoon to check on him and on the spa."
"Sounds like Carly is keeping ya busy." Johnny says absently as he ties another apron around Rita. "Here wash your hands and then rinse these lettuces and tear them, don't chop or cut but tear it into bite sized pieces, and not for a big mouth like yours either."
"I though that specials were suppose to be quick and cheap like the place across from the courthouse that Dad goes to when he's waiting on a jury."
Johnny grimaces. "That kind of takes the special out of special, doesn't it? Specials should be something that you can't normally get. I decided on the specials while I was at the farmers market this morning. The salmon was good, the avocados were ripe-- a menu is born."
"What's for dessert? Every one loved the cake at the parent's wedding." Rita flatters greedily ripping lettuce and sorting it into the limited number of bowls that Johnny has set aside for the special.
"I made almond cookies for the specials, they cleanse the palate and are a nice touch. I also made up some chocolate eclairs for those with the hopeless sweet tooth."
"Oh yummy."
"You just stopped by for some sweets, didn't you?"
"Well yeah, but I don't mind seeing you too. Where's Frank?" Rita asks after Johnny's french chef.
"Francois? He quit without notice to go work for Old Man Quartermaine." Johnny grouses as he skillfully sections avocadoes to be added to the salad. His waitress puts an order up and quickly follows up with another. Whatever the horrors of the Quartermaine's wedding the night before the reviews of the wedding had included a write up of his restaurant and business was booming. Johnny stops talking and starts working. His movements are smooth and unhurried. Each plate is perfection of balance and color. Perfection didn't come cheap. He was catering to the business men with something to prove to their clients and people who liked good food. His competition wasn't Eli's but Cafe Matisse. And if everything went according to plan he'd wipe them off the Port Charles map within months. Then he would start cutting into the PC Grille business. In between orders he makes up an order to go. Packaging it well he slides a couple of eclairs on top. "Rita once you are done there I need you to make a delivery."
"I didn't know you did delivery." Rita puts the finishing touches on the last bowl and sets it on the prep board for Johnny to add the toppings.
"This is for Mr Morgan and Mr Corinthos down at the warehouse. I know you know how to get there. When I was working for them I brought them lunch back everyday after checking on the restaurant. The coffee order is right here." Johnny holds up a piece of paper that he then staples to the bag.
Rita hangs up her apron and takes the order from Johnny luckily her bike had a basket on the front. It wasn't "cool" but sure did come in handy at times. "Kay, I'll be right back." Rita carries the togo order gently out to her bike and sets it in the basket. Fastening her helmet on, she races to the warehouse. Remembering her way around she makes her way up the stairs to the office. She knocks politely and waits for the "come in" before entering. Emily is there visiting Jason. Sonny is down on the floor checking on an incoming order. Sonny might have taken his territory back from Moreno but he LIKED the coffee business, the smell, the product, the variety. The territory was a matter of ordering people here and there. His cover was his true love. Rita says to Jason, "I don't think Johnny knew you were going to have company when he sent over lunch."
"It's okay. He always sends over a lot. We'll share." Sonny had seen little Rita as she was racing up the stairs and comes in behind her. "Miss Porter, it's delightful to see you again. And you come bearing gifts."
"Specials from Johnny. And he put in some eclairs for you too. I snitched another one while he wasn't looking. They're scrumptious."
"Rita, I thought that you were staying with Carly? And that neither of you would be able to drag yourselves away from the property today." Emily questions.
"Oh we went riding already. As soon as AJ and Michael left for work we flew out of there. Carly still hasn't figured out what to call him."
"Him who?" Sonny asks curiously. Jason is busy sorting out the lunch and dividing it up into thirds. Sure enough Johnny had sent enough to feed an army.
"Grandfather bought Carly a horse." Emily gets comfortable in a chair next to Jason's desk. Knowing that life is short she eats her half of an eclair first. "Oh my."
"Carly's got that Mister thing going. She calls Michael-- Mister Man. I think that she is leaning toward Mister Roberts." Rita chatters while Jason, Sonny and Emily dig into the repast. "I think that she should call him Comanche like that other Morgan."
Jason and Sonny look up questioningly. Emily fills them in. "Carly bought a Morgan horse. She's waiting for grandfather to find out so he can fake another heart attack. I didn't see him this morning so I couldn't tell him how much the horse put him back."
"Knowing Carly, it was steep." Jason says quietly.
"Fifteen grand. But he's already a proven winner."
"A Morgan eh? That must drive AJ nuts." Sonny quips.
"Carly doesn't think so. The horse is a gelding." Emily makes a snipping motion with her fingers. Sonny blanches and crossing his legs concentrates on his lunch. Emily grins. Sometimes men were so predictable.
Rita offers Jason the slip of paper; he is the first once finished having hoovered his lunch yet again. "This is Johnny's coffee order."
"I'll take care of it." Jason says and walks down the stairs.
Rita looks over at Emily who is still taking small bites of a little of everything. "So did you stop by here to tell your brother that you got in a fight yesterday? That's what I'd do. Isn't that what brothers are for?"
"That's exactly what brothers are for." Sonny insists. "And no, as far as I know Emily hasn't said a thing to Jason about a fight." Sonny studies Emily closely. Emily brushes her fingers through her hair allowing it to fall forward on her face in a natural manner.
"What am I suppose to do? Hide in my room for a week? It's handled, people." Emily rises pausing briefly at the door. "Tell Jason I'll see him on Sunday if not before." Emily leaves the office and the warehouse waving briefly to Jason as she leaves. Once outside she takes a deep breath-- ah the docks-- water, oil, and the slight aroma of dead fish. Deciding to clear the air, she walks over to Johnny's restaurant a few blocks away. She is quickly seated in a small booth. She places an order for a coffee drink for now and eclairs to go. As she takes a sip of the iced mocha breve she thinks-- I might as well soften Grandfather's pain with a little chocolate confection. Taking a deep breath she asks the waitress to tell Johnny she's there.
"Ms Quartermaine." Johnny says flatly to Emily having received the message from his staff. He glances over the table automatically making sure that everything looks right. "What can I do for you?"
"I came to apologize. I shouldn't have hit you. Someone with a lot of smarts reminded me that it was uncivilized and lacking in imagination to resort to violence. So I'm sorry." Emily waits expectantly for Johnny to also apologize but her jaw drops when she hears exactly what he feels is worthy of apology: not pulling a gun on Nik, not the punishing kiss in the car afterword.
"I'm sorry too." Johnny admits. "I shouldn't have said what I did to your father. It was unprofessional of me to tell him that if he didn't keep a better eye on you that you'd get knocked up."
"That's it?! That's the ONLY thing you're sorry for?" Emily steams. "I can't believe you!"
Johnny shrugs. "The rest was my job no matter how uncivilized and unimaginative you think it is."
Emily flushes and rises from the booth to get in Johnny's face. "That isn't what I meant. Don't twist my words around. And kissing me is not, and has never been, part of your job description. I don't care if you did it only was to shut me up. It was inappropriate and unprofess...." Emily's words are cut off as Johnny succombs to temptation and covers her mouth with his. His hands thread through her hair and pull her close to him. After her initial shock, Emily returns the kiss. Johnny pulls away and brushes a thumb over Emily's mouth his gaze totally focused on her mouth.
He mutters softly. "But it is just so effective. "Emily is brought back to earth hard at Johnny's utterance. Her fists automatically clench. Johnny's gaze travels the length of her body taking in the fists in a glance. "Feeling a little uncivilized?"
"I came here to apologize..."
"You came here expecting me to apologize. And are ticked cause you didn't get what you wanted... or did you?" Emily pulls some money from her purse and throws it down on the table. Johnny takes the bills and tucks it back under the collar of Emily's shirt a single finger sliding under her bra strap as he secures the money. He pulls his hand back as if burned and steps away. "Stay away from me, Little girl. I already told you... you'll get singed." Emily is furious and makes half a motion as if to swing on Johnny, right there in the restaurant, in the middle of the lunch crowd, where they were gathering an increasing amount of attention from the other patrons. Johnny's quirked brow has her looking around the room and she drops her hand.
Emily gathers up the package of eclairs and makes for the door. "No problem. I'm out of here. You don't have to tell me twice."
Johnny watches as Emily leaves. "Evidently, I do. I have to remind both of us."
Rita comes into the restaurant carrying heavy bag filled with coffees. "Wow, Emily almost ran me over. What's with her?"
"Who knows." Johnny shrugs. He takes the bag from Rita. "Come on, I owe you a lunch for helping out. But since you already had dessert we won't worry about that part."
"You noticed huh?" Rita says without remorse. "It was really good. But I still haven't tried the almond cookies. And guess what Mr Corinthos gave me for making the delivery." Rita holds up a fifty.
"Maybe I should be charging you for lunch?" Johnny jokes. "Come on, Brat. I saved a salad in the back for you. And Carly should be here anytime to pick you up and take you riding again."
"This summer is turning out really great, you know?" Rita bounces along Johnny as they head back into the kitchen area.
"Glad one of us thinks so."