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The Quintessential Q
Chapter Seventy Four
Proposition
Maddy opens the door so Emily can hobble through. "Anyone home?! Or did everyone fly off to Bermuda?" Emily calls out.
"Em!" Edward throws open the doors to the family room and gives his granddaughter a big hug. He steps back to look at her. "You look like you are the one who has been on vacation, a skiing one, complete with souvenir."
"I wish." Emily hugs Edward back. Then minimizes her ordeal. "The first three days were a trial but I rested up the rest of the time. And oh the food, first class all the way." Emily teases.
"Well news on that front." Edward whispers in her ear. "Lila hired someone." Edward frowns at Maddy. "You should have called me. I would have gone with you."
"We were keeping it low key, Mr Q. And that just isn't you." Maddy tells him with a smile.
"True, so true, my dear." Lila rolls into the foyer. "I'm Lila Quartermaine, Emily's grandmother."
"Maddy Reynolds, ma'am."
"Yes, I know. Edward rarely discusses business with me but you have been an exception of late. You have impressed my husband and so few do."
"Wow. I think I'm flattered." Maddy grins. "But it is definitely mutual, ma'am."
"Where is everyone?" Emily asks.
"What am I? Chopped Liver?" Edward mutters. "They're all around here somewhere. All except Ned. He flew off to Las Vegas yesterday."
"Las Vegas? Is he doing some Eddie Maine thing?" Emily asks curiously.
"He better not be." Edward mumbles. Just then Alan and Monica come down the stairs. More hugs are exchanged.
"I should go. Let y'all have your reunion." Maddy says when there is an opening.
"Oh no, please stay." Emily asks. "Dinner right?" Emily looks over to Lila for a second to the invitation.
"Yes, you must stay." Edward is the one who comes through. "There was something I wanted to run by the both of you. And it has to be handled this weekend."
"Father!" Alan protests. "You aren't going to discuss business on Emily's first day back."
"Business schmisness. Although there are a few things there too."
"Damn it, Alan! Now you put the idea in his head." Monica mutters.
"Oh like it's ever far away." Alan retorts.
"Maddy and I will go up to my room, so I can put my things away." Emily suggests.
"Dinner will be in half an hour, Emily." Lila nods. Emily and Maddy make their way to Lila's elevator that will take them up to the second floor. But they can both hear the fussing behind them.
"You two could stop bickering. The girl is just home from a horrible ordeal." Edward snarls at Monica and Alan.
"Oh put a sock in it, old man!" Monica retorts.
Maddy waits until they are in Emily's room and the door is closed. "Are they always like that?"
"Oh no." Emily shakes her head and smiles. "Sometimes they are worse. Everyone is on their best behavior afraid I'll break."
"That's their best behavior?!" Maddy sits on the bed. "No wonder you wanted to stay at Johnny's. Screw the press."
"No thank you. The press specializes in screwing not being screwed." Emily reminds Maddy. Reggie knocks on the door and then comes in bringing in the suitcase.
"Here you go, Em." Reggie puts it on the desk knowing even incapacitated Emily would rather sort through her things herself. "It's good to have you back. Ms Lila's working on her last nerve trying to keep the peace."
"I figured as much. Don't worry, Reggie. I'll stay on top of it. Do you have any idea what Grandfather is up to?"
"He's been making a lot of phone calls. I mean since you were rescued." Reggie muses.
"Any of them long distance... Tibet for example?"
"Oh no. He's given up the boarding school idea. He's also tossed all of the business school curriculum for any school over fifty miles away."
Emily winces. "Oh boy. Then he is really going to hate the idea of me and Mom going to Italy for Thanksgiving."
"I wouldn't mention it." Reggie agrees nodding. "I'll ring you when dinner is ready."
"Grandfather said something about a new cook?"
"Yes, and the old rules apply. If you value your skin stay out of the kitchen. This lady is no Betty Crocker. More of a homicidal Martha Stewart."
"Right. Gotcha." Emily shakes her head as Reggie goes back downstairs to check on Lila.
"A homicidal Martha Stewart?" Maddy says skeptically.
"Yeah, it's a very good thing."
Jason's Penthouse. Jason had managed to get the PCPD to release Emily's Harley and Jase had it in pieces on his living room floor. "You know you have a shop to do that." Sonny winces wondering what it's doing to the carpet and floor despite the tarp Jason had put down.
"Yeah, but since I didn't have Michael this weekend... and I wanted to know if there were any breaks on finding Em's kidnappers. Johnny says that Em went home today."
"That's probably a good thing. The way Johnny looks at Emily it would be too much of a temptation." Sonny changes the subject just slightly. "I don't like it. Those kidnappers fell off the edge of the map. They were too incompetent in the actual kidnapping to have disappeared this well, especially with no payoff."
"Taggart released the bike cause he figures this isn't going to go to trial."
"He told you that?!"
"No, but I could tell. For once you two seem to agree."
"Who do you think it was?"
"I don't care." Jason shrugs. "As long as Em is safe and nobody else gets any ideas. Taggart will blame us. It's the easiest thing to do."
"Not this time." Sonny shakes his head. "Having our guys arrested at the apartment waiting for the kidnappers to show up pretty much gives us a pass on that angle. Have you talked to Johnny about Rita?" Sonny knows that while Jason might not talk, he had the rep as a good listener-- one the guys took note of.
"His sister, why?"
"I didn't like she acted when I took her home. I think she is going to be a problem down the road."
"For us?" Jason shakes his head disagreeing.
"No, for herself. This thing messed with her head. Maybe more than Emily. Em was busy dealing with what happened to her. Rita is dealing with the guilt." Sonny shakes off his concerns. "Look, enough! Lets go out."
"Excuse me?"
"Foreign concept these days for you I understand. Come on, lets go out grab a beer, listen to some music, talk to some ladies-- Jakes, Lukes, the new dance club downtown."
"I don't think that is such a good idea."
"I know it's a good idea. Man, you can't bury yourself here. She's with someone else. You have to move on."
"It's not that easy."
"Who said anything about easy?"
Edward has managed to isolate the girls from the rest of the family. Lila knew what he was going to do and her help in distracting the others had been invaluable. Em takes a seat in a chair and puts her foot up on the footrest. Maddy takes the couch and Edward a chair inbetween them. "Dinner over, time for business." Edward leans in.
"Grandfather!" Emily groans at Edward's mention of the B word.
"Your business first. You have a choice here and I'll not try to influence you...."
"Oh Bull." Emily rolls her eyes.
"Okay, I won't try to influence you much."
"I should go, let you two talk." Maddy starts to get up.
"No, you should hear this too. There might be some benefit in it for you too."
Now Emily is intrigued. "You have the floor. What scheme are you hatching, Grandfather."
"Homeschooling, tutoring-- whatever you want to call it. I brought it up to your grandmother, and she gave me the downside. To get her cooperation I had to promise to mention them first: no prom, limits your social circle with kids your own age, the collaterial stuff you get in high school. But here is the upside, both of you are self starters. I think both of you have been held back by that school academically. Working independantly with the assistance of a tutor, I think that you could wind up highschool by say... Christmas. Emily, one of the things that came out during the police's investigation is that you have a lot of irons in the fire and school seems to be the least of them. This might be pushing but I want you to quit modeling too."
"Keep talking." Emily prompts Edward. She'd already thought about quitting as soon as her contract is up with her agency. Em gets more out of the behind the scenes stuff anyway.
"And Maddy, if you want in on this, the offer extends to you even if Emily decides to tough it out in High School. Think how much business you could get done if you were setting your own school hours!"
To be devil's advocate. "But Mr Q, I do a lot of business at school."
"More than you would if you had those hours free, Maddy?" Edward shakes his head disbelieving.
"But those hours wouldn't be free. I'd still be in school. And it isn't just the prom. For me, there is a financial reward of going to school and doing well-- scholarships."
"I have a head start on this one, girlie. The scholarships are still available. There has been a big upswing in homeschooling in the last few years. It isn't just for rightwing, bible-thumping cults anymore. You both have already taken all the college prep tests. You should have already applied to the schools of your choice based on your grades and scores thus far." Not that you have any worries about money, little girl. You'd just rather spend someone else's money than your own. Smart thinking, and when it comes down to it I know we can come to our own deal.
"It's a lot to think about." Maddy bites her lip. and really tempting "But I really should get going. It's Em's first night home and you've already been more than generous sharing it with me."
"But..." Edward protests also standing on his feet. "I wanted to talk about the prominade with you too. With the both of you."
"Another time." Maddy grins.
"Perhaps you can take Maddy out for brunch tomorrow, Grandfather."
"But I planned on spending the whole day with you tomorrow." Edward pouts.
"No. I don't think so. The bouncer at Queen of Angels still has your name from the stunt you pulled at Michael's baptism."
"The bouncer?" Maddy laughs.
"A slight exaggeration but Grandfather knows exactly what I am talking about. Don't you?!"
"Make one voodoo water comment. Nobody's got a sense of humor." Edward mutters.
"About Voodoo? Nope, no sense of humor at all." Maddy says sternly. "It isn't just pincushions and chicken dinners, you know."
"Alright, alright! I'm not going to have the two of you teaming up on me." Edward protests. "Ms Reynolds, would you care to be my guest at the Grille for Brunch tomorrow?"
Maddy half nods. "I would be honored, Mr Q. Now I really have to get going."
"I'll walk you out." Edward offers. He looks over his shoulder. "Don't you go anywhere, young lady. We aren't finished yet." Edward walks Maddy out to her van. Edward looks it over lustfully. These kids had the best transportation: Emily's motorcycle had reminded himself decades ago. And Maddy's van, practical luxury- an office on wheels. "You'll pick me up at eleven."
"I'll be here." Maddy makes sure Edward is clear of the vehicle and puts it in motion.
Once back inside. Edward shuts the doors again and rubs his hands together. "Now about the modeling...."
Emily puts her other foot up on the footstool and slides her hands behind her head. "What are you offering in the way of incentives, Grandfather? What's in it for me?"
Edward's eyes take on an impish glint. This is it. The art of the deal.
Maddy pauses at the foot of the Quartermaine property. It is still early and tomorrow is her day off. She had to make a route of the properties to collect the deposits but it was organized to be her easy day, her day of rest. Since coming to PC she'd been early to bed and early to rise to not draw the suspicions of Aunt Dara. "Screw it. It's Saturday night; I'm going dancing."
Maddy drives to a recently opened dance place. She finds a place to park and then going to the back of the van she flips on a light over the vanity checking her makeup in the mirror and brightening it up. She unfastens a few buttons of her blouse to go from dinner at a friend's parents to a night on the town. She tucks a lipstick, car key, ID, and bit of cash into a small purse. The purse is extremely small but the strings are long enough to be worn diagionally across her body. Brushing her hair out over her jacket, Maddy takes a last look in the mirror before leaving. She walks across to the club putting the stroll into her walk. She catches the eye of the bouncer before even getting across the street. She bypasses the line walking straight up to him.
The bouncer unhooks the velvet rope letting Maddy pass through without checking her ID or asking for the cover. "Baby, I've been waitin for you all night."
"Just tell me you won't be stuck out here all night." Maddy pats the guy on the cheek. "'Cause baby, it's cold outside." Maddy walks inside sighing when the heat of the place hits her. She finds out where she can check her coat and then walking up to the bar orders a bottled water. Before she can open it, there is someone at her elbow asking her to dance. Maddy joins him on the dance floor.
Sonny and Jason had started at Jakes for a beer and a game of pool, then headed to Lukes. But the blues were bringing out the melencholy in both of them. So they swung by Porter's. Johnny had the night off. He had tried to get some sleep but the erotic nature of his dreams kept waking him up. It was like Emily was still there with him only now when he reached out to cuddle her next to him all he got was her pillow. He'd tried the cold shower but the towels smelled like her. Sonny and Jason had saved his life from slitting his own throat with a safety razor when they showed up. The way he figured it there are three options: slitting his throat, climbing that damn tree outside Emily's bedroom window, or take his former employers to the hottest dance club in town. Tonight dance club had won.
He's got the the most expensive girl in the world.
the most expensive girl.
He's got the most expensive girl in the world
the most expensive girl.
She looks like a star, she looks like a star.
The cheerful beat of the song about a girl who takes a guy to the cleaners bounces in the air as the three guys enter. Jason winces at the volume. Johnny starts moving a little, in tune with the beat. Sonny starts checking out the scene. This club is new. He hadn't talked to the proprietor. The three find a table in relative quiet above the dance floor where they can see everything. A bottle of nice champagne, probably the best in the joint is delivered to the table. Sonny thanks the waitress while Jason orders a beer. Johnny sits by the railing checking out the action below. "Oh Gees."
"Someone you recognize?" Sonny asks.
"Emily's friend Maddy is here."
"The one who owns the kiosks?" Jason asks curiously. Finally interested in something other the volume of the music. "Benny talks about her sometimes. Which one is she?"
"The one that just got lifted up on the dance platform." Johnny shakes his head. Someone had realized that Maddy just wanted to dance and a partner wasn't necessary.
She is a soulshaker, troublemaker,
she is a heartbreaker, undertaker, moneymaker,
She is a love faker.
She is a soulshaker, troublemaker,
she is a heartbreaker, undertaker, moneymaker,
She is a love faker.
Tricky tricky but she is pretty, pretty.
"Isn't she underage?" Sonny wonders. He'd already had a run in with underage girls in a club. Entertaining, but not worth the loss of a liquor license.
"I don't know quite how that one would work. She's a minor but she's emancipated."
"They're letting a few youngsters in." Jason nods in the direction of Lucky and Elizabeth. They had worked their way throught the line and offered their fake ID's cheerfully to the bouncer. The bouncer had grinned and waved them through. He knew Luke's kid on sight. Spencers have an open invitation to any club in town. There is a change up in the tempo of the music going from a mambo beat to a more swing style. Lucky and Liz hit the dance floor.
...It's just my luck
it's just my fate
Why this happened to me
and the show if for free
it sucks to be
under 21
I only want to have a little fun
but everytime they tell me
you're not 21!
Jason decides to go down to the main floor to touch base with Lucky. See how he was liking his new digs. See if they had talked to Emily. As he is about to catch their eye he sees someone else he recognizes. His eye brow lifts. If this wasn't his scene then it definitely wasn't this guy's. Taggart makes his way over to the platform where Maddy is dancing and crooks his finger with a frown on his face. "You shouldn't be here."
Maddy sighs and climbs down with Taggart's assistance. "You're the one that doesn't fit. Are you following me, Marcus?"
"Nope, but it sounds as if I should be." Marcus leans in closer so that Maddy can hear him over the music but the coversation is still private. "We've already gotten reports of ruffies in this place."
Maddy steps back so she can look Taggart in the eye. "You're for real?!"
Marcus nods. "Keep your eyes open and I don't just mean on your drinks. You aren't drinking, are you?"
Maddy shakes her head. "I just want to dance." Maddy realizes they are drawing attention just standing there on the dance floor talking and pulls Marcus into dancing. Secretly laughing her ass off. Well that blew the black people have rhythm theory.
I was on the outside
trying to find my way back in
you were the answer
I was searching for, my friend
Life is crazy when you're
always on your own.
It's amazing when you
realize that you're not alone.
Music snippets
The most Expensive Girl in the World & Tricky Tricky. By Lou Bega off of A little Bit of Mambo.
Under 21 and Nobody but Me by Save Ferris off of It means Everything