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The Quintessential Q
Chapter Eighty Eight
Family
Lucky and Nik stand at the door of Wyndemere Lite as Liz and Maddy climb into the van. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Nik asks.
"Hell no. But Liz has her cell phone and they are going to my dad's place. He'll keep an eye on them."
"Oh that is comforting. I don't know which is worse-- Carly or your father as a chaperone."
"Look on the bright side. If it's ladies night out then Cook won't be there."
"Yeah, There is that. What ya say we crash it later?"
"Definite plan. But first AJ and Jerry are holding some of my money. You ready to go?"
"Lets."
"Over my dead body! You are not going out dressed like that!" Edward bellows from the base of the stairs as Emily hobbles down
"Grandmother!" Emily calls for the reinforcements.
"Edward, darling, she looks beautiful."
"Did I say she didn't? I never said she didn't. But she'll catch her death of cold." Then Edward mutters under his breath. "And that better be all she catches."
"Grandfather!" Emily protests. "I told you I was going out with my girlfriends and you had no problem with it. You thought it was a great idea."
"Yes, Yes I did. Until I realized that it was going to be some kind of manhunt!"
"Come on, Grandfather, they'd have to be really lame for me to be able to catch them. And this is the only thing I have that matches my cast." Em refers to the bright purple walking cast.
"And that's another thing. How are you suppose to get away if one of those young bucks starts getting fresh!"
"Grandmother gave me this." Emily holds up an ironwood cane decorated in silver. "I'll just tee off on their family jewels if they can't take no."
"Emily, your language please." Lila protests mildly.
Maddy who had knocked briefly and then entered is in time to hear most of the conversation decides to help Em out. "You know what I love about this place y'all keep it warm enough to be comfortable." Maddy slides out of her coat and hangs it on the staircase railing. "Y'all just keep chewing this over we've got time."
"Madeleine Reynolds, where is the rest of your dress?" Edward doesn't miss a beat just changed targets.
"Why Mr. Q, I did this for you. I knew how nervous you'd be about Em going out and all the wild bucks chasing at her with her being handicapped right now and all. So I figured I'd provide a distraction."
"Yes, well your heart might be in the right place which is more than I can say for that dress!"
"You don't like it? Stefan Cassadine bought it for me." Maddy looks down at the flashy abbreviated red dress.
"Cassadine!" Edward blusters. "What is a sweet girl like you doing hanging around with the prince of darkness, they're all a bunch of bloodsucking, backstabbing thieves and cutthroats."
"Oh wow. You sound just like Lucky's father." Liz shuts the front door behind her.
"Bite your tongue, young lady!" Edward starts feeling outnumbered. "Lila!" He calls out plaintively.
"You girls have a good time." Lila gives a little wave.
"Lila!" Edward protests but figures he's lost the battle. He mutters to himself but goes over and gives Em a kiss on the cheek to take the opportunity to give her some last minute direction. "You make sure you do tee off if anyone gets out of line."
"You know it, Grandfather." Em gives him a kiss and lets him help her with her coat.
"And be home at a decent hour. You have church tomorrow."
"Why do you only remember church when you want me home on Saturday night?"
"You use what works." Edward mutters. He helps Maddy into her coat too. Liz had never gotten the chance to take hers off. "Reginald will make sure that there are snacks prepared for midnight. You should plan on staying over, Madeleine. Since Emily will be going to church you can join me and Lila for brunch at the grille. You too Elizabeth." Edward extends the invitation.
"We're going to play it by ear, Mr. Q."
"But we'll call either way." Em promises and starts shoving Liz and Maddy to the door.
"Someone get the door!" Lucky hollers at the front door of the brownstone.
"I got it!" Lucas screams as he hops down the last few stairs. His eyes grow wide as he throws open the door. "Oh Wow!"
"Come on lead me to the kitchen, man this thing is getting out of hand." Lucky has the front of the six foot sub and Nikolas the end. "I heard there was a poker party here. No need to send out for pizza we've got the eats."
Lucas slams the door after Nik gets clear and races around front to clear a path to the kitchen. "Mom and I made party mix before she had to go to work. And we played a few games of 21 too so I'd be ready. She's banking me. And she says no wild cards when we play poker cause that is for sissies and wannabes."
"Well okay then no wild cards. I wouldn't want to be thought of a sissy or a wannabe." Nik agrees.
"You know how to play right?" Lucas questions Nik.
"Yeah, you do know how to play right?" Lucky realizes he never asked his brother if he knew how to play poker.
"I'm sure I'll manage." Nik says bravely. "How hard could it be?"
Lucas and Lucky look at each other and crow. "Fresh meat!"
Rita looks at the reservation book at Porter's. This was her first time working a Saturday night. And the only reason she could get away with it was cause it was considered a family restaurant. Johnny had finally gotten fed up and fired the hostess that kept calling in sick on Sunday mornings. He figured if he could work with a hangover then so could the employees. Actually it's stupid-- why would anyone drink if it made them feel that crappy the next day? There is a breeze as the front door opens. "I'll be right with you." Rita doesn't look up from penciling in the reservation. She grabs a bunch of menus and looks up to see the newcomer... .and looks up and up. Finally she takes a step back to get the crook out of her neck. Her eyes go wide. This guy was Tall. "Do you have a reservation, sir?" She gulps.
"I think this is the right place." Pete Robideaux's voice softens. He'd always had a soft spot for kids and puppies. "Porter's right? I'm supposed to meet Mr. Corinthos."
Rita smiles, relaxing. "Of course. Mr. Corinthos and Mr. Morgan are already seated. If you'll follow me."
"My guys..."
"Will be joining Mr. Francis and Mr. Rick. I know." Rita looks way around the big guy. "I'll be right back to seat you at your table, gentlemen." Rita leads Pete Robideaux to the table where Jason and Sonny are already seated and having a pre-dinner drink. Rita waits until he is seated and then hands him the menu. She fills his water glass smoothly and irons out a minute wrinkle in the table cloth absently. "Mr. Corinthos and Mr. Morgan aren't ordering from the menu. My brother is making something special for them. If you'll trust me..."
Pete hands the menu back to her unopened. "I'm in your hands."
"You won't regret it." Rita makes her way around the table and refills Sonny's water glass. While she is leaning in she hisses. "He isn't a drug dealer is he?"
"Nope." Sonny lies straight-faced. He has no idea really how much of Robideaux's money comes from drugs but it wasn't Rita's business.
Rita steps back. "Your server will be right with you."
Robideaux waits until she is clear of the table to laugh. "She's a pistol. But she knows your business?"
"She's a little pitcher with very big ears." Sonny shakes his head. "I apologize if you think I was telling her your business. I could tell her you were an assassin and she'd be fine but drugs? She'd probably poison your soup."
"That little girl?" Robideaux laughs.
"It's not funny. The only thing that would save you is she'd get the dose wrong." Jason says flatly. "You're right, Sonny. I'll talk to Johnny later. We should have gone to the Grille or to the No Name. I didn't know Rita was going to be working tonight."
"It is not my intention to upset the little girl." Pete frowns. "This trip is about business but my family business not the organization. We will not speak of the other."
Back in the kitchen, Rita goes around to the far side of the kitchen to watch Johnny as he worked. "That guy is here; the one meeting Mr. Corinthos and Emily's brother. Johnny, he is big like football WWF big. I bet he eats a lot. But Mr. Corinthos says he's not a drug dealer."
Johnny groans. "Rita, tell me you didn't ask that." Rita is silent just looking at her brother. "You can't mind the customers business, baby. The only thing we worry about is that they can pay the bill and they aren't too drunk to drive home."
"How am I suppose to find out things if I don't ask?"
"There are some things you don't need to know. I know it's a concept you'll have a tough time with but it is possible to know too much."
"Well I thought you'd want to know!" Rita pouts.
"I need to know the guy can eat a moose not what he does for a living."
"Well fine! I think he could eat a moose. And so can the muscle he brought with him!" Rita straightens from the counter and tugs on the front of her tuxedo style shirt. Sticking her tongue out at her big brother, she marches off to the front of the restaurant to resume her hostess duties.
"Ma is gonna kill me." Johnny mutters as he prepares the salads for his former employers and their guest.
Maddy looks around checking out the walls of the club. There are playbills from all the greats. The interior is definitely eclectic and dang if there wasn't a woman's shoe over the bar. "So this is Luke's."
"Yep." Carly looks around. "Luke is probably in back getting tanked and smoking those smelly cigars he likes." She says enviously. Not drinking while she was pregnant was a piece of cake but it was hard to walk into Luke's and not want a drag off one of her uncle's cigars.
The girls take a table just off the dance floor. "Just incase I get the urge to dance I don't want to be worn out before I even get to the floor." Em insists.
One of the servers comes over and is about to card the bunch of them when Carly hollers out. "Claude!"
"They're okay." Claude doesn't even look up from what he is doing recognizing Carly's voice and having been prewarned with a phone call from the boss' niece.
"What can I get for you?" The server shrugs and asks.
"Hot tunes would be good." Em jokes.
"You're in the right place." Luke comes up behind the server. "Ladies. Now you owe me a dance." He holds a hand out to Maddy and nods in Claude's direction. Maddy throws her coat over her chair dropping her purse under the table. The music cuts off in midsong and a hot uptempo tune starts pouring through the speakers. Maddy takes Luke's hand and goes out on the floor.
"Okay how does she know Luke?" Carly demands leaning in.
"Luke was checking out the competition one night and saw her dancing with Taggart. Wiping the floor with him actually." Liz explains. "I think they bonded."
"She knows Taggart?" Carly looks over at Em.
"Yep. He's dating her Aunt Dara."
"Oh my god!" Carly's eyes go wide. "She's related to Dara Jensen?! That poor thing."
"Yeah, it's why she moved out of Dara's place; she's staying at some friend's house now."
"A friend eh?" Carly looks over at the dance floor. "Really." Before Carly can start digging further someone asks her to dance and she hits the floor.
"I'll take two." Lucas chirps. Jerry slides him two cards.
"Yeah two." Lucky agrees.
"I fold." AJ shakes his head. The cards were crap and there was nothing he could make of them.
"I think I'll stay with these." Everyone looks at Nikolas. They'd been slaughtering him for half the night.
"Are you sure?" At Nik's nod Jerry shrugs. "Dealer takes one."
"Everyone Freeze." The words are out of Taggart's mouth before he can stop them. Coming around the corner of Bobbie's dining room he realizes that Carly had played him.
"Oh Gees are we in trouble?" Lucas looks from his stepfather to his sister's spouse.
"Damn her." Taggart swears.
"Oh let me guess. You got a call from my wife." AJ snickers.
"Now now lieutenant. Just a friendly family game we're having. My son-in-law, my stepson, my nephew on the wife's side...." Jerry thinks about it a minute and comes up with a descriptor for Nik. "Hell this one is a stepson too from my wife's former marriage."
Taggart just shakes his head. "I'm gonna kill her; this was my night off."
"Lt. Taggart, you want a sandwich? There's plenty." Lucas offers.
Jerry waves to the end of the table. "By all means pull up a chair. Since you have the night off and all. We'll deal you in on the next hand."
"And how are you going to explain me at this family poker game?"
Lucas slides a paper towel with a portion of the sub at Taggart's elbow. "Adam and Eve." Lucas goes back to his seat.
"Excuse me?" Taggart looks at him.
"It's was in bible study last week. We all come from Adam and Eve. Which is really kind of sick when you think about it."
"I think it's been long enough now not to worry about, Lucas. What you got?" Jerry wants to get back to the game.
Pete Robideaux sighs. Dinner had been excellent. Morgan wasn't much for conversation leaving it to Corinthos to keep that ball rolling. His reason for being in town had been postponed until dessert and coffee but the time had arrived. "Now I come to the favor."
Sonny stops stirring his coffee and sets the spoon in the saucer. Jason leans in. "You said it was family."
Pete sighs again. "Yes. My little girl is living here in Port Charles. Things were not so good with her Mere. Her Mere is a weak woman with terrible taste in men. So she came here to live with her Tante here in Port Charles, a woman of the old school-- straight and narrow. When last I spoke to Lisette she says her daughter no longer lives with her sister. Lisette doesn't know where she is only that she is still in Port Charles. I speak to her on the phone but she doesn't tell me where she is. Only that I am not to worry. That she is a big girl and can take care of herself." Pete laughs shortly. "This is always the story with the little one; always she tells me she can take care of herself and not to worry."
"How old is she?" Sonny asks.
"Seventeen going on forty." Pete shakes his head again.
Rita slides a piece of chocolate cake with raspberry filling and white chocolate sauce drizzled over the top of the piece in front of Mr. Robideaux. "You don't look anything like Maddy."
"You... You know my Madeleine?" Pete catches Rita's arm.
"Sure. She's friends with Carly and Emily. She's out with them tonight on some kind of chick's night out thing. I was hoping I'd get to go but I had to work, and Cookie would have a conniption if I even asked."
Pete releases Rita and turns to Jason and Sonny. "Who are these girls-- this Carly and Emily?"
Sonny instead asks Rita. "How did you know he was talking about Maddy?"
"Maddy talks like he does all buttery and stuff. And she's seventeen. And Tante that means aunt right? in French? I read it in a book once. Maddy used to live with her Aunt Dara. Dara Jenson works with ..."
"Rita, you're suppose to be watching the front." Johnny interrupts before Rita can start bragging on the Judge. The last thing the judge needed was his daughter consorting with crime bosses.
Rita grimaces. "Oh right. Well it was very nice to meet you, Mr. Robideaux. I hope you enjoyed your dinner at Porter's." Rita works her way back to the front of the restaurant.
"Very much. Very much indeed." Pete nods. He turns back to Sonny and Jason. "Well. I seem to have come to the right place. You are a lucky man indeed to have such a smart sister." Pete says over Jason's shoulder to Johnny.
"My sister is too smart and a pain in the posterior. You were asking about Maddy Reynolds." Johnny questions.
"Yes, you know her too?"
"We do business. I have no idea where she is staying. Neither do Carly or Emily. All they know is she is staying with a friend, someone who owed her a favor."
"Your sister she said something of a chick's night out."
"There was that dance club down town." Sonny tells Jason.
"What phone number do you have for Maddy?" Johnny asks suspiciously. Sonny and Jason pick up on Johnny's concerns. After all they had was this guy's word that Maddy was family to him. Pete grins appreciating their concern. He calls off the local cell number Maddy has. Johnny nods. "I'll make a few phone calls and see if I can track them down."
Johnny goes back to the kitchen and picks up the extension dialing up Luke's. He has Claude bring a phone over to Emily who hollers in the phone over the music. "Is Maddy there?"
Maddy! Em holds the phone out.
"You know a guy named Pete Robideaux?"
why?
"Cause he is asking questions about you... in person."