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The Quintessential Q
Chapter Ninety Eight
Methods
Friday noonish. Alexis, Ned and Emily stand at the gate waiting for the plane to Brooklyn to arrive. "Do I look alright?" Alexis mutters for the tenth time.
"You look fine." Emily reassures this time. She and Ned had been taking turns. "You know Ned it was brilliant to have the plane arrive on Friday."
"Oh why is that?"
"One way to insure Grandfather isn't here. You know he's going to be tied up at ELQ until late in the day."
"I guess I haven't been paying attention to Edward's schedule. What does Friday have to do with Anything?" Alexis asks.
"On Friday, AJ brings Michael to work. Michael gets to visit all his friends in the ELQ daycare center. AJ drops Michael off at Jason's after work. Grandfather doesn't leave the office on Fridays."
"Are Carly and AJ coming to this thing over on Wyndemere?" Ned asks his wife.
"Mrs Lansbury indicates they have sent their regrets. Which is a relief off my mind. One agitator down on your side of the family now if we can only get Helena to not show up. She hates my guts but has that whole family obligation thing down." Alexis grimaces.
"Oh that's right, they did have plans this weekend." Emily nods.
"What plans?" Ned asks not really caring but wanting to fill the blank.
"Snow."
"Excuse me?"
"Carly loves snow capped mountains. She loves snow. Not particularly blizzards but the fluffy white stuff. Snowmen, snowball fights, hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls in front of a picture window with a roaring fire. AJ is flying her to see snow this weekend."
"You have got to be kidding me!"
"How romantic." Alexis says at the same time.
"You think that's romantic?" Ned argues.
"Well yeah."
"It's idiotic. We'll have snow of our own in a month-- maybe sooner."
Alexis looks over at Em and shakes her head. Ned was so not getting it. "Honey, if I had my choice of you alone in front of a roaring fire, with hot chocolate, microwave popcorn, watching the snow come down outside or spending the weekend with all of our nearest and dearest relatives...." Her voice trails off as a garbled voice comes over the PA system. Millions of dollars spent on this damn airport you'd think they'd at least install a sound system worth over ten cents. "Was that Brooke's flight?"
Emily looks over at the gate. There is still no sign of activity. "Nope. Besides AJ wants to spend as much time with Carly before the new baby comes." whoops.
"They're breeding?!" Ned looks at Em in horror.
Me and my big mouth. "I think I'm going to go up to the newstand and get a magazine." Emily starts limping away.
Maddy arrives at Wyndemere lite from the mansion. She sheds her coat as soon as she hits the door, dropping her books on the kitchen table and goes immediately to the vacumn pot of coffee. She pours herself a cup of coffee and grabs a piece of fruit from the bowl next to it. Flipping through her day minder she calls Benny. "Benny, it's Maddy. Your anniversary is next weekend. What have you gotten your wife?" Maddy holds the phone away from her ear. Benny's cries of dismay could still be heard. Sonny kept the guy busy worrying, and it wasn't about what he'd get his long suffering wife for her anniversary. "Why did I know you were going to react that way? Okay I'll handle it.
It goes like this-- dinner at Porters, I'll make the reservation. Theater at Ms Lila's showcase. The Broadway troop for The Sweet Smell of Success is opening there before going to Broadway. Your wife will get to see the show before any of her friends down in New York. Do you think she wants backstage passes?" Maddy makes a notation. "Is she the type of gal who checks your pockets looking for her present?" Maddy laughs at Benny's answer. "Okay, you come see me at the docks kiosk next Friday. I'll have the whole package ready.
Now for the present... No Benny, I've given you the setting not the present. The present ought to be jewelry. A diamond tennis bracelet minimum. She's put up with you for a good long time hasn't she? You take care of that. You have better connections than I do. If you want me to hang on to it so she doesn't find it..." Maddy nods. "I have to pick up my coffee order tomorrow. Leave it at the warehouse, I'll pick it up there from Sonny or Jason. And let your wife know tonight that you're going out next weekend. She's going to want to get her hair done or get a new dress." Maddy laughs at a comment of Benny's. "Oh no, you don't owe me. You pay me to remember. And this one is going to cost you. Those theater tickets are gold."
Nik comes in from the main part of the house to hear the end of the conversation. How like Maddy to tell the customer what he wanted. He waits until Maddy is off the phone to comment. "It doesn't seem quite fair. You're doing all the work for him."
"He's the one that is going to be with her all evening. I just set the scene." Maddy says absently as she dials another number. "Hey Johnny, it's Maddy. Benny is bringing his wife to dinner next Friday for their anniversary; it's their big four-oh. Can you make them some kind of special dessert? He has theater tickets so it'll be early." Maddy waits while Johnny consults the reservation book. "Okay that'll work. Thanks. Talk to you later." After making a note, Maddy looks up at Nikolas. "Has Partner arrived yet?"
"He called and said he got hung up at some guild meeting. He's on his way."
Maddy winces. "He is in such a foul mood when he comes from those meetings. I'm telling you he has to win for this house or Larry is going to end up killing him and neither of them can use PMS as a defense."
"PMS?"
"Yes, that time during the month when women can murder and get away with it."
"Okay I have a decorating conversation for you." Nik decides to change the subject. "Why did my bedroom suite end up in the spare room rather than the master bedroom."
Maddy looks at him like he is high. "Candy, it's a woman thing-- kind of like PMS. Do you really want to start a new house, new Karma with the baggage from the cottage?"
Nik winces. "No. I see your point."
"Thanks Ned!" Em waves from the sidewalk. "I'll get a ride home from Dad." Walking into the clinic she sneaks up on Alan who is doing paperwork and gives him a smooch. "Hey."
"Hey yourself, sweetheart." Alan gives her a one handed bear hug back. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to the airport with Ned?"
"Been there done that. Brooke is a sweetie. Kinda like Lois whatever is on her mind is out her mouth." Emily laughs.
"Sounds refreshing." Alan hooks a chair over to them and Em takes a seat.
"Dad, I want out of the cast." Emily begins earnestly. "I want out of the cast now. It itches, it stinks and Goodness knows what is growing under it."
"You only have one more week to go." Alan shakes his head.
"One more week before you xray it. Dad, you don't cut this thing off; I'll do it myself."
She's spending way too much time with Carly. Alan reminds himself grimly. "A compromise. We'll xray the break. IF it's healed then the cast comes off if not you stick with it."
"Thanks Dad! You're the greatest." Em gushes. "Tell you what with the party tomorrow over at Wyndemere... Quartermaines, Cassadines and who knows who all else-- how about a meeting after you cut the cast off?"
"Only if it's healed."
"Right." One way or another the cast was coming off today. Enough is enough.
"This is impossible!" Larry's partner protests. "There is no way that this can be ready in ten days and to throw a huge party no less! It has to be done right!" Damn guild members.
"Difficult not impossible." Maddy tries to buck the guy up. "You've got all the pictures done on how it should look. The place is already looking better with the little pieces brought over from the cottage and with the plants."
"It's barren."
"Barren works for a party. People won't be tripping over knick knacks and there will be plenty of room for dancing. Crushes are fine for raves but that's not the scene we're setting here." Maddy pats the guy's hand. "Let me make you a latte. Everything looks better over a latte. And think positive, Niknik is loaded; money makes many things go more smoothly." Maddy walks away knowing that Partner will follow. Sure enough he does bringing with him the portfolio of sketches and the notebook of details. "All you have to do is break it down to manageable pieces. And think how the guild members will go green when you not only show off a piece of perfection but one done on such a tight time frame. They're going to give you a medal."
Partner sighs heavily and takes a seat at the kitchen table. He absently follows Maddy's movements as she makes coffee drinks for both of them and grabs the cannister of biscotti bringing it all to the table. "I guess we should start with the public rooms. The main floor... contain the damage." He takes a sip of the rich creamy beverage. It was too soon for the caffeine to kick in but the aroma alone is invigorating. Pulling out a notebook, he starts breaking the project down. Actually it was already broken down into manageable chunks. It's the timeframe that is impossible. "The window treatments alone will take weeks!"
Maddy leans in. "What's the hold up? A problem with a supplier?"
"Oh no. The fabric is available. But all of the windows are nonstandard. You don't just walk into walmart and put in an order." Partner sniffs. "They have to be custom made."
"But you have the measurements?"
"Of course."
"No problem." Maddy shrugs. "You have the fabric, I know a seamstress down in the chinese quarter. She knows all the other seamstresses. We're going to make their quarter, heck their whole year."
"A sweat shop!"
"A cottage industry." Maddy counters. "We're not talking a federal funded project here. These people would be doing the work on the side in addition to their regular job. Everyone knows there is more money in sidework than a nine to five."
"I want to meet this seamstress." Partner demands.
"Fine, I want to meet your supplier." Maddy retorts. She stands bringing along her latte. She knew it would come down to this. "Come on let's go."
"Now?"
"Sure, you can have an anxiety attack in the van on the way. Window treatments are the task for the day. Bring the particulars. I'm going to want swatches of the fabric so that they can be coordinated with the other stuff. You should be used to the rush, rush, rush of this project by now. Niknik and Larry have been kicking butt on this for months now." Partner follows Maddy out the back door picking up his latte too. Maddy turns around and locks up. "Once we get the window dodads in progress you can let it go and get on to the next piece of the puzzle. So tell me how much money had you put aside for the curtains anyway? I need to know my negotiating frame work."
Deception Spa. Em waves as her father drives off. She does a little jig right there in front of the front doors to the building that backs up to Carly's property. "Yes! Free at Last!" Two feet. Two whole feet. No cast. Alan is insisting on the following for the short term-- no running, no motorcycles, and keep the cane handy since her foot hadn't been bearing her full weight for five weeks. Ease back into things, he'd suggested. "Yeah, you betcha, Dad and the first thing to do is to get rid of this disgusting mess that's left after the cast came off." Em walks into the front area and requests the person in charge of waxing. "What the hell. You think you could squeeze in a sauna and a massage too?"
"No problem, Em." The receptionist is used to seeing Emily at the spa normally in the company of the big boss Carly Quartermaine. She escorts Em back to one of the privacy rooms in the back of the spa and then returns to her desk. Hitting number one on the speeddial, she is connected to Carly's office up in the stables in the property above the spa. "Emily is here, and she's out of the cast." She doesn't even finish the sentence before she is hung up on by Carly.
In nothing flat, Carly is at the spa. She'd been working on a little computer research. With Michael with his papa, she'd been able to get a lot of work done at the stables and then in the office for the morning already. "Where is she?" The receptionist points to the back. Carly goes barging back. "Well isn't this a sight for sore eyes! You on both feet."
"Tell me about. It's couldn't be any sweeter. OUCH!" Em breathes out sharply. Okay waxing had it's benefits. You didn't have to do it as often as shaving and your legs were definitely smoother, but jeez ripping hair out by the roots and the dead skin from having the cast right along with it. And the first strip always hurt the worst. After that a person adjusted.
"Well I can tell what you did with your day."
"Oh this is just the latest. Class until noon. Met Brooke Lynn at the airport with Ned and Alexis. They dropped me off at the clinic so Dad could take the cast off. We went to a meeting and then out for coffee with a couple of people and then he dropped me off here before returning to work."
"You have been busy."
"You're going to hate me in about ten seconds." Em blurts out.
"Why is that?"
"I let it slip to Ned and Alexis that you're expecting."
"Oh God." Carly closes her eyes. "Them." Opening her eyes she shrugs. "Well it's been nice while it lasted. The timing doesn't suck so bad. I doubt Nedly will go running straight to Edward. By the time he finds out, AJ and I will be gone for the weekend and he can just stew in his own juices. I guess I'll call Arrow Security though before we leave and tell them there might be another burglary this weekend."
"So has AJ told you where you guys are going?"
"Nope. He's waiting on the weather channel. AJ wants snow falling not coming out of a snow blower. Snow falling would be great, but a lodge with a fire and a hot chocolate with a cinnamin stick in it...." Carly grins. "And he better watch out cause now I know the rules of snowball fights. I'm going to kick his ass this year. You want to stay at the house while we're gone?"
"I might, especially tomorrow night after the thing at Wyndemere. Crowds do bring out the worst in Grandfather."
"That is so not true. It's just more people can hear him popping off."
"Carly..."
"Okay, okay. He's been decent to you. He got you off of restriction for submarining Katherine. He got you out of PC High Hell. Just wait until you start having kids." Carly readies to go off on another rant but instead exhales loudly. "What did Jax say about Helen of Troy?"
"He's out of town on it now. He's going to find out what I can't find out from the stock reports. Ned is working on building the warchest. Alexis is looking at who the company is doing business with, seeing if there are any avenues there."
"Count me and Michael in. We'll do that coalition thing like you, Ned, and Jax did with Deception." Carly reviews her finances. "I just got my third quarter dividend from the ELQ shares. And there is one of those bicycle things that Jerry has me in."
"Cyclincal. Stocks that rise and fall in a predicatable fashion every year." Em murmurs even though she knows exactly what Carly meant. Jerry had taught Carly about them while Michael had been in the room. Michael had been the one to pop up with bicycle and it had stuck.
"Right. Fact is if you're going to go for it, I can start buying now just keep it slow and steady."
"Yeah, that should be okay." Emily nods. "Nothing big, nothing to tip them off. I don't know when it's going to go down but I want it to go down fast like with Deception. No long drawn out battles. Deception can't afford them."
"What about Lucky? You going to deal him in?"
"I still haven't seen Lucky's new place. He's living at a friend's place."
"What a coincedence. Maddy living at a friend's place too and can't have guests. How many friends do they have that you don't know about?" Carly's Spencer radar starts kicking in and her eyes narrow but before she can say anything she's paged to the front of the spa.
"There you're all done that wasn't so bad, was it?" The technician informs Em. Em looks down at her legs and compares one to the other. The cast hadn't been on long enough to really impact on muscle tone. But the only way to discribe the pallor of her freshly healed leg-- shark bait.
She grimaces. "Well at least it isn't grey anymore." Reaching into her pocket she pulls out a little tube.
"What's that?" The technician asks curiously.
"One of the research guys at Deception made it for me. It's a semi-permenant tanner that he matched to my skin tone, my natural skin tone." Em reaches over to the table behind the technician and grabs a sponge. She pours a daub onto the sponge and starts wiping it over her lower leg. "The neat thing about this stuff is that it doesn't streak. It's all one shade no matter how much you glob on, but it doesn't take much." Em starts smoothly applying the lotion like product, the pallor disappearing with each swipe. "There. Good as new."
"That stuff is great." The woman grabs the tube out of Em's hands. "And it doesn't reek or anything." She sniffs it experimentally. Then she takes a drop and rubs it between two fingers. "And if feels smooth."
"Aloe and Vitamin E. The good stuff." Em explains. "It'll be ready for market testing by next spring. Course then it will be in standard shades and not custom like this."
"You know since Katherine Bell isn't part of the company any more maybe Carly will start stocking Deception products for the spa again."
"I'll talk to her." Em agrees. "Now I think I'll go sit in the sauna for awhile."
"That stuff holds up under a sauna?"
"We'll soon see."