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The Triumph Of AJ Quartermaine
A Different Court
"Courtside seats at Madison Square Garden! AJ, I can't believe that you did this." Carly watches the action on court with half interest taking in the action in the stands. Grabbing AJ's arm suddenly. "Oh my gosh! Is that Spike Lee?! I heard that Bill Murray and all other kinds of stars come to these games."
"Yeah, the Knicks have some famous fans." The crowd roars as Luttrell Sprewell enters the game for the first time.
"Now there's a guy I can get behind." Carly watches as Sprewell makes an immediate impact and the crowd renews it's roar of approval.
"Why's that?" AJ answers absently focused on the game.
"A year ago he was trying to strangle his coach not once but twice in front of witnesses and look at him now. The crowd is just eating him up." Carly shrugs. "He really needs to have someone do something with his hair though."
AJ laughs. "Well that's bringing it down to the least common denominator... popularity as a hair style."
"You laugh but I mean come on... How is he going to get any endorsements with a permanent bad hair day?"
AJ applauds as Patrick Ewing manhandles his opponent under the basket taking a rebound and flinging it to the open man at the other end of the court. "Patrick Ewing doesn't seem to be doing so badly."
Carly wrinkles her nose. "You know I used to not like the guy; but then I saw him on TV playing in the Olympics. He was so relaxed and he smiled and wow he just lit up the room." Carly jumps to her feet along with the partisan crowd when one of the Knicks goes down hard on the court. "Did you see that?! He was tripped! Where is the damn ref?"
The whistle blows a split second later and foul assessed. Larry Johnson limps to the foul line. Taking some time and trying to shake off hitting the floor, he dribbles the ball a couple of times. Sinks the first one. The second one hits the back of the rim and comes back out... moving quickly Johnson grabs his own rebound and slams it in for a dunk landing gingerly. "I hope he's okay." AJ follows Johnson's progress back up the court.
"Yeah, he's great, but he's missed so much already because of injuries." Carly nods.
"I didn't know you were such a basketball fan?" AJ inquires.
"Kind of happened by default. I was a cheerleader back in high school. 'Life of the party' that was me. All the other cheerleaders hated me but I was the best tumbler so there was nothing those lil miss perfects could do. Cheerleading is taken seriously in the south they'd put up with about anything to have someone that could make a clean tumbling run. Now the players on the other hand... liked me best."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" AJ puts his arm along the back of Carly's chair. Looking up at the game clocks. "Half time is coming up."
"I want to get some things for Michael."
"I thought that you might... how about one of those warm up jackets?"
"You read my mind. What a scary thought!" Carly raises her eyebrow mockingly. "Seriously, we should get some stuff for Lucas and Emily too while we're here."
"Peace offerings?"
"You think that's going to work? I haven't called anyone-- not even Bobbie. She's got to be freaking out about now. I wonder what Jason's told her." Carly winces. Just then the buzzer sounds signaling the half. Rising from their seats AJ helps Carly with her jacket. Offering her his hand, he starts moving toward the concourse.
The Brownstone--
Jerry and Lucas are watching the third quarter of the Knicks game. Kicking back on the couch with their feet up on the coffee table. (macho bonding in process) Bobbie comes from the kitchen with popcorn and drinks.
"....'Course I kept up with the Bulls more." Jerry says.
"Luc Longley right?" Lucas nods gazing adoringly up at Jerry.
"Well got to keep track of the homeboys." Jerry leans in to take a handful of popcorn then pauses in mid reach caught by a sudden familiar face in the Garden crowd. "Bobbie?! Isn't that your daughter?"
"Mom!! Carly's at the basketball game!" Lucas crows.
"That can't be right. Are you two sure?"
"Mom, I swear it was Carly."
Bobbie grabs the phone and calls the penthouse. It is picked up on the first ring. "Jason? I need to speak to Carly.... What do you mean she's not there? Where is she? Lucas says he just saw her at the Knicks game for goodness sake... Why is she in New York?.... AJ?! When did Carly start hanging out with AJ? You hate AJ. Carly hates AJ!"
"Oh I don't know about that, Sweetheart." Jerry draws Bobbie's attention to the screen. Carly is reaching across AJ to his wrist that has a watch and is checking the time. "She seems pretty comfortable with him to me. Guess we should be glad that your daughter inherited your striking good looks. I think the camera man is in love. He keeps panning back to her. She's getting as much air time as that Spike Lee fellow."
Bobbie finally gets to see Carly at the game. Still on the phone with Jason she sags into a nearby chair. "It is Caroline. Jason, I just saw her.... What do you mean you know? What is going on?.... Fine, but I'm coming over there tomorrow-- early and I want some answers." Bobbie hangs up the phone. "Caroline, what kind of mess have you created now?"
Madison Square Garden--
Carly looks at AJ's watch. "Are you sure that we are going to make it back to the suite by midnight?"
"Even if it goes to overtime and I don't think that is likely. It's looking kind of lopsided here. The Knicks are kicking some serious butt out there. You checked in at half time..."
Carly nods. "The babysitter said Michael was an angel going to sleep."
"See nothing to worry about." AJ reassures.
Carly laughs. "Right. she won't be calling him angel if she has to deal with him at midnight."
AJ pats his pocket. "I've got it covered for tonight."
"What?" AJ pulls out a book he'd purchased earlier-- History of the Madison Square Garden. Carly starts to laugh.
"I think this will put him out in ten minutes instead of the fifteen it took last night." AJ's focus is split by the action on the court. Carly follows his interest drawn back to the game in the closing minutes of the third quarter.
The penthouse--
The attorney left at half time racing to make it home before the next half started. Sonny and Jason continue to watch the game. Like watching a train wreck, knowing that they should look away or turn it off but unable to resist. Jason rubs his forehead.
"Are you okay, Jason?" Sonny asks worried.
"It's giving me a headache."
"We can turn it off."
"No."
"You're torturing yourself, man." Just then Carly realizes that the camera is on her. She mouths 'Hi Mama and Lucas' and waves. "She didn't say anything to you."
"Carly knows that I don't watch television normally, that it gives me a headache-- everything is flat and doesn't look real."
"Jason, you know that there was no way of getting someone there? There would be a total crush of people and no way that we would be able to get there in time to find them or even if we did to follow them back to where they're staying. Why in the hell does she keep grabbing AJ's wrist?"
Jason looks at his own watch then replies. "Carly's making sure they'll be back to where ever Michael is by midnight." As the final buzzer sounds, the action shifts away from the crowd and the game and to the post game interviews. Sonny shuts off the TV.
"What is she thinking?" Sonny wonders aloud.
"I don't know, nobody thinks quite like Carly." Jason replies. "But probably how to get over on AJ and make this all work for her."