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The Triumph Of AJ Quartermaine
Carly
"AJ, I can't be here right now. Michael and I are moving back to Justus's penthouse with Jason." Carly complains distractedly. "I told you I didn't need you to buy me a house."
"I know, Carly; this house if for me." AJ unlocks the front door of the four bedroom house that is built along grand lines. It opens into a large entryway.
Carly's surprise has her following AJ into the house. "What? you didn't tell me you were moving?" Carly looks around her at the house with new eyes. "I thought that you were happy in the mansion. That you and Edward were finally getting along." She murmurs as she walks into the empty living room that is lit with an expansion of windows and natural light.
"Oh we are but as many times as Grandfather has tried to get over on you multiply that by about 100 and you have what he has done to me over the years. He actually has a very short attention span. I'd bet that when he was Michael's age he was the kid that would break all his toys. I'm in his crosshairs now but it has had certain advantages."
Carly takes a step back at the mention of Michael but can't resist asking, "What advantages?"
"It's kept him off your back, hasn't it?"
Carly's jaw drops and then she starts to laugh in disbelief. "You call that keeping him off my back?"
AJ shrugs and then smiles. "Well as much as is possible with the old man. Come on have there been any court cases lately, any attempts to buy off judges? I've been trying to keep him distracted. This house is actually the next step. Grandfather is going to freak when he finds out I'm planning on moving out."
Carly's eyes take on a conspiratorial glint. "Really? Your mom isn't going to be happy either, I bet." Twining her hand around AJ's arm, "Why don't you show me the rest of your new place, what I've seen so far tells me that you've picked a place with the what the magazines call great bones."
"I knew that you would see the possibilities." Walking Carly through the house AJ continues to talk pointing out what drew him to the house. "But you can see the place is bare bones. I've always lived at home or in small apartments nothing like this it needs something... hell it needs everything." AJ and Carly pause in what would be considered a downstairs study on a box in the empty room is a pile of decorator swatches and furniture magazines.
"I see now why you called me over. AJ, I'd love to help you...." Carly looks around the room longingly already placing leather chairs and the perfect oriental rug in the room. "but I'm going to be busy getting the other penthouse ready for me and Michael."
"That's too bad. You are going to go into a lot of effort for a place that is only going to be seen by bodyguards and servants. If you were serious about wanting to get into the interior design business you need a showcase for your talents. Carly, it isn't going to be the penthouse. Jason's security precautions wouldn't allow it. And now with things heating up with Moreno if I were in Jason's shoes I wouldn't allow anyone in the penthouse that I didn't know. That's going to severely limit your ability to make any changes."
Carly looks longingly around the house. "I don't see why you didn't get another apartment; you were happy in the place across from Tony and me."
"Ah that must have been because of the neighbors." AJ retorts gallantly. "Back then I was fighting my heritage and trying to make it on the salary from the gym job. In my own way I was burying my head in the sand. This time things are different. I'm working at ELQ and for the most part I'm loving it. Part of my job will be entertaining our out of town guests. If I'm not going to be living at the mansion it would have meant doing all my entertaining at the Grille." Carly winces. "You see my problem.... or make that problems: a... it's rather impersonal and doesn't set the tone I need if I'm to be taken seriously at ELQ and b... it puts me right back in the Quartermaine pocket. I guess it would be okay for Jax living at the hotel but..."
"But Jax is not a Q, living at the hotel would be like living in Quartermaine central. " Carly muses.
"Exactly. Emily is back on her feet now. Dad is getting better. I really don't need to be in the mansion."
"Translation-- Ned is driving you nuts and you are waiting for the other shoe to drop with Edward." Carly walks over to the windows that face the front of the property. A well manicured lawn extends to the front gates of the property.
"You've always been able to read me."
Carly turns around to face AJ, seating herself in the window ledge. "Pretty much, but I'm still trying to figure this one out. I think it would be great to live in a grand house like the Q's have and have all the servants waiting on me hand and foot."
AJ crosses to Carly a smile widening on his face. "I got that impression, what-- two years ago when we talked at the hospital. I was just coming from a meeting and you were still volunteering at the wellness center. You'd just finished helping with my mother's surprise party. I could tell that you saw something that you liked."
Carly smiles back. "Wow that was so long ago. I can't believe you remember that. It's true I've been living my life fantasizing out of glossy magazines, the mansion was actually the first time I'd seen it come to life."
"And now you know all the snakes that there are in that paradise."
"Now I wouldn't call you a snake, AJ, a weasel maybe."
AJ shakes his head laughing. "I wasn't referring to me, honey. You had a taste of being waited on hand and foot when you were in Ferncliffe. And you've met all the inmates at Chez Quartermaine."
"You are comparing the staff at the mansion to the ones at Ferncliff?! Oh my you must not have visited me often enough-- those guys were cretins!"
"You have to remember that my experience in the mansion has been as the family's' dirty little secret, the raving stumbling alcoholic, the family screw-up. The servants were my guards in many cases. The watching eyes of the family. On one hand, I can see why you set me up the way you did, but Carly you made my life a living hell there for awhile."
Carly reaches out to AJ placing her hand on his arm. "I didn't see any other way back then. I was so into Tony." Carly laughs self mockingly as she wipes away a tear. "I wish I would have had a crystal ball back then but I didn't and I thought I loved Tony, I really did. I lost a good friend that night."
"It doesn't have to be that way, Carly. We have a chance here to get back that old friendship. You and I have screwed each other over enough for a dozen lifetimes-- but you are fun I just like it better when you are on my side rather than against me."
"Jason...."
"Don't do it again, Carly. Don't screw me over so that you can hang on to some guy... even my brother. Jason doesn't have to have anything to do with us. Jason is isolating you the same way that Tony did."
"AJ, I won't listen while you badmouth Jason. Jason has always been there for me and he always will."
"I'm not badmouthing Jason, Carly. I'm asking you where are your friends? Everyone you meet are Jason's friends, Jason's associates. It's been kind of lonely hasn't it while Robin has been able to run her troubles by Felicia, Jax, Sonny and even Bobbie."
"Robin is out of the picture now. She and Jason broke up." Carly snaps back defensively.
"And I can just imagine the havoc she has left in her wake. Jason is grieving; Sonny is probably ticked off. Felicia, Mac and Jax are going to make your life a living hell for hurting poor little Robin. I'm sure that Bobbie is going to be supportive; she is your mother after all, but this has got to bring back all kinds of nasty memories for her as well. Isn't it time there was someone on your side-- not Michael's, not Jason's not Robin's but yours? That could be me, Carly."
"What do you get out of it, AJ?" Carly asks with both suspicion and longing.
"I'm glad you asked that question. Hopefully I'll get my friend back, and my house decorated."
Carly laughs shaking her head. "I guess we could try it but I swear one nasty word about Jason and I'm out of here!"
"Deal." AJ extends his hand.
"Deal." Carly shakes it.