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The Triumph Of AJ Quartermaine
Chapter Fourty
Board Meeting part 2
The front room. Emily and Carly enter. AJ is talking to Alan over by the fireplace. Ned and Edward are huddled together by the desk with their heads together. Carly leans over to Emily for a private word. "I need to talk to AJ... alone." Emily nods. She moves away from Carly starting to circulate the room. When she gets to AJ she hold her hands out for the baby before turning to Alan.
"Dad, I know that Grandmother likes to show up at the very last minute for these things but maybe with the baby here she'd like to come down earlier. I don't think anyone has told her that AJ and Michael are here."
"You are quite right. I'll go up and check on Mother." Alan leaves he passes Carly as he leaves the room and gives her a friendly pat on the arm. Carly smiles at him then returns her focus to the room. Seeing Emily and Michael are the only ones with AJ now. She crosses to AJ's side.
"Hey"
"I see you made it out of the kitchen in one piece." AJ teases.
"Oh it was terrible, just terrible. The conditions the staff here have to deal with. You know I bet Jason pays Graciella twice as much and she doesn't have to cater parties like this."
Edward who had been secretly listening starts to growl. "That hoodlum!" He stalks across the room. Emily moves over to Ned and starts showing off the baby distracting him.
"Cook got the papers I needed. I have a copy of the affadavit that Evans sent Edward." Carly's eyes glint with satisfaction.
"You did WHAT?!" AJ laughs and grabbing Carly gives her a quick kiss on the mouth. He pulls back half a step and drops his voice. "You are amazing, absolutely the best." And then he kisses her again. The hair goes up on the back of his neck. Looking over Carly's shoulder he sees that Sonny has arrived and Jason is with him. If looks were bullets then he'd surely be dead. "Jason is here."
Carly pales. "Oh hell."
"Show time, baby. Pull it together."
"AJ, he is going to figure it out. It's kind of impossible to avoid him in this room."
"Piece of cake." AJ walks over to the desk and pulls the chair out for Carly. "Here you go-- the best seat in the house to see all the fireworks." AJ then leans up against the edge of the desk. Carly looks around her. She is effectively blocked from the room. The desk bounds one side and the bookcases on the other.
"You know this will only work as long as you keep your rear right on that desk. As soon as you get up I'm pretty well trapped." Carly mutters under her breath before putting on a big fake smile.
Monica, Alan and Lila arrive last. Reggie shuts the doors as the time for the meeting has arrived. "Has anyone heard from Katherine? Oh never mind. Lets start with old business give her some time to get here." Edward blusters. "Well, Well, the old business. Ned, AJ what is going on in your projects."
Ned begins with the status of the various overseas companies. He leaves ELQ Jakarta for last. "Jakarta has had some problems in the last year what with the raid on it by Cassadine Enterprises and then the damage done to the physical plant in the process of taking it back over. Coupled with the current Asian markets economic instability as well as the low gas prices-- it's in the red and will be for the foreseeable future. I would however advise hanging on the the company. Oil prices won't stay this low for long."
"Oil is PR nightmare, though isn't it, Grandfather. "People still haven't forgotten the Exxon Valdez and those nasty oil spills. And just when you thought they might the people in the VERY green state of Oregon are having to skuttle a tanker with a 130,000 gallons of fuel oil still in it." AJ shakes his head. "Someone is going to get sued there. Dirty business-- pictures of oil soaked seagulls dying on the beach making national headlines..."
"That's why we have double hulled tankers, Junyur." Ned sneers.
"Do all meetings drag on like this, AJ?" Carly inquires with a discreet yawn. "I'm getting bored."
"Only when Ned is talking. Do I have the floor now?" AJ looks over at Edward who nods. AJ describes the status of the domestic subsidiaries leaving the ELQ docks project for last. "After cost overruns due to the union problems..." Both Jason and Carly smirk and Sonny softly chuckles. "... absorbing the Jacks portion of the project due to their troubles with the feds, and finally the aquisition of Acme sprockets in order to complete the project, the Docks are still on target for the completion date but the costs are over what was estimated. There is a waiting list for the newly renovated ship repair facilities as soon as they open. And I believe that the Morgan/Corinthos Coffee company is leasing one of our new warehouses conveniently located next to the South American docks. Those docks are already in production-- and I believe that you've already received the first shipment-- right Jason?"
"It's Corinthos/Morgan Coffee Imports and Yeah, the warehouse is full. " Sonny replies with a tilt of his head.
"Where is Katherine?" Edward grumbles. "It's time for new business."
"I guess we're just going to have to start without her." AJ says sorrowfully.
"Thank you, God." Reggie mutters under his breath putting out the trays of canapes.
"Amen." Monica and Emily say together then look at each other and smile joined in their combined loathing of Katherine Bell.
"Well give her fifteen more minutes then we'll have to go on." Edward grumbles.
"Why doesn't everyone have some of Cook's lovely canapes while we're waiting?" Lila offers sweetly. And since Lila has said so, so it is. Sonny uses the break to go over to AJ and starts a conversation with him regarding the warehouse space and some imaginary problem. AJ can tell what he is trying to do but can't get out of it.
"Uhoh." Carly mutters. Her sentinel was distracted and she was blocked. Standing up from the chair, she brushes her hand over AJ's sleeve to get his attention. "I haven't said hello to your grandmother yet. I'll be back before y'all start hashing over that CEO thingee." She gives Sonny a vacant smile that he just doesn't buy after hearing all the stories from Jason. Carly makes a beeline to Lila sitting down next to her chair. "Hello Mrs Quartermaine."
"Call me Lila my dear. Michael has grown so much since I last saw him. But I wanted to thank you for the lovely photo album Reginald brought home after his visit with you. And the cast cd was delightful. I'm afraid that I'll wear it out." Edward comes up behind Lila's chair and grinds his teeth. Did everyone get an album of Michael but him?
"AJ told me how important it was to him-- escorting you to the Opera when he was a little boy. I think that was one of the reason that he wanted to share it with me. I'd never been before."
"What did you think of it, dear?"
"I really don't know, Ms Lila." Carly laughs. "I'd never seen anything like it. That night was pure overwhelm for me. The whole vacation in New York was amazing. The only drawback was that it was too cold to take Michael to the zoo ofcourse, but I had a cab ride from..." Carly's voice drops to a bare whisper. "... hell." She gives Lila a significant glance.
"Oh my dear I understand perfectly. When Edward and I go into the city we have a car service. Just for that reason. But you know it's been that way for years, decades even. One takes ones life in hand when getting into a cab." Jason comes up behind Carly. Carly can feel him right behind her.
"Ms. Lila, I'm sorry, I'm monopolizing you; I'm sure that you want to talk to your grandson and I really should check on Michael. I'm afraid I've been sluffing him off on Emily this evening." Carly rises.
"Of course dear, although you know that Emily adores taking care of Michael; she takes being his godmother VERY seriously."
"And she is so good at it, but I shouldn't take advantage-- at least not so early in our relationship." Carly laughs. She starts to make her way over to Emily. Jason moves to follow her but is called back by Lila. She doesn't get away from Edward though.
"What's this-- you gave an album of pictures to Lila? Where is mine?" Edward pouts. "He's my great grandson too."
"Listen old man--" Carly pokes a well manicured finger in Edward's chest. "I didn't make one for Monica either and we both know why... don't we? Now if you'll excuse me I need to check on your great grandson-- MICHAEL." Carly stalks away and crosses over to Emily glancing over at AJ still in conversation with Sonny. "Hey Emily. How is my Mister man doing?"
"He's loving being the center of attention." Emily laughs. "I've had to growl at people to keep them from taking him from me."
"Well growling won't work with me. You know my bite is worse than my bark. Give him over. I really appreciate your help tonight, Emily." Alan comes up behind the two women and puts a hand at the waist of each.
"Two beautiful women talking to each other-- what is wrong with this picture."
"Why Mr Quartermaine-- you're a flirt!" Carly sparkles engagingly. Monica grinds her teeth and Jason is distracted from Lila by Carly's laugh. He rises to his feet as it appears that Alan is going to hold Michael.
AJ notices that things are about to get out of hand and looks down at his watch. "Grandfather, I think that time is up. We should really get to new business."
Edward sighs. "He's right; everyone take your seats let's get back to business. We take much longer on this and Cook is going to toss our dinner out-- again." Everyone takes their seats. Carly gives a sigh of relief having avoided Jason and his questions. AJ brushes a curl that has worked loose from her hairdo back behind her ear.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, but that was close. I really don't think that we should stay for dinner-- if there is one." Carly admits.
"New Business!" Edward declares. "There is only one item on the agenda. AJ is petitioning for CEO of ELQ, Ned petitions to retain his position. Everyone knows both of them let's get to the vote. Lila?"
"Ned, dear, you've done a wonderful job this last quarter. I don't see a reason to make a change."
"Alan?"
"AJ." Alan confirms.
"Corinthos?" Edward grimaces having to ask the gangster anything.
"Lesser of two evils... when do I get to run? Ned." Sonny finally says
"I assume that Ned and AJ will be voting for themselves." Both men nod. "Monica?"
Monica is frustrated. Three to two now. Edward was going to swing with his proxy and Tracy's. "AJ."
"Baby Michael?" Edward asks. Everyone in the room sits up at this unexpected turn.
"His parents vote his shares for me." AJ states confidently. The room explodes.
"You gave Michael shares in the company?" Ned inquires furiously.
"I think that you're out of order, Ned." AJ taunts.
Edward shrinks somewhat before the combined glare of the family. "Now for the proxies." He says in a rush. "I have Tracy's."
"Actually Grandfather I think you'll find that this one supercedes yours." AJ pulls Tracy's proxy from his pocket. "Tracy votes with me. I think that's a win 5-4 even if you vote for Ned."
"What about Katherine?" Edward says furiously. He might want AJ to be CEO but there was no way that this whippersnapper was going to get in the job without his vote.
"I have Katherine's proxy if you want that too?" AJ pulls another sheet of paper out of his pocket. "We can call it 6-4 with you voting for Ned... just to make it close."