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The Triumph Of AJ Quartermaine
Chapter Sixty Three
Twists.
Emily bites her lip and pushes play. Well technically it was country but Carly did have it in her collection. It should be okay. As soon as she hits play the couples that had been closerthanthis on the dance floor pull back and look at each other and then look at Em. Alan shakes his head and leaves the floor with Monica. Jerry sort of shrugs at Bobbie. Ned comes over to Emily and suggest. "Shall we show them how it's done?"
"You mean you know?" Emily asks incrediously.
"If it's got a beat, I can dance to it. Besides V has been forcing me to watch TNN because there is an new artist on there she wants for L&B." Ned and Emily take the floor and after a few fumbles, and laughs, get in step. Carly drags Lucas onto the line, growing impatient with waiting for AJ. "Chick song indeed, Little brother, Listen and learn."
Any man of mine better be proud of me
Even when I'm ugly he still better love me
And I can be late for a date that's fine
But he better be on time
Any man of mine'll say it fits just right
When last year's dress is just a little too tight
And anything I do or say better be okay
When I have a bad hair day
And if I change my mind
A million times
I wanna hear him say
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah I like it that way
Monica and Alan sit on the sidelines but the uptempo beat has Monica's toes tapping. She listens to the words of the song and starts laughing. "Alan, are you paying attention? Wouldn't you know that Carly would have THIS in her collection!"
"Shall I find out what the CD is for you, Dear? Everyone should have a theme song."
Any man of mine better walk the line
Better show me a teasin' squeezin' pleasin' kinda time
I need a man who knows, how the story goes
He's gotta be a heartbeatin' fine treatin'
Breathtakin' earthquakin' kind
Any man of mine
AJ comes back from the study in time to see Carly start singing along with Shania Twain. She and Emily are having a blast putting a little extra stomp into the song and hamming it up. Lucas is making it up as he goes but the stomping part he has down. Carly takes the time to work the count with him and show him the steps. Carly grabs Bobbie and drags her into the line. Bobbie looks over her shoulder at Jerry and laughingly shrugs but quickly picks up the steps. AJ goes over to sit down next to Jerry. Both of them are focused on the ladies on the floor.
"Thanks for handling that situation with Robin." AJ tells Jerry quietly under the music. "I think I was just too surprised to believe that she would actually show up here. Grandfather, my mother, Ned, even Jason I'd have expected-- Robin I didn't. Our last meeting was anything but pleasant. She had just admitted that she had kept Michael's paternity a secret for over a year. I blasted her then but.." AJ shakes his head.
"I'm sorry it was my brother that brought her." Jerry's eyes grow sad. "Nobody expected Robin, here or in court. And you helped alot today in court giving those messages to the attorney. With the last minute switch in Judges, the attorney didn't have the nuances down... or knew about Robin taking abnormal psychology from Dr Collins." Jerry shakes his head. "Bobbie walked a fine line with that girl while Carly was locked up. She didn't want to lose contact with Michael."
"And I'm sure with Carly being so... mercurial and their relationship being so... volatile," AJ chooses his words carefully. "It had to be a stress on Bobbie trying to figure out which way the wind was blowing."
"Still is." Jerry laughs. "Which is why she has leaned toward Jason rather than to you or Carly. Morgan has been a constand, dependable in an odd way. But I think it's getting better. She still hasn't figured out what the story is with you, Carly and Jason but I think that she'll step back and see the lay of the land. Luke may be the eternal pessimist but Bobbie's not."
Well any man of mine better disagree
When I say another woman's lookin' better than me
And when I cook him dinner and I burn it black
He better say, mmmm, I like it like that yeah
And if I change my mind
A million times
I wanna hear him say
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah I like it that way
Meanwhile down in the basement, Luke and the Judge are in the middle of a game of pool. "Leave it to Caroline to get the best." Luke comments on the table. "She's got a better table here than I have at the club."
"Luke's right?" The Judge inquires absently lining up his shot. Luke had quickly won the first game but his old skills were coming back.
"Yeah, you ever been there?"
"Not since you started having people shot in the parking lot. Constituents frown on having elected officials hanging out at crime scenes."
"It hasn't stopped Bubba from coming in."
"Bubba?" The Judge looks up from his shot.
"Mac Scorpio." Luke pulls out a cigar and with ritualistic care lights it.
"No offense but having the police hang out there might be considered part of their job description."
"Yeah, we get all kinds. Not my habit to check rap sheets at the door." Luke shrugs. "Even Taggert and Garcia swing by on occasion."
"Jason Morgan has a piece of your club, right?" The Judge sees he has no shot left and tries to set it up for Luke to not have one either when he takes over.
"Actually his partner, Sonny Corinthos does." Luke looks over the table and winces. "You trying to sucker me here, Judge? Jason covers things when Sonny is out of town. Jason's got a lot of pies going-- trust fund baby, ELQ, motorcycle shop, and now the partnership in the coffee business." Luke digs himself out of a hole with a complicated bank shot.
"Nice shot, your niece told me you are more of a card player." The Judge compliments.
"Yeah, cards, dice, pool, good bourbon and better cigars-- I've got the vices covered." Luke admits candidly before backstepping just a tad. "Just for fun you understand."
The judge looks at him and nods knowingly. "Yeah, right. Just for fun."
Upstairs in the kitchen, Cook is starting to pack things away into the fridge. She takes the time to attach reheating instructions onto the leftovers. Looking around she sees that she has accomplished all that she can and reaches into the fridge to pull out a bottle of vintage champagne. Smoothly popping the cork she pours herself a glass. "Well Cookie, here's to hauling their asses out of the fire one more time." She toasts herself. Kicking back at the kitchen table she loses her shoes and puts her feet up on the chair across from her. Cook slides a piece of baklava in front of her. Examing it carefully: the texture of the crust, the aroma; she takes a nibble. "Oh yeah, that's good." She takes another nibble looking for the nuances of the confection. When Johnny arrives back at the back door he grins at his relaxed mother.
"Hey Ma."
"Johnny! Pull a chair, have a drink and tell me what you think of this." Cook slides the plate over to her son.
Johnny performs the same ritual. Just a nibble then another. "Hmm. Not just almond. Dates? With just a hint of orange?"
"She brought some of the traditional stuff back with her too. Made with the almonds but this... this is different." Cook takes another bite. "A hint of almond, a hint of honey but..."
"Yeah, but." Johnny confirms. "What is in this?" He looks over at his mother who has a smug look on her face. "You know, don't you?" Cook pulls the recipe card from her purse and slides it over to her son. "This looks like Ms Benson's handwriting." Johnny looks at his mother. "Is this the 'stuff' she was getting for you?"
"You been listening to my conversations, boy?" Cook opens her eyes wide neither confirming nor denying.
In the living room, Alan has made his way over to Carly who is in conversation with Bobbie. "It was a lovely party, Carly." He kisses her on the forehead. "Thank you for the mask."
"You're welcome. Are you leaving?" Carly asks craning her neck as she looks up at Alan from her seat beside Bobbie.
Alan nods. "I'm going to take Monica home, " he murmurs in a lower tone, "while she is still on her best behavior." Carly and Bobbie both grin. Bobbie rises to go over to talk to Monica about hospital business leaving Alan and Carly to have a private moment.
"I want to thank you for today." Carly says graciously taking Alan's hand. "You saved me from a night in jail, I think."
"I think that you would have gotten out of it yourself but you're very welcome." Alan pats her hand with his free one. "And thank you for AJ."
"What?"
"I don't think I've ever seen him so... happy or confident." Alan admits. "You've been a good influence on him." Carly starts laughing.
"Oh I want that on tape. That has GOT to be a first." Carly grows serious. "I've messed things up with AJ, hurt him a lot."
"Carly, that's between you and AJ. And if he isn't holding a grudge, how can I?" Alan shrugs.
"You could-- others do. Alan, AJ is the one that made things happen; he forced my hand. And he could have returned the favor by making my life a living hell. But he didn't."
"Very unQuartermaine of him, I must admit-- as I'm sure you realize."
"Oh yeah, if he'd said his plan was for all of us to live in the mansion as one big happy family, I'd have pushed him out a window back in New York." Carly laughs but there is a serious undertone to her words. "The dedication on that cake is as close as I really want to being one big happy family with Edward."
"What I've found living at the hotel, A little distance makes the Quartermaines easier to take. The only thing I worry about is Mother's health. And frankly, my dear, there is no way that you and Monica could have lived under one roof."
"You know that Reggie watches Lila like a hawk, right? Nothing is going to happen to her that you aren't going to know about like that." Carly snaps her fingers. "And as for Monica, well AJ has some theory on that but my lips are sealed." Alan laughs and then patting her hand one more time makes his way over to Monica. They gather Emily up despite her protests and make their way back to the mansion. Bobbie comes back to Carly.
"Hon, you're starting to drag." Bobbie looks Carly over critically.
"It's been an interesting but very long day." Carly admits rubbing her neck.
"This was really sweet. When AJ invited us over I was expecting maybe some coffee, a danish... but this?" Bobbie lifts a glass of champagne and waves it in the direction of the depleted buffet table.
"This was mostly Cook's doing, Mama; her and Miss Lila showed up and made it all work." Carly changes the subject. "Is it too early to start worrying about what Tony is going to do next?"
"I wish I could say it was but that's not the way that I feel, you know?" Bobbie bites her lip. "My first instinct after the hearing was to get to Lucas even if we hadn't been coming here; I think that I would have pulled him from school today-- just to give Tony time to cool down and hopefully start thinking about what the Judge told him today."
"The Judge is great, isn't he?" Carly muses. "I know I was freaking out when I found out that he was hearing your case but the only time that he seemed ticked in our meeting about Michael was when he found out that I hadn't had my own attorney to protect me from big bad Jason and AJ."
Bobbie laughs. "If only he knew right?"
"Oh I think that he does." Carly can't hide her yawn. "Sorry."
"It's okay. I think that you're still jet lagged and in another time zone."
"Now if I only knew which one it was." Carly agrees. Bobbie rises and gathers up a protesting Lucas and a knowing Jerry, who is also dragging. Together they make their way out to their car and drive off. Carly after seeing them off gathers up Michael and heads into the kitchen. "There any coffee left?" She asks Cook who is kicked back still talking with Johnny. Cook waves her hand to the counter.
"I just made a fresh pot but are you sure that is what you want?"
"Nothing is going to keep me awake much longer. Thanks for today." Carly says gratefully as she sags down in a chair adjacent to Cook after putting Michael in his high chair with a handful of cherrios. She also puts her feet up. "Oh Gosh that feels good."
"So did everyone finally clear out?" Cook asks.
"Yeah, the Q's left and took Emily. Ned is around somewhere still, I think, nipping at AJ. Luke disappeared with the Judge. I think that I should be worried about that but I can't right now. I haven't seen Jason since Robin and Jax left."
"I'm sorry about that, Ms Benson." Johnny admits softly. "I knew that she was looking for the boss. She showed up at the penthouse before I went over to see Ma. But she said that she was going to her Uncle's house."
"I'm just grateful you got rid of her." Carly looks up as the kitchen door opens. It is Luke and the Judge getting ready to raid the fridge. The Judge looks at the people at the table casually and then double takes.
"Cookie?" He exclaims incrediously.
"Cookie?" Carly and Johnny say together staring at Cook.
"AH HELL." Cook mutters closing her eyes.