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When Cassadines Fall ~ The Detour
Delayed Gratification
“I really don’t think it’s time to taking off.” Maddy protests from the back of the limo. Nik had kept talking the whole way from the house to the airport. But now they’re there. “ I haven’t even done my evening rounds. I didn’t think we were leaving until tonight and now with everything going on....”
“Maddy, you’re going to be getting on that plane if I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you onto the plane. Which means you will be spending the whole trip patching up whatever stump Mir leaves of my leg.”
“Li’s being hunted by the FBI because they want testimony. That Tom Baker guy is up for parole. It’s just bad timing. I want to go... really.”
Nik grins at her and shakes his head. “You aren’t going to be able to fix everything in three days, three years or three lifetimes! Li is Jason’s problem. If I could keep you out of the hands of the FBI when Larkin was on the prowl, I think he can handle this for the weekend. Besides what Li needs is an attorney and your Aunt is already on the case. It’s a three day weekend. A legal holiday. I don’t think Baker will be having a hearing in the next three days.”
“He shouldn’t be coming up for a hearing at all! Down in Louisiana this wouldn’t be happening.”
“Yes, what can be inferred from conversations between Pete and Jerry, he would have probably never made it to trial but instead had a weight put on his ankles and left down in the bayou.” Nikolas takes Maddy’s hand and pulls her from the car. Maddy has her hand on Mir’s leash and he comes out of the limo with her. Nikolas lets the driver and the pilot worry about the luggage. It was an accommodation he’d made with the jet staff... they would take care of everything else and he and Maddy would take care of the dog.
“You still haven’t told me where we’re going.” Maddy protests but she climbs the stairs up into the jet.
“Granny Sophia is expecting us for lunch.” Nik tells her once she is in the cabin.
Maddy lights up. She’d known they were going on vacation but not where. “You mean it?! Granny Sophia? New Orleans? Today?”
“You’ll get to show me your city.” Nik gives Maddy a quick kiss. “But today is going to be a late lunch with Granny Sophia and Pete Robideau. Granny Sophia has arranged for Mir to stay at Pete Robideau’s. He has the tallest fence.”
“Walls. Thick big ass walls... with glass embedded in the top. Poppi doesn’t get too many visitors.”
Nik adds with utter certainty. “And he’ll get even fewer this weekend.”
Maddy gives Nik a huge hug. “I can’t believe you did this. It’s so wonderful. I know I was down there a few months ago after Em and I finished home school but...”
“Once it’s warm enough Granny Sophia can come visit us. You can bring her to your ladies night.”
“Introduce her to Luke.” Maddy laughs.
Nik groans at that but then gets an almost evil glint in his eye. “I like that idea. I like it a lot. And speaking of Luke... if we’re out of town Lucky and Elizabeth can do his laundry on Saturday.”
“You mean Elizabeth and Lulu.” Maddy does an eye roll. Spying the appetizer platter that is on display in the galley Maddy puts her purse up on the counter and starts searching thru it. She really had planned on going on vacation with Nik. She’d even stopped at the vet and picked up a little something for Mir since the only hint Nik gave her was Mir could come too. She carefully stuffs a little pill into a cube of cheese and then gets Mir’s attention. “Sit, Mir.”
The big dog plops his butt down in the middle of the galley and looks up at her. Maddy puts the doctored cheese cube between her teeth holding it there for a second which is just long enough for Mir’s saliva glands to really get going as he looks up at her knowing he is getting a treat. Before the ribbons of drool can get out of hand, Maddy offers the big dog the treat.
“I don’t think he even tasted it.” Nik shakes his head in disbelief. “I know he didn’t chew it.... it’s kind of like throwing change at a toll road kiosk. Down it goes.”
“The vet said it would take about twenty minutes to really work. I figure that will be long enough to get everything loaded and do the airport hurry up and wait. And then he’ll sleep for about 5 hours. So unless we want him to go to sleep right here we should probably go out to the cabin.”
Nik indicates with a hand the direction and Maddy takes the lead with Mir padding after her. As soon as she sits on one of the couches she orders Mir to lay down. Mir plops down on the floor and stretches out. He keeps a vigilant eye on the strange doings and noises but doesn’t break from the down position. “How was he at the vet? I never asked. I didn’t know you’d gone. I don’t think my uncle did either.” Nik frowns at that as he sits down next to Maddy. The dog is a present from his uncle. They should contact the vet and make sure that the bills are coming to the Cassadine.
“Oh he was good as gold.” Maddy brags on Mir. “Course he was wearing a muzzle, and his collar, and I was in the room but no problem at all. If they ever try to do anything with him and I’m not in the room though I think they’re going to put him out as a precaution. You know to clean his teeth or whatever. The vet was recommended by V, he’s the same one who takes care of the police dogs. I’ve now got a standing order for tranqs and his Advantage so he won’t get fleas. Mir probably has duplicate shots and things because the vet couldn’t read the records from Poland. V said she’d take them with her over Easter and have her Great Aunt translate them into English.”
“If you want to do it that way. If you need them sooner I’m sure there is someone at PCU who can do the translation.”
“Hopefully I won’t need them.” Maddy worries a little on that one and then shakes it off. “Lulu is going to be bummed Mir isn’t there.”
“You’re right. You’re absolutely right. She’ll probably start hanging with the local boys and pick up all the nuances of going *free market on the yuppies* with a snow blowing business.”
“Do you think I’m a bad influence on your little sister?” Maddy demands.
“That remains to be seen.” Nik shrugs. He’s teasing but it does get him thinking. Maddy is a strong believer in influences. It’s how she defines others. “Lulu could do a hell of a lot worse than you and Elizabeth as influences. Laura has always, had always, been there for LesleyLu. Definitely more than she was for me but even more than she was there for Lucky. Although who can say. Lucky had both of his parents until he was ten. Because of the accident Lulu hasn’t had that. And only since the accident has Luke stepped up as a father.”
“An absence can influence as strong as a presence.” Maddy suggests as she takes Nik’s hand. Laura hadn’t been there for Nikolas. Even when she had an opportunity, she’d blown Nik off as a memory of a bad time– cept when she needed something. Maddy’d seen that before the accident. Now after the accident, Laura avoided Nikolas because he looks too much like his father.
The heavy conversation is interrupted by a phone ringing to the cabin. The pilot is calling to let them know that all the luggage is stored and they have been authorized to taxi to a runway. Nik looks down at Mir who has gone from vigilant to dozing. “Then we’re on our way.” Nik hangs up the phone. “We should probably buckle up for the take off.”
“Okay. Just let me put away that appetizer tray.” Maddy races to the galley and makes sure that there is nothing on the counter. She grabs her purse and goes back to the cabin. Tucking into the seat next to Nikolas she buckles in even as the plane is moving. “New Orleans, here we come! Candy, I’m going to show you such a good time.”
Even though it’s supposed to be their weekend off, Maddy manages to squeeze some work on the flight. Reading the journal entries from all of the kiosks had fallen behind with the Valentine’s day rush. She’d just scanned before looking for anything that might have been related to the holiday and actually has about a week to catch up on. About ninety minutes into the flight, Nik sighs when Maddy pulls them out of her bag and moves from the couch to the seats that have a table in front of them. But then he says as he takes the seat across from her, “I’ll take the one from the financial district.”
“You would.” Maddy teases. “Figuring you’ll get one up on Em or your uncle? Be able to surprise them in your next talk? How much money have I made for you already, Candy? Between the tech stocks and everything Ricky found out about Enron.”
“The Cassadine interests are worldwide.” Nik informs Maddy grandly. But he doesn’t quite answer the question. Like his uncle, although he’d never admit it, he knows that information is key. Maddy’s information from the kiosks is gold and had proven true over and over. Her people seemed able to discern what would be relevant.
She rolls her eyes and glancing over at Mir to make sure that he shows no sign of waking, reaches for the College Kiosk journal after handing the Financial district over to Nik. She reads for anything that might impact Elizabeth, Lucky or Ricky but also to find out if there is anything interesting going on campus that might be worthy of further investigation.
“If my uncle finds out where I’m getting all this information he’s going to want you to put in coffee kiosks all over the world.” Nik mutters. The CIA would love this stuff.
“Some of them would have to be tea houses.” Maddy doesn’t look up from the page she is scanning and just flips to the next page. “And then everything would have to be entered into the computer. And you know I don’t love the way computers work. It’s the first thing the competition or a thief looks for.”
“Fax or scan the pages to Lucky. He isn’t as opposed to computers as you are.”
“Right. That might work.” Maddy moves on to the courthouse complex pages. Aunt Dara would love some of this stuff, Nik’s aunt too.
Nik thumbs thru the journal pages to find the Prominade notes. What goes on there affects the view from Spoon Island as well as any information coming from the international ships docking in Port Charles to take advantage of ELQ’s oversized crane. He looks up when Maddy starts flipping back and forth on her pages. “What is it?”
“Edward Quartermaine was meeting with the FBI. Candy?” Maddy looks up at Nikolas. She’s already got a bad feeling about this.
“Call Ricky not Jason.” Nik suggests decisively. He already knows where Maddy is going with this. Maddy wouldn’t have said anything aloud unless she believed it was about the neighborhood. Ricky is the lesser of two evils as far as the neighborhood is concerned. Now that the corner store is in the Chows’ hands there is no reason for Jason, or worse Sonny Corinthos, to be anywhere around his neighborhood-- especially if Li is supposed to be keeping a low profile. “It’s probably more about Enron.” But if it’s not Ricky would find out. “And you can use our trip as a cover for calling.”
“Doubt its about Enron. No profit in Mr Q going to the FBI, at least not yet. And then you figure it would have to be the IRS or the SEC or something. And the FBI showed up in our neighborhood next thing... oh yeah, right.” Maddy reaches into her bag for her cell phone.
“Come on, Mir. Wakey wakey. We’re here.” Maddy croons as she shakes the big dog. It could have been worse. Mir could have woken up while they were coming in for a landing. But they are on the ground already. Nik has already gotten the van and brought it around and gotten everything loaded. Now if the damn big lug would just wake up. “Don’t you dare close your eyes again. Come on you big baby. I have cheese right here... wake up. Poppi’s expecting us for lunch not dinner!” With a groan and a grumble, Mir rolls from his side to his feet and then up. His head sags down as if he’s hungover.
“Good. He’s up.”
“Up is relative.” Maddy worries. “I just gave him one little pill. I think he’s a light weight. Maybe I should only give him half of one on the flight back to Port Charles.”
“No, thank you. We have time on the ground to get him moving. Sedating him in the air would be unsafe. If you start toward the stairs he’ll come after you.” Nik suggests.
Maddy attaches Mir’s leash and starts toward the door looking back over her shoulder as she gives the leash a little tug. Mir meanders after her. Nik takes a last look around the plane to make sure they haven’t forgotten anything. Not that it matters. Anything left behind would be delivered to the cottage that Granny Sophia had found for the holiday.
By the time Nik climbs from the plane, Mir is on the back bench seat of the van and she’s in the driver’s seat. Nikolas climbs into the front passenger seat. It would be interesting to see what Pete Robideau thinks of Maddy’s new companion. Because it’s Maddy’s town she knows all the shortcuts and avoids most of the trouble spots that go along with traveling in and around New Orleans on the Friday of a three day weekend.
The trip to Poppi’s Garden District Estate is made in short order with a little finger pointing to the interesting spots along the way. She’d gotten to show Nik some of them over New Years when he and Johnny had crashed her and Em’s party. Maddy pulls into the drive of a high walled estate and stops at the intercom. The motion sensor had already been activated and someone must have been watching the monitors because before she can say anything the gates swing open allowing them to drive thru. Maddy pulls around to the back of the house and rather than climbing out from the drivers side swings the captain chair around so that she can exit out of the side door with Mir.“Oh My Lord!” Granny Sophia exclaims. “That nice Cassadine boy said he got you a dog not a pony! What on earth was he thinking?!”
“There have been plenty who have wondered the same.” Nikolas grins at his uncle being referred to as that “nice Cassadine boy.” Knowing Maddy will have her hands full until the introductions are done he comes around and gives Granny Sophia a kiss on the cheek and holds out a hand to her. Mir knows his own strength but sometimes not his own size. Nik stays close to the elderly woman ready to provide balance if needed.
“Mir, this is Granny Sophia. You sit and show her what a good dog you are.” Maddy directs the big dog. Mir plops down at the command and starts panting. “I think it’s too hot for him here. He’s used to New York.”
“Fur coat like that no doubt.” Pete eyes the dog with suspicion. He’s been around dogs before and knows to wait for the introduction before putting his hand out for the dog to sniff. “You called him Mir?”
“Mir is from Poland. Mir means bear.” Maddy explains. She follows Pete to the house. Nik escorts Granny Sophia. Pete walks thru the house to the back yard where a lunch has been set up on the patio. Maddy lets Mir off his leash once the door is closed knowing that the back yard is enclosed. Mir immediately starts patrolling the yard checking out the perimeter. As they are seated at the table, Maddy starts the conversation ball rolling. “I talked to Ricky on the way down. He gave me a list of everything he wants brought back up to Port Charles.”
“He wasn’t exactly expecting to stay up there.” Pete agrees wryly as he takes the list from Maddy. Ricky hadn’t been happy about the decision that the Mob Boss and the Judge had come to that hijacked Ricky’s future and kept him in Port Charles.
“Ricky’s doing much better now. Edward Quartermaine has really taken him under his wing. None of his children pay Mr Q any mind, so Ricky’s a nice change. Ricky says the Judge and his wife run a tight ship. He has dinner with them at least once a week and since the Judge teaches a course on campus– they know before Ricky does how he’s doing in a class.”
“Jerry’s told me some. Evidently the thing to do in Port Charles is to go to the Catholic school’s girls basketball game?” Pete shakes his head in disbelief.
“Rosa would be happy to know her grandson is stepping foot on church grounds even if it is the gym rather than services. She’d think it’s a step in the right direction.” Granny Sophia interjects.
“Did you think we were never going to get out of there?” Maddy asks Nikolas as she opens the door to the cottage where they’d be staying.
“Between Pete and Granny Sophia? Yes.” Nik agrees. He looks around and is impressed with the older woman’s selection. The cottage is on the grounds of a private estate. There would be maid service when they called for it but other than that they would be totally alone.
“I didn’t expect lunch to take three hours.” Maddy kicks off her shoes and sheds her jacket dropping her purse on a table. “I think Pete is lonely in that big ole house.”
“He won’t be this weekend.” Nik counters with touch of humor. “The couple who took over your mother’s apartment are taking good care of the grounds.”
“I’d hope so considering the break in rent I’m giving them. Granny Sophia seems to like them.” Maddy answers. “So what did you have in mind for tonight?”
“Hmm... good food– seafood, I think, some music, some atmosphere.”
“I’m really going to enjoy this. All the touristy things that I never did while I was living here. Lisette loved going down to Bourbon St and doing the night life. But I was always more close to the neighborhood. At least until I got the van. Did all the school field trips to the Audabon Park and the Zoo. Did a little business at the Super Dome when there was something big going on. But I never really just played. Always doing or hanging out in the park playing chess.”
“Tomorrow I’m in charge– with recommendations from Granny Sophia.” Nik qualifies. “Tonight I’m all yours.”
“Oh I like the sound of that.” Maddy sidles in close. “So seafood, music, atmosphere... any other requests?”
“An early night.”
“Definitely like the sound of that.” Maddy agrees. “So I know this guy. Maybe he owes me and maybe he doesn’t but he does great shrimp– I made sure of that..”
Nik thinks about it for second as he wraps his arms around Maddy’s waist. “Hmm Does he happen to make a killer bread pudding complete with 100 plus proof topping?”
“That’s the one.”
Too darn early on Saturday morning, Nik doesn’t bother opening his eyes; his voice is a deep sleepy rumble. “You’re awake.”
“I know.” Maddy protests with a sigh. “It’s not fair. I don’t have to wake up until it’s light outside and I just can’t sleep.”
Nik rolls Maddy onto her back and looms over her. “What am I going to do with you?”
“I’ve got a few ideas. Cept then you’ll fall asleep again and I’ll be wide awake.” Maddy grouses.
Nik chuckles at that. “Well there is one thing that you haven’t done for quite some time.”
“Oh? I have to hear this. You keeping a list going or something?”
“When was the last time you went for a run that wasn’t on the treadmill over at Spoon Island?”
October. “I didn’t bring my shoes.”
“Uncle returned the favor.” When Maddy looks at him blankly. “He packed a vacation bag for us as well. And considering how much of your workout gear he sent to Poland, we know he knows your size.” Nik adds wryly. “Do you want to go for a run?”
“Do you think you can keep up?” Maddy dares.
“I think so.” Nik rolls out of bed and offers Maddy a hand. Then he grabs the bag Stefan sent along. Opening it up, he hands Maddy her workout gear and grabs his own. Before long they are out the door and on the road. Nik has a zippered pocket where he stashes a enough cash for breakfast and coffee and maybe a couple of tickets back on the St Charles Streetcar.
Maddy looks over her shoulder at Nik. “I’ll go easy on ya.”
“Promises, promises.” Nik counters. He matches Maddy’s stretching motions and then falls in behind her as Maddy sets the pace. True enough she does go easy until she believes they are warmed up and then she opens it up into a long easy lope. Nik hasn’t been running as much as he had when he first moved to Port Charles– before the jag. “I’m going to be paying for this later.” He mutters. Still he shifts into a distance covering stride and matches Maddy as they make their way toward the downtown district as the sun starts to rise.
“This is Poppi’s stop.” Maddy signals to get off the St Charles Streetcar on their way back from the early morning run that had taken them down to Bourbon St. Nik had kept up pretty well. They both had their share of rust as far as running is concerned. Taking Mir for a walk every night is a good way to wind down but it isn’t exactly aerobic. They are definitely going to be feeling it later. Going to have to do something this afternoon that involved a lot of sitting.
Nik gets off the streetcar first and gives Maddy a hand down. They are still dressed in their running clothes but had stopped to pick up some danish on their way to Pete Robideau’s estate. Mir may or may not take food from Pete and Maddy didn’t want it to be an issue. Once he has her hand, he decides to not give it up but instead weaves his fingers with hers as they make their way up the side street.
They are quickly let in at the front gate. Maddy opens up the gate to the back yard and the kitchen door. Mir is already there to meet her. “Hey Mir, you being good for Poppi?” She ruffles the big dog’s fur.
“My uncle just got the dog a carpet and a water dish.” Nik shakes his head as he looks at the back yard. There is a kiddy wading pool, numerous toys and a doghouse with Mir’s name on it. If he looked in the house he would probably find a tshirt of Maddy’s. Maddy had pulled the same trick as Stefan in getting the dog to be comfortable but the doghouse hadn’t been there when they arrived last night.
“He wouldn’t be quiet.” Poppi says from the french doors. “I thought he was missing you until I came out this morning and one of the neighborhood bitches was in the back yard.”
“Mir, you little slut!” Maddy scolds the dog. “He didn’t get out?”
“The monster is too big to get out. The lady snuck in and stayed. I am still looking to find out where.” Poppi shakes his head knowing that there will be the canine version of a paternity suit to be settled come summer. “I didn’t start the coffee. You would just dump it out and make more anyway.” Poppi shrugs. His coffee is infamous.
Maddy pats the dog and then walks over to the french doors. She hasn’t spent a lot of time in Poppi’s house but even the short stay the night her mother passed she knows where the coffee is. She starts updating Pete on some of the things they’ve noticed about being back. “Granny Rosa’s house looks good. Granny Sophia supervised them putting the generator up in the attic. Just stupid to have it down on the first floor where it would be flooded anyway. And its so strange to see flowers outside. Only thing blooming up in Port Charles is Miz Lila’s greenhouse.”
“It wouldn’t be strange if you were down here.” Pete puts in his two cents worth. He pulls up a seat at the breakfast bar and points to the seat next to him. Nikolas takes the nonverbal clue. “I talked to the admissions officer at Tulane. They haven’t gotten your reply yet.”
Maddy winces. Should have seen that one coming.
“We went past the campus.” Nikolas interjects. He takes the coffee as Maddy offers it. “It’s very convenient to everything... except Maddy’s business, her friends, tough to find a place for Mir.”
“Nik.” Maddy shakes her head warningly. “Poppi, All my letters are back. I know I have to make a decision and let everyone know so they won’t be holding spots for me. Everyone has something to say. Aunt Dara is pushing for Michigan. Nik’s Aunt Alexis has been talking up Harvard when I see her.”
“She’s WHAT?!” Nik protests that one.
Maddy rolls her eyes. “Only around Aunt Dara cause she knows Aunt Dara went to Yale for law school. Don’t worry, Niknik, she isn’t breaking from the Cassadine party line. Poppi, I’ve made some really good friends up in Port Charles who are all going to Port Charles University: Lucky, Elizabeth, Emily and Ricky. And my tutor says it’s a good school.”
Pete gives Maddy a look.
“You get what you put into it, Poppi.” Maddy defends her decision and makes sure she isn’t looking at Nik since he probably thinks this is all his idea. “Because I have the kiosk on campus, I’m already up on the ins and outs. There is a lot of business in Port Charles. And not that it’s really a big deal but I’ve got residency up there now. In state tuition and all that.”
“Petite, you don’t have to worry about college money.”
“I know but it’s foolish to waste it when I can be investing it or putting it back in the business.”
Putting a squeeze of body wash on the puff, Maddy starts scrubbing the scent of the bayou off of her skin. Its actually the second shower of the day. The first had been after getting back from their run along the Mississippi River this morning. They’d run out the hot water on that one. The whole conserving water line is cute but a joke. Now two in Nik’s cast iron tub back in New York, now that was two bathing as cheaply as one– although a lot of water did end up on the floor. But this shower is going to be solo, Niknik had made reservations.
The airboat trip to the bayou had been interesting but a little too great outdoors. Concrete jungles are just fine with her. But it’s definitely something a tourist would do when visiting Louisiana. Today had been about doing the touristy things. Probably didn’t count doing Bourbon St at 5am on a run but there had still been enough action to give Nik the flavor. Not much of one but a taste. Not like a couple of weeks ago when Marti Gras had been in full swing. Then that part of town is a party 24/7 between the parades and the revelers.
The St Charles Streetcar which runs from the insanity of the downtown area up thru the Garden District up to Tulane and the Zoo. The streetcar had been busy but the evidence of their run had allowed a buffer zone around them. Really should do that Streetcar again with Nik when it isn’t rush hour. Course it could have been worse. It could have been a weekday. Then they might have ended up waiting until after the morning commute.
Tonight is the big show of the belated Valentine’s day celebration evidently. Nikolas had packed a suit and a tie. Mrs Lansbury would be so proud. A limo was going to pick them up because fighting for parking wasn’t part of the evening’s entertainment. From the swamp to Arnoud’s all in one day, it’s a good thing they’re here on a long weekend. Maddy turns off the water and reaches for a towel. If Nik is going to be wearing a tie then this is the big deal.
In the bedroom, Nik isn’t really watching as he casually knots the tie. Just because he didn’t like the suckers didn’t mean that he hadn’t been knotting his own ties since he was six and hadn’t rebelled from them really until he’d moved to Port Charles. He’d already received one piece of good news that he hadn’t been expecting this weekend. Maddy is going to be staying in Port Charles. That was a decision that he’d been biting his tongue over. Any pressure applied the wrong way and Maddy would have been off to the University of Timbuktoo– early admissions. Maddy Reynolds could set up shop anywhere and Poppi isn’t the only one who knows it.
“Oh you look handsome. Who needs to go out? I could just eat you up.” Maddy says from the doorway. She is dressed for a more formal evening out than the neighborhood seafood restaurant and hours of good music in a smoky bar. Even though Nik only has her by about an inch in height she is wearing heels making her long legs look even longer.
“Don’t tempt me.” Nik counters. “You look gorgeous.”
“You like?” Maddy does a slow twirl. “Your uncle bought it for me.”
Nik shakes his head. He isn’t going to bite on that. He knows better. “Do Stefan’s chess matches pay for all your new clothes?”
“Nah.” Maddy comes over and runs a hand down the center of Nik’s chest, down the unfamiliar tie. “Just the ones I can’t justify.”
“The way you look is justification in itself.” And because it is, Nik takes a step back. He looks around the room and sees Maddy’s purse and wrap. “We should be going. Granny Sophia warned me this place doesn’t care if I’m a Russian Prince... if we’re ten minutes late for the reservation they’ll give the table away.”
Maddy laughs at that but turns around so that Nik can do the gentleman thing and help her on with her wrap. Then taking his arm, they walk out to the waiting limo.
They are a striking couple and oblivious to anyone but each other. The dining room is elegant. Well dressed patrons at the tables around them come and go as the dinner stretches out. From soup through dessert the pace is leisurely. Nik and Maddy savor each of the dishes but prefer each other’s company and the wait staff adjust their service to meet that. Porter’s in Port Charles might be able to beat this place on this dish or that but for the overall ambiance and dining experience– Arnouds is a national treasure that just happens to be in New Orleans. Nikolas is used to this level of service from business trips he’s taken with Stefan over the years but Maddy is not. She’d stiffened up about the time they walked in the door. It had taken to just past the soup to get her relaxed and enjoying the experience rather than enduring it. That and Nik reminding her that she is into marathons not sprints. They don’t have any place they have to be– a refreshing change from Port Charles.
“You’re used to this.”
Nik nods. “Estate business and the like. It’s often times more... appropriate to dine out.”
“Oh so they can’t poison Stefan and lock you in some room and force you to sign over your inheritance?”
“Pretty much.” Nik agrees with a nod. “Minimizes the need for food testers that normal family gatherings necessitates.”
“Candy, you just used food testers and normal family in the same sentence.” Maddy laughs.
Nik winces but then laughs too. “I’m enjoying this.” He reaches across the table and takes Maddy’s hand. “I love my brother, Elizabeth, Grandmother and LesleyLu but this has been a wonderful... respite. For it to be just the two of us.”
He makes it easy to forget that they haven’t known each other long at all. Ever since Lisette died, Nik has made himself her rock. This time a year ago he would have been trying to make time with Emily Quartermaine. He’d rebuilt a damn house for Emily for goodness sake. “It’s a great place to take a vacation from your life. Let the Good times roll, right? Leave all the drama, or I should say, leave all your family drama up North. Mine is kind of spread out between here and there.”
“Granny Sophia is easy to be around.” Nik counters. “Not a lot of drama there.”
“Sure now. But back in the day? Granny doesn’t mind telling a few tales. Hell we should find out if she ever had any doings with your Grandaddy– powerful man stuck with your Granny Helena?! He would have been just her type. You saw the way she was flattering Mr Q. She just can’t help herself. Granny Sophia knows how to make men jump.”
“I think it’s the 44 she keeps in the kitchen drawer.” Nik suggests.
“Good point.” And so it goes through dinner talking about this and that. Maddy telling stories of New Orleans and Nik telling stories about trips abroad with Stefan or back on the island in Greece. Until Maddy happens to look around. “I think we’ve closed the place?”
The waiter notices their distraction and comes up with the bill. “I’ll take that when you’re ready.” He retreats back.
Maddy looks down at her watch. “That poor man. He should have been able to flip this table three times over for the night. We’ve probably ended up costing him money.”
Nik triples the amount he was planning on leaving for the tip so that it is 100% of the bill. When the waiter comes back to take the leather binder, Nik tells him. “Thank you; it was excellent.”
The waiter glances at the bill to make sure that everything is in order and that the couple has their copy and is suddenly grateful that he is not going to be splitting this tip with the wine steward. “Thank you. Please come again.”
“We’re going to be going dancing and this and that.” Maddy tells the waiter. “Where do y’all go after you close the kitchen for breakfast or dessert or whatever?” Once she has the recommendation, Nik escorts her out to the waiting limo.
“What’s that?” Maddy asks. Her wrist is covering her eyes.
“The sun.”
“Wow. I’m not used to seeing it from bed.” Maddy sits up and stretches. The leans over to the bedside table to check the time. For most people nine o’clock wouldn’t be considered sleeping but when your day normally started at 5 it’s like sleeping until noon. She collapses back against the pillows.
“And it only took three days and not getting to bed until 4am after stopping by Pete’s to make sure that Mir had food for it to happen.” Nik explains.
“Oh but come on it was worth it. Arnouds was great. I should have gotten the recipes for everything we ate, and Johnny Porter would so owe me his first born child. But come on, Candy, the place those guys go when they want to blow off the day?! Priceless.”
“It was good.” Nik agrees. It wasn’t something he thought often... nearly ever but maybe it’s being around Maddy with her influences. Nature and nurture do come to mind. Nikolas knows Stefan fears there might be too much Cassadine nature to be overcome by his uncle’s teachings. And now looking at it, maybe Jerry Jacks really is Maddy’s father. The girl is preoccupied with food– just like every Jacks he’s ever met– and the art of the deal. Because he likes his skin the way it is, he keeps his thoughts to himself. “Friday night was you. Saturday night was me... with help from Granny Sophia. What shall we do today?”
Maddy sighs and snuggles deeper into the cushy bed. Her eyes half close. “I suppose we could go shopping and get presents for everyone. And Granny Sophia told me Friday she wanted to do a Sunday dinner for us.”
“Don’t the shops open later on Sundays?” Nik inquires. The question offers a nonverbal subtext that Maddy isn’t slow to pick up on.
“Oh yeah. I’m sure they open up later– much, much later. Everyone’s sleeping, going to church, going to brunch. Why I’m sure that we wouldn’t be able to find a thing open until at least... noon.”
“What will we do with the time?” Nik sighs. He slides an arm underneath Maddy and rolls her toward him. Going with the motion, Maddy straddles Nikolas her hands resting against his pecs.
Maddy looks down on him, her face too serious. “Thank you, Nikolas.”
The teasing falls away. Nik sits up against the headboard adjusting Maddy so that she doesn’t move away from him as he does so. “I needed this too, Madeliene.”
“You could have picked Tahiti or Disneyland or something. You did this for me. And I won’t forget it.”
“Tahiti is my Aunt’s fantasy. We’ll leave Disneyland to Elizabeth and Lucky since he owns so much stock in the company. You and I have history here. History not shared with anyone else. New Orleans is where we began, Madeliene.”
Maddy wants to protest. They’d basically lived together for months as roommates before coming to New Orleans the first time and didn’t sleep together until after they’d returned– even if the sparks had been flying and it seemed to just be a matter of time. “I didn’t pick Port Charles University because of you.”
“You didn’t have to.” Nik agrees with a nod. “I’m glad you did. It’s easier on me to be close to my sister. But you could have gone to any school in the world, Madeliene. And that would have been fine with me. What goes on between us isn’t dependant on where we are. I can wait.”
Love to know what y'all are thinking. Sorry for the long delay. This has been a long chapter because I wanted to get it done in one, and a hard chapter to write.
Maybe it will make me sound psychotic talking this way about fictional characters but since this story is set in Feb.2001-- it's hard to write the story with everything that is going on now in New Orleans. The characters of GH have strong ties to New Orleans-- especially the Jacks family.
And because my writing has always been so Timeline driven... it's too easy for me to pop into these characters in 2005. Told you it sounded psychotic: Pete's house with it's big ass walls in the Garden district, Maddy's house down in the Lower Garden District. Tulane the school that Pete's been pushing Maddy to go to. Granny Sophia living alone down in the lower garden district-- would she have ended up on a roof? Granny Martine in the nursing home?Fictional characters when there is so much **** going on. Told you it sounded psychotic. Oh well let me know what you think and Reply, Reply, Reply.
Give someone you love a hug today,
Deb
