Dream a Little Dream

Chapter 33

In the den off the living room at the Spencer house, Laura was at her desk reading budget projections for Deception's research and development department.

She and Lulu were planning to stay a few more days in Port Charles before heading back to New York. The den was Laura's office when she was in Port Charles. She was able to keep in touch via phone, e-mail and video conferencing. Laura took working from home seriously – if the door was shut, it meant she was not to be disturbed unless it involved bleeding or the house being on fire.

Her concentration was broken by a shrieked expletive from Lulu upstairs. Laura stormed out of the office as Lulu was running down the stairs yelling, “Mom! Hey, Mom!”

“Watch the language, Lulu!” Laura said sternly. “And you know I'm working. Where's the fire?”

“At my school!” Lulu exclaimed breathlessly.

“What?!”

“Shannon just IM'd me,” Lulu said. “There was a fire at the school last night! I checked the Times website, and they're saying the school sustained 'heavy fire, smoke and water damage.'”

Laura's eyes went wide. “Was anyone hurt?” she asked.

“The paper said no,” Lulu said.

“Thank goodness for that,” Laura said. “I wonder just what they mean by the damage?”

The phone in the den rang. “Go upstairs and see if the other girls know anything,” Laura said. “We'll talk in a bit, okay?”

“Got it!” Lulu said and scampered up the stairs.

“Hello?” Laura said into the phone. “Oh, hello, Ms. Ascione.”

Lulu did a prompt 180 near the top of the stairs. Ms. Ascione was her principal. Lulu flopped on the couch and waited.

“I'm glad no one was hurt,” Laura was saying. “How bad is it? Oh, my. Really? Mmm-hmm. I'm so sorry. Thank you for that. We'll talk more tomorrow? All right. Thank you for calling. Good-bye.” Laura hung up.

Lulu bounced on the couch. “Well, Mom?” she asked. “What happened?”

“The cause is likely electrical,” Laura said. “And the school's in really bad shape. They're not going to open this school year.”

Lulu stared.

“Where am I going to go?” she asked. Laura shook her head.

“I don't know, Lulu,” she said. “This is all so sudden. I have to think about it. Go chat online with the other girls and see what you're hearing from them. I'll think on it and we can talk it over with your dad tonight.”

“Okay,” Lulu said, and bounded up the stairs two steps at a time. Laura sat for a long time on the couch, thinking. Then an idea came to her. Humming a little tune, she went back to work in the den.

* * *

AJ knocked on Ned's office door at ELQ. Ned said, “Come in.”

“Got a few minutes?” AJ asked.

“Sure, Junior, what's up?” Ned asked. “I was going over some reports from marketing and can use a break.”

“So could I,” AJ said. Ned raised an eyebrow.

“I was wondering if it'd be too much on you if I took off for the next few weeks,” AJ said.

“This is pretty sudden,” Ned said, looking at AJ sharply. “Is everything all right?”

“Everything's okay,” AJ said. “It just that Carly, me and the boys haven't had a lot of private family time this summer. Jason waking up and coming home, Michael's lacrosse camp, Emily's shenanigans, the Nurses' Ball, everything with Jason and me – there's been a lot going on. And I always swore I'd take at least one vacation every summer with my kids. They grow up so fast – I realized that again carrying Michael to bed after the Nurses' Ball.”

Ned nodded. “I know, it seems like Brooke Lynn zoomed from schoolgirl to rebellious teenager in a blink,” he said, then rubbed his face in his hands.

“It's too much to ask right now, isn't it?” AJ said.

“No, I think it'll be okay,” Ned said. “And, besides, you'll be returning the favor for me this fall. Brooke Lynn has to go on college interviews.”

“Be glad to do it,” AJ said. “But I hope you take some time for you. You've been focusing way too much on work lately. Bring Eddie Maine out to play. I'm sure Hutch can squeeze you in at Luke's.”

Ned laughed. “I just might do that, Junior,” he said. “First thing though is helping Brooke get her demo tapes together for her applications. How long you going to be gone?”

“A little less than two weeks,” AJ said. “Michael starts school right after Labor Day. Carly's already got his school uniform stuff, so he's all set there. We'll leave early day after tomorrow. I'll make sure my calendar's clear before I leave today. Thanks again, Ned. You're a lifesaver.”

* * *

“Brenda!” Jax called from the living room.

Brenda walked out of the kitchen.

“What's up?” she said. “I was just starting lunch. Grilled cheese – I figure I should know how to make that if we're going to have a kid around.”

“I saw something in the paper today,” Jax said. “The Red Cross is holding an infant and child first aid class, with infant and child CPR instruction. I was thinking we should do that.”

“Yeah, I think we should, too,” Brenda said. “Let's talk about it over lunch.” Jax nodded, and Brenda turned and went back into the kitchen.

A little while later, they sat at the table and were munching on the grilled cheese sandwiches.

“Eat around the burnt parts and don't say anything,” Brenda said.

“Hey, they're pretty good for a beginner,” Jax said. Brenda smiled.

“You always know what to say,” she said. “So, when does this Red Cross class start?”

“This Saturday,” Jax said. “It's over at the Y.”

Brenda shook her head. “First aid, CPR,” she said. “God, there's so much we don't know. Medical care. Child safety.”

“We've got a lot to learn,” Jax said.

“It's kind of overwhelming,” Brenda said. “It makes me wonder ... are we doing the right thing? Am I cut out to be a mother?”

Jax set down his sandwich.

“Just by thinking about these things, you're showing you're cut out for it,” he said, reaching over to squeeze Brenda's hand.

“Once again, you know what to say,” Brenda said. “But what about the house? We have to think about a child being safe there. Electrical outlets, stair railings. Oh, God, the pool!”

“We can put a gate around the pool, it's easy,” Jax said. “And I'll call the architect when we're done to tell her to cover safety things in the plans.”

Brenda pointed at the pile of books on the coffee table.

“I brought home a bunch of parenting books from the library,” she said. “All they did was make me dizzy. Family bed. No family bed. Attachment parenting. Authoritative parenting. Pick them up every time they cry. Let them cry it out. And thank goodness I don't have to deal with breastfeeding – opinions on that are like some sort of holy crusade. But there's nothing in the books on the basics – what do they eat, what sort of medical care, what sort of safety issues.”

Jax thought for a minute. “You know,” he said. “Maybe we should set up a consultation with a pediatrician over at GH. We'll need one when, God willing, we adopt Benito. They can help us with information.”

Brenda nodded thoughtfully. “Good idea,” she said. “I wish I knew for sure we were doing the right thing. I mean, I know we have tons of money and can provide for a kid. But neither of us have been big kid people in the past – when was the last time anyone called us to babysit? And I didn't exactly have a parental role model with my dad. If we get Benito, he's going to need a ton of special attention to help him get over these first few years. Can we handle it?”

Jax pushed back his chair and beckoned to Brenda. “Come here,” he said, and Brenda came over and sat on his lap. “If anyone can do it, we can. It's not only the money. We have a lot of resources. Keesha can give us a lot of insight. We have tons of friends at the hospital. We've got a great support system in place. We can't be perfect, Brenda. We'll likely make mistakes. But we've got love and support on our side.”

Brenda nuzzled his neck. “I love how you understand me so well,” she whispered.

* * *

Courtney Matthews sat on a park bench outside the loft building where Jeremy Logan had bought the penthouse.

It was gloriously sunny, but the forecast predicted pop-up thunderstorms that afternoon, so Courtney had tucked an umbrella into her bag. She was looking through the fall J. Jill catalog for some new items for her wardrobe. Courtney saw some camisoles in vivid shades of rose, orange and turquoise. They'd look wonderful with my new denim jacket and my old white palazzo pants, she thought. And they'd go with that cashmere wrap sweater, too. She turned the page. Oooh, she thought. That coral print skirt would be great with a pair of brown boots.

Suddenly, the page was in shadow. Courtney looked up to see Jeremy smiling down at her.

“Hope you weren't waiting too long,” he said.

“Not at all,” Courtney replied. “Just indulging in some window shopping. Everything all set?”

“Closing went smooth as silk,” Jeremy said. “It's all mine, now. I've got the keys. Ready?”

“Whenever you are,” she said, and followed him into the building.

They got into the elevator, and Jeremy inserted one of the keys into the penthouse slot. The door opened into a wide foyer, with the massive space beyond. Courtney gasped at the sheer size of it.

“What do you think?” Jeremy asked as Courtney stepped into the main living area and slowly turned around, taking it all in.

“It's stunning,” she said. “You could fit the whole Nurses' Ball in here!”

She walked in a little further.

“And look at the views!” Courtney exclaimed. Both long sides of the room were almost entirely floor-to-ceiling windows. One side looked out over the river, Spoon Island, and the hills beyond the far shore. On the other side, the entire city was in view. The floors were stained in a rich cherry finish. On the far end was an open staircase, and three doors. Support pillars in the middle were faced in brick. The kitchen was by the entry – the cabinets were a light cherry and smooth-faced with large, industrial handles in brushed nickel. A six-burner professional stove, with an additional double-burner grill, was the kitchen's centerpiece, with a sleek metal vent hood above. Behind it was a solid panel of glass, backpainted in a metallic tomato red. The backsplashes between the marble countertop and upper cabinets were small one-inch square glass tiles, backpainted in silver.

Courtney walked slowly across the living space, looking around. She peeked in the three doors – two were rooms that could be bedrooms or office space, one was a full bath.

“Go on upstairs,” Jeremy called, following her.

The stairs were railed in brushed steel, with steel cables connecting the posts. Courtney climbed them and Jeremy could hear her gasp again.

The entire second floor was a master suite. The stairs opened up into a large space. To her right was a door, which revealed a large space that could be a sitting room, library or office. The windows were floor-to-ceiling like on the main floor. Going down to the other end, Jeremy and Courtney checked out the his-and-her custom walk-in closets flanking a short hallway. Then came the enormous master bath. The white marble floors gleamed. There were his-and-her vanities, with raised bowl sinks in sapphire blue glass, along with his-and-hers water closets. A jacuzzi tub big enough for two was the centerpiece, with enough space along the sides for scads of candles. A double shower with a rain shower head, six jets, and a handheld shower head was walled in marble on two sides, with simple glass walls and doors on the other walls.

“My God, Jeremy!” Courtney said. “This is ... amazing!”

“We're not done yet,” Jeremy said, crooking his finger. He led her over to the stairs that went up from the master suite. A door was at the top. Courtney opened it and stood slack-jawed until Jeremy nudged her from behind.

The rooftop had a large swimming pool, a container garden, and a screened-in entertaining area. Brick walls went up almost four feet up each side for privacy.

“Well?” Jeremy asked. “What do you think?”

“I think I'm in love,” Courtney said. “This place is mind-blowing!”

Jeremy opened the door to the screened-in area, where a round dining table and four chairs were. They sat down there and looked out over the rooftop paradise.

“I can see why you snapped this up,” Courtney said. “What are your plans for it?”

“I have some ideas, but I'm not sure,” Jeremy said. “This is so different than what I've had before. It's such a big space, I think I have to go big scale on the furniture, but I don't want a lot of cluttery stuff. A dining table that seats ten for family dinners over by the windows facing downtown. The other side by the river will be all seating, maybe an open bookcase of some sort as a divider. The bigger bedroom downstairs will be my home theater. The other room will be for guests. I'll have my office upstairs off the bedroom.”

“Sounds perfect,” Courtney said.

“Thanks,” Jeremy said. “I was wondering, would you mind if I left you for a little bit before dinner? I have some phone calls to make for work. I'll pick you up outside your place around six?”

“That sounds fine,” Courtney replied. “I'll have time to give Rosie her walk before dinner, then. I'll see you at six.”

* * *

Jason Quartermaine arrived home from his rescue squad classes to see Alice scurrying up the back stairs from the kitchen with a loaded laundry basket. Another maid followed with two large rolling suitcases.

“Where do these go, ma'am?” he heard the maid ask.

“One in the nursery, one in my suite, please,” Carly replied.

Jason furrowed his brow. Why would Carly need suitcases, he wondered. He grabbed a doughnut from the jar on the counter, ignoring Cook's growling about spoiling his supper, and went up the stairs.

He nearly collided with Alice as she bounded back towards the stairs. That would put me back in the coma, he thought.

“Excuse me, Mr. Jason!” Alice exclaimed.

“No problem, Alice,” Jason said. “Where's Carly?”

“In the nursery,” Alice replied. “Thanks,” Jason said, and turned towards it. Alice headed back downstairs to the laundry.

Jason stood in the doorway as he watched Carly and Leticia sort some of Morgan's clothes in the basket.

“This one, I think,” Carly said to Leticia. “What about this one?”

“I think so,” Leticia said. “Best with the way he likes to eat to have one shirt for morning, one for after lunch.”

Carly laughed. “Yeah, you're right there,” she said. “You finish here, and don't forget his seersucker suit. Then go finish packing for yourself. I'll go take care of Michael's stuff. He'll be home in an hour, and I want as much of his stuff packed as possible before then. Alice is doing mine and AJ's laundry right now, so we'll pack after supper.”

She turned towards the doorway and saw Jason.

“Hi!” she said.

“What's going on?” he asked.

“AJ called,” she said. “He got some time off at work, so we're leaving for the house on Martha's Vineyard tomorrow! We'll be gone about two weeks.”

Jason felt like a pit had suddenly opened in front of him.

“This ... this is pretty sudden,” he said. “What about Michael's lacrosse tryouts?”

“Talked with the head of the league a little bit ago,” she said. “He's Michael's spring league coach. He said it's fine, no problem. He and the other coaches have seen Michael play – they'll just assign him to a team. Practices don't start until a week after we get back, so he won't miss anything. I sent over the check and registration form after I'd called.”

Carly smiled and went into Michael's room. An open suitcase sat on the bed. Carly opened drawers and the closet and began taking out things to pack – three swim trunks, polo shirts, shorts, a couple of striped button-down shirts, a red cotton crewneck sweater, khaki pants, underwear, socks, sneakers, flip-flops, and a pair of little docksiders. She pulled out of the closet a navy blazer and set it on the bed – it would be put in last so it wouldn't get smushed.

“How do you feel about this?” Jason asked. “I'm sure you had things to do, now all of a sudden you're going out of town.”

“It's fine by me,” Carly said, rolling clothes and packing as she talked. “We usually go away for a few weeks early in the summer – either to the Hamptons or the Vineyard. But with you coming home, then Michael's lacrosse camp and the Nurses' Ball, we just didn't have the time this year. I would have missed it, and so would AJ. We promised each other after Michael was born that we'd always get away for a family trip at least once every summer. We want the boys – and us – to always have those memories. And it's good for AJ – he works hard, and he has to work late sometimes, so times like this are a chance to just play with his boys. I never see him happier than when we're there.”

Jason nodded, seething at the thought of AJ and those happy family times. But he wisely said nothing of those feelings to Carly.

“It'll be strange without you and the boys here,” he said. Carly laughed as she opened up a small toiletries bag and checked that toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, shampoo, a comb, sunscreen and sunburn lotion were in there.

“Enjoy the peace and quiet,” she said. “I'm sure you're busy enough, and Alan and Monica will enjoy some one-on-one time with you.”

Carly kept the conversation light deliberately, not avoiding the mention of AJ nor trying to push anything about AJ too hard. She didn't want to get into anything with Jason before leaving, or have Jason tangle with AJ, and then have to leave and let things fester for two weeks. She tucked the toiletries bag into the suitcase, then picked up one of Michael's polo shirts.

“He's getting so big,” she said, half to herself, half to Jason. “Every growth spurt takes him further and further away from me.” She sighed and rolled the shirt, then put it in the suitcase. “That's why vacations like this mean so much. It seems like only yesterday I was dipping his fat little baby feet into the ocean there, watching his toes make teeny dimples in the sand. And someday in the not-so-distant future, he'll be this surly teenager on the beach, tuning out his boring parents with his iPod.”

“What was Michael like as a baby?” Jason asked as Carly gave one last look to the suitcase contents, closed the lid, then put Michael's traveling clothes for the next day on the dresser.

“The best,” she said, setting a duffel bag on the bed for Michael to fill with any playthings he wanted to bring. “Not perfect – he could howl if he was displeased! We learned very quickly – and at the expense of a cashmere sweater I was wearing – that he didn't like beets. But all in all, pretty darn good. Want to see some baby pictures?”

“I'd like that,” Jason said with a smile. They left Michael's bedroom and walked down to Carly's and AJ's suite. Jason paused at the door. He'd never been in here since his return. He hadn't seen it since ... it was Edward's and Lila's domain. He lowered his head and blinked back a tear. Carly, looking for the photo album, didn't see.

“Here it is!” Carly said. She pulled a pale blue, leather-bound album from the bookshelf. Across the front, “Michael Spencer Quartermaine” was embossed in silver lettering. Underneath was his birthdate.

“Lila got this for us,” Carly said. “She and I had a lot of fun making this album. She'd tell me stories about Alan and Tracy, and you and AJ, as babies and little kids. I learned why Cook doesn't like kids in the kitchen.”

Jason spluttered with laughter over the memory. He and AJ had decided to make their parents breakfast in bed one Sunday – pancakes. It took Cook two hours on a ladder to get the batter off the ceiling, and the boys spent an hour scrubbing the cabinet doors, the floor and the countertop.

“I told AJ we should use the whisk, but he wanted to make the pancakes light and fluffy, so we used the mixer,” he gasped, wiping his eyes.

“Here's his first picture,” Carly said, opening the album. It was Michael in a bassinet at the hospital, wrapped in the standard blanket. Jason gazed for a moment, and Carly lightly traced her fingertip along Michael's cheek in the picture.

Another picture showed Carly – her face pale, her sweaty hair limply splayed on the pillow – smiling raptly at the little bundle in her arms.

Carly turned the page. The left page held a large photo of AJ holding Michael. Jason choked up seeing the adoration and awe in AJ's eyes. He looked quickly at the opposite page – photos of Alan and Monica, and Lila and Edward, cooing over Michael. He could see Tracy in the background rolling her eyes. Emily was shown proudly holding Michael.

“We brought him to see you,” Carly said softly. “I put Michael next to you in the bed for a few minutes, and we all told you about him.”

Jason looked away, tears in his eyes. Carly decided to let it drop.

She flipped a few more pages. “Here's the christening,” she said. Jason saw Michael wearing the ivory Quartermaine christening gown, five feet long, made of satin and antique lace. Godparents Robin Scorpio and Justus flanked AJ and Carly.

After thumbing through more pages, Carly came upon Michael's second birthday party – he was in denim overalls and a striped t-shirt. “That was when Luke dubbed him 'Chucky,'” Carly said, rolling her eyes. Jason smothered a grin. Luke had nailed it – Michael looked just like a Chucky doll in that picture.

“He was a cute little guy,” Jason said. All of a sudden, they heard a thunder of steps up the stairs.

“Speak of the devil,” Carly said. “I better go help him get ready. I'll see you later?”

“Sure,” Jason said. He waved down the hall to Michael, then went to his own room. He sat at the window and gazed out for a long time. Those pictures – everyone was happy, and he was absent, except for the visit he'd never remember. When that was happening, he was in his dream, beginning his career as Sonny's hitman. He should have been standing in the church as Michael's godfather, not Justus. He should have been there to bust out laughing when Luke first called Michael “Chucky.” But he wasn't.

Jason shook his head. Kevin was right – he can't wallow in the lost years. He had to look to today and tomorrow. And the next few tomorrows were going to be lonely without Carly and the boys.

* * *

“How'd it go with the architect?”

“Pretty good,” Jax said, setting down his briefcase. “I brought some sketches home. She said the gate around the pool would be no problem, and that safety things like covered outlets were a snap.”

Brenda smiled.

“The adoption agent called,” she said. Jax dropped the mail he was looking at.

“Really? And?”

“They want us to see Benito,” Brenda said. “We'll go to his daycare at Ward House and see how he interacts with us, one-on-one and with both of us. We've got a meeting tomorrow to set it up.”

Jax smiled.

“It's really starting to happen,” he said. “How are you with this? Any more worries?”

“Not really,” Brenda said. “I suppose I'll always worry – it comes with being a mother. But all I want is to see him, and to have him like us.”

“How could he not love you?”

* * *

Luke came home in the late afternoon from the Haunted Star for supper with Laura and Lulu, before going back to handle the evening crowd.

“Dad!” Lulu said, running to him and talking a mile a minute. “You'll never guess what happened! It's wild! It's --”

“Lulu!” Laura said. “Give your dad a second to catch his breath. We can talk over dinner.”

Luke smiled at Laura.

“Thanks, Angel,” he said. “I'll be down in a while.”

Luke went upstairs and took a nap. Lulu set the table, while Laura fixed dinner.

“Think he'll go for it?” Lulu asked.

“We'll see,” Laura said. “I can't make any promises, Lulu, other than we'll talk it over.”

Luke came back downstairs for dinner about an hour later. He sniffed appreciatively as he opened the kitchen door.

“La-la-la-la-lasagna!” he sang, mimicking the opening of “La Bamba.” Lulu giggled. Laura rolled her eyes.

“He'll still be repeating that one when he's 80,” she muttered. They sat down at the table.

“So, Princess,” Luke said. “What had you hopping like a Mexican jumping bean this afternoon?”

Lulu told him, tripping over her tongue in excitement a few times. Laura filled in a few things Lulu skipped over.

“Whoa,” Luke said when she finished. “Good thing no one was hurt, of course. But this puts us in a jam. We'll have to go down there and find you another school, stat. School starts in a few weeks.”

Laura decided this was the right time to speak up.

“Luke, I think Lulu and I have come up with a solution,” she began.

“You work fast, Angel,” he said. “What did you come up with?”

Lulu looked at Laura and crossed her fingers in her lap.

“Lulu can go to school here, in Port Charles,” Laura said. Luke furrowed his brow.

“I don't know, girls,” he said. “I don't like the idea of a sudden big change with everything going on right now, with me having to leave at a moment's notice.”

“We've thought about that,” Laura said. “And this is the best solution, Luke. I'd been wishing Lulu would be here while you were gone. I felt she'd be safer here, but didn't think it was possible. Now it is.”

“How were you thinking of managing it with work, especially when I go?”

“I can go to New York on Mondays, and work there through mid-morning on Thursdays,” Laura said. “Then I come home and work from here on Fridays and have the weekend here.”

“It's a lot of travel,” Luke said.

“True, but it's worth it,” Laura said.

“What about when you're not here, what about Lulu then?” Luke asked.

“That's why I like the idea of Lulu being here,” Laura said. “She can go to the Haunted Star while you're still here, or to the hospital, or to Vagabond or Luke's. She can stay with Mom after you leave. We've got Lucky, Mom, Bobbie and Amy here, as well as our friends. It's a good support system.”

Luke nodded, took a bite of the lasagna, and swallowed.

“So far, so good,” he said. “But I want to hear what Lulu has to say about this.” He turned to her with a raised eyebrow. “What say you, Lesley Lu Who?”

“I want to do this, Dad,” she said. “It's the best idea. It really is.”

“Really?” Luke asked. “You love New York, Lulu. Won't you miss it? And what about your friends?”

“I couldn't take off and have fun, what with that whole Orange Alert thing and all,” Lulu said. “And my friends are all scattering off to different schools. Shannon and Carrie are going to different Catholic schools. Cindy's going to the public school in her neighborhood, at least for now. And Heidi's parents are sending her to a day school out in Westchester somewhere. So I'd hardly ever see them even if I was there. Really, Dad, this is good. I won't be alone in a new school – I'll be with Georgie, Brooke and Serena. I was thinking I can volunteer with Georgie at Ward House after school twice a week. And Lucas will be at PCU, along with Dillon, Maxie, TJ and Diego. Please, Dad.”

Luke rolled his eyes.

“No need to turn on the puppy-dog face, Kiddo,” he said. “We'll work out the details, but, if this is what you and your mother want, I'm for it.”

Lulu jumped out of her seat and hugged him.

“Thanks, Pops!” she crowed. “I'm going to e-mail Georgie, Serena and Brooke right now!” She ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Laura looked across the table and smiled.

“Thank you for not fighting me on this, Luke,” she said. Luke shrugged.

“You're right, it seems like the best solution for now,” Luke said. “I know that this whole thing with me going away and Faison out there worries you more than you're letting on, and if having Lulu here makes it better for you, then I'm behind it. And I also like the idea of her being out of the city while I'm gone. But, Laura, we've got to impress on her that the Orange Alert still stands. I can't have her taking off and worrying you, especially while you're in New York. I'll call Lucky tonight and talk it over with him. Thanks for the dinner, Angel. I better get back to work.”

He walked over and kissed her, then left whistling. Laura smiled at her victory, then sighed. She still felt the chill of looming danger.

* * *

Courtney walked out the front door of her building. Jeremy was waiting there, leaning against a lamppost and looking around the neighborhood. He saw her, and she saw him smile. She'd changed her outfit, putting on a spaghetti-strapped dress in a paisley print of green, gold, tan, cream and brown with a mock-wrap front and an empire waist. She wore kitten-heeled sandals in metallic gold, a crocheted shawl in cream silk threads, a gold cuff bracelet, and hammered gold hoop earrings.

“Everything all set?” she asked.

“All set,” he said. “The Floating Rib all right? I haven't been there in ages. That was our special-occasion place when I was a kid.”

“I'd say buying that penthouse rates as a special occasion,” Courtney said with a laugh.

“We can come back this way afterwards and stop by Heather's,” Jeremy said.

“Okay,” Courtney said. Jeremy led her to his new car, a red Mercedes convertible, and they took off for the Floating Rib.

The maitre d' sat them in a secluded corner. Jeremy ordered a Macallan scotch, while Courtney ordered a Manhattan. They looked over the menu.

“I remember Mom would take me here every time I made honor roll,” Jeremy said. “It always made me feel so grown-up. It's hardly changed – better lighting, nicer tables and chairs. But it still looks like a special place.”

The waiter came over to take their orders. Jeremy started with a soup of Jerusalem artichokes, topped with fresh croutons and black truffle shavings, and ordered quail with pan-fried fois gras for the entree. Courtney ordered the caviar with grilled bread and blinis to start, then got the roasted duck with sauteed baby vegetables and black truffle risotto. Jeremy ordered a bottle of Chardonnay for them.

“Beats the ginger ale I used to get here,” Jeremy said.

“My mom would take me out for my birthday,” Courtney recalled. “Nothing like this, but she always made sure the place had cloth napkins. And she always let me get a Shirley Temple. I'd save the cherry for last. We couldn't afford to go out any other time most years, but she always made sure I had a special birthday dinner.”

“You have an interesting relationship with your mother, I take it.”

“In some ways, it was like you and your mom,” Courtney said. “Because my dad took off, it was her and me against the world. She had no family, so all we had was each each other. But our mothers were on the opposite sides of the values spectrum. Jeannine did a lot of things she should have been ashamed of, but wasn't, to keep us fed, clothed and sheltered. A lot of dumb rich men helped pay for my college. She sent me to expand my social horizons. I went because I never wanted to be in her position, with no other abilities besides running con jobs. I love her, and I respect her because she stuck around when my father didn't. But we're in totally different worlds right now, and it's really not about money. It's about how I see myself, and how she sees me, and herself.”

The waiter arrived bearing their appetizers, and the wine.

“Must make it hard,” Jeremy said after the waiter left.

“I have to keep her at arm's length now, and I feel cruel doing it,” she said. “But I have to. She can't operate any other way than running cons, always looking for angles, and I can't have her coming here and doing that. All my life, I've wanted to be somewhere that I could have as my place, where I'd belong in some way. If she ever came here ...” Courtney shook her head.

“She'd blow it?”

“To Kingdom Come,” Courtney said. “She couldn't just come here to see me. She can't turn off the urge to manipulate, exploit, use. It's served her well over the years. But I don't even want to contemplate what she'd do here.”

Jeremy nodded sympathetically. Soon after they finished their appetizers, the entrėes arrived.

“What sort of look are you going for in the penthouse?” Courtney asked.

“Something more modern, masculine,” Jeremy said. “But I want bold colors downstairs. Maybe curtain panels in red, or orange, or a really bold print. I'll go more quiet in the bedroom. The rooftop, I'm going to hook up a gas line up there for a big grill – perfect for parties. I want to have the kids and their friends over.”

“The kids?” Courtney asked.

“TJ, Elizabeth, Steven,” he said with a laugh. “It's silly, but I still think of them as kids, even though Steven's not that much younger than me.”

“It's really nice how you all get along,” Courtney said. “I never had any relatives. Is it going to be weird, after all those years away?”

“Yes, and I'm looking forward to the weirdness,” Jeremy said. “It's like you ditching the white clothes. It's a dramatic change, but it's a welcome change. I've been solitary too long. I'm looking forward to being surrounded with family.”

“And friends?” Courtney said.

“And friends,” Jeremy said, smiling across the table.

After they finished dinner, they headed back to the Waterfront District. After Jeremy parked the car, they walked over to Heather's pastry shop. They could see her in the back, putting the finishing touches on a key lime pie. Courtney waved to get her attention, and she came out, wiping her hands on a dishcloth. She gave a little start upon seeing Jeremy, something that amused him. Heather and Anne had never gotten along, to put it mildly.

“Hello, you two,” Heather said, recovering her composure. “What can I get you tonight?”

“We're here to arrange those cooking classes,” Courtney said. “Jeremy's going to take them with me.”

Heather raised an eyebrow, but kept cool.

“That's great,” she said. “When do you want to do them? I have Tuesday and Wednesday evenings open, and Sunday afternoons.”

Courtney looked at Jeremy questioningly. “Tuesdays would be best for me,” he said.

“Me, too,” Courtney said. “So, Tuesdays it is.”

“Seven o'clock,” Heather said. “We can start next week. Was there a particular kind of cooking you wanted covered?”

“Healthy meals,” Courtney said. “We'd also like them made in just single portions, or for two. We both live alone, so we don't want a lot of leftovers.”

“Sounds great,” Heather said. “I have a lot of good ideas. I'll draw up some lessons. Come by on Saturday, and I'll have a shopping list for you.”

“A shopping list?” Jeremy asked.

“Cookbooks you should have, and kitchen supplies,” Heather said. “You don't have to bring them to classes, I'll supply the food and cooking stuff. But if you're going to keep this up, you need the right tools at home.”

“Good point,” Courtney said. “I'll stop by Friday then and get the shopping lists for us. Thanks, Heather, I'm really looking forward to this.”

“It'll be fun,” Heather said with a hearty, and completely fake, grin. “Did you guys want dessert tonight?”

“We skipped dessert at the Floating Rib for this,” Jeremy said. “What do you want, Courtney?”

“Lemon cake,” she said.

“I'll have the summer pudding,” Jeremy said. “And we'll each have coffee.”

As Courtney and Jeremy sat at an outside table eating their desserts, Heather went back into the kitchen. She found a pastry bag filled with blood-red icing. Smirking, she picked it up and wrote out “Anne” on the counter, remembering the Diana Taylor case. She looked over her shoulder, then scooped up the icing with a rubber scraper and threw it away.

“Did I get a strange vibe from the two of you?” Courtney asked Jeremy.

Jeremy smiled sardonically. “Yeah, you probably did,” he said. “She and my mother hated each other. They fought over Heather's ex-husband Jeff Webber – Elizabeth's father. It got really ugly – Heather wasn't ... stable back then and cause Mom a lot of unhappiness.”

“I'm surprised you want to do the classes,” Courtney said.

“It was a long time ago,” Jeremy said. “Heather's changed. But it's still fun to be able to unnerve her a little. I think, even in Heaven, Mom enjoys that.”

“You're a devious man, Mr. Logan,” Courtney said with a laugh. “I like that.”

She made a pretty picture there, with her golden hair, glowing skin and dainty dress. Jeremy couldn't help but admire the view. Courtney saw the look and felt conflicted. She liked the admiration, and liked Jeremy. But she knew that if something happened, people would wonder and make trouble. Maybe Stefan would think she was running a con job and shove her off the mobile health clinic project. No, she decided. Play it safe. Don't let anything happen ... yet. She smiled at Jeremy and took another bite of cake.