CHAPTER FOUR

A week had gone by, and the sun shone brightly on that summer afternoon, and Tracy Quartermaine had just returned from her appointment with Dr. Meadows. The dates had been figured in…Coleman was indeed the father. She needed to clear her thoughts, so she headed to the pier, not expecting to run into Jax.

"Jax," she said. "Hello."

"Tracy! Just the person I wanted to see."

"Really?" she said, confused.

"You, uh, left me a voicemail last night?"

Tracy realized, "Oh, right."

"Sounded serious. What's going on?"

"I um, well, I have a proposition for you."

Jax responded quickly, "Oh no. The answer is no."

"Will you at least hear me out?"

"Fine."

Tracy simply stated, "I need to step down as CEO of ELQ."

"Why?" he was curious.

"Details are irrelevant," she answered, nonchalantly.

"Well, before I listen to your proposition, I'd like to hear these so-called 'irrelevant details.'"

"Were you always so annoying? Listen, Jax. I NEED to step down. That is all I am going to tell you."

"Then where do I come in?" he asked, curiously.

"Well, I obviously need a replacement. That's where my darling son, Ned, fits in. However, he is not going to consent."

"He may surprise you," Jax noted.

"No. He is too busy with his L&B nonsense to give a damn about the real business world."

"You still haven't answered my question."

"Don't play foolish," she warned. "You already know the question."

"You want me as CEO?"

"Precisely," she responded with a smile.

"I don't believe you. You would never ever give ELQ to an outsider."

Tracy clarified, "Not permanently."

"WHY are you resigning again?"

"Memo to Jax: Details. Irrelevant. Remember?"

Jax sighed.

"Are you going to help me or not?"

"Well, I am capable of running ELQ," he insisted.

"Yes you are."

"But this seems too unbelievable."

"Perhaps it is," she agreed. "But I do not have any other options."

"So when are you going to announce this big news?"

"Big news?" Tracy felt a wave of heat come over her. "Oh," she smiled. "Right. Big news."

"You all right there? Marriage to Luke Spencer isn't making you crazy, is it?"

"Oh, that's debatable," she laughed. "Wait. So you're agreeing?"

Jax nodded.

"Good. I need your word that you are not going to double-cross me."

"You trust my word?"

Tracy nodded, "I do."

"Then you have it. I will agree to taking over the position as CEO of ELQ."

"Temporarily," Tracy added.

"Temporarily," he repeated. "And yes, the company will be yours the moment you want it back."

Tracy laughed, "I knew I liked you."

Jax smiled slightly.

"I am going to call an emergency ELQ board meeting within the next hour. And you, my friend, will not have any idea as to what is going on."

"You want me to lie?"

"Uh-huh. I'll see you later."

As Tracy left the pier, she recalled her reasoning for going their in the first place. Evidently, it was a lot harder to find privacy in Port Charles than she thought. She continued walking and ended up in the park, which was surprisingly empty. After debating whether or not the bench was too filthy for a woman of Tracy Quartermaine's caliber to sit on, she took a seat anyway and sighed.

Luke Spencer is not the father of this child. Mitchell Coleman is. Wow…oh God. No, it's fine. Luke believes he is the father, or at least he's pretending to be the father. So the Quartermaines will believe it to. I…Oh…this is just…I have…I have to do something. What am I supposed to do again? Uh…Board meeting. That's it. Call a board meeting.

She stood up and returned to the Quartermaines.