Sticky Notes- It was time for some mystery and some much needed character development. I know in real life Hector is much older than Kathleen Marshall but for all intent and purpose I made Joe and Charlotte much closer in age. Pay special attention to the last line. It's very close to Joe's line in PD2
Chapter disclaimer: I do not own Myspace or General Hospital, but without them I would have to re-name my story and as a certain special queen said to me, it's a great title! (paraphrase)
While Joe and Charlotte found their hotel and checked in, Clarisse called Charlotte.
"Yes ma'am. The Princess looks wonderful. We just got checked into our hotel and we're getting ready to go to bed."
"Two queen size beds. Yes your majesty, one moment." Charlotte gave Joe a look and handed him the phone.
"Your majesty?" He asked pulling off his left boot.
"Why are you staying at a hotel and not the Genovian Consulate?"
"Because Charlotte didn't feel the need to open up the entire consulate just for herself."
"You are sharing a room. Your expenses are paid for why are you sharing?"
"We are here together and it works better."
"What will people say, Joseph?"
"Right now? I think the headline would read Queen bitter with jealousy stalks head of security." He teased.
"I am not jealous. Nor do I believe that- what a minute. Charlotte isn't one of the women in your past is she?"
Joseph began to laugh and fell backward on the bed.
"No Charlotte is much too thin for my taste. I like women with a little more meat on their bones. You have nothing to worry about. I will leave you alone as you requested and who knows maybe I will meet someone new. Anything else I can help you with your highness?"
The phone disconnected without another word.
"What was that all about?"
"It bothers her that you and I are sharing the room together. Then she questioned if you and I had a past."
"You didn't tell her evidently."
"That you're Dom's girl?"
"Partially."
"No I didn't tell her. I'm going to take a shower and then I'm going to bed. Do you need the bathroom?"
"No I think I'm all right. Besides I promised to call Dom when we got in." Charlotte said not looking at him directly.
"Tell loverboy I said hello and that Mia loved the treats he sent her."
"I will do that."
Clarisse did something she hadn't done in nearly six months. She put on her jogging sweats and went for a run. She wasn't altogether sure if she was running for exercise or her thoughts of Joseph. She felt foolish for suggesting that there was any impropriety between he and Charlotte. What had her thinking come down to? Whatever her reasons were she ran for what seemed like miles. Shades suggested that he follow her in the golf cart but she had declined stating that she needed time to be alone.
She had run at least four miles when she heard the sound of a motorcycle coming closer so she stopped. The mountain of a man road in his leather jacket, sunglasses and black Harley bandana.
"Hello Gorgeous." Dom said pulling beside her. "You running to the restaurant? I woulda sent Eddie to come get you."
"No I was just out running. It feels good to just let go and add endurance behind it."
"No offense darlin' but endurance for me is watching football on Monday nights."
"Oh you silly man! Joseph tells me you are doing remarkably well at the gym."
"Mr. Decathlon? Don't tell on me but I don't walk on the treadmill. When he goes to do that walking skiing thing that is in front of the treadmill, I go out and flirt with the girls in the aerobics class. He always goes for an hour so I slip in and walk real fast for five minutes to get sweaty and then we leave.
"Shame on you!"
"It ain't that I don't wanna lose weight but I get tired of walking on a machine for an hour that gets you nowhere. I'd rather swim or something."
"That makes sense to me Dominic. There is a pool at the Sports Arena Center in Esquire City. My friend Anne Edwards owns the place. I believe that's about fifteen minutes from your restaurant."
"Yeah? I'll look into that. I need some stuff that will help me lose weight and get my frustrations out."
"Why not try boxing? My father used to box. He didn't fight people but I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley. If you'd like I can call Jasper at the club and see about some personal training."
"I'd love that. But can you promise to keep it a secret from Charlotte and Joe? I don't like to spread my business all over the place."
"There's a lot I care not to tell Joseph right now. No problems there."
"Hey listen, I'm on my way to the Golf Club to have breakfast. Would you consider joining me? I can get a private table overlooking the lake."
"The Golf Club? You didn't strike me as a man who plays golf."
"I don't. I hate the sport truth be told but one of the kids from the Pig Tails, her father owns the place. I have breakfast there once a week. You game?"
"I am. But will you please drive me back to the palace so I may change into better attire?"
"Your chariot awaits my queen." He said helping her on the back.
"Charlotte!"
Charlotte sat bolt upright up in bed.
"Joe what are you doing in my room?" She shouted.
"Focus. We are in San Francisco. You were talking in your sleep." He chided.
"What? I was not!"
"Oh yes you were." He teased.
"Oh really and what did I say?"
"You were telling Dom all about the pleasures of the shoulder massage he was giving you."
"Liar!" She said throwing a pillow at him.
Joseph whipped out his cell phone and handed it to her. "Press the middle button to play." He said biting into his Granny Smith apple.
Dom you have the hands of an artist. They feel so good on my neck. Yes right there. Oh that is perfect!
"I can't believe you! There I erased it!"
"Already sitting on my server on the computer. I uploaded it while you were telling him all about his resemblance to Darth Vader. Do you think I'd so liberally hand you my phone otherwise?"
"I have no idea why her Majesty is in love with you. You are positively the most annoying man on the planet."
"That's not what you said when you were eighteen and begging me to take you to Crooner's Cove."
Charlotte blushed deeply at that memory. For a brief time that summer Charlotte was convinced that she had feelings for Joseph. One night while he was working on his motorcycle she appeared out of the moonlight. He was quite muscular in those days and had an entire fan club of teenage girls that followed him everywhere. Even then his eyes had been on the queen.
"It's so pretty out here. You can see every star in the sky." Charlotte said excitedly.
"I bet you're right. What are you doing out here?"
"I was hoping you could take me for a ride on your motorcycle."
He stood up and smiled at her. He was only 22 then.
"And where would we go, Lotti?"
"I don't know. I heard there is an even better place to see the stars in Crooner's Cove."
He flashed his million-dollar smile at her.
"And that's the only reason you want to go is to see the stars?"
"Well I guess so. What other reason would there be?"
"Charlotte, I would love to take you to Crooner's Cove but you see if all the other girls saw us there together well they would be heartbroken. They would never understand our joy at looking at the stars."
"I guess you're right." She sighed and he knew she was disappointed but he hadn't been cruel in his rejection so he went back to working on the bike.
"Joe?"
"Yes?"
"Can I have just one? I promise not to tell. It's just that well I've only ever kissed one guy when I was thirteen and he was like a toad."
"You can't kiss people just because Charlotte."
"Please Joe. You are like my best friend and if I'm going out into the world then I want to know that not all guys kiss like toads."
"And how do you know that I don't."
"I saw you kiss her Majesty. Oh don't worry I won't tell especially because she knocked you into the duck pond."
He looked at her in astonishment and then for no other reason than what he could muster he walked up to her, wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed her into the dizziness. When he finished she blushed so soundly and then ran from him like he had bitten her. For the rest of the summer everytime he saw her she would blush and giggle."
"Oh that was a cheap shot! I was barely out of being a teenager and for some weird reason I developed a stupid crush on you."
"A crush? More like obsession. Do you realize what a risk I took?"
"I didn't tell anyone besides her Majesty wasn't paying much attention to you back then."
"I was wearing her down and I wasn't talking about me. If Dom had or ever catches wind of that kiss I might as well be dead."
"It would've been worth it."
"Are you saying you liked the way I kiss?"
"I don't want your ego being as big as Genovia but I will say that if you keep kissing Clarisse that way she won't run for long."
He chuckled. "You and I always did have the strangest conversations but thank you. I hadn't really had much practice that summer. You wanna see if my credentials are still up to date, Blondie?" He said winking at her.
"One move and I tell Mia how you and Clarisse got busted skinny dipping by King Rupert."
"I was merely joking but if you want to go that route we weren't skinny dipping I was saving her. And then I could tell Dom all about that cardboard cut-out you have in your closet of John Goodman and how you kiss him every morning."
"What? How do you-"
"I'm the head of security. But don't worry I think Shades has you beat in strange morning rituals. I will leave it at that. Shall we call a truce?"
"We better otherwise one of us is facing pain and humiliation."
"Deal." He said and as soon as her hand was in his he had her pinned to the mattress and laughing hysterically as he tickled her.
"JOE!!"
The banging on the door had them stopping immediately. Joe walked to the door.
"I have a package for a Mr. Joseph De Carlo."
"That's me."
"Sign here please."
"What is it?" Charlotte asked.
Joseph opened the box and in it found exquisite silk gown in silver.
"It's that silk nightgown Clarisse saw in Rosetta's when we were here last. What does the card say?"
A knight in shining armor needs his lady of the night to shimmer. Consider this the wrapping on a very elegant package. Best Wishes, Grace
"Lily sent it as Grace. I wonder how she knew Clarisse wanted it." Joe said puzzled.
"Let's go see the girls."
When Joe and Charlotte arrived on the scene at Mia's apartment both Lily and Mia were engrossed in General Hospital the soap opera.
"Think what you want Lily, Jason Morgan is hot!"
"I didn't say he was bad looking but I like Sonny Corinthos. Now that is a gorgeous man."
"Yeah if you like tall, dark and sinister."
"Well at least we agree on him." Lily said pointing to the blonde on the TV.
"Luke Spencer. He's like fifty and still the hottest man on daytime."
"I thought I was the hottest man in daytime." Joe said surprising the two girls from behind them.
"You are but you aren't on TV." Lily confided.
"Speaking of daytime and now evening, Miss Lily thank you for the lovely gown I'm sure Clarisse will love it."
Lily and Mia looked at each other confused.
"I didn't send anything to you."
"Look at this card. Isn't that your writing?"
Lily and Mia read the card and then at Charlotte.
"I guess we better come clean Joe." Mia said moving to her sofa.
"About what?"
"Lily is not really Grace. To be honest we don't know who Grace is."
"I'm lost and that's a new one for me." He said sitting beside her.
"The truth is Grandma is on Myspace and she's on your page all the time. She saw that Grace was moved to your third position on your friends list and she got curious. She knows that I know a lot about Myspace so she asked me to find out who she was. I couldn't ask you directly so Lily and I gathered what we knew of her and tried to trick you into telling us things about your conversations."
"How did you know the names for the messenger?"
"Grace posted the names in her blog with a note saying she was having problems with the server and she wanted to ensure she had the names right."
"Then if you aren't Grace, who is?" Joe said looking from Lily to Charlotte.
"It isn't me Joe. You know I'm no good at lying." Charlotte defended.
"Well one thing is certain. Grace has got my full attention. It's time to smoke the monster out." Joe said a look of fierce determination in his eyes.
From the TV, Sonny Corinthos in his most ominous voice threatened Edward Quartermaine "If you hurt my girl I won't be responsible for my actions and whatever I do to you remember I got foxholes all over the world. That's what I like to see, the look of fear in a man's eyes knowing I put it there. Watch your back old man."
