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Chapter 25

"They finally made it! Thanks for joining us at the party thrown in your honor!" Emily yelled from the table where she was sitting with the other ladies. Her grandmother had come out of the house and joined them just before Liz and Jason stepped outside. Probably not coincidental. Somehow at these gatherings they always ended up separated from the guys unless they were eating. No matter how old you got somethings just didn't change.

"We were trying to avoid you." Jason shot back at his sister. She responded by sticking out her tongue. Too bad AJ wasn't here, they absolutely loved ganging up on their sister. Even together they were no match for Emily. She always won in the end. They were used to that.

"I'll go sit with the ladies. I can make sure that Emily doesn't come over and hurt you." Liz enjoyed watching them interact. Jason loved being a big brother and he was good at it. "Hi." Liz said sitting down in the empty space to Emily's right.

"Elizabeth that shirt is fantastic!" Diane loved to see what looks the young designer would be sporting. At the closing earlier today she had been in a lovely sundress.

"Thank you. This is the piece I wanted to get opinions on." Liz stood up and turned so that they could see the entire thing. "I made it this morning, and I'm liking it."

"I would buy it." Nadine told her friend. "I like that the fabric it isn't white. I've destroyed every white article of clothing I've ever owned."

"The contrast would have been too stark. I'm thinking of adding color to the mix. If make the pattern colorful those will probably be on either black or white fabric. If I make the fabric a different color I will need to decide if the ink is black or white." Liz told them deciding it was a keeper. "I have time, this won't be mass produced for a while yet."

"Tell us about the house." Georgie was down at the other end of the table across from Lila. Milo had mentioned the two of them maybe getting a house the other day. She would love that because she wanted to get a dog.

"First Liz needs to tell us about that ring." Emily pointed to her friend's hand. She had spotted it when Liz did her turn. Jason hadn't mentioned that when he was being sneaky about the house. "Is there something you want to tell us?"

"The house is stunning." Liz said playing dumb. "I can't wait until the work is done and we can have everyone over. I have pictures who wants to see?"

"Change seats with Emily so we can all see the ring. We'll get back to the house later." Georgie told her friend.

"Just raise your hand." Nadine was happy for her friends. She was sitting across the table from Elizabeth and had also spotted the ring. She just wasn't pushy like Emily. "I'm sure they can see that sucker from the space station. What stone is that?"

"Sapphire." Liz wiggled her fingers and grinned. "No we aren't engaged, and no I didn't have a clue it was happening."

"So you had a good trip?" Emily thought Liz looked okay, just okay. The skin under her eyes was a bit puffy which said she still wasn't sleeping so well. Emily had been worried about how her friend was doing while down on the tropical island. Not calling had been so hard, but she knew her brother had the situation under control. Her friend had been checking in but they kept those conversations light. She also knew that Liz needed the space. "Because that ring says you had a good trip."

"I did." Liz smiled thinking about it. "It was more beautiful than I would have imagined. I'm already anticipating when we'll go back."

"It's a quick flight so trips down are easily worked into the schedule. The summer is hurricane season so keep that in mind." Diane generally liked to go in the winter to escape the frigid temperatures in Port Charles.

Liz looked around the table. "Catch me up, what has everyone been doing while I was away." She had taken up enough time.

"Nadine should go first." Georgie nudged their friend. They would change topics for now, but at some point they would want to hear more about the ring.

"I found a wedding dress." The nurse practitioner said smiling wide. "So we set a date."

"When?" Liz got out her phone so she could mark the date. If they weren't all getting together tonight Cody might have mentioned this while they were at the house.

"Valentine's Day." Nadine had a lop-sided grin on her face. "I know it's hokey, but that is actual the day we met."

Liz created an event on her calendar and put away her phone. "What style dress did you go with?" She hadn't celebrated the day in years, and this would be a nice way to get back into the habit.

"Dropped waist with a sweetheart neckline." Nadine shared with the entire table because no one else had seen it yet.

"Who did you go with?" Emily had tagged along for an appointment when Nadine's sister Jolene couldn't make it.

"I went traditional and got an Angel Ellis gown." Nadine grinned at Liz. "It was recommended."

"When someone as talented as Elizabeth gives you advice you take it." Diane had herself worn an Ellis wedding dress. The woman was the go to for wedding gowns for a reason.

"That in and of itself is great advice." Lila said from her spot at the table.

"I'm going with one of her bridesmaid's gowns for the party." Nadine had already asked all her friends to stand up with her. "I asked for the ugliest gown they had, but apparently the Ellis line doesn't create upholstery inspired looks."

The ladies all laughed. Each one had been in weddings, and they all had a horror story to share. "What color are we wearing?" Emily wanted to know.

"Green." Nadine smiled at them. "I went with probably the most untraditional color, but you all look good in it."

"It also happens to be your favorite color." Liz was just happy Nadine didn't say red. That color on that day might be too much. "When can we stop by to get fitted?" Their dresses had to be ordered as well.

"If possible I'd like everyone to go in next week. Just tell them you are in the Crowell bridal party. Liz I'm looking forward to your opinion on the dress. No hints though." Nadine hoped her friend liked it. She was nervous dressing someone as talented as Liz.

"I'm sure it's perfect." Liz would say that even if she hated it. "Who else has news to share?"

"No one, so let's get back to that ring." Emily knew Liz wouldn't want to hog the limelight. "We want the story behind how my brother gave it to you. I want to be able to tease him for his lack of romance."

"Sorry Em, that isn't going to happen." Liz shook her head as she grinned. "The story involves him renting out an entire restaurant and me making an original dress."

"We need to see the dress." Diane was thrilled about the ring, but fashion took precedence.

Liz found the picture she had asked Johnny to take.

"Tell me this will be in a future collection." Diane would snap it up in heartbeat.

"In some form. I brought back the fabric with me." Liz already had a variation of the dress in mind for the spring/summer line she was creating.

"Dang." Emily said in mock disappointment. "I would take a picture and send it to Carly, but she's going to hurt my brother for the fact that she isn't here to see the ring in person. Of course that should make up for me not getting to mess with Jason." She said with a wicked grin. No picture would happen because she didn't want to steal Liz's thunder.

Liz laughed out loud as she listened to her best friend plot. She had missed her gals. They needed to get together for some fun as soon as possible.

Jason walked over to where his friends were gathered. "You got a new grill."

"I had to put my name on a waiting list almost eight months ago." Sonny said grinning at his new toy. "I think I may have actually skipped around my office when I got the notification that it had left the warehouse." There was nothing the mob boss could do to move his name further up the list. He had been checking his email every morning. "Now that you have a house you'll need one of these."

"Maybe not one so big." Jason looked at the massive grill. For Sonny it made sense to having something that could make enough food to feed an army. Jason would be content with something smaller. "I do need a stand mixer."

"I can get that for you." Sonny would make it a house warming present. The young couple wasn't going to need much and now he didn't have to worry about what to get. "One like mine?"

"Yeah. In yellow if that is an option." Jason asked his friend.

"What else do you guys need?" Francis wanted to know. He was sitting in one of the chairs.

"No clue." Jason admitted walking over to the outdoor refrigerator to grab a water. Because he was on the bike he wouldn't be drinking. "Do you register somewhere when you buy a new house? I know you do it for weddings and babies. Although I don't think we need much."

"It's a house, you will always need something." Francis said with a grin. "I'm thankful when something breaks I can call and have someone come out to fix it."

"Liz will tell the ladies what to buy." Cody commented looking over at where they were sitting. "We will just carry the boxes into the house."

"How long until the work is done?" Edward wanted to know. Hanging out with mobsters was now a regular part of his life.

"About three weeks for the interior." Jason also took a seat. "We'll know more about the external work in the next few days."

"Another big day tomorrow for Liz." Francis said smiling.

"We are excited to host the celebration for that." Edward was as proud of Elizabeth as he was of Emily. "Cook is going all out. Almost everyone has RSVP'd."

"Who are you waiting for?" Max wanted to know. He was sitting next to his brother. Milo hadn't said anything in almost fifteen minutes which wasn't surprising.

"Carolyn and Jeff have not said that they are attending." Edward told the group. "They flew out of state on Wednesday. Carolyn was invited to operate on a patient at Denver General." The surgery had been on Friday so Edward had expected to hear from them yesterday.

"Elizabeth won't be hurt if they don't make it. Her mother is one of the best pediatric surgeons in the country." Jason was not going to force his opinion on the situation. "She would want her mother to help the child who needed it."

"How is she doing? Really?" Francis wanted to know.

"She's working her way through things." Jason told everyone. Elizabeth was still having nightmares. Not every night now, but when they hit they were bad.

Diane walked over and every single guy stood up. "Make sure you see Elizabeth's new accessory and comment on it."

"New accessory." Sonny looked over at his partner and grinned. He was guessing a ring. "We will."

"Diane. Can I ask you a question, about fashion?" Jason was curious about something.

"Are you feeling alright?" The lawyer asked being cheeky.

"The shirt that Elizabeth is wearing, how much would you pay for it?" Jason wanted to know.

"More than she is going to charge." Diane didn't hesitate to answer. "Because Liz is the owner of a smaller label she can't charge couture prices even though she does couture quality work."

"She drew that pattern on her shirt by hand. This morning." Jason was still awed by that.

"That doesn't surprise me." Diane was getting that Jason was just now realizing the level of Liz's talent. He had always been her biggest supporter. No matter what he had been in her corner, but that had been about her as a person. Now he was really seeing Liz the designer. "I told her I would buy it tonight, right off her back, and I still mean it. That dress she wore in Puerto Rico." Jason would know which one. "I want that dress."

"The black one?" Francis remembered looking at the picture and thinking that was something his wife would wear.

"Exquisite." Diane summed the look up with one word. "When the fashion world finally realizes what they have been overlooking her star is going to shoot up." The lawyer made her prediction. "And I will have clothes that no one else does." She truly believed that in twenty years vintage Audrey March clothing would still be selling. "Accessory." She reminded the guys before going to join the ladies.

"She drew that, huh?" Sonny looked over at Liz.

"I was there when she did it." Max told his boss. "It's kind of fascinating watching her work. I stayed out of the way, but I got to see the image come to life. I may need to start dressing better." He said laughing. Today was his first day of jeans.

"You're fine." Francis knew his friend was just joking. "You'll also get the inside track on menswear when she starts designing that too."

"You get to meet the models too." Cody pointed out.

"They are underage." Jason didn't want Max to get into trouble, although Elizabeth would have warned her guard. "So don't go there."

Max nodded his head to say he understood. He was actually interested in Diane's assistant Clarice so the models wouldn't interest him anyway.

"Food's ready." Sonny said taking things off the grill. "Someone go grab the side dishes from the refrigerator."

"We'll all go." Jason got to his feet. Knowing Sonny there were a lot. "Grandfather will you tell the ladies it's time to eat?"

"I can. It's a dangerous job, being in the midst of all those beautiful creatures, but I'm up to it." He said grinning as he walked off.

"Your grandfather has swagger to spare." Cody said laughing. "Come on. I'm hungry."

"You look pretty." Jason was sitting on the arm of the chair when she came down the stairs. He put his phone away as he stood up. They had a lot of fun last night with their friends. The guys all congratulated him on his good taste in rings, but more importantly in women.

"Thanks." Liz said placing a hand on her stomach to calm her nerves. She had skipped breakfast because of the chance that it wouldn't stay down. Today she checked off the item that was at the top of her wish list. Even more than a show at fashion week. More than a trip to Italy. More than meeting her design idols, having a shop was the ultimate goal. And today it was going to happen.

She would buy the building today, then have a meeting with Cody and another crew head. In a few weeks she would move from her current workshop to the upper floors in the boutique. On the lower floor she would set up her sales area. At some point during that time she needed to hire some workers. Lots to do. Hopefully those things would lead to the others on her wish list.

She made herself take a deep breath. Looking forward was never a bad thing. Dreams were what inspired you. At the same time she needed to stay firmly in the present because it was her hard work now that would make those dreams a reality.

As she reached those goal Jason would be standing next to her. No matter what was going on in her life she would always have room for him. "Thank you for coming with me today." He was going to sit outside in the waiting area of the bank with Max while she signed the deed to the property.

He didn't intend to horn in her moment. He had planned on spending the morning in his home office and then picking her up once she was done her walk through with Cody. Today was about her, and Jason was aware that his presence could overshadow that. There would be times when he was the center of their lives. That was just how relationships went. Today was her day. "Thank you for asking me to come."

"When I walk out of the office you are the first person I want to see." Liz reached out and took his hand. "Professional success means more because I have you beside me." Having that balance was healthy and important. For both of them. "We should go."

"Yeah, we don't want to be late." Jason looked at the clock. Diane would already be at the bank waiting.

"Is that one of yours?" Diane asked looking at Elizabeth's outfit. A white shirtdress with a navy striped collar, a matching skirt, and blue cloth covered buttons. It was classic with clean lines and crisp colors. It could be business casual as is, or a bit more professional with a blazer. Or you could wear this out to lunch with friends. It was another multipurpose instant classic look. Even the dark blue pumps were on point. "If so why have I not seen it before?" Because of the blue in the collar Diane could wear that without being washed out.

"It is one of mine. I thought that today it was important to wear something I created to sign the paperwork." Liz told the attorney. "This is actually a piece from my first ever collection. The one I had to create at the end of my senior year to graduate from college. This was my ladies who lunch look, but it's always been one of my favorite pieces." She explained why she selected the piece. "I haven't had a place to wear it and I couldn't bear to part with it." She still had each of the twelve looks she had to create.

"You got an A, correct?" Diane was hoping a look similar to this found its way into a future collection.

"Highest grade in the class." Liz said bragging on herself a little.

Diane looked over and the manager, who was handling the sale nodded to them. "It appears that they are ready for us." The attorney smiled at her friend. "Take a deep breath." When she started her firm she had this same feeling. Fear mixed with excitement. Knowing you were taking a huge step, but that it was the right one.

"Okay." Liz nodded, she was ready.

"Gentlemen, we'll be back." Diane told the guys who were waiting for them. "After you." She told Elizabeth. It was time to buy a building.

"Did Francis contact you?" Jason asked Max.

"There was a message waiting on my phone." Max told his boss.

Jason just nodded. They wouldn't be discussing this here, but he just wanted to make sure Max was in the loop. Johnny and his crew landed at a private airstrip at three this morning. With Zander Smith in tow. At some point over the weekend Jason would be wrapping up that loose end.

"Seems like déjà vu doesn't it?" Diane smiled as Elizabeth signed the deed to her new boutique.

"Lots of happy going on this week." Liz nodded as her stomach finally settled. For some reason she had been convinced that something was going to go wrong.

"All of it deserved. You worked hard to get to this point." Diane handed over the check. Today's closing had been a little longer because Liz had to sign the papers for her tax break. Still they had managed to get everything done in just over thirty minutes.

"Let me get a receipt." The manager of the property department said stepping from the room.

"How excited are you to finally be able to go into the building?" Diane had read Cody's report after the inspection. Liz was planning to gut the place and start over so the damage wasn't disheartening.

"I don't think I have words. I haven't been over there since the morning I called you to ask if you could help me obtain the shop." Liz admitted to her friend. "I was convinced that if I walked or drove by I would see a sold sign replacing the bank notice. It just seemed too good to be true that there would be a foreclosure in that neighborhood that I might be able to afford. This time last year I couldn't have afforded it."

"Hard work pays off in the end." Diane firmly believed that.
"Now you have a company headquarters and shop where you will make me beautiful clothes to wear. I am looking forward to wowing everyone at the Nurses' Ball this year, just like last year."

"Okay. Here is the receipt and the keys. Congratulations Ms. Webber." The manager held out his hand. "Good luck with your business."

"Thank you." Liz looked down in her palm where the key to her boutique rested. "I need to go see Jason." She put her copy of all the paperwork in her briefcase.

"Then let's do that." Diane took the envelope with her copy of the paperwork. Just like she did yesterday she would file these.

Liz walked out the door and over to where Jason was waiting. "I own a building." She said as the tears started. "It's real." She showed him the key.

"You are going to do amazing things in your boutique." Jason pulled her close and gave her a hard hug.

"I want to go to the building now." Liz said almost bouncing on her toes. Excitement was coursing through her system.

"Cody is here." Jason pointed to his friend. "So we can head over now. Are you joining us?" He asked his attorney.

"If Elizabeth doesn't mind. I've never purchased a building sight unseen before. Well the interior anyway." Diane wanted to see just how bad it was.

"I would love to have you come along. I wouldn't be here without you." Liz created the business but Diane had made the boutique's location happen.

"I'll follow you over." The attorney said getting them all moving.

Liz put the key in the lock and had to blink back more tears. The windows were covered with paper so you couldn't see inside. That probably wouldn't change until she was ready to open. The musty smell she had been expecting at the house was definitely here. "White may have not been the best choice."

"Actually it's pretty clean inside." Cody was standing behind her along with Jason and Diane. "When I had the inspection done I also sent in a crew to clean up some." He knew she was buying the place. "I didn't want anything dangerous lying about during your first visit." What the crew hadn't been able to do was air the structure out.

"Thank you." Liz said smiling over at him. They all took care of each other in big and little ways. "Would you mind waiting outside for a minute?" She asked her guy.

"Not at all, come get me when you're ready." Jason said giving her a kiss.

Liz walked inside alone and got her first look at the space where her business would grow. There was obvious damage, but that would be repaired. The floors were dull, but they would shine again. She just stood in the empty room and took it all in. With a soft sigh she gave a smile that was just a bit sad. "Look Gram. Look what I've done with what you taught me. From flower covered shorts to my very own store. I hope you are proud of me." She closed her eyes and swore she felt a breeze in the still room. With a smile that was a lot brighter she opened her eyes and went to get Jason.

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