Lean On Me
Chapter Twenty Nine
Thursday November 22, 2007
Maxie's eyes almost bugged out of her head when she spotted Johnny Zacchara on her front doorstep in a heated conversation with Mac. She jumped out of her Saturn and ran over there. "Hey, what's going on? Are you here to see me?"
Johnny slowly turned around. "Hey there. Been a while."
Mac said "Your sister invited this hoodlum to our family holiday meal. I was just telling him if he had any manners at all he would have said no and its still not to late to do that."
"You know Georgie," Maxie shrugged "she can't stand to see anyone left out of anything. You know she'll be sad if you send Johnny away after he's already here. Its rude. Just let him stay."
Mac sighed. "Patrick is looking better and better. And that is a sad day when it gets to that point." He closed the door.
Maxie said "He'll come around. He always does. So you and Georgie?" She pushed his shoulder. "You dumped me for my little sister?" she teased. "What the hell?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Nikolas smiled at Sam as he walked into the living room. "You decided to join us. Good. Alexis is taking a call in the study but she should be along shortly." He walked over to the bar. "A drink?"
"I better not."
The way she was feeling about Lucky would surely make one drink led to ten. And that was not a great idea on Thanksgiving.
Nikolas poured himself on. "Where did the kids go?"
"Alfred took them to the kitchen for a snack."
"I hope that doesn't ruin their dinner." He chuckled. "I just sounded like Uncle Stefan there for a moment. Of course he would not have allowed my dinner ruined. He'd call me indulgent for not marching in that kitchen and putting the staff in their place right now."
"You always light up when you remember him. I wish I had the chance to meet him."
"He was closer to me than my father ever was. He raised me as his own. I'm sorry you never got the chance to know him."
She sighed. "That's just the way it goes for me, you know? I'm not part of everyone's history around here. It always felt that way with Jason, Sonny, and Carly. Now its that way with you and Alexis. And its always gonna be like that with Lucky. With his great big bond with Liz that goes back to freaking high school! And I'm okay with that! I just gotta accept that I'll never completely be a full part of anyone's lives here in Port Charles." Sam walked toward the bar. She was wearing a tight black dress. "Maybe I will have that drink."
"I'm truly sorry if I ever made you feel like less in this family. That was not my intention."
"No. I'm sorry," she let out another breath "Its not you. Believe me. Its....is Lucky getting back with Liz? I know I'm putting you in a weird spot but.....he is, isn't he?"
"I honestly don't know."
"He is."
"Sam," Alexis said, walking in the room. She stopped short and took in Sam's teary eyes. "Are you okay?"
"You know what? I should just leave. It was a mistake to come here." She grabbed her purse and her coat and then headed for the door as Nikolas apologized again.
Alexis jumped in front of the door, holding her hand out. "Not so fast! Its Thanksgiving. I overlook you not wanting to be around us much all the rest of the year. I know you haven't completely gotten over the events of last year...and maybe either have I....but this is a holiday, for goodness sake's. I need all my children here. So you will stay. Do you understand me?"
Sam nodded.
Alexis let out a breath. Then she hugged Sam. "Its never a mistake to spend the day with your family. Don't think that."
"Okay," Sam murmured.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Johnny told Maxie, as they stood on the lawn, "Hey, I enjoyed our date. It was you who said never again after Logan caught me in bed with Lulu."
"That was a dumb ass move on your part. You're on a date with me and you sneak off to screw her?" Maxie did a little spin. "Something wrong with your eyes?"
"You were all about Barrett that night, remember?"
Her face fell. "Well that's history now. Isn't it? A story to tell your grandkids cause I'm not having any."
"Me either."
"Well a story for Georgie to tell her grandkids then. Where is my sister anyway?"
"Your Dad yelled something at me about-and don't shoot the messenger here-her running around with...Hayes."
"Fucking hell."
"Yeah. I hope he's not coming to dinner too. "
"He's not!"
"Good cause that might get ugly."
Maxie walked inside. "Come on. I need to change and do my hair. You can hide in my room while I'm in the bathroom. Its best to keep the door open though. Mac has never shot first and asked questions later but you never know the day he just gets fed up with the men we bring home and starts firing."
"Lets hope that's right when Hayes gets back here with Georgie."
"If Mac don't shoot him, I just might."
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Cooper wondered where the hell Logan was. Here Cooper sat on Lucy Coe's couch, with a pop in his hand, and strangers all over the place. He was relieved when Serena motioned for him to join her in the den.
Once inside she said "Tell me he's coming."
"He'll be here."
"He's ignoring my calls."
"He turns off his phone when he's with chicks."
"Whose his chick?"
Cooper looked away. "I'm not sure."
"Change of subject...." Serena sat on the desk, crossing her legs "what do you know about Johnny Zacchara, the mob prince?"
"That he's a criminal."
"Okay, obviously. I did say 'mob prince'. What else? You ever met him?"
"Once. At a party earlier this month."
"What did you think?"
"He's on an express train for Pentonville."
"Do you always see life so black and white?"
"There are always shades of gray but in the end what matters most is what happened. Not what we wish happened and not who we wish people were."
"Some woman really put you through it, didn't she?"
"That's not something I want to get into."
Serena raised her hands. "This is me backing off. See....I'm nice."
He raised an eyebrow.
She added "You told Logan I'm some kind of rage-a-holic."
He chuckled. "No. I don't know you well enough to say that. But that mugger did ask to get checked out for broken ribs yesterday."
"I didn't shoot him. And he complains. How is that for ya, huh? Some people have no concept of gratitude."
"That right there is something that Logan could have said, word for word."
"Do you think I'm like my brother?"
"Yeah, I do."
"Is that a good thing?"
"To me it is. But not everyone would say so. Logan's my best friend but he's his own worst enemy."
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Logan drove for a while in silence. He pulled over, parked at the curb, killed the engine and finally looked at Georgie. "You mad at me, brown eyes?"
"No."
"You lying to me?"
"No. I wouldn't lie to you."
"Well you're not happy."
"Knowing you is a roller coaster and I don't know....I just don't know that I'm up for this."
"For what? Being my friend? Its only day two! How can you give up on day two! That's not hardly trying, girl."
"I'm talking about since we met. Its always up one day and crashing down the next with you. I'm sorry but I like stability."
"You're holding against me things I did to other people. That's bullshit and you know it."
"Please, don't curse at me."
"Why? You can't handle a little anger? You always get angry at me, Georgie. What about that?"
"Because I care! I'm the stupid girl who cares too much, Logan!"
"You're not a stupid girl," he said softly. "You're the smartest woman I ever met. And you're smart enough to know that just a little bit of tension between two people is no reason to throw in the towel especially when I'm here...asking you...to hang in here with me. Why do you think I came straight here to see you? Last night..." his words trailed off.
"What?" she breathed out.
"It was good, don't you think? After the fighting. It was good. We could be good."
She swallowed hard.
Slowly he scooted closer to her on the seat. His hand rested on top of hers. For a long moment they were both silent. Logan finally said "I think, girl, the truth is....you want a hell of a lot more than friendship from me and you have for a while. And that's why you get so upset so easily at me. Tell me I'm lying, brown eyes. Tell me you don't want me."
Georgie let out shaky breaths. With a teary smile she whispered "See...the roller coaster. Here we go up again."
Logan leaned closer to her, whispering in her ear. "Its not that bad of a ride. A little bumpy but I like it just fine." His breath brushed against her skin. "Georgie....don't you see? You make me happy. Give me a chance to make you happy. I know I could if you'd let me try."
She bit her bottom lip.
He looked in her eyes. "Go for day three with me. I'm just asking for one day at a time. Agree to give me day three at least."
(Last night I had a crazy dream.
A wish was granted
just for me.
It could be for anything.
I didn't ask for money or a mansion in Malibu.
I simply wished for one more day with you.
One more day,
one more time,
one more sunset maybe I'd be satisfied.
But then again
I know what it would do.
Leave me wishing still, for one more day with you) ( Diamond Rio)
Note- next chapter we drop in on the Spencer Family Thanksgiving, there is more Glo, and we once again see Sarah Roberts tackling life in a mansion far from home.
