A Damaged Perfection

Chapter Forty Six

December 31, 2007

Maxie stood in the living room at the Quatermaine mansion surveying the family in front of her. They were arguing about what each other's New Year resolutions should be. Apparently they felt they could tell each other what to choose.

Monica told Tracy "You need to resolve to drink about ten less cocktails a day." Monica said this as she was sipping her third vodka tonic since dinner, where she had half a bottle of wine.

Edward added "And your lay-about husband might want to think about doing the same."

"Daddy, why don't you resolve to finally retire completely from ELQ? Because we all know that ever since I became CEO the company is doing better than it ever has before."

"You tell him, wife!" Luke knocked back his fifth drink of the night and beckoned for Alice to make him another. "My resolution this year is to find a way to get Edward to put me in his will. Eddie, you know you want to. I'm your favorite Quatermaine, ain't I?"

Edward grumbled "The day you start calling yourself Luke Quatermaine is the day I start looking for a hitman."

"Wouldn't have too look far," Maxie said, smirking.

Luke said "You'll come around., Eddie. I can tell I'm growing on you."

"You're growing into my couch, you mean, you lazy good for nothing bum," Edward told him.

"I take offense." Luke faked a hurt expression.

Tracy downed her drink and then said "Stop picking on my husband! You have never liked any man I married but you just love Alan's cheater of a wife. The woman who stole this house right out from under us. My resolution is to get this house back from that thief!"

Ned called out "Okay, okay. To your separate corners. This is supposed to be a holiday celebration. Get control of yourselves. I'm sure I don't need to remind any of you that this house is about to me flooded with business associates, city council people, not to mention the mayor. Do you really want to start off 2008 by embarrassing yourselves?"

Monica snapped "That's how Tracy started up 2007 and 2006, so it's a tradition for her."

"You're just jealous that I actually know how to have a good time at a party."

Cooper whispered to Maxie "Sorry about this. I didn't realize it would be so..."

"Loud? I bet we ain't seen nothing yet," Maxie said. She grabbed his hand and led him out into the foyer. "Let them battle in the new year. I have a better idea for me and you."

"Oh yeah? What?" he asked, smiling

She pointed upwards. He looked and saw mistletoe hanging there. Maxie smiled. "I noticed it when we came in."

Bending down he gave her a kiss. She took his hand and led him upstairs. He asked "What are you up to now?"

She winked at him. "Finding a way to make this holiday actually be fun."

XXXXXX

Monica and Tracy kept arguing.

Ned walked over to Julia and said "I should have went with my original thought and bought each of them a muzzle for Christmas. I won't make that mistake again next year."

Julia Barret couldn't believe how wild these Quatermaines acted when they were drunk. She would have loved a drink herself but the last thing she wanted to risk was lowering her inhibitions around Ned. Every since Maxie's birthday party last fall, Julia and Ned had started to repair their very tattered friendship. It took swallowing down a big dose of her pride to forgive him for not choosing her over Lois twenty four years before but she somehow managed it, because she wanted to stay in Port Charles and be near her son and his father more than she wanted to hold on to her anger.

That didn't mean she was willing to admit to Ned how much she still loved him though.

And have him admit back to her that he had never loved her at all? No she would keep her feelings her own best kept secret.

Though her hard shell might be cracking, it was hardly fully broken.

She said to him, as the family all starting yelling over each other, "I could get the hose."

He chuckled. "I've tried that before. Doesn't work."

XXXXXX

Maxie pulled Cooper into a suite upstairs. She started kissing him. He asked "Whose room is this?"

"Who cares!"

She was kissing his neck when his eyes spied a picture of an elderly woman on the nightstand. "I think this is Edward's bedroom."

Maxie started to unbutton his shirt. She kissed his chest.

Cooper loved whenever she did that. He was torn between giving in and stopping her.

"I don't think I can do this on my great grandfather's bed."

"Fine! How about on his floor?" Maxie shrugged out of her dress. She stood there in her white bra and panties, with her rounded baby belly, and shining eyes filled with lust over him.

"That works," Cooper said.

Maxie smiled as he took her into his arms. "Happy New Year, honey."

XXXXXXXXX

At the stroke of midnight, Georgie Jones found herself laying in Logan Hayes arms in his bed. It amazed her how right this felt.

Three months before they weren't even friends. She was just the girl who served him coffee at the diner and wished he would stop messing up his life so much, wished he would notice her instead of Maxie or Lulu. Georgie knew, even then, that if he just stopped for once and really saw her, they would connect.

She ran her hand over his abs. He caught her hand and held it, then dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Great New Year, doll. Lets spend them all like this- in bed."

Georgie looked into his eyes. "You'd spend everyday in bed if you could."

"With you, hell ya, I would."

With bitter sweetness lacing her words, she whispered,"I hope we end up back here again next year," before she kissed him and put an end to the conversation.

He might promise that they would. But Logan couldn't know that. Neither of them could really say how they would react once it was revealed who the father of Maxie's baby was.

Would that tear them apart? Would being the dad make him want a life with Maxie instead? Would not being the dad make him dive into a well of recklessness and booze?

The answer was months away and for tonight all she wanted was to make love to him again. This day was theirs for the taking- this moment perfect, undamaged still.

Georgie shivered as Logan moved his body over hers. She tried to kiss him but he moved back a little, and smoothed down her hair. Looking into her eyes, he said "We'll be here again next year. Count on it."