CHAPTER 50
A few days passed when Carly, at the desk at the MetroCourt, saw a very determined Skye march up to her. She had been avoiding the redhead, but not for the normal reasons. AJ agreed with her to let as few people as needed know that she had decided to back out the of the deal for The Palace. In the back of her mind, Carly knew Skye would need to be one of them, but she really didn't want to involve the other woman. There were a lot of issue why Carly had stopped it and Skye had a history with a few of them.
Sadly, by the look on her face, Skye would be finding out, whether Carly wanted her to or not. "What the hell happened down there? AJ told me you're not going through with it," she said.
"Yeah, turned out it wasn't as sweet of a deal as I first thought. Besides, there were not a lot of welcoming faces there to see me," Carly told her.
"Well, I'm sure that with your history with Todd, Blair may have had a word or two about it," came Skye's sly comment.
Carly smiled. "Actually, she was the most welcoming."
"Really, Blair? After whatever it was that happened between you and Todd?" That made Skye laugh. "I know what it's like being the woman that comes between Blair and her men, even if she doesn't want them anymore. You're lucky she didn't take a shot at you."
"Look, in all honesty, nothing happened between us. Blair and I get along very well, in fact, from the first time we met," Carly defended herself. "Now, Tea, on the other hand…"
"Well, Tea's still touchy about Todd killing her husband and then Todd switching her baby," she replied.
Carly thought for a minute and decided it was well enough known for Skye to know. "Actually, Victor wasn't dead." The other woman's eyes looked like saucers. "It's a whole long thing but, yeah, Todd didn't kill him. However, Tea still holds my sheltering of Todd against me and from the look of it, so did the owner of the hotel."
"Renee? Yes, my former mother-in-law would. But then again, there's a Todd Manning Haters Club in Llanview and he's done enough to her for her to have a membership."
Now Carly was intrigued. "Renee was your mother-in-law?"
The redhead smiled slyly. "I wasn't aware of it at the time, but one of my husband's was adopted and learned eventually that his biological parents were Asa Buchanan and Renee Divine. Needless to say, it was not something a lot of people knew and fewer wanted made public." Skye pointed at her. "It was actually your buddy who spilled those beans."
The thought of Todd made Carly uncomfortable. It was evident from the first moments she was in a room with the two of them there was a lot of bad blood, but after what Blair had told her, she didn't think she could handle Skye taking out a decade's old vendetta on the two. "Look, there were a lot of other factors that eventually went into the decision," she said, hoping to end the conversation.
Skye seemed to take the bait. "Like what? You taking business advice from an idiot? Who doesn't want to expand their real estate portfolio, especially with a tasty morsel like The Palace?"
"Like the fact that I'm pregnant with your niece," Carly retorted in frustration. Skye actually looked chastened by that. "It's too far and I have too many other worries to consider." To shut her up further, she decided to add, "AJ agrees with me."
"That could be a problem," Skye said. When Carly gave her a look, one name came out of her mouth. "Tracy."
"Really, she'd try to use me backing out of an acquisition as fodder for going after ELQ? She needs to remember, the hotel is mine. It has nothing to do with anything Quartermaine," Carly growled.
"I doubt that's how Tracy sees it. It's you hotel, but you have two children with Quartermaine blood and you're living with her nephew, whom I am sure, is the one who brought the deal to you in the first place. Am I correct in that?" When Carly didn't answer, Skye knew she was right. "And if AJ is backing you about not going forward, you can be sure Tracy will be all over it."
Carly had to admit, it made sense. Tracy was cunning enough to use it against AJ with the ELQ board. And, if that realization wasn't bad enough, seeing Luke lurking at the other end of the lobby felt like confirmation. She shoulders dropped at the sight of him, which Skye noticed, turning to see what had provoked that reaction. "Luke," she said in a sultry voice.
Carly thought she'd throw up. It was bad enough seeing her uncle but also witnessing someone flirting with him made it worse. "What are you doing here?" she asked without ceremony.
"What, a man can't visit two of his favorite women? Especially after he nearly died?" Luke asked as he kissed Skye's hand, very gentlemanly. "Blaze."
Skye giggled girlishly, sending Carly even closer to nausea. "I have never been one of your favorite women, Luke. And besides, what do you mean you nearly died?"
He offered her a calculating smile that morphed into faux shock. "Caroline, you didn't know that the old bat poisoned me? That I nearly died of polonium poisoning? That Tracy had to rescue me from Cassadine Island where your ex-brother-in-law kept me as a guinea pig for a cure?"
"Brother-in-law?" Only one name came to mind. "Jerry?"
"Jerry Jacks?" Skye parroted. "What? Are you alright?"
"Fit as a fiddle, my dear, thanks to some brilliant doctor who was on the island," Luke said, before his eyes dropped. "Tracy and I wanted to get the hell out of there as fast as we could, but we should have tried to get the doctor out too. I got the sense from Jerry that he was keeping him prisoner."
"Well, I thank whoever it was that you're alright. Have you notified the authorities?" Skye asked.
Luke nodded. "The WSB is on it, but, as it's a private island and, in essence, its own nation. They really don't have the authority to storm the castle. And, no one can find the little prince to ask permission."
"He may be there already," Carly piped in. When Luke looked at her for further answers, she continued. "Last week, he was supposed to be at a meeting for the Halloween party but I was told that he had taken off there because Britt Westbourne's son was kidnapped and they had a lead about him being there."
Luke seemed to mull it over. "It is possible. That place is bigger than a few small European principalities. We all could have been there at the same time."
"Then, why don't you let the superspies know that they may not have a problem with getting on there and getting that doctor while also saving a baby," Carly suggested, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
Luke eyed her, then turned to Skye, offering her a pleasant smile. "Blaze, as always, it was lovely to see you, but I need to have a chat with my niece."
Skye looked back to Carly, who was rolling her eyes. "Certainly, Luke," she replied as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Carly, will talk tomorrow about the press release about The Palace deal and the hospital party." With that, that her spokeswoman left.
When Carly looked at Luke, he had on his most charming smile. She was prepared for anything. "Caroline, I have been so remiss in offering my congratulations on your little bundle of joy. In fact, you should be sitting down. Why don't want you to take a load off and have a drink with me." He led her over to the couches throwing a pillow behind her back as she sat.
Carly couldn't help but smile. "Oh, Uncle Luke, whatever can I do for you?" she asked, her voice sickeningly sweet.
"I just want to see how everything is going for you on the homefront with Junior? You two seem to be getting along well. Will that situation be continuing?"
Carly now narrowed her eyes, knowing she had to tread carefully. Luke was on a fishing expedition, that much was certain. "Everything is fine with us. We've found that we actually work well together."
"Good, good, and will AJ be taking time off to play daddy when the baby's born?" he asked again.
Now Carly saw where he was going. "You're slipping there, Luke." When he feigned innocence, she told him, "Tracy's looking for an in with ELQ and she thinks she knows it and sent you to ask about it." It made her shake her head. "We've come to an understanding, AJ and I. He has his business, I have mine. It's too messy if we mix them." She hoped he was buying it, even if she didn't believe it. "Now, you can run off and tell Tracy that I don't know anything about AJ and how he plans to run ELQ, but also, assure her it will be fine."
Luke wasn't sure he believed her, but decided to retreat and figure out a new plan. Tracy still desperately wanted ELQ back, but Luke was thinking more and more it wouldn't do half bad with AJ at the helm. Not that he would say that to his Spanky, of course, but Caroline was at least putting on a good act of she and the Quartermaine scion being one big happy family. So good, Luke thought, it may be real. "Well, if you need anything, darlin', you come and talk to your old Uncle Luke," he said at last.
"If I need anything, I'd go to the father of my baby, my sons, my mother, Jax, hell, even Monica, before I'd go to you," she listed.
"Speaking of baby daddies," Luke asked, Jax's name being brought up, "is everything okay with Sonny? I heard he beat AJ up at Kelly's and was cooling his heels at the PCPD's accommodations there for a time, but I haven't heard a thing from him since."
Carly took a deep breath. "Sonny's not my concern right now. Quite honestly, he's not his sons concerns either."
"Well, Sonny's always had a temper, I'll say that, but it's that bad with Michael and Morgan?"
"Morgan witnessed it and he couldn't excuse Sonny's actions to answer what AJ said. In fact, he wants to drop his last name altogether," Carly said. She paused for a moment. "I've been thinking I made a mistake all those years ago."
"How so?"
She crossed her arms over her chest. "AJ's not perfect. There have been times I wanted to choke the life out of him. But he was never as bad as some of what I experienced with Sonny. And lately, he seems like a completely different man from the one I screwed with all those years ago. Maybe I should have given AJ more of a chance back then?"
"Well," he uncle began, "You'd have had a comfortable life with him, living with the Quartermaines. They're nutty but they tend to steer away from out and out violence. And Sonny does have his issues, but so does AJ."
"But even from seeing him this past year, AJ seems more committed to keeping his in check better. Sonny, he's been usually forced to take his medication. He is usually in denial of his condition in the first place. And now, I…don't know," she said then eyed Luke wearily. "Are we having a bonding moment?"
Luke looked at her with equal disgust. "No," he answered, shaking his head vigorously. "No, no, no." Then he looked around before whispering, "Let's never speak if this again."
Carly held out her hand, which Luke took. "Deal."
He stepped back, offering her a wicked smile. "Until next time, my dear," he said as he left. It actually made Carly smile.
