Chapter 19

Llanview Airport

Skye emerged from the tunnel and saw Rae waiting for her. Rae's face lit up when she saw Skye and opened her arms for a hug. Skye hesitated for a split second, then moved into the hug. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you!" Skye smiled genuinely in response. Rae took her arm and led her to the baggage claim. "Did you have a good flight?" Skye nodded. "It was pretty short. I had to gulp down my ginger ale or the flight attendant would have grabbed it from my lips." Rae laughed. Skye's garment bag emerged onto the belt and Rae grabbed it. She insisted on carrying it since Skye was already hefting her briefcase and toiletries bag. Rae led Skye to her car and they drove away. "So where do you want to go first?" Skye thought about it. "Better head to the conference center first. They told me about ten times to remember to check in with them. I guess they want to make sure their keynote speaker doesn't get lost." She threw Rae a self-satisfying smile.

Rae grinned. "I'm so proud of you! You've done so well for yourself. So tell me, how did it go in Pine Valley." Skye grinned too. "I had a great time! I felt like Adam and I came to a new understanding. Hayley and I bonded a little too. I even made a new friend – Anna Devane, who used to live in Port Charles." Rae nodded thoughtfully. "I've read about her in the newspaper. She's a very savvy woman. I think she'd make a great friend. Well, I'm glad things are going so well. You know, since our talk at Christmas, I haven't heard you mention that mystery man again." Skye frowned, searching her mind to remember the discussion. Suddenly it dawned on her. "Oh, you mean Jax. I'm afraid that's ancient history." Rae looked disappointed. "No kidding? Well that's a shame. He really seemed to have an affect on you." Skye sighed. "It was a boost to have such a dynamic man give me so much attention. His faith in me was really encouraging, though there were some bumpy times. Unfortunately he saw me only in terms of friend material, still does." Rae glanced at her. "And you don't think he'll have a change of heart?" Skye smiled ruefully. "If he did it would be a bit awkward. He got married a couple of months ago." Rae tsked. "Oh well. At least you have ELQ." Skye laughed. "But I can't curl up to my financial statements on a cold night." Rae laughed too. "True, but isnt that what your little furbaby is for?" Skye's eyes sparkled. "Mocha will do in a pinch, but not what I'm looking for long term."

There was a pause. Skye glanced at Rae. "What made you bring up Jax anyway?" Rae shrugged. "Well, you came off the plane looking like the cat that swallowed the canary. I thought maybe the canary was this Jax person." Skye nodded thoughtfully. "Well…who's the canary?" Skye grinned sheepishly. "Only a year and a half and already you can read me like a book." Rae glanced at her triumphantly. "Well I am in the business of reading people. So are you going to answer my question or not?" Skye feigned nonchalance. "Since we've just arrived at the conference center, it appears not." Rae pulled up to the curb, put the car in park, and then gave Skye a meaningful look. "Well, we'll just have to talk later, won't we?" Skye smiled brightly and kissed her mother on the cheek. "Thanks for the ride. Ta ta." She retrieved her bags and exited the car. She hadn't answered because she dreaded telling Rae about Sonny Corinthos.

What was there to tell, though? It wasn't like they were in a relationship. Last week's cat and mouse game had been enjoyable, but nothing more. They were still worlds apart, despite their attraction. She sighed as she thought of that incredible night. When they had finally moved to the bedroom, they'd had to lock Mocha out because he kept getting in the middle and meowing for attention. Sonny left the next morning, an unspoken agreement between them that this had been a nice interlude. A few days later she had sent him a bouquet of purple tulips with the presumptious note, "Take good care of Mocha while I'm in Llanview." The next day she had received a bag of chocolate covered espresso beans with the note, "Of course." The delicacies were made by Espressive, but now carried the label Mocha Mike. Jax had made a full scale effort to clean up the subsidiary (over the phone, since he didn't want to leave his new bride) and then offered the company to Sonny's business at a reasonable price. Sonny had taken the offer in good faith. The chocolates were in her briefcase, a reminder that their time together was sweet but nonlasting.

Skye heard her name called, and looked up to see Erica Kane coming her way, waving her left hand. Skye grinned. "I knew I'd see you here, fellow CEO!" Erica hugged her. "Well hello, Ms. Keynote Speaker. How'd you pull that off? Did Rae call in some favors?" Skye sniffed haughtily. "I achieved the distinction based on my own merit." Erica laughed, placing her left hand on her chest. "Pull the other one! This is great that I get to see you so soon after our last visit!" Skye rolled her eyes. "Okay, I'll put you out of your misery. I know you're just dying to tell me about the rock on your hand that blinded me from across the room." Erica grinned like the Cheshire Cat. "Chris proposed to me last week. We're getting married!" Skye hugged her friend again. "Congratulations! I'm so happy for you." Since it was going to be a busy conference, the ladies parted ways, promising a longer chat at a later date.

Skye had a lot of fun at the conference. Fortunately she only had to give one speech, so she could relax the rest of the time. She agreed to do an interview over lunch one day with a fashion reporter. Unfortunately the reporter was with The Sun, Todd Manning's rag of a newspaper. Skye entered the restaurant, and was approached by a smiling woman. "Skye Chandler- Quartermaine? Hello, my name is Gabrielle Medina. I'm so pleased that you could do this." Skye smiled cooly. "I'm surprised your employer is interested in publishing an article about me that isn't full of lies." Gabrielle looked startled. "I can assure you my articles do not contain lies. I wouldn't have to lie anyway – you are well known for your sense of style. You bring a whole new joie de vivre to the corporate world." Skye laughed. "Why thank you. I know you don't intend to print any lies – you wouldn't have bothered to interview me if that were the case." Gabrielle shook her head. "Have you been burned by this newspaper before?" Skye shrugged. "Burned by the owner actually. Todd Manning is not on my list of favorite people." Gabrielle laughed for the first time. "I can imagine not! There's no love lost between Todd and I, either." Skye's eyebrows rose. "So why do you work for him? Or for that matter, why in the world would he hire you if he didn't like you?" Gabrielle shrugged. "To answer the first question, I needed a job and was desperate. To answer the second…" she smiled wickedly, "I blackmailed him." Skye's face lit up. "Ooh, do tell!" Gabrielle shook her head. "We're here to talk about you." Skye waved her hand. "Oh we have plenty of time to discuss me. I can skip this afternoon's seminar if necessary. I want the dirt!"

Gabrielle told her all about Todd's baby fiasco. Skye shook her head. "I swear that man thinks that just because his name rhymes with God that he has the right to mess with people's lives. I can't stand Blair, but she didn't deserve that kind of treatment. But then again she did take him back so I guess she gets what she deserves. If Blair knows the truth about the baby, how were you able to keep your job?" Gabrielle smiled triumphantly. "By the time it all came out, I had achieved quite a fan base with my column. Todd knew that if he fired me, the Banner would snap me up, and readers would follow." Skye laughed. "I suppose you already know about what he did to me." Gabrielle shook her head. "I think you left town before I came back. I'd…uh…been away a number of years." Skye filled her in on his framing her for attempted murder and the bomb he dropped about Rae being her mother. Gabrielle gasped. "That's terrible! You know Max Holden?" Skye smirked at the double entendre and nodded. "You know him too?" Gabby sighed and explained their history. Skye was horrified to hear about his treatment of Gabrielle, and relieved that she had narrowly escaped a similar fate. "Well, Gabby, there are other fish in the sea. Just don't try fishing in Port Charles. That place is the Dead Sea." Gabrielle laughed. "Well, right now I'm casting my lure out to one particular fish, but he isn't biting." Skye raised one eyebrow. "May I ask who?" Gabrielle blushed and looked rueful. "Bo Buchanan." Skye's eyes widened. "Are you serious? I thought he was getting married to that insipid little Melanie McIver." Gabrielle shook her head. "They broke up because she wasn't honest with him about something or other. I should take that as a hint – honesty isnt my strong point. Except when it comes to my column of course!"

Gabrielle told Skye about Bo's offer to let her stay with him and their subsequent awkward roomate situation. Skye smiled sadly. "I can relate to the problem of attracting one of those knight in shining armor types. All I can say is good luck." Gabrielle looked up just then, and narrowed her eyes at someone across the room. Skye turned to see who it was, and narrowed her eyes also. Blair Manning had just walked in with her daughter, Starr. Blair caught sight of Skye and Gabrielle sitting together, and her face registered surprise and then horror. Starr saw them too, and just looked disgusted. Blair turned around and walked out, which sent Skye and Gabby into a fit of the giggles. The two women finally parted ways, promising to keep in touch. Skye marvelled that she was making new friends so quickly. She was beginning to realize that there were other women out there that had to claw and fight their way in the world, just like she had.

When the conference was finished, Skye went over to Rae's house to spend some time with her. She remembered that she had turned off her cell phone, and decided to check for messages. There were five, all from AJ, each more frantic than the last. She listened in horror to his incoherent words. Apparently Carly and Michael had been in a car accident. Carly emerged from the wreck unscathed, but Michael had internal injuries. The last message said that he was in surgery. Skye realized she would have to cut her trip short. She knew she wouldn't be able to visit Michael, but she could at least comfort AJ. Rae drove her to the airport, but the car ride was silent this time. Skye's thoughts flitted back and forth between AJ and Sonny, wondering if the awful feud between them would ever end.