Ch 2
Theresa twisted her hair up and clipped it. It was her night off and she was watching the club while Po worked on the books. She smoothed her dress out and walked out of her bedroom and down the hall. She smiled when she got to the living room; Ethan, Emma, Olivia, Alex, and Thomas were playing.
Well, more precisely the boys were watching Sesame Street and the girls were wheedling for a tea party of some kind.
The boys outnumbered the girls but the girls were more persuasive. They always had been. "Emma, baby, why don't you and Livvie go watch the Muppets in my room and let the boys play by themselves?"
Emma, the ringleader, considered for a moment. "Dress up?"
"Videotape." Olivia Samantha, Kay's little girl, said. "Right aunt T?"
"It's getting late. You can play dress up tomorrow."
Emma batted her big brown eyes at her mother. "Promise?"
"Promise. Go on. Livvie, you can sleep in Emma's room tonight. I'll tell your mom."
"Thank you." The girls raced to Theresa's door.
"Where do they get the energy?" Sheridan asked, as Theresa came into the kitchen.
"I don't know." Theresa said. "Are you coming downstairs tonight?"
"Yeah. Kay's gonna stay up here and so is Poe, so I thought I'd join you."
"Thanks." Theresa said. "What's for supper?"
"Pizza. Kay just went to pay for it downstairs."
"Why is it that you never cook?"
"Theresa, do you or don't you remember that I burnt water?"
"Just that once, but good point."
"Dinner." Kay announced.
"Great. Kay, I said that Livvie could bunk with Emma tonight, okay? They were bothering the boys so I sent them to my room to watch a movie."
"Good plan. Did you lock up your makeup? They're going through a phase where they love playing with it."
"It's on the top of my dresser." Theresa said. "Do you have a test tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Psych. I have to brush up on my phobias tonight."
"Fun."
Kay grinned. "Should I corral the herd, or let the come when they smell the grub?"
"We need to stop you from watching those westerns."
"Sheridan, are you ready to head down?"
Sheridan nodded as she finished her slice of pizza. "Yeah. Let's go. Night Kay. See you tomorrow."
"Bright and early." Kay agreed. "Oh, have either of you seen Poe? She went to get the books out of her office forty-five minutes ago."
"Maybe she snuck back up while we were in our rooms." Sheridan said.
"Good idea." Kay agreed. "Have fun tonight."
HR
Paloma Lopez Fitzgerald smiled pleasantly at the musician on the other side of her desk. 'You have no idea who I am.' She realized, as Chad Harris described his vocal talents.
Chad kept talking as she rose from her seat and went to the small counter where she kept a decanter of water. "Would you like something?" She asked, when he paused.
"No thank you."
"It's just water. I don't keep alcohol in here. My son and nieces and nephews spend time in here."
Chad blinked. There was something familiar about this woman.
Paloma mentally crossed her fingers that Chad had not noticed her picture wall.
"No, I'm fine." Chad said again. "So do you think you could use me?"
"On the stage you mean? I suppose we could. I'd have to discuss it with my partners."
"Is every decision here a joint decision?" Chad marveled.
"No." She smiled. "But we take performances seriously. Once you play our stage, we have an open door policy. You're allowed to come back whenever you're in town. But since I live here, I'm careful about who comes home with me."
"You live here?"
"Not in the office but I do live upstairs." Paloma admitted. "As does my son. So you can see where I'd want to be careful."
"Of course." Chad nodded.
"But, please feel free to enjoy the club tonight. Tell Cole, the big guy at the bar, that I said your drinks were on the house. Here give him this."
"Thank you Ms. Soltini."
"Soltini-McKay." She said automatically.
"Pardon?"
"It's a two part last name."
"Oh, sorry."
"It's fine. Enjoy your night Mr. Harris."
"I will."
HR
Theresa laughed at Sheridan's tale of the guy who'd come into the clinic that afternoon with his arm glued to his wife's leg.
"Where do these people come from?" She laughed gently.
"I don't know but to tell you the truth, I don't wanna dwell on it," Sheridan laughed. "So, how was your day off?"
"Good so far. You forget, I'd still be at work right now."
"You ever talk to anyone about switching shifts?"
"I don't have the seniority to do that," Theresa sipped at her wine. She looked over Sheridan's shoulder to the bar and her mouth dropped open. "Oh my God."
"What?" Sheridan turned around. "Oh my God."
"What's that line from iCasablanca/i? Of all the gin joints in all the world-"
"He walks into ours." Sheridan finished
"What should we do?" Theresa turned, so that her back faced Chad.
"Nothing. He hasn't seen us so we do nothing. Doing something right now would draw attention to us."
"Inaction is not a good course of action." Theresa mumbled.
"Remain calm," Sheridan advised. "Just stay cool."
"I'm the epitome of cool."
"You look like you're going to shoot steam out your ears."
Theresa started laughing and it was contagious. Sheridan started to giggle too.
HR
"Thanks Man." Chad said to the bartender.
"It's Cole. Anyone who gets free drinks can call me by my first name," Cloud Nine's burly bartender said in his gruff sandpapery voice.
Chad nodded his appreciation. "The lady in charge--she a good boss?"
"She's the best. All four of them are. Not many people out there would give a guy like me a job with my employment record."
"Your employment record?" Chad rose an eyebrow.
"I was a collection agent."
"For who?"
"Vinnie DiFazzio."
"The guy who went down last year for racketeering?"
"Yep."
"Four ladies keeping up a place like this--that's something." And Chad meant it.
Because Cole heard sincerity in the tone, he nodded. "This isn't the only thing they do. They run a clinic and chase after those kids."
"Sounds like you respect them."
"Always," Cole nodded. "You met Paloma right?"
"Yeah."
Cole gestured to a table across the floor. "Two more of them are over there if you want to introduce yourself. The blonde and the brunette by the dance floor laughing."
"Thanks a lot, man." Chad said.
"No problem," Cole moved away to attend to a woman down the bar.
Chad walked across the floor.
"Excuse me? My name is Chad Harris. Are you two of the four woman who own this establishment?"
"Yes we are," the brunette turned around. "Hi Chad. It's been a while."
In retrospect, Chad gave himself credit for not dropping his drink. "Theresa?! Sheridan? Holy-"
"Sit down, please," Sheridan gestured to the empty seat at the table.
He did shakily.
"You girls own this place?"
"We built it ourselves." Theresa's face took on a stubborn aspect.
"I can't believe it. I never expected to see you two again. I thought you'd be living somewhere in South America or Europe or something."
"We started those rumors." Sheridan told him gently.
"With some help." Theresa admitted.
"Hank." Chad nodded.
"How do you figure?"
"He had a letter from Kay, postmarked Brazil, and a letter from your sister postmarked American embassy, Madrid."
"Oh." Theresa said. "So how are you? You look good."
"You look better." He shook his head. "You two are gorgeous."
"I guess motherhood agrees with us."
"That's right. I forgot about that. What did you two have?"
"I had a girl. Emma Sheridan."
"And Sheridan?"
"A boy. Thomas Anthony."
"What about Kay and your sister--wait, I met your sister--holy crap, that's why I thought she seemed so familiar. I didn't get to meet her when she came to town three years ago but there are pictures in your house..." Chad rambled rapidly.
"Kay had a girl too. She named her Olivia Samantha. We call her Livvie. Paloma just has Alex. When did you meet her?"
"A little while ago. I'm trying to get myself a gig out here."
"That's why it took her forever to get the books." Sheridan realized.
"Yeah probably. So, what do you guys do out here? Besides the club."
"Kay's in school. She's gonna be a teacher. Poe runs this place. Sheridan runs our clinic and I'm a paramedic with the Fire Department out here."
"Busy lives." Chad commented.
"You don't know the half of it." Theresa and Sheridan chorused.
"So how's Ethan Martin?"
"He's good. He's grown a lot."
"I'm sure he has." Chad said.
"You're gonna bring up Ethan aren't you?" Theresa asked.
"I don't have to, you just did."
"You won't tell him, will you?"
"I don't know. He's spent a lot of time over the last three years looking for you. All of you." He said with a look in Sheridan's direction. "So has Luis."
Theresa twisted her hands. "We told them not to bother."
"Why'd you let Hank in on the secret but not Whitney? The girl's been worried out of her mind."
"Cause I know Whit. She would've have told you and you would have slipped and told someone. My mother, Ethan, Miguel, or maybe even Luis."
"Theresa, you should've been the one to tell your mother and brothers."
"I left a letter."
"A letter's nothing." Chad said simply.
"It was all I had left. I was so tired--" Theresa tried.
Sheridan chimed in. "We were all so sick and tired and desperate."
"Yeah well Luis was sick with worry after you all left. He still has people trying to find you."
"Really?" Sheridan had paled a little.
"Sheridan?" Theresa said.
"I'm okay. I'm gonna get another drink." She went to the bar.
"She okay?"
"She gets a little upset when we bring Luis up sometimes." Theresa's expression said that she wasn't saying everything.
"Hey."
"She was pretty unstable for a while after we moved out here."
"He married Beth at a low point you know? He was engaged to her, and then she was pregnant, and he saw no other alternative."
"Chad, after Thomas was born, Sheridan was depressed. You know, post-partum and all that. But she wasn't her usual self even before that."
"How bad was it?"
"She was hospitalized for six months."
"Did she really love Antonio?" Chad asked. "I know it's rude, and I know she married him, but I wonder, you know?'
"Part of her did I think and I know she loved Luis. I think it was just everything. Antonio died before she could tell him about the baby, Luis married Beth, and no matter how much Kay, Po, and I were there for her she was still really lonely."
"She looked happy before I came over." Guilt colored Chad's face and tone of voice.
"It's not your fault. Don't feel bad. You didn't know." Theresa said.
"Why didn't you call home?"
"We thought about it. To be honest that was the first time I ever seriously considered calling Luis but in the end, no matter what Sheridan's condition was, contacting Luis was her call not mine."
"So three years without your mother. Must've been rough, I know you two were fairly close."
"We were yeah. But she was just driving me crazy before I left."
"Even when someone drives you insane, when you're away from them, you spend a lot of time thinking about all the reasons you love them."
"I bet she's spoiling Chloe." Theresa said softly.
"She calls Chloe and Rosemary her girls." Chad said. "Since Gwen's hospitalization, Ethan's gotten a lot closer to your family. He and Luis worked together from the very beginning, but now he eats dinner with them three or four nights a week."
"And Chloe and Rosemary? They get along well?"
"Yeah." Chad said. "Both of them have great imaginations."
"Good, I'm glad," Theresa checked her watch. "Hey, the kids should still be up. Wanna meet them?"
"I'd love to."
"C'mon." She signaled to Sheridan who joined them on the walk to the elevator. "You can see Kay again too."
"Sounds fun."
HR
Whitney made a frustrated noise as Chad's voicemail picked up yet again. "Chad, it's Whit again. I need you to call me back ASAP."
She hung up and looked around her.
She was down by the wharf. It was late, but she'd run out of the apartment without even remembering her keys. She felt stupid, but knew Noah would still be awake. She didn't want to deal with him tonight.
"Whitney?"
She looked up. "Hi Ethan. What are you doing down here?"
"My brother called me with a really lame story and asked me if you were at my house. You weren't, so I knew to look here."
"Your brother was a pinhead." Whitney said plainly.
"What'd he do?"
"Decided to go out with his friends without even telling me he'd be late. I made dinner."
"That's not the way he told it."
"What did he say?" Whitney's temper flared.
"That he was half an hour late because he had to stop at a store to pick up some wine for this evening."
"Then why did he smell of cheap wine, cigarette smoke, and even cheaper women?"
"I only talked to him on the phone." Ethan said. "And you're probably right that he's a pinhead."
"So, where's Rosemary since you're out here consoling her Aunt Whit?"
"I dropped her off at Jess and Reese's place."
"You idiot."
"What?"
"It's Reese's birthday today."
"I didn't know that!" Ethan said. "And when I called Jess said she didn't mind--oh shoot. Just come home with me tonight so I can save my daughter from the love birds."
"Sure. Let's go," Whitney said smiling.
"Are you sure the pinhead was lying?" Ethan asked. "Because I've seen how he looks at you."
"I knew how the pinhead smelled."
"Maybe the pinhead bought the wine at the new piano bar/liquor store."
"You do not smell like that after spending ten minutes buying wine."
"OK, we'll pick up Rosie, I'll drop you at my place and then I'll go kick my little brother's butt. Happy?"
"Very." Whitney smiled and they left the docks.
Theresa twisted her hair up and clipped it. It was her night off and she was watching the club while Po worked on the books. She smoothed her dress out and walked out of her bedroom and down the hall. She smiled when she got to the living room; Ethan, Emma, Olivia, Alex, and Thomas were playing.
Well, more precisely the boys were watching Sesame Street and the girls were wheedling for a tea party of some kind.
The boys outnumbered the girls but the girls were more persuasive. They always had been. "Emma, baby, why don't you and Livvie go watch the Muppets in my room and let the boys play by themselves?"
Emma, the ringleader, considered for a moment. "Dress up?"
"Videotape." Olivia Samantha, Kay's little girl, said. "Right aunt T?"
"It's getting late. You can play dress up tomorrow."
Emma batted her big brown eyes at her mother. "Promise?"
"Promise. Go on. Livvie, you can sleep in Emma's room tonight. I'll tell your mom."
"Thank you." The girls raced to Theresa's door.
"Where do they get the energy?" Sheridan asked, as Theresa came into the kitchen.
"I don't know." Theresa said. "Are you coming downstairs tonight?"
"Yeah. Kay's gonna stay up here and so is Poe, so I thought I'd join you."
"Thanks." Theresa said. "What's for supper?"
"Pizza. Kay just went to pay for it downstairs."
"Why is it that you never cook?"
"Theresa, do you or don't you remember that I burnt water?"
"Just that once, but good point."
"Dinner." Kay announced.
"Great. Kay, I said that Livvie could bunk with Emma tonight, okay? They were bothering the boys so I sent them to my room to watch a movie."
"Good plan. Did you lock up your makeup? They're going through a phase where they love playing with it."
"It's on the top of my dresser." Theresa said. "Do you have a test tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Psych. I have to brush up on my phobias tonight."
"Fun."
Kay grinned. "Should I corral the herd, or let the come when they smell the grub?"
"We need to stop you from watching those westerns."
"Sheridan, are you ready to head down?"
Sheridan nodded as she finished her slice of pizza. "Yeah. Let's go. Night Kay. See you tomorrow."
"Bright and early." Kay agreed. "Oh, have either of you seen Poe? She went to get the books out of her office forty-five minutes ago."
"Maybe she snuck back up while we were in our rooms." Sheridan said.
"Good idea." Kay agreed. "Have fun tonight."
HR
Paloma Lopez Fitzgerald smiled pleasantly at the musician on the other side of her desk. 'You have no idea who I am.' She realized, as Chad Harris described his vocal talents.
Chad kept talking as she rose from her seat and went to the small counter where she kept a decanter of water. "Would you like something?" She asked, when he paused.
"No thank you."
"It's just water. I don't keep alcohol in here. My son and nieces and nephews spend time in here."
Chad blinked. There was something familiar about this woman.
Paloma mentally crossed her fingers that Chad had not noticed her picture wall.
"No, I'm fine." Chad said again. "So do you think you could use me?"
"On the stage you mean? I suppose we could. I'd have to discuss it with my partners."
"Is every decision here a joint decision?" Chad marveled.
"No." She smiled. "But we take performances seriously. Once you play our stage, we have an open door policy. You're allowed to come back whenever you're in town. But since I live here, I'm careful about who comes home with me."
"You live here?"
"Not in the office but I do live upstairs." Paloma admitted. "As does my son. So you can see where I'd want to be careful."
"Of course." Chad nodded.
"But, please feel free to enjoy the club tonight. Tell Cole, the big guy at the bar, that I said your drinks were on the house. Here give him this."
"Thank you Ms. Soltini."
"Soltini-McKay." She said automatically.
"Pardon?"
"It's a two part last name."
"Oh, sorry."
"It's fine. Enjoy your night Mr. Harris."
"I will."
HR
Theresa laughed at Sheridan's tale of the guy who'd come into the clinic that afternoon with his arm glued to his wife's leg.
"Where do these people come from?" She laughed gently.
"I don't know but to tell you the truth, I don't wanna dwell on it," Sheridan laughed. "So, how was your day off?"
"Good so far. You forget, I'd still be at work right now."
"You ever talk to anyone about switching shifts?"
"I don't have the seniority to do that," Theresa sipped at her wine. She looked over Sheridan's shoulder to the bar and her mouth dropped open. "Oh my God."
"What?" Sheridan turned around. "Oh my God."
"What's that line from iCasablanca/i? Of all the gin joints in all the world-"
"He walks into ours." Sheridan finished
"What should we do?" Theresa turned, so that her back faced Chad.
"Nothing. He hasn't seen us so we do nothing. Doing something right now would draw attention to us."
"Inaction is not a good course of action." Theresa mumbled.
"Remain calm," Sheridan advised. "Just stay cool."
"I'm the epitome of cool."
"You look like you're going to shoot steam out your ears."
Theresa started laughing and it was contagious. Sheridan started to giggle too.
HR
"Thanks Man." Chad said to the bartender.
"It's Cole. Anyone who gets free drinks can call me by my first name," Cloud Nine's burly bartender said in his gruff sandpapery voice.
Chad nodded his appreciation. "The lady in charge--she a good boss?"
"She's the best. All four of them are. Not many people out there would give a guy like me a job with my employment record."
"Your employment record?" Chad rose an eyebrow.
"I was a collection agent."
"For who?"
"Vinnie DiFazzio."
"The guy who went down last year for racketeering?"
"Yep."
"Four ladies keeping up a place like this--that's something." And Chad meant it.
Because Cole heard sincerity in the tone, he nodded. "This isn't the only thing they do. They run a clinic and chase after those kids."
"Sounds like you respect them."
"Always," Cole nodded. "You met Paloma right?"
"Yeah."
Cole gestured to a table across the floor. "Two more of them are over there if you want to introduce yourself. The blonde and the brunette by the dance floor laughing."
"Thanks a lot, man." Chad said.
"No problem," Cole moved away to attend to a woman down the bar.
Chad walked across the floor.
"Excuse me? My name is Chad Harris. Are you two of the four woman who own this establishment?"
"Yes we are," the brunette turned around. "Hi Chad. It's been a while."
In retrospect, Chad gave himself credit for not dropping his drink. "Theresa?! Sheridan? Holy-"
"Sit down, please," Sheridan gestured to the empty seat at the table.
He did shakily.
"You girls own this place?"
"We built it ourselves." Theresa's face took on a stubborn aspect.
"I can't believe it. I never expected to see you two again. I thought you'd be living somewhere in South America or Europe or something."
"We started those rumors." Sheridan told him gently.
"With some help." Theresa admitted.
"Hank." Chad nodded.
"How do you figure?"
"He had a letter from Kay, postmarked Brazil, and a letter from your sister postmarked American embassy, Madrid."
"Oh." Theresa said. "So how are you? You look good."
"You look better." He shook his head. "You two are gorgeous."
"I guess motherhood agrees with us."
"That's right. I forgot about that. What did you two have?"
"I had a girl. Emma Sheridan."
"And Sheridan?"
"A boy. Thomas Anthony."
"What about Kay and your sister--wait, I met your sister--holy crap, that's why I thought she seemed so familiar. I didn't get to meet her when she came to town three years ago but there are pictures in your house..." Chad rambled rapidly.
"Kay had a girl too. She named her Olivia Samantha. We call her Livvie. Paloma just has Alex. When did you meet her?"
"A little while ago. I'm trying to get myself a gig out here."
"That's why it took her forever to get the books." Sheridan realized.
"Yeah probably. So, what do you guys do out here? Besides the club."
"Kay's in school. She's gonna be a teacher. Poe runs this place. Sheridan runs our clinic and I'm a paramedic with the Fire Department out here."
"Busy lives." Chad commented.
"You don't know the half of it." Theresa and Sheridan chorused.
"So how's Ethan Martin?"
"He's good. He's grown a lot."
"I'm sure he has." Chad said.
"You're gonna bring up Ethan aren't you?" Theresa asked.
"I don't have to, you just did."
"You won't tell him, will you?"
"I don't know. He's spent a lot of time over the last three years looking for you. All of you." He said with a look in Sheridan's direction. "So has Luis."
Theresa twisted her hands. "We told them not to bother."
"Why'd you let Hank in on the secret but not Whitney? The girl's been worried out of her mind."
"Cause I know Whit. She would've have told you and you would have slipped and told someone. My mother, Ethan, Miguel, or maybe even Luis."
"Theresa, you should've been the one to tell your mother and brothers."
"I left a letter."
"A letter's nothing." Chad said simply.
"It was all I had left. I was so tired--" Theresa tried.
Sheridan chimed in. "We were all so sick and tired and desperate."
"Yeah well Luis was sick with worry after you all left. He still has people trying to find you."
"Really?" Sheridan had paled a little.
"Sheridan?" Theresa said.
"I'm okay. I'm gonna get another drink." She went to the bar.
"She okay?"
"She gets a little upset when we bring Luis up sometimes." Theresa's expression said that she wasn't saying everything.
"Hey."
"She was pretty unstable for a while after we moved out here."
"He married Beth at a low point you know? He was engaged to her, and then she was pregnant, and he saw no other alternative."
"Chad, after Thomas was born, Sheridan was depressed. You know, post-partum and all that. But she wasn't her usual self even before that."
"How bad was it?"
"She was hospitalized for six months."
"Did she really love Antonio?" Chad asked. "I know it's rude, and I know she married him, but I wonder, you know?'
"Part of her did I think and I know she loved Luis. I think it was just everything. Antonio died before she could tell him about the baby, Luis married Beth, and no matter how much Kay, Po, and I were there for her she was still really lonely."
"She looked happy before I came over." Guilt colored Chad's face and tone of voice.
"It's not your fault. Don't feel bad. You didn't know." Theresa said.
"Why didn't you call home?"
"We thought about it. To be honest that was the first time I ever seriously considered calling Luis but in the end, no matter what Sheridan's condition was, contacting Luis was her call not mine."
"So three years without your mother. Must've been rough, I know you two were fairly close."
"We were yeah. But she was just driving me crazy before I left."
"Even when someone drives you insane, when you're away from them, you spend a lot of time thinking about all the reasons you love them."
"I bet she's spoiling Chloe." Theresa said softly.
"She calls Chloe and Rosemary her girls." Chad said. "Since Gwen's hospitalization, Ethan's gotten a lot closer to your family. He and Luis worked together from the very beginning, but now he eats dinner with them three or four nights a week."
"And Chloe and Rosemary? They get along well?"
"Yeah." Chad said. "Both of them have great imaginations."
"Good, I'm glad," Theresa checked her watch. "Hey, the kids should still be up. Wanna meet them?"
"I'd love to."
"C'mon." She signaled to Sheridan who joined them on the walk to the elevator. "You can see Kay again too."
"Sounds fun."
HR
Whitney made a frustrated noise as Chad's voicemail picked up yet again. "Chad, it's Whit again. I need you to call me back ASAP."
She hung up and looked around her.
She was down by the wharf. It was late, but she'd run out of the apartment without even remembering her keys. She felt stupid, but knew Noah would still be awake. She didn't want to deal with him tonight.
"Whitney?"
She looked up. "Hi Ethan. What are you doing down here?"
"My brother called me with a really lame story and asked me if you were at my house. You weren't, so I knew to look here."
"Your brother was a pinhead." Whitney said plainly.
"What'd he do?"
"Decided to go out with his friends without even telling me he'd be late. I made dinner."
"That's not the way he told it."
"What did he say?" Whitney's temper flared.
"That he was half an hour late because he had to stop at a store to pick up some wine for this evening."
"Then why did he smell of cheap wine, cigarette smoke, and even cheaper women?"
"I only talked to him on the phone." Ethan said. "And you're probably right that he's a pinhead."
"So, where's Rosemary since you're out here consoling her Aunt Whit?"
"I dropped her off at Jess and Reese's place."
"You idiot."
"What?"
"It's Reese's birthday today."
"I didn't know that!" Ethan said. "And when I called Jess said she didn't mind--oh shoot. Just come home with me tonight so I can save my daughter from the love birds."
"Sure. Let's go," Whitney said smiling.
"Are you sure the pinhead was lying?" Ethan asked. "Because I've seen how he looks at you."
"I knew how the pinhead smelled."
"Maybe the pinhead bought the wine at the new piano bar/liquor store."
"You do not smell like that after spending ten minutes buying wine."
"OK, we'll pick up Rosie, I'll drop you at my place and then I'll go kick my little brother's butt. Happy?"
"Very." Whitney smiled and they left the docks.