Everything was perfect. Carly had proof that Sonny's feelings for her were more than friendly, and now she would act on her own feelings.

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Sonny sat alone in his office, brooding over his talk with Jason. He knew Jason was right. Carly was too vulnerable, and she didn't need a relationship to distract her from Michael. But why did her presence in his life seem so perfect, so right?

He saw her undressed in his head for the thousandth time that day– or was it that hour?– and thought he understood why AJ was so obsessed with her.

Sonny slammed his hand on the desk. He needed to get back to work, but thoughts of Carly kept clouding up his mind.

He picked up the phone. Sonny needed a date for that night, and her knew just who to call.

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Carly was back at Sonny's with Marissa after school. They were talking excitedly about a phone call Carly had gotten from Sonny earlier.

"Wait, tell me exactly what he said!" Marissa shrieked, happy for her best friend.

"He said to take as much money as I needed and take it to Windham's for a dress because we were all going out tonight," Carly told her dreamily, her eyes closed.

"Well, who is 'we,' exactly?"

"I guess me and him and Michael. Do you want to help me pick out a dress? And something new for Michael since all his dress clothes are still at the Quartermaines'."

"Of course. Let's go."

"Let me get Michael ready and we're gone."

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Carly looked at the clock. Ten minutes until Sonny was supposed to pick her up.

Michael was on the floor beside her, sitting comfortably in his bouncy chair, and looking adorable in his new clothes. "You look so handsome," Carly cooed.

"Tonight could be the start of something for me and Uncle Sonny," Carly said wishfully to Michael as she checked herself in the mirror.

She loved her dress, and hoped Sonny would too. It was red, his favorite color, and form fitting. And Carly knew it revealed just enough for him to be sure to notice, and make him remember just how much of her he'd seen before. She had no idea he couldn't get it off his mind.

She heard the door open. "Carly, are you ready? We have to go in five minutes. The car is waiting downstairs."

"I'll be right down," Carly called. She scooped Michael up into her arms, got her purse off the dresser, and headed downstairs. She smiled as she saw Sonny, but then was confused when she saw a tall, beautiful, red-haired woman standing arm in arm with him.

Sonny smiled when he saw her. "I can't believe you're actually ready, and early. The world is coming to an end."

They laughed, and then Sonny said, "You look beautiful, Carly," but it was so much more than that. The second he saw her, his heart started pumping in his chest, so fast and hard that he was sure everyone in the room could tell what he was feeling. Carly looked stunning, and he knew he'd have a hard time keeping his eyes off of her that night.

"I'm confused, though. Why do you have Michael so dressed up?" Sonny added.

"When you called, you said we were all going out. I assumed that meant Michael. I guess not, right?"

"No. This is pretty much an adult night. I'd like you to meet my date, Camilla," Sonny told her, gesturing to the woman. "She just started working for the coffee business, and asked me to show her around Port Charles. I thought this would be a good start."

Carly watched enviously as Sonny linked arms with Camilla, but she tried to be civil to her. "Hi. I'm Carly, and this is my son, Michael. It's nice to meet you."

"Hi. It's nice to meet you, too. Now, I must say, I love your home. Did you decorate this yourself? I'd love to hire you for my place. I'm afraid it's pretty plain right now."

"Actually, it's Sonny's house," Carly said smugly, hoping to strike jealousy in her. "Michael and I just live here."

"Oh, really?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes. I just separated from Michael's father, and Sonny's helping us out. But, um, Sonny, so I'm supposed to be like the third wheel tonight?" Carly asked, trying not to show how jealous she was.

"Of course not. You're going with Jason. I thought I told you that," he explained.

"Oh," Carly said, trying to hide the hurt she felt. "I'm going with Jason. Okay. That's fine. I just didn't know he was going. I don't even know where we're going."

"We're going to a benefit for Lois's cancer research foundation. It's at Club 101. Lois was having trouble selling tickets, so I figured I would by two more," Sonny said.

Carly just nodded and was silent until they got to the club and Jason pulled her to the side.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked, addled.

"No. Why would you think that?"

"Well, you didn't seem too happy to be coming as my date tonight, and you didn't talk the entire way here, which never happens. So, if I did something you need to tell me, because I have no clue what it could be."

"I'm not mad at you, Jason. Don't worry about it," she said, looking at Sonny, who was currently dancing with Camilla.

Jason saw that she wasn't looking at him, and turned to find out what had captured her attention. Jason looked around, but all he could see was Sonny.

"Are you jealous?" Jason teased, not knowing how serious her feelings really were.

"No, I–" Carly hesitated, and then thought about telling him. He was her best friend after all, so why not? She knew she could trust him, no matter what.

"Yes," Carly admitted. "Jase, I don't know what it is, but every day I've become more and more attracted to Sonny. I am in love with him. Tonight, when he called me, he said we were all going out. I thought he meant me and him and Michael. You don't know how much it hurt when he showed up with a date."

"Are you sure about this?"

"I've never been so sure about anything, except in knowing Michael was the best thing that ever happened to me."

Jason couldn't believe his ears. Had Carly and Sonny gone crazy? He knew they liked each other, but could their timing be any more off? Jason didn't want to see either of his friends hurt, and he knew they would end up doing that. He needed to find any way to dissuade Carly.

"Couldn't it just be because you're living with him now, and he treats you well, he's taking care of you, and no one else has ever done that before?"

"That's all part of it, but I was starting to love him way before that. We have fun together. We're complete opposites, but somehow that works for us. Sonny and I were friends first, and now I have feelings for him, partly because of what you just said, but there's a lot more to it," Carly told him. She wasn't going to tell him she knew Sonny returned the feelings, because now she wasn't so sure.

Jason just nodded. He didn't know what to do, but he knew he wasn't telling Carly that Sonny shared the same feelings. "Well, do you want to dance?" was all he could say to her. She nodded and followed him onto the floor.

Sonny couldn't take his eyes off Carly. Camilla was talking to him, and all he could do was nod. He wasn't even hearing a word she said. How could Carly stand there and look so beautiful that he couldn't focus on anything else? It was nothing new. Carly didn't even have to be in the room for her to distract him from whatever he was doing. He had to have her, but he knew Jason was right. It wasn't the right time.

"Are you listening to me?" Camilla asked, bringing Sonny back to her.

"What?"

"Are you listening to me? I just asked you what you thought of the music and all you did was nod. In fact, since we've gotten here, all you've done is nod your head, and you haven't looked at me."

She looked in the direction Sonny was looking and saw Carly. "Do you have something going on with her?" Camilla asked, jealous. She was determined to have Sonny Corinthos, and no one would get in her way.

"No. I was just wondering what she felt like being without Michael at night. This is one of the first times she's ever done that for such a long period of time," Sonny lied.

"Oh."

There was a disturbance near the door. A large group of people came in, arguing and shouting. Carly turned to see who it was, and was angry to see it was the Quartermaines.

"Look who it is," she said to Jason, rolling her eyes.

"Don't start anything, Carly. It won't help anything."

"I won't start, but if they do, I'll fight back."

The Quartermaines headed toward them, and Carly whispered, "See, they're already coming over here. Don't ask me not to finish it when they start."

However, they didn't say anything to Carly but to Jason. It was Monica who spoke first.

"Jason, what are you doing here with her? She took your brother's son away from him and gave him to that gangster over there."

"My brother demolished my life. The best thing Carly ever did for her son was bring him to Sonny's. I'm here with Carly because she is my friend, and my date for the night. Now please leave, and don't bother me, Carly, or Sonny at all for the rest of the night," Jason replied calmly.

But Edward couldn't leave it at that. "Do you realize what you're doing to your son, associating him with such filth?" he attacked Carly. "Being with you is bad enough, and then you add Sonny Corinthos."

Carly slapped him, and everyone's heads turned to look at the scene.

"Don't you ever talk about me or Sonny that way. We are giving Michael something that AJ could never give him," Carly yelled.

She continued shouting insults until Sonny ran to her and said, "Come on, Carly, let's go. Jason, Camilla, come on."

"No," Carly screamed. "He thinks he's going to insult me like that. Well, he's got another thing coming."

"Carly, let's go," Jason urged.

She didn't like it, but she didn't protest too much when Sonny and Jason dragged her out.

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"Go upstairs and change, Carly, and then lay down and get some rest," Sonny said upon returning to the penthouse. Leave it to Carly to make a scene.

She started walking upstairs, and out of the corner of her eye, saw Sonny and Camilla sit on the couch together, one of his arms around her. Carly had to do something to get his attention.

Alone in her room, she started to undress, and remembered what had happened at Jason's house. Now she just needed a way for it to happen again. She went to take her earrings off, and the idea struck her. How often did she get her clothes caught on her earrings? It would be the perfect excuse to ask Sonny for help.

Carly lifted the dress up and got it so it was caught on one of her gold hoop earrings, and that enough of her was revealed so Sonny couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Sonny," she called. "I need your help. My dress is stuck on my earring and I can't get it off."

She heard Sonny laugh, and then said, "I'll think I'll let you work this one out yourself."

"Oh, Sonny. Just go. This has to be awfully embarrassing for her," Camilla said, raising her voice so Carly was sure to hear. "When I was her age, I didn't want anyone to see my body."

Carly hated the patronizing sound of her voice. "No, I don't really care actually. I mean, Sonny's seen me without clothes before. I just want this dress off my freaking ear," Carly replied, knowing how much Camilla wanted Sonny.

Sonny ran upstairs and prepared himself before opening the door. After this he'd have two images of her that would never leave his mind.

"All right, here we go," Sonny said, disconnecting the dress and the earring. "And, you're good."

Carly looked at him and couldn't help but notice how close their faces were. She knew she might never get this chance again. "Thank you, Sonny," she whispered, and then leaned in and kissed him.