Red Wine and Pinky Rings
Summary: Tempers flare as Carly and Courtney try to cook their boys a perfect Christmas dinner.
A/N: I'm not big on one-shots. Wait, lemme clarify. I LOVE one-shots, especially the fluffy Journey kind –I just hate my own cause, frankly my dears, I suck at them. But, I thought of this idea, SOMEONE made me continue with it, so here you go. Hope you like. Oh, and it's not too Christmas-y but I tried. Just wanted to go along with the season:)
"Oh Holy niiiiight. The stars are brightly shiiiiining…"
Courtney gritted her teeth as Carly tried her hardest to sing over the Christmas CD that was blaring from the stereo. Whoever had purchased the CD for her –and whoever the hell told her that she could hit a note like Mariah –was wrong. Wrong as hell.
The brunette sat on top of the counter in hers and Sonny's kitchen as Courtney stood across from her, leaning against the sink. This had been there everyday ritual ever since deciding that dinner made by the two of them for Sonny and Jason would be the perfect Christmas gift.
This decision was made, however, when they asked their husband's to submit a typical wish list to them. After all, such a request wasn't asking for too much. But, then again, they were dealing with Sonny and Jason.
Sonny asked for Carly to "not run her mouth when he was talking" and Jason decided that he wanted "a brand new gun; preferably silver". Both women respectively ripped up the sheets of paper and made their own plans.
But after five weeks of scouring recipe books and watching endless hours of anything and everything on The Food Network, the day had finally arrived to unveil their masterpiece. But there was one problem –they both agreed to spring this meal on their boys at exactly 12 midnight Christmas morning and it was already 9:00 PM on Christmas Eve. And they had yet to even think of an appetizer though they were nearly done with a tall bottle of Red Wine they had shared amongst themselves.
"Okay, I got it!" Carly said. She raised her glass. "Ice cream for dessert."
Courtney stared blankly at her. "Ice cream for dessert?"
Carly nodded her head in excitement. "Ice cream for dessert." Courtney returned her friend's excitement with a tight smile.
"What?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all," Courtney replied. "Give me the book." She snatched it as Carly handed it out to her. "Let's worry about dessert later. We need a main course to get started on."
"I can concur with that," Carly answered. She smiled. "That's my new word. 'Concur'. Like it?" She took another sip from her glass. "It means 'to agree', you know? Harmonize … see eye to eye …"
"Carly, I know what it means," Courtney answered dryly. "Hm … beautiful Turkey would be nice …"
"Sonny hates turkey. I haven't had roast beef in a while …"
"Jason doesn't eat beef."
"Since when?"
"Since forever."
Carly nodded thoughtfully. "Interesting …" She took another sip and poured a glass for Courtney, who accepted without even looking up from the thick book. She then turned up the radio volume a little more.
"Maybe it's much too early in the game …"
"Baked chicken maybe? …"
"Oh, but I thought I'd ask you just the same …"
"I have no idea what could go for dessert though. So many possibilities, you know?"
"What are you doing New Year's Eve ..."
"Carly!" Courtney suddenly yelled. She slammed the book shut and pointed it in Carly's face. "Shut up!"
She gasped. "Excuse me?"
Courtney shut her eyes in irritation. "Shut. Up."
"What? You don't like Diana Krall singing 'What Are You Doing New Year's Eve'?" Carly asked innocently.
"Yes. I like when Diana sings it. Hell, I may even like Clay Aiken singing it because anything is better than Carly Corinthos singing it!" She took a large gulp of her drink and slammed it on the counter. "Just sit there and keep your mouth shut while I find something for us to cook."
"Okay, first of all, don't slam my good china …"
Courtney picked up the glass slightly and banged it against the counter again, staring at Carly the entire time.
"You need to take a chill pill."
"Okay, who says that anymore?" Courtney cried. "And if anyone should take a pill, it should be you. Perhaps a sleeping pill cause you are driving me crazy. You need something to knock you out."
"I haven't done anything!" Carly protested.
"You're damn right you haven't done anything. It is almost 10 o'clock at night, we haven't even boiled a pot of water yet and the only thing you can think about is stupid Christmas songs and ice cream! I knew I should have just bought Jason a watch or something, wrote 'Merry Christmas' on a card and called it a day." She opened the book back up and began leafing through it.
Carly rolled her eyes as she opened the cabinet and brought out another bottle of wine. "Well, then maybe you should go and waste your money on another watch he won't even wear."
Courtney looked up. "He does wear them!"
"Okay, Courtney, the fact that you had to say 'them' should tell you something. Sweetheart, it's not normal to buy your husband a watch for every birthday and Christmas. Get creative, alright? The man could open his own store." Carly snickered. "'Open his own store'. That's funny."
"Or maybe you're just jealous cause Jason doesn't walk out looking like he robbed Liberace's museum. I mean, what is it with Sonny and that whole pinky ring fetish thing, anyway?" Courtney laughed obnoxiously and walked across the kitchen to fill her glass.
"That is not funny."
"Oh, but it is," Courtney answered, raising her glass in a mock toast then drinking some as she continued to laugh. "And that hair …"
"Okay, wait a minute. You cannot even began to talk about Sonny. I swear some day's I don't know if I'm looking at Jason or Toucan Sam."
Courtney abruptly stopped laughing. "Jason's hair is cute."
"He looks like a 5th grader who's been electrocuted, my dear."
"And Sonny looks like the substitute gym teacher in that track suit of his."
"He wears that in his downtime, Courtney," Carly said refilling her own glass.
"Oh … so when he's not looking like he raided a funeral home's wardrobe room, he prefers the athletic look. Stealth."
"Just shut up and start the chicken," Carly said jumping down from the counter. "I'll start the dessert. Gimme the book."
"No," Courtney said as she started flipping the pages again. "We haven't decided on anything yet."
"Brownies, Courtney! We'll make brownies, soufflé, mousse, pie, anything!" Carly yelled. She reached for the recipe book, trying to grasp it. "Just give me the book!"
"No!"
"Give it here! …"
Courtney and Carly both pulled opposite ways until Courtney let go –and sent the book, along with Carly, slamming into the refrigerator. She held in laughter as a large vase fell from the top, bouncing off Carly's head and onto the countertop, sending the half-consumed bottle of wine to the floor.
A look of horror spread across Carly's face as it shattered into a million pieces, drops of wine splattering onto the floor and her shoes.
She looked up slowly. "Not only are you paying for that but you're cleaning it up too."
"No, I'm not," Courtney said as she walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. She was followed by Carly.
"Yes you are."
"Nope," Courtney replied nonchalantly.
"Fine! Then leave," Carly said, shaking her glass at Courtney.
"I will! I'll leave and cook Jason the most amazing dinner he's ever had!"
"And I'll do the same for Sonny!"
Carly watched as Courtney picked up her things and walked out, slamming the door a little harder than normal. She sighed to herself and looked over in the direction of the kitchen.
Sure she couldn't even cook a grilled cheese sandwich but she'd be damned if Courtney follow through with their plan. She glanced at the clock. 10:30 on the dot. She had time. She was sure of it.
Courtney thought the same as she stood in front of her door. 10:30. She could whip up something quick and easy. Jason would walk in, sit down and everything would be perfect. If only she had some sort of idea what to make.
She took a good 45 minutes going through every cabinet and drawer in the kitchen but to no avail. There was nothing good enough. Not that Jason would have cared. Not that she even cared –she just couldn't let Carly win. Suddenly a light-bulb went off in her head. She grabbed the phone and dialed up a familiar number. This could work after all.
Courtney wasn't exactly sure what she was thinking as she ran down the stairs near the docks. This was her only option. Her last resort. Sure it wasn't an original part of the plan. But it was dinner.
She swung open Kelly's door anxiously and paused. "What are you doing here?"
Carly spun around in her chair slowly, an innocent smile on her face. "Hi."
"Hi my ass," Courtney replied walking towards her. "You're a damn cheater."
"And what are you doing here?" Carly asked.
"Borrowing some paprika," Courtney responded as Mike walked out with two bags in his hand. "Carly, your two dinners.'" He handed them over to her. "Oh, honey. You're here already. Your turkey isn't quite done yet."
She looked down sheepishly as Carly giggled. "And I'm the cheater?" She got up and proceeded to walk towards the door. Courtney trailed behind her.
Carly stopped and sat down as her cell rang. "Hello?" She dropped the bag of food onto the floor next to her. "Are you kidding me, Sonny?" She looked up at Courtney. "Fine. Okay. Yeah. Alright. Alright. Alright. Whatever." Carly closed her phone and threw it across the table.
"What's wrong?" Courtney sat down across from her. "Is everything okay?"
"Oh, besides the fact that in, oh, 20 minutes, Jason and Sonny are gonna be on a plane to the Bahamas, everything is peachy keen."
"You can't be serious."
"Oh, I'm serious." She grabbed the bag and placed it on the table. "Might as well dig in." She reached in and placed a dinner in front of her and Courtney just as Mike brought out her food.
She shrugged. "I don't know what I'm gonna do with this."
Carly smiled. "Leftovers?"
Courtney nodded. "I guess. What about Sonny?"
"Oh, I'll cook him a breakfast or something when he gets back. Or try. I'll crack one egg and then I'll be banned from the kitchen. It works."
Courtney unraveled her silverware and laughed. "As long as you don't spring a diamond pinky ring on him or something, all's okay in PC."
Carly laughed along with her. "Deal."