CHAPTER FOUR
Sonny woke up in the morning, after a long and sleepless night. The storm outside that night and mirrored the one he fought in his dreams. But with the first rays of the morning light, his demons had disappeared. Until the next time the darkness came to try and claim him..
But today, this day, they were gone and Sonny banished the last vestiges of them away as he showered and dressed himself. He was all in blues today. Rich, deep cobalt blue slacks and a shirt only a shade lighter. He'd decided that he would have breakfast with Alexis. Well, for her, breakfast meant coffee, but since her brewings couldn't rightly even be call coffee, Alexis had become, she admitted, somewhat spoiled to his special kona blend.
He hadn't wanted to intrude on Alexis' evening the night before. Sonny realized that he'd been leaning on her too much lately and she'd been there for him, each and every time he'd needed her, being the one person in the world to allow it. So this one time, he'd decided to fight the demons on his own this time. Alexis had a life beyond his, it was time he left her alone to do it. He wondered why he felt a little emptier for the thought.
Thirty minutes later, coffee fresh ground and brewed, he headed across the hallway with a carafe. He knocked.
No answer. Sonny knocked again, a little louder.
The elevator door slid open and Kristina stepped out, attired in running sweats.
"Where's Alexis?"
"I don't know.not here." Kristina said shortly as she brushed past him and unlocked the door. She didn't go in, but instead, turned to face him, back against the closed door.
"Are you sure she isn't sick or anything?"
"I wouldn't know if she's sick - or anything -- because she left out of here last night and never came home."
"Why, didn't you tell me this when it happened?" Sonny went straight into protective mode without thinking. He turned to his bodyguard. "Max, I want Ms. Davis located. ASAP. Call me as soon as you hear anything." As Max began to make the phone calls to get the search underway, he looked back at Kristina. This time, she couldn't detect any concern or gentleness in his gaze.
"I don't think there's anything to worry about, as far as her being in any danger or anything." Kristina said, suddenly nervous. When Sonny focused those eyes on you, the truth came out whether you wanted it to or not. For the first time, she felt the power Sonny Corinthos exuded without even trying. Without Alexis there as a buffer, it was almost frightening. Her heart began a slow thudding in her chest and she swallowed uneasily, realizing that she wouldn't want to be his enemy under any circumstances.
"Then it's something else? Who..." his eyes narrowed as he studied her. "What did you do?"
Nerves stretched tight after a long, sleepless and remorseful night, Kristina let loose the first thought that came into her head. "Me? Why should it be me who's done anything? You're the one who did it!"
Sonny stared at her uncomprehending. Her next words rang in his ears with all the force of an atom bomb.
"You made my sister fall in love with you!"
***
Jax smiled to see Alexis enter the hotel dining room, a pair of very wide and dark sunglasses perched on her nose. She lifted them briefly, then spotting, him, made her way carefully across the room. He was looking disgustingly well, she thought as she slid into the chair opposite him. Two cups sat on the table, a delectable steam rising from them both.
"We could have ordered room service." He reminded her again as she sat down. Jax had arranged for Alexis to stay in the suite next to his. It was the only way to get her upstairs and into a bed. He'd also sat with her until she'd fallen asleep.
"Why delay the inevitable?" Alexis said carefully. She reached for the cup and took a sip. Followed by a shudder. Alexis made a face. "What is this?"
"Oolong Green tea," Jax told her. "A caffeine-free antioxidant and much more beneficial for you than coffee."
"It smells much better than it tastes." Alexis set the cup back in its saucer and eyed it distrustfully. "I like my caffeine, Jax. I need my caffeine."
"One more thing that isn't good for you." Seeing the apprehensive look she shot him, Jax wisely changed the subject. "You know the opening of my club is this week."
"You mean Carly's club, don't you?"
"We're partners, you know that. My point is, I want you - and Kristina -- to come to the opening as my guests. What are you going to do? Wait until Sonny asks you? Well, just so you know, Carly is planning to ask him as her special guest. I doubt if you'll want to make an appearance alone under those circumstances."
"What makes you think that I want to make an appearance at Carly's club, of all places, under any circumstances?" Alexis had removed the sunglasses, signaled to a waiter and was replacing the green tea with a cup of coffee. She sipped and sighed. Not the best, but it would do. The beans were at least a day old. She debated with the thought of sending it back and demanding a fresher brew, but then decided against it. Hmm...maybe she was getting spoiled by Sonny's freshly ground morning brews. She wondered if he had brought over a cup or two of his private blend this morning, then shook her head, forcing herself to dismiss the mobster from her mind. Alexis winced as the effort set her head to pounding. "She won't thank you for inviting me, you know that."
"She'll just have to deal with it." Jax grinned at her. "Tell me the idea of getting to Carly isn't appealing in the least little bit?"
"Jax" She tried to sound stern, but it wasn't working. There was a certain appeal to the idea, after all.
"Then it's settled. I'll send a car for you and Kristina. A private table, champagne - or vodka if you prefer" A semi-wicked smirk graced his face for a nanosecond. Alexis lightly slapped at him and laughed, for which he was gratified and continued. " -- the works. After all, it's not like you and Kristina have even celebrated the fact that you two have found each other. Say you'll come?"
"I refuse to commit myself to anything this early in the morning, but I will take it under advisement."
"Fair enough. Shall we order breakfast?" Jax beckoned to a nearby waiter.
"Only if I order for myself."
"Don't you trust me, Alexis?"
"With my life. Just not my breakfast."
Sonny woke up in the morning, after a long and sleepless night. The storm outside that night and mirrored the one he fought in his dreams. But with the first rays of the morning light, his demons had disappeared. Until the next time the darkness came to try and claim him..
But today, this day, they were gone and Sonny banished the last vestiges of them away as he showered and dressed himself. He was all in blues today. Rich, deep cobalt blue slacks and a shirt only a shade lighter. He'd decided that he would have breakfast with Alexis. Well, for her, breakfast meant coffee, but since her brewings couldn't rightly even be call coffee, Alexis had become, she admitted, somewhat spoiled to his special kona blend.
He hadn't wanted to intrude on Alexis' evening the night before. Sonny realized that he'd been leaning on her too much lately and she'd been there for him, each and every time he'd needed her, being the one person in the world to allow it. So this one time, he'd decided to fight the demons on his own this time. Alexis had a life beyond his, it was time he left her alone to do it. He wondered why he felt a little emptier for the thought.
Thirty minutes later, coffee fresh ground and brewed, he headed across the hallway with a carafe. He knocked.
No answer. Sonny knocked again, a little louder.
The elevator door slid open and Kristina stepped out, attired in running sweats.
"Where's Alexis?"
"I don't know.not here." Kristina said shortly as she brushed past him and unlocked the door. She didn't go in, but instead, turned to face him, back against the closed door.
"Are you sure she isn't sick or anything?"
"I wouldn't know if she's sick - or anything -- because she left out of here last night and never came home."
"Why, didn't you tell me this when it happened?" Sonny went straight into protective mode without thinking. He turned to his bodyguard. "Max, I want Ms. Davis located. ASAP. Call me as soon as you hear anything." As Max began to make the phone calls to get the search underway, he looked back at Kristina. This time, she couldn't detect any concern or gentleness in his gaze.
"I don't think there's anything to worry about, as far as her being in any danger or anything." Kristina said, suddenly nervous. When Sonny focused those eyes on you, the truth came out whether you wanted it to or not. For the first time, she felt the power Sonny Corinthos exuded without even trying. Without Alexis there as a buffer, it was almost frightening. Her heart began a slow thudding in her chest and she swallowed uneasily, realizing that she wouldn't want to be his enemy under any circumstances.
"Then it's something else? Who..." his eyes narrowed as he studied her. "What did you do?"
Nerves stretched tight after a long, sleepless and remorseful night, Kristina let loose the first thought that came into her head. "Me? Why should it be me who's done anything? You're the one who did it!"
Sonny stared at her uncomprehending. Her next words rang in his ears with all the force of an atom bomb.
"You made my sister fall in love with you!"
***
Jax smiled to see Alexis enter the hotel dining room, a pair of very wide and dark sunglasses perched on her nose. She lifted them briefly, then spotting, him, made her way carefully across the room. He was looking disgustingly well, she thought as she slid into the chair opposite him. Two cups sat on the table, a delectable steam rising from them both.
"We could have ordered room service." He reminded her again as she sat down. Jax had arranged for Alexis to stay in the suite next to his. It was the only way to get her upstairs and into a bed. He'd also sat with her until she'd fallen asleep.
"Why delay the inevitable?" Alexis said carefully. She reached for the cup and took a sip. Followed by a shudder. Alexis made a face. "What is this?"
"Oolong Green tea," Jax told her. "A caffeine-free antioxidant and much more beneficial for you than coffee."
"It smells much better than it tastes." Alexis set the cup back in its saucer and eyed it distrustfully. "I like my caffeine, Jax. I need my caffeine."
"One more thing that isn't good for you." Seeing the apprehensive look she shot him, Jax wisely changed the subject. "You know the opening of my club is this week."
"You mean Carly's club, don't you?"
"We're partners, you know that. My point is, I want you - and Kristina -- to come to the opening as my guests. What are you going to do? Wait until Sonny asks you? Well, just so you know, Carly is planning to ask him as her special guest. I doubt if you'll want to make an appearance alone under those circumstances."
"What makes you think that I want to make an appearance at Carly's club, of all places, under any circumstances?" Alexis had removed the sunglasses, signaled to a waiter and was replacing the green tea with a cup of coffee. She sipped and sighed. Not the best, but it would do. The beans were at least a day old. She debated with the thought of sending it back and demanding a fresher brew, but then decided against it. Hmm...maybe she was getting spoiled by Sonny's freshly ground morning brews. She wondered if he had brought over a cup or two of his private blend this morning, then shook her head, forcing herself to dismiss the mobster from her mind. Alexis winced as the effort set her head to pounding. "She won't thank you for inviting me, you know that."
"She'll just have to deal with it." Jax grinned at her. "Tell me the idea of getting to Carly isn't appealing in the least little bit?"
"Jax" She tried to sound stern, but it wasn't working. There was a certain appeal to the idea, after all.
"Then it's settled. I'll send a car for you and Kristina. A private table, champagne - or vodka if you prefer" A semi-wicked smirk graced his face for a nanosecond. Alexis lightly slapped at him and laughed, for which he was gratified and continued. " -- the works. After all, it's not like you and Kristina have even celebrated the fact that you two have found each other. Say you'll come?"
"I refuse to commit myself to anything this early in the morning, but I will take it under advisement."
"Fair enough. Shall we order breakfast?" Jax beckoned to a nearby waiter.
"Only if I order for myself."
"Don't you trust me, Alexis?"
"With my life. Just not my breakfast."
