April 19, 2006
"The Dance in Certain Shades of Limelight"Who knew that all they ever really wanted to do was dance. How dancing translated into murder…they were blind to both the simplicities and the intricacies of The Dance. But to put it all under the limelight, it was blatantly obvious what the issues were and what the ending should be. But The Dance was much too stimulating to let go or even put under control.
Sonny always danced. Even moreso during his incarceration then in the clubs of Puerto Rico. Through the halls…cha cha cha…in his cell…cha cha cha. His big burly neighbor across the way would eye him longingly. Imagining taking Sonny in his big strong arms...cha cha cha. And yes his name was Bubba.
One two…three four. One two…three four. Alexis always kept the music in her head. It helped to get her through her couch sessions. She couldn't stop moving. Her mind never stopped turning.
She searched the community room for a likely candidate for a lesson of the rumba. Her eye fell onto the always-playful Sybil. Alexis positioned herself in the open space of the floor and slowly rolled her hips. She signaled with her hands for Sybil to mimic her movements. Sybil tried, but came up with a better idea.
"Alexis! Roger! He loves to rumba!"Alexis stopped her routine completely thrown off.
"Roger? You want me to dance with Roger? Sybil? Where is he?""He's right in front of you Silly."
Alexis stared at the clear air and tried to figure the logistics of dancing with an imaginary man. She imagined his pinstriped slacks; his black button down shirt showing a bit of skin soo tan from a day at the beach; the whiff of his cologne.
Her first step into the rumba with her Roger threw her to the ground. She half expected him strong enough to hold her up. She flung her hand in pain while Sybil helped her up from the floor.
"Be careful Alexis! You have a ping pong tournament to play."
"Why didn't Roger catch me?"
"He decided he didn't want to dance. He's shy. Maybe I should've told you he went home."
Coleman helped her bandage her hand and held his up to her with his palms facing her way.
"Go 'head Lexi. Hit me. Hit me good."
Alexis gripped her hands and took a boxers stance.
"Why are we boxing?""Just testing your strength. Come on. Shake what your momma gave ya!" He roared.
Coleman kept his palms ready. Alexis took a swing that went beyond his hands and landed him on the ground writhing in pain. She quickly took his hand to pull him up.
"Get up Coleman! I'll be put in timeout for assault!"Upon his arrival to Ferncliff, Sonny entertained the shrink in his first session.
"So Sonny. I see you have multi-personalities."
Sonny sat with perfect posture with the air of a British schoolboy.
"Yes Sir. They come and go."
"What tends to keep them suppressed?"
"Uh. Law books."
"Law books?"
"I love to read Sir. I love to read legal briefs."
Sonny held back a grin and continued his mellow nature with the shrink until he saw the doc ink his daily regime of law reading material; in the law library.
The first book he picked up made him wonder if it was even worth it. He wondered if he should ask for time with the ping-pong table instead, but figured himself a man amongst boys. Manny surly wouldn't bend him over and screw him. Would he? His thoughts were quickly interrupted when he saw her gripping tight to a book like it was a murder mystery. His eyes ran across the title "Great Assassins".
He pulled himself behind a bookcase and found the perfect place to watch her. He loved the way Alexis read a book carefully cradling the pages before each turn. She looked up from her reading and Sonny pulled himself out of view. Putting the book down, she got up and walked behind a bookcase. Sonny started to panic and slide himself to another hiding spot. He felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to her and practically jumped from his skin.
"What are you doing here Sonny? Did they let you out?" Alexis studied him familiarizing herself with his physique.
"I thought you knew Alexis. I'm playing you in the ping-pong tournament. Or not."
"Yes. Coleman informed me of the possibilities of you coming to Ferncliff. How did you end up here? In the law library? You have to have permission to be here."
"Reading legal briefs suppresses my multiple personalities."
Alexis hit Sonny in the arm.
"Your multiple personalities?! You told them that?!"
"Whatever works."
Alexis cut her eyes at him reading him like a book. "You'll do anything to be close to me. If you can't have me, no one else can. That's why you want to get rid of me. Well I'm taken."
"Oh are you? Coleman?"
"Oh no. I said I'm taken. Not desperate."
"What's his name?"
Alexis crossed her arms. "Roger."
All the way back to his room, he focused on 'Roger'. He pondered how the hell she would even think of finding someone else. "I can't let it bother me." He said to himself. "I got a ping pong tournament to win. Or lose."
The next day saw tournament after tournament after tournament. They both played hard to advance to the next rounds. After one round was over, one would take a break to watch the other's skills in the next round.
Sonny won his seventh round of nine and sat back to watch Alexis play her seventh that would possibly put them at even. He watched her steadily eye her opponent wearing her tennis skirt and gripping her paddle like it was a racket. He got a kick out of her stance over the table like a seasoned tennis star.
"Don't hit the ball too hard Alexis! This isn't tennis!" He yelled to her from the audience.
Looking up, he noticed Manny hanging out in the crowd, smoking a cigar and pacing back and forth. Sonny swallowed hard and focused back on Alexis playing with every skill she had. The opponent proved to be a tough one. But the look at Manny from the corner of her eye kept her on track knowing that any loss spelled death.
Eight of nine. Nine of nine. The last one was a nail biter for Sonny and Alexis. And Manny could tell that neither of them wanted the other to lose.
The owner of Ferncliff took Sonny and Alexis by the hands and brought them to the podium to announce the championship game.
The owner nodded to the both of them and said his piece. "It seems as though tomorrow's tournament is decided. Sonny Corinthos and Alexis Davis will play what will prove to be a tough one. Man against Woman. May the best Homo sapien win. But as a reward to the winners, you both will be allowed a fully furnished dinner this evening. Be sure to rest up for tomorrow."
Alexis turned to Coleman grinning from ear to ear as if the victory was his. "Do I have to be alone with him?"
Coleman placed his hand on her shoulder. "Just eat up damnit. It might be your last supper."
Coleman insisted on going shopping. For what, Alexis had no clue. He claimed he could make her a fair lady for the evening. Alexis kicked back on the couch to watch TV with Sybil in hopes he'd just go away.
Coleman returned with his arms fully stocked. Alexis and Sybil looked up from the television and watched him dump the boxes to the floor.
"Alright my little Eliza. You're gonna be hot at dinner with Sonny tonight. Hella hot."
Coleman rubbed his hands together and beheld her delicate figure in his eyes ready to strip her of the sweats and trim her to perfection. "I get to see Lexi naked."
Sonny fixed his bowtie in the mirror. He noticed Manny watching him from a stall.
"Tonight's meal might be your last Corinthos."
Sonny turned to Manny. "Did I not pay you enough to side with me?"
Manny approached Sonny. "I don't discuss my deals. I just make them and successfully I might add." Manny took a moment to straighten Sonny's tie. "I like to call it the waltz. I do it well."
Sometimes love can play a cosmic joke and the punch line was Sonny and Alexis.
The guard frisked both of them. Sonny was pressed and never looked better. He tugged at his tie and jerked at his suit coat as the guards searched from head to toe. He grinned at Alexis and calmly slipped his hands in his pockets.
The guards moved to Alexis and apologized profusely before feeling her up. Sonny admired her in the slinky black silk dress and killer stilettos. He tried not to think what she could do with such a shoe were he to piss her off.
He turned to the table lit with candles and pulled a rose from the glass vase. He handed her the rose.
"You look ok tonight." He tried to blow off his excitement.
"You don't look so bad yourself Corinthos. I could probably sop you up with a biscuit."
"Well since we're being honest, I'd have no problem turning you out of that dress. But since you're seeing that Roger guy. I don't want to intrude. Wouldn't want him to kick my ass."
Sonny turned and bent over for a minute. Alexis clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes.
"Still a grandstander I see." Alexis observed.
"It's hard being a P.I.M.P."
"In jail? Sonny, there's no way. Just shut up and sit."
Sonny remembered his manners and pulled out the chair for Alexis. She made sure he didn't decide to pull it from under her as an evil joke.
Dinner progressed slowly. Neither of them with anything to say. They just ate. And they ate. Until that familiar song played in the air. Nothing either of them had heard before, but something that always played in their heads.
Sonny put down his fork and stood up. Alexis did the same. He offered his hand and she accepted. They sauntered out to the dance floor and clasped hands to face each other. Sonny slowly pushed his hand up her dress and pulled out…a knife? He showed it to Alexis. She pretended to be shocked.
"I have no clue where that came from." She uttered with a shrug of her shoulders.
Sonny got on his knees to look for more, but she pulled him up and ripped open his coat. She found a gun in the pocket and showed it to him.
"Oh hell no Alexis. You planted that one Babe. Don't even try that."
Sonny grinned nervously and started to slide away…step step cha cha cha…but she grabbed him from behind.
"You're gonna dance with me Sonny. I promise I won't kill you."
He agreed and took her restless body in his arms. With their silhouettes bouncing from the walls, they danced to every song that would dare play for them. They were lost in The Dance. But as usual, outside forces rode in. The guards stepped into the room and killed their music. They broke apart practically out of breath. And being the inquisitive nature that Alexis always proved to be, she had to ask one of the guards.
"What was that music?"The guard looked at her perplexed and silently passed the question on to his partner who shoke it off.
"There was no music M'am. It's time for us to escort you two back to your rooms. We'll be waiting outside."
Alexis looked at Sonny.
Sonny looked at her. He moved his body to the music still playing in his head. He whispered to her. "Goodnight. Good luck." He started to sing ashe walked towards the door. "I love the way you move."
Before he closed the door she yelled to him. "Goodnight and good luck to you too!"