The unfamiliar landscape passed before her eyes as the Eurail sped along the track toward it's destination. Georgie laid her head against the window, trying her best to maintain the same level of excitement her two roommates had. Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, she attempted to focus her eyes on the ever changing Italian landscape.
"New Year's Eve in Verona!" Lindsay Maguire sighed. "My sister would totally die if she knew." The red head leaned against the seat she and Georgie shared and kicked her feet up against the seat facing them.
Nodding her agreement, Veronica Miller swatted at Lindsay's feet. "It's totally lame to want to have a New Year's kiss in front of the statue of Romeo and Juliet isn't it?"
"Not at all." Georgie smiled softly. Truth be told if she had long imagined the same scenario, ever since she had first heard of the tribute to the young lovers. And ever since Maxie had found her journal entry describing it and teased her mercilessly for weeks over it, she had kept that particular dream to herself.
The decision to go to Italy for the New Year had been Veronica's suggestion. They were on a two week break from their classes in Paris. After spending Christmas drinking wine underneath the Eiffel Tower, the trio had decided to do something not as touristy for New Years. They were studying and living abroad, Veronica had argued. What was the point of spending so much time there if they just did the same things every other person did? Veronica had reminded Georgie of Maxie when she was begging them to do something different and new, so she had purchased the Flex card and went along for the adventure.
Maybe it was her sister's voice that was encouraging her to do the other slightly crazy thing. Look up Steven Webber. Robin had emailed her about Elizabeth's brother and the book she had sent along with him, forwarding his email address. The two had exchanged a few brief emails trying to figure out where to meet but an unexpected sojourn to Italy had disrupted their plans. Steven had apologized, promising the second he returned from Verona, he would call her and give her the gift that day.
Georgie had to admit when Veronica had decided on meeting up with Steven had crossed her mind. It was nothing more than a whim really. A chance to talk with someone who had recently been home. Steven was far too old for her if he was Elizabeth's older brother. She was just trying to save someone a trip. He had been nice enough to bring her, a total stranger, a gift from home. It would be the least she could do to make it convenient for him.
She would just look around and notice if she saw any film locations when they finally arrived in town. There couldn't be that many movies being shot there right now. She would just near the set and ask if anyone knew Steven. With her pocket translator she should be able to know just enough Italian to help her search if she needed it. From Robin's email, Georgie had gathered it was a French crew so talking to them would be no problem.
Georgie settled back and pulled out her battered copy of Possession and began to read. It would just be a hour or so more before they arrived. She and her friends would wander the town for awhile and eventually Georgie would find an excuse to separate herself from the group. If she found Steven, great. If not, she would find a quiet café and sit and read her book.
Steven paused as he came out of the café, rubbing the glass of water to his head. The only good thing about working in Europe was the European Union hours, he decided. And the scenery couldn't be beat. The air was crisp and cool, but it was still comfortable enough to walk outside. A quick call to his grandmother the other night had told him it was snowing in Port Charles.
The trip to Italy hadn't been part of the original plan, but Steven wasn't about to complain. He was the assistant director of photography working with a certified genius director and head director of photography. They were both also certifiable insane but geniuses none-the-less. A small but important scene in the script was based in Italy and rather than re-create it on a soundstage, at the last minute they both decided they wanted to use a location for the "real sense of space." So he had been sent out to scout for some possible locations. Already Steven could see this shoot stretching out longer than the tight thirty-six weeks he had been promised.
He wandered through the square, half his mind looking around at possible locations and debating their practicalities, the other half just enjoying being in Italy. The country had always been on his list of places to go see and by some stroke of luck, he was here in Verona, the very city he had wanted to visit. Sure he knew Venice, Rome, Milan and Pisa were all more popular choices, but he had a secret soft spot in his heart for Verona ever since he saw the Franco Zepperelli version of Romeo and Juliet. It was the movie that made him fall in love with the cinema and started him on his career path. As he neared the statue of the tragic lovers, he felt it was only right that he come here, as if he had come full circle.
He found a seat at a small café, facing the statue. Sitting down, Steven wondered at the beauty of the scenery and the architecture. There was nothing like this in Los Angeles. Nothing could even come close. Turning his face slightly to the left, he caught sight of a young woman; she couldn't be more than twenty. Absentmindedly, she tucked a stray piece of brown hair behind her ear as she concentrated on the book in front of her. A piece of paper from a neighboring table flew past her, causing her to merely brush it aside without so much as breaking her concentration. Curious as to what book had her so enraptured Steven craned his head to see the title. He smiled when he made it out. Possession. Good book, underrated movie. He cleared his throat and searched through his rudimentary Italian to find the right phrase.
"Buon libro." It was one of the few phrases he could manage without his pocket translator.
He pointed to her battered copy. "Buon libro." He said again slowly, figuring he had somehow destroyed what he meant by messing up the accent. With his luck he probably had just told her she had a nice butt.
"Buon libro. Buon libro." She muttered under her breath as she put the book down, carefully marking her spot and began fishing in her bag. "Buon libro." Finally finding what she was looking for she pulled forth from the bottom of the black bag a familiar sight. The very pocket translator Steven had in his own back pocket.
"Do you speak English by chance?" He asked hurriedly.
"Yes." Georgie sighed in relief as she recognized the American accent. "I'm sorry what did you just say?"
"I said good book. I was just afraid I had insulted you by mispronouncing the phrase horribly."
"No. No insult." She smiled shyly into his warm brown eyes. Feeling the urge to laugh at the way the wind flipped his curls around she concentrated on looking in his eyes. "Yeah it is a good book. One of my favorites."
"It was ok but I liked the movie better."
"How could you? I mean the movie was alright, but it cut out all the romance. All the soul. The tension between Maude and Roland was simply lost."
Steven chuckled. Of all the people he could run into in Italy, he had somehow picked the one other person who had both read the book and seen the movie. "I think we may have to agree to disagree on that one."
"I don't compromise when I'm right."
Steven laughed outright. She had spunk; he had to give her that. He offered her his hand. "Can I at least know your name if we are going to be debating this for all time? Because I am never going to come around to seeing this your way."
"That's what you think. I am very persuasive when I want to be." Georgie took his hand and shook it lightly. "Georgie Jones."
Steven did a double take. He couldn't have heard her right. "Ge-Georgie?" he sputtered.
"I know. My parents thought it funny to give me a boy's nickname. It's one of the many reasons my sister and I are billing them for therapy."
"No it's not that. It's just..." Shaking his head, he decided to start again. "Well it's nice to finally meet you, Georgie Jones. Steven Webber."
It was her turn to look stunned. She had spent the better part of two hours trying to find out where the film crew was working, only to be told repeatedly no one was filming in the town. She had just about convinced herself that Steven had unknowingly sent her on a wild goose chase and now here he was sitting in right next to her. "This is crazy." She declared.
"Completely." Now that he knew she was Robin's cousin, he could see a bit of a family resemblance to her. The same uplift in the chin. Same intelligence in their eyes. "I'm just sorry I don't have Robin's present with me."
Of course he wouldn't, Georgie chided herself. He thought she was in Paris and he obviously would have some place to stay there if he was working there. Great plan, she told herself. "Well this trip was sort of spur of the moment. What are the odds we would meet up here of all places?"
"Still I feel bad. I know I'm missing home a little bit and I got to see my family at Christmas. You didn't. Let me make it up to you."
She had to admit she was curious. "How?"
"I'm just scouting locations. Why don't you walk with me? You can help me find some places and I can fill you in on what is going on back at home, or at least the limited amount of stuff I know about. At least we can talk about Kelly's chili or something."
Spend the day with a good-looking older guy, help with his work for a movie, and talk about home? It was tempting. Oh who was she kidding, she questioned herself. It was most likely the best offer she would ever get. And it would make for one hell of a story to email Dillon and make him green with envy. Georgie smiled up at Steven. "That sounds great."
Maxie twirled her new style of curls around her index finger, her eyes scanning the room as she took on the amount of people her best friend, Valerie, had decided to sardine-pack into the two-story loft. She had called Maxie last minute, had planned the party in much the same fashion, her excuse being that she was starting to forget what her friends looked like. When she pointed out that Maxie should come if for no other reason than it was New Year's Eve and no one should be alone on such an important holiday, Maxie had almost declined. The last thing she wanted to do was hook up with some stranger at a party. Who knew what kind of diseases might still be lingering in good 'ole Port Chuck? Sonny Corinthos had been locked away for the better part of a decade, but he had, in his time here, made it a point to sleep with anything that moved, and there was a chance whatever disease he might have handed them they might have handed one of the many guys at the party.
She was used to the looks she got from her "friends" when she went anywhere alone, and tonight was no different. The only reason she had agreed to this little social gathering was because she hadn't received a better offer. Her flighty version of McDreamy had scurried out of his office after a brief make out session with her and convinced her to do the same. He hadn't called, written, shown up, or anything. So maybe her coming here had more to do with spite than actual opportunity. She knew she couldn't expect too much, and had thought she understood that going in. He would be convenient sex and that's all she would be to him, all he would probably allow. He had a reputation to keep and she would be just be another proverbial notch on his belt. She didn't mind, had been treated a lot worse by several other guys. It just kind of hurt that he hadn't made a single attempt to contact her since their kiss.
Maxie was proud of herself. She hadn't stooped to digging up his schedule and personal information, something, she was ashamed to admit, she had done too many times. She always seemed to meet men through General Hospital. They always told her she had some kind of Florence Nightingale syndrome to which she would laugh and roll her eyes. None of them understood her. It was why they never stuck around. What was this, "Feel Sorry for Yourself Day?" She needed to break out of these self-deprecating thoughts and enjoy the party. Just because some or most of these guys were probably dripping with syphilis or something worse didn't mean she couldn't at least make conversation, make herself available. She was available.
Adjusting the strap of her emerald-green knee-length dress, she started toward the balcony, a hand reaching out and pulling her away from the throng of people. Her initial reaction was anger, because she was not a yo-yo and how dare anyone treat her like one! From anger spawned irritation when she realized it was Valerie who had done so. Well who had she been expecting? What would Ric Lansing be doing at a college New Year's Eve party? She really needed to get her shit together before she blew her chances at another kiss.
"Earth to Maxie." Valerie waved her hand in front of her friend's face until the shorter of the two women slapped it away.
"Would you stop that?" Maxie spat, her gray-blue eyes as dark as the summer storms the town was famous for. "I'm not a mutant. All you have to do is call my name and I'll answer." She went on, understanding that she was rambling and she never rambled. Well some situations required rambling, she told herself.
"Calm down there, crazy girl. I was just going to say that I was kind of bad." Valerie whispered with a smile.
"Do I want to hear this?" Maxie couldn't keep her tone from sounding dreary because it took a lot to find Valerie interesting before she had a few more drinks in her.
"It has to do with you. I kind of invited you both with the intention of setting you up." Valerie admitted, looking awfully sheepish. She looked as if she had run over Maxie's dog and was just now confessing to it.
"That's okay." Maxie assured her, patting her on the shoulder. "I kind of expected that. Where is this Don Juan?" She made it a point to glance from one corner of the living room to the other in case he was leaned up against one of the walls or sitting on the couch watching them.
"He's on the balcony. He said, if it was fate, he would run into you, so call me fate." Valerie carried on, laughing at her little joke.
"Thanks Val." Maxie smiled, needing the distraction from her own destructive thoughts. "Tell me…is he cute?"
"Oh, he's dreamy." Valerie placed her palm against her forehead as if checking her temperature. Her skin was the perfect shade of cream next to auburn hair and translucent blue eyes. She was the sort of person who never dated "beneath" her or allowed her friends to, which meant this guy must be pretty high up there if Valerie was recommending him.
"What's his name?" Maxie wondered, her attention already moving to the balcony.
"Nate." Valerie divulged. "Now, go. Make magic happen." She shoved Maxie through the crowd and then abandoned her where the doors opened to the balcony.
Maxie could admit she was feeling as if she were merely floating from one place to another. She was a little nervous, truth be told. What if she didn't meet his expectations? But then, he must have seen her when she walked in, and she had been here a long time. He wouldn't have sent Valerie to find her if he hadn't liked what he had seen. "You're awfully dressed up, aren't you?" She teased him, tapping on his right shoulder to get his attention.
He was in a pair of black trousers, a white button-down, and a form-fitting black coat that brought out the indentions in his shoulders, proving he was more than just a social fitness buff. His hair was dark and wispy. She instantly wanted to comb her fingers through it. There was something almost familiar about him. "I dress to impress when I know beautiful women will be in my company."
"Ric Lansing!" Maxie yelped her eyes narrowing as he slowly turned to face her. "What do you think you're doing, busting up my friend's party?"
She was outraged; he could see it in her stormy eyes. Hell, he could hear it in her voice. This wasn't exactly how he had planned on approaching her again, but he had jumped at the opportunity, knowing he had waited too long to contact her after such a powerful couple of kisses. In fact, he thought he might kiss her again before the night was out. That is, if she ever let him that close to her after this charade he had pulled on her. "It's a good thing I caught this now," He told her, tugging at a small blonde curl, smiling when her response was to frown and smack his hand away. "Before you did something you would regret."
He sounded so damn patronizing Maxie considered abandoning him on the spot. The nerve! They were nothing to each other, less than nothing, but he felt justified in judging how she spent her time? She was going to strangle Valerie. This never would have happened if her friend hadn't thrown a spur-of-the-moment party and invited everyone she happened to walk past that afternoon. "What makes you think you have any say in what I do?"
"I could take the defensiveness of your posture, tone of voice, and anger in your eyes to mean that you're not pleased to see me, but we both know that's not true, don't we?" Ric teased, leaning into her.
"Ha!" Maxie reacted a little too quickly to fool anyone, even the practical stranger in front of her. "If you think for a second I'm happy to see you, you're wrong."
"I am, huh?" Ric asked warmly. The passion in his eyes was absolutely unmistakable so Maxie turned her attention to his shoulder, figuring that was as safe a place to look as any.
"Yes. Dead wrong." Maxie emphasized in frustration.
"You know, a couple of years ago, that phrase might have been considered an omen." Ric mused.
"A few years ago people were drowning each other at the docks and no one was doing anything about it. A few years ago my father brought us here to see them prosecuted." Maxie threw back.
"What are you mad at me for?" Ric asked offhandedly.
"Mad? Who said I was mad?" Maxie retorted in a pitch just above a screech.
"I had to deal with family. You know, the holidays are busy." Ric answered, the understatement not lost on either of them.
"That's it? You're blaming your inability to pick up a phone on relatives?" Maxie inquired incredulously.
"Ha, so you are mad!" Ric looked quite pleased with himself.
"Being mad would require effort and I'm afraid I can't rise to the occasion." Maxie countered, folding her arms.
"Oh, I don't think that'll ever be our problem." Ric argued.
"Men!" Maxie shouted, already returning to the living room.
"You can't walk away from a fight." Ric pointed out, snatching her arm and holding her in place.
"It'd be a really good idea to let go of me." Maxie informed him.
"I'm not afraid of you." Ric told her.
"Have you met my father? He'd make a pancake out of your sorry ass." Maxie corrected him.
Ric muttered an expletive. "I wasn't blowing you off."
"Okay." Maxie's response proved how little she cared.
"You don't believe me."
"No. I try not to look for truth in a liar."
"When have I lied to you? When?" Ric challenged.
Maxie gritted her teeth together, unable to think of a quick answer. "I guess you never have. Looks like I'm making way too big of a deal over this. I apologize. Please let me go."
"In a minute." Ric practically growled at her. "What is it you want from me? I'd really like to know, because I'm getting sick of this back and forth bullshit."
"It's about…it's…" Maxie couldn't name what she was feeling, because she didn't entirely trust it. There was no real reason to be mad at him, no evidence to hold him. She would calm him down and then saunter off like it didn't matter to her one way or the other.
"I don't think I like that look in your eye. You're plotting something, aren't you?"
"I don't plot." Maxie almost laughed at the outright lie that had tumbled from her lips.
"Maybe I'd believe that if this town wasn't full of stories about your endeavors." Ric told her.
"You think it's all true? What you've heard?" Maxie wondered.
"I don't believe a lot of it, no. But some, some I can't ignore."
"Then what are you doing here?"
Her question silenced him. What was he doing at a college party surrounded by a bunch of rowdy twenty-something's? He could have any woman tonight, so why was his brain fixated on this one? She was absolutely mind-boggling and she made him want to punch a wall. Why did he think she was worth this kind of effort?
"Maybe I should have called." Ric whispered begrudgingly.
"Maybe I should have stayed by the phone." Maxie snorted.
"Would you have answered if I had called?" Ric wanted to know.
"Probably not." Maxie admitted with a small grin. "But I would have appreciated the effort."
"Can we start over please?" Ric begged his eyes at once warm and probing.
"Well?" Maxie waved her hand for him to act on whatever he thought "starting over" meant. He took her hand so that he held them both and pulled her closer, dipping his head and angling his mouth over hers.
She thought about letting him, Ric noticed. But the refusal rested in her foggy-blue eyes. Still, she hadn't voiced it and he hadn't gotten the nickname "scoundrel" in his hometown for nothing. Swiping his tongue over her bottom lip, he pulled the tender piece of flesh into his mouth and lightly nibbled on it.
Maxie pushed him back, her eyes flying to her shoes. "I think we have conflicting opinions about starting over." She murmured in a shaky voice.
"Probably." Ric agreed, kissing the corner of her mouth.
"You don't just get to kiss me anytime you want." She went on. "There have to be rules to this sort of thing. We don't want to send out the wrong impression. We're not dating."
"Whatever you say." Ric whispered, brushing his cheek over hers.
"Would you listen to me?"
"I am listening. I promise."
His lips found the spot below Maxie's ear and she mewed. His hands swept up her arms and cupped her head in his hands, his mouth lifting to hers. She was powerless to stop any of it, let alone predict it. At first, she was too stunned to do anything but allow him this small intimacy. As the seconds ticked by, her own impatience got the better of her and she pressed her body into his, her tongue flicking over his. Her response started a battle for control, one she let him win.
"Happy New Year Blondie." Ric whispered in-between kisses.