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Chapter 10
"What is this?" Diane asked looking at the large flat box that Jason was putting on the counter.
"Cake samples." Elizabeth said with the smallest of smiles aimed at her fiance. Jason had very much enjoyed the visit to the bakery. She didn't know he was such a pastry fan.
"You both like chocolate cake." Francis said looking at Liz before turning to Jason. "So why do you have samples? Did you have trouble deciding on filling or icings?" Francis wanted to know. That would be the only reason they had the squares. Not that he was complaining, he had enjoyed it when Sonny shared his.
"No. We ordered the cake. Alternating layers of chocolate and vanilla with vanilla buttercream icing." Elizabeth put her box down on the counter. "It's going to have piped swirled icing on the sides with sugar flowers on the top. Five tiers."
"They told us to take the samples anyway." Jason grinned. He didn't do many sweets, but he liked cake. "We can change our mind on the flavors anytime in the next week."
"What do you have?" Diane asked Elizabeth.
"Flowers." She said smiling at Jason. She took the lid off of her box and picked up an oversized bouquet of tulips. "These are the samples that the florist showed us, with a few more of the ones I selected to fill out the arrangement. Jason purchased them for me." Elizabeth said taking the two vases her fiance pulled down.
"Which ones did you select?" Diane would have pushed Liz towards roses as they were more traditional. She had to admit the tulips were gorgeous though.
"For the ceremony, I chose the triumph hybrid variety in white." Elizabeth pointed to the appropriate blossom. "For the reception I went with the parrot tulips." She pointed to a bloom that was a riot of color. "They will pull in a more tropical feel to the party."
Diane just smiled. She promised Frannie she was going to support Elizabeth's choices from here on out, and she was going to keep her word. "So that's two things off the list. What are you doing tomorrow?"
"Menu tasting." Elizabeth told her friend.
"And meeting with the minister who is performing the ceremony." Jason added walking over to get some forks. They could talk and eat cake at the same time.
Elizabeth sent a text before taking the utensil. "The photographer and music are going to be taken care of first thing next week. In the afternoon, in the morning we have fittings. Tonight I'm going to register. I was thinking you could help me with that." Elizabeth was perfectly capable of picking everything on her own, but she wanted to find a way to include Diane. Especially since the attorney thought they were related.
"Not Jason?" Diane asked pleasantly surprised. She thought for sure she had been sidelined for good.
"I know his preferences." Elizabeth would call him if they needed a tie breaker, or a referee.
"I'd be happy to help you." Diane accepted the invitation, and rolled her eyes at the warning look from Francis.
"You called?" Milo asked coming back into the kitchen. Since everyone was in he was going to take a walk before lunch.
"We are tasting the cake samples." Elizabeth told the guard as Jason handed him a fork.
"You want me to try them too?" Milo was surprised. No one in the room treated him like a servant, but he was still just a guard.
"You've certainly earned the right to have a snack." Elizabeth laughed at him. The poor guy had been sucked right into the middle of her drama with Diane.
"There's enough to share." Jason said lifting the lid and revealing the iced squares. "The legend is on the inside of the lid." He made sure to put it the way the baker had shown him.
"Which ones did you pick?" Francis wanted to start with them.
"Tahitian Vanilla was Jason's pick." Elizabeth read the legend on pointed it out. "German Chocolate was mine." She pointed that one too. "We sampled our choices at the shop so you three can split those." She wanted their opinions.
"Where are you registering?" Diane wanted to know as she sampled the chocolate cherry delight. "This is divine."
"Mmm." Elizabeth said by way of agreement. "My selection is better though. Maybe we should get a cake for the rehearsal dinner." She grinned wide.
"Let me check with Sonny." Jason said getting more cake. "I don't want to mess up his menu." He knew his partner would say to get whatever Elizabeth wanted, but it would be respectful to call first.
"That's fine." Liz knew whatever Sonny made was going to be delicious. "We are registering at Wyndham's. It covers the gamut and it's easy for folks to get to. I'm going to ask that everything be left in Port Charles. No point hefting it here, just so we can heft it back." She told Diane.
"Remember thank you cards should go out no later than two weeks after a wedding." Diane said pointing out the flaw in that plan. "Since you are going to be leaving for your honeymoon after the wedding you should have the gifts brought here. I can help you start on the notes."
"Thank you notes from the wedding go out within three months of the ceremony. Its shower gifts that are two weeks. I know because I helped Sarah with hers." Elizabeth told Diane. "I'm not having a shower so that isn't an issue."
"Its two weeks." Diane was positive.
"For the shower yes." Elizabeth said nodding. "My sister Sarah has an etiquette book and we looked it up to see how much time we had. She had like four hundred people at her ceremony. That's a lot of notes." Liz said sampling more cake.
"Your sister?" Diane said pausing with cake halfway to her mouth.
The guys caught the mistake as soon as Liz said it. The nurse didn't until Diane spoke up. Since she had a mouth full of cake Liz had a moment to come up with a cover story. "My sorority sister Sarah. I was in her wedding. Last year."
"The wedding with those awful puce gowns. No one looks good in puce." Diane said letting it go. "Three months is easier. I can still start the cards."
"We aren't taking a honeymoon, so there is no rush." Elizabeth said looking at Jason. They also weren't going to be getting that much stuff.
"Of course you are." Diane told the younger woman. "I'm sure that Jason has something wonderful planned."
"I don't have time off for a honeymoon. I'm only here on the island to take care of you." Elizabeth pointed out. "I need to go back to work eventually."
"Going back to work at the hospital isn't going to really work once you marry Jason." Diane said sampling the spice cake.
"You work." Liz was surprised by that statement.
"I'm not the wife of a mob boss." Diane pointed out the differences. "That simply isn't done. You are expected to be able to entertain other wives, and families when they come to Port Charles. Saying you can't because of work is not acceptable."
"What about Alexis?" Liz pointed out the glaring exception to the rule.
"Alexis only does contract law these days." Diane did the criminal cases. Claire took what Diane couldn't focus on. "That way when guests come to the city she is available to host them."
"With Alexis hosting, Elizabeth doesn't need to, so staying at the hospital will be fine." Jason said nipping the conversation in the bud before another fight started. Diane was pushing a surprising number of unprogressive ideas. She was normally an outspoken propionate of women being on par with men. Yet she was pushing Elizabeth into a more old school wife role. Something out of another era. "I rarely meet with business associates, those I do meet with I will not want my wife around." Because they were generally tied to a chair. His friends in the business would meet Elizabeth, but no one else would.
"You will need to take a honeymoon though." Francis said speaking up for the first time. "Maximus is not coming to the wedding, although he sends his good wishes."
"That's fine." Jason wasn't upset. Maximus rarely attended social events outside of Palermo. He didn't go to Sonny's wedding either, but their partnership with the Giambetti Organization was still strong.
"Is Max coming?" Milo wanted to know. It would good to see his brother.
"Yes." Francis nodded, having the eldest Giambetti son, and heir, at the wedding was an acceptable substitution. "He is bringing Claudia."
"Good. Someone to talk fashion with." Diane liked Max's wife.
Francis caught Jason's eye and nodded. He had more information to pass on, but would do that later.
"That was good cake." Milo also saw the nod. He was hoping to sit in on the meeting.
"It was." Elizabeth said putting her fork in the sink. "I guess we won't need lunch now."
"We could start on the registry." Diane figured why waste time.
"Okay." Elizabeth took one of the vases of flowers with her. She wanted to look at them while she shopped.
With the ladies out of the room the guys cleaned up and Francis started talking. "Maximus is aware that Diane is injured, and what her injury has resulted in. He is worried that she may say something she shouldn't to the wrong person." Diane knew a lot of mob business. "Sonny has informed him that so far that has not been the case, but brain injuries are tricky. So Maximus has restricted the wedding to just our organization. He is sending Max as a sign that the ceremony has his blessing." That decree meant no other families were able to attend.
"What reasoning did he use?" Jason wanted to know. This was fine, his friends in the business would meet Elizabeth at a later date. Honestly Jason liked having a truly private wedding better.
"Maximus stated that you were worried about your future wife after what happened with Diane. He is making it seem like we don't know who sent the hit squad." Francis had a lot of respect for the Don. Mostly because he was really smart. "He is asking that you come to Palermo so that he may meet Liz."
"An invitation we can't refuse." Jason said laughing at his use of the quote. "That's perfect. Elizabeth has always wanted to go to Italy. I will take her to Palermo, and we can honeymoon in Milan." He let Francis know.
"I'll tell Johnny, so he can get started on the security plans." Francis would be staying with Diane, or returning to PC if she was better by then. "Patrick is coming to the wedding. He wants a look at Diane, so Sonny invited him."
"That's fine." Jason liked Patrick. "I need to call Steven and thank him for taking his sister off the schedule. Makes traveling to Italy easier." Jason would be expected to present Elizabeth soon after the wedding. "Milo can you check on the ladies. I'm worried that Diane is going to suggest that Elizabeth needs an ironing board."
Francis laughed. "Caught that did you. I don't know why she is pushing for Liz to become Suzy Homemaker all of a sudden. This injury is bringing out all kinds of weird sides to my girlfriend. If she decides she wants to cook us dinner, I'm telling her the truth." The older man said laughing.
"How did the registry shopping go?" Jason asked Elizabeth as they walked down the beach. Dinner was over and he, along with the other guys, was sensing a little bit of tension between the ladies. Not as bad as earlier this morning though.
"Good. The entire registry is filled. Honestly we don't really need much." Elizabeth said looking out into the water. "You have a fully furnished apartment, and so do I. When we get home we'll have to decide what we keep and what we get rid of. We don't need two toasters."
"Considering I don't think I've ever actually used mine, no we don't." He agreed. They would probably keep all his kitchen items since they were purchased by Sonny. The older man only bought quality items that would last forever. "What has you upset?"
Elizabeth let a smile come to her face. "Upset is the wrong word." She said as they started walking again. "Diane and I clashed some on one topic, and I pretty much just ran from her where a second topic is concerned."
"Topic one." Jason figured they may as well start there. "Your job?" Diane rarely let a subject she wanted to discuss drop. Since it was just her and Elizabeth she might have felt it was a good time to try again. "You don't have to quit, you also don't have to work. Whatever you decide I will support you." He wanted her to know.
"Thank you." Elizabeth said grinning. "It wasn't my job, which I have no intention of giving up right now. I'm not going to say I won't ever leave the hospital, who knows what opportunities are out there waiting for me." She was already considering a possible career change. "We clashed on living arrangements. She thinks that we need to move out of the Towers."
"Why?" Jason liked it there, and so did Elizabeth when she came over.
"Because of topic number two." Liz said with a smirk. "She kept saying the penthouse was unsuitable, and after the tenth time I finally demanded to know why. Diane said that it is totally unsuitable for raising children."
"Children?" Jason said stopping in his tracks and looking at his fiancée.
"Yes. That was when I ran." Liz said laughing. "I was terrified she was going to give me a number we needed to produce."
"Um." Jason said still just looking at Elizabeth. Children wasn't something he'd ever really given a lot of thought to before meeting Elizabeth. Hell he never thought he would get married until he realized he was in love with the incredible woman in front of him. Once that happened he began thinking about them building a life together regularly. He just hadn't worked up the nerve to ask her out so they could take the first step in that happening. Then when he did he got arrested for murder. "She needs to get her memories back." He didn't think the first time they discussed children would be because of Diane.
"It's a topic we should discuss though." Elizabeth said looking at him. "Do you even want children?"
"Do you?" Jason threw the question back at her.
"I asked you first." Elizabeth knew what he was doing. Jason could avoid answering a question better than anyone else she knew.
"I've given it some thought, but imagining isn't something I can do. So not much thought." Jason admitted with a shrug as they started walking again. "Have you given it any thought?"
"Yeah." Elizabeth said quietly. "Not necessarily with you, but I've always wanted a family."
"I'm not against children. I like the kids I know, which admittedly isn't that many." Jason said with a rueful grin. "I think that I'd like it to be just us for a while. I like the thought of a family with you in the future." He told her.
"I don't want kids tomorrow either." Elizabeth assured him. "I'd like it to be just us for a while as well. We are getting married fast, so expanding our family can wait." She had no doubt that becoming Mrs. Jason Morgan was the right step for her to take. Children was another level of responsibility she didn't want just yet. "You'll have to protect me from Diane if she brings it up again." Liz doubted the older woman would say anything in front of Jason.
"I'll tell Francis to deal with her." Jason said laughing. "Do you want to live in the penthouse?" This was something they should discuss as well. Just because Elizabeth liked visiting him at the Towers didn't mean she wanted to live there. "Diane and Francis are my neighbors." He pointed out.
Elizabeth sat down in the sand and Jason joined her. Sitting behind her and pulling her close. "I hadn't factored that into the equation." She said leaning into his warmth. When he kissed the side of her neck she hummed in delight. "That could be close quarters. Not much in the way of privacy." It wasn't just Diane and Francis, living in the Towers meant a lot of eyes on them. Not that she thought their friends were keeping tabs on them. It was just everyone in the building generally knew everyone else's business. "Is it safe for you to move out?"
"Sure. Any house I purchase would be secured." Jason told her. "Sonny has Greystone."
"I don't want to live in a fortress." Elizabeth thought the house was hideous. Sonny had it built from the ground up with the sole purpose of repelling an attack. There had to be a way to build a secure house that was still nice to look at.
"Me either." Jason knew what was going through her mind.
"How about we stay at the Towers until we find somewhere to live?" Elizabeth thought that was a good solution.
"Okay. I can ask around and find us a good realtor." Jason figured one of the guys would know someone.
"Alright." Elizabeth said nodding.
Jason's phone buzzed. "Morgan." He said answering.
"Come back up to the house." Francis told his boss. "You need to see something."
"On our way." Jason said standing up and helping Elizabeth to her feet. His friend didn't sound upset, but there was an odd tone to his voice.
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