Ch. 38

There were no delightful scents or smells of dinner cooking to welcome Dante home when he entered the penthouse; in fact, he wondered if he was alone since he didn't see or hear Valerie nearby. He shrugged out of his jacket and was hanging it up in the living room closet as he called out, "Hey, anybody home? Val? Are you here?" Not receiving an answer, he walked into the kitchen. Sure enough, nothing was prepared or being prepared. Maybe she wasn't home after all, he thought again. Leaving the kitchen, he ventured back into the living room and saw Val descending the staircase, towel-drying her hair. "I thought I heard you calling out but I wasn't sure," she was saying, asking further, "When did you get home?"

"I just walked in a few minutes ago. I thought I was all alone at first…"

"I needed to wash my hair after my soak in the tub. I figured I'd get that out of the way before you got here."

"Oh, ok." He paused for a moment and then queried, "What's for dinner?" Thoughtfully, Val looked back at him as she answered, "Good question. I have no idea! I wasn't really hungry so I didn't even think about it. What were you planning on having?"

"I thought I was having whatever you were cooking."

"I don't remember saying I was cooking dinner tonight—did I tell you that or something and forget I'd said it? Ohh," she added as the light dawned, "you just assumed I'd have dinner ready when you got home? I guess if that's the sort of service you're expecting, I'll have to kick my domestic goddess skills into gear."

"Hang on a minute—I don't want you to misunderstand-" "Is that possible? You're just getting home, you're asking me what I had planned for dinner… Can you honestly tell me you weren't thinking I'd have dinner on the table when you got here?" "Ok, you caught me. In the back of my mind somewhere, I was thinking that. I didn't mean to be offensive or anything, though."

Slinging the dampened towel over her shoulder Val responded, "I'm not offended but that is a pretty old-fashioned outlook on things, isn't it? Very traditional. I told you before that I'm not really the type to be in the kitchen all the time preparing elaborate meals, so if that's what you want from me…"

"It's not. It's not. But I realize I've been spoiled and I need to come away from that kind of thinking. I guess I've just gotten so conditioned to being taken care of that I carried that expectation over here."

"Don't get me wrong, Dante, I don't mind taking care of you. I just want to make sure it's a mutual thing, ok? We should define what we want from each other while we're sharing this space. Maybe we should take the time to sit down and talk about that sometime soon. Now, should we order out, go out, or try to make something together out of whatever we've got in the 'fridge?"

"I like the idea of making something together." They walked into the kitchen and began looking into the cupboards and the freezer. After pulling out their ingredients, Dante got to work on an apple, celery and fennel slaw while Val set about preparing baked flounder. While they waited for the fish to bake, Dante asked her, "You want to eat here or in the dining room?" "I like here—it always seems more intimate and cozy at this little kitchen table. Why don't you choose a wine from the rack while we're waiting?" Dante left the room and moments later came back with a Sauvignon Blanc and two wine glasses. He poured their glasses and they sipped as they stood there. They both laughed when the timer sounded at last and they leapt forward to pull the fish from the oven. "Not that we're impatient or anything," remarked Dante as he watched Val plate up the flounder.

"Now this was a good idea," Dante was saying minutes later as they tasted their handiwork. "I told you, sometimes, simple pleasures are the best. So are simple meals. It turned out well, didn't it?" she responded with a smirk. "Yeah, it did—I made the right choice." "YOU did?" "Yeah, I did. I'm the one who said we should make something together, didn't I?"

"You are correct, sir, that was you. After I suggested it in the first place."

"Ok, ok, so we're both smart people! You don't give an inch, do you?"

"Depends on the stakes. Sometimes I can be very—submissive, depending on what I'm getting in return," Val added, giving him a sultry look. Dante had to shake his head to clear his mind of the image her words suddenly evoked—Val, naked on the bed, her wrists bound above her… "Whoa," he thought to himself. Laughing and giving him a sly look, Val demanded, "Tell me what you were thinking just now!" "No way!" "Uh huh. You say the word 'submissive' to a guy and his thoughts go all haywire!" "The thought of me at your mercy isn't a turn on for you, is that what you're trying to say?" he asked challengingly. "Not touching that!" she told him with a smile. "That's what I thought," he muttered. Taking another bite of his slaw, he said, "This really did turn out good. Speaking of good food, did you enjoy your lunch with Hill today?"

"How did you know… Lulu, of course. Yeah, I did. Randy is always good company and I'm glad we got a chance to clear the air between us after that little 'whatever it was' we had. What? Lulu couldn't wait to tell you she'd seen us at Kelly's or something?"

"Not just that she saw you but that you two were 'being intimate with each other'.

"'Being intimate with each other'? What the hell does that mean—banging one another on one of the tables or what? I'll bet she couldn't wait to twist what she saw all out of proportion!"

"What exactly did she see?"

"We were eating together. We got up to clear the table and because we leaned in at the the same time, our heads bumped. He got this colossal red mark on his forehead-" she paused.

"Ok, go on. Why'd you stop?"

"Because I don't want you to misinterpret anything."

"If there's nothing to misinterpret, I won't misinterpret anything."

"What did she tell you?"

"Why don't you tell me what you did instead?"

"I rubbed his forehead. It was an innocent gesture, Dante. I wasn't thinking, and I just reached out and did it because it looked like it hurt. It was a friendly, sympathetic gesture. That's how I meant it."

"And you think that's the way he took it? Especially since it looked like something else to anyone else who was watching?"

"Of course I do! Randy is a friend—he knows that's the way I think of him. And anyone else like who? Lulu? I'm surprised she didn't tell you we had our tongues down each other's throats! I wouldn't expect anything else from her."

"She didn't say anything like that but she did mention you two looked intimate and were touching all over each other." Val gave Dante a steady stare before asking, "You really think I was groping Randy publically? You think I would do that in public or in private?"

"I'm just telling you what she said-"

"I don't care what she said; I'm asking you what you think. Do you think that's something I would do to any one of us—to you, to Randy, or even to myself?"

"He wants you." "What? No, he doesn't. He has his eye on someone else—he told me so." "I don't care what he told you. What he told me is that he's just waiting for you to realize I'm no good and go running to him instead. Whatever he told you, Val, that's what he told me, ok? I don't think he's stopped wanting you since that night you two went dancing at Jake's and anything you do, any move you make toward him, however innocent, he's taking as a sign to keep you in his sights. I'm warning you to be careful. Don't put your head in the sand about this thing."

Looking down at her now empty plate, Val said slowly, "This is messed up. Randy is my friend. I don't want to have to look at him with suspicion and second guess everything he does. He told me he wanted to be my friend—he knows that's the way I see him. He's one of the few friends I have here…" She sighed and shook her head.

"Listen, I'm not trying to mess with your friendship, Val. Believe me, I'm not. If I had my way and knew you would do what I told you to, I'd order you to stay away from him. I know that wouldn't work, and I'm not even gonna try. I'm only saying that what he's telling you he wants and what he's telling me he wants aren't matching up. And if he's touching you where people can see and get the wrong idea, I'm not down for that. You might think it's innocent, but I know it's not. Tell him to keep his hands to himself."

"In this instance, it was innocent, though, Dante. You believe that, right? Despite how Lulu made it sound?"

"Yeah, I know that. It's not you I'm doubting in this thing at all, it's him. And if he keeps it up-"

"If he keeps it up, nothing, ok? Don't go all Neanderthal on me! I'll handle Randy and you can handle Ms. Mouth. What'd she do, hit you with this the minute you got in the door?"

"Actually, she didn't mention it until I told her I'd moved in here with you. She was being pleasant until that point—even invited me to stay for dinner. She said she's accepting that you and I are together but she thought I might be rushing things moving in because of your supposed budding relationship with Hill."

"You seriously think she's gonna accept that you and I are together? In what universe? She didn't have to tell you about Randy and me at Kelly's, especially since there was nothing wrong with what we were doing. Randy even made a point of telling her we were just friends. But she couldn't wait to tell you we were all touchy-feely with each other. She's too transparent."

"I'm not sure about that, Val. She gave me the impression that she's ready to move on. She wants us all to get along for Rocco's sake. She said she thought about it, and she decided it was time to put the anger behind us."

"So she told you she's ok with us being together?"

"Well, yeah." He thought about it for a minute and then added, "Well, she said she realized I had my life and she had hers. It amounts to the same thing, I guess."

"Really. You went over to her new place, gave her Rocco's elephant, and she said, 'Let's be friends,' and then you left and came home, huh? Then why were you gone so long?"

"It didn't happen quite like that. She got a new place so of course she wanted to show me around, to see Rocco's room and stuff like that. I don't know. I want to believe she wants to end the hostilities but it was weird, I'll admit, to see her like that after all this time-"

"Like what?"

"Nice. Agreeable. She was actually playing my favorite opera when I got there. She told me she wants to give Rocco all the things we'd planned to give him when we were a family. Opera, the love of the Yankees, Italian food. You should see his bedroom! It's all Yankees stuff, everywhere you look. She kind of impressed me with what she was saying and how she was acting. I think she's really turned a corner."

"So SHE'S gonna give him all the things YOU love, huh?"

"And some of the Spencer traits, too, like loving adventure and being able to take care of himself."

"You don't see anything weird about that?"

"Weird?"

"Yeah, like why should she have to give him the things you love? Can't you do that, since you're still here and in his life? Wouldn't it make more sense for her to focus on making sure he has the things she loves and wants to pass on to him from her point of view while allowing you to do the same?"

"I suppose so, but since she has him so much of the time, I guess she just wanted to include me, make sure he gets the best of both of us, she said."

"Now who's being gullible?" "Excuse me?" "You don't see it? Think about it. Opera as soon as you get to the apartment. Yankee stuff all over Rocco's bedroom when he doesn't know the Yankees from the Red Sox-"

"Hey, watch it!"

"I'm just saying. And she invites you to stay for dinner on top of all that. All out of the goodness of her heart, huh? I think you're the one being naïve here, Dante. She doesn't have to embrace the things you love to stop showing anger toward you and she sure doesn't have to share them with your son. She's doing it for a purpose. She tells you she wants the hostilities to end between you but she's accusing me of running two men at the same time. So she wants to be friendly with you while still being hostile with me. How does that work if you and I are together? I'll tell you how—it doesn't. Seems to me like she's paving the way for a comeback into your life, which is her right. Just don't you stick YOUR head in the sand about what she's doing, and why."

They regarded one another silently over the kitchen table before Dante finally said, "Ok, it's a deal. Now honestly, I'm sick of Hill and Lulu being at the table with us. Enough about them. I just want to spend the rest of the night with you. Can we do that?"

"What'd you have in mind?"

"Let's do this. Clean up in here real quick. Pop some popcorn, take what's left of this wine to the living room and watch some movie neither of us cares about while snuggling together on the couch, which will hopefully lead to something else. Is that doable?"

"It is, but I'll go you one better."

"Better than that? How?"

"Let's do all that in the bedroom instead."

"That works, too, but why?"

"I'm recalling something you said earlier—something about having you at my mercy. I'm getting all these strange visions of you writhing around on soft cotton sheets while being unable to keep me from doing whatever I want to do to you. Somehow, that fantasy seems to be more feasible on a bed, don't you think?"

"You don't have to convince me. Let's do it."

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Saturday morning's air was cold and crisp when Dante and Val awoke to greet the day. Reaching over and smoothing his hair out of his face, she whispered, "Hey there, Sexy. You plan to sleep the day away?" He pulled her toward him, hugging her tightly and tangling his fingers in her unruly mane, murmuring, "Good morning yourself. Something tells me it's kind of cold outside. You should stay here and warm me up." "I can do that. What's the time table for the big event today?" "I think we're leaving Port Charles around two or three o'clock. I know Sonny wanted to get to Rochester in enough time for us all to check in, go eat at the steakhouse, and then go see some play or something that Josslyn wanted to see. I'll double check with him a bit later, although I should have an invitation somewhere…" "Sounds good. I'm gonna take a shower while you search for that invitation."

Smiling at her mischievously, he noticed, "You know, we do have some time so it's not necessary that I find that invite right now. If you don't mind some company, we could share a shower head or something…" "All you want to share with me is a shower head?" "No, I just said that to get you to agree. Once I got you in there all soaped up, something else altogether was gonna happen." "That sounds more like it. C'mon, JM. Show me how creative you can be with bubbles."

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It was quite a convoy that traveled up to Rochester later that afternoon. Sonny and Carly rode in their limousine with Bobbie, Mike, Lucas and Josslyn; Mercedes, Rocco, Avery and Petra, a part-time nanny who would help Mercedes with the babies, were with them. Dante and Val were riding in the front of his car, with Morgan, Michael and Sabrina riding in the back seat. Bringing up the rear were Lulu and Maxie.

A little over an hour later, the group was checking into the Inn on Broadway, marveling at the sumptuous splendor and beauty of the hotel. There were four luxury rooms, which had been reserved for Sonny and Carly, Mike and Bobbie, who decided to have Joss stay with her. Sonny had planned ahead of time to put Dante and Val in the fourth room. The two double suites were occupied by Lulu, Maxie, Mercedes and Petra, who would have Rocco and Avery in with them. Three of the other nineteen rooms were parceled out amongst remaining singles, Michael and Sabrina opting to stay together. Once everyone had settled in, they all made their way down to the Tournedos Steakhouse, which was actually located on the first floor of the hotel. As what usually happens when a large group of people who enjoy one another's company get together, they were loud and boisterous, filling the air of the restaurant with their laughter and merriment. The menu, which included items like Lemon-Herb Roasted Half Free Range Chicken, Wild Raised Tasmanian Salmon and Beef Tenderloin Filet, turned out to be a gastronomic delight for the wedding party. They ate and drank well as they appreciated the food and the companionship.

After the early dinner, everyone except the babies and their minders piled back into their cars for the short ride to the Geva Theatre Center for the Halloweenprov show. Unfortunately, Sonny had miscalculated and neglected to line up the dates for Josslyn's Potted Potter show, an oversight she tried hard not to hold against him. They all laughed their way through the show as they acted and reacted to the improv actors. Finally, the night's festivities ended, and the tiring celebrants made their way back to the hotel.

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Val wanted to have a nightcap before she and Dante retired for the evening, a request he agreed to once he had checked on Rocco. She waited for him in the lounge of the hotel's restaurant as she sipped on a drink called "Destination Unknown". She heard footsteps behind her and turned with a welcoming smile, a smile that fell only slightly when she saw it wasn't Dante approaching her, but Lulu. "I don't know why I didn't think you'd be coming along on this trip, Cousin," Lulu told her, adding, "Though the way you seem to be permanently attached to Dante's hip these days, I should have figured you'd find a way to tag along." "I don't know what you were thinking, either, since I'm just as much Carly's family as you are. And Dante and I are a couple—a fact you gave him the impression you were accepting. Of course I know it was just smoke blowing, but he honestly thought you were being sincere."

"A couple for how much longer, though? That's the question. Looking at Sonny and Carly, I realized something. A broken bond for now doesn't necessarily mean broken forever. Dante and I have a lot of history, history I intend to capitalize on."

"Finally, the declaration of intent! I knew I wasn't wrong about your reasons for telling Dante that Randy Hill and I were groping each other in Kelly's. Nice move, Cousin."

"Oh, did he mention that I told him about that?"

"Yeah, right before he changed his mind and moved back into the loft, saying maybe we needed a rethink on the living together angle." A huge grin broke out on Lulu's face before she could quash it as she asked, "Wow, is that what happened? Sorry, Cousin, that must have really stung. But at least for now, you're still on his arm-"

Laughing aloud, Val interrupted her with, "Of course that's not what happened, Lulu! I thought you were Luke Spencer's child? He didn't teach you 'poker face' at all, did he? The idea is, even if that's what you expected or wanted to happen, you shouldn't be so obvious about it. Dante and I still as solid as ever. Nice try, though. I'm thinking eventually you'll get tired and revert to your real self when all your 'sweetness' and using Rocco's childhood as a tool doesn't net you the results you want. Oops, here Dante finally is. I'm sure you want to go up and say your own 'good night' to Rocco, so you're totally excused." Walking away from her cousin, she shook her nearly empty glass at Dante, telling him, "You'd better hurry and catch up. I'm already one up on you."

"I guess I'd better." Since Lulu was on the other side of the bar, he raised his voice slightly as he said, "If you're going up to check on Rocco, he's already asleep. We'll see you later, ok? Have a good night." Leaving Lulu staring after them with narrowed eyes, Dante ordered a drink and then they went to sit by the fireplace in the lounge, snuggling cozily on one of the couches as they sipped and watched the dancing flames.

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