She sat at her desk the following morning, going over dispositions for court later that day. As she started to put documents in her briefcase she came across a sealed manilla envelope with her name on it. She hadn't seen it before and picked it up and started to tear open the seal when the doorbell rang and she put it down on the edge of her desk.
"Alexis Davis?"
"That's me." She was surprised as she accepted the bouquet of blue irises and the delivery man handed her the card. She closed the door and walked into the kitchen. Putting the flowers on the counter and opening the card. I'm sorry about yesterday. I love you, Ned. She held the card to her heart before putting it down and taking out a vase to put the flowers in. She inhaled their scent and then was transported back to the first time he had given her the blue flower and they had connected in more ways than one.
She walked them into her office and placed them on her desk, not noticing that she accidentally knocked the envelope she had previously been opening onto the floor and it slid between the desk and the wastebasket, the edges of the photos in view. She picked up the phone and dialed his number, listening to it ring as she waited for him to answer.
"Ned Ashton."
"I love you."
"You got the flowers?"
"Yes, they're beautiful. And I'm sorry about yesterday, too. I was scared and I didn't handle it well."
"Are you free for lunch? Do you want to meet at the Grille, say 12:30?"
"That sounds perfect. See you then." She said and they hung up. She looked down at her desk, trying to remember where she had left off and then grabbed her briefcase and started filing away documents, preparing to leave for court. Once she had everything organized she walked into the living room to say goodbye to Kristen, who was making a beaded bracelet with the nanny, Aubrey. After what had happened they had decided to keep her at home today with someone they trusted would call if anything out of the ordinary happened. She bent down and kissed the top of her daughter's head.
He arrived at the Grille early and as he entered the bar, he saw Jillian sitting there. He sighed, not wanting to engage and tried to leave before being noticed. He went to the front desk and made the request. They handed him the key and he asked for paper and pencil and wrote a quick note for Reese to give to Alexis when she arrived.
Jillian saw him arrive and quickly leave out of the corner of her eye. She quickly threw some money on the bar and quietly left and stood behind the corner, watching him. He was getting a room, and this was her chance. His wife must have seen the photo. She watched as he took the elevator as the floors slowly clicked over to 6 before walking over to the front desk. "Excuse me, I'm meeting Mr. Ashton for a business meeting. I forgot the room number, he said it was 6-something?"
The twenty-something receptionist looked at her computer screen. "Yes, 686."
"Thank you." She said as she walked over to the elevator bay and before long was standing outside the hotel room door, knocking lightly.
He had just finished ordering some room service when there was a knock at the door. He was surprised she was early and went to answer. He was shocked when Jillian was on the other side, pulled him close and started kissing him as she entered the suite. He pulled away almost immediately, in a state of pure shock, never noticing the door didn't latch completely. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Now that your wife knows the truth, there's nothing stopping us." She said as she stepped towards him and loosened his tie.
He grabbed her wrists, "What are you talking about?"
"The photo. I'm sure she found it by now." She said simply. "You're free. You're free to be with whomever you choose."
He let go of her, speechless and he tried not to watch as she slowly unzipped her dress. "I don't believe you."
"Well you should. Now look at me and tell me you don't want me." She said as she stepped closer.
"I don't want you." He tried to back away.
"Prove it. Look at me. Just 10 seconds." She stepped out of her dress and stood there in her matching black lace underwear and reached to unhook her bra.
"Don't." He picked up her dress and threw it at her. "Put that back on." Meanwhile, Alexis arrived at the Grille right on time when Reese stopped her and handed her a note. Meet me in suite 686 was all it said.
"You can't do it. You can't look at me and tell me you feel nothing."
"You're delusional." He was trying to deescalate the situation. "I can't believe you'd try this again."
Alexis anxiously rode the elevator to the 6th floor, looking forward to being able to spend some time alone with her husband. She knew Helena was only trying to get to her yesterday, but the thought of him having an affair, when she analyzed all that was happening, she couldn't get it out of her head.
"10 seconds is all it will take." Jillian stated matter of fact and moved even closer to him as he tried to avoid looking at her. "9-8-7-6..."
Alexis walked down the hall and hesitated when she got to the door, finding it slightly ajar. She pushed it open and stood there motionless as she witnessed Jillian, standing there, half naked, kissing her husband.
"Looks like we have company." She said, as Ned pushed her away again and turned to see Alexis standing there.
"Alexis, honey–" He said, rushing over to her and trying to take her hand.
She backed away instantly at his touch and interrupted, "Don't touch me."
"This isn't what it looks like. Lex, please.."
"Oh it's exactly what it looks like." Jillian interjected and he glared at her.
"Put your clothes on, you homewrecking slut."
"Don't listen to her, Alexis."
"And what, should I listen to you? I should have listened to my instincts. I knew. I knew there was more going on here." He reached to take her hand again. "I said don't touch me." She snapped, making eye contact with him for the first time.
"Just let me explain."
"Honestly, I can't even look at you right now." She turned and started to leave and he tried to follow. "Don't." She left and bumped into the room service cart as they were arriving at the suite.
He turned to Jillian, who smirked, pleased with herself. "Her loss is my gain." She finally had the opening she needed. There was no way that his wife would stay with him after witnessing that, planned or not fate had dealt her a good hand to play.
"I haven't lost anything–I love my wife and I am going to prove that to her one way or another." He said pointedly as he left the Port Charles Hotel and drove home, hoping to find Alexis there. He knew there was a lot to explain and he hoped that she would be willing to listen, that she wasn't just going to end things that night. He couldn't lose her and he knew it would be a monumental task to convince her that he was trying to protect her.
He walked through the door of their house and called out for her, "Alexis? Are you home?" He moved through the foyer into the living room and then the kitchen. "Alexis?" Through the window he saw Aubrey outside with Kristen and went to see if Alexis had been home.
"Hi, daddy!" Kristen announced as she ran up to him.
"Hi, princess." He replied and looked at the nanny. "Aubrey, has Alexis been home?"
"Not since this morning."
"That's ok. Thanks. If she calls, will you let me know? I'll be inside."
"I can. Is everything ok Mr. Ashton?"
"I wish I could say it was. Krissy, you stay with Aubrey ok?"
"Ok, daddy."
He went back inside and walked by the office. He saw the flowers he had sent her earlier that day sitting on the desk and walked in, regretting every decision that led them to this moment. Why wasn't he honest with her when he first got home? Why did he repeat the mistake that she had made? Only for him, there was a deranged, unstable person on the other end and then he remembered. Photos. Jillian mentioned she had sent Alexis photos. He didn't believe her at first, but she seemed certain that Alexis had walked away from him that afternoon. It just didn't happen the way she had planned. She had been in the house. Their wedding photo was missing. She kidnapped Kristen. Where would she plant these supposed pictures, of what he had no idea.
He walked out into the foyer and looked at the pile of the day's mail, nothing. He walked back into her office and started sifting through files on her desk and accidentally knocked the container of pens on the floor in his haste. He bent down to pick them up and that's when he saw it. Peeking out of the edge of the desk, next to the wastebasket. A yellow manilla envelope caught in between the two. He pulled it out, her name was on the front and inhaled when he noticed that the seal had been broken. He reached into the envelope and pulled out a single photo. Blurry, but clearly taken in a bedroom and as he looked closer he realized. It was him in that photo. Him in bed with Jillian. She had been planning this from the beginning and he had no idea how he was going to explain it, because he had no proof anything happened otherwise.