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Title: Just Between Friends
Author: speedy
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Expecting her second child and caught up in a mafia war, Carly Corinthos has a secret that will change the lives of everyone she knows.
Disclaimer: I'm not the Rat, so obviously the characters aren't mine. I'm just borrowing them for awhile.
Notes: Just moving this over from my now defunct website. This veers off canon right before the panic room fiasco in 2003.
Chapter 29
Carly practically ran into the back of Robin as they returned to the ballroom. The little brunette had stopped suddenly and was just staring. Carly looked up and saw what she was staring at. Or more to the point, who.
Jason had been hovering around the terrace.
Carly's breath caught in her throat and she snuck a glance at her rival. Robin was also taken back by him and had looked her way as well. The look was enough for her to see they shared the worry that their confrontation on the terrace been overheard.
Robin collected herself quickly and smiled politely at her former boyfriend. "Jason."
"It's good to see you, Robin," he said quietly. "I'm glad you're here tonight."
"That's nice."
Carly snorted at the curt reply.
"I see you've met the other Robin."
Robin wrapped an arm around Carly's shoulders and squeezed. "Yep, just getting to know my new 'aunt'," she said, deliberately digging her nails into the older woman's flesh.
Carly put her arm around Robin's waist and pinched as hard as she could. "We're just a happy little family," she said with a sarcastic grin.
Her grin disappeared when she heard the other annoying twit interrupt them.
"Jason?"
Jason turned towards his wife. Carly and Robin both dropped their arms. "Robin," he said, glancing back at his former girlfriend, "this is Courtney, my wife."
Robin smiled politely. "Nice to meet you."
Blondie looked the other woman up and down, not even bothering to smile. "Yeah," she replied, possessively draping herself over Jason.
She was going to hate herself for this, but Carly spoke up. "We should be getting back to our tables," she said, gesturing for Robin to follow her. Shooting one last glare at Blondie, she maneuvered through the tables, going back to where her family was sitting.
Robin caught up with her. "So that's the con artist that dumped AJ," she said, from behind Carly.
"He probably deserved it," she scoffed.
"Yeah, he only gave up his family to be with her. She repaid that loyalty by cheating on him with his own brother."
"AJ is slime and she's better off, even if she doesn't deserve it."
Robin laughed. "I get it now. You're jealous."
"That's ridiculous." Carly spotted the older brunette with Frisco again. She narrowed her eyes in irritation, her hands on her hips. "Who is that woman?"
Robin laughed harder. She was enjoying this a little too much. "You're jealous of her, too!"
"Shut. Up," Carly growled.
Robin stopped laughing, but she still smiled. "Relax, that's just my mother."
Aha, the infamous Anna Devane. There was only one pedestal Carly had come across that was higher than Robin's, and it was the one Frisco put Anna on. He talked about her like she was some kind of superwoman. "Yeah," she snorted, "like that makes me feel better."
Robin rolled her eyes. "You expect him to nip at your feet all night?"
"No. I don't expect my husband to drool all over other women either."
"He's not drooling. He's just visiting with an old friend. Get a grip, Robin."
Carly wanted to slap her. "Hey, Polly Pure, why don't you butt out of my life?"
Robin got in her face, her eyes threatening. "Frisco is my godfather. He's family and I love him. If he gets hurt by you or because of you, I will kick your ass so hard you'll wish I'd killed you." She turned and joined her uncle at the next table.
"Don't taint your halo on my account," Carly grumbled.
Frisco exited the terrace just in time to see Maxie arrive with her boyfriend. The young man had an arm draped possessively over her shoulders, seemingly leading her around. Frisco hated him on first sight. The kid looked like a cocky punk in need of a serious smack.
He headed towards the young couple, oblivious to Carly and Robin. He was only feet from the table when Anna intercepted him.
"Oh, no," she said, putting her hands on her hips and blocking his path. "I've seen that look before."
"Yeah? And what look is that?" he snapped.
"You're going to do something incredibly hotheaded and dumb," she answered, lightly poking his in the chest.
He smiled. He was going for innocent, but failed miserably. "I'm just going to visit with my daughter."
She didn't buy it for a second. "And bite her boyfriend's head off while you're at it, I'm sure."
"No, the plan was to just shoot him," he admitted, shrugging dismissively.
She shook her head. "Oh, that's going to go over well. Violence is always the best answer."
"Works for me."
"You seem to get along with Georgie's boyfriend. What's the difference between this kid and Dillon?"
"Dillon's a good, polite kid from a family I know, even if I'm not fond of Tracy. And frankly, he seems to be scared of me most of the time. But that kid," he pointed to Maxie's boyfriend, "is trouble. I should know, considering I'm trained to spot trouble from a mile away. It's part of my job."
Anna snorted in laughter. "Using your WSB training on your kids, Frisco?"
"Got a better use?"
"A punk boyfriend is not a good use of resources. It's overkill. You can't control her life."
"Who said anything about controlling her? I'm just trying to get rid of him."
"You're trying to make the decisions for her. Mac and Felicia don't like this situation any better than you do, but it's Maxie's life and it was her decision to forgive him."
Forgive him? Frisco's eyes narrowed. He didn't know what she was talking about, but he was going to find out. "For the whole..." he trailed off deliberately, gesturing as if he knew what she was talking about.
"Webcam thing," she finished, sighing.
His mind took off in a dozen different directions with that, none of them good. "Of course. Probably was a good thing I wasn't here."
"Mac would've had to arrest you for murder."
"Really," he said, balling up his fists so tight his knuckles turned white in an effort to not go kick the crap out of the kid. "That bad?"
Anna looked him in the eyes and suddenly realized she'd been played. "Oh my god, you didn't know..."
"Why don't you give me the whole story, so I'm not just jumping to conclusions."
She sighed. "I don't know the whole story. I wasn't here."
Frisco stepped closer to her and crossed his arms. "Then tell me what you do know, Anna."
Anna's voice was quiet. "She slept with him, he had a webcam on in his room. There was something about a web page called 'Maximum Maxie' or something..."
He was fuming, ready to kill the punk kid. "With the video from the webcam, I bet."
"Yes."
"So why didn't Mac arrest them?" he asked, not bothering to shield his aggravation. "She's a minor, it's child pornography and statutory rape."
"She didn't want him to."
"And he went along with it?"
"She was humiliated. He thought prosecuting would just make it worse." She saw the near homicidal look on his face. "Don't you dare do anything to him, Frisco. All you'll do is publicly humiliate her in front if the entire town and then she'll never speak to you again."
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "So I'm just supposed to sit back and accept this?"
"I don't see how you have another choice."
Frisco looked at his watch, scowling. "I have to get backstage and get ready. I'm up first."
Anna smiled, apologetically putting a hand on his shoulder. "Break a leg."
"Oh, I'd like to," he grumbled as he walked away.
Carly glared at the older blonde happily laughing nearby. She had stopped close enough to Frisco and Anna to overhear the last part of their conversation. He had every right to be mad, as far as she was concerned. Felicia should've come clean about Maxie when she was asked to. Carly caught the woman's attention and curled her finger, gesturing for Felicia to join her.
Not happy with the summons, Felicia snapped. "What do you want?"
"What did I tell you the last time we spoke?" Carly asked icily.
The woman just stared at her.
"I told you if you lied to him again about the girls, you would answer to me."
"Your point?"
"Maximum Maxie." Carly waited for the realization to dawn on the older woman's face before pouncing. "Did you really think he wouldn't find out? That he didn't need to know?"
"This is none of your business."
"He's my husband. His business is my business. And the girls are his business."
"It's funny when he decides to make this family his business. When the girls and I needed him, he was off with the WSB. Now, he just waltzes back in and expects to be completely briefed on everything he should've been here for. That's rich."
"Save the self-righteous martyr act for someone who actually gives a damn."
"He made his choice," Felicia said. "It wasn't his daughters. He doesn't get to complain about it now."
"Complaining? His only complaint is you not telling him anything."
"Hey, if Maxie doesn't want to tell him, why should I? She's not a child anymore."
"He still has a right to know. He shouldn't have to hear about this stuff from everyone but you."
"I don't owe him anything."
Carly smiled ferociously. "But now I owe you. Mark my words, little woman. I always pay my debts."
She stormed off and took her seat, throwing one last glare back over her shoulder.
Backstage was not as hectic as Frisco had imagined. People were rushing around getting ready, musicians were warming up, but not at any break-neck speed. He made his way to the dressing area. Changing wouldn't take much time, his costume consisted of a different jacket and tie than what he was wearing.
The dressing area was cordoned off by curtains, with two sets of racks in one corner. He slipped through quietly and got a surprising image. Lucy in her underwear. Not in her underwear exactly, her dress was bunched somewhere around her thighs and she was squirming around with Amy's help.
"Oops! Sorry!" he said, turning around and stifling a laugh.
"Oh, don't worry, Frisco," Amy said. "I'm sure you'll get a better view before the night is out."
"Excuse me!" Lucy squealed irritatedly. "Some assistant you are!"
"You want to dress yourself, keep it up!"
Frisco risked turning around, still grinning amusedly. The dress was now off and Lucy was holding it over her front. "Is it safe for me to get ready now?"
"Of course, we're just having a slight wardrobe malfunction," Lucy explained, smiling embarrassedly.
"Is that what they're calling it these days?" he joked.
"We call it tradition around here," Amy told him. She went over to the rack with the costumes and pulled out his jacket. "Here you go," she said, handing it to him. "Outside."
"So Lucy in her skivvies is normal now? I really have been missing out on all the fun!"
"Just for that, Frisco Jones, you're going out first!" Lucy told him as he walked out.
He spun around in surprise. "What?"
"You're the first act and I obviously can't go on stage like this."
"Why not? It wouldn't be the first time," Amy piped in.
Lucy shot the nurse a dirty look. "I am not going out until this dress fits!"
"Then it might be awhile!"
"No! This show is going to be on time!"
Amy glanced at her watch, then showed it to Lucy. "A little late for that!"
Fuming and panicking, Lucy turned back to a snickering Frisco. "You. On stage. Now," she ordered.
Frisco gave her a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am."
The lights in the ballroom blinked on and off, indicting it was time for the show to start. Carly unhappily sat next to Luke, with Tony on the other side of Frisco's empty seat. At least she didn't have to be social.
The area between the Spencer/Jones table and the stage was open, as the tip of a half circle. Set up on the stage was a decorated railing, reminiscent of the "Moulin Rouge" roof.
The crowd made their way to their own tables and quieted as the lights finally dimmed.
On the dark stage, a spotlight shone on Frisco, standing on the railing and leaning against a pillar alone. "My gift is my song," he belted out, looking out at the crowd. His eyes fell on Carly. "And this one's for you..."
Softly, a small orchestra started playing behind him and the lights on the railings lit up. He sat down, smiling broadly. He forced himself to keep his eyes on Carly, as would be expected of him. "And you can tell everybody that this is your song, it may be quite simple but now that it's done, Hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words, how wonderful life is now you're in the world..."
Carly couldn't tear her eyes away from his as the song continued, any more than she could stop the growing smile on her face. He was singing to her and it felt like the world had just contracted to the two of them. She suddenly understood why women fell for this man, annoying as he was.
She knew logically that he was probably just trying not to look at his ex-wife, playing a part like a good spy, but she didn't mind deluding herself for a little while. It wasn't as if anyone besides Robin and Luke really knew the truth.
Frisco jumped off the stage and approached the table. He got down on one knee in front of Carly and took her hand. "So excuse me forgetting but these things I do, You see, I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue, Anyway the thing is what I really mean, Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen..."
Oh yeah, she was grinning like an idiot and knew it. She was the one he was lavishing attention on. Carly. No one else.
He softly kissed her hand and let it go as he backed up to the stage. "And you can tell everybody this is your song, It may be quite simple but now that it's done, I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words, How wonderful life is now you're in the world..."
The music faded and the room erupted in applause. Frisco bowed to the crowd and rushed backstage, accepting a kiss on the cheek from Lucy as he went.
"Frisco Jones, ladies and gentlemen! Exclusive to the Nurses' Ball, you can't see him anywhere else! Now, he was a last minute addition to our line up and he did a fabulous job, if I say so myself. So please, let's give him another round of applause!"
"Last minute, huh?" Robin said, smiling as she greeted her godfather backstage.
Frisco matched her smile and kissed her cheek. "Good thing I pretty much already knew the song."
"I guess performing is just like riding a bike. You were terrific, as usual."
"Thank you. You performing, too?"
"No, Lucy asked me to speak again. She says she always gets the most donations when I give the 'Face of HIV' speech."
He took off his jacket and loosened the tie. "Can I ask you a question?" he asked in a low voice, looking around for who might be listening.
"Is it about the bombshell you dropped on me earlier?"
"Yeah." He moved her to a corner that afforded them a little more privacy, but still gave him a good view of the area around them. "How'd you know it was Carly? Luke is the only other person to recognize her."
She gave him an incredulous look. "You do remember who my parents are, don't you? They – and you, I might add – raised me to be a bit more observant than the average person."
He nodded his head, knowing she was right. "Good point."
Robin shrugged. "She just seemed more entitled and bitchy than she used to be."
"More bitchy? Is that even possible?"
"Maybe bitchy isn't the right word. She was meaner." She paused, thinking. "I'd heard she had changed since she married Sonny, but I haven't been around to see it. I wouldn't have questioned the other Carly if I hadn't seen the real one at that moment." She shook her head. "I still can't believe you married her."
He reached out to touch her. "I know what I'm doing, Robin. I promise."
She looked into his eyes, studying him. "Do you? I know Carly. She's a disaster waiting to happen."
"I know. Believe me, I know. It's my job." He ran a hand through his hair. "Please just trust me and go along with this. Please."
Robin nodded, understanding. "I will, Uncle Frisco. But I don't like it."
"I don't either."
"If you ever need someone to kick her ass..."
Frisco chuckled and grinned. The young woman definitely had a lot of her parents in her. "I'll give you a call."
As soon as the lights came back on after the second act, Carly excused herself from the table and headed for the bar. She needed a drink. She could only take so much of Luke normally and it was even worse when he was grumpy and drunk. She was quickly losing all curiosity as to what bug got up his butt this time.
"Robin?"
She turned around at the sound of Liz's voice behind her. "Hey."
"Hey." The brunette looked away nervously. "Look, about what I said the other day..."
"Don't worry about it."
"No. I was rude," Liz said apologetically. "You were just trying to look out for me and I turned into a raving bitch."
Carly had to bite her lip to not say anything to that.
"I'm sorry. I still think you're wrong about Ric, but I could've handled the whole thing better."
"I could've been a little more supportive," Carly forced herself to say. This was the last thing she wanted to deal with. "I didn't have to rain on your parade."
"It's okay. Hey, at least I know you care."
Oh boy, she was in deep in this one. "What are friends for?" Carly replied, halfheartedly joking.
Liz smiled, happy about the air being cleared between them. "Right."
The brunette looked past her shoulder, her face lighting up, and waved. Carly glanced to where she was looking and tried not to show her disgust. Ric, grinning like the snake he was.
Both Carly and Liz frowned as they watched a very familiar bearded man approach him. Carly's heart jumped in her throat. This was so not good.
"Is that..." Liz began to ask, a hint of fear and disbelief in her voice.
Carly gulped. "Lorenzo Alcazar."
Chapter 31
Author: speedy
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Expecting her second child and caught up in a mafia war, Carly Corinthos has a secret that will change the lives of everyone she knows.
Disclaimer: I'm not the Rat, so obviously the characters aren't mine. I'm just borrowing them for awhile.
Notes: Just moving this over from my now defunct website. This veers off canon right before the panic room fiasco in 2003.
Chapter 29
Carly practically ran into the back of Robin as they returned to the ballroom. The little brunette had stopped suddenly and was just staring. Carly looked up and saw what she was staring at. Or more to the point, who.
Jason had been hovering around the terrace.
Carly's breath caught in her throat and she snuck a glance at her rival. Robin was also taken back by him and had looked her way as well. The look was enough for her to see they shared the worry that their confrontation on the terrace been overheard.
Robin collected herself quickly and smiled politely at her former boyfriend. "Jason."
"It's good to see you, Robin," he said quietly. "I'm glad you're here tonight."
"That's nice."
Carly snorted at the curt reply.
"I see you've met the other Robin."
Robin wrapped an arm around Carly's shoulders and squeezed. "Yep, just getting to know my new 'aunt'," she said, deliberately digging her nails into the older woman's flesh.
Carly put her arm around Robin's waist and pinched as hard as she could. "We're just a happy little family," she said with a sarcastic grin.
Her grin disappeared when she heard the other annoying twit interrupt them.
"Jason?"
Jason turned towards his wife. Carly and Robin both dropped their arms. "Robin," he said, glancing back at his former girlfriend, "this is Courtney, my wife."
Robin smiled politely. "Nice to meet you."
Blondie looked the other woman up and down, not even bothering to smile. "Yeah," she replied, possessively draping herself over Jason.
She was going to hate herself for this, but Carly spoke up. "We should be getting back to our tables," she said, gesturing for Robin to follow her. Shooting one last glare at Blondie, she maneuvered through the tables, going back to where her family was sitting.
Robin caught up with her. "So that's the con artist that dumped AJ," she said, from behind Carly.
"He probably deserved it," she scoffed.
"Yeah, he only gave up his family to be with her. She repaid that loyalty by cheating on him with his own brother."
"AJ is slime and she's better off, even if she doesn't deserve it."
Robin laughed. "I get it now. You're jealous."
"That's ridiculous." Carly spotted the older brunette with Frisco again. She narrowed her eyes in irritation, her hands on her hips. "Who is that woman?"
Robin laughed harder. She was enjoying this a little too much. "You're jealous of her, too!"
"Shut. Up," Carly growled.
Robin stopped laughing, but she still smiled. "Relax, that's just my mother."
Aha, the infamous Anna Devane. There was only one pedestal Carly had come across that was higher than Robin's, and it was the one Frisco put Anna on. He talked about her like she was some kind of superwoman. "Yeah," she snorted, "like that makes me feel better."
Robin rolled her eyes. "You expect him to nip at your feet all night?"
"No. I don't expect my husband to drool all over other women either."
"He's not drooling. He's just visiting with an old friend. Get a grip, Robin."
Carly wanted to slap her. "Hey, Polly Pure, why don't you butt out of my life?"
Robin got in her face, her eyes threatening. "Frisco is my godfather. He's family and I love him. If he gets hurt by you or because of you, I will kick your ass so hard you'll wish I'd killed you." She turned and joined her uncle at the next table.
"Don't taint your halo on my account," Carly grumbled.
Frisco exited the terrace just in time to see Maxie arrive with her boyfriend. The young man had an arm draped possessively over her shoulders, seemingly leading her around. Frisco hated him on first sight. The kid looked like a cocky punk in need of a serious smack.
He headed towards the young couple, oblivious to Carly and Robin. He was only feet from the table when Anna intercepted him.
"Oh, no," she said, putting her hands on her hips and blocking his path. "I've seen that look before."
"Yeah? And what look is that?" he snapped.
"You're going to do something incredibly hotheaded and dumb," she answered, lightly poking his in the chest.
He smiled. He was going for innocent, but failed miserably. "I'm just going to visit with my daughter."
She didn't buy it for a second. "And bite her boyfriend's head off while you're at it, I'm sure."
"No, the plan was to just shoot him," he admitted, shrugging dismissively.
She shook her head. "Oh, that's going to go over well. Violence is always the best answer."
"Works for me."
"You seem to get along with Georgie's boyfriend. What's the difference between this kid and Dillon?"
"Dillon's a good, polite kid from a family I know, even if I'm not fond of Tracy. And frankly, he seems to be scared of me most of the time. But that kid," he pointed to Maxie's boyfriend, "is trouble. I should know, considering I'm trained to spot trouble from a mile away. It's part of my job."
Anna snorted in laughter. "Using your WSB training on your kids, Frisco?"
"Got a better use?"
"A punk boyfriend is not a good use of resources. It's overkill. You can't control her life."
"Who said anything about controlling her? I'm just trying to get rid of him."
"You're trying to make the decisions for her. Mac and Felicia don't like this situation any better than you do, but it's Maxie's life and it was her decision to forgive him."
Forgive him? Frisco's eyes narrowed. He didn't know what she was talking about, but he was going to find out. "For the whole..." he trailed off deliberately, gesturing as if he knew what she was talking about.
"Webcam thing," she finished, sighing.
His mind took off in a dozen different directions with that, none of them good. "Of course. Probably was a good thing I wasn't here."
"Mac would've had to arrest you for murder."
"Really," he said, balling up his fists so tight his knuckles turned white in an effort to not go kick the crap out of the kid. "That bad?"
Anna looked him in the eyes and suddenly realized she'd been played. "Oh my god, you didn't know..."
"Why don't you give me the whole story, so I'm not just jumping to conclusions."
She sighed. "I don't know the whole story. I wasn't here."
Frisco stepped closer to her and crossed his arms. "Then tell me what you do know, Anna."
Anna's voice was quiet. "She slept with him, he had a webcam on in his room. There was something about a web page called 'Maximum Maxie' or something..."
He was fuming, ready to kill the punk kid. "With the video from the webcam, I bet."
"Yes."
"So why didn't Mac arrest them?" he asked, not bothering to shield his aggravation. "She's a minor, it's child pornography and statutory rape."
"She didn't want him to."
"And he went along with it?"
"She was humiliated. He thought prosecuting would just make it worse." She saw the near homicidal look on his face. "Don't you dare do anything to him, Frisco. All you'll do is publicly humiliate her in front if the entire town and then she'll never speak to you again."
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "So I'm just supposed to sit back and accept this?"
"I don't see how you have another choice."
Frisco looked at his watch, scowling. "I have to get backstage and get ready. I'm up first."
Anna smiled, apologetically putting a hand on his shoulder. "Break a leg."
"Oh, I'd like to," he grumbled as he walked away.
Carly glared at the older blonde happily laughing nearby. She had stopped close enough to Frisco and Anna to overhear the last part of their conversation. He had every right to be mad, as far as she was concerned. Felicia should've come clean about Maxie when she was asked to. Carly caught the woman's attention and curled her finger, gesturing for Felicia to join her.
Not happy with the summons, Felicia snapped. "What do you want?"
"What did I tell you the last time we spoke?" Carly asked icily.
The woman just stared at her.
"I told you if you lied to him again about the girls, you would answer to me."
"Your point?"
"Maximum Maxie." Carly waited for the realization to dawn on the older woman's face before pouncing. "Did you really think he wouldn't find out? That he didn't need to know?"
"This is none of your business."
"He's my husband. His business is my business. And the girls are his business."
"It's funny when he decides to make this family his business. When the girls and I needed him, he was off with the WSB. Now, he just waltzes back in and expects to be completely briefed on everything he should've been here for. That's rich."
"Save the self-righteous martyr act for someone who actually gives a damn."
"He made his choice," Felicia said. "It wasn't his daughters. He doesn't get to complain about it now."
"Complaining? His only complaint is you not telling him anything."
"Hey, if Maxie doesn't want to tell him, why should I? She's not a child anymore."
"He still has a right to know. He shouldn't have to hear about this stuff from everyone but you."
"I don't owe him anything."
Carly smiled ferociously. "But now I owe you. Mark my words, little woman. I always pay my debts."
She stormed off and took her seat, throwing one last glare back over her shoulder.
Backstage was not as hectic as Frisco had imagined. People were rushing around getting ready, musicians were warming up, but not at any break-neck speed. He made his way to the dressing area. Changing wouldn't take much time, his costume consisted of a different jacket and tie than what he was wearing.
The dressing area was cordoned off by curtains, with two sets of racks in one corner. He slipped through quietly and got a surprising image. Lucy in her underwear. Not in her underwear exactly, her dress was bunched somewhere around her thighs and she was squirming around with Amy's help.
"Oops! Sorry!" he said, turning around and stifling a laugh.
"Oh, don't worry, Frisco," Amy said. "I'm sure you'll get a better view before the night is out."
"Excuse me!" Lucy squealed irritatedly. "Some assistant you are!"
"You want to dress yourself, keep it up!"
Frisco risked turning around, still grinning amusedly. The dress was now off and Lucy was holding it over her front. "Is it safe for me to get ready now?"
"Of course, we're just having a slight wardrobe malfunction," Lucy explained, smiling embarrassedly.
"Is that what they're calling it these days?" he joked.
"We call it tradition around here," Amy told him. She went over to the rack with the costumes and pulled out his jacket. "Here you go," she said, handing it to him. "Outside."
"So Lucy in her skivvies is normal now? I really have been missing out on all the fun!"
"Just for that, Frisco Jones, you're going out first!" Lucy told him as he walked out.
He spun around in surprise. "What?"
"You're the first act and I obviously can't go on stage like this."
"Why not? It wouldn't be the first time," Amy piped in.
Lucy shot the nurse a dirty look. "I am not going out until this dress fits!"
"Then it might be awhile!"
"No! This show is going to be on time!"
Amy glanced at her watch, then showed it to Lucy. "A little late for that!"
Fuming and panicking, Lucy turned back to a snickering Frisco. "You. On stage. Now," she ordered.
Frisco gave her a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am."
The lights in the ballroom blinked on and off, indicting it was time for the show to start. Carly unhappily sat next to Luke, with Tony on the other side of Frisco's empty seat. At least she didn't have to be social.
The area between the Spencer/Jones table and the stage was open, as the tip of a half circle. Set up on the stage was a decorated railing, reminiscent of the "Moulin Rouge" roof.
The crowd made their way to their own tables and quieted as the lights finally dimmed.
On the dark stage, a spotlight shone on Frisco, standing on the railing and leaning against a pillar alone. "My gift is my song," he belted out, looking out at the crowd. His eyes fell on Carly. "And this one's for you..."
Softly, a small orchestra started playing behind him and the lights on the railings lit up. He sat down, smiling broadly. He forced himself to keep his eyes on Carly, as would be expected of him. "And you can tell everybody that this is your song, it may be quite simple but now that it's done, Hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words, how wonderful life is now you're in the world..."
Carly couldn't tear her eyes away from his as the song continued, any more than she could stop the growing smile on her face. He was singing to her and it felt like the world had just contracted to the two of them. She suddenly understood why women fell for this man, annoying as he was.
She knew logically that he was probably just trying not to look at his ex-wife, playing a part like a good spy, but she didn't mind deluding herself for a little while. It wasn't as if anyone besides Robin and Luke really knew the truth.
Frisco jumped off the stage and approached the table. He got down on one knee in front of Carly and took her hand. "So excuse me forgetting but these things I do, You see, I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue, Anyway the thing is what I really mean, Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen..."
Oh yeah, she was grinning like an idiot and knew it. She was the one he was lavishing attention on. Carly. No one else.
He softly kissed her hand and let it go as he backed up to the stage. "And you can tell everybody this is your song, It may be quite simple but now that it's done, I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words, How wonderful life is now you're in the world..."
The music faded and the room erupted in applause. Frisco bowed to the crowd and rushed backstage, accepting a kiss on the cheek from Lucy as he went.
"Frisco Jones, ladies and gentlemen! Exclusive to the Nurses' Ball, you can't see him anywhere else! Now, he was a last minute addition to our line up and he did a fabulous job, if I say so myself. So please, let's give him another round of applause!"
"Last minute, huh?" Robin said, smiling as she greeted her godfather backstage.
Frisco matched her smile and kissed her cheek. "Good thing I pretty much already knew the song."
"I guess performing is just like riding a bike. You were terrific, as usual."
"Thank you. You performing, too?"
"No, Lucy asked me to speak again. She says she always gets the most donations when I give the 'Face of HIV' speech."
He took off his jacket and loosened the tie. "Can I ask you a question?" he asked in a low voice, looking around for who might be listening.
"Is it about the bombshell you dropped on me earlier?"
"Yeah." He moved her to a corner that afforded them a little more privacy, but still gave him a good view of the area around them. "How'd you know it was Carly? Luke is the only other person to recognize her."
She gave him an incredulous look. "You do remember who my parents are, don't you? They – and you, I might add – raised me to be a bit more observant than the average person."
He nodded his head, knowing she was right. "Good point."
Robin shrugged. "She just seemed more entitled and bitchy than she used to be."
"More bitchy? Is that even possible?"
"Maybe bitchy isn't the right word. She was meaner." She paused, thinking. "I'd heard she had changed since she married Sonny, but I haven't been around to see it. I wouldn't have questioned the other Carly if I hadn't seen the real one at that moment." She shook her head. "I still can't believe you married her."
He reached out to touch her. "I know what I'm doing, Robin. I promise."
She looked into his eyes, studying him. "Do you? I know Carly. She's a disaster waiting to happen."
"I know. Believe me, I know. It's my job." He ran a hand through his hair. "Please just trust me and go along with this. Please."
Robin nodded, understanding. "I will, Uncle Frisco. But I don't like it."
"I don't either."
"If you ever need someone to kick her ass..."
Frisco chuckled and grinned. The young woman definitely had a lot of her parents in her. "I'll give you a call."
As soon as the lights came back on after the second act, Carly excused herself from the table and headed for the bar. She needed a drink. She could only take so much of Luke normally and it was even worse when he was grumpy and drunk. She was quickly losing all curiosity as to what bug got up his butt this time.
"Robin?"
She turned around at the sound of Liz's voice behind her. "Hey."
"Hey." The brunette looked away nervously. "Look, about what I said the other day..."
"Don't worry about it."
"No. I was rude," Liz said apologetically. "You were just trying to look out for me and I turned into a raving bitch."
Carly had to bite her lip to not say anything to that.
"I'm sorry. I still think you're wrong about Ric, but I could've handled the whole thing better."
"I could've been a little more supportive," Carly forced herself to say. This was the last thing she wanted to deal with. "I didn't have to rain on your parade."
"It's okay. Hey, at least I know you care."
Oh boy, she was in deep in this one. "What are friends for?" Carly replied, halfheartedly joking.
Liz smiled, happy about the air being cleared between them. "Right."
The brunette looked past her shoulder, her face lighting up, and waved. Carly glanced to where she was looking and tried not to show her disgust. Ric, grinning like the snake he was.
Both Carly and Liz frowned as they watched a very familiar bearded man approach him. Carly's heart jumped in her throat. This was so not good.
"Is that..." Liz began to ask, a hint of fear and disbelief in her voice.
Carly gulped. "Lorenzo Alcazar."
Chapter 31
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