Here - Chapter 12

It takes Carly another three days of crumbling the brochure in her hands, hiding it from Bobbie, not acknowledging to Luke that she'd even seen it, to work up the courage to actually get herself to the city campus.

PCU is teeming with young people. Fresh faces light up the aged buildings. Fresh from winter break, fresh from their families.

Carly feels completely out-of-place as she walks across the quad toward what her newly-obtained map says is the admissions office. She swears that everyone is looking at her askance. If she was not sure that she had faked her insanity to get into Ferncliff, she would believe she is paranoid.

She finally gets to student affairs building and stops at the cobblestone portico. She takes a deep breath, stepping aside every few seconds to allow another teenager to get by her. Okay, Carly...here we go...

After a brief discussion with a very enthusiastic counsellor her own age, Carly is surprised to not only feel trepidation and anxiety, but also a bit of hope. It is a small step, she knows, but she still feels proud of herself for sitting down with an actual college counsellor. Proud of herself in a way she has never experienced.

As oddly enthusiastic as she feels, however, she knows that the cost per credit is prohibitive. She knows that she could never swing it on her salary. She is hoping that she can work something out with Luke.

She checks her watch and is surprised to find it is two o'clock already. She decides to go to the student union to get something to eat.

The cashier asks her for identification. Carly feigns tears and moans sadly, "I must have forgotten it in class!" She even manages to remember the name of a building across campus from her map, "It's all the way over in the Maher building..."

The cashier looks around, takes a deep breath, then nods to Carly, "It's all right. This time."

"Thanks," Carly says with dramatic relief. She pays, then takes her tray to an empty table, far away from the woman's view.

She sits down and eats leisurely, watching people flow in and out of the glass doors. A group of young women stroll in, laughing and giggling. One of them breaks away and storms directly to Carly's table.

"Are you stalking me??" Liz asks angrily.

Carly looks around, then looks at Liz with disdain, "What are you talking about?"

"Why are you here??"

"I'm...eating...?" Carly replies, motioning to her tray.

Liz sighs and shakes her head, not buying Carly's innocent act for a minute, "I haven't heard from Jason. And even if I had, I wouldn't tell you anything."

Carly narrows her eyes, the little witch just had to mention Jason.

"So, just stop following me around," Liz waves her hand, realizing that she may have been wrong accusing Carly of stalking her, "or whatever you're up to. Just forget it!"

Carly manages to keep herself calm. She takes a sip of soda and nods compliantly, "Okay."

Liz stomps off and rejoins her friends. Carly can tell that they are talking about her because a couple of the young women turn and look in her direction, then quickly turn away and begin to giggle.

Rolling her eyes and trying to hide her discomfort, Carly dumps the rest of her lunch and starts to leave the building

She takes one last glance over at Elizabeth, who looks straight back at her Carly smiles slightly and mouths, Screw you, you little twit...

Carly is more determined than ever now.

********************

"I want a promotion," Carly announces, walking straight into Luke's office.

Luke looks up from his desk in disbelief, an unlit cigar between his teeth, "You don't know how to knock?" He glances at his watch, "And you're ten minutes early for work. I don't like that."

"Listen," she continues, ignoring him and availing herself of the chair in front of his desk, "I do the books here and I wait tables. I think I should be bumped up to management...like Claude."

The smile starts slowly, evenly across his face, "Now, why should I do that, Caroline? I like the current situation just fine. Besides, if I don't go along, what are you going to do? Quit?" He laughs and looks back down at the folder on his desk.

She studies him for a moment, waiting to see if he will look at her again. He does not. She sucks in her cheeks, furious at his dismissal, "So, what? You're saying who else would hire a convicted crazy person with no real professional work experience?"

He shrugs, still not looking at her, "I never said that. But I won't argue with it."

She gets up, ready to leave.

He sighs. "You need more money? You running low or something?" he asks matter-of-factly.

She sinks slowly back down to her chair, "Well, actually, I was thinking that first," she puts up her finger, "you make me management..."

"And?" He lifts a brow, now meeting her eyes. He makes a circular motion with his hand, "Where there's a first, there's usually a second."

"Second, you could start a tuition-reimbursement plan. Not the entire cost, of course. But maybe, like, 50%. You know, like they have at those big corporations." She adds hastily, "They had one at ELQ."

He smiles, "Please don't pretend you were actually paying attention to ELQ when you were living in that mansion."

She sighs, "So?"

"Why do you have to be management for this again?" he asks, his face contorted.

She leans forward, sensing that he is about to cave, "This way, you won't have to offer the program to all of the other waitresses. See?" She says with a smug grin, "I'm always thinking of you, Uncle Luke."

He laughs out loud, "Oh yeah. And could you remind me of the reason I should feel obligated to give you a promotion? This ain't ELQ, Cupcake. I don't just dole out management positions to people because they happen to blood relatives."

She shrugs, "Because I do management things -- like the books. I'm not asking for a raise - well," she edits herself, "I wouldn't mind a raise, but that's not what I want."

Luke frowns, "What the he!!. All right, Caroline."

Her eyes widen. She asks anxiously, "That's it? You mean 'all right' to the promotion? Or 'all right' to the tuition thing? Or 'all right' to both?"

He waves her out of the office, "All right to everything."

She heads for the door, then turns to look at Luke with an evil grin, "So I can tell Claude to start sending his school bills to you?"

Luke looks at her in confusion, "Claude's in school? What's he studying? Bartending I hope..."

Carly stares at her uncle, her face cynical, "Luke! Claude's getting his MBA!"

This causes Luke to drop his cigar, "WHAT??"

She laughs at his shock, "Yeah, Luke. Claude already has a bachelor's and a master's degree in organic chemistry. He just thinks he should get an MBA too."

He narrows his eyes at her, disbelieving, "You're kiddin' me...aren't you kidding me?"

She shakes her head.

"How do you know all of this??" he questions her suspiciously.

She folds her arms across her chest, "Luke, have you ever tried, I don't know, talking to the guy?"

Luke's mouth is still hanging open, "Shouldn't he be somewhere making some real money?"

Carly can not believe that Luke is so in-the-dark about one of his longtime employees. She says evenly, "He consults at Dupont during the day, Luke. Come on. I know you had to know all of this..."

Luke is still trying to absorb this new information, "So, if all of this is true, what the he!! is he doing tending my bar??"

Carly takes a step toward Luke, "Because, for some unknown reason, he likes you. And he thinks tending bar is a fun way to pass the time."

Luke puts his elbows on the desk and rests his face in his hands.

She goes back to the door to make her exit. Then she says over her shoulder, "And I think he hopes you croak soon and leave the club to him." She shrugs, "But that's just a guess, given your age and unhealthy habits."

He stares daggers at the closing door as she darts out of the office.

*********************

Sonny hisses angrily into the telephone, "I don't care what the supplier says. You tell him what I just said. And if he doesn't take that seriously," Sonny sighs and finishes in a threatening tone, "you just let him know that next time I'll word it a little more strongly."

Then he clicks off.

Sonny has made a concerted effort to run a tight ship ever since his discussion with Benny. But he has been watching the people watching him, waiting to see the doubt in their eyes at every turn. He has been angry, snapping, totalitarian.

As he sits alone in his penthouse, the tension of being vulnerable to his enemies begins to eat away at him again. These are the times when he most misses having Jason around. Jason, he could trust. Jason, he could discuss anything with and feel confident that his words and doubts would go no further.

Now he is alone. He knows it is of his own making, but he is still alone.

He rubs his face with his hands, then stands up. He tucks his shirt into his slacks and goes to the front door.

Johnny looks at his boss expectantly.

Sonny grabs his overcoat and says, "Let's go."

***********************

The evening wears on for Carly, but she is feeling good about accomplishing something. Maybe this school stuff won't be so bad after all, she reasons. As long as I can avoid Elizabeth Weber...

Carly has to laugh at the way Luke looks at Claude now. She catches Luke stealing suspicious glances toward the bartender.

It is a very slow night. A subdued crowd of regulars fills the bar and half of the tables. Luke let the other waitress go home early.

After serving her last table, Carly sidles up to the bar and cajoles Claude for a free glass of French mineral water. Luke, standing right next to them, shrugs, so the bartender pours her a glass from the slim bottle. Carly has only been drinking tap since she moved out of the Quartermaine household, so she is anticipating the taste of luxury water in her throat again. She takes a long, greedy swig, only to discover that the taste is about the same. Oh well...

"Uh-oh..." Luke mutters under his breath. He nudges Carly and says unpleasantly, "You've got a visitor, Caroline. Get rid of him. Quick. And get back to work." Then he leaves the bar and slams into his office.

Carly looks over at the door. She sees Sonny and Johnny standing there. Sonny is glancing around. He looks uncomfortable and unsure about whether he should enter.

She walks toward them, questioning, "Got another meeting here, Sonny?"

His eyes lock on her and he shrugs, "No. I just stopped by."

She smiles doubtfully, "Okay. And you know Luke just loves when you stop by, right?"

He smiles widely at her, his dimples in full effect, and tilts his head, "You busy?"

"I'm working," she answers, knowing exactly what he means and what he wants. And, despite herself, every time she sees him, she succumbs to wanting it too.

But she will not make it easy. And she thinks she knows exactly how to get rid of him.

He sniffs, almost laughing, "All right, Carly. Are you busy after work?"

She tilts her head slightly, "Why? You want to take me out on a date?"

He blinks in confusion. A date??? He looks into her eyes. Is she joking?

She returns his stare expectantly. Seriously.

His mouth opens, "You mean, like, go out? The two of us?"

"Why not?" She steps closer to him and whispers, "What is it, Sonny? I'm good enough to drag to bed, but not good enough to take anywhere?"

He runs a hand over his mouth. This is an unexpected turn of events. He looks at her carefully, seeing that she is playing some kind of game with him. The light dawns. Chicken.

He knows he won't swerve first. He shrugs, "Where do you want to go?"

She bites her bottom lip, narrowing her eyes at him, "Someplace nice."

He reaches up and strokes her arm with a hand. He responds quietly, "Name it."

She wets her lips with her tongue as she thinks.

His eyes stay on her mouth.

Sighing, she says, "Okay. How about Cafe Matisse for coffee and dessert? I think the cafe and patisserie part stays open all night, right?"

"You got it," he agrees. Then he smiles again at her, nipping her chin lightly with his fingers, "Three?"

"Two," she corrects him, "Claude's going to help Luke close up."

She is wearing jeans and her black Luke's long-sleeve T-shirt. He looks her over from head to toe. Very slowly. He leans in toward her and utters softly into her ear, "Do you need to change?"

"Do I?" she asks. Her skin tingles when he looks at her.

He shrugs, "You look fine to me."

"Okay," she smiles.

"Okay," he echoes.

They stand there for a few seconds, suddenly feeling tense.

She never believed he would agree to actually take her out.

He never believed she would actually agree to go out with him.

He finally leaves.

She watches him leave.

When they are out of each other's sight, the same thought races through both of their heads.

What have I done now?