Chapter Three
“Good,” Sonny says. “He’s been with me a long time…I’d hate to think that…he was a problem that had to be eliminated…”
“Doesn’t look like it,” Benny says. “On the other hand, Roscoe is another story…”
“Why? Who was backing him?”
“Phil Lundine…”
“New York? You’re tellin’ me that Lundine was behind everything that happened to Alexis?”
“Not completely,” Benny answers. “From what I’ve been able to find out, Lundine was definitely after you. That much is true. But it looks like Roscoe took matters into his own hands as far as kidnapping Miss Davis and what he did to Renaldo.”
Sonny shakes his head and paces.
“Look, as far as I’m concerned,” he begins, “…Lundine is the one who sent Roscoe back here and so he’s the one responsible for everything that happened…” He paces back and forth for a moment as the thoughts come to him. “Okay, this is what I want. I need to get somebody inside of Lundine’s organization. I wanna know what else is comin’.”
“I think I might know somebody…” Max says.
“It’s gotta be somebody that’s reliable. I don’t want any slip-ups. Also…I want a guard on Alexis at all times. I know Lundine and he’s gonna keep on comin’ until either he manages to get me out of the way…or I can stop him. I don’t want Alexis to get caught in the crossfire again…”
“Understood.”
“And whoever’s guarding her, you let him know that if anything happens to her, anything at all…You let him know that he’s gonna be blamed for it…and he’ll pay…”
“I got it, Boss.”
“What do you need from me?” Benny asks.
“I need for you to get the lowdown on Lundine – all his holdings, who he’s tight with in The Organization, what he’s got offshore – everything. I wanna know as much about him as he does…”
Just then, a key turns in the lock of the front door and Alexis walks in. She’s a bit startled to see Benny and Max in Sonny’s living room.
“Oh,” she manages. “I’m sorry. There was no one outside…”
“No, no,” Sonny says. “It’s okay. We’re done here…”
“I’ll get right on that,” Benny says as he and Max turn to leave.
“I want results, Benny,” Sonny demands.
“I know,” Benny says. “Miss Davis.”
“Benny,” Alexis says. “Hi, Max.”
Alexis silently watches Benny and Max leave and close the door behind them.
“I’m sorry,” she says.
“It’s okay.”
“I…Is everything alright?”
“Everything’s good,” he says.
“Good.” She moves further into the living room. “We have to talk.”
“Sure. What about?”
She takes a deep breath.
“I’m…moving back to my apartment…”
“Oh?”
“Well…it’s just that things like this keep happening – you trying to manage this vile and reprehensible business of yours…”
“And?”
“And…I keep interrupting…”
“You hear me complainin’?”
“No,” Alexis admits. “No, I don’t. You’ve been…pretty terrific, actually…But I’m certain that there more than a few things that you would rather your attorney not know about your business…and I know that I would rather not overhear anything that might…compromise our relationship…”
“You wouldn’t.”
"Sonny...I have been trying to do this for the past three weeks or so...Don't make it harder -- please."
"Alexis..."
“Me going back to my apartment is a good idea,” she says. “…Before all of this becomes any more comfortable than it already is…”
Sonny looks into her eyes for a moment, his brown eyes as piercing as ever. He thinks about what she is saying.
She’s right, he tells himself. This is comfortable – real comfortable…
“You need uh…help movin’ your stuff?” he asks.
“Not really,” she answers. “I don’t have that much here – just a few pieces here and there…”
“Then I’ll…help you because I want to. Is that okay?”
“Of course it’s okay. Why wouldn’t that be okay?” She studies him for a moment. “Are you – okay, I mean? You seem…a little preoccupied…”
He shakes his head no.
“I told you – everything’s good…” He moves closer to her, takes her face in his hands, and kisses her tenderly. Then he lets her go and takes a small step backward. “Let’s go…Let’s go get your stuff.”
___________________________________________________________________
Sonny stands in the middle of his bedroom and looks around, listening to the silence.
The past five weeks or so had been wonderful. Alexis was there with him when he opened his eyes and she was there when he closed his eyes. She sat across the table from him at breakfast and dinner. She sat next to him on the sofa whenever they had coffee.
And at this moment, he feels even closer to Alexis than he did before and he didn’t think that was possible.
His eyes fall on one of his shirts – the black one – semi-folded and lying across the foot of the bed. A smile comes to his face when he remembers why. Alexis wore that shirt – his shirt -- this morning during breakfast.
And now she is gone.
He walks over and picks up the shirt. He brings it to his nose and inhales the soft scent of her that remains.
Just then an idea occurs to him.
He takes the shirt and heads downstairs. He walks across the living room to the front door. He swings the door open and stops suddenly – before he can bump into the person standing there in front of him.
It’s Carly.
“You’re on your way out?” she asks.
Sonny shakes his head no.
“No,” he says. “It can wait. What’s on your mind?”
“Can I come in?”
“Uh…sure. Come on in,” he says as he stands aside.
Carly walks into the apartment and Sonny closes the door behind her.
“Where are you taking that?” she asks, referring to the shirt in his hand.
He shrugs.
“Doesn’t matter,” he says as he drapes the shirt over the back of the chair at the desk. “What do you need? Somethin’ wrong with Michael?”
“No, nothing’s wrong with Michael. I just…I needed to say something to you.”
“Okay…”
“Now, I have given this a lot of thought,” she says. “And I really don’t want Alexis around Michael. After all, she’s not exactly the motherly type, is she?”
”Okay,” Sonny begins, “what is all this about?”
“You and Alexis. I mean it was obvious the last time I was here that the two of you have gotten…closer. I heard what happened to her and everything. And I know that Alexis is gonna milk what happened for all it’s worth. She’s gonna use it until she gets exactly what she wants.”
“Which is what?”
“You.”
“But she’s already got me, Carly.”
Carly stares at him, speechless, as he words begins to sink in.
“Fine!” she says. “Well, then if she’s the woman in your life now, she’s gonna be spending time around Michael and I don’t want that holier-than-thou, neurotic lunatic around my son!”
“That’s it,” Sonny says calmly. He opens the door. “We’re done.”
“I mean it, Sonny!”
“Get out,” he says quietly. “Johnny, can you see that she gets home?”
She stomps out the door past him and Johnny.
“You go to hell, Sonny!” She pounds on the elevator button. “Oh and, by the way…you can pick up your shirt and run on over to Alexis and do whatever you were going to do now. I said what I had to say and I mean it!”
When the elevator doors open, Carly storms into it.
Sonny stands at his door, shaking his head in disbelief as the elevator doors close.
“Sorry, Boss,” Johnny says. “Want me to keep her out next time?”
“No,” he answers. “She’s Michael’s mother and she needs to be here sometimes…I’ll uh…I’ll handle it.”
He steps back into his apartment and closes the door.
He walks to the chair where the shirt is. He places his hand on the shirt, takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and exhales slowly.
Then he makes his way over to the bar, takes a glass, and pours it three-quarters of the way full of scotch. He picks up a couple of ice cubes and drops them in. He picks up the glass and takes a healthy swig as he wanders over to the terrace doors and stares out and the dusky sky.
Yesterday at this time, we were in the kitchen, he reminds himself. I was cooking dinner and Alexis was keeping me company. He abruptly shakes off the thought and has another swig of his drink. He glances over at the shirt on the chair and grows sad.
I haven’t had a drink in weeks -- not since Alexis moved in. I haven’t felt like I needed one. Now she’s gone and I’m standing here with a glass of scotch in my hand.
He shakes his head and laughs to himself.
“She hasn’t been gone an hour yet…” he tells himself.
And it feels like she’s been gone forever.
Sonny brings the glass to his mouth and swallows what’s left of his drink.
He walks over and puts the glass down on the bar. He walks to the front door, turns the doorknob, and pulls the door open. He walks past Johnny to the elevator.
He stares at Alexis’ door for a moment.
Then he presses the elevator button.
Johnny closes the door and follows.
“Where to, Boss?” Johnny asks.
“Dinner,” Sonny answers.
___________________________________________________________________
Renaldo presses the button on his cell phone and puts it to his ear.
“Yeah?” he says. “She’s on her way up? Got it.”
He presses the button again and puts the phone back into his pocket.
A couple of moments later, the elevator arrives.
Alexis steps out, carrying her attaché case in one hand and her keys in the other. She stops and looks to her right at Renaldo who stands dutifully guarding Sonny’s door. She smiles as she walks over to him.
“Good evening,” she says.
“Good evening, Miss Davis.”
“It’s good to see you back at work…”
“You, too.”
“Thank you…Is he in?”
“Not right now,” Renaldo answers. “I can give him a message if you want…”
“No,” Alexis says. “No, thank you. I’ll…I’ll try back later…” She turns to leave and then stops and turns back around. “Has he been out of town the past couple of days?”
“Miss Davis…”
“That’s alright,” Alexis says. “I know better than to ask…Well, have a good evening, Renaldo.”
“The same to you, Miss Davis.”
Alexis continues to her door, unlocks the lock, and opens it.
She steps into the apartment and closes the door behind her. She puts her attaché case in the chair as Kristina comes walking down the stairs.
“Hi!” Kristina says. “You’re home early.”
“Well, to tell you the truth,” Alexis begins, “I got a little tired and dizzy. I forgot how long and arduous a day in court can be…”
“That’s to be expected. After all, this was your first day back in court since…since you were in the hospital…”
“Since I was shot,” Alexis corrects. “You can say it, Kristina. Believe me, the words aren’t nearly as painful as the actual bullet.”
Kristina shakes her head.
“I don’t want to think about that,” she says. “So…what are you doing this evening? Are you and Sonny having dinner together?”
“Actually no,” Alexis answers. She makes her way over to the sofa and sits. “Has he…Has he been by at all today?”
“Not while I’ve been here,” Kristina answers. “Why?”
“No reason,” Alexis answers quickly. “I just wondered…So, what about you? Are you having dinner with Ned?”
“Actually, we’re trying to sign this great singer to L&B. We’re meeting him at Club 101 for dinner.”
“Oh. Say hi to Carly for me…”
Kristina laughs.
“I’ll do that,” she says. She watches Alexis for a moment. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Alexis insists as she kicks off her shoes. “Why do you ask?”
“Well, something’s clearly on your mind. Is it something about Sonny? Is he in some kind of trouble or something?”
Alexis shakes her head no.
“As his attorney, I would be aware of something like that…”
“Then what is it?”
“Really Kristina,” Alexis begins. “You’re going to have to get out more. You have far too much time on your hands and you always seem to spend it worrying about me. I’m fine.”
“You’re sure?”
“Kristina…”
“Alright, alright,” she says. “I’ll stop hovering. Listen, I told Ned that I would meet him at the club. Now I made some vegetable soup. It’s in a container in the fridge.”
“Ooh, yum…”
“It’s good for you, Alexis. You’re not 100% yet.”
“Well, I had a blood test yesterday and I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow so, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll wait to hear that from him…”
“Very funny.” She picks up her pocketbook from the desk. “Get some rest and…I’ll see you later.”
“Goodnight, Kristina.”
“Goodnight,” Kristina says.
She opens the door and steps out, closing the door behind her.
“Good luck!” Alexis calls after her.
Alexis sits on the sofa for a few minutes more, her mind racing.
She hasn’t seen or spoken to Sonny since moving back into her own apartment – a full two days ago. At first she thought that he might be trying to give her time to spend with Kristina and to get situated. At some point during the day before, it occurred to her.
She was being avoided.
The question is why.
Suddenly she stands, walks to the door, and opens it. She steps out into the hallway.
“Renaldo?” she says. “I’ve changed my mind. I would like to leave a message for Sonny.”
“Sure.”
“Would you let him know that I have a couple of new supplier contracts for him to sign and that I’ll be available until around 11 o’clock?”
“I’ll tell him.”
“Thank you,” Alexis says. “Goodnight, again.”
She walks back into her apartment and closes the door.
_________________________________________________________________
Mike rushes to answer the insistent knock at the door.
“Just a minute,” he calls. He turns the doorknob and opens the door to find Sonny standing there, Max his bodyguard nearby.
“Michael,” he says. “Well…to what do I owe this visit?”
“Just felt like stoppin’ by,” Sonny answers. “Mind if I come in?”
“No,” Mike answers as he stands aside. “Come on in.”
“Stay here,” Sonny instructs Max as he walks into the apartment.
“Is everything alright?” Mike asks as he closes the door.
“Everything…Everything is fine, Mike…You heard from Courtney?”
“As a matter of fact, we had lunch at Kelly’s. She uh…told me about what you said to her…I want to thank you, Michael.”
Sonny shrugs.
“I told her the truth, Mike. AJ is a loser, you know, but if he’s what she wants then…she’s gonna have to live with that…and so will I…”
“Well now, that’s a very sensible attitude. I know how hard it is for you to do nothing…”
“I also wanted to come by…because I have something to say to you.”
“Oh, right,” Mike says. “Fine. What did I do wrong this time?”
“Nothin’ like that,” Sonny answers. “It’s just that I realized, you know, that I never told you how much I appreciate what you did that day – followin’ me to the warehouse and everything. Now it was a dumb thing to do and you could’ve gotten yourself killed…”
“When does the appreciation part start?”
“But...I do appreciate what you tried to do,” he continues. “Thank you.”
“There’s no need to thank me,” Mike says. “You’re my son, Michael. I wasn’t going to let you just walk into that warehouse not knowing what you were up against. I figured that I’d even your odds a little…”
“Or lessen 'em a little…”
Mike laughs.
“Well, whichever way you look at it, your odds changed with me there.”
“That’s true,” Sonny says.
“How is Alexis?” Mike asks.
“Alexis is fine,” Sonny answers. “She’s back home in her apartment…She’s fine.”
“And how are you now that she’s back home and out of your sight?”
“I’m handlin’ it,” he says. “Anyway…I just wanted to come by…I’ll see you, Mike.”
Sonny walks to the door, Mike following behind.
“Thanks again, Michael,” Mike says. “It uh…really means a lot to me that you came…”
Sonny opens the door.
“Goodnight,” Sonny says.
“Goodnight, Michael,” Mike says.
___________________________________________________________________
The elevator doors open on the penthouse floor and Sonny steps off, followed by Max. He walks to his right and over to Renaldo.
“Everything quiet?” he asks.
Renaldo nods.
“Miss Davis’ sister went out earlier,” Renaldo reports.
“And Alexis?”
“She’s inside.”
“She still doesn’t know that there’s a guard on her, does she?”
“Doesn’t seem to,” Renaldo answers. “She left a message for you.”
“What’s that?”
“She wanted me to tell you that there’s some contracts that she needs you to sign and that she’s available until 11 o’clock.”
“Oh.” Sonny looks at his watch – ten-forty-four. “Guess I’ll go see what she wants…Max, you stay here. Renaldo, I want you downstairs, coordinating those guys.”
“Okay, Boss,” Renaldo says.
Sonny turns around and heads toward Alexis’ apartment.
He raises his hand to knock but hesitates for a moment.
He knocks on the door.
“Who is it?” comes the voice from inside.
“It’s Sonny,” he answers.
“One minute.”
He hears movement inside and the sound of someone approaching.
The door opens.
Alexis is there, glasses on, wearing sweats and her favorite socks.
“Well, hello,” she says.
“Renaldo says you need me to sign some contracts or somethin’?”
“Yes, I do,” Alexis says. “Come in.”
“Thanks,” Sonny says as he walks in.
Alexis closes the door.
“You’ve been a stranger lately…”
“I uh…had a lot of stuff to take care of,” Sonny answers. He looks at her dining table and sees that it’s covered with papers and Alexis’ customary yellow legal pad. “You shouldn’t be workin’ so late…”
“I’ll take that under advisement,” she dismisses. She reaches into the attaché case in the chair and pulls out a folder. She opens the folder and puts it down on the desk. She pulls open the drawer and takes out a pen. “This is everything that we discussed. I need you to read it and sign in triplicate – next to the X’s.”
Sonny takes the pen from her.
“If it’s everything we talked about, I don’t have to read it,” he says. He quickly skims the first page, looking for the X and signs his name next to it. He repeats the process with page two and then page three.
Alexis stares at him.
“That it?” he asks.
“That’s it,” she answers. “And that’s all you have to say?”
Sonny shrugs.
“I’m kinda tired,” he says ad he hands the pen back to her. “I just wanna get home and get some sleep. I’ll uh…I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Alexis’ mind is filled with all kinds of questions but she lets it go.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow, then.” She opens the door. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” Sonny says quietly. “Oh and I’m serious about…you workin’ so late. You uh…you still need your rest…”
“I’m almost finished.”
“Good,” he says. He walks out the door. “See you tomorrow.”
Alexis closes the door behind him and puts the pen down on the desk. She closes the folder and puts it back into her attaché case.
She walks back over to the table and sits, trying to resume her work.
But she can’t.
There is obviously something wrong with Sonny. He has never been that business-like before and especially not since Puerto Rico.
He never even kissed me, her mind says. He didn’t touch me.
She tries to put the thoughts away but she can’t. It just doesn’t make sense to her.
What could have happened in two days? What could have gone so wrong?
Suddenly she stands and rushes to the door. She swings it open and steps out into the hallway just as Sonny is about to close his door.
“Sonny!” she calls.
He stops and looks back.
“Yeah?”
“We need to talk,” she says.
“Can’t it wait, Alexis? I’m pretty beat…”
“No,” she insists. “It can’t wait.”
He takes a deep breath and exhales.
“Fine,” he says, resigning himself to what will follow.
She approaches and walks past Max and into Sonny's apartment.
He closes the door.
“What’s on your mind?” he asks.
“What’s on my mind?” she repeats. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Alexis…”
“I don’t see you or speak with you for two days – almost three. Then when I do see you, you’re so…distant and so wonderfully professional…What is it?”
“I don’t really want to get into this right now…”
“Well, that’s too bad because you’re going to have to.”
“Alexis,” he begins, “if I ask you to, can you just do this my way for once?”
“Sorry,” she says. “I’m afraid that I can’t do that. You’re going to have to explain yourself this time, Sonny.”
“I don’t have to explain myself to anybody!” he snaps. “I am who and what I am, Alexis…and neither you nor anyone else…is gonna change me…”
“Not good enough,” Alexis states in a measured voice.
“What do you want from me?”
“I want you to tell me what’s going on with you,” Alexis says.
“Fine," he blurts. "It’s too much, okay? This thing with us…It’s too much…” He takes a deep breath and paces. “I didn’t know…how hard this was gonna be – how much trouble…I can’t deal with it, okay? I need some…breathing room…”
“Is that anything like space?”
“This isn’t workin’ out for me, okay,” he yells.
Alexis stares at him for a moment. He avoids her eyes and looks away.
“I see,” she says, quietly.
She hesitates for another moment before starting for the door.
“Where are you going?” he asks.
“Home,” she answers. “You’ve answered my question. I don’t imagine that there’s anything else to say.”
She opens the door and walks out. She walks quickly past Max and across the hall, opens the door to her apartment, steps in, and quietly closes the door.
Sonny closes the door to his apartment and leans against it, feeling his heart breaking.
I’m sorry, sweetheart, his mind tells Alexis. This is the only way. I know I hurt you but…this is the only way I know…to keep you safe…
___________________________________________________________________
Alexis goes back over to the dining table and sits down in the chair. She takes a deep breath, picks up her pencil, and stares at the brief in front of her.
And stares. And stares.
This can’t be happening, she tells herself. Not after everything we’ve been through…
She tries to shake off the thoughts in her head. She stares at the brief once again.
How can you do this, she wonders. So it’s over? Just like that?
She shakes her head and puts down her pencil.
I don’t understand this, Sonny. Why don’t I understand?
Alexis stands and slowly walks to the light switch near the door. She flicks the switch, turning off the lights. Then she walks to the stairs and takes one step up.
And stops.
She turns around and sits down on the steps and feels a tear making its way onto her cheek.
___________________________________________________________________
Early the next afternoon, Kristina hurries to the apartment, fumbling with her keys. She is still wearing what she wore yesterday evening when she left to meet Ned at Club 101.
She didn’t mean to leave Alexis alone all night. It’s just that she and Ned were able to sign Jackson Adams to L&B Records and the three of them spent the night celebrating. Then she and Ned went back to the Quartermaine gatehouse and one thing led to another…
Finally she finds the right key, inserts it into the lock, and turns it. She opens the door to an apartment that is dark or as dark as it can be at two in the afternoon.
Once Kristina’s eyes adjust to the lack of light in the room, she can make out what looks like Alexis’ figure lying on the sofa, a blanket over her.
“Alexis?”
“Hi, Kristina,” comes a voice that sounds tired and a little hoarse.
“Why are you lying here in the dark?”
“The light hurts my eyes…”
She places her pocketbook down on the desk and walks over to where Alexis is.
“Alexis? What is it?”
Alexis makes her way to a sitting position on the sofa.
“You’re scaring me,” Kristina says as she sits on the coffee table. She reaches over and touches Alexis’ forehead. “You don’t have a fever…Are you sick?”
Alexis shakes her head no.
“I’m not sick, Kristina,” she says. “I’m just pregnant…”