Proverbs
The man of integrity walks securely, But he who takes the crooked paths will be found out. Prov.10:9
Elizabeth hurried her pace setting up the tables for the morning diners. She could smell the aroma of the first pot of coffee as it filled the air welcoming all who entered. Its familiar scent made her smile a bit.
Jason looked thru the window and wondered what had made her smile to herself like that. The early morning cold had escaped his notice. His feet had not yet followed the command to go inside when he heard her happy chirping.
"Hey, you."
He closed his eyes for just a moment before turning from his vision inside the dinner, "Hey."
She dropped her voice a bit, "I missed you this morning."
"Sorry," he tried to offer a half smile.
"Well, it sure is nice of you to come see me this morning. It is cold out here. Should we go inside?"
"No, I can't. I have to go. I...," he stopped himself a moment to think up a half truth to tell her. "I just wanted to come by this morning to make sure you got to work alright."
"That's so sweet." Her toothy grin flashed at him. "Are you sure you can't come in for just a moment?"
"Yeah, I'll see you later tonight. Ok?"
"I have the long lunch shift today. Will you come by here at 4:00 for me?"
Jason knew Kelly's shift schedule better than most of its employees. He knew that she would be finishing up by herself as the diner shift came in. So, it was a good guess that Elizabeth would not be here this afternoon. "Sure, I think I can do that." He offered her a slight smile. He turned to leave without even the slightest attempt to kiss her. But they were in public, and even though it bothered her, she acted like she understood.
Elizabeth had been in the kitchen when Courtney came in and retrieved a clean apron from behind the counter. Up 'till the moment she spotted her pouring herself a cup of coffee, Elizabeth had believed she had been completely alone since she had arrived to open the diner.
"Good morning." Liz tried to be gracious to her coworker.
"Hi," Courtney offered as a yawn escaped her lips.
"Late night?"
A distant smile crossed her adolescent features. Liz got the feeling that Courtney was reliving some pleasant memory. The hesitation that followed confirmed it. "Just another night in," the younger woman smiled while the first of the day's customers arrived.
The shift droned by with the ebb and flow of the diner's patrons. Elizabeth noticed the clock approaching 2:30; it was time to get out of there and home to her real passion in artistic pursuits. She finished with her last customers, discarded the dishes, and headed for the counter to grab her purse.
Seeing the brunet behind the counter, Courtney had thought about the fact that Jason had been standing outside, not looking for her arrival, but thru the window into the diner. Had he been watching Elizabeth? No, he was probably looking to see if she was inside already. Still, something was keeping him distant from her, and maybe it was Elizabeth.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Elizabeth called as she fled for the door.
Elizabeth started to flip through the different pieces of mail she held as she dropped her keys on the table which was always cluttered with sketch books, pencils, paint tubs, and other art paraphernalia. One plain-looking legal sized envelope with her name typed on the front caught her attention. She turned it over and mindlessly tore it pulling the single piece of paper out. She unfolded the letter. The letterhead was unfamiliar to her. She read it out loud, 'Bay View Development Corporation'. Her eyes began to scan the few paragraphs on the page. She shook her head in disbelief as she reread the letter again, this time slowly.
Dear Ms. Elizabeth Webber,
We regret to inform you that you will have to vacate the premises within the next sixty days. Your building has been sold and is scheduled for demolition. Your security deposit will be returned to you on your compliance with this order. We regret any inconvenience this may cause you. If you have any questions please contact us at you conveyance.
Sincerely, Sheryl Meadows Project Manager Bay View Development Corporation
'This can't be happening.' She walked over to her couch and dropped with weight of the news settling on her. 'Can they do this?' she rolled the question over in her mind.
She looked around her studio and thought how she really didn't want to move. 'Yes, it would be nice to have a place with a real kitchen; and, wow, a bath tub would be just heaven.' she thought, but she just really didn't want to leave. She spent the evening going through sketch books looking for an idea for a painting. But mostly, she ended up reminiscing over the past years she had spent here.
The next morning at Kelly's, she waited anxiously for Rick to come down the stairs. She was planning on asking him to read the letter and see if they could really kick her out. It seemed like she had been at work all day before the man she was waiting on came down the stairs. But the clock read 7:43. She rushed over to the counter, almost knocking Courtney down as she was just entering and trying to make her way to the counter to put her purse away.
"Hi, Rick, coffee?" She started to pour the cup before he could even say a word.
He looked around thinking it was really busy, and she was in a rush or something but there were only a few regulars.
"How about some eggs, bacon?"
"No, I think the coffee will be enough this morning. Thanks."
"Oh, come on, let me buy you breakfast." Elizabeth was smiling at him.
"Ok, Elizabeth, spill." He set his briefcase on the stool and stood stirring his coffee.
"What?" She tried to protest.
"What do you want?"
"I was just trying to be friendly."
"I have been around the block before, I think I know when someone is after something." He let out a breath and just looked at her.
She twisted her mouth then let out a sigh, "Ok, I got this letter yesterday about my building, and I was wondering if you would look at it for me."
"Sure, I would be happy to," he shook his head and gave her a smile. "All you had to do was ask. Let me see it." He held out his hand.
She pulled her purse out from under the counter and produced the letter. Handing it to him, she watched his eyes as they traveled over the piece of paper. She watched his shoulders rise a bit than drop back down when he took a shallow breath. He looked at her with a frown. "I'm sorry." He said handing it back to her.
"Can they do this? I have a lease."
"Not only can they, they have. But you can get them to pay moving expenses."
"How do I do that?"
"Well, first, why don't you find a new place to live? Then, figure up all the cost involved, not just renting a moving truck, but also the deposits to the utility companies, etcetera." He looked at the horrified look on her face. "Tell you what, you do all that, then I will help you draft a letter to get them to pay for it."
"You would do that for me." She gave him a small smile.
"I'll just add you to my client list." Seeing her raised eyebrows and opened mouth he added, "You just owe me free coffee for the rest of the month."
"Deal." She put her hand out, and he took it; giving a firm shake, she sealed it.
When things slowed around 10:00, Elizabeth picked up a discarded newspaper and took her break. She started going through the adds for apartments. Most cost far to much or sounded just plan crappy. She did find four that looked interesting. Seeing that there was almost no one in the diner and Courtney was setting up for lunch, she decided to make a few calls about the adds. After three quick calls, she had three appointments set up for that afternoon. The last add she had circled sounded really nice.
First floor apartment. Mostly furnished. Kitchen, bath, one bedroom And a small private patio and garden.
'Wow, this place sounds great. As long as there was enough room to paint. It has a patio. I could paint outside when the weather is nice.' she thought to herself as the phone on the other end rang. The land lady was so nice on the phone, and it was not very far. She could still walk to work. She was going to see it last.
Courtney walked over to see the paper with its adds marked with circles. She picked it up, eyed it for only a second, "Are you moving?"
"Looks like I have to. I got a letter saying they are going to tear down my building in sixty days."
"Oh, that sucks."
"Tell me about it. I have such a good deal on my studio. I don't know if I can find a place with that much space. Not to mention something I can afford."
"Well, it sounds like you have a little bit of time to find something. What about here?"
"Oh, I've lived above Kelly's before. It is way to cramped to paint."
"Good luck, I hope you find something good." With that Courtney walked away.
It was finally 3:00 and Liz could go on her search for the perfect apartment. But that idea was fleeting as she left apartment number three. For what she could afford, these places were serious dumps. Plus, the locations were less than desirable. One place made her uneasy with the neighborhood and the building security. She almost didn't get off the bus, and it was broad daylight. She walked down the street following the directions the lady had given on the phone. The street was quiet and residential, lined with trees. She found the address and went up the few stairs to the door of the once large town house. Its brick exterior and large wooden front door with lead glass windows gave her a very homey feeling. She rang the bell for the woman she had spoken with this morning. She noticed that only four of the six buzzers had names on them.
A pleasant looking dark skinned woman opened the large door and offered her young guest a smile. Elizabeth put out her hand and said, "Hi, I'm Elizabeth Webber. I think we spoke on the phone this morning." She gave her a little smile. The woman took her hand and with and big grin she half pulled her into the foyer. There was an inner door that they passed through and it gave Elizabeth the feeling that having the extra door was good for security.
"You have to have a key for both of the doors," the older woman pointed out. "And I know it is a pain, but you can't buzz people in. They can buzz you, and you can talk to them to see who they are, but you have to come to the door and let them in. I have spent the last five years re- doing every apartment in the building, and I just don't want people coming and going that should not be here."
Elizabeth just nodded as she looked up the beautiful staircase and reddish- brown wood floor. They had only gone a few feet when they came to a large oak door beside the stairs. "Here is the apartment." She pulled out a key and started to fit it into the lock. "It is good that you don't have to go very far from the front door, but my last tenant complained that you can hear people as they go up the stairs or when people in the hall talk loudly." She turned the handle and stood aside to let Elizabeth pass.
Elizabeth walked into the light filled room. She was happy to see that the large bay window that she saw from the street was in the good sized living room. The room was long and there was a fire place. She walked over to it and ran her hand along the Victorian wood mantel. "It works. Even has a gas starter." Elizabeth smiled, excited at her good fortune. The floors were the same wood as the hall and the long room stopped at a high counter that separated a small kitchen done in black and white check tile. She walked over to the French doors that seemed to be in what would be used as a dinning area. She looked out at the small side yard that was surrounded by privacy fencing. "It doesn't look like much in the winter, but the couple that lived here before planted a lot of perennials. It is beautiful in the spring. Here is the bath." Liz walked to find a small room that was obviously under the stares. But it did have an old claw footed tub with a shower head over it. And there was another door. She moved through it to find the bed room. It wasn't very big but the high ceilings made it feel bigger. She moved through another door way to end up back in the kitchen.
"It is lovely. I thought the ad said it was furnished." She questioned the lady.
"Oh, I can get you whatever furniture you want. We just took everything out and had the floors redone."
Elizabeth smiled looking down at the beautiful wood under her feet. "This place is really great. I can't believe you haven't rented it already."
"I'm waiting for the right tenant. See, I live across the hall with my elderly mother. I just don't want anyone in my building. Are you married?"
"Me, no." Liz let out a little laugh.
"Boy friend?"
Liz shook her head.
"What do you do Miss. Webber?"
"I'm an artist. I draw and paint. But to pay the bills, I work at Kelly's. I can get you a reference if you'd like." The woman bobbed her head a bit. "Do you know Kelly's? I don't think it is very far from here."
"I think, down near the water about a fifteen minute walk."
"Yes, I've worked there for, like, the last five years. They are tearing down the place I live now so..." her voice trailed as she looked out the large bay window to the street. She saw a motorcycle parked out on the street in front of the building.
"You have to fight for parking out on the street, but you can get a permit"
"I don't have a car," Liz cut her off. "I noticed that a few of the buzzers didn't have names on them."
"Yes, I rented the loft to a couple before Christmas. Wish I hadn't though. He is married and meets his mistress there. Scandalous, I know, but he offered me double the rent, so I had to take it. Mamma's got lots of doctor bills."
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows as they moved back to the front door. She could hear heavy steps and laughter coming down the stairs. "I really love this place." She turned around looking back out of the apartment. Just as she stepped into the foyer and headed for the door, Elizabeth stopped dead in her tracks, totally shocked by what she saw.
There, right before her, was a blond woman wrapped in the black leather jacketed arms of a tall blond man. Their embrace was tight and they were oblivious to their surroundings. Elizabeth could not move. She wanted to scream, but she found herself stuck.
The woman leaned over and half whispered in her ear, "That is the couple I was telling you about."
Elizabeth swallowed hard and tried to speak loudly. She was fighting tears and had to force the words up her throat. "I'm sorry, but I won't be taking the apartment."
She was rushing toward the front door when the couple, hearing some one speak in the hall, broke their lock. It was just in time for his blue eyes to lock with hers as she went for the door handle. "Elizabeth?" The name uncertain on his lips. He reached for her arm as Courtney stopped him.
"Let her go, Jason," her words calm.
But Jason had seen the pain in her eyes at that moment, and he burned with pain knowing he had caused it. He moved to the door and outside. As he took the few steps down to the sidewalk he barely saw her turn up the street at a full sprint.
Elizabeth had come to the conclusion that she had no right to be angry. She had walked out on Jason and told him she didn't need to know the details of his life. She had said that more because it hurt too much to even think about him, not to mention actually speaking with him. But he was hard to avoid. If he wasn't in Kelly's, someone else was around talking about him or the trial that was coming up. She couldn't even turn on the news without seeing his picture. But the last thing she had expected was to see him and Courtney kissing. The piercing pain that it caused made her to call into work sick the night before so she would not have to face the blond. Instead, she spent her night in her studio, letting the regret and pain flow. Now, today, she had no choice; she had to go to work. She knew that Courtney would be in to relieve her before dinner. So, at least she would not have to spend the day with her as she had the morning and lunch shifts. If she was lucky, Courtney would be her usually-late self, and she would be gone before she got there.
Breakfast had been its usually crowd of clientele. Elizabeth smiled as she came out of the kitchen to spot Kelly's own attorney/boarder, Rick, at the counter. "What can I get you this morning?"
"Alcazar's killer."
Elizabeth giggled at him joking about his work. She decided to play along with him. "Honey, if I told you, I would have to kill you. Then I would go on trail for murder, but you would not be here to defend me."
"Now that would be a mess, wouldn't it?" He played back. She grabbed the coffee pot and held it up for his approval. With the slight nod of his head she poured him a cup. He started to stir the black liquid. "Jason Morgan is not the easiest person to work with."
"Yeah, he sort of has his own drummer." She crossed her arms and leaned on the counter.
"Yes, and his name is Sonny Corinthos." He stopped to sip at his coffee. "Jason is not listening to me, only to Sonny. Last time I checked, I'm the one with a law degree."
"Jason is very loyal to Sonny. He wouldn't do any thing if he thinks it is going to hurt him."
Rick scratched his head, "How do you know so much about Jason Morgan?"
Elizabeth sighed and looked down. He would have to ask her that. She search for the right words to describe her relationship, but she didn't even know herself; so, how could she tell him. He was looking at her so intensely that she felt she had to offer some explanation. "Well, I've know him for the past three years. His sister and I were real close before she left."
"I didn't think he was close to his family."
"His not, only Emily, his sister, and his grandmother. Any way, we used to hang out together when he was in town."
'There,' she thought, 'that sounded pretty good.' But Rick's expression changed a bit. He seemed to be thinking it over in his head.
"Maybe you could talk to Jason. Convince him to listen to me and do what is best for his defense."
"I don't know. I don't think he would listen to me. I think Courtney is your better choice." She almost felt herself choke on the words as they came out of her mouth. "Anyway, I think I would rather stay out of this whole 'Alcazar' mess."
He smiled at her and added, "But, Elizabeth, I thought you knew who the killer was." He was playing with her again.
"My lips are sealed." She smiled and made an action of turning a key in her lips. She saw a table who needed her attention, so she excused her self.
When she came back to refill Rick's cup, he asked, "Do you know when Courtney will be in today?"
"Yes, around five."
"I really need to get someone to help me with this."
"Well, good luck with Courtney then, but I think she is busy doing other things with Jason."
"What does that mean." Rick had already seen the two of them together a few times, and he really didn't care what was going on, just that it would not look good for his client if he was running around with someone other than his wife.
"Nothing," realizing what she had said.
"You are friends with both of them right?" He questioned her.
"I don't know if I would call it that."
"Well, maybe you could tell them to lay off in public. It is not helping Jason's defense." He left some money on the counter. She picked up the money and tried to give it back to him but he just gave her a quick wave as he left.
She watched him leave and wondered how much he knew and how he knew it. It bugged her the rest of the shift. She was aware the whole day of the time as it methodically advanced. Just her bad luck, a group of kids came in after school let out, and she was busy right up till five. She could not escape early as planned. She looked up at the clock and saw that the hand was slightly past the five. No Courtney. Yes, she could still get out of there. She grabbed her coat and made her way to the door not stopping to put it on until she was outside. Fiddling with the buttons as she walked under the arch way, not paying the least bit of attention, she ran right into Courtney. Almost knocking her back a few steps.
"Gees, Elizabeth, watch where you are going." The blond woman glared at her.
"Right on time as usual, I see." She smarted back at her.
"I got held up with something."
"Jason would be my guess." She studied the girl.
"Maybe, so what, are you jealous?" She put her hands on her hips and tried to give her a fierce look.
"Look, I really don't care what the two of you do. But you need to keep it in private."
Neither one of them noticed Rick and Carly approaching.
"It is none of your business where we go or what we do." Courtney's eyes narrowed.
Rick started to move toward the two women but Carly grabbed his arm to stop him. She leaned over to whisper to him, "I want to hear this."
"Well, if Scott Baldwin or the media find out what you two have been up to, it is going to hurt Jason's case."
"Jason is innocent."
"I didn't say he wasn't."
"So, it doesn't matter if people see us together."
"Is that why you two got a place for yourselves? So people would see you together. Courtney use your head."
"You are just mad because Jason is seeing me and not you." Courtney started to walk past Elizabeth, but she caught her arm.
"Don't you even care if Jason goes to jail?"
"It isn't going to happen."
"Courtney, it could. You need to face facts here and try to start helping Jason instead of putting him at risk."
"I can't help it if he wants to be with me, spend time with me." She was gloating and Liz could feel her anger growing inside. She took a deep breath to try and defuse it a bit.
"Don't be such a self-righteous bitch and put someone else first for a change." The words just came flying out before she could stop herself. But it was Courtney's next move that literally threw Liz.
Courtney's jaw dropped. Liz had been so shocked at her own words that she didn't see the blonds hand raise up and it was not until Elizabeth felt the sharp sting on her cheek that she realized that Courtney had slapped her. Elizabeth brought her hand up to cover her burning flesh. Her eyes wide as she stared at her assailant.
Carly moved immediately and grabbed Courtney. Rescuing her from the certain backlash Elizabeth would have dealt given half a chance. "Let's go Courtney!" Carly ushered her away.
When they got inside the diner, they started to remove their coats. Carly chirped up, "Man you really let her have it."
"Well, she deserved it. Calling me a bitch like that."
"Yeah, she was way out of line." As much as Carly had enjoyed the show she thought a moment about what Elizabeth had said. "You know, if you and Jason are seeing each other," She paused, "which I think is great. You two really do need to keep it quiet until after the trial."
Courtney crossed her arms, "I'm not going to do any thing to cause Jason problems. I understand how serious this is. I just think they are going to find the real killer and this will all be over."
"I sure hope you are right."
Outside Elizabeth watched the two enter Kelly's as she felt a strong arm slide around her shoulders. The deep voice soft in her ear. "Are you ok?"
Her eyes still filled with shock met Rick's dark eyes. "Yeah," Her hand still covered the place that had been hit. She felt embarrassed as she recounted the conversation in her head. "How much of that did you witness?"
"I think most of it." Liz dropped her eyes as he led her over to a cold chair in the courtyard.
"I don't know if you know this, but I'm a lawyer; and I think you could get her on assault charges." He had squatted down in front of her. His tone was playful and she looked at him and let out a little laugh. "Now there is that beautiful smile." He reach up and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. She just rolled her eyes in response to his complement. He pulled an empty chair over and moved himself into it. He took her hand down from the cheek she kept rubbing. And held it for just a moment.
Nether of them saw Jason walk though the courtyard and enter Kelly's. But he had seen them. He had slowed his pace as he watched his lawyer smooth back Liz's hair, sit down, and take her hand. He could not hear their low voices as he turned to go into the diner. He spotted Carly and sat across from her watching out the window at the couple outside. He sat waiting to meet with his lawyer who had called him there. He didn't even hear the first words Carly said because he was still staring out the window.
"Elizabeth, I appreciate the fact that you were just trying to help Jason by what you said to Courtney. I know you were just doing what I mentioned this morning. I want to thank you for trying. I don't really know what is going on with the two of them, but I have a good guess."
Elizabeth cocked her head a bit, "I'm sure you would be right."
"Look, I don't know all the history and stuff here," he saw her open her mouth to speak so he clarified, "and I don't really need to. But from what I just saw, you look like the one who is trying be a friend. You sure do seem more loyal to Jason then she is."
"I think Courtney only thinks of herself first."
"I think you are right." He placed his fingers under her chin, lifting her head up a bit and moving it to turn toward the side. He inspected for signs from the slap. "It isn't even red anymore." He smiled at her. "Does it still hurt?"
"No, only my pride." She smiled for him.
Inside Jason continued to watch them until something Carly said caught his attention. He looked her in the eyes, "What did you say?"
Carly stopped mid sentence, "I said she slapped her."
"Wait, who slapped who?"
"Really, Jason, haven't you been listening. Gees!" She rolled her eyes. "Courtney slapped Elizabeth."
"What?" He nearly jumped out of his chair. "Why?"
"Because Elizabeth called her a self-righteous bitch. I saw the whole thing and Courtney was in rare form. You should have seen the look on little Miss Muffet's face. It was priceless." Jason just stared at the woman as she continued but lowed her voice. "I think it is so great that you are seeing Courtney. I hate to say this, but Elizabeth had a point, you two really need to keep it under wraps. If Baldwin found out."
He cut her off, "Elizabeth said what?"
"Just that you two need to be careful, that the media and the cops could use it against you." Jason got up from his seat. "Hey, where are you going?"
He started for the door, but when it opened, Rick came in.
The man of integrity walks securely, But he who takes the crooked paths will be found out. Prov.10:9
Elizabeth hurried her pace setting up the tables for the morning diners. She could smell the aroma of the first pot of coffee as it filled the air welcoming all who entered. Its familiar scent made her smile a bit.
Jason looked thru the window and wondered what had made her smile to herself like that. The early morning cold had escaped his notice. His feet had not yet followed the command to go inside when he heard her happy chirping.
"Hey, you."
He closed his eyes for just a moment before turning from his vision inside the dinner, "Hey."
She dropped her voice a bit, "I missed you this morning."
"Sorry," he tried to offer a half smile.
"Well, it sure is nice of you to come see me this morning. It is cold out here. Should we go inside?"
"No, I can't. I have to go. I...," he stopped himself a moment to think up a half truth to tell her. "I just wanted to come by this morning to make sure you got to work alright."
"That's so sweet." Her toothy grin flashed at him. "Are you sure you can't come in for just a moment?"
"Yeah, I'll see you later tonight. Ok?"
"I have the long lunch shift today. Will you come by here at 4:00 for me?"
Jason knew Kelly's shift schedule better than most of its employees. He knew that she would be finishing up by herself as the diner shift came in. So, it was a good guess that Elizabeth would not be here this afternoon. "Sure, I think I can do that." He offered her a slight smile. He turned to leave without even the slightest attempt to kiss her. But they were in public, and even though it bothered her, she acted like she understood.
Elizabeth had been in the kitchen when Courtney came in and retrieved a clean apron from behind the counter. Up 'till the moment she spotted her pouring herself a cup of coffee, Elizabeth had believed she had been completely alone since she had arrived to open the diner.
"Good morning." Liz tried to be gracious to her coworker.
"Hi," Courtney offered as a yawn escaped her lips.
"Late night?"
A distant smile crossed her adolescent features. Liz got the feeling that Courtney was reliving some pleasant memory. The hesitation that followed confirmed it. "Just another night in," the younger woman smiled while the first of the day's customers arrived.
The shift droned by with the ebb and flow of the diner's patrons. Elizabeth noticed the clock approaching 2:30; it was time to get out of there and home to her real passion in artistic pursuits. She finished with her last customers, discarded the dishes, and headed for the counter to grab her purse.
Seeing the brunet behind the counter, Courtney had thought about the fact that Jason had been standing outside, not looking for her arrival, but thru the window into the diner. Had he been watching Elizabeth? No, he was probably looking to see if she was inside already. Still, something was keeping him distant from her, and maybe it was Elizabeth.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Elizabeth called as she fled for the door.
Elizabeth started to flip through the different pieces of mail she held as she dropped her keys on the table which was always cluttered with sketch books, pencils, paint tubs, and other art paraphernalia. One plain-looking legal sized envelope with her name typed on the front caught her attention. She turned it over and mindlessly tore it pulling the single piece of paper out. She unfolded the letter. The letterhead was unfamiliar to her. She read it out loud, 'Bay View Development Corporation'. Her eyes began to scan the few paragraphs on the page. She shook her head in disbelief as she reread the letter again, this time slowly.
Dear Ms. Elizabeth Webber,
We regret to inform you that you will have to vacate the premises within the next sixty days. Your building has been sold and is scheduled for demolition. Your security deposit will be returned to you on your compliance with this order. We regret any inconvenience this may cause you. If you have any questions please contact us at you conveyance.
Sincerely, Sheryl Meadows Project Manager Bay View Development Corporation
'This can't be happening.' She walked over to her couch and dropped with weight of the news settling on her. 'Can they do this?' she rolled the question over in her mind.
She looked around her studio and thought how she really didn't want to move. 'Yes, it would be nice to have a place with a real kitchen; and, wow, a bath tub would be just heaven.' she thought, but she just really didn't want to leave. She spent the evening going through sketch books looking for an idea for a painting. But mostly, she ended up reminiscing over the past years she had spent here.
The next morning at Kelly's, she waited anxiously for Rick to come down the stairs. She was planning on asking him to read the letter and see if they could really kick her out. It seemed like she had been at work all day before the man she was waiting on came down the stairs. But the clock read 7:43. She rushed over to the counter, almost knocking Courtney down as she was just entering and trying to make her way to the counter to put her purse away.
"Hi, Rick, coffee?" She started to pour the cup before he could even say a word.
He looked around thinking it was really busy, and she was in a rush or something but there were only a few regulars.
"How about some eggs, bacon?"
"No, I think the coffee will be enough this morning. Thanks."
"Oh, come on, let me buy you breakfast." Elizabeth was smiling at him.
"Ok, Elizabeth, spill." He set his briefcase on the stool and stood stirring his coffee.
"What?" She tried to protest.
"What do you want?"
"I was just trying to be friendly."
"I have been around the block before, I think I know when someone is after something." He let out a breath and just looked at her.
She twisted her mouth then let out a sigh, "Ok, I got this letter yesterday about my building, and I was wondering if you would look at it for me."
"Sure, I would be happy to," he shook his head and gave her a smile. "All you had to do was ask. Let me see it." He held out his hand.
She pulled her purse out from under the counter and produced the letter. Handing it to him, she watched his eyes as they traveled over the piece of paper. She watched his shoulders rise a bit than drop back down when he took a shallow breath. He looked at her with a frown. "I'm sorry." He said handing it back to her.
"Can they do this? I have a lease."
"Not only can they, they have. But you can get them to pay moving expenses."
"How do I do that?"
"Well, first, why don't you find a new place to live? Then, figure up all the cost involved, not just renting a moving truck, but also the deposits to the utility companies, etcetera." He looked at the horrified look on her face. "Tell you what, you do all that, then I will help you draft a letter to get them to pay for it."
"You would do that for me." She gave him a small smile.
"I'll just add you to my client list." Seeing her raised eyebrows and opened mouth he added, "You just owe me free coffee for the rest of the month."
"Deal." She put her hand out, and he took it; giving a firm shake, she sealed it.
When things slowed around 10:00, Elizabeth picked up a discarded newspaper and took her break. She started going through the adds for apartments. Most cost far to much or sounded just plan crappy. She did find four that looked interesting. Seeing that there was almost no one in the diner and Courtney was setting up for lunch, she decided to make a few calls about the adds. After three quick calls, she had three appointments set up for that afternoon. The last add she had circled sounded really nice.
First floor apartment. Mostly furnished. Kitchen, bath, one bedroom And a small private patio and garden.
'Wow, this place sounds great. As long as there was enough room to paint. It has a patio. I could paint outside when the weather is nice.' she thought to herself as the phone on the other end rang. The land lady was so nice on the phone, and it was not very far. She could still walk to work. She was going to see it last.
Courtney walked over to see the paper with its adds marked with circles. She picked it up, eyed it for only a second, "Are you moving?"
"Looks like I have to. I got a letter saying they are going to tear down my building in sixty days."
"Oh, that sucks."
"Tell me about it. I have such a good deal on my studio. I don't know if I can find a place with that much space. Not to mention something I can afford."
"Well, it sounds like you have a little bit of time to find something. What about here?"
"Oh, I've lived above Kelly's before. It is way to cramped to paint."
"Good luck, I hope you find something good." With that Courtney walked away.
It was finally 3:00 and Liz could go on her search for the perfect apartment. But that idea was fleeting as she left apartment number three. For what she could afford, these places were serious dumps. Plus, the locations were less than desirable. One place made her uneasy with the neighborhood and the building security. She almost didn't get off the bus, and it was broad daylight. She walked down the street following the directions the lady had given on the phone. The street was quiet and residential, lined with trees. She found the address and went up the few stairs to the door of the once large town house. Its brick exterior and large wooden front door with lead glass windows gave her a very homey feeling. She rang the bell for the woman she had spoken with this morning. She noticed that only four of the six buzzers had names on them.
A pleasant looking dark skinned woman opened the large door and offered her young guest a smile. Elizabeth put out her hand and said, "Hi, I'm Elizabeth Webber. I think we spoke on the phone this morning." She gave her a little smile. The woman took her hand and with and big grin she half pulled her into the foyer. There was an inner door that they passed through and it gave Elizabeth the feeling that having the extra door was good for security.
"You have to have a key for both of the doors," the older woman pointed out. "And I know it is a pain, but you can't buzz people in. They can buzz you, and you can talk to them to see who they are, but you have to come to the door and let them in. I have spent the last five years re- doing every apartment in the building, and I just don't want people coming and going that should not be here."
Elizabeth just nodded as she looked up the beautiful staircase and reddish- brown wood floor. They had only gone a few feet when they came to a large oak door beside the stairs. "Here is the apartment." She pulled out a key and started to fit it into the lock. "It is good that you don't have to go very far from the front door, but my last tenant complained that you can hear people as they go up the stairs or when people in the hall talk loudly." She turned the handle and stood aside to let Elizabeth pass.
Elizabeth walked into the light filled room. She was happy to see that the large bay window that she saw from the street was in the good sized living room. The room was long and there was a fire place. She walked over to it and ran her hand along the Victorian wood mantel. "It works. Even has a gas starter." Elizabeth smiled, excited at her good fortune. The floors were the same wood as the hall and the long room stopped at a high counter that separated a small kitchen done in black and white check tile. She walked over to the French doors that seemed to be in what would be used as a dinning area. She looked out at the small side yard that was surrounded by privacy fencing. "It doesn't look like much in the winter, but the couple that lived here before planted a lot of perennials. It is beautiful in the spring. Here is the bath." Liz walked to find a small room that was obviously under the stares. But it did have an old claw footed tub with a shower head over it. And there was another door. She moved through it to find the bed room. It wasn't very big but the high ceilings made it feel bigger. She moved through another door way to end up back in the kitchen.
"It is lovely. I thought the ad said it was furnished." She questioned the lady.
"Oh, I can get you whatever furniture you want. We just took everything out and had the floors redone."
Elizabeth smiled looking down at the beautiful wood under her feet. "This place is really great. I can't believe you haven't rented it already."
"I'm waiting for the right tenant. See, I live across the hall with my elderly mother. I just don't want anyone in my building. Are you married?"
"Me, no." Liz let out a little laugh.
"Boy friend?"
Liz shook her head.
"What do you do Miss. Webber?"
"I'm an artist. I draw and paint. But to pay the bills, I work at Kelly's. I can get you a reference if you'd like." The woman bobbed her head a bit. "Do you know Kelly's? I don't think it is very far from here."
"I think, down near the water about a fifteen minute walk."
"Yes, I've worked there for, like, the last five years. They are tearing down the place I live now so..." her voice trailed as she looked out the large bay window to the street. She saw a motorcycle parked out on the street in front of the building.
"You have to fight for parking out on the street, but you can get a permit"
"I don't have a car," Liz cut her off. "I noticed that a few of the buzzers didn't have names on them."
"Yes, I rented the loft to a couple before Christmas. Wish I hadn't though. He is married and meets his mistress there. Scandalous, I know, but he offered me double the rent, so I had to take it. Mamma's got lots of doctor bills."
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows as they moved back to the front door. She could hear heavy steps and laughter coming down the stairs. "I really love this place." She turned around looking back out of the apartment. Just as she stepped into the foyer and headed for the door, Elizabeth stopped dead in her tracks, totally shocked by what she saw.
There, right before her, was a blond woman wrapped in the black leather jacketed arms of a tall blond man. Their embrace was tight and they were oblivious to their surroundings. Elizabeth could not move. She wanted to scream, but she found herself stuck.
The woman leaned over and half whispered in her ear, "That is the couple I was telling you about."
Elizabeth swallowed hard and tried to speak loudly. She was fighting tears and had to force the words up her throat. "I'm sorry, but I won't be taking the apartment."
She was rushing toward the front door when the couple, hearing some one speak in the hall, broke their lock. It was just in time for his blue eyes to lock with hers as she went for the door handle. "Elizabeth?" The name uncertain on his lips. He reached for her arm as Courtney stopped him.
"Let her go, Jason," her words calm.
But Jason had seen the pain in her eyes at that moment, and he burned with pain knowing he had caused it. He moved to the door and outside. As he took the few steps down to the sidewalk he barely saw her turn up the street at a full sprint.
Elizabeth had come to the conclusion that she had no right to be angry. She had walked out on Jason and told him she didn't need to know the details of his life. She had said that more because it hurt too much to even think about him, not to mention actually speaking with him. But he was hard to avoid. If he wasn't in Kelly's, someone else was around talking about him or the trial that was coming up. She couldn't even turn on the news without seeing his picture. But the last thing she had expected was to see him and Courtney kissing. The piercing pain that it caused made her to call into work sick the night before so she would not have to face the blond. Instead, she spent her night in her studio, letting the regret and pain flow. Now, today, she had no choice; she had to go to work. She knew that Courtney would be in to relieve her before dinner. So, at least she would not have to spend the day with her as she had the morning and lunch shifts. If she was lucky, Courtney would be her usually-late self, and she would be gone before she got there.
Breakfast had been its usually crowd of clientele. Elizabeth smiled as she came out of the kitchen to spot Kelly's own attorney/boarder, Rick, at the counter. "What can I get you this morning?"
"Alcazar's killer."
Elizabeth giggled at him joking about his work. She decided to play along with him. "Honey, if I told you, I would have to kill you. Then I would go on trail for murder, but you would not be here to defend me."
"Now that would be a mess, wouldn't it?" He played back. She grabbed the coffee pot and held it up for his approval. With the slight nod of his head she poured him a cup. He started to stir the black liquid. "Jason Morgan is not the easiest person to work with."
"Yeah, he sort of has his own drummer." She crossed her arms and leaned on the counter.
"Yes, and his name is Sonny Corinthos." He stopped to sip at his coffee. "Jason is not listening to me, only to Sonny. Last time I checked, I'm the one with a law degree."
"Jason is very loyal to Sonny. He wouldn't do any thing if he thinks it is going to hurt him."
Rick scratched his head, "How do you know so much about Jason Morgan?"
Elizabeth sighed and looked down. He would have to ask her that. She search for the right words to describe her relationship, but she didn't even know herself; so, how could she tell him. He was looking at her so intensely that she felt she had to offer some explanation. "Well, I've know him for the past three years. His sister and I were real close before she left."
"I didn't think he was close to his family."
"His not, only Emily, his sister, and his grandmother. Any way, we used to hang out together when he was in town."
'There,' she thought, 'that sounded pretty good.' But Rick's expression changed a bit. He seemed to be thinking it over in his head.
"Maybe you could talk to Jason. Convince him to listen to me and do what is best for his defense."
"I don't know. I don't think he would listen to me. I think Courtney is your better choice." She almost felt herself choke on the words as they came out of her mouth. "Anyway, I think I would rather stay out of this whole 'Alcazar' mess."
He smiled at her and added, "But, Elizabeth, I thought you knew who the killer was." He was playing with her again.
"My lips are sealed." She smiled and made an action of turning a key in her lips. She saw a table who needed her attention, so she excused her self.
When she came back to refill Rick's cup, he asked, "Do you know when Courtney will be in today?"
"Yes, around five."
"I really need to get someone to help me with this."
"Well, good luck with Courtney then, but I think she is busy doing other things with Jason."
"What does that mean." Rick had already seen the two of them together a few times, and he really didn't care what was going on, just that it would not look good for his client if he was running around with someone other than his wife.
"Nothing," realizing what she had said.
"You are friends with both of them right?" He questioned her.
"I don't know if I would call it that."
"Well, maybe you could tell them to lay off in public. It is not helping Jason's defense." He left some money on the counter. She picked up the money and tried to give it back to him but he just gave her a quick wave as he left.
She watched him leave and wondered how much he knew and how he knew it. It bugged her the rest of the shift. She was aware the whole day of the time as it methodically advanced. Just her bad luck, a group of kids came in after school let out, and she was busy right up till five. She could not escape early as planned. She looked up at the clock and saw that the hand was slightly past the five. No Courtney. Yes, she could still get out of there. She grabbed her coat and made her way to the door not stopping to put it on until she was outside. Fiddling with the buttons as she walked under the arch way, not paying the least bit of attention, she ran right into Courtney. Almost knocking her back a few steps.
"Gees, Elizabeth, watch where you are going." The blond woman glared at her.
"Right on time as usual, I see." She smarted back at her.
"I got held up with something."
"Jason would be my guess." She studied the girl.
"Maybe, so what, are you jealous?" She put her hands on her hips and tried to give her a fierce look.
"Look, I really don't care what the two of you do. But you need to keep it in private."
Neither one of them noticed Rick and Carly approaching.
"It is none of your business where we go or what we do." Courtney's eyes narrowed.
Rick started to move toward the two women but Carly grabbed his arm to stop him. She leaned over to whisper to him, "I want to hear this."
"Well, if Scott Baldwin or the media find out what you two have been up to, it is going to hurt Jason's case."
"Jason is innocent."
"I didn't say he wasn't."
"So, it doesn't matter if people see us together."
"Is that why you two got a place for yourselves? So people would see you together. Courtney use your head."
"You are just mad because Jason is seeing me and not you." Courtney started to walk past Elizabeth, but she caught her arm.
"Don't you even care if Jason goes to jail?"
"It isn't going to happen."
"Courtney, it could. You need to face facts here and try to start helping Jason instead of putting him at risk."
"I can't help it if he wants to be with me, spend time with me." She was gloating and Liz could feel her anger growing inside. She took a deep breath to try and defuse it a bit.
"Don't be such a self-righteous bitch and put someone else first for a change." The words just came flying out before she could stop herself. But it was Courtney's next move that literally threw Liz.
Courtney's jaw dropped. Liz had been so shocked at her own words that she didn't see the blonds hand raise up and it was not until Elizabeth felt the sharp sting on her cheek that she realized that Courtney had slapped her. Elizabeth brought her hand up to cover her burning flesh. Her eyes wide as she stared at her assailant.
Carly moved immediately and grabbed Courtney. Rescuing her from the certain backlash Elizabeth would have dealt given half a chance. "Let's go Courtney!" Carly ushered her away.
When they got inside the diner, they started to remove their coats. Carly chirped up, "Man you really let her have it."
"Well, she deserved it. Calling me a bitch like that."
"Yeah, she was way out of line." As much as Carly had enjoyed the show she thought a moment about what Elizabeth had said. "You know, if you and Jason are seeing each other," She paused, "which I think is great. You two really do need to keep it quiet until after the trial."
Courtney crossed her arms, "I'm not going to do any thing to cause Jason problems. I understand how serious this is. I just think they are going to find the real killer and this will all be over."
"I sure hope you are right."
Outside Elizabeth watched the two enter Kelly's as she felt a strong arm slide around her shoulders. The deep voice soft in her ear. "Are you ok?"
Her eyes still filled with shock met Rick's dark eyes. "Yeah," Her hand still covered the place that had been hit. She felt embarrassed as she recounted the conversation in her head. "How much of that did you witness?"
"I think most of it." Liz dropped her eyes as he led her over to a cold chair in the courtyard.
"I don't know if you know this, but I'm a lawyer; and I think you could get her on assault charges." He had squatted down in front of her. His tone was playful and she looked at him and let out a little laugh. "Now there is that beautiful smile." He reach up and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. She just rolled her eyes in response to his complement. He pulled an empty chair over and moved himself into it. He took her hand down from the cheek she kept rubbing. And held it for just a moment.
Nether of them saw Jason walk though the courtyard and enter Kelly's. But he had seen them. He had slowed his pace as he watched his lawyer smooth back Liz's hair, sit down, and take her hand. He could not hear their low voices as he turned to go into the diner. He spotted Carly and sat across from her watching out the window at the couple outside. He sat waiting to meet with his lawyer who had called him there. He didn't even hear the first words Carly said because he was still staring out the window.
"Elizabeth, I appreciate the fact that you were just trying to help Jason by what you said to Courtney. I know you were just doing what I mentioned this morning. I want to thank you for trying. I don't really know what is going on with the two of them, but I have a good guess."
Elizabeth cocked her head a bit, "I'm sure you would be right."
"Look, I don't know all the history and stuff here," he saw her open her mouth to speak so he clarified, "and I don't really need to. But from what I just saw, you look like the one who is trying be a friend. You sure do seem more loyal to Jason then she is."
"I think Courtney only thinks of herself first."
"I think you are right." He placed his fingers under her chin, lifting her head up a bit and moving it to turn toward the side. He inspected for signs from the slap. "It isn't even red anymore." He smiled at her. "Does it still hurt?"
"No, only my pride." She smiled for him.
Inside Jason continued to watch them until something Carly said caught his attention. He looked her in the eyes, "What did you say?"
Carly stopped mid sentence, "I said she slapped her."
"Wait, who slapped who?"
"Really, Jason, haven't you been listening. Gees!" She rolled her eyes. "Courtney slapped Elizabeth."
"What?" He nearly jumped out of his chair. "Why?"
"Because Elizabeth called her a self-righteous bitch. I saw the whole thing and Courtney was in rare form. You should have seen the look on little Miss Muffet's face. It was priceless." Jason just stared at the woman as she continued but lowed her voice. "I think it is so great that you are seeing Courtney. I hate to say this, but Elizabeth had a point, you two really need to keep it under wraps. If Baldwin found out."
He cut her off, "Elizabeth said what?"
"Just that you two need to be careful, that the media and the cops could use it against you." Jason got up from his seat. "Hey, where are you going?"
He started for the door, but when it opened, Rick came in.