Risk

Chapter XXVIII

 



I never win first place I don't support the team
I can't take direction and my socks are never clean
teachers dated me; My parents hated me


Carly paces the living room of the cabin as she waits for her call to be connected. "Come on, Gia-- pick up, pick up." There is no answer and instead Carly gets the voice mail on the other end. "Okay... I just heard. Life is hell okay. I'm working on it. I'll get you out of this as soon as I can. Damn it. I never thought she'd be this stupid. Have you talked to Lee? I hate freaking voice mail. I'll try to call you back."

I was always in a fight cause I can't do nothing right
Everyday I fight a war against the mirror
can't take the person staring back at me
I'm a hazard to myself


Gia comes back from the floor on her much demanded and delayed break. She avoids looking in the mirror. She knows what a freaking mess she is in and doesn't want to see it in anyone else's eyes even her own reflection. Reaching into her bag, she grabs her cell phone and picks up her messages. There is only one. She clicks on receive to replay it. "Life is hell? You're off on a tropical island in Greece making sandcastles with your son. My life is hell. You better freaking well be working on it." Gia listens to the rest of the message and then reaches into her bag. She pulls out her address book and finds the phone number of Lee Baldwin. She dials the number glancing up at the clock. She only had a few minutes. "Lee, this is Gia Campbell..."

don't let me get me;I'm my own worst enemy
Its bad when you annoy yourself; So irritating
Don't want to be my friend no more
I want to be someone else.


How did I get here? Gia wonders. Lee is out of the office of course. Gia glances up at the clock again. It's after nine o'clock at night. What did I do to deserve this one? Suck it up, Campbell. It's one night. And think positive... you're not in Port Charles. Nobody you know is seeing this. Gia looks around the dressing room. A dressing room she shared with about a dozen other girls who were all working the show. Some seemed nice enough but there were a few that gave her a really bad feeling-- course not as bad a feeling as the guys that were looking at her thinking they could buy a piece of her rather than damn car or a bottle of perfume. Gia catches herself as she is wishing to be anywhere else, to be anyone else. That's what got her in this spot. She'd been wishing to get out of Port Charles and the risk of running into Nikolas. Well she'd gotten her wish. Maybe she needed to just stop wishing.

LA told me You'll be a pop star
All you have to change is everything you you are
Tired of being compared to Damn Brittney Spears
She's so pretty That just ain't me


"If it were about Nik..." Gia mutters as she checks her makeup. But she knew different. It wasn't about her breaking up with Nikolas although that must have been like getting a green light for Laura. It was about her not being Liz. Laura had never wanted her as the Face of Deception... not really. Carly was the one that had pushed it. And hell, Carly probably didn't care one way or another she had just wanted someone who wasn't Liz.
Helena had never wanted her to be engaged to Nikolas. She'd wanted Liz too for her own twisted reasons. Okay one for sure, to mess with the Spencers and Lucky. Maybe 'cause Emily was already taken with Zander. Although that probably wouldn't have slowed her down much if Helena had really pushed it. Guess she had no reason to mess with Zander. Helena just didn't want her. She wasn't princess material. Not cause of anything within her... just the package. Gia stuffs her makeup back in her case and locks everything back up. Hell something Laura and Helena agreed on. Not looking in the mirror again Gia starts back toward the floor. Two more hours and she was out of there.

So doctor doctor won't you please prescribe me something
A day in the life of someone else.


 


 


Max reaches into his pocket to grab the vibrating cell phone. The other soldiers around him stiffen and watch him warily until he pulls out the cell phone and then they relax. "Jason Morgan's line." Max says softly not wanting to interrupt any of the Very Important business going on in the restaurant. "He's in a meeting, Mr Cassadine." Max looks over at Jason who is actually blocked by Tracy Solito. "Give me a sec. I know he'll want to take your call." Max walks over to Jason. "I think you need to take this one, boss, privately."

Jason takes the cell phone from Max and steps away from Tracy. He nods gratefully to Max and before he picks up the call he covers the mouthpiece and says, "Find me some aspirin." Jason rubs his forehead impatiently. Any time with Tracy gave him a headache.

"You got it." Max goes over to the wait staff to have a quick conference and then heads into the kitchen in search of aspirin.

"Jason Morgan." Jason says impatiently even though he is glad for the interruption.

"Stavros Cassadine." The smooth barely accented voice replies.

"Carly okay?"

"Caroline is annoyed." Stavros replies. "Your email about Gia has her ready to pull hair out. Explain this car show to me. It seems unlikely that a perfume company representative would be there."

Jason's laugh is half snort. "Yeah. That's why I e'd her. The girls that work those things." Jason shakes his head. "Okay there are a few that are young and hoping to be picked up for the big time but the rest are washed up former models, strippers and hookers. It's one of the Atlantic City rackets to provide the girls for those things."

"Hookers?"

"Prostitutes."

"It is unacceptable." Stavros says flatly. There is a wrestling match for the phone on his end of the phone and Carly ends up with the phone.

"Jase? It's Carly. I couldn't get hold of Gia on her cell phone. Look could you put someone on her? It's bad enough that Laura put her there but I bet that bitch didn't assign any protection. The rent a cops are probably too busy trying to get phone numbers too. I told Gia before to stick it out but I didn't think it would get this bad, this fast."

Max comes back with the aspirin and a glass of water. He hands them to Jason. Jason tucks the phone between shoulder and ear and tosses back the pills followed by a water chaser. "Yeah. Gimme a sec." Jase hands them both back to Max. "Max, go back to the hotel. Get into the car show... you know who Gia Campbell is? Make sure nobody puts a hand on her... doesn't even breath in her direction."

Carly hears Jason's directive to Max and relaxes just a little. "Thanks Jase."

"I can't do much here. Not without stepping on toes."

"Jase, I don't think I'm going to be able to wait to box Laura in. I was trying to be patient... quit snickering."

"Who me?" Jason grins.

"What the hell is going on back there?!"

Jason takes a few more steps away and leans up against the wall as he gets comfortable to talk to Carly. "Well you should have bet on Elizabeth showing her true colors."

"True colors?" Carly's asks curiously.

"Yeah, consider this my apology for everytime I blew you off about her."

"What did she do?"

"Pocketed a tip I left for Penny over at Kelly's. Bobbie found out about it and fired her. Elizabeth is keeping it quiet about what happened and Bobbie is going along with that. Probably for Lucky's sake."

"What does that have to do with Gia? Oh let me guess. Liz was one way to Gia and then two faced to the guys so that Gia looked bad."

"I don't know that."

"I do. She pulled that crap on me all the time. She'd push me into an argument and then as soon as some guy showed up it was oh woe is me Carly's so mean and picking on me."

"I'm sorry." Jason says quietly.

"Old business." Carly lets him off the hook. "Look Jase, Gia is getting screwed on this one. By Liz and by Laura too. She can't quit Deception. That would mess everything up. But that is what Laura is pushing toward... toward having Gia breech her contract so that she can put precious Lizzie in at Deception. And I can't get hold of Gia."

"I'll talk to her." Jason suggests.

"That would be great. Look I'm going to leave another message on her machine. Stavros wants to talk to you." Carly hands the phone back to Stavros.

"Did you talk to my son?" Stavros demands.

"Why would I?" Jason replies shortly. "Yeah, I ran into him before I left Port Charles for Atlantic City. We don't move in the same circles. And that's fine with me, with both of us. What is Carly doing there with you? I thought she'd be with Sonny and you'd have your hands full with Alexis and Jax."

Stavros laughs. "Alexis is being kept occupied and Jax, well he is chasing his own tail. I'll get around to him in due time. I'm more concerned about my son. It appears I cannot trust his mother to look out for his best interests. And as for Mr Corinthos, this situation with Gia and Nikolas came up and I needed Caroline's input. Mr Corinthos is safe and sound at his sugar plantation. I believe his bodyguard is somewhere on this island."

"Where are you?"

"At the Casino accommodations."

Jason who'd been to both places nods. "Good." He sees the senior member of the organization looking in his direction. "Look, I got business I have to take care of here. I'll call you tomorrow after I talk to Gia." Jason hangs up the phone.

 



Max makes his way thru the car show not allowing himself to be distracted by some of the sweet pieces of machinery on display. He finds the vendor area and the Deception display. Sure enough there is a semi circle of guys there that he has to make his way through and none of them seem to be interested in buying perfume. He'd never met Gia Campbell before but even he can tell that her smile is forced as she goes thru her spiel about the perfume and the company. Max takes up a position to the side and back of Gia. He stands impassively with his arms crossed. One by one the onlookers go on to the next stall. Once they are alone in the crowded show, Gia turns to him. "Who the hell are you? What the hell you think you're doing?"

"I'm Max. And I'm making sure that there is no trouble."

"Did Laura Spencer send you? Were you hired by Deception?" Gia has her doubts about that one. While her mother had been protective of her growning up it didn't mean she didn't know a wiseguy when one showed up.

"I work for Mr Morgan."

"Carly." Gia mutters.

Max nods. "Probably. How long you got to be here?"

Gia sighs. "97 more minutes. You're scaring off the customers."

"You really think anyone here is gonna buy perfume?"

"No."

"So let them be scared."

 



"Mama?"

Holding the phone to her ear, Bobbie answers. "Carly! Where are you?" Bobbie steps away from the launch that she was about to get on to go over to pick up Lucas from the island. She'd been hung up at Kelly's covering one of Liz's shifts so given the okay when Lucas called to go over to Wyndemere to go riding with Stefan and then have dinner there.

"I'm down in Puerto Rico."

"Is Michael with you?"

"Of course." Carly's tone is irked and impatient. "Do you want to go off on my parenting or do you want to talk about why I called you?"

Bobbie takes a deep breath and exhales. "I'll bite. Why did you call me?"

"I just heard about Liz."

"Caroline Benson, that is really none of your business."

"I'm making it my business, Mama. Not that I care that poor little lizzie got fired. But here's the scoop... she's setting it up so that she's the victim again and Gia is the one getting screwed. I guess cause I'm not in town to take the heat. She's used this to break up Nikolas and Gia, and you know what the first thing Laura does to punish Gia? She has her working a car show in Atlantic City. Atlantic City, Mama!"

Bobbie blanches. Florida had it's own share of trade business. She'd even worked a few shows back in the day not that her kids knew that. "Carly, I'm sure Laura has no idea..."

"Oh bull shit. She wants to punish Gia. Laura wants Gia to quit as the Face of Deception. So she can finally get that pasty faced lying bitch as her Face of Deception. She is going to ruin the company and any chance Gia has of having a career in legit modeling. And you know I might cut her some slack if I thought that she was doing it for Nikolas. To make Gia sorry for dumping Nik but that's not it. She's probably happier than hell that Gia dumped Nikolas so she can finally get rid of Gia without Nik making a scene."

"Carly, that isn't fair." Bobbie protests.

"Tell me I'm wrong." Carly waits for Bobbie to answer. "You can't, can you?!"

"What do you think I can do about it?" Bobbie finally asks.

"Could you please clue Nikolas in? If it comes from me he's gonna think there is an agenda."

"There is one." Bobbie says wryly.

"Yeah, but at least yours is looking out for Nik and Gia."

 



Jason loosens his tie and slides into the driver's seat of the car. Benny climbs into the front passenger seat. "Where is Max? I saw him leave." Benny asks Jason.

"He's taking care of something back at the hotel for me." Jason replies.

"It seemed to go well." Benny makes an effort at conversation.

"Yeah, few of the new guys down in Brooklyn have something to prove." Jason says shortly. "They're looking in our direction."

Benny winces. "Trouble."

"Yeah, keep an eye on things. They've always wanted out distribution route." Jason agrees. "I need the info on the guys they replaced. Where did they end up and how the current guys got the job." The trip back to the hotel is short and Jason pulls into the front to let the valet park the car. Jason stalks thru the foyer nobody getting next to him. Benny tries to keep up and only manages because Jason has to wait for an elevator. "I'll see you in the morning." Jason keys a floor that his room isn't on.

"Where are you going?" Benny asks and then winces as Jason just looks at him.

"I'm checking on Max." Jason gets off on a lower floor and then lets the elevator take Benny off to his own floor. Jason checks the directions on the floor and heads off to the right. Max is standing guard on a room down the hall. "Any problems?"

"Not once I showed up." Max shrugs. "There have been a few walk bys her room though." Max shakes his head. "No security, no entourage. It's weird. I thought those model types traveled with a whole crew."

"They do." Jason leans past Max and raps on Gia's door. "I got it from here."

"Right see ya later." Max walks back toward the elevators.

Gia opens the door. "Max, did you decide you wanted cof... Jason."

"I can guess why you had your Deception contract on you before. How long has this been going on? Can I come in?"

Gia steps away from the door and lets Jason in. "I didn't ask you to get involved."

"No, Carly did after I emailed her what was up."

"You emailed her? I wish you hadn't done that."

"Right. And you liked being the doll in the window being drooled over by every Tom, Dick and Harry who could pay an admission."

Gia winces. "Do you want some coffee or something?"

"I'd rather have a beer."

Gia goes over to the phone and rings room service. After she is done with the call she collapses on the couch and hugs her legs to her. "What are you doing here?"

"Business." Jason changes the subject. "Carly is pissed and moving up whatever she has planned. This wasn't good business on Laura's part."

"She's trying to drive me out." Gia admits. "I knew it was going to happen. I just didn't know how. I figured Carly for the sledge hammer type not Nikolas' mother..." There is a knock on the door. "That must be roomservice." Gia starts to get up.

"I'll get it." Jason waves her back. He goes over to the door and opens it up.

"Hey Baby you wanna party... Hey you're not her... that Deception chick." There are two drunk guys on the otherside of the threshold. One of them starts searching his pockets. "I know we got the right room. I really wanna get a piece of that."

"You've got the wrong room." Jason says coldly.

"I know this is the room. Yep." The guy holds up the paper with Gia's room number on it.

Jason snags the paper from the guy and crumbles it in his fist. "You've got the wrong room." Jason repeats.

"Hey it's all cool. You got here first. We can wait." The second guy is weaving he is so intoxicated.

Jason slams the door and rams home the locks. Then he goes over to the phone can calls hotel security. The next call he makes is to the manager. While he is on hold he looks over at Gia. "Did you give your room number out?"

"Hell no!!" Gia shakes her head.

"Probably bought it off some housekeeper." Jason is distracted by the night manager coming on the line. In cold short sentences he starts tearing into the manager. When he is done with all he has to say he hangs up the phone. "Get your stuff."

"Excuse me?"

"You're staying in my suite."

"Look I'll just switch rooms."

"They've already given your room number out once. This isn't my turf. I only brought Max with me. And he's got to sleep sometime. They won't give out my room number. Get your stuff."

 



"Bobbie?" Nikolas looks at his uncle's former wife on the other side of the door. "It's late. What are you doing here?" Nikolas steps back from the landing so that Bobbie can enter the cottage.

"Overstepping myself." Bobbie comes in and takes off her jacket and gloves. "I've been thinking about you and Gia."

"Oh." Nik's face is glum. "She isn't taking my calls. I don't know where she is staying. I've already tried the Port Charles Hotel. I know we could work it out if we could just talk. Yeah, I overreacted. I shouldn't have said anything in the club."

"About Elizabeth."

"And her talking to Jason. It's none of his business though." Nik starts defending his action.

"Stop right there." Bobbie demands. "Elizabeth getting fired is Jason's business. I told Liz I wouldn't tell but to hell with that. I fired Liz because she was stealing the other waitresses tips."

"Elizabeth would never do that!" Nik protests. "There must be some kind of misunderstanding."

"There is no misunderstanding." Bobbie is getting really tired of that old song. "She took the tip that Jason left for Penny. It probably wasn't the first time. But it's the time she got caught."

"Carly probably set it up. She and Jason are tight. And she doesn't like Elizabeth."

"Oh you have got to be kidding me! Will you listen to yourself? You'd rather spin a huge conspiracy involving my daughter, Jason Morgan and me than believe that Elizabeth got her hand caught in the cookie jar... literally. Okay fine. Carly doesn't like Elizabeth. I never understood that but I'm beginning to-- believe me. Jason doesn't lie. Jason didn't say anything to me, Carly didn't say anything to me. Penny did when she was calling to quit. Because her tips have been short lately and she couldn't count on her relief showing up whenever she worked a shift at Kelly's. I went over to Kelly's while Penny was at work at her other job, before she could get there to pick up the tips that should have been waiting there. I counted the tips. They were short."

"How would you know that?"

"Because I talked to Jason and asked how much he left for Penny. Jason is an excellent tipper. Probably because he used to park cars for a living and knows that people live on their tips. He normally leaves 100% of the ticket even when I'm working and he knows I don't need the money. There was nothing like that in Penny's jar. I counted Penny's tips and there wasn't even ten percent of what her tickets were in there. And while Elizabeth should have been there but she'd ducked out of her shift."

"Well then the waitress that was covering did it, not Elizabeth." Nikolas suggests but he is already getting a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Are you like this all the time?!" Bobbie finally hollars. "Is this what Gia has to put up with? Elizabeth is never wrong and anyone who says different gets called a liar?" Nikolas recoils. Bobbie shakes her head. "Gia's better off without you."

"Don't say that. I love Gia."

Bobbie shakes her head. "Couldn't prove it by me. Your loss. I'm glad Gia found out before you two got married. Marriage is a 100% proposition. And I don't mean one person giving 100% and the other taking it all. It means both people giving 100%. You were pushing your luck after that whole thing playing games with Helena. Gia screwed up then. She should have kicked your ass not taken you back. It would have served you right."

"How can you talk to me this way?" Nik shakes his head.

"Because I love you. And cause I do I'm going to give it to you straight. What was it, Nikolas? Did you think she was going to leave anyway so you pushed her out the door?"

"No!"

"You've got all of Stefan's worst traits-- you're arrogant, secretive, distrusting and blind as a bat where women are concerned. And I'll tell you flat out right now. Nobody will be able to make you happy. Just like nobody can make Stefan happy. It isn't fair to put on someone else what you can't give yourself. You always believed that Gia would leave you and you made it happen."

"No! I didn't want her to leave." Nik protests.

Bobbie feels guilty for tearing into Nik and goes over to him and gives him a big hug, sqeezing tighter when he initially pulls away. Nik finally wraps his arms around Bobbie and hugs her back. Bobbie steps back and puts her hand on Nik's wet cheek brushing away the silent tears. But she has to get it all out. "The last time you pushed Gia away she ended up in trouble... Stavros using her to get close to you."

Nik stiffens. "You think she is in trouble again. Tell me what you know."

"Gia will land on her feet. She's a strong girl who doesn't expect anyone to carry her baggage. I've always liked that about her."

"Tell me what you know."

"Laura never wanted Gia as the Face of Deception. Without Carly there to push it, and with you not in Gia's corner...."

"What?! Tell me."

"Laura has Gia working a car trade show in Atlantic City. Her idea of a public appearance I guess."

"That's got to be wrong. Public appearances are at malls or the cosmetic industry trade shows. Somewhere related to Deception and where it's sold. I arranged public appearances when I was doing public relations with Deception."

"Sure. If it's someone you really want at your company... and not someone you're trying to force into quitting." Bobbie bites her lip. "Nikolas, I've always been straight with you... about my life and the things I've done. You know more about me than my kids do cause I always felt like you could handle it."

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger... but not according to Barbara Jean Spencer. What doesn't kill you... is your life." Nikolas remembers.

"Exactly. So I'll tell ya, I've worked a few of those trade shows. Course it was back in the day... maybe things have changed. But back then you might have been showing off cars or motorcycles or whatever but you were just as much on display as the merchandise. And there were just as many guys there that thought they could buy whatever was on display." Bobbie says significantly.

"Do you know where she is?"

Bobbie shakes her head. "All I heard was Atlantic City. You'd have to get hold of Laura or maybe Elton to find out the details."

"I'll find out." Nikolas reaches for his keys. He hands Bobbie her gloves and coat, and then reaches for his own. "I'll make sure she is okay."

"Nikolas, I know I'm the one that laid this all out for you but Gia isn't going to appreciate you rushing in."

"I have to make this right."

"Don't."

"How can you say that?"

"Don't do it. Not unless things are going to change. It's not fair to Gia for you to treat her like a yo-yo." Bobbie shrugs on her coat. Nik helps her with it. Bobbie then turns around and faces Nik. "You know what it feels like to be treated like that. Don't do that to Gia. If you can't be what she needs then let her find someone who can."





 


Song--Don't let me get me-- Pink off of Missundaztood. Highly recommend for carly/gia fans. There are more than a few songs on the album that could be considered theme songs.

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