Life and Breath Part 28
Title: Life and Breath
Author: Pink Rabbit Productions
Fandom: Guiding Light
Pairing: Olivia/Natalia
Part: 28
Date: 10 April, 2010
Rating: Personally, I'd call it an R, but some might consider it NC-17 at some point.
Disclaimer: The characters and situations belong to other folks far wealthier, more important (or at least with better lawyers), and hopefully more charitable and kinder than I. They include, but are not necessarily limited to CBS, Proctor and Gamble, and Telenext. The actual arrangement of words, however, remains my own as do any original characters. Meanwhile, there is likely to be all female romantic and sexual activity ahead, so if this is likely to get you, me, or anybody else arrested should you take a gander, please move along. Also, if you find that sort of thing offensive, you really probably shouldn't hang around anyplace I'm posting. Just sayin'....
Archiving: The Pink Rabbit Consortium
Spoilers: Some early scenes definitely, plus anything through the spa trip is fair game.
Timeline: Unlike some folks, I don't have an exact scene where this one takes off. However, it's definitely set after the spa trip, but before Rafe's release from the halfway house. Oh, and it's after Natalia admits she's in love with Olivia to Father Ray.
Author's Note: Never meant for it to be so long between posts, but real life and all that. For anyone wanting to know more, my LJ explains in more detail than you probably want to know. http://altfic.livejournal.com/29578.html & http://altfic.livejournal.com/29829.html
Earlier Parts: | Part 1 (Prologue) | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 |
Life and Breath
by Pink Rabbit Productions
Part 28
Hotels are not by their very nature, places that ever shut down completely. They have busy hours and quiet hours, but there are always special guests and problem guests and plumbing issues and late check-ins and early check-outs and a thousand other issues that require staff assistance.
The Beacon was no exception.
As dawn rolled around, the kitchen staff had already been at work for several hours, while the cleaning crew was busy stocking the carts for later and the clerks on the front desk were checking the day's reservations.
Mostly.
Because while their were jobs to be done, there was also news to be spread. If armies run on their stomachs, then hotels run on their gossip.
After all, it had been an eventful night. First Holly Reade had arrived back in town, and while she'd been gone a few years, there were still plenty of people who remembered any number of scandals, large and small, and were thrilled for a chance to share old gossip as though it were brand new. Then had come the news that an expensive bout of drunken carousing included the son of a local powerhouse attorney.
And finally, the coup de grace.
Ms. Natalia Rivera had been seen sneaking into Olivia Spencer's suite long after the rest of the world had gone to sleep, wearing little more than a complimentary Beacon bathrobe and a smile.
The security guard who'd caught sight of the hurried bit of tip-toeing had stayed long enough to ascertain that it wasn't just a quick good night. Nope, she'd slipped inside and stayed longer than he could afford to stand staring at his boss' bedroom door.
Which was approximately fifteen minutes.
Passing the word had led to a discrete knock by a member of the late-night cleaning crew, followed by an even more discrete ear to the door.
Which led to the overhearing of certain sounds which thoroughly confirmed what everyone was pretty sure was going on, not to mention sparked a lot of knowing grins and more than a few fantasies.
Not to mention a payout on the office pool
Greg cursed, whined, stomped his feet and generally was unhappy with the state of affairs.
Because, predictably, Jack had taken yet another pot.
Jack meanwhile just folded the wad of bills and tucked them in his wallet, a wry smile twisting his mouth. "Temper, temper," he chastised in a slow drawl vaguely reminiscent of an old Gary Cooper western.
Greg muttered another curse, then complained, "I distinctly recall you saying it was going to be awhile...that Natalia was going to take more time..." he trailed off, eyes narrowing suspiciously as he glared at the older man. He wasn't sure what kind of trick Jack might have used, but instinct told him there was something.
Jack shrugged, his tone practical. "That was Friday. This is Tuesday...more time by any definition."
"But you meant-"
"As the leading authority on what I meant," Jack interrupted, "I can honestly say that I meant later...and it's now later." He grinned, thinking he shouldn't enjoy teasing the younger man quite so much, but Greg was just so very entertaining when peeved. "Not sure what your problem is."
"Did Olivia tell you her plans or what?" the younger man demanded, still suspicious there'd been some kind of chicanery and easily able to imagine Olivia with some grand seduction plan in the works.
"Of course she didn't," Jack denied, then sighed softly as he noted the doubt in Greg's eyes. "Look, son, no insult intended, but noticing the romantic interests of women isn't really your strong suit. I, on the other hand, have been borderline obsessed with the subject for better than sixty years now."
Greg grumbled a none-too-polite response under his breath, but even he couldn't argue with that point. Though he really would have liked to.
Jack just grinned as he waited for the younger man's surrender. No need to rub it in. He could be gracious in victory, particularly since he had no intention of mentioning that he'd heard a rumor Ms. Reade would be on the plane, and after hearing a bit of gossip on the lady's history, instinct said she'd trigger something. Greg would term that cheating, whereas Jack simply considered it diligent research on an investment. Easier to just keep the facts to himself than argue semantics. Particularly with an extra hundred bucks at stake.
Greg was desperately trying to come up with an appropriately pithy response-something Jack couldn't just wave away with folksy charm-when the doorman on the front entrance stepped into the hotel foyer under the guise of holding the doors for someone and made a small gesture, slight and subtle but well practiced.
Trouble.
Jack saw the instant the younger man tensed and instantly went back into professional mode, all humor draining from his expression as he squared his shoulders and turned to follow the line of Greg's gaze.
Shit.
Frank Cooper. Not falling down drunk, but rather stepping with an overly careful stride, desperately trying to appear sober when he was anything but. He had his head down, ignoring the hotel employees with grim determination, his expression that of a man on a mission.
Likely personal since Jack made it a point to know about anything in relation to the hotel. It had been obvious since the wedding debacle that the detective hadn't surrendered his hopes for a future with Natalia, and after he'd found out where Natalia's real affections lay, that he blamed Olivia for the failure of the relationship. His arrival today wasn't likely to be a pleasant event, nor was it, Jack suspected, an accident. He didn't know how the news of the night's activities might have made its way into Frank's ear, but it seemed likely to him that it had. Why else would Frank decide to put in an appearance now?
And given the change in their relationship, Ms. Spencer and Ms. Rivera deserved a day off from Frank Cooper and his resentments and efforts to inflict guilt for what was nobody's fault.
Head still down, Frank tried to hurry through the lobby without being noticed.
Time to cut that plan off at the pass.
He glanced back at Greg and saw a similar determination on the younger man's face.
They might tease and prank each other, but in this they were brothers in arms.
"Can I help you, Detective Cooper?" Jack questioned sharply as he stepped directly into Frank's path, forcing the detective to pause if only to avoid a collision.
"Police business," Frank bit out brusquely and moved to step around Jack only to pull up short when Greg stepped in to block his way.
"I'm the manager on duty," Greg said in his most officious voice. "I'm cleared to deal with any issues relating to the hotel." Not entirely true since he was really the events manager, but it seemed doubtful that Olivia would complain if it avoided a problem. But he did officious well, and the morning manager was a shy type who was better at dealing with hung over customers who needed quiet, gentle handling than a cop on a tear.
Frank clenched his jaws and his eyes narrowed with dislike. He knew perfectly well whose side Olivia's employees would be on, though he was damned if he could figure out why given the way she roared at them. "I need to speak with Olivia personally," he said dismissively and moved to step around the smaller man only to find Jack once again standing in his intended path.
"I'm afraid Ms. Spencer is in an important...meeting...and left orders she wasn't to be disturbed," Jack informed Frank, his tone polite, though there was disdain in his gaze. He'd never thought much of Cooper, considering him the kind of cop that thought he was a little better than everyone else and had the right to pass judgment just because of the badge. Jack knew perfectly well that plenty of assholes had badges. "So unless you have some kind of warrant, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
Thankfully it was still early enough that there were no guests milling about since Jack had a feeling this about to turn less than pleasant as Frank's complexion took on a decidedly ruddy hue.
"I said this is police business, old man...which means it's not your concern." Frank had no more regard for Jack than Jack had for him. The old geezer thought he knew it all and was so goddamned superior because he'd been a detective in Chicago, as if that was the be all and end all of police work. But he wasn't a cop anymore and he'd been taken in by Natalia just like the rest of them. "So get the hell out of my way...unless you'd like to find yourself under arrest." He flashed a hard look at Greg, including him in the threat.
If he'd thought the threat was likely to have much effect on the elderly security guard, he was mistaken. Jack just smirked, no longer hiding even a hint of his contempt. "I really don't think you want to do that...not in your current condition."
Ruddy flushed to purple as Frank glared at the older man, his throat bobbing as he struggled to come up with a clever response. "Get outa my way," he snarled after a long beat, barely resisting the urge to shove the other man aside as he moved to storm past him.
Jack grabbed Frank's arm, pulling him up short in a surprising display of strength in spite of his seeming frailty. "You're drunk, Detective," he hissed near the younger man's ear. "That's your job if you drove in this condition." He saw the way Frank paled and knew he'd done just that. Pushing down the rage-he'd seen the effects of that arrogance too many times-he pulled Frank back a pace so the younger man had no choice but to look at him. "Go home, sober up, and leave them alone...and for god's sake take a cab. You could have killed somebody."
Then Frank did shove, pushing Jack back with an inarticulate sound of rage.
"Problem here?" a second security guard growled as he stepped into the fray, steadying Jack with one hand even he rested the other on his holstered baton. Unlike Jack, there was nothing frail about him. He had at least three inches and thirty pounds on Frank, all of it solid, well-developed muscle.
He could break Frank into tiny pieces if he so chose, and if Frank was gonna go around shoving Jack, he was likely to choose. Like the rest of the staff, he adored the old man.
Faced with such outright defiance of his authority, Frank froze, hating them all for their refusal to back down. Why couldn't they see he didn't want it to be this way? He wasn't the bad guy in this. He was trying to do the right, goddamned thing.
He suddenly became aware that the entire lobby had quieted and every eye was focused on him.
Into the tense silence, wandered what Greg thought of as the "clueless twins," Melinda and Sarah. Both cute and too old to be called girls but too young to be considered middle-aged. They were the Beacon's most notorious gossips, not so much because of the frequency-everybody at the Beacon gossiped at a steady rate-as because of the volume. Neither one had ever learned the art of modulating the salacious details they so loved to share, nor had even the faintest inkling that there were times it was best to simply remain silent.
Greg privately thought that Sarah's pumpkin spray tan had worked its way to the brain and done permanent damage, while in Melinda's case, the overuse of hair bleach seemed like a probable contributor. Either way, they were in fine fettle and probably audible in the next county.
"Oh, my god, after all these months," Melinda proclaimed at the top of her lungs, "I'm amazed they didn't set off every fire alarm on the floor."
Every eye in the place swung their way. No doubt in the Beacon employees' minds just who the chattsome twosome were talking about.
Oblivious to the possible meaning, Frank was busy being perversely grateful to have something take all the attention away from him.
His relief wasn't fated to last long.
Sarah giggled. "I hate to admit it, but I've gotta envy Natalia...I mean, can you imagine Olivia Spencer in the sack? She doesn't just know all the tricks, she probably invented some of them."
"I suppose...I mean, she's gorgeous, but a little hard for my tastes...y'know, kinda scary." One eyebrow arched high and Melinda gnawed thoughtfully on her lower lip. "Now Natalia? Yeah, I could see jumping the fence for her. She's so sweet...and sooo sweet...and I would just think that would sooo very..."
"Sweet?" Sarah questioned wryly. "Bit virginal for my tastes," she added after a beat.
"Not by this morning, I bet," Melinda drawled.
They shared a knowing look, then a laugh.
Greg privately decided to have another chat with them about appropriate times and places for certain discussions. He glanced at Frank, noting how the purple cast had faded to a ghostly shade of cream.
Then again, they did offer a certain entertainment factor at times.
"I'll bet she's just glad she dumped Frank Cooper," Sarah laughed, oblivious to watching eyes and listening ears. "She probably woulda slept through it, if it'd been him."
"Isn't he that waiter at Company...the old guy that always gets the orders wrong and hits on every woman under thirty like he's doing them some kind of favor?"
"He's really a cop, but yeah, that's him," Sarah confirmed as she slipped into freeform gossip mode, cheerfully surfing from one subject to the next. It was her art form and she worked in it the way Michelangelo had worked in marble once upon a time. "I use the same tanning shop as his daughter, Marina...and he picks her up sometimes. He totally scams on me every time...and his daughter? Talk about a total whack job...always ranting about something...about half the time it's some imagined slight to her precious daddy. You can imagine the drooling idiot she turns into if you mention the boss or Ms. Rivera." She shook her head. "Honestly, she always struck me as a little too into her daddy, if you know what I mean?"
Melinda shuddered. "Eww."
"Pre-cisely." Sarah snorted. "I think she's the only woman in town who actually thinks Frank Cooper is attractive."
Finding the bloodletting a little too cruel even for his tastes, Jack cleared his throat noisily and flashed a glare at the two women, who, like the rest of the staff, were well trained to react to that sound and finally got a clue and looked up.
Their oblivion abruptly melted away as they realized they were the prime focus of attention.
Then Sarah saw Frank where he stood looking like he might just throw up all over the Beacon's expensive, parquet pattern carpeting.
Or maybe draw his weapon and open fire.
She swallowed hard and seemed to shrink inside her skin as it occurred to her that her car was never gonna go unticketed again, no matter where she parked it. She was gonna get cited for putting it in her own closed garage if Detective Cooper's glare was any gauge.
"Don't you two have duties elsewhere?" Greg hinted sharply.
Grateful for the opportunity to escape, they offered up a quick, "Yes, sir," in perfect unison and fled at top speed.
After a brief mental debate over his options, Jack went with the most direct course. Facing Frank, his tone was almost gentle as he said, "There's nothing for you here. Call someone to pick you up and go home." If the situation were different, he would have offered someone from the Beacon to drive, but given the circumstances, he was comfortably certain the gesture would be refused.
The security guard saw the way Frank tensed and the fury that slipped through his expression and for just a moment he was afraid things might just turn violent. He drew himself a little straighter and shook his head ever so slightly.
Don't do it.
A beat and then Frank cringed back, his mouth curling into an ugly sneer. With no graceful way to make an exit, all he could do was turn and walk away, stomp really, like a child caught doing something they knew perfectly well was forbidden, but who resented the punishment all the same.
Jack watched for a moment, then nodded to the guard standing at his side. "Follow him. Make sure he doesn't drive in that condition."
"Yes, sir," the guard said quickly and hurried off to shadow Frank.
Jack just stared after them, a concerned expression on his face.
"Well, that was an ugly scene kind of avoided," Greg muttered, then glanced around. "No fistfights with Olivia and it like there weren't any guests around." Not as good as he might have hoped for, but no blood on the carpeting. That had to count for something.
Jack nodded, his expression still distant. "He didn't know," he muttered more to himself than Greg.
"Huh?" the younger man questioned as his gaze swung back around to touch on the older man.
"He had no idea they spent the night together," Jack said aloud.
"So?"
The security guard turned a worried look toward the events manager. "I figured he showed up because somebody called him about last night...but he didn't know."
Greg's blank look made it obvious he didn't understand the problem, only that he was seeing an unusual event-Jack was confused and uncertain. Greg didn't know whether to feel triumphant that the other man was human or afraid the Apocalypse was on the way.
"If he didn't know, why the hell was he trying to see Olivia at this hour?" Jack wondered aloud, oblivious to Greg's musings.
"'Cos he's a prick?" Greg offered hopefully.
With no ready answer, Jack could only shrug. "Let's hope that's all it was." He glanced around thoughtfully, then sharpened his tone as he addressed Greg, taking a position of command, even though by rights, the younger man was the one in charge. "Tell the staff to keep this little scene under wraps."
Greg just snorted. Right, keep a secret at the Beacon-one the clueless twins knew about-yeah, that was likely to happen.
"I mean it," Jack said, his voice hard. "You're right...Cooper was probably just being an ass." Even as the words were out of his mouth, he couldn't help but wonder if he was whistling in the graveyard. "But the boss and Ms. Rivera, they've got enough to deal with..." He didn't actually say, 'You of all people should relate,' but it was there in his sharp gaze. "They don't need his crap too. They've already faced enough of that."
"Yeah," Greg allowed thoughtfully. He debated the problem for a moment. "I'll do my best..." He considered the front desk staff and security. They were all pretty level-headed and loyal. Making them see the light shouldn't be difficult. However... "The twins are going to be a problem."
"Remind 'em their benefits go away if they're fired," Jack suggested. Olivia might be one to yell and stamp her feet now and then, but her employees had the best vacation time, best insurance, and best maternity leave in town. Nobody wanted to lose those bennies. "And Ms. Spencer isn't likely to take anything that might threaten her relationship with Ms. Rivera well at all."
Greg nodded quickly. "Good point...and if that doesn't work, threats of violence have their place."
Jack's jaw briefly dropped as he digested that statement and considered the events manager. Macho bravado wasn't really his style. "Ahm," he exhaled doubtfully.
"Oh, not me," Greg dismissed the unspoken idea instantly. "I meant Ms. Spencer."
"Ah...well...yeah, that works."
Greg hurried off a minute or two later, leaving Jack to handle speaking to security and the front desk personnel. He was just finishing a quiet discussion with two of his people when he turned and noted the mystery guest that had made several passes at Olivia slipping out of the hotel through a side entrance.
Probably just the normal comings and goings of a guest, but...
Remembering his boss' unease as well as his own, he filed it away for future reference.
* * * * * *
TBC
Author: Pink Rabbit Productions
Fandom: Guiding Light
Pairing: Olivia/Natalia
Part: 28
Date: 10 April, 2010
Rating: Personally, I'd call it an R, but some might consider it NC-17 at some point.
Disclaimer: The characters and situations belong to other folks far wealthier, more important (or at least with better lawyers), and hopefully more charitable and kinder than I. They include, but are not necessarily limited to CBS, Proctor and Gamble, and Telenext. The actual arrangement of words, however, remains my own as do any original characters. Meanwhile, there is likely to be all female romantic and sexual activity ahead, so if this is likely to get you, me, or anybody else arrested should you take a gander, please move along. Also, if you find that sort of thing offensive, you really probably shouldn't hang around anyplace I'm posting. Just sayin'....
Archiving: The Pink Rabbit Consortium
Spoilers: Some early scenes definitely, plus anything through the spa trip is fair game.
Timeline: Unlike some folks, I don't have an exact scene where this one takes off. However, it's definitely set after the spa trip, but before Rafe's release from the halfway house. Oh, and it's after Natalia admits she's in love with Olivia to Father Ray.
Author's Note: Never meant for it to be so long between posts, but real life and all that. For anyone wanting to know more, my LJ explains in more detail than you probably want to know. http://altfic.livejournal.com/29578.html & http://altfic.livejournal.com/29829.html
Earlier Parts: | Part 1 (Prologue) | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 |
Life and Breath
by Pink Rabbit Productions
Part 28
Hotels are not by their very nature, places that ever shut down completely. They have busy hours and quiet hours, but there are always special guests and problem guests and plumbing issues and late check-ins and early check-outs and a thousand other issues that require staff assistance.
The Beacon was no exception.
As dawn rolled around, the kitchen staff had already been at work for several hours, while the cleaning crew was busy stocking the carts for later and the clerks on the front desk were checking the day's reservations.
Mostly.
Because while their were jobs to be done, there was also news to be spread. If armies run on their stomachs, then hotels run on their gossip.
After all, it had been an eventful night. First Holly Reade had arrived back in town, and while she'd been gone a few years, there were still plenty of people who remembered any number of scandals, large and small, and were thrilled for a chance to share old gossip as though it were brand new. Then had come the news that an expensive bout of drunken carousing included the son of a local powerhouse attorney.
And finally, the coup de grace.
Ms. Natalia Rivera had been seen sneaking into Olivia Spencer's suite long after the rest of the world had gone to sleep, wearing little more than a complimentary Beacon bathrobe and a smile.
The security guard who'd caught sight of the hurried bit of tip-toeing had stayed long enough to ascertain that it wasn't just a quick good night. Nope, she'd slipped inside and stayed longer than he could afford to stand staring at his boss' bedroom door.
Which was approximately fifteen minutes.
Passing the word had led to a discrete knock by a member of the late-night cleaning crew, followed by an even more discrete ear to the door.
Which led to the overhearing of certain sounds which thoroughly confirmed what everyone was pretty sure was going on, not to mention sparked a lot of knowing grins and more than a few fantasies.
Not to mention a payout on the office pool
Greg cursed, whined, stomped his feet and generally was unhappy with the state of affairs.
Because, predictably, Jack had taken yet another pot.
Jack meanwhile just folded the wad of bills and tucked them in his wallet, a wry smile twisting his mouth. "Temper, temper," he chastised in a slow drawl vaguely reminiscent of an old Gary Cooper western.
Greg muttered another curse, then complained, "I distinctly recall you saying it was going to be awhile...that Natalia was going to take more time..." he trailed off, eyes narrowing suspiciously as he glared at the older man. He wasn't sure what kind of trick Jack might have used, but instinct told him there was something.
Jack shrugged, his tone practical. "That was Friday. This is Tuesday...more time by any definition."
"But you meant-"
"As the leading authority on what I meant," Jack interrupted, "I can honestly say that I meant later...and it's now later." He grinned, thinking he shouldn't enjoy teasing the younger man quite so much, but Greg was just so very entertaining when peeved. "Not sure what your problem is."
"Did Olivia tell you her plans or what?" the younger man demanded, still suspicious there'd been some kind of chicanery and easily able to imagine Olivia with some grand seduction plan in the works.
"Of course she didn't," Jack denied, then sighed softly as he noted the doubt in Greg's eyes. "Look, son, no insult intended, but noticing the romantic interests of women isn't really your strong suit. I, on the other hand, have been borderline obsessed with the subject for better than sixty years now."
Greg grumbled a none-too-polite response under his breath, but even he couldn't argue with that point. Though he really would have liked to.
Jack just grinned as he waited for the younger man's surrender. No need to rub it in. He could be gracious in victory, particularly since he had no intention of mentioning that he'd heard a rumor Ms. Reade would be on the plane, and after hearing a bit of gossip on the lady's history, instinct said she'd trigger something. Greg would term that cheating, whereas Jack simply considered it diligent research on an investment. Easier to just keep the facts to himself than argue semantics. Particularly with an extra hundred bucks at stake.
Greg was desperately trying to come up with an appropriately pithy response-something Jack couldn't just wave away with folksy charm-when the doorman on the front entrance stepped into the hotel foyer under the guise of holding the doors for someone and made a small gesture, slight and subtle but well practiced.
Trouble.
Jack saw the instant the younger man tensed and instantly went back into professional mode, all humor draining from his expression as he squared his shoulders and turned to follow the line of Greg's gaze.
Shit.
Frank Cooper. Not falling down drunk, but rather stepping with an overly careful stride, desperately trying to appear sober when he was anything but. He had his head down, ignoring the hotel employees with grim determination, his expression that of a man on a mission.
Likely personal since Jack made it a point to know about anything in relation to the hotel. It had been obvious since the wedding debacle that the detective hadn't surrendered his hopes for a future with Natalia, and after he'd found out where Natalia's real affections lay, that he blamed Olivia for the failure of the relationship. His arrival today wasn't likely to be a pleasant event, nor was it, Jack suspected, an accident. He didn't know how the news of the night's activities might have made its way into Frank's ear, but it seemed likely to him that it had. Why else would Frank decide to put in an appearance now?
And given the change in their relationship, Ms. Spencer and Ms. Rivera deserved a day off from Frank Cooper and his resentments and efforts to inflict guilt for what was nobody's fault.
Head still down, Frank tried to hurry through the lobby without being noticed.
Time to cut that plan off at the pass.
He glanced back at Greg and saw a similar determination on the younger man's face.
They might tease and prank each other, but in this they were brothers in arms.
"Can I help you, Detective Cooper?" Jack questioned sharply as he stepped directly into Frank's path, forcing the detective to pause if only to avoid a collision.
"Police business," Frank bit out brusquely and moved to step around Jack only to pull up short when Greg stepped in to block his way.
"I'm the manager on duty," Greg said in his most officious voice. "I'm cleared to deal with any issues relating to the hotel." Not entirely true since he was really the events manager, but it seemed doubtful that Olivia would complain if it avoided a problem. But he did officious well, and the morning manager was a shy type who was better at dealing with hung over customers who needed quiet, gentle handling than a cop on a tear.
Frank clenched his jaws and his eyes narrowed with dislike. He knew perfectly well whose side Olivia's employees would be on, though he was damned if he could figure out why given the way she roared at them. "I need to speak with Olivia personally," he said dismissively and moved to step around the smaller man only to find Jack once again standing in his intended path.
"I'm afraid Ms. Spencer is in an important...meeting...and left orders she wasn't to be disturbed," Jack informed Frank, his tone polite, though there was disdain in his gaze. He'd never thought much of Cooper, considering him the kind of cop that thought he was a little better than everyone else and had the right to pass judgment just because of the badge. Jack knew perfectly well that plenty of assholes had badges. "So unless you have some kind of warrant, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
Thankfully it was still early enough that there were no guests milling about since Jack had a feeling this about to turn less than pleasant as Frank's complexion took on a decidedly ruddy hue.
"I said this is police business, old man...which means it's not your concern." Frank had no more regard for Jack than Jack had for him. The old geezer thought he knew it all and was so goddamned superior because he'd been a detective in Chicago, as if that was the be all and end all of police work. But he wasn't a cop anymore and he'd been taken in by Natalia just like the rest of them. "So get the hell out of my way...unless you'd like to find yourself under arrest." He flashed a hard look at Greg, including him in the threat.
If he'd thought the threat was likely to have much effect on the elderly security guard, he was mistaken. Jack just smirked, no longer hiding even a hint of his contempt. "I really don't think you want to do that...not in your current condition."
Ruddy flushed to purple as Frank glared at the older man, his throat bobbing as he struggled to come up with a clever response. "Get outa my way," he snarled after a long beat, barely resisting the urge to shove the other man aside as he moved to storm past him.
Jack grabbed Frank's arm, pulling him up short in a surprising display of strength in spite of his seeming frailty. "You're drunk, Detective," he hissed near the younger man's ear. "That's your job if you drove in this condition." He saw the way Frank paled and knew he'd done just that. Pushing down the rage-he'd seen the effects of that arrogance too many times-he pulled Frank back a pace so the younger man had no choice but to look at him. "Go home, sober up, and leave them alone...and for god's sake take a cab. You could have killed somebody."
Then Frank did shove, pushing Jack back with an inarticulate sound of rage.
"Problem here?" a second security guard growled as he stepped into the fray, steadying Jack with one hand even he rested the other on his holstered baton. Unlike Jack, there was nothing frail about him. He had at least three inches and thirty pounds on Frank, all of it solid, well-developed muscle.
He could break Frank into tiny pieces if he so chose, and if Frank was gonna go around shoving Jack, he was likely to choose. Like the rest of the staff, he adored the old man.
Faced with such outright defiance of his authority, Frank froze, hating them all for their refusal to back down. Why couldn't they see he didn't want it to be this way? He wasn't the bad guy in this. He was trying to do the right, goddamned thing.
He suddenly became aware that the entire lobby had quieted and every eye was focused on him.
Into the tense silence, wandered what Greg thought of as the "clueless twins," Melinda and Sarah. Both cute and too old to be called girls but too young to be considered middle-aged. They were the Beacon's most notorious gossips, not so much because of the frequency-everybody at the Beacon gossiped at a steady rate-as because of the volume. Neither one had ever learned the art of modulating the salacious details they so loved to share, nor had even the faintest inkling that there were times it was best to simply remain silent.
Greg privately thought that Sarah's pumpkin spray tan had worked its way to the brain and done permanent damage, while in Melinda's case, the overuse of hair bleach seemed like a probable contributor. Either way, they were in fine fettle and probably audible in the next county.
"Oh, my god, after all these months," Melinda proclaimed at the top of her lungs, "I'm amazed they didn't set off every fire alarm on the floor."
Every eye in the place swung their way. No doubt in the Beacon employees' minds just who the chattsome twosome were talking about.
Oblivious to the possible meaning, Frank was busy being perversely grateful to have something take all the attention away from him.
His relief wasn't fated to last long.
Sarah giggled. "I hate to admit it, but I've gotta envy Natalia...I mean, can you imagine Olivia Spencer in the sack? She doesn't just know all the tricks, she probably invented some of them."
"I suppose...I mean, she's gorgeous, but a little hard for my tastes...y'know, kinda scary." One eyebrow arched high and Melinda gnawed thoughtfully on her lower lip. "Now Natalia? Yeah, I could see jumping the fence for her. She's so sweet...and sooo sweet...and I would just think that would sooo very..."
"Sweet?" Sarah questioned wryly. "Bit virginal for my tastes," she added after a beat.
"Not by this morning, I bet," Melinda drawled.
They shared a knowing look, then a laugh.
Greg privately decided to have another chat with them about appropriate times and places for certain discussions. He glanced at Frank, noting how the purple cast had faded to a ghostly shade of cream.
Then again, they did offer a certain entertainment factor at times.
"I'll bet she's just glad she dumped Frank Cooper," Sarah laughed, oblivious to watching eyes and listening ears. "She probably woulda slept through it, if it'd been him."
"Isn't he that waiter at Company...the old guy that always gets the orders wrong and hits on every woman under thirty like he's doing them some kind of favor?"
"He's really a cop, but yeah, that's him," Sarah confirmed as she slipped into freeform gossip mode, cheerfully surfing from one subject to the next. It was her art form and she worked in it the way Michelangelo had worked in marble once upon a time. "I use the same tanning shop as his daughter, Marina...and he picks her up sometimes. He totally scams on me every time...and his daughter? Talk about a total whack job...always ranting about something...about half the time it's some imagined slight to her precious daddy. You can imagine the drooling idiot she turns into if you mention the boss or Ms. Rivera." She shook her head. "Honestly, she always struck me as a little too into her daddy, if you know what I mean?"
Melinda shuddered. "Eww."
"Pre-cisely." Sarah snorted. "I think she's the only woman in town who actually thinks Frank Cooper is attractive."
Finding the bloodletting a little too cruel even for his tastes, Jack cleared his throat noisily and flashed a glare at the two women, who, like the rest of the staff, were well trained to react to that sound and finally got a clue and looked up.
Their oblivion abruptly melted away as they realized they were the prime focus of attention.
Then Sarah saw Frank where he stood looking like he might just throw up all over the Beacon's expensive, parquet pattern carpeting.
Or maybe draw his weapon and open fire.
She swallowed hard and seemed to shrink inside her skin as it occurred to her that her car was never gonna go unticketed again, no matter where she parked it. She was gonna get cited for putting it in her own closed garage if Detective Cooper's glare was any gauge.
"Don't you two have duties elsewhere?" Greg hinted sharply.
Grateful for the opportunity to escape, they offered up a quick, "Yes, sir," in perfect unison and fled at top speed.
After a brief mental debate over his options, Jack went with the most direct course. Facing Frank, his tone was almost gentle as he said, "There's nothing for you here. Call someone to pick you up and go home." If the situation were different, he would have offered someone from the Beacon to drive, but given the circumstances, he was comfortably certain the gesture would be refused.
The security guard saw the way Frank tensed and the fury that slipped through his expression and for just a moment he was afraid things might just turn violent. He drew himself a little straighter and shook his head ever so slightly.
Don't do it.
A beat and then Frank cringed back, his mouth curling into an ugly sneer. With no graceful way to make an exit, all he could do was turn and walk away, stomp really, like a child caught doing something they knew perfectly well was forbidden, but who resented the punishment all the same.
Jack watched for a moment, then nodded to the guard standing at his side. "Follow him. Make sure he doesn't drive in that condition."
"Yes, sir," the guard said quickly and hurried off to shadow Frank.
Jack just stared after them, a concerned expression on his face.
"Well, that was an ugly scene kind of avoided," Greg muttered, then glanced around. "No fistfights with Olivia and it like there weren't any guests around." Not as good as he might have hoped for, but no blood on the carpeting. That had to count for something.
Jack nodded, his expression still distant. "He didn't know," he muttered more to himself than Greg.
"Huh?" the younger man questioned as his gaze swung back around to touch on the older man.
"He had no idea they spent the night together," Jack said aloud.
"So?"
The security guard turned a worried look toward the events manager. "I figured he showed up because somebody called him about last night...but he didn't know."
Greg's blank look made it obvious he didn't understand the problem, only that he was seeing an unusual event-Jack was confused and uncertain. Greg didn't know whether to feel triumphant that the other man was human or afraid the Apocalypse was on the way.
"If he didn't know, why the hell was he trying to see Olivia at this hour?" Jack wondered aloud, oblivious to Greg's musings.
"'Cos he's a prick?" Greg offered hopefully.
With no ready answer, Jack could only shrug. "Let's hope that's all it was." He glanced around thoughtfully, then sharpened his tone as he addressed Greg, taking a position of command, even though by rights, the younger man was the one in charge. "Tell the staff to keep this little scene under wraps."
Greg just snorted. Right, keep a secret at the Beacon-one the clueless twins knew about-yeah, that was likely to happen.
"I mean it," Jack said, his voice hard. "You're right...Cooper was probably just being an ass." Even as the words were out of his mouth, he couldn't help but wonder if he was whistling in the graveyard. "But the boss and Ms. Rivera, they've got enough to deal with..." He didn't actually say, 'You of all people should relate,' but it was there in his sharp gaze. "They don't need his crap too. They've already faced enough of that."
"Yeah," Greg allowed thoughtfully. He debated the problem for a moment. "I'll do my best..." He considered the front desk staff and security. They were all pretty level-headed and loyal. Making them see the light shouldn't be difficult. However... "The twins are going to be a problem."
"Remind 'em their benefits go away if they're fired," Jack suggested. Olivia might be one to yell and stamp her feet now and then, but her employees had the best vacation time, best insurance, and best maternity leave in town. Nobody wanted to lose those bennies. "And Ms. Spencer isn't likely to take anything that might threaten her relationship with Ms. Rivera well at all."
Greg nodded quickly. "Good point...and if that doesn't work, threats of violence have their place."
Jack's jaw briefly dropped as he digested that statement and considered the events manager. Macho bravado wasn't really his style. "Ahm," he exhaled doubtfully.
"Oh, not me," Greg dismissed the unspoken idea instantly. "I meant Ms. Spencer."
"Ah...well...yeah, that works."
Greg hurried off a minute or two later, leaving Jack to handle speaking to security and the front desk personnel. He was just finishing a quiet discussion with two of his people when he turned and noted the mystery guest that had made several passes at Olivia slipping out of the hotel through a side entrance.
Probably just the normal comings and goings of a guest, but...
Remembering his boss' unease as well as his own, he filed it away for future reference.
* * * * * *
TBC