The Devil You Know: Chapter 7

Todd had decided, when he had proposed to Blair in the hospital after his shooting, that they would be partners in every way.  So, when he scheduled the meeting with Lucy Coe about the Nurses’ Ball, he had made sure Blair would be available for it as well.  That was why, two days after that first encounter at the Metrocourt’s restaurant, Todd and Blair back there waiting for the chairwoman of the event to show up.  They were unaware of the typical lateness that Ms. Coe was known for.  When she did arrive, she was also her usual bundle of nervous energy. 

“Mr. Manning, Ms. Cramer, I am so sorry I was late, but I had to make sure my daughter got off to school on time.  She’s a late riser.  Takes after me like that,” Lucy babbled as she sat down.

“Perfectly understandable.  When it’s not soccer season, our son Jack can’t be awakened in the morning without dynamite,” Blair chuckled as she extended her hand.

Lucy pulled out an overstuffed folder from the case she carried.  “Now, Mr. Manning--”

“Please, call me Todd.  I can call you Lucy, right?” Todd asked.

“Of course you can, Todd,” Lucy smiled at him.  “Now, I just need to ask you this one more time:  You do want to sponsor the entire Nurses’ Ball?  I did hear you correctly, because I tend to miss things or misunderstand people some times.  I can be a little spacey.”

Todd was amused by the woman.  She was self-deprecating and energetic, but seemed committed to the cause.  “Yes, I would indeed like to sponsor the entire event.”

Lucy smile grew as bright as the florescent lights in the room.  “I thought that was what you said when we met.  And let me just say:  Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!”

“I also spoke to my sister, Victoria Lord, publisher of The Banner.  She told me she had a stepson who died of AIDS many years ago and she would like to chip in as well,” Todd added, to which Lucy only brightened further.

“You do come from a very generous family, Todd.  Please extend my thanks to her as well,” Lucy said.

From behind her, Sonny Corinthos materialized.  The coffee importer had heard the comments coming from Lucy and decided to see if what he was hearing was true.  “Hey, Luce,” he said, bending over to give his old friend a peck on the cheek.

“Sonny, it’s great to see you!” she exclaimed as she rose to give him a hug. 

As she sat back down, Sonny saw the papers she had pertaining to the charity gala.  “Isn’t it a bit late in the year for the Nurses’ Ball?” he asked her.

“Well, yes,” she said, directing her answer to Sonny.  Then she turned back to Todd and Blair.  “Usually, it’s held in June, but this summer was really crazy and I wanted to get it in before the end of the year.”

“I can see that,” Todd said.  “Tax write-offs and all.

Lucy’s smile dimmed.  “Really, it was because of Robin Scorpio,” she explained.  “She was infected with HIV when she was just a teenager.  But due to modern medicine, she lived a long life and gave birth to a beautiful little girl.”

Blair remembered the name.  “She was a doctor at the hospital, right?  She was killed in an explosion.”  Then she turned back to Todd.  “I remember seeing it when Starr…”

Todd nodded mutely, also remembering the headline from the day he had first arrived in Port Charles.  “I think her daughter is in the same class as our son, Sam.  And her mother’s the police commissioner.”

“Yes, Robin was an important part of this community and the Nurses’ Ball itself,” Sonny said.  “Lucy, I would be honored to sponsor the event this year.”

Lucy gave him another one of her dazzling smiles.  “Sonny, that is the generosity I’ve come to expect from you,” she replied.  “And normally, I’d take you right up on that.  But Mr. Manning--Todd--beat you to the punch this year.”

“He did?” the alleged mobster said cautiously as he eyed the newspaper publisher.

“Yes, Sonny, he did,” Todd replied, eying Sonny right back. 

“Of course, I know I can put you down for a table, right, old buddy?” came Lucy’s next question.

Sonny turned his attention back to his old friend.  “Of course you can,” he replied.  “Well, I guess I’ll leave you to your business.  Lucy, if you need anything else, come see me.”  he kissed her hand before turning back to Todd.  “Manning.”

“Corinthos.”  Todd smirked at the back of the shorter man.  When Sonny left, Blair poked him in the ribs and Lucy gave him a wide-eyed stare.  Todd turned back to Blair.  “What?”

“You don’t seem to get along with Sonny,” Lucy said.

“Ah, we had some run-ins with each other since I arrived in town,” Todd said nonchalantly.  “But my daughter dates his son and we’ve come to, well, tolerate each other.”  Shaking off any residual tension, Todd plowed ahead with talk about the event.  “So I’ve been told this is a kind of talent show.”  At Lucy’s nod, he added, “It just so happens that my lovely fiancée and our beautiful daughter are both very talented singers.”

Lucy’s smile perked right back up at that piece of news.  Blair blushed but Lucy insisted on putting both of them down as potential acts for the night.  They finished up more detail, setting the tentative date for December 14th.  Lucy would check with Carly for the availability of the Grand Ballroom at the Metrocourt for that.  Lucy promised to be in touch with all the details soon and left. 

Once she was gone, Blair slapped Todd on the shoulder.  “What the hell was that with Sonny?” she nearly yelled at him.

“What, I was being generous and community-minded,” he sputtered.

“Yeah, and you were really enjoying rubbing it all in Sonny’s face,” she retorted. “Is that why your doing this?”

“No, not at all,” he replied, as he smiled.  “But it is an added bonus.”

“And what was that about volunteering Starr and I to perform?” Blair griped.

“What, all of a sudden you’re shy?”  Todd asked as he got up from the table.  Blair also got up and made her way to the elevator.  “Look, I thought it would be a great opportunity to show these people what real talent is like.  From what I’ve been hearing, the Nurses’ Ball, while for as good cause, is amateur’s night.”

Blair looked at him, annoyed.  “It’s just heavy handed of you.  Like you’re trying to force your family onto the event,” she said.  “If I can find a way, I will get you back for this.”

“If I wanted to force my family onto the event, I’d tell Lucy her new co-chair was Tina.  Even I’m not that cruel,”  Todd responded as his phone went off.  Looking down at the number he said, “Speaking of my sisters.  Hello Viki.”

Blair turned to Todd and smirked.  With what Todd had just pulled, especially in regards to Sonny Corinthos, she hoped her sister-in-law was giving him hell for something, anything.  Alas, from Todd’s end of the conversation, it didn’t seem to be that way. 

“Yeah, I’ll get you that information as soon as I can.  And you will be up for this Nurses’ Ball thing?  I’ll get a table for all of us, so let me know who’ll be here.  Yeah, talk to you soon, bye.”  With that, he ended the call.  “We need to let Viki know how many of us there’ll be for Thanksgiving.  Give Starr, Jack and Sarah a call and tell them to bring their other halves over for dinner.  We can also coordinate about pickup times and anything else they may need to know.”     

“I’ll also call Tina and have her and Cord come over as well,” Blair said as she started to dial.  When she noted Todd’s scowl, she gave him a superior-type smile, knowing the thought of Tina coming over was galling him.  After a few minutes, they finished their calls and were back in his office. 

“So, everyone’s going to be over at six.  I’ll call Yi’s for takeout,” Blair said as she looked at her watch, “And now I have to go pick up Sam from school.”  She gave Todd a quick kiss on the cheek.  “See you back at the house.”

Todd smiled as he watched Blair leave.  He loved teasing her, but over the years, she had figured out ways of getting back at him.  Not that he worried to much about it in general, or about her threat today.  As he thought of that, he opened a draw in his desk and pulled out a folder.  Going over the papers in it, he smiled again.  He was going to have to start acting on his plans, if he was going to be able to pull them of in within the timeframe he had in his head.  But at the same time, he wanted to wait until after they all got back from their trip to Llanview and Chicago.  Let Viki and Cowboy Buchanan have this time.  He could wait for his and Blair’s.  He closed up the file and put it back in the draw.  He then leaned back in his chair and dreamed.    


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