The Devil You Know: Chapter 33

After meeting with Spinelli, Todd decided not to go home right away.  Instead, he headed to the Metrocourt’s bar and ordered a scotch.  It was then that he noticed the man sitting at the end of the bar.  Gathering up his drink and his cane, he moved down to the other end.  “You look like a man who could use a drink,” Todd said. 

The other man regarded Todd, but then offered a thin smile.  “Thanks, but I don’t drink.”

“Then why are you sitting at a bar?” Todd asked.

“What’s it to you?”

“Oh, sorry, that was rude.  I never introduced myself.  Todd Manning, publisher of the Sun,” Todd said, as he extended his hand.  “And you are?”

“Did you say Manning?  Do you have a daughter named Starr?”

Todd smiled, sensing the other man had caught the bait.  “Why yes, I do.  My pride and joy, along with her brothers, of course.”

“I think she dates my son, Michael.”  The handshake was exchanged.  “AJ Quartermaine.”

Intrigued, Todd inquired, “Starr told me that Sonny Corinthos was Michael’s father.”

He was actually unprepared for the reaction.  “Sonny stole my son from me.  Him and that bitch Carly.”

“Sorry,” Todd replied, holding his hands up.  “That’s what Carly told me, as she’s my friend.”

AJ let out a short laugh.  “Carly’s your friend?  Did she douse you with booze and leave out in an alley?”

“No, but she was there when I needed someone, when I needed help rehabbing from a gunshot wound to the back,” Todd elaborated. 

AJ seemed to calm.  “Doesn’t sound like the Carly Benson I know,” he commented snidely.

“She really did that to you?”  It was not how Todd had come to think of Carly. 

“I was in recovery and I made the mistake of telling her that if I ever relapsed, I’d go for treatment out of state.  When she figured out I was the father, she didn’t want to lose he sugar daddy and needed a way to get me out of town,’ AJ explained.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, even though I don’t think I am, but aren’t you from, like, the richest family in town?”

“Well, that would be your typical gold-digger, which Carly has never been,” AJ said with a short, derisive laugh. 

“I guess so.  I kind of got the opposite treatment,” Todd responded, as he took a sip.  “I turned out to be worth thirty million and my woman lied about being pregnant but eventually did wind up in that state.”

“What did you do?”

“Well, we were married and when I made her take the test because of the suspicions of my new-found sister, I was vindicated.  But we lost the baby, then I learned she had tricked me and had the marriage annulled, but I…was still in love with her and we worked our way back together,” Todd said.  “And by then, she was pregnant again and we got remarried.  Then divorced, then tried to get remarried a few more times.  Third one took, but I screwed up and lost her.”

“And that’s where the story ends?”

Before Todd could answer, a loud voice yelled, “What the hell are you doing here?  Working your way off the wagon again?”

AJ seemed to smirk at Carly’s comments.  He tilted the glass towards her.  “It’s just sparkling water.  But I do thank you for your concern.”  He nodded in Todd’s direction.  “You made a new friend, I hear.  Slept with this one yet?”

Todd raised and eyebrow.  “And on that note, I should really get home.  And to answer your question, no, Carly and I haven’t slept together.  My woman gets kind of possessive on those matters.  And I don’t do casual.”  He then ambled out of the bar and headed to his car. 

When he got home, he found Blair in the study.  “To answer your question from before,” she started, “I really don’t know if I would have told you about being pregnant with Starr.  We were in a bad place after that and I didn’t think I child should have been put in the middle of it.”

Todd regarded her solemnly.  Then he walked over to her and kissed her full on the lips.  When they parted, he said, “I’m sorry for the way I acted before, at the office.”

Blair was surprised by the change in his mood.  “It’s alright.  I could tell that something made you react that way.  What was it?”

“I had a conversation with Carly.  Then before I left the hotel, I had a chat with AJ Quartermaine,” Todd said.

Blair cocked her head.  “Who’s AJ Quartermaine?”

“Turns out, he’s Michael Corinthos’ biological father.”  Todd walked over and fixed himself a drink.  “Which I never knew.  Guess Sonny adopted him, after Carly did a number on the guy.”  After taking another sip, he said, “I also learned that you really weren’t as creative as I gave you credit for all these years.”  When she narrowed her eyes at him, he gave Blair the information Carly and AJ had told him back at the Metrocourt. 

After it took a few minutes to sink in, Blair was shocked.  “I’m mean, I’ll admit, I never thought Carly was a saint, but to do that to an alcoholic?”

“Actually, I found it more interesting that she didn’t go after the money, that she went out of her way to make the heir not think it was his,” Todd elaborated.  “Of course this is my own personal experience coming into play.”  When he saw the look Blair shot him, he frowned.  “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

“So what is your read on AJ, hmm?” Blair inquired.

“I think I’m seeing myself if you had totally cut me out of Starr’s life when she was a baby.  Minus the booze,” Todd answered.  “I think I also see what all our custody battles would have ended up doing to us and the kids.”  Todd went over to his briefcase and pulled out the file Spinelli had given him in the office.  “He kidnapped Michael and then faked his death.  Not unlike one of my….many stunts.”

“But there is a difference.  You already had a bond with Starr that, according to your sister, was there from the first moment you met your daughter.  And you fought to hold on to that through it all.  From what you said, AJ was never given that opportunity to even forge a bond,”  Blair said.  “And yes, we did some pretty awful things to each other through the years with our battles for the kids.  But even at your worst, I never loathed you to the point that I’d pull something like that.”

“But I did push you at times.”  He looked at Blair.  “Come on, admit it, Hawaii, that was pretty low.  And even when I came back from Ireland and I had Starr taken.”

“Are you trying to say something here, Todd?”  She was becoming alarmed about his focus on these parts of their past.  “Todd, you are not the same person you were back then.  Don’t compare us to AJ and Carly.  They look like they’re even more screwed up than we are…and that is saying something.”  With that, she walked over to the couch.  “On a happier note, I picked this up for you, even if you don’t need it.”

Todd was handed sheet music.  “ ‘Unforgettable?’”

“Lucy Coe called me today and told me there’s a piano being delivered to the ballroom at the Metrocourt tomorrow, so we can do at least a dry run,” Blair told her.

Fear rose up in Todd, but he was able to mask it.  Taking a breath, he said, “You know, on second thought, maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”  He handed the papers back to her. 

“Todd, you are not backing out of this.  Come on, you were amazing at Harry’s house.  You can do it.  Stage fright, it’s part of it, that’s all.”

He looked up at her he remembered how hard it was to deny her anything.  Inhaling deeply, he nodded in agreement.  “Okay, yeah, I’ll still do it.  You’ll be there to help me, right?”

“I’ll be right up there with you, of course.”  She could see the calm settling over him as she said that.  Then a thought occurred to her.  “Have you eaten anything for dinner?”  When he shook his head, she pulled him towards the kitchen.  “I know you very well, Mr. Manning.  You need to eat.  I’m sure your famished.  Let’s me make you something.” 

Todd smiled.  “Fine, you get dinner ready, but let me do dessert.”

Blair raised an eyebrow.  “What do you have in mind?”

“Just something warm and luscious.  I’m thinking of a serving for two,” he replied, a smile on his lips.

“Sounds so delicious, I don’t think I can wait.”  With that, she altered their course and the headed for their bedroom.   


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