Morningstar Manor

On Sunday morning Emily slowly woke up to the gentle light coming from the window. Before she even opened her eyes she got the feeling that something wasn't right - the light was coming from the wrong direction.

Oh yeah. I'm at Vinnie's, she thought, and turned in the bed. But then she realized something still wasn't right - the bed felt different and his scent wasn't about. Finally she opened her eyes and looked around. For a moment she was about to panic as she quickly sat up on the bed. She didn't recognize the room around her! Where was she?

At least she was wearing her own nightie, and no one else was around. She couldn't hear anything from outside the bedroom door either. Carefully Emily got out of the bed and pushed the door open to see where she was.

( In her own apartment, she realized, stupefied. )

They'd called yesterday about going shopping for the new apartment, and Gregori had deliberately hired a van for the day. He knew what was coming, and armed with a toolbox, and his wallet, he called at the Manor for them, deliberately leaving the van in the parking bay outside where the taxi's and limo's pulled up. He could already see Audrey in the lobby, waving, so he waved back, grinning.

The jeans were old and beginning to fade, but still snug, the t-shirt tight, but not overly so, and in a shade of blue that he loved. Hard-wearing trainers covered his feet, although he had been tempted by the steel-toed boots he sometimes wore in kitchens. He'd called ahead, and the van could be taken into the parking lot later, but for now there was no need.

"Hey, come on out, let's go!" he called, waving again.

( We're off to see Ikea.... )

Emily turned the key in the lock and opened the door to their new 7th floor apartment for the very first time. Audrey was right next to her, and the girl ran inside the moment the door was open.

"Oh my god, it's so big!" Audrey's voice echoed in the empty flat.

Emily followed in and pulled the door shut after her. Her eyes widened as she now saw all the extra square meters. She wandered around the apartment slowly, stood in the kitchen for a longer time, visited both of the two bedrooms and their own bathrooms. It was fantastic. She hadn't lived in anything so big and wonderful since she moved out of her parents' house.

"Which room do you want?" she asked Audrey, who went to examine the bedrooms to make her choice.

Emily was already placing items in the living room - TV there, couch there, book shelf on that wall. As she thought about it, she took out her cell phone from her purse, and idly searched for Gregori's number. His name and number were on the screen, but Emily's thumb lingered on the green button without pressing it.

She couldn't believe he was suddenly back in her life, and she couldn't believe she had accepted a gift so big from him. But it was for Audrey, Emily reminded herself. Perhaps she was stubborn and proud, but she wasn't ungrateful, especially as the man was going to buy Audrey new furniture as well. She sighed, and finally pressed the green button to make the call to Gregori, and walked to examine the kitchen further.

Emily and Audrey had eaten Gregori's chocolates together on Wednesday evening while they had been talking. In fact, they had been talking - and arguing and crying and laughing and hugging a lot - for hours, way past both of their bed time. Audrey had taken the news well, having guessed half of it herself. She was utterly excited to have a father who was a celebrity too, and couldn't wait to meet him properly.

Emily's mind was just a little more at ease now that she had had time to think about it all. She still didn't want anything from Gregori, and she was very afraid of the potential scandal gossip in tabloids, but since Audrey was so happy and excited, she felt a little better as well. After a morning shift at work, Emily felt strange at home not needing to cook dinner. Instead, she was increasingly nervous as the time neared seven, just like Audrey was increasingly excited and hyper.

"Mom?" the girl asked when Emily came from the bathroom, dressed in a white shirt and black shorts, looking quite sharp. "Did you do your hair? Awww, you want to impress him, don't you!"

( Oh no she doesn't!!! )

He'd thought long and hard about it, for all of an hour last night in between a tour presentation and the dinner he'd been invited out to by the local TV station crew. Having drunk most of them under the table he'd taken a cab back to the Empress and mulled it over some more. Whoever was the father of that child, Emily must have been missing him something awful to have any kind of relationship with them, after all, look how long she'd held out against him? They'd had that one glorious night at graduation, and then, in the morning, gone their separate ways.

Today however he'd had to do another morning presentation, and an afternoon one, but then he wasn't scheduled for anything until tomorrow. Somewhere in between the two he borrowed a kitchen and some ingredients he just happened to have picked up in that wonderful department store he'd been in yesterday, and managed to whip up some of his favourite fillings for chocolates, and made around two dozen different kinds. Now, around about the same time as he'd been there yesterday, he was in the lobby, waiting, and hoping. If he didn't see Emily, he might at least see the girl, get another, better look at her. And what had Emily meant by steakhouse? Surely she wasn't working a grill as a short order cook? She was a first class chef for heaven's sakes. Having a child shouldn't affect that ability any.

( Surprise surprise! )

The morning had gone well, the demonstration at the Michaels Bros store had been successful, and the books and DVD's were selling well. With the launch of his personally chosen cookware range coming out in a few weeks, things were looking great. It helped that Mr Spencer Michaels had treated him to lunch, courtesy of his personal chef, at the Manor itself. Gregori loved the City, but spent more time on the road just lately, or out in California where most of his series were filmed.

Now though, with lunch and some fine wine behind him, he said goodbye to Mr Michaels, and called for his car to be sent round, he then headed for the elevator and waited patiently for it's arrival, admiring the decorative trim and indeed the entire ambience of the building as he stood there. Once the elevator arrived, he stepped in, and pressed the ground floor button, humming to himself and reviewing his schedule in his mind. Tonight he had a dinner with another potential advertiser, they paid a fortune to advertise in his programmes, they knew he was popular. The elevator didn't stop all the way down, but ran smoothly, until with a quiet 'ding' it announced it's arrival at the ground floor, and the doors slid open almost silently.

On the other side of the doors, in the lobby, stood a woman around her 30's, with brown hair reaching over her shoulders, chocolate eyes, and wearing a simple flower patterned dress with a white cardigan on top of it to avoid a too revealing look. She was just digging her keys from her brown bag of fake leather, as she looked up when the doors opened.

( So this is where you've been hiding? Nice place... )

The TV was on but neither Emily or Audrey were watching it. The 12-year-old girl was filling the washing machine in the kitchen after dinner, while her mother was starting ironing in the living room. Their apartment was one of the smallest in the Manor since Emily with her job as a cook in the low-priced and thus popular steakhouse couldn't afford much. Still, she had wanted to live in the Manor to give her only daughter the best environment to grow up that she possible could.

( A distracting TV show )

Emily patted across the lobby to the Mocha, wearing a knee-lenght skirt fluttering around her knees, and a comfortable, loose white top. She had spent the afternoon after work preparing things for Saturday's barbecue, like she had promised to Adam, but now felt the need for coffee and company. So she joined the queue by the counter, and looked around for familiar faces.

*

The elevator said "ding!", and when the doors slid open, out hopped Thomas Avery still sporting a moustache, wearing a Lacoste polo shirt and white trousers. Although the right leg of the trousers was rolled up to give room for the cast still covering his leg. With the support of crutches he moved slowly to the mail room to check the box. He had been stuck with the casts for too long now, so he was taking every opportunity to get out of the house until the cast would be taken off the following week.

The Lamb was never exactly quiet but Wednesday was one of its slightly less busy nights and there were a few free tables and the dartboard was free.

Charlie came in and looked around, waved to Molly and headed for the bar. "Hello sweetheart," he said. "Happy thhhhhhinko da mayo. Guiness please. Ah - and one for my friend here. What're you having?"

Emily was supposed to be writing on her laptop, but damn that wireless connection. She had somehow ventured to travel agency pages and other websites looking for something to do in July. She was going to have the full month of holiday since La Fee Verte was once again going to be closed, but what to do with all that time? City, beach, cottage? To be lazy or to adventure? She couldn't decide at all, but it was a fun past time to browse through images and locations - it was like a virtual holiday in itself.

After being at work for the whole week, it was bliss to have a peaceful evening off with Vincenzo. Emily had done her best to get off at 8pm - in the end 8:15 - and when she had come home with Vincenzo, they had both already been starving. She had trusted him to finish cooking and set the table, while she went to take a much needed shower.

A little later Emily appeared to the kitchen doorstep, feeling and smelling a lot fresher, wearing only a bathrobe and dripping water.

"Smells good! Do I have time to go put some clothes on?"

Emily appeared in the Mocha on Wednesday evening and joined the queue, wearing a summery dress underneath a beige cardigan. She had wanted to grab this rare chance to hang out and meet people in the Mocha, in the evening when all the normal people were around, now that she had an evening off.

Only when she was in the queue she noticed the dried chocolate stains on her wrist and her arm, and started absent-mindledly scraping them off. What she didn't notice was the chocolate stain on her chin.

Anastasia sat at a table in the Mocha with one sleeve of her bright blue sweater rolled up to look at a nasty hand-shaped bruise on her forearm. She'd noticed it while getting dressed this morning, but couldn't remember where or how she'd gotten it.
Not Gavin, she knew. So where?

Out of curiousity she rested her left hand on the bruise and it matched exactly. One palm, four fingertips and one thumb. She'd done this to herself.
When? Why?
Shivering a little, she crossed her arms over her chest and took a sip of coffee.

In the laundry room Emily was pulling out damp clothes of mostly red and pink and orange colors from the machine, and moving them to the dryer. She was humming absent-mindedly, until she pulled out something that was now pink, but had once been Vincenzo's white t-shirt. Oops.

*

Laura stopped by the front doors before she walked in. She had to glance back, but then she turned towards the doors and entered the Lobby with a smile on her face. No one had been following her. Funny how the simplest things in life could make you happy when you had faced the worst.

"I've heard wonderful things about this place," Ana said as she walked with Emily to the entrance of NOIR, then inside. The doorbell chimed it's familiar Ding Dong the Witch is Dead! and Ana laughed. "How fun!"

Emily went to the Mocha for a cup of coffee before leaving to work. While she sat there, it occurred to her to send a text message to Anastasia.

Hey! When are we going shopping?

After pressing Send, she put the phone back to her bag and continued flipping through a magazine.

*

Laura walked into the lobby from outside in her tall black boots and just finished a phone call with her mother. Easter was coming up and plans were in the making, but Laura did not yet know what she was going to do.

*

Robert sat down on a bar stool in the Slaughtered Lamb with a heavy sigh. Finally the weekend and a few days off. First things first, though - a pint of Guinness.

The party on Saturday had been amazingly fun, and Emily had been very happy to see so many Manorite ladies join in. After much talking, giggling, eating, drinking and dancing, Emily had gotten safely home on the ride that Andy had arranged, and eventually even to her own flat. The delightful and at the same time rather startling pile of gifts had been left on the living room table while Emily had stumbled to bed. And there she was, sound asleep - but at least she had managed to wash her make up off and change to a nightie.

Wayne was the only one showing any reaction to the noise coming from the door, and the cat left Emily to sleep alone while he creeped to the hall to find out what was going on.

Emily had her outfit thought out, a lift arranged, girls invited... everything was about ready for the party on Saturday. Except that on Thursday she realized with a jolt that she had completely forgotten to make a reservation in the Flamingo Lounge.

Hoping that Gil would help a friend in need, she dialed his number and crossed her fingers.

Emily invaded a large table from the coffeeshop and spread her things on the table: laptop, cell phone, calendar, coffee mug and a slice of pie. Her birthday was coming up and she had a party to plan, and at the same time she hoped to bump into any Manorite lady who would like to come along.

She wrote down the names of those who had already signed up, and started thinking of a place to go. Perhaps she should contact Gil - the Flamingo had space, it wasn't too loud for a bunch of girls to gossip and giggle together, and there was everything from food to drinks to dancing.

Emily continued brainstorming and keeping an eye out for friends for a long while in the Mocha, getting refills to her coffee mug every now and then.

Jazz sat by herself, fiddling with her cell phone. It'd been four days now, since the ball, and she hadn't heard anything. Should she continue to give him space and hope he came around on his own? Or should she call and try to explain herself.

Maybe that would just make it worse.

She played with her phone and wibbled.

~.~

Joe sat at his favorite table, enjoying a cup of coffee and the crossword while quietly admiring his new keychain. He didn't believe in luck, but it was quite handsome and it hadn't been expected and that made him smile.