CHAPTER SIXTEEN

WYNDEMERE:

Stefan(enters and Lucas comes running into his arms)So, Lucas, how did you spend your day. And did you enjoy yourself?

Lucas: I had the best time, Uncle. I went down to the stables and fed all the horses. Did you know Jerry gave me a pony for my birthday.

Stefan: No, I didn’t.

Lucas: He did and he taught me how to ride it and to take care of it. Now, I’m an expert at taking care of horses. Maybe you could give me a job working in your stables and I could live here, forever.

Stefan: We’ll see, Lucas. Now, what would you like for dinner, tonight.

Alexis(enters)When Mrs. Lansbury called me, I was praying the woman was going senile. Are you nuts?

Stefan: Lucas, I believe Mrs. Lansbury is in the kitchen right now making your favorite cookies. Why don’t you go and see.

Alexis: Stefan, if the police catch you with that child you could be arrested for kidnapping.

Stefan: The only one who should be arrested is Barbara for being an unfit mother. Do you know she tried to blame me for the fact she’s more interested in satisfying that insatiable libido of hers with her jailbird gigolo than being a mother to her son.

Alexis: Stefan, you don’t even know enough about the situation to sit in judgment.

Stefan: I know that she deserted her son to go off on some romantic holiday with this Troy.

Alexis: His name is Roy and she left him with Tony Jones.

Stefan: Whatever, it doesn’t change the facts of the matter.

Alexis: Stefan, Bobbie is not Helena and you are not Lucas. And making Bobbie’s life miserable isn’t going to change the fact you may need a kidney transplant. Just when do you intend to give him back.

Stefan: When I feel Barbara has suffered enough.

Alexis: Fine, I can see there’s no talking you out of this. When you do give him back give me a call. Then we’ll go to the hospital and get the tests done to see if I’m a compatible kidney donor for you.

Stefan: There’s no rush. According to Dr. Jones I’ve got plenty of time before I’ll need a transplant.

Alexis: Stefan, you’re the master planner. It’s better to have everything arranged in advance for when you need it, then to have to scramble at the last moment to find you a kidney donor.

ANTIQUE SHOP:

Sonny(and Carly enter)I can’t believe you’ve dragged me to four antique shops when we should be at the coffee warehouse as we speak.

Carly: I don’t just want any old bath tub. It has to be special and I’ll know it when I see it.

Sonny: Well, do you mind telling me what it looks like so I’ll recognize it when I see it.

Carly: I want one of those big old-fashioned claw-footed bath tubs for us to bathe in together. The tubs they make today are so small. You and I are going to need plenty of room for what I’ve got in mind.

Sonny: Another test for my self-control until we can do more than fondle each other.

Carly: If we find the right tub, I might just do more than fondle you in it. Just think of that as a motivator to help me find what I’m looking for.

Sales Clerk(approaches them)May I help you?

Sonny: We’re looking for a big old-fashioned claw-footed bath tub(he turns back to Carly)Is that right?

Carly(smiles)That’s right.

Sonny: Can you help us?

Sales Clerk: As a matter of fact, I think I can. I think I have just what you’re looking for. If you and your wife would please follow me.

Carly: (whispers to Sonny) He thinks I’m your wife.

Sonny: (whispers back)Probably because only a husband would go through crap like this for a wife.

Carly: Then what’s your excuse, Sonny.

Sales Clerk( spoke before Sonny could reply) Here it is. Aint she a beauty.

Sonny: It’s a monstrosity.

Carly: It’s perfect.

Sonny: It’ll never fit in the bathroom.

Carly: Then we’ll make it fit. We’ll take it. Would you mind if we tried it out, first.

Sonny: Carly...

Sales Clerk: I’ll be at the front of the store when you’re ready to purchase it.

Carly: (watches as the clerk heads back to the front of the store)All right, Sonny, get in it.

Sonny: What!

Carly: I want to see if it’s big enough for the both of us to fit in.

Sonny: Trust me, a family of five could fit in this thing with room to spare.

Carly: Just do it.

Sonny(as he climbs into the tub)The things you get me to do. (he sits down in the tub)I fell stupid.

Carly(climbs into the tub and sits at the end opposite to Sonny)Yes, we’ll both fit in this just fine.(she leans back and sighs, pretending they’re in a tub filled with water)Sit back and enjoy it. Doesn’t the water just feel divine against our flesh, Sonny.

Sonny: This is your idea of a hot, steamy bath. You at one end. Me at the other.

Carly: But I can do such interesting things to you with my foot from this position.(she begins to run the toe of her shoe up the inside of his thigh)

Sonny(grabs her foot before it makes contact with his crotch)Watch where you’re poking that spiked-heel.

Carly: Lay down, now.

Sonny; Why?

Carly: You’ll see.

Sonny: If I do it, can we get out of the tub, then.

Carly: You may not want to when you see what I’m going to do.

Sonny(stretches out in the bottom of the tub with his arms out-stretched like a sacrificial virgin about to be thrown into a bubbling volcano)All right, I’m laying down. Now what.

Carly(stretches out on top of him)Just imagine we’re not wearing these clothes. Our bodies are surrounded by the erotic feel of water lapping against us. We’re laying skin to skin. Our bodies our molded together like with not an inch of air to separate us from each other. (Sonny raises his head the few inches separating his mouth from hers as they stare hotly into each others eyes) You can’t do that in a moldy old shower, can you? (just as Sonny closes his eyes and moves in for the kiss, she suddenly pulls away before their lips can make contact, sits up and straddles his lap)I told you I’d pay you back for what you did to me this morning in the shower, didn‘t I? (she begins to bounce up and down on his lap)There’s so many interesting positions you can have in a tub, don’t you think?

Sonny: I’m just as vengeful as you are, little girl, and if you don’t stop tormenting me like you’re doing right this minute, you’ll find out just how vengeful I can be.

Carly: (climbs off his lap and sits back at the other end of the tub)Sonny, you and I are really going to have fun in this tub. Just you wait and see.

Sonny: Can we get out of this thing, now?

Carly: On one condition.

Sonny: I’m almost afraid to ask.

Carly: That you promise to make sure this is delivered at the penthouse by tonight and it’s all set up and ready for our use when we get home from work. Deal?(she holds out her hand to him)

Sonny(grabs on to her hand)Deal. (then he helps her climb out of the tub. Once he climbs out he studies the tub)Carly, I don’t know how this thing is even going to fit through the apartment door. Carly?(he sees her walking over to something sitting in the corner)Something over there that caught your eye.

Carly(sadly)Yeah.

Sonny(walks over there to see what she’s looking at. It’s an antique bassinet. Like Carly, he’s hit by their loss of the baby all over, again)It’s a bassinet.

Carly: You know, I can get through the day just fine, then something like this happens and it hits me all over, again.

Sonny: I know. I heard a baby crying in the park the other day and I felt like someone just kicked me in the stomach because we’ll never even hear our baby cry. We can only imagine what his cry would have sounded like.

Carly: Or what he would have looked like. Would he have had your black hair and dimples.

Sonny: Or your blond hair and my eyes.

Carly: (leans back against him)But as much as it hurts, being with you makes it hurt a little less.

Sonny:(wraps his arms around her)I know. I feel the same way. Being with you somehow makes the pain more bearable.

Bobbie(bursts in at that moment hysterical)Thank god, I’ve finally found you. (she grabs Sonny by the arm)Sonny, you’ve got to help me. Lucas is missing and I can’t find him anywhere.