Carly woke up the next day and went downstairs. Jason was there with Marisa cradled in one arm and Michael in the other. He was talking to them at the window. He was a natural father. She leaned her head on her hand with her arm placed on the staircase railing base. Jason continued to talk to them about everything. Carly felt like this was her family. Jason, Michael, and Marisa meant everything to her. They were her world and here she was thinking she could actually end up with A.J. She didn't feel right with Jason but she didn't feel complete without him. Jason turned around and saw Carly. "Good morning, sunshine!"Carly giggled when she looked at her children's smiling faces. "How are my most favorite people in the world doing?"
Jason handed Carly Marisa and held on to Michael. "I was just telling them about everything."
"I figured as much." Carly laughed and then made a serious look. "Jason, about last night--"
She was cut off by a knock on the door. Johnny opened the door. "Delivery for Ms. Bensen."
"Delivery?" Carly frowned. She walked to the door with Marisa.
A man appeared before her. "I have a delivery for you." He pulled out a clipboard. "Sign here, please."
Carly put her signature on the dotted line and six guys walked into her apartment. All had a vase holding a dozen roses in them. Carly's eyes widened along with Jason's. They put the vases on the table and walked out. When the door closed, Carly walked over to the table. She pulled out the card that was placed in one of them. The roses were all different colors and impressed Carly very much. The card read, 'Answer the phone.' As Carly read the words, the phone rang. Jason put Michael down and took Marisa. Carly ran to the phone, "Hello."
"Do you like them?"
"A--" Carly stopped herself from saying his name, "A... yes Mom, I loved the flowers." Carly turned away from Jason mouthing to herself, stupid.
"Jason's there?" A.J. asked.
"Yep," Carly confirmed.
"No matter. I want you to have dinner with me tonight." A.J. was sort of commanding her.
"I don't know if that's such a good idea." Carly was growing even more mad by the second.
Jason knew it was A.J. He listened to the way her tone sent messages to him. Right now she was mad and Jason was happy she was.
"Carly, I just want to have dinner with you. That's all," A.J. assured her.
"I don't--" Carly stopped herself again.
"Jason won't be a problem, he's got an ELQ meeting tonight."
"And you?" Carly was careful never to say his name.
"I won't be there. I don't have to be. I have everything arranged, just say yes."
Carly closed her eyes and thought she needed some closure so she said, "Yes."
"Great!" A.J. added, "I'll see you then."
Carly then had a second thought, "Wait--" But there was nothing but a dial tone.
Jason knew something had just happened, but Carly spent the rest of the day acting as though nothing had happened. What was going on?
Jason hated to do it, but he had to leave Carly for an ELQ meeting. Carly was with Marisa right now in Marisa's new room. Jason checked on her to make sure she was still with Marisa and reluctantly left. After Carly heard the door close she walked back out to the front room. She sighed and rubbed her forehead. When there was a knock, Carly didn't want to but she had to answer the door. There was a pudgy little woman who had a big box that looked like a gift, a make up kit, and a bag of hair supplies. Carly stood in disbelief. Who was this?
"Allow me to introduce myself." She grabbed Carly's hand to shake it. "My name is Roseanna." She smiled and pinched Carly's cheek, "You are a cute one." She laughed and invited herself in.
Carly waved to Johnny to let him know she was fine and closed the door. "Why are you here?"
"Mr. Quartermaine sent me. I'm here to help you get ready. You don't plan on dating him wearing that do you?" Roseanna pointed at Carly's clothing.
Carly looked down at her dark green pants and black long sleeved shirt which had a stain from Marisa's baby food. Her hair wasn't all that great considering the hassle she had to go through with Michael and Marisa. But she was happy she could take care of them. "I'm not going," Carly finally told Roseanna.
"Your turning down A.J. Quartermaine. Are you nuts?!" she said with her thick Hispanic accent.
"Yes! First of all I have my children. Second of all how do I know what he's up to?"
Roseanna cleared her throat a little. "Mr. Quartermaine made sure Leticia will be here to watch your children and he's just planned a romantic evening," Roseanna assured Carly.
"How would you know?"
"Mr. Quartermaine took the time to fill me in. He's very handsome."
"Yeah, he is--" Carly agreed but shook it off. "What exactly are you here to do?"
"Help you get ready. Now put this on and come back here, I'll help you get ready." Roseanna handed Carly the gift box and instructed.
Carly took the box and went up to her room as Roseanna set up her things. She practically threw the box onto her bed. She started to walk back and forth, eyeing the box. She started rambling to herself, "What am I doing? What? A.J. is too nice and I have got to stop leading him on, which means telling him to take back his gift and flowers and--just everything!" Carly sat down on the bed and couldn't help her curiosity. She slowly took the white ribbon off the shiny purple box. She grabbed the top and took it off. She pushed back the inside wrappings and gasped when she saw the gift. "Oh, A.J.," Carly said and lifted the beautiful dress that was inside. It was a long, silk, dark blue dress with wide straps and the skirt poofed out a little. She loved it but knew it wouldn't be right to go on some date with A.J. Carly looked at the dress again and put it in front of her to see how it would look if she were wearing it. It looked nice but she still felt like she shouldn't go tonight. "Maybe I should just try it on." Carly nodded and undressed then slipped on the perfect fitting dress. It was very comfortable, how on earth did A.J. know her size? Carly looked at herself in the mirror and tried to think. Looking down at the dress and how it looked and fit she thought about how much trouble A.J. must have gone through just for her. She twirled a strand of her hair around her finger, "Fine!" She decided, "Just one night, right, Carly? Nothing major. He's a really great...friend." Carly fell to the ground and began to sob into her hands, "What am I going to do?"
"Ms. Bensen?" Leticia walked into Carly's room.
"Leticia?"
"I'm here to watch the children." Leticia sat next to Carly. "I hate to tell you this but Roseanna looks a little bit upset."
"I should probably go down." Carly laughed, wiped away her tears, and walked downstairs to Roseanna. Time to get ready.
**********Roseanna finally finished up and Carly loved the way it looked. Her hair was up in a french roll with two strands framing her face. Carly was surprised at how different she looked, especially considering what she looked like a little while ago. She looked very richy now. She stood up and took one last look at herself upstairs in her body mirror. When she came back downstairs A.J. was standing there talking to Roseanna. Carly took a deep breath and approached him. When A.J. saw her he was taken aback by how beautiful she looked. "Hi."
Carly blushed. "Hi. What do you think?"
"Don't you know?" A.J. grinned.
"Yeah, I just had to hear it from you." Carly smiled.
"I think you look great." A.J. took her hand, "We better get going."
"I--," Carly hesitated for a second. She wasn't sure if she could go or not but A.J. had taken care of everything and must have done a lot of planning. "Ok," Carly said and walked out with A.J. They got into his car and Carly looked at A.J. and how nice he looked. She felt guilty however because she was in love with Jason. A.J. was Prince Charming and any woman would be lucky to have him, but Carly didn't want him. They were in the back and the driver was taking them to an unknown destination. A.J. eventually looked back at Carly. "Why are you doing this, A.J.? Why did you do this?"
"I told you," A.J. replied.
"No, you told me about some fight. I don't want you and Jason fighting over me. I'm not a piece of property, and although I am incredibly flattered by everything you've done for me, I have to ask that you stop. A.J., you're my best friend and I hope you'll continue to be so, but I can't do this." Carly fussed.
A.J. kissed her hand, "You are an incredible woman. I appreciate you looking out for me and telling me that this is probably the wrong idea. It shows you care. But I'm not giving up on you. You're here with me now, and that's all that matters, and I will make it as memorable as I can."
"A.J--" Carly was cut off by him.
"Just have fun with me tonight, ok?"
"Ok, A.J., I'll have tonight." Carly took a deep breath and looked out the window. What would Jason think? Where was he?
**********Jason finished up the ELQ meeting. He got a weird feeling. He walked into the penthouse and saw Leticia with Marisa. He didn't see any sign of Carly. Both Michael and Marisa were with Leticia? Where was Carly? He tapped Leticia on the shoulder. Leticia let out a sigh of relief when she saw it was just Jason. "Where's Carly?"
"Oh I told her to take a night off and I'd watch the kids," Latica lied.
"Ok, now where is she really?" Jason said, worried that maybe Carly was with A.J.
"Sir, don't get mad at her." Leticia pleaded Carly's case.
"I won't. I can't. I love her. It's really hard to get mad at her," Jason told Leticia.
"Ok, she went out with Mr. Quartermaine," Leticia confessed.
"A.J.? She's with A.J." Jason nodded, "I knew it."
"You said you wouldn't get mad," Leticia reminded him.
"I'm not mad. He wants to go behind my back and romance her? Fine, I can do the same," Jason told Leticia and started making calls.
**********Carly and A.J. showed up at what looked like some sort of old mansion or something. They walked in and Carly noticed there was no one else but a band in the place. She tried not to smile because she knew A.J. wanted and expected it. But the way it was all set up. The way the chandelier and moonlight lit the room she couldn't help but love it. It was so romantic. The band played as soon as they entered and Carly continued to look around at the abandoned place. Spiral staircases, white see through curtains, and some artsy pattern on the floor. It was all wonderful.
"So do you like it?" A.J. inquired.
Carly spun around to him and took a couple small steps toward him, "Why do I feel like I am experiencing the prom night all over again?" She joked.
"Hmm...I have to tell you I have no idea." A.J. laughed.
"Oh." Carly continued to look around the place, letting it all sink in.
"Do you want to dance?" A.J. asked.
Carly shook her head, "No. Not really. I--" Carly looked down in shame,"I shouldn't be here. You and I both know that. I mean for God's sake I'm in love with your brother!" Carly looked down at her outfit, "Thanks for everything but I really should go."
A.J. grabbed her right hand and spun her into his arms, "Don't go." He whispered and eased her into a dance, "Be with me."
Carly began to let her tears fall as she continued to shake her head, "I shouldn't be here. I should go."
"No, you don't have to. Carly, I know what I'm doing. I know that there's a chance you may never want me. But I can't change the way I feel." A.J. spoke softly into her ear and she closed her eyes.
Carly's tears still fell. "Neither can I. I love Jason and as much as I wish I didn't I can't stop."
"Don't you think he knows that?" A.J. asked. "Don't you think he feeds off that? Because you know what he does. He loves knowing that no matter what you love him and you're not even going to try to stop."
Carly lightly pushed him away. "Don't you think I've tried!? I've done everything I can to stop, but no matter what I do I still love him. A.J., I want to love you! I do! I would give anything to love you instead of Jason, because I know you love me too, but I love Jason. I'm," Carly took a deep breath and looked back at the open door. She turned to A.J., "I'm so sorry. I gotta go." Carly cried and bolted for the door. She ran down the white stairs on which they had to go up to enter the house. She grabbed the front of her skirt a little and ran, not looking back.
"Carly!" A.J. yelled and went after her, but couldn't catch up. He knew right then they could never be together. No matter how much it hurt, he knew.