Chapter Two
It’s a long shot, but I say why not
If I say forget it, I know that I’ll regret it
It’s a long shot just to beat these odds
The chance is we won’t make it
But I know if I don’t take it
There’s no chance
Cause you’re the best I got
So take the long shot
~Long Shot by Kelly Clarkson
It had quite possibly been the longest three weeks of Elizabeth’s life. She didn’t know if she should be amused or distressed that these miserable three weeks just happened to coincide with how long she and Jason had been married.
Elizabeth stood at the windows in the great room and looked out over the Port Charles Harbor. Elizabeth had already spent countless hours watching the freighters and the pleasure boats come and go. Seeing the boats and the water reminded her of home. Well, Miami, since this was now her home.
She had loved the penthouse the first moment she’d seen it – on her wedding night. It was gorgeous – spacious and bright, but quite sparse on the decorating. Elizabeth sighed as she looked around. She had been married three weeks and it had been three weeks since she’d seen her husband. She’d been waiting for him to come home, but according to Spinelli, his eccentric assistant, Jason had been called away on business and no one knew when he would be returning.
Elizabeth shook her head and decided that if she was going to make this marriage work, she was going to have to get busy and stop moping around waiting for some man to hold her hand or give her permission. She walked to the phone on the table next to the lone piece of furniture in the enormous room and called the only person who had been kind enough to call and check on her since she’d been dumped here.
“Carly, it’s Elizabeth. Do you feel like going shopping?”
*~*~*~*
Elizabeth collapsed into the chair across from Carly and reached for her wine. “Oh my God. You should have warned me when I asked if you wanted to go shopping. I had no idea you were such a machine.”
Carly leaned back on the couch and studied Elizabeth over the rim of her own wine glass. “You held your own, little girl. I’m impressed.”
Elizabeth let her head roll back as she worked the kinks out of her neck and shoulders. “I had no idea what I was getting into. Do you think Jason will be ok with what we picked out?”
Carly scoffed, “He probably won’t even notice and if he does, he’ll be fine. He doesn’t care about stuff like that.”
“I want Jason to be comfortable in his own home. Do you think he’s going to hate everything I picked out? Maybe it was presumptuous of me to go shopping without asking him first.” Elizabeth couldn’t help but feel unsure about her shopping expedition.
“He’ll be fine. I know him and I think you did a great job picking things he’ll be comfortable with. He would rather be tortured than go shopping, so he isn’t going to have any problem with you going without him. Trust me on this.”
Elizabeth chewed her lip and debated about whether to say anything about her concerns. Finally, she sighed, “Carly, do you have any idea where Jason is?”
Carly slowly lowered her wine glass and stared, “Of course. Don’t you?”
“No. I got up the morning after the wedding and he was gone. I asked Spinelli and all he would tell me was that Jason had been called away on business. I don’t have his cell phone number and Spinelli wouldn’t give it to me when I asked. He said he’d have Jason call, but I haven’t heard from him. I don’t want to be a whiny brat, but I’d kind of like to know my new husband is ok and when he might be back.”
Carly could not believe her best friend. What a jerk. Oh, she was going to give him a piece of her mind just as soon as she could get his selfish ass on the phone. “Elizabeth, he’s in Puerto Rico. There was some problem … yet again … with one of the casinos. Sonny said he’d be back by Friday night.”
“Oh, good,” Elizabeth let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. “That’s good to know. I’m glad he’s ok.” Elizabeth couldn’t help but feel left out since it seemed that everyone had known what was going on but her. “And I’m glad all the furniture will be delivered tomorrow. I should have everything arranged before he gets home.”
Carly couldn’t help it, she liked Elizabeth. She wasn’t what Carly had been expecting – she wasn’t as shy and meek as Lorenzo had made her out to be, but she was nice … normal, and didn’t seem to be dependent on Jason to make her world go ‘round. And knowing Jason like Carly did, that was a very good thing.
*~*~*~*
Jason picked his phone up on the 4th ring and could see from the caller id that it was Carly. “Hey,” he said as he sipped his beer and watched the sun set from the balcony of Sonny’s villa.
“Don’t you hey me, Jason Morgan. You are in some serious shit with me, mister,” Carly snarled at him. Elizabeth had left her house about 30 seconds before and Carly wasn’t wasting anytime giving Jason a piece of her mind.
“What? What did I do to you?”
“To me, absolutely nothing. To you wife, now that’s a whole different story. You do remember your wife, don’t you Jason? She’s the pretty, petite brunette with the sapphire blue eyes. I think her name might be Elizabeth. She’s the one you dumped in your house 3 weeks ago and haven’t even let know you’re alive. Didn’t leave her a number where she could reach you. Haven’t checked in to make sure she’s ok in a completely new house in a completely new city. Any of this ringing a bell with you?” Carly ranted and paced her living room while she outlined just a few of Jason’s sins as she saw them.
“Now Carly …”
“Don’t you now Carly me, you jerk. Apparently she’s asked Spinelli on numerous occasions for your cell phone number, where you are, and if you’re ok, but your ever-faithful assistant was not at liberty to divulge any of that information. I just assumed you were in contact with her, but I see now how wrong I was. I cannot believe you…”
Jason pinched the bridge of his nose as he listened to Carly rant. “Are you done now?”
“Don’t you take that tone with me Jason. You know you’re in the wrong, and you owe Elizabeth an explanation. Talk about rude and hurtful. I thought better of you.”
“Carly.” Jason sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I know I should have called, but I don’t even know Elizabeth. You know I don’t like to talk on the phone. What was I going to say to her? She’s a stranger.”
“Well, she isn’t going to ever be anything other than a stranger if you don’t talk to her. You should have at least left her a note or called to tell her where you were. She was worried. She asked me if I knew if you were ok.”
Jason sighed. Carly was right, but damned if he wanted to admit that to her. “I’m sorry Carly. I didn’t think of it like that. I’m not used to having someone to answer to. Someone that worries about me.”
“I’m going to forget for now that you’ve completely overlooked the fact that I worry about you, and tell you that you’d better get used to having someone to answer to, as you so quaintly put it. You’re married now. It’s time you pull your head out of your ass and be considerate. When are you coming home?”
Jason just sighed, pulled his hair, and took another drink of his beer. What the hell had he gotten himself into? “I’ll be home Friday afternoon.”
“Good. I’ll expect you and Elizabeth at our house at 7:00 for dinner. And don’t worry, I’ll tell her myself since you don’t seem capable of communicating with your wife. You know, Jason, I know you didn’t want this marriage, but you are, in fact, married. And are going to be for awhile. I think you need to try to make the best of the situation. You never know, it may turn out to be the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”