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| Topic Started: July 7, 2009, 10:21 pm (1,573 Views) | |
| Paxton | July 7, 2009, 10:21 pm Post #1 |
My Name is ___ and I'm an EJoliholic!
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I have to pitch in here since EJole is doing a good job reminding everyone we have a fanfic section  I'll go ahead and start one. I guess this will fall into a "What Might Have Been" category, as I'm going to go back to EJ and Nicole's first meeting. EJ and Sami are still in their marriage of convenience and Nicole is still married to Victor. I don't care about Trent Robbins so he won't exist in my story. Getting out of marriage to Victor is plenty difficult enough! (Sorry, Vic, I do love you though!) John and Marlena and Steve and Kayla are around, as is Brady. Ava won't be though.********************************* Nicole stretched, wriggled, yawned and finally gave a purr of pure contentment. It had been a while since she slept on such a luxurious mattress, to say nothing of the Frette linens; when she had been mistress of the Kiriakis mansion she had instituted an all-Frette policy, which Victor was apparently still following. Or, at least, Henderson was. I'll say one thing for the old bastard, she thought: he spares no expense on the house. Or his wife, as long as she's meeting the standard of Young, Beautiful and Compliant. Speaking of Victor, she had a meeting with him and his lawyers tomorrow. She had really put off hiring her own counsel for much too long, but she had hoped Victor would just buy her off and she wouldn't have to pay a lawyer any fees. That didn't look like it was going to happen, though, and she clearly needed an advocate to put some pressure on Victor. Better spend today trying to track someone down, someone good but someone who might be . . . flexible negotiating his or her fees. Well, maybe not "her" fees. After an hour of primping in the ornate bathroom, Nicole finally headed downstairs to the breakfast table. The only thing left on the sideboard was the coffee pot, a cinnamon roll and some sad-looking sausages. Nicole glanced reproachfully at Henderson, shaking her head. "Henderson, shouldn't the lady of the house have a full complement of breakfast foods available any time before noon? Didn't we have that rule before?" Henderson looked at her coldly and said, "We did, ma'am, but you are no longer the lady of the house. Mr. Kiriakis has made that perfectly clear. I believe his exact words were, 'I guess we can't let her starve, but don't go to any trouble.'" Nicole harumphed and waved her hand. "I guess we're making progress then. I thought he wouldn't mind letting me starve. I'll just help myself to the coffee then." Henderson left and Nicole poured her coffee and took the roll. She had brought her laptop downstairs with her and started the onerous task of looking up Salem attorneys. There weren't so many family law attorneys, as it turned out, and none of them were available to meet with her on such short notice. She was going to have to ask Victor if they could push their meeting back a couple of days. In the meantime, she scheduled an appointment for the next day with the firm of Perry & Goad: large and white-shoe enough to impress Victor, but she intended to request a younger associate since his fees would be cheaper. A young male associate, who could perhaps be dazzled into not billing quite as much as he should. With a sense of accomplishment, Nicole decided to spend the afternoon out by the pool. She dashed upstairs to change into her swimsuit and tied a pareo around her waist. On her way out to the back, she ran into Victor, who was home early for some unexpected but convenient-for-her reason. Forcing a smile to her face, she stopped him, glad she was skimpily dressed and hopeful this would affect his mood positively. That hope was dashed when he turned around and merely frowned at her, exasperated; at some point he had apparently become immune to her charms. Well, his loss. "Nicole," Victor said, smoothly. "Good to see you enjoying my hospitality. For as long as it lasts which, I don't think, is going to be so very much longer." "Ah, that," Nicole said. "See, I need to talk to you about that. My lawyer can't meet with you tomorrow and I was hoping you could reschedule for Friday." Victor's eyebrows creaked upwards. "Your lawyer? Somebody agreed to represent you? What fool . . . I mean, who?" "Perry & Goad," she said, not ready to admit they hadn't actually agreed yet, and, reading his expression, said, "You've heard of them, I see." "Indeed I have. I can't believe Bob Perry would stoop to representing you, not to mention the fact that we're old friends and surely he doesn't want to . . . lose our friendship." Nicole felt a quiver of doubt but reminded herself this was the problem. Everybody in town was afraid to go against the Kirakises. That had been helpful when she was one, but not now. Not to mention which, technically, they had not agreed to represent her yet. "Insult me, threaten me, whatever," she said. "Just tell me if you'll agree to move our meeting until Friday. I promise I'll do my best to stay out of your way and I won't seduce Philip or Brady or do anything else to make you mad." Victor glared at her but she stood her ground. They might not be lovers anymore but they did understand each other, very well, and Nicole knew Victor liked her to have a backbone. and tended to be more agreeable when she did Finally, he unbent a little and said, "Fine. Friday. No more extensions. I want you out of my life for as cheaply as possible, as soon as possible." Nicole gave him a brilliant smile and winked at him. "Thank you. You don't want me out of your life any more than I want you out of my own. It's just that you're going to have to pay for the pleasure." There it was, that glint in his eye: the joy of sparring. He almost smiled as he said, "We'll see about that, Nicole; I think I already paid for my pleasure," and turned sharply to go do whatever Kiriakis things he did when she wasn't watching. The afternoon passed, a beautiful, sunny day, unusually warm for Salem. Nicole alternated between swimming laps, reading, and thinking about what she would buy with Victor's money. He hadn't paid nearly enough for his pleasure, she thought. Not nearly enough. Just as she had decided she had had enough sun, Henderson came outside and told her she had a telephone call. Having no friends in this town, this came as a surprise to Nicole, until Henderson told her the call was from Perry & Goad. It was a male associate, she was happy to hear: a John Pesterall. Mr. Pesterall had been instructed to meet with her to see if the firm would take her case, and the only time he had to do so was this evening. He asked if he could meet her at Chez Rouge for a dinner appointment or, if she would be more comfortable, they could meet at his office; however, he was offering Chez Rouge as a public place where a lady might feel more comfortable. Nicole was delighted to accept the Chez Rouge invitation, thinking she would have an excuse to wear something sexy, not to mention which she would get a decent meal. They agreed to meet at seven o' clock and Nicole rang off with her second sense of accomplishment of the day. At five minutes after seven, Nicole entered Chez Rouge, dressed in a fitted red sheath and silver stilettos and sporting as much of the expensive jewelry Victor had given her as she still owned. To wit: diamond hoops and a diamond Art Deco bracelet. Regretfully, the rest had all been pawned, but perhaps with Mr. Pesterall's help she would be buying new jewelry. A man rose from the bar and, with a properly impressed expression, introduced himself as John Pesterall. Nicole looked him up and down: he was well-dressed but totally unprepossessing in appearance. Perfect; an average-looking man was more easily swayed by the alluring promise of all she could offer. Mr. Pesterall gestured towards a table. "If you'd like to sit down, Mrs. Kiriakis . . . I'm afraid I only have an hour, but that should be enough time." "Indeed," Nicole said, smiling, but her smile was cut short when she saw who was seated at the next table. Her old "friend" Sami was there, having a strained conversation with a very handsome man. Nicole had not been in town long enough nor had she been interested enough to find out what Sami was up to, but who was this man? Where was Lucas? Oh well, not her business. She turned back to Mr. Pesterall, who seated her, and ordered her requested very dirty martini. Mr. Pesterall then proceeded to both bore and worry her with his detailed description of what their fees would be, how much time the case would take, and the general outline of what a case of her size would entail, how many court appearances, etc. Her enthusiasm started to flag as she thought about how much money she might end up paying to this firm just to stick it to Victor. Her attention also was periodically distracted by whatever was going on with Sami and the man at her table; she occasionally caught words like "immigration agent" and "why should I do anything for you." She noticed the man had an English accent. How did Sami get hooked up with a Brit? When Mr. Pesterall finally paused to draw breath, he glanced down at his BlackBerry and, apologizing profusely, told her he had to return an urgent call but he would be back soon. Nicole nodded distractedly and figured here was her chance to find out what was going on with Sami. As Mr. Pesterall left the table, she strolled over to Sami's table, her second drink in hand, and brightly said, "Why, hello, Sami! Your back was to me, or I feel sure you would have greeted me. I guess you didn't know I was back in town." Sami's expression was, Nicole was gratified to see, instantly deeply annoyed. "How wonderful," she snapped. "What is it you're doing here?" The man had stood at Nicole's approach and offered Nicole his hand. "I'm EJ DiMera. How do you do?" "How do you do," Nicole echoed. "Nicole Walker." "Please, have a seat," EJ said, as Sami glared. Nicole promptly did. He smiled at her. "So, you're an old friend of Samantha's?" "Well, maybe that's an exagg . . ." Nicole began, while Sami snorted. "No, EJ, she is not my friend," Sami said. "We do go way back, but my friend, she is not." "So, what are you saying, Sami? That I'm not your friend?" "I am saying that; I am saying that, indeed," Sami said. Nicole took a sip of her drink and turned back to EJ. "What is your relationship to Sami . . . Samantha . . . if I might ask?" "I'm her husband," EJ said. "Husband?" Nicole said, blankly. "As in, you married her? On purpose?" EJ said, "Of course on purpose," somewhat reprovingly, but she could not help noticing the twitch at the corners of his mouth. Nicole shrugged. "Hey, far be it from me to judge. I married Victor Kirakis, after all. And I'm desperately trying to get out of it, not that I'm implying anything about your future, of course." EJ leaned in. "Is that why you're talking to John Pesterall? Is he your divorce attorney?" "Well, I haven't decided . . . why? Are you a lawyer?" EJ nodded. "I am." Out of the corner of her eye, Nicole noticed Sami vehemently shaking her head. "What's wrong, Sami? You don't want me to hire your husband? You don't want to get your hands on some of the Kirakis money?" Sami snapped, "I'm not like you, Nicole. I don't marry for money." Nicole nodded understandingly. "So true. You usually can't even give it away." Sami jumped up furiously. "Get away from my table. Go slither back to whatever hole you crawled out from." Nicole threw up her hands and said, "Okay, okay. No problem. But I have to know, EJ: if I were willing to hire you, would you represent me? It could mean a lot of money. And if you are indeed a DiMera, of THE famous DiMeras, as in Stefano DiMera, I could really use you. You might be the only one in town not afraid of Victor." EJ said, "Stefano is my father, so yes, I am one of THE DiMeras. It seems, however, as if my wife might not want me to take your case, so I think it would be better . . . ." "Say no more," Nicole said. "If you're scared of Sami, you definitely can't take on Victor. I'd better get back to Mr. Pesterall. He doesn't look like much but he doesn't seem henpecked either." As she stood to go, EJ jumped up too, and she noticed for the first time how tall he was. And now, he seemed angry. "Hold on a moment, Mrs. Kiriakis. I'm not scared of Victor Kiriakis. Or anyone else, for that matter. Maybe I could help you." Nicole settled back into her seat, restraining herself from looking at Sami, who she knew had to be furious. This, she thought, was going to be fun. |
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| LizluvsDays | July 7, 2009, 11:54 pm Post #2 |
It's 5 o'clock somewhere
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This is GREAT Pax! OOO I can't wait for another chapter! I LOVE FF! I used to be addicted to GH FF back in the days! Thanks for starting a fic! I hope this is a long one! Liz |
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| EJole | July 8, 2009, 4:54 am Post #3 |
Stay Away From That Phone!
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That was good!! Please more and soon, I can't wait what happens! |
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| Paxton | July 8, 2009, 1:57 pm Post #4 |
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My Name is ___ and I'm an EJoliholic!
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Thanks for the comments! Chapter 2: *********************************** Mrs. Kiriakis said, "Well, then, EJ . . . may I call you EJ? I'm sure Sami won't mind. I want half of Victor's assets. And I don't know what your billing rate is, but if you get half of Victor's cash, then I can definitely afford you." "I bill $300 per hour. That doesn't include paralegal time and costs, of course. Does Victor want to be through with you as much as you do with him?" Looking at the svelte blond sitting next to him, EJ found it hard to believe that he did. "Oh, yeah, definitely. I should warn you he likes to claim I tried to kill him, plus there will be some allegations of cheating. He's kind of torn: he'd love to have this over with fast, but he also would love to drag my name through the mud." Sami sniffed contemptuously. "Drag your name though the mud even more, you mean? After your porn career it would be hard to make you look worse." Porn career? Attempted murder? Cheating? This would be a very difficult client indeed, especially since Mrs. Kirakis hadn't exactly denied any of it. On the other hand, Victor would probably have to pay something to get out of the marriage and he could take the case, see if they could settle quickly and if not, he could withdraw and recommend other representation. The idea of going up against Victor and making him pay was rather exhilarating . . . but what of Samantha? She hated this woman, clearly, and he had worked too hard to carry out his father's dream of a DiMera-Brady alliance to risk that. Then again, he had a family to support and Samantha would just have to understand that. Mrs. Kirakis snapped her slender fingers impatiently. "Hello? EJ? Mr. Pesterall is staring over here nervously and I need to get back to him. What should I tell him? Should I let him know I won't be retaining his firm?" EJ inhaled, looked at Samantha: she was shaking her head at him and her eyes were cold slits. She was not going to like this decision, but she was going to have to understand that the money was going to have to come first. Plus, she didn't run his life. "Yes, Mrs. Kiriakis; you have counsel. I'll have my office do a conflict check in the morning just to be sure, though I think there's no problem there. Would you meet me at my office at 10 a.m.? Here's my card." Samantha said, "EJ, you can't be seri . . .," but Mrs. Kirakis took the card and gave him a high-voltage smile. "I'll be there, with bells on," she promised. "Just so you know, we have a meeting with Victor and his lawyers on Friday." EJ nodded shortly. "Good. We'll plan things out tomorrow. The goal is to settle early and for as much as possible. Right?" "Right, indeed. And now, if you'll excuse me, Mr. Pesterall awaits me breaking his heart. Sami, don't pout. I promise Victor's money really does cure a lot of ills. In six months you'll have forgotten all about me. Speaking of forgetting about people, whatever happened to Lucas?" Samantha flushed. "He's in prison, Nicole, not that you care." "Prison? For what?" "For shooting me," EJ said, smoothly. He rose to assist Mrs. Kiriakis out of her chair, ignoring her obvious curiosity, and shaking her hand, wished her good evening. Funny how he felt a little disappointment watching her walk away; she had brought a little sparkle to the evening. More than a little. Samantha folded her arms and glared at him. "I really think you'll regret this, EJ. You should have listened to me about her. Nicole has never been anything but trouble to anyone and Victor knows everything about her. You can't win this." EJ smiled easily. "Never tell me I can't do anything, Samantha: I happen to like a challenge. But why don't you tell me what's so rotten about her?" "Where do I start? She broke my brother Eric's heart, for one thing. He was in love with her but she married Lucas because Kate paid her $5 million so he could have custody of Will." "She married Lucas?" EJ asked, somewhat astonished. That seemed an odd match. "Yeah, Lucas was young and impressionable and happy to be marrying a model. That wasn't a love match; he just wanted a trophy." Still jealous of Lucas, EJ noted, somewhat annoyed. Samantha continued, "Obviously they're divorced now. She married Victor for his money. She already told you about the cheating and attempted murder. Oh, and she was involved sometimes with Brady, Victor's grandson, so that's another reason Victor hates her." EJ swirled his wine around his glass, not wanting to admit putting the charming Mrs. Kiriakis on the witness stand would have some drawbacks. Better know the worst, though. "What's this about her porn career?" Samantha looked a little ashamed of herself. "Maybe I shouldn't have said it like that. She had an abusive father and he made her do porn when she was a teenager. I think it was just the one movie, under the name Misty Circle." "Misty Circle," EJ repeated, thoughtfully. Well, Victor probably--hopefully--knew that when he married her so that wasn't an out for him. He would have to ask Mrs. Kiriakis about the rest tomorrow. Samantha said quietly, "EJ. I really don't want you taking her case. I don't see why you should expect me to help you out not getting deported. If I don't help you, you can't take her case and make money anyway because you won't be here in the US. Do you really not care what I think and what matters to me?" EJ sighed. She did look hurt, and he had promised himself he would try not to hurt her again; he had inflicted enough pain for a lifetime. He reached over to try to take her hand, but she withdrew it. "Look, Samantha," he began, patiently. "This is about money for me, okay? Mickey will be pleased I'm bringing in a client and the fees could be substantial. I have you and Johnny to support, and I will take care of Allie as well since Lucas isn't here. I know you hate Nicole. I understand that. But this is just business for me." Why did that feel like not quite the full truth? "I guess I don't like the way you do business then," Samantha said, sulkily. "I don't care if you think she's attractive or . . . do you think she's pretty?" Aha, there it was: the green-eyed monster. The question was, was Samantha jealous over him, or was it about her ego? For almost two years now he had not looked at anyone else, faithfully following Father's instructions. He had certainly proclaimed his love and fidelity often enough, to no response or at least, inadequate response. Well, let's see what response an honest answer provokes. EJ said firmly, "Yes, of course, I think she's a beautiful woman. You said yourself she's a trophy wife and she certainly is. I can see why Victor and Lucas were willing to delude themselves." He grinned to himself as he saw that hit the target; she frowned and rolled her eyes. "Men," she snapped. "You only care about looks, who cares that she's an evil bitch?" "Correction," said EJ. "She may be an evil bitch, but she might also be one who can bring us some money. Which, I might add, we could use. So," he said, pouring another glass of wine, "let's talk about how we're going to deal with Mr. Burke." |
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| LizluvsDays | July 8, 2009, 2:52 pm Post #5 |
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It's 5 o'clock somewhere
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GREAT! I loved how Nicole just left and I can't wait for their meeting tomorrow! Sami didnt really sound as whiny as she is on DAYS, which I think is good for now because I figure Sami's going to be very whiny in the furture!LOL Liz |
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| Paxton | July 8, 2009, 3:23 pm Post #6 |
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My Name is ___ and I'm an EJoliholic!
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Well, when I write fanfic I try to make even characters I dislike at least understandable, for the most part. *spoiler alert* Things are definitely going to be play out differently between EJ and Sami than they did on the show, don't worry about that. For one thing, we are not having a baby switch. I will deal with EJ and Sami's "feelings" towards each other in a way that makes sense, at least to me. |
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| LizluvsDays | July 8, 2009, 3:45 pm Post #7 |
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It's 5 o'clock somewhere
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I had a feeling that there wouldnt be one! LOL Can't wait for more! Liz |
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| Paxton | July 8, 2009, 6:34 pm Post #8 |
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My Name is ___ and I'm an EJoliholic!
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Chapter 3: Nicole kicked off her stilettos and flopped onto one of the plush sofas in the media room at the Kiriakis mansion. The media room had been, needless to say, Philip's idea, and he had spared no expense in creating a luxurious virtual movie theater. She flicked on the massive TV, searching for a movie; just as she had settled on "Roman Holiday," in walked Philip. He groaned when he saw her. "If I'm stuck with you in the house, you at least don't get to call the shots on what to watch in here," he said. "If you want to watch some crappy old movie go do it in your room. The Bulls are playing." He dropped down on the adjoining sofa and changed the channel, heedless of her glare. "Why don't I just watch the game with you, since you asked so nicely?" Nicole said, sarcastically. "Suit yourself," Philip said, indifferently. "Just don't ask stupid questions about what's a foul or why do they call them small forwards when they're so big." "Is that any way to talk to your stepmother? Listen, Philip, I have a question for you, involving your favorite . . . what is she, cousin? Sami. Who's this EJ DiMera she married, and why'd Lucas shoot him?" Philip said firmly, "Nicole, I will answer your questions during the commercial. I'll even answer them nicely if you bring me a Scotch, and feel free to help yourself, as I know you will." "Of course, Mr. Kiriakis; whatever you say," Nicole said, drifting over to the bar. The liquor selection kept her busy until the next commercial came on, and she brought Philip his drink. She perched back on her sofa, gazing at him expectantly. Philip took a drink and began, "EJ is Stefano's son. He's had some kind of obsession with Sami. She agreed to marry him because Stefano said he would end the war between the DiMeras and the Bradys if she did. Something about some aunt of his and Sami being her spitting image and EJ looking just like his father. I guess they were in love or something; I don't know. Bo tried to tell me about it once but it seemed stupid if you ask me, which you did. So she married him to keep peace. I don't think it's a real marriage though, if you know what I mean. Lucas shot him at their wedding, trying to kill him. EJ's done a lot of really nasty things to the Bradys, not just Sami but to her too." "Oh really? Like what?" "Let's see. He shot John Black and stole his kidney, for one. He brainwashed and tortured Steve Johnson. He raped Sami. And . . . ." "Hold up," Nicole said, not believing what she was hearing. "Any one of those three would make me think she wouldn't marry him. He stole a kidney? And he raped her?" Philip shrugged. "That's what I heard. It seems Lucas was trapped under a beam at a cabin and EJ told her he would help Lucas only if Sami had sex with him. He was supposed to plant the DiMera seed, apparently. Gross, right? That's how their son Johnny was conceived, from that night, which was all part of Stefano's plan. Any Brady woman would have done but Sami drew the black bean." Nicole was repulsed. "That's really disgusting. I don't usually feel sympathy for Sami but I'll make an exception this time." Philip nodded absently and said, "Yeah, EJ's a real prick. I'll talk to you next commercial." While the Bulls struggled with the Cavaliers, Nicole finished her drink and thought hard about what Philip had just told her. What was going on here? Why would a man who clearly could have any woman he wanted be obsessed with Sami? To the point where he had to coerce her into sex? Could he not go against his daddy's instructions? Nicole was no angel herself, but none of this added up to her. Why would Sami have agreed to marry a man who had caused such harm to her and her family? Her feelings towards him couldn't possibly be romantic, could they? Was she herself doing the right thing in having even a business relationship with this man? Nicole reminded herself that maybe having someone who would do what it took to accomplish a goal was a quality she wanted in a lawyer going up against Victor. When the game went to commercial, Philip turned back to her and asked, "Why the questions about EJ, Nicole? Please tell me you're planning an affair with him, since that'll get my dad out of this hostage situation of this sham of a marriage a lot cheaper." Nicole snorted. "No, my darling stepson, I am not. I'm hiring him as my divorce lawyer." Philip laughed out loud. "Well, that should be fun. I'm going to tell Dad he should have investigators double up on you. I have no doubt you're already thinking about how to convince him to cut his bill. Why don't you tell me all about your plans? That should give me sweet dreams." "I already promised your father I wouldn't try to seduce you, so no fantasies for you. Plus, you can't spy on me and EJ because that would be a violation of attorney-client privilege." Philip laid back and put his hands behind his head, with an amused expression. "First, you promised Dad you wouldn't seduce me? That must have been a funny conversation; I mean, how did that even come up? Second, I've seen how very important you consider your promises to my father to be. Third, I know neither one of us has a law degree, but I seriously doubt you going to bed with EJ counts as attorney-client privileged communications." "I'm not going to bed with EJ, Philip, so just shut up," Nicole said, making a mental note to tell EJ that Victor would be having them followed. She grabbed her shoes and stood up. "I'm going to bed. Thanks for the information; you're better than Google." Philip waved his hand absently at her, his attention already back on the game. "Whatever. I hope EJ gets you out of here soon, and I mean that in the nicest possible way." "I'm sure you do," Nicole snapped, and wandered off to bed, thinking that before she went to bed she would do some further investigation of EJ. If he had committed the crimes Philip said he did, surely there would have been press coverage of them. It was as well to be prepared when dealing with a dangerous man, even if he was going to be on her side. |
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| LizluvsDays | July 9, 2009, 1:27 am Post #9 |
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It's 5 o'clock somewhere
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This was a great chapter. First off, I LOVE Phicole! Their sarcastic chemistry is great! Glad Phil filled her in on the not so nice EJ DiMera and that she's having second thoughts on him. I would love to see Nicole confront him about her doubts...preferably at tomorrow's meeting. I think both have some questions about the other! Can't wait for the next chapter Pax! Liz |
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| Paxton | July 9, 2009, 3:06 pm Post #10 |
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My Name is ___ and I'm an EJoliholic!
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^^ Thanks! I love Phicole being sarcastic with each other too. Chapter 4 "All right then, EJ; if you're sure you're willing to put in the work on this. You know Victor can and will keep his guys working around the clock to paper us to death and try to take advantage of the fact that we're a small shop." Mickey leaned forward across his desk and looked at EJ intently. "And has anyone filled you in at all on Nicole's history in Salem?" EJ nodded. "Samantha did. Nicole is an interesting woman, to say the least. I'm not worried about that; I'm sure Victor knew what kind of woman she was when he married her. The fact that he got more "trouble" than "trophy" in the end doesn't mean he shouldn't have to pay to get out of his mistake. I don't know what old geezers like him are thinking marrying young, gorgeous women anyway; I mean, did he really think she married him for love?" EJ laughed derisively, trying not to imagine Nicole's marriage bed. Mickey said pointedly, "No, people often don't marry for love, do they? People marry for all sorts of reasons that have nothing to do with romantic feelings for each other." EJ could feel his face reddening slightly. No doubt who Mickey meant there. He said defensively, "Of course, people do marry and fall in love later. It does happen." Mickey smiled slightly. "True. Though it happens more often that people think they're in love, get married, and then realize they made a huge mistake. Which is good for our business, of course." "Right," said EJ, glad for a change back to the subject at hand. "Mrs. Kiriakis will be here in about ten minutes so I'll leave you to your devices." Mickey laughed. "She'll be late. But don't cut her any slack on the billing." EJ withdrew from Mickey's office and went back down the hall to his own. His secretary had already opened the new file and he scanned the checklist of information he would need from the new client. Twenty minutes later, with Mickey's prophecy fulfilled, his secretary buzzed him to let him know Mrs. Kiriakis had arrived. A moment later, she ushered the client in. EJ scanned Nicole as subtly as possible. She was wearing, somewhat to his surprise, a conservative dark blue pantsuit; the plunging silk blouse and three inch heels, however, were more in line with his expectations of her. She looked beautiful indeed, but he reminded himself his interest in her was purely professional, and he twisted his wedding ring for emphasis. Not that his marriage had any physical benefits, as of yet anyway. Nicole took the seat he offered and smiled at him. "I know you have a lot of questions for me, EJ--I can call you EJ, can't I?--but before we get started I have a few for you." "Oh, really? Well, fire away," he said, assuming she had some questions about the case. But no. Instead, she crossed her legs and asked, in a perfectly calm and unremarkable tone of voice, "Did you rape Sami Brady? Philip Kiriakis said you did." EJ felt the blood rush to his face and for a moment the entire room went dark. How dare she ask that? Who did she think she was? She still sat there, looking at him coolly, with no indication she felt the question was in any way inappropriate. After a moment of him struggling to control his temper, he said, "Philip said that, did he? And you believed him?" Nicole shrugged. "He's my stepson. But more seriously, he's brothers with Sami's uncle Bo, so I don't think he would lie about something like that. I'm just giving you a chance to tell me the truth. It doesn't mean I won't hire you or that I'll storm out of here. You're going to be asking me a whole lot of questions about my past and we're going to be talking about whether I was unfaithful to Victor and who with, along with all manner of other unsavory things. If you have something bad in your past maybe I should have the right to know too." EJ began, "I couldn't practice law if I had ever been convicted of . . . ." but Nicole waved her hand at him. "I didn't ask you if you were charged or convicted of rape. I asked you," she said, pausing for emphasis, "if you raped Sami. Tell me the truth or I walk out of here. Mr. Pesterall will take me back, I'm sure of it." EJ hesitated, and Nicole stood up and grabbed her handbag. "Thanks for the visit, counselor," she said. "Send me a bill for this fifteen minutes, as I'm sure you will." EJ jumped up. "All right, wait. Sit down. Sit down. I'll tell you." Nicole sat, but perched herself on the edge of her chair, indicating a willingness to get up and leave at any moment. EJ sighed. "I expect you to keep this conversation confidential. The short answer is yes, I have admitted to Samantha that what I did to her was rape. I didn't jump her in a back alley, but she didn't freely consent to sex with me, so yes. I only helped save Lucas's life because she agreed to sex, so yes, sex under duress is what it was. Fortunately, she has been willing to put that behind us." Nicole laughed sardonically. "Oh, I just bet she has. I haven't been gone that long but I still find it hard to believe Sami morphed into the forgiving type while I was out of town." "Well," said EJ, shortly, "people do forgive in the name of love, fortunately." "Perhaps," Nicole said. "However, forgiving is one thing; falling in love with your rapist is another, don't you think?" EJ frowned. "Mrs. Kiriakis, are we done talking about my past? I told you what you wanted to know, and frankly more than you're entitled to know. I'm not your client and you don't get to know the kinds of things about me that I get to know about you. Is it not good enough for you that Mickey Horton, who is a pillar of this community, feels he can trust me?" Nicole raised an eyebrow. "Settle down, EJ." He had not noticed he had been raising his voice. "I guess we're done talking about your past for the moment. Thank you for being honest with me. I admit I don't understand what's going on with you and Sami but, as you point out, it's really none of my business. What is my business is you getting me Victor's money. Tell me how we're going to go about that." EJ exhaled softly. She certainly did not seem to be the judgmental type and, he had to admit, her questions were no more than the ones everybody else had. Nobody understood him and Samantha, sometimes least of all him. But Father must have known what he was doing, and surely this marriage would not end like Nicole's was about to. He reached for his pen and said, "Now, Mrs. Kiriakis--Nicole--I'm going to need you to tell me when and how you met Victor. Tell me the story of your life with him." |
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