CHAPTER 10 - MY MOTHER, MYSELF

[jrtllf01]

This chapter has been moved to the new archive board.

[giovanna]

:)Whoa, awesome! How I LOVE seeing Brooke tell Hag off. And the visual of Brooke slapping her had me LMAO!

And BooHoo is as predictable as always, not to mention stupid.

[jrtllf01]

Aug 29, 2009 1:28:26 GMT -5 giovanna said:

:)Whoa, awesome! How I LOVE seeing Brooke tell Hag off. And the visual of Brooke slapping her had me LMAO!

And BooHoo is as predictable as always, not to mention stupid.

Giovanna, Stephanie and Brooke's fights are the stuff that B&B legends are made of. Except in this story, Brooke actually gets to fight back.

[jrtllf01]

Darla looked around her small, but tidy, apartment with a sense of nostalgia. She could not believe that she would soon be moving out and moving on. That Darla had been informed of this latest lifestyle change only last night came as somewhat of a shock. She figured she would have to relocate sooner or later anyway since her apartment only had one bedroom, and she would need more room for the baby. She was living on the severance she received after her unceremonious firing from Spectra Fashions, and she despaired that she might have to dip into her 401(K) to pay her bills and make ends meet. The COBRA insurance premiums were kicking her in the butt, and now with the added medical expenses from her pregnancy, she was not sure how she would make it. Darla had little doubt that Thorne would financially support the baby. However, her pride would not allow him to do anything else beyond the basics. That all changed as of last night.

Darla, who had been following the events of Ridge’s arrest along with everyone else, was shocked when Thorne showed up on her doorstep the night before. She had kept him at arm’s length ever since she told him about her pregnancy, and he was obviously more than content to keep it that way. Darla knew that she did not get pregnant under the most ideal of circumstances and that her best friend had gotten hurt in the process. She had no expectation of any kind of relationship with Thorne other than a co-parenting one. After all, he was downright hostile and had made it clear that he was still in love with Macy when she first told him about the baby. When Thorne arrived last night, Darla was reluctant to let him in and kept the chain on her door, which was ajar. Once he had reassured Darla that he had not come over to berate her or make demands, Darla reluctantly let her in. Thorne said he had just wanted to talk, and talk he did. By the time he was done, a bewildered Darla realized her life was about to change in ways that she never imagined.

FLASHBACK:

“After all this time, why are you here, Thorne?” A suspicious Darla asked.

“Look, Darla, I’m sorry that I haven’t been more involved. But, I desperately need to talk to you. Please? Something happened with my family, and I really need to talk to you about the baby and about us.”

Darla sighed and reluctantly took the chain off the door. She allowed Thorne to come in and wondered what led him to her apartment.

“Thorne, I’m sorry; I’m really not trying to give you a hard time, but as you can imagine, I tire pretty easily these days.”

“I know how difficult things have been for you,” Thorne replied.

“Do you?” Darla archly asked. “Do you really know?” That was when the whole story came tumbling out. By the time an emotional Darla was done, Thorne felt 1 inch tall.

“Why in the world didn’t you tell me you were having such a difficult time of it?” He asked.

“Because I couldn’t!” Darla tearfully replied. “I know you said you would support the baby financially, but I didn’t want to be a burden. I thought I could do this by myself, but I can’t. I know you blame me for this pregnancy, but ... well, damn it, Thorne! There are a lot of things a girl can do by herself, but getting pregnant ain’t one of them!”

Thorne was surprised by Darla’s outburst, and he realized that his own hostility and standoffish behavior did not help matters any.

“Darla, I’m sorry,” he sincerely apologized. “In all honesty, that’s one of the reasons I came over tonight.”

“You alluded to it being something about your family; surely, you’re not talking about that mess with Ridge.”

“No, I’m not, but in a way, it does concern Ridge,” Thorne attempted to explain. “You see, he’s my brother, but we don’t have the same parents.”

“The hell you say!” An open-mouthed Darla exclaimed.

Thorne could not help but laugh at her expression. “Yeah, it seems my mother was a bit, ah, generous with the booty back in the day and Ridge does not share the same biological father as me and my sisters.”

Initially, Darla giggled at Thorne’s characterization of his mother’s “generosity.” When she digested what Thorne actually said, she looked as if she was about to faint.

“Are you okay?” A worried Thorne asked. “I didn’t mean to lay all this on you this way.”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Darla quietly responded. So, the Grande Dame of the fashion world had a baby daddy out there somewhere, she thought.

“As if that wasn’t bad enough, my dad only found out about it the day Brooke and Ridge were supposed to get married. It seems my mother has been lying about Ridge’s paternity all his life. My dad is an emotional wreck, and my sisters and I are still trying to process it all.”

“Thorne, I’m so sorry,” a sympathetic Darla said, “especially for Eric. I always thought he was a rather decent man. Does he know who the father is?”

“Massimo Marone,” Thorne quietly replied.

“What?! Sally was really liking him at one time.”

Thorne smiled ruefully at the mention of Sally’s name. “I suppose you haven’t been in touch with her—or Macy—have you?”

“No,” Darla sorrowfully replied. “I’ve tried to reach out a few times, but neither of them will return my calls and when I ran into them recently, they practically cut me dead with a look.”

“Darla, I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Thorne said.

“It hurts like hell,” Darla admitted, “but I’ll be okay.”

“Darla,” Thorne began before hesitating. He took a moment to get up his nerve and then continued. “Darla, the reason I’m here is because after seeing what’s happened to my own family, I vowed I didn’t want that for you—for us. So I told my dad and my sisters about the pregnancy. I didn’t want this pregnancy to be some deep, dark, shameful secret.”

Darla’s eyes widened in surprise. This was one of the things that she had dreaded—that Thorne would never get around to telling his family the truth.

“And, how did they take the news?” She gingerly asked.

“Very well; in fact, they were thrilled,” Thorne said with a smile.

“They were?”

“They were, and you know what? So am I,” Thorne said shyly.

“You are?” An obviously surprised Darla gasped.

“Yes, Darla, I am. You see, I decided that I want to do more than just financially support the baby. I want to be a full-time parent to this baby, and I want to be there for you.”

“Wait a minute … this isn’t a marriage proposal is it?” An uncomfortable Darla asked. “If it is—”

“No, Darla, I’m not proposing marriage,” Thorne replied with a laugh. “I would venture to guess that you don’t want to marry me any more than I want to marry you.”

“Correct-o-mundo!” Darla snappily replied. She and Thorne then burst out laughing.

“Well!” Thorne playfully exclaimed, pretending to be offended.

“Sorry, Thorne! You’re cute and all, but marriage for the sake of the baby isn’t exactly my thing! I mean, look at your family and how that worked out!” Darla giggled.

“You know my dad practically said the same thing! For so long, the mantra in my family was that you had to get married for the sake of the baby no matter how ill suited the couple was.”

“I release you,” Darla jokingly said.

“Maybe I don’t want to be released,” Thorne responded. He then took Darla’s hands into his own and kissed them.

It was all Darla could do to keep from passing out. “Thorne,” she sighed.

“Darla, I know it’s a lot to ask, but would you at least be willing to give up your apartment and move in with me—no strings attached?”

“What? And give up this paradise?” Darla joking asked. “Why would you want me to openly shack up with you and live in sin? And what would your mother say? I mean, I do have my reputation to worry about you know!” Darla playfully said.

“Ahhh, my mother!” Thorne wryly stated. “Would it shock you to learn that I actually fear for you and the baby’s safety if you went anywhere near my mother?”

“The hell you say!” A shocked and disbelieving Darla exclaimed. “What would I have to fear from Stephanie?”

“Darla, there are some things about my mother you don’t know, but I need to enlighten you now. You may remember my brother’s old girlfriend, Morgan DeWitt. As quiet as it’s kept, my mother was responsible for the abortion of Morgan and Ridge’s first child. And as recently as a few short years ago, she attempted to murder Morgan and Ridge’s second unborn child in utero.”

Darla could only stare in shock at Thorne’s fantastical claims. “My God … but … how?!”

“She obtained an illegal abortificant and attempted to feed it to Morgan via some doctored herbal tea,” Thorne matter-of-factly explained. “The sick thing about it is that Ridge was well aware of my mother’s plan and tacitly approved it. It wasn’t until the very last minute that he raced over to my mother’s house to thwart her evil plan. Evidently, he had to ‘think’ about it first.”

“And you think she would actually harm me and my—our baby?” An obviously frightened Darla whispered.

“Either that or she’ll find a way to claim you’re unfit and orchestrate a way for you to lose custody—just like she did when she wrestled Rick and Bridget away from Brooke years ago. My father stupidly went along with it, but I won’t stand for it!”

“But, how will you stop her especially if she’s that determined? She loathes Brooke, and because of who I am and my association with Spectra, I know she won’t be thrilled about this pregnancy.”

“Darla, will you trust me?” Thorne asked.

Darla nodded in response.

“I will do what I can to protect you and the baby even if that means I have to exclude my mother from our child’s life.” Thorne promised.

After that, Thorne and Darla had talked into the night, making several important decisions about their future, as well as the future of their baby.

BACK TO THE PRESENT:

Darla could now only marvel at how quickly her fortunes had changed. Just like that, Darla went from worrying about how she would pay her bills and finding another place to live to suddenly giving her landlord notice and making arrangements with her creditors to settle her debts. She was a young woman who had no family to speak of other than the gang at Spectra. When they dumped her, she had never felt more alone. Now, she suddenly found herself with a new family. She would be having lunch with Thorne’s sisters tomorrow and she was genuinely moved when Eric called her last night and reassured her that she was now a part of his family. She had resigned herself to being a statistic—a single mother with hardly any help. Although she would still be a single mother, Thorne would be totally involved in the baby’s upbringing. When Darla shyly asked Thorne if he would accompany her to her prenatal appointment this morning, he readily agreed. However, Darla was still reeling from the shock of the revelations about Stephanie and Ridge. Evidently, her baby’s grandmother got to decide which of her grandchildren would live or die. The thought shook her and she felt her little one flutter in her womb. Now that she had been forewarned, Darla was forearmed. She did not intend to sit by and just leave it up to Thorne to protect her from his mother’s venom. Darla’s mama bear instincts had kicked into high gear, and she was more than prepared to fight Stephanie herself if she had to—or die trying.

_______________

“As you can see, Dominick, we have been very generous,” Massimo magnanimously stated. As always, he was dapperly dressed and looked amazingly well rested for a man who had had the evening he had.

Although the board meeting had been postponed, Massimo took the opportunity to meet with Nick at Marone Industries that morning to finalize a few formalities. Nick had reviewed the terms of his new employment agreement with Massimo and Marone Industries’ corporate counsel. Once Nick was satisfied that all his questions had been answered, he signed three copies of the contract with a flourish. At the moment, the two men, along with the company’s HR Director, were in Massimo’s office. The HR Director patiently explained the details of Nick’s very generous compensation package, which included a hefty signing bonus; a $5,000 clothing allowance; a travel allowance, including first-class commercial travel and the use of the Marone Jet; and his choice of a corporate condo in either Century City or downtown Los Angeles. This last perk caused Nick’s heart to contract, as he hated the idea of giving up the Shady Marlin. As a compromise, Nick decided he would still live aboard the Shady Marlin for now, but would have a condo available to him as his work situation dictated. Nick’s eyes had widened when he saw that the documentation regarding the company’s stock options and other deferred compensation was the size of a small novel. The HR Director also reviewed the company’s extensive cafeteria plan with Nick. Although he had already received substantial benefits, he now had more options to choose from him. Nick had signed the requisite documentation for his pension, disability, health, hospitalization and life insurance plans and other benefits. He smiled ruefully when he completed the beneficiary designation forms, leaving everything to his mother if something ever happened to him. For so long, it had been just the two of them. Nick could not help but realize that he had no spouse or children as his beneficiaries. Once all the paperwork was completed, the HR Director left the two men alone.

Although Marone Industries was supposedly a smoke-free environment, Massimo opened a drawer and pulled out a box of his prized Montecristo Certified Vintage cigars. What did he care about fire code violations, and who would dare complain? He reasoned. After all, he owned the building and as far as Massimo was concerned, his whims superseded any laws of man. Right now, he wanted to share a congratulatory cigar with Nick and that was that. If anyone had a problem, he would just pay the fine upfront and be done with it. Massimo selected a 1989 Churchill cigar and handed one to Nick. Nick nodded in approval. Massimo removed a gold monogrammed cutter and a matching lighter from another box. Once the cigars were cut, the two men lit up and savored the smooth and mild aroma that permeated the office.

“This is really good,” Nick commented. “I didn’t realize you were such a connoisseur.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Massimo said as he leaned back in his chair and puffed away. “Again, congratulations on your promotion. From now on, it’s only the best for you.”

“Thanks for all this faith you have in me. And you were right; you have been very generous,” an appreciative Nick said.

“It’s no more than you deserve, Dominick,” Massimo replied. “By the way I have something for you.”

On the right-hand side of Massimo’s desk was a framed and laminated copy of the press release printed in Business Week, which was accompanied by a color publicity photo of Nick.

“For the wall of your office,” Massimo said as he handed the press release to Nick.

“Thanks,” a confused Nick said. His eyes widened in surprise when he read the press release about his promotion. “Well, you sure didn’t waste any time!” Nick chuckled. “I’m not sure all this praise is warranted though.”

“Nonsense!” Massimo disputed. “Dominick, you were born to lead, and you have every reason to be proud of your accomplishments. I wouldn’t trust my fleet to anyone else.”

“Again, thank you,” Nick replied as he took a puff of his cigar. “My mother won’t believe this.”

“Ahhhh—your mother! A lovely woman,” Massimo practically purred. “I imagine she must be quite proud of you.”

“She is,” Nick agreed. “Not to mention that she’s thrilled at the prospect of my spending more time on land.”

“And speaking of lovely women, how are things with you and Brooke Logan? Based on what I saw on television last night, it seems you two have become quite chummy,” Massimo slyly observed.

Nick restrained a chuckle. Could the man be any more obvious or nosy? “Actually, I would rather not talk about what I may or may not have going with Brooke. That’s my business.” Nick replied in a clipped voice.

“I can respect that,” Massimo replied with a nod. “Yes, sir … I can definitely respect that! You can’t blame me for asking though. Given what we discussed previously, I’m just surprised that you took on this particular assignment with such gusto.”

“Assignment? Wait a minute. Let’s get something straight. First of all, Brooke is not an assignment!” Nick hotly replied as he abruptly stood. “Second, if this new position, the salary and the perks that come with it, are some kind of payoff for romancing Brooke, then you can just sue me for breach of contract because I quit. Neither Brooke nor I are for sale, and our relationship is non-negotiable!”

“WHOA! Calm down, Dominick!” Massimo said, waving a hand. “I can assure you that you were offered this position because you deserved it and you were the best candidate. Besides, you were offered this position long before you met Brooke. One has absolutely nothing to do with the other!” Massimo swore.

“Just so long as we understand each other,” Nick tersely replied as he sat back down.

“Of course,” Massimo nodded genially. “Let’s finish our cigars; then I’ll show you to your new office and introduce you to your new staff.”

As the two men puffed away, Massimo hid a smile. So the lad is actually in love! He was so excited it was all he could do to keep from doing a couple of back flips. He couldn’t have planned this any better had he actually dressed as Cupid, shot Brooke and Dominick with a couple of arrows and drew them a diagram. Massimo fervently hoped that the budding relationship would work out. He figured that while Nick kept Brooke occupied, he and Stephanie could find a suitable woman for Ridge. Massimo had no doubt that it would only be a matter of time before wedding bells rang for his brokenhearted son. After all, Ridge is a good catch, he told himself. And if Brooke was as needy as he had been led to believe, he would be attending her and Dominick’s wedding before the year was out.

_______________