Numb.
If someone asked for a word used to describe Elizabeth Webber at the moment, numb would about sum it up
She blew at the wet, dark brown bangs that dangled in her face with a loud huff. Leave it to her to arrive in New York while they were in the middle of a blizzard. Now she was stuck struggling to get inside the bus station before her clothes became damp once again.
Mental note Elizabeth, next road trip, investigate the weather beforehand.
Although, she really wasn't sure how that was possible. She still wasn't aware of where she was going. Her main goal was to make it into the tiny building ahead where passengers waited for their love ones or slept until the next bus arrived. She however was different; she needed to check her make up.
As she stepped over the threshold of the slightly dingy and very old bus depot she shook herself, disengaging any remaining snowflakes that wanted to make a home in her hair. It was bad enough she was wearing her brand new three and a half inch leather boots in this weather, she didn't want to have a wet head to go along with it.
Taking a quick look around, Elizabeth located the ladies bathroom and skirted around the growing crowd. She hoped that she wouldn't be stuck here for long. Granted she had nowhere to be, but crowded in a little room with a bunch of strangers wasn't her idea of a fun time.
Two nights ago in Greenwich Connecticut, that was a fun time, she thought smiling to herself.
With a disgusted grunt she took a look at herself in the mirror. Major repair was needed. Lifting her large black overnight bag up on the sink, she dug around for her make up kit and brush. Once grasping those items she set to work, dropping the bag with the light green ribbon on the floor.
That ribbon had found itself attached to the oversized black sack when some rude airline assistant insisted it was too large for her to carry on. It took her an hour to find the thing after the plane landed and she swore that would never happen again. So she found some ribbon in a Walmart, cut off a piece with a pair of borrowed scissors from the stationary aisle and made sure she never lost the big thing again.
The bag she was now tapping her foot against contained her whole life; she'd be damn if she lost that.
After reapplying some mascara she stepped back and nodded, satisfied this would hold till the next city. She wondered what the next city was. How far till Jersey or Pennsylvania? Maybe she'd even go to Maryland. It'd be fun to see the aquarium again.
Dropping her kit back in her bag, she hoisted it over her shoulder and made her way into the crowded waiting area of the bus station. People were arguing and complaining and she could only assume the service had been canceled until the storm was over.
Sighing she dropped down on the nearest bench and decided to wait it out. What else could she do, stay here?
Looking around, she quickly dismissed the idea. Most of these people looked like they wanted to get out of this town and fast. Snapping her gum she reached for the discarded newspaper that lay on the seat next to her.
Port Charles Herald, screamed the front page, Sonny Corinthos to open new club; FBI to launch another investigation
Elizabeth's eyes briefly skimmed the article. Why did that name sound familiar? Sonny Corinthos, Sonny Corinthos. Repeating it over and over in her head didn't ring any bells; neither did reading about his new club, Lily's.
She opened the paper further and started flipping through the sections. Local charity events were mentioned, hospital volunteers wanted, obituaries, continue your education at PCU, jobs…
Jobs.
She stopped mostly for kicks, wondering what a town with a population no bigger than a thousand could have to offer. Nurses wanted at General and Mercy Hospital's, assistants at some coffee warehouse, Kelly's diner looking for waitress and then, she saw it.
It was in small bold letter, the words 'Wanted' with a description of the job underneath. She read it quickly, skimming the contact information and the when and where. Interviews ended at seven p.m.
Elizabeth quickly looked at her watch and knew with the storm she would never make it on time. But maybe, just maybe…
She folded up the paper and stood up as quick as she could with a ten pound bag and spiked heels. She looked around quickly for the transportation sign that pointed to limo pick ups and cabs. She hurried out the door no longer caring about the snow or the delay in bus service.
Port Charles was the place she wanted to be, for now anyway.
Jason Morgan sighed as he brought his fingers to his temples and started to massage them slowly. He couldn't believe they were opening today. He knew this was too soon and Sonny pushed it forward so he could prove that this was a legitimate business, just like the coffee warehouse.
Right.
He still didn't know how he got talked into this. He and Sonny were discussing the cash flow problem they were having. The coffee business was simply making too much money. They needed somewhere else to start filtering their funds through.
Investors were always an option, but one that was quickly dismissed after both Sonny and Jason decided no one in this town was trustworthy. The decision was then made to start up another business.
They tossed around many an idea, including the one that Jason liked most, a bike shop, but an offhanded comment by Sonny's wife is what got him into this place.
Now here he was, standing at the end of a bar, getting ready to open a club and his mentor, his best friend, Sonny, couldn't even be here because he was too busy picking up his son from preschool.
Damn that man.
So Jason was stuck here, behind the bar, by himself, trying to figure out the accounting books in front of him. The figures for the liquor and the food already seemed too high. He was sure that someone was going to get fired before things even started up.
What the hell was this hundred dollar delivery charge? Was the liquor actually driven from Tijuana?
Sonny had told him that things would be pricier with a club due to the name brand liquor they would have to serve and the exotic chef he was bringing in. Jason was just so use to coffee prices that this was staggering.
If he read the sheets in front of him right, they were actually going to charge seven dollars for mixed drinks with vodka simply because it was distilled in a certain place in New York.
He would take thirteen cents a pound coffee from Columbia any day.
He pulled another sheet of paper out from the back of the book and quickly scanned it. There were three bartenders working tonight and at least a half of dozen waitresses. Running his pen along the page he noticed something was off, they were one short. He didn't know how he overlooked this.
It couldn't have anything to do with the lack of sleep and working overtime lately.
He wasn't one to complain about his job, he loved working for Sonny. He was good at it. But there was a big difference between being a hit man and being a barman. Sonny swore it was just until things got started, just until it got off the ground or the Feds off their back.
Jason didn't know if he could wait that long.
Picking up the sheet of paper he turned around to search out the person who was in charge of hiring when he noticed the door swing open and a gust of snow burst in along with the frigid air. Then, he saw a tiny body follow it, with a very large bag.
"Hi," she smiled as her face emerged from the tiny gray pea coat, "I'm looking for Johnny."
Jason looked at the scrap of a girl-woman who couldn't be more than sixteen at best. She was sliding her hands out of the coat and started to warm them up by rubbing them together. Her shoes were covered in ridiculously high heeled boots that ran up to just below her knee. That's where her black skirt came in.
Obviously she wasn't from around here.
And he wanted to know what the hell she wanted with Johnny.
"Who are you and what do you want with Johnny?"
Elizabeth's face took on a bewildered look as she watched the man cross his arms across his chest. He seemed a little annoyed, like she was disturbing him. Quite rude actually, but very tasty looking. He stood there in a pair of motorcycle boots and relaxed fit jeans. He wore a navy blue tee shirt that seemed to emphasize his blue eyes, which were glaring icily at her.
She didn't know what his problem was. She knew that tonight was opening night and that her chances of getting a job here were slim but if this was his idea of friendly customer service, this club was in trouble.
Being that she needed a job however, she kept all comments to herself and cleared her throat as she dug through her bag and produced the paper.
"I'm here about the job," she said offering another smile.
He still sulked and looked at her with a stony façade and those beautiful eyes. Cute hair too, albeit a little spiky for her taste.
Jason grabbed the paper and scanned it quickly, finding the part that she had circled. It was the wanted ad that he and Sonny had agreed to place in the Herald for applicants. Little were the two men aware that the people interviewing were told to go through Johnny.
He was going to kill him.
After he dismissed the she-child in front of him.
"I apologize," he started. "You're unable to fill the position."
She frowned. She couldn't have come all this way…
"You filled it already? I mean, this is only from yesterday," she started as she unbuttoned her coat.
Maybe if he just saw her figure, she thought.
Jason watched with curiosity as she placed the bag on an empty table and started to pull her coat off. Was she trying to seduce him into giving her a job? A rare smile tugged at his lips. This could get interesting. She was a pretty little thing, as far as jailbait was concerned.
She was very tiny; it was obvious the heels she wore were supposed to add to her height. Jason couldn't image her being taller than five foot. As his eyes wondered over her snow covered hair, her porcelain like face, her perfectly formed breasts and that tiny waist he was sure he could encircle with his two hands.
Jailbait, he reminded himself as he cleared his throat, definitely jailbait.
Elizabeth smiled as she pulled her v-neck shirt tighter against her body. She was affecting him and she liked that; whatever helped her get a paying job. She took a risk and took one step closer.
"If you want, I could interview with you," she smiled up at him, making sure her eyes shined, "Maybe show you what I could do."
He knew he should have taken a step back from her, letting her continue on with this charade was asking for trouble. Then again he was Jason Morgan. He was trouble.
"I'm really sorry, Miss…"
"Webber," she smiled as she held out her hand, "Elizabeth Webber."
Jason turned his back on her and collected the accounting book and the papers that were in front of him, "We don't hire people under age."
He heard her sigh, rather loudly and then the stomping of heels as they headed back over to the table where her bag lay. Hearing her rummaging through the sack, her hand came around the side of his face and displayed what she was looking for. One was a driver's linked back to Connecticut and the other was a birth certificate.
"In case you thought the ID was fake," she said, an annoyed look on her face. She rolled her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair, grimacing when they came back wet, "I get it all the time, I should be use to it now."
"You're 18?" he questioned.
He didn't believe it. His sixteen year old sister looked older than her, then again Emily had been through a couple of rough patches in her life. This girl looked like she just stepped out of one of teen magazines.
"I know that you don't believe me," she said. "But you can call the hospital and the state of Connecticut if it helps to verify things. Just please hurry up, I still have to interview with whoever Johnny is and I know that you open tonight."
Jason still hesitated looking over the identification thoroughly. He was familiar with the fake ones and this looked authentic, so did the birth certificate.
"I really need this job," she said, gnawing on her lower lip "Even if it's only for tonight."
It was a delicate lip, Jason thought, one he wouldn't mind gnawing on himself.
He shook that thought from his head.
"Do you have anything to get changed into you?"
Her whole face lit up. It was like he had just handed her the world. She took a step forward, looking like she was ready to leap into his arms but then quickly stepped back. She nodded eagerly and pulled her bag back over her shoulder.
"I just have to go find someplace to get ready and I can be back by the opening tonight," she said. "Thank you so much."
"There won't be enough time," he said. "We put showers back there, there's also some rooms available upstairs, it looks like you might need one."
"I do, thank you," she said and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
When she didn't seem willing to offer anything else, Jason knew that he was going to have to look into her background. Make sure she was of age to work here and that she really was who she said she was.
He was still a little hesitant about hiring her, if Sonny found out that an underage kid worked in a club he was trying to keep legit, on the books anyway, he would have Jason's hide.
But she was looking at him with those big round eyes, thanking him silently for providing her with money and a roof over her head.
If she turned out to be eighteen he would have to find out what put her into this position, if she turned out to be under the age of eighteen, she'd be fired, he'd be dead and still looking for an answer to that question.
"Tonight will be your tryout," he said as he placed her birth certificate and identification on top of his accounting book. "I can assure you Johnny will be there as well as the owner,"
"Mr. Corinthos," she said. "I read about him in the paper."
Jason rubbed his hand over his forehead. Who didn't read about Sonny Corinthos in the paper?
"That's where you go," he said pointing to a long, narrow hallway to the right of the door she came in. "I'm giving you an opportunity here, Elizabeth, if I find out that you're lying…"
"I'm not," she said. She didn't get a chance to really examine the man in front of her but he looked like someone she wasn't willing to play around with, "And I'm a damn hard worker."
He nodded and pointed towards the back, "Straight back there, follow the noise."
"Thank you, thank you very much, Mister…" she didn't quite catch his name.
"Morgan, Jason Morgan."
She smiled a sweet smile, but he noticed the smile didn't seem to reach her eyes. "Thank you Jason Morgan."
Elizabeth felt something flitter in her stomach when she reached for her coat and bag, tossing the long handle over her shoulder. Jason Morgan was another name that sounded eerily familiar, a name she felt she should know. But she shrugged it off as she disappeared down the hallway, knowing that no one would be able to find her in the sleepy little town of Port Charles.
Jason sighed as he watched her disappear from view. He had a few phone calls to make before she went on tonight, to see if he could verify what she was saying. He wanted to have the answers before Sonny started asking questions.
He was heading back to the back office when the door blew open again and Johnny O'Brien stepped inside, his cheeks red from the wind, a smile on his face.
"Max said a pretty little thing came in here about twenty minutes ago," Johnny said smiling, "Did I miss her?"
Jason slapped the paper against Johnny's chest and pointed at the wanted ad. "No, I just hired you a new exotic dancer."