Alexis looked at her bed it was covered in clothes. She had gone through every outfit she owned and could not find a single one that worked. Just what did one wear to have a secret dinner in ones hotel room with the town mobster who was also your best friend since childhood? Okay maybe she was making this more complicated that she needed to. Michael had said he wanted them to just be Michael and Natasha. So as Natasha, what would she wear? Settling at last on a pair of pants and a sweater, she finished dressing just as he knocked on her door. She opened the door quickly and came face to face with him.
"Hi."
"Hi." She glanced over his shoulder down the hall.
"I wasn't followed if that's what you're worried about."
"No I just thought... I mean don't people like you normally have bodyguards?"
"People like me?" He asked with exaggerated innocence.
"Don't tease me Michael you know what I mean."
"Sorry. I do usually have a guy with me, he's downstairs."
"Oh." He could still remember the look on Johnny's face when he told him to hang out at the bar and relax. He had explained that he was meeting a lady and didn't want her intimidated by Johnny standing outside the door. He could only imagine the look on Johnny's face if he knew that the lady he was meeting was Port Charles' new hotshot D.A.
"So do I get to come in?"
"Oh right," she moved aside and let him through the doorway. "Please have a seat." She gestured towards the sofa. Then took a seat beside him.
"You look good Tash." He said noticing that she had taken her hair down; he liked it best that way.
"Thank you, so do you though I don't know if I'll ever get used to seeing you in Armani."
"I could take it off if it makes you uncomfortable." He offered smiling evilly.
"Sure that's just what we need, I can see the headlines, local mobster shows D.A. his briefs."
"Actually I'm a boxers man."
"I so did not need to know that."
"Maybe we should order dinner." He suggested laughing at her flushed expression.
"Good idea." She seized the opportunity to stand up and grab the phone. After she had placed their orders she turned around to find him standing right behind her and nearly bumped into his chest.
"Oh hi."
"Listen, I have an idea." He said putting his hands on her upper arm to steady her.
"For what?"
"This is obviously an awkward situation so I think we should just make up a list of things we shouldn't or can't talk about, you know, set some ground rules."
"Rules?" She asked beginning to smile. "I like rules."
"I know you do." He smiled back. He knew her too well. She didn't like it when she wasn't in control, it frightened her. His plan was both to distract her and allow her to take back the feeling of control.
"All right." She said opening up her briefcase and beginning to rummage through it.
"What are you looking for?"
"Some paper."
"You're actually going to write out the agreement?" He should have known.
"Michael I'm a lawyer do you honestly expect me to trust a verbal agreement?"
"All right fine write it out."
"Okay, lets see..." she began writing on the legal pad. "Well number one is fairly obvious, nothing work related, on either side."
"Fine by me." He said coming over to sit next to her on the sofa again.
"Number two," she continued, "no discussion of past relationships including mention of the persons engaged in said relationships."
"Hey that's not fair, I'm not allowed to ask about your marriage to the Crocodile king?"
"Michael." She signed heavily.
"All right fine, add boomerang boy to the list."
"I'm starting to sense some hostility towards Jax on your part, would you care to discuss it?" She asked setting down the yellow pad.
"We could, but then we'd be breaking the rules."
"Not technically," she pointed out. "The rules prohibit either of us from talking about someone we were previously involved with, which means I can't talk about him. But since I'm assuming the two of you were never romantically involved you're completely free to fill me in on your past with him."
"Natasha." He sighed mimicking her earlier tone.
"Okay, I'll leave it alone." They spent the next several minutes debating, and adding several other topics to the list.
"I think that covers everything," she said at last putting the finishing touches on their contract and then handing it to him, along with a pen.
"You really want me to sign this?"
"Well it's no good if you don't sign it." He began to sign and then quickly crossed it out and began again. Somehow he figured she would appreciate it if he signed it Sonny Corinthos. "Thank you." She then signed just as their dinner arrived. After taking away so many topics of conversation they resorted to talking about sports and the weather. As they finished dinner she decided to bring up another topic.
"What do you know about the Cassadines?"
"Not much. The mother is definitely crazy, other than that..." he shrugged. "Why the sudden interest in the Cassadines?"
"Oh, just trying to get to know the locals."
"Is this the part where I'm supposed to smile and pretend I believe you?"
"Michael I..."
"Come on Tash, I know you too well for that. There's a reason you're interested in the Cassadines, a personal one. Does it have to do with your past? I mean you're from Greece and the Cassadines are from Greece. Do you have some kind of connection to them?"
"Michael can we... can we just add Cassadines to the list, just for a while." He looked into her eyes trying to read her but she looked away from him.
"Okay, but on two conditions." He agreed reluctantly.
"Which are?"
"First you have to tell me what's going on as soon as you can and second you have to be careful and promise you won't take any unnecessary risks."
"Who me?"
"I'm serious Natasha, the Cassadines are dangerous."
"I know and I have no intention of becoming involved with them, I'm just looking for a little information."
Resigned that he would get no more information from her he offered her some advice.
"If you're really interested you should talk to Luke."
"Luke?"
"Luke Spencer, he and I own a club, Luke's. He knows just about everything there is to know about the Cassadines." Alexis knew all about Luke Spencer. His name had come up several times in her research. He had killed both several Cassadines, apparently in self-defense each time. His wife was also the mother of Nicolas, Stavros' son. Luke Spencer would definitely be useful.