General Hospital Fan Fiction Message Board

6:00am Tai Chi in the park with Uncle Stefan
7:30am Breakfast at home.
9:00am Lessons with Uncle Stefan.
Noon Lunch with Friday.
2pm- 4:30 acting class
5:30 Bic’s office -take him to dinner before the game.
7pm Basketball game.
Midnight home and asleep.

Uncle Stefan is hot on the trail of a west coast Dacha that would be good as a family retreat/ west coast summer house. Something that would be his but handy for the Cassadines whether it’s Tasha, Nikolas or Baby. It’s going to be in Malibu but on the mountain side not the beach side... although I’m sure he’ll try to get something within walking distance of the beach. He just hates the idea of people walking through his backyard which is what a house on the beach has... constantly. As soon as he gets a place then he’ll be on the lookout for a couple of horses. Tons of horsey people out here. He’s definitely keeping busy and not just keeping my nose to the grindstone.
He’s been also working on a project of Mouse’s that is going to take up the slack on the CSMC hotline. He’s been testing the security on it. Mona, the girl running it, made the mistake of mentioning she’d been reading Montaigne after seeing it in my journal so he’d been quizzing her on that as well as the details of her project for CSMC. He really likes one of the clauses Mona added to her contracts with her subscribers. Mona calls it the Dumbass Clause. He likes the clause not the title. Rather than the first clause like the professionalism Talent does this is the very last clause right over where the client signs. It gives her full rights to call them as she sees them up to and including calling someone a dumb ass without reprisal. (Well there is a 30 day cooling off period).
Baba has been getting tons of emails ever since she did that speaker thing over at UCLA. The students have been emailing her all kinds of questions and booking appointments for language practice. There are also a couple who are going to be traveling to Russia and want to get the who’s who and what’s what before they go so they don’t sound like idiots. I figure it’s going to be like me in Paris that time and knowing just enough French to be really dangerous.

“Hey, You been waiting long? Parking at this place is always a bitch.” Friday slides into the booth at the diner that is close to just about everything but not priced that way. There are recognizable faces at the surrounding table. Not A-list but people that have been on TV if not this season then last. There are also the behind the scenes folks that she gives a quick nod to before leaning into Fancy. “What are you working on?”

“My journal. Figured it was a good time to get caught up. I’ve been slacking on it because Uncle Stefan has been slavedriving.” Fancy closes the laptop.

“What’s he up to now?”

“Uncle Stefan’s been reading the trades I swear. He’s got a thing about getting screwed: banking, economics, finance. We’re doing banking, contacts, charitable contributions. He’s pulled out all the stuff he went over with Penny before she married Nikolas when he was training her how to manage that lottery win of hers.”

“I can’t believe we know anyone who actually won a lottery... and a big one too.”

“Most people would have thought it was marrying Nikolas was winning the lottery.”

“Nah, been around the Quartermaines long enough to know that’s one of those be careful what you wish for situations.” Friday rolls her eyes. The waitress comes over and takes their order. Fancy already has an ice tea going so she orders the same. As soon as the waitress moves off, Friday is reaching into her vintage Birkin, a present from Dillon for putting up with him, and pulls out a folder of materials. “Here you go. Already nailed down everything Dillon or Brittany wanted to go to. They might invite you to go with them but this is the rest. I put stars on the you really oughta.”

“If I went to all the ones you put stars on, I’d never have time for anything else.” Fancy says wryly as she thumbs through the folder.

Friday shrugs. “True. But if there is a reason to do them I asterisk it and let you sort it out.”

“I’m going to have Uncle Stefan go over any of the charity stuff.” Fancy starts sorting them out. “He’s got a thing about overhead. He figures if you’re going to give to charity than it should go where it says it’s going to. He and Mouse are demons about sorting out the frauds.”

“Let me know what he says about the bad eggs.” Friday nods. “That would be good info to have. Cause I’ll flat out tell them why we aren’t coming to the next party/gala/fundraiser/circlejerk.”

“No problem. Heck, Uncle Stefan will probably use these as my lab for my studies.” Fancy jokes but knows it’s true. Friday’s timing is perfect as always.

“And we’re coming up on Oscar season so there are a lot of things going around as they’re trying to drum up support of their movies etc.”

“Howzit looking for Soccer Town?”

“The studio is pulling out all the stops; they know it’s going to be their shot. Dillon should be in good shape to be nominated for writing and directing. Not that he gives a ****. He’s already totally got his head in the post on Inconvenient Timing. I’m the one getting things lined up for the next project and the one after that.” Friday changes the subject. “ How are you doing getting all your guild cards?”

“Ahead of schedule thanks to the law and order episode and being in front of the camera in the movie. Talked to Bic, he says the porn offers are dropping off and real stuff coming in.”

“You’ve got a little momentum going.” Friday agrees. She pulls out the trade papers and hands them over she has ads circled and starts filling Fancy in on the back story. What the movie/episode/pilot is and who is behind it. “You might considering trying to get on a soap. It’s hard work, lots of lines and long days but it’s a good way to be seen especially if you can’t do the kiddy stuff. And they are still here rather than up in Vancouver. Try to keep it to two years only. Longer than that and it’s not a training ground it’s a trap.”

“Yeah. I can see how that works. You know what would be fun?”

“What?”

“Guest judge for Iron Chef. Baby and Marta would be sooo jealous.”

Friday laughs. “I think you have to write a book. At least a foodie column.”

“Yeah, besides it’s back on Chelsea Piers. I should probably stay in LA for awhile or Uncle Stefan will start wondering why I didn’t just move down to The City.” Fancy leans back to give room to the waitress delivering their lunch. After everything is properly seasoned and first bite taken she flips things around. “How are you doing?”

“It’s crazy. It always is when Dillon is in post. I swear Brittany calls me to get time with the guy.”

Fancy nods. “I saw it on the set. He gets so into it that it’s scary to ask him something. At least you can tell by one look on his face if he’s totally into it.”

“Yeah, it’s life in your own hands time just to bring his a meal. But I tell ya Dillon might bite my head off but Baby will flat out kill me if he loses weight anywhere but on location. She figures I can at least shove food under his nose.”

“It’s really a good thing that Brittany has her own stuff going. And that she is just as into it. If she was some kind of needy person...”

“They’d known each other for a long time before they got married. Brittany knew exactly what she was getting into. Maybe not Patience... but she knows Dillon.”

Speaking of nut jobs. “Mouse been talking to you about any mail on me?”

Friday grimaces. “Yeah. Figured that Corey Cummings would bring out the nut jobs. There were a couple that Mouse referred over to SI and to the cops. He’s getting pretty good at reading between the lines. There were a some that he’s going to keep track of. It won’t be the first letter that puts up the flag but the second. And a whole bunch who were sent autographed pictures. You’re probably the only 16 year old who has an incarcerated felon offering to be your Fanclub President.”

“After what happened to Selena that might not be a bad idea. Maybe it’s better to have a fanclub president who is already locked up– as long as he’s not a perv, maybe a nice armed robber.” Fancy tries to find the humor in the situation.

Five hours later. “Hey, is he ready to go?”

“Go on in.” The secretary suggests knowing that her boss is not but that he soon will be if Fancy is there. Sometimes Bic Levens would work right up until the game and rush over there just stopping long enough to get some fast food sludge. One of the most important agents in LA and he has the eating habits of a twelve year old.

Fancy raps on the door and enters. Bic is on the phone and the computer and in about two seconds she figures out that it’s two different clients that he’s taking care of. As soon as he gets off the phone. “So who is going to get billed for that? The phone or the computer.”

“Both.” Bic grins.

“You are a bad, bad man.” Fancy shake her head. “Okay we’re making a deal now we will discuss business for ten minutes at dinner. Just long enough for you to write it off as a business expense. And the rest of the time we’re talking anything but– deal?”

“Yeah. My ulcer will thank you.”

“You don’t really have an ulcer do you? Cause that would seriously impact on what I had planned for dinner.”

“Just kidding.” Bic shakes his head. “Frankie going to meet us at the game?”

“Yeah, he’s with Baba today. She is basically holding a salon now on the UCLA campus. It wouldn’t surprise me if she started having people over for dinner and discussion. It’ll start hitting the fan then.”

“Why is that?” Bic grabs the last of his stuff and locks down his office.

“Uncle Stefan and Baba. She says black and he says white. He’s the offspring of imperial Russia and she is not– and has no desire to be. They have been oil and water for as long as I’ve known them. The only thing both of them agree on is Baby.”

“And you.”

“Well they might agree with the outcome but definitely not the same methods.”

“Where are we going?”

“Marta has a restaurant she wants me to try. She’s been hearing things. She is so wired into the scene.”

“That’s the chef in Chicago.”

“Oh yes, if you get to Chicago you’ve got to go.”

“Okay and the last thing I’d expect is for sixteen year old to be doing restaurant reviews.”

“Who better? Besides I prefer restaurant spy.” Fancy shrugs. “I’m not going to be filled up on cocktails and wine. If the food doesn’t nail it then...” She decides to explain a little more. “For the last two years I’ve been exposed to very good food– whether it’s rustic, home cooking or haute cuisine. Before that... well it was cheap food. Believe me I can tell the difference.” Bic seats her in his car and goes around to the driver’s side. Fancy reaches over to unlock the door. Once there she gives him directions to a French restaurant that is not on the map yet. She’d called ahead for reservations and to order since they were going to the game. “Marta went to school with the chef at Johnson and Wales. When she started working this guy went to Paris and was studying there– to go for the snoot factor I guess. She says he’s good but really just starting out. This will be his first kitchen.”

“Does he know we’re coming?”

“Of course not. So if we have to do the drive through at MickeyD’s well that will go in my report to Marta too.” Fancy grins. She pulls the directions out of her jacket pocket and gives Bic directions to the restaurant. Once they get there and get the car parked. “It’s under your name.” Fancy says out of the side of her mouth. “I didn’t know if he’d recognize my name from Marta and Baby.”

Bic steps up and gives the information to the hostess and they are promptly shown to their seats. “We called ahead because we have tickets for after dinner.” He tells the waiter when he comes over to take the appetizer and drink order.

Fancy tells him what she ordered for them. “They do wine by the glass here if you want to get something to go with dinner.” She practically kicks him under the table to get him to do it.

“What was that for?” Bic leans in to ask.

“Full report remember.” She leans back as the waiter comes back to the table with a selection of appetizers and their drinks.

“When ever the main course is ready that’ll be fine, even if we’re still working on the appetizers.” Bic tells the waiter.

“If this works out you’ll have to bring your wife here for the tasting menu.” Fancy suggests. “You know one of the times when it’s okay if dinner lasts three hours. Nothing says I wanna rock your world like good french food. Well that and turning off your cell phone.”

“Fancy...” Bic shakes his head in disbelief. “Lets do our 15 minutes of business now.”

“Ten.” Fancy reminds as she sets her watch. “Had lunch with Friday, you know Anja Friedan? Uncle Dillon’s right hand? She gave me a list of charity things for Uncle Stefan to review. Gigs that are in pre-production now basically a run down of what all the ads in the trade papers are really looking for and a suggestion to get on a soap for a couple of years for seasoning. Something to take me beyond my 18th birthday.”

Bic winces. “I can appreciate why Anja suggested that and I won’t rule it out but it might not be necessary. I’d prefer to get you into either indies, student films, walk ons or bit parts with really good directors. You can see how the different directors work. Naughty Schoolgirls is still going to bite you in the ass with soaps. They’ve eased up some over the years but they still have a prejudice. The might make an exception for productions done by Hugh Hefner but that is about it.”

“You’re not going to rule it out though right?”

“I won’t.” Bic sighs. “I’ve been getting really positive reports from New York. If you’d messed up on the movie I know that Dillon isn’t going to say a word to me.”

“To me he’d say plenty.” Fancy counters. “Uncle Dillon doesn’t play when it comes to his movies. He really didn’t want me on the movie, figured it was too soon and that I’d get another label if he used me. I was the best person for the part.”

“You heard from SAG yet?”

Fancy nods. “I have their young performers orientation on my calendar. I filed after the movie but hadn’t heard back them yet when I was doing the L&O episode. I knew they’d cashed the check. But it took a little while for them to verify things I guess.”

“Anja is good at keeping her ear to the ground as far as the business is concerned but it’s another avenue of information and training. Then start working with the conservatory.”

“You are my agent and it’s good advice so I shall take it.” Fancy glances down at her watch. “Your ten minutes are up. So have you been to Brittany’s gallery lately? She’s got a piece hanging there that I picked up in New York when I was with Nana Tracy. It’s too cruel to be telling you about it even if it would look perfect in your office though; Nana Tracy is planning on cornering the artist’s market.”

The food arrives about that time. So it’s more easy to enforce the no shop talk over the meal. Fancy pulls a pen that Mouse had given her out of her purse and clicking it she sets it by the side of her plate. It’s actually a digital recorder. “What’s that?” Bic asks.

“Digital recorder. Way better than taking notes on the food. Yours looks really good.” Fancy lists off exactly what it is and how it’s plated. “That wine pairing should be about right.”

Bic shakes his head but plays along announcing what it is and it had been offered by the glass, half carafe and bottle. The conversation is really very general and doesn’t sound too unnatural even if it is all about the food and the restaurant, the decor, the wait staff, how everything is cooked and if the temperature had been right when it hit the table. “Maybe I should be trying to get you a gig as a judge on Iron Chef?”

“We’re not going to talk about work and Friday already said no way. The judges have to have written a book, or at least a column.”

Bic looks pointedly at the digital recorder. “Blogs may count.”

“No more business.” Fancy retorts. She has been carefully sampling everything including the appetizers. “You’re definitely going to have to bring your wife back here for Valentine’s at least. Maybe something sooner.”

The chef makes the rounds of the house. He’s just opened up so he’s not as busy as he’d like. Until the some of the tables turn over he’s okay to be glad handing. “Good Evening. I hope everything exceeded your expectations.”

“Oh I don’t know; Marta sets the bar pretty high.” Fancy half grins at the chef whose jaw drops just a little.

“You know Marta. Marta Aames from Chicago– that Marta?!”

“She and Kristina Ashton, my mother, went to high school together.”

“Baby. Of course. Marta used to talk about her back at J&W. It’s one of the reasons why I decided to come to LA rather than back east. Dinner is on the house.”

“Oh no way.” Fancy doesn’t let Bic accept. “He’s writing this off as a business expense and I’m sure he needs the deductions. I’ll let you buy me dinner when I come in on my own.” Fancy jokes.

“Deal.” The chef grins. “How is Marta doing?”

“She was just out here, not too long ago, she did the opening of the Tower building. That was a huge party and Baby pulled her in to work it cause she wanted everything to go perfectly.”

“Baby is CSMC right? They reopened the Tower Building.”

“Uh huh.” Fancy nods. “It was a really good dinner. I’m definitely going to tell Baby to come in the next time she is in town.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. It was very good meeting you.” The chef moves on to the next table.

Fancy reaches over and clicks off the spy pen and puts it back in her bag.

Portland was definitely trying to make it interesting tonight. Their shooting guard was on fire and lit up the Lakers for like 30 points all in threes, after the guy hit 4 in a row, Portland kept trying to get him the ball and the Lakers kept trying to get it out of his hands or foul him before he could get into a shooting situation. Talk about an X factor. The player was from the bench. Not anyone I’d ever seen before. This definitely is something Uncle Stefan should see. It turned the game on its ear and Coach definitely had his hands full trying to figure a way to counter the unexpected threat. The Lakers did win but it was down to the last seconds.
I’ve Mouse’s recorder running in the computer. Doing the voice transcription of the dinner with Bic. I’ll go through and edit it up and send it off to Marta. I think I’ll send it to Mona too. It’s not a CSMC restaurant but it would probably come in handy for her clientele to have a place to refer that’s a secret at least for now. It was really good though, it won’t be a secret for long.
Baba had already crashed by the time Frankie and I returned from the game. Frankie says she’s having a good time with the students. She has her own table that she just hangs at over at Ackerman. It’s going to be three days a week just half days. She takes her tatting and will work on that if there is nobody around but when the students come then she works on that and talks with them on whatever they are studying. Most of the students really appreciate what she’s doing, especially since she doesn’t have to. There are a couple of wise asses but Frankie says she shut them down hard today. They were trying to treat her like a fudee dudee– they got over that real quick because of her knowing the Michaelsons, Mayday and the other CSMC artists. And then she brought out the big gun... Pavel. Pavel’s been doing so awesome since he turned pro, the fact that he used to be Baba’s paperboy is enough to strike them dumb.
Uncle Stefan was still up. Maureen’s come through with a few properties she wants him to check out as possibles for the left coast summer house. As soon as he gets the house picked out I guess he’ll be on the lookout for horses. That is going to keep him really busy too, I think. He’s not going to get horses and then ignore them. That’s definitely not his nature. I dropped off the information that Friday gave me about the potential charities. That’s probably going to be the lab portion of my studies tomorrow– he’s still working on economics and personal finance. This especially since I’ve been accepted into the guild. Uncle Stefan isn’t really a fan of unions but he’s seen the abuses through the contracts he’s been using as samples. He knows most people don’t have an Uncle Stefan or a Mouse in their corner making sure that the playing field is even. Oh oh oh! I caught Uncle Stefan reading the text books Baba and Frankie bought over at the UCLA bookstore. Baba sent Frankie to buy the texts of her “regulars” so she could know what they are studying. I bet I’ll be hearing about that too.