John and Marlena (Finally) Get a Q!

Chapter 105 - Afternoon Delight

"Right, so you'll get that underway?"  John ran his fingers through his hair as he talked to the lawyer on the phone.  "Yeah, well do what you have to.  She's unfit.  I won't have her around my child for any longer than necessary."  He paused and rubbed an eyebrow unconsciously, a gesture he often made when things were particularly disturbing.  "Yeah, well Paul, I trust you to take care of it.  I don't care what it takes.  I want custody of that baby and I want her out of our lives."  He paused, listening to the man on the other end of the line.  "Well, that's why I pay you the good money," he gave a short, hard laugh.  "Good man, I thought you'd see it like that.  All right," he nodded, "keep in touch with any developments.  And I'll let you know when things happen on this end."   His smile became grim.  "Oh, I will, don't worry.  Talk to you soon."

John replaced the receiver in its cradle and immediately hit the button that connected him directly to his assistant's desk.

"Nicole," he barked shortly into the intercom.

"Yes Mr. Black?"  She knew John hated the formalities of business, but Nicki liked to keep it reasonably professional in the office.  She didn't want to give the sharks that were cruising Alamain Industries any more ammunition against John than was absolutely necessary.

"Can you come and explain to me again what these piles are?" he sighed.  "Take pity on me, please?"

"All right," a smile curled her lips as she heard the defeat in his voice.  He had halfway ignored her when she had tried to tell him what was what, the other day.  But as much as he had struggled to make a dent in the paperwork, she knew he was swamped.  She had simply been waiting for him to admit it.

Pushing the paper aside on her own desk, she found her favorite pen and then she stood.  Picking up a pile of papers, she entered John's office.

"What would I do without you?" he asked playing helpless.

"Go broke, probably," Nicki quipped as she took the piles from the baskets on his desk and on the low cabinets behind him.  Arranging them on the table in a straight line, she motioned for him to come over.  "These," she waved her hand at the first pile, "are the most urgent.  These are events that you need to familiarize yourself with.  They have either happened since your accident, or they happened prior, and Alamain Industries are trying to deal with the repercussions.  You need to get up to play with these before the next board meeting."

John eyed the bundle of reports and sank into a chair.  So much for spending time with Marlena.  It looked like the only thing he would be spending time with in the next few days, was vast amounts of felled forests.

"These," Nicole indicated the next piles, ignoring his suddenly vacuous expression, "need your signature.  They're pretty urgent too.  Nothing too exciting, unless you want me to throw my visa bill on the top."  She grinned, hoping to elicit some sort of response from him.

"Sure...." his voice drifted away, in the same direction as his thoughts she guessed as she watched him.

"John," she sat down in the seat next to him, "if you aren't interested in this, please don't make me go through it again."  John turned his head and looked at her, his surprise quickly shifting into contrition.

"I'm sorry Nick," he shook his head, "I just have a lot on my mind."

"You don't *have* to be here you know," Nicki's soft Canadian accent was full of concern, "everyone would understand.  *I* think you came back too early anyway."

She saw his eyes flitter to the picture that sat on the desk.  The one of Marlena Evans and the children.  And she understood.

"If Kristen calls, I promise that she will never find out that you haven't been here."