The Bed You Make

Chapter 15, continued

Nikolas Cassadine stared at the name painted simply on the wood door – ‘Alexis Davis, Attorney at Law'. He had visited so rarely that he had forgotten how austere everything was. It was almost as if his aunt sought to downplay anything that might draw attention to her intelligence or her beauty.

Alexis had opened the law office shortly after her arrival in Port Charles. Because her last name was Davis, the citizens of the little New York town made no connection to her Cassadine roots.

Nikolas knocked once and then entered. He took in the neatly stacked boxes that lined the far wall of the outer office. Most bore labels identifying their contents as law books. They also carried bold red warnings to ‘handle with care.'

Smiling softly, the young Cassadine heir continued on into Alexis' inner sanctum. Just as Nikolas suspected, his aunt was busily engaged in packing up the contents of her office for the move to the new location. Wisps of dark hair escaped from the bun Alexis had smoothed her hair into. Every few minutes the frazzled attorney impatiently blew the offending strands off her brow.

“You could have had the servants do that.”

Alexis looked up, startled. She had been so engrossed in her task that Nikolas' entrance had gone unnoticed. “Nikolas!” She stood, spilling a lap full of books onto the floor.

Nikolas laughed and collected the scattered books. “Yes,” he nodded, “you should definitely have had the servants do this.”

“I don't exactly have access to those resources anymore,” Alexis said quietly.

“You have access to me. Always. You should know that.” The firm declaration hung in the air. Nikolas could tell that Alexis struggled to maintain her composure in its wake. “Things with Uncle will right themselves soon.”

Alexis began packing boxes again. “I wouldn't count on it. Stefan forgives many things easily, but endangering your future isn't one of them.”

For several minutes they worked side-by-side packing the last of Alexis' law books into boxes. The silence gave them each an opportunity to reflect on private thoughts.

“I have missed you both.”

Nikolas felt a twinge of guilt at the loneliness in his aunt's tone. All his life Alexis had always made time for him. He could not say the same. “Have faith, Alexis. Uncle will come around in time. And in the meantime,” Nikolas deliberately lightened the mood, “you have a brand new occupation to conquer.”

“I suppose Dara knows that District Attorney Schultz offered me the position?” Alexis did not glance at her nephew but continued securing the boxes with tape.

“Yes,” Nikolas said. “I don't know the how and when of it all, but I do know she was told of your new job. Uncle informed me shortly after it was confirmed that you had accepted the offer.”

continued