Don’t Come Around Here No More

Tiffany Hill walked through the doors of Shadybrook Psychiatric Hospital looking every inch the star that she was. Her large sunglasses concealed much of her face, but it was her tailored, Chanel suit that made her stand out to anyone who took notice. It was deep eggplant in color and revealed that the years, as well as a rigorous exercise routine, had been kind to her.
Tiffany looked exactly as he had 28 years ago when she first set foot in Port Charles. And she’d had not one nip or tuck. It was something of which she was proud.
She had taken extra pains to look stunning today. It was silly, she knew, but she wanted to be dazzling when she saw Tracy Quartermaine. She was going to have so much fun with this visit! Laura deserved nothing less than her best friend sticking it to the woman who thought she had gotten Luke. It had been a long time since Tiffany had been able to do something for Laura. Tiffany smiled. She was about to blow Tracy Quartermaine out of the water.
"Excuse me," Tiffany said, pulling the glasses from her face. "I heard that Tracy Quartermaine is here and I’m an old friend of the family’s. I was wondering if it would be possible to see her?"
The receptionist handed Tiffany a clip board. "Sign in," she said. "The visitor’s room is over there."
Tiffany took the clip board and signed her name as if she were signing an autograph. She almost wrote "Best Wishes" before she signed her name but caught herself. She handed the board back to the receptionist. "Thank you."
"I’ll need to see your purse," the woman told Tiffany. "It’s hospital policy. We have to make certain you aren’t bringing in something that is against the rules."
Tiffany handed the woman her purse and attempted to lighten the mood. "Do you need a thumb print too?" she asked, with a little laugh in her voice.
The receptionist handed back the purse, not seeming to amused by her joke. "You can wait in there. I’ll send an orderly for Ms. Quartermaine."
Tiffany looked around the facility as she waited. She had brought the note from Luke. She hadn’t wanted to at first until she considered the delicious fun she could have with it. Luke had raised his eyebrow as he handed her the sealed note.
"Don’t be too vicious, Elsie Mae!"
"Hmm," she had smiled, then said. "Just a little cat and mouse, Darlin’! If I could kill her and drop her at your feet to show you and Laura how much I love you, I would. But, since I can’t do that, I’ll just bat her around a little bit."
Luke had sighed. He realized that Tracy was going to be very livid with him, but he had no other way to get any word to her. And, he knew he had to tell her something. It had been over a month since he’d had any contact. "Try not to do anything that will get you arrested," Luke said in jest. "There are enough of us on the lamb as it is."
Tiffany ignored his comment. "Is there anything off limits?"
Whatever she had in store for Tracy, it was going to be wicked, and Luke knew that he couldn’t stop it.
"If I said ‘yes’, would you listen?" He asked.
Tiffany kissed him on the cheek, and cooed. "No. But, it seemed only polite to ask."
The sound of the door opening, made Tiffany look up. She couldn’t help but notice how old Tracy looked.
What in the world had Luke been thinking - millions or not, this relationship made no sense to anyone.
Tracy couldn’t conceal the surprise in her eyes or her voice. "Tiffany Hill? What are you doing here?"
Tiffany waited for the orderly to leave before she replied. "Luke asked me to bring you this note." She reached into her purse and retrieved the message.
Again, Tracy couldn’t help but show how startled she was by these words. Her chin touched her neck and her
head went down as the words registered. "Luke sent you?"
Tiffany smiled. "Yes. He’s been a little out of sorts the last couple of weeks, and needed some emotional support. So, I flew in to be with him. He was thrilled to have me there!"
"Oh, really?" Tracy asked, the disbelief evident on her face.
Tiffany nodded, twitching her nose at Tracy as she smiled. "Yes, really," she replied, sweetly. "It’s only natural that I would go to him. We have shared so much over the years, and he knows I’d do anything for him."
"Don’t remind me," Tracy muttered under her breath.
"He’s doing well," Tiffany recited the lines that she had rehearsed so well to give to Tracy. "Except of course for that nasty little bump he got on his head when we were in the shower...."
Tracy’s eyes grew wide. She didn’t think she had heard correctly.
Tiffany put her hands up as if trying to alleviate Tracy’s concern. Then rattled on. "Oh, but don’t worry! It wasn’t serious other than giving him a terrible headache the next morning."
"Uh huh," Tracy said, at a loss for words.
"My goodness, we had a night!" Tiffany exclaimed.
Tracy sucked on her lips trying to hold-in her anger. "You and Luke spent the night together?"
Tiffany squished her nose up and smiled demurely. "I don’t think I’d say I spent the night....as I recall we didn’t get much sleep."
"I didn’t realize that you and Luke knew one another so intimately," Tracy said in a cutting manner.
Tiffany tiled her head to one side and said. "There’s a lot you don’t know, Tracy."
"Obviously," Tracy retorted. "Luke must be slumming if he’s taken up with a one-time, B-starlet like yourself. I have questioned his taste regarding women on more than one occasion these last couple of years."
"Trust me, Darling," Tiffany said, unconcerned by Tracy’s dig. "Those of us in Luke’s inner circle have questioned that ourselves in recent years!"
"I wonder how everyone’s precious Laura would feel to know of your alleged dalliance with Luke?" Tracy surmised.
Tiffany couldn’t stand to have Laura’s name spoken by this woman. She held Tracy’s glare. "Laura knows her husband well enough to know that whatever transpired between Luke and I in that hotel room in no way disrespected her or gives her any cause for worry. Interesting that you can’t say that same thing."
"You’re of no concern to me!" Tracy exclaimed.
"I’m not the one you need to be concerned with," Tiffany rebuffed. "If I were you, I’d enjoy whatever days you have left being Mrs. Spencer, because Laura’s coming home soon. And, when she does, all the first-rate scotch in the world won’t keep Luke by your side."
Tracy seethed. "You don’t know anything about my relationship with Luke!"
Tiffany picked-up her purse. Her work here was almost done. She replied smugly and with complete confidence. "You’re right, I don’t," she agreed. "That was one comedy of errors that I didn’t have any interest in hearing about," she told her. "But, I am interested in what’s about to happen regarding Laura, so, I suggest that you start preparing yourself to give up, Tracy! Luke Spencer has eyes for only one woman! It’s been that way ever since I’ve known him, which is going on 30 years. His heart belongs to only one woman, and there’s only been one woman who he’s ever truly been in love with. I think we both know who it is. In fact, I think we both see where Luke’s loyalty lies. His thoughts and concern has always been with Laura.
She has always been first and foremost in his mind. If that weren’t true, wouldn’t he be here with you?"
Tracy tapped the note on the table. She didn’t have a comeback because as much as she wanted to blastTiffany Hill, she couldn’t. At this moment, she hated Luke.
Tiffany rose, dropping her last bomb on Tracy. She said almost with sympathy. "Rest up, Tracy. You really are beginning to show your age, dear! No wonder Luke told me that, aside from Laura, I was the best looking woman he’d ever seen wearing one of his shirts."
Tracy looked like someone had thrown water in her face. Before she could give her a scathing comeback, Tiffany was gone.

* * *

Tiffany strode out of the hospital wishing Laura was here. She would love nothing more than to lock arms with her friend, and walk away giggling like they had done so many times in the past. She took a deep breath, put her sunglasses back on and whispered, "That was for you, Laura Darlin’!"

* * *

Tracy could not believe that Luke had allowed this exchange to take place. Having given Tiffany the note to bring to her, Luke knew fully what abuse Tiffany would heap on her. How had she allowed this man to worm his way into her heart? How had she let him get the upper hand over her? Why had she given him the power to hurt her? Her ego was battered and bruised from the exchange with Tiffany, and, in essence, from Luke. Slowly, she tore the note into tiny pieces. She was no longer interested in anything he had to say. She felt used. She felt foolish. It was time to reclaim her pride and make Luke Spencer pay. It was time to let go.
In a chair, at the head of the table sat Alan, clapping his hands. He was smiling at his sister. She had finally come to her senses.

http://youtu.be/m576G3UWUCU [Don’t Come Around Here No More/Tom Petty]

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