Chapter 10
Lucky got out of his car and walked up to the front door of Kelly’s. The diner wasn’t open yet, so he pulled out his key and unlocked the door. He walked inside and locked the door behind him, then headed for the stairs. He smiled, remembering how much fun he had with Dominique the previous night. It hadn’t hit him until he was back in town how much he missed his niece. Being around her always made him wonder if he’d ever have kids of his own.
Elizabeth heard the door open and wandered out of the kitchen, wondering if she had forgotten to lock it when she came in that morning. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Lucky making his way to the stairs, a small smile playing on his lips.
“Long night?” she asked sarcastically, causing him to jump. He had been so wrapped up in his thoughts, he hadn’t heard her come into the room.
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t you ever go home?”
“Yes, I do. I just got here a few minutes ago. I think I should be the one asking you that question!” she answered, folding her arms across her chest. She knew it was none of her business, and that there was no reason why she should even care, but she still found herself wanting to know.
He stepped up onto the first step. “Since when are you my mother? If you don’t mind, I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, and I’d like to take a quick nap.” He made his way up to his apartment without another look at her.
Liz watched him climb the stairs, wrestling with the implications of his statement. He didn’t get much sleep? She shook her head, telling herself that she didn’t care, then headed back to the kitchen.
~*~
Later that afternoon, Liz went outside to clear off some tables for the lunch rush. She smiled as Nikolas entered the courtyard with Dominique. “Hey there!”
“Hey, Liz. Got a minute?” he asked, letting go of Dom’s hand so she could sit down at a table. Liz nodded and they both sat down. “Did you talk to Jason yet?”
“Yeah, it took some begging, but he finally agreed. I think he’s only going along with it because it’s for the AIDS wing.” She always felt a little jealous when the subject of Robin came up, knowing that she was Jason’s first real love, and that deep down, he still cared about her. She sighed a little, twirling one of the centerpiece flowers between her fingers.
Nikolas noticed her sudden mood change and reached out to touch her hand. “You okay?”
She smiled. “Yeah, I just got a little lost in thought there. Anyway, he agreed, so you can count us both in. I think Carly’s still working on Sonny. As much as she dislikes Robin, she’s not too proud to throw her name around if it’ll help her get her way!”
Nikolas chuckled. “Good. We’re hoping to beat last year’s record, and I think we’ve got a good chance. Anyway, I’ll let you get back to work.”
Liz stood up and went back into the diner. A few minutes later, Luke came into the courtyard. Dom was the first to see him, and she squealed happily, rushing over to him. Luke picked her up and perched her on his hip. “How’s my little angel?” he asked, tweaking her nose playfully as she giggled.
“Okay,” she answered simply as he walked over to Nikolas’s table and set her down.
“Hey, Nikky,” Luke said, taking the seat across from him. Nikolas rolled his eyes.
“Luke. What brings you here? I thought Bobbie took care of this place most of the time.”
“She does. Actually, I stopped by to check on my son, but I’m glad you’re here. I need a favor.” He chuckled at the shocked look that crossed Nikolas’s face.
Before he could answer, Dom grabbed his arm. “Daddy, can I go see Lizzie?”
He smiled down at her and nodded. “Of course honey. Just make sure you stay where she can see you, okay?”
Dom smiled excitedly and ran into the diner. Luke chuckled and turned back to Nikolas. “So, what’s this favor?” Nikolas asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.
“It’s about time for that auction thing you do right?”
He nodded. “The Bachelor Auction? Yeah, it’s about a week away. Why? You want to put yourself on the block? I don’t know if Laura would be too thrilled about that!”
Luke laughed and shook his head. “No, this isn’t about me. I was hoping you’d convince Lucky to sign up.”
“Lucky? Why?”
“Well, let’s just say I’ve got a plan for him. I’d rather not go into the details, because then I’d have to kill ya.” He grinned evilly, then continued. “Anyway, it won’t work unless Lucky’s in the auction, and he never listens to me anymore.”
Nikolas shrugged. “Sure, I’ll ask him, but I can’t imagine he’d do it. After all, he’s pretty famous now, he might not want to do something so public, you know?”
“Nah, he’s a good sport, and it’s still for charity, right? That’s good publicity.”
“True. Okay, I’ll try, but I won’t guarantee anything!” Nikolas said, wondering what Luke was up to.
~*~
“Lizzie!” Dominique shouted as she ran into the diner. Liz reached down to hug her.
“Hey, sweetie. Does your Daddy know you’re in here?” Dom nodded, so Liz sat her down on one of the stools, then handed her a cookie. Dom chewed quietly on it, spinning around happily on the stool as Liz went over to refill someone’s coffee.
Lucky came down the stairs, somewhat refreshed from his nap, but still a little groggy. He saw Dom sitting on one of the stools and smiled. “Hey, princess, you here all by yourself?” he asked, sitting down next to her.
She smiled up at him and shook her head. “Daddy’s outside talking to Grandpa Luke.”
“Oh,” Lucky said, turning to look out the window. Sure enough, his dad was deep in conversation with his brother. He smiled to himself, thinking how rare it was to see the two of them at the same table like that.
“Uncle Lucky?” she asked, causing him to turn around again. He smiled. “Yeah, princess?”
“Are you staying here for good now?” she said, looking at him expectantly.
“No, honey, but I’m not leaving any time soon, either, so don’t worry. I’m sticking around for a while this time.”
She smiled in relief. “Good, cause I missed you. I wish you could be my baby-sitter all the time!”
Lucky chuckled and mussed her hair playfully. “You had fun last night, then?”
She nodded enthusiastically and he laughed. “Well, I had fun too. You’re my favorite niece, you know that?”
She giggled. “I’m your only niece!”
“So? That doesn’t mean you can’t be my favorite!”
Liz had been at one of the tables nearby and had heard their entire conversation. She smiled and leaned on the counter behind Lucky. “So this was your hot date last night?” she asked sarcastically.
He jumped slightly, not knowing she was there, and turned around,. “Yep, it was just me and my favorite girl, right Dom?” he glanced back at the little girl, who was still giggling.
“Uncle Lucky stayed with me cause Daddy had to go out on business,” she explained.
Lucky looked back at Liz and smiled proudly, knowing that he had given her a completely different impression of his evening’s activities. She just shook her head and went back to clearing the table behind him, trying to ignore the feeling of relief that had passed through her. Why did she care who Lucky was with last night?
~*~
Nikolas stood up and excused himself, then went inside to retrieve his daughter. Once he was gone, Luke pulled out his cell phone. He dialed, then waited for someone to answer.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Luce! How are ya?” he asked cheerfully.
“Luke!” Lucy greeted happily. “How are you? I haven’t heard from you in a while! How’s Laura? How’s Lulu?” She rattled on for a few minutes as Luke chuckled.
“Everyone’s good, Lucy. I need a favor. It’s about the Bachelor Auction next week.”
Lucy stopped talking, her interest piqued. “The auction? What about it?” Deception and Jax Cosmetics had merged after Katherine’s death. She had willed the company to Nikolas, and he had decided it was in the best interest of both companies to work together instead of against each other. The Bachelor Auction had become an annual event, and was nearly as popular as the Nurses Ball.
“Well, Lucky’s back in town, and Nikolas is going to convince him to sign up,” Luke explained. “Do you know if Liz Webber is going to be there?”
Lucy rifled through some papers for a minute. “Yeah, her and Jason Morgan just signed up the other day. Why? Luke, what are you up to now?” she asked, getting suspicious.
“Oh, I’m just trying to help along destiny a little, that’s all. So, will you help me or not? Come on, Luce, I know what a sucker you are for romance! How can you pass up a chance to play Cupid?”
“Something tells me I’m going to regret this, but you know me, I just can’t say no to you! Okay, what do you need me to do?” she asked, smiling as he explained his plan.
