Chapter 33
Luke sat at his desk, put his feet up, leaned back in his chair, and picked up the phone. He quickly dialed, then waited for someone to answer.
“Hello?”
“Hey, partner!” he greeted cheerfully.
“Luke, what are you up to? You never call me partner unless you’re plotting something!” Felicia answered.
He chuckled to himself before answering. “Well, I do need something, a little favor. You remember Elizabeth Webber, that pretty little thing Lucky was stuck with at the Bachelor Auction?”
“Of course I do, you set them up to dance, didn’t you?”
“Guilty as charged. Anyway, they need a bigger push, something to really make them deal with their feelings, something that they can’t run away from, where there’s no one else around to distract them from each other.”
“What are you going to do, lock them in a crypt?” She laughed, remembering her and Luke’s adventure years ago, how being locked up together had almost caused them to kiss.
“It’s funny you should mention that, because you’re not too far off. As romantic as that crypt was, it would be too difficult to get them both out there.. I was hoping you could talk to Bubba for me, and get him to arrest them.”
“What?” she asked loudly. “You’re kidding, right? Luke, you can’t arrest them! He’s your son, for god’s sake!”
“Calm down, darlin, it wouldn’t be real. I want to set them up to go to the Outback, then get them arrested for trespassing. Have one of the cops tell them the jail’s crowded and that there’s only one cell left, so they have to be locked up together. It will be night by then, so they won’t be able to make bail until morning, which gives them all night to realize that they were meant for each other.”
“Luke, have you lost your mind?”
“A long time ago, what’s your point?”
“It won’t work. They’re not going to believe it all.”
“I don’t care if they believe it. All I care about is that they’re in that jail cell overnight together. They can blame me all they want the next morning, I don’t really care. Now, will you help me? Will you talk to Bubba?”
Felicia thought for a moment, remembering how the two of them had looked when they were dancing at the auction. There was definitely a spark there, maybe Luke had a point. Still, it was an outrageous plan. On the other hand, Luke’s plans always were outrageous, but they also usually worked. “Okay, I’ll see what he says, but I’m not guaranteeing he’ll do it.”
Luke grinned and sat up in his chair. “Thanks, babe. I owe you one. If this works, I may even do a strip tease for you.”
Felicia frowned into the phone. “Please don’t. A simple thank you will be enough.”
“If you say so. Let me know as soon as you find out something!”
“I will. Bye, Luke.”
“Bye, partner.” He hung up and grinned. “Okay, now for the hard part. How do I get those two kids to the Outback?”
~*~
Liz unlocked the door and walked into Kelly’s, heading straight for the coffeemaker. She looked at the stairs on her way past, wondering if Lucky was there. After everything that happened the day before, she was all confused about him, and wasn’t sure if she wanted to see him that day or not.
Once she had a pot of coffee brewing, she headed back into the kitchen to start breakfast. She stopped as she saw something out of the corner of her eye, turning around. There was an envelope next to the sink with her name on it. She picked it up gingerly, not sure what to think about it, then slowly opened it up, sliding the card out.
Your presence is respectfully requested at the Outback restaurant, this Friday evening at 8:00 PM. Dress will be semi-formal. Signed, an admirer.
“An admirer? I wonder what this is all about? I thought the Outback was closed....”
She stuffed the invitation in her pocket and went to the refrigerator to start making breakfast, all the while trying to figure out who her admirer was, and what they had planned Friday night.
~*~
Lucky crawled out of bed and headed straight for the shower, trying to wake himself up. When he was finished, he stumbled out into the kitchen to make some coffee. He normally didn’t get up so early if he could help it, but he had promised Rich he would meet him for breakfast at the Grille.
“Damn,” he swore softly as he opened the can of coffee only to find it empty. “Great, now I have to go downstairs, and Elizabeth will probably be there.”
He started for the door, his mind wandering to the previous day. The water fight, how he had to help her change her shirt, how soft her skin felt when he had accidentally brushed his hand against her.....
“Stop it, Spencer! This is Elizabeth Webber you’re thinking about. She’s your nemesis, the thorn in your side. Stop thinking about her at all, and go downstairs for some coffee. Yesterday was a fluke, you felt sorry for her because she was in pain, that’s all.” He smiled, cheered by his little pep talk, then opened the door. As he stepped outside, he kicked something with his foot, sending it skittering down the hallway. Curious, he chased after it and picked it up. It was a white envelope, with nothing but his name on the outside.
“Weird,” he muttered, sliding out the card.
Your presence is respectfully requested at the Outback restaurant, this Friday evening at 8:00 PM. Dress will be semi-formal. Signed, an admirer.
“Admirer?” he mumbled, scratching his chin. “What if it’s some crazy fan or something? This might not be safe....” He put it in his pocket, figuring he could ask Rich about it later, then made his way downstairs for that much-needed coffee.
~*~
Liz heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and looked up to see who it was, although she was pretty sure she already knew. A moment later, Lucky appeared, his hair still damp from his earlier shower.
“Hey,” she greeted, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “You’re up early.”
“I know. For some crazy reason, I told Rich I’d have breakfast with him today. As if that wasn’t bad enough, I’m out of coffee,” he answered, sitting on one of the stools.
Liz set the pot down in front of him and walked around the counter to start getting the tables ready. “Help yourself.”
He frowned, looking at the pot of coffee. “Since when is this a self-serve diner?”
“Since it’s before operating hours. We’re not open yet, so you can either pour it yourself, or go somewhere else.”
Lucky grumbled to himself as he turned over the cup in front of him. He picked up the pot and poured, then turned around. “Milk?”
She looked up from the table she was setting and pointed toward the kitchen. “You know where it is.”
He rolled his eyes and stood up, stomping into the kitchen. “I hope you’re not expecting a tip!” he shouted over his shoulder.
Liz laughed. “Oh, like you were actually going to pay for it in the first place!”
Lucky found the milk, brought it out and poured some in his coffee, then brought it back into the kitchen. When he came back out, Liz was on the phone. He stopped in the kitchen doorway, not wanting to interrupt her.
“Hey, Bobbie, it’s Liz. I was wondering if you could cover Kelly’s for me on Friday night? I’m sorry about the short notice, but something came up suddenly. You can? Oh, thank you. Let me know if you want me to take any of your other shifts to make up for it. Bye!” She hung up, then hurried back to the table she had been cleaning.
Lucky hid a smile as he left the kitchen and sat down at the counter to drink his coffee. Friday night? Sudden plans? Was Elizabeth his admirer?
