Chapter 41
A week had passed since their stint in jail, and Liz and Lucky had been doing everything they could to avoid one another, convinced that by doing so they could somehow ignore the feelings that had been dredged up.
When Liz wasn’t working, she stayed home as much as possible, knowing it was the one place she wouldn’t run into him. Lucky would make sure to be out of his apartment during her shifts, either at Nikolas’s house, or hanging out with Emily. The few times they did happen to bump into each other, they were both cold and distant, saying as few words as possible.
Luke had been laying low, trying to figure out his next scheme, and he finally had a good one, something he was sure would work. All he needed was a little help from his partners-in-crime.
“Hey, Luke,” Charisma greeted, looking up from her cup of coffee as he entered Kelly’s courtyard. “Nice day, isn’t it?”
“Sure is,” he said, joining her at the table. “So what’s the situation?”
“Well, Liz works the night shift, so we don’t have to worry about her showing up for a while, and Lucky’s at his brother’s house, watching Dominique, so I figure we’re good for a few uninterrupted hours of planning. So, what’s this genius idea you had?”
Luke glanced at his watch. “I’ll tell you in a minute. We need to wait for someone first.”
“Who?”
“Hey, sorry I’m late!” Carly said, rushing up to their table. “Jason decided to give me the third degree on my way out the door.”
“So what did you do?” Luke asked with a grin.
Carly smiled and pulled up a chair. “I lied, of course. Actually, it was only a fib, but still....” she stopped babbling and looked over at Charisma, noticing her for the first time since arriving.
“Oh, right. Charisma, this is my niece Caroline. Caroline, this is Charisma, Lucky’s manager. She’s been helping me with my plan to get those two crazy kids together.”
Charisma and Carly studied one another for a moment, then shook hands. “Caroline has offered her services to us, and trust me, when it come to scheming, my little niece here is the queen!”
Carly smiled proudly. “Well, I may be a little rusty, it’s been a while since I’ve pulled anything, you know. But, this is for a good cause, right?”
“Right, so here’s my idea...” Luke leaned over the table to explain his newest plan, which he was convinced was nearly foolproof.
~*~
“Okay, princess, why don’t you go pick out a game for us to play and bring it out here, okay?” Lucky asked. Dom giggled and hurried up the stairs to her room. He chuckled at her energy and walked over to sit down, knowing she would be up there for a while. It always took her ages to decide on a game.
Just as he got comfortable, there was a knock on the door. He stood up and walked over, wondering who it could be. He opened the door and saw Elizabeth standing there, looking about as surprised to see him as he was to see her.
“Hey,” he said quietly, not sure what else to say.
“Hey,” she answered, looking down at the ground. “Is Nikolas here?”
“Um, no, he got called out of town, so I’m watching Dominique. Do you want me to...take a message or something?”
She shook her head and reached into her purse. “No, I was just bringing this by.” She pulled out a doll and handed it to him. “Dom left it at my place the last time she stayed with me, and I kept forgetting to give it to him.”
“Oh, okay.” Lucky took it from her, their fingers brushing as he grabbed it. Liz held onto the doll for a moment, until he cleared his throat to get her attention. She smiled sheepishly and let go, stepping back to leave.
“Lizzie!” Dom shouted as she came down the stairs. She dropped the game she was carrying on the floor and ran to the door, holding out her arms for a hug. Liz giggled and scooped her up.
“Hey there. How are you today?”
“Good. Uncle Lucky’s going to play a game with me,” she said, looking adoringly at him over her shoulder. “You wanna play too?”
Liz looked at her, then at Lucky, not sure what to say. Things were weird enough between them already, but she didn’t want to disappoint Dom, either. Lucky shrugged, sensing her indecision. “The more the merrier.”
“Well, okay, then,” she said, walking into the house and setting Dom on the floor. “I guess I can stay for a little while. What are we playing?” She looked up at Lucky, hoping they could get through the afternoon without fighting in front of the little girl.
“Candy Land!” Dom said excitedly, picking the box up off the floor and hurrying over to the table.
Liz chuckled and followed her. “My favorite! How about you, Lucky?”
He grinned as he sat down. “Oh, when it comes to Candy Land, I’m the master, right Dom?”
Dominique just giggled and opened the box, happy to have two of her favorite people to play with.
~*~
“So, where do we fit in?” Carly asked after Luke briefly explained his plan. “You did say you need our help, right?”
“Oh, of course I do. See, after Laura asks Lucky to drive Lulu to camp, I’ll suggest he bring someone along, since it’s a long drive, and knowing him, he’ll ask you,” he said to Charisma. “Now, you’ll agree, of course, although you have no intention of going. Then, I’ll ask Liz to take her for me, saying that Lucky’s still too angry with me to do it, and suggest that she take someone along, same reasons. That’s where you come in, Caroline. I figure you’re the most likely candidate.”
Carly nodded, agreeing that she would probably ask her first. “Okay, so then what?”
“Well, at the last minute, you’ll tell them that something came up, and you got someone else to take your place. When they show up at my house to pick up Lulu, they’ll assume the other is the replacement. By the time they realize they’ve been set up, it’ll be too late.”
“But what if one backs out?” Charisma asked.
“They won’t, trust me. They’re too stubborn, plus, they will have promised me and Laura to take care of Lulu, and neither will go back on that. So, they’ll end up doing this together. A long car trip is just the thing they need, don’t you agree?”
Carly eyed him for a moment, sensing that there was more to the plan. “Uncle Luke, you’ve got something else up your sleeve, don’t you?”
Luke grinned at her. “You know me too well, Caroline.”
“Well, I am a Spencer,” she said, chuckling.
“As a matter of fact, I do have something else planned for them, and if I do say so myself, it’s brilliant!
