Chapter 26
"Hi," Elizabeth said, opening the door and stepping outside.
Lucien smiled. Even in jeans and a t-shirt she looked gorgeous. "Hi."
They walked to the Jag, and Lucien opened the door for her. She got inside and waited for him to come around and get in. Once he had shut the door and fastened his seat belt, he turned to her.
"So, where are we going?"
"Well, since you picked the place last time, it's my turn. You just drive, I'll tell you when to turn."
"Okay. Should I be afraid?" he asked jokingly, wondering where she was taking him.
She laughed. "What? Don't you trust me?"
"Sure, I just like to know where I'm going, that's all."
"You're going to a restaurant, and that's all you need to know," she said simply, flashing him a smile before turning to gaze out the window.
~*~
Nikolas went to answer the door, and was surprised to find his mother standing there.
"Is this a bad time?" Laura asked as he ushered her inside.
"Not at all. Lucien just left a few minutes ago, though."
She smiled. "That's good, because he's the reason I'm here."
He looked at her strangely for a moment before she continued to explain.
"Luke and I just found proof that Lucky wasn't in that fire two years ago, but he still refuses to admit that Lucien could be him. I couldn't argue with him any longer, so I left, and I sort of ended up here. I hope that's okay."
"Of course it's okay. As for Luke, he'll come around. He's just having a hard time with the Cassidine thing, that's all. What kind of proof did you find?"
"Mac brought over the dental records that were used to match the body. There was a filling in them, and Lucky's never had a cavity, so there's no way it could have been him," she explained, a tear running down her cheek.
"Then that means Helena or Faison must have faked his records!"
She gasped. "I hadn't even thought of that yet! I was so focused on them not matching that I didn't even stop to wonder why the police thought they were Lucky's! I swear, if I ever see that woman again, I'll strangle her with my bare hands!"
Nikolas smiled at the image. "Again?"
She was thrown by his question for a moment, then laughed when she remembered that she had already tried that before. "Oh, yeah. Well, this time there won't be anyone around to pull me off!"
They both laughed for a minute and sat down on the couch. "Liz is taking him to Eli's for lunch. She thinks it might trigger his memory a little."
"Maybe. I know him and his father used to eat there all the time. Ribs were his favorite," she said distantly.
Nikolas shook his head. "I still don't understand how anyone can eat those. They're so...messy!"
She chuckled. "I guess it's just an American thing, then. You know, I wonder if Lucien will have that reaction? I mean, as far as he knows, he's probably never eaten them before either! I can't imagine a Cassidine eating with their hands!"
~*~
"Eli's? What is this place?" Lucien asked, pulling into the parking lot.
"You'll see. It may not look like much, but the ribs are the best in the world!" Liz said excitedly, pulling him to the front door.
"Ribs?"
She laughed. "Yes, ribs. Trust me, you'll love them!"
"How can you be so sure?"
"I've just got a good feeling, that's all. Now will you get in here with me? I'm starving!"
He sighed and followed her inside. They sat in a booth and she ordered for both of them.
"I bet Helena never fed you ribs and cheese fries back in Greece!" she taunted, curious to see his reaction.
"No, I can't say that she did. We always had gourmet chefs."
She acted hurt. "What? Are you saying this isn't gourmet?"
"Oh, I didn't mean to offend you or anything. It's just that American food was never really on the menu back home, that's all. I think it will be...refreshing to try some. Thank you for bringing me here. For some reason I like this place. It feels comfortable, although I can't imagine why!"
Liz hid a small smile as the food arrived. She took a napkin and put it across her lap, then tucked another one in her shirt. Looking up at Lucien's bewildered face, she grinned. "Dig in!"
He watched as she picked up one of the ribs and chewed off some of the meat. When she saw him looking at the table in confusion, she couldn't help laughing.
"There's no silverware, you're going to have to use your hands like I am!"
He blushed slightly and tentatively picked up one of the ribs. He slowly took a tiny bite, as though it was going to poison him. She laughed again and continued to eat. They both ate in silence for a few minutes before she decided to speak.
"Well? Do you approve?" she asked cautiously.
He nodded, swallowing the cheese fry he had just popped into his mouth. "Actually, I do. These are very good. And now that I'm eating them, I seem to remember my uncle giving me ribs once before. They weren't as good as these, though. I think they were cold or something, but I don't really remember that well."
She was shocked for a moment. That wasn't the answer she had expected. Disappointed that the food hadn't brought back his memory, she remained silent for most of the meal. When they were almost done, Lucien looked at her with concern.
"Elizabeth, is something wrong?"
"Hm? Oh, no, I'm fine. I was just thinking about something, that's all. I'm glad you liked the ribs. I wanted to show you that American food is just as good as that fancy stuff you eat in Greece," she said, trying to make up some kind of excuse.
"Well, it was very good. Thank you," he said, wiping his hands on a napkin as the waitress cleared their plates away. Once they had paid the bill, they headed out to the car. "So, what should we do now?" he asked, hoping that she didn't want to go home yet.
~*~
"Helena, you may want to go to Port Charles," Faison said, rushing into her siting room.
"Now why would I want to do that?" she asked sarcastically, annoyed that he had interrupted her reading.
"One of our men just called. Lucien was spotted with Elizabeth Webber today. They were at that rib place that Lucky liked so much. I think it's time for some damage control before it's too late."
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