Chapter Six
"Meez Lucky? Is that you?" Anna called down from the deck.
"Who else would it be, Anna?" Lisa asked, pulling herself from the pool and
drying off vigorously.
"Eet's your day off, right?"
"Yes."
"How long you been out here?"
"Um…I think I came down at six-thirty. What time is it now?" Lisa started
up the steps.
"Almost seven-thirty. You got up at six-thirty on your day off?" Anna
stared at her in amazement.
"I felt like swimming laps," Lisa said simply. Anna didn't need to know that
Lisa had hardly slept a wink all night. She was too excited about spending
the day with Kevin. She sighed happily. She felt sixteen again. "Can you
make me a really yummy breakfast? Pancakes, maybe? I'm gonna go soak for a
while in the hot tub."
"Pancakes? You sure you feeling alright, Meez Lucky?" Lisa never asked for
a big breakfast.
"I'm fantastic." She kissed Anna on the cheek and bounded inside.
"I'm here…" Lara called when Anna answered the door. "Hi, Anna."
"She's upstairs. She's acting all crazy today, let me tell you," Anna said,
shaking her head. Lara smiled.
"She has good reason to be." Lara trotted up the steps. "Lees?"
"In here!" Lisa called from her bathroom. Lara flopped onto the unmade bed..
"What do you think?" Lisa came out of the bathroom in a very cute sky blue
halter and shorts set.
"Adorable. Your legs look about twenty feet long," Lara observed.
Lisa looked at Lara and did a double take. "Where did you get that outfit?"
"I found it in the back of my closet," Lara said worriedly. "Why?"
"Stand up," Lisa ordered. "Turn the hell around." Lara stood and slowly
turned. Lisa slowly started to smile. Lara wore a pair of short denim
shorts and a purple sleeveless button-up blouse that knotted at the waist,
showing a slight bit of her slender waist. Her hair was pulled back by a
bandanna. The hairdresser had cut most of the length off but left it long
enough to do things with. "Talk about legs being twenty feet long." Lara
blushed. "Nick is gonna flip."
"It's not gonna be Nick," Lara told her. "I've already convinced myself of
that. And if it isn't, I have ordered myself to enjoy the day no matter
what."
"Good for you!" Lisa gave her a big hug. "Okay…they should be here in about
fifteen minutes. I…"
"Meez Lucky! Someone to see you!" Anna announced.
"If that is Reggie I will most certainly kill him," Lisa told Lara as she
walked to the steps.
"And I will hold him down for you. I refuse to let him destroy the first fun
day we've had in ages," Lara added. She followed Lisa down the stairs,
almost running her over when Lisa stopped short.
"I know we're early…I'm sorry," Kevin said, smiling in a way that proved he
was in no way sorry. Nick's blond head peered over Kevin's shoulder, and
Lara couldn't help but smile.
"No need to apologize," Lisa told him. "Hi, Nick."
"Hey," Nick said almost shyly. He looked from Lisa to Lara and almost did a
double take similar to Lisa's earlier. She blushed prettily.
"Where are the bodyguards?" Lisa asked teasingly.
"The same place yours are," Kevin shot back. "We brought Nick's Explorer,
figuring we'd need room for the huge picnic basket you packed for us."
"And what made you think WE packed lunch?" Lisa said over her shoulder as
she led Kevin out to the kitchen. Nick and Lara lagged behind, just looking
at each other.
"Um…thanks for coming," Lara said finally. "This day means a lot to Lucky."
"Yeah, well, Kev promised I'd have a good time…" Nick looked Lara over.
"…and now I think he may be right."
"How in the world did you get Nick to come along?" Lisa asked Kevin later as
they watched Nick and Lara splash around in the ocean.
"I threatened him," Kevin said with a straight face. Lisa's mouth fell open
and Kevin laughed. "Kidding…kidding. I just asked him to come, and told him
he'd have a nice time. I also stressed how much it would mean for me to get
to spend some time with you."
"R-really?" Lisa almost stammered, then kicked herself for sounding like a
teenager.
"Yes. I wanted to get to know you better, and I knew that if Nick and Lara
were along and the press found out, they might not make such a big deal of
it."
"And would it be a big deal if they DID find out?" Lisa asked cautiously.
Kevin looked at her for a long moment. "Let's take a walk." He stood up and
brushed the sand off his legs, then held a hand out to Lisa.
"Look." Lara grabbed Nick's arm and motioned towards the shore. They
watched their friends slowly stroll down the beach.
"'Bout damn time," Nick muttered. Lara looked at him strangely. "Ever since
we met you guys at that lunch, it's been "Lucky this" and "Lucky that". He's
sounded like a teenager or something."
"And is that a bad thing?" Lara asked him. He shook his head and smiled.
"Nah…of course not. Kev's been alone too long. It's hard finding someone
when people totally judge you for what you appear to be instead of what you
are."
"I totally understand," Lara said, blushing slightly. She shivered and Nick
noticed.
"Come on. Let's go in for a while."
"So, what made you come to LA?" Kevin asked Lisa.
"Well…it's the basic American fairy tale. I got rave reviews for doing "Our
Town" in high school, then when I graduated I didn't community theater and my
ego got inflated so much I moved to California…and quickly found out that I
wasn't as good as I thought I was. So, I studied hard, waitressed to pay the
rent, and then I got my big break."
"Wow…is acting hard?"
"Is performing hard?"
"You perform," Kevin pointed out.
"No…I just sing a little and act a lot. You guys perform…you put one
hundred percent into everything you do and that is something to be proud of,"
Lisa told him.
"You've seen our show?"
"Um…no…Lara rented some videos for me. I wanted to be prepared once you
came on my show." Lisa winced at the words. "My show. That sounds so
egotistical."
"What will you call it…The Lucky Show?" Kevin asked. Lisa swatted at him.
"God, I hope not."
They walked in silence for a moment. "I'm so glad you agreed to come along
today, Lucky," Kevin said finally. "I mean, I know we just met like last
week, but I really feel comfortable with you."
"Must be the whole Kentucky thing," Lisa teased, though her heart was doing
jumping jacks.
"Must be," Kevin agreed with a smile. "Lucky, I…"
"Kevin, could you do me a favor?" She interrupted.
"Sure."
"Could you call me by my real name? Lucky gets so old."
"Of course. I'm sorry, I didn't even think to ask what it was." Kevin
actually looked ashamed.
"It's Lisa."
"Lisa…I like it. Fits you much better then Lucky." Kevin took Lisa's hand
in his and swung it between them.
"So…Lucky's having a party sometime between now and the show…think you'll
come?" Lara asked Nick shyly as they sat on their blanket. "I mean, I'm
sure she'll invite you."
"What kind of party? Some black tie cocktail dress thing?"
"Knowing Lucky the way I do, I highly doubt it," Lara told him. "I see a DJ
instead of a band, kegs and liquor instead of champagne, and no one over the
age of forty invited."
"Excellent!" Nick exclaimed. "Will you be there?"
Lara rolled her eyes. "Be there? Also knowing Lucky the way I do, I'll be
the one running the damn thing."
"Bet your boyfriend won't like that," Nick said, his blue eyes dark.
"I…I don't have a boyfriend," Lara said quietly. Nick ran a finger up her
leg and she shivered.
"Guess you'll need a date then, huh?"
"Guess so," she replied even more quietly.
"Well, if she DOES invite me…can I be your date?"
"Of course," Lara said, trying not to smile too big.
"Great. Hey, put some suntan lotion on my back, would ya?" Nick handed Lara
the bottle and turned his back to her. She allowed the smile to fill her
face as she squirted lotion on her hand.
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By: Lara
© 2000
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Chapter Five
Chapter Seven