Chapter 41

Liz looked up from her painting, at the sound of a knock against the wooden
door. She quickly got up and wiped the red paint from her fingers on to her
shirt, Lucky's old blue one that hung below her knees. It was her favorite
"paint shirt." It had old smudges of blue, yellow, and red all over it.
"Coming," she said as she crossed over to the door.

She was quite surprised to see the face that greeted her. She hadn't talked
to him in weeks. "Um...Reese isn't here," she said quickly, beginning to shut
the door in Kyle's face.

Kyle stuck his foot between the open space. "Liz...please...can we
talk?...This ignoring each other thing has got to stop. It's too awkward...I
want to be friends again."

Liz walked over to her desk and sat down in her chair. "Were we ever really
friends Kyle? I mean...wasn't I just another notch to add to your bedpost
from day one?"

"No," said Kyle walking into the room and sitting down on Reese's bed. "I
mean...yes, Liz. I won't deny that I was interested...VERY interested. BUT I
do genuinely like you as a person and value you as a friend. I have since the
beginning. I'd really like to be that again....really."

Liz stared at him, he seemed sincere but she didn't know if she could believe
anything that he said anymore. Though one thing did strike he as odd...she no
longer felt threatened. The room wasn't closing in on her. Her palms weren't
sweating, and she had no desire to run.

"I know you feel like you can't trust me and that's my fault because I made a
total ass out myself the last time we talked." Kyle continued."You probably
think I'm lieing right now - "

"No," Liz said smileing weakly. "I don't think your lieing."

Kyle let out a breath and smiled. "Good...'cause I'm not."

Kyle got up from the bed as if to leave, but turned around suddenly,
laughing. "You know...poor Reese has been totally caught in the middle of
this."

Liz laughed too. "I know. I think we're going to have to treat her to lunch."

"Or buy her those damn earrings she's constantly talking about," Kyle
returned.

Liz laughed loudly at the comment. She couldn't believe she was actually
sitting here making cracks about Reese and chit chatting with Kyle like it
was old times. Maybe the guy wasn't so bad afterall.

Kyle turned to leave and once again turned around. "Oh! I almost forgot," he
began, starting to walk back towards her. "I know we're kind of starting over
here, so I don't want to push my luck...but, that job I told you about
before...the offer still stands."

Liz sighed and shook her head. "You never give up do you?"

"Seriously Liz. The gallery is just opening up...it's getting a lot of
attention, it would be a fantastic opportunity for you. Liz I swear on my
grandma's grave that I'd stay out of your face. You wouldn't even know I was
there, you wouldn't have to see me..." Kyle stopped short, sensing Liz's
resistance.

"Ok," he continued, finally opening the door. "Just give it some thought."

With that said, he was gone. Liz was indeed left to think. She thought about
whether or not she could trust Kyle and whether or not she could resist the
opportunity that was knocking on her door once again.

Chapter 42

"You know darlin'," Luke said pouring Sam another soda as she listened
attentively to his ramblings about the blues. "If you ever get tired of
living above my son's joint I've got a room right upstairs..."

"Quit hittin' on her dad. She's half your age," Lucky sighed as he made his
way out of his dad's kitchen.

The party was in three days and Lucky had to make sure that the kitchen was
fully stocked. Luke had told him numerous times that it was BEYOND stocked,
but he wanted to check for himself.

Sam quickly hopped off her bar stool and gave Lucky a hand with the box he
was carrying. She had volunteered to help Lucky plan Liz's birthday bash as
soon as she had heard there would be one, and as busy as Lucky was...he
couldn't refuse.

They both hefted the large box atop the bar. "Claude just brought in a new
shipment of Bourbon dad," Lucky said, dusting off his hands. "There's more
where that came from...you wanna take your lazy butt out there and help
out?"He asked jokingly.

Luke grinned and nodded, wagging his finger at the boy he could finally call
his son again. He didn't know how Elizabeth had done it, but he'd be grateful
to her for the rest of his life. Luke excused himself and went out to help
Claude.

"So Luck' do you need any help with anything else?" Sam asked pouring Lucky a
cold soda. She watched as he swigged the drink, his adams apple moving up and
down.

She unconciously, bit her lip, longing to touch his neck. "I mean
anything...music selection? Anything?"

Lucky chuckled lightly, sitting his Coke down upon the bar. "No...I've got
that covered. Liz is gonna get the surprise of her life," Lucky said smileing.

"What do you mean? I thought she knew about the party?"

"Oh, she knows about the party...I've just got a little musical surprise for
her..."

"Do tell." Sam said making her way from behind the bar.

"No, no, no...Let's just say it pays to have a dad that has connections in
the world of Blues."

"So, Liz likes the Blues huh?"

"She's my wife...she better like the Blues," he grinned.

Lucky suddenly turned around, hearing the door open behind him. "Hey Em!" He
said smileling widely at her.

"Hi Lucky I heard you were over here," said Emily walking over to Lucky and
Sam. "Hi Sam," she said weakly, wondering why she was there. "I came over to
see if I could give you a hand Lucky."

"Well...I don't think anything else needs to be done at the moment," Lucky
sighed. "Sam here helped a lot," he said patting her shoulder. Sam reveled in
the mere fraction of a second that Lucky's hand had come into physical
contact with her.

"Oh I bet she did," Emily said smileing. "Sam's our little helper isn't
she?....Lucky you could've called me."

"Oh I know Em, but Nikolas told me that you had a big shoot this week, so I
didn't want to bother you...I just knew you were really busy...oh, and
speaking of busy" Lucky said looking at his watch. "I gotta get out of here.
I've got my own restaurant to run."

"Bye you guys!" yelled Lucky as he started for the door. "Thanks for the help
Sam."

"Anytime Lucky!" Sam called after him, watching as he disappeared from the
club.

Emily leaned against the bar staring at Sam in amazement. "I gotta hand it to
you girl...you sure do know how to make your presence known."

"Huh?" Sam said placing a hand on her hip.

"I mean you know...it's not enough that you live across the hall from him,
you've got to befriend his wife, help him with her birthday party too...you
just have NO shame do you?"

Sam sighed. "You know what Emily? I'm really tired of all the
accusations...Liz likes me, Lucky just adores me...you seem to be the only
one with the problem here."

Emily laughed and shook her head. "Sam - Samantha, " she began inching
towards her. "Don't think that because I haven't told Liz what you're up to,
that I'm not still watching you. And DON'T underestimate Liz either. The only
reason I didn't tell her was because I wanted to give you the benefit of the
doubt...but Sam, you're making this painfully obvious, I mean it's only a
matter of MINUTES before Liz figures this all out for herself."

"Emily...figure what out? I'm not - "

"Shut up Sam. Would you give it a rest already? At least be woman enough to
admit what your doing."

Sam simply glared at Emily and shook her head. She picked up her purse and
started for the door, but was stopped by Emily's hand gripping her forearm.

"Let go of me Emily," Sam said through gritted teeth.

"Ok," Emily sighed, turning to face her. "I just wanted to say one last
thing: I've seen Liz angry and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. So...God help
you."