Every time I look at you
Every time I look at you
Every time I look at you

Lucky smiled and took a deep breath when he spotted her through the window. The sun shining through her hair as she made her way up the walkway and in through the front door of the ice cream shop.

"Hey…you’re late," he said smiling widely as she stalked towards his table. "You said you’d be here at –

"How dare you."

"What?" Lucky asked. Suddenly stuck somewhere between a sitting position and a standing one. Having risen to pull out her chair. Taken aback, he sank slowly back towards his own seat.

The searing heat of her gaze sent a shiver up his spine, as she stood poised and ready to strike. ‘Damn,’ he thought. ‘Didn’t take her long to find out about last night, did it?’

"You know damn well what! I can’t believe you actually went to my job…my place of BUSINESS and confronted Gino like that! Do you have any idea how –

"Ssh, ssh," Lucky said quickly. Standing up and moving towards her in an effort to cease the looks that they were getting from everyone in the shop. Two little kids snickered in a booth in the back as their parents shoveled ice cream into their mouths and told them to mind their own businesses.

"Don’t shush me damnit! I wanna know where the Hell you think you get off going to –

"Elizabeth!" Lucky whispered through semi-grit teeth. "There are kids in here ok? Can we go outside and discuss this, please? Like two rational adults?"

Rolling her eyes, Elizabeth turned on her heel and shoved the door open in one quick move. The silver bell clanging against the glass in violent protest. Lucky bit his lip and followed. Sending nervous glances to onlookers.

He stayed behind her. Shielding his eyes as they exited into the sun.

‘Did you expect any less Spencer?…Come on, you knew before you even got there last night, that you were out of line.’ He thought glumly. ‘She’s gonna rip you to shreds…and rightly so.’

"Listen," he said finally, just as she turned around. "I know you’re pissed, but just –

"You’re damn right I’m pissed. You had absolutely NO right to do that to me."

"Elizabeth, you have to know that I wasn’t trying to embarrass you or –

"Embarrass me?! Embarrass me Lucky?! Elizabeth shouted. Moving towards her car. "Embarrassment is the LEAST of my problems. I don’t GET embarrassed very easily Lucky…but I do get pissed when someone causes me to almost lose my fucking job!"

His head tilted slowly to the side. If that bastard had…

Of course secretly he’d wished that the jerk WOULD have fired her, because she deserved better…but…‘God, what did you do Spencer?’

"Wait just a minute," Lucky said, his voice raising just a bit. "That asshole fired you?"

Elizabeth threw her hands up in the air. "No! But not for lack of trying!…What did you expect Lucky?! Did you think he’d give me a friggin RAISE after you came and threatened to kill him?!"

"I didn’t threaten to kill him," Lucky said silently. "I just told him I’d blow his head off."

"OH-MY-GOD…HELL-O do you see that I’m not JOKING here, Lucky!"

"Yes, yes" he answered soberly. "Elizabeth…I’m SORRY about you almost losing your job. I really, truly am…I know that you love dancing, and I wouldn’t want to do anything to jeopardize that for you. And I know that I was out of line, but –

"You’re damn right it was out of line!"

"BUT," Lucky interjected. "I can’t say that I’m sorry for confronting your ass of a boss……I won’t say I’m sorry for that."

"What – why?!" Elizabeth asked. Completely perplexed by how he could NOT apologize for that. How he could not feel guilty in the least. "You had absolutely no RIGHT to do that! You don’t even know me!"

The truth hurt – like a blow to the stomach.

Lucky took a deep breath. "I – I know that…I just…," he paused for a moment. She was so beautiful, and so precious…and she didn’t even know it.

She let people get away with treating her like dirt, and THAT had been the deciding factor in threatening Gino. Lucky’s very first impression of the guy had been bad, and the night he’d returned to Vegas – every suspicion had simply been confirmed.

He reached out tentatively and gently brushed a finger against the cut that was healing on her lip. "What that guy did to you…and then last night at the salsa club…I just – I think I just lost it………

"Nobody should be able to get away with something like that…and if I knew who it was that actually attacked you that night…believe you me I wouldn’t have had to threaten Gino, because I would found the guy and killed him."

Elizabeth glanced down at her feet for a moment. Reaching up to brush at some strange transparent drop that had fallen from her eye. She breathed deeply through her nose. She didn’t ask for this. She hadn’t signed on for this…it was too much.

"I didn’t ask you to come here and save me."

Her voice was soft and quiet. So was his. "I know that."

"I don’t need anybody ‘looking out for Poor Little Lizzie,’ ok?" She said. Forming sarcastic quotation marks with her fingers around the self-proclaimed title. "I’ve been looking out for myself for more years than I can count…I don’t need some guy with a White Knight complex to come and rescue me…

"I rescue myself."

It was Lucky’s turn to look down at his feet. He shoved his hands into his pockets and let his gaze linger on his shoes for a moment before he nodded. "Ok."

"And I don’t mean to sound ungrateful for the other night, because I –

"You already said thank you," he interjected. Cutting her off rapidly. "You don’t owe me anything else……Like you said, you didn’t ask me to come here. You didn’t ask me to show up at your apartment that night……I just did. Something just sort of led me there…

"I’ll try and avoid that impulse in the future."

Elizabeth closed her eyes and sighed. He was taking this the wrong way…

‘No Webber, he’s taking it exactly the way you meant it…exactly the way your mouth intended it. You hurt his feelings and now you wanna take it back?…Figure out what it is you want Webber…….No, not what you want – figure out what makes sense, and do it.’

"Lucky, you know that’s not what I meant…I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t have shown up like you did…

"Sometimes – sometimes it’s really, really difficult for me to accept help from anyone," she finished.

Lucky licked his lips and moved a bit closer. "I’m not looking to help you…or be your white knight…or…

"Elizabeth, I didn’t PLAN on going to see your boss. I didn’t…but after seeing that guy go after you in the bar…and then remembering what you’d said the night before about how sometimes Gino sent people to your home…I just – like I said, I lost it…and I’m not sure why, exactly.

"I’m not sure why………and that scares me. Because all I know for sure is that the thought of some guy putting his hands on you is just about more than I can bear."

She stared into his eyes for a moment and a tingling sensation traveled down her side. He was serious.

He really, really was.

"I’m sorry I got so angry with you."

Lucky shook his head. "It’s completely understandable. I would have been pissed too if you walked into my office and started kicking ass and taking names."

A subtle smile erupted on her lips and he wanted to reach out and touch it so bad, it almost killed him.

"You still want that ice cream?" She asked quietly. Shrugging a bit. "I’m buying."

Lucky tilted his head to the side. "No…I’m buying."

"No, I’m buying."

"No……….

~~~~~~~

~~ About An Hour And A Half Later ~~

"Damn," Lucky sighed. Leaning against her car. "You were right…that’s almost the best ice cream I’ve ever had."

"Almost?" Elizabeth sighed indignantly. Was he about to tell her that he made his own ice cream too, now?

"Yeah…my aunt Ruby used to make the best," he said wistfully.

‘Ah,’ she thought. ‘He doesn’t…but someone in his multi-talented family does.’

"She made her own ice cream?"

"Oh yeah…Damn, I remember summers just hangin’ outside her diner and scarfing down that stuff as if there were no tomorrow……I haven’t had ice cream like that since," he looked down. The memory of his aunt’s death still enough to choke him up from time to time.

"But this came pretty close," he said softly. A smile lacing his beautiful face when he glanced upwards into her waiting eyes.

She was listening. She was someone that actually listened when he talked…even when it wasn’t about anything in particular.

"I’m glad," Elizabeth answered, smiling. She sighed as she dug her keys out of her purse. "I guess I should be going now…I’m on tonight."

"You are?" Lucky asked. His voice raising a few octaves in surprise. Not sure why he was surprised…he just was. ‘Certainly you didn’t expect her to quit her job, now did you Dumbass?’

"You’re working tonight?"

"Yeah," She sighed again. Hiking her purse farther up on her shoulder. "I told Gino I’d work a double tonight since I’ve missed so much work lately…….besides my lip and my forehead are almost all healed up – a little make up should do the trick."

"Nobody’ll notice," Lucky whispered. His voice nearly inaudible. One minor detail wasn’t enough to detract from the absolute perfection of her face. Let alone a body that he could only imagine surpassed perfection underneath those clothes.

Elizabeth absently pushed a pebble around with her foot. "Do you wanna…do you wanna maybe…come?"

"What?…Oh, you mean to, to the club?…I doubt I’d be welcome there after last night," he laughed nervously.

"From what Gino said, he’d probably let you do anything you wanted…I think you’ve pretty much got him running scared," she giggled. "And it’s hard to scare him."

Lucky took a deep breath. How was he supposed to tell her that for some reason he was physically incapable of watching her strip? That the mere thought of it was too much for him to handle.

And that he wasn’t sure why.

"I don’t know Elizabeth…I just – I don’t think it’s my…it’s my thing, ya know?"

"Oh," she said nodding. She looked down and he knew he’d hurt her feelings.

"Elizabeth, no…I didn’t mean it like that. It’s not that I don’t want to. I just…I guess it’s sorta…Man, this is gonna sound weird – it’s like…remember when you were saying that I don’t know you…You’re right, I don’t…not REALLY…and seeing as I don’t – I don’t feel like I should be able to –

"See me naked?" She asked.

At his silent nod she continued. "So you know me well enough to threaten to blow some guys’ head off for me, but not well enough to see me in my birthday suit…is that the gist?"

"Basically," he sighed with a crooked grin. "Yeah."

The look of pure insanity that crossed over her face had him trying to explain himself again. "Look, I KNOW it doesn’t make any sense. I mean any guy in his right mind would kill to see you…naked," he said swallowing. "I just –

"You’re just not in your right mind," she finished for him. Smiling a bit to save him from further embarrassment. Even though she didn’t really understand his reasoning.

"Well…yeah," he smiled. Scratching the back of his head. "I believe that’s becoming abundantly clear."

Elizabeth laughed and shook her head. "You’re not exactly well, are you?"

Lucky pulled slightly away from the car and watched her unlock it from behind. The way she moved, the way she talked, walked, spoke…

"No, I’m not well at all."

She settled herself against the bucket seats and Lucky rested his hands for a moment on the lowered window, before pulling away. Too close…

"Alrighty then…hopefully I’ll see you later."

Elizabeth bit her lip and nodded. This was…crazy.

"I’m glad you liked the ice cream."

"It was good," he smiled. Shoving his hands in his pockets as he stepped back and admired the car and the girl in it.

It was a classic old VW bug…a girl after his own heart……Literally.

"Hey," he said suddenly. Reaching forward to press his hands against the open window once more. "Again…I’m really sorry for any problems that I may have caused between you and Gino."

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Any problems between Gino and I started a long time ago…and I started them – so don’t worry."

Lucky stood back as she started the ignition. What did that mean?

"Will you do me a favor?" He called. Right as she shifted into reverse.

"Call you when I get home?" She smiled.

Lucky nodded and bit his lip. "You’re a quick study."

She smiled as she placed her sunshades on. "No…I just don’t want you having to resort to counting sheep or anything."

"No, we wouldn’t want that……bye," Lucky sighed. Waving as she exited the parking lot.

He groaned loudly and placed his hands atop his head as he headed for his car. Several children stopped mid-lick of their ice cream cones to see the crazy man that had argued with the lady inside the shop. He was mumbling to himself about being insane.

~~~~~~~

~~ About 2 hours later ~~

Lucky glanced up at the dealer and quickly cashed out. Lifting himself from his seat as the page came again. The sound of his name being called over the intercom sending, his pulse into immediate overdrive.

Who would be paging him in the casino? It made him shiver to think about it as he made his way towards the house phone in a corner across the large, noisy, smoke filled room.

His parents? His sister?…...Elizabeth?

With a sweaty palm, he yanked the receiver from it’s cradle and quickly told the operator to patch him through to the caller. "Hello?"

"Hey man!"

Lucky rolled his eyes and groaned. "Wallace?!…What the fuck, dude?! You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Damn…good to talk to you too, Honey…you forget your Prozac this morning?" Wallace cooed lovingly, shaking his head as he made his way through the office. "Listen man…you need to get your happy ass back down here to reality."

Sighing, Lucky leaned against the booth. "Why? I’ve still got all of today left…and more than that if I really want it…There’s no reason why I’d have to be back yet."

"Um, I think you better rethink that my friend."

"And why’s that?"

Wallace sighed. "Oh, I don’t know…maybe because you’ve made me sit up with you for hours on end for the last few MONTHS getting the new game ready…and I’m not about to let you just flush all that work down the toilet…is that a good enough answer?"

"Dude, we already turned it in…chill the fuck out. It’s done…it’s over…begin your LIFE again," Lucky snickered. "Didn’t I tell you I’d buy ya somethin’ pretty for all your trouble?"

"Yeah, and I’m still waitin’….but in the mean time, need I remind you that not everybody wants you to get this job?…I mean you’re in the casino hanging out with some chickidy, life is just dandy and you’ve got no worries…lemme tell ya pal, ya need to think again."

"I’m not."

"You’re not what?"

"I’m not in the casino hanging out with some ‘chickidy’."

Wallace propped the phone between his ear and his shoulder and folded his arms. "What’re ya doin’ then, playin’ poker?"

Lucky’s absolute silence prompted Wallace further. "Aw shit, he’s playing poker and I’m stuck here manning the fort…Do you have any idea how much you owe me?…I mean seriously Lucky. The next time I wanna take a trip – I’m so GONE…

"Dude what the Hell are you DOING in Vegas? Do you know that your girlfriend called me half out of her mind the other day telling me that you hopped some damn flight to Vegas in the middle of the –

"She’s NOT my girlfriend!" Lucky shouted. Happy for the din of clinking slot machines that drowned out his voice. Although one blue-haired old lady did turn slightly away from her three slots and skinny cigarette for a moment…Only a moment though.

"Well can you tell HER that, because the girl has lost her friggin mind…She was like, about to send out some kind of search party for you…I told her if she already KNEW where you were, they wouldn’t ‘search’…She didn’t take kindly to my sense of humor."

"She never has………Can I go now?"

"Lucky! I’m serious. You need to get down here and make your presence known…You start taking off from the company now, people will talk. People will start to think you’re some cocky show-off kid who thinks he’s got the title of Vice President already engraved on his name plate."

"Hmp," Lucky sighed. "Could you have that done for me while I’m away?"

"Luc –

"I’m KIDDING…Jeez, Louise!…Look, Wallace…I’m not coming home…Not yet."

Wallace groaned. "You gotta be fucking kidding me…Why NOT exactly, Lucky? Are you and the chick playing STRIP poker over there by any chance?"

"Oh you’re funny. That was really witty Wallace….NO! We’re not fucking playing strip poker….but I…………listen man, I think this may be…SOMETHING, here, ok?"

"You think it may be…SOMETHING – THERE?…What the Hell is that Morse Code?…Look man, I’ll tell you what SOMETHING is going to be over HERE if you don’t haul your ass back to New York. The something is going to be YOU on the unemployment line."

"Wallace they’re not going to fire me because I missed a couple of days of work…and even if they were, at this point I don’t care."

"What?"

"You heard what I said," Lucky sighed.

"Yeah I heard what you said, but I’m thinking maybe I need to call you a doctor…because I’m not BELIEVEING what just came out of your mouth…Lucky you’ve spent the last few years of your life building this career…are you in the middle of a fucking Las Vegas casino now telling me that you no longer want it? That you’re willing to give it all up on some stripper that –

Lucky ran his fingers roughly through his hair. "Listen! She’s not ‘some stripper,’ she’s a girl that I really, really like…so you need to cut it out. Secondly, I’m not telling you that I’m giving up ANYTHING. I don’t plan on giving up my job or anything else! All I’m saying is that I need a few DAYS to myself to see if this…to see what happens," he sighed. His voice quieting a bit.

"Listen man…ever since I got here – Wallace, it’s magic. Just like I knew it would be……This is not just some fly-by-night whim…this is the real thing."

Wallace rolled his eyes, but decided to listen. "Does SHE know it’s the real thing?"

Lucky sighed. "I don’t know…I don’t think she’s convinced."

Wallace chuckled. "Well people aren’t usually as convinced as you are about things…you tend to be convinced enough for everyone involved."

"And this is bad?"

"No…I’m just sayin…that’s all."

Taking a deep breath, Lucky shook his head. "Look…all I know is that I saw her this afternoon and when I went upstairs to take a nap just now I couldn’t even close my eyes. I’ve gotten to the point where I need to hear her voice before I…" Lucky’s voice trailed off.

"Yeah, why don’t you go ahead and stop there to save us both a lot of embarrassment," Wallace said soberly. "I see your point though," he said nodding on his end of the line. "And I definitely get that you’re not coming back here until you see this thing through."

"This ‘thing,’" Lucky sighed. "She’s not a ‘thing,’…she’s not a friggin business deal, ok?…Could you please start talking about her like she’s a real person, and not a noun…i.e. ‘stripper,’ ‘thing,’…etc. etc……

"Because let me tell you, if I bring her back to the city and you –

"Oh sweet Jesus…Lucky! What are you doing?! Do you understand that you just met this – I mean Lizzie," he said quickly. Correcting himself before he even made the mistake.

"Yes, I realize that…But I also realize that this doesn’t happen everyday! Or at least not to ME it doesn’t. It’s not just everyday, that I fall in love with –

"Ooooh God," Wallace groaned. "I’m gonna pretend you didn’t say that…Listen to me man. Just do me a favor and show your face in the office before the honeymoon, ok?…Can you do that for me?"

Lucky rolled his eyes and barked into the phone. "Sure man! I’ll be there in a few days. Do ME a favor now and don’t call here again."

~~~~~~~

~~ Approximately 10 hours later ~~

Lucky bolted upright in bed, as the phone next to him buzzing loudly in his ear. "Hello! Wallace if that’s - "

"It’s…it’s me…Sorry, did I wake you?"

"Oh!," Lucky sighed. Smiling as he caught his breath. "I’m sorry…Hey, Elizabeth…No, of course you didn’t wake me…I already told ya I can’t go to sleep without talking to you first." he sighed.

The world seemed to slip literally from his shoulders. He’d been tense ever since they’d split up that afternoon. Sure that he’d bitten off more of Wallace’s head than necessary… and now…

"How was work?"

"Ok," she sighed. Pulling off her shoes. "A typical night…the usual suspects………Gino was unusually pleasant however."

Lucky grinned a bit, but then remembered her comment from earlier. The comment that had been nagging at him all day long.

"Hey, Elizabeth…You know, earlier you mentioned something about problems that you two had…with each other…"

Elizabeth halted in her movements. When would she learn to keep her mouth shut?

She resumed the task of pulling off her boots. "Did I?"

"Yeah," Lucky said, treading lightly. "I was just wondering what you meant…I mean if it’s any of my business in the first place."

"It’s not a big deal," Elizabeth shrugged. "We just…we kinda went out for a little while...a long time ago."

Lucky’s mouth dropped open, and something icky jerked in his gut. She HAD to be kidding.

"With HIM?…Isn’t he at least 10 or 12 years older than you?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and sighed flippantly. "About 10…and I was 17 years old Lucky…I guess I really didn’t think about it at the time. I wanted to be…a grown up I guess…and on my own.

"I suppose I knew better, but I didn’t really care."

"Yeah…well he shoulda cared and he DEFINITELY knew better."

"Well, whether either of us knew better or not…I couldn’t exactly make rent working at Mickey Dee’s for an entire year - so I was sort of desperate."

"Wait," Lucky interjected. "Were you two…I mean, was this just to get your job at the club? - Shit, I’m sorry that - that so did NOT come out the way I wanted it to. I didn’t mean it like –

"Yes you did…and NO, it wasn’t," she said soberly. "I was living in my car, but I wasn’t desperate enough to sleep with someone to get hired."

"I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have even asked that."

"It’s ok," she mumbled. "It’s a natural assumption. I guess anyone would make it."

"Yeah well they shouldn’t…That’s why they say what they say about assuming…and you DEFINITELY aren’t someone to assume things about. You surprise me every time we’re together actually."

Elizabeth lay down slowly on her bed and closed her eyes. His voice doing that thing again, where it put her to sleep. The night of work, also beginning to take it’s toll on her.

She opened her heavy lids and stared at the teddy bear with the red ribbon bow. The teddy bear he’d gotten for her. It was all hers…

Her fingers sifted absently through the fur, as she began speaking drowsily. "I didn’t know anybody here…and every job I auditioned for, turned me down…so when this pretty good looking guy runs into me in a convenient store one day and tells me I’m the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen……well – it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the odds of him getting me to work for him a few weeks down the line."

Lucky sighed and shook his head. "You’re amazing."

"What?" Elizabeth asked. Her brows furrowing in a bewildered expression. "I tell you this completely pathetic sob story about me going out with a man far older than myself and how I became a STRIPPER for God’s sake and you say I’m amazing?…I really don’t get you Lucky Spencer."

"What’s there to get?" Lucky asked. Sliding upwards against the wooden headboard. "You came to a city where you knew absolutely NO ONE to make your dream come true –

"But it didn’t…It didn’t come true," she said sarcastically. Sitting up a little. Her teddy bear falling by the wayside.

"Maybe not, but you survived Elizabeth! You survived a lot of shit to get where you are. You’re strong…and independent and you need to give yourself credit for that. Because not a lot of people have the guts to do what you did."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Well it’s not hard when where you came from is ten times worse than where you are."

Lucky paused for a moment. Not sure whether or not he should pursue the twist that the conversation had taken. Sure that he wanted to, but not sure that she would follow. ‘Hey, you’re on a role,’ he thought. ‘Why stop now?’

"What’s that mean?" He asked quietly.

"Nothing," she said quickly. "I’m just talking…"

‘There goes that thought.’

"Listen," she said, speaking before he got a chance to again. "I think I’m gonna turn in now…I’m pretty –

"I gotta better idea," he said quickly. Not wanting to end their conversation on this note. Not wanting to face the silence of his empty hotel room once again. Wallace was right about one thing…at some point he would have to go home.

He didn’t want to go home without spending every single, waking minute with her first.

"Why don’t you come down here and play a round of Road Fury in the arcade with me?"

"Lucky, I don’t know. It’s late and –

"Oh come on. I’ll even let you win."

Elizabeth tried desperately to hold back her laugh. "You’re such an ass…I don’t need you to LET me win."

Lucky shrugged and glanced over the side of the bed for his pants. She’d be there in 10 minutes flat. He could already tell from the sound of her voice.

It was apparent even after a few days that she didn’t back down from a challenge.

"Oh come on…I’ll even buy you a cherry coke so you can wash down your defeat with somethin’ sweet."

"Oh shut up Spencer!" Elizabeth barked. "I’ll meet you in your lobby in 10 minutes."

Lucky grinned widely as he hung up the phone…‘Score.’

~~~~~~~

~~ About An Hour And 20 Minutes Later ~~

He shook his head as they made their way outside into the cool night air. And she watched the stars twinkle the way that his smile did.

"Elizabeth I beat you fair and square."

"Whatever Lucky," she mumbled. Folding her arms across her chest as she moved ahead of him. Ahead, so she wasn’t forced to look into his eyes, or keep her hand away from his when they walked side by side. She wasn’t sure, but she thought maybe he was trying to hold it.

"It’s not even fair for you to PLAY this game. You know every trick…every twist in the damn road."

"Hey! I didn’t FORCE you to play Missy…Hey where ya goin?" Lucky asked. Changing the subject as she took her car keys out of her purse. "I’m driving remember?"

She paused mid stride. Tilting her head to the side in astonishment. Hadn’t they discussed this already?

"Lucky, it doesn’t make any sense for you to drive me home when my car’s right there," she sighed. Pointing to her small red bug.

"It might not make any sense, but it will make me feel better if I can drive you home……Elizabeth, come on it’s really late."

"I’m aware of what time it is Sherlock…that’s why I wanna go home and go to bed…and besides this is Las Vegas not ‘the city’," She said mockingly.

Lucky rolled his eyes. "Believe me I know. At least in ‘the city,’" he said imitating her quotation marks. "We’ve got subways…and it’s not as dangerous as it used to be, so cut it out," he added. Pushing out his lip in a mock, ‘hurt’ expression.

Elizabeth groaned. "Lucky come on…"

"Look the quicker you stop arguing with me, the quicker you can get there," he said. Pointing to his rent-a-car a few parking spaces away. "Would you PLEASE just let me?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. Her very favorite thing to do, Lucky had noticed. "How am I supposed to get my car in the morning?"

"I’ll pick you up and bring you back for it –

"No thanks," she mumbled. Pushing her key into the lock.

"Or you can get a cab…I don’t care…just get over here so I can take you home."

Elizabeth smirked as he walked towards her. His mock anger causing him to look sort of like a cartoon character with huge bug-eyes. Or like some villain from a silent movie…or a video game.

When he hunched over and began stalking towards her, she smiled, and held up her hands. "Lucky I said –

Her squeal echoed through the parking structure when he hauled her up and over his left shoulder. "Oh my God!" She laughed loudly. "Put me down…Lucky, I…The blood is rushing to my head!"

Lucky’s chest rumbled with laughter and she felt it move through her. "Well you probably shoulda thought about that before you started giving me lip, woman –

"Ow!" He cried. Bending over quickly to place her on her feet when he felt the sharp pinch on his ass, tingle through his body.

"Did you just pinch my ass!?" He asked. His voice cracking as he grinned.

"It was there!" She laughed, pulling up the waist of her low-slung jeans.

He watched her bite her lip and wanted to take over that particular task. He would have bet anything she tasted like candy. Like…

"Oh!" Lucky laughed. A shocked expression on his face as he shook himself from the reverie of her lips. "Well, your ass is pretty much….there too," He announced.

He took off then. Running around her waist as she dodged his hands, by wiggling this way and that. Deciding to circle his car, she got away and then quickly darted behind the others. Successfully avoiding his fingers once more.

Lucky turned in the opposite direction. Determined to head her off at the pass. She squealed loudly when he got within inches of her, and then began to giggle uncontrollably. It caused him to laugh so hard his eyes started to mist up.

"It’s only fair Elizabeth…come on."

"No!…AAAH!"

She screamed as Lucky caught her around the waist, rapidly scooping her upwards. Her legs dangling in mid air as his arms tightened around her.

The laughter ceased in both of them when their faces met mere inches apart. Their bodies allowing no space between them. Every inch of his long torso equally pressed against hers.

There was no air…only the tight space of heated pressure that cycled repeatedly between their lips.

A small grunt escaped Elizabeth’s parted mouth when he pulled her closer. The space lessening, the heat growing. If he licked his lips she would feel it. She would feel his tongue if he…

"I caught you," he whispered. His eyes fixated on her lips. She was so close. All he had to do was…………God was he panting or was she?

"So you did," Elizabeth agreed absently. Her throat was so excruciatingly dry. His lips were…………

"Amazing."

"What?" He asked breathlessly…God she fit just perfectly…

‘Dear God,’ Elizabeth thought frantically. ‘I said that out loud…I’

"I….Aren’t you getting heavy?…wh-no I mean…Aren’t I getting heavy?"

"What?" He asked again. He couldn’t seem to focus on her words. On anything other than her mouth. The air was so thick.

If she just tilted her head to the side…

"Uh…I…I sai –

The obnoxious honking of joyriding 21-year-olds roared through the underground parking structure at that moment. Screeching through the intensity. Lucky swore underneath his breath.

Elizabeth felt her feet hit the ground a split-second later.

Swallowing hard, she quickly tried to pull herself together. Smoothing out her clothes as she looked up at him. His eyes, following the carload of partygoers around the aisles of cars.

Groaning loudly, he turned to her slowly. "I’m sorry," he sighed. Shaking his head as he glanced at his feet.

"What for?" She shrugged. "That wasn’t supposed to happen anyway."

Lucky sighed once again and scratched like crazy at the back of his head. "Oh come on…Are we back to this?…Elizabeth what’s it gonna take to convince you?"

"There’s nothing to convince me of," she asked quietly. "I know you think my reasons are stupid Lucky, but -

She nearly jolted out of her skin when his hand reached out to touch her face. His fingertips grazing her cheek. Closing her eyes, she forced herself not to remove it. To keep her hands by her sides and just let the moment happen.

"I don’t think your reasons are stupid…" he whispered.

Her eyes remained closed when he brushed those same fingers through her hair. He was so………gentle. As if he were touching a baby.

"But Elizabeth…damn it would have been nice," he sighed. Narrowing the space between them. "That kiss would have been really nice."

When his lips failed to meet hers she opened her eyes. Focusing on his chin as his lips met her forehead instead. They were just as soft against her skin as she’d imagined, and she let her eyes shut for just one more moment to dream quickly of what it could have been.

If she didn’t already know better.

She couldn’t let this happen…she just…couldn’t.

"I have to go," she announced quietly. Stepping backwards.

Lucky nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. Breathing the carbon monoxide of the garage through his nose. "I know…and you’re gonna drive yourself."

Elizabeth only nodded in response as she moved back once again towards her car, and fumbled for her keys. Her fingers continually slipping over them and then dropping them back into the recesses of her purse. When she finally made a clean grasp, she smiled awkwardly.

"Goodnight."

"Good night Elizabeth."

Why was she making this so hard? Why couldn’t she JUST let it happen?

Was Wallace right? Was he simply convinced enough for the both of them? Was the magic that he felt, something that HE was only feeling?

‘No,’ he thought resolutely. ‘It can’t be…that was…holding her in your arms just now…you know she felt that too…You KNOW it.’

But what was it gonna take to make her admit it? Make her own up to it?

‘Maybe that’s just it,’ His inner voice countered. ‘Maybe you don’t need to do anything else…maybe it’s her move now. Maybe the ball is in Elizabeth’s court…’

The prospect of leaving this to chance made him nervous. Made him more anxious than the thought of continuing the pursuit and being inevitably shot down. But something inside of him knew that he had to let her decide things from here on out.

"That’s right Spencer," he muttered. "It’s her move."

~~~~~~~

Approximately 2 hours later

Elizabeth rolled over in bed. The clock making sure to let her know exactly how late it was. Or how EARLY rather. The sun would be coming up in just about an hour, and she hadn’t slept a wink since she’d arrived home.

The reason for her insomnia?…Two syllables that started with an "L" and meant, to be fortunate in some way.

"Lucky," she whispered aloud. Closing her eyes to the darkness.

Quite possibly the craziest person she’d ever met aside from herself. Although his craziness...well he was crazy in an almost sensible kind of way. The kind of way that made you question whether or not maybe what he was saying wasn’t so nonsensical after all.

He barely knew her, and had called her to play videogames with him in the wee hours of the morning. He barely knew her, and had threatened her boss…

And she’d pretended to be angry about it. Infuriated by it.

When the truth was that it made her want to just melt into a puddle of goo. Just melt until there was nothing left of her to be afraid or scared of being hurt. Nothing left of her to protest his advances.

No one in her life had ever done anything like that for and she doubted that they ever would after him. This man had come into her life and changed everything in the span of two days…and here she was being kept awake by the thought of him.

After she’d already insisted that there was absolutely no chance for them.

She reached upwards to touch her forehead. Remembering how soft his lips had been against her skin. If only she could just give in…if only she could just…

But what was it that he wanted? Why did he keep hanging around?

She thought she’d had him all figured out before tonight. Thought all he wanted from her was sex………but after everything he’d done in the last 48 hours…after saving her from her attacker, after punching some guy out in a bar, after threatening her boss…

‘Lizzie stop it!’ She thought. Shutting her eyes tightly yet again, against a sudden urge to cry.

She didn’t know where it came from, or why she suddenly felt like the world was ending. But it felt like something heavy was sitting right on top of her chest. Threatening to break her heart.

‘Would it be so bad?’ She thought silently. Sniffling to herself. ‘Would it be SO horrible if you’re first instinct about this guy is right…and sex IS all he wants? – Hey! Maybe he’ll even stick around for awhile afterwards?’

Well, if it was going to happen…it was going to happen on my terms, and no one else’s.

Breathing deeply through her nose, Elizabeth turned to her side and quickly yanked her telephone from its cradle. Dialing the numbers before she could talk herself out of the action. And realizing in a split second that she already had the hotel’s phone number memorized.

She wouldn’t let that realization detour her. Wouldn’t let it scare her out of this.

"Hello…Lucky…Hi - yeah…it’s me."