Heart Healthy Drinking
((Author's Note: Set right after the end of today's episode. 2/20))
"Lets go, get drunk." It was the first words that popped out of her mouth after she watched Maxie and Johnny make there way into the entrance.
Spinelli sputtered, "Uhmm does the fair blonde one forget that you are in New York and the jackal is regrettably in his pink room located most inconveniently in Port Charles?"
"The gala is going to go late into the night, " Lulu explained, " Then Johnny and Maxie are going to have to go to the after party and… I've got a private plane to use and I'm not waiting till 5 am in the limo for them to be done. Come on Spinelli, I'll be back in an hour, I'd really like the company."
On the other end of the line, weighing his options Spinelli took a large swig of his V8 and said, "Sure, the jackal would be most honored to accompany you on your quest for imbibing beverages of fermentation."
Lulu laughed for the first time that night, "Thank you Spinelli."
"Driver, take me to the airport!"
**********
(An hour and fifteen minutes later) Coming down the escalator, with her tote bag in hand Lulu couldn't help but grin at an overly large helium balloon wrapped around the wrist of Damien Spinelli, " Why do you have a balloon on your wrist?"
Spinelli quickly removed the string and thrust it out to her, "For you!" Lulu let out a little laugh, at the message on the balloon, "Self Rescuing Princess"
With a quick smile Spinelli exclaimed, " In honor of your decisive plan of rescue from a night of pining."
Slipping her arm in the crook of Spinelli's elbow knowing that a genius like Spinelli would get the next words out of her mouth, "Well then in that case Lead on McDuff, and damn him who cries enough!"
Striding out of the airport and heading for Jakes with determination two newly renewed friends walked arm and arm.
*********
"Coleman my good man! We require large beverages of azure coloration and a sufficiently high content of alcohol!" Spinelli announced as they entered Jakes together, Spinelli of course holding the door open for Lulu.
Coleman shook his head, "You sure playa? You know how you get when you've tied a few on."
Spinelli smiled as Lulu replied, " We want big blue drinks, lots of booze and we want them now!"
Looking at an otherwise dead night, Coleman, started to fix their drinks, " Coming right up!"
Lulu grabbed a bar stool, followed by Spinelli, and Coleman started putting down large glasses in front of them as he got ready to start the blender, over the noise he asked, " So what's got the two of you going booze hound on me?"
Lulu sighed, "It's a long story." Not really in the mood to rehash what she had been thinking about for an hour and 15 minutes, " How's about we get a shot of tequila while you are making those?"
A slightly alarmed Spinelli turned to Lulu, "uhmm fair blonde one are you entirely sure that is a good idea. You do remember the last time we imbibed such a beverage right?"
Lulu smiled as she knocked back the shot, " Yeah when we were going to be killed by Lorenzo's men, they forced us to drink. So?"
Spinelli gulped and joined her in a shot; "Well the jackal would have assumed you would have found such drinks distasteful after such an experience."
Lulu smiled her face starting to relax as the heat of the drink suffused through her body, "aww no of course not Spinelli. In all honesty those times when we were going through all of that danger and excitement was some of the best times I've ever had."
Spinelli looking mildly shocked as they both downed another shot, " May the Jackal inquire as to why?"
With a little laugh Lulu said, "Well I'm a Spencer and if you haven't noticed we tend to be the adventurous sort, but more than anything it was because of you. We had a lot of great times together, and even in the most dangerous situation I knew on some level I was okay because I was there with you."
"The Jackal is most flattered with your kind assessment however you would have probably been more ably served by someone more manly than I."
Lulu looked into Spinelli's eyes holding his gaze for a moment, " No I really wouldn't have. When I was kidnapped in that monastery, I called you, because you were the person I knew I could trust to be smart enough capable enough and good enough to find me, and you did!"
"The Jackal was assisted in that particular matter…" Coleman finished two fish bowl sized concoctions and put them in front of Spinelli and Lulu. Lulu smiled, "Come on Lets go play some pool!" Picking up her bowl and heading over to the pool table before Spinelli could finish his sentence.
Spinelli sighed and joined the bouncing blonde one; " The Jackal is not very conversant in the skill set required to play pool."
Lulu frowned, " O come on you just need to think of it differently. Did you know that Lucky taught me geometry and physics with playing pool? Force equals mass times acceleration…. All you need is the correct angle, application of force and whola! Trust me Spinelli you can do it.' Thrusting out a cue to Spinelli, "Come on you break."
A doubtful Spinelli shrugged and took the cue, " For your sake I will make an attempt."
Spinelli lined up his shot and began to slide the cue along the top of his thumb, in an open bridge… before he could finish Lulu remarked, " Hold on you don't have any control that way! Put your index finger over the cue, so it wont go up on you." Spinelli did what was instructed and then he hit the cue ball, krackrooom!
The balls went everywhere, two of them sinking into the corner pockets at the far end of the table, "I did it!"
Jumping up and down Spinelli and Lulu laughing and hugging " I told you!!!" The two of them bumped into the table enough to give them a moment's pause. Lulu looked up into Damien's eyes with his arms around her, still holding pool cues, they held that moment for longer than either could imagine.
Thinking to himself that these two needed a little push, so with a swift move Coleman elbowed the jukebox, in a Fonzesque style, starting up the machine to Evan and Jaron's "Crazy for this Girl."
Spinelli coughed; Lulu smiled and almost shyly asked, "Wanna Dance?"
Spinelli looked a little afraid, " With you?"
Lulu took his cue away, " No with Coleman… of course with me!" Her cheeks rosy with the warmth of booze that was finally taking effect, she laid the cues down, and took his hand.
With a deep breath Spinelli said, " The Jackal would be honored." And they began dancing. They moved with the song, and then with a flourish Spinelli spun Lulu away and back to him, nearly perfectly… if only the chair wasn't in the way."
Lulu's ankle just grazed the leg of the chair sending her off balance and into Spinelli, both ending up on the floor laughing, too old friends reconnected and forgetting mutual miseries.
The End.
