Part 2—The Perfect Day
Anyone else would have looked ordinary in a warm up suit, sneakers and sunglasses, but somehow Tracy looked like she just stepped out of a Vogue magazine photo shoot. She looked more beautiful to him in that moment than she ever had before. Her hair was wavy because the blow dryer wasn't working right, and she was wearing way less makeup than she usually did. She was about to throw a tantrum with the head of housekeeping, but he grabbed the phone out of her hand and gently put it down. "You look scrumptious just the way you are my little cupcake… and we have no time to waste…the clock is ticking," said Luke pointing to his watch. She reluctantly agreed and took his hand as he led her out the suite.
She was about to tell the doorman to hail them a cab, but of course, that would have been far too normal for Luke. No, he had other plans for them. They started walking down to the harbor. They stopped at the same little coffee stand, and before she could open her mouth to protest, Luke planted a huge kiss on her lips that seemed to last an eternity. "When the kiss finally broke, she said "I'll take a double espresso," without missing a beat. "That's my girl," he shot back and ordered one for himself. They kept walking hand in hand until they reached a boat rental office. Tracy had been dying to ask him where they were going and what they were going to do, but she knew just this once, she had to let him be in control. It went against every fiber in her being to just "go with the flow" and be the passive one, but for Luke, she was willing to do it. He went inside to talk to the manager, while she was busy perusing the various yachts, deciding which one she would most like to cruise around in. When he returned with some keys in hand, she smiled thinking this was not going to be so bad after all. Until she saw the boat he started walking towards. It was a small, but sleek candy apple red speedboat…not quite unlike the one her sons and nephews would take their girlfriends out on to water ski during the summer. She kept her mouth shut which was no small feat for her as she took Luke's hand and stepped on board. She sat down in the seat next to the driver's seat and smiled sweetly at him. "You driving or shall I?' she inquired. "I'm in the driver's seat today, Mrs. Spencer. I thought I made that clear earlier." Tracy noticed a cooler and a picnic basket tucked neatly under the seats. "You packed some chips and beer for the ride…how very thoughtful of you. Tell me…did you have to pay extra for that or do they throw it in with the "impress your girlfriend, hope to get lucky speedboat?" she said snickering at him. He just laughed and said, "patience my dear and remember…no being snobby today." Luke maneuvered the boat out of the docks and into the open water and then cut it loose. She had to admit it felt great to be bumping along with the wind blowing in her face and the warm sun beating down on her. She had to put her hair back in a ponytail as it kept hitting her in the face. She was looking straight ahead, but kept stealing quick glances at Luke from behind her sunglasses. He looked so happy. When he thought she wasn't looking, he kept glancing at her as well. She looked like Jackie-O with her oversized sunglasses and her hair pulled back like that. No ELQ employee would ever believe this was their hard-nosed, cut-throat, ice queen CEO. He could hardly believe it either. She was so totally different away from her family and responsibilities.
When they finally reached their destination, they pulled into an empty dock. Tracy grabbed her tote bag she had carried with her and quickly flipped open her lipstick case and surveyed the damage. "Oh my god, my hair is such a mess," she said trying desperately to smooth it out as she took her pony tail out. "Please God don't let me see anyone I know today," she thought. She stepped onto the docks as Luke finished securing the boat. Still trying to pull herself together, she heard someone screaming out her name. "Tracy…Tracy…is that you? My god it has been ages." She spun around wishing she could just slip through the wooden slats of the dock into the water and swim away from this voice that she knew all too well. "Why Ashton, what a surprise," she said as she took note of the Aphrodite parked a few slips down. "Look everyone," he said to harem of young, blonde women surrounding him on the bow of his yacht. "It is my very favorite ex-wife Tracy Quartermaine. How are you darling…how is our handsome son" Aston asked? "Ned is just fine…and I see that you haven't changed a bit…still playing the field with your little cheerleading squad," she said letting her eyes fall on each and every 20-something bimbo adorning his boat." "You know Ashton, your granddaughter might enjoy meeting your new friends…they are the same age I think". Just then Luke walked onto the dock behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist. He whispered in her ear as he kissed her, "Friends of yours wife? "Uh…not exactly…Luke, this is Larry Ashton, Ned's father and my first ex-husband," said Tracy. "Larry, this is Luke Spencer, my current and final husband" she said. It slipped out before she could censor herself. She was so relaxed and out of her element that she wasn't thinking and calculating her every word around Luke. She turned her head and looked up at Luke hoping he wouldn't take that the wrong way and that she wasn't being too presumptuous. But he just squeezed her tighter and pulled her closer to him. "Nice to meet you," said Luke, as he waved up to Larry and his little party. "Well, well, well, Tracy…married yet again I see. Well good for you. Would you and Luke like to join me and my friends for a spot of lunch at the High Rollers Club up on the cliff," asked Ashton? "Thanks, but we have a very busy afternoon planned," replied Luke. "Good to see you again Ashton," said Tracy. "Have fun with your little friends…buh bye," said Tracy.
"I can't believe you were married to that stuffy English lord in his little sailor suit," laughed Luke as they walked away. "Oh shut up…I was like 18 years old and desperate to get out from under my daddy's iron rule. Marrying him was a way out, but who knew I would end up pregnant like two seconds later and stuck with the world's worst mother-in-law in a damp, old castle. I might as well have been locked in a dungeon. However, I did give them a run for their money and shake up their old stuffy British selves pretty badly with all my carousing around Europe," she laughed wickedly. "I bet you did, my little troublemaker. I wish I had known you back in those days. I am sure we could have caroused up a storm together. One day you will have to share some of your stories," said Luke. "A real lady never kisses and tells," she smiled. She leaned up and kissed him. "See, my lips are sealed now!"
They walked down to the beach and found a shady spot. Luke whipped out a blanket and set it down for them. Then he opened the cooler and picnic basket and pulled out some crackers, cheese, caviar and a bottle of wine. "Wow…I thought we were slumming it today," Tracy sneered. "Well I wasn't going to make you eat cheese whiz on triscuits baby now would I?" Luke said. They both laughed, feeling lighter and more carefree than they had in years. They ate as they watched the beach scene unfold around them. It wasn't crowded, but there were various activities going on. The music from the dockside bar was reverberating from about ½ mile away. Out of the corner of her eye, Tracy saw a young couple walking their direction. "Excuse me…are you guys really busy or could you spare about 20 minutes?" asked the young girl. "Well I can think of a lot of things I can do in twenty minutes. What exactly do you need darling," asked Luke, who was trying very hard not to stare at her bikini-clad body as she approached their blanket. Tracy elbowed him in the stomach and said "put your eyes back in your head Luke." "What do you need help with?" Tracy asked annoyed. "We are getting married on the beach in about 10 minutes and we need two witnesses, said the young man. We just thought you two looked like such a nice couple and were wondering if you…um…would mind." "My name is Tony and this is my fiancée Rebecca". Tracy was giving Luke the evil eye, but he replied, "Sure…who are we to stand in the way of young love…we would be happy to witness your nuptials…in fact, my lovely wife and I should probably renew our vows of holy matrimony at the same time. Do you think your wedding officiator would cut us a two for one deal?" "LUKE SPENCER….you will not infringe on these two lovebirds special day." Tracy retorted. "I was just kidding Spanky," Luke said. One fly by night wedding is enough for us. Just then a tent was pitched, and a minister walked up. Luke pulled Tracy to her feet and they walked over and performed their witness duties. After the ceremony, Tony and Rebecca insisted that they come have drinks with them at the dockside bar to celebrate. Luke was about to refuse, figuring he had pushed his luck and Tracy about as far as she was going to go. But much to his surprise, Tracy piped up, "Sure, we would love to celebrate with you." Luke stared at her incredulously. "Wow…who knew you were such a closet romantic?" Luke said as he planted a kiss on her forehead, then her cheek, then her neck, then her lips. "There are a lot of things you don't know about me Luke," and with that, she turned on her heel and followed their new friends to the bar.
Luke lit up a cigar that Tony had given him and sat talking to Rebecca. They had run off without their parents knowing it and eloped. Their families were fighting like cats and dogs over their wedding plans and who could out spend the other. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tracy slamming her second (or maybe third) tequila shot with Tony at the bar. They walked back over to join Luke and Rebecca at the table. "Easy baby…you keep slamming down those and this perfect day is going to end with you passing out on me." "I can drink you under the table any day, Spencer!" she snapped back. There was a steel drum band playing and somehow Tony pulled Tracy up to dance with him because Rebecca had had enough. Luke couldn't believe it…she was not only not complaining, but actually looked like she was having a great time. He wished he had known her back in her wild, party girl days. She would have been a sight he was sure. They would have gotten into a whole lot of trouble together he knew with certainty. Finally, he cut in and suggested that they continue with their day. They bid Tony and Rebecca goodbye and good luck and found their way back to the docks.
This time Tracy merrily hopped in the boat and said, "Sorry buddy…I'm driving this time. You want to feel the rush of this baby's speed…well buckle up husband because you are in for the ride of your life." "Tracy, I don't think that is such a great idea…you have had more than your fair share to drink if you know what I mean." But before he could finish his sentence, she was pulling out of the dock area and into the open water, going way too fast. He wanted to stop her, but knew by now that once she was determined, there was nothing deterring her. Well nothing except the sirens of the police boat that was pulling up behind them. "Damn…boating under the influence was not high on his list of plans for the day, nor was busting her out of jail. He looked over at her, expecting to see her resolve weaken and expecting her to ask him what to do. But instead he saw her slowing down and speaking to the officer in a lovely tone of voice. Almost sugary sweet, which was very disarming as it was so unnatural for her. She spoke in fluent French and pointed to him in a few times. She was turning on all her charm and flirting with the officer who was now putty in her hands. He told her to just slow down and he would escort them back and make sure nobody was following them. As she started driving again, Tracy burst into laughter. She was giggling uncontrollably and said to nobody in particular, "wow…it is good to know I haven't lost my touch after all these years." "Luke was just dumbfounded. What had she told that cop? She was clearly drunk and even he could smell the lingering scent of tequila on her breath. "What on earth did you say to that guy Tracy," Luke asked. I thought for sure I was going to have to bust you out of the slammer tonight. Tracy tried to answer, but every time she tried, she convulsed in another fit of laughter. This was about the antithesis of the Tracy Quartermaine he knew. He just sat and watched her and started laughing along with her, til she finally pulled herself together enough to speak. "I told him…that your wife had caught us having sex on the beach and that she was coming after you with a knife threatening to cut your you know what off!," she said cracking up yet again. "I told him I had to throw you in the boat and get out of there as fast as I could. You know these Frenchmen….they are very protective of their "family jewels". He offered to follow us so she couldn't find us. Luke was just staring at her incredulously….where had this woman been all these years. She could bullshit and lie and scam with the best of them. Hell…she could give him a run for his money any day of the week. "Tracy, you are something else," was all he could manage to say. And with that, they got off the boat and started walking back to town.
"So let me just recap our day so far Luke," said Tracy. "We woke up in bed together this morning and...well o.k. that was lovely. But then you made me dress like a common jogger; made me drink lousy coffee from a dock-side stand; made me walk umpteen miles with you; you chose a speed boat over a more civilized yacht to take me out on, which totally messed up my hair; ran into my juvenile ex-husband; subjected me to a picnic on the beach that got sand in my caviar; coerced me into witnessing a shot gun wedding; got me to celebrate the nuptials and drink way too much; almost got us arrested for boating under the influence…hmmm….do you call that a perfect day," asked Tracy? Luke smiled at her with that damn smile that allowed him to always get away with murder, and answered, "Yeah, Spanky, damn near perfect!". They both started laughing for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. "So our perfect day will only be topped by the perfect night that lies ahead," he said. "Really…and just what did you have in mind," Tracy asked, slipping her arms around his waist. "Patience my dear…remember…patience. I have a whole evening planned out for us."
She really couldn't believe how he pulled this whole thing off. It seemed so out of character for Luke to plan down to the last detail. He had rented a Villa high up on a cliff that belonged to an old buddy of his, or so he claimed. He had a gourmet dinner waiting for them outside on the deck that overlooked the lights of the city below them. They had champagne, music and he even had brought their suitcases from the hotel over so they could just leave to go the airport in the morning. After dinner, he showed her the Jacuzzi that was the main focal point of the expansive deck. It jetted out over the cliff. When sitting in it, you had the sensation you were hanging over the ledge and were suspended in mid-air. Jacuzzis were not her thing, but after how hard he had worked to make this a perfect night, she could hardly refuse him. They both slipped into the thick robes that were lying on the bed for them and ventured outside. The sky was clear as a bell and the stars were never brighter. Tracy didn't think she had ever seen so many stars in the sky. It was an unbelievable feeling to feel such peace and happiness. The only sound was the drone of the hot tub motor and the bubbles. Luke grabbed her underwater and pulled her close to him. "I have never seen stars like this before," Tracy said in a whisper. Luke answered back, "and I have never seen you like this before. I wish I could freeze time and we could stay like this forever. I really do love you…all the stars in the world," he said. The tears were welling up and she hoped they were camouflaged by the water. "I will never forget this night," she said. "Me neither, baby, me neither."
The next morning they woke up, ate breakfast and avoided the inevitable. They had to go home. Luke wanted to stay longer, but she had to get home. She had left a ton of unfinished business that had to be completed. After all, she was the CEO of a major corporation. Luke could lollygag around for a few more days, but he chose to go home with her. Even though she pretended that it was his decision, she was very pleased that he was returning home with her. She went to shower and get dressed, while he got their things together. They left for the airport, knowing that once they stepped off that plane, things would change. For the better, they both hoped, but nonetheless, a whole new dynamic for them had to be figured out at home. They had decided to take it slow and enjoy "their little secret" a bit longer. After all, it was still too new and precious for them to let the world in just yet!
Part 3 will be returning home…