Lucy wandered into the newly-redecorated Tropicana. Ricky had designed everything himself, with the approval of Mr. Chambers, the club's new owner. After several performances in the new atmosphere, it had clearly become a hit among the regulars. Lucy hadn't been there since re-opening night, when she and the Mertzes had crashed the show by staging it themselves, unbeknownst to an ill Ricky and a travelling Mr. Chambers.

For once, Ricky had taken the scheme with good humor, due in no small part to the enjoyment that Mr. Chambers himself had had in being in the show himself. Lucy smirked to herself, remembering that her job had been made easier by the man's show business experience.

Regardless, she was here to SEE the show tonight…as a surprise for Ricky. Since the re-opening, he'd been very busy revamping the show, rehearsing and managing the inner workings of the club. It was reminiscent of when they were dating. His hard working nature made time as a couple difficult then, too. But like then, Lucy decided she would go to him.

She walked among the crowd of people, trying to remain undetected by the employees and musicians who would surely recognize her and ruin the surprise. Wearing a lavender gown that just grazed her ivory shoulders, she reached up and smoothed her fingertips over her upswept red curls.

When everyone began to be seated, she crossed casually to a table off to the side of the stage. She sat down slowly as the lights dimmed and the orchestra began to play. She smiled broadly as her husband strode onto the stage to the crowd's loud applause.

As Ricky began to sing, Lucy gazed at him and her thoughts wound back to the night they'd met. His voice and his dancing had hypnotized her and it seemed that even without having met him, she was in love with him. Eleven years later, he was as handsome and energetic and dazzling on stage as he'd ever been. She watched him conduct and sing and dance, play his guitar and beat his drum. How amazing he was.

By this time, Ricky was walking around some of the tables, as was his custom during his more romantic ballads. Lucy crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap, wondering if he'd see her there and watching him move about, a spotlight from the ceiling following him like a beam from the moon.

As he drew closer to her, Lucy watched as his face turned in what seemed like slow motion, then his eyes fell upon her. As the last few lines of his song crooned from his lips, his smile grew and his eyes shined brightly as he gazed at her. She smiled back at him, her head tilting so slightly. Every time they looked into each other's eyes, she thought, it was as though they fell in love all over again.

With the second wind he felt from seeing his wife, Ricky flew into his finale, his hands furiously beating the skin of his drum as a few wayward black curls blew across his forehead.

At the end of his finale, he took his bows, his drum standing next to him, as the crowd cheered and showered him with thunderous praise. He looked over at Lucy, standing quietly, smiling, and he blew a kiss in her direction. She sent a kiss back to him softly.

Ricky set the drum aside and gave Marco the signal to lead the orchestra into their dance pieces. As the crowd started moving to the dance floor, Ricky walked confidently to where Lucy stood.

"Did you like the show?" Ricky's voice was low and smoldering.

Lucy smiled and her eyes twinkled. He sounded like the wolves that her mother had warned her about when she was a young girl. "I liked it very much."

"You know, you're a very beautiful woman. Are you here by yourself?" His eyes bore into her.

"Fresh!"

Ricky raised an eyebrow at her scolding. "So I suppose that means you dun't wanna dance with me?"

Lucy moved her body closer to his, almost imperceptibly. "I might be persuaded if you asked nicely."

He smiled and raised one of her hands to his lips gently. She inhaled silently as his lips graced her knuckles. "Would you like to dance with me?"

"Yes," she responded simply.

Ricky led her to the dance floor to the strains of a sweet orchestral piece that Ricky had composed some years ago, made richer by the tones of Marco's piano.

He pulled Lucy close to him, much closer than he'd have dared when they met those eleven years ago. Her hand rested on his chest, his hand on top of hers. Her other arm rested gently around his neck, her fingertips barely touching the back of his neck and the soft hair at the nape of it.

Ricky smiled as they danced and looked at each other. "What brings you here?"

Lucy looked at him in a playful, yet matter-of-fact way. "I was lonely."

"A lovely thin' like you was lonely? Dun't you have a boyfriend or somethin'?" His eyes were full of mischief.

Lucy feigned offense. "There you go being fresh again. I'm a married woman!"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Ricky pulled her closer against him, his cheek brushing hers as they continued swaying to the music. His lips rested next to her ear. "He's not doin' so good a job if you're lonely."

Lucy closed her eyes as her lips breathed against his ear similarly. "He works hard."

"He's probably tryin' to give you everythin' you want."

"I know he is. But what I want is him."

Lucy felt him smile against the side of her face as the song ended. When the crowd began applauding for the orchestra, who moved into the next piece, Ricky moved her to the edge of the floor. "Do you think your husband would be mad if we went to the roof to talk?"

She folded her arms. "Oh, he's very jealous."

"I dun't blame him. Come with me."

Lucy giggled as he took her by the hand and led her through the crowd, up the old familiar steps at the rear of the club.

Out in the clear, open air, Ricky stood in place as Lucy walked ahead of him and looked out over the city. She always loved the view from here. A breeze fluttered through her hair and swirled the skirts of her gown around her legs, and Ricky felt himself falling in love all over again.

He approached her finally as she turned to face him. "This husband of yours. Do you love him?"

The deep blue of Lucy's eyes caught the glow of the city night. "Very much."

"And if I tol' you I love you? That I hate the idea of you bein' lonely?"

"Kiss me…"

Ricky cupped his hands on either side of Lucy's face. "Fresh," he whispered before his lips collided with hers passionately. Within seconds, his tongue entered her lips, swirling with hers gently as his hands moved down along her body and rested on her hips. He moved her, turning her back to a brick wall covered by shadow.

As she hit the wall with a gentle thud and Ricky's hands roamed her chiffon-covered figure, Lucy giggled. "Do you bring all the girls up here?"

"No," Ricky growled as he sucked the tender skin of her neck. "Just you."

"You're a wolf!" Lucy was breathless as his hands found the prize of her creamy thighs beneath the layered skirts of her gown.

"Estoy hambriento como el lobo…" Ricky smiled devilishly as he freed his rapidly growing erection from his pants and began lifting her from the ground.

They kissed again, hungrily and intensely as Ricky pressed against her teasingly, avoiding entrance to her just yet. Bracing his wife's trembling body against the wall, his hands ran up again, cupping her breasts through the sweet-smelling lavender fabric. He left desperately hot kisses on her shoulders and her chest, his own passion driving him closer to the focus of his desire which stood ready just inches from his manhood.

"Ricky…" Lucy gasped as his mouth again found the softest part of her delicate neck.

Ricky laughed softly. "Oh, you know my name…"

She smiled through her soft gasps. "Yes, I've heard of you…"

He stopped, seeing another opportunity to tease his wife, and lifted her thighs, bringing her legs fully around him. But still, he did not enter her, enjoying instead the sight of her straining her hips to meet him. She bit her lip in pleasured frustration.

"Yeah? What did you hear?"

Lucy looked at him desperately and managed a smirk. "I've heard you're a hot blooded Latin."

Ricky smiled widely as her arms circled his shoulders. Lucy steadied herself against him as he whispered fiercely, "You're right."

With that, he plunged into her, cries of pure joy releasing from their lips. He thrust into her with a steady, forceful pace. "No me refiero a descuidar tu. Tengo que ser muy estupido para hacera algo asi."

Ricky's hands gripped the skin of her thighs, pressing himself into her as fully as he could; and yet, he wished he could be more deeply within her.

Lucy gasped and bucked against him, her fingers gripping the raven waves in back of his head. Just as they could've collapsed in a combination of ecstasy and exhaustion, Ricky released into her with a strong, deep thrust. Her breath caught in her throat as her body tensed with incredible, impassioned surges of orgasm. So much so, that the tightened muscles of her throat wouldn't allow even a whimper to pass through it.

Ricky held her steady against the wall, allowing her shaky legs to recover before releasing her from his protective embrace. They rested silently against each other for several blissful minutes, the sound of his wife's slowing breaths calming him.

From the street, Lucy heard the faint sound of a baby crying and something felt strange and different. She looked at Ricky, but he seemed oblivious to the unexpected feelings she was having and so she said nothing.

He kissed her sweetly, his lips warm against hers. They straightened themselves and fixed their clothes, and Ricky took Lucy's hand to lead her back downstairs. They'd be going home soon.

When he noticed her hand uncharacteristically linger over her abdomen, he looked at her, concerned. "Are you alright, honey?"

Lucy looked at him as though she were shaking off a bothersome idea. "Yes, darling. Let's go home."