Author's Note: After having to rework my first story, Anniversary Baby, I found myself with a serious case of writers block... The challlenge from the message board was the first thing to spark my creativity since. Now I find myself in the unenviable position of trying to work on two stories at once... Wish me luck. I think I'll need that and your reviews to finish these two stories as quickly as I'd hoped! I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 1: Luke's at First Sight
I was on a mission. Well, maybe not exactly… It wasn't like a different mission than what brought me to this stupid town. More like another facet of the same plan. I've met my birth mother. Now, I want to meet my uncle. They make him out to be this legend who is just so obsessed with family. You know, being there, protecting his own.
Well, I can't say that I agree, but I guess I'll have to see for myself. I did my best to straighten my dress from under my coat. There was a bit of chill in the air as day darkened to night, but… I just couldn't convince myself that pants would be best for making a first impression. My mama… Well, Virginia Benson is my adopted mom anyway. Well, she'd always say that when meeting a man for the first it was always a good idea to put your best foot forward. And if you had nice legs, it couldn't hurt to throw them into the introduction, too. I know I was meeting my uncle, not just some guy, but that piece of advice hadn't steered me wrong so far…
So here I am outside Luke's preparing to wow yet another idiot in this insipid burg. I wonder if the "Great Luke Spencer" would recognize the daughter his sister had thrown away any better than Bobbie had. I push through the door, give the place a once-over and head to the bar. I look up at the older man and wonder if this is him…
Flashing my tried-and-true "I'm sweet & harmless and you just gotta love me" smile, I ask removing my coat, "Are you Luke Spencer?"
I can feel his eyes roaming the goods like his middle-aged hands would like to, but pretend not to notice. Oh, great. I look up at the man projecting innocence with every fiber of my being. If this is Luke and he hits on me, I will vomit in the bathroom. I swear it!
I was on a mission. Lily was missing according to Sonny. Well, not in a bad way or anything. Sonny just didn't know where she was. So here I have the pleasure of checking Luke's for her presence. Robin & Sonny had explained about loyalty and friendship, and what they said made sense. If a friend is in need, you should help. I think I get that. I mean I'm pretty sure anyway. Some things were easier for him to understand than others were. Like my bike. Motorcycles were simple. You can take them apart and put them back together, but there's only one way to do it right and as long as you know that, you could never go wrong. Now, people were all about right and wrong, but they were all different so why they all seemed to think right and wrong should be the same for everybody he didn't know. It's like saying you'd fix a toaster the same way you'd fix a motorcycle. It wasn't the same thing. That's why people gave him a headache sometimes… even Robin.
Another thing about people I've noticed is that they lie. I hate it. They lie in big ways and little ones. A lot of people look down on me and pity me because I suffered brain damage from the accident. They think I'm dumb, but they try to lie and say they don't. The Quartermaines, the old Jason's family, were the worst. Just thinking about them made his head hurt and that was gonna help me do what I came to Luke's to do.
I go inside hoping to find what, or who I'm looking for. I scan the room for Lily, then head toward the bar to ask Mike, who's chatting up some hot blonde. He wants to have sex with her. Can't blame him for that. I let my gaze roam from her long, toned legs all the way up.
As I get within a few yards of the bar, she turns to face the club. One look into her eyes and all I can think is how I want to have sex with her, too. It's kind of strange because I could almost swear that her eyes are offering all I can handle. Everything else about the woman by the bar is a lie. I know it. I wait to be disgusted by yet another liar, but that feel doesn't come. All I feel is heat. By the time I get to the bar, she's turned back around to focus on her glass of wine. But not before she flashes Mike a smile that makes me want to hit him for looking at her. Except I know even the smile is a lie, one I wouldn't mind turned my way. I stand beside her and my arm brushes her. That touch alone sends heat through my entire body.
In an effort to hide my reaction, I focus on Mike. "Hey Mike, have you seen Lily?"
My stomach drops. When I saw this guy coming towards the bar, everything inside froze. He has the most intensely beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen, and may be the most incredibly gorgeous man alive. I thought he was coming to the bar for me. That finally I'd been chosen. Been important. Then he asked for some other woman and everything inside me dropped… until he added that someone named Sonny was looking for her.
Sure that my composure must be slipping from this overload of this man's mere presence to my system, I excuse myself and head to the ladies room to regroup. I realize now that as much as I want my mom to know me or to have a family, I have never wanted anything as much as I want this guy to want me. Why God? I think. Why now? I'm on a mission. This is not the time for distractions. I hold myself together until I can reach a stall to hide in. As soon as I can lock the door, I drop to the seat and let go of all my composure. My entire body begins to shake as it releases the near orgasmic experience of a single look and the brush of his arm from this man.
I've never experienced anything like this man. I've never felt like this. I'm always in charge. Ever since I let myself destroy my friendship with my best friend, Charlotte, I promised myself I'd never let a man get inside my head again. I've used a few for my own selfish purposes, but regardless, every interaction was on my terms and each one was easily disposable. Nothing about that blue-eyed Adonis seemed easily controllable or ditchable or like anyone I'd ever experienced. He was the first man I'd ever had to wonder if I could handle… But, boy, do I ever want to try.
I begin rebuilding my composure until it was as if nothing had ever happened. On the outside, I was the same, but inside, I had been forever changed. I carefully steeled myself for the possibility that he would be there when I got back… or worse that he wouldn't be. Leaving the stall behind I touch up my makeup for that added level of security. Squaring my shoulders, I head back toward the bar and tall dark and delicious. Because no matter how fair he may be, that boy has a dark side.
"She's pretty hot, huh?" Mike smirks watching her go.
"I guess," I answer unwilling to share my interest. "If you like the type." Which I guess I do.
When Mike turns his attention back to me, the small talk about Robin & Sonny begins. Strangely, I find myself having to reign in my annoyance at the mention of Robin's name as well as another feeling I can't quite name. It's this sinking feeling. Weird. I'd love to be able to ask someone about it, but who I could ask is beyond me. I get the feeling Sonny might not like it if I had this feeling in connection to Robin and neither would Robin. Picking up the beer Mike left behind, I slide into a seat at the bar not too far from where she had been sitting. The Robin thing is still confusing me when I get this sensation like I'm being watched. The sensation is almost like a touch. It was how I felt at Jake's sometimes. Women would look at me like that, but I never really wanted to act on it before. If this was a certain blonde's gaze, then I was definitely interested. I turn to meet hers as she returns to her seat. Unfortunately, Mike returns. She tries to appear focused on Mike, but her eyes keep coming back to mine. Mike seems oblivious to our interaction.
When Luke comes over, her whole body language and focus shifts & changes. I feel the loss like a physical ache. I want her attention back and focused on me alone. I'm probably not the only one. When Luke leaves, I watch her as surreptitiously as possible. She seems to be in her own world with her thoughts unreadable.
I consider leaving until Luke shows up with Laura in tow. I guess I better try this small talk thing everyone is so fond of. Hopefully I can come up with something to say because she seems sad and I don't want to make things worse.
So he knows Luke. I wasn't expecting that, but interesting nonetheless. Doesn't really matter either way though. Either he doesn't know how to take a hint or he's not interested in what I'm offering, but I'm not sticking around any longer or that Mike guy will try t6o follow me home or something. If all that wasn't bad enough, Luke seems to have totally ignored my existence. Maybe I should just head to Jake's. At least there, I can get a few dances and may be hustle a few guys out of their hard-earned money over a game of pool. My decision made, I toss Mike and the bar in general a quick smile and leave. I think I'll take that shortcut past the docks. Being near the water always clears my head.
