"Lucky," Mac said, cornering him later in the day. "I seem to be missing something."
"Missing something like what, Mac? You think someone around here has been stealing?"
"No, that's not what I mean. Didn't you and Dante take a meeting with Jorge Ortega, one of the lower ranking members of the Colombian cartel infiltrating Port Charles? I thought he had some information for us?"
"Yeah, we had that meeting, and he had a few things to say—I don't know how helpful his 'tips' will be in the long run, though."
"Well, where is the report on the meeting?"
"Crap! I knew I was forgetting something yesterday! I got sidetracked... I'm sorry, Mac. When do you need it?"
"I want it now; I needed it yesterday."
"Sorry, Mac. Give me thirty minutes, and you'll have it." He'd meant to type up the report on the Colombians after lunch yesterday, but then he'd stopped by Claire's office, and—he felt a rush pass through his body as he thought again about pinning her against the door, and what had followed after they'd eaten dinner. He dug through his notes and began typing, but he'd opened the door of memory, and his thoughts wouldn't be stifled. The way she smelled, the softness of her skin, how responsive she was to his touch, all of that came rushing back to his mind in moments and remembrances. After dealing with Elizabeth's coldness for the past few months, Claire's openness and hunger was refreshing. And it wasn't just the sex... Lucky stopped typing, leaning on his desk, staring blankly at the computer screen. She'd seemed genuinely interested in him as a person. She admired him as a father. She lusted after the man. It would be very, very easy, if he wasn't careful, to fall for Claire Walsh. She's smart, driven, focused. Maybe she might skirt the law a bit, but only for just causes. Was there a just cause for skirting the law? Not that HE himself was perfect. He'd done things in the past... That didn't make her a bad person, did it? Her heart was in the right place, and she was trying to do what was best for Michael. That was a plus. Not to mention she had a rocking body in white lingerie... But that's not all he saw when he looked at her. Lucky began typing again, his thoughts still veering uncontrollably. He stopped to proofread what he'd typed so far. "...and according to Ortega, once the Colombians get a foothold in Port Charles, they are sweet and vulnerable under the tough exterior, making her very approachable." He shook his head as he backspaced over the last part of his report. He really needed to get his head back in the game. He finally finished the report forty-five minutes later, handing it to a scowling Mac, before returning to his desk. Right as he sat down, his cell phone rang. "Detective Spencer. What? Hey, man, Dante, slow down. What did you say? Are you serious? You've gotta be joking with me right now! Are you serious? That's awesome news, man! How did you convince him? Yeah, I'll bet! Oh, I know you are! Yeah, I can meet you over there for lunch. No, wait, hang on—why don't we make that a beer tonight at Jake's? I have somewhere I need to go right now. Man, don't worry about that! I'm not gonna fall off the wagon after one beer, but we need to celebrate! Ok, later."
Claire was sitting at her desk lost in musings of her own when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in."
"Claire." Lucky poked his head around her office door. "Are you busy?"
"Not too busy to talk to you. What's going on?"
"I just got off the phone with Dante," he said, entering her office. "You're not going to believe this, but he and Judge Carroll had an 'open, heart-to-heart conversation,' and the judge agreed to suspend Michael's sentence. I didn't get all the particulars, but it looks like Michael is coming home. Whatever Dante said must have gotten to him..."
"Well, Detective Falconeri can be quite compelling and convincing when he wants to be. I'm sure that's what the judge saw and heard, too. This is the best news I've had all day, Lucky. Thanks for coming over to tell me personally. That's a load off my mind. When I think of how hard everyone has been working to secure his release..." Lucky didn't hear the last part of her sentence. His mind was stuck on hearing her describe Dante as "compelling and convincing." Claire realized that Lucky was no longer listening to her. "Lucky. Lucky? Where'd you go?"
"Just how 'compelling and convincing' do you find Detective Falconeri?"
"What? What do you mean?"
"You said you find Detective Falconeri 'compelling and convincing.' I was wondering what you meant by that."
"Well, he has an earnestness and a conviction that shines through whenever he talks about the law, or about right and wrong. He was able to talk me around, and I knew he was lying when he said he accidentally shot himself. He knows how to present a case, that's for sure. If he wanted to be one, he'd probably make a good lawyer some day. If anyone could convince Judge Carroll to release Michael, it would be him. Why do you ask?" He stared at her without speaking. "Wait a minute. You couldn't possibly be jealous? Look, all I meant is that he can be persuasive when he chooses to be. You've heard him—you know. He's your partner; you work with him every day, so you know how he is." She looked at him in puzzled bewilderment, and he realized how ridiculous he was being. She obviously wasn't "attracted" to Dante. He laughed self-deprecatingly. "I'm sorry. I think I'm cranky because I missed lunch typing up a report for Mac that I should have given him yesterday."
"Derelict in your duties? That doesn't sound like you, Detective. Why were you late getting him the report?"
"Why don't we discuss that over Chinese food? Do you have time to share some takeout with me?" She smiled as she pushed her phone at him. "Number four on the speed dial."
"So I wonder," Claire stated as they neared the end of their meal, "what exactly did Detective Falconeri say that convinced the judge to give Michael another chance?"
"I'm not sure, but I'm having drinks with Dante tonight at Jake's so he can fill me in on all the details. I know you said you were hesitant about trying new things, but you really should taste this squid. Something about the ginger gives it a real zing." He gave her an "I dare you" look.
"Fine. Why not? You only live once, right?" She reached for the carton, but he jerked it back. Digging around in the container, he found the largest piece of squid he could find, and picking it up with his chopsticks, he reached out, leaning in her direction. She opened her mouth to receive the morsel, licking her lips as she chewed the meat. "Well?" he asked. "What do you think?" "It's a little mushy," she responded after considering for a moment. "I don't think it will become one of my favorites." He scooped the last of the squid into his mouth and sat the empty carton on her desk, leaning back in his chair. "Whew. That was good. Of course by the time I get to Jake's tonight, I'll be starving again..." "Isn't that the funny thing about Chinese food?" Claire asked. "I wonder why that is? Are you finished with yours?" She began clearing away the remnants of their lunch, throwing the empty containers in the trash before returning to her chair and sitting down. "One thing I'm relieved about with this whole 'Michael' situation," Lucky mused, "is now you have no reason to enter this alliance with John Zacchara. I'm assuming you plan to turn him down now that Michael will be freed soon?"
"You know what they say—never assume. I'm still thinking it over."
"Claire," began Lucky in an admonishing tone.
"Lucky," she responded.
"Well, you're going to do what you're going to do, but just be careful. Zacchara isn't playing with a full deck most of the time, and I'd hate to see you do something you'll regret or can't take back." Claire sat back in her chair and crossed her legs, unwittingly calling Lucky's attention to them. "I rarely go into a situation without first thinking about everything that could potentially go wrong. I know that John Zacchara is a loose cannon at best, but I also know that he wants to take Sonny Corinthos down in the worst way. That could work in my favor. I haven't made any final decisions yet. And you're right—having Michael out of prison does change the game a bit. I feel a little less pressure now. I hated the idea of that kid languishing in prison for two minutes, let alone two years. I'm also wondering how this is going to change things for Jason Morgan, and for that matter, Sonny himself. What do you think? Lucky?" Claire realized that she'd lost his attention a while back in the conversation. "Hmm?" Lucky replied. "What do you think?" She repeated.
"About what?"
"About what Michael being out of prison is going to mean for Jason Morgan and Sonny."
"To be honest, I'm not really thinking about that right now."
"Then what are you thinking about?"
"Right now, I'm wondering what you have on under that skirt, if you want to know the truth. You crossed your legs, and my mind went to nylons and garter belts. Sorry."
"That's all it took? I crossed my legs, and that was it?"
"I'm a man. I'm very basic." He stared into her eyes. "So, are you going to show me, or do I have to keep guessing, because my imagination is working overtime here." She looked back at him, her eyes narrowing, her head cocked to the side. "Are you daring me? Because it's barely after five o'clock—I'm sure there are people still working in the building..."
"No, I hope I'm 'persuading' you." Claire looked at her office door almost reflexively. "Don't worry," Lucky said, reading her mind. "I locked it as soon as the delivery guy left. No one is going to walk in and interrupt us. You're quickly running out of excuses." He grinned at her mischievously. This was becoming fun, watching her struggle against her true nature. For her part, she had never done anything so, so abandoned in her life. The smile on his face told her that he thought she wouldn't go along, that she was too uptight, and that alone made the decision for her. She stood up from her chair and walked over to her desk, resting against it. She watched him watch her, and swallowing hard, she reached for the seams of her skirt, gripping each side, slowly inching it upward. He licked his lips as he tracked her progress. He soon realized that she was wearing thigh-high nylons, but no garter belt. "Sorry to disappoint you," she said, getting ready to let her skirt fall back in place. "Stop. Who said I'm disappointed? Keep going."
"You said you wanted to see what I had on under my skirt, and now you know. I thought that was the point."
"That WAS the point," he said, finally rising from the chair and walking toward her, "but now I'm on a different mission."
"What do you have in mind?" she asked him, her eyes widening as he dropped to his knees in front of her.
"Spread your legs."
"Lucky..." Claire began warningly.
"Do it. Come on, Claire. You came this far, don't back out now. Spread your legs." She took a deep breath as she grabbed the edge of her desk, holding on tightly before doing as he asked, and spreading her legs.
"Wider."
"Lucky..."
"Just do it." Her heart felt as though it was going to jump out of her chest, and she sighed a little. "I've never done anything like this before—had sex in my office." "There's a first time for everything, isn't there?" Lucky asked, rubbing his nose and lips against her thigh. He pulled her skirt up all the way, dragging it past her hips to her waist, saying, "Hold this." Eventually he nuzzled her crotch, deeply inhaling her scent, causing her to draw a shuddering breath. Opening his mouth widely, he licked her, saturating her panties with his tongue before turning the licking into a long, open-mouthed kiss. He inched his tongue underneath the edge, caressing bare skin, causing her to squirm uncontrollably. Leaning back and looking into her eyes, he held her gaze with his as he slowly began pulling her panties down her legs. When he realized that he couldn't get them off without her closing her legs first, he gripped them hard, ripping the material, tossing the ruined scraps behind him. She was shocked. "What am I supposed to wear home? It's not like I just keep spares lying around in my office..." Her voice hit a crescendo as with renewed purpose, he began licking her again, holding her open with his thumbs, darting his tongue up in her channel, sampling her juices. His tongue then circled her clit, softly at first, then harder, rubbing and flicking, before sucking it into his mouth. She let go of the desk, grabbing his head as if to push him away, crying out, "Lucky! Ooh! It's too much! You've got to stop!" He was hard as a rock and suddenly impatient to be inside her. Knocking her hands away and rising to his feet, he quickly lifted her onto the desk. Unfastening his belt and jeans, he lowered them and his briefs just enough to free himself as he spread her legs wider and, grasping his prick, he aimed and entered her in one motion. He shuddered as the warmth and heat of her body surrounded him, as her wetness aroused him further. Holding her bent legs in the crooks of his arms, he slowly thrust against her, almost pulling all the way out before forcefully pushing back in. Her head was bent back toward the ceiling, her hands still clutching the edge of her desk as he continued prodding her. He grunted as he began moving faster, slamming into her, flesh pounding against flesh. "Claire, look at me," he gasped, gripping her legs even tighter. She was breathing laboriously, mewling softly as she struggled to meet his gaze. His eyes seemed to bore into hers as he powerfully drilled into her, pushing her towards her climax. She screamed aloud, then slapped her hand over her mouth, quickly remembering where she was. "Take-your-hand away," he insisted breathlessly. "Nuh uh," she said behind her fingers. "Some-one will hear meeee, oh, God!" "I don't care," he hissed, "let them." "I have—to-work heeere, ohhh, Lucky—Goddd!" she wailed as she came hard, her hands grabbing his arms, her hips bucking spontaneously. He leaned forward, kissing her open-mouthed, biting her lips and grunting roughly against them as his orgasm washed over him. He let her legs fall as he wrapped his arms tightly around her, kissing her with passionate intensity. She reached for him, returning the embrace. He gentled the kiss, suckling her tongue slowly. At length he broke away and they leaned against each other in exhaustion, still gasping for air. He groaned out a breath. "Ohh. I think I could fall out right here," he said, looking at her through half-mast, sated eyes. He brushed a soft buss against her lips. "I had planned to continue working," she returned, "but now I'm too tired. Maybe I should just call it a night, and go home instead."
"At least you have that option. I still have to meet Dante at Jake's. And now I'm getting hungry again."
"I still have to make it out of this building hoping I don't see anyone who heard us. And without underwear. I can't believe you ripped my underwear off."
"I believe in efficiency. Whatever works—I'm all about the path of least resistance." She laughed as she took in his smug, self-satisfied smile.
"You're pretty pleased with yourself, aren't you?"
"Did I please you?"
"I think you know you did."
"Then I'm pretty pleased with myself."
"You realize you're still inside me, right?"
"I was wondering when you were going to point that out." He allowed his body to slide from hers. "Talk about efficient. I didn't even get my pants off." He pulled up his briefs and jeans and refastened his belt. He couldn't believe how eager he'd been to make love to her. "I hope you don't think I'm totally classless."
"Actually," she responded as he helped her stand up and steady herself, smoothing her skirt back into place, "I guess it's flattering that you were so impatient to have me. What I can't believe is that I had sex in my office. I used to think THAT was classless." She shook her head ruefully.
"And now?"
"Now I highly recommend it."
Lucky went home to take a quick shower before he went to Jake's, so by the time he arrived, Dante and LuLu were already seated and drinking their beers. "Hey, sis," he said to LuLu, brushing a light kiss against her hair, "I didn't know you would be here." He bumped fists with Dante. "Good work, man. You can tell me all about it after I get my beer." LuLu looked at him apprehensively, obviously wanting to protest, but thinking better of it. Lucky noticed all the same how uncomfortable she was. "Look, if it'll make you feel better, I'll get a soda. I don't think one beer will hurt me, LuLu." "No, I'm sure you're right, and I didn't mean to make you feel bad. If you want to get a beer, go ahead." She still looked as though she hoped he wouldn't, so, shaking his head, he walked to the bar and ordered a root beer instead. "Now," Lucky said as he returned to his seat, "tell me what happened with Judge Carroll." Dante paused to collect his thoughts before beginning his story. "...and so finally," he said, winding up his tale, "the judge realized that the stuff Michael was learning in prison wasn't what he'd had in mind when Michael was sentenced. After we hammered out the terms of his release, mainly that Michael would have to stay away from Sonny, and live with me—ankle bracelet, curfew, community service—the whole shot, Judge Carroll agreed to a conditional reduction in Michael's sentence." "Man, that's impressive. When I told Claire about it she said you could be 'compelling and convincing' when you wanted to be. She even thinks you'd make a good lawyer. It sounds like you knocked it out of the park. Have you told Michael yet? And his parents?" "No, I'm going to Pentonville in the morning, and Judge Carroll said he would call Sonny and Carly in the morning also. Man, I am so jazzed! I know we were racking our brains trying to find a way to make this happen, and nobody wanted to give up. I'm just glad he was willing to listen to me. Hey, wait a second," Dante said, realizing who Lucky had mentioned. "When did you talk to Claire?"
"I dropped by her office to tell her in person that you and Judge Carroll had come to an agreement. We ended up having lunch." He tried to keep a bland look on his face, but his sister knew him better than that, and his partner was no dummy, either. "Lucky," LuLu said, looking at her brother's face, "what's going on with you and Claire Walsh?" "Yeah," Dante added teasingly, "first dinner dates, and now lunch? What's next?" Lucky felt his face flush red. "Oh, I see! You've already had 'what's next'! Way to go!" LuLu was a bit more cautious as she asked, "Lucky, what about Elizabeth? What's she going to do when she hears that you're seeing Claire Walsh?" "I'm not sure I'd say we're 'seeing' each other..." he paused before saying, "but what if we are? It's really not any of Elizabeth's business what I do anymore. And I like being with Claire. There's no baggage there, no drama. We have a good time together. Easy companionship, good conversation-"
"Good sex?" asked Dante, smirking.
"Great sex, if you must know, smart guy," Lucky retorted.
"I'll drink to that," Dante said, lifting his beer and laughing at the face LuLu was making.
"You guys are such-"
"Men?" Lucky and Dante said in unison, bumping fists again when they realized they were in sync.
"Yeah, that's the word I was looking for. Not. Do you think Elizabeth will try to keep you from seeing the boys if she finds out you're dating again?"
"I don't think she will, but if she does, she'll have a fight on her hands. I'm pretty sure she has too much on her mind getting ready for this new baby to give me any problems with Cam and Jake. I'm not worried about it, so you shouldn't be, either. Tonight, we celebrate! To the silver-tongued devil, and to Michael's release," Lucky said, lifting his bottle high.
"To Michael's release," repeated Dante and LuLu, laughing at Lucky's toast, clinking their beer bottles against his.
The next morning, Claire made sure she got to her office early. She wanted to avoid seeing anyone in the office building who might have heard her and Lucky the day before. She was relieved when she realized that she was one of the first people to arrive. Claire entered her office and sat down at her desk, activating her voicemail for last night's messages. Her mind drifted as she thought about how just yesterday afternoon, she was actually sitting on top of her desk, and Lucky was... She still couldn't believe what they'd ended up doing. She never was the type to do something so—so... Well, she was having a hard time finding the proper term to describe indulging in"office sex." She'd always thought such activities were beneath her. Low-brow, low-class; however one described it, it wasn't something in which she ever thought she would take part. Not until Lucky. He had a way about him that challenged her to do things, think things that she never would have considered before. And being with him was fun! She couldn't remember the last time she'd just let go and had fun. She enjoyed being with him. He might still be hung up on his ex-fiancee/wife, but he obviously found her fascinating as well. He looked at her as if she were a mystery he was determined to solve, and she liked that, too. She had no idea where this "thing" with Lucky Spencer was headed, but she planned to have a good time and enjoy it while it lasted. She was startled out of her reverie by a knock on the door, and she couldn't help it—her heart began to race. The last knock she'd gotten preceded one of the best afternoons she'd had in a long time. "Come in," she called out, mildly disappointed when she saw that it was John Zacchara and not Lucky. "Mr. Zacchara. Good morning. I was wondering when I might hear from you again. Please, have a seat."
"I was wonderin' when I was gonna hear from you, too. I told you, matters like this take plannin' to set up, and time was a factor. I thought maybe you were blowin' me off, so I decided to come to you. I think we should just cut to it. Are you in, or out?"
"Well, I have given the 'matter,' as you call it, a great deal of thought. On the surface, it might very well be a worthwhile enterprise, but overall, there are too many things that can go wrong. Mr. Corinthos might not show up to receive the shipment. He might have a way to prove that the shipment isn't his, and that he's being set up. My involvement could come to light. The bottom line is, good idea or not, it's still illegal. I plan to bust Sonny Corinthos, but I want to find"-she paused as she remembered the way Lucky phrased it- "a legal way to achieve this end."
"You've never been able to get him before, so what makes you think this time out will be any different? I'm offerin' you a solid opportunity to make it happen. You might want to think twice before turnin' me down. I need your contacts with the Feds to make the bust. We've worked together in the past tryin' to bring Sonny down; why mess up a good thing?"
"So we're moving from the realm of needing my help to threats and blackmail to coerce my cooperation? Is that what I'm hearing, or did I misinterpret your meaning?"
"All I'm sayin' is that this wouldn't be our first time joinin' forces."
"Can you prove that?" Johnny was silent as he realized that he never made a recording of any kind of their conversation because he hadn't thought he would need one. They both had been so sure that Sonny would be going down for Claudia's death; he thought that a prison sentence for his sister's death would be the end of Sonny Corinthos once and for all.
"No, I didn't think so," Claire went on, relieved that she was right, and therefore out from under John Zacchara's control. That had been a close call, and she was determined to never allow something so potentially career-ending, not to mention worthy of jail time to happen to her again. Not for the sake of locking up any criminal, not even one as sought after as Sonny Corinthos. Her relief was evident as she continued, "Look, Mr. Zacchara. What I might be able to do is warn local law enforcement that 'something' might be taking place at such and such a time. I don't really want to involve any of my friends and contacts in a thing that has 'potential snafu' written all over it. I would strongly advise you to let it go as well. Mark my words—we will arrest Mr. Corinthos one day, and it will stick. He only thinks he's Teflon, but no one is untouchable forever."
"I can warn the PCPD myself," Johnny grumbled, rising to his feet in disgust. "The Feds would carry more weight, as you know. I'm not givin' up—Sonny's goin' down for, among other things, what he did to my sister. I've had enough of him skatin' free."
"I understand your frustrations, and I share them; however, I have to remember that I am bound by laws. You are free to do whatever you want, and I wish you luck."
"Thanks for nothin."
"You're welcome. I am sorry that I couldn't give you the answer you wanted. And Mr. Zacchara? A word of caution. Don't end up getting caught in the very trap you've set for Mr. Corinthos. That would be a regrettable mistake." Throwing Claire an angry look, Johnny left her office, his head exploding and his heart full of rage. Somehow, some way, Sonny was going to pay...
Claire sat back, closing her eyes and breathing a sigh of intense relief. If John Zacchara had made a recording of their conversation during that debacle of a trial, her life and career might be taking a whole different turn. She couldn't believe she'd almost allowed her desire to win at all costs to ruin her future. And she had thought the idea he'd presented to her was a good one, a sound one. Sure there were problems and things that could go wrong, but she'd been willing to at least think about it, maybe even to go for it. What changed her mind? Or rather, who? Lucky Spencer, that's who. Lucky Spencer with his "Boy Scout" ways, his "two wrongs don't make a right" philosophy. His disappointment when he realized she was seriously considering helping John Zacchara. She'd allowed all that to sway her. If she wasn't careful, she was going to end up giving Lucky Spencer's opinion of her way too much credence. She shook her head as she opened her laptop, determined to remove Lucky from her mind, and actually get some work done.
