Riley knew it was a bad idea to let Lucas in on her Saturday morning walk with Pluto and her camera. Her morning walk was something she liked to do to by herself with Pluto being able to smell the city as it came to life.
Usually everyone let her go and never asked to come along but she made the mistake of letting Lucas use his damn green eyes on her and she agrees to him coming with her. And now as he carries her walking down the street to his clinic while holding Pluto leash she regrets it.
"Lucas I think I can walk?" Riley tells him trying to ignore all the weird looks they were getting from people on the street. "No can do your bleeding and scraped up. So.." Riley rolled her eyes as he made it seem like it wasn't his fault she was bleeding.
They were making their way to the dog park when Lucas had Riley's camera and was snapping pictures of the buildings they past. Lucas decided to turn it on her using the flash and blinding her cause her to trip on a crack in the sidewalk. What made it worse was he laughed before helping her up.
He chuckles adjusting her in his arms making Riley's cheeks heat up since she could feel his muscles through his shirt since his jacket was draped over her shoulders. "Oh excuse me miss?" Lucas stops and gets the attention of a older woman who seemed to be the only one to smile at them and not shake their head.
"Could you take a picture of us? Riley looked at him like he had lost his mind as he handed her camera to her. "One to show the grandkids." He tells her with a smirk which was quickly replaced with a wince when Riley pinches his neck making her smile.
"Its so sweet to see a young couple so in love." The older woman tells them after handing Riley back the camera. She walks away and Lucas chuckles as they keep walking to his clinic. "Okay here we are." He sets her down and opens the door shaking his head as she tried to walk and picks her back up.
He sets her on the countertop and puts on his white coat clapping his hands together. "Okay Doctor Friar at your service what seem to be the problem ma'am?" Riley gives him a look shaking her head and kicks him with her foot. "Well doc an idiot with a camera blinded me causing me to fall."
Lucas chuckles grabbing the first aid kit and a chair sitting in front of her. He puts her leg on his lap sliding his hand up her leg moving her dress up. "Wh..What are you doing?" Riley stutters feeling her cheeks heat up again from his touch.
He looks up smiling at her before opening the first aid kit grabbing a wipe. She winces from the sting of it and Lucas blows on her knee making her cheeks feel like they were on fire. "There we go. Good as new." Lucas tells her cleaning up the dry blood and then put a band aid on kissing it.
She goes to get down but Lucas still had her leg and was rubbing her inner thigh with his thumb. "You can let go now?" She tells him gulping as he gets up moving in between her legs. He leans closer to her making her lean back. "Wh..what are you doing?" She stutters looking at his lips.
He leans over and grabs a lollipop and hands it to her. "Something I give all my patients owners." He winks at her resting his hands on her legs. "You're such a pig." Riley tells him pushing him away and standing. "I'm a pig? Your the one that started teasing me first!"
Riley scoffed and goes to punch him but he grabs her fist pulling her close. "How did I tease you?" She asks feeling her cheeks heat up with anger and something else at the closeness. "You know what you did wearing that dress with those damn long legs of yours! It's distracting!"
She goes to hit him but ends up putting her hand around his neck and kissing him. The bell going off above his door breaks them apart. "Sorry but we have an appointment." The blond woman says holding her daughter hand and her bird cage.
"Oh my god." Riley whispers moving back and grabbing her camera and bag walking out the door. She heads to the bakery and starts working completely forgetting that she left Pluto with Lucas.
"Hey Riley, Mrs. Matthews." Darby shouts walking in the bakery and looking at Riley weirdly when she sees her staring off into space. She walks up to Topanga and asks what's going on with her. "Don't know she came in like that."
Darby walked up to her waving her hand in her face. "Hey Darb when did you get here?" Riley asks wiping down the counter. Darby smiles at her stopping her looking at her face. "What did you do?" She asks motioning Topanga to come over and look at Riley's flushed cheeks.
"What? I didn't do anything." Riley squeaked giving herself away. Darby and Topanga look at her and she sighs. "Okay I kissed Lucas again." Darby squealed while Topanga nodded her head saying she knew it. "How did you know? I was.. it was an impulse."
"Which if I'm not mistaken is on your list." Darby tells her pulling it up on her phone.
13-Be More Impulsive
"I always thought it would be work related not boy related." Topanga tells her making Darby laugh. Riley shakes her head and makes a mental note to not let her mom hang out with Darby anymore.
"If anything I blame you mom!" Riley tells her pointing her finger at her making her smile. "How's it your mom's fault?" Darby asked secretly texting with Maya the story. "Oh she's just saying that because I invited him over for family dinner and they kept flirting with each other."
Darby lifted her eyebrows at Riley who shook her head at her. It was true her mom insisted he come once again since he made it his life mission to pester Riley at the bakery on his lunch or days he was off for the last week. "Oh Riley you know it's true. You guys have that elementary school relationship right now."
Riley laid her head on the counter shaking it back and forth. "It's so cute how they tease each other. Even auggie has noticed it." Riley shook her head walking away as her mom and Darby talk about what Riley and Lucas wedding would be like.
She had been working for two hours when Auggie comes in with Ava making her mom groan. "Hey Riley where's Pluto? I thought I was taking him home for you?" Auggie asked as Ava and him looked behind the counter where Pluto usually was. Riley gasps dropping the cup she was holding and ran to the phone.
"What's happening?" Topanga asked as they huddled around Riley as she tried calling Lucas. Right when she was going to burst into tears Lucas walks in holding him. She runs over grabbing him and planting little kisses on Pluto head apologizing over and over.
"Don't worry Riley I took very good care of our baby." Lucas coos scratching Pluto ear. She glares at him as Topanga and Auggie laugh while Ava looks Lucas up and down. "What's going on in here?" Everyone turned around but Lucas who was still chuckling. "Oh just making fun of Riley here for forgetting our child."
"What?!" They all look at him with wide eyes and he turns around seeing an older man who looked like Riley and Auggie clutching his chest on the ground. "Cory." Topanga starts to say right as Lucas not knowing what to do grabs a cup of water and tosses it at Cory on the ground.
Topanga looks at Riley who grabs Lucas hand and runs out the bakery as Cory tries to grab at his shoe. Riley fast walks with Lucas all the way to a diner and goes inside still clutching Pluto tightly to her body.
She sits down with Pluto on her lap looking at a menu as Lucas looks at her with a confused expression on his face. "Oh my gosh my heart is beating so fast what happened back there?" He asks seeing Riley smiling at Pluto.
"That my friend was your first glimpse of the one and only Cory Matthews." She giggles as he still looked confused even as the waitress took their order. "Shouldn't you be checking to see if he's okay?" Riley smiles breaking of a piece of the doggie biscuit she had in her purse and gives it to Pluto.
"Calm down my dad does this all the time. If anything it was your fault saying Pluto was our baby." Lucas choked on his milkshake the waitress brought and Riley laughed patting his back. "That was your dad I threw water at?"
Riley smiled nodding her head at him watching as he turned red from embarrassment. "Wow I didn't even know you could turn that red?" Riley giggled as Lucas banged his head against the table at what he done. "It's not funny." Lucas tells her with his head still on the table. "Actually." Riley says taking a sip of his milkshake. "It is."
The waitress brings their food and Riley would look at Lucas every now and again laughing as he had a red mark on his forehead from banging it against the table. She bit into her fry pressing on it making Lucas smack her hand away.
"I can't believe you are still laughing about this?" Lucas tells her as they walk back to their apartment. "If you knew my dad you would realize why I find this extremely funny." Riley tells him as they stop for cake at a different bakery since Lucas was afraid he run into her dad again.
They reach their apartment getting on the elevator. "So we taking dessert back to my place or yours?" Lucas asks getting close to her. She chuckles and shoves him away with her elbow that was holding the bag with the cakes.
"Neither I'm going to mine and you to yours." He smiles as he wraps his arm around her waist. "What afraid you might lose control and kiss me again?" She gasps and glares at him feeling her cheeks heat up. "No but I might throw water in your face." He lets her go making her laugh.
"Oh we think we're so funny huh?" Lucas asked shaking his head. "I'll show you funny." He starts tickling her making both of them laugh as the elevator doors open on her floor and someone clears their throat.
They look and see Charlie holding flowers in his hand. "Charlie what are you doing here?" Riley asked feeling Lucas tense up next to her. "I wanted to see you. We haven't talked in awhile." Riley knew this would happen since she hadn't returned his messages and Lucas had been occupying her time.
"Oh sorry Charlie Gardner this Lucas Friar." Riley says gesturing between the two as Lucas hesitates before shaking Charlie's hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Riley's upstairs neighbor. Which I should be heading to." He grabs the bag taking out his cake and giving Riley a small smile before the elevator door closes.
Riley open the door to her apartment letting Pluto in first putting on the food network and setting her cake and the flowers he was holding on the counter. She watches as Charlie looks around and looks at her list before turning back to her.
"So is he the new boyfriend?" He asked sitting on her bar stool. "He's just a friend." Riley tells him seeing him once again look at the list on her fridge. She didn't know what to do she had a feeling he was going to ask her out or even to marry him again
"Do you want something to..." "What happen to us Riley I thought we were happy?" Charlie asked cutting her off and reaching for her hand across the countertop. "I mean we were having fun. Was it wrong of me to want to take it to the next level?"
Riley pulled her hand back and biting her lip trying to gentle let him down once again. "Charlie that's all it was. Fun. I told you from the beginning I didn't want anything serious I thought you understood that?"
He stands scratching his head and looks at her. "But I thought we were becoming more." Riley looked down shaking her head. "We went on all those dates. I bought you a ring." Charlie sat back down putting his head on the counter. "I'm sorry Charlie I always saw them as just us hanging out as friends."
She put her hand on his shoulder and he looks at her grabbing her shoulders and kissing her. "Charlie stop." Riley shouts pushing him away with her hand. "I told you this was nothing more than a hook up and I'm sorry if you thought there was more to it than that but I can't keep apologizing for something you thought was more."
She walks to her door and opens it not looking at him. "I think you should go." He starts to walk to the door before Riley stops him and he smiles thinking she change her mind. "Here." Riley grabs the flowers handing them back to him.
"Give these to someone who can truly appreciate you. And see you for that wonderful guy you're are." Charlie lightly chuckles taking the flowers back from her. "You sure it isn't you?" He frowns a little when she shakes her head no.
She closes the door knowing she did the right thing and not lead him on. She nods walking over and throwing herself on the couch. She laughs when Pluto leans over her head barking at her. "Next time you talk to him okay?" She giggles as Pluto barks and she scratches behind his ear.
Lucas would admit if you looked up at his window right now you would see a guy with his head practically hanging out trying to see when someone was leaving while eating chocolate cake.
There was something creepy about that guy he left Riley with and it bugged him how he was waiting for her. Like some creepy creep creep. He shivers and continues watching out the window but doesn't see him yet. Who was Charlie Gardner anyway huh? He looked at the time and seen twenty minutes go by and nothing yet.
He was going to go down there and make up some excuse but he sees Charlie leaving with his flowers and couldn't help the grin that overtook his face. A grin he still wore when he was at the batting cages with Zay on Wednesday morning.
"Dude did you sleep with a hanger in your mouth?" Zay asked putting on his helmet and stepping into the cage to hit. Lucas chuckled leaning on his bat and the fence watching Zay hit. "Nope just in a good mood." He smiled even wider trying not to laugh at Zay who was mumbling swear words everytime he swung and missed.
Lucas stepped in the cage hitting every pitch and still smiling making Zay think he was on something. "Okay I can't take it what is with you and that goofy grin?" Lucas just shrugged walking out the cage as they sat drinking their waters.
"Alright did aliens abduct you or what? Cause your grin is starting to freak me out." Zay tells him spraying him with his water. Lucas hit him with his towel and making Zay laugh. "Who is Charlie Gardner?" Lucas asked wanting to know more about him.
Zay turned to him with an evil grin on his face while he rubbed his hands together like an evil villain. "Well the Riley and Lucas story keeps getting better and better." Lucas gives him a look and shakes his head. "Just tell me."
"Okay you know about Riley's list right?" Lucas nodded so Zay continues. "Well Charlie was helpful with her friends with benefits one." Zay sees Lucas clenching his jaw and knew he had a great story to tell the gang. "Calm down. Riley never wanted more than that but Charlie got it into his head that they were dating."
He sips his water pausing for dramatic effect making Lucas punch him in the arm. "He actually proposed to her at Riley's uncle wedding. It was pretty hilarious. She fainted." Zay starts laughing playing the video he was sent of it and shows Lucas.
Riley sat on her parents couch trying not to laugh as her dad sat on the coffee table in front of her with his hands clasped in prayer like in front of his mouth. He open his mouth just to close it again shaking his head.
This reminded her of the time she stayed out with Maya in high school and he thought they were doing something illegal but in reality they were on the roof watching a movie on the projector Farkle set up there.
"Daddy you're making a bigger deal out of nothing." Riley tells him after he started his famous Cory Matthews eye twitch. "Nothing." He says throwing up his hands in the air. "You hear that Topanga nothing." He looks at Topanga who shook her head and continued making lunch.
"Daddy he is just a friend and he was trying to be funny. He didn't even know you were behind him. And throwing the water in your face was technically your fault." Riley tells him making Topanga laugh earning a glare from Cory when she tries to cover it up with a cough.
"Okay." Cory says getting up and walking towards the stairs going up. Riley looks his way weirdly and then at her mom who just shrugs her shoulders. He finally comes down when Topanga puts their lunch on the table.
"Here you go." He tells Riley handing her a folded paper. Riley looks at him and then opens the paper widening her eyes at what it said. "No no no nope." She said shaking her head and folding the paper and handing it back to him.
Topanga grabs it looking at it and smiles. "Cory you can't make her do this." He smiles biting into his sandwich and looks at her. "Oh yes I can. If I'm not mistaken it's on her crazy list she insisted she needed even though I told her to stay in neverland."
"Dad I couldn't stay there forever even Peter Pan left with Wendy." He gasps holding his hand to his chest. "How dare you no he didn't." Riley groan laying her head on the table. "When do you want me to do this?" He taps her head smiling. "Tonight. Maya and Josh get in around six and I already informed them about it."
Riley looks at her mom silently pleading with her making Topanga smile. "Sorry sweetheart." Riley sighs grabbing her sandwich and heads for the door. "Oh and sweetheart bring Mr. Funny man so I can get a proper introduction."
Saving what he wants her to do for the next chapter and a nod to one of my favorite corpanga scenes from BMW.