As Lucy walked into Scud's room, she saw him straightening his tie in the mirror. His tie? What is he thinking? "Uh Scud..." "Think it's too much, Luce?" "Yeah. Definitely too much. It's polka dotted. Your shirt is striped. Bad." Scud sighed. "This is retarded."

Lucy chuckled at him. "You are just mad because you have to go on your blind date first." At that statement, Scud wheeled around and whipped his tie off and twirled it in the air like a lasso. "Well I might be going first, but you're going tomorrow!" He tried to rope Lucy but failed. Lucy's smile fell a little and she rolled her eyes at him. Scud's smile only grew. "Just promise me you'll be open." Lucy furrowed her brows slightly, and she turned around to pick out a more suitable shirt for Scud. "Open to what?"

"Open to love!" She grabbed one of his t-shirts and tossed it into his face. "I am open to love! In fact, I have a...date tonight myself." Scud's eyebrows shot up as he pulled his button down shirt off. "Anyone I know?" "Nope. Met her the other night when I stopped at that piano bar."

Scud pulled the t-shirt Lucy threw at him on and checked himself out in the mirror. "I didn't know lesbians liked piano bars." Lucy smacked him playfully on the arm. "Well, I'm glad we have a few surprises left then." Scud laughed, and turned from the mirror. "Does this make me look fat?" Lucy rolled her eyes at him again as she walked out of the room.


Five minutes before they were to leave, Max was trying to back out. "I should really be cleaning my weapon." "Um Max you clean it three times a day. Everyday. And, I know for a fact you've already done it all three times today." Amy eyed her, slightly concerned for her friend. Max seemed nervous, and that was just so un-Max. "There will be plenty of time tomorrow to clean it again. Now, you look fine, it's at Nueva Merida, so if you don't like the guy you can just focus on your yummy food and leave." Max nodded. "I do love their food."

"There's nothing to be worried about Max." At the mere mention that she might in someway be nervous or scared, Max toughened up. Amy could see the change take place. Max stood up straighter, held her head high, and set her face with a look of determination. "Not going to war here Max, just a date." Amy smirked at Max, and Max scowled back at her. Max muttered something Amy thought was "blind dates are overrated."

Max and Amy climbed into the truck, which was made easier by the casual way both had dressed for their respective nights out. Max was wearing black slacks, high heeled boots and a light colored cowl neck top, going for the 'nice, but not too nice' look. Meanwhile Amy, who wasn't sure exactly what you would call her outing for the night went with a classic approach, dark blue jeans, low heels, and a white tank top. Janet had let her borrow a light blue cardigan just in case it got a bit chilly. Max started up the truck and pulled out of the driveway.


Lucy sat at the same spot she had the night before. She figured that would make it easy for Amy to find her. She was watching the piano man play some song she'd never heard, when she turned her head and saw Amy walking towards the bar. '...With her killer graces and her secret places that no boy can fill...With her hands on her hips, oh, and that smile on her lips because she knows that it kills me.' All Lucy could think at that moment was that whomever wrote that song must have had Amy Bradshaw in mind.

Amy didn't see Lucy when she walked in, but she heard the Bruce Springsteen. Two thoughts simultaneously crossed her mind. I love this song. Is she the one? She stopped walking and looked around, continuing her inner conversation. She? Amy didn't think she would even be here if she wouldn't consider she. What surprised her was that she had accepted that fact with no contemplation about it. She wondered if that was something about herself, or something about Lucy. Amy decided these were thoughts for another time. She resumed her search for Lucy, smiling to herself. She put her hands on her hips and took another look around the bar. She spotted Lucy sitting where she had been sitting the other night.

She locked eyes with Lucy and was rewarded with one of those killer smiles. Lucy patted the bar stool next to hers, and Amy returned her smile and walked over. Amy was glad she had dressed on the casual side, as Lucy was dressed casually herself, in black slacks and a black tie front shirt.

Amy sat down on the bar stool, and Lucy grabbed Amy's hand. Again both were mildly surprised by the little jolt they both got from the contact. Lucy turned Amy's hand over, and saw her number, still on Amy's palm. It was mostly faded, but it was there. Lucy smirked, Amy pulled her hand away and said, "Yeah. Did you have to use a permanent marker? I scrubbed my hands for 10 minutes trying to wash it off." "Couldn't have it washing off before you called me, now could I?" Amy pouted. "Make it up to me and buy me a beer." Lucy laughed and leaned over the bar to catch the bartender's attention.

Unintentionally, she also caught Amy's attention. Amy tried to not stare at Lucy's body as she was half standing, bent over the bar. She didn't do a very good job of it, as her eyes were drawn to Lucy's rear. Lucy glanced back at Amy, followed her line of sight and realized what Amy was doing. Amy managed to pry her eyes away only to realize she'd been caught by Lucy. She bit her bottom lip and blushed, looking away. Lucy smirked to herself and took pity on Amy. She grabbed the two Dos Equis she had ordered and handed one to Amy. She took Amy's hand and dragged her to the section of tables by the piano.


Max arrived at Nueva Merida a little early, about a quarter to 8. She walked into the restaurant and up the two steps to the bar area. She sat at the bar and ordered a club soda with a twist of lime. No alcohol for you tonight Brewer. She was sitting about three seats away from the bar's only other patron at the moment, a man who looked to be two maybe three years older than her. He had a drink and kept looking around uncomfortably. She could swear she heard him mumble, "I'd rather be playing bingo," and "She's ugly, I just know it. But I'm sure she has a nice personality. I'm so gonna kill her. Just have to get through this first." He was beginning to make her slightly concerned about his sanity.

She turned her chair toward him and said, "Hey, are you ok?" He didn't react. She spoke louder this time. "Heeey! Are you O.K.?" He looked up startled. "Are you talking to me?" She nodded at him, like one would nod slowly at someone they didn't think understood them.

"Oh. Um. No. Not really. I'm here for a blind date, and I really don't want to be. My best friend thinks I'm desperate. But, you know, I'm not. I'm quite a catch!" He was rambling now. "And I know she's set me up with some loser, or some bitch, or some mutant just to mess with me. And it's not like an online date, I don't even know what she looks like. I have standards you know? I mean what if she's too stupid to carry on a conversation? Or we have nothing to talk abo..."

Max was livid. "Some loser? Some bitch? Some mutant? Are you serious little man?" Max was beyond any kind of reasoning ability. Somewhere in her brain, she knew he had no idea she was the blind date. Although he was sure to realize it now. "It's you, isn't it?" was all Scud managed to get out. Max was seeing red at the unintentional insults. She stood and stomped over to him. He would later swear he could see steam coming out of her ears. She reeled back and punched him square in the jaw. His teeth clicked together and he just missed biting off a chunk of his tongue. What he didn't know was how lucky he was she wasn't armed. He just collapsed to the ground dazed, and Max walked out of the bar before he really had a chance to piece together just what had actually happened.