Chapter Twenty.

He looks different, older, but he does still look good. His smile is just the same as ever and his eyes still sparkle with mischief like I remembered. I can't help but smile at the familiarity of it all. It's nice to see that some things don't change.

"You like dogs?" he asks as he bends down to put the leash bag on his dog.

"Yep," I reply. "I always wanted one, but my dad was allergic."

"Ah," is all he says. "I don't think you've been properly introduced," he tells me and it takes my brain a second to realize what he means. "Bruce, Lucy. Lucy, Bruce."

I laugh a little as I say, "Nice to meet you, Bruce," and Bruce barks back and licks my leg. I really do love dogs and Bruce seems to keep my mind off the fact that Danny and I have some sort of history, no matter how brief (and embarrassing) it may be.

"How you been?" he asks casually.

"Good," I tell him, the smile still plastered on my face. "Amazing actually."

He smiles. "That's great," he tells me and I know he means it.

No kidding, I think. "How about you?"

"Not too bad," he says. "The band went through a little bit of a rough patch, but it's all better now."

"Good," is all I can think to say to fill the emptiness. What I do say to Danny, comes out easily without any stuttering or mixed words, but it's trying to find something to say without it becoming awkward is hard.

"Dating anyone?" I ask and I wish I had bitten my tongue. Right off. Why did I say that? Oh, God, now he probably thinks I'm interested in him. And I'm not. And then we'll have a very awkward goodbye. And I don't want that. I don't want any awkwardness period.

But, I should know myself better than that; awkwardness should've been my middle name.

"Not seriously," he answers as he scratches his chin. "How about yourself?"

"Um, yep," I say quickly. Why does it matter anyway? It's not like we were ever a really big serious thing.

So then why am I acting like I'm talking to an ex right now?

"He's a lucky guy," I hear him whisper and I wonder if I'm supposed to hear that. I don't even look at him, but I do stare intently at my feet, which Bruce is now licking. I bend down and give Bruce one last pat and then I stand up and say, "I should probably be going."

I watch Danny open his mouth and reach for something, then snap his mouth shut and bring his hand back to his side. "You know," he says, "we really should stop meeting like this."

I shrug. "Well, maybe you can stop by my uncle's Inn sometime," I suggest and I instantly regret it. This is so not a good idea. What am I thinking? Stupid, stupid, Lucy.

He gives me such a smile though, that I can't help but stop regretting inviting him and then I tell him where it is. He's a nice guy; who cares if I had a drunken one night stand with him once and he turned out to be famous and then unknowingly made me a tabloid star and is also the enemy of my current boyfriend.

Ah, hell.

----

Dulce is behind the bar when I return from my walk and she scowls at me. I roll my eyes; how can she still hate me after all this time?

"Your friend called," she informs me. I must look confused because she says, "You left your phone on the bar." Sure enough, she picks up my phone and waves it around before she chucks it at me. It fumbles in my hand, but I manage to get a good grip on it before it slams on the ground.

"Thanks," I say halfheartedly as I shove the phone in my pocket.

"Your friend's really something else," she says, sounding annoyed like always.

I nod. "She wouldn't be Remy otherwise."

I'm heading up the stairs to my flat when my phone starts vibrating in my pocket. I sigh, knowing it's got to be Remy, and I have a feeling she just feels like randomly bitching at me for leaving her in the states.

I thought my dad would take it bad; I didn't even think about Remy.

Reluctantly, I answer. "Hello?"

"Jeez, dude," she complains. "Do you ever answer a phone the first five times I call?"

"Sorry," I say. "What is it that you need to tell me?"

"Nothing," she says. "I just wanted to see if you made it there okay."

"Well, I did," I say.

"Good," she replies. Why is this feeling like the Danny conversation all over again. "So…have you found a new best friend yet?"

I roll my eyes. "Remy, relax. No one's replacing you."

I hear her snort. "That's what all my old best friend's said."

I sigh. "Well, I'm pinky swearing."

She fakes a gasp. "No!"

"Yeah," I say, not so enthusiastically. "I mean, granted, it's kind of difficult to do over the phone, but…"

"I'm going to come visit you soon," she promises. "Maybe around Christmas since my parents have decided to ditch me for the Bahamas this year." I'm picturing her rolling her eyes and moving on. "So, what do you think?"

"Think maybe you could convince my dad to tag along with you?" There's no way I can afford to go back to the states by Christmas yet; the Inn doesn't pay that well, especially not when you're a waitress like me. And I want to see my dad during the holidays.

"Honey, I'm no miracle worker."

I sigh again. "Yeah, well, I guess I'm just going to have to guilt trip him then."

"Hey," she says abruptly. "I was just checking out the tour dates for that band that signed my boobs a few summer's ago and guess what?"

I play along, but I already know what she's going to say. "What?"

"Right around Christmas, they're going to have a show!"

"No way!" I say with fake enthusiasm as I roll my eyes.

"I don't appreciate the sarcasm," she tells me.

"Well, I don't appreciate you trying to set me up with Danny when I'm with Owen," I tell her. I know her scheme; she's so transparent to me.

"I see you still know his name." I hear the smirk in her voice.

"So what?" I retort. "I still know my fifth grade teacher's name too and I don't see you trying to set me up with Mr. Evans."

I hear her sigh. "Mr. Evans and you didn't have a 'one night stand'---did you?"

"Damn, you've caught me."

"Okay, look," she says like she always does before she gives me a speech. "I'll admit it; I'm not Owen's number one fan, but I'm not trying to break you two up so you can get with Dylan."

"Danny," I correct automatically, but I know she did that on purpose.

"I just want you to see him again and really take a closer look at him," she continues. "I think you might be a bit surprised."

"How do you figure?" I ask, not wanting to bring up the fact that I've already seen him today.

"Just trust me," she says.

"Last time I did that, I wound up at his concert, embarrassed and awkward," I point out.

"The concert's not set in stone or anything," she assures me. "I'm just saying." There's some shouting in the background and I hear Remy yell something back. "Gotta go," she says, sounding aggravated. "My professor's getting pissed."

"Remy!" I say. "You were talking to me in the middle of class?"

"Yeah," she says like it's nothing. "So?"

"Nothing, Remy," I say. "Bye."

"Bye," she says back, and then I hang up.

Oh, that girl, I think as I start laughing quietly to myself. She sure does make life more entertaining.