Chapter 36
"I cannot believe that you hid it from me," Lulu shouted, pointing her finger at Dante, as she used the key to unlock the mechanism and separate their wrists.
Dante tried to move closer to her, but she gave him a look that said Back Off, and began to pace back and forth on the plane, her face turning red.
"Don't you think that we should remind them that we're still here?" the pilot whispered to Max, as they huddled together in the cockpit, listening in on Lulu and Dante's heated exchange.
"Are you kidding me? This is the best seat in the house. Any minute now she'll start throwing things. Just wait, I know. Diane gets like this," Max assured him, putting a finger to his lips, as the pilot was about to speak.
"Baby, everything is fine. Look," Dante said holding up his wrist and pointing to hers, "No harm done!"
"Fine. FINE! Dante wearing handcuffs for everyone to see, is not fine. It's fun when we are alone. When we are doing...you know...but, it is not fine. I cannot believe that you lied to me about the key," she yelled, throwing it at him.
"I didn't lie about the key, Lulu. I thought that I put it in the drawer," Dante told her, catching the key in his hand mid-air and pocketing it.
He moved stealthily toward her, as her back was turned to him, "My mind wasn't in charge at that particular moment, sweetheart. And when I remembered where it was, well, the thought of us locked together even for a few more hours was too good to pass up."
"Well, I hope that you're happy," Lulu told him, placing her suitcase in front of Dante, as she stood with her hands on her hips.
They heard scurrying behind them and turned to see the pilot and Max standing at the exit door, waiting for them to disembark, "Smile. We're in Port Charles."
Lulu Spencer glared at Max pulling on her leopard print coat and turning to see Dante picking up both suitcases behind her and following her toward the exit.
"Ms. Spencer," the pilot affirmed, smiling as she started to disembark, "I hope that you had a good flight."
"See you later, Lulu," Max said grinning, as she replied with no words, but an irritated look.
"Dude, you are so in the dog house," Max told him, shaking his head as Dante started to leave, "Word of advice. Lots of flowers and sexy lingerie. I do it with Diane all of the time. Works like a charm."
TMI,TMI, TMI, Dante thought, as the fingers of one hand rubbed the bridge of his nose and he shook his head. So much for indefinite relaxation. Apparently that had disappeared along with the island hideaway. Back to reality, he said to himself, following Lulu off of the plane, dragging the suitcases behind him. He assisted a very silent, fuming Lulu Spencer into the waiting limo and closed the door behind them.
"Are you ever going to forgive me?" Dante asked Lulu, who was trying to put distance between them.
"No, Never. Not in this lifetime," Lulu answered, looking out the window, as the airport slowly disappeared from her sight.
"Never? That could put a damper on our marriage. Not even if I promise to make it up to you for the next century?" Dante coaxed, sliding closer to her and playing with the strands of her hair, brushing them off of the side of her face.
"Not a chance," Lulu whispered, as she felt Dante's lips replace his hands on the side of her neck. She sighed, her body responding to his advances, as her mind screamed at her to resist.
"I'm still mad at you," Lulu told him, turning toward him, as her hands made quick work of unbuttoning his shirt.
"I love it when you get angry," Dante admitted, scooting back, to allow Lulu to sit astride him. One hand cradled her head, while his lips captured her, breaching her mouth and demanding her surrender. His other hand, trailed down her coat, releasing buttons, before moving to rest at her hip, stroking her sensuously through the fabric.
Slowly, Lulu's anger was being replaced by desire, her body's every movement matching Dante's. Placing her hands alongside Dante's face, she pulled away from their kiss and looked him into the eyes.
"If you EVER do anything like that again, Dante," Lulu threatened him, pulling his coat aside to get to his shirt. She slid it off of his shoulders and spread kisses across his chest.
"You'll do what, baby?" Dante asked, closing his eyes, as the incredible sensations overcame him, and skin pressed against skin.
"Dante, look at me," Lulu ordered, as he opened his eyes and peered into her turbulent ones. They didn't have to say a word, their eyes spoke volumes and Dante had to catch his breath for a moment, amazed at how beautiful she looked, "I promise," he whispered, as he crushed his lips to hers.
...
"They're back," Valentin told Brooklynn on the phone, as she sat at Jake's sipping a beer.
"Are you sure? How do you-" she started to answer, as he interrupted.
"I make it my business to know, Brooklynn. Now, you stick to our bargain. No more excuses," he demanded, hanging up on her.
Brooklynn downed the rest of her beer and placed a five dollar bill on the table in front of Coleman.
"Looks like we'll have to do this another time. Can I take a rain check?" she asked, as she stood and he assisted her with putting on her coat.
The cold New York winds were unbearable tonight and she dreaded heading out into the snow.
"At least let me walk you to your car," he told her, reaching for his long black coat.
"Sure. Why not?" Brooklynn answered, as she let Dr. Matt Hunter walk her toward the exit.
"Leaving so soon, Brookie," Johnny questioned, pointing at Coleman to give him a beer, "What's the hurry?"
"No hurry. And it's none of your business," Brooklynn replied, glaring at Johnny Zacchara.
"I was walking the lady to her car," Matt said to a stone-faced Johnny.
Johnny looked from side to side and then down at Brooklynn, "What? Her? Don't make me laugh!"
Brooklynn had never met anyone in her life that riled her as much as Johnny and she didn't like it a single bit.
"You have got some nerve," she started to say, as Johnny moved toward the bar and reached for the beer that Coleman placed in front of him.
"I'm just going to-" Matt Hunter said to Brooklynn, as she walked away from him and stalked toward Johnny, "go."
"Want a beer?" Johnny asked her, as Brooklynn nodded yes to Coleman, missing Matt's exit behind her.
"Coleman, can we get another one?" Johnny said, lifting the bottle to his lips.
"Thanks. I really can't stay long," Brooklynn answered, reaching for the Bismark and taking a sip.
"Don't thank me. Coleman, make sure you put these on her tab," Johnny ordered, turning his gaze back to Brooklynn.
"Now, Brooklynn, why don't you start explaining to me why you have been asking around town about Lulu and Dante's whereabouts?"
"Um, I don't know what you are talking about, Johnny. I'm their neighbor. I know that they went away for a few days," she told him, turning her gaze away from him and taking a long swallow of her beer.
"To Sonny's island. It must be killing you that they are spending all that time alone, with each other, and you have no idea where on earth the island is," Johnny said, tormenting her.
"Of course I know where it is. I've heard about Sonny's island. I think that Brenda told me about it once. It's somewhere in South America, right?"
"I wouldn't know. And who is Brenda?" Johnny asked, taking another swallow of his beer. It was nearly empty and he nodded to Coleman to send another his way, catching it, as it sailed toward him on the bar.
"Brenda Barrett. She is a friend of my Mom's, lives in Rome, I think. Anyway, her and Sonny had this hot thing between them when I was young. She's been to Sonny's island. I probably just remembered because I overheard it. You know Sonny left her at the altar?" Brooklynn informed him.
"Speaking of altars? Lulu's wedding is just around the corner. I don't suppose that you got your invitation yet," Johnny asked her, knowing damn well that Lulu Spencer would never invite Brooklynn to her wedding.
"No. Must of gotten lost in the mail. No worries. I'm sure that if I mention it to Dante he'll put me on the list," she said, smiling at Johnny.
"You are a piece of work, you know that?" Johnny told her, watching her expressions for any signs of ulterior motives. She was up to something and the only way he was going to find out was to make sure that she was never out of his sight.
"If you say so," Brooklynn answered, placing her beer bottle on the table and handing Coleman a twenty dollar bill, "This should cover it."
"I have to get going. Enjoy your beer," Brooklynn replied, walking toward the door.
"Wait, I'm coming with you," Johnny said, grabbing his coat and heading after her, "I wouldn't be a gentleman if I didn't walk you to your taxi," Johnny told her, knowing damn well that she lived practically around the corner.
"I don't need a taxi. But, since you know where Dante's loft is you already knew that," Brooklynn told him, frustrated by Johnny's sudden interest in her security.
"Lulu and Dante's loft," Johnny answered, placing his hand on her back, as he forced her to exit Jake's.
"What?" Brooklynn questioned, as Johnny continued to follow her home.
"It's Lulu's place, too. Just like Dante is Lulu's," he insinuated, pulling his jacket tighter, as the New York winds slapped him in the face.
"I am well aware of Dante and Lulu's relationship, Johnny," Brooklynn yelled over the wind.
"Just making sure," Johnny said, grinning, as he watched the expression on her face. She had it bad for Dante, he realized. It was just plain unlucky for her, that Dante was marrying Lulu.
...
"Home Sweet Home," Dante smiled, closing the cage behind Lulu, after she stepped out and placing the luggage next to the elevator.
"Do you want a beer?" he asked her, heading toward the kitchen and opening the refrigerator door. Word traveled fast, Olivia had fully stocked the fridge with Bismark and placed a casserole inside. He opened the dish and peered inside, smelling the pasta. Mm. Lasagna.
"Sure, I'll take a beer," she said, planting herself unceremoniously upon the couch.
"Hungry? Ma left us some lasagna," Dante told her, pulling it from the refrigerator to show Lulu.
"You know, Dante. When we get married, your mom won't always cook for us. I am going to make dinners," Lulu informed him, looking back over the couch at him.
Dante turned on the oven to 250 degrees, closed the oven door and walked toward Lulu. He sat on the couch beside her and kissed her softly on the lips, "That is something that I am willing to suffer through for the rest of my life."
"Suffer? You don't like my cooking?" Lulu asked him, placing her hand on his chest.
"Lulu, the only time you have ever made anything for me was at Kelly's," Dante shared, grinning.
"The coffee?" Lulu replied, smiling, "Why didn't you tell me about the filter?"
"I was too busy lost in your eyes," Dante answered, as his eyes lit up with humor.
"It was horrible. I saw you spit the grounds out in your napkin. You should have said something," Lulu told him, as he continued to place kisses along her neck.
"What, and give you one more reason not to go out with me? Not a chance, Lulu. I would have suffered a thousand coffees from you for just one sweet taste of your lips," he told her, pulling her close and pressing his lips to hers.
"Just a thousand?" Lulu sighed, wrapping her arms around Dante and laying back to rest her head against the arm of the couch.
"Millions," Dante promised her, adjusting his body, as she parted her thighs and he pulled her into his arms.
Both of their cell phones rang simultaneously from their resting place on the coffee table and Dante and Lulu let out a sigh of frustration, trying to ignore the sounds.
"We should answer," Lulu said, as Dante kissed her underneath her chin, tilting her head to place kisses down her neck.
"No one knows were back," he assured her, his kisses becoming more demanding, as he reached for her, wrapping her legs around him, as he stood, lifting her with him. He started to walk toward the bed, holding her in his arms, as his lips devoured hers.
"We're alone," Lulu asked in disbelief, "No interruptions."
"None. You are completely at my mercy, Lesley Lu Spencer," Dante told her, leaning over her, as she moved back toward the pillow.
"I like the sound of that," Lulu sighed, as Dante started to undress her and Lulu reached for his shirt.
The elevator started to move and Lulu and Dante looked at each other with disparagement. Who the hell could that be? They sat up on the bed, waiting for their breathing to slow down and the cage door to open.
"Hey, guys. Welcome back," Detective Domestico said, as he closed the cage door behind him, "I'm not interrupting, am I?" he grinned.
Twenty-five minutes later, the table was set and Dante placed the lasagna in the center. Lulu grabbed a few beers from the refrigerator and set them on the table as well.
"This smells great. You don't know how long it's been since I have tasted your Ma's cooking," Ronnie told Dante, as he stood beside the table.
"No problem, Ronnie. The more the merrier," he said, sending a look to Lulu and mouthing I'm Sorry.
Lulu smiled and waited for Dante to pull her chair out before seating herself and feeling his hands wrap around her, as he slid the chair closer to the table. Once she was settled, Dante took his chair beside her and proceeded to fold his hands in front of him. He gave thanks for the food and the company, before looking up and questioning his partner.
"So, Ronnie, what was so important that you felt the need to stop by?" Dante asked him, as he cut a huge slice of lasagna for Lulu and placed it on her plate. He did the same for his plate, before passing the lasagna to Ronnie.
"Maybe I just missed you, pal," Ronnie replied, jovially, as he took a bite of Olivia Falconeri's famous lasagna. He took a moment to truly appreciate her food, closing his eyes and smiling as he chewed.
"You know, when Lulu and I are married, there are going to be rules," Dante told his partner, as his fork was halfway toward his mouth.
"What sort of rules?" Ronnie questioned, looking at the both of them.
"You're going to have to call first, Ronnie," Lulu told him, taking a swallow of her beer.
"No more unannounced elevator visits, Ronnie," Dante told him, listing another rule, "And if you don't get an immediate response to calling our cell phone, it's not a doom or gloom situation, Ronnie."
"We're probably just in the shower," Lulu affirmed, grinning, as she took another swallow.
"Shower? I get it, no interruptions. Promise," Ronnie answered, a bit ackwardly, "Speaking of weddings? Did Olivia tell you the news?"
"News? What news? I haven't talked to Ma since the limo," Dante asked, curious as to what Ronnie was referring to.
"Then you don't know," Ronnie smiled devilishly.
"Know what?" Dante questioned, suddenly uneasy.
"Lulu's about to meet the family. The entire family," Ronnie exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.
"Family?" Lulu asked, looking at Dante.
"The Falconeri clan. All of them?" Dante asked, with a sinking feeling in his stomach.
"Every single one of them," Ronnie laughed, taking another bite of lasagna and looking at Lulu, who had an unsettled look upon her face.
"Exactly how many is all of them?" Lulu asked Ronnie.
"Well, you've already met his grandmother Rosella. There is Olivia's brothers, Salvatore, Gabino, Dino and Vito and their wives and children. That totals twenty-four in all. I thought for sure that your Ma would tell you, Dante. The rehearsal is scheduled for tomorrow evening."
"Tomorrow?" both Lulu and Dante cried out, increduously. They looked over at the cell phones on the coffee table and Dante hurried over, grabbing both and handing one to Lulu.
"Hi, sweetie, it's your Ma-to-be," Olivia gushed, as Lulu listened to her voicemail, "I hope that you're few days off with Dante were blissful. Anyway, as promised, your mother and I, have been pounding away at the plans for your wedding. I can't believe that it is a week away. We are having the rehearsal dinner at Windemere. Your brother, Nicholas said that he would take care of all of the expenses, so no worry. Anyway, meet at Windemere, 6pm sharp. Love you, sweetie."
Lulu hung up the phone, worried about tomorrow evening. What if the Falconeri's didn't like her? Rossella loved her, but she couldn't possibly be the deciding voice for the entire clan. She looked to Dante who was still engrossed in his voicemail, irritation etched on his face as he listened intently.
"So, Dante, I want you to be on your best behavior. Your uncles and their families are so excited to meet Lulu. Your Uncle Vito is a little disgruntled that you became engaged before they met her, so you need to smooth his ruffled feathers. I thought that the rehearsal dinner would be a nice setting for both families to get to know each other. So, don't worry. I took care of everything. See you tomorrow, baby."
Dante disconnected the call, suddenly worried that his family would be too overwhelming for Lulu. They were a lot to take in, even individually, but to have the entire mass swarm at them all at once. Dante was feeling a little ill over that vision.
"The entire family, Dante?" Lulu whispered, as he walked toward her.
"I know how you feel," Dante replied, feeling a bit unnerved himself, "We'll get through it, one Falconeri at a time. They'll love you. You'll see."
"Oh, Joy. I haven't been this nervous since you showed up at my door to take me to the opera," Lulu told him, hugging him.
"Really? You were nervous about our first date?" Dante asked her, grinning.
"I didn't know what to expect, or what to wear. And you didn't help when you showed up in that suit."
"You thought that I was sexy?" Dante asked her, as Ronnie sat at the table stuffing his face with lasagna.
"You guys gonna eat the rest of this," he asked them, as they continued to ignore him.
"Do you want to know a secret?" Lulu asked him, looking into his eyes, "I loved it when you said I was your lady."
"I was excited that you were finally going on a date with me. And when you walked out in that dress, there were no words for how beautiful you looked, Lulu," Dante said, stroking her arms, as he pressed his forehead to hers.
"Ronnie, take the lasagna to go!" Dante told him, reluctantly breaking free of Lulu and grabbing a lid for the casserole dish from the kitchen, "Here, if you want more call my Ma. The kitchen is closed."
"All you had to do was ask, partner. I get it," he winked, grabbing the pasta dish and heading toward the elevator, "You know, if you don't want anybody to come up all you have to do is post a sign. Please Do Not Disturb. Works for hotels," Ronnie told them, closing the cage and waving goodbye.
"Now, where were we?" Dante asked, as Lulu walked into his embrace, "I think that you were about to tell me just how hot I looked in my dress," Lulu said, as he ran his hands over her arms and down alongside her hips.
"I would much rather tell you how hot you look without it," Dante replied, smiling, as he started to undress her. They left a trail of clothes on the floor toward the bed, their hands and mouths insatiable, as they fell upon it. True to his word, Dante told Lulu exactly how hot she looked, using his lips and his hands to express his feelings, as she welcomed every touch and sighed with every kiss.
Hours later, they snuggled in each others arms, with Lulu's head resting against Dante's chest.
"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" she asked him, looking up into his eyes.
"About my family? No," Dante answered, as his hands caressed the top of her shoulder.
"Not your family, but about...you know...the wedding?" Lulu questioned, "Are you having second thoughts?"
"Never. Are you?" Dante asked, placing his fingers beneath her chin and tilting her face toward his.
"No. I thought that I would. But, it feels so right. I can't wait to stand beside you in front of everyone and become your wife," Lulu smiled, knowing it was true.
"Good. Because there is no place that I would rather be than right beside you for the rest of our lives," Dante promised, kissing her softly on the lips.
He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her and waited for her eyes to close and the steady fall of her breathing, before he closed his as well and let sleep overtake him.