Chapter Twenty Six - You Set Me Free

"Can't you seeeeeee, there's a feeling that's come over meeeee! Close my eyes..you're the only one that leaves me, completely breathless..." Sang Susan at the top of her lungs to Michelle Branch as she lazed around in the bathtub.

It was already half past six and she was still in the bath, but she was never really a worrier about being late so she decided to enjoy it while the water was still hot.

"Cos IIIIIIIIIIIII, wanted to fly so you gave me your wings. And IIIIIIIIIIII, held my breath so I could seeeeee yeah you set me free!" She carried on, deafening the entire of Chicago in the process.

She was nervous, she didn't know why, but it was weird that Abby had made such a big deal about Luka coming over. She never thought it was anything to be worried about, they were friends and that was it. She had already decided he wasn't interested in her, so why should she bother chasing her feelings when she knew it would end in nothing. But when Abby said he liked her too, she began to think. And that was not always a good thing. She imagined what it would be like to date Luka, officially.

She imagined their apartment, her side of the bed messy and his, completely in order and tidy. Her cooking as he did the washing up as they went along, giving her the occasional shoulder squeeze, or peck on the cheek as they went about their daily chores. Then before bed they would soak together in the bath, candles, bubble bath, the works. She smiled to herself, since when did she enjoy doing those things with somebody else?! It made her laugh slightly, they hadn't even kissed and she was planning their future. She didn't even know for certain if he even thought of her in any way other than platonic. She wanted more, but it was hard to open up to someone, especially someone as closed off and unreliable as him at the moment. She had always heard about and known Luka as sensitive and caring, but recently, he had been anything but. It didn't put her off, if anything it made her want him more.

She had always liked the bad guys, the odd balls, the guys who didn't follow the rules and who led a new pack. She wondered where that ever got her, the only normal guy who ever loved her, or came close to loving her was Mark. And it was too late. It wouldn't have worked anyway, he was too nice, and too much of a friend for anything to happen. But as she sighed one last time before hoisting herself regretfully out the bath, she told herself not to let Luka see her hurt if he made it obvious he wasn't interested. God knows she hadn't planned to pounce on him that night, but as time went by, it seemed as though that was the only thing on her mind. She got herself out and wrapped a towel around herself as she looked in the mirror at herself before going to the bedroom to change.

"God I look a mess. Thank God for make up." She said sighing as she walked into her room, towel drying her hair as she reached the wardrobe.

"What to wear?" She muttered to herself quietly, when suddenly, the doorbell rung through the apartment.

"SHIT!"

It was him. And she was wearing a towel. A towel only. Good timing Luka. Or her. Whatever.

"Hang on!!" She shouted as she searched her untidy room for her robe. Nowhere to be seen. "Great." She hurried to the door in her towel and opened it quickly, hoping it wouldn't fall. So far so good.

"Hey!" She said as she tried to make her breathing steady again.

"Evening." He said smirking at the woman in front of him.

He watched her play with her bit of hair hanging down over her eyes and enjoyed every second of it. It was strange how on simple thing could have him mesmerized. He shook his head, relieving himself of these thoughts, thoughts he shouldn't be thinking like this on a first date with a woman he's had only a purely platonic relationship with ever since he knew her. He had never really looked at her in any other way, mainly because he was Carter's latest girl when she came back, and then she had that thing with the guy from the Lava Lounge, which he was a bit put off by, but didn't say anything. It wasn't his place to anyway. But there she stood, smiling as usual, being happy as usual, being Susan, as usual.

"Hey." She repeated as he handed her the wine and walked in.

"You already said that."

He smiled at her and then handed over the bottle of wine he had brought along with him as she opened up the door fully for him to come in.

"Thanks! You didn't have to!" She said as she took the wine.

"I know. I wanted to." He said smiling as he stood waiting for her to put down the wine. "You're welcome by the way."

She closed the door and placed the wine on the coffee table. There was an awkward silence, and then she decided it would break the ice to give him a welcome kiss.

"Sorry." She said apologetically as she reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "I forgot. Too excited about the wine!" She joked after studying her feet for some time.

"It's okay. Glad you remembered." He said smiling slightly, but with a serious look in his eyes.

"Can I take your coat?" She asked quickly, remembering to be polite as she studied his features.

"Sure. Thanks." He said as he removed it and handed it to her. "Sit down, I'll just hang it up."

He sat down, looking around the room at all her little bits and bobs, it was such a nice apartment. Nice was the word. It was so.Susan. He couldn't imagine her in any apartment other than this. Nicely decorated, candles, incense, trinket boxes and all sorts. Everything was so carefully laid out and put in it's rightful place, everything was just perfect. She always seemed like that sort of person to him, the one who always had her hair neat and tidy, no stray bits of hair, the person everyone envied with her perfection but couldn't hate her because she was such a kind person. He felt lucky to be able to spend the evening with her, actually lucky and thankful, it was strange to him that he was thankful of a woman. But pushed it to the back of his mind when he realised she was talking to him, and that he was watching her standing in front of him in a towel and he did nothing but stare with his mouth wide open. What a dork.

"Hello? Anyone at home?" Susan said sarcastically as she waved her hand in front of his eyes.

"What? Sorry." He said, snapping out of his trance.

"I said do you want a drink?"

"If that's alright please."

"Of course it's alright. I gotta get dressed, the fridge is over there." She pointed to the kitchen and went to her bedroom.

He laughed to himself, a woman had never offered him a drink then expected him to make it for himself. She was something else really, something good though. He got up and picked up the bottle of wine he had brought. He searched her drawers for a corkscrew and finally found one. With precision and care he opened the bottle and began his search for wine glasses.

Susan smiled at herself in the mirror as she thought about the look on Luka's face when she told him to make his own drink. She knew that would confuse him slightly, but she had to get dressed. She knew he was a bit taken aback by her present attire, and her clothes weren't going to dress herself if she stayed in the lounge with him. There wasn't enough time to do her hair and make up and choose a proper outfit, and for once she felt like it didn't matter. She grabbed a loose white shirt and a pair of pants and slipped them on, not bothering with her wet hair and make up. She brushed through the wet locks and created a parting. She looked at herself in the mirror, smoothing out her shirt, then nodding to herself. She looked.surprisingly okay.

"Sorry about that, typical of me to be so unorganised." Susan said as she swiftly made her entrance out of her bedroom and into the kitchen.

"It's not a problem. Where are the wine glasses?" He asked as he searched through the cupboards.

"Second on the left above the stove." She said as she walked over to the side and leaned against it.

He had his back turned to her as he poured the dark wine into the wine glasses Carter had bought her for Christmas. He turned around with her glass and passed it to her smiling, and then picked up his, ready to make a toast.

"Cheers!" She said quickly.

"To us." He followed.