Chapter Five - Orchid Nights
Susan wandered through the doors of the Blue Orchid removing her scarf from around her neck as she searched the crowds of people for Luka. She gave her coat in as she spotted him sitting at the bar next to an empty stool.
"Mind if I join you?" She asked smiling as he turned around and saw her.
"Nice of you to come." He replied.
"Sorry a trauma came in just as I was leaving." She said apologetically as she sat down.
"It's alright. Glad you came." He said smiling at her. "What are you having?"
"I'll have.." She said looking over the cocktail menu. "A margarita please." She said finally.
"Margarita it is." He said as he ordered the drink and waited for it to be served.
"So how was your day?"
"Long. Yours?"
"Same." She replied smiling.
"That's five dollars fifty." Said the bartender as he placed the drink in front of Susan.
"Keep the change." Luka said as he handed him a ten dollar bill."
"Thanks man." Said the guy taking it and walking away.
"So tell me about your 'date from hell'."
"Oh God don't remind me. He just talked about his remote controlled planes or something. It was unbelievable. I don't think he even knew what I did; all he did was talk about himself the whole time. He even invited me to go to this weird convention thing. Total freak." She said sipping her cocktail as Luka laughed.
"Well I'm glad you find it funny."
"I'm sorry but it is." He said muffling his laughs.
"Cheap laughs at my expense huh?!" She said smirking.
"You'd laugh if it were the other way round." He replied.
"Has it ever happened?!" Susan asked interested.
"No. I've only ever dated three women." He said seriously. "I married one, dated the other for a year, and the other." He trailed off.
"What about her?" Susan asked as she drank more Margarita.
"Well I haven't exactly dated her."
"So what's the deal?"
"I want to."
"Oh." Replied Susan, sounding a little peeved.
"What's wrong?"
"Well I was just wondering why you were sitting here with me when you should be trying to get with this mysterious woman." Susan said frowning.
"I am trying." Luka said leaning forward slightly.
"Obviously not hard eno."
Before she could finish her sentence he had leaned in and was kissing her. She didn't expect that at all. And it ended as soon as it had begun, or so it seemed. In fact, it had lasted some while, but time seemed to have travelled unbelievably fast. He leaned back to his original spot, and looked at Susan, her eyes were still closed, and he smiled to himself, she really was a picture.
"There. I tried." Said Luka smiling as Susan eventually opened her eyes.
"I didn't know you meant me." Susan said blushing.
"Life presents many surprises." He replied smiling.
"Sure does."
"You don't mind?"
"Mind what?"
"I kissed you."
"Well.I don't usually kiss on the first date. But I'll make an exception." She replied smiling.
"Why thank you." He said finishing off his drink.
"I had no idea." She said quietly.
"About what?"
"That you.and me." She said, avoiding what she wanted to say.
"That I was attracted to you?" He said suddenly, which in turn made her turn a bright shade of red.
"Well yeah."
"I think it was when you told me it wasn't necessary for me to, what was it? 'Boof' a patient's Mother?" He said smirking.
"'Boff'I think was the phrase I used."
"Oh right sorry."
"That long ago?!" She asked surprised.
"You sound surprised."
"I am!"
"Why?"
"Honestly?"
"Honestly."
"Guys like you, they never take much interest in me."
"What makes you think that?"
"Well they generally go for the supermodels. And I'm anything but that."
"Not necessarily, on both those comments." He replied sincerely.
"Okay." She said, adjusting to this new territory.
"I like you Susan. If you like me, I would love it if we could do something about it. And if not, well at least I tried right?"
"That's true. Can I get back to you on that? Cos there's this other guy and.well it's complicated." She said, trying to keep a straight face.
"Uh.sure. Whatever you want." He replied, feeling slightly upset.
"I'm kidding Luka. I would be honoured to go out with you."
"You would?"
"Sure. You've got a nice car." She joked.
"I see." He replied laughing. "So where do we go from here?"
"Well I was thinking if we arrange the wedding for next week, then we have just under 7 days to book the church and invite the guests." She said sarcastically.
"Very funny. I'm serious Susan. Where do I stand?"
"I think.we should see how it goes." She replied casually.
"Sounds good to me." He replied leaning in for another kiss, which she happily returned.
Two hours later they were walking hand in hand towards Susan's apartment. They'd had a great evening, just talking, exchanging stories of past dates, former significant others, and tales of excitement and humour. The night was almost at an end, and Luka wished it wasn't, but he knew there would be other times.
"This is me." She said as they stopped at the bottom of the steps.
"Can I see you tomorrow night?" He asked.
"Uh.tomorrow's not good for me. Me and Abby are going out."
"Thursday?"
"Sure. I'm off actually."
"Me too. So it's a date?"
"It's a date."
He leaned in slowly and kissed her, moving his hands to her waist, and then one hand creeping up to her neck, then to her face, which was then joined by the other hand. They stood, motionless for some while, until Susan's cell began to ring. She ignored it and reached into her pocket as the kiss stopped momentarily, cancelling the call and returning to Luka's lips. Moments later, the kiss ended, and Susan was in her apartment. She walked over to her machine after throwing her keys on the side table and played the two messages she had.
"Hi Susan? It's Alex. You know the guy from the park? Uh.I hope you don't mind me calling. Just rang to make sure you found your Father's alright, sounded pretty concerning. Call me back if you get the chance. My number's 555-3485. Speak to you.whenever. Bye."
Susan sighed, poor guy. No chance.
"Hey Susan it's Abby. Where the hell are you?! Call me!"
Susan laughed, same old Abby. She picked up and receiver and dialled speed dial number one, and waited patiently for an answer.
"Hey it's me. What?! I was out. That's MY business." She joked. "Oh come on can I have NO secrets?! Okay fine. I was out with Luka." She admitted. "How did you know?! Oh. Carter's not in huh? You wanna come over? Okay. See you in a while. Bye!"
Susan hung up and chuckled to herself, same old Abby. She sat down with a coffee and switched on the TV, then she began thinking. Luka. Her and Luka. A day ago if somebody had said to her that she was going to have just got home from a date with Luka Kovac, she would have laughed in their face. She knew it was nothing serious, not yet anyway, but she had fun with him, surprisingly, and he was hot. Really hot. A smile spread across her face, and then she shook it off and sipped her coffee. Half an hour later, Abby arrived, which was a relief because all she could think about was Luka.
"Hey!" Abby said as Susan opened the door.
"Evening." Susan said closing the door behind her.
"Is Luka still here?"
"No. Why?"
"Just asking." She trailed off smirking.
"I don't fuck on a first date." Susan said smiling.
"I didn't say you did!" Abby laughed.
"Sure."
"So how did it go?"
"It was.it was good. Surprisingly. I had a good time."
"Susan Lewis! You had a good time on a first date!"
"Wow. How often can you say that?!"
"Not very that's for sure. So I take it there'll be no more girl's club for a while?!" Abby said raising her eyebrows.
"What are you talking about?! We're goin' out tomorrow night!"
Susan wandered through the doors of the Blue Orchid removing her scarf from around her neck as she searched the crowds of people for Luka. She gave her coat in as she spotted him sitting at the bar next to an empty stool.
"Mind if I join you?" She asked smiling as he turned around and saw her.
"Nice of you to come." He replied.
"Sorry a trauma came in just as I was leaving." She said apologetically as she sat down.
"It's alright. Glad you came." He said smiling at her. "What are you having?"
"I'll have.." She said looking over the cocktail menu. "A margarita please." She said finally.
"Margarita it is." He said as he ordered the drink and waited for it to be served.
"So how was your day?"
"Long. Yours?"
"Same." She replied smiling.
"That's five dollars fifty." Said the bartender as he placed the drink in front of Susan.
"Keep the change." Luka said as he handed him a ten dollar bill."
"Thanks man." Said the guy taking it and walking away.
"So tell me about your 'date from hell'."
"Oh God don't remind me. He just talked about his remote controlled planes or something. It was unbelievable. I don't think he even knew what I did; all he did was talk about himself the whole time. He even invited me to go to this weird convention thing. Total freak." She said sipping her cocktail as Luka laughed.
"Well I'm glad you find it funny."
"I'm sorry but it is." He said muffling his laughs.
"Cheap laughs at my expense huh?!" She said smirking.
"You'd laugh if it were the other way round." He replied.
"Has it ever happened?!" Susan asked interested.
"No. I've only ever dated three women." He said seriously. "I married one, dated the other for a year, and the other." He trailed off.
"What about her?" Susan asked as she drank more Margarita.
"Well I haven't exactly dated her."
"So what's the deal?"
"I want to."
"Oh." Replied Susan, sounding a little peeved.
"What's wrong?"
"Well I was just wondering why you were sitting here with me when you should be trying to get with this mysterious woman." Susan said frowning.
"I am trying." Luka said leaning forward slightly.
"Obviously not hard eno."
Before she could finish her sentence he had leaned in and was kissing her. She didn't expect that at all. And it ended as soon as it had begun, or so it seemed. In fact, it had lasted some while, but time seemed to have travelled unbelievably fast. He leaned back to his original spot, and looked at Susan, her eyes were still closed, and he smiled to himself, she really was a picture.
"There. I tried." Said Luka smiling as Susan eventually opened her eyes.
"I didn't know you meant me." Susan said blushing.
"Life presents many surprises." He replied smiling.
"Sure does."
"You don't mind?"
"Mind what?"
"I kissed you."
"Well.I don't usually kiss on the first date. But I'll make an exception." She replied smiling.
"Why thank you." He said finishing off his drink.
"I had no idea." She said quietly.
"About what?"
"That you.and me." She said, avoiding what she wanted to say.
"That I was attracted to you?" He said suddenly, which in turn made her turn a bright shade of red.
"Well yeah."
"I think it was when you told me it wasn't necessary for me to, what was it? 'Boof' a patient's Mother?" He said smirking.
"'Boff'I think was the phrase I used."
"Oh right sorry."
"That long ago?!" She asked surprised.
"You sound surprised."
"I am!"
"Why?"
"Honestly?"
"Honestly."
"Guys like you, they never take much interest in me."
"What makes you think that?"
"Well they generally go for the supermodels. And I'm anything but that."
"Not necessarily, on both those comments." He replied sincerely.
"Okay." She said, adjusting to this new territory.
"I like you Susan. If you like me, I would love it if we could do something about it. And if not, well at least I tried right?"
"That's true. Can I get back to you on that? Cos there's this other guy and.well it's complicated." She said, trying to keep a straight face.
"Uh.sure. Whatever you want." He replied, feeling slightly upset.
"I'm kidding Luka. I would be honoured to go out with you."
"You would?"
"Sure. You've got a nice car." She joked.
"I see." He replied laughing. "So where do we go from here?"
"Well I was thinking if we arrange the wedding for next week, then we have just under 7 days to book the church and invite the guests." She said sarcastically.
"Very funny. I'm serious Susan. Where do I stand?"
"I think.we should see how it goes." She replied casually.
"Sounds good to me." He replied leaning in for another kiss, which she happily returned.
Two hours later they were walking hand in hand towards Susan's apartment. They'd had a great evening, just talking, exchanging stories of past dates, former significant others, and tales of excitement and humour. The night was almost at an end, and Luka wished it wasn't, but he knew there would be other times.
"This is me." She said as they stopped at the bottom of the steps.
"Can I see you tomorrow night?" He asked.
"Uh.tomorrow's not good for me. Me and Abby are going out."
"Thursday?"
"Sure. I'm off actually."
"Me too. So it's a date?"
"It's a date."
He leaned in slowly and kissed her, moving his hands to her waist, and then one hand creeping up to her neck, then to her face, which was then joined by the other hand. They stood, motionless for some while, until Susan's cell began to ring. She ignored it and reached into her pocket as the kiss stopped momentarily, cancelling the call and returning to Luka's lips. Moments later, the kiss ended, and Susan was in her apartment. She walked over to her machine after throwing her keys on the side table and played the two messages she had.
"Hi Susan? It's Alex. You know the guy from the park? Uh.I hope you don't mind me calling. Just rang to make sure you found your Father's alright, sounded pretty concerning. Call me back if you get the chance. My number's 555-3485. Speak to you.whenever. Bye."
Susan sighed, poor guy. No chance.
"Hey Susan it's Abby. Where the hell are you?! Call me!"
Susan laughed, same old Abby. She picked up and receiver and dialled speed dial number one, and waited patiently for an answer.
"Hey it's me. What?! I was out. That's MY business." She joked. "Oh come on can I have NO secrets?! Okay fine. I was out with Luka." She admitted. "How did you know?! Oh. Carter's not in huh? You wanna come over? Okay. See you in a while. Bye!"
Susan hung up and chuckled to herself, same old Abby. She sat down with a coffee and switched on the TV, then she began thinking. Luka. Her and Luka. A day ago if somebody had said to her that she was going to have just got home from a date with Luka Kovac, she would have laughed in their face. She knew it was nothing serious, not yet anyway, but she had fun with him, surprisingly, and he was hot. Really hot. A smile spread across her face, and then she shook it off and sipped her coffee. Half an hour later, Abby arrived, which was a relief because all she could think about was Luka.
"Hey!" Abby said as Susan opened the door.
"Evening." Susan said closing the door behind her.
"Is Luka still here?"
"No. Why?"
"Just asking." She trailed off smirking.
"I don't fuck on a first date." Susan said smiling.
"I didn't say you did!" Abby laughed.
"Sure."
"So how did it go?"
"It was.it was good. Surprisingly. I had a good time."
"Susan Lewis! You had a good time on a first date!"
"Wow. How often can you say that?!"
"Not very that's for sure. So I take it there'll be no more girl's club for a while?!" Abby said raising her eyebrows.
"What are you talking about?! We're goin' out tomorrow night!"
