All I Want From You
Chapter 3
"Wanna dance?"
Ric let his gaze travel over the knock out brunette in front of him. She was short, small, her subtle curves accentuated by the tight, red dress she wore. Her neck was long, slim. Something to sink your teeth into. Her fire-streaked hair flowed around her face, landed just below her shoulders. A mischievous smile danced on her lips, daring him to say yes to everything she asked.
But it was her eyes that did him in. Big, blue orbs that sucked him into her. They offset her dangerous, exotic appearance with an innocence that aroused him and made him protective, possessive of her all at once. Eyes like those would have men eating out of the palm of her hand. And he was a man.
Ric motioned to the door behind him. "It looks like you were about to leave."
Her smiled widened. "Things change."
"They do indeed." He gently ran his fingertips along the curve of her face, confusing the hell out of himself. He wasn't prone to such small gestures of affection with women he'd just met. But something about her demanded a soft touch, and he found himself wanting to meet all of her demands. "And I definitely see dancing in our future."
"Our future?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "Who says we have a future?"
He leaned in, whispered in her ear. "The stars."
"The stars?" Elizabeth tossed her head back and laughed. Ric Lansing had turned into a class act over the years. But for some reason, her laugh wasn't mocking, insulting. She found the man in front of her even more charming than the boy from high school. "Do women actually fall for that crap?"
Ric laughed sheepishly, not knowing what to say. The women Ric generally went after did fall for lines like that. But even before he used it, somehow he knew the fiery vixen in front of him wasn't like all of the others.
"Well, why you think that over, why don't I let you buy me a drink? We can get to our future full of dancing a little later."
Glad to be off the hook, Ric smiled. "That sounds like a great idea. What would you like?" He asked, helping her into a chair at his usual table. Many women have surrendered to his charm in that very spot.
"A vodka martini."
"Really?" He asked, recognizing the name of his favorite drink. "Coming right up."
Ric made his way to the bar, stopped beside Sonny, and ordered.
"Nice going, little brother. You landed yourself a hottie there." Sonny gestured to Elizabeth. Ric worked fast.
Ric looked back at his soon-to-be conquest. "Tell me about it. She is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. And she's not like the others, Sonny. She's quick, witty. She's going to be a challenge, I can already tell after one minute with her."
"Do you know who she is?"
"Who cares? Where she's going to be in about an hour or so is what I'm concerned with."
"And where's that?" Sonny asked, already knowing the answer.
"In my bed." Ric picked up the drinks he was served and headed back towards his table.
Sonny thought about stopping him, letting him in on his mystery woman's identity. Then he thought of Ric's arrogance and reconsidered. After what Carly and Courtney told him about their encounter with the actress, and knowing how Ric treated Elizabeth in high school, Sonny had no doubt Ric was about to get put in his place. So he just settled in for the show.
"By the way, I'm Ric Lansing." Ric introduced himself before taking the first sip of his drink.
"Well, Ric Lansing, it's nice to meet you."
When she didn't go on, Ric asked. "Don't I get your name?"
She just smiled.
"Well, how will I know what to call you?"
"You don't have to call me anything. It's just the two of us here. I think I'll figure out that you're talking to me."
Ric took her hand, kissed her knuckles. "I'd like to know the name of the woman I'm going to make love to."
Elizabeth blushed, cursed herself for it. "That's a little arrogant, wouldn't you say?"
"No, just confident." He let the hand not holding hers play with the tips of her hair.
"Well," Her voice came a bit husky. "I can appreciate confidence. So if," She emphasized, "we get to that point, I'll let you know what you can call me."
Ric looked at her, considered. Why was she being so secretive? "Fair enough." He finished off his drink, decided to move things along a bit. "How about that dance?"
Elizabeth took the hand he offered, quietly made her way to the dance floor with him. She was in control of the situation. She remembered everything he'd done to her in high school, and would not let herself fall for his amazing charm this time.
When his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her close, however, she felt her will slipping away. She looked up into his eyes; dark, hungry eyes that made her feel weak, vulnerable, incredibly irresistible. She couldn't help wishing the feeling would last.
She felt so warm, so little, so perfect against him. He could honestly say he'd never wanted a woman more, never felt so right about it.
What was he saying? He's Ric Lansing, self-proclaimed bachelor, ladies' man. He used women, then discarded them. One never felt more right than the next. They were all just a passing amusement until the next came along.
And as soon as he took everything he needed from this one, he'd move along to another. It was the way he worked.
But if that was true, why was he still so nervous, scared that he'd mess this up?
She just needed to stay focused, was all. She couldn't let the feel of his hand tracing her spine make her heart race, couldn't let the hard stomach her breasts were pressed firmly against make her knees go weak. He was the one who needed the racing heart and weak knees. And she'd see to it that's exactly what he got. Along with a major disappointment in the end.
With her priorities in order, she slid her hands down his arms, up again, to the rhythm of the slow, jazz beat that played in the background. "I like the look of you, Mr. Lansing. And the feel of you isn't so bad either."
"Same goes for you, Miss." he paused, waited for her to fill in her name.
"You won't trip me up that easy, Ric." She smiled weakly. "I don't like to reveal all of my cards until the games over."
"So this is a game?"
"Absolutely."
"Well then. Maybe I can persuade you to reveal a bit of your hand with a few tricks of my own."
"And what kind of tricks do you have up your sleeve, Ric?"
He smiled, before dipping his head, running his lips along the curve of her neck. He breathed in her scent. "You smell good." He gently scraped his teeth against her jaw, nibbled there. "Taste even better."
"Mmmm.You're going to have to do better than that, Mr. Lansing, to knock down my walls."
"Really? Well then, I guess I'll have to break out the big guns with you." He groaned before attacking her left shoulder with his mouth, devouring it, her neck. He kissed his way across her face, avoiding her lips, before taking the other side. "How's this?"
"Much better," she moaned. Her hands ran up his neck, her fingers twisted into his hair, pulled in an attempt to alleviate the ache between her legs. "But you'll have to do better than that."
"I've got better than that." He pulled back, looked at her.
She was confused. Why wasn't he doing something? Oh no, she thought. He was going to leave. He'd decided she was too much work, and was going to give up. But he can't walk away. It would be just like high school. He had to be the one left wanting her. She had to.
Before she could finish her thought, his mouth was on hers, violating her lips, torturing them. She needed more, had to have more.
"Would you look at that?" Carly said to Sonny still sitting at the bar. They were both watching Ric and Elizabeth wrapped around each other on the dance floor. Kissing, and taking.
"Ric Lansing strikes again, and another heart is about to be broken." Carly couldn't say she was too upset, especially after the way Elizabeth had talked to her.
"Are you kidding?" Sonny laughed, not taking his eyes off of the duo. "Ric is eating out of the palm of her hand."
"Well, Elizabeth looks to be doing a bit of eating herself."
"Yeah, but remember how Ric treated her in high school? Remember how she treated you and Court just a little bit ago?"
"What? You think she's just playing him?" Sonny just nodded his head. "But she had a huge thing for Ric, and he didn't treat her nearly as bad as I did. He just didn't pay her much attention."
"Trust me, Carly. I'll bet Ric ignoring her hurt a hell of a lot more than your teasing. And I'll bet this is her way of turning the tables on him. Just watch."
Elizabeth attempted several times to pull herself away from Ric, but his mouth was too intoxicating. Her mind kept screaming for more.
You can do this, she yelled at herself. If you could pull yourself away from Heath or Josh when the director yelled cut, you can surely pull yourself away from the asshole who, in high school, broke you and laughed at the pieces.
With the memory of her shattered heart in mind, Elizabeth felt her will return. She could do this. She was a professional actress for god's sake!
She pulled away, looked up at him with dreamy, bedroom eyes she used in almost every movie she was in. They worked every time.
Ric's breathing was fast, he couldn't slow it down. He needed to get out of there, needed to get her out of there with him, back to his apartment before he snapped and took her right there on the floor of his sister-in- law's club.
"Let's go. My apartment is only five minutes away." He breathed, kissed her again.
"That sounds.perfect." She inserted heavy breathing in all of the right places. The objective was to make the audience---Ric at the moment---feel what you want them to feel. And right now she wanted him to feel hot, in the mood, ready to take her. "I just need one thing."
"Anything.anything you need.I'll give you." He kissed his way down her neck, rested his lips on her shoulder to catch his breath.
"That's good, because all I want you to do is." she got close to his ear so he could feel her hot breath. ".Beg."
"What?" he asked, too lost to realize what she was asking.
She laughed. "I said I want you to beg me to come home with you."
Awareness of her request hit him like a ton of bricks. He pulled back. "You want me to what?"
She smiled at him. "I want you to beg me. Get down on your knees right here and plead with me to come home with you. If you do, I'll go."
"There's no way I'm doing that."
Elizabeth put on a cute, playful frown. "That's too bad." She wrapped her arms around his neck, rubbed her breasts against his chest. "Because I would have done anything you asked."
With that, she made her exit, leaving Ric absolutely, one hundred percent dumbfounded in her wake.
Sonny came up behind him and put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Looks like she got you, huh?" When he didn't say anything, Sonny went on. "That Elizabeth Webber is quite the looker these days, isn't she? She had you wrapped around her little finger."
Ric's head shot up. "What did you say?"
"She had you wrapped around."
"No," Ric cut him off. "What was her name?"
Sonny smiled. "Elizabeth Webber." When he saw realization hit his brother, he laughed. "Sure put you in your place, didn't she?"
Ric just smiled. Elizabeth Webber, was it? He'd underestimated her. She's proved to be a much bigger challenge than he'd anticipated, but Ric could use a little sport every now and again. "Yeah, I'd say she did, Sonny. She won this hand, but the game is far from over."
~*~
Elizabeth laughed all the way to her car, before dialing a number on her cell phone.
"Hello?" Emily's groggy voice answered after three rings.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you asleep? I didn't think you would have been yet. I can just talk to you later."
"No, absolutely not. My throat just gets all clogged from the alcohol. So what's up? Are you still at the club?"
"I'm just leaving now." Elizabeth couldn't keep the smile off her face or out of her voice. "I did something tonight that I just had to tell you about."
"Well, spill." Elizabeth could hear Nik's voice in the background. "Okay, Nik. I'm going in the other room. Just calm down. Geez. You'd think I cut off his ears or something."
"What's wrong?"
"Oh, he's trying to watch a movie, and I was talking too loud."
"If you were watching a movie I could let you go. I'll just talk to you tomorrow."
"No, no. I wasn't watching it. It's some action movie. Besides, I want to hear this thing you did. So spill."
"Okay," Elizabeth started. "I ran into Ric Lansing tonight."
"Oh no. What happened? Did he say anything about what he did to you?"
"No, that's just the thing. He had no idea who I was!"
"What? You're on at least two magazine covers a month, a zillion movies, and he has no idea who you are?"
"Huh uh!" Even Elizabeth thought it was a bit strange. But not everyone was wrapped up in Hollywood gossip and goings on. "But I have got to tell you, not to be full of myself or anything, but he wanted me!"
"Well what did he say when you told him who you were?"
"I didn't."
"Oh no, Liz." Emily's voice filled with worry. "Don't tell me you made a date with him or anything like that. Do you remember what this guy did to you?"
"Of course I remember. How could I forget?"
Every time she thought about it, she could feel the humiliation, the hurt she felt when it happened. She'd been so in love with him. Well, as in love as a fifteen year old girl could be with a senior who didn't even know she existed. But what she felt was real to her in any case.
It was their town's annual goodbye dance, where everyone partied with their friends going off to college. Ric had received a full academic scholarship to Harvard and would be leaving later that week. It was going to be the last time Elizabeth would see him before he went.
She'd spent most of her childhood and all of her teen years pining away for him, and finally worked up the courage to ask tell him how she felt.
When she saw him make his way outside, she followed him. He never stayed in the crowd for long, which Elizabeth could relate to. She felt suffocated when people were hovering over her, watching her every move.
"Hey," she managed when he looked up at her from his seat against the wall. He didn't say anything back, just took a puff from what Elizabeth later learned was not a cigarette, but a joint. "So, cool party, huh?"
"I guess." He took another puff, offered it to her. She just shook her head, no. "Let me guess, you're a little goodie two shoes? Don't tell me you're going to go rat on me for being out here."
"Why would I do that?"
"Isn't that what innocent little things like you do?" He stood, started walking toward her. "Tattle on us big, bad juvenile delinquents?"
"I'm not going to tell on you for having a smoke." She tried to sound cool, confident, mature.
"A smoke?" She shook her head yes, he laughed. He was standing in front of her now, had her backed up against the wall of the building. "You should wear your hair down." He put his free hand to the ribbon holding it back, untied it. Her locks fell around her face, blew in the breeze. "Much better."
"I just came out to." she tried to say, a little nervous. "I just wanted to."
"Wanted to what? Get some air?" He laughed, pressed his body against hers. "Why don't you and I get something much better than air?" He lowered his mouth to hers, nibbled on her bottom lip.
Out of her mouth came a foreign noise she'd never made before. It wasn't from pain or fear. She could almost swear it was pleasure.
And that scared her.
"I just wanted to ask you to dance." She spat quickly, trying to understand what was happening.
Ric pulled back, looked at her with a laugh in his eyes. "You want to dance? With me?" She just bobbed her head. "Ah, how cute? How about this? I'll go back in there and dance with you if you do one thing for me."
"Anything." Elizabeth couldn't believe that Ric Lansing wanted to dance with her.
"I want you to beg."
"What?" She asked, confused.
"You heard me. Beg me to dance with you, and I'll do it."
She stood, deciding. She really wanted to dance with him, and maybe this was just his way of making sure she really wanted him. It was okay. She'd finally show Courtney and Carly that she was cool enough to get a guy like Ric.
She lowered herself to her knees, looked up at him. "Ric, will you please dance with me?"
He just laughed, rolled to the floor laughing. "You did it. I can't believe you actually begged me!"
Elizabeth stood quickly and took off running towards her house, Ric's laughter chasing her the whole way.
"There's no way I'd forget what Ric Lansing did to me in high school." Elizabeth informed Emily. "And that's the beauty of what I did. I got him all hot and bothered, then told him I'd only go home with him if he begged."
Emily couldn't contain a snort. "Oh my god! Did he do it?"
"Oh, I think he was too shocked to do anything! But goodness, did it feel great to do that to him. Plus, Carly and Sonny Corinthos were watching the entire thing, laughing their asses off!"
"Oh, Lizzie, that is amazing! You are amazing!"
"Well, what can I say?" Elizabeth smiled to herself. "Payback's a bitch!"
Chapter 3
"Wanna dance?"
Ric let his gaze travel over the knock out brunette in front of him. She was short, small, her subtle curves accentuated by the tight, red dress she wore. Her neck was long, slim. Something to sink your teeth into. Her fire-streaked hair flowed around her face, landed just below her shoulders. A mischievous smile danced on her lips, daring him to say yes to everything she asked.
But it was her eyes that did him in. Big, blue orbs that sucked him into her. They offset her dangerous, exotic appearance with an innocence that aroused him and made him protective, possessive of her all at once. Eyes like those would have men eating out of the palm of her hand. And he was a man.
Ric motioned to the door behind him. "It looks like you were about to leave."
Her smiled widened. "Things change."
"They do indeed." He gently ran his fingertips along the curve of her face, confusing the hell out of himself. He wasn't prone to such small gestures of affection with women he'd just met. But something about her demanded a soft touch, and he found himself wanting to meet all of her demands. "And I definitely see dancing in our future."
"Our future?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "Who says we have a future?"
He leaned in, whispered in her ear. "The stars."
"The stars?" Elizabeth tossed her head back and laughed. Ric Lansing had turned into a class act over the years. But for some reason, her laugh wasn't mocking, insulting. She found the man in front of her even more charming than the boy from high school. "Do women actually fall for that crap?"
Ric laughed sheepishly, not knowing what to say. The women Ric generally went after did fall for lines like that. But even before he used it, somehow he knew the fiery vixen in front of him wasn't like all of the others.
"Well, why you think that over, why don't I let you buy me a drink? We can get to our future full of dancing a little later."
Glad to be off the hook, Ric smiled. "That sounds like a great idea. What would you like?" He asked, helping her into a chair at his usual table. Many women have surrendered to his charm in that very spot.
"A vodka martini."
"Really?" He asked, recognizing the name of his favorite drink. "Coming right up."
Ric made his way to the bar, stopped beside Sonny, and ordered.
"Nice going, little brother. You landed yourself a hottie there." Sonny gestured to Elizabeth. Ric worked fast.
Ric looked back at his soon-to-be conquest. "Tell me about it. She is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. And she's not like the others, Sonny. She's quick, witty. She's going to be a challenge, I can already tell after one minute with her."
"Do you know who she is?"
"Who cares? Where she's going to be in about an hour or so is what I'm concerned with."
"And where's that?" Sonny asked, already knowing the answer.
"In my bed." Ric picked up the drinks he was served and headed back towards his table.
Sonny thought about stopping him, letting him in on his mystery woman's identity. Then he thought of Ric's arrogance and reconsidered. After what Carly and Courtney told him about their encounter with the actress, and knowing how Ric treated Elizabeth in high school, Sonny had no doubt Ric was about to get put in his place. So he just settled in for the show.
"By the way, I'm Ric Lansing." Ric introduced himself before taking the first sip of his drink.
"Well, Ric Lansing, it's nice to meet you."
When she didn't go on, Ric asked. "Don't I get your name?"
She just smiled.
"Well, how will I know what to call you?"
"You don't have to call me anything. It's just the two of us here. I think I'll figure out that you're talking to me."
Ric took her hand, kissed her knuckles. "I'd like to know the name of the woman I'm going to make love to."
Elizabeth blushed, cursed herself for it. "That's a little arrogant, wouldn't you say?"
"No, just confident." He let the hand not holding hers play with the tips of her hair.
"Well," Her voice came a bit husky. "I can appreciate confidence. So if," She emphasized, "we get to that point, I'll let you know what you can call me."
Ric looked at her, considered. Why was she being so secretive? "Fair enough." He finished off his drink, decided to move things along a bit. "How about that dance?"
Elizabeth took the hand he offered, quietly made her way to the dance floor with him. She was in control of the situation. She remembered everything he'd done to her in high school, and would not let herself fall for his amazing charm this time.
When his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her close, however, she felt her will slipping away. She looked up into his eyes; dark, hungry eyes that made her feel weak, vulnerable, incredibly irresistible. She couldn't help wishing the feeling would last.
She felt so warm, so little, so perfect against him. He could honestly say he'd never wanted a woman more, never felt so right about it.
What was he saying? He's Ric Lansing, self-proclaimed bachelor, ladies' man. He used women, then discarded them. One never felt more right than the next. They were all just a passing amusement until the next came along.
And as soon as he took everything he needed from this one, he'd move along to another. It was the way he worked.
But if that was true, why was he still so nervous, scared that he'd mess this up?
She just needed to stay focused, was all. She couldn't let the feel of his hand tracing her spine make her heart race, couldn't let the hard stomach her breasts were pressed firmly against make her knees go weak. He was the one who needed the racing heart and weak knees. And she'd see to it that's exactly what he got. Along with a major disappointment in the end.
With her priorities in order, she slid her hands down his arms, up again, to the rhythm of the slow, jazz beat that played in the background. "I like the look of you, Mr. Lansing. And the feel of you isn't so bad either."
"Same goes for you, Miss." he paused, waited for her to fill in her name.
"You won't trip me up that easy, Ric." She smiled weakly. "I don't like to reveal all of my cards until the games over."
"So this is a game?"
"Absolutely."
"Well then. Maybe I can persuade you to reveal a bit of your hand with a few tricks of my own."
"And what kind of tricks do you have up your sleeve, Ric?"
He smiled, before dipping his head, running his lips along the curve of her neck. He breathed in her scent. "You smell good." He gently scraped his teeth against her jaw, nibbled there. "Taste even better."
"Mmmm.You're going to have to do better than that, Mr. Lansing, to knock down my walls."
"Really? Well then, I guess I'll have to break out the big guns with you." He groaned before attacking her left shoulder with his mouth, devouring it, her neck. He kissed his way across her face, avoiding her lips, before taking the other side. "How's this?"
"Much better," she moaned. Her hands ran up his neck, her fingers twisted into his hair, pulled in an attempt to alleviate the ache between her legs. "But you'll have to do better than that."
"I've got better than that." He pulled back, looked at her.
She was confused. Why wasn't he doing something? Oh no, she thought. He was going to leave. He'd decided she was too much work, and was going to give up. But he can't walk away. It would be just like high school. He had to be the one left wanting her. She had to.
Before she could finish her thought, his mouth was on hers, violating her lips, torturing them. She needed more, had to have more.
"Would you look at that?" Carly said to Sonny still sitting at the bar. They were both watching Ric and Elizabeth wrapped around each other on the dance floor. Kissing, and taking.
"Ric Lansing strikes again, and another heart is about to be broken." Carly couldn't say she was too upset, especially after the way Elizabeth had talked to her.
"Are you kidding?" Sonny laughed, not taking his eyes off of the duo. "Ric is eating out of the palm of her hand."
"Well, Elizabeth looks to be doing a bit of eating herself."
"Yeah, but remember how Ric treated her in high school? Remember how she treated you and Court just a little bit ago?"
"What? You think she's just playing him?" Sonny just nodded his head. "But she had a huge thing for Ric, and he didn't treat her nearly as bad as I did. He just didn't pay her much attention."
"Trust me, Carly. I'll bet Ric ignoring her hurt a hell of a lot more than your teasing. And I'll bet this is her way of turning the tables on him. Just watch."
Elizabeth attempted several times to pull herself away from Ric, but his mouth was too intoxicating. Her mind kept screaming for more.
You can do this, she yelled at herself. If you could pull yourself away from Heath or Josh when the director yelled cut, you can surely pull yourself away from the asshole who, in high school, broke you and laughed at the pieces.
With the memory of her shattered heart in mind, Elizabeth felt her will return. She could do this. She was a professional actress for god's sake!
She pulled away, looked up at him with dreamy, bedroom eyes she used in almost every movie she was in. They worked every time.
Ric's breathing was fast, he couldn't slow it down. He needed to get out of there, needed to get her out of there with him, back to his apartment before he snapped and took her right there on the floor of his sister-in- law's club.
"Let's go. My apartment is only five minutes away." He breathed, kissed her again.
"That sounds.perfect." She inserted heavy breathing in all of the right places. The objective was to make the audience---Ric at the moment---feel what you want them to feel. And right now she wanted him to feel hot, in the mood, ready to take her. "I just need one thing."
"Anything.anything you need.I'll give you." He kissed his way down her neck, rested his lips on her shoulder to catch his breath.
"That's good, because all I want you to do is." she got close to his ear so he could feel her hot breath. ".Beg."
"What?" he asked, too lost to realize what she was asking.
She laughed. "I said I want you to beg me to come home with you."
Awareness of her request hit him like a ton of bricks. He pulled back. "You want me to what?"
She smiled at him. "I want you to beg me. Get down on your knees right here and plead with me to come home with you. If you do, I'll go."
"There's no way I'm doing that."
Elizabeth put on a cute, playful frown. "That's too bad." She wrapped her arms around his neck, rubbed her breasts against his chest. "Because I would have done anything you asked."
With that, she made her exit, leaving Ric absolutely, one hundred percent dumbfounded in her wake.
Sonny came up behind him and put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Looks like she got you, huh?" When he didn't say anything, Sonny went on. "That Elizabeth Webber is quite the looker these days, isn't she? She had you wrapped around her little finger."
Ric's head shot up. "What did you say?"
"She had you wrapped around."
"No," Ric cut him off. "What was her name?"
Sonny smiled. "Elizabeth Webber." When he saw realization hit his brother, he laughed. "Sure put you in your place, didn't she?"
Ric just smiled. Elizabeth Webber, was it? He'd underestimated her. She's proved to be a much bigger challenge than he'd anticipated, but Ric could use a little sport every now and again. "Yeah, I'd say she did, Sonny. She won this hand, but the game is far from over."
~*~
Elizabeth laughed all the way to her car, before dialing a number on her cell phone.
"Hello?" Emily's groggy voice answered after three rings.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you asleep? I didn't think you would have been yet. I can just talk to you later."
"No, absolutely not. My throat just gets all clogged from the alcohol. So what's up? Are you still at the club?"
"I'm just leaving now." Elizabeth couldn't keep the smile off her face or out of her voice. "I did something tonight that I just had to tell you about."
"Well, spill." Elizabeth could hear Nik's voice in the background. "Okay, Nik. I'm going in the other room. Just calm down. Geez. You'd think I cut off his ears or something."
"What's wrong?"
"Oh, he's trying to watch a movie, and I was talking too loud."
"If you were watching a movie I could let you go. I'll just talk to you tomorrow."
"No, no. I wasn't watching it. It's some action movie. Besides, I want to hear this thing you did. So spill."
"Okay," Elizabeth started. "I ran into Ric Lansing tonight."
"Oh no. What happened? Did he say anything about what he did to you?"
"No, that's just the thing. He had no idea who I was!"
"What? You're on at least two magazine covers a month, a zillion movies, and he has no idea who you are?"
"Huh uh!" Even Elizabeth thought it was a bit strange. But not everyone was wrapped up in Hollywood gossip and goings on. "But I have got to tell you, not to be full of myself or anything, but he wanted me!"
"Well what did he say when you told him who you were?"
"I didn't."
"Oh no, Liz." Emily's voice filled with worry. "Don't tell me you made a date with him or anything like that. Do you remember what this guy did to you?"
"Of course I remember. How could I forget?"
Every time she thought about it, she could feel the humiliation, the hurt she felt when it happened. She'd been so in love with him. Well, as in love as a fifteen year old girl could be with a senior who didn't even know she existed. But what she felt was real to her in any case.
It was their town's annual goodbye dance, where everyone partied with their friends going off to college. Ric had received a full academic scholarship to Harvard and would be leaving later that week. It was going to be the last time Elizabeth would see him before he went.
She'd spent most of her childhood and all of her teen years pining away for him, and finally worked up the courage to ask tell him how she felt.
When she saw him make his way outside, she followed him. He never stayed in the crowd for long, which Elizabeth could relate to. She felt suffocated when people were hovering over her, watching her every move.
"Hey," she managed when he looked up at her from his seat against the wall. He didn't say anything back, just took a puff from what Elizabeth later learned was not a cigarette, but a joint. "So, cool party, huh?"
"I guess." He took another puff, offered it to her. She just shook her head, no. "Let me guess, you're a little goodie two shoes? Don't tell me you're going to go rat on me for being out here."
"Why would I do that?"
"Isn't that what innocent little things like you do?" He stood, started walking toward her. "Tattle on us big, bad juvenile delinquents?"
"I'm not going to tell on you for having a smoke." She tried to sound cool, confident, mature.
"A smoke?" She shook her head yes, he laughed. He was standing in front of her now, had her backed up against the wall of the building. "You should wear your hair down." He put his free hand to the ribbon holding it back, untied it. Her locks fell around her face, blew in the breeze. "Much better."
"I just came out to." she tried to say, a little nervous. "I just wanted to."
"Wanted to what? Get some air?" He laughed, pressed his body against hers. "Why don't you and I get something much better than air?" He lowered his mouth to hers, nibbled on her bottom lip.
Out of her mouth came a foreign noise she'd never made before. It wasn't from pain or fear. She could almost swear it was pleasure.
And that scared her.
"I just wanted to ask you to dance." She spat quickly, trying to understand what was happening.
Ric pulled back, looked at her with a laugh in his eyes. "You want to dance? With me?" She just bobbed her head. "Ah, how cute? How about this? I'll go back in there and dance with you if you do one thing for me."
"Anything." Elizabeth couldn't believe that Ric Lansing wanted to dance with her.
"I want you to beg."
"What?" She asked, confused.
"You heard me. Beg me to dance with you, and I'll do it."
She stood, deciding. She really wanted to dance with him, and maybe this was just his way of making sure she really wanted him. It was okay. She'd finally show Courtney and Carly that she was cool enough to get a guy like Ric.
She lowered herself to her knees, looked up at him. "Ric, will you please dance with me?"
He just laughed, rolled to the floor laughing. "You did it. I can't believe you actually begged me!"
Elizabeth stood quickly and took off running towards her house, Ric's laughter chasing her the whole way.
"There's no way I'd forget what Ric Lansing did to me in high school." Elizabeth informed Emily. "And that's the beauty of what I did. I got him all hot and bothered, then told him I'd only go home with him if he begged."
Emily couldn't contain a snort. "Oh my god! Did he do it?"
"Oh, I think he was too shocked to do anything! But goodness, did it feel great to do that to him. Plus, Carly and Sonny Corinthos were watching the entire thing, laughing their asses off!"
"Oh, Lizzie, that is amazing! You are amazing!"
"Well, what can I say?" Elizabeth smiled to herself. "Payback's a bitch!"