Chapter 19: Two-Night Stand

Luke's was almost completely deserted. Michael liked it like this, when the air was clear and the music loud. He was rearranging the liquor bottles, anything to keep his mind from wandering to the petite beauty that he had come to care about so much. He should have already apologized to her, but his Spencer pride was standing in the way. She was stubborn as hell too, and he knew even if he apologized he wouldn't change her mind about anything.

"Have a disagreement with those bottles?"

Michael realized he'd been clanking the bottles together. He turned and saw Liam tying an apron on.

"I'd bet money that's got something to do with a certain girl. About 5'4, silky black hair, temper." Michael shot Liam a look that would have pinned an ordinary guy to the wall. Liam was a Spencer though, and Spencer's always prevailed against "ordinary men." "So are you two done now? Cause gorgeous girls I'm not related to are pretty difficult to find in this town."

"Liam stop! We've been best friends for over two decades, but if you go after Lila I'll beat you into a bloody pulp!" Liam looked only slightly amused.

"I wasn't aware that I needed a keeper."

There she was, looking even more beautiful than he remembered. She also looked extremely angry.

"Hi Lila," Liam said cheerfully. "We were just talking about you."

Lila gave a slight smile, "Really? It sounded like you were arguing about me."

Michael spoke up, "Just a little disagreement between friends. Right Liam?" He elbowed his friend in the ribs.

"Right!" Liam gasped out between moans of pain.

"Okay then. Is Luke around?"

"Grandpa's back in the office," Liam said clutching his ribs. As soon as she was out of sight Liam spoke again. "Her name starts with an L."

"Yeah so?" Michael said frowning.

"Maybe you haven't noticed, but the Spencer's have a tradition of L names. She'd fit right in."

"Don't ever talk about her that way again. My last name may be Spencer, but I was raised Corinthos!"

Liam looked his best friend and cousin up and down. "Then suck up you pride and apologize to her before someone worse than me decided she's perfect, and you're nothing more than a two night stand."

!#$&()

Lila knocked on the door and waited for a response.

"Friend or foe?" came the muffled reply.

"Neither," Lila said opening the door, "Employee."

"Ah yes the lovely Lila. You know I like you almost as much as your namesake? Such a beautiful classy woman." He looked wistful for a moment before coming back to reality. "Come on in darlin'. What can I do for ya?"

Lila sat down across from him, "I need to ask you a couple of questions."

Luke leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the desk, "Fire away."

"What do you remember about the time around when I was born?"

Luke frowned and tapped his chin, "Wasn't really in on the goings on in town. Skye was being framed for murder, Edward was in the loony bin, Georgie and Dillon were still trying to consummate their relationship."

Lila sighed, "How about Sonny and Carly? What was going on with them?"

"Well I do believe they were on the verge of divorce, Kristina was real sick. She needed a bone marrow transplant, but no one was a match. Your mother was induced, and they took your stem cells and saved her. See no one knew that Sonny was Krissy's daddy back then, everyone though she belonged to Ned Ashton, Carly kept it a secret. You know you were real sick too?"

Lila sat forward, "What do you mean I was sick?"

Luke nodded, "Yep, you and your mama both. You were born too early, and there were complications, you almost died. Sam hemorrhaged something awful and wasn't let out of the hospital til you were almost two months old. Figured your Dad would have told you."

"No, he never told me that. Luke, I know this is short notice, but can I have tonight off?" She really needed to talk to Sonny now.

Luke nodded and stuck a cigar between his lips, "Whatever you want darlin'. If there's anything you need let me know."

Lila leaned across the desk and kissed Luke's forehead, "Thanks a lot. I promise I'll work overtime to make up for it." She stood up and walked out of the office. To avoid running into Michael, she took the back exit. Luke had helped her some way; she just had to figure out how.

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