Chapter Fifteen

Friday arrived despite the best of Jason's efforts, and with it came Elizabeth's date.

She had recovered nicely from the flu, which meant no more late-night reading sessions, no more soup, no more falling asleep in her bed and having a plausible excuse for it the next morning. Friday found Jason in an irritable mood and after putting in half a day's worth of work at Kelly's, he let Luke take over and rode his bike to the garage. Bobbie had suggested that Luke sub in for him occasionally so that he could spend some time working one-on-one with Max and the crew on his new garage, and though it did cut into his pay a little bit, the opportunity cost was much higher.

Emily arrived just as he was leaving, and she was fairly certain that her best friend's secret flame directed a scowl and a growl in her direction as he stormed past her. But that wasn't important, and the little redhead quickly pushed the thought from her mind and joined her best friend for a late lunch where they quickly went over all necessary details to drive Jason crazy.

Elizabeth had already filled her in on her special chat with Drew a few days ago – she had called her classmate back and told him point-blank that although she was sure he was a lovely boy, she wasn't interested in pursuing any sort of romantic relationship with him because there was kinda-sorta someone else. Her unruffled friend replied simply that it was fine with him; he only wanted to take her out to thank her for saving his butt in school. Thrilled that he was on her side, Elizabeth filled him in on some of the broader details of her plan and even managed to garner Drew's full support, provided that he could borrow her notes on a few lectures that he had missed when his band had been practicing for an audition at L&B.

After giggling and whispering over some chili and buttered bread, Elizabeth and Emily were fairly certain that they had the whole thing down pat. Lisa and Jen drifted into the diner on their way back from their own classes and the two girls immediately snagged their ears and worked them in as well.

When seven o'clock rolled around, it was time to get to work. The girls returned to their own room to lounge around; they weren't due onstage for a while yet. Elizabeth and Emily, on the other hand, went straight to her room, picked out her outfit, and rehearsed what had now become a little skit for when Jason returned.

The mechanic was back at around seven-thirty and strode directly to his room without stopping to talk to anyone. He had done his best to keep busy and therefore keep himself from thinking about Elizabeth and her date with that Drew loser, but had been forced to return home when the crew packed up and left for the night. He didn't have a clue as to what he was going to do now, but he'd think of something.

Things had been quiet for a little while before a loud scream met his ears – Elizabeth.

"HELP!"

Instantly, he was on his feet and barreling out his door, ready to spring into action if the little brunette needed him. She was standing in the hallway as he came rushing out, and Jason nearly tumbled over his own feet as he skidded to a stop. Next door, Lisa and her sister had poked their heads out of their own individual rooms and now stepped into the hall as well, winking discreetly at each other. Show time.

"What's wrong?" Jen asked quickly, swiping her dark blonde bangs out of her face. "What happened?"

"I need your opinion!" Elizabeth burst out, raising her arms in exasperation. "I can't figure out what I'm going to wear tonight!"

Seth poked his head out of his room and looked from one girl to the next. "What's going on? Can't you girls keep it down?"

"We're trying to help Lizbits get dressed for her hot date tonight," Lisa frowned, barely managing to get the 'hot date' part out with a straight face. Tonight was anything but that, and everyone except Jason knew it.

"Oh." Pursing his lips, the young man leaned his shoulder against his doorjamb and watched the scene before him.

"Okay, do you think this dress is a bit much?" Elizabeth asked, twirling around in the v-necked red dress that fell just above her knees. "Because I think it's a bit much."

Jason was frowning darkly at the thought of her wearing that for some other man when a very smug-looking Emily Bowen waltzed out of his neighbor's bedroom.

"Personally, I think it's smokin'," she announced, not trusting herself to look in Jason's direction. "We've gotta show off those killer legs of yours – I'm telling you, Drew won't know what hit him!"

Oh, that was it – Jason definitely hated the dress. It was a pity, though, because it really was a very sexy little dress.

He was about to stomp back into his room and slam the door when Lisa's voice stopped him cold. "Hey, Liz, don't you have a pair of black fishnets? You should totally wear those!"

Holy fuck. He loved girls in fishnets.

"Isn't it a bit cold for that?" Seth wondered, scratching his jaw. "I mean, I know it's April, but it's still pretty cold at night. That dress thing is probably a little too short to wear in this kind of weather."

That settled it – Seth was his new best friend.

"Yeah, you're right," Emily frowned, nibbling on her finger. "All right, Elizabeth, off with the dress."

The brunette quickly ducked back into her room to change into the next outfit they had planned, trusting Lisa, Jen, and Emily to stall Jason and keep him in the hallway until she got back, according to the plan. And the girls didn't disappoint.

Jen seemed to know exactly what to say to make Jason stand rooted to the ground. "It's too cold for a miniskirt, then, right? Because I was thinking that the little black leather one you have would've looked wicked cute."

"I'm telling you, she's definitely got the legs for it," Emily added, suppressing a devilish smirk as Jason paled visibly. "If I wasn't your best friend, Liz, I'd totally be jealous. Oh, hell, who am I kidding – I am jealous!"

The brunette rushed back into the hallway, flushed and a little out of breath, but very relieved that the girls had managed to hold on to Jason while she changed. The older man's eyes nearly bugged out of his head when he saw what she was wearing. A slim fitting brown pencil skirt with a slit down the back clung to her feminine curves and fell an inch or so beneath her knees, and she had tucked a thin, white oxford shirt into its waistband. But that wasn't what had him so flustered.

"No good, Lizbits," Lisa groaned. "You can totally see your bra through it."

"And you're wearing bright red?" Jen was sure to ask incredulously. "That thing can be seen from the moon – right along with the Great Wall of China! Didn't you have any other color?"

Elizabeth shrugged guiltily. "Well, I haven't done my laundry yet, so…no."

"No big deal," Emily shrugged, leaning back against the wall a foot away from a very tense Jason. "Just go without a bra."

Jason wanted to throttle her.

Thankfully, Lisa seemed to have a shred of common sense. "That shirt's too thin to go bare," she remarked. "Change out of it, Liz."

This time, Jason knew he had to get safely back behind his door before the little brunette appeared once more. He was just about to reach for his doorknob when Jen intercepted him, doing her best to try to remain casual.

"Hey, Jason, how's your garage coming?" she asked, whisking her hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ears. "I meant to ask you about that."

"It's fine," he replied curtly, trying to step around her, but Jen's twin sister was quicker.

"I bet you'll be happy when it's back up and running," she announced loudly, letting Elizabeth know that she had to hurry if she wanted Jason to see her. "You can get out of Kelly's and go back to doing what you really do."

"I'm ready!"

Jason's eyes involuntarily turned back to Elizabeth, and he just wanted to groan aloud. The slim wisp of a brunette was wearing the same snug-fitting pencil skirt, lavender round-toe pumps that added three inches to her height and showed off the delicate curve of her calves, and a thin lavender v-neck sweater…with a very low neck.

"Think this is good?" she asked, twirling around in front of them and making sure to add a little swish to her hips. "It's a bit reserved with the skirt and the shoes, but the neck totally adds a racy look to it."

"Hold it," Emily interrupted, beckoning her closer. When Elizabeth stepped up to her best friend, the redhead grasped the thin material of her sweater and tugged it down a bit, baring her shoulder. "Good," she smiled, pleased. "You ditched the bra. Perfect."

Jason wanted to bang his head against the wall.

"You look great," Jen and Lisa chirped in unison, both of them sneaking discreet looks at Jason's tensed features.

"Don't you think you'll be a bit cold in that sweater?" Seth wondered aloud, making Jason want to rush right up and declare the man a hero.

But Elizabeth shook her head. "No, it's fine."

"Whatever," the young man shrugged, turning back to his room. "You have fun, kid."

"Oh, I will," the brunette made sure to grin suggestively as the other girls giggled. "Lemme just grab a purse – Jen, can I borrow your clutch tonight?"

Jason frowned as the girls continued to chit-chat and was about to return to his room when Renee floated up the steps. She had only one line to deliver, and she was going to do it with perfect timing.

"Hey, Jason?"

"What?"

The redhead wasn't deterred by his irritated growl. "Is the paprika finished?"

"How the hell should I know?"

"Well, aren't you the cook?" she replied reasonably. "I just wanted to know if we were out of paprika in the kitchen."

The mechanic took a deep breath, reminding himself not to take his frustration out on an innocent coworker whose only crime was asking him a question when he wanted to run outside and plow this Drew character over with his bike…and then reverse and do it again. "I don't think so."

Renee was watching Elizabeth transfer her items quickly into Jen's clutch, knowing that timing was everything. "Well, Luke's trying to make us all chili down there, and he can't find the paprika. I tried looking but couldn't, either – do you think you could take a quick look?"

Jason growled under his breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine." At least it would get him away from all the girls. He stalked past Renee and thundered down the stairs, not noticing how the tall redhead grinned at her friends before tumbling down after him.

Luke was in the kitchen working on the chili when Jason came in and located the missing ingredients. The older man stalled him for a few minutes but Jason was determined to get out of there. He had just stepped back into the diner when the front door opened and a young man stepped in.

"Liz!" His green eyes were trained to the stairs and when Jason turned his head, he saw a smiling Elizabeth practically float down the steps in that snug skirt and the low-cut blouse. "Hey, babe – you ready to go?"

A sour taste invaded his mouth as Jason once again set his sights on the young deviant. So this was Drew. The man was a few inches shorter than him and he wore baggy, dark denim jeans, the edges of which were frayed. A pair of polished black loafers poked out from under the cuffs, and he wore a black blazer over a fitted navy t-shirt reading Two-Fisted Eliot.

"Hey, Drew," the brunette grinned, fluttering right past Jason and up to her date for the evening. "You're right on time."

"I couldn't keep a pretty little thing like you waiting," he replied with a wink, making Jason want to bash his head into the wall. Emily slipped past him, carefully suppressing a wicked smirk and grabbed her own coat and purse while waving at Drew.

"Hey there, stranger."

"Emily, hi," Drew smiled as he helped Elizabeth with her coat. "How've you been?"

"Pretty good," she replied, adjusting the strap of her purse over her shoulder. "I haven't seen you in a while – by the way, love the shirt."

"Thanks," he grinned, pulling back his lapels so that they could all see it. "The guys and I finally settled on a design – check it out, it's our new logo."

"For the band, you mean?" Emily asked innocently, sliding a discreet glance in Jason's direction. "That's great – very cool. Elizabeth told me you guys were auditioning for L&B a while ago. How'd that work out?"

"We're on the label," Drew grinned, making sure to snake his arm around Elizabeth's waist. His classmate had told him briefly about Jason – actually, she had just mentioned his name and the fact that he owned his own garage – but had he actually known what the man looked like, he might not have agreed. Standing at an impressive 6'3", Jason Morgan was one intimidating son of a bitch. But Elizabeth had asked his help, and she was a sweet girl that had always been very nice to him, and he had agreed. The murderous look in Jason's blue eyes made him gulp, and Drew was about to withdraw his hand when Elizabeth placed hers on top of his and laced their fingers together.

"Doing any gigs soon?"

"Yeah, we just got new instruments, too," he nodded. "You should see my axe, Liz – it's fucking awesome. We're all set to do a gig at the Cellar next week."

Jason frowned, narrowing his eyes. So this Drew loser was a guitar player. A musician. It made him scoff. Elizabeth was way out of that little boy's league. Seriously – a guitar player?

Elizabeth seemed to notice him all of a sudden as he stood glowering a few steps away and her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, man, I forgot to introduce you guys. Jason, this is Drew Hunter – he's in my class and he's the lead singer for Two-Fisted Eliot."

"Nice to meet you," the little punk had the audacity to say.

"And Drew-" Jason's jaw tightened when Elizabeth wrapped an arm around his waist and placed her hand lightly on the dark-haired man's chest. "This is my friend Jason."

Emily held her breath, not knowing what to expect. The situation was easing close to volatile and it completely shocked her – there seemed to be more going on between Jason and Elizabeth than perhaps anyone knew. Jason didn't plan on saying anything in reply to the little punk, but with Elizabeth's expectant and pleading eyes on him, he could feel his resolve weakening.

"Hey."

Drew nodded at the gruff grunt, somewhat relieved that it hadn't been a punch. He glanced down at his watch and tightened his hold on Elizabeth's waist, shaking her slightly. "Hey, babe, we better get going – we've got a reservation. It was nice seeing all of you."

Elizabeth flashed Emily and Jason a smile before she linked her arm through Drew's, and Jason could only watch as she floated out of the diner.

Jason had been up in his room going over the plans for the garage ever since Elizabeth left. He had stormed upstairs, not particularly caring about being discreet, and slammed the door so hard the walls rattled. He didn't know what he was feeling and he didn't think he had any rational reason for feeling it, and that only made him angrier. The plans lay before him and he would periodically scratch his pencil over the thin paper, making small notes for him and Max to go over when they met again tomorrow. The garage was really shaping up and he knew he'd be able to move into it in a month or so, and that was welcome news because it would get him out of Kelly's and away from the insanity.

Hopefully.

He glanced up at the clock and was appalled at how late it was – and Elizabeth still wasn't home. That Drew loser better not have tried something. The mere thought made his blood boil and Jason was quickly chiding himself to get a grip – she was probably at the studio. Nothing to worry about.

The pencil smacked down on top of his desk as Jason let it go and pushed himself onto his feet. He needed coffee. Well, actually, he needed something strong and stiff, but coffee was the best he could do at the moment.

He took the stairs down and went straight into the kitchen. One of the girls had left the pot out and it didn't take him long to fix himself a cup. Jason was just about to head upstairs when he heard it – her laughter.

A quick glance out the window revealed the last two people in the world that he wanted to see together – Elizabeth and Drew. She was in his arms and he was apparently twirling her around because she was squealing with laughter and pushing at his chest. He finally stopped and dipped her, and the little brunette wrapped her arms around his neck.

Outside, Elizabeth glanced up at Jason's window. "Okay, that's the one," she got out in a low voice. The light was on so she naturally assumed he was up there – and in perfect range to catch a late show. "Thanks again, man."

"No prob," he replied, glancing up nervously as well. "Hey, can I ask you one thing?"

"What?"

"This Jason guy – he's not going to kill me, is he?"

Elizabeth laughed at that and smacked him against the chest, unaware that Jason was watching. "No, of course not. Why would you say that?"

Her friend shrugged, shifting his hold on her waist. "Well, it was just the way he looked at you before we left."

The brunette's slender brows furrowed. "How did he look at me?"

"He looked at you like you were his," Drew replied matter-of-factly, "and I was a criminal."

She slid him a skeptical grin as she pulled up closer. "No way – he couldn't have."

He knew that they were moving in for a kiss just in case Jason happened to look out his window but before their noses could brush together, Drew looked down at her seriously. "Liz, are you sure this guy doesn't have feelings for you? Because I know those looks-"

"He doesn't," she sighed rather sadly. "Trust me – I think I would know."

Drew shrugged and drew in a deep breath. "Ready?"

She nodded and he leaned in, brushing his lips against hers. She responded instantly and made sure to wrap her arms around his neck. There was a slight chance that Jason did in fact hear them laughing and would peek outside his window – and this was what Emily was insistent upon him seeing. How exactly did she phrase it? Something about lighting a fire under his ass?

Drew folded her up in his arms as she ran a hand through his dark hair, musing over how different it was from Jason's. Everything about Jason was different – his build, for one thing. Drew had a practically feminine frame compared to Jason's six feet three inches of solid muscle. The man was a freaking wall of concrete. He just had a way of making her feel so safe, like nothing could touch her while she was around. And although she had been living on her own for years now and was used to watching out for herself, it was still a nice feeling, to know that someone had her back when she was down and out.

Drew's body was also softer than Jason's – he probably didn't have time to work out between all his auditions and rehearsals. His chest, though solid, was nothing compared to the hard muscles she had slept sprawled across when she had been sick – and when he had been sick, Elizabeth remembered with a little blush. Drew's lips weren't like Jason's either – but then again, maybe her memory was just foggy. After all, it had been quite a while since she had felt those lips on hers – never since that steamy make-out session in the kitchen. She had dreamt one night about kissing him – they had been lying together in bed and she had dreamt of waking up to find his lips on hers. But that was only a dream – a realistic dream, but still a dream at that.

Satisfied that their little show had gone on long enough, Elizabeth pulled away and flashed her date a smile. "Thanks for everything, Drew."

"No problem, Liz," he replied easily. She noticed him cast a few nervous glances at the diner. "Look – you sure this Morgan guy won't come after me? Positive?"

Elizabeth rolled her midnight blue eyes "Goodbye, Drew."

"Later, Webber."

She watched him leave and then slipped her key into the lock, pushing the door open. No sooner had she stepped into the kitchen than her eyes were arrested by Jason's.

"Oh!" She nearly jumped a foot in the air. "Jason! Jeez, you surprised me! What are you doing up?"

His intense eyes looked oddly haunted, and the older man gestured vaguely to the almost empty cup of coffee in his vice-like grip. "I was just…getting some coffee." Yeah, and an eyeful. Elizabeth and that loser had been making out for longer than he cared to remember. He could hear them talking, although he couldn't make out the words and was mostly glad. No doubt that loser was singing her sweet little lies. Jackass.

She nodded and tucked her hair behind her ears, feeling surprisingly awkward. "Well, I should get upstairs. I'm exhausted."

Now that was the last thing he wanted to hear. Jason frowned slightly as she walked past him. He was about to follow her when the little brunette suddenly pivoted on her high heeled lavender pumps and collided with his chest.

Instantly, Jason reached out to steady her and found his hands coming to a natural rest on her tiny waist. "What? What is it?"

She was blushing under the dim light as she slowly untangled herself from his arms. "Oh, um, it's nothing. You go on up – don't let me keep you."

His sandy brows furrowed. "Did you need something?"

Elizabeth toyed with her bottom lip, her eyes darting around the kitchen. "Well, actually…I'm kinda hungry."

He blinked at her. Didn't that Drew loser spend a nickel and feed her? What was wrong with the little shit? "Didn't you already eat?"

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Well, yeah, but that was before the movie. It's been about four hours!"

Jason was staring at her. "So?"

She threw her hands up in the air, exasperated. "Well, I'm hungry, Jason!"

The mechanic shook his head in amusement. It didn't matter what time of the day it was or what she had been doing – the little brunette could pack food away like nobody's business. He had no clue where it all went – she weighed about the same as one of his legs – but it had to go somewhere. "How about some pancakes?"

Her grin seemed to light up the dim diner as she looped her arm through his, kicked off her ridiculous shoes, and floated back into the kitchen with him. "See? This is why I love you so much – you feed me."

From the minute Johnny O'Brien stepped into the cozy little diner, he smelled trouble. Being a newspaper editor gave him a nose for these things, and he could tell almost instantly that something was afoot. Next to him, his clueless little wife frowned at her cellphone before slipping it back into her purse. "Where do you want to sit?"

He quickly scanned the room. Not near the mother with the three children – that was a disaster waiting to happen. Not near the businessman who was yammering into his phone at a mile a minute – he'd be tempted to rip the headset, ear and all, off of him and run across the diner with the detached ear bouncing gaily behind. What a yutz. Not near the door – too impersonal, too breezy. Not near the counter – most of the spills and trips happened near the counter.

"Here's good," he announced, gently settling a hand at his wife's waist and leading her to the table. She flopped down into her seat and looked around for her friend. "I haven't been here in a while."

"I know," Emily replied smugly. "And it's a good thing you came today, too – now you can finally meet Jason."

"You mean the poor putz that you two are playing mind games with?" Johnny replied dryly. "The kid must be a wreck by now."

"Shh," Emily chided with a playful glitter in her eye. "You be nice, Johnny O'Brien."

"Be nice to the guy I'm helping screw over," her husband drawled, remembering the pretend date he'd arranged between one of his interns – or personal gophers, as they were commonly known – and Elizabeth. "That's great, Em. We're all going straight to Hell for this, you know."

"Well, at least we're consistent," she smiled brightly as she spotted Elizabeth walking over to them. "Oh, Elizabeth! C'mere, c'mere! How was your date last night?"

Elizabeth glanced nervously over her shoulder at Jason who was fixing himself a cup of coffee at the counter with a terribly dark scowl marring his perfect features. Jeez, did Emily have to announce it in front of everyone? Jason had been in a crabby mood since they opened this morning, and she suspected that it was because of the way the girls had worked her over for every detail of her date, making sure to blow it way out of proportion for Jason's benefit. For a man that seemed to have a thick skin…boy, he sure was crabby.

"It was fine," she replied in a smooth voice, hoping that Emily would take the hint.

Her friend looked up at her suspiciously and glanced at Jason before she understood. While there would be much to discuss later, for now she'd let Anger Boy slide and take some pity on him. "That's good – Drew's a great guy. Can you sit and have breakfast with us?"

"Maybe," Elizabeth replied, glancing around the diner. It wasn't as busy as usual, and the customers didn't seem to need anything. "What do you guys want?"

They both ordered the usual and Elizabeth nodded before disappearing with Jason back into the kitchen. Johnny was so engrossed in the paper that he almost didn't notice when the two co-workers returned with the food. The Irishman jumped in his seat when he felt Emily's foot collide with his shin under the table.

"Johnny, honey," she smiled sweetly, "I'd like you to meet someone. This is Jason Morgan. Jason, this is my husband Johnny."

The dark-haired man's mouth nearly fell open when he first laid eyes on his victim. He had been expecting some cocky, oblivious pretty boy type – and Jason Morgan was anything but. He was tall with broad shoulders and dangerous eyes, and Johnny wondered if the man's hands were always curled into fists.

"Uh, hi, Jason, nice to meet you," he got out, extending his hand. Jason accepted it in a firm grip that Johnny swore cut off all circulation to his fingers and after a grunt that was supposed to pass as both a salutation and a goodbye, the man stormed off into the kitchen.

"Well," the Irishman got out, quirking a brow at his wife and her best friend. "He's a regular cup of sunshine – congratulations there, Elizabeth."

While Emily glared at her husband, Elizabeth glanced back nervously at the swinging green doors that led into the kitchen. Inside, Jason could be heard slamming things. Hard. She slouched back in her seat as Emily and Johnny argued about who was going to be sent to a deeper malebolge of the City of Dis by the time this plan was over and havoc was wreaked. She should have been feeling excited – the first phases of the Light A Fire Under His Ass operation were a resounding success. Her no-strings-attached date had worked like a charm and Jason did seem to be furious. But she couldn't help but wonder as he thundered around in the kitchen that maybe – just maybe – Drew knew what he was talking about after all.