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"You Make Me Feel So Young" - Frank Sinatra
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I've been feeling under the weather for some time and it didn't knock me off my feet until New Years Eve. It's been a slow climb back to health, but I feel if I don't post this I'll keep recreating it in my fever dreams. (I have a very active brain…. I'm always in a constant state of excessive daydreaming)
Well I'll stop my rambling and let you get to the chapter. Stay safe, wash your hands, and try not to touch anyone haha. Enjoy this cute date night!
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She was running late.
The Uber was taking longer than she expected. She had to cancel the driver three times before she got one that was actually in her area.
As the black Kia rolled up in front of her building, the driver rolled down his window.
"Ella Lopez?" He asked. Ella nodded her head.
"Raul Sanchez?" She asked. The man nodded his head, unlocking the doors.
Safe that the man was her driver, Ella entered the car and put her seatbelt on.
"I understand we are making another stop before going to our destination. Are we still heading to the nightclub Lux?"
"Yes, is that okay?"
"Yup, just let me put it into my gps." He took the moment to type in his new coordinates. "Says we'll be there in thirty minutes."
"That's good."
The driver nodded his head and took off. He put on his music to keep the silence bearable.
Ella couldn't help but smile the whole way. The thought of being with Michael again tonight made her happy. She kept her view to the window and watched the traffic move outside.
A vibration from her purse notified her that she'd received a text message. She fished her phone out of her pocket and checked the lock screen.
The dress code was casual, right?
It said from Michael. She smiled at her phone as she unlocked the text.
Yes. And don't tell me you don't have anything to wear. Maze has already informed me that you raided Dan's closet for potential clothing advice.
Another text came within seconds. She shook her head as Michael replied lightning fast.
Keyword. Advice, Darling. I highly doubt you want me dressing like Daniel.
Ella thought over Michael's words and shook her head. She physically shivered at the thought of going down that route again.
Mind sending me over a picture of you for reference? ?
The corners of Ella's lips tugged so far back you'd think she'd seen a naughty photo. She looked up at the driver and looked to see if he'd seen her expression. He didn't.
Going over his request, she shot him down. She knew he was aware of the word casual. This was just his way of getting a sneak peak of her before they met.
Request denied ?
She bit her lip to prevent the smile from spreading any further. As she waited for his response, she dared to look at her driver once more. The two made eye contact in the rearview mirror. She quickly avoided her gaze and responded back to Michael.
Dank Farrik. It was worth a try ?
Her eyes bulged out as she caught onto his new nerd terminology. She sat up straight with excitement.
"So… what do we got, date night?" Raul asked. He looked up at the mirror to make eye contact with Ella.
"Hmm?" She was too busy trying to message Michael to hear what he had to say.
"Oh I just asked if it was date night. I can see you blushing into your phone."
"Oh!" She tried to pull back on the blushing but laughed it off. "Yeah…" she waved her hand in the air, "just a new thing I got going."
"Oh, I didn't mean to impose. Sorry about that."
"No no you're fine. It's fine. I'm just messaging my date… he's having trouble deciding on an outfit."
The driver chuckled.
"Either he's nervous or he's conceded. I'd hope the former, for your sake."
"Oh definitely the former." She smiled down at her phone as she received confirmation that he'd settled on an outfit. "Green light, he's found the outfit."
"Good timing, we're ten minutes out."
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As instructed, they arrived within ten minutes. Ella made sure to message Michael and notify him that they'd be outside in the front.
As Michael popped out of Lux, Ella busted out in laughter.
"He's literally wearing the same thing as me," she told the driver.
He turned his head and looked over the man heading their way. Michael was indeed wearing the same outfit scheme as Ella. Grey knitted sweater with denim jeans.
She hurried and rolled down the window so she could whistle at her date.
"Look at you! We're twinning it!"
Michael stopped a few feet from the car and did an overdramatized pose for her. He shuffled his feet to add dramatics.
"Is that so?" He walked up to the window and looked down at her attire. "Ha! We are!" He leaned into the window and smiled at her. "I'm afraid one of us might have to change."
"What you don't want to match with me?" She laughed.
He lifted his head towards the night sky thinking of his answer, the gesture cost him a light punch to the stomach. He let out a chuckle before leaning forward to place a kiss on her lips.
He wasn't sure what possessed him to lean forward, but he was happy when she reciprocated it back.
A cough from the driver seat pulled them apart.
"Sorry," Michael voiced.
He clenched his teeth and flashed Ella a smile. He felt like a school boy that had just got caught kissing someone he wasn't supposed to be kissing. To avoid any further disruption, Michael backed away and made haste for the other side of the car.
"I can move over. Michael come back!" Ella called out.
He made a one-eighty turn and opened the door that had the window down. Ella scooted over into the middle and let Michael slide into the car. Once he was buckled in, the driver turned around and smiled at the pair.
"Definitely the former," he told Ella.
"Shh!" She replied.
Michael turned his head toward her and looked at his date confused. Ells brushed it off like it was nothing. She went ahead and slipped her hand into his. The connection was enough to render him speechless. His eyes dropped down to their joint hands and smiled.
She's holding my hand… He told himself.
Ella's began running her thumb across his calluses.
"We're heading to…" Raul spoke up.
"Yes!" She cut him off. She looked at Michael and then back to Raul. "Sorry," she let out a chuckle, "I'm surprising him. He doesn't know where we're going, but yes the next destination is on Figueroa Street."
"Oh I'm sorry!" He felt bad for almost ruining the date. "Got it, lips closed. We should be there in twenty minutes."
"Thank you Raul!" The man gave her a thumbs up and let the two have their privacy.
She turned her head and shot Michael a smile when she noticed he was all too quiet. Her hand slipped out of his to grab his attention.
He mourned her touch.
"You okay?" She asked.
Michael looked up confused. She shot him a smile once more and repeated her question.
"Oh," he let out a chuckle, "sorry, no yeah, I'm okay. I wasn't paying attention. I was kinda lost in thought."
"What were you thinking about?"
"Would you believe me if I said your beauty?" He shot her an award winning smile.
"Mr. Smooth."
Ella visibility blushed at his statement. She hid her face by looking forward at the driver. Michael slipped his hand over her thigh and into her hand.
That brief touch of her thigh was enough to send butterflies fluttering inside Ella's stomach. She bit her lip to prevent their Uber driver from noticing her reaction.
It was too late, he was secretly watching from the rearview mirror. He shot her a smile.
She shook her head and retreated back into the seat besides Michael. Their closeness forced Michael to slip his arm over her shoulder, relinquishing her hand.
"Hi," he whispered down at her.
"Hi," she smiled up at him.
"How was work?"
As the atmosphere in the car changed with that one sentence, she rolled her eyes and laid her head on his chest.
"Tiring. I hate cataloging day... I mean I love it, but I was doing double time today to try and get out early and it kinda just tired me out."
"You know you didn't have to leave early for our date, we could have resc…"
"No no, we've been looking forward to this day and…" she looked up, "I didn't want to change it."
"Didn't want to change it, you say? Well, I'm glad you didn't." He leaned down and placed his lips on hers.
Kissing was new to him, casual kissing. The intimacy of kissing someone just to have a connection. Everytime his lips touched Ella's, his heart always fluttered.
Aware that another person was in the car, Ella pulled away and corrected the smudge of lipstick on his lips.
"Sorry, I forgot the clapstick." Michael let out a chuckle.
"Is this not the right shade for my lips?" He joked. Ella slapped his chest, before laying into his side. "Can I know where we're going?" He leaned by her ear.
"Nope," she responded.
"Can I get a clue?"
"Nope," she replied once more.
"Do..."
"Not a baseball game," she let out a chuckle.
"Oh I know. The game started two hours ago." He chuckled. Michael reached across and linked his fingers with hers. "I was going to ask if I could pay tonight. We never talked about it, but it wouldn't be right for you to pay for the whole night."
"Nope, I got it all covered. I'm your sugar mama for the night," she looked up and smiled at Michael.
"What's a sugar mama?" He wasn't familiar with the word.
Raul let out a noise when he heard the word, he tried very hard not to laugh.
"It's a woman who pays for everything. So you don't have to worry your pretty little head about any expenses today." She ran her hand along his jaw admiring his smile.
"What if I want to pay though?"
"You can pay for the next date," she winked at him.
"I thought we weren't going to think ahead until the night was over…" He smiled.
Ella went ahead and shrugged her shoulders. Sure she said that over the weekend, yes, but today was different. They had really pushed their connection a lot yesterday at their date not lunch date.
She wanted to see him more.
She wanted to kiss him more.
Hell, she wanted him in her bed, but that could only happen if they kept going on dates. If they kept getting to know each other.
So she shrugged her shoulders and let Michael know to plan their next date.
"Noted," Michael replied. He pulled her close and listened to the softly played music coming out of the speakers of the car.
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Fifteen minutes passed before the car came to a stop in front of the building. Michael looked out the window, but still didn't know where they were. The close proximity of the car rendered his ability to properly see the sign outside. He could tell it was a busy place. There was a line outside that wrapped the corner.
Ella went ahead and confirmed her payment with the driver. She nudged Michael out when she was done.
Like the gentleman Michael was, he held out his hand and helped Ella out.
"Why thank you kind Sir."
"It is my pleasure, my Lady."
He offered his elbow waiting for Ella to link her arm with his. Ella went ahead and wrapped her arm around Michael's and led him over to the entrance.
"Got any idea where we are at?" She asked. Michael shook his head.
"Good thing we picked a sweater to wear tonight, it's a bit chilly outside."
"Oh we don't have to wait outside, I put in reservation over the weekend."
Impressed, Michael nodded his head and led them over to the front door. The doorman politely asked if they had a reservation, which Ella kindly showed proof. Once everything was covered, Michael opened the door for them.
The sound of bowling pins echoed out into the building. Michael still had a look of confusion on his face, but held wonder in his smile.
"What is this place?" he asked with a smile.
"It's a bowling alley. Have you never been here before?"
Michael shook his head. He pulled them deeper into the building so he could get a better look.
The place looked like it came out of nineteen twenties. Ella watched as Michael pulled her along so he could take in the old architecture. As they passed the kitchen, Michael stopped and watched the employees pull pizzas out of a stone oven.
"You've never heard of Highland Park?" She asked. Michael shook his head again. He felt like a broken bobblehead. "Oh wow! I can't wait for you to see the lanes and the bar."
It was her turn to pull Michael along. The angel followed Ella's lead and let the tiny woman lead him down the hall further into the building. The sound of bowling palls smacking into the pins grew louder.
When they reached the entrance, a coworker stopped them.
"Will you be eating or just playing tonight?" the employee asked.
"Both." Ella said with confidence. "Oh, I have a reservation. It's under Ella." She looked up at Michael and smiled at him. He stood behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders to see if her name was written on the woman's notebook.
The employee looked over the names, once she found the name she highlighted it.
"You're an hour early, but you're free to…" as the employee looked up and locked eyes with Michael. "Mr. Morningstar! I'm terribly sorry, I didn't know that was you. Allow me to open up a lane for you…"
"Oh…" he looked down at Ella and smiled. It wasn't the first time he'd been mistaken for his brother. "I… it's alright. We're in no rush. " He looked down at Ella.
"Are you sure? We'd be more than willing to open up a lane for you and your friend…"
"Date," Michael corrected, "and no. We're fine with waiting. Thank you."
The employee nodded her head, turned the pages of her notebook, and quickly left a note for herself. Once she was finished she smiled up at Michael, completely ignoring Ella.
"You are free to enter the bowling area."
"But we have to pay…" Ella said, confused.
"Mr. Morningstar is a huge sponsor of our business. We couldn't possibly accept any money from him."
Not interested in looking a gifted horse in the mouth, Ella grabbed Michael's hand and booked it into the bowling area.
"I can't believe Lucifer has this many connections around L.A."
"You'd be surprised to see how many deals he has as well…"
Out of nowhere, Ella slapped her hand across his chest once they were over by the bar. "Do you take advantage of all of your brother's business deals?"
"Of course I do!" He chuckled. "I've been maintaining half of them since he's been gone, it's only fair I get a cut."
Ella led them over to the bar so they could get started with the night. As she faced the bartender, Michael stood besides her paying the employee no mind. His eyes roamed over Ella's backside as she arched forward.
"What can I get for you, sweetheart?" The bartender asked.
The innocent name calling snapped Michael's head straight up so he could see the man who was flirting with his date.
"Cool it Luke, I'm on a date."
"Mr. Morningstar is your date?" He said in disbelief. The two men made eye contact, Michael was not happy. He squinted his eyes staring the man down.
"No," she let out a laugh. "This is Michael, he's Lucifer's brother. Michael, Luke. Luke this is my date, Michael."
"Pleasure," Michael said. He extended his hand out so he could shake the bartender's hand.
As the two men clasped hands, they both went for a strong grip. Michael added extra grip as the human tried to show his dominance. Luke pulled back fast as Michael's grip grew too tight.
"Nice to meet you Michael. Your name precedes you." He flexed his hand trying to loosen the cramp that was forming. "What… what uh, can I get for the two of you?"
Oblivious the two men were measuring dick sizes, Ella tapped her hands across the bar humming at the choices on the cocktail menu.
"Uh… any chance I can get you to make something off the menu?"
"For you, anything."
"I was thinking of your famous green tea." Luke nodded his head. "And Michael will have a whiskey sour."
Michael pulled his eyes from Luke and smiled down at Ella.
"How did you… you know my favorite drink?"
"I pay attention," she mumbled.
"Who told you?"
Ella zipped her lips and looked over at Luke.
"Green tea and a Whiskey sour, my good man."
"Got it boss. Go ahead and have a seat over at the open chairs. I'll get your drinks ready in the meantime."
"Thank you Luke!"
Ella reached into her purse ready to leave him her card, but he stopped her right away.
"Nope night tonight, it's on me." He shot her a smile and gave Michael a nod.
"I can't do that to you, come on."
"Nope." He started pulling bottles off the rack for their drinks ignoring Ella's advances to give him her debit card. Michael smiled as she started to get frustrated. "Rye whiskey alright Michael?"
"Hmm?" He turned his head. "Sure. Which one's do you have?"
"I have Michter, bullet, Jack…"
"Michter, please."
"A man with taste." Luke pulled out the bottle and started measuring ingredients out.
Ella watched in wonder as her friend went all out to show her his trade. Michael went ahead and nudged Ella over to the chairs off to the side. She followed along. Before she could pull out her chair, Michael beat her to it.
"Why, thank you."
"You're very welcome," he whispered by her ear. He worked fast and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Mind if I sit besides you?"
"Not at all." She tapped the seat.
Michael plopped himself besides Ella. His eyes wandered all around the building taking in the architecture for the first time. His senses were on full alert. The smell of pizza was strong. The noise of bowling balls hitting the pins roared loud across the room. The rich orange hue of the lighting worked wonders on the nineteen-twenties themed bowling alley.
Ella leaned into his side and directed his attention over to the wall besides him. The whole wall was dedicated to alcohol bottles. Some dating back to the nineteenth century. He couldn't stop looking at the collection of alcohol lined inside the glass cabinets.
"I got your Whiskey sour and green tea," Luke said. He placed their drinks in front of them and shot Ella a wink before walking away. She shook her head dismissing his flirtation.
"Do you like the place?" Ella asked. She nudged Michael to let him know his drink was in front of him.
"I love it," he said. He gave the room one last scan before smiling at Ella. "Thank you for picking this place. I've never been here before."
"I could tell when we first walked inside," she let out a chuckle.
"I need to work on my poker face."
Ella brought her cocktail up to her lips and tried her drink. As the whiskey hit her taste buds, she pulled away and nodded her head.
"Luke out did himself on that," she slid her drink over for Michael to try. "You gotta try this."
"Sharing drinks now?" He asked, amused.
"Well if you don't want to..." She pulled at the napkin under her glass, but Michael stopped her.
"No no, I'd love to try it. I was just playing with you." He leaned forward and placed his lips on the straw to have himself a try. His eyebrows shot up surprised. "What's this called again?"
"A green tea. It was Jameson, peach schnapps, and sours. Figured I'd start off slow tonight."
Michael tried taking another sip, but she pushed his face away.
"Nuh-uh this one's mine."
He scooted closer to her.
"I thought we were sharing things now," he teased.
"Well if that is the case, then let me try your drink.. I mean our drink."
Michael let out a chuckle, he slid his drink over for Ella to try. He watched as she lifted the glass off the counter top and brought the drink up to her lips. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. His eyes wandered over her curls down the pattern of her sweater. He was entranced.
He was too engrossed in her beauty to know she'd drank a sizable amount of his drink. As she lifted her eyebrow at him, he shook his head and dropped his eyes on his glass.
"What the…" he let out a chuckle, "well did you at least enjoy it?"
"Very much," she giggled out.
"Can I have more of yours?"
"Nope!" She grabbed her drink and slid off the chair. She started walking away from Michael.
"Where are you going?" He called out.
"To get something to eat. Come on!"
She was already moving fast to the entrance of the building. Michael went ahead and pulled out his wallet from his pocket. He pulled out a few bills and placed it on the counter for Luke. Before he left, he waved the man off and rushed after his date with their drinks.
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After a round of hot potato on what to get, the two had finally decided on a couple of appetizers followed by a pizza they could share. The cooks informed them that the food would be brought out and made in ten minutes.
With that being said, the two walked over to the sitting area upstairs and had themselves a seat. Michael pulled the chair out for Ella once again so she could sit in the chair.
"Such a gentleman," she said.
"What can I say, my mother taught me right." He took his seat across from her and placed their number on the table for the employees to find later.
"So weird question, you don't have to answer, but I gotta ask. Was Charlotte really your step-mom?"
Michael smiled into his drink as he tried to come up with a clever way of phrasing the answer. Ella sat quietly at the end of her seat waiting for his answer. When he was ready he placed his drink down and gave her a sincere smile.
"She was a mother to me. I was heartbroken to know I missed my last opportunity to talk to her before she crossed into the beyond."
"Oh I'm so sorry Michael, I didn't mean…"
"No no you're alright." He reached forward and laid his hand on hers. He shot her a smile for confirmation. "She was a cold woman and really hard to understand at times. Blame father for that, but I did hear she came around toward the end." He pulled his hand away.
"She did… I'm guessing you and Lucifer share the same thoughts about your dad."
"In a sense. It's really hard to shine when his shadow casts larger than your light. High expectations," he shook his head, "I try not to impress him anymore. It's a lost cause."
"Seems like your father has an extreme God complex…"
"Oh," he let out a chuckle, "you have no idea." He held his glass forward so he could cheer Ella on the subject. She reciprocated the gesture and clinked her glass against his.
He watched as she leaned back into her chair and smiled behind her glass. He still couldn't get over how attracted her was to her. It wasn't so much the physical attraction but the gravitational pull she had. He felt like something was pulling him towards her. Like a magnet.
Curious if she'd respond well to more angelical conversation, Michael placed his glass down. He placed his elbows on the table and smiled. He promised Chloe he'd let Ella know of his intentions. And he spent all day going over them. He wanted this to work out. He wanted to be with her.
"What?" Ella asked, curious.
His heart started beating fast.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked.
"A few things actually...I understand you were once a religious…"
His conversation was cut short when an employee shoved a pie tray in front of them.
"Order 9 for Mr. Morningstar!" He called out. "I got your Salsiccia E Ricotta pizza along with your six piece wings and cauliflower rice arancini." He packed the table with their food, placing plates, napkins, and utensils for them to use. "Is there anything else I can get for the two of you. Drinks, anything?"
"Uh…" He was caught off guard. He looked around the table, "I could go for some water, if you have any. Ella?" He offered.
"I'll have the same."
"I'll be right back with that for you." The employee took off leaving them with the delicious smell.
"Oh I don't know about you, but I am starving!" Ella exclaimed.
She started plucking her choice of pizza off the pan. Before the cheese could fall, she lifted it in time to catch it with her tongue. Michael watched in wonder. Oh how Michael wished he was the greasy goop of cheese that swirled around her tongue. All conversation prior to the food was lost to him and the world.
"You alright, Michael?" She said, amused.
"Huh?" He shook his head. "Yeah... yeah! I'm great." He flashed her a smile.
"Would you like a plate, Mr. Great?"
"I'd love one, Miss Lopez."
Ella couldn't help but get butterflies every time he called her that. It was the way he said it. He made it sound so sexual. Before she could say anything with the same caliber back, the employee walked over with their drinks.
"I have your waters. I was told that your lane is being prepared and should be ready in thirty minutes. If you want, I can grab your shoe sizes and have them ready for you before…"
"That'll be alright. I wasn't expecting extra treatment today. We can take care of that ourselves…" Michael looked for a name tag but he couldn't find one.
"Serna," he said. "My name is Serna."
"Serna," Michael repeated. "We can handle everything from here, but thank you for the offer."
"Anytime, Mr. Morningstar." He smiled at Ella and left.
"It's like dating a celebrity," Ella said.
"Dating? Are we dating now Miss Lopez?" He scooted his chair closer to her as he awaited her response.
"Only if you play your cards right," she teased.
"Noted." He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
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They had chatted amongst themselves until their thirty minutes was up. They shoved as much food as they could into their mouths until they were full.
Unwilling to let food go to waste, Ella voiced that they should just bring the remaining food over to the lanes. It wasn't a bad idea. They still wanted to drink, so it'd help to have something to munch on.
With his hands occupied with their leftovers, Ella maneuvered Michael over to the bowling station. She managed to grab their shoes and information on where they were stationed. Lane four was their pick tonight. Smack right in the middle of the room.
"Size twelve," Ella said, impressed. "Not bad."
"You like big feet?"
"If the feet are anything to go by it…" She set Michael's bowling shoes down in front of him.
"Please Miss Lopez, I'm a virgin."
Ella burst into laughter. Her laughter was so great she had to hold onto Michael's shoulder to prevent herself from falling over.
"Oh that's a funny one. If you're a virgin, I'm Mother Teresa."
"Nonsense, she was a heartless woman. Had her own cult and swept the lands with colonialism and racism. Made my life a living Hell while she was alive..."
"You knew Mother Teresa?"
"I don't like to talk about it…"
"Interesting."
"But you're no Mother Teresa." He pulled her down onto his lap. "You're far too kind and innocent." He ran a finger along her cheek.
"Oh I wouldn't say innocent," she purred out.
"Is that so?"
Ella was leaning forward toward Michael's lips when a group of four came and interrupted their moment. The woman of the group voiced her apologies. Ella and Michael waved them off saying it was fine. One by one their lane neighbors introduced themselves. The first was the oldest of the group.
"Sorry for my friends. We all just had rounds of shots over at the bar. I'm Noah, this is my wife Claire." Both extended their hands out to Michael and Ella.
"Pleasure," Michael said.
"Nice to meet you," Ella said back.
Already sitting and putting their shoes on were the last of their group. Once they were finished tying their shoes, they extended their hands.
"I'm Jon and this lovely man who will most likely stick to the couch is my husband, Ricky."
"He's not lying, I'm terrible at bowling. I only came for the drinks."
Michael and Ella extended their hands and said their hellos.
"That's quite a grip you got there…" Jon asked politely, seeking Michael's name.
"Michael! I'm terribly sorry. For the grip and failure to say my name. This is my…"
"I'm Ella. He's my designated husband for the night," she cut in. She smiled down at Michael, wrapped her arm around his shoulder, and placed a kiss on the crown of his head.
"Designated husband?" Michael chuckled.
"Well we can't be the only non-married couple." Michael didn't bother saying anything more. He simply smiled and held Ella closer to him.
"With that said, can I be the first to say, you picked a rather handsome one," Claire voiced.
It earned a round laughter from everyone.
"I did, didn't I?" Ella responded back. Michael looked up, shaking his head.
"Have the two of you started your game yet?" asked Noah.
"No not yet… we were a little distracted."
He let out a chuckle, "we noticed. Would you like to play teams?"
"That'd be fun. What do you think Michael?" Ella asked.
"I uh...never played before so I don't know how well I'd be in a team."
"Nonsense it's super easy, I'll give you some pointers." Ella winked at Michael.
"Alright."
"With that settled," Jon clasped his hands, "we need team names. Ricky, you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Rear Enders," he signalled his husband.
"Ah, my man ladies and gents. This is why I love you!" He leaned over and kissed his husband.
"They always pick that. Clever but inappropriate, Jon," Claire voiced.
"Ours isn't any better, Dear." He turned to Ella and Michael and smiled. "We like to use Shake-n-Bake."
"That's amazing! I love Talladega Nights." Ella said. "Aw, now we gotta come up with a good one. Any ideas, Michael?"
"Oh my mind is only thinking of inappropriate names. I'll wait to hear what you are thinking of first."
"I always used the name split lickers, slick my balls, and gutter mouth. I doubt yours can be too bad."
"Oh you'd be surprised." He ran his hand along her thigh involuntarily. "I was thinking three fingers, holes, and loud bangs… The Shockers?" He felt her breath hitch. It was most likely from his roaming hand, but he liked to think it was also the name choice. He smiled and looked up at her. "But it doesn't have the same appeal as everyone else's.
"The shockers?" Noah asked. "Never heard that one."
"How about Bowl Me Over?" She ran her hand along Michael's jaw.
"Is that an invitation?" Michael asked.
"Oh ho! The heterosexual tension is skyrocketing! How about we use that testosterone to hit some pins?" Ricky stood up clasping his hands.
Ella laughed to herself as they were once again interrupted. Michael's head leaned against her bicep to recuperate himself. She hugged his head to gesture her apology. She knew she was teasing him. She didn't mean to do it.
"I'll go first for our lane," Ricky voiced.
"I'll join you. Let me just put my shoes on first." Ella climbed off Michael's lap and sat besides him. As she finished tying them, she instructed Michael to watch her. "Since you haven't played this before, keep close attention to me."
"Oh I'll be watching," he got up his seat and leaned against the arm rest.
Not at all interested in her technique, Michael kept his eyes on her backside. As she stepped out of the way and faced him, he realized she had bowled a strike. A round of applause echoed out from the back of him, encouraging him to open his arms and hug her.
"Did you see that? I got a strike!"
"I did. Look at you!"
"He was totally staring at your ass Ella," Jon called out. A fit of laughter followed earning Michael to flash a smile at his date.
"At least I know how low to bend."
"Mhm," Ella dropped her arms and playfully pushed him forward. "Don't come crying if you can't hit the pins."
"It can't be that hard…" Ella raised her eyebrow at him. "I mean how hard can it be?"
Michael walked over to the bowling bowls and picked up a ball. He turned it around trying to figure out which fingers to put in the holes.
"Middle, ring finger, and thumb, Michael." Ella called out.
He nodded his head and placed his large fingers into the small holes. He started to wonder if they would even come out if he rolled the ball.
Ricky looked out at his remaining pins and stood straight trying to figure out the right pins to hit. Michael went ahead and copied him. As the man pulled his arm back and let the ball go, Michael made sure to mimic his posture.
"Are you going to roll the ball, Michael?" Ella called out.
Michael turned around and squinted his eyes at her. She immediately lifted her hands and laughed at him.
"I'm getting to it."
He brought the ball up to his chin and leaned forward to swing the ball down the lane. A pop followed by a thud sounded off as it left Michael's hand. The ball indeed had some trouble coming off his fingers.
As the ball blasted down the lane, it looked like he was on track for a strike, but at the last second it went straight into the gutter hitting nothing.
Michael groaned as he heard the group laughing at him. He turned around to find Ella walking up to him.
"Your ball was too small. Your fingers got stuck huh?"
"Yeah…"
"You need a bigger ball. Here I'll help you."
She walked him over to the rack so he could choose a better ball to fit his hand. Unable to lift the heavier ones, she grabbed his hand to help fill the hole of his finger size. Avoiding possible dirty jokes, Michael kept his mouth closed.
"I think the extra large might be a little too heavy, but it…"
Michael smirked as he proved her wrong. He went ahead and lifted it like it weighed nothing.
"You were saying?"
"I stand corrected. Are you sure you can control it, we don't need you sending it into another lane."
"It fits perfectly," he moved it around testing his mobility.
"Okay. You think you can hit the pins this time?" She teased.
"I believe so. Kiss for good luck?" He leaned forward.
She went ahead and stood on her tippy toes to deliver the kiss he so badly wanted.
"Now go so we can continue to the game and crush our competitors."
"Competitive are we?" Michael chuckled to himself and walked up to his lane.
Jon was already finished with his turn. He managed to get his ten pins after his second bowl. Noah was up next. He nodded to Michael before rolling his bowling ball down the lane. As the pin bursted apart, Noah let out a holler for his strike. His wife came up to him and finished their signature handshake.
Now he felt intimidated. Michael shook his right leg out and worked on his form. He lifted the ball up to his chin once again. He took a deep breath and leaned forward once more so he could swing his arm. As the ball went speeding down the lane, he smiled as he was on track for a strike. But at the very end, it once again turned at the last second and clipped four pins over.
"Son of a bitch!" he called out.
"Wooh!" Ella clapped her hand, cheering Michael.
He turned around and retreated to her side.
"It's your first time, don't worry." She rubbed his back as he settled on the arm rest. "We got nine frames to get better.
.
.
Living up to their team name, Ella assisted Michael in his technique. Much to his pride, he agreed and let his gorgeous date step behind him to guide his throws.
The round of laughter behind them went unnoticed as Ella lined him up. She kept him facing forward to keep him focused.
"Block them out. They're just jealous."
"How so?"
"They don't get me grabbing their ass." As she said it, she placed her hand on Michael's butt. He giggled with excitement.
"I see."
"Now swing your arm back for me," she waited until he did as instructed. As it came back she placed her arm behind his. The other hand steadied his hips. "Now as the ball leaves your hands don't let your legs kick out too much. Just cross them over and keep your hips steadied. Lets try it slowly."
Michael did as instructed and let the ball leave his hand slowly. He wasn't so much focused on his technique as he much as he was on Ella's body pressed behind him. The feel of her hand sliding down his thigh caused him to become hyper aware of himself. His arousal was through the roof.
Unable to take the close proximity anymore, he stood up straight. Ella slowly pulled her hands away and stepped out from behind him. Ella paid him no mind as we watched his bowling ball slowly roll to the pins.
"Watch!" She tapped his bicep eagerly.
"Huh?" He looked forward just in time to see the ball knock everything down except the two outer pins. "Ugh! Almost."
"But that was good!" She gave him a hug from the side. "I know exactly how to hit those two pins. Come on, I'll get you set up again." She waited for his bowling ball to come out of the buffer. As she was about to grab it, Michael did the honors. "Okay show off."
"Just trying to help you, Dear."
Michael lifted his arms for Ella to put them in place. As they got into position, the men on the opposite side of them started to laugh.
"Man, look at this guy! He's got his girl showing him how to bowl."
Ella dropped her arms as she felt Michael straighten out.
"What did you just say?" Michael asked annoyed.
Noah and company stood from their seats ready to step in, should Michael need help. Ella tried pulling Michael away, but he shook his head and walked towards the men.
The leader waved his hand dismissing Michael. The angel looked at Ella confused, but made a point to ask the guy again.
"No, I asked you something. Don't dismiss it, you found something funny."
"Man, you heard me. Faggot ass can't even hit a pin by yourself without your girl helping you. That's depressing, dog."
Jon and Ricky rushed over to Michael all too aware it was going to turn into a fight. Ella only stopped them when Michael held his hand out for them to stay back.
"Michael… they aren't worth it." Ella whispered.
"I got this, don't worry."
Michael walked over to the guys rolling up the sleeves to his sweater. He had to admit they were larger than him. If he wasn't a celestial he was sure they'd be able to knock him off his ass, but that wasn't the case tonight.
"Man, you should listen to your girl before this ends bad for you."
"It'll only end badly if you don't apologize. You can't go intimidating people for simply not knowing how to do something."
"I can do whatever the fuck I want. So go back to your skank ass hoe and leave us alone."
"What did you just say?" Michael clenched his fists. The man looked down and noticed Michael was ready to strike him. He smiled as Michael dared walked closer.
"What the fuck are you going to do?" The guy asked.
His group of guys started circling around them. Comfortable with his odds, Michael walked up to the man and whispered something in his ear before pointing over to the security coming their way.
As the man's eyes shifted over to see the security walking their way, he caught a brief glance of Michael's eyes. Terrified like he had seen a ghost, the man backed up into his group. He tried everything to get away from Michael.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" He called out. As he got more aggressive, the security officers dragged him off. The last thing the guy saw were Michael's eyes glowing with his worst fear.
"Are you alright, Mr. Morningstar?" An employee asked.
The group of men dispersed allowing everyone to see Michael for the first time.
"Yeah…" Michael kept his eyes on the guy as he went willingly with the security officers. It wasn't until he turned the corner did he look at the employee. "Just a case of lack of respect that's all. I'm sure he'll be better at it in the future."
"They seem to be leaving quietly. We're sorry for the…"
"No it's okay really. I'm sorry for causing a scene."
As the employee and Michael hashed out the incident, Noah and his group turned to Ella.
"What did Michael say to him?" They whispered.
"I'm not sure…"
"Who is he? Is he famous?" Claire asked.
"Michael? No… I don't think so. His brother is Lucifer Morningstar. Lucifer is pretty well known here…"
"Lucifer Morningstar? The Devil?" Jon let out a laugh. "You're with the brother of the Devil?"
"He's not a bad guy once you get to know him," Michael said, joining the group. "A little self centered and narcissistic but overall a really nice guy."
"Lucifer isn't really the Devil, he just likes to…" Ella was cut off by Michael. He started clapping his hands trying to change the subject. He didn't want to point out the truth to her just yet.
"How about we get a round of shots going? I could use a drink. Ricky? Claire? I can tell you like a stiff drink. I'm buying."
"I'm not one to pass down a free drink," Ricky said.
With the topic of conversation changed, Michael signalled Ella to follow him. She happily joined him on the upper level. Before they reached the bar, Ella dragged him over to the side to talk.
"Wanna tell me what that was all about?"
She had her arms crossed over her chest and a serious look on her face. Michael felt crushed under her stare. He ran his hand along the back of his head, scratching his scalp.
"I handled that wrong didn't I?"
She didn't bother answering him. He lowered his hand from his head and reached out to grab Ella's hand. He didn't have the courage to look her in the face.
"I don't like it when people think they're better than me... then anyone. It's my biggest pet peeve. And the fact he insulted you just added to my anger. I'm sorry you had to see me like that." He rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand, not confident in seeing her disapproval.
"Your anger?" She let out a soft chuckle. "Michael I didn't hear an ounce of anger behind your voice." She brought his chin up so she could look at him. "That was actually the hottest thing I've ever witnessed. You stood your ground and had him apologize without having to resort to violence." She ran her hand along his jaw, his scruff scratching along her hand. "I was more worried that you could have gotten your ass kicked."
Michael chuckled, he grabbed onto her hand and kissed it.
"Five to one, I did like the odds. Haven't had a fight like that in years."
Ella frowned at his words. She wasn't too aware of his past, but she knew it could not have been easy. His hands were enough to paint a picture for her. She ran her fingers along his knuckles. She was so worried about his well-being that she failed to notice that his hands were completely healed, no scabs whatsoever.
"Just promise me you won't do something like that again. I don't know what you told him, but it won't always be that easy.. I don't want to see you get hurt." She ran her hand along his jaw, taking in his soft brown eyes.
"Worried about me, Miss Lopez?" He flirted. He snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him.
His sudden flirtation was a deflection to try and hide the fact that he couldn't promise her such a request. It must have not been executed right because Ella saw right through it.
"I know you're deflecting. You forget I've known Lucifer for three years now. His mannerisms are yours as well, I can tell."
He shot her a smile and gave her a curt nod of his head.
"I apologize. I'll try my best to keep out of trouble from now on."
"That's all I ask."
She smiled up at him and reached up to give him a kiss. He offered his assistance and bent down to meet her half way. He was sure he'd never get over the feel of her lips on his and vise versa.
"Mmm," he pulled away from her lips and smiled down at her. "Let's hurry and get the drinks. I want your hands back on me while you continue to show me how to bowl." He winked down at her.
"I… You know I'm starting to think you're pretending to be bad at this so I can have my hands on you. You're enjoying this way too much."
Michael made a face, he'd been caught. Before she could whack him over the head, he rushed over to the bar and called out Luke's name. Ella came rushing after him as he tried to fend her off from her swinging hands.
.
.
Their three hour bowling slot came and went faster than they could have imagined. Michael tried informing Ella that they could continue playing with his money, but she denied him. It was her night to spoil him and she felt like liquoring him up was more fun.
She apologized for denying him his competitive run at bowling, but she had to work tomorrow and she didn't want to be too tired for work in the morning.
So she agreed to a few drinks over at the bar.
It was currently midnight and she wasn't sure she'd be able to keep down anymore drinks without making a complete fool of herself.
Michael wasn't any better. She soon found out he was a laughing drunk. He kept laughing at all her jokes. She loved it. Every time he would laugh he cried a little. It was something she couldn't help but continue to do.
"Oh stop," he clutched at his side. "I'ma piss myself if you continue."
"Alright I'll stop," she tried to contain her laughter as Michael clutched his sides all the while cramping from his laughter exposure.
"Argh!"
"You're easy to make laugh, you know that?"
"When you liquor me up this is what you get," he chuckled out.
"I'll take this side of drunkenness any day."
"Same." Once he reeled in his chuckles, Michael looked at his wrist to check the time. "It's almost twelve-thirty. I know you have to work in the morning, would you like to head back?"
She let out a sigh, "I don't want to go home already."
"You could always come over to the penthouse and," he wiggled his eyebrows, "look at my assortment of DVDs."
She wasn't expecting that response and busted out laughing. She covered her mouth to prevent any pig snorts. Her inability to contain her laughter forced Michael to laugh out loud with her.
"What's that phrase people are using?" Michael asked. "Netflix and…"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence." She placed her finger on his lips to silence him. "Your old innocent ears cannot be subjected to sure lingo."
"My old innocent ears?" He felt offended. He started laughing as Ella smiled at him.
"Do you even know what Netflix is?"
"Not a clue."
She shook her head in disbelief. The cutest smile spread across his face and she just had to kiss him. So she reached out for his sweater and brought him forward by the collar.
He was a nineteenth century man stuck in a young body. Everything they talked about was new to him. She didn't know how far the length of his inexposure went, but she was happy to explore it with him.
She quickly pulled away and wiped the lipstick off his lips.
"Let go, but to my place."
She got up from her seat and extended her hand out to Michael. She looked at him with hooded eyes. It was an invitation to her place of residence.
Without missing a beat, Michael shot up from his chair. His immediate burst of energy caused the table to waddle. He quickly steadied it and accepted Ella's hand.