ROBERT & HOLLY SCORPIO: DESTINED FOR ETERNITY

CHAPTER 7

1983

The next morning Luke phones Holly and asks her to meet him at Kelly's. Robert had already gone to work and Holly was anxious to meet Luke, hoping that maybe he was finally understanding how things have to be for now. Once she arrives, she sits at a table with Luke and he quickly apologizes for his behavior the previous day.

"It is just so hard to accept that I have you back but I really don't have you at all," Luke tries to explain.

Grateful to hear Luke sopund calm and reasonable for a change, Holly does her best to be encouraging. "I do understand, Luke. But we can get through this. It is just going to take patience on all ouf our parts."

"With the exception of Scorpio," Luke adds.

Holly immediately tenses up as she realizes they are going around the same ground again. "What does that mean? Because I am telling you right now that Robert is not responsible for anything except trying to help me."

Luke decides not to even go down that road. "What do you say we spend the day together? We can go . ."

"Sorry," Holly quickly interrupts, "But I have a luncheon that I promised to attend."

"What?" He asks in surprise. "Can't you jsut cancel?"

"It's for the Commissioner's wifes," She explains. "I promised the Mayors wife I would be there. It's a duty, Luke. I feel obligated to be there." As she stands up from the table, Luke's anger finally spills out.

"Doing your wifely duty?" He asks snidely. "What other wifely 'duties' do you feel obligated to perform?"

Holly's eyes flash angrily. "I will do my best to forget you just said that. I hope you do the same."

As she walks outs of Kelly's, Luke wonders why he feels as if nothing will ever be the same as it once was, not his relationship with Holly or with Robert.

Holly is not in the best of spirits when she arrives at the Versaille Room. She struggles to keep her mind on the conversations around her but has little success. She is surprised when Robert walks in and sits down with Mayor Adams. She assumes he must be having some sort of working lunch. Occassionally, Holly catches Robert's eye from across the room and they share a smile. Seeing him makes her feel better about her decision not to cancel the luncheon. It would have been a greater embarrassment for Robert if she had not been there. Hardly able to keep his focus on the Mayor, Robert continues to keep an eye on his wife. He can easily see that something had happened because she was definitely not herself. He would lay odds that whatever it was had to do with Luke Spencer. Finally, Robert excuses himself from the Mayor for a moment and strides over to the women's table. He says a casual hello before standing before Holly.

"If you ladies could possibly forgive me, I need to steal my wife. There is a very important errand that I need her to help me with." He takes Holly's hand and helps her up from her chair. They say a quick goodbye to the women and head for the foyer of the restaurant.

"So what is it you need me to do for you?" Holly asks. "I must admit I am grateful to get away from that table. I am just not in the mood for it today."

Robert looks down at her very closely. "I want you to go home, take a long hot sauna, then a nice cool shower, crawl into bed and have a nice long sleep."

"What?" Holly asks in confusion.

"Look, sweetheart, you need some time alone. It's written all over your face. Please, do this for me."

Holly manages a small smile. "You do read me well."

"Well, I happen to care what happens to you, and I don't like what I am seeing," He tells her as he turns her to face the exit. "Now go and do as your told."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Commissioner, sir," She teases. Then abruptly Holly turns back to him and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," She whispers into his ear before walking out the door.

Unknown to the Scorpios, a society photographer that had been in the restaurant takes a quick snapshot of the two sharing the kiss.

After spending the entire afternoon relaxing, Holly felt much better. As she lay in bed waiting for sleep to claim her, she couldn't help but remember how Robert had been so concerned for her. She only wished Luke could be the same way. If he didn't, this was going to be a very long year.