Part 19

When Zander and Nicholas got back to Oksana's house, they went into the house through the kitchen. Peter and Tim were there, and Diana, Rosa and Lisa were there, and Lucky Spencer was there. "What a convention," Zander said to Nicholas as they walked in.

"Well, so tell us, did you kiss her good night?" Diana was asking Tim.

"I got too nervous," Tim answered.

Diana looked heavenward. Lisa laughed. "Maybe you didn't feel right about it just then," Lisa said. "That's OK."

"Better luck next time," Peter said, with a grin.

"Should I try asking her out again?"

"Do you want to?" Lisa asked. "Do you want to spend another evening with her? That's the question."

"I don't know," Tim admitted. "I was too nervous."

"Then don't," Zander put in. "If you spent all that time and never hit if off so you could talk to her without feeling nervous, maybe you just aren't companionable, or compatible, or whatever the word is."

"Quinn says ask her again because I already know her, so I'll be less nervous the second time, so I'll get a better idea."

"Oh, wow, a disagreement," Peter said, mischievously. "have you ever had one before?"

"No," Zander said. "And I never thought the first one might be about Tim's love life."

"Tim's love life is a major issue," Pete said. "Subject to discussion by all."

"I have so many advisors," Tim said. "That I don't know what to do."

Everyone laughed. Zander felt strange, like he was connected, somehow, and belonged. It felt good, but odd.

Elizabeth was arranging her paints, in her studio.

"He's still so spiteful and mean," Emily said. "So like Sean says, he would be nice if he was completely over me and happy with her."

"I don't know," Elizabeth said. "You did break up with him. People get funny over that. No one ever rejected you, so far, so you might not appreciate how that might feel."

"No one ever dumped you."

"Lucky did, a couple of times. It hurts a lot. You did it more than once, too. He's never dumped you; you dumped him."

"I did that for his own good! Both times!"

"How, the second time?"

"What second time?"

"How was it for his own good when you were at the University and wrote the letter?"

"Oh, I forgot to count that one. But when my grandfather made the charges against him, for example."

"He didn't know you were doing that, so it hurt. That's what you're not getting. It hurt."

"But I explained it later, when we got back together!"

"It still hurt."

"Still, why does it bother him if he is so nuts about her?"

"I don't know, but you must want him back, or you wouldn't care about all this."

"I don't think so."

"You regret breaking up with him?"

"At first, but he is so mean about it, even after I explained that I didn't know what was going on!"

"I'd say just avoid him until enough time passes that he can be civil to you."

"I was only advising him for his own good, about the tattle-tale nurse."

"Well, he knows what your advice is. It's up to him to decide what to do with it."

"How can you ignore that? What if Paul did that to you?"

"Turned Lucky in somehow?"

"Without telling you."

"But she, Quinn, might have."

"No, Zander wouldn't agree to that."

"OK. If Paul knew something Lucky did wrong and turned him in somehow without telling me. That's the equivalent? I think. This is confusing."

"Yeah."

"Well, I guess, if Paul thought Lucky was guilty, I would leave that to Paul to decide. I mean, the police can sort it out."

"The police don't try to sort it out! They try to prove you're guilty!"

"Aren't you innocent until proven guilty? You don't have to start law school to know that! You're still innocent until proven guilty. Quinn can't convict you on her own."

"She can get me to where I have to go to lawyers and get booked down at the police station on her own."

"They did all that on her word alone? I don't know. They talked to a lot of people."

"None of which they would have done without her. Now I've got this whole trial to go through."

"Well, there's no way to know that for sure. But if you were driving, why don't you just admit it, pay the fine and do the community service, and skip the trial?"

"My family wants me to go through the trial."

"Tell your family to take a hike."

"They know what's best for me. They always have."

"You didn't agree with that back when you were telling me you were in love with Zander and they didn't like it."

"That was long ago, I guess."

"So they were right. Now you've got to avoid him. And his girlfriend. And his mother. And his father."

"We can't do that, now."

"Why?"

"He owns Sonny's part of our company."

"He does? That's amazing."

"Yeah. A lot of fun that'll prove to be. Grandfather wants to find a way to get rid of him."

"Well, good luck."

"Thanks for listening, Elizabeth. Well, I have to go."

Elizabeth saw her out the door. "You're welcome," she said, to the door.

"I wish she didn't have to be in the wedding," Elizabeth told Paul, when he dropped by the studio. "But, she thinks she's my best friend. I never thought I'd be so thankful for Sarah. Having a sister means I can make her the maid of honor over my alleged best friend."

"You really don't have to have her, if you don't want to ask her," Paul said.

"It'll bring on a lot of comment," Elizabeth said. "Do you want to put up with that? Or put up with me complaining about that? I guess it's just easier to ask her. Of course that means you are putting up with my complaining about that."

"Complain about whatever you want," Paul said, putting his arms around her. "Weddings are like that. I have it on good authority from Patti, Mom and the rest of the family."

"Still, you don't seem to have these problems," Elizabeth said, putting her arms around his neck. "Some buddies from high school, college, and med school and your brother-in-law and you're done."

"Men are easier going about weddings," he grinned. "Hopefully that's the extent of my sexist opinions," he added, giving her a kiss.

"OK, male chauvinist," Elizabeth laughed. "I just hope Emily doesn't get on your nerves."

Sean liked the music at Luke's Bar, so he hung out there every once in awhile. Luke overlooked his bringing Emily in, even though she was under age. Emily was good friends with his son Lucky. Sean and Emily hung out there with Lucky and Lucky's girlfriend Lisa a couple of times.

"They did have a sort of disagreement," Lucky was saying, "though they don't realize it yet." He grinned at Lisa.

"What about?" Sean asked.

"It's too trivial to even remember," Lisa said. "They each gave Tim, Quinn's brother, different advice about his date. Tim told us in the kitchen over the house what Quinn's was, after Zander gave his right there."

"That kitchen is like Congress," Lucky grinned. "You can go there any time, and there will be somebody there willing to give their opinion on whatever you may have issues about."

Lisa laughed. "Yeah, that describes it pretty well. Aunt Rosa started giving the advice, but now she just listens most of the time."

"She's the president pro tempore," Lucky said.

"She keeps the proceedings in order," Sean suggested.

"Tell me this, Lucky," Emily said. "If you run into Elizabeth, how do you treat her?"

"With great annoyance," Lucky said. "I don't feel so hurt any more. But I find her irritating, and I know it isn't her fault. I just wish she would wipe that smirk off her face. She thinks she's so cool, because she's marrying a doctor. So I find that annoying, what can I say? I should be a bigger man, and congratulate her. I do that, but I can't stop myself from making fun of this a little. Like she's going to be Mrs. Dr. Witless, and how good a name that is for her."

"You said that to her?" Sean grinned.

"Once," Lucky said. "I couldn't resist. Because of her constant smirking."

"Zander doesn't make fun of me, but he's mean. He called Sean a shyster lawyer, but it's not funny, like your Dr. Witless comments."

"Elizabeth probably does not appreciate the humor," Sean said. "But Zander didn't want to break up with you at first, see, so it's natural for him to want to rub it in your face, see I found somebody who does love me. We all do that."

"We do?" Emily asked.

"Yeah. Don't I like that little nurse to see I have a tall, beautiful model now? Of course I do."

"But he likes you for yourself," Lucky said. "Emily, he's just saying it's not a bad side effect that his ex-girlfriend gets to see how much better he can do."

"That's it, exactly," Sean said, grateful to Lucky for saving him before he knew he needed saving.

"One's new love is always better than one's former flame," said Lisa.

"That one should be written up on a plaque for the Halls of Congress!" Lucky laughed.

"I'll have Aunt Rosa see to it," Lisa said, laughing too.

"Great wisdom that Elizabeth could never come up with," Sean added, joining in.

Emily looked at all of them as if they were crazy.