KING LUCAS
CHAPTER 24
As the sun appeared on New York, everything seemed to glimmer thanks to the rain storm of the previous night. The first risers, like runners or one-night-standers, could see the garbage men cleaning the streets of all the candy wrappers and broken bottles.
Monsters, superheroes, vampires and zombies were being released after spending their night drunk on a prision cell. Kids were sneaking around, eating chocolate before breakfast, before their parents woke up.
Most of the city was still on bed, clinging to their sheets, hoping for a couple more minutes before reality hits again. But the sun kept climbing the skyscrapers and the sun had no mercy on all the hungover souls that were waking up.
And many more were soon remembering of all the stupid and crazy shit they did the night before. Some woke up with bruised faces, while others saw bloody knuckles, some didn't know where they woke up and some didn't know who they woke up next to.
Maya Hart was no exception to the rule, the sun entered her room through the window like a soundless burgler. She groaned, throwing her sheets over her face, but soon the heat on her bubble became unbearable and she groaned again, why was she so hot?
She resurfaced to the newly lit room, cleaned her eyes and the dry saliva with her sleeve. She glanced at the time, it was only 7, next to her clock sat a glass of water, she drank it all and thanked her drunker self, but it wasn't enough.
Maya stood up, closing her eyes as her brain settled, she walked to her bathroom and refilled the glass once more, before she felt satisfied. She took a make up remover towel and cleaned the mess that was her face, her eyes were glossy and she looked like shit. It wasn't until then that she remembered that her costume had no sleeves and she was wearing a black jacket that wasn't hers, her eyes widened and she poked her head out of the bathroom.
The bed was empty, her heels were underneath, her stockings on the floor, next to a mens shirt. She closed the door of her bathroom quickly and took the jacket off, she hadn't slept with anybody, had she? She couldn't have, but the last thing she remembered was her duel, that stupid duel and a little of the dancing. She hit her head with her palm, how could she be so stupid?
Josh couldn't know about this.
Josh!
It was probably his shirt, who else would leave it on the floor, but that meant that he was still on the aparment.
She watered her face and tried to fix her hair a little, she washed her teeth and changed her nurse costume to an oversize shirt. Just as Maya was opening the door, she heard some laughter coming from the kitchen and not any laughter it was her grandmother's, Josh had made friends with Gammy Hart, that was good.
Her house smelled like pancakes, she was hit by the sudden hunger of her hungover, happily she reached her kitchen only to find Gammy talking to Josh making breakfast with a tank top and an apron on.
But he was too tall to be Josh and too blonde and his arms were bigger... Oh my God, she slept with Lucas.
"Huckleberry?" She asked.
He turned around with a pan on his hand, he smiled at her, Gammy turned to see what he was looking at and lit up when she saw her grandaughter.
"Katy! You're up!" She exclaimed, patting the seat next to hers. She would sometimes do this, confuse the two blonde girls.
"I made pancakes." Lucas said, putting another one on the tower he had going. Maya sat next to her Gammy, grabbing a couple of the pancakes and pouring the maple on top.
He turned the disk off and placed the pan on the sink, they were so good, it felt like they were melting on her mouth, she closed her eyes to enjoy it. He poured three glasses of orange juice for them and sat down across from her.
"Thank you, sweetheart!" The old woman told him, patting his hand as he passed her a glass.
"You're welcome, Ms. Hart," he said, Maya frowned and looked at him but said nothing, she grabbed another pancake instead. She never intended to, but she moaned at their taste. "I'm glad you like them," Lucas said with a smirk on his face.
"I'm telling you Katy, you have found a good one." Her grandmother said, Lucas frowned.
"Katy?" He asked Maya, she shook her head and mouthed 'go with it'. He nodded slowly and continued with his breakfast.
"I remember when my Johnathan was alive–" Her grandmother began, they usually had a nurse come between weeks, but today was saturday and the nurse began her shift at 10. The Alzheimer's started a few years ago, and Katy had been working like crazy to pay for the nurse and saving to afford a hospice.
"He was the sweetest man on earth. He used to take me on long rides on his motorcycle through the neighbor's fields–" She continued, Lucas narrowed his eyes.
"The fields? Ms. Hart, if I may ask, where are you originally from?" He asked, Maya shot him a look.
"From Arkansas, sweetie." She said happily taking a sip from her juice, Lucas grinned at Maya, who rolled her eyes. "Katy, how is it that your husband doesn't know this?"
"Husband?" Lucas asked, Maya kicked him under the table and he twisted his mouth in pain.
"Lucas, I'm sure my daughter told you, us Clutterbuckets were a big family back home." Lucas almost choked on his juice, Maya pinched the brim of her nose, this had gone far worse than she expected.
Lucas seemed very entertained with the conversation. He made eye contact with Maya, a mischevious smile appeared on his face.
"I'm a country man myself Ms. Hart, I knew there was a deeper conection between my beautiful wife and I." He said, holding back a laugh, Maya wanted to kick him again. "My family is from Texas." Gammy's face seemed to light up, she grabbed Maya's hand and patted it gently.
"Have you worked the field too? Just like my Jonhathan." She asked, Lucas felt the nostalgia from her tone.
"Yes, ma'am, my grandfather has a farm in Austin." He replied. "I used to help him on the summers."
"I always told Katy that she needed a strong man like yourself." Maya sighed, he would never let this die. "This city men are too weak, they don't know what real work is, like that Kermit of yours–"
"Gammy, there's no need of mentioning that." Said Maya, shifting uncomfortably on her sit, Lucas frowned slightly.
"No wonder why I found you crying." Her grandmother continued like she hadn't heard what Maya said. "A 26 year old actress with no job and a little girl to take care for."
"Grandma!" Maya exclaimed, she looked at Lucas who was looking back at her.
"I think that's enough, Ms. Hart." Lucas said, clenching his jaw, reaching for Gammy Hart's hand to bring her back from her thoughts. Now he finally knew what had happened with Maya's dad, it all explained a lot. It seemed like they weren't so different in the end.
"What?" She asked. "Oh, who is this Katy?" She was looking at Lucas, lost.
A sadness overtook Maya's eyes or was it pity, maybe both, he wasn't sure. Lucas didn't know that she suffered from Alzheimer's, but that explained why she had asked his name three times while she saw him cook and why she thought Maya was her mother and why he was her husband.
"I'm her husband." He didn't know why he felt compelled to do that, but that seemed to make Gammy Hart happy.
"Are you a good husband?" She asked, her eyes still trying to understand the situation.
He looked at Maya and then back at the old woman, all three Harts had blue eyes, but as Gammy's were lost, Katy's were tired and Maya's were empty.
"Yes, ma'am." Lucas replied.
"Good, good." She said smiling. "I think I'm going to rest my eyes for a while." Maya helped her up her sit and walked her grandmother to her room. "It's real good." She kept telling her.
When Maya came back Lucas was pouring syrup on his pancakes.
"Hi, honey!" He said mockingly.
"Did we?" She asked without daring to finish the question, she sat quietly in front of him. "You know, sleep together?"
"Oh, yes." He said with a smile on his face.
"Oh, God." She covered her face.
"Yeah, you said that a lot yesterday." Lucas put his fork in his mouth and moaned. "Delicious."
"Please, stop talking, I think I'm going to be sick." Maya put her index in the air to shut him up.
He laughed and finished his breakfast quickly.
"I'm just messing with you, you didn't call for God yesterday, you do snore a lot though." Lucas said, standing up and taking his plate to the sink.
"What do you mean?" She asked, following him to the kitchen. "Did we or did we not sleep together?"
"Oh, that we did, but only because you asked me." He replied, looking down at her. "But we didn't have sex, if that's what you're worried about."
"Then why would you make me believe otherwise?" She exclaimed.
"I wanted to see if you would actually think you're capable of doing so and you are." He laughed.
She punched his arm with all of her strength and then again and again.
"Hey! Stop that!" He grabbed her hands and pulled them above her head. "Is that how you thank me for saving your ass yesterday?"
"I had it all under control." Maya responded defensively, trying to break free from his hold.
"Sure you did, doing your little number in front of every guy in the room." He snorted.
"You sound like a jealous boyfriend." She accused him. Lucas let go of her hands and walked to her room.
"Please, there's nothing I should be jealous about." He said, taking his belt and putting it on. "Ask Zay what happened, maybe you'll stop thinking I'm the bad guy, he begged for my help."
He grabbed his black shirt and the vest, along with the black hat sitting on top of her chair.
"Wait, you went as the Lone Ranger?" She asked, frowning.
"Oh, you remember that part?" She didn't reply, she did know what he was talking about, she kissed another Lone Ranger at the party, obviously thinking it was Lucas.
"I was drunk." She said. "I was very drunk."
"Yes, I know, you threw up in the street." He remarked, picking his boots and putting them back on.
"I did?" She asked, eyes wide open. "I had never done that. Wait–" She made a pause, Lucas looked up at her. "You punched a guy!" He opened his mouth but he had no words, she looked at his bruised hand. "Now I remember, when I was on the table, who was he?"
"Fuller, from the football team." He responded, clenching his jaw, if she wasn't so stubborn she would've thanked him and they could move on, but nothing was easy with Maya, nor he wanted it to be.
"You punched him for me?" She asked softly.
"Don't flatter yourself, I punched him because he deserved it, he was being a dick." He stood up, but she blocked the door. "What?" He asked, rolling his eyes. "Are you going to defend the asshole now?"
"No," Maya was going to say something but she stopped herself, looking at the floor and then at him. "I'm sorry." She whispered.
"Wait, did I just hear Maya Hart apologizing?" He told her, very surprised.
"I remember what happened, what he said." She clenched her jaw, this was actually hard for her.
"You do?" She nodded. "And you said feel sorry?" He asked, tentatively.
"Don't push it," she warned him. "But thanks for bringing me home and whatever."
"And putting you to bed and for making breakfast and pretending to be your husband." Lucas replied, with his smug face.
"You wish." She rolled her eyes.
"No, you wish, you heard your grandma it's weird to find strong men like me in this city." He laughed at her annoyed reaction, relieved everything had turned out perfectly.
She walked him out to the front door, he put his hat back on and she laughed.
"It does suit you." She admitted, leaning on the frame of the door.
"You can put the city on the cowboy, but he'll still be a cowboy." He said smiling.
"It was just for me, right?" She asked, before he could leave.
"Yes, it was." He winked and tipped his imaginary hat. "Ma'am." She opened her mouth but he left before she could say something. Lucas had planted his seeds on her mind too, the tiles were falling on their place.
When Maya returned to her apartment, she noticed a pillow from her room on the floor of the living room. She frowned until she saw the sheets folded on the far end of the couch, Lucas didn't sleep with her or next to her, he waited until she fell asleep and then moved to the couch. She bit her lip and went to grab another pancake, they were truly delicious.