It was 11:00am when Caleb walked down his cousin's path with his head lowered. He had expected Gail to stop by to take him to school, as he had not seen her much yesterday. When she did not show up, he walked to school late and Miss Coombs was not impressed. After she had scolded him for being late, she asked the class about career day. Miss Coombs could tell by the look on his face that he had not asked anyone to speak for him; therefore, she sent him home to sort it out and told him she expected him back after lunch with the name of who would be speaking.
It was not Gail's fault and he did not blame her, he could have called and left her a message to come by this morning; however, as he did not really care about career day he did not see a point in putting the effort in. Obviously Miss Coombs was not going to back down, so here he was.
Caleb knew Gail would be annoyed when she found out he had been sent out of school and he thought she would not be home at this time of day, his face dropped when he saw her car in the driveway. There was nothing to do now but march up to her door and be honest about what had happened, he hoped she would not be too mad at him.
He knocked on the door and waited a minute before walking around back to locate the spare front door key, Caleb found the key under a rock at the far end of her garden by one of Gail's favourite flowers. He smiled at how well kept the garden was and admired the effort that his cousin must have put in, to make the garden seem like a quiet sanctuary.
When he returned to the front of the house, he opened the door and was surprised at how quiet the house was. He peered into the living room and could not see Gail, so he called out her name quietly.
Gail was awoken by a gentle kiss on her lips, she tried to push Lucas away as she was not ready to get up just yet; however, he cupped her chin in his hand and gave her a gentle shake. 'Come on Darlin'...' he said, 'I do believe we have company'
It took a second for her to register what Lucas had said, then she jumped out of bed at the sound of her cousin calling her name. 'Damn it! what time is it?' she asked reaching for her dressing gown.
Lucas smiled, he did not care if Caleb caught them. In fact it would be one less thing he had to explain to the boy further down the line. 'It looks like it's after 11:00am Darlin', I take it you slept well?'
Gail starred at Lucas in disbelief, 'God damn it Lucas, I'm late again. Get dressed... now!' she said and headed out of the bedroom to find her cousin.
Caleb was laying down on the couch in her living room with his book. Gail was confused with being up so late and seeing him at this time, she glanced in a mirror to make sure she looked presentable and tried to play it cool. 'Hey you, what are you doing here at this time? Is everything ok? she asked.
'There you are cous'...' he said sitting up, 'I was beginning to think you were hiding from me'
Gail laughed, trust Caleb to think of something so innocent. 'Me? I wouldn't hide from you. I was going to stop by this morning to see you before school, but I must've slept past my alarm'
Caleb stood up concerned, 'That's not like you cous', are you ok?'
'Of course...' she lied, there was no point in worrying her cousin with what Gregory had said. '...now, how come your not in school?'
'I do believe that's my fault Darlin'' Lucas said as he entered the living room fully dressed from the opposite side that she had, seeming as though he had entered through the front door. 'I had arranged to discuss career day with the boy this morning, but it must've slipped my mind and it appears Miss Coombs has punished your good cousin for my forgetfulness' he said.
Caleb had to stifle a laugh, good old Lucas getting him out of trouble again. He knew Merly would not approve of him letting Lucas take the blame for something he could not be bothered doing; however, Gail seemed strange today and he did not want to make her angry.
Gail glanced from Caleb to Lucas, then back at Caleb. 'Is this true?' she asked. If it was true and Lucas was supposed to meet him this morning, she was partly to blame for Lucas still being in bed with her.
Caleb glanced at Lucas for guidance and he winked at him, it still made him feel uneasy having secrets from his cousin but he decided to play along. 'Yes ma'am' he lied, 'I was coming to ask if you could speak to the class on Friday for career day, as I couldn't find Lucas earlier. I didn't ask you first as you said you were busy yesterday.'
Gail felt terrible, clearly her job was getting in the way of her cousin's school life. Maybe it would be best for him if he did not have to deal with her issues, after all had she not have been with Lucas this morning he would have been free to speak to Caleb. 'I need to get dressed' Gail said and headed to her bedroom.
Caleb could sense there was something wrong with his cousin, could it be because he had just lied?
'That's nothing to do with you son...' Lucas said putting a hand on his shoulder, 'I'm not sure what's going on with that old cousin of yours, but I'll find out'
Caleb turned towards Lucas, 'Thanks for taking the blame for me, but we shouldn't be lying' he said concerned.
Lucas shook his head, but still looked towards the bedroom where Gail was. 'When you're older you'll realise a little white lie doesn't hurt anyone and it's more important to make sure that everything runs smoothly. I know you can sense that your cousin has something going on, telling the truth would just add to her problems and I know you don't wanna do that son'
Caleb nodded to show he understood, he was glad he was not the only one who sensed there was something wrong with Gail. He was not as naive as people thought he was and Lucas seemed to be the only one who realised that. For instance, he wondered how Lucas appeared out of nowhere when his car was not out front and he did not hear him drive up. He also wondered why his cousin was not confused or angry at Lucas's sudden appearance, when she had indicated on more than one occasion that she would not tolerate Lucas's behaviour. These are things that no one expected him to notice, but he did. Right now he did not need to be concerned with this; however, he knew he would reflect on it at a later date.
Gail returned to the living room in a short loose fitting navy blue dress. Caleb had noticed she was not wearing her usual floral dresses these days and she was opting for a more professional look. 'What time do you need me at school on Friday?' Gail asked her cousin and ruffled his hair, she made a mental note that his hair was started to grow longer and he may need a trip to the barbers.
Caleb was surprised Gail was even considering career day, 'I think about 2:00pm, but if your busy you don't need to come cous'' he said.
Gail smiled, 'I'm never too busy for you, I'll be there. Besides, my stories will be more interesting than a small town Sheriff's' she said jokingly and gave Lucas a defiant look when she headed past him to the kitchen.
Lucas smiled, at least she seemed in a better mood. He moved closer to Caleb and whispered in his ear, 'Seen as I helped you with your cousin, I need you to do something for me in return'
Caleb closed his eyes as the bad feeling in his stomach had manifested again. Merlyn had told Caleb to steer clear of Lucas's deals and he found himself thinking back to the warning she had given him yesterday. He did not believe Lucas would harm him and he was curious to what Lucas would want from him, so he chose to ask some questions like Gail had taught him to get to the bottom of it. 'What do you need?' he whispered back.
Lucas was watching carefully to make sure Gail was still out of ear shot. 'It's nothing bad son, so that sister of your's can relax. I've gotta go to a dinner tonight and I need you to join me. There are going to be other children at the table and I need to make sure all goes as planned. You in?'
Caleb considered the offer, he always wondered what Lucas did in his spare time and this may be an insight into the man. 'What other children? and what do you need me to do?' Caleb asked.
Lucas smiled, his son certainly seemed to be inquisitive like Gail. 'You don't need to do much, just be ready for 7:00pm. There will be a boy from your class and Ben's son. Can I count on you son?'
Caleb considered again whether this was a good idea, Miss Holt had set his curfew at 8:00pm as she did not trust him to be out so late and he might be cutting it fine to get back to the Boarding House on time.
'Your curfew will be sorted son, I guarantee you that you'll be fine' Lucas said reading his mind.
'Ok, if you can promise I won't get in trouble with Gail or Miss Holt, it's a deal' Caleb said with a smile and Lucas took a step back to admire his son's choice of words.
'What is?' Gail said returning from the kitchen with two cups of coffee and a hot chocolate.
'Oh nothin' Darlin'. I just told the boy I'd be his back up if you can't make class on Friday' Lucas said and took the cup of coffee.
Gail handed Caleb the cup of hot chocolate and looked at them both suspiciously. She knew they were hiding something; however, she needed to focus on her task at Juniper House so decided to leave them be for the time being.
Billy leaned against his truck outside Juniper House, tapping his foot impatiently on the floor. Gail had told him to meet her there at 10:30am and to wear something smart. He had arrived promptly on time; however, she was no where to be seen.
He had no idea what she could want from him but he had not spent much time with her recently, so he welcomed the chance to help her. He checked his watch and shook his head when he saw it was 11:40am, it was not like Gail to be late and he was beginning to get worried about his friend. When the red mustang pulled up beside his truck, he gave a sigh of relief.
'What time do you call this?' Billy asked as Gail got out of her car. He noticed that she was wearing a very short dress, which showed off her tanned legs nicely. He made a mental note not to get caught admiring her assets or there would be hell to pay.
Gail walked over to Billy and touched his arm affectionately, 'I'm so sorry, I slept past my alarm and then Caleb showed up at an inconvenient time...have you been waiting long?' she asked.
Billy smiled 'Not long at all, I was late too...' he lied to make her feel better, '...So what are we doing here and why am I wearing a suit?'
Gail linked his arm in hers and led him towards the front entrance of Juniper House, he noticed she had a file under her other arm and he instantly regretted agreeing to be here. As if reading his mind, she turned towards him. 'Do you trust me?' she asked.
'That depends' he said playfully.
Gail give him a gentle smack with the file and led him down a dull corridor, she stopped before they turned a corner and stood in front of him. 'All I need you to do is trust my judgement, nod when required and look official. Got it?'
Billy gave her an unsure glance and she rolled her eye's in exasperation. She would just have to play to her strengths like Lucas had the previous night, she could regret it at a later time. Gail placed a hand on Billy's chest and let it move down gently, until she hit his stomach. She could feel his well toned body beneath the shirt and smiled, in another life she would have been able to appreciate it more. Billy inhaled deeply when she moved her hand to his stomach, as if trying to resist temptation. She knew it was not fair of her to play with is emotions; however, if she managed to pull off what she came her to do, it would be worth it.
Gail leaned closer to Billy, 'Trust me' she whispered in his ear and tried not to let his second long intake of breath affect her. It was flattering knowing she could have this affect on a man and she understood a little more why Selena was the way she was.
Billy placed a hand on Gail's hip then moved it slowly to her back, 'I trust you' he whispered in her ear and pulled her closer.
Gail looked in his eyes and gently pushed away from the embrace, she was starting to enjoy the closeness too much and she knew Lucas would become uncontrollable if he caught them like this. 'Ok, let's do this' she said straightening up and walked around the corner.
Billy followed and frowned when he saw Gail march up to a receptionist and insist on speaking to the man in charge of this place, Doctor Monroe. The receptionist looked as though she was ready to refuse the request when Gail produced her Reporters ID and advised that it would be better for all parties concerned if Doctor Monroe commented before she published her story. The receptionist picked up the phone, nodded then started to lead Gail down a long corridor. Gail turned towards Billy, winked and signalled for him to follow.
When they entered the office at the end of the corridor, Billy was struck by how bright it was compared to the rest of the building. Doctor Monroe greeted them with a forced smile and signalled for them both to sit, clearly he had dealings with Gail before and seemed agitated.
'Ok hun, what do you want this time? You should really find yourself a nice man to keep you occupied, rather than spending so much time here' Doctor Monroe said.
Billy could not believe the audacity of the man, it was obvious that he was trying to belittle Gail. Before he could speak up to defend her, she touched his knee subtly and threw the file on the desk in front of them. 'I don't need a nice little man to take up my time Doctor, I've been having too much fun looking into the activities of this place. I mean electroshock therapy on healthy inmates, restricted visitations, not to mention all the people who could've been released when treatment proved successful, but were not...it's all in the file, care to comment?' Gail asked sweetly.
Doctor Monroe looked worried, it seemed Gail had hit a nerve. He swallowed hard and pushed the file aside without looking at it. 'I run this place in line with local law hun, I think you'll find we are up to code'
Gail smiled and shook her head, 'I'm not your hun Doctor...' she said, '...why don't you open the file and see how up to code you actually are? My friend next to me is a professional from out of town and he is disgusted by the way you have been handling things here'
Billy sat up straight to show his importance and nodded, like Gail had told him. He was actually concerned with the accusations Gail was bringing to the table, so he did not have to lie. Doctor Monroe swallowed hard again, then took a sip of water from a glass in front of him. It was clear that the man did not know what to do next.
'Well, well, this looks like an important meeting' came the familiar voice from behind them.
Billy saw Gail roll her eyes, they both knew who had intruded on the conversation. Doctor Monroe gave out a relieved sigh and got up to greet the man. 'Afternoon Sheriff, am I glad to see you'
Lucas laughed, 'I bet you are friend...are these two giving you some trouble?' he asked sarcastically.
Gail shook her head and looked at Billy with frustration, she knew there would be no point pushing on with her line of questioning when Lucas was around. She stood up and smoothed down her dress, 'No trouble Sheriff, I'm just trying to get the facts straight before I publish my story'
Lucas moved closer to Gail and looked into her eye's intently, 'What story would that be Darlin'?' he asked.
Gail took hold of Billy's arm, but did not take her eye's off Lucas. 'The file's on the good Doctor's desk Sheriff, I'll leave it here for him to glance over. It's a good read, you might want to check it out' she said and started to walk out of the office, pulling Billy with her. 'Don't worry...' she said turning back, '...I have a copy of it, so keep it as long as you need' and with that she walked out of the office.
When they left Juniper House, Gail thanked Billy for helping her and promised to catch up with him later. She felt the anger in her trying to surface due to Lucas intruding on her meeting, so she decided to pace slowly in front of her car in an attempt to calm herself down. She had spent a lot of time and effort putting together that file and she had Doctor Monroe right where she needed him to be, until Lucas had shown up.
'Oh come on now Darlin', I can't just let you intimidate my townspeople no matter how good you look in that pretty little dress of yours' Lucas said appearing out of nowhere, leaning against the hood of her car.
Gail let out a large exhale. 'No, but you could let me do my job without interfering' she snapped.
Lucas laughed and held up the file she had left with Doctor Monroe. 'This is your job?' he asked, 'Come on Miss Emory, I've had you in my office on several occasions complaining about Reporters publishing stories without all the facts and how you find them to be a disgrace. This little file of yours is circumstantial at best and you know it'
Gail took another deep intake of breath and continued pacing, she could feel the anger rising inside of her. She cursed herself for previously making him aware of her morals, that had been a stupid move. Lucas knew she would not publish a story without factual evidence that would hold up in court, it would go against the integrity of her profession and she had built her reputation around honest, factual stories. Doctor Monroe did not know this and she had no doubt that he would have agreed to her request if Lucas had not interrupted them.
Gail was trying her best to regain control of the situation, but she could feel the control slowly slipping away. 'I know this place is corrupt Lucas, I also have a feeling part of that is down to you. That file show's I'm on to something and I guarantee you I will get to the bottom of it' she said and went to open her car door.
Before Gail could grab the handle, Lucas was behind her and taking hold of her hand. He lingered behind her for a moment, taking in her scent and then turned her around to face him. What she had said was correct, Lucas used Juniper House as his own private playground and he did not want someone as inquisitive as Gail snooping around the place. The Reporters he was used to were not as competent as his lover and although things seemed to be going smoothly at the moment, he knew her morals would not let her look the other way if she found evidence that he had committed a crime within the statute of limitation. He would have to deal with this now and would have to tread carefully.
Lucas caressed Gail's face with his hand and was disappointed with the unimpressed look that she continued to display, so he decided to try a different tactic. 'You're giving up too easy here Darlin'. If this was a story that you wanted to write, you wouldn't have left that office so quickly. What is it that you're trying to accomplish here?' he asked.
Gail sighed, another reason why she did not like getting involved with someone she dealt with on a professional level was she could lose her upper hand if they knew how she worked. Lucas could see right through her facade and was forcing her hand. If this is how he wanted to play it, she was game; after all, she could accomplish her goal through either him or Doctor Monroe, but Lucas would not like was she was wanted. 'Ok Sheriff, you're right. I have too much going on at the moment to be focussed on a story about Juniper House, I can revisit this story in the future. What I want is Matt Crower released, at least on a day leave once a week.'
Lucas took a step back, part of him was furious with her request; however, the other part wanted to applaud his lovers determination. It was clear to him now that she was not going to let the subject of Matt Crower go until she had gotten what she wanted; however, he would not give in so easy. 'That's a ballsy request Miss Emory, why would I agree to release the man who took a shot at me?' he asked intrigued with how she would play this.
Gail placed her hands on his hips and pulled him closer, until their bodies were virtually touching. She moved her head closer to his, so their lips were just an inch apart. 'Matt has shown that he is not a danger, he has been around adults and children without causing a threat. I don't expect you to release him fully, I understand that treatment may still be required, but letting him out on day release will prove valuable to his recovery and it is a reward for the good behaviour he has displayed. Besides, I can't see him getting the drop on you again Sheriff, you'd see it coming from a mile away'
Lucas smiled, bravo Miss Emory he thought. Not only was she using her sexuality to her advantage, she was pondering to his ego as well as trying to give a logical argument. If he could bring her around to his will fully, together they would be a force to be reckoned with. Lucas moved a stray strand of hair from her face and kissed her passionately, she wanted him to agree to her request so he knew she would not pull away. 'If I agree to this...' he whispered between breaths, '...what's in it for me?'
Gail moved her hand to the back of his head, pulled him closer and began to kiss him more forcefully. She pulled away after a moment and smiled, 'You can have me, any way you want me' she repeated his words from the previous night.
Lucas smiled, atta girl he thought. 'I might just take you up on that Miss Emory' he said and gave her a final kiss before taking a step back, then walking towards his car.
Gail touched her lips and watched Lucas as he walked away. 'Well?' she called after him, trying to find out whether he would consider her request.
Lucas opened his car door and turned towards her, 'I'll let you know...remember tonight at 7:20pm, don't be late' he said smiling and entered the car.
Caleb had been rummaging around in his wardrobe looking for something suitable to wear for dinner. Lucas always looked smart and he did not want to let him down, so he was happy when he found the grey suit Gail had bought him for the hospital fundraiser they had attended last year with Doctor Matt. Caleb began to dress when he saw the familiar white light behind him, 'Merly?' he said turning around.
Merlyn was stood with her arms crossed disapprovingly. 'What are you doing Caleb? I told you to steer clear of people.'
Caleb finished buttoning his white shirt and attempted to put on his tie. He had never had any experience with tie's and his cousin had to help him last time. When it was clear that he could not tie it right, he stuffed the tie in his pocket. 'I'm not doing nothin' Merly, it's only dinner. Lucas helped me so I'm helping him, it's nothin' bad'
Merlyn shook her head, sometimes her brother could be so frustrating. 'You don't know what it is Caleb, you should not be helping Lucas Buck!' she said angrily and instantly regretted her tone when she saw the hurt look on her brothers face.
'It's just dinner Merly and I already said I'd go' he said again and turned away from his sister.
Merlyn watched her brother thoughtfully. It did not matter how much she warned him to stay away from Lucas Buck, he would always disobey and spend time with him anyway. She could not be mad at him, after all Lucas was his father and it was not Caleb's fault. She just wished her brother would think a bit more before getting himself in these situations. 'Fine...' she said, '...but you be careful and don't you contribute to anything'
Caleb smiled, Merlyn could not stay mad at him for long. 'I'll be fine sis'. I gotta go, it's nearly 7:00pm' he said and headed downstairs to wait for Lucas.
Ben stood pacing in front of the restaurant Lucas had told him to meet him at. He was surprised Barbara Joy had let him take Ben Jr on a week day; however, when he let slip it was something Lucas wanted she called his boy down straight away and told him to have a nice time. The ride over to the restaurant was awkward, Ben Jr had not met Rita and he had to introduce her as his girlfriend, which was not something him an Rita had discussed previously.
Rita had taken Ben Jr to the park area by the restaurant in an attempt to introduce herself properly to his boy, while Ben waited for Lucas. Ben was getting increasingly nervous as the time passed and his instincts were telling him to run. Ben was just about to walk to where Rita was when he saw Gail walking towards the restaurant in a short black lacy dress. He laughed when he saw the same agitated look on her face that he must be displaying. 'Hi Gail, what are you doing here?'
Gail smiled, 'I stupidly agreed to meet Lucas for dinner with the Mayor, I don't know what I was thinking. How come you're here? I didn't think this was your scene.'
Ben sighed, 'I've been roped into this dinner too, Lucas made me bring Rita and Ben Jr too'
Gail looked at Ben confused, why would Lucas want them all here and with Ben's son? She began to get a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach and decided it would be better if she left. Just as she turned around to leave, she saw Lucas pull up and Caleb jump out of the passenger side of his car. Gail shook her head in disbelief, this was not good. She turned towards Ben who just shrugged, then walked a few steps forward to meet Lucas and Caleb. 'Wow, don't you look handsome' she said running her fingers through her cousins hair and pretending nothing was wrong.
Caleb smiled and gave Gail a hug, 'I didn't know you would be here cous''
Gail gave Caleb a warm smile and pulled the tie hanging out of his suit pocket. She instinctively began putting it on for her cousin and shot Lucas and unimpressed glance. When the tie was perfect, she turned towards Ben. 'Why don't you take Caleb to meet your son?' she suggested.
Ben nodded, put an arm around Caleb's shoulder and led him to the park where Ben Jr and Rita were situated. Gail turned her attention towards Lucas when Ben and Caleb were out of ear shot. 'What the hell is this?' she asked angrily.
Lucas stepped forward and stroked her cheek, 'Calm down love, it's just dinner. I thought it would be good if Caleb got to come somewhere nice and it meant the Mayor's son wouldn't be on his own.' When Gail just shook her head at him, he laughed, 'Trust me Darlin'' he said and placed his hand on the small of her back, then let it trail down to her behind. He admired the short dresses that she had taken to wearing, although they did affect his concentration.
Gail stepped out of his grasp and called for Caleb. 'Let's get this over with' she said to Lucas and signalled for him to lead them all into the restaurant.
When they entered the restaurant, a waitress spotted Lucas and led them all to a large table situated in the centre of the room. The Mayor and his family were already sat at the table looking at the menu. Lucas introduced them all and told his party to take a seat, he grabbed Gail gently by the arm so she would be sat with with him by the Mayor and signalled for Caleb to sit by the Mayor's son. Ben Jr followed Caleb and all the children were seated together.
Caleb and Josh smiled when they were sat together, then began to talk about fishing. Gail was relieved that Caleb was oblivious to the awkwardness of the situation and that he was trying to include Ben Jr in their conversation so he was not left out. She glanced at Rita who was sat next to her and gave her a reassuring smile, she knew the woman did not like attention and she felt bad knowing she had been forced into this situation due to some game of Lucas's.
Lucas squeezed her knee gently and she was brought out of her thoughts, she looked towards him and could see he was waiting for her to say something. Gail assumed she had been asked a question and forced a small laugh, 'Sorry, I was in a world of my own. What did I miss?'
'I was just telling Mary how much you love gardening and how I was hoping you would sort out my garden one of these days' Lucas said with his usual charming grin.
Gail put on her warmest smile, she could tell Lucas was trying to display himself as a kind man and he would need her to play along. She was no stranger to portraying herself in a different manner to get what she wanted, she had attended enough meetings and functions to know how the game was played. Lucas could be a lot of things, but she would not have chosen the word kind to describe him. She would play along with this game to an extent, to try and gain an understanding of what he was planning; however, if there was any indication that he would involve Caleb in his plans, she would leave straight away with her cousin.
'You flatter me too much. If I was to tackle that huge garden of yours, it would keep me occupied for the rest of the year' she said sweetly.
Lucas placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled. 'I wouldn't complain about waking up to you in my garden every morning Darlin'' he said loud enough for everyone but the children to hear.
Gail forced a smile and tried to hold back a laugh. Did he really expect her to be this sickeningly sweet? It was a blessing that Caleb was not paying attention to what they were saying, as she would not be able to keep a straight face. What she did notice was Mary staring at them intently, she also noticed the pale yellow bruise on the woman's face which could not be concealed completely by make up.
'I love gardening too, it puts me at ease and helps me relax' Mary said.
Gail tried to survey the Mayor and his family without being too obvious. She could sense how on edge Mary was and she was ready to step up if the Mayor felt the need to display his dominance over his wife. She could not stand domestic violence and part of her willed him to give her a reason to stand up to him.
Aware that the Mayor was watching her carefully, Gail turned her full attention towards him. 'So Mr Mayor, are you going to be involved in the upcoming Sheriff election?' she asked sweetly and ignored the warning look that Lucas was giving her.
The Mayor shifted in his seat slightly, then smiled. 'Please, call me John. I tend not to get involved in these things and leave the decision making to the townspeople.'
Gail nodded, 'That's good of you, John. I find that most of these small town elections are rigged, it'll be nice to see every vote count for a change.'
'The elections are fair in Trinity Darlin'' Lucas interjected.
'Is that so? When was the last time someone ran against you?' Gail asked curiously.
Lucas smiled, 'You know, I think it was just after your cousin was born. It was Billy Ray Thomson, poor fella...no one could've seen that one coming'
Gail glanced around the table and all the adults except Lucas chose to look somewhere else. 'See what coming?' Gail asked.
'It was a tragedy really' Mary spoke up, 'Billy Ray was fishing on the pier when his line got stuck and he fell over the edge. The water was deep and he never came back up'
Gail stared in disbelief, what a convenient time for an accident. 'Were there any witnesses?' she asked.
'A lot of fisherman were around at the time Darlin'...' Lucas said, '...they say it all happened too quickly for them to have grabbed him'
The table was silent for a moment, apart from the children talking. When the waitress came over to take their order, she looked at the adults nervously. 'Come on folks...' Lucas said in a cheery voice, '...what are we all having?'
It was 8:30pm when everyone had finished eating their main course and were waiting on desert. Gail had opted for a light meal and had told Caleb to order her something sweet for desert, while she checked her mobile phone.
Excusing herself from the table, she found a quiet spot outside a function room around a corner and checked to see if there were any important messages. To her annoyance, there was a message from Barton and Gregory. She was still infuriated by the ultimatum she had been given, so she deleted both messages without listening to them.
'What ultimatum would that be Darlin'?' Lucas whispered in her ear.
Gail jumped slightly, then turned to face him. 'You keep out of my business and I won't pry into your intentions with this little dinner party, Sheriff' she said, more sternly than she had intended.
Lucas held his hands up in a defeated gesture and smiled, 'Whoa there Miss Emory, it's not my intention to pry into your business. No ma'am, I've come over here to collect' he said, moving closer to her.
Gail took a step back, 'Collect?' she asked confused.
Lucas moved closer to Gail until her back was on the function room door, reaching behind her he turned the handle and pushed her gently through the door. Gail was confused but intrigued at the same time. Lucas continued to walk towards her, while she backed away. 'This room is used for private meetings, luckily no one is here tonight and we have it all to ourselves' he said, reaching for Gail's hips.
Gail tried to push him off; however, she had backed up into a chair and could not move back any further. 'What are you doing? Caleb is right outside'
Lucas smiled, 'This has nothing to do with the boy, this is about you and me. I told you, I want to collect on our deal' he said pulling her body to his and kissing her neck.
Gail shook her head, 'What deal?...Lucas stop!' she said trying to push him off her, she did not like how forceful he was being.
Lucas moved his hand to the back of her head, grabbed her hair and then gently pulled her head back. 'Any way I want you' he whispered in her ear and the realisation set in.
Gail smiled, he was agreeing to her previous request. She put her arms around his waist and pulled on his shirt, 'We can't do this here Lucas, not with everyone just outside that door'
Lucas ignored the statement and kissed her passionately, when he pulled away he let one hand trail down her body and rest at the bottom of her dress. He gripped the fabric and pulled it up slightly, to reveal the top of her legs and her thighs. 'You tell me I can have you any way I want and then come here in this tiny little dress. Well Miss Emory, I've wanted you as soon as I pulled up outside this restaurant and I will have you now' he said and pulled her left leg up around his waist.
Gail ran both hands up his chest and gripped his shirt forcefully. She could not believe she was considering this with Caleb so close, but she had offered herself to him in any way that he chose so this was her doing. Gail wrapped her arms around his back and kissed him.
Lucas placed his fingers under her thong string and pulled it off with little effort. He turned her around and leaned over her, to position her hands comfortably on the arms of the chair then bent her over. Knowing everyone was waiting for them in the other room made this act all the more exciting and Lucas did not want to rush. He nipped at the back of Gail's neck and let his hands move to her breasts, then trail down to between her legs. He smiled triumphantly when he heard her moan. He accepted that he would have to agree to her request after this, which would set back his plans for Caleb and Gail slightly; however, he decided that this feeling of pleasure was worth it and he would deal with the consequences later.
Gail bit her lip trying to keep from calling Lucas's name. She would have to trust that he knew what he was doing and hope he had arranged it so no one would come in and catch them. Although this setting was not ideal, Gail felt excited. She could feel her body yearning for him and willed him to enter her soon.
Lucas unzipped his pants slowly, knowing how much she wanted him. He felt himself grow hard when he got close to between her legs and he sensed her sweet spot was ready for him. Leaning down, he brushed her hair gently to one side and whispered in her ear. 'Quiet now love, remember where we are' and then thrust deeply inside her.
Gail gripped the table and used all of her will power not to call out. The feeling of him inside her was exquisite, when he started to thrust in and out of her she felt like she was going to erupt.
Lucas stroked her back, then pulled her up so he could reach around to her breasts. He turned her face to his and kissed her forcefully, while still thrusting in and out of her. When he could sense she was ready to come with him, he let himself go and put his hand over her mouth to stifle her cry. He pulled out of her and smiled when he heard her disappointed moan.
Gail looked around the room and found some tissues at the end of the table, she walked over so she could clean herself up. When she had fixed her dress and made her hair look presentable, she turned towards Lucas. 'That's my side of the deal done, when can I expect yours?' she asked.
Lucas finished zipping up his pants and smoothing down his hair, then turned towards her. 'I'll deliver, don't you worry Darlin'. Let's just get this dinner over with, before I decide to take you again' he said seductively.
Gail sauntered towards him and slapped him gently on the cheek. 'You wish, Sheriff' she said and walked out of the room.
The drive home after the meal was awkward. Gail had opted to accept a ride home from Lucas, as she had been drinking wine; therefore, could not drive and Caleb noticed that she was unusually quiet. His cousin was sat up front between him and Lucas and she seemed to be avoiding looking at Lucas. Caleb put his hand on Gail's knee and smiled warmly at her when she turned towards him.
Gail placed her hand on top of Caleb's and returned his smile. 'You don't get to go out to restaurants often, did you have a good time?' she asked.
'I did cous'. I enjoyed my food, puddin' was the best part though' he said.
'I'm surprised you could taste it at all with how quick you wolfed it down son' Lucas interrupted.
Caleb noticed that Gail did not turn towards Lucas, she just kept her attention on him. 'Your chocolate Sundae looked lovely on the menu, it's a shame there wasn't any left for me to try' she said in a fake scolding tone.
Caleb shrugged, 'Well if you weren't so long checking your messages cous', you could've had some'
Gail did not comment after that, she turned her attention to the car windscreen and just kept staring straight ahead. Caleb and Lucas made small talk until they reached the Boarding House, Caleb had thought Lucas would drop Gail off first; however, that was not the case. Caleb was slightly disappointed as he wanted to stay out longer, but he just gave his cousin Gail a hug and ran quickly inside.
When Caleb was out of the car, Gail turned her attention to Lucas. 'Did you square this little trip with Miss Holt or do I have to deal with it?' she asked.
Lucas smiled when he spotted Loris Holt staring at them both through a window, when he pulled away from the Boarding House. 'She's aware Darlin', it's fine... So you wanna come to my place and we can continue what we started earlier?'
Gail shook her head, 'Not really, but I can imagine I'm going to end up there anyway. I don't suppose you'd actually drop me off home if I asked?'
Lucas reached his hand down to her knee, then moved it up to her thigh, 'Not a chance Miss Emory' he said and turned the car towards his home.
-To be continued-