All she saw was his dark eyes, those eyes that made her think of another time or place- a life where real romance existed outside of just novels or movies.
Then they got another glass of champagne and stepped onto the patio.
Nikolas said, "I have to thank you again for inviting me tonight. I wasn't even planning to come. Though I knew I should."
Kelly looked out in the night sky, with all the stars twinkling above them, and murmured "My pleasure."
Nikolas said, "My Uncle Stefan used to be the one who put in an appearance at these kind of social events, and represented the Cassadines. Now I'm supposed to. But, I must admit, I usually find these kind of nights devastatingly boring. Except this one."
Kelly stole a quick glance at him, he was studying her. She looked back out into the night.
Her nerve endings tingled.
"So," she said softly "are you up for a little for more fun tonight?"
"What do you have in mind?"
"Jake's."
Nikolas gave her a shocked look.
She laughed. "What? Are you too high class for Jake's?"
"I know a little wine bar that stays open late."
"Jake's." She insisted.
"Dressed like this?" Nikolas motioned to her body hugging violet floor length gown.
"That's the thing about Jake's. It is come as you are. And whatever happens there... stays there."
Nikolas kept getting surprised by this woman. Wasn't he supposed to be in mourning? And never able to get over all he had lost already. He had felt that way for a while now but ever since Kelly asked him for a date he was caught up in a tide that kept pulling him closer and closer to life again.
And living was starting to feel good for the first time in months.
"Lead the way, Dr. Lee." he said with a smile.
She slipped her hand in his, gave him a wink, and turned to head for the elevator.
EMILY AND MILO cruised through the city in his car.
"Tell me already!" Emily begged, smiling
"You'll find out where we are going, when we get there." Milo repeated for the third time.
"The Haunted Star?" she guessed
Milo ignored her, a smirk on his face.
She asked, "Your place? Wait a minute, do you have a place?"
"No, I sleep in Sonny's garden. Max and I share a tent."
Emily laughed. "So did I guess right? I get to see your apartment?"
"Wrong." Milo said
"Hmmm. Are we going to take Sonny's boat out onto the lake?"
Milo gave her a yeah, right look. "I would like to live to see morning. Thank you very much. Sonny hates when people touch what is his. I probably shouldn't even be here with you tonight. Because of that very reason."
"I'm not his. I never was. We helped each other..for a while. But I doubt he regrets breaking up with me." Emily looked out the window.
Life was easier when she was the one walked away. It had been hard to break up with Juan, but it was no where near the same feeling as when Sonny broke up with her. She was left wondering why he and why Nikolas could let her go so easily, and never reach out to her again.
They could go back to being only her friend and never think twice about it.
And leave Emily alone, with too much time to think, and all these feelings she did not want to feel.
"Any man would regret losing you." Milo turned his head to glance at Emily, she turned and met his gaze.
He added, "Um, I mean, someone like you. A beautiful and sweet uh..any man would." Milo swallowed and focused on the road.
"You are great for my ego, Milo. I miss the chats we used to have when I was living at the mansion."
Milo remembered them well. He used to find excuses to go out to the guest house, bringing her fresh towels or saying he needed to fix a leaky sink or change a lightbulb.
Emily was the one who started the conversations. She'd ask if he read the book she had to do a paper on for her English class, or did he like the song that was playing on the radio, what did he think about how Jason was treating her or Carly's latest antics. And Milo knew whatever he said she would smile and nod, making him feel like he helped her.
When Emily moved out of Sonny's, Milo figured that was it. She was out of his life.
But then she came and asked for a favor. One he was glad to give her.
Milo was smiling when he pulled into the parking lot. "We're here."
Emily raised her eyebrow and asked him, "Are you serious?"
LAINEY held Ned's hand as they stepped onto the Haunted Star.
"I didn't even know they were open tonight." Lainey said
"This is a private party," Ned said "Sometimes Luke invites a group of us to lose our money at high stakes baccarat. When he found out that was Jax's game he couldn't resist setting up a table and racking in the cash."
"You don't seem like the gambling type." Lainey said, speaking more of herself than him. She never liked risk taking. It seemed too...terrifying.
"I need to relax sometimes. I've spent so many years gate keeping for my family- guarding their lies and secrets- that sometimes I just like spending some of the money they think is so damn important. So I buy expensive things and gamble sometimes. As long as I am there to clean up their messes they don't concern themselves with what I do with the rest of my time."
Lainey nodded, thinking about how Justus had told her Ned was the one to go to if a Quatermaine got in a jam. Apparently, the rest of the family thought the same way.
But what did Ned have for himself, outside of them? Lainey thought,
Money. And that's not nearly enough to fill a life up with.
When they stepped into the casino, Lainey saw Luke behind the bar, Anna was sipping a drink while she sat on a stool in front of the bar.
Skye and Lorenzo were standing at the baccarat table, along with Jax, Carly, and Robert.
"Oh, Nedly is here, everyone get ready to make a killing!"Luke called out "Come to lose the rest of the family fortune? The part I didn't steal?"
"My luck is changing," Ned said, flashing a smile at Lainey.
"Can I get you a drink, sweetheart?" Luke said to her
"A kamikaze." she requested a drink that included vodka, triple sec and lime juice. Maybe it would inspire her to be as dangerous as the name of the cocktail.
"Coming right up," Luke said
Lainey stood next to Ned and he got a stack of chips.
"You winning?" Ned asked Jax, as he looked at the large stack of chips in front of her friends.
"Of course," Carly said smiling " as usual."
Jax said, "I couldn't go back to Monte Carlo if I let someone in small town upstate New York beat me at my own game."
Ned threw a handful of chips onto the table. "Prepare to never see the french Rivera again, Jacks."
"Less talk and more playing, fellas." Robert grumbled.
Lainey smiled and then headed over to bar to get her drink.
Luke placed it on the bar and said, "You look gorgeous, doc. Foxy dress."
"Thank you." she lifted up her drink and turned to watch Ned.
Anna said, "You might as well get comfortable. This games can go all night. I don't know why I let my infuriating ex-husband talk me into joining him time after time."
Lainey said, "Maybe you like being near him more you like your sleep. And you realize that these nights are the stuff memories are made out of ."
Anna raised an eyebrow, "Robin told me you were very perceptive."
"The curse of a psychiatrist. I can tell everyone else how they are feeling and what they should do. But I don't have a clue how to make my own life any better."
"You're here with Ned." Anna said "That's a good start. He's actual the most stable man in the room tonight."
"Oh, "Luke teased grinning "young love, I remember it well. Relax, doc, this is the Haunted Star. " He whipped his hands out from side to side "The place where dreams come true!"
Lainey chuckled. And turned to look at Ned.
"We have a winner," the dealer at the baccarat table said
"Lucky break, Quatermaine." Jax said
Ned smiled, looked over at Lainey and winked. "This is my night, Jacks. I have a feeling about it."