author's note- Thanks for all the votes on who the hottie should be. I think I have picked a guy, based on all of your thoughts and also what I think the girls might vote. But the hottie award winner will not be revealed for several chapters.
PETE and Liz strolled down the street in front of the Metro Court, walking past the long line of cars that were in the valet line.
"All right twenty questions time." Pete said
"Ugh, we do so much better when we don't talk." Liz said joking.
He stopped walking and gave her a flirty smile, "Have it your way." He reached out for her, playfully.
She swatted at his hand, "You win."
" I love the sound of those words." They started walking again.
Liz said, "I bet you do. Question one. Favorite animal?"
"Gerbil. Because you can keep them in a cage and they can't get away."
Liz shook her head, but laughed. "You sound like such a freak when you talk like that. I swear you do it on purpose."
He joked, "Maybe a freak is what you need in your life."
Liz laughed harder. "I can honestly say I have never considered that before."
Pete shrugged, as if to say you never know...
She said, " Your turn to ask a question."
"Wait, you didn't tell me your favorite animal."
"Horse." She paused then added, " I used to go riding sometimes as a kid and it always made me feel free."
Pete imagined her riding down a beach, bareback, her hair flowing down over a simple white dress. He smiled.
"Your turn," Liz prompted. They got to the car and got inside.
"Okay, what is your favorite novel?" Pete asked
"Oh no, I am not falling for that one, Professor. You will rip apart any answer I give."
"No, I won't."
She gave him a skeptical look.
"I promise." Pete said
"All right. Let me think... it's Great Expectations."
Softly he said, "How very romantic, Elizabeth."
She loved the way he said her name. That one word had not sounded so good since the days when Lucky used to sing it to her.
Elizabeth, it was a plain name, she had always thought. But on Pete's lips , it sounded just alike a caress. Like something you would whisper to the one you love in bed.
The radio was on and the song playing floated around them, "There was a man back in '95
Whose heart ran out of summers
But before he died,
I asked him
Wait, what's the sense in life? Come over me, Come over me" ( The Riddle by Five for fighting)
She watched him as he started to drive down the street. And for the first time that night, she wondered what it might feel like if he kissed her.
"Would you believe me if said Great Expectations was my favorite novel too?" Pete asked
"No." she smiled.
He threw a crooked grin her way and said, "It was worth a shot."
KELLY AND NIKOLAS sat across from each other at a table at Jake's.
Eight shots of tequila were sitting on the table in front of them.
"If we both get drunk," Nik asked smiling "who is going to drive us home? Coleman?"
"That is what they make cabs for, Prince. Or do you have a private chauffeur you can call?"
"I am not nearly as privileged as you think."
"Your castle says otherwise." Kelly joked "Besides you will not need a ride home unless you lose. Guess right and you can drive the gorgeous Jag home yourself, in about an hour. Are you feeling lucky?"
Nikolas chuckled. "Bring it on."
"The game is Secrets and Lies." Kelly said " I tell you something about myself and you guess if it is true. If you think it is, it's a secret. If not, it's a lie."
"And what if it is a secret but you say it's a lie?"
She raised her eyebrow, dropped her voice to feign hurt, " Don't you trust me?"
"Should I?"
"You'll just have to wait and find out, Nikolas."
He nodded at her, accepting the challenge. And all the things that weighed him down slipped another inch further away, as they had been since she asked him out. Somehow she was great at making him think just of her, of what wild thing she might suggest next, of how her body looked in the short black mini dress she wore when they had drinks at the Metro Court- that dress was in his dreams every night since.
"Okay, I go first then." Kelly said. She leaned back, crossed her legs and met his eyes. "When I was eighteen I stole ten thousand dollars from my boyfriend's safe."
"Lie." Nikolas said
"Very good. What made you so sure?"
"Kelly, you're persuasive enough to talk him out of the money without having to steal a thing. One little 'please' and any man would be emptying his pockets and safe."
"Good to know I got it like that. Be careful, Prince, who knows what I may ask you for next." She titled her head, "Your turn."
"Hmmm. Okay, here's one. When I was teenager," he said "I had an affair with a woman who later became my Uncle's fiancee."
"True."
"How could you know that?"
"Sources, Nik."
"This game is so rigged." he said, then downed one shot.
Kelly laughed. "Looks that way. Okay, my turn. One time I... danced naked on the roof of General Hospital."
Nikolas immediately imagined her doing that. He swallowed. "Um...yeah... I mean, no. No, you didn't. Lie."
She studied him for a moment, Nikolas' heart sped up.
"That never happened." Kelly said "Though, it could be fun. Your up."
He thought for a moment. "I have never had a one night stand."
"False."
"True," Nik said.
"Really?"
"I guess I don't have that gene. To share something that intense and then walk away after just one time together."
Kelly picked up a shot. She raised it, saying, "To intensity." She threw back the shot, then licked her lips.
"So what will you give me this time, Dr. Lee? A secret or a lie ?"
"You tell me." She let a sexy smile curve her lips. "I've never met a man I find more intriguing than you, Nikolas."
"Lie."
"True. Drink up."
He took his time swallowing this shot, his eyes staying on hers until he tipped his head back and let the liquid burn a path down his throat.
"Kelly, you don't have to get me drunk to tell me how you feel."
"I know. But maybe I think it would be fun to watch you lose some of your perfectly poised demeanor. To watch you forget to be dignified." she said " Time to spill another secret."
Nik's eyes went dark, flashing with pain."I'm cursed, and I hurt everyone I touch. And sometimes I think that means I made a deadly mistake trying to be anyone's husband or father."
"True."
Nikolas downed a shot. "Game's over. Lets dance, Kel. I...haven't had you in my arms in a couple of hours. Don't you think we should do something to remedy that?"
They stood up and moved to the small space in front of the jukebox.
He took her into his arms, her head resting on his shoulder. And the song that was halfway over already, played on.
"Did you learn anything? Cause in the world today
you can't live in a castle far away
Now talk to me, come talk to me" ( five for fighting)
EMILY grabbed Milo's arm and pulled it near her, she looked at his watch.
"12:01 am. After midnight." she said in an amused voice "And we are at a miniature golf center."
"Sure are."
"And you want to play golf? Tonight?"
"At this hour? Now would that make any sense?" He joked with her.
"Milo." she laughed "Okay, so why are we here?"
"For the batting cages."
"That makes much more sense." She smiled "Isn't this place closed?"
"Lets check it out," he said, climbing out of the car.
They walked up the doors and Milo knocked. Suddenly all the lights outside came on. Music started playing, softly, over the loudspeaker. "Here's a riddle for you. Find the Answer. There's a reason for the world, You and I..." (Five for fighting)
"You set this up." Emily told him.
"Well, I was thinking about that time we watched the Yankees game," Milo said "and you said you could hit a home run."
Emily nodded, remembering.
Milo said, "So prove it."
"In this dress?"
Milo smirked at her, he walked over and picked up a helmet. "There are no excuses in baseball, Quatermaine."
Emily took the helmet, put it on, and walked into the batting cage. Milo started it up. She proceeded to miss the first three balls.
Milo called out tips for how to stand, and hold the bat.
She followed his instructions.
Swung again, caught only air.
"Keep your eye on the ball." Milo said "Take a deep breath, relax, and don't over think this."
Emily focused, the next ball came flying. She swung and connected.
" I told you I could do it!" Emily cried
Milo smiled. "Yeah, you did."
"I guess we're big and I guess we're small. If you think about it, man, you know we got it all. Cause we're all we got on this bouncing ball. And I love you free... I love you freely..." (Five for fighting)