Chapter Fifteen

NOTE- Thanks for all the reviews! Let me know what couples you think should go on another date and which ones should part ways.

ONTO THE CHAPTER-

MILO and Emily sat in his car out in the Quatermaine driveway. On the radio, the Shawn Mullins song Lullaby plays, "

She still lives with her mom outside the city. Down that street about a half a mile. And all her friends tell her she's so pretty, but she'd be a whole lot prettier if she smiled once in a while. Cause even her smile looks like a frown. She's seen her share of devils in this angel town.


But, everything's gonna be all right, rockabye, rockabye"

"I would invite you in..." Emily said "But you've see the type of people I live with..."

"Your family is no more dangerous than mine."

She laughed, "That is not saying much."

"Well, I have to tell you," Milo looked at her "I never figured a Ball could actually be fun. But with you it was."

"So you are glad you didn't follow your first instinct and run away screaming when I asked you out?" Emily joked.

"I was ...just..surprised. I never saw that coming."

"Hmm."

"What?"

"So you never thought of me that way? That makes a girl feel real good."

"Fishing?" He was referring to the fact she seemed to be fishing for compliments.

"Huh? Do I want to go fishing? It's about two am. Batting cages at midnight. Fishing at two am. What are we doing on our next date? Base jumping at four in the morning?" she joked

Milo went still.

"Uh, I was kidding." she said "Though, fishing does sound like a weird thing to do this late at night."

"Next date?" he croaked out. His face looked terrified to Emily, and she misread the reason behind it.

She said, "Uh-uh... I did it again, huh? Assuming things. Like when I thought you would jump at the chance to take me to the Ball. I really don't have as big of ego, as it seems, Milo."

"Emily," he started then paused. He wanted to say this just right.

Emily interrupted, "Don't say anything. I get it. This was our only date. That's cool. I had a great time." She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

Then got out of the car and walked up to the door.

Milo opened the car door to call out to her, to try and say what he found so hard to put into words, but by the time he called her name, she was slipping inside the door and out of sight.

NED and Lainey headed for the limo. She said to him, "I never knew gambling could be that much of a rush."

"I'm glad you had a good time."

"I did."

"So would you think about doing this again?"

"Playing baccarat?"

Ned stopped and took her hand. "No, seeing me."

"I..."

"If you are ready to start dating again... if not...don't feel pressured." he added.

She said, "I think I am ready. And I think my first instinct to ask you to the Ball means something. We should see where this goes... don't you think?"

Ned smiled. "Yeah, I do."

He reached over and took her hand. She looked down at their hands, linked together, and smiled.

NIKOLAS walked Kelly to the door of her apartment.

She unlocked the door and then turned back to look at him.

"One more round of Secrets and Lies." she told him. "You first."

He met her eyes and then said, "I think the only thing more beautiful than your face is your spirit."

"True, I hope."

"Yes it is."

"Okay, my turn." She stepped close to him, dropped her voice and said. "I don't believe in curses."

Before her could say anything, her lips were gently connecting with his.

In the moment, before she kissed him, Nikolas was thinking of everything the word curse brought to mind: the Cassadine vs Spencer feud, Helena, the way his uncle died, his father, losing Emily. But when her mouth touched his all thoughts, but those of Kelly, disappeared.

Which shocked him. Because, every moment he was with Courtney, he had never been able to completely forget the past. It loomed over him, them and the future.

He deepened the kiss with Kelly and savored the feeling of her body pressing against his, of falling into a sensual pool of touch, and of not remembering.

To be able to turn off his mind was bliss to Nikolas in that moment.

PETE took another slug out of the vodka bottle. He was sprawled on the couch, watching Liz in the kitchen as she made coffee.

Out of the CD player the Goo Goo Dolls sang, "And I don't want the world to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand. When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am."

Elizabeth seemed so different to him than the women he met on campus and at bars. Elizabeth seemed real in a world of fake. Down to earth, honest, a grown up unlike the women who still played head games or read silly How to Trap a Man self help nonsense books.

She made him feel like stepping up to the plate, growing up himself.

And that fact scared him to death. Why should he want to change himself for this women he barely knew and was not even sure liked him?

So instead of trying to impress her, he reverted into Frat Boy Pete.

"Do you have any toys?" he called out

"Like toys for Cameron? Sure. Why?"

"No, like toys for us."

Liz spun around and gave him a dirty look.

"All right, up, up, up." She ordered. "Take your coffee to go."

"I was just joking." Pete said, leering at her.

She took the vodka from him and set it down on the coffee table. Then she shoved a mug of coffee in his hand.

"Yeah, I know. But your sense of humor leaves a lot to be desired." Liz said

"Oh, you should lighten up. We could have some fun."

"Go have fun at home. You don't need me to stroke your... ego." She walked over and opened the door.

"Elizabeth..."

"Don't call me that."

"It's your name."

"The way you say it... just don't call me that anymore. Good night, Peter."

He walked into the hallway, turned and said softly, "It's Pete. And Good night, Elizabeth."

The sound of her name still sent a shot a heat through her body. God, this man was going to keep her up all night thinking about what might have been if he was a little less...abrasive and a little more like the glimpses she saw when his guard was down.

Liz let go of the door and watched as it swung shut in his face.

CRUZ was driving Robin home when his cell phone rang.

"That's Lucky," he said, recognizing the ring. He passed the phone to Robin. "Can you answer it? Wouldn't want to break the law and drive and chat."

"Of course not, officer." She answered the phone and told Lucky who she was.

Lucky said, "Can you tell my partner that party time is over, we have a case. A body just turned up down on the docks."

"No one we know, is it?"

"A mobster, that's all."

"That does not narrow it down. It wasn't...?"

"No, it wasn't Sonny or Jason."

"I'll let him know," Robin said. After saying good bye, she hung up and told him. "Time to go to work."

"Couldn't they take one night off?" Cruz grumbled "Just one night?"

"In this town? Highly unlikely." Robin said.

"I must be crazy to live here, let alone think I can get these gangsters off the streets."

"Now, don't go throwing in the towel just yet. You know how the saying goes, right?"

He looked over at her.

Robin smiled, and said softly "Try, try again."

As he drove her home the song on the radio sang, "Cuz when I look around
I think this, this is good enough. And I try to laugh at whatever life brings. Cuz when I look down
I just miss all the good stuff. And when I look up
I just trip over things." ( Ani DiFranco song called As is)

MILO was sitting in the Quatermaine driveway, when he called Emily on her cell phone.

As soon as she said hello, he said, "There is one more thing I wanted to tell you."

"Okay."

"We should hang out again."

She chuckled. "Hang out?"

"Yeah. Watch baseball. Get you some pointers on that swing of yours."

"If you want to."

"Sure."

"Good night, Milo."

"Night, Em."

She smiled, waiting for him to hang up.

"Em?"

"Yeah?"

"You looked great in that dress tonight."

"Always such a charmer."

"Um.. I try.."

Softly she said, "Night."

"Night."

Milo was in a daze after he hung up, he sat there smiling and thinking about that night.

Suddenly the door of the mansion flew open, throwing light over his car.

Edward, dressed in a robe, glared out at him.

"Get off my property, scoundrel!"

Milo rolled down the window, "Good night, Mr. Quatermaine!" he called happily before driving away.