"Here's to the first day of school and a thirteen-year sentence for the little tykes on Monday." Holding his drink up the in air, Luke Spencer smiled warmly at his son and the female sitting on a barstool across from him. "God bless their poor little souls."
Laughing at Luke's theatrics, Elizabeth tapped her shot glass to his and swallowed the burning liquid. Never having been much of a drinker, Elizabeth was humiliated when she ended up leaning over the bar gasping for breath.
"We'll make a wild woman out of you yet Webber." Refilling her empty shooter, Luke frowned when Lucky moved it out of Elizabeth's reach. "Come on Cowboy. You're being a stick in the mud."
"You're not the one who's going to be holding her hair back later on." Father and Son eyed each other until Luke shrugged.
"He's just trying to get me sloppy drunk so he can beat me in pool." Luke's offended expression had her flashing him an amused grin. "I was taught by the best you know."
Making a face, Luke said. "Laura taught you."
With a mischievous grin, Elizabeth wiggled her brows. "I know. Her lessons were handy during those tight spots in college."
"You know sweetheart. You're a walking conundrum. Half the time your nose is stuck in some book and your head in the clouds. Then there's this wild and crazy girl, who drinks and plays pool." Puffing on his cigar, Luke stood silently and contemplated the young woman. "I like that."
"Well that second personality is your son's fault." Feeling lighthearted and extremely at ease with the world, Elizabeth nudged Lucky in the ribs and snagged her shot glace while he nursed his wounds. "Before I met him, I was a perfect Angel."
"Try a perfect bore." Dodging her pointy little elbow before it made contact again, Lucky nearly ended up unseating himself. "Face it you weren't nearly the Brat you are now."
"See the abuse I have to put up with?" Sticking out her lower lip, Elizabeth sighed.
Sipping from his beer, Lucky groaned at her attempt to pout. "You want to hear about abuse?" Looking to his Dad for support, Lucky pointed his beer bottle in Elizabeth's direction. "She's used me as slave labor for the last month. First with that wreck of a house she now calls home. Then with her classroom. I have blisters on my hands."
"You wouldn't have to worry about blisters if you didn't sell out and take the cushy office job." Sneering into his glass, Luke didn't see the look Elizabeth and Lucky shared. It was a look of knowing what was to come next. "Working for ELQ like some little lap dog. Pushing papers and sniffing whiteout. It's a tragedy I tell you."
"Knock it off." Knowing this spiel, the Spencer working for the Man and wearing the white mans noose, Lucky grabbed a handful of stale bar nuts and prepared himself.
"My only son. My dream of him following in my shoes has been ripped at the seems. He has a respectable job, a respectable girlfriend. If it wasn't for his help in my side business, I'd disown him. Now I must ensure my little Lulu isn't ruined by his influence."
"Poor baby." Looking down at the shot glass she held in her right hand, Elizabeth wondered how it got filled by itself. "I must be a real let down then."
Fiddling with stereo system and cursing the CD player, Luke looked over his shoulder. "You? Are you kidding? I was dreading the prospect of you becoming a librarian or something your Grandmother saw as acceptable. You know, like a bingo caller or a nun in some hole in the wall town, in No Where USA. Now I get to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't turn out like that old prune."
It was no secret how Luke felt about Audrey Hardy. Having been forced to endure her sharp tongue a time or two in the past. But who could blame the poor woman for being just a tad bitter. Having been left the responsibility of raising three Grandchildren after her Son's death. Children who were born from a marriage she hadn't approved of, to say the least. She wasn't cruel or abusive. She was just from another time a different era.
When Elizabeth had made the mistake of sharing the exciting news of her new job, Audrey had sucked the excitement of her new adventure like a Hoover leaving her uncertain and uneasy. Audrey judged Port Charles to be too far away. Saying that perhaps a more safe approach should be taken by taking a job at one of the local schools. Until, of course, a suitable match was found. Which would mean settling down and popping out a few babies, while making sure the house was clean and her husband's collars were properly starched.
Elizabeth wished she could've found a way of making her Grandmother understand that she didn't want to settle for comfortable and secure. As for finding herself a 'suitable match', how Fred Flintstone of her. Babies? Absolutely. Someday. But only when she found the right man. And she wasn't in any hurry.
After running two lights on the way back from her spiffy meeting with her Grandmother, Elizabeth had treated herself to a pint of Ben and Jerry's Chubby Hubby and called Lucky in a panic attack. It'd taken him most of the night to talk her from the ledge. And she loved him for it.
Luke's small nightclub started to fill. The low buzz from just an hour ago, was now a rowdy roar. Each time the volume was turned up, the patrons would oblige and talk a little louder. Barks of laughter occasionally could be heard over the current song playing and the sound of pool balls crashing against one another.
People called out to Luke on their way past the bar to the pool tables and dance floor. Once in awhile Luke and Lucky would introduce her to someone, to the point where the faces and names were blurring. Or it could be the shots and beer that were making it seem this way.
"Cowboy." Luke straightened up, his eyes on two men who'd entered the bar. "Why don't you take Tinker Bell here and get your butt beat in a few rounds of pool?"
Turning in his stool to look over at the tables. Lucky shook his head. "The tables are being used."
"Then go dance or something." With a slight movement of his head in the direction of the approaching men, his son picked up the gesture and looked.
Sonny Corinthos and Jason Morgan stood just inside the dimly lit bar, scanning the room before looking in the direction of the bar. Even if their body language didn't reflect something was up, the grim expressions did. Well at least or Sonny it did. Jason was known for his dark stare. "Yeah, Elizabeth how about I show you all the smooth moves I learned since our Sophomore year."
Setting the bottle she'd been nursing on the pitted bar top, Elizabeth looked at him skeptically. Images of Lucky at the Spring formal invaded her mind. "You've learned something other than that Chicken Dance thing you used to do?"
Snorting his drink out of his nose, Luke grabbed a wad of napkins to clean up the mess as he sputtered out a laugh. Earning him a warm bubbling laugh from Elizabeth and an injured look from his son.
"You okay there Luke?" Someone questioned from behind, making Elizabeth jump.
"Yeah." Coughing once more, Luke straightened up. "Just had an ugly flash back. Some things in life are better forgotten."
"Elizabeth, why don't we go see if a table opened up?" Pulling on her sleeve, Lucky looked from Sonny to Jason and could feel the tension seeping from them. He knew his father was trying to get rid of them, and at the moment he was happy to oblige. "I also feel compelled to prove I have better moves than I did when I was sixteen."
"You two wild kids go do that." Luke nodded. "When I'm done here we'll get Claude to close down and we'll treat Elizabeth to a bowl of chili at Kelly's."
Knowing there was some silent conversation going on between Lucky and Luke. Elizabeth didn't feel like an outsider. She'd lived through several of these meaningless exchanges. She'd learn early on not to ask. Most of the time the explanations were in Spencer talk, a language that only gave her a pounding headache.
Scooting off her stool, the room made an unforgiving lurch and she fought to keep from landing on her face. She'd known better than to wear something with such a high heal. Reaching out blindly her hand made contact with something solid before a pair of hands wrapped around her waist, steadying her.
They weren't just normal hands. They were large, warm male hands that were attached to tan muscular arms. Sucking in a deep breath, Elizabeth looked up at the lucky man who owned them, finding herself momentarily stunned by piercing blue eyes. That didn't look all that friendly.
"That's it Tink." Luke grunted. "You're cut off for the night."
Mortified, Elizabeth felt her face burn her eyes darted from Lucky, back at Luke. "I'm not drunk. It's these new boots." Oh yeah, that didn't sound lame. Perhaps she should sell tickets for this event. Because if she didn't know better, this was going to turn out to be one of those embarrassing moments she was going to cringe over in years to come.
"Its okay sweetheart." Winking at her, Luke was walking from around the bar. "It's not like I haven't seen you drunk before."
"You haven't." Sure she was able to walk without causing permanent damage to herself or other's, Elizabeth stepped back from the stranger's hold on her. Feeling his steady stare burning holes into the back of her head, she wished he'd find something else to look at. The sensation of being scrutinized was not one of her favorites.
"Apparently you've chosen to block out the time you yakked on my dog Butch."
Oh dear lord.
"Lucky, pool is sounding wonderful." Turning in the direction of the tables so she could dodge any further humiliation, Elizabeth found the stranger still looking down at her. His eyes roaming from the top of her head down to the tips of her brand spanking new boots. When he looked up again, he gave what she called a disinterested snort before completely dismissing her.
Apparently stuck up pricks didn't reside exclusively in Colorado. They resided here as well.
"Sonny. Jason." Luke said. "This adorable hissing kitten is a long time family friend, Elizabeth Webber. Elizabeth these two men are beneath you and I don't want you associating with them in any kind of capacity. If you see them at any time, I want you to turn around and walk the other way."
Already passed insulted by the rude giant, Elizabeth dared a look at the other man. He seemed more friendly, but from where she was standing, Elizabeth doubted she'd ever willingly speak to either man. "Nice to meet you . . . both."
This time she returned the favor and openly examined Jason before making a face of indifference. Sure he was mouth watering, and would probably star in many hot dreams in the future. But just like most good looking men she'd encountered, he was probably an ass.
"Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way, why don't we adjourn to my office." Sweeping his arm in the direction of the closet sized room he considered his office. Luke gave a dry chuckle. "Unless you guys came for one of those fro-fro drinks with the umbrellas."
Following Sonny and Luke to the office in the back of the bar, Jason wondered what it would take to get Michael moved back into the other Kindergarten class. He didn't know how he felt seeing the woman who was responsible for his son's education buzzed at the local bar.
"So gentleman - and I use that term loosely - what brings you to my little corner of the world." Closing the door behind him, Luke's smile vanished. "On a Saturday night, when the bar is packed and every nosy resident in this backwater town could link us together."
"Max is missing." Not seeing any reason to waste time, Sonny took a seat and looked up at Luke's frozen expression.
"Are you sure?" Moving around his desk so he could mull this over sitting down, Luke looked from Sonny to Jason, then back again. "Maybe he forgot how to use a phone?"
"He left yesterday afternoon." Folding his arms over his chest. Jason ignored Luke's insult. He'd known the older man long enough to know his obnoxious comments were only to hide what he was really feeling. "I booked him a flight out of Boston for Miami."
"First class or coach." Knowing his comment was less crude and more callouses, Luke motioned with his head for Jason to continue.
"He never got there."
Rubbing the back of his neck, Luke sat forward, any sign of amusement left his face. "What aren't you telling me?"
"Vincent Marino might be back in town." Sonny snarled.
"Whoa!" Holding up his hands and laughing again, Luke looked at both men like they'd grown a third eye. "That remedial, special ed freak we scared the crap out of? The guy who tripped over his shoelaces trying to run away from Tonto over there." Nodding at Jason, who was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, Luke snorted. "Max probably found some hot skirt and is at this very moment, having wild monkey sex."
"Luke." He'd told Sonny talking to Luke would be pointless. He had to give up his weekly Saturday with Michael, and now his five-year-old son was severely pissed at him. The last he'd seen of his son, was him scowling up at him before stomping up the steps. "Raul Perez was shot on the steps of the PCPD."
"I heard about that." Again some of the amusement vanished from his eyes. "Heard he was being hauled in for dealing."
"He was framed."
"Are you sure?" Sitting back, Luke frowned. "You two know how I feel about drugs. They have no place in this town, or any other. But I can only manipulate one community at a time."
"There was no proof of drugs. Raul wasn't dealing." Jason snapped.
"So you two think Vinny is behind all this." Looking unsure, Luke looked disturbed. "Fine. We'll go with it. So what do we do?"
"We just need you to keep your eye open for anything out of place. New faces. Things that don't make sense." Sitting back and clasping his hands in his lap, Sonny looked Luke in the eye. "Benny's going over the books right now, making sure everything's in order incase someone tries to poke their nose in our business. I suggest you straighten up anything that may be . . . out of order."
"Anything else?" Luke asked.
"Yeah. Keep an eye on your family until we know what's going on."
