A/N – Okay, the date finally! I hope everyone enjoys it! I would love to know what you think!

Chapter 6 – A Night to Remember

Johnny drove up to Lulu's apartment building and parked his car. He was so nervous and he felt he might break out into a sweat at any time. He knew he had to pull himself together and quickly. It was almost seven and the last thing he needed to do was be late. He took a few deep breaths and got out of the car. He found Lulu's apartment and knocked lightly on the door.

When Lulu opened the door, Johnny's heart stopped. She was perfection in human form. Her hair was in soft curls and her short red dress hugged all of her curves. He wanted to kiss her passionately like he had done in his dreams for the last six months. Like he had done the day they met, but he held back. He forced his eyes to focus on hers and smiled.

"You look beautiful," Johnny whispered.

"Thanks," Lulu smiled.

"Are you ready to go?" Johnny wondered.

"Yeah," Lulu nodded.

Johnny walked her to the car and opened the passenger door for her. He offered her a hand to help her in, but she ignored it and climbed in on her own. He closed the door and quickly rounded the car and got behind the wheel. He couldn't help but wonder if maybe forcing her into the date had been a bad idea. She certainly didn't seemed too thrilled to be with him. Johnny tried to shake off the negative thoughts and started the car.

"Where are we going?" Lulu asked.

"It's a surprise," Johnny answered.

"I hate surprises," Lulu muttered and Johnny rolled his eyes. She was impossible.

"I figured as much," Johnny laughed.

"Then why do it?" Lulu questioned. "I thought you were trying to earn my forgiveness or something."

"I am," Johnny replied.

"Then why do something you figured I would hate?" Lulu prodded.

"Because you've made it pretty clear to me you hate everything I do," Johnny said softly. "If I told you exactly what the plans were for tonight, you would find something wrong with them instantly."

"You think you know me so well," Lulu said bitterly. "One night doesn't make you an expert on my life or my attitude."

"You want to know what I think?" Johnny asked.

"Aren't you going to tell me anyway?" Lulu countered and Johnny nodded. "Then by all means, shed your wisdom on me."

"I think you like fighting with me," Johnny smirked. "I think you don't want to take a chance on liking me because you're afraid it won't be as fun for you as hating me is."

"Is that some kind of reverse psychology that makes me tell you that I really don't hate you?" Lulu wondered.

"What if it was?" Johnny smiled. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and saw she was trying to fight a smile of her own.

"Then it sucked," she responded.

"Well," Johnny sighed. "Maybe I'm the one who needs to work on people skills then. I mean what kind of a mob boss can't manipulate people into doing things?"

"I guess you're just a failure," Lulu smirked and Johnny laughed.

"I guess I am," Johnny replied.

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Lulu was enjoying the silence of the ride. Johnny refused to tell her where they were going so she decided she wouldn't talk to him until they got there. She had agreed to a date, anyway. She hadn't said she would be nice or that she would have a good time. In fact, she refused to have a good time. Johnny was entirely too good at making her laugh and lulling her into a false sense of happiness and she was not going there again.

When she had first opened the door and saw him, her heart had stopped. He looked gorgeous in his button up shirt and slacks. Her first instinct was to wrap her arms around him and kiss him senseless and that instinct scared the hell out of her. She wasn't supposed to want him. She didn't want him. She had to go on this date and once it was over, they were really over for good.

"Do you usually not talk on dates or is that something you're doing especially for me?" Johnny asked.

"I'm sure no matter how I answer that question, you have a comeback prepared," Lulu said sarcastically.

"Guess we'll never know," Johnny muttered.

Lulu glanced at him and studied his face. He seemed hurt by her latest sarcastic remark. Actually, with each shot she took at him, he became less and less talkative. Maybe he was actually trying to make up for the past. Lulu looked away and back out the window. She noticed they were slowing down and pulling over on the side of the road. There was nothing in sight and Lulu looked to Johnny with a questioning gaze.

"This was obviously a mistake," Johnny whispered. "You didn't want to come, I forced you to and if you want, I'll just take you home. I'm not going to fire you, so you don't have to worry about that. I won't make you bring me coffee anymore. I'll forget we met like you asked me to before."

Johnny looked up at Lulu and she knew she had hurt him. She recognized the pain in his eyes. It was the same kind of pain that had been in her eyes for months after he didn't call. She knew she should let him take her home, but her conscience got the best of her and she spoke up before he could turn the car around.

"Don't," she mumbled.

"Don't what?" Johnny asked.

"Don't take me home," Lulu clarified. "You went through a lot of trouble to set this up and we're both dressed up. It would be a waste to just go home."

"Are you just saying that because you feel like you need to?" Johnny asked. How did he know her so well?

"Maybe," Lulu answered. "But if you really want to earn my forgiveness like you said you did, this is probably your only shot. So you should take it."

Johnny nodded, started the car and pulled back onto the road. Lulu fell back into her thoughts as they resumed driving in silence. He had offered her an out and she had turned him down. What the hell was she doing? The car slowed again and this time it was because they had reached their destination. Lulu's heart fluttered a little as she looked around.

Johnny had taken her to the Overlook. He parked the car and hurried around to open the door for her. He offered her his hand and this time she took it. He led her up the path and Lulu took in the scene. The railing was lined with candles and in the middle of the overlook, there was a small blanket spread on the ground with a picnic basket placed in the center. A smile crept onto her face as they came to the blanket.

"You did go through a lot of trouble," Lulu whispered and Johnny chuckled lightly.

"I wanted to make a positive impression on you," Johnny replied. "Something I've failed to do in the past."

"It's nice," Lulu offered, sitting on the blanket.

"I don't know much about you," Johnny commented, taking a seat on the blanket as well. "But I'm hoping to learn. That's why I brought you up here."

"What do you mean?" Lulu asked.

"I spend almost all my free time up here," Johnny started. "Or any time I just need to get away from things. I find it really easy to clear my head here because when I look out over the whole town and remember all the other people who live close to me, my problems don't seem so bad. I mean, for all I know a person I pass every day is behind on their bills and about to lose everything. Or maybe someone in town just got diagnosed with cancer. Being up here forces me to remember I'm not the only one in the world. I need that after running a business that tries to make me think otherwise."

"I still don't understand what that has to do with me," Lulu responded.

"I came up here the first time I saw you in my coffee shop," Johnny breathed. "But for the first time, I couldn't clear my head. All I could do was think about you. The only thing I thought when I looked at the city was 'I wonder where Lulu is right now'. I brought you up here because I feel like you don't know much about me either, which is my fault, and I wanted to change that. This place is special to me and I've never shared it with anyone. I thought maybe if I took the first step, then you might share something with me."

Lulu had no words. Johnny had completely melted her heart and she had nothing to say to him. She knew it was a bad time to be rendered speechless and her head was screaming at her to say something and stop sitting there like an idiot.

"What do you want to know about me?" Lulu asked slowly.

"Everything," Johnny smiled.

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"Hey what are you doing here?" Matt asked.

"I just came to load up on coffee," Georgie answered. "I want to be fully awake when Lulu gets home from her date and calls me to tell me about it. Why are you here?"

"I know Johnny well enough to know he'll come here after he drops Lulu off and I figured I might as well be here to let him tell me about it in person," Matt laughed. "I don't like when he calls me about that stuff. Makes me feel like a teenage girl."

"Why is that?" Georgie wondered.

"Because he's so in love with Lulu it's sickening," Matt answered. "There are times when he giggles when he tells me things she said that made him laugh."

"At least he's honest," Georgie laughed. "Lulu always calls me complaining about how much of an ass he is. She swears she hates Johnny, but no one talks that much about someone they hate."

"So what do you think they're doing right now?" Matt questioned.

"I don't know," Georgie replied. "But whatever it is I can't wait to hear about it."

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Johnny watched Lulu take a sip of her wine and he smiled. She had told him a few stories about her childhood and answered any question he asked her. He was enjoying spending time with her, but he couldn't help but notice she still seemed uneasy. He wished with everything he had he could go back in time and call her as soon as he woke up in the hotel room. So she would know how much he cared and that he had cared all along.

"Are you finished interrogating me?" Lulu wondered.

"Not even close," Johnny answered. "But I'll stop asking questions if you're tired of answering them."

"I just don't think it's very fair that you ask all the questions," Lulu replied.

"Is there something you want to know about me?" Johnny asked.

"No," Lulu smirked. "Well, maybe one thing."

"What's that?" Johnny questioned.

"Why is it so important to you that I forgive you?" Lulu inquired.

Johnny thought about the honest answer to that question and it scared the hell out of him. He didn't know much about love. What it looked like or felt like, but if he was a betting man, he would bet all he had that he was in love with Lulu. Everything about her made him smile. Even the little details he had learned. He didn't know how to tell her or if he should so he decided to give her a partial truth.

"I want to know you," Johnny whispered. "I want to be your friend at least and I know we can never be anything if you hate me for what happened."

"I've had a nice time tonight," Lulu muttered. "But I don't think we could be anything more than employer and employee."

Johnny nodded and stood up quickly. He couldn't look at her anymore. His heart was breaking because he knew she was lying. He saw the look in her eyes. Lulu wanted more too, but he had hurt her once and she wasn't going to let him close enough to do it again. If only there was some way he could convince her he wouldn't do it again.

"I should take you home," Johnny offered. "Thanks for at least giving me the chance."

Lulu just nodded and headed for the car. Johnny glanced out over the town and sighed. Other people might have been in pain, but he doubted anyone was hurting as bad as he was.

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Lulu closed the door to her apartment behind her and text Georgie, asking her to come over immediately. She fell onto the couch and tears came to her eyes. She thought about what Johnny had said about when he got down on life and how other's problems helped him forget his own. She thought of the pain other people were probably going through, but it did nothing. She doubted anyone was hurting as bad as she was.