There were a few things I had to consider before updating almost five hours early. Michael got shot in the head today. I've never liked the kid, but that scene doesn't sit well with me. What kind of monsters do we have writing for that god damn show?! I actually feel kind of sick to my stomach to think that this is what the writers view as must-see TV, but I'll let it drop. Another thing I had to consider is that I'm flying solo tonight since Beth had this crazy idea to work and celebrate her birthday tomorrow. The final realization was that it's Friday and, I don't know about the rest of you but this is the day I seem to get the least amount of, well, anything done. I hope you enjoy this chapter and we'll be getting the next set to you next week. Enjoy! I forgot to add, this is the first chapter of our sweeps. Enjoy!
This had to rank up there as one of the strangest parties his family had ever thrown Lucky mused. Lucas and Dillon had been surprised, but that seemed to be the only thing going according to plan. From what he could tell, Cruz had been distracted since the second he walked through the door. His friend had the expression of someone who wanted to ask a question but kept chickening out entirely. For some reason, Patrick and Robin were on the opposite side of the party, wavering between not looking at each other and outright glares.
And then there was Elizabeth. She had sworn being at yet another family party would be no big deal. She had already survived his mother's ambush and was most likely old news in the family gossip chain. He had agreed, figuring most of the attention would be on Patrick or even Lulu if she brought the new boyfriend over, but the second they arrived, it appeared his family was determined to make a liar out of him.
He had only left her side for two minutes to get them something to drink but that was all it took. Someone, at this point Lucky didn't know who, but someone had said something or looked some way at her and off she had fled. He had tried to catch her at least a half dozen times, but each time she had flown away on some errand for his mother or Bobbie or even once his father's behalf. Right now she was hiding in the kitchen, an area of the house his mother had long ago forbid him ever to enter.
At least he had figured out what Elizabeth was doing. Cruz and Patrick on the other hand, were complete mysteries. Glancing between his two friends, Lucky wondered which one he would have more success with. Patrick had been a bear since the night they had run into the girls at the bar but a few good retorts and Lucky was pretty sure he would back down. The look on Cruz's face told Lucky he was probably closer than he had ever been to spilling all about his secrets. Which one to choose? Swallowing the rest of his drink, he squared his shoulders and made his move.
He wanted to make some comment when he noticed Lucky coming his way, but he held his tongue. He didn't need to make another enemy. The one he had acquired was more than enough. Lucky would want to know what had happened, why he and Robin were obviously avoiding one another--seemed like there was always drama when a family gathering was going on--and, most importantly, what had sparked his anger toward his girlfriend. Patrick wasn't ready to answer any of these questions, but he mentally prepared himself for the discussion. Lucky didn't know how to take a hint, never had. It had made him one easy target as a teenager.
"Having fun?" Lucky decided to start slow and work up to the big questions.
"Looks like this party is going off without a hitch." Patrick answered monotonously.
"Yeah that contortionist was a big hit with the kids." Okay he lied. He had been on the receiving
end of monosyllabic retorts since whatever happened between Patrick and Robin happened and to be perfectly honest, Lucky was tired of it. It was too much work trying to figure out the drama in other people's relationships when his own provided enough on its own.
"You know what?" Patrick asked, twisting around to stare Lucky in the eye. "No one asked you to come over here."
"And no one asked me to put up with your shit for the past week either yet I did."
Patrick exhaled through his nostrils, but let his shoulders relax. "Would you like a badge, Dudley Do Right?"
"We can discuss my payment later, but you can tell what the hell crawled up your ass and died before Mom and Aunt Bobbie pound you for ruining this party."
He didn't dare look in her direction, but he knew Robin was watching the exchange. No way was he going to tell Lucky anything. "I was just about to leave as a matter of fact."
"Before the cake? I'm not stupid you know."
"No, you're just killing time while your girlfriend successfully hides from you in the kitchen. Did you come together, because I'm pretty sure you won't leave together?"
Cruz who had just entered the forbidden room of categorized spices and stick-free pots and pans.
Lucky snorted. "Elizabeth isn't pissed at me, she's hiding from another relative ambush." Nodding towards Robin who had leaned down to say something in Morgan's ear, he continued, "And at least I can drive her home. Robin can't move an inch without you moving to give her the death ray eyes."
"I'm not giving her any kind of 'death ray' eyes." Patrick scoffed, hearing the hollowness of his voice. He was hurt. He could admit it to himself. The fact that she hadn't approached him once all evening wasn't improving his mood any. What, he wanted to see just how to drive her away for sure? He hadn't had enough fun during their last fight?
"If you were in Spiderman, you'd be Venom."
"You're comparing me to a comic book character?" Patrick gave his cousin a sideways glance.
"You're the one who always loved them. It's called relating on your level here."
"I need some air." Patrick glanced toward the double glass doors leading to the patio.
Lucas patted his husband's right thigh as he addressed the crowd of family and friends. To say that this party had been cool and conflict-free would have been a lie. He had picked up on the tension almost immediately, but he hadn't mentioned it to Dillon, not wanting to spoil the evening. "First off, thank you for this party. We really had no idea." He had suspected, but he hadn't known for certain. He was about the only Spencer who liked surprises. Everyone
else...well it was one of the reasons no one had ever thought to throw Patrick a party without his knowledge and approval.
"Tell the story, Daddy." Lance begged, tugging on the leg of Lucas' baby blue slacks.
He didn't have to ask "which story" his son was referring to. Lance was obsessed with how he and Dillon had met and how they had known almost instantly that they were each other's soul mates. Still, he humored the rest of his family. "What story would that be?"
"The story of the Baskerville Hounds!" Lucky teased yelling out from the back.
"Don't torture him. We both know which story he means." Dillon scolded playfully, intertwining their hands. Lance climbed into his lap and snuggled close to each of his parents. His blonde hair was combed nicely and gelled back. It must have been an outside influence.
Lucas cleared his throat, prepared to make a production out of it, "A lot of you may not know how Dillon and I met and, since it's our party, I'm totally going to tell you all about it and I expect my cousins to take notes." He didn't miss the surprised look he got from Lucky, the put-off stare he received from Patrick, or the generally annoyed glance Lulu sent his way. Morgan whispered something to Robin and she had to bend down to understand him. Laughing quietly, she shook her head and turned back toward Lucas.
"I was investigating the lead actress in the first movie he ever directed. She had a very jealous boyfriend and my job was to prove whether or not he was justified. When I first met Dillon, I knew for certain that, if she was being unfaithful, she wasn't doing so with him." Everything about Dillon from his perfectly pressed gray suit and white tucked-in shirt to his OCD tendencies and his attitude toward the people he came into contact to--people that made it their business to get in the way of his "masterpiece"--had been more than enough proof for Lucas.
"You were such a pain in the butt." Dillon told him with a nod of his head. "Coming there, messing up my movie set, scaring my actors..." He ticked off each offense on his fingers.
"We soon realized that the quickest way to solve both of our problems was to use Dillon as a spy between the actress and any man she came into contact with. It took what, two days or did you know sooner?" Lucas asked him.
Dillon's expression gave him away instantly. He bit softly into his lip and contemplated the best answer, his blonde head tilting to the left. Instantly, his eyes darted to the floor but, even that, couldn't hide the brilliant smile his mouth was broadcasting. "I knew way before you did...but you were kind of cute and I couldn't help myself."
Lucas bit the inside of his cheek before continuing, "Just goes to show. Once you go Spencer, you don't go back."
"You keep that attitude up and your ego will reach the size of your--" Dillon blushed.
"CHILDREN PRESENT!" Lulu screamed.
"Well, the multi-billion dollar condo kind of helped in that regard." Dillon explained, his coffee eyes almost black as he watched his husband's slight pout.
"Anyways..." Lucas managed to drag out the word so that it had at least three extra syllables.
"Once the case was over and done with, I invited Dillon out for a cup of coffee."
"You did not! I invited you." Dillon argued, stomping his foot.
"No honey. Your old age must be catching up with you. I was the one who offered. You couldn't say yes fast enough." Lucas insisted.
"It wasn't like I didn't have plenty of other offers," Dillon countered, "I just happened to be free that night."
"Right." Lucas chuckled. "So we went out for coffee and we knew just knew."
"How did you know?" Lance persisted, shifting on Dillon's left knee.
"When we first met, there was an immediate spark. Granted, Dillon was yelling at me, but I could tell."
"You flipped the fire alarm! You were lucky I didn't throw your butt out into the street. Those bodyguards never proved their purpose." Dillon mused. They had served only one purpose, but he didn't think his husband needed to know that story.
"I got you to talk to me though and you have to admit, it was love at first sight." Lucas pressed on.
"Don't get all mushy on me." Dillon warned, wagging a finger at Lucas.
"To Dillon and Lucas!" Someone in the crowd shouted and everyone got to their feet, their glasses raised.
Bringing the glass to his lips, Patrick finished it off and set it on the table, daring to look in Robin and Morgan's direction. The spot was vacant. Morgan and Cameron were talking quite loudly with one another about Sponge Bob and Robin...? The patio doors were pushed open. He didn't have to be a private eye to know she had sought refuge on the old white back porch swing. Now or never, he told himself.