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Chapter 4

"Going to your usual haunt...again? Even though we had it for lunch." Lucy leans out the shop's back door grinning at him as she prepares to lock up for the night a smear of grease across her nose and left cheek. The man in question stiffens almost inperciveably. "Maybe. Why?" He closes the passenger door of his BMW. "Their lounge is quite nice and their specialty drinks are second to none. Forgive me if I like a drink after a hard day of working for such a grungy and unladylike superior."

"This grungy unladylike superior might just forget to hit the 'pay' button before going to bed tonight..."

"AH~! Lucy-sama~! Your beauty is quite ravishing this full moon night! And that grease just seems to add that just the right touch of...hmm"

"Yeah, yeah don't try to feed me that. Anyway see you tomorrow morning."

"Lucy, why not get changed into something nice and come with me?" Lucy stops and blinks back at him. "What?"

"All you do is work, eat, and sleep. You never go out you have no girlfriends to talk to..."

"I talk with Bisca all the time! And Levy."

"About GUNS, CARS, CAR ENGINE'S and BOMBS! Your like a homeland security threat waiting to happen between the three of you! Never mind, your probably on the NSA's radar from your college years as it is...When was the last time you went out shopping?"

"Well, last week I..."

"Guns don't count."

"Fine two weeks ago..."

"Nor do car parts."

"Dammit Freed, stop sucking the sunshine out of my girls days out."

"I'm just saying. Maybe you can have a girls night out instead...NOT at the firing range. Go out to a bar or a club, movie and a dinner.. Maybe Bisca can set you and Levy up on dates even. "

"Levy's recently got a boyfriend."

"Levy has? Well... see there's hope for you."

Lucy sighs. He means well...really. But she's never been a girly girl and, frankly it's miraculous that she even has three girls to talk to. It's hard to date men and get close to people when you are intimate with all the negative being obvious to you upon meeting them. But in Freed's eyes that just meant I had to look a little harder. If ONLY it where that simple. "Look I..not to night Freed..thank you though." He sighs looking disappointed but doesn't push. He's well aware of how stubborn she can be about these things. Lucy hugs him gently, tentatively, careful of her greasy facial status and his still crisp white shirt. He hugs back with a surprising tightness given that, willingly initiated large bodily contact from Lucy, was a rare event. "Thank you. It really means a lot to me that you care so much. How about I try to do better and...tomorrow I'll go with you." He perks his 'vibrations' rising too causing Lucy's lips to instinctively curve in the same direction.

"You promise?"

"Yes, and you know that I never break my promises." She waves him off grin still in place. It's always been like this... If Laxus was attempting to make sure his little sister was accepted by his racing buddies, Freed was always attempting to make sure that she would be accepted by society as a whole. It made for fun but hectic life growing up. But old habits die hard. Laxus is always signing her up for more underworld forums and Freed is always pushing for her to get out. Though to be perfectly honest...she is a bit of a homebody and surprisingly she has come to peace with that. She has her social moments (somewhat rare given her socially orientated line of work...) and her (much more common now) anti-social moments. Unfortunately, the latter has been more common lately than the former. Would she like to go on dates?

Hell yes.

Do many of her customer's look delectable?

Double hell yes. Scrumptious even.

Does she have the time?

Nope

Does the guy usually act like a ass hole who suddenly thinks that with her on his arm now she no longer owns a business, knows nothing about cars or drives or shoots or anything that makes her who she is? AND that she's suddenly just a girly girl who will sit in his car or on his bike giggling at his sucky jokes?

Yep.

And That is why she doesn't waste her time on dates. That and those guys grate on her senses. Sure she could go looking out side of such circles but she loves what she does...and finding someone out side of such a lifestyle who will love and accept her and this life she's chosen? That's a very tall order without finding a wuss. No Lucy knew that she had a strong will and a stubborn streak. She needed someone with a, equally, strong will in return that was tempered with kindness and understanding for the man to match her. Those last two where crucial. She'd tried the strong will before...only to have a man who attempted to run her. That was a nasty break up...

Sighing as she walks back inside and begins to lock up for the night and turning out all her internal shop lights and locking the garage when her cell phone goes off. "ugh this better not be Stick-in-the-mud.." looking at the screen she frowns. Levy? Answering happily. "Hey, Levy? What's up? You usually don't call on Thursday nights. Everything alright?" She was just a tad worried...Levy had not brought her boyfriend by so that Lucy could 'scan' him. So she was always paranoid that he was going to turn out to be a psycho...well it was hard to be more dangerous than Levy...but still~!

"Of course. I just wanted to see if you'd be up for looking over my new encryption program and telling me how it works? I need another set of eyes on it that knows what's going on."

"Sure but why didn't you call Hibiki?" She recalls the cutie computer genius from her college classes. "Didn't you keep in contact with him, he might be a better choice seeing as that was his major." There is a brief pause. "No...I can't do that. This is kinda a competition thing and I know he's in it and I don't want him winning because I allowed him to see my work."

"That's a good point. Alright. Want to send it to me via Drop Box?"

"I'd rather give it to you in person. Can I meet you tomorrow evening after work?"

"I would...but I just promised Freed that I would go out tomorrow evening with him to that Everafter place he coos over."

"That's perfect! I can give it too you then. We could dress cute and have a evening! It's been a minute since we just hung out looking shallow." She jokes. Lucy can't help but laugh as she closes her security gates. "True...and Freed always asks about you. But won't your new boy toy dislike the idea of you being out alone where strange men can accost you?" She laughs at the stories that Levy often tells her of her boyfriend's overprotective reasoning. "Actually I can do it there...he considers that a safe place."

"Makes it sound like your a lost child or something..."

"He's just over protective...Speaking about boyfriends have you...?"

"Yeah so tomorrow? I'll come about 7:30! don't worry I'll catch a ride with Freed OH look I have ten seconds to set the alarm down here. Gotta go, see you tomorrow Levy!"

Call ended.

"tch. Liar." the other girl grouses knowingly into the phone as she watches her computer screen. Your Alarm is already set."