Lucky waited for Elizabeth in her living room. He had a new plan that they could take. But he wasn't exactly sure what she would think of it. They had already had an 'investigative' date to the Metro Court and shared a couple of two short dances, but this would take a special kind of skill. It would take their mostcovert skills, ever. She was taking a while. She better not forget those cookies. When he saw her, he took a deep breath. She mesmerized him. Had she ever stopped mesmerizing him? He wanted to tell her, but he was scared too. She said something, but he didn't hear it. "Did you say something?"
"Yes, Lucky. I said, 'Here are the cookies that you demanded' and here is some coffee.' Are you alright? Did you get in another fight already?" She smirked at him, and he gave her a look. Elizabeth really liked spending time with him, even if they were just working on this case. She didn't know how long he would stay but she wanted him to stay. But she would never beg him to stay in her life, again.
"No, I didn't get in another fight." He took a bite. "But I have an idea on how we can find more information about Cyrus. Dad always said that you learn the most about someone when you go through their trash."
Raising an eyebrow, she leaned over and took his cookie and his coffee, putting a finger over his mouth. "I am not going through Cyrus' trash. We have been through some trashy things together, but that is where I draw the line, Lucky."
He scowled at her, for taking his cookie away and tried to get it back, but she was keeping it from him. "Oh, come on. You were married to Ric. Going through a dumpster is a step-up from letting yourself be touched by Ric Lansing." He was so tired of Ric Lansing. He was constantly showing up.
"Lucky, has it ever occurred to you that I spend more time with you than I do Ric, and it's because I want to?"
He smiled at her. "I'll make sure to tell Ric that, the next time he is drooling on your shoes. Now, can we get back to discussing our next adventure? You know you love our adventures. Lucky and Elizabeth, fighting crime, since they were teenagers, back when we knew we were superior to everyone. Good times. That Elizabeth would have jumped into a dumpster with me."
She smiled and handed him his cookie, which he took a huge bite out of. "This Elizabeth will too. Fine, we will go through Cyrus' trash. But you are jumping in there. I will watch for someone coming."
Lucky raised an eyebrow. "Oh totally. That is 100% what is going to happen. I would never have you in the actual trash with me. You have my word on that, Elizabeth." He took another drink and finished his cookie. "So, it's a date."
Elizabeth groaned aloud. "Lucky, dumpster diving is not a date." He was being silly tonight, and she had to say she liked it. She liked him but that was terrifying. They had been through so much already. Would he even want them to start anything again? Her thoughts were interrupted by her phone. "I have to go pick up Aiden. Do you want to come with me?"
He was tired but he would go. "Sure, I don't mind. But tomorrow, we are both off and we're going trash hunting."
She mumbled under her breath. "Don't remind me." He was crazy and she liked it.
Elizabeth was not looking forward to this and she had told Lucky that she would meet him outside Bobbie's. It wasn't too far from Cyrus' place. She'd put on black pants and a black shirt. She wasn't about to wear any good clothes right now. This was crazy. They weren't going to find anything. He was crazy…and still so good-looking. Sometimes, she just wanted to put her hands in his hair and kiss him.
She was pulled from her thoughts by the him in question. He was dressed identical to her. "You look a million miles away, Elizabeth. Are you still doubting this?"
She sighed. "Lucky, no grown woman wants to go through the trash. No grown man should want to go through the trash, but the idea of it seems to make you downright exciting. Has anyone ever told you that you might need a life?"
He took her hand and led her down one alley, behind Pier 18, and then to Cyrus' alley. "Where's your sense of adventure? These are our old stomping grounds. Remember when we slept on the docks? That was fun, right?"
"You mean when the rats were by us? You did get my stuffed animal for me though and try to find us better places like Wyndham's and your dad's club. Still, that doesn't mean it is normal to want to dig in the trash." She wasn't as against it, as she was coming off. But the last thing that she wanted to do was convince him that this was remotely normal.
When they finally got to the end of the alley, he pointed to it. "That's the one. We've got to check that one out."
She looked at it and noticed how dirty it was. "Are you sure this is the only way?" By the time she had finished her sentence, he had jumped in the dumpster but had the hood on his hoodie up. "What, are you protecting your hair?"
"I will have you know that I take time to make it look this way." He looked through it and saw several papers, but they all looked gross. There was some blood on some of them though. That was disturbing. Then, he heard something. "Someone's coming. Come here."
She did not like that option, but she jumped in, into his arms…in the dumpster. There was a moment when their lips were close, but then they had to duck down. Even though she wanted to kiss him again, she refused for her first kiss with him to be in a dumpster. This felt as gross as she thought it would be.
His head popped up, like a bird, and he knew that she had to stifle a laugh. He knew her too well. "Okay, that was close. That was Cyrus." He noticed what he had thrown away and it was definitely some kind of list. "Look at this. It's a list of some kind, like the one we got at Turning Woods. Wait, I feel something."
She was not enjoying this. There was something leaking down her arm. Then, he pulled up a bag. "What's this? Is this what I think I is?"
"Empty syringe vials, yeah. I mean, we would have to look at them more carefully, but I think they could be Digitalis vials. But wouldn't that be too easy?"
He shrugged. "He's getting messy? I know I am."
She rolled her eyes. "This was your idea. Can we please go back to my house and change clothes? I have extra clothes for you."
He nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. Did you just ask me to shower with you?"
She turned to him and almost chastised him. "Lucky! I did not suggest that and especially not, after you made me get in the dumpster. Let's go."
Lucky followed her and they made their way back to her house. "Are you sure you don't need my help in the shower? If you remember, I can be helpful?"
She shot him a look. "You are also quite the flirt." She moved closer to him and put her hand on his chest. "Do you really want to come take a shower with me, maybe show me some of those skills I forgot about?"
He looked at her lips and swallowed. "I am great at hair washing, you know. If you are okay with it, I am okay with it." He was leaning in then, desperate to kiss her and he could tell she was.
Then, the front door opened, and they jumped apart. They both said Aiden's name at the same time.
"Um yes. It's like 4pm? Why are you two a mess?"
Lucky spoke then. "I needed your mom's help with some trash, and she helped me. She said she has some extra clothes for me, so I'm going to go shower in the guest room, and your mom wants a shower in her bedroom.
"You all definitely need a shower, and can you all do it soon? I need you both to make food and me and my friends are going to be in my room." His room just happened to be between the two bedrooms.
Elizabeth smiled. "Sure honey."
She waved Lucky upstairs, and he followed. Before she disappeared into her room, she glanced over at him, while he was in the other doorway. "I'm just going to have to make sure I thoroughly clean myself. Co-parent, after all."
Lucky groaned. "Co-parenting but you're a great trash-mate."
She threw something at him, before disappearing into her bedroom and locking it. Elizabeth was not going to be able to stop herself much longer. One Lucky was in the bathroom and looked at himself covered in trash; he sighed. How was he supposed to stay away from her?