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The Quintessential Q
Chapter Four
Double Date
Inside Kelly's Liz goes automatically behind the counter to grab waters for the foursome and Emily grabs menus even though they have them just about memorized. Lucky and Nik walk in as Emily and Liz are getting settled and chewing over the wedding. Liz is lamenting not going. Emily is telling her all about the outfits and giving her the highlights, Johnny's speech, the first dance. Liz sighs, rests her elbow on the table and then rests her chin in her hand. "It all sounds so romantic. They were separated for years and finally got back together. And their son ended up being the best man."
Emily bites her lip looking over at Nik and then Lucky and tries to change the subject fast. "Well consider me just horribly shallow but the best part was the cake."
"The cake." Liz looks at her questioningly.
"Oh yeah. You know those functions you go to where the cake is dry and gross and the frosting tastes like wax? Not this one-- light as air white cake that melted on your tongue, raspberry filling that just exploded in your mouth and a rich, rich, rich buttercream frosting that was so perfect that those mucky mucks that were attending were like-- licking the forks and moaning-- in public. And the decorations on it, I swear he must have had a swatch from each of the bridesmaids dresses because he matched the tones of pinks perfectly from the light pastel that Rita was wearing to the deep rose that I was wearing. Screw being polite, people were coming back for second and thirds. I did manage to save you and Lucky a piece each; it's hidden back at the mansion."
"Hidden." Lucky grins.
"Well yeah. Grandfather is already going through withdrawal. Nobody knew it, but Cook catered to his sweet tooth. She was mean as all get out to him All the time but she always had cookies, or pie or cake or something sweet around and she'd dole it out to him-- keep him hooked. The new chef Grandfather stole is okay but he is no COOK if you know what I mean."
"He hasn't gone after anyone with a butcher knife?" Lucky quips well aware of the foibles of the Q staff.
"Well there is that too." Emily admits. Em glances down at the menu seeing that Peggy is coming their way. The foursome quickly orders and after Peggy leaves to put their order in try to decide what to do with the evening.
"I know what we need to do." Liz declares.
"What's that?" Nik asks.
"Take you to Blockbuster and get you a card to rent movies. I'm thinking a John Hughes marathon--Pretty in Pink."
"The Breakfast Club" Lucky adds.
"Some Kind of Wonderful." Em tosses into the hat. "Or Sixteen Candles-- now that is a movie that I can relate to, it wasn't as bad as some of my birthdays but close, real close."
"Who is John Hughes?" Nik asks. Liz and Em look at him in horror. "What?"
"John Hughes was an 80's icon to teen bubblegum angst. Class differences, the horrors of high school, the teenage condition. How could you not know that?" Liz declares. "I told you; the man needs a blockbuster card Bad. It's the only way that he is going to catch up on American popular culture. My English teacher gave me a reading list for the summer you know something to do if I didn't want my mind to rot over the summer. I think that we need to give Nikolas a movie list."
"The classics." Emily nods.
"And maybe a few others that weren't good movies but that were fun movies."
"Porky's." Liz and Emily look at each other and then as one grab an ice cube out of their water glasses and toss it at Lucky.
"I don't think so." Emily insists.
"Well I guess I don't think so either, Lucky." Nik jokes. "What did you do today, Em-- other than get in a fight with Katherine Bell."
"Went out with Carly to an auction."
"What did my cousin buy now? Another rug?" Lucky rolls his eyes.
"A horse."
"What in the hell does she need a horse for?" Lucky asks confused. "A car sure, even a motorcycle is sweet but who needs a horse?"
"Nobody Needs a horse these days. She took one look at him and fell in love. And since Grandfather was buying why hold back." Emily shrugs. "I figure I'm going to learn how to drive a horse trailer out of all this. No way that Carly is going to feel comfortable doing that. She still hates to drive but she is going to want to start competing again."
"Your grandfather bought Carly a horse?" Lucky asks
"I didn't know your sister-in-law was a competitive rider?" Nik inserts.
"What did he look like?" Liz asks her own horse lust days coming back at her. Peggy delivers their dinner and over burgers, cheesefries and shakes, Emily fills them in. As dinner is winding up, Nik takes control of the evening. He tosses Lucky the keys to the Jag.
"Emily and I will meet you at this Blockbuster place."
"You're kidding right man?" Lucky's jaw drops. "Nevermind, see you there." Lucky grabs Liz by the hand and hustles her out of the cafe before his brother can change his mind.
Emily looks down at her half finished chocolate peanut butter shake. She stirs it half heartedly. "I want to apologize for what happened last night-- I put you in an awkward position and I'm sorry."
Nik reaches across the table and takes her hand. "I'm not. I feel like I woke up last night. I know we've been friends for a long time but something changed last night. And I don't want to go back. I want to go forward. We can slow it down if you want but let's see where this takes us." Nikolas rises and holding Emily's chair for her as she rises. He tosses some bills on the table and walks Emily out. His hand at the base of her spine sends a shiver through her. She closes her eyes for a moment savoring the feeling and then opening them again walks out of the diner with Nik by her side.
"We have to meet Liz and Lucky." Emily reminds Nik.
"I know. Next time though can be just for us. Perhaps you'd like to go sailing?"
"I'd like that. I'd like it alot." Emily reaches the bike and tossing a helmet to Nik puts on her own. Getting comfortable on the bike she starts it up with a throaty purr. Nik slides on behind her and wraps his arms around her. She pats his arm securing him to her waist and sets the cycle in gear. Taking the long way to Blockbuster she puts the bike through it's paces enjoying it all the more because of the man she is with. Too soon it seems they arrive at Blockbuster. Lucky and Liz are already inside. Walking through the air conditioned doors, Nik maintains a hand on Emily: her hand , her waist, her shoulder, brushing her hair back at one point. Liz looks up from the box that she is reading.
"Oh wow."
Lucky looks up too. "Oh wow what?"
"Now I know why Johnny threatened to shoot Nikolas." Liz indicates with the nod of her head in Emily and Nik's direction. "When did Emily and Nik become a mutual "thing"?"
Lucky softly whistles. "Recently I'd say, real recent. Did you know about this, Elizabeth?"
"No, no way. What I know; you know." Liz insists. "But this is all your fault."
"Excuse me?" Lucky raises a brow.
"We should have been at the wedding. And you really need to start being nicer to Carly."
"Why? Carly's never done anything to be nice to me."
"Yeah, well I get the feeling that Emily has been confiding in and getting advice from Carly. How am suppose to know what is going on if you can't get over this thing about Carly."
"Elizabeth, she slept with Tony knowing that A) he was married to Bobbie and B) that he was her stepfather."
"Lucky, " Liz says kindly. "Your Aunt Bobbie has had two, count them TWO, husbands since then. I think that you need to get over it. Bobbie obviously has." Liz moves on to another row. Crying out "Eureka." When she finds what they had all been looking for-- the stuff of a John Hughes Marathon. "I can't believe I forgot this one!" Liz holds up Ferris Bueller's Day off. "Jennifer Gray before her nose job and this-- my favorite John Candy movie." Holds up Planes Trains and Automobiles. "It's not teen angst but it is so good." Emily and Liz gather all the movies together thanking goodness for five day rentals on older movies and hand them all over to Nik to check out. While they are waiting for him to fill out all his information they go through the store and gather up the junk food and soda necessary for a movie marathon.
Lucky now realizing why he was offered his brother's keys doesn't bother offering to give them up. Instead he takes the packages and slides into the drivers seat of the Jag. Nik opens the door for Liz. As soon as they are buckled up, they leave. Nik walks over to Emily. "Well how long can we delay going to the cottage?"
"Not too long." Em bites her lip. Nik brushes her lip with his thumb freeing it from the torment and then kisses her softly.
"Then come home with me."
"Gawd, I can't breath when you say things like that." Emily rolls her eyes and laughs. They climb onto the bike.
"One of these days you are going to teach me how to ride this thing."
"You ride a horse, you own a jag. Let me keep a little bit of mystery." Emily teases. "Hold on." Em, kicks it into gear and heads out to the cottage. When they arrive at the cottage Lucky and Liz are already there and have rearranged the living room furniture to make it more like a theatre with the large screen TV that Nik has never used as well as the VCR whose remote is still in bubble wrap.
Lucky holds up the remote sealed in plastic. "This is pitiful, man; really pitiful."
"What can I say-- normally I read a book." Nik shrugs looking somewhat embarrassed.
Liz goes ahead and kicks a guy while he is down. "You know there are all kinds of great programs on PBS-- plays, ballet, opera. Its how us poor folk get all citified."
Emily grabs the bags of microwave popcorn. "Okay you have four more minutes to pick on Nikolas and then the previews are over and the movie is starting. I vote for Sixteen candles. I've been up since O'dark thirty to go with Carly and I don't know how much longer I'm going to last." Liz and Lucky grab up cushions and get comfortable on the floor. Nik kicks back on the couch and in a moment of total impulsivity and too much time around his brother puts his feet up on the coffee table. When Emily comes back to the living room she carries two bowls of popcorn: one she sets before L&L and the other she hands to Nikolas before sitting next to him on the couch. She flushes slightly as she brushes the back of her hand against the rough texture of the couch. Nik flicks off the light next to them and hits play on the remote. As the video plays the couples settle into comfortable arrangements. Nik's arms stretches out on the couch behind Emily. She gets comfortable against him. It seems like no time at all before Molly Ringwald is sitting on the dining room table with her hunk across from her hesitating to blow out the candles on her cake because all of her wishes had come true.
"And this is a classic?" Nik says curiously.
"For me it is." Emily answers. "Consider my birthday history. Year before last The Q's used my birthday to try to kidnap Michael and then this year...." Emily doesn't complete the thought but straightens away from Nik. "They always remember my birthday. I'm hoping next year they'll forget."
"Sure you don't want a black TransAm?" Liz teases.
"Nah, a pink one." Emily grins. Just then the phone rings. Nikolas picks up.
"Hello Katherine." Nik says quietly barely getting the greeting out when Katherine starts filling him on all her woes and how it is all Emily's fault. Emily rises and gathers her things. "Katherine, you've called at a bad time. I have guests."
"She's there isn't she? She's never forgiven me for loving you." Katherine whines.
"I have to go, Katherine." Nik disconnects Katherine in mid complaint. "Emily, wait!" Nik protests following Emily out the front door.
"Look, it's getting late. I need to get home before they send out another search party. I think I've embarrassed myself enough for one 24 hour period."
"We need to make plans to go sailing." Nik insists.
"You don't have to, Nik. I'm fine."
"I want to. Em, don't let her ruin our evening." Nik takes Emily by the shoulders. "I want to spend time with you. Just you."
"Call me tomorrow." Emily finally says. Reaching up she kisses Nikolas on the cheek and then turning away climbs on her bike. Nik waits until she has left before going back into the cottage.
"Bro." Lucky says after popping a morsel of popcorn in his mouth. "Next time I suggest you unplug the phone."
"Now you tell me." Nik falls back on the couch. "I don't think I'm going to get any sleep tonight anyway. What's up next?"
"Breakfast Club." Liz holds up the video box.