“Sure thing, Nick. What’s your pleasure?” She purred as she batted her false eyelashes.
“Jack on the rocks. Make it a double sweetie.” He threw in a wink for good measure and watched as she sashayed her hips, and walked off to make his drink.
“She looks the same?” Luke asked, amused.
Nick turned and faced him. “Who the hell is that?” He asked as he scratched the top of his head. For all the tea in china he couldn’t place her. “Please tell me I didn’t have a thing with her.” His eyes widened as he feared the possibility.
Luke laughed for the first time in what felt like ages. He needed a good dose of Nick, to get his mind off of his troubles. It was like nothing had changed, and they were still the wild and reckless kids who thought they ran this town. “That my friend is Helena Reynolds.”
Luke waited for Nick to figure it out. Nick stared at him as if he had grown a second head. “Should that name mean something to me? Like ring a bell or something?”
“Man, she propositioned you to punch her V-card at her sweet sixteen. You don’t remember Helena Reynolds?”
“Here you go Nick.” She slid the glass towards him and smiled. “Wow, I can’t believe how great you look. I heard you spent the last few years in Seattle.” She bit her lip and let her eyes travel down his body. “The air must be good there.”
Nick took the drink and tipped the glass towards her in a silent toast. Staring at the liquid in the glass he wondered if he had gone through with it, figuring yes, he threw back his head and guzzled the alcohol. He was going to need it.
Helena turned and smiled at Luke. “How’s your daughter she must be so big by now.” She kept one eye on Luke and stared at Nick out of the corner of the other.
Nick would’ve sworn she had a lazy eye or something. He topped off his drink from the bottle she left on the bar and grabbed the rest of Luke’s beer guzzling that as well. It was going to be a long night.
“She’s great. She’s with my sister tonight.” Luke said as he eyed Nick.
“Helena, can we get some refills. Maybe you should just bring the bottle here so I don’t have to bother you.”
“Oh, you’re no bother babe.” She winked.
Lucky for Nick, there was a guy at the other end of the bar beckoning for Helena. She placed the bottle in front of Nick and promised to return. Thank heavens, he thought sarcastically and turned around to Luke.
“Did I do it? Tell me, I didn’t do it.” Nick begged for his friend to ease his fears.
Luke laughed and decided it might be fun to let Nick stir for a bit. “Ask Sam.”
“What?” Nick’s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. “What does Sam have to do with Helena’s v-card?”
“You know I thought it was weird, Sam offered to babysit Ava tonight.” Luke said, ignoring Nick’s question. He glanced over to the table that Phillip and Mallory occupied. “It’s Friday, she’s usually sitting over there with Jack Tripper and Janet.” His sister and her friends totally reminded him of an episode of Three’s Company.
Nick looked over to the table that Luke motioned to and caught Phillip’s steely glare. What the hell did I ever do to him? Nick thought, and then shook his head, trying to get back to the subject at hand.
“Did you and Sam have a fight?” Luke asked as he helped himself to the bottle of Jack.
“No, we didn’t have a fight. Luke, can we get back to the Helena and Sam thing?” Nick asked as he rubbed at his temples.
“Seriously bro, I was just joking about the Sam and Helena thing calm down. I have no idea if they even know one another and to answer your question, no you didn’t screw the innocent virgin.”
Nick punched him in the shoulder. “Not funny Jackass.” Nick took a chance and glanced at Helena. She wasn’t bad, he countered, she, was a petite little thing, with long brown hair. Her eyes met his and she winked at him. Shit, now she thought he was checking her out. Nick turned around and studied Luke as he poured himself a full glass. Desperate for a change of subject, Nick took the full glass and offered him the empty one. Luke growled, but refilled the empty glass for himself.
“How are things between you and Leah?” Nick asked and watched as Luke shrugged his shoulders.
“Fine I guess. I think she wants more than I’m willing to give her right now, even though she hasn’t said it.” Luke said flatly.
Nick looked at him, amazed. Maybe it was the alcohol filtering through his system, but the fact that Luke could figure out what a woman wanted without her actually telling him, well that just made him a God in Nick’s eyes. “Wait a minute, you mean to tell me you can tell what a woman wants and thinks without her saying so?”
Luke looked at him as if he was off his rocker. “Yeah man, C’mon a woman is an open book.”
Nick laughed and figured his friend was worse off than he thought. He took Luke’s words and applied them to Sam, she, was the furthest thing from an open book.