Chapter Text
“Well, tell me do you think it'd be all right
If I could just crash here tonight?
You ca–”
“There better not be any strippers tonight.” Ernie’s voice interrupts Lucy’s singing.
She turns her head. Making eye contact with Ernie in the backseat. “Strippers?” She lifts an eyebrow, “Now why would you think we’d subject you to something like that?”
“Oh. I don’t know.” Ernie throws up his hands. Rolls his eyes. Dramatically. “Maybe the fact that it’s my bachelor party and you’ve promised to give me a night I won’t forget.”
Lucy squints. Starts humming as she rubs her chin. “You make a good point. But don’t worry. There won’t be any strippers. None. Zero.” She turns. Gently slaps Kate’s shoulder. “Isn’t that right, babe?”
“Yup.” Kate chimes in from the driver’s seat. “No strippers. We heard you loud and clear Ernie. PG-13 fun only.”
Lucy snorts. Of course there are going to be strippers. She winks at Ernie. Grins when he starts chuckling. Then she turns back to face the front of the car. He’s teasing. Just like he’s been teasing since she started planning his bachelor party. When he stood up in his lair and stated loudly and unequivocally that he did not want to go to a strip club only to then wink slowly and exaggeratedly twice.
She got the message. Putting ‘strip club’ at the top of the list of bachelor party activities. ‘Dive bar' came in second. Then she handed the list to Kate. Begged for help in filling out the rest of the itinerary. They brainstormed activities. Trying to think of fun things they could do before getting Ernie hammered and buying him a lap dance. Options were limited. A cruise? No. She’d have to take Dramamine and that would force her to be sober all night which she didn’t want. Also: water sucks. A movie? Boring. She suggested bowling. Kate snorted. Gave her a funny look. She didn’t push back. Knowing it was lame. Didn’t make the next suggestion in her brain either: mini golf.
They ended up settling on a haunted house. Figuring it would be fun to lean into Spooky Season with a live semi-interactive performance. One that would either scare them shitless or make them laugh. It would be a good prelude to all of the drinking. Let them all spend time together sober while engaged in an activity. And that aspect is key. Because Pike will be in attendance. Alan too. And sitting through dinner–-the only other pre-drinking idea they had– with those two would not have been fun.
She picks up the song. The Gin Blossoms' Hey Jealousy. Shouting it out.
“Hey jealousy
Hey jealousy
Hey jeal–”
“Where are you taking me?” Ernie’s question cuts off her singing again.
She turns around. Glares, “For the thousandth time Ernie, It’s a surprise.”
Ernie glares right back. Kicks her seat. “For the thousandth time, Lucy, I don’t want to do anything dangerous. We’re 15 days away from the wedding. I don’t want to tempt fate.”
Lucy sighs. Turns back around. Not giving Ernie a response. Not having one to offer. It’s a valid worry. She knows that. Kate does too. Given the fact that Kate’s hand is off the steering wheel. Patting her thigh. She looks over. Smiles at Kate. Then turns back to look at the road.
Ernie and Chase officially got together on New Year’s. They were at a party hosted by someone from their yoga group and Chase planted a kiss on Ernie when the clock struck midnight. Lucy woke up to a string of rambling, drunk, and somewhat panic filled texts from Ernie saying it had finally happened and he was excited and terrified and didn’t want to mess it up because he’d wanted it for so long and he was so happy and ysls asui uwklsa. He didn’t specify what the ‘it’ was and she couldn’t begin to guess what the keyboard smash was about. She had to wait a full day to get an answer. It arrived in the form of a selfie. Him and Chase on a beach as the sun set behind them. Chase kissing his cheek.
Lucy had squealed. Scared Kate half to death. News quickly spread around their Ohana. The group chat filling with messages congratulating them on finally pulling their heads out of their asses and acting on what everyone could see was there. Ernie took it in stride. Too lovesick to be bothered by the teasing.
Lucy strolled into the bullpen the next morning feeling good and excited about what the year would bring. Because starting the year with a new romance was a sign of good things to come, right? Wrong. January brought a string of brutal cases. Gross crime scenes. Tragic victims. Chase was around the office a lot. Working closely with them to provide identification and leads. So Lucy had a front row seat to them flirting and giving each other heart eyes. It was cute, but sometimes borderline gross. She complained. Once.
It was the end of the month. The 26th. A Friday. They’d just finished yet another brutal case. A double homicide. Husband and wife. Found in a shallow grave on the beach. She was sitting at her desk. Paperwork in front of her. The rest of the team spread throughout the room. They were bantering. Cracking jokes. She’d made an offhand comment about how four months at sea had done nothing to prepare her for the queasiness she’d experience when getting stuck in a room with Ernie and Chase and their gooey love gazes.
Her words were met with loud snorts and guffaws. Tennant didn’t mince words. Saying pointedly, ‘If you think they’re bad, then imagine what it’s like to watch you and Whistler.’
Lucy had grimaced. Mumbled, ‘Message received.’ Put her head down and got back to her paperwork. Chase chose that moment to enter. She was dolled up in a fancy dress. She grabbed Ernie’s hand. Pulled him out of the bullpen. Lucy finished her paperwork. Went home. Had a nice quiet evening with Kate. It got late. They decided to crash for the night. Lucy’s phone lit up as she was building a mountain of pillows behind her. She checked the screen. Found a simple message in their group chat:
Ernie (11:23 pm): I’m engaged
They’d all responded with confetti and champagne emojis. Except for Kate who typed out an overly long and perfectly punctuated message of congratulations. Ernie left them on read for the rest of that night and all of the next day. Finally offering details when he showed up at work on Sunday. The proposal happened on a whim. Chase had driven Ernie to his house so he could put on a suit. They’d gone out to a nice dinner at a place they both enjoyed. Then went for a nightcap at a jazz club. It was exactly what he’d needed to recover from the things he’d had to see and do while working on their most recent case. He realized that none of the women he’d dated prior to Chase had understood him like she does. None of them had known how to help him cope with the stresses of his job. Not even Dalia. Her response to all the stress was to keep going. Find more danger and more adrenaline. Paragliding. Cliff diving. Long nights of partying. It’s one of the reasons he’d pulled away from her. Ernie didn’t relate the other reasons when describing his revelation at the jazz club. Though he didn’t need to. Lucy could guess that his crush on Chase was the other big one. He’d pushed forward with his tale. Saying how he sat there stupidly. Looking across the table and then he just blurted out the words, ‘Marry me?’ Interrupting Chase mid sentence.
She was stunned. Asked him if he was serious. Accepted without hesitation when he said yes. He texted the group to say he was engaged. Took Chase to buy a ring on Saturday. And that was that. They were engaged. Heading toward the altar without even a full month of dating behind them. But the short duration of their relationship didn’t matter. It was clear that they had been in love for a long time. Their lives were already thoroughly entangled. Regular yoga sessions and coffee breaks and thrice weekly dinners and late night drinks in Chase’s office. Those activities increased in frequency after they became official. They started spending every night together. Blending their homes and their spaces. Ernie said it was like they were made for each other. They fit seamlessly. No red flags.
Lucy believed him. Wholeheartedly. Though she did tease him relentlessly about acting more like a lesbian than the real lesbians in the office. He threw the teasing right back. Playfully mocking her and Kate for failing to U-Haul the night they got back together. She’d laugh. Concede that she and Kate had moved relatively slow. But inside she was feeling a bit uneasy. Thinking about how long they’d been together. How good things were between them. How often she thought about taking the next step. How terrified she was to take it. She didn’t let herself dwell on those thoughts when they happened. Too occupied with other things. Like work and being an incredible girlfriend to Kate and planning Ernie’s wedding which quickly started eating up a lot of her free time.
They started planning immediately after the proposal. Ernie asked her that Tuesday to be his Best Woman. He tabbed Kai and Jesse as groomsmen and asked Kate to be a groomswoman. He would have asked Tennant to be on his side, but Chase called dibs right there in the bullpen. Putting her arm around Tennant. Saying, ‘Jane and I have been friends since we started working together. She’s my closest friend in Hawaii. I’d love for her to be my Matron of Honor.’ Ernie seemed surprised, but unbothered. So Tennant accepted the position. She’ll be joined by three bridesmaids. Women currently unfamiliar to Lucy though she supposes she’ll meet them soon. Either at the bridal shower on Sunday or at the rehearsal dinner. She’s praying it’s the latter. Has no desire to attend a shower. Had hoped that her role as Best Woman would preclude her from such activities, but it didn’t. She and Kate received their invite in the mail a month ago. Now all she can do is pray that work intrudes.
And work has been doing that often. Intruding. In the worst of ways. It’s like something fell out of balance in the universe when Ernie announced his engagement because things at the office immediately started getting weird. Bad weird. Painful weird. Broken bones and bloody gashes and dislocated shoulders weird. Nobody was spared. Each member of the team sustaining injuries. Lucy was the first victim. A bullet grazing her upper arm during a shootout not three hours after she’d accepted the position of Best Woman. Kai was next. Breaking his arm while trying to make an arrest. Then it was Tennant’s turn. A kick to her face. A lost tooth. A long, painful surgery to repair it. By that point the mood in the office was tense. Everyone on edge. Wondering whether they’d been cursed or simply run into a string of bad luck. There was a two week break at the end of March. Then April arrived. Jesse messed up his shoulder throwing a football with his son. Kate took a two by four to the back of her head and went down with a concussion. Ernie slammed his finger in a drawer hard enough to break it. Kai got punched in the face the next day. Walked around with a black eye for a week.
That’s when the jokes started. Gallows humor. Every injury met with a wince and words along the lines of, “Thank God the wedding isn’t tomorrow or you’d have ruined Ernie’s wedding photos.”
Lucy had those words aimed at her for the first time in June. A suspect took off on her. She ended up chasing him down on the beach. Another one of those agonizing sand runs. She got even with him. Left her feet to make the tackle. They landed hard on the sand. There was a scuffle. Her face met a rock. She walked away fine. Relatively. No concussion, but big lacerations on her face that required stitches.
Chase patched her up. Ernie sat in the room with them. Chomping nervously on his fingernails. Jesse walked in. Made the crack about the wedding photos. Lucy caught Ernie flinching. She realized in that moment that he was genuinely worried about how they’d all look in those photos. That surprised her a bit. She never figured him to be a stickler for tradition. The type of guy who would care about having perfect pictures. She didn’t think Chase would be one to care much either. But their wedding was shaping up to be borderline conventional. The ceremony itself would be small and in a garden near the beach, but they were renting a massive reception hall and throwing a big party and expecting everyone to be in formal wear.
But maybe his reaction wasn’t about tradition. Maybe it was deeper than that. Him wanting to be able to look at pictures of a happy day with his friends and see just that; rather than evidence of all the danger he and those friends face every day. With that in mind, Lucy had hopped to her feet. Thanked Chase for the expert medical care. Promised both of them that she’d be more careful. Then she’d run out of the room. Fretting. Because she knew being careful wasn’t enough. Danger was always lurking while she was on the clock. So the best she could really do was take less risks when she wasn’t at work. She comforted herself with that fact. Turned her thoughts into actions. Becoming more mindful of her movements. Taking extra time to look both ways when crossing the street and stopping her habit of jumping onto and off of and over things. Like walls. The couch. Their ridiculously high mattress. That helped some. For her. Others weren’t as lucky.
Tennant broke her wrist. Her second such fracture in as many years. It was a random accident. A fall getting out of her shower. Kai tore the meniscus in his left knee while chasing after Inoki at the dog park. Kate broke her foot surfing. Lucy still can’t believe that happened. Kate can’t either. She doesn’t even know when and how the injury occurred. Claims that she was riding a wave. Fell. Paddled into shore. Stood up. Discovered that she couldn’t put weight on her foot without searing pain. She ended up in a boot for almost six weeks. The day it came off is the day Jesse went out for an interview. Found a fight instead. Got sliced on his arm by a big knife. It took 24 stitches to close him up. Once again provided by Chase. Lucy was present during the procedure. She held her tongue. Knowing the, ‘Well if the wedding was tomorrow, then at least you’d be wearing sleeves’ joke would flop. She heard Kai saying similar words later when Ernie and Chase were out of earshot. She laughed. Using the chuckles to cover up her unease.
Then the universe finally gave them another break. A longer one this time. The last injury happening at the end of August. Tennant sustaining a concussion after getting drilled in the head with an errant football while trying to have a quick conversation with Daniel about Julie during a preseason football practice. But now they’re just over two weeks away from the big day and everyone is getting nervous. Ernie especially. She reconsiders her decision to keep their first stop a surprise. Turns around. “Hey.” She starts. Getting Ernie’s attention. “We’re doing a haunted house. It’s 100% safe. Kate and I vetted it thoroughly. All the performers will stay confined to their areas. So we just stay on the path and we’re good.”
A look of pure delight appears on Ernie’s face. His anxiety is gone. Replaced by excitement. He kicks Lucy’s seat. Mutters, “Thanks, Luce.” Then pulls out his phone. Starts typing.
Lucy squints. Wonders whether she should intervene. They have a strict ‘No Chase’ rule tonight. But she lets it go. Because technically the party hasn’t started yet and because he might be trying to alleviate some of Chase’s anxiety. So she spins around. Grabs Kate’s phone from the cup holder. Opens up her music app. Groans when she’s met with the title of the current playlist, ‘Mixtape 12.’
She feels a swat on her thigh. Hears Kate’s voice. Stern. “Don’t. Start.” She looks up. Kate’s eyes are on the road. Yet somehow she knew what Lucy was doing. “Don’t what?” Lucy asks. Tone light and teasing. “Make fun of you for spending a day of your latest injury convalescence digging through boxes your mom sent, finding a bunch of CDs you’d burned in high school, translating them into playlists, and keeping the names you’d given each of them? Mixtape 1… Mixtape 2… Mixtape 27… Th–”
“They aren’t even tapes, Babe.” Kate interrupts. Finishing Lucy’s rant. Perfectly. Because Lucy has only said the same damn thing every time she goes into Kate’s phone to play music. Which is often because these ‘mixtapes’ of hers are actually quite good.
She laughs. Wishes Ernie wasn’t in the car so she could keep the exchange going with her now standard comment of, ‘Too bad there isn’t a mixtape 69.’ To which Kate would reply. ‘Cut me some slack. I was 15. I hadn’t made it that far yet.’ She sighs. Stops her train of thought before she gets to the next part of their banter where she suggests they get that far. Starts searching through Kate’s music. Finds what she’s looking for. She presses play. Zombie by the Cranberries starts blasting through the speakers. She sets Kate’s phone down. Mutters to no one in particular, “To get us in the mood.”
She hears two grunts. Smiles. Starts singing along to music.
“In your head, In your head
Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie”
They arrive at their destination. A warehouse in the industrial part of town. It’s street parking. Kate finds a spot a few blocks away. They get out of her Beamer. Join the crowd of people walking toward the entrance. They purchased tickets ahead of time, so they can go right in when the rest of their party arrives. It’s a small party. Just Kai, Jesse, Boom Boom, Pike, and Alan. Lucy had asked for other names. Ernie told her not to bother. His circle was small. Them and a few people he’s met through the internet. But those people are scattered all over the world. He invited some of them to the wedding. Two accepted, but they won’t arrive until closer to the ceremony date. So it’s just a few of them tonight. And that’s honestly for the better. A larger group would have been harder to plan for and harder to keep in control.
“Ernie!” Lucy hears a shout. She turns. Sees Boom Boom walking toward them. He’s dressed nicely. A tight, light blue button down. Gray chinos. Black oxfords.
She watches as Ernie walks toward him. They slap hands. Give each other a bro hug. She spots Jesse, Kai, and Alan behind Boom Boom. All of them dressed similarly. Nice slacks. Nice collared shirts. Nice shoes. They reach the group. There are more hand slaps and bro hugs and excited chatter about what the evening will bring. “Not strippers!” Lucy shouts. Adding to the conversation. Pulling a mix of laughs and groans from the crowd.
She checks her watch. 8:03 pm. Is about to ask if anyone has heard from Pike when a motorcycle zooms into hearing range. The motor gets louder and louder and then the bike is roaring past. Making a sudden turn. Looping around. Then coming to a screeching halt right in front of where they stand. The rider hops off. He’s wearing a full length motorcycle racing suit. Mostly white with black patches on the shoulders, ribs, and crotch area. She grimaces. Watches as he pulls off his helmet.
Pike.
Oh boy.
She glances to her left. Shares a look with Kate. Bracing herself for whatever is about to happen. She knows that Ernie isn’t thrilled that Pike is here tonight. But he’s the one who made the call to issue the invitation. Telling Lucy a few weeks ago, ‘He drives me crazy, but we’re always working with him, and he thinks we’re friends, and I know he’ll be devastated if he doesn’t get invited and I know he’ll find out about it because people always find out about these things, so I think he has to come.’
Lucy had patted him on the back. Told him, ‘You’re a good man.’ Then she’d texted Kate with instructions to put an invitation in the mail for Pike.
“Ernie! My dude!” Pike shouts. Holding his hand out for a slap. “Your last night of freedom! How are you feeling?”
“It’s not my last night technically…” Ernie deadpans. Honoring Pike’s request for a slap. Using his left hand to point to the motorcycle, “and I’m feeling confused. What the hell is that?”
Pike follows the gesture. Then he’s gasping, “Oh!” Answering excitedly, “My new motorcycle!”
Lucy snorts. Snarks, “That’s not a motorcycle. It’s a piece of aluminum siding attached to a massive wheel that’s fused to the head of a mutant bug.” She steps closer. Taps one of the headlights. It’s round and attached to what look like antennas. Giving the front a very bug-like shape. It’s weird. Hideous. Something that might appear in her nightmares.
She shudders. Hears laughter. Boom Boom mumbling “Amen.” Jesse snarking, “Looks like a sideways zippo lighter to me.” Kai adding, “Nah bro, that’s a sideways electronic toothbrush with a big bristle.” She laughs. Is about to offer another suggestion when she feels a hand wrapping around her waist. Then Kate’s lips by her ear. Whispering, “Play nice.”
Lucy snorts again. Turns. Her comeback of ‘I don’t have to play nice, that thing is fucking atrocious’ dies on her lips. Because Kate is giving her a serious look. The one Lucy recognizes as the look Kate gives her when she’s trying to save Lucy from herself. So she nods. Smiles. Turns back to Pike. Forces out, “It’s neat. Different .”
Pike doesn’t catch her less sincere tone. He grins. Nods. “Yeah. Cool though, right?”
“Uh-huh.” Lucy mumbles. Hears similar murmurs from everyone behind her. Cool is the last word she’d attach to it.
Pike sets his helmet on the bike. Locks it in place. Explaining, “Bought it used. Only cost me about a fourth of my annual salary. Worth every penny.”
Lucy snorts. Hears a pointed cough. Kate giving her another reminder to not be an asshole. She’s not. Usually. She tries her best to be polite and friendly, but she loves to tease. And Pike gives her endless opportunities to do that. The problem is that teasing is only ok if the recipient is in on the joke. And Pike often isn’t. So she does need to restrain herself. Limit her jabs to when she knows Pike will be laughing with her. Because otherwise she’ll be punching down and that’s not ok. So she smiles sweetly. Claps her hands. Moves their focus away from the hideous bike, “Alright. Now that everyone is here, shall we go inside?”
Shouts of, “Yes!” “Fuck yeah! “Let’s do it!” “Strippers!” sound out.
Lucy laughs. Grabs Kate’s hand. Leads everyone to the entrance. Kate goes inside first. Pulls up the tickets on her phone. Lets the high school aged kid working the door scan them. They get waved through. Told to go down a hall, stop at the door, and wait to be let inside. They walk down the hall. It’s dark. Lit with black tube lights running along the crease where the wall meets the ceiling. There are big glow in dark footprints on the floor to show the pathway. They arrive at a door. Small lights are aimed at it. Illuminating a sign that says, “Stop. Do not enter.” There’s a smaller sign below it. Handwritten on white paper reading, “No. Seriously. Do not enter. Your experience hasn’t started yet. Someone will come get you. Thanks!”
Lucy chuckles. Hears Kate doing the same. Then Kate is leaning down again. Whispering into her ear, “How many people bulldozed through that door before they put up that sign?”
“Uhh…” Lucy starts. Squinting. Thinking.
She doesn’t get a chance to answer because Pike pushes past her. Hand reaching for the door. She reacts. Grabbing his arm. Pulling him back. “Pike, buddy. Read the sign.” She hears Kate cracking up next to her. Doesn’t turn. Knowing she’ll start cackling if she gets a glimpse of Kate’s face.
So she keeps her focus on Pike. Watches as he reads. Mumbles. “Oh. Oops.” Then steps to the side. Positioning himself to the right of the door. His white suit is catching the black light. Making him glow. He’ll probably fit right in with one of the displays. Some sort of motorcycle serial killer. Speeding toward you on that horrible bike. Mowing you down. Then rolling over you. Back and forth. Slowly. Gleefully. Laughing maniacally until you’re a pancake on the asphalt. Then zooming away in search of his next victim.
Lucy shudders. Winces. Her vivid imagination is wonderful most of the time. Allows her to sit at work during slow periods and think back to all of the fun she’s had with Kate. Naked fun. Remembering it in perfect detail. Or sometimes she’ll conjure up new ideas. Stuff for them to try. Positions. Toys. Restraints. She’ll let her mind run wild. Imagining Kate’s face. Her cries of pleasure. Sweat dripping down her body. Arousal leaking out of her cunt. But right now, with Pike the Motorcycle Serial Killer playing out in her brain, her vivid imagination kind of sucks. She steps closer to Kate. Presses her face into Kate’s shoulder. Inhales. Lets the scent of Kate’s leather jacket and perfume relax her.
The door opens. She pulls away from Kate. Turns. Another high school aged kid steps out. He has a headset on. His right hand is on his hip. Toggling with the box that’s strapped there. He’s mumbling, ‘Ok… Ok… Copy that.’ Then he’s focusing on their group. Eyes scanning the hall. “Welcome everyone to our Little House of Horror. We have a few important rules, so please listen closely. The first rule is: NO cameras. I know you all want pictures and videos, but taking them is dangerous to our performers and will slow down the tour. However, there are designated selfie spots at the end of the tour. Feel free to use your cameras there.”
He pauses. Eyes darting over the hall again. Likely assessing whether they look like a crowd that will disrespect this rule. They won’t. None of them falling into the ‘must document every moment of my life’ category of smartphone user.
The high school kid finishes his assessment with a little hum. Then he continues, “The second rule is: Do NOT leave the path. Some of the sets are dangerous. There are moving parts and wind machines and things blowing in the air that you do NOT want to have on your body. Stay on the footprints and you will be safe. Climb over the ropes and it might not go well. For you or our performers.”
He grimaces. Keeps going, “There are multiple exit points. If the experience is too much for you, feel free to leave whenever. If you exit, you will not be able to come back inside. The show should take approximately 45 minutes. I hope you enjoy.” With that he steps aside. Holds the door open and ushers them inside.
Pike is the first to enter. Lucy hears a loud, “Wow!” as she steps through after him. She keeps her eyes ahead. Walking toward the end of the room so everyone can get inside. She comes to a stop when she reaches the end of the first display. Turns. Almost gags at what she sees. The first room is a grisly operating room. There’s a big table. A man lying on it. His torso ripped open. Two sadistic clown creatures are poking and prodding at his entrails. The patient is awake. Head turning. He’s screaming and moaning as the clowns let out big, monstrous laughs. She closes her eyes. Turns her face away. Noping out of the experience before she even finishes her survey of the room.
“Gross, huh?” She hears Kate whisper.
“Yup.” She answers. Feels Kate arm going around her waist. Pulling her close.
She leans into Kate’s side. Feels Kate’s lips press against her head. Stays just like that until she hears their tour guide beckoning them into the other room. She turns. Opens her eyes so she can see as she walks. Steps into the next room. Once again moving to the other side, so everyone can get through the door. She takes a look at the display. It’s a barn. Big haystacks lining the back wall. Four people are kneeling. Heads and arms through a pillory. Ankles shackled. They’re screaming for help. Shouting, “No!” “Don’t!” “Please!” Lucy sees movement behind the haystacks. She focuses on that area. Spots a bunch of sharp, rusting garden tools. Then she hears a chainsaw revving. She closes her eyes. Turns her body around so she’s facing the back wall. Feels Kate moving with her. Pulling her into a hug. Feels lips pressing against her cheek. Hears Kate’s voice, “Maybe we should have gone bowling.”
Lucy snorts. Lets Kate’s presence comfort her as she listens to a grisly barn slaughter. It ends after way too long. She can hear the guys clapping and hollering in delight. Then the door opens and they’re getting ushered into the next room. She opens her eyes. Walks to the end. Quickly surveys the stage. A little girl strapped to a mattress. Her face painted a sickly green. Vomit stains on her outfit. It’s an Exorcist inspired scene. Lucy turns. Noping right out of it before the priest arrives. She hears him though. Hears him praying. Hears him chanting. Hears him screaming and dying a painful death. Hears her friends shouting and clapping. That’s what keeps her going—moving into the next room rather than finding the exit— the fact that everyone, Ernie especially, is having a great time.
She zones out for the last half dozen rooms. Zombies. Vampires. Frankenstein. Witches. Ghostface. A virgin sacrifice. Only knowing what the rooms are based on Pike’s excited chatter as they travel through the attraction. “Rad zombie makeup, dude!” “Vampires, hell yeah!” “Yes! That monster guy who’s bits and pieces of dead people!” “Dope spell!” “Oh my God! It’s the killer from Scream!” “There’s no way she’s a virgin!” That last line earns a round of groans from the room. Then Pike is groaning. Likely having received a punch or a kick somewhere for being gross. Lucy snickers. Would have been the one to deliver the blow had she been closer. She’s glad someone did it for her.
They finally reach the end. Their guide opening the last door. Ushering them out and into a brightly lit room. Lucy blinks as her eyes adjust to the light. She spots a memorabilia stand. Bathrooms. A bunch of sets similar to those they passed. An operating room complete with scary clown figures. A barn with haystacks and a pillory. These must be the selfie stations. They linger to take some shots. All of them eyeing the pillory. Then each other. Tempted. But silently choosing to pass lest they get stuck and injured somehow. Not even Pike is willing to try it. He’s heard about their misfortune. Has gone on and on about it just being a run of bad luck. But he’s silent now. Seeming for once to have perfectly read the room.
They leave after a few selfies. Walk back toward the entrance. Lucy gives everyone the address to their next stop. A dive bar that’s close to the strip club. Which is also close to the FBI’s downtown office. Which is convenient for them because they can park Kate’s car there and leave it overnight. They split off into their groups. Begin the short drive toward downtown. Mixtape 21 providing the soundtrack to their journey. It’s a drinking mix. Half the songs unfamiliar to Lucy. She has a feeling Kate didn’t put this one together. Thinks she can guess who did based on the way Kate flinched the first time Lucy pressed play. She’d asked that evening if she should stop it. Kate said ‘no.’ So Lucy has no problem playing it now. She jumps around the playlist. Picking familiar tracks—Chumbawamba’s Tubthumping. Snoop Dog’s Gin and Juice. Oasis’s Champagne Supernova—until they arrive at the FBI lot.
They park. Hop out of the car. Exchange uneasy looks. All of them knowing that they are a phone call away from being pulled into duty. Tennant has night watch tonight. Volunteering for the shift so everyone else would be free to have fun with Ernie. It’s weird not to have her with them. Feels kind of wrong. But as the Matron of Honor, she’s not allowed to tag along. She has her own night planned. Next Saturday night. And Lucy isn’t too upset about having to miss that event having caught some of Tennant’s party planning materials on her desk. A magazine featuring dick shaped party favors and brochures for male strippers.
Yuck.
They reach the dive bar. Pike’s eye sore of a bike is already parked outside. They enter. Find him at the bar. The bartender is in front of him. Lining up a big row of shot glasses. Lucy inhales. Readying herself for a big night. Then she’s grinning. Clapping her hands. Shouting, “Shots! Woooo!” She takes off. Sprinting toward Pike. Comes to a stop on his left. Slaps the bar. “What’d you get?”
“4 Horseman.” Pike answers. Throwing both of his fists into the air in some sort of weird victory formation.
“Four what now?” Lucy frowns.
“Horseman.” Pike clarifies. Dropping his arms. “I Googled shots that guys should do at bachelor parties. Found some really good ones. This is Johnnie Walker, Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, and Jose Cuervo.”
Lucy’s eyes slowly bug out of her head as Pike speaks. She grimaces. Nods slowly. Watches horrified as the bartender holds a bottle of JD over the first glass. Tips it. Then works it down the line until each glass is about a fourth full with the less than stellar whiskey. She looks away. Searching for Kate. Finds her near the door talking to the rest of their group who have just arrived. She whistles. Waves her hand. “Kate! Babe! C’mere.”
Kate looks up at the whistle. Gives her a smile and a nod at her words. Then she’s walking over. Lucy meets her halfway. Pulls her to the side. Whispers, “Uhh… So Pike came with a list of bachelor party shots for us to do. First one is equal parts scotch, bourbon, tequila, and whiskey.”
She sees Kate’s face twist in horror. Chuckles. Nods. “Uh-huh. Exactly. So uhhh… We probably need to keep him from ordering anything else cause I’d like us to all make it through the night.”
“Probably. Yeah.” Kate agrees. Eyes moving away to glare in disgust at the line of shots on the bar.
Lucy snickers. Tugs on Kate’s arm. “Come on. One shouldn’t kill us. I’ll keep an eye on him. Pull rank as Best Woman and party planner if he tries to buy another round.”
They make their way to the bar. The rest of the party joins them. Pike slides the shots down the bar until everyone has one. They lift them up. Raise them high. Pike issues the toast, “To Ernie’s last night of freedom!”
Lucy catches Ernie’s pained looked. Hears him mumble, “Not my last night…” But she still joins the chorus that repeats the phrase, “To Ernie’s last night of freedom!” Slams the shot back. Coughing her way through it. Her throat burns. Her eyes water. The taste is absolutely putrid. Smoky, sweet, spicy, tangy, and malty. She sticks her tongue out. Makes gagging noises. Hears similar reactions playing out near her. Then a glass slams on the counter. She looks up to see Jesse giving Pike a horrified look, “What the hell did you just make us drink?”
Pike reaches out. Pats him on the back. “Liquid courage, brother.”
Lucy snorts. Provides Jesse with a slightly better answer, “That was somethin’ he found on a bachelor party list. Four different spirits. I’ll let you guess which ones.”
“Jesus Christ,” Jesse mutters. Shaking his head. Then he’s turning toward Pike. “There’s a bunch of us. We’re each covering a round tonight. That was yours. Don’t try that again.”
Lucy breathes a sigh of relief at Jesse inadvertently solving her Pike problem. She sets her shot glass on the bar. Lets her eyes travel over the rest of the room. It’s reasonably busy. A few groups occupying some of the tables. A couple getting handsy on one of the beat up couches. A foursome playing pool on the lone table. There’s a corner free. Two couches forming an ‘L’. A small table in front of them. She turns back toward Jesse. Knocks on the bar to get his attention, “Wanna get us a few pitchers?”
He nods. Flags down bartender. Lucy whistles. Waves for everyone to follow her. They set up in the corner. Kai joining her and Kate on one couch. Alan, Pike, and Boom Boom taking the other. Ernie pulls up a chair. Jesse does the same once he finishes bringing over four big pitchers of beer and eight glasses. They pour their drinks. Start chatting. It’s a bit awkward at first. Lucy starts worrying. She’d Googled bachelor parties. Browsed through lists of things to do and games to play. But all the suggestions seemed aimed at getting everyone well and truly shitfaced. Flip cup. Cornhole. Beer pong. Never Have I Ever. Kings. They’re all too old for that. Getting drunk is on the agenda. But they’ll go at a slower pace. A more responsible one.
Her worries abate after the first round of beers. Jokes start flying. Mostly at Pike’s expense. Everyone ragging on him for fitting in with one of the scenes at the haunted house and for buying a bike that looks like a can opener. Pike rolls with the teasing. Claiming his bike has already gotten him laid. Twice. Jesse spits his beer out at those words. Spraying one of the pitchers. Lucy cries party foul. Orders Jesse to chug the remainder of his glass as a penalty. He does. Slamming it down. Burping. Then he hops up. Stretches. Shouts, “I feel like I’m 20 again.” Heads over to the bar for a replacement.
A few hours pass. Pleasantly. Jokes and laughs and good natured cracks. Then they reach a lull in the conversation. Lucy sips her beer. Runs her eyes over their little group. Smiles. Decides it’s time to do something sappy and wedding related. Something probably more fitting for a bridal shower, but fuck it. She’s in charge here and guys should be allowed to express their feelings and lean into their mushier sides. So she sets her beer glass down on the table. Stands up. Claps her hands. “Alright. Listen up. We’re here to celebrate this wonderful man,” she points at Ernie, “before he marries the love of his life, the woman he danced around for ages before she finally got fed up and made a move. So I think we should go around the room and say when we first noticed that he was into Chase. Just so he’s very clear on how obvious he was and how dumb he was for waiting so long.”
There’s a round of laughter. Lucy replays her words in her head.
Shit.
Ok. So maybe this activity won’t be that mushy. But she’s feeling good. Buzzed. Happy. It’s a minor miracle that she got all of those words out without slurring them. So she won’t pivot or try to issue a correction by giving everyone a prompt that would lead to mushier answers. She can just push it that way when she kicks off the game.
The laughter trails off. She hears Ernie groan. Then he’s mumbling something she can’t catch into his beer glass. She grins. Claps her hands again. “I’ll start. So…” She pauses. Fighting through her buzz to gather her thoughts, “I guess I really noticed when I was on the boat and we’d talk every day and you’d always find a way to mention Chase even if there was no reason to bring her into the conversation and even if you were currently dating another woman at the time. I’m not sure if you even realized you were doing it. But it was clear she was always on your mind. So I was kinda surprised to come home and find you two still dancing around each other cause I knew you wanted it and I could see she wanted it and you guys are perfect for each other and ugh...” She groans. Brings her hands up in front of her. Starts moving them around to illustrate her next point, “I just wanted to push your heads together sometimes.”
She hears laughs from the crowd. Lets out another exasperated groan. Then flops down on the couch. Glances at Ernie. He’s bright red and focused on his beer glass. Lucy grins. Pats Kate’s thigh. “Your turn babe.”
Kate sits up straight. Pivots her head. Throwing Lucy a look that says, ‘How dare you put me on the spot.’
Lucy grins. Gives Kate a little shrug. Watches as she sighs and turns toward Ernie to give him her spur of the moment answer. “The day Chase was kidnapped is when I first noticed. You were distraught. A kind of distraught I’ve only seen people get when someone they truly love is in danger.” She turns. Catches Lucy’s eye.
Lucy’s chest feels heavy. She knows the feeling Kate is describing. She’s felt it when Kate has been in danger. Knows Kate has felt it too. It’s a horrible feeling. One of the worst. She misses the rest of Kate’s words. Too caught up in memories. Tunes back into the conversation to hear shouts of “awww” from their party. She blinks. Turns toward Ernie. He’s smiling. Blushing. Apparently not bothered by Kate bringing up a painful memory.
The “awws” taper off. Jesse jumps into the conversation, “Sorry to break the order, but that’s also the day I noticed. And then I kept picking up on it. You’re a man who can summon almost any information with a few button taps and yet you kept going over to Chase’s office to physically get info? Come on. Could you be any more obvious?”
Lucy laughs. Hears everyone else doing the same. Then Kai is shouting, “Yes. Actually he could. How many women did he go out with once and then never call back even though he claimed the night went well? And then that evening in the war room when Chase skipped out of the room after announcing she had a date and you snapped your keyboard in half?”
“Oh my god!” Lucy shouts. Almost leaping out of her seat. “Yes!” She pats Kate’s thigh rapidly. “That’s right. Chase walked out and then keys were flying through the air and scattering everywhere and Ernie ran away mumbling something about getting a broom and never came back.”
Lucy falls back against the couch. Laughing. Mind replaying that scene from roughly a year ago. She and Kai had picked up the keys. Piled them on the countertop. Not knowing whether Ernie would have use for them or if they were garbage. She hadn’t said anything to him after that night. Didn’t want to upset him further. Then she forgot about it.
She gazes over at Ernie. He’s smiling. Still taking everyone’s laughter in stride. It’s wonderful to see. Him. Happy. He has demons. A past. Stuff he struggles with daily. But he’s freer now that he’s with Chase. Less burdened. It’s how she feels with Kate. Happy and safe and loved. She slides her arm behind Kate’s back. Wraps it around her side. Then leans down. Head resting against Kate’s shoulder. Boom Boom is speaking now. His words don’t register. She’s lost in her own head. Thinking about her relationship with Kate. Wondering whether there will be a night like this in the future. Where she’s surrounded by her friends. Drink in hand. Listening as they all offer memories and jokes about her early days with Kate. She knows they’ll show no mercy. Knows they all picked up on the tension between her and Kate. Tension dating back to Kate’s earliest days on the island when every glance between them was filled with desire and longing and pain. Tension when they tried to make it work privately. Lingering glances and flirty banter. Tension after their breakup. Anger. Hurt. Adele will probably get mentioned. Frequently. Though Kate will bear the brunt of that particular vein of teasing.
“Awwwwww!” “That’s so sweet!” “Deep, bro. Real deep.”
Lucy blinks. Returns to the present conversation. Mind assigning identities to the voices she just heard. Kate, Kai, Boom Boom. Her eyes do a lap of the room. Ernie is still smiling. Pike is too. His offering apparently being the one to garner the reactions.
She should nudge Kate. Ask her to repeat what Pike said. But she sees Jesse yawning. Then checking his watch. Realizes it’s probably time to get going. She pulls herself away from Kate. Stands up. Claps. “Alright. Let’s go to the bar. Do another round of shots. Then we’ll make Ernie’s wish come true.”
Shouts of “Strippers!” “Woohoo!” “Yeah! Let’s do it!” sound out.
Lucy laughs. Sprints toward the bar. Flags down the bartender. Orders eight shots. Tequila only. Plops down her credit card. The bartender pours the shots. Rings her up. She pays. Slides the shots to everyone. Lifts her's up. Catching Ernie’s eye as she toasts, “To Ernie’s last night of freedom!” Everyone repeats the toast. Slams their shots down. Deposits their glasses on the bar. Ernie glares at her. She shrugs. Grins. Reaches for Kate’s hand. Starts walking toward the exit.
The strip club is four blocks away. She and Kate take the lead. The guys behind them. Laughing and carrying on about Pike’s outfit and the best places to get post strip club eats. The 24 hour Denny’s is Lucy’s vote. Though she’s not sure if she’ll be up for that after being around so many naked women. She and Kate might have to bail. Go home. Fuck.
They get to the club entrance. Show their IDs. Pay the cover. Step through the doors. Enter a small dark hallway lined with posters touting club events. Mud wrestling. Wet t-shirt contests. BDSM night. Lucy’s eyebrows raise at that. She grins. Feels a squeeze on her hand. Glances to her left. Finds Kate smirking at her.
They reach a set of double doors. Push through them. Arrive at a big open space. A stage on the far wall. There are two women dancing on it. A few men standing near the front. Holding up bills. There’s a bar to the right of the room. Two bartenders working. Clad in skintight shorts and shirts that expose their midriffs and are cut low enough to offer an enticing view of their cleavage. She swallows. Darts her eyes away. Turning back toward the main part of the club. There are tables spread throughout the room. A few with mini stages and poles. There’s a dancer on one of them. Spinning around. Entertaining two men who seem surprisingly uninterested in her performance. They’re dressed in suits. There’s a bottle of Blanton's on the table. Lucy rolls her eyes. Knowing their type. Rich businessmen.
She finishes her survey of the room. Starts to walk toward an empty table, but Kate tugs her back. “Hold on. Bar first.”
She nods. Allows Kate to lead her to the bar.
Kate drops her hand when they get close. Flags down a bartender. Leans over the bar top. They have a quick conversation. Then Kate is turning around. Grinning. Holding out her hand.
Lucy takes it. Hears, “Follow me.”
They go up a set of stairs that are by the double doors. Arrive on a second level. There’s a man at the top. Big. Beefy. From hours of pumping iron and swigging protein shakes. He’s wearing a yellow shirt that says, ‘Security.’
Kate smiles at him. “Malik bachelor party.”
The security guard grunts. Unhooks a velvet rope. Ushers them through and into a VIP area. It’s small. Just big enough for their party. With seating that overlooks the main stage. There’s a smaller stage to their right. A place for private performances.
Wow.
Lucy wasn’t expecting this. She’d found the name of the strip club. Given it to Kate. Figured it would be enough to get Ernie here and then buy him a dance, but of course Kate had to go above and beyond.
Kate must sense what Lucy is thinking because she gives Lucy a little shrug. Leans down. Presses a kiss to her cheek. Then tugs her toward a small loveseat. They sit down. Watch as the rest of their party finds their seats. Everyone is grinning and smiling and seemingly thrilled with their current location. Everyone except Jesse. He’s a bit pale. His eyes are on the ground. Lucy laughs. Wishes she had something to throw at him to get his attention. She doesn’t. So she shouts, “Hey Jess!” Pauses. Waiting for him to look up. Then she asks, “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing!” He shouts back. “I’m good. Yeah.” Then he’s lifting his hands. Pointing at his wedding ring. “But I’m also married and only have eyes for my wife.”
Lucy nods. She can understand that. Sort of. She’s only attracted to Kate. Only wants to have sex with Kate. But women are beautiful and sexy and she’s going to look tonight and not feel guilty because Kate will be right next to her sharing the experience. Granted they had a full, extended, and brutally honest conversation about how to handle themselves at the strip club. One where they expressed what they’d be comfortable doing and seeing the other do. They ended up on the same page. Both admitting that watching the other interact with a stripper wasn’t a bad thought. That it was actually arousing. That they should feel free to engage. But that either of them could shut things down if they got there and found themselves uncomfortable.
But she’s not certain Jesse has had a similar conversation with Heather. And even if he had, it’s probably a bit different because she’s not here with him. She’s in North Carolina. Spending the month hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway. October being the best season for such a journey. The leaves majestic at this time of year. She winces. Shouts, “Sorry, Jess. You can leave if you want to?”
“No!” He shouts back. “I’ll be fine. This is Ernie’s night. I want to be here for him.”
She gives him a thumbs up. Then there’s movement to her left. She turns. Sees a scantily clad bartender bringing over two bottles of champagne. Another bartender is behind her with a tray of glasses.
Lucy leans over. Whispers into Kate’s ear. “Bottle service? How much did this cost you?”
Kate shrugs.
Lucy gives her a look. One that makes Kate roll her eyes but ultimately relent as she bends down. Finds Lucy’s ear. Answers, “More than you probably want to know. But Ernie is a great guy. He’s been there for me a lot. Helped me deal with your absence. And he’s been there for you even more. I wanted to do something nice for him and I can afford it. So we’re getting the full VIP package tonight.”
“The full VIP package?” Lucy shoots back. Eyebrows raised. Tone scandalized.
Kate frowns. Not following Lucy’s joke. Then she gets it. Eyes widening. Mouth parting as she gasps. She starts swatting at Lucy’s thigh. Rolling her eyes. Shouting, “Come on. I don’t even know if they do that here.”
Lucy lifts an eyebrow. Smelling bullshit. Because her overly cautious girlfriend definitely did some searching to see if this place had a reputation for illegal behavior or any active legal entanglements. Lucy sure as hell did. Having them show up at a place only to get caught in the middle of a vice sting would not go down well. Not that she’s passing judgment on the services that she’s alluding to or even in agreement on the laws that prohibit them. But she’s a cop. So as long as those laws are in force, she has to respect them and enforce them and not put herself in any situations that could look bad.
But this place checked out fine. No citations or arrests. Just hundreds of internet reviews that rave about the drink specials and the comfortable chairs and the quality of the shows and the friendliness of the dancers and staff. She settles back in her seat. Watches as the bartender fills glasses with champagne and begins to pass them around. She accepts one. Waits until the bartender shuffles off. Then raises another toast, “To Ernie!”
Everyone repeats the toast. They clink glasses. Careful to make eye contact. Then everyone’s eyes are going back to the stage. Watching a woman dance to a hip-hop song that Lucy doesn't recognize as she slowly removes her barely there t-shirt.
The dancer is down to her g-string when Lucy’s view gets interrupted. She huffs. Hears a laugh next to her. Quickly understands Kate’s reaction when she processes the source of the interruption. A woman dressed in a black leather corset and a black leather miniskirt has arrived. Another woman quickly joins her. She’s also in leather. A two piece. Tight bikini top. Tight booty shorts. They’re gorgeous. Long brown hair. Brightly painted lips. Eyes covered in glittery eyeshadow and black liner. Breasts spilling out over the leather. The one in the corset is holding a leather flogger.
Holy shit!
Lucy inhales sharply. Swallows. Sits up in her seat. Hand going to Kate’s thigh. Squeezing. She feels Kate’s hand covering her own. Feels a push. Realizes she was touching Kate a little too close for comfort. She doesn’t apologize. Can’t. Not when the dancers are introducing themselves as Raven and Valentina and asking who the man of the hour is.
Everyone shouts and points at Ernie. Valentina orders him to move to a closer seat. Then the show begins. They dance for a few minutes. Moving in ways to highlight their tits and asses. Then Raven climbs into Ernie’s lap. Grinds on him. Presses his face into her corset covered cleavage. Everyone cheers. Dollar bills start flying through the air.
The lap dance ends. Raven returns to the stage. Picks up the flogger. Orders Valentina to bend over.
“Jesus!”
Lucy’s head darts away from the action. Seeking the source of the noise.
Jesse.
She finds him sweating. Head in his hands. She grimaces. Considers reiterating that he can leave. But he’s a grown man. Capable of making his own decisions. And so far he’s deciding to stay. So she shouldn’t let whatever he’s experiencing ruin her enjoyment.
She looks back toward the stage. Watches as Raven begins to flog Valentina.
Oh my God.
She hears a whimper next to her. Lets out her own. She’s wet. Uncomfortably so. Her hand moves on its own volition. Sliding back down until it’s dangerously close to Kate’s cunt. Kate doesn’t move it away this time. She presses down on Lucy’s hand. Lifts her hips. A sign of approval. So Lucy keeps her hand there. Knowing they’re safe. That everyone except Jesse is completely engaged in the show. The flogger swinging. Valentina counting. Raven ordering her to stand up and turn around and take her top off. Valentina complies. Exposing her breasts to the audience.
Holy fucking shit.
Lucy inhales. Squeezes Kate’s thigh. Nearly dies when Raven starts swinging the flogger at Valentina’s chest.
She almost dies again when she feels teeth nipping her earlobe and then hears Kate’s voice. Whispering. Harsh. Husky. “I want to try that with you.” Her heart stops. Her mind goes blank. She’s 100% dead for at least three seconds. Then she’s coming back to life. Sweat dripping down her brow. She doesn’t turn. Can’t take her eyes off the show. Can’t risk seeing Kate’s face at the moment. So she answers. Blindly. “Can you be more specific?” Because she’s seeing a lot right now. The riding crop. The issuing of orders. Raven praising Valentina for being a “good girl.” And sure, Lucy has a pretty solid idea of what her praise kink having girlfriend desires. But she wants confirmation. Especially since she’d be surprisingly ok if Kate had something different in mind.
Kate nips her earlobe again. Then she’s whispering, “I want to bend over and be good for you.”
Holy fucking Jesus Christ God Almighty in Heaven!
Lucy exhales. Slow. Shaky. She lifts her champagne to her mouth. Gulps the entire glass down. Still feeling parched once it’s empty. She squeezes Kate’s thigh. Accepts Kate’s proposal. “I want that too.”
She feels another nip on her earlobe. Then Kate’s tongue is licking a wet line along her neck. She shivers. Moans. Realizes she has to put a stop to this because she’s seconds away from extending her pinky to stroke over Kate’s clit. So she slides her hand up. Resting it right above Kate’s knee. Gives her a squeeze and a warning, “Save it for later, babe.”
Kate gets the message. Pulling entirely away. Lucy hears a zipper. Then a stack of bills are getting thrust into her view. She accepts them. Smiles. Focuses on the stage where Raven is finally pulling off her corset and skirt.
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Everything becomes a blur after this point. Raven and Valentina depart. More champagne is poured. New dancers arrive. Bills get thrown and slid into g-strings. Dancers move throughout their group. Offering one on one attention. Lucy has a front row seat as Kate gets her face pushed into a pair of magnificent tits. She’s blushing. Right hand holding Lucy’s thigh in a death grip. Lucy laughs. Loving how flustered the attention is making Kate. Loving how much Kate is loving it. She’s so gay and so weak for breasts and it's wonderful to see.
The dancer finally gives Kate a break. Lucy tucks some bills into her g-string. Shouts, “Thank you!”
Then the dancer is climbing into her lap. Laughing, “Your turn honey. Fair is fair.”
Lucy can’t argue with that. Mainly because she’s dead again. Killed by the beautiful titties rubbing against her cheeks and the g-string grinding in her lap and the knowledge that Kate is watching and enjoying this.
The dancer climbs off her lap. She slips her a few more bills. Watches as she walks away. Starts talking to Alan. Then climbs into his lap. Lucy grins. Moves her eyes away to give Alan some privacy. Her gaze lands on Jesse. He’s still in his seat. His face pale. Sweaty.
Crap.
He must notice the scrutiny because he leaps up. Mutters, “Ok. I need some air. I’ll be back.”
He storms away. Lucy frowns. Watching him go. Decides she should probably be a good friend and follow. She gets to her feet. Makes it two steps. Hears a shout. Thudding. Screams of pain. She runs. Leaping over the velvet rope. Turns.
Jesse!
He’s crumpled at the bottom of the stairwell. Hands clutching his ankle. Security is already beside him. One is on the phone. She flies down the stairs. Drops down to her knees. “Jesse. Shit. Fuck. I’m so sorry. We’re gonna get you help.”
She looks up at the guy with the phone. “911?”
He gives her a thumbs up. Continues his conversation. She can make out the name of the club. A description of the injury. She sits there. Holding Jesse’s hand. The rest of their party arrives. She can sense Kate standing behind her. Knows it’s Kate’s hand that lands on her shoulder. Providing a comforting touch. But she doesn’t look up. Doesn’t move. Keeps her focus on Jesse until the EMTs run through the door and she has to step away to let them take over.
The night ends. Everyone orders rides home. They stand on the curb. Waiting for them to arrive. Lucy decides to accompany Jesse. He protests, but she shuts him down. His wife is out of town. There’s no way she’s going to let him brave the hospital alone. She presses a kiss to Kate’s cheek. Whispers, “I love you. Text me when you get home.”
Then she’s hopping into the ambulance. Eyes on Kate. Her thin, tight smile. Then the doors shut. She takes Jesse’s hand. Begins the all too familiar ride to The Queens Medical Center.
There go Ernie’s wedding pictures…