One Wild Night

By the time Lucy and Dawn joined the others downstairs, they were all gathered at the dining table already, and Dawn frowned when she noticed that Jamal was seated on her spot.

Dawn usually sat down on the seat next to Lucy, since Lucy sat down next to Tom. And seeing how there was only one empty seat between Tom and Jamal, it was clear that he was seated in her spot.

"You are in my seat," Dawn informed Jamal, and he raised a brow while the adults all watched with interest.

"How is this your seat? I didn't see your name on it," Jamal said matter of factly and Dawn looked up at Lucy.

"You asked me to be nice, Lucy, but he's being a jerk again," she told Lucy.

Knowing she was being put in a difficult position between both kids, Lucy looked around the table hoping that someone would help her, but everyone merely watched in amusement to see how she was going to handle it.

Lucy cleared her throat, "Well, Jamal got here before you…"

"But that's my seat. I've been living here before he got here and everyone knows this is where I sit," Dawn said, looking from Lucy to Tom, and then to Sonia, Bryan, Evelyn and Desmond, beseeching them to take her side.

"There is another seat..."

"I don't want another seat. I want to sit right here next to you," Dawn said before Lucy could finish.

"Jamal, why don't you let her have that seat?" Candace suggested.

"Because I want to sit next to Lucy," Jamal said matter of factly.

"I guess Tom should move then," Bryan suggested with a grin and Tom chuckled.

"I'm going no where. I want to sit beside Lucy as well," Tom said and Lucy looked from Jamal to Dawn.

"Seeing how this is a difficult arrangement, how about we take our dinner to the patio?" Lucy suggested and Dawn raised a brow.

"Just the both of us, right? I don't think I can eat with him," Dawn said while Jamal shrugged.

"I can eat anywhere and with anyone as long as you're there," Jamal said and Lucy grinned while the others chuckled at his smooth line.

"You need to learn some lines from him," Aaron told Harry.

Seeing how it seemed like Jamal was winning the audience, Dawn raised her chin and straightened her shoulder, "I can do the same."

"Good," Lucy said and then looked at the others on the table before focusing on Evelyn.

"I'm sorry we have to eat separately," Lucy said but Evelyn was smiling.

She liked how the kids were acting around Lucy and even though she had no intention of bringing it up ever again, she hoped they would stimulate Lucy's motherly instincts. She had no doubt that Lucy would be a wonderful mother seeing how well she got along with the kids and how they were drawn to her.

"It's fine. You can head there and I will ask them to serve you three…"

"Four. I'm eating with Lucy too. Can't let these kids take away my girlfriend," Tom said, and Dawn frowned.

"I'm not a kid," she told Tom and he nodded.

"Sure. Can't let the kid Jamal and this lady…"

"If she isn't a kid why are you referring to me as a kid when I'm older than her?" Jamal asked and while the others laughed, Harry nodded.

"Good question," Harry said and Tom shook his head. 

"Let's just go," Tom said as he took Lucy's hand and Dawn quickly grabbed Lucy's other hand before Jamal could go for it, leaving Jamal to take Tom's hand instead.

As all four of them walked away, the others at the table watched them and Aaron smiled, "They look like a family," Aaron said, echoing what was on everyone's mind even if none was willing to say it because they all knew now that Lucy was not interested in marriage or kids.

"Yeah, they do," Evelyn said with a small smile before excusing herself to go ask the housekeepers to serve Tom and Lucy at the patio.

"I can't believe I have to deal with something like this when they're not even my kids," Tom muttered to Lucy, and she giggled.

"Well, maybe you could start practicing," she said with a shrug, and Tom smiled, knowing she had not put much thought into her words.

He liked how she kept unconsciously giving him hints by saying stuff like these that suggested she was opening up more and more to the idea of having kids with him.

Once they got to the table at the patio, Tom took the seat opposite Lucy and let the kids sit at both her sides, with Dawn at her right hand side and Jamal on her left.

"Lucy, I'm going to miss you a lot when I go back to Sogal," Jamal said after they were all comfortably seated.

"I'm going to miss you more. But you don't have to worry, we plan to visit you whenever we get the chance," Lucy promised, and Jamal looked at Tom.

"Really?" He asked and Tom raised a brow.

"Why are you asking me that when you don't even care about me?" Tom asked and Jamal grinned.

"Lucy cares about you so I have to care about you because of her," Jamal said easily and Lucy giggled. 

"Will you visit me too when I go back home?" Dawn asked Lucy with hopeful eyes, and Tom tried not to frown.

"Do you want me to visit you?" Lucy asked, and Dawn nodded.

"Yes. And I can visit you too since you are my friend," Dawn said and Lucy glanced at Tom who shook his head.

"Do you live in Sogal?" Jamal asked Dawn, momentarily forgetting they were rivals.

"Where I live is not your business," Dawn said to Jamal as she waited for Lucy to answer her question.

"Well, why don't we wait and see how that goes?" Lucy asked with a friendly smile and was grateful when they were interrupted by the housekeepers who brought their dinner.

"No talking while you eat," Lucy announced wanting to make sure dinner was as silent as possible since she didn't want the kids arguing any more than was necessary.

Once they were done with dinner, they returned inside to join the others who were also done, and while the elders decided to sit at the Den to watch a television show, the girls decided to take the kids to bed while the guys chose to hang out at the patio.

Lucy and Sonia took Dawn to the bedroom she was to share with Candace upstairs, while Candace and Jade took Jamal to the guestroom which he was sharing with Aaron downstairs.

They all agreed to meet at the balcony after putting the kids to bed, so they could discuss Sonia's wedding details some more.

After Dawn had fallen asleep, Sonia and Lucy left the room quietly, and Lucy sighed as they headed for the balcony, "I told Tom about my conversation with Kimberly," Lucy said and Sonia raised a brow.

"You did? What did he say? Was he mad?" She asked, and Lucy shook her head.

"He wasn't exactly pleased, but he wasn't very mad either. He doesn't want me contacting or communicating with Kimberly," Lucy explain and Sonia nodded.

"I think I can understand where he is coming from. So, what are you going to do now?" Sonia asked and Lucy shrugged.

"I was hoping you could communicate with her instead," Lucy said and Sonia raised a brow.

"You mean be a middleman between you both?" She asked and Lucy shook her head.

"Not exactly. She needs a friend right now, and Tom doesn't want me being friends with her. So, maybe you could be friends with her?" Lucy asked and Sonia shook her head.

"I'm not sure Bryan would want me to do that. I don't think I want to either. It's easy to accept the kid but not Kimberly. I think friendship with her can only work after all of this has been resolved. Let's first find out what she decides to do," Sonia said and Lucy sighed.

"Who are you talking about?" Jade asked as she and Candace who were coming upstairs after putting Jamal to sleep joined them.

"Kimberly," Lucy said and went on to tell Candace and Jade about her interaction with Kimberly and Tom's stance on it.

"It's admirable that you have such a large heart, Lucy, but I agree with Tom and Sonia. We don't even know if she can be trusted yet or if she is cooking up something with her parents. Considering all the problems she has caused for everyone, you can't blame us for being wary of her," Jade said and Lucy sighed.

"I must say I'm surprised she left her daughter behind. Doing that already tells me she is not someone I would want to be friends with. What sort of mother does that? I wouldn't do that regardless of whatever my parents say. And even if for any reason she had to keep her daughter away from her parents, what happened to traveling with her daughter and maybe lodging in an hotel or getting a place where her daughter can be close to her? I don't like judging people, but it was quite irresponsible of her to leave her daughter with strangers when it's not even a life or death situation," Candace said and Lucy sighed while Jade and Sonia nodde in agreement.

"I can't even imagine doing that to my unborn baby," Sonia said as she rubbed her abdomen.

"I guess you're all saying you don't want to be friends with her," Lucy said and all three nodded.

"I can't be friends with a person who slept with both my brother and grandfather. Eww," Jade said making a face of disgust.

"I can't be friends with a mother who would so easily leave her little daughter behind in another country," Candace said and Sonia flashed Lucy an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Lu. I'd do anything for you, but I really don't want to be her friend. All she has done so far screams selfishness to me," Sonia said and Lucy sighed.

"And don't think of going behind us or behind Tom to contact her. I know how softhearted you can be, Lu. But now is not the time. This whole situation is not about you, and it's not for you to handle either. Leave it to Desmond and Evelyn," Sonia said firmly.

"And who knows? She might just see your kindness as the encouragement she needs to leave her kid here seeing how she already suggested that Tom adopts Dawn," Jade said and Candace raised a brow.

"She suggested that? Is she out of her mind?" Candace asked incredulously.

"Harry didn't tell you?" Jade asked and Candace rolled her eyes.

"Since when did Harry ever discuss other people's private business?" Candace asked dryly.

"Well, tell me someone slapped her hard to bring her back to her senses?" Candace said and Sonia shrugged.

"I would have done that had I been present. But I heard about it from Bryan. I didn't even see her."

"I heard from Tom. I didn't see her either," Lucy said and Jade shrugged.

"I wasn't there when she said it either. We heard from Tom and my dad," Jade said as they all got to the balcony and sat down.

"Lucy, please listen to us and don't get involved with her. I might not know her personally, but from all I've heard thus far, I don't think she is someone you should be friends with. If she was such a great person, she wouldn't be short of friends right now," Candace said and Lucy nodded.

"Alright. I've heard you all. Now enough about that. Let's talk about the wedding," Lucy said, changing the subject.

As much as she felt sorry for Kimberly, she couldn't let her emotions get the best of her. She knew she had to listen to Tom and the girls. It was good enough already that she was watching over Dawn. She hoped Kimberly would understand.