One Wild Night

Lucas leaned back into the plush cushions of the couch, the final whistle of the football game still echoing in his ears.

The living room was now silent, save for the low hum of the television as it flickered to a sports recap.

Rubbing his eyes, he considered his options. He could keep watching the television and wait for Tyler, or go straight to bed.

He glanced at the wall clock: 10:15 P.M.

Nah. He couldn't wait up for Tyler, he decided as he pushed himself off the couch and made his way to the bedroom.

Inside the bedroom he changed into more comfortable sleeping clothes and got on the bed, ready to call it a night.

He lay on the bed for some time, and when sleep wasn't forthcoming, it occurred to him that he could seize the opportunity to talk to Amy before going to bed, since it was morning over there in Ludus and she was most likely awake now.

Since they had agreed to be weekend buddies and to restrict their conversations to the weekends, they hadn't chatted or spoken all week.

Lucas thought there was no better way to start the weekend as weekend buddies than with a phone conversation. With that in mind, he picked up his phone and dialed her number.

The line rang once, twice, three times. By the fourth ring, he was almost ready to hang up when he heard a sleepy voice on the other end.

"Hello?" Amy's voice was thick with sleep, a little disoriented.

"Hey, Amy," Lucas started tentatively, "Did I wake you? We can talk some other time."

There was a brief pause before she responded, more alert now, "Lucas! Oh, it's you. No, it's fine," she rushed to say.

The sleep evaporated instantly, replaced by a bright, warm sound of surprise. Lucas could practically picture the smile blooming on her face. "I don't mind. I'm actually glad you called."

Lucas could hear the genuine pleasure in her tone, and it made him smile. "Sorry for waking you. I just figured I'd talk to you before going to bed."

"I'm glad you did since I have to get my lazy ass out of bed and start my day anyway," Amy said, her voice genuinely warm.

Lucas chuckled, imagining her sitting up in bed, a sleepy smile on her face. "Start your day? What do you plan to do today?" He asked with interest.

"I'm resuming my weekend sports. I haven't played any sports in a long time. Since I found out about Miley's condition. I'm thinking about going back to it and playing some tennis today," Amy said, a hint of excitement in her voice.

Lucas's eyebrows shot up. "Tennis, huh? Interesting."

"What's interesting about it?" Amy challenged, a playful note creeping in.

"Well," Lucas said, drawing out the word, "it just so happens I remember you wearing tennis shorts the first time I saw you at Lucy's (chapter 241)," Lucas said, the memory vivid in his mind.

He could practically hear the stunned silence on the other end. Then, a flustered laugh. "Oh my god," Amy finally choked out. "You actually noticed? I can't believe you remember what I was wearing when we barely said a word to each other."

"Yeah. I notice things. And I don't only notice them, I also remember them," he confirmed with a smug grin.

"Why does it sound like you're bragging right now?" Amy asked with amusement.

"Because I am," Lucas said simply, and they both laughed.

"I actually played tennis with Miley that morning before I was called to the office. I didn't even know she was ill then," Amy said with a wistful sigh.

"It was a pink and white pleated skirt and a white polo," Lucas said, trying to distract her from thoughts of Miley.

"What?" Amy asked in confusion.

"What you were wearing. pink and white pleated skirt and a white polo," he repeated.

"You're bragging again," she said, and Lucas chuckled.

"Yes, I am."

"So, what was your first impression of me?" Amy asked curiously.

"I thought you were pretty smart and loyal," Lucas said easily.

"You think I'm pretty?" Amy joked, even though she knew he had said pretty smart.

Knowing what she was doing, he chuckled. If it was in the past he would have been worried, but now that he knew how she liked to pull his legs and tease him, he didn't read any meaning into her question.

"Yeah. Very pretty smart," he said, and Amy laughed.

"And, yes I do think you're pretty," he said, making her heart skip a beat.

"Gee! Thanks, Buddy," she said, making light of it, and Lucas smiled.

"So, is tennis the only sport you play? Or is there anything else you'd like to confess about your athletic side?" Lucas asked, changing the subject.

"Well, there's volleyball too. And basketball."

Now it was Lucas's turn to be surprised. "Basketball? Really?"

"Yup," she said, a hint of pride in her voice.

"Impressive. If you love sports so much, why are you working as a secretary instead of pursuing a career as a sportswoman?" He asked curiously.

"Hmm," Amy sighed deeply, making Lucas realize that there seemed to be a long story there.

"I guess it's complicated," he said, letting her know she didn't need to answer his question.

"Yeah. It's a story for another day. What about you, Luca? Did you ever play any sports?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah," he admitted, a tinge of regret in his voice. "I actually used to love basketball. I still do. I Wanted to be on the school team and all that."

"So why didn't you? What stopped you?" Amy asked, curiosity piqued.

Lucas hesitated. This was a conversation he hadn't had with anyone. "It's… embarrassing to say."

"Come on, Luca," Amy coaxed. "We're weekend buddies, remember? Tell me. I promise not to laugh." She pressed softly.

"If you tell me why you didn't pursue a career in sports, I will tell you," Lucas said and Amy smiled.

"Sure. My mom didn't let me. My dad was a sportsman. There was nothing to show for it. He let the fame get to his head and at the end he had nothing," Amy said simply.

"And you couldn't just say this before? Why?" Lucas asked with a slight frown, and Amy stuck her tongue in her cheek to keep from laughing.

"To make you more curious. Your turn, doc. Tell me what stopped you from playing with your school team if you loved basketball so much," she urged him.

He took a deep breath. "Rachel didn't want me to," Lucas confessed. "She was scared I'd get too much attention from other girls and she couldn't stand it."

Amy paused. Although she wanted to laugh, but she didn't. "It must have been tough to give up the things you loved because of the insecurities of the person you loved."

"Yeah," Lucas agreed with a sigh. "I didn't think too much of it or make a big deal out of it until she wanted me to stay away from Lucy during the scandal. That's when I realized I'd had enough," Lucas said, surprised that he was easily talking to her about Rachel.

"Guess what?" Amy asked, and he raised a brow.

"What?"

"You can play basketball now if you want to. There's nothing stopping you anymore," Amy said softly.

"Yes, I can," Lucas said, a smile in his voice.

"Maybe when you come around, I can take you to where I play," Amy suggested. "We can go against each other. I promise not to go easy on you," she said, and Lucas laughed, the sound warm and genuine.

"So, how was your week?" he asked, settling into his bed, the phone pressed to his ear.

"Pretty boring, actually. Just the usual wake-up, work, sleep, wake up, work, repeat. Nothing exciting," Amy sighed.

"No eating in between? Wow! You must be a robot," He joked, and she laughed.

"What about you?" She asked curiously.

"Same here, except swap work with classes and training. And I did eat," Lucas said, feeling a comfortable rhythm settling into their conversation.

Amy chuckled softly. "I've been curious about something," she admitted.

Lucas' curiosity piqued, "Oh, what is it?" he prompted.

"What did you tell Miley's parents when you visited them?" Amy asked, her voice suddenly serious.

Lucas exhaled, the weight of the memory settling on his chest. "Hmm. Why do you want to know?"

"It's been on my mind since I was invited to the funeral. I really want to know how you got them to change their mind," Amy explained.

"I don't think I changed their mind. I think they merely lashed out at you because they wanted to blame someone for their pain, and since they couldn't blame Miley, you were the next best person. I don't think they really believed that you tried to con Miley," Lucas said quietly.

"And if you must know, I told them the truth. That I thought it was a foolish decision for you to be Miley's surrogate or to even encourage her to do all she wanted because of your blind loyalty. I told them that we had a misunderstanding after she proposed I marry her, and that was when I left the country."

Amy was silent for a moment, processing his words. "Why would you do something like that for me? Why would you go all that way just to clear the air for me? I wasn't nice to you and I was mean and…"

Lucas cut in before she could finish, "I don't like seeing people suffer if I can help it. Whether or not they deserve it, I try to do my best for everyone. Even if it's just a stray dog."

Amy laughed softly, "Are you comparing me to a stray dog right now?"

Lucas laughed too, the sound warm and rich. "Not exactly. But I'm sure you get the point."

"Yeah. I do. Thanks. I suppose I should let you go to bed now," Amy said, and Lucas glanced at his phone screen to check the time.

"Yeah. And I should let you go do your sports thing," he said, and Amy smiled.

"Thanks for calling, Lucas. I've been looking forward to talking with you all week. I will call you before I go to bed," she said, and Lucas smiled.

"Sure. Have fun."

"Have fun in your sleep too," she said with a grin, and Lucas chuckled as he hung up.