One Wild Night

On his way back to Lucy's apartment, his phone started ringing, and Lucas stopped to take it out of his pocket to see who was calling. 

His heart squeezed painfully in his chest when he saw that the call was from Rachel, so he ignored the call as he had been doing since the moment he called off things with her earlier that day. 

Although it hurt very much, he meant it with every fiber of his being when he said that he was done with the relationship. He was well aware that his feelings for her ran deep and it wasn't going to end abruptly just because he wished it to. It was going to be a slow and painful process, but he was going to forget her no matter how long it would take or what it would cost him.

He stood by the car and tried to calm himself since he was already beginning to feel upset merely by thinking about her. Soon his phone vibrated with a text message notification, and he didn't need to be told that it was from Rachel. 

'You are not really going to call off the engagement, are you? We both know that my father won't take it likely with you if you do. Don't forget that you work at a decent hospital thanks to my family, and the apartment is a benefit that came with the job, so I'm not moving out.'

Reading the text, Lucas' heart squeezed in his chest even more painfully this time. How hadn't he realized this whole time that this was the kind of person he was in love with? It made him sick to know that he had cared so deeply for someone who cared only for herself. Someone whose only desire was to own him. Of all things how could she try to blackmail him to get back with her by threatening him with his job? His love for her had not only been blind, but it had also been very foolish. 

If anything, this only showed all the more reason why he should completely put an end to their relationship. Once he was done here, and he returned to Heden, the first thing he was going to do was quit his job and move out of the apartment. He didn't want to be connected to her in any way anymore. No matter how painful it was, Lucy was right. Good riddance to Rachel. He was better off without her. It only hurt him now that it had taken him so long for him to realize this and he had wasted too much time with her. 

Taking in a deep breath, he blacklisted Rachel's line before returning his phone into his pocket and heading for Lucy's apartment.

"I can't believe that she wants to show her boyfriend to the world when we are yet to see him," Lucy's mother who had stopped crying now, complained to her husband with a frown as they continued to watch the show. 

"But we are about to see him too," her husband pointed out as the door opened and Lucas walked inside. 

"At the same time as everyone else?" She asked with disapproval and her husband rolled his eyes.

"A moment ago you were weeping..."

"Don't even start, Drew! I'm just saying it's not fair that we get to see our daughter's man this way. We should at least meet him in person," she said with a scowl. 

"He wants us to come to his home for dinner," Lucas announced as he joined them in the living room. 

"Really? Did you speak with him? When? Hold on, Lucy is having the interview somewhere around the house, right? I want to see him before everyone else does," Lucy's mother said as she quickly stood up.

"But..."

"Are you going to take me there or do I have to find my way there by myself?" She asked as she headed for the door.

"We can just see him during dinner, honey," her husband called, trying to discourage her from leaving.

"Are you coming with me or not?" She asked as she opened the door, and Lucas followed her. With a sigh, Lucy's father got off the couch and followed his wife and son out of the house. 

Lucas led them to Tom's apartment, and after taking a deep breath, he tapped the knocker on the door this time instead of using the bell, since it wouldn't be loud enough to disrupt the interview as the sound of the bell would. 

Inside the house, Tom who was getting ready to be introduced by Alicia turned to the door when he heard the knock, "Should I get it?" Bryan asked, and Tom shook his head.

"I don't want the entire women in the neighborhood gathering in front of my apartment when they realize that you're in here," Tom said as he walked to the door and then pushed it open.

He blinked in surprise when Lucas flashed him an apologetic smile before stepping to the side for Tom to face his parents. Tom's heart skipped a beat when he came face to face with Lucy's parents. Now he could see that Lucy's stature and long curly hair came from her mother, but the jet black color of her hair and her beautiful gray eyes were from her father. Even though he had been dying to meet the people who gave life to the lady he was in love with, he suddenly began to feel anxious.

He cleared his throat, "You're welc..."

"Hi! I'm Janet Perry, Lucy's mom! I've waited forever for this day to meet Lucy's boyfriend," Lucy's mother said with a happy smile as she pulled him in for a hug, startling Tom who hadn't been expecting that from her.

Tom smiled as he hugged her back, and then they both pulled away from each other but Lucy's mother kept holding his hands, "Thanks for being with her through all of this. You have no idea how much it means to us," she said as her eyes gleamed with tears of joy as she let go of his hands. 

"It's my pleasure. Your daughter... She is an angel," Tom said with a small smile, relieved that her mother was easy to get along with. The only problem now was the man who was staring at him with an unreadable expression.

Lucy's father watched Tom for a moment, and Tom tried to hold his gaze without looking away. Both men stared at each other for some time, and then Lucy's father grinned at him, "I'm Andrew Perry, Lucy's first love, and Sonia's first crush," he said as he held out his hand for a handshake.

"I'm Thomas Hank, Lucy's one true love," Tom said with a grin of his own as he shook the man's hand, and both Lucas and Lucy's mother chuckled as Lucy's father scowled at him.

"Please come in," Tom offered, but Lucy's mother shook her head. 

"I only wanted to see your face before you appear on the show. Lucas says we are having dinner with you tonight, I'm looking forward to getting to know you," Lucy's mother said, and Tom smiled. It was so easy to love Lucy's family.

"You don't mind moving to my home, right? I will accommodate you for the rest of your stay here. I can assure you that it'll be more comfortable than your stay at the hotel," Tom offered looking from Lucy's father to Lucas.

"All of us?" Lucy's mother asked curiously.

"Yes. I have enough room for everyone," Tom said, and Lucy's mother sighed dreamily.

"Lucy picked the right man," she said with a nod of approval, and her husband chuckled.

"We will think about it. We have to get back to the apartment to follow the show," Lucy's father said and placed his hand over his wife's shoulders to lead her home. 

"Sorry. You can get back inside," Lucas whispered to Tom, thinking that he must have been flustered to meet their parents this way.

"It's fine," Tom said with a wave as he returned inside in time to hear Alicia's next question.

"So did you tell your boyfriend about your experience, or did he just find out about it? What was his reaction to it,"

"He is aware of it. He was actually the first person I told about what happened even though I couldn't exactly finish the story because halfway into it I fainted and he had to take me to the hospital," Lucy explained with a small smile, "As for his reaction you will have to ask him that yourself," Lucy said with a giggle. 

On hearing that, Anita who was watching the show in her living room stood up. Tom was already aware of it? He knew of her past? She had thought that it would be too shameful for Lucy to tell him about it, especially since her source had told her that Lucy had never mentioned what happened to anyone in her family. What was this? She had done all of this for nothing? And what was this Alicia lady talking about revealing Lucy's boyfriend? Tom was ready to reveal his identity to the world? It seemed like instead of tearing them all apart, she had only succeeded in bringing them together. 

She bit her nails as she paced around her living room, and then paused when she realized what she was doing. She dropped her hands to her side and turned to her television screen once again when she heard 

"This makes me even more supercharged to introduce your boyfriend to the world. Ladies and gentlemen, without wasting any more time, I'd love to welcome the wonderful man Lucy is dating. He is no other than Thomas Hank, the CEO of I-Global, and the only brother of Bryan Hank who is also in a relationship with Lucy's BFF. Isn't this so cool?" Alicia squealed excitedly, as Tom walked into the set to join Sonia and Lucy who were both laughing and clapping happily.

"WHAT? Isn't that Miss Perry's driver, Tom?" One of the men in Lucy's team asked as they watched in horror.

"Miss Perry's driver is the CEO?" One of the ladies asked in surprise, while the man who had been rude to Tom and had called Lucy a murderer in front of him slid off his seat.

"WOW! This is super cool." Amy had a wide smile on her face as she watched the screen. It explained a lot. Especially why Lucy was working in the CEO's office, and the CEO's reaction to the rumors in the office.

Anita picked up her wine bottle and threw it against her television screen in a fit of anger as she screamed in anger scattered the apartment. Her eyes were red and the veins on her forehead stood out. She wasn't going to lose to someone like Lucy.. NEVER.