"Looking for A Place to Land"
Chapter 22
This Chapter was written by Michelle
NOTE: Phrases surrounded by ~ ~ are Lucky's thoughts to himself
February 14th (Valentines Day)
9:00 pm
Lucky stands in the shower adding soap to his washcloth. Hot water pours from the shower head and steam pours out from around the shower curtain.
Lucky: (singing) "If it's true don't leave me all alone out here--wonderin' if you're ever gonna take me there."
He lathers the soap on his body.
Lucky: (still singing) "Tell me what you're feelin' cause I need to know"
He begins to rinse off.
Lucky: (ad libing) "Gia, you gotta let me know which way to go. Cause I need to know. . . I need to know. Tell me baby girl cause I need to know."
9:07 pm
Lucky exists the bathroom with a towel around his waist and flips off his radio as he passes by. He proceeds to walk over to his laptop computer. He turns it on, double clicks on the AOL icon and waits for his modem to connect. After getting online, he clicks on his mailbox. Five new messages: all ads and porno spam. Lucky sighs.
~Oh well. I've got nothing else better to do~
He deletes the two porn emails and an ad for "Breast Enlargements"
~Two emails left. Hey, I could use a pen camera. . . ~
He double clicks on the email and visits the camera site. Fifteen minutes later he's back at his mailbox.
~Last email. . . "Great New Site! Popular mp3s for free!"~
The site was recommended by Juan. Lucky laughs softly. He hadn't seen or heard from Juan since before he left Port Charles. . . excluding a few forwarded emails now and then. Lucky visits the site. Unfortunately it was required to download some software before obtaining mp3s. After 20 minutes of downloading the utility program, Lucky decides to download a few songs.
11:30 pm
Lucky has finished downloading mp3s and remains sitting by his computer playing solitaire
~Damn deck. I hate this game~
12:00 am
Lucky sits in the same position at the computer still playing solitaire, but with a new highly frustrated look on his face.
~I need a red eight. . . a red eight. . . ~
He clicks the deck. A black eight appears. Lucky shuts off the monitor.
~I need a new computer~
12:25 am
Lucky is slouching on the floor resting his back on the bed with the televison remote control in his hand. He turns on the television, flips to a station, and then changes the channel again after staring at the screen blankly for a few moments. He continues this a couple of times and then suddenly stops. He can't concentrate. He had spent almost all of February 14th focusing on household errands: cleaning. . . shopping. . . doing laundry. . . and Gia hadn't popped into his head once. Well, besides that one time in the shower. But now it was hard to escape the truth--Gia hadn't called. She had promised to call on Valentine's Day. But here it was the day of Saint Valentine and no call.
After wasting almost twenty minutes trying to erase the memory of Gia's face from his mind, Lucky decides to go back to channel surfing.
12:55 am MTV
Lucky is dazed
1:15 am BET
Lucky gets up to get a snack
1:45 am VH1
He gets comfortable in bed
1:50 am MTV
Lucky rests his head on a pillow
2:10 am HBO
He begins to yawn continuously
2:30 am FX
His eyelids start to droop
2:50 am Cinemax
Lucky begins to nod off
3:15 am
Lucky's phone rings
Lucky: (answering the phone) Hello?
Gia: (sounding preoccupied) Hi, it's me
Lucky: Gia. You said--
Gia: (sounding far away) I know I said I'd call. . . and I'm sorry. . . but I just wanted to say. . . (long pause). . . I just wanted to say 'hi' and I'm sorry
Lucky: (tired, but concerned) It's alright, Gia. It's just--
Gia: Look, I have to go
Lucky: Gia--
Gia: I'm sorry
Lucky: Gia!
Gia: Yeah?
Lucky: Happy Valentine's Day
Gia: Oh. Yeah. . . Happy Valentines Day, Lucky
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A week after Valentine's Day. . .
Walking down the street to her new place, Gia is shocked when Lucky scares her by popping out of nowhere, spinning her around, and kissing her more passionately than ever before. They sit on a nearby park bench.
Gia: What are we doing?
Lucky: I don't know, Gia
Gia looks uncomfortable--like she's waiting for lighting to crash.
Gia: (looking like she's going to vomit) Why don't we start by how we feel?
Lucky: (laughs) How we feel. . . . . . okay. . . I like you. I like being with you.
Gia: (looking more comfortable) I like you too.
Lucky continues on and Gia starts to feel uncomfortable again.
Lucky: I like talking to you. . . laughing with you. . . working with you. . . sleeping with you. . . (he nudges her with his shoulder)
Gia grins. Then Lucky looks her in the eyes. Suddenly he's serious.
Lucky: Gia. . .
Gia is queasy once again. She avoids his gaze, but Lucky is adamant.
Lucky: Gia, look at me.
Gia gives in and looks into his eyes.
Lucky: Gia. . . I love you.
Although she expected this long ago, Gia looks stunned--like someone just kicked her in the stomach. After not moving for a few moments, she stands.
Gia: No. . . . . . . . . NO.
Lucky sighs.
Lucky: What did I say?
Gia: No. Don't.
Lucky stands behind Gia and wraps his arms around her waist.
Lucky: What did I say?
Gia: You won't get me to say it.
Lucky: Just--
Gia: I can't
Lucky kisses her shoulder pleadingly. Gia closes her eyes and inhales his colonge. A moment later she opens her eyes again and turns to face him.
Gia: I can't.
