Ben laid a hand on Luc’s shoulder. “Luc. Trust me. There’s no need to worry. Rave and I discussed it and we both agree that there’s no need to crash their party and bash some heads.”
Hours later, drunk off their respective asses…
“Shh.” Luc motioned for Raven and Ben to lower their voices. “Do you want us to get caught?” They’d drifted from the strip club to a sports bar to a dance club to a pool hall and as a result they were wasted, trashed, heavily intoxicated. As the midnight hour had approached and passed, every drink had turned into a toast and… well, Luc hadn’t been this drunk since the night he and Ben had graduated college.
Ben bumped into Luc and threw his arm around his shoulder. “Luc, you are the luckiest sonofabitch I know. Elise is entirely too good for you.”
Luc grinned and pushed Ben off him. “You can’t have her, Benny. Not now. Not ever.”
Ben shrugged. “I had to try. If you die, leave her to me in your will. I’ll take good care of her for you.”
Raven stumbled up behind Luc and Ben. “I got the rose. What next?”
Luc pointed at the back of his grandfather’s house. “We sneak into the house and leave a little present for my woman.”
Ben disappeared behind a bush to relieve himself. “What present?”
“Does Elise know you call her your woman?”
“Nah, but she will. Hurry up, Benny.”
“What present,” Ben asked again.
“An anklet I got her.” Luc patted his pocket. “I thought about giving it to her tomorrow night, but tonight’s better.”
Raven clamped a hand on Luc’s shoulder. “You know, you may just be good enough for my little sister, Brother Luc.”
“Thanks, Brother Raven.”
Ben staggered out from behind the bush. “How are we getting into the house?”
Raven and Luc looked at each other and said at the same time, “The balcony.” Then they both started off for the house.
Ben groaned and staggered along behind them. “Has it occurred to either of you that the balcony door is probably locked?”
“I can open it,” Raven announced.
“How,” Ben demanded.
“With these.” Raven whipped out his wallet and did something with his hands. “I never go anywhere without my lock picks.”
“Should I ask why you never go anywhere without your lock picks?” Luc asked.
There was a smile in Raven’s voice as he answered, “Do you want to know how many times Moonbeam has lost her keys? Or how many times I’ve changed her locks?”
“Forget I asked,” Luc muttered.
Ben ran up and slung an arm around Luc and Raven—it was a miracle they didn’t all fall down. “How are we getting up to the balcony?”
“There’s an oak tree at the corner of the house. We’ll use it to get the ledge, then mosy on down to Elise’s room.”
“And do we know which room Elise is staying in?”
Luc stopped, dragging Ben to a halt with him. “Damn.”
“What?” Raven turned around.
“I don’t know which room. We don’t have time to go through all twenty-rooms.”
“She’s in the white room,” Raven said.
Luc frowned. “Which one? The one with the yellow chair or the one with the blue chair?”
“Um… blue.”
Luc closed his eyes and visualized how to get to the white room with the blue chair from the front door. “Okay. Got it. It’s right next to my old room.”
Fifteen minutes later and without severe injury, Raven unlocked the balcony door and Luc slipped into the room.
“Wait,” Ben whispered.
“What?”
“The thorns. Take the thorns off.”
“Oh yeah. Good idea.” Luc leaned over the railing and broke the thorns off the rose. “Think I should leave a note?”
Raven lounged against the house and looked like a seasoned cat burglar. “Yeah, but nothing too mushy.”
Luc pulled the anklet out of his pocket and wrapped it around the stem of the rose. “Any suggestions?”
“Something short and to the point,” Ben said.
Ten seconds of silence and Luc smiled. “I know.” He went to the desk and found pen and paper, then penned the note.
“Someone’s coming,” Raven hissed.
“I don’t hear anything,” Luc whispered.
“Use the Force, Luc,” Raven replied. “We’ll meet you at the tree. Move it, Ben.” He snickered. “Or should I say Obi-Wan?”