Chapter 1 The place - Luke's. The time - Sunset. As the final sunbeams reflected off the soft clouds, making them look a pale reddish cooler, cars pulled up outside the old fashioned yet much loved jazz club. Out of one particular car, a white Porsche, climbed a man, dressed in a traditional black tux with a bright white shirt and trim. A few heads turned, with more as he took the arm of a certain lady as she exited the vehicle - an elegant, svelte figure in a shimmering red dress, hair piled upon her head in ringlets, hanging down the side of her face. Slowly they started walking towards the door, the elderly gentleman standing there smiling appreciatively. “Oh, Doc, I'm so excited. I can't believe this day has finally come. It's been planned for so long, and I personally have been waiting years and years for this to happen. You know, I predicted it would, way back when. They were destined for it, and finally it has come true. Don't you love it, Doc? Things like this show that true love can win out in the end, it did for us too! I'm…” And before she could go on any more, Dr Kevin Collins, famed scholar and author, leant down and gently kissed his wife, Lucy Coe-Collins, on the mouth. He knew, from experience, that this was one of the only ways to ever quiet his love. Cameras flashed, journalists took notes, as this, it seemed, was going to be the biggest event of the year. Giving Mike Corbin, the man at the door, a quick greeting as he ushered them in, Kevin took Lucy's shoulder bag and gave it to the attendant with his coat to hang up. They moved further inside, greeting friends warmly, making polite conversation. Kevin watched his lady in action. This was where she was most at home - mingling, making sure that everyone was having a good time, chatting, especially that! He was happy that she was happy. Up on stage, a beautiful blonde wearing a royal blue, halter-neck dress, figure- clinging but flaring from the knees down, started to sing, softly at first, slowly, giving the band a rest. No backing was needed for her strong voice, reminiscent of Mariah Carey, if you were around in the 1990s and remember. Conversations slow down, voices hush, as her penetrating, clear, blue eyes seem to make contact with everyone in the room. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If I should stay I would only be in your way So I'll go but I know I'll think of you every step of the way And I will always love you Will always love you You My darling you ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Her voice raises in pitch, her emotions taking hold and racking her slender body, her long hair down her back, swaying around as she sings her song, unaware of the rapt audience, hanging on her every note. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bittersweet memories That is all I'm taking with me So goodbye Please don't cry We both know I'm not what you need And I will always love you I will always love you ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ At 24 years old, Lesley Lu Spencer, manager of Luke's, was circling through the guests, meeting and greeting. It was she who organized the recent renovations, the headlining singer, the “who's who of PC” guest list, and the catering for the bash, all while her father, the indestructible Luke Spencer, was in hospital. Now, he was out, sitting at the best table in the house, calmly smoking one of his Cuban cigars, while everything went on around him. Dressed in a satin, spaghetti-strap dress that barely reached down to her thighs, she paraded around, receiving compliments, a big smile on her face, masking the feelings she really felt inside. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I hope life treats you kind And I hope you have all you dreamed of And I wish you joy and happiness But above all things I wish you love ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A man, dressed all in a teal green suit, with the collar of his open-necked white shirt covering the collar of his jacket, leaned against the wall. He ran his long fingers through his rough, brown hair, and sighed. His eyes wandered the crowd, but were constantly being drawn to the girl in red, as though there was no one else in the room. He sighed again, resigned to his fate, and walked rejectedly back over to the large table where his family sat. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And I will always love you I will always love you I will always love you I will always love you I will always love you I, I will always love you You, darling I love you Ooh, I will always love you ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As the song drew to a close, the girl took a step back form the microphone as the audience opened up into torrents of thunderous applause. She looked around, eyes wide open, as though only then realizing that they were watching her. She took a deep breath, and proclaimed “Welcome to Luke's!”