"I can't believe this is really happening!" Haley all but crowed to Molly.

"I know, I can't either," Molly responded glumly. "You're off to Italy and Greece, and I'm off to Connecticut, wow."

"Oh, Molls, you're going to have a great summer, I can tell." Haley gave Molly a conciliatory hug, one armed.

They were saying their goodbyes in Haley's apartment, which was nearly completely empty. Her roommates had left a few days before, and Molly was taking the two sleeping bags, where the girls had slept the night before. Haley's luggage stood by the the door, two suitcases containing her wardrobe and personal effects for the summer.

"In fact," Haley continued, "maybe you can come and visit me or something. Wouldn't that be great?"

"Hey, that would be great," Molly enthused, perking up. "I'm sure I could swing a week in Greece."

Haley's phone pinged with a text. "Oops, there's my ride," she said, looking at her phone. "Let's get downstairs."

They each grabbed a suitcase and ran for the elevator. 

It was a stifling hot day, already more like summer than late spring, which is what it still was. The trees were in full leaf, and New York City was steaming.

Haley gratefully settled into the luxurious, air-conditioned interior of the car while Gomez got her luggage stowed in the back.

"Okay, girlfriend, talk to you soon," Molly said as she reached through the open window to hug Haley once more. "Stay safe."

"I'll be fine," Haley responded, shaking her head. She rolled the window up and waved gaily to her friend. She turned as they pulled away so she could see Molly, standing on the sidewalk. She didn't turn back around until they turned the corner and Haley could no longer see her.

The drive to JFK was pleasant and short from the interior of the well appointed car. Haley enjoyed seeing the East River, sparkling in all its glory, and the UN building as they drove past.

Her family had been horrified to hear she where she was going to spend the summer.

"Where? Italy? Isn't that in Europe? Full of foreigners. And what about white slavers?" Her mother's voice was pitched high with anxiety.

"No, Haley, you hear them stories all the time about girls traveling in Europe and getting kidnapped, you do!"

Haley had tried to reassure her family that she'd be in a group, and that therefore white slavers weren't much of a threat.

"Luc deLaurentis? That rock singer?" her father had asked, aghast. "Are you out of your mind, little girl? Who knows what'll happen? Why can't you just stay in New York? Or better yet, come back home for the summer?"

Haley didn't want to tell her father she'd rather have her teeth drilled than go back to Carter's Hollow for the summer, so she tried womanfully to come up with some other way to put it.

"Dad, it's for work, too," she'd finally said. "I'm writing an article for the magazine, and if they like it, they'll publish it, isn't that great? A free vacation and maybe some money, too?"

Money was a language her father understood, and work was important to him, always. "I suppose," he'd finally acquiesced. "But did you know Kennedy Butler's got his own place now? Looking for a wife, I reckon."

Haley had sighed. Kennedy Butler had been the captain of the football team when she was in high school, a BMOC who's slim chances at an athletic scholarship were blown because he could only read at about a third grade level.

Haley shook her head, getting the words from her parents out of her head as she watched the neighborhoods of Long Island go by.

They arrived at JFK, and Gomez drove her to the appropriate gate. He helped her with her bags, and offered to park the car so he could escort her through the terminal.

"Oh, no, that's fine," she replied, grasping both pulls, one with each hand. "I'm used to doing things for myself, honest."

She went through security, removing her shoes and emptying her water bottle, then headed for the gate with an hour to spare.

She was surprised to hear her name on the loudspeaker, and went to the counter to see what it was about.

"Mr. deLaurentis has requested you join him in the first class lounge," the kind woman behind the counter explained.

Haley followed her through a couple of doors, and they ended up in a thickly carpeted, expensively quiet section of the airport, with a little bar and buffet. The furniture was different also, with overstuffed chairs and glass tables.

Luc rose to greet her, a smile gracing his handsome features. "There you are! I kept worrying that maybe you'd change your mind about all of this and simply stay home." He pulled her in for a continental kiss, one on each cheek. Haley caught a whiff of his expensive cologne, and felt his stubbly cheek against her smooth one.

Luc was wearing jeans and a polo, and looked completely comfortable and at home in these sumptuous, even opulent surroundings.

"Are you kidding? I've been looking forward to this so much, nothing could've kept me away," Haley replied with a grin.

"Wonderful!" Luc took her hand and led her to the sofa.

"Where's everyone else?" Haley asked, looking around. "The crew and stuff?"

Luc laughed. "Everyone's flying over on their own," he explained. He gestured to the bartender for a couple of drinks. "White wine, please," he called, looking at Haley interrogatively.

Haley nodded.

"You mean it's just us? I mean, you and me?" Haley asked.

"That's exactly what I mean," Luc responded, smiling his world famous smile.

"I thought it would be the whole tour, like on a chartered plane or whatever," Haley said.

"Of course, I travel by private jet frequently," Luc answered, smiling his thanks at the bartender, who'd brought their drinks. "But I like to travel commercial whenever I can. I think it keeps me humble, you know?" He turned his smile to Haley as he lifted his drink in salute.

Haley clinked glasses with him and took a sip of her drink. She wished she knew more about wine, so she could say something sensible, instead of just, "Mm, yummy." It was good, though, that much she could tell.

Luc sat back, resting his arms along the back of the sofa. He was lanky, all arms and legs, and Haley found this quite endearing. She could see part of a little tattoo on his collarbone, and wondered what it was of. She had to resist the urge to reach out and spread his polo open so she could see.

What the hell? Was she crazy?

Haley blinked and swallowed, leaning slightly away from Luc, who was oblivious to her discomfiture.

She was here to enjoy Europe and write a story.

That was all.

Right?

Luc turned to smile at her, looking so dashingly handsome Haley was momentarily bereft of words.

The way his broad shoulders tapered to his waist, the way his flat stomach smoothed into his narrow hips, the way his long legs angled out from his body, all of these things were doing something to Haley's brain.

What the hell was in the wine at this airport?

Haley set her glass down on the glass table, making a tiny clinking sound as she did so.

"So, Haley?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you hope to gain from our time together?" Luc looked at her earnestly. "I've already told you how I feel, about being jaded and spoiled, about how I want a fresh perspective on things, but what about you?"

Haley considered.

"I guess I just want to see a little more of the world, see how different people live and experience things," was what she finally came up with.

"Well, Italia is certainly a different culture," Luc responded, putting his hands in his lap. "Much more, um, hedonistic? Is this what I mean?"

"Pleasure for pleasure's sake?" Haley queried.

"Exactly. Exactly," Luc said, nodding for emphasis. "They're much more involved with the moment, with feeling happy whenever they can."

"And Greece?" Haley asked, curious.

"Greece is sort of the same, though I don't have as much experience there," Luc responded, taking another sip of his wine. "There are childlike aspects to the Greek personality.

"You understand I'm only speaking from my own point of view," he added hastily. "None of this has been learned from books or classes or anything."

"I get you," Haley answered, nodding. She picked up her wine glass and took another sip, enjoying the crispness, the fruitiness of it. "I feel like the people where I'm from can be pretty childish sometimes."

"Ah, but I said 'childlike,' not 'childish,'" Luc corrected gently, signaling for another round. "There is a different connotation, no?"

"Yes." Haley nodded. "You're right."

"Chin chin," Luc remonstrated gently, gesturing at Haley's wine glass.

Haley drained what was left in her glass, just in time for it to be replaced with another full glass.

Fine wine was going to be the death of her if she weren't careful.

Luc watched Haley drink, watched her graceful throat working as she swallowed the chardonnay, and was moved by the sight. She was as graceful as a swan. He saw that some stray hairs had escaped the thick pony tail she had tied high on her head, and wanted immediately to offer to redo the whole thing.

He could imagine what it would be like to remove the tie, to feel her lustrous hair in his hands, to feel it coil around his wrist as he brushed it using heavy, even strokes. The smell of it would drift up to him as he brushed, something perfumed and floral.

"Luc?"

He mentally shook his head, clearing his thoughts from the crazy direction in which they'd strayed. He looked at Haley's eyes, which were looking back at him questioningly.

"I'm sorry, my mind wandered. What did you say?" he asked, trying to recall what her words had been.

"I asked how long the flight was from here to Rome," Haley repeated.

"Oh, about eight and a half hours," he responded, relieved that this question was so easy to answer.

"Wow, that's a long time," Haley said, looking a little concerned.

"Really? How so? To fly from here to Tokyo is over fourteen hours," he countered.

"It's just that this is my first time on a plane," Haley explained.

"What? But how did you get from Kentucky to New York?" Luc asked, astonished. "Did you not fly?"

Haley shook her head. "My brother drove me, or I took the train, and one awful time I even took the bus." She blinked, eyes wide. "So I'm a little concerned about being on a plane, that's all."

Luc flicked at her pony tail from where his arm rested along the back of the couch.

"Don't worry, Haley with the hazel eyes," he teased gently. "Statistically speaking, you're safer on a plane than in a car."

Haley took a deep breath, making Luc aware of her body, of how her breasts filled the front of her shirt.

Beautiful.

"Okay, I'll take your word for it," she said with a shaky smile, draining her wine glass.

"Mr. deLaurentis?" A very beautiful woman in a uniform spoke as she approached them. "It's time to board, sir."

"Wonderful, thank you," Luc responded, draining his own glass and rising.

He held a hand out to Haley. "Shall we?" he asked with a grin.

Haley nodded gamely and took his hand.

Europe, here she came.