Love and Hamburgers [Rick and Liz Saga, Season 1]

{S01E19] "The Silver Spike"

Rick and Liz drunkenly made their way through the lobby of The Silver Spike and were trying to get a room, but it was apparently rush hour.

It must have been seven in the morning as they stumbled to the counter. Little old ladies were already rapidly feeding nickels into rows of slot machines, while they're husbands sat in the cafeteria drinking coffee, and eating eggs and toast off of Styrofoam plates and discussing the latest high-jinx of the democrat and republican presidential candidates.

"It will be just a second. You caught us in the middle of a shift change," said the one of the women in a maroon vest behind the counter.

"No rush," said Rick, who hugged tightly around Liz's waist. Liz's blond hair splashed against Ricks face. He brushed it aside and kissed lovingly on her neck.

Silver Spike employees danced around each other in an exchange of paperwork, plastic cards, and metal keys. It was only when it seemed as if Rick and Liz were about to start making love right then and there in the lobby, the older lady behind the desk let out a loud cough.

"Can I help you?" she said.

"Yeah," said Liz as she spilled her purse on the desk and pulled out all the cash she had left. "We need a room with a bed big enough for two."

"Well dear, I could do that for you, but you should know check out is at eleven. You'd be much better off having breakfast and playing the machines for a bit and we should be able to get you a room you can keep for tomorrow night as well."

"I'd very much like one now," replied Liz.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do," she said as she picked up the phone. "Hi, Betty. This is Maria. Can you check if room 217 is clean? Thanks." Maria handed each of them a voucher for a coffee while they waited for the room be ready. They sat at a cafeteria table trying to drink generic brand coffee that was far too hot to drink.

"So I guess were doing this," said Rick.

"It's about time," said Liz. They just sat there looking at each other for a moment. "There is something stuck on my chair," said Liz. She reached down and picked up a nickel that was wedged under her chair. She held the coin up in Rick's face. "Shall we?" she asked.

"It's your nickel," Rick answered. Liz went over to the first empty nickel slot and dropped the coin in. She gave a pull on the lever and the plastic spools spun around. They clicked into place and then the machine sat there silently. Liz hung her shoulders.

"Huh, I thought that was going to be a lucky nickel," said Liz.

"There's no such thing as lucky nickels," said rick.

"Don't say that!"

"Why not?" asked Rick.

"Because," said Liz, "I want to believe in lucky nickels whether they are real or not!"

Liz was about to punch Rick in the chest when Maria let them know that their room is ready. She reminded them that check out was in three hours.

They only had to go up one floor, but the elevator ride seemed to be an eternity of kisses. The old service elevator let out a "bing" and the double doors opened up. An older couple was on the other side with a shocked look on their face, as if they hadn't done they exact same thing in the exact same elevator in 1963. Rick and Liz had a good laugh about that as they rolled down the hall.

Getting into the room, they didn't hesitate to fall directly on to the bed. Rick put his arms around Liz's waist and lifted her up on top of him. He slid the mesh shirt and bra off over her head and her black cut off jean down her legs, leaving her wearing nothing but her cotton panties and disheveled hair. He picked her up and spun around on the bed so that she was straddled on top of him.

The neon lights of the old strip shown through the half open vertical blinds. Rick looked at Liz's face, half in light and half in darkness.

"What are you looking at?" asked Liz.

"Something beautiful," said Rick.

Liz pulled Rick's shirt off and kissed him deeply. The soft hair of his chest brushed up against her breasts. He held her tight, like he did in the car during the tornado. She gave herself over to him completely.