Luke fidgeted the entire length of the cab ride.  Partly because he was nervous about where he was going, and partly because he was watching the taxi meter click upwards.  If he'd known how far it was from the airport to the middle of nowhere he might have tried to negotiate with the driver first.<br/><br/>When they finally pulled up at the house, he had a little trouble getting himself out of the taxi.  THAT was completely due to nerves.  His brother-in-law, Ryan, had originally been invited.  Unable to go himself, he'd made a few calls and convinced Luke to go instead.  The people there knew he was coming, but he didn't know any of them.  "That's the idea," Ryan had told him, "new people, new situations, guys, gals, all the stuff that makes you uncomfortable - it's perfect.  You spend a few weeks and come back without the shaft up your ass."<br/><br/>Luke frowned... He didn't have "a shaft up his ass".  He just wasn't all that good dealing with people he didn't know well.  But maybe Ryan was right - best way to deal with what bothers you is to face it head-on.<br/><br/>So he opened the cab door, paid the drive his insane fee, took his luggage from the trunk, and waked up to the patio.  He paused there for a moment or two to steady himself, then stepped up and knocked on the door...