'You want me to pose as your girlfriend?' She repeats the question that has left her eyes wide and disbelieving.

Two hours ago she'd been curled up in her pyjama's studying with a tub of ice cream to help her through but a persistant phone caller had forced her from her revising and now she was sat here, none the wiser to his true intentions because surely he didn't mean what he'd just said.

'Well...sort of...there's a bit more to it than that' Lucas Scott casually answers. Lucas Scott. She knew he was twisted, had to be if he was related to Dan Scott but this was something else entirely.

'Why?' She can't stop the high pitch that her one worded question comes out as. She'd only come here with the expectation that it involved her best friend in someway and worry had fuelled her speedy journey, her mind playing no thought to the posh destination where they were now sat, instead solely focused on what terrible misfortune had been bestowed upon Lily Scott. But his sister was yet to be mentioned.

'It's for a number of reasons really. Work. My father. I need a pretty girl on the end of my arm to smile at functions and sweet talk clients. I need a girl to get my father to stop nagging me to settle down' Unlike her he's completely calm and completely unfazed by the mixture of outrage and utter disbelief that lingers in her eyes.

'You barely even know me!'

'Well I'll get to know you'

'I...I'm not comfortable with this...I'm Lily's best friend-'

'I'm well aware. Look I understand that this is an odd request but I think you'll find what I'm offering quite appealing. I'm not just asking you to do this as a favour. It's a business deal'

'A business deal?'

'Right. You help me out, I'll help you out?'

'Help me out?'

'You're working three jobs at the minute aren't you? Struggling to pay rent, struggling to feed yourself, struggling to fund college fees, struggling to help your father. I can take that all away'

She closes her eyes. She finds it humiliating that he knows about her finacial woes. How does he know about her financial circumstances? Because she sure as hell knows it's not Lily, her sweet friend only speaks to him when forced to do so and the last topic of conversation would be her.

'I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable-'

'My life and my financial issues aren't your concern and I don't appreciate you snooping about in my business-'

'Peyton, come on. I didn't need to snoop around to find any of that out. There's having pride and there's knowing when to accept help'

'You're the last person that I want help from' She snorts. 'This is...' She shakes her head, she's too stumped to even find a word that describes how fucked up this is. 'I've barely spoken to you! Our only common ground is Lily. I only know you through Lily which basically means I know you as her dickhead brother'

He ignores her little rant, continuing with his own realm of thought.

'At the rate you're going you won't be done with college for the next few years...with my help you can concentrate on your studies. You can be done with it in a year'

She's quiet for a long few minutes. The thought of being able to focus her attention solely on her education is appealing. She so very much wants to be finished with her studies so she can concentrate on other more important things. If it wouldn't upset her father so much she'd have been done caring with her education a while back.

'What exactly would I have to do?' Her voice is suddenly quiet, just a little louder than a whisper.

'Attend functions with me. Hold my hand, look pretty- not that you need any help with that one'

She ignores his flattery. 'Right. That's it?'

'Well no...I'd require you not to have any other relationships. And in return I'd promise to be faithful to you'

'No other relationships? Faithful to me? I might not have much of a life Lucas but I'm not willing to give up my love life just because-' She stops because he's smirking.

'I'm sorry. I think you misunderstand...I'm not asking you to give up sex if that's what you're getting at and I have no intention of giving up sex either' He looks at her meaningfully.

'Excuse me?' She blinks. She thinks she's clearly misconstrued what he's insinuating, must have. But the look he's giving her doesn't bode well with her. 'You mean...?'

'Let me explain'

She's heard enough. She doesn't need him to explain. She's done.

Her chair scrapes noisily against the floor and he's glad that he paid to close off this section of the restaurant to keep them away from prying eyes because he'd have been ten times more humiliated if a bunch of strangers witnessed the glass of water being thrown all over him.

'I can't believe I ever entertained the idea of meeting you' She's striding away and he's mopping at his shirt with a napkin. 'I'm so fucking stupid'

The two men waiting paitently near the exiting door seek his direction. 'Sir should-'

'Stop her from leaving' He growls.

The doors to the front room of the restaurant and her freedom are suddenly closed and two men block her path.

'Move' She barks. They don't. Their faces stay impassive and when she threatens to scream they just look down at her with an amused glint in their eyes. 'Argh' she spins back to face him. 'So you're just going to hold me hostage?'

'Yes' He snaps. 'Until you hear me out'

'I've heard enough. Get your goons to move out of my way'

He almost laughs because she makes him sound like some villan.

'All I ask is that you listen to what I have to say and if you're still not interested then fine'

'I'm not interested' She crosses her arms in front of her chest.

He's still by the table and finishes mopping at his shirt.

'Will you just come sit back down' He gestures to the empty seat.

'Do I even have a choice?'

'Well those goons aren't moving until you hear me out'

'God. I hate you. How do you get off being so fucking arrogant' She grumbles, stomping back to her abandoned seat.

'Sweetheart I really think you're overreacting. I just asked you to marry me and vowed that I'll be faithful to you. Shouldn't you be flattered?'

Her eyes bug out because she never heard him mention anything of marriage and now she's no longer just angry she's light headed.

She's being punk'd surely. A load of people are going to leap out in a minute and be laughing in her face. Lily's probably behind this.

She waits. Eyes lap around the room. Nothing happens.

'Peyton?' He urges a response from her.

'Marriage? You said nothing about fucking marriage Lucas'

'I thought it was pretty obvious where I was headed'

She shakes her head and wonders what planet he's from because this isn't normal. He isn't normal. 'Obvious? Proposals usually occur after someone has been in a relationship for a substantial amount of time. With someone you fucking love. You essentially just asked me to give up my life to be your whore' She argues. 'So no, I'm not fucking flattered. I'm insulted. You think I'd just get married? Because you're offering me a life of luxury because you're offering me financial stability? Believe it or not I actually want to get married to someone for love, nothing else. I guess it's stupid to think someone like you could possibly understand that'

'You're right. I don't. There's no such thing. And you're wrong. Everything I'm offering you, it doesn't just affect you. And you'd be a fucking selfish daughter if you didn't take your father into consideration'

She stiffens completely.

'He works solely for you. You're his one and only joy. But lets face it, with his own out goings he could work day and night and you'd still barely be making ends meet. He has his own bills to pay-'

'I never ask my father for anything'

'No, you don't have to. You're his darling daughter, he'll always put you before himself. And he'd never accept your help if you were to offer him money. You know I can pay for the health insurance. I can make sure he gets that operation Peyton and I can make sure he hasn't a clue where the generous donation has come from'

'How...how do you?...'

'I have my ways'

'That's private information-'

'Nothing is private sweetheart. I'm pretty sure I know you better than you know yourself'

'You know nothing about me'

'I know you'd do anything for your Dad'

'You've...you've really thought this through haven't you?' She's utterly horrified. Utterly mortified.

'Every last detail' He nods.

'You're blackmailing me' She declares.

'No' He shakes his head vigorously. 'I would never do that. I'm asking you to do me a big favour and I'm offering you a pretty huge one in return. It's not blackmail, it's an offer that you're very much entitled to decline'

She looks at him sceptically because it doesn't feel that way. It's starting to feel as though she doesn't have a choice at all. Because she's not selfish. She wants to give her father the world. Wants to make sure he's okay. He's her family. The only family she's got.

'Why...why marriage? Why can't it just be...a relationship?' She's trying to keep a rational head on, trying to understand, trying to look at what he's asking of her from all different points of view.

'Because I need a contract. I need to know you're not going to bail at any given moment. I need insurance. I'm not saying this is forever but I'd like us to agree on a certain amount of time that you'd be willing to do this'

'This is fucking crazy. You're fucking crazy' The rationality that she'd just been trying to summon is quickly forgotten. She's done trying to be rational because none of this is rational.

'Maybe. Or maybe this is convenient. For the both of us. Look just...think about it hm? Take the week and you can give me a call on Monday' He slides his card across the table.

'That's it? I'm dismissed? Free to go?' She scowls.

'Yes. That's it. I'm sure you have a lot to think over. I don't want to bombard you with anymore details right now'

'How kind of you' She rises from her seat.

'We can discuss this further if you decide this is something you want to do. I really do appreciate you meeting me and hearing me out'

'Yeah cause you gave me so much choice in the matter' She drones and then she's marching away, looking over her shoulder expectantly when his two goons don't part immediately to let her by.

'She can go now' Lucas' words have them side stepping out of her way and she scowls menacingly at them as she escapes back to reality.