Surfaces
Disclaimer: Don't own anything, although I wish I owned Chad.
Rating: T.
Spoiler: Five years post-5.12 "Hundred".
Summary: It was funny how in her most drunken moment, Brooke chose to think that Lucas's feelings for her had "resurfaced", rather than developed again.
A/N: Wow 9 reviews for the first chapter. That's probably the most I've ever gotten for anything I've written. You guys only motivate me more. By the way, if you guys are a bit confused as to what's going on. Don't sweat it. It'll pick up and start to make sense in a couple chapters, but for now, enjoy all the much-needed Brucas action! Thank you!!
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Chapter 2: Pretty Girl
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By the time they delivered the boxes back to the warehouse and were strolling down the Embarcadero looking for a place to eat, Lucas had loosened up considerably. He admitted to being extremely surprised that he ran into her, because last he heard from Haley, Brooke was in Europe expanding her couture line and that she worked out of New York City.
Meanwhile Brooke admitted that she was just as surprised to see him, because the last she'd heard from Karen, Lucas was living in Los Angeles attempting to finish his second novel. Lucas was blind sighted the second time that day when he found out Brooke kept in touch with his mother.
"Does it scare ya?" She asked, giving him a half-smile and a wink as they walked down the busy street.
Lucas chuckled good-naturedly and shook his head, "No, I shouldn't even be surprised. She always, always had a soft spot for you." He admitted.
"Oh yeah." Brooke nodded, laughing somewhat dryly, "she did let me turn Karen's Café into a clothing store."
"Yeah, and you know what, according to her it's still the new hot spot in Tree Hill. Have you been back there?" Lucas asked tentatively, feeling quite guilty himself after missing the last few semi annual visits.
"No. Not since we both left." Brooke said quietly, clearing her voice in the uncomfortable silence.
"So you haven't seen anyone since that year?" Lucas asked.
"No, I spent last Christmas with Haley, Nathan, and James in New York, and Mouth lives in New York with Millicent. I also keep in touch with Rachel when she's not off gallivanting in Europe." Brooke babbled but a detail caught Lucas off guard.
"So you've basically seen everyone except me." He stated.
Brooke stopped mid stride, "And Peyton…" Her voice trailed off and she guiltily found a new interest in her well-worn, old pair of Dior pumps.
Lucas stopped and touched her shoulder, prompting Brooke to look up at him. The sun was blinding however, and she had to squint, which made this confrontation even more uncomfortable. She didn't know why she never looked Lucas up. I mean it would have been so simple. At the time she left, he was already a best-selling author and with today's technologies and her obvious connections at hand, finding a phone number would have been as easy as ordering a pizza.
"It's all in the past. Don't worry about it." Lucas said, but he spoke a little too quickly for Brooke's taste and in that moment she knew that it wasn't okay that she never kept in touch with him.
"Wish it was that simple." Brooke thought to herself but instead of furthering the awkwardness of the situation, she decided to let it go, at least for now.
"Let's go get something to eat at the Ferry Building." She pointed to a San Francisco landmark many townies visited daily for lunch, "I know an awesome oyster bar you'll love."
She looped her arm around his and pulled him in the direction of the monument, making Lucas first frown then laugh at her effortless ability to make him forget all his problems in a second.
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Lucas seemed to have mellowed out considerably by the time they were eating. Over oysters and freshly baked bread, he filled Brooke in roughly on the last five years of his life. Including the year he spent traveling, living out of his suitcase, trying to finish his second novel, which seemed to elude him.
"So what made you come back home?" Brooke asked, genuinely interested and a bit aroused by this nomad lifestyle Lucas described. She could never afford to disappear like that for more than a day. Her publicist would track her down even if she decided to take a shuttle to outer space.
"You mean besides the fact that I almost drained my account?" Lucas chuckled between bites of warm bread.
"Oh? So Broody here likes the five star hotels." Brooke teased, taking another sip of mineral water.
Lucas didn't respond right away, but instead chose to people watch for a moment, as if wondering how to answer her question.
"Writers are the strangest people." Brooke penetrated his reprieve. "Why?" Lucas cocked an eyebrow at her, wondering what brought on such a drastic change of subject.
"You always people watch. Similar to artists I guess. Peyton always used to fall into this silence when we would be in a crowded space, as if she was observing something." Brooke said, and watched Lucas stop chewing and begin to frown.
"You're never going to tell me why you rejected Peyton after Lindsay walked out on you?"
Of all things Brooke Davis was, subtle was not one of them.
"Honestly Brooke." Lucas began, but didn't know quite how to explain, "I really just don't want to talk about it." He murmured.
"Fair enough." Brooke said and stretched slightly, "Are you at least over her?"
She didn't know why she asked him this question. It seemed absurd and a little imposing, but she always trusted her instinct and decided that Lucas would be a lot less offended if it came from her, considering that at one point they had been close, extremely close.
Lucas was indeed taken aback by her comment, but also appreciated her blatancy and smiled at her, realizing he could never stay too mad at the brunette in high school and nothing had changed since then.
"I definitely think I am. Too much time has passed and I could have tried harder to get in touch with her but I didn't. I did try to contact her when I was living in LA, but she never returned my calls or emails, so I figured she wanted nothing to do with me, and I stopped trying."
"Oh." Brooke leaned back; genuinely surprised that Peyton actually had exercised some sort of willpower when it came to Lucas, "Did you want to get back together?" Brooke added, asking a question that could potentially ruin her mood for the rest of the day, if not the week.
"No, God no. I thought we could be friends. I guess she and I differed on that possibility." Lucas smirked,
" And since then she's kind of become a distant memory. I've been dating around, but nothing serious yet. As you can tell I don't exactly have a permanent residence just yet."
He took a sip of his soda and leaned back in his bar stool as well.
Brooke looked beyond Lucas to the wall-to-wall windows of the oyster bar that displayed a gorgeous view of the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island. Somehow knowing that she would be working here for at least three months was extremely calming and made her smile.
"So Brooke Davis, what about you?" Lucas asked, "What about me?" She countered, contemplating finishing the oyster platter they ordered.
"What do you mean? I've seen some tabloids; you have quite the social life. I'm surprised that there aren't a million paparazzi following our every move right now."
"That's because they think I'm in Cabo right now." Brooke laughed at Lucas's confused expression, "They got an anonymous tip." She winked, thanking god for her wonderfully shrewd publicist.
"I see. Anyway, you didn't answer my question." "Which would be what?"
"Are you flying solo lately or not?" Lucas asked, smiling. Brooke looked at him with pursed lips, wondering how to answer.
"Right now, the only ones I'm sleeping with are my designs. After expanding my couture line, I've had to be in Europe at least two months out of the year. I actually just got back."
Brooke knew she was babbling but couldn't stop herself. It had been a really long time since she had a meaningful face-to-face conversation with someone who knew her like Luke did, or at least used to know her. In a way seeing Lucas again, made her realize just how lonely she had been the last couple of years.
Meanwhile, Lucas set back and enjoyed watching his old friend work her way around his question and lose a little bit of sense on the way. It was so typical of Brooke, at any age, to talk quickly, ask questions bluntly, and apologize for nothing.
That's when Lucas realized how much he missed her. He hadn't allowed himself to think about it until now, when she was babbling and waving her hands around in such an unsophisticated manner, which betrayed her professional attire and also possibly her age.
Brooke noticed Lucas looking at her peculiarly. "What?" She asked.
"Nothing." Lucas smiled, "Just forgot how much I miss hanging out with you."
Brooke couldn't help but blush at that comment, it seemed that Lucas had that kind of effect on her. Even when she was 27 years old, owner of a hugely successful fashion line, and a savvy businesswoman, her high school sweetheart, if you could call him that could still make her revert back to a giggly, blushing teenager.
"I missed you too Luke." Brooke replied honestly, realizing just how truthful that admission was.
At that moment her cell phone chose to ring and Brooke glanced at her watch.
"Shit. I am so, so late." She exclaimed, completely ignoring her cell.
" Where do you need to go?" Lucas asked, taking a final sip of water before sliding off his barstool.
"This specialty fabric store on Union St. I had an appointment, which I completely forgot about and that's probably Millicent calling to yell at me for missing it." Brooke grabbed her coat and began pulling it over her shoulders.
"She's still your assistant?" Lucas asked as they made their way out of the bay side restaurant.
"No, no." Brooke said, struggling to fit her hand through the sleeve of her hot pink coat,
"She's the CEO of Clothes over Bros now." Lucas raised his eyebrows; obviously surprised that Millicent held such a high-ranking position in the company but still called Brooke with reminders.
"Yeah, yeah." Brooke nodded, " Reminding me to make my appointments is not part of her job description or six figure paycheck, but sometimes she's the only one that can keep me on track." She said, happily fastening the last button on her coat.
"So do you need a lift?" Lucas asked, fiddling with his car keys.
"Actually, that would be really great. Cabs here are almost as hard to come by as in the Upper West Side during a freak rain storm." Brooke said.
"I can tell you're speaking from experience." Lucas commented wryly.
"Oh yea." The brunette laughed and looped her arm around her blond friend, "C'mon Broody, maybe if I'm lucky you'll give me a tour of the city, I've only been here a week." She batted her eyelashes and gave him her signature dimpled smile.
" Don't push your luck Pretty Girl." Lucas warned, but his resolve had already melted ten times over. Brooke smiled, relishing in hearing her old nickname again...
