8:30AM

Haley paid the cab driver and tried to quietly let herself into the apartment. Her behavior was in vain because she found Brooke sitting on the couch, waiting for her.

"Hi," Haley said weakly.
Brooke just looked at her in surprise. "You scared the living hell out of me."
Haley looked at her in surprise and then rolled her eyes. "Geez, sorry Mom."

"Don't be sarcastic," Brooke said. "We're new to this city and you disappear for the entire night with a complete stranger. I freaked out-"

"--hey wait a minute," Haley stopped her. "Weren't you the one on my case about getting out and having fun?"

"Yes," was all Brooke could reply. Brooke always had a flair for the dramatic -

"We're both adults, Brooke. I don't need a babysitter."

"Yeah, you were pretty out of it last night though," Brooke said.

Haley sat down on the couch beside Brooke, putting her head in her hands. "Yes, I'm just a giant walking hangover at the moment."

"Well, now that I know you weren't lying in a ditch somewhere...details! I need details!" Brooke cried.

"Nathan's very sweet and we had a great night together," Haley said, her head still in her hands, not meeting Brooke's widened eyes.

"Do you mean to tell me that you slept with him?" she asked.

Haley slowly looked up at Brooke with a look of guilt - she didn't need to answer the question. Her eyes said everything.

Brooke playfully slapped her arm, "you little hussy!" Brooke was only joking but it didn't serve to make Haley feel any better.

Haley had never had a one-night stand before. In fact, she'd always prided herself on not being that type of girl...apparently until now.

"I know...and I'm not proud of it," Haley said.

"Well I sure as hell would be!" Brooke laughed.

Haley looked at her.

"What?! I would be..." Brooke said excitedly.

Haley just shook her head. In the light of day, her transgressions didn't seem all that fun, exciting or appealing. "I feel like a sell-out," Haley said. "There I was, as predictable as every other girl around there wanting his attention...."

"Yeah, but you had his attention. Trust me, no one else did," Brooke said.

"Yeah, well that was last night - he probably has blinders on in pursuit of a conquest," Haley said dryly.

"Geez, you're cynical," Brooke replied.
"I'm just speaking the truth."

"So, what happened this morning?" Brooke asked in an interested tone.

"Nothing, I left before he woke up." Brooke's eyes got even wider.

"So, you, a college graduate ingenue, actually bailed on a some hot player guy?"

Haley cringed at the description.

"Unbelievable," Brooke said in amazement.

~~~~~~~~~

Nathan grumbled under his breath, stumbling into the kitchen to get a glass of water to take his aspirin.

"Geez, somebody fell off the wrong side of someone's bed...god knows who's bed though?" Lucas needled him in a teasing tone.

Nathan was not amused, "shut up, Lucas. I'm not in the mood for your bullshit remarks."

Nathan sat down in a chair across the table from Lucas.

"Want some coffee?" Lucas asked. Nathan shook his head that he did. "So, did you sleep here last night?"

"Yeah," was all Nathan replied.

"I thought I heard someone leave early this morning," Lucas pressed further with the conversation.

Nathan looked at a magazine setting on the table, not really wanting to discuss the matter. "Yeah."

Lucas rolled his eyes, "That's really all we need Nathan...I'd rather you not bring girls back here that will stalk the place since we both live here now. You remember how ridiculous things got when you hooked up with Trudy Gill? That was a nightmare."

"She won't be stalking, alright?" Nathan snapped. "In fact, she left before I woke up."

Lucas looked surprised. "Wow...stole your moves."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Oh well...last night was last night. It's over. I'll probably never see her again anyway."

~~~~~~~~~~
Monday morning

"Alright, we have two meetings back to back this morning," Lucas said as he got out of the car with Nathan following close behind.

"Alright, sounds good. I've read the proposal for the Atlantic image campaign. I think it sounds promising," Nathan commented.

"Yeah, I liked it too," Lucas said as he opened the door to the office.
Nathan followed him through the door and the sight he saw nearly put him into shock.

There, sitting before him at the desk was Haley.