Chapter 4:

Brooke took the elevator back down to the 19th floor and when she exited she was met with a crowd of secretaries pelting her with rice and streamers, "Oh my goodness who is going to clean all of this up?" Brooke giggled.

"So let's see the ring," One of the secretaries squealed.

"It is being resized," Brooke answered quickly, making a mental note that if she was going to sell this story there needed to be a diamond of some kind.

Piper Collins spoke next, Brooke recognized her immediately as Lucas's new assistant, "What does he do for a living? When's the wedding?"

"He's a musician and we just got engaged, I think we're going to enjoy our blissful moment a little while longer before we start planning anything else," Brooke smiled, "Now if you all will excuse me, I need to get back to work."

Bevin followed Brooke into her office and shut the door behind her, "Congratulations Brooke, I didn't even know you were seeing someone. Does he live here in California?"

Brooke sat down at her desk and put her head in her hands, "Oh Bevin, what did you do?"

Bevin sat down and fiddled with her hair, "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Who did you tell, you were the one with the pictures." Brooke whined, "Who did you tell that I was engaged?"

Bevin's cheeks reddened, "Mr. Roe was down here earlier looking for you. The pictures were still on my desk, I assumed it wasn't a secret. I mean look at you, you're practically glowing, Skills calls that the love shine."

"Bev I caught the bouquet, Julian was the man that caught the garter. We aren't engaged, we only just met on Saturday." Brooke squeezed the bridge of her nose.

"But," Bevin bit her lip, "You are clearly wearing an engagement ring in some of those pictures. I know how much you value your privacy, it didn't seem impossible that you could become engaged without anyone meeting him first, even me."

Brooke opened her purse and gave Bevin her engagement ring "Quinn purchased props for the photo booth set up, my ring was one of them. She wanted us to ham it up, so we did. This is a disaster."

"I will draft an interoffice email, we can fix this right now." Bevin handed Brooke the ring and headed to the door, "I am also going to type up my letter of resignation."

"Bevin sit down," Brooke said in a stern voice, "There is no need for that. I was just having a mini Brooke breakdown. Lucas presented my proposals to the Clooney's and they loved my ideas. Now that I am spoken for I am no longer an issue, I have just been invited to join their PR team. Can you believe it?"

"Wow," Bevin said with a disconcerting tone, "so what does that mean?"

"It means that I am going to remain engaged for the time being. I earned that account, we landed that account with my ideas, I still can't believe it." Brooke said while shaking her head.

Bevin raised her eyebrows, "So my mix up was a good thing?"

"It appears so." Brooke opened her mouth to speak again when someone knocked on the door, "Can you get that please? Thanks Bevin."

Bevin stood up and smoothed out her dress, she opened the door, "Mr. Roe - is Miss Davis expecting you?"

Lucas stuck his hand inside the office and waved, "No she isn't expecting me, does she have a moment to see me."

Brooke laughed, "Bevin it's alright." Lucas came inside as Bevin went out and shut the door behind him, "Hey none of that, I don't need the chitchat."

"I'll be quick I promise." Lucas winked. "So you're engaged, that still seems unreal."

'Here we go,' Brooke told herself, "Yes, I'm engaged. I still can't believe it myself."

Lucas settled into the chair across from Brooke and laughed, "I just don't understand why you wanted to have lunch with me if you had a beau?"

"We're friends Luke, Julian understands that in my field I interact with a lot of members of the opposite sex. Besides, it was only lunch." Brooke adjusted herself in her dress and smiled, "So what can I do for you?"

"I need an escort," Lucas said with a smirk. "I have a Hollywood premiere thing tonight and I like to bring a plus-one to act as a buffer and my date cancelled."

"Oh I see," Brooke put her elbows up on her desk, "So what are you asking Luke?"

"Would your fiance mind if I made you mine for a few hours?" Lucas grinned and ran his hands through his hair.

Bevin opened the front door to the duplex she shared with her husband Skills and their three boys; Declan, Jayden and Shaun. "I'm home." She could smell something cooking from the kitchen so she hung up her coat and placed her purse on the hall tree and wondered through the house, "Hello."

"Surprise mama," Declan smiled.

Bevin tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear and picked up her three year old, "What am I being surprised for?"

"Being a great mama," Declan said with a giggle. We luv you."

Bevin touched his sweet face and stared into his honey colored eyes that reminded her so much of her father's, "I love you guys too. Where is everyone else?"

"Outside, daddy is smoking," Declan said as he wiggled out from Bevin's grasp and ran to the small yard.

Bevin stopped in the kitchen and pulled a cake out of the oven that was only a few minutes from being overcooked. She placed the cake on a trivet on the bar height countertop and turned her attention to the stove, "damn he made mushroom green beans with bacon." Bevin turned off the stove and headed to the back yard and found Skills giving a smoking lesson to their seven year old twins - Jayden and Shaun.

"Now you see boys the ribs are going to get some of that luscious wood smoked flavor because of the mesquite chips we added earlier," Skills opened the smoker and Bevin's nose was once again accosted by that delicious smell, "Who moped the ribs last time?"

"I did dad," Jayden said, "It's Shaun's turn."

Skills turned Shaun's baseball cap backwards and brought around the step stool for him to stand on, "You're up Shaun dog," Declan ran to Skills and encircled one of his legs with his short arms, "Come on little D, you wanna see what's up?" Skills picked up Declan and put the boy on his hip. He handed Shaun the barbecue sauce covered basting mop. Shaun started lathering the ribs with a fresh layer of Skills' famous rib sauce, Bevin still didn't know the recipe. "Perfect Shaun, mama is going to be so proud of you." Skills closed the smoker and took back the basting mop, "I'll tell you a secret, mommy's favorite food ever is daddy's famous ribs. I made them for her on our first official date and I've been making them ever since. Let's go in the house, I don't want our cake to burn." Skills turned to the house and jumped, "You were supposed to tell me when mama got home," he tickled Declan until he squealed.

"I took out your cake Antwon, what is all this?" Bevin asked from the doorway.

Skills pulled Bevin into his arms and kissed her, they pulled apart when the boys started making throw up noises, "Enough guys, your mother is one sexy woman, I can't help myself. I just thought I would surprise you is all, I know you've been working hard lately and I decided you needed a treat."

"We both work hard," Bevin replied with a smile. They had relocated their family to California for Antwon's facilities maintenance job at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. Brooke calling her and offering her a job ended up being a Godsend that afforded them the ability to send all three boys to private school. "Are you sure there isn't anything else? You aren't leaving me for a hot young doctor are you?"

Skills kinked his eyebrow at Bevin and laughed, "Don't trip boo, I could never trade you in. You know too many of my secrets and I am more than satisfied."

Bevin sat down at the table and pulled off her heels, "Good, because we are awfully far from my daddy and his .45. I wouldn't even know where to get a gun in this state."

"Funny," Skills walked into the kitchen and pulled out a salad mix, "How was the office today? Is Brooke back?"

Bevin chuckled as she remembered the comedy of errors that was her day, "Brooke is back, she said North Carolina was beautiful. I wanted to tell her to give me some information I didn't already know. Boys?" Bevin called down the hallway and her three sons appeared, "I need to see your backpacks - what homework do you have tonight?"

Shaun spoke up, "We did our homework already mama. Daddy helped us when we got home."

Jayden nodded in agreement, "Can we go play now, I just finished putting together my hot wheels track."

She dismissed the boys and turned her attention back to her husband, "Antwon you already helped the boys with their homework?"

"Yes ma'am," Skills looked at his watch, "I told you I wanted you to be able to relax when you got home today. I'm glad you're working, but you and I both know Davis can be a little particular. So how was work today?"

Bevin leaned her cheek against her hands and propped herself up against the dining room table, "I made a big mistake today, but it all worked out for the best."

"What kind of mistake baby?" Skills pressed.

"I told everyone Brooke got engaged over the weekend." Bevin sighed, "It was such a mess for a few hours, but it worked out for the best."

"How did you think she got engaged when she didn't?" Skills questioned.

'It's a long story, I don't want to go into it right now. Just know that your boo handled it and Brooke got put on a project because of it." Bevin got up and headed to the to refrigerator and pulled out an opened bottle of red wine, "How was your day?"

"Same old, same old," Skills shrugged, "When did we become the boring married couple?"

Bevin poured a glass of wine and handed Skills a beer, "I have no idea, but I wouldn't trade you or our life for anything in this world."

Skills wrapped his arm around Bevin's waist and pulled her to him and kissed her shoulder blade, "Me neither boo, me neither."

Brooke heard the doorbell, "shit. Coming." She answered the door in a thin robe. "I'm so sorry Luke, I need like five minutes."

Lucas shut the door behind him and grabbed her wrist, "Take all the time you need pretty girl, we've got all night." He looked down at her nearly naked breasts and grunted, "Get dressed before I change my mind about this whole thing."

Brooke rolled her eyes, "You're so funny, make yourself at home. I think I have beer in the refrigerator, I'll be right back."

Lucas looked around the bungalow and smiled, "How long have you lived here?"

"Two years," Brooke calls out from the bedroom, "I used to rent just up the street and when one came on the market I jumped." Brooke reemerged from the hall and the sight of her took Lucas's breath away.

"Wow, that is some dress," Lucas smirked and adjusted his collar.

Brooke had selected an Alexis gown that featured a v-neckline with sheer panels at the waist, with a pleated floor length skirt and all over lace embroidery in a shade of light blue. "Thank you," Brooke turned her back to him, "can you help me with the zipper please?"

'She's kidding right?' Lucas wondered to himself, "Alright." He gulped loudly as he ran his hands along Brooke's naked back and located the hidden zipper.

"Thank you," Brooke bite her bottom lip, 'why does he have to be so damn cute?' she asked herself. 'Pull it together, he thinks you're engaged,' Brooke let out a soft breath, "I just need to put on my heels, then we can get out of here." Brooke sat down on one of her dining chairs and hiked up her dress to buckle her t-strap platform sandals by YSL.

Lucas bent down in front of her, "Here, let me." He looked her in the eyes and ran his hands along her smooth legs and settled on the buckles of, "I will have you know, I am kicking myself right now."

"How come?" Brooke felt her skin tingle under his touch.

Lucas stood up and pulled Brooke to her feet and placed his hand on the exposed flesh of the small of her back, "Because every thought that's in my mind right now is untoward and you're spoken for."

"I'm sorry, is it something I did?" Brooke moved out of his grasp and picked up her clutch and put her rose gold bangles on her wrist.

"If I'm being honest, I want nothing more than to say fuck this party and go roll around in the sheets for a while - fiance be damned." Lucas snickered.

Brooke blushed at his candor, "Luke," she whispered.

"I'm sorry, I have told you many times pretty girl that I'm an asshole." Lucas twirled his keys in his hand, "Are you ready?" Brooke nodded her head, "Great, let's do this."

"Hales?" Nathan said from the bedroom.

"I am not your slave Scott," Haley shouted back, "If you need something you know where I am."

Nathan appeared in the kitchen, "Woman, why do you make me yell for you?"

Jamie and Lydia were sitting at the counter finishing their homework before bed, Jamie giggled when Haley snapped Nathan with a dish towel, "I'm all done mom."

"Lydi," Haley said to her daughter.

"I'm done too mom," Lydia replied as she braided her deep chestnut brown hair into a long side swept fishtail braid.

"Goodnight my precious girl," Haley said as she hugged Lydia and kissed her forehead.

Lydia smiled, "Goodnight mom." Lydia hugged Nathan before heading upstairs, "Goodnight daddy."

"Night princess, don't forget Aunt Quinn is taking you to school in the morning." Nathan gave Jamie a noogie as he headed towards the stairs, "Night Kiddo. You're taking your bike tomorrow, I'll be picking you up after school."

"Where's mom going?" Jamie asked.

"I'm going to be in the studio with Julian, he's got to prepare for his big audition." Haley pulled her son into a warm embrace, "Pretty soon you're going to be taller than me Jimmy Jam, then what am I going to do?"

"Invest in human growth hormone?" Jamie chortled.

"Ha ha," Haley tapped his back, "You think you're so funny. Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight."

After the kids retreated upstairs and silence crept around them Nathan spoke first, "So have you heard from Brooke?"

"She texted when she got home." Haley said as she filled a kettle with water and placed it on the stove. "Tea?"

"No thanks. I'll just make a cup of coffee." Nathan answered while he maneuvered around the kitchen, "Do you need a mug babe?"

"Please," Haley pulled a pine box containing tea bags from the spice cabinet, "I don't typically hear from Brooke for a week or so after she's been home. She has to get caught up and back into the swing of things, is something wrong?"

"No," Nathan grinned, "I just wanted to see if you've had a chance to talk about my boy."

"You can't help yourself can you?" Haley placed her hands on her hips, "They live on opposite coasts, you know how she is with distance."

"Come on Haley, you saw them on Saturday. They left together."

"Did you and Clay make a wager? Are you hedging your bets trying to pump me for information?" Haley questioned, Nathan's cheeks reddened, "Jesus Nathan she's my best friend she isn't a thoroughbred. Tell me the terms… now."

Nathan took out his phone, "Let's just call her and see how she's doing and if her and Julian exchanged numbers."

"Why can't you just ask Julian?" Haley huffed, "You promised that you were finished meddling after Chase and Mia broke up for the eleventh time."

"They're going to get back together." Nathan reasoned, "I have known Davis since we were eight years old, I just would like to see her settled down and happy. I'm not talking children or anything like that, but she needs someone that makes her laugh and can keep her on her toes. Can you honestly sit here and tell me her and Julian aren't perfect for each other?"

The kettle began to whistle, Haley turned off the burner and poured hot water into her cup, "How about we just call her and see how she's doing since she got home? Plus I need to confirm the days Jamie and Lydia are coming and going. Pus Jamie told Logan about getting to go to Disneyland this summer - now he wants to go too."

"So I can't ask her anything about Julian?" Nathan pouted.

"No," Haley smiled before leaning over the counter and giving Nathan a kiss. "I think your intentions are adorable, but I will not be a part of your shenanigans with Clay."

"Noted," Nathan pulled her to him and kissed her again, "I love you Haley James - do I tell you that enough?"

"No," Haley removed her phone from her back pocket, "Not nearly enough." She dialed Brooke's number and put the phone on speaker.

"Hey tutor mom," Brooke whispered. "Hi hot shot."

"How did you know I was on the line too?" Nathan wondered.

"You're always on the line," Brooke whispered again.

Haley laughed, "Why are you whispering?"

"I snuck off to the bathroom to take your call," Brooke spoke softly, "I'm at a party thing with Lucas."

"Lucas Roe, the lady killer from the office?" Haley asked, Nathan shook his head.

Brooke rolled her eyes, "He didn't have a date, he asked me this afternoon if I had plans and I didn't. I better get back, I'll call you tomorrow."

Before they could respond the line went dead, "Feel better now?" Haley scoffed.

"No, she's on a date." Nathan sulked, he got up from his chair when he heard someone lightly tapping on the front door. "I wonder who that is?" Nathan headed to the door and opened it, "Hey man, what brings you here?"

"I wanted to see if I could convince you and Haley to give me Brooke's address in California? I'll be in town for that big audition next week. I thought maybe if she had the time I could take her to dinner."

Nathan motioned for Julian to join him in the kitchen, "I don't see a problem with it, let's check with Haley."

"Hello Julian," Haley said, "Coffee? Tea?"

"No thank you, I just stopped by to ask for Brooke's California information." Julian put his hands in his jacket, "We had a nice time over the weekend, there's something there. I know she felt it too, so I just thought…" Julian trailed off. "I have to see her again."

"Thank you for walking me to my door Luke," Brooke said before rifling through her clutch for her house keys.

"Anytime pretty girl, thank you for tonight. You were absolutely the light of my night." Lucas brought Brooke's hand to his mouth and kissed it softly, "Thank you for coming with me, tell Julian thank you as well."

"That isn't necessary Luke," Brooke bit her lip and looked towards the door, "It was fun tonight, but if I don't get to bed son there is no way I am going to be up on time for work tomorrow and unlike some of us I actually have to do my job. I can't just get by on my good looks and striking smile."

Lucas leaned his arm against the door frame and pressed Brooke against her front door, "So does this mean I cannot come in?"

"You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here."

Lucas laughed, "It's been ages since I heard that song. Closing Time right?"

"Yes, Semisonic - the bar closing anthem of my youth." Brooke giggled and recovered her keys, "Thank you again Lucas."

"I really don't get to come in?" Lucas asked with sad eyes.

"No, I don't think so. What type of message would that send?" Brooke had enjoyed all of the flirting and she really wanted to invite him in but her mind kept drifting to the nice guy she met over the weekend. Brooke opened the door and turned back to Lucas, "Goodnight."

Lucas grabbed her hands and pulled her into him, "Your fiance is an idiot."

"That's presumptuous of you, what makes you say that?" Brooke rolled her eyes.

"If I had been smart enough to take you off the market I would never let you leave the house." Lucas grinned, inching closer. "You're beautiful Brooke and I made a mistake." Before she could protest Lucas pulled her into him and kissed her hard. He put one hand on the back of her head, the other on her collarbone and deepened the kiss. He walked Brooke inside and shut the door behind them, she knew she should stop him but she couldn't help it when she closed her eyes and just let herself get lost in his lips.

So... Thoughts? Comments? Concerns? Brooke has gotten herself into a real pickle - what's going to happen next? Stay tuned to find out...

Thanks for reading!

Krystal