Chapter 10

Peking Duck House - 22 Mott Street, New York City

The Chinatown restaurant was busy as usual for a Friday night. Hungry patrons filled all of the tables while hungrier customers waited in the long line at the front entrance. Fortunately, Michael had made reservations, which got them a table rather quickly, but they still had to wait to order as servers hustled around the large dining room. Waiting wasn't a problem for Peyton, however, she had other things on her mind. She stared quietly down at her steaming green tea while Michael studied her carefully.

"Are you having second thoughts about us?" Michael asked.

Peyton snapped out of her thoughts, "Huh?"

"About us living together? You've been acting strange all week, Peyton. I mean is this about moving your art supplies…"

"No. No, I'm not having second thoughts about living together, although my art room…we'll talk about that later," she put on a smile and reached for his hand. "It's just been a weird week."

"Care to talk about it?"

Communication was one of the key ingredients to any relationship, but Peyton found herself pausing and carefully choosing her words, "I saw an old friend that I thought I'd never see again last week and I was just surprised. That's all."

"An old friend or old boyfriend?"

Honesty was another important element that made a relationship work, but Peyton still had trouble answering his question. Were Lucas and Peyton ever officially a couple? Not really. They did have a short affair, but Lucas was never technically her boyfriend and that was what Michael was asking.

"Lucas? No. We um…we were friends, but then long story short, we lost touch. Look, I don't really want to talk about him. Tonight is just about us and…you've got to be kidding me."

He was puzzled by her widening eyes. Michael turned his head and looked behind him, where Peyton was looking.

"Peyton?" a tall blonde haired man said as he came up to their table, "I thought that was you."

All cheerfulness faded from her face, "Lucas? What are you doing here?"

Michael eyed Lucas carefully before looking over at Peyton. Feeling the strange tension that had arrived with Lucas, Michael leaned over towards Peyton, "Are you ok?"

"Um…Michael, this is Lucas. Lucas this is Michael, my boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you." Lucas offered his hand which Michael politely shook.

"Yes, you too. So you're the old friend that's gotten Peyton brooding all week."

"I was not brooding all week."

Lucas chuckled, "I'm sorry. I must have surprised her that's all."

"Ambushed was more like it." she muttered to no one's ears.

Michael, oblivious to the Lucas and Peyton history, continued the conversation with Lucas, "How long have the two of you known each other?"

"All our lives, but we didn't become friends till high school."

"Is that right? You know, why don't you join us Lucas? I'm sure you have some stories you'd like to share about my girl here."

Lucas cringed. His girl. In the years he had known Peyton, he knew that she hated being referred to as someone else's property.

Peyton cringed. Her past. In the years she had known Lucas, she knew that he loved telling embarrassing stories, especially ones she didn't want to remember.

"Actually, I'm here with a friend," Lucas motioned over to the front entrance where a pretty blonde woman was holding their spot in line for a table, "but I'd love to…"

Peyton rolled her eyes. Figures Lucas had a date. He was still attractive and despite what happened, Lucas was still a great guy with that boyish charm that every girl fell in love with.

"Well, we have lots of room here and we haven't even ordered yet. We can double date," Michael innocently gestured which caused Lucas to grin and Peyton's face to brew with annoyance. It was obvious that Peyton remembered the last time she went on a double date with Lucas.

Peyton quickly said, "Oh Michael, we shouldn't intrude on Lucas' date. Maybe some other time."

"Well, the dining room is packed," Lucas pointed out, "and it'll probably be a good while before we get a table. I think I might take you up on your offer, Michael. Let me go get Jill."

Lucas walked away and Peyton leaned across the table and smacked him on the arm.

"Are you insane? A double date?"

Michael was taken aback by her sudden mood change. "Sorry, I didn't know it'd bother you this much. I thought you and Lucas were old friends."

Peyton sighed. Had she been honest about her relationship and old feelings with Lucas, this scenario could have been avoided. "I'm sorry. I...I guess I just wanted you all to myself tonight."

He held her hand, "Well after dinner we can go to Serendipity's. Just the two of us, ok?"

She had no choice but to agree and nod her head. At lease she had some frozen hot chocolate to look forward to, that is if this night didn't end up as a disaster first.

Peyton turned beet red. The truth about her being a punk rocking cheerleader was out. The stories Lucas was telling were mortifying but they at least kept her mind off the diamond engagement ring that sat on Jill's left ring finger.

"But as much as she pretended to hate it, I think Peyton really did have fun with it. Her mother was a cheerleader."

"Is that right?" Michael asked.

Peyton smiled at the thought of her mother. "Yeah, she was."

The table fell quiet just as their server brought over their dishes. The smell of the Peking duck, stir fried vegetables, pan fried noodles and sizzling prawns was mouth watering. With chopsticks in hand, they were ready to feast when a cell phone went off. The four of them dug through their pockets or purses.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Jill said as she pulled out her ringing phone, "It's probably my fiancée. Brad said he'd call when he landed in San Diego. Go ahead and start without me." she said as she excused herself from the table.

"You're not her fiancée?" Peyton quizzed Lucas.

Lucas laughed, "You thought…No, no, no. Jill is engaged to my old roommate."

Another annoying intermittent beep suddenly went off. This time it was Michael's pager that interrupted their dinner and conversation.

"Shoot. I got to call the hospital. I'll be right back."

And just like that, there were just two left.

Lucas watched Peyton play with her napkin in her lap, avoiding his stare at all costs,

"Looks like it's just you and me, again."

She just raised her glaring eyes, "There is no you and me. And Michael will be right back."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. If you want me to go, I'll go."

Peyton was frustrated with him and the situation, but she didn't really want him to go. She didn't want to have to explain things to Michael. "No, just stay for dinner and then we'll go back to the way things were."

His nod and smile of hope told her that she had to further explain herself.

"And by 'the way things were', I mean that you and me go back to our separate lives."

"Peyton," Peyton looked up to see Michael coming back, looking apologetically. "I'm sorry. That was Clark. Remember those three rounds I owe him?"

"You're kidding.

"Afraid not. I have to cover his shift tonight. I'm sorry."

"We didn't even have dinner yet."

Forgetting that Lucas was there for the moment, Michael leaned in and whispered into Peyton's ear. She responded with an embarrassed smile. They looked at each other. Peyton nodded and Michael proceeded to give her a peck on the lips but Peyton let the kiss linger. They had forgotten they were in a public place for a moment and that Lucas was at the table. Or at least he was. Michael was the first to notice that Lucas's chair was now empty.

"You wouldn't mind taking Peyton… Lucas? Where'd he go?"

Michael shrugged. He didn't have time to wait, "Promise me you'll ask him to take you home?"

"Michael I'm a big girl."

He took out his wallet and handed Peyton money to pay for dinner, "I know, but this is also a big city. I can't help it if I worry. Just ask him, please?"

"Fine."

"I'll see you at home, Peyton. Tell Lucas and Jill bye for me." he said as he rushed off to the hospital.

Peyton nodded and hid her disappointment with a smile. Once again Peyton found herself all alone again.

"You're a great friend, Lucas." Jill said as she leaned over to give him a hug.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…you just hate eating alone." Lucas shyly brushed it off.

Jill turned and looked at Peyton who was sitting in the backseat of the car. "It was nice to meet you, Peyton and Michael as well. Tell Michael thanks for dinner."

Peyton smiled politely, "Yeah, I will. It was nice meeting you too."

They waited for Jill to safely enter her building before Lucas started the car back up. He looked in his review mirror.

"Wanna keep me company up here?"

"Nope."

"Come on. I'll let you control the radio."

The offer was tempting. Having music on in a car ride was her number one rule, no matter how short or long the ride was. The only catch was she had to sit upfront with him, something she didn't want to do because she knew in some way he would get her talk to him. And that wasn't going to happen.

Lucas shrugged and turned the radio off when she didn't respond. She turned to glare at him. Her arms folded across her chest like a sulking child. He pulled the car away from the curb and back onto the busy streets of New York. The silence was killing her already.

"You know, if you would have turned right back there like I told you to do, we wouldn't be stuck in this traffic jam." she angrily said.

"You always were a back seat driver," he joked, "Some things just don't change do they?"

Her eyes rolled. They barely moved two feet in the last five minutes. The honking of the frustrated city drivers were beginning to get to her. She would do anything to drown them out, even sit up front with Lucas.

"Move," she pushed him over to his left as she stepped over the console and into the passenger seat of the car. Lucas couldn't help but grin as she immediately turned the radio on and began searching for a decent radio station.

"Seat belt." he annoyingly reminded.

Reluctantly she buckled herself in.

"Happy?"

"For now."

Not one good song was playing at that moment. All that came through the speakers were commercials, static, or talk shows. Her frustration grew. There she was, trapped in a car with Lucas Scott and not one good song was playing to make her forget where she was.

"Got any decent CDs?"

He thought for a moment. Then he looked away. "No."

The only times he never looked at her as he spoke were when he was either lying or was ashamed of telling her something. Peyton began searching around through his console and in the visors.

"What are you doing?"

"You used to be one of my friends and if there's one thing I teach my friends, it's to keep at least one CD in the car for emergencies. So I know you have CDs in the car somewhere."

"Peyton..." he saw her going for the glove box, "Stop...don't open..."

"I always knew you were a liar," she said when she saw the book of CDs.

Lucas sighed, "Fine."

He didn't want to lie to her, but he also didn't want to show her the CDs he had, at least not yet. Peyton took the CD booklet and started to leaf through the sleeves. It was like a blast from the past. She recognized each and every one of the CDs. Each one was personally labelled by her artistic hand. They were the mix CDs she had given him when they were on good terms.

"You...you kept them?"

Lucas nodded, "Every single one of them."

"Why?"

Truth be told, he kept everything she had given him. He had the box to prove it. Unfortunately, she never knew about it and she would never learn about it, at least not that night.

"They're the best CDs I have." he said with a shrug.

"Liar," Peyton pulled out a CD, "When I gave this one to you, you said 'Why ruin an awesome mix with an Air Supply song?'"

"I did not say that."

"You so did."

"Ok, so maybe I was too proud to admit it, but Sweet Dreams isn't such a bad song."

There's not much time to tell you
Half the things I should
Only that I'm so glad I fell in love with you
And I'd do it again if I could

The lyrics sang in her head. Peyton knew them well. Almost every song she burned for him meant something to her. He didn't know it then and he probably didn't even know it now. She shut the book and put it back into the glove box as the trip down memory lane was beginning to get to her. Peyton reached for the radio.

"Wait." Lucas excitedly said as he smacked her hand away.

"Ow!"

"Shhh! Listen," he turned the volume up.

Joey, baby

The radio sang. Then, an off key Lucas joined in.

"… don't get crazy. Detours. Fences... I get defensive."

He smirked at her and coaxed her to join in. If there was something in their two different worlds that could reconnect them, it was music. Peyton couldn't help but laugh at his terrible voice. Then finally, when the chorus started, Peyton found herself singing at the top of her lungs.

Two and half songs later, Lucas pulled up to her brownstone and turned the radio down.

"So this wasn't that bad now was it?"

"Could've been worse."

"Would it be ok if we got a cup of coffee sometime?"

Seemingly, it was a good way for two old friends to catch up, but Peyton knew it wasn't such a good idea. "Lucas…"

"It's just coffee, Peyt. I'll even spring for brownies."

Peyton was still uncertain with the idea of spending more time with him.

"I'll even let you in insult me." his boyish smile appeared.

His offer was even more tempting. "You're not gonna give up are you?"

"On you? Never."

She knew she should have just said no and got out of the car, but she found herself still sitting there. "You're an ass," she smirked, "See, I can insult you anytime I want."

"Yeah, but now you can do it with free coffee and brownies."

She bit her lower lip as she contemplated. Her guard was lowering, "Alright, stop by the gallery sometime next week."

He nodded and his grin grew wider, "I'll be seeing you."