Sorry for the delay in the update. I have been really busy the last few days. Here is the next chapter. I'll try to post every day or every other day now until it's finished. Thank you. There's about 11 more chapters…
Disclaimer: The characters and storyline are not my own… I have used the romance novel: Merry Christmas, Daddy, closely as my guide for this story. I have changed it to fit Peyton and Lucas but it is closely related… Enjoy.
Chapter 10
Lucas was nervously eating his dinner later that evening. He and Peyton had decided they would share their news that evening to help Gwen forget about the day's events. Lucas listened to the conversation waiting for a natural pause then said "Mom, Peyton and I have decided that we don't want to share our news at the Christmas party after all"
Karen set down the fork she was using to feed Avery and turns to look at Lucas with a horrified look on her face "What in the world are you talking about?!" Karen said in a loud stern voice
"Well we were hoping you'd rethink the party and not have it this weekend" Lucas added tentatively
Gwen now turned her attention to Lucas "What in the world has gotten into you, boy? Why in the world would we rethink a party we've been having for years?!"
A huge smile fills Lucas' face as he reaches over and grabs Peyton's hand "Well to be honest" Lucas starts as he looks into Peyton's eyes "Peyton and I have decided that we'd like to have our wedding while we're here after all and we'd like to have it at the house and it seems like the Christmas party would be the perfect time to do that"
Everyone at the table turns and looks at Peyton and Lucas who both have huge smiles on their faces. Shock was all that was revealed on the other 3 people's faces sitting there staring back at them.
Karen was the first to speak "But, Lucas, darling that is only a few days away!"
"That's why we were hoping that you'd rethink the party and move it back a week so we'd have more time to plan."
A huge smile fills Gwen's face "You really mean that you two are going to get married? Here and now?" She covers her mouth to hide her excitement "Oh, my gosh! I can't believe it!"
Karen turned to look at Keith who hadn't said a word about the whole situation but instead rose from his seat and smiled at everyone "Well congratulations!" he said as he walked over to the bar and grabs a tray of champagne glasses out and sits them on top as he rings the bell for the maid. "Susan, we need champagne! Lucas and Peyton are getting married!"
Susan smiled at the couple and then took the tray before disappearing back into the kitchen.
"I can't believe how much work we'll have to get done is such a small amount of time." Karen said out loud to herself. "I literally have to cancel one party and re-invite everyone to another party."
"Well mom we'd like it if you didn't re-invite everyone." Lucas stated "In fact if you could eliminate about one hundred and fifty people that would be great. Peyton and I would like to keep this a small intimate wedding"
"Lucas, are you insane? A small wedding?" Karen gasps "But Lucas…"
"Mother, we want it small!"
"Then what is the point of cancelling the party?" Gwen offered as a voice of reason "We'll still have the party on Saturday as planned and then we'll set the wedding for…"
"Christmas Eve" Karen shouted and everyone looks at her because she spoke so loudly "Oh I can see it now. We'll have everyone arrive around 11:30 and then you two can exchange your vows at midnight. We'll have the wedding in the living room and fill it with white roses and white candles. We'll also…."
"Now mother wait a minute!" Lucas says sternly "Peyton and I want a small wedding and we certainly don't want anything fancy!"
"Well it's nice that that's what you want Lucas but maybe we should ask Peyton what kind of wedding she'd like. After all it's not really about the groom it's all about the bride" Gwen stated as all the eyes in the room turn to look at Peyton.
"Honestly, a small wedding sounds perfect to me" Peyton said softly "But I have nothing against a fancy wedding. In fact, it might be kind of nice"
"Yes!" Karen says loudly jumping out of her chair "Tomorrow, we will start shopping!" Karen turns and looks at Gwen "Are you up for the challenge?"
Gwen smiles at Karen "Are you kidding me?" she says as she stands up "I think I'll head up to go to bed right now. I want to make sure I have plenty of energy for tomorrow and the rest of the planning"
"Mom, you can't go to sleep right now you didn't even have a glass of champagne to toast the good news" Keith said with a smile on his face as his mother headed out of the room
"Oh, honey, I don't need to have champagne. The news of the wedding was enough to leave me punch drunk. I will see you two ladies bright and early in the morning" Gwen said as she disappeared out of the dining room.
After two hours of celebrating, Keith and Karen finally offered to take Avery up to her room and put her to bed. Once they were out of earshot Lucas breathed a sigh of relief. Lucas loosens his tie and smiles softly at Peyton "Well, we recovered from this afternoon nicely. I think we saved everything, don't you?"
"I think we did!" Peyton said as she sat down on the couch in the living room.
"That was a great idea to contradict me about the fancy wedding. It made it much more believable. And it made everyone happy" Lucas said with a smile
"I just know your mom and grandmother and I know they have a vision of the perfect wedding for you. We want it small and I couldn't see another way to make sure we keep it small except to agree to have it fancy. I also know that if we try to change everything about their perfect wedding we'll start fighting and it could lead to one of us slipping up and I didn't want that to happen. Plus, what does it hurt to let them make things a little fancy?"
"Whatever your reasoning it was a good idea and it worked" Lucas said as he made his way to the bar "How about a drink?"
Peyton sighs "I could really use a drink right now. Thanks" She said with a smile
Lucas smiled at her and chuckled lightly "I know what you mean. It's been quite a day"
"That it has" Peyton said smiling back
"Would you like white wine?" Lucas offered
"Yeah, that would be wonderful. We have hours and hours of planning we still have to do and anything stronger will put me to sleep" Peyton admitted
Lucas decided that he would also have white wine and pours two glasses before joining Peyton on the sofa. "I'm not quite sure what you think we still need to figure out. I mean by the way my mother and grandmother acted tonight I'm sure they'll be more than happy to take care of everything from here. I think we're in the clear and we can just sit back and relax for now:" Lucas stated
Peyton sighs and shakes her head at Lucas "You honestly think we're in the clear now?" Peyton asks softly "I'm sure that you're right and we won't have to worry about wedding plans but we're hardly out of the picture yet. First we need to consider how we're going to explain to your parents that we're not using the minster from their church and we'll have to be extra savvy to smooth out any feathers that's going to ruffle. Then we didn't get your mom to cancel the party on Saturday so we're going to be facing 2 or 3 hundred of your parents' closest friends. Not only are they going to want to hear details about our relationship but they also might want to know a little about my past. I see two ways we can go about this. We can either make up one heck of a story that you can remember or I can tell you enough about myself so that you can tell them what they want to know and you can be an expert on Saturday"
Lucas hadn't thought about all of that. He was surprised at how much of this plan would have fallen through if Peyton wasn't always thinking. He smiled at her "I guess you're right. I didn't think about any of that" Lucas takes another sip of his wine before setting it down on the coffee table. He turns and looks at Peyton then settles into the couch before saying "Ok, I'm ready. Tell away. I want you to fill me in on the real story of your life. That way one of us for sure will always have the facts and we both won't have to try to remember things" Turning to look at Peyton again "But make it the abbreviated version, of course"
Peyton was extremely tired but knew this had to be done so she took a deep breath before beginning "Well I told you all the important things about me the night we went to the diner so now it's just the nitty gritty stuff that's kind of dull and boring"
Lucas smiles at her "that's ok. That's the stuff that will give our story character"
"No, it really won't. It's going to show everyone how dull and boring my life is and give people even more reason to question why you'd fall in love with me"
"Honey, no one is going to wonder why I fell in love with you once they set their eyes on you they'll understand"
Peyton's face turned red "You're that shallow?" She said with a harsher tone then she wanted too
"No, honey, you're that good looking" Lucas said with a smile and looked at her. Looking at her made him think of her the other night "You know what all you need to do is wear something green to the party. You looked amazing the other night in the green jumper you were wearing. If you wear that or something like that everyone will see why I'm marrying you and no one will question it."
Peyton's entire body become warm and she could feel the heat coursing through her but she willed herself to ignore it. She didn't want to be excited or happy about the compliment Lucas just gave her but she was and she couldn't deny it. Even if she was pleased she didn't want Lucas to know that. She couldn't let Lucas discover she was pleased that he thought she was attractive because that could only mean one thing that she thought he was attractive, and he'd never let her live that down.
"OK, I'll just make sure to wear something green and enthralling to the party" Peyton said with a smile then cleared her throat and continued on "So, why am I supposed to have fallen in love with you?"
Lucas grinned his biggest grin at her "Same reason?"
Peyton shook her head at him "Lucas, do you really think I'd fall in love with someone on the basis of the way they look?"
Lucas frowned "No, I guess you wouldn't" He said softly "How about my looks and my money?" he added grinning at her again
"Oh, my fiancée fell in love with me because of my looks and my money. Yes, Lucas telling your parents' friends and relatives that should surely impress them!" Peyton said sarcastically
"Ok, I got it. How about my looks, my money, and my charm?" Lucas said with a cute little grin
"How about we work on that charm of yours?" Peyton said with a grin to let Lucas know the double entendre had been intentional. "In fact, we should work really hard on that charm of yours."
"You know Peyton" Lucas says as he moves closer to her on the couch "If I didn't know better I'd think you didn't like me"
"Lucas you know I don't like you!" Peyton said with smile. In Peyton's mind finding him attractive and liking him were two different things. Lucas was dangerous and daring. He was an action man where Peyton was quiet and simple. She knew even if there was a chance they both wanted to like each other they couldn't because there wasn't any common ground to do so. Peyton sighed and they she slyly slid away from Lucas looking him in the eyes before saying "And you don't like me either, remember? That's why I think we're going to have problems pulling this façade off if we don't start sharing the little details about ourselves with each other"
Lucas sighed "Alright fine" He said with a seriously look on his face "Tell me all about your grade school teachers and high school friends"
Peyton spent the next half hour telling Lucas all the little details she could think about her distant past. Lucas sat perfectly still with his eyes close and Peyton noticed that his breathing was even and she wondered if he had fallen asleep. He didn't make any comments but she just kept talking. She tried so hard to focus on her life story but she couldn't help but to be drawn to studying his face. She noticed the angle of his cheekbones and jaw, the five o'clock shadow that had grown since he shaved this morning and he head of blond hair. She knew now that it was no wonder the façade had become so difficult for her. Lucas was one of the most handsome men she had ever meant, he was charming when he wanted to be and he love for his grandmother was endearing to her. Luckily though she could remember that he was arrogant, demanding, spoiled and sometimes downright rude! That was her saving grace these days. Otherwise, she wouldn't stand a chance.
"And that takes us up to my getting a job at the record label and realizing I wanted to go to business school and start my own label."
Lucas finally decided to act interested. He opened his eyes and sat up to look at Peyton "Why?" was all he said
"Why did I decide I wanted to own my own record company?" Peyton asked and he nodded. "I told you that the other night. Music has always been an important part of my life. I listen to it when I'm sad, when I'm happy, when I'm stressed. It's my outlet. I always knew I'd work somewhere in the music industry I just didn't know where. I started working at the label and I love it I do" Peyton said with a sigh "I just think there's so much more I could do if I had my own company."
"And your dad thought you should go to business school?" Lucas asked with a smile
"Yeah. He told me I didn't have a head for money all I knew how to do was spend it and he thought it would be wise to get a degree before I opened a company so I didn't run it into the ground."
"That was smart"
"I think so too" Peyton said softly
"I like that story" Lucas said as he settles back into the couch "I think my parents' friends will like that too. You're a smart woman and I like that about you"
"So why did you chose your job?" Peyton asked, she decided she had talked enough about herself and she was running out of things to say so she turned the tables on him.
Lucas shrugged and sighed "It was what I was expected to do"
Peyton was waiting for Lucas to elaborate and when he didn't she sighed before asking "That's it?"
"Well yeah basically" he said but then he looked at her and noticed the look on her face and decided he should give her more information "Now listen here missy! My job is just as meaningful to me as your job is to you!"
Peyton raised an eyebrow at him "really?" she asked, truly curious now.
"Well of course," he said, then laughed. "Don't you think if it wasn't I'd stop doing it?"
Peyton waited a minute before answering because she was thinking about what he just said. "She looked at him and said "No, I guess you wouldn't keep doing it if it wasn't meaningful to you."
Lucas smiled sweetly at her "See, you're starting to know me already!"
Peyton was thrilled at the progress they were making and she also smiled "I guess I am."
Unfortunately, Lucas took the smile as more than she meant it to be and moved closer to her. "There really isn't too much more for us to figure out about each other, is there? I mean you know I'm stubborn and determined, yet committed and honest. I would assume those are all the things a future business woman would think a good husband would be"
"Interesting" Peyton said as she moved away from him
Lucas moved closer to her again "And you're all the things I think a good wife should be. Caring, intelligent, a great mother… and beautiful and incredibly exciting."
Peyton turned to look at Lucas. His last statement got her attention. She stopped trying to get away from him too "You think I'm exciting?" Peyton asked with a skeptical smile.
"Come on Peyton. You have gotten into my face so many times. You're not afraid to yell at me and I own the building you live in. That in and of itself makes you exciting… and challenging," he added, then he smiled wickedly at her.
"You just wait a minute!" Peyton says as she jumps off the couch "Don't even start seeing me as a challenge."
Lucas looks at Peyton with a wicked grin "And why not, Ms. Sawyer?" He asks as he spreads his arms across the back of the couch. "You afraid?"
"Afraid of what?" She asked mockingly
"Me" he simple responded "Or maybe you and me or… maybe what happens to us when we kiss."
"I hate to tell you Lucas but what happens to us when we kiss is irrelevant"
"No" Lucas shouted as he jumped off the couch so fast that Peyton didn't realize he was about to move. He put his hands on her shoulders and slid them down her upper arms to her wrists, then back up again. "What happens to us when we kiss is exciting, spontaneous, and arousing. But definitely not irrelevant!"
"Listen…" Peyton said, but the fear bubbling in her stomach stopped her. He was right. When they kissed it was exciting, spontaneous and arousing. Not only that she was greatly attracted to him and found him extremely attractive. In fact, if he kissed her right now she's no longer be able to maintain her ability of pretending she was indifferent to the situation. She knew that no matter what happened the rest of the night at any cost she had to keep Lucas from kissing her.
"Chill" Lucas said then ran his fingers through his hair. He wanted her. He couldn't make himself forget what she tasted like, how she smelled or how she felt in his arms and he wanted more. Lucas knew that once they returned all this had to end . In fact, he would make sure it ended when they returned to New York. But for now he didn't see how it could hurt anything to enjoy the moment.
But when he looked at Peyton and she had this look on her face that said kissing him was the most frightening, repugnant idea on the face of the earth, Lucas got a stab of something he didn't quite recognize. It wasn't anger or jealousy. It was a feeling he couldn't quite describe or define. It definitely merited more thought before this kissing idea went any future. "You're right. We should play by the rules. "He stated and then turned to leave the living room.
As he reached the doorway he turned back around to look at Peyton and stated "I sure hope you don't plan on showing that face expression in front of my family. And I certainly hope you don't show it in front of Avery. If you did you'd probably scare the crap out of her. Lord knows, you've put the fear of God in me."