Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or its characters...I own nothing but the plot of this story!!
Chapter 11: Remember the Laundry
A week later, Haley's parents had come into town to visit with their daughter and son-in-law. And also to bring them some things they had left behind in Tree Hill. Since Haley was of gallivanting with her parents, Brooke decided to call Lucas to hang out.
She wasn't sure if he'd want to hang out with her though because she hadn't seen him all week and he had hardly called. She had tried to call him a couple of times but each time she got him on the phone he sounded really weird and seemed to want to hurry her off the phone.
But eventually Brooke gave in and decided to call him. "What's the worst that can happen?" she thought, "He says 'no' and I sit here alone anyway?" It was worth a shot, because if she didn't call him she would definitely be spending the night by herself. She dialed his number and he answered on the third ring.
"Hello?" Lucas asked, sounding strained.
"What's wrong with you?" Brooke shot back, not even bothering with the formality of a greeting.
"Nothing. It's just been a long day," he responded. "What's up?"
"Not much," she answered. "I was actually wondering what you were doing tonight. I could use some company and Haley is with her parentsso you know…" she trailed off.
"Oh, so I'm your second choice? I see how it is," Lucas joked with her.
"No, it's not like that. I just figured you had been busy with Peyton since I hadn't seen you all week. And sorry I have been kind of out of touch as well. I've been holed up making clothes in my free time," Brooke proudly told him. She felt comfortable telling Lucas about her dream; she knew he would be supportive like Haley.
"Yeah, Haley told me about that. It's really great, Brooke. I'm really proud of you and I know you are going to make it with your clothes," he honestly told her. And he meant it; he believed she could do anything she set her mind to.
Brooke was happy she had told him. It was nice to get reassurance from those you cared about in your life. "Thanks Luke," she smiled into the phone.
Lucas could tell Brooke was smiling on the other end of the line and he smiled too. "You're going to change the world someday, Brooke Davis Van Devender. And don't let anyone tell you any different."
Brooke just continued to smile and nodded her head in response, even though she knew he couldn't see her. After a few moments she spoke again. "So, you, me, Chinese takeout, maybe a bad horror movie?"
Lucas laughed, "Okay, you got me with the bad horror movie."
"Great. Then I'll see you around seven," Brooke answered.
"It's a date," Lucas said and clicked off.
The line 'it's a date' ran through Brooke's head about a zillion times before she had even comprehended the other end of the line no longer had anyone on it. Lucas hadn't meant an actual date; he had meant it as an expression. So why was she finding herself a little disappointed with this reality?
Haley, Nathan, and her parents, Jimmy and Cindy, were all situated at a pretty fancy restaurant downtown called Prime. It was a steakhouse that had opened a few years ago and was all the rage. Then their head chef left and it went downhill from there. It was still a really good restaurant, but now you could just get a table without a four month wait.
"So Nate, how's basketball going?" Jimmy asked Nathan as he took a bite of his almost-still-mooing-steak.
Nathan finished chewing the bite of food in his mouth before answering. "It's going great sir. We actually have our first game next week so practice has been kicked up a couple notches lately. It has been pretty intense, but in a good way."
"Well I am glad to hear you are still enjoying it. Especially since you dragged my baby girl all the way up to the big city for it," Jimmy responded as he smiled at both Nathan and Haley. Jimmy was a huge kidder and everyone at the table could tell by his tone and the look on his face that he was not angry at all. He just liked messing with Nathan.
"Daddy," Haley laughed, as she leaned over the table to tap his arm as she scolded him. "Nathan and I both love it here. We do miss Tree Hill, but this is our home now. Our lives are here."
"I know, Sweets. Your mom and I just miss you sometimes. And I know Nate's parents feel the same way. All they do is talk about how much they miss the boys every time we're in the café," Jimmy answered, smiling at his youngest daughter. She was the apple of his eye and he'd being lying if he said he didn't miss her like crazy most of the time.
Haley's mother broke in and somewhat changed the subject. "So are you still coming home for Thanksgiving?" She looked at her with such hopeful eyes, Haley could tell this move was not sitting well with her.
"Yeah, Mom, of course we are. Nathan and I just booked our plane tickets last night. And even though we can only stay two days because of Nathan's practice schedule, we wouldn't miss it."
"Yeah," Nathan added. "I mean, there is no way I was going to miss your famous green bean casserole, Mrs. James." And with this the entire table started to laugh.
Sitting with her parents made Haley realize how much she had missed them, but how lucky she was to have them. She was glad they had been so supportive. Sometimes it was hard to start down a new path, even if it was something that you really wanted.
Brooke was trying to apply some last minute makeup when she heard a knock at the door. She had wanted to look like she hadn't been lying around the house all day. And she hadn't been, she had been working on a new dress. But still, that was no reason to get fixed up. She didn't want to look like a bum though, she wanted Lucas to think she was put together.
She slid the mascara wand back into the tube and glanced at herself on last time in the mirror. She looked presentable. There was another knock at the door and this time she ran to answer it.
As soon as Brooke opened the door she was met with a smiling Lucas, and that in itself was enough to make her grin in return. He looked happy to see her, but at the same time kind of sad. His eyes weren't as sparkly. She searched his contradictory features as a sign of why.
Lucas couldn't believe how incredible Brooke looked tonight. He thought she looked better like this than she did all made up when they went out. It was her effortless beauty. You could tell the only makeup she had on was mascara and maybe some lip gloss. And he wouldn't have it any other way.
Brooke and Lucas both stared at each other for some time, both lost in their own thoughts. Then Brooke got a little off balance and started to tip over. Luckily Lucas snapped out of his trance quick enough to help her regain her balance.
"You okay?" He asked out of genuine concern as he held her shoulders trying to steady her.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Brooke said blinking her eyes and hoping she had just hallucinated the entire thing. How embarrassing! "You want to come in or what?" She asked him, stepping out of the doorway she had been blocking.
"Definitely," he answered as he shut her door behind the two of them.
"So what have you been doing all day?" Brooke asked, eagerly turning all her attention to him once they were situated on the living room floor. She didn't know why she preferred to sit on the floor, especially with the custom couch she had designed for the room only a few feet away, but she usually did.
"I know what you haven't been doing," Lucas teased, gesturing to her sofa that was covered with clean clothes ready to be put away. Okay, so there was another reason she wanted to sit on the floor. Lucas was glad to deflect her question about his day. He wasn't ready to talk about it, not just yet.
Brooke just rolled her eyes, "I had other things to do. And besides, I hate putting clothes away. It's the worst possible part," she pouted playfully.
"Well, I figured someone like you would have a maid to wash and put their clothes away for them," he continued to tease her. He loved doing it, if for no other reason than to see her roll her eyes and kink her eyebrow at him.
There it was—the eyebrow kink. "So you think I can't do laundry or something? And just because of who I am I have to have a maid?" She asked as she shoved his bent leg that was resting next to her arm. "I'll have you know I do laundry all the time, Mister. And I have only turned the whites pink once, and that wasn't even entirely my fault!"
Lucas laughed at her, she was so cute. "Oh really, well I guess you are just full of surprises."
She smiled, happy she had convinced him. "Why yes, I am. But if you must know we do have a maid. And here's a little secret for you, whenever Matthew is gone I give her a vacation. I'd rather not do things myself than have someone else do them," she said seriously.
"I knew you had a maid!" Lucas exclaimed, pointing a finger at her accusingly. His smile was so big and proud. He was trying his hardest not to bust out into laughter, but he was just so pleased with himself.
"Okay, Sherlock Holmes," Brooke congratulated him, gently pushing his finger out of her face. "It looks like you cracked the case," she laughed and shrugged her shoulders.
"Oh, it was elementary my dear Watson," Lucas said in his best British accent, as he stroked his tilted chin like he was deep in thought.
"What's it?" Brooke asked. She was too captivated by Lucas's almost perfect British accent to pay attention to what he was actually saying. She had always had a thing for foreign guys. They are so sexy, no?
She was so cute in her confusion; Lucas started to laugh at her. Her error was something that usually would have totally aggravated the literary-buff part of him, but with her he didn't seem to mind. "It's Watson," he corrected as he shook his head from side to side.
"Whatever," she tried to snap back, but it came out as more of a giggle. "Keep talking like that and Peyton may have some serious competition," she smirked. What was she saying?! "OMG, please let him think I meant in general, not as in me," Brooke quickly thought. In general, yeah, that's what she meant.
"Oh really," Lucas said in his nearly perfect accent, same as before as he leaned in towards her. "What had she meant by competition?" He thought. Because if that competition was her, he was sure Peyton didn't stand a chance.
Brooke could tell what was about to happen, and if she hadn't just caught sight of a picture of Matthew and her behind Lucas's head, she was pretty sure she would be kissing him right now. "Whoa," She thought as her head spun in twenty different directions. "I need some air," she said standing up quickly and hoping her expression hadn't looked too frantic. She walked out on the balcony; she needed to get herself in check. "I'm married, he's with Peyton, and he is your friend," she reminded herself over and over. Why was this beginning something she had to remind herself of way too much?
Back at their apartment Nathan and Haley were finally getting settled into bed after a long night with Haley's parents. Both her mother and father had had a little too much wine with dinner, actually a little too much was probably an understatement. The James' never did anything in moderation. So it had taken all of Nathan and Haley's energy to get her parents to leave the restaurant, come home, and get them poured into bed. It was nothing new though, Haley had always been more of the parent in the relationship anyway.
"So that was some dinner," Nathan commented as he slid under the duvet next to his wife.
"Yeah, it was," Haley responded as he leaned over and kissed the side of her head. She was busy working on her laptop. Even though she was tired she had things she had to do.
"What are you doing over there?" Nathan asked as he peeked over at the computer screen in front of his wife.
"Just looking over some stuff for the clothing line," She answered as she began clicking at the keys again. "We can set up a website, but then we would actually have to fill all the orders. I am trying to find a place to mass produce them."
"Oh okay," Nathan said, as he leaned back onto his pillow and turned on the television. Sports Center—Nice.
"Yeah, Brooke doesn't want to tell her family about the whole clothing line thing until it is but and running, but I don't know. I mean, I understand where she is coming from, but I just don't know where we are going to get the money from. Ultimately though, it is her decision and I know I need to respect that," Haley reasoned. She knew Brooke wanted to make sure the whole operation was a success before she actually clued them in on her new job. That way they would be more accepting of it—or so she thought.
"Well you're and awesome friend, babe. And from the looks of it, a great business partner as well. You are Brooke are going to shake up the fashion world," Nathan smiled over at his wife.
"Thanks Baby. I just wish Brooke believed that," Haley answered. "I mean she loves designing and making the clothes, but there's just something there that's pulling at her confidence level," she confided in her husband.
"Really?" He asked. "She seems like one of the most sure of herself people I've ever met."
"It's weird," Haley answered. "She can be, but anytime her family is mentioned, or she is around them she turns into this self-doubting little girl. It's like she still craves their approval so badly."
"Wow. I never would have guessed that," Nathan said, still surprised.
"I know. I just hope I can build her confidence back up. She's got so much to offer with this line and she deserves to show it to the world," she added, looking at her husband who was now totally focused on her instead of the TV.
"You know, you really are something Haley James Scott," he smiled at his wife as he leaned in and kissed her lips.
"Hmmmm," Haley mumbled. "You're something too," as Nathan and she began to kiss again.
Hey guys!! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and how fast I got it posted!! Thanks to all who posted reviews last chapter: cutiekesi, PeterPanTinkerBell27, othfan326, and flipflopgal!! Taking the time to tell me what you are thinking means alot to me and I appreciate it! SO Thank you all!! Also, to those if you who don't review, but have my story on alert..thanks to you too!!
Also, if you are enjoying this story, whether you review or not...I just wanted to let you know that my story has been nominated for Best Brucas fanfic on the website www.onetreehillawards.. If this site doesn't work, because it really didn't when I posted it on my last story, you can also find the link on Bks-R-My-Crck's profile page!! Please go vote!! And thanks for reading!
Audra
