After two days, Peyton decided she hated Chicago. It had him, and she didn't, and she was jealous of a stupid place. She didn't even think it was possible. Lucas laughed when she told him that, and she all but pouted into the phone, insisting that him being away for a whole week was just mean.
"It's not funny!" she cried. "It's weird without you."
"Now you know how I felt when you went to L.A.," he said with a laugh.
"First of all, that was only five days and all during the week, and we'd basically just had sex a handful of times at that point in our relationship."
"Babe, it was a hell of a lot more than a handful."
"The point is," she said, trying to hide her annoyance at his nonchalance, "I am here without you and..."
"Just say you miss me, Peyton," he told her.
"Don't you miss me?" she asked coyly. She heard him let out a breathy laugh and she smiled to herself.
"More than anything."
"Could have fooled me," she mumbled.
"Peyton."
"You're making fun of me!"
"Are you alright?" he asked.
There was something about the tone of her voice and the things that she was saying that had him worried. It wasn't that she missed him - he'd known she would - but there was something almost desperate about the way she was talking to him, and he didn't like it one bit. She just didn't sound like herself.
"I'm fine," she insisted quickly. "Why would you think I'm not fine?"
"You sound a little...stressed," he said delicately, hoping to God he chose the right word to describe her.
"Well, I guess when my normal stress reliever goes off to stupid Chicago, I get a little irritable."
"Is that all I am to you?" he teased.
"If you're not careful."
"Well, I'd love to help you out," he said, knowing she'd hear what he was really saying. "But I'm in the back of a cab right now and it'd be totally inappropriate."
"I didn't ask you to!" she cried, laughing at his insinuation.
"Oh, please," he scoffed. "If I started, you wouldn't stop me."
"What is it with you and phone sex?" she asked.
"You say that like you don't enjoy it."
"Luke!" she hissed. "Don't talk like that in front of a cabbie!"
"He doesn't mind," Lucas said, making her let out a frustrated huff.
"Can't you just pretend you're sick or something and come home early?"
"I've already come close to getting fired once, thank you," he reminded her. "It's just a few more days. I kind of love how much you miss me though."
"Whatever. Call me later," she insisted.
"I will."
"Be naked."
Of course, he'd chosen that moment to take a sip of his water. He damn near spit it out, but he was able to hold it in. Surely, he'd have to leave a massive tip if he'd spit all over his cab driver.
The girl knew how to get a reaction, didn't she?
"I...what?" he choked out.
"You heard me. I love you."
"Yeah," he whispered. "Love you, too."
"Speechless?" she laughed.
"Whose fault is that?" he asked, his voice taking a higher pitch.
"Goodbye, Luke."
He mumbled something that resembled a goodbye and ended the call just as his cab pulled up to the restaurant where he was having dinner with one of the top-selling authors in the country, her husband, manager, and agent, and their wives. This was going to be torture.
But he straightened his tie and turned off his ringer, and he smiled and shook hands when he was led to the table. The seven of them made small talk until they'd ordered a wine, then got right down to business as soon as they each had full glasses.
Lucas closed the deal to sign the author in only a half an hour. It was a personal best. She'd just fulfilled her contract obligation, and had been less than happy with the publishing house she'd been signed to for her previous three novels. Lucas had barely had to break out any charm. They were all impressed by his knowledge of the industry and what his company was prepared to offer.
He excused himself before their after-dinner drinks, and he checked his phone on the way to the men's room. He'd missed three work-related calls, and had one text message from Peyton.
"It's getting late. If you don't call before 11:00..."
That wasn't a threat he was particularly fond of.
He was antsy as they drank their port, but he hid it well. It was another hour of talking literature and publishing. When he was asked if he was in a relationship, he bashfully answered that he was, and he received smiles from the three women at the table. There were no subsequent questions, and he was thankful.
He was already thinking about her too much.
He paid the bill using his expense account, and he shook hands and said his goodbyes, promised to be in touch the following week with contracts, and jumped into the first cab he could flag down to head to the hotel. That drive could have been two minutes and it still wouldn't have been fast enough.
By the time he got to his hotel, a mere 10 minutes had passed.
He had her on the phone before he was even in his room, and she laughed through the line. He told her it wasn't fair of her to get him all worked up like that, then put a time restriction on the offer.
She told him it was an empty threat.
Then she told him all she was wearing was, well, nothing.
----
Peyton was sitting in her office Thursday afternoon, pouring over album reports and avoiding phone calls - Mia was such a good call screener. She had the new album by one of the company's artists playing, and she'd kicked off her shoes beneath her desk. It had actually been a good day. Not too busy to be incredibly stressed, but not slow enough to spend all her time thinking about a certain someone.
"Peyton? There's someone here to see you," Mia called over the intercom.
"Send them in," she said without really thinking. She had no idea who it was, and she'd just said to send them in. She wasn't wearing shoes and she had her music on a touch too loudly.
When the door opened and Nathan strolled in with a smile on his face, she actually sighed in relief.
"Happy to see me?" he asked.
"Happy you aren't my boss," she said. He laughed when he saw that she was stuffing her feet into her shoes beneath her desk.
"You almost done for the day?"
"I could be," she said, raising a brow and waiting to see what his offer was going to be.
"Well, I need to get Brooke a birthday present, and..."
"And you don't want to screw it up. Right," she said knowingly, and he nodded. "So you want my help?"
"If you can," he said with a shrug. "What do you get the girl who has everything?"
"Come on." She grabbed her jacket and her bag as she put her computer to sleep and the switched off her lamp. "We're going to Tiffany's"
"Whoa. What?" he asked quickly; worriedly.
"Relax. You're not buying a ring," she laughed.
He just smiled and looked to the floor. He followed her out of her office and listened as she told her assistant she was leaving for the day, and that Mia could leave whenever she liked. Nathan definitely liked Peyton - he certainly knew Lucas did. She was caring and generous while being stubborn and independent. He could relate to that.
Once they were in the elevator, Peyton eyed Nathan, who looked a little anxious. It dawned on her that they'd never hung out one on one.
"Her birthday's in two days. You waited until the last minute," Peyton said.
"I was hoping she'd drop hints."
"She doesn't hint."
"Apparently." They both laughed, and Nathan rubbed the back of his neck. Peyton smiled. Lucas did the same thing when he was nervous.
"Trust me. I know what she wants," Peyton assured him.
"And it's at Tiffany's."
"Yes, it is. I won't even tell her you asked me for help," she said, and he laughed.
"I'd appreciate that," he told her.
They made small talk on the ride down, with Nathan talking about the Yankees' playoff successes, and that he was going to the game that night, so their shopping trip would have to be brief. By the sounds of it, he had little to worry about. Peyton seemed to know her best friend like the back of her hand.
They walked the distance to the jewelry store, but about two blocks away, Peyton stopped in her tracks, making Nathan do the same and look at her in confusion.
"We can't go in there together," she said urgently. He just stared at her for a moment before his eyes went a little wide.
"Oh shit. No. We can't." Their eyes locked and they both laughed. "They'll have me cheating on her with my brother's girlfriend," he added, referring to the media.
"Hang on," she insisted, holding up one finger as she reached for her phone.
He watched, impressed, as she dialed the number for the store, told them she had Nathan Scott coming in, and asking if he could use a back entrance. She as just sweet enough to get her way, and just business-like enough to actually have them believing she was his 'assistant'.
"My assistant?" he asked with a smirk after she'd hung up.
"Aren't I?" she challenged. He laughed again and she told him she'd meet him inside, that she was going through the front entrance.
In the store, Peyton pointed out a few gorgeous diamond bracelets that basically had Brooke's name written all over them, but Nathan pointed out that he hadn't pissed her off. Peyton could only laughed. Deb had really drilled that lesson into those two boys. When Peyton explained that just about any jewelry would do the trick if he pissed Brooke enough to have to win her back with gifts, he laughed, then seriously started looking at the items Peyton was pointing out.
And he had to admit, there were some pretty amazing bracelets there.
He settled on a beautiful, and classic, diamond bracelet, and Peyton had to smile. It was the exact one she would have chosen for Brooke, and Nathan sighed in relief when she told him that. The price tag was ridiculous, but Nathan didn't seem fazed, and when Peyton mentioned it, he simply said money wasn't a problem, and Brooke deserved whatever he could give her.
If Peyton hadn't already approved of her friend's relationship, she certainly would have after that statement.
"Come on. You're coming to the game," he said, hailing a cab once they'd met up on the street again.
"What!? Nathan..."
"Stop it. You helped me. I have an extra ticket, since Luke's out of town. You're coming."
"He'll be jealous," she said, shaking her head at him.
"That I'm spending time with you, yeah. He probably won't care about the game," he said, pulling open the door of the cab for her to slide in.
"I'm going to feel stupid wearing a business suit."
"We'll get you a sweatshirt or something," he said, before telling the cab driver where they were going. "Hot dogs and $10 beers for dinner."
"Healthy," she muttered.
"It's a ballpark. It's all part of the experience. Don't tell me Luke didn't get you a hot dog when he took you to the game."
"He did," she reassured him. "I got the full experience. I thought he was going to break up with me for mentioning the Red Socks."
"You can't mention the Red Socks at a Yankees game!" Nathan said indignantly. Even the cabbie laughed. Apparently everyone knew that little rule but her.
They stopped at one of the stadium shops and Nathan insisted on buying her a sweatshirt, though she told him she really didn't need one. It was him saying that she couldn't go to a playoff game without the right 'gear', and she just rolled her eyes and thanked him. She quickly changed as he grabbed their 'dinner', and then they made their way to their seats.
They watched as A.J. Burnett put in six innings of solid work, helping the home team to a 5-0 lead, then the bullpen came in and closed out the game. Peyton cheered at all the right times, and they sipped their overpriced drinks - beer for him and a soda for her - and shared popcorn. She liked spending time with Nathan. Not just because he was Lucas' brother, or because he was Brooke's boyfriend, but because he was just a cool guy. If there was one thing she'd learned since meeting the Scott brothers, it was that much of the preconceived ideas she'd had about them were completely wrong. The media painted the picture they wanted with little regard for the true stories behind those two men.
The two shared a cab back to Manhattan, and while they were on their way, Lucas called Peyton. She could hear him pouting when she said that she had gone to the game with Nathan. He grumbled when he heard that Nathan had bought Brooke a $15,000 bracelet for her birthday, knowing that he'd have to get Peyton something damn good for her own birthday.
They said goodbye, and he softly said that he was starting to miss her more and more.
Nathan hugged Peyton and thanked her for helping him and hanging out with him, and she went to bed as soon as she was inside her place. She was exhausted from the long day and the excitement.
She woke up in the morning feeling like she hadn't slept at all, then she got a call from Lucas. He couldn't sleep, and he knew what time she woke up, so they had a short conversation when they were both in bed.
"So you haven't gotten your paper yet," he said.
"I haven't moved."
"Right," he said softly. "Well, I bet you didn't know you were cheating on me with Nathan."
"What!?" she almost shouted.
"There's a picture of you two at the game," he explained.
"Fuck."
"Don't worry about it. The Post said something about you bonding with my brother. In Touch says you're the Scott boys' weakness. We're fighting over you, apparently."
"Luke, this is ridiculous," she said in response to his nonchalant - almost amused - demeanor.
"It's no big deal. You're just not used to it," he said. She didn't really appreciate that, for some reason. Hell no, she wasn't used to it. She didn't like people knowing her business.
"It's a big deal to me! I don't want to be seen as some sort of...of hussy."
"Hussy?"
"Luke!"
"Peyton, it'll all be forgotten tomorrow when the Jonas Brothers go out for ice cream or something," he reassured her.
She would have laughed, and maybe she tried, but it came out as a sigh instead.
"I wish you were here," she said softly.
"I know, babe."
"Sunday, right?"
"Yeah," he whispered. "Hey, you still have my keys, right?"
"Uh huh."
"Stay at my place tonight," he said, shrugging his shoulder though she couldn't see him.
"What? Why?" she asked.
"Might make you feel better," he told her. "I'm worried about you."
"I'm fine," she said quickly. "Really. I guess...I just didn't realize how much I like having you around."
It was an understatement. All of it was.
But he said something sweet, and they exchanged I love yous, and she got ready for her day.
A day she wasn't really sure she could be ready for.
----
She had a meeting that afternoon in an office she hated. Drab walls and boring paintings. It wasn't nearly as inviting as she was used to, but it was an appointment she couldn't get out of, so there she was.
She was just glad the person she was meeting with was a sweetheart. The woman was about Peyton's own age, spoke with tact and compassion, and Peyton made note of all that.
After she left that office, she went straight across town to Lucas' apartment.
He was right. She did feel better just being around his things.
----
She was peacefully tucked into Lucas' bed in her pajamas on and her hands pulled up under her cheek. She loved his bed. She loved his apartment. She loved that it smelled like him - cologne and books, she'd discovered; he'd laughed when she told him. She loved that he knew it would make her feel better.
She didn't feel weird being there without him, either. Sure, the bed felt a little big and lonely, but it was nice to be curled up in his linens for the night.
She didn't hear the door open Saturday morning. She didn't hear the footsteps coming down the hall or see the person come into the room.
It wasn't until she felt someone kiss her cheek that she awoke with a start.
"It's just me," he said soothingly, settling her by placing his hand on her cheek. She closed her eyes and exhaled.
"You're early."
"I missed you."
"You scared me."
"Sorry. I thought it'd be creepy if I was just sleeping next to you when you woke up," he explained and she laughed softly.
He kissed her gently, and her eyes stayed closed. He had missed that.
"Hi," she murmured.
"Hi," he whispered. "Give me a second, OK?"
She nodded sleepily, and he thought she might just drift off again. He wouldn't blame her if she did. He'd just take his place next to her for the first time in what felt like ages, and he'd fall to sleep with her.
But she was awake, and she peeked into the bathroom from her place as he splashed water on his face and brushed his teeth. She loved those simple, routine things he did. She didn't know how even those things were endearing to her, but they were. She watched him unbutton his shirt and unzip his pants when he stepped back into the room, and that was when it really hit her that he wasn't even supposed to be there.
"Why are you early?"
He almost laughed at her groggy questioning, but instead he just slid into bed next to her and lay on his side facing her as she lay on her side facing him.
"My meeting today got cancelled. I got the first flight I could," he said.
"That's why you told me to come here?"
"Yeah."
"Sneaky," she mumbled.
"You're tired. Sleep," he insisted, placing his hand on her upper arm.
She rolled over so she was laying on her other side with her back to him, and he moved a little closer so their bodies were pressed together in his king size bed, and he smiled. It was just barely 5:00 in the morning, and they were both too tired to do anything but sleep. He just kissed her temple before closing his eyes.
When he woke up hours later, he was in bed alone. Not exactly what he expected. He stretched and looked around the room, but he saw that she was nowhere around, so he got up and pulled on a tee shirt before venturing out of the room.
He found her standing in the living room, a glass of water in her hand as she stared out the window.
"Hey," he said softly. She flinched a little, unaware that he was there, then turned around.
"Hi."
"How long have you been up?"
"I dunno. An hour or so," she said, shrugging one shoulder. "I have to tell you something."
"OK, what's up?" he asked nonchalantly, flopping down on the sofa.
She'd expected to be maybe a little more delicate than she ended up being. But of all the things she had thought to say, she always just ended up back at;
"I'm pregnant."
He looked at her with a blank expression as she bit her lip, waiting for his response.
"What?"
"You're going to be a daddy, Lucas."