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Chapter 2

Haley drummed her fingers against the bar rather nervously flipping out her phone to fix her lip-gloss for the umpteen time not that it needed it, her lips were practically glistening , she was sitting here over ten minutes now and there was no sight of Nathan anywhere.

'You can't just leave the bar to go get kegs, there needs to be enough up here.' The other guy who she knew as Owen said digging Nathan in the arm.

'It literally takes 5 minutes and in case you haven't realised there's barely anyone at the bar…' Nathan said with that infamous smirk of his.

'Haley is waiting at the bar.' Owen said with a smug smirk of his own and Nathan glanced in his direction to see Haley sitting there in her pre-date glory and he couldn't help but roll his eyes. 'Of course she is.'

'You're early.' Nathan said as Owen clocked off from his shift leaving Nathan there alone.

'I like to be early and besides I need time to remember what you tell me.' Haley countered.

'You do realise I'm not giving you lines to learn?' Nathan said straight back to goading her.

This time Haley rolled her eyes. 'Yea but I need to prepare you know give myself time…' She emphasised as she ran her hand through hey wavy chocolate locks that were cascading past her shoulders in soft waves.

'Yea time to over think which is exactly what we don't want..' Nathan mused.

Choosing to ignore his comment Haley continued on. 'So his name is Drew, he is a high school tea…'

'Drew?' Nathan said rather amused.

'Yea Drew…' Haley repeated a little dismayed as he just cut her off. 'What is your problem now?' She said catching that cheeky, boyish smirk on his face.

'Haley and Drew…..Drew and Haley….just sounds odd that's all' Nathan teased her as he went down the bar giving the two businessmen at the end their beers.

'Well now whose jumping ahead….I haven't even met the guy.' Haley called out to him.

'He's got a gay name.'

'God I knew this was a bad idea.' Haley huffed to herself feeling like she was dealing with an immature child.

'Next you're going to tell me he teaches music or something.' Nathan began as Haley looked at him pointedly and he scoffed. 'You're kidding..'

'No that's how Peyton knows him she works in music he gigs part time and teaches full time.' Haley supplied.

'Sounds dreamy.' Nathan said sarcastically

'Can you ever be serious? I might have a real chance here we have a lot in common.'

'Ok you know I'm only messing with you.' Nathan said letting her off the hook.

'Of course you are.' Haley said shaking her head at him.

'Ok let's see the goods then…' Nathan said as he made a point of leaning over the bar between them. 'Take off your coat.'

Haley scoffed at him.

'Not like that. 'Nathan teased 'I want to see what outfit you've chosen this time.'

Haley tossed off her light leather jacket revealing an emerald green v neck sleeveless blouse teamed with dark indigo jeans. The colour certainly accentuated her beauty that was for sure but it wasn't all that exciting 'Ok it's a little plain but we can work with it…'

'You're seriously dissing my outfit right now.' Haley said crossing her eyes at him.

'Not dissing it just you looked hotter last week in that blue top.' Nathan said honestly.

'You noticed.' Haley smirked playfully earning one back from him. 'Remember don't read so much into things.' Nathan quipped back.

'Well thanks for the vote of confidence.' She said dryly.

'You look lovely Haley.' Nathan said.

'Too late.' She poked her tongue out at him.

Nathan just chuckled amused by her behaviour. 'Ok so you know a little about this guy and it's all promising?'

Haley nodded.

'Right so what you don't want to do is cling onto that too much, you want him to feel like he needs to sell himself to you instead of the other way around.' Nathan said then as he leaned against the bar, it was still relatively quiet coming up to 8pm.

'And how do I do that?'

'Give him snippets of information he'd want to hear but act coy.' Nathan said.

'I'm not the flirtatious type.' Haley countered.

'Could have fooled me.' Nathan said pointedly.

'Shut up.' Haley said with a glare.

'You've got to have him interested and wanting more not interested and then suddenly bored because you've like told him your old life story and then some.'

'So what I can tell him I'm into music but not mention I even know that he is….assume he is not!' Haley said eying Nathan as though she'd just figured out a puzzle.

'Exactly.' Nathan countered.

'And at which point do I twist my hair?' Haley joked.

Nathan chuckled glad she seemed to be relaxing a little. 'Maybe not the hair twirl just whip out that lip thingy of yours and make a point of it….that will definitely do the trick.'

'You noticed?' Haley said excited.

Nathan shook his head at her child like enthusiasm. 'Yea it's working for you.'

'Nice…' Haley mused thrilled with herself.

'See how you're talking to me now be more like that.' Nathan said.

Haley glanced at her watch then freaking a little 'Oh shit he's going to be here in like 10 minutes.' she drummed her fingers on the bar top again.

'Relax just pretend you're talking to me.' Nathan said noticing a good few filtering inside the bar now from the restaurant below. It's not he'd be able to talk to Haley for much longer anyway.

'Then he'll just think I'm a bitch because I don't like you.' Haley countered playfully.

'And here I thought we were becoming friends.' Nathan said faking hurt. Haley just smiled at him despite herself taking a sip of her drink as Nathan busied himself with orders.

He was down her end a good five minutes later calling for her. 'Ok showtime Haley there is a droop at 3 o'clock.' Nathan made a point of tilting his head to the right with a wink.

'It's Drew….wait…what he's' here…' Haley panicked.

'Yep usually when you have a date the other person will appear.' Nathan teased enjoying the final glare she gave him as he pulled away from her. Nathan walked back to the other end of the bar observing from afar as the guy greeted Haley with a big dazzling smile and he noticed the awkward handshake and shuffle between them. Smirking to himself he began serving a few more customers glad when the guy brought Haley to one of the high tables in the bar at least he had some sense not to sit at the bar with her for the night like the dufus from a week ago.

'So Haley, Peyton didn't earn me about how gorgeous her friend was?' Drew said as he smiled at her from across the high table.

Haley blushed feeling self-conscious, she was never one for compliments after all.

'Too much cheese too soon?' Drew joked

'No cheese is good.' Haley laughed a little awkwardly how ridiculous that sounded but remembered Nathan's words. Just play it cool. thankfully Drew didn't dwell on it and instead saved her of her innate awkwardness.

So I'm about to get even cheesier how is a girl like yourself still single hanging around this bar?'

Haley laughed rather awkwardly again. 'Believe it or not guys don't approach me I'm usually out with my best friend who is a guy, I should probably change that.'

'Should I be worried?' Drew teased.

'Not in the slightest more like a brother.' Haley grimaced.

Drew just laughed as Haley watched him deciding he seemed nice, much more open and friendlier than the guy from last week and definitely easy on the eye. Peyton did well.

XXXXX

Hours later Haley dropped her clutch bag onto the bar rather overtly. 'He wants to see me again.' She said rather smugly. The date had gone surprisingly well, yea she had her moments but didn't she always? She'd actually enjoyed the night which was evidently clear seen as the bar had actually begun to empty out again a sure sign the night had passed her by without realising.

Nathan smirked at her as he finished tidying up behind the bar a few customers dwindling around the bar. 'And you said yes?' He assumed.

'Yea we're going for coffee Tuesday 5 o clock.' Haley rattled out wholly pleased with herself.

'Haley what did I tell you?' Nathan said then shaking his head at her.

'To relax and be myself which is exactly what I did.' Haley replied.

'And also to play it cool, you shouldn't have given him an answer straight away.' Nathan reminded her.

'I told you I'll take some of your advice but I'm not playing games.' Haley defended herself.

'It's not game playing.' Nathan justified watching as she cocked her eyebrow up at it. 'It's you taking time to decide if he's someone you actually like which you are entitled to do by the way.' Nathan reasoned. 'You don't have to jump at the first guy who wants you.'

'He is not the first guy that wants me excuse me.' She gaped at him refusing to let him ruin her mood this time.

Nathan just chuckled 'You know what I mean.'

'I'm not letting you ruin this night for me.' Haley said putting her hands on her hips daring him to challenge her.

'Eh I made this night for you.' Nathan quipped confidently. They caught each other's eyes then and Haley gave in, he had helped her even to relax a little even if she hated to admit that. 'Fine what do you suggest I should have done?'

'Ok is there anything about the guy you weren't sure about?'

'No he's pretty perfect.' Haley said confidently.

'Oh you've your love goggles on.' Nathan joked as he took away her half empty drink placing water in front of her.

'That's kind of a sweet action for someone who is such an ass.'

Nathan just laughed 'Like I said….'

'Don't read too much into it...gotcha!' Haley teased her eyes sparking the most beautiful shade of golden amber.

'See you're learning…' Nathan appraised her as he wiped down the bar trying not to be caught staring.

'When are you finished up?'

'Whenever these stragglers decide to leave, why?' Nathan said.

'Isn't Gerry here?' Haley knew Gerry, he was senior manager here below the Scott's themselves and had practically being running the place for years.

'Yea….' Nathan replied wondering where she was going with this.

'Do you want to go and get ice-cream with me?'

'Are you asking me out?' Nathan teased.

'Oh come on don't read so much into things.' Haley threw back at him and he chuckled at her, he guessed he deserved that. 'You're telling me your parents own this place and you've never gone to Sandy Joes after a night out here?' Haley gasped.

Nathan just looked at her like she was crazy which really he shouldn't surprise him because he'd come to that conclusion when he first laid eyes on her a week ago. 'Can't say ice-cream is what I usually go for after the bar Haley.'

'It's like a tradition here in the summer I'm not joking.' Haley said. 'Come on, you haven't lived. Also you still need to tell me what I should have said instead of agreeing to that second date.'

'Ah so you're using me.'

'Duh isn't that the whole point of this friendship.' Haley said sticking her tongue out at him as she threw on her leather jacket. 'Come on.'

The pair of them walked along the harbour adjacent to the golden gate bridge with cones in hand. 'I can't believe you don't like chocolate ice-cream.' Haley said again.

'Ok didn't we already establish this when we were buying these things and again after that…'

'It's just its chocolate flavoured how can you not like it?'

'It tastes nothing like chocolate.' Nathan argued his point.

'And yet mint chocolate chip is your favourite and you think I'm a weird human.' Haley threw out to him.

'The chocolate chips aren't blended into ice cream there's a difference.' Nathan argued back at her.

Haley just giggled and he smiled at her. 'So I shouldn't have said yes to this date on Tuesday then? How does that work if I actually want to see the guy?'

'You could have said yes tomorrow, no harm letting the guy sweat it a bit.'

'Couldn't I just do that tomorrow you know like not act overly keen over text..'

'Can you do that?' Nathan said smiling as Haley glared at him.

'I'm really not that desperate you know; you're making me out to be some crazed divorcee who hasn't had sex in fifty years.'

Nathan laughed. 'I can help you with the sex part.'

Haley slapped him around the arm. 'So what's your situation anyway? Why for a guy that claims he can be in a relationship tomorrow is not actually in one? All talk?'

Nathan shrugged. Again there was that indifference when it came to love, she actually found it kind of sad that someone could be that way. But she guessed it was his life, his views.

'I don't want a relationship right now.' Nathan said honestly as he bit into his cone.

'Fair enough but you can still date.'

'And meet girls like you…' Nathan teased.

'Ok you're going to give me a complex and freak me out even more.' Haley shoved him hard in the side again.

'For a petite thing you sure are rough.' Nathan commented. 'I don't see the point in dating Haley it'll just give girls the wrong impression.' He said honestly then.

She nodded silently at him. 'You're so different to Lucas.'

'I get that all the time.' Nathan said to her as they walked along.

'I don't mean it in a bad way.' For some reason she felt she had to tell him that. 'You know he mentioned your dad a few times, told me he wasn't worth knowing.'

Nathan nodded. 'He wasn't always, he changed as we got older you know.' Nathan said with a shrug and there was that indifference came again, she wondered why he acted so, was it that he actually was so unaffected by all of this or had he pretended so long it had actually become his default setting.

'What about you….there's got to be some story with your family?' Nathan said with that annoying smirk of his then.

'Why would you say that?'

'You're pretty eccentric Haley compared to a lot of girls I know.'

'Basically you're calling me weird.'

'would it be the first time someone has called you that?' Nathan retaliated playfully.

Haley just rolled her eyes once again as he had a comeback for everything she said. 'Well if you must know I'm from New Bern..'

'Ah I see…' Nathan said making the connection. 'Tiny little village.'

'It's not a tiny little village, it's a city.' Haley said defensively as Nathan chuckled.

'So how does a girl from there end up all the way in San Francisco of all places, you must have found it a little overwhelming…'

'I've always had this pull for the west coast of America since I was little, I came here for college and I'm not ready to leave I guess.' Haley shrugged surprising herself with how honest she was actually being with him. Maybe it was because he was Lucas' brother and that connection just felt instant.

'And because there is guys like me here….' Nathan said with a cocky smirk.

'Please don't tell me you actually use lines like this because if you do I'm taking no more advice off you.' Haley warned him.

Nathan chuckled at her. 'Come on I got you a second date didn't I….'

'I got the second date and don't you forget it.' Haley nudged him as they walked in the direction of Lucas' apartment.

XXXXX

Haley flopped down onto the couch in her apartment with a heavy sigh.

'What's got your panties in a twist?' Lucas joked at her as he finished up his pizza.

'I messed things up with Drew.'

'I thought you said he was keen.' Lucas mumbled back to her with half of the pizza in his mouth.

'Yea overly keen can you believe that, he was like way over the top and I ran for the hills and now I'm thinking maybe I should have walked, maybe hobbled a little instead of ran…'

Lucas just chuckled as Haley rambled on to herself making no sense whatsoever which wasn't unusual for her.

'Damn you're even weirder at home if that's possible.' Nathan said as he sauntered into the living room in a plain black t-shirt, jeans and running a towel through his hair.

'When did you come in?'

'When you were crying in your room over Duke.'

'It's DREW and you know that.'

'Well from the looks of things it doesn't matter anymore.' Nathan said with a shrug.

'Must you be so careless about everything?' Haley huffed as she took a slice of Lucas' pizza.

'You don't even know the guy a week Haley and besides you said something about running…'

'He said we had an instant connection and he had a dream about me or something….I kind of bolted after that.'

'Kinky.' Nathan said as the boys chuckled.

'Well I'm glad you two find this so funny.'

'I mean I'm pretty sure I can picture what dream he was having…'

'Please don't'.' Haley said scowling in Nathan's direction.

'I actually agree with Haley on this one, that's disturbing for me.' Lucas said his voice muffled by food.

Nathan just chuckled. 'He was saying you had an instant connection so you'd have sex with him, trust me you're probably better off getting out of that one now unless you were planning on…'

'I wasn't and really…you think that's why he said that?'

'A lot of guys will feed that line if they want you to hand over the sex card a little quicker than they think you're actually willing to.'

'Have you?' Haley said asking Nathan.

'Hell no, girls know what I want and I'm pretty clear on that.'

'Charming.' Haley said with an eye roll.

'You asked.'

'I still can't believe you took advice from him.' Lucas chuckled.

'Hey, I helped you get Brooke didn't I?'

'Well yeah but…'

'Exactly now shut up Pucas.'

'Pucas?' Haley said with a raised eyebrow..

'You don't want to know.' Lucas mumbled to her.

'I'll tell you what, we're going out tonight come with us and I'm going to show you what spontaneous dating is all about.'

'What do you mean?' Haley questioned actually quiet afraid of what he was going to propose.

'Chatting to guys without it being all this prearranged crap you always seem to go for.'

'That prearranged crap is called dating.' Haley reasoned.

'Maybe so but its always so organised, like a friend of a friend or there's always some connection….you need to shake it up a little Haley. Dating can be spontaneous too.'

'So you're saying I should come out with you two….like hell any guy would come near me anyway.'

'Brooke's coming.' Lucas said. 'She's actually on her way over here.'

'I don't know.' Haley shrugged.

'Come on, if you're really not up to chatting to guys will just have some fun.' Lucas said. 'You need it.'

XXXXX

Somehow on this random Thursday night Haley found herself in the bar with Luke, his brother and Brooke. They had come to a different place in the city tonight, it was a very trendy bar with a neon decorative vibe going on, very different from Scott's bar, their usual haunt.

'The irony of all these dates when you've got that hottie in front of you.' Brooke teased Haley as she left her drink down on the table.

'He's not my type Brooke.' Haley said as if it was the most obvious statement in the world.

'So tall, dark and ridiculously handsome isn't your type…' Brooke said with a quirked eyebrow. 'He's hot Haley you can admit that.'

'And you're dating his brother.' Haley quipped back.

'Who is like the complete opposite.' Brooke reasoned. 'So which Scott is it if you had to choose one?'

'What age are you?' Haley teased her. 'This reminds me of second grade English class.'

'Well I would have liked your second grade English class.' Brooke winked. 'Personally I think you two would be adorable.'

Haley snickered at that. 'We are sooo incompatible Brooke its laughable.'

'Maybe on paper but from what I see its quite the opposite.'

'Whatever Nathan is actually helping me out...'

'Yea I heard that, this could get interesting.' Brooke said with that devilish grin of hers.

'Would you stop?' Haley said playfully whacking her arm.

'What are you two talking about?' Nathan said approaching them with his bottle of beer.

'You.' Brooke quipped sweetly.

'Oh yeah?' Nathan said highly interested and Haley rolled her eyes, why must Brooke feed into the arrogance?

'Yea Haley said she wouldn't date you but she'd have sex with you.'

'I'm up for that.' Nathan said without a beat.

'I did not say that don't listen to her.' Haley shot Brooke a glare. 'I'll get you back for that.'

'It's ok Haley I know you've thought about it.' Nathan mused.

'Ugh.' Haley rattled off as she took swig of her drink.

'So much frustration.' Brooke winked as she took her drink with her leaving the two standing at the bar.

'I swear I could….'

'Easy there Haley that's kind of a turn on.'

Haley glared at him. 'Will you stop thinking about your dick?'

'I will when you will…' Nathan winked at her and she blushed red, she couldn't help it. Sure she wasn't a prude by any means but making sex jokes with a guy that was extremely good looking, well she was entitled to flush wasn't she?

'I'm sorry are you two together?' A girl with reddish blonde hair came between them then smiling at them rather shyly.

'Oh no we're just friends.' Haley said easily wondering if this girl was hitting on Nathan because she figured she was very brave if she was.

'Oh I'm only asking because my friend over there..' The girl kinked her head to the side. 'He thinks your cute.' She said to Haley then with a smirk.

'Who me?' Haley said putting her hand to her chest all excitedly.

Nathan rolled his eyes; she hadn't even looked at the guy. 'Well you're the only girl here…' He began

'He might be into you.'

Nathan just gave her a look.

'So you're sure you two aren't…' The girl began as she eyed the bantering between the pair.

'Absolutely not…we only met like a week ago….' Haley said with a faff of her hand.

'Ok…well do you want to come over I'll introduce you..,I'm Katie by the way.'

'Haley..' Haley said as she pulled away from the bar giving Nathan an a'ha look. He laughed as he watched her go hearing the girl say something about Jeremy. Nathan turned back to the bar just in time to see a girl saunter up r in a very slinky dress barely leaving anything to the imagination. He smirked to himself, it was time for some fun.

XXXXX

'Well well Haley James….' Nathan said with a cocky smirk as he finally found her sitting at the high table alone sipping aimlessly on her straw.

'I never gave you my last name.' She pouted lifting head up from where she was resting it on the palm of her hand.

Nathan smiled at her obvious tipsy state. 'For a girl that wasn't going out tonight you sure enjoyed yourself.' He teased. 'You have my last name so it's only fair I have yours.'

She chuckled at his childish reasoning.

'So where is Jeremy?'

Haley grimaced. 'Jeremy is at home making nice with himself.'

'I see so he wanted you to leave with him.'

'That's ALL he wanted.' Haley emphasised. 'I should have known when he was filling me up with drink not that I complained because he was getting so difficult to listen to.'

Nathan chuckled at her.

'Spontaneous dating sucks.' Haley pouted as she glanced around the bar. 'Where's your bar slut?'

'Bar slut?' Nathan goaded her.

'Did you see what she was not wearing?' Haley said rhetorically.

'Yea I'll admit she was too much that was an error on my part, she would have had anyone..'

'Are you being self-deprecating or am I just that drunk?' Haley said crossing her eyes at him.

Nathan was laughing again. 'Come on let's get home.'

'Where's Lucas?' Haley said as she awkwardly climbed off her stool standing beside him.

'Woah…' Nathan said as he glanced down at her.

'What?' Haley said.

'I didn't realise how short you actually were without your heels.'

Haley rolled her eyes. 'I'm average height you're just ridiculously tall.'

'No you're a shorty Haley deal with it.'

'Whatever.' She said as she slipped her leather jacket on her, her movements were clumsy and slow from the drink she'd consumed. Haley felt her pockets then before going through her clutch. 'Lucas brought the damn key please tell me he's' here.'

'They left like hours ago.' Nathan shrugged. 'I told them you went home with Jeremy.' He joked with her.

'Like they believed you.'

'Well at that time you were kind of giving them a show with your tongue.'

She watched his eyes sparkle with delight at having caught them. 'Ugh.' Haley mumbled the thought of it had her wiping her already smudged lipstick. 'He was the one that started mauling me at the bar.'

'Nice.' Nathan teased. 'Look you can just crash at mine it's like on the same street as here.' He said casually.

'I can't stay with you.'

'Haley you don't have to sleep with me unless you want to I'll oblige.' Nathan said with that cheeky smirk of his.

Haley scoffed. 'No I need to go home I'm in the office tomorrow.'

'So I'm on the early shift, I'm not dragging your ass back to your place I wouldn't let you get a taxi alone and I can't really leave you here.'

'Fine.' Haley mumbled as the tiredness began to hit her in waves.

'I can take the couch..' Nathan said as they came into the apartment, it screamed bachelor's pad with its sleek black and dark wood interiors.

'Relax I have slept in the same bed as a guy before.' Haley teased.

Nathan shook his head at her. 'I thought you might be uncomfortable.'

'Me and Luas have shared a bed loads.' Haley said with a shrug as she followed Nathan into his room. He opened his wardrobe tossing a t-shirt her way.

'Please don't me all your hoes use this own.' Haley half-teased as she overtly began undressing in front of him all her usual self-conscious abated in her rather tipsy state.

'Haley women never even get my clothes so count yourself lucky.'

She laughed heartily at that and he smiled trying not to be caught staring at her standing there in a baby pink bra and lace panties; there was something so simultaneously innocent and sexy and alluring about her underwear and damn was she hiding the goods of her petite yet shapely figure. What was even more alluring was that she didn't even realise it as she threw on his t-shirt and sent a big drunken smile his way.

'You know I can work a little more with this on your next date.'

'With what?' Haley said as she dropped back into his bed sighing contentedly.

'You're covering up your assets Haley.'

'You were staring.'

'You undressed in front of me.'

'I thought you weren't looking.'

'I was waiting for you to take your bra off.' He teased her.

'I'm doing that now.' Haley mused as she expertly threw her bra off from under her t-shirt.

'Damn maybe I should have treated you like the rest of the girls.'

She giggled at that. 'Hands off Scott.' She said with her eyes closed. Nathan closed the wardrobe stripping down to his boxers as he got in beside her.

'I think I need a break from this dating malarkey.' Haley mumbled tiredly then into the darkness of the room.

'Haley we're just getting started.'

'We're not doing anything.' She smiled as he chuckled in the dark.

'You know what I mean.' He said. 'I'm having a get together next weekend for some old friends from home they're coming here, you should come.'

'Wouldn't that be just all your home crowd?'

'It never is it's like open invite.' Nathan said. 'It's at our bar so there's a chance you might be there anyway.'

'Ok I'll think about it.' Haley said as she turned over on her side then. 'you must not think I'm that weird if you're willing for me to meet your friends.' She egged him on.

'Oh you're extremely weird Haley that's why I'll be introducing you as Lucas' friend.'

He felt a hard kick to his leg. 'Oww…and rough you don't like it gentle at all do you?'

'Night Nathan.' Haley cut him off and he was surprised for how little time he'd known her that he'd already picked up on the meaning behind that tone of voice. 'Night Haley.'