A/N: Again thanks for the great reviews. This chapter came out a little
sooner than I was planning but I was on a roll so I figured why stop with
one chapter? I certainly hope this part sounds at least a little
realistic. As always, all reviews are appreciated.
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Chapter 4 – Capitulation
"Huh?" Luke was positive he hadn't heard that right.
"I want you to sleep with me." He was going to make this difficult she knew it. Well, she'd come this far. No way was she giving up without a fight.
'Oh hell. I heard her right. Where the hell did that come from? Stay calm! She's upset and she's not thinking clearly.' His hands were fidgeting badly and he really needed to move. He stood up dislodging the arm she had still had around him, and then paced over to the window and back trying to think of what to say.
Lane watched him start to pace, 'I think I've got my work cut out for me. Maybe now would be a good time to put those saleswoman skills I'm supposed to have to good use. Let's see, the first rule in sales: Attractive Display.'
She waited until his back was turned and removed the button up sweater she had been wearing to reveal a thin black tank camisole. She knew it had worked when he turned and tripped over his feet.
'What the hell is she doing? Alright, just tell her this won't work and gently rush her out the door.' Luke cleared his throat, after catching a glimpse of her sitting so innocently on the couch his mouth had suddenly gone dry. "Lane, I'm sure you think this is a good idea right now but tomorrow when you've had a chance to think about it you're going to regret it. I mean I'm way too old for you and what would Rory think or your mother for that matter? Why don't you put your, uh, sweater back on and we'll just talk about this for a minute." There he'd gotten that out reasonable well with only a little rambling. He really hoped she'd put that sweater back on. He was fighting a losing battle to focus on her face.
'Second Rule: Approach the Customer in an Inviting Manner.' She stood up from the couch and saw his eyes flicker to her waist where a strip of skin was showing between her tank and her pants. 'Thank God for low-rise jeans.' "I know you think I'm just reacting to stress or something but I'm sure of what I want. Just let me explain how I got this idea and if you still want to say no, then I'll leave and we can just forget this whole conversation ever happened." Pleased that her voice had remained steady she allowed herself to smile at his panicked look. "Come here and sit down. You're a little too tall for me to talk to like this."
He wasn't sure when she'd gotten control of the situation. He was pretty sure he was the one who was supposed to calling the shots here but he'd lost track of what was going on when she'd stood up from the couch. That little strip of skin seemed to have permanently captured his attention. 'Stop it. You are the adult here. It's your responsibility to let her down gently and explain to her why this is not going to happen.' Deciding that it would be easier to talk to her while sitting down he moved over to the chair and sat down.
"Listen, you've..." Lane put her hand over his mouth pleased to see his eyes widen a little at her forward move. "No, I would like for you to listen to me for a minute okay?"
Luke nodded his head. Best to let her get it out of her system then maybe she'd feel like she still had some control over things and it wouldn't hurt her so badly when he told her no. 'And you are going to tell her no, aren't you? Yes of course I'm going to tell her no. I'm just saying opportunity like this doesn't come everyday, maybe you should think about it for a minute. No there is nothing to think about; she's eighteen and I'm...older than that. Much older. End of discussion.' This arguing in his head was proving to be very distracting. He'd apparently blocked out her moving to kneel in front of him and if ever there was something he shouldn't block out it was a young woman kneeling in front of him.
"Luke, please look at me." She waited until his eyes focused on hers. 'Third Rule: Describe and Present Truthfully. Here goes nothing.'
"I don't want to marry you." His eyes flickered at that, confusion starting to replace the panic. "I haven't been carrying some torch for you for years. I'm not in love with you and I don't want a commitment from you." That should keep him guessing. "What I do want is to make a choice for myself that doesn't involve reacting to something or is out of a desire to please someone else. I want to decide when and where one of the most important moments of my life happens. I want it to be on my terms and with the man I trust the most in the world."
Luke was still feeling a lot of confusion; her initial statements had thrown him for a loop. Women usually weren't so straightforward with him. He waited for the other shoe to drop.
"Lane, I don't want to hurt you feelings, I'm sure you think you've thought this through but this is a big decision in your life. You should be having this conversation with someone your age that you do want to have a relationship with." He stopped when she took his hands in hers.
"That's just it. I wouldn't be having this conversation with someone my age. I'd be too busy trying to figure out if he was serious about me or if I could trust him or if he just wanted to get me in the sack." Luke winced at that unused to hearing talk so...frankly. "But you're different. You're a good man. If you weren't you wouldn't be protesting so much. I've always respected you, that isn't going to change, whether you tell me yes or no. Just think about this, please. I want this to happen with you because you're an attractive, honest, decent man that I trust and desire. No other ulterior motives I swear."
She didn't think she'd ever been this nervous in her life. But she also felt free in a way. This was what she had needed to do. Take control of her life. Admittedly this was an unorthodox way to do it, but still.
Luke wasn't sure when the conversation had gone from him saying a flat-out 'no' to him actually considering her reasons. 'She's an eighteen-year-old girl, for God's sake. Keep reminding yourself of that. How could you be thinking about this?' Up until a couple of hours ago he would have sworn he wasn't some dirty old man eyeing up young women. But here he was. Looking at her face, desperately trying to keep from looking any lower. He knew as soon as he did he would cross that line separating protective adult from potential lover and he really didn't think he was ready for that line to disappear.
He knew he needed to say something. But he didn't know what. He tended to screw things up with women when he tried to talk to them. Just look at Nicole, he'd known there were problems but he hadn't known what to say so they had just ended up arguing. And Lorelai, my God, the almost conversations he'd had with her numbered in the thousands. Too bad none of them ever took place outside of his head. Fully aware he was going to mangle this up he knew he had to try. "As flattered as I am that you think I'm good enough for you, I don't think this is such a good idea. I don't think I'm the one you really want for this."
'Well that wasn't too bad was it?' Luke was pretty pleased with that statement nothing too bad there and Lane appeared to be handling it well too. Although she seemed a little surprised and maybe confused about something.
'Good enough for me? What kind of inferiority complex am I dealing with here, anyway? Just what have those women he's been involved with done to him?' She was a little concerned about him. 'Hadn't anyone ever told him they'd be the lucky one to have him and not the other way around?'
His statement had the opposite effect of what he'd hoped for. She was more determined now plus she had additional reasons for wanting this with him. 'He doesn't know what he's up against. I'll just have to try my best to make sure he knows he's valuable.' She smiled to herself. 'Even if it takes all night.'
She wasn't getting her sweater or leaving. In fact it looked she had just decided on something and he was pretty sure it wasn't in favor of his argument. She just smiled at him and he went into a sudden sweat. That smile had a wealth of meaning behind it. He was in trouble.
"I know this is coming out of nowhere but my reasons still stand. I may not be the most attractive woman in the world..." It was his turn to interrupt. "You're beautiful, Lane. Don't ever let anyone tell you differently." He was defensive on her behalf and she was thrilled. "Thank you Luke that means a lot to me. The truth is guys don't pay much attention to me. And when they do I get tongue-tied and nervous and end up looking like the village idiot. I don't want to have to go through this with someone I'm nervous around. You make me feel safe and comfortable. All I want is one night. Maybe some good will come out of it for both of us."
He could almost feel his defenses crumbling. She looked so sweet staring up at him with her hands over top of his. She also looked damned good kneeling at his feet and his ego among other things was starting to get out of hand. What guy didn't have this scenario as one of their main fantasies? He was on the edge of giving in. She was right; one night with someone he was comfortable with certainly beat countless dates trying to figure out the right approach to another woman. And who knows maybe some good would come out of it if they were both determined enough.
"If you want to stop at anytime just say so, alright?" Lane was stunned. She'd been sure it hadn't worked that he was going to say no. The mixture of relief and excitement pouring through her almost made her dizzy. She smiled at him and started to move closer to him when he stopped her. "Tell me you understand. I don't want there to be any confusion about this. I do anything you don't like anything at all and you tell me. Understood?" He was stunned himself he hadn't realized he'd made his decision but it was too late to back out of it now. Not unless she wanted to.
"I understand perfectly. Now, I would really appreciate it if you would let go of my hands so I can take that shirt of yours off. It's been driving me insane."
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Chapter 5 Coming Soon
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Chapter 4 – Capitulation
"Huh?" Luke was positive he hadn't heard that right.
"I want you to sleep with me." He was going to make this difficult she knew it. Well, she'd come this far. No way was she giving up without a fight.
'Oh hell. I heard her right. Where the hell did that come from? Stay calm! She's upset and she's not thinking clearly.' His hands were fidgeting badly and he really needed to move. He stood up dislodging the arm she had still had around him, and then paced over to the window and back trying to think of what to say.
Lane watched him start to pace, 'I think I've got my work cut out for me. Maybe now would be a good time to put those saleswoman skills I'm supposed to have to good use. Let's see, the first rule in sales: Attractive Display.'
She waited until his back was turned and removed the button up sweater she had been wearing to reveal a thin black tank camisole. She knew it had worked when he turned and tripped over his feet.
'What the hell is she doing? Alright, just tell her this won't work and gently rush her out the door.' Luke cleared his throat, after catching a glimpse of her sitting so innocently on the couch his mouth had suddenly gone dry. "Lane, I'm sure you think this is a good idea right now but tomorrow when you've had a chance to think about it you're going to regret it. I mean I'm way too old for you and what would Rory think or your mother for that matter? Why don't you put your, uh, sweater back on and we'll just talk about this for a minute." There he'd gotten that out reasonable well with only a little rambling. He really hoped she'd put that sweater back on. He was fighting a losing battle to focus on her face.
'Second Rule: Approach the Customer in an Inviting Manner.' She stood up from the couch and saw his eyes flicker to her waist where a strip of skin was showing between her tank and her pants. 'Thank God for low-rise jeans.' "I know you think I'm just reacting to stress or something but I'm sure of what I want. Just let me explain how I got this idea and if you still want to say no, then I'll leave and we can just forget this whole conversation ever happened." Pleased that her voice had remained steady she allowed herself to smile at his panicked look. "Come here and sit down. You're a little too tall for me to talk to like this."
He wasn't sure when she'd gotten control of the situation. He was pretty sure he was the one who was supposed to calling the shots here but he'd lost track of what was going on when she'd stood up from the couch. That little strip of skin seemed to have permanently captured his attention. 'Stop it. You are the adult here. It's your responsibility to let her down gently and explain to her why this is not going to happen.' Deciding that it would be easier to talk to her while sitting down he moved over to the chair and sat down.
"Listen, you've..." Lane put her hand over his mouth pleased to see his eyes widen a little at her forward move. "No, I would like for you to listen to me for a minute okay?"
Luke nodded his head. Best to let her get it out of her system then maybe she'd feel like she still had some control over things and it wouldn't hurt her so badly when he told her no. 'And you are going to tell her no, aren't you? Yes of course I'm going to tell her no. I'm just saying opportunity like this doesn't come everyday, maybe you should think about it for a minute. No there is nothing to think about; she's eighteen and I'm...older than that. Much older. End of discussion.' This arguing in his head was proving to be very distracting. He'd apparently blocked out her moving to kneel in front of him and if ever there was something he shouldn't block out it was a young woman kneeling in front of him.
"Luke, please look at me." She waited until his eyes focused on hers. 'Third Rule: Describe and Present Truthfully. Here goes nothing.'
"I don't want to marry you." His eyes flickered at that, confusion starting to replace the panic. "I haven't been carrying some torch for you for years. I'm not in love with you and I don't want a commitment from you." That should keep him guessing. "What I do want is to make a choice for myself that doesn't involve reacting to something or is out of a desire to please someone else. I want to decide when and where one of the most important moments of my life happens. I want it to be on my terms and with the man I trust the most in the world."
Luke was still feeling a lot of confusion; her initial statements had thrown him for a loop. Women usually weren't so straightforward with him. He waited for the other shoe to drop.
"Lane, I don't want to hurt you feelings, I'm sure you think you've thought this through but this is a big decision in your life. You should be having this conversation with someone your age that you do want to have a relationship with." He stopped when she took his hands in hers.
"That's just it. I wouldn't be having this conversation with someone my age. I'd be too busy trying to figure out if he was serious about me or if I could trust him or if he just wanted to get me in the sack." Luke winced at that unused to hearing talk so...frankly. "But you're different. You're a good man. If you weren't you wouldn't be protesting so much. I've always respected you, that isn't going to change, whether you tell me yes or no. Just think about this, please. I want this to happen with you because you're an attractive, honest, decent man that I trust and desire. No other ulterior motives I swear."
She didn't think she'd ever been this nervous in her life. But she also felt free in a way. This was what she had needed to do. Take control of her life. Admittedly this was an unorthodox way to do it, but still.
Luke wasn't sure when the conversation had gone from him saying a flat-out 'no' to him actually considering her reasons. 'She's an eighteen-year-old girl, for God's sake. Keep reminding yourself of that. How could you be thinking about this?' Up until a couple of hours ago he would have sworn he wasn't some dirty old man eyeing up young women. But here he was. Looking at her face, desperately trying to keep from looking any lower. He knew as soon as he did he would cross that line separating protective adult from potential lover and he really didn't think he was ready for that line to disappear.
He knew he needed to say something. But he didn't know what. He tended to screw things up with women when he tried to talk to them. Just look at Nicole, he'd known there were problems but he hadn't known what to say so they had just ended up arguing. And Lorelai, my God, the almost conversations he'd had with her numbered in the thousands. Too bad none of them ever took place outside of his head. Fully aware he was going to mangle this up he knew he had to try. "As flattered as I am that you think I'm good enough for you, I don't think this is such a good idea. I don't think I'm the one you really want for this."
'Well that wasn't too bad was it?' Luke was pretty pleased with that statement nothing too bad there and Lane appeared to be handling it well too. Although she seemed a little surprised and maybe confused about something.
'Good enough for me? What kind of inferiority complex am I dealing with here, anyway? Just what have those women he's been involved with done to him?' She was a little concerned about him. 'Hadn't anyone ever told him they'd be the lucky one to have him and not the other way around?'
His statement had the opposite effect of what he'd hoped for. She was more determined now plus she had additional reasons for wanting this with him. 'He doesn't know what he's up against. I'll just have to try my best to make sure he knows he's valuable.' She smiled to herself. 'Even if it takes all night.'
She wasn't getting her sweater or leaving. In fact it looked she had just decided on something and he was pretty sure it wasn't in favor of his argument. She just smiled at him and he went into a sudden sweat. That smile had a wealth of meaning behind it. He was in trouble.
"I know this is coming out of nowhere but my reasons still stand. I may not be the most attractive woman in the world..." It was his turn to interrupt. "You're beautiful, Lane. Don't ever let anyone tell you differently." He was defensive on her behalf and she was thrilled. "Thank you Luke that means a lot to me. The truth is guys don't pay much attention to me. And when they do I get tongue-tied and nervous and end up looking like the village idiot. I don't want to have to go through this with someone I'm nervous around. You make me feel safe and comfortable. All I want is one night. Maybe some good will come out of it for both of us."
He could almost feel his defenses crumbling. She looked so sweet staring up at him with her hands over top of his. She also looked damned good kneeling at his feet and his ego among other things was starting to get out of hand. What guy didn't have this scenario as one of their main fantasies? He was on the edge of giving in. She was right; one night with someone he was comfortable with certainly beat countless dates trying to figure out the right approach to another woman. And who knows maybe some good would come out of it if they were both determined enough.
"If you want to stop at anytime just say so, alright?" Lane was stunned. She'd been sure it hadn't worked that he was going to say no. The mixture of relief and excitement pouring through her almost made her dizzy. She smiled at him and started to move closer to him when he stopped her. "Tell me you understand. I don't want there to be any confusion about this. I do anything you don't like anything at all and you tell me. Understood?" He was stunned himself he hadn't realized he'd made his decision but it was too late to back out of it now. Not unless she wanted to.
"I understand perfectly. Now, I would really appreciate it if you would let go of my hands so I can take that shirt of yours off. It's been driving me insane."
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Chapter 5 Coming Soon