As the door to the café opened, Haley looked up from the register to see
her co-worker and friend Jake Jigilsky approaching the counter.
"Hey Haley."
"What's up Jake?" Haley asked, smiling at him.
He shrugged. "Nothing much...well actually something. I kind of need to ask you for a favor."
"Name it," she answered.
"I know your day off is tomorrow but could you switch with me? I'll work your Wednesday shift," Jake said, talking quickly. "I wouldn't ask, but I have to go see a lawyer. Nikki's taking me to court for Jenny."
"Oh I'm sorry Jake," Haley sympathized. "Sure I can fill in for you tomorrow. Good luck with that though. I hope you get to keep Jenny."
"Me too Hales. Thanks Haley. I'll see you later."
"Your welcome," she said, and waved as he was turning to leave.
Jake left Haley and caught a glimpse of Luke...with Brooke, and decided to say hi. "Hey man, what's up? Hey Brooke," he greeted them.
"Hey Jake."
"Nothing man, just hanging out catching up," Luke answered. "Care to join?"
Jake shook his head. "I gotta go find myself a babysitter."
"Jake aren't we a little old to be needing a babysitter?" Brooke teased.
He laughed a little. "Funny Brooke. It's for Jenny. I have to meet with a lawyer tomorrow and my parents are coming with me so I need someone to watch Jenny."
"What time tomorrow?"
"After practice until probably eight at the latest. Why you know someone Brooke?" Jake asked.
"Yeah," Brooke said smiling. "Me, well us. Luke and I are going to hang out tomorrow after practice, so we can watch Jenny for you."
"When did we say we're hanging out?" Luke asked Brooke confused.
Brooke laughed. "Ok so I didn't ask yet, but how could you possibly refuse. Besides Jake needs our help."
Lucas rolled his eyes. "Guess we'll be seeing you tomorrow night after practice."
"Are you guys sure about this? Because you don't have to," Jake -assure-d them.
"No sweat," Brooke answered. "Glad to help." Brooke looked over and saw Haley watching them. "I'm going to get something to drink anyone want anything?" she asked standing up.
Lucas shook his head, and Jake said, "No thanks."
"Ok, I'll be right back." Jake took Brooke's seat as she headed up to the counter to where Haley sat.
* ~ *
Jake looked at Lucas, who was watching Brooke. "Girl talk?" he wondered.
"About?" Lucas asked.
He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe reporting on how the date?" he paused before continuing, "is going."
"It's not a date man. It's just me and Brooke hanging out becoming friends again."
Jake nodded, but he could see the way he looked at Brooke and the way his eyes drank her in. But if he wanted to live in denial, far be it from him to snap him out of it. "Whatever you say."
* ~ *
"How's it going?" Haley asked.
Brooke had this silly little smile on her face. "We're watching Jenny tomorrow."
"We are?" Haley asked confused.
Brooke shook her head. "Not *us*...me and Luke."
"Oh!" Haley said. "Oooh. I see," she continued nodding her head. "How's everything going?"
She couldn't help it, but her smile got bigger. "It's going good, so good. I was ready to talk to him and tell him about..." Brooke trailed off, resting her hand on her tummy. "But then when we got here and we got to talking...I think I'm going to wait a little longer." At the look on Haley's face, Brooke knew she had to talk fast. "Haley, everything is going so well and we're talking again...I don't want to scare him away or force him into thinking there's something between us. I want it to be real."
END PART 6
"Hey Haley."
"What's up Jake?" Haley asked, smiling at him.
He shrugged. "Nothing much...well actually something. I kind of need to ask you for a favor."
"Name it," she answered.
"I know your day off is tomorrow but could you switch with me? I'll work your Wednesday shift," Jake said, talking quickly. "I wouldn't ask, but I have to go see a lawyer. Nikki's taking me to court for Jenny."
"Oh I'm sorry Jake," Haley sympathized. "Sure I can fill in for you tomorrow. Good luck with that though. I hope you get to keep Jenny."
"Me too Hales. Thanks Haley. I'll see you later."
"Your welcome," she said, and waved as he was turning to leave.
Jake left Haley and caught a glimpse of Luke...with Brooke, and decided to say hi. "Hey man, what's up? Hey Brooke," he greeted them.
"Hey Jake."
"Nothing man, just hanging out catching up," Luke answered. "Care to join?"
Jake shook his head. "I gotta go find myself a babysitter."
"Jake aren't we a little old to be needing a babysitter?" Brooke teased.
He laughed a little. "Funny Brooke. It's for Jenny. I have to meet with a lawyer tomorrow and my parents are coming with me so I need someone to watch Jenny."
"What time tomorrow?"
"After practice until probably eight at the latest. Why you know someone Brooke?" Jake asked.
"Yeah," Brooke said smiling. "Me, well us. Luke and I are going to hang out tomorrow after practice, so we can watch Jenny for you."
"When did we say we're hanging out?" Luke asked Brooke confused.
Brooke laughed. "Ok so I didn't ask yet, but how could you possibly refuse. Besides Jake needs our help."
Lucas rolled his eyes. "Guess we'll be seeing you tomorrow night after practice."
"Are you guys sure about this? Because you don't have to," Jake -assure-d them.
"No sweat," Brooke answered. "Glad to help." Brooke looked over and saw Haley watching them. "I'm going to get something to drink anyone want anything?" she asked standing up.
Lucas shook his head, and Jake said, "No thanks."
"Ok, I'll be right back." Jake took Brooke's seat as she headed up to the counter to where Haley sat.
* ~ *
Jake looked at Lucas, who was watching Brooke. "Girl talk?" he wondered.
"About?" Lucas asked.
He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe reporting on how the date?" he paused before continuing, "is going."
"It's not a date man. It's just me and Brooke hanging out becoming friends again."
Jake nodded, but he could see the way he looked at Brooke and the way his eyes drank her in. But if he wanted to live in denial, far be it from him to snap him out of it. "Whatever you say."
* ~ *
"How's it going?" Haley asked.
Brooke had this silly little smile on her face. "We're watching Jenny tomorrow."
"We are?" Haley asked confused.
Brooke shook her head. "Not *us*...me and Luke."
"Oh!" Haley said. "Oooh. I see," she continued nodding her head. "How's everything going?"
She couldn't help it, but her smile got bigger. "It's going good, so good. I was ready to talk to him and tell him about..." Brooke trailed off, resting her hand on her tummy. "But then when we got here and we got to talking...I think I'm going to wait a little longer." At the look on Haley's face, Brooke knew she had to talk fast. "Haley, everything is going so well and we're talking again...I don't want to scare him away or force him into thinking there's something between us. I want it to be real."
END PART 6