Hailey tentatively knocked on the office door. What were the rules for this exactly? That was something else she would need to figure out. There was a whole list of those things. How to talk about your stripper past with your loved ones. How to not freak out the guy you can't stop kissing. Or stop holding hands with during Seder under the table. Honestly, even when she was a little girl with a crush on Jimmy she'd never thought he'd be as good of a kisser as he was. And thinking of her little crush on Jimmy was just adding to the weirdness of it all, so she tried to think of someone else.

"Come in," Jimmy said, and then with a smile when he saw it was Hailey, "Hey, you." Another blue shirt. But damn if he didn't look hot in it.

Her thumbs were stuck in the front of her skirt like she was looking for pockets. She had done the same thing that night in LA, so he took it to mean something was making her nervous. "I just...is this cool with you?"

Sliding an arm around her waist, Jimmy smiled at her. "Well, I can think of how it could be better, but there are people outside."

"Jimmy, seriously." She pulled back a bit so she could look him in the eye. "Is it cool that I'm working here? I know that when Sandy asked you couldn't exactly say no, because currently we're carrying some kind of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra before the press found out relationship?"

"I have no idea what you just said, but yes, I'm fine with you working here. This was supposed to be my happy place, you fit that description." Hailey was relaxing into his arm when they heard voices outside the door.

"Julie." Jimmy groaned and leaned his head against her forehead.

"My dad."

"My happy place is gone again."

"My dad is just here to take me to lunch. The How My Daughter Became a Stripper and Failed Her Family Again lunch. Hopefully there will be mimosas."

"You haven't talked yet?"

"I've only been home three days. Between Sandy's mother's visit, and going to get my stuff, I just haven't had time. Kirsten doesn't even know yet, which is kind of awkward since everyone else in the house does, and it's not like Seth or Sandy are so good at the secret keeping. Ryan worries me less. Anyway, that'll be another fun conversation. At least with Kirsten I can be assured of merlot."

He settled for kissing her quickly on the forehead just before the door slammed open without knocking and her father and Julie came in.

"Jimmy! What are you doing closeted with Hailey when you need to be supervising the construction staff..." Julie started as a way of saying hello.

"I was officially hiring Hailey as hostess," Jimmy cut in.

Caleb beamed at his daughter. As much as he was capable of beaming. "Congratulations, Hails."

Julie started to speak, but looked at Caleb and managed not to say a word.

After a quiet ride to the restaurant, Caleb barely waited for the waiter to hand them their menus. "Are you looking forward to working at the restaurant?"

Hailey half smiled. "Jimmy is very excited, and Sandy."

"So it might give you incentive to stay?" He asked without looking up from the menu.

Hailey stared at her father's menu. "That, and other stuff. Maybe I've just finally realized that until I come to terms with...Newport, I can't have a life anywhere else either. Not that I really know what I'd want a life outside of here to be." That actually sounded really good. Maybe she was on to someting.

"It's just that I have to know where you are, Hails. That's what I wanted this winter, just for you to stay and not disappear, nor for you to..."

Hailey felt wretched. Not for you to royally screw up, and disappear and...

Her dad reached across the table to grab her hand, and Hailey almost flinched in surprise. Physically affectionate had never been Caleb's MO. "Don't ever not come to me for help. I didn't build the Newport Group so that my daughter would be..."

Unsuccessful at even being a trust fund baby? End up as a stripper?

"Ever since you've started disappearing I've been waiting for someone from the State Department to call saying they found your passport, and you're gone. I don't want to ever get it. You can have any kind of life you want, Hails."

That horrible feeling was in her chest again, like a Land Rover was on top of her while she trying to shed her skin. She hated that feeling. It was half the reason why she kept leaving, because only her father and Kirsten ever made her feel that way.

Her father lay a checkbook on the table.

"What's that?" Hailey asked. "Or rather, why is that on the table?"

"A checking account for you. The credit cards are on their way. I'm not giving you money to run away, or not giving you money to stay here. Just build a life. Don't be one of those women whose lives revolve around fundraisers and whatever ridiculously named exercise class is the hottest." Any other time she would have laughed. Julie Cooper probably talked about yogalates constantly.

"Dad, I don't think I can let you..."

"I invested money in Sandy and Jimmy's restaurant. I like the idea of you working there. Newport people will like having a Nichols as the hostess. Good for everyone. And it will give you a chance to decide what exactly you want to do."

It was at moments like this that she knew her father really did love her; that she wished that she could be a better daughter. That their relationship could be as simple as it once was, when she was a little girl whom he taught to sail. That she could go back to the fifteen year old who thought her dad was perfect, before actions that she still didn't understand, or want to think about, twisted their relationship.

"Thanks, Daddy," she said softly. A better person would refuse the money, she knew, and insist on doing everything on her own. Thank god she wasn't a better person. She was in desperate need of some clothes.

After the food arrived, Caleb looked out at the shoreline. "We've been eating here since you were a little girl. You always liked the water. Kirsten and your mother were always seasick, but you never were. I remember teaching Jimmy to sail, and you in your life vest hanging on to the deck. That boy's first sailing lesson almost made me sick, but you never flinched."

She did remember that. She must have been about five, so Jimmy and Kirsten had been thirteen. Way before they started dating, back when Jimmy was still just the boy next door. Those days (and her father was right, Jimmy had been awful at first) were her first memories of first truly loving the feel of being adrift in the water. Although thinking of the implications of her little girl crush again, she frowned once more.

"Why don't you come live at home?" Her father interrupted her train of thought, but at this she frowned a little deeper.

"How would you entertain Newport's favorite tramp with me watching E! in the next room?" Hailey asked, only half flippantly.

"We're never there. It's still to much..." Her mother's house. Hailey sighed deeply. "So you'll have the house to yourself most of the time. It'd be nice to have you around again. Besides, living with Sandy can't be that much fun."

Was he buying her? Did he honestly miss her? She wished she knew. However, he did have a point. And the thought of actually being at home again, even if it was just for a little while, was tempting.

"Okay, Dad. For a little while." One more thing to tell Kirsten tonight. Actually, maybe tonight with Sandy, and the boys, and their various girls was not the best time to talk to Kirsten. "Do you think I could ride with you back to the Newport Group?"

Was this uncomfortable conversation day ever going to end, she pondered as she flipped through Riviera magazine. Was Kirsten EVER going to be finished with her meeting? Maybe showing up at the office was not the best plan. Was it bratty to barge into someone's office to discuss yourself? Probably. And she did want to come off as well as she could when she had this conversation. You know, if that was even possible.

"Hey. Did you come back with Dad after lunch?" Kirsten asked as she came in.

"Yeah, he gave me a ride. Did you know what Dad wanted to talk about at lunch?"

"You, I assume." Hailey studied her feet. "I also assume that I probably don't want details."

"He asked me to move back home. I said yes."

Kirsten looked surprised, and then concerned. "You don't have to, Hailey. You're welcome to stay with us as long as you want."

"Maybe you want to check with Sandy about that. Anyway, I think maybe this is for the best." Plus, if her dad really wasn't home much, it would definitely make sneaking out to see Jimmy easier.

Kirsten sat down. "There's kind of more, Kirsten. As to why I'm here, I guess. And if you're going to get upset, just get upset at me. See, I kind of accidentally involved a lot of people in, well mostly in not telling you even though they knew."

"Sit down, Hailey. Who did you involve?"

"Well, I didn't, exactly. Most of them kind of involved themselves. But, okay, Sandy, Dad, Seth, Marissa, and Jimmy."

"So you weren't at Club Med."

"More at Club take your clothes off. I was sort of working as a stripper." Kirsten was silent. Hailey felt that word ominous would fit well in front of the silent. "Seth and Ryan and everyone saw me when they went to that "Valley" party. Anyway, I guess that Ryan called Sandy and Sandy told Jimmy and Jimmy's White Knight attitude toward Newport debs, even debs without their dresses, kicked in and he went to get me. And he arrived at a really great time, because. Well, never mind that part. So, then I was home."

"And Dad?" Kirsten said in measured tones.

"I think Sandy might have yelled the information to him when Dad said something about Jimmy."

"Hailey." In Kirsten's voice, she heard every disappointment she'd caused over the last ten years. It was enough to make her want to sign up for English teaching in Russia. Again. "I'm sorry."

"What?" Totally wasn't expecting that one.

"I probably shouldn't have interfered with you and Dad."

"Stop it. As you've told me like a thousand times, I'm a grown up now. So if I ended up as a stripper, totally my choice." Although, she blamed Kirsten too. Kirsten needed to accept she wasn't her mother. She didn't know everything about her, or her relationship with their Dad. But she kept her 'grown-up now' face on and pretended everything was fine.