Brooke sighed as she filled the salt and pepper shakers. It was early morning and part of the routine when opening up Deb's Den. She had gotten the hang of things and had become a natural almost at fulfilling her duties. So engrossed in the minor task she almost didn't hear the lock turn in the door.

"Sorry, I'm late", Haley announced, taking off her coat and hanging it up. "I woke up late and I suck. I know, I know."

Brooke looked up and smiled.

"Hey. I didn't know you were working today. I didn't see you at all yesterday."

"That's because I wasn't in. It's just best for everybody if I don't have to work with 'He Who Should Not Be Named'."

"Oh. That. He was here all day yesterday."

"How did that one go? I'm surprised you two didn't kill each other."

"He wasn't so bad. We kind of stayed out of each other's way but the place was super busy from open to close so that helped."

"Just as long as he wasn't being an ass to you", Haley said as she got right to work.

"He didn't have time to be. He seemed really hung over."

Haley rolled her eyes.

"Figures. Must have had a late night tying one on with Tim."

"I didn't mean to upset you, especially this early on. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything…"

"It's cool. I don't care. I mean, Lucas isn't my business anymore. He can party and drink all he wants to. Hell, he did it when we were together so what's to stop him now?"

"Actually, the other night, I saw him in a different light. It was weird. He was actually, I don't know…tolerable."

Haley laughed.

"He has his moments. Sometimes, he's pretty great."

"Does that make it harder?" Brooke asked. "I mean, knowing that there were a lot of good times and that he can be a great guy?"

Haley shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe. But you don't have much of a choice when the bad far outweighs the good. But yeah, I do remember the good stuff. You know, sometimes we'd order take out and just veg on the couch and watch movies. That was nice. Or we'd talk about our dreams. I really liked that. It was basically the only time we talked. Lucas tends to clam up a lot. He can't really talk about how he feels or where he's been but he likes talking about what might be. Anyway, it was fun. He was a lot of fun. We had fun together. And not to mention, other stuff…"

Her voice trailed off.

"Like what?" Brooke asked.

Haley blushed.

"Oh it's nothing."

"Doesn't sound like nothing. And judging from that grin on your face, it doesn't look like nothing either. You can tell me, Haley. Come on. Spill."

"Let's just say, he wasn't too bad in the bedroom", Haley giggled.

"Really?" Brooke asked.

Haley shrugged.

"What can I say? The sex was pretty good."

Brooke smiled and poured two cups of coffee.

"Here. I've so gotten better at the whole coffee making deal. It doesn't taste like hot toilet water anymore, I promise you. And we have a few minutes before we officially open and seeing as the door is still locked, we could have some girl talk."

"Since when are you so interested in my sex life?"

"Since I no longer have one."

Haley laughed out loud.

"Well, neither do I now."

"But you did and it was good so you say…"

Haley checked the clock.

"We have a few minutes for a coffee break but after this, back to work! I'm serious! The breakfast crowd will be in here before we know it."

"Okay, okay."

"Alright", Haley took a gulp. "I can't believe I'm telling you this but Luke is really freaky."

"Freaky? Really? Yeah, he looks like the type. Wait…how freaky? Are we talking oil covered midgets and beastiality?"

"No", Haley giggled. "Nothing overly weird or gross. It was, I don't know, kind of cool. I liked it. We'd role play…"

"Like the naughty professor or the horny nurse?"

Haley blushed again.

"Yeah or he'd pretend to 'break in' to our place or we'd meet at a random hotel lounge bar outside of town and pretend to be strangers and he'd pick me up. That was pretty fun."

"I'll bet."

"We kept it fun and exciting. But more than that, he was just a really good lover. I mean, some people are good at writing or drawing or playing instruments…well, Lucas Scott is really good at sex."

"Nice talent to have", Brooke quipped.

"I guess he was born to do it. They say it isn't the size of the boat but the motion of the ocean."

"That's horse shit", Brooke sipped her java.

"Yeah. Luckily we didn't have that problem. Lucas lucked out in the endowment department."

Brooke remembered back to that first night she had ever met Lucas. The night he had mistakenly crawled into her bed. He had been naked as the day he was born and she had accidentally in the dark brushed up against his package. And what a package it was. She had never felt anything like that. She'd read about in magazines and seen it in a porno movie once during that wild party her sorority had Junior year of college but she had never been lucky enough to see or feel one up close and personal.

"How big?" Brooke asked.

"I don't know. Big."

"There are different types of big."

"I can't describe it. Just big."

Brooke looked around. She found the television remote control.

"Like that?"

Haley laughed.

"Bigger. Much bigger."

"Let's see…"

Haley grinned as she pointed over to the opposite counter.

"Something kind of like that."

Brooke's eyes bulged out of their sockets.

"I know you're not talking about that sub roll over there."

"Well, yeah."

Her mouth watered.

"Lucky bitch."

"It must have been a while since you've had some."

"Oh yeah", Brooke said. "And even when I had it, it wasn't that great."

"You know what they say. There is no such thing as bad sex. Even when it's bad, it's still pretty damned good."

"Please! Speak for yourself."

"Bad experiences?"

"I don't know. Probably my choice of partners. Let's just say the good stuff you just described…keeping it spicy and incredible size and all that? Well, that's stuff I've only read about."

"You're kidding."

"Do I look like I'm kidding? I wish! And to continue my admission of ultra supreme humiliation, I have never had an orgasm."

Haley choked on her coffee.

"Get out!"

"Nope."

"Not once?"

"Not once. I think I've come pretty close but no cigar."

"I'm speechless."

"It's okay. You don't really miss what you don't have. It's just made me not have a really high sex drive. I mean, I'm human and I have needs and when I get so horny I can't take it, then I do what I have to do but for most the most part, sex doesn't interest me that much…and neither do the men I've had it with."

"Well, sex isn't everything. It's great and it's important but there's more to life and to a marriage. I learned that. Too bad great sex couldn't save us."

"Too bad."

"Um, you said you saw Luke in another form. What happened, if I can ask?"

Brooke shrugged.

"I needed some help and he actually helped me. No lip, no being a jerk…it wasn't bad. I'm still not a fan but I can see what everyone else was saying about him actually being cool some of the time."

"Yeah, he can be nice when he wants to be. What did he do, help you move some stuff?

"No. Actually, Nathan came home after a particularly horrendous day at work and he was pissed off because it was Daytona's last night in town and he wanted to do something nice for her."

Haley turned ten shades of pale.

"Really?"

"Yeah. So I brainstormed this romantic date night for them."

Haley swallowed hard.

"So, um, they are dating? Nathan and Daytona, I mean."

"Yeah. It's cute. They're in the beginning stages still. Anyway, I set up this horse and buggy ride and dinner by moonlight at the docks. It wasn't much but it was pretty special."

"They had a good time? Nathan said so?"

"Yeah. We really haven't had a lot of chance to talk about it but he said it went well and he seemed pretty happy."

"Oh."

"Nathan is such a nice guy. I really like him. He's cool."

"Yeah, he is…"

"Have you guys hung out much since he's been back? I mean, he is your best friend and all."

"No. I mean, we've been so busy. I'm sure we will though."

"Good. I hope so."

Haley ran her fingers through her hair.

"So you said Daytona went back to South Carolina?"

"Yeah. Yesterday."

"Is she coming back soon?"

"I don't know. Probably."

"Oh."

Brooke noticed that Haley's entire face had fallen.

"Are you okay?"

"Huh? Who me? Yeah", she tried to smile. "I'm fine. Never better. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. You just seem different."

"Different? Nah. I'm fine. It's just time to get back."

Brooke looked at the clock. Haley was right.

"Yeah. Okay. I guess we should. Um, I've got some stuff to do in the kitchen so I'll see you around?"

"Sure."

"Don't forget to open up in 15 minutes."

"What? Oh. Okay. I'll hang your keys up for you", Haley called out.

She was suddenly so flustered that it was hard to concentrate on even the most simple tasks. Her heart pounded and her palms were sweaty. And she couldn't get the image of Nathan and Daytona eating by the light of the moon by the waterfront out of her head. Just when she thought she might explode, the door opened. The morning cooks filed in followed by a yawning Nathan. Haley's heart skipped a beat.

"Hey", he said, noticing her as she looked down and pretended that counting the milk glasses was the most important thing in the world.

"Oh. Hey, Nathan. Sorry, I didn't hear you come in."

He nodded. She looked so pretty. Even early in the morning not wearing a lot of make up.

"I forgot you were working the early shift."

"Yeah. I'll be here all day."

"Me too."

"Okay. Um, how…how is Deb?"

"Good. Fine. Better, I mean. She comes home tomorrow."

"That's great news, Nathan."

"Yeah. We're excited."

"I'm sure."

Awkward silence.

"Well, it's almost time for morning rush but when things slow down, maybe you and I could take a break together. You know, grab a soda, talk, catch up…"

Haley shifted nervously from foot to foot.

"Okay. I guess. But it'll probably stay busy today and we are short handed. And I have to take Deb's deposit book to the bank sometime today and…"

"Yeah", Nathan said sadly. "I guess you are pretty busy. We all are."

"But I'll see you around", she said, grabbing an apron.

He watched her hurry off and silently wondered what had happened to his best friend? What had happened to them? He never dreamed of a day when things would be so weird or tense between them. How had it come to that when in the beginning it had just been Nathan and Haley?

"Yeah", he said softly, even though she had long walked away. "See you around."