Chapter 19
Brooke is standing at the produce counter at the supermarket, talking to an eggplant. "So, I know you're not on the recipe, but you looking kinda..."
A familiar voice comes from behind her. "Brooke?"
Brooke jumps, the eggplant flying from her hand. "Whaaat?" She looks behind her, and sees Haley and Jamie standing. Jamie is smiling and Haley, cute as a button on her blue pregnancy dress, is trying to control her laughter. Without much success. Brooke's eyes flash in anger. "You!" She looks down, the anger disappears as she looks at the little boy. "Oh, hi, handsome!"
"You were talking to the eggplant, Aunt Brooke."
She shows Haley an inch of tongue and replies sweetly. "I was just thinking out loud."
Haley gives up controlling her laughter, and Jamie snickers a bit. "We heard you."
Brooke frowns, arms crossed under her breasts. Haley gets a grip on herself and stage whispers to Jamie. "She's always been a little crazy, honey."
Brooke smirks. "Eccentric, all right?. Rich folk are never 'crazy'."
Jamie frowns at the unfamiliar word. Haley briefly caresses Jamie's blonde hair. "I'll explain later, sweetie."
"Thanks."
Haley turns back to Brooke. "So, why were you conversing with the produce?"
"I was planning a vegetarian lasagna." She points at her cart. Among other things, there are a ton of tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, parsley, cheese and a couple of boxes of dry lasagna. "The sauce recipe doesn't include eggplant, but I was thinking of adding some."
"Can I have some?" Jamie asks. "I love lasagna!"
"Of course you can."
"Since when do you cook, Tigger?"
Brooke begun cooking for herself as a suggestion from her therapist. "For a while. Karen sent me some old recipes."
"Oh? I didn't know you were in touch." Jamie lets go of Haley's hand and walks off. "She must be thrilled you and Lucas are together."
Brooke just smiles. "We've been talking. It's a little hard with the time difference..."
Haley raises a hand and interrupts her, looking at Jamie. speaks in her 'mom' voice. "Stay close, Jimmy Jam!"
"Sure, mom."
"So, how are they?"
"They are fine. Karen says Lily is a little princess. She likes dresses and dolls and she has a ton of friends."
"That sounds good."
"Yeah. She seems happy."
"Good." There is a faint tone of disapproval in Haley's tone, which Brooke fully concurs. Splitting Lucas and Lily felt wrong to both women. "Do you enjoy cooking?"
"Yeah." Brooke seems to hesitate, and Haley waits for her to continue. "I thought of reopening the Cafe."
"That's a nice idea!" Haley replies enthusiastically. "I'd ge happy tp help."
"I'm not sure, Tutormom." Brooke frowns. "I'm afraid it would be just busywork. A rich woman's toy, you know?"
"You want something more meaningful..."
"I thought of raising a bunch of little Scotts." Brooke looks at Haley's pregnancy and seems a little lost for a moment. "Now..."
Haley sighs and grabs her friend in a tight hug. "Hey..."
Brooke takes a step back and tries to smiles. "Don't worry. Something will come up."
"I'm sure it will."
=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=
It's a couple of hours past lunchtime. A wet, chilly winter afternoon, perfect for reading a nice book. His publisher sent him a new novel by one of their big-time authors, lighthearted suspense and romance, in the hope that he would endorse it with a nice blurb. The novel itself is not quite Lucas speed, but it's well-crafted and flows easily, so he'll be happy to comply with the request. He lifts his head and sets the manuscript aside when he hears the fast tip-tap of Brooke's leather sandals on the wood floor outside his office. She knocks softly.
"Lucas?"
"Come in." Lucas is glad for the interruption, hoping to switch the book for some cuddling.
Brooke opens the door, bringing in a pert little smile and a small pile of correspondence. She is wearing a tight floral print shirt, braless, and gray yoga pants. Coming from the cold outside, her nipples stand through the shirt, hard like a pair of buttons. She notes his interest and her smile deepens. She drops the pile of mail in front of him and sits on his lap, arms around his neck. "Your choice, Broody. Check the mail or play with them."
Lucas palms one of her breasts, fingers playing with the nipple, brings her head close with his other hand and kisses her deeply. She moans softly and grinds her ass against his lap. They make out for a few minutes, growing increasingly heated. Then he picks her up in a bridal carry, while her pleasure noises turn to giggles. She finds it exhilarating that he can carry her like she weighs nothing at all.
Walking over, he places her softly in their bed, removes the yoga pants and her pink valentine panties. The little patch of pink hair points the way to the wet slit underneath. She spreads her legs, showing off to him and he goes down on her...
Half an hour, and a mind blowing orgasm later, they are back at the office. Both are dressed, and mellow with the day's second helping of each other.
There is not much mail during the holidays. Bank and credit card statements, both Lucas' and Brooke's, a few ads and assorted junk. A large, stiff brown envelope stands out. It is addressed to Lucas and Brooke in flowery script. No postage, which means it was hand-delivered and no sender information. Lucas opens it eagerly, with Brooke watching. Something sandwiched between cardboard rectangles, and a yellow post-it note stuck to it, in the same flowery script of the envelope. 'B & L, Look what I found. Hope y'all like it! Merry Xmas, Quinnie.'
Inside, an eight-by-ten print, in gorgeous color. The background is out of focus, with a suggestion of a crowd of people and bleachers. Probably the Ravens' gym, probably post-game. In first plane, a glorious candid shot of a very young Brooke. Full cheer uniform with sweat stains, sweat rivulets coming down her face, her arms and legs beaded and glistening. Pony tail plastered on her shoulder, a few loose strands framing her face. Flat-chested, long gamy legs and a bit of baby fat still softening the contours of her face. A physically exhausted posture, knees slightly bent, hands pushed hard above her knees, body leaning forward. Face a little tilted to one side, smiling at something to her left. Her eyes bright, her expression a mixture of triumph and mischief.
Brooke examines the picture closely. There's no denying Quinn's talent in capturing both the subject and the moment. "Wow!" She giggles. "Freshman year. October or November, I think." She turns to Lucas, cupping and shaking her breasts a bit. "The girls only began to come out during Christmas break..." Brooke stops talking, when she realizes Lucas is not listening. He is completely focused on the picture, a strange look on his face...
"Lucas!"
He utterly ignores her, continuing to stare at the picture, entranced.
She laughs. Her Broody can be a real oddball, sometimes. She snaps her fingers under his nose' "Broody!"
He looks at her, blinking slowly, like a sleepy owl. He looks a little embarrassed. "Hm?"
A stiff finger, she pokes him harshly on the side. He scowls and rubs the offended place. "Ow! What is it?"
She makes an innocent face. "What?"
"That hurt."
"Oh, get off it!" His scowl turns into a smile. "You like the picture."
He actually blushes! Brooke hasn't seen him like this since Junior year. He sneaks another peak at the picture. "Yeah."
Brooke bounces a bit in place. "Spill it. What is it?"
"Err..."
"Lucas!"
He clears his throat. "Should I be finding a fourteen-year-old extremely sexy?"
Brooke lets out a surprised squeal. She wasn't expecting that. Lucas keeps staring at her, then looking at the picture. Brooke gets a hold of herself and manages to answer. "And why not?" She points at the photograph. "I was a hot little thing, wasn't I?" She slides a nail slowly down his arm. "And, as we know, you are a teensy bit pervy."
Lucas shudders and laughs, still a little embarrassed. "You have a point there." He looks again at the picture and shakes his head. "I was a blind fool, wasn't I?"
"Why?"
"Why did I ever look at anyone else?"
"If you ever looked at me at all, you saw a rich, shallow, stuck-up, annoying airhead. And you were not wrong about any of that." Lucas clucks skeptically. "Besides, PSawyer was a cool chick with big green eyes and actual boobs."
Lucas snickers. "A little high strung."
She looks at him sideways. "Some people enjoy that."
There's a long silence. Lucas stares at the picture pensively while Brooke cuddles against his side. "I think the sexy thing is more in my mind than in the picture. I can just imagine ravishing your young body..."
"Hmm. I like the way your mind works, boy-toy."
He smirks at her. "Insatiable wench."
A bright smile. "Pot. Meet kettle."
They both laugh.
Lucas turns serious. "You're wrong, though."
She frowns. "About what, exactly?"
"You were not a shallow airhead."
"Of course I was."
Lucas points at the picture. "Look at her. Forget who it is and just look. What do you see?"
"A young teen. Tired and happy." She looks at Lucas and feels she is missing something. "What do you see?"
"A fit young athlete, glowing after a serious winning effort. I see dedication, a strong heart and I see smarts and mischief in her eyes. I see a valuable team member and I see a need for guidance, because she can be a potential troublemaker or a leader."
Brooke mulls it over for a minute. "You think this is all in the picture, and not in your head."
"I can't be sure... but yeah."
"Hm."
Lucas points at the picture again. "She is my Brooke, just young. Brilliant, beautiful and brave, remember?. The love of my life." Brooke startles a bit, and he nuzzles her. He adds in a whisper. "I was a blind idiot."
"We were both young and foolish. But it didn't matter, did it? We made our way to one another. As it was meant to be."
"I believe in choices, not destiny."
Brooke giggles. "Then I choose you."
"These choices have to be remade everyday, you know?" She turns serious. "But I choose you too. And I intend to keep choosing you for good."
She nods and hugs him. "Good. So do I."
Silence between them wears as comfortably as an old sneaker. They walk, hand-in-hand along the shore, and sit to the lee side of a sand dune, facing the ocean. He broods. She enjoys the moment. Lucas breaks the silence.
"Brooke..."
"What?"
"Would you mind... making it official?" She looks at him, eyes narrowed and flashing. "I mean... nothing fancy. Just a visit to City Hall."
She considers his words, and answers in a slight mocking tone. "You need a piece of paper, Lucas? After... everything?"
"No. Not really. Not for me, at least."
She scrunches her face in annoyance. "What the fuck do you mean?"
Lucas breathes in and out slowly. "It's Children's Services. They keep getting harassed by the State Oversight Commission. Do you know how inappropriate it is, to give custody of a teen girl to an unrelated twenty-four-year-old male divorcee?"
Brooke guffaws. "Sure. Now that you say it, it looks kinda fishy, doesn't it?"
He nods. "There's a story behind it. Ultimately, there's solid justification, the Judge is sympathetic and a Ravens fan."
Brooke clucks and shakes her head. "Tree Hill..."
"It is its own little world. So..."
Brooke turns to face Lucas. "That was one hell of a lame proposal, Mr. Scott."
Lucas smiles, unsure about how she's taking it. "You need me in one knee?"
She waves her hands in dismissal. "Nah... it's fine."
Another long silence follows. She broods, and he waits quietly in pins and needles. Finally she nods. "All right, boy-toy. I'll do it. One condition, though."
"What?" He frowns.
"You tear up that fucking check."
Lucas blinks at her a few times. That was unexpected. "Fine, of course. I had no idea it was bothering you."
Brooke grabs his hand. "Yeah, it sure bothers me. It shames me."
"I'm sorry. I'd sort of forgotten about it."
"Why did you keep it in the fridge?"
"I was very angry at first. I left it there as a reminder."
"A reminder of what?"
"Of what happens when you give of yourself too freely. Of the price of trust."
"Oh." Brooke blinks away a few tears. "I'm sorry."
"It was never your fault. Besides, by the time Sam showed up, I had forgotten about it. She even asked me what it was all about, and I just dismissed it. I'll tear it up as soon as we go back inside."
"Then I guess we're on, fiancee."
Lucas smile lighted up the afternoon.
=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=
The boy is seventeen. Nicely built, tan, long dark hair held in a ponytail. He's been sniffing around her girl, so she asked around. Mother is an elementary school teacher, and the father drives long-haul. Lives about half a mile down the road. Good kid, by all accounts, but...
When she saw the boy walk out with Sam, she quickly climbed to the roof of the house with a set of sports binoculars in hand. Lying on the flat top, she keeps watch on the pair.
They stop under a tree, about a quarter of a mile from the house, in plain view. With the binoculars, it's easy to see that Sam is very tense, but the boy isn't. They talk for a few minutes, and Sam appears to relax a bit. Then it happens. Sam has her back to the tree and the boy crowds her, one arm stretched, palm against the tree. He leans in, hiding Sam for a moment. Taylor almost jumps straight from the roof to intervene. Before she does it, Sam pushes the boy away, and he takes a step back. Taylor breathes easier when she sees Sam is not angry. They keep talking. A few minutes later, Sam, still very tense, jumps at the boy and pecks him in the lips. Taylor snickers to herself, with a huge sense of relief. It was not clear whether Sam would ever feel comfortable again around a male of the species, Lucas excepted.
A minute later, the two are making out under the tree, and Sam seems to melt in the boy's arms. Taylor drops from the roof and walks towards the couple, intent on curbing any further progression. Easy does it, she thinks to herself, a big smile on her face.
=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=
They are back at the beach, looking at the waves. Actually, Lucas is staring at the waves. Brooke is staring at the plain gold ring on her left ring finger with a slight frown. "Maybe we should have gone for the platinum..."
"I distinctly recall you insisting on the gold..."
"I know, husband. I'm allowed to be indecisive. I'm gonna be wearing this to my grave, after all."
"There's still a lot of water to run under that bridge, Pretty Girl."
"I plan to be buried with it, all right? You're such a wuss, sometimes."
"Well... sorry, all right? Anything I can do to make my wife a little happier?"
"Hmm... a couple of things come to mind."
Lucas laughs. "I heard women turn less, say, enthusiastic, after marriage."
"I'm sure that wasn't the case with your previous experience either."
Lucas shakes his head. "Nope."
"How about a little honeymoon?"
That sounds nice. "I'm game. Where?"
"How about skiing? Utah or Colorado." Brooke loves the slopes, and they love Brooke right back.. Lucas, not so much.
"How about skiing for a few days, plus a couple of days in Vegas?" Lucas is pretty sure he's going to need a little pampering.
"Do you play poker, Lucas?"
"Sure. There's a game at the Sheriff's house a few times a year, and I'm usually invited. I usually get skinned pretty good." He laughs. "That's probably why I keep getting invited."
Brooke smirks. "I'm pretty good at it."
"I believe you."
"I'm going to spend some time at the high stakes table. You can be arm candy."
Lucas frowns. "High stakes?"
"Yeah." Brooke notes Lucas is a little uncomfortable. "Did I tell you how much we are worth, boy-toy?"
"No. Andy ballpark?"
Brooke giggles. "Times ten. North of three hundred and fifty million."
Lucas growls. "Now I feel stupid. We should have gotten a prenup."
Brooke shrugs. "I don't really care about the money, and neither do you, I think."
"Fine. Still..."
"Don't worry, Broody. It's not going to get in the way." She frowns. "I thought I could become a professional poker player."
"You're that good?" Brooke smiles softly. "I guess you are."
"I would need some coaching. But it was just an idle thought. I need to find something useful to do with myself, beyond sex."
"If there is one thing I know about you is that you can do anything."
"Olympic athlete? Brain surgeon? Orchestra conductor?"
"Anything." Lucas laughs. "In a fight between you and the rest of the known universe, I'm betting on you."
Brooke echoes Lucas' laughter. "Outstanding sex aside, that's the reason I'm here. You believe in me more than I do. Always did."
"Observable facts, babe."
"Oh, shut up."
"Did you have any less than idle thoughts?"
"Actually two. One is gourmet cooking. I actually spent some time talking to your mother about it."
"Really? What did she think?"
"She tried to discourage me a bit. She says running a restaurant is tiring, boring and thankless, unless you really need the money."
"I see. Anything else?"
"Just going back to school. Finishing something."
"What?"
"I really don't know. You could help me with some options."
"Sure."
"If I want to start next year, how long do I have to figure this out?"
"With your bankroll? A little directed donation and you can start the following week."
"Our bankroll, Broody."
"That's gonna take some getting used to."
"We have all the time..."
