It was Friday night in New York City, and all she wanted was a nice drink before going home and curling up in bed. However the idiot that had sat down next to her was making it harder than she had hoped.

"So do you come here often?" he says, not at all hiding the fact that he is looking her up and down.

"No, actually."

"Well, you know I could show you the ropes... let me buy you a drink, I'll give you the tour, we'll see where it goes from there."

"No thank you, I'm fine."

"Come on baby, can't I buy you just one drink?"

The blond watched from afar as this guy hit on her unashamed, seeming to pull out every line that he could think of to get her to budge. It got to the point where he was just sad to say that the man was part of the male species. He obviously couldn't take a clue, and he felt bad for her.

He walked up behind her, placing his hands softly on her shoulders trying to not startle her in the dark bar. Her eyes instantly flew back to his and he swore they softened just a bit.

"Hey babe, I finally found you!" he says, winking at the green eyes that looked up at him.

"You're late! But I'm so glad you're here." she says, meaning every word of that last statement.

The ogre of a man that was sitting next to her took in the pair before him, young, cute, blond all together and absolutely sickening to him. "You could have told me that you were here to meet someone."

"And miss the joyous conversation of you trying to pick me up with every sleazy one liner that you could pull out of your ass. How unfortunate would that have been?" she says, with amusement in her voice.

The man scoffs before grabbing his drink off the bar and walking away from the two. He squeezes her shoulders a last time and waits as she spins around to face him.

"God, I'm glad you showed up..."

He puts out a hand to her, "Lucas Scott."

"Peyton Sawyer..."

"Now at risk of pulling the same shit as the last guy, can I buy you a drink Peyton Sawyer?"

"Oh, I see how this works, you save me... then you think that you can hit on me. Was the other guy just a plant for you?" she asks with an eyebrow raised that he finds adorable and attractive.

"My cousin Earl actually."

She just laughs and puts her face down, trying to hid the blush that had crept up to her cheeks before she had a chance to stop it.

"Well, thank you Lucas Scott, but I've already got my drink, and once it is gone, I'll be going as well."

"That's too bad..."

"And why is that?"

"Because it is early yet, and I just got here, and I was looking forward to talking to someone for a while."

"You've got until the last ice cube melts, and after that, you're on your own."

He laughs at her ability to combat his quirky remarks, reminding him of his best friend from home, who was the only one who held that ability.

"So what do you do, Scott?"

"I'm an author..."

She can't help but roll her eyes at that. It seems like everywhere you go in New York all the guys are authors, models, actors, or filmmakers. Couldn't anyone be honest and say that they were an undergrad or that they were working towards some other random goal, but at the time were a manager at The Gap. Would that make them be any less of a person?

"Right... and how many lovely poems have you published online today?"

"You don't believe me?"

"I'm sorry Luke, but every guy who tries to pick me up has a story about their famous but not really famous job, like an author or an actor. I have long since decided that those people aren't worth my time."

"Two novels. One of them was a best seller, and the second one tanked. Would you like to Google me?"

She accepted that challenge, realizing that if he had the balls to say it, then he must actually be somewhat telling the truth, "And since then? Or was the tanking more recent?"

"Since then, I've had some issues with writers block... not working to well for me."

"Wait... the rivercourt... basketball, right?" she says, finally vaguely remembering someone mentioning his novel to her.

He smiles at her familiarity with his first novel, "So you have read one of my books."

"No, actually, but my best friend has mentioned it in passing. It was one of a short list of books that she has actually read in her twenty three years of life. She said that one of the characters reminded her of herself, so she loved it."

"hmmm" he says, feeling good about proving her author/actor girl meeting tactic wrong, "What about you?"

"I own an art gallery just down the street a few blocks."

"Interesting..."

"Yeah, well, it won't get me on the bestseller list, but I like what I do for the most part."

"You don't sound too convinced."

"That's cause it's Friday... maybe by Monday I'll like my job again." she says laughing at the truth behind her words, "So, why are you here tonight?"

"Would you like the long version or the short version?"

She considers this for a moment, playing with the straw of her drink before turning back to him, "How about the short version, and I can ask you to expand on it?"

"Well then... in short, my day sucked."

"Well, okay then! Long version needed I guess."

"Basically this whole writer's block thing is really screwing me over, and my publisher wants another novel out of me, and it isn't there right now. My little brother is pissed at me because he wants me to come and see his championship game for basketball and I can't because of stupid meetings. The only up point of my day was when my five year old nephew called me to say that he lost his tooth."

"Nice..."

"And you? What brings you here tonight?"

"Short version or long version?"

"Haven't we learned from the last time?"

"Long version it is... I can't believe I'm telling this to some stranger I met in a bar... I love my job, but at the same time, it isn't what I'm supposed to be doing, it's just a cop out."

"What do you mean?" he asks with a genuine look of concern placed on his features, a look that made her okay with telling her life story to a stranger in a bar.

"After I graduated high school..."

"Which was?"

"Five Years ago... sly by the way..." she says at his ability to figure out her age without actually asking her outright. "Anyways, I got an internship at Sire Records in Los Angeles. I'm a music buff to say the least and I wanted to change the music industry. Three years in, I was still low man on the totem pole and forced to watch bimbos with no talent and no meaning behind their music get signed. And when my boss asked me to drop a button to get into a meeting, I quit."

"Wow... and how did you end up here then, with an art gallery."

"My other hobby is drawing... something I've done since forever, so my best friend, who owns a pretty successful clothing line decided to underwrite my opening an art gallery, and I've been here ever since."

"Okay..." he says, curious as to why she explained all of that, but not complaining at the glimpse into her past that it gave him.

"And what does this have to do with anything regarding why I'm here?" she asks, continuing after he nods, "It's not what I'm supposed to be doing, and I know that. I want back into music, but I don't want it to suck the life out of me like it did when I was in LA. I want to find artists who are passionate about what they do, and not in it just to make money. I want to find people whose music is going to mean something to someone, and I don't think I'm ever going to be able to do that."

"Why?" he asks, challenging her thoughts.

"Because major labels are in it for the money and for the business... they don't care about the people." she finally says after thinking it through, twisting the straw around her drink that has remained untouched since he came into the picture.

"Peyton?"

"Yes?"

"I know that I don't know you very well, but can I suggest something?"

"As long as this isn't some chance to try and get me to sleep with you, you can--"

"Start your own label." he says, cutting her off to show her that he had dropped the picking her up goal the second they started really talking. Well, he hadn't dropped it, but he was far more interested in her person than he had been with anyone else in a long time, so at least he could talk to the beautiful woman. If it went anywhere else it would just be a bit of a bonus.

"What?"

"Your friend with the clothing line, have her invest in your own label. You could keep your art gallery so you'd still have income and that has to be large enough to have an office, and you could work from there on getting new bands and things like that. And in New York there are plenty of studios that you could get artists into, I'm sure. Just try it. You never know what can happen..."

She considers what he said for a moment, a little amazed that he came up with a plan that she herself had been toying with for quite some time. Without over analyzing it, she leaned over an brushed her lips across his cheek.

He pulled back in surprise, a smile on his face. "What was that for?"

"For making me realize that the thought mulling around in my brain for the past year isn't completely stupid. You kind of saved me with that."

"Well, if you wanted to be fair, I saved you a little bit when I came over here in the first place, so technically, you owe..." he trails off when he sees her eyebrow raised and an amused smirk on her face, "not working?"

"Nope."

They sit for a few more minutes, listening to the live music, sharing a few casual glances at the other before she stands, grabbing her coat to leave.

"You didn't finish your drink..."

"I said you had until the last ice cube melted, and that was about a half hour ago, so even that was pushing your luck."

"So..."

"Don't be a stranger Lucas Scott..." she says casually, walking away from him.

He stood there for a few moments, watching her leave the bar, and fully mesmerized by the conversation they just had. Being the cheesy writer that he was, he could say that it was love at first sight, but he wasn't ready for that yet. However, he couldn't put to words what he was feeling about the blond, curly haired beauty.

Peyton was having the same feelings as she walked the short two blocks to her shared apartment. Well, she shouldn't say apartment, because what she and Brooke lived in was basically a floor of an apartment complex. As she walked in the door, with a smile on her face, she was met by her best friend, who instantly took in her mood.

"What's with the smile P. Sawyer?"

"What would you say to helping me start my own record label? Keep the gallery, but try to start a label on the side."

"I'd ask how much you wanted."

"Really?"

"Honestly, I've been waiting for you to either jump on a plane back to L.A. Or for you to suggest something like this... what made the switch flip?"

"I've been mulling it around in my head for awhile, but someone made me realize that it wasn't as crazy as I thought it might be."

Taking in her best friend's still smiling face, she had to ask, "is this a boy someone?"

"I'm tired... I think I'm going to go in to bed." she says, walking away, leaving Brooke in the kitchen.

"Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer, I want details!!!" Brooke screamed after her.

"You'll get details when there are details to share!" she screams back, putting her back against the door and taking a minute to let the ideas fly around in her head.

Moments later, she changes into pajamas and reaches under her bed to pull out a sketch book that she hid there. Opening to a worn page that had gotten a lot of use the past year, she smiled.

"Red Bedroom Records... thank you Lucas Scott."

–

Okay, so I'm toying with this idea in my head, and I doubt that anyone will figure out where I'm going with this, but we'll see. I hope you liked it.

In case you were wondering, just take everything that happened in the show and remove Brooke and Peyton. Brooke and Peyton have done everything from the show, just in a different place. Naley and Jamie are still there, Nathan is in the NBA. Dan still killed Keith, but is still actually in prison. Lucas' first book was still about high school, but not about Peyton, and his second tanked like in the show. Lindsay is still his editor, but there is no and will be no romantic relationship there. Hmm... any other questions?? Hopefully I'll be able to fill in the gaps!!!

Let me know what you are thinking by reviewing!!!!