Lucas awoke suddenly, feeling pain in his legs. He realised that he had been pinned down and couldn't move. His legs had fallen asleep. It took him a moment to register that it was Brooke who was sleeping deeply on top of him. He became aware instantly although he hardly believed that she would stir.
Lucas noticed how her lean body fit on top of his muscular frame. Her head rested on his chest while her arms circled him on either side. The multiple comforters keeping them warm covered her till her neck. She mustn't be wearing a bra, Lucas thought as he could feel her breasts pressed against his chest through her sweatshirt. He liked that feeling. That thought instantly made him remember her nude body and how he had seen it multiple times that past night. He felt a strange surge of feelings in the pit of his stomach remembering that. Brooke Davis' nude body was breathtaking. Lucas quickly shut those thoughts down. He chastised himself for thinking about her that way, admonishing himself for not being any better than the creeps at the club.
He suddenly found himself feeling sorry for her. She hadn't wanted it. Although she had put up a verbal fight, she hadn't fought all that hard while she was in his arms and they were leaving the club. Obviously, he would have to talk to her… again… about never stepping foot in that place. He never knew after all, what was going on in that beautiful yet psychotic mind of hers. Lucas suddenly found himself running his hands through her hair and caressing her face. Brooke didn't even stir. She must have been exhausted. He wondered how she did it everyday until he found her. Did she have any hope? Did she think what she was doing was for a limited period of time or did she believe that that would be her life forever? He she held on to hope? He would make it a point to ask her that. His hands unconsciously moved to rub her arms. Her skin felt soft and smooth against his touch. How did her skin feel that smooth despite being touched and pinched by the calloused hands of so many men? One thing that he knew for sure though was that Brooke Davis was tougher than him.
Lucas watched her in the faint light of Jamie's nightlight. Although he knew it, it felt to him as a sudden realisation in that moment that he would be connected to Brooke forever. She would always be in his life. No matter where life took him, Brooke would always be a part of his story. She had been a part of his story even during those missing three years. He had never stopped being a part of Brooke's life. From the last day they were together, when she conceived his child, to every day after where she grew and nurtured their son. He didn't mind it one bit, being attached to Brooke forever. In fact, he quite liked it. She was a pretty phenomenal person.
Lucas wondered what time it was and whether Jamie was doing okay without Brooke. He was used to spending the nights with Sam thanks to Brooke's kob at the strip club, so he wasn't too worried. His foot however was still stinging from having fallen asleep. He shifted it to get blood flowing there again, but the sudden movement stirred Brooke. She was still un a sleepy haze until she felt herself on top of a man which terrified her out of her wits. Lucas saw her almost jump out of the bed until she saw his face in the glow of the nightlight. All of Brooke's nerves calmed down instantly while Lucas pulled her back down to lie on top of him.
Brooke felt a little awkward that time. She couldn't make the excuse of being cold and tired to sleep that way on top of him. "What time is it?"
"Doesn't matter. It's still dark outside. Just go back to sleep, Pretty Girl. We slept really late last night," Lucas said, rubbing her back to ease her back to sleep. "Mom can handle Sam and Sam can handle Jamie."
"Yeah, but Sam needs her Physics text book," Brooke reminded him.
"We forgot text books all the time. She'll be fine," Lucas replied, making the matter seem miniscule.
"Okay, but are you sure? I mean, I'm here on top of… uh.. You," Brooke stuttered.
"Shh, stop overthinking. It's still cold," he said and closed his eyes.
Brooke was enjoying the warmth and comfort. She knew she shouldn't have been relishing it the way she was, but she knew that it was only for one night and she did not want it to end either. Her shift at the hotel was late anyway. So, she laid her head back down on Lucas' chest who wrapped his arms around her. She smiled briefly at that feeling and closed her eyes again to welcome sleep.
Lucas smiled at how easy she was when she was partially sleepy and her brain didn't have all those walls up. Alert Brooke would never allow herself to be that way around him. He further wrapped her in his arms to cuddle with her, making them both feel cosy. Then he too, shut his eyes to enjoy the easiness that barely existed within them. Yes, he was the one who had said that they would only interact regarding the kids and be strangers. Yes, he had to ask her what she meant when she said he was the second person she had removed her panties for. Yes, he needed to get on page with Brooke about the Peyton matter. Yes, they needed an update on the adoption and yes, he needed Andy to expedite the setting up of Clothes over Bro's. But for that moment, all he needed was for the moment to stay the way it was.
Brooke was the first to wake up the second time. She gently eased off of Lucas' body and realised that she didn't have her phone or anything with her since everything was at the club. She saw that the kids would have left for school already, but she wanted to text Samantha and ask her when her Physics period was so that she could drop her text book for her at school. Brooke contemplated waking Lucas up. He was sleeping so peacefully that she didn't have the heart to. So instead, she went to her tiny kitchen to make them some coffees and breakfast. She rummaged through her kitchen but there really wasn't much of anything in there for her to use for breakfast except cereal and milk. It would have to do.
She went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth and showered before getting into her housekeeping uniform. She had to stop at the club, go to Sam's school and make it for her shift at the hotel. She was already late. A part of her was also hoping that she could leave before Lucas awoke so that she could leave a note for him about her whereabouts. Sadly she had no such luck. Lucas came out searching for her while she was having cereal.
"Hey, Good morning. Can you call Karen and ask if Jamie was okay in the morning and went to school? I don't have my phone with me," she asked immediately.
Lucas was still in a sleepy stupor but he nodded his head and went looking for his phone. Unlocking it, he called his mother who answered at the first ring.
"Hey Maa, did the kids go to school okay?" Lucas asked.
"Yeah, Sam kept Jamie occupied. That girl really knows how to deal with him. She got him ready and walked him to school. I really didn't have to do anything except wake Samantha up," Karen replied.
"Sweet."
"How did your chat with Brooke go? Are things settled between the two of you?" Karen asked.
Lucas did not know how to respond to that. No, they hadn't talked although the two of them desperately needed to. He just sighed heavily. Karen heard that and got her answer.
"Still too stubborn, huh?" she asked.
"I don't know what to do? Isn't she behaving like a ridiculous person?" he asked.
"Yes and no," Karen replied, surprising him. "Yes, she is being too stubborn for her own good. But she is being this way because of her history and experiences. The way her parents treated her her whole life, the way the single mom life here hardened her and your past history with her. But yeah, we need her to trust us."
"I'm trying my best, maa," said Lucas.
"I know honey and that's all that we can do. The rest is on Brooke."
Lucas agreed with his mom and put down the phone. He went out to see Brooke fixing her hair in a neat bun. "Mom says that Sam got Jamie ready and walked him to school. He was fine."
"Oh, perfect. I have to take off. I have to make lots of pit stops before work. There's milk and cereal for breakfast and I've made coffee for you too. Hope that's okay for you. Will you lock up when you're done? Leave the bowls in the sink for me," Brooke instructed.
"Wait, no. I'm coming to the club with you. I'll grab breakfast at the hotel," Lucas said, grabbing his phone and wallet to leave with her.
"Are you sure? Uhh, okay," Brooke replied and put on her shoes for the day of work.
"Brooke, are you planning to go back there tonight? Because I can do what I did last night again tonight," Lucas said, making Brooke's face turn crimson.
"Lucas, come on! I make more in a day there than I make in a week at the hotel," Brooke whined as she tried to get the jammed door to cooperate behind them.
"Is the child support payment that I gave you not enough?" Lucas asked immediately. "I can give you more."
"No, that money is fine. I put that money straight into Jamie's college fund because that is always going to be tough to pay for. Child support is not the issue. I just have so many other payments to make. There is rent and food and electricity and my medical debt," Brooke tried to explain herself.
"B, how much do you still owe the hospital? I mean, you accumulated all that debt trying to give birth to my child," he said.
"Our child, Lucas. And, it's my body, my debt. Just, please let me work until Clothes over Bro's becomes profitable. I cannot run my household on just part-time housekeeping. I need the money from the club," she said, getting tired of good insistence.
"Come on! Take a loan from me. You can pay me back when you make a good profit… with interest. Why do you insist on going back to that place? Do you like it?" Lucas asked.
"What!? Are you out of your mind? I hate everything about that job but it pays well. I know how to work there and get the money I need to keep us afloat and pay the hospital back."
"Andy is literally in the air on his way here. You're going to Tree Hill with him to incorporate Clothes over Bro's and look into manufacturing, retail and marketing. Your sketches are incredible. It's just a little while now," Lucas encouraged.
"You used to be broody and cynical," Brooke reminded him.
"Yeah, well, you used to be cheerful and ridiculously optimistic! You were always ready to take a risk, bet on yourself. You stood for Student Council and your entire campaign was based on the fact that you had bad grades and partied hard and you still won! You never backed down!" Lucas reminded her.
"That's where you're wrong! I backed down! I backed down from you! I lost you! Then I lost the Company I made and I lost my family… although I never had them to begin with," Brooke said in a moment of vulnerability.
"You have me now. You have my mom now. You have a family with Jamie and Sam. Sam is going to be your real family very soon. You have a Company coming up. You have the designs ready, just operations to get through." Lucas said.
Brooke didn't listen, but began to tap a few keys on her phone. "Look at this number. This is how much I still owe the hospital. You don't even want to hear the whole cost. Without insurance, I had to pay for the surgery, my room, Jamie's room, Jamie's care, medicines and a dozen other costs. If I don't pay monthly instalments, the hospital can take legal action against me," Brooke said, showing her phone screen to Lucas which had an email of her last payment and indicated the amount remaining. "There's also an interest with each instalment."
Lucas began to sweat. He didn't have that kind of money either. The sum was way too high. He hadn't expected that, but that was because he had benefits with his coaching job and he had been on his mother's plan prior to that. The last he had been to the hospital was for his heart attack in high school and he hadn't thought about money that time. He remembered his struggle to hide his HCM condition from his mom and how he had struggled to pay for those medicines, making deals with Dan instead of coming clean. Medical costs were high! "Wow! I think I need a job as a stripper now!"
Brooke laughed, "I don't think Marty is looking to expand unfortunately. Also, kinda stupid to blow your advance on a mansion, huh? Sell that place and return Andy his money. Keep your advance for a rainy day. I have had a lot of growing up to do here. I don't live in a rose-hued world. I'm planning every penny I make. Heck, my trip to Albany to get Sam back took away every penny I had saved to buy Jamie a bike for his birthday. Hopefully next year I can get one for him. Atleast Sam will have her dream of having her own laptop and not having to use the slow computers at the library. I am sure you can get Jamie a bike too," Brooke continued. "But my house has to go."
Lucas was quiet for a few moments. Brooke still called it her house. Even she knew subconsciously that the house was a part of her identity and should belong to her. Plus, it was set up perfectly for the adoption agency, the only thing missing in the place was a family picture. A picture of him and Jamie and Brooke to hang above the fireplace or the bed in the master bedroom with the hopeful addition of Sam once she began to live with them on a temporary basis for the adoption agency to see. Lucas would try everything in his power to keep that place for Brooke. "Can we talk to my mom about your medical debt? You did cut off from the club and believe in the idea of Tree Hill. It's monthly instalments, right?"
"Lucas, do you know how I quit and came to Tree Hill? I did some things at the club, things I promised myself I never would. I allowed a creep to pull off my panties for two thousand dollars. I danced for him, completely naked so that I had a little more in my bank account to pay my medical dues for the next month. It was a nightmare. I sold my blood, I enticed men to go for blowjobs because I earn more. I made sure I had a solid 2 months worth of bills in my bank account to get away. God!"
Every word that Brooke said felt like an imaginary bullet shooting to Lucas' heart. He thought he was improving Brooke's situation. Had he been making it worse? He stood there silently for what felt like hours to him but in reality was only for a few minutes. Brooke looked at him with embarrassment. She didn't want him to know those things but she needed him to understand her side.
"What happens when we move to Tree Hill? Once Sam is ours to foster out there until the adoption goes through?" Lucas asked.
It was Brooke's turn to be silent that time.
"That's a freefall, I guess," she said with a weak shrug.
"Brooke, it's killing you, doing that job," Lucas said, stating the obvious.
"No shit, Sherlock!"
"Okay, let's try this another way because I need you to focus all your time and energy into getting Clothes over Bro's established. Do you have enough provisions to pay this month's instalment to the hospital?" he asked.
"Yeah, but," Brooke retaliated.
"Okay, so you're good for the big bills. So no more going to the club this month. We'll revisit next month. We can handle rent and things between us. Okay?" he asked. "Jamie and Sam are going to be here all night from now on and Sam will tattle and if she does, I will come there requesting special services."
"A, I don't make enough in one day at the club to pay my medical bill. It takes a while. I can skip a week. And B, don't turn my kid against me!" Brooke pouted.
"Hey, nobody is on Team Brooke more than Sam," Lucas said, defending the teen he was developing an affinity towards.
"Wow, I just had a memory from a long time ago. When you and Peyton had cheated on me and I was really really mad and I remember telling Haley. You're either on Team Brooke or Team Peyton and nobody wants to be on Team Peyton because their captain is a big whore!" she said with a giggle. However, when she looked up, Lucas was not laughing.
"Oh right. The cheating. Oookay."
"Fine, take the week off away from there and spend it all figuring things out with Andy. Go to Tree Hill, do it in New York, I don't care. Just please spend all your time working on getting Clothes over Bro's off the ground. Can you promise me that? Meanwhile, I'm going to ask Lorelai when we can expect some news. Can you do that? Can you promise me?"
"I'm making your head spin with the club, aren't I? I promise to never take Jamie there with me again and a lot of that has to do with your child support cheques. I put less from my end into his college fund," Brooke said.
"I'm glad for that but I'm not happy. I want you to stop that, period. I want you to return home, live in your house, be happy with our kids, forget this phase of your life entirely because you deserve so much. You deserve better than this. Yet, I know you won't listen and you will fight to do it all on your own, so I'm willing to take weekly steps with you and if there's a way I can convince you to take help.. Nathan and Andy have that kind of money and they can help you out," said Lucas.
"You know that that's never happening. I'm not taking money from anybody. I wish I had capital to start the Company too. Andy promised me that he would let me buy him out. So, I am agreeing with him… and everything that goes with it. Do you really believe that people will want to buy my designs?" she replied.
"I know that they will. You are incredibly talented and even your parents can see that," he replied. A dark cloud formed over Brooke's head as she frowned on hearing her parent's names. She had told Jamie they were dead and they were dead to her.
"Wow, how long did we stand here talking? I'm late and I don't even have my phone! Plus I need to drop this to Sam's school!" Brooke said, worriedly looking at her wristwatch.
"I can drop this off for Sam at school. You can head to the hotel after grabbing your things from the club. Or I always could get them myself," he said, wanting to keep Brooke away for all matters.
"No, you won't be allowed inside. I need to go in myself and show the bouncers that I'm fine. If they told Marty what you did, he must have spent the entirety of last night worrying about the dollars he will lose if something happens to me."
"Wow, he cares so much!" Lucas said mockingly.
"More than you ever did while we were together!" Brooke replied snarkily, draining all the colour off Lucas' face. "Sorry, too much?"
"Just a smidge. Let's go," he said, not looking in her direction.
"Okay, call me ridiculous, but you could actually help me drop Sam's book off. I don't have the time to do it myself. I transferred Sam to this school as her previous one was only filled with delinquent and belligerent teenagers with Juvie records and Sam was capable of receiving scholarship funding, only nobody realised that because nobody cared in school or outside. At that time, I had to put in papers as Norma and finish all the formalities with Nancy's approval. I made a fake ID as Norma which I use in the school. But I also had to provide an ID for Mike, my supposed husband."
"You have a fake ID for me as Mike, don't you?" Lucas asked, knowing Brooke and her ways. His first gift from her ever, well second, if you count the leopard print bra, but sadly, he had returned that item back to her. The one that he had kept, from their first date, was the fake ID she made for him to get into the Blue Post. He gave her a book and she gave him his first fake ID, first tattoo and first sexual experience. She definitely gave him much more than he ever gave her.
"Yes, sorry! It's actually in my wallet. I prayed that the school never found out the fraud and kidnapping I was committing, but Sam deserves the education she is working so hard for. She ensures not to get in any trouble to keep her scholarship and to not get me, and by extension.. You.. caught. She never saw the ID. I never showed Jamie or Sam a picture of you, but yeah, I pulled a newspaper article from the internet of you winning some matches as coach. So you were dressed in a suit, did my Brooke Davis Magic and you were Mike Wheeler from New York City!"
They were already making their way to the subway station by then. Lucas was getting more and more used to the metros. New York was a place full of life if you had the means to enjoy the city.
When they reached the club, Lucas saw that security in the front had changed. Brooke smiled at him and he allowed her inside, stopping Lucas at the gate.
"We open at night," he said firmly.
"Luke, just wait here. If you come with me, they will think I'm giving you a service and inform Marty who will charge me rent for using his premises for a job," Brooke informed him.
"Gosh! That's disgusting," he remarked, irked by what he was hearing.
"Well, it's how most of the other girls make money for food, rent and drugs. They don't get away with my lap dance and blowjob rates," she gave him a reality check, but Lucas was still irked.
Lucas was visibly uncomfortable. The thoughts of the number of dicks that had been in Brooke's mouth made him sick, especially thinking of the old guys he often saw at the club. It was disgusting to him. Yet, it was none of his business, so he held his tongue and let Brooke go in to get their things.
Brooke passed through the velvet ropes and emerged out ten minutes later with her purse and both their coats. She handed Lucas Sam's textbook and wished in her wallet to produce the shiny New York City ID with his face on it. "Call me if there's any trouble. Text Sam that you're coming with her book. She always has her phone on her so hopefully she'll try to meet you outside the office." Brooke waved goodbye to him and the two parted ways awkwardly.
"Penelope, you're late," Grace said with a hint of annoyance in her voice.
"I'm so sorry. It won't happen again," she replied dutifully like years in the service industry had trained her. You apologised, did not explain yourself and promised to never commit the mistake again.
"Fine, take the twelfth floor and when you're done, run kitchen orders for room service during lunch. Do you have to pick Jamie up from school?" she asked.
"No, I think I can arrange somebody else to go get him. I'll take a shorter break today," she said to cover up her tardiness.
"Great, get going," Grace replied and continued her tasks of taking stock of housekeeping supplies.
Twelfth was the floor Lucas and Karen were at. She thought that she would clean 1203 first so that she could try and be done before Lucas would return to the hotel. Sadly, she had no such luck because 1202 had a please clean my room sign and she had to entertain that room first. The guests weren't in the room so Brooke just worked silently. The room was a mess and all the linens needed to be changed so Brooke stripped the beds and took the old sheets out to put in the hamper of her trolley. She brought freshly washed and ironed sheets and made the bed, opening the curtains to let the light in. She dusted and vacuumed the space, replenishing items in the minifridge and dry kitchen before tackling the bathroom.
She worked at lightning speed to get to Lucas' suite early, but her luck was rotten. Just as she exited 1202, she saw Lucas in the corridor. Brooke smiled at him awkwardly.
"Are you coming to our room?" Lucas asked her. Brooke blushed but nodded her head. She figured it was better to get it over with.
Lucas tapped his keycard at the lock and the doors opened. Brooke pulled her cart inside the room and quietly went towards the kitchen area to pick up Karen and the kids' breakfast plates. She could see remnants of pancakes. She would have to cut off his sugar and ensure that the kid ate oatmeal for breakfast for a while.
"Hey Luke," Karen said, hugging her son. "Listen, should we get a second room for Andy and Lilly when they come here? Since we have Brooke, Sam and Jamie listed as guests in this suite, we can't add any more names and I don't want to let Brooke know because then she will insist that we take her and the kids' names off. Sam and Jamie won't get to use hotel amenities then and it's been helpful to Brooke to have this space for the children to spend a few nights. She won't realise if we book another suite, will she?" All this time, Lucas kept miming towards Karen to stop talking, but she did not understand his actions as he was trying really hard to hide them from Brooke.
"What are those actions that you are doing, boy?" Karen asked, getting irritated by him.
Lucas sighed, "Brooke's here, Maa."
"What? Where?" she asked, looking around.
Brooke turned around from the kitchen area and walked towards her. "Hi."
"Oh god! Brooke, you need to stop blending in and behaving like you don't know us. I guess I need to get better at keeping an eye out for the staff," she chastised herself.
"No. You should have privacy to have conversations with your son in your suite. It's just a funny situation because this is also my job!"
"We should move into another hotel," Lucas muttered under his breath.
"No! I am assigned to your floor. If you move out earlier than your check out date, they will question all of us and our incompetency. Also Karen, please don't do that for me and the kids. Don't book another room just for us. Pull our names out."
"But it will upset Sam and Jamie. Sam was looking forward to spending time at the hotel with Liz and Jamie wanted to swim with Lily," Karen reminded her.
Brooke felt guilty.
"Well, the room has 2 bedrooms and a living room which sleeps two. Since you are a family of four and I have 2 kids, you can keep their names. Just remove mine and we are good," Brooke suggested.
Karen smiled, liking that idea, but Lucas was sad. Why did Brooke's name always have to be the one to go?
Brooke clocked in Lucas' expression. "I'm staff, Luke. I will be around all the time. Also, can you please pick Jamie up today? I was late so my break was cut short."
"Yeah, of course," he replied, happy for any Jamie time.
"Can Lucas and I take Jamie out to a museum or mall? Whatever he chooses?" Karen asked.
"Of course. He'll love that," Brooke smiled and returned to cleaning the room. Karen and Lucas watched her and Brooke could feel their uncomfortable gazes on her back. She sighed contemplating whether to call them out on it but she chose to hold her tongue. It was against staff rules to fraternise with the guests or talk unless spoken to.
When the lingering looks still didn't quit, Brooke turned around and asked, "Do you guys need anything for the additional guests arriving? I will leave extra supplies and you can ring up when you need me to make the pull out bed tomorrow." Her tone was of a professional housekeeper, the pleasant people-pleaser tone.
Brooke's tone startled the two and they began mumbling. Lucas pulled out his laptop and began to watch a basketball tape to make notes to send Skills for the next match while Karen began to check if Andy's flight was on time. Brooke breathed and entered the rooms to clean them. She saw that Karen and Lucas had made their beds so that she wouldn't have to, but the hotel always changed the sheets so it was pointless. She stripped the beds anyway and put fresh sheets for the guests, vacuuming and dusting the place to make it immaculate. She knew that Lucas preferred dimly lit rooms so she left the curtains closed before entering the bathroom. She looked around and saw the same deodorant and aftershave lying on the counter that he used in High School. She also saw a bottle of bubble bath that he had probably bought for Jamie since the hotel bathroom had a tub. Brooke lifted his used towel and found herself sniffing it. Her actions took her aback, but the towel smelt of Lucas. She wasted no time in regaining her bearings and tossed it in her hamper along with the used hand towels. She brought fresh towels and sprayed the room with some air freshener before cleaning the space and repeating her actions for Karen's bedroom.
"Umm, Brooke, I, uh, needed to get my clothes laundered but I was a little hesitant, umm," Karen said, losing her words.
"Karen, this is my job and I am not embarrassed by it. I will take your and Lucas' clothes and get them laundered and ironed," she said with a smile.
Karen smiled weakly as Brooke brought out a laundry bag to get their clothes down. She grabbed the pile Karen was painting towards and put them in her bag. Then she looked at Lucas. "Yours, sir?"
Lucas rolled his eyes and reluctantly took her to his room so that she could grab his clothes that needed washing.
"I'll get these to you by the end of the day," Brooke said with a smile.
"Is there no other staff at the hotel?" Lucas asked.
"There is, but unfortunately, I am assigned to your floor and it's a little impossible to explain to my boss that I can't do this floor because my baby daddy is currently living there with his billionaire step-father, mother and half-sister who is also cousin and nine months younger than his own son," Brooke rolled her eyes.
"You forgot the fact that the grandmother is in her thirties and still capable of having children of her own and that he is adopting a teenager only six years younger than him," Lucas continued the joke.
"See! Our story's ridiculous. Anyway, do you guys need anything? Otherwise, I'll head to the next room," Brooke asked.
"We're good, though would you join us for lunch? We'll get Jamie here first, allow him to freshen up before taking him out. We could eat at the hotel and then go," Lucas asked.
"Umm, okay," Brooke agreed. She hadn't had the time to make herself any lunch and Lucas knew that. He would call her out on it. Karen's eyes brightened on hearing an acceptance for once from her mouth.
"Good, we'll see you then," she smiled just as Brooke lugged her service cart out of the door.
"Hey Dad! Hey Grandma! Where's Mama? Is she still on a timeout from Grandma?" Jamie asked when Lucas and Karen picked him up from his pre-school. He hadn't seen his mom that morning and she was sad and crying the night before. Jamie's lower lip began quivering at the thought that his mother was upset.
"No, no. Your mom is fine. She just got busy at work, but she can't wait to see you. We're all having lunch together and then Grandma and I are taking you out to the museum. How do you like that idea?" Lucas asked.
"Is Mama going to come too?" he asked, his face brightening up.
"Sadly, she has to work. But, you will see her during lunch," Lucas answered. Jamie's face was crestfallen when he heard that.
"Buddy, do you want to hang out with your mom while she works instead?" Lucas asked.
Jamie nodded his head gently, "Can I?"
Lucas felt a pang of hurt, but his mother put an arm on his shoulder for reassurance. "We'll ask her and if it's okay, you most definitely can stay with her."
Jamie's smile became wide at that and he hugged Lucas. Lucas lifted him up and perched him on his shoulders as Jamie seemed to love it when he did that. He remembered carrying Brooke piggy-back as she would jump in his arms after he won basketball games. Peyton never did that. She was never overly affectionate or excited the way Brooke was.
With Peyton, it had been a long draw out of their desire for each other and sneaking behind Brooke's back to not get caught. Then when they officially became a couple, it was just ridiculous amounts of PDA. With Peyton, he would always talk about music and books and art. He was far less intimate with her than he was with Brooke. With Brooke, it was exploding fireworks every moment, except the moments he was busy kissing Peyton.
He was transported back to the night he first slept with Peyton, at Honeygrove after the prom, how cheesy. Then he remembered Brooke walking in and seeing them. She and Peyton were still terrified of being alone due to psycho Ian. Haley had told her how scared Brooke had been finding the two of them in bed, not because they were in bed but because she believed she would have to spend the night alone. She had spent it with Chris Keller. Brooke had expected herself that she would have to sleep with him to take the favour because that was the only language she knew. If you want comfort and company from a guy, you have to pay a fee to the guy. It was the first time that Brooke had done otherwise. Unfortunately, she forgot that lesson soon enough.
He wondered what Peyton was up to. Was she thinking about him? Lucas barely seemed to have the time to remember her. His worry about Brooke and Sam and Jamie took up all his time. He decided to call Haley up once he was in the hotel and ask her if she had spoken to Peyton since.
It was like God was listening to him as at that exact moment, his phone rang with Haley's name flashing on the screen.
"Hey Luke, what's up? How's Brooke and your son?" Haley asked, placing additional emphasis on the word son.
"J Luke is great. We just picked him up from pre-school and now we're going to the hotel to grab lunch with Brooke," Lucas informed her, smiling up at the boy perched on his shoulders.
"Oh? Brooke isn't with you?" She asked.
"No, she's working. But we are about to meet her. Why?" Lucas asked, sensing the hint of urgency in Haley's voice.
"I wanted to tell both of you together but I won't be able to hold it in. I missed a call from the adoption agency lady in the morning because I was in class, but my period before lunch is free so I called her back immediately. She had left a message. We spoke to her and she was asking a lot of questions about you cheating on Brooke with Peyton."
"What!? How did they get to know that?" Lucas yelled on the phone.
"I don't know but she kept asking about how rocky and unstable your relationship with Brooke was in High School and if Brooke was really promiscuous during that time who partied all night," Haley continued.
"What did you say, Haley?"
"I said that Brooke was the most loving person with the biggest and kindest heart. I told her about how Brooke allowed me to live with her when I returned from tour and my husband didn't want anything to do with me. I explained that Brooke's behaviour in High School stemmed from her parents abandoning her which somehow made it worse because then they thought if she had been abandoned, she would abandon her child at which point I just lost it and went all Nazi on behalf of Brooke. I told off the lady, saying that that was exactly why Brooke could never do such a thing. She knew first hand how it felt to not be wanted, not be loved. She understood how it can be without a family to support you. She had to do it alone so she would do everything in her power to make sure that Sam doesn't have to. I told her that Brooke has the biggest capacity to love out of any human I have ever seen and it would be a huge mistake to not let her adopt Samantha. That seemed to straighten the lady's mind, at least so I believe. She asked me if Nathan would be available for a call and I said yes as he will be on break right now or sweating in the gym. So I guess she is talking to him as we speak," Haley filled him in.
"Thanks for defending us. But what did you say about me cheating on Brooke?" Lucas asked.
"I said that you used to be an idiot in High School but you had grown up and stepped up since you knew you had a son counting on you. Don't let my words be untrue," Haley replied. She had hoped he wouldn't ask her that but she didn't want to lie to him.
"Serves me right. Thanks Hales, we both really appreciate you for this. At least the papers are progressing," Lucas said.
"Yeah, I can't wait to have Brooke and Jamie live in Tree Hill again and meet Samantha," Haley said wishfully.
"Yeah, as long as Brooke manages to make profits from her Company there," Lucas replied. Seeing her medical debt had spooked him good. He made a mental note to ask Brooke if she had medical insurance now for Jamie and herself.
"Will you fill Brooke in or can I call her? And if it's all the same to you, can I please call her? I want to talk to her myself. I texted her since I got her number, but our conversations have been short and stiff," Haley requested.
"Yes, of course, Hales. I'm sure she will be happy to hear from you, especially how you defended her and are helping her get her daughter," Lucas smiled.
"Okay, thanks. Bye! Give Jamie a hug from me," Haley said and cut the call.
Karen asked Lucas what Haley had said and he let her know what Lorelai had asked. "If only biological parents had to jump through so many hoops, the population would be a tenth of what it is now. But all said and done, I hope that you get to adopt Samantha. She is a lovely girl who will benefit so much from you."
"Uhh, mom. She is still going to be Brooke's kid. We'll have a pretend bad break up once the adoption is formalised," Lucas reminded Karen. Sam would never be his the way his mother seemed to be picturing it.
"Is that what Sam wants too?" she asked.
Lucas seemed to have had an epiphany. He didn't know. He knew that it was what Brooke wanted and so he automatically assumed that it was what Sam would want too. She was hung and hell bent on being Brooke's family. They really hadn't discussed whether she wanted to be part Scott, because well, Brooke and Lucas were only pretending to be together.
"You could have a fake break up and still be a co-parent to Sam," Karen suggested.
"Whatever Brooke and Sam want," Lucas replied and walked ahead, making Karen shake her head remorsefully.
"Hello, how may I help you?" Brooke asked, picking up a service call.
"Hey, is it Brooke?" Karen asked.
"Yes, this is Penelope speaking," Brooke replied, keeping up the chirpy voice.
"Oh, right… Penelope. Umm, we just got back. When do you go on lunch break?" she asked.
"I can put in your orders and get it up when it's ready," she whispered on the line.
"Okay, that works. Get whatever you feel like," Karen said.
"Umm, is Mr. Scott around, I have a message for him," she replied, biting her lip. Karen was so weirded out by the chirpiness and formality in Brooke's tone that she was happy to pass the receiver to Lucas.
"Hello Mr. Scott, I was left a message for you be a Mrs. Haley James Scott," she replied. Grace was looking at her and she had to keep things formal.
"Yes, she called me too. She filled me in on the call by the adoption agency. Have you heard from Nathan?" Lucas asked her, sounding casual.
"No, Sir. I haven't but I will let you know if I get any messages. I'll be right upstairs with your lunch and your laundry," she replied and put the phone down.
"Hey Grace, can I run Room 1203's orders and I washed and ironed their laundry. I'll take it to them and go on a quick lunch break?" Brooke requested.
Grace nodded her head, so Brooke quickly went to the kitchen and asked for some Indian food for them to eat. She got their neatly pressed and folded clothes and once the food was ready, she rolled the cart up to their floor.
"Mama!" Jamie screamed and hugged Brooke's legs as soon as she entered the suite.
"Hey little monkey! So what did you pick? Mall or Museum?" she asked, lifting the toddler on her hips.
"Actually I picked you. Please please please can I be with you? I promise to be good! Please?" Jamie requested, melting the young mother's heart.
"Yeah, of course you can but are you sure? The Museum sounds fun. You could see the dinosaurs again," she tried to coax him.
"Can you come too?" he asked.
"I can't today, my baby. I'm sorry. Okay, you spend the day with me and then you can go to the Museum with Andy and Lily. You can tell Lily all about your favourite dinosaurs," she suggested.
"Does Lily like Dinosaurs?" he asked.
"Who doesn't like dinosaurs?" she asked instead, making Jamie giggle because of course, everyone loves dinosaurs!
Karen and Lucas had been watching the exchange between mother and son. Brooke literally forgot the world around her when Jamie was in her arms. Every waking breath she spent with him or working for him. Her love for her child was so obvious and it was also infectious.
"Hey umm, sorry but is it cool if he hangs out with me downstairs today?" Brooke asked Lucas and Karen.
"Of course," Lucas replied. He wanted to ask whether it was cool if he hung out downstairs with them too, but he held his tongue. He felt like the kitchen and laundry room of the hotel were party rooms that Lucas did not have an invitation to.
"Let's eat, I have to head back soon. I got your laundry too, I'm just going to put those on the counter. Umm, Luke, post lunch, we should go down and get the room names sorted so that Andy and Lily don't have any trouble when they land tomorrow," she said.
Lucas nodded his head and began to set the table while Brooke took Jamie to wash his hands. They said their prayer and dug in, discussing Sam and Haley's response. They could not figure out where they were getting their information from.
"What's Sam doing today?" Karen asked Brooke.
"For once, I have no idea. I haven't seen her since last night. She got her text book, right?" Brooke asked Lucas.
"Yeah, I dropped it off. She was grateful and surprised that Mike Wheeler was showing up," Lucas replied.
Brooke chuckled, "I'll call her once school ends and see what trouble she intends to stir up."
"Should we tell her about Haley getting a call?" Lucas asked.
"No, she'll get stressed or excited and definitely anxious. We'll tell her when we know more," Brooke concluded. Then after lunch, she took Jamie and the dishes down, making Lucas feel like a jealous outsider.