Okay I should have said AFTER last week I'll update every Friday lol. I didn't mean to bite off more than I could chew. Goodness…but here's chapter five I hope you like it if not oh well.

PS: I have never taken a flight before and have never experienced anything close to the process so I skipped the bag checks etc because I had a deadline to meet. Anyway Enjoy!!!

Chapter Five

"So…what happened last night?" Haley asked as they prepped for the breakfast rush.

Brooke deciding on being vague, shrugged and said, "We talked…and came to an understanding."

"Really? That's more than I had hoped. Which is awesome news."

"Yeah but that was a low trick Hales." She pointed out sending her a playful glare.

Haley rolled her eyes and said defensively, "You guys are so stubborn that you couldn't utter a single word without it turning into a debate so I had to do what I had to do. Besides it worked didn't it?"

A little too well… Brooke said inwardly with a blush.

Haley narrowed her eyes at her and walked towards her accusingly, "I know that look! Something else happened didn't it?"

"Haley—"

Haley gasped with shock and her eyes widened, "Oh my God it totally did! I know it! Spill!" She demanded

Brooke looked around and saw that Skills and Chris were entering the kitchen. So she dragged her into her office and closed the door. "Okay what I'm about to say never leaves this room. Alright?"

"Consider my lips sealed. So what really happened last night?"

"Well it was nice at first…I ordered our food and wine, we talked about the restaurant and his kids, how we came to be who we are…but then at the end of the date he said a line that was really cute and next thing I know he kissed me…"

Haley gaped at her, "He kissed you?"

"Twice."

Haley's eyebrows shot up, "Twice? And what did you do?"

"I pushed him away the first time but the second one I don't know why but I just gave in…and the way he made me feel…" she then sighed and shook her head, "But nothing can come of it."

"Why not?" Haley asked, her eyebrows creased with confusion.

"Why not? We're in business together is why not! The fact that he's a bulldozer is why not!" She said as she sank into her chair, "And for another thing…we can barely stand each other!"

"If that were true that kiss wouldn't have happened at all—never mind the second one." Haley pointed out.

"Third actually…"

Haley narrowed her eyes slightly at that bit of information. "I thought you said—"

Brooke winced then admitted, "Our actual first kiss was in his office when I told him off about hiring Daunte…"

Haley's mouth dropped as she said in shock, "And I'm just finding out about this now?!"

Brooke sighed then began pacing as her confession spilled from her lips, "Honestly that day feels like a fever dream to me and most of the time I forget it even exists. But then last night he kissed me and it all came rushing back and—I feel crazy because he's been such an ass to me and yet my brain stops working when he's near me."

Haley smiled, "You like him…"

She shook her head, "There's nothing for me to like! Sure he's a good father and business man but as the great Janet Jackson once said what has he done for me lately."

"He scrambles your brain when he's near you."

Brooke had a response but it died a slow death on her tongue.

"So when do you leave for Paris again?"

"Next Monday…and to be honest I am excited to go but on the other hand I am dreading leaving Reverie for three months."

"Gee thanks a lot for the vote of confidence there Brooke."

Brooke rolled her eyes and snapped, "You know what I mean! I haven't left this building for any lengthy amount of time since we first got here…and it's terrifying to make this step. What if something goes wrong while I'm gone?"

"Brooke…forget all the reasons why it will not work and believe the one reason why it will. Step out on faith."

"Yeah…easy for you to say."

"Actually I know its not easy. I am speaking from experience. If I never got the guts and took another path from being in the financial world and enrolled in Westford then we would have never met and I wouldn't be surrounded by the greatest people who share my passion doing what we love in a place we adore."

"I know that you're right…but it's hard."

"Nothing worth having is easy Brooke. After all it's not about the destination—it's the journey that's important."

Brooke frowned, "You sound like a fortune cookie."

Haley stood to her feet then walked to the door, "So be it."

Before Brooke could get lost in her thoughts Haley stopped at the doorway and looked at her friend saying, "You should definitely consider exploring whatever spark is there between you and Lucas. You may be surprised where you end up." Haley then walked out to get back to work, leaving Brooke to her thoughts.

-x-

Brooke was dreading today in more ways than one. Today would have been the day that she would have to spend an entire flight with Lucas to the most romantic city in the entire world.

Today would have been the day if she wasn't swamped with customers.

Brooke looked down at her wrist watch and nearly screamed in alarm. She was three hours late and they still weren't over the breakfast rush! Brooke was dealing with last minute crisis in the kitchen, Daunte had somehow managed to disappear again—and Lucas kept calling the restaurant to rush her and her blood pressure was going up. Brooke sighed and prayed for patience as the day wore on. Normally she had these things down-packed but today—somehow her alarm didn't go off and from there everything went downhill.

"Brooke we are on a time schedule for a reason! We have meetings to make—" Lucas said as he burst into the kitchen looking very perturbed and incredibly handsome in his blue-grey three piece suit.

Brooke found herself staring at him, her eyes drinking in the sight of him for five minutes before turning back to her work.

Lucas hadn't come by the restaurant at all. Not once since their date and that had been a week ago. Giving her some space. She hadn't realized how much she missed him annoying her until he showed up.

"Well I'm sorry! I have to deal with this and we're a man short!" she shouted back as she finished making the breakfast muffins packed with avocado, smoked salmon and frittata.

"Where's chef Daunte?" Lucas asked, baffled that this was where she'd been all this time.

"The unreliable chef you set me up with?" she said venomously, "I don't know—why don't you tell me!"

He frowned, "Brooke I—"

"This is the third time this week that he's been a no show. Did you know that?"

"No I didn't…I'm sorry Brooke."

"I'm sorry doesn't fix things Lucas!" she snapped, her annoyance and anger boiling over.

"Okay what do you need me to do?" he asked helplessly.

Brooke's palpable anger lessened at the genuine concern written on his face. She sighed and went back to her station saying, "There's nothing you can do about it except to call and postpone or cancel the meetings until we can get this handled."

Lucas nodded and walked into her office as he pulled out his phone and dialed up the missing chef. On the fifth ring it went to voicemail. Lucas exhaled and called the foreman only to get a call from Daunte. He ended that call to take his saying, "Daunte where the hell are you?!"

"I'm sorry I had a family emergency my mother just had another stroke. She's been in the hospital for the last few days. I would have called the restaurant but things have been so hectic—"

Instantly feeling guilty about almost firing a man going through such a crisis he said, "I understand…take as much time as you need. We will figure it out."

"Thanks Mr. Scott…"

"No problem…" he then hung up and blew out a breath. "Man, what am I going to tell Brooke…"

Lucas then dialed up his favorite temp service and asked, "Hi it's Lucas Scott…do you have anyone available that cooks?"

"Low level cook or—"

"I need a chef that knows what they're doing and is a quick learner and that is very reliable."

"I believe we have someone of that caliber…just a moment please."

Lucas raked his hand over his hair as he listened to the soft hold music and prayed that things would go the way he wanted them to, or more to the point the way Brooke needed it to. He really didn't want to disappoint her anymore than he already had.

"Mr. Scott?"

He blinked out of his thoughts and hastily asked, "Yes?"

"Hi we have three chefs available to fill the position…Alex Dupre who is a sous chef and has nine years of experience, excellent worker and always on time, Mia Catalano who is a line cook with five years experience in the field and also always on time. And Emily Chambers who is another sous chef with seven years of experience."

"Send Alex Dupre to Reverie Restaurant on 77th and Burgundy Avenue."

"When do you need her?" The placement agent asked.

Lucas exhaled then answered, "I need her before the next shift which means ASAP…"

"Okay hold for a moment please." She said as she typed in the background.

Lucas raked his hand through his hair and said, "Of course."

"Okay she will be there within thirty minutes. Is that okay Mr. Scott?"

Lucas released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and said, "That's perfectly fine. Thank you… As usual you guys are a lifesaver."

"Anytime Mr. Scott. Thanks for calling Avalanche Staffing…"

He disconnected the call and walked out of the office and into a hectic kitchen. "Brooke—"

"Not now Mr. Scott!" Brooke said as she dusted the cinnamon apple bostock with powdered sugar.

Lucas winced at the step backwards she taken in calling him formally then nodded and walked out of the kitchen without saying a word and waited in the lobby of the restaurant for the temp to enter. He saw a few families enter and watched how the hostesses treated every customer and noticed that Brooke really did run a tight ship.

Twenty minutes later walked in a beautiful brunette dressed in black chef attire and he smiled, "Right on time! You must be the temp!"

"Yes that's me." She said with a brilliant smile as she shook hands with him. "Are you the owner?"

"Uh, technically I am the owner but the one you should report to is in the kitchen. You'll be taking over for her." Lucas explained. "Come on I'll lead you to the kitchen."

Alex followed him obediently and was silent when he whistled for everyone to halt what they were doing. Which they did hesitantly. Including Brooke herself.

"This is our temporary chef Alex Dupre. She has nine years experience and came highly recommended." He said as he stood next to Brooke. "Alex this is the original owner of Reverie head chef Brooke Davis."

He then gestured to Haley and smiled, "And this is Haley James…whom you will be reporting to and taking over for. She will sign your time sheet in my place at the end of the day."

Alex nodded, "I understand…"

Lucas then turned to his business partner and said, "Now Brooke…once you finish your dish meet me at the bar."

Brooke gave no acknowledgement to what he said and returned to cooking. Lucas went to the bar and ordered a whiskey neat. Thirty minutes later she appeared beside him with an expectant look on her face.

"We have to get your luggage from your place and get to the airport—"

"Damn it you're right! I had forgotten all about my luggage!" she exclaimed before turning around the way she came. Lucas followed her to the kitchen and saw her take a left to a hidden elevator. He hurried to get on with her.

"I wonder where this goes…" he said humorously at her displeased expression.

"It leads straight to my apartment. No one knows about this elevator but those I really truly trust."

Lucas looked at her and smiled, "Well I guess now that means you have to trust me."

"Does it?" she asked as the doors open.

Lucas chuckled as she exited the lift and walked to her apartment door. She unlocked the loft and entered it. Lucas peeked in and was impressed by what she did with such a large space.

It was a laid-back, sophisticated space that's perfect for hanging out. Sticking with a neutral color scheme allowed the natural elements in the room to stand out. The area rugs, throw pillows, and extra seating were in greys, whites, and blacks. A tan leather sofa and ottoman were the two colorful exceptions that combine rugged materials with plush comfort, creating an inviting atmosphere with lush plants and greenery to add color and another touch of nature.

Modern-styled copper chandeliers made a bold statement while giving off enough light to contribute to the open, airy feel of the room.

He knew loft's to be open and accessible. Oftentimes, living and dining areas are separated by nothing but intent—allowing one room to flow seamlessly into the next. It's for this reason that the dining space reflected many of the same decor choices as her living space. Eye-catching bronze chandelier illuminated the room and a polished wood table that shows off its natural grain in the dining area, giving it an ambient feel.

She increased her dining space by adding natural wood bar stools kitchen counter. Counter-height dining chairs. Making sure to stick with natural wood for a consistent look and feel. Decor accents such as modern black-and-white art dressed up the dining room walls, diversifying with leafy green plants to provide brilliant pops of color to her dining landscape.

"Love what you've done with the place…" he said as he continued to look around.

"Thank you. I never intended you to see it." She retorted as she walked through the living room.

"Yet here we are…" he murmured.

Brooke rolled her eyes as she went opened the glass and metal sliding door that led to what had to be her bedroom. "Only because you decided to follow me up here like some stalker."

"I'm not a stalker…I just came with you to help you with your bags."

She looked at him, her eyebrow hiked up as she asked, "Oh really?"

"Really. I'm only here to help." He said with sincerity.

Brooke pursed her lips, trying to gauge if he were telling the truth, "Hmm…well since you are here to help…you can help me pack."

"You never packed?!" he asked in disbelief, unable to believe that she hadn't prepared for their trip.

"I was busy…" she shrugged carelessly.

Lucas released a breath and followed her into bedroom only to find four bags in the corner of the room. He then saw her grinning and said, "Nice trick…"

"You asked for it." She said with a chuckle as she grabbed two bags.

"I suppose so." He said, chuckling with her. He picked up the remaining luggage.

A short elevator ride later Brooke was hugging Haley, both women had tears in their eyes.

"I don't know why I'm being such a baby…its just three months." Brooke said as she wiped tears from her eyes.

"A long three months…" Haley said as she wiped her own tears. "You be sure to call me as soon as you get there Tigger."

"Of course I will." She said as she hugged her.

"Remember what I told you: forget all the reasons why it will not work and believe the one reason why it will. Step out on faith. Can't go wrong."

"We have to go…the car's here to pick us up." Lucas reminded them gently, not wanting to interrupt their goodbyes.

"As for you Lucas Scott I'm trusting you to take care of her and behave!" Haley said with a conspiratorial wink.

Lucas grinned and hugged her, "I will. Scott's honor."

"Its Scout's honor Luke." Haley chuckled.

"I know." He said with a wink before exiting the restaurant with Brooke.

-x-

Brooke was absolutely astonished as she entered the aircraft, the interior was a whopping 2,400 square feet. The aircraft was packed with rich leathers, fine wood veneers, and stylish stonework.

Her curious nature leading her to discover what the plane had to offer. What she found made her jaw drop as she dialed her best friend's cell phone number via FaceTime.

"Haley!" she exclaimed as soon as she saw her face.

"You landed mighty fast!" she said in amusement.

"We didn't take off yet…right now I'm on his private jet and it's incredible! There's a master suite with a California king bed, a walk-in closet…" she gasped, "…and a master bath with a double-size shower and heated marble floors." She said as she showed her every detail she discovered.

"Oh man they must've upgraded since I was younger…that looks awesome."

Brooke tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear and whispered, "I don't know if he's trying to impress me but I can't let him know how blown away I am by all of this."

"Which is why you called so you can geek out about it?"

"Yes. Oh my God Hales I never thought that I would be near something like this never mind being on it!"

"Does this mean you'll think about giving Lucas a fair shot?""I'm not a golddigger Hales!""I never said you were but the question remains..."

She would've answered but she heard voices so she quickly disconnected the call and hurried to a seat and sat down as if she hadn't been Dora the explorer.

Sun beamed against the windows as Brooke sat cool as a cucumber across from a newly seated Lucas in the opulent surroundings of the private jet he owned. As if this was an every day occurrence instead of a once in a lifetime experience.

Instead she sat silently, scanning her phone trying to ignore him. But it was almost impossible because he was ingrained in her head. Every night she had fallen asleep dreaming about that kiss, and each kiss after.

Despite the fact that she couldn't stand him her sexual fantasies began to involve him more and more as time wore on.

"So we're going to stay quiet the entire flight?" he asked, breaking the silent streak.

Brooke looked up at him for the first time since the car ride to the airport. "That sounds like a plan…"

"Well it doesn't to me."

"Okay fine…I have a few questions for you."

"Anything but the silent treatment is fine by me."

"Why haven't I seen you since our date?"

"Now it's a date?" he asked with a playfully puzzled expression on his face.

"You kissed me. That made it a date."

He shrugged then admitted, "I figured that you needed some space. I promised that things would be different between us and I wanted to show you that I meant it. So I kept my distance."

Brooke cocked her head and looked at him curiously, "How did you get that idea?"

"You seemed to need time to figure out what happens next between us. I wanted to give you that time. Excuse me…" he then got up from his seat and walked to the restroom.

Brooke thought of the things he said and wondered if he thought of her as often as she thought of him and what nature those thoughts were. If he had pictured her—

Lucas exited the bathroom having changed out of his suit and into jeans and a black Ramones t-shirt.

"Did you miss me?" he joked as he closed the door behind him.

"I thought you lived in suits since you wear them so much…" she said as she noticed that the clothes he had chosen to wear seemed he was poured into, showing off every inch of his frame to perfection but now seemed to not belong in the luxury setting.

"I like to be casual when I fly…" he said passively as he sat back down in his seat.

Brooke nodded then changed the subject. "So living arrangements…you never said where I'll be staying during the duration of our time there."

Lucas looked at her and with an undeniably beautiful smile answered, "I have a 6 bedroom mansion in Paris, Ile-De-France. You'll love it—"

"I can't live with you for three months!" she exclaimed, feeling that familiar anger that she association with him. It was safer than what she had been feeling a few minutes ago.

He looked at her in absolute confusion, cluelessness drenched in his tone as he asked, "Why not?"

"You're kidding me right?" she asked sarcastically, "Why not? Hmm let's see…lack of privacy, the fact that this goes well beyond breaking business protocol—I seriously cannot believe that you're presumptuous enough to suggest such a thing to me!"

Lucas shrugged and said, "Well if you insist on having it your way…you're free to pay over nine thousand dollars for your entire stay in a hotel."

Brooke eyes widened as she interjected saying, "I can't afford that!"

"Whereas living with me wouldn't cost you a penny." He continued on, giving her a look that read it's your move.

She narrowed her eyes as she asked, "What's the catch?"

He held up his hands in a helpless gesture. "No catch. We're there to work. Besides it's not like we're going to be there alone. My children and their nanny will be living with us during that time as well. And there's three floors to choose from. You wouldn't have to be near me until we leave for the site."

Brooke closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "This is really unconventional…" she said in disbelief.

"You're right it is very unconventional. I'm sorry. I just figured that it would be safer if you stayed with us." He raked his hand over his face then said, "But if you're really uncomfortable with the situation then I can pay for your stay in another hotel and we can carpool to the site everyday."

Brooke sighed, "I don't know…I don't want you to come out of pocket—"

Lucas looked at her then asked, "So what do you suggest?"

Brooke exhaled, "I guess since we won't be alone it'll be okay…right?"

Lucas nodded, "Yeah absolutely. As long as you're comfortable with the situation."

Brooke gave him a look as she replied, "Jury's still out. But I am firm believer in making the best of any situation."

"I'm glad to hear that because we have an almost twelve hour flight to get through and I'd rather not spend the entire time in silence if you don't mind."

"Honestly I don't want that either…it's actually killing me being this still, I'm so used to moving around—" Lucas eyebrows arched in such a way that Brooke had to add, "Being productive!"

Lucas smirked, "Sex can be productive—"

Brooke rolled her eyes and blushed, "You're impossible."

"I'm just joking around. How about a game?"

"Depends on the game."

"Are you good at hand held controllers? I have a flat screen and a PlayStation installed. If not we can watch movies."

"What kind of games you have?"

"Um…Modern Warfare, Mortal Kombat 11, Grand Theft Auto and Need For Speed: Rivals for myself…and for the boys…they have—"

"Modern Warfare hands down. Then after that Need For Speed and possibly MK11."

"Alright…your funeral. Come on." He said as he led her through the cabin past the full dining room and into the multimedia theatre and pressed a button for the decent sized flat screen to descend and a hidden shelf slid out to reveal the game system and four controllers at the ready.

"You're really that cocky on a daily basis?" she asked as he handed her a custom made controller that had Ironman's face on it.

"This is Jamie's controller. My boys love Marvel." He explained softly. "And I told you before I'm not cocky. I'm confident."

"He has great taste."

"That he does…Alexa turn on PlayStation and TV!" he commanded.

"Turning on PlayStation and TV." Alexa echoed, executing his command.

"Modern Warfare was the last game played so we can get right to it. You ready?"

"Ready…"

Lucas began the game and selected the Free For All option.

Brooke smirked as they began to hunt for each other.

"I'm surprised you know what you're doing…"

"Somewhat…" Her smirk turned to a full blown grin as she spotted him first and began shooting at him.

"Shit!" he said, making his character take cover. But the maneuver was useless when she sent her drone after him. "Oh! Two can play at that game! Your ass is grass Davis."

"Not likely Scott!" she taunted with a laugh.

After killing her character for the second time he looked over at her and suggested, "Lets make this interesting…the first to get ten kills gets to ask a question, and the loser can't lie when answering."

Brooke looked over at him with surprise. "I'm shocked that you didn't bet for a kiss."

"When we reach fifty that can be the prize if that's what you want…"

Brooke's heart pounded but she shook her head. "The first bet is good."

Lucas nodded and turned back to the TV and focused on the mission at hand. Score to win is 1500 points—equivalent to 30 kills. Each kill takes 50 points by default.

"Damn it! How did that happen?!" Lucas exclaimed as she reached her ninth kill.

Brooke laughed, "I'm just that good."

"How?" he asked just as she shot him dead. "How?! How are you this good?"

"Well before you entered the picture we would host gaming night after work and I would enter the competition and play. Sometimes I'd lose…but then I got better every time I would participate." She answered, her eyes on the screen. She pressed pause then turned to him. "What are some things you've had to unlearn?"

"Well…one of them is: you must think rationally at all times…people—myself included—like to think that we make rational decisions. But we make irrational decisions all the time."

"The second one has to be: you must stay happy. I had to learn that emotions don't define you. It's what you do with them and how you cope with them that defines your maturity. My kids were the reason I had to unlearn that one."

He then blushed and admitted, "Um, as for the third…I'm still kinda working on which is: Success is the finishing line. The pursuit of success never ends. There are no destinations, only milestones. You climb one mountain only to find out there is another one you haven't even started climbing. There's no happily ever after. There are only beautiful journeys. What about you?"

"Ah-ah I won that Q and A fair and square." She said with a playful smile. "Whoever gets the next ten gets to ask the next question."

"You're on…" Lucas said as she un-paused the game.

It didn't take long for Lucas to gather his ten kills and Brooke gaped at him, "You were going easy on me?"

Lucas paused the game then shrugged, "Yeah a little at first…but I've since come to the conclusion that you aren't a damsel in distress."

"Not always. Okay ask away…"

"What is your favorite quote or expression?"

Brooke considered for a while then answered honestly, "My favorite quote is 'Change your thoughts and you change your world' by Norman Vincent Peale."

Lucas looked at her and nodded, "Inspiring…"

Brooke smiled as she shrugged and looked at him, "I always thought so."

Eventually the two moved on to the next game where Brooke annihilated his character with brutal fatalities. Lucas looked at her and saw the triumph on her face, "Gotta love a girl who's into video games."

"You're a good sport…that's a plus." She said with a smile as he shut down the system.

"Thanks." He said with a small smile, "Do you want to watch a movie or something?"

"Actually I'm kinda hungry…I haven't eaten since breakfast."

Lucas nodded, "Okay…no problem. Just wait in the dining room while I ask the chef to prepare something."

Brooke watched him walk to parts unknown and sighed, drumming her fingers on the arm rest as her stomach began to grumble with hunger. She wondered how he managed to get her to feel at ease around him when she had been so set on keeping her distance.

Half an hour later Lucas entered the room with two plates of food.

"Your crispy pan seared salmon with a lemon garlic butter sauce and creamy spinach parmesan orzo ma'am."

"That looks so good…" she said as she looked at the presentation of her plate.

The salmon practically melted in her mouth and the orzo was so creamy and rich that she moaned.

The way she moaned fired his blood but Lucas smiled, "I'm glad you like it…" he said as he cut into his own salmon.

"Compliments to the chef!"

"Thank you."

Her eyes widened as she asked, "You did that?"

Lucas shrugged, "Haley gave me some cooking lessons when she was in school. It's the only one that took to be honest. And I wanted to surprise you."

"Mission accomplished…I never would have thought that you could pull this together." She said before lifting the fork to her mouth.

"I am quite capable of doing things when I put my mind to it."

Brooke blushed, "I didn't mean to offend you—"

Lucas shook his head, "You didn't offend me. It's okay."

"So…What are you addicted to?"

"You won't like the answer…" he said as he dabbed the sauce from the corner of his mouth with the napkin.

"I asked didn't I?"

"What am I addicted to?" He asked, wanting to be sure that was the question she had asked.

Brooke nodded as she swallowed her bite of food. "Curious minds wanna know."

His eyes flicked to hers as he answered with a simple one word response, "You."