Neither girl had remembered to set an alarm for the next morning so they were awoken to the ringing of Lainey's phone.
"Hello" Lainey answered groggily. "Yeah, can you cover for me. I forgot to set an alarm." Lainey looked at Peyton, who had an angry look on her face, as she listened to Kelsey speak. "I'm working on it. Also my fiancé and I have dinner plans so I'll be leaving a little early." There was a silent pause in the room as Lainey listened to Kelsey. "Ok, thanks Kels you're the best I owe you one."
"You're girlfriend just had to call and wake us up." Peyton rolled her eyes as she threw the blankets off of them and started to get up.
"Woah, woah, woah" Lainey said pulling her back down by her waist and covering them back up. "First off, she's not my girlfriend. Second off, I made it quite clear that I was taken, just for you. Lastly, and most importantly, she only called because I'm late and my father is looking for me."
"Sorry, I get a little jealous when it comes to things that are supposed to be mine. I guess that happens when you grow up the middle child in a house of five children."
"Yours, huh? And here I thought you were only tolerating me." Lainey said propping herself up on her elbow so that she could see Peyton's face better.
"Oh please, you big dummy, you've become my best friend.... Actually, now that I think of it, you're my only friend. So, yeah I don't want to share you, because I don't want anyone to steal you."
Lainey raised her eyebrows, "Does this mean you want to be like a couple or something?"
"No..... it just means that I don't want you to see other people, but we are both VERY much single." Peyton didn't know why she felt the need too add the last part, but she didn't want Lainey to get the wrong idea. Sure she liked Lainey, but she had no idea how Lainey felt about her. For all she knows Lainey could still hate her.
Peyton's words kind of hurt. Lainey was hoping that maybe Peyton was starting to like her as more than a friend, but she couldn't let that show. "Peyton, I've never slept with any of my assistants."
"And how was I supposed to know this?"
"I didn't know you cared to know who I had and hadn't slept with."
"I don't." Peyton said crossing her arms.
"Yeah, ok princess. Whatever helps you sleep at night."
"Quit calling me princess."
"Nope" Lainey said popping the p. "I like the face you make when you're annoyed with me. It's cute."
"I hate you."
"Dang you really need to work on your flirting, that almost hurt."
"Who said I was flirting with you."
"Oh please who could resist me." Lainey said fully sitting up and flipping her hair.
"Why did I ever think that dinner tonight would be a good idea."
"I don't know but you're stuck with me now. Hey, did you need to call someone by the way and let them know you'll be late and leaving early?"
"Yeah, I'll call Austin."
"Ok" Lainey said getting up and heading for the door.
"What? No sarcastic comment about my assistant being a guy? Not going to tease me about fucking him?"
"No, plus you said you don't want to be a couple so you can fuck as many assistants as you want."
Peyton sighed. "I don't fuck my assistants either."
"Have you fucked the girl at the front desk?" Lainey asked leaning against her doorway now.
"No, why?"
"I would have."
"LAINEY!"
"What? I'm just saying she's hot, and I'm single as you so kindly pointed out."
"Lainey, don't be like that."
"Like what? You can't tell me that 'we are both VERY much single' and then turn around and get mad at me when I make a joke about fucking someone. Either you're me or you're not. In which case I can make whatever jokes I want because as you pointed out we're both single."
"That's not fair."
"How so?"
"When this all started we still didn't like each other so we never talked about whether we were going to see other people or not. It would look bad if one of us got caught with someone else, but I also don't expect us to be the perfect couple."
"Do you want to see other people?"
"Do you?"
"I asked you first, and you're the one that keeps sending mixed signals here. One moment I think you're flirting with me, and then the next I'm back to thinking you still hate me." Lainey said walking back sitting on the end of the bed.
"I don't hate you, but I also haven't really ever dated anyone but Scott, and if everything you say about him is true I'm not sure I want to date anyone again. I don't trust myself to see the bad in anyone because all I saw in him was good and you make him sound like the worst." Tears were rolling down Peyton's cheeks, but she was trying to keep herself from full on crying.
"Look P, I'm biased when it comes to Scott. I've never liked him, but I guess if he made you happy then he can't be all bad. I just know that he didn't care about you nearly as much as you cared about him, and you deserve someone who loves and cares for you the way you love and care for them."
"You seem to care about me the way I care about you. Could you love me? Could you be the person for me?"
"I don't know P. Do you even want me to be?"
Peyton stayed silent and didn't answer Lainey's question.
"Look, no matter whether you want it to be or not you'll never lose me as a friend. We may have had our differences in the past, but we've talked it through and now I see you as someone I don't plan on losing anytime soon. You deserve someone who will be there for you and I want to be that person for you. Whether that is in a relationship with real feelings, or a fake one and we are just friends."
"Do you like me?"
"Of course I like you P."
"No, not like that. Do you, like, like me?"
"I- I know that I could, but I haven't let myself go that far yet... I don't want to get hurt anymore than you do, P."
Lainey got up off the bed to walk out. "Wait! Where are you going? Please don't leave. I'm sorry."
"I'm not leaving P. I'm going to brush my teeth, and you have nothing to apologize for." Lainey chuckled. "Why did you think there was?"
"Because last time we fought you avoided me for like three days."
"That fight was different, and I didn't leave you because I wanted to. I left because I didn't want to say or do something I wouldn't be able to take back later."
"But I feel like I didn't give you the answer you wanted to hear."
"I wasn't looking for any specific answer. It's not like I was expecting for you to say you wanted to bone."
Peyton facepalmed herself, "Bone? Really?"
A big smile spread across Lainey's face. "Oh I'm sorry, what term do you prefer princess?"
"Howard, I swear to God I'm not afraid to kick your ass."
"Ooo, the last name, I'm so scared." Lainey said sarcastically. "I'd like to see you try, princess."
Peyton jumped off the bed to chase Lainey, but Lainey was in the bathroom with the door shut before she even made it to the hallway.
The girls both got ready for work and didn't see each other again till 4:00 when Lainey walked up to Peyton's office and knocked on her door.
"Come in" Peyton called out looking up from her computer. "Oh, hey, you're off already?"
"Yeah. You ready?"
"Almost I just have to finish this last spreadsheet. You can sit down if you want. How was work?"
"Boring, I hate paperwork. I would much rather actually talk to the people, or at least not be stuck behind a desk all day."
"Awe, I'm sorry. We're still going out for dinner after I finish up, right?"
Lainey fake gasped, "Is the Peyton Chapman asking me, Lainey Howard, on a date?"
"Never mind I'll go out alone."
"No, wait, yes I would still like to go for dinner with you. What kind of dinner are we talking about, fancy restaurant or fast food?"
"I was thinking fast food since we just did the fancy thing last night, but if you want to go somewhere nice we can do that instead."
"Fast-food sounds great, but there's one stipulation."
Peyton chuckled. "And what is that?"
"I get to pick the restaurant."
"No way. I asked you to go out so I get to pick."
"Only if you let me pay."
"Not a chance."
"Then I get to pick where we go."
"You're impossible."
Lainey gave Peyton a cheesy smile and said. "I know. If you're not out in 10 minutes I'm coming back in and carrying you out myself." Lainey said getting up and walking out.
"Where are you going?"
"To talk to your staff."
"Why?" Peyton called out, but Lainey was already gone and no longer listening.
Lainey went around talking to everyone who would talk back to her. She tried to avoid going to the front desk since she'd upset Peyton earlier with a comment about the girl, however she had no one else left to talk to and the girl had been calling for her to come over for the last 5 people.
"Ready?" Peyton asked walking up to Lainey, who was still talking to the girl at the front desk.
"Yep. You?" Lainey replied instantly turning towards Peyton and away from the other girl.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see." Lainey reached her hand out for Peyton to take.
Half an hour later they were pulling into a small diner that looked like it was straight out of the 70's.
"What is this place?"
"Mack's."
"Ok, but what is it?"
"A diner."
"No shit. How do you even know about this place? It's outside the city, and it's so small."
"This is where I brought all of my dates before we got engaged."
"I hate you." Peyton said crossing her arms. "Take me home, now!"
"Slow down there, princess, I'm just joking. I've never brought anyone here. Mack is Rue's brother and it's his diner. His real name is Michelangelo, but if you call him that he'll throw you out so I'd just stick to Mack if I were you."
"Well if he's even half as good as Rue it'll be amazing."
Lainey and Peyton spent the evening talking and enjoying each others company. After dinner they went to a park and walked around for a while. At one point they held hands, but other than that they kept their hands to themselves.
Lainey didn't want to pressure Peyton into making a decision. She'd never say it out loud, but she'd wait as long as it took for Peyton to figure things out.
She no longer thought of Peyton as the stuck-up perfect little princess with an easy life. She never really hated the girl in the first place. She had just always assumed that Peyton had it easy, but after hearing that she didn't Lainey saw her through a different light.
Peyton was still confused about what she wanted with Lainey. As much as she wants to see Lainey as more than a friend, she is afraid that things will turn out like they did with Scott and she'll be left heartbroken again.
What kind of person just breaks-up with someone they've spent years with, and doesn't give an explanation? She thought about all of the things Lainey had told her, and how all of the signs were right in front of her face the whole time, but she was too blinded by lust and love to see them. She didn't want that to happen again. She could feel that there was something different about Lainey, but how different was she and was it a good different? Would Lainey leave like everyone else? Would she leave every time they fought like she did the first time? Did Lainey even like her like that? What if Lainey didn't feel the same and then things got awkward? What if she did feel the same and then things didn't work out? Would they still be able to live together Would she lose the only person she has left outside of her family? These thoughts and more were running through Peyton's mind nonstop all night making for a restless night's sleep.