Peter nodded his head in understanding. “I see… kind of like the producer’s producer, right?”

“Yeah, something like that.” Brooke nodded in agreement.

“You always did need a mother figure in your life.” Peter watched for a reaction, not only from Brooke, but from her assistant as well. He wasn’t disappointed when Brooke eyed him with a perfectly arched eyebrow.

“Hey, I have one, thank you. Come on, Trouble, I’ll show you to your new office. Thank you, Ida,” Brooke added as they left the waiting area of the suite.

“It was nice meeting you, Ida,” Peter smiled warmly at the older woman, then turned to catch up to his new boss, feeling much better after having broken the ice.

They stopped in front of a large oak door, as Brooke pulled a key from her pocket. She unlocked the door and held it open for Peter to see. “Here you are. It’s all yours.”

Peter craned his neck to look into the room as a low whistle escaped his lips. “Wow, Brooke, my own office? You didn’t have to go and do that.” Peter slowly entered the office and walked around. Stopping behind the large antique desk, he gave the chair a spin and watched it swivel around in circles as Brooke perched herself on the opposite corner of the desk.

“Sure I did. I’m not sharing mine. Believe me, Peter…you’re gonna be a busy man. You’ll need your own space.”

“Professionally, I think you’re right. Personally, I wouldn’t mind sharing my space with a cute little blonde by the name of Crystal.” Peter winked at Brooke, then stopped the chair from spinning and plopped into it.

“Uh-huh…too bad she’s in a different line of work, entirely.” Brooke crossed her chest with her arms and leaned back, looking over her shoulder at Peter. She waited a moment, then pushed off the desk, taking the seat on the opposite side of the desk.

“Yeah, I know,” the man scowled at the thought. “But, at least you and Sam are sort of… aren’t you?”

Brooke began to scratch the back of her neck as she answered. “Umm…yeah. Actually, she’s…uhm…” the dark-haired woman stuttered. “Well, I hope she’ll be working here after the first of the year.” Brooke swallowed hard. “But I have the feeling that I botched that whole possibility.”

Brown eyes opened wide in confusion. “What? How’re you gonna swing that one? Isn’t she still in school?”

“Yeah, she is. Janet is her PR professor.”

“Janet? Janet Humphreys…” Peter sat forward and pointed to Brooke, “…your old birthday buddy? Damn if it isn’t a small world.” The musician brought his hand down, slapping the desk, then sank into his chair. “Well, if it would work out and she does ends up working here, what will Sam be doing?”

“Well…” Brooke thought about the question carefully before answering. “In order for her to graduate, she has to do an internship promoting something from the bottom on up. If she actually ends up here, I was planning on giving her the assignment for Line Of Fire, that band we signed from Jersey. They’ll be done recording by the beginning of January.”

Peter nodded his head, and then looked up with laughing brown eyes. “New talent eh? Doesn’t that fall into my category?”

“It will be their first album, with lots of promotion opportunities there. Besides,” Brooke smirked, “this was planned before you, my friend.”

Peter laughed. “Somehow Brooke, I didn’t think you’d back off on this one.”

Brooke became a little shy all of a sudden as she began to play with the new blotter on her friend’s desk. “Yeah…anyway, Sam and I agreed that if she had an internship locally, we’d talk about moving in together. I tried to rent an apartment near the campus but she wouldn’t let me.” Brooke stopped what she was doing, and then placed her hands in her lap as she contemplated the memories.

Peter watched her closely. He could tell that this was something Brooke really wanted; in fact, it was more like something that she needed. “Is that why you have that ring ready at all times?” He asked quietly.

A smile broke out on Brooke’s face at the thought of the engagement ring in her pocket. “The ring?” She looked up to see Peter nod. “Actually, I’m waiting for the perfect moment to ask her. She deserves that. I’ll know when the time is right.”

“Oh, I see…” Peter crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. “You know, Brooke, I was thinking…if Crystal and I ever get married, you and I would be relatives through marriage, wouldn’t we?”

The dark haired woman looked over at him, surprise evident on her face that the word marriage had even crossed his lips. “Yes, we would. Well, that is, if Sam says ‘yes’.” Brooke gazed back down to her hands as she nervously wrung them in her lap, looking for all the world like she’d just lost her best friend.

“What do you mean ‘if’? You know she’s crazy about you. Why wouldn’t she want to spend the rest of her life with you?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’m just going to be on pins and needles till I hear a ‘yes’ from her lips.”

Peter uncrossed his arms and leaned across his desk, grabbing one of Brooke’s hands in his own. He waited for her blue eyes to meet his own brown ones. “Then ask her, Brooke. Let her tell you for herself. What have you got to lose?” Peter waited for an answer as the sound of silence echoed throughout the office.

“My heart,” Brooke answered, barely loud enough for her old friend to hear.

After releasing the slightly trembling hand of his friend, Peter got up from his seat and walked around the desk. Circling an arm around Brooke’s slumped shoulders, he leaned on the arm of the chair. “Hey, I don’t see that happening at all. That girl loves you with everything she is. Believe me; I can see it when she looks at you. If there’s anything that I can do, Brooke… just ask. I want to see the two of you happy together.”

Brooke couldn’t help but smile when she saw the concern in Peter’s warm eyes. “I’m glad you’re working here, Pete. I didn’t realize until we met up again just how much I’d missed you.”

The man stood up straight, puffed up with pride and smiled. “Yeah, well, I’ve wised up a lot over the last few years. I’m just glad that we got back in touch with each other.”

“Me too.” Brooke shook her head, and then smirked. “And I guess we actually owe that one to the Master Shithead, himself.”

Brown eyes rolled at the mention of their former band mate. “Well, something good has to come out of everything. I guess we were it.”

Brooke stood up from the desk and slapped her friend on the shoulder. “I guess so. All right, I’ve got an errand to run, so I’ll let you get to work, Pete,” she finished with a grin. “I’m sure that Ida will help you with getting everything to your liking once she gets her morning cup of coffee. You might want to start with the computer.”

Peter snapped his heals together in military style and saluted her. “Yes, Ma’am. See ya later, Boss.”

Brooke laughed at his antics as she merely shook her head, and then casually offered her thoughts on his attire as she left the room. “Oh, and Peter, you might want to lose the tie. We’re pretty casual in this company. It doesn’t pay for us to look like the establishment. The artists won’t trust us.”

He looked down nervously to his tie. “Well, it won’t hurt for one day, will it? Besides, I bought this special for my first day here and I’m going to wear it.”

Brooke shrugged her shoulders, then laughed. “Later, Petey. I’ll see you later.”

Waiting until she was gone and the door was closed, Peter turned, looking at the spacious office that was now his. Like a bolt of lightning cutting through a night sky, he threw his fist up into the air after doing a happy dance and yelled, “YES!” Meekly, he looked around and began to settle into his role as Brownstone Records’ new talent scout. The ex-musician straightened his tie, then snuggled into his chair and smiled, waiting for work to come his way.

It was a little over an hour since Peter had been shown his office. Considering how nervous he was earlier, he marveled at the ease with which he was able to start on the tasks that Brooke had gone over with him the night before. He was already becoming more comfortable in his new job and sure enough, Ida had been there to answer any questions he had about company procedures.

He rolled up his sleeves and had just begun to loosen his tie when Ida’s familiar voice came over his speakerphone once again. “Line two, Mr. Butler.”

“Thanks, Ida.” Peter waited for the line to disconnect before punching in the flashing red button on his phone. He took a deep breath before answering. “Brownstone Records, Peter Butler speaking.”

“What in the hell is this shit?” An angry voice asked over the line. “Why are you answering the phones? Where the hell is Brooke?”

Peter rolled his eyes and held the phone away from his ear as he recognized the voice on the other end of the line. “James?”

“No…it’s Mary Frickin Poppins…”

“Hey, James. You called Brownstone Records and I happen to work here now. You don’t have to be so damn insulting with your answers. Brooke is tied up in a meeting right now. May I help you?”

“Yeah…all right, Peter, you fucking traitor. Where in the hell are my master tapes?”

“Traitor?” Peter began, making sure to keep his voice at an even level, trying not to give James the satisfaction of knowing that his ex-band member was pissing him off. “James…I told you I wasn’t going that route any more.”

“Bullshit! She got to you and you happily went along for the ride. Once again, you’re Loran’s little puppet. She pulls the strings and you do her happy little dance.”

Peter rubbed his temples and began to understand why Ida had mentioned getting aspirin for ‘The Boss’ earlier as one of her duties. “No, she didn’t get to me. It’s more like I finally grew up and saw the light. Now the only question is, when will you? Besides… you know, it’s better to dance sober than to be a drunken fool.”