Laura hit end on her phone call and threw it across the bed before placing her head in her hands.  Why did life have to be so hard?

It had started in Las Vegas when tempers were as high as the temperature. Kelly had found out about her and Davis's date and had sulked, causing Davis to have a hard time getting the shots that he wanted from her.  Laura had turned the ice on high, barely even talking to him in an attempt to shut him down where she was concerned. The only one who wasn't upset was Carmen.

Then Davis had had to leave suddenly, saying that they would have to reschedule the Texas trip and that he would see them all in D.C. in a few weeks.

In the past week Charlotte had found the time to call Tabitha and tell her all about Laura's new boyfriend and how handsome and talented he was, and now she and her father were insisting on meeting him. Laura had tried to assure them that Charlotte had misread the situation, and that there was no boyfriend nor was there likely to be one any time soon; but they wouldn't hear it.

She was at a loss on how to get out of the situation. She stood up and moved from her little bedroom to her little living area to make herself a cup of tea. Her apartment was tiny and functional. She had rented it after moving to New York years ago and had never seen the need to upgrade to something bigger even though she could well afford it. Her goal was to save her money and go back to school and get a Masters in Library Science.

After the life she had lived, the idea of being a librarian in some quite little library in small town USA appealed to her. She could hide behind her ugly glasses and wear boring sedate clothing and not worry about her appearance.  It sounded like heaven to her.

With her peppermint tea in hand she walked over to her ipad and turned on some music.  Nothing like some old standards sung by some of her favorite artists to sooth her. Her mind continued to work through the problem when she heard Cassandra Stevens voice come from the speakers.

She jumped up suddenly with a possible solution to the problem.  Granted, it wasn't an ideal solution, but it might just work. Davis had asked for a second date, what if that date was a repayment for the last one? He did owe her after all. She had met his family so he could meet hers.

Laura was sure that her father would run true to form and instantly dislike Davis, which would give her the out she needed. Her parents would take care of it themselves. Now the only problem that remained was how to get Davis to say yes without him thinking there was anything more to it then helping her out of a jam.  She would just have to be honest with him and tell him that it was a problem partly of his making and he had to help her out of it.

She moved towards her bedroom to change as she decided that she would go over to his place and see if he was there.  Now that she had made the decision she was determined to put her plan into motion, but how should she play it. She could go as herself or she could dress her usual way.

Deciding to go as herself, she might get further with Davis if she approached him earnestly, she put on a pair of her favorite blue jeans and a well-worn light purple t-shirt. Leaving her face bare, she put her hair sloppily on the top of her head as she picked her favorite pair of black square framed glasses. The final touch was a pair of old battered canvas tennis shoes.

Quickly, before she could have second thoughts, she headed out the door.  She would take the subway it would give her time to plan out what she would say.

*******

Davis was bouncing his niece on his bare shoulder as he paced the room trying to get her to settle.  Dana and Quinn had asked if he would be willing to babysit while they had a night out on the town and he had mistakenly agreed.  What on earth had made him think he could care for a sweet, innocent, and helpless baby?

As if she could read his thoughts she started to cry louder. She had already thrown up on his t-shirt and he had peeled it off, throwing it to the side as he searched for wipes to clean the sticky mess off of his shoulder and chest.

That had been over an hour ago and there seemed little point in putting another one back on because she had thrown up on him once more since then. How did his big brother do this? It was really beyond him. He should be out taking photos not sitting here with a wailing baby. He couldn't even put her down long enough to take photos of her.

He suddenly thought of Laura, wondering if she would know what to do with a baby. There was no one else he could think to call, but with her coldness towards him a few weeks ago he doubt she would welcome his phone call. He knew the date had not been one of his best ideas, but he had at least gotten Cassie to sing to her.

Maybe if he had sung to her. Maybe if he sang to the baby.

He started to sing the only song he could think of which was his parent's song 'At Last.' It seemed to be working as she had gone from full scale wailing to little murmurs. The sudden lack of crying made his muscles relax and he sighed in relief letting his mind wander as he sang the song without having to think about it.

His mind went back to the last week and the stress of it.  He had never had to work so hard to get good shots of beautiful women.  The only one who had been easy was Carmen, and she had been totally amused by the entire situation.

When his brother had called saying he needed his help for a week in Middle East he had jumped at the chance to get away, convinced that a break would do everyone some good. It had pushed their shooting schedule back and they had had to move Texas to the end of shooting but it had all worked out in then end.

There was a knock at the door, jolting Davis from his thoughts of the rearranged shooting schedule. Continuing to sing and moving slowly to the door he opened it, sure he would see Quinn and Dana standing there. He was totally floored when he saw Laura, but not just any Laura, the real Laura.

She was gorgeous. No makeup, wearing tight blue jeans and a cotton t-shirt; she was soft and touchable. Warm was the word that came to mind.  Her eye glasses also added a smart and approachable air to her that made him want to kiss her. It amazed him how he found her current outfit and lack of makeup ten times sexier than when she was all dressed up for an event or the camera.

Unable to resist a smile at her shocked expression, he held open the door for her and motioned for her to come in, all the while continuing to sing.

*******

Laura was shocked when Davis opened the door, but she couldn't decide what shocked her more, the fact that he was shirtless, or that he had a baby on his shoulder. It was every woman's fantasy right in front of her. Not only was he half naked, cradling a beautiful baby, he was singing a romantic song in a very sexy voice.

As he turned and moved away from the door she noticed that his jeans were riding low on his hips and his feet were bare. Slowly, she followed his lead and entered the apartment closing the door behind her.

Lord help her.  She was partly upset that he caused her to feel anything and she was partly glad because he could. She had been convinced that there was something broken in her for her to get where she was without a single love affair or even and innocent romance in her past.

Davis stopped singing and smiled at her. "To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from the Ice Queen." He patted the baby's back as she started to fuss.

"I have a favor to ask." Laura came right to the point just as the baby started to wail again. Instinctually, Laura reached for the baby and Davis gladly relieved himself of his crying burden.

Laura sat on the couch with the baby and started to pat her back and the baby proceeded to give a few deep and loud burps. Laura leaned back on the couch and felt the baby snuggle into her neck.

"Was that all it really was?" Davis asked, sitting next to her with a look of relief on his face.

Laura just smiled. She had no idea, she had just done what felt right. "I wouldn't know, I don't have much experience with babies, I was just guessing." She rubbed the baby's warm back as it snuggled closer to her.

"What's its name?"

"Her name is Fiona." Davis leaned his head back and closed his eyes, enjoying the sudden silence.

"Where's her mother?" Laura asked. The thought of Davis having a baby was a bit overwhelming, but she bet he would be a good father.

"The baby's mother and father are at dinner.  I'm babysitting. Fiona is my niece, the first of her generation, and as one of the youngest in my family I have very little experience when it comes to babies." Laura watched as the devilish grin that he got right before he said something outrageous crossed his face. "Practicing on how to make a baby, now that's a different story. I think that might be something we have in common.  We could always practice that together."

Laura felt herself turn red.  That was something she that she had never practiced but she would die before she would tell him that.

"So, you said you had a favor to ask." He nudged her with his leg when she remained stubbornly silent.

Laura was finding his shirtless body distracting. She was having a hard time focusing especially when he took a deep breath and his muscles in this chest and stomach rippled. He must work out every day to have muscles like those. The sprinkling of hair that ran down the length of his chest and disappeared beneath his waist band was even more disturbing.

She rose as she noted a car seat on the top of the long kitchen table, and she slowly placed the baby in it, making sure she was well covered before she turned back to Davis.

"I didn't know you could sing. You have a very nice voice," She said more for something to say than because she was concerned about it.  Suddenly, her idea didn't seem to be such a good one.  If she got him to agree then it would be more time spent together and her attraction to him seemed to be getting stronger and harder to fight.

"Do I?" he asked, watching her closely, she could tell his interest was suddenly piqued.

"Yes, but then you seem to do everything well, don't you?" she said as she moved to the large windows and looked at the lights below. He never seemed to be uneasy or upset by anything.

"I wouldn't say that. I seem to have an issue with first dates, at least where you're concerned. I failed at that pretty miserably." She could feel his eyes on her.

The comment put her at ease for some reason. Maybe it was because he was able to point out his mistakes, or maybe it was because he was still attempting to flirt with her while he was cutting himself down. The thought made her laugh aloud as she shook her head. Spinning around she looked at him a smile still on her lips. "See, you even say that with confidence.  You think you failed at our first date and you admit it, yet you don't sound the least bit put out by it."

Davis looked at her seriously for a moment, his gaze falling to her smiling lips. "So you say I think I failed, does that mean I didn't?" He sat up playing at looking hopeful.

Laura laughed again and it felt good.  She never laughed and yet here he was making her laugh without even trying. She picked up a pillow off of the chair next to her and threw it at Davis. "Yes, you failed, but you did get me a private concert with Cassandra Stevens, so you get a get out of jail free card for that."

He caught the pillow with ease grinning. "So, when are we going out again."

"I wouldn't be quite so eager if I was you." Laura's smile faltered as she turned back towards the window.

"Why wouldn't I be eager to spend an evening with you; but how about we go like this?" She watched his reflection in the window as he motioned between the two of them. "I much prefer this Laura to the others that I have met."

"Well, I hope that you will at least put a shirt on and maybe wash the baby vomit smell off before the date." Laura wrinkled her nose.

"You smelled that uh?" He sniffed around himself and he looked so comical Laura smiled again.

"How else do you think I knew that I needed to burp the baby? Come one that's Home Ec. 101."

"Sorry, I was too busy flirting with Sally Pruitt, trying to find a way to practice the baby making stuff, to hear what the teacher said. So, about this date? Why shouldn't I get too excited?" He rose and moved into the kitchen area of the open floor plan apartment.  It was behind the breakfast bar and the kitchen table where the baby slept.

"Would you like a drink?" he asked, reaching into the fridge and pulling out a beer. "I have some wine."

"No, thank you," she said, resting her back against the window as she watched him move gracefully around the kitchen. He didn't care in the least that he was shirtless.

"Since you felt the need to introduce yourself to my sister and then proceeded to make her believe that there was a relationship between us you now have to pay for the consequences." It was not the line she had intended to take but Davis's total self-confidence was throwing her off her guard. "Don't you even care that you smell like baby spit up?" Laura asked suddenly.  Anyone else would have run to the shower and rinsed off the smell.

He shrugged as he took a long sip of his beer. "No, I come by it honestly, and believe me when I say I have smelled of worse things than baby vomit."  He moved to check on the sleeping baby. "So, what are these consequences?"

"Charlotte told my parents about you and now they're insisting on meeting you. I've tried telling them that Charlotte was mistaken, but they think I am lying and won't take no for an answer." She wasn't going to tell him that she knew they wouldn't like him and one dinner would be the end of it.

He was watching her closely, seeing more than she wanted him to see, and the silence between them stretched as he considered her comments.

"I'm going to take a shower while I think about this." He set his bottle down and disappeared towards the dark end of the apartment behind the dressing tables that ran down the middle of the room.

In an attempt to put a bathing Davis out of her mind, she moved to the baby, picking her up and rubbing her back.  She was a heavy sleepier because other then some little smacking noises she slept on undisturbed.

The idea of presenting Davis to her parents was disconcerting. She had never introduced any man to her family, not that she had ever had one to introduce. Tabitha would most likely approve of Davis, but her father would have a fit.  He wasn't from a proper family, he didn't have money, and he was a photographer, which her father would look down on just as much as he did her modeling career.

She swayed with the baby lost in her thoughts.  She had no clue that Davis had returned and was taking her picture from across the room as she stared unseeingly out the window.

The door behind her opened and two very blond people walked in and stopped short when they saw her holding the baby. They were beautiful, there was no other way to describe them. They were both just as blond as she was and just as tall. The woman had striking green eyes and the man had similar eyes to Davis's.  This must be his brother and sister-in-law.

"Hello," The woman said with a friendly smile. "Did Davis call in reinforcements?"

"No, he had it under control, well for the most part he did." Laura smiled.

"Don't tell us what, we don't know won't hurt us," the man said, returning her smile. "I'm Quinn Stevens by the way and this is my wife Dana." He held out his hand and Laura shook it with her free one then turned to Dana and handed over the baby slowly.

As soon as little Fiona was out of her arms she felt suddenly lonely.

"I'm Laura Wren," she said as she stepped away from the little family.

"You're Laura?" Dana asked, suddenly way more interested than she had been before.

"I see the family phone tree had been activated," Davis said as he joined the group from the darkness on the other side of the room. He was wearing a darker pair of blue jeans and a dark blue sweater that was stretched tight over his chest

"I'm sorry if I seemed rude, but you're not what I was expecting." Dana said as she moved to put the baby, who slept on, in the baby carrier. "You were described much differently."

"She's lovely isn't she?" Davis asked as he put his arms around her shoulders. 

Laura couldn't help but think that he had a serious issue about making people think they were a couple when they weren't.

"Very lovely," Quinn agreed with a charming grin as he looked from her to his brother. "Weren't you wearing something different when we dropped the baby off with you?"

Davis grinned in return. "Yep." When he refused to add anything else Quinn laughed. "All right brother I'll say it again what I don't know can't hurt me. Dana are you ready to go?"

"Oh, I thought we could stay and visit since the baby is sleeping so peacefully." She looked at Laura. It seemed she was intrigued and Laura couldn't blame her.  Who she was tonight was very different from who she had been in L.A.

"No, I think these two would like for us to take Fiona and leave now," Quinn said reaching for the carrier and heading towards the door.

"Thanks for taking care of her for us," Dana said giving first Davis and then Laura a hug. "And thank you Laura for saving Davis from Fiona."

Laura was momentarily dumbfounded by the hug.  She had just met this woman and she was already getting a hug.

"Will we see you in Texas in a few weeks?" she questioned as she moved to join her husband across the room at the door.

"Yes, you'll see both if us, and I have no doubt that you and the rest of the family will get to know Laura then," Davis assured her as he moved back to his beer on the counter.

"Good, goodnight then," Dana called,softly as they left the apartment.

"What did you mean, the rest of the family?" Laura looked at him.

"I know for a fact that Dana is on the phone to Lizzy and Cassie right now, and now that you've been seen twice in my presence you're going to be taken very seriously.  In fact, we might as well go ahead and get married and get it over with."

Laura looked at him to make sure he was joking. He didn't sound like he was joking.  In fact, he sounded very serious. "Your whole family, all of them."

"Most likely, maybe not Rainer, you never know when he's going to pop up."

Laura sighed, closing her eyes as she sunk on to his couch.  "Why do you insist on trying to make people think that we're a couple and in a relationship? It's not a good thing."

"Why not? What's the harm?"

"The harm is that now you have to meet my parents and that's something I am not comfortable with. The only thing to hope for is that they don't approve of you because then they will be happy and believe me when I tell them that we're not dating."

"So you're actually hoping that your parents disapprove of me?" He looked totally confused.

Damn, she hadn't wanted to say that. She knew it would happen but he didn't need to know that. "Trust me, it'll have nothing to do with you and everything to do with me."

"Why is that?" Davis asked, sitting in a chair next to her. He looked a little angry and tense.

"My family situation is complicated and not worth bothering you with." Laura started to rub her wrist again, a fact that was not lost on Davis.

"I'm smart, I can understand complicated." He stared her down, not relenting with his gaze, until she sighed heavily.

"There is no way I can say it without sounding like a snob." She shook her head.

"Don't worry about that. I know you're not a snob."

"How do you know I'm not a snob, you don't know anything about me." She jumped up and started to pace.

"Laura sit down and tell me." His voice was so commanding that she did what he said.

"My family is old money. My father is from and old Virginia family as was my mother.  When I marry I will be expected to marry a pedigree, but not just any pedigree, a moneyed pedigree. Someone with a military background would be even better."

"Not some photographer from Texas whose family owns a ranch." He grinned, not one to worry for long, "If it helps we're an old Texas family."

"You don't get it. I don't want you to help. I want you to fail. If you're deemed worthy by my family then...my father can be a son-of-a-bitch and I already have enough issues with him and I don't need to add more to it.  Trust me when you are deemed unworthy then he will tell me to drop you and never let me forget what a bad choice I made. If he likes you and then realized we were not together it would be much worse. Then I would be incompetent and incapable of managing my own life, and he would...well let's just say my career choice would be the least of my worries," she muttered the last part almost to herself.

"What do you mean, your career choice?"

"I'm supposed to be married to a suitable man and have a family by now; not earn my living by having my image plastered in every magazine for people to gawk at in their spare time and living a hedonistic lifestyle in New York."

"Have you ever taken a boyfriend home before?" Davis asked watching her.

"No, so good luck with that."

They fell into silence. Laura rested her head in her hands her stress suddenly through the roof. "Look, you don't have to do this. I'll figure a way out of it on my own. I didn't mean to insult you. I know that there are plenty of parents who would be pleased that their daughter had brought you home, but not mine, well not my father, my stepmother will probably love you."

Laura rose to leave.  She couldn't ask him to go through with it. Her father would tear him apart, she had seen him do it enough to his own son, and a boyfriend would be an easy mark.

"Who do you want me to be Laura?" Davis rose and walked towards her, taking her chin in his hand and forcing her to look at him.

"You'll do it?" She tried not to let the relief in her voice be evident.  She must have failed because Davis gave a half smile.

"Yes, it seems only fair since you will have to be presented to my family in a few weeks."

Laura nodded as her eyes searched his.

"So who do you want me to be? What will make it easier for you?" His thumb was rubbing her bottom lip.

She closed her eyes at the feel of the warmth of his hand on her face.

"I only want you to be yourself Davis."

"And that's enough to make sure I fail?"

Laura's eyes popped open to see the humor reflected in his. "I have insulted you and you find humor in this situation.  If I were you I would never want to talk to me again." She shook her head and stepped away from him.

"Maybe that's why I do want to talk to you again, even kiss you."

Laura went to remind him of his promise and he held up his hand. "I made a promise, you have to kiss me first. So when will this meeting of doom take place?"

"Next week, we're in Washington, D.C. that's where my parents are.  I thought that might be a good time."

"Got it, operation bad boyfriend will take place next week, but I feel the need for full disclosure so now might be the time to tell you that I'm filthy stinking rich, as is my whole family, and my father is an English Earl who's title dates back to the 17th century."

Laura rolled her eyes at his teasing. "Yes I know and your brother's a movie star."

"Yes, and so is my mother." Davis grinned.

"You can't take anything seriously can you? Wasn't there a movie about the movie star and an Earl and didn't it star Marilyn Monroe?"

"Was there?"

"You know there was, can't you be more original than that?" This time Laura did move towards the door "I'll see you in D.C." she said needing to leave.

His touch had been way to distracting and his evident teasing showed that he hadn't taken her problem very seriously, which might not be a bad thing. Her father would hate that he was not a very serious young man.

An Earl, Laura snorted her disbelief. If that were really the case then his linage would be far more impressive than theirs, especially if he were as rich as he said he was. She was halfway home when she realized she should have asked him to bring a suit or a tux, that was if he even owned one.