Sydney woke to the smell of freshly brewed coffee wafting through the
partly open door. "Mmmmm.five more minutes." She murmured rolling over and
pulling the blankets tight around her body. She realized suddenly that the
fabric against her bare legs felt different. She sat up in bed and was
nearly blinded by the bright morning light coming through a large window.
When she started to focus again, she found Michael Vaughn stretched out on
the carpet reading the paper. His well defined muscles glowed in the
sunlight to the waist of his worn blue jeans. "Good morning sleepyhead. I
made coffee." He grinned at her as rose from the floor and made his way to
the edge of the bed. He leaned in close and tucked her hair behind her ear
and started to say.
"SYD! Get your ass out of bed already! You're going to be late and so am I!" Sydney shot straight up in bed, heart pounding. She launched herself out of bed and crawled into the nearest pinstripe suit she could find. She grabbed her toothbrush as she hobbled around looking for her other shoe. Her hair would have to be dealt with later she decided. She flew downstairs and grabbed her keys. "I'm awake! I'm ready to go.I think." Francie smiled and shook her head at Sydney. "You're also buttoned up crooked, my dear." Sydney glanced down at her blouse in embarrassment. She redid the buttons quickly as Francie poured two cups of coffee for the road.
They drove quickly along the freeway. Francie was listing her latest ideas for Valentine's Day specials for the restaurant. Sydney was trying to listen but she was still lost in her dream, attempting to picture Vaughn naked to the waist and acting as if she'd always been there with him. Why had she dreamt that? It was happening more just recently too which worried her further. Stupid Valentine's Day. Sydney decided that all of those commercials must have been getting to her.
She dropped Francie off at the restaurant and wished her luck settling the menu. Hopefully there would be lots of hungry love birds tonight for Francie's sake. Sydney sighed. It had been too long since she'd gone to dinner with anyone except her friends or father and even longer since she'd woken up in someone else's bed. Too long maybe. What if she was forgetting what it was like? What if she ended up being 98 years old and still pining for a man she couldn't have? "Ack! Stop it!" she said out loud to herself. She took a deep breath and tried to slow her heart rate a bit as she pulled into the Credit Dauphine parking lot.
She slid behind her desk hoping that no one would notice that she had been a few minutes late today. She was hardly ever late but still felt a pang of guilt when she was. Hopefully she could just get this day behind her and she could go home tonight, eat a pint of Hagan Daaz and collapse into a bath. Just get this whole day over with for another year.
***
Vaughn slumped at his desk watching his screen saver rotate. He hadn't been sleeping well lately and it was beginning to catch up with him. His dreams seemed to alternate between nightmares and fantasies. He couldn't decide which one he was more scared of. Maybe the fantasies because they were so unlikely to ever become reality.
He sighed to himself for the thirtieth time that morning and caught himself creating an image of himself and Sydney walking hand in hand on a deserted beach. Stupid Valentine's Day he thought bitterly to himself trying to shove his thoughts aside.
Weiss stuck his head in the door. "Hey Mike! What's up for tonight?" Vaughn looked up slightly startled. "Not much. Thought I might take in a hockey game or something. You?" Weiss smiled widely "I've got a date!" "Good for you." He said trying to sound enthusiastic. "Yeah, I can't wait. Tell you all about it tomorrow." He said as he started down the hall. Vaughn sighed wishing the day over once more.
***
Finally! Five o'clock quitting time. Sydney took the stairs to avoid her colleagues' discussions about their plans for the evening in the elevator. She made a beeline for her car and strapped herself in. She pulled out of the lot and called Francie to check in on the preparations. "Everything is going great!" Francie exclaimed. "The tables are filling up already." "That's wonderful hon! Good luck and I'll see you later tonight. Do you still need a drive?" "No that's okay. Derreck said he'd pick me up. Thanks for the offer though." "No problem. Talk to you later." "Bye Syd." Sydney disconnected and made a right at the grocery store. Priority number one she thought to herself.
"SYD! Get your ass out of bed already! You're going to be late and so am I!" Sydney shot straight up in bed, heart pounding. She launched herself out of bed and crawled into the nearest pinstripe suit she could find. She grabbed her toothbrush as she hobbled around looking for her other shoe. Her hair would have to be dealt with later she decided. She flew downstairs and grabbed her keys. "I'm awake! I'm ready to go.I think." Francie smiled and shook her head at Sydney. "You're also buttoned up crooked, my dear." Sydney glanced down at her blouse in embarrassment. She redid the buttons quickly as Francie poured two cups of coffee for the road.
They drove quickly along the freeway. Francie was listing her latest ideas for Valentine's Day specials for the restaurant. Sydney was trying to listen but she was still lost in her dream, attempting to picture Vaughn naked to the waist and acting as if she'd always been there with him. Why had she dreamt that? It was happening more just recently too which worried her further. Stupid Valentine's Day. Sydney decided that all of those commercials must have been getting to her.
She dropped Francie off at the restaurant and wished her luck settling the menu. Hopefully there would be lots of hungry love birds tonight for Francie's sake. Sydney sighed. It had been too long since she'd gone to dinner with anyone except her friends or father and even longer since she'd woken up in someone else's bed. Too long maybe. What if she was forgetting what it was like? What if she ended up being 98 years old and still pining for a man she couldn't have? "Ack! Stop it!" she said out loud to herself. She took a deep breath and tried to slow her heart rate a bit as she pulled into the Credit Dauphine parking lot.
She slid behind her desk hoping that no one would notice that she had been a few minutes late today. She was hardly ever late but still felt a pang of guilt when she was. Hopefully she could just get this day behind her and she could go home tonight, eat a pint of Hagan Daaz and collapse into a bath. Just get this whole day over with for another year.
***
Vaughn slumped at his desk watching his screen saver rotate. He hadn't been sleeping well lately and it was beginning to catch up with him. His dreams seemed to alternate between nightmares and fantasies. He couldn't decide which one he was more scared of. Maybe the fantasies because they were so unlikely to ever become reality.
He sighed to himself for the thirtieth time that morning and caught himself creating an image of himself and Sydney walking hand in hand on a deserted beach. Stupid Valentine's Day he thought bitterly to himself trying to shove his thoughts aside.
Weiss stuck his head in the door. "Hey Mike! What's up for tonight?" Vaughn looked up slightly startled. "Not much. Thought I might take in a hockey game or something. You?" Weiss smiled widely "I've got a date!" "Good for you." He said trying to sound enthusiastic. "Yeah, I can't wait. Tell you all about it tomorrow." He said as he started down the hall. Vaughn sighed wishing the day over once more.
***
Finally! Five o'clock quitting time. Sydney took the stairs to avoid her colleagues' discussions about their plans for the evening in the elevator. She made a beeline for her car and strapped herself in. She pulled out of the lot and called Francie to check in on the preparations. "Everything is going great!" Francie exclaimed. "The tables are filling up already." "That's wonderful hon! Good luck and I'll see you later tonight. Do you still need a drive?" "No that's okay. Derreck said he'd pick me up. Thanks for the offer though." "No problem. Talk to you later." "Bye Syd." Sydney disconnected and made a right at the grocery store. Priority number one she thought to herself.