A/N: Small xoxo is breaks in episodes. Big XOXO is breaks between sections.
Chapter 2
Buddy and Sally both dated occasionally but never anything serious. Until Buddy met the woman he almost married. Her name was Fiona Shawlee but everyone called her 'Pickles.' Pickles was a show girl, right down to the personality. She wasn't stupid but she was not the sharpest knife in the drawer either.
"Hey Buddy, you want to go get dinner?" Sally asked.
"I can't Sal; I'm taking Pickles to a play."
"Buddy, you've been out with her every night for months. I never get to see you outside of work anymore."
Buddy sighed, "Sally. I really like Pickles. And… I think she could be the one."
He gave her a one armed hug and left the room. Sally sat down hard. Buddy thinks Pickles is the one? I thought they were just kidding around.
She didn't know why the realization bothered her so much; she just knew that it did.
XOXO
Rob and Laura had tried to introduce Sally to Laura's shy cousin Thomas.
"Hi fellows," Sally said sadly as she walked in.
Buddy was on full alert, Sally was almost never sad, "what are you so happy about? Come on pep down."
"I guess I ate too much last night. Any phone calls?"
"No"
"Are you sure?"
Buddy tried again, "Hey, Rob told me you were in delightful form last night."
"Yeah, that's me," Sally said softly, "'Ol' life of the party Sal' jokes for any occasion. What's the matter with you two?"
"We're just trying to pep you up."
"You don't seem to feel like making jokes today."
"Oh I wanna make jokes, gotta make jokes, didn't I make a lot of great jokes last night Rob? Oh boy Buddy, you should have seen me, I was a small riot. I was so funny, I was so funny, Cousin Thomas laughed so hard he almost smiled."
She started to cry, Buddy was really worried.
"I was so funny, I couldn't stand myself!" She finished, pounding her fist on the desk, she got up and ran out.
xoxo
Buddy picked up the phone, "Hello?"
"Buddy guess what."
"Rob?"
"Thomas just left; he said he had a great time with Sally. They're going to the movies tonight."
"She's okay then? Thank goodness."
XOXO
Buddy stared, Rob was holding the door for Sally, pulling her chair out for her, offering to carry the typewriter so she didn't have to, and complimenting everything she did. Rob had always treated Sally like one of the guys, what was going on?
"What's with all the compliments all of a sudden?" He asked.
"I just think we should appreciate having a bright attractive girl around the office," Rob said.
Uh oh
xoxo
"Mel, I've gotta talk to you. It's very important, it's about Rob."
"What about Rob?" Mel asked
"Sally and Rob, where do you think they are now?" Buddy said upset.
"How should I know?"
"Out to lunch."
"What's funny about that?" Mel was confused.
"I'm not with them am I? And when I said I'd like to go along, Rob said, 'oh no, two's company three's a crowd'. He invited her, like a fellow invites a girl."
"Like a fellow invites a girl?" Mel asked.
"Yeah, you know like, 'would you care to have lunch with me today doll face?'"
"It must have been a practical joke."
"There have been other things, he keeps holding her chair for her, nine times last week he lit her cigarette, twice he admired her dress, and three times her legs." Buddy had admired her legs as well, but never said so to her face.
"This is serious, "Mel conceded. "You've got to do something about it, talk to Sally."
"All right, I'll talk to Sally when they come back; you get Rob out of the room."
xoxo
"Sally, you gotta give him up."
"I got a him?"
"Come on Sally, I know what's going on."
"Listen, I don't know who 'him' is, but if I got him, wild horses couldn't make me give him up."
"Will you stop playing games with me? You can't do this to her."
"Her? My 'him's' got a 'her'?"
"Come on, don't play Little Miss Innocence with me, you can't do this to Laura."
"I haven't…" Sally gasped as it dawned on her, "Laura!? She's the 'her'? Then Rob's the… You think Rob and…"
"Yes and Mel thinks so too, so does everybody else who's seen Rob buzzing around you the past few days."
"You think Rob has a…"
"A crush on you yeah. Personally I don't understand it." Actually I do. "But it's not my problem, it's your problem and you've gotta do something about it. Unless you want to break up a happy marriage."
"You think I could come between Laura and…"
"No, I don't, but evidently Rob does. You gotta do something about it before it's too late."
xoxo
"Well see you around fellows,"
"Buddy you don't have to leave on my account. Rob and I don't have any secrets. Do we Rob?" Sally added seductively.
Buddy winced. Oh no, she's fallen for him.
"Thanks a lot Rob," she said kissing his cheek.
Sally walked out of the room.
"Wha…wha…what's with her?" Rob stammered.
Buddy glared furiously at him, "to me it looks a lot like love," He stormed out the door after her.
xoxo
"Honey, we'll let Laura have Ritchie if we can have the hi-fi set," came Rob's voice.
"Of course sweetheart," replied Sally, "can I have the insurance transferred to my name?"
"Anything you say sweetheart."
"What about the wedding?"
Wedding?
"We'll have Mel as best man…"
Mel? But I'm their best friend.
"And Buddy can be our little, flower girl!"
Wha…Aaah!
The door opened and Buddy almost fell over. He glared at Sally and Rob, "Do you mind?" and closed the door.
XOXO
"You're looking at the new head writer of the Danny Howard show!" Buddy said grinning.
Sally looked at the floor, "Well Buddy it's wonderful...I think."
Buddy looked confused, "I hope that's just about how you're gonna miss me around here. I mean that was the toughest thing about accepting this new job."
"Well of course we're going to miss you Buddy," Sally said, "I mean if you go."
"Buddy you really want to do this?" Rob asked.
Buddy nodded, "This is what I want."
"Well...If this is what you want Buddy," Sally said taking his face in her hands, and kissing him on the cheek. "I'm sure gonna miss you around here. You big nut."
Buddy smiled at her, "I'll miss you too."
xoxo
"Boy it sure was tough writing this week's script without Buddy," Sally complained. "You know something Rob? I sure miss that slob."
I miss him more than Rob thinks. Boy if I could just get Buddy back I'd... What's the matter with me? I shouldn't be thinking like this about Buddy, he's my best friend, my brother, and that's all he's ever been.
xoxo
"You got your job back Buddy!"
Buddy leapt to his feet, "I did?"
Rob nodded, "You did."
Buddy threw his arms around Sally and hugged her.
XOXO
"Buddy, how's Sally?" Blackie asked.
"Better than I am," Buddy snapped, "and before you ask, no! I'm not letting you see her."
"Buddy, she's my little sister."
"Yeah, and I promised to look out for her, which includes keeping no good pool hustlers away from her!"
xoxo
"Boy now I know who my friends are. Blackie was here and you let him get away without even telling me! I'll never forgive you for that."
"Sally I…."
"Didn't it ever occur to you that I'd like to see him? I know he's your brother, but I've always considered him mine too."
"You don't want to see him Sal."
"Why not?"
"I never told you, but for the past five years he's been turning up out of the blue to beg me for money, and then when I give it to him, he disappears again. I don't want to see you hurt."
xoxo
"Sally?"
"Yeah Buddy?"
"Blackie wants to see you."
"Oh really? What happened to, 'you don't want to see him'?"
"I did," came a voice from the doorway.
Sally turned, "Blackie!"
"Sally!"
Sally ran to Blackie and threw her arms around him.
He hugged her back, "It's good to see you again sis." Blackie turned to Buddy, "I see you've been taking care of my little sister."
Buddy blushed, much to the amusement of Blackie and Sally.
XOXO
"How about I take you all out to dinner?" The week's guest star Rick Vallone asked.
"You don't have to take all of us." Sally said flirting.
"Uh no that's right. Buddy didn't you say you had something to do tonight?" Rob said catching on.
"No," Buddy said firmly. Keeping Sally out of trouble includes away from heartbreakers.
Sally glared at him.
"Oh yeah, I do," he said quickly.
"Listen fellows, if you don't hear from us in a week, mind your own business," Sally said as she pulled Rick out the door.
This is not going to be pretty.
xoxo
"You don't think Rick's really interested in Sally?" Rob asked.
"Do you?" Buddy replied.
Rob sighed, "No."
xoxo
Buddy looked at Rob like he'd lost his mind. "Rick is gonna pretend he's drunk so Sally'll dump him?"
"That's the plan."
"Boy I wish I could see that."
xoxo
"Oh boy are you a dandy fixer-upper. Now she's more nuts about him than ever." Buddy said glaring at Rob.
Rick came in saying that he'd made a date with Sally.
"Why?" Rob asked.
"I treated her horribly and she said she understood me, and a girl with that much understanding, I gotta get to know better." Rick said, walking out the door whistling.
Rob and Buddy gapped at each other.
Oh no.
A few moments later Sally and Rick walked back into the room laughing hysterically.
"Oh boy, you fellows should have seen the looks on your faces."
"That was a joke?"
"Of course, do you know what she actually said to me? 'Rick cut it out, I can tell you're faking'."
"You were faking this whole time?"
"No, I really did like Rick, but after dinner at Rob and Laura's it did become a joke."
XOXO
"I thought I could thaw out that sirloin and you could all come up for the barbeque," Rob said.
Buddy and Sally spoke at the same time, "We're busy."
Rob raised an eyebrow, "We're busy?"
"I…I mean, I'm busy," Sally stammered.
"Yeah and Pickles and me we're busy," Buddy added.
"I didn't mean to panic you guys, I just thought if you and Sally and Pickles weren't doing anything... You could even bring a date Sal."
"Thanks Rob, but my date already has something specially planned."
"Yeah, Pickles and Sally, they're coming with me, the three of us, and she's my date."
His date? Isn't that gonna make Rob think...Nah. Rob wouldn't think that would he?
"Yeah, I'm his date," Sally said.
"Now look couldn't you cancel it?" Rob asked.
"No, we've been planning this for weeks," Buddy told him. "I made all the arrangements for the three of us, Pickles and me and Sally. We're going out to the island."
"What's on the island?"
"Water polo," Buddy said. "It's a great game and the wildest."
Rob looked at them suspiciously, "yeah, sounds wild. Well you guys have a…nice time." He walked out the door,
Sally turned to Buddy and slapped his shoulder. "'Water polo'? Where'd you get that one?"
Buddy flinched. "What you want me to tell him?" He asked. "Deep sea diving? I suppose you want me to tell him what we're really doing?"
"Ah you better not."
"Yeah, what he doesn't know won't hurt him."
"Hey listen Buddy, are you ashamed of what we're doing?" Sally asked worriedly
Buddy shook his head. "That's not the idea, we got our own lives to live, whatever we do outside this office is our own business. It's nobody else's business, not even Rob's."
xoxo
"How'd uh, how'd the water polo go?" Rob asked suspiciously.
Buddy glanced up, "Uh fine, fine, thanks, it was great, our team won."
"Uh huh, and did Pickles have a good time?" Rob asked.
Sally turned around to look at him. "Yeah, uh. Rob, listen, the truth is Buddy and I…"
"And Pickles had a wonderful time," Buddy interrupted.
He and Sally glared at each other and turned back to the script.
Rob sighed. "Anybody want any coffee?" He walked out, slamming the door behind him.
Sally hit the desk. "He knows, he knows we're keeping a secret from him, I think we ought to tell him."
Buddy shook his head. "No, no, he thinks we're writing for some other show, let him. We had a wonderful weekend didn't we?"
Sally started to smile, "Yeah I gotta admit we did." It was wonderful, just like when we were kids and we used to put on shows together. These weekends have been like things used to be, before he met Pickles.
Buddy grinned, "Yeah and next weekend is gonna be even better, you'll see."
"You know Buddy, I've been to Herbie's Hiawatha Lodge before, but it was never any fun. You being there, made all the difference in the world."
"You're my favorite female kiddo. Next week it's you and me again huh baby?"
Did he just call me baby?
Did I just call her baby? Boy, I need to be more careful or she'll notice something's up.
"Yeah, but Buddy, what about Pickles?" Sally asked.
Buddy shrugged, "Ah I'll get rid of her."
xoxo
"Well I'm certainly glad to see Rob was wrong about what was going on," Laura commented.
Sally looked up, "Oh? What did you think was happening Rob?"
Laura laughed, "He thought you two were seeing each other secretly."
Buddy looked at Rob, "You mean you thought we were..."
Rob nodded; Buddy and Sally looked at each other and burst out laughing.
XOXO
Rob had just told Buddy about the fellow Sally had met the night before, a total jerk.
"Good morning gentlemen," Sally said, as she waltzed into the office. "Rob I just love you. I want to thank you for introducing me to the sweetest, most honest guy I ever met."
Buddy was confused, "I thought you introduced her to Freddie White. You mean you liked that guy?"
Sally laughed "'Liked him?' He's replacing Herman Glimscher as my number one fellow. He had me eating out of his hand and it was delicious! If I play my cards right, that boy is gonna be the future Mr. Sally Rogers."
Buddy groaned, not another fellow, can't Sally ever stick with one guy?
xoxo
"You really think he'll marry her just to get her to write for him?" Buddy asked.
Rob nodded, "He said that to me in those words."
"Boy that's a new one. Buddy said, "An honest louse."
Sally walked in, "I might not be around much longer. Hey Rob, Buddy...We're getting married."
Buddy stood up quickly looking horrified.
"Well?" Sally asked, "Aren't you going to say congratulations or something?"
Rob and Buddy gritted their teeth, "Congratulations Sal."
Sally rolled her eyes, "Well don't jump up and down for joy."
"But Sally he's..." Rob started only to have Sally cut him off.
"I know, I know, he wants me to write for him for free. But you know what they say about the love of a good woman. I think I can help him, and I think he can help me."
I can't believe Sally's okay with this. Boy you think you know a person. What's wrong with her? The Sally Rogers I know would never accept a guy who didn't love her.
xoxo
"We're gonna write him a great act," Rob said.
Buddy looked at Rob like he'd lost his mind. "I wouldn't write him a greeting card."
"Didn't you see the way his eyes lit up at the mention of an act?" Rob asked.
"Who wants to light up his beady little eyes?" He's going to break Sally's heart and you want to help him?
"Don't you see? If we write him a new act he's liable to lose interest in Sally. The worse thing that can happen is that we're proven wrong," Rob explained.
Buddy smiled as he caught on, "and if we're wrong it means he really cares for Sally!"
xoxo
"Freddie told you we split up huh?" Sally asked.
Rob nodded.
"We're really sorry Sal," Buddy said.
"What for? Sure I'm a little sad. But I'm quite happy with the results."
xoxo
Sally sighed, "Oh Buddy, why do all the fellows who are interested in me have to be after something?"
Buddy shook his head, "I don't know Sal."
"Just once I'd like to have a fellow who's interested in me. Not in how good a writer I am."
"There are fellows who are interested in you for you."
"Oh yeah? Like who?"
Buddy faltered as the word "me" sprang to mind. "I can't say that," he told himself firmly. "Herman Glimscher," he said finally.
Sally perked up, "Hey, you're right. Herman may not be the marrying kind, but he sure likes me."
She kissed Buddy on the cheek, "Thanks Buddy, I feel better now. Think I'll go call Herman." She walked off smiling.
Buddy sighed and leaned back in his chair, here we go again.
XOXO
"Herman tried to fight Stacey?" Buddy was shocked. Sally's boyfriend Herman was not exactly athletic, while Rob's brother Stacey had just got out of the army.
Sally nodded, smiling, "He was going to fight him for me."
"He honestly thought you were dating Stacey Petrie?"
"Yes. And he didn't like it one bit," Sally had a somewhat dazed grin, which worried Buddy.
"Sal, just how much do you like Herman?"
"I don't know, most of the time I think I'm only dating him because no one else will date me, and then he does something like that. It makes me wonder if I might really be falling for him."
XOXO
"What are you gonna wear to the wedding?" Buddy asked.
Rob glanced up, "Wedding?"
Buddy nodded, "Sure, he's crazy about her."
Rob looked at him, "all you have as a clue is one orchid."
"Aloha's Hawaiian," Buddy said, "They were in Jamaica. Guy's so nuts about her he doesn't know where he was."
Sally walked into the room.
Buddy gave her a hug, "Sal!"
"Buddy!"
"Tony sent you an orchid," Rob told her.
"So who's Tony?" Buddy asked.
"A fellow."
Buddy tried again, "What kind of fellow is he?"
Instead of answering Sally said, "I'd better go put this in the icebox." and walked out the door.
Buddy looked at Rob, "Sally ignored the subject."
"She's never been so secretive before," Rob commented.
"Don't worry Rob," Buddy said setting his jaw, "I'll figure out what's going on."
xoxo
"Aren't you gonna tell us about him?" Buddy asked.
Sally looked at him, "What do you want me to say? That's he's rich and he's handsome and he's crazy about me?"
The phone rang and Sally answered it, "Hi Tony. Well where are you now? No no, you stay there. I'll be right down." She ran out of the room.
"Every time Tony's name gets mentions she panics," Rob commented."
"Boy I wonder what he does for a living," Buddy said.
"Maybe he isn't tall and handsome," Rob suggested.
"You mean he could be short and dumpy like me?" Buddy said. "Maybe he's not so bad after all." If she likes short dumpy guys could that mean...Nah.
A man walked in, "Is this Sally Rogers' office?"
"Yes it is," Rob told him, "aren't you supposed to be meeting her in the lobby?"
"I don't like waiting in lobbies," he replied.
Tony walked over to the desk, picked up Sally's coat, took a box out of his pocket, and showed them the fancy pin in it. "A little surprise for Sally."
Sally walked in and grabbed Tony's arm, "Let's go." Sally and Tony left the room.
"Well he's not short and dumpy that's for sure," Rob said.
"Did you notice the way he dresses?" Buddy asked, "Very neat. And that big white carnation. What does that mean to you?"
"He looks like a floor walker," Rob said.
"In a speakeasy."
"You really think Sally's boyfriend is up to something underhand?" Rob asked.
"I don't know, but we owe it to her to find out."
xoxo
"Is Sally back yet?" Rob asked Buddy.
"No but I've got something to show you." Buddy replied handing him a card.
Rob read the card, "Anthony Stone, is that Sally's Tony?"
Buddy nodded.
"Did you call the number?" Rob asked
Buddy shook his head, "No I was waiting for you."
"We have no business prying into Sally's life. Besides Laura's pumping her right now. Why can't you wait till we hear from Laura?" Rob objected, "There's no need to interfere right now."
Buddy dialed the number and handed the phone to Rob, "who's interfering?"
Rob took the phone, "Is Anthony Stone in?...This isn't his office?...This is his home? And his wife. Thank you very much Mrs. Stone. "
Rob hung up the phone.
Buddy hit the desk, "He's married! I think we should tell her."
Rob agreed, "So do I, she has got to be told! But not now."
xoxo
Sally looked at the flowers Tony had left for her, "Roses? Oh that sweet man. Isn't he a darling?" She walked over to the trash can and threw them out, "they might have been poisoned, or better yet I should poison them and send them back to the rat."
"Gee we're sorry Sal," Buddy said.
"We just didn't know how to tell you," Rob added.
"I was so mad I wanted to strangle him last night. The valet took the car, splashed it trough a puddle and Count Anthony's white walls got dirty. So he grabbed this poor kid by the lapels, I thought he was gonna belt him."
Buddy was shocked, "Over white walls? What a temper."
Sally looked at him, "Ivan the Terrible could take lessons from him. The door man, the hat check girl, the waiter, me. No asking, no thanking, just orders."
"I'm guessing it's over then?" Rob asked.
Sally nodded, "Of course it's over."
xoxo
Sally sighed, "Oh boy, I finally find someone who's interest in me and the marrying kind, and what happens? He's a married Nazi. Why do I have such rotten luck Buddy?"
Buddy patted her shoulder, "Someone'll come along Sal. I mean look at me, I didn't have much luck before I found Pickles.
XOXO
"You've been on The Stevie Parsons show a dozen times why are you suddenly nervous?" Rob asked Sally.
"I've used up all my best jokes."
"So just dazzle them with your beauty," Buddy suggested.
Sally smiled, "Aw thanks Buddy."
Buddy blushed
xoxo
Sally was insulting Herman again. Buddy laughed but he was starting to feel sorry for the guy. He understood what it was like to have feelings for Sally.
xoxo
"Why don't you use some of those crazy commercial jokes?" Buddy asked, giving an example.
Sally jumped up, "That's it! Buddy I love you, that's brilliant!"
Buddy backed away trying to cover how red his face was, "Woah it wasn't that good."
"Yeah but the idea of a commercial. I'll advertise for a husband on television!"
xoxo
Sally read the letter out loud "Dear lovely Sally, I know the shaving lotion is awful, but if it's caused you to open this it's done its job. I know your marriage proposal was all in fun. So I'm not proposing, merely confessing. You seem to me, witty, bright, sensible, generous, and altogether rare. Something genuine about you touches something real in me. Whatever happens, thanks for being Sally Rogers."
xoxo
Everyone's jaw dropped. The mysterious note writer was none other than Herman Glimscher himself.
"Herman did you write this letter?" Sally asked"
Herman nodded, "Twice, mother tore up the first one."
Sally smiled, "Well she's not gonna get her hands on this one. Oh Herman we've learned an awful lot about you tonight. You're full of surprises aren't you? You wrote this beautiful letter, and you defied your mother, and you had the nerve to come on national television."
It looked like Sally had finally found who she wanted to be with. So why aren't I happy for her? Buddy wondered.
xoxo
"Listen Rob, you and Laura don't need to come along. I don't need a chaperone with Herman."
Herman agreed, "No sir, Sally, and I don't need a chaperone," he turned and kissed Sally hard.
Sally gasped, "Maybe I do need a chaperone."
Herman smiled, "Oh that's alright Sally. Mother's out in the car."
Sally started crying as they walked out. Buddy laughed; maybe it wasn't over quite yet.
XOXO
"Sally, can I talk to you?"
"Sure Pickles what is it?" Sally asked curiously.
"I'm going to break up with Buddy."
Sally was confused. "Why? Has he done something?"
"No!" Pickles said hurriedly, "it's just that I think I've fallen for someone else."
"Who could you possibly like more than Buddy?"
"Herman," Pickles spoke so softly that Sally almost didn't hear her.
"My Herman? Herman Glimscher?"
"Yes. Oh I feel just terrible."
"You've fallen for Herman?"
Pickles burst into tears, "I'm so sorry."
"Pickles it's all right. I…I have something to confess too."
Pickles looked up, "What?"
Sally turned away. "I've loved Buddy for years," she admitted.
"So you mean if I break up with Buddy and you break up with Herman, I could have Herman and you could be with Buddy?"
"Yeah, that's…no."
"Why not?"
"I couldn't tell him. I mean, what would I do? Walk into the office and say 'morning Buddy. Oh by the way, I'm madly in love with you'?"
XOXO
"This is about Buddy isn't it?"
"Herman I…"
"Sally, I know. I've seen the two of you. I'm amazed you stayed with me as long as you did."
"Wha…what?"
"Even when mother first introduced us I knew there was someone else."
"I've tried to stop loving Buddy, but I never could."
"Sally, I do love you."
"I wish I could tell you I love you too, and if it weren't for Buddy…"
"I know. Sweetie, you are my first choice, but I'm sure there must be other women around."
"You'll find someone Herman. I'm sure of it." She kissed his cheek and walked away.
A/ N: I hope I didn't use too much dialogue from the show.
Dialogue is taken from: Sally and the Lab Technician, Sally is a Girl, Buddy Could You Spare a Job, Hustling the Hustler, Like a Sister, The Secret Life of Buddy and Sally, Jilting the Jilter, Anthony Stone, and Dear Sally Rogers. There is also a brief mention of Stacey Petrie Part 1.
