A/N: So, I've re-read this chapter over and over again, and I realized, after posting, naturally, that some of the dialogue is OOC for Sarah, or just doesn't really make sense. I'm still learning how to create believable conversations, it's actually tougher than I initially believed it might be. I find the writing in some part to be... janky, also, so I want to touch some things up.
A/N Cont'd: This may be a little odd, maybe unheard of, but I do want to change some of the dialogue, and overall flow. Post Release! I hope the story is better for it, even if the changes may seem kind of minor... Thanks everyone!
Vs The Watcher
Chapter 2: The Actor
I step inside, after the ring of the bell, as they both turn to look at me.
I look around quickly, one camera, behind the counter, facing the register.
The blonde, Sarah, stares at me, smiling, but not the same smile as she had just a moment before. Her smile now is not real. I can tell, always. My mark smiles broadly at me, it is real. For a moment, I feel something in my gut, but I push that away quickly. Neither of them seem to notice my momentary internal conflict.
"Hello..." I say, meekly, lightly waving a hand in front of myself.
I add a shy smile for effect. I figure if I play the nice, girl-next-door type I might have better odds at infiltrating their inner circle. This is a character I've played many times, I know her, very well. She is the last person some have ever met.
"What can I make for you today ma'am?" Sarah asks me, with forced enthusiasm.
Her comment snaps me out of my reverie. "Get your fucking head in the game", I chide myself, on the inside.
"Um... Is it okay if I look at the menu for a moment?" I ask, politely.
"Of course." Sarah says. More forced enthusiasm. Her smile wanes, slightly.
I stare at the menu, pretending to be indecisive. I want them to talk, I'm waiting for an opening.
"So, are we still on for dinner tonight?" My mark asks Sarah.
He seems unsure of himself just talking to her.
"Yeah, sure Chuck. I'll be ready by eight, like usual." Sarah speaks slowly, choosing her words carefully.
I see Sarah casting sidelong glances at me while she continues small talk with the mark. She is subtle, but I'm trained to notice subtle things, and people.
"I'm sorry, I don't want to seem nosy, but are you two dating?" I ask, feigning hesitancy.
It is a risk, to be so blunt, but I realize I need to create my opportunity here. If I wait too long, the opportunity will be gone.
Sarah narrows her eyes slightly, staring at me. The mark looks at me also, he shifts his stance slightly and moves his hands inside the pockets of his jeans. He looks quickly at Sarah, then back to me.
"Uh... Yeah. Why?" He seems unsure what to say, but smiles softly, not the broad smile that I like, but a smile.
Lying makes him uncomfortable, Visibly so. That's not a very good trait for a spy, or an analyst. Whether you train at the CIA "Farm", or The Rings "Academy", both make a point of getting rid of any "tells" an agent may exhibit while in the field. Your life can depend on your ability to lie, convincingly, after all. I find it odd that he is so obvious, so... easily read. He is an analyst, in the field. Even if it is his home.
"Well... It's just... You guys make such a cute couple, I just wanted to know." I speak quickly, and give a small, self deprecating chuckle at the end, shaking my head.
I'm innocent, a civilian, they need to believe that. They can't know, that I know all of their secrets, well, most of their secrets, if I knew all of them, then I wouldn't be here. The fact that I know who they really are is what gives me power here, the element of surprise, and I don't intend to squander it.
The mark gives me that big, brilliant smile. I smile back, quickly. Sarah looks at me, less skeptical, soft smile.
"I'm... I'm sorry, I guess I'm just a sucker for romance." I say, waving my hand in the air dramatically as I say "romance".
"No... No, it's ok, really." The mark says placatingly.
That's right, We're friends, I can be your friend, Chuck. Believe that. I've realized that getting with my mark is pretty much not going to happen, that has way to many variables, but, I can befriend him, pretend befriend him, that works for me.
"Um... Well, how... How did you guys meet?" I ask, slightly more confidently, I stare into the marks eyes, just like I was trained.
"We met while I worked at the Wienerlicious." Sarah says, a soft smile on her face.
"I walked into the Buy More, because I had phone trouble, and there he was." She has that smile again, the one from before I came in, the real one.
"So, the nerds at the Nerd Herd saved you, Huh?" I ask, smirking.
Sarah looks at Chuck, the smile still present on her face.
"This nerd did." Sarah declares.
They're looking at each other, caught in a moment, it breaks quickly, they both look away, the mark looks at his shoes, smiling, Sarah at me, dazed. In a moment she's back.
"Well... At least you didn't work at the Large Mart next door, that would be a kind of... Romeo and Juliet sort of thing!" I chuckle at my own joke.
The mark seems to choke on air. I guess I was pretty on-the-money with that one. An analyst and an agent are about as close as you can get to a modern day Romeo and Juliet situation.
"Romeo and Juliet. That's... That's funny." The mark speaks, softly, haltingly.
Sarah looks at him, sympathetic, again, visible, only for a moment.
"I guess... At least our version will have less death." The mark jokes. Sarah flinches, subtly. I notice, again. She is a killer. Has killed. Willing to do it again.
Maybe, Charles, Maybe.
I laugh along with him, well, more accurately, chuckle. Chuckle, with Chuck.
"Focus." I speak, internally, again. I don't usually lose myself like this. I'm not sloppy. Sitting in a car daydreaming intermittently for two days has not been good for me, apparently.
The laughter from the mark and I dies down after a few moments. He looks at me, kindly. I return the look, in kind.
"So... Uh... Who are you?" The mark asks.
I quirk my eyebrow at him, questioningly. I know what he means, but, I want to make him vulnerable, more vulnerable.
"I... Um... I mean... What's your name." He smiles and rubs the back of his head self-consciously.
I smile at him, sweetly.
"Emily. Emily Campbell. And you are?" I say, confidently, and hold out my hand.
"Chuck. Chuck Bartowski. And that is Sarah." He gestures to her, with one hand. She waves to me, lightly.
He grabs it, my hand. His hand is large, very large, and warm. We shake a good few times and then part. Cold.
"So Emily Campbell. What do you do?" Chuck asks, returning his hands to his pockets.
"I'm a painter! And I just moved here, actually!" I chirp, again proudly.
I can paint, quite well. I've used this alias enough, because of that ability. Maybe I can paint something for him. That should give me an excuse to return. I steal a quick glance at Sarah, she is watching him, carefully. It's important that she likes me. For the mission.
"Ah, a creative type I see." The mark says, smiling broadly, warmly, again.
"That's right!" I say.
"What brings you to good 'ol Burbank, California?" He asks.
"Well... I decided it was time for a change. You know? Just time to get up and go, and I figured California was a good place to go, especially for a creative type, like me." I smile broadly, locking eyes with him, brown on brown.
"So, let me get this straight. You come to California, and the first place you go is Burbank? I don't buy it." He says, jokingly.
"Well, buddy, you better buy it 'cause it's the truth!" I say faux offended.
He laughs, a full, real, laugh. I don't remember the last time I said something that got someone to laugh, someone that wasn't pretending, just trying to get into my pants.
I smile, really.
"FOCUS!" Inside, I yell, again.
Sarah seems slightly annoyed, left out in the cold, metaphorically, for our conversation, our connection, she did not fit.
The last thing I want to do right now is get on her bad side, though, so I engage her.
"Oh... I'm... I'm sorry, I still haven't told you what I'm ordering." I say with an apologetic expression on my face.
I'm not.
Sarah takes the bait.
"What can I get you?" Sarah asks, placing both of her hands, face down, on the pristine counter in front of her.
"I'd like... A large Strawberry-Banana, please." I smile after speaking. Convincingly.
"Coming right up!" She says, chipper.
She grabs a large size cup, and turns to grab my yogurt. I look sidelong at the mark. He is looking at Sarah, not her behind, but her back.
I move quickly, grab the transmitter from the pouch I keep it in, on the side of my purse. The zipper is open, no noise.
I lean forward, my hand, the transmitter, grazing the overhang the pristine counter in front of me creates.
"Yeah, cram as much in there as you can!" I say, excitedly.
I stick the transmitter under the overhang, one smooth, flawless motion. There is no way the cameras in here could have picked up my movement, I figured out those angles as soon as I came in.
Sarah looks back at me over her shoulder, smiles, softly.
The mark looks at me, a smile and quirked eyebrow.
"What... Cheat day." I say, innocently, shrugging my shoulders.
The mark laughs. Again.
I'm your friend. Believe.
Sarah turns around, and the mark turns his attention back to her.
I look at Sarah as she places my order on the counter in front of her, she turns to her register and types something in.
"That'll be three seventy five, please." She looks at me, politely, expectantly.
I pull out a five and hand it to her, she gives me my change and my order.
"Well, thanks!" I say to Sarah. She nods.
"It was nice meeting you, Chuck, and Sarah." I look between them both.
They smile, one real, one fake, but, less fake than when I first walked in. Improvement.
"It was nice meeting you too, Emily!" Chuck says.
"If you need help setting anything up, tech wise, then I'm your guy! Hey, actually, Let me get you my number!" The mark speaks excitedly.
Too easy.
"Awesome!" I say, equally excited. Convincing. It's always nice when a plan goes to... Plan.
Sarah does not look happy. The mark pulls out a pen and paper from his shirt pocket, writes his number, neat handwriting, and hands it over to me.
"Thanks, I'll definitely use this! Bye Guys!" I say as I walk out the door, hearing the ring again, calm this time.
As I walk to my car I put the number in my purse, pull out my keys. I get to my vehicle and unlock it, get in, it's hot. I start the car and turn on the A/C. I grab the other half of the transmitter, the receiver, and tune into the microphone.
"Chuck, you can't just give your number out to random people!" Sarah speaks, not yelling, but loud.
"Sarah, she... she was a potential customer, I was doing my job, my cover job. She seems nice." The mark argues.
"Chuck... Just... Just don't give your number out. Ok?" Sarah is quieter now.
"Ok... I'm sorry." The mark says.
"Let's just talk about the mission tonight. Alright?" Sarah asks.
My interest is piqued.
A/N: Hey! Good/Bad? Tell me what you think! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the longest chapter for anything I've written yet!
A/N2: So I changes some things up. I definitely feel like things are more organic, and the writing is better overall in some parts. I like this version much more! Thanks!