A/N - Thank you SkunkeeFunk for helping with the mess up from chapter 2. What a mess! Hopefully moving forward I can get them up a little easier. I edited 3 and 4 and have 5,6&7 uploaded, just have to edit them out. Let me know what you think of chapter 3. This chapter takes a step back to after the blow up from the finale and before the Gettleman pitch. Hope it doesn't confuse anyone.
Part III
Flashback to Monday before the Gettleman pitch
Paige had been keeping herself busy trying to drum up business for the team. She also took advantage of some of the free babysitting Sly, Toby and Happy had offered her and was able to get some alone time to try and process and work through what happened between her and Walter. One place she had thought about going to was open mic night at one of the local restaurants in the area. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evening The Lounge Cafe let people go up on stage and sing, recite poetry, tell jokes, do skits, anything really that people were willing to do within limits. She always loved music, and she loved to sing. She hadn't been on a stage in a while and hadn't really sung for an audience; however small it be; in a long time. So, she went in there just to get a feel for the place. She liked the atmosphere and could actually envision herself maybe singing a song or two on stage. She told herself that she would make herself do it. Not sure if she really could.
Paige didn't know, or at least didn't let on that Walter had followed her to the restaurant. He wasn't stalking her, or really even following her. Well, he was following her, but not in that sense. Walter still cared deeply for her. So, every night he would leave the garage a few minutes before Cabe or Florence would and had told Cabe to lock up when he left. He told them he just needed his space and they didn't question him. He would drive over to CP headquarters and wait for Paige to come out to leave. He would drive a few cars behind so Paige wouldn't see him, something he learned from Cabe, just to make sure she was sok. On the days she went home, he would just continue back to the garage after he made sure she made it in her front door. On the first day she went to the restaurant, he pulled up shortly after she parked and just waited in his car.
Was this her new Kovelsky's? Maybe all of them were going to meet her there. It was a good reason; they wouldn't want to run in to him or Cabe or Florence. But he realized after 20 minutes when no one else showed up, that wasn't the reason.
Was she on a date already? With another man? Had she found him before they broke up? Is that what the break-up was about, her finding someone with a better understanding of how to treat her? It couldn't be that fast. Or could it? She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Obviously, someone else would feel the same way. And they wouldn't make the same mistakes he had,pushing her away time after time. After several moments of worst-case scenarios running through his mind, he quickly hacked into the restaurant reservations list and looked to see if there were any names he would maybe recognize. He didn't see anything, but he still couldn't be sure. The next couple of hours were pure agony. But when she finally emerged, alone, he felt a little better. Surely, if it were a date, he would have walked her to her car. Even he knew that. A woman like Paige needed to be walked to her car. Unless she was on to him and knew he followed her there. He wasn't sure what to think anymore. But as she drove off, he once again waited a few seconds before pulling out and followed her down the familiar route to unit 202 at the Sand Piper Condos. She didn't do anything out of the ordinary. She had been in enough situations with Cabe to have picked up on evasive maneuvers and other tricks of the trade. Walter was pretty sure he hadn't been noticed.
Driving back to the garage he started trying to figure out what else it could be.
Did she get a second job waiting tables again? Maybe she wanted to make sure there would be enough money for her and Ralph. He thought that must be it, it's logical and anything logical is usually the best answer. Right?
On his first stakeout at The Lounge Café, he didn't even see the sign flashing open mic night. He was too interested in the woman who had just a few days ago walked out of his life and all he had been thinking about was how to fix it.
Two days later, not much had changed. Walter was working on his code and trying to figure out a way to talk to Paige about everything he was beginning to unravel.
The next time Paige left work and didn't head towards home he was relieved to see her go to the restaurant again. OK, he thought, she was being logical. A second job for some extra money was a smart idea. His curiosity got the better of him though when he finally did notice the sign. He wasn't going to put on a disguise and try to sneak around and get caught and make matters worse. No, he thought, I'll just walk in for a second, see what is going on and then leave.
He found a spot in the far back corner of the restaurant, near the bar. It was crowded enough not to be seen, but not so crowded to where he felt uncomfortable with strangers so near him. After a few people had gone up and performed he realized that Paige had not been waiting on any tables and he hadn't seen her the entire time he was there.
Had she seen him follow her, and once she saw him enter the restaurant, found another way out? He scanned the parking lot for her car and was a relieved to have seen it where it was when she first parked it there. A few minutes later, he glanced toward the stage and there stood the most breathtaking woman he had ever seen in his entire life.
She looked so innocent and so alone when he first realized she was about to perform. She seemed a little nervous at first, but after she started to sing, she seemed to feel better.
Other than the times she made him sing with her on the mission to distract the soldiers or when she would sing along to a song on the radio, he had never really had a chance to just listen to her sing. She was good. Very good. Amazing.
The second she opened her mouth and belted out the first few words, he was mesmerized. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He couldn't believe how much her voice was hitting him. He was feeling things he had not ever imagined before just getting lost in her voice. Her voice soared to hit every note. She made everything else around him just vanish. He was so entranced by her, he almost started to walk out from the corner he was standing in and go stand right in front of her to profess his love all over again to her. He took a first step and then realized she didn't even know he was there. And, if she did notice, what would she say. He stayed in the corner, but he never took his eyes off her. Not many people in the restaurant did. She was without a doubt the most talented performer that went on stage. She sang a total of three songs and got a huge ovation when she finished her last song and thanked the crowd. When she went backstage, Walter snuck back out the front of the restaurant and ran back to his car. He waited another 30 minutes before he left; he still had to make sure she got home safe.
Walter sat at his desk the next morning and he yawned. He didn't sleep well the night before and was still trying to process everything going on. His feelings for Paige were still what was bothering him the most. He had tried to put his feelings aside and get some work done. He still had the whole Collins dilemma to figure out and he didn't even know if his former friends were willing to help him, even talk to him.
Walter was finally able to get some work done on all fronts. He finished off the details on the Gettleman pitch they were getting ready for. He got most of the logistics done with the Collins dilemma and was even able to reflect on his night at The Lounge Café. He felt like he finally had worked up the courage to talk to her the next time she went there to sing. To tell her how he felt and see if there was any chance of getting Paige back. He thought back to the things she really liked and decided to go pick up a few of them to give to her when he went to talk to her. He thought that was very EQ of him.
Sunday Before the Gettleman Pitch
He watched as Paige parked her car and entered The Lounge Café. He waited a few minutes and found a table in the back corner again, away from the stage so he could go unnoticed. He was nervous to say the least and he still didn't know exactly what he was going to say or if Paige was even interested in hearing what he did have to say. He knew what he wanted to say, he just wasn't sure if he would be able to say it….out loud….. to her. He just knew he needed to see her again. Walter scanned the crowd that was there, and it looked to be about the same amount of people as the last time he went in. Lots of new faces but a few he remembered from before.
He had finished his meal and was eagerly awaiting to see Paige perform. He didn't know how much longer it would be, which wasn't helping with all the nervous thoughts that were ricocheting all through his mind. It all came to a pause when he again watched her step out on to the stage. She looked perfect, and she looked at ease on stage and she had a smile on her face the whole time she sang. He had been an idiot before for not understanding how much music meant to her. He tried to write her a love song and she was so thankful for it, even though he thought it was stupid of him to try and do something like that for her. He now realized that is what he needed to do more of for her. See the world through her eyes and experience the things she enjoyed. Of course, she didn't want to go to a lecture on something she knew nothing about. He began to figure out what he needed to say to her as she finished singing her last song. He had a good feeling about this.
Walter got up from his hiding spot in the back of the restaurant and began to walk towards the woman he still loved, like he had loved no one else in his life before, or ever would again. She was standing less than five feet in front of him just around the corner of the bar and he was about to come face to face with her.
"What the hell are you doing here?" was the next thing he heard come out of her mouth.
(I THOUGHT ABOUT ENDING IT HERE, BUT THAT WOULD BE TOO MEAN!)
Only they weren't being directed towards him. What the hell are you doing here indeed Walter thought.
"Good to see you too, Paige." Was the response he gave back to her.
Walter quickly did an about face and turned towards the door and left as quickly as he could. As he was heading through the door Paige caught a glimpse of him but wasn't exactly sure if it actually was Walter. Walter had a look of utter shock on his face. Had he waited too long to talk to her again? He took the items he had bought for her, threw them in the trash and got back into his car. He just sat there and put his head down. And the more he thought the more confused he became. He pulled out and drove off, a few seconds before Paige walked out the door to see if it was really him.
"I said what the hell are you doing here Drew?" she asked a second time, now glancing at the door to see if it really was Walter.
"Look, can we sit down and talk? I have something kind of important to tell you." Drew said back to her
"Uh, um, yeah, just give me a minute." Paige said, confused, as she went racing towards the front door.
By the time Paige got there it was too late. Whomever it was had left and now she had to go back inside and talk to her ex. Where had he been and what was he doing here now, with everything else going on, Paige didn't need to deal with this.
Paige came back inside and sat down at a table with Drew.
"You sounded really nice up there Paige." He said.
"Drew, what do you want? How did you know where to find me?", Paige said back.
"I um, I uh, the last time Ralph came to see me, I had him put a tracker for you on my phone. For emergencies." Drew stated.
"Look, I've had a long day, long couple of days and I don't really have time for this tonight. Can this wait till tomorrow some time?"
"Yeah, I guess so. How have you been, how's Ralph?", he asked anyway
"Ralph is fine, I'm fine. I need to get home. Look, I'll give you a call tomorrow sometime ok."
"I'd really like to see Ralph."
Paige didn't respond to the last statement he made. She just headed for the door, got in her car and drove home. She cried the whole way home realizing what a mess her life was. Nothing seemed to be going the way she wanted, and she didn't know when or if any of it was going to change. And had she really seen Walter at the café? She figured it was just a figment of her imagination. Maybe a subtle hint at where her heart truly belonged. Now on top of everything else, she needed to get home to Ralph, and to find out why and how to get the tracker off Drew's phone.
What she didn't know, was a few cars behind her, Walter was still there to make sure she got home safe.
Tomorrow came and went, and Paige didn't call Drew. Maybe this would pass, he would get the hint she didn't want or need him in her life anymore. But then she thought about Ralph. Ralph might be happy to see Drew. She didn't know who to turn to for advice.
Before she said anything to Ralph, she decided she did need to talk to Drew herself. So, she finally called him and set up a time to meet at an old bagel shop where nobody she knew would be around. She had taken a personal day from work and decided to meet him before the lunch crowd would be heading in.
"Good morning, Paige, you doing a little better today?" Drew asked
"I'm fine, and you." She kept it short
"Look, let me get to the reason I'm here. I've been trying to get in touch with you for a little but haven't been able to find the time to make it out here." He started.
"I heard through some friends that you and what's his name split up and you left your job with the uh, nerds, that true?" he asked.
"Look Drew, my life and what I do don't concern you anymore, remember you walked out on me…... again." She shot back
"Fine, whatever, I was hoping this was going to be a little more civilized. But I guess not. You'll be hearing from my attorney in a few days anyway." He said as he got up and left.
What the hell was that about she wondered to herself. Is he trying to get out of paying back child support? She had told him she didn't want or need his money. Maybe he wanted to get it in writing. Anyway, she was glad he was gone. She had the Gettleman pitch to cram for. She wouldn't give Drew another thought. He was probably done with whatever he was up to anyway.
