Title : Caroline and the Sham
Author : Karen Gomes (pyrie@hotmail.com)
Rating : G or PG
Type : Prose
Spoilers : Probably…shrugs
Notes : Oops, I forgot to disclaim everything : I do not own anything except for the air I breathe, but even then, there are some questionable elements that have arisen. Heh. Anyway, CitC and all of their characters belong to their respective owners - you know who you are. So there. Part two.
Disclaimingly,
Gomes.
Caroline and the Sham (Part two)
Caroline dusted herself off and grinned at Richard. "You must be Mary-Beth." She smiled as she shook Matt's wife's hand.
Richard looked at Caroline's fake smile. «Leave it to her to remain polite even when she dislikes someone.» He shook Mary-Beth's hand.
"Caroline, you look great." Matt said, taking in Caroline's appearance.
"You can thank Richard. He chose the outfit…isn't that right, honey?" Caroline asked, once again making *kissy lips* at Richard.
Richard squirmed a little. "Um, let's say we eat?" He gestured the guests in, leaving Caroline still standing there, her lips puckered.
As Caroline made her way to her seat, Richard noticed Matt staring at her back, then her eyes trailing to her rear. "So Matt…Caroline wasn't exactly clear…how did you two meet?" He asked, gesturing Mary-Beth. «Anything so he doesn't look at Caroline that way.»
Matt raised his eyes. "Who - oh Mary-Beth?. Right." Matt took a sip of wine. "Well, it was a few months after Caroline…" He paused. "…stood me up at the alter." Matt said rather harshly. "I guess I found solace in Mary-Beth…" Matt started as Mary-Beth almost spat out her wine.
"What?" Mary-Beth glared at Matt.
"Um…I mean…" Matt glanced at Caroline and Richard who both shared the same shocked expression. "What I meant was, I found *true love* in Mary-Beth." Matt exclaimed and kissed his wife's hand. Mary-Beth seemed to accept that.
"And what about you two?" Mary-Beth asked, looking at Richard in a seductive manner. "How did you and…" Mary-Beth paused. "Um.."
"..Caroline." Richard finished her sentence.
"Yes, Caroline, how did you and Richard meet?" She asked, her eyes still fixated on Richard.
"Well…" Caroline panicked. «Damn, we haven't gone over this part yet…» "You see, Richard - "
"- I work for Caroline, right?" Richard interrupted Caroline. "It's been about what, almost three years that I have been working for her." Richard smiled as he gently stroked Caroline's cheek, causing chills to run up Caroline's spine. "I guess from the first moment she graced my life with her beauty, charm and personality, I guess I just found myself falling in love with her."
"…Richard." Caroline whispered.
"Yeah, at first I tried to deny my feelings, or at least stop myself from revealing them. I mean, what would a smart, intelligent, gorgeous woman want with a broke, dark, loser artist?" A bittersweet smile caressed Richard's lips as he took a sip of wine.
"Then what happened?" Matt asked, glancing at Caroline. Mary-Beth noticed this as she casually began rubbing Richard's, who was seated in front of her, leg with her bare foot.
Richard fidgeted in his seat. He backed his chair a little and resumed. "So, at first, she was engaged to Del." Richard said the last statement with a hint of disgust as he downed his wine.
"I hear ya." Matt said as he downed his drink.
"Then she started dating a child - " Richard poured himself another drink.
"- Joe was not a child." Caroline said dryly. "He was twenty-three, I was thirty…hey we all have to experiment." Caroline whispered to the couple across the table.
"So I didn't say anything then..." Richard continued. «Now how do I finish this…?» Richard asked himself. Suddenly, a thought struck him. «Do I dare? Will Caroline pick up?» Richard took a deep breath. "So one night, under the influence of a damn-good Chianti, I wrote Caroline a love letter."
"How romantic!" Mary-Beth clasped her hands together. "What did it say?"
"I…uh, asked Caroline to run away with me. To Paris."
"France?" Mary-Beth whispered.
"France." Caroline grinned as Richard reached into his pocket. "Richard had taken me atop of the Eiffel Tower where he proposed." Caroline smiled as Richard took her left hand from under the table.
"Oh can I see the ring?" Matt asked, raising his eyebrow. «I don't recall seeing a ring, do you?»
"Well…" Caroline suddenly felt a small circular object encase her ring finger. She looked down and saw a solitaire diamond ring, surrounded by two sapphires. Caroline fought hard to blink back the tears that formed in her eyes.
"Well." Richard guided Caroline's hand from under the table to show the couple. "It's not much, but it is a family heirloom - this was my grandmother's engagement ring."
"It's beautiful…"Mary-Beth admired the ring, as did Matt.
"It is…" Caroline whispered, looking at Richard. «A whole new side I never expected to see.» Caroline thought happily.
The rest of the evening past in heartbeat, with each couple making idle chit-chat here and there. Finally, the night became early morn as the hours neared two a.m. "Well, it's been lovely seeing you two." Matt said as he went to retrieve Mary-Beth's coat.
"Oh yes, we must do this again sometime." Mary-Beth flashed Richard a sexy smile and mouthed "call me" to him, while slipping her business card in his pocket.
Meanwhile, Matt gently took Caroline aside. "I don't mean to say anything, but if things don't work out, please call me." Matt gave Caroline his business card. "I mean, I do deserve a second chance right?"
Caroline stood there confused. "But what about Mary-Be - "
"- Mary-who?!" Matt said a little too quickly.
Caroline shrugged. "I - uh - um - yes - no - maybe - we'll see…" She blurted out and went to stand near an uncomfortable Richard. "Once again, thanks for coming."
As both couples bid eachother good-bye, Caroline and Richard glanced at each other through peripheral vision.
Richard watched Caroline slowly close the door, closing off his means of escape. "You're not going to want to talk, are you?" Richard asked rather nervously. He watched Caroline, her hand still on the door knob, her back towards him. "Caroline…"
**End of Part Two**
Author : Karen Gomes (pyrie@hotmail.com)
Rating : G or PG
Type : Prose
Spoilers : Probably…shrugs
Notes : Oops, I forgot to disclaim everything : I do not own anything except for the air I breathe, but even then, there are some questionable elements that have arisen. Heh. Anyway, CitC and all of their characters belong to their respective owners - you know who you are. So there. Part two.
Disclaimingly,
Gomes.
Caroline and the Sham (Part two)
Caroline dusted herself off and grinned at Richard. "You must be Mary-Beth." She smiled as she shook Matt's wife's hand.
Richard looked at Caroline's fake smile. «Leave it to her to remain polite even when she dislikes someone.» He shook Mary-Beth's hand.
"Caroline, you look great." Matt said, taking in Caroline's appearance.
"You can thank Richard. He chose the outfit…isn't that right, honey?" Caroline asked, once again making *kissy lips* at Richard.
Richard squirmed a little. "Um, let's say we eat?" He gestured the guests in, leaving Caroline still standing there, her lips puckered.
As Caroline made her way to her seat, Richard noticed Matt staring at her back, then her eyes trailing to her rear. "So Matt…Caroline wasn't exactly clear…how did you two meet?" He asked, gesturing Mary-Beth. «Anything so he doesn't look at Caroline that way.»
Matt raised his eyes. "Who - oh Mary-Beth?. Right." Matt took a sip of wine. "Well, it was a few months after Caroline…" He paused. "…stood me up at the alter." Matt said rather harshly. "I guess I found solace in Mary-Beth…" Matt started as Mary-Beth almost spat out her wine.
"What?" Mary-Beth glared at Matt.
"Um…I mean…" Matt glanced at Caroline and Richard who both shared the same shocked expression. "What I meant was, I found *true love* in Mary-Beth." Matt exclaimed and kissed his wife's hand. Mary-Beth seemed to accept that.
"And what about you two?" Mary-Beth asked, looking at Richard in a seductive manner. "How did you and…" Mary-Beth paused. "Um.."
"..Caroline." Richard finished her sentence.
"Yes, Caroline, how did you and Richard meet?" She asked, her eyes still fixated on Richard.
"Well…" Caroline panicked. «Damn, we haven't gone over this part yet…» "You see, Richard - "
"- I work for Caroline, right?" Richard interrupted Caroline. "It's been about what, almost three years that I have been working for her." Richard smiled as he gently stroked Caroline's cheek, causing chills to run up Caroline's spine. "I guess from the first moment she graced my life with her beauty, charm and personality, I guess I just found myself falling in love with her."
"…Richard." Caroline whispered.
"Yeah, at first I tried to deny my feelings, or at least stop myself from revealing them. I mean, what would a smart, intelligent, gorgeous woman want with a broke, dark, loser artist?" A bittersweet smile caressed Richard's lips as he took a sip of wine.
"Then what happened?" Matt asked, glancing at Caroline. Mary-Beth noticed this as she casually began rubbing Richard's, who was seated in front of her, leg with her bare foot.
Richard fidgeted in his seat. He backed his chair a little and resumed. "So, at first, she was engaged to Del." Richard said the last statement with a hint of disgust as he downed his wine.
"I hear ya." Matt said as he downed his drink.
"Then she started dating a child - " Richard poured himself another drink.
"- Joe was not a child." Caroline said dryly. "He was twenty-three, I was thirty…hey we all have to experiment." Caroline whispered to the couple across the table.
"So I didn't say anything then..." Richard continued. «Now how do I finish this…?» Richard asked himself. Suddenly, a thought struck him. «Do I dare? Will Caroline pick up?» Richard took a deep breath. "So one night, under the influence of a damn-good Chianti, I wrote Caroline a love letter."
"How romantic!" Mary-Beth clasped her hands together. "What did it say?"
"I…uh, asked Caroline to run away with me. To Paris."
"France?" Mary-Beth whispered.
"France." Caroline grinned as Richard reached into his pocket. "Richard had taken me atop of the Eiffel Tower where he proposed." Caroline smiled as Richard took her left hand from under the table.
"Oh can I see the ring?" Matt asked, raising his eyebrow. «I don't recall seeing a ring, do you?»
"Well…" Caroline suddenly felt a small circular object encase her ring finger. She looked down and saw a solitaire diamond ring, surrounded by two sapphires. Caroline fought hard to blink back the tears that formed in her eyes.
"Well." Richard guided Caroline's hand from under the table to show the couple. "It's not much, but it is a family heirloom - this was my grandmother's engagement ring."
"It's beautiful…"Mary-Beth admired the ring, as did Matt.
"It is…" Caroline whispered, looking at Richard. «A whole new side I never expected to see.» Caroline thought happily.
The rest of the evening past in heartbeat, with each couple making idle chit-chat here and there. Finally, the night became early morn as the hours neared two a.m. "Well, it's been lovely seeing you two." Matt said as he went to retrieve Mary-Beth's coat.
"Oh yes, we must do this again sometime." Mary-Beth flashed Richard a sexy smile and mouthed "call me" to him, while slipping her business card in his pocket.
Meanwhile, Matt gently took Caroline aside. "I don't mean to say anything, but if things don't work out, please call me." Matt gave Caroline his business card. "I mean, I do deserve a second chance right?"
Caroline stood there confused. "But what about Mary-Be - "
"- Mary-who?!" Matt said a little too quickly.
Caroline shrugged. "I - uh - um - yes - no - maybe - we'll see…" She blurted out and went to stand near an uncomfortable Richard. "Once again, thanks for coming."
As both couples bid eachother good-bye, Caroline and Richard glanced at each other through peripheral vision.
Richard watched Caroline slowly close the door, closing off his means of escape. "You're not going to want to talk, are you?" Richard asked rather nervously. He watched Caroline, her hand still on the door knob, her back towards him. "Caroline…"
**End of Part Two**
