[U] Chapter 17 [/U]
"I don't think she likes me," Erin said suddenly, looking after Sydney, who had just walked out of the warehouse.
"Why do you say that?" Vaughn asked.
"Because. I can tell."
"Well, she let you stay at her house for a couple of days."
"Yeah, she's nice and all, but I don't think she likes me," Erin repeated.
"She just doesn't know you yet," Vaughn suggested. "Maybe when you two get to know each other better."
"Don't count on it Mike," Erin snickered.
"Can't you two at least try?" Vaughn sighed, irritated.
"Hey, you'll have to talk to her about it. It's not my fault!"
"Erin, just.just go move into your apartment, and everything will be fine," Vaughn said, desperately trying to think of something to say. Move into your apartment, and everything will be fine? What the hell kind of advice is that?
"You like her, don't you?" Erin asked. She couldn't help but feel a little jealous.the green little monster was rearing it's ugly head.
"Of course I like her Erin. If I didn't, I wouldn't be her handler, would I?" Vaughn responded, not noticing her tone of voice.
"That's not what I meant."
"Then what did you - Erin." he sighed, finally getting it. "I have a lot to catch up on here.can we continue this conversation later?"
"You mean, can I drop it," Erin said, matter-of-factly.
Vaughn turned to look at her. "Yes. Just drop it."
Erin groaned. "Fine, whatever. I'll see you tomorrow."
"I'm supposed to bring you home," Vaughn said simply.
"It's all right. I'll take the cab."
"The cab? How're you going to get one over here?" Vaughn asked, grabbing his briefcase.
"I could call," Erin said, her tone a little less sure.
"You don't know the number. Come on Erin, I'll take you home," Vaughn said, walking out into the fresh air, to his car.
Erin followed like a lost dog.
--
"I'll get it!" Francie yelled.
The doorbell rang incessantly, and Francie wondered who it could be, ringing the damn thing this late.
"What - oh, hey.Erin," Francie forced a smile.
"Hi Francie. I'm sorry I'm so late. Michael and I went out for dinner," Erin apologized.
"Dinner," Francie smiled. But inside, she was fuming.for Sydney. Who was this girl, Erin? Having dinner with Michael Vaughn? Even though she had never met the guy, she knew he held a very special place in Sydney's heart.even if Sydney denied it.
"Yeah. Dinner. He was going to bring me straight home, but we were both hungry, so."
"Of course! Dinner.well, next time you two get hungry, come to my restaurant, OK? That way you can get a discount," Francie grinned. And so I can spy on the two of you, she thought.
"We'll remember next time," Erin grinned, taking her place on the couch.
Oh no! Francie thought.did I just encourage the two of them to go eat dinner again? Sorry Syd.
"Well, I'm going to go wash up. Thanks again for letting me stay here," Erin smiled gratefully.
"You should be thanking Sydney, not me. She's letting me stay here too."
"That's kind of her," Erin commented.
"She's a kind person," Francie concluded. "Well, I should be going to sleep now anyway. Good night."
"Good night," Erin responded, watching Francie walk back to her own room.
"I don't think she likes me," Erin said suddenly, looking after Sydney, who had just walked out of the warehouse.
"Why do you say that?" Vaughn asked.
"Because. I can tell."
"Well, she let you stay at her house for a couple of days."
"Yeah, she's nice and all, but I don't think she likes me," Erin repeated.
"She just doesn't know you yet," Vaughn suggested. "Maybe when you two get to know each other better."
"Don't count on it Mike," Erin snickered.
"Can't you two at least try?" Vaughn sighed, irritated.
"Hey, you'll have to talk to her about it. It's not my fault!"
"Erin, just.just go move into your apartment, and everything will be fine," Vaughn said, desperately trying to think of something to say. Move into your apartment, and everything will be fine? What the hell kind of advice is that?
"You like her, don't you?" Erin asked. She couldn't help but feel a little jealous.the green little monster was rearing it's ugly head.
"Of course I like her Erin. If I didn't, I wouldn't be her handler, would I?" Vaughn responded, not noticing her tone of voice.
"That's not what I meant."
"Then what did you - Erin." he sighed, finally getting it. "I have a lot to catch up on here.can we continue this conversation later?"
"You mean, can I drop it," Erin said, matter-of-factly.
Vaughn turned to look at her. "Yes. Just drop it."
Erin groaned. "Fine, whatever. I'll see you tomorrow."
"I'm supposed to bring you home," Vaughn said simply.
"It's all right. I'll take the cab."
"The cab? How're you going to get one over here?" Vaughn asked, grabbing his briefcase.
"I could call," Erin said, her tone a little less sure.
"You don't know the number. Come on Erin, I'll take you home," Vaughn said, walking out into the fresh air, to his car.
Erin followed like a lost dog.
--
"I'll get it!" Francie yelled.
The doorbell rang incessantly, and Francie wondered who it could be, ringing the damn thing this late.
"What - oh, hey.Erin," Francie forced a smile.
"Hi Francie. I'm sorry I'm so late. Michael and I went out for dinner," Erin apologized.
"Dinner," Francie smiled. But inside, she was fuming.for Sydney. Who was this girl, Erin? Having dinner with Michael Vaughn? Even though she had never met the guy, she knew he held a very special place in Sydney's heart.even if Sydney denied it.
"Yeah. Dinner. He was going to bring me straight home, but we were both hungry, so."
"Of course! Dinner.well, next time you two get hungry, come to my restaurant, OK? That way you can get a discount," Francie grinned. And so I can spy on the two of you, she thought.
"We'll remember next time," Erin grinned, taking her place on the couch.
Oh no! Francie thought.did I just encourage the two of them to go eat dinner again? Sorry Syd.
"Well, I'm going to go wash up. Thanks again for letting me stay here," Erin smiled gratefully.
"You should be thanking Sydney, not me. She's letting me stay here too."
"That's kind of her," Erin commented.
"She's a kind person," Francie concluded. "Well, I should be going to sleep now anyway. Good night."
"Good night," Erin responded, watching Francie walk back to her own room.