Disclaimer: As previous chapters
Notes: 2 chapters this time. I'm going away for a week, so I won't be able to update for a while, but I will be working on it.
As usual, please R + R.
CHAPTER FOUR
Sydney sat in the corner of the couch. Dressed in a robe and with her wet hair hanging round her face, she looked nothing like the strong, confident woman Nigel that she was. Instead, she looked like a scared little girl who had just lost the most important person in her life. *She looks so lost,* he thought as he took her a mug of tea. He knew she would probably prefer coffee, but he figured she could do without the caffeine. Besides, he had always found something comforting in tea.
He had finally managed to get her to eat something but he was still worried.
"Syd," he said, gently touching her shoulder. "Come on, drink this. It'll make you feel better."
She obediently took the mug from him and sipped it. Her eyes widened as she recognised the distinctive taste of whiskey.
"Nigel," she said suspiciously. "Are you trying to get me drunk? There's enough alcohol in this to knock out an elephant!"
He couldn't help smiling. That was the first think she had said since she had told him about her father.
"Of course I'm not trying to get you drunk. I just thought it would help."
She smiled at him, took a sip and sighed in appreciation. "well, it does. Thank you."
"You're welcome," he said as he sat beside her on the couch. "Are you ready to talk now?"
She moved closer to him and nodded. "I got a phone call last night from the director of the project Dad was working on in England. Apparently, he was on his way back to London after a meeting. He was riving down one of those little country lanes, when for some reason, his car went off the road and hit a tree. The car exploded and he was killed instantly. They're assuming he swerved to avoid a fox or something and just lost control. Ironic, really."
"I'm so sorry you have to go through this," he said. She turned to look at him and she could see the sympathy and pain in his eyes. Syd knew their conversation must be conjuring up memories from his own parents died in a car crash. "I know what it's like to lose someone you love and no matter how old you are, it's never easy."
"How old were you, Nigel?" she asked tentatively. She knew he didn't like talking about his parent's accident.
He was confused. "How old was I, when?"
"When you're parents died."
"Oh," he swallowed. He really didn't want to talk about it, but he thought it might help her to know that he had gone through it as well. "Ten. I was ten."
"That's so sad," Syd said quietly. "At least you weren't left all alone. You had Preston. I've got no one now."
Nigel was shocked to hear her say that. "How can you say that? Of course you're not alone. You've got people that care about you."
"Yeah," she snorted. "Like who?"
"you've got friends and colleagues from all over the world. A college full of students that idolise you. A secretary that works harder for you than she's ever worked in her entire life. And me."
Sydney looked at him, surprised. "Y – you care about me?" she stammered.
"of course. What, did you think I let you drag me halfway around the world and almost get me killed for the money the College pays me?"
She had started crying again. "I never knew. I thought it was just a job to you."
They were sitting facing each other on the couch, so close that their knees were touching. Nigel reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear and gently cupped her face in his hands. "Well, now you know," he said.
She reached out and, very gently, traced a finger over his lips. Nigel froze as she leaned over and kissed his cheek, before working her way down to his mouth. At first the kiss was nothing more than a soft brush of her lips against his, but she soon grew more bold. Nigel was frozen in shock at first but that was soon forgotten in the joy of finally being able to kiss the woman he had loved for so long.
When they finally broke apart, they were both gasping for breath.
"Syd," Nigel gasped. "This isn't right we have to stop."
"Why?" she demanded. "I thought you said you cared about me."
"I do! Which is why we have to stop. When – if – we do this, I want us both to be in our right minds. Right now, you're hurting. Not to mention half drunk."
She looked at him and smiled. "okay. Will you still stay with me tonight and just hold me? I don't want to be alone."
He stood up from the couch and pulled her up beside him. "That I can do," he said, as he led her towards the bedroom.
Nigel's mobile phone sat, forgotten on the dresser in the hallway. It's flashing light unnoticed.
CHAPTER FIVE
Nigel woke up slowly and wondered why he couldn't move. Then he looked down and remembered. He had spent the night with Sydney, his boss and best friend. Nigel had often dreamed of waking up with Syd in his arms, but he had always imagined it would be under different circumstances. She was laying alongside him, with her head on his shoulder. One arm was across his chest and her leg was flung across both of his, effectively holding him down. It was as though, even in her sleep, she was afraid to let him go.
Nigel wondered what had woken him up, when he heard the doorbell ring. He glanced at the clock and groaned. It was 5.30 in the morning.
"Syd," he whispered, gently shaking her. "You need to move. There's someone at the door."
Sydney just sighed in her sleep and tried to get even closer to Nigel.
He sighed and set about gently disentangling himself. The doorbell rang again. "I'm coming, I'm coming," he muttered.
He eventually got himself untangled from Syd, pulled on his jeans and went to find out who was at the door.
Claudia was just about to start knocking on the door when Nigel yanked it open.
"What do you want at this hour of the morning?" he snapped.
Claudia stood there in shock. She had expected Syd to answer the door, or at the least a fully dressed Nigel. She had not expected Nigel to answer the door wearing nothing but a pair of jeans. Jeans that had the top button undone.
Claudia just stood there, she seemed to be unable to tear her eyes away from the undone button. "Claudia?" he prompted. She snapped her head up. "What?" she said, distractedly.
"What did you want?"
"Oh! I thought you should see this. Someone slipped it under the office door yesterday."
Nigel took it from her and invited her in.
"So," she said, grinning. "I guess this explains why I couldn't get an answer at your place last night."
"W-What are you talking about?" he stammered.
"well, you answer Sydney's door practically naked. What am I supposed to think?"
He looked down as if only just realising his state of dress and blushed. Then she saw that familiar indignant look come across his face.
"Get your mind out of the sewer!" he snapped. "Sydney didn't want to be alone last night, so I stayed over. Nothing happened!"
"Relax Nigel. I'm teasing. I know you wouldn't take advantage of Syd like that."
"Oh. Sorry."
"Rough night?" she asked sympathetically.
"You have no idea. Now, about this note."
He was just about to start reading it when they heard Syd scream from the other room.
"NIGEL!"
they both went running into the bedroom, to find Syd sitting up in bed. She had her face in her hands and she was crying.
Claudia stayed by the door, while Nigel rushed to the bed and pulled Sydney onto his lap. "it's okay," he said gently. "Syd, I'm here. It's okay."
"I woke up," she sobbed, "and you were gone. I thought I had lost you, too. I can't lose you as well."
"You're not going to lose me." He whispered. "I'm not going anywhere." All the time he was talking to he, he was stroking her hair and gently rocking her.
Claudia decided it was time to leave them alone. Very quietly closing the door behind her, she went into the kitchen to make some breakfast.
When Nigel came in 20 minutes later, he was fully dressed, *He looks absolutely exhausted,* she thought. "here," she said, thrusting a hot cup of coffee into his hands. "You look like you need it."
"Thanks, Claudia. I really am sorry I snapped at you earlier." He apologised.
"Don't worry. How is she?"
"sleeping, thank God. Now lets have a look at this note."
He sat at Syd's kitchen table and read the note.
"This has to be a sick joke!" he said, looking at Claudia in disbelief.
"I know. That's why I was trying to contact you all night. The question is, do we show it Sydney or throw it away?"
They were still discussing what to do two hours later.
"I still say we should throw it away." Claudia said, for what felt like the hundredth time.
Nigel was just as adamant. "We can't. What if it's true? Syd has a right to see this for herself."
"See what for myself?" Syd quietly asked.
TBC