That Monday, at work, Sydney found herself smiling every time she saw
Vaughn. They got on the elevator together, and squeezed amongst others
into the back. Vaughn let his fingers lightly brush hers. She smiled,
pretending to laugh at a coworkers joke.
When Sydney was leaving the office, she couldn't find Vaughn. She finally gave up, and walked out. There was a post it on her car, Vaughn's handwriting.
Joey's Pizza 335 Grangers Avenue back booth
She smiled. She got in the car and took out a map, found Grangers Ave and started to drive. 335 Granger Avenue was actually a place called Riggo's Ristorante. She walked in feeling as natural as ever and found her way to the back booth. She slipped into the last booth against the wall, bumping right into another body.
"Hey," Vaughn said, smiling. He brushed a strand of hair out of Sydney's eyes. He looked into her eyes, as if waiting for an okay to kiss her.
She leaned in and kissed him. "Hey," she said, as she pulled her face back. Then she leaned in again and kissed him. She sat back up, and Vaughn reached an arm around her and she settled against his body.
The waitress walked up. "What can I get for you guys?"
"Um, I'm not sure." Sydney reached for a menu, but Vaughn covered her hand.
"Let me order, I promise I know whats good," he whispered into her ear. "We'll have a Riggo's special."
"For just the two of you? That's a lot of food."
Sydney smiled at the woman. "We're going to be here awhile."
The waitress smiled at them, and walked away, their contentment wearing off onto her.
"So?" Sydney looked at Vaughn, not sure what his question was. He rephrased. "Who knows?"
Sydney pressed her nose against his. "No one. But if I go to see my mother, she'll be able to tell."
Vaughn's expression looked a little more serious at the word "mother". Sydney grew serious too. "How are we going to do this Vaughn? My mother killed your father. This is worse than a soap opera."
"I don't know. I have talked to your mother a lot lately. She tells me stories about my father. But as much as she is giving me back pieces of him, she took away all of him."
"Vaughn, I am not saying it is a forgivable act, but. that was a different time. She was different."
"I know Sydney. I know. It's just going to take me time." Sydney resettled herself against Vaughn. "But you're wrong. If this was a soap opera we would be twins."
"Don't even joke." But she was smiling.
Two hours later, Sydney and Vaughn remained curled up in their booth. Empty plates now sat before them. "Syd? I think its time to go."
Sydney shushed him. Then she felt sadness wash over her. "You're right."
Vaughn asked for the check, and promptly signed it. Sydney found herself a little hurt that he didn't delay.
"Well then," she said, starting to get up. Vaughn pulled her back down.
"Where are you going?"
Sydney let herself fall into his arms. "Home?" she asked innocently.
"No way. Go out front, wait five minutes, then hail a taxi. You can share with a stranger." He smiled. "I came in through the back, so that's how I'll leave."
"Michael Vaughn, if I didn't know any better I'd say you-"
"Planned this." Vaughn finished her sentence and gave her a light kiss, and then a deeper one before pulling away.
"See you in a few minutes," Sydney said with a groan.
"Five," Vaughn called after her. "Five."
Five minutes later, Sydney stuck out a hand. A taxi turned the corner and stopped. Vaughn was laying down in the back seat. Sydney climbed in, pretending not to see Vaughn.
"Um, how did you explain this to him?" She hissed, motioning to the driver.
"Affair, your husband can't find out." He smiled and rested his head on her lap.
After awhile, Sydney realized she didn't know where they were going. "Vaughn, where are we going?"
"You'll see. Put this wig on." He pulled a red headed wig out of his coat.
"You are so good." Sydney kissed her fingertips and pressed them to his lips.
The taxi slowed in front of a house she had never seen. A quaint two story, suburban home. Small, but nice. Vaughn smiled up at her. "Here's the key. To my house."
Sydney took the keys with a smile. "But how will you get.?"
"Don't worry. I'll be there in awhile."
Sydney walked into Vaughn's house and shed the wig. A dog charged her. Donovan.
"Hello, puppy!" She playfully scratched the dog's ears. Donovan wagged his tail happily, licking her hand. Sydney slowly started to make her way around the house. Her fingertips brushed over the table tops. She looked at pictures of young Michaels with friends, family. She made her way upstairs, deciding that there was no telling how long it would be before Vaughn would be coming. Upstairs consisted of a bathroom and bedroom. She looked around the bedroom. She walked over to the bed, touched the sheets but then saw the open closet door. She opened it all the way and looked at all of Vaughn's clothes hung up. She pulled at one blue collared shirt and smelled it. It smelled like him and she loved it.
A cough startled her. She turned around, caught be Vaughn. He smiled playfully.
"What are you doing?"
Sydney relaxed. "I missed you. How did you get in?"
"Told the neighbor that I was locked out so they let me climb the back fence and get in through my sliding glass door."
Sydney took a step toward Vaughn. "So? Its 9:30.. What now Mr. Vaughn?"
Vaughn outreached a hand. Sydney accepted his hand, lacing her fingers with him. "Now? Well. now I have you in my room." He took a step toward her and kiss her forehead. "Now, I want to be with you." He kissed her nose. "Now, I love you." He kissed her lips.
Sydney broke the kiss my giggling slightly. "I love you too," she murmured against his lips. She gave him a push onto the bed.
When Sydney was leaving the office, she couldn't find Vaughn. She finally gave up, and walked out. There was a post it on her car, Vaughn's handwriting.
Joey's Pizza 335 Grangers Avenue back booth
She smiled. She got in the car and took out a map, found Grangers Ave and started to drive. 335 Granger Avenue was actually a place called Riggo's Ristorante. She walked in feeling as natural as ever and found her way to the back booth. She slipped into the last booth against the wall, bumping right into another body.
"Hey," Vaughn said, smiling. He brushed a strand of hair out of Sydney's eyes. He looked into her eyes, as if waiting for an okay to kiss her.
She leaned in and kissed him. "Hey," she said, as she pulled her face back. Then she leaned in again and kissed him. She sat back up, and Vaughn reached an arm around her and she settled against his body.
The waitress walked up. "What can I get for you guys?"
"Um, I'm not sure." Sydney reached for a menu, but Vaughn covered her hand.
"Let me order, I promise I know whats good," he whispered into her ear. "We'll have a Riggo's special."
"For just the two of you? That's a lot of food."
Sydney smiled at the woman. "We're going to be here awhile."
The waitress smiled at them, and walked away, their contentment wearing off onto her.
"So?" Sydney looked at Vaughn, not sure what his question was. He rephrased. "Who knows?"
Sydney pressed her nose against his. "No one. But if I go to see my mother, she'll be able to tell."
Vaughn's expression looked a little more serious at the word "mother". Sydney grew serious too. "How are we going to do this Vaughn? My mother killed your father. This is worse than a soap opera."
"I don't know. I have talked to your mother a lot lately. She tells me stories about my father. But as much as she is giving me back pieces of him, she took away all of him."
"Vaughn, I am not saying it is a forgivable act, but. that was a different time. She was different."
"I know Sydney. I know. It's just going to take me time." Sydney resettled herself against Vaughn. "But you're wrong. If this was a soap opera we would be twins."
"Don't even joke." But she was smiling.
Two hours later, Sydney and Vaughn remained curled up in their booth. Empty plates now sat before them. "Syd? I think its time to go."
Sydney shushed him. Then she felt sadness wash over her. "You're right."
Vaughn asked for the check, and promptly signed it. Sydney found herself a little hurt that he didn't delay.
"Well then," she said, starting to get up. Vaughn pulled her back down.
"Where are you going?"
Sydney let herself fall into his arms. "Home?" she asked innocently.
"No way. Go out front, wait five minutes, then hail a taxi. You can share with a stranger." He smiled. "I came in through the back, so that's how I'll leave."
"Michael Vaughn, if I didn't know any better I'd say you-"
"Planned this." Vaughn finished her sentence and gave her a light kiss, and then a deeper one before pulling away.
"See you in a few minutes," Sydney said with a groan.
"Five," Vaughn called after her. "Five."
Five minutes later, Sydney stuck out a hand. A taxi turned the corner and stopped. Vaughn was laying down in the back seat. Sydney climbed in, pretending not to see Vaughn.
"Um, how did you explain this to him?" She hissed, motioning to the driver.
"Affair, your husband can't find out." He smiled and rested his head on her lap.
After awhile, Sydney realized she didn't know where they were going. "Vaughn, where are we going?"
"You'll see. Put this wig on." He pulled a red headed wig out of his coat.
"You are so good." Sydney kissed her fingertips and pressed them to his lips.
The taxi slowed in front of a house she had never seen. A quaint two story, suburban home. Small, but nice. Vaughn smiled up at her. "Here's the key. To my house."
Sydney took the keys with a smile. "But how will you get.?"
"Don't worry. I'll be there in awhile."
Sydney walked into Vaughn's house and shed the wig. A dog charged her. Donovan.
"Hello, puppy!" She playfully scratched the dog's ears. Donovan wagged his tail happily, licking her hand. Sydney slowly started to make her way around the house. Her fingertips brushed over the table tops. She looked at pictures of young Michaels with friends, family. She made her way upstairs, deciding that there was no telling how long it would be before Vaughn would be coming. Upstairs consisted of a bathroom and bedroom. She looked around the bedroom. She walked over to the bed, touched the sheets but then saw the open closet door. She opened it all the way and looked at all of Vaughn's clothes hung up. She pulled at one blue collared shirt and smelled it. It smelled like him and she loved it.
A cough startled her. She turned around, caught be Vaughn. He smiled playfully.
"What are you doing?"
Sydney relaxed. "I missed you. How did you get in?"
"Told the neighbor that I was locked out so they let me climb the back fence and get in through my sliding glass door."
Sydney took a step toward Vaughn. "So? Its 9:30.. What now Mr. Vaughn?"
Vaughn outreached a hand. Sydney accepted his hand, lacing her fingers with him. "Now? Well. now I have you in my room." He took a step toward her and kiss her forehead. "Now, I want to be with you." He kissed her nose. "Now, I love you." He kissed her lips.
Sydney broke the kiss my giggling slightly. "I love you too," she murmured against his lips. She gave him a push onto the bed.