As promised, Chapter 4. I hope that this isn't too lame...
Movies
I met Vaughn less than half an hour later, relieved that the butterflies in my stomach had settled down for the time being. It was Vaughn after all- the only one in my life that I felt I could truly trust. What was there to be nervous about?
He was waiting outside of the warehouse this time, leaning against his black BMW and looking up at the moon that was just beginning to rise on the horizon.
"Hey," I said, grinning.
"Hey," he replied. He smiled at me, his green eyes sparkling slightly in the lights of the parking lot. Those kind, gentle eyes. I paused momentarily, not knowing exactly what to say. This seemed to amuse Vaughn, and he gestured for me to come stand next to him.
"At a loss for words, Sydney?" He asked.
"Honestly?" I asked, leaning next to him on the car. "Yeah. This is weird. Being out here in the open- with you."
"Tell me about it," he replied. "Good weird, though, right?" I looked at him, expecting to see a smile, but I was shocked by the nervousness I saw.
"Of course, Vaughn. Good weird. Very good weird." I blushed, glancing at the ground. He grinned, obviously satisfied with my response.
"Well, let's get going," he said, breaking the short silence. I nodded.
"So, what's the plan?" I asked as I headed to the other side of his car.
"Can't tell you," he replied.
"What? Why not?" I asked.
"It's confidential." He glanced up at me as he reached for my car door, his expression completely serious.
"Really?" I asked, my heart sinking.
"Syd, I'm kidding," he chuckled as he held the car door open for me.
"God, don't scare me like that, Vaughn."
"Hey, don't blame me... You're more gullible than I thought." I kicked his leg as I sat down. "Hey, if you beat on me I won't tell you the surprise." He grinned at me.
"If I beat on you," I replied, struggling to keep a straight face, "you'll have to tell me."
"Yeah," he said. "That's probably true."
"You sure you won't tell me?"
"Nope."
"Not even a hint?"
"Sorry."
"Vaughn," I whined.
"Tell you what, Sydney. We're on vacation. Call me Michael."
"If I do, will you tell me the surprise?" I asked.
"Nope. But I'll like you even more than I already do." He slammed my car door shut and headed to the driver's side. As he got in, I made a show of pouting, but he seemed unphased.
"Fine. Michael." I said, stressing his name. "Let's get going." He glanced at me, smiling slightly, his voice serious again.
"Thanks, Syd." He turned away and started the car.
* * * *
About 45 minutes later Vaughn pulled up in front of the Silver Cinemas movie theatre and parked the car.
"A movie?" I asked, a smile growing on my face.
"Yep." He looked at my expression. "Excited?"
"This is great, Vaughn!" I caught myself just as he shot me a glare. "Sorry. Michael. Takes some getting used to."
We got out of the car and headed towards the entrance.
"Wow. I haven't been to a real movie theatre in ages," I said.
"I kind of figured," Vaughn said as he opened the door for me. He directed me with a hand on my shoulders past the ticket booths and towards the double doors leading into one of the theatres.
"Wait," I said. "Don't we need tickets?"
"Syd," he said. "Have a little faith. I've got it all under control." He guided me into the theatre, gesturing towards two seats in the center of the room, which I noticed was completely deserted. In fact, I now realized that the entire building had been suspiciously empty when we came in.
"Have a seat," Vaughn said. I did, glancing up at him as he stood above me. For the first time since I met him at the warehouse that day, I realized that he wasn't wearing his customary suit and tie. Instead, he was dressed casually, in blue jeans and a dark blue shirt that brought out tiny hints of blue in his brilliant green eyes. Wow. I loved this man so much.
I immediately blushed at that thought, pushing it away. He's my handler. A good friend. But he's not my boyfriend- what I really wanted him to be. I couldn't love him.
I looked up at him again, and blushed more when I realized that he had noticed my blush. He was smiling, and for a moment I wondered if he knew what I was thinking. Would it really be such a bad thing if he did?
"You OK, Sydney?" He asked, sitting down beside me. Always the concerned gentleman. His brow furrowed at my hesitation, and my heart melted.
"Yeah, Michael. This is just... really nice. I can't believe you did all this." I gestured to the empty room. "You actually rented the theatre?"
"Well, I actually rented 8 theatres. This place shows movies on 8 screens." He smiled sheepishly. "It was the best I could come up with on short notice." He paused, looking at me sadly. "I wish I could say that it was all for the fun of it, but a lot of it is for security."
"I know." I nodded. "And there's no reason for you to feel bad. This is great." I smiled brightly, happy for once that security was actually making my life a little better. "I hate to ask, since you've already done so much..." I hesitated.
"What?" He looked at me from his seat, with his legs propped up on the seat in front of him.
"Could I have some popcorn?" He laughed, not expecting the question.
"Of course," he replied.
I smiled sweetly. "In that case, could I have some Pepsi, too?" He grinned and shook his head.
"You can have anything you want, Syd." I smiled.
I want you, I thought. Sadly, he was the one thing I couldn't have.
"I'll be right back." He rose from his seat, brushing my shoulder with his hand as he slid past me. I watched him as he headed out to the lobby, wishing for so many things that I knew I couldn't have.
I wanted to be able to hold his hand... to go on walks with him... talk with him... look at him in public places. I wanted to show him my home, and wake up with him next to me. It wasn't fair.
I missed Danny every day, and I knew that I would for the rest of my life, but I wanted to feel that love again.
Luckily, Vaughn returned before I had the chance to really start feeling sorry for myself. I decided that, though it may not be exactly what I want with him, I should definately enjoy our moments together like this.
"Popcorn and Pepsi, as requested," he said, handing me a jumbo-sized container of buttery popcorn.
I laughed. "You expect me to eat all this myself?"
"No," he chuckled, grabbing a handful. "I expect you to share."
"Why should I share with you? You wouldn't tell me where we were going." He looked at me and smiled.
"Because I'm a nice guy." I cocked an eyebrow at him, trying to look skeptical, but I could only keep a straight face for a moment before giving in and grinning.
"Fine." I handed him the popcorn. "So, what are we seeing?" I asked after several moments. He looked over at me again, his face suddenly very serious.
"Does it really matter?" He asked. I felt my eyes grow suddenly moist as I realized the meaning of his words, and I turned away, shaking my head.
"No, it doesn't." I said. I sniffed, and reached over to grab a handful of popcorn from the container in his lap. As I did, he grabbed my hand, squeezing it momentarily. I looked up into his eyes, and he smiled at me.
"I'm glad I'm here with you, Syd." I returned his smile.
"Me too, Michael.
"Just as long as you aren't a popcorn hog," he replied, releasing my hand. I laughed, punching him lightly on the arm, smiling at him as the lights in the theatre slowly began to dim.
Well, that's it for now. I'll work on more tonight. Hope everyone likes it.
Movies
I met Vaughn less than half an hour later, relieved that the butterflies in my stomach had settled down for the time being. It was Vaughn after all- the only one in my life that I felt I could truly trust. What was there to be nervous about?
He was waiting outside of the warehouse this time, leaning against his black BMW and looking up at the moon that was just beginning to rise on the horizon.
"Hey," I said, grinning.
"Hey," he replied. He smiled at me, his green eyes sparkling slightly in the lights of the parking lot. Those kind, gentle eyes. I paused momentarily, not knowing exactly what to say. This seemed to amuse Vaughn, and he gestured for me to come stand next to him.
"At a loss for words, Sydney?" He asked.
"Honestly?" I asked, leaning next to him on the car. "Yeah. This is weird. Being out here in the open- with you."
"Tell me about it," he replied. "Good weird, though, right?" I looked at him, expecting to see a smile, but I was shocked by the nervousness I saw.
"Of course, Vaughn. Good weird. Very good weird." I blushed, glancing at the ground. He grinned, obviously satisfied with my response.
"Well, let's get going," he said, breaking the short silence. I nodded.
"So, what's the plan?" I asked as I headed to the other side of his car.
"Can't tell you," he replied.
"What? Why not?" I asked.
"It's confidential." He glanced up at me as he reached for my car door, his expression completely serious.
"Really?" I asked, my heart sinking.
"Syd, I'm kidding," he chuckled as he held the car door open for me.
"God, don't scare me like that, Vaughn."
"Hey, don't blame me... You're more gullible than I thought." I kicked his leg as I sat down. "Hey, if you beat on me I won't tell you the surprise." He grinned at me.
"If I beat on you," I replied, struggling to keep a straight face, "you'll have to tell me."
"Yeah," he said. "That's probably true."
"You sure you won't tell me?"
"Nope."
"Not even a hint?"
"Sorry."
"Vaughn," I whined.
"Tell you what, Sydney. We're on vacation. Call me Michael."
"If I do, will you tell me the surprise?" I asked.
"Nope. But I'll like you even more than I already do." He slammed my car door shut and headed to the driver's side. As he got in, I made a show of pouting, but he seemed unphased.
"Fine. Michael." I said, stressing his name. "Let's get going." He glanced at me, smiling slightly, his voice serious again.
"Thanks, Syd." He turned away and started the car.
* * * *
About 45 minutes later Vaughn pulled up in front of the Silver Cinemas movie theatre and parked the car.
"A movie?" I asked, a smile growing on my face.
"Yep." He looked at my expression. "Excited?"
"This is great, Vaughn!" I caught myself just as he shot me a glare. "Sorry. Michael. Takes some getting used to."
We got out of the car and headed towards the entrance.
"Wow. I haven't been to a real movie theatre in ages," I said.
"I kind of figured," Vaughn said as he opened the door for me. He directed me with a hand on my shoulders past the ticket booths and towards the double doors leading into one of the theatres.
"Wait," I said. "Don't we need tickets?"
"Syd," he said. "Have a little faith. I've got it all under control." He guided me into the theatre, gesturing towards two seats in the center of the room, which I noticed was completely deserted. In fact, I now realized that the entire building had been suspiciously empty when we came in.
"Have a seat," Vaughn said. I did, glancing up at him as he stood above me. For the first time since I met him at the warehouse that day, I realized that he wasn't wearing his customary suit and tie. Instead, he was dressed casually, in blue jeans and a dark blue shirt that brought out tiny hints of blue in his brilliant green eyes. Wow. I loved this man so much.
I immediately blushed at that thought, pushing it away. He's my handler. A good friend. But he's not my boyfriend- what I really wanted him to be. I couldn't love him.
I looked up at him again, and blushed more when I realized that he had noticed my blush. He was smiling, and for a moment I wondered if he knew what I was thinking. Would it really be such a bad thing if he did?
"You OK, Sydney?" He asked, sitting down beside me. Always the concerned gentleman. His brow furrowed at my hesitation, and my heart melted.
"Yeah, Michael. This is just... really nice. I can't believe you did all this." I gestured to the empty room. "You actually rented the theatre?"
"Well, I actually rented 8 theatres. This place shows movies on 8 screens." He smiled sheepishly. "It was the best I could come up with on short notice." He paused, looking at me sadly. "I wish I could say that it was all for the fun of it, but a lot of it is for security."
"I know." I nodded. "And there's no reason for you to feel bad. This is great." I smiled brightly, happy for once that security was actually making my life a little better. "I hate to ask, since you've already done so much..." I hesitated.
"What?" He looked at me from his seat, with his legs propped up on the seat in front of him.
"Could I have some popcorn?" He laughed, not expecting the question.
"Of course," he replied.
I smiled sweetly. "In that case, could I have some Pepsi, too?" He grinned and shook his head.
"You can have anything you want, Syd." I smiled.
I want you, I thought. Sadly, he was the one thing I couldn't have.
"I'll be right back." He rose from his seat, brushing my shoulder with his hand as he slid past me. I watched him as he headed out to the lobby, wishing for so many things that I knew I couldn't have.
I wanted to be able to hold his hand... to go on walks with him... talk with him... look at him in public places. I wanted to show him my home, and wake up with him next to me. It wasn't fair.
I missed Danny every day, and I knew that I would for the rest of my life, but I wanted to feel that love again.
Luckily, Vaughn returned before I had the chance to really start feeling sorry for myself. I decided that, though it may not be exactly what I want with him, I should definately enjoy our moments together like this.
"Popcorn and Pepsi, as requested," he said, handing me a jumbo-sized container of buttery popcorn.
I laughed. "You expect me to eat all this myself?"
"No," he chuckled, grabbing a handful. "I expect you to share."
"Why should I share with you? You wouldn't tell me where we were going." He looked at me and smiled.
"Because I'm a nice guy." I cocked an eyebrow at him, trying to look skeptical, but I could only keep a straight face for a moment before giving in and grinning.
"Fine." I handed him the popcorn. "So, what are we seeing?" I asked after several moments. He looked over at me again, his face suddenly very serious.
"Does it really matter?" He asked. I felt my eyes grow suddenly moist as I realized the meaning of his words, and I turned away, shaking my head.
"No, it doesn't." I said. I sniffed, and reached over to grab a handful of popcorn from the container in his lap. As I did, he grabbed my hand, squeezing it momentarily. I looked up into his eyes, and he smiled at me.
"I'm glad I'm here with you, Syd." I returned his smile.
"Me too, Michael.
"Just as long as you aren't a popcorn hog," he replied, releasing my hand. I laughed, punching him lightly on the arm, smiling at him as the lights in the theatre slowly began to dim.
Well, that's it for now. I'll work on more tonight. Hope everyone likes it.