Hey everybody. Here's a little longer update!
Dinner (Part II)
By the time Francie called me from the restaurant, I was a sight to be seen. I had tried on
about ten different outfits, finally deciding on a simple black spaghetti strap dress. My
hair was pulled up in curlers, a last ditch attempt to give it the body that a couple
gallons of mousse and hairspray hadn't.
I laughed to myself, realizing that I was doing everything I had sworn I would never do for
a man. I was dressing up, doing my hair, wearing more makeup than necessary, taking
unnecessary risks.
All for Vaughn.
And I was loving it.
Finally, I pulled my hair from the curlers, satisfied with the soft waves that resulted. I
pulled it back with a clip, leaving some hanging down around my shoulders to cover a less
than attractive bruise on the back of my neck.
I touched up the makeup around my eyes, making sure that I hadn't made myself look trampy.
Vaughn could see me trampy on any one of my missions. Tonight I wanted him to see me.
I ran my hands down the side of my dress, smoothing in. I smiled slightly at myself in the
mirror. Not too bad.
I left the bathroom, just in time to answer Francie's second call, letting me know that
everything was ready. I told her I was on my way.
I grabbed my purse and headed for the door, remembering at the last minute to bring the
present I had gotten for Vaughn the day before.
* * * *
Until I arrived at the restaurant, I had been too busy to be nervous, and even as I arrived
and parked, I found that I was way more excited than nervous.
I headed inside, and froze in the doorway. The restaurant looked amazing. The room had
been filled with vases of flowers, and candles were flickering everywhere. Francie had even cleared away all the other tables, leaving only a cozy, two person table in the corner of the room. Soft classical music played over the stereo system.
I smiled. Francie really was a romantic at heart.
"Hey, Sweetie!" I turned my head as Francie entered from the kitchen, holding two trays of
food.
"Francie!" I exclaimed, grabbing the trays from her, setting them down, and enveloping her
in a hug. "This is amazing! I can't believe you did all this!"
"Are you kidding?" She said. "I live for this kind of stuff. Besides, first dates should
always be like this." I laughed nervously, realizing for the first time that this really
was a first date.
"I hope everything goes OK," I said.
"It'll go fine, Syd. Just be your normal, charming self." I laughed at her words. "So,"
Francie continued, her curiosity taking over. "What did you tell Michael when you called?"
"Not much," I replied. "I told him to wear something nice, and to be here at seven." I
glanced at the clock. 6:54. I raised my eyebrows, surprised that he hadn't arrived early,
like he usually did.
"This is so exciting," Francie said. "Even if I don't have a love life, at least now I can
butt in on yours."
"Very funny," I said, giving her a light shove.
"Hey," she replied. "Stop hitting me and give me a hand." I laughed, and helped her finish putting the food on the table. "Do me a favor and grab the dessert from the back?" Francie asked. I nodded and headed back to the kitchen, pleased to see a delicious-looking chocolate cheesecake sitting on the counter.
"Francie," I called as I picked up the cheesecake. "You can't do this to me!" I carried the cheesecake back to the main room. "You know I could eat this whole thing myself-"
I stopped in my tracks as I saw Vaughn standing by the table, hands behind his back, decked
out in a black tux and tie.
My breath stopped in my chest as I took him in, even happier to see him than I had expected.
He smiled at me, his eyebrows raised as he took in my own appearance.
"Wow, Syd. You look-" he paused, obviously searching for something to say. "Wow." He said
again, after several moments. I blushed red.
"You too," I replied.
"Oh," he said, pulling his hands from behind his back and revealing several white lilies.
"These are for you." He handed them to me, his eyes nervous. I smiled, shivering slightly
as I took the flowers, my fingers brushing against his lightly.
"Thank you," I said, tracing one of the petals idly with my finger. We stood for several
moments, our eyes locked. Francie glanced from me to Vaughn several times before picking up her purse and heading to the door.
"I'll see you guys later," she said, looking at me for a response.
"Ok," I said, distractedly, not bothering to tear myself away from Vaughn's gaze.
"Ok..." Francie said, shaking her head before closing the door behind her.
I blinked, as if coming out of a trance, and glanced away, a smile on my face.
"Hey," I said, suddenly feeling shy.
"Hey," he replied, grinning.
"Ready to eat?" I asked, setting the cheesecake down on the table.
"Definitely." He moved around me, pulling my chair out and waiting for me to sit down.
"Thanks," I said softly. He nodded, sitting down across from me. He glanced around the
room, eyes sparkling in the candlelight.
"This is amazing," he said, finally.
"Yeah. That's exactly what I said." I grinned at him. "Thank Francie. I put her in
charge of everything. I was too nervous." I laughed self-consciously.
"Yeah," Vaughn agreed. "I was pretty nervous, too." He paused, surveying the food in front of us. "This looks great."
"Yep," I agreed, before realizing I was staring at him again.
"Especially the cheesecake," he said, a grin spreading across his face as he locked eyes with me. "What do you say we start with dessert first?"
"Really?" I asked, embarrassed at how excited I sounded. He chuckled at my enthusiasm.
"You sound like a little kid, Sydney." I grinned at him.
"I'm a chocoholic," I replied, trying to make my face serious, and failing miserably. Being here with him was making me almost giddy. "You know, Agent Vaughn," I said as I cut the
cheesecake, "If I had known you would let me eat dessert first, I may have told you how I
felt a long time ago." He chuckled at the grin I was trying to hide. "Although," I
continued, "I'm glad that I didn't wait any longer." I looked up at him and smiled.
"And you, Agent Bristow," he said, his smile remaining but the humor in his voice
disappearing. "I would have waited forever for you."
Dinner (Part II)
By the time Francie called me from the restaurant, I was a sight to be seen. I had tried on
about ten different outfits, finally deciding on a simple black spaghetti strap dress. My
hair was pulled up in curlers, a last ditch attempt to give it the body that a couple
gallons of mousse and hairspray hadn't.
I laughed to myself, realizing that I was doing everything I had sworn I would never do for
a man. I was dressing up, doing my hair, wearing more makeup than necessary, taking
unnecessary risks.
All for Vaughn.
And I was loving it.
Finally, I pulled my hair from the curlers, satisfied with the soft waves that resulted. I
pulled it back with a clip, leaving some hanging down around my shoulders to cover a less
than attractive bruise on the back of my neck.
I touched up the makeup around my eyes, making sure that I hadn't made myself look trampy.
Vaughn could see me trampy on any one of my missions. Tonight I wanted him to see me.
I ran my hands down the side of my dress, smoothing in. I smiled slightly at myself in the
mirror. Not too bad.
I left the bathroom, just in time to answer Francie's second call, letting me know that
everything was ready. I told her I was on my way.
I grabbed my purse and headed for the door, remembering at the last minute to bring the
present I had gotten for Vaughn the day before.
* * * *
Until I arrived at the restaurant, I had been too busy to be nervous, and even as I arrived
and parked, I found that I was way more excited than nervous.
I headed inside, and froze in the doorway. The restaurant looked amazing. The room had
been filled with vases of flowers, and candles were flickering everywhere. Francie had even cleared away all the other tables, leaving only a cozy, two person table in the corner of the room. Soft classical music played over the stereo system.
I smiled. Francie really was a romantic at heart.
"Hey, Sweetie!" I turned my head as Francie entered from the kitchen, holding two trays of
food.
"Francie!" I exclaimed, grabbing the trays from her, setting them down, and enveloping her
in a hug. "This is amazing! I can't believe you did all this!"
"Are you kidding?" She said. "I live for this kind of stuff. Besides, first dates should
always be like this." I laughed nervously, realizing for the first time that this really
was a first date.
"I hope everything goes OK," I said.
"It'll go fine, Syd. Just be your normal, charming self." I laughed at her words. "So,"
Francie continued, her curiosity taking over. "What did you tell Michael when you called?"
"Not much," I replied. "I told him to wear something nice, and to be here at seven." I
glanced at the clock. 6:54. I raised my eyebrows, surprised that he hadn't arrived early,
like he usually did.
"This is so exciting," Francie said. "Even if I don't have a love life, at least now I can
butt in on yours."
"Very funny," I said, giving her a light shove.
"Hey," she replied. "Stop hitting me and give me a hand." I laughed, and helped her finish putting the food on the table. "Do me a favor and grab the dessert from the back?" Francie asked. I nodded and headed back to the kitchen, pleased to see a delicious-looking chocolate cheesecake sitting on the counter.
"Francie," I called as I picked up the cheesecake. "You can't do this to me!" I carried the cheesecake back to the main room. "You know I could eat this whole thing myself-"
I stopped in my tracks as I saw Vaughn standing by the table, hands behind his back, decked
out in a black tux and tie.
My breath stopped in my chest as I took him in, even happier to see him than I had expected.
He smiled at me, his eyebrows raised as he took in my own appearance.
"Wow, Syd. You look-" he paused, obviously searching for something to say. "Wow." He said
again, after several moments. I blushed red.
"You too," I replied.
"Oh," he said, pulling his hands from behind his back and revealing several white lilies.
"These are for you." He handed them to me, his eyes nervous. I smiled, shivering slightly
as I took the flowers, my fingers brushing against his lightly.
"Thank you," I said, tracing one of the petals idly with my finger. We stood for several
moments, our eyes locked. Francie glanced from me to Vaughn several times before picking up her purse and heading to the door.
"I'll see you guys later," she said, looking at me for a response.
"Ok," I said, distractedly, not bothering to tear myself away from Vaughn's gaze.
"Ok..." Francie said, shaking her head before closing the door behind her.
I blinked, as if coming out of a trance, and glanced away, a smile on my face.
"Hey," I said, suddenly feeling shy.
"Hey," he replied, grinning.
"Ready to eat?" I asked, setting the cheesecake down on the table.
"Definitely." He moved around me, pulling my chair out and waiting for me to sit down.
"Thanks," I said softly. He nodded, sitting down across from me. He glanced around the
room, eyes sparkling in the candlelight.
"This is amazing," he said, finally.
"Yeah. That's exactly what I said." I grinned at him. "Thank Francie. I put her in
charge of everything. I was too nervous." I laughed self-consciously.
"Yeah," Vaughn agreed. "I was pretty nervous, too." He paused, surveying the food in front of us. "This looks great."
"Yep," I agreed, before realizing I was staring at him again.
"Especially the cheesecake," he said, a grin spreading across his face as he locked eyes with me. "What do you say we start with dessert first?"
"Really?" I asked, embarrassed at how excited I sounded. He chuckled at my enthusiasm.
"You sound like a little kid, Sydney." I grinned at him.
"I'm a chocoholic," I replied, trying to make my face serious, and failing miserably. Being here with him was making me almost giddy. "You know, Agent Vaughn," I said as I cut the
cheesecake, "If I had known you would let me eat dessert first, I may have told you how I
felt a long time ago." He chuckled at the grin I was trying to hide. "Although," I
continued, "I'm glad that I didn't wait any longer." I looked up at him and smiled.
"And you, Agent Bristow," he said, his smile remaining but the humor in his voice
disappearing. "I would have waited forever for you."