Chapter 4 [Note: Timeline correction: This takes place after "The Getaway"
and then goes into an AU.]
"Fine, darling!" Sydney cooed, while her eyes shot sparks. "Let's go check in. I can't wait to see our room. If you know what I mean?" she asked with a wink.
She led the way to the check-in desk. While she gave their information to the clerk, he looked around. It truly was a beautiful property. The lobby looked out on the pool and beyond that was a sand beach, the ocean and Molokai in the distance. It even faced west, toward those sunsets. Perfect.
Who was he kidding? He wasn't going to be cuddling Sydney on the beach while the sun set. Not unless he could come up with an explanation and possibly, maybe, prevent her from killing him.
Suddenly his head jerked around, what had she just said? Oh, my God. She was arguing with the clerk about."No, that is not acceptable. This is our honeymoon and I don't want a room with a double bed. I want a room with a king-size bed."
He cleared his throat and said, "Honey, since it is our honeymoon, maybe that double would be okay. I mean how much room do we." One brown eyebrow lifted. Shit. The gauntlet had been thrown.
"Well, darling, since it IS our honeymoon, I want more room. Cuddling close is fine, sometimes. But sometimes, a person, a woman wants to be able to move around, spread out. IF you know what I mean." Weiss snickered. Sydney looked like she was about to snicker. The clerk snickered. Both Sydney and Vaughn leveled a glare at the hapless young man. He began pounding on the keyboard, "Yes, ma'am. I'll change that room for you right away." Shortly they had the keys. Sydney motioned toward the suitcases. He sighed, clearly she was playing the delicate female (which was the biggest stinkin' joke in the WORLD) and he would have to carry all of the luggage.
As soon as they got in the elevator, Vaughn turned toward her. "What the hell was that about? Don't we need the rooms already assigned for the set up?"
"Calm down, boy," Weiss advised. "Syd was just fixing a problem caused by the idiot in the Op Center who didn't reserve the correct rooms."
"You could have told me. Great. Now I have to-" "Apologize. Yeah, starting with this little tirade that was."
"Shut up, Weiss. Syd, I apologize, Weiss just explained..."
"You know, Vaughn, it would be nice if you would trust me. I have been on a few of these missions before today, you know."
"Yeah, I know. Sorry."
"That's okay." He looked over but she was studiously studying the elevator buttons. Biting her bottom lip as though the world depended upon reaching the fifth floor immediately.
"Syd, I want to say..." She looked up. "I'm glad to see you." Wow, that was an understatement. Really smooth, Michael, really smooth. But, to his astonishment, she smiled slowly in return. "I'm glad to see you too."
"You are?"
"Yes."
"I thought..Syd, I've missed you." Her smile grew brighter for a moment, then dimmed completely. He tensed.
"Really? I thought you'd have been too busy to miss me. I mean, I never intruded into your personal life with your friends, parties, girlfriends, now did I?" Then she looked away, looked up at the floor indicator above the door.
Diiing. The elevator had reached the fifth floor.
He muttered, "If you only knew..If you only knew." But of course, she caught it. "If I only knew what, Vaughn, what?"
"Syd-" he grabbed the suitcases and followed her out. Dropping them in the middle of the hallway, he made a grab for her arm. She whirled around, avoiding his eyes. "Syd.I want you to know that I'm not going out with Alice anymore."
Still looking away, she asked, "Since when?"
"Since this morning, which seems like years ago at this point."
"Who broke up with whom?"
Weiss squawked a warning, "Lie, lie, lie. Obfuscate. Feint. Do not tell her- --"
"She broke up with me."
"You idiot. You were doing so well, too." Weiss moaned.
"I see." The artic glaciers could not have been colder than her voice. "Let's get to the room, darling," she said loudly. "I'm eager to see that bed." He winced.
Picking up the suitcases, he followed her to their room. Wincing again, he noted how lovely it was. Opening up the doors to the balcony he could not help exclaiming, "Syd! Come out here and see the view." She hissed at him, "Vaughn! Come in here and act like a trained professional." He turned around. Sure enough, she was running a routine scan while he acted like a tourist. Could he act like more of a fool? Could this day get any worse?
Who was he kidding? Of course it could.
"Fine, darling!" Sydney cooed, while her eyes shot sparks. "Let's go check in. I can't wait to see our room. If you know what I mean?" she asked with a wink.
She led the way to the check-in desk. While she gave their information to the clerk, he looked around. It truly was a beautiful property. The lobby looked out on the pool and beyond that was a sand beach, the ocean and Molokai in the distance. It even faced west, toward those sunsets. Perfect.
Who was he kidding? He wasn't going to be cuddling Sydney on the beach while the sun set. Not unless he could come up with an explanation and possibly, maybe, prevent her from killing him.
Suddenly his head jerked around, what had she just said? Oh, my God. She was arguing with the clerk about."No, that is not acceptable. This is our honeymoon and I don't want a room with a double bed. I want a room with a king-size bed."
He cleared his throat and said, "Honey, since it is our honeymoon, maybe that double would be okay. I mean how much room do we." One brown eyebrow lifted. Shit. The gauntlet had been thrown.
"Well, darling, since it IS our honeymoon, I want more room. Cuddling close is fine, sometimes. But sometimes, a person, a woman wants to be able to move around, spread out. IF you know what I mean." Weiss snickered. Sydney looked like she was about to snicker. The clerk snickered. Both Sydney and Vaughn leveled a glare at the hapless young man. He began pounding on the keyboard, "Yes, ma'am. I'll change that room for you right away." Shortly they had the keys. Sydney motioned toward the suitcases. He sighed, clearly she was playing the delicate female (which was the biggest stinkin' joke in the WORLD) and he would have to carry all of the luggage.
As soon as they got in the elevator, Vaughn turned toward her. "What the hell was that about? Don't we need the rooms already assigned for the set up?"
"Calm down, boy," Weiss advised. "Syd was just fixing a problem caused by the idiot in the Op Center who didn't reserve the correct rooms."
"You could have told me. Great. Now I have to-" "Apologize. Yeah, starting with this little tirade that was."
"Shut up, Weiss. Syd, I apologize, Weiss just explained..."
"You know, Vaughn, it would be nice if you would trust me. I have been on a few of these missions before today, you know."
"Yeah, I know. Sorry."
"That's okay." He looked over but she was studiously studying the elevator buttons. Biting her bottom lip as though the world depended upon reaching the fifth floor immediately.
"Syd, I want to say..." She looked up. "I'm glad to see you." Wow, that was an understatement. Really smooth, Michael, really smooth. But, to his astonishment, she smiled slowly in return. "I'm glad to see you too."
"You are?"
"Yes."
"I thought..Syd, I've missed you." Her smile grew brighter for a moment, then dimmed completely. He tensed.
"Really? I thought you'd have been too busy to miss me. I mean, I never intruded into your personal life with your friends, parties, girlfriends, now did I?" Then she looked away, looked up at the floor indicator above the door.
Diiing. The elevator had reached the fifth floor.
He muttered, "If you only knew..If you only knew." But of course, she caught it. "If I only knew what, Vaughn, what?"
"Syd-" he grabbed the suitcases and followed her out. Dropping them in the middle of the hallway, he made a grab for her arm. She whirled around, avoiding his eyes. "Syd.I want you to know that I'm not going out with Alice anymore."
Still looking away, she asked, "Since when?"
"Since this morning, which seems like years ago at this point."
"Who broke up with whom?"
Weiss squawked a warning, "Lie, lie, lie. Obfuscate. Feint. Do not tell her- --"
"She broke up with me."
"You idiot. You were doing so well, too." Weiss moaned.
"I see." The artic glaciers could not have been colder than her voice. "Let's get to the room, darling," she said loudly. "I'm eager to see that bed." He winced.
Picking up the suitcases, he followed her to their room. Wincing again, he noted how lovely it was. Opening up the doors to the balcony he could not help exclaiming, "Syd! Come out here and see the view." She hissed at him, "Vaughn! Come in here and act like a trained professional." He turned around. Sure enough, she was running a routine scan while he acted like a tourist. Could he act like more of a fool? Could this day get any worse?
Who was he kidding? Of course it could.