The cool late afternoon air washed over Sydney as she stepped out onto the pristine sidewalk while a feeling of warmth fills her due to both the welcoming rays of the striking European sunset and the effect that having her arm intertwined with that of her assistant was having on her.
The maitre d' quickly escorted Nigel and Sydney to the wrought iron, glass table out on the terrace, only a lively striped canopy separating them from the on looking French sky. Such a beautiful couple, as deemed by the café host, would never be made to wait in the City of Lights. Years in the restaurant business had trained the man well as to the skill of reading people and from the tidbits he had caught passing between them and body language a knowing smile crept across his visage. This couple dressed in simple traveling garb, but accessorized with an aura of deep emotions had an eventful night ahead of them. He was sure of it.
Being the self-sufficient woman of today that she prides herself on being, Syd was beginning to seat herself at the table when Nigel moved to pull her chair out for her. The action causes a conspiratorial grin to tug at the corners of her mouth, but she suppresses the feeling rationalizing that Nigel is a gentleman and would do so for anyone at anytime herself included. However, the idea that it hopefully heralded a promising outcome for her confession filled her with a mixture of anxieties and glee.
They ordered dinner, lemon chicken for Syd and trout amandine for Nigel. Sydney could see that the ordeal of having to wait until the waiter left them to discuss the relic was killing him. Now sooner had the gentleman left their table did he begin to let loose with the details he had discovered in his research of the area.
"About this mysterious relic, I was reading up about the history and lore of the region surrounding the dig site; though I'm a tad surprised that I couldn't find anything about the dig itself. I was thinking that perhaps the writing could be in reference to..." he started but was cut off by Syd.
If she was going to come clean about the trip, and she knew she had to, now was the time. "Nigel there is no relic, no hunt, and no dig."
"But, you said the professor asked for our assistance."
"I made it all up. You really believed that Karen was talking to a lady about cereal. It was me on the phone. I told her to make the arrangements. I didn't think you'd come on vacation with me if there wasn't some kind of relic to find."
"All that time I spend looking things up you were sitting back with your feet propped up waiting to go on vacation," Sydney started to get worried when annoyance and hurt crept into his voice, "You didn't think I deserved to know the truth."
"I just wanted to spend some time with my best friend away from work. Would you have come if you had known the truth?"
"You are my friend Syd, but I'm also your assistant so probably not."
"That's the whole point Nigel. I don't want you to just be my assistant anymore. I look at you and see so much more. You're my best friend. You're the only person who has ever accepted me as who I am, all of who I am. I love you Nige, like I've never loved anyone before and probably never will." It took all of her strength to not break down from the emotional torrent that assaulted her with her admission. Expressing feelings was never her strong point and getting those few simple words out took everything she had.
Nigel got up from the table calmly, but it was evident to all watching that there was a storm brewing just underneath his skin. And there were many watching, for the gradual heatedness of the argument had grabbed the attention of all of the diners nears them. He looked down at the woman who had come to embody everything good in his world and replied.
"Sydney. I do love you, I have since probably the moment I walked in your office for the first time, but I can't do this. I couldn't live with this, with you, knowing that it all happened because of a lie. I've sorry." And he turned around and left the restaurant.
The people at the nearby tables that had previously been so engrossed in the couple's discussion gave the sad exotic woman left by herself one last glance before looking away. Tears sprang unbidden to fill Sydney's eyes, but refused to let them fall. She knew that this was a possibility from the beginning and she had only brought it on herself. She got up, left some money on the table for their wasted meals and returned to her room, walking tall the whole way as to attempt to salvage some of her lost dignity.
An hour had passed for the world outside her hotel room, but for Sydney, time had stopped within her cozy four-walled prison. From her vantage point at the head of her bed with her knees drawn up to her chin she could see every detail of the room, but nothing registered in her exhausted mind. She was still in the clothes she had been wearing all day. Her brown eyes were marred by red lines and her cheeks still sported the tracks from long dried tears. Alternating between thoughts of self-pity and deep-seated denial had taken any energy she had left.
She didn't know how she was supposed to act around Nigel when they got back to the states. Would he resign from being her assistant? The thought terrified her because she didn't know how she could go on another hint if he wasn't with her, but deep down she knew that resigning is just what he would do first chance he got. There were plenty of people who jump at the chance to have him work for them. She could never find someone to replace him and didn't want to be forced to.
A soft, almost timid knock on her door broke through her pity party so she rose from her place on the bed to answer it. The way her day was going it was probably someone with a message that her home back in the US had burnt and now she was homeless she thought. When she opened the door to reveal an equally distraught looking Nigel she was instantly shocked and worried. Of course, she reasoned, he wants to tell me he's resigning now and not waste anymore time on me.
A look of resolve came over the Englishman as his hand up to cup her face while at the same time he captured her lips in a tender kiss. His actions confused Sydney, but she soon found herself melting into his touch regardless. It was only when the events of the past few hours returned to her in a blaze of guilt did she pull back and look at him quizzically.
Nigel recognized the appeal for an explanation in her eyes and silently agreed to its unspoken request. "I'm a prat Syd for walking out on you like I did. It was harsh of me and downright unchivalrous and we can't have that now can we?"
"I don't understand Nigel. You said..."
"I know what I said and it was complete shit. I can never say no to you let alone stay mad at you for more than a heartbeat"
"I was sure you were coming over to tell me you had decided to resign."
"And loose the half of me that makes live worth living, not bloody likely." Both relic hunters smiled widely both at his choice of words and at the possibilities the future held laid out before them.
"So what else did you have planned for this vacation of ours?" Nigel asked genuinely interested.
As she pulled him down for another kiss Sydney whispered into his ear, "I thought we'd just go with the flow."
Fin
Author's Note: I almost broke my promise to myself that I would never leave a fic unfinished so now having this done makes me fill complete. I hope you like it. I know it took forever and I apologize immensely for that. Let me know what you think. And thanks for reading. -Aenigmatis
The maitre d' quickly escorted Nigel and Sydney to the wrought iron, glass table out on the terrace, only a lively striped canopy separating them from the on looking French sky. Such a beautiful couple, as deemed by the café host, would never be made to wait in the City of Lights. Years in the restaurant business had trained the man well as to the skill of reading people and from the tidbits he had caught passing between them and body language a knowing smile crept across his visage. This couple dressed in simple traveling garb, but accessorized with an aura of deep emotions had an eventful night ahead of them. He was sure of it.
Being the self-sufficient woman of today that she prides herself on being, Syd was beginning to seat herself at the table when Nigel moved to pull her chair out for her. The action causes a conspiratorial grin to tug at the corners of her mouth, but she suppresses the feeling rationalizing that Nigel is a gentleman and would do so for anyone at anytime herself included. However, the idea that it hopefully heralded a promising outcome for her confession filled her with a mixture of anxieties and glee.
They ordered dinner, lemon chicken for Syd and trout amandine for Nigel. Sydney could see that the ordeal of having to wait until the waiter left them to discuss the relic was killing him. Now sooner had the gentleman left their table did he begin to let loose with the details he had discovered in his research of the area.
"About this mysterious relic, I was reading up about the history and lore of the region surrounding the dig site; though I'm a tad surprised that I couldn't find anything about the dig itself. I was thinking that perhaps the writing could be in reference to..." he started but was cut off by Syd.
If she was going to come clean about the trip, and she knew she had to, now was the time. "Nigel there is no relic, no hunt, and no dig."
"But, you said the professor asked for our assistance."
"I made it all up. You really believed that Karen was talking to a lady about cereal. It was me on the phone. I told her to make the arrangements. I didn't think you'd come on vacation with me if there wasn't some kind of relic to find."
"All that time I spend looking things up you were sitting back with your feet propped up waiting to go on vacation," Sydney started to get worried when annoyance and hurt crept into his voice, "You didn't think I deserved to know the truth."
"I just wanted to spend some time with my best friend away from work. Would you have come if you had known the truth?"
"You are my friend Syd, but I'm also your assistant so probably not."
"That's the whole point Nigel. I don't want you to just be my assistant anymore. I look at you and see so much more. You're my best friend. You're the only person who has ever accepted me as who I am, all of who I am. I love you Nige, like I've never loved anyone before and probably never will." It took all of her strength to not break down from the emotional torrent that assaulted her with her admission. Expressing feelings was never her strong point and getting those few simple words out took everything she had.
Nigel got up from the table calmly, but it was evident to all watching that there was a storm brewing just underneath his skin. And there were many watching, for the gradual heatedness of the argument had grabbed the attention of all of the diners nears them. He looked down at the woman who had come to embody everything good in his world and replied.
"Sydney. I do love you, I have since probably the moment I walked in your office for the first time, but I can't do this. I couldn't live with this, with you, knowing that it all happened because of a lie. I've sorry." And he turned around and left the restaurant.
The people at the nearby tables that had previously been so engrossed in the couple's discussion gave the sad exotic woman left by herself one last glance before looking away. Tears sprang unbidden to fill Sydney's eyes, but refused to let them fall. She knew that this was a possibility from the beginning and she had only brought it on herself. She got up, left some money on the table for their wasted meals and returned to her room, walking tall the whole way as to attempt to salvage some of her lost dignity.
An hour had passed for the world outside her hotel room, but for Sydney, time had stopped within her cozy four-walled prison. From her vantage point at the head of her bed with her knees drawn up to her chin she could see every detail of the room, but nothing registered in her exhausted mind. She was still in the clothes she had been wearing all day. Her brown eyes were marred by red lines and her cheeks still sported the tracks from long dried tears. Alternating between thoughts of self-pity and deep-seated denial had taken any energy she had left.
She didn't know how she was supposed to act around Nigel when they got back to the states. Would he resign from being her assistant? The thought terrified her because she didn't know how she could go on another hint if he wasn't with her, but deep down she knew that resigning is just what he would do first chance he got. There were plenty of people who jump at the chance to have him work for them. She could never find someone to replace him and didn't want to be forced to.
A soft, almost timid knock on her door broke through her pity party so she rose from her place on the bed to answer it. The way her day was going it was probably someone with a message that her home back in the US had burnt and now she was homeless she thought. When she opened the door to reveal an equally distraught looking Nigel she was instantly shocked and worried. Of course, she reasoned, he wants to tell me he's resigning now and not waste anymore time on me.
A look of resolve came over the Englishman as his hand up to cup her face while at the same time he captured her lips in a tender kiss. His actions confused Sydney, but she soon found herself melting into his touch regardless. It was only when the events of the past few hours returned to her in a blaze of guilt did she pull back and look at him quizzically.
Nigel recognized the appeal for an explanation in her eyes and silently agreed to its unspoken request. "I'm a prat Syd for walking out on you like I did. It was harsh of me and downright unchivalrous and we can't have that now can we?"
"I don't understand Nigel. You said..."
"I know what I said and it was complete shit. I can never say no to you let alone stay mad at you for more than a heartbeat"
"I was sure you were coming over to tell me you had decided to resign."
"And loose the half of me that makes live worth living, not bloody likely." Both relic hunters smiled widely both at his choice of words and at the possibilities the future held laid out before them.
"So what else did you have planned for this vacation of ours?" Nigel asked genuinely interested.
As she pulled him down for another kiss Sydney whispered into his ear, "I thought we'd just go with the flow."
Fin
Author's Note: I almost broke my promise to myself that I would never leave a fic unfinished so now having this done makes me fill complete. I hope you like it. I know it took forever and I apologize immensely for that. Let me know what you think. And thanks for reading. -Aenigmatis