A/N: So….Carina's confession had Sarah stunned. The cool red-headed sex-panther, queen of the hit and run, seemed to have lost her "game," and was nervously rambling, clearly befuddled by the previous night's intended conquest. She considered Carina's sudden and unexpected change of state and it helped her better understand that things can change. That must change.
This story has a mild T-rating for occasional coarse language, some adult themes, and some violence, but nothing too graphic.
I hope you enjoy it, and favor me with following or reviewing. It's the only way I can know if the effort I've put into writing this is giving anyone any sort of joy.
As usual, my thanks continue to go to Nevr for pre and beta reading. Thanks Nev!
Also as usual, I don't own Chuck or profit from writing this story.
Chapter 5 – Invasive Thoughts:
After the morning's spa session, Sarah spent a quiet afternoon contemplating her direction in life, but her thoughts continued to drift towards Chuck Bartowski, occasionally interrupted by the odd feeling in her stomach that the antacids were doing nothing to address. She walked, stopped for lunch, and did a little shopping, but always Chuck would invade her thoughts. As she tried on a top or a skirt, she would think about whether Chuck would like it on her. She ate lunch in a Peruvian restaurant and wondered if Chuck liked Peruvian food or if he had even been in this place, or what he would order. By late afternoon, she made her way back to the hotel, and tried to work on some overdue reports, but her head wasn't in the right place, so she found herself back on Facebook, and looking at all of Chuck's pictures and posts. The more she looked and read, the more she felt a need for his company. He was a kind and empathetic man, and perhaps he could help her manage her baggage the same way she had inadvertently helped him with his. She decided to sleep on it and depending on how she felt the next morning, she would determine whether to call him or not. She ordered room service for dinner, and by ten pm was sleeping soundly.
= ! =
The next morning Sarah was awakened by the sound of her telephone. It was Carina, and she wanted Sarah to join her in the restaurant for some coffee. Sarah reluctantly agreed, slipping on a pair of jeans, a loose sweatshirt and sneakers, and headed downstairs where Carina was waiting. The two women were quickly seated, served coffee, and given an explanation about the breakfast buffet before their server left the table.
"Thanks for coming, sis," Carina joked.
"You're welcome, sis," Sarah returned the joke, then turned serious. "What's up, Carina? You are never up this early unless it's a mission, so what's on your mind?"
Carina looked up at her friend and smiled. "Well. It's a couple of things, but the first is that I want to know what happened to you after I dragged the bearded bastard out of the club the other night. Wait….before you answer, full disclosure, Morgan told me that you went and talked with his friend, Chuck, and apparently you made quite an impression. At least that is what Morgan is telling me. Anyway, given that I seem to have lost my mind somehow and will do pretty much anything the bearded troll tells me to, he wanted to know how you felt about his friend. He has promised that he will not say anything to Chuck, but he really loves his friend and if there is some sort of connection between the two of you, he would push Chuck to step up. The problem for Chuck is that you didn't give him your last name or phone number, and he thinks it would be creepy to get your deets through me." Carina leaned back and smiled. "So, any lightning strikes or earthquakes?"
Sarah sat quietly for a moment considering what Carina just put down, and suddenly she had a mixture of fear and happiness. She leaned forward.
"So I made an impression, huh?" Sarah cocked an eyebrow.
"Apparently so. He could not stop telling Morgan about how you helped him lighten his load. Something cryptic about being his personal baggage handler or something like that. Morgan is convinced he really likes you, but does not want to overstep and make you uncomfortable, believing if you had wanted him to be able to reach you, you would have given him you full name and number." Carina paused for a moment to read her friend's expression. "I know you are a spy and all that, but he has no idea, so he may have read the fact that you did not volunteer your full name or number as one might expect….that you are not interested. And given all the bullshit you subjected me to the other day, I thought you should know so you can make an informed decision about how to move forward."
"Thanks, Carina. To be honest, I enjoyed listening to him. He was so open and honest. It was so refreshing. But I was a little caught up in his story, so didn't really focus on where this could go, or should go. But again, to be honest, I can't seem to stop thinking about him. I mean it's completely crazy. Whatever I'm doing, I seem to think about what he would think or say. This is new territory for me. I mean, during the two years I was partnered with Larkin, if I went shopping for something like a dress or lingerie, it never even occurred to me whether he might like it or not. He never once figured into my thoughts or decisions….not once. Yesterday, I was out shopping, and I found myself trying to figure out if a guy I barely know would prefer to see me in the purple teddy or the black one." Sarah slumped a little in her seat huffing out a frustrated breath.
"So what are you going to do about it?" Carina asked.
"I don't know yet, Carina. It's Friday, and I need to report back to DC on Tuesday, and who knows where Graham will send me and for how long. Last night I decided to sleep on it, and depending on how I felt today, I'd figure out if I want to call him or not. He's seems to be a genuinely good man, and notwithstanding my current existential crisis, I don't want to hurt him by connecting then disappearing." A sad smile appeared on Sarah's face.
"But Sarah, isn't this exactly what you have been all wrapped up about? I mean, in your words, if you don't open yourself up to this, how do you know that this isn't the thing that becomes most important to you? That changes your life trajectory?" Carina smiled as Sarah finally nodded in agreement.
"You are right, Carina. I think I will call him and invite him to lunch." Sarah's eyes lit up as again her stomach fluttered and she reached for another Tums.
"Are you ok, Sarah? Stomach bothering you? Carina asked.
"Well, yeah, I guess. Since the other night, my stomach has been feeling unsettled, like butterflies or something, except that I don't get butterflies. I just had my physical, and I'm healthy as a horse, and I know I can't be pregnant, so I figured antacids for an upset stomach."
Carina smiled warmly at her clueless friend. "Go call your baggage buddy or whatever all that means. I think once you get that sorted, your stomach may settle down a little."
"I will. And thanks, Carina. And what about you? You disappeared yesterday…" Sarah winked.
"Yeah, well, I hate you, sis! I mean, really. With all that bullshit you laid on me the other day, and now I need to figure out how this little bearded man has somehow managed to consume me. He's like my frigging my kryptonite, kryptonite that I had no idea even existed. Speaking of which, I need to get back upstairs…." Carina shrugged her shoulders.
"You're kidding….He's still here? I would think you would have killed him by now." Sarah looked incredulous.
"Yeah, about that. He's a friggin machine. The only reason I haven't raised the white flag and surrendered is my personal pride at being the undisputed champion of sexual marathons….He's killing me, but I'm not losing to him. Not gonna happen…I mean I still gotta be me….right? Again, good talk sis." She smiled at Sarah, then with a wink she bounced out of her seat and ran towards the elevators.
'Huh, go figure,' Sarah said to herself as she signed the check and headed out to the lobby make her call.
= ! =
"Good morning, CBMG GameSphere, how may I direct your call?" the pleasant voice of the answering service receptionist sounded.
"Good morning, I'd like to speak with Mr. Bartowski please."
"Of course, ma'am, and who may I say is calling?"
"Sarah. Sarah Walker."
"Just a moment please." A moment later, the receptionist returned. "I'm sorry Ms. Walker, but Mr. Bartowski has his do not disturb light on. If you would like to leave a message along with your number, I'll make sure he gets it."
"Yes, thank you." Sarah then dictated the lunch invitation to the receptionist along with her number and hung up the call. She would need to wait for Chuck to get back to her to confirm, but her damned stomach was acting up again. Perhaps she should lay off the coffee for a while, she thought. She settled into one of the comfortable overstuffed chairs in the lobby lounge area, placing her phone on the coffee table in front of her and staring at it. Time seemed to drag on as she sat immobile, staring at her phone, willing it to ring, while negative thoughts swirled in her mind like a dark twister, 'If he was interested, he would have asked for my number. I even kissed him, and he didn't react. Wait, that's not true, he reacted all right, like his brain had frozen. Maybe he's just in a meeting or something.'
Sarah was snapped back to reality twenty minutes later her phone rang. It was a local number with no caller ID, but it had to be him. Chuck.
"Hello?" Sarah answered the call.
"Sarah? Sarah Walker? The Sarah I met at the Avalon?" Chuck's voice instantly brought a smile to her face and warmed her.
"It is, and I presume this is the one-in-a-million Chuck Bartowski?" Sarah paused waiting for his reaction.
"Oh God! Yes, Sarah. I mean yes, Sarah it's me, Chuck. Wait, I mean, not one-in-a-million, but yes, Chuck. That's me." Sarah giggled knowing that she just sent him for a loop. "Sorry. I'll stop now." Chuck paused for a moment to gather himself while Sarah continued to giggle lightly. "Right. Sarah. Good morning. I'm so glad you called. And with an invitation for lunch no less." She could feel his smile through the phone. "I'd be delighted to join you. Join you for lunch that is. You know, eating food together."
"Yes, Chuck, I know eating food together." She couldn't stifle the laugh that came out of her. "Are you ok, Chuck, you sound nervous. Do I make you nervous?" Sarah was having too much fun pushing his buttons. She suddenly realized that she was flirting. Really flirting. Not with a mark, where the flirt was forced or manufactured. This came out of her naturally and it delighter her. She was feeling a joy she had very seldom felt before. And where the hell did that giggle come from.
"Uhm, would it disappoint you if I said yes?" Chuck answered meekly. "I mean you probably have every man in the free world after you, and I'm kinda wondering why you want to take me out for a picnic on our beach. I mean the beach. It's not our beach. Obviously. I mean we don't own the beach or anything, so, yeah….I'm going to stop talking again, Sarah."
"Chuck, would you take a deep breath and relax please." Sarah softened her voice to help calm him down before continuing. "I wanted to take you out for lunch so we could talk a little more. I really enjoyed listening to your story, and it really warmed my heart that you were so open with me. And, I loved that it made you feel so much better to get those things off your chest. And, well, as I mentioned to you the other night, I have a lot on my mind right now. I was thinking that perhaps if you were willing to listen to me a little it might help me as well. You know we could help manage each other's emotional baggage." Sarah paused, hoping her invitation didn't sound too platonic, or too much like it was solely a therapy session.
"Sarah, I would love that. I would love to know more about you, and nothing would make me happier if I could contribute in some way to giving you the feeling of lightness you gave me. And if I may, I also want to apologize for not being more aware that evening. I talked and talked as you listened patiently, never giving you an opportunity to lighten your load. I'm embarrassed by my self-absorbed behavior, Sarah, and promise to be all ears. Now what can I bring."
"Thanks, Chuck. I really appreciate that. I'm really looking forward to seeing you. As for the picnic, I'll take care of everything….do you have any food allergies or things you don't like to eat?" Sarah asked.
"Nope, no allergies, and I'll eat pretty much everything." Chuck replied.
"Great. Oh, one thing maybe. Can you bring a blanket? I'm sure the Fairmont wouldn't appreciate me taking one of their down comforters to the beach."
"Blanket…Got it. Anything else, like maybe glasses or a bottle opener?"
"Nope. I'll see you at noon at our beach, Chuck."
"Sarah…?"
"Yeah, Chuck?"
"Thank you, Sarah." Chuck hung up the phone and did a happy dance in his office, which thankfully, Morgan was not there to see. A few miles away, Sarah also did a happy dance, then wondered where the hell the impulse to do a happy dance in the entrance lobby of the Fairmont hotel came from. She suddenly wished she had her mother to talk to, but that ship sailed years and years ago. The thought of her mother sobered her up momentarily, and she walked over to the concierge desk to make arrangements for a suitable picnic lunch to be prepared. Sarah then ran upstairs where she started uncharacteristically fretting over what to wear….wardrobe paralysis. Yet another unexplained phenomenon for her to consider along with the upset stomach, the giggling, and her happy dance.
So, Sarah and Chuck are heading for a picnic on the beach. Is it a date? Is it a counselling session? Does Sarah even understand what she really wants once she meets Chuck? Please take a moment to let me know what you think...I value your feedback!
