Chapter 3 - "You're in love with your father"
Lauren took her Nicole Miller gown out of the garment bag and then hug it on the door as she began to take the curlers off her peroxide blonde hair. Julian was on the bed rolling up his black trouser socks up his calves. He couldn't help feeling utterly disrespected from Lauren's comments but he admitted that he was use to apologizing for her and what she said to Sydney was one of her less intimidating remarks. It was peculiar how similar the two women were, both went to private and boarding schools, both of their fathers' occupations were in government, and both were highly intelligent. However, it was obvious that Sydney outshine Lauren in manners and grace. Lauren was ungrateful and inconsiderate, and what Sark concluded was because she had never lost a single thing. Sydney had lost her mother and the love and attention of her father, more than some people can handle.
Lauren fixed her hair and took her gown off the hanger. She slipped it over her head and tugged the chiffon over her hips. She walked into the room and asked him to zipper the back.
"What happened to the red one?" Sark mused. He remembered her earlier that afternoon remark about the gown he adored. He didn't so much adore it for the style but for the color.
"You really expected me to wear the one you fancied?"
Sark fists tightened, why did she have to be so difficult?
Lauren walked away from him after he zippered her back and went to the nightstand where the velvet box sat. Lauren picked it up and opened it, she took the large diamond ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger.
"Did you pick the ring?" Lauren asked as she stared at it. She held it out in the sunlight that was escaping through the windows, moving it back and forth, causing little rays of white light rain down her black dress.
"No, Irina did."
Lauren scoffed. "Can't be a real diamond then, though it is beautiful work."
Sark raised an eyebrow. "It's a bug, no one will be suspicious of it because you'll be expected to wear it all the time."
"Is that why we're getting married? So I can wear a bug?" Lauren almost whispered as she returned to the bathroom to apply her usual black eyeliner and mascara.
"We're getting married," Sark said, placing an emphasis on the word married "because you and I are suppose to be the perfect high ranking couple." Sark followed Lauren into the bathroom as he began to button his cuffs to his sleeve.
"But, darling," Lauren purred full with deception. "Our relationship can't be based on what others, after all I want a beautiful ranch with a little boy that looks just like you."
Sark shuttered. "Irina would have you off the mission if that would ever happen."
Lauren raised an eyebrow and turned around with a smile. "So if I got knocked up I would go home?"
Sark stepped in, filling the space between them and looked down, his breath on her face and his eyes searching hers. She looked up, almost giving in to his lust, her breath becoming a short as his and her heart beating faster as each warm breath blew on her face. Sark opened his mouth and Lauren expected him to whisper some wonderful beautiful comment as he use to when they began to work together, but what came out of his mouth almost sent Lauren into a tantrum. "I would love to have a son with blue eyes but I wouldn't have a child with you if Irina ordered me to."
Sark gave her a quick wink and smirk then left the bathroom. Lauren, in a fit, followed him out with only one eye done.
"Knowing you, you would have a child with Irina instead. Your obsessed with that woman. Why?"
Sark took his blazer off his chair and sung it around his arms as he put it on.
"Because she doesn't cry if she's put on a waiting list for a Hermes bag."
"No, she just steals one." Lauren snapped.
Sark ignored her. "Are you ready?"
"Give me a few more minutes."
Sydney and Francie entered the ballroom later that night. Francie was full of awe and delight. She always worked at one of these affairs but she was always wearing a suit and either serving the dishes or pouring another glass of champagne or wine. This time, she was the guest. So when the first waiter that came pass them, Francie took a glass of champagne right off his tray. Sydney smiled in encouragement and looked around for her colleagues. Suddenly at the corner of the room, Melissa raised on her toes and waved towards Sydney. She gave a small wave and escorted Francie who was still caught up in the grander of the ballroom.
Sydney had to admit the beauty of her surroundings. The light was subtle and warm, almost as if they were in a glass of amber champagne themselves. There was music from a live string quartet and the soft background of conversation and whispers that echoed through the room. It was something beautiful and romantic, only if Sydney had someone to share it with than her former college roommate.
"Sydney!" Melissa smiled.
"Hi guys." Sydney looked at the other secretaries that were also in her advance placement program and then back at Francie. "Francie, this is Melissa," Melissa was a warm young girl with flaming red hair and a youthful disposition. Francie took Melissa's hand and shook it. "This is Eliza." Eliza was one of the youngest in the program and the most social, being apart of a sorority and social committee at UCLA. "This is Meredith and Shawna." Francie shook both of their hands as well. "Guys, this is Francie, my roommate."
"Not to mention her best friend since sixth grade." The girls laughed and they began to pick off of the entree tray that the waiter's carried around.
"So, has any of you danced yet?" Sydney asked.
"Ah, not yet. I'm waiting on my boyfriend. He's at the bar..." All the women turned and saw a group of men together at the open bar in the back of the room exchange what Sydney could only guess was dirty jokes. "He's found his home."
Another burst of laughter from the bar caused the girls to giggle with humor. "Well, that's guys for you." Francie said.
As the girls laughed politely at Francie's comment, Sydney scanned the room for Sark. There was nothing she was expecting more than having Sark's hand on Lauren's but she still knew she wouldn't like it. Now it was final though, she would never be with him and she had to start accepting that. How could she when she's begun to accomplish so much. Her career was fantastic but her personal life was severally lacking. She hadn't slept with a man in almost two years. It was almost depressing that she was so successful yet so alone.
Sydney finally found him and she almost melted at the sight of him. He was there, his lips moving with every word he said and then he moved his body to allow Lauren to accompany the space. She saw him cling onto his shoulder as she smiled with joy and showed the onlooker her large engagement ring.
"Maybe not..." Melissa drawled as the girls saw Sydney watch Sark.
"He's out of your league. He only likes those London socialites and debutantes." Eliza told her.
"Sydney was a debutant." Francie defended.
"Yeah, but you know what I mean. He likes those kind of girls."
"Like what? Snakes like her." Melissa truthfully said. "I would kill her myself if I could if it would give Sydney a chance."
"Then go ahead. Kill her, get it out of the way so Sydney can marry him."
Sark took Lauren by the hand and both of them began to waltz with the string quartet. Sydney sighed as she took the final sips of her champagne. Maybe they were perfect for each other? Sark was not like any of the men she has ever met and Lauren was, well, quite a character herself. Perhaps in a strange and unexpected way they belonged together. Who was she to believe she had a chance for a man like him? It was quite depressing, so as he saw the perfect pair simply guide over the dance floor she motioned for the waiter.
"Another champagne."
"What's so great about him, anyway? He's always out of the country on business, he's cold and unresponsive to most, has the most horrible attitude to people, and he probably spend more money on suits than he does on his housing." Eliza told her.
Francie looked at Sark and then back to Sydney as her jaw dropped. "Oh my god." She whispered with excitement and disbelief.
"What?" Sydney eyes narrowed.
"Oh. My. God."
"What?"
"You're in love with your father?" Francie declared.
"What!" Sydney exclaimed along with her fellow friends simultaneously.
"Yeah, you're in love with your father. Everything she just described is exactly the same description of your father!" Francie told her.
Sydney denied it all. "No. You're insane. You think I would fall for someone like my father."
Francie nodded her head impatiently. "Yes. It's all these daddy issues you have and this is how you're dealing with them. Falling in love with someone like your father."
"She could be right you know," Melissa agreed. "It's all Freudian. Most of us will end up marring someone like our father."
Oh god. Sydney just hit a brick wall when Melissa agreed. Could it be true? Was Julian Lazerey just like her father? Yes, he was out of the country a lot on his meetings and missions, and yes he was quite rude to others but that was because he didn't like to get close to a lot of people but he liked her, and yes he did have more suits than casual wear--
Oh god, I am in love with my father.
Francie started to roll into hysterical laughter as Sydney's mouth dropped and stood there in thought and half denial.
"Nah..."
No one expected him to be there, but he came anyway. He moved towards the door and ignored the valet with a cold glare as he asked for his keys. He deposited them in his hands and went into the building. He despised these little parties SD cells arranged, trying to act as if they were CIA dinner parties that he used to look forward ever so often when he was younger. This time the guest were the rich and the powerful full of corruption and greed. When he was young he was idealistic and the most left-winged student at his college and now he still kept to his liberal ideals. Things have changed, how did they changed.
He found Sloane in the corner of the ballroom with his loving wife never leaving his side. He adored Emily, but hardly showed it in an affectionate way, but he listened to every word she said and when Emily would teasingly or affectionately put a hand on Jack he would deny her, no give her any cold glare he usually gave to others.
That I give to Sydney sometimes, he thought.
Emily was good to Sydney, as was Sloane but he rather not admit it after he recruited her.
He approached them and he expect Sloane to smile at his old friend and Emily to hug him. Well, Emily did. Her mouth grew wide into a grin as came towards him and gave him a tight squeeze. But Sloane began to walk on eggshells.
"Jack! How are you? I haven't seen you in the longest time." Emily declared.
"I'm quite well."
"Great!"
Sloane looked quite worried when he said, "Jack, I wasn't expecting you to even come."
"Yes, well I don't intend to stay long." Jack admitted.
"That's quite unfortunate, you'll have to have dinner with us soon."
Jack nodded with a gentle smile and Sloane took him by the arm. "Jack, may I have a word."
He agreed as they both moved out of Emily's sight. "I wasn't expecting you to come Jack."
"You said that before, Arvin." Jack noticed some nervous tone in his voice as he spoke.
"Well, this is quite the awkward situation Jack. See, I invited Sydney as well as the other trainees in advance placement." Sloane confessed as he motioned to the other side of the room..
Jack eyes shot from Arvin pass the waltzing partners and onto his daughter, Sydney. She stood with her childhood friend, Francie Calfo and the other secretaries on the seventh floor. His eyes widened on how mature she looked in the soft glow of the chandeliers. When he saw her in New York she sat there with childish outburst and goofy smiles and then he saw her, dressed to perfection, acting as if she was the socialite of the night.
She was embodying her mother at that exact point. The dress she had on was one he remembered so well as he hands clung to it most of the night when him and Laura went to their first banquet together. How Sydney managed to find that dress in the collection of boxes was unknown to him but there is was, fitting perfectly on her as she smiled and flirted among the crowd. Her mother was a great socialize, always having everyone in the palm of her hand as she spoke and Sydney was exactly the same. Everyone was hanging at the end of every word she spoke.
"I thought advance placement trainees were not invited to social events along with other trainees."
"Well, under the circumstances, Jack, I decided not to do that this year. Sydney works very hard Jack, she's an extraordinary woman."
Laura's an extraordinary woman, Jack. You must be very lucky. The words from the past echoed in his head still.
"Young woman, Arvin." Jack corrected.
Sloane stood up straight. "Yes, Jack. Young woman. But she certainly does not act like it. Look at her, she'll be a great agent one day."
Jack started to get shifty with Sloane's comments. Jack took them as to be inappropriate, however with Sloane, they were what a doting father would have said. And each correction he made, Jack was only feeding Sloane's obsession with Sydney.
"I plan at the end of the month to send Sydney on an assisted mission and give her the possibility of moving up the latter if she shows her skill, which I doubt won't happen." Sloane paused as he raised his eyebrow. "She's loyal enough, Jack, for you to tell her the truth. If, that is, you want to."
"Sydney doesn't care much for her father, Arvin." Jack told him in third person as if Jack Bristow was a separate entity. "But last thing she needs to know is the betrayal of her father."
Or finding out her whole life was based on a lie. Sydney thought.
"I leave. Tell Emily that I'll see her later."
Jack left abruptly as Sloane returned to Emily.
Emily put her arm around her husbands and smiled when he came back over. Sloane told her about Jack abrupt departure and wasn't so surprised or disappointed, Jack had a tendency to be such a character. She missed the old days terribly, when her friends would come over and they would have warm and fun discussions. Her and Laura would spend their time in the kitchen preparing the meal as their husbands would talk business and then they would clean up afterward and the men would have drinks and talk even more business. She missed braiding Sydney's hair when she was just a little toddler and watching Laura chase her around the front yard, wishing it was her.
She could understand why Jack wasn't the same after Laura's death, and still was affected to this day.
She assumed Jack would become his old friendly self again after his death, even if he was somewhat distancing even before Laura's death, but Sloane advised her not to think that way, as if he knew more than she did. And perhaps he did.
"Emily, I'll have to ask you not to speak about Jack presence tonight to Sydney. It would upset her to know that her father was here and didn't visit her." Sloane sympathetically asked.
"Oh, yes, of course." Emily understood, causing her husband to smile. "Where is Sydney, anyway. I would like to see her, Arvin."
Sloane obeyed as he asked on of his associates to bring Sydney over. Sydney came right over without any assistance, bring her friend Francie over as well.
"Mr. Sloane." Sydney greeted. Sydney shook Sloane's hand promptly and then moved towards Emily, who extended her hand but as they were shaking hands leaned in to give Sydney a kiss on her cheek.
"Sydney, this is my wife Emily." Sloane introduced.
"Hi, nice to meet you." Sydney smiled. "Mr. Sloane, Emily, this is Francie Calfo."
Francie greeted them with a handshake and a smile. "Francie is in Business School." Sydney bragged about her.
"Really?" Emily exclaimed. "What kind of business would you like to go into?"
"I would like to own my own restaurant." Francie said proudly.
Emily smile widened. "That's fantastic!"
"Emily is a culinary genius herself." Sloane smiled.
"Arvin!" Emily protested in embarrassment. "I just like preparing a nice meal once and a while."
"Francie's the best. I mean she could make the greatest casserole out of hot pockets and instant ramen noodles using our hot-pan!" Sydney exclaimed remembering the days in the UCLA dorm room and having nothing but instant food lying around to eat. Francie was a genius, anything she made could have been out of a restaurant. Emily and Sloane looked skeptical and somewhat disturbed from Sydney's outburst.
"Well, we had limited resources in college." Francie explained. "A mini fridge wouldn't fit into our dorm room so most of our food was either from the cafeteria or dry ingredients that we could make with a microwave from a dorm room next to us or the hot-pan we owned. So I used a more creative approach to help change it up once and a while."
"She once made pasta sauce out of peanut butter cups." Francie looked down at her feet in embarrassment as Emily gave a small chuckle. "It was gross, but creative!" Sydney raved.
"Well, not to mention four sheets to the wind." Francie added.
Emily began to laugh with girls out of a memory that could have been from her own past. Emily went to college and had a similar experience. At a last minute she put together a dinner for her and her then sweetheart only using a variety of connivence items and a Bird's Eye television dinner. Things boiled over and the television dinner burnt in the oven. She couldn't quite remember it all but he refused to see her after the horrible dinner. She began to take cooking lessons after that horrific experience.
"Well, Sydney is a fantastic cook herself." Francie told Emily.
"Sydney is this true?" Emily said surprise.
"Oh no, not as good or creative as Francie." Sydney said with humility. "Just the basics."
"God no. Sydney does the best ethnic food! Sometimes she'll come home in just a tail spin and start to cook something from a country I've never heard of. You should try her borsch, I thought it was going to be very bland but it was the best thing I've ever tasted."
Sloane looked at Sydney with a raised eyebrow. "You like to cook Russian food?"
"Yeah. Mexican and Chinese too. But Russian is just a niche I have. I just hate it when the beets dye my hands though. Takes days to get them to stop looking magenta." Sydney confessed.
Sloane found that too interesting to pass up. "You must come and teach Emily some time about Ethnic cuisine."
Emily face light up at the thought of her little Sydney cooking besides her as her mother once did. "Oh, Sydney you must. I would love it."
"Well, I'm sure you're husband can help you contact me anytime. My hours are pretty predictable."
"Most of the time," Francie added.
"I'll do that." Emily told her as she held tighter against her husband's arm. "I look forward to it."
The silence after Emily's remark was broken when Sloane motioned over Sydney's shoulder. Sydney turned around and saw her boss, Mr. Julian Lazerey just lurking behind her.
How long has he been there?
He joined the group as Sloane waved his hand to come over. He stood away from Sydney, opposite Francie, so he could observe his secretary from a better view. There she stood, wearing the most fantastic grecian silk gown he had ever seen and she did much justice wearing it, better than Lauren did wearing her plain Nicole Miller dress. But what made her stand out among ever woman in the room, and perhaps even more than Lauren, that the gorgeous and outstanding color of her gown. Red. Bright Red. The color reminded beautifully of blood on white pure driven snow. She seemed so innocent and that night she stood there, a deadly seductress. But when Sark, letting his eyes run up and down her nice figure ended at her eyes, there it was, the innocence he just described. It was right there in her eyes.
"Hello, Julian. I'm sure you remember Emily." Sloane reminded as Emily took Sark's hand and shook it.
"Of course." Sark said. "And Miss Bristow."
Sydney nodded and began to continue to stare at him, lost in her own sense of reality. He motioned toward Sydney's left, "You're friend, I presume?"
Oh, damn. "Oh, yes! Sorry!" Sydney apologized nervously. "This Francie, my roommate."
Francie couldn't wait to shake his hand. When he did, she turned back to Sydney and gave her such an agreeing stare. "Excuse me, I'm going to the little girls' room."
As Francie left, Sydney couldn't help to smile affectionately at her boss. She simply adored him and it was very obvious to many, especially Emily. She watched her eyes light up when he came over and ever since then she hadn't allowed her eyes to leave him. It was quite endearing in Emily's eyes.
"Sydney works for Julian." Sloane told Emily.
Sydney eyes broke from him and smiled at Emily. "I'm his honest and dedicated secretary." Sydney joked.
"Well, she does a lot for me." Julian agreed.
"I do what any secretary would do. He isn't that bad at all, I can handle it."
"Usually the bank hires their international representatives from the clerks that work downstairs for a certain amount of years, however because Sydney is so bright and such a hard worker, she was placed in a special program for clerks. I couldn't allow Sydney with such the great amount of skill when it comes to international relations sit as a clerk for three years. So what the program does it take those skilled individuals and shadows another international representative. Julian Sark is one of our higher uppers."
"So Sydney, are you learning much from him?"
Sydney didn't want to say that she learned out to get things done quicker in the computer system or how to rush thing through the mail room easier. So she lied. "Yes, I'm learning a lot, more than I've if I was still working as a window clerk."
"And that's why you must like ethnic cuisine, spending all the time dealing with different countries." Emily concluded.
Sloane was silent. "We find that it's easier to earn respect and a higher clientele if our representatives can speak their language or have a higher knowledge of their culture." Sark said.
"I can see. And you teach Sydney that yourself?" Emily asked.
"A few months ago I got her cooking lessons with a Russian chef. I'm sure she learned some practicalities with Russian cuisine." Sark told Emily.
"Oh, that must why Francie says your so talented with Russian food."
"It was one of the most creative and nicest gifts I was given for my birthday." Sydney confessed.
"That's quite nice." Emily admired. She looked at the two pairs and had quite the idea. "Have you two danced at all?"
"Yes." "No."
"I see." Emily said. "Why won't Julian dance the next dance with you?"
"Oh no, Emily, I don't believe that's a good idea." "I can't dance." "I would love to Miss Bristow."
Sark offered his hand and Sydney stood there in limbo. "I'll help you, don't worry."
With hesitation, Sydney took it.
Sark lead Sydney out in the myriad of people and found a nice corner for themselves. Sydney put her arms up as she allowed Sark to move close to her and put her arm on hip and then took the other one in the palm of her hand. He squinted his eyes as he watch Sydney move hesitantly with every move he took.
"You really don't know how to dance, do you?"
"Dance, yes. Waltz no." Sydney admitted.
"I thought you were a dancer, though."
"Ballet. Pas de deux. Yes, I do. But I never waltzed before. Not even at my sweet sixteen cotillion." Sydney confessed.
Sark laughed. He couldn't imagined Sydney having a cotillion, in a bright puffy white gown. "You had a cotillion?"
"Everyone at my school had one, it was only right I had one as well." Sydney defended.
"Well, I guess I'm just going to teach you then." He concluded.
"Teach me. Here? Now?" Sydney questioned. "Let's just not."
Sydney turned around to walk away but Sark kept his hand in hers and pulled her back close, pulling her body in more than she was standing before. She looked up in surprised and took a deep breath in as he moved her arm to be around his shoulder and put his hand back on her hip.
"That's much better."
Yes, very good.
"Now, just follow me." Sark told her as they began to simply moved back and forth. "It starts as a simple box step."
Sydney nervously looked down at feet, unfortunately, because they were so close she could only see the tip of her satin mule. She began to hesitate a few steps and began to step on his feet.
"Oh! Sorry." Sydney apologized.
"Don't worry. You can step on my feet. It's going to happen." Sark turned her around and started another box step. "Remember, Sydney. Simple box step. Right foot back, left foot side." Sydney did as he told him to do.
"Good. Now, Right foot close, left foot forward. Brilliant. Now last step. Right foot forward, left foot close. Simple as that."
Sydney kept on playing his instructions over in her mind. It's like ballet, just like ballet, it's dancing. You're dancing with him. Oh god, you're actually waltzing with him!
"See, Sydney. Sloane was right, you are a great learner." Sark commended as they successfully began to waltz in the area where they were standing. Sark ambitiously pushed her into the group of dancers and began to lead her through the circling crowd. He could feel Sydney's palm tighten on his as she nervously began to spin and still think where her feet needed to be. She soon found the rhythm to the music and laugh almost with freedom as the moved among every other dancing couple.
"How did you become such a great dancer?" Sydney wondered.
"I use to live in Vienna during my teenage years. They have a special ball season in late January. I was brought to many of them by my mentor. She had a taste for a good meal and classical dancing once and a while." He told her truthfully.
"Oh," Sydney nodded. She remained silent for a moment and then smiled. "My parents loved to dance." Sydney said. "That's what they were doing the night my mother died. They went out dancing." Sydney's smiled face as that night flashed through her mind.
"I'm quite sorry to hear that." Sark said sympathetic.
"It's okay." Sydney smiled. "I was too young to remember her anyway."
Sark bit his lip. Did she really not remember her? He tried to remember something when he was six, but all he could remember was christmas time. The face of his own mother was only in his mind from pictures and film, nothing from his memory supported her vision.
The song ended and Sydney and Sark stopped short and took a few steps away from each other as they clapped at the end. Suddenly she could feel a cold hand on her shoulder. She turned around she stopped clapping abruptly.
"Sydney! I saw you dancing with my new fiancee!" It was Lauren Reed, or now the soon to be Mrs. Julian Lazerey. Lauren's hand went to play with her blonde locks just to show off the quite large diamond ring envious to any celebrity. "Isn't he the best? I saw you so skittish and mousy and he just got you moving along as if you were a true waltz partner!"
"Well, Sydney is a great dancer, Lauren. She was lead soloist for a local ballet company for a few short years." Sark stood up for Sydney.
"I bet she was. I'm sure you're feet aren't in the most horrible condition from your years as a ballet dancer. I've seen what harsh anomalies it could do to dancers."
Burned again. "No, my feet are fine." Sydney said between her teeth.
Lauren ignored Sydney. "We must invite her to our big day!" She said to Sark, she turned back to Sydney. "We were thinking about having a small wedding in Ireland where Julian use to spend some days there as a boy. Don't you think it's romantic? Of course, if you can afford a plane ticket. I know wasn't paid a thing when I was in advance placement, but my father helped me out when ever I needed it and more!"
Sydney kept on getting more and more lowly as Lauren talked. "I'll manage to attend." Sydney bitterly spoke.
"Great. You don't mind if I steal him away. I think I saw your guest at the bar too. You might have to watch out, you know how people get when there is an open bar." Lauren gave Sydney a quick wink as she almost pulled Sark away from her. Sydney stood there in the worst way, horribly upset and dumbed down by the likes of Lauren Reed.
Not only that but she assumed that her best friend was a drunk.
If anyone has a drinking problem, it's me. Sydney thought.
Sydney went over to Francie and found Francie with a coke and saw her talking to someone else.
"No, hockey's my thing. I never got into baseball or basketball."
Sydney smiled and added, "Plus, people beating each other into walls is pretty neat."
The man turned around she knew who it was, Michael Vaughn.
"Exactly." He puts an arm around her and brings her close to the bar, obviously a little tipsy, and Francie laughing quite a bit. "She gets it! Violence on ice, it's brilliant! Right Sydney?"
"Sure. Though I've never seen it." Sydney confessed.
"Aww! I'll have to take you girls to a game then. You'll love it!" Vaughn promised. "Now, what are you having?"
"Vodka rocks, please." Sydney moaned in stress about Lauren Reed.
"Oh, you're my type of woman!" Vaughn exclaimed. "Vodka rocks for the woman, Johnny!"
Sydney laughed at his positive and friendly attitude. "Why are you so down, my dear?" Vaughn looked around and nodded in agreement. "Yes, this can get you down. You know what, Johnny? Cancel that Vodka rocks." He ordered.
"Sure thing, Mickey." The voice down the bar replied. He took a five out of his wallet and put it on the bar.
"It's a open bar." Francie reminded him.
"No reason not to tip him." Vaughn told her.
"I like you!" Francie exclaimed. "I'm a waitress and I would love it if someone would tip me at one of these snob filled parties."
Vaughn took his arm off of Sydney's shoulder and put his blazer back over his white shirt. "Have you eaten yet?" He asked Sydney.
Sydney raised an eyebrow. "Are you taking me out for some food?"
"Well, I was thinking about hitting a Mcdonalds and liquor store, but if you want to go to a restaurant, I'm cool with that." Vaughn joked.
"Oooo!" Francie mouth opened wide. "I know the perfect place!"
"Sure! You show me the way, m'lady." Vaughn took his arm out and let Francie lead.
"I have to get my coat." Sydney told him. "Right Francie."
"Coat? Yeah...we have to get our coats?" Francie questioned as Sydney nodded. Francie took Sydney lead and they went to the coat check as Vaughn continued to walk out of the building and ask for a valet to order them a taxi.
Sydney pulled her aside with a hard tug. "Sydney isn't he cute? He was starring at you like an adorable puppy!"
"Francie! We're going to go out with him?" Sydney reprimanded him.
"Just for a few drinks. Syd, I'm starving! Why is it so bad. He's going to pick up the bill probably. Look at it like a free dinner." Francie offered.
"No."
"Yes." Francie whispered as Vaughn came back. Sydney shot Francie an horrible stare as Vaughn held his hands out for both of them.
"Are you ready my dears."
Sydney followed Vaughn as others were coming to get their coats. As she allowed the idea of Vaughn taking the two out she couldn't help to be a little awkward with the whole idea. But isn't this what normal people do when they first meet? And he's not a complete stranger anyway. Plus, he is going to get the check. Sydney thought.
As they were leaving the hallway the three crashed into two.
"Sydney?" Sark said surprised.
"Oh, hi."
"Oh, Sydney. I didn't know you came with someone else!" Lauren exclaimed. "I'm Lauren Reed and this is my fiancee Julian Lazerey!"
"I'm Michael Vaughn." He smiled. Francie just gave Lauren the death stare and Lauren eyebrows narrowed on why such a strange was looking rather psychotic.
From the timid disposition Sydney shown, Vaughn, as any man would do or perhaps sensed, put a hand over Sydney's shoulder and brought her near him. "We going out for bite to eat, we're going out for Italian, dear Sydney's favorite." He said confidently.
Sark looked up and down Vaughn with anger and suspicion. "Sydney's favorite is Russian. She loves the Russian Tea Room." He said firmly.
Vaughn laughed unbelievably, then something light up inside of Sydney. She leaned into Vaughn and put a hand over Vaughn's chest. "Well, it's his favorite. He's from France you know."
Sark eyes widened in disbelief. He had no idea Sydney was with a man, not even if he was a fellow agent. "Well, our taxi is waiting. See you around."
They both left the building and Sydney couldn't help but feel excited, high, thrilled, or even intoxicated with justice for all the things Lauren has ever said and just the look on his face. Jealousy. Yes, Jealousy was in his eyes. Anger too. And that's what Sydney wanted. Oh, that's what she always wanted. They all got into the taxi and Francie and Sydney began to laugh like they were school girls again.
"Oh my god, you were so great!"
"Did you see the look on his face!"
"You are such a great actress, Syd!"
"Yeah, yeah, I got talent, I deserve an oscar! Oh, Vaughn, that was simply brilliant!" Sydney applauded.
"Hey, no problem." Vaughn looked at the laughing pair and then questioned, "How did you know I was French?"
"Sloane didn't hire me for nothing." Sydney justified.
Vaughn smiled. "How many drinks are you girls preparing to have."
"I don't know, like twenty." Francie giggled, already slightly intoxicated from the champagne.
"Just a few." Sydney said.
"A few? No, you're going home completely wasted." Vaughn told her.
"Maybe three." Sydney told him.
"No." Vaughn demanded. "I'm picking up the bill. This is your time to totally get a man broke and your only going for three?"
"I'm going for twenty!" Francie said ambitiously.
"See, she's going for twenty, you can't let your friend out do you!"
"Okay, buy me the bottle."
"There we go! Driver, take us to the best restaurant and bar in town!"
Sydney was prepared to get wasted. Completely wasted if it was necessary to forget the likes of Julian Lazerey and his beloved fiancee Lauren Reed.
Let Vodka take away her sins and burn them all.
