A/N:Welcome to Chapter ...whatever chapter we're on now. Oh, 10. That's right. Welcome to Chapter 10. Drinks are being served on the Lido deck.
Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck. Not to say that you shouldn't own Chuck, if presented with the opportunity. No. I, myself, do not own Chuck. That's all I'm saying.
Chapter 10
"Hey Mark. Shouldn't you be-"
"Wh… Not coming?! What do you MEAN not coming?"
"With who?! Wait, wait, wait. Exactly how long have you known about this?"
"A few….a few weeks?! Are you freaking kidding me right now?"
"No. No...look, I don't give a shit what feelings you two have for each other. The fact of the matter is that you asked me to go and now you are bailing on me at LITERALLY the last minute. What sort of asshole does that?"
"You're SORRY?! You're...I can't … I can't even believe this is happening right now. I….so what am I supposed to do now, huh, Mark? The dress, the shoes, the...the hair and nails…. all for nothing?…...You know what? Just…. Thanks for absolutely nothing. ASSHOLE!" Sarah yelled as she hung up the phone.
Sarah dropped down on her bed and burst into tears, partly from anger and frustration and partly for the disappointment. She had felt really good when she looked in the mirror, like tonight was going to be fun. Wasn't prom supposed to be a fun, glamorous evening?
A knock on her bedroom door was followed by her mother's soothing voice, "Sarah Sweetie? Can I come in?" as she painstakingly opened the door and peered in. Sarah was laying face down on the bed, crying into her pillow. Her mother sat next to her on the bed, hugged her shoulders and pressed her cheek against Sarah's head, "Oh Sweetie, I'm sorry." she cooed in a soothing tone, attempting to comfort her daughter. She was heartbroken for her daughter. She knew that she was only going with this guy as a friend; just a means of getting to go to the prom. Now the prospects of this magical night were ruined. "Baby, how about I go make you something to eat? Hmmm?" her mother asked.
"Mo phank yu" she replied with her face still in her pillow. Sarah turned her head to the side and spoke, "You know I don't really care that he is going with Rachel Swenson. Good for them, but he knew for weeks and was too chicken shit to say anything. So instead he tells me at the last damn minute, so I have no hope of going now." She let out an exasperated sigh. Sarah pulled herself up to sitting and then stood, smoothing her dress and carefully wiping the tears from her eyes and cheeks. "On second thought, I think there is some ice cream in the freezer calling my name," as she made her way down the stairs. Just as she reached the bottom she heard a knock at the door. Sarah started toward the door calling over her shoulder, "Mom, did you order pizza or something?" She opened the door and began to address the delivery driver when she stopped dead in her tracks. Before her was a tall, dark, and very handsome young man in a fitted black tuxedo carrying a corsage in what looked like a glass box shaped like a woman's high heeled shoe.
"Hello Sarah. Wow. You look….breathtaking. I'm uh...sorry if I'm a little late," he said sheepishly. "Traffic, he shrugged.
Sarah was standing in wide-eyed astonishment, unable to speak.
"Who is it honey?" Emma inquired as she reached the bottom of the stairs and stopping in her tracks as well and gasped.
"Chuck..", Sarah managed to get out barely over a whisper. "Wh….what are you...how….how are you here?" she choked out as tears began to fill her eyes.
He cleared his throat and began, "Well, I was in the neighborhood, testing the fit for a glass slipper and I think I finally found the right house," holding the corsage box up, an apprehensive smile stretched across his face.
Sarah covered her mouth with her hand and let out a choked sob before lunging forward and wrapping her arms around Chuck's neck and pulling him into a powerful embrace. She sniffed and sobbed gently for a moment before whispering, "Thank you, Chuck. You're truly amazing. What did I ever do to deserve you?"
Chuck, a little choked up himself, stammered a little, "I...I dunno. It must have been pretty bad though. It's OK. We'll work through it though," he added with a small chuckle.
Sarah pulled away and lightly smacked Chuck on the chest and shook her head, "Come in you goof," as she pulled him into the house and closed the door.
"Evening Ms. Walker. I realize it is a bit short notice, but could I … have your permission to take Sarah to Prom? And perhaps some tame festivities afterward?" he pleaded with Sarah's mother.
Emma was in tears as she gave Chuck a one armed hug in reply, "Yes you may, Chuck. Thank you.", She pulled away wiping the tears from her eyes.
Chuck bent down on one knee and opened the glass case to gently remove the corsage. It was a beautiful white gardenia with accents of baby's breath, "May I?" Chuck asked with a small smile looking up through his lashes at Sarah. She nodded vigorously as he stood and carefully pinned the corsage to her gown.
"OK. I need to get some pictures of you two before you go.", Emma exclaimed scrambling for her camera.
"Oh God! I must look a mess! I need to fix my makeup," Sarah pleaded.
Chuck shook his head as he looked on in adoration, "You look positively radiant, Sarah."
Emma took many pictures of the couple and promised to share them with Chuck's sister. Sarah collected her clutch and Chuck offered his arm to Sarah, "Your chariot awaits, m'lady." He walked her down the sidewalk to the driveway. Sarah stopped short when she saw the car he was taking her toward. It was a brilliant, black Jaguar XJS convertible with the top up (prom hair). Chuck smiled and motioned to the car, " Your pumpkin madame." Chuck escorted her to the passenger side, opened the door and aided her into the car carefully closing the door. He then made his way to the driver side and got in. Moments later, they were on their way.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
It as early afternoon on Saturday and Chuck was at apartment 3B, helping the elderly tenant with pop-up ads on her computer and setting the time on every appliance in the apartment, following a brief power outage a week ago. She had called him for the computer issue, but looking at the "12:00" flashing everywhere was just bothering him. As he was going from device to device, Chuck's phone rang.
"Excuse me Mrs. Milano, I'll just be a quick second," as he made his way to an adjacent room.
"Hello?" Chuck answered, curious as to would would be calling.
"Chuck, it's Carina. We got a big problem!" Chuck could hear she was panicked.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down. Talk to me. What's the matter?" he asked in as soothing a voice as he could muster.
"It...it's Sarah. I just heard from Stacey, that heard from Brigette that is friends with Rachel. Apparently Mark Burgess is dating Rachel Swenson and is going to take her to prom tonight!" she exclaimed.
"Ok….Good for them, right?" Chuck was unsure if there was some math that he didn't understand at play here.
"Chuck! Mark Burgess is supposed to be taking Sarah to prom tonight! She has no idea and I'm afraid she is going to get stood up. I want to call her and warn her, but what do I say? What if I'm wrong? How do I break that to my best friend? I can't go to prom when my best friend is going to be home alone, being dumped like that, Chuck! What do I do?" she was spiraling and the pain in her voice was clear. OH, Shit! That 'Mark Burgess'! Chuck could hear the sorrow in her voice for her friend and the guilt of going without her friend was eating at her.
"Carina. Carina! Calm down. OK? Take a breath. What time is she supposed to get picked up for prom?" Chuck asked in earnest.
"Uh… 5:30 … to go out to dinner beforehand. Why? What does it matter now?" she was in tears.
"5:30. Great...Carina... I have a plan. OK? You trust me?" Chuck inquired.
"Y-Yeah. Yeah. I trust you Chuck but…," she tried to protest but was cut off.
"I'll take care of it. I promise. Alright? I'll take care of all of it. Now, I gotta go. You have fun at the prom and don't worry about it. Talk at ya later." Chuck hung up the phone and ponder as he walked back into the living room where Mrs. Milano sat. He looked up at her and he could see a mischievous smile plastered across the older woman's face.
Mrs. Milano, in her light Italian accent started, "Sounds like someone has a date for prom after all, Yes?" she bounced her eyebrows and chuckled.
"Mrs. Milano, I'm in trouble. I have to get a tux, a ..what?... a corsage? ...try to find a restaurant that is not booked and Oh Yeah! Find a car iiiiiiinnnnnn … just under 3 hours! I am so screwed. Pardon my language," Chuck said sheepishly after his freak out session. The elderly woman laughed at him as if she hadn't a care in the world. She motioned for him to sit in a chair adjacent to her's.
"Charlie, my boy, you have been such a good boy to us. The whole building has watched you grow into such a fine young man. You have helped us all for so many years, I think it is time that we can now help a ju," as the woman held up a hand as if stopping him from getting up. She picked up her telephone on the end table and placed a call. "Joey...Yes, yes, yes. Good to hear you too, now shut up. You going to do something for jor mother. Yes, you are going to get me your best table for 6:15 tonight…" she looked up at Chuck as she continued and nodded. "Like I care jor busy. We all busy. Just get me that table!" she exclaimed in a harsher voice that Chuck had ever heard from the older woman. Then her tone turned back to butter again, "Thank you , my Joey. Now. The table will be for two and the name is Mr. Charles Bartowski….Yes. That's a right. Bartowski and ju will get them whatever they want, ju hear? No buts! They are my personal guests. Capisci?...Grazie! Ju are such a good son to me. Now, go back to work 'Mr. I So Busy'. Addio," she concluded as she hung up the phone. Then she got up and headed to the kitchen and pulled something from a drawer and came back to Chuck.
"Now. Give me jor hand," she commanded holding out her hand clenched, facing down. As he offered his hand out, palm up, a set of car keys dropped into his hand. "There. Now ju have a car to drive to pick up jor lady friend. It is in my marked spot in the garage. You will take her to Cafe Milano where ju have a table waiting for 6:15. You get whatever ju want. My boy, Joey, he own the restaurant and he will take a good care of ju. Alright?" she looked at him expectantly with a raised eyebrow.
Chuck could only stand there completely dumbfounded, hardly understanding what had just happened. "But...but...I can't possibly accept all this. This is… this is too much," as he tried to hand the keys back.
"Charlie, ju will take it or ju will make a me mad. Capisci? You do this kindness for a old woman," she commanded.
"I...I can't thank you enough Mrs. Milano. Thank you! Thank you," bending down hugging the elderly woman.
Patty Chuck on the back, "Ok. Ok. Dats a good boy. Now! Ju go down to 2C and talk with Mr. Casey and Mr. Larkin. Those are good boys. I know they can help you. They really need to get themselves good wives, is what they need to do. Always with the work, work. Now, go, go, go! Have a good time!" she exclaimed as she shooed him out of the apartment.
Chuck was heading down to the 2nd floor talking to himself, "2C? 2C? Oooh yeah. I remember! I recovered all their billing data off their hard drive a few months ago. I don't remember what their business was, but I do recall they are most certainly not looking for wives...whether they work too much or not," he chuckled as he approached the door and knocked. The door opened and a tall, broad-shouldered man with a chiseled chin opened the door and looked Chuck up and down.
"Charles! Oh my gosh! It's so great to see you. Please. Come, come, come," he waved toward himself to usher Chuck into the room. "Larkin, Sweetie! Charles is here!" directing his attention back to Chuck, "Please. Sit, sit, sit. What do we owe the pleasure?" the large man sat down with his legs crossed and his hands on his knee.
"Well, Mr. Casey, it is nice to see you again. I was talking with…" Chuck was interrupted as a shorter, very handsome man entered.
"Charles! It's so great to see you again. John, what did I miss?" he inquired as he sat on the arm of the chair the larger man occupied and placed his arm across the back of the chair.
"It's great to see you too Mr. Larkin. I was just telling Mr. Casey here that I was just up at Mrs. Milano's apartment and she recommended that I stop down and see you," Chuck tried to continue but was interrupted again.
"Oh, she is SUCH a darling women. She makes THE best pasta fagioli I have ever had," Mr. Casey continued.
"Um...right. Right. Well, see I have a little bit of a problem. A very good friend of mine is supposed to go to prom tonight with a friend and apparently this friend is likely going to dump her to go to prom with his new girlfriend instead, but she doesn't know it yet. And… and I can't let her miss out on prom, so ….I uh ...I want to take her instead. But I'm in trouble. I have a car to pick her up in and a restaurant to take her to. I just don't have a tux or a corsage and it is almost literally THE last minute and," Chuck was spiraling and almost hyperventilating.
The two men jumped up, clapped their hands together and exclaimed in unison, "We have a mission!" Chuck was frozen for a second in confusion, looking between the two men. "Charles, you leave it to us. Bryce, sweetie, get the car keys. We need to take Charles here down to my shop. I'll make a few calls along the way to get things started. Come on!" as the two men pushed and pulled Chuck out the door and to the parking garage. On the car ride, Chuck filled them in on more details and a little history of he and Sarah's friendship. The two men repeatedly uttered in unison "Awwww," throughout the story. They finally arrived at "Casey's Bridal and Gifts" where they ushered him in the back door.
"OK. So you're tall like me, but more of a thin, model physique. What do you think Bryce? Armani? Slim?" Casey asked holding his chin in thought.
"Oh, absolutely Armani!" Bryce exclaimed. "You go dig in the back and see what you can find and I'll take Charles to the floral area to find a suitable corsage," Bryce replied as he drug Chuck toward the floral area of the shop. Bryce went into the cooler to look at flowers and Chuck wandered through the gifts. He came across what looked like a women's dress shoe made of glass and upon further inspection he saw that it opened, as if you could put things in it. Then an idea struck him, grabbing the glass shoe and taking it to the counter. Bryce had just come out of the cooler and saw Chuck standing there with the glass shoe and the man's eyes grew big as saucers.
"Genius! Charles, you are a genius. OK. Do you know what color dress the young lady is wearing? And does she have a favorite flower?" Bryce inquired.
"Um..I heard her mention gardenias once, but I don't know what they look like. One sec and I will see if I can find out the color of the dress," Chuck said as he was typing a text message on his phone. A moment later a text came in from Carina and Chuck continued, "Crimson. It's crimson red. Does that help?" Chuck inquired.
"Perfect! He has white gardenias in here. That will go perfectly. Now...add some baby's breath….and Voilà! Instant corsage to woo any young maiden," Bryce presented the floral creation with a flourish. "Now, let's hope it fits." Bryce lifted the top from the glass shoe and gently placed the corsage inside and returned the lid. "Oh. My. Gosh. This is so magical. Ugghh, I am so jealous right now. She better be one special lady, Charles," Bryce chided.
"Oh, believe me. She is…" he trailed off with a smile creeping across his face.
"OK, lover boy, let's see about getting you that tux. Time's a wastin'. Plus we still need to do something about...This," as Bryce motioned to Chuck's head and face. They proceeded to the fitting area where John had several tuxedos pulled out for him to try on. As they made their way through them, Chuck came out to model each until finally both men gasped.
"That's it!" Both men jumped up and started fidgeting with seams and pulling here and there. John retrieved some pins from a pin cushion on his wrist and started placing them in strategic places."OK. Take that off and let me go make some alterations. Bryce, please go do something about….That," as John motioned in the same way Bryce had before. Bryce grabbed Chuck by the arm and drug him out to the car and they drove a few blocks to "Intersect Salon and Day Spa". They walked in and everyone greeted Mr. Larkin as he made his way to an empty chair toward the back of the salon area.
"OK, Charles. Sit. We're going to make you fabulous!" Bryce exclaimed. For the next thirty minutes, Bryce cut and styled Chuck's hair, tweezed and shaved, until finally he whirled him around. "Tada! What do you think?" Bryce inquired with a million watt smile as he admired his handy work.
"Uh...WOW. I don't ...I don't know what to say," Chuck replied in shock. He looked really different with the sides and back short and the top combed back. The random curls of yesterday were gone. He kinda liked it. It made him feel confident, like a new man.
"Well, I say you look quite suave and debonair. Now, tick tock! We gotta get moving," as Bryce motioned to some of his staff to clean up, he and Chuck rushed out of the salon and made their way back to meet John. Once inside the shop, John motioned him into a fitting room where the tuxedo and all of the accessories were waiting.
"Get dressed, and if you have any trouble, just hollar," John cheered as he was giddy with excitement. After about five minutes Chuck walked out and stood in front of the two men, waiting for the verdict. They looked him up and down and turned to one and other and let out a long whistle.
John snapped his fingers, "Shakin', not stirred!" as both of the older men chuckled. "Alright. You, young man, are going to be late for the ball if we don't get a move on. And one last thing, that outfit you have on is worth about $4,000, so make sure you bring it back to me by Monday," John gave him a faux serious look and patted him on the shoulder. The men drove back to the apartment building, where Chuck thanked them profusely and took his things to his apartment.
"El?" Chuck hollered as he entered the apartment and took his street clothes to his room. "El, you here?" He placed some clean clothes in a bag with his black Chucks and headed back to the living room.
"I'm right here, what do you w-whoa, shit!" she exclaimed with wide-eyed astonishment. "Oh my God, Chuck! You look...holy crap...you look amazing!" Ellie gushed as she hugged him and then felt his tux. "What is all of this?" she gestured up and down, feeling his lack of hair. Chuck retold the whole story up until this point and Ellie began to jump up and down, squealing with excitement. "Chuck, that is so amazing! I am so excited for you. OK. Now, go brush your teeth, put on some deodorant and put some Kleenex in your pockets. When you get nervous and your hands get sweaty, you can use the tissues to dry them before you hold her hand," she dug in her purse and gave him a box of TicTacs, "Here put these in your pocket. Italian food equals garlic….'nough said. Now let me grab the camera, I need some pictures. Promise me you will get some pictures from her Mom, please?" Ellie grabbed the camera and after Chuck was ready she took pictures of him and of the glass 'slipper'. "You are one in a million Charles Bartowski. One in a million," as she pulled him into a bear hug and then kissed his cheek, a small tear trailing down her cheek. "I'm so proud of you. Now, GO! You're gonna be late. I'll see you tomorrow," Ellie winked with a wry smile. Just as Chuck was leaving the door Ellie called out, "Don't forget to check your left jacket pocket, baby brother," just as the door closed behind him. Walking down the hall he put his hand in his left jacket pocket and pulled out two foil wrapped discs. He groaned, rolled his eyes and shook his head. He knew that she was just watching out for him and obviously being prepared was a good idea, but that was not on his agenda for tonight. He tucked them away in his wallet as he could imagine a dozen scenarios where they would fall out of his jacket at in inopportune moment. He made it to the parking garage and found Mrs. Milano's spot and parked in it was an immaculate, black Jaguar XJS convertible. It was so pretty he as almost afraid to drive it...almost.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Chuck pulled up to the front of Cafe Milano, where a valet was waiting. Chuck left the keys in the car and walked around to Sarah's door and opened it for her, offering her his hand. When she exited the car, she looked like she was ready for the Red Carpet. Her golden, blonde hair flowing in the breeze in stark contrast to the sinfully red dress were all put to shame by the brilliant, sapphire eyes that gleamed when she smiled up at him. He was definitely the luckiest guy alive. He was pulled from his reverie by the voice of a man behind him.
"Good evening Mr. Bartowski. We've been expecting you. Right this way please," the older man gestured toward the door. Chuck offered his arm to Sarah and followed the man inside. Once inside the rather expensive looking restaurant, the hostess came to greet them.
"Mr. Bartowski, we are so pleased that you could join us this evening. We have your table waiting for you, if you'll please follow me." The young woman guided them through the dining room of the restaurant as if they were on parade and Chuck was eating it up. He had the most beautiful woman on his arm and was proud to show her off (even if it was a little misogynistic). Everyone's eyes were on the couple as they walked to their table, which appeared to be a reserved table set off in an alcove. Chuck pulled the chair out for Sarah to sit and then the hostess assisted him with his. "Your waiter will be with you momentarily, Mr. Bartowski. Please enjoy your evening," the hostess nodded and left.
"Ok. Who are you and what have you done with Chuck?" Sarah inquired in a hushed tone leaning toward him. "As if showing up at my house looking like James Bond and picking me up in the beautiful car weren't enough. Chuck, how can you afford this place? This place looks really, really expensive. And how do they know who you are?" she was clearly dumbfounded.
"Let's just say I know some people," with a small shrug and a wry smile on his face. "Did I tell you how exquisite you look this evening?" he asked with as much smolder as he could muster.
Sarah pursed her lips and shook her head, "Only about 5 times already, " she replied with a sheepish smile and a little more color in her cheeks, "but I like hearing it." At that moment the waiter appeared and cleared his throat to announce his presence.
"Good evening Mr. Bartowski. Might I say you both look lovely this evening. What may I bring you to drink this evening?" the waiter inquired.
"I'll just have water please, with lemon," Sarah offered.
"I'll have the same. Thank you." Chuck replied.
"Excellent. If I may, you will not need menus this evening. The owner has a special meal planned just for you. He will be by momentarily to speak with you. I'll be right back with your drinks." With that the waiter left.
"The owner? The owner of the restaurant planned a meal for us? Are you kidding me Chuck?" she chuckled in disbelief. "You never cease to amaze me," Sarah confessed as she looked at him with admiration. "Can I ask you something?" Sarah inquired. Chuck nodded in the affirmative so she continued, "How? How did you know?...and maybe more importantly how did you do all of this?" motioning to Chuck and the restaurant.
"Well…..you can blame Carina. Well, hold on. I take that back. Blame that jackass Mark, THEN you can blame Carina. She got word through the grapevine that something like that may happen. She was really upset and she called me for advice on how to handle the situation, not knowing if it was all true or not. So I told her that I would take care of it and to not worry. I banked on Mark being a jackass, so I had about three hours to pull together a magical evening for the most amazing person I know," he smiled wryly. "That's you by the way, in case you missed it. And let me just say, I'm glad that Mark was such an idiot. Otherwise I would never be...here...with you." Chuck's ears were getting a little warm so he needed to change the subject quickly. "Besides. If he had come through for you, then I'm afraid I'd be taking your Mom to prom," he gave a mischievous smile and danced an eyebrow.
Sarah burst out laughing but quickly quieted herself. She was silent for a moment before looking into Chuck's eyes, "I'm really glad too," she confessed as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. A moment later, an older gentleman in a well tailored suit approached the table.
"Mr. Bartowski. It's a pleasure to have you dine with us this evening," the man shook Chuck's hand with both of his. "I'm Joseph Milano, owner of this establishment. Who is this lovely young lady accompanying you this evening?" as he turned to the young women extending his hand.
"I'm Sarah. Sarah Walker, Sir." She took his hand and he gently shook it.
"Miss Walker it is an absolute pleasure to have you with us this evening. Now, I had my chefs prepare a meal for you both that I think you will love. First, we will start with an antipasto, Bruschetta al Pomodoro, followed by our classic Caesar salad and then for your main course we have our Wild Mushroom Ravioli with a light roasted garlic cream sauce. Finally, for dessert, you will have your choice of gelato or our famous tiramisu. Your server will be out momentarily with your antipasto. If there is anything at all that you need, don't hesitate to ask. I will stop by later to check on things. Mangia bene!" He parted with a smile.
Sarah looked at Chuck and could only mouth "Wow" in response. Chuck chimed in with, "Who was that masked man?" garnering a chuckle and head shake from Sarah. As the seemingly endless parade of food passed through their table, they ate and talked about everything and nothing. The food was superb and as they were part way through their main course, Mr. Milano visited the table.
"Mr. Bartowski. Ms. Walker. I hope everything is to your liking," the older man inquired as he glanced between the two.
"It's Chuck. Please and everything so far has been phenomenal. I can't thank you enough," Chuck confessed.
"Well, you can thank Sofia Milano. What my mother wants, my mother gets. And from what I hear, it is I who should be thanking you. She has told me many times what a good young man you are and how good you have treated her. Kindness and respect are a rare commodity these days and you son have both. Grazie, 'Chuck'. Now, if there is nothing else, I will leave you lovely people to finish. Please enjoy." Mr. Milano nodded to them with a smile and left to visit other tables. Sarah just looked at Chuck with a wry smile and a contented sigh before continuing with her meal. For dessert Sarah got gelato and Chuck the tiramisu and they shared them contentedly. A short time later, their waiter returned with a small platter containing some wrapped mints. As he started to walk away with their now empty dessert plates Chuck stopped him.
"Excuse me, sir. Could your bring the check please?" Chuck asked with a raised finger.
"Oh, no sir. This evening is on the house. Compliments of the Milano family," the waiter replied.
"But surely I can give you something for all your efforts," Chuck implored.
The waiter smiled kindly and just shook his head, "You as most kind, but the Milano family has already compensated me quite well. I think that money could be more wisely spent….elsewhere," as he looked to Sarah and then back to Chuck with a wry smile. "Please, enjoy your evening and be safe." The waiter gave a slight bow and left.
Chuck stood and offered his arm to Sarah, "Shall we?" he asked with no small degree of smoulder. Grinning, she stood and took his arm as they left the restaurant. Not entirely certain how, the valet had their car waiting when they arrived outside. Chuck assisted Sarah into the car and Chuck tipped the valet and got in the driver's seat and pulled away.
There was obviously no valet service at the school, so they had to 'rough it' and actually walk but the two didn't mind. They walked side-by-side with Sarah hooking her arm around his at the elbow as they talked and laughed. They stopped at the steps leading up to the school. Chuck looked to Sarah with a hesitant smile and a little apprehension in his eyes.
"Are you sure you're OK with this? I'm sure this isn't exactly how you planned your evening would turn out. Granted, you would have ended up with Prince Jackass, but instead you get stuck with the … the coachman. Inside you're gonna have to deal with a lot. I just don't want to make it worse for y-," he was cut off by Sarah placing a finger across his lips and staring at him for a moment. He could not really place the look but it looked like the intersection of confusion, anger and something else he couldn't make out.
"Chuck," she paused, collecting her thoughts," you took what began as one of the worst days of my life and out of nowhere you have made it into THE single greatest night of my life. YOU did that Chuck. You were there for me when I needed someone the most and I can't thank you enough. If I went home right now, I'd have enough great memories to last a lifetime. So anything that goes on in there is just a bonus. And before you open your mouth again, know this….there is absolutely nobody else that I would rather walk up those steps with than you. Now, Mr. Bartowski, I believe we need to go make some girls jealous," she wagged her eyebrows with a mischievous smile and led him up the stairs.
After a few steps, Chuck shook his head in confusion, "Um...jealous? Who...what?" he stammered.
"Come on, Chuck," she said with a chuckle and pulled him along. The music could easily be heard as they approached the entrance. As they entered, they were greeted with a photo station where they posed for a few pictures and proceeded to the gym. As they passed other couples, it was obvious from their expressions that there was no small amount of surprise. Not just in seeing Chuck but seeing The Sarah Walker with Chuck. As quickly as the rumor mill worked, the place was likely abuzz over the Mark and Rachel situation. Chuck and Sarah were about to walk into that gym, and set the gossip world on fire. Chuck was afraid that Sarah was going to catch a lot of heat, so he owed it to her to step out of his comfort zone and not be 'sheepish, wallflower Chuck'. Instead he was going to be 'confident, suave and debonair Chuck'; Bartowski. Chuck Bartowski.
As they reached the entrance to the gym, Chuck paused briefly and looked over to Sarah, pouring on the smoulder with his patent pending eyebrow dance, "Ms. Walker, I aim to misbehave."
Sarah was taken aback for a split second before her shocked face transformed into a beaming smile that turned her eyes to blazing sapphires. She grabbed his arm a little tighter and said, "I think we can give 'em something to talk about," as her smile turned mischievous. They walked into that gymnasium with such sultry swagger it was like a shock and awe campaign. They could literally hear people gasp and several cups fall to the floor. With the number of dazed looks and open mouths, you'd think it were a zombie apocalypse. They slowly made there way into the gym and people seemed to make way for them. It was then they heard a scream.
"AHHH! Sarah!," a female voice yelled from the crowd. As the sea of people parted they could see Carina charging toward Sarah, with her date trying to keep up behind. Carina crashed into Sarah with a bone crushing hug. "Oh my God, I am sooo glad to see you," she exclaimed and she pulled away. "You look absolutely gorgeous...and...happy?" she asked a little surprised. She then turned to Sarah's date and her face broke, "Chuck?! Holy shit! Dude! What. ? Where the hell has this hunk o' man been hiding?" utter shock and disbelief morphed into slumped shoulders and tight lips as tears started to form in her eyes. She lunged at Chuck and gave him his own bone crushing hug. With her face buried in his neck she spoke, "Thank you, Chuck. Thank you so much. I owe you big," her voice shuddered as she let out a breath.
"Hey, believe me Carina. It has been all my pleasure," he confessed and gave her a tight squeeze before letting her go.
Carina grabbed Sarah's arm and started to pull her toward the floor, "Come on, Walker. Let's dance!" Sarah looked back over her shoulder at Chuck a little surprised with a "what can you do?" shrug. Chuck turned to Carina's date who had been left behind.
Chuck extended his hand and the other young man took it and shook.
"Cole. Good to see ya. You guys look great. Can I get you something to drink?" Chuck asked, talking loud enough to be heard over the music. Cole nodded and they both headed toward the refreshment table. Carina and Cole Barker were 'kinda, sorta, dating', according to Carina. Cole had moved to Burbank from England late in their freshman year. He was a lot like Sarah in some ways. He was smart and did very well in class. He was athletic, being a star forward on the soccer team. Cole was popular but didn't seem to run in all the same circles as the "beautiful people". He seemed to be a nice guy and above all the petty, childish behavior many in those circles were prone to indulge in. He had spoken with Cole a few times when Sarah and he hung out with Carina. They had similar taste in music, so at least they had something they could fall back on to talk about when the girls were off doing….whatever girls did together.
"So? Chuck. Carina told me about the business with Mark and Sarah. What a bastard. I saw him with Rachel a little while ago. I think they are on the other side of the gym, near the DJ. But uh...Sarah doesn't seem to mind too much. You two look pretty great together, I must say. The new hair and the tux; definitely a good look for you. So uh...still doing the 'friends' thing then are ya?" Cole asked with a hint of teasing in his voice.
"Yes. We're just friends. She was in a bind and I wanted to help her out. I couldn't just let her be home alone after going to all the trouble to get ready and then get her hopes dashed like that," he rambled.
"Hey. No. I get it. You don't have to convince me," Cole said with a wry smile and he took a drink. The two stood there sipping their drinks in slightly uncomfortable silence. When people would walk by and look him over, Chuck would call them out, "How's it going?" or "Great dress!". It seemed to catch them off guard and often brought on a smile and acknowledgement or compliment in return. So far, he was not receiving the cold shoulder he had anticipated. Although, he was certain those were still lurking in the crowd, waiting to strike. No matter, he was actually having a good time with his…'friends', the thought of that brought a smile to his face. Chuck noticed the music change to something quite familiar from his sessions with Roan and Nadia. "Now's the time to put your training to work," he smirked to himself. He made his way to the dance floor where he found Sarah and her friends.
"Awww. Come on guys, it's fun! Who cares if you don't know the moves? I can teach you," Sarah pleaded with her friends as they were hastily making their way off the floor. Chuck stalked up to Sarah, the Salsa music getting into full swing. She turned to see him reach out and take her hand, pulling her out onto the center of the floor. There were a number of people dancing, but they were largely latino students, so Chuck and Sarah stood out in the crowd. She was beyond surprised when he began to dance like he was born into it. The many lessons and hard work had definitely paid off. When the initial shock subsided, Sarah joined in and they both immersed themselves in the dance. Spinning, twisting and twirling, they forgot about everything around them. All they saw was one and other as they got lost in the music. When the song ended, they stopped, embraced each other for a long moment, and as they slowly pulled apart they heard clapping. When they raised their gaze to see what was going on, it was clear that people had stopped to watch them and were applauding their show. A bit embarrassed but still overjoyed, they both bowed and made their way off the floor for some refreshment.
"Oh my God, Chuck! You sooo lied to me. You told me you couldn't dance," Sarah exclaimed, a little short of breath as they reached the beverage table.
"Well, that wasn't a lie. I have a bit of a confession to make. I've uh… been taking lessons at Montgomery Dance Studio since the day of the uh...'chair incident'," he said sheepishly. If the lighting were brighter you could make out the crimson coloring in his ears. "I didn't tell you because….well… in part I was a little embarrassed but mostly because I wanted to surprise you."
"Well I'd say mission accomplished. That was amazing! I learned to Salsa when I took dance in San Diego, but I rarely get to use it. That was so much fun. Thank you," she hugged his arm and smiled.
"Believe me, the pleasure was all mine." Chuck's grin stretched from ear to ear as he handed her a drink.
"Oh My God! You guys were amazing!" Carina, Jennifer and Kaitlyn ran up to Sarah with their dates lagging behind. The girls talked for a while until a pop song came on and the girls shrieked and ran to the dance floor. Chuck and the other guys hung out and made small talk. Chuck looked around the room and took stock of all the couples. People always seemed to talk about who went with whom to prom, so he figured it would give him some ammunition if he could actually remember some of them. He scanned the room and he noticed at one of the tables on the opposite side of the gym was none other than Mark Burgess himself. He was sitting with Rachel Swenson and neither of them looked very happy. He could see Rachel 'talking' to Mark in a rather animated fashion, with hand gestures, frequently pointing to the dance floor then she returned to slump into her chair in a huff, crossing her arms. That made a sly grin grow across his face. Just then a voice brought him out of his thoughts.
"Uh oh. Is that a dangerous smile, Mr. Bartowski?" Sarah stood smirking at him.
He gave her a toothy grin in return, "You better believe it Ms. Walker. I feel like dancing," he gave her the ole' (or rather new) Bartowski eyebrow dance and offered her his left arm. With an approving nod, she took his arm and let him lead her to the dance floor.
As they reached the dance floor, the upbeat song was just finishing and was fading into a slow dance as the flashing lights slowed and dimmed. Chuck knew the song well and grinned. He turn to her and pulled her a little closer, placing his hands on her sides just above her hips. She brought her hands to his shoulders and they began to sway slowly to the music. The smile on Chuck's face was intoxicating as he stared into Sarah's eyes. The deep azure pools sparkled from the reflection of the lights of the room and perhaps, a hint of something else. When the artist started to sing, Chuck sang along keeping his gaze with Sarah.
Would you dance if I asked you to dance?
Or would you run and never look back?
Would you cry if you saw me crying?
And would you save my soul tonight?
Would you tremble if I touched your lips?
Or would you laugh? Oh, please tell me this
Now would you die for the one you love?
Oh hold me in your arms tonight
I can be your hero baby
I can kiss away the pain
I will stand by you forever
You can take my breath away
Sarah's arms slid further across his shoulders until they met behind his neck, the distance between them shrinking moment by moment, Chuck's hands sliding to the small of her back. Sarah beamed up at him as he sang to her, her eyes glistening more and more as he continued.
Would you swear that you'll always be mine
Or would you lie? Would you run and hide?
Am I in too deep? Have I lost my mind?
I don't care, you're here tonight
I can be your hero baby
I can kiss away the pain
I will stand by you forever
You can take my breath away
Oh, I just hold you
I just hold you, oh yeah
Am I in too deep? Have I lost my mind?
Well, I don't care, you're here tonight
As Chuck sang to her, she could feel the emotion in his words, his heart on his sleeve. She simply could not take it any longer and the flood gates broke. With tears now streaking down her face, it was as if by instinct, she pulled herself to him, their lips meeting in a soft, slow and tender kiss as the song continued.
I can be your hero baby
I can kiss away the pain
I will stand by you forever
You can take my breath away
I can be your hero baby
I can kiss away the pain
I will stand by you forever
You can take my breath away
You can take my breath away
I can be your hero
The song faded into the next as they were still joined. The Princess Bride will definitely have to re-write their ending now. It wasn't until the next song was faded in fully that they gently pulled apart and chuckled to one and other. The words of the song bringing back memories for them both.
Kiss me out of the bearded barley
Nightly, beside the green, green grass
Swing, swing, swing the spinning step
You'll wear those shoes and I will wear that dress
Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight
They continued to dance slowly with their foreheads pressed together, enjoying the song and the closeness. It was then that they were interrupted with a slight shove from another dancing couple. Looking over they saw it was Carina and Cole, Carina wearing the biggest shit-eating grin across her face. She looked between them and then back to Chuck, "Nicely done..." giving an approving nod and a wink, returning to dancing with her date.
"Yes, Chuck. Nicely done," Sarah confessed with a wry smile and a little color to her cheeks. Her arms still wrapped around his neck, she pulled herself closer and laid her head on is shoulder, breathing into his chest, and taking in the smell of him. The remainder of the evening was spent much the same way. With the exception of some breaks for faster songs, snacking and talking with friends, the two were happiest in each others arms. Not much was said between them, they didn't need to. The occasional chaste kiss was the only communication they needed while they were dancing. The night was, in a word, magical.
The evening wound down and the dance was about to end, though the night was still young. The friends were standing around talking when Jennifer made her way over to Chuck, snaking her arm through his, "So Chuck, did you think about my invitation? Sarah was going to go, will you come too? It would be really great to have you there. Really, it would," she pleaded with him. Chuck was a bit sheepish, feeling a bit humbled by the sincere invitation. Before he could respond, a rather irritated voice rang out from beside him.
"Excuse me! Don't you have one of your own?" Sarah chided as she pointed toward the other guys. "This one is spoken for," she exclaimed as she wrapped herself around his other arm and pulled him to her. Chuck and Jennifer were both a little surprised at the anger coming from Sarah. He tried to evaluate what might have gone wrong and then it dawned on him and he couldn't help but grin. Sarah Walker was jealous...over him! Just then Sarah raised a finger pointing toward a still shocked Jennifer to begin her verbal assault when Chuck grabbed her, placing a hand on each cheek and kissed her like...well, like Jennifer's life depended on it. It seemed to have the desired effect as Sarah melted into Chuck until he slowly pulled away, not releasing his gentle hold on her face. He looked deep into her eyes. "Sarah, Jennifer was just inviting me to the party at her place. She invited me at lunch yesterday day too and I said I'd think about it. She sent me the address in case I decided to join you guys. So, she was just reminding me that her offer still stands and that you had planned on going...you know...since she seems to believe that I might somehow be interested in spending time with you," he gave her a devilish smile and planted a quick kiss on her lips. "And for the record" he gave her another quick kiss," this will never, ever get old," as he kissed her one last time. "What do you say? Still want to go to Jennifer's?" he gave her a warm smile and his own pleading tone.
"Well, there might be this amazing guy there I was hoping to spend some time with, so you can count me in," she said with a wry smile.
"Wonderful. And until he shows up, I'll keep you company," me smirked and brushed a light kiss across her lips, letting her go. Sarah lightly smacked him on his chest muttering "Goof". He offered her his arm,"Miss Walker, shall we?" he asked with a sophisticated British accent.
Grinning from ear to ear, Sarah replied with her own British accent, "Why, yes Mr. Bartowski. Let's," she took his arm and pulled herself close to him as they headed for the car.
A/N: Mic Drop….Exits stage left
If you are interested, the song lyrics referenced are from:
Hero - Enrique Iglesias
Kiss Me - Sixpence None The Richer
Check them out on Youtube or Spotify or insert music app here and listen along for full effect. I hope you enjoyed. Remember to spay and neuter your pets...err wait, wrong PSA. Oh, please review! That's the one. I like reading your comments. See you in Chapter 11.