A/N:Welcome to Chapter 7. Take a seat wherever you like. You're writer will be with you in a moment. Our special this evening is Chuck Roast and for dessert, 'Charah' Pie.
OK. If you don't start singing Warrant whenever you hear that, there's no hope for you. ;)
Disclaimer: We all know that if I owned Chuck, david,carner would be writing new Chuck episodes and we'd all be happily enjoying. Yet here we all are, making the best of it. So, No. No Chuck ownage here.
Chapter 7
With her cell phone pressed to her ear, Sarah answered the front door. Standing on the other side, bags in hand, was a grinning Chuck Bartowski. Almost involuntarily, her face broke out in a brilliant smile as she motioned for him to come in. Those butterflies were back, dancing through her stomach as she watched him walk through to door. All morning she had tried to occupy her mind with chores around the house, but it always seemed to circle back to Chuck.
"Yeah. Uh huh. No, this afternoon would be great. Sure, I think I can make 1:30 work. I look forward to it. Thanks so much." Sarah ended the call and let out a loud sigh. She found Chuck in the kitchen unloading the bags he brought along with his messenger bag.
"You know I have a kitchen sink here," she smirked with her arms crossed, standing in the entryway to the kitchen.
Chuck just shot her a grin. "You can never be too prepared." He was shaking his arms out and flexing his hands. "Sorry. They got a little heavy after the first few blocks."
"You carried them all the way over here? Don't you have a car? Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen you with a car." Sarah gave a sympathetic frown. "You could have called me and I would have picked you up."
"No. It's fine. The exercise did me good… I do have a car, I just don't like to drive it around town a lot. It's kind of … I dunno … embarrassing I guess. I got it for my road trip across the country, but it makes me feel a little... self-conscious tooling around town." Chuck just shrugged with his trademark self-deprecating smile.
"I'm sure you have nothing to be embarrassed about. I could care less what kind of car you drive. Hell mine's an old piece of shit, so I have no room to judge anyone else." Sarah sat down at the bar stool along the back of the kitchen island. Her elbows on the counter, she rested her chin in her hands. "So I take it your 'friend' was busy?" Sarah gave a mischievous grin.
Chuck let out a small chuckle but the color in his cheeks belied his embarrassment. "Yeah. Um… somethin' like that." Sarah gave an amused laugh and shook her head. Not wanting to redden the poor man's face any further, she opted to change the subject.
"So whatcha got for me?" She asked in an expectant tone.
"Well, I have to confess that I had to make some of this stuff ahead of time, just because it takes a while to prepare. But, I can assemble it here and hopefully it will give you a good idea." He heated some things in the microwave quickly. And then set out the containers of ingredients along the island, like an assembly line.
"Oh God, that smells amazing. Is that your 'famous' pulled pork?" Sarah grinned.
"The famous part I'm not so sure about, since only two people besides myself have had it. This batch I froze a few weeks back and thawed it out for today. Fresh is better obviously." Chuck got a plate from the cupboard, after a few failed search attempts. Then he began to assemble some items. "So my hope is to create some dishes that are versatile and share some key ingredients. I think one of the problems that many restaurants have is that there are WAY too many menu items. On top of that, they don't share ingredients, so you're stuck with all this overhead cost for food that may likely go bad before you can use it up. So, my thought is, what is one of the quintessential foods of North Carolina?" Chuck looked at Sarah but his fingers were drumming on the container of pulled pork.
"Pork Barbecue," Sarah answered without hesitation, a knowing smile on her face.
"Right! Now, doing a whole hog barbecue is time consuming and a lot of work to get the meat off the bones, etc. But, smoked pork shoulder or 'butt' is pretty simple and takes up a lot less space in a smoker. So I'd like to focus on that one ingredient and ways we can incorporate it into different dishes." Chuck walked around the kitchen as he talked, preparing the materials he needed. He emptied a bag onto a sheet pan and placed it in the oven, which she hadn't noticed was already heating up. He placed a baking dish in the oven as well, then turned back to the island counter.
"So, the simplest is the pulled pork sandwich. We can obviously toy with the toppings but this is how I envision it, so that's how I'll make for you. Then you can tell me you hate it. I know that barbecue sauce is a very personal thing in North Carolina and the type varies from region to region. I think we could have a few options so people can choose which they want, rather than serve it with one sauce or another." Chuck put it all together as Sarah watched in fascination. It was rather simple, but the care he took in making the sandwich spoke volumes. If he paid this much attention to making a sandwich … Down girl
Chuck slid the plate toward her with a look of apprehension. "So these are the same buns we use at the diner, as is the coleslaw. So take a bite and tell me what you think. Save room for the other items though." Chuck watched as Sarah lifted the sandwich and took a healthy bite. After a couple seconds of chewing, her eyes fluttered as if rolling back in her head and she slumped in her chair. She released a satisfied moan that caused Chuck's breath to hitch and his toes to curl. Oh dear God. I'm in so much trouble.
"Chuck, this is amazing. The warmth and smoke from the juicy pork, the cool crunch from the coleslaw and the sweetness from the sauce, with just a little heat on the finish. This is really amazing. I'm not normally a fan of Kansas City style sauces, but this works really well on this sandwich. I think an eastern or western sauce would work too. I'm sold. What's next?" she asked as she wiped her hands and face with a napkin. The things this man could do with food.
"So, very similar to the sandwich is a shredded pork taco." He took a warmed flour tortilla from the microwave and added a generous helping of pulled pork, some sauce, coleslaw and then a sprinkling of queso fresco cheese. He placed the taco alongside her partially eaten sandwich and stepped back to watch her eat.
Sarah eyed him carefully and then lifted the taco, savoring her first bite. The more she chewed the broader her smile got. She started nodding as she finished swallowing her first bite. "This is really, really good. And super simple to make. OK Mr. Bartowski. You are definitely selling me on the pulled pork. I think people will love this." The timer went off on the oven interrupting her train of thought. Chuck quickly turned off the timer and extracted the items from the oven with care. He retrieved some items from the island and took them to the stove. His body was blocking her view so she was unable to see what he was doing. He then placed the sheet pan back in the oven and returned to the island with the backing dish. He pulled a serving spoon from a drawer and dished some of the first mystery item onto her plate.
"This… is pulled pork mac and cheese. You can add sauce to it as well if you like but I left it off." It was a creamy homemade looking mac and cheese with a generous helping of pulled pork layered across the top and baked together. She put some sauce on half of it and left the other half plain. It was still steaming hot, so she blew on her fork full before taking a bite.
"Shut. Up!" She set the fork down on the plate and sat back in her chair. "You hate me don't you?" she exclaimed with a serious glare. Chuck's eyes widened with concern. "You're trying to make me fat aren't you? I would eat the whole damn pan of this Chuck. This is comfort food to the next level. Ugggh. Did you make this mac and cheese from scratch?" Sarah questioned. Chuck slumped in relief, realizing she was messing with him.
"Nope. That's the pre-made mac and cheese that comes in the pouch that you currently serve at the diner." Chuck smirked.
"You're kidding?! Wow. I guess pulled pork does make everything better," she chuckled. "Is that all? I don't know if I can take much more of this." Oh, I know I can't take much more of this. Watching Chuck work his food magic was like foreplay. Fleeting thoughts of alternative uses for this island counter fluttered around in her mind before she re-focused on Chuck.
"Ok. Just one more." Chuck turned around and shut off the oven, pulling the sheet pan out. He retrieved another plate from the cabinet and a spatula from the drawer. Scooping a sizable portion onto the plate, he drizzled the top with BBQ sauce and then presented it to her.
"I present for your enjoyment … BBQ Pulled Pork Cheese fries." Chuck revealed them with a
flourish. He stood back, anxiously awaiting her reaction. She carefully pulled a few fries from the heaping pile, loaded with strands of pulled pork, stringy melted cheese and BBQ sauce. She craned her head to get under the pile of food as she skillfully lowered it into her mouth. Chuck hoped that the whimper that escaped went unnoticed. He couldn't recall seeing anything sexier in his entire life. He tried to blink the thought away and swallow the lump that was forming in his throat. Being a very messy endeavor, she managed to get BBQ sauce on her cheek. Sarah was chuckling at herself, fingers full of cheese and sauce. Without even thinking, Chuck reached across and wiped the sauce from her cheek with his thumb and then brought it to his mouth. Sarah was taken aback by how intimate and familiar that simple gesture was but tried not to let it show. She didn't want to embarrass him by pointing it out. She just smiled at him and tried to bring her attention back to the food.
"So are these our diner fries too?" She took another few loaded fries and ate them in much the same manner. Chuck seemed quite entranced with watching her eat. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Chuck mindlessly mimicking her actions with an almost pained look on his face. She realized then what she was doing to him and was thankful it wasn't just her. Her smile turned mischievous, adding a soft, sultry moan to really drive it home. Chuck made several false starts in an attempt to answer her question.
"They're uh...yeah...um yeah. Diner fries." Chuck closed his eyes and then opened them wide trying to shake himself out of his daydream.
"So, this is all wonderful, but where are we going to get the smoked pork from? I don't think your cardboard box smoker is gonna be able to keep up with demand," she chuckled as she sucked the sauce and cheese off her fingers. She could swear she heard Chuck mutter 'Oh God' but she couldn't be sure. She had deliberately played up the sound effects of sucking her fingers clean to get such a reaction. It was all in fun, of course, but seeing Chuck's reactions was such an ego boost. Afraid she might have gone a little too far, she straightened herself on the stool and tried to compose herself.
"I'm glad you asked." Grateful for the change of subject and the opportunity to pull his focus away from Sarah, Chuck cleared a section of the island counter to make room for his laptop, which he'd pulled from his messenger bag. "Have you ever been to a BBQ pit restaurant where they smoke their own meat? That incredible aroma that makes your mouth water when you get out of the car or even drive by? That right there is an incredible word of 'watering mouth' campaign." Chuck paused and gave her an expectant look.
"I see what ya did there. Very clever. OK, so how does that help us?" Sarah returned his expectant look. Chuck got a smirk on his face as he spun his laptop around.
"Behold, the 'Pit of De-Spare' Ribs and shoulder smoker. (Patent pending)." It was a 3-D rendering of a large cabinet style smoker with a large shute on the side and what looked like some sort of computer modules on the sides as well. "What do you think?" Chuck looked a bit apprehensive. She was speechless as she looked over the details of the device. She furrowed her brow in confusion and looked to Chuck and back to the image on the screen. Chuck continued his pitch.
"So, it's a smoker that uses charcoal for heat and it's gravity fed down this shute along the side. So as it burns and the ash falls through the grate in this firebox, the charcoal keeps moving down. You place some larger splits of wood, like Hickory and Apple wood, in this area here. Then this ball valve here on the firebox is connected to a temperature regulator that controls the air flow. I can monitor and control the flow from any smartphone. It can send me notifications if there is a major issue like the temperature gets too hot or too cold for a certain period of time. It can even shut the charcoal shute and turn off the air flow when your designated smoke time or your desired meat temperature has been reached." Sarah was staring at him in utter amazement. His mouth and mind were running a mile a minute. While she understood the majority of what he was saying, she was more captivated by the child-like enthusiasm he had when talking about it all.
"This is great Chuck, but it looks like a custom built smoker. That's gotta be expensive. Do you think there'll be enough return on the investment? Who's the manufacturer?" Sarah was looking over the 3-D rendering and moving it around to see all sides.
"Um...actually, I-I'm the manufacturer. I designed it." Chuck confessed sheepishly.
"You what?" Sarah exclaimed in shock. "You designed this?!"
"Well, yeah. Designed and built. Well..almost. It's like ninety percent done. I started on it when I was tending my cardboard box smoker. I was just standing there watching it and the design ideas came to me. Sure, other companies make things similar, but I knew I could improve upon it. So I worked on it in my spare time, in Mrs. Fitzgerald's garage. Her husband had quite the workshop." Chuck just shrugged and gave a half smile.
Sarah was floored. Was there nothing this guy couldn't do? He was a cook, an engineer and did something with computers was it? What the hell was his previous day job? Heart surgeon? Rocket Scientist? Superhero?
"So… what do you think? You could start out with it as a special once a week to see what people think before you jump in with both feet." Chuck was clasping his hands together almost like he was praying.
Sarah gave him a grin and shook her head in faux exasperation, "OK. OK. I'm in. You've sold me. How much do you want for the smoker?"
"What? Want? What do you mean?" Chuck asked with a furrowed brow.
"I 'mean' how much money do you want me to pay you for the smoker you built?" she replied a little slowly, enunciating her words more clearly in jest. Chuck's expression became solemn, his brow furrowed slightly.
"I...I don't want your money, Sarah. That's not why I'm doing all this. I-I made this for you, for your business. To help you and your family. I...I could never take money for something that...that comes from the heart." He averted his gaze to the counter, feeling a bit embarrassed at revealing so much. He busied himself by beginning to pack up all of the food stuffs and cleaning the counter.
Sarah watched on in shocked silence. After a moment, she realized she'd stopped breathing. All the things that Chuck had done, and continued doing, came from the heart; his heart. He hadn't outright said it, but, she realized, he had been hinting at it for days now. Probably even longer if she'd been paying attention. She couldn't let all of his good deeds go unrecognized. The problem was that any words she could think of to say fell way short of conveying how she really felt. She'd never been in this situation before and found herself woefully unprepared in trying to convey how she felt. Sarah got up from her stool and rounded the island, making her way to Chuck on the other side. His back was to her, wiping down the adjacent counter, unaware of her presence. She snaked her arms around his stomach and pressed against his back in a strong hug. She laid her cheek against his back and just hugged him. Chuck was frozen at the sudden and incredibly satisfying feeling of having Sarah Walker's arms around him. His heart skipped a beat but soon caught up as his pulse quickened.
"Thank you, Chuck. For everything." Sarah spoke quietly, squeezing him just a bit tighter. Not wanting to ruin things by opening his big, fat mouth, he simply placed his hands over top of hers without saying a word. When she finally pulled away, she took a step back to create some distance between them. She put her hands in the back pockets of her jeans and rocked on her heels slightly. "So, I set up an appointment to meet with a consultant at 1:30 to look at new booths, tables and chairs. Then I was going to a restaurant supply store to look at upgrading some of our equipment." Sarah seemed to find her shoes fascinating as she spoke, only looking up through her lashes at him as she finished.
"Oh. I see…" Chuck was doing his best not to sound disappointed that their day would be cut short. He began packing what was left of his things. "I must be holding you up. Well, let me get outta your hair then, so you can get on with-". Sarah placed her hand on his to still his rush in collecting his things. He brought his eyes to meet hers and was momentarily lost.
"I was going to ask if you could come with me. Our date isn't done yet." The smirk grew across her face, her hand still firmly holding Chucks. "Besides, I'd rather not have to make all these decisions alone. I'd really like your help." Chuck let out a one note chuckle as a bright smile lit up his face. The look of disappointment completely vanished and Sarah felt very pleased that she was able to make that happen. "I need to call Judy to make sure she can watch Molly once she gets off the bus. I'll be right back." Sarah reluctantly released Chuck's hand, though her fingers slid along the length of his until they parted. Chuck knew he was grinning like an idiot, but he didn't care. He was still on a 'date' with Sarah Walker and he couldn't get over the butterflies in his stomach. He cleaned up all the food and washed the plates and pans. He was just finishing drying the dishes when Sarah returned.
"We're all set. Judy will get Molly when she gets off the bus and watch her until we get back. You ready to go?" Sarah smiled at Chuck, the gleam in her radiant blue eyes made him weak in the knees. He could only nod, not really trusting his voice at the moment.
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Dammit!" bellowed Sarah as she slammed the hood of her car. "Piece o' shit!" She huffed as she leaned against it. The car was more than a decade old and had seen two-hundred thousand miles come and go. "Well, so much for today's plans," Sarah grimaced, her frustration and disappointment etched across her face. They were quiet for a moment before Chuck let out a long sigh.
'Um… W-we could uh… take my car. Y-you only get one day off a week and I'd hate for you to waste it." Chuck shrugged and gave her a half smile.
"Really? You'd do that? I know what you said about your car before…" she trailed off. Chuck just took her hand in his and motioned with his head for her to follow. She gladly complied, her spirits buoyed both by Chuck's offer to salvage the day and by the physical contact between them. It was a nice day, which made the walk all that much more enjoyable. It was only about three blocks to Mrs. Fitzgerald's and Chuck's apartment. When they approached the garage Chuck stopped beside the keypad and Sarah could see that he as nervous, afraid almost.
"What's the matter?" Sarah asked with concern in her voice. Chuck blew out a breath.
"I-I just don't want you to think differently of me that's all." Sarah instinctively reached up and placed a calming hand on his cheek.
"I promise Chuck. You can trust me." With that admission, Chuck's mood lightened and he nodded, typing the code into the garage door opener panel. The door began to rise and Chuck maneuvered behind Sarah to get out of any possible line of fire. As the door continued to rise, more and more of the vehicle inside was revealed causing Sarah's eyebrows to rise right along with it. When the garage door stopped at his full open position, Sarah let out the breath she had been holding.
"Hhhoooo…." Her breath came out ragged as she tried to find her voice. "H-holy shit! ... Wh-... What is this?" Sarah pointed at the car, her mouth agape, and looked between it and Chuck. Chuck just rubbed the back of his head, a wince showing the discomfort on his face. "Th-this is your car!? The one y-you're embarrassed to be seen in?" Sarah was dumbfounded. She approached the sleek black car and gently caressed her fingers along the hood, then around the door, all the way to the back.
"Chuck, this is a Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS. On what planet would you be embarrassed to drive this around?!" she exclaimed in utter disbelief.
"I sometimes feel a little self-conscious driving it around. People see it and make certain...assumptions. They tend to treat you differently. I'd rather people know me for the person I am, rather than the car I drive." Chuck seemed regretful as he began to frown. Sarah felt a bit ashamed at the way she'd reacted. She could understand Chuck's point of view but … this was her dream car, and the notion that Chuck was embarrassed to drive it really struck her initially.
"I'm sorry Chuck. The whole 'judging a book by its cover'. I get it. But….you have to admit...this is a badass car. I mean, come on?" Sarah held out her hands daring Chuck to argue with her. A wry smile started to spread across Chuck's face.
"Well. How about you tell me." Chuck threw her the keyfob and headed toward the passenger side.
"W-W-What? Y-you're kidding? Are you… Chuck I can't…" Sarah was beside herself, her words failing her once again. She stood staring at the hood of the car, keyfob in hand, frozen in place.
"We're burnin' daylight Ms. Walker. You're gonna have to get movin' if you want to make our appointment." Chuck was enjoying seeing Sarah in her state of befuddlement. Eventually he could see it sink in as her face lit up like a kid on Christmas. She looked positively giddy and the sight warmed him all over. Being able to make Sarah Walker that happy, if even for a moment, made his heart soar.
Sarah got into the driver's seat of the Porsche and began to examine everything and adjust the seat and mirrors. When she was fastened in, she pressed the push-button start and the car came alive. The rev of the engine gave her goosebumps and she giggled with excitement. She gingerly put it into gear and tested the clutch/gas ratio to get a feel for the shifting. With only a minor jerking of the car, she quickly got a feel for the gears and was off like a shot.
"OK, Chuck. I gotta ask. How can you afford a car like this? I mean, you seem to live such a meager lifestyle. I'm sure it's none of my business, so feel free to tell me to butt out. I was just curious." Sarah only glanced over briefly to try to gauge his reaction.
"No it's a fair question I suppose. I sold one of my software programs to another company and I was paid generously. I took Ellie's advice and I bought some frivolous things for myself. For me, I bought this. I figured I could take my road trip in style. For Ellie, I bought her a car as well. A '67 Shelby Mustang GT500. She took a liking to that car when the movie 'Gone in 60 Seconds' came out. I thought it fitting. The rest I used to pay off my debts and Ellie's student loans from medical school. I've been living modestly on what was left over since then." Chuck looked out of the passenger window, watching the scenery pass by.
Taking I-40 north into Raleigh, Chuck was happily sitting in the passenger seat just watching Sarah drive. The brilliant smile hadn't left her face during the entire thirty-minute trip. He'd never seen anything more beautiful. Sarah had noticed out of the corner of her eye but hadn't said anything. After the fourth time, the contented smile on his face began to affect her. Her ears were beginning to feel a little warm.
"Chuck. You're staring,." Sarah stated without looking away from the road.
"I am." Chuck replied. It was not a question or an admission of guilt. It was a simple declaration of fact. He was staring at Sarah Walker and he was not ashamed to admit it. "Does it bother you?"
Sarah thought about his question for a moment. Knowing that he seemed to find her so intriguing as to stare at her for thirty minutes, and with that happy look on his face no less, did that bother her? Her smile turned to a smirk as she replied, "No… but we're here." Sarah pulled into the parking lot of a large warehouse style building with a well-manicured office entrance. They got out of the car and she locked it with the keyfob. She strode over to Chuck and reached up to kiss him on the cheek. She lingered a little longer than was probably customary, drawing in his clean, masculine scent. It was so honest and refreshing compared to the heavy musk or spicy colognes that threaten to suffocate. When she lowered herself, she made a point to caress the tip of her nose down his cheek, prolonging her connection to him.
"Thank you Chuck. That was really amazing. Here's your keyfob." Sarah handed it to Chuck, who used both of his hands to fold her fingers around it.
"You hang onto it. You know your way around here much better than I do. I trust you." He gave her his big goofy smile and she wanted to melt. She settled for wrapping her arm through his and walking into the building side by side.
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Come on. We won't be long. I just need to pick up a few things," Sarah coaxed as she pulled Chuck by the hand into the Large Mart. "You can go look at nerdy stuff while I shop if you want." She gave him a shoulder bump and chuckle.
"Alrighty. I'll be over in the-" Chuck's phone rang interrupting his thought. When he checked the caller ID he saw it was Ellie. "It's my sister. I should probably grab this...Hey El. What's up?" Chuck began following Sarah as he talked, though a few paces behind her. "Well, actually I'm shopping. Yes, shopping. I do too shop. Well, no, but it happens. The Large Mart actually. No. It wasn't even my idea. Well...I'm..on a date. No, the date isn't at the Large Mart...OK, you know what?...Yes, El. I know what today is…Well it's just not a big deal. I know. I know. Thanks."
Sarah was having a great time just listening in on the conversation with his sister. She had never met or spoken to her, but Chuck talked about her on occasion. She could only imagine the conversation on the other end. Something was special about today, but what?
"What? Yes, she's real. Her name is Sarah. What-...No. El...El...El...ELEANOR! ...OK. If I do this, you have to promise me that you won't start offering up old childhood stories, no twenty questions and only for a minute. OK? Alright, I'll ask." Chuck covered the mic on his cell phone with his hand and approached Sarah, who was pretending not to listen. Chuck let out a powerful sigh.
"Sarah. My sister seems to find it difficult to believe that I'm on a date with an actual person. She'd like to talk to you." Please say no. Please say no.
"Sure. I'd love to talk to her," Sarah beamed with a mischievous glint in her eye. Crap.
"Ok El. Here she is." Chuck begrudgingly handed the phone to Sarah as he stood back with his arms crossed.
S: "Hello? This is Sarah."
E: " Oh. my. God! You ARE real. And you're not some paid actress or something?"
Sarah burst out into laughter but tried to control herself as she was starting to draw attention.
S: "No. Nothing like that I'm afraid."
E: "It's so great to hear that he's dating after so long. Opps, that was probably in the category of 'things not to talk about'. Oh well. So...how's it going? He taking you out to some place nice I hope?"
S: 'Well, not yet. He cooked me an amazing lunch. The day's still young though. Say, I overheard something about today being significant. Is this something I should know about?"
Chuck was waving his arms, mouthing 'No' repeatedly. Sarah just bounced an eyebrow at him and gave him a smirk.
E: "Of course he didn't tell you. He never wants to celebrate his birthday."
S:" Is that right? Well, we may just have to do something about that."
E:" Oh, I'm gonna get an ear full now. So what is it you do Sarah?"
S: "Right now I own and operate our family's diner."
E: "Oh shit. You're that Sarah... I'm sorry, that came out wrong. What I mean is, Chuck has talked about you."
S: "Is that so? Exactly what did that entail?"
Sarah's heart started to race a little. The fact that he had talked about her to his sister seemed really significant. Did she come up in idle chit chat somehow, or was he 'talking' talking about her? Chuck's pleading look and rosy ears clearly indicated that he wanted their conversation about him to end. Sarah just bounced an eyebrow and continued talking as she meandered through the aisles.
E: "Well since he can't hear me... he talked at great length about you, on multiple occasions. How impressed he was with you for taking over the family business. What a strong, independent woman you are. I think the term 'beautiful' was thrown around. He also talked about a little girl...Molly, I think? Is that your...daughter?"
S: "Oh, uh No. No. Sister."
E:"Oh. I see. Well, I suppose I've embarrassed you both enough with all the questions. I really just called to wish Chuck a 'Happy Birthday' and I can see that it is. It was really great getting to talk to you, Sarah. You guys have a great time tonight. Can I talk with Chuck really quick?"
S: "Thanks Ellie. It was great to have a chance to talk. Here, I'll pass you over to Chuck."
Sarah had a knowing smile as she handed his phone back to him. "She wants to talk to you." Chuck rolled his eyes but returned her smile and took the phone. Sarah walked around the corner to the next isle but could still hear Chuck quietly chastising his sister for the conversation. Sarah could only smile, thinking of all that Ellie had revealed.
"Um...ex-excuse me Miss?" a timid voice over her shoulder interrupted her thoughts. She turned to see two young men in rumpled, untucked white button-down shirts, loosened gray ties and pocket protectors. The name tags said 'Rich' and 'Kevin', and the logos were for the Buy More Nerd Herd. The two men looked petrified, holding their Subway sandwich bags and drinks. Sarah figured they must be here for lunch as there was a Subway inside the Large Mart and the Buy More shared the same shopping plaza.
"Yes?" Sarah gave a quizzical look as she eyed the awkward pair.
"We're really s-sorry to bother you, but could we get your autograph?" the man labeled as 'Rich' stammered out. The poor guy looked like he was about to have a heart attack.
"I-I'm sorry. What?" Sarah replied in confusion and disbelief.
"We, uh...we saw you with Charles and wanted to get your autograph and maybe… well, maybe you could ask-" the young man swallowed hard, trying to fight his nerves. "ask him to give us an autograph too?" The sheepish and terrified grin, accompanied by the beads of sweat developing on his forehead, lead her to believe it wasn't a prank. Still(,) she was beyond confused as to why they would want her autograph, let alone 'Charles'?
"You mean, Chuck?" Sarah thumbed over her shoulder, inquiring if they were one in the same person.
"Oh my God. You get to call him Chuck. That is so cool! Um, yeah. Mr. Carmichael is one my top five favorite people on the planet. It would be a dream come true if I could get his autograph." The two were nodding their heads vehemently.
"Chuck?" She asked again, still finding it difficult to believe that these two would know Chuck, let alone want his autograph. "Wait. Did you say... Carmichael?" Sarah perked up at the name. Maybe they had the wrong person. A case of mistaken identity. She knew him as Chuck Bartowksi, not Carmichael. "I think you may have the wrong person."
"Oh no. That guy right there." Kevin pointed at the end of the isle where Chuck had just walked around the corner, still talking on his phone, oblivious. "That's Charles Carmichael, CEO and founder of Intersect games. He's a legend in the industry but nobody ever sees him out. And to think he's HERE!" The young men were nearly vibrating with anticipation.
Sarah remembered Intersect Games. That was the company that made the games that Molly had been playing and wanted so badly. She recalled writing the name down on her order pad. There were a few too many bits of evidence for this all to be a mere coincidence. She didn't know what the hell was going on, but she was about to find out. "Well, how about we go ask him about that autograph?" She marched up to Chuck with fire in her eyes. As Chuck looked up, he could see that she did not look pleased. He mumbled into the phone and ended the call.
"Sarah. Hey. What's going on?" He looked a bit concerned and confused.
"Well, it seems that … 'Rich' and 'Kevin' here would like an autograph from 'Mr. Charles Carmichael'." The sing-songy tone in her voice and the very tight smile did not match the stormy look in her eyes. All the color immediately drained from Chuck's face.
"Mr. Carmichael, we're huge fans of your work. We loved your TED talk on game theory. Your new Orion gaming engine will revolutionize the gaming world and so many other industries. It's such an honor to meet you, Sir. Could we trouble you for an autograph? Maybe even a selfie with us?" The two looked on with anticipation while Chuck began to break out in a sweat.
These two guys seemed to know an awful lot about Chuck, or 'Charles', but now she had to wonder how much she really knew about him. Why the fake name and why hide who he really was? Was this some sort of game to him? Was he actually some sort of bored, rich playboy trying to slum it on the side? No, that didn't seem like Chuck. As confused about all of this as she was, she knew deep down that the Chuck she knew was the 'real' Chuck. She could always see sincerity in his eyes when he looked at her. So why the lies? What was he hiding and why? She was going to get some straight answers from him and soon.
"Um, sure guys." Chuck looked on sheepishly and forced a smile as he signed their mini notepads and posed for a selfie with them. When he was done with the selfie, he waved them one final goodbye before turning back to Sarah.
"Sarah. I...I can explain." Sarah's gaze was hard, her arms crossed, closing herself off.
"You'd better, 'cause it sure seems to me like you've been lying to me. If you're going to keep lying to me and keep secrets from me, I'm not sure this will work out," pointing between them.
"No. No. D-Don't say that. Please. Please. It's… it's complicated." The panic on Chuck's face was enough to convince Sarah that she had gotten her point across.
"Then un-complicate it for me." Sarah raised an eyebrow waiting for his response.
"O-OK, but can we not do it in the middle of the Large Mart? Please?" Chuck pleaded and she agreed it was best not to air dirty laundry in public. She motioned with her head and Chuck followed her out of the store.
As they were exiting the store, Chuck stopped mid-stride. "Hold on a sec, what did you mean by 'this'….." Chuck started but abruptly stopped when Sarah threw an icy glare over her shoulder. "Yeah…i-it can wait." Chuck sheepishly followed her into the parking lot. Once they got in the car, Sarah turned on him.
"OK. Spill Chuck. Oh, I'm sorry. It's 'Charles' isn't it?" The venom was beginning to seep from her words and Chuck had to swallow a large lump in his throat. He blew out a long breath before he could begin.
"My 'real' name is Charles Bartowski, Chuck. That's all true. Everything I've told you about me, all of it is true. I swear to you. I just ...glanced over my job a little."
"Alright. Then who the hell is 'Charles Carmichael'?" Sarah asked accusingly.
"That's the name and persona I do business under. I wanted to try to keep some anonymity, so I created that alias for the public. So when I want to just be …'Chuck' I can leave Carmichael at the office. I don't do many public appearances and CEOs of game companies are generally not followed that closely. Well, except by those two apparently." Chuck shrugged sheepishly. "Sarah, I never wanted to lie, especially to you. I just wanted people to see me for me. Not the kind of car I drive or the company I own. I just wanted people to like… 'Chuck'." He let out a short sigh and looked from his lap over to Sarah. She was staring out the front window, her hands gripping the steering wheel. The hurt look on her face broke his heart. He hated himself for making her feel this way.
"So you thought I was so shallow that I'd only like you for your car or how rich and powerful you were?" Sarah asked, sounding a bit offended.
"Yes. err No. S-sort of." Chuck let out a huff in exasperation before continuing. "The first time I sat down in your diner I was … I was so captivated by you. You were so warm and friendly, everyone seemed to like and respect you. You came over to my table and started to talk to me like I was just another customer. You were kind to me when a lot of people in my life haven't been. It would have been easy for me to throw money around and tell people how successful I was. That's just not me. That may be what I 'have' but it's not who I am. I wanted so much just to talk to you and be near you, just as myself. So I put all those other things aside. When we got...closer, I was afraid. Afraid to tell you because too much time had passed and I didn't think you would understand. I'm… I'm sorry." Chuck was so ashamed he couldn't look at her, instead staring at his hands in his lap. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before Sarah spoke.
"That whole 'book by its cover' thing again, huh?" Sarah asked quietly, reflecting on what Chuck had confessed.
Nodding, Chuck answered, "Yeah. Pretty much."
"So tell me about this Charles Carmichael. What kind of man is he?" Sarah turned to look at Chuck who was still gazing at his lap, a penitent look on his face.
"He's charming, confident, well-spoken and a competent businessman. He's all the things I'm not. If competitors or investors saw the real me, they'd dismiss me or walk all over me. So I constructed Carmichael as a, I dunno, 'cover'? If I have to go to events or meetings, it's Carmichael that has to go. When I'm at my computer doing work by myself...or I'm with you… then it's just Chuck. Plain ole boring Chuck." He caught her gaze and gave her a self-deprecating shrug and a half smile. He looked back at his hands as he nervously fidgeted. Quite unexpectedly, Chuck was smacked across the shoulder eliciting an 'Ow!' as he rubbed the spot.
"Hey. That's my friend you're talkin' about. He's not plain and certainly not boring." Sarah looked at Chuck with a tight smile, but he couldn't quite read her expression. "I understand, Chuck. I do. I don't like that you kept it from me, but I understand. I've been conned and deceived in the past, and those scars take a while to heal, so I guess I'm still a little 'sore', if you will."
"Sarah, I understand that. I think you know I do. I would never try to hurt you. Ever. But If I'm being truly honest, there are still some things that I have to keep... private. For now! Just for now. I will tell you when I can. I promise you. I just hope that you can forgive me for not being completely honest with you to this point." Chuck looked into her eyes this time, pleading with her for forgiveness. She held his gaze for what seemed like an eternity before she extended her hand to him.
"Sarah Walker. It's nice to meet you." Chuck looked from her outstretched hand to her face and back, as a smile beginning to grow on his face. He gently took her hand in his and shook it slowly.
"Chuck Bartowski. It's a pleasure." Sarah smiled in return.
"So, Chuck Bartowski… do you like Mexican food?" she asked with a wry smile.
"Sarah Walker, I love Mexican food." Chuck's smile grew larger and more infectious. Sarah looked down at their hands that were still joined but made no attempt to extricate herself.
"So if I were to take you out for Mexican to celebrate your birthday, you'd be OK with that?" Sarah bounced an eyebrow as her smile turned to a wry grin.
"I'd be more than OK with that," he replied, his smile now reaching his eyes.
"Great. It's still a date then." Sarah finally removed her hand so she could put on her seatbelt and start the car.
"S-Still?" Chuck stammered, seeming a bit taken aback.
"Yes Chuck. Our date isn't over yet. If you're lucky, I might just let you pay." With that she pulled away like a shot, setting them both back in their seats.
A/N2: OK. Crisis averted for now. He's not completely out of the woods though. Is he?
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