A/N: Saturday was all about the swimsuits and the suntan lotion. Now, it's time for Sunday's baseball banquet. That means there's going to be a dress. And a suit.
Disclaimer: No matter how you dress it up, I don't own Chuck. And you can't dance around the issue that I make no money from Chuck. My aleck is healing up. That may or may not be a good thing.
Chapter 39 – Oh, Pretty Woman
Sunday May 26
Chuck stared at his reflection in the mirror, over the sink, with a critical eye. Something about his tie didn't look right, he sighed, shaking his head. Stripping off his jacket, again, he carefully draped it over the back of his desk chair, before untying it. Was it for the fourth time? No, it was the fifth. His nervous excitement was disrupting his normally ordered thoughts. Snorting at himself, Chuck set about retying his tie, going slowly and taking great care to make sure the Windsor knot was perfect. Tying it too tightly would cause the tie's silk fabric to pucker and wrinkle; maybe even bunch up his shirt collar so that it didn't lay properly against his neck, making him look sloppy. That would not do. He had to look just right before he went to collect Sarah. Morgan chuckled behind him, but Chuck ignored his friend. The Windsor knot took nine steps to complete and messing up any of them could force him to have to redo it another time.
"Dude, you look fine. Quit messing with your tie or you're going to be late picking up Sarah," Morgan admonished him. He had finished his own preparations and was just about to leave their room to go meet up with Alex when he'd spied Chuck fussing over his tie, again. "This is the fifth time you've found fault with it. Sarah isn't going to be paying attention to your tie, bro. Trust me." He shook his head.
"I don't know, Morgs," Chuck replied, keeping his attention squarely on the tie and what his hands were doing. "Sarah's going to be all dressed up and looking perfect. Better than perfect. The least I can do is look as good as I can. I don't want to embarrass her because I don't know how to dress for something like this. It's bad enough that my hair is still growing back and it looks all spikey."
"But those spikes are beginning to curl, so you've got curly spikes or spikey curls," his friend shrugged.
Chuck wanted to glare at him, but he couldn't do that and keep working on his tie. Not if he wanted it to be perfect.
"Sarah will be happy to be there with you. No matter what your tie or your hair looks like. Believe me," Morgan said sincerely.
"Maybe you're right, buddy, but I gotta be sure," Chuck acknowledged. He turned around. "Finished! How do I look?" He couldn't resist chewing on his lip.
"You look fine, Chuck," his roommate nodded. "Just like the other four times you've asked me." That earned him a flat look from his lanky friend.
"I'm serious, Morgs." He retrieved his suit coat from his chair and put it back on.
"So am I. The tie is fine."
"What about my shoes? My suit? No lint on it?"
"Dude, you spent ten minutes using that lint brush on your suit. Twice! There's no dust left in this room, let alone on your suit. And you spent almost an hour polishing your shoes. The glare coming off of them is blinding," Morgan grinned.
"Thanks," Chuck said, flatly. "Cole taught me how to polish shoes like they do in the British army. He always told me old school was the best school. Concentration and effort. Attention to detail. Cole drilled that into me. None of those shortcuts for him. Forget about setting the shoe polish on fire to melt it in the tin or using a heat gun to melt it into a gloss shine once it's on the shoe. Nope, only elbow grease and patience. That's the ticket, he used to say. It's the only way I know how to polish them." Coach Graham had ended practice early to allow the players to get cleaned up in time for the banquet. Chuck had used every second of that time to prepare himself for the evening. And for Sarah.
"Well, all I can say is that he taught you pretty good. The Queen would be able to see herself in them. She'd give you a passing grade during inspection for sure," the shorter man smirked.
"Very funny," Chuck pouted. "I just want to look nice for Sarah."
"Dude, she's going to love you, regardless of how you look. No matter what you're wearing."
"She already said she loves me, Morgs." A small frown.
"Exactly," Morgan nodded confidently. Seeing the doubtful expression on his friend's face, he went on. "Look, this dressing up stuff is kind of silly. These banquet things are mostly a big snore, like I've told you before. There'll be some sort of neutral meal. Usually, some sort of chicken that's probably overcooked and dry. The coaches will give some speeches about the season with its ups and downs. They'll talk a lot about the seniors and make some kind of presentation to each one. It'll be something that the guys take home and hang on the wall or hide in a closet, depending on how they feel about it. It'll be just like my high school banquets, except it's in a fancier place with better players and a bunch of pretty girls. And no parents or siblings running around. Oh, and the dancing. We never had a DJ or a dance floor at the high school banquets, so that'll be new," he grinned.
"I know, buddy. I remember all of that. I guess, I'm just nervous," Chuck admitted. Finally, Morgan thought with a shake of his head.
"Ya think?" His friend laughed. Checking his phone, Morgan saw the time. "Gotta run. Don't want to be late and start the evening off on the wrong foot with Alex." He opened the door and looked back. "See you over there. Relax, it's going to be OK. The Beard knows. Trust the Beard." Chuck nodded. "Later, Dude."
"Later," Chuck said to the now empty room. "I hope you're right, little man. I hope you're right," he sighed. Picking up his car's key fob and other personal items, he slid them into his pockets. Following in Morgan's footsteps, he locked their door and began to walk in the direction of the CATS' suite.
"Am I ready for this?" He mumbled.
Sarah assessed her reflection in the full length mirror the CATS had tacked up on the closet door. She liked what she saw. She liked it very much. The cardinal-red Georgia square neckline midi dress fit her like a glove. It was sleeveless with thin straps, classy and demure, but still tight enough in all the right places to flatter her figure. The gold pumps and matching clutch purse, the roommates had found during their shopping spree the previous Monday, added just the right amount of sass to her ensemble. Their four-inch heels would put her almost at Chuck's eye level. Perfect for kissing, which she planned on taking advantage of as much as she could. Perfect for dancing, too, for that matter. If she could convince him to join her on the dance floor. She figured that her kissing plans might work in her favor to entice him to dance with her. Sarah had opted to wear her hair down with a slight wave in keeping with the semi-formal theme for the evening. A simple gold chain necklace was the only jewelry she wore. With her preparations complete, she grinned at her reflection. Carina noticed. Of course, she did.
"At least keep the dress on until you get to the banquet and have a chance to show it off, Blondie," the redhead smirked. "We went to a lot of effort to find it for you, after all."
"Oh, I don't know, Red," the blonde pretended to ponder. "I spent a lot of time exfoliating and shaving and buffing this afternoon, too. I might need to show all of that work off to Chuck before our evening is over. Who knows?"
"Damn, girl," Carina laughed.
"You spent a lot of time messing around with your hair, too, Sar," Zondra chimed in. "Were you planning on shaking that in his face? Or just the rest of your hotness?"
"Of course, getting all hot and bothered could ruin all of the effort you put into your makeup. Did you think about that, Sarah?" Amy smirked.
"If I can get Chuck out on the dance floor, all bets are off. I make no promises," Sarah giggled.
"He has to survive first contact with you in that dress, Blondie," Carina warned. "And that is by no means certain."
"I know," the younger woman grinned. "I can't wait for his reaction when he sees me in this dress. It's the first time I've ever really dressed up for him. The first time he'll see me as a woman and not just a college girl."
"I'm pretty sure he's seen you as a woman since the day you met, Sarah," Amy twisted her lips to the side.
"You guys know what I mean."
"Yeah, we do. It's like you're going to the prom all over again," Carina wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"Not too far from that, Carina, if I'm being honest," Sarah nodded. "But, this time, with a much better guy." She checked the wall clock. "It's almost time. He'll be here any minute!"
"So, how do you want to play this, Sarah?" Zondra asked. "You just want to stand there, so he sees you when he comes to the door? Or do you want to go hide in your bedroom and come out once he gets inside?"
Sarah thought for a moment. "I think I'll hide in the bedroom. There aren't any stairs for me to walk down like at home, so hiding in the bedroom will have to do."
"Oh, good grief," Carina rolled her eyes. "You're nauseating."
"I know! Isn't it great?" Sarah laughed as she disappeared into their shared bedroom. The redhead grinned at her roommate's excitement despite her claims to the contrary.
"You haven't seen Chuck in a suit, either, Blondie. You might be surprised," Carina called.
"It's Chuck wearing a jacket and tie. I've seen that before when they've gone to out of town baseball games. He hasn't actually told me what he's going to be wearing, but how big a deal could it be?" Sarah replied smugly.
"All I'm saying is he might surprise you," the auburn-haired woman retorted.
"We'll see, won't we?" Came the sing-song response from the bedroom.
The CATS all laughed and shook their heads. As soon as Sarah was out of sight, they got their phones ready and positioned themselves so they could capture both her and Chuck's reactions to each other. Whatever happened, it was going to be good. The trio had just found their spots when there was a tentative knock on the door.
"Go away. We gave at the office," Carina said loudly.
The reply was muted a bit by the closed door. "Carina? Come on. It's Chuck. Please open the door." To the elder CATS he sounded a little put out. They snickered at each other.
"Carina! Stop fooling around. Open the door!" Sarah growled. "I'm almost ready," she added for Chuck's benefit, just in case he could hear her.
Laughing, Carina opened the door. There stood Chuck in a suit. Far from wearing a 'jacket and tie' like Sarah had assumed, he looked like he was about to attend a corporate board meeting or something. Sexy. Very sexy. Her eyes widened in surprise and she whistled. "Damn, Chuckles. You clean up nice. Come on in. Sarah's just about ready." He stepped into the room. She knew her roommate was in for a big shock.
"Nice," Amy hummed.
"Looking good there, Curls," Zondra added. "And your curls are actually beginning to come back. Good stuff."
"Thanks, y'all. I appreciate it," Chuck said, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment at their compliments.
"So, have you ever been to the place they're holding this shindig, the Rosewood Sand Hill?" Zondra asked. "It's pretty fancy."
"I've driven by it a few times, but not been inside there myself, no. My parents have been there for some conferences over the years. And when they've come up here for Cardinal Club stuff. They stayed there when I was … um … you know, in the hospital. Cole and Gill Barker, too, while they were helping me." He shrugged.
"You'll have to tell us all about it when you get back. We want to know everything," Carina ordered.
"Sure. No problem, as long as it's OK with Sarah."
"And you'll bring your young lady home at a decent hour," the redhead shook her finger in Chuck's face. "No running off to Make Out Point to play tonsil hockey until all hours."
"Tonsil hockey?"
"Leave him alone, Carina," Sarah said, coming out of the bedroom. She was still snapping her clutch purse closed, so she hadn't seen him yet. Lifting her eyes, she continued to speak. "Sorry, Chuck. I'm having trouble closing this new pur—" Sarah froze and gaped at him in astonishment.
Chuck was in the process of shifting his attention from Carina to Sarah when he finally saw her for the first time since entering the suite. His brain locked up and he stood there stunned, his lips stuck in a crooked half-smile.
The CATS were recording it all.
Sarah recovered first, just. "Ch—Chuck, you look amazing. Oh my God! You're not wearing a jacket and tie. That's a suit. You're wearing a suit! Wow! Where did that come from?" She was looking him over from head to toe. Definitely checking him out in every sense of the word. The suit was charcoal gray and he was wearing a white dress shirt with a cardinal tie. He had black cap toe Oxford shoes on his feet that were buffed to a high gloss mirror shine. We'll look fantastic together, she thought. He looked absolutely delicious. An image flashed before her, unbidden, of her taking that suit off of him very carefully and very slowly kissing every inch of what was revealed. Sarah blinked and forced the scene from her mind. Chuck still hadn't answered her. Delighted at his reaction, she smiled as she reached out and took his hand. "Uh … Chuck?"
"Ah … what?" He said, sounding confused.
Sarah giggled. "I was asking you where you got that suit?"
"Suit? Oh … yeah … this suit. My suit," Chuck stumbled and looked down. "Right. Yeah. Um … Well, right before I came up here to school back in the fall, Dad took me on a shopping spree to look for a suit with all of the trimmings. He said that I'd need one up here sooner or later. Turns out he was right." He shrugged. "I guess not really a shopping spree, though. A patient of Mom's is one of Hollywood's top tailors. Makes clothes for a lot of the stars." Another shrug. "Anyway, Dad took me there so I could get a good suit. Their company did the whole thing. Suit, a few ties, dress shirts, and the shoes, too. Even my belt. A real one stop shop. From your reaction, I guess they did OK."
"More than OK, Chuck. You look very handsome," Sarah purred, finding that she couldn't resist running her hand down his lapel, giving in to her need to touch him. "Sexy, too. Very." She kissed him lightly on the lips.
"Sexy? Me?" He blushed adorably.
"Oh, yeah, babe. Definitely," she nodded emphatically. So did the other CATS.
"Even with the spiky curls?"
"Absolutely!" Sarah grinned. Her curls were coming back. Soon, Walker, soon, she thought.
"Yes!" Chuck scrunched up his face and did a fist pump. All four CATS laughed. Sobering, he pulled out his phone. "We need to go in a minute." He still was avoiding looking at Sarah full on. She noticed.
"You haven't said what you think of my dress, sweetie." Sarah prompted, posing a bit, tucking her chin and biting her lower lip as she looked at him. Her statement forced him to face her.
Chuck swallowed nervously. "Um … Ah … I- I think you look absolutely amazing. Sarah, you're not just beautiful, you're stunning. You take my breath away. Don't ask me to do anything else because it's taking all of my willpower just to be able to say this to you," he gushed.
Sarah beamed, her cheeks pinking cutely. "So, what you're saying is you love me in this dress?"
"Of course, I do, Sarah. You look absolutely beautiful in that dress," Chuck smiled. Then he grew serious. "But you need to know that I love you no matter what you're wearing. Whether you're in jeans and a tee-shirt or all hot and sweaty in your workout gear after jogging and doing battle with nefarious ninja pinecones." Sarah giggled. "Even wearing a bikini and being a bit sunburned, wet, and bedraggled without any makeup after a day at the pool, like yesterday. It's because your eyes are the same no matter what you're wearing or what you look like. Who you are on the inside, your soul, shines brightly from your eyes all of the time. That's the person I'm in love with. That's what I got lost in on the day we first met. My Sarah. My beautiful Sarah." Realizing what he'd just said, he blushed and looked down in embarrassment before raising his chin once more.
Sarah couldn't believe it. He'd done it again! Spoken from his heart. His words left her breathless, her insides buzzing, and her emotions coursing through her. She could clearly see the adoration and love shining in his eyes.
"Oh, Chuck," Sarah gasped. "I love you the same way. Always." Throwing her arms around his shoulders, she soundly kissed him. The CATS just stared at the couple with their mouths open, stunned at what they'd just heard. When their kiss ended Sarah wanted to say something else, but Carina spoke up, interrupting her.
"OK. Blondie, you need to get him out of here right now or none of us are leaving this room for the next week," the redhead smiled tightly around clenched teeth.
"Are you OK, Carina?" Sarah asked. She blushed when she realized what her friend was implying.
"Yup," Carina chirped. "Just go. You don't want to be late, do you?"
"Nope!" Sarah replied, popping the 'p'. "We do need to get going, Chuck." She reached for the black bolero she'd left draped over her desk chair and slipped it on. His eyes followed her every move. "Ready?"
"Sure thing. See y'all later." He opened the door and half waved to the remaining women as he ushered his girlfriend out of the room.
"Have fun," the elder CATS called after them.
When the door closed, the three roommates let out a collective breath that they didn't realize they'd been holding.
"That guy," Amy said in wonder.
"Yeah, that guy," Carina shook her head. If he were single (and Sarah wasn't around) there'd be a three-way cat fight for the right to possess him, she was sure of that.
"I think I had an orgasm when he was saying all of that stuff," Zondra admitted.
"Pfft! Orgasm," Carina scoffed. "I think I'm pregnant."
The friends looked at each other and snickered. Their snicker grew into laughter. The trio laughed until they had tears running down their cheeks. Damn, Chuck Bartowski! What a piece of work.
Chuck and Sarah held hands the entire walk to his car, sharing loving looks along the way and shyly giggling at each other every so often. They had to reluctantly part after she had gotten in and he'd closed her door. He quickly ran around to the other side, opened the driver's door, and jumped in, with a breathless smile. It wasn't long before their hands found each other again across the center console. Their fingers remained interlaced while Chuck maneuvered the car out of the parking lot and throughout the entire journey to the hotel which was located southwest of Stanford's campus where Sand Hill Road met the Junipero Serra Freeway. Following the directions he'd instantly memorized, they pulled up in front, stopped, and he hopped out. Sarah waited for him to come around the car so he could assist her in exiting, too. Their shared grins made it clear they both knew that they were playacting.
"I don't want to make you wait for me to park the car and come back, Sarah," Chuck announced, as he handed his key fob to the valet, receiving his claim ticket in return. The man nodded at Chuck's car in appreciation and it was quickly driven off.
"Thanks, sweetie, but you didn't have to do that," Sarah smiled. "But I'm glad you did."
"I wanted to. Can you blame me for wanting to spend as much time with you as I can?" His cheeks reddened.
"Not when I feel the same way, baby," Sarah admitted, giving his hand a squeeze. "So, where are we going?"
"The Rosewood Ballroom," Chuck replied. "According to the floorplan they gave us, it's to the right once we get inside." He tapped the side of his head with his free hand.
"I guessed you had stored up there, silly," she grinned. He snorted a one note laugh in reply.
Once the couple entered the lobby, Sarah noticed signs pointing the way to the ballroom. She pointed them out to Chuck and then giggled when he pretended to pout.
"So much for my great memory," he shook his head. "Just follow the signs. Anyone can do it." Sarah snickered at his feigned consternation. He looked pleased that his antics had made her laugh.
"Come on, you," she tugged his hand. "Let's find this soirée we're supposed to be attending." Now, it was Chuck's turn to laugh at her eagerness.
They'd made it about halfway down the hall when they heard their names being called from behind them. Turning around, they saw Alex and Morgan hurrying to catch up.
"I thought you'd already be here, Morgs," Chuck said, when the other couple joined them. "You left the room before I did."
"Yeah, I did," his friend began, but Alex interrupted him.
"But we had to stop by my parents' house for pictures. It was prom night all over again," she sighed.
"Same for us," Sarah interjected. "Except, it was the CATS doing the filming. A different kind of stress than the parents." Alex chuckled, trying to picture that scene in her head.
"Isn't Coach Casey coming tonight?" Chuck asked.
"Oh, yeah. They're right behind us," Morgan replied. "So, we better get a move on. If he gets in there before us, he'll probably make me run more poles for being late." He pouted, causing his friends to laugh.
Alex kissed his cheek. "That would be terrible, sweetie. We can't let that happen, you're already this year's Pole King as it is. Let's go!" She began to pull him down the hall while Chuck and Sarah followed behind, chuckling.
"You guys both look very nice tonight. By the way," Alex called over the shoulder of her very attractive little black dress.
"You, too, Alex," Sarah smiled. "You both do." She winked at Morgan. Chuck nodded in agreement.
His bearded friend shrugged as best he could with Alex's grip on his hand as she marched toward the ballroom. When the foursome got closer, there were signs announcing the "Stanford Baseball Banquet", so they knew they'd reached their destination. Alex and Morgan entered the ballroom ahead of them. Chuck let go of Sarah's hand and offered her his arm in exchange. When she threaded her arm through his, he smiled.
"I've learned a few things over the years," Chuck's smile changed into her special smile. "One of those things is how to properly escort a young lady. You ready?" She beamed at him.
"Yup," Sarah said, popping the 'p'. "Are you?"
"Nope," he replied, popping his 'p' as well. When Sarah looked at him, she could see that he was smiling mischievously.
"You'll do fine," she tugged on their linked arms.
"As long as we're together, Sarah," Chuck said seriously.
"Always," she said, nodding emphatically. Leaning in to share a quick kiss, they grinned at each other when they parted.
They were still grinning when they entered the ballroom.
"Wow!" Chuck exclaimed under his breath when he and Sarah got inside and saw the extent of the decorations, his grin changing into a look of surprise.
"Yeah," Sarah agreed.
Directly in front of the couple were enough linen-covered tables to seat all of the players and their dates, along with the coaches and their families. The dance floor was on the left side of the room where a table, loaded with the DJ's equipment, was positioned. A banner proclaiming "Stanford Cardinal Baseball Banquet'' was hanging on the far wall in the front of the room, opposite the entrance they'd just passed through. There was another table, holding something covered in a large cardinal cloth, below the banner. A podium was positioned a short way in front of the table. Three long tables positioned along the right-hand wall held refreshments. One was for alcoholic drinks, another featured regular beverages. The longest table, in between the other two, was laden with a selection of hors d'oeuvres arrayed around a huge centerpiece of the Stanford logo carved out of ice. As always, a Stanford staff member monitored the alcohol table. It was really unnecessary since the coaches had made it abundantly clear to all of the players that they had the playoffs coming up and were prohibited from partaking of the contents of that particular table. It was there for the coaches, their wives, and other adult staff. A few of the players' dates were enjoying drinks, much to the consternation of the restricted players.
"Would you like to get something to drink, Sarah? Maybe sample a few of the hors d'oeuvres?" Chuck asked. Inclining his head in that direction, he continued, "Alex and Morgan went in that way, too."
"Sure, Chuck. That sounds nice," she replied.
Nodding, he altered their course to head toward the right side of the room. Feeling her hesitate slightly, Chuck turned his head to look at Sarah. "Is there something wrong?"
She shook her head. "Wrong. No, not exactly wrong." Sarah answered softly, so no one near them would hear. "It's just that I feel a little bit like we're little kids playing dress up. You in that suit and me in this dress." She snorted.
"That. Right there. So much," Chuck agreed with a small smile. "Like, who are we trying to kid?" Sarah nodded. "This looks like it'll be fun, but if I'm being totally honest …" His low voice trailed off.
"If you were being totally honest, what?"
"Well, if I'm being totally honest, I'd be just as happy walking with you around campus. Sitting on our bench. Just the two of us. Sorry, but that's how I feel. If I'm being honest," he shrugged apologetically.
"Me too, Chuck. No reason to apologize. Just the two of us," she shoulder-bumped him. "In the meantime, let's keep pretending while we get a drink."
It was early yet, so the banquet hadn't officially begun. People were mostly milling around and talking. Some of the players and their dates were sitting around a few of the tables, evidently after having visited the refreshment tables. As Chuck and Sarah got further into the room, people began to notice them and called out friendly greetings.
"Looking good there, Bartowski," Mac Henderson said, acknowledging them with a lift of his chin. "I hope you didn't have a hard time getting him spiffed up, Sarah." The senior smirked.
"Actually, he did this all by himself," Sarah teased back, hugging Chuck to her side by their linked arms.
"Will wonders never cease," Mac chuckled. "By the way, you look nice, all shined up, too. Just sayin'."
"Thanks, Mac. You're looking pretty elegant yourself," she joked.
"Yeah, elegant. That's me," the big pitcher grinned.
They continued on to the regular drinks table, idly chatting with people as they passed. By the time they reached their destination, Morgan had left the drinks table and moved on to the table laden with trays of food; Alex in tow. Once Chuck and Sarah had secured drinks, the petite brunette caught their eye and directed their attention to Morgan as he piled two plates with a good number of the delicacies on offer. She rolled her eyes, shaking her head, but smiling, at her perpetually hungry date.
"You know, Morgs," Chuck smirked, "they're going to be serving us dinner tonight. You sure you want to load up on all of that stuff?"
"Dinner won't be for some time yet. I could starve before then," the shorter man replied. The others all scoffed at his pronouncement. "Besides, some of this stuff is for Alex, too." She shook her head, then held up her thumb and index finger with the smallest of gaps between them. Their friends snickered.
"Whatever you say, buddy," Chuck said, doubtfully. "Have y'all found out where we're sitting yet? If they even have us sitting at the same table?"
"No, not yet," Morgan answered. "I wanted to get some of the goodies before they're all gone."
Chuck looked at the nearly full trays on the adjacent table, looked at Morgan, then Alex, and finally Sarah and shrugged. Alex closed her eyes and shook her head at her boyfriend again, quietly giggling. Sarah was biting her lips to keep silent, but her eyes were dancing with amusement.
"We'll go find it," Alex volunteered. "You guys catch up. OK?"
"Thanks, Alex. We will," Sarah smiled and nodded as the other couple went off in search of their table.
"So, what do you fancy eating?" Chuck asked as he turned to survey the snacks.
Sarah's eyes widened in surprise at what he'd said. If he only knew. Why not tell him? After their afternoon yesterday and their talk last night, he knew how he affected her and how she felt. And she knew how she affected him and how he felt, in return. She decided and leaned closer to him.
"Besides you, you mean?" she breathed close to his ear. He visibly shivered, delighting her. I want you, Chuck, she thought as a pleasant warmth suffused her body. I'm patient, but I definitely want you.
He gulped and she couldn't keep the grin off of her face. His neck, under his collar, was turning red when he turned her head to look at her.
"Y—Yeah," Chuck stammered, smiling nervously. "What … um … food … on these trays would you like to try?"
"I don't know what all of these things are. Do you?" Sarah asked. He nodded. "OK, why don't you point stuff out as we go along and we'll work together to make selections that we can share. How does that sound?"
"That sounds perfect," he smiled, grateful that she hadn't continued to tease him. After yesterday, their desires were clear, but so was his continued fear.
It was fun talking over the merits of the various treats while they made their selections. When that pleasant task was completed, they turned back to the room and looked for Alex and Morgan. The room was becoming more crowded, so it took a little while before Sarah caught sight of Alex waving her arm, trying to get their attention. Sarah lifted her hand acknowledging that she'd seen her fellow Songbird. She touched Chuck's arm and pointed.
"Morgan and Alex are over that way, sweetie. Let's go join them."
"Sounds good to me," her boyfriend smiled. With Chuck holding both his drink and their plate of food and Sarah holding her own drink, they couldn't link arms or hold hands. They pouted at each other before they simultaneously sighed in resignation and set off toward the other couple with Chuck in the lead, clearing the way for Sarah to follow.
On the trek to where Alex and Morgan were sitting, they exchanged greetings with new arrivals. While Chuck had never formally introduced Sarah to his teammates, they all seemed to know her. He guessed it was due to her efforts on his behalf while he was lost in his episode. The thought that his teammates liked and accepted his girlfriend made him happy, causing his smile to widen into a full grin.
When they reached the table where Alex and Morgan were sitting, they noticed their names on the place cards for the two spots to the right of the chair Alex occupied. Chuck quickly put his drink and the plate of hors d'oeuvres down at his place. Then he turned and pulled out Sarah's chair so she could sit down. She was charmed by his efforts. Taking off her bolero and hanging on the back of the proffered chair, Sarah nodded her thanks as she sat down.
"Such a gentleman,' she smiled with a slightly teasing tone. The skin of Chuck's neck began to redden again, but he looked pleased, smiling her special smile as he took his own seat.
"I've never had a girlfriend before. So, I've never had the opportunity to do any of that stuff," he said, his smile turning wistful. "Except for a few of those … um … dates that I had back then. You're the first girl who seems to appreciate me doing those things for her. I know that you don't need me to do them, but I enjoy being chivalrous and … I guess pampering is the word to use. I enjoy pampering you, Sarah."
His wistfulness and heartfelt sweetness tugged at Sarah's heart. God, she wanted to kick the butts of all of those other girls who hurt this amazing man. But he was her Chuck and all of those other girls were idiots. Their loss is my gain, she said to herself.
"You can pamper me anytime you want, baby," Sarah told him lovingly. "Just be prepared when I turn the tables and want to pamper you." She put her hand behind Chuck's neck and pulled him into a soft kiss.
"I'll try," he said, when they parted.
Morgan's prediction of what the banquet would entail was only partly right. His description of the overall course of the evening was accurate, but the particulars were completely different. The hors d'oeuvres were the first indication that his friend's assessment would have to be amended.
"Chuck, those little treats were amazing. All of them," Sarah enthused, having savored every morsel.
"You're right, sweetie," Chuck agreed. "We made smart choices."
"Not really," she demurred. "The smart choice would have been to wait on dinner. Now, I'll have to run an extra lap around the lake tomorrow, at least." Her boyfriend snorted and shook his head but knew enough not to argue her point.
The Rosewood Sand Hill was a five-star hotel and the food reflected that fact. Dinner was far better than Morgan's concern about 'dry, overcooked chicken'. It started with a simple salad with a vinaigrette dressing. The main course was perfectly prepared chicken with hunter sauce paired with rice pilaf and green beans with shallots. Dessert was chocolate lava cake served with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and coffee. Sarah was still licking her dessert spoon when she turned to Chuck with a question.
"What did you think of our meal, chef?" she teased.
"Very good," Chuck proclaimed. "Hunter chicken is a classic dish and they pulled it off beautifully. Especially considering they're feeding a crowd this size and not just a single diner."
"Can you make it?"
"For you?" he asked. Sarah smiled sheepishly and nodded. "It would be my absolute pleasure. Once I get access to a kitchen again, that is." He grinned and she giggled. Looking over at his roommate, he went on, "What did you think Morgan? Better than the stuff they served at your high school banquets?"
"What I think is, dinner was much better than high school and I could use a second helping," Morgan answered.
"Of course, you could, babe," Alex chuckled. Morgan grinned and shrugged his shoulders. The four friends laughed about his seemingly bottomless pit of a stomach.
The Beard's prediction about the coaches giving speeches was spot on, though. Coach Graham spent some time praising the team for their efforts during the season to date. He didn't make a long speech, but he made every word he spoke count. And he finished with a flourish.
"… And you all know that the job isn't done. We've had a good season, so far, and made it to the tournament. That's not good enough. Not by half." Graham looked around the room, making sure to catch the eye of every player and coach sitting in the audience. "Yes, we're in the tournament. Now we have to win it. You've all seen this year's list of teams competing. Plenty of talent and power out there. We'll have our work cut out for us. It's going to be a challenge to make it to Omaha and to then take home the championship trophy." He paused to take a breath before he continued, his voice rising to a shout. "Are you up to the challenge?"
"YES!" Everyone in the room roared back.
"Damn straight!" Graham nodded in satisfaction.
Chuck cut his eyes toward Sarah. He'd been amused when he'd heard her join in the yelling.
"Pretty fierce there, Miss Walker," he teased.
"I'm done with singing competitions, Mr. Bartowski. I'm at a party and I'll yell if I want to," Sarah said haughtily. And only a tiny bit hoarse. Chuck caught her veiled song reference and giggled.
"My fierce ninja warrior girlfriend," he whispered dreamily, leaning in to plant a gentle kiss on her lips.
"I can see why Carina is always complaining about the two of you," Alex snarked, smirking.
"Hush you," Sarah said, glancing over at her friend before going back in for another kiss with her handsome date.
"Gag me," the brunette teased. The couple broke off their kiss when they both started to snicker, then laugh. Alex and Morgan joined in and began to laugh, too.
"You're one to talk, missy. The way you and Morgan are always running off together to parts unknown," Sarah snarked when their joint laughter had died down.
"Guilty!" Alex sang, not feeling it in the least. Morgan grinned and blushed. That caused the friends to start laughing all over again.
It was about that time when Coach Graham kicked off the presentation honoring the seniors. He spoke about each senior, in turn. The assistant coach, who coached that particular player, joined him at the podium to help present a shadow box which displayed one of that player's game jerseys. Each player was also given a DVD with the history of their playing days at Stanford, courtesy of Craig Turner's video production team. A portion of the player's highlights was then shown on a big screen that was lowered from the ceiling for that purpose. The underclass players had a good time teasing the seniors by cheering and booing each one as they went up to the front of the room to accept their gifts.
Once the senior presentations were concluded, it was time to hand out the awards to the players with the best statistics. Bobby Malcolm, the designated hitter and one of the seniors, won the batting title with a .310 batting average, while Sophomore right fielder Chris Ebersole took home the award for the most home runs with 19. Daniel Shaw, at first base, was awarded the golden glove as the top defensive player with a .991 fielding percentage. Workhorse Mac Henderson rounded out the award winners and, fittingly, was named the team's top pitcher. The audience stood while they cheered and applauded as loudly as they could making sure the award winners knew their efforts were appreciated.
Finally, it was the seniors' turn, so they gathered together on stage. It was their job to hand out the highlight award for the evening. In other words, they were responsible for the Pole King trophy. Daniel Shaw and Mac Henderson shared the podium with the rest of the seniors grouped around them. Carlos Gomez, the team's starting catcher, held the award where the audience could see it. The trophy itself was an actual piece of one of the foul poles that had been saved when the poles had been replaced some years back. It was painted gold and mounted on a short wooden pedestal. The pole was topped by a small golden crown studded with imitation gemstones. It was never a surprise which player would be so honored. This year was no different.
Shaw was grinning as he began to speak. "In the time-honored tradition of other august institutions such as the Friars Club, the Marx Brothers, and the Three Stooges, we, the seniors of Stanford baseball, do recognize one among us who has risen above all others." There was some chuckling in the audience.
Mac Henderson spoke next. "We would call him a prince among men, but his exploits have gone so far beyond the norm that we cannot call him a mere prince. Nay, nay! Circumstances and proper decorum required by all those who populate polite society demand that we name our honoree a king among men. Dare we say a giant who strides … a lot (laughter) among us poor, benighted mortals!" More people were beginning to laugh.
The entire group of seniors roared out, "Morgan Grimes! Pole King! Come on down!" Lots of clapping and laughter. Some people were cheering.
"And hurry up or you'll have to run more poles," Coach Casey called out, causing the volume of laughter to at least double.
Morgan had been getting redder and redder as the presentation went on. Alex had whispered something in his ear and he'd returned her sympathetic smile.
"You OK, Morgs?" Chuck had asked. As long as his friend wasn't upset, he was OK with it all. Everything was meant in good fun. But if he was bothered by anything? Well, that was a different story entirely.
"Yeah, I'm OK, Chuck, don't worry about it. After all, I earned the title honestly," Morgan had smiled and shrugged as he got up from his seat and jogged to the front of the room.
When he got there, Carlos handed him the trophy while the other laughing seniors clapped him on the back and shook his hand to congratulate him. Then they pushed him in front of the podium and its microphone.
"Speech!" they called out.
"Well … ahem," blushing, Morgan cleared his throat. "I'm honored to be this year's Pole King. I deserve this trophy. After all, I worked hard for it." Laughter and cheers from the audience.
"The goal is to make sure you don't win it two years in a row, Grimes," Casey growled. The crowd erupted in laughter. Kathleen sat next to him shaking her head. Morgan laughed along with everyone else, even though his face was beet red. He shared a nod of understanding with Casey, then waved and walked back to his seat. He'd have to give back the trophy at the end of the evening, but would receive a certificate and a smaller version of the trophy to keep when he did so. All part of the tradition. When he got back to their table his friends greeted him with understanding smiles. Chuck squeezed his shoulder and Sarah gave him a hug, but Alex's kiss soothed him the most.
Once the seniors returned to their seats, Coach Graham took the podium. "Normally, this is where we'd thank everyone for coming out tonight and turn you all loose to hit the dance floor. And we are definitely doing that in just a second, but, first, there's one more thing I want to say." He rolled his shoulders and adjusted his tie. Gripping the sides of the podium, he continued. "This year we had a unique and extraordinary event. One of our own received a devastating injury. It not only impacted him, but the entire team and the wider Stanford community, as well." Chuck's eyes widened in surprise. He reached for Sarah's hand, only to find that she was already reaching for his. Graham went on. "Due to the members of this team, on and off the field, this family, pulling together, along with a lot of other people across campus and around Palo Alto … and being so ably and heroically led by a recent addition to our family, who so happens to also be the team's most ardent and vocal cheerleader …" Sarah gripped Chuck's hand tighter. He could see she was blushing from the corner of his eye. "… He was able to fight his way back to us. A long and difficult battle from which he is still recovering. So, I'd like to name Chuck Bartowski the Comeback Player of the Year. And recognize Sarah Walker for her tireless efforts to help Chuck win his fight. Chuck and Sarah, please stand up!"
Chuck's eyes were glassy and he could tell Sarah's were too when they shared a look. They stood, as requested, keeping their fingers intertwined, waving self-consciously with their free hands. Everyone rose to their feet once more and applauded.
A voice in the crowd yelled, "Don't try to kiss baseballs anymore, Bartowski. Kiss Sarah instead!" There were some gasps from the audience, but a few chuckles, too. They grinned at each other and obliged the request. The room cheered.
People were dancing. Some of the attendees had opted to make early exits, but most had stayed to enjoy a bit of relaxation. That was especially true of the players and their dates, knowing that they'd be back on the field the next day hard at work preparing for the first playoff round later that week.
Sarah looked longingly at the dance floor, hoping to join in the fun. Even Alex and Morgan were out there having a good time, but, so far, Chuck hadn't asked her to dance. The dancing hadn't been going on all that long, but she was still envious. They were sitting side by side at their table, but turned slightly to watch the couples dancing. To Sarah's eyes, Chuck looked like he was content to watch other people having fun. Sitting and merely watching wasn't for her, though. The music was kind of loud, but the DJ was good at picking songs and mixing up the different types of music and tempos. With all of the noise, she started to lean forward to get his attention, so she could ask him to dance, when she saw the look on his face. He was focused on the people enjoying themselves and smiling. It wasn't until Sarah looked at his eyes that she saw the sadness and yearning swirling there. His smile wasn't so much happy as wistful, once she took a second look. This has been his life, she knew. On the fringe. Never included. Just sitting on the sidelines. Always alone and watching. Sarah felt his unspoken pain like a stab to her own heart. She could fix this. And maybe have a bit of fun in the process.
Reaching out again, her fingers lightly caressed the back of his right hand where it lay on the table. His arm wiggled slightly and he turned his head to look at what she was doing.
"Chuck?" she said close to his ear, her warm breath ruffling a few strands of his regrowing hair. His shoulders shimmied a little and he shook his head a tiny bit. Sarah smiled. I hope he's always this susceptible to me, she thought.
"Hmmm?" he asked, turning more and tearing his gaze away from what she was doing to his hand to look at her face. She continued her light caresses, switching to drawing random patterns and, every so often, tracing the lines of one or another of his long fingers. He shivered and her eyes began to sparkle when he visibly swallowed.
"Chuck?" Sarah repeated.
"Yessss, Sarah?" He drawled. "What … ah … can I do for you?"
"Plenty, but I'd settle for you taking me over there to dance." His eyes widened in surprise and he blushed, looking over toward the dancers, so Sarah leaned her chest against his back and put her left arm around his shoulder, with her lips close to his ear. Her opposite hand kept up the ministrations she'd already begun on his right hand. Chuck was beginning to squirm in his chair, but he didn't move his hand away.
"I've not danced hardly at all, Sarah," he said, sounding just a little breathless. "You've seen my victory dances, haven't you?"
"I definitely have," she nodded, still caressing him. "But, here's the thing. You've never danced with me before, baby. I'm a pretty good dancer, if I do say so myself."
"But I'm not," Chuck complained.
"I can teach you, sweetie. If you let me. Will you let me teach you, Chuck," Sarah breathed in his ear, cracking the 'k'. She could feel him slump a little, his resolve weakening. He softly groaned.
"OK, I'll dance with you, but If you don't stop what you're doing it'll be a while yet before you get your wish," he said, looking pointedly down at his hand resting on the table. Sarah followed his gaze.
"Wha-? Oh! OH!" she couldn't stop a giggle from escaping her lips. "I'm sorry, baby. I wasn't trying to do that!" Sarah pulled her hand away, but didn't feel guilty in the least.
"Uh-huh," Chuck said, looking doubtful. "Somehow, I don't believe you."
"I really wasn't. I swear. I just wanted to get your attention so you'd go dancing with me and that's the truth," she protested.
"OK, if you say so."
"I do," Sarah nodded. "But I'm not sorry about finding out you like me caressing the back of your hand. You did like that, didn't you Chuck?" She cracked the 'k' again. He looked like he was hesitant to answer her question, then he sighed in resignation.
"Yes, Sarah. I liked it," he admitted, the color creeping up his neck until his ears turned red.
"Good to know," she looked at him frankly and smiled. Chuck closed his eyes and shook his head. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him to his feet and headed for the dance floor. "Come on, baby. It's time for your first lesson." He wondered if she was still talking about dancing.
Sarah hadn't been exaggerating, she was a great dancer. To Chuck, she seems to flow like mercury in human form, wrapped in a very alluring red dress. He would never get tired of watching her moving to the music. Nor would he ever forget it. She was also a very good teacher and Chuck turned out to be a quick study. She demonstrated some simple steps and he was able to replicate them enough to follow her lead and avoid stepping on her toes. Most of the time.
"Relax, Chuck," she encouraged him. "You're doing fine." Her heels brought her much closer to his height and she found she enjoyed that very much.
"But I keep stepping on your toes. What about your beautiful shoes?" he replied, whining a little.
"You and ladies' shoes. I swear," Sarah grinned at him. He snorted, shaking his head. "Don't worry about my shoes. They don't matter to me. You do."
"Thank you, Sarah." He smiled in appreciation.
"You're welcome," she nodded. "Now, just watch me and follow along. Listen to the music and let its rhythm fill you up."
He did as she asked. Slowly, bit by bit, he relaxed and began to truly enjoy himself, dancing to fast songs and slow songs, alike. Sarah watched as he stopped thinking (as much) about each step and began to feel the music. Chuck was no dancer by any means. Not yet. But he was very teachable and her time with the Songbirds had proved she was a good instructor. Images of future dance lessons flitted across her mind's eye, causing the smile she already wore to grow bigger. The hour was getting late, but neither one of them bothered to look at the time.
Unbeknownst to them, Morgan and Alex had danced over near where the DJ had his setup located. During a short pause in the music, Morgan put a request in for a song and pointed back toward his friend and his date.
"You mean the tall guy with the blonde in red?" the DJ asked.
"Yup," Morgan nodded. "That's them."
"No problem. I'll take care of it," the DJ bumped fists with the bearded catcher.
Turning back to the dance floor, Morgan whispered in Alex's ear. "It's for you, too."
"For both of us, you mean, don't you?" Alex grinned. Her date grinned at her and nodded.
Soon after Morgan had made his request, the DJ made an announcement over his speakers.
"Sorry folks. It's reached that time. It's 11:00 and that means it's time for the last dance. Everyone, grab your partner and get ready to trip the light fantastic one final time."
Almost all of the people still at the banquet converged on the dance floor.
The DJ went on, "The last song tonight was requested by Alex and Morgan and it's dedicated to their friends, Chuck and Sarah." There was a smattering of applause around the dance floor.
Chuck looked over at his friends and waved his arm in a shooing gesture, blushing and sheepishly grinning. A tug on his arm brought his attention back to his girlfriend.
"Can you stand one more dance, baby?" Sarah asked hopefully.
"I can do more than stand it, Sarah. I'd love to dance with you again," Chuck said honestly, just as the music started. She smiled. Both of them recognized the song. Holding each other closely, they began to dance.
Wise men say
Only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you
"I did rush in last fall, but I'd have been a fool not to, sweetie," Chuck softly said. "And I really couldn't help falling in love with you. My beautiful Sarah." His heart seemed to swell with his love the longer he looked at her.
Sarah's eyes had already been stinging just listening to the lyrics, so realizing that they were misting up after hearing what he'd said, wasn't much of a surprise. She couldn't help falling in love with this man in her arms. She'd never known anyone so deserving and needing love than her Chuck.
"I didn't have a chance, either, Chuck," she smiled warmly. "Defenses I'd spent years constructing began to crumble the moment I met you. How could I not fall in love with you?"
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you?
Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be
It was meant to be. That was the only explanation for why Chuck had picked their practice room, of all of the places on campus, to hide in all those months ago. They were meant to find each other.
"You running into Helman Hall at just the right time, while we were there practicing. So we could meet. It was meant to be, baby," Sarah said, seeing the same certainty and love in Chuck's eyes that she was sure he could see in her own.
"I was a goner from the beginning, I just didn't know it," he smiled, pulling her closer.
Take my hand
Take my whole life too
For I can't help falling in love with you
Their eyes widened at the song's words, but neither one looked away. No words were necessary. Their smiles and their eyes spoke volumes. With each verse, their dance was slowing down as they got lost in each other.
Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be
"Finding you is the best thing that's ever happened to me, Sarah. You've changed my life. Your friendship and love, combined with your strength and intelligence, mean everything to me. Thank you for loving me and thank you for working so hard to bring me back. I love you," Chuck whispered in her ear. Sarah shivered from the touch of his lips on her sensitive skin and the feelings he'd conveyed. She had to swallow the lump in her throat.
"I love you, too, baby. So much. I had to bring you back. I had no other choice. I can't live without you," she whispered back. By now they weren't really dancing, just slowly swaying to the music as they held each other as tightly as they could, feeling every inch of each other. Other dancers watched them and smiled. More than a few did so through glassy eyes.
Take my hand
Take my whole life too
For I can't help falling in love with you
For I can't help falling in love with you
The song ended. Chuck and Sarah stopped swaying after a few moments and just stood holding each other. Pulling back slightly, their eyes met. Sarah looked lovingly at her Chuck and smiled. Chuck smiled back in that special way of his that warmed her all over. Eyes shining, they reached for each other and shared a soft loving kiss. The kiss deepened and lasted a while, raising eyebrows and putting smiles on the faces of the teammates and friends around them. No one even thought to disturb the happy couple.
Finally parting, they kept their heads close together, playfully rubbing noses.
"I love you, Chuck," Sarah whispered, resting her forehead on his.
"I love you, too, Sarah," Chuck answered, just as quietly. "Always."
A/N2: Chapter title comes from the song by Roy Orbison. Sort of self-explanatory. The song that Chuck and Sarah are dancing to at the end of the banquet is "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley.
A/N3: For my fellow fashion Neanderthals, a shrug is a cropped, cardigan-like garment with short or long sleeves cut in one with the body, typically knitted. A bolero is a more formal garment of similar construction but made of stiffer fabric, essentially a short tailored jacket. (Wikipedia)
A/N4: WillieGarvin has my continued thanks for all of the time and effort he puts into working with me to get my chapters into something worth reading. You're the best, my friend.
A/N5: Thank you for reading. Please drop me a PM or leave a review. Let me know what you think. For those of you who have left reviews or PMs previously, thank you. I appreciate each and every one of them. Thank you to everyone who's followed or favorited this story, too. Your support means a lot to me.
A/N6: If you enjoy Chuck fan fiction here on the fanfic site, go over to Facebook and join the Chuck Fanfiction group that's there. You'll find nice folks who share your interest in our favorite spy couple. You are not alone.