Chapter 5-The Dinner Date
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Chuck knocks nervously on Sarah's front door.
"John, could you get that?" He hears Carina yell from inside.
John opens the door a few minutes later. "What?" He says grumpily.
"Great to see you again too." Chuck says sarcastically.
John grunts.
"I'm starting to think those grunts are some kind of mating call. Sorry dude but I'm not into you."
Before John gets a chance to do bodily harm to Chuck he is pulled away by Sarah.
"Bye everyone I'll see you later. Be good Travis." Sarah says before closing the door.
"You have to be one of the bravest men I know." Sarah tells Chuck as they walk to his Ford F-150.
"Why do you say that?"
"John Casey is one scary man and you just taunt him like he doesn't scare you."
"Oh, but he does scare the crap out of me. I just know that you or Carina will come to my rescue just in time before he eats me alive."
Sarah and Chuck laugh.
While riding in the truck…
"So where are we going?" Chuck asks.
"I don't know."
"Well you did invite me on a date."
"Correction, my sister invited you on a date will me."
"More like ordered us on a date."
"She's a very forceful woman."
"I see why John likes her sooo much. So how about the usual dinner and a movie?"
"Sounds good to me."
"I know this great little Chinese restaurant…"
Suddenly some guy on a bike rides in front of the truck. Chuck slams on the brake and puts an arm in front of Sarah so she doesn't go flying forward.
"Are you okay?" Chuck asks.
"I'm fine. Could you…" Sarah gestures to Chuck's hand which is currently cupping her right breast.
Chuck quick removes his hand. "I'm so sorry. I'll go check on bicyclist. Stay in the truck."
'Great job hero, now she thinks you're a perv.' Chuck tells himself.
"Sir, are you…Morgan?!" Chuck quickly picked up his best friend from under his truck.
"Yeah, pal, thanks for not running me over."
"Sorry about that. I was distracted with other things."
Morgan stood on the tip of his toe and looks at the gorgeous blonde in the passenger seat.
"I would have run over me too." Morgan says.
Chuck pulls out Morgan's broken bike from under the truck. "I'll fix it for you."
"Thanks. Can you just drop me off at the Golden Dragon? I'm dying for some sizzling shrimp."
"We're actually on our way there."
Chuck puts the broken bike in his trunk and Morgan sits in the back seat. Chuck sits in the driver's seat.
"Are you okay?" Sarah asks Morgan.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Morgan Grimes, Chuck's best friend." Morgan says extending his hand.
"Sarah Walker, Chuck's date."
"So do you work with Ellie at the hospital? Has anyone ever told you you look like Vicki Vale?"
Chuck clears his throat.
"Um…no and no. Who's Ellie?"
"Chuck's sister. She's always trying to hook him up with nurses from her hospital."
"You know, in the old days when someone clears their throat it was a sign to the person who was talking to stop talking."
"I thought you were just clearing your throat. You did have that cold last week. Boy you should have seen him, he had snort running down to his chin, his eyes were blood shot red…"
Chuck snuck a look at Sarah who has a disgusted look on her face.
"Would you like you get out here, pal?" Chuck asks Morgan.
"Alright I won't say anything about how sick as a dog you were."
"Thanks."
They finally get to the Golden Dragon. They get seated at a table. Sarah excuses herself to use the bath room.
"So buddy, you know I love having you around and all..."
"Hey, I totally get it."
The waiter arrives and so does Sarah.
"Everything okay?" Chuck asks as he holds out Sarah's chair.
"Yep."
The waiter leaves.
"I took the honor of ordering for us already." Morgan says.
Chuck sighs. He thought Morgan was going to leave. He didn't want Sarah to think he was a mean guy if he told Morgan to leave.
"Don't worry Chuck, I ordered the usual."
"Thanks Morgan."
The appetizers came in less than 3 minutes.
"Egg rolls!" Morgan says, taking one in each hand."
"So how did you become a handy man?" Sarah asks Chuck, trying to ignore Morgan trying to stuff two egg rolls into his mouth.
"Well I went to Stanford for electronically and mechanical engineering for four years. After that I did another couple years to become an architect. I just graduated two years ago. I worked with my dad at his company for a couple months but left after some… creative differences."
"Yeah, it's hard working with your parents. In Washington I use to work with my father at his accounting firm, Burton and Company Accounting."
"Burton? As in Jack Burton, owner of a Fortune 500 accountant company?" Chuck and Morgan say a little too loud.
"That would be him."
"But why'd you change your last name?" Morgan asks.
"I kept getting that reaction. I just didn't want to be known as 'Sarah Burton, the millionaire's daughter.' Men only wanted to get with me to get to my dad."
"So what do you do know?" Chuck asks.
"I own my own independent accounting company. I can work from home, set my own hours, not have to answer to anyone, and take care of Travis."
"Who's Travis?" Morgan asks.
"My son."
"Son?" Morgan says looking at Chuck.
"Yep, she has a 1 year old son."
"Just like Natty!"
"Natty is…"
"His niece and goddaughter. She doesn't have a godmother yet. You know, Chuck is great with kids. He volunteers every Saturday at the local elementary school and shows kids how to build bird houses and stuff. He even built them a new playground and gym!"
"Wow, you really have time to do all that stuff and be a handy man?"
"It helps me keep my mind off other things."
"Like what?"
"Like his cheating ex-wife."
"Morgan!"
"I mean, you can't really call her a wife. They were only married for a month."
"Morgan shut up!"
Sarah touches her purse. "I think somebody's calling me."
"It didn't ring." Morgan says.
"It's on vibrate. Excuse me." Sarah stands up and walks to the bathroom.
"See what you did?! You're scaring her away. I thought I was helping. You're always saying you're not ready to date."
"Well I think I am now. Morgan, I really like this girl."
"Even if she has a kid?"
"Especially if she has a kid."
"Why?"
"It just shows a lot about her character. She's a strong woman that doesn't need a man to tell her what to do or how things are done. She can have a career and a family. And Morgan you know that I want a family of my own. I think I can start a family with Sarah but that won't happen if you're here."
"So you want me to leave?"
"Since you got here?"
Morgan looks down at the table. "Oh."
"I'm sorry, Morgan."
"No, it's alright. I understand. I'll just make myself a doggy bag and leave."
"How are you going to get home?"
"I'll walk."
"4 miles?"
"I'll get a taxi."
Morgan was putting some food in a container when Sarah walks over.
"Something wrong?"
"I think it's time I go my separate way and let you two have your date."
"Oh, um, about the date, we're going to have to cut it short. Carina called and she needs me home."
"Okay, no problem."
Chuck lays a fifty on the table and they leave.
They arrive to Sarah's house. Chuck gets out first to open the door for Sarah. Once she is out, Morgan sits in the front seat and starts fiddling with the radio.
Sarah takes out her keys. "Sorry for cutting our date so short. I had a…well; I've never had a date like this before."
"I bet you haven't. There's no other date like a Chuck Bartowski date."
Sarah was putting her key into the socket when the door opens.
"Sarah? Why are you back so soon?" Carina asks.
Chuck looks at Sarah who was probably trying to make up an excuse.
"It's my fault." Chuck says, saving Sarah.
Sarah and Carina look at him.
"I totally forgot I had a breakfast meeting with some realtors and needed to finish up some blue prints. Maybe we can do the movie another time."
"Whenever you're free." Carina says.
"Okay. So I'll see you whenever, Sarah. Bye."
"Bye. Thank you…for everything."
Chuck just waved a hand good-bye as he walks to his car.
"Guess she wasn't the one?" Morgan asks.
"Just like all the rest. Let's get some drinks."
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I had a different ending for this chapter. If you want to read it send me a PM. I wanted to show what a nice guy Chuck still is even though he keeps getting rejected.
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