It's a Wonderful Cover Life
A/N 2013: One chapter closer to a new update. *chews nails*
A/N: I'm gonna jump right into the thank you's today:
Firstly to Nervert who hasn't jumped this crazy ship yet. You do wonders for my self-esteem and my grammar. To quistie64 – even though you burst my bubble by subtly pointing out that kids don't come with off switches *wink*, Maggie wouldn't be as believable without you. To BDaddyBL who stepped in on very short notice and finished the beta in Nervert's absence. That was a really fun back and forth. To AgentInWaiting for supplying me with valuable information on blood alcohol levels. To mxpw for 'confirming' Sarah's weight. See? We do research.
You're curious now, aren't you?
Before you skip ahead to the chapter, though, thank you for reading and especially for reviewing. I'm still in awe about the number of responses to this story.
I don't own Chuck.
53. The Impossible Reservation
Chuck stood in front of the row of teddy bears, his arms crossed, drumming his fingers indecisively against his elbow. He never knew the I'm sorry range was so extensive. None of the bears, however, conveyed the message I wish I knew what I'd done wrong.
After last night he was sure that Sarah's animosity, or at least the bulk of it, was directed at him. When she'd finally emerged from the bathroom, she'd slipped into bed with a barely audible "goodnight" and had turned her back to him. He could practically feel the temperature under the comfy duvet plummet several degrees. He hadn't gotten any sleep himself and had spent the night staring at the ceiling. By four thirty Sarah had gotten up, had changed into her workout gear and had left the room without so much as looking at him. Three hours later he'd found himself alone at the dining room table, not in the mood for his cereal, but eating it anyway under Casey's watchful eye. The big man had begrudgingly served him, giving Chuck the option to either eat, or lose a limb. Apparently Casey had eyes and ears everywhere and his hostile demeanor had confirmed Chuck's suspicions further – he was in the doghouse and he had no idea why.
The same as Morgan, he thought and sighed. He should probably make time and have a chat with his bearded friend. That way, at least one of them would be put out of their misery.
Big Mike stepped up next to Chuck, thoughtfully chewing a bite of chocolate éclair. He swallowed, scanned the bears and then turned to Chuck. "The flowers didn't work, huh," he said.
"No, it did," Chuck replied, regretting his honestly immediately when Big Mike was speechless for a second and then burst out in a boisterous laugh, causing most of the patrons to look at them. Oblivious to the attention, he slapped Chuck on the back.
"Twice in one day?" Big Mike coughed once his laughing fit was over. Then he shook his head in disbelief and dropped his voice so only Chuck could hear. "Between you and me, I'm stepping out on my lady and I don't get into trouble that much."
"Uh, that's good to know," Chuck replied, not sure if that was the right thing to say. He would've pointed out how crappy it was to be on the receiving end of a cheating partner, but what went on between his boss and the lady Big Mike was none of his business. Besides, Chuck thought, apparently he had enough problems of his own.
"This girlfriend of yours – " Big Mike said before he took another bite of his treat, leaving Chuck in suspense until he'd chewed about half a mouthful. "She sounds high maintenance." Chuck discreetly stepped out of the way of the tiny spit laden projectiles as Big Mike spoke. "Are you sure she's worth the trouble?"
The question gave Chuck pause. He and Sarah weren't dating. There was no reason for him to go out of his way to apologize. But still, he hated to see her upset. Before he could come up with an answer for Big Mike, his cell phone rang, the screen showing Awesome striking a body builder pose. Chuck excused himself and as soon as he entered the home theater room for some privacy, he answered the call.
"Got your beep, bro," Devon said without preamble. "What's up?"
Chuck quickly explained his dilemma. He'd figured that it was a safe option to take Sarah out to dinner, but as he didn't move in the same circles as the rich, he had no idea where to make a reservation or even how to get one on such short notice. "And Devon," he ended, "I need you to be awesome about this. Not a word to Ellie. You know how she gets."
"No problemo," Devon said. "Have you ever heard of Totoraku?" he asked.
Chuck eyebrows knitted together as he scratched the back of his head. "Can't say that I have, no."
"That's the beauty of it. It's the most exclusive restaurant in L.A. and very few people know it exists."
"Okay," Chuck replied, rather puzzled. "How would I know if the food's any good then? Do the critics like it?"
"No idea," Devon replied. "No one's allowed to write about it. And forget about getting a reservation. Unless you know the chef or a customer recommends you, they won't even answer the phone."
Well that's helpful, Chuck thought sarcastically. He was about to share the comment with his soon-to-be brother-in-law, but didn't get the chance.
"Does eight o'clock work for you?" Devon asked.
"To do what exactly? Take Sarah to a restaurant so we can sit on the sidewalk and stare at it all night?" Chuck didn't mean to be snarky, but it seemed that nothing was going in his favor today.
"Of course not, Chuckster." Devon laughed, oblivious to Chuck's mood. "I know the chef. Probably should've mentioned that. I treated Mr. Oyama last week and he was so grateful he gave me the restaurant's real number and promised me a table anytime. Give me thirty minutes and you'll be all set."
Chuck heaved a relieved sigh. "Devon," he said, never being more sincere, "you are truly awesome."
"I know, bro," Devon replied. "I know."
54. A Spanner in the Works
Getting an early start had paid off. They'd managed to finish the first draft of the sales agreement by lunch, after which Sarah had treated Carina, Beckman and herself to hot stone massages at a local spa. Feeling relaxed to the core, she slipped into her little black Versace. Tonight was just what she needed – a break from the insanity that had become her life.
She'd managed to put Chuck out of her head for most of the morning by focusing on work. By the afternoon she'd decided that what had happened last night could actually be to her benefit. If Chuck were to cross the line with Lou, she'd have a legitimate reason to kick him out of the house. Then she could play the sympathy card to get Beckman to go through with the deal. But halfway through her massage reason had won out and she'd realized that the lie wouldn't hold up. How on earth would she explain that she had willingly given up custody of her daughter to her cheating husband? She was stuck with Chuck Bartowski, at least for the time being.
Just as Sarah had zipped up her dress the bedroom door was flung open.
"Sorry I'm late," Chuck said, a little out of breath, "but there was an avocado explosion at the store and you won't believe the damage it could – " He stopped talking when his gaze fixed on her, her hand still on the zipper tab, and his eyes grew wide. "I should've knocked."
"It's okay," Sarah replied, cutting herself short before she said something stupid again like a few nights ago. She bent down to retrieve a pair of shoes. "The bathroom's all yours," she told him as she made her way to the dressing table.
"Thanks. I'll be done in two ticks." Chuck literally jogged past her and closed the door.
Trying her best to ignore the sound of the shower, Sarah started to carefully apply her makeup. She was almost done when Chuck reappeared, wearing only a towel. Her eyes travelled unintentionally and she caught the dark dusting of chest hair covering his pecs before her gaze snapped back to her own reflection. She lifted the mascara brush, pretending that she hadn't looked.
"I forgot my clothes," he said sheepishly and, without waiting for a reply, hurriedly crossed the room. Sarah caught another glimpse of him in the mirror. She'd imagined him being lean and gawky, but to her surprise that wasn't the case. He didn't have washboard abs or clearly defined biceps, but she could make out the muscles in his back move with every stride. Actually he was pretty average looking, which didn't explain why her pulse suddenly quickened and she was having trouble swallowing.
Tearing her eyes away from the towel hugging his butt, she took a deep breath in an effort to return her body to its natural rhythm. It had just been a while, she told herself, ignoring the little voice that tried to remind her that her breakup with Bryce was a mere three months ago and that the excuse didn't fly.
"Our reservation is for eight," Chuck said as he stepped back into the bedroom, pulling Sarah from her thoughts. Now dressed in a dark suit with the top button of his blue shirt still undone, he looped his tie around the flipped up collar. Without tying it, he sat down on the bed to pull on his dress shoes. "Even with traffic we should easily make it."
"What reservation?" Sarah asked.
Chuck looked up from his laces, meeting her gaze in the mirror while his fingers kept working. "For dinner."
Sarah turned her stool to face him, chewing on her bottom lip. She'd probably have to redo her lipstick, but that was the furthest thought from her mind. "Chuck, I'm not going out with you tonight."
At her response his hands froze. "But Beckman is expecting us to go on a date."
"She's expecting us to leave and return together. Carina and I are going to a club in West Hollywood, but if I'd known – " It didn't occur to her that Chuck would assume that they'd go on a date to keep up appearances.
"That's okay," Chuck cut in, "it's no big deal. I should have asked." He turned his attention back to his shoes. "So I guess we'll come up with a cover story for where we've supposedly been," he said without looking at her. The indifference in his tone threw her and Sarah had to remind herself that she was angry with him.
"That's the plan," she replied lightly. She straightened and gathered her purse and jacket from the bed.
Chuck got to his feet too and gave her a once over, his face unreadable. "You look nice by the way," he remarked before disappearing back into the bathroom.
55. The Babysitter's Club
Chuck closed one eye, cocked his head to the side and assessed his tie in the mirror. "Straight enough," he told his reflection. Then he ran his fingers carefully over his curls and once he was satisfied that he'd caught and fixed every unruly one, he smoothed out his jacket.
He heaved a sigh. "All dressed up and nowhere fancy to go."
He considered swinging by Morgan's to have a long chat about the do's and don'ts when it came to your best friend's daughter, and maybe to play some Duck Hunt, but the Armani and curfew would be very hard to explain. His second thought was spending time with his sister, but a text from Ellie had informed him that she was working. Devon was home, but the last time he'd 'hung' with Awesome, it had been rather literal. The blood still rushed to his head every time he thought about being dangled by his ankles from whatever Devon had called that particular torture device.
His options were severely limited. Going to the restaurant by himself seemed a little pathetic so he settled on a movie. He would ignore any odd stares he got due to his attire, find himself a dark corner in the theater and have popcorn for supper. With his mind made up he went back into the bedroom, grabbed his wallet and headed for the door.
Sarah was waiting on the landing. "Ready?" she asked. He nodded and almost jumped back when she reached for his tie and readjusted the knot. "Then we should probably go."
She turned and made her way downstairs with Chuck following a step behind, still embarrassed that he'd just assumed that Sarah would want to spent time with him outside of their arrangement. He didn't know what he was thinking. Absorbed in his thoughts, he almost bumped into her when she suddenly stopped in the living room doorway.
"Maggie, don't drink that!"
His eyes automatically snapped to his daughter, who'd been sitting at the coffee table coloring. Her little hands were awkwardly wrapped around a martini glass and she was about to take a sip when Sarah had startled her. She jerked, causing the glass to tilt and its contents to spill on her shirt. Chuck jumped into action, but Sarah beat him to it. She stooped down to Maggie's level, carefully took the glass from her and handed it back to her uncle. "What were you thinking?"
Chuck missed Roan's reply. Maggie's lower lip had started to quiver and he knew tears were not far behind.
"Are you mad at me?" Maggie asked Sarah in a small voice.
"No one's mad at you, Boo," Chuck replied as he knelt next to Sarah.
"It was an accident," Sarah said, running her hand soothingly up and down Maggie's arm. The little girl didn't seem convinced. "It wasn't your fault, okay?" she tried again with a comforting smile and wrapped her hand around Maggie's before straightening. "Why don't we go change your clothes and it will be like this never happened."
Chuck got to his feet too just as Beckman entered from the kitchen. "What happened?" she asked when she spotted the stain on Maggie's shirt. Roan averted his eyes, if only for a second, but Beckman didn't miss it. "What did you do? Have you never been around kids before?"
So much for that romance, Chuck thought when Roan nervously cleared his throat under Beckman's unwavering gaze.
"Not since this one was little," Roan answered, gesturing at his niece, "and that was decades ago."
Sarah's jaw dropped in shock and Chuck decided it was a good time to make a run for it. Maggie had started to cry, so he scooped her up, forcing her to let go of Sarah. He lifted her shirt and blew a raspberry on her tummy, both to distract her and to avoid getting soaked in Vodka himself.
"I'll go change her," he said to no one in particular before turning to leave the room.
56. Can't Shake That Ball and Chain
"So I take it the old ball and chain is getting a little heavy," Carina quipped once they'd taken their seats at the end of the bar.
Sarah gave her a sour look. "One more word about my fake marriage and I'll have your name added to the terror watch list and go tour Europe by myself."
"Fine," Carina said. "But if there's something you want to talk about – "
"I'm good," Sarah cut her off, even if she was far from it. Chuck had been unusually quiet during the drive to a nearby mall and she couldn't help but feel like she'd kicked his puppy when she'd watched him disappear through the doors with sagging shoulders. She knew he hadn't been crazy about the idea of leaving Maggie with someone he barely knew, but she'd assured him that she'd asked Casey and Gertrude to keep a close watch, even if Beckman had promised to not let Maggie, and Roan in particular, out of her sight.
Deciding to stick to her own resolution for the evening, Sarah consciously pushed the thought aside when the bartender served her and Carina drinks they hadn't ordered.
"From the gentlemen," he said, indicating to a group of men sitting at a table nearby.
With perfectly coifed hair and blinding smiles, Sarah wouldn't be surprised if they'd just stepped off the pages of the latest GQ. Bryce-clones, she thought to herself. Nonetheless, she and Carina politely tilted their glasses in a thank you gesture. One of the men stared intently at Sarah before turning to get the barman's attention.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," the barman said when he returned, "but the gentleman wanted to make sure you understood that the drink was just a friendly gesture and nothing more. They don't want any trouble."
Carina barely stifled her laugh when Sarah asked "What kind of trouble?"
The barman wiggled his ring finger. Sarah caught on when her gaze dropped to the diamond and wedding rings that adorned her own.
"Of course." She offered him a polite smile and waited until he'd left before turning to Carina. "Why didn't you say anything?"
Carina held her hands up defensively. "You threatened to turn me into a terrorist on paper."
Sarah huffed in response. The night had started on a low point and she wasn't going to extend that by arguing. Instead she tried to slip the rings off her finger, but couldn't manage to get it past her knuckle. "Oh, frog legs," she mumbled just as the background music stopped.
This time Carina couldn't help herself and chuckled. "What was that?"
Sarah, not in the mood to be made fun off, replied sarcastically. "I'm trying something new."
57. Flower, Flower on the Wall
It was junior high all over again. Sarah watched as yet another man cut in, his attention so focused on Carina that he'd missed the scowl on his predecessor's face. The latter caught her eye and Sarah gave him a small smile. It was acknowledged with a polite chin jut before he returned to his table without so much as taking a step in her direction. Of all the nights for chivalry to be alive and well, she thought as she pushed her empty glass across the bar and indicated for another. At least the bartender mixed a mean mojito. She absentmindedly twisted the rings around her finger while she waited.
Sarah contemplated giving Casey a call, but she'd already done that an hour ago and he'd assured her that everything was under control and that Maggie was asleep. Gertrude had confirmed it when Sarah had phoned her half an hour later. She'd also added that the little girl was the perfect angel and there were no other incidents to report.
"Man, I'm exhausted." Carina slipped onto the empty barstool next to Sarah, snatched her drink away as it was served and, ignoring the straw, taking a big gulp.
"Hey," Sarah protested, "get your own."
"Yours always tastes better." Carina winked suggestively. "It's such a shame we took the geek out of play. He's sure wearing that suit. Talk about pretty."
"The word is sexy. You don't refer to a guy as 'pretty'," Sarah pointed out, belatedly realizing that she'd walked right into Carina's trap when the redhead smirked.
"So you've noticed."
Before Carina could embark on yet another lecture, Sarah jerked her head in the direction of the dance floor. "Having fun?" she asked, almost managing to not sound sarcastic.
"Someone should," Carina said, taking another sip of Sarah's mojito. She scrunched up her nose. "Wow, these are really strong. How many have you had?"
"Three, give or take," Sarah lied. Three was when she'd stopped counting. She missed the barkeep holding up five fingers to Carina behind her back.
"Well," Carina said, "at least your night is about to improve." She indicated towards the entrance and Sarah turned her head, groaning when she spotted Chuck.
"What's he doing here?"
"I called him," Carina replied, sounding very proud of herself. "Friends don't let friends spend the evening playing wallflower and it's the best I could come up with on such short notice."
Sarah huffed, gesturing towards Chuck as he fumbled his way through the crowd. "Which part of 'not a word about my fake marriage' was unclear to you?"
"The part where you showed up wearing those," Carina retorted, pointing to Sarah's rings. She'd tried her best to keep her left hand hidden all night, but somehow word had spread quickly throughout the club.
"I thought you said it was a bad idea," Sarah replied in a last ditch effort to get Carina to take pity on her and not leave her alone with Chuck. After their earlier exchange it would just be awkward.
"When have you ever listened to me?" Carina asked and held a palm up before Sarah could respond. "Without getting into trouble," she added. Sarah had no comeback for that. "Besides," the redhead continued, "he's got that tall, dork and sort of handsome thing going on. Maybe you should reconsider."
"Oh don't let that fool you," Sarah told Carina. "Underneath it all, he's just like the rest of them."
"One can only hope," Carina replied and slipped of her perch. "Just go easy on him. He looks like the type who startles easily." She gathered her purse. "And don't wait up for me," she said as she sent a seductive smile and a small wave over Sarah's shoulder to the opposite end of the bar. "I'm taking Giovanni home so I can…brush up on my Italian."
Before Sarah could enquire whether she was talking about the man or the language, not that she really wanted to know, Carina was gone.
"Hi," Chuck said beside her, leaning in close to be heard over the music. Sarah could feel his breath on her cheek and she forced herself not to look at him until she sensed him pull away. Seconds later he was occupying Carina's seat. "Carina said you needed a ride."
That made no sense, Sarah thought. Though her mind was a bit hazy – maybe that give-or-take mojito was one too many – she distinctly remembered that they'd come with her car. She wanted to tell Chuck that, but then she noticed his tie was slightly off center and his hair was messier than before, probably from running his fingers through it like he had a habit of doing, so instead she asked "Do you want to dance?"
Chuck was surprised, but only for a second. "I'm not much of a dancer, sorry."
Sarah acknowledged the statement with a small nod. She didn't know what she'd been thinking anyway. After that the conversation dried up and they sat in silence for a while, until it became too uncomfortable.
"You're welcome to dance with someone else if you want," Chuck said. "I won't be offended."
"I'm good, thanks," Sarah replied, fighting the blush that was starting to rise up from her neck. She wasn't about to admit that her evening had been a bust, especially not after she'd turned him down earlier.
Chuck opened his mouth, but the words died on his lips when his attention was diverted by the bartender placing a tequila shot, with all the trimmings, in front of him. "They want to know your secret," man behind the bar told Chuck, indicating to the same group who'd ignored Sarah after they'd sent over her first drink. Chuck's eyes darted bewildered from them to the barman to Sarah and back to the barman.
"Uh…tell them – " he stammered, "a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell." He winced at the cliché, but the bartender accepted the answer and left to convey the message. A cheer went up from the other table and Chuck turned back to Sarah, flushing to his roots. "What's that about?"
Sarah gave him an innocent look and half a shrug. "Aren't you gonna drink that?" she asked, changing the topic.
"I probably shouldn't, seeing as I'm driving."
"It would be a shame to let it go to waste," Sarah said and reached over unceremoniously to claim his drink. She'd decided she was going to take Carina's advice and have a little fun. If Chuck wanted to sit next to the bar, stiff as a lamp post, that was his prerogative.
She licked the side of her fist before covering the spot with a layer of salt. With the shot glass in hand, her eyes locked on Chuck's, and when he swallowed nervously, she got an idea.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm gonna show you and every guy here just what you've been missing."
His eyes widened slightly at her sultry tone and got even bigger when she slowly ran her tongue over the white granules. With a smirk she tilted her head back and poured the liquid down her throat. Ignoring the burn, she slammed the glass down on the counter and picked up the lime wedge, offering it to him. Still stunned, Chuck instinctively bit into it. Before he could react to the sour sting on his tongue, Sarah's hand snaked around the back of his neck and she pulled his head down.
It took him a couple of beats to respond and when he did, Sarah's eyebrows shot up in surprise. His lips were warm and inviting, and despite his claimed aversion to PDA, he kissed her back with equal fervor. Lime aside, he tasted faintly like popcorn and milk duds. The sour salty sweet combination was strangely intoxicating. Chuck's hand had found its way to her hip as he shifted forward on the barstool in an attempt to close the gap between them. Sarah's free hand fisted the front of his shirt to prevent him from taking a tumble. Where the lime went, she had no idea – she was too focused on the way his mouth moved against hers.
The nerd had skills.
As his fingers dug deeper into her skin, a whistle broke through the blood rushing in her ears, reminding Sarah that they were in a public place, and she broke off the kiss, trying to not make it obvious that she was short of breath. As it was, Chuck could probably hear her heart pounding. His eyes were closed, however, and she considered making a beeline for the ladies room, but he still had her in his grasp and, between the effects of the alcohol and that kiss, she doubted that her legs would work properly.
Finally, Chuck's hand fell away and he opened his eyes slowly. He just sat there, as dumbfounded as she was, and when another tequila shot appeared in front of him he grabbed and downed it, ignoring the salt and lime routine.
"I think we got the gist," he croaked out after a small coughing fit.
Sarah opened her mouth to reply, and then closed it again without saying anything. An apology seemed unfitting, and telling him it was a mistake would be insulting – both would've been lies anyway.
A/N: Just a note – according to Chuck math, if you throw Sarah and Carina together they are going to end up at a bar and drink tequila. Basically, quistie64 wrote SOMII before she read this chapter, and I wrote this without reading SOMII, so any similarities are pure coincidence.