"Things are going rather seamlessly tonight, hm?" Nathan had somehow appeared at Sydney's side and almost caused her to jump.
"It would seem so, though I can't say the same for what happens afterwards." She was looking at Jess and Brynn, once again on the dance floor together with Eric all but staring holes into them.
"Could be worse…"
She turned and looked into Nathan's eyes. "Could be so much better." Her tone was…helpless, which Nathan wasn't expecting.
"Hey…" He put a hand on her arm. "What's wrong?"
Sydney shook her head and looked away from him. "It's nothing…stupid, really."
"Hey, history man!" Abbi's irritating voice cut into their conversation. "Dance with me."
"Abbi, I'm talking to someone."
She shrugged. "Doesn't look like a very interesting conversation. Come on, I wanna dance."
Nathan closed his eyes, trying his very best not to let out the string of insults currently coming to mind. "Please give me a minute here and we will, okay?"
"Ugh, fine." She looked at Sydney. "Don't you have something you should be doing?"
"Oh, I have plenty of things I'd like to," Sydney replied, a forced smile on her face. Abbi stormed away.
"Syd, I am still so sorry about this…"
Sydney took a deep breath, refusing to cry. "It's fine. This just isn't, and never will be, my holiday." She forced a strained laugh, hating how she sounded.
"It isn't over yet," Nathan said, trying to get her gaze back, but she wouldn't look at him.
"It doesn't matter…God, Nathan, I'm sorry. I'm acting like a child. I'm the one who told you that today didn't matter, so none of this should be bothering me."
"I'm glad it's bothering you." She looked at him again, questioning his words. "It lets me know that you really did want to be with me tonight." Sydney's skin turned pink immediately. "Just remember, the night isn't over." He winked at her and made his obligatory way to Abbi.
"Sydney?" Sydney turned to the voice that had called her name. It was Jason, the acting stage manager for the evening.
"That tone doesn't sound very good."
The man cringed a little. "We're gonna run short."
"What?"
"The cellists…their flight was cancelled – weather."
"What? There isn't a flake outside!"
"Yeah…not here yet, but they were flying in from their stop in Cleveland and…"
"Great, so there goes twenty minutes. Figures, things were going so smoothly and…" She had an idea. It was a bit of a long shot and she'd have to deal with Abbi again, but… "Don't worry, I might have a at least a few minutes of filler." She left Jason behind and went to the dance floor. Abbi was trying to nuzzle against Nathan's cheek, but he wasn't having any of it. She tapped the woman on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, but I really need to cut in."
"You have got to be kidding me," Abbi snapped. "Absolutely not, he's my date!"
Nathan groaned and rolled his eyes. "For the hundredth time this isn't a date, and you certainly can't speak for me."
Abbi sweetened her voice. "Nathan, hon, I'm a guaranteed thing as long as you can keep me happy tonight and her cutting in will not make me happy."
"Well, then, it's a very good thing I have absolutely no intentions of taking you up on that offer. Now, if you'll excuse us, this sounds a little more important than…that." Nathan all but pushed the woman away.
"I'm telling Joe!" She sounded like a five year old.
"That I don't want to sleep with you? Okay, good luck with that." He turned his attentions back to Sydney and took her into his arms. "I meant it when I said I can waltz," he said, completely changing his tone. "Now, what can I do for you, gorgeous?"
Sydney blushed, but remembered that they had to appear as friends only. Her words were fast and frantic as she explained the missing cellists and the shortage in Arlen's very well planned evening. "I can give the comedian another five minutes and the last speaker time for any questions, but…" She bit her lip, hating to put him on the spot. "You seemed so at home at the piano on Christmas Eve and sounded so…Oh, God, Nathan, I'm sorry to even ask…"
"Of course I'll help you." They exited the dance floor and Nathan returned to his table for a moment, interrupting whatever vapid things Abbi was telling Joe about him.
"She said what?" Joe asked. Sandra was sitting in her seat, her face red. Abbi was sitting as well, her face contorted into one of disbelief.
Nathan was rather unhappy that he had to "tattle" on Abbi, but there was no way he was letting her twist the situation around and possibly risk his professional relationship. "Look, Joe, I…"
"You said she'd behave, Sandra." Joe's voice wasn't angry, more like tired.
Sandra glared at her sister. "I had her word."
Abbi rolled his eyes. "What? He's hot and he's single, of course I wanted to sleep with him…bit boring though…and rude."
"I'm rude?" Nathan's eyes went wide. "Have you heard a single word that has come out of your mouth this entire evening?"
Sandra looked up at him. "Nathan, I apologize for her behavior. I truly wasn't expecting this from her."
"Nothing for you to apologize for, really. She's a big girl and nobody else is responsible for her. Besides, I need to excuse myself anyway. There was a bit of a problem and I need to fill in."
"Fill in?" Joe asked. Nathan simply nodded and made his way backstage.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Sydney said, her arms flying around Nathan's neck. "You have no idea how much this means to me."
He smiled. "Of course I do." He kissed her cheek. "You do know that…" He stopped himself.
Sydney tilted her head. "What?" Her voice was soft.
He licked his lips, as they'd gone dry. "I would do anything you asked of me. I can't say that about anyone else, except Susan of course."
Guilt struck Sydney's chest then, leaden and sickening. Why was she choosing to hide this wonderful man from those she loved? It was selfish, wasn't it? "I'm scared," she whispered…and Nathan understood exactly where her mind had gone.
"I know and it's okay. There's no rush." If she needed to protect herself, so be it. It didn't change his feelings for her one bit. "Want a front seat?" he asked, the half smile that drove her crazy now formed on his face. She nodded wordlessly and left him.
Sydney joined Brynn, Jess, and Eric, at their reserved table and quickly explained the changes in the line up. She and Jason had reworked everything down to the second, just as Arlen had.
"So, Nathan's filling in?" Jess asked, his eyes alight.
Sydney nodded. "Yeah, he was happy to get away from…an unfortunate favor this evening."
"I'll bet," Jess laughed. Sydney raised a confused eyebrow. "Met her when I took her coat. Real piece of work, that one."
Sydney had no chance to agree with Jess, as Nathan had seated himself at the piano, alone on the stage. She couldn't help it when she stared at him like a lovesick teenager. Jess was the only one watching her though; her secret was safe.
"Where did I find you? Did I remind you of the boy at the Louvre? Watching you move, behind oil for five hundred years…"
"Wow," Bri whispered. "Pretty, but I've never heard it before."
Sydney's voice came, hushed and dreamy. "He told me he dabbles a little…maybe it's his."
"Out of the furnace, into the forest and the harvest of my youth…Tell me the truth, do you? Does anyone, anymore?" He felt himself smiling for a myriad of reasons, but none more so than her. "I have come to believe if a man does his deeds, while he's missing the wine, he's already died, he's already died a hundred times."
The piano filled the otherwise silent room, even the wait staff had stopped bustling about. Sydney's eyes welled with tears. He was flawed, sure, isn't everyone? But he was so beautiful. She wished more than anything that she could push aside her fears, that she could stand up on the table and proclaim to everyone around her that she loved…
Oh, God…I do…Nathan's eyes found hers as he continued. "Do you remember seven Septembers of sacred rendezvous…" Sydney blushed for so many reasons. "Spreading…only for you. Will you remember
tipping the vendor, and how we used to groove? Spreading…" Still looking at only her, he went on. "But my fear and my pride left a shadow inside, with a note on the door and a card on the floor…Like a hundred times before."
"He's pretty good," Eric commented.
"I know we said we'd cool it on the topic, but why is it you aren't you dating him?" Brynn asked. Sydney chose not to answer; she didn't know how to respond to that question anymore.
"First it was nearly, then it was barely…Now it seems pretty far. When you were tipsy, I was a wizard with a silver star…" Sydney thought of Nathan rescuing her from the Christmas party and her first tear fell. She wiped it quickly and nobody noticed, save for Nathan. "I will spare the details of the rocks and the nails…and the times that I've lied…Can't lay down tonight…I've already tried a hundred times…"
Sydney excused herself as the last few notes of the piano graced everyone's ears. It was as simple as saying she had to get ready for things to wrap up. Jason had run to the restroom and Sydney was to be the last on stage, so nobody else was there when Nathan walked away from the piano.
"That was beautiful," she said, her tears falling freely.
Nathan wiped at her tears, his own eyes glossy. "It was for you," he whispered. "I was planning on it being a little more intimate later tonight once everyone else was…but…I think it worked."
"You…wrote it for…"
He smiled. "Been working on it since December."
Sydney's head spun and she found herself needing to sit. "You're amazing."
"Maybe," he chuckled, "but not until recently. How about I stay tonight, help you with the cleanup and…"
"Don't go." They were the only words she could muster. Her chest was tight, her eyes stung, and her heart was racing. She had fallen hard and was scared to death. She heard the office phone ring and reluctantly left him.
When Sydney stepped into the spotlight for the final time that evening, her emotions were evident on her face. "I would like to take a moment to thank all of you for your support tonight. I just spoke with our absentee host and…" Her breath hitched. "…while he has just lost a loved one, he is so very grateful for the support of everyone in this room." The room erupted in applause. "He was supposed to be wrapping up this evening for us with a dedication to his love and the new life they will be starting together. While they can't be here tonight, the sentiment remains the same." She wiped at her eyes. "I certainly can't do it the justice it deserves, so the original recording will need to suffice. I invite everyone here out onto the floor for one last dance, and we all thank you so much for all of your contributions this evening."
Nathan had returned to Joe's table and was watching Sydney intently. Joe noticed this and commented. "She's quite the individual, isn't she? Taking this on with short notice and still not missing a beat the last day we had classes."
"She is," Nathan agreed. "Joe, you and I both know she can only do good in the district, but…please, don't string her along if someone's relative is guaranteed an in."
"Nate, I told you I'd fight for her and I meant it…even more so now. We need someone who actually cares, not someone who just wants a job." The music started and the conversation ceased.
Sydney exited the stage as the track began, her heart finally slowing. She listened to the words Arlen had picked for David and couldn't help but relate them to Nathan. "Sweet love, sweet love, trapped in your love…I've opened up, unsure I can trust…My heart and I were buried in dust…Free me, free us…"
Sydney was leaning against the wall closest to the stage, watching the sea of couples before her. Arlen had done something so wonderful tonight…and couldn't be there to witness it. Her heart broke all over again.
"You're all I need when I'm holding you tight…If you walk away I will suffer tonight. I found a man I can trust and boy, I believe in us…I am terrified to love for the first time." She found Nathan's eyes and smiled at him, sending a very clear message across the room. "Can you see that I'm bound in chains? I've finally found my way…I am bound to you…I am bound to you."
Nathan swallowed hard. He knew she would come out and say those words to him, not yet, but he was okay with that. He knew that her walls were falling down and that was enough.
"There aren't any rules that say you can't ask her out, Nate," Joe whispered to Nathan, catching on to the look they were giving one another.
"So much, so young, I've faced on my own…" Nathan walked across the room, but Sydney had disappeared into the back hallway. "Walls I built up became my home…" He found her in the shadows, away from the crowd and the other members of the staff. "I'm strong and I'm sure there's a fire in us. Sweet love, so pure…" He smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist, then lacing their fingers together, they danced. "I catch my breath with just one beating heart and I embrace myself, please don't tear this apart…"
Nathan kissed her neck once again, so much tenderness in the simple act. "I found a man I can trust and boy, I believe in us. I am terrified to love for the first time…" Tears streamed down her cheeks, for so many reasons and Nathan understood each and every one of them wordlessly. "Can you see that I'm bound in chains? I've finally found my way…I am bound to you…I am bound to…"
As the music swelled and Nathan held her, she let everything go. Her guilt over Rachel, her slight anger at Jess for not going with his uncle, her buried jealousy over what Arlen was soon so have…and her fears that everything she was feeling for Nathan was going to crush her as it always seemed to. "Suddenly the moment's here, I embrace my fears, all that I have been carrying all these years…Do I risk it all? Come this far just to fall? Fall…"
Nathan stilled their bodies and held her as tightly as he could, his own chest tight with emotions of his own. "You just cry, baby," he said, his voice so soothing to her.
"I have entrusted, boy, I believe in us…I am terrified to love for the first time…Can you see that I'm bound in chains? And finally found my way…I am bound to you, I am, oh I am…I'm bound to you…"
The music stopped and applause and the shuffling of chairs and feet could be heard. People were leaving, happy. Sydney, clearly embarrassed, looked up at Nathan with her red eyes. "I cry around you…a lot," she said, wishing for a tissue.
Nathan wiped under her eyes with his thumbs. "I threw a glass at the wall." Sydney laughed, which caused him to smile. "As long as I can make you smile again, you can cry to me whenever you need to."
"You'll regret those words if we ever watch a sappy movie while I have my…oh, God…I almost just said that."
"I live with Susan, I'll have the heating pad and the Midol." He winked at her kissed her cheek. "I'm going to go tell Joe that I'll find my way home."
***Details – Robert Downey Jr.***
***Bound to You – Christina Aguilera***