A/N: Chuck and Sarah are thousands of miles apart with only video chats and letters to help ease their loneliness. How are they handling their separation? How are their friends handling their separation?
Disclaimer: I keep meaning to ask about Chuck ownership, but I never manage to send the letter. So, yeah, that means I don't make any money from Chuck. No ownership, no money.
Chapter 45 – Nights in White Satin
Tuesday June 25
Ellie Bartowski was in a bad mood. She had been in a great mood when Sarah called her to ask if she could come over and pick up the package Chuck had sent her from Massachusetts. Ellie had been all too happy to acquiesce to his request to hold it for his girlfriend when he'd called last week. It had arrived in the mail the previous day, Monday. She'd sent a text to let Sarah know the mysterious package had arrived but the new grad student hadn't had time to come over before this afternoon.
It had been a while since she'd seen her younger friend and she had been looking forward to catching up. Moving into a bigger two-bedroom apartment with Devon had taken all of Sunday, just as Sarah and her friends were swamped with settling into their new living quarters across campus. Monday was the first day of classes and that meant a tidal wave of information accompanied by initial assignments. When she hadn't heard from the rookie DPT student, Ellie chalked it up to the blonde needing to adjust to her new reality and thought no more about it. The package could wait, even if it was hard for the older woman to restrain her itchy fingers.
And, Ellie readily admitted to herself, she had been very interested to find out about what her brother had asked her to hold for his girlfriend. It had taken a good bit of willpower for the med student not to tear it open to assuage her curiosity. So, when Sarah had called, she'd been excited at the prospect of seeing her friend and finally finding out what the package contained.
But when Sarah arrived, Ellie was immediately distracted by the new jewelry the younger woman wore. Her mother had told her that Chuck had given Sarah some gifts when the couple arrived at the Bartowski home last week after Sarah's graduation festivities. Unfortunately, she hadn't provided any details, no matter how much Ellie begged her.
That's for Chuck and Sarah to tell you, Mary had told her.
"Did Chuck give you that necklace?" Ellie exclaimed. "It's beautiful."
"He didn't tell you about it?" Sarah was surprised.
"No, he didn't. The little sneak," the brunette pouted. Sarah grinned. "Mom told me he gave you something, but she refused to tell me more." Then she looked at the blonde's wrist.
"And the charm bracelet? He gave you that too?" Ellie barely bit back a squeal. "Oh, Sarah. You're practically engaged! We're almost sisters!" Ellie gushed.
"Woah! Slow down, Ellie," Sarah smiled at the older woman's enthusiasm, but held her hands up, gesturing to match her words. "Chuck and I have a long way to go before we reach that stage. Believe me."
"I know. I know," the med student nodded. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to rein in her excitement. "Tell me all about it. Please."
Smiling at the older woman's girlish excitement, Sarah did just that. Ellie's mood began to darken as the story went on, but she masked her feelings as best she could. Then Sarah asked for the package and opened it, much to the brunette's relief. That is, until she saw what the package contained. Instead of some pictures or some sort of goofy souvenir, as she had assumed, the package contained two envelopes. Two envelopes with long letters inside each one.
"Why would Chuck be sending you letters? Aren't you two talking to each other on the phone?" Ellie was confused.
"Yeah, we are. We talk every evening. Video calls even," Sarah confirmed.
"So why the letters? Why not say everything during your video chats?"
The blonde shook her head and gave the older woman an exasperated look. "I asked Chuck the same thing. He told me that 'Phone Call Chuck' wanted to talk about the fun things. The silly baseball stuff. What it's like being on Cape Cod in the summer. He wants to make me happy. That way I won't worry about him. So, I can concentrate on my studies and kick DPT school's butt. His words." A small smile with a snort of amusement. Ellie just shook her head at her brother's naiveté.
"And the letters?"
"He says that's 'Letter Chuck' and won't even acknowledge anything except to assure me that it's him writing them," Sarah shrugged at Ellie's weirded out expression. "I know. 'Letter Chuck' pours out his heart to me. Tells me how miserable he is being there by himself. How much he misses me and can't wait to come back here. Makes me cry every time I read them. The big jerk." Her eyes were getting glassy by the time she finished speaking, but she was smiling.
"He is a big jerk. How does his writing emotional letters that make you cry jive with him wanting to keep you happy so you can concentrate on school?" Ellie wondered.
"I'm not sure, exactly, but the fact that I haven't told him that his letters make me cry might have something to do with it," her friend admitted.
"You're as big an idiot as he is, you know that right?" Sarah bobbed her head from side to side a bit before reluctantly nodding. "Why doesn't he just forget all of this nonsense and come home?" Ellie groused.
"What would he do, Ellie? Where would he live?" Sarah asked. "Sure, he can come back just like that." She snapped her fingers. "But he'd be going stir crazy after a day or two without a ton of stuff to keep him busy. His building isn't ready. His house isn't ready, either. Remember how he was when he got out of the hospital after his injury? He was going nuts with boredom and that was after just a couple of days." She shrugged. "Besides, playing on the Cape is one of his dreams and I'm determined that he fulfill his dreams, not push them aside because of me. If he does that, sooner or later he'll start resenting me. And I can not bear the thought of that. I love him too much and need him too much to allow that to happen."
"You're both idiots but I can't figure out which one of you is worse," the older woman sniffed. Sarah grinned, bouncing a shoulder. "You're going to go off and read these letters and cry your eyes out, aren't you? But you'll save every one of them. Reread them and cry some more, won't you?"
"Yup, every one," Sarah admitted, already teary-eyed at the prospect.
"Are you writing him letters too? Pouring your heart out to him in return? He deserves a dose of his own medicine, you know."
"I am," Sarah confirmed. "But I'm not sending them to him."
"Why not? That makes no sense!" Ellie was incredulous.
"Think about it, Ellie." The younger woman tilted her head and raised her eyebrows. "If I tell Chuck what I'm really feeling, he'd drop everything and come rushing back here. It would be wonderful in the short term, but he'd be in the same situation that I just told you about."
The older woman sighed. "Are you ever going to give them to him?"
"Definitely. Once he's back here and we're together and this summer is all behind us." She paused. "But only after I make sure he knows for certain that I was one hundred percent in favor of him being in Massachusetts. And that I don't regret anything, even if I was lonely while he was gone."
Ellie had relented when she saw the determination on her friend's face and heard the sincerity in her voice. She'd also promised not to say anything to Chuck whenever she talked to him. Even though he was being so dense and really needed someone to knock some sense into that big brain of his.
Mutually agreeing to stop talking about her doofus of a brother, their conversation drifted on to discussing Sarah's new apartment and their respective academic schedules. They'd even made vague plans for a girls' night out in the coming weeks when they could arrange everyone's schedules. With that, the friends parted ways.
After she shut the door, Ellie thought back over Sarah's visit. Her mood had brightened as their conversation moved on from her younger sibling, but now was turning sour once more. Her stupidly sweet brother and all his nonsense. He was so damn clueless, but, somehow, he was managing to be romantic and write love letters. Amazing letters, if Sarah's reaction was anything to go by. Damn it.
Devon had returned to the apartment during the post-Chuck part of her and Sarah's discussion. He was all hot and sweaty from his standard pre-dinner workout. Ellie complained about the stink when he'd tried to give her a kiss on her cheek. Usually, she liked how her boyfriend's natural scent was enhanced by his athletic exertions. The way his damp clothing clung to his muscular physique only added to the effect he had on her. One of his workouts normally resulted in her accompanying him into the shower where she made sure he was completely clean, including the hard-to-reach places. Especially the hard-to-reach places. And the joint shower was typically followed by wonderful rounds of lovemaking that left the couple happy and sated. With Sarah there, she couldn't do any of that, adding to her frustration. Devon came into the room right then, interrupting her dark thoughts. That meant his shower was over and she'd missed out completely. It was one thing too many and the normally level-headed woman snapped.
"Hey, babe. Did Sarah leave?" Devon asked innocently, unbeknownst.
"Letters, Devon Woodcomb," Ellie fussed, ignoring his question. "I want letters."
"Letters?" her boyfriend asked, confused.
"Yes, letters," she nodded emphatically, visibly agitated.
"What kind of letters?" he asked, not understanding what she was talking about. He could tell she was upset but couldn't for the life of him figure out why. She seemed to be having a good time visiting with Sarah when he'd gotten home earlier. What had happened while he was in the shower?
"Love letters!" Ellie clarified, her tone implying that he wasn't very bright.
"Love letters?"
"Yes. Love letters," the brunette sounded exasperated.
"But why? I'm right here. Why would I send you love letters when I can just tell you how I feel about you right to your face?" Devon was being logical. That was the wrong approach and definitely the wrong thing to say.
"Why indeed!" Ellie pouted, suddenly very dissatisfied with her beau. "I want letters, Devon!" She repeated, stomping her foot so hard her body shook. Her pout deepened into a frown as her eyebrows drew down. "You need to go!"
"Go? Go where?" he asked worriedly.
"I don't know!" his girlfriend answered sharply. She paused, thinking furiously. Her eyes flew open in inspiration. "Africa!"
"Africa? Wha- What are you talking about?"
"Yes. Africa. You could join Doctors Without Borders. You need to go far away from me where you'd be miserable. You'd be lonely and miserable and you'd write me long letters where you'd tell me how miserable you are and how much you loved me and how much you missed me. And how you couldn't wait until we were together so you could hold me and kiss me and we could make love again. And I would read the letters and cry my eyes out." Ellie was spiraling and Devon didn't know what to do. "But I wouldn't throw the letters away. No, I'd keep them. I'd tie them together with a cute ribbon and cherish them forever. And I'd read them over and over and cry my eyes out every time because I loved you and you loved me and we missed each other so badly. Because you went all the way to Africa without me!"
Ellie had never acted this way before. Of course, he hadn't been around the Bartowski home during the previous Christmas holiday to witness her and Chuck's joint meltdowns. If he had, he might have recognized the similarities to his current predicament. He didn't know what to do, so he tried to make her see reason. What else could he do?
"Ellie. Babe. I can't join Doctors Without Borders. Not yet, at least. You have to be an actual doctor to do that. You know? For real. We're barely second-year med students. A long way from being real doctors. No way I can go to Africa now," Devon pleaded, hoping he was getting through to his distraught girlfriend. "Besides, why would I go that far away without you anyway? I couldn't stand being that far away for that long if you weren't there with me." That last part seemed to reach Ellie, since her stormy countenance cleared slightly and she met his gaze.
"Really?" Ellie asked, almost teary eyed. "You couldn't stand it?"
"Nope," Devon answered with a firm headshake. "Not even for a minute. I'd never go to Africa without you."
"Awww. That's sweet," she declared, still pouting, just not as much. Grabbing his hand, she turned toward the bedroom, tugging him after her. "If you're not going to Africa, I guess I'll just have to settle for sex then."
"What? Settle? Waddaya mean, settle?" he complained indignantly. "Since when is having sex with me merely settling?"
Ellie looked back over her shoulder and huffed at him. "Stop your whining. I need some lovin' right now, Devon. Please?" She asked as she pulled him into the bedroom. He nodded his head, feeling a bit mollified. And more than a little turned on.
Devon really wanted to know what brought all of this on. With her talking about going away, did it have something to do with Chuck? And Sarah? Getting that information could wait. First, he needed to help the love of his life take her mind off whatever had upset her.
Some time later they lay side by side trying to catch their breath as their pulses slowly returned to something approaching normal. Devon looked over at Ellie and noticed that she had a contented smile on her face.
"You seem happy, El."
"I am happy, Devon. That was fantastic. I really, really needed that. More than I realized," she replied, her smile growing into a full grin.
"Just what the doctor ordered, huh?" he joked.
"Yup," she giggled, her eyes shining. "You can operate on me anytime, doctor. Your bedside manner is particularly effective."
"Ha!" he laughed. "I'll keep that in mind." Drawing in a deep breath and slowly blowing it out, he took a chance on ruining his girlfriend's newly reacquired good mood. "Are you happy enough to tell me what caused you to be in such a bad mood in the first place?"
Ellie rolled onto her side to face him. He did the same. "Sorry about that, sweetie," she apologized, gently reaching over and putting her hand on the side of his face. "When Sarah was here, she told me about how Chuck was writing her these sweet letters where he pours his heart out to her. Real love letters. Every day. That's what was in that package, by the way, two letters from last Wednesday and Thursday."
"Really?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm guessing he'll send one every day now that he knows her new address."
"Every day?" Devon asked, his voice going up an octave. Ellie nodded, biting her lower lip. "I gotta admit that I kinda hate Chuck a little bit right now." She barked out a laugh and he grinned.
"I know how you feel. I'm more than a bit jealous of Sarah, myself."
"Ya think?"
"Hush you. Need I remind you that you're naked and some interesting parts of you are well within my reach?"
"Oh, I'm well aware, babe. Believe me," he acknowledged. She snorted.
"It is kind of amazing, though," Ellie allowed. "Chuck is just so clueless. Honestly clueless. And yet …"
"And yet?" Devon prompted.
"And yet he does the most romantic things."
"There's more than him writing letters?"
"Oh, yeah. You don't even know about the stuff he gave Sarah when they were down at the house after she graduated. Before he left." She proceeded to give her boyfriend the story of the book, necklace, and charm bracelet. When it was over, he let out a low whistle.
"Now I really hate your brother," he grinned. Ellie laughed loudly before leaning closer and giving him a warm kiss.
"I know what you mean. They're both kind of annoying. He does all this romantic stuff without any idea at all what he's doing. And she's so besotted with him that she lets him go off to the ends of the earth so he can do all of that stuff." She shook her head at the other couple's antics.
"Maybe so, but sooner or later Chuck's going to wake up and finally put aside his fears. And when he does …" He let the sentence hang unfinished.
"Oh, God. All of that pent up emotion? From both of them? Their raging hormones? Unfulfilled desire for each other for so long? Good grief! They'll be even more annoying. Like two bunnies. Insatiable."
Devon grinned as he slid his hand up her torso until he was cupping her breast. His thumb gently caressed her nipple and felt it respond. "Speaking of insatiable …"
"Do tell," Ellie said smiling, her voice husky. Her own hand trailed down his chest until she reached a spot that turned her smile into a knowing leer.
Neither one of them thought about Chuck or Sarah or letters for a good long while. Needless to say, dinner was late.
Wednesday June 26
"What do you mean Bryce Larkin is living with you, Chuck?" Sarah asked sharply. She had just finished eating dinner with Carina and Zondra. Instead of enjoying her dessert and coffee (and reading the first of Chuck's letters to appear in the apartment's mailbox, instead over at Ellie's place or back home), the evening meal was now sitting in her stomach like a lump of lead.
It was only the third day of classes and Sarah was settling in nicely. She loved her courses. True, five classes were a lot to handle for the first quarter of the program, but they were conveniently divided between three classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and two classes on Tuesday and Thursday. It was early days yet, but Sarah was confident she was up to the task. Especially since everything she was doing was focused toward her getting the knowledge and training to become a physical therapist. Finally, she was on her way.
She was even figuring out how to cope with being apart from Chuck and dealing with his sweet, if heartbreaking, letters at the same time. That is until just now, when Chuck let slip that Bryce was living with him. Fortunately, the man in question was out with Joe and Evan, their other two housemates, so she could talk to Chuck privately.
Chuck clearly hadn't meant to tell her. But when he talked about the team traveling back from their game against the Harwich Mariners, she had picked up on the fact that Chuck had given Bryce a ride back to Mrs. E's when the team bus returned to the Yarmouth-Dennis High School, where all the guys had their cars parked. Those with cars, that is. Which explained why Bryce was hitching a ride. And led to Chuck's slip of the tongue. He'd even started that game and earned the win. Sarah had been so happy for him right up until that moment. She wanted to talk to him about the game. The last thing she wanted to think about was Bryce Larkin.
"Sarah, it's OK. I promise," Chuck tried to mollify her anger. "His original host family had a relative pass away suddenly and they had to leave town to deal with the funeral and everything else. Bryce had to stay somewhere and Mrs. E had an available bed. In my room."
"Oh, that's terrible to hear about that family. Those poor people. I'm so sorry," she frowned.
Chuck nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it is. Nothing anyone could do about it. They just had to go and be with the rest of their family."
"And leave Bryce with you," Sarah pouted in consternation.
"Yup," he nodded again. After a beat or two, he chuckled.
"Why are you laughing, sweetie? It's not really a laughing matter, is it? I don't want Larkin to get you in trouble when I'm not there to protect you," she groused, even though Chuck could see she was also teasing him more than a little.
"I think I can manage," he replied flatly. She snorted a one note laugh. "Besides, I haven't told you about all of the rules we have to live with yet."
"What rules? What are you talking about? And why haven't you told me before?" she asked peevishly.
"Mainly because the rules really aren't a problem for me to deal with." He paused. "Now Bryce, on the other hand, may be having a harder time," Chuck grinned.
"OK, I guess? So, what're these rules anyway?" Now Sarah was curious.
"Right. Here goes," he began. "First, no guests, including girlfriends, without prior permission from your hosts." Sarah's eyebrows went up when she heard that. "There's a midnight curfew and we have to spend each and every night at our host family's house." Her eyes got even wider. "The only exception is when you have family visiting and you get permission, in advance, to stay with them. If a player violates any of those housing rules, they kick them off the team, pronto, and they're on their way back home." By the time he finished talking, she was laughing.
"No visitors? Midnight curfew? A bed check too?" she was grinning. "Bryce must be going crazy. Talk about crimping his style!"
"Yeeaahh," Chuck drawled. "He's gotta walk the straight and narrow 'cause he knows that any screw ups here will impact him back at Stanford."
"Did he tell you that?" She was incredulous.
"Uh huh," he nodded. "Just about the first thing he said, when I found him in my room, was that Graham reminded him that he's out of strikes and that he better keep his head screwed on straight and his brain fully engaged. Or else."
"Wow!" Sarah marveled. "That's nothing like that Freddie Prinze movie, Summer Catch, is it?"
"You saw that?" Now it was his turn to snicker.
"Yeah, sure." She shrugged.
"When?" He couldn't hide his surprise.
"Why? Does it matter?" Chuck thought she sounded a little defensive.
"No," he shrugged nonchalantly, looking amused. "It's OK if you don't want to tell me." Her shoulders sagged.
"OK. Fine," Sarah said, exasperated. "I watched it on demand over the weekend before I came back to school. I wanted to get some idea of what it was like for you. There, you happy now?" Sarah tried, and failed, to look angry to cover up her embarrassment.
"Aww. That's sweet," Chuck grinned. "That movie is pretty inaccurate, but it is kinda nice that you watched it anyway."
"What else can I do?" she whined. "Your games are streamed on YouTube and there are those short interview videos posted too, but you've only pitched a few innings in a couple of the games and had a single interview, so far. That's it, besides us talking. Like now. I miss you, Chuck."
Sobering, he nodded his understanding. "I miss you too, sweetie. So much." Sniffing, he looked away momentarily before turning back to look at her again and continuing, "Let's talk about happy things. Tell me about your day. How are your classes coming along?"
Sunday June 30
"Hey, Bryce," a feminine voice called out to him as he walked along Bass River Beach, trailing after the much faster walking Chuck. Hearing his name being called, he looked up.
"Oh. Hey, Bev. Hey, Barb. How are you girls doing today?" he asked as he made his way over to where their towels were spread out. Both women were pretty, young, and brunette. How young, Bryce wasn't sure so he was friendly but cautious. He never forgot that he was out of strikes. They both were wearing small bikinis that fit their curves nicely. Too nicely. That was another reason he was cautious. He had no idea what the dress code was for the beach, but he figured the girls' suits had to be pushing the limits. He'd met the duo on one of his previous visits earlier in the summer. They were fun and talkative; full of amusing stories about what was happening on the sand and in the surrounding water. They had their phones with them, as usual. Currently, both phones were covered by the corners of their towels to protect them from the sun and the sand. When he'd first encountered the two of them, they'd told him that they made fun little videos about their summer and the local beach activities and posted them online. Yet another reason for his caution.
"We're good, Bryce. Feelin' fine," Bev, the one who'd accosted him, replied. "How about you?"
"Good. I'm good. Got a game up in Brewster later today so not as much time to hang out."
"That's a shame," Barb pouted extravagantly. "We were hoping for some company."
Before Bryce could respond to their flirting, the first girl spoke up.
"What's the deal with your friend over there? He's on the Red Sox too, right? Charles, isn't it? Charles Bartowski?" Bev asked, pointing. Barb busied herself uncovering her phone and directing it toward Chuck.
Bryce glanced to his right in the direction she'd pointed. He could see Chuck down the beach, spreading out his towel before dropping the other items he'd been carrying on top of it. Then he shrugged out of his clothes, leaving only his racing suit as he prepared to work out. The two girls humming in appreciation of Bartowski's attire drew his attention back to them.
"Yeah, that's his name, except he prefers Chuck. Chuck Bartowski," Bryce confirmed. "Not only is he on the Sox with me, but we're teammates on the baseball team back at Stanford."
"Stanford, huh?" Bev mused.
"Yeah," he nodded.
"OK. So, what's his story?" Barb wanted to know. She kept her eye glued to some app on her phone.
"You've not met him?"
"Oh yeah, we met him. The first time we noticed him on the beach. We made a point of it. You weren't around that day or we'd have asked you then," Barb admitted, still filming.
"Especially after he stripped down to that tiny little suit," her friend grinned.
"We said 'hi.' He said 'hi' back, but never told us his name. He was nice enough, but never even looked us over," Barb went on, her voice a little distorted by the phone in front of her face. "Kept his eyes on our faces the whole time. Doesn't he like girls?"
"Oh, yeah. He likes girls just fine. Trust me," Larkin said, remembering exactly who Chuck liked. His fiercely beautiful girlfriend, Sarah Walker. The lucky bastard.
"Does he have a girlfriend or something back at Stanford? Is that why he was so … polite?" Bev asked, curious.
"Oh yeah, he's got a girlfriend all right. But he'd be polite like he was with you whether he had a girlfriend or not. That's just how he is." Bryce had learned a lot about his teammate during the past year and didn't feel the need to share any of it with these two beach bunnies.
"Maybe, we'll try a little harder to make his acquaintance. See if we can find out what he's hiding in that little suit of his," Bev teased.
"You're wasting your time."
"Why? He's a guy, isn't he? We're girls, aren't we? Not too bad looking, if we do say so ourselves. His girlfriend is all the way back in California, isn't she? How's she ever going to find out what we get him to do once we start to tag team him?"
"You won't listen to me, but I'm telling you you're wasting your time," Bryce said as the girls continued to film the lanky pitcher while he picked up his racing goggles and other gear before walking toward the water's edge. "And God help you if his girlfriend does find out," he added softly. In a louder voice, he went on, "Catch you guys later, 'kay?"
"Sure, Bryce. Whatever you say," Bev answered vaguely. She was watching her friend film Chuck with rapt attention as he entered the water.
Shaking his head, Bryce continued down the beach to the spot Chuck had picked out. It was still fairly early in the day, but they had an away game that afternoon, so their time for some sun and relaxation was limited, like he told the girls. And Bryce didn't want to waste another minute of it.
Friday July 5
"Ah Naw. Here come trubble," Michael Colt said, shaking his head and grinning when he spotted the group of five young women walking down the sidewalk toward Miss Maisie's. "We in fer it now witout y'all's menfolk heah ta keep you ladies in line." The women grinned at his carrying on.
"Don't you have it backwards, Mr. Colt?" Sarah asked when the group reached the restaurant's entrance. "Isn't it us that keeps them in line?"
"It goes both ways, I'm thinkin'. Witout them around, it'll be akin ta settin' da fox among da chickens. True 'nuff."
"Would it help if we promise to behave ourselves?" Ellie teased. Sarah and the other three women, Alex, Carina, and Zondra, continued to smile. The entire group was dressed for a relaxing evening in light summer tops and a mixture of slacks and capris along with sensible shoes that were good for walking.
"Uh Huh. I believe dat. If'n y'all say so," the huge restaurateur said dubiously. All five women giggled. Turning his attention to the unfamiliar faces in the group, Colt went on, "Who be da newcomers amongst y'all?"
"They're my friends. Carina Miller," Sarah said, indicating the tall redhead. "And Zondra Rizzo," she continued, gesturing to the shorter brunette. "We've been roommates since our freshman year."
"Welcome y'all, to Miss Maisie's Jazzy Place. Any friend of Miss Sarah's is a friend o' mine." He went through his hugging ritual with each of the friends but he didn't pull his usual tricks with the new girls which was a bit of a shock.
"Chuck called you, didn't he?" Sarah asked when he didn't indulge in his typical antics. Ellie looked at her in surprise, but Mr. Colt looked sheepish.
"Yeah, he did," the older man admitted. "He ax me ta behave muself 'n made me promise. Where's da fun in dat?" he pouted. More giggles from the women.
"I figured as much."
"You told him that we were coming here?" Ellie asked, incredulous.
"Yeah, I did," Sarah admitted. "Instead of being upset at missing out, like I worried he would be, he said that we were all working hard this summer. He encouraged us to come out and have a good time. And he said that he'd call Mr. Colt to make sure we did. Now I know what he was really talking about."
"You'll probably hear about it in one of your letters," Ellie murmured while Mr. Colt was escorting them into the building, heading for the corner table they'd had before. Picking up on the vibe they were giving off, he spared the newcomers the usual introductions to the other patrons and the attention it brought. "He's still sending them to you, right?"
"I get one every day," Sarah confirmed with a nod.
"And she cries her eyes out every day. Like clockwork," Carina said, just as quietly, earning her a half-hearted glare from her blonde roommate.
Any further discussion was tabled while the women took their seats and Mr. Colt handed out the menus. Noticing that the five women were interested in talking among themselves, he beat a hasty retreat. Josie, their waitress, promptly arrived and took their drink orders, leaving them alone to peruse the menu and continue their quiet conversation.
Once they were alone, Sarah looked around the table at her friends. "I'd really like to avoid having this evening turn into a psychoanalysis of Chuck and my relationship," she requested. "Or the third degree," she quickly added when she saw the look in their eyes. "OK?"
Getting somewhat reluctant nods from the other four women, she went on. "Yes, Chuck and I talk via video chat every day. We talked today just before the three of us left our apartment. He'd barely gotten back from their game when he called. Yes, he writes me a letter every day too. I miss him. That's no secret." Now, she was getting sympathetic looks from her friends. "Could we table this discussion and move on to something else? Please?"
"OK, Sarah. We'll table any further discussion of my idiot brother," Ellie smirked at Sarah's look of consternation, "for the rest of the evening. Won't we ladies?" The others were grinning at the verbal and nonverbal exchange they were witnessing, then the brunette frowned. "Even though, I'm still not pleased that he's got to deal with that Larkin kid living with him."
"Me either," the blonde agreed, "but Chuck keeps telling me that everything's fine." She paused. "So? Tabled?"
"Tabled," the med student nodded. Sarah looked at the rest of her friends sitting around the table.
"Consider it tabled," Zondra agreed.
"Yup. Tabled," Alex nodded, trying to hold in a smile.
"Sure. Whatever," Carina said, affecting boredom. Then she grinned. "No more talk about Chuckles insanity—"
"Carina!" Sarah grumbled. "I'm warning you …"
"OK. OK," the redhead said placatingly. "Don't get your knickers in a twist, Blondie. I'll behave myself. Honest."
"Uh huh," the blonde commented dubiously.
"Now that that's settled. What's good here?" Carina asked innocently. Her younger friend rolled her eyes, shaking her head, but chose not to take the bait.
Ignoring the soft giggles she heard, Sarah helped her roommates look over the menu.
After studying the selections for a bit, Carina piped up. "Ellie, what did you think when you found out Chuck was writing letters to Sarah? Actual letters? On paper?" The med student gave her a surprised look. "What? Sarah told us that Chuckles asked you to hold a package for him. When she came back from your place the other day, she confessed that the package actually contained letters. And there was the crying we heard later, of course," the redhead teased.
"Carina …" The woman in question ignored the warning tone in Sarah's voice, keeping her focus on Chuck's sister.
"I was … ah … surprised, you might say," Ellie began.
"I just bet you were," Carina interjected with a knowing grin.
Seeing the look on the other woman's face, Ellie's shoulders sagged and she blushed with embarrassment. "I didn't take it all that well."
"Oh, Ellie. I'm sorry," Sarah apologized, reaching out to squeeze her friend's hand.
Right then Josie came back with their drinks. After the drinks were dispensed, she took the friends' dinner orders before heading off toward the kitchen.
Alone once more, Ellie looked ashamed. "It wasn't your fault, Sarah." She paused. "Or my idiot brother's, for that matter." At the latest mention of her absent boyfriend, Sarah frowned and twisted her lips to the side. Zondra snorted in amusement. "You showing me your necklace. The family charm bracelet. And then, you telling me about him writing you those sweet letters. I … uh … well, I kind of had a moment. That was all on me."
"Oohhh," Sarah said, her blue eyes widening in understanding.
"Yeah, oh."
"Poor Devon." Sarah said sympathetically.
"Why poor Devon?" Alex asked, confused.
"Devon came home while Sarah was in the middle of telling me the story of Chuck giving her those gifts," Ellie explained.
"And sending the letters," Sarah winced.
"Yeah. And the letters," Ellie agreed, sounding contrite.
"What happened?" Carina wanted to know.
"Well, normally, when Devon comes back from working out, I … um … help him get cleaned up, as it were," the older woman answered primly. Then the color rose cutely on her cheeks and she shrugged.
"Cleaned up. Right," the redheaded grad student chuckled. Ellie giggled naughtily.
"And you couldn't do that because I was there," Sarah picked up on what Chuck's sister was trying to say. The nod she got in return gave confirmation of that. "Oh Ellie, I am sorry. Truly."
"Don't be sorry, Sarah. It wasn't your fault, like I said. And there was no way for you to know," Ellie responded. "Besides, it's not like I could ask you to leave because I wanted to have sex with my boyfriend." Giggles around the table.
"Why not?" Carina asked. "I told Sarah that exact thing on more than one occasion over the years we've been rooming together." The entire group started to laugh wickedly.
"That's very true. She did. A lot," Sarah grinned, remembering. Her comment only made the friends laugh louder. Until they simultaneously put their hands over their mouths to try and deaden the noise, looking around at the nearby tables guiltily.
"So? What happened?" Zondra asked after they'd calmed down a bit.
"I really let Devon have it. Completely blindsided him, I'm embarrassed to say," the med student confessed. "I went on a full-on rant. Spiraling out of control. Eventually, I told him he needed to go away to Africa so he could be miserable and write sweet letters like Chuck was wiring Sarah. He sputtered about only being a second-year med student and no way could he go to Africa and join Doctors Without Borders, but I wasn't having any of it. The poor guy." She shook her head in memory. The other women were chuckling at the scene she was describing. Sarah privately felt bad for what she'd put Devon and Ellie through, even though she hadn't meant for it to happen.
"And?" Zondra pressed.
"And I finally told him that I would just have to settle for some sex." More naughty giggles. "Devon took issue with my using the term 'settle'." Ellie shrugged nonchalantly while the others continued to giggle, knowingly
"So?" This time Alex was the one asking for more of the story.
"So, we had a vigorous discussion about it." Now Ellie was grinning saucily. "Very. Vigorous." The table exploded in laughter all over again.
"Ellie! Oh my God!" Sarah blushed, continuing to giggle. She was keenly aware that she was the only virgin among the five friends. Thankfully, no one bothered to point that out at that moment.
"That's what she said," Carina chortled.
"Yup," Ellie chirped. "More than once too." Snickers around the table again. Sarah shook her head in resignation at her friends and kept quiet.
"So, a lively discussion, then?" The redhead leered. "Satisfyingly intelligent discourse? Complete with sharp verbal and nonverbal communication? Featuring well-aimed thrusts and timely parries?"
"Very lively, yes," Ellie giggled, her eyes shining, even as her face reddened at the memories. "Sometimes, we were very vocal. Very." She paused, pretending to think. "There was no parrying, though. Just a lot of well-aimed—"
"We got it. We got it." Blushing and giggling, Sarah held up her hand to forestall any further comment.
And not a moment too soon, because Josie arrived with their chosen appetizers.
The women were just beginning to enjoy their food when Miss Maisie arrived at the table sporting a knowing smirk. "Good evenin', ladies. Welcome back. Y'all seem ta be havin' a right grand time, from the looks on y'all's faces 'n da sound o' y'all's laughter."
"We are, Miss Maisie. We are," Sarah replied, blushing. "I hope we're not being too boisterous."
"Boisterous, huh?" Maisie chuckled. "Dat's a college word 'n dat's a fact." She shook her head, teasingly. "From where I be standin' y'all jest be five young womens takin' a break from workin' hard 'n havin' a good ol' time. No harm in dat, no how. Witout y'all's menfolk, neither. Eva' lady needs dat once ina while. Don't she?"
"She does," Ellie observed. The entire table nodded.
"How y'all be doin', Miss Alex? Wit Morgan all de way up ina Alaska?"
"It's not fun, Miss Maisie," Alex admitted. "But he's having a good time playing up there and I'm keeping busy with my summer job. Trying to make some money to help pay for school next year."
"O' course ya are. Dat's jest bein' a good daughter, ain't it? Smart too. Getting' experience 'n learning the ways o' da real world."
"I guess so. Mostly, it keeps me occupied so I don't have time to miss Morgan any more than I do already."
"Dat's a good reason too." Miss Maisie allowed with a chuckle. "How 'bout y'all, Miss Sarah? I knows it's hard on ya wit Chuck bein' ova at da Cape."
"I'm hanging in there just like Alex is, Miss Maisie. School is keeping me pretty busy but I'm really enjoying my classes. I do wish Chuck was here even though I'm glad he's getting a chance to experience one of his long-time dreams by playing over there," Sarah smiled sadly.
"Gud fer you, Miss Sarah," the restaurant owner smiled kindly before continuing, "'Sides, it's important fer us ta support our men. Heps kep 'em nice 'n docile like we needs 'em." All the women laughed in agreement. "Well, I betta git back in da kitchen and git to it. It be busy t'nite. Enjoy y'all's meal, heah?" Waving, she turned and hurried off.
They were polishing off their appetizers in preparation of picking the thread of their conversation back up when Josie arrived with their main courses. It took the waitress a few moments to distribute the plates. With that task accomplished, she checked on everyone's drinks before departing with a wish for them to enjoy their chosen dishes.
Eating and sharing bites with one another occupied the group for the next little while. Eventually, Carina looked over at Ellie again.
"Since I'm guessing that you didn't ship him off to Africa after all, where is Devon tonight? Given that you're out here with us?" the anthropology graduate student asked.
"No, I didn't ship him off to Africa, after all. Not after our … um … lengthy discussion," Ellie chuckled. So did the others. "Besides, he's been so sweet since then," she added quietly but the others heard her anyway.
"Sweet how?" Sarah was curious.
"Well, if you must know," Ellie smiled.
"We must," Zondra smirked.
"After my little tantrum the other day, he's been leaving these cute little notes," Ellie smiled softly. "Not every day and not always in the same place. Sometimes, I'll open one of my textbooks at the start of class and there'll be a note next to my bookmark. Or one inside my tablet cover or one propped up on my computer keyboard in the apartment. Next to my makeup in the bathroom. Just different places."
"What kind of notes?" Alex asked, intrigued.
"Some are romantic. How much he loves me. Respects me. Stuff like that. Some are spicy. Very spicy," the med student's cheeks pinked warmly again. "Others are funny. He left me one that said, 'Play nice with the other kids.' And another one, just a couple of days ago, 'Look both ways when you cross the street.' Just little notes to let me know that he's thinking about me during the day when we're not together every moment." By now Ellie's eyes were shining and her smile made her feelings for her boyfriend clear to everyone at the table.
"And what do you do?" Carina asked. "Do you write him notes in return?"
"Oh, no. I don't write him notes," Ellie shook her head in dissent. When her friends looked surprised, she smirked. "No, I thank him for each note he writes. Vigorously. Very vigorously. Over and over again. So, he truly understands how much I appreciate his notes and him, both."
"Good grief," Sarah snorted in amused disgust at the older woman. When Ellie just casually shrugged, Sarah and the rest of the women started to giggle again.
"So, is he sitting home, right now, composing more notes for you to thank him for or is he doing something else?" Zondra joked.
"No, as nice as that would be, Devon's not sitting around writing on my behalf. At least, not at the moment." More giggles. "He and some friends of his are up in San Fran at a Giants game. One of the guys' dads works at a company in Silicon Valley. They have a suite at Oracle Park that the company uses to entertain important clients. When they don't need it, the HR department holds a raffle for the employees to get a chance to enjoy it. Devon's friend's dad won one of the raffles and he invited all the guys to come up for the game. The company even covers the cost of the spread of food and drinks for the whole group. Nice little perk, if you ask me," Ellie concluded.
"That is pretty nice," Carina agreed. "Especially since all it costs is the price of some raffle tickets."
"Exactly." Ellie nodded.
"Chuck would love it," Sarah commented.
"He would. Absolutely," his sister agreed.
The conversation moved on to other topics for the rest of the meal. After sharing three of the desserts between the five of them, it was time to settle the bill. That's when the friends got another surprise. Instead of Josie bringing them the bill, Miss Maisie came to the table.
"Da bill's already bin settled," she announced with a smile. "Don't y'all worry 'bout it."
Sarah knew instantly who was responsible. "Chuck," she breathed.
"Yup. He be da one who done did it," Maisie grinned. "You know'd dat as soon as ah said it, dintja?"
"Of course, he would," Ellie snorted and shook her head.
"Uh huh, he would," the older woman agreed. "Included a right generous tip too."
"Naturally," Sarah drawled, shaking her head as well. "When he gets home, he and I are going to have a long talk about some things."
"I bet it's going to be a very vigorous discussion too. Isn't it, Sarah?" Zondra teased.
Sarah's eyes grew wide and she began to blush furiously.
"Yeah, it'll be full of intense back and forth with lots of thrusting and no parrying," Carina added. Ellie barked out a laugh.
Sarah's blush deepened and she wished she could hide under the table.
"After all of the letters Chuck's writing, that discussion will take forever to finish," Alex joined in.
Sarah's face looked like all of the blood in her body had rushed there.
"That's what she's hoping," Ellie couldn't stop herself. She loved her brother. Sarah too. Sooner or later, it was going to happen.
"Ellie!" Sarah finally squeaked, mortified. It was one thing for her to think about those things. Having them said out loud by her so-called friends in a public place was another thing entirely.
Miss Maisie had figured out what the women were alluding to and teasing Miss Sarah about and she couldn't keep the grin off her face. That boy was in for it in more ways than one when he got back to town. That's for sure.
Thursday July 18
"So, it's a 'yes' on the sectional couch and the matching chair?" Chuck asked again, wanting absolute confirmation from his girlfriend before he locked their choice into his brain.
He'd closed on his house nearly a week ago now. The contractors that Lydia Salstein had helped him select had been ready to start the renovations the next day. While the various elements necessary to complete the sale were still being finalized, his chosen builder, Lattanze Contractors, had done a physical walkthrough with Chuck along for the ride virtually. Nothing he wanted was overly complicated and Matt Lattanze, the company's owner, had managed to generate a plan in only a few days, so his crew was ready to begin work almost as soon as the closing was completed. Chuck's offering a bonus for fast, efficient, and top-notch work did provide a healthy incentive. The two men went over the proposal at the end of the prior week. Very happy with what Mr. Lattanze had presented, Chuck gave the go ahead for the crew to begin work. They'd started the first stage, which entailed removing the old kitchen cabinets, at the beginning of the current week. It was finally happening. Chuck would have his house. Someplace that he could be alone with Sarah. How ever often she wanted to be there.
Their current talk about furnishing the place had actually begun with the very first call they'd had after Chuck had settled in at Mrs. E's, weeks ago. With each call, there had been discussions about types and sizes of beds for each of the bedrooms. What mattresses. Tables. Couches. Chairs for dining and chairs for just sitting. What to put out on the patio. Even sheets, towels, and all the way to drapes and blinds for the windows. They'd talked and compared. And talked some more. It was more than a little overwhelming for both of them. Furnishing a home was a challenge. Furnishing a home the size that Chuck bought was an even bigger challenge.
"You don't have to furnish every room at the beginning, Chuck." Sarah offered during one of their earlier calls.
"Maybe," he'd allowed. "But I want to make sure that I have beds in the other bedrooms so Mom and Dad can stay there when they come to town. Or your family. And places for them to sit in the living and family rooms. We don't need everything to start, but enough. Or they'd have to just in their bedroom. You know?"
She had known. And she understood, appreciating that he kept saying 'we' and 'us' when referring to the choices that had to be made. So, they'd kept searching websites and then comparing notes during their daily phone calls. Chuck was getting anxious about finalizing their choices so orders could be placed in time for everything to be delivered and installed or arranged. Ms. Salstein put him in contact with an interior decorator who was helping them search and would oversee the placement of the furnishing when they arrived. It would be another huge challenge for it to be accomplished by the time he returned to Palo Alto. That thought brought him back to their current phone call and his pending question about the couch and chair. Tonight's baseball game had been another rainout which meant the couple had more time to discuss house details. It surprised him that he was enjoying the process. Maybe it was because he was doing it all with Sarah's help and input.
"Yes. It's a 'yes' for the couch and the chair, Chuck," Sarah replied, emphasizing his name. Her amusedly exasperated expression was clear to Chuck even over their video call.
"OK. Got it," he nodded. One corner of his mouth quirked up in a half-grin. "Ottoman for the chair? Or no?"
"That depends, babe," the California-based grad student answered.
"Depends on what?" Chuck was confused.
"Depends on whether or not you want your guests to be comfortable enough to stay for long visits where they might want to put their feet up. That's what," Sarah responded. Her eyes widened and her lips pressed together in a thin line while she watched him process what she said.
"Hmmm. So, what you're saying is it's situational? OK. Makes sense," he nodded his understanding.
"Now, I'm confused. How is it situational? You either want your guests to have the option of using a footrest or you don't."
"It's situational because sometimes I might want my guests to be very comfortable and stay for a long time. Guests like you, for instance," Chuck grinned.
"Thank you, that's very kind," Sarah made a face at him. He snickered at her expression. Seeing that he had more to say, she added, "Go on."
"Then there are other guests. Like Bryce, for example," he smirked at his summertime roommate who was presently lounging on his bed on the other side of the room, having come back into the room while he was in the middle of talking with Sarah. "Those kinds of guests don't need to hang around for very long. At all, really."
"Hey!" Bryce called out, pretending to be offended. Chuck snorted and kept his attention on his tablet where his blonde girlfriend was digesting what he'd said.
"Oh. I get it. Makes sense. Keeps the riff-raff out," she grinned evilly.
"Hey! Who are you calling riff-raff?" Bryce tried to pout but his smile got in the way. "I'm deeply wounded." He snickered.
"Nobody here cares, Bryce," Sarah called from the screen, loud enough for him to hear her. All three young people laughed. It was a far cry from what had occurred when Sarah first learned that Bryce was, in fact, living with Chuck for the summer. Despite what Coach Graham had promised him before he left for Massachusetts.
She made sure to ask her boyfriend for updates whenever they talked and Bryce wasn't in the room. Chuck kept insisting that Larkin was behaving himself and that everything was fine. In fact, the two men had gotten along surprisingly well. Chuck was as comfortable as he could be with the lack of female companionship, being so far away from his girlfriend. Bryce was adjusting better than either he, or Chuck, had expected to his stunted social life. Graham really hadn't given him any choice in the matter, behave or else.
The biggest surprise was that, rather than try and circumvent the restrictions, as both Chuck and Sarah had originally feared he would, the shortstop was taking things seriously and acting more mature than he had since they'd known him.
Chuck was proud of the effort he was making and told his teammate that on more than one occasion. The truth was that Bryce was proud of himself too. And he really, really wanted to keep his scholarship along with his spot on the Stanford team. Money didn't grow on trees, as his father continually reminded him.
Once the trio's laughter tapered off, Sarah finally gave Chuck an answer. "Get the ottoman, babe. You want to be a good host for your visitors. All of them."
"How very diplomatic of you," Bryce commented.
"Yeah, isn't it just?" Chuck grinned when Larkin snorted and shook his head, still smiling. Sarah giggled at their antics.
The couple continued discussing their plans for a little while longer. Sarah reluctantly had to end the call citing the schoolwork that she had to deal with.
"Until tomorrow, sweetie. Remember that I love you. Bye," Sarah said softly.
"Love you right back. Bye," Chuck smiled and ended the call. Then his face fell.
Larkin looked up and saw Chuck's expression. "What are you doing here, Chuck? Go back to Stanford. You're miserable without Sarah."
"You know that I can't go back yet," the curly-haired pitcher replied. "Besides, I'm not completely miserable. Playing baseball on the Cape is a blast. A dream come true for me."
"I get that," Bryce nodded. "it's just the rest of it that bugs you."
"Maybe," Chuck huffed out a breath. "Can't be helped for the time being, though." Sighing, he pulled out his pad of paper and started in on a new letter.
What Bryce didn't say was that he envied Chuck and his relationship with Sarah. He had seen the depth and intensity of their bond on full display during the time that Chuck was lying injured in the hospital. How Sarah moved heaven and earth to help him recover and inspire so many others to help her boyfriend too. If he was being honest with himself, Bryce was more than a little jealous of his teammate. Somewhat wistful as well. He couldn't help but wonder if there was a girl like Sarah out there just waiting for him to find her. Bryce was self-aware enough to recognize the flicker of hope he felt at the possibility.
Frowning slightly and shaking his head at himself, he looked back across the room at the man he now thought of as a friend. Taking note of the look of concentration on Chuck's face, he left the lovelorn pitcher alone to write in peace.
Friday July 26
"I remember having those types of classes last fall, Sarah," Ellie said.
The women were gathered for another night out together. Alex couldn't make it this time around, so it was just the remaining CATS and Ellie. Devon was similarly occupied with shadowing doctors on their evening rounds over at Stanford Hospital.
"Go and have a good time, El," he'd encouraged her earlier in the day. "Just because I've got some required hospital rounds to complete doesn't mean that you have to sit around the apartment on a Friday night, doing nothing. Then he grinned, "But don't have too much fun."
"Poo," Ellie pretended to pout. "What's the point in going then?"
"I just meant you should set a good example for the younger women, especially Sarah," Devon answered, knowing what his girlfriend was going to say next.
"That's what I'm trying to do, honey. Don't you know that?" she smirked.
"I figured as much," he chuckled, shaking his head. Ellie laughed right along with him.
Refocusing on her present conversation, the brunette med student caught most of Sarah's answer.
"… lot of foundational information to get us ready to dig deeper next quarter," the blonde finished.
"Exactly. Are any of the classes giving you trouble? Do you have any, you know, weed out classes?"
"Not so much," Sarah shook her head. "At least, not from what I can see. I'm loving all of them. Even my two introductory classes on PT documentation and professional practices." She shrugged. "Really basic stuff, but I understand why they have us take them. Building blocks for things that come later."
"I'm glad. After all of the hoops you had to jump through to get accepted in the first place, dealing with weed out classes would have been kind of insulting," Ellie observed.
"Definitely," the younger woman agreed.
"Booooring!" Carina said, butting into their conversation. "C'mon, you two. We're out at a dance club. You're supposed to be dancing. You know, having fun?" She and Zondra had come off of the dance floor in time to catch the tail end of what the other two women were talking about.
"We are having fun, Red," Sarah chided her roommate.
"Talking about school, Sarah? Really?" Zondra questioned.
"Yes, really," Ellie nodded. "B'sides, we've been out on the floor all night and I wanted to give my feet a little break." She reached down and massaged her calf. "These shoes may be cute and make my butt look great, but they've got a definite statute of limitations when it comes to dancing."
"So, are you telling me that you're done for the night?" Carina asked, incredulous. "Already? Don't tell me you're lightweight!"
"Nope. Not done. Not yet, at least," the med student twisted her lips to the side and shook her head. "Just resting. Like I said. I'll be out there on that floor out-dancing you before you know it." She smirked.
"I'll believe it when I see it," the tall redhead snarked.
Before Ellie could offer her own biting comeback, the women heard someone clearing their throat. Four sets of eyes focused on the man who was standing next to their table. He was tall and slender. Nicely muscled. They would have taken him for either a track star or a swimmer, given his physique, but his longish sun-bleached blond hair gave the impression that he was more likely into surfing rather than running. Square-jawed and blue-eyed, he wore a boyish, if tentative, smile. Like a Beach Boys song come to life. The friends collectively pegged him as a surfer dude and waited expectantly.
"I don't mean to intrude on you, but …," he spoke to the table before turning his attention to Carina. "I couldn't help seeing you out on the dance floor just now …"
"Yeah? And?" Carina asked, flippantly.
"Well …," Surfer Dude began. "I was just wondering if you'd like to dance?"
"I'm out with my friends, as you can obviously see," the auburn-haired grad student frowned. "Girls' night." She added flatly.
"I see," he shrugged. "OK. No harm, no foul. Sorry to bother you. Enjoy your night, ladies," Surfer Dude smiled and nodded, not appearing to be offended by Carina's abrupt brushoff. He turned and began to walk away.
"What're you doing, Red?" Sarah asked. "You just got finished bitching at us about dancing. And there was a guy who offered to dance with you." She gestured at Surfer Dude's retreating back.
"A cute guy too," Zondra added. Ellie and Sarah nodded their agreement.
"You guys are right. I'm an idiot," Carina admitted. Turning to follow her potential dance partner, she looked over her shoulder at her friends. "Catch you losers later." And hurried off. The three women left behind shared a look and chuckled.
"Well!" Ellie exclaimed.
When she got close enough to Surfer Dude, Carina tapped him on the shoulder. He looked in her direction and a surprised smile grew on his face.
"I thought you didn't want to dance. Girls' night out and all that," he gently teased.
"I changed my mind," she admitted with a shrug. "I'm a woman. So sue me."
"I can see that. No need for lengthy litigation," the man's smile grew. Carina snorted in amusement. "My name's Wade. Wade Harrison."
"Carina Miller," she replied with a smile of her own. "Nice to meet you, Wade."
"Nice to meet you too, Carina," Wade nodded, taking her hand and guiding her out onto the floor to join the other people enjoying the music.
Monday July 29
Chuck was gathering up his gear as he prepared to head up to Dennis-Yarmouth High School for the Red Sox next to the last regular season home game. He wasn't scheduled to pitch as he'd pitched the previous Saturday and wouldn't pitch again until the playoffs began at the end of the week. It was a good thing too because he had already had a very busy day.
His morning began with his normal light workout. Weight training at the high school followed by some swimming in the ocean. He'd spent the rest of the morning at the Ballroom at the Beach studio working on his dance moves with Ilsa Trinchina, under her and Alexi's watchful eyes. After a quick lunch, he had driven back to Mrs. E's house in time to deal with three phone calls. Bryce was nowhere to be found, having already caught a ride with Joe and Evan when they left before he'd made the first call.
Mr. Lattanze gave him the latest news about his peoples' progress on the house renovations. Chuck had followed up that call with another to his interior decorator who reported the status of the various items he and Sarah had agreed to purchase. It wasn't a terribly complicated task to juggle the different orders so that everything arrived in time so his house would be ready when he arrived back in Palo Alto. He was very pleased to confirm that things were progressing smoothly on that front as well.
The last call was the most important. It was the call he had with Dr. Dreyfus. Over the course of the summer, the doctor had slowly decreased the frequency of their tele-sessions until they met just two times a week on Monday and Thursday. Thankfully, Dr. Dreyfus was more than pleased with the progress he'd made and was confident that Chuck would find himself much better equipped to prevent another extended episode like he'd experienced in the spring. A large part of his doctor's reasoning was his patient's deepening relationship with his girlfriend.
Thinking about Sarah made Chuck sigh audibly in the empty bedroom. Dreyfus hadn't brought up his intimacy concerns for a long time. He really didn't need to; Chuck fretted about them all on his own just fine. Shaking his head at himself, he grabbed his stuff and left the room.
Throughout his drive to the school and for the entirety of the game, he turned things over in his mind, hardly paying any attention to the proceedings on the field. He even brooded through the usual post-game meal provided by one of the local restaurants for everyone affiliated with the Red Sox, players, coaches, and staff. People were curious at his uncharacteristic silence, but, after multiple assurances that he was fine, they left him to his thoughts.
Since the game had an early start, beginning just before 5pm, it was still early by the time the post-game meal was concluded. Bryce and the guys made plans to hang out with some of the other players, but Chuck begged off. After observing his behavior over the last few hours, no one questioned his desire to be alone. He dumped his baseball gear back at Mrs. E's and took a drive, still thinking. Not surprisingly, he found himself heading for Bass River Beach. The parking lot gates didn't close until 10pm, so he parked and made his way to his usual spot on the sand. Only a few people were out and about enjoying the slowly setting sun.
Staring out at the water, Chuck wondered what Sarah was doing right that minute. They would have their nightly video chat a little bit later. Bryce had been right when he said that Chuck was miserable. He hated being so far from Sarah. Being by himself again. He'd even decided not to go into Boston on one of the team's off days to visit his old professors in person. Chuck was sure that returning to his old stomping grounds would bring back the feelings of isolation he'd experienced when he was there the first time around. With his emotions already roiling, he wasn't sure what might happen if those feelings and memories resurfaced. Especially without Sarah by his side to help keep him grounded. He sniffed and blinked back tears. Putting those thoughts aside, he turned his mind back to his girlfriend. And their situation. His dilemma.
The summer season was almost over. His short trip to conduct some research for his history project still lay ahead, but he would soon be back in California. Time was running out. He loved Sarah too much to keep doing this to her. To them. She deserved to have a relationship with a whole person. A man. Not be tied to whatever he was currently. He had to make a decision, as he'd done back during the holidays. On New Year's Eve. Accept his fear and take a leap of faith. Trust that their love for each other and her strength and determination would be enough to prevent him from falling into that abyss. Stop his biggest fear from coming true.
"I love you, Sarah," he whispered to himself. "I hope that's enough to keep me with you. I'm afraid, baby. So afraid." He shivered as his memories assaulted him. "You keep telling me that you have faith in me. That we can overcome anything as long as we're together." His quiet voice grew firmer. "It's way past time that I showed the same faith in you." He took a deep breath and nodded to himself. He had to face his fear. For her. And for himself. That thought gave rise to a new one. A not insignificant concern. Besides that silly book he'd read as a kid, he didn't know very much. But he could learn. OK. So, another new research project then. Chuck knew enough that he understood he'd have to be careful. Looking for information about that was full of pitfalls. A veritable minefield that would take care to navigate. But he wasn't too terribly worried. After all, he was smart. He would be cautious and methodical. Because now, he was determined. Finally.
A/N2: Chapter title comes from the song by The Moody Blues. Fairly appropriate title for the chapter since both Chuck and Sarah hold back on sharing everything that they're feeling with each other.
A/N3: Oracle Park is the home field of the San Francisco Giants baseball team.
A/N4: The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox housing rules that Chuck and Sarah discuss are 100% real. Poor Bryce.
A/N5: WillieGarvin does a great job of making sure the stuff I write is worthy of being sent (posted). You always have my thanks, my friend.
A/N6: 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/N7: 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.