Sarah lay in bed that night, staring up at her ceiling. Sleep was the last thing on her mind. All she could think about was her date with Chuck.
Most of the people she'd met in her life held something back. Not merely a topic they didn't want to discuss, but something more meaningful. The people in Sarah's world held back their true emotions. Everyone had their poker face on all the time. They were reserved and cautious, keeping things at small talk and playing it cool.
But Chuck wasn't like that at all.
Sarah had been able to read his emotions on his face with ease, and it made her feel safe. Chuck wasn't lying to her, not even with his expressions. There was something so calming about Chuck's presence. Sarah had been comfortable the entire day, relaxed. She hadn't realized how often she kept her guard up, until Chuck melted it away without even trying.
In his company, Sarah almost couldn't believe how much she'd smiled. She wasn't sure she'd genuinely smiled that much in a single day before in all her life.
When he'd wanted to kiss her, Sarah had been able to read it in his face easily, and in that moment she realized she wanted to kiss him, too. It felt good to be the one initiating things. Previously in her life, it was always her reacting to things others wanted from her. She'd gotten into the habit of forcing herself to play catch up, but Chuck hadn't made her feel that way. He'd just been there and been patient with her.
There was only one problem.
She was enjoying getting to know Chuck without her fame or fortune being a factor, but was that fair? On some level, Sarah knew she needed to tell him, but she found she didn't want to. And besides, it wasn't like she had actually lied to him. She just hadn't told him to google her or given certain details. Was it her fault that Chuck didn't recognize her?
Then again, from the way Morgan had been staring at her at dinner, Sarah had her suspicions that Chuck's best friend had recognized her.
Small towns were so weird, Sarah thought to herself. If a waiter in New York had recognized her on a date, said waiter would have snapped a million photos, sold them to the highest bidder, and then proceeded to beg for autographs despite invading Sarah's privacy.
Morgan, on the other hand, had just kinda stared like he wasn't sure if he was imagining something. Then he'd whispered in her ear. Sarah had barely had time to guess what he was going to say before Morgan made it clear that his only concern was her intentions. He had wanted to know if she was genuinely interested in Chuck or just messing with him. Sarah assured Morgan to the best of her ability how she felt and he just carried on.
He hadn't actually mentioned the word Saz, or pop music, so Sarah wasn't sure what Morgan knew or didn't know. She'd found him harder to read than Chuck. Morgan didn't list high on the best waiter's she'd ever had, but he was definitely the most loyal friend she'd ever met. Besides, his waiter style had greatly slowed down the evening, which Sarah was grateful for. She'd left him a generous tip.
Rolling over, Sarah stared at the hotel wall instead of the ceiling. It didn't really help her sleep, so she reached over and grabbed the remote to the comically large tv on the opposite wall. It was a theme in hotel rooms that she'd noticed. They always put a tv in the bedroom.
When Sarah woke, the TV was still playing. She must have fallen asleep with it on. Still feeling groggy, Sarah turned it off, rolled over and went back to sleep.
She woke for the second time when the sun's light was so bright it penetrated her night mask. Slowly she got out of bed and went to the hotel room's tiny mini kitchen-like area. It was basically a counter with a kettle on it, but that was enough for right now. What Sarah really wanted was coffee.
The muscles in her arms were a bit stiff from their kayak yesterday. She did some stretches while the coffee brewed and it seemed to help.
After her first cup, she considered making another. It was only then that she glanced at the clock on the wall.
"Damn," she said. It was almost noon and she'd said she'd meet Chuck at his store today. He might think she stood him up! No time for another coffee.
Sarah got dressed as quickly as she could and ran out the door. The lovely thing about a small town is how little time it took to get anywhere. Sarah had lived in cities before where it took longer to get to the airport than it took to fly to her next destination. The traffic had been murder, but here everything was just a pleasant walk with a view of the water.
It wasn't sunny but at least it wasn't raining. In her practical, but not very glamorous, shoes she made it to Chuck's store with ease.
Pushing open the door, she heard the bell that alerted any workers to her presence. Sure enough, there was Chuck, standing behind the counter. He smiled the moment he saw her and Sarah was so glad he wasn't upset that she'd slept in.
"You came," Chuck said. "Oh. I mean. hi."
Sarah laughed. "Hello," she replied. "Of course, I came. Sorry I'm so late. I kinda overslept."
"That is a vacationer's privilege," Chuck reminded her. "I've been working since eight."
"So early!" Sarah teased him but with a smile. Being at work for eight in the morning was, to her, extremely early, but she enjoyed teasing him about it nevertheless.
"We open at eight," Chuck explained.
While they'd been talking, Sarah had walked up to the counter to where a customer would stand if they were buying something.
"A rather early opening for a place that doesn't serve coffee," Sarah observed. "Do you get a lot of customers at eight am?"
"Sometimes," Chuck replied. "Depends how many tourists are in town."
Feeling bold, Sarah leaned over the counter and kissed him. It was a quick soft kiss, almost like a hello. Then she leaned back and looked at him again.
"What was that for?" Chuck asked. He looked a little more stunned than Sarah expected.
"I had fun yesterday," Sarah told him. "You're a good teacher."
"Eh, Thanks," he replied. He had one of his hands up, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
"I had a really nice time on our date," Sarah told him, with a smile.
"So it was a date, then," Chuck said.
"It felt like one," Sarah replied. "Did you not feel like it was a date?"
"It did. I mean, yes," Chuck said. He seemed to be in better spirits now than when she'd walked in. Sarah hoped that was at least in part because of her, but then his face fell again.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"I think I was supposed to pay for something if it was a real date," Chuck said.
Sarah giggled a bit at the serious look on his face. "Don't worry about that," she said. "Anyone can pay for things. Not everyone is such wonderful company. Besides, you are saving for school."
Chuck's expression softened slightly at her words, but she could tell the money thing was still bothering him.
"How about this," she said. "I haven't had breakfast yet. Do you want to buy me a bagel?"
Chuck laughed. "Oh yeah, 'cause that's in the same lane as a fancy dinner and renting kayaks for an entire day."
"You know, if we take the expenses as a percentage of income instead of comparing them at face value, I'd say you buying me breakfast is way more impressive than my renting kayaks."
"I thought you wrote music," Chuck laughed. "Just then, you sounded like a finance major."
"I've done a lot of things," she said. "Including taking a few business courses here and there."
"You are quite the mystery, Sarah," Chuck told her.
"Well then, best to spend more time with me so you can unravel my secrets," she giggled. "Breakfast?"
"I'd love to," Chuck sighed. "But I'm the only one working the store right now. It will have to wait until mom gets in."
Sarah was suddenly very interested in meeting Chuck's mother. "I can wait," she said, grinning. Walking around the counter, she joined Chuck on the employee side.
Chuck seemed to suddenly realize what this would mean: Sarah meeting his mother. He became flustered immediately.
"You know I think it would make more sense to meet you somewhere," Chuck began. "Like a restaurant or down on the beach or even at your hotel. Yes, wouldn't you be more comfortable waiting at your hotel, and then I could come over there and we could go to breakfast together, though it really is lunch time now and-"
"I'm very comfortable here," Sarah told him.
Chuck didn't seem to have an answer to that. He looked a bit like he was heading for the gallows. Sarah couldn't contain her laughter.
"Is your mother going to be mad I'm behind the counter?" Sarah asked.
"No, she's going to be great," Chuck said with a sigh. Then he covered his face with his hands. "I'm just never going to hear the end of this."
Sarah had no experience with the dynamics of a big loving family. She didn't really understand what was bad about the situation, but she very much wanted to find out.
Before she got a chance to ask what exactly Chuck would never hear the end of, the door behind Chuck opened to reveal an older woman with the same hair colour as Chuck. Sarah had to assume this was his mother.
"And who is this?" the woman said to her son the moment she saw Sarah.
"Mom, this is Sarah," Chuck said in a resigned tone. "Sarah, this is mom. Sarah is vacationing here."
"And helping you behind the counter, I see," she added with a glint in her eyes. Sarah at once knew that Chuck's mom was very observant, more so than her son. She had them both figured out in a few seconds. It was highly impressive.
"More like distracting the help," Sarah replied with a smile. Chuck groaned but Sarah couldn't figure out why. Maybe he'd stubbed his toe. "You have a beautiful store," Sarah added.
"Thank you," she replied. "My name is Mary. My husband, Stephen, and I own this shop. What do you think of our little town so far?"
"There are many family businesses here," Sarah smiled back. "And everyone is so friendly!"
"You're from a big city, aren't you?" Mary inquired.
"How'd you know?"
"Big city types always say the same thing."
"Ah, I see," Sarah replied. "I suppose we are predictable then. People here though are so lovely. Your son was nice enough to take me kayaking yesterday."
"Unpromoted socialising with someone other than Morgan?" Mary asked, faking surprise. "That's unusual."
"It wasn't unprompted," Sarah admitted. "Ellie encouraged him."
"Hello," Chuck said. "I am standing right here."
"So you are, dear," Mary smiled at him. "But don't you think your time would be better spent with Sarah this afternoon?"
"I guess, I mean I was going to ask if you could cover me for an hour," Chuck said.
"Take the rest of the day, sweetheart," Mary told him. "You work too hard."
Chuck snorted. "I doubt that," he said. "But alright."
"Excellent," Sarah said, reaching out to take Chuck's hand and encourage him towards the door.
"Have fun," Mary called out after them as they left the store.
"Your mom is lovely," Sarah said once they were outside.
"She can be," Chuck agreed, but he seemed distracted.
"So, local," Sarah asked. "Where's the best breakfast-at-lunchtime place in town?"
"Did mom seem weird to you?" Chuck asked.
Sarah couldn't help but laugh. "I just met her," Sarah reminded him.
"Oh right, okay, well she seemed to be acting weird to me then," Chuck said.
"I think she noticed we wanted to spend time alone together," Sarah explained. "She was just being nice."
Chuck gave his head a shake. "Right, sorry," he said, giving her his full attention again. "You're hungry. This way."
He led her down the boardwalk and towards a little business tucked away in a corner. The sign above the door said, 'Rhino Coffee House.' Inside were only a few tables and chairs. The main focus of the room was the long counter with pastries and donuts on display. A very impressive looking espresso machine was visible on the counter. Rather than the usual black, this one was red and bold. It was definitely more of a cafe than restaurant, but it had a lovely atmosphere and the coffee smelled amazing.
Sarah ordered herself a coffee and a breakfast pastry and then stepped back to let Chuck order. He picked a grilled wrap. She let him pay for their meal which felt highly unfair to her, and then they sat down.
"What struck you as odd about your mom?" Sarah asked while they waited.
"Too nice," Chuck explained. "I was expecting more meddling."
"Ah, so your sister takes after your mother then," Sarah concluded.
"Very much so," Chuck replied. "This means they are probably just saving it up for later."
Sarah laughed gently. "Expecting to be roasted, are you?"
"Kinda, yeah," Chuck said, but he didn't look worried about it anymore. He was smiling and even laughed a little with her.
"Your big family dynamic sounds lovely," Sarah said, a little wistfully.
"Sorry," Chuck mumbled.
Sarah smiled. "Don't be sorry," she said. "It isn't your fault that my family is just me. It's hard for me to imagine what it must have been like for you growing up around so many people."
"Chaotic is a good word for it," Chuck offered.
"Chaos can be fun," Sarah offered.
"Or exhausting," Chuck countered. "Depends on your mood, really."
"Well, here's hoping the future chaos catches you in a good mood," Sarah smiled at him. "Anyway, what do you want to do after we eat?"
"What do you mean?"
"What's the next stop on my tour," she said.
"I'm not a tour guide," Chuck repeated his sentiment from yesterday. "I'm just hoping you want to do something more low key than kayaking for hours and hours."
"Your arms are sore from yesterday, aren't they?" Sarah chuckled.
Chuck babbled a bit and then finally confessed. "How did you know?"
"It's how you are carrying yourself today," she explained. "Besides, mine hurt too."
"Oh good," Chuck said, then seemed to realize how that sounded. "I don't mean good you're in pain, I mean good at least I'm not as big a wimp as I thought."
"Maybe we are just both wimps?" Sarah offered.
"Somehow I doubt that," Chuck replied.
"Have you tried stretching?" Sarah said. "I did a few this morning and it helped a lot."
"I've not tried that," Chuck admitted. "But now that you mention it, that sounds like a great plan."
Their order was up and Sarah got up to collect their food. They ate in silence. Sarah at least was very hungry and unwilling to use her mouth for talking when there was food available.
"That was so good," she said once she'd finished her pastry. Still sipping her coffee she was considering getting another one. She drank the last of her coffee and decided she needed more.
"Right back," she said before getting up to place another order. When she returned Chuck was giving her a look. "What?"
"It's like you are determined to pay for everything," Chuck told her.
"Well, maybe I am," she said. "Anyway, new topic. I want to know more about you." Chuck just shrugged. "Oh come on, there must be something."
"You know where I work," Chuck explained. "As you have probably guessed, I still live at home. I work, I play games with Morgan, and get fed by my mother." He shrugged. "Nothing special about me, really."
"I disagree," Sarah argued. "You're definitely special."
"Oh come on," Chuck replied, humbly. "You must be from some big city, right? Like Toronto, Seattle, or Los Angeles. I've never left the town I was born in."
"I was actually born north of here," Sarah replied softly. "Though I have visited all those places, and lots of other big cities. But I kinda envy how you've stayed in one place. I have never really belonged anywhere before."
"That sounds lonely," Chuck observed.
"It was," Sarah said. "But I have seen some beautiful places. The world is far bigger than even I understand. I doubt any one person could see it all within their lifetime."
"You know, I've never thought about it that way before," Chuck said.
They didn't speak for a moment, and then Sarah's order was called and she got up. Returning with her scone and another coffee, she sat down and ate hungrily.
"I don't remember the last time I ate this well," she observed.
Chuck scoffed at that. "Have you lived on lettuce up until now?"
"Sometimes," Sarah sighed. "Putting on weight is tricky in my line of work."
"Song writing?" Chuck asked, perplexed.
"Stage performing," Sarah corrected. She wished now that she hadn't brought it up.
"Like theatre?" Chuck asked.
"Yeah, kinda," Sarah replied.
"Well in that case you definitely deserved that second pastry," Chuck smiled at her. "Lettuce is only good on sandwiches."
She was smiling again. Always smiling. It felt wonderful, and it made Sarah want to dance.
Reaching out, she grabbed Chuck's hand and led him out of the cafe.
Okay so that update took a little longer than I wanted. The tiny humans are relentless in their need for mommy lol. It's a good thing I don't get writer's block like Sarah or none of my stories would ever get updates. These days I sneak in writing time in the morning when the toddler is sleepy and ignoring me or in the evening after they go to bed and I happen to not be burnt out. And then there are moments like now when my husband is home and on kid duty. Tag your it dad! lol
Anywho what did you think of the chapter? I know everyone was keen to hear Sarah's thoughts on the last chapter. Did this satisfy your curiosity? Any thoughts on where Sarah is taking Chuck next?