~Part III~
~"Surreal, But Nice”~
It is just about fifteen minutes later when they arrive at the front doors to Sears Tower. They stand outside as people walk past them and into the large foyer, passing through security checkpoints before being allowed to enter the elevators.
They turn to each other, both smile softly at one another.
“Well, you made it. You’re late, but at least you got here.” He tells her.
She nods and looks down briefly and then back up at him.
“Look, I’m filming a scene tonight – well actually right now. But if you would like to wait, maybe you could show me around the city a bit.” She says. He stares at her for a moment in disbelief.
“As much as I’d like too, I’d better get home. I’d really like to show you around, tonight’s just not good for me, I’m not feeling well.” He tells her truthfully.
“That’s okay; you should go home and rest then.” She says in slight disappointment. Silence falls over them like a thick blanket. He cannot believe he just gave up a semi-date with Sydney Bristow for a headache. He has to fix it.
“What about tomorrow night?” He asks. A small smile creeps to her face, and she seems rather excited about the prospect.
“Tomorrow’s good for me.” She tells him. “I have the day off.”
“Great. Why don’t I…” he stops as soon as he remembers his previous commitments for tomorrow afternoon.
“What is it?” She asks as he seems he’s thinking.
“I can’t go tomorrow. I forgot I have to coach pee-wee hockey tomorrow night.” He says.
“That’s fine.” She tells him.
“No it’s not, now I feel horrible. I am so sorry.…” He says in disappointment.
“No, I mean I’ll come with you. As long as it’s alright, of course?” She asks. He cannot help but smile at he resolution.
“Yeah, sure, I’d like that. The game starts at six. So if you want you can swing by the bar, or I can pick you up.” He proposes.
“I’ll meet you at the bar at five-thirty.” She tells him. “But until then, I really need to be going before they send a search party after me. You have no idea how worried my assistant Francie gets when I’m late. She has the police on speed-dial.”
Vaughn gives her a strange look. “Why would…”
“Why would she need the police on speed-dial if the number is 911?” Sydney asks, “I have no idea, I try not to bring it up. She gets very defensive over her intelligence.” She laughs.
“I’ll make sure to remember that.” He sighs and gives her a smile. “It’s been nice talking with you, sort of surreal, but nice. I’m glad I got you here in one piece.” He tells her.
She smiles at his sweetness and stares at him for a moment before leaning forward and planting a kiss on his cheek, which immediately causes chills to cover his skin.
“Thank you….” She tells him with a pause, obviously searching for his name.
“Oh! I can’t believe I never told you my name! I’m so sorry.” He laughs at himself.
“My name’s Michael, Michael Vaughn.”
“Don’t worry about it, Vaughn.” She tells him. He smiles at her pronunciation of his last name. He likes the way she says his last name, he usually hates it when people call him by it, but coming out of her mouth – he soon finds a new respect for it.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He tells her.
“Good-night.” She says before she takes her bags from him and walks into the foyer of the building.
“Good-night – Syd.”
He turns around and walks out of the plaza. Five blocks later he reaches the front door of his apartment and fiddles with the many keys in his pocket. He tries to move as fast as he can but he isn’t fast enough. The door across the way opens and a redhead in her twenties steps out into the hallway. She isn’t a bad looking young woman; she might actually be attractive if she wasn’t so annoying and obsessive.
“Hey, Michael! Where have you been all day?” Kate Koltz asks. Vaughn always tries to avoid her as much as possible. She’d hit on him, flirt with him, and once she tried to force herself on him when he was drunk at a party.
“Away from you.” He says to himself, under his breath.
”What?” She asks. She obviously didn’t hear him.
"At work, you know – what normal people tend to do everyday?”
She crosses her arms in frustration, "Michael Vaughn – why are you so mean to me all the time?” She asked. He turned around to her after unlocking the door.
“Kate, I’ve told you plenty of times I’m not interested in you, nor will I ever be. I don’t understand why you’re so persistent. I don’t like you – you used to be my friend – but this gets old after awhile. I’ll say it one last time. I am not INTERESTED.” He tells her. He takes the keys out of the lock and opens his apartment door. Once he’s inside he slams it shut with much force.
“I know you love me! You’re just denying it!” She yells through the door. He sighs and throws his keys on the table. Eric Weiss is sitting on the couch eating cereal and watching cartoons.
“Is she trying to molest you again?” Eric asks with a mouth full of lucky charms. Milk seeping out from his bottom lip and slipping back into the black ceramic bowl.
“How could you tell?” Vaughn asks sarcastically.
“Okay, I thought I was crazy. But that woman needs to be put into an insane asylum.” Eric says, “She must have had some crazy childhood or something that turned her into…well…whatever she is now.”
“She’s like my stalker! Every single day it’s ‘Michael! Oh my dearest Michael, I love you, please have my babies! Hehehe’ she’s driving me f***ing insane!!!” Vaughn says as he rolls his eyes.
Eric looks over the back of the couch at his friend.
“Just find another girl, bring her here and make out with her in the hallway. Crazy lady will leave you alone then.” He suggests.
Vaughn smiled slightly at the idea of making out with the woman that is currently on his mind.
“What?” Eric asks, “You actually like my idea?”
“No…I mean sure – but that’s not why I’m smiling.” He says. Eric puts his cereal bowl down on the coffee table.
“Alright, man. I’m all ears.” Vaughn sighs and sits down in the lazy-boy.
“I met this girl a few days ago. She came into the bar in the morning. She’s a sweetheart. Anyway, I bumped into her again today. She was lost – I helped her get to the Sears Tower.” Vaughn says.
“Is she hot?” Eric asks. Vaughn smiles.
“No, she’s beautiful.” Eric can she his friend is glowing.
“Okay, so I take it this girl isn’t some one-night-stand type chick. You actually like her don’t you?” Eric asks. Vaughn nods softly.
“If I told you her name you wouldn’t believe it.” Vaughn says.
“Try me.” Eric counters.
“Ask me some questions.”
Eric rolls his eyes. “Come on man! Not the question game again!”
“Fine, you’ll never know then.” Vaughn says as he watches the game unfolding on TV.
“Initials?” Eric gives in.
“S.A.B”
"Ha! One more A and you could call her Saab, you know, like the car.” Eric jokes. Vaughn just stares at his friend.
"You know, maybe you and Kate would be good for eachother.” Vaughn jokes with a serious face.
"It was a joke, lay off.” Eric defends,
“Hair and eye color?”
“Brown and brown.” Vaughn answers.
“Profession?”
"Actress.”
"Wow! You’re moving up in society, buddy!” Eric says.
“Shut up! At least I’m not a pimp.”
"How am I a pimp, I don’t have a girl?” Eric asks slightly confused.
"You said it not me.” Vaughn said. Eric looks even more confused.
"Whatever. Come on man, just tell me who it is. I hate this guessing felgercarb.”
Vaughn rolls his eyes.
“Sydney Bristow.” Vaughn tells his roommate. He laughs when he sees Eric freeze completely. “Before you ask – yes, thee Sydney Bristow.”
"You lucky son-of-a-b****.” Eric says. “How did you end up with America’s sweetheart?”
“I don’t know. Fate I guess.” Vaughn says smiling.
“So are you two going out then?” Eric asks. Vaughn nods.
"Tomorrow night. She wants me to show her around the city. She’s coming to the game.” Vaughn tells him.
"Well, I’m definitely coming. I want to meet her.” Eric says in a very excited tone.
"Fine, just don’t screw this up for me alright? I really like this one.” Vaughn says. Eric holds up two fingers.
"Scouts honor.”
Vaughn shakes his head.
"You’re so lame.” Vaughn says standing up. He walks into his room and closes the door. He plops down on his bed face first and buries his head in his pillow. He looks to his left and out the window of his 12-story apartment building. He watches the night sky for a moment before sighing. He smiles softly as his eyes get heavy.
"Please don’t let this one get away.”
He closes his eyes and sleep overtakes him. A shooting star shoots across the sky moments later. Maybe for once he is going to be allowed to be happy. He told her that he was happy concerning his life in general. But he isn’t emotionally happy, not as happy as he can be. He is 25 and without someone to share his life with. But maybe that is about to change.
I like how he's got the same sense of humor as always. 