its great that they saw each other again,
but she really needs to tell him who she really is.
and besides the fact that he is a guy, how did he not notice that she was wearing the same dress?!
That was brave of Sydney to do it at the Cole's party...good thing she was not caught!!
But she better start telling Michael the truth...he will find out soon...and he will be angry!!!
Sydney better tell Vaughn the truth because every time she lies, she is losing Vaughn. Lying is a bad thing, especially in a relationship, if she wants him to trust her then make her tell him the truth
Chapter 7
“Well, I’m glad to see you looking more cheerful,” Eric commented when he saw Michael walk into work the Monday following the Cole party. “Blue is not your color.”
“Thanks,” Michael laughed softly.
“So, did you meet someone at the party then?” Eric asked.
“Yep, Sydney,” he grinned.
Eric looked shocked. “You saw her again?!”
“Yes, I did.”
“Wow, she’s actually a real person?”
“Of course she’s real! She’s.... amazing. Even more amazing than I thought,” he sighed.
“You sound happy.” Eric smiled at him.
“I am!” he laughed. “But there’s a tiny problem.”
“There always is...”
“Her grandmother hates the French,” Michael said sadly.
Eric cringed. “I guess you can’t switch off that accent of yours, can you? Or oh! Wait until she dies!”
“That’s horrible,” Michael said sharply. Eric shrugged. “I just don’t know,” Michael sighed and shook his head. “I don’t even know where she lives.”
“I suppose never seeing her again wouldn’t be an option....,” Eric suggested cautiously.
“NO! Of course not! I have to see her again..... I just... I want to.... I could listen to her talk for hours. She has the most amazing voice... and her laugh... it's infectious.”
“You’re sounding dangerously close to love, my friend,” Eric patted his friend’s back.
“Maybe I am. I mean, I’ve only seen her twice, but.... I want to see her every day, all day!” he exclaimed.
“Slow down Michael, you don’t even know where she lives!”
“But I’m going to see her again and find out!” Michael told him firmly.
“Oh? You set up a meeting with her then?” Eric asked.
Michael averted his eyes. “No....”
“Uh huh,” Eric said skeptically.
“I found her once, twice! I’ll find her again,” Michael told him. Eric just walked away.
~*~
For the next few days, Sydney thought about the situation that she had created with Michael. Because of some need she couldn’t explain, she had sought him out at that party and caused herself to become even more attached to him. Now, she wanted to see him more than ever, but had no idea how she could actualize her wishes. She knew of two parties the Coles would be attending in coming weeks, but they would be traveling by horse-drawn carriage and there was no way she could go along. She was stuck.
She had completely forgotten about the fact that Michael lived near the Cole's until she heard him across the street one day when she was out yanking weeds from the flower garden. She peered at him through the vine-covered bars of the wrought iron fence as he spoke with an older woman. She couldn’t tell what they were saying since they were speaking in French, but he was laughing. His laughter made her heart flutter as it always did and his smile sent tingles down her spine.
He spoke with the woman for a few moments before walking up the steps of the house he was in front of, pulling keys from his pocket, unlocking the door, and going inside. Sydney sat back on her heels once he had disappeared. That was his house, only a few short steps away. He was so close....
Sitting there, she pondered the idea of going over to visit him, but she didn’t know how. The night of the Cole’s party, she had hid in the garden for hours until she thought it was safe to go inside. Even then, she had a close call with one of the maids. She couldn’t risk getting caught again, but at the same time, she didn’t want to risk Michael forgetting about her. She didn’t know how she was going to do it, but she knew she had to try.
~*~
It was a few weeks before the scene for her visit was set. The Cole's left early in the morning to visit the country home of Mrs. Cole’s cousin and they would be spending the night there, leaving the house empty. Sydney decided that this was a perfect opportunity for a visit with Michael. She almost had her dress on when she came to a heartbreaking realization. Michael, how ever observant he wasn’t (being that he was a male), would surely notice that she was wearing the same dress for the third time in a row, which could raise suspicion. For a sad moment, she almost gave up her plans, but then decided that since the Cole’s were away, Sydney could borrow one of Elizabeth’s dresses without her knowledge. Not thinking about the severity of her actions, Sydney threw one of them on and checked her appearance in the mirror. To add a finishing touch to her ensemble, she tied a ribbon in the same color blue as her dress around her neck as a necklace.
Once she was ready, she snuck out the back and headed across the street to Michael’s house. She knocked on the door and nervously awaited an answer, hoping that he was home and not away somewhere. “May I help you?” a maid asked when she opened the door.
“Yes, I’m here to see Mr. Vaughn, if he is available. My name is Sydney,” she told her.
“Come inside please, ma’am,” the maid said as she opened the door wider. Sydney stepped inside and waited in the foyer while the maid walked off towards the back of the house. While she was waiting, Sydney observed her surroundings. Michael’s home wasn’t as elaborate as the Cole’s, not even close. It was very simple, minimally furnished and quite obvious that a woman didn’t live there.
“Sydney! This certainly is a pleasant surprise,” Michael grinned as he walked towards her.
“I do hope I’m not intruding. It wasn’t my intention to bother you,” she told him.
“You could never bother. How... how did you find me?” he asked.
“I have my ways,” she grinned. He looked suspicious. She laughed. “I intended on visiting the Cole's but they’re away and then I recalled that you were their neighbor and thought it might be nice to drop by.”
“It is nice. I’m very glad that you did. Come, sit down,” he smiled as he gestured towards the parlor. “So, how is your grandmother doing?”
For a moment, Sydney was thrown off guard, having forgotten her own lie, but she recovered quickly. “Oh, she’s... fine, I suppose. No different than usual. How have you been? Anything new?”
“Yes, actually. In a few days I’ll be leaving to return to France. I’ll be gone about a month, I’m afraid,” he told her.
“Oh, I hope everything’s alright,” Sydney said with concern.
“It is, don’t worry. My mother has insisted that I come to visit since I haven’t seen her in nearly four years,” he explained.
“Oh, that’s so nice you’ll be able to see her again.”
“Nice... sure...,” he said uncertainly. She looked at him strangely. “My mother can be slightly overbearing.”
“Oh,” Sydney laughed softly.
“Yes... I may not last the whole month,” he laughed. “Would you like to go for a walk outside? It’s such a lovely day.”
“Of course,” Sydney smiled at him. He led her out to the gardens at the back of his house and Sydney was amazed by them. He told her that they were his prized possession and from the rows and rows of beautiful, well-kept roses and other flowers she could tell this was true. They walked and talked for nearly an hour, but as they did, Sydney noticed Michael kept staring at her strangely. “What?” she asked finally.
“What, what?” he asked with confusion.
“You... you’re looking at me,” she said as a slight rose color crept into her cheeks.
“I’m sorry, it’s just.... you are so much more beautiful in the daylight. I thought your beauty was amazing in candlelight, but with the sun shining you are simply magnificent,” he told her. Her cheeks grew redder as she laughed nervously and looked away. “I’m sorry, I-”
“No, it’s alright,” she told him. “I’m just not used to people saying that to me.”
“Well, it’s true,” he told her. She looked over at him and smiled. In the process, she wasn’t looking where she was going and tripped over a stray rock. She nearly toppled to the ground, but Michael caught her around the waist and lifted her back to her feet. “Are you alright?”
“Yes,” she laughed at herself. “Just slightly clumsy, I suppose.”
“It’s quite alright,” he said with his face close to hers. Then, he wasn’t sure why, but he brushed his lips softly against hers. He regretted it though, when she jumped back in surprise. “I... I am terribly sorry. I don’t know what came over me,” he apologized quickly.
“No, no it’s fine,” Sydney said quietly as she brought her finger to her lips that still tingled from his kiss. Michael turned away from her, his body language clearly displaying remorse. “Michael,” Sydney sighed as she placed her hand on his arm and walked around to face him. She stood up on her toes and kissed low on his cheek, very close to his lips. “It’s alright,” she whispered.
Michael smiled softly at her and slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a hug. Sydney rested her palms on his shoulders and pressed her cheek against his as they hugged; she never wanted to let go.
After talking some more, Sydney said goodbye to Michael, wishing him a safe journey to France. He kissed her cheek and promised that they’d get together in a months time, when he returned. She agreed willingly, hoping that a month would pass as quickly as possible.
Ok, I know that it is inevitable that this turns out bad at some point, that she's going to be caught. I just hope it isn't too soon because Syd and Michael are too cute together.
Then, he wasn’t sure why, but he brushed his lips softly against hers. He regretted it though, when she jumped back in surprise. “I... I am terribly sorry. I don’t know what came over me,” he apologized quickly.
“No, no it’s fine,” Sydney said quietly as she brought her finger to her lips that still tingled from his kiss. Michael turned away from her, his body language clearly displaying remorse. “Michael,” Sydney sighed as she placed her hand on his arm and walked around to face him. She stood up on her toes and kissed low on his cheek, very close to his lips. “It’s alright,” she whispered.
Michael smiled softly at her and slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a hug. Sydney rested her palms on his shoulders and pressed her cheek against his as they hugged; she never wanted to let go.
After talking some more, Sydney said goodbye to Michael, wishing him a safe journey to France. He kissed her cheek and promised that they’d get together in a months time, when he returned. She agreed willingly, hoping that a month would pass as quickly as possible.
Awesome update!
I loved that they kissed and Vaughn he's so modest. To bad that he's going to be gone for a whole month I hope that they will meet again as soon as he comes back. Thanks for the PM and I can't wait for more.
“I’m sorry, it’s just.... you are so much more beautiful in the daylight. I thought your beauty was amazing in candlelight, but with the sun shining you are simply magnificent,” he told her.
