Too Late
Posted by DiF on Sunday, August 14, 2011 Under: Birthday
Title: Too Late
Characters: Alyssa Morgan, Chris Cornell, Susan Cornell
Word Count: 1305
Rating: PG-13 [language, drinking, drugs]
Warnings/Spoilers/Summary: Alyssa missed Chris's birthday, but hopes to surprise him belatedly. Happy is not an apt word to describe it...
Some spoilers.
July 1999
Seattle, WA
It really was not her fault. Well, she supposed in a way it was. She was the one who accepted the position at the graphic art company in Los Angeles. And to be completely honest, she liked spending the summer in California. It meant her school and social life was not really interrupted by her family.
But she had promised to come home for a weekend during the summer, which happened to coincide with Chris’s birthday. It was a few days late, but at least she would see him near his birthday. The best part was that he did not know she was in the Emerald City.
After spending the night with her family, much of that time spent with her sister, Alyssa borrowed her stepmother’s car and headed over to Chris’s house. It did not occur to her that his wife could be there, as they officially separated over eighteen months before. But as she pulled up in front of the house, an unfamiliar car was parked in the drive. Walking pass it to get to the front door, Alyssa casually glanced in and recognized the briefcase in the passenger seat and other small items scattered about. Susan was definitely at Chris’s house. She wondered why, but continued to the door anyways.
As the door opened to her knock, Chris’s eyes met hers. His face instantly brightened briefly, but then soured. He stepped out of the house, closing the door behind him. His eyes danced over her face, still unspeaking, and he quickly kissed her.
“Chris?” she muttered when he pulled back.
“I wasn’t expecting you.”
“That’s kinda why it’s a surprise,” she responded.
“Um… Susan is here.”
Her eyes flicked to the car in the drive, “Yeah, I know.”
“You can come in but…”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll just… want to meet me for dinner?”
He smiled, “That would be great. Where?”
“You know where,” she responded.
He quickly kissed her again, “I’ll be there at eight.”
Fiddling with the hem of her short skirt, Alyssa glanced at the clock near the reception desk. He was late. Though it was not unheard of for Chris to be late, she had not expected him to be late when they had not seen each other for a few months. Maybe those few stolen kisses really had not meant anything, other than a way to distract her from coming into his house.
Not that it really mattered. They were not a couple, just friends. She had her own life in California. He had his in Seattle. Besides, she swore to him she would have nothing more to do with him as long as he was married, at least beyond being friends. She could not let those quick kisses distract her. They were just friends, who were supposed to be sharing a meal in celebration of his birthday a few days before. Apparently she did not rank high enough for him to do that.
Getting to her feet, she thanked the hostess and headed towards the door, her heels clicking across the tile. She reached for the door handle, her long finger colliding with the brass shape and snapping. Swearing under her breath, she bit off the rest of it before reaching for the door again. It swung open, breaking another two nails in the process.
Before she could mutter another curse, he smiled sheepishly at her, “Sorry I’m late.”
“Oh well… we lost our table and I’m going home,” Alyssa responded, stepping around him.
His hand grasped hers, “We’ll get it back. Don’t leave.”
“Chris, you can’t just —”
He tugged her towards the hostess and once more placed their reservation. Flashing her a triumphant smile when they were immediately shown a table, Chris led her through the restaurant to a small table by an outside window. He quickly placed a drink and appetizer order while she shifting awkwardly in the seat.
“I’m so glad to see you. I can’t…” he reached across the table for her hand.
“I’ve been busy,” her hand evaded his, reaching for a glass of water instead.
Noticing the slight, he frowned but reached for his own water, “I didn’t think you were coming back to Seattle this summer.”
“I’m just here for the weekend. And since it was your birthday…”
He smirked, “I completely forgot about my birthday.”
“Your wife didn’t do anything for it?” Alyssa replied.
He flinched slightly at the tone in her voice, “If you consider finally giving into talks about moving beyond separation, then yes.”
“So you’re getting back together? That explains why she was over today.”
“No,” Chris frowned that she assumed this first and foremost. “We were talking about divorce…”
“Oh… I see.”
An awkward silent moment passed between them, interrupted by the server bringing drinks and taking their dinner order. Small talk became the focus of their mealtime conversation, but a thread of tension undercut everything. Chris hardly needed to hear about her life in California – a life without him. Yet with each passing moment spent with her, it became even more apparent to him that he had a lot to do in order to win her back. He believed her education was important, mainly because she believed it, but it was taking her away from him.
In that moment, with three beers in him, Chris decided to relocate to Los Angeles, hell or high-water. He needed to be close to the angel across the table from him. He could not lose her. He would spend the next birthday with her, whatever it took.
As they left the restaurant an hour after Chris arrived, Alyssa could tell he was intoxicated beyond what he claimed. With little hesitation, she kissed him and slipped the keys from his motorcycle out of his pocket. His eyes questioned hers silently. Saying absolutely nothing, she pulled him down the street to the borrowed car.
With him in the passenger seat, Alyssa headed back to his house. When he sobered up, they would return for his bike. He muttered things on the drive over, but she paid little attention. She helped him into the house and tended to his dogs, thinking leaving him alone would be just fine. As she returned to the living room, her hazel eyes watched as he swallowed a pill or two with a gulp of beer.
“I gotta go,” she stated, picking up her purse.
“What? No, Aly, please,” he muttered, staggering to his feet. “Don’t go, baby.”
“First of all, I’m not your baby,” she dug her keys out. “Second of all, you’re wasted. You’re not any fun when you’re wasted.”
“But, Aly…” he reached for her.
“No. I’ll come back in the morning and take you to get your bike, provided you sober up by then,” she stated, heading towards the door.
“Baby, please,” his hand snagged hers, stopping her inches from the door.
Her angry eyes turned to him as she pulled her wrist free, “No, Chris, I am done with all of this shit. I don’t date guys in college who are into it. I don’t hang out with people who are into it. I am so far beyond this partying that you’re still into. You sober up and then I’ll spend time with you, but not a moment before.”
“But —”
“I’m going home now. Sober up and I’ll take you to get your bike. Good night, Chris,” she pulled the front door open. “Sorry your belated happy birthday didn’t end up how you wanted it to.”
As the door closed, he sighed. It may not have ended how he wanted, but at least he could say his birthday was life-changing. He was moving to be closer to her and to close the gulf between them. Whatever it took. That was gift enough to him.
Characters: Alyssa Morgan, Chris Cornell, Susan Cornell
Word Count: 1305
Rating: PG-13 [language, drinking, drugs]
Warnings/Spoilers/Summary: Alyssa missed Chris's birthday, but hopes to surprise him belatedly. Happy is not an apt word to describe it...
Some spoilers.
July 1999
Seattle, WA
It really was not her fault. Well, she supposed in a way it was. She was the one who accepted the position at the graphic art company in Los Angeles. And to be completely honest, she liked spending the summer in California. It meant her school and social life was not really interrupted by her family.
But she had promised to come home for a weekend during the summer, which happened to coincide with Chris’s birthday. It was a few days late, but at least she would see him near his birthday. The best part was that he did not know she was in the Emerald City.
After spending the night with her family, much of that time spent with her sister, Alyssa borrowed her stepmother’s car and headed over to Chris’s house. It did not occur to her that his wife could be there, as they officially separated over eighteen months before. But as she pulled up in front of the house, an unfamiliar car was parked in the drive. Walking pass it to get to the front door, Alyssa casually glanced in and recognized the briefcase in the passenger seat and other small items scattered about. Susan was definitely at Chris’s house. She wondered why, but continued to the door anyways.
As the door opened to her knock, Chris’s eyes met hers. His face instantly brightened briefly, but then soured. He stepped out of the house, closing the door behind him. His eyes danced over her face, still unspeaking, and he quickly kissed her.
“Chris?” she muttered when he pulled back.
“I wasn’t expecting you.”
“That’s kinda why it’s a surprise,” she responded.
“Um… Susan is here.”
Her eyes flicked to the car in the drive, “Yeah, I know.”
“You can come in but…”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll just… want to meet me for dinner?”
He smiled, “That would be great. Where?”
“You know where,” she responded.
He quickly kissed her again, “I’ll be there at eight.”
Fiddling with the hem of her short skirt, Alyssa glanced at the clock near the reception desk. He was late. Though it was not unheard of for Chris to be late, she had not expected him to be late when they had not seen each other for a few months. Maybe those few stolen kisses really had not meant anything, other than a way to distract her from coming into his house.
Not that it really mattered. They were not a couple, just friends. She had her own life in California. He had his in Seattle. Besides, she swore to him she would have nothing more to do with him as long as he was married, at least beyond being friends. She could not let those quick kisses distract her. They were just friends, who were supposed to be sharing a meal in celebration of his birthday a few days before. Apparently she did not rank high enough for him to do that.
Getting to her feet, she thanked the hostess and headed towards the door, her heels clicking across the tile. She reached for the door handle, her long finger colliding with the brass shape and snapping. Swearing under her breath, she bit off the rest of it before reaching for the door again. It swung open, breaking another two nails in the process.
Before she could mutter another curse, he smiled sheepishly at her, “Sorry I’m late.”
“Oh well… we lost our table and I’m going home,” Alyssa responded, stepping around him.
His hand grasped hers, “We’ll get it back. Don’t leave.”
“Chris, you can’t just —”
He tugged her towards the hostess and once more placed their reservation. Flashing her a triumphant smile when they were immediately shown a table, Chris led her through the restaurant to a small table by an outside window. He quickly placed a drink and appetizer order while she shifting awkwardly in the seat.
“I’m so glad to see you. I can’t…” he reached across the table for her hand.
“I’ve been busy,” her hand evaded his, reaching for a glass of water instead.
Noticing the slight, he frowned but reached for his own water, “I didn’t think you were coming back to Seattle this summer.”
“I’m just here for the weekend. And since it was your birthday…”
He smirked, “I completely forgot about my birthday.”
“Your wife didn’t do anything for it?” Alyssa replied.
He flinched slightly at the tone in her voice, “If you consider finally giving into talks about moving beyond separation, then yes.”
“So you’re getting back together? That explains why she was over today.”
“No,” Chris frowned that she assumed this first and foremost. “We were talking about divorce…”
“Oh… I see.”
An awkward silent moment passed between them, interrupted by the server bringing drinks and taking their dinner order. Small talk became the focus of their mealtime conversation, but a thread of tension undercut everything. Chris hardly needed to hear about her life in California – a life without him. Yet with each passing moment spent with her, it became even more apparent to him that he had a lot to do in order to win her back. He believed her education was important, mainly because she believed it, but it was taking her away from him.
In that moment, with three beers in him, Chris decided to relocate to Los Angeles, hell or high-water. He needed to be close to the angel across the table from him. He could not lose her. He would spend the next birthday with her, whatever it took.
As they left the restaurant an hour after Chris arrived, Alyssa could tell he was intoxicated beyond what he claimed. With little hesitation, she kissed him and slipped the keys from his motorcycle out of his pocket. His eyes questioned hers silently. Saying absolutely nothing, she pulled him down the street to the borrowed car.
With him in the passenger seat, Alyssa headed back to his house. When he sobered up, they would return for his bike. He muttered things on the drive over, but she paid little attention. She helped him into the house and tended to his dogs, thinking leaving him alone would be just fine. As she returned to the living room, her hazel eyes watched as he swallowed a pill or two with a gulp of beer.
“I gotta go,” she stated, picking up her purse.
“What? No, Aly, please,” he muttered, staggering to his feet. “Don’t go, baby.”
“First of all, I’m not your baby,” she dug her keys out. “Second of all, you’re wasted. You’re not any fun when you’re wasted.”
“But, Aly…” he reached for her.
“No. I’ll come back in the morning and take you to get your bike, provided you sober up by then,” she stated, heading towards the door.
“Baby, please,” his hand snagged hers, stopping her inches from the door.
Her angry eyes turned to him as she pulled her wrist free, “No, Chris, I am done with all of this shit. I don’t date guys in college who are into it. I don’t hang out with people who are into it. I am so far beyond this partying that you’re still into. You sober up and then I’ll spend time with you, but not a moment before.”
“But —”
“I’m going home now. Sober up and I’ll take you to get your bike. Good night, Chris,” she pulled the front door open. “Sorry your belated happy birthday didn’t end up how you wanted it to.”
As the door closed, he sighed. It may not have ended how he wanted, but at least he could say his birthday was life-changing. He was moving to be closer to her and to close the gulf between them. Whatever it took. That was gift enough to him.
In : Birthday
Tags: birthday 1999
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