A/N: sweet blossom89 wanted to see some friendly outings. I actually thought of some! (Surprisingly YouTube helped – you’ll understand after you read the story) Prequel to “To See It Is To Believe It.”

Pig breath was not a valid excuse as far as Chad Dylan Cooper was concerned. Sonny promised to kiss him, Chad Dylan Cooper, when pigs flew and that one certainly flew right into her lap. She owned him as kiss. Beyond that, Chad just really, really wanted to kiss Sonny. She kept blocking his attempts (the pig, her hand, the door), but that only made him want to kiss her all the more.

As his more obvious attempts to win her affections had yet to work, Chad was going to try something completely different for his next attack. Chad was going to be subtle.

Normally (or ever), Chad Dylan Cooper did not do subtle, but for Sonny…well, Chad was willing to give it a try.

---

“Sonny,” Chad called after the perky brunette as he chased her around Stage 3.

“Chad,” Sonny said with a heavy sigh.

“Hey.”

“Chad, what do you want?”

Looking sheepish, Chad rubbed the back of his neck and scuffed his shoe along the floor. “I…ah…wanted to apologize.”

Shocked, Sonny blinked for several seconds before repeating, “Apologize? For what?”

“Last week,” he answered, looking into Sonny’s eyes through the eyelashes of his downcast eyes. Shrugging, Chad added, “You’re my friend and I shouldn’t have messed with you that way – saying you would fall in love with me.”

“Oh.” Sonny wasn’t sure if she was relieved or upset by this declaration. “Oh…well, you’re forgiven.”

Giving her that grin, Chad looked straight into her eyes, his blue ones wide making it easier for her to see their particular shade of blue. “Let me make it up to you.”

“What? No, Chad, that’s not necessary,” Sonny quickly demurred. “Really! You’re fine.”

“No, Sonny,” Chad quickly countered. “I haven’t always been nice to you and you are my friend.” Laughing lightly, he added, “Really, you’re the best friend I’ve got. Let me make it up to you.”

Looking into those sad blue eyes Sonny felt she had no choice. Caving, Sonny nodded. “Okay, Chad. What did you want to do?”

“Well, I still have those courtside seats to the Lakers. Season pass.” Strolling just a little closer, Chad grinned, “I hear the last time you went it didn’t turn out so well.”

“I didn’t get to see the whole game,” Sonny admitted, slightly flirting back.

“Courtside seats are an experience you should enjoy. You’re staying the entire time. Tomorrow night. I’ll pick you up at six?” Chad asked, slightly nervous about her reply.

“I’ll be waiting,” Sonny answered with an enthusiasm that only she could achieve.

---

Once he and Sonny went their separate ways for the day, Chad smiled an evil sort of smile. Phase One of the plan complete.

---

“Come on!” Sonny yelled. “That was charging! Open your eyes ref.”

Chad leaned back in his chair, surprised that he found this completely cute. He was right in what he told James Conroy. Sonny couldn’t help being cute – even when yelling at a referee.

“That was charging,” Sonny informed Chad when the ref still did nothing.

“I know,” Chad soothed. “The ref is blind.”

Chad honestly didn’t care or see what she was talking about. While Sonny was cute, he didn’t particularly want to be kicked out…especially on national television.

Placated since Chad agreed with her and wasn’t doing anything to try and calm her down, Sonny settled back into her seat, putting her large foam finger on the floor. Seeing that Chad still had most of his hotdog left uneaten, Sonny reached over and snagged it off his lap.

“Hey,” Chad quickly protested, only to smile when he saw Sonny’s quite-pleased-with-herself-grin.

Swallowing a mouthful of hotdog, Sonny replied, “You snooze, you lose, Cooper.”

Eye twinkling, Chad reached down and grabbed Sonny’s drink before quickly taking several large sips from the straw.

Seeing her jaw drop open in shock, Chad smirked. “Something wrong, Monroe. Can’t take it, but you can dish it out?”

Leaning forward, Sonny growled, “Oh, I can always take it, Cooper. The question is, can you?”

Chad just grinned, but he was thinking, “I can’t wait to find out.”

A loud, shrill whistle from the referee broke their moment and Chad and Sonny returned their attention to the court in front of them. For the rest of the game, however, Sonny kept sneaking glances at Chad when she thought he wasn’t looking. What she didn’t know was that Chad was always looking.

---

Walking her to her door and helping carry all the Lakers memorabilia that he bought her, Chad was thinking that Phase Two went awfully well and the instigation of Phase Three might not be as hard as he thought.

Sonny, completely unaware of these thoughts, was thinking about the surprisingly good evening she’d just had with Chad Dylan Cooper of all people.

Stopping in her partway open doorway, Sonny turned to look at Chad feeling more nervous than she felt she had any right to be.

“I…ah…had a fun time tonight.”

“So, did I,” Chad sincerely agreed. “Maybe we should hang out some more together—sometime.”

“Yeah,” Sonny shyly consented. “Sometime.”

“Oh, ah, don’t forget your T-shirt,” Chad said, draping it over her shoulder. “Or your new foam finger.” That one he waved in the air before Sonny laughingly snatched it from his hand.

Seeing that her hands were now full and she couldn’t stop him, Chad leaned in closer, half whispering, half caressing her with his words. “Thanks for coming with me tonight, Sonny. I really don’t remember the last time I had that much fun.”

Sonny, already feeling a little weak-kneed by their proximity and Chad’s words, collapsed against her doorframe when Chad brushed his lips along her cheek.

“See you at work tomorrow, Sonny,” he said along with another one of those special Sonny-grins before turning around and walking down the hall thinking, “Phase Three is complete.”

Sonny, however, just leaned there for a few minutes before her mother pulled her into their apartment asking, “How’d it go? Did you have fun?”

“Yeah,” Sonny sighed. “Yeah.”

“Disney on Ice: Princess Classics, really?” Sonny asked, staring at the tickets in front of her in disbelief.

“It was very nice of your Grandpa Monroe to send those to you for your birthday,” Connie Monroe admonished her daughter.

Giving her mother a look, Sonny replied, “It’s not my birthday.”

“Yes, but…”

“Mom, it’s not my birthday and I’m seventeen not seven.”

“Well, you can’t not go,” Connie countered. “Patrick will ask you about how you enjoyed it and you’re an awful liar.”

Knowing her mother was correct, Grandpa would never believe her if she didn’t go, Sonny just pouted – and looked remarkably like Tawni in the process.

“He sent you two tickets. Why don’t you take Chad with you?”

“Chad?! Chad Dylan Cooper?!”

Grinning, Connie asked, “Isn’t that the name of the nice young man who took you to the Lakers game last week?”

“Chad’s not a nice young man,” Sonny quickly argued.

Connie just gave her daughter a look and Sonny completely deflated.

“He’ll probably laugh at me,” she whispered.

Patting her daughter’s hand, Connie assured her, “No, he won’t.” Standing up from the kitchen table she added, “But I won’t be going with you so either ask Chad or Tawni or go alone.”

Watching the kitchen door swing shut after her mother, Sonny muttered, “Tawni would be worse than Chad.”

---

“Hey, Chad,” Sonny nervously started, interrupting a rather standard scene of Chad eating a Chad while a hairstylist messed with his hair.

Seeing her, Chad grinned and waved the girl away, setting his sandwich aside to give Sonny his full attention.

Leaning back in his seat with a grin, Chad asked, “Just what do I owe the honor of this visit, Monroe?”

Upon taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Sonny blurted out, “My Grandpa Monroe is 80-years-old and doesn’t always know what’s going on.”

“O-kay,” Chad slowly replied, confused at what appeared – to him – to be a odd Sonny Monroe tangent.

“He seems to think I’m seven and sent me tickets to Disney on Ice: Princess Classics.”

At that, Chad had to laugh. “Sorry, Sunshine, but if this is your way to unload them on me – CDC doesn’t do Ice Capades.” Seeing Sonny’s face fall, however, Chad had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that he miscalculated.

Dropping her eyes, Sonny nodded. “I understand.” Looking like a kicked puppy, Sonny started to head towards one of Studio Two’s exits.

Following his instincts, Chad hopped out of his chair and called out, “Unless you were asking me as a friend to go with you, because Chad Dylan Cooper does do that.”

Flipping around, a bright smile upon her face, Sonny asked, “Really, Chad? You’ll come?”

Strolling towards her, so as to not appear eager to be in her company, Chad nodded. “I don’t take unwanted gifts, but I do go to goofy performances with a friend.”

Thrilled, Sonny threw her arms around Chad, enveloping him in a tight hug. “Thank you, Chad!”

Soon, however, she realized what she was doing and froze. Quickly stepping back, Sonny obstinately straightened her shirt as she added, “So, it starts at 11:30 on Saturday…”

“I’ll pick you up,” Chad firmly replied.

Glancing up at him with a grin, she asked, “As I’m in charge of this friendly outing, shouldn’t I be picking you up?”

Chad scoffed. “I’m not riding in downtown LA traffic with a person who learned to drive in Wisconsin.”

Sounding fairly offended, Sonny protested, “I’ll have you know that we do have big cities, Chad, and…”

Interrupting he said, “It’s not like LA traffic. I’ll pick you up. We’ll get lunch after the show.”

Knowing when she was beat, Sonny just rolled her eyes and nodded.

Chad, on the other hand, was secretly thrilled that they’d already skipped to Phase Seventeen of his plan with no effort on his part being needed.

---

When Chad had picked her up on Saturday, Sonny laughed seeing him wear a sweater, a matching, jaunty scarf, and carrying a coat.

“Chad, we will be indoors,” she teased.

Rolling his eyes he snarked back, “In an iced room. Get your coat.”

“I’m from Wisconsin, Chad. I’ll be fine.”

“Suit yourself,” he replied with a shrug. “But when you’re cold, don’t expect me to give you my coat.”

“I won’t,” she haughtily agreed before pushing past him and out the door.

Waving to Sonny’s mother (who was watching all of this from the couch) with a grin, Chad quickly turned to catch up with his quickly disappearing friend.

---

In all honesty, driving with Chad kind of scared Sonny. He was the epitome of the old “California driver” joke that was bantered around back home in Wisconsin. Of course, as he was driving just like half the drivers around him, Sonny couldn’t exactly complain. She just wondered if she would ever get used to Chad maneuvering down the road.

Despite all that, they did get to the show safely and on time, surprising Sonny more than she would admit. Chad, on the other hand, knew Sonny well enough that he didn’t even try to be fashionably late.

Sonny was also surprised to find that Chad Dylan Cooper wasn’t mobbed by his many and various fans as they entered the area and then waited in line for concessions.

Leaning over so she was whispering in his ear, Sonny asked, “You don’t secretly go to Disney on Ice shows all the time, do you?”

“Huh?” Chad asked, surprised and just a little disturbed by her question.

Grinning, Sonny continued. “It’s just that no one seems to notice that The Chad Dylan Cooper is in their mist. If you were here all the time they might just be used to you and that’s why we aren’t being mobbed.”

Shaking his head, Chad replied, “Sonny, Sonny. Simple, naive Sonny. I don’t want to be noticed, so I’m not.”

“Excuse me?”

“I am,” voice lowered he added, “Chad Dylan Cooper.” Returning to his normal level of volume, Chad continued, “I can not draw attention to myself if I don’t want to.”

“You do realize you are insane,” Sonny asked, a look of disbelief firmly planted upon her face.

“Jealous?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No,” she scoffed. “Not at all.”

Chad just gave her a look before turning back to the menu hanging above the counter. “Since we’re going to lunch after the performance, I suggest we get something light to tide us over till then. The show is only two hours long, right?”

“With a fifteen minute intermission,” Sonny agreed. “So what should we get?”

“A large popcorn,” Chad decisively said. Giving her a look and a sly grin, he added, “You’ll just steal my food anyway. I might as well make it easy for you.”

Narrowing her eyes, Sonny retorted, “And an extra large drink, drink stealer.”

“Anything else?” he asked with an unrepentant grin.

Looking over the candy, Sonny said, “Oh! Let’s get a box of spice drops.”

Grinning Chad stepped up to the counter and placed their order. As he pulled out his wallet, Sonny quickly interrupted.

“Chad, it’s my turn to pay!”

Chad considered arguing, but looking into her eyes, he caved. As Sonny happily plunked the amount due on the counter, Chad decided that he needed to work on resisting Sonny’s stupid cuteness.

---

Sonny grinned as she watched Chad watch the performance. It was times like this that made her like him. The childlike enthusiasm on his face and his total enrapture of the ice dancers made her feel all warm on the inside.

“Whoa,” Chad exclaimed, interrupting her musing. “Did you see that? Aladdin just swung Jasmine around with one hand and is now holding her in the air, upside down, with one hand.”

“They are talented,” Sonny agreed, grinning widely.

“Wow,” Chad muttered, turning his attention back to the ice.

“He’s so adorkable,” Sonny decided to herself, shivering just a little.

Seeing her shivering out of the corner of his eye, Chad smirked.

“Cold, Sunshine?”

“No,” Sonny adamantly replied.

Rolling his eyes, Chad peeled off his coat and shoved it at Sonny, keeping his glaze towards the magnificently skating Aladdin and Jasmine.

“Chad, I can’t…”

“My sweater is thick and I have a scarf. Wear the coat, Sonny,” he demanded.

Grinning, Sonny slipped warm, sable coat around her, breathing in the scent of pure Chad Dylan Cooper.

Hearing her deep breath, Chad grinned.

---

It wasn’t until lunch that Chad realized he had acted like a total idiot. He couldn’t believe he actually watched Disney on Ice: Princess Classics and enjoyed it. He would turn in his man card if it weren’t for the fact that Sonny seemed to think it was cute and getting Sonny to think he was cute was Phase Twenty-Seven.

Of course, the fact that he was Chad Dylan Cooper just meant that eventually he would rewrite how he acted in his head till he believed he acted completely manly and didn’t possibly tear up at the end of the show.

Either way, he would be just fine. He was Chad Dylan Cooper.

---

Sonny was surprised at how much she enjoyed lunch with Chad. The food was excellent, Chad paid as he wasn’t willing to go to any restaurant Sonny deemed acceptable, and the conversation was unexpectedly fun.

Chad actually listened while Sonny told him about work and the different sketches they were working on on So Random! Amazingly, he even offered some helpful ideas to a sketch she just didn’t feel was quite right. Chad then told her about the antics of Mack Falls and got her laughing so hard during his impersonations of Ferguson and Marta during their pathetic smack-talk while playing Mario Kart Wii that she almost shot her water out her nose. His only response was to give her an indulgent look while thinking, “Stupid cute.”

As Chad once again walked her back to her apartment, Sonny was startled to find that she was actually dreading the end of their afternoon together and unconsciously slowed her steps to make it last longer.

Feeling lucky, Chad decided to skip to Phase Fifty –Three, as they stopped in front of the door to Sonny’s apartment. Reaching out, he tucked a strand behind her ear, softly trailing his fingers along her cheek.

“Ahh,” Sonny softly gasped, feeling all tingly.

Chad felt a smile start to spread across his face at her reaction and was just feeling brave enough to go for Phase 100, when Connie pulled open the door.

To give Connie her due, she looked as surprised to see Sonny and Chad as Sonny and Chad were to see her. Moment broken, Sonny took a slight step away from Chad as she turned her attention to her mother.

Looking over Sonny and Chad, Connie smirked. “So, Chad was right, hum?”

Looking down to see what her mother was talking about, Sonny started to blush and quickly removed Chad’s coat, shoving it into his arms.

“It was colder than I thought it would be.”

Smirking, Chad said, “Maybe next time you’ll listen to me, Monroe. I am Chad Dylan Cooper.”

Sonny rolled her eyes and barely refrained from telling him to shut up while Connie started to giggle.

“Oh, Chad, you are so funny.”

Grinning in a superior sort of way, he said, “Thank you, Mrs. Monroe.”

Feeling just a little embarrassed, but secretly thrilled that her mother and Chad were getting along, Sonny interrupted, “Mom, were you going somewhere?”

“Huh? Oh!” Looking worried, Connie said, “I just got a call from Mr. Wentworth, my boss,” she added as an aside to Chad. “Kenton had a family emergency and can’t go to the meeting in New York. I’m now flying out tomorrow morning at ten and won’t be back until Saturday around noon. I was off to grab some things for my trip. Enough about me. How did you two enjoy the show?”

Giving Sonny’s mother a boyish grin, Chad shrugged his shoulders and replied, “It was ‘ight.” Then showing more tack than Sonny suspected him of being capable of having, Chad added, “I better get going. It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Monroe. Enjoy your trip. See you Monday, Sonny.”

As Chad walked back down the hall, he overheard Connie say, “He seems like a nice young man.”

“Mom! He can still hear you!”

“Get Mrs. Monroe to like me,” Chad thought with a grin. “Phase Thirty-Four complete.”

Phases Twelve through Sixteen involved getting Sonny to randomly talk to him, to share their days with each other. It was because of this, that Chad learned that Sonny was missing her mother and found the empty apartment not just lonely, but kind of scary late at night.

Forgetting all about his plan, and the 100 phases involved with said plan, Chad decided to do something nice for Sonny. Nice being spending time with him in an effort to keep her mind off the fact that she was lonely.

Recalling an episode of Mackenzie Falls that had Mackenzie and Portlyn having a movie night, Chad decided on his and Sonny’s activity. The problem, however, was that he didn’t want his movie night with Sonny to turn out the same way Mackenzie and Portlyn’s did (the burning down of Portlyn’s family home and the subsequent, and rather dramatic, hospital visit).

Coming to the conclusion that he, Chad Dylan Cooper, didn’t understand normal (ordinary) people (he was anything but ordinary), he had his “idiot friend” Bart pick up some movies and snacks for the movie night with Sonny. Confident that everything was ready, Chad gathered his things and headed over to his favorite Random’s home.

---

Fiddling with her phone, Sonny was trying to decide if she should call Chad. They’d been talking a lot more lately, but she didn’t want him to think she was trying to push him into spending time with her. Collapsing back against the couch cushions, Sonny decided she was truly pathetic.

Luckily for Sonny’s sense of self, a pounding on her door brought her out of her melancholy thoughts. It wasn’t until the pounding was repeated that she cautiously shuffled to the door.

“Sonny, open the door,” a familiar and impatient voice called through the door. Smiling, Sonny threw back the locks as Chad finished yelling, “We both know I can break down your door. Hey,” he added, seeing her smiling face.

Giggling, Sonny said, “So, manly door buster, what are you doing at my new reinforced door?”

Holding up the pizza and a mesh bag containing the DVDs and snacks, Chad said, “Since your mom’s gone and I know you’re not going to throw an illegal party, I thought you might like to have a movie night with your best friend.”

Deciding to forgo explaining to Chad that Lucy followed by Tawni were really her best friends, Sonny leaned against her door jam with a grin. “How do you know I’m not going to throw a wild party and you just weren’t invited?”

Raising an eyebrow, Chad nodded towards her powder blue pajamas with counting sheep jumping over a fence.

“Well, you are dressed to kill.”

Blushing, Sonny stepped back and motioned for Chad to enter. Smirking, Chad carried his packages over to coffee table and quickly set them down.

Locking the door, Sonny asked, “What did you bring?”

Being completely overdramatic, Chad opened the mesh bag and, with a flare, pulled out a DVD. Brandishing it in the air he declared, “Tron! Wait,” Chad said turning the DVD towards him. “Tron? What is Tron?”

Giggling, Sonny fake exclaimed, “I didn’t know you were into Sci Fi, Chad.”

“Ha, ha, ha,” Chad drawled. “That’s the last time I trust Bart to pick-up movies for me.”

“Your assistant?” she asked, plopping down on the couch.

“Blondie calls him my ‘Idiot Friend.’”

“Do you mean Tawni?”

“Is that the blonde female on So Random?” he asked, confusion etched upon his face.

Shaking her head, Sonny replied, “You are so sad, Chad. You seemed to know who Tawni was when I was on that date with James Conroy.”

“You said both said her name, Sonny. I’m not an idiot.”

“You just don’t retain information, if it isn’t important to you.”

Tossing the DVD back into the bag, Chad snapped, “I suppose you’d rather spend your evening with someone who can remember the names of every person they come across.”

“Chad,” Sonny quickly plead, jumping up out of her seat. “Don’t be like this. Stay. Please.”

Chad contemplated her in her stupid cute pajamas and her big puppy eyes and quickly caved. “I guess I can’t deprive you of my presence.”

Grinning, Sonny took his arm and led Chad to the couch. “That’s right. You can’t. Not when you’ve already enticed me by coming over. You put in the movie and I’ll grab plates and drinks. Anything you want in particular,” she called as she entered the kitchen.

“Whatever you’re having is fine,” Chad absently called back as he looked through the movies he brought and realized they were all Sci Fi or Fantasy classics.

“Maybe I should have picked the movies,” he muttered to himself. Emptying the mesh bag of movies and snacks he then found a bag of orange puffs, Chad scrunched up his face in disgust. “Cheese Curls, really? Ugg. And obviously I should have picked the food.”

---

Halfway through Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Chad said, “Why doesn’t the princess and the space pirate just get it on and get it over with?”

Tipping her head back from where it rested on his shoulder so she could see his eyes, Sonny asked, “You don’t know the names of the characters in the movie, Chad. Really?”

Ignoring her completely he said, “What? It’s obvious they have a thing and all their arguing is just denying it.”

“You are so weird,” was her only reply as she settled back down.

Resting his head on hers, Chad decided that this was nice – more than just hypothetically.

---

“Tron?” Connie teased the next afternoon, picking up the video case left on her coffee table. “I just can’t see Chad Dylan Cooper as the Sci Fi/Fantasy type.”

Smiling at the memory of their evening, Sonny replied, “Chad is a man of many hidden depths.”

Seeing her daughter so genuinely happy, Connie smiled in return. “I’m sure he is, sweetie.”

“So, Tawni’s been acting weird,” Sonny informed Chad as she met up with him outside his dressing room at the end of the day.

“Oh?”

“Is that your way of telling me you’re not interested?”

“No,” Chad replied, shaking his head for emphasis. “That’s an ‘oh, go on. I’m listening and interested.’ And, of course, ‘What do you mean by weird?’”

Smiling brightly, Sonny said, “Oh! Well, Tawni’s been acting like she knows something I don’t or she’s up to something she doesn’t want me to know about.”

Remembering what he saw at lunch (if Tawni was Blondie) just the other day, Chad offered, “Maybe she’s decided to start an illicit affair with Cloudy…or Rainy.”

“Phuff,” Sonny dismissed. “Wait, is Cloudy Grady?”

“The other blond one?”

“Yes.”

“Then yeah.”

“Chad! Thank you,” she said, departing from the subject as Chad held the door open for her as they left the studio. “You need to learn people’s names.”

“Why?” Chad was genuinely curious as to why knowing random insignificants’ names would matter in the general scheme of things…or at least to Sonny.

“Uh…it’s just the nice thing to do.” At his raised eyebrow, Sonny changed tactics. Widening her large eyes and pleading, she said, “Try, for me? Please, Chad.”

Sighing Chad shook his head. “Sonny, the fact that I even know who they are—in the most general sense, is me trying for you.”

“Oh, Chad,” Sonny squealed, realizing CDC was telling the absolute truth. “Thanks.”

Before she could admonish him to try harder, Chad quickly said, “On to more important matters.”

“Oh?” Sonny was sure this new subject involved him somehow.

“Was your mother upset that I came over when she wasn’t there?”

Surprised at the direction it had taken, Sonny never really thought Chad would care what her mother thought, it took a second for her to respond.

“Ah, no, she didn’t mind. She thought your movie choices were funny because she never saw you as a Sci Fi/Fantasy buff, but she thinks you’re a ‘nice young man’ and wasn’t worried at all.”

Chad seems to digest this for a minute before nodding to show he’d heard her.

Sonny seeing her car, turned to Chad and asked, “I’ll see you at lunch tomorrow?” It wasn’t really a question though, she and Chad always had lunch together. She didn’t expect tomorrow to be any different.

Shaking himself out of his stupor, Chad replied, “Huh, no. I have a meeting I have to attend. Dinner?”

Resting against the driver’s side door, Sonny smiled. “Dinner,” she agreed.

Leaning down, Chad pressed a quick kiss to Sonny’s cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he added with a wink.

Sonny totally ignored the butterflies as she climbed into her car.

---

For the first time in him memory, Chad Dylan Cooper was nervous. He never felt this way about anything. Being Chad Dylan Cooper, however, he wasn’t going to let this unexpected emotion get to him. After fixing his hair in the side mirror of his car, Chad straightened his clothing, took a deep breath, and headed towards the large, reflective building in front of him.

The receptionist of the sprawling office space, widened her eyes and stared at Chad in disbelief. Using this to his advantage, Chad gave her his most charming smile and made his request. Sighing noticeably, she pointed him in the right direction and then just stared dreamily as he thanked her.

Stopping next to the opening into a rather roomy cubical that was actually decorated with a plant and several pictures, Chad took a deep, silent breath, then knocked on the metal frame.

Connie Monroe, hearing his knock, swiveled around in her chair, only to smile brightly when she saw who it was.

“Chad,” she exclaimed, popping out of her seat and pulling him into a hug. “What are you doing here?”

Giving her his most sincere smile, Chad replied, “I was hoping I could take you to lunch.”

Connie tilted her head, studying him a moment before nodding, her smile widening. “Let me just finish this email and we can go.”

“Take your time,” Chad offered. “I don’t need to be back to the studio till three.”

“It won’t take long,” she assured him. “Have a seat,” she added, pointing to her one visitor chair.

Sitting down, Chad felt himself calm. This wasn’t going to be as hard as he fe—anticipated. Chad Dylan didn’t fear anything.

---

Connie had to say that this was the nicest restaurant she’d ever been in. Despite that, Chad had picked a place where she didn’t feel like she was underdressed in her business suit and the wait staff made her feel like she was a visiting dignitary. Though, to be honest, she thought that really had to do with the fact that she was dining with America’s heartthrob, Chad Dylan Cooper, and Chad made it clear that she was important to him.

At first she was hesitant to order, what with her menu not having prices, but Chad (probably having practiced this skill on her daughter several times already) put her at ease by suggesting several entrees that he and/or Sonny had enjoyed there before.

During their soup course, Connie found herself telling Chad about moving to California. With his carefully crafted questions, she admitted that it wasn’t easy to be a single parent since her husband died and getting a transfer out west had been almost impossible, but for Sonny to live her dreams, Connie would do anything. Over their appetizer, Chad told Connie about working since he was a mere infant to his current role on Mackenzie Falls. Connie laughed at his description of some of his co-workers being like those odd, unacknowledged relatives.

By the time the main course arrived, Connie was feeling just brave enough to ask a question she’d been wondering about since Sonny mentioned it in passing weeks before. As soon as their waiter left them, she said, “If this is impertinent, just tell me. Don’t feel obligated to answer my question.”

Surprised but curious, Chad nodded in agreement as he sat his fork and steak knife aside.

“Sonny told me that Tawni mentioned that your last name used to be Goldfarb.”

“You want to know if Cooper is a stage name,” Chad completed.

Connie nodded. “You just don’t look like a Goldfarb.”

Chad laughed lightly, but it was obvious that he didn’t find any humor in her comment. Leaning back in his seat, he said, “Cooper is my legal last name.”

“So…Goldfarb was a stage name.” Connie could tell Chad didn’t really want to talk about it, but she really couldn’t help herself, she wanted to know.

“My biological father is David Goldfarb. He was a screenwriter. At least that’s what he was trying to become last I saw of him,” Chad added with a shrug of calculated unconcern. “My mother is Cadence Lawrence.”

“The model?” Connie unconsciously interrupted.

“Yes,” Chad agreed with a grin. “Mom was making it as a model, David Goldfarb wasn’t getting anywhere with his scripts. I came along and was an automatic hit in Hollywood. He got jealous of us and left. When I was seven, Mom met Cabot Cooper the hotel heir. David Goldfarb signed over his parental rights and I was officially adopted as a Cooper when I was eight-years-old.”

“Cabot’s your father,” Connie softly replied.

Chad nodded. “Yeah. He’s my Dad.” Turning back to his steak, Chad added, “My parents travel a lot with their careers, especially now that I’m old enough to take care of myself, but they come home for the important things.”

“Like your birthday.”

“Who do you think bought me my new car?”

Connie had an overwhelming urge to pull Chad Dylan Cooper into a hug. She would have, if she thought he would allow it. Instead, she scooped up a forkful of her broiled lobster and gave Chad a rather arrogant smirk.

“So, when are you going to tell me why you invited me out to lunch?” she asked before bringing her loaded fork to her lips.

Chad found himself suddenly and genuinely laughing, bringing about stares from nearby dinners. Getting a hold of himself, he replied, “I should have known I couldn’t pull one over on Sonny Monroe’s mother.”

“You got that right. So?”

“Shall we wait for dessert?”

“No.”

Knowing when he was beaten, though that had never happened until he met Sonny, Chad finally got down to brass tacks.

“Sonny and I are dating, but she doesn’t realize that yet and I would rather she remain in the dark.”

“Sonny doesn’t know you’re dating?” Connie repeated, feeling rather confused. “You two are always together. You spend every weekend together doing…something. How could she not know?”

Rolling his eyes, Chad explained. “Sonny’s convinced herself that we’re becoming friends. She thinks we’re just going on ‘friendly outings’ to get to know each other better and stop the feud between our two shows.”

Shaking her head, Connie laughed. “That sounds like my daughter. So, why don’t you want her to know?”

“I’m afraid she’ll freak out and quit spending time with me. I think that after she gets a little more used to the idea that I’m more than just Chad Dylan Cooper star of the award winning, hit show Mackenzie Falls, she won’t be so adverse to dating me.”

“Forgetting that dating is getting to know a person before deciding if you want a more serious, exclusive relationship with them,” Connie muttered to herself. “You do know that her cast mates could point out that you two are dating, don’t you?”

“But you’re the only one she’ll believe,” he quickly countered.

“Three months. If you don’t voice your intentions…”

“Three months is more than enough time,” Chad agreed.

Pleased with their negotiations, Connie smiled as she asked, “Does this meal come with dessert?”

Leaning forward, Chad smirked, “How does Chocolate Pate with Cranberry Coulis sound?”

“Like something we’ll be ordering.”

Laughing, Chad waved over their waiter, ready to make an order.

---

“How was your meeting?” Sonny asked, as she and Chad walked out to his car on their way to dinner.

“Hum?” Chad muttered obviously preoccupied.

Sonny tried again. “Your lunch meeting? Did it go well?”

“Oh,” Chad replied, dragging himself into the conversation and taking her hand in his. “Yes. Very well. I believe I now have some excellent backing for the new project I’m working on.”

Assuming Chad was talking about an acting project, Sonny nodded. “That’s great! Can you tell me about it or not yet?”

“Not yet. It’s still in the early stages. When there is more to go on, you’ll be the first to know,” he promised.

Sonny just beamed.