Finally Getting Love Right

by Jamie Nichols

  “I am going to run up to my room and change. Your room still has your stuff in it.” Sam said as she headed off toward her room. She had mixed feelings about going back into her room after the debacle earlier. She walked into her room, looked around and made an immediate decision. She would call Javier down at J &M Storage and see if he could bring over her old furniture right away in the morning. It didn’t matter to her at the moment what part of her life that her old furniture represented. The blatant fact that Will and Elle had been in here weirded her out to an unnatural extent. She walked into her closet and threw on a pair of sweats and her favorite hoodie.

  “You find your wardrobe?” Sam yelled out laughing. Liz had been her roommate when she first moved out of her parents’ house. Somehow along the way Sam had ended up with an entire room full of Liz’s things that Liz refused to take home. She always said that there wasn’t a need for the kind of attire she had in her closet at Sam’s house at her own home.

  “Yes I found it. It is not like it has moved since the last time I was here.” Liz said with a sarcastic tone.

  They walked back down the hall toward the kitchen. They had a ritual every time that Liz would come over they would dip pretzel rods in melted chocolate, make some hot chocolate, and then go into the living room where they would relax. Tonight was no different than all the other times.

  “So shall we open these boxes then?” Liz asked as they walked into her living room with their trays of goodies.

  “Yes. I am dying to know what is in them. It isn’t every day that I get to be spoiled.” Sam said with a smile on her face.

  Sam walked over to the boxes, set her mug of hot chocolate down, and plopped down on the couch next to them. She picked up the one that had fallen on the floor and sat it on her lap. Liz sat down on the couch across the room and looked at her expectedly. She slowly opened the first box. Inside was the title to the new car she had acquired. There was a long letter as well. The envelope read:

  Do Not Read Until You Get Home Tomorrow Night.

  “Liz, why would someone bother giving me a letter that I can’t read until tomorrow?” Sam questioned.

  “Because whoever it is wants to torture you. Why else?” Liz said “Ok what is in the next one.”

  Sam looked at the remaining four boxes trying to judge which one she should open next. She chose a box that looked a little worn and tattered. When she opened the box her eyes got all big.

  “No Way!” Sam exclaimed as she pulled a beautiful pink dress out of the box. It was a long evening gown with crystals all over it. “This has got to be a joke. Where on earth would I even wear this to? It is beautiful though.”

  “It definitely is.” Liz said scooting closer. “If you don’t want it I will take it. I’m sure I can find somewhere to where it.” Liz was practically drooling over it.

  “Next box” Sam said laying the dress over the couch behind her. She grabbed the next box and was almost certain what was in it.

  Sam opened the box and said “For how pretty the dress was, the shoes are a lot more casual but a lot more me.” Sam held up the pink and black diamond studded flip flops.

  “Whoever is doing all this sure knows you well.” Liz said

  “If I had ordered a dress and shoes for myself with no limit on how much I could spend then I would have picked exactly the same things out.” Sam said.

  Sam handed the shoes to Liz and went for the next box. She started to open it and then tried to peek inside. She couldn’t see anything. She tore off the top of the box in a kind of excitement she hadn’t felt in years. When she got all of the debris out of the way she was less than thrilled. It was a jogging outfit. The note attached said ‘wear your most comfortable sneakers with this.’

  “Ok whoever gave me this stuff must be tailing the wrong person. It looks like someone went shopping and gave the store the wrong address to deliver it to. “

  “I know, it is weird. What is in the last box Sam?” Liz said with an unmistakable excitement.

  “Let’s find out shall we?” Sam said laughing at her friend.

  Sam picked up the last box it was small in size compared to the others. She shook it lightly expecting to hear nothing. Instead she heard a clunk. It sounded like the sound you hear when you shake a jar of shells. She slowly opened the box holding her breath as she did. She lifted the lid and gasped. Inside the box were three things, a conch shell candle, another envelope, and a ring box.

  “Well, what is in it?” Liz asked noticing the look on Sam’s face “You look like you just saw a ghost.”

  “I feel like I have.” Sam replied

  Sam lifted the candle out of the box and sniffed it. The candle smelled like the ocean breeze. Sam shuddered slightly. She lifted the ring box out of the box and opened it. She turned the ring box around to show Liz.

  “What do you think this is supposed to mean?” Sam said quietly to Liz.

  “Who sends an empty ring box? That is like teasing someone horribly.” Liz said.

  “I know right,” Sam said noticing the bulge on the back of the inside of the box “What is this?”

  Sam took a closer look at the inside lining and found a small tab. Sam lightly pulled the tab and was surprised when the inside lining flipped down. Behind the silver silk lining was a tiny scroll. She unrolled the scroll and read the inscription.

  I will love you forever if you will be mine

  Sam read it again and then turned to Liz

  “It almost reads like the end of some ones proposal. This is very eerie.” Sam said with a shudder.

  “I am getting that feeling to. What is in the envelope?” Liz asked.

  Sam opened the envelope and took out the letter inside. It read:

  ‘I know all of these gifts are probably freaking you out. There is a good reason for them though. Try to remember your last vacation and what happened. All will be revealed soon I promise.’

  “I am getting mad now. Can we just forget about this and get doing what we need to do?” Sam said frustrated.

  “And what exactly do we need to do may I ask?” Liz fired back.

  “We need to get all of Will’s stuff out of here. I am having the movers come and move my old furniture back in and all the old out.”

  Sam said “Ok I still don’t get why you didn’t break it off a long time ago. I know that you haven’t been happy in at least 3 years.” Liz said sympathetically.

  “When I first met Will, he was nice, charming, caring, and thoughtful. When we first started dating he was sweet, he had a job, and he never would have done the things he did. Even with Elle being around with his kids didn’t bother me. Then when he got laid off 3 years ago, he changed. He was never around. He got mean and emotionally abusive, especially when he was drunk. When I came back from my vacation 3 years ago he became even worse. That is when I started suspecting the cheating. I was just too nice of a person to kick someone out on their butt when they have nowhere to go. So I guess I just let him stay because I felt bad. The reality of the situation, I guess, is that I was purposely ignoring the facts.” Sam said taking a deep breath when she was done.

  “You are a way better person than I am. I would never have put up with him as long as you did.” Liz said.

  “So now you know why I didn’t break it off a long time ago. I was too worried about what would happen to him with nowhere to go.” Sam said as she started to cry.

  “Don’t cry.” Liz said hugging Sam. “It will be alright.”

  “I know.” Sam said through her sobs. “I just can’t believe I was that stupid.”

  “Oh sweetie, you weren’t stupid. You just cared about him when you thought no one else would. It’s not your fault.” Liz said with a slight smile on her face.

  “Thank you Liz. I don’t know what I would do without you.” Sam said wiping her eyes with her arm. “Let’s get this done ok?”

  “Ok.” Liz said.

  Sam and Liz got off the couch and walked toward the bedroom. They grabbed some trash ba
gs from the on suite bathroom and started shoveling his clothing into them.. It took them a total of an hour to clear all of his stuff out of her house. When they were done they threw the bags out the door and slammed the door shut behind them. They walked back into the living room and jumped onto the couch with a sigh.

  “Now that that is done are you going to tell me what was in the envelope?” Liz said

  “Go ahead and read it. It’s just more nonsense and confusion.” Sam said.

  Liz picked up the letter and read it slowly.

  “What vacation is this person talking about?” Liz asked with a hint of jealousy.

  “Do you remember 3 years ago when I told you I was going on a cruise alone?” Sam asked.

  “Yes, I remember that. What happened?” Liz asked.

  “Let’s just say that I didn’t really go on a cruise. I went to the beach with George instead.” Sam said slowly.

  “You went on vacation with him and you didn’t tell me?” Liz said.

  “Yes. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you but I didn’t know what it was and I still don’t really know what it was. We had been seeing each other and went on a vacation and he left me there. I haven’t seen him since.” Sam said waiting for the yelling to start. Sam always told Liz everything and she was sure that Liz was going to be mad at her for not saying anything.

  “What a jerk.” Liz stated.

  “You’re not mad that I didn’t tell you? I thought you would be for sure.” Sam said.

  “I’m not mad because I know you. Obviously you just weren’t ready to tell me yet. It would have come out sooner or later.” Liz said. “Now we should forget about all this and watch a movie.”

  “I Love You!” Sam exclaimed. “So, will it be Pretty Woman or Queen of The Damned?”

  “Queen of the Damned. I haven’t seen that movie in over a year.” Liz said.

  Sam put the movie into the dvd player and pressed play. She walked over to her quilt rack and grabbed her favorite blanket. She sat down on her lazy boy recliner and curled up under her blanket. She began to think about what had really happened on that vacation.

  “Sammy, we are here!” George said as he shook her leg.

  They had arrived at the beach house that he had rented. It was a gorgeous bungalow with a beautiful deck and a boardwalk all the way to the ocean. There was also a lighthouse about 500 feet up the beach with a quaint little picnic area under it.

  “Are you ready to enjoy some time to ourselves?” George said.

  “Definitely.” Sam said with a huge smile on her face.

  George grabbed their bags from the trunk and opened the car door for Sam. They walked up the path toward the front doors. The house had beautiful French doors and huge potted plants lining the entry. They walked into the house and George set their bags down. He turned around to face Sam. In what seemed like a whirl he grabbed her around the waste and dipped her low as he kissed her passionately.

  “Wow. You haven’t kissed me like that in a long time.” Sam said blushing.

  “Well this is a special occasion Sammy.” George said smiling as he grabbed their bags and headed into the bedroom.

  The pair went to a fancy dinner and took a long romantic walk on the beach. They talked about the future and all the dreams they both had. The next day Sam woke up to realize she was all alone in bed.

  “George..” Sam called. When she got no response she got up and walked around the house calling his name.

  “George where are you?” She called waiting for a response. She walked into the kitchen and noticed a note on the counter.

  “Sammy,

  I will meet you at the picnic area under the lighthouse at 10. Wear something nice.

  Love George

  ‘That is in one hour. I better go get ready then.’ Sam thought.

  Sam took a shower and got dressed. She chose a mid-length flowing pink sundress. She took her time doing her hair and makeup. She wanted everything to be absolutely perfect. She walked out of the house and walked down the boardwalk to the beach. She took her pink and black flip flops off and let her feet sink into the sand as she stepped off the boardwalk. Feeling the sand in her toes was one of her favorite sensations. She walked slowly toward the lighthouse taking in the sunlight as she went.

  When she arrived at the picnic area she looked around for George. When she didn’t see him she took a seat on the closest bench she could find. She was gazing at the ocean and taking in its beauty when there was suddenly a pair of hands over her eyes.

  “George. What are you doing?” Sam said laughing

  “I have to talk to you Sammy.” George began. “Before you say anything just listen ok. I Love You Sammy. I always have. I wish we could be together but we can’t. I was ring shopping today and that is when I realized that you’re too good for me. You deserve so much more than I can give you. I am sorry.”

  “What!” Sam exclaimed. “You set up this whole romantic week. I just came along for the ride. You wait until we are here and still have a whole week left of this vacation to tell me this?”

  “I am sorry Sammy.” George said looking away.

  “Don’t you dare sorry Sammy me George Ames!” Sam yelled.

  George looked at her one last time as he turned around and walked away. Sam watched him as he walked back toward the house. She was furious. It took her an hour to gather her courage to follow him back to the house. When she got there she couldn’t find him anywhere. When she looked to make sure the car was still there she was relieved.

  ‘At least I am not stranded here.’ She thought. She walked back to the house to the bedroom and realized his bags were gone. She went to the sitting room that overlooked the beach and waited. She sat there for 2 days staring at the beach waiting for him to come back. When he didn’t she could not even bring herself to cry. She was too numb. She packed her bags and left the beach house. She didn’t even look back.

  “Sam. Sam.” Liz called to her “You fell asleep.”

  “Sorry.” Sam said pushing herself up in her chair and rubbing her eyes. “It has been a long day I am going to bed ok?”

  “Ok. I will see you in the morning.” Liz said as she yawned.

  Sam went to her room and promptly fell asleep. When she woke up she felt a sense of urgency come over her.

  “Liz?” Sam called out.

  “Yea I am still here.” Liz said as she walked into Sams' room. “I was wondering if you were going to wake up anytime soon. It is already 1 in the afternoon.”

  “What? Are you serious? Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?” Sam said in a panicked tone.

  “I tried to get you up at 10 but you were flailing around screaming ‘No don’t leave me here’ and when you settled down I thought you should get some restful sleep.” Liz answered in a calm tone

  “Oh. Thanks. Now I have to get ready.”

  “Ok let’s get you ready.” Liz said excitedly.

  They worked together to pick out and outfit and get Sam ready for her mystery date. It took them 2 hours to get her back to her old self and looking amazing. Sam decided to wear her favorite tank top and a pair of skinny jeans.

  “I think I am going to go now instead of waiting until 5.” Sam said checking her make-up and hair in her mirror.

  “Why? It is only 3.” Liz asked

  “I need to clear my head and what better spot to do it?”

  “Ok but promise me you will call me the second you get home? You should come to Tj’s again tonight and actually have fun this time if you get back early enough.” Liz said as she grabbed her purse. “Which car are you going to drive?”

  “I think I will stick with my Pontiac. I don’t want to give whoever it is the satisfaction.” Sam said laughing as she grabbed her keys and they both headed out the door.

  .

  CHAPTER 2: GEORGE

  Sam got into her Pontiac and pulled out of the driveway. She headed up the road toward the woods where her spot was. The trip that normally took 5 minutes, took longer than u
sual today due to all the traffic. The weather today was beautiful. The sun was shining and there was a slight breeze, her favorite kind of day. She got to the road where she needed to be and turned onto it. She drove down into the woods to the concealed parking lot that led to the trail. She parked her car and got out.

  Sam stretched her legs and grabbed her purse. She walked down the trail to the waterfall. She crawled behind the waterfall and into the cave. She walked over to a nook in the wall and pulled out a large plastic bag. In the bag was the blanket and book she kept here. She spread her blanket over the large rock and crawled up onto it. She pulled her mp3 player out of her purse then put her headphones in. She turned her mp3 player on and chose a song that would soothe her mind. She then pulled out her book and started reading.

  She finished the last 100 pages of her book and threw it in her purse. Sam turned the song to her favorite song and started belting it out. Sam had a rather good voice but she had decided 3 years ago that she would never use it except when she was alone. When the song was over she took out her headphones. She jumped a bit, was surprised to hear clapping from behind her. She turned around.

  “Who’s there?” Sam started to say. When she saw who it was she promptly closed her mouth.

  “Hi Sammy. “ A familiar face said with a peculiar smile on his face.

  “George. I should have known all this was you’re doing.” Sam said snidely.

  “Aren’t you glad to see me?” He asked.

  “No. You left me remember. Why would I be glad to see you?” Sam replied starting to gather her things.

  “Sammy,” George said softly. “I was no good for you back then. That is why I left.”