by Taylor Lowe
He pulled her up from her chair and against him. “Sam it’s been six months since we have been together there is no way I am going to spend the next few days at work and you off with some other man, especially Robert,” he told her giving her a quick peck on the lips.
“What do you mean especially Robert,” Sam asked looking confused and David smiled realizing she had no idea. Good, he didn’t want her to ever notice any man that wasn’t him.
“Well I am not going to let you spend the day with a man that if he had it his way would be here holding and kissing you instead of me,” David replied. She looked at him surprised and confused.
“What are you talking about? We’ve only ever been friends,” she insisted.
“Only because you wanted to be just friends, I know because he told me so. Why do you think I hit him…several times actually,” David told her and a small smile came across her lips.
“Your horrible David,” She told him with mock scorn before giving him a peck on the lips.
“Get use to it Wildcat, because there is no way you’re going to ever be in anyone’s arms but mine,” he told her kissing her passionately.
Chapter 14 Family meeting
Sam sat on the leather couch holding the warm cup of coffee in her hands, looking out the large window in front of her watching the sun rise. She took a drink from the cup smiling remembering the last few days. It had been the best in her life by far. Mark had proposed to Tabby when they had gone out for last night for Christmas Eve. She was the reason Sam was up so early, Tabby had called her at five in the morning to tell her the news. Sam smiled again thinking of the conversation as she took another drink of her coffee. She hoped it would help calm her nerves, today they were going over to David’s parent’s house for Christmas lunch.
Sam was running through possible ways to get out of it, she was sure they would hate her for what she done to their son, and she was still sure the incident in the kitchen wasn’t going to help her case any. Taking another sip she sighed. Maybe she could say she was sick…no, that wouldn’t work. She couldn’t act to save her life and the situation it could definitely be considered life threatening. Maybe she could invent an imaginary friend in Indianapolis that needed her help urgently and she had to leave right now...but she didn’t want to leave, she just wanted to get out of the lunch. She sighed loudly taking another drink, maybe she should get dressed and sneak out before David woke up.
That didn’t sound so bad, she could say she wanted to do some more sightseeing and got lost. Yeah, that sounds like a plan, she thought but David came out of the bedroom and sat beside her ruining her wonderful plan. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek wrapping his arm around her waist. “Good morning and Merry Christmas” he told her resting a chin on her shoulder.
“Dito,” she said a tab bit grumpy, now she had to think of something else.
“That didn’t sound very good, what’s wrong Wildcat,” he asked snuggling into her neck giving her soft kisses there.
She couldn’t help but start to giggle. “That tickles, you’re going to make me spill my coffee and nothing is wrong,” she told him pushing him away from her gently. He looked at her with a look that suggested that he didn’t believe her at all then took away her cup of coffee setting it on the table, ignoring her protests.
“Confess Sam, what’s going around in that mind of yours,” he told her pulling towards him till she was sitting on his lap with his arms around her.
“Nothing is wrong,” she lied looking at the large window, not wanting to offend him by preferring to be locked in a room with angry hornets before facing his parents.
David cupped her face forcing her to look at him looking serious. “Sam you really but really, really suck at lying and yet again I remind you that you promised to not keep me out,” he told her then smiled kissing her. Sam smiled back as she returned the kiss, laying her arms around his shoulder.
“So woman, what has you up so early,” he told her when the kiss finally ended.
“Oh Tabby woke me up,” she said seeing a chance to avoid what he really wanted to know. “She was too excited to wait for a decent hour to tell me that Mark had proposed to her last night,” Sam finished and David smiled.
“Good hear she is excited, Mark spent half the day in the damn jewelry store trying to pick the right ring,” he replied and she laughed pitying Mark. David gave her a hard look. “But that doesn’t explain why you seemed so grumpy before,” he added causing her to laugh.
“Don’t worry, I am fine,” she told him trying to get up but he held her in place.
“I am not letting you get up till you tell me,” he demanded.
“Okay,” she shrugged with a smile laying her head on his shoulder.
“Ah ha, I knew it,” he said.
“You know what,” Sam asked confused and he smiled.
“You’re freaking out about today, about meeting my family,” he told her giving her a quick kiss and Sam scrunched up her nose with irritation that he guessed it. Why couldn’t she ever have any secrets? “You have nothing to worry about Sam. They will love you just as much as I do,” he told her and she gave him a smile but wasn’t convinced. She got up from his lap and grabbed her coffee taking a drink.
“Well I am going to take a shower,” she told him trying to sound more positive than she felt. He got up too giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and told her to relax before he disappeared in the kitchen. She grabbed a change of clothes and walked into the large bathroom. She made a look of disgust; she loved David but hated his apartment. The architecture was ultramodern with nearly all the materials being metal or some type of smooth grey stone. Only three colors existed in the whole apartment: white, black, and different shades of grey, it seemed so cold and unwelcoming.
After nearly a half hour of letting the hot water rush over her she finally dragged herself out of the shower. Upon her clothes sat a little stuffed animal, a wildcat, with a little red bow around its neck that read “Merry Christmas” on it and a small black box between its paws. Sam laughed as she picked up the little stuffed cat giving it a small hug then turned her attention to the box. She set down the cat and opened the box to reveal a silver necklace with a wildcat pendant. She picked it up with a smile. She felt something engraved; she turned it over and read. “You’re incredible Wildcat, I love you.”
Her smile grew but quickly turned into frowned and slapped her forehead. She was such an idiot, she didn’t get him anything. Well in her defense she didn’t expect him to get her anything either, she reasoned with herself. She crossed her arms and exhaled in a huff. She was an awful person, a horrible despicable person. While she spent all this time thinking about herself, planning to get out of meeting her parents, David was being absolutely perfect.
She got dressed in an old sweatshirt and jeans walking out of the bathroom with determination. David smiled instantly when he saw her making her feel even guiltier. “Do you like them,” he asked with a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
“Of course David…but I can’t accept them,” Sam told him handing the toy and the box to him.
“Why not,” he asked her confused not taking the gifts from her.
“Because I didn’t get anything for you, and that’s just terrible of me and egotistical. I can’t accept them,” she replied trying to get him to take them and he laughed pulling her against him.
“You being here with me is enough,” he told her before giving her intense kiss.
“Your too perfect David, I don’t deserve you,” she told him feeling depressed when the kiss ended and he shook his head at her with a sigh.
“My God, Sam, you turn a simple gift into such a big deal,” he told her with a hint of irritation. He took the toy from her set it on the coffee table and took the necklace out of the box.
“But David it is a big deal, it means you took time to think about me, which was more than I did for you,” she complained.
“Sam don’t take this the wrong way but shut up
,” he told her moving behind her and put the necklace on her then kissing her neck softly wrapping his arms around her. “Let me give you a Christmas present without making it into something more than that, okay” he added. With a sigh she nodded in agreement forcing herself to just let it go.
“But if it will make you feel better, I have a great idea about how you can thank me,” he whispered in her ear huskily causing her to blush slightly.
“Really and what might that be,” she asked with an impish smile turning to face him.
“Come here and I will show you,” he replied taking her hand and pulling her towards the bedroom.
The hallway to the apartment of David’s parent’s home felt like death row to Sam, each step forward was bringing her closer to her atrocious death. She smoothed over the skirt of her dress nervously wondering if she made the right choice of clothing, or if her hair should have been pulled up instead of left down, and so many other questions ran though her mind.
“Remember to breathe Sam,” David told her as he knocked on his parent’s door and Sam gave him a weak smile. His mother opened the door. She had the same color of hair and eyes as David, she was elegantly dressed, and to put it simple she was breathtakingly beautiful. The woman smiled at David but when she noticed Sam her smile actually grew.
Next thing Sam knew the woman had swallowed her in a tight hug and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Why she is beautiful isn’t she,” the woman said excitedly and Sam felt her cheeks turn red. Was this real, did this woman actually seem happy to see her, Sam wondered confused.
“But good heavens where is my manners, come in you two,” the woman added. She linked her arm in Sam’s nearly dragging her into the house. “I am David’s mother Francine,” the woman stated and Sam felt relieved that she didn’t make any mention of what had happened a couple days ago in the kitchen.
“It’s nice to meet you Mrs. Andrews,” Sam replied and the woman shook her head.
“Oh please call me Frannie, Mrs. Andrew sounds so cold and distant,” David’s mother told her pulling Sam towards a group of people. Frannie pointed to beautiful looking woman with a small girl on her hip scolding a little boy about something. “This is Elizabeth or Lizzy as we all call her, she is David’s sister and my second,” David’s mother said as she stopped before the woman. Lizzy smiled at them handing the little girl to the man next to her.
“This is her, the famous Sam,” Lizzy asked with an excited tone and Sam felt her cheeks turn pink worried about that phrase “the famous Sam,” just how much they knew about her?
“Yes Lizzy this is the Sam,” Frannie told her daughter and before Sam could say Oh My God, she was swallowed in another tight hug.
“Oh she is just too cute,” Lizzy squealed as she released Sam from the hug. “I am surprised after all those bitches he used to date that he actually landed a nice girl,” Lizzie told her and Sam looked at the woman in surprise not sure how to reply and Frannie laughed agreeing with her daughter. Sam shifted her weight from one foot to the other, feeling slightly uncomfortable, giving a quick look around, and not seeing David anywhere.
“Well Sam, come there is more people waiting to meet you,” Frannie told her dragging her off deeper into the house where two men sat arguing with each other. One Sam assumed was David’s father and the other his older brother.
“Oh break it up you two,” the older woman told them and they each other a glare before turning towards them. “Nathaniel this is Sam,” she told him.
“David’s Sam,” the older man asked eyeing her harshly and she felt yet another blush rise on to her cheeks but she had no idea why she was blushing now. As seem to be an Andrew’s tradition the man suddenly swallowed her in a hug even to the point he lifted her off the floor causing a surprised gasp to escape her.
As he set her down her cheeks were flaming red. “Pretty girl, and looks to be a nice one too, how the hell did my son manage to snag you,” he asked her with a large smile that made Sam’s cheeks burn even brighter as a shy smile spread across her lips.
“This is David’s older brother Chris,” Frannie told her and Chris gave her a warm smile but thankfully didn’t try to hug her.
“It’s nice to meet you Sam,” he told her politely and she replied with the same politeness then Nathaniel gave him a slap with the back of his hand onto his shoulder.
“Why can’t you have married a girl like that,” he barked at his son. “Instead of that bitchy ice queen you got. I bet Sam here know how to treat a man right,” he snapped giving Sam a sly wink making her burn red again. Both men started to argue back and forth and Frannie rolled her eyes dragging Sam off.
“Never mind them, Nathaniel just really doesn’t like Christina, well honestly no one really likes her,” the woman told her as they reached the kitchen. “Would you mind helping me dear,” she asked putting on an apron. Sam nodded and accepted the apron nervously. “You know Sam, no one here is going to reproach you, so it is alright to relax,” the woman started and Sam chewed her lip nervously, not sure what to say.
“I don’t know exactly what happened to cause David to come back a broken drunken mess but it doesn’t matter anymore,” she finished and Sam felt a pang of guilt and confusion.
“How can it not matter, I hurt your son. Now I am here and everyone seems so accepting and willing to take me in as if nothing happened at all,” Sam asked really not understanding how any of this could be real. The woman smiled at her taking Sam’s hands in hers.
“Sam love isn’t easy. It is a wonderful thing that is equally painful as it is fulfilling. It will tear through you leaving you empty and barren before hopefully it fills you with happiness and a sense of completion,” Frannie explained.
“Yes you hurt my son but I can also see you love him too, just like he loves you. I have never seen him happier when he is near or talks about you. Even when he was heartbroken and he would mention you his whole face would change. The fact that you’re standing before me and even dared to ask why is proof enough that I need that you feel the same about him,” she finished and Sam smiled at the woman happily and thanked her.
“Don’t mention it dearie, now let’s get to cooking before those men out their start grumbling,” Frannie told her as they prepared lunch.
After that Sam stopped worrying about the angry mob that clearly wasn’t coming for her blood and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon. David’s father proved to be a horrible flirt, who seemed to enjoy making her blush almost as much as David did. In fact the two started a contest to see who could make her turn the brightest shade of red but Nathaniel took every moment he could to compare her to Chris’ wife, who in the end was glaring hatefully at Sam for it.
It surprised Sam when she realized she didn’t care at all that the woman hated her, everyone else seemed to like her. In Lizzy’s case quiet a lot since Sam didn’t mind helping her with her children, Sarah and Peter, which seemed to give cause for Lizzy to start calling Sam her sister, which honestly Sam loved. It had been by far the best Christmas she had in a long time.
Now two more days had passed and Sam sat on the black sofa staring out the window watching the morning pass once more feeling depressed. Her Christmas break was nearly over and she would have to return back to Illinois in a couple of days causing her to be horribly torn. She didn’t want to go back and leave David. Just the idea made her sink into depression even more. Here she was perfectly happy but she loved school and she didn’t want to just throw the year away. She took another drink from her cup and chewing on her bottom lip lost in deep thought.
“You’re looking way to serious too early in the morning,” David teased coming into the room and sitting next to her wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.
“What are you doing up so early?” She asked him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“I can’t sleep,” he started then stretched out on the couch laying his head in her lap. “Without you next to me,” he added then gave her a wink and
she chuckled and shook her head at him.
Feeling it was the perfect time to mention what was bothering her she told him, “well then you’re going to have a problem when I have to go back to Illinois soon.” David looked at her confused. “School starts up in a couple of days…and I have to go back. I have put in a lot of effort these months. I can’t throw that all away.” He frowned and was quiet for a moment and she set down her coffee on the small table next to her and brushed his messy hair out of his face. He turned getting up and smiled at her. She was just to ask him what was up when his lips crashed against hers fervently catching her by surprise.
“I will just have to go with you,” he said simply after the kiss ended and she felt her heart race wondering if he would really drop everything and go with her.
“You would really do that? I mean what about your job and the apartment,” she asked surprised.
He shook his head and gave her sexy smile leaning in closer. “You should know by now I would do that and more Wildcat,” he began with an impish smile. “I can do my job from anywhere, my dad only needs to fax me all the records I need and the apartment will still be here when we come back,” he told her bringing his face closer to hers. “There is no way I am letting you out of my sight again,” he told her with a matter of fact tone and she felt her familiar blush creep on her face as she giggled quietly.
He got up from the couch and picked her up off the sofa. “What are you doing,” she asked him teasingly.
“It’s too early to be out of bed woman,” he told her giving her a sexy smile.
“I am already too awake to go back to sleep David, not to mention I already have had my caffeine dosage for the morning,” she told him and he gave her a naughty grin.
