“I think that’s a great idea. Give me a second to change.”
I rummaged through my suitcase for some running gear. With my fluctuating schedule, exercise had fallen to the wayside. Sure, we were active as we explored the different places we’d been visiting, but it wasn’t the same as pure exercise. My body craved it, and so did my psyche.
Reading over those first few blog posts, about how difficult it had been for me to get motivated to exercise, reminded me that I didn’t want to slide back to that place again. I liked the adrenaline that came from a good workout and the clarity of thought that followed. It wasn’t that I’d gotten lazy, just busy and neglectful of my physical needs.
“Ready?” Max smiled and pulled me into a tight hug.
“Ready! I’ll race you to the end of the block.”
“Oh, you think you can beat me, do you?”
“Loser buys breakfast.” I rushed out the door of the room and down the stairs with Max right on my heels.
When I burst out the door onto the sidewalk, I was surprised by the change in temperature.
“Yikes, I’m going to have to work up a sweat.”
“Sammy, wait! Be careful!”
I ignored Max’s warning and ran as fast as I could toward the end of the block. I could see a small restaurant. It beckoned to me through the pedestrians and traffic. I could hear Max a few steps behind me. Despite the rhythm of his footsteps, I suspected that he slowed his pace in order to let me win. I looked back over my shoulder.
“I know you can run faster than that, Max! Move it!”
“Sammy!” Max pointed past me.
I turned in time to see a food cart pushed out onto the sidewalk, but not in time to stop myself from running into it. In a futile attempt to save myself, I jumped up as high as I could. For a split second I straddled the food cart, then I crashed right down on top of it, tipping the entire thing over.
Hot dog juices flooded my body from head to toe and created a large puddle on the sidewalk. The cart owner shrieked and struggled with the cart. Max tried to skid to a stop beside the cart, but his shoes slipped in the hot dog juice puddle. His legs flew up into the air and he crashed down onto the sidewalk right beside me.
“Sammy, are you okay?” He groaned as he struggled to his feet.
Chapter 4
I managed to stand with the greasy water dripping off my body.
Max offered his shoulder for me to lean on.
“Who is going to pay for this? You are going to pay for this!” The owner of the hot dog cart jabbed his finger at me. “Why weren’t you watching where you were going? You think it’s so important to get where you’re going? You’ve ruined my business for the entire day!”
“Here, let me help you.” Max pulled the cart back up on to its wheels. Then he handed the man a business card. “Just contact me here and we’ll settle things. Alright?”
“Crazy tourists!” The man shoved the card into his pocket and rolled the cart away.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe this.” I squeezed out the bottom of my shirt.
“Hey, things happen.” Max cleared his throat.
“Don’t you mean that you told me to slow down?”
“I didn’t say that.” Max met my eyes.
“You don’t have to.” I sighed. “I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Sammy, it’s not a big deal. As long as you’re not hurt, it’s just something to laugh about.”
“Don’t you mean, I’m just something to laugh at?” I shook my head. “I don’t think I’m hurt, but I’m going to need to go back to the room shower and change before I can get to the meeting with Poppy.”
“Alright, let’s head back.” Max slid his hand into mine.
I appreciated the fact that he was willing to hold my hand despite the fact that it was covered with hot dog juice. Even as my clothes hung down from my body with the weight of the water, Max walked beside me just as proud as ever.
I remembered my doubts the night before—about whether he loved me as deeply as I loved him. When he looked over at me and winked, I didn’t doubt him. He loved me even in my most embarrassing moments. I reorganized my thoughts and tried to focus on the positive. No one was hurt. Soon, I’d have a shower and be in clean clothes.
When we reached the Inn, there was a crowd of people outside the doors. The crowd was so thick that I couldn’t even see the entrance.
“What is going on?” Max looked over the crowd.
I noticed a woman at the edge of the crowd and tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned to look at me she winced and drew back some.
“Do you know what’s happening here?”
“Oh sure, a prince is here with his fiancée. They’re trying to get good luck from the carving.”
“Seriously?” Max shook his head. “He’s a prince, isn’t that good luck enough?”
The woman shrugged. “Everyone knows about it and wants to catch a glimpse of the prince.”
“So, how do we get inside?”
“Oh, you don’t.” The woman laughed and pointed out several security officers that blocked the way into the Inn.
“Unbelievable.” Max frowned. “We need to call Poppy.”
“No, no really. It’s fine.” I took a deep breath. “I’m sure that they’ll be leaving soon. It’s sweet, really. And to think we’re going to get a glimpse of royalty.”
Max smiled. “You always see the bright side, Sammy.”
“I try.” I reached up and tried to brush the smelly liquid out of my hair.
After an hour slid by and my stomach rumbled for the hundredth time, I was not seeing much of a bright side.
“If I don’t get in there soon, I’m not going to have time to shower or change. I can’t meet Poppy like this.”
“Can you call and postpone it?”
“No, I really can’t. Poppy is a stickler for schedules.”
“But I’m sure if you tell her what happened, she’ll understand.”
“No way, she can’t know what happened. She already thinks I’m a little crazy. I don’t want to confirm it for her.”
“Alright.” Max shoved his hands in his pockets. “Even if the prince leaves soon, this crowd is not going to clear out. I could try contacting the front desk, or we could just go buy you some new clothes.”
“But the rest of me will still smell like hot dogs!” I frowned.
“Then we’ll buy some new perfume too. It’ll be a little shopping spree. You haven’t had one of those for a while.”
“True.” I sighed. In the past shopping hadn’t been my favorite thing to do, but now that I could fit into most of the sizes that stores offered, it was a little more fun. “But we have to shop fast or I’m going to be late.”
“There’s a store a few doors down this way.” Max steered me around the crowd to the other side of the block.
I glanced back at the entrance of the Inn to see if I could catch a glimpse of the prince. All I saw were more security guards.
When we reached the shop my heart sank. It wasn’t a traditional boutique but a specialty store that featured steampunk clothing—leather, chains, and funky colors.
“Hm, maybe not your style? Let’s see what’s further up.”
I looked at my watch, then shook my head. “No way, Max, I’m out of time. I’ll have to find something in here.”
“Alright.” He swung the door open and grinned at the manikin in the window. “How about that? I like it.”
I looked at the thin strap of leather that covered see-through lace and rolled my eyes. “I’m trying to make a good impression, Max, not show up naked.”
“Hey, that always makes a good impression on me.” Max winked.
I couldn’t help but grin. Even in my most stressful moments Max could get a little laughter out of me.
Chapter 5
As I began to sort through the clothing on the rack, my amusement faded. I’d thought that there might be at least one plain t-shirt or blouse that could work
, but everything was very funky and noticeable.
I finally came across a top that was mostly leather with some thin chains laced through it. It was still rather strange, but it would be more acceptable than the rest. I grabbed a pair of black leather trousers off the rack and carried the items to the counter.
The woman flipped a page in her magazine and looked up at me. “Are you sure you’re in the right place?”
“Yes, I’d like to purchase these.”
“Hm. Are you sure about that?”
“Yes. Please, I’m in a hurry.” I put my credit card down on the counter.
“Look, there’s a no-return policy. Do you want to try on the clothes?”
I narrowed my eyes. It was clear to me that the woman didn’t think that I could fit into the clothing, but I’d checked the sizes and was confident that they would fit just fine.
“Please, just ring me up. I won’t be returning them. I’m in a hurry, and I need to use your dressing room to change, if that’s okay.”
“Sure.” She ran the credit card and handed it back to me. “Remember, no returns.”
I tried not to glare at her. She was a very petite woman and perhaps she just assumed that anyone of a larger size shouldn’t be wearing the style of clothing that she sold.
I rushed into the dressing room and changed out of my still-damp clothes. One whiff of my shirt told me that I’d made the right decision.
As I tugged on the new shirt, I tried not to look in the mirror. I was sure that I was going to look ridiculous. I still managed to catch a glimpse as I struggled into the leather pants. To my surprise, I thought the top fit me well. The pants were a little tight, but I only had to wear them for a little while.
When I stepped out of the dressing room Max whistled at me.
“Nice. I think I could get used to this style.”
“Don’t.” I laughed. “It might work for me today, but there’s no way I could pull this off all the time. But at least they fit.” I shot a look in the clerk’s direction. She didn’t looked up from her magazine.
As we left the shop I checked my watch. “Ten minutes to get there. I think the bookstore is just a few blocks away.”
“Okay, let’s hurry.” Max grabbed my hand and led me through the crowd on the sidewalk.
The small bookstore was on the corner of a block. Its front was rounded and stood out from the rest of the shops on the block. It had a sense of whimsy that reminded me of just how much I enjoyed a good book and a tucked-away place to read it.
“Page after Page.” I smiled at the name of the shop. “Cute.”
Max opened the door for me. I recognized Poppy right away from our meeting in Amsterdam.
“Hi, Poppy.” I smiled.
“Samantha.” She swept her gaze over my outfit, then looked back up at me. “I was wondering if you were coming.”
“Oh, I didn’t think I was late…” I frowned and glanced at my watch.
“You’re not. I just try to make it a habit to be ten or fifteen minutes early.”
I nodded. “That’s a good habit.”
“I think so.”
“This is my husband, Max.” I looked over at Max, who glanced up from a book he’d picked up from a shelf.
“Nice to meet you, Poppy.”
“You too, Max.” She smiled at him.
She didn’t smile at me, but she sure didn’t mind smiling at Max.
“Please, join me in my office, Samantha, and we can go over everything.”
“Great.” I followed her into her office.
It was a small space, but highly organized. Everything had a place. I knew this because there were labels placed in front of everything—pencil sharpener, pencils, paper, paper clips. It was a bit unsettling, but at the same time I could understand why someone would enjoy always knowing where everything was.
I sat down in the chair across from her and tried to hide the fact that I was looking for a label that said chair.
“I’m so glad that we’re going to be working together, Poppy.”
“Me too, Samantha. I just want to remind you that I run a very tight ship. I’ve found that as long as things happen the way they are supposed to, there is never any room for chaos.”
“Okay.” I smiled.
“We have a book signing in the evening tonight. I’ve paired it with a wine tasting and chosen a passage from the book for you to read. Please don’t deviate from that passage. Just read it, and maybe a few questions and answers, then straight to mingling. Okay?”
“Sure.” I bit into my bottom lip.
I tended to ramble off on my own topics during book signings. I was also used to choosing my own passage from the book to read. It seemed to me that Poppy really did want control of everything, but that was okay with me. I could use the break.
“Now tomorrow, I planned a tour through some local venues. Your fans can opt to purchase a ticket to join us on the tour. But please remember, this is not meant to be a free-for-all. I expect you to maintain professional behavior the entire time. Also, perhaps consider wearing something a bit more…” She paused and looked at my outfit again. “Mature.”
“Yes, of course.” My cheeks grew hot.
“What is that smell?” She sniffed the air. “Do you smell it too?”
I lowered my eyes.
“Samantha, do you smell it too?” She frowned. “It’s awful. I’m going to have to speak to the cleaning lady.”
“Is there anything else I should know?”
“Well, yes. Since you’re here over Valentine’s Day, I thought it might be good publicity for you to get involved in something a friend of mine is running. She owns a coffee shop and hosts poetry readings. For Valentine’s Day, she’s hosting a special event. It’s a similar to speed dating, only her customers have to communicate solely through poetry. I think it’s a bit silly, of course, but she’s very excited about it. Anyway, she wants a few judges to rate the actual poetry and declare a winning couple at the end of the event. I suggested you as a judge—if you approve, of course.”
“Oh, that sounds like a lot of fun. I’d love to do it.”
“Great. I’ll be there with you as well.”
“Wonderful.” I smiled. “Anything else?”
“Just be prepared for the event tonight, it starts promptly at six. Perhaps you could be early?” She pursed her lips. “And, I don’t expect you not to drink, but it would be nice if you could limit yourself.”
“Poppy, are you afraid I’m going to get drunk?”
“Should I be?”
Chapter 6
I stared at Poppy for a long moment. There were a few things I thought about saying to her, but I didn’t want to further tarnish her image of me.
“Honestly, that’s hurtful. I know that you have a poor impression of me, but I hope that you can be open to the thought that perhaps you have the wrong idea.”
Poppy smiled at me in a way that made me think all was forgiven. Then she leaned across the table and looked directly into my eyes.
“So prove me wrong, darling.”
My eyes widened. I wondered how I was going to survive working with this woman.
“I’ll be there—early and sober.” I stood up from my chair and narrowed my eyes. “You need to understand that I take my career very seriously. I’m a professional and soon you’ll see that, Poppy.” I turned to walk away from her.
“Well, I guess I’d rather see that than what I’m seeing right now.” She made a sharp noise with her tongue. “If that’s the kind of behavior I can expect tonight, then I doubt I have the wrong impression.”
“What?” I looked over my shoulder at her. “What are you talking about?”
“Samantha, I don’t know exactly how they do things in America, but I have never shown off my panties at a business meeting.”
“What?” I looked down at my backside. Sure enough, my pink panties were easy to see through slits in the leather pants I was wearing.
The slits ran from belo
w the waistband all the way to the back of my knees. I hadn’t noticed them when I’d tried the pants on because I was in such a rush. All of a sudden I knew why the clerk had advised me against the clothes. I assumed it had been because she was judging my size. I didn’t realize it was because she knew the pants were more revealing than I might like.
“I had no idea!” I frowned and tried to cover up the slits.
“Sure. You can go now. I’ll see you tonight. And Samantha?”
I blinked back tears as I looked at her. “Yes?”
“Please try and take a shower. I’m not sure whether it’s the perfume you’re wearing or there’s a hygiene problem, but I think it would be best if you washed up before the signing tonight.”
“I will.”
I hurried out of the office.
As embarrassment flooded me from the tips of my toes to the top of my head, I thought about all the people who’d likely seen my panties as Max and I had been rushing to get to the bookstore earlier. I thought about what Poppy must think of me.
I remembered what it was like to want to disappear.
“Sammy, you okay?” Max caught up with me at the door of the store.
“No, I’m not.” I wiped at my eyes. “I’m awful. I just want to go back to the room. I don’t care how much of a crowd or security issue there is—I need to shower and change.”
“What happened? Was she rude?” He looked back into the shop toward where Poppy was stepping out of her office. “That woman needs to loosen up a little bit.”
“Please, Max, let’s just go. Can you walk behind me? Close?”
“Why?” Max looked down at my pants. “Oh no! Sammy, I swear I didn’t see that.”
“It’s okay. I just want to go.”
Max wrapped his arm around my waist and angled his body to cover most of my backside.
It was a long slow walk back to the Inn. Thankfully, when we arrived, the crowd of people was no longer there. Max escorted me up the steps into the Inn, then up the stairs to the second floor. When we reached the room, he opened the door for me.
Sammy in England (Single Wide Female Travels #4) Page 2
