* * *
Josie Geller opened the last box, pulling out a newspaper wrapped cut crystal vase that her mother had given her for her 26th birthday and placed it on the cherry wood shelf that was mounted to the wall in the living room. She stepped back and looked at the placement, decided she was pleased and went back to the box. As she pulled out another wrapped breakable she reflected on the last year.
It was June of 2000, and her life had changed so drastically she sometimes had to remind herself that she wasn't dreaming. A little over a year ago she had been living in a cozy apartment alone, working as a copy editor at the Chicago Sun-Times. She had never been on a date, and had in fact only kissed one guy, in college at a party that she had gone to. She thought that she was content and happy with her life, having convinced herself of this so often that she actually believed it. She wasn't prepared for her life to take a turn when it did.
Everything changed when she was given an undercover assignment to pose as a high school student for a few months. She went into the job with the greatest of enthusiasm, wanting to make those few months take the place of her original years in high school, years that still caused her pain. It had seemed, though, that the same kind of humiliation was going to happen all over again when she was laughed at by the popular kids and constantly making a fool of herself. It wasn't until her younger brother, Rob, enrolled himself to get on the baseball team, that things started to look up for her. Rob had systematically made her popular and voted prom queen in a matter of weeks. It was more than she had ever dreamed of.
It was also at South Glen South that she had met Sam. Sam had been her English teacher, and the most beautiful man she had ever met. She had felt strangely comfortable around him, but at the same time nervous. He had seemed to understand her better than anyone had before him, and seemed to want to know her better despite what he thought was a 10 year age difference. Josie had fallen in love with him so quickly that she didn't know what had hit her.
When she let it be known to the entire senior class that she wasn't exactly who she said she was, she had hoped that Sam would be relieved and excited that she was indeed closer to his age than he had thought and therefore they could pursue a relationship without any hang-ups. Sam, however, was hurt by her deception and left her crying on a bench outside of the Prom. She had never felt such pain in her life.
That was when she decided that she would write her article about herself instead of about being a high school student at the end of the 20th Century. She wrote of her embarrassing past, the fact that she was a true geek inside, and that she was in love with Sam Coulson, the handsome English teacher that had changed her life in so many ways. She invited Sam, and the rest of the city of Chicago as it turned out, to the Championship Baseball game to give her her first real kiss. And just when it had seemed that he wouldn't show, he came running down the bleachers, into her arms, and kissed her. It had been the most wonderful moment of her life.
Since then she and Sam had been an official couple, seeming to only be apart when they were at their jobs. Josie had been promoted to reporter, another dream come true, and Sam had kept his job at the high school with no repercussions for the little flirtations with the girl who was supposed to be seventeen but was actually 25. Their love for each other grew progressively over the year, and Sam proposed to Josie on the Ferris wheel at Navy Pier one year to the day that he had ridden on it with her when she was still undercover. He told her that that was when he realized that he was in love with her and he wanted to celebrate that moment by asking her to marry him.
She accepted with tears running down her face. Josie had never thought that she would get married, had resigned to the fact that she would be an unmarried woman. This was more than she had ever hoped for.
So, now here she was, unpacking the last of her boxes in the little two- bedroom house that she and Sam had found. She glanced at the half-carat princess cut diamond ring on her finger and smiled. She never thought that she could be this happy.
There was a knock on the front door. She put down whatever knick- knack she had still wrapped in her hand and went to answer the door. She opened it to see her brother's girlfriend, Caroline, standing there with a bouquet of lilies and a bottle of champagne. Josie smiled and hugged her. Caroline had been a reporter at the Chicago Tribune the previous year and had been sent undercover to scoop Josie. As it turned out she had met Rob, Josie's brother, and fell in love with him. It had complicated her vision of the story, and she ended up quitting her job in order to not hurt Rob or Josie. Since then Josie found Caroline to be a valuable friend, probably the best she had ever had. Besides Sam.
"You are too sweet!" Josie said, opening the door wider so that Caroline could come in.
"It's a housewarming gift." Caroline said, placing the champagne on the kitchen counter and handing the flowers to Josie.
"Thank you. These are beautiful." Josie took the vase off of the shelf and filled it halfway with water, placing the flowers in it. She set it on the center of the table and linked her arm though Caroline's. "Come in, sit." They sat on the couch.
"Josie, this place looks great!" Caroline looked around the room at the tall bookshelves filled with books, the Van Gogh and Monet prints on the walls; the fish tank with Josie's turtles placed underneath the front picture window. There were pictures of Josie and Sam together placed around the room, on the fireplace mantle between one of Rob and Caroline and of their parents, on the table at the arm of the couch, on the bookshelf. There were also pictures of Sam's siblings, of the friends that Josie had made at South Glen South and of some of Sam's friends. The television and VCR were centered on an entertainment center and flanked by many video tapes. The stereo was below the TV, and next to it were vinyl records as well as CDs.
"Want a tour?"
"Actually, I can't stay long. I have to get back to work. But Rob and I will be here for your housewarming dinner this weekend. I just wanted to give you the flowers because they're from me alone."
Josie hugged her again. "OK, I'll see you on Saturday."
After Caroline had driven away, Josie got back to her unpacking. She wanted everything done before Sam got home. She looked at her watch. It was only 1:30. That gave her a few hours before he arrived. She smiled to herself, not knowing quite how to handle all the newfound happiness that she had. It was like her life had become a real fairy tale.
* * *
Sam got home around 4:30. He placed his bag on the antique chair by the front door and called out to Josie.
"I'm in the bedroom," she replied.
'That's just where I hoped she'd be�' Sam thought deviously. He walked down the hallway and into their room. He loved thinking of it as theirs. This house was theirs. This room was theirs. The furniture was theirs. It made him smile.
Josie was arranging her shoes in the walk-in closet. She was sitting on the floor in jeans and a maroon tank top, her shiny blonde hair pulled into pigtails. She looked so adorable, he had to lean down and kiss her on the top of her head.
"Hi, sweetie," she said.
Sam sat down with her. "Hi." Josie had turned her head to face him, allowing him the access he wanted to her lips. He would never grow tired of kissing her. "Did you have a good day?"
"I got everything unpacked, finally. And Caroline came by with champagne and flowers."
"That was nice of her."
"How was your day?"
"Good. Today was finals, so it was pretty quiet. Tomorrow's the last day of school."
"I get you all to myself for a few days then." Josie snuggled up against him.
"You always have me to yourself."
"In a manner of speaking, I do. But I have just until Monday left on my vacation, and I want a couple days of just lounging around the house with you. No interruptions."
"So it will be. I promise."
"Are you hungry?"
"A little. You?"
"I'm famished. My mother invited us to dinner if we want."
"Or, we could stay in, make that tortellini that's in the freezer and 'christen' every room of the house�" Sam offered suggestively.
Josie started laughing. "I like your idea better." She stood up. "Will you start the pasta and I'll take a shower?"
"Anything you want, my beautiful angel."
"You spoil me."
Sam put his hands on her cheeks. "You deserve it," he said as he leaned in and kissed her.
* * *
Josie sat on the living room floor, her silk robe falling open, giving just the slightest glimpse of her breast. She was still a little shy about her body, even after all this time, but that was part of what Sam loved about her. She would never be an exhibitionist, flaunting her body like so many women do. Josie had become comfortable in her own skin over the last year, but she was still modest. It was refreshing�especially after Lara, who would use her body so often to get what she wanted from Sam.
God, Lara. Sam hadn't though of her in, well, it must have been at least six months. He shuddered, thinking that if Caroline hadn't come to his apartment that day last May he would have driven himself and all of his belongings to New York and settled in with her. He thanked God every day that Caroline had forced him the read Josie's article instead of allowing him to be stubborn and stupid.
Sam put his arms behind his head and continued to stare at Josie as she drank a glass of water. Everything she did was beautiful. It was as if she floated, her movements were fluid-like, smooth. All of her awkwardness had drifted away. Sam reached up and pushed a strand of her hair from her face. It was damp from her sweat. Maybe some of his as well. "You look beautiful."
"Oh, I'm sure I have a terrible case of bed head. Or as Rob has called it, 'sex hair'. Although he has a different word he uses in place of 'sex.'"
"I'm sure he does. Your hair looks great. Just the right amount of disarray."
"Thanks�I think," Josie replied, smiling. She stood up and went into the kitchen. Sam followed her, putting his arms around her waist and leaning his chin on her shoulder while she filled a glass with water.
"Ready for bed?"
"It's only nine o'clock!"
"So?"
"I'm not tired." She turned and looked at his face. "Oh." She smiled. "Neither are you, apparently."
"The bedroom is the last room to...christen."
Josie started laughing, taking his hand and walking to the bedroom with him. "I'm afraid all this activity will break you."
"Oh, I wouldn't be afraid of that if I were you."
* * *
Rob and Caroline had been invited over for Dinner that Saturday. They arrived with two small Pug puppies, one theirs and one for Josie and Sam. Caroline knew that Josie had been wanting a puppy for a while and after Rob had gotten theirs Caroline insisted on buying one for Josie as well. Josie was delighted, not putting the puppy, which she named Lucas, down for more than a few minutes at a time.
They barbecued in the back yard, the girls playing like children with their pets. Rob and Sam stood on the wooden deck with beers in their hands, both feeling lucky that they had found the women that they did.
"Sometimes I can't stand it." Rob suddenly said.
"What?" Sam asked, still watching Josie.
"That Caroline is so perfect. Look at her. How did I end up with that girl? She's amazing."
Sam looked at Caroline, who was lying on her back in the grass letting the puppies jump all over her, biting at her hands and pulling her hair. She didn't seem to care that her nice lightweight blue sweater and jeans were getting dirty. She was just laughing. "She's a great girl, Rob."
"She's the best." Rob took a sip of his beer. "I don't usually talk like this to other guys..."
"Hey, I'm right there with you, man. You want me to gush about your sister?"
"Ugh. She's my sister. I don't want to hear all that."
Sam laughed. "I just mean that I know what you mean." At that moment, as if she knew he was talking about her, Josie looked over at him and smiled. She stood up, wiped any grass that had stuck to her pink gingham sundress and walked over to them.
"What are you boys talking about?" she asked.
"Chicks." Rob answered.
"I figured." She replied.
Caroline came up and went into the kitchen to grab a beer. She sat at the patio table, propping her feet on the chair next to her. "So, do you guys have any big plans for your anniversary?" she asked.
"We're going to see Hamlet." Josie said as she sat in a chair across from Caroline.
"I requested to review that for the paper but they said that their regular Theater Writer would be pissed if they let me, the 'lowly' music writer to review his precious Shakespeare. Like I can't write about Shakespeare just because I write about bands." Caroline rolled her eyes. "Thank God I can freelance elsewhere." Since she had quit her position as a columnist at the Chicago Tribune she had been writing for the weekly entertainment paper, Chicago Now, and freelancing for national magazines like Premier and Rolling Stone. Rob thought her job was great because they got free tickets to just about every concert that came through town, plus Caroline was well known by the local musicians and club owners, so they never had to pay to get in anywhere.
"I'll tell you all about it," Josie offered.
"Oh, it's okay. You don't have to. I just really wanted to see the play, that's all. Tickets were really hard to get. I hear the actors are amazing."
"I had to pull some strings," Sam said.
"Which ones would those be?" Caroline asked.
"I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," Sam joked.
Caroline laughed. "Well, just let me know if the actors are as good as everyone has been saying."
* * *
Their anniversary had actually been two weeks earlier than when they were going to see Hamlet, and they had celebrated it privately in their house. The seats that Sam had gotten were perfect, in the third row, center section. Josie could practically hear the actors breathe. She sat with her hand in Sam's, loving every minute of the play. Caroline was right, the actors were magnificent.
Josie was more excited than she was letting on. The last time she had seen a Shakespeare play she had gone alone, as neither Anita nor Rob had wanted to see A Midsummer Night's Dream, or any other Shakespeare play for that matter. She sat in her seat just taking in the atmosphere of the theater: it's carved-wood panels and edging on the stage, the burgundy velvet curtain and seats, the marble tiled floor. It was exactly as Josie had hoped. She looked at Sam, who was reading his program. Since the night that he had kissed her on the baseball field everything had been exactly as she had hoped and dreamed they would be.
The lights went down, and Josie focused her attention on the stage. The actors were so amazing that she almost forgot that they were acting until the house lights went up for the intermission. Sam stood to stretch his legs. "Want to go look around? We have 20 minutes�"
"Okay." she answered, standing and linking her arm through his. They went into the lobby, and she went to the displays, which held 8" x 10" photographs and biographies of the actors. She read about Nathaniel Rhys Stoeffer, the actor playing Hamlet, and Jillian North, the actress playing Ophelia. They were both incredible. Josie had noticed that Ophelia was actually crying in one scene, not pretending to cry, and was so impressed with the actress that she had to find out more.
Sam came up behind her, putting his arms around her waist and leaning his chin on her shoulder. "Anything interesting?" he asked.
"Yes, actually. The actress playing Ophelia went to high school here in Chicago years ago as an exchange student. It says she went to Lincoln her senior year, graduating in 1989." Josie read from the bio. She broke from Sam's embrace to face him. "Isn't that the year that you graduated from there?"
"Yep." Sam said. He moved closer to get a better look at the picture on the wall.
"Did you know her?"
"Yeah."
Josie smiled. "Really? Why didn't you say something? Was she an actress then?"
"Yeah, she was in all the plays that year."
"Did you know that she was in tonight's play?"
Sam shook his head. "I haven't seen or heard from Jillian since she went back to England eleven years ago."
"Were you friends with her?"
Sam paused before answering. "Yeah. She was a sweet girl."
"She's an amazing actress, Sam. Did you see her cry?"
He nodded, looking back at her picture.
Josie looked as well. "She's beautiful. She looks a little like Meg Ryan."
Sam smiled. "It's funny that you say that, because I used to tell her that she looked like Meg Ryan. She used to hate that. She said that she didn't want to look like anyone else."
"Sounds like you knew her well."
"I did... We were friends." he looked at his watch. "We better get back in there for the rest of the play."
"All right." Josie took his hand and let him lead her back to their seats.
The rest of the play was as wonderful as the first half, and Josie had tears in her eyes that she was trying to contain with the sleeve of her sweater. Sam had already stood up and was looking down at her with a smile on his face.
"You're adorable." he said, running his hand over her hair.
"Don't mock me." she replied, standing.
"I'm doing nothing of the sort. I'm admiring."
Josie smiled up at him. "Well, in that case..." she kissed his cheek.
Sam took her hand and they headed to the lobby. As they walked out the doors from the auditorium, Josie noticed a few of the actors off to the side talking to some of the audience members. "Sam, you should see if you can talk to Jillian North. She was your friend, after all."
"That was a long time ago, Jos." He had tensed up, but Josie didn't seem to notice.
"So what? What's the worst that could happen? C'mon, I'd love to meet her. She was fantastic."
"All right, let's see if we can." They headed over to the other actors and waited for a chance to speak. He explained to the actor that had played Rosencrantz that he had been a friend of Jillian's years ago and asked if it would be possible for them to talk to her. The actor, who introduced himself as Sir Frederick Malone, said he would see what he could do.
Ten minutes later Jillian came out to the front. She was more beautiful close up that she had been on the stage, especially with all of the stage make-up washed off and minimal make-up replacing it. The photo on the wall didn't nearly do her justice, Josie thought, admiring Jillian's large emerald green eyes and smooth, peachy complexion. She was wearing fitted jeans and a lavender '70's style backless halter-top. Josie was surprised that she hair wasn't really red like Ophelia's, but cut in a style ironically like Meg Ryan's shaggy-bob, and was a deep chestnut brown. She smiled as soon as she saw Sam showing flawlessly even, perfectly straight teeth.
"Sam? Sam Coulson, as I live and breathe?!" She embraced him. "Really, I can't believe I didn't think to call you! I guess I assumed that you wouldn't still live in Chicago. Goodness, Sam, you look fabulous!" She stood back and looked Sam over, then turned and smiled at Josie. "I'm so rude! I'm Jillian." She held out her hand to Josie.
"How do you do? I'm Josie."
"It's very nice to meet you, Josie." She turned back to Sam. "We have got to catch up, Sam!"
"How long are you here for?"
"Well, the play is running for another week, but I'm staying in Chicago for a few months."
"Really? What for?"
"I need a break. I've been on the road for nine months. And I loved it here. So, what have you been doing for the last, what is it? 11 years or something awful like that?" Jillian asked Sam with a little laugh.
"Well, I'm teaching English at South Glen South High School, and Josie and I are engaged to be married sometime this year."
Jillian smiled widely. "Isn't that fantastic. Congratulations! When's the big day?"
"Oh, we haven't set a date yet," Josie said, her voice a bit quiet.
"I know every girl in the world plans their wedding from the time they are wee little babes. You must have a preference..."
Josie was nervous, being put on the spot by Jillian. She swallowed and said "I'd love a fall wedding with the leaves falling..."
"Oh, that sounds lovely. Especially here in Chicago."
"What about you, Jillian? What have you done all this time?"
She let out a little laugh. "Do you have a couple hours? Seriously, it's been wonderful and awful all at once."
"Why?" Sam asked.
"Do you have a couple hours?" Jillian repeated.
"Why don't we go out for some coffee? Then you two can catch up more, and Jillian and I can get to know one another as well." Josie suggested.
Sam looked at Jillian. "Would you like to?"
"I'd love to. Let me just make sure I don't have anything scheduled. My manager tends to schedule interviews after shows and not tell me that I have them." She smiled apologetically. "I'll be right back."
As Jillian walked backstage, Josie turned to Sam. He was watching as the door closed. Josie got a funny feeling in her stomach. "She's nice, Sam."
"She always was." he replied, slowly moving his gaze to Josie. He smiled and took her hand.
* * *
As it turned out, Jillian was free that night. She sat in the backseat of Sam's car, her arms up on the seats in front of her, her head poking through the middle.
Sam was finding it hard to concentrate on the road. All of the feelings that he had had for Jillian in high school were rushing back. She hadn't changed at all, except she was even more beautiful then ever. She was still funny, friendly, and talkative. She still had that way of looking into a person's eyes as she spoke to them, making them feel as if they were the only two people in the world.
All of this was very disturbing to Sam. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest that he was sure that Josie could hear it.
Josie. How could he possibly be feeling what he was feeling? Josie was the person he was in love with, not Jillian. Josie was wonderful and sweet, smart and funny, the most amazing woman he had ever known. He took her hand and squeezed it, noticing that she smiled at him as he did so.
Sam pulled into the parking lot of his and Josie's favorite coffee shop, Lotta Java. He walked behind the girls, hoping to get himself in some sort of order before they looked at him. Josie would be able to tell with one glance that something was wrong. His pace had slowed so severely that the girls noticed and stopped.
"What's the hold-up, turtle?" Jillian asked good-naturedly.
"Nothing," Sam said, speeding up.
"Well then, walk with us, please." She walked over to him, linking her arm through his. He looked at Josie to gauge her reaction, and she seemed fine with Jillian's affection. Sam made sure to take Josie's hand as he reached her. She looked up at him and smiled.
"You okay?" she asked quietly.
"Mmm-hmm," He replied.
"WOW!" Jillian exclaimed as her entered the front door of the coffee shop. "Look at this place. It looks like it's straight out of Ozzie and Harriet." She was referring to the 50's decor. "Or Happy Days at least."
"That's what I thought too, the first time we came here. Happy Days." Josie said.
"I love it. I wish I had a poodle skirt." Jillian walked ahead of them through the shop, looking at the displays of antique coffeepots, old mugs, and photographs. When they reached the counter she paid for their drinks. She followed Sam and Josie to their favorite spot in the back where there were two comfortable couches and a table littered with old magazines and a bookshelf full of books. Jillian sat on the couch facing the two of them and smiled. "I honestly can't believe that we ran into each other, Sam."
"I know."
"After you stopped writing..."she trailed off, noticing Josie's confused look. "Oh, it doesn't matter now." She flashed her brilliant smile again and leaned back.
"So, Jillian..."Josie began "...tell us about your life. What is it like to be in a traveling theater company?"
"Lonely." Jillian answered matter-of-factly. "After I went back to England when I was seventeen, I started auditioning right away. All I have ever wanted to do is act. I was in a few commercials, and I had a very small role in a movie. Then I decided to move to New York. That was...1993. I met Ryan, fell madly in love, got married, got the lead in a Broadway play, went on the road --"
"You're married?" Sam asked, trying to keep the unwanted jealousy out of his voice.
Jillian smiled and went on. "I got divorced in 1997, and moved back to London where I worked mostly in theater for the last few years until I got this part as Ophelia and came back to America." She sighed. "I'm a bit burnt out, though. I need a rest."
"It all sounds so exciting. All that traveling!" Josie said. "I've never been anywhere but here."
"It loses its luster after a while. It becomes a routine of bus to hotel to theater, back to bus. Day in, day out. It's hard to develop substantial relationships. It ruined my marriage because Ryan hated me being gone all the time. I thought that he would have understood, being an actor himself, but he didn't. He went off with other girls. That devastated me."
Josie was sympathetic. "I can imagine."
"So, that's that. There's my life."
"And so you're staying here in Chicago? For how long?"
"I rented a townhouse and the lease is for nine months. So at least that long. And if you guys don't think I'm a terrible bore, or an awful brat, or both, I'd love to spend time with you while I'm here. I have some friends from New York who are here for the summer, but after that I'm on my own."
"Of course, we'd love to." Josie said. "Wouldn't we, Sam?"
"Of course." Sam said. He tried to ignore the knot in his stomach and the sour taste in his mouth. He suddenly was terrified of what Jillian being in Chicago would do to him.
* * *