Author's note: You may all consider this story a segue between my 1st storyline and a future "First Time" storyline I have planned (I hope it will give you food for thought�grin).
Josie looked herself over in the full-length mirror on the back of her closet door and smiled. Being with Sam these past three months had done wonders for her self-esteem, she thought. She could remember the time not so long ago that she had looked in the mirror, resigned to what she saw. Now, she saw a confident, beautiful woman staring back at her�all because this was how Sam saw her.
She shook her head and smiled as she thought of him, sitting out in her living room waiting for her to change for their night out. For their three-month anniversary, he had surprised her with tickets to see As You Like It at the Shakespeare Repertory Theatre downtown. Sam had known, of course, that she loved Shakespeare, but this play obviously had special meaning for them both, since their developing relationship was quite reminiscent of Rosalind and Orlando.
A tap on the bedroom door brought Josie from her reverie.
"Are you almost ready in there?" Sam asked through the closed door.
"Yep," Josie replied. "You can come on in; I'm decent."
The door opened and Sam peeked his head in. "Darn," he joked, his eyes twinkling with mischief. Then he opened the door farther and walked in, plopping himself down on the edge of the bed to assess Josie's outfit. She was wearing a floral sleeveless sundress that flowed softly to just above her knees. Since it was such a warm evening in late July, she had decided to go barelegged and had slipped on a pair of white strappy sandals. She finished off her outfit with simple pearl earrings and a tiny gold chain with a single pearl at her throat.
Pushing on the backing to her second earring, she turned to face Sam, and then twirled around for him. "So, what do you think? Does it meet your approval?"
Sam noticed how the simple dress accentuated her wonderful curves, not to mention how it showed off her bare legs. 'How could she possibly not know how beautiful she is?' he thought to himself for about the thousandth time since he'd known her. But he knew that she didn't know, which only made her that much more appealing to him. "You look wonderful," he answered truthfully, not able to take his eyes off of her.
Josie blushed a little at Sam's appraisal and compliment. "Thanks," she answered gratefully. Then, taking in how handsome he looked, even in a simple pair of khakis and a navy blue polo shirt, she replied, "You don't look so bad yourself."
They smiled at each other for a silent moment, but then Sam sneaked a peek at his watch. He grimaced a little. "We should get going if we're going to find parking downtown on a Friday night in time to get to the Theatre before the play starts�"
"Okay," Josie agreed, leaning over to retrieve her purse from the bed next to Sam. She placed a quick peck on his cheek and then leaned in to whisper in his ear huskily. "Let's go."
'Oh, boy,' Sam thought to himself. If her playful teasing now was any indication of what Josie's mood would be this evening, he thought, he was in big trouble.
* * *
Sam and Josie walked hand in hand from the parking garage toward the Theatre. Sam had his light windbreaker jacket slung over his other shoulder and held by one finger.
Josie smiled up at him and said, "This was a really sweet idea, Sam. Thank you."
Sam leaned in toward her and said, "I'm glad you liked my surprise. But you know, as far as I'm concerned, no one could make a more beautiful Rosalind than you�"
Josie blushed prettily at his compliment�and at the reminder of the South Glen South senior prom. She closed her eyes for a moment and pictured the look of pure happiness that glowed in Sam's eyes when she had agreed to dance with him. She remembered the strange and wonderful sensation of nervous excitement as he pulled her into his embrace and gazed at her with his eyes full of unspoken love. It was the first time she'd seen that look, and although she'd seen it many times since, it still gave her the same butterflies in her stomach.
Sam smiled at Josie's blush and couldn't help teasing her just a little. "Maybe I could convince you to dress as Rosalind for me sometime�"
Josie looked up to see a devilish sparkle in his eyes. Instead of blushing, she grinned and replied, "Oh, really? And what did you have in mind? I assume this wouldn't be a poetry reading�"
"Well, I suppose that depends on your definition of 'poetry'�"
Sam's risqu� comment earned him an elbow in the ribs. "Hey!" he exclaimed with mock indignation, but he grinned wickedly because he knew he had earned it.
As they approached the entrance to the Theatre, Sam pulled away from Josie long enough to hold the door open for her. She thanked him with a brilliant smile as he ushered her through the doorway before him. Then he pulled his hand down from his shoulder to hang his coat maitre d' style over his right forearm.
As the entered the grand foyer of the old building, which had been built at the height of the Roaring Twenties, Josie and Sam both stopped in their tracks to drink in the decor. Regal red carpets trimmed with gold covered the spiraling staircases on each side of the lobby that led to the opera boxes. Black and white marble tiles set in a spiral pattern lined the floor of the lobby itself. Three huge chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the light sparkling from them glowing like stars. Josie was in awe. She had never seen such grandeur and told Sam so.
"Yes, it is quite something, isn't it?" he commented, pausing to turn around in a slow circle to take in the view again. Suddenly he realized that he saw someone he thought he recognized from across the foyer. He squinted, wanting to be sure. Then he pointed in the direction he was looking and asked, "Josie, is that�?"
Josie turned in the direction Sam had indicated. Her eyes widened at what she saw. "Oh my god, it is! That's Aldys! Wow! She looks fantastic!" Aldys stood off to the side of the lobby, her hair swept up into an elegant chignon. She must have gotten contact lenses, Josie decided, because she was not wearing her glasses. Her makeup was carefully and tastefully done. She wore a simple calf- length georgette slipdress in a periwinkle blue. The transformation was startling. She was beautiful.
Although Josie and Aldys had remained friends after Josie's assignment at South Glen, their friendship at this point had mainly consisted of telephone calls, since Josie had been quite busy with her new position as a columnist, and Aldys had enrolled in a few summer classes at Northwestern to get her college career off to an early start. Josie wondered what could have caused such a great change in Aldys' self-image. "Do you want to go over and say hello?" she asked Sam.
"Sure," he replied. He clasped her hand and they crossed the lobby to approach Aldys. "Aldys!" he called, when they were close enough for her to hear them.
Aldys turned at the sound of her name and smiled brightly at the sight of Sam and Josie. "Mr. Coulson! Josie! Hi!"
Josie let go of Sam's hand and reached out to pull Aldys into a bear hug. "You look wonderful!" Josie praised.
"Yeah, I bet you hardly recognized me, huh?" Aldys grinned. "Why does it not surprise me that you two would go to see As You Like It?"
"Gee, I don't know�" Sam quipped, and they all laughed. Then he continued, "Would you like to come in with us, Aldys?"
Aldys looked down for a moment and actually blushed. "Thanks for the offer Mr. Coulson, but I am waiting for someone."
Sam nodded and then suggested, "You know, now that you've graduated, it's fine with me if you want to call me Sam. After all, you can't go around calling us 'Josie and Mr. Coulson' forever�"
Aldys grinned and jokingly returned, "No, I imagine that at some point it will be 'Mr. and Mrs. Coulson�'"
Both Josie and Sam blushed at that.
Aldys continued, "Really, though, thanks. I think it will take a little getting used to, that's all."
Sam said kindly, "That's okay. I just wanted to make the offer." He glanced at his watch and then said to Josie, "We should probably get in there." And then to Aldys, he asked one last time, "You're sure you're okay here?"
Aldys was about to answer when a voice rang out behind her. "Hiya, beautiful!"
All three of them turned to see Guy Perkins, who was�apparently�Aldys' date for the evening. He was dressed in a very un"Guy"like outfit: pleated black pants and a patterned collarless dress shirt. Sam and Josie shared a look of stunned amazement as Guy approached them.
"Oh, hiya Mr. Coulson; Josie. I didn't see you there. How's it goin'?" Guy asked them.
Josie smiled warmly at Guy and answered, "We're doing fine, thanks. Hey, how's the internship down in production going?"
"Actually, it's been really great. I've learned a lot of stuff that I never knew about how a newspaper is made. I never realized there was so much work involved," Guy explained, glancing at Aldys as if to gauge her reaction. Aldys noticed his hesitation and smiled her support.
Josie chuckled. "Yes, it certainly can be a lot of work, but it can also be very rewarding," she said, her eyes connecting with Sam's to intimate that she considered him one of her 'rewards'.
For his part, Sam took that opportunity to greet Guy himself. "Well, fancy meeting you here," he said, putting out a hand to shake Guy's. "If someone had told me three months ago that I'd see you at this play, I'd have never believed it," he joked.
Guy shook Sam's hand, and then shrugged at his comment. "Well, tonight was Aldys' choice, but it's all right with me. This play stuff's not that bad, really. I used to think that all that stuff written by dead guys couldn't have any context in modern life, but you and Josie�I mean, Miss Geller," he amended awkwardly, glancing in her direction, not quite sure what he should be calling her now, "�proved that theory wrong. After that, I was willing to give them a try."
Sam was surprised by this admission from South Glen's former 'most popular guy'. "Well, I am really pleased to hear that. Now, if you could just convince more of my students, I'd be in teacher's heaven�"
Guy laughed and replied, "Sorry, Mr. Coulson, but my time has run out as the 'in' guy at South Glen South. Guess you'll just have to convince the next one."
Sam was about to say that he hoped it wouldn't take as long to convince the next one when the lights in the lobby blinked on and off. "Well," he said instead, "that's our cue. Where are you two sitting?" Sam asked Aldys and Guy.
Aldys answered, "Guy was able to get us tickets for one of the boxes, so we're going up there," pointing up the staircase beside them.
Sam carefully repressed a shudder at the idea of sitting in box seats and said, "Oh, that's too bad. Our seats are down at floor level." Josie noticed Sam's tension and smiled, placing a calming hand on his arm, knowing his fear of heights had been the trigger to that reaction.
"That's okay, Mr. Coulson�I mean Sam," Aldys corrected herself with a smile. "I think we'd rather be alone anyhow," she replied, sharing a look with Guy. "And, perhaps, so do you."
Sam shared a look with Josie and then smiled back at Aldys. "You know, you may be right."
Josie smiled at the young couple and could not help but think how good they looked together. "It was good to see you again, Guy. I'm glad to hear that the internship is working out so well."
"Yeah, well, thanks for helping me get that. My mom was 'eternally grateful', and I'm having a good time there," he responded.
"No problem at all." Josie looked around and noticed that the crowd in the lobby was getting pretty thin. "Well, I suppose we should get moving if we want to catch the play before it starts�"
"Yeah, we should," Aldys agreed, placing a hand through Guy's arm. "Call me at the beginning of the week, Josie?"
"Sure, no problem," Josie agreed. "Talk to you then."
With a final wave, the two couples went their separate ways.
As they walked into the relative darkness of the theater, Sam turned to Josie and asked incredulously, "Guy Perkins and Aldys Wells are dating? When did that happen?"
"I wish I knew," replied Josie. "But I have a feeling I'll be hearing a lot about it on Monday�"
Sam grinned. "I'll bet."
The lights suddenly began to dim and they knew the play was about to start. "Shoot," exclaimed Sam. "Our seats are much closer to the stage than this, too." They were currently in the aisle near the back third of the middle seating area.
"Oh, Sam," Josie replied, tugging on his arm to pull them into the middle of the row of the nearly empty seating area, "this is fine. If we really don't like them, we can move after the intermission."
For a moment, Sam looked as if he was going to protest, but then he just sighed. "As long as you're sure this is fine. I don't mind finding our real seats, you know."
"Really," Josie insisted, "I don't mind. Besides, sometimes I like to recite along, and that might be disruptive if there were anyone sitting near us�"
In the dark, Sam smiled at the idea that Josie knew her Shakespeare so well that she could recite it from rote. "Okay, you've convinced me." Sam draped his jacket over the back of his chair and sat down next to Josie just as the curtains opened and the play began.
* * *
The play broke for intermission after Act II, and although Josie and Sam did get up to stretch their legs, they ended up sitting back in the seats that Josie had hastily dragged them into at the beginning of the play.
Throughout the first two acts, Josie and Sam had been playing a game of sorts, and their position away from most of the other watchers afforded them the ability to do this: Sam would recite the lines of Orlando whenever he could remember them, and Josie would do the same for Rosalind. They both enjoyed the challenge and tried to one-up one another whenever they could, which would set them off into giggles whenever one succeeded in besting the other.
But it was not long before they got carried away in the romanticism of the characters' words and their game took on a whole new meaning.
As Orlando first met the disguised Rosalind in the forest during Act III, Sam reached over and held Josie's hand, resting it softly against his knee. He could so connect with Orlando's sentiments of profound love for Rosalind that he just had to be touching Josie as he softly recited Orlando's lines into her ear: "Fair youth, I would I could make thee believe I love."
Josie squeezed his hand and then gave Rosalind's response: "Me believe it! You may as soon make her that you love believe it; which, I warrant, she is apter to do than to confess she does: that is one of the points in the which women still give the lie to their consciences. But, in good sooth, are you he that hangs the verses on the trees, wherein Rosalind is so admired?"
Sam smiled softly and replied: "I swear to thee, youth, by the white hand of Rosalind," Sam paused to lift Josie's hand to his lips and place a soft kiss on the sensitive skin on the back of her hand, "I am that he, that unfortunate he."
Staring into Sam's intent green eyes as he repeated those romantic words in the near darkness of the theater had a profound effect on Josie. She felt as if she couldn't tear her eyes away, that she couldn't breathe, couldn't speak. But yet, of their own accord, Rosalind's reply tumbled from her lips: "But are you so much in love as your rhymes speak?"
Sam half-turned in his seat to face Josie and laid his other hand along the side of her face, pulling her even closer to him. Her eyes drew him ever closer until their lips were almost touching. Sam looked longingly down at her lips for a moment, and then raised his gaze to connect with Josie's as he whispered Orlando's vow, "Neither rhyme nor reason can express how much."
And then, without regard to the fact they were supposed to be watching the play, or even that they were in a public place where anyone could be watching them, they leaned in to touch lips in a longing, passionate kiss. Sam's arm went around Josie as the hand that had rested on her face slid up into her silky hair. Somewhere in his addled brain, Sam thought, "Poor Orlando�to have his life's love right before him and not know it, not be able to touch her and love her as I can with Josie now."
At the first touch of Sam's lips to hers, Josie melted into his embrace; the powerful words from Shakespeare and the powerful sensations from Sam were an irresistible combination. As she continued to lean into him, she placed her left hand on his left knee for support. As her ardor increased, she began rubbing her hand along the length of his upper leg, trying to communicate her impatient excitement to Sam.
Sam pulled Josie as tightly against him as the armrest between them would allow. His fingers slid through the silky softness of her hair, knowing it mirrored the silky softness of her skin. He slid his other hand down her side to rest it on her knee, and then slid it upward to draw soft circles on her lower thigh.
Josie sighed against his lips and deepened their kiss. His teasing caresses on her bare skin were sending shivers up her spine. She slid her other hand around his head to bury her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck, holding his head to her, not wanting Sam to ever stop.
Sam delved again and again into her sweet mouth, savoring her, tasting her. Her tiny whimpers of pleasure sent waves of heat through his body, only to settle and pool in his lap. Sam squirmed as Josie's hand, sliding slowly back and forth on his leg, came quite close to finding out just how excited he had become from their kisses and caresses. In response to this encouragement, Sam trailed suckling kisses down Josie's jaw until he reached the sensitive spot he knew she had at the base of her neck.
Josie gasped at the warm wetness of Sam's lips against her neck. Dimly, she was aware that they probably shouldn't be doing this, especially considering that they were in a public place. But somehow, that same fact also gave her a little extra edge of excitement, knowing that at any moment, they could be found out. Josie moved her hand from the nape of Sam's neck to trail her fingernails down the center of his back and then back up again.
Sam swallowed a groan of pleasure, suddenly realizing they were in a public place instead of back in Josie's bedroom. He paused in his ministrations, trying to get a handle on his excitement. They shouldn't be doing this here�now. Anyone could be watching them; they could get thrown right out of the theater� But�he couldn't bear to let her go just yet. Instead, Sam slowly, teasingly slid his hand back up from her leg to cradle one side of her face, and then he covered Josie's lips with his own again for a soft, tender kiss. As he pulled slightly away to break the contact of their lips, he rested his forehead against hers and just listened to the sound of their harsh breathing surrounding them.
As Josie, her eyes still closed and her forehead still leaning against Sam's, trying to catch her breath and calm her pounding heart, she heard Rosalind murmur to her cousin Celia, speaking of Orlando: "And his kissing is as full of sanctity as the touch of holy bread."
Josie smiled and thought to herself, "It sure as heck is�" She took another shivering breath and then dared to open her eyes and lift her head a little to determine if anyone in the darkened theater had witnessed their tryst. Looking around, she saw no one staring at them, no one giving them dirty looks. No one seemed to have noticed them or their passionate embrace. She heaved a small sigh of relief.
Josie briefly looked up at the stage and listened to the delivered lines and then opened her mouth in shock. She turned to look at Sam and whispered to him, "Sam, do you realize that we've just missed an entire scene?"
"What?" he replied, a little confused by the apparent non sequitur. Then, after a half second of processing what she'd said, and then listening to the actors' lines in the play, he started to laugh softly, saying, "Yeah, and then some."
Josie also quietly chuckled in response, and then Sam turned in his seat to face front so that Josie could rest her head on his shoulder.
As Josie settled comfortably against him, Sam's mind drifted off into thought. They had gone much further than was proper, done much more than could be considered acceptable in a public place, even in a darkened theater such as this, and he knew it. But, surprisingly, he felt no remorse. His current mindset was more that, as far as he was concerned, it had not been enough�and it would never be enough; not until the day that he could share his complete and total love with Josie.
Ever since the night after they were reunited on the South Glen South baseball field, (the night that he and Josie had nearly given in to temptation) Sam had been careful to proceed at a pace that was comfortable for Josie. He wanted the decision of when they would finally consummate their relationship to be hers and hers alone. As he had expected, at times it was extremely difficult to keep things on an even keel, to prevent them from spiraling out of control, especially when they spent almost every waking moment that was not dedicated to their work together. And much like the case was just now, sometimes she was darn near impossible to resist. But the effort of maintaining that tenuous hold on his self-control all this time had been more than worth it.
Over the past three months, he and Josie had grown incredibly close in other ways, ways that were much more important than simple physical gratification. They had become so good at reading the other's expressions that often times they knew what the other was thinking without having to say anything. The more time they spent together, the more they discovered they had in common: they both loved the same music, and both shared a profound love of literature in general, and Shakespeare in particular. They both loved Chicago and had harbored secret hopes to eventually marry and raise children here. They both came from close, loving families that had been good role models for the type of families they wanted to someday create. And the more time they spent together, the more they came to realize the inevitability and eventuality of a shared future, of being together for the rest of their lives. He cherished that blossoming discovery most of all.
Sure, it had seemed very much like a fairytale when they had kissed on the baseball field; true love reunited against all odds. But the fact that the last three months had only strengthened that resolve, as opposed to weakening it as the reality of day to day life had set in, made him happier than he'd ever been in his life.
Gone were the days when he'd wonder if he could ever find a woman to love him as he was. Gone were the days that he felt he had to hide his true self, feigning changes he didn't want to make. Gone were the insecurities and the doubts about love, about the path he'd chosen for his life. Josie's love and belief in him had helped him overcome the pain from his past and gave him the strength to grow beyond it.
And to his delight, he'd had the pleasure of watching Josie bloom before his very eyes. Although he was sure she would never consider herself really beautiful (although she was, at least in his opinion), she had grown accustomed to her new look and had learned how to make the most of it. She was no longer as cautious, as shy, or as tentative as she had been. She had found her voice and her confidence in the wake of years of adversity, and Sam could not help but be proud of her tenacity and perseverance.
Sam paused in his train of thought to look down at Josie lovingly. Her cheek was resting on his shoulder and her expression was dreamy and moony, as she always got when listening to or reading Shakespeare. However, in this case, he was pretty sure the look wasn't only from the Shakespeare. He grinned with amusement and shook his head in disbelief at the idea of Josie mooning over him and slipped his left arm around her, his hand resting lightly at her waist. Josie snuggled further into his embrace and let out a long, sweet sigh.
Sam couldn't help asking, "So, are you having a good time?"
Josie did not meet his eye, but he felt her smile against his shirt. "In more ways than one," she said, her reply heavy with meaning.
Sam chuckled softly in response. Even after three months, she constantly surprised him. It was if she delighted in keeping him on his toes. And, if the truth were told, he loved it. He never quite knew what to expect from her and that gave her an added air of mystery.
Sam looked back up toward the stage, but he did not hear their words. He was caught up once again in his own thoughts. He was glad that they had waited to consummate their relationship, but over time, their physical relationship had progressed to the point where he felt sure that they wouldn't be waiting too much longer. That thought both thrilled and terrified him. This was one area where his insecurity still reared its ugly head.
He knew that the attraction between he and Josie was incredibly strong, and that so far, their forays into this area had proved to be quite exciting and erotic. Still, he feared that she would not find this new aspect of their relationship especially pleasing. Lara used to use the term "uninspired" to describe their physical relationship. However, since finding out that she didn't seem to think he had any other redeeming qualities either, he did wonder, in retrospect, about this criticism. In some ways, he wished he could discuss his fears with Josie, but it was so intensely personal, he didn't know if he could. Besides, as much as Josie would want to reassure him, what basis for comparison could she have? He sighed deeply and pushed the dilemma out of his mind for the time being, trying instead to concentrate on the play.
Onstage, the disguised Rosalind asked Orlando, "What would you say to me now, an I were your very, very Rosalind?"
Sam's reply and Orlando's were the same. "I would kiss before I spoke."
Josie smiled softly and raised her head from his shoulder to look into his face. She replied (in her own words, not Rosalind's), "Seems to me that scenario sounds familiar," referring to the way he had walked right up and kissed her senseless on the ball field three months before. "Are you sure you're not really Orlando in disguise?"
Sam grinned at her wit. "Disguised as what? A mild-mannered English teacher? I don't write poetry; I teach it."
"Maybe you're a modern-day Orlando," Josie mused, laying her head back down on his shoulder. "After all, you do have the same romantic heart."
Sam glanced again at Josie. It was wonderfully refreshing to hear that said about him in a way that was a compliment, as opposed to a slight. Lara used to consider his soft heart one of his biggest faults; she said that he often saw too much good in people, as opposed to seeing them as they really were. And, he supposed --thinking of his own long-held belief in Lara herself-- that much was true, but he didn't consider that a failing. He was glad that Josie didn't either.
He placed a kiss into her sweet-smelling hair and rested his head upon hers, their reciting game forgotten for the moment. He just wanted to sit there and savor the moment, holding Josie close while they let the words of Shakespeare work their magic.
* * *
"Proceed, proceed: we will begin these rites, as we do trust they'll end in true delights."
The last line of the play, delivered by Rosalind's father, echoed in the theater for a moment before the crowd's applause drowned it out. Sam and Josie uncurled themselves from each other's comfortable embrace to applaud as well.
As the house lights were raised, Josie and Sam left their seats and made a hasty retreat up the aisle, hoping to beat the throng of people out to the sidewalk. As they pushed open the doors and walked out, they noticed a bit of a chill in the air. Josie wrapped her hands around her bare arms and rubbed them up and down for a moment to try to warm herself.
Sam noticed Josie's discomfort and shook out his jacket to place it around her shoulders. "Here, why don't you put this on? There's a bit of a breeze off the lake tonight."
Josie pulled the coat around her for a moment and then asked, "Are you sure? You won't be cold?"
Sam put his arm around Josie and steered her down the sidewalk and away from the theater. "No, I'll be fine. It's okay, really."
Josie slid her arms into the sleeves of the jacket and then pushed the cuffs up over her forearms to keep them in place. Slowly, they walked along down the street toward the parking garage where Sam's car was parked. Glancing down the street to the crowded exit of the garage, Sam made a face. He sighed. "So much for getting out of the theater early to beat the crowd," he said, disappointed.
Josie looked down along the street and noticed a coffee shop a couple of doors down from where they stood. "Why don't we stop in the coffee shop for something warm while we let the other people clear out?" she suggested.
Sam considered her idea for a moment and then shrugged. "Sure. That's sounds all right with me. Let's go."
Sam held the door open for Josie and she went inside. A sign inside the entryway said, "Please seat yourself", so they picked out a corner table away from the door and sat down.
After a moment, a pretty, young waitress approached them. She turned a cool, assessing eye on Josie before turning and giving Sam her most charming smile. "Good evening, my name is Connie," she said, entirely to Sam. "And how may I help you this evening?"
While 'Connie' was making eyes at Sam, Josie was trying to control her temper. It wasn't the first time another woman had given her a "What's he doing with you?" look.
The preferential treatment by the waitress did not go unnoticed by Sam, either. In his normal, polite way, he made sure she was aware that he and Josie were a 'couple'. Sam turned an adoring eye on Josie and reached his hands across the table to capture both of hers. Then he asked, "I don't know� Sweetheart, what would you like?"
Josie bit back a smile as she watched the waitress flinch slightly at Sam's use of the endearment 'sweetheart'. The woman's smile suddenly seemed rather forced. She winked at Sam and then replied, "Well, honey, I was thinking of getting some Irish coffee�what do you think?"
"That sounds great!" he answered enthusiastically, and then addressing the waitress added, "Oh, and an order of apple pie ala mode with two forks, please." Then he flashed the waitress his sexy grin, trying to soothe the woman's ruffled feathers.
Somewhat mollified by Sam's smile, she answered, "Sure, be back in a minute with your order."
Once the waitress was well out of earshot, Josie nudged at Sam's leg with her foot under the table. "Sam," she admonished. "Don't you think the 'one pie with two forks' thing was a little bit of overkill?"
"Nope," he replied with a knowing smile. "I'm hungry."
"Uh-huh," Josie responded, "But are you hungry for pie, is my question�" she teased.
"That, too." Sam's eyes sparkled with mischief.
Josie had wanted to give Sam one of her droll looks, but once she saw that twinkle in his eyes, she couldn't help but laugh. "You are incorrigible!"
"What's�incorrigible?" Sam asked, wide-eyed, in a little boy voice.
Josie smiled and responded; "I think it means that you won't be treated like a boy," finishing the exchange between Kurt von Trapp and Fraulein Maria from an early scene in the movie The Sound of Music.
They both laughed softly. "Boy, I thought I was going to get you on that one�" Sam said, referring to their on-again, off-again game where one of them quoted from a movie, book, poem, or play and the other person had to finish the quote.
"Try again, cowboy. The Sound of Music is one of my all-time favorites," Josie chuckled.
"I really like it, too," Sam admitted a little sheepishly, "even though the movie is only loosely based on the book."
Josie leaned forward over the table toward Sam as if she were about to impart some important secret. Sam leaned forward as well. In an exaggerated whisper, she teased, "Uh-oh, a romantic-hearted man who also likes musicals? Are you sure you're not gay?"
In answer, Sam slowly appraised Josie with his eyes, making sure to pause over her neckline where it had gaped open a bit from her leaning over. When his eyes met hers, they were glittering with unmistakable desire. "Quite sure," he answered hoarsely, lowering his eyes to her lips as if he wanted to kiss her.
Helplessly, Josie could feel herself starting to lean in farther, closer to Sam. She licked her lips in anticipation of their kiss. She closed her eyes. She could smell his wonderful aftershave. He was so close she could feel his hot breath on her skin�
But the moment was interrupted by their waitress, with their order in hand as promised. Both Sam and Josie sat back abruptly, embarrassed at having been caught 'mid-flirt'. The waitress seemed oblivious. "Okay, here we are, two Irish coffees and one order of apple pie ala mode with two," Connie produced two forks from her apron pocket with a flourish," forks." She placed one on either side of the steaming confection plate and then said, "Give me a call if you need anything else."
Josie was still staring down at the pattern in the Formica table, cheeks tinged with pink, so Sam cleared his voice a little and replied, "Thanks. We will."
Both he and Josie sat motionless for a moment, and then both burst into giggles as the waitress walked away.
Josie looked up and met Sam's eye and accused playfully, "Sam�" She covered both her flaming cheeks with her hands. "I can't believe you! This is all your fault�" meaning their near miss of a kiss a few moments before and the subsequent embarrassment in being caught at it.
"My fault?" Sam questioned, trying to keep a straight face and not quite succeeding. "You're the one who made the 'Are you gay?' comment�I was only trying to show you how mistaken in that assessment you were."
"Uh-huh, sure," Josie wasn't buying Sam's explanation of his thorough inspection of her. "It's a good thing my dress isn't easily flammable, because otherwise, those smoldering looks you gave me would have burned it right off for sure."
"Now there's an interesting picture�" Sam teased suggestively.
Josie rolled her eyes and blushed slightly at Sam's comment. But she knew how to get even with him. She picked up her fork and sunk it into the warm, plump piece of homemade apple pie. She pulled her hand back and balanced a bite- sized piece on the end of her fork. Placing the fork into her mouth, she slowly closed her lips around the piece and slid it off, making sure to follow up with a lick down the length of the tines to catch a few droplets of melted vanilla ice cream and apple filling.
Sam watched Josie's sensuous display with helpless fascination. He could not tear his eyes away from the ghost of a smile now playing about her lips. Sam could even now feel their delicious softness against his lips, against his throat, and couldn't help thinking about lots of other place he'd like to feel them�
Sam closed his eyes briefly against the wave of desire that crashed over him. He swallowed painfully past the lump in his throat and said in a voice that was even deeper than usual, "Josie, you're not playing fair�"
Josie feigned innocence. "What? Whatever do you mean, Sam?"
Sam chuckled ruefully, "You know what I mean."
Josie cracked a smug grin in response. "Now we're even."
But Sam's heated look coupled with his reply took Josie by surprise, "Trust me, we are nowhere close to being even�yet."
Josie sucked in a nervous, excited breath and lowered her eyes to her lap, suddenly shy.
Sam knew that was his cue to back off, so he asked lightly, "Hey, you going to have any of that coffee, or are going to just let it sit there and get cold?"
Josie peeked up at Sam through her lashes and then put her fingers through the handle of her mug and picked it up. Sam followed suit and they sat for the next few minutes in comfortable silence, sipping their coffee and thinking to themselves.
Josie finally broke the quiet saying, "That really was a good play, wasn't it?"
Sam smiled and agreed. "Yes, what I saw of it�" He picked up his fork and ate a bite from the pie.
Josie blushed again. "Sam�"
"Sorry�I couldn't resist," Sam apologized, although he didn't sound very sorry. He sounded rather pleased with himself, actually. He took another bite of pie and continued, "It was a good performance, wasn't it? But then, you'd expect that from actors that do nothing but Shakespeare�"
Josie paused for a moment and then asked Sam, "So what is your favorite part?"
"Of the play?" Sam asked to clarify her question.
"Yes."
"Hmmm�" Sam tapped his chin with the handle of his fork, thinking. "I think it's in Act III, Scene II when Orlando first meets the disguised Rosalind�you know, the part that we were reciting when we, um�were distracted�" Sam grinned wickedly.
"Sam!" Josie nudged him again with her foot. "Be serious!"
"Actually," he replied in a more even tone, "I am serious. It is my favorite part. What about you?"
Josie sighed and said dreamily, "I like Act V, Scene II the best�"
Sam grinned in recognition. "Oh, you mean Rosalind's soliloquy you read in class?"
"Well, actually, no," she corrected. "Although I do really like that part, Rosalind is not speaking of herself and Orlando there, as you know; she's speaking of Orlando's brother Oliver and her cousin Celia. The part I like is when Phebe entreaties Silvius to describe love."
"Ah, yes," Sam replied. Then he began to quote the scene: "It is to be made of sighs and tears-- and so am I for Phebe."
"And I for Ganymede." Josie recited Phebe's line.
"And I for Rosalind," said Sam.
"And I for no woman," continued Josie, pretending to be Rosalind.
Sam continued on as Silvius, "It is to be all made of faith and service-- And so am I for Phebe."
"And I for Ganymede," Josie countered in Phebe's stead.
Sam smiled. "And I for Rosalind."
"And I for no woman," Josie recited Rosalind's line, smiling back.
Sam finished Silvius' explanation with, "It is to be all made of fantasy, all made of passion, and all made of wishes; all adoration, duty and obedience, all humbleness, all patience, and impatience, all purity, all trial, all observance;-- and so am I for Phebe."
"And so am I for Ganymede," came Phebe's line from Josie.
"And so am I for Rosalind."
"And so am I for no woman," finished Josie. She sighed blissfully and reached her hand across the table to hold one of Sam's. After a minute of silence, the two of them staring into each other's eyes, Josie commented, "Wow, that's quite a lot to remember word for word� How did you know all that?"
"Well, we did just study it in school, you know�" he laughed. "It's my job to know the material better than my students�although in your case, I fear I may have fallen short."
Josie nodded with a smile in acknowledgement of his compliment, and then said wistfully, "It's such a shame they're going to close that theatre. It's so beautiful."
"Well, I don't know that they are going to close it completely," Sam clarified. "It's just that the theatrical troupe is moving."
"True," Josie admitted. "And the new place sounds like it's going to be great." She sunk her fork into the half-eaten pie and ate a mouthful.
"Yeah, a new building and a new name�" Sam explained. "'The Chicago Shakespeare Theatre'�Oh, did I tell you I saw pictures of the inside of it?"
Josie took a sip of her coffee and shook her head no.
Sam enthused, using his hands as he spoke, "It looks remarkably like the Globe Theatre that Shakespeare wrote his plays to be performed in. So seeing one of his plays there would be like watching it the way Shakespeare really intended it to be seen, you know? I think it's a great idea. I'd like to plan a field trip and take my senior lit class there next year."
"Field trip, nothing. I'd like to go myself," Josie said, taking another bite from the pie. "I'd like to go to the very first show, to be one of the first people in Chicago to experience that. But the opening night of the inaugural show in September has been sold out so long, even Roger Ebert couldn't get me extra tickets for it... And trust me, I asked him." Josie let out a huge, disappointed sigh. "It's A Midsummer Night's Dream, too�I really love that one."
Sam said nothing, but he smiled inwardly, because burning a hole in his wallet were two tickets to the very show Josie was talking about. He'd bought them almost two months ago, the day they went on sale. "Well, I'm sure we'll get to go sometime," he replied vaguely.
Josie smiled and teased, "The new Theatre's right down at Navy Pier, too. Maybe after the show we could ride the Ferris wheel together? You know, for old times' sake�"
"Uh�no, I don't think so�" Sam shivered at the possibility.
"Oh, come on, Sam," Josie coaxed. "After all, you've already ridden on it once with me�"
Sam grinned and replied, "I claim temporary insanity."
Josie laughed at his ridiculous remark. "It wasn't that bad, Sam, and you know it. And probably the next time would be even easier�" She sighed, remembering their first ride a little over four months ago. He'd been so nervous, which had been adorably cute and endearing. Even though he was deathly afraid of heights, he'd gotten on the ride with her to save her from humiliation. Even then he'd been in love with her, although neither of them had figured that out yet.
"Well�" Sam almost sounded as if he would relent, "If there was anyone in this world who could talk me into it, it would be you."
"I'll be sure to remind you that you said that the next time we're at Navy Pier," Josie teased.
Sam and Josie were nursing the last dregs of coffee in their mugs, not really wanting their special evening together to end.
Sam studied the inside of his mug and then looked up at Josie speculatively. "Hey, Jos� How much notice do you have to give at work if you want to take time off?"
Josie shrugged and answered, "A couple of weeks�why?"
"Well�" Sam paused, a little nervous about his next question. "Every year just before school starts, I take a trip out to San Francisco to visit with my sister Abby� So I was wondering� Would you like to come with me?"
'Wow!' Josie thought. She knew that Abby was a very important person in Sam's life, so in asking Josie if she wanted to meet her, he was saying that he wanted to move their relationship to the next level. And while Josie was thrilled at this news, she was scared to death of what his sister may think of her.
"Do�do you think she'd like me?" Josie asked self-consciously.
"Like you!? Sam snorted. "My God, she's going to absolutely love you!" He smiled encouragingly at her. "She was the one who invited you�not that I wouldn't have asked if she didn't, mind you� She's really excited. She says she can't wait to meet 'my penguin.'"
"Your 'penguin'!? How does she know about that?" Josie asked, intrigued.
Sam looked uncomfortable and embarrassed. "Well�I sort of�well, I told her about your analogy from that day in the Sex-Ed class."
Josie's expression softened. "You think I'm your penguin?" She unconsciously held her breath and waited for his answer.
Sam reached across the table to hold her hand in his. Then he lifted it up to his lips and gallantly kissed the back of her fingers while staring her straight in the eye, answering, "No� I know you are."
Tears pricked at Josie's eyes. From the very beginning, Josie had felt the same way about Sam. Josie replied, barely above a whisper, "I know exactly what you mean."
The two of them sat in silent wonder of the profound moment they'd just shared. Then Sam smiled gently and asked, "So� will you come?"
Josie nodded and used one hand to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Yes, I'd love to come to San Francisco with you."
"Great!" Sam enthused. "I'll be sure to let Abby know the next time I talk to her." Sam glanced around the coffee shop and realized it was almost empty. Curious, he looked his watch. "Whoa! Josie�did you realize it's almost midnight?"
Josie looked at her watch, too. "No, I didn't�" She teased Sam, "Good thing it's not a school night�"
"Josie," he laughed, "none of them are school nights�it's the summertime!"
He had a point. "Yeah, well� I guess you got me there, huh?"
"Yep." Sam slid himself across the bench seat to stand next to their table. He put out his hand to help Josie out also. Then he pulled out his wallet to pay for their coffee and pie, making sure to leave a good tip for Connie as well.
Sam held Josie's hand as they exited the coffee shop together and turned right to go down the street towards the parking garage. "So," he asked, squeezing her hand, "did you have a good time tonight?"
"I had a wonderful time. Thank you."
Sam turned to press a kiss into Josie's soft blond hair. "You're welcome."
Josie suddenly stopped walking. Sam stopped short with her. "Is something wrong?" he asked her.
She turned toward him and put her arms around Sam's neck. "Nope, nothing's wrong," she replied. "I just wanted to tell you that I love you."
Sam looked down at Josie's face. It was radiant, glowing from the moonlight as well as from the emotion. He rested one hand along the side of her face and said solemnly, "Oh, Josie�I love you, too. More than words could ever express."
And then he kissed her, a sweet, glorious, sensuous kiss that had Josie's knees melting. She literally had to hang onto Sam's neck to keep from falling over. When he finally lifted his head, Josie sighed and laid her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, and feeling his strong arms around her.
After a moment, Sam used his finger to tilt Josie's head up to look him in the eye. "Come on Josie," he said softly, "let's go home."
Turning so that Sam could put a soothing arm around her, Josie nodded. As they walked along, Josie looked up at the starry midnight blue canopy, knowing her lucky star must be up there somewhere. Josie then sighed and thought, 'Oh, Sam�I am home. When I'm with you, it's always home.'
* * *