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Three weeks came and went. Josie heard nothing from Sam, and Sam heard nothing from Josie. Ashamed of his inappropriate behavior at the carnival, Sam was determined to forget about her. As selfish as he knew it was, he would rather stay away from Josie Geller than be her friend, simply because it was easier for him. At least, that's what he told himself at first. With each passing day, his resolution grew weaker and weaker - and it didn't help to see her sister in class five days a week.
He felt bad about not contacting her, but he was afraid that he couldn't trust himself. Besides, he tried to convince himself, if she really wanted to get in touch with him, she would call.
Trying to find distraction from Josie, Sam threw himself wholeheartedly into helping his students organize the prom. Their theme had been "The Millennium," but when another school stole it, they changed it - at the suggestion of Gibby - to "Barbie and Ken."
One night after a long day of decorating, Sam grabbed a Coke out of the fridge and plopped down into his armchair. He sat there for several minutes staring at the blank TV screen. There was something he had to do, something he'd been putting off for a while. With a deep breath of resolve, he picked up his phone and dialed Lara's number.
"Hello?" she answered. Sam could tell she was talking on her cell phone, but there were no other voices coming through, so she must be alone.
"Hey," he said.
"Sam!" Lara exclaimed. "It's so good to hear your voice again. I've really missed you." Her sincerity made his job all the harder.
"Lara, I thought a lot about the things I said to you before you left here."
"It's okay, sweetheart, really. Forgiven and forgotten. Don't worry about it. I know you were just stressed."
He wished she would say something to make this easier, but knew he would just have to plow ahead. "Actually, Lara�" Sam swallowed and gripped the phone tighter. "I wanted to give you my definite decision."
There was a long pause, and then Lara said softly, "It's over."
"Yes. I'm sorry," he said sincerely.
"Is there someone else?" she asked a little tersely.
"No. I just think we've grown apart. When you visited, I came to the realization that I wasn't in love with you anymore and nothing else we say could change that."
"Did I do something wrong?" Her voice had become shaky, and Sam had to force himself not to back down from doing what he thought was right for them both.
"You didn't do anything wrong," Sam assured. "It's just that . . . well�since you've been in New York, I've felt that I hardly knew you anymore."
Lara sighed. "Okay, Sam, if that's really the way you feel, then I guess that's how it will have to be."
Sam was both relieved and hurt that she didn't try at least a little harder to fight it. "You must have felt the same way, then," he remarked just a little dryly. "Did you also get the impression that we weren't 'clicking' anymore?"
"No. I guess I was too busy feeling jealous of Josie," she replied with a short, bitter laugh.
"Jealous of Josie?" he repeated incredulously, his mind reeling at this new twist to their conversation. "You don't think that I . . ."
"Of course not, Sam. I know you better than that. But I'm also not blind. I could tell you were falling for her. Why do you think I went bowling with you that night, for God's sake?"
"I guess I just naively assumed that you wanted to spend time with me," replied Sam with a hint of sarcasm.
"Sam, that's not fair."
"You're right. I'm sorry. Anyway, Josie's not why I'm breaking up with you. I haven't even talked to her in three weeks," Sam assured her.
"I believe you. But now that you're single again, she's fair game, you know."
Sam felt like he had just walked into a Salvador Dali painting� The conversation had taken a very surreal turn� shifting from a serious break-up to love advice from his new ex. Even so, he went with it and replied, "Not exactly, Lara. She's married, remember?"
To his surprise, she laughed. "You really think Josie's married to that guy we met at the bowling alley? What was his name?"
"Merkin."
"Right. You really think Josie's married to Merkin?" Lara laughed again at Sam's na�vet�.
"Well . . . b-but . . . but why wouldn't she be?"
"I don't know." Sam could almost hear her shrug. "I'll use the word you chose to describe why you were breaking up with me. They just didn't 'click.'"
"But even her sister told me she was married," Sam defended.
"Maybe so. What do I know, anyway?" She paused. "Well, Sam, I have to go. We're meeting at the Met in an hour."
"We?" Sam repeated. "Your partners at the firm?"
Lara paused. "Yes�and a guy." Sam could hear the triumphant smile in her voice.
"No wonder you got over me so quickly," Sam quipped wryly.
"Now look, Sam. I didn't cheat on you, if that's what you're thinking. And you're hardly one to talk, having your eye on Josie Geller." Lara sounded very defensive.
Sam immediately employed his 'soothe Lara' voice. They may have just had a relatively easy, friendly break-up, but Lara was still her old, defensive self. "Lara, I was just kidding. I didn't mean anything by that, really." He swallowed a bit of pride and continued, "I'm very happy that you've found someone else."
She sighed. "All right. Well . . . goodbye, Sam."
"Goodbye." Sam pressed the button to turn off the cordless phone and set it down on the coffee table. He began to feel the full weight of turning his back on five years of his life.
* * *
For her part, Josie had also made up her mind to forget about Sam Coulson, since he obviously didn't want anything to do with her now. "Josie Grossie" surely couldn't have expected more from him. She was at least able to comfort herself by remembering that Sam hadn't been cruel to her. In her mind, she saw Billy Prince again, pulling back his arm to throw that egg . . .
"Josie! Earth to Josie!" Anita waved her fork in front of Josie's face. "Come on, snap out of it."
"Sorry, I was just thinking," Josie replied, staring down at her sandwich.
"Well, you were looking pretty spaced out."
"Sorry."
"Ooh! You know, I found a guy for you," said Anita, trying to sound enthusiastic.
Josie smiled and rolled her eyes. "Anita . . ."
"No, really!� You'll like him. I mean�well� I should go ahead and tell you that he's an amateur wrestler on the weekends, but other than that, he's great."
Nearly choking on her sandwich, Josie reached for her Coke. "Excuse me? An amateur wrestler?" Josie had to laugh at the sad state she was in, moving from Sam Coulson to a wrestler.
"He likes to read!" Anita insisted.
"Let me guess: he's a friend of Roger."
Anita wrinkled her nose in disappointment. "How'd you know?"
"I thought you didn't care about Roger anymore," Josie commented, trying to lead Anita away from the subject of matchmaking. "What about you and Gus?"
"Gus is too much work," Anita answered with a smile.
"Maybe that means he's worth it."
"Yeah� just like Sam Coulson is worth calling," Anita challenged.
Josie sighed, unable to meet Anita's eyes. "I think it's better to let that go," she said softly.
"You're giving in way too easily," Anita observed.
"Really?" Josie responded defensively. "Okay. Number one, he has a girlfriend�a smart, beautiful girlfriend who he's been with for five years."
"And doesn't love. Go on," said Anita coolly.
"You can't be sure of that. Number two . . . um . . . it's been three weeks since I've heard from him."
"All the more reason to call him," Anita encouraged her. "Come on Jos, one of you has to make the first step! It doesn't have to be anything more than, 'Hi, Sam. This is Josie. How are you?' Just do it!"
* * *
"Hi, Sam. This is Josie. How are you?"
Sam almost jumped from his armchair when the phone rang near his elbow. Then, at the welcome sound of Josie's voice, he nearly dropped the phone, but grabbed onto the receiver with his other shaking hand and managed to reply, "Josie? Hi. Fine." He laughed awkwardly. "Fine." After a pause, he just had to ask, "How did you, uh� I mean, where did you get my number?"
"The phone book," Josie replied with a chuckle.
"Surely there must be more than one Sam Coulson in the city of Chicago."
"Yeah, and the several others I talked to sounded very nice," Josie laughed. Then she continued, "I basically just wanted to call and find out how you're doing." After a moment, she said softly, "It's been three weeks. I kind of expected to hear from you."
"I have no excuse to offer," Sam confessed. "I'm sorry."
"Were you angry with me or something?"
Josie sounded hurt. He couldn't allow her to take the blame for his own weakness. "Of course not. Just the opposite, really."
Josie didn't know how to respond to that, so she waited for him to continue.
He did. "I felt very guilty about what I did that night on the Ferris wheel. After all, you're a married woman; I had no right."
Josie did not miss the fact that he made no mention of Lara. If he really cared about his girlfriend, shouldn't she also be a reason for his guilt? "It was such a little thing, Sam," she replied.
He knew that no matter how wrong it was he had to tell her. "Maybe, but it was an expression of not-so-little feelings," he said softly.
Josie's breath caught in her throat at what Sam seemed to be implying. Then, with that new hope to strengthen her, she suddenly realized a way to begin a relationship with Sam without ruining Lydia's story. "What are you saying, Sam?" she asked, trying to prompt a more direct statement of his feelings.
He sighed, and then let out a short, self-deprecating laugh. "I'm saying that I'm falling in love with a married woman." Sam held his breath and waited for her response.
Here was her chance. "A separated married woman," she clarified.
Josie closed her eyes and waited in breathless suspense for his reply. But after several seconds of silence, all he could say was, "What?"
"I guess I should have told you before. Merkin and I are separated; have been for a while, actually." Josie felt that later she'd be sorry for sinking herself deeper and deeper into this lie. Her heart ached that she had to deceive him, but she reasoned that there was no other way for them to be together under the current circumstances. And she wanted to be with Sam Coulson more than anything in the world.
"B - but . . . but what about the bowling alley and . . . and Sweetheart and Muffin?" Sam stuttered. His conversation with Lara replayed itself in his head, 'You really think Josie's married to Merkin?'
Josie grinned at the memory and replied, "We're still friends."
Sam wanted to leap from his chair and run around the room, but somehow managed to stay where he was and carry on a coherent conversation with Josie. "But why didn't you tell me? Did you not trust me?"
"No!" Josie insisted. "I trust you completely. It was mainly because of Lara," she admitted, blushing, even though he couldn't see her. "You weren't the only one who felt that they had to hide their feelings."
Sam closed his eyes and smiled; his heart was so full that he didn't even realize he had said nothing in response.
Finally, Josie's voice caught his attention again. "Sam?"
"Sorry." He breathed in deeply. "Well, you don't have to hide your feelings anymore, Josie." He heard her sniffle, and knew she was crying. With every fiber of his being, Sam wanted to wrap his arms around her and kiss the tears from her cheeks. Then he wanted to kiss her lips . . .
"What about Lara?" she asked.
"We broke up, and she's already found someone else. Apparently, I'm easy to replace," he added with a rueful chuckle.
"Oh, Sam," she whispered as fresh tears slid down her cheeks. "I'm sorry. But yet, I'm so happy, I don't know what to do with myself." Josie laughed and tried to dry her face with the back of her hand.
"The truth will set you free," Sam quoted with a smile.
Josie couldn't smile at that, because it only made her feel guilty. 'I'm doing the right thing,' she tried to convince herself silently.
Sam continued, "Well, since everything's cleared up, there's something I want to ask you."
"Yes?" she prompted, biting her lip in anticipation.
She heard shuffling and was about to ask what he was doing, but heard his voice again a second later. "Sorry about that," he said. "I was kneeling down."
Josie felt more tears spring into her eyes. She covered her mouth with her hand to keep herself from laughing and crying at the same time.
"Josie Geller," Sam said, "will you be my date for the Senior Prom?"
Her hand was entirely useless to stop her burst of laughter at his question. "I would be delighted," she replied through her giggles.
"That is, if you don't mind dressing up like a Barbie doll and hanging around the chaperone all evening," Sam added jokingly.
"Hey, you never know�I could still spike the punch behind your back," she teased.
Sam laughed. "Tomorrow we're doing our last bit of decorating and preparations. Wanna come and help?" Josie was eager to join him, and after he told her the location and time, they hung up.
Sam sat staring at the wall for several minutes, replaying their conversation over and over again in his head. Josie was single! Well, he admitted, not exactly single�yet�but she was available. He recalled what Lara had told him on the phone about Josie and realized that her 'woman's intuition' had not failed her.
Back at her apartment, Josie sat cross-legged on her bed hugging a pillow like a teenager. She no longer tried to restrain her tears. She let them roll in rivulets off her cheeks and sink into the pillow.
After years of hiding her pain, "Josie Grossie" had another shot at the prom. And after years of sitting "like patience on a monument," there was, indeed, a man who wanted her.
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