* * *
Josie turned to Rob as they walked away from the softball field. "Aren't you going to watch their practice, Rob, just to see what we're up against?"
"You bet I'm gonna watch. I've got my spot all set up."
"So why aren't you going up in the stands?" Josie was confused.
"I'm watching their little practice, don't worry. I'll have my own bird's eye view. And I want you to watch with me. I've got mom and dad's binoculars. We're gonna watch from the window in Mr. Coulson's room. I noticed the view when I took him the roster�we're all set. I even slipped a piece of tape on the door in case he locked it."
"Rob!" Josie hissed, mortified. "We can't break into his classroom!"
"This is war, Josie. He'll understand, believe me. I'll tell him it was your idea!" he teased. When Josie gave him a death look, he amended, "Just kidding�geez! He probably didn't even lock it, since he hasn't left for the day. Anyway, we'll be like guards; we won't hurt anything. It's like we're watching it for him�look at it like that. Coach Romano does stuff like that all the time to spy on the opposition. It's a man thing, Josie. Guys get it� Just leave it up to me."
After they went by Rob's locker to pick up the binoculars, Josie and Rob casually walked to Sam's classroom. Rob tried the door and it was unlocked. Josie breathed a sigh of relief. Then she shuddered suddenly remembering the last time she'd been in Sam's classroom, seeing him hold Lara in his arms. "I still feel funny about this, Rob!"
"Get over it. They're the enemy. All's fair in love and war and stuff like that. Tell him about it on your honeymoon. He'll think it's funny, believe me."
* * *
As Josie and Rob walked away, Scott Romano shook his head in amazement. "Can you believe how cocky that kid is, Sam? He's not even staying to watch us practice."
"He's watching us, Scott. He just doesn't want you to know about it."
"You're probably right. Where do you think he'd watch from, Sam?"
Sam smiled. "I'd say my classroom. It's got a pretty good view of the field. When he came to exchange rosters with me, he put a piece of tape over the lock on my door. He didn't think I saw him do it, but I did. I left it unlocked for him anyway."
"You what? Are you crazy!? Why help him?"
"We watched him, so let him think he's outsmarted us. He's not the only one who's competitive. I have a surprise in store for him, too."
"What do you mean, Sam?" Scott looked hopeful.
"Just wait and see," Sam chuckled to himself. "Here comes Marilyn, so let's quit talking and start."
Sam picked up his glove and started for the outfield.
"Wait a minute Sam, what's going on, where are you going?" Scott called after him.
Sam turned around and smiled. "I'm Centerfield according to the roster, Scott. At least for today�and for the benefit of our viewing audience. Nothing in the rules says I can't change my mind tomorrow. I want Marilyn at Shortstop for today."
"Sam, are you crazy?" Scott ran after Sam so he wouldn't have to shout. "Hold on here. You can't let her practice at short; she stinks! You're our Shortstop. C'mon, quit clowning around here!"
"I can play Centerfield, too, Scott. Just relax. Tomorrow Marilyn will go to Center, but for today I want Rob to think about me being there. I want him to think he's got it made. After all, he's shown us his secret weapon today. I can show him ours tomorrow." Sam grinned at Scott. "He's not the only one who wants to win."
"You're going to have Marilyn at Center tomorrow with no practice? I don't know about this, Sam."
"Trust me, Chris and Steve will cover right and left field and move in to help Marilyn when they have to. Today we're going to show Rob how well I cover the outfield. Chris and Steve are gonna defer to me today, then show him their stuff in the game. I want him to think that I am the outfield. You know how this stuff works, Scott; you're a coach. I'm captain for this anyway, so this time I outrank you. Take your position and we'll discuss it later."
Scott still looked worried. He took off his cap and scratched his head. "Okay, Sam, but I hope you know what you're doing. I like this sneaky thinking though. Frankly, I'm surprised at you. Maybe you should help me with my strategy more often."
Sam laughed. "I was glad I did that little trick with the roster, especially after I saw that kid slip the tape on my door. I'm kind of enjoying the way he keeps gloating, too. I think it will really inspire us to play well tomorrow."
"Whatever you say Sam, just so you're at Shortstop tomorrow, that's all I care about. Maybe we'll wipe that smirk off his face, anyway," Scott sighed as he returned to the pitcher's mound and Marilyn Knox took her place in the infield.
To Coach Romano's surprise, the teachers' team practice actually went quite well. Sam was flawless at centerfield. With his speed and mobility, he could easily cover right and left field and even second base if the need arose. Of course Scott Romano was the pitcher, and then there was their first baseman, the girls' gym teacher, Ms. Brown. Ms. Brown was a bit heavy and out of shape, but she could catch and throw, having played softball at the college level. Their catcher was Mike Lee, the football coach and driver's education teacher. Mike was a bit slow and didn't have Josie's agility, but he did an adequate job as catcher.
Marilyn Knox was definitely the team's weakness at Shortstop. Rob and Josie could see that Ms. Knox was the only serious liability on the Teachers' team. Her skills were marginal at best. Rob smiled to himself and nodded. He knew Ms. Knox would be putty in his hands: he'd already tried flirting with her and he could see that she was easily flustered by any male attention. "I'll just use a little of the old Rob charm on her," he said confidently.
"Where have you been keeping that all these years?"
"Fine, you say that now, but you'll thank me, Josephine, just you wait. Your boyfriend is awesome, though. I knew he'd be good. Those quiet types are always good players," he said, squinting at Sam.
"Quit calling him my boyfriend, Rob. He's my teacher. He is good, though." Josie sighed as she stared at Sam through her binoculars. He looked so handsome and he really was an amazing ball player.
"Good? He's better than that. He's covering a huge territory out there and he makes it look effortless. Those guys at right and left field don't look that out of shape, but he's doing everything. Look at the way he runs and he's got that instinct for where the ball's going to be. I know, tell him you'll kiss him if he throws the game!"
She punched Rob in the arm. "Shut up, Rob!"
"Does he switch hit, or is he strictly a lefty?"
"How do I know?" Josie said defensively. But then she mused, "Well, he does play hockey right handed�"
"That can mean only one thing. He'll switch hit, but at least I'll know it going in. And if he's a hockey player, he's strong all right, and he's got stamina, I can see that. He's definitely the one to be reckoned with. I can tell he likes to win too, but he'll have to get up pretty early to put one over on me," he smirked.
Now that the practice was almost over Sam decided to subtly glance at his classroom window. He could just make out the two of them staring at him with binoculars and he saw the blonde hair on one and realized to his amusement that it was probably Josie. He glanced again and was sure this time that it was her. When he was sure that no one on the field was looking at him, he lifted his hand and waved slightly to her and smiled. Josie gasped and jumped in shock, almost dropping the binoculars. Peering over at Rob, she realized that Rob hadn't noticed, since he was focusing on Coach Romano and the catcher.
Sam saw her sudden movement and figured that she'd seen him. He kept looking in her direction and smiled to himself.
"I think you may have met your match, Rob," Josie said with a knowing smirk.
"Not in this lifetime, anyway." Rob smiled confidently. "They'll give us a game, but I can smell victory."
Josie made a face at him. "I was wondering what that smell was!"
* * *
Two hours after the conclusion of their practice and team meeting, Sam and Scott were finishing their meal at the Ruby Tuesday's at the mall near Scott's apartment. It was the same mall where Sam had watched Josie ice skate and where he'd spent the day with her and her little cousins. He was daydreaming about that day with her and staring out the window of the restaurant at the parking lot where Josie had embraced him when Scott interrupted his thoughts.
"I feel much better now, Sam. At least we'll give him something to think about tomorrow with you changing positions. Don't tell him until game time so I can at least see his face when he finds out."
"Okay Scott, I'll wait. He probably won't give you much of a reaction though. I think Rob is a little more controlled than you are."
"Yeah, I guess I deserve that, Sam, but I mean�who knew that he was going to come up with a catcher of that caliber!? Especially a girl who's not even on the softball team! I can't imagine why she wouldn't be playing softball with that kind of talent."
Sam smiled, trying to control his emotions as he attempted to explain Josie. "She's a brilliant student and a great writer, Scott. I really think she is more focused on her writing than anything else. I get the feeling that she's doing this as a favor to Rob�more of a friendship type thing to help him out. I think she's more interested in academics than sports, at least from what I know of her. I had no idea she could play ball like that."
"I guess I should have known, but I figured that all that stuff Rob says about her couldn't be true, you know? Nobody's that wonderful. And, you know, to hear Rob talk about her the way he does, at first I thought he was in love with her. But then, it's more like he's proud of her and wants everybody to know it for some reason, you know?"
Sam nodded.
"I just can't figure the two of them out. All I know is that he brags about her all the time and then of course there's you."
Sam raised his eyebrows and sat up straight. "What do you mean, me?"
"You know what I mean, Sam. You're�well�overly protective or something about her, you know, like with the Matt thing."
Sam's eyes darkened and he frowned.
"See, you're getting that look again. Okay, you have to admit, she is beautiful. I mean, after that day in the car I really looked at her, you know?"
Sam swallowed, not knowing where Scott was headed with the conversation.
Scott continued, "I mean I never paid that much attention before then, but there is something about her� She stands out in the high school crowd. I can tell she's going to be, well, really she is already, a beautiful woman. Okay then everything I hear and find out, she does this, she does that, now she even plays ball. I can see where you would be overly protective of her because she's a great student, and a great writer and all that stuff. I'm protective of my players so I really get that, but I think it's okay if somebody like Matt is attracted to her. I think tomorrow during the game, if he does his usual and flirts with her you should ignore it Sam, I really do. Don't let it mess us up game wise is what I'm trying to say."
"I should have known that was what you were getting at: the game," Sam said disgustedly.
"Hear me out, Sam. Now what's the big deal? If Matt or I or even you saw her somewhere and we didn't know she was a high school student, wouldn't, well I don't know about you, but I think I might ask her out, you know? She looks like she could be older and all� I mean to be honest between you and me, I think she is one of the most attractive students I've ever seen."
He saw that Sam was glaring at him and hastily added, "Not that I'd do that knowing she's a student� That really changes it for you and me. You and I are teachers so we're in a different spot, but Matt's already attracted to her and now, well tomorrow, he's going to see what a great catcher she is and I have a feeling that knowing Matt, he'll want to go out with her unless I tell him something ahead of time. And even if I tell him, well you know him, that's probably going to make him want to do it more, you know? That's why I offered to talk to him, but in all honesty I really can't see what would be wrong about the two of them and I don't think we should interfere."
"Yeah, well it's supposed to be a ball game not a place for Matt to get dates," Sam said firmly. "Josie's a nice girl and you know how Matt is with women. He shouldn't use his friendship with you and me to meet and maybe hurt someone like Josie or really any other student. I've met her mother; she's really nice too and I'd feel responsible if someone like Matt did something to hurt Josie." Sam said it earnestly but in his heart he knew Josie wasn't like any other student. She was the one he was in love with.
"I guess I see your point, Sam, but I think we should concentrate on trying to win this thing and let Josie take care of herself. Then don't forget the Rob factor: I'm sure he'll be watching over her since she's his secret weapon and all. And I think she might be dating Guy Perkins�it seems like I heard something about them going to the Prom�anyway between Rob and Guy I think she'll have enough men protecting her without you. Hey, I didn't think of that. Maybe it will even be a distraction for them."
Sam frowned. "I'm sure it will work out fine, Scott," he lied. Sam wasn't looking forward to having Matt so close to Josie for seven innings, but he knew he had to try to somehow control his jealousy and stay calm enough to concentrate on playing ball. He also knew it wouldn't be easy to maintain his composure with Guy Perkins and Matt Riley both present.
Sam and Scott were quiet then as they walked to Sam's car.
As they got in and fastened their seatbelts, Scott broke into Sam's thoughts. "Hey, Sam, take Oakcliff Road, okay? There's construction over on Elm Street. I'll show you what turns to make."
"Sure, I'll do that," Sam agreed. Something jarred his memory. Suddenly he remembered that Oakcliff was the street address for Josie's aunt's apartment. He was trying to remember the address. He knew it was 4200 something. He thought for sure it was an even number, either 4202 or 4204. As he got to the 4000 block, he slowed down.
"Sam, you don't have to go this slow� I'll tell you where to turn," Scott offered.
"I'm�um�not familiar with the streets around here. I'm trying to get my bearings," Sam lied, continuing to drive very slowly. As they passed 4202 on his left hand side, he noticed a quaint brownstone with a bay window on the first floor. The lights were on and without being too obvious he glanced to the side and saw someone with blonde hair who looked like it could be Josie sitting on a sofa with her back to the window. He wasn't sure, but he thought it very well could be her. He couldn't really look all that closely because of Scott's presence but he made a mental note of the route he was taking to Scott's apartment.
As far as Sam could tell, Scott was totally unaware of what he was doing. "Turn right at the next street," he directed. Sam slowed down even more to make the turn. "Geez, Sam you can go a little faster than that, we're crawling," Scott complained.
"Okay, okay, I just didn't want to miss a turn. I usually just stay on Elm, you know?"
"Sorry, Sam, but you drive slower than my mother. Okay, now turn left here at the stop sign. And see, this is the back entrance to my place here on the right. Thanks a lot, Sam. You think you know your way back, or should I direct you?"
"I think I've got it. If I get lost I'll call you. Oakcliff runs parallel to Elm doesn't it?" Sam asked, wanting to make sure he could find his way back to Josie's aunt's apartment. He figured one way or another, he'd find his way home from there.
"Yeah, the part we were on does, anyway. See you tomorrow."
"Bye, Scott."
Sam saw that his friend got in the back door to his apartment building. He looked at the clock in his car and noticed that it was a little after 9pm. He felt a little creepy doing it, but he knew he just had to go back there and see if it had been Josie he'd seen through the window. 'I'll just drive by, what's the harm in that?' he thought to himself.
He'd pictured her in that apartment with those turtles so many times, wondering what it looked like and what she spent her time doing there - really longed to be with her there - he couldn't resist the temptation to actually see her in the place he'd fantasized about so much. 'Just checking to make sure she got home okay,' he lied to himself.
He knew he was rationalizing it, but he told himself that after all she and Rob had spied on him today, from his own classroom no less, for more than an hour. And he was pretty sure that she had referred to him as her true love. He felt like he wouldn't mind if Josie drove by his apartment and watched him. 'In fact, I'd be thrilled if she did that,' he thought to himself. 'That's how hopelessly in love I am with her. Still I am technically her teacher for a few more weeks,' he thought ruefully, and he felt a little guilty about everything, but not guilty enough to keep from going back there.
As he got past the 4300 block, he slowed down more, since now he was sitting on the same side of the street as Josie's. He figured that way he'd be as close as he could be but still be on the driver's side of the car so it was less likely that she would notice him from inside her lighted apartment. He saw that the lights were still on as he inched closer, turning his headlights out as he was pulled over against the curb. He noticed her car then, parked on the street.
He held his breath and then he saw her sitting sideways with her head and left side resting against the back of what looked like a love seat pushed up into the bay window. He could see enough of her head and face to tell it was Josie. It looked like her bare knees were peeking up over the center of the love seat, like she was sitting propped against the side of the sofa with her feet tucked up under her and her knees bent, as best he could tell from his vantage point.
He could see into the apartment enough to tell there were a lot of bookshelves and paintings on the walls. He could tell that it was bright and cheerful and feminine, just as he'd pictured. As he stared at her beautiful profile, he realized that she was reading something she was holding in her left hand. It almost looked as if she was hugging something to her with her other arm and that she periodically let go of whatever it was to turn the page, then hugged it close to her again. As best Sam could tell, she was alone inside that lovely apartment, just as he'd pictured her so many times, alone reading or writing a paper for him. He wondered if she'd sat in that love seat when she'd written about her true love.
As Sam stared at her, he suddenly was able to make out what it was she was reading. He gasped and almost choked when he saw it was the school's copy of As You Like It from his class. "Aw, Josie," he said helplessly. Here she was reading the play she knew by heart: the play that would always connect the two of them, he realized. Josie reading that play alone in this place was the most utterly romantic picture he could have imagined.
He briefly toyed with the idea of knocking at her door, and although he knew he couldn't do it, the fantasy was a tempting one. Just to tell her he loved her and beg her to forgive him and wait for him and then� It was the 'and then' part he couldn't allow, because he knew that if she responded to him, he was in serious danger of losing all semblance of control.
"I should just go now," he said to himself, but he couldn't quite bring himself to leave yet. She looked so beautiful and so vulnerable and so alone.
* * *
It had been such a good day for Josie and now she was feeling totally relaxed and even a little optimistic about Sam. She'd even put on her new peach colored silk nightshirt to perk herself up. Anita had helped her pick it out as part of her new sexy look. It was short and silky and had matching panties and was totally different from what she normally wore. It looked like something out of a Victoria Secret Catalogue, clingy and sensual: totally foreign to Josie Geller.
'After all, who'll ever see it,' she'd laughed to herself when she had tried it on. She had decided to spend the evening, between Rob's nervous phone calls, doing something she enjoyed.
She smiled to herself as she read their play, because that was how she thought of As You Like It: it really was their play now, and she sighed longingly as she hugged her stuffed penguin close. "I love you, Sam," she murmured to it, planting a kiss on the top of its head. "I can tell you how I feel, even if I'll never be able to tell him. You won't reject me, or throw eggs at me, will you?" she asked seriously, as if the stuffed animal could answer. "And I can wear my new nightie around you and you won't laugh at me or make fun of me, will you?"
Just then the telephone rang. Josie put her book down on the seat and propped her stuffed penguin, Sam, on the back of the sofa, leaning him against the window as she walked to the kitchen counter to answer the telephone.
"Hello," she said cheerfully. "Oh hi, Rob. Yes. I remember, I'll get a good night's sleep, don't worry. I remember all our signals, we don't need to review them." She rolled her eyes and smiled.
"My arm's fine, for the tenth time today. It's still fine�just tape it the same way tomorrow. I can tell it feels better all the time, every time we talk in fact, except now I think I'm starting to get phone-arm from holding the phone too much."
"Okay, Rob, okay, everything will be fine. Now, this is your fifth call. If you keep calling me you'll make me too nervous to play� No I don't think we need another practice. Please just relax and it'll be fine. Yes, Bambi is parked right out front and she's all tucked in for the night. You're so weird, Rob."
She rolled her eyes again, playing with the telephone cord. "Okay, I will. Bye, Rob." She giggled as she reached up to hang up the phone. She shook her head and walked back to the love seat, picking up her book, then she picked up Sam the penguin and kissed the top of his head and settled herself back in on the sofa. "I'm sorry to tell you this, Sam, but your future brother in law is crazy." She giggled as she settled back in to her reading.
* * *
When Sam saw Josie turn her head suddenly, he realized that the telephone must be ringing inside her apartment. He felt a sudden twinge of jealousy wondering who would be calling her. He was not at all prepared for what he was about to witness.
When he saw her reach up to set something in the window, his eyes opened wide as he recognized the stuffed penguin named "Sam" staring out the window at him. At the same moment his brain processed the fact that she had been holding and caressing "Sam", he went into serious sensory overload when he saw what she was wearing.
Never, even in his most erotic fantasy, had he ever pictured her wearing anything remotely close to what he was seeing. "Oh, my God!" he gasped as his mouth went dry. She was wearing a peach colored short nightshirt. He gasped as he suddenly remembered the peach blossom scent that he'd noticed in her hair. He told himself to look away, but he couldn't do it, not with this view of her gorgeous legs and the way the silk shirt, what there was of it anyway, clung to her body. When she reached up to answer the phone he had a brief enticing view of matching panties and he could tell from the way she moved in that shirt that she had nothing else on under it. He had pictured her mostly in long flowing dresses and nightgowns, but nothing as sexy and revealing as this.
As much as he cursed himself for doing it, he couldn't blink, much less look away from her in that shirt. He saw her smile and laugh at her conversation and felt an overwhelming irrational jealous urge to go to her door and demand that she terminate the conversation. He realized sheepishly that it could be her parents or even Rob, but he didn't want anyone but him to even talk to her while she looked the way she did right then.
Thankfully for his sanity, the conversation was brief and then he saw her return to plant a kiss on "Sam" the penguin's head, as she settled back into her solitary spot.
Sam smiled to himself and finally managed to pull away from the curb and head home. He shook his head, wishing he could trade places with that penguin, knowing it would be another long night without Josie. As he slowly drove home, Sam couldn't stop thinking about what he'd seen. It had looked like Josie was talking to that penguin, and he wished he had the ability to eavesdrop in addition to spying through her window. 'God, am I pathetic, or what?' he asked himself, rolling his eyes, as he parked in front of his own apartment and put his car in park.
Sam walked in the front door and put his briefcase and keys on his desk. He was exhausted from all the turmoil and physical activity of the day, so he decided to have a beer and try to calm down. He didn't really feel like watching television or doing any work. He kept seeing Josie sitting on that loveseat reading their play and he opened his briefcase then and took out his copy of As You Like It and smiled.
He decided to reread the play, just as he knew Josie was still doing�trying somehow to connect with her, even in such a small way.
He decided to get ready for bed in the hopes of somehow getting a good night's rest. He took off his shoes and clothes and changed into a big T Shirt with his boxer shorts and climbed into bed, propping his pillows up behind him to read. But as he started to read his copy of the play he knew by heart, he could hear Josie's soft voice reading Shakespeare's words to him and his mind kept picturing her in that nightshirt as she'd looked as she'd risen off the love seat to answer the telephone.
Instead of being soothed, Sam was becoming more agitated by the second. He finally set the book down on the bed next to him and closed his eyes. "Maybe I should get a pet or stuffed animal to talk to myself," he said out loud as he thought about Josie talking to her penguin, Sam. Since reading wasn't helping him to relax, he decided to turn out the light and try to just think of nothing. He knew it was too late to call anyone since Jonathan and Joanna were leaving for a trip in the morning, calling Jon was out of the question. "What could I say anyway?" Sam thought to himself. He knew Jon would not approve of his little foray to Josie's apartment.
He tossed and turned for several hours, but every time he would start to relax, Sam would suddenly picture Josie in her nightshirt moving around her apartment. Sam tried every position he could think of, finally ending up with one pillow on top of his head. Nothing worked. He sighed and looked at the clock. It was 2:00 am. He closed his eyes again for a moment, but a sound from his living room distracted him. He lifted the pillow and listened again but heard nothing.
He was about to roll back over and make another attempt at sleeping when he suddenly heard a slight tapping noise at his bedroom door. Sam was confused. 'Who would be in his apartment at 2:00 a.m.?' he wondered. He leaned up on his elbows and called out, "Who's there?" His voice was hoarse from lack of sleep. The door opened slowly. A lone figure stood in the doorway. He gasped when as he recognized the figure as Josie Geller. 'My God,' he thought, 'I really am going insane.' She was even wearing the same peach colored nightshirt that she'd been wearing earlier at her apartment�only now it almost looked even more clingy and sensual, if that were possible. She looked every inch the attractive, sexy woman she'd seemed to be from the window�only now she was close up and personal. Convinced she must be a hallucination of some sort, Sam rubbed his eyes with his fists; but when he looked back, she was still there.
Finally, he asked, hardly able to get the words past the lump in his throat, "Josie, what are you doing here?"
She took his question as an invitation and walked in quietly to perch herself on the right side of his bed. "Isn't this what you wanted, Sam?" she asked, smiling softly down at him.
Sam senses were reeling now� Josie was in his bedroom calling him by his first name with her sexy voice, looking at him with those gorgeous eyes. She took his breath away. Yes, he had wanted this�ever since he'd seen her in her window, but he couldn't believe it was actually happening. But how did she know this was what he wanted? Had she somehow known he was there watching her from the street tonight?
Slowly, she turned and laid herself down next to him on the bed. She propped her head up in her hand and leaned on her right elbow. Sam felt as if he were under some sort of spell. He just couldn't seem to stop her, and he knew that, deep down, he didn't want to. She reached over and touched his hair, smoothing it down the way she had the day they were painting the backdrop. But instead of stopping there, she trailed her hand down to his face to caress his cheek. Then she laid her hand along his jaw line and lightly ran her thumb across the cleft in his chin.
Sam closed his eyes against the exquisite sensation of Josie's soft touch. His breath became shallow and rapid, matched by his pounding heart. He stared at her luscious lips, wanting desperately to kiss her, but knowing he didn't dare.
Josie seemed to sense his hesitation, because her hand continued down his neck to rest on his chest trustingly. "Yes, I know you were watching me tonight. It's okay, Sam; I'm glad." She looked deeply into his eyes and asked him, "Tell me what you want, Sam. Do you want me to be here? Do you want me to be touching you like this?"
This sexy, seductive side of Josie was almost more than he could stand. "God, Josie�don't you understand? This shouldn't be happening. This can't be happening. I'm your teacher and you're my student. I can't do this�"
Josie shook her head and contradicted him simply, saying, "It can happen, Sam. It is happening�don't you see that?"
God help him, he did see that�and it scared the wits out of him. How could he want something so badly that he knew was so wrong? "Josie�" The anguish and torment was evident on Sam's face as he moaned her name.
"So, what are you saying, Sam? Do you want me to leave? Do you want us to spend yet another lonely night apart when we could be together? Are you going to reject me again? Send me back to my turtles and my stuffed penguin?" Josie moved as if she were going to get up off the bed.
Panic flooded over Sam at the thought. Wrong or not, he could not bear the thought of her leaving now. He reached out a hand and stayed her movement. "Please� Don't leave me, Josie."
Josie sighed and snuggled back on the bed, moving closer to him. "I won't leave you, Sam. Not if you want me here. You see� I'm in love with you. Deep in my heart, I know that you are the one I've been waiting for all my life�that you're my penguin."
Hearing her confirm his greatest hope�and fear�made him shiver in anticipation. He breathed, "I'm in love with you, too, Josie, and I want to be with you more than anything� But I� I�"
Josie placed a finger against his lips to silence him. "Just touch me, Sam. I promise I won't bite�" She chuckled softly.
Propping himself up on his left arm, he lifted a trembling right hand and placed it on her upper arm. Slowly, he slid his fingers down the length of her arm and back up again. Her skin was so silky soft, he could barely tell where it ended and the silk nightshirt began.
"Ah, Josie� Your skin is so soft� It's driving me crazy," he breathed as he continued caressing her arm slowly and lovingly. He looked back up to her face and the look of raw desire and passion he found there pushed him very close to the limit of his restraint.
Josie seemed lost in his touch. Softly, she begged, "Please Sam� Can't you forget all those things that are keeping us apart for just one night? Can't we have this one night together? Kiss me, Sam�make love to me� I want to belong to you�please," she begged softly, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling herself closer to him so that the length of their bodies touched.
He knew he didn't have the strength to fight her�or himself�anymore. Sliding his hand up the length of her body, he buried it in her hair as her scent of peach blossoms surrounded him. He pulled her to him and teased her with soft, suckling kisses. Josie sighed against his mouth and buried her fingers in his hair, holding his head to her and pressing herself against him. Josie's untutored but honest response drove Sam over the edge. He rolled Josie over onto her back and covered her body with his, kissing her with all the passion that had been building up in him for weeks. She moaned and whimpered as he ran his hands softly up and down her nightshirt, caressing the curves of her body underneath.
"Oh God, Josie, I love you so much," he murmured against her mouth as he felt himself yielding to her request that he make love to her. He trailed a line of kisses down her throat until he reached the V of the neckline to Josie's button- up nightshirt. He slowly, teasingly, slid his hand up to rest on the top button. He glanced up at her and their eyes connected. He waited, a question in his eyes. Josie closed her eyes briefly, but then opened them again. Heat blazed in them; she was not afraid in the least. Sliding her hands back into Sam's hair, she pleaded, "Oh, yes, Sam�please�"
Smiling softly, he looked back down at his fingers, poised to unbutton the front of Josie's nightshirt. But suddenly, there were no buttons. Confused, he rolled over away from her and found that the only thing under him was his pillow. "Damn!" he cursed as he looked around the room and realized he was alone. The whole blasted thing had been a dream! 'But it had felt so real!' he tried to argue. 'Even more real than the dream about Josie and the flowers�and that had come true.' Wait a minute�he caught himself in disbelief. Was he actually hoping this one would come true!? He bolted upright in the bed in shock. "Oh God," he said out loud. "What am I doing!?"
Sam glanced over at his clock on the bedside table; it read 4:02 a.m. He sighed heavily, knowing that in his highly aroused state, there was no way he was getting back to sleep. Thoroughly disgusted with himself, he yanked his T- shirt up over his head and shoved his boxer shorts down and off, dumping them in a sweaty heap on the floor at his feet. Pushing himself angrily to a stand, he stalked off to the bathroom to take a much-needed cold shower.
* * *
Josie continued to read As You Like It as she found herself becoming more and more sleepy.
After hopping up several more times to answer Rob's persistent phone calls, she finally unplugged her phone and got into bed for what she hoped would be a good night's sleep next to her penguin Sam. When Josie suddenly woke up from a dream at 4:02 am, she giggled when she realized she was passionately kissing her stuffed penguin.
"Wow, that was some dream�" she said out loud, smiling to herself thinking about the erotic dream she'd had about being in bed and kissing the real Sam. She felt like her arm was tingling where she'd dreamed he'd touched her. She rolled her eyes then thinking about how she and Rob had spied on him during practice that day. 'Must just be my guilty conscience,' she giggled to her penguin. "I sure hope the real Sam can't read minds," she said as she sighed and drifted back into sleep, hoping to continue the same dream.
To be continued�