* * *
Matt and Sam sat together in silence for a moment. Sam had just verbally acknowledged his feelings for Josie Geller. The pub they were in was crowded now and the jukebox was playing in the background. Other people were talking and laughing wrapped up in their own little dramas, oblivious to Sam and Matt's conversation.
Sam listened, then grinned to himself when he recognized the song playing was Chained To You, by Savage Garden - the same song he'd listened to this morning - the song that summed up his relationship with Josie. He felt like his life was one big mystical circle with Josie at the center of it. Everything always came back to her, ever since that magical day in March.
Matt took another long sip of his beer as he studied Sam's face. Now that he knew the truth about Sam's feelings, his strange behavior of the past few weeks all made perfect sense. When he thought about Sam's outbursts in the car two weeks before, he smiled to himself.
"You should have told me, Sam. I never would have approached her if I'd known," Matt said earnestly. "You are my friend - you know me - I'd never go after your girlfriend."
Sam looked up at Matt and said quietly, "She's not my girlfriend� And I'm not really in a position to tell anybody anything yet." Sam swallowed, realizing it actually hurt him to say it. "I'm still her teacher, you know? She's my student for now, and that's all she can be, at least until she graduates and turns 18."
"Yeah, okay. Don't worry. I won't say anything to Scott or anybody else. But at least now I know why you've been acting so weird about the whole thing." They sat for a moment in silence but then a thought occurred to Matt. He turned to Sam again, asking, "Hey, aren't you still seeing Lara, though? I thought she was in town or something last week�or is this like something on the side here while Lara's in New York?"
"No, no, no." Sam denied, trying to contain a shiver of revulsion at Lara's name. "We broke up on Sunday. Actually, it's been over with her for months now. I guess I just wasn't man enough to face it until now. I really didn't have a reason to face it until I met Josie. I've only known her since March, but I've never been as sure about anything or anybody in my life as I am about her. Josie's really the one for me, Matt� I know it� Absolutely." Matt noticed how Sam's face brightened when he just said her name.
"Wow, Sam. So, what do you do now? Cool your heels until she graduates?"
"Yeah, more or less," Sam sighed. "I don't have much choice."
"Ouch!" Matt commiserated.
Sam nodded his agreement.
Matt asked, "Have you told her how you feel about her yet?"
"No� How can I? I have to wait until the time is right, and so far it hasn't worked out - it just wouldn't be appropriate, you know?"
Matt nodded.
Sam continued dejectedly. "I've tried to be with her as much as I can, but that's pretty much limited to school. I've seen her a few times away from school too - but that's mostly chance meetings - nothing planned."
"Hey, but she's worth waiting for, Sam," Matt said sincerely. "I really think she's, well, incredible! I wasn't just trying to get a reaction from you. I know you guys think I'm shallow and just interested in one thing." Sam grimaced.
"Now, wait a minute, Sam. Hear me out. Josie's different, even I could see that - I'm not kidding, she seems like a very special person - very mature for seventeen. I felt something just being around her- you're not the only one who might be interested in a serious relationship here. If you change you mind about her or anything, let me know because I really liked her too, you know? Really! And if you do change your mind, I'm going to beg her to give me a second chance. I think I maybe came on a little too strong with her or something."
"I'm not going to change my mind, Matt."
"Yeah, well you never know, Sam."
"I do know, Matt," Sam said firmly.
"You know what?" Scott asked as Matt got up to let him back in the booth.
"He knows that Rob did a good job coaching and Rob and Josie are a heck of a pair of ballplayers," Matt segued smoothly, winking at Sam.
"Yeah, yeah, but at least we gave them a close game. I couldn't believe that little thing stood her ground like that when Sam plowed into her. She sure lay on the ground a long time after that. I hope she'll be okay." Coach Romano said shaking his head. "She's spunky, that's for sure!"
"I checked her out. I'm pretty sure she was fine. Her pupils looked okay when she finally came around. Plus, Rob said this has happened to her before - it's not unusual for her to get knocked out and then be perfectly okay. He told me that they used to take her to the Emergency Room every time it happened, but she never had a concussion, they'd just wait around forever and she was fine." Matt said seriously. "Some people absorb blows to the head better than others - I guess she's just one of those people."
Matt noticed how Sam blushed whenever anybody talked about Josie, and how he looked so lost in his thoughts. He felt sorry for the additional pain he'd unknowingly caused his friend.
"She looked fine out there dancing with Rob, didn't she Sam?" Scott continued. "You should have seen them, Matt! They were dancing all over the field together - like they were in a musical or something."
"Yeah, Scott, they looked great together," Sam said quietly, sighing as he pictured her on the field in that dress waiting for Rob. He had felt such a connection to her then and it seemed to be growing stronger all the time.
Sam's mind wandered then as he thought about what Josie was doing at that very instant. Was she eating dinner somewhere nearby with Rob and both of their parents? Sam pictured her sitting at a table somewhere, eating her dinner, looking so spectacular. He wondered if maybe at that moment she was thinking about him too. After all, they had shared that incredible experience the night before. Sam wasn't even sure now if it had been a dream, since it had seemed so real at the time and from Josie's own description, she had experienced the same thing.
Sam closed his eyes, wishing with all his heart that when he opened them he'd be looking at Josie across the table from him, smiling at him. He would have given anything to see her across from him instead of Scott and Matt. 'Maybe I'm feeling the same thing she felt down there on that pitcher's mound,' he thought wistfully. 'I'd give anything to see her again tonight,' he thought longingly.
"You tired, Sam?" Scott asked. Sam opened his eyes reluctantly and sighed.
"Yeah, a little. Guess we should go pretty soon," Sam said quietly.
"You want to drop me off or should I wait and get Matt to take me home?" Scott asked.
"No, I'll take you home, Scott. No problem. I'm fine to drive," Sam said, suddenly perking up at the notion of driving by Josie's aunt's apartment yet again. 'Didn't you learn your lesson yet?' his conscience whispered.
* * * After dinner at their parents' country club, Rob had followed Josie home as a precaution to make sure she didn't have any trouble driving by herself. Even though he thought she was all right, he realized that she had been unconscious and then incoherent for a longer period of time than usual after the game. Rob had offered to drive Bambi and follow her in her Buick. He undid his tie and threw it on the seat as soon as he got in to the car. Josie could see him yanking his tie off in the rear view mirror as he was talking to the car. She just shook her head and smiled. As she continued to glance at her brother, she noticed that he didn't stop talking once all the way to her apartment.
When they got to her apartment building, he decided to go inside with her just to make certain for himself that she was okay. Rob didn't want to admit that he was worried about her, even though he was, as he got out of Bambi and trailed in behind her. He loved his big sister, although he would rarely give her the satisfaction of saying it to her face.
Josie unlocked her front door and Rob followed her in.
"Were you actually talking to that car, Rob?" she teased him.
Rob nodded defensively.
"What were you saying to it?" she asked curiously.
'That's between me and Bambi. Don't try to come between a man and his car, Josie. We've bonded - she's a part of me," Rob said, squinting at his sister. Josie rolled her eyes.
"I'll just go change, Rob. Turn on the TV if you want," she said as she walked into her bedroom and closed the door. Josie decided to change into her jeans and Northwestern sweatshirt. She took off her sandals and decided not to put on any shoes - since her feet were tired and sore from playing ball. She put on her jeans and rolled up her pant legs then to just below her knees. She washed her aching feet in the bathtub then got a pan of warm water to soak them in, and came out into the living room to join Rob.
"God, Josie, put your shoes on," he joked, holding his nose.
"Shut up, Rob! I washed my feet already. I'm just soaking them�they hurt," she said and sighed.
"How's your head?" he asked, concerned.
"It's fine, don't worry, my feet hurt though."
"You got any beer, Josie?" Rob asked hopefully.
"No, Rob. And you shouldn't drink and drive anyway."
"How about snacks? Chips? Anything?"
"Rob, you just ate dinner!"
"Yeah, but I'm a growing boy!" he said grinning at her. "I have to keep up my strength."
"I have some bagel chips, or fat-free potato chips or carrot sticks� How about carrot sticks?"
"I'd rather die, Josie." He wrinkled up his nose at her. "You'd better get some decent snacks when you start dating Mr. Coulson� Guys have to have snacks and beer�better stock up!"
"Are these more of your stupid rules, Rob?"
"Just a word to the wise, Josie," he grinned. "Just trying to help guide you through life. A man has to have his snacks. I know you want him to wait for you and all that other stuff you said, but are you going to starve the poor guy to death while he waits?"
"Rob? Can I ask you something, seriously?" She bit her lip.
He noticed she looked anxious. "Sure, Josie, ask away."
"When I was on the ground after the game, did I say anything, well, you know, anything weird or embarrassing to Mr. Coulson? He had sort of a�strange look on his face," she asked fearfully.
"Well, that depends on what you mean by embarrassing� He looked real happy about it, if you ask me," Rob said, grinning at her.
Josie could tell by the smirk on Rob's face that it was bad. "Oh, God, Rob! What did I say?"
"Don't worry, Josie. Nobody heard you but me and Mr. C," he said trying to reassure her.
Josie gave Rob an impatient look.
"You kind of�told him you had some sort of�ahem�dream about him last night�and it definitely did not sound 'G' rated�"
There was only one dream she could have been talking about. Josie covered her face with her hands as she turned beet red. "Oh no! How will I ever face him again, Rob?"
"No, wait, Josie. Don't fly off the handle, here� Didn't you hear what I said? I said he looked happy about it�almost�excited about it if you want to know the truth. I wish I could have taken a picture of the guy's face. It was like he was in heaven for a minute there. He sure looked like one happy man."
Josie peeked at Rob through her fingers, which were still covering her bright red cheeks. "He did? He looked happy?"
"Yeah, he looked thrilled. He didn't breathe for so long after you said it, I almost thought he was going to pass out next to you on the ground. I had to shut you up after that because Matt was coming back with his med bag, but I could tell Mr. Coulson was really into that little dream of yours. His face was even redder than yours is now."
Rob laughed as Josie's eyes widened in shock and amazement. He thought back to that scene again and then added, "You know, it was kinda strange really�because it really freaked him out at first, but yet it didn't seem to surprise him a whole lot. It was almost as if he knew what you were going to say, you know? Like he'd had the same dream or something�"
Josie gasped at the thought. 'My goodness,' she wondered, 'is that possible?' Thinking back, it certainly had been a very clear, lucid dream�
"Oh, Rob, I feel so ashamed that I said something like that to him."
"Don't worry about it, Josie. I really have a feeling he's been dreaming about you too. I'm not making that up. He said you and he can talk about it later, don't you remember? He didn't want you talking about it in front of Matt, but he was definitely into it. I got the feeling that he really wants to talk to you about it at some point down the road - like maybe compare dreams. Really, don't you remember any of what you said to him?"
She shook her head. "I can't remember much about it except when I realized where I was he was smiling at me in a different way and he was blushing. He looked so sweet," she sighed.
"I think he wants to discuss it privately when he's not your teacher anymore, if you get my drift," Rob said as he leered at her. "Maybe you can stage a reenactment together."
"Oh God, Rob, did I say anything, well you know, detailed?"
"Josie, now I'm getting embarrassed here. You're my sister, come on, I wouldn't let you say anything too X rated. I'd have put my hand over your mouth if I saw you going that way. You just said something about visiting him in his apartment and him touching your arm and kissing you and not sending you away."
Josie shook her head in mortification. "Oh, no, how can I ever face him again?"
"Josie, I swear to God, he liked it. I promise you - he more than liked it. He loves you�"
Josie gave Rob a skeptical look.
Rob waved off her hesitation and continued, "Just pretend you don't remember it and you'll be fine. He's too much of a gentleman to say anything, I'm sure. And you didn't say anything too graphic, so don't worry about it!"
She smacked him on the arm. Josie flushed with pleasure at the thought of Sam having a similar dream about her.
Rob grinned at her. "What is this new thing about you? All the guys are in love with you. Did you drink some kind of love potion or something?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Rob."
"What about Matt? He was after you the whole game. What did you think of him?"
"He seemed nice - a little forward though. I guess he's kind of cute. He asked me out, but I said no. He's not my type," she said with a sigh.
"Oh, because he's not a certain English teacher? Don't you think maybe you should date a little now since you are twenty-five and have never been out with a guy? Would a little experience hurt?"
"I'm going with Guy Perkins to the Prom, Rob. That should qualify as a date."
"Yeah, Guy's all right, but I mean somebody more like Matt, not anybody that forward, but - someone older and all."
I'm not going to start dating a bunch of men, Rob. Just because a man asks me doesn't mean that I have to go. Matt was touching me and flirting with me and I didn't feel anything. I'm only going with Guy because of my story. He's nice, but I wouldn't do it otherwise. It's not like I feel that thing about anybody except, well, you know who."
"Do I ever! So, then what are you going to do, marry the first man you go out with? That doesn't sound very smart to me."
"Who said anything about getting married? He still thinks I'm his seventeen-year-old student anyway. I'm not interested in dating a bunch of people, Rob. I love Sam. I feel so different when I'm with him - it's like there's no one else on earth for me. If you ever fall in love, you'll understand. When he finds out the truth I hope somehow he can forgive me because I don't know how I can go on without him. I just wish I didn't have to lie to him anymore."
"I know, but that'll all be over soon - just a couple more weeks, Josie."
"I don't think I can last that long, Rob."
"You'd better. But�if you do tell him, just make sure he promises to keep it secret. I think you could trust him to. And make him promise to keep it secret about me, too. Don't forget."
"I won't forget, Rob."
"So, you think you might tell him?"
"Yes, I do. I just have to figure out how to do it so Gus won't find out."
Rob shuddered. "Yeah, Gus is pretty scary."
"Tell me about it. I'm thinking I'll write my story Saturday and finish it after the Prom - at least the first draft of it. Then I'll show it to Gus and maybe then I can tell Sam."
"Just wait until the game on Monday, okay, Josie?"
"I'll try, Rob, but I'm not promising anything."
"By the way, you mentioned Gus before you talked about your little dream."
"Oh, no! What did I say?"
"You just said 'Gus is gonna kill me,' or something like that. Don't worry I covered it up - I told Mr. C that Gus was your summer softball coach."
"You're really quick on your feet with the little stories, Rob. Thanks."
"No problem." Rob squinted at her. "I guess I'd better go. Are you sure your head is okay?"
"Yes, everything is fine, Rob."
"Can I please drive Bambi back to Mom and Dad's?"
"No, Rob, I think it would be really weird if you and I were to switch cars now. Everybody has seen me driving Bambi. It won't be much longer," Josie reassured him.
"But I think her engine sounded a little weird and I want to listen to it some more."
"How could you even hear the engine, when you were talking the whole time?" she said, as she laughed out loud.
"Okay, okay, but I'm going to listen to it some more before I go. No more premium gas for her, though, promise me!"
"I promise - nothing but cheap regular gas and I'll fill her tank and get the oil changed before we switch cars, Rob. I can't believe you've got me talking like this about a car! It's an inanimate object, Robert."
"Don't let Bambi hear you talk like that, Josie. Shame on you! She'll think you don't care about her."
"Bye, Rob."
"See you tomorrow, Josie."
Rob walked out the door, whistling. Josie opened her front window to get some air. As she sat back down to soak her feet she could hear Rob talking to Bambi and starting her engine. Josie shook her head and smiled as she turned off the TV. She wanted to just relax and unwind and think about Sam.
* * *
"Remember to take the back way, Sam - go on Oakcliff," Scott instructed as they got into Sam's car and fastened their seatbelts.
'As if I could forget,' Sam thought to himself. "Okay Scott, I'll take the same way as last night."
"Only this time, try to go a little faster than five miles an hour, would ya, Sam?"
As they approached Josie's block, Sam noticed that someone was standing next to Josie's car and the hood was up. He smiled when he realized it was Rob.
"Hey, Sam, pull over!" Scott nudged Sam with his elbow. "That's Rob!"
Sam glanced to his left at Josie's window and saw that the lights were on. He obliged Scott by pulling over on the right hand side of the curb. He didn't see any sign of Josie around the car so he assumed she was inside her apartment. Sam's heart was racing at the prospect of seeing her again so soon. He thought again about how everything in his life somehow led him back to her.
"Hey Rob, what's up?" Scott called, as he and Sam got out of the car.
Rob looked at them and grinned. "Oh, hi Coach! Hi, Mr. C! I was just checking on Josie's car - I followed her home to make sure she was all right and I thought it was making a weird noise. Listen, hear that rattling?"
They all were quiet, listening to Bambi's engine.
"Sounds like exhaust to me," Coach Romano said. "Maybe she needs a new muffler."
Rob frowned. "I told her not to use that premium gas. Women! Sheesh!" He looked at the two men. "What are you guys doing here?"
Scott answered him, "We went out for dinner and Mr. Coulson is dropping me off at my apartment. I live on Elm, but Elm's blocked because of the construction, so I brought him the back way." Scott looked around. "So, is this where Josie lives?"
Rob's mother had filled him in on the cover story about Josie's apartment. "Yeah, she lives here with her Aunt Fran - only her aunt's almost never here. That's her window right there." Rob pointed at the window that Sam was oh so familiar with now. Rob noticed that Mr. Coulson was staring at the window even before he pointed it out.
"How is Josie?" Scott asked as Sam turned to look at Rob then.
"She's fine� Look here she comes now, you can ask her yourselves."
Josie had heard the car pull up, and then she heard Rob talking to another man, so she decided to run out and check to make sure he was all right. She was barefooted - since her feet were swollen she hadn't bothered putting her shoes back on.
Even in a sweatshirt, with rolled-up jeans and bare feet, she took Sam's breath away when he saw her. 'God, she looks more beautiful than she did in that dress,' he thought incredulously. All he could do at first was smile as Josie ran up to them.
"Hi!" she said and blushed, thinking about what she'd blurted out to Sam about her dream and how she'd just been wishing she could see him again.
"Hi!" Sam and Scott said together.
"How's your head?" Scott asked.
"It's fine," she said still blushing. "I don't have a headache or anything - Rob made sure I was okay - he followed me home. Now, I think he's more worried about the car than me," she giggled.
She noticed that Sam was unusually quiet, but he was smiling at her - grinning from ear to ear, actually. Josie smiled back at him and blushed as she tucked her hair behind her ear nervously.
"Coach Romano lives in this neighborhood too, and Mr. Coulson is just dropping him off," Rob explained as Josie nodded.
'Yeah, we were driving by when I saw Rob here and told Sam to stop. By the way, I wish I had a catcher of your caliber on my baseball team, young lady. You're truly amazing!" Scott said, looking at Josie. Sam nodded and smiled, still staring at Josie.
"Thank you," she said shyly as she ducked her head.
"Well, if everything is okay here, we'd better get going. See you two tomorrow," Scott said as he turned to walk back across the street towards Sam's car.
"Bye, Josie. See you tomorrow in class." Sam said quietly, staring into her eyes. "See you, Rob."
"Bye," Rob and Josie said together as they stood next to Bambi.
Sam got in his side then and took another look at her and put the key in the ignition. The only problem was when he turned the key his car wouldn't start. Sam looked at Scott and tried again with no success. Shaking his head, he tried a third time, and this time the engine caught for a second and then died out. Looking over at Scott, he said with remorse, "Sorry, Scott. I've been having some problems with it lately. I guess I should have told you before offering you a ride home, huh?"
Scott shrugged and said, "That's okay, Sam. No big deal."
Rob walked over to Sam's car and tapped on the window. "Hey, Mr. C, you got a problem there? Want a jump-start? I could pull it around�" Rob offered.
Sam rolled down his window and replied, "Thanks, Rob. That would be great, actually. It's been doing this to me off and on lately; I think it's something related to the battery." Rob got in Josie's Buick then and made a U turn and pulled around, facing Sam's car.
"Here, I'll bring the jumper cables!" Josie yelled as she opened Bambi's trunk. Sam and Scott were out of the car now and Sam popped the hood as Rob did the same on the Buick. Josie came up and started to hook up the connections on her Buick to Sam's car.
"Hey, there, squirt, that's a man's job," Rob said as he tried to take the cables from her.
"I know what I'm doing Rob� I've done this with my�" Josie cut herself off abruptly and amended her statement, "I mean this car before when I borrowed it. Just relax, would you?" she said quietly.
Scott looked at her. "So, are you a car mechanic too?" he asked, obviously impressed.
Josie laughed. "No, I've just had a dead battery more times than he has," she said pointing a thumb over her shoulder at Rob.
"Yeah, Aldys is the car mechanic. I wish she were here," Rob said quietly.
Sam and Scott both looked startled. "Aldys Wells?" Sam asked, perplexed.
"Absolutely! Just ask Josie when she's finished," Rob insisted. "Aldys is awesome."
Josie had her head under the hood of Sam's car now, hooking up the jumper cables. After she secured the connections she looked up at Sam. "Okay, all set. Go ahead and try the ignition, Mr. Coulson," she instructed. He grinned as he noticed that she had a grease smudge on her cheek now.
Sam smiled at her and got in his car to try turning the ignition then - the car started but died immediately. After several more unsuccessful tries, Josie walked around and looked down at Sam through his open window. "I'm sorry, but I think it's your alternator," she said seriously. "It doesn't seem to be sustaining the charge."
"Huh?" Rob and Scott said together.
Sam sighed and looked at Scott. "That means it has to be towed, Scott. A jump start won't do it."
"You can come in my�uh�aunt's apartment and call," Josie offered looking at Sam.
"Yeah, go ahead and do that, Sam - go in with her and call. Rob and I will keep trying to start it."
Rob looked at his sister and Mr. Coulson. "After you call and get it towed, I'll take you and Coach Romano home."
"Are you sure, Rob?" Sam asked.
"Absolutely, Mr. C, I'm happy to do it� No problem." Rob said as he squinted at his sister.
"Yeah, Sam, then I'll pick you up in the morning and drive you to school," Coach Romano offered. Sam nodded.
Rob looked at Sam then. "One other thing I want to warn you about, Mr. Coulson, if you're going in to call�" Josie looked at Rob and held her breath, giving him a 'Don't you dare!' look.
"Yes?" Sam asked expectantly.
"Don't ask her for any snacks in there - all she's got are carrot sticks. I'm trying to straighten her out, though."
Josie rolled her eyes and giggled, shaking her head.
"Thanks for the advice, Rob," Sam laughed as he followed Josie through the gate up to her apartment. His heart was racing because he knew he was about to see the inside of her apartment�the one he'd been dying to see the inside of last night. Josie turned and smiled at him as she held the door open for him. He hoped he'd be able to remember his name, much less why he was there as he looked into her beautiful blue eyes and followed her through the door.
To be continued�