All comments welcome here,
or on the Message Board. Thanks for your interest!
* * *
Sam awoke on Sunday to another beautiful spring day. Sitting on the porch stoop outside his apartment building, he closed his eyes and let the mid-morning sun warm him. It was supposed to be another hot day, so Sam had dressed in khaki shorts and a short sleeved wine-colored polo shirt. As the sun beat down on his upturned face, Sam thought of Josie yet again. He thought of how incredibly adorable she had looked yesterday in her lawn-mowing outfit. She had gorgeous legs and the kind of perfect peaches-and-cream skin that would give models nightmares. Then he thought of the wonderful dream he'd had of them laughing and talking together and surrounded by flowers. Her eyes had twinkled so brightly when she smiled at him, and his heart had swelled just at the sight.
God, he missed her already, and it had only been since yesterday. He opened his eyes and stared up at the cloudless blue sky, thinking it might be the only thing that could rival the blue of Josie's eyes. Sighing heavily, he peered down the street, looking for Jon's car again. This time, his search was rewarded, and after a moment, Jonathan's car rolled to a stop in front of him.
Jon's wife Joanna leaned out of the open passenger side window to greet him, "Hiya, Sam. Ready to go?"
Sam smiled his response and pushed himself up off the stair. He brushed off his backside and strided down the walk, opened the back door of the car, and folded himself into the seat, closing the door behind him. "Hi, guys," he responded, placing a friendly hand on Jon's shoulder for a moment before removing it again.
As Jon pulled away from the curb and the conversation fell into a comfortable silence, Sam noticed for what seemed like the millionth time how happy Jon and Joanna were. Even now, he'd noticed that they were holding hands as Jon drove. They'd been married for a little over four years now and it seemed to him that they were more in love than ever. They enjoyed the same things and laughed at the same things and helped each other through the rough times. Their relationship was truly a partnership and he hoped someday he and Josie would be as happy. Sam closed his eyes painfully as he thought, 'God, I let myself think it.' He shook his head in disgust, amazed by his own weakness where Josie was concerned.
Sam opened his eyes and smiled warmly at his good friends in the front seat of the car. He was going to move into their guest room to help them build a deck this summer. He had figured that way he would save a little on rent and help his friends at the same time. This morning they were all going to Home Depot to choose a design and the lumber needed for the job.
He had wanted to move out of his apartment anyway and this seemed like a good time to do it; in fact, he was planning to have his stuff moved the Monday after the Prom. He figured that would be a slow week before finals anyway and had planned to take off that Monday and Tuesday.
But he had planned to do all this before meeting Josie. Now he was regretting the decision to take any time away from the classroom. He treasured every minute that he spent anywhere with Josie. He sighed, thinking about his discussion with Jon yesterday about her. He knew that Jon was right; that he needed to concentrate on ending his relationship with Lara before he could consider a relationship of any sort with Josie. And the time while she was still his student was the perfect time to work out his loose ends. He hadn't been able to get in touch with Lara the previous evening, but he figured he had two days to get that accomplished before he would see Josie again in class on Tuesday.
Jon looked at Sam in the rear view mirror. He was thinking about Josie again, Jonathan realized. Jon was starting to recognize that wistful, moony look of his� He chuckled to himself at the thought. Even though he wasn't sure how he felt about the object of Sam's affection being only 17, he was thrilled to see his best friend finally falling in love. Up until last night, when Sam had shared his growing feelings for Josie with him, Jonathan had all but given up hope that his friend would ever know the happiness of a real love. His affiliation with Lara pretty much assured him of that. The sooner that witch was out of Sam's life, the better off he'd be.
Jonathan drove to Home Depot and parked. The three walked into the lumber section of the huge store. Jonathan and Joanna had decided to look at some different planning books to get some ideas from one of the Home Improvement Specialists. It was a busy day in the store and they stood around patiently, waiting to be helped.
Sam casually looked around the store, lost in his thoughts of Josie, as usual. The lumber section was slightly removed from the plant/nursery section, but the store was fairly open and it was easy to see quite a distance. He was about to turn around to ask Jon a question when a blond head of hair caught his eye. Staring intently at the young woman with her back to him who was looking at flowers in the nursery, he practically willed it to be Josie. Then she turned and he saw her profile. He couldn't believe his eyes; it was Josie! What a glorious weekend!
Josie was helping another woman put flats of coral and peach colored impatiens on the flatbed of a large cart. She was wearing overall jean shorts and a white T- shirt. She was wearing sneakers with ankle socks and there were those incredible legs again. Her hair was different today, too, slightly curled under and more sophisticated than her adorable pigtails from yesterday. God help him, he thought, she looked more beautiful, if that was possible, every time he saw her.
Joanna turned to notice Sam staring at someone, totally oblivious to their surroundings. "Who's that, Sam?" Joanna asked. "She's so cute!"
At the sound of Joanna's voice, Jon turned and also noticed Sam staring across the way into the nursery section. Jon followed Sam's gaze and realized that it was Josie. Since Sam appeared to not hear Joanna's question, Jonathan answered her, "That's the Goddess of the Lawnmower from yesterday."
Joanna smiled at Jonathan's reference. He had described the entire encounter of the day before to Joanna. They were both excited about the possibility of Sam finally ridding himself of Lara. After all, Sam was the nicest guy they knew. Almost too nice. They were afraid he'd end up marrying Lara before he'd hurt her feelings. In private, she and Jon referred to Lara with such lovely nicknames as: The Snake, Lara the Hun, and the Queen of Darkness. Jonathan always commented on how down Sam seemed while Lara was around, and Joanna had seen it firsthand as well. And after five years of Lara's antics, they were more than fed up with her. When she had learned of Sam's plans to build the deck with them, Lara had actually called Jonathan and chewed him out for interfering with Sam's future by delaying his move to New York. Even though she knew Jonathan was Sam's best friend from childhood, she told him that he was using Sam and keeping him from fulfilling his potential. Yes, they both thought Lara was quite a piece of work. And now, as Joanna observed Sam's reaction to seeing Josie, she was tickled to death for him.
Sam, meanwhile, was in his own world. "Be back in a minute," Sam said to them as he walked off towards Josie, never taking his eyes off her, leaving both Jon and Joanna staring after him in astonishment.
"Wow, look at Sam! I've never seen him like this!" Joanna exclaimed, nudging Jon in the ribs for emphasis. "Woo hoo, look out Lara!"
"Yeah," Jon said wryly. "I just hope he can keep a lid on it at least until she graduates."
"Oh, I'm sure he'll be fine," she replied, dismissing Jon's concern. "I think it's rather romantic, actually. Look how nervous he looks Jon; that's so sweet!" Joanna smiled softly at Sam as he crossed the floor toward Josie.
"I just hope he gets a clue and dumps Lara," Jon responded. They tried not to stare as Sam reached Josie's side.
* * *
Sam approached Josie from behind. "Hey!" he greeted her, and then grinned because she jumped about a foot in the air.
"Oh, hi," she breathed, placing a hand over her heart. Then, glancing over at the other woman, she cleared her throat and introduced, "Uh, Mr. Coulson�this is my mother, Janet Geller."
Sam turned toward the woman and assessed her as he put out his hand in greeting. Janet Geller was a willowy forty-ish brunette. Her eyes were dark blue like Josie's, and she was also quite beautiful, but in a different way from her daughter. As Josie's mother placed her hand in his, he said politely, "It's very nice to meet you."
Janet was well aware of Josie's undercover assignment at the high school and in the process, she had heard quite a lot about Sam Coulson. She had certainly heard enough to know he had made quite an impression on Josie, as a teacher and otherwise. Now that she was meeting him, she could certainly see why. He was a very handsome young man, and he was the kind that didn't know it. He apparently had a sense of humor and a good camaraderie with his students, since he'd taken delight in surprising Josie just now. Plus, he was soft spoken and polite, and as an English teacher, was obviously well read and very intelligent. She felt instinctively that he and Josie would be a good match.
So Janet thought it was fortuitous that Josie's "Mr. Coulson" should show up here today because she felt this was a golden opportunity to assess him away from his work. And, unlike her daughter, it certainly couldn't be said that Janet was shy.
She held his hand in a firm grip and smiled. "Why hello, Mr. Coulson! You're Josie's English teacher, aren't you? I'm so happy to meet you. I've heard such wonderful things about you!"
Mortified by her mother's greeting, Josie closed her eyes briefly. Leave it to her mother to make her sound like a lovesick puppy� She hoped the floor to open up so she could fall through it. She bit on her lower lip and twisted her hands together while studying the floor intently.
Although Sam could tell that Josie was embarrassed, he was secretly thrilled by this turn of events. Josie had talked about him to her mother�and apparently it was often enough to make an impression on the woman without ever having met him. He couldn't believe it.
"Well," Sam replied with a friendly grin, "Josie's a wonderful student. And, please, call me Sam."
"And you can call me Janet," she responded, removing her hand from his. Then, turning to Josie, she directed, "Now Pussycat," �Sam smiled as Josie turned beet red�"why don't you go up front and pay for the two dozen flats? Maybe in the meantime I can sweet talk Sam here into helping us take them out and load them�" She turned toward Sam and winked at him, so he knew Janet was teasing her daughter.
"Mom," Josie started to protest, "I'm sure that Mr. Coulson has other things�"
But Janet fixed her gaze on Sam and ignored her daughter completely. "What do you think, Sam? Can I talk you into it?" Janet gave Sam a sidelong glance to gauge his reaction.
"Sure, I'd be glad to," he responded, beaming.
Josie looked horrified as she went up to stand in the line. She wondered where she could find work once her mother got her fired. Maybe she'd move back home and work at The Tiki Post like Rob. Wouldn't that be nice? Maybe then she could end up designing the invitations for Sam and Lara's wedding. She shuddered a little, thinking of Sam with that horrible woman.
Glancing at Sam and her mother, she could see they were deep in conversation. She prayed that they were talking about flowers and not about her.
* * *
Janet Geller watched Sam's reaction as her daughter walked away. If his wistful expression was any indication of his feelings, she'd have to say that the attraction between he and Josie was mutual. 'Uh oh,' she thought, 'the poor guy.' She realized how difficult it must be for him to have those feelings, especially considering that he didn't know that Josie was actually his own age. She figured she'd try to help him out a little, but she thought she'd start casually.
"We got so many flowers because Josie is taking some for the window box at her apartment," she said. Immediately she knew she had stepped in it.
"Her apartment? Doesn't she live with you?" She definitely had Sam's attention now.
Janet Geller, not unlike her son Rob, was quick on her feet and loved to weave a good story when she had a captive audience. "Oh, Josie is staying with my sister in an apartment on the other side of town through the end of the school year. It's closer to the school as well as where she skates. She's an extremely independent and responsible girl, and she's proven that to us by her time there. She still comes home on the weekends and mows the yard and helps out with other chores�and we get to see her, of course." Janet felt a little guilty at spinning such a yarn, but it did seem to fool Sam.
Sam digested this for a minute. Now he understood why Josie was the one to answer the telephone that night after seeing her at Delloser. It addressed some of his concerns about Josie, but not all.
Janet decided to change the subject. It looked like Josie would be a while. She was stuck in a long line, and the longer she stood watching them, the more she fidgeted, her mother thought, sighing. Glancing back at Sam, she noticed he was watching Josie again also. Smiling, she decided to get back to the task at hand: finding out what Sam thought of her daughter.
"You know Sam, I really should thank you for taking such an interest in Josie. She has really blossomed since she has been at your school. She says you are, by far, her favorite teacher. She told me that no one has ever given her as much encouragement with her writing. Of course, when her father and I try to encourage her she just says 'You have to say that; you're my parents.'"
Sam chuckled at this, because she had said practically the same words to him on the Ferris wheel when he had complimented her.
Janet continued, "But it means so much more to her coming from you. She says that if you believe in her talent so much, then maybe she really can write." Janet gently laid a hand on his arm for emphasis. "I just wanted you to know how much you have helped her to have confidence in herself. Lately I've also noticed that she looks prettier and happier every day, and I think that's also due to the confidence she's developed from your encouragement. She is a different person now than she was in March and I'm quite sure that a lot of that is due to your influence. I've never heard her say so many positive things about any of her teachers before."
Sam was very touched and happy that he'd already had such a positive influence on Josie's life. And Janet Geller was so friendly and engaging, he decided to let her in on a little secret. "She is a great writer and�I hope you won't consider this stepping on your toes, here�I'm trying to get her an interview with someone in admissions at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. I have some connections there."
When Janet did not react negatively to this information, he continued, "I haven't told her about this yet, though. I figured I'd wait until I knew for sure, because she had told me before that she wasn't planning on going to college. But with talent like hers, I just thought she should give herself a chance, you know? And I really believe that if I can just get someone there to read her work, she'd have a very good chance of being accepted�maybe even on a scholarship," he said.
Janet Geller digested this for a moment and then replied, "That's wonderful, Sam; thank you. I think that will mean more than you know to her. I know that your opinion means a lot to her, so it's nice that you think highly enough of her to try to get her that interview."
Janet sighed, watching her daughter wringing her hands and fidgeting over in line. "She's had some terrible experiences in her life, I'm sorry to say. Although she is very strong and has survived them all, she has a tendency to withdraw now from a lot of situations where she thinks she might be hurt."
Sam nodded, having noticed Josie's tendency to retreat into herself. He wondered what bad experiences she'd had to make her so unsure of herself and her talent, but knew he would never ask such a personal question.
"I know I'm her mother and that makes me biased, but I think Josie could do anything and be anything she wants to be."
Sam nodded again, in complete agreement with her. Personally, he saw no end to Josie's potential.
Janet continued, a sad tinge to her voice, "I just wish she could develop more confidence in herself in other ways. Of course when I try to tell her anything to try and encourage her, she just tells me I'm deranged. She's very stubborn when she wants to be." Then, seeing that their conversation had indeed become very serious, Janet decided to lighten the mood.
"Anyway, it was so nice of you to help us here� Did I say thank you yet?" She smiled at Sam in apology.
Sam noticed that when Janet smiled, her eyes twinkled like Josie's did. 'Boy, these Geller women are very dangerous,' he smirked to himself. "Really, it's no problem at all."
Janet insisted, "Really, though, are we taking you away from something? Or are you buying flowers, too?"
For the first time in about ten minutes, Sam realized he was not here alone. Glancing back over toward the lumber section, he saw Jon and Joanna bent over planning books, engrossed. "No. Actually, I'm going to be helping my friends build a deck off the back of their house this summer." He pointed his thumb over in the direction he had come. "They're picking out the style they want and we're getting some of the lumber today." He turned so that he was standing next to Janet and then pointed Jon and Joanna out to her. "That's my friend and his wife over there. I'm moving into their guest room in a couple of weeks. It'll save me the rent for the summer, and I'll be right there to earn my keep." He grinned engagingly. " And since I'm not teaching summer school this year, I'll probably be taking a couple of courses towards my Masters at Northwestern," Sam finished.
'Well,' Janet thought, 'this was an interesting twist.' "Oh, so you will be here in Chicago? I could have sworn Josie said something about you moving to New York, or have I confused you with someone else? I know she said something about meeting your girlfriend the other night, or at least I thought that was you�"
She wanted to get to the bottom of the girlfriend thing. Josie had described his girlfriend as the perfect woman, a tall blonde Miss America type, who made Josie look like a lump - her word. But Janet had her doubts that things were actually as dire in that respect as Josie had made it seem, especially in light of Sam's obvious attraction to Josie. Still, Janet wondered where the girlfriend fit in with his summer plans.
Sam decided that he would be honest with Josie's mother. "No, that was me she was talking about. I did introduce them the other night and I even mentioned that Lara wanted me to move to New York. But in reality, the relationship is pretty much over except for the shouting and has been for quite a while. I have no intention of moving to New York." He sighed heavily, saddened. "Really, it's my fault that I didn't end it before now. Lara and I haven't seen eye to eye on most things for a while now, but I just didn't want to admit it. We've been together for almost five years, and well�change is hard sometimes, even when you know it's for the best, you know?"
Janet Geller thought about what he had said, and what it meant about him. She decided that she liked him very much. He was genuine and sincere, and he wasn't trying to blame the failed relationship on his girlfriend. He knew his failings and took responsibility for them. He certainly wasn't arrogant, which was rare for such a nice looking guy, but that could be attributed to the fact that he obviously didn't realize how attractive he was. Just like Josie. The more time Janet spent talking to Sam Coulson, the more she thought they had in common. She truly believed that Josie and Sam were perfect for each other. She sighed inwardly. It was just Josie's luck to meet such a wonderful guy when she was pretending to be seventeen, she thought.
"Yes, I know, change is sometimes hard. That's a tough situation, Sam. I'm sorry," Janet commiserated. "But at least you know where you're going and what you want to do now, so I'm sure things will work out just fine." She smiled at him and he smiled back.
Josie had finally checked out and was walking back. Why was Sam smiling like that she wondered? What had her mother said to him? At least he was smiling and didn't look upset. Boy, she was glad she didn't have to wear the camera on the weekends. It was nice to see Sam without filming him. Besides, she'd hate to have to explain this encounter to Gus on Tuesday.
Janet saw her daughter approaching them and wanted to make sure she knew the 'story' in advance. "Oh Josie, I was just telling Sam how you are taking some of the impatiens to the apartment where you're staying with Aunt Fran. I'm afraid he was a bit startled at that news because he thought you lived at home!"
Smooth mother, she thought. You should be undercover instead of me. "Yes, I love flowers," she said sweetly, relieved that her mother had obviously not blown her cover.
Suddenly his brain made a connection. Somehow he remembered her saying this to him before, although he couldn't remember where. And as he replied, "I do, too," he realized this was also what he had said. He looked at her, smiling strangely.
They started walking to Josie's mother's minivan, with Sam pushing the cart and Josie walking alongside him. Janet went on ahead to open up the back hatch. Josie peeked another glance at Sam and wondered why he kept smiling at her. She hoped her mother hadn't told him something stupid like that she was hopelessly in love with him, even though it was true. Josie thought she would have to die of complete and total embarrassment if Sam knew of her attraction to him.
When they got to the van, Janet had already opened the back. Sam climbed into the back and turned to Josie to have her hand the flats to him. He had filled the back row of the van and as he turned to look at her, he suddenly remembered his dream. He and Josie, surrounded by flowers, looking at each other and smiling as they were right now. He realized this was why he was having such a sense of d�j� vu the last few minutes. Then, his heart started pounding because he remembered what happened next. Almost as if it were slow motion, he watched Josie pick up the flat of impatiens and turn toward him. She lifted them up toward him and he reached out for them at the same time. Their hands touched and his breath caught as their eyes locked. Neither of them could seem to look away.
Janet Geller missed none of this exchange. She pushed the last flat into the back of the van herself and then cleared her throat loudly. She smiled with amusement as they both seemed to jump and then look away embarrassed. She figured those two would stand there all day like that if she let them�
"Well, we'd better go," she said as she put out a hand to help Sam out from the back of the van. He gratefully accepted it. Then she turned and shook his hand again. "Thanks so much for your help, Sam. We really appreciate it. It was very nice to meet you!" Janet hoped that when all was said and done, he would be able to forgive her daughter her for all the deception, because he was one heck of a guy and they belonged together.
"It was nice to meet you, too," Sam said and then he turned to Josie. "I'll see you later, Josie," he said. He squeezed her arm and smiled, then turned to walk away.
Josie was still a little flustered from their reaction to each other in the van, so she wasn't even aware that she had actually said, "Goodbye, Sam," until her she saw her mother's sharp glance. She had always thought of him as Sam, but she had never, to her knowledge, made such a slip to his face. Josie clapped a hand over her mouth as if she were trying to capture the words, but was too late.
Josie's soft voice flowing over his first name sent a warm jolt through Sam's system. He stopped dead in his tracks, shocked at the intensity of the feeling. The night on the telephone when she had done this, he'd been able to rationalize that she was just not herself and therefore it meant nothing. But this time, he had no such excuses. He closed his eyes for a split second, trying to regain his composure, and then turned back to Josie.
Josie stammered, trying desperately to cover herself. "I�I'm sorry�Mr. Coulson. I didn't mean�"
"It's okay, Josie�really." Sam tried to reassure her. "No harm done." He smiled at her softly and then turned to walk back into the store.
As soon as Sam was out of earshot, Janet Geller said sternly, "Josie, you need to tell that young man the truth. You've tortured him long enough. Can't you see he has feelings for you?"
Josie was completely confused now. Did Sam actually have feelings for her other than pity? She thought about his girlfriend hanging all over him at Club Delloser and decided she was kidding herself. He was just a great teacher taking an interest in a student and being kind to her overlooking her mistake.
Josie rolled her eyes, obviously not believing her. "Mother, he has a girlfriend, a beautiful girlfriend� remember I told you about her? He's talked to me about her more than once. I met her and they've been together five years. He just feels sorry for me because I'm an outcast, that's all. He's a nice guy and a wonderful teacher. A guy like that would never be interested in someone like me, even if he did know I was 25, Mom. He just says nice things because you are my mother. I mean, come on, Mom�He didn't come out and say, 'I am in love with Josie,' did he?"
"He didn't have to." Janet Geller replied, shaking her head at her daughter's refusal to see the truth. "I've seen that look before, and I'm telling you, it was written all over his face every time he looked at you. Besides, he told me the girlfriend is pretty much out of the picture. I think his main problem is that he is feeling all kinds of guilt because he thinks he's fallen for one of his students. Why don't you just think of his feelings for one minute and give the guy a break?"
"Mother, I just met his girlfriend Thursday night. She was staying with him. You must have misunderstood. His girlfriend was all over him and he did nothing to indicate he didn't like it. His girlfriend is beautiful and sophisticated and everything I'm not. Why would he want me, when he already has her?"
Her mother answered simply, "Because you're everything she's not. Besides, you are beautiful, honey, and it's plain to see that Sam thinks so, too. If he only knew that you were someone he was allowed to be interested in, I'd bet that other girl would be gone so fast your head would spin." She placed a soothing hand on Josie's forearm. "You should tell him. He's a decent and honorable man; I'm sure he would keep your secret."
Josie threw up her hands in frustration. "I can't tell him the truth, Mom. I'd lose my job."
Janet gave her daughter a knowing look. "Is that really the reason you're afraid to tell him? Or is there something else?"
Josie sighed deeply and tried to explain. "He likes my writing and encourages me every day in his class. He believes in me more than Gus or Anita or anyone at the paper. He has already done so much for me� I can't expect him to fall in love with me too, can I?" She almost looked as if she would cry. "What if I tell him the truth and he says, 'Oh no, sorry, but you misunderstood,' what happens then? We would both be too embarrassed to face each other. It would be much harder on him if I tell him the truth now, because then he'd think I expected something from him beyond him being my teacher. Oh Mom, somebody as wonderful as Sam could never love someone like me."
Janet sighed, sad for her daughter. "Josie, honey, you are so wrong�about all of it. You know, someday you're going to have to believe in something enough, want something badly enough to take a chance on it. You're going to have to put yourself in the line of fire, so to speak, and believe that, for once, things will work out. By hiding behind your fear, you are risking hurting someone who truly cares about you. Is that really what you want?"
Josie closed her eyes to keep the tears from falling. Sam was the most wonderful, beautiful, kind man she'd ever met. She would try her best to protect him, but there was just no way he could ever love 'Josie Grossie.' Only her parents and brother loved her. She knew that she would always love Sam for so many reasons, but he was too good for her, way out of her reach. She knew that he was in a long-term relationship and moving to New York soon to be with Ms. Perfect. Her only hope was that when all this was over that she and Sam could be friends. She believed that was the most she could hope for in life: to be Sam Coulson's friend.
* * *
Meanwhile, Sam was walking on air. Josie's mother had liked him, just as he had liked her. And she'd told him that Josie had talked about him a lot. Sam hoped that just maybe that meant Josie felt the connection between them as well. And then Josie had called him by his first name again. And this time she was wide awake. She'd been embarrassed, but he realized that meant that secretly, this was how she was thought of him� as an equal rather than an authority figure. He was grinning when he walked back up to Joanna and Jonathan.
"So, what happened, Romeo?" Jonathan couldn't help teasing Sam just a little.
"Her mother was very nice. She told me that Josie talks about me a lot and that I've really helped her find her confidence in herself." Sam beamed.
"What is it about the women in that family that have you grinning like an idiot all the time?" Jon teased. But then he continued, "See, I told you, Sam, just take some time and get to know her. Josie already likes you. It's not like she's going anywhere. You just have to make sure that the other stuff is settled. So what's the verdict on my favorite person, Lara?" Jonathan had to ask.
Sam shook his head and grinned at Jon. It was no secret to Sam that none of his friends liked Lara any more than she liked them.
"That's over. I just have to tell her," Sam said firmly.
Then Sam settled in to help Jon pick out planks of wood for the deck project. Still, Jon and Joanna kept exchanging amused and excited looks behind his back. They were amazed that their normally, cool, levelheaded, laidback friend could get so distracted by a woman. Not to mention his determination to finally end things with Lara. No news could be better than that. Finally, they finished getting their supplies and loading the wood on top of the car.
As they were driving home, Joanna watched Sam in the rearview mirror. She had known Sam a long time, ever since high school. He had always been a good friend to Jon and then to her when she became part of their circle. He never begrudged her presence, like many other men would have done.
So when she received inside knowledge from a friend of hers with regard to Sam's witch of a girlfriend's antics a couple of months ago, Joanna had itched to run to him and tell him all about it. But, after discussing it with Jon, they agreed to wait. After all, even though they both hated Lara with a passion, they also felt that it would be wrong for them to interfere to the point where it would destroy Sam's relationship with her. At that point, both of them thought the news would devastate him, and Joanna thought the world of Sam and would never knowingly hurt him.
But, in light of today's events, she felt that the time was right to tell him what she knew. She turned around in her seat to look at him. "Sam I have something I need to tell you."
Sam met her eye and nodded for her to continue, curious.
"I'm hoping that it will make things easier for you," she started.
"What things?" Sam asked.
"Breaking up with Lara things. I wasn't going to tell you this because I didn't want to hurt you, and besides I didn't want to be the reason you broke up with her. But now that you're telling us you are going to break up with Lara anyway�" Joanna looked uncomfortable, but she forged ahead. "Audrey, a friend of mine from college, works at a firm in the same building as Lara. She told me that Lara has been dating other men. Actually, she has quite a reputation, and has dated at least two of the guys in Audrey's firm. She said that, after a little asking around, people have told her that Lara has been dating for at least two years now." She sneaked a peek at Sam's face. He looked shocked.
"Don't you see, Sam? She's been openly dating there, while insisting that you not date here. So, don't feel guilty about Lara, Sam. She's a selfish monster. She only thinks about herself. According to Audrey, she's holding on to you until she finds a cash cow to sink her claws into. Only the guys she's met in New York don't seem to be interested in more than a casual relationship with her, which is why I assume she is still with you.
"Lara's been dating other people?" Sam was still reeling from this revelation. Lara had been the one to insist upon a monogamous relationship, and he had more than kept up his end of the bargain, all while she was dating other men and God knew what else behind his back.
What amazed Sam was the realization that he didn't feel a bit jealous by the fact that Lara was with other men, while he felt insanely jealous if another guy even looked at Josie. Suddenly he felt certain that he was doing the right thing by ending his relationship to Lara. After all, if she was lying to him about something as fundamental as remaining faithful to him, what else might she be hiding? Still, it did hurt deeply that Lara had lied to him, had hidden the truth from him. There was that comparison again because in his heart, he knew Josie would never do that.
Sam reached forward and rested his hand lightly on Joanna's shoulder, letting her know without words that he understood what she was trying to do. "Thanks for telling me, Jo. I'm sure it was hard for you. But it certainly makes this easier for me because I won't feel guilty now."
Joanna patted his hand with her own and smiled back. "You're welcome, Sam."
* * *
Much later, Sam was back at his apartment, sitting in his leather armchair thinking about all that had happened the last few days. He thought back to what Josie's mother had said about her being hurt so badly. He wondered again what could have happened to have done so much damage to her psyche. He realized that it was all the more urgent that he end it with Lara, in light of the fact that Josie was so insecure about herself. Thinking he was moving across the country to be with Lara couldn't be helping matters any. It certainly would explain the way she withdrew from him at times, especially if she did harbor some feelings for him. He just hoped that when the time was right, Josie would realize that he was sincere in his affection and that Lara couldn't hold a candle to her, in his eyes at least.
This last thought spurred him on to action. As Sam sat back and rested his head against the backrest, he picked up the receiver and dialed Lara's number, planning what he would say. He couldn't wait to end things once and for all. He was actually excited to get it over with, because he realized that breaking up with Lara brought him one step closer to Josie. Yes, in one way he felt like a fool for being so loyal to Lara for so long, but he felt that it was a blessing in disguise in another way because it had kept him waiting for Josie.
He made numerous attempts to call Lara, but finally gave up, deciding she must be "out" for the evening�in his mind, further confirmation of what Joanna had told him.
So far, despite the fact that he had found out his girlfriend of five years had been lying to and cheating on him, this weekend he had been dreading had turned into the best weekend of Sam's life. He finally knew what he wanted out of life and, more importantly, who he wanted it with. And truthfully, it had relieved him to hear Lara had cheated on him because it brought him that much closer to someone he knew he could trust.
* * *
To be continued�
* * *
Next Installment
< ahref="http://www.geocities.com/nbkonline/canttakemyeyesoffofyoulyrics.html">Song Lyrics
Back to Stories Page