I know that you all have been waiting for this new installment with baited breath. Sorry... However, I think you'll find it was worth the wait! I will try to get back to the 'once a week on the weekends' schedule so that you won't have to wait too long for the next one! As usual, feedback is highly appreciated. I especially like hearing what your favorite parts of the stories are! You can let me know either by writing me and e-mail at [email protected] or by leaving me a message on the NBK message board.
Hmmm, Sam thought, this could be rather interesting. After all, how many chances was he going to have to ask Josie absolutely anything he wanted and be guaranteed a response? This was too good to pass up. He curled himself into the other corner of the loveseat and said, "Okay, You're on�but I get to go first."
"All right," Josie replied. "But let me grab my glass first� From that look on your face, I have the feeling that I may need it�"
Sam laughed. Then he asked, "Hey, can you grab mine, too?"
Silently, Josie complied with his request, handing the half empty flute to him. Then she placed her glass on the table next to the loveseat. "Okay, I'm ready now," Josie said.
Sam stared down into his glass and swirled the liquid around for a second, watching the bubbles pop. Then he looked at Josie and asked, "What is the most embarrassing nickname anyone ever gave you? And don't say 'Josie Grossie' because I already know about that one."
Josie breathed a sigh of relief. This was a question she could handle. "My dad calls me 'Pussycat'�you know, from 'Josie and the Pussycats'? That's supposedly the source of my name. Anyway, it was all right when I was three�but he still uses it all the time�and he doesn't care where we are or whom we are with. It's awful."
Sam laughed softly and shook his head in sympathy.
"What about you?" Josie countered. "What is your most embarrassing nickname?"
Sam leaned back and laid his left arm along the back of the loveseat. "Well, I'd have to say the most embarrassing nickname I've ever had was an 'Abby Original'. She called me 'Splat!' Actually, once in a while, when I do something particularly stupid, she still uses it."
Josie covered her mouth with her hand to try to stop giggling, but for some reason was failing miserably. "How on earth did you get the nickname 'Splat!'?"
"Well, honestly, the story is more embarrassing than the nickname, but it would explain to you my fear of heights," Sam replied.
After taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he continued, "When I was 5, I was obsessed with Spiderman and loved how he could walk up the sides of buildings and all that stuff. All I wanted for my 6th birthday were these Spiderman pajamas I had seen on TV. They were the two piece cotton kind with feet�" He paused as Josie burst out laughing. "Anyway�" He gave her a quelling look, and then proceeded. "�They had feet and even had a hood attached to the shirt so that it really looked like a Spiderman suit. Seeing that it was the only thing I asked for, I got them, of course. For weeks, I lived in those pajamas, to the extent that when I went in for a bath, the pajamas got washed so that I could put them back on again."
Josie was grinning from ear to ear at the thought of how adorable Sam would have been as a boy running around in those ridiculous looking pajamas, pretending he was Spiderman� She actually had to bite the side of her cheek to keep from laughing again.
"It was a Saturday night around dinnertime�I think it may even have been the Saturday before school started, I'm not sure�I somehow got the harebrained idea that those pajamas gave me the same wall-climbing abilities as the 'real' Spiderman. I went up to my room, climbed out the window onto the roof, and tried to climb down via the drainpipe."
Josie clapped a hand over her mouth in horror and gasped, knowing what must be coming next.
"Yep, you guessed it� I didn't make it. Fell a story and a half to the ground and broke my right forearm. Luckily for me, I was over the grass instead of over the driveway or I'm sure it would have been much worse. Abby told me later on that I was right in front of the kitchen window so she and my mom saw me as I fell right by the glass. I suppose it must have been pretty comical in a twisted sort of way, like something you'd see on TV that never happens in real life. Anyway, after that, Abby used to call me "Splat!" because she said that was the sound I made when I hit the ground."
"Oh, no!" Josie said, not sure if it was really funny or really mean. "That's awful!"
"Not really," Sam said with a grin. "Abby was only joking when she said it, and I knew it. Besides, she never let anyone else call me that�especially Josh. She used to chase after him and tackle him whenever he did�"
"Off the subject a little�" Sam mused after a moment. "I think what really caused that fear of heights to set in was something I overheard the doctor say to my mother while he was setting my arm. He said something like, 'It was a miracle he didn't land head first and break his neck.'"
"Wow, no wonder you're so afraid! It's amazing how people can warp kids without even knowing it, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess so," Sam agreed. "Not the best bedside manner to have around an impressionable young boy." Then, he said with an evil grin, "Okay, my turn�now what do I want to ask�?" He tapped a finger against the side of his face in thought. He was making Josie suffer a little, and that was okay with him, since she did laugh about his Spiderman pajamas�
"Oh, I know�" Sam announced, still smirking. "�Knowing what I now know about you, I've been thinking about that night I ran into you at Delloser Hall. Your behavior was �shall I say?�a little out of character for you� What was that all about?"
Oh, God, Josie thought, closing her eyes against the fuzzy image of that night surfacing in her mind. How did I know he was going to ask me about that? Josie was more than a little embarrassed about her "performance" that night and preferred to blot out what little memory of it she had. "Do I really have to answer that?" she finally asked in a small voice.
Sam, enjoying her discomfort, reminded her, "Well, it was your idea not to have dares�but if you'd like to change your mind�" He grinned wickedly.
Josie took one look at the mischievous gleam in Sam's eyes and decided to cut her losses. She reached over for her glass and drained the last swallow of her champagne to steel herself for the telling of the tale. "Okay, okay, I'll tell you. But you have to promise not to laugh," she begged.
Sam had a hunch that this was not a promise he would be able to keep, so instead he said, "I promise I'll try not to laugh."
With that dubious assurance, Josie launched into her story. "Well, at the time, I was still trying to figure out a way to break into the "cool group." I thought that maybe if I showed up at a cool place and acted cool, I could do it. But I was way out of my league, as I soon discovered. I had no idea how to dance like them; I had no idea how to act like them. And when I approached their table, I got a serious case of cold shoulder. So, at a loss for what to do next, I sat down in an empty seat at the next table to think."
"When I looked up, I realized I had sat down at a table full of Rastafarians�"
As Josie paused in her narrative, Sam placed his glass on the table next to his elbow in order to cover his mouth with his hand. Yep, he was going to be right about his being unable to keep from laughing�
"Please don't tell me that you didn't know they were smoking marijuana, because I just can't believe it�I know you went to college. I would think that even you would recognize a joint when you saw it," Sam interjected. "Besides, you wouldn't have smoked anything anyway, would you?" Could she have gotten high just from the fumes, he wondered?
"I proofread an article on Rastafarians once," Josie said, by way of explanation. "Yes, I was aware that they often smoked marijuana, and no, I wouldn't have tried any. But it was my first time actually meeting them face-to- face. I didn't know what to expect. Actually, they were very nice to me, very pleasant. They didn't mind that I had invaded their space and actually invited me to stay. Maybe I should have considered that odd, but at the time I wasn't thinking all that clearly. My mind was on how to get those kids to like me."
Sam knew this story was leading somewhere fast, but didn't know where. "Okay, so you weren't drinking and you knew about the marijuana, so�"
Josie interrupted, "I knew that you could smoke marijuana�but I didn't know you could eat it�"
Sam's eyes grew as big as saucers and he started shaking in silent laughter, his hand clamped over his mouth. Choking back a laugh, he sputtered, "You couldn't�you didn't�"
"I could and I did. When they offered me a piece of their chocolate cake, I had absolutely no idea what it really was�I just knew it tasted so good that I couldn't put it down. I have a real weakness for chocolate, you know�" Josie trailed off helplessly as Sam started to chuckle again.
Sam knew, although not from personal experience, that often times eating marijuana was even more potent than smoking it. Trying to contain his smile, he asked, "And just how big was this piece of 'cake' that you ate?"
Sheepishly, Josie used her fingers to indicate a rectangle approximately 3" by 5" �enormous by pot brownie standards�and said, "About this big."
That was the last straw. The thought of Josie having no idea she was actually eating a huge pot brownie, unsuspectingly making herself higher than a proverbial kite, was too much to take. He collapsed against the back of the seat and giggled uncontrollably. Josie shook her head from side to side and rolled her eyes as his fit of laughter increased, causing him to slide off the loveseat completely and land gracelessly in a disheveled heap on the floor. Falling off the couch made Sam laugh even harder. He held both hands over his stomach as if it ached; tears leaked out from the corners of his eyes, and still he couldn't stop.
Josie, irritated by Sam's total lack of decorum, pouted and reached under her arm for one her many embroidered pillows and flung it at his head. "You promised you wouldn't laugh."
The force of the pillow's impact knocked Sam off balance just enough that he had to put out his right arm to keep from falling over completely. "I'm sorry�I can't help it," he gasped. "Oh, my God, you poor thing�" and then he collapsed completely back onto the floor in another fit of laughter.
"That's it!" Josie cried. "Now you're going to get it!" Armed with another pillow, she got onto the floor, knelt beside Sam, and started whacking him. Between thumps, she grunted, "This�is�not�funny!" But Josie was smiling in spite of herself as she said it.
A still-laughing Sam attempted to use his hands to shield himself from Josie's pillow. When that proved to be unsuccessful, he sat up and knelt next to Josie to wrestle the pillow from her. Then he pushed her over backwards onto the floor and trapped a wrist with each of his hands, holding her hands up above her head. His right leg placed over both of hers completed the trap.
Sam was still chuckling when he demanded of her, "Okay, do you give up?"
Josie didn't reply. She had suddenly sensed the intrinsic sensuality of their position. She couldn't move; she couldn't speak; she could only stare up at Sam helplessly as her awareness of him intensified. He looked very rakish with his impish grin, his tousled hair, and his sparkling green eyes. The soft, golden glow that washed over him from the fire behind her added a dreamlike quality to his presence. And then there was the aftershave. And the view she had of his chest where his shirt gaped open from leaning over her. Her fingers itched to run themselves through Sam's hair and to touch his bare skin, but of course, she couldn't, since he had her pinned by the wrists�
A little surprised at how still and quiet she had suddenly gotten, Sam glanced down at Josie, about to ask her if she were all right. He was not prepared for the jolt of raw desire he felt course through him when their eyes met and locked.
Sam hadn't realized until that moment just how compromising a position he had put Josie in. She lay beneath him, her arms held by him above her head, with no way to escape. The firelight cast shadows on her face even while it shimmered brightly in the halo of her hair. She was still breathing heavily from their scuffle with the pillow, and the rapid movement of her chest only served as a reminder of how tightly her lacy blouse hugged her curves. If that were not bad enough, the blouse had also come untucked from her pants when he pinned her hands down, which now allowed a tantalizing sliver of Josie's waist to show.
Sam could barely breathe as he dragged his gaze slowly up her body and back to her face. 'Stop!' his mind was screaming, 'You need to stop this right now!' He could feel the web of desire wrapping around them, but Josie's magnificent eyes would not let him break free. Giving in to temptation, he gently eased himself down to lie partially on top of Josie and kissed her.
Sam's kiss softened and deepened as he sensed Josie's immediate surrender. He loosened his grip on her wrists, his left hand sliding up to blend his fingers with Josie's, his right sliding down to cup the side of her face.
Now that Josie had a free hand, she slid it up over Sam's shoulder to bury her fingers in his hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him even closer to her. She reveled in the heaviness of his body lying partly on her, and rejoiced in his slow, seductive kisses. She felt like she was floating, as if she were in the midst of a dream. A dream she never wanted to wake up from. Slowly, her hand drifted from Sam's neck to the smooth shirt that covered his back.
Letting go of Josie's other hand, Sam slid his body down a little so that he could brace more of his weight on the leg that was now wedged between Josie's. Then he took his left arm and wrapped it under Josie's waist to close the gap between them. His right hand slid up into the cloud of her silky hair. Staring into Josie's smoldering green eyes, he slowly but purposefully tilted her head to the side to expose her neck. Next, bending his head, he placed a series of small, teasing kisses at the place where her neck and shoulder met.
At the touch of Sam's lips, Josie let out a breathy sigh and wrapped her other arm around his back. Each time he kissed a sensitive spot on her neck, she responded by clutching the material of his shirt in her fingers and moaning softly.
Sam couldn't believe how incredibly soft Josie's skin was; he had to have more. Moving his left hand slightly, he slid it carefully under the back hem of her blouse to rest his hand against the skin at the small of her back. Being near Josie, holding her, and kissing her were far more intoxicating than any wine. Once he had a taste of her, he couldn't stop. He rolled off Josie and onto his side so that he could wrap his other arm around her, hugging her close so that the entire length of their bodies were touching.
The heady sensations that Sam was creating inside Josie made her curious and bold. The smell of his aftershave, so close all around her, made her mouth dry and her heart pound. She wondered if could she make him feel as wonderful and out of control as she now felt�
She pulled her right arm free from under him and, using her hand to tilt Sam's chin, pulled his head up to look at her again. For a moment, they both held their breath at the awesome sight of the other's desire reflected in their eyes. Then Josie bent her head to kiss along Sam's jaw and down to his ear, slipping her other hand under the tail of his shirt to trace abstract patterns on his back.
Sam gasped at the lethal combination of Josie's breath whispering past his ear, the touch of her lips to his earlobe, and the scratch of her fingernails on his back. He swallowed painfully and closed his eyes, trying to fight against the exquisite blend of sensations, his heart beating wildly in his chest.
A quick glance at Sam's pained expression told Josie that he was as vulnerable to her touch as she was to his. She found this knowledge irresistible; she couldn't help pushing the envelope just a little bit further to see what would happen.
As Josie slowly nuzzled her way downward from Sam's ear, he shivered in anticipation. His neck, especially where it curved into his shoulder, was a very sensitive spot, one that could drive him crazy under the right conditions. And if his response to Josie so far were any indication, he was about to be in very deep trouble.
Again, Sam's voice of reason tried to interject, but at the first touch of her lips to the hollow just above his collarbone, it was already too late. Sam's head lolled back of its own volition as a low moan escaped his throat. He removed his left hand from under the back of Josie's blouse to press it against the back of her head in an unspoken request. His right hand slid higher up her bare back, which pulled the hem of her blouse higher as well.
When Josie traced a thin line down his collarbone with the tip of her tongue, he dug his fingers of his left hand deeply into her hair and kneaded her back impatiently with his right. As she slowly worked her way back to his neck, he moaned breathlessly, "Josie�" After a couple more shuddering breaths, he pleaded with her, "Please�please, you're killing me�" He slid his right hand over to her waist and used the leverage to tilt her just far enough away to break the contact of her lips to his neck.
After resting his forehead against Josie's for a minute with his eyes shut tight, trying to catch his breath, he opened his eyes and speared her with a scorching look. It was obvious even to Josie that he was fighting to maintain a tenuous hold on his self-control. Then, he leaned in to scatter several short, sweet kisses on her mouth and lightly touched his nose to hers before leaning back again with a soft smile on his face.
"Ah, Josie, I love you so much," he declared softly, using his right hand to brush her hair back off her face. He slipped his left arm out from under her and put his hand under his head to lean on his elbow.
Josie had to smile at his tender gesture. "I love you, too, Sam."
Sam pulled Josie toward him for a gentle hug. He laid his cheek against the top of her head and sighed deeply, happily. "I know you do," he replied, and placed a kiss in her hair before leaning back again to make eye contact.
A playful glint returned to Sam's eyes as he grinned at her and reminded her, "I think someone was in the middle of a story when we were, um, sidetracked�"
Oh, yes, Josie thought, the story. Damn. She propped herself up on her right elbow and looked down at the floor, embarrassed again. "There isn't that much more I can tell you�I don't remember a whole lot about what happened after that. You'd probably know more about it than me, actually."
Curious, Sam asked, "Well, what was it like? Do you remember how you felt?"
"Other than being insanely happy, not much. Oh, and everything was funny, that I remember, too. I think I got up to dance or something, because I have this vision in my head of looking at the cool group's table and thinking 'Look, I'm even cooler than they are�'" Josie trailed off as she struggled to recall the hazy memory.
Sam flashed her a sympathetic look and then told her, "You did slightly more than dance, Josie. You got up on stage and danced with the band."
Josie's eyes widened in shock. How could she have forgotten that important little detail? But now her memory of looking down at the cool table made more sense. She covered her face with her hand and asked from behind it, "Did I do anything really embarrassing?"
Sam sighed self-consciously. He hated to be the one to break the news to her. He tried to lighten the blow with humor. "Well, that depends. If you consider shuffling across the stage with a pink feather boa between your legs or playing your butt like they were bongo drums embarrassing, then yes."
Josie blushed so badly, her cheeks were crimson. "Oh, God�" she moaned, rolled onto her back, put both hands over her face, and prayed for instant death.
Sam leaned over her and chuckled kindly. "Josie, it wasn't that bad. Really."
Josie sat back up on her elbow suddenly and demanded, "Oh yeah? Well, what did you think of it then?"
"Your dancing?" he asked. When she nodded expectantly, he answered, "I will admit that at first I was a little shocked and surprised. This was a side of you I hadn't seen before in class. But, mostly, I was amused."
Josie had to ask. "Is it safe to assume that Lara was not amused?"
Sam smirked. "That would be a safe assumption, yes. She looked disgusted and said something like, 'That's one of your students?' �almost as if I had something to do with your decision to get up on stage and dance like that."
Josie smiled just a little and replied, "Well, I'm glad I had the pleasure, however unintentional, of disgusting her in person."
Sam laughed. "You really don't like her very much, do you?"
"Other than her pesky resemblance to a Black Widow spider�I think she's great," Josie deadpanned.
Sam joked, "Gee, Josie, why don't you tell me how you really feel about her�"
Josie surprised Sam with her immediate comeback. "I would, if I thought I could get away with it�"
Sam didn't want to go there�at least not tonight. "Anyway�" he said, pausing to let Josie know he was changing the subject, "How did you end up getting home that night? I would think that you weren't in a fit state to drive�"
"George told me later that he made sure I got home all right. I don't really know what that means; he didn't elaborate. But I made it home safe and sound," Josie replied.
"Then what happened?" Sam asked. "What did you do when you got home? Did you get the 'munchies'?" He smiled.
Josie pushed up off her elbow and sat up, crossing her legs Indian style. She rolled her eyes, shook her head, and smiled. "Uh�you could say that. When I called my brother Rob to tell him of my social triumph at the club, I sat eating forkfuls out of an apple pie. So� I'm talking and eating and talking and eating�and then the fork went 'clink' against the pie tin. I looked down, completely confused. I remember telling Rob in this amazed voice, 'Oh, my God! Someone ate my entire pie!' Sam was chuckling again. She laughed a little in response. "I had no idea that I had eaten it all. I was convinced that someone broke in and ate it when I wasn't looking."
Sam laughed harder. "You ate a whole pie?"
"Yup. Every last bit of it. Then I promptly fell asleep, right there at the breakfast counter." Josie continued. "I ended up oversleeping and didn't even get a chance to change the next morning�As a matter of fact, I didn't even have time to look in the mirror before running out the door�a decision which began the single worst day I had at South Glen South, even worse than the first day of school."
Sam stopped laughing and sat up, thinking. "Now that you mention it, I think I remember noticing that you were wearing the same dress in class, but you seemed really despondent that day, so I didn't stop to ask you about it�" Sam commented. "Why? What happened that made it so awful?"
Josie sighed deeply. "Only I could have luck this bad�" Josie paused for a moment and then began, "You may not have been unpopular in school, Sam, but I'm sure that you have noticed either then or since working at South Glen that kids can be very cruel." Sam nodded as she continued, "When you are on the fringe of unpopularity, as I was, all it takes is one thing to push you over the cliff and brand you forever as unpopular, or at least for the rest of your high school career. Well, I picked a doozy of a one thing, let me tell you."
"As I walked down the main hallway toward my locker, all I could think of was how cool I had been the night before and that the cool kids would certainly accept me into their fold then. I boldly approached Guy and his friends and said a friendly hello. He looked at me strangely for a moment and then he retorted, 'Hello�loser!' Then someone else from his group called me a loser. And then suddenly it was like I was reliving my real high school days over again, running the gauntlet of kids pointing and laughing. I had no idea what I had done to suddenly earn their teasing and revulsion. I ran into the nearest bathroom just to hide and try to regain my composure."
Josie looked up and met Sam's eyes, which were full of concern. "So, then what happened?" Sam prompted.
"Well, I went to the sink to splash water on my face and when I looked up, I saw the reason for their ridicule. I must have slept on my hand, because part of the stamp from the club had transferred itself to my forehead�specifically, the last five letters. I literally had the word 'loser' tattooed on my forehead."
"Oh, Josie�" Sam trailed off, hurting for her and not knowing what to say.
"Yeah, well� That really was the last straw for me. I was completely humiliated. I was convinced then that I had no hope whatsoever to break into the 'in' crowd, and I couldn't accomplish my mission without them. I grabbed my bag and tore out of that bathroom, intent on running right to the Principal's Office to withdraw from school. I was crying and bumping into people; I didn't care. I just had to get out of there."
Sam reached over to Josie's lap to hold one of her hands in both of his, rubbing his thumbs up and down her fingers in silent support. "So�what happened to change your mind? Since I know you didn't withdraw from school�" He smiled gently.
A small rueful chuckle escaped from Josie's lips before she explained, "I made it all the way to the Principal's Office just to have someone accidentally close the door in my face. I ran smack into it. Knocked me out cold."
Sam tilted his head a little and shook it back and forth in disbelief, even as his eyes mourned for her.
"When I came to, I found my brother Rob standing over me. I thought for a moment that it must have been a dream. But then he explained to me that he had forged himself an ID and applied to go to school there as well. He promised to help get me into the 'cool group'. He also hoped that maybe he would get scouted while he played on the baseball team, so his motives were not altogether altruistic."
"I was not convinced that he would be able to help me. After all, I had been there for 3 weeks and had had no luck at all. But I didn't take into account that he used to be a popular kid in high school. By lunchtime, he had already integrated himself into the popular crowd. It was his influence that eventually changed the minds of Guy and his gang and allowed me to infiltrate their circle, thus opening up the possibility for me to find my story," Josie concluded.
"You know, I'm still a little amazed that you were able to play the part of a teenager so well. Well, most of the time, anyway�" Sam trailed off and smiled at Josie, referring to her less-than-teenage response to him whenever she was around him. "All that time, no one suspected you� Not even me. And trust me, if I had suspected you were 25 years old instead of 17, I would have confronted you with it. Would have made my life a whole lot easier, that's for sure."
"I wanted to tell you so many times, but I was afraid to," Josie said earnestly, gripping both of his hands with hers to squeeze them. "The fear of losing my job was certainly a factor, but mostly I think that I was afraid I had imagined your feelings for me and that I would have simply humiliated myself in front of you if I said anything."
"Never. I would never have done anything to hurt you even if you had been wrong about my feelings," Sam vowed.
They sat in silence for a moment, hands clasped and smiling at each other. Josie removed her hands from Sam's to push herself up off the floor. Then she reached down and put her hand out for Sam's. He gave it to her and she helped him stand as well. Then, they both sat back down in their neutral corners of the loveseat.
"Okay, now�whose turn is it?" Josie asked, half to herself and half to Sam. Before Sam could answer, she remembered, "Oh, wait! It's my turn." Josie gave Sam a teasing smile before she asked, "What attribute of mine do you find the hardest to resist?"
Sam raised a silent eyebrow at the question. God, he had to pick just one? Besides, he didn't know how wise it would be for Josie to have that kind of knowledge, which could then be used against him�but then again, maybe he liked the idea a little too much. He felt his temperature start to rise at that thought and tugged a little self-consciously at the collar of his shirt.
"Well�" Sam still hesitated. "Okay. But don't torture me too much with this information."
Josie said nothing, and certainly did not agree to Sam's terms. She simply grinned like a Cheshire cat and waited patiently for him to continue.
Finally, Sam sighed and continued, having a sinking feeling that he would regret telling her this later. "My greatest weakness is absolutely your eyes. I get so lost in them. They pull me in and then I just have to kiss you. I can't seem to help myself when you look at me."
Josie was stunned at Sam's rather bald confession. Her eyes did those things to Sam? Really? They made him have to kiss her? Wow! She couldn't believe it. "Really?"
Josie looked so surprised and amazed that Sam couldn't help but smile. "Yes� Really. They are very dangerous, trust me."
Josie looked down briefly at her lap and smiled, embarrassed but happy. Her hands slid up to cover her cheeks, which were tinged with pink.
Sam wrinkled his nose impishly and returned, "Same question."
Josie's blush deepened until her cheeks were flaming. She peeked up at Sam shyly and asked in almost a whisper, "Tonight? Or just in general?"
Sam smiled slightly, but kept his eyes trained on her expression. "Both."
Josie took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. "Well�" she started awkwardly, keeping her eyes trained on her hands twisting about in her lap, "in general, I'd say it's probably a tie between your incredible green eyes and your deep, sexy voice�"
Sam raised an eyebrow at the 'sexy voice' part, as if in disbelief, but did not comment. He simply studied Josie as he waited for her to continue.
Josie looked up from her hands to gauge Sam's reaction to her statement. He seemed calmly expectant, almost the same as a cat waiting to pounce. She wasn't sure if that prospect frightened or excited her more. Then she continued, her eyes connecting with his, "But tonight�it is definitely the aftershave. It is driving me crazy! What are you wearing?"
His aftershave drove her crazy? This was a piece of information he needed to store away for future use� "Drakkar�have you heard of it?"
The name brought to mind a convex, opaque, black bottle she'd seen at the department store perfume counter. Why did it not surprise her that he'd pick something black? It seemed to be his favorite color.
"I've heard of it," she replied, dry mouthed just at the thought of the smell of his aftershave. "But I've never had the pleasure of experiencing it before." She was quite positive, however, that on someone else, it would not be the same. It could only be this intoxicating on Sam, she was sure.
A teasing smile hinted at the corners of his mouth as he deadpanned, "Well, now you have."
Sam's roguish look made Josie laugh just a little, which broke the tension that had been building between them again. They sat in silence for a moment while Josie tried to think of a whopper of a question to ask Sam. If she had to confess to him about the aftershave, she thought, then darn it; he was going to have to divulge something even better.
And then suddenly, Josie knew just what to ask. She smiled innocently and then dropped her bomb on Sam: "How old were you the first time you made love?"
Sam stared at Josie, dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open in disbelief at what he'd just heard. His mouth went completely dry. "What?" he croaked.
Josie just grinned triumphantly, pleased that she had flustered him so much. "You heard me�" She trailed off and looked at him expectantly.
Oh, boy. Sam was not expecting a question like this. Somehow, he thought that Josie's innocence would have kept her steered clear of this subject. Apparently, he was wrong� He tugged at his shirt collar self-consciously. "Um�" Sam let out a nervous sigh. "I don't suppose I could take the dare here, huh?" He grinned sheepishly at Josie.
"Nope, sorry," Josie informed him. "Come on, Sam�you're stalling�"
"Okay�" Sam paused for a long moment before continuing, "Let's see� I was a freshman in college, so that means I was�18; closer to my 19th birthday than my 18th, actually." Sam was not looking at Josie. He couldn't. He was afraid of what he might do if he saw those eyes of hers while discussing this.
"Eighteen? Isn't that a little old for a guy?" Josie asked curiously.
He considered her statement. He knew that it was not any sort of derogatory comment on her part; she simply was curious about his motives. "It's not like I didn't have opportunities before then," he confessed. "I did. But, unlike many guys, I was not in any sort of hurry. Thanks in part to Abby's influence; I came to realize early that sex was really not that special unless you really cared about the person you were with. Otherwise, sex is just sex. Not much different than what you could do by yourself, if you know what I mean. It was the emotional attachment to the person you're with that made it so incredible, so earth shattering. I was not interested in anything less than that."
"Sally and I dated for almost six months before we made love for the first time. And I'm glad I waited, because it really did make the difference."
"How long did you date Sally?" Josie asked, curious.
"For that whole first year of school," Sam replied, forgetting about his earlier discomfort now that the conversation was on safer ground. "Met her in my Political Science class. Hated the class, but I loved her� She was sweet and genuine, much like you." He smiled at the comparison. "But she transferred to Dartmouth over the summer that year. So, even though we kept in touch after that, the relationship ended. She actually went on to become part of the administration after graduation."
"Let me guess�" Josie teased playfully, "She was some of the 'strings' you pulled to get that Admissions guy to look at my work, huh?"
Sam had the good grace to blush just slightly. "Yes," he admitted. "She is a guidance counselor there."
"Well, she must think pretty highly of you to help you out with that�" Josie could well imagine someone still having a soft spot for Sam, even years after the fact.
"I guess you could say that we are still acquaintances. You know, Christmas cards and a couple of calls a year. She's engaged now, and will be getting married in the spring. Nice guy; I met him over the holidays last year."
Josie nodded, her eyes lowering to her lap, falling silent once again.
Josie's reaction made him wonder what she was thinking. He decided that maybe he could lighten the moment a little with his next question. He was sure he already knew the answer, but he wanted to watch Josie's reaction to him asking it. His eyes twinkling with amusement, he leaned forward and asked Josie teasingly, "What about you? When was your first time?"
Whatever reaction Sam was expecting, what he got wasn't it. Instead of laughing, blushing, or looking embarrassed, she slowly raised her eyes to his and stared him down, saying in a steady, firm voice, "I will be twenty-five."
* * *