Sami Brady loved men.

In the same way that one loved a flesh eating virus, or maybe the disgusting Uncle who thought it was funny to fart at family dinners. So, no she didn't actually 'love' men, she mostly couldn't stand them. Though, to be fair like any red-blooded heterosexual female, she appreciated the view.

Take exhibit number one.

'Hello gorgeous!'

He was absolute perfection – eyes hazel colored with flecks of gold, green and dare she say mahogany, chocolate hair, chiseled jaw with a hint of stubble adding a rugged quality. If there ever was a poster child for every girl's fantasy…

Normally she could handle an encounter like this, pleasantries, a little eye candy, all's well, and had she not suffered her father, Roman Brady's, call just moments before, she would have smiled, nodded and endured a benign encounter with the striking specimen in front of her. However, the unexpected 'Ms. Brady, your father is on the line' had rubbed her the wrong way. She hated it when the 'Almighty Commissioner' couldn't deign to pick up the phone and call his former felon of a daughter, and she suspected the man knew it too; and to make matters worse, it was yet another call to not-so-gently remind her to keep her nose out of trouble.

Maybe it had been fitting that his assistant had patched her through then. Sami didn't fight, didn't try to convince her father, she had changed and that youth and the pain of an absent mother had led to some of her shenanigans. It was simply easier to lick her wounds in private, for there were things far greater an absent father and a mother who thought more of the life she could build with her lover than a life with her daughter.

So now, meeting the Adonis was more annoyance than appreciation and she was sure her face reflected it. Instead of answering his simple greeting, she merely cocked an eyebrow in acknowledgement, hoping he would quickly shove off. Instead, his eyes moved her face with an element of intrigue and a damnable smirk appeared on his lips.

He tilted his head to the side, and she wondered if he had any idea he did that.

"I'm EJ," he spoke again and this time she heard his British accent (as if he couldn't get any hotter). "I just transferred from Oxford, and I spoke to Professor Horton. He said you're the note-taker for his class. So I thought what better time to get caught up."

Sami was sure there was supposed to be a question in there somewhere, but caught so much in what he said she immediately blurted, "You transferred from Oxford? To Salem University? What the hell were you thinking?"

Sami asked in disbelief, knowing she'd give anything to put an ocean between her and bumfuck, Illinois.

EJ quirked an eyebrow in her direction and she blushed as she realized how rude she was being. Flustered, she looked away and immediately dove into her folder to pull out the notes, turning red when she heard his muffled chuckling. Sheepishly she turned back to him, handing him the papers as she mumbled' sorry'.

"Don't be," he replied, "You're refreshingly candid and… rather fetching."

At that Sami just about rolled her eyes, because his compliment had dragged her ass back down to earth, annoyance pushing away She wasn't stupid and he had made sure the truth now, she wasn't some great beauty and any guy that tried to tell her that was obviously blowing smoke up her ass, just like…

Thoughts of him always soured her mood and so, far more abrupt that she probably would have been, she handed EJ her notes and said, "You can just bring them back this afternoon after class."

Once again he looked at her quizzically, but Sami simply stared back.

"Thank you, Samantha." He finally said.

Sami didn't even watch him walk away nor was she privy to the fact that he kept looking over his shoulder until she was out of sight.

After a few moments, she rose dusting off her jeans, intent on coffee before her next class, but before getting too far, she heard someone calling out to her.

"Sami, wait up!"

It was Jamie Caldwell, her roommate, best friend, total pain in the… She waited for her to catch up. Jamie was a true friend and had been with Sami through some of her scrapes, staid and levelheaded to Sami's spontaneous scheming nature, she would be a lot worse off if she didn't have her in her life. Sami smiled at her as she approached.

"What were you doing talking to him?" Jamie asked, once she had joined her.

The unexpected starting point threw her for a loop. Narrowing her eyes, she responded, "I'm assuming that you're talking about the guy that just asked for my notes. He's a transfer student."

"I know who he is. Do you know who he is?" Jamie rolled her eyes. Sami watched as she huffed in mock exasperation. "I swear sometimes, I don't even recognize you, Sami."

It was a statement that probably held a lot of truth, but after the farce with first Austin and then Lucas, she had changed. She no longer wanted to find the elusive perfect love or even the perfect guy. She was focused on her studies and then getting as far away from Salem as she could. Jamie had been the opposite, while Sami had become more conservative, Jamie finally had the freedom to enjoy life as she didn't when stuck under her parents' roof and so now more than ever, she indulged her friend.

Sami merely raised a brow while Jamie slapped her arm playfully, "That was EJ Dimera."

"Yeah, he mentioned his name," Sami remarked, but continued to stare at her blankly.

"Come on, Sami," She coaxed rolling her eyes, "Everyone is talking about him on campus. He's a professional racecar driver and rich, not to mention good looking."

Sami shrugged, but now she had to admit she was intrigued by the story.

"I heard through someone who knows somebody back in the jolly old England that the reason he transferred was that he had slept with half the females in every faculty, including professors. It was getting ridiculous to the point where it was fire two-thirds of the faculty or get rid of him," Jamie elaborated, staring at her incredulously like it was a sin for her not to know.

"Jamie, you don't really believe that crap right? He would have to be Superman… or hung like a horse, " she answered, raising an eyebrow.

"Option number two and you've seen his eyes, those things are like Kryptonite to women."

Sami looked at her best friend and recognizing the seriousness on her face couldn't help but laugh, "Well at least he's having fun."

"Oh God! Let's not go back to the sob tales of Sami's forced celibacy," she said in mock horror as she turned away.

Jamie would joke because despite how close they were, she had never told her about him. Sami forced her voice to be light as she spoke past the lump in her throat. "You're one to talk. At least you have a boyfriend."

"You always say that as if you have no choice. The end of the world, people! Beware!" She spouted theatrically. Giving her the stink-eye Sami began to walk off.

Instead of taking her annoyance seriously her best friend just linked hands with her and continued, "Just because Austin and Lucas were assholes who found fulfillment in chasing Carrie's skirt doesn't mean there is no one out there for you Sami. You're not over-the-hill yet. You have so much time to find the right guy and if you'd stop hiding your beautiful heart because someone once broke it… you'd realize they are a lot of guys –the right kind of guys - out there who are interested."

Sami inclined her head in acknowledgement. This wasn't the first time they had this conversation. Jamie, despite everything that had happened to her, still believed in happily-ever-afters as Sami herself once had. She had realized what a crock it was somewhere between her drugging Austin and the night that... And yes, it may have taken something devastating to come to that conclusion, but she was no worse for it.

So she said, "I'm not interested in anyone. I'm done with that. I just want to get my degree, have a little fun with my best friend and get as far as I can from this one trick town as I can."

"Whatever," it was Jamie's turn to roll her eyes.

Deciding to change the subject Sami said, "The next tutorial is at ten and I really need breakfast, and more importantly my first cup of coffee. Let's get a bite."