Samantha walked into her bar and sat down at the bar resting her head on the cold wood. She wore a tea length black dress that hugged her body until her waist then flared out. Her hair was done up like it had been done professionally. Her make up was light, but it still accented her features perfectly.

"Oh Sammy, honey, what happened?" the bartender asked in an overly feminine tone even though he was a man. He wore the uniform of the bartenders of her bar, a black t-shirt and blue jeans with suspenders. His suspenders were rainbow decorated along with his belt. His name was Benji and one of Samantha's best friends. He poured her a shot of whiskey and slid it over to her.

"It was awful. I was horribly disappointed." She grabbed the shot only lifting her head off the bar to take it. Her head fell back onto the bar.

"Did he whip it out in front of you and you not like what you saw?" Same raised her head enough to send him a glare. He slid her another shot as a peace offering. Her head shot up and she grabbed the shot tipping it back then slammed it back down on the bar.

"You want to know what that ass hole did, Benji?" she asked pointing a finger in his face.

"Come on, sweetness, stop making me wait!" he said pouring her three more shots. He knew how to get her to talk. She did two back to back, shivered, then took the last one.

"I'll tell you what that ass hole did!" The alcohol she ingested quickly had started to cloud the corners of her mind and vision. She shook her head to clear it away. "So, there I was in my apartment all anxious and excited that I was finally going out with a seemingly decent guy that was actually wanting a relationship instead of a quick and disappointing one-night-stand, right?"

"Right."

"Right." She rubbed her temple slowly shaking her head. She sighed before continuing. "Anyhow, he knocks on my door and when I opened it, he had a bouquet of beautiful flowers for me." She feigned a swoon then slouched her shoulders. Benji was mixing a drink for another customer that was standing near Sammy. "We had to stop to buy a vase for the flowers because, you know, all my other vases were full," she said sarcastically.

"Obviously," Benji joked back.

"Well, he takes me to this really, really nice restaurant. We sit down, start talking, laughing and giggling."

"I don't see where he's an ass hole yet," Benji said sliding the drink to the customer near her.

"I'm getting there. Now hush up and listen." Benji leaned his elbow on the bar resting his chin on his fist giving Sammy his full attention. "All the sudden he gets real serious." Sammy grabbed the edge of the bear leaning forward and widened her eyes in an exaggerated fashion of seriousness. Benji had to force himself not to laugh. "This douchebag goes," she lowered her voice to sound more manly, "You know, baby, you sure are beautiful. Why don't you sneak under the table and lick my lollipop." She dropped her forehead back onto the bar signaling the end of the story.

It didn't take long for Benji to start laughing. Sammy lifted her hand to give him the finger. Benji began pulling the pins out of her hair so that when she lifted her hair it waterfalled down her back to her waistline. Benji handed her a bottle of liquor and a shot glass. He was trying to hold back the laugh, but was failing miserably. Sammy pushed the heels of her hands into her eyes in hopes of releasing the pressure that was there. She smiled then began laughing with Benji. She reached across the bar grabbing his hands.

"You're the only man for me, Benji. Why did Zeke have to find you before me?" Benji ran his thumbs over her hands.

"Oh, trust me, honey, if it wasn't for the fact that I bat for your team, I'd climb you like Mount Everest." Sammy giggled then gave a pathetic sigh.

"Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've been climbed?"

"This seems sexual," a new voice said behind them. Sammy dropped Benji's hands and turned around.

"You're correct, Zekey Boy. I'm trying to steal your boyfriend." Zeke was definitely the "man" in the relationship. He stood 6'3" weighing in at 230 of nothing but pure muscle. Which is why he was the head of security at the bar. Zeke and Sammy had grown up together. Sammy was the person Zeke had first come out to. Sammy stood by his side when he finally came out to his parents. She took him in after his parents kicked him out for being gay.

"Wasn't you just on a date?" Zeke asked crossing his arms. Sammy's head fell on the bar once more. Zeke sighed. "Oh, not again." He plopped down on the bar stool next to her. He put his hand on her back. "You wanna talk about it?" Sammy looked up at Benji giving him the go ahead.

"He wanted her to suck his dick under the table at the restaurant." Zeke sat there for a moment, then busted out laughing quickly joined by Benji. Sammy let her head fall back onto the bar with a groan. She grabbed the liquor bottle and dragged it to her. She raised her head grabbing the shot glass and poured herself another shot. She tipped it back and slammed the glass down.

"Am I ugly?" Benji and Zeke exchanged looks.

"No?" they said together.

"Am I a bad person?"

"No."

"Have I ever done anything to deserve to be treated like a piece of meat?"

"No."

"Then why the fuck do I only attract douchebags?" she whined. She began to pour herself another shot.

"Your standards are too high," Zeke said rubbing her back. The television hanging over the bar suddenly became louder drawing their attention. It showed Johnny Storm walking through a crowd of people both arms wrapped around the waists of supermodels. Sammy gave the television a scowl. She wanted to slap that smug know-it-all smirk right of his smug little face. "Take a look at this guy. He has absolutely no standards and he's got more pussy than what he knows what to do with." Sammy gave Zeke a flat look.

"Piss on Johnny Storm. He's nothing but a discount Tony Stark."

Laughter erupted behind them catching their attention. They all turned at once and nearly fell over. The Thing from the Fantastic Four stood there horse laughing. Sammy turned pouring herself another shot.

"You need to slow down," Benji suggested.

"I gotta wash the taste of foot off my tongue." The ground shook as The Thing sat down next to her taking up two stools.

"Don't worry about it. Hot Head is an attention whore."

"What ever gave you that idea?" Sammy murmured. The Thing chuckled. Sammy held out her hand to him.

"I'm Sammy."

"Ben." He grabbed her hand surprisingly gentle. His stone skin was cool and smooth to the touch. It wasn't at all what Sammy was expecting.

"Thank you." Ben gave her a strange look.

"For what?"

"You saved my life a few years ago. I doubt you remember, but you did."

"You're welcome. I'm glad I did."

"Why is that?"

"Because you wouldn't have made me laugh and change my entire mood." Sammy smiled at him.

"Whatever you want, it's on the house," she said then looked at Benji. "Got it?" Benji saluted. Sammy introduced Benji and Zeke. Zeke had to excuse himself to stop a fight before it happened. Ben and Sammy watched over their shoulder as the two patrons were calmed down then escorted out of the bar.

"You own this bar?" Sammy nodded. "How old are you?"

"Twenty four." Ben was taken aback taking a look around all over.

"It's pretty impressive." Sammy smiled at him. Ben couldn't help but smile back.

"I'll drink to that."

"Sammy, you need to slow down," Benji suggested a little more firmly.

"I'll sleep upstairs," Sammy said waving her hand at him as if to shoo him away.

"Give me your keys." She just handed him her whole purse. He left to go stash it away.

"Bad day?" Ben asked. Sammy nodded slowly. "Me too." He looked to Benji who had returned. "Pitcher of beer. No glass." Benji nodded.

"You want to talk about it?" Sammy asked. Ben gave her a thoughtful look as his pitcher was sat in front of him.

"Tell you what. Let me get a beer in me and I'll tell you all about it." He took a big gulp of the beer. "Until then. Tell me about your bad day." Sammy rubbed her temple.

"I've been on five dates with five different guys in three weeks. They all took me to dinner and none of them lasted to dessert. They all turned into horny freaks." She filled a shot glass. She tipped it back. "I know I'm young, but is it so bad that I want a relationship with someone because we care about each other and not because of the sex?"

"I don't think I've ever heard someone your age talk like that. As far as I know your generation is nothing but sex and drugs." Sammy nodded her head as she poured another shot.

"Maybe that's what's wrong with my generation." Ben hummed in question. "We're leaving out the rock-n-roll." Ben chuckled.

"You're alright, kid."

"You are, too." Another pitcher of beer appeared in front of Ben. They sat in silence for a moment.

"My girl and I had our first fight." Sammy let out a long sigh as she poured herself another drink. She felt a small twang of jealousy go through her. Here she was wanting a decent guy to treat her right and here Ben was looking like a cobblestone street right out of Seuss Land and he had someone that loved him.

"First fight, huh? How long have you two been together?"

"Almost two years." Sammy nearly spit her shot across the bar.

"Almost two years and you are just now having your first fight?" she asked in clear disbelief.

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"Everyone fights Ben."

"We didn't."

"Until now." Ben nodded looking down at his beer. Sammy chuckled shaking her head. "Come on, Big Guy there's no reason to fret." She put her hand on his shoulder. He sighed.

"It was a pretty bad fight," Ben said.

"What was it over? You know, if it's not prying." Ben grinned.

"She asked me why I hadn't proposed to her yet. She didn't like my answer." Sammy stared at him waiting for him to continue. Ben finished his beer so he could start on the new one that appeared before him. "I was going to get married before. Then she seen what I had become. She left without giving it a second thought." Sammy's face twisted in anger.

"Man, fuck that bitch!" Ben's jaw dropped. "If she couldn't look passed what you look like now to see that you are still the same man she fell in love with then she didn't really love you in the first place. And as for... for... what's your girl's name?"

"Alicia."

"Alicia, she seems like an incredible woman. And you shouldn't let what other bitch did cloud your judgement." Ben didn't answer her. He simply just let her words soak in. Sammy let her head fall on the bar. Her little rant had made her dizzy. She lay her cheek against the cold wood watching Ben.

"You're right, Sammy. You're absolutely right."

"Yeah, pizza does sound great." Ben chuckled giving her a weird look.

"I'm glad I met you, kid. What kind of pizza do you want?"

"Fully loaded." Benji came by giving Same a glass of water to drink so she didn't have a hangover the next morning. She got an extra large pizza so she and Ben could share. Ben and Sam slipped into small conversation telling anecdotes. Their pizza came and only a couple slices in, cameras started flashing and girls started squealing.

"Oh crap," Ben mumbled putting his pizza down.

"Who is it?" Sam asked unable to see around Ben's wide frame.

"It's Johnny," Ben grumbled. "I hate being me."

"Why?" Sam asked.

"I stick out like a sore thumb." Sammy frowned as a thought entered her mind.

"Do you get sore?" Ben gave her a flat look.

"Hey, there you are, Pebbles. I've been looking all over for you." Sam heard his voice before she saw him. She crinkled her nose up. "I got a phone call from Alicia begging me to come find you and tell you she was sorry and that she wants you to come back home."

"I'm getting ready to leave." Sammy verbalized her disappointment. Johnny leaned around Ben getting his first look of Same. She gave him an unamused look as he gave her an approving once over.

"And what is your name?" he asked giving her that cocky grin.

"None of your damned business," she hissed.

"What kind of a name is that?" he asked with a sarcastic grin.

"What kind of a name is The Human Torch?" Ben chocked on his beer setting his pitcher down. He grabbed Sam's liquor bottle and handed it to Benji as he walked by. Sam verbalized her disappointment once more.

"You're done, Sammy. And so am I. I'm going home."

"You need to bring Alicia back with you one day. I'd love to meet her." Ben grinned and nodded. He stood from this stools waving at Benji. He patted Sam on the shoulder and turned just as Johnny slid over into the stool next to Sam.

"Nope, you're staying away from her," Ben said grabbing his shoulder. Johnny glared at Ben, jerking his shoulder out of his grasp.

"I just want to talk."

"Bull shit," Sam said. She looked back at Ben. "It's okay, Ben. I can take care of myself." Ben nodded and left the bar to go home to Alicia.

"So, your name is Sammy, huh?" Her smile went away as she focused back on Johnny. "So, that's short for Samantha, I assume." Sammy just stared at him never faltering. She wasn't going to fall for his charm. Not in the least. He chuckled looking down, then scooted closer to her, close enough to where his leg brushed hers. Sammy glared down at his leg then back up to him.

The smirk never left his face and Sammy resisted the urge to swing at him.

"Come on, sweetheart, why such a harsh look?" he asked with a husky voice.

"You're a pig," she hissed. Johnny's eyebrows twitched up for a split second before settling back down in their proper place.

"And what makes you say that? You don't even know me." Sammy laughed at his comment.

"Oh please, the way you flaunt yourself in front of the cameras? I may as well be your nosy neighbor." Johnny leaned in closer to her unfazed by her words.

"You have a beautiful laugh." She leaned away from him giving him a confused look. His superpower was superpower was surely not taking hints. "If I could, I'd make you do it all the time." Sammy's eyes moved to Benji who was drying a glass. He wasn't looking at her though, he was looking beyond her at no doubt Zeke. Her eye fell back on Johnny who started giving off a creeper vibe. "Let me take you out."

"No," Sammy said without giving it a thought. Johnny frowned. If Sammy didn't know any better, she saw a literal fire in his eyes, but it went away when he blinked. The cocky smirk returned.

"Alright, Sammy, let me asked you a question." Sammy didn't respond. She simply waited for him to continue. "Do you fancy yourself a gambling woman?" She narrowed her eyes. She really wanted to say no, but she also wanted to know what he was up to.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Johnny straightened himself up quickly, his smirk changing into a smile. He looked up at the clock rocking his head back and forth for a moment his eyes narrowed in thought. He looked back at her.

"Give me twenty minutes. If I make you laugh in that time, I get to take you out on a date." Sammy narrowed her eyes at the challenge.

"Alright, twenty minutes. If you haven't made me laugh, you never bother me again." Johnny held out his hand to seal the deal. "We'll start when the second hand touches the twelve." Johnny nodded. Sammy shook his hand and their eyes turned to the clock. They wanted until the second hand touched the twelve, then they looked at each other. FIve seconds went by. Ten seconds went by. Sammy turned her head to say something to Benji, but was cut short when fingers dug into her ribs. She started laughing squirming away from the fingers, but they followed her.

She turned to find out who was tickling her then stood up straight gasping in disbelief. Johnny stepped back holding his hands up in mock surrender. He laughed his face glowing in victory.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow at eight." He turned and left Sammy there with her jaw on the ground. Zeke moved over to her as she slowly sat back on her bar stool.

"Did that just happen?" she asked Zeke in disbelief. Zeke nodded his head unsure if he could. "That sneaky bastard!"