by CanuckDaysfan
Rated R/M (language, some mild sexual situations)
Disclaimer: All characters except Ginny are © NBC/Sony/Corday Productions.
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Chapter OneSami trudged into her building, cursing as her tenuous hold on her groceries began to give way. "Dammit!"
"Here I've got it. You can let go now." Sami mentally groaned as she heard the familiar male voice. Of all the people she could have run into, he was the last one she wanted to see. More specifically, she didn't want him seeing her. Her car had broken down a few weeks ago and without the funds to repair it for at least another month she'd taken to walking everywhere. Will was off at camp and the only place she journeyed to on a regular basis was work. She really hadn't minded. It was summer in Salem and due to all of the exercise she'd already lost five pounds. With today being payday she'd stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few items. About halfway home she'd been caught in a late afternoon thunderstorm. Thanks to the rain squall she was now soaking wet, looking for all intents and purposes like a drowned rat. Steeling her expression she let go of the bags, allowing him to take them.
"Looks like you got caught in one of our infamous Salem storms." He chuckled as he took the bags. "Which apartment –." He started to ask, but stopped dead in his tracks as he realized it was Sami. Lucas gulped as his gaze met hers. Even soaked to the skin she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Her blue eyes met his brown with a defiant glare.
"I can handle them." She muttered irritably as she reached to take the bags back from his grasp.
"You were about to drop them." He countered. "I'll carry them for you."
Sami shook her head in annoyance but put up no further protest, instead she angrily pushed the call button for the elevator.
Once outside her apartment she turned, unlocked her door, and looked at him expectantly. "Fine, you did your good deed for the day. Happy?"
Mumbling something about not having been happy in two months he bypassed her and pushed through the door into her apartment. Setting the bags down on the island countertop he turned and watched as she removed her rain-soaked jean jacket.
Sami noticed his stare and shot him an annoyed look. "What? Did I grow another head or something?"
"You cut your hair."
Sami rolled her eyes. "I did. Was I supposed to get your permission or something?"
"What –."
Brushing past him to her kitchen she muttered. "Don't flatter yourself General. I didn't do it because of you." Ripping open the soggy bags she began to unload groceries onto her countertop. Seeing his stunned gaze she paused, holding a can of beans midair and frowned. "Come on, it's not that short." Sure she'd had it cut, but only so it skimmed the top of her shoulders. So why is he still staring at me like I've suddenly morphed into an alien?
Lucas swallowed hard. Unnoticed by Sami the rain water had seeped from her hair into her pale pink cotton blouse, drenching it to the point of being translucent. Through it he could make out the generous curve of her creamy breasts. He felt his body harden at the memory of his mouth on her skin. Licking, touching, suckling and branding her his own. He stifled a groan as the memories washed across his consciousness. He could still taste her, feel her soft skin and hear her moans of contentment as they'd made love time and time again that one night. Shaking his head to ward off the unwelcome thoughts he fixed his gaze on the topic of discussion. "Why did you cut your hair anyway? I thought you liked it long."
"I did, but it's been so freaking hot that I couldn't take it anymore. So, I chopped it."
"Hot?" Lucas asked. Sure it had been an unusually warm summer in Salem so far, but their building was air conditioned. "Turn on the air conditioner if you're hot."
"It's broken." She replied as she returned to the mundane task of putting her groceries away.
As though on autopilot Lucas moved to help; handing her item after item the two worked as a perfectly synched team. "Well call Mr. Mertz then. He'll fix it right away once he knows."
Sami looked at him skeptically. "Oh like he jumped to fix the hot water in your shower last fall?"
Lucas looked down, praying the heat he felt cover his skin wasn't evident to her. "Yeah, about that—."
Sami cocked an eyebrow. She'd always suspected that his shower hadn't been broken that long.
Not willing to give her the satisfaction of knowing that he'd kept it broken for a week before even notifying their landlord he covered. "Yeah, he had to order a part for it. That's why it took so long."
"Uh-huh." Sami replied, knowing full well that he was hiding the truth. "Well it doesn't matter now anyway does it? It's fixed and you're free to take your showers at your place." Then deciding that she'd had enough of his company for the night she put her hands on his back and began to steer him towards the door. "And since you're done here, you're free to leave."
Lucas wasn't ready to go. "No."
"No?"
"No. You didn't answer my question."
"What question?"
"I asked you if you'd called our landlord."
"No. You told me that I should call the landlord. You didn't ask me to. There's a difference." Sami knew what he'd meant and she knew that she was probably annoying him, but his presence was disturbing her more than she cared to admit and she needed him to leave.
"Fine. Whatever. Call him."
"I can't." Sami argued.
"Why not?"
Growing ever impatient with him she tried again to hurry him to the door. "Look Lucas. I can't call him, because if I call him he's going to ask where this month's rent check is."
"So?"
"So, I'm behind on the rent, and I'll be behind for at least another two weeks."
"What?" Lucas asked incredulously. He knew that Sami didn't make a whole lot of money at Basic Black, but it had always covered her basic expenses. "What the hell happened? Did you go shopping and spend your rent on clothes or something?"
"You would think that. Really Lucas, if you want to know where the money went, ask your mother." Sami frowned as she turned away from him. She really didn't want to be having this conversation with him. Sure things had been tight money wise lately thanks to Kate, but with Will off at camp she had just enough to scrape by. Just enough, except that my rent is overdue and my car's broken. Wanting to distract him before he questioned her on her Kate comment she did her best to deflect his attention. "Look, this is none of your business. Just go." Twirling around to look at him again she mocked. "Don't you have a date waiting for you anyway? I'd hate for you to keep one of your little bimbos waiting."
"Jealous baby?" Lucas whispered lowly as he quickly closed the gap between them.
Sami scoffed, her eyes darting everywhere but up to his. "There's nothing to be jealous of."
Lucas opened his mouth to argue but at the last second decided to let it drop. They'd been having this very conversation over and over again for the past two months. Shaking his head at himself he let her push him through her open doorway. As the door closed behind him he paused in the hallway, shutting his eyes as he leaned against the wall. Damn it, every time I think I'm free she reels me back. Taking a deep breath he pushed himself off the wall and sauntered back to his place. She'd mentioned his mother being the cause of her money woes. Whatever feelings, good or bad that he currently held for Sami, she was, if nothing else, the mother of his son. And he wasn't about to let her get herself kicked out of her apartment.
Sami grumbled, as she flopped down on her sofa. Damn him. How does he do that? She really didn't want him knowing about what had happened at Basic Black. Two months ago she would have told him right away, but her pride now prevented that from being an option. Besides, things will be better in a few weeks. She glanced at her watch. Damn, I'd better shower and get ready if I want to get there on time.
Lucas hung up his phone, frowning. His mother's answer had been vague. He knew she was covering for something. He shook his head irritably as he headed for the shower. There wasn't much he could do tonight about Kate and Sami. Sami had been correct in her assumption that he had a date. He did have one and he was due to pick her up in an hour. As the first stream of hot water hit him he made a silent vow. Tomorrow I'll find out what the hell happened at Basic Black.
"Oh what now!" Sami yelled to no one as she came flying out of her bedroom in her robe to the sound of the ringing phone. "Hello?" Silence. "Hello? Anyone there?" Hanging up the receiver in frustration she muttered. "Damn prank calls." Returning to her room she quickly stripped off her robe and dressed for the evening. Checking her hair and makeup one last time, she grabbed her purse and slipped on her strappy heels. Knowing she'd regret her footwear choice when she had to walk home in the middle of the night she simply shrugged her shoulders. Some things were worth the pain.
Lucas hung up the phone in confusion. He'd almost been out the door when it had started ringing. Worried that it might be his date calling to cancel he backtracked and picked it up. There'd been no one on the other end and the call display had shown the call as blocked. Shrugging his shoulders, he wrote it off as a wrong number as he grabbed his keys and headed out the door.
In a hotel lobby in Chicago a young woman turned her cell phone off as she studied the addresses on two pages in the Salem listings. S. Brady was at #32, 100 Guilford Street and L. Roberts was at #34 in the same building. She hadn't been expecting that. She hadn't even been sure if they were both still in Salem. They're in Salem, living side by side. This might just work out perfectly. She smiled as she contemplated what she was about to do.
"Did you manage to contact your friends Miss?"
She smiled at the hotel clerk. "I sure did. Now, I can't go to them for a few more days. I have a few things to wrap up in Chicago first."
"No problem. We have your room ready. Just give me a moment to get your key."
She smiled again. Things were going to work out okay. She could feel it.
