The Apartment

1: Sailing blind into the storm.

She pulled into the parking lot of the Safeway Supermarket on SE King Road, parked her car, and sat. She was still a little overwhelmed. Four months ago she had been fairly happy… She was a supervisor at the main Seattle Post Office, she had been living with Jake, her boyfriend of a bit less than a year, and then she was offered this promotion. The problem was that it was in Milwaukie Oregon. The boyfriend turned into a total jerk… told her she couldn't go; he wouldn't follow her... like that made a difference. Things hadn't been all that great with him anyway. She'd packed her bags, sold what was hers that wouldn't fit in her car and left… it wasn't like there was anything in Seattle to keep her there.

She had also discovered a basic truth in life. School friends, even best friends (forever) didn't exactly mean forever. Carly had married money… old money, east coast money, and lots of it. They had stayed in touch for a couple of years after she married, but then Sam had made the trip back east to the Hamptons to visit Carly and her husband. While there she overheard Carly making excuses to her husband about 'her working class ways'… well, suffice it to say that hadn't ended in the best vacation she'd ever had.

They hadn't spoken since.

Freddie had drifted away from everyone after college. He'd gotten some offers to work in California and took one, and basically escaped his mother. No one had really kept in touch after college… she had tried to call Freddie at his work three years ago, but was told he'd left two years before that and they had no idea where he was, or how to contact him. His mother had moved someplace in the Midwest seven or eight years ago.

Sam had landed a good job at the Seattle Post Office right out of high school. She had gotten promoted a couple of times, and now she had taken a Station Manager position here in Milwaukie, a 'burb of Portland. This was all good, except for the down side of moving. She'd been living in an Econo Lodge for the past three and a half months. The day before yesterday, Thursday, she had been told her probationary period was over, and had been offered the position. She took the job, of course, but now that her probation was over, so was her free room at the hotel. The Post Office would cut off the motel payments in two weeks. She had to find an apartment, quick. She picked up the map she had printed this morning and checked it again. There were no more apartment complexes in the area. Every decent place she had been to today was either full with a waiting list, or far to pricey. Now, it was nearly four… she was hungry and just wanted to go back to the motel and get some rest. She had more 'hunting' to do tomorrow.

She opened her door, gotten out and was heading toward the supermarket when she heard from off to the side;

"Sam? Sam Pucket? Is that really you?"

She turned to her left… the person who had called her was a dark haired fellow named Freddie Benson. He was standing near a car parked in front of her. Sam was stunned. She hadn't spoken to him since she had ended their weird relationship over ten years ago. Weird… yeah, she'd made it weird. It could have turned into something but… now, just look at him, he still had the boyish looks she'd loved back then... now it came with this sexy five o'clock shadow. She shook her head, rushed over and began to give him a hug. It was then that a dark haired woman got out of the passenger side of his car and said; "Fred, I'm sorry, but we really need to go. If you two would like to chat, invite her to our barbeque this evening."

Freddie nodded, agreeing with Ann, as he had quickly introduced her to Sam. He also made Sam promise to come to the barbeque at six. He gave her a quick hug, wrote the address and phone number on a scrap of paper. And then drove away with a wave.

Sam returned to her car thinking a few things… first, the grocery store could wait. She would take herself out to breakfast in the morning, and dinner would be covered at the Benson's barbeque. Second, she hoped she would hit it off with Freddie's (Fred now, it seemed) wife. She would stop on the way and pick up a bottle each of Riesling and Pinot Noir wine; those two would go with anything at all, and help with the good impression. Then at least she would know someone in the area.

It was four, she had two hours. She stopped at a liquor store, got the chilled wine, and returned to the motel and freshened up a bit. Sitting in the single chair with the TV on for background noise, she began to think… she'd had quite the fling with Freddie after High School. It had been sort of an on and off thing all through his college years. It probably could have gone someplace if she would have let it… but she had wanted to play the field and shut the thing down after it had gotten pretty hot and heavy a few times while they were 'on'.

Yeah, 'play the field'… she thought. Freddie had been an incredible lover. Thoughtful, kind… she was an idiot. She had ended up getting played by jerks and liars. Yep, check the mirror… idiot.

She also wondered just how Ann was going to react to her. She had no idea if Freddie had spilled about previous lovers. Ann had been blunt about leaving, but then softened the blow by inviting her by proxy to their home. She chuckled, wondering if 'Fred' had caught hell on the ride back to their home.

She was wearing a pair of loose fitting denim Bermuda shorts and sandals with a pullover sweater, since it could get chilly, and… she didn't want to put Ann off. She checked the time; five forty five, it was time to go. Her GPS had said the trip would take seventeen minutes from the motel.

Pulling up in front of the well maintained corner house, she smiled. Yep, this would be where Fredister would live… all the houses on the block had manicured lawns and shrubs… fresh looking paint on the houses… nothing out of place, anywhere. She parked across the street and made her way up the walk. Ringing the doorbell, she waited just a moment until Ann opened the door. Ann greeted her by name, thanked her for the wine and mentioned that Fred had said that they had grown up together as she led Sam through the house and into the kitchen. Ann put the wine in a cooler, offered Sam beer, wine or a wine spritzer, and told her Fred was out in the back someplace, and to make herself at home.

Sam thanked her, took a wine spritzer and stepped out through the open sliding door to a huge patio. She glanced about for a moment until she saw Freddie with his back to her, chatting with a group of people standing around a built in barbeque. She walked over to his side and said 'Ahem… you must be Mister Benson' with a smile. Fred turned, smiling from ear to ear saying 'You made it!' while pulling her into a bone crushing hug. Sam laughed and hugged him back. Fred made introductions to the small group he'd been chatting with, and then asked Sam if she would like to have a seat over at one of the tables and 'catch up'?

They sat down at one of the picnic tables strewn around the back yard and began 'catching up' in earnest. Sam went first; detailing her life after Freddie had left for California, without mentioning her failed relationships. They discussed Carly, who Freddie had lost contact with also, and how he had run into Spencer at a hotel lobby in New York. Spencer was now living in Greenwich Village still doing his art and pretty much sponging off his sister. Fred hadn't had time to do more than say hello, and get told by Spencer that Carly rarely took calls outside her circle of friends, but he could attempt to set up a lunch with her by contacting her husband's philanthropic concerns. He'd never tried. She had just finished telling him how she had come to be in Milwaukie when the fellow doing the barbeque, who had been introduced to her as Stuart, announced to the group; 'come and get it'. 'C'mon Sam, Stu's barbeque skills are legendary in the neighborhood. It's only hamburgers, but whatever ever he does to them are well worth it.' Freddie had said.

Sam was a bit upset that it had just gotten around to being Freddie's turn to tell her what he'd been up to. She also had made a couple of observations… a young fellow, maybe eight or nine had retrieved a ball from under their table and called Fred by his name. Freddie had mentioned he was Ann's son. So, Ann had probably been divorced. Also, Ann wore a wedding ring, Freddie didn't.

She and Freddie got their hamburger, potato salad, and beans, and returned to the table. In a moment, Fred got up, refreshed Sam's spritzer and got himself another beer. While he was gone, Ann took the seat next to Fred's, and Stu sat next to Sam. Fred had just started to take his seat when Sam asked 'So Ann, how did you two meet?' Ann had just taken a bite of her sandwich, and glanced up at Sam. Freddie stared back at Sam with a quizzical look.

'Oh, when he moved in next door, about a year ago…' Stuart answered. Sam now looked very confused. Ann began to chuckle… 'Sam, I am so sorry… you saw Fred and I at the grocery store and assumed… Stu is my husband, this is our home. Fred is our neighbor and good friend. I needed a ride to pick up a couple things. We took his car since ours was in the shop and I had to pick it up before four thirty. Fred here is as single as a dollar bill…'

'…And he's only single because he's resisted every single female within a twenty mile radius that Ann's tried to set him up with, including her sister!' Stu cut in.

Ann grinned at Sam… Sam looked stunned… Fred looked confused. Stu looked at Sam and his wife, and shook his head while thinking Fred would not last long now…

Hi!

Yep, here we go again!

Another fun filled ride

Guaranteed to make you…

You are going to leave a review, aren't you?