Disclaimer: I do not own glee or its characters sadly…
Mercedes Jones waited in front of the baggage claim. When she arrived, she expected a driver with her name on a dry erase board, but was sadly mistaken when none came for her. She sighed angrily. This was not what she signed up for. When her record company decided to send her on a world tour, she never imagined her last stop would be in Kentucky. She sighed laughing to herself as she wondered if they even really like black people.
She walked closer to the baggage claim, she wished she wouldn't have let her best friend Kurt off the hook. He missed Blaine and she felt bad they would miss their fifth anniversary. So she decided to throw him a thank you for not only being my best friend party but also a happy anniversary party. She had her crew go ahead early and she would take the last plane she could just so she could make her friend happy. She let out a frustrated cry as she readjusted her carry-on bag. Why did she stay so late now she was in this airport alone? She rolled her eyes, grabbing her bag that came around the conveyor belt. She grabbed her phone looking at the time. It was a little after midnight. She dialed her best friend and publicist. After three rings the familiar voice picked up.
"So you made it?"
"This is the last time Satan the last time I let you talk me into taking a late flight. I could have taken an early flight and still made it here on time."
"Cedes girl, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong? I am sitting in this practically abandoned airport alone with no idea where I am going or who I should call. No chauffeur to take me to where I need to go."
"Girl calm down ok."
"The last damn time Santana Lopez you hear me. This is just like Lima. You set me up on this impromptu performance without my knowledge I mind you, and had Puck pick me up."
"I still don't see what the problem was."
"He was three hours late. By the time he got to me, I was already in my momma's house."
"Everything worked out you did great and got great press for that."
"San this is different ok, I can't call my mom to come get me this time. I am in Lexington, Kentucky. I don't know anyone here."
"Now that wouldn't exactly be true now is it? Ms. Mercedes Jones."
Mercedes turned around wondering who spoke behind her. She met with the most intense Green eyes, she had ever seen.
"Excuse me? Can I help you?"
"Don't you recognize me Mercedes? I haven't changed much. At least I don't think I have."
He gave a lopsided grin and her breath caught in her throat. Getting a look at his full profile made her eyes widen with knowing.
"Oh my God."
Mercedes heard Santana calling out to her and placed her phone back to her ear. "San I have to call you back, I just ran into a ghost from our past."
"What? What's going on? Who is there?"
She looked deeply into his eyes, wanting to express all of her feelings, but only managing to say one thing. "Sam."
Sam Evans sighed heavily, trying to still his beating heart. When he learned that Mercedes would be coming to his town to perform his heart leap for joy. He hadn't seen her since he moved from Lima almost ten years ago. Taking her to prom was the happiest moment of his life. Seeing her again, took him back to when he first fell in love with her. Leaving her was the worst thing that ever happened to him.
When his cousin Brad asked him to pick her up from airport Sam eagerly agreed. He wondered how her life had been. They tried to stay in contact however, after a few weeks of missed calls they lost contact. He still being friends with a few members of their glee club so he knew some things about her already. Mike had confirmed thanks to his wife Tina that Mercedes was still single. Artie confirmed that she was a career driven and not looking for a relationship. He was still unsure how he found that out.
Her career took off in an amazing way. Puck had told him she was working on her third album. Touring different cities to promote it. He also said that Santana was her publicist and really good at it.
The moment Sam learned she would be performing in his city he knew he had to be there. Her voice had always intrigued him. He took her in and smiled widely. She was still just as beautiful as he remembered even more so. She wore a pair of gray work out leggings and an oversized red USA shirt that fell over her left shoulder exposing her gray sports bra. Her hair was in a messy bun and trendles graced both sides of her face. Her doe eyes danced around his soul and he felt that same pull her did the day she and Rachel asked him to prom.
"Hi Mercedes long time no see."
"If you call what? Ten years a long time, then yeah, I guess so. What are you doing here?"
"I am your ride."
"My ride? Seriously?"
She grinned wider. "Yeah, seriously."
He reached for her two bags, pulling the handles up. "Shall we go? Your carriage awaits."
She shook her head. "Yeah, no offense Sam I know we were friends in high school."
"We were more than that and you know it."
"Sam. Look, I don't just get into cars with strangers. I am waiting for my ride and if he doesn't show I will just rent a car."
"Do you even know where you are going?" Sam asked, amused at her caution.
"Doesn't matter, I know I am not going with you."
Sam reached in his pocket and pulled out her literary. He handed it to her.
"My cousin was hired by Santana to pick you up. His wife went into labor and he called me in panic. I agreed to help him out."
"Wouldn't your wife be upset that you are out here this late?"
Sam lifted his eyebrow at her comment. "Checking to see if I was married. Smooth very smooth."
She shook her head rolling her eyes as she took the itinerary from him. He was right everything from the time to pick her up to the time to drop her off was there. She sighed, seeing that Sam's cousin was supposed to be her chauffeur the entire week days she was supposed to be there.
"So if your cousin was supposed to be with me all week, does that mean that he will send someone else in his place for the rest of the week?"
"He already has." She looked at him confused and he moved closer to her. "I volunteered to fill in for him until he is back. He owns the company and refused to let just anyone pick up the superstar which is Ms. Mercedes Jones."
She rolled her eyes. "I am not a superstar. I have just been really blessed."
"I always told you that voice was meant for greatness. So once again, I will ask you to follow me."
He saw her hesitate for a moment. "Unless you want to stay here. Alone in this big airport."
She sighed as she shifted her bag and followed him.
"So you work for your cousin?"
"Me? No." He said, lifting her bags into the back of his Ford Tundra. "I went into business with him as a silent partner a few years back. I actually own my own hotel as well as a farm."
"A hotel and a farm? Really?"
"It's really my grandparent's farm. Stevie, Stacey and I own it together. As for the Hotel I honestly kind of lucked into it."
"How in the world do you luck into owning a hotel?"
He shut the truck door as he jogged to the other side. She put her seat belt on exhaling. Trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach. When she met Sam in high school, she instantly liked him. His impressions and zest for life sealed the deal for her. It wasn't until after Prom did she realize that he shared the same feelings she did. It wasn't until he broke the news that he and his family were moving that she felt her dreams of a future with him shattered.
She had had other boyfriends since him, but none who excited her soul as he did. The years had done wonders with his already amazing body. His long blonde hair was now a dirty, sandy blond. The hint beard graced his face and she had to admit the scruffy look was doing it for her. She had always found him attractive, even back then when his lips seemed too big for his face. But seeing him older and more mature did something to her body. It had been a long time since she had felt her body awaken. It had been years she she'd been touched by a man. She had dated her fair few of losers. Some left because she decided to save herself for someone she really loved. Others were just using her for her music. It was just easier to ignore men, but being this close to him, her body seemed to crave his touch. How in ten years he still do this to her was beyond her.
As Sam placed his seat belt on he smiled. "Well, after I graduated from college with a Master's in business and a bachelors in Art studies I took all of my savings and created a business plan. Went to some investors and they liked my ideas. They liked that we wanted to turn the farm into a bed and breakfast and that I wanted to start a small hotel for family getaways. That blossomed into them feeling a small hotel wouldn't do. So here I am. Owner of my own businesses."
Mercedes smiled. "That is really great. I am happy for you."
"Thanks."
He said smiling. Her phone rang and she knew who it was before looked at her phone. The ringtone its raining men (a joke from her first tour with Kurt) gave it away.
"Hi Kurt."
"Diva you were supposed to call me as soon as you landed. I wish I was there with you, but I am glad to be with my husband. His sleep, though you know I wore him out."
"Kurt TMI ok. Just no. I ran into some issues but I am ok on my way to the hotel."
"Well, how is the limo? Is it spacious or small like that one we had in that small town in Japan?"
"It is actually a truck."
"A truck seriously."
"Hey its 2014 ford tundra, it's more than just a truck."
Sam said without speaking. Mercedes shot him a glaring look as Kurt spoke louder.
"Who said that? Why is the help answering my questions? Did you hitch a ride with some stranger?"
"Kurt stop. Do you remember Jr. Year? When that new guy joined the choir?"
"Yeah, didn't Santana nickname him like a fish face or something?"
Mercedes sighed. "Trouty mouth, she used to call him trouty mouth how can you forget that she still sings that song."
Sam groaned as Kurt continued.
"So what does that have to do with anything?"
"Well, he is who is driving me around. Sam is my driver so to speak."
"Cedes that fine piece of man is driving you? Damn all my luck. You just had to let me off the tour didn't you?"
"You missed Blaine I couldn't do that to you. But I have to go I will call you in the morning I promise."
He mumbled goodbye as she hung up looking at Sam.
"I am sorry about that he shouldn't have brought that up I remember how much you disliked that name."
"It's ok. So Kurt is married?"
"Yeah to a really great guy. Blaine you might remember him, he was a part of the warblers."
"I don't know. But that's great, so Kurt is around and Santana do you hand out with anyone else?"
"Pretty much everyone I guess you can say."
"So what happened after I left?"
"It's a long story."
He smiled at her. We have time. The closest hotel to your venue that has an opening is about thirty minutes away. My bed and breakfast is ten so you are staying there." She frowned and he sighed.
"Santana told you, right?"
"She told me that the car service partners with all the top hotels and that there was a convention in town the same time as me so I would be staying in an Exclusive inn. She didn't say it had anything to do with your inn. She just said Mike said it was the best. He's my choreographer by the way. He and Tina are amazing. They both studied dance at Columbia in Chicago. Once they graduated, I knew I had to have them on tour with me."
"Well, tell me more we have about an hour's drive so I am all ears."
She smiled. "Well, after you left it was senior year and still the Rachel Berry show. I was fed up because everyone still gave her everything and I felt it was my time to shine. So when Shelby (Rachel's mom) started her own group with this heiress named Sugar Motta I jumped at the chance to join her group. We were amazing, even beat the New Directions at Sectionals. But then Beth got sick and Shelby moved away to be closer to her family. So we joined back with the New Directions only agreeing to it if things were fair. We get a number, they get a number and then we do one together. Rachel threw a hissy fit and quit again. But when Auditions for NYADA came around and she knew she needed Nationals on her resume she came back. NYADA is this performing arts school in New York. She and Kurt both auditioned but only she got in. She and Finn were engaged though."
"Really? I was sorry to hear about him."
"Yeah, it was hard. I mean we all graduated and Finn, Kurt and I had no idea what we wanted to do. Even Puck decided to move to LA to start his own cleaning business. Quinn got into Yale and Santana got into the University of Louisville. She did great about to get her Masters in Communication which is why she is the best at what she does.
After we won nationals and graduated high school Kurt and I decided we were going to work hard for the next few months while we applied to all the same schools. NYC, UCLA, and a few others. We would live with our parents and save every dime so when we got accepted we could have enough money for a down payment. Finn joined the military and then came back and started helping out with the glee club and Kurt and I both got into UCLA. So we packed up all our stuff in a brand Dodge Journey that our parents bought for us and we were off on our four day road trip to California.
We stayed at Puck's place until we found a nice three bedroom apartment. Puck somehow convinced us that we needed him to protect us or something and he moved in with us."
"Wow. So how did music come into play?"
"I needed a job and I auditioned to be a background singer for this label. I worked with them for a year and they became interested in my sound. They helped me make a demo and at first they didn't want to deal with me because I don't look like most pop diva's but the head of the label loved my music so much he said screw the world views and signed me. It took two years, but I finished my first album and did my first tour. I had Tina and Mike come on during the summer and my label said once they were done with school they had a job.
Once Santana graduated, she transferred to UCLA to be closer to Brittney who became one of my back up dancers. We were joking around about me needing a manager and publicist and she asked for the job and I gave her a shot. That was six years ago."
"I guess a lot happened in ten years."
"Yeah a lot did. Artie helped me with my first music video he and Sugar are actually together. And he has been my director ever since. Kurt being the fashion diva that he is insisted on taking care of my wardrobe and became my designer. Now everyone wants to work with him. Rachel came to LA after a few years in New York. Things didn't pan out for her, but she bounced back. I think Finn's death showed her she needed us. She now is working on her own show. Everyone is doing well, I guess you can say."
"Well, that's great. So what does your husband think of all this."
She smiled. "I am not married."
"What about your boyfriend?"
"I am currently single. I decided that I didn't want a guy holding me back so I didn't let them."
"That's a shame." But great for me, he thought. Hearing her success made him wish he had been there to be a part of it. She looked over to him and smiled. As they sat in comfortable silence she thought back on the times they spent together. Though it had been short lived, he left a lasting impression on her heart.