Reunion
Sam was surprised when Rachel and Finn had shown up at the strip club and found out his secret. He hadn't been proud about it, but hell it paid the bills. He made much more money stripping than he ever did delivering pizzas. He figured that if he made enough money quickly, he could give his parents the money and return to Lima before the school year was over. He hadn't planned on his friends ever finding out what he was doing to earn money.
Still, he was glad to get back to Lima…and Mercedes. He was disappointed that she had found a new boyfriend so quickly, but he was determined to win her back. He watched as the two of them walked down the hall together, HIS Mercedes and her new boyfriend, Shane. Sam tried to control his jealousy, but it was hard. She was his! He knew that it was unrealistic, but he had wanted her to drop Shane once he got back, but she quickly let him know that was not going to happen.
Sam didn't want to be labeled a stalker, but he literally followed her around the school as much as he could. He knew that he was more than a little obsessed. He was in love with the girl!
He grabbed her hand in the hallway enjoying the feel of her skin against his. She looked up at him surprised.
"What are you doing, Sam?" she gasped.
"Holding your hand" he replied grinning.
"I have a boyfriend now, and he's built like a bulldozer" she snapped.
Sam had enjoyed the playful banter between them until she told him that what they had was only a summer fling. Sam was hurt by her comment. How could she say that to his face after all they had been together? He tried not to show the pain that he was feeling in response to her words. A fling? How could she say that the intimacy they had shared was a fling? Was it just a fling when she had allowed him to taste and touch her as no other had ever done? Was it just a fling when she so aroused that her thighs shook as he explored her with his mouth? Was it just a fling when they lay together on her bed and held each other? No…it was not a fling!
"It was more than that" he said staring at her unable to hide the pain that was in his eyes.
She had stared back at him and he knew that she had realized that her remarks had hurt him. He could see the regret in her eyes and he knew that she still cared for him.
"You will always have a special place in my heart." She confessed.
He had all but declared his love for her as she walked away from him down the hall towards her class. He could tell that she still cared for him also and he was determined to win her back!
Even though Mercedes had smiled happily at Sam's declaration in the hallway as she walked to class, she was a bit confused about her feelings.
Once Sam had left Lima and school had started, she had decided that she wasn't going to get in another relationship, but then Shane had appeared. He was nice and attentive and he understood what it was like for people to stare at you as you ate or snicker behind your back as you walked down the hall. He knew what it was like to be called fat and ugly and other humiliating names. He could relate to what Mercedes was feeling, whereas Sam could not.
She and Shane had a lot in common. He knew what it was like to be picked on and made fun of. He decided to excel in what he loved, football. Even though she didn't feel the magic between them like she had with Sam, being with Shane was comforting in a way that Sam would never understand.
She and Shane had only shared a few chaste kisses. Mercedes couldn't get Sam's voice out of her head where he had declared that her body belonged to him. Truth be told, she couldn't imagine Shane doing the things to her that Sam had done, and she certainly couldn't imagine doing those things with him.
Even though Sam was back, she felt that she owed it to Shane to remain faithful. She knew that she had hurt Sam when she told him that what they had was a summer fling, but she had to say something because he was seducing her with his eyes and she felt that if she didn't get away from him, she'd end up giving him whatever he wanted.
She tried to avoid Sam as much as possible, but he always seemed to be lurking behind some corner. He was also in several of her classes. She did her best to ignore him, but she couldn't ignore that rapid beating of her heart when he walked into the room, or the weeping of her most intimate parts when he smiled at her. She tried not to focus on that mouth of his, which only made things worse.
She was glad that Shane was taking her to lunch at a nearby restaurant. He was waiting for her outside of her last class and she quickly walked to his car, glad to get away from Sam and the effects he was having on her traitorous body.
"Baby, are you alright?" Shane asked looking at her.
"I'm fine, Shane" she replied looking around as he started the car. She spotted Sam standing by the exit door of the school watching them. She quickly looked away as Shane pulled off.
When they ordered their lunch, Mercedes ordered a chicken Caesar salad and Shane ordered a double cheeseburger with fries. When their lunch arrived, the smell of the burger and fries made her stomach growl.
"I told you that you should have ordered a burger with me" Shane said taking a big bite out of his burger.
"I don't need to be eating that" Mercedes replied. "I'm trying to lose a little weight."
"Shucks, you look fine to me" Shane declared. "Let go of the rabbit food, baby. Some people were just made to be big."
Mercedes rolled her eyes and began eating her salad. Though she knew that he was trying to be helpful, his comment only made her more insecure.
"So are you going to tell me what's on your mind?" Shane asked finishing off the burger in record time.
"What makes you think something is wrong?" Mercedes replied biting into her breadstick.
"You've been quiet lately like you got a lot on your mind" Shane replied shoveling fries into his mouth. He finished eating his food before she had even eaten half of her salad.
"I'm fine, really Shane" she replied picking at the salad.
"He wants to get back with you, you know" Shane replied staring at her.
"Who?"
"Sam Evans." Shane replied searching her face for a response.
"How do you know that?" Mercedes asked. "Did he tell you?"
"No, but I can tell" Shane insisted. "He stares at you all the time like a little lost puppy. Don't tell me that he hasn't approached you!"
"I told him that it was over and that I'm with you now" Mercedes replied.
"You didn't let him tap that did you?" Shane whispered across the table.
"What?" Mercedes snapped. "I'm not that type of girl, Shane."
Shane held up his hand. "I'm just asking. His nose is a little too wide open to have just received a few kisses. I was just wondering what went on between you two."
"We were together for the summer, Shane" she replied. "We dated for a couple of months before he and his parents moved away. End of story!"
"Really, Mercy?" Shane said skeptically. "When he looks at you, he licks his lips all hungry like. He undresses you with his eyes like he's seen all your goodies. A guy notices these things, and you're telling me that you haven't given up your cookies to him? He's acting like a guy that knows what he's missing and not like a guy who never got it."
"Are you calling me a liar?" Mercedes snapped standing up. She wasn't going to sit and listen to Shane's one hundred fucking questions!
"No, Mercy, but don't play me for no fool!" Shane replied coolly. "You may not have given it up, but I bet you let him play in it, which is more than you've allowed me to do."
"I'm not listening to anymore of this" Mercedes snapped angrily. "What went on between me and Sam when we were together is none of your business! I've told him that I'm with you now, and that's all you need to know!"
Shane immediately became contrite and came around the table and put his arm around her. "OK, OK, I'm sorry Baby. I won't bring it up again."
Mercedes shrugged off his hand and walked to the car. "I'm a little insecure, alright?" Shane said as she walked off in a huff. "You two have a history, and I know for sure that he wants to get back with you! You'd have to be blind not to see that!"
Mercedes turned to him when she reached the car. "No matter what Sam Evans wants, the decision is mine!"
"I know that" Shane replied.
"Well act like it then!" Mercedes replied.
((***))
Sam was pleased to see that when Mercedes and Shane returned to school, that they apparently were both in a bad mood which meant that they must have had some sort of a fight. He smiled to himself. He would give her space before he approached her again.
Sam wanted to do something to show Mercedes that he really cared about her. He thought about it for a minute, but couldn't come up with anything right away that he felt would impress her.
When school was over, he hurried out of the building as he had to get to his pizza delivery job. He was surprised when he felt a hand on his shoulder as he reached his truck and he turned around and saw that it was Shane.
"What can I do for you, Shane" he asked trying to keep his voice even.
"We need to talk" Shane replied.
"Well, I have to get to my job" Sam replied. "So make it quick."
"Stay away from Mercy" Shane threatened. "She's with me now and you should respect that!"
"I respect that" Sam replied. "I respect a woman's right to choose."
"And you think that she'll choose you?" Shane snapped. "She's with me now, so get over it."
Sam stared at Shane a moment.
"Maybe I'm not the only one that has to get over something" Sam said deliberately baiting him.
"She's over you!" Shane insisted.
"You sure of that?" Sam asked mockingly. "If you really believed that, then why are you here talking to me?"
Shane glared at him. "Just because you had her cookies before, doesn't mean you can partake a second time!"
"Mercedes told you that?" Sam asked surprised.
"Yeah, she told me everything." Shane lied.
Sam stared at him a moment. He knew that Shane was lying. There was no way that his Mercedes would share the intimate details of their relationship with Shane. He smiled.
"Yeah, well you hold onto that thought, because I have to get to work." Sam replied getting in the car and starting the engine.
He pulled out of the parking lot and headed to work.
Mercedes was surprised to receive a short text from Sam asking that she call him because he had something important to tell her. She really didn't want to call him, but curiosity got the best of her. She knew that he was at work because he told her to call him after ten that night.
Mercedes watched the clock on and off that evening. She talked to Shane, but didn't mention the text from Sam. He called her again apologizing for his remarks that were made earlier that day. Mercedes accepted his apology and asked him not to bring up her past relationship with Sam in the future and he had agreed.
Truth was that she thought about Sam all the time. She lay back on the bed and closed her eyes remembering the evening he had spent with her when her parents were away. He had been right. She would never forget that night and what they had shared and she couldn't imagine being with anyone else. She sighed and looked at the clock and called his number a few minutes before ten because she was anxious.
"Hello Mercy" Sam said. "I was just punching out. Hold on a minute."
Mercedes waited for a few moments and then he came back to the phone.
"So what's so important that you had to tell me?" she asked.
"I don't want to talk about it over the phone. Can I come over" Sam asked.
"Nice try Evans." Mercedes replied dryly. "I don't think so."
"Did Shane tell you that he confronted me in the parking lot as I was about to leave school?"
"No" Mercedes replied. "What did he want?"
"I don't want to say over the phone. Can I come over, please" Sam begged.
Mercedes sighed. She knew that it was just an excuse to see her, but she wanted to know what Shane wanted.
"Alright, Sam" she replied. "But I just want to ask that we keep it strictly business and no hanky panky. I want you to respect the fact that I'm in a relationship with Shane. If you come over here and try anything, I'll know it was all a sham."
"Fine!" Sam snapped irritated. "I'll be there in ten minutes."
Sam pulled in front of Mercedes door and she quickly came outside before he turned off the engine. She quickly climbed in the truck beside him.
Sam tried not to stare. She had her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail with a short jean skirt and a white tee shirt. She looked sexy and hell, but he had to concentrate on the matter at hand.
"So, tell me" she said looking at him.
"Shane told me that you told him that I got your goodies" Sam replied.
"What!" Mercedes snapped. "Oh hell to the no!"
"Yep, and he let me know that I would not be getting them anymore!" Sam said. "I knew that he was lying. I knew that you wouldn't tell him anything that happened between the two of us."
"It's none of his business and I told him that today!" Mercedes snapped angrily. She looked at Sam. "Is that all he said?"
"Yeah, he warned me to stay away from you" he replied.
"I'm going to give his ass a piece of my mind!" she hissed.
Sam grabbed her arm as she opened the door of the truck and was about to exit.
"Mercedes, please give me another chance" he begged.
"Sam, I can't deal with this right now" she replied. "I'm with Shane, whether you like it or not."
Sam looked at her. "You haven't forgotten what we shared…what I told you that night, have you?"
"Sam, I don't want to talk about that now" she insisted.
Sam grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips kissing her knuckles. "I'll never forget that night, Mercy…how you smelled when you're aroused…how you taste…"
Mercedes snatched her hand from his grasp. "That's enough Sam. I can't deal with this right now."
She quickly jumped out of the truck. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Alright then" he replied grinning. "Goodnight, Mercy."
He watched as she walked back into the house and closed the door. He felt that it was only a matter of time before she would be his again. Shane was digging himself in a hole that he wouldn't be able to climb out of.
Sam started the engine and pulled off. He just had to play his cards right. It was only a matter of time before Mercedes Jones would be his once again.