A/N: WOW! You guys are amazing. Thank you for all of the reviews and alerts and favorites and just WOW. This chapter sort of wrote itself over the past day. Hope you enjoy it.
New York State of Mind
Chapter 2-Plans and keeping it together
Wednesday's shift had been another winner and at this point Andy would have preferred to start walking to New York. Things between her and Sam had been surprisingly comfortable. During shift, Andy regaled him with stories of her different crazy family members and the more he heard the more he couldn't wait for their little adventure. Andy seemed excited too even though every once and a while she would try to give him another out from the trip. He chalked it up to Andy trying to protect herself, Sam wasn't biting. They agreed to meet at the Penny after shift for a drink, then Sam would drive her home and they would go over their plans for the weekend.
Andy changed out of her uniform and lingered in the locker room until she was able to talk to Traci alone.
"So Trace, You know, I have Jenna and Stephen's wedding this weekend."
"I remember. Gosh, we had the best time when they were here. How are those two?"
"They are great; it should be an amazing time."
"So do you need a ride to the airport?"
"No, actually Sam is taking me." she bit her bottom lip
"Swarek is your chauffeur? Nice."
"No Trace, he's taking me…. as in going with me to New York."
"Get out!"
Andy giggled and lowered her voice. "He asked if I wanted some company and I said yes. Am I out of my mind?"
"Oh my God, no, you aren't nuts. He's crazy about you, everyone knows that…..well, except maybe you." She smiled, "Anyone can see that there's something between you two, maybe this is just what you need, some time alone to see where it goes."
"Ya know, Jenna called the other day when we were on patrol. She needed to know if I was bringing anyone after the whole Luke fiasco and Sam came up. I almost asked him but he beat me too it. I immediately said yes, and now I am sweating bullets thinking about being alone with him for four days."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about the bullets but I wouldn't be surprised if there's sweating involved this weekend." She smiled and winked at Andy.
"Traci!"
"They laughed and headed for the Penny.
Sam sat nursing his scotch waiting for a glimpse of Andy. He would only admit it to himself but he was really looking forward to this weekend with her. He had been thinking about it all week and was pretty sure that the next 24 hours were going to feel like an eternity. Oliver saddled up to the bar next to him.
"Hey brother…. I've noticed that you have been looking like the cat that swallowed the canary. What gives my friend?"
"What are you talking about Shaw?"
"Sammy, I am a trained investigator and you are my best friend. Spill."
Sam turned to look at his friend and spoke quietly, "I'm going away with McNally,…. for the weekend."
"Get outta town." He punched him in the shoulder. "When did this happen? Did you finally man up and talk to her?"
"Last week, she was talking about her cousin's wedding and that she was going to go alone because of that idiot fiancée of hers. So I asked her if she wanted me to go with her and she said yes." Sam leaned back with a satisfied grin.
"Way to go Sam. Big step for you. Let me remind you that women love weddings, all sentimental and romantic, hope you are prepared for that. You may be in big trouble, Sammy."
"Honestly, I'm not prepared for anything. I'm just gonna be the perfect date, have fun and hope she finds me irresistible." He grinned as he downed the rest of his scotch. Oliver coughed as he was looking over Sam's left shoulder.
"I already find you irresistible." Andy whispered in his ear, then continued walking toward the rookie table.
His eyes got wide.
"Sam, what did she say?"
"In a nut shell?... I may be in big trouble."
They both visited with their respective friends and then Andy said good night. She had packing to do and work the next day. Sam waited a few minutes and then followed suit. Andy was sitting on the bench by the bus stop right outside the Penny parking lot.
She saw the familiar truck approach and hopped in. They were at her apartment within a few minutes. Sam grabbed her bag and followed her inside. Her new apartment was slightly smaller than the last but was much newer. She proudly showed off her updated kitchen.
"This is really nice, but I thought you didn't cook?"
"I figure someday I'll actually get married and I should know how to cook something. How about a beer?"
"Sure."
Andy went to a stack of papers on a small desk in the corner. "Here is your plane ticket,…. Samuel." He rolled his eyes at her. The airline needed the name on the ticket to match exactly to the passport. When she had asked him for his full name, and he told her Samuel, Andy had cracked up had been teasing him ever since.
"Our flight is tomorrow at 7:55pm from Toronto Pearson and we arrive at LaGuardia around 9:30. There is a shuttle to the hotel. We'll check in and do whatever you want. Friday morning you'll get to meet Jenna and her family and then we are pretty much free till the rehearsal dinner, some Italian place not far from the hotel. During the day, we can do the sightseeing thing, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, a museum, whatever you feel like, we could just sit by the pool or go to Central Park, your choice. Saturday we can probably do something too. The wedding is at 6 and the reception is right after. Sunday we go to my Aunt and Uncle's house on Long Island for brunch and then…"
Andy looked up to see Sam staring at her. "Too much?"
"Are you kidding? Sounds like the adventure of a lifetime. I meant to ask you, I have a suit for the wedding of course but what about the dinner the night before?"
Andy contemplated. Visions of Sam at the car dealership sting were still captured in her mind. He looked so handsome in his suit which fit him perfectly in all the right places. She would never tell him that, in a million years, but he did. And while never would she have pictured him in that purple shirt, he wore it extremely well. Focus Andy, focus.
"It's a little more casual that night. But shorts for Sunday definitely, oh and a bathing suit of course. It is still pretty warm down there, even at the end of September." Nice Andy, anything to see him shirtless.
"Okay, so after work, I will go home and grab my stuff, pick you up here at 6:00 and we'll be on our way."
"Sounds good to me."
Sam placed his empty beer bottle in the sink and started for the door. "So, I will see you in the morning."
"Okay. Good night."
"Oh, hey Andy, what color is your dress for the wedding?"
She gave him a puzzled expression, "Um, …it's mostly black with charcoal grey around the waist,….wait why?"
"Just wondering."
She shut the door and leaned against it. Suddenly, she ran out, barefoot, down the steps and toward the street where Sam was about to get in his truck.
"Sam."
His head whipped around, "Yeah?"
"Thank you." She kissed his cheek softly, smiled and ran back to her apartment.
He laughed and got in his truck. "Thank you." He said to himself as he pulled away from the curb.
Thursday's shift was fairly quiet, which just made the day go that much slower. After shift, Traci dropped Andy off at home and with a wink wished her a good trip. Sam went straight home to shower and grab his belongings. Promptly at 6, he knocked on Andy's door.
Wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans, his standard fare, he looked down right handsome. She couldn't wait to see him in his suit. Yummy.
Andy grabbed her bag and her backpack with her passport and headed for the door. She went to lock up and felt Sam take the pack off her shoulder and bring her stuff to his truck. It took them about a half hour to get to the airport. Sam parked in the long term lot and unloaded their bags. They waited for the shuttle to take them to the terminal. "Hey Andy, you're kinda quiet, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. A little nervous. A lot excited."
"You're not nervous about being with me, are you?"
"Not nervous scared, just more anxious."
"Honestly…me too."
"Listen Sam, I really am so glad that you are coming with me but let's just make a pact right now,… no pressure for anything. I mean not that I expect anything to happen between us but I think we both realize that there is some kind of powerful something between us. If something happens it happens but if we're not on the same page, that's fine too. Forget it, I know, I'm overthinking again."
"Andy….relax." He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips and kissed it. "We're on the same page. I promise."
The shuttle pulled to the curb and they loaded their bags. The terminal was busy but the check in was efficient. The clerk handed back their passports and id's to Andy. "Here you go, Samuel." She gave a little snort.
"Ok, your Andy and I'm Sam for the weekend, got it?" he smiled
Before they knew it, they were going through security. Sam went through one side quickly collecting his belongings. Andy was not so lucky. She walked back and forth through the scanner, each time setting it off. Sam stood off to the side, arms folded, trying not to laugh. He really needed to try harder. The TSA rep now had Andy's shoes off and was waving his scanning wand up and down her body. The blush that was now flushing her from the chest up just made her look even that much more beautiful. Finally, Sam pointed to her neck. She pulled a chain out of her shirt, on it was a miniature version of Luke's shield. She took off the necklace, put it in the basket and walked through beep free. She put her sneakers back on, grabbed her stuff and started to walk away.
"Miss, excuse me, you forgot your necklace." He held it out to her.
"Thanks, but you can keep it."
Sam smiled and put his hand at the small of her back as he guided her in the direction of their gate.
They were boarded almost immediately and found their seats. Andy sat by the window and Sam stowed their bags in the overhead compartment, while Andy stared at his perfectly built form. She looked up and met his eyes and realized that she had not been subtle. More blushing.
Safety rules taught, seatbelts on, the plane started down the runway. They joined hands, neither sure who was trying to put who at ease.
About 10 minutes into the flight, Andy pulled out her iPod. Sam pulled out snacks. Andy laughed and rolled her eyes. It was all about the food for Sam.
"What? You know they don't feed you on these flights." He grinned. They shared the snacks and Andy left an ear bud in her right ear and gently placed the other in Sam's left one. It was a thoughtful gesture but it made his whole body go warm.
He knew Andy's music tastes varied but was shocked to find a lot of his favorite songs on her playlist. After the 3rd Rush song in a row, he tilted his head to look at her.
"It's a long weekend, figured the least I could do is download some of your favorites too."
He winked at her and went back to his car magazine.
Andy had not slept great the night before but sitting next to Sam, still holding his hand she was completely content. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, her head resting on his shoulder and a huge smile on his face.
Andy heard the captain come over the loudspeaker announcing their timely arrival in New York. She suddenly became aware of her pillow moving and realized she had fallen asleep on Sam. He had raised the armrest between them and had cradled her against his chest, his arm around her waist.
"God Sam, I slept the whole flight, I'm so sorry." She made an attempt to smooth her hair.
"Don't be sorry, I'm not."
They found the shuttle without too much trouble and sat back for the ride into Manhattan.
Andy hadn't been to the city in a few years but always loved the electricity that she felt whenever she was there.
They walked through the beautiful and extremely busy lobby to the check in desk.
"Good evening. Welcome to the Marquis." The hotel manager greeted them.
"Thank you. We are here with the Donovan wedding, the reservation is under McNally."
"Andrea?"
"Yes."
"Yes, we have it right here. Three nights, non-smoking room, king bed."
"Great, Oh wait,…,, um no, could we have 2 doubles instead?" Andy forgot that she had made the reservation for her and Luke. Crap, crap crap. She heard Sam clear his throat behind her. She ignored him and hoped that her face wasn't on fire, like it felt.
"Sorry miss, we are booked solid. We have three weddings this weekend." Oh God
"Sir, the king bed is fine." Sam touched her arm, "Andy, no sweat, we'll figure it out."
The man assigned them two room keys and pointed them in the direction of the elevator. "You are in room 1712, up the north elevator and a left down the hallway. Sam swore to himself that the number 1712 would be his favorite number….forever.
The elevator ride was extremely quiet if not for the hum as they ascended to the 17th floor.
They found the room immediately, Andy's hand was shaking as she tried to scan the key in the door. Third time was a charm.
The room was beautiful, with an amazing view of the city. The bed situation was a non-factor right now.
"Geez, my uncle spares no expense. I could never afford this on my rookie salary."
"Me neither and I haven't been a rook for quite some time….Andy this is amazing."
There was the usual hotel furnishings. A small table in the corner with two chairs, a desk, plus a flat screen TV on the wall and let's not forget the giant bed that they would both be sleeping in. Sam and her, she and him, them, in the same bed, together. Andy tried to slow her racing heartbeat.
"Hey look, champagne. I'm guessing your uncle has some money."
Andy noticed the bucket of ice with the bottle wrapped in cloth, 2 glasses on a tray. She wondered to herself if Sam would be alarmed if she suddenly chugged the entire bottle. Probably.
"So what do you want to do?" she squeaked out.
He grabbed her hands in his noticing her nervousness, "Okay, first we're gonna take a breath. Then, we'll hang up our clothes clean up real quick and then we'll go for a walk, a drink, whatever you want. What do ya say partner?"
She let go of the breath she had been holding.
"Ok, Sam, I've got your back."
After getting settled in, they decided to walk around the hotel a little bit. They found the pool, the fitness center and the Jacuzzi. Finally they ended up on the top floor which turned out to be a revolving restaurant. They took two seats at the end of the bar. They each ordered a drink and sat taking in the beautiful lights of the city. They made small talk for a while before Andy felt the need to clear the air.
"Listen, I know that I was a little distracted these past few weeks, but I want you to know that I am fine now. My head is clear and you don't have to worry about me."
"Andy, I'm glad you are okay but I think I'll always worry about you, it's sort of what I do. Sleep, eat, get dressed, worry about McNally." She smiled then he continued, "Can I ask you one question though?"
"Anything."
"How did you find out…about the cheating?" he wasn't sure he wanted to really hear the answer but for some reason he needed to know.
She took a deep breath before answering. "Honestly, I think Jo is worse at lying than me….I could sense there was something between them, a combination of chemistry and a past. Luke never came home one Friday, said he decided to go to the cabin for the night. A few days later we get a call at home saying that Luke left his credit card at the Edinborough Hotel. When I asked him about it, he said that he had bought a spa day for me. Stupid me, I believed him. I should have guessed with the flowers, the dinners, a spa package? The alarms should have gone off in my head. It wasn't until Jo and I were assigned to watch after Dena that it all came together." She explained the matches, the avoiding looks and the stuttering.
"So, I went home and packed a couple of bags. He came home, tried to apologize and asked me not to go. Did you know that he wanted to move up the wedding, like for the following weekend? and I was ready to go along with it. Did he think that if we were married and I found out he cheated it would just be okay?...Anyhow, it's done, we're done. If you don't have trust in a relationship, you don't have anything. It has to at least start with trust. Right?"
"Absolutely."
"I'm glad that conversation is over with, now we can enjoy the weekend…can I ask you one question?"
"Sure." His curiosity was piqued
She contemplated for a second, "you know what, I'm gonna save my question for our flight home."
"Oh-kay." He smiled and let out a small yawn.
"Come on sleepy head. I know you didn't have the nice nap that I had on the plane…..I trust you have a plan for the sleeping arrangements tonight, eh partner?"
Back at the room, Sam let Andy use the bathroom first. She came out face scrubbed clean wearing a tank top and pajama shorts. Sam thought that she never looked more stunning.
It was his turn in the bathroom. He came out to find Andy sitting in a chair watching the news. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him sit on the edge of the bed. He was shirtless and wearing a pair of cut off sweatpants. Andy's breath hitched in her throat. She found herself staring at his muscular arms and toned chest and turns out, really nice legs. She had only gotten a glimpse of the latter that first day they met in the locker room. In the locker room, in his boxers….sigh. Get it together McNally.
"Andy?" he finally snapped her out of her daze.
"Yeah?"
"Which side do you sleep on?"
"The right."
It was then that she realized that Sam had constructed a pillow wall down the center of the bed. She laughed out loud and got in on her side of the barrier.
"I had them bring some extra pillows while you were in the bathroom. I mean, I know we just had the trust talk, but it was a matter of me not trusting myself." He grinned
He leaned down to kiss her cheek, "Good night Andy."
"Nigh Sam." …she hesitated….."Hey Sam,... I'm really happy you're here with me."
"So am I."
