Loving the Adventure
Chapter 2 – The Perfect Gentleman
AN – Some people have asked me on how Sam knew about Brennan taking Andy to Cherry Beach in Chapter 1. I have based my assumption on that either 1) Sam heard it during Jerry's interrogation of Brennan or 2) Jerry/Nash heard it from Andy's questioning with Boyd/Frank & have mentioned it in passing to Sam. I hope that answer satisfies you all.
AN2 – I have suffered through writers & editor's block, life, procrastination & etc. Sorry it has taken so long to post this chapter. Hopefully it's worth the wait. ;)
AN3- Background and thoughts are in italics.
AN4- The places are real in Toronto and I highly recommend them.
Dedicated to my RBteers (for laughs, support & editing), b0nes and Linnybins.
There are bits that only you ladies will get.
Disclaimer: I wish I did own RB and its characters but Global/ABC/Thump do but hey I can always dream!
_
When Andy had walked into Traci's apartment after leaving the Barn on Sunday night, Traci gave her a big hug, knowing that Andy and Sam can't see nor contact each other during their suspensions and knowing how hard that separation will be. Andy returned to Traci's with a huge smile on her face, even without asking Traci knew that Sam had dropped Andy off outside.
On Monday night, when Traci, Leo and Andy were watching the movie "Up" on the couch for the umpteenth time, Traci had asked what Andy was going to be up to the next day – Andy smiled and smoothly said "some errands, finalize mortgage and drinks with some old friends. I've finally got some time to catch up with them with the suspension and all. So don't expect me home early." Traci and Leo gave Andy a good night hug at the end of the movie and went to their individual bedrooms to sleep.
So when morning came, Andy was left alone in the apartment, Traci and Leo were already out, as Traci had to drop Leo off at school before her day shift. Andy woke up feeling giddy with excitement on late Tuesday morning, even though she had a kink in her back and neck from sleeping on Traci's couch. She happily thought that she'll only have to put up with Traci's couch for one more month, until she can sleep on a real bed, her own bed. She inched herself over to the edge of the sofa bed, got up to stretch and beamed. Today was the day! She cheerfully thought about the start of her future, beginning with the purchase of her condo. Andy was sure that her mortgage broker was mad at her for re-scheduling several times due to the circumstances but Andy was grateful that she understood her current situation. Even before her suspension, she had signed off on 60 days for her closing date, making it January 9th. Ironically, it happens to be one week after her and Sam's return to work, and one 'work' week into the New Year. Andy thought blissfully, what better way than to start off a new year with a fresh start to her job, a new relationship (more than just as partners) and a new place smelling of fresh paint (something her dad and Oliver mentioned to her on her first day as a cop).
Andy is jolted out of her happy thoughts, when she catches a glimpse of the time on the microwave, quickly moves to change and starts heading out to the bank branch so that she wouldn't be late. Andy transits north to Broadview station, grabs a coffee and a quick bite to eat from Broadview Espresso before walking to her bank branch on the Danforth. Once she got to the branch, Andy was completely grateful that her mortgage broker understood her circumstances and was able to quickly sign off on her mortgage. After doing some quick window shopping for decorating ideas, Andy headed back to Traci's apartment to shower and change. Andy was truly grateful that she did not have to encounter Traci at home, since Traci had texted her in the afternoon to tell her that her and Leo were going to head directly to the mall to do some holiday shopping and grab some dinner. Traci will question her as to why she was so giddy to see 'old friends', and will easily see through her 'ruse' and definitely will give her the 'McNally, Go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not linger, don't do anything stupid. J.D. off limits' talk again. Satisfied with her normal wardrobe choices and a touch of makeup, Andy grabbed her jacket and headed out, briskly walking the five minutes to Queen St. and jumping onto the westbound Queen Streetcar as it slowly heads towards The Rhino.
After dropping Andy off at Traci's Sunday night, Sam went to Metro to pick up some basic groceries like coffee, bread, veggies for salads, and milk before he headed home. There was nothing in his fridge since he cleared it out the night he left with Boyd for the undercover assignment. Sam got back to his place, parked his truck in the back, and turned the power back on for his lights and appliances. He padded around his living room, flipping through his unopened mail and his now dead cell phone on his coffee table and gingerly sat down on his couch. Although he got the prescription of his Tylenol 3s filled, he didn't want to take any as they make him groggy as hell and unable to drive. So with him being in great pain – with his arm in a cast and the stitches on his face, Sam turns slowly to his right side to plug his phone into the charger and patiently waits. When it finally has enough charge to come to life, Sam enters his password to check his voicemail – he smiles when he hears Andy's voicemail about "screwing the plan and not saving the good candy for later anymore," saves her voicemail, and skips through the ones left by Sarah and ends the call. Satisfied with hearing Andy's voice, he got up from the couch and slowly headed to his bedroom, changed into his pajamas and crawled under the covers, falling asleep right away.
Sam awoke from his deep slumber sometime Monday late afternoon, with his stomach growling from hunger. Waking up groggy and confused as to where he was, he slowly opened his right eye and then his left, and was very relieved to see that he was in his bed in his room in his own house. He got up from his bed slowly and walked into the washroom to check on his dressings. Upon checking that his dressings were still okay, he headed downstairs to make some coffee and food to satisfy his two out of three cravings (the third will just have to wait). After eating and loading his dishes in the dishwasher, he walked into his living room and sat down on his couch, unplugging his phone from the charger and pressed the number 5 on the keypad to call his sister Sarah. After picking up, they started talking about his most recent undercover operation, a very brief overview of what happened with Brennan (majorly downplaying his injuries and the torture he suffered), Andy's proposition at the Alpine Inn, and their suspensions. Lastly, he talked about his plans for the next few weeks and having drinks with friends from the Academy on Tuesday evening (hinting at Andy's plans and The Rhino, but not going into any more details. They technically went to the same Academy, just at different times!). On Sarah's end, she told him about what was happening in St. Catherines and in her world. They conversed on the phone for a good while about their respective lives before Sam started yawning and Sarah sensing that her little brother needed his rest. They decided to say their goodbyes and made promises to speak again soon. Sam slipped the phone into his pocket while he got up from his couch, and headed back towards his bedroom. Grabbing a clean t-shirt and a pair of boxers from his dresser, he headed to his master bathroom to take a shower. While in the shower, now shortly after midnight, Sam happily thought to himself that, several hours after waking up, he will be able to see Andy's smile and gorgeous face again. Knowing he had a bunch of chores to do before meeting Andy tomorrow, he quickly set his alarm for eight A.M. Before replacing his phone on his bedside table, for a brief moment, Sam had the sudden urge to press speed dial three on his phone. Thinking better of it, he crawled under the covers and immediately fell asleep, with a huge grin on his face (well as large as his stitched up face will allow).
On Tuesday morning, Sam upon hearing his alarm, wakes up feeling unbearable pain, trudges downstairs to his kitchen and decides to take a couple of regular Tylenols (still trying to avoid taking Tylenol 3s) and then making coffee and breakfast. After breakfast, he opened his laptop to check his emails, and seeing nothing important that required his immediate attention, he shuts his laptop and wandered around his house, taking his coffee mug with him, seeing what needs to be dusted, changed, laundered and cleaned since he was away for three weeks. He had quickly lost track of time, while doing his chores and thinking about his job, Andy, her condo, their friends, their suspensions and beyond.
Andy stands in the streetcar, just lost in her thoughts – wonders if Sam will actually show, will he stand her up, how his face looks, how he is feeling, if he misses her, if he is in any pain. She is suddenly jerked out of her daydreams, when someone accidentally elbows her. They mumble a quick sorry and Andy smiles backs at them, while they continue towards the back door of the streetcar. Andy looks out the window past the woman getting off and sees a Shaw Street sign on a concrete pole. She starts laughing quietly to herself, thinking if he only knew what they were up to these next few weeks and what he will say to that. Once the streetcar passes Dufferin Street, she presses the button to request her stop at Noble St. She crosses the street and walks into The Rhino. (She knows about The Rhino because her college friend lives close to there and they used to go there for brunch.)Upon walking into The Rhino, she wonders where to sit for the best vantage point, and decides to park her at the right side of the bar, so she can see Sam come in and he can see her. She orders a Muskoka Winter Ale from the bartender and starts thinking about her life, her new condo and of course, Sam while she waits for him to show up.
In the early evening, Sam showers and carefully changes the dressing of his cuts before dressing in his usual attire of jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket. He grabs his wallet and keys before heading out the door. He slowly drives across town to The Rhino, thinking of several questions with unknown answers: what if Doreen shows up? (Andy did say drinks with JD and Doreen) What if she stands him up? What if they get caught? Is meeting up is a good idea? Why is he panicking? He shakes the thoughts out of his head, as he is currently guilty of 'over-thinking'. Since the Gardiner Expressway was closed due to construction, he turned onto Richmond St and headed west and then back onto Queen Street via Bathurst Street. Stopping at a traffic light, Sam chuckles when he sees Shaw Street, and wonders what his best friend will say if he knew what he was about to do. He didn't expect to run into major traffic along the Entertainment District on a Tuesday night, unfortunately causing him to be late. At 8:10pm, Sam parks his truck on Milky Way lane (he figures it would be 'safer' to park off of Queen St West, just in case some of his colleagues recognize his truck and decides to come in for a chat – which will completely blow this 'undercover' operation Andy has apparently planned for them) and walks towards The Rhino, still unsure whether this is a good idea or not. On the one hand, he would love to see Andy during their suspensions but on the other hand, they are breaking the rules, especially the 'no-contact whatsoever' one. He smiles to himself, realizing that he is only 'slightly' colouring outside the lines as it is Candace and JD meeting up and not Sam and Andy. Before entering, Sam quickly thinks to himself - I guess it is now or never, and hopes that Andy hasn't left yet. He decided right then he'll be Ernie (since Andy is expecting JD). He promptly thinks back to the conversation they had in JD's apartment and how he was the perfect gentleman. But since JD stands Candace up, and doesn't call to say that he's late (after all, they can't call each other), JD will no longer be the perfect gentleman.
He walks into The Rhino and sees Andy sitting by herself at the bar, dressed in her usual sweater, dark wash skinny jeans and her boots, with her hair down, lost in her own thoughts, looking down and playing with her barely touched glass of beer. He breathes a sigh of relief that she is still there and waiting for JD, for him. He smiles and slowly walks right up to her. "Is this seat taken?" he asks, gesturing to the bar stool next to her. Andy is brought out of her thoughts by the sound of his voice, shocked that she did not even notice or sense him come in, turns towards him and beams. Andy, shocked at seeing him with his glasses (he is definitely not here as JD, she thinks), glancing at her watch and says with a pout "It was for my gentleman friend but I don't think he is going to show since its past 8pm already." Sam pauses "Why would anyone in their right mind stand someone as beautiful as you up? I guess he is not the perfect gentleman you thought he was – he stood you up and didn't call to say he was going to be late or not going to show up at all." Andy giggles, catching on (remembering their conversation in JD's apartment) and says "Well then the seat is yours." Sam takes his jacket off and sits down. "Thanks," he says before turning to introduce himself, "Hi, I am Ernie and you are?" Andy takes a sip of her beer, before answering "Candace, nice to meet you Ernie." An awkward silence ensues for a brief moment right after the introductions, with neither of them sure of what to say or do. During the silence, Sam points to the Mill St. Organic tap and gestures one to the bartender. The bartender pours a pint and promptly places it in front of him. Andy, confused and unsure of how to start off the conversation, pauses before turning to Sam (hoping in her most normal voice), "So what brings you here tonight?" Sam takes a sip of his beer and replies "My awesome friend Sam told me about this place and since I suddenly got some free time on my hands, I thought it would be the perfect time to check it out." Andy thinks back to the night at the Alpine Inn and turns to Sam, saying "Oh yeah, so it was undoubtedly fate that brought you into the bar tonight. I guess the universe has a plan and lucky for me, you're here." Sam starts chuckling at the fact that Andy has just pretty much repeated what he said that night back to him. Andy takes a sip of her beer and winks at him, willing him to play along. "Ernie, so what business are you in?" Sam thinks back to the conversation at the Alpine and replies "I'm currently out of work" pointing to cuts/stitches and his right arm "but normally I'm a Zamboni driver, nothing interesting. Until recently it's been a little lonely. What about you, Candace?" Andy remembers something funny Gail had said several weeks back just before Sam went undercover and repeats it to him "Hey, at least you're not a giant chicken that germy kids punch for fun. And oh, I'm in insurance, and it's been a little lonely for me as well". Andy curious as to what Sam would say how he got injuries, asks "So how did you end up with that cast and cuts on your face?" quickly wincing and adding "if you don't mind me asking...?" (Andy instantly regrets asking him that question since she already knew and might bring up bad memories for Sam.) Unaffected, Sam smirks and sarcastically says, "No, no I don't mind, it's quite funny actually – I had a fight with a mean Zamboni and as you can see - it obviously won." Andy, feeling a bit relieved, sarcastically questions "really?" He looks at her and continues with "it was what is was. The truth is that I got into a fight with a player from the other team over a disagreement on whether or not the right call was made. The other guy got taken out of the arena in handcuffs by the police. And I got to ride in a Hambulance." She laughs, "That's an interesting saying. There's only one person I've ever heard say that." Sam quirks his eyebrow at Andy, eagerly questioning her "And who would that be?" Andy winks at Sam "My awesome partner and friend Sam. I wonder if he's the same Sam that told you about this bar. Maybe you know him". Sam and Andy take gulps of their beers during this short break of the conversation trying to process what has just been said and where they take it. Over the next round of beers they manage to carry on a simple and easy conversation about family, friends, jobs, her condo and mortgage, his house and, of course, his truck. In fact, the exchange was flowing so smoothly that they manage to forget about the real life circumstances that lead to the both of them being in this bar and not The Black Penny with their friends. As the night draws closer to midnight, Sam, first thinks of ordering an orange juice, but instead asks the bartender for a glass of water. Aware of the fact that he needs to drive home, getting caught driving under the influence during his suspension from the MPS is definitely the last thing he needs.
At the same time, Andy knows she must tell Sam her plan for their next 'adventure' and that she should head back to Traci's soon. She looks at him casually and says "I'm thinking of spending Friday afternoon, by the waterfront – skating at the Natrel rink at the Harbourfront Centre and probably going to grab a coffee at the Second Cup there afterwards. So if you're not doing anything in those couple of hours... maybe you can join me there. I'm going to do some shopping on Queen Street in the morning, but I should be there around 2pm." Sam thoroughly understanding what Andy is trying to get at grins back and declares "that sounds like a perfect way to spend an afternoon. I'll double-check my schedule (knowing full well its empty, except poker night with Jerry & Oliver Friday evening) and maybe I'll see you there since I'm not working that day." He pauses before continuing "I guess I'll be seeing you at the giant milk carton by the lake. I've worked with some of those guys before and they can "put me on ice" virtually for free, so if you need rentals or whatever – just let me know." Holding off their conversation in order to finish off their drinks, Andy and Sam take the moment to gaze at each other and take each other in.
Sam grins widely at Andy and utters "I'm really glad I came here tonight, Candace". Andy winks at Sam and replies "well Ernie, I'm really glad that you came here tonight as well." Sam gestures to the bartender for the bill so that he can pay for their drinks – but Andy quickly stops him and says "I've only just met you, I'm not sure how I would feel about a strange guy buying me drinks like that, I think I'll buy my own drinks tonight, but thank you for the offer." Chuckling and remembering, Andy takes out a twenty-dollar bill and puts it on the bar, with Sam doing the same. He knows what the answer will be, but still asks nonetheless "Umm, Candace, do you need a ride back to your friend's place?" Andy desperately wants to say yes but she knows she cannot risk having Traci see Sam, and to see her get out of Sam's truck. She turns to look at him and says "I appreciate the offer, Ernie, but no." She ensures him "I'll be alright taking the streetcar back." Sam knowingly nods and gestures "I'll walk you out then." He stands up, picks up her coat and offers to help her put it on. Andy turns back to face him. "Wow! Ernie, aren't you just the perfect gentleman? You offer to pay for my drinks, help me with my jacket and walk me out. Are you going to hold my hand and actually call me too?" As he puts the coat on her, he chuckles. He knows that calling each other is definitely not an option so he says "I'd like to hold your hand but not sure about the calling part, since I don't even have your number," while wiggling his eyebrows at her. She beams back at him while he puts his coat on.
Holding hands, they walk out of The Rhino towards the streetcar stop at the corner. Sam turns towards Andy and leans closer to her. She sees him drawing nearer for a kiss (Andy flashbacks to the night she rescued Leslie Atkins and their near kiss by the ambulance) and she turns her head slightly, so that Sam will kiss her cheek and not her lips. She knows there's no going back if Sam gives her anything more than that. Sam, understanding Andy's actions, stays in character and gives her a chaste kiss on the cheek and a hug. He knows that there's no going back if he kisses her like he wants to, it would definitely lead to asking her to spend the night with him. He releases her and looks at her, waiting for her to respond. She promptly hugs him back, nuzzling his cheek with hers and says "It was definitely a pleasure meeting you, Ernie. Goodnight and hope to see you around sometime". Sam nods in agreement "Likewise, Candace." She sees the streetcar approaching, reluctantly turns away from him and gets on. Andy radiantly grinning ear to ear sits down and turns to wave goodbye at Sam from the window of the streetcar. He stands there smiling, watching her and the streetcar get smaller and smaller until he can no longer see them. He slowly walks back to his truck, unlocking it and gingerly gets into the driver seat, mumbling to himself "well, I'm certainly glad I showed up tonight." He drives home, changes into his pajamas and promptly falls asleep, curled up in his bed with Andy dancing happily in his dreams.
On her way back to Traci's, Andy can't believe she has just managed to pull off phase one of her plan. What a day it was, she giddily thought. She got to see Sam, she got her mortgage finalized, and they had discreetly made plans to meet up again in a couple of days' time. Even though she wasn't working, she still had enough on her plate. As a 'thank you' to Traci for letting her crash on her couch, Andy walked Leo to school every other morning and so, she didn't want to be back at Traci's too late. All she kept thinking about on her way back was that she hoped Traci wasn't up waiting for her. Because... if anyone can see right through Andy, it would be her best friend and she couldn't risk anyone finding out about her meet up with Sam. Andy knew that Traci only stayed over at Jerry's when she didn't have Leo because Jerry's loft was further away from Leo's school. Andy quietly unlocked the door of the apartment, got changed in the bathroom, and walked back to the sofa bed. She fell asleep quickly, with a smile on her face and dreaming of Ernie, the perfect gentleman.
AFN: Love it? Hate it? Feedback & reviews are definitely welcome. I promise I won't bite (well too hard...) :) Cheers Silly.
