Didn't you hear my heart break?
Chapter 2: Tennis anyone?
Monday Afternoon February 28th
Near Eastgate, Washington
Eastbound on I-90
3:30 PM
Sam's cell phone began to ring. The ID screen showed 'GIBBERS'. She shook her head, smiled slightly and touched the button on her ear bud:
"Hello Gibby, you dog! Where are you?"
"Hiya Sam! Sorry about the no show today, but I'll be gone for awhile yet. Juanita and I are in Rio, WOW! What a woman! Thanks!" Gibby replied.
"Did you just say you were in Rio, as in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil?" Sam queried.
Gibby was answering her question, but Sam was getting another call… ID shows 'CARLS'. Sam decided to pass on Carly for the moment, and focus on Gibby, since the connection wasn't great to him.
She asked Gibby to please repeat. He said: "Yes, were in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. We are having a blast! Look Sam, I won't be back for at least two or three weeks, maybe a month. Hell, maybe more. You're going to have to run the shop and catch the meetings and such. If you have any problems, and I don't think you will, just email me. Cell service is iffy in some spots down here. Talk to you later, partner. Take care of the biz, and take care of yourself…" Disconnect.
Gibby was gone, the phone buzzed showing Carly had left a message. Sam stared at the phone for a moment, thinking to herself: 'I've got a meeting in Issaquah, or Gibby and I did, and I have to get there. I'll catch her message later…'
Monday Afternoon February 28th
Seattle Washington
4:10 PM
Carly was staring out the window of her office, speaking into her cell; "SAM! This is the sixth message, call me!"
Monday Afternoon February 28th
Issaquah Washington
Westbound on I-90
5:30 PM
Sam checked her cell phone while pulling out of the parking lot; eleven voice messages from Carly along with three more text messages. The text messages all say 'CALL ME!' Sam knows she'll need to listen to the messages from her, but the phone battery is about gone. Besides, none of the messages were 911's so it's probably some great new recipe she's found. She thought she would call her tonight, after she was home. Carly can be a bit 'intense' on occasion.
Sam was pleased the way the meeting went. Normally, she and Gibby assessed the meetings in the first few moments, and traded places in doing the presentation. It all depended on which one of them they thought would be the best received. Sam and Gibby had become close friends, and even better business partners. They fought like badgers sometimes, but always agreed on the direction their business needed to go. Sam was really happy for the Gib. She hoped this woman would make him happy. He had it coming. Neither of them had any feelings like that for each other. Oh, it had been the office rumor forever, but Gibby and Sam both saw each other as 'someone to watch my back' in business dealings. Gibby was also about the best business associate she could imagine. He had never stopped her from trying something new or doing things differently. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.
When he had offered her a part time job, she was broke, waiting tables in a BBQ joint. Gibby had sweetened the offer by promising her twenty five percent of the job to play up to some dirt bag and get him to steal more funds from his company. At first she had thought about breaking Gibby's jaw when he asked her to do that job. But, being broke… she tried it, and it worked, he confessed to everything. She had expected to get a few hundred dollars, but no more. Gibby gave her a check for $3500.00. After that first check, he had asked her to work for him. Nope, but he could use a partner she had thought. Now look at me! With bonuses and salary, she made an insanely high six figures every year. This year, she might actually break seven digits. Besides, she owned twenty five percent of the business! Gibby had given her fifteen percent when she joined him almost eight years ago. Over that time he had given her two five percent increases in her ownership. These were for ideas that made, as Gibby said, 'Gobs O Dough'. Who would have thought all those years ago, that this shirtless dancing fool would turn out to be such a friend, and the perfect business partner. It was a pity her personal life couldn't be as nice as her professional life. Oh, there had been a few fellows, but none as nice as her first. But she wasn't even going to think about that one. He was just scum.
Monday Evening February 28th
Seattle Washington
6:30 PM
Sam pulled her car into her driveway and pressed the button on the garage door opener. She noticed Carly's car was parked in front of her house. They had keys to each others homes, so Sam was sure Carly was inside, but why? Well, she thought, I guess I won't have to listen to those messages. This was a switch. The few times Sam had let herself into Carly & Bill's home was after the nastier break up's she had been involved in. It just made things easier. Luckily, that didn't happen often. The drill was to go over to Carl's, drink enough wine to float a boat, get a huge hangover and get over the most recent mistake. The difference tonight was, she couldn't remember Carly ever letting herself in to her house, key or not.
She hoped Bill and Carl's weren't having problems… Nah, those two were just too cute together. Even though they were so damn lovey dovey they nearly made her retch on occasion, she continued thinking.
The garage door went up, and Sam parked her car. Before she could get out of the car, Carly was sprinting out of the house door like all the dogs of Hades were chasing her. She was dressed in a tennis outfit.
Huh?
"SAM! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN! I must have left a dozen messages on your cell if I left one." Carly yelled.
Carly grabbed Sam by the arm and nearly yanked her out of the car and pushed her into the house.
"Quickly Sam, change into your tennis outfit, I've got some rackets in my car, we're late, but there is still time if you hurry." Carly said while they were walking through the kitchen.
Sam looked at her, perplexed.
"Carl's, are you nuts? I'm tired. I don't want to play tennis. I don't want to do anything except have a cup of tea, watch a little TV and go to bed. Besides, have you noticed that it's pouring out?" Sam said.
Carly looked at Sam like she was some kind of nut and yelled "CHANGE! NOW!"
Sam jumped back and said: "OK, OK, but I don't have any cutesy tennis outfits like you have on. I just wear shorts and a sweat shirt."
Carly looked at Sam and shook her head... "Okay Sam, just change, fast, now…"
A few minutes later Sam was wearing some shorts, a loose blouse and tennis shoes. Carly had rejected the sweatshirt out of hand. Carly gave Sam a windbreaker she had found in the closet, and ran me out of the house. She nearly threw Sam in her car, told her to choose a racket from the back seat and drove like a maniac.
Sam looked over at Carly, shocked.
"Carly, it's raining. I mean this is Seattle in late February, what are we doing?" Sam asked.
Carly shook her head, as if that was answer enough, and continued driving.
She soon pulled into the parking lot at the Seattle Tennis Club. Sam knew that Carly and her husband were members. Sam liked to play tennis, but not enough to join a club, even though she could easily afford it.
Sam looked over to Carly, and saw the determined look on her face. Sam thought her friend had finally cracked. 'Oh well, here we were, going to the indoor courts. At least we won't freeze.' Sam mused as they walked across the parking lot.
As they entered, a receptionist greeted them and told Carly that her party was on court four. Approaching the court, Sam could see Bill was playing singles with a real hunk. Sam looked over at Carly, put her hand on her arm to stop her and said:
"Listen, if this is some kind of date thing, I'm not in the mood, ok? I'm tired. Can I just go?"
Carly glared back at her but didn't say a thing. She shook off her arm from Sam's grip and continued into the doorway. Sam shrugged and continued along with her friend.
Sam took another look at the stranger. 'Wow, what a guy', she thought. 'Buff, tanned and… holy… it's Freddie…' His back was too her, he hadn't noticed them coming in. Sam didn't break stride a bit; he still hadn't seen her until she was only a couple of feet from him. She grabbed him and pulled him into a huge hug, and hung on for some time. He was hard as a rock and taller than she remembered. He began gently rubbing her back while loosely returning the hug. Sam broke the hug, and took one step back.
Freddie looked her in the eyes and said;"Uh, hi Sam."
Sam smiled, twisted slightly and drew her arm back.
She decked his ass with a right uppercut to his jaw.
He was out like a light, and hit the floor hard.
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