I started this story during 'Samecedes week' and wanted to add more to it. It's pretty much Samcedes based off the movie 'Love Jones'. This is just part two to my initial story. The song lyrics are "Inside My Love" by Trina Broussard.

"Two people…just meeting…Barely touching each other. Two spirits, greeting… tryna carry each further…"

It was Thursday mid-morning. Mercedes awoke with a start. She definitely slept longer than anticipated but, the rest was well needed. She had spent half the night writing after her adventure with the Sanctuary the night before. The writing just seemed to pour out of her more than it ever had before. There was a growing spark that she couldn't ignore. Damn, she didn't know WHAT was in the air last night, but she couldn't shake it.

Mercedes jumped in the shower and decided to go out for a late breakfast. She had only one class today and it wasn't until 3pm. Maybe some brunch and a trip to the local music store would help her relax a little from the nights events. Her conversation with the cute cab driver (Sam was it? Of course it was- like she'd forget) had her feeling a bit more… musically inclined today.

"Hey Cedes!" Headed across campus, Mercedes stopped dead in her tracks. She knew that high pitched shriek anywhere.

"Hey Kurt boo!" she whipped around to see her very best friend running to catch up with her.

"I tried calling you a million times this morning for breakfast with Blaine and I, but someone was sending me to voicemail…" he said with a hint of irritation in his voice.

"Wasn't on purpose, I promise. Last night at the Sanctuary was… eventful. And you know I don't have class until 3pm and blah blah blah…" Mercedes sighed.

"Got cha'. Well, how about dinner?" Kurt pursued.

"Yeah, I can swing that. I will text you after my last class."

"Alright Diva! See ya later!" Kurt and Mercedes hugged and he skipped back toward campus in the opposite direction.

Mercedes arrived at her favorite music spot the Music Emporium. She could practically smell the scent of fresh vinyl from a block away. Anytime she entered into the place, there was almost a guarantee that countless hours and too much money would be spent, but it was always worth it. Mercedes immediately headed to the back of the store and flipped through a couple of old school CDs from the 80s and 90s that made her reminisce about her childhood back in Ohio. As she was deciding on whether she should pick up Jodeci's "Diary of a Mad Band" or SWV's "It's About Time" albums, she heard from somewhere behind her…

"Tony, Toni, Tone would be a MUCH better choice. Didn't we discuss this last night?"

Mercedes quickly turned around to stare directly into those green eyes that haunted her from late last night to early this morning.

"Are you stalking me?" she sputtered through a half choked laugh.

"From one music connoisseur to another, you know that in this town, the only decent place to find amazing music is at the Music Emporium." He smiled that smile that she couldn't displace from her mind and it slightly annoyed her.

"Thanks for the suggestion. It's a bit weird to run into you here today. I've never seen you in here before." Mercedes looked at this Sam character unsure of what his motives were. It was entirely possible that he could have randomly entered into the same store she was, but how possible was it? Chicago is a major city and she hardly believed in serendipity.

Sam laughed. "Call it fate. Hey, I see you're a classic 90's kid but, from what I remember about you last night, your taste in music is expansive. So, let me play something for you."

Sam rifled through a stack of jazz records and came across one that seemed to be exactly what he was looking for from the look on his face. He blew a few dust particles off the record and placed it on the old school record player sitting in the corner of the record shop. As the record began, the piano bars seemed to melodically float over the air between them. Mercedes felt instantly transported to a moment in time that probably existed before she was even thought of, but listening to the record awoken that part of her soul that felt aged. She felt right at home.

"In a Sentimental Mood." Sam stepped a bit closer and whispered to Mercedes.

Mercedes smiled and asked "Are you reading my mind?"

"Ha, not quite." Sam laughed. "The song is called 'In a Sentimental Mood'. It's Coltrane and Ellington."

"Wow, that's nice. I kinda sorta love it. It spoke to my soul in a way." Mercedes found herself smiling way too hard at that thought and didn't want Sam to interpret something else from it. But it was too late.

"Well, there's more where that came from. We should get together sometime and discuss music in detail. Maybe over din-"

"I have to go. I have class- it was nice seeing you again." SHIT. That became awkward very quickly. Mercedes chastised herself for getting caught up in this dude, yet again, and letting her guard down. She quickly dropped the CDs she had in her hand on the rack and rushed out of the store, leaving Sam standing there looking dumbfound.

Mercedes had decided to focus on school this semester and not get sidetracked or distracted. This Sam character could definitely prove to be a distraction. He did something to her that made her blush and twitch in all the right wrong places. She'd known him less than 24 hours. Plus, she couldn't be entirely sure that he hadn't followed her into the music store on some creepy stalker type mess. Okay, her logical side did remind her that this city is big enough, yet small enough to see the same people twice. UGH! She was perfectly content with the life was going for her and wasn't sure she was ready for any shake ups. She quickly headed toward campus, hoping Sam wouldn't follow her. Her abrupt exit made her a bit embarrassed. But she couldn't face telling him "Sorry, but you have bad timing" when she wasn't entirely sure that was the case. Oh well- if it was meant to be, they'd see each other again, she thought to herself. That's if he didn't think she was totally batshit crazy for running out on him mid-sentence twice in a row.

"Two strangers… not strangers… Only lacking the knowing…So willing… feeling… infinite growing…."