Chapter 4

Sam and Cat were keeping two toddlers a few days after the awkward video chat session. As the kids napped, the girls had the chance to talk about boyfriends and some future plans over a late lunch.

"So, I'm guessing you had fun at your sleepover. You didn't come home until after six." Sam said with a smirk. She knew Cat and Robbie were at the point in their relationship where they couldn't keep their hands off each other despite the fact that it nauseated her.

"It wasn't really a sleepover. We didn't do much sleeping." Cat replied as she sipped at a cup of coffee.

"Cat!" Sam exclaimed, surprised at her friend's revelation. "I don't need all those details I'm trying to eat, here."

"Oh, no. Not that. We didn't have sex last night. We did that all afternoon." Cat said innocently. "We were watching movies with Jade and Tori last night. Have you noticed those two are really friendly lately? I think I keep picking up on something."

"How friendly?" Sam raised an eyebrow. She thought she noticed something, too.

"I don't know. Like, more than friends friendly. But it's impossible because they've both had boyfriends in the past."

"Ya knkow, I've had a feeling something was up between those two. Hey, whatever floats their boats." Sam shrugged. "Who are we to judge. Look at the kind of guys we're attracted to."

"Speaking of which, how about things with you and Freddie?" Cat asked.

"Eh, I guess OK. We had a chat a few days ago. Carly's back home and it looks like she's keeping him busy entertaining her." Sam tried to sound normal about it, but Cat could tell she wasn't happy about the situation.

"He's not messing around with her is he? That boy better treat you right or I'll have a talk with him." Cat tried to be all mother bear, but she was about as intimidating as a baby duck.

"Nah. She wouldn't give him the time of day all through school." Sam had herself convinced of this, but she was still bothered by how close they were sitting on his bed when she saw them on the chat session. "And she's still fickle and he's still a nerd."

"Well, he is coming down to see you this summer isn't he? You guys haven't been together since last fall when you went home for Thanksgiving. I couldn't go that long without seeing Robbie."

Sam tried to repress a gag. "Doesn't sound like it. He's got some job that keeps him tied down and his mother would probably pass a stone if he even thought about it after my last visit."

"Oh, yeah. That's when she chased you clear out of their apartment in your underwear." Cat snickered. "Why don't you go to see him then? You guys could get a hotel room or something so you can hive some privacy. I can handle things by myself for a few days and Robbie can stay with me to keep me company."

"Yeah, not really an option at this point. Even if I trusted you alone, which I don't, and even if Robbie stayed with you, which I am morally opposed to, because you'll probably defile the couch or something making out with him." Never mind the fact that Sam and Freddie had already broken the couch in. And her bed, and Cat's bed, and the shower.

Sam continued. "I really don't want to deal with my mom and I sure as hell don't want to see Freddie swooning all over Carly like he did in middle school. I've had enough of that old story to last me for the rest of my life."

"As long as there's no canoodling." Cat tried to be serious. "The thing is, I just can't see him going after another girl. He loves you, Sam. Like really, truly loves you."

"Psh. He has a funny way of showing it. You should have seen them. Sitting there all innocent, but I know how he is around her. And I also know she kissed him the day she left for Italy. After I told her I still liked him. Carly's my friend, but she only thinks with the little head some times, well wait that doesn't apply to girls but you know what I mean."

Cat giggled.

"She's always had a way to make him or really any guy do what she wants. She says jump, he says how high and where do I land. She bats those eyelashes and bites her lip like some little school girl and guys melt like chocolate on a hot sidewalk. Dang! Now I want chocolate."

The younger girl nodded in agreement.

"And I did give some serious consideration to going up there to see him and while I was in town, pounding some sense into her, but I'm not going to fight over it. As much as I'd like to. If he wants her, he can have her, to hell with him."

"Where's all this coming from, Sam? I thought you two were almost back together. You should have trust in your relationship. Like I said, Freddie's a good guy. He didn't try anything with me and I was kind of flirty with him to make Robbie jealous."

"I do trust him. Er, I did, anyway. Before Carly moved back. The thing that keeps digging me is I know sooner or later if they ever try to be more than friends, they'll never work out and they'll just end up hurting each other. Then I'll be stuck in the middle."

"More than friends? I thought you said he was waiting to do that. You're always complaining about how he's holding out on you. He surely wouldn't give it up to her would he?"

"Not be more than friends, as in sex. More than friends as in date, hold hands, kiss, make out. I know he's not going to go giving her his virginity. I practically gave him an engraved invitation more than once and he wouldn't do it. I swear I never heard of a guy who was so set to save himself."

"Yeah you've told me. Poor Sam, you must be so backed up. But I doubt he'll do anything with her. From what you've told me Carly is kinda prudy when it comes to sex anyway, right?" Cat offered.

"She was, anyway. Sounds like she's gotten over it since she lived overseas. She even told me she had a couple of one night stands. Not that she's a slut or anything, cute guys just get her all hot and bothered. And she didn't come out and say it, but I don't think they were all guys either."

Cat gasped at the thought just as one of the kids woke from his nap and started fussing to be changed.

"I'll get him, Sam." Cat offered. "You really should find a way to go back home for a few days or even a week. Sweep him off his feet. You won't be sorry. Maybe this time, you'll get a little play."

The following week, after her job interview, Carly surprised Freddie at work by bringing him coffee at his break time, which she knew by sneaking a look at his schedule on his phone.

The other Nerd Patrol team members stood shocked as this insanely gorgeous girl walked over to the Nerd Corner, right up to Freddie, gave him a peck on the cheek and asked if it was soon his break time.

"Dude!" One guy named Chance, a high school student on an internship, remarked after Carly and Freddie spent a few minutes together in the break room and she left. "Why didn't you tell me your girlfriend is such a fox. I mean, holy crap, she's gorgeous, man! I hope I can score a hot chick like that when I'm your age."

"Oh, um, no. She's not my girlfriend. We're just friends." He defended, continuing to disassemble a laptop. "And I'm four years older than you, I'm not thirty."

"Mmmm-hmmm." A, short, heavy set, dark skinned girl named Trisha shot back, taking her attention away from the printer she was working with. "I know you're just friends with Mindy 'cause she's engaged and the other two I've seen you with are obviously not into guys but you're telling me this insanely hot girl walks in to spend your break time with you, brings you coffee, kisses you, and she ain't your girlfriend? I'm gonna hafta check my shopping cart 'cause I ain't buyin' any of that bullshit?"

"One, she kissed me on the cheek. Two, we are just friends. Three, she just had a job interview at Skybanks right up the block and she knows I like their coffee. Seriously. That's it. We've been friends since middle school."

"Oh, that's different then. Here I thought she was totally flirting with you." The girl replied with another "Mmmm-hmmm." and a head nod. "Shoulda seen the way she looked at you, like I eye up a new Acura."

Freddie just rolled his eyes as she got back to work. After a few seconds, she continued. "At least now I know why you wouldn't go out with me for my 21st birthday. I thought for a minute it was because you only hang out with skinny, white girls."

"Trish! You know me better than that. I told you, I'm not a party boy. Plus, I couldn't go out clubbing with you for your birthday even if I wanted to, I'm only 20. And besides, I'm kinda working on something with someone already. Now can we just drop it?"

"Yeah. She's about this tall, has wavy brown hair and just left." Chance said with wide eyes, still more interested in Freddie's love life than his job. "I mean, good God, is she a model or something? And man, that figure."

"Alright, let's get back to work, people." Freddie flexed his management side to stop their continued harassment. "We have customers who want their computers back today. Fixed. And I don't want dressed down by Dolores because my crew spent all day taunting me instead of working. And Trish, as soon as you're done with that woman's ancient printer which should have been recycled two presidents ago, you need to go along with Alicia for that whole house wi-fi installation over on 8th Avenue."

"Yeah, she already asked me. I know the rule, no one goes on a service call alone."

That evening, Freddie came home to find Carly sitting in his living room with his mother. The initial shock of his mother even allowing this girl into their apartment wore off quickly when he realized the two were actually talking civil and getting along.

Carly stood up to give him a hug, which made him very nervous in from of his mom. After an embarrassing hug from his mother, Carly invited him to sit on the couch beside her and sat down very close to him. "Your mom and I were just discussing going out for dinner this weekend. We need to take you out to celebrate your promotion."

"It's no big deal." He said with humility. "It's not like I got promoted to store manager or anything. I'm not even making any more money, I'm still just a tech monkey, I just schedule the others and make up the bills."

"Nonsense. It is a big deal." His mother argued. "And it will be a good opportunity for us to all spend some time together. Carly has become so mature since she was in Europe for over three years. What a fine young lady she's turning into. You should find yourself a nice, normal girl instead of that delinquent blonde in California and spending so much time hanging out with those homosexual girls from school." Marissa was still scared the two were going to corrupt her son somehow.

Something gave him an uneasy feeling. Even more so than the uneasy feeling of his mother's attitude toward his other friends.

"Spencer was telling me about a place over on the east side near by where he teaches art at the community college. He's taken dates there and he says it's awesome." Carly suggested. "I went on their web site and they have a brunch buffet all weekend. It looks fabulous."

Freddie could feel his heart rate go up. Eating out with Carly, perfectly normal; brunch with his mother, usually alright - given the right circumstances; but this seemed very awkward for some reason. It also seemed very date like. Still how could he say no to either his mother or Carly. "Uh, yeah. Sure. Bu -but I have to work Saturday." He grasped for an excuse.

"Oh, perfect. So do I. Sunday it is then. Maybe we can all go to church together, too." Marissa was always trying to persuade him to attend her church, which Freddie found to be a little too much for his liking. "Then we can eat afterward. That would be perfect."

"Uh-huh." He replied, trying to feign excitement. "Can't wait."

After a few minutes of awkward silence, he spoke. "Um, Carly, can I talk to you in my room for a minute?"

"Fredward! You know the rule about girls in your room."

"Mom!" He hissed through clenched teeth at his mom treating him like he was in junior high. "It's Carly! And I'm not fourteen."

"It's alright, Freddie, I respect your mom's rules." She said with a wink that only he saw. "I was hoping to go for a walk down to Groovy Smoothie. We can talk on the way. I wanted try T-Bo's new pineapple and watermelon flavor. Spencer said it's really good." Carly took his hand and motioned him toward the door. "Should we go?"

"Have fun, kids." Marissa said cheerily.