"Mercedes," Jesse grabbed her chin gently. "Do I honestly look like I give a damn?"
Mercedes gazed into his eyes. They were filled with desire and they made her uneasy. "Um... Jesse can you please give me a little space."
His eyes flashed with surprise but he did as she asked.
After a moment's silence…
"Look I'm really sorry," began Jesse.
"It's not you it's me." Mercedes sighed feeling like an awkward school girl. "Look you're really hot-"
"And sexy," he interjected. " Don't forget that."
Mercedes giggled. "That too. But I just can't really see myself kissing another guy." She had grown accustomed to kissing one guy only.
Jesse nodded and joined her on the table. "I'm sorry that I came unto you like that."
Mercedes shrugged. " It's Okay."
"No it's not," He turned his body to face hers. "It's just that I couldn't help myself." He looked her up and down admiring her curvaceous body. "Do you know how incredibly sexy you are?"
Mercedes blushed. " I am?"
Jesse nodded" You're are the very definition. " The way he looked at her set her heart fluttering.
"Thank you Jesse." Wow. It felt really good to be complimented. Especially by Jesse. She couldn't believe she had ever hated him. She remembered the feel of his lips on her neck and her whole body tingled. It had been a long time since she had been kissed. She licked her lips.
Mercedes looked at Jesse. An idea suddenly popped into her head. Did she dare?
"Um Jesse," she twiddled her thumbs her eyes downcast. Damn she was totally nervous.
"Yes Mercedes?"
The way he said her name made her heart start to pound. "I wouldn't mind if you tried to kiss me again. So… will you, please?"
The only answer she heard was him sliding off the table. He slid in between her legs and played with her hair and gazed at her face. Mercedes tried to stay steady. She was really going to kiss Jesse St. James.
"You know," he whispered his face drawing near to her face. "Now would be a good time to wrap those legs around me."
Idiot. Sam downed a glass of wine. He had been a complete idiot. He had made Mercedes cry. She had asked for one simple answer and he couldn't give it. The problem was he didn't know why. Okay, he still had feelings for Mercedes that much was clear due to the little fantasy he had conjured up during their time on the dance floor. But he had moved on with Rachel.
Despite the crappy way he felt he smiled. Rachel was a dream. Who would have thought that he would have ever fallen for her? Sometimes even he couldn't believe it. Rachel was smart, funny, and hot. She was great. But there was a little niggling in the back of his mind that he was making a big mistake.
"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes."
Sam looked up to see Puck taking the empty seat beside him.
"Sup bro," said Puck taking off his black blazer.
"So I'm your bro now?" asked Sam frowning at Puck. "Didn't know I still was with the way you ignored me for the entire wedding."
Puck chuckled nervously. "Come on man, I wasn't ignoring you. I was just not speaking to you."
Sam raised an eyebrow.
Puck sighed. "All right man. Quinn and Tina are close to Mercedes and they were bitching, so I steered clear of you. I don't need Quinn getting upset at me too."
Sam blew out a breath feeling a little hurt that his friends wanted to avoid him. "Didn't know Quinn held your balls now Puck."
"Oh she does more than just hold em'." Puck smirked.
Sam grimaced. "I really didn't need that image inside my head."
"Live with it." He nudged him in the stomach. "So what's up man? You've been sitting here like someone stole your candy or something."
"I hurt Mercedes man."
Puck's eyes narrowed in an instant. "How?"
Sam ran his hand through his hair. "She asked me point blank if I still loved her and I like an idiot I said 'I don't know.'" He poured himself another drink.
Puck shrugged. "So what else is new?"
"She asked me if I loved Rachel and I said yes."
Puck gaped at him. "Don't frighten me man. Please tell me you're joking."
Sam shook his head irritated at Puck's response. "No I'm not."
"Dude I thought you and Rachel were just an ugly bump in the road. Now you're telling me you're in love with her?"
Sam nodded. "I am."
Puck shook his head. "I need a drink." Sam poured him some wine. "Fill it to the brim, that's it."
Puck downed his drink in one go. He glanced around the room. "Oh shit we gotta go."
"What why?"
Puck hurriedly put back on his blazer. "Quinn. If she sees me with you she's gonna skin me alive. Duck!"
Sam and Puck quickly ducked under the table. Puck gestured for Sam to stay quiet as someone's cream coloured shoes came into their viewpoint.
"Sugar have you seen Puck? I can't find him anywhere."
Puck closed his eyes praying she wouldn't look under the table. "I haven't seen him. Maybe he's with Mike and Tina."
"He better be with Mike and Tina."
Quinn and Sugar walked off. Puck and Sam crawled up from under the table.
"This is so dumb, we shouldn't hide."
"Speak for your damn self. If she catches me, I'm a dead man."
"Puck?" Quinn's voice made them both jump. They saw her head bobbing above the crowd.
"Fuck, let's go."
Sam and Puck got lost in the throng of guests still dancing and wandered off into a long deserted hall way. Puck noticed a closed door marked OLD BALLROOM.
"Let's go in here!"
Puck and Sam scrambled into the empty ball room. There was enough moon light for them to see the abandoned tables and chairs. The air was musty and the cloth that covered the tables was covered in dust.
"Where's the switch?" Sam scanned the walls.
Puck looked around too. "Maybe it's there behind that door." He pointed to the other side of the room where was door was firmly closed.
Sam grabbed one of the seats and sat. "You go I'll keep a look out for Quinn."
Puck sprinted over to the other side of the room and opened the door. Sam saw him freeze. Puck looked back at him and then slowly closed the door.
"It's not back there let's go."
Sam stood up. "What happened? You saw a ghost back there?"
Puck chuckled nervously. "I saw that the switch wasn't there. Let's go. We can find another room to hang out in." He walked past Sam and opened the other door. To his horror he looked back to see Sam heading towards the other door. Puck ran and grabbed him.
"Sam let's go."
Sam wrenched his hand away from Puck's grip. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Puck shrugged avoiding his eyes. "Nothing let's go."
"What are you hiding?"
"Sam trust me on this one. This is something you don't wanna see."
Sam's heart sank. "Is it Rachel? She's with another guy?"
Puck took a second to answer. "It isn't Rachel."
Realization hit him hard. A funny feeling flowed into the pit of his stomach. His hands started to shake. It couldn't be? Could it? He walked to the other side and gripped the door handle. He opened the door slowly just enough to peek through. He let go of the door handle. He could actually feel the sound of his heart beat slowing down. The world had become smaller closing in on him. They were at the far end of the corridor.
Paralyzed to the spot he watched Jesse with his hands all over Mercedes. His hands were in her hair grabbing her head, sliding one of the dress straps off of her shoulders. Jesse kissed her neck and Mercedes squealed with pleasure. He remembered that squeal. It was the one that had always driven him crazy. After ravishing her neck, Jesse crushed his lips back unto hers while Mercedes clung to him, her legs locked around Jesse's waist. Jesse moaned into Mercedes's mouth. He saw red. Sam didn't know what he was doing as he made a step towards them. He clenched his fists. He was gonna kill him.
But he felt strong arms grab his shoulders and threw him backwards into the room. Puck closed the door, but it slammed with a loud thud.
Sam made a move to get past him but Puck shoved him up against the wall and clamped his hand over his mouth. Sam struggled to break lose.
"Quiet," he hissed.
Sam settled down long enough for him to hear Jesse.
"What was that?"
"I don't know, I think we should get back to the party," Sam heard Mercedes say.
"Good idea."
Puck waited until their voices and footsteps disappeared. When all was quiet Puck removed his hand and Sam shoved him. Puck staggered a bit but he regained his balance.
"Dude what the hell!?"
Sam picked up one of the chairs from the table and threw it against the door that led to the corridor.
"Sam man, calm down."
"He had his hands all over her." Sam kicked another chair. He was turning red. His face contorted in rage. "He had his hands all over what was mine!" Sam banged both of his fists on the table. He hadn't realized what he had said.
He breathed in and out trying to steady his heart rate.
"Oh my god," Puck said slowly.
Sam looked at him. "What?"
"You're still in love with Mercedes."
Sam shook his head. "No I'm not. I'm in love with Rachel."
Puck laughed while looking at Sam like he was delirious. "Fuck Berry man. I saw your face Sam. You looked like you were gonna cry or something. Like someone had ripped your heart out from your chest."
"I'm not gonna listen to this," said Sam walking away from him. He needed to be alone.
"Hey!" Puck shouted grabbing his arm. He spun Sam to face him. "Dude just what that hell are you afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid of anything." Don't think about what you just saw.
"Sam," Puck gestured for him to sit down and he did. Puck pulled up a chair next to him.
"I wasn't going to say anything but everyone and I mean everyone was shocked when we found out you and Rachel were a thing."
"Why, Rachel and I grew closer together as we helped build the glee club back again."
"Nah man, it was like out the blue. Before that you didn't give a shit about Rachel then."
Sam scowled at him. "Puck don't talk about her like that. She's my girlfriend now and you gotta respect that."
Puck snorted. "Were you thinking about your girlfriend when Jesse had his tongue down Mercedes throat?"
Sam closed his eyes. "I wasn't thinking. I overreacted."
"Overreacted? You looked like you wanted to murder the dude."
Sam shrugged feeling uncomfortable. "So I was a little bit jealous-"
"Sam shut up, you're in love with Mercedes. You love her. You wanna give her your babies man."
Sam grunted as the image of Jesse all over Mercedes was forever burned into brain. "Just stop."
"No I won't because you're my bro and I care about you. And I'm telling you this for your own good." Puck grabbed his shoulder. "Listen to me I know I've never said anything about your relationship with Mercedes but you and her are the real deal."
"You really thought that?" Sam asked stunned at Puck's little revelation.
"Yeah, I've never seen anyone make Mercedes happy as much as you do. You really gonna let Jesse be the one to put that smile on her face? And by the way you reacted just now, I'm telling you man, you're gonna regret it."
