Chapter 10
Sam returned home from work that evening to find Carly in the kitchen working on their dinner.
"Where's my nubby boyfriend?" Sam asked, not seeing him anywhere.
"I had to send him to the market. You guys didn't have any taco shells." Carly replied.
"Taco shells? Carls, are you making what I think you're making?" Sam asked with excitement.
"Spaghetti Tacos!" Carly turned around and smiled to her friend. "Spencer just sent me his recipe."
"Yay!, you're the best!" Sam grabbed Carly into a hug.
Freddie came through the door to see the two girls hugging. Without setting down the bags he was carrying, he joined them in a three-way hug.
"Yeee! What's so cold?" Carly jumped back suddenly.
"Oh, I got us ice cream." Freddie announced, pulling the box out of the bag and showing it to her.
"Ooooh, Chocolate Marshmallow." Sam grabbed the box from his hands and headed for the silverware drawer.
"Nu-uh." He took the box back. "Ice cream is for later, for everyone." With that, he put the box in the freezer.
"Hmph. You almost got a special reward, but you blew it now, Fredwad." Sam huffed and turned toward the living room area.
"Um, I hope you guys aren't talking about- uh, intimate things, are you?" Carly frowned. "Now move out of the way Freddie, I need to drain this spaghetti."
"No, I was going to make some of his favorite peanut butter glaze for the ice cream. But now, I'm not gonna. And you have a dirty mind, Miss Shay." Sam smirked, pointing at her friend.
"Well, it's not like that peanut butter glaze wouldn't be fun for other things." Freddie piped in.
"Ewww, Freddie!" Carly exclaimed as her two friends shared a laugh.
The next day, Sam didn't have to work, but Freddie's friend, Kevin called him to help him move a few pieces of furniture for his mother. Since he lived about a half hour away, Sam knew she and Carly would have some time to themselves.
The two young ladies slipped into the mall early in the day and Sam headed to the electronics store. She had to keep pulling Carly away from clothing store displays on the way.
"Please tell me you're not in such a hurry because you are just now buying Freddie a Christmas present."
"Hey, I had to save up for this one." Sam defended. "Plus I had to get stuff for Mel and my dad first so I could send it off to them."
"What about your mom?" Carly asked.
"Eh, she can pound sand. Her gift is me not reporting her for embezzling my trust money all those years."
"So what are you getting for Freddie?" Carly asked as the walked into the electronics store.
Sam stopped in front of a display of the newest Pear pads and made a Vanna White like motion to the products.
"Ah! The brunette answered. "Good choice."
"Psh, it's all he's talked about since I got here. I figured he would have bought himself one if we didn't have all the expenses of getting the apartment and the car, so I sort of owe him this. It's not the only thing I'm getting him. Did you see the window display across the mall?" Sam picked up a box containing the Pear pad and started toward the sales desk.
"Isn't that a lingerie store?" Carly asked quietly, looking that direction.
"I was gonna get it mail order, but I made friends with the one gal who works there and she got me her employee discount." Sam handed the clerk some cash and waited for her change.
The two left the store and stopped in front of the window display so Carly could see what Sam was talking about. "Whoa. A little skimpy isn't it, there Sam?"
"Heh, you should see it on me, leaves nothing to the imagination, let me tell you. It barely covers the twins."
Carly left out a snicker and the two walked away and looked for something to eat at the food court.
"Say, you're not gonna give that to him while I'm here are you? I mean, it's not like you have a guest room or anything, I'm right out there in the living room. And, no offense, but your walls are paper thin."
"Oh, I'll let him see it alright. He'll just have to wait a few days to see it on me." Sam smirked. "He'll be so fussed up he'll do anything I ask him to."
"Gheesh, Sam. He already does the dishes and the laundry, what more do you want from him."
"Hmmm. After working on my feet all day, I can always use a foot rub." Sam replied. "And you should feel him rub your back, I mean, the nub has some magic fingers on him. Wait, on second thought, maybe I don't want him rubbing your back. That usually gives him ideas if you know what I mean."
Christmas morning came and Sam was up bright and early to put her turkey in the oven. Carly, who was staying in the living room, woke to the sound of cupboard doors shutting and utensils clanging, as her friend was in the kitchen busy preparing their holiday meal.
"Sam? You do know it's only seven o'clock, right? In the morning?" Carly yawned and took a seat at the breakfast bar.
"This thing has to cook for four and a half hours and then rest before we can carve it. I wanna eat sometime today. Thank God I cooked my ham last evening."
"And how much of the ham survived the night?" Carly raised an eyebrow.
"Um, most of it." Sam replied to Carly's doubtful look.
"Hey, I had to sample it to make sure it tastes alright. But there's plenty left, I swear."
"Really? OK, who are you and where is Sam?" Carly cracked. "Did you make any coffee yet?"
"Help yourself to a cup." Sam handed her a mug. "Vanilla creamer's in the fridge."
By the time Freddie joined the girls, it was time for him to clean up Sam's dishes and time for the girls to get dressed. They opened their gifts while the turkey was baking and enjoyed Sam's home made cookies. For the first time in a long time, things felt right with the three old friends. They even signed on to a nice long video chat with Spencer before sitting down to their dinner.
Freddie ended up getting Sam a ton of stuff for when her cooking classes start. All kinds of fancy utensils, notebooks and school supplies and a nice set of chef's knives that probably cost a couple of hundred dollars. Her favorite gift was a simple heart shaped locket with their pictures inside which she quickly put on.
He spent hours playing around with his new pear pad and was only distracted by the sight of the lingerie when Sam held it up in front of herself. This made Carly blush and the two laughed at her reaction. When Carly left the room for a minute he pounced on her for a big kiss. "Can't wait to see that outfit on you, baby."
"Can't wait for you to help me take it off." She cracked. "But not till Carls leaves. We don't need to give her any more reason to think we're totally pervy. I think she already heard us the other night."
"Awwww!"
In the evening, Melanie called to wish them a Merry Christmas and thank Sam for her gift. "So, um, how are things with you guys? Did you get Freddie that special gift you were telling me about."
"Oh, yeah. And he's ready to jump over the moon to see me in it." Sam giggled. "I wonder if I can get another couple of presents out of him?" She said quietly so he didn't hear.
"Did you hear from Dad?" Mel asked. "He called me yesterday."
"Yeah, we talked last evening for a long time after I got my ham in the oven. He said he's going to be in Boston next month on business and he's planning to stop by and see us for a long weekend."
"That should be nice, he can meet Freddie."
"Yeah, but Fredbag's a little nervous. You know, he never had to do the whole meeting the girlfriend's dad until now."
"He'll be OK. Dad's a big pushover and what's not to like about Freddie. He's polite and honest and smart. I'm sure they'll hit it off." Mel reassured her.
"So how about that guy you're stalking? Any luck with him yet?" Sam asked.
"OK, first of all, I'm not stalking anyone. I just chose to stay at school for Christmas and David happens to live in town. And second, I found out he has a girlfriend." Mel said, sadly.
"So I guess inviting you for New Years would be the nice thing to do? If I was a nice person." Sam suggested. "I'm sure Carly and Freddie would like to see you, too."
"I think I'd like that, Sammy. How about I get there a little early, say day after tomorrow?"
"Fine, Mels. But we're kind of cramped here, so don't pack too heavy. Carly's already sleeping on an air mattress in the living room. We don't have a spare room or anything."
"That's alright, I can share with her if she's OK with it."
"I'm sure she'll be fine. It'll be like a slumber party." Sam rolled her eyes at the thought of another girly-girl in her space. "Just promise me you won't paint each other's nails or braid each other's hair. Or if you do, you don't invite me."
Sam hung up and told Freddie and Carly that Melanie was coming in a couple of days. Carly was ecstatic at the idea of seeing Melanie and so was he. After all, he hadn't ever been officially introduced except when the twins would video chat.
"So, um, how long's she staying?" Freddie asked.
"I'm not sure, she didn't say. Probably at least a week. Her classes surely don't go back until yours do."
Freddie looked sad. "So I'm guessing you don't get to model the lingerie until she leaves, too?"
"You got it. And don't get any ideas about the both of us trying it on, Hugh Hefner."
"Ha-Ha." Freddie pouted at the thought of even more time before he got to see Sam in the special outfit.
The new year started with the four friends sitting around watching movies and eating popcorn. Soon, Carly had to leave to go back to Italy and Melanie left to go back to her school and Freddie finally got to see Sam in the special lingerie. He could hardly control himself while he unwrapped his "late" Christmas present.
With the holiday rush over, Sam's job came to an end. She had a few days to relax before her classes began. She chose a culinary arts program at the local community college and started her semester the day after Freddie went back to his classes. She knew she'd have to work a little harder to make up for missing the first semester, but she could graduate at the same time he was supposed to if she put her mind to it.
I'm not really in love with the end of this chapter but I think we got most of the loose ends wrapped up. Next chapter will be it for this story. We'll be doing a major flash-forward to see where our favorite couple is in a few years.