Long story short: I would have had this up earlier, but there was a huge storm last weekend (I'm convinced it was a tornado), and knocked out the power. We finally got our internet back (just now actually) and I couldn't wait to upload! You don't care about this. Anyway, as always, thanks for sticking with me. I seriously don't deserve you all! I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Much love to my twinnie, who if it wasn't for her, this chapter wouldn't exist.
Time never cooperated the way we wanted it to. The month since Sam suggested we take a stab at the romantic side of things had dragged on painfully slow. But eventually, the 14th rolled around, which is why I'd walked into my own "Glam Squad" session about two hours prior. Leave it to my crazy friends to arrange an entire beauty salon just to prep me for the night.
Fortunately, throughout the past four weeks, everything seemed to fall into this comfortable mold.
While spending nights in the now hauntingly empty home Greg and I were supposed to share had been oh so fun, it was finally taken off the market. And instead of going through the trouble of finding an apartment, Tina insisted—more like forced—the idea of moving into her townhouse.
"I have the room. If you're not at Bluebird, you're here. It's perfect. You can either say yes, or yes," she'd said while throwing all of my things into a suitcase.
She was right, after all. If I wasn't at Tina's place squawking about how much I loved Bluebird, then I was at Bluebird, thinking about much I loved being there. Nick had immediately asked me to sign on as his "assistant/helper/right hand person…thing" after that initial meeting with Sam and Eddie. And although Nick himself didn't even know what that position entailed, we both knew that he was going to need someone to help call the shots.
We'd spent most of our time with business calls trying to recruit anyone willing to help that had experience in the industry. Phone call after phone call, it'd been proven just how difficult building an independent recording company in the middle of nowhere was going to be. Despite our frustrations, the whole idea of it continued to make me smile.
The whole idea of Sam and Nick working together had me smiling even wider. As Eddie had business to take care of in Tennessee, his trip here had been cut short. He promised he'd be back, but put all of his trust in Sam for the time being. Little did he know how challenging it would be to find common ground between the most stubborn men I'd ever met.
As the weeks went by, the daily routine of meeting Nick downtown, making calls, checking in on my almost fully recovered father, trying to work on somewhat of a relationship with my mother, more call making, and keeping Sam and Nick from killing each other over design disagreements, it was if the day would never arrive.
Today was the exception. Today's hours reeled forward faster than I'd liked, and in about thirty minutes, Sam would be at the door.
My nerves were all over the damn place, and that was apparent the moment I came home to find both Kurt and Tina setting up camp. They'd have none of that though, immediately springing into action to calm me down. Which, unsurprisingly, didn't take long. As my friends picked and prodded at every aspect of my outfit, hair, and make-up, they made it difficult to be anxious of the impending date night.
"Hold still, Mercedes! You'll make me get lip gloss everywhere but your lips!"
"Tell Kurt to be quiet, then! I'm a mess over here," I covered my mouth, unsuccessful at hiding my amusement. Tina sighed, dropping her hand from my face before breaking face yet again. The whole room erupted into a massive fit of laughter, temporarily giving up on the task at hand.
Most of Tina's living room was covered in clothing that "just wasn't suitable for the occasion," and shoes that would "simply fail" Kurt as a stylist if they were worn. Fashion had been the only thing he was serious about the entire night, jumping into comedy mode whenever he took note that my mind had wondered elsewhere. About twenty minutes ago, he started to do impressions of Sam doing impressions, which was way funnier than any of us imagined.
"Kurt, stop! She's going to pass out over there!" Tina tried stopping the antics, but all was lost.
It was a good three minutes before we all got it together, even though I was still wiping away the tears that were streaming from my eyes. Kurt picked up his magazine from where he sat in the chair across from mine.
"Look I'm sorry, but that intense look he has before he shifts into character gets me every time. And then that hopeful expression that comes after?"
I stuck my tongue out at Kurt, who only shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. He and Tina shared glances before giggling once more. The afternoon had been a bout of déjà vu, as they would always come over during senior year to prep me for my dates with Sam back then.
It'd been a while since we'd been together like this, so the rare chances that we had were always a good time. Kurt, who had only been in town because of my wedding plans before, eventually went back to work in New York. The time he'd taken off for his job at Diane Von Furstenberg was up, but he'd flown back in this weekend to "find new inspiration for next Spring's collection." That bull of a lie would have never worked if Kurt wasn't his own boss, having worked his way up in the company in the time he'd been there.
Tina, even though I lived with her now, had her own life. She'd refused to let go of her love for the performing arts, and somehow combined her major of Social Work and minor in Theatre, and made it work. The youth musical theatre troupe she started up with Fine Arts teachers who lost their jobs after fund cuts in the city was her life. If giving piano lessons on the side didn't keep her busy enough, keeping her relationship afloat with Mike had her head spinning.
"Okay, stop it. I've always loved Sam's impressions! Leave him alone, Kurt," Tina vouched for me, continuing my make-up.
"Oh I'm just messing! Besides, his silliness has always been…charming," Kurt got up to join Tina. He squealed when he saw my face, building up my confidence with every second of his victory dance.
"I love his silliness, it makes him Sam, thank you very much…and boy! You're hurtin' my ears. I know I look good, but damn!"
Damn was right. A mirror met my face; my reflection beaming off of it. My hair had been perfected to beautiful loose ringlets around my face, courtesy of Tina's magic curling iron. Not that she'd brag or anything, but my make-up was flaw free.
Because it was well into autumn, the temperature had dropped significantly, so Kurt's motto for the night was "you can't go wrong with layers." He'd been quite flustered that the date's details were under wraps—Sam only giving him and myself instruction that it would be "casual." That didn't give my personal stylist much to work with, but he'd approved of a white, flowing top, capped with a burnt orange cardigan and a pair of nice jeans. I think the only say I had in the outfit was my brown leather boots, which I had to fight for. Overall the product was amazing, but now that they were done, those butterflies turned into huge, terrifying birds flapping their wings all over the place.
"Sit down, you look great! Don't be so nervous."
"Yes, and although I'm accustomed to people wanting to model my work, your pacing makes me dizzy. Besides, it's Sam, you've got this!"
Kurt and Tina's remarks did nothing for my nerves. According to my watch, Sam would be pulling up in 20 minutes, and I was starting to rethink my decision.
The last time I'd been on a legit date was with Greg. The last time I'd been on a date with Sam, I was 18 years old and we were in an established relationship. Tonight was beyond different than any of those times, and who even knew if I remembered how to date.
Contrary to Kurt's belief, I barely had a grip on "this." Sam wasn't some random they'd set me up with, but Sam Freakin' Evans! The boy who had my heart before I was ready to give it. The man who I wasn't supposed to have a second chance with, but was now on his way to pick me up for a date. The surrealism of the situation was this weird thrill and I… needed to take a seat.
"Alright, no more date talk until he gets here! Just…uhm, give me something else to think about…anything!"
I fell back onto the couch after shoving clothes onto the floor. The two scrambled at my sudden outburst, looking at each other for help. Finally, Tina spoke up and put me out of my misery.
"Well, Mike has been acting strange lately," she sauntered into the messy area, stepping over huge piles along the way. Kurt followed, handing me a bottle of water.
"Strange? Like how?" Kurt perked up, taking sudden interest.
Tina explained to us how they'd been at this awkward standstill for a few weeks now. Her and Mike were still a couple as far as she was concerned, but he had been off for a while now. Even though I hadn't noticed much, Kurt seemed to be very intrigued with this information.
"Well, when did this all start?" I asked, thankful for the water.
"Let's see…Mike and I had taken a stroll through the city one afternoon, it was a perfect day! We even caught the ending of a wedding! Okay, more like we saw the bride and groom leave the church and ride off in their getaway car, but it was so beautiful. And then…I might have made a comment about how I couldn't wait to pick out my own wedding dress—"
"You what?"
"Kurt, let her finish," I said, laughing.
"I know! Crazy of me, right? So Mike was just on edge the rest of the day, and I knew that I'd completely freaked him out. It was just a comment—of course I wasn't ready to walk down the aisle that day. Though, it never came up in conversation again, but I could tell his mind was always somewhere else. Like he was planning his escape or something!
"Then, one day we were in Target. My mother had me pick up a few things—epic sales coupons—and he agreed to tag along. He seemed better that day, but I still wanted to assure him that I was secure in our relationship, and that where we were was fine. So I told him, 'Mike, I really like the pace of our relationship. I wouldn't change anything about it!' And ever since then, it's just been weird. I thought he'd be happy that I wasn't dropping hints about venues and bouquets."
Tina shrugged hopelessly, while Kurt on the other hand was close to losing all of his shit. A weird smile appeared on his face, and right then I knew I was missing something. He had been hanging out with the boys, who I'd only seen briefly when they were in town about a month ago. Now that he was biting down on his lip, I was certain Kurt was keeping a secret from me.
"But do you…do you want to marry Mike?"
Tina was totally unaware and probably thought Kurt's obsession with weddings had taken over, but I was on to him.
"Of course I do, I've wanted to be Mrs. Mike Chang for years now. Bad timing…failed long distance and all that. But now is definitely the right time for me…I just don't know about him, you know? So until we're both ready, I'm happy with just being…happy. Unengaged and happy!"
Kurt took out his phone and started texting furiously. It would have been comical if I had known what was up. When Tina snuck away to retrieve her camera upstairs—she was adamant about snapping a photo of Sam and I that night—it was time to get answers.
"Spill!"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Kurt replied quickly. He stashed his phone away and smiled. A smile that soon was met with a face that wasn't buying it.
"Kurt Hummel!"
"I've been given specific instructions not to tell you, even though it's been killing me inside not to say anything."
"By who?"
"Who what?"
"Who told you not to tell me," I lowered my voice in case Tina could hear.
Kurt, however, stayed silent, and darted his eyes everywhere but mine. He knew what he was doing! Killing time so that Tina could interrupt, thus ending our conversation.
"Fine! But I'm only telling you that Adventures in Tikeland will not be awkward for long. There is light at the end of the weirdness tunnel, my dear friend," Kurt offered, but I still needed more. That gave me nothing!
"That's seriously all I get?"
To my dismay and Kurt's relief, Tina bounded the steps, fancy digital camera in hand.
"What were you two chatting about?"
There was no time to make up an answer, though. The booming knock at the front door silenced us all before Kurt and Tina started jumping up and down. He was a bit early, only five minutes or so, but all the time in the world couldn't have prepared me for this feeling. On the other side of the door stood Sam, probably applying another layer of ChapStick and resisting the urge to call his family about James for the second time. He'd then put his phone away, and fall into an easy smile.
My heart beat was louder than his second round of knocking. We were still standing in a circle when we realized no one had opened the door.
"I guess I should probably let him in sometime," I said, not so sure of the words that had come out of my mouth.
My two friends nodded encouragingly, and promised to act natural. I'd given up on that hope as I made it to the door, realizing that those two were the furthest from natural.
When I opened the door, my predictions had been correct. His lips were far from dry, confirming that he had a stick of lip balm somewhere close. His phone was also in the process of being tucked in his back pocket.
Said easy smile was detrimental to my already faltering knees, and those damn eyes of his weren't much help. No words were said as we took the other in. Sam wasn't too dressed up, as he said the date would be casual. Even dressed in a flannel button up and dark wash jeans, he was particularly swoon-worthy.
I couldn't help but think back on the recent times that involved him and I on the other side of a door. From showing up to his apartment in Tennessee, drenched from rain, to his not-so welcome engagement party visit, this was one of the first times we'd expected one another's presence. The thought of it made me laugh…tremendously. Out loud.
Because the date gods were off duty that night, this moment turned horrific once I couldn't stop laughing. Poor Sam, who hadn't cracked one joke or murmured an impression wasn't sure what to do.
"It's good to see you too?" His mouth was slightly ajar, and soon his perplexed face brought me back to earth.
"Come in, Sam," I pulled back the door, silently cussing those lazy date gods. When I glanced at my watch that read 4:58, I cried inside. There were many hours left of the night for me to screw up. This was only the beginning.
If I wasn't embarrassed enough, Tina's batteries died to her camera, but wouldn't let it go until she found a new pack. She just had to have a photo.
Kurt and Sam fell into an easy chat while Tina fetched more batteries. Meanwhile, I hoped for anything to stop this date before I could further ruin it. A meteor crash, the second coming of Jesus Christ—just anything would have sufficed.
Six snap shots later and after prying a very nosey Kurt off of Sam's hands, we were finally out of the door.
"You look amazing tonight, I mean, well that's nothing new. You always look fantastic it's just this night in particular—your hair and…things," he used his hands to gesture up and down towards me. The walk down Tina's walkway was taking longer than the usual five seconds.
Sam's face was a blushing red and he fought to find the words. Because I was still in pre-date shock, I could only smile and mutter a quick "thanks." This was ridiculous. As if I was some school girl going out with her biggest crush, I was a hot damn mess.
"I didn't bring flowers because you never really liked flowers. You would always say, 'they're gonna die eventually, so why waste money on them?'" Sam said, hilariously mocking my exact tone of voice. "So yea, I just didn't…you know, bring you any," he opened the passenger side to his truck.
"Sorry, I don't know why I'm telling you things you already know…"
After he closed the door, Sam lingered on the edge his car window for a few awkward seconds before nodding off and circling around the vehicle.
There was no sign of a meteor or Jesus, so unless I literally faked my own death, this night was a go.
Sam got in, but failed to put the key in the ignition right away. Instead, I felt his eyes on me as I looked straight ahead. Realizing that he wasn't going to move from his position anytime soon, I turned his way reluctantly.
That bottom lip of his was being gnawed on by his teeth. Sam dipped his head before meeting my face again, drawing in a deep breath. Those few tranquil moments of quiet made the moment much more real.
"Tell me you're just as nervous as I am? I'm kind of dying over here."
Sam gripped my hand, shaking me from a trance. It didn't take long for me to shake off the anxiety that had been building for a month now. I chuckled, stopping myself before I could fall into a fit of hysterics again.
"Are you kidding me? Do you know how insane I looked laughing back there? I'm not crazy, I promise. This is just all…"
"Crazy, awkward, weird…but really amazing all at the same time?"
I nodded and squeezed his hand, taking in the warmth of it.
"Stacey helped me pick out my outfit," Sam admitted out of nowhere. He stared me down before cracking a smile.
"She also told me not to screw it up this time. I hope I won't have to report back to her with bad news."
Sam took his hand from mine to start the engine, leaving it cold and limp. Luckily for both Stacey and me, he was doing just fine.
He'd done more than just fine, though, managing to take my breath away upon arriving at the location he'd kept a secret for all this time. The conversation took off in the car ride, distracting me from where we were going.
As if Sam had placed a blindfold over my eyes, I was oblivious to where his truck had taken us. Until we pulled up, that is, and it took all the strength in me not to jump out of the car. It was all I could do to stand there in disbelief.
"Come on, let's go," Sam grabbed hold of my hand. I'd been standing there with tears threatening to let go when his shy smile and kind eyes assured me that I wasn't hallucinating or dreaming.
When I was eleven, Carroll County's Fall Foliage Festival was bigger than Christmas and my birthday combined. It'd been a tradition in my family for years—one that was well worth the half hour drive it took to get there. Autumn had always been my favorite season, so this place was the equivalent to Disney Land. Every weekend in October, Greenbrier Fields would host the festival to celebrate the season's changes. And every year, my family and I would pack up the van and go. Though when I hit middle school, we'd stopped going, and I'd given up on seeing this place again. Somehow, Sam had found a way to change that.
Sam's statements about his uncertainty of the idea were muffled as nostalgia hit. Every scent and action before me took me to a place of excitement that I hadn't experienced in ages. Burning firewood, pumpkin pie, and cinnamon delighted the air. Kids chased each other around, while their parents failed at keeping up with them. Venders left and right sold friend food and the best apple cider in the Midwest. All of it was a reminder of what I'd been missing, and for one night, I'd be able to see it again. All thanks to Sam.
We'd barely moved due to my stopping every five seconds to "ooh" and "ah" over everything in sight. Sam laughed when I suddenly wrapped him in a tight hug, catching him off guard.
"Sam," is all I could murmur into his chest repeatedly. Overwhelmed was an understatement. We hadn't been there for five minutes, and it was clear I was in for the best night I could ever ask for.
"Should we explore?" Sam asked, not looking at me, but scanning the scene for a place to start.
This time it was me tugging on his hand as I took the lead. Getting a cup of fresh cider was the first stop of many. The set-up hadn't changed in the fourteen years that had passed, so I could pinpoint every location. This fact seemed to amuse Sam, as I recall him saying my goofy smile resembled his after a comic store visit. However, his comments didn't faze me. I was too busy soaking up the amazing atmosphere.
Getting our caricatures done was a must, as it'd been a favorite of mine as a kid. Sam didn't seem to appreciate the artist drawing his mouth abnormally large, but he was a good sport about it. For the next two hours, we'd stopped at almost every station. From pumpkin carving, to watching Sam let a group of 5th graders "win" in ring toss, I never wanted to leave. After we were both sure we'd be sporting battle scars from sack racing, our food break was much needed.
"I'm officially the biggest fan of this place," Sam said before taking another bite of pie.
Watching him trying to decide what food to eat first put a permanent smile on my face. I was happy to know he'd been enjoying himself, just as much as I had. The pressure of the actual date lifted from my shoulders. It was easy to lose myself and have a good time. Especially with Sam in stride, who had been the perfect gentleman.
"Thank you for this," I said after a moment of contemplation.
Sam and I were one of few people sitting at the picnic tables under the dining area tent. There was some bluegrass band performing on the main stage, clearing out most of the food lines. Amidst the busy crowds and loud music, we'd managed to find our own bubble to kick back. With the chance to finally stop and rake in the night's events, I was fighting feelings that had grown for Sam, all night long. Or feelings that maybe never left.
There was something so different about tonight, but being in his presence was natural. It was something I couldn't grasp, but at the time I couldn't care about labels.
"You're really having a good time? I was so worried you wouldn't appreciate it as much now. Your Dad said…"
"Ah, so he was the culprit? I wondered how in the world you knew about this place, but I was too busy freaking out not to care," we both laughed as I laced our fingers together. It was becoming a regular occurrence throughout the evening. So much that I felt off when we weren't holding hands.
"And are you kidding me? Sam, you're going to have to drag me out of here. I honestly can't believe you did this for me."
The corners of his lips twitched into a smile; Sam most likely proud that his plan hadn't backfired. Then for the first time since leaving Tina's, an awkward moment surfaced. His mouth was right there, taunting me with first date etiquette and whether it was the right time to go for it or not. We'd never discussed what things would mean after the date was over, and now that the end was drawing near, my mind was everywhere.
"So why did y'all stop coming here? This is too awesome to stay away from!"
I was glad that Sam had remembered we were out together instead of joining me in la la land. I'd looked up to see that he had cleared the table, and was now sitting with me on my side. In contrast to how cautious he'd been with personal space earlier, Sam was definitely warmed up by now. With his arm sprawled over my shoulder holding me close, I barely heard him ask the question.
"Unless you don't want to talk about it, if it's too personal?"
To this, I had to laugh. Although this was the first time in a very long while that Sam and I had been so close, there was a time where he knew everything about me. But despite learning to open up to him when we were together, there were things that he just didn't know.
"Of course not, Sam," I paused. I was given his full attention as he waited for an explanation.
"You're right, this place is too awesome to stay away from. Which is why I almost threw a fit when we didn't come back my sixth grade year. There wasn't anything significant about that year, except the weird relationship that was forming between my mother and I."
Sam knew the gist of the relationship I had with my mom, but never pried for every detail. I tried my best not to focus on his eyes melting holes through my skin as I thought back on those awkward years. About the time our trips to Fall Foliage had taken a halt is the same time I stopped being good enough for her. And although we said we'd work on things, the hurt of feeling like I'd lost a best friend would never fade. Even with my father taking her place for a lot of things, I never felt fully secure. Those years would always feel empty.
In a way, the time I'd spent away from this place signified the gap in my family that I was hoping to patch together very soon.
"I couldn't tell you the exact reason why we stopped, Sam. It all just happened so quickly, and soon enough, Greenbrier and Carroll County was just a distant memory. But because of you, that's different now. You've given this place a new meaning, and I really can't thank you enough."
"Well, you don't have to thank me, but you can show me what else I've been missing out on for 25 years," Sam winked at me while pulling us to our feet.
The sun was setting, and it was the perfect time to take a hayride around the property. The wagon was empty was the exception of us two, giving us the privacy to snuggle without disapproving passengers. Nightfall had fully taken over mid-route. We rode around Greenbrier under the stars, enjoying the crisp night air. I made sure to snap a few photos of Sam, who had dozed off a couple of times.
By the time we'd returned to the grounds, the festival was still in full swing, but with only half the crowd. My watch had given me a few minutes past 8:00, and even though we'd spent about three hours goofing around and appreciating the other's company, I wasn't opposed to staying out longer.
Sam brightened at the mention of dessert, even if it was a bit chilly outside. We gladly took two scoops of Pumpkin Spice flavored ice-cream to go. On our way out, Sam pouted his lip when he realized that he wouldn't have time to get the full Fall Foliage experience.
"We would have to stay in a hotel in town, and take the whole weekend for you to discover it all. And I can assure you Kurt and Tina would kill you for not getting me home. I'm sure they're in the living right now, constantly checking their phones for updates."
Sam laughed at this and hugged me closer. In the bed of his truck, we drooled over how good it was, while chastising ourselves for not picking up napkins.
I was in the middle of not making an attempt to calm my laughter when a glop of ice-cream fell on Sam's shirt when his phone buzzed the first time.
"Now you know Stacey is going to frown when she sees that stain!"
He went to retrieve a towel in the front seat, when it buzzed again. By the time we were all cleaned up, his phone was going lighting up nonstop, even after he turned off his vibrate.
"I don't mind if you pick it up, Sam. You never know, it could be important," I said hesitantly. The last time my phone blew up that much was when my father had been hospitalized. I shook my head of those thoughts when Sam kissed me on the cheek, an inch closer to my lips than I was prepared for. Though the location of it platonic, the feeling behind it was furthest from it.
Sam promised he wouldn't be long and said other things I couldn't hear. I was still reveling in the burn he'd left with his lips to care about much else.
It'd been Mike calling him all along, but I couldn't pick up what their conversation about, not that I wanted to intrude. He hopped out of the truck, pacing the area around us. Sam continued to murmur along on the phone, his face now contorting between surprise and anxiety. Once he ended the conversation, he took a moment to himself, as if deciding if he wanted to tell me what was up.
"I hope you don't mind, but our night might be longer than expected."
Still in haze from not only the moments before, but the entire night, I shook my head eagerly. Once he'd helped me out of the bed and opened the door for me to get in the truck, I threw him the same smile that had been on my face all night.
Before I could say anything or stop what was happening, Sam's lips found home with mine. We'd had heart stopping kisses before that would leave me in world that only two of us shared.
But this one, although nothing more than a soft peck, he maintained to leave me breathless.
Extremely anxious and looking forward to hear your thoughts! Thanks again for reading :)