DISCLAIMER: On first chapter.
Sorry for such a long wait, but real life is currently kicking my butt! LOL. I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)
May 27, 2011 (Saturday)
Lynn's House—Living Room
Lima, Ohio
2:44PM
She could hear Jeff and Stacey giggling in the kitchen as she walked inside the house, clutching the mail in her hands. It was Jeff's turn to make lunch and after the drama that went on this morning, Stacey was coaxed into helping him.
She dropped all the letters in the mail sorter—each of them had a personal slot—and toed off her shoes. She put them into the closet by the door and dropped her keys onto the hook, before she went on the hunt for a little blond seven-year old boy—a box in her hand.
Lynn found Stevie curled up on the couch in the living room. Marley's head was in his lap as she stretched out across the cushions. The fingers of Stevie's free hand carded through the golden locks atop Marley's head. In his other hand, he held one of Sam's comic books and he was reading aloud to the dog.
For a moment, Lynn was hesitant to interrupt the scene. It was peaceful and Stevie seemed perfectly content where he was, but she had something for him. After a moment, she gathered her courage and rounded the side of the sofa.
He looked up at her when she came into his line of vision and he gave her that same crooked smile that drove her crazy when it was on his father's face. She couldn't help but return the grin.
"Hi darlin'," she said, holding the box in her hand as Stevie blinked at her.
"Hi Lynn," he replied—his voice so childlike, but so serious that it made her want to kiss his cheeks. "Did you need me to do something?"
"Oh no, sweetheart," Lynn said quickly—letting out a nervous chuckle. Why was she nervous? It wasn't like she'd never given something to a child before. But it had also been a long time since a child accepted her gifts.
The thought brought a rush of tears to her eyes, but she blinked furiously. Stevie frowned.
"Are you okay?" he asked and Lynn laughed slightly.
"Of course," she replied, "May I sit?"
"Yeah," Stevie said and Lynn plopped down beside him on the couch. Gathering her courage, Lynn turned her head to glance at him. He was staring at her, his blue eyes curious.
"I have something for you," she said, lifting the box so that Stevie could see it. He looked surprised as his gaze flitted between the box in her hands and Lynn's face.
"But—I didn't do anything," he responded and Lynn's heart threatened to break. Stevie looked torn between guilt and excitement. No child should ever have to wonder like that.
"It's a gift, Stevie," she replied, her hand reaching out to brush his hair out of his face. She saw his hand clench the comic in his grasp as he tensed for a moment, but then he relaxed into the touch. Her heart swelled with affection as his cheek gently pressed against the palm of her hand. She could see it all over his face that he missed his mom.
Lynn had never thought about it before, but they had been cut off from maternal affection. All children craved their parents' love and from what Jeff had told her, they'd had that—until the family moved to Lima.
It must have been disconcerting to experience such a rapid change, and for once, Lynn was noticing.
"You don't need to pay for gifts," she told him as she leaned over to press a kiss to his forehead. "I'm giving this to you because I want to and I won't take no for an answer." Stevie still looked conflicted, but in the end his excitement about presents must have won out.
He gently closed his comic book and moved his hand from Marley's head. The dog lifted her head at the movement. Lynn handed him the box and held the comic book for him as he looked the present over.
It didn't look like anything special. It was still in the cardboard box that it was shipped in and it took Stevie a minute to get through the tape on it. When he upended the box, a thick book slid out—covered in a splash of stars and planets that faded into the various types of ecosystems on the planet as he turned from the back cover to the front.
When Stevie read the title, Lynn got the privilege of seeing absolute wonder cross his face.
"The Book for Every Beginner Scientist: Experimentation," he read aloud—the awe tingeing his voice made Lynn smile. "Is this what I think it is?" He asked, his blue eyes finding her face. His eyes were practically dancing with joy.
"If you think it's the book with over 500 experiments, 40 different types of science, and comes with 5 posters, then yes, you're correct," she replied. It took a minute for it to actually register, but the beaming smile that spread across his face made the sixty dollars she'd spent on it completely worth it.
His entire body was lit up with exuberance. "Lynn, this is awesome," he said—eagerly flipping through the pages. "I can't believe it!" Stevie stopped for a second and put the book down on his left side, before he stood up and moved to Lynn.
She was surprised when he threw his arms around her in a hug, but she gladly returned the embrace. When he pulled away, she was curious when she saw him bite his lip.
"Would you like to do one with me?" he blurted and Lynn grinned.
"I'd love to," she answered and Stevie smiled, before grabbing the book and sitting down next to Lynn, practically in her lap.
"We can choose one together," he said as he spread the book across his thighs. Lynn leaned back against the cushions, tossing an arm around the kid's shoulders as he leaned into the side of her body. Marley made a small whimpering sound and both of them laughed.
"Marls," Stevie called, using one hand to pat the cushion next to him. "Come here, girl."
The dog trotted across the cushions to where the two of them were sitting and plopped down right next to Stevie. The top of her head pressed against the side of his thigh as she curled up and relaxed. Stevie patted her head, before the two of them got to the serious task of finding an experiment to do.
Lynn listened as Stevie chattered and flipped through the pages. She was only distracted when she saw Jeff leaning against the doorway to the office. His green eyes were studying her intensely, but it was the hint of a smile that had her heart pounding. He looked so happy watching the two of them that Lynn longed to call him over and just kiss him.
His eyes spoke volumes and the satisfied smile on his face told her everything she wanted to hear him say out loud. But then he was turning away and walking into the kitchen, and Lynn refocused her attention on the little boy in her embrace.
She had a science experiment to do.
May 27, 2011 (Saturday)
The Jones Estate—Kitchen
Lima, Ohio
6:11PM
Sam felt refreshed after driving home to shower. He traded his Pizza Parlor uniform for a pair of jeans, his Captain America t-shirt, red chucks and his letterman jacket. He hadn't encountered his little sister on his return trip to the house, but he figured it was for the best—he would come home early to hang out with them.
His fingertips tapped out the beat of the John Mayer song he was listening to as he turned into the driveway of the Jones Estate. He spotted Quinn's car in the driveway as he pulled up and parked on the side opposite hers. If he was leaving early, he needed to make sure he could get out of his parking space.
Sam unbuckled his seatbelt and turned the ignition of Lynn's car off. He ran his fingers through his hair and made sure he looked presentable before he got out of the vehicle. Sam made his way up the stairs to the Jones' estate front door and pressed the doorbell.
It only took a few seconds for the door to swing open and Sam found himself face to face with Mercedes' mom and a sleepy-eyed Annabelle on her hip. The girl's face lit up when she saw him though and Delia opened her mouth to say something, but Annabelle beat her to the punch.
"Sam-I-Am!" she yelled. Annabelle practically lunged out of her mother's arms—hands reaching towards Sam, who grabbed her before she could fall. Delia definitely looked startled at the abrupt motion, but she shot him a grateful smile when he swept the girl up in his arms.
"Princess Belle," Sam greeted as he held her against his chest with one arm. Her curls tickled his cheek as she wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. "Excited to see me, huh?"
"Duh," the small girl sassed back. "You said you were gonna play dolls with me when you came to visit. Does that mean we can play now?"
Delia looked amused as she glanced between them—her shoulder against the frame of the doorway. Sam blushed at the twinkle in her eyes, before he answered Annabelle. "Well, I'm not sure I'll be able to do it today, Princess—but I'll be over here next week and we can play then. Is that okay, doll?"
Annabelle's expression was a bit disappointed, but she nodded. "Promise?"
Sam immediately offered her the pinky of his free hand and Annabelle giggled when she wrapped her small pinky finger around his. Sam shook their hands vigorously, making her laugh.
"I pinky promise to not break my word, yo," Sam said in a mock-whisper and the bright smile that crossed the girl's face made Sam's day. He wondered if she would remember the pinky promise rap that he'd taught her last weekend before he went to Mercedes' sleepover.
The sparkling amusement in the girl's grey eyes made him certain that she did remember and sure enough, Annabelle shook their hands as hard as she could—giggling every few seconds.
"Shake it like a dog and it means forever, bro," Annabelle finished for him—making Sam beam at her.
Delia laughed from the doorway and the two of them looked over at her. "Teaching my kid rhymes, already?" she asked in amusement. Sam blushed as Annabelle nodded, her arms going back around Sam's neck.
He shrugged sheepishly and Delia gave him a smile. "Come here and give me a hug," Delia said, stepping away from the door frame and opening her arms to him. Sam hugged her back with one arm.
"I'm assuming you're here to see Mercy," she said, letting go and motioning him inside. "She and Quinn are in the kitchen baking cookies before the rest of them arrive." Sam walked past her, Annabelle still in his embrace and Delia closed the door behind him.
Sam stopped and turned to look at her. Delia was eyeing him closely.
"I'm not sure if I should say anything about the black eye you're sporting or not," she said and Sam blushed. He shifted Annabelle in his embrace when he felt her little hand drop onto his cheek. He winced a bit when she touched a tender spot.
"I've been read the riot act many times—Burt Hummel, Lynn, my dad, Mercedes," he replied, "One more won't kill me."
Delia laughed. "I'm pretty sure Lynn told me that your father didn't scold you thoroughly when she called last night," she responded—her eyes twinkling.
"My dad's not an advocate of violence, and he's taught me enough for me to know that I shouldn't leap into a fight over just anything. Mercedes isn't just anything to me, though and I think he understands that—probably more than anyone."
Sam knew his dad, and he knew how deeply he loved. Knowing what he did know about his mother's affair with his dad's best friend—he could understand the parallels that could be drawn between the two scenarios. It was nowhere near the same or the magnitude of his mother's offense, but best friends were a sore subject with his dad. Sam could understand the resentment.
He'd been surprised as well when his dad hadn't shouted out his eardrums and grounded him for the rest of his life. His dad had blown his top after Sam got into that fight with Karofsky. There was something going on, Sam knew that much. He wasn't sure of exactly what, but he was positive that his dad had a raging hangover yesterday.
He wasn't stupid, but he also wasn't going to worry about it right at this minute.
"Mercedes filled me in on what happened," Delia said. "And I'm not going to try and parent you, but if you ever need someone to talk to about that quick fuse—you know where to find me."
Sam hadn't expected an invitation to emotional conversation, but he'd take it in place of the tongue-lashing he'd been preparing himself for. From Mercedes' stories about her parents, Delia didn't play games when it came to discipline.
Sam nodded at her and she smiled. Delia clapped her hands together once, and beckoned Annabelle to her with a single gesture. "Alright baby-cakes, it's time to let Sam go see sissy."
Sam glanced at Annabelle's face from the corner of his eye when he felt her grip tighten. Her lips puckered together and her nose scrunched lightly.
"Now that's a whine face if I've ever saw one," he told her—startling the girl into looking at him.
"A what-face?"
"A whine face is what little girls get before they throw a tantrum," Sam said, "And sorry to tell you, but Princesses don't do that."
Annabelle's eyes narrowed at him. "What do they do then?"
"They do what their parents' tell them to do," Sam replied. "Being respectful is what makes a good princess."
The girl didn't look completely convinced, but she sighed and let Sam lower her to the ground. Delia looked even more entertained than she did before, and Sam blushed as he mouthed, "Little sister" to her as Annabelle walked over to her mother.
The older woman winked as she grabbed her daughter's hand. "Say bye to Sam and we'll go work on your princess costume."
Annabelle waved at him as she walked away. "Bye Sam-I-Am!"
"See you later, Princess Belle," he replied, "Bye Delia!"
"Have fun, Sam!"
The two of them disappeared up the stairs and Sam made his way to the kitchen. He didn't even get past the doorway before he heard his girlfriend and Quinn burst out laughing. A small smile made its way onto his face when he spotted a yellow-dress clad Quinn standing next to Mercedes behind the marble top island.
Their forearms were coated in flour and both of them were giggling. Mercedes looked incredibly cute in a bright purple dress that had huge butterflies printed sporadically across the fabric. Her hair was in loose curls with a sparkly black bow on the left side of her head. Her bangs fell to the sides of her face, and Sam grinned when he realized that she was wearing her glasses again.
From what he could tell—she wasn't wearing a drop of makeup and Sam thought she looked stunning. He leaned against the frame of the doorway and just watched as the two chattered loudly, mixing cookie dough and laughing every few seconds.
Eventually though, Quinn spotted him as she turned to spray down a cookie sheet. "Sam!" she said—a smile brightening her expression. Mercedes glanced up from where she was rolling dough and her whole face lit up.
Sam's stomach exploded in butterflies and he sent her a smile in return as he pushed off the wall and made his way over. Quinn put down her Pam spray to give him a hug that he returned. He let her go, shooting her a smile, before walking over to his girlfriend.
Mercedes wiped her hands on a dish towel, before Sam wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the floor.
"Sam!" she said—her voice shocked and amused as he twirled her around before placing her back onto her feet. Mercedes laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Sam couldn't resist kissing her when she turned sparkling brown eyes up to him.
They pulled apart and Mercedes smiled up at him. "How long have you been here?" she asked.
"I got here about ten minutes ago," he replied, "but Annabelle kept me busy."
Rolling her eyes in fond amusement, Mercedes pecked him on the lips again before she turned in his embrace—going back to rolling dough. Sam shifted closer to her; keeping his arms around her waist as he rested his chin atop her head.
Her scent still drove him crazy.
"You've charmed every single one of my family members," Mercedes said—her voice a teasing whine. "Even Jazzy has started asking where you are."
Sam chuckled. "You're kidding, right?"
"Nope," Quinn tossed in. Sam glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as she started spraying down trays. "He asked about you three times today."
"Well, I am cute and adorabl—oof," Sam grunted when Mercedes elbowed him in the side. "Why do you always abuse me, woman?"
"Because you should be helping us bake cookies, Mr. Handsy," she said, "Instead of talking about how cute and adorable you are."
"You could've just asked," he told her, pouting.
"Where's the fun in that?" she joked and Sam poked her in the side. She squeaked and he laughed before moving to the other side of Mercedes and grabbing a bowl of unmixed dough. He pulled off his letterman jacket, tossing it onto the chair at the kitchen table before turning his attention to the bowl.
"Wait!" Mercedes cried as Sam lifted the spoon to start stirring the batter.
"What?" he asked.
"Can you feed me some chocolate chips before you get all dirty?" she asked, an innocent expression on her face. Sam chuckled as he grabbed the bag of chocolate chips and pulled a few out of the bag. He gently popped them in her mouth and she chewed with a blissful expression.
"Thanks," she muttered around a mouthful of chocolate. Sam shook his head at her, before he began stirring. Mercedes went back to spreading flour on the cookie sheets.
"So, Sam," Quinn asked nonchalantly, "What happened to your face?"
His eyes snapped to hers and narrowed when he saw the look of amusement and concern on her face. He glanced at Mercedes and she was shooting Quinn the stink-eye. He raised an eyebrow at the blonde girl.
"Judging by Mercedes' expression," he replied, "I'm sure that you know already."
Quinn grinned at him. "Yeah, I do," she answered. "I like that you defended my sister. Keep it up and I may start accepting that you're dating my best friend."
"Am I supposed to be waiting for your approval?" he asked—he still didn't know exactly where he stood with Quinn. There was always a chance for things to get weird between the three of them, but something told him that Quinn was over their relationship. That didn't stop it from being nerve-wracking though.
They were still rebuilding the friendship that had been blown to smithereens. Trust was still an iffy thing between them. He didn't trust her as far as he could throw her, but he was going to give her a chance. They both deserved the opportunity to heal from past wounds.
For a split second, there was defensiveness in those green eyes of hers, but Sam watched her control her anger. She looked him straight in the eye and said, "If I didn't approve of you, you would've heard about it already."
The two eyed each other and Sam finally realized that Quinn wanted her sister back. She wasn't trying to sabotage them or make his life hell—she wanted to be healed from a broken heart and she was fighting for it. That was something he could understand.
Sam gave her a small grin. "Just don't go about throwing punches," he said, "I've had enough trouble trying to explain the one I've got."
Mercedes burst out laughing at the idea of Quinn giving Sam a black eye and the two of them joined in. The next half-hour passed slightly awkwardly, but it was a good time; a great starting point for friendship between them all.
About twenty minutes later, the cookies were baking in the oven and Quinn had gone upstairs to wash off the flour that covered her arms. Mercedes had cleaned herself up before putting the cookies in the oven, so Sam leaned against the marble counter as she puttered around the kitchen—putting away the sugar containers and wiping down the one surface that Sam hadn't already cleaned.
Smiling, she dropped the towel in the sink and turned her attention to him. They stared at each other for a moment, before Sam whispered, "Come here."
Mercedes moved over to him slowly and Sam reached out to tug her into his arms. She came willingly; her hands sliding up his biceps with ease. Sam squeezed her hips and pulled her close; until there was barely any space between them.
He leaned over and pressed his lips against hers. He heard her gasp softly as she kissed him back, but then she pulled away. Her eyes were narrowed suspiciously.
"You taste like chocolate," she said and Sam gave her an innocent look that didn't fool her for a second.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied and Mercedes quirked an eyebrow.
"Where'd you hide the bag of chocolate chips?" she asked, "You told me you put them away!"
"I did," Sam answered with a straight face. "I put them in my pocket."
"Sam!" Mercedes tried for stern, but a smile twitched at her mouth and her brown eyes were amused. "Did you eat them all?"
"No," he responded as he pulled the mostly empty bag of chocolate chips from his jeans pocket. "But I plan to."
Mercedes laughed and Sam couldn't resist kissing her on the cheek and then again on her mouth. She gave a soft moan that had Sam wrapping his arm around her lower back to pull her closer.
She pulled away again. "You're going to share, right?" she asked, her eyes meeting his directly. "I can taste the chocolate and I can't help but want some."
"Fine," Sam replied with a long-suffering sigh that earned him a sharp nip on his lip. "Ow! Fiesty woman," he told Mercedes as her hands squeezed his arms. He rested his weight against the counter and spread his legs wider. Mercedes' hips settled against him and he pulled the bag in-between them—reluctantly letting her waist go as he opened the wrinkled plastic.
Sam snagged a few chocolate chips from the bag and Mercedes opened her mouth for him. Sam fed her the chocolate chips, alternating between her mouth and his. They chatted softly about their day—sharing giggles over how ridiculous feeding each other was, but they didn't stop.
A few minutes later, there were eight left in the bag and his fingers were coated in melted chocolate. Sam tossed the bag on the counter, before eating four of the ones in his hand.
"These are the last of 'em," he told her sadly as he swallowed his share. Mercedes watched as he lifted his hand. He popped one in her mouth and the other three quickly followed but his finger touched her lip by accident.
Now let's be real here, it had crossed Sam's mind about how Mercedes' mouth would feel on his body. He was eighteen and he had a sexy girlfriend, but he didn't dare bring that up in conversation this early in the game. She was so innocent and amazing and the last thing Sam wanted to do was make her feel pressured into something she wasn't ready for.
So, needless to say, when Mercedes' tongue licked the tip of his index finger by accident—Sam froze.
Mercedes looked startled by the action as well, and their eyes met. For a moment, shock and nervousness bloomed across her brown eyes and Sam almost moved away, but there was another tentative lick to his finger and he saw something in those orbs shift.
Sam suddenly felt extremely warm. He could feel his face flush as Mercedes licked his chocolate coated finger again and Sam would never admit to letting out a strangled gasp when she sucked his digit into her mouth and then swirled her tongue around it.
This was not the time or place to get an erection. Quinn could come back any minute. Her parents or brothers could walk in and then he would be dead—
Mercedes moved her hand to grab his wrist. She lifted it towards her face and then she licked his middle finger from base to tip.
Sam groaned and bit his lip hard when she sucked both of his fingers into her mouth and went to town. She made sure that every drop of chocolate was off his fingers, and Sam knew that she felt his hard on pressing against her hip. How could she not?
And the best part was that Sam could tell she liked it. The desire in Mercedes' eyes let him know that she was enjoying making him react this way and Sam didn't mind at all.
When she finally let his wet fingers slip from her lips, a flare of shyness crossed her face, but Sam wasn't going to let her think that her actions weren't welcome. He grabbed her hips, pulled her flush against him and then attached his mouth to hers in a hard kiss.
Her hands moved from his shoulders to his hair in seconds and their tongues tangled together. She tasted like mint and the sweet chocolate that they'd just eaten and underneath it all was a soft spice that was all Mercedes.
Their lips came together and pulled apart and Mercedes was confident enough to take his bottom lip in her teeth and bite down softly. He growled into her mouth, releasing her hips and pushed off the counter with his hands. Sam spun them around until Mercedes was the one leaning against the counter and Sam kissed her ferociously—aroused beyond all belief.
She tugged at his hair and Sam ran his hands up her sides, skimming along the tender area where her breasts were and she gasped into the kiss. That was when Sam decided that they really needed to stop.
"Mercy," Sam rasped, tearing his mouth from hers. He glimpsed the devilish smile on her face before she leaned forward and nipped at the skin under his jaw. Without his consent he titled his head to the side, giving her as much room as she wanted to continue nibbling and sucking at the sensitive skin of his neck.
"Mercy," he said again and she pulled back to glance at him. Her eyes were hooded with desire and her long lashes practically did him in. She pulled his head forward and Sam felt her teeth tug at his ear lobe.
"Are you asking for it or asking for me?" she purred into his ear and Sam almost embarrassed himself by exploding in his pants. He didn't know where the hell this newfound confidence came from, but damn. He liked it, but two could play that game.
"Both," he replied as he slid his hand onto her left breast and squeezed. Mercedes gasped into his ear and he took the opportunity to press kisses to her exposed neck. His right hand slid up her thigh and then his mouth was caught up in another demanding kiss.
She gave as good as she had and it was almost too much for Sam to handle. How was he supposed to pretend like they weren't together when she did this to him twenty minutes before their friends came over? Did she really expect him to not want to kiss her or hold her hand or sit her in his lap or touch her when everyone was here?
It was time for that bullshit to end. He wasn't about to go another minute without being able to kiss her whenever he wanted to.
Sam broke the kiss and moved his hands back to her waist. She whined at the loss of contact and it almost obliterated his resolve, but she needed to hear what he was about to say.
"I don't want to hide this anymore," he told her. Mercedes' brown eyes flickered with desire, but he also saw the switch from confusion to understanding.
"You want to tell the glee club about us?" she asked.
Sam nodded, mentally shoring himself up for a fight. He wasn't expecting Mercedes to shrug and say, "Okay, we'll tell them tonight."
Sam's jaw dropped and Mercedes giggled at his expression.
"Two weeks ago, you would've shot me down like a bird in the middle of hunting season," he said in disbelief. "What happened?"
"It's time for us to come clean to them," she replied, "I was going to talk to you about it tonight anyway. I want to be able to kiss you whenever I want, and I figured since Quinn spilled the beans about me dating someone—it would come out sooner rather than later and I want it to be on our terms."
Sam blinked at her, but gradually a beaming smile crossed his face. He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her mouth.
"I think I really like you, Miss Jones," Sam said and Mercedes laughed.
"I hope so," she replied, "I think I really like you as well."
"How do you want to tell them?" he asked and an impish smile stretched across her lips. Sam was immediately reminded of his prankster feelings about this girl.
"Well," Mercedes said slowly, "I was thinking a little surprise wouldn't hurt them."
Sam laughed, but they started discussing plans—making sure to move into a more innocent position—her arms around his neck and his hands on her waist. It didn't change the fact that their lips were kiss swollen, but Mercedes fixed Sam's hair. Their foreheads pressed together as they talked softly.
Their embrace was only broken when the oven dinged and the doorbell rang at the same time.
May 27, 2011 (Saturday)
Lynn's House—Living Room
Lima, Ohio
7:55PM
The kids' bath time was perfect for what Jeff had in mind.
Hearing the water start running upstairs, Jeff decided that it was the perfect time to talk to Lynn about an important issue. He found her in the backyard, cleaning up the leftover mess from their experiment with mixing cornstarch and water.
She was scrubbing the patio table down with dawn and a sponge when he stepped out of the doors. Under the lighting of the patio, Lynn's skin glowed a gorgeous brown and Jeff had to stop himself from grabbing her, pushing her against the wall and kissing the breath out of her.
Half of her hair was pinned back with a black clasp hidden amidst her ringlets, but a couple of curls were too short to be contained and they fell around her face. Framing those features that he found so beautiful—he wasn't surprised to see a clump of corn starch in her dark hair, but he was amused to see it streaked across her forehead.
She didn't seem to notice—especially when he cleared his throat and she glanced up at him with those distracted hazel eyes of hers. Lynn blinked at him, before she smiled and paused in her scrubbing for a second.
"Jeffrey," she said, "is everything okay?"
"Yeah," he replied as he made his way over to her. "The kids are upstairs taking baths. They seemed to know that if they got cornstarch on the furniture it would be their bottoms."
Lynn grinned at him. "What'd they do?"
"They tiptoed and pulled matrix moves every three seconds to avoid contact with anything," Jeff said in amusement. "They just seemed to forget they couldn't fly and left footprints all the way up the stairs."
Lynn burst out laughing and Jeff joined her. It was pretty funny to see them try so hard to keep everything clean, and then they forgot about their shoes. "At least they tried, right?" Lynn responded, "It's the thought that counts."
"Speaking of thoughts," Jeff said slowly, "the twin's birthday is coming up soon."
Lynn had gone back to scrubbing, but then she snapped to attention. "How soon are we talking?" she asked—her eyes huge.
"Umm, next Friday—"
"Jeffrey Evans!" Lynn hissed, smacking him on the arm with a damp hand. He laughed and tried his best to ignore the tingles that zoomed up his spine at the feel of her soft skin on his arm. "Next week? How on earth did you not think to tell me something so important?"
She was outraged, but Jeff couldn't help but think that she was adorable. Her hands were on her hips and she was glaring up at him. Sometimes, he was sure that Lynn forgot how tiny she was.
"I knew it," he replied, "but I didn't really think about the fact that you'd probably be wondering until now. You're so close with them already—I just assumed you knew."
"Well, what's that saying about assumptions?" Lynn replied, her eyes softer. "Did you have anything in mind for them?"
"I was hoping to have a little birthday party for them," he answered and Lynn's face lit up.
He was in trouble. Jeff was going to have a hard time telling her no to anything. His heart was already melting at the sight of her excitement. Lynn practically did a little dance as she started talking.
"Oh, that's wonderful!" she said, "We can invite a few of their friends over and we can have cake—and oh no, I need to get birthday presents for the two of them; and maybe I should cook them a special breakfast—"
"Lynn," Jeff said and she stopped rambling to look up at him. "I don't want anything huge, okay? You've got enough on your plate with Clarity's opening coming up in two weeks."
"It'll be fine. There's not that much to do—" She paused in contemplation when Jeff gave her a look.
She smiled back sheepishly after re-evaluating her statement and he couldn't help but chuckle as he lifted his hand to wipe the dried cornstarch off her forehead. Lynn smiled in thanks and Jeff found himself leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her right temple.
"Let's keep it simple. No more than $200 on this party, alright?" he asked, his lips still pressed against her skin. He could feel her shudder in his embrace, before she leaned back to glance up at him.
Jeff's ability to breathe was gone. Her eyes looked so loving and so welcoming—full of devotion and caring for him, his family—their family. He couldn't have stopped himself if he'd tried.
His lips pressed against Lynn's in the gentlest of kisses—her mouth was soft and sweet and fire threatened to consume every atom of Jeffrey's body. He felt burned in the best way possible—their kiss chaste and innocent, but oh-so special.
He couldn't have imagined anything better.
"That wasn't supposed to happen," Lynn whispered—her eyes dazed from that brief contact.
"No," Jeff whispered, "it wasn't."
"Do you regret it?" she asked—their lips only centimeters apart. Jeff could make out each one of her eyelashes, but he was overwhelmed by the sheer joy in her expression. He could see the fear that this had ruined them, that she wasn't what he wanted after all reflected in those orbs.
But that was the farthest thing from the truth.
"No," he responded and Lynn's beaming smile was swept away by the second kiss he laid on her lips. It was just as sweet as the first, but much more passionate. He could've stood there and kissed Lynn forever.
She was wearing a white t-shirt, pearl studs, and ripped jeans. Her forearms were covered in drying soap suds and there were patches of cornstarch all over her clothing—clumps in her hair and on her neck.
Jeff was in a dark green t-shirt that had cornstarch stuck to it and cargo shorts. It wasn't planned. It wasn't fancy, but it was perfect—it was that moment for them. He would never regret kissing her right then.
Jeff wouldn't let his soon to be ex-wife destroy his life anymore. He'd been on self destruct since their marriage started collapsing and he'd foolishly allowed her to dictate everything, but not anymore. Lynn—she was what he'd always been looking for and he wouldn't let her get away.
Elizabeth be damned.
May 27, 2011 (Saturday)
The Jones Estate—Basement
Lima, Ohio
8:37PM
A burst of cheers broke out from the middle of the basement as an irate Santana protested against Finn, of all people, winning her hand in poker.
"I'm about to go loco up in this joint," she snapped as Finn pulled her stack of chips into his own pile. Artie was still laughing, his head thrown back in amusement. Mercedes thought Sam was about to die, because he couldn't stop guffawing long enough to breathe.
All eleven of them were sitting around the large wooden table downstairs, playing cards in hand—drinks were sitting on coasters around the table, open chip bags and cookie wrappers were scattered everywhere. The only one missing from the group was Kurt, and as bad as it made her feel, Mercedes was relieved that he'd chosen not to come. She'd have to face him sooner or later, but her feelings were still raw and she needed some time to recover.
And this time, if he wanted to fix it—he was coming to her.
Her thoughts were pulled back to the game as Santana started mumbling under her breath in Spanish. She could tell that the majority were curse words, by her own translation and by Mike's wincing. He was the only one in the group who could speak fluent Spanish and he wasn't even taking the class.
"You're the one who assumed that I had nothing," Finn spoke up for himself and Mercedes shot him a grin. Weeks ago, Finn would've sat in silence. She was happy that he'd grown some balls lately. She wondered about the change in him, until she noticed Sam giving Finn a discrete fist-bump. Boys.
"That's because you were doing the shart face," Santana exclaimed. "You always do that face when you have no clue what's going on."
"Really, Santana," Tina piped up in disgust, "did you have to go there?"
Mercedes had cringed at the term as well.
"I'm just keepin' it real, Tin-Tin."
"Well, I'm just keepin' it rich over here," Finn said as he waved his cards in Santana's face.
Artie snatched his cards away and everyone passed their hand in so he could shuffle again. As he shuffled, Santana moved away from the table to the radio to turn on some music. Of course, she picked Nelly Furtado's No Hay Igual and started swinging her hips from side to side.
"Tin-Tin," she yelled as she swiveled her hips in a circle and dropped down low. "Come dance with me."
Tina looked startled for a moment, but she uncurled her legs from beneath her and moved away from Mike's side to stand up. Smiling, she walked over to the Latina and was instantly swung into a spin that had her ruffled blue skirt flaring around her hips.
Tina laughed as her back was put against Santana's front and the girl moved their hips together in a fast but sensual dance.
"I want in on this!" Brittany cheered from her seat before she ran over to the two girls and stood in front of Tina, who grabbed the blonde girl's hips and started grinding.
Puck looked mesmerized. Quinn was dying of laughter and cheering. Artie was dancing as he shuffled the cards and saying, "Get it! Get it!"
Mike looked as though he couldn't decide between confusion and attraction. Rachel looked completely shocked by the spectacle and Finn was grinning.
Mercedes was smirking as she turned her head to look at Sam. She was surprised to see him staring straight at her instead of the hot girl grind going on not ten feet away from them. She raised an eyebrow at him and he grinned.
"The sex show is over there," she whispered, indicating the three girls getting their dance on with a slight nod in their direction. Mercedes thought it was hot for sure.
"Nothing I haven't seen before," Sam replied and Mercedes eyed him. "Besides, I think the real sexy is sitting right here."
"Excuse me?" Mercedes sputtered—her whole face blushing. She'd been complimented by Sam, but was this dude really telling her that she was more attractive than Santana, Tina and Brittany? Her boyfriend was crazy. "I'm not exactly shaking my butt to the beat over here."
"You don't need to shake that ass for me to know it's more than delectable."
"Boy!" Mercedes exclaimed, "You are a mess."
She started laughing, unable to control the giggles from the leering look that Sam was giving her. He tossed his arm over the back of her chair and leaned close.
"You don't know how sexy you are, Cede," he told her and Mercedes blushed furiously.
She was used to Sam calling her beautiful and pretty and amazing, but sexy was still awkward to hear—especially from a man that looked like Sam Evans.
"I thought it was your job to teach me," she replied with a wink and Sam gave her a panty-dropping smile. His green eyes twinkled at her and she couldn't believe that he was coming onto her this hard in front of their friends.
This wasn't part of the plan, but fuck all if Mercedes was about to stop him.
Sam didn't say another word. He just twisted his fingers in her hair and pulled her into a burning kiss. He must've still been on edge from earlier—well he wasn't the only one. Mercedes had been aching for his hands and his lips for the past hour. His tongue was in her mouth doing unholy things and she couldn't help but respond to him, her fingers twisting in the cotton of his t-shirt.
Her head tilted and Sam completely took advantage of the new angle to kiss her harder. She wouldn't have even remembered that they weren't alone if it hadn't been for Rachel's surprised scream.
Her eyes snapped open mid-kiss, but Sam didn't stop.
He did something to her lip with his teeth and tongue that had Mercedes seeing stars and she got lost in his kiss again. She could feel him smirking against her mouth, and his confidence was a turn-on.
He finally let up a few seconds later, and he dropped a peck on her lips before pulling away with a wink.
Mercedes' vision cleared, but she remained slack against Sam—breathing hard.
"Where did you learn how to do that?" she asked in disbelief and Sam blushed, but he smiled.
"Do what?" he asked innocently. Mercedes smacked him on the chest.
"That thing when you bit my lip and then you—I don't even know, but it was good; really good."
Sam's face was still pink, but he was grinning. "I thought you'd like that," he said, "you seem to be really into biting and licking." His eyebrow quirked and it was Mercedes' turn to blush furiously.
"You liked it," she responded and Sam kissed her forehead.
"Hell yeah, I did," he replied. "I thought I was going to die when you started sucking—"
"WHAT?" Quinn's voice exploded through the bubble that Sam and Mercedes were living in and they both whipped around to stare at the blonde girl. Her face was bright red—with anger or embarrassment, Mercedes couldn't tell.
"I was gone for like fifteen minutes!" Quinn said, "If you talked Mercedes into some sexual act while in her parents' kitchen, I will kill—"
"What?" Mercedes asked, flabbergasted. She replayed their conversation in her head and then blushed. It could sound like something else without all the details. "Oh my god, no! We didn't do anything like that," she told her soul-sister before the girl could launch herself over the table and kill her boyfriend. "I'll tell you later."
Quinn looked significantly calmer, but still suspicious. That was when Mercedes noticed the strangled sounds coming from Mike and Artie. Both of them were red in the face and couldn't meet her eyes. Finn was gaping and looked as if he finally understood Sam's anger a few days ago. Rachel looked horrified. Brittany was clapping her hands together.
Tina was crying and Santana was fanning herself.
"Well, shit," Santana said, "Wheezy and Trouty? That was fucking hot. How could you have not told me that you were dating, Trouty Mouth?"
"We didn't know how you guys would react," Mercedes admitted, "and I kind of wanted him to myself for awhile."
"I can see why!" Tina burst out—her chest heaving. "You guys are so cute."
"For fuck's sake, why are you crying? That was the sexiest thing I've ever seen. Trouty can get it."
Sam blushed and Tina glared at Santana. "I'm emotional because I know Sam will treat her right."
"He'll be treatin' it, alright," Santana muttered and Mercedes found herself blushing again.
"We are not having sex!" she protested.
"Then treat yo' self," Artie said finally.
"And use his mouth to do it," Santana added and Mercedes thought she would die of embarrassment when the two high-fived over the table.
"Preach," Artie said, waving his hand in the air. "But yo, can I watch? Cuz'—"
"Hell yeah," Santana added, "The Tilt-A-Swirl over there would be hot. You guys sellin' tickets for that ride?"
Sam's face was bright red and Mercedes momentarily forgot how to breathe; the embarrassment was so intense. She shot both Artie and Santana the stink eye as they grinned at her.
Their friends looked like they were recovering slowly, because Mike started laughing. "So this is why you were so high strung when we talked about girls."
Sam gave his friend a half-hearted grin and nodded.
"Boy looks like you've learned lots of lessons," Santana told Sam as she nodded in his direction. The girl winked at Mercedes and said, "You're welcome."
Before they knew it, questions about when they got together, how they got together, and really personal things were asked in rapid succession. The poker game was abandoned for a game of ping pong and this time, Sam held Mercedes' hand.
The night descended into typical Glee club chaos. Tina and Santana duked it out over ping pong. The boys cheering from the sidelines and bets placed with juice and slices of pizza were taken.
Amidst the excitement, Sam made sure to ask everyone if they wanted to perform at the opening of Clarity. It only took a quick explanation and about five minutes before everyone was on board with it. They were all excited to sing and dance for fun again. The concern about rehearsal space was brought up, but Brittany offered to ask her boss if they could use one of the lesser utilized dance rooms. As a last resort, Mercedes' house would be their rehearsal spot.
It was only when they moved on to pool that things got interesting.
The girls broke into teams and it was Mercedes and Tina playing against Quinn and Santana. All of them were fierce competitors, but it also the moment that Sam's attraction to Mercedes got him into a difficult situation.
"We're playing strip-pool," Santana stated as she chalked up the end of her stick. Her nonchalant announcement had silence descending immediately. Sam was glad he hadn't taken a bite of his Doritos because he surely would've been choking, just like Artie was with his soda.
His eyes flew straight to Mercedes and he couldn't help it if his eyes drifted all the way down her body and back up. His girlfriend was fine, but she and Quinn were definitely at a disadvantage with their simple dresses.
"Pause," she said as she eyed her friend. Sam had to hold in a laugh at the judgmental look on her face. "What do you mean by strip-poker?"
"Just what it sounds like Wheezy," Santana answered and Mercedes did that little quirk of the head that told Sam that shit was about to go down if someone didn't tell her what she wanted to hear. He would know—he'd seen it quite a lot over the last couple of days.
"I'm going to need you to clarify," she responded and even Santana knew when she shouldn't push Mercedes, because she answered with less snark than she usually had. "It means that if the opposite team sinks a ball into a pocket," she said, "You have to strip off one item of clothing."
Sam watched as Mercedes' eyes took in the outfits of the girls around the table. None of them were wearing shoes. Santana was wearing a royal blue tank top with some short jean shorts. Tina was in a ruffled mini skirt with a white-shirt. She and Quinn were wearing dresses.
"What happens if we run out of clothes to take off?" she asked finally, "I only have three things on."
Something about that statement made Sam blush furiously. He was way too tempted by the fact that Mercedes only had on three pieces of clothing right now. Her dress, her bra and her panties—yep, he was a dead man.
"Then your boyfriend will strip for you," Santana replied—the devious smirk on her face let Sam know that she'd been thinking this up all along. Mercedes blushed furiously at the thought of Sam taking his clothes off for her.
He was a bit worried. They hadn't exactly gotten to the clothing removal stage in their relationship, but he clearly remembered how sexy she looked in that bathing suit she'd had on all those weeks ago. He hadn't been a blind man. Her breasts and her ass looked amazing in that swimsuit. He had been incredibly glad for the cold water of the pool.
Even if he hadn't been romantically interested at that point, he was still a dude. And Mercedes was sexy.
Quinn looked annoyed though. "What if we don't have a boyfriend?" she asked, dryly and Santana's smug expression didn't change.
"Puck can strip for you," she said, "but you don't needs to worry about that. We aren't going to lose."
"If Zizes hears about me strippin' for Quinn, I won't exist anymore," Puck said, "So keep your mouths closed, because this is one game I have got to see. Hot mama with no clothes on? My body been ready."
Sam couldn't have stopped the movement of his hand if he'd wanted to. His palm connected with the back of Puckerman's head and the slap was heard by all the girls. They looked in their direction as Finn, Artie, and Mike started laughing.
Puck rubbed his head. "Ow! What the hell—"
"Really, dude?" Sam growled. "You're gonna stand here and talk about my girl like that?"
"Are you kiddin'?" Artie piped in. "Those lady lumps have been the objects of my fantasies since I saw that chocolate goddess walking down the hallway freshman year. Don't even play like you can stake yo' claim on that Christ-blessed-figure I've been lookin' at for years."
Mercedes' eyes were wide and her jaw fell open. Sam could tell she was flustered, but he wasn't about to let anybody look at his woman.
"Artie, I'm warning you—"
"I've been worshipping the right and left hand of God since she wore that sky blue v-neck t-shirt sophomore year," Artie continued, "because only the direct touch of Jesus could've raised those breasts."
Tina was dying—she was trying so hard to hide her giggles in Mike's chest but it wasn't happening. Mike wasn't much better. Quinn was crying tears of laughter and she couldn't look Mercedes in the face.
"Messy as hell," Santana said, her eyes lit up with laughter. Sam tried to be angry, but Artie's statements were true. His girlfriend was stacked.
"You just remember who that figure belongs to," Sam told his friend, "and if I see you touch my woman, be prepared to meet the real Jesus." He stared Artie down, the glare on his face intense, but Artie just sniffed at him.
"We alternate turns," Santana said—ignoring the fact that Mercedes looked like she was about to pass out from shock. Sam stared into her wide brown eyes; understanding that her mind was completely blown. She was sure that no guy had ever found her attractive and then she hears all this from Puck and Artie. It was quite a bit to take in during one night. Mercedes still looked incredibly embarrassed but also completely flattered at the fact that they'd all been talking about her—not Quinn or Santana or Tina, but her. She gave him a shaky grin and all Sam could think about was how adorable she was.
"The chosen other strips something off first and then the player does. Things should get fun, quickly with all the added distractions."
"Wait, who's stripping for you Santana?" Finn blurted, his eyebrows furrowed. "And how come Rachel isn't playin—"
"No one wants to see Barbra-Boo-Baa naked except you," Santana snapped at him, "and—"
"I'll strip for San," Brittany said—raising her hand as though she was answering a question. Sam tried to ignore the subtle softening of Santana's hard expression as she whispered a thank you. He put his eyes back on Mercedes, who looked nervous despite the brave face she was wearing.
Sam winked at her and she rolled her eyes, inhaling deeply before she started chalking up.
"Are we clear on the rules?" Santana asked, but before anyone could say anything she pulled the triangle off the balls. "Good, let's get this shit started."
The game began with a ball break from Santana and for the first round; nerves must have gotten to them all because no one sunk anything. It was when Santana made a hard shot that knocked the striped six-ball into the corner pocket that the game picked up.
Artie turned on music and the game quickly got rowdy. Mike pulled his shirt off without a thought in the world. Santana and Quinn shared a high-five before it was Tina's turn. Her eyes flitted to Mike, who was flexing, before her mouth twisted into a smirk. She sunk the solid four-ball in the middle pocket and blew her boyfriend a kiss.
Sam laughed at the look on Mike's face at Tina's impishness. Brittany's shirt came off not a second later as Quinn walked up to the table. Mercedes raised her eyebrow at the teasing look on Quinn's face and Sam knew he was in trouble.
Sure enough, Quinn sunk the striped three-ball and Mercedes' eyes snapped over to Sam's as he grabbed the hem of his shirt and tugged it over his head. He was blinded for a few seconds, but he did hear the gasp from his girlfriend as he tossed his t-shirt onto the chair behind him.
Her eyes danced across his chest and she bit her lip; the lust sparkling in her brown eyes. He could tell she was blushing; he was too, but her desire was a definite confidence booster.
Sam shot her a crooked smile and her eyes widened more, before she hurried to the pool table. It was her turn to shoot. The rounds continued and the boys got louder and more into the game as the clothes started coming off.
It was Quinn who pocketed the ball that signaled Mercedes' first foray into stripping, and Sam couldn't have stopped himself from salivating if he tried. Her face was a mix of embarrassment and nervousness as she slowly lifted the hem of her dress. He could tell when she decided to just do it, because she pulled it over her head and Sam was sure that his heart stopped beating.
She dropped the dress onto the floor and her curls fell against the smooth skin of her shoulders and back. Fuck all, if she wasn't sexy.
Mercedes was wearing a black corset type bra thing and her underwear were solid black boy-shorts. Her ass and breasts were things of legends. Artie and Puck were biting their knuckles and Sam was having a hard time breathing.
He didn't know if he could handle seeing anymore of his girlfriend's skin. She was too gorgeous. The way he was looking at her must've given her a confidence boost because she practically strutted towards the corner closest to him—where the white ball was.
Sam watched her lean over the table in what must have been slow motion and all he could see was the gorgeous skin of her back—a sliver of dark chocolate just big enough for him to lick showing up between the bottom of her corset tank thing and the top of her underwear.
Her ass was literally three feet in front of him and he couldn't have imagined the groan that escaped him as she readied her shot. His face had to be bright red by now and Sam was biting the shit out of his lip. He didn't even pay attention to the fact that his girlfriend sunk three balls with one shot.
Santana was cussing up a storm. Artie and Puck and Tina were cheering. Finn was laughing and Rachel was amused, but she hid it under a scowl. Artie cranked up the music even higher as Mercedes shot again, but missed.
She stood up; a bright smile on her face as she turned to go back to her partner, but Sam grabbed her hand and pulled her into his chest. She gasped and Sam thought he'd come to heaven because he could see straight down her top and those breasts looked even more heavenly from this angle. The game went on behind them as Sam wrapped his arms around his girlfriend.
"I think you might need to forfeit this game, Miss Jones," he said into her ear. Mercedes shivered in his embrace.
"And why's that?" she breathed, her brown eyes looking up at him. He could feel her hands trailing electricity across his pectorals over his shoulders and then his neck as she moved upwards from his waist and to his hair.
"Because the curves you've got are makin' me wanna worship your body from head to toe and the last thing I want is to do somethin' foolish before you're ready."
Oh, great. His accent was coming out now. He'd never known it was possible to get this turned on when she was wearing about the same as a swimsuit, but he was ready to burst.
Mercedes gazed at him and Sam stared back, before she pulled him into a kiss. He immediately responded to her lips, but he kept it brief. Embarrassing her or himself by throwing her down onto the pool table and fastening his mouth to her nether lips was not something she'd approve of—at least not until after he was done.
Sam pulled away and whispered, "Go finish your game. I suggest you win."
A slow smile spread across her face that made Sam's heart swell. "I plan on it."
He watched her sashay away from him, and Mike clasped a compassionate hand on his back as Tina slid her skirt off her hips—leaving her in a lavender underwear set. They shared a look of suffering as Tina leaned over to take her shot. Mike whimpered.
Mercedes and Tina won the game.
REVIEW! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Until next time. :)