Hello Everyone,

I know I indicated previously that Sam's ex-wife's identity was coming in chapter 8, but I neglected to take the Prologue into account. Sorry for the confusion. Her identity is revealed in this chapter. Both Sam's and Mercedes' POVs are present in this chapter as well.

Thanks for the favs and follows and please review if you have a moment. I'm truly new to this, so would like to hear what you all think.

Be Safe and Stay Healthy!

I do not own Glee or its characters

Wednesday September 9th

Part I

(SAM POV)

After a successful night in Dallas, Jonathan and I are at the airport waiting to board the jet. I decide to give Mercy a call while we wait. "Good morning beautiful."

"Hey babe. You back already?"

"No, we are at the Dallas airport, waiting to board now. Tony get Zack to school OK?"

"As far as I know he did. They left about five minutes before me and Ally. Tony seems really nice. How long have you known him?"

"About four years, I guess. He's a good guy."

"And he's cute too."

"Um, you didn't let me finish. Yes, he's a good guy, but he has a bad case of herpes and horrible B.O. Plus, I think he might be a serial killer. You would never be happy with him. Trust me, I know."

"Really? And you trust him with Zack."

"Shit, I didn't think of that. Look, he's not cute, I'm cute. Just me, nobody else." She giggles. "OK, OK, maybe he is, but I'm way cuter and you only want me, right?" There is a very long pause. Too long. "Right Mercy?"

"You make it so easy sometimes babe."

"Don't do that! You've got my heartbeat racing woman." Her laughter rings out over the phone. I stand there and wait for her cackling to stop. Too many seconds later, it finally subsides. "I'm just so glad you are enjoying yourself at my expense. Where are you baby?"

"Well, I just dropped Ally off at school and now I'm driving to work. Are we still on for lunch today?"

"Of course. I have a meeting at 10:30 that should last about an hour and then I'll be there. And just because you nearly gave me a heart attack, lunch is on you today."

"OK, OK, lunch is my treat."

"It's the least you can do for almost causing me to keel over."

"And there he is, Mr. Dramatic himself." She snickers. "I did miss you babe."

"Oh, I missed you too Mercy. So much. I told my cousin all about you and he is very anxious to meet you."

"Your cousin? He went with you?"

"Yes, we work for the same company."

"Oh, I didn't know that. Well, it's good to know you weren't on your own. Everything go alright?"

"Yes, everything went very well." I look over and see Jonathan waving to me. "I'm sorry baby. I've got to go. We are ready to board. I just wanted to hear your voice, even with the evil things you said to me."

"Oh stop it."

"Can we pick this conversation up at lunch?"

"Of course. Have a safe flight. I'll see you at the bistro."

"See you then beautiful."

The 4:30 AM departure time leads to both Jonathan and I sleeping the entire flight back to Atlanta. We arrive a little before eight and then go back to the office. "As soon as I get the contracts from Tollins, I'll bring them over so we can read through them with legal before signing. Good job on closing the deal Sam."

"Thanks man, but it was definitely a team effort. The dads will be happy to hear about this one for sure."

"No doubt. See you in a few."

"See you Jon."

We exit the main elevator. He heads to the left where his office is located, and I head to the right. I speak to Harriet as I enter the double glass doors. "Morning Harriet."

"Good morning Mr. Evans. Did you have a nice trip?"

"I did. It was successful. We should be closing our deal to buy NG Tollins by the end of the day."

"That's wonderful news sir. Congratulations!"

"Thanks Harriet. E&E will be coast to coast in no time."

"Have you shared the news with your father yet?"

"Not yet. I'm waiting for the contract to be reviewed by legal and signed by me and Jon before I tell him. He's going to be thrilled."

"Yes, he will. Can I get you some coffee before your meeting?"

"Yes, please."

I settle at my desk and wait for Zack's principal, Mr. Williams, to arrive. A couple of minutes later, Harriet knocks, delivers my coffee and then leaves. I take a few sips and as I do, my thoughts go where they always do – to Mercy. I've decided. Today is the day. I'm going to tell her everything at lunch today. I feel good about it. The brief phone call with her and the kids last night, and then with her this morning gave me all the right feelings. No more holding back. It's time. No more staying at the apartment. If things go like I am hoping, Mercy and Ally will be visiting the estate tonight. Zack will be thrilled, and life can finally return to normal. Most importantly, I can tell her that I love her, and we can start planning our future together. I smile and pick up my phone to send her a quick message.

Just thinking of you. See you at lunch

My smile widens at her response.

Thinking of you too. See you then

My desk phone beeps. "Yes Harriet?"

"Mr. Evans, Mr. Williams from Wallingsford High School is here."

"Show him in, please."

I stand as a knock sounds on my door. "Come in." Mr. Williams enters my office and I nod at Harriet as she closes the door. "Good morning, Mr. Williams. I trust you made it here without issue." His appearance is nothing like I imagined it to be. I was expecting someone older, but he appears to be my age or maybe a few years older. His dark navy suit is neat and tidy, and the shine of his shoes is almost blinding. He glances at his watch and I notice the thick-slated gold band. I reach over to shake his hand as he nears the front on my desk.

He reaches forward and takes my out-stretched hand. "Good morning, Mr. Evans and yes, no issues at all. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me."

Releasing our hands, I gesture for him to have a seat. As he settles in the chair, I notice he appears to have come into this meeting completely empty handed. That's a red flag. "So, tell me about your plans for renovating the auditorium."

"Well, as you know, JC Wallingsford High School is a small private academic institution that specializes in the sciences. And while we have an unmatched curriculum when it comes to the sciences, we also offer a vast amount of extra-curricular activities to help foster an appreciation of the arts. Those activities include marching and concert bands, orchestra and choir, in addition to several clubs. For most of these groups, we will need a space large enough to allow them to hold performances and other assemblies. Currently, the fire code for the auditorium limits capacity at a maximum of 553 persons. As of this morning, our enrollment has reached 497. Even with our graduating seniors, our enrollment has steadily grown each year for the past three years, at a rate between twelve and fifteen percent overall."

"That's impressive growth Mr. Williams. I can agree that it sounds like there is some definite work needed on the school's auditorium. However, I was expecting details on renovating the current space, and any donation I would make for that reason, would be as a private citizen. With what you have shared, it sounds like what you are looking to do is an expansion. Those are two very different undertakings. With the current space and the anticipated growth, the type of funds needed could easily reach into the corporate sponsorship arena."

"Forgive me, if I misunderstood, but don't you own this company?"

"My family does. However, our corporate strategy department would be the resource engaged to handle any type of expansion requests. And to be honest with you, I'm not sure you want an auditorium or any other apparatus at your school associated with our adult beverage products. Our name attached to the auditorium surely wouldn't garner the right kind of attention."

He nervously glances down at his watch and nods his head as his lips frown in defeat. He offers a handshake as he stands. "I'm sorry to have wasted your time, Mr. Evans."

"It's quite alright Mr. Williams. Good luck." I shake his hand and then he turns to leave.

As he exits, my desk phone beeps. "Yes Harriet."

"The other Mr. Evans, Mr. Reece and Mr. Walters are here to see you."

"Send them in, thank you."

After the contracts are signed, congratulatory handshakes are exchanged and the dads are called, I take a seat at my desk and ready myself for my 10:30 conference call. I make a quick dash over to the small refrigerator in the corner of my office and grab a bottle of water. On the way back to my desk, my cell phone rings. I pick it up and see 'Unknown' displayed on the screen. I hesitate for a second but then answer it.

A robotic voice greets me. "November 27th." Then the call immediately disconnects, and I am left staring at my phone. What the hell does that mean? The date doesn't hold any significance for me. In my mind, I go through the birthdays of my mom, dad, brother and sister. It's not my birthday or Mercy's. It's not Zack or Ally's. It's not Harriet's. It's not the dreaded day I married the witch. I try to think of any remotely important event associated with that date but come up empty. I'm not going to waste time thinking about it. I just chalk it up as a wrong number.

A few minutes later, I receive an alert on my computer notifying me that it's time for my meeting. I push all thoughts of the 'robo-call' out of my head and connect to the call.

Part II

(MERCEDES POV)

I settle back at my desk after returning from our weekly staff meeting. I shake my head and chuckle. I haven't a clue about what was discussed because I was not listening. I cannot seem to keep my mind focused on anything but Sam these days. I've been waiting for weeks for him to tell me how he feels about me. I think he loves me, but until he says it, I can't assume. I know I love him. I started falling in love with him when we first met. I smile as I think back to that day in June. I felt his eyes on me while we waited in line to register the kids for band camp. I'm almost certain that he was searching for me after he and Zack entered the stadium. And I would bet money that he bumped into me purposely so that he could offer me a ride to my hotel. His shameless flirting when we had dinner, and then dancing in his room during our night cap. And that was just the beginning. Everything that we have gone through from then until now, has just made me love him even more. Even the craziness of his memory/dream. If I can forgive him for that foolishness, I can probably forgive him for anything. My phone chimes and I smile instantly. I pick it up to read the message that he just sent.

Just thinking of you. See you at lunch

I send a quick reply.

Thinking of you too. See you then

I place my phone back down on my desk as the smile on my face widens. He always has that effect on me. He is so thoughtful, and charming, and funny, and handsome, and sexy. I snicker as I think about his antics this morning. I should have kept him going a little longer. I can only imagine the look on his face when I told him I thought that Tony was cute. I guess he just doesn't know. I only have eyes for him. No one makes my heartbeat race like he does. No one makes me smile like he does. And no one stands a chance at taking his place in my heart. My love for him just grows deeper as the days pass. I don't know how much longer I can take not knowing how he feels about me. I shake my head to try and clear my thoughts. I've got to snap out of this daze and at least attempt to look busy. I wake up my computer monitor and check my inbox. I see that several new messages have arrived, so I click on the first one and begin reading. Hopefully this will be enough to keep me focused until lunch time.

I look at the digital clock display on the dashboard and decide to give my mom a call as I drive to meet Sam. It's been a few days since I talked with her. I press the hands-free button on my steering wheel and speak when prompted. "Call mom's work." The interior speakers reverberate with the sound of the phone ringing, and then it stops.

"EJ's House of Designs, how can I help you?

"Hi Carla, it's Mercedes. Is my mom around?"

"Hey, Cedes girl. She's just finishing up with a client. Do you want to hold, or do you want me to have her call you back?"

"I can hold. How are you?"

"Oh, you know me. Breaking hearts and taking names. How about you?"

"Not the heartbreaker you are, but I'm doing well."

"Good, good. And how's little Miss Ally?"

"Not so little anymore. She'll be fourteen in a few weeks."

"Shut up!" I laugh at her outburst. "Girl you gon' make your momma fire me. She's giving me 'the look' now, you know the one." I hear Carla's muffled voice apologize in the background. "I can't believe she's already a teenager. Wow. Hang on a second." The line fills with orchestral music for a few seconds and then she returns. "OK, Cedes. Your mom's free now. I'm going to transfer you. Make sure you stop in the next time you're in town."

"I will. Thanks Carla."

Music fills the line again and then my mom picks up. "Hi baby girl. This is a surprise. Everything OK?"

"Hi momma. Yes, everything is fine. I just wanted to check in with you since it's been a few days. "How are you and daddy?"

"Well, I'm fabulous as always and your daddy is as stubborn as ever. How's my Ally?"

"She's great mom. And you know as well as I do, daddy is never going to change."

"I know honey, but I can always hope, right. Anyway, when are you coming to visit? It's been too long May." They will never stop calling me that. And it's all because I always asked them for something by saying, 'Mommy may I,' or 'Daddy may I,' when I was a kid.

"I don't know for sure, but I promise to find time between now and Ally's birthday. And you and daddy are always welcome to come visit us here too."

"You know, we were actually talking about doing just that a few days ago. What do you think of having Thanksgiving at your house this year?"

"Are you serious? I think that would be wonderful!"

"Good. Well, we'll hammer down some plans once November rolls around. So, what's going on with you? Anyone special in your life yet?"

I knew she was going to ask. She always does, but this time, I'm going to come clean. I take a deep breath. "Actually, yes there is. His name is Sam, and I met him when I took Ally to band camp this past summer."

"Oh May. You're in love."

"How can you just jump to that conclusion?"

"Please child, this is your mother you're talking to, and if there is one thing I know about my only daughter, it's when she is in love. And you my dear, are in love. And I couldn't be happier!"

I smile, because she's right. She knows me like the back of her hand. "Thanks momma, and I am. I love him so much."

"So, tell me about him? What does he do for a living? Has he been married before? Does he have any children?"

"He is a senior exec for a company here in Atlanta and he has one son, Zachary, who just turned fourteen a couple of weeks ago. He's divorced. Momma, he is such a great person. The four of us spend a lot of time together, and have had dinner together every Thursday night since we met. The kids get along great. Ally likes him and Zack is adorable. We've even spent time with Spencer and Alistair. I mean everything has just fallen into place."

"But?" I stay silent for a few seconds. "I know there is a 'but' in there somewhere. What is it May?"

"He has never told me how he feels about me.'

"Have you told him?"

"No, I've been waiting for him to tell me."

"OK." She pauses. "Why?"

"Fear that he doesn't feel the same way I do."

"Oh May. Take the leap. Tell him how you feel." We are both silent for a bit, then she clears her throat. "Let me ask you this. If he doesn't say it back, will you break up with him?"

"What? No!"

"What will you do?"

"I don't know. Truth is, I cannot imagine my life without him in it."

"Then tell him that. I know you baby girl, and I know you are ready to take the next step with this man. You just have to get past this hurdle of who said it first."

"How do you know I am ready to take the next step?"

"Again, please. I'm your mother. I know these things. I know that you keep those relationships you cherish the most to yourself, until you feel like it's time to take the next step. You did the exact same thing with Spencer, and then with Trevor, and now with this Sam."

"I just don't want to jinx it."

"I know baby girl. Needless to say, I am thrilled for you and can't wait to meet him."

"Thanks mom."

"Sure. Well, I hate to cut our talk off here May, but I've got to head out to meet a potential client. Tell him. Give my Ally a kiss for me."

"Kiss dad for me too. Love you."

"I will, and love you too May. Tell him. Bye."

"Real subtle mom. Bye."

I end the call and shake my head. I think it is safe to say that she thinks that I should tell him. A moment later, I arrive at the bistro, park and turn off the ignition. As I exit my car, a smile spreads across my face. For the first time ever, I'm going to take my mom's advice. I'm going to tell him.

Seated on the patio at our favorite table at Pandillo's bistro, I drum my fingers on the crisp white tablecloth as the waiter sets a glass of sweet tea on the table in front of me. "Are you ready to order ma'am?"

"Not just yet. My lunch date is fashionably late as usual." He nods and smiles as he walks away. I unwrap my straw and drop it into the glass. As I lift the glass to bring the straw to my lips, my phone rings. I place the glass back onto the table and smile as I answer.

"Hi there."

"Hey beautiful. How are you?"

"I'm good. How are you?"

"Much better now. My meeting just wrapped up which means that I am on my way to you. Ten minutes tops."

"OK. I'll be here. See you soon."

"See you soon baby."

I grin as I end the call and sit the phone back down on the table to take a sip of my tea. Sitting the glass back on the table, I pick up my phone and pull up my email. Might as well get a little work done while I wait for him. I pull up the first one, read it and then tap the reply icon to respond. "Excuse me, do you mind if I sit?" I look up from my phone to find an attractive woman staring back at me.

"I'm sorry, I'm waiting for someone." I try to wave her off and re-focus my eyes back on my phone.

"This will only take a minute." She pulls out the chair across from me and sits down placing her purse and a folder on the table in front of her. A slight look of amusement is displayed on her face.

I eye her as she appears to get comfortable at the table. "Do I know you?"

"No, but we have an acquaintance in common."

I regard her cautiously and then decide I'll humor this exchange for a few minutes more. "Oh, and who would that be?"

"Sam Evans." At the mention of his name my heart drops a little.

"How do you know Sam?"

"Let's not worry about that at the moment but now that I have your attention I know you have been spending a lot of time with him and I'm sure you've had your fun but it's time for you to disappear." I still as I place my phone on the table in front of me.

"Excuse me?"

"Sam is not serious about you. I mean how could he be when he could have me? So here is what is going to happen. You are going to cease all communication with him immediately."

Is this bitch for real? "I don't know who you think you are-"

"I'm the only one who really matters to him, so like I said you are going to stop all communication with him today, right now in fact."

"And if I don't?"

"Trust me, you will. Or else-"

"Or else what?" Try me trick, just try me.

"Or else I'll have to make your life very uncomfortable."

Yeah, this conversation is over. "Look, I don't know who the hell you think you are but you need to back the hell up and get out of my face."

"Listen sistah, Sam is mine. We had a misunderstanding which led to us being apart but we are on the mend and I don't need you interfering. So you are going to remove your desperate ass from his life."

"Desperate? You call me desperate but from where I am sitting it looks like there is only one thirsty chick at this table and I am looking at her. Now like I said, you need to get out of my face because you know nothing about me!" She smirks at me as she picks up the folder and opens it.

"Mercedes Catreece Porter, maiden name is Jones – age 36 divorced mother of one daughter Allyson Marie Porter, Ally for short, age 14. She attends Donaldson Academy. You live in Buckhead, in a quaint two-story three-bedroom house. You work for Rose and Potts, a marketing firm in Midtown. Your parents, Jeremy and Eliza Jones live in a small town in Kentucky, called Shelbyville, which is your hometown in fact. Dr. Jones is a prominent dentist in the area and your mother is an interior designer. Your brother Michael is a firefighter in Chicago." As she speaks, my heart drops and I instinctively bite down on my lower lip. She pauses and I watch as her eyes scan over the contents of the folder. She then slowly shakes her head as she continues. "He's had several near-death experiences, I'd hate for his hazardous work to result in his untimely demise, wouldn't you? Now your ex-husband, Spencer Porter also aged 36, owns an art gallery in Midtown. He now 'bats for the other team' as they say. He and his partner Alistair Gables live in Inman Park. They haven't really experienced any bashing behind their sexual orientation but that could definitely change." As she continues to spew off the details of everyone who matters to me, my face goes slack and my eyes remain glued to the folder. Who is this woman and why is my dating Sam a cause for her to come after me and my family like this?

My eyes dart down to the fidgeting fingers in my lap as a knot forms in the pit of my stomach and I feel myself becoming dizzy. "Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. You're right, I haven't properly introduced myself, I'm Sam's wife. I'm Marley Rose Evans. Oh, and the Rose is of Rose and Potts. Leonard Rose is my doting dad."

So that's it. She wants Sam back and I am in the way. "You're Sam's ex-wife."

"For the moment, but that is simply a technicality."

"You cannot stop me from being with him."

"Sure I can. Besides, you are just a phase anyway. He and I used to talk about our fetishes all the time. He has always had a fascination with black women, but he was always shy about approaching any of them. He also has always been somewhat of a chubby chaser. I thought I had cured him of that, but seems he is reverting to his old playboy days. See back in college, he had a harem full of you big girls. They never meant more to him than a good time. But with you, it seems that he's killed two birds with one stone, wouldn't you agree? I mean how serious could he be about you anyway? You're simply a phase dear. The break-up of our marriage has caused him to act out, so to speak, but like I said, he is finally snapping out of the fog that he has been in since our divorce. Just do everyone a favor and bow out gracefully. Sam is high society, a billionaire for god's sake! What the hell do you have to offer him? I mean look at you. You could never be seen on his arm. You belong in the kitchen with the help. How much could he care about you if you haven't even been to the mansion?" She brings her right hand up and examines her manicure, as I let her words cut deep into me. I feel her eyes on me again, but I cannot bring myself to look up and meet her gaze. "So again, I can make your life very uncomfortable. One call to my dad and you're unemployed and then blacklisted. And that's just the beginning. Honey, I have a lot of friends in low places. One call, and your ex-husband and his fudge packing partner are spending a few weeks in the hospital. One call and your brother meets his untimely demise. Do I need to go on?" I look up at her as she pauses, drops the folder on the table, leans forward and glares at me with that same smirk painted on her face. "No? Good. Well, I really do have to be going." She scoots her chair back from the table as she stands and slides her purse onto her shoulder. Then she picks up the folder. "Remember what I said Mercy. All contact stops as of right now." She raises her arm, glances down at her watch and then back at me. "If I see any form of communication from you to him after September 9th at 11:47 AM, life as you know it will be over. You'd be surprised how easy it is to spy on someone's electronic communications, all without their consent or knowledge." She pauses and looks down at me with an even more devious smirk. "Have a great lunch darling. Watch those carbs!"

When she walks away, my eyes stay trained on the seat she just vacated. My thoughts race. How am I supposed to respond to her threat? Was she serious? I can't be sure. I know absolutely nothing about the person she is, or how powerful she may be. I wouldn't even know how to find out if she's really capable of following through on the long list of hurt she threatened me with. All of it, all because she wants me to stop dating Sam. No, not just dating him. She wants me to stop all communication with him. The more I think about it the more I think she is just blowing smoke, but can I risk it? And he's a billionaire? Why is he hiding that from me? Do I really know this man that I have fallen in love with? How does she know he calls me Mercy? I know she was trying to get under my skin with that fetish bullshit. And if she is giving me crap about that, could all of her threats, be just her way of scaring me away from him? What am I supposed to do with all this? And then fear surges through me. She knows where I live. Ally. Oh my god! Is she really going to hurt Ally if I don't stop communicating with Sam? As much as I love him, I just cannot take the chance. Not until I know more. No, there is no way I can risk it. I'm so sorry Sam. I blink my eyes a few times to allow the pooled tears to roll down my cheeks, as I pull my wallet from my purse. I pull out a five-dollar bill and place it on the table. As I stand to exit the bistro, my waiter re-appears.

"Are you alright miss?"

I wipe my tears haphazardly and offer him a timid smile. "Yes, I am fine, but I have to go." I turn to leave, but then stop and turn to face him again. "Could you tell my lunch date when he arrives, that I said…" The words get caught in my throat.

"I'm sorry miss?"

Tears spring to my eyes again. It hurts to even think it, let alone say it, but I have to muster all of the courage I have to do just that. "Tell him I said goodbye."

His confused stare meets my eyes as he regards me for a few seconds before slowly blinking. "Yes, of course." He nods at me, the sadness in his eyes mirroring mine. I offer him a small smile before turning and exiting the patio gate through a sea of fresh tears.

A/N: There was a hint to the ex-wife's identity hiding in plain sight in the Prologue (which is included in this chapter as well).