"I need to get back." He eyes his watch. "We'll go out for a real dinner
next week, just the two of us."
"All right," I let out a breath and get into my car, heading for the highway. I make a stop for fast food, grabbing something quick to eat and head back towards home.
**********
I make my way into the apartment, seeing Eva on the couch, munching on potato chips.
"Hey, Samantha."
"How was your weekend?" I question, taking my bag inside and dropping it on the kitchen table.
"Good. Jack stopped by. I see you got your overnight bag," she grins.
"Yeah, he dropped it off," I nod, not telling her anything more.
"So?" Her eyes widen with a smile.
"What?" I question with confusion. "Oh, I haven't eaten much. What'd you do for dinner?"
"Martin stopped by. He cooked."
"You're kidding?"
"Nope," she answers, lying back on the sofa. "He was hoping you'd be home in time. We tried your cell phone, but you didn't answer."
"Yeah, I went up to see my father and then today I stopped by my mom's place," I respond.
"Martin mentioned that your father left; you want to talk about it?"
"Not really," I answer. "I've thought about it too much this weekend."
"So," she eyes me intently, "you still haven't answered me about Jack."
"There isn't anything to say. He mentioned he might stop by late tonight."
"Oh really?"
"Nothing's going on," I remind her. "The two of us needed to talk after what happened this weekend."
"Yeah?" She sits up, curious for the details.
"There were some arguments," I tell her honestly, remembering the fight with my mother and her demeanor towards both Jack and myself. "Anyways, he was going to come by so we could talk."
"Talk? So, that's what you call it." Eva's eyes meet the television. "I hope you know how to let down Martin. He's even more in love with you now."
"Excuse me?"
"Yeah, he thinks it's great that you went up to see your family. He wishes he had the nerve to confront his father. He thinks you're a goddess or something." She laughs and eyes me seriously. "I did not tell you that."
"Right," I nod my head and glance towards the clock.
"Oh yeah, I didn't get to tell you. I got the job!"
"That's great, Eva." I give her a hug and sit down beside her. "Where are you working?"
"It's an office job, a couple blocks down. The pay isn't too crummy either."
I can't help but smile. "I'm happy for you."
"Thanks." She eyes the television.
"What are you watching?"
"Nothing really. I've been channel surfing. You don't have any of the good movie channels."
"I'm never home," I point out. "No sense in paying for what you don't watch."
"I guess so," Eva sighs.
"You want me to order in a pizza? I could use something to eat."
"Sounds good." I dial for pizza and take a seat, finally being able to relax. "I'm not sure I'm going to make it up," said Eva.
"You will. So you start work tomorrow?"
"Yeah."
"Do you have clothes?"
"Yeah, Martin helped me out."
"You're kidding?"
"No. I told you he came over. We hung out most of the weekend."
"Interesting," I nod, wondering if Eva were a little older, maybe something would progress between them. At least then I'd have Martin off my hands.
"No, Samantha, what's interesting is you spending the weekend with Jack, but not giving me the details."
"There aren't any to give," I shrug in response and hear the doorbell. "Dinner," I grin, standing up and grabbing some cash for the pizza.
Eva carries the food into the kitchen while I handle the money. I take a seat at the table with her, eating as much as I can.
There's a comfortable silence between us, and right now I'm grateful for it. I don't want to lie to Eva, or even hide the fact Jack and I are together.
I let out a soft breath. Are we really together? Or am I seeing what I want to? I finish up and head into the bedroom to get changed.
"Goodnight," Eva tells me, as I slip into my bedroom. I change into a fresh pair of pajamas and answer my vibrating phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey, you're still awake."
"Yeah, I told you I'd be. I'm getting ready for bed now though."
"I'm about twenty minutes out."
"Where are you?"
"In the car."
I let out a sigh, "That's not what I meant."
"I'll explain later, I promise. Can I stop by?"
"Yeah. I'm going to head into bed. Join me when you come in."
"How am I going to get into your apartment?"
"Pick the lock," I answer with a laugh.
"Sam, it can wait until tomorrow. I can get a hotel room for the night."
"Please don't," I whisper with a yawn, slipping between the sheets. "I want you to tuck me in," I tell him, shutting off the light.
"All right. I'll see you in a little while."
"Eva should be up to answer the door. Bye." I hang up the phone and close my eyes, falling into a deep sleep.
I hear the door creak and a warm breath against my lips. "Jack?" I moan, feeling his hands in my hair as I lean into his touch.
"Shhh, go back to sleep."
"Where were you?" I roll around, giving him room to lie down beside me.
"I had to see the girls." I feel the bed dip down as he sits on the edge, tugging off his shoes and most of his clothes before lying down beside me.
"It couldn't wait till morning?" My eyes open to meet his, in the darkness. "Weren't they asleep?"
"I had to tuck them in too."
"And Maria didn't care?" He's quiet as I roll onto my side to lean against his body. "Jack?"
"She wasn't happy about it. She also didn't like that I went away this weekend. I had some explaining to do."
"Let me guess, you're not getting divorced?" I whisper into the night air.
"No," he shakes his head as I feel my stomach plummet. He slips between the sheets and embraces my warm skin. "We are," he reaffirms, "I just wanted to tuck the girls into bed, one last time."
"You'll still see them." I press a kiss to his lips gently.
"I know, but not in that house."
"We'll have our own house for you to tuck them in." I bite down on my lips, feeling as though I've said too much. "I'm sorry," I shake my head with a laugh, "I meant--"
Jack cuts me off with another kiss as his hands roam down my sides. "It's okay." He answers, rolling me onto my back.
"Jack," I breathe, "as much as I want this again," my eyes look deep into his, "it's late, I'm tired, and we have to get up early," I remind him.
"Yeah, you're right." He shifts on the bed as I roll into his warm body, his arms holding me close. "Goodnight, Sam."
"Night," I answer, feeling completely comfortable and at ease in his embrace.
"All right," I let out a breath and get into my car, heading for the highway. I make a stop for fast food, grabbing something quick to eat and head back towards home.
**********
I make my way into the apartment, seeing Eva on the couch, munching on potato chips.
"Hey, Samantha."
"How was your weekend?" I question, taking my bag inside and dropping it on the kitchen table.
"Good. Jack stopped by. I see you got your overnight bag," she grins.
"Yeah, he dropped it off," I nod, not telling her anything more.
"So?" Her eyes widen with a smile.
"What?" I question with confusion. "Oh, I haven't eaten much. What'd you do for dinner?"
"Martin stopped by. He cooked."
"You're kidding?"
"Nope," she answers, lying back on the sofa. "He was hoping you'd be home in time. We tried your cell phone, but you didn't answer."
"Yeah, I went up to see my father and then today I stopped by my mom's place," I respond.
"Martin mentioned that your father left; you want to talk about it?"
"Not really," I answer. "I've thought about it too much this weekend."
"So," she eyes me intently, "you still haven't answered me about Jack."
"There isn't anything to say. He mentioned he might stop by late tonight."
"Oh really?"
"Nothing's going on," I remind her. "The two of us needed to talk after what happened this weekend."
"Yeah?" She sits up, curious for the details.
"There were some arguments," I tell her honestly, remembering the fight with my mother and her demeanor towards both Jack and myself. "Anyways, he was going to come by so we could talk."
"Talk? So, that's what you call it." Eva's eyes meet the television. "I hope you know how to let down Martin. He's even more in love with you now."
"Excuse me?"
"Yeah, he thinks it's great that you went up to see your family. He wishes he had the nerve to confront his father. He thinks you're a goddess or something." She laughs and eyes me seriously. "I did not tell you that."
"Right," I nod my head and glance towards the clock.
"Oh yeah, I didn't get to tell you. I got the job!"
"That's great, Eva." I give her a hug and sit down beside her. "Where are you working?"
"It's an office job, a couple blocks down. The pay isn't too crummy either."
I can't help but smile. "I'm happy for you."
"Thanks." She eyes the television.
"What are you watching?"
"Nothing really. I've been channel surfing. You don't have any of the good movie channels."
"I'm never home," I point out. "No sense in paying for what you don't watch."
"I guess so," Eva sighs.
"You want me to order in a pizza? I could use something to eat."
"Sounds good." I dial for pizza and take a seat, finally being able to relax. "I'm not sure I'm going to make it up," said Eva.
"You will. So you start work tomorrow?"
"Yeah."
"Do you have clothes?"
"Yeah, Martin helped me out."
"You're kidding?"
"No. I told you he came over. We hung out most of the weekend."
"Interesting," I nod, wondering if Eva were a little older, maybe something would progress between them. At least then I'd have Martin off my hands.
"No, Samantha, what's interesting is you spending the weekend with Jack, but not giving me the details."
"There aren't any to give," I shrug in response and hear the doorbell. "Dinner," I grin, standing up and grabbing some cash for the pizza.
Eva carries the food into the kitchen while I handle the money. I take a seat at the table with her, eating as much as I can.
There's a comfortable silence between us, and right now I'm grateful for it. I don't want to lie to Eva, or even hide the fact Jack and I are together.
I let out a soft breath. Are we really together? Or am I seeing what I want to? I finish up and head into the bedroom to get changed.
"Goodnight," Eva tells me, as I slip into my bedroom. I change into a fresh pair of pajamas and answer my vibrating phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey, you're still awake."
"Yeah, I told you I'd be. I'm getting ready for bed now though."
"I'm about twenty minutes out."
"Where are you?"
"In the car."
I let out a sigh, "That's not what I meant."
"I'll explain later, I promise. Can I stop by?"
"Yeah. I'm going to head into bed. Join me when you come in."
"How am I going to get into your apartment?"
"Pick the lock," I answer with a laugh.
"Sam, it can wait until tomorrow. I can get a hotel room for the night."
"Please don't," I whisper with a yawn, slipping between the sheets. "I want you to tuck me in," I tell him, shutting off the light.
"All right. I'll see you in a little while."
"Eva should be up to answer the door. Bye." I hang up the phone and close my eyes, falling into a deep sleep.
I hear the door creak and a warm breath against my lips. "Jack?" I moan, feeling his hands in my hair as I lean into his touch.
"Shhh, go back to sleep."
"Where were you?" I roll around, giving him room to lie down beside me.
"I had to see the girls." I feel the bed dip down as he sits on the edge, tugging off his shoes and most of his clothes before lying down beside me.
"It couldn't wait till morning?" My eyes open to meet his, in the darkness. "Weren't they asleep?"
"I had to tuck them in too."
"And Maria didn't care?" He's quiet as I roll onto my side to lean against his body. "Jack?"
"She wasn't happy about it. She also didn't like that I went away this weekend. I had some explaining to do."
"Let me guess, you're not getting divorced?" I whisper into the night air.
"No," he shakes his head as I feel my stomach plummet. He slips between the sheets and embraces my warm skin. "We are," he reaffirms, "I just wanted to tuck the girls into bed, one last time."
"You'll still see them." I press a kiss to his lips gently.
"I know, but not in that house."
"We'll have our own house for you to tuck them in." I bite down on my lips, feeling as though I've said too much. "I'm sorry," I shake my head with a laugh, "I meant--"
Jack cuts me off with another kiss as his hands roam down my sides. "It's okay." He answers, rolling me onto my back.
"Jack," I breathe, "as much as I want this again," my eyes look deep into his, "it's late, I'm tired, and we have to get up early," I remind him.
"Yeah, you're right." He shifts on the bed as I roll into his warm body, his arms holding me close. "Goodnight, Sam."
"Night," I answer, feeling completely comfortable and at ease in his embrace.
