Author's Note: Thank you all so much for your feedback, they really made my day. And excuse the typos in this chapter, I wasn't very awake when I edited it. "Where are we going?" Crystal asked Jan, who was leading her up a dimly lit stairway. Jan just turned around to give Crystal a brief, enigmatic smile before turning back around and continuing up the stairs.
"This is where all the good stuff is." Jan announced once she and Crystal had reached the third floor of the country home, "It's got all the bedrooms with the orgy sized beds in them."
Crystal moistened her lips with her tongue and opened one of the doors in the sweeping hallway. She did a quick scan of the bedroom before her eyes came to rest on the bed which, as Jan had already brought into the open, was definitely orgy sized. It was probably at least two feet bigger than a king-sized bed and it was covered in elegant, black silk sheets.
"What possessed your parents to get beds these big in all the rooms up here?" Crystal questioned Jan in a breathless voice, still admiring the widespread bed. She'd seen beds like this one on the sets for her movies but never sitting it someone's guest room.
Jan shrugged and made her way farther down the hallway, "Those beds costed them an incredibly large amount of money. No one sleeps in them but they don't care because they enjoy flaunting their money. It doesn't matter if they're spending it on virtually useless things, it made them feel good. But we'll put those beds to very good use soon." Jan stopped in front of the door at the end of the hallway and faced Crystal.
"Are you ready for this?" Jan asked, her eyes gleaming evilly in the dim light. Crystal nodded wordlessly and held her breath as she waited for Jan to open the door, imagining all the wonderful possibilities of what lay beyond that door. Jan swung the door open and stepped inside. Crystal stepped inside after Jan and surveyed the room. Two racks stretched out over the two walls opposite each other. On one wall rack hung whips in every size and colour. Chains and handcuffs dangled from the other wall rack. There were also other various items scattered throughout the room, items that included nipple clamps and other random metal objects Crystal had never expected to see outside of her acting career.
"Did your parents no about this?" Crystal demanded, "Because if I found out that my little girl had a serious S&M fetish like you do, I'd-"
"Of course they didn't know." Jan cut her off and bent down to pick up a couple of the nipple clamps, "And I do not have an S&M fetish. I stock up on this stuff for safety reasons. You know, just in case I have to use it." Crystal snorted in disbelief but Jan ignored her, "I'm getting worried though. If Shawn's doesn't crack soon, I'll have to use some of this stuff on him."
"I don't think you'll have to worry about that." Crystal assured her, automatically pitying Shawn, "You're going to have so many guys stashed up here that you'll have your hands full."
Jan broke into a gleeful smile, "That is the idea, isn't it?" Jan dropped the nipple clamps and stepped over the sharp metal objects lying on the floor to get to the second wall rack. She picked up some chains and draped them over her arm, "I figured we could make good use of these. And if you want, I have these special handcuffs that we can use to suspend the guys from the ceiling."
Crystal closed her eyes blissfully, "I am definitely going to be in heaven. Wait, maybe I mean hell." Crystal frowned as she considered this, "But either way, I will die a very satisfied woman."
"Me too." Jan agreed, "Well, now that we've gotten that out of the way, we should start figuring out how we're going to capture these guys. I have a lot of great ideas."
Crystal walked out of the chain-filled room after Jan, the two of them already engaged in conversation over how to get the most gorgeous men in Salem trapped in the confinements of Jan's elaborate country home.
After showering and changing early that morning, Sami left the bathroom and wandered into Wills' bedroom. She found him struggling with his suitcase and he looked up with relief when he saw his mom.
"I was afraid you weren't going to get up." Will told her, the corners of his eyes crinkling accusingly, "According to grandma Kate, you got back pretty late."
Sami flinched at the tone Will was using and she wondered how much Kate had said to Will about the night before, "I wasn't back that late. I was just spending some time talking to a friend." Sami explained breezily, taking the suitcase from him, "And there's no way I would have overslept, not when you're leaving for camp today, sweetie."
Will seemed to be mollified by her words and he smiled hopefully at her, "Does that mean you'll drive with me and dad and grandma down to the camp?"
Sami paused and took a deep breath, unsure of how to answer that question. She didn't know how Lucas was going to act after the night before. Sami was still a little upset with him over acting so possessive the night before but she knew she would get over it. The most important thing was, she had gotten what she had wanted out of Mr. Diaz and had also managed to get out of ever seeing him again. Once Lucas forgave her and she started putting her plan to destroy Kate into action, everything would be fine.
"Sure, Will, I'd love to go." Sami chirped, trying to sound more cheerful about the prospect than she actually was, "Here, let's get this suitcase downstairs."
"Okay," Will was evidently pleased that his mother had agreed to take the long drive to camp with his father. Sami reached the elevator and she and Will took it down to the bottom floor of the apartment. They went outside and when they reached Lucas, he was finishing off loading the rest of the Will's bags into the trunk. Sami slowed her pace at the sight of him, her steps measured and tentative. Lucas heard the two of them approaching him and he smiled when he saw Will. But when his eyes came to rest on Sami, his smile faded and the warm light in his eyes disappeared. Sami handed him the suitcase without speaking and he took it out of her hands without saying anything. Sami noticed the way Will's forehead crinkled worriedly at the cold exchange and Sami shifted uncomfortably, finally breaking the awkward silence.
"Hi, Lucas."
"Sami." Lucas nodded at her briefly before slamming the trunk closed sharply. Will winced at the biting tone in Lucas' voice coupled with the loud bang and Sami shot a quick glare at Lucas. He could be mad at her but what he didn't have the right to do was act like a sulking loser in front of their son. Some example he was. Will watched his parents for a few more minutes before mumbling an excuse about having to go back up to his bedroom to get something. He turned and began walking back inside, leaving Sami and Lucas alone next to the car.
Lucas leaned against the side door and glared at Sami, "He didn't just say something about you driving down to the camp with us, did he?"
Sami became defensive immediately, "Yes, actually, he did. Do you have a problem with that? I mean, can't you give your son this one last thing before he leaves for the summer?"
"I don't know, Sami." Lucas shook his head uncertainly, "I don't really think I want to be stuck in a car with you right now."
Sami sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, "How long are you going to stay mad at me for?"
"I guess you'll have to figure that one out on your own." Lucas threw her parting words from the night before back at her and the words hit Sami like a slap. She knew she deserved it but it still stung. She hadn't expected him to be so bent out of shape about the night before. Everything she had done with Ray had been completely innocent and Lucas should have known her well enough to figure that out by now. She decided to let the topic of him getting over his anger with her go for the time being and turned the conversation back around to Will.
"Fine, you can be like that if that's what you want. Just please, don't act like this around Will. Let me come with you, we can both act completely normal for a little while, can't we? For his sake?"
Lucas softened and he was about to reply when Kate appeared. She placed a protective hand on Lucas' shoulder and regarded Sami warily, as if Sami was a monster that Kate was trying to protect Lucas from.
"Lucas is not going to put himself through the torture of driving Will to camp with you." Kate spoke snidely, "You've already caused enough heartache for Lucas. Go find someone else to make miserable."
Sami narrowed her eyes slightly but tried to keep her tone neutral, "This is between me and Lucas, Kate. And I don't remember either of us inviting you into the conversation so would you mind giving us a chance to speak to each other privately?"
"No, I won't let you speak privately." Kate said, tossing her head to one side dramatically, "You have hurt my son for the last time, Sami. I won't let you do it again, not after last night."
Sami gritted her teeth and dug her nails into her palm. The urge to hurt Kate was becoming more unbearable every time she saw the woman and Sami knew she would wind up giving herself away and prove Kate right about Sami not being sincere with the truce she had called if she didn't get a hold on her feelings. Sami couldn't afford for that to happen. Making Kate pay for what she had done to her mother was her top priority. Lucas was a close second but for the time being, she had to put their relationship on hold. She couldn't spend all her time making up with Lucas, not when she had serious planning and preparing to do. She would get around to it but she had other things on her mind, things she really needed to take care of.
"Look, Kate, if that's the way you want it, then I guess I can leave. I still have a lot of studying to do anyways." Sami turned to see Will standing behind her. Sami quickly explained to Will why she wasn't going with them and excused herself, quickly walking in the direction of her apartment. She made sure not to look behind her, not wanting to see Lucas anymore. She would work on making up with Lucas as soon as she finished the business she needed to finish. She could wait it out for a while, it wasn't like Lucas was going anywhere or anything.
Lucas walked alongside Phillip through Salem Park, wondering why Phillip had suggested they take a walk, then drag him to random, boring places in Salem. It was early evening and the only other person in the park was an old lady, veiled in black, lacy clothes. She was hunched over, walking slowly with the help of a cane. Lucas kicked a rock down the path he and Phillip were walking on, listening to Phillip ramble on about Belle with only half an ear. But after a few minutes, Phillip ceased his monologue about his feelings for Belle and went silent for a few moments, before bringing Sami into the conversation.
"So, have you talked to her at all since last night?" Phillip asked carefully, bracing himself for a bad reaction from his brother. Lucas just shook his head.
"I talked to her a bit this morning but it was hard. I just keep seeing her kissing that guy. I don't care if it was just a kiss on the cheek and I don't care if I'm being too possessive. I hate that she would just go out and flirt with some guy she just met, like I mean nothing to her or something. I don't know if I can forgive her for making me feel like this." Lucas stated, staring straight ahead.
"Like what?"
"Like I'm not good enough for her. Like I'm just good for her when no one else better is around but when I'm gone, I'm just out of sight, out of mind." Lucas tried to explain. He was about to say more when a blur of movement from ahead of him caught his eye. He looked to his left just in time to see the old woman that had been walking in front of himself and Phillip fall to the ground. She fumbled blindly for her cane and Lucas could make out her mumbling, "Oh dear." under her breath. He and Phillip hurried over to her and Phillip helped her to her feet while Lucas picked up her cane from the ground. The woman leaned against Phillip for support briefly before she completely regained her balance.
Her face was covered by a black veil, so neither Lucas or Phillip could see her face. She took her cane from Lucas and steadied herself with it, "Thank you so much." she voice was deep and gravelly.
"You're welcome." Phillip eyed the elderly woman with concern, "Are you okay? It's kind of late to be out walking so late by yourself, isn't it?"
The woman chuckled, "It's so kind of you to worry. But you see, my granddaughter lives with me and she takes care of me. She dropped me off here so I could take a little walk and I'm afraid she's forgotten about me. She can be terrible sometimes."
Lucas flashed her a sympathetic look, his own problems momentarily forgotten, "That's awful. Would you like us to give you a ride back to your house?"
"Oh, would you?" the woman sounded both surprised and relieved to hear those words, "It would mean so much to me. It's not every day I find such fine gentlemen like you two."
Phillip grinned, "Come on, my car is parked a little ways away. I'm Phillip and this is my brother, Lucas."
"It's so very nice to meet you." the woman said politely and Lucas could almost hear her smile underneath the black veil, "And you two can call me... Mrs. B."