HOTLINE
Chapter 5
Sami entered the familiar comfort of the Brady Pub after finishing up at Basic Black. She walked across the restaurant that was her second home of sorts with a weary shuffle and headed straight for the back where she expected her grandfather would be. She knew from the many years spent working and living here that Grandpa Shawn liked to oversee the goings on of the kitchen right before the dinner rush, especially on busy Saturday nights. He didn't disappoint and she smiled when she saw him playfully bickering with Lisa over which pot of chowder he should be serving from.
When his gaze caught the amused expression in his granddaughter's eyes, he quickly conceded the argument to Lisa and walked over to Sami who was standing well out of the way of the bustling kitchen. She waved to Lisa who grinned and rolled her eyes at Shawn Brady. Sami just shrugged her shoulders and laughed.
"What brings you by tonight, lass," Grandpa Shawn asked while giving her one of his trademark big hugs. "You just stopped by last night. To what do I owe such a pleasure?"
"Can't I just stop by to see my wonderful, loving grandfather?" she asked with a look of youthful innocence. It made Grandpa Shawn smile and shake his head in disbelief.
"Don't you try putting on that innocent act with me," he chuckled with a jolly glint in his eye. "But you know you're always welcome and that I love seeing you and Will as much as I can. How is young William these days? Enjoying his camp I hope?"
Sami warmed thinking of her son. She missed him terribly and was glad that he was coming back a little early. Having him gone for an entire summer was getting harder and harder each year. "He's doing really well, Grandpa. He's having lots of fun away from his parents. Apparently the other campers voted him to be their section's team captain. He said it was no big deal but that didn't stop me from gushing, of course." She was beaming with pride speaking of Will and how talented he was. Grandpa Shawn pinched her cheek in the same manner he always did ever since she was a little girl. He said that when she gave him a big smile, he couldn't help but try to grab it. "He's growing up so fast Grandpa. The next thing you know, he'll be driving and going out on dates."
Grandpa Shawn leaned against the long counter and crossed his arms in front of him. "I think I know that feeling, little one. But no matter how old they get, they never stop being your babies," he wisely commented while giving her a meaningful parental once-over. Sami nodded in wistful agreement. "So you still haven't answered my question, young lady. What brings you out to the Pub on a Saturday night? I'm sure you really didn't come over here to hang out with your old grandpa, although if you did, I've got some dishes waiting for you in the corner."
Sami waved off the offer quickly and turned to head back to the front. "Well, you're right, as usual," she said with a wink, "but seeing you is definitely a perk. Actually, I'm meeting someone for dinner." She avoided meeting his eyes and continued towards the bar. She didn't trust herself to conceal her anticipation over having dinner with her ex-enemy. Even though she wanted to be discreet about her new friendship with Lucas, the huge smile and deep blush that colored her cheeks were a dead giveaway that she wasn't just having an ordinary Saturday night dinner with a friendly acquaintance.
Grandpa Shawn raised an eyebrow at her declaration. He loved his granddaughter dearly but she wasn't the most likable or popular person in Salem, he hated to admit. "And who might this dinner date be?" he curiously responded.
"It's not a date Grandpa! It's just dinner with a friend." Her efforts to avoid his gaze told him it was anything but a strictly "friendly" meal.
"I guess if you don't want to tell me, I'll find out soon enough when he gets here."
"I suppose you will," she said not giving anything away. Her grandfather winked at her implying that he was content to wait and see, so she sat down at the bar to wait for Lucas. He poured her a soda and went to help Lisa with the crowds just starting to come in for a big, Brady meal.
Sami glanced at her watch confirming that it was five minutes to seven. It wouldn't be long now. She felt a nervous flutter in her heart at the thought. She shot a quick look towards the front door and then returned her gaze to her soda, daydreaming about the possibilities of her and Lucas' relationship.
Sami is standing in the kitchen putting the roasting pan into the oven. She was amazed that she was getting close to actually putting together a complete and edible meal. Times sure had changedbut definitely for the better. A more domestic life suited her, she thought. She checked the dial on the oven one last time and covered the raspberry sauce for the cheesecake waiting in the refrigerator. She knew a couple of guys who were going to be very happy with her efforts in a little while.
Before she had time to worry about any other details of the meal, the door opened and Will barreled in followed by his father. Both walked casually into the apartment like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Boy, something sure smells good!" Will exclaimed excitedly. Sami walked over to him and to his annoyance, gave him a kiss on the top of his head. "Hey! What's the big idea!" He hated when his mother treated him like a little kid but he smirked a little bit anyway.
Sami chuckled at Will's embarrassment and the fact that he looked so much like his father. "'Hey' nothing, little man. I can kiss my own son if I want to. Dinner will be in an hour so that's just enough time for you to finish your homework."
"Okay, mom," Will said a little too cooperatively. "I can finish it pretty quickly but can I go down to Jason's and do it? We have to write an essay for English class and we do much better when we can bounce ideas off of each other."
"Sounds intense," Lucas said, speaking for the first time from behind Will. "I think that sounds okay. That is if you agree, 'Mom.'" He grinned slyly at her, daring her to be the bad guy in this situation. In actuality, he had his own agenda to worry about.
Sami shook her head at the older man and walked back towards the kitchen. "It's fine with me Will but be back in an hour, sharp. And no video games until you finish your assignment. I want to see it when you get back."
"Yes Mom," he whined grabbing his backpack and heading out the door. Before he closed it completely, he looked back over at his parents and smiled mischievously at his setup. "Have fun you guys."
"Hey, we're not 'you guys,' we'reoh, never mind," Sami yelled at the closed door. She looked back at the room's other occupant and cocked her head to the side. "So what have you got to say for yourself Lucas?" She grabbed the edge of the counter behind her and hit him with the challenging look she knew he had been waiting for.
Not wanting to disappoint, Lucas was at her side in two large strides, immediately pulling her into his arms and kissing her deeply. He moaned as Sami immediately opened her lips and welcomed the sensual contact she had been anticipating since he had left this morning. He pushed her hard against the counter and grabbed her ass in both hands, pushing her into his hot groin.
Lucas pulled away from her mouth and looked intensely into her lust filled eyes. "Do you know how badly I've wanted to get my hands on you today?" He nudged her head to the side roughly and ran his lips and tongue along her sweet neck. Before she could respond, he picked her up and placed her on her back across the counter.
"Lucas!" Sami yelped in surprise. He ignored her and began unbuttoning her blouse, dipping his hands inside to caress the hard nipples straining through her lace bra. Her sounds of alarm turned to moans of pleasure as he unhooked her bra and took one of her breasts into his mouth.
"Oh Sami, you make me burn," Lucas mumbled still feasting on her chest. One of his hands was working its way underneath her skirt intent on stroking her through her panties.
In a flash, he had her shirt and bra completely off along with his shirt. The top button on his pants was undone and she could feel his arousal brushing invitingly against her thigh.
When Sami noticed Lucas looking down at her with such intense love and passion, she stopped his movements and motioned for him to lean down closer to her face. She leaned up and kissed him softly using her tongue to probe deeper between his lips. She tried to make the kiss as intoxicating as possible to convey her adoration of him and of their relationship.
She pulled away slowly and could keenly feel the heat that had built up between their two aroused bodies. While he was still staring into her eyes with longing, Sami reached down and unzipped his slacks, pushing them down along with his sexy silk boxers. Without breaking eye contact, she carefully leaned back down on the counter and guided his hands back underneath her skirt. When Lucas' lips spread out in a horny grin, she confirmed that this was all the encouragement he needed.
"Take
me, Lucas, right now," Sami demanded. Not one to deny the lady
beneath him, Lucas leaned down to claim her lips yet again. When he
thought she had had enough, he spread her legs wider and lovingly
caressed her thighs right before he plunged...
"Sami?"
a voice called from far away.
"Sami!" The voice had become louder but Sami didn't want to leave her wonderful fantasy. However, when she felt a hand on her shoulder, she had no choice but to rejoin the land of the living.
When Sami turned her attention to the person attached to the hand on her shoulder, she was slightly flushed and red-faced from her rather vivid fantasy of her and Lucas on the countertop. She felt warmed not only from her erotic musings but of the entire domestic picture she had created in her mind over the last, however many minutes she had been out of it. These fantasies she was having about Lucas were really getting out of control.
She looked down at her watch before turning back to the worried expression on her grandfather's face. "Are you alright, lass? You look a wee bit out of sorts."
Sami straightened her hair nervously and looked around to see if anyone had noticed her lapse into dreamland. "Oh no, Grandpa, I'm fine," she said breathlessly. "I'm just thinking about something."
Checking her watch again, she calculated that she had been out of it for almost 10 minutes. She frowned thinking that Lucas was running late. She checked her cell phone for messages but there was nothing in her voicemail box. She thought it was a little strange but nothing to get worried about yet.
"Well, if you're okay..." Grandpa Shawn said, clearly not convinced that she was in her right mind.
Having calmed down somewhat, Sami smiled up at her grandfather and took a sip of her now watered-down soda. "Go ahead and get back to your customers. I promise that I'm fine." With a squeeze to her shoulder, he walked back to the front of the restaurant to greet the couple that had just walked in.
Fifteen minutes later, Sami had checked her voicemail and watch for what seemed like the millionth time. "Where are you Lucas?" Sami said out loud, prompting the old man next to her to look up. She smiled and turned the opposite direction on her stool.
It was almost 7:30 and still no sign of Lucas. She was a little worried and embarrassed about sitting here all alone for this amount of time but her annoyance was growing by the second. It seemed from their earlier conversation that he wanted to spend some time with her but why would he not show up without calling? With each passing minute, all sorts of doubts surfaced about meeting up with him tonight. Despite the past couple of days, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was trying to trick her into letting her guard down. Maybe when he thought she trusted him, he would try to take Will away from her again. Or maybe, he was trying to get back in her good graces to find out some dirt to humiliate her with. She certainly could see him working with his mother to plan some sort of torture for her.
But all of these disaster scenarios just didn't sound right. Why would Lucas go through all the trouble? Besides, even when they were at their worst, she could still read him like a book and vice versa.
After the time had reached 8:05, and she had left Lucas a voicemail message, Sami was getting worried. Her grandpa had been over several times to check on her, leaving her more distressed each time. She was reaching that point where her annoyance was being replaced with worry. She wanted to be mad at him for his tardiness or for flaking on her without calling. But she couldn't help thinking the worstthat maybe he couldn't call because he was lying in a ditch somewhere.
She thought briefly about calling someone but she had no idea who she would call or what she would say. Apparently, she was going to have to wait it out until he decided to contact her with an explanation.
She exhaled a big sigh and left the stool that she had been warming for the better part of an hour. For obvious reasons, she had completely lost her appetite and just wanted to go home. She found Grandpa Shawn and wished him goodnight. He graciously avoided questioning her about her missing dinner date but made her promise to stop by the next evening for a cup of tea.
Sami walked back through the Pub slowly looking around in case Lucas had come in while she was in the back. Not seeing anyone even remotely fitting his description, she bid Lisa goodnight and walked out into the warm summer night. She had told Grandpa Shawn that if anyone came looking for her, to tell them that she had already gone home but she didn't really think he was going to have to deliver that message. Even still, she waited in her car for a few minutes, leaving another voicemail message for Lucas in the process.
Feeling completely defeated and sad, Sami drove home and quickly changed into her pajamas. Tonight called for her staple depression foodEspresso Fudge Ice Cream with chocolate sauce and sprinkles. She turned on the television to keep her mind off of worrying about Lucas but it wasn't working. Everything seemed to morph into some kind of perilous situation with Lucas at its centerthe weather report, her favorite reality show, even an old Chuck Jones cartoon with a few falling anvils. There was a report of a terrible 8 car pileup on the highway and she imagined Lucas buried under 10 tons of wreckage even though there was no way Lucas was even on that side of town. Even hearing about an accident made her anxious for him. She had left him 2 messages at the Pub and she had also knocked on his door when she got home. But she still hadn't heard anything from him.
After polishing off her sugary dinner, she set the empty ice cream container on the coffee table. Her stomach was rumbling with anger both from her unhealthy dinner and from the stress of worrying about Lucas for the past several hours. It was 10:30 and still no sign of him.
Sami pulled the blanket off of the back of the couch and wrapped it around her snugly. Her cell phone lay on the coffee table within easy reach in case anyone calledor rather, someone in particular. She knew she should head to bed since she had a full Sunday planned but it wouldn't hurt to stay up a little longer, just in case she heard him arriving at his apartment.
However, despite her meal, as 11:00 rolled around, her eyelids became heavy and before she knew it, she was fast asleep, dreaming of a very familiar pre-dinner rendevous on her kitchen countertop.
