It has been a week since Martin stopped by at Samantha's apartment. Nonetheless, Martin was acting as if nothing happened. He was not upset; he was not angry, he was actually acting happy.

Every time he was at work, he smiled. Samantha did not know why, but it bothered her. It probably bothered her because she felt that his healing process was not gradual. Somehow, he was perfectly fine in a heartbeat. One day Martin was gloomily depressed and the next day he was surprisingly happy.

At work that day, Martin was in the car with Samantha. They were heading to down town so they would be able to pick up a warrant for the present day case of a missing ten-year-old boy. Samantha looked over at Martin. He did not notice that she was staring at him. He had this huge smirk on his face. His smirk slowly turned into a subtle chuckle.

"Did I miss out on the joke?" Samantha asked.

"What?" Martin said clueless.

"You were laughing." Samantha elucidated.

"Was I?" Martin did not notice that he was laughing. He probably could have been laughing because he was thinking of how he first met Angela. It was quite similar to how he met her last week at the coffee shop.


Martin and his high school friends were at the coffee shop after they finished school.

Hey Phillip, did you put A, D, D, C, B, A, C for the last part of Mr. O' Brian's test?" Johnny said. Johnny was nuisance. The only reason they probably hung out with him because he was the only person they knew with a car.

"No he put D, A, D, C, A, B, A." Riley said. Riley was the one who was always right (except for schoolwork). Riley was Martin's best friend.

"Why don't you guys do you own work for once. Besides he put C, A, D, D, A, A, B." Martin said. They all laughed.

"Hey check it out." Phillip said pointing at a beautiful high school girl with brown hair lacing down her back. She passed them and she helped the table next to them (she was a waitress).

"Isn't the girl you were talking about?" Riley directly asked Martin.

"Yeah." Martin said quickly. Since his junior year started a few weeks ago, Martin has been noticing the new girl who transferred from Georgia. He rather had a small crush on her.

"Why don't you go talk to her?" Riley asked.

"I barely know her." Martin explained.

"Excuse me miss." Johnny called the girl over.

"Johnny!" Martin said annoyed.

"Yes." The mysterious girl asked, "May I help you?"

"Yes." Johnny looked at her nametag, "Angela, my friend here," Johnny pointed to Martin, "Wants to ask you something."

"Yes." She said.

Martin sat their hesitantly, he did not know what to say. So he said the first thing that popped in his mind, "May I have coffee please. Black."

The girl just looked at strangely, "Is this some kind of joke?"

They all stared at her innocently.

"Whatever." She went to get his coffee thinking they were play a joke on her.

Martin waited until she was out eye sight, "Johnny, you ass."

"Why you chicken out?" Johnny taunted.

"I didn't chicken out." Martin insisted.

"I think you did." He started to make chicken noises.

"What are you in second grade?" Phillip announced.

"Shut up Johnny. Come on Martin, this is your time to get a girl. Ask her out." Riley encouraged.

"This is my chance to leave." Martin pushed his chair and accidentally knocked Angela down the ground. The hot coffee spilled all over her as she landed hard on the ground.

"Oh my god. I am so sorry." Martin said as his friends began to laugh.

"I knew it was a joke." Angela got up without Martin's help, even though he was trying to.

"I am so sorry." Martin apologies greatly.

"No. Just stay away from me." She went out muttering, "I hate here. I wish I could go home but no, daddy said…"


That was not exactly Martin's finest day. The funny thing about it was Martin knew that if he had never spilled the coffee on her that day, he would have never had the courage to ask her out for an apology date the next day.

He started to laugh again without noticing.

"You're doing it again." Samantha thought he was laughing at her.

"Sorry." Martin said. Martin phone rang.

"Is that Jack?" Samantha asked.

Martin glanced at his phone to find that it said BEIL, ANGELA. Angela and he had exchanged numbers a few days ago when Martin started to visit her in the mornings at the coffee shop.

"Hey." Martin said as Samantha curiously listened in.

"Hey. I'm not bothering at work?" Angela wondered.

"No. No I'm not doing anything important." Marin said and Sam noted.

"I was just wondering…" She said.

"You were wondering what." Martin said after a huge pause.

"I was wondering are you doing anything tomorrow night?" Angela asked.

"Saturday night. Why?" He said smiling.

"Because for the past week we haven't gotten to know each other?" Angela said.

"You don't know me?" Martin said bemused.

"I mean we haven't exactly caught up. I want to know what you have been doing these past years… It can be like a date." She clarified.

"A date." Martin said. As soon as the word date came out of his mouth, he knew Samantha clearly heard it.

"Yes, a date. For the past week, it has nothing it has been nothing but sex. I want to talk to you." She explained.

Since he potentially said the word date, he knew that he could not say anything else wrong that Samantha would overhear. Therefore, he was careless at what he said, "So tomorrow night at nine, that's when I'll get off from work, I'll pick you up and take you to a nice imaginative restaurant." At this point Samantha could not believe what she was hearing.

"That sounds great. Nine is good. See you then." Angela disclosed.

"By Angela." Martin hanged up his phone. He knew even though that was a great moment, which should have lasted for a while; he knew Samantha would ruin it.

"Who is Angela?" Sam said predictably.

"She's no one." Martin did not want to get into too much detail.

"Martin." Samantha uttered.

"I don't know how to describe our relationship." Martin stated.

She began to complain, "But you're having a relationship… Martin I can't believe you. This is why…"

"No Sam. Don't do this. You can't do this to me anymore." Martin said.

"Do what." She said dumbfounded.

"You can't control me with your guilt." Martin pronounced.

"What guilt?" Sam said inconsolable.

"Do I really have say the words." Martin asked.

"Yes. Yes, you do. Let's just get it out and in the open." She declared.

"When you were… when you were pregnant. You made me feel that I could not help. You made me feel that you did not want my help. You made me feel that you were stuck with me. And if you were stuck to me you would have to change me." Martin proclaimed.

Samantha was obliviously speechless. At no point of their situation, did she feel that she was stuck to him. Well, maybe she felt they were obliged to be together. Nevertheless, he was the one pulling away.

Martin parked the car in front of the Legal Council House where he would get the warrant, "I'll be right back."

Samantha grabbed his arm, "Martin wait, can I one thing to ask you."

Martin gave in, "What is it?"

"After all this time. After all the time we struggled. After all the time we fought through our relationship, and let me add the reason why you fought was because you loved me, you've starting dating like that again."

Martin did not know what to say. He did not know how to explain that he was already dating. It was true that he did love her, but he did not know how he got over her already, "To be completely honest, it's none of your business." He walked out of the car leaving Samantha confused and vague.