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Mercedes stared blankly at the computer for the last 20 minutes. A part of her wanted to use her sick leave and just stay away, but she couldn't do that, and she wouldn't give Sam or Quinn the satisfaction of winning. It was a struggle to get up that morning, but she did, looking through her closet she grabbed her white sleeveless form-fitting dress, that fell just above her knees. Adding a 3 inch wide royal blue belt, and royal blue five-inch heels with white dots all over. Adding a royal blue suit jacket and dangling diamond earrings she ruffled her below the shoulder ruffled her curls.

Entering the office she smiled at Shane giving him a little bit of small talk, before she made her way to the office. As she waited for Sam to come in, she made the coffee in his office and straightened out the files on his desk. As she returned to her desk, Marley one of the assistants from the legal team came up to hand off the USB drive with the pictures from the picnic like she did for the last two years. Thus why she was staring blankly at the screen trying to make sense of the photo she was looking at. The first few were of the kids and the events. The next was Sam and Quinn, it hurt her to see photo after photo of them singing and him kissing her sweetly. But then there was the photo she was stuck on, one of her and Sam, they were filling up the water balloons standing close to each other, looking at each other like they were two people in love.

Her finger tapped the mouse, a part of her needing to delete this photo, but the other half wanting to just stare at it. Sam was not hers, he would never be and she had to realize that.

Sam didn't know what to expect when he headed into the office this morning. He hoped Mercedes didn't put in her notice because he didn't want her to leave. He liked her company, and just liked her as a person. He didn't have to be anyone but Sam with her. But of course, he goes and messes up everything with that proposal. He knew it was coming and was all part of the plan. He remembered the talk with his parents right before the proposal.

"Son! This was a great turnout." Dwight said with a big smile as he pats Sam on his back. "I'm glad you kept family day. I know how much you hated it before, glad you changed your mind."

"Oh, yea. Well, I was younger then, dad. But now I'm older and wise and see how good for morale this is."

"Speaking of you being older, when are you going to settle down with that pretty little lady you have? I hope before my death." Dwight jokes.

Sam frowned disapprovingly at Dwight. He hated talking about death. "Sooner than you think."

At that Mary's ear perked up. "Doesn't seem that soon if you have yet to ask for my grandmother's ring."

"Oh, I'm not going to give Quinn meemaw's ring."

"You know that meemaw's ring is to go to the first grandchild to give to his soulmate; why would you buy a ring?"

Sam shrugged. "Maybe I want to start my own tradition." Sam hated having these talks with his parents. They never understood things from his prospective. To them, everything was simple, and marrying Quinn was the most sensible choice, but to Sam, it was more complicated. "Let's not forget that she isn't my soulmate. Just let Stevie, or Stacy give it to their soulmate or whatever."

Dwight rolled his eyes at his son. "Don't start this crap again. Remember who you are Sam and what this marriage would mean to both the Evans and Fabrays."

He rolled his eyes right back. "How could I forget? You guys keep telling me how important this merger is. I haven't forgotten. But mom mentions soulmate, and I thought it was necessary to remind you both that Quinn isn't my soulmate. This isn't a marriage of love, it's a marriage of convenience. I'll do my part as devoted and loyal son, but you two really just need to get off my back."

Mary narrowed her eyes at Sam, not one to be fooled. She knew exactly what was going on in her son's mind. "I know what this is about. Mercedes."

Sam sighed, obviously irritated.

"What about Mercedes?" Dwight was curious about his wife's theories. She always had them and they always turned out to be true.

"Your son is in love with his assistant." Mary turned back to Sam. "Don't deny it. I saw the two of you filling up the water balloons, and if you could see how you looked at her."

"It was nothing. Just filling up water balloons. Don't know how that could ever look romantic to anyone."

"And you wiping her face while your girlfriend looks on was nothing either right?"

Sam knew his mother had her ways. She always knew what he was doing, and she was so sneaky about it. "It was nothing. I was just wiping her face because she couldn't see with the water in her eyes."

"You can't fool me, Sam. But just keep in mind that it would never work out with the two of you because no matter how nice and efficient, and hardworking she is, she would never be accepted in our society. You would be reduced to nothing if you showed up with her on your arms. You worked too hard for all of this, and it would be ashamed if you lose it."

"I thought you liked Mercedes. Aren't you paying for her siblings to go to private school or something?"

"I love Mercedes and her siblings, but that doesn't mean that I want you to marry her. She's a single mother... sort of, and I always have a soft spot for them. But this isn't about who I like and don't like. This is about your future, and how you won't have one with her."

"Your mother's right son. Mercedes is a nice gal, but she just isn't right for you. Just marry Quinn, and love will come. Trust us."

Sam looked at his parents and shook his head. "Y'all just don't understand." And instead of explaining it to them, he just walked away. How could he explain something he didn't understand himself.

He didn't understand why he was still letting his parents run his life. And he hated how much their words stung him. He knew it was true that no matter how progressive people want to pretend to be, they were still stuck in their ways. Hell, his dad almost blew a gasket when he found out that he gave Mike and Blaine leadership roles in the company.

As he walked into the building, he nodded at everyone he passed and headed up to his office. He hoped that he saw Mercedes and not a temp. He needed to talk to her and try to convince her to stay. When the elevator doors opened, he blew out a sigh of relief that Mercedes was sitting at her desk.

"Ms. Jones, can I see you in my office please?" He didn't give her a chance to respond. He kept walking to his office, hoping that she followed him.

Mercedes looked up as Sam passed her in a blur if she didn't hear his voice she wouldn't have known it was him. She hesitated for a moment, before standing, straightening out her dress and grabbing her letter of resignation.

Walking into the office she stood in front of his desk, normally she would walk closer to him or sit on the edge and talk to him but that felt inappropriate now. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

Sam put his suitcase down but didn't sit in his chair. Instead, he leaned against his desk in front of Mercedes. "I wanted to talk about Saturday. I was never going to fire you, and I apologize for how Quinn spoke to you. I know it doesn't make up for anything, but I want you to know that I want you to stay."

Mercedes shook her head. "It really doesn't matter if you were going to fire me or not Sam. It's about you and your life. You are engaged to be married to a woman who is threatened by our friendship. And I wouldn't be doing you any favors if I kept things that way." She held out her resignation letter. "This is my two weeks notice. I will make sure my replacement is up to your standards. I won't leave until they are fully trained." She said avoiding eye contact with him.

He didn't take the letter because as far as he was concerned, he didn't want anyone else. "I really don't want you to leave Mercedes. I honestly don't think I would be able to do my job effectively if you left, and not because you're a damn good assistant, but because…" Sam didn't know if he should say the next words. He was an engaged man after all, but he knew if she walked out, he would regret it. "I just enjoy being in your presence. In the short amount of time that I've known you, you made my world bright and full of hope and possibilities, and I refuse to go back to the way things were before I met you."

Mercedes had to be hearing things, she could tell that he was being sincere but she couldn't afford to think about what that meant. She stepped back from him, not because he offended her or anything but because if she didn't she would reach for him. "Sam, don't say stuff like that."

"Stuff like what? The truth? You are amazing Mercedes and yea we didn't hit it off at first, but I think it was because I felt this attraction to you and a pull that I couldn't make sense of, I still can't make sense of it." He stepped away from his desk and walked toward her. "I know you feel it too. I don't know what any of this means, and I know I'm not being fair telling you all of this when I just proposed to Quinn, but the thought of you not being in my life is unbearable." As hard as it was for him to admit that, he couldn't let her go without telling her exactly how he felt.

Mercedes swallowed hard as he moved towards her. She stepped back even further from him. "Okay so I felt it too, what does that mean? It's just feelings and they come and go. You are with Quinn, engaged and you love her, proposed to her. You guys are perfect for each other. I won't tear it up. Please accept it."

Sam shook his head. "I'm not going to accept it. Yes, I'm engaged to Quinn, but…" He didn't know how to explain the Quinn situation. It's basically an arranged married in the twenty-first century. It sounds ridiculous. "The whole Quinn situation is complicated. I'm just asking for your friendship. And besides, no one can do your job like you." He said the last line with a little smirk, hoping it will show her that he is willing to keep things friendly if that meant she would stay.

Mercedes hated him for using that smile against her. This was all too complicated. "Sam you don't have a choice but to accept it. This is just…" She sighed. "Seeing you propose to Quinn, it made everything just so real for me. What I felt for you, it was inappropriate. As your assistant, you expected more from me. I am sorry."

He frowned at her words. "This is not your fault. Not at all. If anything, I'm at fault because I shouldn't have carried on like that as a taken man. You're single, so you did nothing wrong." He stepped closer and took her free hand in his. "I will get down on my knees and beg you not to leave. You're too valuable." And he didn't mean she was too valuable to the company, he meant that she was too valuable to him as a person. "If you need a two-week vacation, I'll give you that and when you come back, we can start fresh. Just don't resign."

He wasn't hearing her, and she knew it was because he didn't want her to leave. She knew Evan's Corp inside and out, no one else put as much dedication and work into their job, but she was falling in love with her boss, how could she stay. He took her hand and she stared down at their intertwined hands and then back up to him. "Please don't get down on your knees, you are the boss here and I don't… I am just me, nothing special here, I don't want to be an issue for you." He was too close to her, she could smell his cologne and it was getting to her. "Sam.." She said a little above a whisper. "If I stay here I…" Her mind went blank she couldn't tell him how her heart broke, how she was falling in love with him. Her eyes slowly moved from his and landed on his lips, hand still in his, heart beating faster as she stepped closer to him out of instinct rather than sense. "Sam, if I say here I may do something that you would regret, something I can't take back."

He knew what she wanted to do, he knew the moment he saw her eyes go to his lips. But she wasn't alone in this feeling. The only question is, was he willing to risk it all for her? And if he wasn't, then why admit to everything he just admitted to. He didn't know how much longer he could hide this pull he has towards her. Not that he did a good job of it anyway. His mother and Quinn already figured it out. How long before other people figure out what he's hiding? His eyes traveled to her lips, and, and he noticed how pillow soft they looked. And his brain just short circuit.

"Screw it." He cupped face gently and leaned in, capturing her lips in a soft kiss. He didn't do anything else, wanting to see if she reciprocates.

She wasn't thinking clearly, because this could not be happening, Sam was not confessing his feelings to her and he definitely wasn't kissing her. And it didn't feel amazing and right. And yet he was and it did. His kiss felt like a drink of water after walking for days in the desert. Her arms wrapped around him, pulling him closer as she deepened the kiss. Her body melted against his as she moaned into his mouth, his kiss igniting a fire within her. It was nothing she had ever felt before. After a few moments, she pulled her lips from his, arms still wrapped around his neck.

She wanted to speak, tell him all the reasons why this was wrong, but staring up at him, all her worries and cares went out the window and it was just him and her. She stood on her tippy toes kissing him again, but this time more hungrily, as her need for him continued to grow.

The moment her lips touched his, he knew it was right even if he didn't understand it. This was everything and he didn't ever want to let go. Kissing her was like coming home. He always used to laugh at Mike when he said that about Jane, or laugh at the people in those romantic comedy movie because he thought they were ridiculous, but now he understood. It was a feeling that he never felt before with anyone, and that scared him and thrilled him at the same time. At this time, no one else mattered.

Sam's fingers dug into Mercedes thigh as he lifted her up and laid her down on his desk, pushing everything off in the process.

The phrase Zero to Ten came to mind as soon as she felt Sam's hands all over her. One minute they were standing there kissing and the next, she was on his desk. Santana told her once, that everything was better when kissing someone you wanted and needed and that was true when kissing Sam. Her hands went to his hair and she tugged at it gently as the kiss deepened, and grew more erratic. They were in the moment, they were in the zone and it was clear that the time she spent denying her feelings for Sam was a waste of time.

Hunger was the driving force as she removed her jacket and pulled him on top of her, tongue fighting with his, lips smacking and nipping, moaning in pleasure as she lost herself in him. In the moment, in him.

Sam lowered his head and attached his lips to Mercedes' neck making a path down Mercedes' throat to her shoulders, unzipping the back of her dress, he kissed the soft skin over her shoulder. Hands moving up her sides, enjoying the feel of her bare skin under his lips, before his mouth attached to her collarbone, a small bruise forming on her skin.

"Oh my God." she moaned out as his lips attached to her neck. No one in her life had ever made her feel such passion, her body burned with need as his hands touched her bare skin. Her head fell back onto the desk and that's when she realized they were still in the office. "Sam." She spoke, her words coming out in a moan.

Sam moved his lips back to her mouth and kissed her as if all the answers to the world's problems might be found in her mouth. Might be found in the nutty, rich and slightly exotic flavor that was entirely Mercedes. It was sloppy and wet, and so full of need, and it was the best kiss he had ever had in his entire life.

As long as he had her like this, he could forget that he was engaged to be married to a woman who was wrong for him on so many levels. They could forget that they were in his office hidden only by a closed door. There could be nothing in the world except each other, and the way their bodies reacted as if they'd been made for this very thing

Sam broke the kiss by pulling a way for a hasty breath of air, a string of spit still connecting their mouths, before they were crashing against each other once again.

Mercedes felt corrupted in the best sense of the word. Her body melted against Sam's as if they were each a puzzle piece and they fit perfectly together. But soon guilt crept into her mind. This was wrong, Sam was about to be married to Quinn and yet she was here on his desk, like he didn't have a wife to be, a life. She held onto him, kissing him passionately before pulling back away from him and looking up to him. "Sam, this is… Sam this is so wrong." Her hand went up to his face. "We can't do this…" She was lost, she wanted to both stay in his arms and get up and leave at the same time. How could she feel both guilty and not in at the same time. "This isn't right..."

Sam knew she was right. He knew that this was wrong, but he couldn't find it in him to care at the moment. Yes, he was engaged, but that wasn't real love, and this was. But no matter how he felt at this moment, he didn't want Mercedes to feel like a cheap thrill, so he backed up off her, and gave her some space. He didn't know what to do or say, so he stayed quiet, still reeling from the feeling of her against him.''

Mercedes swallowed hard as Sam moved away from her. She straightened out her outfit and wiped her lips looking over to him. This was crazy, how did she become a woman who would help a man to cheat. She bit down at her bottom lip shaking her head. "I am so sorry Sam, I should not have let that happen. It just felt so...Sam this…" She paused for a moment. "This is why I can't work for you anymore."

"Mercedes please...don't say that." Sam didn't know what else to say to make her stay. He understood her position, and he knew he was being selfish, but the alternative was unbearable to him.

"Sam I can't do this, and you can't do this, you are better than this.." She slid off the desk, hands running down her sides slowly, her body was still reeling from their kiss. "I should leave, you see what just happened...and what's worse is I want it to happen again. You can't have an assistant who has feelings for you." She moved closer to him. "Who wants you like I do."

"I get it, okay, I do. And I guess I'm being selfish by wanting to keep you close knowing how we feel about each other." Sam ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He felt like no matter what, he wouldn't be able to change her mind. And maybe he shouldn't. Maybe he should just let her go and deal with not being able to see to her everyday, no matter how hard it would be.

Sam stared at Mercedes for a long while taking it all in. Her bruised lips, messy hair, smeared lipstick, disheveled look, and it took everything in him not to pounce on her. He stepped away, putting some distance between them, before breaking the silence. "Is there anything I can do to change your mind? Increase your salary? Get you a company car? Anything at all?"

Mercedes took a deep breath as Sam moved away from her, this was her chance, her chance to walk away and leave never to look back. But instead of walking away she just stood there, hoping for anything to be said so she wouldn't have to walk away from him. But the truth of the matter was, nothing he could offer her could make her want to stay at a job where the man she has come to have feelings for was getting married. She didn't know Quinn but she knew that this was wrong, her feelings for Sam were wrong.

"Sam, I want to stay, I do, this is the best job I have ever had. It allows me to be flexible with the kids and to learn, you and your family have made me feel like I wasn't a complete failure in life. But I can't. It's not the job that is the issue and no amount of money or cars or anything you want to offer can take away from the fact that we are attracted to each other. And working this close together will just make things harder. You asked Quinn to marry you, and I have no right to be jealous but I am, I have no right to feel hurt but I do. Staying here will just be a reminder of what we can't have."

There were no words for Sam to say. He was used to just making things better by offering money. But he guess, when it came to love, there was no amount of money to make things better. He had to just let her go, no matter how hard it was going to be. Maybe it was for the best, and Mercedes was just saving them both. But if this is what she wanted, how could he deny her?

"Okay. Your two weeks notice is accepted. We should start looking for a new assistant right away so you have plenty of time to train them." He made a showing of looking at his watch because he couldn't bear to look at her. It truly felt like his heart was breaking and that he was suffocating in that office. "Look, why don't you just take the rest of the day off. Today has been emotionally taxing, and maybe we just need some distance. We can start looking for a new assistant tomorrow." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I can't be around you right now, so I think this is the best thing to do. I'll see you tomorrow."

Hearing Sam accept her two weeks should have felt relieving and made her happy, but all it did was break her heart. Sam was okay with her leaving and it just hurt. All she could do was nod. What else could she say, their relationship was over before it even started, it had no beginning and already had an end, all she could do was nod. She glanced around for her jacket, wanting to grab it and go.

Spotting it behind his desk, she reached down to grab it and stood up fixing her hair, she couldn't very well walk out of the office looking as if something happened that didn't. Walking towards the door, she stopped as she reached for the door. Turning towards Sam, she stopped. "I am sorry for all of this Sam. I feel like I have put you in this horrible position."

"You didn't. I get why you want to leave, and I don't know what to do to make you stay. Anyway, that would be selfish of me. I want you to be happy and comfortable and if you can't be that here, then you should be free to go wherever you wish." As he sat down at his desk to go over notes for an upcoming meeting, he looked at her one more time, before speaking his final words to her for the day."I'll see you tomorrow. Close the door behind you please." And with that, he busied himself in his work.

How could he be so nonchalant right now? Like he could care less about her or this situation? Is this what he did, come on to a woman and then when she denies him he just moves on? Or maybe she was just projecting her own hurt through his actions. Instead of walking over to him, or saying anything else, she just walked out the door and to her desk. Quickly grabbing her things she made her way out of the building and home to where she needed to regroup and find out what she was about to do with her life now that she no longer had a job.