So this one's a bit longer than the others-yay! Also upped the rating just to be safe.
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Sam took a generous sip of her coffee, letting out a pleasant sigh as she sat outside The Daily Grind waiting for Angela and Vikki. It was Sunday morning, and she had Bowser with her. They were coming back from his morning walk when they ran into her friends on their way to meet with her, so they just decided to head to the coffee shop from there. Sam thought they looked a little concerned about her, and she had a feeling they knew something was up.
She hadn't fully explained her absence from the raid on Friday to them, telling the truth but keeping it fairly vague. She told them that she'd done something stupid and simply wasn't able to get to the raid in time. All it had done was pique their curiosity, but at least they weren't fretting over her anymore. She'd also figured she'd have to tell them the whole story eventually, and today seemed like a perfect time to do it.
She smiled as she took another sip of her coffee, fondly recalling her goodbye to Charles the night before. They kissed so fiercely that by the time they parted, their lips were swollen and they were both out of breath. She remembered the feeling of Charles' large hands wrapping around her waist, pulling her in a tight embrace when his lips hungrily went after her own. They'd fallen against her door, and he pressed her up against it, murmuring into her mouth. When she kissed him back, she felt bold and sucked his bottom lip (she'd read about that somewhere) and then gently scraped her teeth against it, just barely tickling the soft skin. He moaned, letting her do it again. But that was when he'd parted from her, his voice hoarse and chuckling, "Easy, bunty."
Sam had smiled shyly up at him, almost a little smirk, "Says the man pressing me up against my door." Her cheeks flushed pink and she couldn't stop the smile on her face as she stared out across the street.
"So," Angela's voice said behind her as she and Vikki came to join her at the table, "care to tell us why you haven't been able to stop smiling since we ran into you?" They sat across from her, their backs to the street.
"We were watching you while Dee made our coffee," Vikki said sweetly. "You've clearly got something on your mind."
Sam cleared her throat, "Well, that kind of starts with Friday morning."
Angela nodded seriously, "Yes, I think we'd both like to know what the hell happened on Friday."
Sam began to explain the events of that day, starting with her decision to come to work early that morning and her blunder with Charles' ring, and how silly she felt about what she'd done. She didn't tell them the details of what caused his divorce, but she did tell them it didn't end well. Then she told them about the kiss they'd shared, and the moments leading up to it.
Both Vikki and Angela gasped gleefully. "Sam!" Angela exclaimed, excited for her. "That sounds hot."
Sam blushed, smiling to herself, "It was."
"And he's your boss?" Vikki asked, tilting her head.
She nodded, "Yeah."
Angela appeared thoughtful, "I don't think we've met him, have we?"
"I don't think so," Vikki agreed.
Angela waved a hand, turning back to Sam and looking eager to hear more, "So then what happened?"
Sam continued, telling them of the car ride and being at the restaurant-the conversation they'd had about "letting things develop organically." She also explained to them Charles' desire for things to be casual. She'd just gotten to the part where he'd gotten up to answer the phone when Angela interrupted her.
"That sounds… sketchy to me, Sam," she said, her brows drawn in concern. "I think you need to be careful around this guy."
Vikki touched Angela's wrist, but kept her eyes (eye) on Sam's face, "We don't know him, Angela-not like Sam does. We can't really pass judgement on him." She nodded at her, "Please, continue."
Sam smiled gratefully, "Thanks, Vikki." She cleared her throat, "Anyway, here's where I screwed up so bad that I had to miss the raid."
She told them about the mix up with the waitress, and like Charles, Angela became annoyed with the waitress for not asking for ID. Vikki was a little more understanding, saying that it was an honest mistake on either side of the situation. Regardless, they both dropped their jaws when Sam told them about how she'd been such a rowdy drunk almost instantly, and how her brother showed up moments later, making Charles flee out the back of the restaurant with her in tow. They kind of giggled when she told them about how she wouldn't (or couldn't) stop messing with him in the car, so much that he just had to bring her back to his apartment just to keep them both safe.
"Then he carried me upstairs and put me to bed in his guest room," Sam finished. "He took good care of me."
"I'm glad," Vikki said gently, her smile soft.
Angela still seemed a little unsure, but she nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I'm glad he took care of you. He really didn't have a choice to do anything else in that situation, especially with your brother showing up. What would he have thought if he'd seen you two?"
Sam shuddered, shaking her head at the thought, "Ugh, it would have been bad. My dad and Jay already don't like Charles much-I think it stems from some things he did when he first started working at the company. I don't really know what happened, but either way, dad and Jay have pretty much decided to hate him regardless of how well he does his job."
"Do you think you should listen to them?" Angela asked.
She shook her head, "No. They make snap judgements and stick to them. Charles has been nothing but kind and encouraging to me-I've learned a lot from him in the past few weeks. He's helping me grow bit by bit. Not just in the work environment, but as a game developer. He played Ruminate and gave me an in depth review on it. He's been a huge help for me, and he's always treated me with respect and like an adult. And I've needed that for a long time."
At that, Angela and Vikki looked a bit guilty, but they said nothing. "Still," Angela said after a long moment, "I don't know if I like this thing you've got going on with him."
Sam nodded, but then shrugged, "You don't have to. I told him I'd never planned on dating or getting married in the future-it's only recently I've begun to explore this… world. He and I have set some boundaries for whatever this is between us, and I'm excited to do this."
Vikki nodded slowly, listening. "So, you've talked with him about this?"
"Yeah-he came over last night and we had a good, long talk about how we should go about this-before that, I'd told him we would use the time while my dad was out of town to see if it would work in the first place," Sam explained. "So technically, we're in kind of a 'trial period.'"
"So, what if it doesn't work out?" Angela asked bluntly.
Sam shrugged again, "Then we go back to how it was, or I return to my old job, depending on however it ends."
"It sounds like you really got your bases covered," Vikki said, impressed.
"Yeah, there's still a couple of things I want to do before he and I do anything, though-and one of them I kind of have to do," she said.
"What's that?" Angela asked curiously.
Sam blushed, giving a pat to Bowser's head under the table, "Well… erm, birth control." Bowser flopped over on his back, begging for belly scritches. She obliged.
"You haven't already been on it?"
She shook her head, "No, I never had a reason to take it before." She went thoughtful, "I'm thinking of calling my brother's fiancée Ruth to see if she can refer me to anyone that has openings in the coming week. I really hope I can see someone as soon as possible, just so I don't have to worry about it."
"That's a good idea," Vikki told her. "What else did you want to do before you and Charles…?"
Sam smiled, looking at the two of them, "Well, that's where I was hoping you two could help me. I wanted to… do some shopping."
"Did someone say shopping?" a familiar voice said, coming up the sidewalk where their table sat.
Sam turned to see Monica coming towards them, her little dog Dinah in her black bag. Glamorous as ever, she was wearing a full face of makeup-bright, cheery pink lips, and sharp black eyeliner-and her long pink hair shined almost glittery in the morning sun. Today, she was wearing a black scoop-necked shirt tucked into a pair of stark white pants. The heels of her black suede boots clacked on the concrete as she got closer to them, stopping just beside Sam.
"I did!" Sam said brightly. "I'm wanting to go to the mall today and get some new clothes and maybe a little bit of makeup."
Monica gasped excitedly, "You're finally doing a makeover?! Girl, why didn't you call me? I'd be happy to help you."
"I was going to call you," Sam said truthfully. "I wanted to see what you'd suggest for me-but I don't think I can pull off a look as glamorous as yours."
She scoffed, making a dismissive gesture with her hand, "Oh, honey, don't you worry about that. I know you wouldn't want this outrageous look-besides, it's my look." She looked at Sam sweetly, "Makeup is really about enhancing the beauty that's already there-and you've got plenty of it."
"Sam," Angela coughed subtly, wanting to be acknowledged.
"Oh goodness, sorry!" Sam said, realizing her blunder. "Monica, these are my best friends Angela and Vikki." She gestured to them as she said their names, and then she turned to gesture to Monica, "Guys, this is Monica McKenzie aka GlitzKitten-she's a ViewTuber like Marshall."
At the mention of Marshall's name, Monica's genuine smile faltered for a fraction of a second, but she nodded at Sam's friends, "Nice to meet you both. Love your hair, by the way." She nodded at Angela who instinctively reached for it, twirling a lock of it around her finger.
"Oh, thank you," she said appreciatively.
Monica's attention turned back to Sam, "May I invite myself along to your shopping trip? I need a new project to work on." She shifted her weight, and something in her eyes made Sam sad.
"Of course you can," Sam told her. "I'd be delighted to have you with me." She turned to her friends, "What do you say, guys? Want to make it a girls' day?"
Vikki and Angela looked at each other and then looked back at Sam, answering in unison, "Hell yeah!"
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"This, Sam, is liquid eyeliner," Monica said, holding up a thin tube at the high-end makeup store. Her eyes were serious, and she held it out for Sam to take and examine for herself. "Liquid eyeliner can smell fear, so when you're putting it on, confidence is key."
Sam nodded, turning the long, slender tube over in her hands, "O-Okay."
"This is the same brand I use, so you know it's good," Monica went on. "It has a brush tip, which will make application easier, and it doesn't skip, so the formula is smooth." She patted Sam's arm, "Don't worry. I can teach you how to put it on so your hands don't shake as much."
"Good," Sam said, relieved. Angela and Vikki were excitedly exploring the store, having decided to let Monica dish out her expertise and check back with her and Sam later.
"Since you don't really wear makeup on your face and the fact you have such beautiful skin, I think just doing some minimal eyeliner and mascara would give those sweet brown eyes of yours some extra oomf." Monica began to inspect a display of mascara, scrutinizing each product.
Sam giggled, "Well, that's what I'm going for-some extra oomf."
"So you never did tell me why we're doing this-glad as I am it's happening. I'm curious," she turned from the display to meet Sam's eyes.
Sam blushed slightly, "Well, do you remember that guy I told you about? The one who played my game and took me out to dinner to give me his review of it?"
Recognition crossed Monica's face and a knowing smile spread across her glossy pink lips, "Ahhh, the 'date that wasn't a date but actually totally was a date.' So he asked you out again?"
"Sort of," Sam said. She went into a condensed version of the situation, explaining the arrangement they'd come to. "So, I just wanted to… I don't know, get myself ready."
Monica's eyebrows lifted high, "Wow… I'll tell you, girl-I never expected something like that from you. And he's your boss?" Sam nodded. Monica nudged her with her elbow, "Look at you, miss thing. Come on now, I'll hook you up."
From there, Monica began throwing various things in the shopping basket as they went from display to display. Occasionally, a fan of hers would stop and ask her for a selfie, which she obliged. It warmed Sam's heart to see how she was with her fans-she complemented their makeup or outfit, gave them advice if they asked for it, and was just courteous in general.
By the time they were in the checkout line, Sam had the following products in her basket: two different colors of Monica's favorite eyeliner (black and brown), a tube of luxury mascara that she said would help define Sam's already full eyelashes, a rosewater setting spray, a daily skincare kit made with aloe and lavender, a small neutral toned eyeshadow palette ("Just for starters," Monica had said. "You may want more colors as you experiment with it."), a small set of high-quality eyeshadow brushes, a tube of bright red lipstick ("Every girl needs at least one show-stopping red in their arsenal of makeup, and this one would look fantastic on you."), and finally a set of luxury lip balms ("They make your lips sooo soft, plus they taste incredible-wink, wink!").
Even though she was new to the world of makeup, Sam couldn't help but feel excited for herself. She really was willing to learn, not to mention glad she had someone like Monica to teach her.
"Hey Monica," Sam started as they waited in line.
She turned from one of the impulse buy racks in the checkout line, "What?"
Sam smiled gently, "I just wanted to say thank-you for helping me today. I'm lucky to have someone like you teaching me about all this."
Monica's eyes softened, "Hey, no problem, girlie. It's what I do." She turned back to the rack she'd been examining, "I almost forgot, Sam-we should get you a perfume." She gestured to the various bottles on the rack, half-rolling her eyes, "They put these here to act like they're just little add-ons to your bag-but some of these are full-size bottles of perfume. You're not allergic to it, are you?"
Sam shook her head, "Thankfully, no. I like perfume, I've just never found one that seemed like me, you know?"
Monica nodded, "It can be tough to find the right scent. So many brands have put out scents that are either too old-fashioned, too weird, or just straight up smell like a baby prostitute." She rolled her eyes again, "That Dariana Flambe has a perfume that smells just like that. Ugh."
Sam laughed and looked at the rack with her, scanning the various bottles. One particular bottle caught her eye, and she smiled, picking it up, "Let's see what this one smells like."
Monica murmured appreciatively, "Oo, Jarc Macobs… fancy." They found a testing strip and spritzed it with the perfume, giving it a moment to settle before they both took a whiff. "Oh, I like that a lot, Sam! What do you think? That might be the perfect one, and you found it on the first try!"
"I love it," she agreed, picking up one of the black boxes. "I think it's perfect too."
"Good," Monica said with a smile. They moved forward in line a bit.
"Hey, how did you guys make out?" Vikki's voice sounded from outside the line. Sam turned to see that they didn't have anything in their hands, but they'd swatched a lot of different colors on their arms. Angela was furiously rubbing a makeup remover wipe on her forearm.
Sam showed her the contents of her basket, Monica gushing about each product as it was shown. "She's going to be well-stocked," she said proudly.
Angela, giving up on her task, looked at the basket, "Oof, that's gonna add up."
Monica waved a hand, "Oh, honey don't worry about it-my treat."
Sam gaped, "Monica, no! I couldn't ask-"
But Monica kept waving her hand, shaking her head, "Please, I'd be delighted. Besides, I get a hefty discount. I'm a rewards member here." She winked at Sam and then turned to Vikki and Angela, "You ladies want anything? I'm buying."
They looked at each other and then back at Monica. "For real?" Angela asked.
"Absolutely! Come on-why don't you go pick out that eyeshadow you tried out? Sam told me you cosplay, and I imagine you need something that'll stay on when you're in costume. If that's the brand I think it is, then you can't go wrong with it." Monica took her arm, swiping her finger over the shadows. They didn't budge. "That stuff is a miracle in the heat. The makeup wipes in the store here aren't that great-you can take it off with a coconut oil solution." Angela still looked unsure. "Go get it and put it in this basket-I mean it, honey. Chop, chop!" Angela nodded with a smile and quickly went to go grab the palette. She turned to Vikki, "Now what about you? Did you find anything that suited your fancy? You have beautiful skin like Sam's, and you also have some lovely long hair. Did you get a chance to look at the hair section?"
They had to move forward in the line a little, and Vikki followed. She looked over at the section Monica indicated, "I only glanced at it."
Monica then asked Vikki a few questions about her hair routine, and when Vikki had answered them all, she said, "Well, then I would suggest you go grab one of those blow dry kits-with the shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in oil? That's what I used before I colored my hair, and it'll make yours shine like glass." She pointed to the display nearby.
"You're sure, Monica?" Vikki asked, tilting her head. Monica nodded, smiling softly. "You're very generous, thank you."
Once both Angela and Vikki came back with their items and put them in the basket, Monica turned to Sam, "So, I'm pretty sure everyone here is dying to know what this guy looks like. Do you have a picture of him?"
Vikki clapped her hands together excitedly, "Oh yes, please show us!"
"Um, n-not in my phone, but maybe the company website?" Sam said, adjusting the items in her arms to dig out her phone from her purse. She tapped away in the browser to bring up the website, trying to find a list of the company photos. "Ah, here he is!" She found Charles' picture that was taken in his office, casually posed against his desk. His eyes were serious, and his arms folded-the jacket to his three-piece suit was resting on the back of his office chair, so the white sleeves of his dress shirt were exposed. He looked handsome as ever, if not a little cold and aloof.
They all gasped when she turned her phone around. "That's your boss?" Angela exclaimed, taking the phone from her to take a closer look. "He's hot. And tall! Well, from the looks of it."
"He is," Sam said shyly.
"My goodness," Vikki said as she looked at the picture. "Those eyes…"
"I've met him," Monica told them. "He was at the hospital the day Marshall collapsed-he's got an accent as well."
Sam nodded, taking her phone back, "He's from Wales."
"Well, I can certainly see why you're doing this now," Monica teased as they finally approached the register. She clapped her hands together, "Next stop: clothes!"
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"Sam, I'm going to have you sit here while your friends and I pick out a few things for you, okay?" Monica said, sitting her down on one of the fancy couches outside the department store's dressing room. "I don't want you to be overwhelmed or out of breath from running all over the store-and I assure you, we're going to pick things you'll like. We've taken your measurements, so everything we'll pick will hopefully fit well-you know how women's sizes can be." She rolled her eyes, but then looked at Sam seriously, "I know you like these big cardigans and oversized shirts and shapeless skirts-they're a comfort to you, and everyone needs their comforts-but when I'm done with you today, I hope you'll feel as comfortable in the things your friends and I pick for you as you would when you wear your usual stuff. You're going to look incredible, and you're going to make this Charles guy's head pop right off his neck, alright?"
Sam smiled gratefully, "Okay. Thank you, I trust you all."
Monica left to go join Vikki and Angela who were already excitedly flitting from rack to rack grabbing items. Sam took the time to herself to make the call to Ruth. She was lucky to get ahold of her when she was out shopping for groceries, away from her brother. When Sam brought up the prospect of seeing a gynecologist, at first Ruth had panicked and asked fearful questions (was she pregnant, in pain, etc), but Sam was able to stop her and assure her everything was fine. She simply needed to start taking birth control, and wanted to keep Jay out of the loop in that regard. Ruth, being the awesome woman she was, not only agreed to keep it a secret but wholly understood why it had to be that way, and Sam was truly grateful to her. Ruth then said she'd ask around with some of her friends and try and schedule an appointment as soon as possible, and that she would text her the date and time if she was successful.
"Thank you so much, Ruth," Sam finished, hanging up the phone.
"Oh, we're just in time!" Vikki said as she returned with Angela and Monica. Every single one of them had armfuls of clothes for her to try on.
Sam blinked slowly, "Wow…"
Monica gently sat her pile of clothes on the seat next to Sam, "I'm going to cover up the mirror in the dressing room, okay? Just come out and show us first, and then use the mirror out here."
Sam nodded and waited for them to set up the room, filling it with the clothes they'd picked out. She saw a few different dresses-one of which was a bright red that matched the lipstick Monica had bought for her-blouses of different materials and cuts, a couple of skirts, and underneath the giant pile were a few packages of pantyhose. Sam picked them up and examined them. One was a simple black pair, another had a vertical stripe pattern, and the last had a subtle fishnet pattern sewn into it. Those might be a bit too sexy for the office, Sam thought. Then there was the fact that all of them were thigh-high and not the full waisted ones she usually wore. She blushed, wondering if Charles would like those.
"Alright," Monica said, letting out a tired breath from the effort. "Let's get started."
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Sam had on the first outfit-a black silk blouse and a pencil skirt made of a nice stretchy material-and stepped out. "I like this," she said, looking down at herself. "It feels nice, and it's a pencil skirt that I can actually walk in."
Angela nodded, "Yeah, and you can even unbutton it a bit and wear a camisole underneath."
"The sleeves look really cute rolled up, too!" Vikki said cheerfully.
"Yes, yes-this one looks great-we knew that," Monica said waving her hand. She smirked at Sam, "Put on the red one."
"Ooo, yes-the red one!" Angela agreed.
Sam scurried to the dressing room again, carefully removing the blouse and skirt. She found the red dress-bright and bold on its hanger-and put it on quickly. When she stepped out, Monica was right there, surprising her. "Don't look in the mirror just yet, let me make a couple of adjustments before you look at yourself, okay?"
"O-Okay," Sam said softly. She felt Monica using one of her long nails to help part her hair slightly off-center, and then brush her bangs to the side. Then, she dug around in her purse for a moment, stepping behind Sam once she found a hair elastic. Monica gathered the back of Sam's hair into a little bun, letting a few strands of the front section of her hair frame her face.
Angela and Vikki watched as Monica made little changes, and Sam saw their expressions change from curiosity to genuine delight. "Oh wow," Angela said smiling slowly. "Sam, you look beautiful."
"You do," Vikki agreed. "I wish we'd done this with you a long time ago."
Sam blushed a little, smiling.
"Now," Monica started, holding Sam by her shoulders. "I want you to close your eyes while I lead you over to the mirror-and don't open them until I tell you, okay?"
Sam did as she was told, "Okay."
Slowly, Monica led her over to the mirror at the back, and Sam could hear Vikki and Angela following. She felt herself halted by Monica just before she reached the little platform at the mirror, "Before you step up there, I want to say a few things-so listen close: You are not wearing this to please a man. You are not wearing anything for anyone but yourself. You are a smart, talented, beautiful woman, and today is the day you are going to see that. You are wearing this to finally see the woman you always were. When you step up onto that platform, open your eyes."
Sam carefully felt for the platform with her bare foot, and then slowly stepped onto it. She took a deep breath, exhaled, and opened her eyes.
The dress fit her perfectly. It hugged the curve of her chest and waist, and the hem stopped just above her knees. It had a mock neckline that left her arms and shoulders exposed. It was incredibly flattering on her. Her hairstyle looked effortless but elegant-even with her glasses. And for the first time in her life, Sam didn't feel like a kid playing dress up in the mirror: she was a woman.
"Monica," she breathed, her eyes stinging as she looked at herself. "You're amazing."
"I know," she answered, grinning. "There's a black cardigan we picked out that'll look great with this, so you can still wear it at the office."
"Your butt looks awesome in it," Angela said. "Good ol' T&A."
"Office appropriate T&A," Monica corrected. "But you can easily take the cardigan off and turn it into a date night dress."
"What's T&A?" Vikki asked. Angela whispered in her ear for a moment, and then she laughed. "Oh."
Monica looked up at Sam, "You ready to try on the rest?"
Sam nodded, smiling happily, "Yeah, I am."
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It was dark by the time Sam made it back to her apartment. She must have had a dozen bags with her. Their girls' day didn't end at the department store, no, because then Monica took her to a lingerie boutique. That had been an experience, but Sam had walked away with two shopping bags of underwear that helped boost her confidence.
After that, Monica offered to make an appointment for Sam to see her esthetician. Not knowing what that was, Sam agreed, and it wasn't until they'd arrived at the salon that Monica revealed why they were there. Sam nearly passed out, having to take a few puffs of her inhaler. "W-Waxed?" she'd stammered, her face red as the new dress she'd bought. "You w-want me to g-get waxed? God, it's the Irish coffee all over again!"
"Only if you want to be," Monica told her, patting her arm. "No one is going to force you. I'll just say, even if you don't decide to do it again, it's worth doing once-just to see."
It took about fifteen minutes of pacing around, but Sam eventually decided to do it. It hurt like hell, but the aloe they put on after it was over felt nice. She didn't think she'd do it again-however, Monica was right. Sam felt… sexy.
Sam carefully stepped through her doorway and shut it behind her, seeing Bowser happily waiting for her. "Hey, sweetie pie. How was your day?" she asked, heading to her bedroom. Bowser simply ahped in response, following her. She unloaded all the bags from her arms onto her bed and began to put everything away, ripping off tags and opening various boxes. "I got all kinds of things today, buddy," she told Bowser as she worked. He watched her curiously, his eyes following her when she walked from her bed to her closet, closet to bed.
She finally reached the end of the clothes and began unpacking the makeup bag, setting everything on her dresser. She took out the boxed bottle of perfume last, opening it carefully. She smiled at it, the simple Jarc Macobs label with the name of the perfume stamped on the front of the full-size bottle. She set it on her dresser, her finger tip tracing and edge of the cap, which was shaped into a large white daisy.
Turning back to the bed, she looked at the final bag on her bed. It was small, black and labelless. Her face heated up when she looked at it. "Well… I suppose I'd better… charge it up," she said to herself.
She sat at the side of her bed, pulling the box out of the bag. Sam had mentioned her struggles with "tending to her own needs" to Vikki and Angela, and they eagerly told her about something that would help her. "Trust me, you get this thing, Sam, and it'll change your life," Angela said. "You just put it on there and let it do its thing."
Sam opened the box and looked at the black and gold device. She took it out of the plastic form and looked it over. It fit comfortably in the palm of her hand, and she traced the 'o'-shaped opening with her finger. The device came with several different fittings for the opening, to accommodate different shapes, and she chose one that looked like it would work for her, fitting it into place on the opening. Then she unsealed the charging port, took the charger out of the box, and plugged it into the wall. She left the device with the charging cord in it on her nightstand, watching the blinking light. When it was steady and not blinking, that meant it was fully-charged.
She chewed her thumb while she watched it, her face flushed, wondering if it really was as good as Angela said. A ding from her phone jolted her out of her thoughts, and Sam quickly picked it up. It was a text from Ruth letting her know she'd been able to get her an appointment for Wednesday morning at the earliest. Sam eagerly responded that that would be fine. She would have to miss a little bit of work in the morning, but she didn't imagine Charles would mind.
Setting her phone down, she looked at the charging device on her nightstand. Her face heated up slightly, but now she smiled at it. Her resolve renewed, she went to take a quick shower-and when she came out, she was going to dry off, put on one of her new lacy nightgowns, and see just what that little device could do for her.
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Marshall stretched once he'd dressed in his comfy t-shirt and sweatpants after his shower, sighing contentedly. He'd spent a large part of his weekend trying to find the right game for his next playthrough, but anything he downloaded didn't grab his interest like Ruminate. He doubted anything would, but there had to be something out there that came close. He thought maybe he should ask Sam the next time he saw her-she might have a suggestion. Horror games were still out of the question with his heart being the way it was, and he sighed sadly when he looked down at the wrist monitor, Mortimer.
He went to his kitchen and began rummaging around his fridge for something he could eat, his hands turning jars, bottles, and other containers around to see what looked good. He shrugged and looked in the above freezer, trying to find anything. Then, he spotted the bag at the back.
"Aw, hell yeah!" Marshall cheered. "Dino nuggets! A perfectly balanced meal for any grown man."
Who are you kidding? a dark voice in his head said. 'Grown man'? Not a chance.
He shrugged the thought off, not letting it diminish his desire for tasty chicken nuggets. Just as he was pulling the big bag of food out of the back of the freezer, a loud, sexual moan from next door caught him off-guard and made his head smack into the roof of the tiny cold cubby.
"Ouchie," he said, one eye squinting from the stinging bump on his head. The door to the freezer closed on its own, and he stood there in his kitchen, confused. "Is Sam… watching porn again?" he asked aloud, going to preheat his oven. He cleared his throat, feeling his face flush deeply. He shrugged to himself, "Don't think about it, Marshall. Just don't think about it." He repeated himself over and over, in denial about whatever he'd just heard. It certainly didn't sound like it came from a computer this time.
"AHN! OH~!"
Yep. Definitely not a computer-that was Sam.
"I don't hear anything," Marshall told himself, putting a huge pile of nuggets onto a cookie sheet. "I hear nothing. I don't. Hear. A. Thing. Not a thing. Nope." Another wanton gasp came through his walls, and he raised his voice slightly to try and drown it out, "Doodle-doodle-do… just making nuggets, and there's nothing going on. Makin' nuggets. Complete silence."
"OH~! O-OH~!"
Marshall began to whistle as loudly as he could, but remembered just then that he wasn't a great whistler. More gasps sounded, and he spoke even louder-pretty much shouting, "JUST SOME SUNDAY NIGHT NUGGETS! THAT'S ALL! JUST ME AND MY NUGGETS!" He paused, hearing himself, "Oof, better not say that again…" He heard Sam call out again, and he glared at his oven, angrily whispering, "You're taking too long to preheat! Please hurry up so I can set a timer and put on my headphones!"
Then the telltale series of noises happened, sexy and loud and breathy, telling him she was nearing the end-and Marhsall's face flushed so red and hot he bet he could cook his chicken with his own cheeks. His heart monitor began to go off, making him panic. "Dammit, Mortimer! Not now!" he cursed the little device.
A final loud cry came from next door, just as the oven beeped it was preheated, and Marshall shoved the tray of nuggets inside it and sprinted back to his computer to put on his headphones-just in case she started again.
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Sam awoke the next morning refreshed and excited. Eagerly, she went about her morning routine: eating some cereal, taking Bowser out for a quick walk to go potty, and then finally getting ready for work.
Monica gave her some sage advice about her clothes: "Don't start with the red dress. Don't give away the farm. You pull out all the stops when you want to drive him crazy."
With that in mind, she picked a creamy white dress from her new purchases. The material was matte and soft to the touch, thick but stretchy as well. She also picked out a belt to wear around her hips-just a simple black velvet bow that decorated the top of her backside. The shoes she chose were also a new purchase from yesterday: a somewhat high pair of suede pumps with a metal buckle on the thin strap just above the ankle, and a black suede bow at the front of each straps. They were remarkably comfortable and she walked well in them, so it was an easy decision to get them.
She laid everything out and did her makeup (just using the liner and mascara for today), styled her hair the way Monica had yesterday, and then finally put a few spritzes of the daisy perfume on her neck and wrists. Putting an orange blossom lip balm in her purse, Sam gave Bowser a kiss and headed to the coffee shop.
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Link grumbled to himself as he wiped the counter clean, trying to put the argument he'd had with Dallas out of his mind. Dee could tell immediately that he'd had a rough weekend, and while she asked if he was okay, she respected his wishes when he told her he didn't want to talk about it just yet. He still didn't have any idea how to tell Dee what had happened.
Sighing, he put the rag back at the sink and washed his hands. The chime on the door sounded, alerting them to a customer, and he turned, still concentrating on drying his hands when he greeted them, "Good morning! What can we get fo-"
When he looked up to see who it was, it made him choke on his breath.
"Hi, Link!" Sam greeted cheerfully. "Just the usual for me today."
His face burnt and he nodded, "C-Coming right up." He quickly turned from her to go make her coffee, trying not to stare at her too much.
"You look great, Sam!" he heard Dee exclaim. "Is that new?"
"Oh, yeah. I did some shopping yesterday. I needed to look more professional at the office," Sam explained.
"Well, I like the new look-don't you, Link?" Dee asked, turning to him.
Link coughed, his face still flushed, but he turned and nodded, "Y-Yes! Absolutely!" His answer was a little louder than he intended to make it, but thankfully neither woman commented on it.
It took a few minutes for him to finish the coffee, and by the time he put it in Sam's hand, his own were shaking a bit. "H-Here you go," he said, giving her a nod. "Just the way you like it."
Sam smiled warmly, "Thank you very much. I'll see you guys later, okay?" She turned and walked out the door, Link's eyes following her out, glued to that soft white dress and black bow positioned just above the curve of her shapely rear.
Dee sidled up beside him. "Link, honey," she said, "you fucked up."
Link nodded, still staring out the door, "Yeah, I think I did."
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Charles impatiently read emails on his computer, or at least pretended to. He was anxiously awaiting for Samara to arrive. Granted, he'd gotten here earlier than he needed to, so his having to wait was his own fault.
She hadn't texted or called him on Sunday-not that he had asked her to, or that they'd planned to see each other yesterday-but he did hope for some kind of update. His stomach was in knots and he had to keep himself from craning his neck to look across the hall to her office. Unable to stop himself, he got on the intercom, "Lucy, will you tell Sa-Miss Young-to see me when she gets in?"
"Will do, boss!" Lucy's chipper answer came.
I'll need to watch that, he thought to himself, wondering what people in the office would think if he called her by her first name. Well, why shouldn't I? They use my first name. He sighed.
Charles half-expected Samara to chicken out when he brought up birth control, or even the prospect of her father finding out (as terrifying as that thought was)-but she didn't flinch at all. There was still some part of him that felt this all was too good to be true, or that she would text him the dreaded phrase "I've been thinking…" and then the whole idea of the two of them would just vanish. Given that he hadn't heard from her yesterday, he'd been fearing that would indeed come to pass, that time to think by herself about all the things he'd brought up with her Saturday night was enough for her to second-guess everything.
That was why he was so anxious.
"She'll be right in, Charles~" Lucy alerted him through the intercom, nearly making him jump out of his chair. There was a flirty quality to his receptionist's voice that made him curious. A knock on his doorway, took his gaze from the intercom button.
"Good morning, Charles," Samara greeted, smiling.
Charles froze, his eyes wide and his mouth open. The dress was modest with long sleeves and a crew neck, but still hugged every smooth curve of Samara's body. He found his hands itched to feel the material, run them over the bright, seamless ivory. His eyes found her shoes, high heels covered in some kind of matte material with a thin strap above her ankles. He swallowed, not able to help the image of him kneeling to unfasten the little buckle on the side to take them off, kissing up her knees-up her skirt…
"Charles?" her sweet voice asked, breaking the fantasy. "You wanted to see me?"
Yes, I do…
"Yes," he said, clearing his throat and trying to act like he wasn't blushing. "I was wondering if we could go over the work from Friday."
"Of course," she said, taking a seat in front of his desk and whipping out her planner.
Charles then threw himself into talking business for the next hour or so, desperately trying not to ogle his assistant. He couldn't help but explore her face when she met his eyes, though. He could see there was something different about her honey brown eyes-some kind of makeup, he guessed. There was a small, sharp point adorning the outer corners, he finally saw, and that must have been what was making her eyes seem so… sultry.
"I talked to Indigineer's receptionist about making an appointment to present our proposal, but I wasn't able to get us in until the week after next," she was saying.
Charles nodded, "That should be fine."
Samara nodded, circling the date in her planner's calendar, "Okay."
"Miss Young, have I told you how much I like your ensemble this morning?" he asked, finally feeling like he could talk about it without looking like a teenage boy.
She looked up from her planner, smiling at him, "No, I don't believe you did."
"Well, I like it very much," he told her with a gentle nod. "You look very nice."
"Thank you, Charles," Samara said, her eyes and smile warm as could be. He noticed an ever so slight sheen to her lips, and he found himself wanting to brush his own against them. She touched the soft-looking material of one of her sleeves, "My friends and I went shopping yesterday, and they helped me pick out some new outfits."
"I look forward to seeing them all," he said, meaning it.
Then, his saucy little bunty smirked knowingly, "Well, not all of them are strictly office attire."
Charles matched her expression, "I look forward to seeing those, too."
Samara's face blushed cutely, and she lowered her voice, "Behave, Mr. Jones."
He couldn't stop his grin. She only ever called him Mr. Jones if she was lightly chiding him or flirting with him.
She got up to leave, and he stopped her, "Miss Young, I couldn't bear to think of such a stunningly-dressed young woman riding the bus-would you be opposed to me giving you a ride home this evening?"
Samara nodded, "Not at all. I'd be delighted." When she turned, he saw the black velvet belt she wore turn into a bow, artfully placed just above her perfectly round derriere, like a present for him to unwrap. He felt his face heat up again, and his mouth went dry. Just before she left, she turned back to face him, "Oh, and Charles? Before I forget, I have a doctor's appointment Wednesday morning-it was the only day I could make it. I'd miss the first hour or so of work that day. Is that alright?"
Charles cleared his throat again, "W-Wednesday, you said? Alright then. Thank you for letting me know, Sa-Miss Young…"
She gave him a little wink and then left, giving him a nice view of the bow again before she stepped out of view. Charles sat back in his office chair, letting out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, "Mam o dduw…"
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Charles had to really try not to run to his car, eager for him and Samara to be alone at last. He didn't want her to trip and fall in the garage due to his impatience. When they finally reached it, he politely opened her door for her and made sure she was safely inside before he shut her in. He all but sprinted back to the driver's side, snatching his door open, and was breathless when he joined her inside, turning to her.
"Is there… something on your mind, Charles?" Samara asked amusedly.
"There are many, many, many things on my mind, Samara," he told her, breathing heavily. He shook his head, "None of which I can say out loud."
She leaned over the center console, "Can you show me instead?"
Charles crushed his mouth to hers, causing her to let out a surprised mmph! But she quickly relaxed and sighed, her fingers running into his hair. He loved it when she did that-it sent a shiver down his spine every time. He was close enough to smell that she was wearing a bewitching perfume-light and floral, just slightly fruity. It made him want to taste her all over.
He murmured against her lips, flicking his tongue against them. He could taste her lip balm-a sweet citrus that made him want more. Her own tongue came to meet his, shyly tasting him. Charles finally let himself feel the fabric of her pretty white dress, finding it was just as soft as he'd imagined it to be. His hand ran up her back and down her waist, then to her hip, his long fingers just barely able to feel the softness of Samara's backside. He stopped himself from outright groping it-he didn't want to do that in his car and in the parking garage. He was a gentleman, after all. Instead, his hand ran back up her waist, and he made himself pull away when Samara started that biting-and-sucking-on-his-bottom-lip thing that drove him wild.
He hummed breathlessly, cupping her cheeks, "I've wanted to do that all day."
Samara smiled, her lips swollen from their kissing, "You're welcome to come over and do it some more."
He sighed dramatically, "I would, but I have fencing lessons to give tonight."
He watched her look at the large gym bag in the back seat and then back at him, "Ah, well… Next time then. Say… Wednesday night?"
Charles nodded, "Wednesday."
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Sam made it to her floor of her apartment building, smiling to herself. Today couldn't have gone any better. As she rounded the corner to the outside hallway, she heard someone wolf-whistle.
"Wow, Sam-is that you?" Marshall asked, locking his apartment door. "You look great!"
She grinned, "Thank you, Marshall. Thought I'd put a little more effort into my office appearance-though as soon as I get in, I'm going to put on some comfy clothes."
He shrugged, "Hey, you're great no matter what you wear."
"Well, I appreciate it." She nodded at him, "You going somewhere?"
"Oh, yeah-gonna go to the store and grab some more frozen dino nuggets," he said, and then he blushed.
Sam nodded approvingly, too wrapped up in the memory of her after work kiss to notice, "Old school. I like it."
"Yep!" Marshall said quickly. "Just gonna grab some nuggets-definitely didn't hear anything last night-bye Sam!"
Sam stood there confused for a moment, but then shrugged and went to unlock her door, "Dino nuggets… I haven't had those in a long time."
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And that's chapter 3! Let me know what ya'll think!
Glacier