Isn't She Lovely?
Don't give up on love, keep going, because it's true, there is someone for everyone
"Hi" Sam walked into the changing room to see his unexpectant friends sat looking at each other "What's up?" he sat with them "Nobody doing the circuit today?" he looked at Artie, Puck, Mike, and Finn "What's going on?" he asked of the silence as the men looked at each other
"We're doing an intervention" Artie told him
"For?" he looked at his friends wondering what was going on "Finn?"
"No Dude, you" Finn replied
"What's to intervene?" he looked at them shocked "I'm fine"
"This girl you've been 'seeing'" Puck hyphenated the last word with his fingers
"What about her?" Sam looked at him suspiciously
"To be honest dude" Mike started before looking at the others "You've been talking about her for nearly three months now and well…"
"She's not made an appearance as yet" Puck finished
"We're kind of wondering if she's just someone you've made up to keep us off your back" Finn admitted
"She's real" Sam laughed "And when I'm ready for you guys to meet her, you will"
"So" Mike looked at the others "What is it about her that needs to be ready?"
"Not her, you guys" he laughed "She's special, I think we might have something you know" he looked at Finn hoping he'd understand "She's not like any other girl I've dated"
"I think we've heard that a few times" Puck laughed
"She's different" Sam smiled "She's got this confidence about her, it's sexy as hell" he smiled at the picture of her in his mind "She stays true to herself no matter who's watching, very strong in her beliefs and her abilities" he laughed "She met up on one of my ex's when we were out one night ad she didn't feel threatened at all, you know other girls would have acted out, or asked questions, she wasn't fazed at all"
"Impressive" Mike frowned looking at the others
"Imaginary girl my friend" Artie tapped his shoulder
"She's real" Sam laughed "And I'm not getting into this with you guys today" he looked at each one of them "Are we going to the gym or what?"
"Yeah" Mike jumped up "Let's get this show on the road" he clapped his hands together
"I bet she has a great smile, the perfect body, of course she's the most beautiful girl in the world, and don't forget sexy as hell" Puck joked
"All of the above" Sam laughed "She's perfect for me"
"She sound stuck up" Finn
"She's not actually" Sam laughed "Very much the opposite" he looked at his friend having got up to follow Mike "She's very down to earth, in touch with herself and me for that matter, we're trying to make this into something, just leave us alone for a while"
"Sounds like a catch" Artie looked at Puck and Finn's disagreeing face "What?" he asked them "Most of the girls I meet care more about their hair than being seen with me"
"I guess we understand why that is" Mike laughed tapping Artie's shoulder before walking past him
"Obviously the wonder girl" Finn shrugged his shoulders and got up to follow them into the gym
"Not really wonder woman, she's proper moody when she wants her way, or it's her time of the month, like every other woman, I've seen your girl in full swing when she starts" he looked at Finn
"We come here to forget" Finn reminded him
"And yet you bring this subject up" Sam stopped to look at him
"What you want to forget her already?" Artie asked shocked "See" he looked at Puck "We're never going to meet this imaginary woman"
"Sucks for you" Sam laughed
"Finn" Mike looked at him "I really wouldn't call where your Mrs goes moody, that's more like…"
"Don't even go there" Finn laughed
"I think I can safely say, to date I've never been bored in this relationship, actually at times it feels like I'm with multiple women, I never know which version of her I'm getting from one day to the next, and that's…" Sam stopped to think "Exciting"
"Let's focus on our health lads" Mike turned to tell everyone before pushing the door to the gym open "Usual circuits?" he smiled at everyone knowing they were splitting up to do their usual regime
Puck on the Barbell Hip Thrust
"So" Puck started using the set beside Sam ready to carry on their conversation
"Dude" Sam rolled his eyes "I'm trying to concentrate" he lifted the bells up and dropped them against his midriff slowly
"I can understand you needing to firm up those glutes if she's for real"
"What is it with you guys and my sex life today?" he sat up to ask
"I was going to ask why this one was so special, I mean I believe there's someone, you might not have spoken to her yet, but I do think there's someone"
"I've spoken to her, I speak to her every day, multiple times" Sam laughed "And she's unique in that I've never met anyone like her before and I doubt I ever will again, so I plan on holding on for as long as she'll let me"
"So?"
"I'm not going to get round this circuit today am I?" he put the bells fully down and stood up to ask his friend "While we're talking relationships how are you and…?" he looked at Puck "Which one are you with today?"
"Okay" Puck rolled his eyes "Granted I'm not the faithful type" he laughed "But when I get a girl you all know about it"
"We do, and we don't take her serious because we know how you are" Sam smiled at him "I'm serious about this one"
"I hear you" Puck laughed "But this build up better be worth it"
"She don't need to be worth shit to you" Sam warned him before walking over to his next task
Artie on the Banded Good Morning
"Fuck" Sam hissed rolling his eyes at seeing Artie next to him "Please don't say you've got questions too" he huffed at him "I'm seeing someone, and I just don't want her exposed to you guys yet, what's so bad about that?"
"Nothing" Artie held his hands up "Absolutely nothing"
"But?" Sam looked at him waiting
"Is there a reason you don't want her around us, is it because she's one of those sensitive types?" Artie looked at him "Because you know she won't last a minute if she gets shit twisted"
"She's sensitive" Sam picked up the band "You don't mind if I?" he got ready to do his exercises "I don't plan on wasting the morning"
"Sure" Artie picked a band up and started his routine too "So you're scared of her leaving after meeting us?"
"No" Sam laughed "Not sensitive like that" he breathed out and started his workout "She cries at soppy movies, but then so do I" he laughed "She gets me and knows what I need when I need it, so I guess she's sensitive to my needs" he stopped to look at Artie "Is that a bad thing?"
"No" Artie smiled "I guess it's what every guy looks for in that girl"
"So, you're getting where I'm at?"
"I still need to meet her"
"Not before we're both ready" Sam grinned before focusing on finishing his workout
Finn on the Suspended Inverted Row
"Come on" Sam moaned as he moved onto his next workout to find Finn waiting
"You know I'm going to have my say, we all are, you've been seeing this 'girl'" he hyphenated with his hands "For three months and no one, I mean no one has seen hide or hair of her, there's going to be questions dude"
"Why?"
"Because we're worried about you"
"No need I'm happy"
"I can't agree with that unless I see you happy, seems to me this chick is just a spoilt brat controlling this situation, she doesn't want to see your friends, doesn't want you to enjoy being with your friends she's…"
"Hey" Sam let go of the ropes "Don't talk about her like that, you don't even know her"
"My point" Finn pointed at him before grabbing the rope in front of him "We don't know her"
"Well, you know me, and I'm happy so…"
"That should be enough, granted" Finn smiled "But I don't think we'd be being very good friends if we didn't check this out, I mean the last time you had a girl, it went all kinds of wrong, she was a total bitch and well…"
"I don't need reminding" Sam looked at him
"So, you understand why we need to look out for you?"
"Yeah" he smiled "She is spoilt though" he laughed
"I knew it" Finn rolled his eyes
"No" he laughed "Not like that, I mean I want to give her everything she needs, look after her you know, heart on my sleeve and everything, I'm falling hard" he shook his head "And fast"
"We need to meet her dude" Finn gave him a serious look before letting go of the rope and leaving him to finish his circuit
Mike on the Pullup
"Bring it" Sam sat down and smiled at Mike
"Everything I say, I say it with love bro, you know that?" he grabbed Sam's shoulder reassuring him
"I know that" Sam smiled "What's up?"
"For me nothing, I'm happy hearing your tapping some ass, but if you're really beating your meat in the background I'm not up for that"
"You offering to do that for me?"
"Dude" Mike looked at him strange
"We're taking things slow, no crime in that"
"None" Mike shook his head "Exactly what are you going slow on dude?"
"The attraction was quick, we're sort of moving past the lust of it all, hoping it's what we think it is"
"Three months and you're thinking future?"
"And the rest, I've told you this is serious, we just want to find our feet before we introduce anyone else into the mix, I wish you guys would just hold off until we're ready"
"So, what does this woman with no name do for a living?"
"She works, like everyone else" Sam smiled "She sings actually"
"Anything we know?"
"Yeah but that would be telling" Sam started his circuit, Mike quickly joined in
"Is she good at it, singing I mean?"
"She's good at anything she puts her mind to, a finisher" he smiled "Her singing is her career and pastime, but she's up for thing I want to do too"
"Is long distance a part of this relationship?"
"Yeah" Sam stopped to look at him, knowing what he was thinking "She's not her, she wouldn't do that"
"How do you know?"
"Falling into this thing isn't one sided dude, we're both as scared as each other, this is real"
"I believe you; I just need to see this perfect human being you've found" Mike laughed
"All in good time" Sam laughed giving Mike his back to carry on with his workout
"I'll see you in finish circle" he tapped his shoulder as he stood up and walked away
"I wasn't aware any of you guys had started" Sam called after him
"Dedicated to you today my friend" Mike called back
All at the Deadlift
"What the…" he laughed turning the corner to see them all sitting waiting for him
"We thought seeing as your singing girl gets everything out of you we'd give it a try" Finn told him tapping on the bell bar for a beat as they sang 'Fancy Like' by Walker Hayes
Finn: Ay, my girl is banging she's so low maintenance, don't need no champagne popping entertainment
Puck & Mike: Take her to Wendy's, can't keep her off me, she want to dip me like them fries in her frosty
Artie& Finn: But every now and then when I get paid, I got to spoil my baby with an upgrade ay, ay, ay, ay
(All): Yeah, we fancy like Applebee's on a date night, got that Bourbon Street steak with the Oreo shake
Get some whipped cream on the top too, two straws...
"Shut the fuck up" Sam laughed "You guys are crazy"
"Country boy's found his country girl and if it's as true as you're making it sound, we're truly happy for you" Puck told him
"Finally," Sam smiled "But, if I'm honest I'm more nervous about her meeting you guys than you meeting her"
"Why?" Mike asked
"I'm serious about her, I want you guys to be on your best behaviour"
"Would we let you down?" Finn asked
"Seriously?" Sam asked
"Maybe we would, and just so you don't get this twisted" Artie added "She's auditioning to be a part of our crew, not the other way round"
"We'll see" Sam smiled "I got to do my cool down guys" he grinned at no one having anything else to say. The shower room was just as quiet, everyone no doubt trying to find another handle to come at him with, but they weren't getting anything else from him,, he was sure of that
"Have a good day" Finn called as all five went their separate ways to do their day jobs "Nine at Jeffersons" he reminded them
"Oh" Sam stopped to teasingly tell them all "I'll be bringing a plus one, so please have your ladies in behave mode"
"If she can't cope with the ladies" Mike warned
"Don't say I didn't warn ya'll" he laughed getting in his car to make his way across town to work
Mike taught martial arts to around nine different groups throughout the week, his life was much of a muchness, he'd hooked up with Tina at school and their relationship had been a quiet storm, she was demanding, and he was fed up but compliant. There wasn't much he could do about the situation, he'd led her to believe she was in charge of their relationship from the off, and she'd took that literally, today there was no way he was going to be able to tell her he didn't mean their relationship to turn out the way it was. He was relatively happy having their three children to distract him and a job that physically got him out the house seven days a week
Finn was a football coach at the local Junior school, currently on a long holiday due to it being the holidays and he couldn't wait to get back, he'd been the mastermind behind the gym club, and with Rachel as a wife, no one argued, they knew he needed respite. Rachel wasn't so much domineering as bossy, if it moved she's wanted to know why, she was one of those take your shoes off shouters, before the door even opened. Finn often made jokes of the milkman stood on their doorstep with his shoes in hand one morning, he joked but you could see the embarrassment in his face when he told the story when his wife was present.
Artie: the writer, was between relationships at the moment, in that he was seeing two women and trying to make his mind up which one to get serious about. Sugar was what he termed the dipsy type, everything had a cost, even her love, so if the present wasn't expensive enough he'd hear about it, and that one wanted presents because she'd woke up, high maintenance wasn't the word, but he got off on her power trips most of the time. Kitty on the other hand was the clingy, jealous type, wanted to know his every move, but when she decided to get all over him he loved it, he was tactile to the core, he loved that expression of affection, craved it, hence his inability to choose.
"Puck cleaned pools for a living, and made real good money and connections doing it, he had this thing going on with Quinn a girl he'd been fooling around with for many years, but she'd never commit, he was frustrated as hell about it, but pretended it was what he wanted too. He went around sleeping with whoever because in his mind he'd already committed to her and everyone else was just collateral damage while he waited for his one true love, that wasn't a conversation you could have with the man, he'd never own up to being pussy whipped.
Sam was an established artist he'd done more than a few pieces that had gone under the hammer and made him enough money to allow him to live comfortably in his Batchelor pad. He'd had a few rotten relationships because of his money, so although he enjoyed his work, he hated the false life it brought with it. His grounding was his circle of friends, but as the years went by he'd seen them settle down, get married and even have children, he longed for all of that and felt envious sometimes that he was nowhere near having it. So, when this woman entered his life of course he'd been nervous about it, but it turned out she had too, she earned more than him, was much more popular than he was, and had also been burned on several occasions, so their first date hadn't been an honest one. By date three they'd come clean and started on this relationship venture with some gusto, both determined to make things work for them, she was so different from the blue eyed blond haired girls he usually dated, and he was way different to the bulked up brother's she dated, so they were shocked at their obvious attraction, so much so they couldn't deny it.
The Dinner
"Hey" Sam walked into the restaurant smiling "Sorry she's just finishing off something, she'll be here as soon as she gets away"
"What a fucking build up" Rachel snapped, giving Finn the I told you so look
"Are you messing with us Evans, I mean I made effort" Tina pointed at her dress
"She'll be here" Sam confirmed
"Probably saw us and felt intimidated" Quinn snapped
"It's an honour for any of us to see you" Kitty laughed "The illusive Quinn, please put your damn man out of his misery" she nodded at Puck
"I'm not in misery" Puck told her "Mind your business"
"I asked for everyone to behave" Sam reminded them as he sat down "She won't be long, five at tops"
"So why didn't you wait for her?" Finn asked still not believing she existed
"Because" he looked around the table at the faces waiting for the answer "She'd have had to pass the place to get to me, it didn't make sense"
"True" Mike agreed
"Could I get a dry white and a beer please?" he asked the waiter
"Dry white" Rachel looked around the table as if that said something about the woman they were about to meet
"Something wrong?" Sam asked looking up at the crowd loudening "She's here" he smiled getting up to go collect her "Hey" he smiled grabbing her hand and leading her through the small crowd
"Hey" she grinned at him, pulling him in to kiss him "I've wanted to do that all day" she hugged him "I missed you" she brushed her skirt down "How do I look?"
"Fine" he grinned "As always" he waited until she let him go before he moved off again "They're dying to meet you" he laughed "They think you're in my imagination, had an intervention this morning"
"Seriously?" she laughed as they came to a stop
"Everyone" Sam smiled at the dropped jaws "This is…."
"Mercedes Jones" Rachel sat up
"No way" Tina gasped
"No fucking way" Finn hissed
"Yes way" Sam laughed
"Hi" Mercedes smiled at everyone "Sorry to disappoint" she giggled "I'm real"
"Oh" Artie quickly got up "My manners, pleased to meet you Miss…"
"My friends call me Mercedes, please"
"Mercedes" Artie smiled
"Sam's told me about all of you, I love his friends already" she looked around the table, before taking the seat Sam pulled out for her "Sorry I'm a bit late, work went over"
"I love your album, the last one, it's crazy sexy" Rachel told her "I'm Rachel by the way"
"Rachel" Mercedes smiled "Attached to Finn the coach" she nodded at Finn
"Yes" Rachel smiled "But, I'm in the arts too mainly theatre"
"Fanny Brice, Sam told me" Mercedes smiled at her "How did you find doing that what six nights a week with matinee's wasn't it draining, on life as well as your relationship?"
"It was hard" Rachel held her chest "Hence stopping after two years, that stuff takes over your life if you let it"
"Are you heading back any time soon?"
"Hope to, once this one pops" Rachel touched her small bump
"Oh" Mercedes looked at Sam "he missed that out, congratulations to you both"
"Thanks" Rachel and Finn said together
"And I'm Tina wife of…"
"Mike, yeah I know, with three beautiful children, the girls look like you" she smiled at Tina "I've seen pictures" she pointed at Sam "So I know what Mike does, but how do you fill any spare time you get when the children's needs are finished being met"
"I sleep" Tina laughed "Three children under ten is hard work, but that's what we brought in for, so I love it, but every now and again, when the grandparents step in, I get nights like this or even a weekend when Mike finally takes a break and I forget Mommy for a while and become sexy Tina again" she laughed "But jokes aside, when I get back into it, I want to start my own designer kids line, I've started the sketches"
"Great" Mercedes nodded, excited for Tina to come into her own, looking at Quinn her next task, she was working the room like the professional she was
"Quinn" Quinn snapped "And no, I don't belong to Puck, and he doesn't belong to me"
"You're more beautiful than the pictures give credit for" Mercedes smiled at her "As soon as Sam told me you were a friend of his I started following your work closer, I've been an admirer from afar for years so this" Mercedes smiled at her "Is truly an honour"
"Thank you" Quinn smiled at the compliment "I listen to your work too"
"Maybe you could find a way to model some of Tina's work when she's ready to start again, you know in this business we have to lift each other up" Mercedes looked at Tina "And I wouldn't mind paying for some of your designs for my nieces and nephews either"
"You seem to all have my lady covered" Mike smiled
"So, I'm guessing you're Artie" Mercedes smiled at him
"Yes and this is Kitty, my troublemaker"
"No, I'm not" kitty slapped his chest "I have trust issues, so I get a bit" she rolled her eyes trying to find a word for herself
"Protective" Mercedes offered "With a catch like Artie I can understand your dilemma, some bitches have no code"
"See she gets it" Kitty looked at Artie smiling "I have him on a short leash, otherwise all hell would break loose" she smiled, Mercedes knew everyone was looking at each other because, of all of them, Artie seemed to function on the longest leash ever known to man
"So, what do you do for a living Kitty?" Mercedes asked to cut the silence
"I teach athletics now, but I've won gold at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, and again in 2018 in South Korea"
"That's fantastic" Mercedes smiled at her "I like a spirit that goes after what they want"
"So" Quinn knocked Puck's hand off her arm "What else do you do, other than make hit records?"
"To be honest there isn't much time outside of that what with talk show appearances, Magazine interviews, charity stuff, and especially while trying to get another album together, but I like outdoors stuff, Sam's adventurous like that and we do a lot of hiking and take long drives, we stay in a fair bit because of the crowds and stuff, but we're just as happy in an hotel room as we are in the cabin"
"Cabin?" Tina asked
"Yeah" Mercedes looked at Sam wondering if she should say anything else "I have a cabin out near Crystal River we go there sometimes for a weekend"
"You know we're looking for invites?" Quinn laughed
"Of course," Mercedes smiled "It's more than big enough I usually have parties there, birthdays and all that"
"Let's eat" Sam called the waiter over
They sat having easy conversation while they ate through their meal and drank wine, it was late before anyone decided to check on the time, noticing it was all going to be over too soon "Wow" Finn smiled at his friend when the ladies finally went off to the bathroom
"She's real aright" Artie laughed
"Isn't she…" Puck looked at Mike
"Lovely" Mike smiled
"I was going to say jaw droppingly beautiful" Puck laughed
"We're definitely joining her crew" Finn laughed
"Perfect" Sam smiled, happy everything had gone to plan, and he could relax into his relationship "So you approve?"
"Hell yes" the guys echoed
"So" Quinn looked around the bathroom eager to ask the questions no one else wanted to "How did you and Sam meet?"
"He did the cover for my album, we hit it off straight away" she grinned
"Is he a toy or are you serious about him?" Rachel asked
"We're all grown women here" she frowned "I'd be stupid if I said with any conviction at this point that this is forever, I mean I hope it is" she smiled "Right now, all I've got is that I feel like I've been walking in the dark, but since I met Sam it feels like there might be a beautiful view on the arisen"
"That's so…." Tina held her chest
"Romantic" Kitty smiled
"I've known Sam like forever, and I've never seen him look at anyone like he looks at you" Rachel smiled "You're the one"
"I hope so" Mercedes laughed "Come on let's get back" they walked back into the restaurant "It's official" she giggled walking towards Sam
"We're in?" Finn asked
"In what?" she looked at him puzzled, watching Sam get up to hug her
"They want to be in your crew" he whispered in her ear
"Oh" she looked at him shocked "Yeah sure" she told them