Here is the next chapter, I know you guys are getting frustrated with them but truth is Sam's mind isn't on finding a wife so he can't just realize whats happening, but don't worry things are about to move right along. You will start to see them come to realizations about what they truly want and feel. Stay Blessed and don't forget to review.

"I will have to tear out the entire wall Sam, I need to check all of the pipes."

"What?!" Sam shot up from his seat in disbelief and didn't even notice people staring at him. The plumber remained unfazed. "Wasn't what I expected but the ones I saw were in pretty bad shape. The good thing is that this leak warned you before it burst. You might have had to shut down the restaurant. I can fix just what I see and hope for the best but as one business owner to the other I don't think that is a good idea. It would be more expensive if we didn't handle this now.

Sam nodded. If he took the risk things would get really bad really quickly.

"How long?"

"Three days, maybe a week. I won't know for sure until I finish tearing out the wall and see if any more pipes need to be replaced. But like I said I believe they will."

"Sam you are more than welcome to stay at my place with me."

It was then Sam realized he was seated with his mother and sister. It was his mother who gave him such a generous offer.

"You can stay with me too."

But his reasons for not staying with both of them was still valid. His mother would hound him night and day and his sister, well besides having only one bedroom thanks to her renovation, her kitchen was horrible. Sam wouldn't be able to live like that.

"Thanks Stace but I need to be able to cook and we both know I can't. I will figure something else out."

"You are turning your own mother down?" Mary said looking at him, she was obviously annoyed at this.

"It would be too good of an opportunity for you to pass up." he said honestly.

She smirked a little. "A missed opportunity can never be recoupled."

Sam sighed offering Mr. Hummel a seat. "Order what you want while we talk business."

"That's great, Carol has been saying she would like some of your famous fried catfish."

Sam had signaled the waitress and put in his order. "When can you start?"

"I can start tomorrow on the tear out. I should know by the end of the day what we are looking at price wise."

Stacy smiled. "You better sit down when he tells you, one of my clients had to deal with the same problem in their rental property recently. She said for what it cost she could have and should have renovated the bathroom."

"How much are we talking about? Like in general."

"Ballpark...from one to three thousand."

Sam's jaw dropped and sighed. Stacy smiled. "In that case, you might as well go for the remodeling and just bring your bathroom out of the 1950's. You could re tile the floors and walls with marble, replace the fixtures with the nickel ones, get a decent three light wall mount for over the since and have him instal multiple jets in the shower or ohhh get a Jacuzzi tub." Stacy said listing off the things he should get done."

Mary perked up. "I know just the designer too."

Sam shook his head. "I don't need all that, I just want things repaired."

"You are gonna kick yourself later." Stacy said sipping her drink.

The waitress came bringing the order to the table. Sam handed him his food and sighed. "Can you be here at 8 in the morning to get started?"

Taking the bag Mr. Hummel smirked. "Can you?"

"I will be here don't worry."

As Mr. Hummel walked away Sam sighed. "Yesterday started with such promise and now it just keeps getting worse."

"Not necessarily." Mary said. "If you would just consider the decorator I mentioned she could do wonders for your place."

"Yeah and I bet she is single, gifted and talented." Sam said mildly.

"She happens to be single and has won several awards, but I would think you would want the best. I mean you are single but you are certainly proud of your culinary achievements."

"Yes, but I am not looking to get married." he said getting to his feet. "I am going to the kitchen and try to resist the urge to put my head in the oven."

Mary called after him. "Samuel where will you stay?"

"A friend's place, don't worry." he said though he had no idea who that friend would be.

"Mercedes you won't believe this," Sunshine said , hanging up the phone behind the four foot high desk.

Mercedes smiled walking around the desk, it was half past nine at night and things had finally settled down. "Try me."

"That was Mr. Nolly's secretary, he was the guest that was scheduled to check into the Conquistador suite today for two weeks. She said he had an emergency and had to cancel the reservations." Sunshine picked up slips of paper. "We should have no problem trying to find someone who wants the room now. Who should it be?"

Mercedes took the papers, she already knew who she wanted to give the room too. "I will take these to my office and go over the requests. It's too late for anyone to check in the room tonight at any case."

"You are going to make someone very happy."

Mercedes nodded as she made her way to her office. She went through the list a few times debating on what she should do. Last minute cancellations were rare since the hotel requires a 48 hour notice or you are automatically charged. The rooms started at 290 a night and the Conquistador went for 675 a night. And the the hotel was worth every penny.

She laid the slips down, there was no rush to call them, at least that is what she told herself, very much aware of why she was procrastinating. Sam.

She hadn't been able to get him off her mind as usual. And she did try to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. She sighed heavily realizing the truth. If she wanted him, then she would have to finally have to do something about it. Before she lost her nerve she went into her bedroom to freshen up. It was too late for dinner, but who knows maybe they could share a dessert.

Sam had a place to stay, in fact he had several. Penny, his head waitress had heard a bit of his conversation and his news spread like wildfire. She and every other single girl offered their place up. And while he was thankful for the offers, he hadn't stayed with anyone past one night since he was a freshman in college. He liked his space. By the end of the night he had turned down 20 invitations including one of which an older lady named Ms. Carter, in her late 50's acting like she was 30, with all her nips and tucks. She sat with her sister in what he could only describe as a bare it all tho he wished they hadn't dress. She and her sister offered he a place to say making sure he knew they only had one bed and were glad to share. Sam politely declined and said he would call if things didn't work out, all the while praying for a miracle.

He walked away as they giggled like schoolgirls, and batted their eyelashes. Sam started back to the kitchen when he heard someone come in. He smiled seeing Mercedes and moved over to Penny.

"I will take this Penny." he said as he looped his arms around Mercedes. "What will you have?"

"Aren't you closing shortly?"

He didn't have to glance at his watch to know they were closing in less than fifteen minutes. "For you the kitchen is always opened. He pulled a chair out of a table for two. "So again I will say what are you hungry for?"

"Well I thought we could have dessert."

"Sure I was just finishing making the rounds. Do you know what you want to have or do you need a menu?"

Mercedes placed her small purse on the table. "Ummm surprise em you know what I like. Plus it will give me a chance to see if your pastry chef is in the same league as Henri."

Sam smiled brightly. "No but he is a close second."

Mercedes smiled brightly looking up to him. "You must be talking about yourself."

He bowed his head. "That I am."

She laughed, "Go take care of your customers I am not going anywhere."

"Okay, what do you want to drink? Same ole or something new?"

"Lemonade is fine for tonight."

Sam nodded and walked away. Ms. Carter and her sister walked by smiling. "Hey Mercedes. What brings you in here? Here to offer Sam a hotel room?"

"Hotel room? What would I do that? Mr. Hummel was set to fix the problem this morning, I am just here hanging out for a bit."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well aren't you lucky to get his time, it's about time one of our own gets a crack at him."

Mercedes shook her head, "We are just friends he doesn't see me that way?"

Ms. Carters sister smiled. "Yeah, you are probably right, no offense but Sam has always liked them on the leaner size."

Mercedes shook her head opting not to say anything, they didn't say anything she didn't hear before or even say to herself.

The women excused themselves and Mercedes rolled her eyes, the drink came and she stirred it wondering what the hell she was doing. Next she was brought out red velvet cake and she sighed waiting for Sam, as good it looked she was going to wait. She spent that time talking to Penny who was scared Sam would fire her for blabbing that he needed a place to stay. Mercedes assured her that he wouldn't fire her but Penny was crushed,

"Penny look if Sam were to ever fire you for something that small then I will hire you."

"Trying to steal one of my best waitresses? In my own restaurant Mercedes? The gall, the audacity. The sheer and utter betrayal."

Penny spun around to see Sam who had balanced a platter of quesadilla and chips on one arm and two plates in the other.

Backing down never even crossed her mind. "It's no more than what you've tried to do."

"Says' who?"

She shrugged. "Six managers, or owners of restaurants that I can think of." she told him, "Anyone who owns a restaurant starts to worry when you eat at their establishment more than once for fear you are stalking one of their chefs They are usually right."

He placed the food on the table and shrugged. "They should be pleased they had the sense to hire a talented chef."

"And not be bothered by the little task of finding his or her replacement I supposed." She said sarcastically.

"Change is good Mercedes."

"Unless the shoe is on the other foot."

"Ha no, Penny wouldn't leave me, would you penny?"

The woman was shaking her head the moment the words were out her mouth. "No."

"See." He said taking a seat, Mercedes rolled her eyes.

"You are so full of yourself."

"And when is that a bad thing?"

"Never that I can recall in the Jones or Evans home." Mercedes said taking a quesadilla. "But I am warning you now, keep trying to steal Henri at your own risk."

Sam was about to take a bite of his own when he stopped.

"You know I could never walk away from a challenge."

Mercedes raised an eyebrow. "You will, because I am in the position to make you a very, very good deal."

Seeing the puzzled look across his face caused her to smiled. Sam shook his head. "I don't see what more you can do, your staff already recommend my restaurant besides yours to your guests. So do many other hotels so I doubt you can do more."

"I am talking about more on a personal level. You know Casa de Serenidad has a forty eight hours cancellation policy, but what if I can tell you that we had a cancellation within the last hour."

Sam raised from his seat moving closer to her. He leaned beside her in the seat, their arms touching. "You have a room? Please don't toy with a desperate man."

She looked at him, he smelled of lemons and another overlaying sexy scent that she truly wanted to explore but instead she just licked her lips and shrugged.

"I might have a room, if I knew I didn't have to worry about my chef."

Sam scoffed. "You would try to blackmail a desperate man."

"Sam you have said that twice now, and you and I both know that you have never been desperate about anything." she said, she enjoyed the banter between them. "Besides who said this was anything more than pleasant dinner conversation."

"Well if it wasn't I might consider laying off of him for a week or so."

Sam wasn't a pushover but neither was she, standing she smiled. "Thank you for dinner Sam."

He quickly grabbed her hand pulling her back to him, he stared into her eyes for a long moment. "Your pulse is racing."

"Yeah it must be all the caffeine or sugar."

"I am not trying to steal him because you have him, I truly need someone who can bake and cook. You must know how much time it takes running a restaurant and being chef and baker."

"You need to step back and let someone else do some of the day to day."

"I can't do that."

She shrugged, "Then I can't help you, but from what i hear you have plenty of offers anyways."

She got up to leave when the door opened and Sam's siblings walked in. "Hello Mercedes."

They said smiling her way, she returned the sentiments. Stacy smiled brightly.

"Does you being here mean i don't have to creep around in the morning when i get up?

"I certainly hope it means I won't get anymore phone calls."

Sam sighed folding his arms. "Mercedes might have a room for me if I agree to lay off her chef when I truly need one."

Simon shrugged. "Then all you have to do is decide which one you need the most, the room or the chef."

Quinn too a seat. "Knowing how you like your space and your sunny disposition in the morning, I hope your stubbornness doesn't get in the way of common sense."

"She's trying to blackmail me!" Sam cried out.

"Is that slander or character assassination Quinn? And can I sue?" While on the outside her face was serious, on the inside she couldn't have been happier. He always did the same thing when he and Cam were playing cards and he was losing. He hated to lose.

Sam turned to face her. "To sue you have to prove I was wrong which I am not."

"Actually, since you made the accusation in public, she doesn't, though considering I am both of your lawyers I would have to recuse myself from this case."

Mercedes could have sworn she saw steam coming from the top of Sam's head.

"Stop being so pig headed you are gonna kick yourself if while you are acting like this your room is taking, and we both know if you stay anywhere else you will hurt mama's feelings."

Sam looked at his sister then stood toe to toe with Mercedes. "You mean to tell me while you were leading me on someone could have taken my room?"

"Sam, that is what hotels do. We rent out rooms." She said as if she was explaining it to a child.

A sound came from his mouth that Mercedes could have sworn was a growl through his clenched teeth. She had never seen that look on his face and didn't really care to see it again. She eased toward the door as he followed her,

"I really should be going, good night everyone." She turned to flee as fast as she could, but a vise grip closed around her upper arm causing her to stop.

She swallowed hard at the rush that coursed through her. She turned to him.

"Sam, was there something else you wanted to say?"

His other hand clamped around her other arm and before she could even breath her feet were dangling several inches off the ground. She was so awed by the fact that he had picked her up that she just smiled at him. This caused his frown to deepened.

"You think you got the best of me don't you?"

Mercedes smirked at him as she was placed back on her feet, She knew she got the best of him so she stayed quiet with the smiled across her face. She was always gracious in winning.

"Well Mercedes Amelia Jones, I accept your blackmail terms, and that's what they are no matter what my hotshot cousin lawyer says, and I have better have a room or guess where I am spending the night!"

Mercedes grouped, she should have remember that when pushed, Sam pushed back."