The Masquerade - Part 18
"It`s……… a small world…. AFTERRR ALLL!!! IT`SSSSSS A SMALLL WORLD AFFTER ALL! It`s a smalll.. SMALLL… WOR"
Nic's grip on the steering wheel of her car got progressively tighter as the levels of Sam's voice got progressively louder. It wasn't simply that that song was if possible the most annoying song to ever be created next to the `Song that doesn't end' It was also the fact that much like the song that doesn't end… Sam hadn't stopped singing the `It's a small world' song since they'd gotten off the ride and really… Enough was enough.
So it was with a deep breath that Nicole finally cut in… "Sam! We have another thirty minutes before we get to the hotel where this little reunion-slash-attempt-at-murder-by-boredom is supposed to take place and if I have to endure listening to you singing the `It's a small world ' song on loop for the entire time then I assure you, once we get there… You will be discovering just how small the world can be as they place you in a casket."
After Nicole finished her rant she glanced at Sam's face to make sure her point was taken seriously before paying attention to the road.
"Jesus Satan, all you had to do was ask me to stop singing… Honestly, I mean.. Over-kill much?" Sam continued to mumble under her breath like a contrite and chastised puppy. It wasn't her fault the song was stuck in her head, after all… `And Seriously, who goes to Disneyland and tries to leave before getting on the `It's a Small World' ride anyway? Aptly named Satan's that's who! And…'
With a roll of her eyes and a sigh, Nicole realized then and there she was going to need to work up a résistance to Sam's pout. How Jane managed to ever chastise the girl, when she had those incredibly delectable lips was beyond her… Well actually, no it wasn't.. It would actually be mildly disturbing if Jane had any difficulties punishing her because of her lips… But back to the situation at hand, Nicole found herself frowning as Sam seemed to finish her mumbling only to decide to simply increase her pout and cross her arms in front of her chest.
"Sam…" Nic barely had the name completely out of her mouth before Sam was snapping back.
"What! Is my breathing bothering you as well?" Sam asked while deepening her pout.
"I`m sorry for snapping at you. I'm a little…Tense." Translation: Paranoid about whatever ridiculous stunt Brooke had planned for them.
Finally releasing the pout she had been holding, Sam nodded her head in understanding. Truth be told, she was worried about what Brooke was planning as well. That was a small part of why she hadn't let the It's a Small world song go. That coupled with the fact that she really did love that song…
"It`s ok, I understand. But before you snap at me again, would you like to go through a few deep breath exercises I learned in New York to help you relax?" Sam could barely contain her laughter as she saw the look Nicole flashed her in response. "I was just kidding, babe. But speaking about New York… You know quite a bit about what`s been going on in my life since `The Great Misunderstanding' as I`m officially naming it. And all I know about what you`ve been up to for the past three years is that you went to Paris and started a very successful café/bar/club."
Nic briefly took her eyes of the basically stopped traffic of the freeway to glance at the earnest look in Sam's eye before giving a non-committal shrug of her shoulders. "That`s basically all of it. There wasn`t really anything else."
Sam frowned. "What do you mean, `that's basically it' I know you did more then go to Paris, come back and start a club. And if you didn`t then I know there`s more to Paris then you`re letting on." Seeing the reluctance in Nicole's face caused Sam to continue with a little more pleading in her voice. "Come on Nic… At least tell me what made you decide to start a club, because honestly out of all the professions I saw in your future, club owner was definitely not one of them."
"And what did you see in my future Sam?" Nicole asked guardedly. After which Sam let out a frustrated grown.
"I don`t know really! Me, I guess… I could never figure out what I saw you doing for a profession, but I always hoped that I`d be somewhere in your future… "
Seeing the slight upturn of Nicole's mouth caused some of the frustration that she was feeling to ebb away. "But that`s not the point… So? I mean, like you said, we`re facing a fairly long drive. We might as well spend it catching up completely. Tell me about Paris."
She new Sam was right. In fact, she knew the only reason she was so reluctant to talk about the past few years was because... Well to speak about how she got to this point in time would mean talking about how she felt after, `the Great Misunderstanding' And she'd really rather not have to think about that night ever again.
"Hmm tell you about Paris? Well... It`s in France for one thing. That was a shock, believe me. I thought I going to Texas when I bought my flight tickets! Everyone speaks French there. French men are... very French. French women are.... Why don`t we just go with very French for them too, hmm? And French coffee saved my life from monotony." Upon finishing her very evasive answer, Nic was preparing to give Sam a grin until she realized how un-amused and almost hurt Sam seemed to be.
Frowning, Sam decided to stop pressing a subject Nicole very obviously didn't want to talk about and looked out of the window at the passing cars. "You could have just said you'd really rather not talk about it Nic."
Now feeling like an ass, Nic did not immediately reply. Meaning they drove in silence. Finally, Nic took a deep breath and began. "After I saw the two of you… I immediately flew to Paris. I literally only stopped by the house long enough to give Maria, our maid, a quick hug while informing her that I was leaving before I was gone. On a plane to Paris…." Nicole paused to breathe through the emotions that night invoked before moving on.
"Honestly, I don`t know what inspired my hurt filled brain to believe that going to Paris, the City of Love and Light, was the perfect idea when feeling betrayed and heart broken… But once I got there, I don't know I guess it was a balm. Paris is so different from LA so there were no real constant reminders of you, which was what I needed at the time. I spent almost a year there, during which I became friends with the owners of a café I spent most of my time at.
The couple that owned the café was elderly, with no children. They said that the café had always been their baby and knew they would never be able to handle children as well as the café. But they took care of me…
I spent my first few months sitting alone at that café. Apparently I was wasting away… Because Sara, the wife and co-owner, started sending coffee and pastries to my table if I didn`t order anything. I thought nothing of it. I was to consumed with myself and my heartbreak to register. That is until one day after I'd been visiting the cafe for a couple months, she sat at my table and with out preamble said; `Alright child, it's time to move on and to start taking care of yourself. It may have been a great heartbreak, but there's nothing like truly experiencing the City of Lights to help you heal. Now, I've had enough of you depressing this corner window. Come.. You can tell me all about it as I mind the counter' "
This time as Nic paused to breathe it was with a small smile, at the memory of Sara.
While Sam wore a small smile at the thought of an elderly French woman telling Nicole what to do.
"After she had finished talking and stood to walk away, I of course looked at her like she was craziest women to approach, let alone speak to me, since Mary Cherry. However, at my look all she did was laugh as she walked away. Automatically assuming that I would follow her, which to my chagrin, I did. I guess…. Everything simply progresses from that point. Sara and David, her husband treated me like the child they never had. They took me in and it really was a great time as well as a growing period. They taught me all about running a café as well as the added perk of people watching.
It was definitely an experience.
Sometimes it felt like an elaborate social experiment, because it got to the point where I felt like I could give a pretty good profile on a person just by the drinks they ordered… But alas… after I`d been there for almost 8 months, Sara pulled me aside and basically told me that I needed to stop hiding away in Paris. I knew she was right. In fact I`d been thinking about it for the past two months by that time. So after a few more weeks of working at the cafe, we said our goodbyes and I came back state side.
After completely moving out of the mansion, I found I had no idea what to do next. It took me calling back to France and catching up with Sara for the idea to kick in. I wanted to open my own café. And well… After many sleepless nights filled with plotting and designing, Satan`s Lair was fully conceptualized. And once I had that… Everything seemed to come together, with only a few minor setbacks along the way. The rest as they say…is history.
Taking in everything Nic had just said, Sam found herself irrationally jealous of the older woman that had so helped Nicole move on. And whom Nic very obviously still had a warm spot for. She knew it was ridiculous, but telling her heart that was something else entirely. So in an effort to hide the confused yet frustrated hurt she knew had to be there for Nic to see, she quickly looked out of her window once again before clearing her throat and replying. "So uh... It sounds like you really enjoyed Paris then, huh?"
Hearing the strange tone in Sam's voice, Nicole quickly glanced at her girlfriend and frowned when she realized that Sam was purposely looking away from her. "Well, yes... Sam?"
It was with a sigh that Sam made eye contact with Nic and showed that she, much like earlier in the day had a sheen of tears in her eyes. So it was with a sniff and a roll of her eyes that Sam finally spoke. "I know it`s silly. And I really AM glad you enjoyed Paris, because it would be a shame to go to Paris and not enjoy it I imagine. But... I don't, it sounds like you really enjoyed Paris and well... didn`t miss me much... Which ok, I KNOW is ridiculous because hello that was the whole point of you going to Paris. To try and not think about me anymore. So why I would be surprised that you succeeded is just..." Sam paused to take a breath in order to try and collect herself only to nearly have a heart attack. "OHMYGOD Nic! BREAK!"
Nic, who had been looking at Sam while she spoke with a slight frown over the sadness she was hearing, had stopped paying attention just long enough to not realize that the traffic had dramatically slowed down to an almost crawl. So it was with a racing heart that she did exactly what Sam said.
Which, judging by the screeching noises behind her car, very nearly caused a car accident.
With a shaky breath, Nic ran a hand through her hair and looked over at Sam who was breathing deeply trying to get over the scare while still looking upset. "Sam..."
Cutting her off, Sam finished what she was saying. "No no, just... The thing is Nic; I`ve spent the pass few years positively aching for you. I just kind of hoped you missed me as well is all." After Sam finished her statement she kept her gaze firmly on the bumper sticker on the trailer in front of them.
"Oh, Sammy..." Nic took one hand off of the wheel and grabbed one of Sam's hands and squeezed it. Making eye contact with Sam so that she got the full extent of the words she was about to speak. "Sam, I thought about you everyday. Every single moment not spent working at the coffee shop was spent thinking about you. It got to the point where I tried to get myself to be happy for you if you were happy with Brooke." Nic said with a grimace. Which while true, had the added bonus of getting a grin out of Sam. "I do love you, Samantha McPherson. If nothing else, never doubt you're the one thing I never stop thinking about."
This got a full-blown smile out of Sam and the dark cloud that had descended on her face vanished. "Do you love me enough to call me `Sugar Plum' in front of everyone at the Reunion?" Sam asked seriously, however at the immediate look of horror that flashed across Nicole's face had Sam bursting into laughter.
And Nic rolling her eyes.
tbc